It is Flu shot time....... 

The Lake County Health Department is encouraging people to get their flu shots

now  since the peak of the flu season in the region is typically in January and February.  Since it takes about two weeks to build immunity after receiving the vaccine, the earlier that you get vaccinated, the sooner you can you protect yourself from the illness.

Flu shots are still available through the Lake County Health Department. For clinic hours, locations, or to make an appointment, please call: (847) 377-8470. Additionally, flu shots are available through healthcare providers and pharmacies throughout the county. For more information, visit: Lake County Health Department.

 Do you feel stuck in your winter commute?

Try Transit for a better way to work!

Is your winter commuting as slow as molasses? Do slick roads make for white knuckle driving? Does the weather forecast make you feel like saying bah humbug! Rather than Ho! Ho! Ho!

Wintertime commuting presents special driving challenges. In winter, the roads are slicker, traffic slower and our patience wears thin as the snow and ice accumulation fills the roadways. For some commuters, taking transit is an option for a better commute to work. Pace, Metra and the CTA provide safe convenient transit connections in the city and suburbs. Check out their websites below.

www.rtachicago.com

The Regional Transportation Agency (RTA) provides a commuter trip planner to provide commuters with information on which buses or trains to take.

www.pacebus.com & www.pacerideshare.com

Pace Suburban Bus provides route, schedule and fare information on suburban bus service. Information is also available for all of the Shuttle Bug routes that provide connecting service between Metra stations and area employers. Web Watch can provide commuters real time travel information on buses. Finally, if taking a bus or shuttle is not an option perhaps ridesharing is for you! Pace has a variety of options at pacerideshare.com to choose including vanpooling and carpooling, and a computer matching program to connect passengers and drivers.

www.metrarail.com

Metra is one of the nation's premier commuter rail systems. Their web site provides information on fares, schedules, stations, connecting services and tickets. Take Metra commuter trains to access Shuttle Bug service and avoid winter driving hassles. With about a 98% on-time performance rating, Metra provides a reliable, safe and economical alternative to driving. Get service updates via email and buy your ticket online with a credit card.

www.transitchicago.com

The Chicago Transit Authority provides bus and El service in Chicago and nearby suburbs. Their web site provides routes, schedules, fares and connections as well as information on Chicago Card/Plus.

Exhibits at the Discovery Museum

Paleoart:

Art and science bring prehistoric creatures to life. Now through June 26.

See work by nationally renowned paleoartist Tyler Keillor, and learn how he blends art and science to bring prehistoric creatures to life.

The exhibition features Keillor's reconstructions of various dinosaurs and prehistoric beasts, including predatory dinosaurs Rugops and Herrerasaurus, ancient fish Tiktaalik, giant prehistoric snake Sanajeh, and winged reptile Rhamphorhynchus. Text panels and captions written by Keillor shed light on his inspiration and process.

The exhibit also includes a state-of-the-art hologram of Herrerasaurus, created by Zebra Imaging. The hologram is based on a 3-D laser scan of a model made by Keillor, and features the dinosaur's skull in skeletal form, as well as fleshed out.

Civil War High Tech:

How technology helped win the war. Opening February 5.

Learn about Civil War submarines, reconnaissance balloons, ironclad ships, and railroads in this interactive exhibition that explores how technology helped win the American Civil War.

A CIVIL WAR SESQUICENTENNIAL EVENT
The Lake County Discovery Museum is commemorating the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War in 2011 with a variety of programs and events. Learn more at www.LCFPD.org/150.

Forest Preserve Summer Camp

Register now for Summer Camps and Day Programs offered by the Lake County Forest Preserves. Camps are offered for ages four through 17 and include activities ranging from nature exploration, fun on the farm, fishing, canoeing and kayaking, history, theatre, or arts and crafts. Financial assistance is available.

Early bird sign-up discounts through February 15. Visit www.LCFPD.org/summercamps for program listing and details.

Beware 809 Area Code Scam

• This long distance phone scam causes consumers to inadvertently incur high charges on their phone bills. Consumers usually receive a message telling them to call a phone number with an 809, 284, 649, or 876 area code in order to collect a prize, find out information about a sick relative, etc. The caller assumes the number is a typical three-digit U.S. area code; however, the caller is actually connected to a phone number outside the United States, often in Canada or the Caribbean, and charged international call rates. Unfortunately, consumers don't find out that they have been charged higher international call rates until they receive their bill.

