President’s Letter

By Abe Ryder | Email

Greetings Fox Point Neighbors, 

Pool season is on! This is the moment to look forward to during the year and it has finally arrived! Once again, a BIG THANK YOU to our Pool Chair, Criss Chang who has been working behind the scenes over the winter months with our vendors to get new hand dryers installed for our restrooms, a new heater installed, performing routine maintenance, and getting our Omnify pool reservation system up and running for the season. And once again, our Fox Point Dolphins swim team will have a strong contingent of nearly 100 swimmers representing our neighborhood against the five other swim clubs that make up the North Shore Swim Conference. Go Dolphins! Cannot wait to see you either at the swim meets or just at the pool this summer!

While the Card Party may seem like a distant memory – yes, it was only last month, there are more social activities on the docket to keep the momentum rolling. Both the Senior Car Parade and the Fox Point Kids Triathlon are back! See Rena Slovick’s report on Social for more details. In addition, for those who have joined our neighborhood since March 2020, please consider joining other new neighbors for a Lemonade on the Lawn. A special thanks to our Civics Chair, Mark Villalovos, and Welcome Committee volunteer, Sarah Giunchedi for coordinating this event. 

From a financial perspective, we have kicked off our reserve study to analyze our neighborhood assets. This is necessary so that we can ensure that the reserves we build today are adequate for tomorrow’s expenditures required to maintain and preserve our assets. The results of which should be ready for the budget season later this summer. 

Lastly, wanted to give a shout-out to Fox Point neighbor, Jeff Danke. What you don’t know about Jeff is that he has been an extraordinary volunteer behind the scenes helping our neighborhood function. From his tireless dedication to the Lake Committee, including helping secure a grant to prevent soil erosion into the creek that feeds Lake Louise, to using his expertise with mechanicals at the pool, Jeff has been an invaluable resource for all of us throughout the years. If you see him, make sure you thank him!  

As always, we welcome attendees at our monthly board meetings. For June, we plan to go back to an in-person meeting at the Village Church (the next one is Monday, June 20th @ 7 pm). Please attend. We welcome ideas, suggestions, and feedback as we all have a vested interest in this community we call home.

All the best.

Pool

By Criss Chang | Email

It’s finally pool season in Fox Point.  Doors will open on Saturday the weekend of Memorial Day.  Please make a note of the following directions to ensure you have an easy entry experience, as there are new procedures this year. 

All attendees will be checked in through the Omnify app at the front desk upon entry.  Omnify accounts created in prior years were deleted last month as a cleanup effort and one new account per household was added to the system, verified against the current Fox Point directory listing.  Please verify your account is active and family members have been added, click HERE) for instructions.  If you did not receive a welcome email, please let me know and I’ll get you added within 24 hours.  A QR code will be posted on the wall at check-in to allow residents to complete a self-check-in process for faster entry.   

Guests are welcome again and fees apply to a non-resident, non-family attendees, like last year.  Awning reservations and daily guest passes can be purchased on the Omnify site.  Cash and checks will not be accepted by front desk employees, as all fees for guests and awning rentals can be paid through Omnify.  The complete list of pool rules can be found HERE.  

Here are the programs that will run at the pool this summer

• Swim Team – Ages 5 and up begins June 6 on weekdays between 8-11 am.  Fox Point will host 3 home swim meets.  Details HERE 

• Swim Lessons – Ages 3-6 begin on June 6 on weekdays at 11 am and Saturdays at 10 am.  Registration is open.  Details HERE 

• Barrington Masters Swim – Begins May 31 on weekdays from 6-7:30 am, open to Fox Point residents, no registration is needed

• Lap Swim – 2 lanes are dedicated to lap swim during all general open swim times

• NEW THIS YEAR – The kid’s triathlon is back!  Participate, volunteer, and cheer on the Fox Point kids as they swim, bike, and run their way through the neighborhood on Sunday, June 26th.  See the Social Chair post in this newsletter for registration, course info, and volunteer opportunities.

This is an exciting time of year for our neighborhood and the pool brings us fun, exercise, and a place to gather, relax, and enjoy summer.  Please be safe and treat the lifeguards and our neighbors with kindness as we share this unique and wonderful neighborhood amenity we are so lucky to have. 

And if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at foxpointpool105@gmail.com.

Architecture

By Andrew Shwarz | Email

While there’s been a lot of activity with exterior renovation projects, much thought has been given lately to the “Digital Architecture” of the HOA Board’s activities.

For the next 4 months, the Board will be undertaking a pilot to utilize Google Workspace to conduct HOA Board activities.  The goal of this pilot is to explore the value of digitizing all the documentation that the Board utilizes for the neighborhood, storing it centrally on the cloud, enhancing our virtual meeting/survey capabilities, and standardizing the way the Board communicates with the neighborhood.  The Board views this as an important step to modernize the way our HOA manages its business, and we will keep our neighbors informed of our progress and learnings.

Thanks to everyone who has consulted the Board for their exterior renovation projects.  Please reach out if I can be of any assistance!

Social

By Rena Slovick | Email

Card Party Recap:

The Fox Point Card Party took place on Friday, April 29th at Makray Golf Course and man did it feel good to be back! The Champions of the evening were Team Hansen/Holland. 2nd Place was Chang/Kipferl. 3rd Place (in a sudden death card flip!) was Mickey/OHara. Last Place, but still champions in our book, was Koerber/Klimek. Thank you to co-chairs Christie Hewlett & Melissa Mickey for agreeing to take this on one last time before officially retiring. We can’t wait for next year.

