Lake County News From Ann Maine
Lake County Board & Forest Preserve
District 21
July 2011 |
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A Note From Ann
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June was a busy month at both the Forest Preserve and the County Board meetings. The decennial census requires redrawing of the legislative boundaries. In addition, we are required to vote on salaries. I was one of 15 who supported the amendment to roll back our salaries to the 2010 amount (which 8 of us receive). This salary will be in place until 2016. The flat rate of medicare reimbursement makes it prudent for us to investigate all options for a financially secure Winchester House, the county nursing home. Thus, I supported the proposal to get information about costs associated with privatizing Winchester House. The Forest Preserve Board voted to complete our due diligence of the Advisory Committee recommendation to go out for a proposal for a private company to construct and operate a 9 hole Fort Sheridan golf course. We do not use tax payer money for the golf courses. Many of you will take a family vacation this summer. Please read about important safety information from the Red Cross In celebration of its centennial year, Great Lakes Naval Base is offering an even larger 4th of July celebration. The deadline for application for senior freeze is July 1. I have more on these and other topics below. 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 of other group to address more issues in person, just contact me.
Sincerely,
President Lake County Forest Preserve District
Lake County Board District 21
847-374-9787
Help me go paperless! 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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Fourth of July
and Summer Celebrations |
Deerfield will hold Deerfield Family Days July 3 events start at 5:00 p.m. in Brickyards Park. On July 4 head over to Jewett Park at 7:30 a.m. for the start of the Arts and Crafts Sale. The parade begins at noon. Libertyville will host the Dog Days of Summer from July 7 to the 10th. Lincoln shire Red White and Boom! starts at 4 p.m. in Spring Lake Park with a kids' concert. The 30th annual 5K race starts at 8 a.m. July 4. Get a complete schedule of events.
July 14 through July 17 at Century Park in Vernon Hills is the annual Summer Celebration.
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| Summer Travel Safety Tips | The past year we have witnessed (and experienced) incredible weather from blizzards to torrential rain falls, flooding to the most active and deadly tornado season in decades. It's important to be prepared for possible emergencies when traveling, especially to new places. While we all like to research sights and activities for our trip, emergency and weather officials recommend adding preparation for natural or weather disasters to your list.
- Pack an emergency supply kit, including medication and prescriptions
- Inform friends and family of your itinerary
- Stay aware of weather and know the names of towns in your area of travel so you will understand weather warnings
- Check escape routes of hotels
- For more information visit
- If you are traveling internationally, consider the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program
Remember, the weather you leave here in Illinois is not the weather you will encounter on your trip. (which may be a good thing!)
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Forest Preserve and Nature News | |
Summer is a busy time in your Forest Preserves--biking, hiking, fishing, horseback riding as well as a number of special activities and events. Be sure to check the Forest Preserve web site for updates in case of weather delays or closures--or construction. See below.
Alert--closure of Rt 137 underpass Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is sandblasting and painting the underside of the Route 137 bridge on the west side of the river. During the night bridge work, the DPR Trail underpass at Route 137 will be closed from 9 pm to 5 am, through July 4. Regular trail hours are 6:30 am to sunset, daily. Note: For Tuesday's concert, the trail underpass will remain open until 10 pm.
Concerts at Independence Grove
 Once again there will be concerts at Independence Grove. Concerts start at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays beginning June 21 until August 9. If there is a postponement due to weather, the concert will be held Thursday night of the same week. See the complete concert schedule.
This year there will be a $5 cost per car if you arrive after 5 p.m. Cars will be turned away if lots are full, you can find out if there is still parking or if a concert has been postponed due to weather by calling 847-968-3499. And please, be considerate of the neighbors and park only in the Independence Grove lots.
