Lawrence J. Weiner Remembered

Friday, December 22, 2023

It is with heavy hearts that we regret to inform our community that the former Dean of the North Barrington Village Trustees, Lawrence “Lawre” J. Weiner, has passed away.

For the past few years, Lawre served as the Chairman of the North Barrington Leaders PAC and was committed to seeing our community maintain its peaceful and precious character. Lawre served for many terms on the Village Board and is believed to be the longest serving Trustee in North Barrington history.

A dedicated community servant, Lawre helped create the Buehler YMCA, served as the President of the Barrington Area Library Board, and worked professionally as a premier attorney in Chicago.

Lawre liked to say that his favorite legal client was his beloved wife Terri Tepper. In the early 1960’s it was illegal for a married woman to maintain her maiden name. Terri wished to keep her name and Lawre went to work as her attorney to grant her that right. Lawre and Terri took their case all the way to the Illinois Supreme Court and WON! Lawre overturned Illinois’ surname law and granted Terri, and every woman in our state, the right to keep her name.

Lawre Weiner was a humble servant for others, but also a wise, humorous, charming, and inspiring person. Our families, communities, and state are better because of Lawrence J. Weiner.

May he rest in peace knowing he lived an amazing life, had a wonderful family, and left a lasting legacy.

We send our love to Terri Tepper his wonderful wife, his children, and grandchildren. Thank you for sharing Lawre with us. He was the best!

Two Phil’s from North Barrington

Saturday, May 6, 2023

Today marks the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

We want to wish a fast four-legged friend of North Barrington GOOD LUCK!

The Number 3 horse in today’s premier race is a chestnut-colored colt named Two Phil’s. He is trained by Larry Rivelli and majority owned by Pat and Vincent Foglia Jr. - all are residents of North Barrington!

Two Phil’s is the first Illinois horse to compete in the Derby in 16 years.

According to the Kentucky Derby’s website, Two Phil’s is a midpack stalker, who recently rolled to a 5 1/4-length win in the Jeff Ruby Stakes in late March, registering a Kentucky Derby field-best 107 Brisnet Speed rating.

Two Phil’s has won or placed in six of his last seven starts. In fact, with eight career starts, he’s one of the most experienced in today’s field.

Jareth Loveberry is Two Phil’s jockey this afternoon at Churchill Downs.

We wish them an historic finish and hope to see them along with Larry, Pat, and Vinny in the Winner’s Circle.

North Barrington is extremely proud of Two Phil’s and his team!

GOOD LUCK TODAY!

Victory! Thank YOU!

Wednesday, April 5, 2023

Thank you, North Barrington!

Yesterday, ALL of our endorsed candidates WON the Village of North Barrington Election.

CONGRATULATIONS to Eleanor Sweet McDonnell, re-elected to a second term as Village President and to Vanessa Kerrigan, Mark Vandenbergh, and Neil Morrow who have been elected to serve as Village Trustees!

We are proud of the above-board race each of them ran and look forward to their swearing-in ceremony soon.

CONGRTULATIONS to YOU, the voters of North Barrington as well!

YOU did your homework and voted wisely.

YOU gave your votes to serious candidates committed to our community, not those with blind ambition, craving a government title.

YOU elected the team that followed the rules, even when it meant their election materials might get slowed down in the mail. One of the other candidates continuously drove around neighborhoods shoving his unaddressed and unmarked campaign postcards inside resident mailboxes. Such blatant disregard for the work of our postal carriers created delays in North Barrington’s mail delivery.

YOU rewarded focused leaders and did not take the bait of gotcha games played by desperate office seekers.

YOU selected reasonable and rational candidates, not those that promised unattainable construction projects funded by the illusion of state grants.

YOU gave your votes to those concerned with problem solving, not candidates that created divisions and stirred up unnecessary controversy.

YOU voted wisely and elected leaders who will work together to protect the peaceful nature of North Barrington.

North Barrington is better off because you cast your votes for Eleanor, Vanessa, Mark, and Neil.

