Craig Taylor, Lake County News
May 11, 2012 
Lake County News -- Craig Taylor, District 19 Representative
In This Issue
Who's Hiring?
Local Railroad Crossing Closures This Month
Is Your Lawn a Water Guzzler?
State Employment Security Services
Text Power Outage Reports to ComEd
United Way Community Survey
Forest Preserve News
JobMarketplace Job Fair, May 17
Lion's Club Yard Sale June 2-3
Lake Zurich Area Chamber Events
CERT Pancake Breakfast
County Quick Links

County Assessor
County Clerk
Transportation
Discount Dental
Discount Prescriptions
Health Department
Job Center
Forest Preserves
Stormwater Mgmt.
Solid Waste Agency (SWALCO)
Recorder of Deeds
Local Links
Village of Deer Park
Village of Hawthorn Woods
Village of Kildeer
Village of Lake Zurich
Village of Long Grove

Barrington Area Library
Barrington Area Chamber of Commerce
School District 220

Ela Area Public Library
Lake Zurich Area Chamber of Commerce
 LZ School District 95
Kildeer Countryside District 96 

Click here to view a list of employers in Lake County with open positions!
Local Railroad Crossing Closures This Month

Railroad sign graphic: Road closures in May

CN Crossing On Cuba Road in Lake Zurich

The Canadian National (CN) Railway will close the railroad crossing on Cuba Road, Lake County Route A-46, for scheduled repairs. The closure of the crossing will begin at 8 a.m. on Monday, May 14. Cuba Road should reopen to through traffic on the evening of Friday, May 18.  Local traffic will be allowed from IL Route 59 to the crossing and from the crossing to Ela Road. View release and detour map.

 

CN Crossing on Allanson Road in Mundelein

The Canadian National (CN) Railway will close the Allanson Road crossing starting on Saturday, May 19 at 8 a.m. and concluding on or before Sunday, May 20 at 5 p.m. Access to homes and businesses east and west of the crossing on Allanson Road will remain open during the repair work. View news release and map.

 

EJ&E Railroad Crossing on Butterfield Road in Vernon Hills
The Canadian National (CN) Railway will close its Elgin, Joliet & Eastern railroad crossing on Butterfield Road north of Illinois Route 60 for scheduled repairs, beginning at 8 a.m. on
 Monday, May 21. Butterfield Road should reopen to thru traffic on the evening of Friday, May 25.  Local traffic will be allowed from Route 60 to the railroad crossing and from Route 176 to the railroad crossing. View news release and detour map. 

Lake County Property Tax Bills

Property owners have received their property tax bills and the first installment is due Wednesday, June 6. The property tax process is a state mandated function. By state law, Lake County is responsible for the collection of taxes from property owners and the distribution of these property tax funds to more than 200 taxing bodies such as cities, townships, county, park and fire protection districts and schools (which account for 68% of your tax bill). Please visit the  Lake County Treasurer's Office website for more information about property taxes, payment options, frequently asked questions and more.

Lake County Treasurer's Office hours:
Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Due Date: June 6, 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Is Your Lawn a Water Guzzler?
Every drop counts!
Sprinkler photo: conserve water this season!

Did you know... more than 50 percent of commercial and residential irrigation water use goes to waste due to overwatering, evaporation, or runoff? You can help by following your local water usage and restriction ordinance. If your community does not have one, consider watering your lawn no more than twice a week, before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m. Thank you for doing your part to help ensure that our community and neighboring communities have a clean and reliable water source now and for future generations!

 

EPA Water Sense

 

Lake County Water Resources

State Employment Security Services
Consolidated to Grayslake Center
IDES Services Consolidated to Grayslake
Other services remain at Waukegan Job Center

Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) services, specifically assistance with unemployment insurance, will no longer be available at the Waukegan Job Center (1 N. Genesee St).  Individuals with unemployment questions, or claims should visit the Grayslake Job Center, located at 800 Lancer Lane, or call 847.543.7400.

