Lake County News
From Ann Maine
Lake County Board & Forest Preserve
District 21
March 2010
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Dear Neighbors,
Many of you have asked me about the proposed Costco building at Rt. 60 and Riverwoods road. The Village of Mettawa did settle their lawsuit. Costco is in the process of getting permits and may open as soon as November 2010. I'll keep you posted as this develops.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation recently completed a study of the health of all Illinois Counties. In general, Lake County residents fare well. Visit the site to learn more about the health outcomes in Lake and other counties.
The heavy snow fall this winter have saturated the ground, making spring floods more likely. Now is a good time to review and make an Emergency Preparedness kit.
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. Households that do not return questionnaires will be visited by Census field representatives who must present an ID. They will not ask for Social Security numbers, bank account or credit card information. You can get more information at AmericanFactFinder.
County Board meetings are available on-line. If you are interested in a specific item, you can look at the agenda and click on it. In the next year Forest Preserve agendas will also be available on line.
As always, I welcome your comments on these or any other issues. Government works best when the citizens are heard, so I hope you'll continue to share your concerns.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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The Preservation Foundation of the Lake County Forest Preserves was thrilled to receive a $500,000 donation from the Grainger Foundation. This generous gift will greatly aid in the $1.5 million project to restore the 308-acre
Grainger Woods Conservation Preserve, located between St. Mary's Road and
Everett Road, contains 7 state threatened or endangered species. The Foundation is continuing to raise funds for the complete project.
Last month we also approved funding to remove invasive woody species from the 68 acre Wauconda bog, in the Lakewood Preserve. It supports habitat for 6 state threatened and endangered plant species and 2 state threatened wetland bird species.
Remember Poky Little Puppy and Tawny Scrawny Lion? The Lake County Discovery offers you the chance to see 65 years of original art from Golden books! This special exhibit is opening in time for spring break (March 20) and will remain open through August 22.
 Friends of Ryerson Woods kicks off another great year of interesting programing. This year's theme is Business of Being Green. On May 8 they will host Will Raap, Founder and Chairman of the Board of Gardner's Supply. On March 8 the art exhibit Aviary opened. It contains the work of 17 artists using different media with the focus of birds in art. It's a wonderful show. For more information on this and other programs, visit Friends of Ryerson Woods.
 The Flint Creek Watershed is offering programs on how to build a rain garden on March 13. It's also time to order a rain barrel from Lake County Soil and Conservation District.
As the snow begins to melt, many gardeners are pouring through catalogs planning their garden improvements. You can get some great ideas from the University of Illinois Extension Service. Located in Grayslake, they have Master Gardeners who can help you with many gardening challenges. (847-223-8627).
The Chicago Botanic Garden exhibit of Endangered Plants Here and Around the World, sponsored by The American Society of Botanical artists, the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History and the Center for Plant Conservation, is open until April 4, 2010.
You know spring is coming when you hear the Sandhill Cranes! To learn more about these magnificent birds, attend a program at Rollins Savanna on March 14 or 20th. Registration is required. The Forest Preserve calender has additional information on other programs including photography, icicles and Native Americans.
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. |
Transportation Update
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Here is the latest information on some regional road projects.
Route 45 in Grayslake According to IDOT, the project will be bid out this April.
Construction is expected to begin in July 2010 with relatively
minor impacts on traffic because the initial construction will only
include staging, utility relocation and erection of temporary traffic
signals.
The major construction will occur in 2011, when Route 45 is
widened to four lanes, including the construction of left hand turning
lanes and a median.
Based upon the IDOT schedule, work is to be completed on the
Route 45 road widening project by October of 2011. The Edens Spur (I-94) Resurfacing
and Bridge Rehabilitation Project will repair and resurface five miles
of mainline pavement, rehabilitate bridge structures, and construct
noise walls in both directions between the Tri-State
Tollway (I-94) and the Edens Expressway (I-94).
Construction is scheduled to begin
in summer and  be completed by the end of 2010. Traffic will be reduced
to one lane in each direction during construction. Last month the County approved funding for the construction of a 3 lane roadway and a bike path along Midlothian Road. Named the Prairie Crossing bike path, it continues connections between transit, homes, schools and libraries in central Lake County. Metra has implemented an increase in fares, especially for those who buy their ticket on the train. 10 ride fares have also gone up too. Take advantage of the ability to purchase tickets with credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover) on Metra website.
On Feb 8, Metra began accepting those cards at all 76 outlying
stations where an agent is on duty and from new vending machines at the
14 busiest Metra Electric stations. Metra Electric stations will have
vending machines because that line generally does not have ticket
agents. The credit-card vending machines will be in addition to the
cash-based machines that are already in place along the line.
Hopefully many of you have used the Lake County 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. You can also get traffic updates on your PDA. In order to serve you better, please take a moment and respond to our Passage Customer Survey. Your feedback is important.
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Environmental Issues
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Did you know that what is flushed down the toilet or poured down your sink or floor drain may damage the sewer pipes in your home, the sewer system in your community, the treatment facilities and the Environment?
Items
that should be put in household
trash include any plastics, dryer sheets, antibacterial wipes, diaper
and diaper wipes. For more information
on disposal of items email: publicworks@lakecountyil.gov
For the following items, please use a chemical waste disposal program:
- pharmaceutical drugs
- over-the counter medications
- household cleaning chemicals
- hygiene or personal care products
- fuels, antifreeze
- perfumes and cosmetics
Visit SWALCO to learn more about Household Chemical Waste programs.
There will be limited scheduled household chemical waste drop off at the Gurnee site on March 13 and March 22. Appointments are required.
The College of Lake County is a leader in Green Initiatives and a resource for many. Visit their Go Green site for the latest in news and information. CLC is sponsoring GreenTown: The Future of Community. This one day conference on March 18 will have information for everyone. Registration is required.Wetland Win! One of the great assets of Lake County is our wetlands. Lake County has often been a leader in trying to protect these resources. Our ability to do so was recently upheld in a court case. The Lake County
Stormwater Management Commission
(SMC) succeeded in a lawsuit against a developer who illegally filled
2.8 acres of a wetland over a holiday weekend, and did site work without the required permit. The developer then
challenged the SMC's authority to regulate wetlands. The trial judge
upheld
the wetlands provisions of the Watershed Development Ordinance(WDO),
finding that
wetlands are a part of the stormwater management system, and
consequently that the
developer must comply with WDO regulations. The Judge also ordered the
developer to remove the fill from the 2.8 acres of wetlands and to
restore the wetlands to
their prior condition, and pay a $30,000 fine for its ordinance
violations. |
Low Cost Pet Vaccines for those on Government Assistance
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The Health Department's Animal Care and Control
Program, in conjunction with The Pooch Pantry, will offer a special
low-cost pet vaccination clinic on Wednesday, March 17, from 2 p.m.
until 4 p.m. The clinic will be held at the Animal Care and Control
facility,
29278 N Il Route 83 in Mundelein.
In conjunction with the mission of The Pooch Pantry, this clinic will be
open only to pets of low-income Lake County residents currently
receiving government assistance (such as food stamps, disability, etc.).
Registration is required for this clinic. For more
information or to register, call: (847) 949-9925.
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Community News
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Alcohol is still the most widely abused drug by students. To learn more about programs to reduce underage drinking, as well as find out if your school participates in behavior surveys, visit the Lake County After School Coalition.
The Lincolnshire-Riverwoods Fire Protection District offers CPR/AED the first Wednesday of every month. Please contact them at 847.634.2512 for further information.
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