Lake County News
From Ann Maine
Lake County Board & Forest Preserve
District 21
January 2010
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A note from Ann
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Dear Neighbors,
As your representative to the Lake County Board and the Lake County Forest Preserve District, I look forward to continuing to find ways to serve you better in a fiscally responsible manner in 2010. It's been a bit more than a year, since we've been able to send email newsletters. In that time I've heard from many of you with comments and suggestions. Government works best when the citizens are heard, so I hope you'll continue to share your concerns. A new year brings many new laws. Nearly everyone
knows about the texting restriction since it was widely published and
discussed in the media. However, many people are unaware that the law
also applies to emails, and very few are aware of the restrictions
which apply to SCHOOL and CONSTRUCTION zones. I've included the text and links below. There is also important information for homeowners about getting copies of their deed. Many of you have contacted me about ways to recycle and reuse household items. To start off the New Year, I've included some of SWALCO's important information and web pages. There is a General Primary Election on February 2,
2010. The County Clerk has created a number of new web pages to make
it easier for you to find information. I've included many of them in
this newsletter. The U.S. Constitution requires a national census every ten years. This year census questionnaires will be delivered or mailed via US mail in March. Census workers will visit households that do not return questionnaires. I'll have more information on this later in the year. For those of you who are new to this newsletter, you can view the County's entire budget on line. In addition, County Board meetings are also available. If you are interested in a specific item, you can look at the agenda and click on it. As always, I welcome your comments on these or any other issues. If you'd like me to come to your Homeowner's meeting or other group to address more issues in person, just contact me.
Sincerely,
Ann Maine
Lake County Board and Forest Preserve
District 21
amaine@lakecountyil.gov
847-374-9787
I encourage you to forward this update to others who may be interested in Lake County news. Persons who wish to automatically receive these free updates should send their email address information to: amaine@lakecountyil.gov or click "join our mailing" list above.
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Forest Preserve and Nature News
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Drop
off your Christmas tree at Greenbelt, Half Day, Lakewood, Old School,
Ryerson Woods Forest Preserves from December 26 until February 1, 2010
from 6:30 am til sunset. Only bare trees will be accepted and no
commercial drop-offs will be accepted.
 Don't let the cold weather keep you in. Check our Winter Conditions before you head out for skiing,skating or sledding. Currently all underpasses on the Des Plaines River Trail are closed. The Forest Preserve also offers a number of programs for all ages.
Come learn more coyotes. 
Register for the Coyote Howl Program:
Sunday January 10 Adults only at Rollins Savanna
Saturday January 30 all ages at McDonald Woods
Coyotes communicate with each other using a variety of yips, yaps and
howls. Listen and learn about these @ Paul Bolstad, University of
animals as we traverse a forest under a twilight sky.
Minnesota, www.forestryimages.org.
The Forest Preserve calender has information on other programs including photography, icicles and Native Americans..
If the day is cold, visit the Lake County Discovery Museum with the special exhibit: Animal Architects: Exploring Animal Homes. It's not too early for camp registration. Register before February 15 and receive the early bird discount. Volunteer Opportunities.Is your family, religious or school group interested in hands on work? Consider helping at a volunteer day in a preserve near you. Do you canoe? Fish? Just care about our rivers? Learn more about a
new program: Water Trailkeepers. You can be trained as a steward of a
section of river. To learn more about this program contact Jean Weeg
847-968-3332 before attending a training session. |
Homeowner Alert
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If you need to reference the deed to your home, please contact the Recorder of Deeds. The average deed is 4 pages or less with a copy fee of $1 a page. There is a scam in Lake County whereby a company is offering to provide you with a copy of your deed for $95. Also, homeowners, take a moment to Call the Lake County Recorder's Office 847-377-2575 and request a quick check against your name to be sure that no liens have been placed against your property. Homeowners are sometimes unaware that a lien has been placed against their property until they try to sell or refinance.
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Environmental Issues
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SWALCO, Lake County's solid waste agency, sponsors a variety of recycling programs throughout the year. Their Disposal Guide page has links to sites for donating items as well as recycling them. The importance of solid waste disposal in underscored by the fact that at our first Public Works meeting of the year, on January 6, we will be discussing the proposed updates to the Solid waste plan (no vote to be taken) as well as a resolution on the host agreement from the Veolia Land Fill in Zion (possible vote).
I have received a lot of questions about recycling batteries. Here are some sites that give you additional options.
Battery Solutions
The Big Green Box
Many
people receive electronic gifts over the holidays. Instead of throwing
out the old ones, please give them to someone else to use, or recycle
them. SWALCO's electronic recycling program accepts the following items:
Personal Computers, Monitors, Computer Drives, Keyboards, Modems,
Mainframes, Scanners, Printers, PDA Organizers, any type of telephones,
Televisions (any size), Stereos, MP3 Players, CD Players, DVD Players,
VCR's, Cameras, Video Games, Fax Machines, Shredders, and Small
Household Appliances, holiday lights, microwave ovens.
They DO NOT ACCEPT: Broken
Glass, Air Conditioners, Dehumidifiers, Large Household
Appliances, Lead Acid Batteries, Electric Fixtures, Fluorescent Light
Bulbs, Compact Disks, Software Disks, Tapes, Liquid or Chemical Waste,
and Packaging Materials.
