Over the course of 2024, the City of Lake Forest started the process of moving its police headquarters from its longtime home, both Lake Forest and Lake Bluff had changes in public safety leadership, the Lake Forest College president abruptly departed and the Lake Bluff Library faced a number of challenges.
Lake Forest Police Station
In March, Lake Forest Mayor Stanford “Randy” Tack expressed his concern about the state of the public safety building at 255 W. Deerpath Road, which currently serves as the headquarters for both the city’s police and fire departments.
Several months later, the City Council approved a $3.5 million purchase of a currently empty building in the Conway Park office complex with the intention of converting it into the city’s police headquarters.
The overall price tag of the retrofit would be much higher with the city receiving an estimate the renovation could cost as much as $28.8 million in addition to ongoing maintenance costs and adapting the Deerpath Road building into a single-use facility for the fire department.
Currently, the design process is underway on the scope of the Conway Park building’s renovation that is expected to be completed in the summer of 2025, according to city spokeswoman Dana Olson. The City Council will then have to authorize the renovation. If approved, Olson said construction could begin next summer and completed in the summer of 2026.
Lake Forest Caucus
The Lake Forest Caucus has been part of the city’s tapestry since 1935 as its volunteers interview residents interested in serving on various city boards and committees. Candidates seeking elective office often run unopposed in the municipal elections if they receive the Caucus support.
However, going back to 2022, the Caucus had encountered issues with residents dissatisfied with some decisions of its leadership leading to a contested mayoral election in 2023.
Troubles continued for the Caucus in April 2024, when the leadership’s proposed officer slate for the 2024-25 year was initially voted down by the general membership. However, a second vote in May approved the list of officers.
In October, all of the candidates backed by the Caucus Committee for the 2025 municipal elections were easily approved by the general membership in October. It appears the slate will run without opposition as no independent candidates filed signatures to get on the ballot, according to Lake County Clerk Anthony Vega.
Meanwhile, Caucus leadership established a seven-member Ad Hoc Committee to examine the organization’s bylaws. A report on their analysis is expected to be delivered to the Lake Forest Caucus Committee by January 31.
Public Safety Leadership
It was a year of transition for the local public safety departments.
In March, Lake Forest Police Chief Karl Walldorf announced his retirement from the department as he accepted a new position as executive director of the 19th Judicial Circuit Courts. Walldorf had worked on the force since 1994 and was promoted to chief in 2016.
Later in the year, the City Council approved the hiring of Barrington Police Chief John Burke as Walldorf’s successor.
In October, Lake Bluff Fire Chief David Graf stepped down after an approximate 50-year run with the department and its chief since 2006. Assistant Fire Chief Gregg Marsh was promoted to lead the volunteer department.
Finally, in December, the Lake Forest City Council approved the hiring of Andrew Rick as the new fire chief where he will succeed the retiring Peter Siebert just after the first of the year.
Lake Bluff Pickleball
The village of Lake Bluff and the Lake Bluff Park District have had an ongoing dispute regarding pickleball play at Blair Park.
In August, the two sides struck a tentative deal regarding pickleball play at Artesian Park through an amendment of the village’s zoning regulations.
However, the two governments have to formally approve the arrangement.
Late in the year, park board commissioners took the initial step of forming a recreational, institutional and open space zoning plan at Artesian Park, according to Park District Executive Director John Bealer. He noted additional discussions on the proposed agreement with the village are expected after the first of the year.
Lake Forest Schools Personnel Audit
In August, District 67 rescinded an employment offer to an individual who had allegedly engaged in “inappropriate behavior” with a Kenosha, Wisconsin student.
While that person was never in contact with Lake Forest students according to the school district, board president Mark Remus said he had feelings of “anger, frustration and disappointment” with the situation.
Given there had been other troubling incidents regarding the hiring of personnel at both districts, District 67/115 Superintendent Matthew Montgomery authorized the hiring of an independent firm to conduct an audit of school district hiring and recruiting practices.
Lake Bluff Library
Amid staff shortages, the Lake Bluff Library Board cut back on operating hours and patron services.
The library also saw the departure of Executive Director Renee Grassi who resigned as she accepted a position as assistant director in Wilmette.
After Grassi’s departure, the library board hired Lake Forest resident David Seleb as an interim director while they search for a permanent director.
Lake Forest Hospital New President
In April, Northwestern Medicine officials promoted Seamus Collins to the Lake Forest Hospital presidency following the retirement of Marsha Oberrieder, who retired.
Collins is presiding over the hospital where an estimated $389 million renovation is underway set to be completed in 2026.
“We expect to deliver that community hospital feel that we once had,” he said in a Pioneer Press interview. “This project for us is getting back to that.”
Lake Forest College President Departure
Many Lake Forest College stakeholders were surprised in December when Board of Trustees Chairman William Conway announced that Dr. Jill Baren was out as the school’s president after roughly 2 ½ years on the job. No reason was why Baren left the liberal arts college.
Conway said Rob Krebs, a member of the board of trustees since 1990, would be the school’s interim president as trustees seek to find a Baren’s replacement.
Death of Lake Forest Resident on Lake Michigan
On Oct. 13th, emergency crews responded to a report of a missing boater who had sailed from Lake Forest’s beach on to Lake Michigan.
Emergency personnel searched for Lake Forest resident Christian Mattis, who was married and a father of two. Less than a month later, his body was located near Pentwater, Michigan.
A GoFundMe account established to assist the family had raised over $16,000 by mid-December.
Lake Forest Library Unveils Restored Murals
In August 2023, repairs to the Lake Forest Library’s iconic dome were completed solving some water-related issues inside the building.
With the dome repaired, the library board moved ahead with a restoration of eight murals depicting notable poets and prose writers from history that hang over the library’s rotunda. They were the Russian-born artist Nicolai Remisoff.
The library board obtained private funding to finance the refurbishment that was finished in April.
Danieil I. Dorfman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
