TAX EXEMPTIONS NEWS
Homeowners may be eligible for property tax savings on their Cook County property tax bill. Property tax exemptions can lower a homeowner's Second Installment Property Tax Bill. Homeowners in Cook County are encouraged to review the bottom left corner of the tax bill to review exemption deductions. Most homeowners are eligible for the Homeowner Exemption, which saves an average of approximately $950. Senior homeowners older than 65 are likely eligible for additional property tax savings with the Senior Exemption. The automatic renewals related to
COVID-19 ended this year and many homeowners needed to resume annual filings for the Low-Income Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze “Senior Freeze” and Veterans with Disabilities Exemptions. Seniors and Veterans are encouraged to carefully review their tax bills to ensure they have the correct exemption deductions applied. If a homeowner believes they are eligible for an exemption, they can apply for their missing property tax savings by completing a Certificate of Error application. The Cer-
tificate of Error process provides homeowners with an opportunity to redeem missing exemptions for the 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, and 2018 tax years Homeowners are encouraged to submit an online application immediately at cookcountyassessor.com/certificates-error or make an appointment to apply for missing exemptions. Accepted photo IDs and documents required to apply are listed on the Assessor’s website. As a reminder, homeowners are responsible for paying the entire tax bill to
the Cook County Treasurer’s Office by Friday, December 1, 2023. If a homeowner paid the original amount due, they would receive a refund check from the Cook County Treasurer’s Office in the mail once the application is processed by the Assessor’s Office. To learn more about missing exemptions, join a virtual workshop on Facebook or YouTube at 6 p.m. Monday, November 6, or 6 p.m. Tuesday, November 7. For more information, call 312-443-7550.
CLIMBING HIGH
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the invention of the jungle gym. And it all started at a dinner party in Winnetka. BY MITCH HURST THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND
Historic houses. Palatial estates. Breezy beaches. Quaint downtowns. Fabulous restaurants. The North Shore is known for many things. But did you know it’s also the birthplace of the jungle gym? Drive through any community and you will see a jungle gym at a park or a school or a church playground. You’re also likely to see children, smiles on their faces, climbing up or down. It’s a staple of childhood. It all started 100 years ago in Winnetka, where the jungle gym was invented and the first one built and installed. The idea emerged from a dinner party in 1920 hosted by Winnetka School Board member Edward Yeomans at his home on Tower Road. In addition to Yeomans, Carleton Washburne, Winnetka school superintendent; Perry Dunlap Smith, headmaster of North Shore Country Day School; and local resident Sebastian Hinton were in attendance. While dining on what was no doubt a sumptuous meal, Hinton and Washburn found themselves chatting, and Hinton slipped the fact that he was working on a “climbing frame” for his kids into the conversation. Hinton had grown up in Japan, and his father had built a three-dimensional bamboo cube framework in their backyard because he believed it would help the kids better comprehend geometry. Mostly, though, the kids used it purely for fun. As forward-thinking educator, Washburne was intrigued. He saw the jungle gym as a
The original jungle gym was installed at Horace Mann School in Winnetka.
tool to improve students’ mental and physical health. After dinner, Washburne, Hinton, and fellow educator Smith moved their discussion to Hinton’s home, where they worked into the evening on a prototype for a jungle gym. When the design was finished, a prototype was built and installed at North Shore Country Day School. It was a huge hit with the kids, but there were a few flaws that needed fixing. After some tweaks, the first permanent jungle gym was installed at Horace Mann School. That year Hinton filed a patent for the jungle gym, but he lost a hard-fought battle
with mental illness in April 1923. His patent would be approved just five months later. While his life ended tragically, his legacy is momentous. Today jungle gyms provide fun and exercise to millions of kids (adults, too) across the globe. The original jungle gym also has its own story. It was preserved when Horace Mann School was torn down and moved to Crow Island School, where it remained until it was donated to the Winnetka Historical Society (WHS) in 2010.
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But a footnote is required. According to Mary Trieschmann, Executive Director of WHS, the structure that was donated to WHS is likely to be a second, smaller “kindergarten jungle gym” Crow Island ordered in 1941. Regardless, WHS is doing its best to preserve Hinton’s legacy by marking the 100th anniversary of his accomplishment. The donated gym from Crow Island remains part of WHS’s collection in its backyard at 411 Linden Street. Given the impact the jungle gym has had on children everywhere, he’s definitely a man worth celebrating. “Almost every child has climbed on, crawled under, or fell off a jungle gym,” Trieschmann says. “Since we've shared the story of the 100-year anniversary of the jungle gym, hundreds of people have shared their visceral memories with us of this simple, sturdy play structure that lived on almost every school playground and/or public park across the country. “The jungle gym’s journey started in Winnetka, and we want to celebrate the creativity of the inventor and the progressive education movement that he believed in providing children with opportunities to push themselves physically and mentally, specifically, at their own pace.” THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND
