Nestled among stacks of landscaping supplies, just past the busy loading dock of Do it Best Hardware, is the place one mother duck chose to make a home for her ducklings. In the busy stretch of concrete between the downtown business and the Chicago River, the mother duck made a nest atop a pile of bags filled with marble landscaping supplies. She laid seven eggs, and at least three of them hatched, employees say. It's not the first time a duck has chosen to lay her eggs behind the store, according to manager Andy Stockinger. He said the store's employees have seen babies grow up by the …

West Park was taken over by racing kids with baskets on Saturday, when the Northbrook Park District placed 1,000 Easter eggs on the tennis courts.  Three kids found golden eggs and won prize baskets, while several other visitors took home free tickets to see "No Dogs Allowed" at the Northbrook Theatre. The egg hunt was part of the park district's "Spring Bunny Trail" event, which also offered carnival games, live music, face painting, balloon animals, a magic show and a giant "Spring Bunny."

Construction work began this week on a $3.5 million expansion and renovation to the North Suburban YMCA.  Architect Healy Bender and Associates of Naperville is leading the project to upgrade and modernize the building and add 10,000 square feet of space so the Y can expand its after-school childcare programs and create more activity space for youth programs.  “It’s exciting to see visible changes underway,” Y Executive Director and CEO Howard Schultz said in a press release. “We’ve been planning for these improvements for years, and now we’re ready to deliver the fresh, welcoming environment…

The downside of winter is, well, the bitter cold. But the upside is snow--and the opportunity to make something like a snowman, a snow fort or a snow angel. What have you (or your kids) been up to? Share your photos with Patch. Let's see how creative you can get!

The Chicago Bulls held their annual "Paint the Town" event at Northbrook Court Wednesday afternoon. Thousands of fans clogged the aisles of the mall waiting in line for autographs and trying to catch glimpses of the players from afar. Carlos Boozer, C.J. Watson, Joakim Noah, Richard Hamilton, Brian Scalabrine were all on hand to sign autographs. But the highlight of the day for many of the fans was the chance to see Derek Rose, who had just announced his signing of a 5-year, $94 million contract. Fans erupted in a roar as he appeared in the mall and sporadic chants of "MVP, MVP" were heard at…

Veterans, local officials, and residents gathered at Northbrook Junior High School Friday morning for a commemoration of Veterans Day. A good sized crowd sat solemnly in the school's gymnasium listening to several veterans recount their experiences in the armed forces, and Village President Sandy Frum spoke about her experience as the mother of a veteran. At several points during the ceremony current and former service members were asked to stand and be recognized for their service to the country. Northbrook's Fire and Police Departments were also honored for their service protecting the …

A sunny Saturday brought more than 300 people to Northbrook Junior High to run or walk 5 kilometers in the Homer O. Harvey Run/Walk. Hosted by District 28's PTO Council, the sixth annual event raises funds for the Homer O. Harvey Foundation, which provides college scholarships to district alumni who are graduating from Glenbrook North. "The 2011 HOH race was such a fun, family event," race director Mara Lappin said in a press release. "We were thrilled with the amazing turnout from our community." All told, this year's event raised $5,000 for the foundation, which was founded in 1989 and is …

Wearing white and green, members of the Glenbrook North band stepped out onto the grass at Wrigley Field Saturday, where they played before a special screening of the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off.  The band was invited to play at Wrigley because some of the scenes in the famous movie were filmed at Glenbrook North, and Ferris director John Hughes is a GBN alum.

A cast of costume kids came dressed as a police officer, Scooby Doo, a baby cow, a kitten and Michael Jackson, among other characters, for the Northbrook Park District's Autumnfest celebration. The seasonal event, held in Meadowhill Park, is a free community festival now in its third year. Guests enjoyed live music provided by local band Out of Control, the Park Larks senior choir and the Axidents, who won this year's Rock the Green battle of the bands. Other offerings included a pie contest, all-ages costume contest, games, inflatables, free hot cider provided by Sunset Foods, and an arts …

Children with special needs, their families and supporters braved a stormy Sunday to walk in Wood Oaks Green to raise funds for the Friendship Circle of Illinois. The Northbrook-based nonprofit pairs teen volunteers with children who have special needs in order to promote inclusion and awareness. This is the nonprofit's third annual fundraising walk.   Special to this year's event was a drum circle and the sounds of a shofar blown by Friendship Circle Director Rabbi Zelik Moscowitz in anticipation of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.  All told, the walk raised $25,000 for the nonprofit, …

Just months after Borders Books on Waukegan Road shut its doors, Northbrook's independent Book Bin celebretes four decades of success. Read about the bookstore's 40th anniversary celebration in our story, "Bibliophiles Celebrate 40 Years Of Paper Editions At The Book Bin."

