President’s Letter

By Abe Ryder | Email

Greetings Fox Point Neighbors, 

Summer is here! For those hot days we experienced earlier in the summer, it was sure nice to be able to go to the pool and cool off. One of my favorite parts about this great neighborhood asset is how it brings neighbors together and builds community – part of the Fox Point culture! You see people at the pool you have not seen for a while, and it gives a reason to catch up. In many instances, those interactions lead to introductions of new people one has not met and results in further relationship building in the neighborhood further strengthening our neighborhood fabric. This is in addition to coordinating with other friends and families for a day or evening at the pool.

The Board met in person for the first time in over two years for the June meeting at the Village Church – our “normal” meeting spot. Because everyone felt the energy being together, the Board has decided that it will meet again in person for the July 18th meeting – this time we will be at the POOL!  We thought that bringing the Board meeting directly to you at the pool would create more visibility for the Board, prompt curiosity and increase homeowner participation. For those who have not been to a Board meeting, this would be a great opportunity to see how our Board functions and the decisions that we make each month. And it could be a learning opportunity for our neighborhood children on civic involvement.

Speaking of neighborhood assets, Reserve Advisors just completed our reserve study. The Board is taking the report back to analyze and will use the results to inform our budgeting process which will kick off in August. Furthermore, this study aids where we need to allocate funds for the short and long-term to ensure our assets are well maintained while being fiscally responsible to our homeowners.

 The Lemonade on the Lawn new neighbor meet and greet that took place on June 12th outside the pool was a success!  It was targeted at those neighbors who moved into Fox Point during the pandemic and we had over 50 people attend! When a social gathering that was supposed to go for 90 minutes and end at 2:30 pm does not end until closer to 4 pm, clearly a good time was had! Thank you to all who came out.

 Social keeps peddling along as the Kids Splash and Dash Triathlon was a swimming success with more than 50+ participants. Read Rena Slovick’s report for more details and a huge thank you to all of the volunteers and sponsors who made that event possible. This required a ton of coordination and it has been years since Fox Point ran this event!

Our Board has many initiatives in the hopper at enhancing our quality of life in the neighborhood and providing great value for the dues we pay. Please read on to each of our individual Chair reports for more details. Personally, I am very proud of this Board and its commitment to our homeowners and neighborhood. When you do see them, whether at the pool or a Dolphins swim meet, walking in the neighborhood, on the tennis court, at the lake, or at some other social gathering of neighbors, make sure you thank them.

As always, we welcome attendees at our monthly board meetings. We will be meeting at the Fox Point pool on July 18th @ 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.

Safety & Welfare

By Bill Graff | Email

As I write this article, I’m reminded of what a terrific place FP is to live!  I was able to witness the Kids Triathlon in action, and the many volunteers in play to keep our neighborhood the award-winning place it is, really a boost of good spirits which is so needed these days. With so many examples of good neighborly acts, I’m excited to see this neighborhood continue to live up to its potential.

Today I learned while meeting with our police force at the pool on 6/26, about how so many of our neighbors use the tools to live a safe and healthy life here in FP.  I learned that MANY people use the Village of Barrington website and specifically sign up for Vacation House Watch to share their vacation plans with the police force and ask for extra care for their home while they are away – way to go!  I also learned that we have our police force patrolling our neighborhood at least 3x daily, checking on the speed of our neighbor motorists, and other pressing safety issues that need their attention on our behalf.  Here’s a request, thank them for this help and their service when you see them in Fox Point, it really makes a difference!  Lastly, I also learned that most of our citizens are abiding by the 25 MPH rule of the road, another good sign of neighbors caring for neighbors!  

With all these good deeds noted, we MUST still remind folks of a few rules of the road, this month, two in particular!  First, 25MPH is the rule 24/7!  Not just a “when I see school buses” rule, or a “by the pool or lake” rule, but an EVERYWHERE rule!  Please again remind your new drivers, college kids, all visitors, and others new to the neighborhood, this speed limit MUST be followed!  Second, the YIELD signs are not being obeyed very well.  As a south side resident, I have particularly been seeing this rule of the road broken too often and have noted the same on the north side.  Folks, this is a simple one, SLOW DOWN at the sign and PAY ATTENTION to the road.  I know no one wants a neighbor injured!

