By Tess Uihlein The following talk was given by Senior Class President Tess Uihlein during the Lake Forest High School graduation this month. When telling people I was given the opportunity to write a graduation speech, I was typically met with wide eyes, quickly followed by unsolicited advice. My oldest brother Mac said, “As long as you don’t talk about the definition of a Scout.” The senior class president of 1988, Vince Vaughn, told me to make people laugh, but quickly

By Laurie Stein This year marks the 250th anniversary of the United States, or “Semiquincentennial” if you’re a lover of large words. Such a milestone provides a wonderful opportunity to look back and celebrate our history – and with a full slate of events on the docket in 2026, residents will have ample opportunity to do just that. With the anniversaries of our nation, our town, and our many longstanding institutions to commemorate, the annals of such a history-loving co

By Carol Summerfield From movies and television shows, we have all seen the hall or the stairway bedecked with dozens of paintings of different generations in gilded frames, in their place of honor on the wall of a stately home. These ancestral portrait collections have been a part of society -- particularly European high society -- for hundreds of years. That tradition of having portraits of the family patriarchs and matriarchs migrated with its people to the United States.

By David A. F. Sweet Starting June 11 and running until Aug. 13, free summer concerts are being offered by Lake Forest Parks & Recreation. All concerts start at 6:30 p.m. Lake Forest Love found out more about this summer’s series from Aaron Dalzot, a program manager at Parks & Recreation. What's new and exciting with the series this summer? We're excited to bring back our Summer Concert Series with 10 concerts this season—eight in Market Square and two in our neighborhood

By Kristin Elliott Have you ever wondered what it's like to sit behind the wheel of a snowplow, climb aboard a dump truck, or get an up-close look at the equipment that helps keep Lake Forest running every day? Now's your chance! The City of Lake Forest Public Works Department invites families, truck enthusiasts, and curious community members of all ages to Meet the Fleet on Friday, June 12, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Municipal Services, 800 N. Field Drive. This free community

By Lesley Fisher Lake Forest High School graduating seniors Dylan Cran and Campbell Gore were named the inaugural recipients of the Lake Forest High School Alumni Legacy Scholarship during the Scholarships and Awards Program on May 28. Dylan Cran is the son of Greg Cran ’92 and brother of Aidan ’21 and Lily ’23. Campbell Gore is the daughter of Shawn Valassis Gore ’94 and niece of Adrienne (Valassis) Stratman ’97, Lauren Valassis Hirsh ’99, and Doug Valassis ’03. Dylan Cran

By David A. F. Sweet The City of Lake Forest tapped The Cotton Duck as its new food partner at Forest Park Beach. Co-founders Cecilia Lanyon and Dominic Zumpano, who are Lake Forest residents and long-time restaurateurs in the city, discussed what they plan to offer this summer. Why were you interested in running the Forest Park Beach concessions? I (Cecilia) grew up in Lake Forest, and summertime meant every day at the beach! We are so fortunate to have access to this gor

By Laurie Stein With America’s 250th birthday coming up in July, we turn our thoughts back to other milestone anniversaries in the history of our town. The year 1876 marked the Centennial of the Declaration of Independence, America’s “first birthday party” where the nation for the first time took stock of itself as something other than a newcomer on the world stage. The Farwell family celebrates America's Centennial 150 years ago. But Lake Forest itself in 1876 was still

By David A. F. Sweet Earlier this year, the Lake Forest Police Department launched an online Crime Transparency Portal at cityoflakeforest.com/PoliceTransparency.. Featuring an interactive map, it displays incidents beyond those arrests that have appeared for years in the online police blotter. “Residents have told us they want to better understand what’s happening in their neighborhoods,” explained Chief of Police John Burke. “This portal helps us share more information a

By Liz Weithas In April, the Spirit of 67 Foundation awarded 30 grants totaling $145,905 to District 67 schools for the 2026-2027 school year. This allows Lake Forest children to enjoy incredible educational and cultural experiences that enrich their learning -- and also add a lot of fun to their school days. During Grant Week, volunteers from Spirit of 67 visited a different district school each day to announce their school’s awarded grants. At each school, they showcase

By a Lake Forest Love Writer The Lake Forest Civic Orchestra (LFCO) performed its final concert of the 2025-2026 season on May 3 at the John & Nancy Hughes Theater at Gorton Center. Guest conductor Nicholas Wallin led the orchestra and appreciative audience on a journey of mostly American music focused on the Appalachian region of the United States. Midwest Young Artists Conservatory competition winner Andrew Schinler performed the Rimsky-Korsakov trombone concerto on this

By David A. F. Sweet A Lake Forest Community High School student was frustrated with the 16th-century language of Romeo & Juliet. He struggled to relate to the Shakespearean tragedy involving teenage lovers. Peer Tutoring, which nurtures student-to-student sessions, helped bring understanding. “Everybody has big hearts,” says Elaine Metz about the Scout Buddies program, one of many where students help students. “The peer tutor told him, ‘You’re absolutely right,’ and got t

