In 2024, Glencoe voted for a change in terms of internal governance, supported a bond sale referendum backed by the Park District and saw construction start on a long-awaited subdivision. There were arrivals and departures in Northfield and Kenilworth, and voters said no to two separate proposals. Finally, New Trier High School stayed close to home with the hiring of its new superintendent. Glencoe Home Rule Passage Glencoe now has a new way of governing itself as residents approved a switch to home rule government in November. In Illinois, home rule allows communities greater latitude in making laws in their own community, including financial decisions. Municipalities with a population of greater than 25,000 automatically receive home rule, but smaller ones like Glencoe require resident authorization at the ballot box. In 1988, Glencoe voters rejected the proposal to switch keeping the village as one of two North Shore municipalities without home rule authority, with Kenilworth being the other. While the topic surfaced occasionally at the village board level over the years, in 2024 trustees approved placing the referendum on the November ballot and held a series of meetings on the subject ahead of Election Day.  Glencoe residents approved the switch to home rule with just over 63%  of the vote, according to the Cook County Clerk’s office. Glencoe Park District Referendum Passes While Glencoe voters supported the change to home rule, they also passed a $14.7 million bond sale allowing construction of a new greenhouse, parks maintenance facility, enhancements at the Takiff Center Athletic Field and many improvements at the Glencoe Beach. Park District officials said residents would not see an impact on property tax as previous debt was coming off the tax rolls. With the voter approval, the Park District is expected to plan for the projects in 2025 and then start construction on most of the work in 2026 and 2027, according to a Park District spokeswoman. Forest Edge Subdivision Construction Begins Following a series of lengthy meetings with neighbors expressing stormwater management concerns, in August 2020, the village board unanimously approved a subdivision application on the site of what was known as the Hoover Estate on the 1800 block of Green Bay Road. While re-branded as the Forest Edge Subdivision, the 14-acre property sat dormant for years as building never started due to a combination of factors including the coronavirus pandemic and inflation. In May, the village board approved a change to the agreement and in July the property was sold to another developer. Afterward, construction of the necessary infrastructure began to prepare the envisioned 29 lots set to be developed with houses. Occupancy of the homes could start as early as late 2025 or early 2026, according to the developers. Goats in Glencoe Both in May and September, the Glencoe Park District arranged for a herd of goats to come to Milton Park, tasked with removing buckthorn and invasive species by eating the grass at the park, near Dundee Road. Scores of adults and children gawked at the goats from behind chain link fences during their visit. Given the popularity of the program, the Park District anticipated a return of the goats in 2025. The Glencoe Park District brought back goats to eat invasive plant species in Milton Park in September, after they had originally munched down the undesirable plants in May. The goats’ voracious appetites mean the park district doesn’t need to use chemical herbicides or human sweat equity to root out the invasives. (Erin Classen, Glencoe Park District) Local Referendums Have Different Fates In March, Kenilworth residents approved a $2.5 million bond sale referendum proposed by the village where the proceeds were set to be used for an improvement of the village’s beach. However, the Kenilworth Park District was not as successful in November when it proposed a bond sale to fund a series of changes, including a relocation of the Green Bay Trail and constructing a new recreation center. Residents voted it down on a 62% margin, according to results on the Cook County Clerk’s web site. Over in Northfield,  a non-binding referendum to create a roundabout on Happ Road as a traffic calming device did not get voter approval. Glencoe Golf Club Dispute In 2023, Glencoe voters approved a $15 million bond sale referendum for construction of a new clubhouse/pro shop at the Glencoe Golf Club. However, with some of the land owned by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County and the rest the village, a dispute erupted between the two governmental units on several issues. However, the two sides later came to terms and the village board approved an amended land use agreement at their Dec. 19 meeting. Renaming of former Booth Cottage In September, the Glencoe Historical Society removed the name of Sherman Booth from a cottage in the Ravine Bluffs subdivision upon discovering a racist scheme Booth oversaw about 100 years ago. In July 2020, the Historical Society moved the cottage, which was a gift from acclaimed architect Frank Lloyd Wright to his friend and attorney Booth, about a quarter mile away onto Park District land to prevent its demolition. Upon doing research for its Blacks in Glencoe exhibit, Historical Society officials discovered Booth engaged in discriminatory practices and covenants with the intention of keeping Blacks as well as Greeks and Italians out of the village. With the information, the Historical Society pulled Booth’s name off the cottage and it is now known as the Ravine Bluffs Cottage. New Village Managers After a tumultuous period with its previous permanent village manager, Northfield trustees hired Patrick Brennan as the new village manager in March. Brennan moved a short distance over from Kenilworth, where he had been the village manager. To replace Brennan, Kenilworth hired Katarzyna “Kathy” Thake in July. She previously served as the Deputy Village Manager in Niles. New Superintendent at New Trier In May, New Trier High School Superintendent Paul Sally announced he would be retiring at the end of the 2024-25 school year. Sally, who has worked at New Trier for more than 30 years in several capacities, was named superintendent in 2017. In November, the school board unanimously selected Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Peter Tragos as Sally’s successor. Tragos started teaching at New Trier in 1998. His promotion will become effective July 1.