Thanks to all the neighbors who help to keep FP a FUN, and SAFE place to call home!  Happy Independence Day!

Civic Affairs

By Mark Villalovos | Email

Metra Lot Concerts, Cruise Nights, Farmer’s Market, FIREWORKS, Fun Runs, and an All-American July 4^th Parade – are some of the many events and activities happening just up Main Street in downtown Barrington!  The In Barrington Summer Events Guide has the calendar, and the Events Page on the Village website has all the details

Fireworks: Kick off your July 4^th weekend with fireworks over Barrington High School on Friday, July 1st, beginning at dusk.  

Concert Time

• Together since 2003, 80’s rock band Sixteen Candles will take you back to that totally awesome decade on Saturday, July 2 in the North Lot of our own Metra Station. Purchase your tickets HERE. 
• On Sunday, July 3^rd, it’s Pat McKillen & Band’s turn to take the main stage at the Metra Station.  Come hear their distinctive blend of passion-infused folk and rock.  Tickets for this concert can be found HERE. 

Concerts start at 8:00 and with up to six guests allowed per carload, why not ask a neighbor if they’d like to join you! 

Run for Fun!

An event I can get excited about, the 2022 Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital Health & Fitness Center 4th of July Family Fitness Run 5K & Kids Race benefitting the Barrington Cultural Commission will take place in Downtown Barrington and you can sign up HERE.

July 4^th Parade!

There is nothing more patriotic than celebrating our great nation’s independence with families, friends, and neighbors. Barrington is home to so many wonderful businesses, neighborhoods, charitable organizations, churches, sports teams, riding clubs, dancers, and musicians, so join us as we celebrate down Main Street! 

The Barrington 4th of July Parade steps off at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, July 4 from Barrington High School to the Metra Commuter Lot.

Architecture

By Andrew Shwarz | Email

Thanks to everyone who consulted with the HOA Board for exterior renovation projects. It’s been exciting to meet new homeowners and witness first-hand how the neighborhood is evolving.

Regardless of whether your home projects require village permits or HOA approval, proactive communication with your neighbors about exterior plans is highly encouraged and central to Fox Point’s “Good Neighbor Guidelines” which can be found under the heading of “A 50 Year Tradition of Good Neighbors”

If I can be of any assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Social

By Rena Slovick | Email

Lemonade on the Lawn

Thank you to Sarah Giunchedi, Jen Ryder, Liz Cocoma, & Mark Villalovos for organizing Lemonade on the Lawn for our Newish Neighbors on June 12th! 

Splash & Dash

We had our first Fox Point Kids’ Splash & Dash Triathlon in a number of years this past Sunday 6/26! We had approximately 56 participants who swam, biked, & ran around Fox Point! Special Shout outs to Blake Seeds who donated t-shirts, The Kipferl Family who donated our noise makers, the Barrington Police Department, & all the volunteers who donated materials & their physical selves to make this event happen! 

Resident paparazzi Bob & Anne Lee took our photos which you can see HERE! 

Our Splash & Dash Committee: Lindsay Keenan, Melissa Mickey, Andrea Clementi, Kristin Powal, Jen Moore, Brooke Kiperl… and a HUGE thank you to Val Chang who was the mastermind behind bringing this back to Fox Point. 

Coming Up:

Fox Point Golf Outing – Watch for details coming soon!

Common Grounds

By Jay Roberts | Email

Fellow Neighbors – Happy Summer everyone!

Construction on the monument walls has begun!  As I’ve mentioned before, this will be a summer-long construction project. We are starting on the northside wall first and I anticipate that we will have several key learnings along the way.

