Welcome to the Village of Barrington E-Newsletter!
This newsletter is intended to help keep you informed of the latest news and happenings in Barrington. Subscribe here.
Received this email in error? You can unsubscribe at the very bottom of this email. We are always interested in your comments; please e-mail Kate Himes at khimes@barrington-il.gov.
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A Message from Karen Darch
School Starts Next Week! It’s a Great Time to Talk about Safety
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School will be back in session in Barrington, and the start of a new school year is always a good time to talk about safety topics. First, there are the obvious ones related to our schoolchildren: during the morning and afternoon school “commute” hours, please take care to obey crossing guards at major intersections near the schools and watch out for students crossing our streets. They should of course be using our sidewalks, but as we know, “kids will be kids,” and so it’s imperative that we as drivers are always mindful of our students walking and biking to and from school.
Also, there is ongoing construction around Barrington High School as the district completes exciting updates to the school. Here are a few updates so that you can plan for the traffic that may occur.
There are new parking lot configurations at Barrington High School that will likely change the traffic patterns that we’ve all been used to in the past. At its August 15 board meeting, BHS Principal Steve McWilliams provided the Board with an update about the new parking lot configuration at BHS. There will be three primary parking lots across the campus. This map provides an overview of parking for the 2023-24 school year.
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Main Street Lot: primarily for staff parking (entrance for staff and buses only)
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Hart Road Lot: primarily for student parking, student pick-up/drop-off
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Stadium Lot: staff parking only
Bus pick-up and drop-off will be located on the north side of the building. Additional school personnel and police officers will be positioned around the campus during the first few days of school to provide directions and assist with heavy traffic periods during arrival and dismissal. The district will be sending out a more detailed communication to all high school families this week. Click here to listen to the full traffic presentation.
Finally, with the recent news about the devastating wildfires in Maui, it is a good time to talk about where our residents can find information in an emergency. September is National Preparedness Month, and we will be putting out this information in many of our Village communications over the next few weeks. Below is an article about where you can get information in case of an emergency — please take a moment to sign up for our Reverse 911 system if you haven’t already done so.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend and a great start to the new school year!
Karen Darch
Village President
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Traffic Update
Canadian National Railroad Improvements at Lake Zurich Road
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Following substantial completion of train gate work at the Canadian National Railroad (CN) and Hough Street, the CN has advised the Village that they also plan to renew the rail crossing at Lake Zurich Road.
This work is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, September 5th, following similar work in the Village of Lake Zurich. This work will require the full closure of the crossing at Lake Zurich Road. Detour signage will be in place throughout the duration of work and the crossing is scheduled to reopen on the morning of Saturday, September 9th. The Village will provide updates and additional traffic alerts ahead of the closure.
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Save the Date: Public Safety Open House |
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You're invited to join Barrington Public Safety at the 2023 Public Safety Open House on September 30th from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM.
The Barrington Fire Department Open House is an exciting event where you can meet your local firefighters, enjoy educational demonstrations, and discover more about the services we provide and how they can help you. Our Open House event provides fire safety education, training, and information to the public. Our mission is to promote fire safety and emergency preparedness among all ages, as well as to provide family-friendly activities.
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Where to Find Information During a Community Emergency |
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When emergencies occur in the Village of Barrington, we want to be sure that our residents know where to find information quickly. We have several tools that we use to communicate in real time to our residents, and I’d like to encourage you to check the following sources during an emergency:
EMERGENCY SIREN For many years, the Village has operated an emergency siren system that will provide warning in case of a tornado. The siren gives out a long, sustained blast and is tested the first Tuesday of each month at 10:00 a.m. If you hear the siren at other times, please take cover inside immediately and seek additional information as indicated below. The siren will run for five minutes and repeat every 10 minutes until the threat is over. In addition, there are lightning detection warning sirens near our schools and parks in Barrington. Should you hear these sirens go off during a thunderstorm, take cover immediately.
