President’s Letter

By Margaret Graff | Email

As I write this report it feels like spring is in the air —48 degrees, the snow is melting, and the sun is out. However, when this is published it will only be March — so likely some more winter weather is in store for us.

Regardless of the weather, March is a time to me that Fox Point starts to re-awaken – people are no longer hibernating in their homes (due to the weather or COVID).  They’re out walking, waving at neighbors, and looking toward warmer months ahead — and the community of Fox Point is blooming again.

Your Fox Point Board is in full planning mode for the year ahead. Preparations for the annual Fox Point Directory are underway – please see Tim’s report if you need to have your information updated. Jay continues to oversee the maintenance of Fox Point common ground areas (lots of snow plowing to date!). Steve is starting to field Architecture queries for potential neighbor projects. Under Rena’s leadership, the Social Committee is busily planning pandemic-friendly activities like a new March Madness virtual Bracket Challenge event —and bringing back the beloved Egg Hunt with some thoughtful, pandemic-friendly modifications. Dave and the Lake committee are forging ahead with fish-stocking and maintenance projects. Criss and Mark are in the early stages of Pool & Tennis preparations respectively, for the upcoming summer season. Mark is diligently managing our FP web/social platforms to keep them current and useful. And from a fiscal standpoint, just a friendly reminder that Annual FPHA Assessments are due by 3/31.

As always, we welcome attendees at our monthly Zoom board meetings (the next one is Monday, March 15 @ 7 pm). And we welcome ideas, suggestions, and feedback as we all have a vested interest in this community we call home.

Warmly,
Margaret Graff

Treasurer’s Report

By Lynn Douglas | Email

Our 2021 Annual Assessment of $1075 is due no later than March 31, 2021. Every owner of record should have received an invoice from our accountant, Picker & Co, during the last week of February. If you have not received an invoice, it is your responsibility to contact Picker to request an emailed copy. Requests can be directed to Laura at 847-541-4000.   

Your check should be mailed to:

Fox Point Homeowners Association c/o Picker & Co.
750 Lake – Cook Rd. Suite 375
Buffalo Grove, Il. 60089

Should you want to use a credit card, be aware merchant banking fees apply. Click here for directions.

Secretary

By Tim Gall | Email

It’s that time of year to confirm the most current contact information on all of our wonderful Fox Point neighbors. Please look over your homeowner information in the 2020 directory (orange cover) and if you want any informational changes put in the 2021 directory, please reach out directly to me or fill out the Directory Contact Form that will be mailed with the annual assessment letter shortly.

Social

By Rena Slovick | Email

Fox Point March Madness

2021 has brought March Madness back to us and I don’t know about everyone else but I’m ready to be sorely disappointed in a bracket upset (every year Louisville, every darn year) Let’s really brighten up the neighborhood this spring by showing your college spirit! Put up game day flags, decorate your front lawn, show us those houses divided, or maybe spray paint a college logo the snow! Make sure to tag us on social media so we can share with the community! To add to the fun, we would like to invite everyone to participate in our first-ever Fox Point Bracket Challenge! 

How to Play:

Log in or register for a CBSSports.com account and enter the group password (if requested).

URL: Tournament Bracket link is not live as of print date – sign up for the FUN at Sign-up Genius and we’ll send the link as soon as it’s available. In the meantime, check out CBSSports Bracketology here

Password (if requested): TBD

** Picks must be submitted by 11:00 a.m. Central Time before the start of Game 1, Thursday, March 18. **

Rules:

1. Fox Point Residents Only
2. One bracket per person, BUT more than one person in your household can play! Invite the entire “home office”
3.  $5 entry fee per bracket made payable via Sign-up Genius. Entry fees will go towards Fox Point events such as our upcoming Easter Celebration!

Winners:

1st Place: Fox Point Yeti Swag of choice, Fox Point Hats, bragging rights over your neighbors for a full year

2nd Place: Fox Point Yeti Swag of choice

Last Place: We don’t disclose your true identity 

Let the Madness begin! Go Big Ten!

Fox Point Spring Egg Hunt

The annual Spring Egg Hunt will be Saturday, April 3rd, and take place at the Tennis Courts and Fox Point park.  Kids 4 and under will hunt at the tennis courts, and kids 5 and up will hunt at the park & surrounding grass.  To make our event safe we are going to have staggered time slots and mask-wearing is mandatory. 

Please congregate (safely!) on the lawn near the pool house/parking lot and we will lead everyone down the path to the tennis courts & park before your desired time slot. 

Given there are a mix of ages at the hunt, please tell your children to limit their hauls to 20 eggs so everyone goes home with treats.

The ground will likely be muddy, so wear your rain/snow boots!  Sign up Here!

Fox Point Needs You

See the following Sign-up Genius for opportunities to be a local celebrity in planning Fox Point Fun. Some events are tentative and will be based on current Covid-19 guidelines. All event descriptions are mentioned but please feel free to reach out to me with any questions!

Volunteer for Fun Here!

New Year New Fox Point Swag!

The Yeti Sign-up will continue to remain open. The first batch of orders arrived and you’ll be receiving them shortly!

All drinkware is in Black & White (#barringtoncolors) etched with the Fox Point logo in Silver. Kids Water bottles are 12oz and are Red.

Monogram Rules: In the comment section please state your FULL NAME ie: Rena Marie Slovick = RSM in traditional monogram form and the script style. If you are just doing a single letter for your household – please state your FULL LAST NAME. All script styles are located on the Yeti website in the custom drinkware section. 

Order Swag Here!

Please comment with your address and we will drop off your orders.  I will send you a photo confirmation if you order a monogram before I place your order. Don’t want to let my 5-star Etsy rating down. Reach out to foxpointbarringonsocial@gmail.com with questions.

