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What does it take for an elected official to earn the trust of people who disagree? Illinois State Rep. Bob Morgan (D-Deerfield, House District 58) joins Pete Jansons, Rick Lesser and Jeff Urso for a conversation about representation, accountability and listening. Bob explains why he supports the proposed 1% Lake County school sales-tax referendum and how Illinois' evidence-based funding formula directs more school funding to districts with fewer resources. Pete and Rick challenge him on affordability, school enrollment, property taxes, district consolidation and pension obligations. The discussion turns to nuclear power, wind energy and the electricity needed for data centers. Jeff raises concerns about fentanyl, access to Narcan and mental health. Bob discusses mental-health insurance coverage and why he worries about AI taking the place of trained therapists. They also discuss development and affordable housing in Highwood, security for elected officials and the Lake Forest caucus. The conversation ends where the cold open begins: Bob's view that public officials have to listen to people who disagree with them. 🎙️ Pete Jansons — with Rick Lesser & Jeff Urso ⏱️ WHAT WE GET INTO 🤝 0:00 Trust starts with listening 🎙️ 1:22 Meet Rep. Bob Morgan 🗳️ 1:53 Rick and Bob's past election 💰 4:42 Lake County's proposed 1% sales tax 📈 6:08 Affordability and rising costs 🏫 9:02 School spending and enrollment 📚 10:25 Evidence-based school funding 🧮 11:56 How the funding formula works 🏛️ 15:33 Consolidating local government 💳 16:41 Illinois pension obligations ⚖️ 18:25 Bob's approach to pension payments 🗣️ 22:35 Accountability for state budgets ⚡ 24:40 Nuclear energy and data centers 🔌 26:15 Bob on data-center energy demands 🌬️ 30:05 Wind power and energy policy 🧠 31:19 Mental health, fentanyl and Narcan 🩺 32:22 Bob on Narcan access 🏥 33:16 Schools and mental-health resources 🤖 36:45 AI and mental-health care 🛡️ 39:55 Insurance coverage and mental-health parity 🏘️ 41:57 Highwood development 🏠 44:06 Affordable housing and community character 📬 48:37 Security for elected officials 🌟 53:54 What Bob values about the community 🗳️ 56:16 The Lake Forest caucus 👂 58:55 Listening to political opponents 🤝 1:00:14 Trust and accountability 🙏 1:02:23 Thank you to our supporters 📊 1:02:50 Larisey & Company CPA 🎵 1:03:13 Song Last week's episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smS9GBtIUkI 🔗 UPDATES & LINKS ▶ Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@lakeforestpodcast ▶ Visit: https://www.lakeforestpodcast.com ▶ Support the show (as little as 99¢ a month): https://www.patreon.com/lakeforestpodcast ▶ Contact Rep. Bob Morgan: [email protected] The Lake Forest Podcast — We document. You decide. Member of the Neighbor News Network #LakeForestPodcast #BobMorgan #LakeCountyIL #SchoolFunding #IllinoisPolitics

💵 Jeff Urso calls it a "war on small businesses." On November 3, voters face a proposed 1% Lake County school sales tax "to be used exclusively for school facility purposes, school resource officers, and mental health professionals." Jeff argues another tax squeezes neighborhood businesses. Rick Lesser describes sales taxes as regressive and argues the burden falls harder on the lower middle class. First, the guys talk break-ins: a little cash in the register can mean a much bigger repair bill. Then it's the Caucus's October 20 replacement-candidate vote. After two school-board candidates were rejected, Rick and Skoo question the replacement process and whether voters should have more choices. There's also Scouts football, the flag-versus-tackle argument, Northwestern's stadium and Bears memories. Halloween brings a more pressing neighborhood question: what's the best—and worst—candy in the bag? We close with the leaf-blower debate: noise, equipment costs and what local rules mean for landscapers. Pete also announces the Neighbor News Network and asks neighbors to help look into local issues. Last week's episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZqNqfkj610 🎙️ Pete Jansons — with Rick Lesser, Skoo Walker & Jeff Urso ⏱️ WHAT WE GET INTO 💵 0:00 — "War on small businesses" 🔐 0:42 — What's left in the cash register? 💥 1:43 — A little cash, a big repair bill 📷 3:26 — Flock cameras and stolen cars ▶ Bratski's break-in footage (10/3/26 episode, 6:20): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaReBrH0QP0&t=380s 🚨 4:28 — Alarms, response times and protecting your business 🏫 5:51 — Property taxes, police and school funding 🗳️ 6:52 — November's proposed school sales tax 🍕 7:34 — Jeff: another squeeze on small business ⚖️ 8:57 — Rick: why sales taxes are regressive 🧾 9:39 — The tax budget versus your lunch budget 🎰 12:04 — Gambling, cannabis and sin taxes 📅 14:51 — The Caucus's October replacement vote 🔎 16:39 — Skoo questions the candidate-vetting process ❓ 18:44 — Talk of another group—and an invitation 📊 20:48 — Parents Care: getting the message across 🎙️ 23:13 — What kind of podcast is this? 🏈 25:18 — Scouts football and the feeder teams 🛡️ 27:01 — Flag, tackle and teaching contact 📋 32:53 — Whatever happened to the wishbone? 👟 34:57 — Junior Scouts numbers and hockey overlap 🏟️ 37:00 — Northwestern's stadium and concert talk 🐻 40:06 — Bears memories and the Coach 🏙️ 44:40 — Highwood and who gets to do business 🎃 48:09 — Halloween candy: best and worst 🛍️ 53:21 — The Chamber pop-up and empty storefronts 🚗 54:23 — Oakwood traffic and the radar gun ▶ The Oakwood school-bus radar clip (6/7/25 episode, 5:02): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_72lcUYvnY&t=302s 🍂 55:24 — Leaf blowers: noise, costs and local rules 📰 1:00:55 — Pete announces the Neighbor News Network 👋 1:03:21 — Last call and Rick's farewell 🙏 1:04:18 — Thank you to our supporters 🧮 1:04:55 — Larisey CPA 🎸 1:05:18 — Song: War on Small Business 🔗 UPDATES & LINKS ▶ Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@lakeforestpodcast ▶ Visit: https://www.lakeforestpodcast.com ▶ Support the show (as little as 99¢ a month): https://www.patreon.com/lakeforestpodcast ▶ Newsletter: https://petejansons.substack.com The Lake Forest Podcast — We document. You decide. #LakeForestPodcast #LakeForestIL #LakeBluffIL #LakeForestCaucus #LakeCountyIL #SmallBusiness #SchoolSalesTax #ScoutsFootball #Highwood #NorthShore #60045

