2015 in Lake Forest/Lake Bluff: The Top Stories Of The Year

LAKE FOREST, IL - Fear, controversy and disappointment were coupled with triumph and unique accomplishment this year in Lake Forest and Lake Bluff. A few local residents had the chance to do some pretty cool things on the national stage, and locals debated passionately about the direction of the area’s youth.

What I didn’t include here in this list was crime. There really wasn’t much of it in this area.

Tom Waddle Sells Lake Forest Home to John Fox: Lake Forest’s connection to the Bears goes far beyond Halas Hall. Players and coaches have called the city home for years. And this year, we found one home that went from one longtime Bears personality to a new one. Former wide receiver Tom Waddle who has been a popular radio personality for years, sold this Onwentsia Road corner mansion for more than $3 million to John Fox, the team’s first-year head coach.

Chala Holland is LFHS’ Controversial Principal Pick: Despite numerous parents voicing concern over the district’s plan to hire Chala Holland as principal, they did it anyway. The former assistant principal at Oak Park-River Forest High School allegedly had written blog posts in the past quoting Malcolm X, and mentioning “white privilege” and “institutionalized racism.” Some argued her views did not fit in with the district, but talk has calmed since she took over at the beginning of the school year.

Wolf Attacks Woman’s Dog in Lake Forest: Mary Kong was horrified in March when her dog Scottie was targeted by what she says was a wolf. Animal control workers later said the animal was most likely a coyote.

LFHS Hosts #TEDxLFHS: When you think of motivation in the 21st century, Ted talks often come to mind. But actually putting one on is a difficult endeavor. Everything has to be exactly as “Ted” likes it. Not easy, even for a professional organization. So it just speaks volumes about the skill of the students at Lake Forest High School, many of them freshmen, who helped organizers put together an April event at the school. Teachers, community leaders and even students gave talks and they were all good.

Whole Foods Picks Vernon Hills Over Lake Forest: Some were disappointed when the popular upscale grocer went with a nearby community over ours. But with recent controversy surrounding the chain, they can have it.

BMW Championship Returns to Lake Forest: One of the Western Golf Association’s four major tournaments made its way to Lake Forest for the second time in three years, hosting a successful tournament and a popular Pro-Am event highlighted by Bill Murray and his five brothers’ Hall-of-Fame induction.

We also saw a visit to Lake Forest by Edward Snowden’s attorney, a Lake Forest woman who got the call to decorate the White House for Christmas and a perfect rainbow appear over Halas Hall on a Monday following a Bears’ loss.

Also, as usual, plenty of mansions changed hands and new businesses moved in to Market Square.

Tim’s Pick: For the last two years of my life, I’ve come to be a big fan of Ted Talks. Covering the one live at LFHS this year was one of my favorite events. I’m going with that one.

The most read story on Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Patch this year didn’t have anything to do with either one of those towns, but rather Highwood - the small city just south of Lake Forest near Fort Sheridan. A preview of the “Festival of Redheads” held in June went viral, reaching readers in dozens of nations.