Please keep a lookout on the Website Events Calendar, Nextdoor, or via Email for continued Social Updates! A lot can happen in-between newsletters. Give us a follow-on social media and send us some photos at foxpointbarringtonsocial@gmail.com

Safety & Welfare

By Abe Ryder | Email

Greetings Fox Point neighbors.  As of this writing, the snow has begun to melt, meaning warming temperatures are hopefully on the way. We will see. As the temperatures rise, people besides our intrepid dog walkers feel like they can once again leave their homes for a walk, a run, and a breath of fresh air. Please remember when driving to obey the speed limits posted in Fox Point (25 MPH) or drive slower than the stated limit to keep everyone safe.  Despite the snowmelt, there are still sizable snowbanks that provide little, and in some cases zero buffer for our walkers and runners.  Please be conscientious of sharing the road – especially when parked cars are added to the mix.  Lastly, please remind your visitors into our neighborhood of the speed limits and to take their time driving in and out. It is perfectly okay to remind them. We live in a beautiful neighborhood (even in the winter), so slow down, enjoy the view, wave to your neighbors, but pay attention to the road and to the people who make this a great place to live.

Lake Report

By David Jobes | Email

As we speak, we have finally broken above freezing temperatures and the snow is starting to melt. As a reminder, please be careful this time of year on the Lake Louise ice, which can be unpredictable with the freezing and thawing that is occurring.

This year we continue our lake committee focus on improving the water quality of the lake. Based on local professional recommendations, we will start a 3-year application of Phoslock to the lake which will help lower the high phosphorous content. This is a well-known treatment that lakes in our area have been using with success. The effect should help control the algae blooms we have endured the last several years. In addition, this will help with water clarity which will also increase plant growth as well as oxygen levels. It is believed that low oxygen in the lake caused a high number of fish to die off, which has affected the overall fishing experience for our anglers.

As in the past several years, we will continue to stock quality sport fish to the lake and work to lower the overall carp population. We’re also mindful of reports of a beaver that may have taken up residence in Fox Point and are exploring options to deal with and assess impact on common grounds vs. private property. We’ll analyze the situation once spring arrives and the ice has melted.

The Lake Co. Stormwater Management $34,000 grant we won in 2019 to stabilize and maintain the creek was put on hold in 2020 due to COVID-19.  We are restarting this project this spring.  Stay tuned for updates in the months ahead.

Throughout the year we will provide updates on other short and long-term plans to improve Lake Louise and the wonderful asset it is to our community.

Civic Affairs

By Mark Villalovos | Email

This month we focus on the topics of Volunteering & Voting. There are several local non-profits doing wonderful things right here in our community. Looking for a fun and rewarding activity to do with neighbors and friends?  Check out the Barrington Area Volunteer Connection (BAVC). Visit their website and find your perfect VOLUNTEER MATCH – right here in Barrington! 

Speaking of volunteering, in case you read about that March Madness but missed the rest of the story, your neighbors here in Fox Point rely on your service to produce wonderful events such as the Fishing Derby, Tennis Party, Garage Sale, and Golf Outing.  It’s a fun and great way to meet more of your neighbors, so please volunteer here.

Finally, mark your calendars for Tuesday, April 6, 2021, as Election Day in Barrington. Municipal General Elections including Village President, Village Clerk, and (3) Village Trustees will take place and voter registration and other information can be found here.  There are also 12 candidates running for four seats on the District 220 School Board who are counting on your participation to help elect them to lead our School District for the next four years. You can learn about the candidates on 365 Barrington.

Pool

By Criss Chang | Email

I hope you all are making the most of the winter season, with snow everywhere you go.  Hang in there because Spring is coming!  Here’s a little March poetry… 

Lifeguards wear Red,
The water is Blue,
In just 3 short months
We will open the pool!

Common Grounds

By Jay Roberts | Email

Hope everyone is looking forward to Spring!

Obviously, this winter, we had a ton of snow.  A quick reminder of our removal policy.  I know it might seem uneven at times when we have a lot of snow, but I am in constant communication with our vendor to make sure everything stays plowed on schedule as best as possible.  Currently, we plow the pool parking lot, the boat docks, the sidewalks along Lake Cook Road, and the school path on the south side.  The contract states that the plows will come out for 1 inch of snow or more.  In addition, I try my best to monitor and can request salt as needed.  Hopefully, the snow is done, and we can look forward to spring.

Soon, we will start with the spring cleanup and prepare the grounds for the season.  This includes cutting back shrubs, replacing any dead shrubs from the winter, and mulching.  We are several weeks away but will have the grounds crew out soon!

Architecture

By Steve Kipferl | Email

Happy spring Fox Point Homeowners!!! Finally, the snow is nearly gone, and now is the time that we start typically thinking about spring clean-ups and new projects! Before starting any construction planning or work, it’s a great idea to take a look at the Fox Point website Architecture Guidelines to see if your exterior project requires approval from the Fox Point HOA board. Also, I encourage you to check with the Village of Barrington Development Services Department about permits and zoning ordinances. Your participation enhances the beauty of our neighborhood and we really appreciate all the homeowners that have submitted architecture applications for board review and approval.

As a resource, you can always contact me via email at skipferl@gmail.com to discuss your exterior project relative to our Fox Point Bylaws or contact the Village of Barrington, Development Services department via phone at 847-304-3460.

Again, if there are any questions regarding whether a project requires approval feel free to shoot me an email and I’ll let you know!

Click on over to THE GUIDE on FoxPoint.org to familiarize yourself with what has and has not traditionally required approval.