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.LIBERTYVILLEBURGLARY TO MOTOR VEHICLEPolice reports stated July 17 that a

Publication: Libertyville Review (IL)

Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator Isa Carani will present a program on diabetes and controlling blood sugar on Aug. 12, from 1-2 p.m., at the Lake County Health Department's North Shore Health Center, 1840 Green Bay Road, in Highland Park. Each month the Diabetes Prevention and

Publication: Libertyville Review (IL)

It's nearly August, time for many parents to purchase a new backpack for their child. Younger kids might clamor for the backpack with the Disney characters while older students might want a pack that was originally designed for mountain climbers. But what parents should want is a backpack that

Publication: Libertyville Review (IL)

Two Libertyville residents have started an online petition drive to try to convince the Libertyville Village Board to broadcast its meetings.Residents Luke Stowe and Jim Moran said they have already collected several dozen signatures in support of their efforts to get the meetings televised. Stowe

Publication: Libertyville Review (IL)

When Sandy first moved to Park Ridge years ago, she was charmed by the way it was different from surrounding suburbs.It's low density and lack of big-box stores, the quaint appeal of our town square were refreshing to a family who had relocated from a very different suburb. Flash forward, and many

Publication: Libertyville Review (IL)

Tax assessment notices will begin arriving in the mail in many townships next month, and homeowners in most areas of the county will likely see a decline in their assessments in 2010.Reflecting the downturn in the housing market that's occurred over the past three years, assessed valuations in most

Publication: Libertyville Review (IL)

For miniature schnauzers and owners only:The Chicago Miniature Schnauzer Club announces their 4th Annual Dog Day Afternoon Picnic for miniature schnauzers and their owners. Saturday, August 7th from 10:30 AM to 3:30 PM at Shelter C, Half Day Forest PreserveShelter site:

Publication: Libertyville Review (IL)

The 14th annual Car Raffle to benefit Children's Memorial Hospital will take place as the winning tickets are drawn at noon on July 30 at UBS Tower. The prize is $40,000 (pre-tax) cash or a luxury car. The winner need not be present to win. Tickets are $100 each and only 7,000 will be sold. Call

Publication: Libertyville Review (IL)

In a day and age when we could all use a break, it's good to know that Illinois offers homeowners a tax exemption program designed to take at least some of the sting out of property taxes. The individual exemptions relate solely to primary residences.The Illinois Homestead Exemption Program offers

Publication: Libertyville Review (IL)

SWIMMING -- Kevin Lenz cruised to the victory in the 50-yard breaststroke (30.12) to help the Cougars finish fifth at the Don Davis Invite at Highland Park on Saturday.The Vernon Hills junior also peddled to third in the 50-yard freestyle (23.46) on the way to earning runner-up honors in the sprint

Publication: Libertyville Review (IL)

Hang kitchen cabinets to add storage, paint or reface old ones to refresh the look of your room, and more

Go from sticky to smooth in a few easy steps

I’m excited about a new trend in preservation I’ve been reading about recently–the restoration of old train stations and depots across the country. I don’t know if it can really be considered a new trend, as historic societies and preservation organizations have been working to save the stations and depots that have played such an important part in our county’s history for many years. I think the movement might just be getting more publicity now, but that’s fine, too.

I’m excited personally because I like trains; they are one of my favorite ways to travel. It wasn’t that long ago that railroads ruled in this country; if you needed to get from one place to another, it usually involved taking a train. Every city had at least one station such as Grand Central Station and Pennsylvania Station in New York, and small towns were often identified by their train depots.

Old Train Depots Are Often near Old Houses

I’m also excited because the railroad depot was normally located in the heart of a small town, in a place that was convenient for those arriving and departing by train. The depot was close to the homes and businesses that defined the town and was often used as a place for the community to gather. Unfortunately times have changed and what was once the thriving center of a town is very often now an area full of old houses in need of restoration and businesses that shut their doors years ago.

The Preservation Journey Starts with the First Step

Train depots that have been restored or are undergoing restoration may be able to start a preservation movement in some of those towns. I mentioned in an earlier post that I live in an old railroad town where many of the old houses that once belonged to railroad employees have been restored. Quite a few of those restorations are because the town has been building on its heritage as an old railroad town and making the railroad depot a popular attraction. Buildings that have been empty for many years are now the homes of a bakery, a coffee shop, and an ice cream parlor.

Sometimes all it takes is for one key historic building to undergo a restoration and before long an entire section of a town or city has been transformed by preservation enthusiasts. I am watching it happen in my town and it has happened in places like El Paso, Texas, Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, and Shepherdstown, West Virginia. Railroads played an important part in making this country what it is today, and who knows–maybe the preservation of their stations and depots can help lead the way in saving some of our history.