🗳️ Only about 7% of Lake Forest's registered voters showed up to the Caucus annual meeting. They decided who's on the slate. So who's making the decisions for the rest of us? Two of ten names didn't make it. The Caucus says it will "get back to you" about a special meeting. Pete, Rick, Skoo and Jeff get into what that vote is supposed to be, what happens now, and why the turnout is the real story. Then Ted Banick joins with a Highwood update: the Silver Dollar's license is dead, with no reason given. Philippe Melin and Jeff Brincat of Parents Care take over the second half. Philippe shares his screen and walks through Superintendent Matt Montgomery's total compensation: base salary, retention bonuses, pension and benefits. Then he covers his reconstruction of what D67 and D115 spend on administration. Those are Parents Care's numbers, built from district documents and policy 3.50, and they show their work. We close with tape from Tuesday's D115 board meeting. A board member questions the markup and the uncapped costs in the $70,000 Perkins & Will "environmental storytelling" contract. Then the vote. Last week's episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaReBrH0QP0 🎙️ Pete Jansons — with Rick Lesser, Skoo & Jeff Urso 🎤 Guests: Ted Banick, Philippe Melin & Jeff Brincat (Parents Care) ⏱️ WHAT WE GET INTO 🗳️ 0:00 — "The people have shouted"... or did they? 🎭 1:54 — "I woke up on a Tuesday to a puppet show" 🤫 4:23 — Come on the show, or the whispers will be the story ⚖️ 7:29 — Rick: "They didn't do a better job on vetting" ⚾ 8:29 — Wearing black for the White Sox: PCA or Schwarber? 🎉 10:56 — Congratulations to Ara 🥃 14:32 — Silver Dollar update with Ted Banick 🍫 17:59 — How does a town pick who gets to do business? 📂 20:39 — The power of FOIA 📉 21:52 — 2 of 10 didn't make it, and only 7% showed up 😂 27:56 — Rick's surprise Facebook endorsement 🆕 30:57 — "The newcomers club" 🏫 33:04 — Parents Care: the $400K-plus superintendent 📈 35:03 — Administrative costs up 44% in three years 📊 36:50 — Philippe's breakdown: Montgomery's total compensation 💵 40:23 — Parents Care's math: $515,000 in total comp this year 🏛️ 43:57 — $9.6 million on administration for under 3,000 students 🎻 47:35 — The orchestra teacher and the fixed pie ✏️ 59:56 — "I wouldn't cut one teacher" 🏠 1:00:32 — Property taxes, EAV and your tax bill 📜 1:04:27 — Show the contract before the vote ⏰ 1:05:47 — 48 hours' notice on a Tuesday ☕ 1:09:03 — The Lake Bluff coffee and enrollment down 20% 🧾 1:14:21 — D115 board: the Perkins & Will contract question 🎨 1:16:47 — $70,000 for the blank walls 👀 1:18:52 — Maybe you're not the 7%. Start paying attention. 🙏 1:19:44 — Thank you to our supporters 🎸 1:21:43 — Song: "The 7% That Run This Town" 🔗 UPDATES & LINKS ▶ Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@lakeforestpodcast ▶ Visit: https://www.lakeforestpodcast.com ▶ Support the show (as little as 99¢ a month): https://www.patreon.com/lakeforestpodcast ▶ Newsletter: https://petejansons.substack.com The Lake Forest Podcast — Not news. Just neighbors. We document. You decide. #LakeForestPodcast #LakeForestIL #LakeBluffIL #LakeForestCaucus #D115 #D67 #ParentsCare #Highwood #NorthShore #60045

🎙️ Former Illinois State Senator Susan Garrett joins the table, and she came with one question for the Lake Forest Caucus: who did the vetting? Garrett called Caucus President Scott Nehls herself about the committee's proposed District 115 candidate, Jennifer Neubauer. For the record: Neubauer has been proposed, not endorsed. The full Caucus votes Tuesday, October 6, and every registered Lake Forest voter can show up and vote. Neubauer and Nehls are both invited on the show to respond. Garrett also reads from a Lake Bluff resident's letter to Caucus leadership; the claims in that letter are the writer's own and have not been independently verified by LFP. Then the money. Pete walks Garrett through the districts' own records on Superintendent Matt Montgomery's contract: $298K in 2021, $356K one year later, about $401K now plus retention, and an early five-year deal. LFP asked District 67 for the record of its 2023 vote. Garrett, who wrote the shared-services law, makes the other side's case: one superintendent for two districts could save $100K. So are we saving money, or bidding against ourselves? And does Illinois have too many school districts? Garrett: "Maybe." [DISTRICT RESPONSE: paste one line here, e.g. "District 67 responded on Oct. 2: ..." or "As of the Friday noon deadline, District 67 had not responded."] Plus: break-ins in Lake Bluff and why Lake Forest businesses should pay attention, Jeff's Shields Township meeting, why officials won't come on the podcast, and Garrett telling Pete his old Pru Beidler coverage was "totally unfair." Pete has a response. Shields Township public comment (9/24/26): https://youtu.be/EyHaxGefCtw?t=826 Disclosure: LFP co-host Jeff Urso's wife is the Shields Township supervisor. Pete's Caucus resignation episode: https://youtu.be/J5eISmMIUS0 🎙️ Pete Jansons — with Jeff Urso, Skoo Walker & former State Sen. Susan Garrett ⏱️ WHAT WE GET INTO 🔥 0:00 — Cold open: "Seems totally unfair, Pete" 🎰 1:15 — Jeff in Vegas: Fremont, Metallica & Woodstock '99 🚨 5:15 — Lake Bluff break-ins: "It's coming to you soon in Lake Forest" 🚓 8:22 — Norwood, county police & a shared-patrol idea 🏛️ 11:39 — Shields Township: public comment & Facebook battles 🗳️ 16:50 — The Caucus's school board picks 👋 18:34 — Former State Sen. Susan Garrett joins ☎️ 20:48 — Garrett calls the Caucus president: "Who did the vetting?" 🔎 23:13 — "How did you prepare for this meeting?" ✉️ 32:05 — A Lake Bluff resident's letter to the Caucus ✅ 37:39 — Accuracy note: proposed, not endorsed. The vote is Oct. 6 🗺️ 38:40 — How the District 115 seats actually work 📋 46:31 — What LFP found in the public record 📱 48:16 — Garrett reads a 2021 "GOP Jen" Facebook post ⚖️ 50:52 — "I'm not from the left. I'm a moderate." 