REVERSE 911 SYSTEM Many of our residents have signed up for the Village’s “Reverse 911” Everbridge system, which will send texts directly to your phone as well as emails and alerts in case of an emergency. This is the most important and efficient way that the Village will communicate with you during an emergency, but you have to be registered to receive alerts. If you haven’t yet signed up, click the button below.
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THE VILLAGE WEB SITE (www.BARRINGTON-IL.gov) We have a “Special Alert” banner on the top of every page of our website providing important information. It is updated as incidents are unfolding, so please check here during an emergency.
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SOCIAL MEDIA I realize that not all of us are on social media, but a significant portion of our community does use these tools. The Village is active on Facebook, Instagram, and NextDoor, and during an emergency, these apps are updated to the best of our ability as incidents are unfolding. Our Police and Fire Departments also have their own social media accounts, but official information will be posted on the Village of Barrington accounts and will be shared to the Police and Fire accounts. If you aren’t yet “following” the Village of Barrington on social media, I urge you to do so.
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SPECIAL ALERT E-MAIL BLASTS In addition to our Reverse 911 system, we are able to send out specific Special Alert e-blasts as needed. But you won’t receive e-blasts if you don’t sign up, so please subscribe by clicking the button below or clicking on the “News Updates” sign up button at the bottom of our website.
I hope you will take the time this September to prepare yourself and your family in case emergencies do happen in the Village. And as school gets underway, please do be on the lookout for our youngest members of the community - stay safe, Barrington!
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ComEd Tree Trimming Over Next 3 Months |
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ComEd will be trimming trees adjacent to overhead power lines within our community over the next several months. Although ComEd mails out individual notifications, trimming will occur throughout the Village of Barrington. Questions can be directed to ComEd at 1(800) Edison-1. |
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A Call for Artists!
Paint the Town Barrington Plein Air Event 2023
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Just as the artists of Paris have done for hundreds of years, local artists will paint “Plein Air” (outdoors in the open air) in Barrington from October 6 – October 14 in our beautiful Village, on street corners, in parks, and more.
Join local painters for the Paint the Town Barrington! Plein Air event this fall!
October 6 - October 14: Plein Air Painting Throughout Barrington
Saturday, October 14 at 6:00 pm: FREE Reception at Barrington's White House
Sunday, October 15 from 11:00 am - 2:00 pm: Plein Air Painter's Art Sale
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A Note From Public Works:
Lead Service Replacement Line Project
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Some residents may be receiving a letter and/or email regarding the upcoming Lead Service Line Replacement Project. It is important that you respond to the letter and email if you receive one. These letters are related to Temporary Construction Easements (TCEs) needed to replace the water services. TCEs are needed to allow workers temporary access to perform the required work to install the new water services.
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Water Meter Replacement Project
At the Village of Barrington, we are committed to providing accurate and reliable water metering services to our customers. As part of our ongoing efforts to ensure the efficiency of our water system, we have implemented a Water Meter Replacement Program. This program aims to upgrade every water meter serviced by the Village and to transition the current meter reading technology to one with enhanced accuracy and improved data collection.
In order to accomplish this program, the Village has contracted with United Meters, Inc. (UMI) to complete the installations. The installations will be conducted by licensed plumbers who work for UMI and have been background checked by the Barrington Police Department. UMI installers will have appropriate UMI photo identification and will be driving marked UMI vehicles.
If you have not done so already, please schedule an appointment to have your water meter upgraded. The work will typically take less than thirty minutes and various dates and times are available. To schedule your appointment, please call UMI at 877.533.8964.
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West Nile Virus Activity Update 2023 Lake County
Lake County reports that they continue to see positive mosquito batches in their sampling data and it continues to be a higher-than-average West Nile Virus activity year. While it has been a higher WNV activity year, it has been below 2012, which is known as a severe drought year with high WNV activity. View the chart to the right for more details.
