The Robert O. Atcher Municipal Center and all Schaumburg administrative offices will remain closed Friday, Jan. 1 in observance of the New Year's Day holiday. Residents who need assistance can call the village's Customer Service Representatives by dialing 311 with any questions or concerns. Residents can also visit the village's website for more information about programs and services. Offices will reopen Monday, Jan. 4.

Schaumburg Township offices are also closed Jan. 1 and will reopen at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 4.

Refuse & Recycling Collection Reminder

The village's refuse and recycling collection service for Friday, Jan. 1 will be delayed until Saturday, Jan. 2 due to the New Year's Day holiday. For more information, visit the village's website.

Saxons Performing in Sugar Bowl

The Schaumburg High School Saxons Marching Band will travel to New Orleans during winter break to perform at the 2016 Allstate Sugar Bowl on New Year's Day in the Mercedes Benz Superdome.

In all, 140 band members will be making the trip from Dec. 28 through Jan. 2, participating in five performances in New Orleans. Read more.

Appeal Property Tax Assessments by Jan. 8

Property owners have until Friday, Jan. 8 to appeal their property assessments. Township of Schaumburg residents who believe their property has been over assessed can appeal during the open appeal period through the Cook County Board of Review's Office. For more information, call the township at (847) 884-0030. Taxpayers may file appeals online at the Board of Review.

Christmas Tree Disposal

A special collection period for Christmas trees and greenery will be available for the full month of January. Place your Christmas tree out on the normally scheduled Refuse and Recycling Collection day.

Christmas Tree Recycling
Residents who wish to have their Christmas trees recycled (chipped up and used for mulch) may drop them off during the month of January in the marked enclosure located at the Engineering & Public Works facility, 714 S. Plum Grove Rd., Schaumburg. Use the south entrance just past Fire Station 55. For questions, dial 311 in Schaumburg or (847) 895-7100 outside of Schaumburg.

World's Great Hobby On Tour at Renaissance Jan. 16-17

The World's Greatest Hobby on Tour showcases the hobby of model railroading and will be coming to Schaumburg's Renaissance Convention Center Hotel Jan. 16-17. Sponsored by the Hobby Manufacturer's Association - Model Railroad Division and by the World's Greatest Hobby Program, the show is intended to introduce the general public to model railroading in an entertaining, lively and family-friendly atmosphere. For additional information and tickets, visit the website.

Recycle Holiday Lights

Residents with old holiday lights can drop them off anytime at the Engineering & Public Works building located at 714 S. Plum Grove Rd. or at the Robert O. Atcher Municipal Center, 101 Schaumburg Ct. A receptacle is located in the lobby that will accept Christmas light strands (no C3-C6 bulbs will be accepted), extension cords and other wires including copper, insulated, house and phone wires. This recycling opportunity is available year-round at the Public Works Department and is being offered through the end of January at the municipal center. For more information about recycling opportunities, visit the village's website.

Speaking of Schaumburg

Speaking of Schaumburg is a monthly program where Mayor Al Larson offers his own unique insight and knowledge of the village and its history through interviews with village staff, officials and prominent residents. Watch the December 2015 Speaking of Schaumburg.

Employment Opportunities:

Visit the village's Employment Section on the website to view and apply for specific positions. For more information, contact the Human Resources Department at (847) 923-3900.

Quick Links:

Customer Service

Boomers Baseball

Meet Chicago Northwest

Prairie Center for the Arts

This weekly e-newsletter provides timely information on general news and events from the Village of Schaumburg.

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Happy Anniversary, Schaumburg!

Planning is underway for the celebration of the village's 60th anniversary that will occur in 2016. The village was

incorporated on March 7, 1956. A logo was designed to promote awareness of what will be a year-long celebration of events and activities that will appropriately mark this milestone in Schaumburg's history. Commemorative items, recognitions and events will be shared with the community throughout 2016, including fun historical facts about Schaumburg that will be shared in this e-newsletter throughout the year.

2016 Older Adult Market Dates

New dates for 2016 have been announced for the village's Older Adult Market, a choice-style food pantry that distributes fresh fruits and vegetables along with shelf-stable food items (such as tuna, cereal, rice, and beans) to older adults in the community. The market is held from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., or until the available food is depleted, in the upper level Great Hall of The Barn, 231 S. Civic Drive. View the 2016 dates.

The market is a collaborative effort between the Greater Chicago Food Depository and the Village of Schaumburg's Senior Program. Participants must sign in to the market and acknowledge that they are 60-years of age or older but no ID or other documents are required. For more information, contact Marina Lvovich at (847) 524-7496 or the Greater Chicago Food Depository at (773) 248-FOOD.

New Laws for the New Year

Two hundred and thirty-seven new laws will take effect January 1. Here is a look at some of the highlights that have been signed into law:

Pets in extreme weather - Illinoisans who leave their pets outdoors in very hot or cold weather could face a fine of up to $2,500 or up to a year in jail.

Powdered Alcohol - The substance is banned from store shelves in Illinois.

Weeds - Under the new law, it will be illegal to buy, sell or plant bush honeysuckle, olive, salt cedar, poison hemlock, oriental bittersweet, teasel, knotweed and giant hogweed.

Right to Try - A new law is designed to help terminally ill people by allowing them access to experimental drugs. The so-called "Right to Try" Act would give patients access to clinical-trial, experimental medical treatments and medications.