   

  AT&T recommends the following tips to help avoid the 809 area code scam:

  • Return calls to familiar numbers only. As a general rule, return calls from numbers that contain familiar or recognizable area codes. You may call your directory assistance or long distance operator to check the area code location.
  • Carefully read your telephone bill. Make sure that you only receive charges from your provider of choice. Ensure you thoroughly understand charges listed on your phone bill, have chosen to do business with all of the listed providers billing for those charges and have authorized additional fees invoiced. If your local service provider has changed, you will receive a final bill from the former provider and a notice of service disconnection.

  If you believe that you have been scammed:

  • Contact the carrier with whom the charge originated, whose name and toll-free telephone number should be printed on the same bill page as the charge in question. Often, the problem can be resolved with a single phone call.
  • If the carrier with whom the charge originated does not agree to resolve the problem, contact AT&T. AT&T will work with you and the carrier to help remove fraudulent charges from the phone bill.
  
   

ReStore Habitat for Humanity of Lake County

You already know that shopping at the ReStore is a rewarding experience all year long, but donating to the ReStore can be even more rewarding!

Are you in need for new appliances? Maybe replacing your kitchen cabinets? Or maybe you aren't using that really nice furniture in the basement now that the kids have gone off to school? The ReStore accepts donations of more than just building materials, and if you live in our service area, we may even be able to pick up your donation.

Of course your donation to the ReStore helps Habitat for Humanity Lake County build more homes.

Even if you aren't remodeling your kitchen, and you can't afford to write us a check this year, the greatest gift you can give us is to keep the ReStore in your mind. The way most people will find out about the ReStore is by word-of-mouth. Whether it's encouraging someone to donate, to shop or to volunteer with us, simply spreading the word about the ReStore will help us serve more hard-working families in need right here in Lake County.

3545 Grand Avenue

Gurnee, Illinois 60031

847-249-3160

restore@habitatlc.org

www.habitatlc.org/restore

Lake County Discovery Museum: Civil War High Tech

Exhibit exploring the role of technology in the American Civil War opens February 5.

Discover how technological advances influenced the American Civil War in Civil War High Tech, the Lake County Discovery Museum's newest original exhibition. Learn about submarines, reconnaissance balloons, ironclad ships, railroads and other technology in this interactive exhibit, on display in Wauconda, Illinois from February 5 to August 21, 2011.

Civil War High Tech explores how the American Civil War influenced technology at the time, and how technology helped the Union win the war. The exhibit focuses on a variety of technologies, including repeating firearms, ironclad ships, reconnaissance balloons, telegraphs, submarines and railroads. Hands-on activities throughout the exhibition help illustrate the mechanics and advantages of these technologies.

Climb inside a re-creation of the Confederate submarine, H.L. Hunley, to learn about the first successful submarine attack. Peer out the turret of the USS Monitor, the first ironclad, and learn how new ship designs revolutionized the navy. Step into the basket of a reconnaissance balloon and see how this new vantage point changed tactics for Civil War commanders. Move supplies and troops on our interactive railroad table to see firsthand how railroads changed the pace and strategies of war. Build a circuit to learn how telegraphs work, and discover how they greatly increased the speed at which information was transmitted during the war.

A variety of period items from the museum's collection are featured throughout the exhibit, including a Gatling gun, Civil War binoculars, an 1861 Lake County map, a Navy uniform, railroad related items, a fragment of a cannon ball from the Battle of Bull Run, assorted rifles and a cannon.

Visit for a special opening celebration February 5, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The celebration will feature refreshments, period music by the Battlefield Balladeers and an appearance by President and Mrs. Lincoln. The event is free with museum admission.

The Lake County Discovery Museum is located on Route 176, just west of Fairfield Road and east of Wauconda in Lakewood Forest Preserve. Gallery hours are Monday - Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is $6 for adults, $3 for seniors ages 55 and older and students ages 18 to 25, and $2.50 for youth ages four to 17. Children three years and under are free. On Discount Tuesdays, admission is $3 for adults, and youth 17 years and under are free. Admission is always free for museum members. Civil War High Tech is sponsored by the Daily Herald and the Lake County Regional Office of Education.

For more information about the exhibit or to download discount admission coupons, call 847-968-3400 or visit online at www.LCFPD.org/Tech.

Civil War High Tech is part of the Lake County Discovery Museum's Civil War Sesquicentennial event series. Find out more about Sesquicentennial events at www.LCFPD.org/150.

About the Lake County Discovery Museum

The Lake County Discovery Museum in Wauconda provides visitors with hands-on exhibits and educational programs. The nationally accredited museum also is home to the nation's largest collection of picture postcards. The museum is part of the Lake County Forest Preserve District, which manages more than 29,200 acres of land and offers innovative educational, recreational and cultural opportunities for all ages.