Boy Scout Troop Gives Back by Putting Up Wreaths
By Ean Goldstein With the holiday season upon us, Lake Forest residents may notice wreaths adorning various signs and light posts around...
Lake Forest Love
Telling the Stories About the Community We Love
Lake Forest, Illinois
Welcome to lakeforestlove.com, a blog destination where we curate the amazing
stories of our community, shine a light on them and share them back with you.
We believe there are so many ways to fall in love with Lake Forest—
the open spaces, schools, extraordinary organizations, community spirit,
lakefront, retail and dining offerings, and its kind and generous heart.
We also feel there are stories about people who live and work here that you might like to know.
There is so much to love and we’re just getting started. So welcome. You’re going to love it here!
David A.F. Sweet
- 4 days ago
New Normal: Pop-Up Shop Welcomes Many Changes
By David A. F. Sweet Beloved by the community since it launched during the holidays in 2020 to support local non-profit organizations,...
David A.F. Sweet
- Nov 21
For First Time, Beloved Tree Lighting Celebration to Include Band, Heaters
By David A. F. Sweet It’s never easy to add excitement to a long-time, beloved event, but the Friends of Lake Forest Parks & Recreation...
David A.F. Sweet
- Nov 17
Blazing a Trail: Citizens Wield Hoses, Use Tourniquets as They 'Play Firefighter'
By David A. F. Sweet Growing up, Joe Oriti dreamed about becoming a firefighter. Then one day, thanks to the Weekly eNews he subscribed...
By a Lake Forest Love Writer
- Nov 14
Lake Forest Sailing Makes History at Nationals in Virginia
By a Lake Forest Love Writer Lake Forest Sailing made history at the singlehanded High School Sailing Nationals. It was the first time...
Kim Piekos
- Nov 10
Needlepointer Stitches New Life Into Business
By Kim Piekos Most mornings, Cindy Annibali makes her coffee, sits on her sofa with her beloved dogs nearby and needlepoints while...
Pride Haggerty
- Nov 7
Scouts' Spagnoli Is More Than a Football Coach
By Pride Haggerty When most students think about Mr. Chuck Spagnoli, they often think the football coach. But what they aren’t aware of...
Kim Piekos
- Nov 3
New Guidebook Details Architectural Treasures Around Town
By Kim Piekos Ever notice one of Lake Forest’s landmark homes and wonder how it came to be? The Lake Forest Preservation Foundation just...
City of Lake Forest Writer
- Nov 1
Thorne Miniature Exhibit Poised to Open at History Center
City of Lake Forest Writer The History Center of Lake Forest-Lake Bluff’s new exhibit The Art of the Miniature, opens Saturday, Nov. 12....
David A.F. Sweet
- Oct 27
Battalion Chief Reflects on a Quarter Century on the Front Lines
By David A. F. Sweet Matt Penar has been a Lake Forest Fire Department Battalion Chief for almost six years and has worked in the...
City of Lake Forest Writer
- Oct 25
Soaring Above the New Sand
By a City of Lake Forest Writer The City of Lake Forest is replacing sand in the northernmost part of Forest Park Beach. The last time...
Kim Piekos
- Oct 20
Desire for Connection Draws Women to Encore Club
By Kim Piekos Alexa Karkazis found the Encore Club at the perfect time in her life. Having just left a job in town, she had more free...
David A.F. Sweet
- Oct 18
School Founder Paula Lillard Reflects on the Guiding Principles of Montessori Education
By David A. F. Sweet When Paula Lillard lived in Cincinnati raising four young children, friends gave her a biography of Maria...
David A.F. Sweet
- Oct 13
From College Hockey Player to Author, LFC Alum Has Story to Tell
By David A. F. Sweet Lake Forest College alumnus Tim Rappleye – part of the 1977-78 Forester team that went to the NCAA Division II...
David A.F. Sweet
- Oct 10
Lake Forest Photographer Is Passionate About Giving Back
By David A. F. Sweet Lake Forest resident and photographer Heidi Clifton has been busy putting each camera click to good use. By donating...
