In Just Asking, writer Mary Klest explores the community for unrecognized people, places,
and resources of interest to Barrington-area residents. E-mail Mary with your questions: mary@maryklest.com.
JULY/AUGUST 2010
How Barrington’s Independence Day parade organized?
I asked Melissa Bingham, chairwoman of the parade committee and an event planning professional.
Each year, when the bands start playing and flags gripped by tiny or veined hands start waving, anticipation builds. People dressed in shorts and T-shirts line the streets to salute soldiers, pick out their favorite float, or point to a loved one. It’s our hometown marching down Main Street. But how do they know where to position themselves?
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MAY/JUNE 2010
Why are most BHS art teachers dual professionals working as artists and teachers?
I asked Band Director Randy Karon and Visual Arts teacher Scott Ziegler.
Randy and Scott are artists who teach full time at Barrington High School. Randy learned to play all brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments during his college undergraduate program. His main instrument, which he’s been playing and performing on for 35 plus years, is the trumpet. His first teachers were educators and professional musicians. “I know that influenced me early on as I was learning the fundamentals of music and brass playing. It showed me that you can enjoy being a musician on so many different levels.”
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MARCH/APRIL 2010
What’s the story behind Carol’s Garden on Northwest Highway in Barrington?
I asked Cuba Township Supervisor David Nelson, who saw a problem and turned it into a sweet gesture.
Just south of Barrington’s Public Safety
Building is a little garden that offers a lovely
view for passersby. Perennials fill the raised
limestone wall bed and follow the meandering
granite pathway up to a sign that reads Carol’s
Garden.”
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JAN/FEB 2010
Why did you participate in the Barrington Roundup?
I asked artist Mary Lane.
Mary Lane was one of many to arrive early
at the Barrington Area United Way Roundup
auction in October. The fiberglass horses
that stood regally on our town walkways
and streets were being sold to raise funds in
celebration of United Way’s 50th anniversary.
Five of the horses being auctioned were her
creations. A live horse owner, she said, “I
painted subjects I love on a canvas I love.”
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NOV/DEC 2009
What security tips are the Barrington Police giving residents during the holiday season?
I asked police Officer John Burke, who is assigned to crime prevention and investigations.
Burke has been patrolling the streets of
Barrington for 10 years. He says while
the holidays are a time of good cheer
and generous giving, they can create
opportunities for crime due to the shopping
season and homeowners being away. Below
are some security tips to follow.
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SEPT/OCT 2009
What are five ways families can get organized as children return to school?
I asked Clare Mantelman and Kim DeSimone, founders of Barrington-based
Organize Now Inc.
Clutter happens, even in the best
of families. “A house lived in is not
immaculate. Try creating an environment
that can be tidied up in a manner of
minutes,” says Mantelman. With the dog
days of summer over, it’s time to take
a new look at household management.
Sharing a sense of humor and a wonderful
detachment from the silly ways we stack
our stuff, Mantelman and DeSimone offer
back-to-school and other organizational
strategies for busy families.
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JULY/AUGUST 2009
Why is the PTO Presidents Council recommending that parents read Doing School by Denise Clark Pope?
I asked Sue Randall, who leads the PTO Council and Barb Karon, chairwoman of Morningline at Barrington High School.
Doing School offers insight on the high
school experience from a student point
of view. The author profiles five students
attending a high school much like our own
with “caring teachers, innovative programs,
and strong leadership.” Clark Pope is a
veteran teacher and curriculum expert who
lectures at Stanford University. For the
book, she shadowed students identified
by administrators as the most successful.
She learns that their priorities, values, and
intellectual curiosity are being compromised
by an education system and parents who
define success too narrowly.
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MAY/JUNE 2009
What resources are available for students seeking college scholarships?
I asked Melanie Coffman, college adviser and counselor at Barrington High School,
and Julie Kerr, guidance resource coordinator.
However well student achieve, they are going to need financial help to get through college. It’s not like
it was years ago, when ambitious students found jobs and took out loans to pay their own way. The loans are not available to cover
the escalating cost of attending four-year colleges.
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MARCH/APRIL 2009
What role does the Barrington Area Chamber of Commerce
play in supporting the vitality
of our business community?
I asked Brad Stetson, chief executiveof Barrington Bank &
Trust and 2009 chairman of the Chamber.
