Posted in Agendas, Algonquin Rd, Animal Welfare, Aunt Blabby, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, Bicyclists, Big Red, Commercial Horse Boarding, Countryside Elementary School, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Don't Change Barrington Hills, E-bikes, Elections, Equestrian Commission, Ethics, Fox River Valley Hunt, FPDCC, FRVPC, Horizon Farm, Horse Boarding, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Look For The Union Label, Open Meetings Act, Overhead, Privacy, Property Rights, Property Taxes, Real Estate, Riding Center Advisory Committee, Riding Club Commission, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Save 5 Acres, Simple Minds, Taxes, The Other Half, Transparency, Unions, Your Barrington Hills on October 14, 2026| Leave a Comment »
The Barrington Hills Park District Board/Riding Club of Barrington Hills will hold their monthly meeting this evening in person and via Zoom at 6:00 PM. Some topics on their agenda include:
A copy of their agenda can be viewed here. Instructions for accessing the meeting remotely can be found here.
Posted in Animal Welfare, BACOG, Bicyclists, Chicago Tribune, Citizens for Conservation, Cook, County, Crabtree Nature Center, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), E-bikes, Education, Elections, Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation, Flint Creek/Spring Creek Watersheds Partnership, Fox River Valley Hunt, FPDCC, Friends of Forest Preserves, FRVPC, Horizon Farm, Horse Boarding, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Massbach Hounds, Politics, Preckwinkle's Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Spring Creek Stewards, Taxes, Unions on September 16, 2026| Leave a Comment »
Mark Kolasa, a teaching assistant for a restoration ecology class, uses his binoculars during a tour through Deer Grove East Forest Preserve in Palatine on Sept. 23, 2025, as part of a celebration of the completion of the habitat restoration project. The restoration project, funded by the O’Hare Modernization Mitigation Account, restored acres of native habitat and wetlands at this site. | Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune
By A.D. Quig | Chicago Tribune
Cook County Forest Preserves has used a $40 million yearly windfall from voters to buy up and conserve more land, pay for maintenance and add programming while bolstering its pension funds, the district reported Tuesday.
Voters overwhelmingly gave the preserves the OK to raise property taxes by 0.025% in a 2022 referendum. While at the time it cost the average homeowner about $20 a year, it was a “watershed moment” for the district, according to a new progress report on the district’s spending since then.
Because the new money was commingled with other preserve funds, it’s not possible to trace the improvements dollar for dollar, but the report puts some hard numbers on the “impressive and undeniable” benefits.
Among them: $11 million spent on ecological restoration projects, buying $4 million in new “greener” vehicles and equipment, and spending $2.4 million to expand the district’s “Conservation Corps.”
Revenues have grown only modestly after the referendum infusion. President Toni Preckwinkle is expected to roll out the 2027 budget for the preserves to the forest preserve board — which is the same as the County Board — on Oct. 7.
“The leap in capacity from increasing the budget in 2023 by nearly a third, and continuing that investment, has paid dividends for us all,” Preckwinkle said in a release.
District General Superintendent Adam Bianchi, hired in July 2025, inherited the district’s goals to ecologically restore 30,000 acres and expand the preserves from 70,000 to 90,000 acres by 2039. In the first three years after the referendum, the district added an “unprecedented” nearly 3,000 acres to its restoration work, Bianchi said at the district’s monthly board meeting Tuesday. Between 2023 and 2025, the district added 558 acres overall.
The district also spent $4 million to improve 64 miles of trails, $2.5 million to repair 43 picnic sites and $1.2 million to fix up more than a dozen bathroom buildings across the county. It planted 815 trees at preserves picnic groves, golf courses and campgrounds and created an accessible canoe and kayak launch at Beaubien Woods.
Report continues here.
Posted in Algonquin Rd, Animal Welfare, Aunt Blabby, Barrington Hills Polo Club, Bicyclists, Commercial Horse Boarding, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Don't Change Barrington Hills, Elections, Equestrian Commission, Ethics, Flock Cameras, Fox River Valley Hunt, FPDCC, FRVPC, Goat Rodeo, HARPS, Horizon Farm, Horse Boarding, IDOT, Land Use, LeCompte/Anderson Commercial Horse boarding amendment, Longmeadow Parkway, Mad Cows, Massbach Hounds, Overhead, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Riding Club Commission, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Roads and Bridges, SOS Party, Taxes, The Other Half, TMI, Topics Of Interest, Traffic, Unions, Village Code, Village Director of Administration, Your Barrington Hills on September 1, 2026| Leave a Comment »
The Equestrian/Riding Club Commission will be meeting this evening at 6:30 PM. Topics on their agenda include:
A copy of the agenda and Zoom link can be found here.