I’m in the process of buying an old house. A small old house.

How small?

The roof indicates the original size of this small old house: 648 square feet.

The house was originally built in 1905 and was 24 feet by 27 feet, for a grand total of 648 square feet. That included a kitchen, a living room, and a bedroom. No bathroom. Well, not an indoor one with plumbing, at least.

The outdoor root cellar was converted to a bathroom and my grandpa added an enclosed front porch in the 1950s, bringing my total square footage to 984.

When I was looking at homes in this and other rural communities, I was looking for a one- or two-bedroom house. Why? I’m a single gal with a dog and no kids. How much space do I really, truly need? Because I was looking for a smaller space, all the homes I looked at were old. Somehow I came to the conclusion that a lot of older homes were small, especially because of the historic trend of new homes getting bigger and bigger.

But that’s not true.

Of the single, detached houses built before the 1920s, only 3.2 percent of houses were the size of my house! By pre-1920s standards, I still had a small house. Here are the details, courtesy of the Census Bureau:

• Less that 500 sq. ft.: 1.2%
• 500-749: 3.2%
• 750-999: 5.8%
• 1,000-1,499: 22.9%
• 1,500-1,999: 23.4%
• 2,000-2,499: 17.7%
• 2,500-2,999: 9.5%
• 3,000-3,999: 9.5%
• 4,000+: 6.7%

The number of rooms in a house was also much higher than I expected. Almost 70 percent of homes built before 1920 had six or more rooms. My house? In the bottom two percent. While I’m surprised that so many old houses were and are bigger than mine, it doesn’t make me regret buying a space that meets my needs.

Personally, I have never had much interest in keeping up with the Joneses, despite the historical trend we’ve seen in the United States. In 1973, the average square footage of a home was 1,660 sq. ft. That trend continued to climb until it reached its peak in 2008 at 2,519 (side note: houses in metropolitan areas are on average 300 square feet bigger).

Recently, though that trend has reversed. Homes are getting smaller. Sociologists, economists and other-ists have their theories, some of which include the recession. Other theories include cultural shifts resulting from urban congestion or increasing environmental awareness and responsibility. How old is the old adage “less is more,” and is it finally applying to homes? Whatever the reason, new homes are shrinking.

In 2009, the average was 2,438 sq. ft., but the downsizing trend continues.

How small?

Architect Jay Shafer designs tiny houses. Like, really tiny. They range from 65 to 774 square feet. His own home is 96 sq. ft. He sleeps in a two-person loft and his entire bathroom is his shower. The reasons why he’s lived in three houses all less than 100 feet over the past 10 years include that he doesn’t like vacuuming or dusting, or taking care of a lot of stuff he’s not really using. He’s also not spewing extra gases into the environment or consuming resources just because of a need for wasted space.

Too small?

Whether you’re into small old houses or tiny new houses, there is something to be said for being aware of your personal need of space as it relates to both cost and the environment. How much space do you need?

Simple repairs for two of the most annoying kitchen and bath plumbing problems

Cole Emory of Mundelein cracks a big smile when asked about the opportunity to model for Men's Warehouse at a photo shoot in San Francisco."Honestly, I never expected to be invited to be a model," said Cole, an 18-year-old resident, who has autism.Cole and his family flew out to San Francisco on

Publication: Libertyville Review (IL)

It's prime summer season right now. Hiking trails across the country are teeming with people enjoying pleasant weather and beautiful scenery. In addition, bikers are out en masse, especially on weekends, using human energy instead of fossil fuel to tour the highways and byways.This often spurs

Publication: Libertyville Review (IL)

ANTIOCH1077 Neuhaven Drive, Scott Munkvold to Michelle M Holmes James G Holmes, $208,000, June 21931 Sterling Heights Drive, Ronald J Dulle to Kenneth J Johnston Karen A Johnston, $267,500, June 21GURNEE1490 Knottingham Drive, Linda Ryan to James A Silasiri Jennifer R Silasiri, $280,000, June

Publication: Libertyville Review (IL)

Dear Fixer: I have a place in Sarasota, Fla., that I rent out. When I have renters, I activate phone service through Verizon, so they can use the phone service while they stay.I cancel it when they leave, and I have a plan with Verizon where they won't charge me any cancellation fees as long as I

Publication: Libertyville Review (IL)

For nearly a month, Bennet Hoffman woke up at 4 a.m. to complete a day's worth of physical labor.The physical labor wasn't a punishment for the 14-year-old Libertyville resident; rather, it was the experience of a lifetime.Hoffman spent his days in the ancient port city of Ashkelon, located on the

Publication: Libertyville Review (IL)