Take It On

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