If you have questions, you can always call 847.336.9340 ext 0,
Electronics are not accepted at the Gurnee site, however, here is a list of year round collection sites:
Cuba Township (Road District)
28070 W. Cuba Road, Barrington
ONLY Fridays 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (excluding holidays)
Grant Township (Highway Department Facility)
26535 Molidor Rd., Ingleside
Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Village of Wauconda (Public Works Facility)
302 Slocum Lake Road
Monday - Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Wauconda Township (Township Facility)
505 W. Bonner Road
1st Saturday of each month (exception due to Independence Day- July 11, 2009)
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Scheduled Collections:
City of Highland Park (Firearms Training Center)
1180 Half Day Road
ONLY Tuesdays and Fridays 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
(fluorescent light bulbs are also accepted at the Highland Park Electronic Collection)
To decrease some of the 5 million tons of waster generated from Thanksgiving through the new year, visit their Green Holiday Guide.
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Transportation Projects
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We are now out of construction season and into the winter season. Hopefully last winter's
potholes will remain a distant memory. We will begin letting the bids for the 2010 construction season. I'll keep you posted on the start dates for the projects on St. Mary's road, Rt. 176 and the roundabout at Everett and Riverwoods roads. With the winter weather, be
sure to check the transportation links for the latest construction
updates. With the Division of Transportation's PASSAGE program,
drivers can find
real-time information, online or on the radio (1620 AM), about
congestion, construction, accidents and detours on local roadways. Get traffic updates on your PDA.
You can now buy your Metra Tickets on line. Reduce traffic and make your travel to the airport easier. During the week you can take the Metra North Central line (stations in Prairie Crossing, Vernon Hills, Prairie View and Buffalo Grove) to O'Hare airport? A free bus meets you at the station and takes you to the remote parking tram. Plan on 30 minutes to the terminal from the train.
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Election and Voting Information
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There is a General Primary Election on February 2, 2010. However, now you have 3 voting options. In addition to traditional--go to the polling place on election day and vote, you can vote early and now Illinois law allows anyone to vote by mail. You do not need a reason. You can apply to vote by mail. The County Clerk has created a number of new pages that make it easy to answer your voting questions.
First, check that you are registered to vote, especially if you  have moved. If you're not registered, find out where to register. Then find out Where Do I vote?
On January 11, Early voting begins. New this year is the ability to track your ballot and now when it has been received. This link will become operational once early voting begins.
January 26, 2010 is the last day for grace period registration/address change at the County Clerk's Office.
January 28 is the last day for Early Voting.
Is your college student home? They can enroll in the student voter program. Those of you who travel to warmer climes in the winter can take advantage of the
Snow Bird Program.
Under Federal law, citizens may apply to register to vote by mail in an application. To register by mail, your mail in application must be postmarked prior to the close of registration. If you register by mail, you musts vote in person at the polling place or by in-person absentee the first time you vote.
Change in Polling Place Libertyville Township Precints 169, 175 and 176.
Polling Place for Residents of Libertyville Precincts 169 and 175 has
moved from the Civic Center to the Lake County Division of
Transportation, 600 W. Winchester Road.
Precinct 176 polling place has moved from the
Civic Center to St. John's Lutheran Church, 501 W. Park Avenue.
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Important New Driving Laws in State of Illinois
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Many new laws take effect January 1, 2010. I have heard from many of you about the lack of safety when people use electronic devices while driving, so I know you will be interested to learn of these new laws.
The Illinois Text Messaging Ban
According to the new law:
"A person may not operate a motor vehicle on a roadway while using an electronic communication device to compose,
send, or read an electronic message."
The law defines an
electronic message as:
"Electronic message" includes, but is not limited to electronic mail, a text message, an instant message, or
a command or request to access an Internet site."
ON JANUARY 1, 2010, IT WILL BE ILLEGAL (in the State of Illinois) TO
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Send or read a text message while your car is in traffic, unless fully stopped
due to a blocked roadway (such as a train crossing). A stop sign or stop light does NOT waive this restriction. You must
place the car in park or neutral gear, or pull over to the side of the road and stop.
*
Send or read an email message while your car is in traffic, unless fully
stopped due to a blocked roadway (such as a train crossing). A stop sign or stop light does NOT waive this restriction. You must
place the car in park or neutral gear, or pull over to the side of the road and stop.
* Use a cell phone in a SCHOOL or CONSTRUCTION zone
without the use of a hands-free device. In other words, you
cannot HOLD the cell phone while using it.
You must use a device (such as a Bluetooth headset or ear bud) which allows you to keep both hands on the wheel.
To use such a device you must have a
compatible phone and must purchase and install the hands-free device itself. Contact your cellular provider for specific information about products and services
available for your cell phone. Fines for violation of these laws will start at $75.00, with higher fines expected for the most serious infractions.
Obviously, no fine can ever compensate for injuries or loss of life.
The law does NOT apply to use of a navigation device, such as a GPS system.
You can get more information on Illinois Driving Laws.
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Information for Businesses
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Lake County Partners has a new President, Steve Anderson, from St. Louis. Whether you have a business in Lake County, or are thinking of moving a business to Lake County. They can help you with all types of resources and information, including SB504 financing.
The Forest Preserve is now placing bids and requests for proposals on-line.
The Lake County Workforce Investment Board
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