🏫 51:18 — Garrett's shared-services law: too many school districts? "Maybe." 😤 54:22 — "Totally unfair, Pete": the Pru Beidler argument 🪑 56:48 — Five Lake Forest seats, two Lake Bluff: a gentleman's agreement 💰 1:03:47 — Montgomery's contract: $298K to about $401K 🧮 1:05:28 — Garrett's $100K shared-superintendent math 🚌 1:06:37 — Buses, janitorial, insurance: what else could be shared? 🏷️ 1:08:36 — Can a partisan moniker sit on a nonpartisan slate? 🎤 1:09:44 — "Get off the podcast" and why officials won't come on 🌱 1:13:09 — Jeff: "Pete, you have grown" 📌 1:16:56 — Two last things: the district's deadline & an open invitation 🏈 1:18:09 — Homecoming, the Bears & score picks 🔗 UPDATES & LINKS ▶ Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@lakeforestpodcast ▶ Visit: https://www.lakeforestpodcast.com ▶ Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/lakeforestpodcast ▶ Newsletter: https://petejansons.substack.com The Lake Forest Podcast — Not news. Just neighbors. We document. You decide. #LakeForestPodcast #LakeForestIL #LakeForestCaucus #District115 #District67 #SusanGarrett #LakeBluffIL #60045

🏛️ How much local government do two small towns really need? Lake Forest and Lake Bluff sit side by side, share a border, and already share some services. But between the cities, fire departments, school districts, townships, and paper fire districts (yes, there are two Arden Shores), the map gets complicated fast. Illinois has more units of local government than Texas or California. So who's paying for all of it? This week Pete, Rick, Jeff, and Skoo argue it out: one firehouse for two towns, IGAs instead of a merger, why Lake Bluff values its own identity, who pays for the schools, the golden handcuffs of 3% mortgages, and why townships built for a rural Illinois still exist on the North Shore. Plus Pete's ten-second version of the D67 budget meeting, a table fight over who's "anti-cop" (nobody), and whether Pete should run for mayor. And the sports: the Bears' quarterback room, a Cubs-Sox-Brewers postseason, Scouts football vs. hockey, and why multi-sport athletes matter. Not a merger. Not anti-anybody. Just a question of architecture. 🎙️ Pete Jansons — with Rick Lesser, Jeff Urso & Skoo Walker ⏱️ WHAT WE GET INTO 🤝 0:00 — Cold open: shared services, not a merger 🏈 0:43 — Caleb, Tyson & the Bears' quarterback room ⚾ 3:48 — Cubs, Sox, Brewers: Chicago's 25% World Series shot 🧢 6:47 — PCA or Schwarber in the postseason? 🙅 9:43 — "Hope's not a strategy. Our strategy is nope." 🏛️ 13:25 — How many units of government in two towns? 🚓 15:30 — Who's "anti-cop"? The table sets the record straight 🏗️ 16:53 — "We're talking about the architecture in the system" 📊 21:01 — More local governments than Texas & California 🚒 21:51 — One firehouse for two towns? 🏖️ 23:23 — Services vs. identity: the dog-beach test 🏫 26:55 — D67's budget meeting: "Any objections? No." 💰 30:39 — Who pays for the schools? Property taxes & the Bears stadium 📱 32:16 — "It's an advertising thing": politics, algorithms & the middle 90 🍕 35:05 — Podcast host, politician or bartender? 🏠 37:01 — Why home values ride on the schools 🍸 38:36 — "School isn't that much different than a bar" 🔒 42:40 — Golden handcuffs: 3% mortgages & nobody leaving 🗺️ 46:10 — Townships: roads, cemeteries & forgotten services 🚜 47:37 — "What do we need with Shields Township?" 📜 50:46 — Settlers, New England & why Illinois has both 📋 52:19 — "Positions, not dollars": what the FOIAs are for 🗳️ 53:23 — Should Pete run for mayor? 🧩 58:49 — Why beating the caucus takes a slate 🏟️ 1:01:46 — Scouts football & where the players went 🏃 1:05:07 — Multi-sport athletes & youth injuries 🧠 1:08:49 — The concussion question 🛒 1:14:06 — Help wanted: Rick's Costco greeter career 🔗 UPDATES & LINKS ▶ Subscribe: / @lakeforestpodcast ▶ Visit: https://www.lakeforestpodcast.com ▶ Support the show: / lakeforestpodcast ▶ Newsletter: https://petejansons.substack.com The Lake Forest Podcast — Not news. Just neighbors. We document. You decide. #LakeForestPodcast #LakeForestIL #LakeBluffIL #LocalGovernment #SharedServices #PropertyTaxes #NorthShore #60045

🏫 They passed a District 115 budget on Tuesday — and never once showed you how many kids go to the school. We watched the whole hearing. Revenue in: about $68.7M. Spending out: about $69.8M — a planned dip into reserves. And the one number that never made the slide? Enrollment. Over the last decade the high school is down roughly 20% (about 1,348 students now), the main grade-school feeder is down about 12%, and the other feeder is flat. Fewer kids coming in, a bigger bill going out — and no headcount on the budget. This week Pete, Rick, and Jeff dig into the budget nobody explained: the $1.8M "float," the $70,000 "brand experience" contract a board member refused to vote on, why two school districts and a dozen taxing bodies still run "one freaking town," and whether a taxpayer-funded building running under capacity should stay that way. Plus hockey as a club sport, a Facebook post about possible mold, the holiday pop-up shop that needs a home, and the September playoff run. Not everyone at the table agrees — and that's the point. Smaller classes, fixed assets, and where your property tax actually goes. We document. You decide. 🎙️ Pete Jansons — with Rick Lesser & Jeff Urso 🎵 This week's anthem, "One Freaking Town," is out now: [INSERT SPOTIFY LINK] ⏱️ WHAT WE GET INTO🔥 0:00 — Cold open: "When I heard brand, I heard: take a $20 bill and light it up"✍️ 0:44 — The ballot-signature math and the clerk's magic number🏒 2:58 — Hockey is a club sport, not IHSA — and why that matters🛡️ 5:10 — 501(c)(3), USA Hockey, AHAI: how the club is insured🤝 8:36 — Highland Park & Deerfield talk merging their hockey clubs🏛️ 9:39 — The budget hearing that never showed a headcount💸 10:30 — The $1.8M "float" and a planned overspend📉 11:43 — Fewer kids: the 10-year enrollment picture🧩 12:24 — Shared services and the two-district question📊 14:27 — Enrollment's falling — so why aren't admin costs?