Posted in Aunt Blabby, Bicyclists, Capitol News Illinois, E-bikes, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Public Safety, School Districts, Springfield, Traffic on August 27, 2026| Leave a Comment »
By Ben Szalinski | Capitol News Illinois
New rules governing who can use electronic bikes and scooters, including where and how fast they go, will go into effect next year following Gov. JB Pritzker’s signature on Wednesday.
Pritzker signed Senate Bill 3484 which establishes regulations on “micromobility” transportation that include age requirements, speed limits and rules on where they can be operated. The bill takes effect Jan. 1.
“Technology is evolving, providing expanded mobility options for our neighbors through the rise in popularity of e-bikes and scooters,” bill sponsor Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago), said in a statement. “But without clear regulations for these devices, we are seeing increased injuries and accidents — jeopardizing community safety.”
The bill passed both chambers with bipartisan support on June 1 following several amendments throughout the spring session.
The new law was one of Secretary of State Alex “Ali G”i Giannoulias’ top priorities during the legislative session. The Chicago mayoral candidate said unregulated micromobility devices have become a problem in the city.
“As these high-powered devices become faster and more common on our streets and sidewalks, the stakes are simply too high to leave them unregulated and outpacing public safety,” Giannoulias said in a statement. “This law brings accountability and common-sense safety standards to our roads while helping prevent serious injuries and ensuring riders, parents and communities understand how to safely share the road.”
The state already has some regulations for low-speed electric bikes and scooters, but regulation often varies at the local level. The bill creates new statewide standards for high-speed electric bikes and scooters, electric motor bikes, and electric unicycles and skateboards.
“Municipal leaders have been responding in real time as new electric devices appear on local streets, sidewalks and bike paths,” Illinois Municipal League CEO Brad Cole said in a statement. “A statewide framework gives communities greater consistency while providing local officials and law enforcement with clearer guidance.”
Law enforcement groups were also in support of the bill.
Report continues here.
Posted in Agendas, Animal Welfare, Aunt Blabby, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, Bicyclists, Big Red, Commercial Horse Boarding, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), E-bikes, Equestrian Commission, Ethics, Fox River Valley Hunt, FPDCC, Horizon Farm, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Massbach Hounds, Politics, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Riding Club Commission, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Simple Minds, Unions, Village Director of Administration, Well Water Quality on June 4, 2026| Leave a Comment »
The Equestrian Commission/Riding Club will be meeting this evening at 6:30 PM. Topics on their agenda include:
A copy of the agenda can be viewed here.
Posted in Agendas, Algonquin Rd, Animal Welfare, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, BCFPD, Bicyclists, Big Red, BraveHearts, Commercial Horse Boarding, Countryside Elementary School, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Don't Change Barrington Hills, Ethics, Financial Statements, Fox River Valley Hunt, FPDCC, FRVPC, Horizon Farm, Horse Boarding, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Lighting Ordinance, Mad Cows, Massbach Hounds, Open Meetings Act, Overhead, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Riding Center Advisory Committee, Riding Club Commission, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Save 5 Acres, Simple Minds, SOS Party, Taxes, The Other Half, Transparency, Unions, Well Water Quality, Your Barrington Hills on April 8, 2026| Leave a Comment »
The Barrington Hills Park District Board/Riding Cult of Barrington Hills will hold their monthly meeting this evening in person and via Zoom at 6:00 PM. Some topics on their agenda include:
A copy of their agenda can be viewed here. Instructions for accessing the meeting remotely can be found here.
