Highland Park’s 2013 elections are just a few weeks away. This year’s races don’t have the intensity of the last municipal election, owing to the lack of mayoral contest, but our votes are just as important in shaping the future. Want Highland Park news in your inbox? Subscribe to Patch's newsletter. For Highland Park City Council, three seats are up for election. One replaces Steve Mandel, who now represents much of Highland Park on the Lake County board; another replaces James Kirsch, who is stepping down; the third represents Dan Kaufman’s current seat on the Council. In my opinion, …

I don't like the road travelled to get here, but on the April municipal ballot, I will be voting in favor of the District 113 referendum. For more than two years now, residents in District 113 have discussed and considered a funding plan to improve Highland Park and Deerfield High Schools. Emotions have run high. Facts have been debated. Tempers have flared. I have had one of those short tempers at times in the process. I believe District 113 has done a woeful job of educating voters on exactly why the referendum is needed, why the number is so similar to what was on the ballot two years ago…

There are a lot of good burgers on the North Shore. The Claim Company reclaimed my tastebuds when they reopened in Northbrook Court two years ago. Five Guys has crept closer and closer, with outposts in Wilmette, Glenview, and Vernon Hills. And the granddaddy of them all, Charlie Beinlich's, continues to grind them out every day, as they have for fifty years.Into this crowded meat patty market steps Royce, now in the former Rosebud and Moderno space in Highland Park's Renaissance Place. While I was a Moderno fan, they weren't doing enough business to pay the rent. Chef and Proprietor John Des…

For several hundred Highland Park businesses and residents, the cost of fire safety just went up. On Nov. 26, the City of Highland Park approved a new contract with Tyco, including a new fee structure, for fire monitoring service. The request for the new contract came from Fire Chief Pat Tanner and Deputy Chief of Police George Pfutzenreuter. The city's new contract requires those with city-connected fire alarm monitoring -- most of whom are required to do so by law -- to pay the city's existing annual fee of $325 for for each alarm box, plus a new mandatory maintenance fee of $147. This is …

Over the last several weeks, the City of Highland Park has sponsored open houses for two potential future projects. One has been in planning stages for nearly fifteen years; the other is just in the planning stages now. Whether viewed separately or together, both projects demonstrate the kind of big picture, forward thinking that city staff and officials can offer. The first is a planned 2013 budget item. Highland Park's public works department is planning a major upgrade to the water treatment plant. First constructed in 1929, the plant is capable of processing 21 million gallons of water a …

Election 2012 is over, finally. A collective sigh of relief let out last week as Americans reclaimed their home phone lines from robocalls and their TV viewing from attack ads. Though the national landscape has changed little, from the point of view of a Highland Park voter, much has changed. Will the change continue into the next election cycle? Want Highland Park news in your inbox every morning? Subscribe to Patch's newsletter. My college minor was political science, with a focus on presidential elections. Thus I find the days approaching November each leap year to be almost-consuming, …

Three weeks is an eternity in the columnist business. While concentrating on my book, I have not ignored the ebb and flow of activity in Highland Park. The result? The Election 2012 sound bites version of Highlands and Ravines: District 112 Teacher's Strike. We still don't know how it ended, but it sure ended fast. Did the TV cameras help or hurt? One day off and it will be made up at the end of the year anyway. From the discussions here on Patch as well as out in the community, it seemed like parents were highly engaged, supportive of the teachers, but perhaps less so of the union's …

I don't know what "lane changes" or "steps" are. In trying to make sense of the current impasse between District 112 administration and teachers, I am being asked to learn a whole new vocabulary. The dispute seems in part to center around salaries as it pertains to these terms, yet neither side has adequately explained what they are or why they matter. Want Highland Park news in your inbox every morning? Subscribe to Patch's newsletter.  Actually, even after reading both the District 112 Board and the teacher's union's "final offer" papers, I'm completely lost as to why there is a threat of a…

Since the tragic Labor Day incident that claimed the life of Jaclyn Santos-Sacramento, Mayor Nancy Rotering and others have commented that there are two families affected by this tragedy. Jaclyn Santos-Sacramento: The Story So Far It has been heartwarming to see the community unite in the face of unspeakable horror. Over $50,000 was raised for the Santos-Sacramento family in 36 hours. A solidarity march attracted hundreds. Many more people have expressed their grief and sadness, on Patch and in other venues. My sincere and deepest condolences to the Santos-Sacramento family; it is often said …

Last week, the Park District of Highland Park Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a plan to redevelop Rosewood Beach. Rosewood Beach Redesign: From Plan to Approval The plan calls for the US Army Corps of engineers to extend the beach and create a more natural lakefront, remove man-made blots on the beach such as asphalt paths and metal groynes, and construct a set of buildings including a concession stand, restrooms, and an interpretive center. The Ravinia Neighbor's Association (RNA) used the Park District's decision as an impetus to declare "war." Huh? It's true that there are …