🦟 14:54 — Two districts, a mosquito abatement district, 14 houses, two fire departments🍽️ 16:58 — Schools, home values & "the four-star restaurant"🧫 18:11 — The Facebook post about possible mold (Rick's read)🎨 21:00 — $70K to "brand" the school — and the board member who said no🐢 24:57 — The Dialogue, Randy Tack & a Mitch McConnell detour🎁 26:46 — The holiday pop-up shop needs a home🧮 33:36 — The read: down ~12% and ~20% over ten years, $68.7M in / $69.8M out👥 35:13 — Smaller classes vs. fewer kids: the pushback🔗 35:48 — Merge the districts? Lake Bluff, IGAs & the old water feud🏘️ 41:00 — "It's all one freaking town"🍸 41:18 — The Lake Bluff restaurant tax you didn't know you paid🪧 41:30 — The referendum, the glowing sign & the students' joke💰 46:59 — "You're in my pocket twice. Once is enough."🎓 49:02 — Non-resident tuition already exists — should the empty seats be filled?🚚 54:22 — Fixed asset, fluctuating demand: the core disagreement⚾ 56:58 — Cubs, Sox, Bears, Hawks & the September playoff run 📺 Watch the full District 115 board meeting yourself: https://www.youtube.com/live/28_T1-31pZo📊 On enrollment, we defer to Parents Care for the final numbers: https://parentscare.org 🔗 UPDATES & LINKS▶ Subscribe:    / @lakeforestpodcast  ▶ Visit: https://www.lakeforestpodcast.com▶ Support the show:   / lakeforestpodcast  ▶ Newsletter: https://petejansons.substack.com 🎙️ The Lake Forest Podcast drops every Saturday at 8:00 AM CT📩 Got a tip? [email protected]📞 Press/Tips: 847-922-4776 The Lake Forest Podcast — Not news. Just neighbors. We document. You decide. #LakeForestPodcast #LakeForestIL #District115 #LFHS #D115 #LakeForestSchools #SchoolBoard #Enrollment #SchoolBudget #District67 #LakeBluffIL #NorthShore #60045 #Accountability #Transparency #SmallTownPolitics

🍺 Last call. After years as downtown Lake Bluff's best gathering spot, Lake Bluff Brewing pours its final Honey Badger this weekend — the lease is up, the building sold, and someone new is moving in. We get into what happened, who might be taking the space, and why this keeps happening to good local businesses.From there it's a full table: the travel-insurance wake-up call behind Officer Czarnecki's trip home, the Scouts' freshman-QB pipeline, the new Ryan Field ($1B, and somehow smaller), $16 beers at Wrigley, the Highwood teardown that "feels like Vernon Hills," and a hometown kid recording his first NFL sack — in the Super Bowl. Plus the one that matters: with no local paper left, the caucus had to send a correction because this show started asking. If not us, who?🎙️ Pete Jansons — with Rick Lesser, Jeff Urso & Skoo Walker⏱️ WHAT WE GET INTO🍺 0:00 — Last call: Lake Bluff Brewing's final weekend☕ 2:19 — Skoo's back: the art fair & the world's thinnest book🚔 3:11 — Officer Czarnecki makes it home from Nicaragua✈️ 3:58 — The travel-insurance lesson (and long-term care at $10K/mo)🏈 10:30 — Zion week, NFL kickoff & Rick's Wonder Dog trophy🎯 12:19 — The freshman-QB phenom & the Scouts feeder pipeline⭐ 15:21 — Brock Williams (Texas commit) at Varsity Field Thursday🎒 16:07 — The Lake Forest bug-out bag & "making love in a canoe"🏖️ 17:52 — Beach walkway & the biting flies🏚️ 19:29 — The full Lake Bluff Brewing story: lease, sale & the landlord's "vision"📉 23:44 — Craft beer is dying: Duffers, 9 taps down to 2-3🎉 24:29 — Red wagons & why Lake Bluff's loose liquor hurts business🥃 26:47 — Highwood update: Ted Bannock, Howard & the Silver Dollar🏙️ 28:46 — "Vernon Hills between Highland Park and Lake Forest"🏟️ 30:15 — Rylie Mills' Super Bowl sack & Kai Kroeger, Houston's punter📱 32:30 — TikTok, 350K views & Joe Nestle🏗️ 33:48 — New Ryan Field: $1B, 47K → 35K, roof over the fans not the players🎟️ 35:24 — Suites, the little guy & the $16 Wrigley beer💸 38:11 — What a family of four really drops (+ the $600 "Lake Forest Uber")⚾ 42:42 — New White Sox park renderings & the Reinsdorf question🎨 44:23 — The art fair, Mark McMahon & "I've never heard a Kanye song"📰 46:46 — "You're the new blotter": what Lake Forest wants for news🗳️ 48:43 — The caucus, the mayor's race & "if not us, who?"✍️ 50:59 — 400 signatures: could Pete really run for mayor?🚁 53:26 — The Glenview drone & recent Highwood shootings🍕 55:47 — The Sopranos pizza-order bust⛈️ 56:25 — The Thor storm siren & a Max Velocity shout-out🚸 59:33 — Jeff's Shields legacy: speed humps & crossing guards🛑 1:01:14 — Knollwood, the sanctuary & the Lake Bluff IGA🏆 1:04:18 — Libertyville vs. Lake Forest preview + score prediction🔗 UPDATES & LINKS▶ Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@lakeforestpodcast▶ Visit: https://www.lakeforestpodcast.com▶ Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/lakeforestpodcast▶ Newsletter: https://petejansons.substack.comThe Lake Forest Podcast — Not news. Just neighbors. We document. You decide.#LakeForestPodcast #LakeForestIL #LakeBluffIL #LakeBluffBrewing #Highwood #NorthShore #RylieMills #LakeForestFootball #60045

🐺 Coyotes in broad daylight. Foxes taking over the neighborhood. And apparently some Lake Forest residents are FEEDING them.Skoo Walker is back, and somehow a conversation about wildlife roaming around town ends exactly where you'd expect this show to end up: Wile E. Coyote finally hiring a lawyer and suing Acme because none of the equipment works. 😂But that's just the start.🏠 The Marwede house at Westminster & Oakwood is coming down for condos. Skoo thinks the new development will fit right in — but it raises the bigger Lake Forest question: what should we preserve, what should we let change, and who gets to decide?🚁 There's also the new police drone program and whether getting eyes on an emergency before a squad car can cross town is simply good technology.🌪️ Then we get into something Pete has been hammering on: when the power goes out and communications fail, what's the actual disaster plan? If something didn't work last time, did we fix it?📰 And Skoo may have accidentally described what we're trying to build here.The old Lake Forester used to land every Thursday with everything — sports, politics, social events and, most importantly, the blotter. 😂You knew what was happening in town.That newspaper isn't what it used to be.Could a podcast become the electronic Lake Forester?And if all of that gets too heavy, don't worry.We've developed the official Lake Forest emergency preparedness plan:🥂 Charcuterie.