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Thanks to the people behind Help Them To Hope, Inc.
This being our last letter to the editor, I feel compelled and honored to let Lake County donors to the Hope Fund campaign know the dedicated people who have made up the board of directors the last 24 years.
First, there is Robert Haymaker, the last-known surviving member of that pressroom crew that started HTTH in 1958. Bob, fresh out of high school, started his apprenticeship at the paper and was employed for 33 years,
Then, we have Chris Brenner from the editorial department with 26 years at the paper; Warren Schaefer, composing room and internal data department, 34 years; Rosemary Alfredson, HTTH secretary, who worked 43 years at WKRS Radio and The News-Sun.
Barbara Swanson, an attorney in Gurnee, joined the board in 2010. I was employed with the paper as a news boy, apprentice printer and ended as publisher with 38 years of full-time service to the paper.
As you can see, these folks have been the backbone of this organization for quite some time. Their loyalty to continuing the Help Them To Hope campaigns has been as strong as their years of work history with the paper.
There have been others over the years when the paper was locally housed that contributed time and energy to the success of the Hope Fund as well. It isn’t often that we hear about a nonprofit with the number of years that HTTH has under its belt.
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The board can say to the public that every single dime that has ever been donated during the annual Hope campaigns has gone right back into the well-being of our Lake County neighbors. We are extremely proud to be able to make this statement, and close Help Them To Hope in this manner.
The Lake County people living here, and those that have left over the years, have been most loyal and generous in the annual campaigns. It is our hope that everyone involved — givers and receivers of the Hope fund — have been blessed in some way. You all deserve it.
Richard A. Ribando, retired publisher
Libertyville residents yearn for affordable housing
The tight-knit atmosphere of Libertyville, cherished by its residents, fosters a strong sense of community. Whether strolling through Main Street, picking up groceries or dining at local eateries, encounters with familiar faces are a happy occurrence.
However, this cherished unity has gradually eroded due to the soaring cost of housing, creating barriers for essential members of our community. Seniors, empty nesters, health care workers, retail staff and young families, pivotal in bringing diversity and vitality, find themselves priced out of residing in Libertyville.
Despite the community’s impassioned plea for more inclusive housing solutions, the village trustees’ dismissal of an ordinance addressing these challenges is disheartening. Our collective desires are reflected in the laws that govern us — we yearn for affordable housing, a basic necessity.
If our current leadership fails to take bold actions toward this end, it might be time to seek new representatives who align with our community’s values and aspirations.
Kristin Marsden, Libertyville
Libertyville headed for a crisis
How ironic that some of the trustees in Libertyville hid behind our five-year-old state affordability ranking when explaining why they shouldn’t take action to help residents with mounting housing challenges.
In 2018, 15.4% of our housing was affordable. Today, the new Illinois Department of Housing report was published showing that only 9.3% of Libertyville housing is now considered affordable.
Residents didn’t need this new statistic to know that we are heading toward a crisis, and something has to be done. They showed up repeatedly to public meetings to say that. Maybe now our trustees will listen to us.
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Jennifer Rich, Libertyville