Once construction is complete, the second step will be to add a simple but effective drainage system for each wall.  This will help to keep water and moisture away from the wall throughout the year.  Water and improper grading of our landscape were really the two reasons the walls were damaged initially.  In addition to the drainage system, we will also regrade the current landscape to adjust the current slope.

The last step will be brand-new black fencing that will serve as a decorative piece but bring the walls back together.

As always, if you have any questions, please let me know!

Tennis

By Mark Johnson| Email

Hi Neighbors,

Well, it’s been HOT over the last few weeks! I trust everyone has enjoyed the use of the pool and hopefully the use of the courts as well!

Tennis lessons and cardio started the week after school concluded and hopefully the kids and adults have enjoyed the experience. Lessons will continue into August, and you can still sign-up if you haven’t already. The lesson schedule and sign-up can be found via First Serve’s

signup genius: HERE 

At the June 20th board meeting, we received approval to have 2 Pickleball (aka pball) courts

formally painted on the Eastern tennis court, the furthest court from the pool. The painting will be

similar to how the courts were laid out for last summer’s 1-day pball tournament, which means

the courts will extend beyond each tennis baseline. The exact date for installation is TBD, but the

vendor is hopeful to have this completed by the middle to end of July. Once the date is

finalized, I will post a message to the community via NextDoor.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Mark

Pool

By Criss Chang | Email

Summer is in full swing and there are many activities going on at the pool.  

• The swim Team has been practicing daily and competing against other clubs on a weekly basis.  Come out and cheer on our Fox Point swimmers as we host swim meets on the following dates: June 30, July 7, and July 14.
• Lap Swim with Barrington Master’s Mon-Thu mornings from 6:00 am-7:30 am
• Congratulations to our Fox Point triathletes who gave it their all on Sunday, June 26^th
• Pool Games will take place on July 4th

 Reminders to attendees:

• Open Swim Hours are: Mon-Thu 12:30PM to 8:00PM, Fri 12:30PM-9:00PM and Sat-Sun/Holidays 11:00AM-9:00PM
• Non-Resident family members, including children, grandchildren, parents, grandparents, and nannies can attend for free – but MUST BE listed as a family member in the Omnify system for entry.    
• Go to Omnify to verify your profile and add your family members (i.e. children, grandchildren, parents, grandparents, and nannies can be entered by residents)  
• Step-by-step instructions on adding Family Members can be found here.
• Fox Point pool has gone cashless.  Fee-paying guests should notify the Check-In staff of the resident they are guests, and payment links will be sent by email to the resident.

 If you have any comments or concerns, as always please reach out to me at foxpointpool105@gmail.com. Enjoy your summer!

Lake Report

By Steven Kipferl | Email

Happy summer everyone! We are in the full swing of things at Lake Louise! First, let’s talk cash. I am pleased to report Jeff Dahnke was able to submit grant funding from the county and the village totaling approximately $27,000 as a cost-sharing measure. These funds are for several projects we have already completed such as the Phoslock and the creek renovation. I am very excited as the funding will go towards other projects around the neighborhood in the future. Much of it has already been budgeted for the coming year. 

Lake quality is continuing to remain the highest quality in recent memory. EAM, our lake management team has been reporting and surveying weekly and while we have had a few green algae blooms, we have not yet had a blue-green algae sample yet this year! Water clarity continues to hold, which is paramount for the establishment of plant life in the lake. The more aquatic plants we can get the less we will have to spend on treatment down the road so please consider leaving some of those submerged weeds in the lake along your shoreline! They’re competing with the algae! 

This past meeting the board made the decision to move forward with the eutrosorb filtration bags at the inlet of the small pond. This will have the effect of pre-filtering the inflow to the pond and to Lake Louise further reducing future Phoslock expense hopefully and further improving the water clarity. 

Keep an eye out for the carp derby as we get closer to the end of July! We are figuring out dates at this time. Also, we are hoping for a regatta or boat race to make an appearance sometime in August.

Fishing Report: Bass are biting! Catfish number declined this spring. Carp removal is ongoing this year. If you catch a carp, consider using it for fertilizer!

See you on the water!