Sunday, January 13, 2013
Several Chicago suburbs have grappled with requests from residents who want to have egg laying, backyard hens.
Palatine's Zoning Board of Appeals recently recommended allowing a couple to raise backyard egg laying hens. Palatine is only the latest Chicago suburb to grapple with such a request. In April, Northbrook's village board shot down a request citing aesthetics and safety concerns. Specifically, the idea that backyard hens might attract predators such as coyotes. Crystal Lake rejected such a proposal in 2011 and Arlington Heights voted no in 2012. Several suburbs do allow backyard chickens including Evanston, Oak Park, St. Charles and Naperville. Advocates say that backyard hens are a great way to produce fresh, healthy eggs and that there are many misconceptions about the practice. Such proposals also usually include specificiations for …
Thursday, March 8, 2012
A Palatine couple would like the village to allow them to have backyard hens so that they can enjoy fresh eggs.
Vanessa and Jason Barsanti hope Palatine won't be chicken about their proposal to allow backyard hen houses. "I've really learned to enjoy creating my own food," said Vanessa Barsanti who lives near the intersection of W. Daniels Road and S. Elm Street. "I didn't know what a real tomato tasted like until I started growing my own. I didn't even like them. It's so much better fresh." The Barsantis have 13 fruit trees on their half-acre property. They have a huge garden. They grow blackberries and rasberries. But what they don't have are fresh eggs. The Barsantis have written an amendment to Palatine's zoning code that would allow people to "harbor, keep or raise" female chickens. And the couple has started a Facebook page: "Bring Backyard …
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Chicagoland news to talk about: Underemployment is untracked, yet common in highly educated communities.
Gov. Pat Quinn signed, on Monday, the DREAM Act that expands educational opportunities for undocumented immigrant students. The Dream Act stands for Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors and aims to use private funds in Illinois to help children of undocumented immigrants continue on to college. Opponents contend that the law will take away taxpayers' money intended for children of documented immigrants. Communities across the nation are planning National Night Out events. Since first established by the National Association of Town Watch (NATW) in 1981, National Night Out (NNO) has been linking communities across the United States in crime and drug prevention partnership with local law enforcement. Woodridge Patch offers some …
KBarber
6:19 pm on Sunday, May 19, 2013
I would LOVE to own a sheep! I could get rid of the noise polluting lawn mower and have all the wool I would ever need. I had often fantasized about just getting one and calling it a sheep "dog" that just didn't bark at 6am. Toying with the idea of chickens for the fresh eggs and steady supply of fertilizer for the garden. I say, as with anything I or my neighbors do, if it doesn't bother anyone … more ›