I'm so busy writing that I'm at a loss for words. You may have noticed that Highlands and Ravines is appearing a little less frequently this summer on Highland Park Patch. No, I haven't suddenly become shy of in-town controversy. For sure, some recent topics in the news would make for great column fodder. The Rosewood Beach story, the dark Highland Park Theatre, 2013 city budget planning, slow construction on Central Avenue or Bloom Street....stories abound. There are new eateries, closed dessert places, and delayed openings. The 4th of July parade was great, the Sidewalk Sale a hit, the …

I am not a helicopter parent. There are days when I might resemble one, though, and the last fourteen have been amongst those. For the first time in the decade my older daughter has been alive, I knew little to nothing about how she was spending her days and nights. See, she got on the bus for her first trip to overnight camp a fortnight ago, and the uncanny silence began. Betsy and Sal: For Mom, Summer Camp Means Margaritas Even when I am away from her, I am used to speaking to my daughter every evening. These past two weeks, 7:30 p.m. would roll around, and my anxiety over not being in …

This week, the Chicago Tribune featured a story on three amazing cars that easily top 200 MPH. Writer David Undercoffler describes driving experiences for each of the monster road machines:  the McLaren MP4-12C, Lamborghini Aventador and the Bugatti Veyron. All three are excessive not just in the speed department, but on the sticker, too -- $300,000 to $2 million for one of these hot rods. Now, I will be in the car buying market later this year, but no car in this category will enter the realm of consideration for me. Even if I could afford them, the question for me would be, why? Don't get …

It may be a while before I can look tomato juice in the face. On Sunday, I had the privilege and honor of joining the judging panel at Highwood's third-annual Bloody Mary Fest. This year's event featured more than two dozen vendors, including 16 contestants in the formal contest for best Bloody Mary. The competition was fierce, but Gabe's Backstage Lounge won the judging for the second year in a row; Highwood newcomer Toadstool Lounge picked up the People's Choice Award. Photos: Bloody Marys Abound at Highwood Fest The judging panel included three event veterans -- ABC TV's Steve Dolinsky, …

There is a time to know when to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em. The Ravinia Neighbors Association (RNA) does not seem to have discovered that art as of yet when it comes to the proposal to update Rosewood Beach. Want Highland Park news in your inbox every morning? Subscribe to Patch's newsletter.For the last several months, the Park District of Highland Park has sponsored a task force to make recommendations regarding the future of the city's only swimming beach. That task force has solicited public input through mailings, emails and open meetings. The resulting proposal for the beach …

"The last time I set foot in Highland Park's Frances Stupey log cabin was in fifth grade."  Apparently, I wasn't the only Highland Park native to utter that sentence last Saturday, when the door of the 1847 log cabin was open for a restoration kickoff event. The Highland Park Historical Society picked the perfect late-spring day to launch a fundraising effort to restore the oldest standing building in Highland Park. Hundreds of people came by for a picnic, petting zoo, and perspective, raising over $3,000 towards preservation efforts. Want Highland Park news in your inbox every morning? …

It felt like being back in high school -- "Can you come pick me up?" That was the opening line of a phone call home to my wife earlier this week, when I bizarrely ended up stranded in the wilds of downtown Evanston, Illinois. It certainly wasn't where I expected to be. Want Highland Park news in your inbox every morning? Subscribe to Patch's newsletter. The plot line was simple enough. A friend from overseas was in Chicago for a day. The last time he passed through the Windy City, he made the mistake of admitting on his Facebook page that he had dinner at Cheesecake Factory. Oh how I scoffed …

The road ahead for District 113 schools seems clear. Improvements are needed.This week, I attended the District 113 Board of Education meeting, where the community study groups that have worked on the district's future facility/technology plan presented their findings and recommendations. At the same meeting, the Education First group presented their own plan for how to move the schools forward. The only conclusion I could draw walking away from the meeting was that what happens next is anyone's guess, and is going to take time to answer. The community leadership group presented a thorough …

Just over a year ago, 52 percent of Highland Park voters put Nancy Rotering in the mayor's office.  As I wrote about extensively at the time, the mayor's race was starkly political and rhetorical. With her term one-quarter complete, I felt like it was time to measure Rotering's progress, including a check on those vocal campaign promises. Want Highland Park news in your inbox every morning? Subscribe to Patch's newsletter. Overall, I believe Rotering is doing a good job as Mayor. She has clearly embraced the leadership aspect of the office. I see the mayor frequently at events and activities …

It's a once in a generation opportunity. The Highland Park Park District is working with the Army Corps of Engineers and David Woodhouse Architects on a proposal to redesign Rosewood Beach, the city's only swimming beach. Rosewood is something of a hidden treasure, with a small access drive off Sheridan Road and an upper park along Roger Williams Avenue. The beach has a staffed lifeguard during summer months, while the park also features picnic areas and trails. Click here to read Patch's roundup of opinions about the Rosewood project. Over the last year, a Park District task force has been …