News Briefs: Glencoe’s new shop opens; win a World Cup ball; New Trier candidates sought; SPACE 519 celebrated

Chicago menswear shop Ford General has chosen Glencoe for its second location and celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Aug. 13 at that location, 342 Tudor Court.

According to its website, Ford General debuted in 2021 as a “high-quality menswear shop curating European, American, and Japanese made clothing.”

Patrick Ford founded the business and says on the website, “Having traveled to Italy and being engulfed in the traditional menswear stores there, I wanted to bring the same concept to Chicago. All of the brands we carry have an emphasis on quality textiles/fabrics, sustainability, and durability.” 

Win a World Cup ball

The City of Highland Park received a shipment of commemorative FIFA World Cup soccer balls and wants you to have them.

The city is asking anyone interested to write in for one of two contests:

• Golden Ball Award: Share a letter about why you love Highland Park
• Poem with Purpose, Score with Kindness: Write a poem that illustrates kindness and helping others

The contests are open to writers of all ages who live or work in Highland Park. Entries, which must be original and previously unpublished, are due Sept. 15 and can be submitted online.

Caucus looking for New Trier School Board candidates

In a press release, the New Trier School Board Caucus announced that it is seeking community members interested in running for four seats on the New Trier Township High School District 203 Board of Education.

The election is scheduled for April 2027, and

Interested individuals are invited to complete an online application by Sept. 24.

The caucus will then interview prospective candidates for the four seats currently held by Board President Jean Hahn, Courtney McDonough, Sally Pofcher and Brad McLane. McLane was appointed following Kimberly Alcantara’s resignation.

McDonough and Pofcher reportedly plan to seek reelection, while Hahn and McLane will not, according to the caucus.

As part of this election cycle, the caucus will slate a candidate to serve the remaining two years of Alcantara’s term, from 2027 to 2029.

SPACE 519 among New York Times’ top clothing stores

SPACE 519, a boutique department store that opened in Wilmette’s Plaza del Lago in 2025, recently was recognized in a New York Times readers-choice list of 25 clothing stores across the country.

The newspaper reportedly received more than 500 submissions that a reporting team reviewed before selecting 25.

SPACE 519 is the only business from Illinois to make the list.

Of SPACE 519, Times reporter Kellina Moore wrote, “With clothing, accessories, apothecary goods, home goods and even high-end groceries — and a second location on the city’s North Shore — SPACE 519 has everything you need to curate a chic lifestyle.”

Jim Wetzel and Lance Lawson founded SPACE 519, and its popular dine-in restaurant The Lunchroom, in 2010 in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood. They opened a second location in Wilmette’s revived shopping center in late 2025.

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