It's been a cold winter preceded by a cool summer, which means a lot of us are looking for a chance to get away.In this down economy, the travel deals are up. Whether you travel by land, sea or air, consider these safety tips to get you to your spring break destination safe and sound.Driving or

Publication: Libertyville Review (IL)

VILLAGE BOARD OKSFINE ARTS MONTHAt its last Village Board meeting, the Village Board proclaimed March as Fine Arts Month in Libertyville, to recognize the village's fine and performing artists and numerous businesses and organizations engaged in the arts.The effort was proposed by Mayor Terry

Publication: Libertyville Review (IL)

Both students and staff at Oak Grove School District 68 are in agreement the school's cafeterias need an upgrade.To raise money to renovate both the elementary and middle school cafeterias, the Oak Grove School Education Foundation will host The Grove Gala at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at The Ivanhoe Club,

Publication: Libertyville Review (IL)

McGaw YMCA's kicked off it 125th anniversary year with a Back (and) to the Future Gala on Jan. 23 at 1000 Grove St.Over 400 guests, dressed as everything from 1920s flappers to futuristic beings and everything in between, raised over $150,000, benefiting YMCA's programs for youth of the local

Publication: Libertyville Review (IL)

Cindy Bardes Galvin, established interior designer and longtime Winnetka resident, held the formal opening of Maze Home on Jan. 13 at 735 Elm St., Winnetka.Maze Home is now the design studio for Galvin's interior design business, Bardes Interiors, www.bardesinteriors.com.The term, Maze, delineates

Publication: Libertyville Review (IL)

Today, as we (finally) enter the spring season, at least meteorologically, let's tie a nice red ribbon on the past winter's travails and tuck them away for a fresh start of daffodils, sunny skies and the color green, by revisiting some issues discussed here earlier. As always, readers never

Publication: Libertyville Review (IL)

BOYS HOOPS NOTEBOOK SPOTLIGHTPLAYER OF THE WEEKRoss Sauer (Grayslake North, Sr He's known more for his feats on the football -- an all-conference safety. But he also gets it done on the hardwood. The guard came up with a career-high 17 points in the Knights' 69-58 win at Dundee-Crown on Friday in

Publication: Libertyville Review (IL)

HouseAntitrust Exemption: Members passed, 406-19, a bill to end the health-insurance industry's federal antitrust exemption. Health insurers are regulated on the state level and subject to state antitrust laws. A yes vote was to add Justice Department oversight of the industry's competitiveness.

Publication: Libertyville Review (IL)

A state regulatory agency won't renew the licenses of several professionals who had been convicted of a sex offense.Licenses placed in refuse to renew status include: real estate brokers David Higgins of Libertyville and Edward Kent of Lake Forest; real estate salespersons George Aikens of

Publication: Libertyville Review (IL)

Yup, just back from sunny San Diego, where the snapdragons are blooming, surf's up and you can get pot on demand.All you have to do is stroll by a dispensary, where you are told by the friendly (high?) staff that a physician is available to write you an instant prescription. Well, Illinois is minus

Publication: Libertyville Review (IL)

Green Restoration of Connecticut Farmhouse

I think that most of us involved in the restoration of our old houses are environmentally responsible. If I go to my local lumberyard to place an order, and the salesperson tells me that he can give me the entire order in Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified lumber for the same price as regular lumber, I of course will choose the FSC certified lumber. If he tells me the FSC certified lumber will be $200 more, I might hesitate for a second to consider my budget, but will then give him the okay. But what if he tells me the FSC certified lumber will be $1000 more? That would result in a hesitation that lasted more than a second.

Thankfully green technology has advanced enough that going green has become more budget friendly, and we aren’t faced with costly decisions like this as much anymore. But, they do still occur from time to time. While I am doing my old house restoration, and it’s an ongoing project, I want to be true to my home’s character and history, I want to be environmentally responsible, but I also want to work within my budget, and sometimes I have to decide which is more important for various phases of the restoration.

Green Restoration in Hampton, Virginia

I read about a family that is doing a green restoration of their American Four Square home which was built in 1924. Much of the initial restoration involved making the old house more energy efficient. Areas of air infiltration were closed off, insulation was added, and the old boiler was removed and replaced with a high efficiency system. All of these were fairly easy decisions, they were green, they fit in the budget, and they didn’t take away from the character of the home, but then something had to be done with the windows, and a compromise had to be made. Wood framed replacement windows are expensive for a large house, I know because I have installed them in many homes over the years. Vinyl windows are budget friendly, and energy efficient, but often don’t blend with an old house’s character. This family decided to go with storm windows, which might detract from the home’s look a little bit when they are in place, but were a good compromise.

North of the Border Old House Makes Being Green the Priority

A Canadian family purchased a 100 year old farmhouse in 1982, and after spending a Canadian winter in it, decided the old house’s energy efficiency was the number one priority. Over the years they restored the home, and they went green before most people knew what green was. While they remained true to the old house’s character where they could, going green and being energy efficient has won out when a decision had to be made. The wooden exterior doors have been replaced with steel, and the wood siding with vinyl. The old house still looks great though, and I’m sure a Canadian winter can make energy efficiency a big priority.

Connecticut Green Restoration Decisions

I have been following for a little while the green restoration of an old Connecticut farmhouse. The old house was built in 1902, but had sat vacant from 1975 until it was recently purchased. The homeowner decided she was going to try to adhere to the three goals I mentioned above, be true to the old house’s character, do a green restoration, and try to maintain her budget. She has been doing a great job so far, and after seeing what the old house looked like when she purchased it, I’m anxious to see how it looks when finished. She blogs about her green restoration of Sheepdog Hollow every week.

This Old House landscaping contractor Roger Cook shows how to construct a wood-timber retaining wall to create a play area.

A solid-wood DIY gate is a practical upgrade for the well-trained dog—and your home's decor

A state regulatory agency won't renew the licenses of several professionals who had been convicted of a sex offense.Licenses placed in refuse to renew status include: real estate brokers David Higgins of Libertyville and Edward Kent of Lake Forest; real estate salespersons George Aikens of

Publication: Libertyville Review (IL)

For the fourth time in as many years, Libertyville-based Hands and Hearts International took a group on a medical mission trip to Africa.Hands and Hearts is a group of people from various Christian backgrounds who have committed themselves to bringing their hands and hearts yearly to the very poor

Publication: Libertyville Review (IL)

The following incidents were listed among the official reports of the Libertyville Police Department. Readers are reminded that an arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt. Only a court of law can make that determination.LIBERTYVILLEDRIVING WITH A SUSPENDED DRIVER'S LICENSEKatherine E.

Publication: Libertyville Review (IL)

Do you suffer from plumbing anxiety? Do you get a pit in your stomach every time your toilet clogs or your garbage disposal stops working?Many plumbing issues such as leaking pipes, overflowing toilets and clogged drains can lead to extensive damage if gone unchecked, so it's not surprising that

Publication: Libertyville Review (IL)

Keep your bathroom clean and green with these home made cleaning recipes (courtesy of www.healthychild.org).Tub and tile cleanerMix 1 2/3 C baking soda, with 1/2 C Castile soap and 1/2 C water. Then add 2 T vinegar. Note: if you add the vinegar too early it will react with the baking soda.

Publication: Libertyville Review (IL)

Libertyville Police Chief Pat Carey will retire April 30, after more than 13 years of serving the Libertyville community.Carey began working for Libertyville on Nov. 11, 1996, after retiring as a deputy police chief in Glenview. He cited a need to slow down as his reason for retirement."Being on

Publication: Libertyville Review (IL)

In response to the recent editorial from the Illinois Press Association on changes to Freedom of Information regulations ("Teachers, unions, lobbyists win new FOI law exceptions" Feb. 5): While I appreciate the concern of journalists that a new transparency law barely saw the light of day before it

Publication: Libertyville Review (IL)