Celebrating 21 Years as Barrington’s Signature Magazine
Celebrating 21 Years as Barrington’s Signature Magazine
Thursday, March 12, Cocktails 4:30 p.m.
Conversation 5:00 p.m. – $25 Per Person (Includes one complimentary drink)
Step into the golden age of rock ’n’ roll with filmmaker Pamela Enzweiler-Pulice, creator of The Voice That Rocked America – The Dick Biondi Film. Legendary Chicago DJ Dick Biondi, “the Wild I-Tralian,” was the first to play The Beatles on American radio. Enjoy cocktails and conversation as Pamela shares behind-the-scenes stories and screen clips from her documentary project.
Sunday, March 29, 3:00 p.m. – $30 Per Person
Enjoy powerhouse blues with the Bear Williams Trio, presented in partnership with the Old Town School of Folk Music. Chicago-born Bear Williams, Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award honoree, delivers a rich blend of soulful storytelling, masterful musicianship, and heartfelt blues that captivates audiences. Following the concert, meet the artists and hear the stories behind the music.
Sunday, April 12, 3:00 p.m. / $25 Per Person
Join New York Times bestselling author Scott Ellsworth for a discussion and signing of his acclaimed book, Midnight on the Potomac. Ellsworth explores the Civil War’s final year, uncovering new insights into the nation’s struggle to reunite after Lincoln’s assassination.
Thursday, April 16, Cocktails 4:30 p.m., Conversation 5:00 p.m.
$25 Per Person (Includes one complimentary drink)
Dan Rigali of Daprato Rigali Studios shares the story of five generations of artistry in restoring sacred icons and historic spaces. Learn about their legacy of craftsmanship and hear updates on Barrington’s own Catlow Theater. Stay for the third Thursday exhibit immediately following this event.
The 1986 Barrington High School baseball team seemingly had it all. But the team, and the school’s sports program, needed one final bit of validation—a state championship to be the first in Barrington High School’s long history. In “Forever Champions,” Scott Stahmer pays tribute to the Broncos and their 40th anniversary. Stahmer, a 1977 BHS alumnus who went on to an award-winning career as a journalist, utilized his knowledge of the community and the school’s athletic history. We spoke with the author to learn about his new book.
“Barrington was the youth baseball capital of Illinois through much of the 1980s,” Scott Stahmer said. “The community’s all-star team won a state championship and finished third in the Little League World Series in 1981. The high school team reached the state finals in 1980, and two other Barrington teams won state American Legion championships. The successes peaked in 1986 when Barrington High School’s team— composed largely of players from the Little League champions—won the first state team championship in school history.”
Stahmer, who moved to Barrington with his family as a youth in 1967, has chronicled the community’s baseball dominance in “Forever Champions” ($19.95, Middle River Press).
His father, Bruce, now 90, was a BHS teacher from 1966-92 and coached basketball during his son’s childhood years. It wasn’t long before Stahmer determined that his future as an athlete was limited, so he began his journalistic career when he landed a part-time position covering high school sports for the Barrington Courier-Review at age 14.
“As this year is the 40th anniversary of the Broncos’ state championship, I thought it was an appropriate time to retell [the 1986 team’s] story,” said Stahmer, who now lives in Central Florida and retired in 2023 after a long career as a newspaper reporter and editor. “Many former coaches and sportswriters still consider that team one of the best in Illinois high school baseball history.”
The book offers in-depth looks at Kirby Smith, the team’s brilliant, demanding coach, and Dan Wilson, a Little League and high school superstar who now manages Major League Baseball’s Seattle Mariners. Wilson played in MLB as a catcher from 1992 through 2005, playing for the Mariners for 12 of his 14 seasons.
“One of my favorite anecdotes is about David Nelson, the village president at the time and still very influential in the community,” Stahmer said. “He became a big fan of the team and even rode the team bus to the state finals in Springfield.”
Stahmer researched the subject for two years, traveling to Barrington twice to conduct interviews and collect background information.
“I enjoyed visiting, reconnecting with old friends and seeing familiar places,” he said.
Publication is scheduled for early to mid-April. The book will be available through Amazon.com, but Stahmer also plans to offer direct purchase through a website and at retailers in and around Barrington.
To reach Scott Stahmer, email scottstahmer@bellsouth.net
Since retiring as a general surgeon, South Barrington resident Allen Saxon has had time to pursue two of his passions, creative writing and medical education. A graduate of Tulane Medical School (the setting of his new story), Saxon has experienced the value of “safety net” public hospitals, such as Tulane’s Charity Hospital, to society firsthand, both to indigent populations and to those learning the art of medicine. Opened in 1736 and the oldest continually operating hospital in the United States, Charity was closed in September 2005 due to damage from Hurricane Katrina.
Saxon currently teaches at two medical schools and, as a writer, has the unusual distinction of having his work published in both Annals of Surgery and Modern Drummer magazine. His novella, “The Climber of Pointe du Hoc,” was published in 2024 and has received recognition by Illinois Chapters of the DAR.
Saxon recently welcomed guests, including fellow doctors who are also classmates and friends, at The Book Stall in Winnetka to discuss his new novel. He was introduced with the following.
“You’re in for a treat tonight. “Training in Charity” is not just a wonderful novel about the evolution of a would-be doctor. It’s also a wonderful example of the evolution of a writer. His protagonist, Adam Sinclair, possesses many of the traits of the author including a strong work ethic, focus, the ability to learn from criticism and praise, and creativity all while presented with unexpected obstacles. In addition to being a book that will move you, “Training in Charity” will make you think about the contrast between the practice of medicine in the 1970s as portrayed in the book, and the practice of medicine today.”
“Training in Charity” is about a third-year medical student’s intense clinical rotation at the infamous Charity Hospital in 1970s New Orleans, focusing on the raw, hands-on learning, high-pressure environment, and the human side of medicine, blending technical rigor with emotional and ethical challenges.
Drawing from the author’s own surgical experience, the book follows protagonist Adam Sinclair as he navigates the steep hierarchy, demanding residents, and the harsh realities of patient care, capturing a pre-technology era of medical training. Although the book highlights facets of that era’s approach to medical education, the story is told in a manner that will attract non-medical readers, as well.
The setting of the story in the gritty, unique atmosphere of Charity Hospital in New Orleans serves as a central character. Through the eyes of protagonist Adam Sinclair, the book explores the transition from textbook knowledge to real-world practice, the making of a doctor, compassion, and the human side of medicine. Told with humor and empathy, “Training in Charity” is as a well-paced story that can be both funny and emotional.
To learn more, visit allensaxon.com
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