Fox Point Senior Car Parade

Fox Point Seniors will be acknowledged on Thursday, June 2nd at 7:30 pm. NEW this year is that the parade will only take place on the North Side of Fox Point. See Nextdoor and Social Media for specific parade details. Huge Thanks to Kim Richmond for running point this year. 

Thank you to our Balloon Sponsors at Palatine Vision Center! They purchased all the balloons for the graduating senior’s mailboxes this year. 

Fox Point Kids Triathlon! 

Join us for a Fox Point Kids Triathlon!

Sunday, June 26th at 8 am!

Kids will SWIM in the Fox Point

Pool, BIKE, and RUN on our neighborhood streets. There will be refreshments, awards, and a commemorative race-day t-shirt for all participants.

Featuring 3 Kid-Friendly courses: *suggested age group*

MINI COURSE  (*Ages 5 -7): Swim 25 yards, Bike .7 mile, Run .25 mile

SHORT COURSE  (*Ages 8 -9): Swim 75 yards, Bike 1.4 miles, Run .7 mile

LONG COURSE (*Ages 10 and up): Swim 125 yards, Bike 3.8 miles, Run 1.1 miles

Registration Fee: $15 for one child & $5 Each Additional Child

Sign up for Triathlon HERE

We need Volunteers to make this event happen! If you’re a high school student looking for volunteer hours please sign up HERE! 

New to the Neighborhood?  Join us for Lemonade on the Lawn 

If you’re a new Fox Point resident since March of 2020, we hope you’ll join us for lemonade on the lawn! 

Saturday, June 12th from 1-2:30 pm near the tennis courts. 

Please RSVP by June 5th to Sarah Giunchedi and Mark Villalovos 

Common Grounds

By Jay Roberts | Email

Fellow Neighbors-

For the next several months, Common Grounds will be very busy!  It’s a great time of year to live in Fox Point.

For the upcoming season, we have already completed our Spring cleanup which includes the mulching of all the garden beds around the pool.  We have also mulched all the cul-de-sacs as well.  A point of emphasis this year will be the cul-de-sacs and how we maintain those.  Late last year we had some issues with weeds and dead grass.  Those have all been repaired with grass seed and sod.  I will keep a close eye on those this year to ensure that they remain in good shape.

As for the monument walls, construction should start on June 1st.  We will start with the north side walls first.  Each wall will take close to 4 weeks to repair, depending on the degree of damage.  It will be a big project.  The hope is that we can learn from each wall and take that forward as we complete the project.  Please let me know if you have any questions about this project?  Each month, I will continue to provide an update on our progress.

Safety & Welfare

By Bill Graff | Email

Summer has arrived!!  As you can see the neighborhood is coming alive overnight!  A welcome site coming out of the drudges of the winter, that is for sure!

With the arrival of summer, and the re-opening of our great neighborhood assets of the Pool, Tennis/Paddle Courts, and the liveliness at Lake Louise, I want to remind everyone of one important thing – The SPEED LIMIT is 25MPH!

While I am sure our residents know the speed limit, please remind visitors and friends who don’t live here all year round, and especially our new drivers on the road of this important limit of 25 MPH!  

Let’s also be aware of the kids who are biking to the pool, boarding, or just plain walking that the speed limit is 25 MPH.  

So, enjoy the summer, use the amenities, and be sure to drive (say it with me) 25 MPH. Let’s all work together to keep FP safe!

Civic Affairs

By Mark Villalovos | Email

As I write this, my family and I just returned from the Chocolate Festival in nearby Long Grove. After a two-year hiatus, Chicagoland Weekend Festivals are BACK!  This includes Barrington’s own Art Festival on May 28 and 29.  Details HERE.

Date Night!

If you’re a fan of 80’s Rock, you won’t want to miss the next Barrington Metra Parking Lot Concert on Friday, June 10 – a delightful evening under the stars – featuring High Infidelity. Purchase your tickets HERE.

Welcoming New Neighbors

It bears repeating – the Fox Point Welcome Committee invites you to a special “Lemonade on the Lawn” event Sunday, June 12. If you moved to Fox Point in March of 2020 to anytime this year, we hope you’ll be able to join us as we share information on both Fox Point and the beautiful communities in and around Barrington, IL.  On the lawn behind the pool – we’re excited to meet you!

Ready to show off that new patio, share some of your famous beer brats, or just swap lawn care tips?  After a couple of uncertain years, the climate is perfect to get reacquainted with your neighbors.  Invite someone over and enjoy one of the many benefits of living in beautiful Fox Point!

Lake Report

By Steven Kipferl | Email

Hi neighbors! We are going through some awesome changes on the lake this year. Keep an eye out for dates on the fishing derby which will be determined and probably take place next month. Fishing has been outstanding this year, especially bass fishing. The bass are back and the size is great. Also we have had our first northern pike sighting this year. Last one was easily 3-4 years ago. This is all great for the lake and a sign of overall health. 

Phoslock treatments are ongoing. The last few treatments have actually not had to be performed because the water quality has been good. A small bacterial treatment of the pond was performed last week preventatively. We are aware of the fish kill that occurred in the bullhead catfish population and at this time it is limited to mostly catfish. Leading theories include rapid warming of the water in the early part of May. Our stocked bass and other gamefish have not really been affected, thank goodness. 

Also, keep an eye out for bringing back either the sailing regatta or time trials around the island this summer. 

We are aware of ongoing issues with the aerators at the point and we are having our service out in the next week or so hopefully to fix the floating aerators.