So, That's Utopia

Driving to work at Round Lake Middle School in Round Lake Heights, Illinois, the last two years I worked before retirement, I often wondered about a sign that said "Utopia" over a driveway along Rollins Road west of Fairfield.

I now found out what it is all about. The December 9th Chicago Tribune had an article titled "Lake County takes out its shopping list" by Krystyna Slivinski abut the Lake County Forest Preserve District going on a buying spree thanks to a $185 million referendum passed by tax payers last year.

The bad economy has caused many developers and other landowners to look to get rid of their property. Lake County, part of the Chicagoland Metropolitan Area, is one of the fastest growing areas in the US as the city sprawls outward. It has become very important to preserve as much open land as possible and as soon as possible.


UTOPIA

One of those sites was owned by Becky Worozaken of Arlington Heights, whose grandparents purchased a few parcels of land west of Fairfield Road along what today is Rollins Road. Over the years, they slowly added to it until it today has ten acres.

Her father Alfred Hanson spent all his spare time planting trees, building bridges and ponds, landscaping and mowing. Evidently, he turned this into a place that could truly be called "Utopia." However, her father died five years ago and the family doesn't want to do the upkeep.

The land is located next to the district's Grant Woods Forest Preserve which makes it even better.

The Forest Preserve District bought the land for $535,000, about $200,000 less than it was worth during the recent boom times.

I am looking forward to when this new site is opened.

The drive along Rollins Road from Fairfield to Wilson roads is one of the prettiest in the state.

Must Be Utopia. --RoadDog