Thank YOU!

Tuesday, April 4, 2023

It’s Election Day and time to cast your vote! 

The polls are open from 6:00 am until 7:00 pm.  Click here to find your polling location.

Cast your ballot for our endorsed candidates: 

• Eleanor Sweet McDonnell for Village President

• Vanessa Kerrigan for Village Trustee

• Mark Vandenbergh for Village Trustee

• Neil Morrow for Village Trustee

By voting for the “Your Voice for North Barrington” team you will help to keep the peaceful nature of North Barrington.

Thank you for voting wisely TODAY!

Monday, April 3, 2023

Tomorrow, Tuesday, April 4th is Election Day.  Please remember to get out and vote, rain, or shine!

The polls are open from 6:00 am to 7:00 pm.  Click here to find your polling place.

In a small town like ours, every vote counts, and your vote matters.  Casting your ballot will help influence North Barrington’s future budgets, policy priorities, and level of taxes.  Make sure and vote wisely!

This Spring’s election has sadly featured a couple of candidates making phony political promises, spreading misinformation, and trying to get elected by dividing village voters.  We can do better and hope you will reward good leaders with your vote.

Consider our endorsements of Eleanor Sweet McDonnell for Village President and Vanessa Kerrigan, Mark Vandenbergh, and Neil Morrow for Village Trustees.

Please vote for the “Your Voice for North Barrington” team.  They are focused on the future of our special village and will lead with truth.

Thank you for voting wisely tomorrow, Tuesday, April 4th.

Friday, March 31, 2023

EARLY VOTING CLOSES TOMORROW, April 1st. No Foolin’!

Polling Locations for Early Voting are open from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm - TOMORROW, April 1st.

BE AWARE that North Barrington has TWO Early Voting locations based upon where you live.  

For residents of Cuba Township, you early vote at Lake Barrington Village Hall located at 23860 N. Old Barrington Road, Lake Barrington, IL 60010.

Voters from the Ela Township side of North Barrington, early vote at Ela Township Hall, located at 1155 Route 22, Lake Zurich, IL 60047.

If you aren’t sure where to Vote Early, click here.

Make sure your vote counts! Vote Early TOMORROW or Vote on Election Day, Tuesday, April 4th!

Please participate in this year’s North Barrington election, consider our endorsed candidates, and vote wisely!

Wednesday, March 29, 2023

Trusted North Barrington leaders, past and present, are endorsing in the April 4th Election.

Many of our neighborhood leaders have joined the PAC in supporting Eleanor Sweet McDonnell for a second term as Village President and are backing Vanessa Kerrigan, Mark Vandenbergh, and Neil Morrow for Village Trustees.

The following committed community members know what it takes to serve and are supporting the right team for North Barrington’s future.  Join them and vote wisely!

The “Your Voice for North Barrington” Team is endorsed by:

Current Village Elected Leaders:

              Kevin Horcher, Village Trustee

              Robin Kelleher, Village Trustee

              Martin Pais, Village Trustee

              Lawre Weiner, Village Trustee & North Barrington Leaders Chair

Past Village Elected Leaders:

              Pete Boland, Former Village Trustee

              Ron Cobb, Former Village Trustee

              Gery Herrman, Former Village Trustee & Plan Commission Chair

              Sam Oliver, Former Member of the Barrington 220 School Board

              Bruce Sauer, Former Village President & former Village Trustee

              Janice Sauer, Former Village Trustee

Current Community Leaders:

              John Cifonelli, Zoning Board of Appeals Chair

              Jill Kelly, Parks & Recreation Commission Chair

              Jack Mumaw, Fire Commissioner & Former Township Trustee

              Mike Sands, Village Treasurer

If you are a local leader and want to add your name to the growing list of endorsers, contact us and share your support!

Your North Barrington voice can help the “Your Voice for North Barrington” Ticket on Tuesday, April 4th!

Don’t forget to vote and vote wisely!

Wynstone & Biltmore

Thursday, March 23, 2023

People are talking about recent remarks made by candidates regarding the Wynstone community and Biltmore Country Club’s new beach parking lot.

