Next week a Public Hearing and online Town Hall meeting will be held on the preliminary FY2012 budget released by Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.  The release of the preliminary budget prior to the traditional Executive Budget Recommendation will give residents the opportunity to be more engaged in the budget process. 

The online Town Hall meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 23rd at 7:15pm.  For more information on the format of the online Town Hall meeting and how to submit questions, pleasevisit the county budget website. 

The Public Hearing will be held on Thursday, August 25th at 6:30pm in the County Board Room.  For more information and to register to speak, please visit the county budget website. 

The Cook County website has a new feature designed to help residents understand the Cook County budget.  The website provides information on the $3.1 billion budget, including a breakdown of revenues and expenditures as well as an interactive tool for balancing the budget.   

Click here to visit the website and learn more about the preliminary 2012 budget and send suggestions to President Preckwinkle. 

Every year one resident of the 14th District is nominated for participation in the John H. Stroger, Jr. internship program at the Chicago Botanic Garden.  This summer internship program is designed to introduce early career or college students to professional experiences in the not-for-profit sector.   

Commissioner Gregg Goslin and 14th District Botanic Garden Intern Laura Nelson at FPD Board Meeting

This summer, Laura Nelson of Northfield was nominated and received an internship working in the Botanic Garden Greenhouses.   She spoke at a recent Forest Preserve District Board Meeting about her experience and wrote a note to our office expressing her thanks:

I'd like to thank you for this opportunity at the Garden.  Working on the greenhouses has provided me with a great opportunity to expand my knowledge of horticulture.   

The Stroger Internship, and the others available through the Chicago Botanic Garden are great opportunities for those interested in careers in horticulture, plant science as well as hospitality and public relations.  Keep an eye on the Chicago Botanic Garden website for information on upcoming opportunities!  

Mykel Selph is the gender programming director at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center (JTDC).  Mykel researched and pursued pet programs as a way to provide young men at the JTDC with programming to help them increase their ability to internalize a sense of empathy for themselves, the pets with which they interact and their communities.   

In pursuit of this programming, Mykel developed a partnership with Jeff Jenkins, the director of the Humane Society of the United States' Chicago End Dog Fighting campaign.  Beginning this May, Jeff and his dog June Bug have been providing programming for JTDC residents.  Program participants learn facts versus myths regarding pit bull dog fighting, care and training.  Jeff draws on his circus background to teach while entertaining.

Residents also have the chance to interact with June Bug, taking her through an agility course.  Through this interaction, residents experience the cause and effect of nurturing, empathy and praise--characteristics that are typically missing from residents' backgrounds.  Working to understand and satisfy the dog's needs provides residents an opportunity to better understand their own emotional needs.

This JTDC program is funded by the Humane Society of the United States.