🍾 Prosecco.🧺 A blanket.🧊 A $500 Yeti.Then bug out to the country club."That's the bunker." 😂🎙️ Pete Jansons with Skoo Walker⏱️ WHAT WE GET INTO🥂 0:00 — What's in the Lake Forest bug-out bag?🏈 1:20 — Lake Forest football, Carmel & the freshman QB🏟️ 7:55 — Old-school AstroTurf: basically green pavement🏈 11:42 — Bobby Douglass, the Bears & football back in the day🐺 15:18 — Coyotes in daylight + foxes taking over the neighborhood😂 17:55 — Wile E. Coyote finally lawyers up against Acme🚁 19:52 — Police drones: eyes on an emergency before the car gets there🧊 23:00 — The $500 Yeti returns + bug out to the country club🏠 26:24 — The Marwede house, condos & what Lake Forest preserves🗳️ 33:51 — The caucus, mayoral selection & leadership🏛️ 38:01 — How Lake Forest's city-manager government actually works⚙️ 44:54 — Lake Forest is a well-oiled machine: "Don't screw it up"🌪️ 47:59 — Storms, sirens & disaster communications🎙️ 51:37 — Why more people in town should come on the podcast📰 54:00 — Could this become the electronic Lake Forester?😂 55:00 — The first thing everybody read: "Am I in the blotter?"🏈 58:17 — Fantasy football🏠 1:00:41 — The guy on the roof with no net🎵 1:03:56 — Supporters + "That's the Bunker!"🔗 UPDATES & LINKS▶ Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@lakeforestpodcast▶ Visit: https://www.lakeforestpodcast.com▶ Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/lakeforestpodcast▶ Newsletter: https://petejansons.substack.comThe Lake Forest Podcast — Not news. Just neighbors. We document. You decide.#LakeForestPodcast #LakeForestIL #LakeBluffIL #Coyotes #LakeForestHistory #NorthShore #Marwede #SkooWalker #PeteJansons #60045

🇺🇸 A woman walking down Oakwood Avenue. American flags disappearing from yards. Neighbors calling 911. And then a story nobody at the table was quite prepared for.Skoo is back on the Lake Forest Podcast, and what starts with burglaries and whether people should simply lock their cars turns into the Oakwood Avenue flag story — including Skoo's firsthand account of confronting the woman, what he says happened to the flags, and his frustration that officers didn't stop to take statements from him and his neighbors.📷 That leads straight into Flock cameras — and approximately three seconds of serious discussion before: “What the flock?” “Flock you, Jeff.” “Flock off, Skoo.” 😂But this episode goes well beyond Oakwood.🏈 The Scouts are back, and the guys get into Lake Forest football, shrinking participation, specialization in youth sports, travel programs and whether monetizing athletics at younger ages is pushing kids away from being multi-sport athletes.🎾 There's also the “professional” tennis surface at South Park, which Skoo notes is useful for training his dogs.🏛️ Then Pete brings up the William C. Douglas House at 750 N. Mayflower — a contributing structure in the National Register Historic District — and asks why a house described in the developer's own study as having “integrity excellent” is headed toward demolition.🌭 And yes, somehow a $5 hot dog becomes one of the most important issues of the day. The proposed new restaurant slogan: “Just be happy we have food.”🗳️ Just when Pete tries to end the show, the Lake Forest mayoral caucus comes up. That turns into a discussion about the three candidates, the process for narrowing the field — and eventually the obvious question:Why can't Pete be mayor?From Oakwood Avenue to Flock cameras, Scouts football, historic preservation, local restaurants and the mayor's office — this one goes everywhere.🎙️ Pete Jansons — with Skoo Walker, Rick Lesser & Jeff Urso⏱️ WHAT WE GET INTO🇺🇸 0:00 — Cold open: the Oakwood Avenue flag incident🇫🇷 1:17 — Rick returns from France🚗 2:37 — Burglaries, unlocked cars & Lake Forest without headlines🪞 4:26 — The side-mirror burglary tip🌭 6:13 — Brodsky's $5 Cubs-game hot dog🎾 7:29 — South Park's “professional” tennis surface📷 11:20 — Car break-ins lead to Flock cameras😂 11:30 — “What the flock?” “Flock you, Jeff.” “Flock off, Skoo.”🇺🇸 12:20 — The conversation turns to stolen American flags🚨 14:36 — Skoo tells the full Oakwood Avenue story📞 16:00 — Calling 911 and waiting for statements to be taken👮 25:10 — “I'm disappointed in Lake Forest Finest”🏈 27:35 — Scouts football: the season starts 6–0🏆 31:24 — Are fewer kids playing football?💰 32:33 — “They've monetized it at such a young age”⚾ 33:07 — Travel sports, specialization & the disappearing multi-sport athlete🍽️ 37:07 — Taking the podcast on the road to local businesses🪟 39:33 — Broken windows theory comes to Oakwood Avenue🏛️ 49:19 — The William C. Douglas House at 750 N. Mayflower🏚️ 50:25 — Historic district, demolition & “integrity excellent”🐟 52:41 — All-you-can-eat fish and chips🌭 53:12 — “Just be happy we have food”🍴 53:33 — Should the podcast visit every Lake Forest restaurant?📅 56:09 — “I'm retired. Every day is Saturday.”🗳️ 56:32 — Wait — what's happening with the mayoral election?🏛️ 57:23 — The three Lake Forest mayoral candidates🗳️ 58:09 — What exactly is the caucus doing with the final two?✍️ 1:02:14 — How many signatures does a mayoral candidate need?😂 1:04:17 — “Why can't I be mayor?”🪑 1:04:39 — Pete's first order of business: chair-side government🛒 1:06:17 — “You know who put those shopping cart corrals in there?”🏈 1:07:41 — Get out and support the Scouts🔗 UPDATES & LINKS▶ Subscribe:    / @lakeforestpodcast  ▶ Visit: https://www.lakeforestpodcast.com▶ Support the show:   / lakeforestpodcast  ▶ Newsletter: https://petejansons.substack.com

