Inspector Keeps City Buildings Running Smoothly
By David A. F. Sweet Richie Paulsen Jr. was hired in 2015 as a seasonal worker for Building Maintenance before becoming a full-time...
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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!
Hardik Singhal
- 4 days ago
Springer Chases His Dream in the Bahamas
By Hardik Singhal High school students typically just complete their regular eight semesters at their school and hope to find out what...
Mariana Vaca
- Jan 26
Novel Idea: Local Duo Lead Discussions on Works of Fiction
By Mariana Vaca Monthly subscriptions are an increasingly popular phenomenon that cater to individual interests from sparkly cosmetics to...
David A.F. Sweet
- Jan 24
Lake Forest Fire Department Finds Tremendous Success in Cardiac-Arrest Saves
By David A. F. Sweet Millions of television viewers, along with dozens of NFL players standing nearby, were stunned when Buffalo Bills...
Kim Piekos
- Jan 19
Charged with Determination: Lake Forest Teen Spearheads Battery Recycling Program
By Kim Piekos When Lake Forest teen Riya Bhatia and her mother came upon a box of old batteries in her family’s closet, they wondered how...
Maeve Bradley and Piper Rother
- Jan 16
Here Comes the Sun: LFHS Student Unites Passion for Robotics and Music
By Maeve Bradley and Piper Rother Lake Forest High School senior Luc Sun has always loved coding, but now, he is transforming his skills...
Jack Carrabine and Dennis Hickey
- Jan 13
Playing in the Band: Spencer Finds Niche at LFHS
By Jack Carrabine and Dennis Hickey You may think Danny Spencer is just an ordinary senior, but there is a lot about Spencer that you...
David A.F. Sweet
- Jan 9
A Tribute to Lake Forest’s Ellen Stirling
By David A. F. Sweet Even though Ellen Stirling’s grandmother launched the Lake Forest Sports Shop and her mother ran it while Ellen was...
David A.F. Sweet
- Jan 5
Lake Forest Native Sheds Light on Bernie Madoff in Powerful Netflix Documentary
By David A. F. Sweet When Lake Forest native Jim Campbell joined a Zoom call with Netflix true-crime director Joe Berlinger and his...
By a Lake Forest Love Writer
- Jan 3
Our Top Stories in 2022
By a Lake Forest Love Writer Welcome to 2023! Lake Forest Love posted scores of stories in 2022. What were the most popular ones? Check...
Lake Forest Parks and Recreation
- Dec 22, 2022
Santa Is a Driving Force
By Lake Forest Parks & Recreation Carloads of Lake Forest residents visited the Lake Forest Parks & Recreation's Santa Drive-Thru at...
Kim Piekos
- Dec 19, 2022
Lake Foresters Invest in Lake County Communities in Need
By Kim Piekos Interesting fact: a Lake Forest resident will live an average of 14 years longer than someone living in North Chicago. ...
David A.F. Sweet
- Dec 15, 2022
Slam-Dunk Hire: How Woodlands Academy Lured a Three-Time National Champion to Coach Its Varsity
By David A. F. Sweet Larry Farmer won three NCAA national basketball championships as a forward with UCLA in the 1970s, teams coached by...
Gorton Community Center
- Dec 12, 2022
A Joyful Time for Kids at Gorton
By the Gorton Community Center A beloved annual favorite that took place earlier this month, Gorton's Kids Only Holiday Shop lets...
Ean Goldstein
- Dec 8, 2022
Coffee Talk: Dickinson Head Gets to Know Lake Foresters
By Ean Goldstein Dickinson Hall has been a fixture in the Lake Forest community for nearly a century. Over the years, it has served a...
Ean Goldstein
- Dec 5, 2022
Hand It to Him: LFC Coach Mike Dau Has More Than 50 National Titles
By Ean Goldstein On an overcast November day in 1952, an aspiring college basketball player brought a friend to visit Lake Forest...
Ean Goldstein
- Dec 1, 2022
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...
David A.F. Sweet
- Nov 28, 2022
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, 2022
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, 2022
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, 2022
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, 2022
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, 2022
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, 2022
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, 2022
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, 2022
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, 2022
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, 2022
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, 2022
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, 2022
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, 2022
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, 2022
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, 2022
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, 2022
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, 2022
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, 2022
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, 2022
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, 2022
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, 2022
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, 2022
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, 2022
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, 2022
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, 2022
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, 2022
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, 2022
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, 2022
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, 2022
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, 2022
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, 2022
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, 2022
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...
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