All are welcome to test their knowledge of animal gender fluidity and courtship. Enjoy comradery in nature around the campfire.
Ages 13 & up. Registration required. Call 847-381-6592.
Posted in Crabtree Nature Center, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Education, FPDCC, Property Taxes | Leave a Comment »
Courtesy of Metra
Metra’s holiday train tickets went on sale Monday.
Tickets for the decorated trains — which feature holiday characters and treats — cost $10 each and must be purchased in advance on Metra’s website.
The trains are scheduled to run throughout the day along five Metra lines on:
- Dec. 6: Milwaukee District West and BNSF lines
- Dec. 13: Metra Electric, Rock Island and UP Northwest
- Dec. 20: Metra Electric
On the Metra Electric Line, the tickets also include a visit to the “North Pole winter wonderland” at Millennium Station.
Posted in Chicago Sun*Times, Entertainment, METRA | Leave a Comment »
2:80 – Board Member Code of Conduct
Each member of the Community Unit School District 220 Board of Education ascribes to the following code of conduct:
1. I will represent all school district constituents honestly and equally and refuse to surrender my responsibilities to special interest or partisan political groups. 🫣
2. I will avoid any conflict of interest or the appearance of impropriety which could result from my position, and shall not use my Board of Education membership for personal gain or publicity. 🙄
Related: “Erin Chan Ding starring in another episode of, ‘Rules For Thee But NOT For Me…’,” “District 220’s Lack of Transparency (Updated),” “District 220’s Lack of Transparency,” “Ding Politicking on School District Property,” “Dual School Board and State Rep Positions Legally Incompatible,” “D220 Abuses Taxpayer Funds in favor of Partisan Campaign,” “Ding In Her Own Words – CONFLICTED!,” “Ding Doubles Down,” “Ding’s D220 Deception,” “Chan Ding running in Democratic primary in 52nd,” “Three (3) Democratic candidates queued to run for the IL 52nd District House seat in 2026”
Posted in 220, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Clown Car, Conflict of interest, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Education, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Illinois State Board of Elections, OP/Ed, Politics, Property Taxes, School Districts, South Barrington, Taxes, Unions, What the Ficke (Bradford)? | Leave a Comment »
The Barrington Area Council of Governments (BACOG) Executive Board is scheduled to meet this evening beginning at 6:00 PM at the Deer Park Vehe Barn, 23570 West Cuba Road. Their meetings include:
- 6:00 – Legislative
- 7:00 – Executive Board
Meeting agendas are not posted by BACOG, but their website does state, “Copies of approved minutes for BACOG committee and executive board meetings are available upon request. Please submit requests by email to bacog@bacog.org.
Posted in BACOG, Barrington Area Chamber of Commerce, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Overhead, Politics, Property Taxes, South Barrington, Village Government | Leave a Comment »
Numerous fire departments respond to the 100 block of West Dundee Road in Barrington Hills after a fire left a barn fully engulfed in flames and a total loss Saturday afternoon. | Photo: Tim Olk
By Sam Borcia | Lake & McHenry County Scanner
An investigation is underway after a large multi-story barn was left fully engulfed in flames and burnt to the ground in Barrington Hills, fire officials said.
The Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District and Barrington Hills Police Department responded around 2 p.m. Saturday to the 100 block of West Dundee Road in Barrington Hills for a report of a structure fire.
Firefighters arrived in less than six minutes and found a 40-foot by 40-foot multi-story barn on fire, according to Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District Fire Chief Scott Motisi.
Numerous fire departments respond to the 100 block of West Dundee Road in Barrington Hills after a fire left a barn fully engulfed in flames and a total loss Saturday afternoon. | Photo: Tim Olk
The structure was already fully engulfed with flames and smoke showing from all sides.
The fire was reported to 911 by property managers at the site.
It was confirmed that the building was unoccupied with no imminent life risk, Motisi said.
Numerous fire departments respond to the 100 block of West Dundee Road in Barrington Hills after a fire left a barn fully engulfed in flames and a total loss Saturday afternoon. | Photo: Tim Olk
Firefighters initiated a fire attack plan that focused on protecting nearby structures.
Read more here.
Posted in BCFPD, Lake & McHenry County Scanner, VBHPD | Leave a Comment »
The District 220 Board of Education meets tomorrow afternoon at 6:00 PM (Corrected) at the District Administration Center, 515 W. Main Street. Items on their agenda include:
- FOIA Reports
- Personnel Report
- Minor Policies
- Consideration to Approve Board Members’ Professional Development
- Consideration to Determine Tentative Property Tax Levy
- Consideration to Approve of Written Decision Regarding Uniform Grievance Procedure Complaint Concerning a Board Member
- Bond Review Presentation
- IL Report Card Update/State Assessment Presentation
- Exploratory Curriculum Update
- First Reading of Board Policy
A copy of the agenda can be viewed here. The meeting will be live-streamed on the district YouTube channel.