🍪 School starts this week in Lake Forest — so we took the show on the road to Gerhard's Elegant European Desserts, where Mary welcomed us the only way she knows how: "NO BITES. NO RULES." Then it was back-to-school time with Jeff Brincat and Philippe Melin from Parents Care. Pete gets into Lake Forest schools, academics, spending, taxes, administration, and transparency — and the question underneath all of it: are our tax dollars actually making it into the classroom and improving education for the kids? We cover the $10 million surplus, the maxed-out levy, the $105 million bond bet, what it really costs per student, the four pillars Parents Care is pushing, and where the administration has actually improved. Plus a genuinely encouraging note on academics — and Parents Care's September 8th event with Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer. And because this is the Lake Forest Podcast, we couldn't just sit at the table. Mary took us behind the scenes to see Gerhard's incredible 100-year-old oven, still cranking away. Oh — and Gerhard's is HIRING. 🎂 🎙️ Pete Jansons — with Jeff Brincat & Philippe Melin (Parents Care) ⏱️ WHAT WE GET INTO 🍪 0:00 — "No bites. No rules." — welcome to Gerhard's 🤝 0:23 — Jeff Brincat & Pete clear the air ("acquired taste") 💰 5:06 — The $10M surplus & the maxed-out levy 🏦 9:40 — The $105M bond bet: up front vs. tranches 🧮 18:52 — What does it really cost per student? 🏛️ 29:36 — The four pillars of Parents Care 📚 30:34 — Good news: academics are actually improving 🎓 32:16 — Trades, career readiness & the college-only mindset 🎒 34:41 — Student safety, transparency & a student-facing budget ✈️ 35:47 — Conference travel & professional development 💵 42:37 — Admin pay, retention bonuses & the compensation question 🎖️ 55:05 — Sept 8th: Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer 🔥 59:50 — Behind the scenes: Gerhard's 100-year-old oven 🔗 UPDATES & LINKS ▶ Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@lakeforestpodcast ▶ Visit: https://www.lakeforestpodcast.com ▶ Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/lakeforestpodcast ▶ Newsletter: https://petejansons.substack.com ▶ Gerhard's is hiring: https://www.gerhardsdesserts.com/careers The Lake Forest Podcast — Not news. Just neighbors. We document. You decide. #LakeForestPodcast #LakeForestIL #ParentsCare #LakeForestSchools #Gerhards #SchoolBoard #NorthShore #60045

Pete's Apology Tour: Dunk on Pete Day at Duffer's | Lake Forest Podcast 🍺 Last week Pete blew a gasket over the storm. This week the guys make him answer for it — one apology at a time. It starts innocent: "positive Pete," not "pinchy Pete." A community with no newspapers needs citizen activism. And hey — we're finally out of beer jail at Lake Forest Day. Then Jeff comes off the floor, sits down, and reads Pete the feedback from everybody too polite to say it to his face. What follows is an intervention with a beer in its hand. Randy's bad back. ComEd. The city's PR lady. The World Cup flop. Pete works the whole list — half contrite, half sorry-not-sorry, blinking at the camera like a POW the entire time. But underneath the roast, the real questions surface. Why are 98.9% of the votes unanimous? If the board debates in private and rubber-stamps in public — is that oversight, or Kabuki theater? And when Parents Care offered to bring a Medal of Honor recipient to speak to middle schoolers about being a leader, not a follower — the school said no. Appropriate for middle schoolers? Or... only if it's the right message? From there it's everywhere: Illinois pensions and the Chapter 9 wall, "giving heroin to a junkie" on municipal bonds, Rotary and polio, CASA and the kids nobody watches, the $800K generator nobody clapped for, and the September caucus where the finances finally hit the table. Somebody's watching. Or... somebody should be. We document. You decide. 🎙 Pete Jansons — with Rick Lesser, Philippe & Jeff (from behind the bar) ⏱ TIMESTAMPS 🍺 0:00 — Positive Pete, and out of "beer jail" 🌩️ 3:29 — "I was a little hard on the beef last week" 🏫 5:33 — Parents Care: four pillars and the finance fight 🏛️ 7:54 — "I don't see a fix": pensions and Chapter 9 🎯 12:19 — The apology tour begins 🌳 13:18 — The ComEd backhand: "nothing to do with the dead trees" 🔋 18:12 — The $800K generator nobody clapped for 🎪 21:46 — Lake Forest Day: "nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded" 🎗️ 27:30 — Rotary 101: 25 years, polio, and the gears ⚖️ 29:40 — The watchdog's dilemma: charities don't get clicks 🎭 33:35 — 98.9% unanimous: "It's all Kabuki theater" 🏆 36:37 — The September caucus 🎖️ 52:37 — Dakota Meyer, the Gorton Center — and the school that said no 🪙 56:21 — "Do I get a coin?": the intervention, step one 🙏 1:01 — Happy Lake Forest Day: the whole table waves 🎵 1:01 — "I'm Sorry, Lake Forest" (companion track) 🔗 Support: patreon.com/lakeforestpodcast 📝 Substack (Rawthentic): petejansons.substack.com ✉️ Tips / press: [email protected] Lake Forest, IL (60045) 📝 CORRECTIONS: Dan Dorfman (spelled Dorfman). Dakota Meyer event — Gorton Center, Sept 8; confirm time at parentscare.org. The D67 decline is Parents Care's account; the district hasn't given its side on the record. #LakeForestPodcast #LakeForestIL #ParentsCare #DakotaMeyer #Duffers #ApologyTour #DunkOnPeteDay #60045

⚡ Pete rode out the storm glamping in his own driveway—Starlink dish up, house running off his truck—while much of Lake Forest sat in the dark with no power, internet, or reliable cell service. He could communicate. The City couldn't. Rick Lesser joins from his office (Comcast's out at the condo) to work through what happened Monday night—and what didn't. One City advisory went out at 3:03 PM, before the worst hit. Then silence, as limbs came down and live wires hit residential streets. The morning after, Pete goes to the Chamber's mayor's breakfast looking for one thing: a straight answer. Is there a disaster plan? "We don't like to call it a plan. We like to call it a playbook." Yes or no—do you have one? "We got a draft." From there it opens up: the council-manager form of government and who's actually accountable when the lights go out. Smart911—which the City's own website says sends emergency texts, emails, and phone calls—and which, when Pete asked a few thousand local Facebook followers whether anyone got one during the storm, produced a simple answer: no one reported getting one. The episode also digs into cell coverage, the City apps rolled out with fanfare that went quiet the one night they were needed, and whether something as simple as a group text could have made the difference. Public Works and the first responders worked through the night, and they get their due here. This was never about the crews clearing the roads. It's about who's standing at the front of the room when it matters. The mayor? The city manager? The communications director? Or is nobody in charge? We document. You decide. 