We wonder why Trustee candidate Patty Kalinowski and Village President challenger Jay Murphy are talking down about Wynstone and Biltmore, respectively.  As a former Village Trustee, Ms. Kalinowski should know that Wynstone makes up 40% of the Village and pays about 60% of the property taxes.  Mr. Murphy should be aware that Biltmore generates some of the only sales tax revenue collected by the Village.  One would hope candidates would respect these important facts about North Barrington.

When recently asked by the Daily Herald what makes her the best candidate for the job (of Village Trustee), Patty Kalinowski responded by saying “I represent the residents of North Barrington…”* She continued to state that she is “available to hear their concerns” because she is “not behind a gate”.*  The only “gates” in North Barrington, surround the Wynstone neighborhood.  Does Ms. Kalinowski believe that Trustee candidates living inside the Wynstone gate will be less responsive and accessible than her?  We wonder why she thinks living in a gated neighborhood makes someone a less effective leader.  Why does she believe that not living in a gated community make a Trustee better at their Village tasks?

North Barrington has had many capable and committed Village Trustees and Village Presidents who have lived in Wynstone, the Village’s “gated” neighborhood.  Where a Trustee lives, has no bearing on how they will serve the entire community.  Comments like Ms. Kalinowski’s demonstrate an old divide in North Barrington and it’s unproductive.  As a town, we need to continue to elect people that bring us together, not create wedges between neighborhoods.

Another candidate in the April 4th election, Jay Murphy, is spreading misinformation about Biltmore Country Club’s relationship with the Village.  He seems to be trying to connect every recent local government decision to his unattainable desire of constructing a public dock on Honey Lake.  In a recent postcard to voters, Mr. Murphy claims that the Village should not have granted Biltmore the right to construct a parking lot for their pool and Honey Lake beach area.  Mr. Murphy asserts that the Village should have “asked for a community dock in exchange” for “giving away 52 parking spaces to the country club”.** We are concerned he would have required a quid pro quo of building his dock in exchange for granting permits and variances. This would open the Village to legal action as well as public ethics violations.

As usual, Mr. Murphy is loose with his facts and misguided in his logic. 

First, Biltmore purchased the land and the Village needed to grant permission for development of Biltmore’s newly acquired property.  Next, Biltmore asked for the ability to pave the land because the Village has a Lot Coverage Ratio ordinance.  Lastly, Biltmore is a private club and no negotiation with the Village is necessary, especially with any quid pro quos.

If Mr. Murphy were Village President demanding a quid pro quo of permits for dock payments, our Village would be under investigation and taxpayers would be paying for increased legal fees.

North Barrington cannot afford Mr. Murphy’s schemes and half-baked ideas.

Biltmore Country Club is one of our Village’s only businesses and generates sales tax for the town.  By expanding access for club members to enjoy the lake, their pool, and their club beach, our Village makes sales tax revenue.  More sales taxes generated means less property tax needed.  This is great for taxpayers!

Voters need to be careful analyzing the comments and meanings behind certain candidate’s campaign rhetoric this election.  Like two years ago, some people are trying to say anything to get elected. 

We hope you will not reward candidates that look down on certain neighborhoods or bully businesses.

Our next village leaders need to respect all areas of North Barrington and work well with the local golf clubs that generate some of our only sales taxes.

Vote Wisely!

* Patty Kalinowski’s Daily Herald Candidate Questionnaire, Posted March 15, 2023. Patricia Kalinowski: 2023 candidate for North Barrington village board (dailyherald.com)

**Direct quotations from Jay Murphy for Village President campaign postcard, March 2023. Postcard “Paid for by Jay Murphy“.

Monday, March 20, 2023

Early Voting has begun in the races for North Barrington Village President and for Village Trustees.

Early Voting is available to all registered voters now through Saturday, April 1st and takes place between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm Monday thru Friday and 9:00 am to 2:00 pm on Saturdays.  