Silver Alert - Beginning in 2016, Illinois will formally have a system to find missing adults who have wandered off because of Alzheimer's or dementia. The Silver Alert law would be similar to the Amber Alert program for tracking missing children.

Pumpkin Pie - In honor of Illinois being a top-ranked producer of pumpkins, the General Assembly designated pumpkin pie as the official state pie.

Carbon Monoxide Detectors - Lawmakers adopted a law requiring CO detectors to be placed in all school facilities.

Drunk Driving - Three new laws affecting ignition interlock devices were approved in 2015, including one requiring the use of ignition interlocks for five years for all repeat offenders. An ignition interlock is a device that tests a driver's blood alcohol content before they drive and blocks them from driving if they've been drinking. Other changes include requiring fourth-time offenders to use an interlock for the rest of their lives. And, rather than wait 30 days, any first-time offender can begin using an interlock immediately after a revocation.

For a full list of new laws, click here.

ComEd Hosting Open Houses for Transmission Line Project

ComEd is hosting open houses to inform the public regarding the West Central Reliability Project, a new 138kV electric transmission line proposed for construction in Cook and DuPage counties. The project will be introduced and details about the proposed route will be discussed at the open houses. The events are informal and will provide opportunities for one-on-one conversations. The public may arrive anytime between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on the following dates and locations:

Tuesday, Jan. 5
Community Recreation Center, 505 N. Springinsguth Rd., Schaumburg

Thursday, Jan. 14
American Legion Post 1084, 344 E. Maple Ave., Roselle

Tuesday, Jan. 19

Community Recreation Center, 505 N. Springinsguth Rd., Schaumburg

Wednesday, Jan. 27
American Legion Post 1084, 344 E. Maple Ave., Roselle

For more information, visit ComEd's website.

Catch the Lecture Hall Series Spoon River Anthology

On Sunday, Jan. 17, Spoon River Anthology will be performed at the Schaumburg Prairie Center for the Arts at 2 p.m. in the lecture hall.

The centennial anniversary of Edgar Lee Masters' groundbreaking anthology is commemorated in this fresh adaptation starring actors Paddy and Jon Lynn with folk singer Patti Ecker. Causing a sensation with its frankness about sex, moral decay and hypocrisy, the collection of over two hundred interconnected free verse epitaphs focuses on former residents of the fictitious town of Spoon River, who come forward from their graves to tell the truth about their lives.

Tickets for the Spoon River Anthology are $10 and can be ordered online or by calling (847) 895-3600.

Attention New Drone Users

If you received a drone for the holidays, the Village of Schaumburg would like to remind you of ordinances in place that regulate how and where drones can be used within the village. Drones are prohibited from being flown within 100

feet of village-owned property during special events such as Septemberfest, parades, baseball games and concerts held at Boomers Stadium. To view the ordinance, visit chapter 109A of the village's Municipal Code.

Drone users are also required to register their aircraft with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Owners may register through a web-based system on their website.

Construction Updates

For a link to all village projects, please visit the website.

I-90 Tollway Updates

Small crews will continue to work on a few operations on the Meacham and Roselle Road bridge projects from now until after the new year. No major operations are expected.

The mainline I-90 contractors will continue to pave new lanes and shoulders through the holidays. That work will take place overnight, so please use extra caution as crews install the new lane lines and signs to open those new lanes. Be sure to visit the village's website for further information and other updates on this project.

Advertise in this e-Newsletter:

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The village is offering a way for local businesses to connect with the

community by placing ads in this newsletter. For more information, contact Bob Hoyer with Municipal Media Solutions at (312)640-9540.

Calendar of Events

Jan. 9: Simply Three

Enjoy a performance from a violin/cello/bass trio that covers contemporary hits at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 9 at the Prairie Center, 201 Schaumburg Ct. Tickets are $25 for adults and $23 for seniors/students. For more information, visit the website or call (847) 895-3600.

Jan. 9: Book Sale

Books, DVDs, video games and more will be on sale for $1 or less at the book sale from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 9 at the Schaumburg Township District Library, 130 S. Roselle Rd., Schaumburg. For more information, visit the website or call (847) 985-4000.

Jan 11: Divorce Finances

Gain control of your finances during a divorce at an informational session offered at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 11 at the Schaumburg Township District Library, 130 S. Roselle Rd., Schaumburg. For information, visit the website or call (847) 985-4000.

Jan. 16-17: Winter Fest

Schaumburg Park District is offering the public a chance to enjoy the great outdoors with its Winter Fest that will be offered from noon to 3 p.m. Jan. 16-17 at Spring Valley Nature Center, 1111 E. Schaumburg Rd. Admission is $3 per person or $12 per family. For more information, visit the website or call (847) 985-2100.

Jan. 17: Spoon River Anthology

Participate in the Prairie Center's Lecture Hall Series Spoon River Anthology that will take place at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 17. Tickets are $10. For more information, visit the website or call (847) 895-3600.

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About the Village

of Schaumburg

Schaumburg is the largest center of economic development in the State of Illinois, outside the City of Chicago, but it is also very much a community of neighbors and neighborhoods. Quality of life is important to us and we are constantly working to enhance it. Visit the website.

Disclaimer:

The Village of Schaumburg accepts no liability for the advertisements in this newsletter and does not endorse any product advertised. Any advertisement does not necessarily represent the view or support of the Village of Schaumburg.

If you attend a local festival or village function and the event is photographed, your image may be used for news and promotional purposes.