 

The Illinois Department of Employment Security announced this change April 27, notifying Lake County that IDES staff will be moved to their main office at the Grayslake Job Center.  Veteran's services will still be available at the Waukegan Center on Mondays. Unemployment information is available at www.ides.illinois.gov.  All other services of the Job Center will continue to be available in Waukegan including: computer & internet access, job search workshops, training grants, and onsite recruitment. To view the schedule, visit www.lakecountyjobcenter.com.

Text Power Outage Reports to ComEd
ComEd logo

ComEd has a new messaging capability that allows customers to text their outage to ComEd and enables ComEd to text restoration information back to customers.   The expanded outage alert text message program will provide added convenience for customers and help improve their experience. The new program enhancements:

  • Allow customers to text the company to report an outage,
  • Offer real-time information on outages, and
  • Allow customers to text ComEd to opt into the program.

To report an outage, customers can text OUT to 26633 (COMED).

Sign up here. 

Take the United Way Community Survey
UWLC logo Participants can win a $50 Visa gift card
United Way of Lake County is conducting a public opinion survey regarding UWLC's programs and efforts in the community. If you live or work in Lake County, please consider taking our survey.  It should only take 5-10 minutes to complete. We are looking for as many qualified responses as possible so please be sure to share the survey link with your friends, family, coworkers and neighbors. 
 
Please click the link or copy and paste it into your browser:
http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22FDS6LWCU5/

Forest Preserve News
LCFPD logo

 

Eagle Nest Discovered

An active bald eagle nest was recently discovered at the Fox River Preserve and Marina in Port Barrington. Here is a link to the rookery location:  http://g.co/maps/3n6yx. The bald eagle pair is nesting alongside double-crested cormorants and great blue herons in a well-established rookery along the Fox River.

 

New Nature Cam

In March, the forestry crew set up two motion-detection cameras in a tree adjacent to a great horned owl nest in Wright Woods Forest Preserve in Mettawa. Four cameras were also placed at ground level, in hopes of capturing the fledgling owlets and other wildlife in this area. These special infrared cameras are able to record wildlife acting naturally, reducing the stress that flash photography can cause. Visit LCFPD.org/naturecam to see if our experimental Nature Cam was successful, and to learn more about great horned owls.

 

Postcard Donation

Leonard A. Lauder, Chairman Emeritus of The Est�e Lauder Companies, Inc. has donated more than 35,500 Raphael Tuck & Sons Oilette postcards to the Lake County Discovery Museum's Curt Teich Postcard Archives. The donation is valued at about $260,000 and includes funding for the storage, preservation, cataloging, and digitization of the postcards.
A well-known philanthropist and businessman,
Leonard A. Lauder began collecting postcards at the age of eight. The Tuck Oilette postcard collection is part of a larger collection amassed by Lauder over nearly 50 years of collecting.

 

The Teich Archives is a world renowned collection of postcards and materials relating to their production dating from the 1890s to the present. The Teich Archives is used daily by researchers for a variety of projects including restoration of historical buildings and landscaping, scholarly papers, genealogy, elementary and high school history fairs, and as illustrations in textbooks, advertisements, magazines, and newspapers.

 

New Lake County Nature Blog

For many of us when we think of having meaningful experiences in the outdoors we think of the grand vistas of large National Parks or long road-trips to far-away destinations. However, what might be most beneficial for our health and environment is finding our own nature niches close to home. Connect daily, not once a year. Visit the new Lake County Nature blog to discover what's happening seasonally, and find your own nature niches in Lake County.

 

Native Plant Sale: Saturday, May 12 and Sunday, May 13

Prepare your wish list of native plants for your yard and visit our Annual Native Plant Sale  on Mother's Day weekend May 12 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and May 13 from 10 a.m. to  3 p.m.at Independence Grove Forest Preservein Libertyville. Proceeds from the sale benefit Lake County Forest Preserve environmental education programs.

 

Bonner Farm Spring Fling: Sunday, May 20

Come out to the farm and enjoy a variety of spring-themed activities, including crafts, wagon rides, a petting zoo, music and more at the  Bonner Heritage Farm in Lindenhurst on Sunday, May 20 from 12-4 p.m. All ages invited. Learn more.

