Oak Park officials recently delivered 200 three-ounce jars of honey to the Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry, which provides hunger relief programming and services to 13 ZIP codes across Cook County, including Oak Park, portions of Chicago and other nearby suburbs.

Barrington

Village reports solid financial performance in 2017

The village announced that the Barrington Village Board recently reviewed and accepted the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) for the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2017. The CAFR is the end result of the audit process and presents financial statements for all of the village’s accounting fund. Jason Hayden, Barrington’s Director of Finances, reported that the village’s current assets of $26.2 million were four times greater than the village’s current liabilities of $6.5 million at the end of 2017. In addition, Barrington’s Net Position, which is equal to total assets less total liabilities, equaled $72.2 million, with $103.4 million in total assets and $58.2 million in total liabilities. The General Fund, which funds the bulk of services such as public safety and property maintenance activities, achieved an excess of revenues over expenditures in 2017 of nearly $1.6 million before transferring $1.1 million to the Capital Improvement Fund for future infrastructure projects, and vehicle and equipment purchases. At the end of 2017, the General Fund’s ending fund balance equaled $9.1 million and included the equivalent of 4.07 months of expenditures in the Unassigned Fund Balance, the portion of the Fund balance that can be used to meet ongoing obligations to residents and creditors. The village continued to improve its financial position in 2017 by retiring 14.8 percent of the debt outstanding at the beginning of the year. By the end of 2018, the village will have retired all of its outstanding General Obligation debt, which has meant a 7.3 percent decrease in the village portion of property taxes in 2018 and a projected 11.1 percent decrease in 2019. For more information, call 847-304-3400 or visit www.barrington-il.gov.

Buffalo Grove

Police Dept. offers child safety seat check-ups

The village announced that the Buffalo Grove Police Department will offer free child safety seat check-ups from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m Sept. 25 in the parking lot at the Buffalo Grove Park District Golf Dome, 801 N. McHenry Road. Officers who are certified car safety seat technicians will be on-site to examine previously installed safety seats for proper fit and assist in installing child safety seats as well. The officers are certified by Safe Kids Worldwide, which requires a week-long training course accompanied by practical exams. Participants should enter at the Golf Dome entrance and are asked to bring child safety seats, along with the vehicle they are to be installed in, as well as car seat and vehicle manuals. Appointments are not required. The check-ups are expected to last approximately 25 minutes. For more information, call 847-459-2560 or visit www.vbg.org.

Wheeling

Community Breakfast to benefit food pantry, charities  

The village will host the All-You-Can-Eat Pancake Community Breakfast from 8-10:30 a.m. Sept. 29 at Fire Station No. 42, 1 Community Blvd. The menu includes pancakes, sausage, sweets, coffee, orange juice and milk. Parking is available at the St. Joseph the Worker Church parking lot, located immediately east of the fire station. Admission is a donation of a canned or other non-perishable food item for a local food pantry. Cash donations will be accepted and donated to Wheeling Helping Hands, a tax-exempt organization dedicated to assisting local charities in the village. For more information, call 847-459-2600 or visit www.wheelingil.gov.           

Oak Park

Village donates ‘homemade’ honey to food pantry

Oak Park officials recently delivered 200 three-ounce jars of honey to the Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry, which provides hunger relief programming and services to 13 ZIP codes across Cook County, including Oak Park, portions of Chicago and other nearby suburbs. The donations came after nearly 50 pounds of honey was collected earlier this summer from the two honeybee hives installed this year on the small outdoor balcony above the south entrance to Village Hall. The village also maintains two beehives on the Public Work Center’s “green” roof. With populations of these critical pollinators on the decline, the village’s goal is to create awareness of the importance of honeybees and promote a healthy environment for bees that can benefit local gardeners. Oak Park property owners can establish up to two honeybee colonies as long as the apiaries meet specific village code requirements. Currently, the village has issued six licenses for residential beekeeping. For more information, call 708-358-5480, send an email to health@oak-park.us or visit www.oak-park.us.

Homewood

Village to host annual Fall Fest and Chili Cook-off

The village announced that the 17th Annual Fall Fest and Chili Cook-off will be held from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sept. 29 on Martin Avenue, from Ridge Road to Hickory Road. The event includes food from a variety of local eateries, the 4th Annual Scarecrow Contest, the annual Chili Cook-off, a magic show, pumpkin patch, house-drawn wagon rides and an outdoor screening of the computer-animated adventure film, “Coco” (rated PG) at dusk. Live entertainment includes headliner Bumpus, preceded by Eric Lambert, magician Steve Belliveau, The Spaniels Forever and Ayodele Drum Dance. Admission is free. Entry forms and rules for the Chili Cook-off are available online at www.village.homewood.il.us. Judging will be conducted in two categories: amateur and professional. Awards will be presented for first place ($100), second place ($75), third place ($50) and professional ($100). For more information, call 708-798-3000 or visit www.village.homewood.il.us.   

–Cook County News Briefs–