Business climates change and so does the board at the Chamber of Commerce. Brad Stetson is beginning his term as chairman looking for answers from questions such as: What can we do collectively to improve our business environment? What are the needs of our business community? How
can the Chamber help?
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2009
What are the five most important job search skills
everyone should master?
We asked Jim Zalesky, president and job search adviser
at the Barrington Career Center.
With the average management position lasting only two to three years and a shaky economy causing income interruptions, job search skills may be as important as career training when it comes to protecting your professional future.
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008
How can I lower my electric bill cost?
We asked a heating and cooling professional and a
renewable energy enthusiast home owner.
Tis the season to keep your spirits up and your electric bill down. The Farmers’ Almanac
predicts a “frigid, wet, wild, and snowy” winter season for the Great Lakes region this
year. An unusual abundance of acorns and thick corn husks are just some of the signs
used to predict a harsh winter, as well as early departures of geese and ducks. Predictable
patterns of winter also include escalating electric bills.
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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2008
Which Barrington area community recycles the most and
where does all that stuff go?
We asked Frank Hillegonds at Groot and Bill Plunkett at Waste Management.
Barrington area villages contract with a waste
management company to collect garbage
and recyclables weekly. Frank Hillegonds,
Groot’s municipal affairs manager, reports
that Barrington residents outpace those in
South Barrington, Barrington Hills, and Deer
Park, making them the biggest area recyclers
amongst those serviced by Groot. Described
as “above average,” Barrington residents
recycled a total of 1,827 tons of material
during 2007. With 39,348 households, that
means almost 92 pounds per month per
household. The highest collection month was
November followed by June.
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JULY/AUGUST 2008
Which is the longest golf course hole nearby?
We surveyed Barrington area golf courses to find out.
The sun is bright and waving trees line the fairway on the fi rst hole at Barrington Hills
Country Club. Stretching 595 yards, it is the longest golf hole in the area. The Club’s golf pro
Mark Esler (shown below) is kind enough to share his strategies for playing the hole.
Esler says that on a day like this a great golfer can reach the green in two strokes. The downwind
offers an advantage by hurling the ball farther than usual. The fi rst hole at Barrington Hills
is a par fi ve. “At the tee, there are two goals: get over the bunkers (sand traps) on the left and
stay out of the rough. The rough is a killer,” he says. “You need a ‘rescue club’ to get out of it.”
To pass the bunkers, we need to hit the ball straight about 200 yards off the tee.
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MAY/JUNE 2008
What’s the most popular flower arrangement sold in
Barrington for Mother’s Day?
We asked Liz Bremner, owner of the Fresh Flower Market on Main Street,
and Glen
Egeland, owner of the Barrington Flower Shop on Cook Street.
“A mixed spring bouquet with seasonal, pastel-colored flowers such as phlox, lilies, or tulips is
a popular choice,” says Liz. “Red or pink roses are also a favorite.” Glen agrees and adds iris to
the list. Liz buys her roses from South America, bulbs from Holland, orchids from New Zealand,
and other varieties from Kenya, Central America, and California. Some flowers come from as
close by as Wisconsin and nearby farms.
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MARCH/APRIL 2008
How is it decided what books are purchased for the
Barrington Area Library?
We asked library director Barbara Sugden, who will be retiring in
June after 33 years of service to our community.
“New books appear on the shelves throughout the year,” says Barbara Sudgen of the Barrington Area Library. In fact, the library added nearly 20,000 books to its collection last year. The professional librarians and department heads make recommendations based on their reading of book reviews and other periodicals targeted to libraries.
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008
What are Barrington residents doing to support U.S.
troops in Afghanistan and Iraq?
We asked Shelley May, who’s offering an easy way to send gifts from home.
Some might think the time for giving is over. Not Shelley May. She and her husband, Norman,
recently transported 279 pounds of goods collected in Barrington to a warehouse in Naperville
for shipment overseas to U.S. troops. They joined other volunteers boxing and sorting the food,
comics, and letters from a 13-year-old boy named Spencer. Shelley calls it “gifts from home.” While at
the warehouse she didn’t talk much. She listened. “Some of the volunteers had served in a previous war, and one woman said her son was on his third deployment. Nearly all of them know someone who is serving,” she says.
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