Be aware that North Barrington has TWO Early Voting locations based upon where you live.  

For residents of Cuba Township, you will early vote at Lake Barrington Village Hall located at 23860 N. Old Barrington Road, Lake Barrington, IL 60010.

Voters from the Ela Township side of North Barrington, early vote at Ela Township Hall, located at 1155 Route 22, Lake Zurich, IL 60047.

If Early Voting is not for you, remember you can Vote By Mail in this election.  Click Here to secure a ballot from the Lake County Clerk.  Apply for your Vote By Mail ballot as soon as possible.  Remember the Clerk’s Office must mail your ballot and you have to return it BEFORE Election Day, April 4th. 

Please participate in this year’s North Barrington election, consider our endorsed candidates, and vote wisely!

Monday, March 13, 2023

The Daily Herald has endorsed Village President Eleanor Sweet McDonnell and incumbent Trustee Venessa Kerrigan for another term at North Barrington Village Hall.  The publication has also endorsed first time candidate Mark Vandenbergh, part of the Your Voice for North Barrington Trustee team. 

We salute the Herald for their choices, but also hope the voters of the Village will elect Neil Morrow, a dedicated young father and businessman from Wynstone.  Neil is running with the Your Voice for North Barrington team and has our full support for a term as Village Trustee.

In their recent endorsement write up, the Daily Herald concludes that Eleanor Sweet McDonnell “has a clear interest in advancing the vitality of North Barrington and responding to concerns of residents, and she has shown the determination, vigor and cooperative spirit to guide the village toward continued success.”

The Herald states that “she has earned a second term, and North Barrington will be the beneficiary if she wins it.”  We fully agree!

In their choice for Village Trustee the Herald says “Venessa Kerrigan is the immediate first choice for voters. Although she has only a little more than a year of service since being appointed to fill a vacancy in January 2022, she has quickly come up to speed on issues facing local government. She has a solid grip on the requirements of managing village finances and speaks knowledgeably and insightfully on topics ranging from stormwater problems to the relationships required to work effectively with other board members and village staff.”

The Herald believes that both Mark Vandenbergh and Neil Morrow have “clear leadership potential, Morrow from his role as a sales director with a high-tech company, Vandenbergh from his work as a manager with a local packing company.”

We agree and believe their professional abilities will serve them well as volunteer leaders for the Village.

The Daily Herald supports Eleanor Sweet McDonnell, Venessa Kerrigan, and Mark Vadenbergh and we endorse Neil Morrow as well.  They have earned our votes. 

We encourage you to vote for Eleanor Sweet McDonnell, Venessa Kerrigan, Mark Vandenbergh, and Neil Morrow in the April 4th election. Early voting begins Monday, March 20th.

Click here for all your ways to vote!

Vote Wisely!

Misleading Promises of a Dock & “Grants”

Tuesday, March 7, 2023

Word around town is spreading fast that a candidate in next month’s election is promising to build a dock on Honey Lake.   Jay Murphy, who is running for North Barrington Village President, has made building “a public dock on Honey Lake for public enjoyment” one of his top priorities.*  His website, campaign materials, and public communications, promise that the dock will be constructed using state “grant funds” for parks.**

Candidate Murphy’s promises of a dock and grant funding are misleading, misguided, and impossible on a variety of levels…

First, Honey Lake is a PRIVATE lake.  The property owners (residents) that surround the lake, in addition to Biltmore Country Club, each control and own a portion of the lake.  There is no section of Honey Lake that is publicly accessible, owned, or controlled by the Village of North Barrington.  A public dock cannot be constructed on privately held land or water.  Mr. Murphy should be aware of the lake’s private nature because he lives across the street from Honey Lake.   

Second, even if a dock could hypothetically be constructed on Honey Lake, it would take time and increased tax dollars to accomplish. Grants alone could not fund Mr. Murphy’s pet political project.  Impact studies, engineering plans, design proposals, community meetings, followed by analysis of construction costs would all need to be accomplished.  Additionally, North Barrington’s budget would need to account for annual dock maintenance, safety monitoring, winter storage, and an increase in liability insurance.