As of last week, most of Lake County is in moderate drought (no longer severe drought) and the recent heavy rain might help reduce WNV numbers as it can flush out systems.
Please continue to practice mosquito control around the home and mosquito bite prevention outdoors during this time of year.
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Moving In or Out of Barrington? |
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Just moved to the Village of Barrington?
As a new resident or business, we realize you want to set up your new refuse, water and sewer service as quickly and easily as possible.
Moving out of your home or rental in the Village of Barrington?
If you plan on terminating water service, follow our steps!
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Monthly Merchant Coupon Blast |
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Did you know that we send out a Monthly Merchant Coupon blast? You can find and use coupons for many Village businesses.
In order to use the coupons in the blast, simply mention that you saw the coupon in the Village of Barrington e-newsletter, or take a screenshot of the coupon and present it at the time of the ordering.
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17: The MirĂł Quartet Presents
“Poems & Prose: A Quartet Narrative”
21: 3rd Thursdays Art Night Out:
Cindy Marrazzo
28: Lunch & Learn: Gardening in a
Changing Cimate with Little Ducky Farm
30: Public Safety Open House
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08: Mindfulness for Mental Wellness with Northwestern’s Dr. Inger Burnett-Ziegler
12: Lunch & Learn: Barrington Health & Wellness Summit Presents SUPERFOODS
14: Scarecrow Fest, Barrington Wine Walk, & Paint the Town Barrington - Plein Air
17: Author Talk with Richard Goodman
19: 3rd Thursdays Art Night Out:
Michael Latala
27: Blood, Sweat and Fears: An Evening of Scary Storytelling
28: Spooky Strings with Members of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra
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01: Celebrating 50 Years of Fine Arts in Barrington 220 Schools
02: Lunch & Learn: Elegant Entertaining Simplified with OMO Designs
10: Cantus Vocal Ensemble: “Brave”
16: 3rd Thursdays Art Night Out:
Barrington Area Artists Association
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02: Holiday Visits with Santa at
Barrington’s White House & Park Avenue, Barrington Holiday Fest & Tree Lighting
05: Lunch & Learn: Steve Raseman Shares His Journey on the Appalachian Trail
08: Christmas Vocal Jazz with Cheryl Wilson
10: Second Annual Community Holiday Tea at Barrington’s White House
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Are You Following Us on Instagram?
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IMPORTANT VILLAGE INFO |
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Electronics Recycling Program
Groot will pick up unlimited electronic waste at the curb at no additional charge. Residents can simply call Groot at (800) 244-1977 to schedule a pickup at least 24 hours in advance and for details on dates of pick up. Electronic materials include computers and monitors, video game consoles, printers, televisions, DVD players, etc.
Permits and Inspections
Visit the electronic permit submittals page to review permitting requirements and submittal procedures.
Contact Development Services at (847) 304-3400 to schedule inspections.
**Sign Up for Emergency Alerts**
To sign up to receive Reverse-911 Emergency Alerts in the event of an emergency in Barrington, click here.
Planting Trees
The Village will be once again planting trees on Village parkways in 2023. If you would like a tree planted on your parkway, please contact Barrington Public Works at 847-381-7903.
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Sanitary Sewer Backup?
If you experience a sanitary sewer backup due to an extreme rain event, please contact the Public Works Department as soon as possible: we are available Monday through Friday at (847) 381-7903 or after hours at (847) 590-3491.
Commuters: Quarterly Hang Tag Renewals
New quarterly hang tags may be purchased at any time for a prorated cost using the Passport website.
If you have purchased a hang tag during the quarter and realize you no longer need it, you have the option to return the tag for a prorated refund. The refund will be prorated based on the day the tag is received at Village Hall.
Battery Drop-Off at Public Works
Residents can drop off batteries at Public Works ONLY during business hours of 6:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. daily. There are no outside collection boxes - please bring them into the Public Works front office.
Read more about battery recycling HERE.