Ean Goldstein
- Oct 6
New LFC President Excited to Guide the School into the Future
By Ean Goldstein Dr. Jill Baren’s first day as president of Lake Forest College was significant for a number of reasons. Not only is Dr....
Kim Piekos
- Oct 3
Full Circle: Retiring Teacher Grateful for Lasting Connections with Local Family
By Kim Piekos When newly retired Lake Forest reading specialist Traci Riege (now Franksen) began her career at Sheridan School 36 years...
David A.F. Sweet
- Sep 29
Collectors’ Classic Cars, Today’s Superstars Can Be Seen at Auto Show
By David A. F. Sweet The third annual Lake Forest Then & Now Auto Show will be held on Sunday, Oct. 2 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the West...
David A.F. Sweet
- Sep 26
Fleet Department Makes Sure Hundreds of Vehicles Run Smoothly
By David A. F. Sweet The City of Lake Forest Fleet Section supplies vehicles and equipment to Police, Fire, Streets & Sanitation and...
maddie szczerba
- Sep 23
Share Your #LakeForestLove This Fall
Celebrate the start of fall by sharing your #LakeForestLove! Use the hashtag #LakeForestLove when you post pictures of people, places...
David A.F. Sweet
- Sep 20
New Arborist Skillfully Manages What Can be a Dangerous Job
By David A. F. Sweet Kelly Bougher is a maintenance worker and a certified arborist in the Forestry Department for the City of Lake...
Kim Piekos
- Sep 15
Passion for Battlefield History Inspires LFHS Student to Write Children’s Book
By Kim Piekos A passion since childhood for America’s battlefields and a desire to tell unusual stories about women who fought on them in...
David A.F. Sweet
- Sep 8
Bottom Line: Krygeris Helps Citizens Understand City Budget
By David A. F. Sweet Mark Krygeris is a Staff Accountant with the City of Lake Forest. A significant part of his responsibility is...
David A.F. Sweet
- Sep 6
London Calling: New Head of Lake Forest Open Lands Is a Hands-On Veteran of the Non-Profit
By David A. F. Sweet Growing up in Lake Bluff, one of Ryan London’s earliest memories involved nature – an appropriate recollection for...
Katie Heraty
- Sep 5
Food Bank's Opening in Town Draws More Than 200
By Katie Heraty Northern Illinois Food Bank held a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house for its North Suburban Center on Aug. 16 to...
David A.F. Sweet
- Aug 29
A Long Love of Eminent Architect Brings Designer to Lake Forest
By David A. F. Sweet Perusing the stacks inside the architecture library at the University of Virginia in 1985, Greg Koester came upon...
Kristin Elliott
- Aug 26
Lake Forest Dancers Help Raise Thousands for Highland Park
By Kristin Elliott & Laura Biernacki Sixteen park district dance companies from across the northern suburbs joined together for a special...
David A.F. Sweet
- Aug 23
Picture This: Selfie Day Is a Hit in Lake Forest
By David A. F. Sweet Scores of Lake Forest residents and workers shared selfies in front of City Hall and other City buildings on Aug....
David A.F. Sweet
- Aug 18
Fountain of Youth: CROYA Remains the Rare Place Teenagers Can Call Their Own
By David A. F. Sweet Spread across one wall of Todd Nahigian’s office is the word CROYA. Since he manages the Lake Forest organization –...
David A.F. Sweet
- Aug 16
NFL-Supported Wheelchair Football Team Places Fourth in First Home Tournament
By David A. F. Sweet The Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Association, based in Lake Forest, and its Chicago Bears Wheelchair Football Team...
Thais Souza
- Aug 11
Branching Out at Twigs Camp
By Thais Souza The Lake Forest Parks & Recreation’s Twigs Camp wrapped up its season on Aug. 4 with a performance of Alice in...
David A.F. Sweet
- Aug 8
Two Lake Forest Sailors Ready for Nationals
By David A. F. Sweet Two Lake Forest sailors, Alec Ranker and Leo Kumar, are poised to compete in the U.S. National Sailing Championship...
Shelby Birnbaum
- Aug 4
A Successful Gala Behind It, Citadel Looks Forward to Performances
By Shelby Birnbaum As a new season beckons this fall, Artistic and Managing Directors Scott and Ellen Phelps of the Citadel Theatre are...