By David A. F. Sweet During this 50th anniversary year, no one would have been surprised had the Lake Forest Preservation Foundation (LFPF) quietly celebrated its many accomplishments and eschewed any new initiatives. But under Executive Director Jennifer McGregor, who replaced longtime leader Marcy Kerr in 2024, the foundation is charging forward with important work as it continues a decades-long collaboration with the City of Lake Forest that has helped preserve the commun

By David A. F. Sweet “Act well your part,” wrote essayist Alexander Pope in the 18th century. “There all the honor lies.” Acting well has never been a problem at Lake Forest Community High School, whose commitment to theater harkens to the school’s founding during the Great Depression. Today, students continue to carry out their roles with aplomb across an amazingly diverse selection of plays. Lake Forest High School depends on students to build sets for plays. Greek traged

By David A. F. Sweet Lake Forest Community High School has always embraced the spirit of an East Coast prep school, from the façade of its original building to the rigor of its curriculum. So how does it enjoy so many national success stories in the world of sports? Consider this roster encompassing one generation: Matt Grevers (‘03), a four-time Olympic gold medalist in swimming; Tommy Rees (’10), a University of Notre Dame quarterback who now serves as the offensive co

By David Sweet and Alexa Moreno What started as a simple classroom idea is quickly becoming a meaningful solution for families across Lake Forest. Scout Your Sitter, a startup created by Lake Forest High School juniors Claire Maguire, Jenna Nagel, Andrew McIntyre, and Emma Engelberg, is rethinking how families connect with trusted babysitters, making the process faster, easier, and more reliable for everyone involved. Andrew McIntyre, Claire Maguire, Emma Engelberg and Jenna

By David A. F. Sweet In celebration of Ragdale’s 50 th anniversary in 2026, Lake Forest Love is highlighting a few of the many prominent authors who have benefited from a residency at the campus off Green Bay Road. Christina Clancy has crafted a number of bestselling novels, including The Second Home, Shoulder Season and, most recently, The Snowbirds. As she notes on her website, “My novels feature restless people trying to figure out how—and where—they can feel at home in

By Kristin Elliott Smiles, laughter, and a whole lot of eggs highlighted Lake Forest Parks & Recreation’s 2026 Egg Hunt Eggstravaganza at Deerpath Community Park on Saturday. Kids took off in a flash, racing across the fields to collect colorful eggs, stopping only for bunny hugs and photo ops along the way. From giggles to golden eggs, the morning was packed with excitement and springtime magic. There’s nothing better than seeing families come together to celebrate the seaso

By Carol Summerfield In the 1950s, the interpretation of the American lifestyle underwent a seismic shift that was felt both inside and outside the home. As World War II ended and the massive factory-based industries that supported it sought new ways to use their machinery and floor space, they turned to the new needs of the American home. The ease of producing aluminum, glass, and plastic materials opened myriad possibilities. The factories offered three important things to

By David A. F. Sweet How many high-school friends end up teaching together – at the same high school they graduated from? Meet Julie Crouch and Carolyn Konz. Friends since fourth grade, both graduated from Lake Forest Community High School in 1993. Soon after college, they both returned to LFHS as teachers. But that’s not all: for the past dozen or so years, they have even co-taught an English class for sophomores, featuring books such as The Crucible and The Catcher in th

By David A. F. Sweet In celebration of Ragdale’s 50th anniversary in 2026, Lake Forest Love is highlighting a few of the many prominent authors who have benefited from a residency at the campus off Green Bay Road. Jessamine Chan has enjoyed four residencies at Ragdale. Her debut novel, The School for Good Mothers, was a New York Times bestseller. It has been translated into about two dozen languages. Chan lives in Chicago with her family. How did you come up with the idea fo

By Carol Summerfield In case you’ve opted out of large words this year, it is the 250 th anniversary (the semiquincentennial) of the United States. Or, as it’s being branded by history museums across the U.S., America 250. Many of the historical societies and small local history museums in America began around our Bicentennial in 1976. With the 200 th anniversary, we realized there was enough history that collecting and preserving it was worth undertaking. (Lake Forest was

By David A. F. Sweet When a first-time visitor to Lake Forest heads north on McKinley Road, oftentimes he or she is stunned by the view outside the window. “That’s your high school?” is the typical comment when seeing what, to most eyes, looks like a mansion. The Lake Forest High School building was designed by Stanley D. Anderson and opened in 1935. Once deemed the prettiest high school in Illinois by Architectural Digest , the landmark Lake Forest High School building de

By David A. F. Sweet More than 500 crisis calls were received by the Lake Forest Police Department in 2025. Some required emergency medical services: all were related to mental health. Later this year, a new member of the department will be part of the response: Winston, a 100-pound (and growing) St. Bernard who is training to become the City’s first comfort dog. K-9 dogs have long been part of police departments, but comfort dogs – which provide emotional support to those