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Free Wood Chips May through Mid-October
Why pay for mulch when you can get free wood chips from the Village? Wood chips are self-serve, so please bring your shovels and containers. Stop by the Public Works Facility located at 300 N. Raymond Avenue. The pile of chips is located in front of the large salt barn along the railroad tracks.
Recycle Corks at Public Works
Save your corks and dispose of them in the receptacle at the Public Works facility, 300 N. Raymond Avenue. This cork is sent to industries that make new products with it. Because cork is such a durable material, it can be recycled into anything from craft supplies to flooring.
Register Your Pets, But Dog Tags No Longer Required
Registering your pets with the Barrington Police Department is a great way to recover your pet if they become lost. You are no longer required to purchase dog tags; instead, please register your pet HERE.
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Barrington Chamber of Commerce Family Expo |
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Saturday, August 19
12:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Citizen's Park, Barrington
The Barrington Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting a FREE family expo at Citizen's Park. Join them for a fun-filled afternoon of kids activities, music, food, and more!
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Bicycling For Work and Play at Barrington Area Library |
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Wednesday, September 6
7:00 - 8:30 PM
Barrington Area Library
Learn best practices for keeping your bike and yourself in shape—whether it’s for work, errands, or leisure riding. Learn from bicycling advocate Patrick Smith and the Barrington Village Cycle team. Bring your bike for hands-on maintenance tips. Ages 14+ please.
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Advocate Good Shepherd's Smart Farm Farm Stand
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When: Every Friday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
June 9th through October 27th
Where: Smart Farm
490 W. Highway 22, Barrington, IL 60010
Delicious veggies and herbs all season!
Produce changes weekly, based on seasonality.
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Barrington Township Sight & Sound Bus |
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When: TODAY, August 18, 2023 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Where: Barrington Township
602 S. Hough Street, Barrington, IL 60010
Hearing loss screening services, retinal screening services, and children's vision screenings.
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Bacoa Partners with Lucas Law for Wills and Power of Attorneys Program |
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Starting this July, Bacoa is proud to partner with Lucas Law to create the following legal documents for low-income adults over 60:
- Living Will
- Last Will and Testament
- Healthcare Power of Attorney
- Property Power of Attorney
Suggested donation to Bacoa of
$15 per item (time donated by Lucas Law). Payment due at the time of service.
Registration: Participants must call Bacoa at 847-381-5030 to complete an income screening and questionnaire before they can schedule their appointment.
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Celebrate the Earth All Year Long with the Barrington Area Digital Photo Gallery! |
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With Barrington Area Digital Photo Gallery, you can appreciate our beautiful open spaces, birds, wildlife, insects, reptiles, and more in the Barrington area.
So far in 2023, BADPG has added 185 new images for you to enjoy. BADPG was created to showcase the Barrington Area and encourage people to enjoy and protect our natural resources.
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Bacoa's Teepa Snow Seminar |
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Join Bacoa and Teepa on World Alzheimers Day to discuss Brain Changes in Dementia, Understanding the Different Dementias, and Coping with Challenging Situations in Dementia Care.
September 21, 2023, from 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Willow Creek Community Church
67 Algonquin Road, South Barrington
Ticket prices:
- General Public: $75
- Professionals Receiving CEUs $125
Tickets are available May 1 and can be purchased at bacoa.org
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Alcoholics Anonymous of the Northern Illinois Area |
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If you're having trouble with alcohol, we can help. Contact the Alcoholics Anonymous of the Northern Illinois area at 847-382-4455, or go to www.barringtonaa.org.
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Monday, August 21
Committee of the Whole, 6:00 p.m.
Board of Trustees, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, August 22
Police Pension Board, 5:30 p.m.
Plan Commission/ZBA, 6:30 p.m.
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Thursday, August 24
Architectural Review Commission, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, September 7
Environmental Advisory Committee, 6:00 p.m.
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200 S. Hough Street | Barrington, IL
(847) 304-3400 | barrington-il.gov
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