Winnetka Talk

Stars align for Winnetka Community House

Wed, 16 May 2012 16:24:00 -0500

The Winnetka Community House will be home to a star-filled gala Saturday. Not stars like Robert Pattinson and George Clooney. These stars are fiberglass and decorated likes works of art. As part of the community house’s centennial celebration, it sought sponsors to buy and decorate the stars, which will be put on display throughout the village this summer. Sponsors had their choice of two sizes, a 30-inch tall star for $450, or a 36-inch star for $650. The proceeds will help fund the community house’s programs. The popularity of the project exceeded the organizers’ hopes. Louise Holland, chairwoman of the …

Winnetka’s Elder Lane Beach may see fewer closures this year

Tue, 15 May 2012 20:36:29 -0500

Storm sewer repairs may make for safer swimming conditions at Elder Lane Beach this year. Cognizant of how often the beach had to be closed last summer due to high bacteria levels, the Winnetka Park District started testing water samples at Elder Beach on April 3, much earlier than usual. “We usually don’t test until the day before the beaches open to the public for swimming,” said John Shea. The swimming beaches open June 9 this summer. The good news is that the levels of E. coli bacterium have been consistently low. The readings taken every weekday from April 3 …

Communities hire firm for utility taxes and franchise fee audit

Tue, 15 May 2012 20:29:49 -0500

Several villages have joined together and hired an auditing firm to verify they are paying and receiving the correct amount of utility taxes and franchise fees. Glenview, Northfield, Winnetka and Buffalo Grove agreed to have Azavar Audit Solutions Inc. of Chicago conduct a tax and revenue audit. The goal is to confirm that the natural gas and electric utilities, telecommunication and cable TV companies and other entities are forwarding the taxes for all the customers within each village’s boundaries. Azavar also will check whether the utilities are billing the villages properly for their services. As municipalities, they are exempt from …

Passion for fashion: North Shore nears top in best dressed list

Wed, 16 May 2012 13:57:07 -0500

It’s not a secret that many closets on the North Shore are filled with upscale, fashion-foward designer garments. And now, thanks to a website’s new study, the nation knows just how trend-setting the North Shore’s fashionistas can be.

Winnetka police blotter for May 17, 2012

Tue, 15 May 2012 17:31:37 -0500

The following incidents were listed among the official reports of the Winnetka and Northfield police departments. Readers are reminded that an arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt. Only a court of law can make that determination. Winnetka DUI Freddy Sanchez, 41, of 2440 Cortez, Chicago, was arrested at about 1:40 a.m. May 9 near Forestway Drive and Willow Road and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol after an officer reportedly saw him drive off the road His court date is May 25. ATTEMPTED BURGLARY Someone tried to break into a house on the 1300 block of …

Walk for Erika’s Lighthouse set for Sunday

Tue, 15 May 2012 19:52:41 -0500

Green T-shirted walkers will flood the streets of Winnetka Sunday. And the walkers’ “graphic green” shirts will list the warning signs of depression. The walk supports Erika’s Lighthouse, which works to erase the stigma of depression among young people and to raise awareness of the condition through a variety of programs. “Erika Neuckranz was a family friend and classmate of my daughter,” said Dianna Devine, chairwoman of the ninth Walkathon and its leader walk from the beginning. “She was a vibrant, popular, intelligent young woman who was at the center of the social life in middle school. She had become …