🎙 Pete Jansons — with Rick Lesser & Jeff Urso Recorded during the outage, before the City released its Storm Response Survey. The survey is discussed here because it directly addresses the issues raised during the recording. ⏱ TIMESTAMPS0:00 — "Is there a disaster plan?" … "We got a draft."0:53 — Glamping in Lake Forest: Starlink up, City dark2:00 — "A pretty smart Elon fan"5:00 — Who's in charge? The council-manager form explained6:30 — Apps rolled out with fanfare, zero alerts8:00 — The mayor's breakfast: no mayor, no leader in the room9:44 — "Playbook, not a plan… we got a draft"15:24 — "It looked like Baghdad"24:48 — Live wires, a downed line, and calling 91127:16 — Sputnik, Starlink, and 50-up/200-down42:04 — Smart911: the alert that never came44:14 — "Zero. Is that good enough for you?"51:00 — Crews pulled in from all over the country1:10:30 — The boil-order flashback: "you were 100% right"1:13:00 — "I demand better leadership"1:15:00 — What has to change before the next storm1:17:29 — "We document. You decide." 🎵 Companion songs: "We Got a Draft" / "Hand Me a Spark" 📋 The City's Storm Response Survey is in this week's eNews. The scored questions cover cleanup and restoration—not the Monday timeline, the cell blackout, or whether any alert reached you. Put that in the write-in boxes, Questions 6–8.Survey: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=b4l7fqOCKkSMFS3VLLa6pKbAueDiTqNCjxwBS9OcpLlUOFM2U1dERkpTWUJOSjdDSzVSSzkzMU9MSy4u 🔗 Support: patreon.com/lakeforestpodcast | Substack (Rawthentic): petejansons.substack.com | Tips/press: [email protected] | Lake Forest, IL 60045

🎪 Art Miller says move Lake Forest Day to the weekend. Within about a minute of hearing that, Skoo Walker — thirty-plus years on the Lake Forest PA, grew up hanging around the Legion — is explaining who drags the flags up at 5:30 on every national holiday, and why you don't touch the carnival calendar. Because Lake Forest Day isn't the city's event. It's the McKinlock Legion's fundraiser — the one that pays for the scholarships, Boys State, Girls State, all of it. Moving it for convenience is like asking a nonprofit to reschedule its gala for you. Then the caucus comes up, and the real question lands: the town elects 40 people to make one hard choice — and this year they picked two mayoral finalists and want a special election to break the tie. If the group we elect to decide can't decide, what exactly is it for? From there it's everywhere: Monday's finance-meeting pension TLDR, the head shop that used to sell flavored rolling papers out of what is now Skoo's office, the Burger King parking lot economy and the landlord who chased everyone out, cut-through traffic on Oakwood, fireworks nobody could see through the mist, red air over town, rain insurance for canceled events, football starting early, the White Sox actually winning, and a supper-club steak in Racine. Move the carnival? Keep the flags? Let the public pick the caucus's candidate for them? Comments-section problem? Caucus problem? Or a Lake Forest problem? We document. You decide. 🎙 Pete Jansons — with Skoo Walker ⏱ TIMESTAMPS🍦 0:00 — Cold open: the leadership advice🎪 0:08 — Art Miller says move Lake Forest Day🎖️ 0:30 — The Legion runs that day: scholarships, Boys State🇺🇸 2:33 — Flags at 5:30 AM — and Legions shrinking everywhere🎤 3:50 — Skoo returns: "the fact checkers are now ready"🏬 5:27 — Skoo's office used to be a head shop🍔 6:48 — The Burger King parking lot economy🏢 7:30 — Why Burger King (and King Ma) really left town🏛️ 8:16 — Monday's finance meeting: the pension TLDR🚸 9:15 — Lake Forest Day's new route + Oakwood cut-through traffic🚶 12:20 — Phones, bikes, and the oblivious sidewalk🏪 13:45 — The Deer Path enhancement (and the puddle outside Sweets)🎆 14:55 — Fourth of July fireworks in the mist🌫️ 16:30 — Red air over Lake Forest📋 17:50 — Event insurance: rain clauses and cancellations🏈 20:50 — Football starts early — playoffs expanded🎙️ 21:55 — 30+ years on the PA: longest-running announcer in town?⚾ 22:50 — The Sox are winning: pitching, defense, the Banana Baller🌟 25:20 — All-Star weekend + Wrigley gets 2027🗳️ 27:40 — The caucus picks two — then a special election?🏫 29:30 — "Like the movie Election": junior-high democracy⚖️ 34:30 — Abstaining aldermen and the hard decisions🍨 36:20 — The leadership advice, in context👑 37:30 — Mayor vs. city manager: who actually runs things👋 39:30 — "This is the year, ladies" — and wrapping up🥂 44:40 — Hobnob Supper Club shout-out (old fashioned, easy on the rind)🚴 45:45 — See you at the Criterium — Sayonara, Pam 🔗 LINKS & MORE▶ This episode is supported by The Hobnob Supper Club: https://www.thehobnob.com/▶ Support the show: patreon.com/lakeforestpodcast▶ Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/s...▶ Substack (Rawthentic): https://petejansons.substack.com▶ Tips / press: [email protected]▶ Lake Forest, IL (60045) 📝 CORRECTIONS & CONTEXT (we fix our record) The "'83 series" at Comiskey was the American League Championship Series — the White Sox fell to the Orioles, who went on to win the World Series. Still hurts.Lake Forest Day is run by the American Legion McKinlock Post 264 — it's their fundraiser, as Skoo said, not a city event. #LakeForestPodcast #LakeForestIL #LakeBluffIL#LakeForestDay #AmericanLegion #Caucus #BurgerKing #WhiteSox#NorthShore #WeekendBonus #SkooWalker #NotNewsJustNeighbors #60045

