Emergency Notification System

Mayor’s Message October 10, 2025

  • Posted by Makayla Terfehn
  • On October 14, 2025

Dear Residents,

Feeling stressed? How about smashing some pumpkins and helping out the environment at the same time?

The Village of South Barrington’s inaugural Pumpkin Smash event will take place at the Conservancy on November 8th from 9:30am-12:00pm.

The Pumpkin Smash is a fun, eco-friendly way for residents to responsibly dispose of their pumpkins after Halloween. SCARCE an environmental education nonprofit whose mission is to help people discover how easy it can be to make a meaningful difference for our children, hosted the first pumpkin collections in 2014. The Pumpkin Smash is an annual initiative by communities to divert pumpkins from landfills by providing locations where residents can drop off jack-o-lanterns to be composted. The event is typically held on the Saturday after Halloween.

SCARCE has helped prevent 9.31 tons of pumpkins from landfills. If you are interested in participating, here what to do:

  • Please remove candles, lights, or decorations before bringing your pumpkins.
  • Bring your pumpkins — carved or uncarved — to the Conservancy.
  • Smash your pumpkins in the designated areas before they are collected for composting.
  • The event is free and open to the public, we just ask you register with Makayla at mterfehn@southbarrington.org

Goebberts will be onsite to sell tasty fall treats along with Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District with an in-service engine! Together, we can help reduce waste and turn our pumpkins into something useful again. Don’t Trash It — Smash It!

 

(Click HERE for more information on this event)

Appealing Your Property Tax Assessment Workshop

I recently had the opportunity to co-host another workshop with Barrington Township and the Cook County Board of Review on how residents can appeal their property tax assessments.

It was another great turnout — with thoughtful questions, valuable information shared, and a strong interest from residents eager to better understand the appeals process.

Also, please note the deadline to file an appeal is October 21st. You can submit your appeal online at www.cookcountyboardofreview.com.

Goebbert’s Fall Festival Fun Continues!

It’s official. Fall is here and now is the time to enjoy the best of the Season by visiting Goebbert’s Farm.

This Monday, October 13th, from 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM, the festival will be open and running like a weekend!

✨ Magician shows every half hour from 10:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Candy cannon launches at 1 PM and 4 PM
Food trucks and roasted corn available for purchase
* Please note, weekend rates apply for ticketing purposes

Don’t miss out on one of region’s great fall tradition, of fall’s favorite traditions Goebbert’s Farm!

Village Extends CodeRed Emergency Notification Service for Six Months

Last week, I included some information about the coming changes to our CodeRed Emergency Notification System. Since then, I have heard from several residents with their concerns about the discontinuation of the service.

After hearing these concerns, the Village took additional action and has successfully negotiated an extension with CodeRed for an additional six months. This means we will continue using CodeRed for emergency notifications while we are preparing to transition to the new 911 system, Everbridge.

Once enrollment information for Everbridge becomes available, we’ll be sure to share it to ensure a smooth and easy transition, but for now, CodeRed will remain active for another six months

Trick-or-Treating in South Barrington

It is hard to believe but Halloween is just around the corner — only 21 days away!

Please note the Trick-or-Treat hours in South Barrington will be Friday, October 31st from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM. Residents are kindly asked to turn on their front porch or door lights to indicate participation for trick-or-treaters. Thank you for your cooperation.

As always, I am here to listen to your thoughts and concerns. Feel free to email me at pmccombie@southbarrington.org, or use the anonymous comment boxes located in the lobbies of Village Hall and the Police Department. I review these messages privately and value your input.

Have an enjoyable weekend!


Paula McCombie
Mayor