Something has gone wrong in Barrington

Yes, something has gone terribly wrong in Barrington. If you are from Barrington, you know where the Prairie Middle School and the Early Learning Center are on Dundee Road. In between the two schools is an old house on a one-acre lot. The school board has long had desires to purchase that property to tie the schools together, improve parking and bus turnarounds, etc.

Right now, getting in and out of the Early Learning Center is a major hassle, so the purchase of that land between the schools would be a major asset and improvement.

Here comes the Countryside Fire Protection District, and despite objections from the school board, they buy the land to build a fire station. They literally buy the land out from under the school board. You have got to be kidding.

The Countryside Fire Protection District should immediately cancel their plans and offer the property to the school board. Come on, be decent neighbors. Any fire trustee who won't vote for this should be fired and replaced. There are plenty of other places in that neighborhood that could be used for a fire station. Fill in a little of that swamp land a little further east on Dundee Road and you won't bother anybody.

Bill Hartman

Barrington