Related: “Paving paradise?: Historic Barrington neighborhood opposes District 220’s plan to buy land for parking,” “District 220’s Lack of Transparency (Updated),” “District 220’s Lack of Transparency,” “Ding Politicking on School District Property,” “District 220 Board of Education meets tonight (9.15.25),” “District 220 posts Notice of Tentative Budget Public Hearing,” “Dual School Board and State Rep Positions Legally Incompatible,” “D220 Abuses Taxpayer Funds in favor of Partisan Campaign,” “Ding In Her Own Words – CONFLICTED!,” “District 220 Board of Education meets this evening (07.15.25)” “Ding Doubles Down,” “Ding’s D220 Deception,” “Chan Ding running in Democratic primary in 52nd,” “Three (3) Democratic candidates queued to run for the IL 52nd District House seat in 2026”
Posted in 220, Agendas, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Conflict of interest, Deception, District 220 referendum, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Education, His Master's Voice, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Illinois State Board of Elections, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Mad Cows, Pension Funding, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Real Estate, School Districts, Springfield, Taxes, Transparency, Unions, Video Streaming, What the Ficke (Bradford)? | Leave a Comment »
The Village Board of Trustees will be conducting their regular monthly meeting this evening beginning at 6:30 PM. Topics on their agenda include:
- 2025 Estimated Tax Levy—Draft
- [Vote] Ordinance Adopting the Flood Insurance Study and Flood Insurance Rate Maps Published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Amending the Village’s Flood Damage Prevention Regulations in Title 4, Chapter 5 of the Village Code
- [Vote] Approve Insurance Renewal for General Liability, Property, Auto, Management Liability, Excess Liability, Workers Comp, Bonds and Cyber Coverages
A copy of their agenda can be viewed and downloaded here.
Posted in Aunt Blabby, BACOG, Board of Health, Clown Car, Dumb and Dumber, ePacket Agendas, Equestrian Commission, Finance Committee, Insurance Committee, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Minutes, Pension Funding, Plan Commission, Police Pension Board, Police Reports, Politics, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Riding Club Commission, Road construction, Roads & Bridges Committee, Taxes, Unions, VBHPD, Village Attorney, Village Board, Village Clerk, Village Code, Village Director of Administration, Village Engineer, Village President, Village Treasurer, Yabba Dabba Doo, Zoning Board | 1 Comment »
The Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District (BCFPD) Board of Trustees meets tonight at 6:30 PM at 22222 N. Pepper Road in Lake Barrington. Topics on their agenda include:
- Fiscal Year 2025 Audit Closeout
- Consideration and possible approval of a Resolution approving Communication and Coordination Policy for the Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District
- 2025 Tax Levy Discussion and Determination
A copy of their agenda can be viewed here.
Related topic: “Illinois firefighter pensions torch local finances”
Posted in Agendas, BCFPD, Illinois Policy Institute, Jewel-Osco, Open Meetings Act, Politics, Property Taxes, Taxes, Transparency, Unions | Leave a Comment »
Courtesy of Northern Illinois Fire Ground Photography
By Steve Zalusky | Daily Herald
Investigators are searching for the cause of a fire that destroyed a vacant barn Saturday afternoon in Barrington Hills.
The Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District responded to the blaze in the 1700 block of Dundee Road (Route 68) at approximately 2 p.m., Fire Chief Scott Motisi said.
Firefighters arrived in less than six minutes and found smoke and fire coming from all sides of the 40-foot-by-40-foot multistory barn, the fire district reported.
After confirming the barn was unoccupied, firefighters extinguished the blaze then conducted search and salvage operations, with Cuba Township crews assisting with a backhoe.
Read more here.
Posted in BCFPD, Daily Herald, VBHPD | Leave a Comment »
By John Kass | John Kass News
The other day I set aside the great book I was reading—“A War Like No Other” about the Peloponnesian War by Victor Davis Hanson—got up from my chair and used my cane to hobble over to the glass doors.
I opened the doors and there it was, a perfect Northwest Indiana lake effect snowstorm.
The flakes puffy and white against the red burning bush in the backyard, on the evergreens, the wind swirling the flakes cold in the yard beyond.
And that’s when I thought about that horse and how great it would be to ride that horse in the snow.
Sounds odd, I know.
I remembered it years ago. It was a different life. This was years ago when I rode that horse, and years later when I first wrote of it. About seven years ago now, in another column and another snow, like this quiet heavy snow from days ago that I’m thinking about now.
Mid-November was time for bird hunting back then in my world with my stubborn mule-headed German Shorthair Pointer, Jason.
I could still walk then, and ride, and hunt a field of cut corn, and train a dog and wade a cold river fishing for trout, steelhead and salmon. And I could drive a car.
But things change. You know this if you have wits. And if you can’t grasp this truth of life then quit or grow the (bleep) up.
Many of you probably don’t give two figs about the horse. That’s OK too. But back when I could drive, I was heading east on Ogden Avenue in that snowfall and my car wipers stopped working. I had to repair them. The Honda guy noticed the tread was gone on my front tires, and the front brakes were gone, too. Merry Christmas to me.
But I was thinking of how nice it is to ride a good horse in the first snow.
Read more here.
Related: “Column: Riding a good horse in the snow” – John Kass/Chicago Tribune November 12, 2019
Lucy, a rescue horse at the Hooved Animal Rescue & Protection Society in Barrington Hills, sports a snowy nose while outside in 2016. | Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune
Posted in HARPS, John Kass, OP/Ed | Leave a Comment »
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