Civil War Days is always a popular family event. This year is the 20th annual event at Lakewood preserve Saturday July 9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday July 10 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. If you haven't attended before, you are in for a treat at one of the largest Civil War reenactments in northern Illinois with over 600 participants. It is especially meaningful this year, as we remember the 150th anniversary of the start of the War. Tickets for Civil War Days include parking and free admission to the Lake County Discovery Museum. Cost is $8 for adults and $4 for youth ages 4 to 17. Children three and under are free. Purchase advance tickets, or download discount admission coupons at www.LCFPD.org/civilwar.
Friends of Ryerson Woods
Continue their Green Design Year with Green Homes Tour on Sunday, July 24 from 10 am-5 pm. The cost is $60 ($50 for members) and includes lunch. Earlier in the month, on July 10 is the opening of The Art of Green, a survey of Chicago artists and designers. Held at Brushwood, this is a free program and requires no registration. It is open until August 31. See the entire Friends of Ryerson Woods calendar.
River Keepers-is an unusual steward group. Their preserve is the Des Plaines River! Their activities include trash removal and clearing safe passage through log jams  | | Clearing Log Jams |
on the river. They also organize clean -up efforts at Sterling Lake/Van Patten Woods a couple of times a year, and any time they're out paddling, they pick up trash,  | | River Keepers hard at work! |
whether it's part of an organized effort or not. As one volunteer said "We just like to leave the waterways cleaner than we find them!" Thank you to the River Keepers and all our volunteers who help the forest preserves and visitors in so many ways. You too can learn about the volunteer opportunities.
Check out our Calendar of events for more information on these and other programs.
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| Transportation Update |
Does the great weather coupled with high gas prices (not to mention a little exercise) make you want to ride your bike to work or to do some errands? Not sure of the safest route? Get your own copy of the Lake County Bikeway map. In addition, The Active Transportation Alliance sells an excellent map of this and other areas.
A number of construction projects are moving along. While many of them are not Lake County DOT projects, they do impact your daily travel. Here is the latest that I have on some of the major projects in District 21.
Deerfield Road Bike Path
This is now complete.
Milwaukee Ave and Rt. 137 Intersection this will be let this summer and utility work is expected to begin in the late summer of fall. There will be a single lane open. I will keep you posted. This is an IDOT project.
Repaving of Deerfield Parkway from Bush Parkway to Barclay Blvd
This project will resurface part of the parkway next year with a new concrete resurfacing process called whitetopping. In addition, a missing stretch of sidewalk on the north side of the road is proposed to be added in cooperation with the Village of Buffalo Grove. LCDOT would pay for 80% of the construction of the sidewalk and the Village of Buffalo Grove would pay for the remainder and maintain it. This is a great example of our Complete Streets program in which we analyze non-motorized transportation needs as any part of the planning for any road project.
Route 137 and O'Plaine Road Intersection
IDOT has an improvement scheduled for the intersection of IL 137 and O'Plaine Road; it includes the addition of a westbound right turn lane from IL 137 onto northbound O'Plaine Road as well as resurfacing the intersection. The traffic signal equipment at this intersection will also be replaced. The improvement was let by IDOT in April and work should begin this summer.
Rt. 22 through Bannockburn Utility work and other prep is continuing. This will be a long project. I'll keep you posted. Again, this is an IDOT project.
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| County Board Redistricting and Salaries | |
One of the consequences of the 2010 Federal census is that the County Board must redraw district boundaries. Lake County's population grew by 9.2%. Most of this growth occurred in the north and west of the county. The board agreed to decrease the number of districts in the county from 23 to 21, so each new district will have a population of 33,498. The new map will take effect in December 2012, when the terms of office for the current members expire, and a new slate of board members is elected. Most of you receiving this e-newsletter are currently in District 21. The new district 21 will still contain the unincorporated areas in Vernon and Libertyville townships, as well as the Villages of Riverwoods, Bannockburn, Green Oaks and Lincolnshire and parts of Waukegan. It will pick up parts of Deerfield, Lake Forest and additional unincorporated areas in Vernon, Libertyville and Warren Townships. The biggest change for people in this area is that all of Libertyville will now be in a single district, 15. You can view the new map.