Despite the ugly weather, numerous residents joined the Historical Society on the Village Green Sunday for the annual Shermerfest. Now in its 33rd year, the festival celebrates the history of Northbrook, which was originally known as Shermerville. Guests enjoyed a classic car show, hot dogs provided by Sunset Foods, a bake sale, a silent auction, balloon animals, a train ride, a magic show and entertainment provided by Ronald McDonald. "Shermerfest provides the community with a celebration of our past, lets us introduce them to who we are, and at the same time allows us to raise some money," …

Ted Garrison, a resident of Covenant Village of Northbrook and coordinator of the residential gardens, is proud to offer a tour of a little bit of heaven on Earth—a flower, herb and vegetable garden packed with plants and dozens of senior citizens enjoying the work and conversation on a beautiful summer day. Of the retirement community’s roughly 500 residents, about 32 people participate in the gardening on 27 raised-bed lots, Garrison said. They grow about 60 or so flower varieties, 25 different vegetables and 10 distinct herbs. Residents take their crop home, sharing it with friends, family…

On Sunday, September 11, 2011, a new tradition was born in the northern suburbs. Racers from around the area took off early for the first annual Fort2Base run, a 10 nautical mile (11.5 miles) race starting at Fort Sheridan and ending at the Great Lakes Naval Station via the Green Bay Trail. Most race participants hailed from Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana, although some came from as far away as Virginia and California. Among the 784 runners, six were from Northbrook. Their names and race finish times are as follows: Katie Beach, 1:38:44. Mark Gensdorf, 1:53:08. Vince Gutekanst, 1:51:20. …

Wearing red, white and blue, elementary school students at Westmoor School filed into the school's gymnasium Friday morning and, with the help of teachers, gradually formed themselves into the shape of the American flag. The demonstration was part of the school's commemoration of the 10th anniversary of 9/11. After holding formation for sevearl photos, the students recited the Pledge of Allegiance and sang the National Anthem, led by Principal Christopher Finch. Westmoor School students, who range in age from kindergarten to fifth grade, may be too young to have memories of the actual events…

The Northbrook Days Festival, Northbrook's largest annual celebration, ended a five day run on the Village Green Sunday night. Guests to the event enjoyed carnival rides and games, food from a number of area vendors, and live music. The event is put on every year by the all-volunteer Northbrook Civic Foundation, which donate proceeds from ticket sales to local community organizations. More: Photos from Wednesday, the first night of Northbrook Days.

When you see an "lolcat" in Northbrook, obviously, you snap a photo. Even if that lolcat is on a license plate. What is an "lolcat?" If you don't know, waste a half hour or so on I Can Has Cheezburger, the humorous website devoted to lots and lots of photos of cats with captions like "mai revenge...i plots it" or "I'm going to sleep...directly on your face tonight." Maybe you have your own lolcat at home?  Northbrook Patch first saw this photo on the Flickr stream Photo Du.de, maintained by photographer Tom Anderson, who generously shared it with us. 

More than 800 campers celebrated the end of the Northbrook Park District's first summer camp session with a carnival last week. The festivities at Wood Oaks Green included a DJ, dunk tank, misting tent, inflatables, ice cream, games and prizes. Some campers call it "their favorite day of summer," according to Gail Baritz, Park District communication specialist. A second four-week session of Park District camps kicked off Monday.

A Northbrook tradition since 1968, this year's Fourth of July celebration included a pancake breakfast, live music and a mile-long parade. The festivities culminated with a short fireworks display at the Velodrome at Maple Avenue and Waukegan Road.

Northbrook's main streets were overrun with marching bands, drill teams, creative floats, politicians, Shriners and other local groups on Monday afternoon. The annual Fourth of July parade strolled down Cherry Lane from Western Avenue before turning onto Shermer Road and ending at the Village Green. The parade is put on by the Northbrook 4th of July Association, an all volunteer organization that has managed the event since the late '60s. The parade does not receive funds from the Village or the Park District, although both entities help out. "It's always a nice time," said Robert A. Brown, …