David A.F. Sweet
- Aug 2
Be Like Mike: Perry a Mainstay at the Boat Launch
Mike Perry has worked at the Forest Park Beach since it was renovated in 1987. Lake Forest residents created this video to show their...
David A.F. Sweet
- Aug 1
Lake Forest’s Charlie Potter Helps IMAX Movie About Prairie Wetlands Take Off
By David A. F. Sweet A yellow warbler that weighs as little as a few sheets of paper flies 3,000 miles -- even traveling over the Gulf...
David A.F. Sweet
- Jul 28
Skin in the Game: Lake Forest Entrepreneur Charges Ahead in Competitive Field
By David A. F. Sweet When Genevieve Dolan was 13, the Lake Forest resident started seeing a dermatologist because she was suffering from...
Kim Piekos
- Jul 26
Spirit of Gratitude Propels Senior Resident to Encourage Others
By Kim Piekos Some people spend their lives dedicated to others. Lake Forest’s Pat Handley is one of them. A senior citizen, she juggles...
David A.F. Sweet
- Jul 19
Motherly Influence: Margot Martino’s Caring Ways Helped CROYA Blossom
By David A. F. Sweet When Margot Martino moved to Lake Forest in the early 1970s, the news about teenagers in town was grim. "People were...
David A.F. Sweet
- Jul 13
Green Light: The Lawn Welcomes Golfers at Deerpath
Deerpath Golf Course opened its 30,000-square-foot, 18-hole putting green -- known as The Lawn -- on July 6. Youngsters get a look at The...
David A.F. Sweet
- Jul 11
Let There Be (LED) Light: Lake Forest Replacing Gas with Bulbs in Historic Lamps
By David A. F. Sweet For 120 years, gas lights have been a fixture in Lake Forest, lodged in the community as deeply as the fountain in...
Rebecca Foster-Goodman
- Jul 7
Fourth-Generation Lake Forest Resident Continues Family Legacy of Giving Back
By Rebecca Foster-Goodman Anyone who has walked through the doors of Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital has most likely gotten...
David A.F. Sweet
- Jul 1
Summer Loving via #LakeForestLove
Summer is a beautiful time in Lake Forest; celebrate by sharing your #LakeForestLove! Forest Park Beach is already busy with parents and...
David A.F. Sweet
- Jun 27
This Is Now: Lake Forest App Lets You Check Beach Parking, Watch Baseball
By David A. F. Sweet Ever been excited to arrive at Forest Park Beach on a gorgeous summer day – and find there was nowhere to park?...
Kim Piekos
- Jun 23
Striking the Right Note: Rolek Celebrates 25 Years at Helm of Chamber
By Kim Piekos You can sense Joanna Rolek’s stage presence the minute she walks in the door. She commands attention naturally, overflows...
David A.F. Sweet
- Jun 16
Athletes with Disabilities Shine at GLASA Games
By David A. F. Sweet Hundreds of athletes with disabilities from 17 states competed at the GLASA Great Lakes Games Presented by The...
David A.F. Sweet
- Jun 13
Recalling the Grandeur of David Adler’s Lake Forest Estates
By David A. F. Sweet “What is it about Adler that draws you in to these extraordinary things he has created?’ That is a question...
Joey Nassar
- Jun 9
‘The Resilient Heart of a Scout’
Student Body President Joey Nassar delivered the address at the Lake Forest High School graduation ceremony on the school’s front lawn on...
David A.F. Sweet
- Jun 6
‘My Work Is Never Boring’: City Clerk Discusses Job as Early Voting Nears
By David A. F. Sweet The Illinois General Primary Election is coming up on June 28, and Lake Forest citizens will be able to cast their...
David A.F. Sweet
- Jun 2
‘Believe that you are smart, strong, brave, beautiful’
Tom Herion has been principal of Deer Path Middle School for two years. The following are his edited remarks from the Class of 2022...
David A.F. Sweet
- May 26
Six Questions with New Lake Forest Caucus President David Hunt
By David A. F. Sweet New Lake Forest Caucus President David Hunt is a private wealth advisor with Bernstein Private Wealth Management....