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| Blue Star Museum Program for Military Personnel |
This summer the Lake County Discovery Museum is participating in Blue Star Museums, a partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, and more than 1,300 museums across America, to offer free admission to all active duty military personnel and their families. These include children's museums, fine art museums, history and science museums, and nature centers.
The free admission program runs through Labor Day, September 5, 2011, and is available to any bearer of a Geneva Convention Common Access Card (CAC), a DD Form 1173, or a DD Form 1173-1, which includes active duty military (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard), National Guard and Reserve members, and up to five immediate family members. Present your ID card at the Lake County Discovery Museum front desk to receive free admission.
Learn more about other museums participating in the program.
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Environmental Issues
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SWALCO is committed to helping you help the environment. 
JULY HOUSEHOLD CHEMICAL WASTE (HCW) MOBILE EVENT
Saturday, July 16
8:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Deerfield High School
1959 N. Waukegan Road
Deerfield, IL
Appointments are not required for Mobile Household Chemical Waste events. Residents may simply come to the mobile location between the stated hours, drive through and drop off their HCW materials.
SWALCO continues to offer Year-round HCW Public Drop-off Events to collect unwanted HCW items at our Gurnee facility. The facility is located at 1311 N. Estes in Gurnee, IL. Upcoming 2011 HCW Public Drop-off Events (by appointment only) are held twice a month: the second Saturday of every month and the fourth Monday of every month (except December) - - Limited appointments are available, so sign up now on the HCW page at: www.swalco.org.
All HCW collections are for residential waste only. Items you can bring to a collection include: CFL bulbs, unwanted prescription medicines and supplements (people and pet), household cleaners, gasoline, garden chemicals, pesticides, oil-based paints and varnishes (no latex), as well as other chemicals. Please visit the website's HCW page for a general list of items accepted and not accepted at SWALCO's HCW collection events. All HCW Collection Events, sponsored by SWALCO, are for Illinois residents (no business waste will be accepted) ONLY and are FREE.
Do you often find yourself wondering "What can I do with this?". Then read the Reuse, Recycle & Redirect guide. You'll be surprised. Americans throw up to 85% of textiles into the trash. Most people don't know that many of the larger organizations that collect used clothing such as Salvation Army and Goodwill, do accept ripped and torn clothing. There is a large secondary materials market. So clothing that can't be worn can be sold for rags or industrial uses including an asphalt additive. This is can be lucrative for the organization. So don't throw those old clothes away! Many smaller groups are unable to store clothing that can't be used, so be sure to check before you drop it off. You can learn more from the association of Secondary Materials and Recovery Textiles (SMART).
House hold electronic collections are also frequent.
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News from the Assessor
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The deadline for these applications is July 1st, 2011.
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2011 July 4th Centennial Celebration
Great Lakes Naval Station
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Celebrate our Nation's Independence and the Naval Station's 100th Birthday in a "BIG" Way!  You are invited to the Naval Station Great Lakes' July 4th Centennial Celebration on Ross Field from July 2nd - 4th. Enjoy three full days of "fire-cracking" festival fun at one of the biggest 4th of July Celebrations in the region!