👗 A teen girl in foster care wants to go to prom. There's no dress, no money for one — and no parent to call. Someone makes a phone call anyway, and a dress shows up. That someone is a trained volunteer from down the street. Shannon McBride-Bromberg helps run that operation. She's Program Counsel and Program Manager at CASA Lake County — the outfit that puts everyday people next to abused and neglected kids in a Lake County courtroom. Rick Lesser pulls up a chair for the lawyer half; Skoo Walker's on the mics. A DCFS caseworker might carry 100 cases. A CASA volunteer carries one. That's the whole idea — and it's why the judge asks the volunteer what's really going on. Then the number lands: 240 volunteers, roughly 400 kids served — and 25 children on a waiting list, waiting for one adult to raise a hand. The question isn't whether the program works. It's whether a county full of capable adults can produce 25 more of them by the August 30 training class. From there it's everywhere: the hotline call that starts a case, 40 hours of training with no law degree required, teens allowed to stay in the system until 21 with nobody in the stands, bank accounts and driver's licenses, a coats closet in the Vernon Hills office, gift-card trees that lost their Starbucks spots, and a gala at Ravinia on October 30 that pays for the training. A kid ages toward 21 in a group home. Who teaches them to open a bank account? Who drives them to the DMV? State problem? System problem? Or a Lake County problem — with a Lake County answer? We document. You decide. 🎙 Pete Jansons — with Shannon McBride-Bromberg (CASA Lake County) · Rick Lesser & Skoo Walker on the mics ⏱ TIMESTAMPS 👤 0:00 — A kid with no one in the stands (cold open) 🎧 0:20 — "Tripped over the algorithm": meet Shannon ⚖️ 1:00 — Court Appointed Special Advocate: the judge in Seattle 🧭 3:01 — What an advocate actually does, month to month 📞 4:30 — The hotline call that starts a case 💯 5:45 — 100 cases vs. one: why the judge listens 🎓 6:50 — 40 hours of training, no law degree 🎬 7:50 — "Be the someone" — the CASA video 🔢 10:55 — The numbers: 240 volunteers, 25 kids waiting 🗓️ 11:30 — Next class starts August 30 — $1,200 trains a volunteer 🤝 11:55 — CASA vs. NICASA: two different outfits 💸 12:40 — Did the feds cut CASA's funding? What got restored 🏛️ 14:11 — Where the money really comes from: the DCFS line item 📊 15:10 — What the research shows: faster to permanency 👨‍⚖️ 16:45 — In the courtroom: the judge questions the volunteer 🧒 18:30 — Who stands with the child: caseworker, GAL, CASA 🕰️ 19:58 — Teens who stay in the system until 21 🪪 20:40 — Bank accounts, state IDs — "things your parents did for you" 📜 21:05 — Guardian ad litem, explained (Rick Lesser) ✍️ 22:40 — How to sign up: the application and the interview 🧥 23:30 — The coats closet and the giving trees 🎻 25:00 — October 30 at Ravinia: the gala that funds the training 👗 25:45 — Mothers Trust and the prom dress 👋 26:30 — Thanks, Shannon 📣 27:01 — A word from our sponsors 🙏 28:50 — Our Patreon supporters — thank you 🎵 COMPANION ALBUM — "Things Your Parents Did For You" Original songs inspired by today's conversation — "One Kid, One Voice" and the title track play right here in the episode. 🔗 LINKS & MORE ▶ Become a CASA volunteer / donate: https://casalakecounty.com ▶ CASA gala — Oct 30 at Ravinia, tickets: https://e.givesmart.com/events/Pv8/ ▶ Support the show: patreon.com/lakeforestpodcast ▶ Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/s... ▶ Substack (Rawthentic): https://petejansons.substack.com ▶ Tips / press: [email protected] ▶ Lake Forest, IL (60045)

Jeff Urso slides back into the chair at Duffer’s fresh off opening Hatricks in Mundelein right as the insane July heatwave hit. Half the AC working, belts snapping, fresh air intake fighting for its life — and he still got the place dialed in while running the kitchen and learning new wing tricks from his own chef.From bar ownership war stories (400-degree pizza ovens in 2010, ice makers holding up, bodies pumping out more heat than the equipment) the conversation rolls into what’s actually happening in Lake Forest right now: the caucus interviewing mayoral hopefuls, the Block the Box fallout still costing the city, Jed Morris recusal drama, and whether anyone can run without splitting the vote.From there it’s everywhere: Lake Forest Day parade route changes, the American Legion endowment debate, craft beer dying while big boys and infusions take over, fantasy football drafts on slow nights, Vegas stadium vibes, and why politicians sound different depending on who’s in the room.So is the mayoral field already locked in with two caucus candidates?Will Lake Forest Day finally move to the weekend or stay mid-week for the bars?And who’s actually paying attention to the charter, the pensions, and the block parties?We document. You decide.🎙 Pete Jansons — with Jeff Urso⏱ TIMESTAMPS🍺 0:00 — HVAC guy via ChatGPT on the roof🏠 0:43 — Opening Hattricks July 1st in the heatwave❄️ 0:52 — Half the AC down, new HVAC, belts & blowers🔥 1:41 — 400-degree ovens and 115-degree kitchens back in 2010🧊 2:17 — Ice makers holding up (thank you Jewel)🌡️ 3:19 — Bodies + equipment = turn the AC down five hours early👨‍🍳 4:15 — Ricardo killing it with fish & chips, Reubens & better wings⚾ 5:17 — Sox games, full stadiums, $300 Cubs tickets🌍 6:53 — World Cup, English fans, Oasis, and culture shock for the Polish in-laws🍺 9:19 — Craft beer crash, infusions, and the big boys dominating🏪 10:28 — Breweries for sale on LoopNet, restaurant-breweries surviving📰 12:06 — Dan Dorfman the real reporter vs. the hair-bun Patch guy🏛️ 14:01 — Caucus interviewing mayoral hopefuls (Luby, Jed Morris, Era Goshgarian)📋 15:12 — Block the Box, McKinley development, variances & lawsuits🗳️ 17:53 — Jed Morris recusal drama and city lawyer opinion🤝 19:12 — Era as middle-of-the-road, fiscally conservative🕒 21:28 — The L42 transparency clock still running🎪 42:56 — Lake Forest Day parade changes and Legion endowment debate💰 46:06 — Should Lake Forest Day evolve for more charities?🏈 54:26 — Hattricks & Brodsky’s football season prep, fantasy drafts🎰 56:55 — Vegas stadiums, Allegiant, T-Mobile, and White Sox to the Loop talk🚨 58:13 — Chicago crime stats reality check🇫🇷 58:28 — Rick Lesser in Paris (warm beer, no AC)🙏 1:00:02 — Sponsors & Patreon thanks.🔗 LINKS & MORE▶ Support the show: patreon.com/lakeforestpodcast▶ Newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/jmul1Df/lakeforestpodcastsignup▶ Substack (Rawthentic): https://petejansons.substack.com▶ Tips / press: [email protected]▶ Lake Forest, IL (60045)#LakeForestPodcast #LakeForestIL #JeffUrso #Hattricks #Duffers #LakeForestDay #MayoralRace #LakeBluff #NorthShore #60045 #LocalGovernment