JobMarketplace Job Fair, May 17
JobMarketplace flyer
Lake County's largest job fair!

As Lake County's largest, longest-running annual job fair, JobMarketplace attracts hundreds of employers and thousands of job seekers! This is an excellent opportunity for to find full-time, part-time, seasonal, and professional employment positions. View event flyer here

 

May 17, 1-5 p.m.

College of Lake County Physical Education Center (Building 7)

19351 W. Washington Street, Grayslake 


This free event is hosted by the College of Lake County and the Job Center of Lake County.  Jobseekers DO NOT need to pre-register. Click here for a full list of employers
.

Lake Zurich Lion's Club Yard Sale June 2-3

Lion's Club logoSell Your Stuff!

Items that are seldom or no longer used, but take up space in your house, are called "Stuff." Now you can sell that without going through all of the promotional expense of running your own garage sale. Instead, just take it to the Lake Zurich Lions Club's "World's Biggest Yard Sale" on June 2-3 in Lions Park, downtown Lake Zurich.

 

Net cost for a 10 x 15 square ft. space for the entire two-day period is only $35. Registering is easy, simply click here then apply. Once you have completed the form and paid the fee, a Lion will contact you with your booth space information. The Lions Club does not supply tables or chairs for people selling things in the park, and since this is a two-day event, there is no rain date.

 

Still have questions that need to be answered? Check the information on the www.lzlions.com, then call 847-847-2171.

Lake Zurich Area Chamber Events

LZ Chamber logo

 

Business Skills Luncheon

May 16, 12-1:30, Hawthorn Woods Barn, 2 Lagoon Dr.

Learn how to plan and run a successful meeting with this Toastmasters Success Leadership workshop.  Topics covered include Meeting Planning; How to Open a Meeting; Successfully Running a Meeting; Concluding a Meeting; and Successful Evaluations of your Meeting.
Advance registration required.

 

Social Media Workshop

May 30, 12-2 p.m., Ela Area Public Library, 275 Mohawk Trail, Lake Zurich

This Social Media Workshop is a hands-on opportunity to learn how to to make your social media really work for you.  Bring your laptop or mobile device and let us help you set up your Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter accounts, and update your Chamber listing.   Info and registration

CERT Seeks Pancake Breakfast Sponsorship

The Southern Lake County Regional  Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is a group of more than 60 dedicated volunteers that aid the Lake Zurich, Hawthorn Woods, Kildeer, and Long Grove communities in preparing for, responding to, recovering from, and mitigating the effects of natural and man-made disasters.

 

For the fourth year in a row, CERT is teaming with its Fire Department partners to bring the time-honored tradition of opening the fire station and serving breakfast to the community.  In addition to serving hundreds of meals, it provides an opportunity for residents young and old to explore the fire apparatus and to interact with fire fighters and paramedics.

 

The fundraiser takes place on May 20, and CERT is currently looking for businesses to sponsor the event.  Proceeds from sponsorship and the event go towards CERT's equipment and training. To find more information, view the flyer here.

As always, I'm looking for ways to improve the content so I continue to look to you for suggestions/ideas. Let me know what you'd like covered and I'll do what I can to incorporate it in future issues. Also, if you know of events or news of interest concerning our area, I'd appreciate you letting me know about it so we can share it with our fellow residents.

 

Please forward this e-newsletter to anyone you feel may benefit from its content. By helping me get the word out in this manner, you're also helping me go green! Thank you!

 

Should you need to contact me, my contact information follows: 

 

Home phone: 847-438-2961

Cell phone: 224-805-6027

ctaylor@lakecountyil.gov

 

I consider it a honor and privilege to serve you!

 

Please stay safe!

Thanks,

 

 

Craig

 

Lake County Board Member & Lake County Forest Preserve Commissioner

District 19 Representative

Serving Hawthorn Woods, Kildeer, Lake Zurich, and Long Grove.

Beginning in 2013, District 19 includes Deer Park and Barrington.