Each day, the celebration will include three stages of exciting live music and family entertainment, a bingo tent with thousands of dollars worth of prizes, a craft fair with handmade items, the Gridiron Experience: interactive football activities and a "Kicks for Cash" competition, a paintball arena, the Kid's Zone with plenty to do for the little patriots, roving entertainment and costumed characters, thrilling carnival rides/games, delicious festival food and beverage booths-available from local area vendors, and lots and lots more! Saturday July 2nd, catch special performances by "The United States Army Soldier Show" and the memorable Great Lakes Navy Band! Plus, don't miss the action-packed "Battle at Great Lakes" amateur boxing event. Also on this day, the Naval Station Great Lakes will attempt to break a world record for the most plastic bottles recycled in an eight hour period. Sunday July 3rd, the celebration will kick off with the Firecracker 5K Run at 9:30 a.m. (base course). It is open to both the general public and base personnel. July 3rd continues with a fantastic music line up on the main stage, featuring "Pop Evil" and headliner, "Saving Abel." Monday July 4th, enjoy musical tributes to great artists like Johnny Cash, The Beatles and Led Zeppelin with the following bands: "Junes Got the Cash," "Brit Beat" and "Kashmir." Of course, this long time running celebration is not complete until the amazing fireworks show lights up Ross Field! Firework displays will take place this year on both July 3rd and 4th, with "never before" special effects attempted during the show on the 4th! For full details, go to www.facebook.com/GreatLakes4thofJuly. |
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Community Happening
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Lake County's Biggest Book Drive Underway
United Way of Lake County (UWLC), in partnership with Bernie's Book Bank, has launched Lake County's biggest book drive called Page it Forward. The goal of this campaign is to collect 100,000 books for low-income children in Lake County through a summer-long book drive and celebration of reading. Page it Forward puts a contemporary twist on the old-fashioned book drive, as it includes a variety of cutting-edge social media options to make contributing to the goal of 100,000 books accessible, exciting and meaningful to all! Book drop-off sites, July 12 at Independence Grove, August 24 at EH Wachs in Lincolnshire and Sept. 11 at the Farmer's Market in Buffalo Grove For more information including volunteer opportunities and downloadable materials, visit: www.uwlakeco.org/pageitforward.
Farmers' Markets are open!!
Get some great fresh produce at a market near you.
Libertyville market
Thursday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Church St. between Milwaukee Ave and Brainerd Ave.
Deerfield Market Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Metra commuter lot at Deerfield Rd and Robert York Rd. Note--the underpass at Deerfield road may be closed.
Lake Bluff Market Fridays from 7 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
MainStreet Libertyville is sponsoring First Friday on July 1 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Come by and enjoy the evening with special music, shops and a chance to see friends.
The 10th annual Taste of Lincolnshire will be held Friday July 8th from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m; Saturday July 9th from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday July 10th from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Get more information or an application form from the Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce.
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University Night
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University Center will host an information session on Thursday, July 14, from 6 to 8 pm at the Grayslake facility (1200 University Center Drive; at the intersection of Washington St. and Lancer Lane). Representatives from the University Center's member institutions will be on hand to answer questions and provide further information about their programs.
"University Center Night" showcases the 80 or more programs available in Grayslake, at Great Lakes Naval Training Center, or via online study. These range from bachelor's completion programs designed to build on the education available through community colleges or through prior college attendance, to graduate degree programs and professional development certificates.
New programs for 2011-2012 include a BS in Accounting from Northeastern Illinois University, a BS in Technical Resource Management from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, a BA in Political Science from Northeastern Illinois University, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Western Illinois University.
For more information about programs offered through the University Center of Lake County, visit its website www.ucenter.org or call 847/665-4000.
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| Job and Business Information | |
County Update: Focus on JOBS
The economic downturn has had a devastating impact on jobs across the country. In this edition of County Update, County Board Chairman David Stolman talks with Dr. Terri Berryman, Director of the Lake County Workforce Development Department about the many resources available to job seekers and employers through the Job Center of Lake County. Watch now.
Watch Career Chat on Resume' Tips
Resumes are a critical component of any job search. It's important that your resume is professional, and helps you stand out from the rest of the applicants. In this edition of Career Chat, Terri Berryman, Lake County Workforce Development Director, gives tips and guidelines for writing resumes. Watch 6 minute video
You can now view Lake County bids and RFPS. There is a separate site for Construction Job Order Contracts (JOC). These construction and remodeling jobs involve trade work including HVAC, electrical, plumbing and others. Lake County Workforce Development has a variety of information to serve businesses, adult job seekers and youth with a variety of career and training opportunities. Another source of job information, including job sessions and Lake County Job postings is at the Job Center of Lake County. |
Lake County News Archive
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to view past issues of Lake County News from Ann Maine.
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