Next, Mr. Murphy should know that our community already receives very little in state financial aid and grants.  This is because the Village does not manage much public property or have a park district.  The only significant grants North Barrington has received recently are connected to flooding mitigation and creek restoration. Over a decade ago, the Village received a Stormwater Management Grant to restore and repair Flint Creek. More recently, North Barrington has been awarded a Stormwater grant to help create a long-term solution to the road flooding that occurs on IL Route 59. Both of these grant awards took years of planning, consultant work and budget support.  Receiving an environmental grant is rare for our town. 

Mr. Murphy should also know that the only monies received regularly by the Village from the State are from the Local Government Distributive Fund (LGDF) and the Motor Fuel Tax (MFT).  Both amounts of these shared State funds are minimal and decreasing in size. 

In conclusion, Jay Murphy has lived across from Honey Lake for many years and should know it is a privately owned lake and not controlled by the Village.  Because he ran for Village Trustee twice, in 2019 and 2021, he should also know that the Village budget is lean, and we receive limited state support.  Finally, he should be familiar with state funding limitations and grant allocations because he not only sought local office twice, but also ran for State Representative in 2018.

Mr. Murphy should know a dock can’t be built on Honey Lake.  He should also know it wouldn’t be funded with state “grants”.  Jay Murphy is running for office again and what we know is North Barrington shouldn’t be misled. 

Vote wisely.               

*www.JayMurphy4NB.com/platform

**www.nextdoor.com posts & conversations with Doug Ramsdale, a North Barrington resident who lives on Honey Lake.

The Coming Election

Saturday, February 18, 2023

Can you believe it?  It’s time for another election in North Barrington.

Unlike state and national voting, that happens in the Fall of even numbered years, our municipal elections occur in the Spring of odd numbered years.  It’s 2023 and election season, yet again.  Lucky us!

Like the political seasons that never seem to end, a couple of the village candidates defeated in the last election haven’t stopped running for office.  We wish them well but hope the heated and misleading political rhetoric of the last campaign won’t be returning with them.

In 2021, the North Barrington Leaders PAC was created to help inform voters about village facts and untangle misleading rhetoric used by some of the candidates running for office.  Debunking misinformation and political propaganda was necessary, and we decided to do our part.  We worked diligently to inform the electorate about local government facts, including how the village operates on a lean 3.5% of your total property tax bill, and about our community’s policy priorities, and most importantly, how North Barrington has always maintained a fiscally conservative, balanced budget.  Our group believed then and still maintains, that leadership should be earned through fact-based dialog.  How a candidate campaigns for office is usually an indication of how they will govern.

Happily, our goal of spreading the truth and promoting village facts prevailed at the polls in the 2021 Spring election.  The candidates we endorsed won and North Barrington is better for it!

This year, the North Barrington Leaders PAC will again advocate for village candidates who care about our community values.  We know that there are quality citizen leaders running in this election.  They are interested in crafting solutions to local problems, and we look forward to supporting their vision for our village.

It is our hope that ALL the candidates running in the April 4th election, will conduct a campaign worthy of the village they wish to represent.

If you agree and want to help our efforts for North Barrington to vote wisely, then join us!

Stay tuned…

2021 Election Victory

Wednesday, April 7, 2021

Congratulations to newly elected Trustees Martin Pais, Robin Kelleher, and Kevin Horcher on Tuesday’s victory!

Martin, Robin, and Kevin gained the overwhelming support of voters in every corner of the Village. They secured a sizable victory over four other vigorous opponents.

We are pleased to know that North Barrington voters saw beyond political buzz words, intentional misinformation, and misleading special interest emails, and voted wisely!

The North Barrington Leaders PAC was proud to support Martin, Robin, and Kevin to secure a win for fiscally conservative leadership and good natured, selfless service.

Congratulations to our community and to the candidates. We look forward to the leadership Martin, Robin, and Kevin will soon offer the Village.