Posted in Algonquin Rd, Aunt Blabby, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, Bicyclists, Big Red, Clown Car, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Don't Change Barrington Hills, Equestrian Commission, Fox River Valley Hunt, FPDCC, FRVPC, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Longmeadow Parkway, Massbach Hounds, New Normal?, Open Meetings Act, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Real Estate, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Road construction, Roads & Bridges Committee, SOS Party, Taxes, Topics Of Interest, Traffic, Transparency, Unions, Village Engineer, WTF on December 12, 2025| Leave a Comment »
“The CAG is a collection of community representatives and serves as the focal point for the exchange of information between government entities and the local community. The CAG is made up of representatives of diverse community interests, local government officials, community representatives, property owners and residents, and stakeholders with technical expertise. The CAG assists IDOT in making better decisions on transportation related projects that benefit the community and environment. Members are invited based upon who they represent with the goal being an even distribution from each interest area.
The application window for the Community Advisory Group is now closed.
CAG Meeting #6 was held on Tuesday, December 9, 2025 from 10am-12pm. Materials from CAG Meeting #6 are available below.
CAG Meeting #6
Exhibits
Presentation
Editorial notes: The reader who was kind enough to forward this tip noted: “Of considerable note are the currently proposed designs for the Bateman Road and Old Sutton Road intersections: non-signalized Right-In/Right-Out with a U-turn, as depicted (below):”
(Click on image to enlarge)
Also, to appease the Riding Clan, IDOT included a graphic of a, “Potential Pedestrian Underpass,” as seen below:
Last, it’s unclear if the current Village Roads & Bridges Chair (A.B.) was invited to the meeting. We highly doubt it (for obvious reasons).
Posted in Aunt Blabby, Barrington Hills Farm, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, Bicyclists, BraveHearts, Clown Car, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Don't Change Barrington Hills, Equestrian Commission, Ethics, Fox River Valley Hunt, FPDCC, Frau Blücher, FRVPC, FUBAR, Goat Rodeo, Horizon Farm, Horse Boarding, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, LeCompte/Anderson Commercial Horse boarding amendment, Lighting Ordinance, Look For The Union Label, Mad Cows, Massbach Hounds, Open Meetings Act, Overhead, Plan Commission, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Riding Club Commission, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Save 5 Acres, SOUL Harbour Ranch, Taxes, The Other Half, Traffic, Transparency, Unions, Village Code, Village Director of Administration, Well Water Quality, Your Barrington Hills on December 1, 2025| Leave a Comment »
The Equestrian Commission/Riding Club will be meeting this evening at 6:30 PM. Though scheduled to meet quarterly, their last meeting was over a year ago on August 7, 2024.
Topics on their agenda include:
A copy of the agenda can be viewed here.
Posted in Agendas, Algonquin Rd, Animal Welfare, Barrington Hills Farm, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, Bicyclists, BraveHearts, Commercial Horse Boarding, Countryside Elementary School, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Equestrian Commission, Financial Statements, Fox River Valley Hunt, FPDCC, FRVPC, Horizon Farm, Horse Boarding, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Massbach Hounds, Open Meetings Act, Organizations, Overhead, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Riding Center Advisory Committee, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Taxes, Transparency, Unions, Village Government on October 8, 2025| Leave a Comment »
The Barrington Hills Park District Board/Riding Club of Barrington Hills will hold their monthly meeting this evening in person and via Zoom at 6:00 PM. Some topics on their agenda include:
A copy of their agenda can be viewed here. Instructions for accessing the meeting remotely can be found here.
Posted in BCFPD, Bicyclists, Citizens for Conservation, County, Entertainment, Hill ‘n Dale Farm, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, McHenry, Plan Commission, Privacy, Public Safety, Real Estate, Traffic, VBHPD, Zoning Board on July 31, 2025| 2 Comments »
A meeting of the McHenry County Staff Plat Review Committee is scheduled for Wednesday, August 6th at 8:30 AM to discuss an application for, “seven (7) Conditional Use Permits and one (1) Variance,” at 11719 Ridge Road.
The item on the agenda reads:
4.1 Z25-0062, Goldman, A-1 to A-1CV, Algonquin Twp
PIN: 20-32-400-006, 11719 Ridge Road, Barrington
Applicant is seeking seven (7) Conditional Use Permits and one (1) Variance
1) Intensive Agritourism with a variance to reduce the minimum acreage from twenty (20) to thirteen and a half (13.5) acres, 2) Agriculture Employee Housing, 3) Reception Facility, 4) Community Center, 5) Day Camp, 6) Art Gallery, and 7) Vacation Rental Facility
A copy of the agenda with attachments can be viewed and downloaded here.
Related: “Commercial development planned off Ridge Road in unincorporated McHenry County”
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