Besides having the honor or representing you on the Lake County Board and Forest Preserve Board, I also represent our county as one of the Youth Conservation Corps Board of Directors, here in Lake County.  The YCC has a long history of educating youth in our communities and helping with many projects with the Lake County Forest Preserve District and also having programs where troubled youth, many who are homeless, can come and try to make a better life for themselves. The YCC has many programs but sometimes just having a place to sleep, having clothes and meals or just being surrounded by people who encourage them to do better makes all the difference in these youths lives. The YCC offers education and many different professional certifications to lead these youth from generations of poverty in a new direction for success.

On the Forest Preserve program there were 6 crews of 8 consisting of 6 youth, each with an Assistant Crew Leader and Crew Leader. They built a brick patio and mulch bed, they installed a 1,150 ft fence and planted 6,000 aquatic plants, they cleared mass amounts of buck thorn and planted over 200  native trees just to mention a few of the projects.

A special thank you to Congressman Bob Dold for coming out to support these youth.

I am looking forward to a great year here in Lake County!

Respectfully,

Tom Weber

Transportation, 911 consolidation, growing our economy, and developing our workforce are just a few of the key priorities Lake County will focus on this year. In this video, Lake County Board Chairman Aaron Lawlor talks more about these important issues and what they mean to you.  Watch now

Registered voters can visit LakeVoterPower.info and log in using your name, house number, zip code and birth date to see your personalized March 15 Primary Election information.

What’s on my ballot?
You may review candidate names, read the referenda, and print your sample ballot.

Request a Ballot by Mail
A ballot application is required for each election. You may choose the E-request option where no signature is required, but Illinois law mandates your email address be shared with political organizations. To protect your privacy, you may choose the paper option and print out the form. Ballot request forms are also available at LakeVoterPower.info, or you can request one by emailing VotingByMail@lakecountyil.gov or calling 847-377-2406. The last day to request a ballot by mail is March 10.

Where do I vote?
Find early and Election Day voting sites along with driving directions, maps, and photos.

• Early voting is now open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Feb. 26 at the Lake County Clerk’s Office, 18 N. County St. Waukegan.
• On Feb. 29, early voting begins at 14 locations throughout Lake County. Some voting sites have extended evening and weekend hours. Residents can use any of the early voting sites regardless of where they live in Lake County.  Find a location near you. 
• Election Day is March 15, and polls are open 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Locate your assigned voting site.

Grace voter registration
For Lake County residents who still need to update their voter registration record or register for the first time, grace voter registration is available at the County Clerk’s office during weekday business hours through Election Day. Grace voter registration will also be available at any early voting site starting Feb. 29 and on Election Day at voter’s assigned polling location. Applicants must meet age, citizenship, and residency requirements and vote at the time of registration.

For additional information about the upcoming election, watch this video, visit LakeCountyClerk.info, follow the Lake County Clerk’s Office on Twitter, like their Facebook page, or call 847-377-2400.

The opioid overdose reversal drug, naloxone has been used by emergency medical personnel for decades and is now being used by police officers in Lake County who are often first on the scene and can administer the drug to an overdose victim, significantly increasing the chance of survival. Just recently, the Lake County Opioid Initiative’s Police Naloxone Program marked its 50th life saved. And, first responders are not the only ones that can get trained to administer naloxone—you can too! Live4Lali offers naloxone trainings at its free walk-in clinic along with peer-to-peer support services, substance use education, group therapy programs, and more. Learn more about the resources available at live4lali.org. 

The County Board supports an effort to introduce new legislation that would save taxpayers money by allowing the County Board to consolidate units of local government.  Currently, the County appoints nearly 300 people to about 70 government units including taxing bodies, board and commissions. Lake County continues to take a leadership role and is active in government consolidation efforts, which include initiatives such as regional consolidation of 911 emergency dispatch centers and the Round Lake Sanitary District dissolution proposal in our 2016 Legislative Program. Watch this video to learn more.

Lake Villa Township is hosting a Job Fair on Thursday March 17, 2016 from 2 to 5 pm. the Lake Villa Township will be held at the Lake Villa Township West Campus at 37850 N Rt. 59, Lake Villa, IL 60046 (¼ mile south of Grand Avenue). 

A wide range of career and job opportunities will be represented including professional, hourly, technical and non-technical jobs, in addition to summer and part-time jobs.

The JOB FAIR is free for both candidates and employers. If an employer has job openings or expects to have openings in the upcoming months, this will be an opportunity at no cost to meet and interview candidates. 

If you would like to participate or have any questions, please contact Dan Venturi at 847-356-2116 or at Supervisor@LakeVillaTownship.org or visit our Web site at www.LakeVillaTownship.org to download the registration form

Forest Preserve News

See First Folio! free at the museum
William Shakespeare is coming to Lake County! Not the bard himself, of course, but a once-in-a-lifetime national touring exhibition commemorating the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death in 1616. First Folio! The Book That Gave Us Shakespeare runs through Feb. 28 at the Lake County Discovery Museum. Don't miss your chance to see one of the rarest, most valuable and most influential books in the world––the 1623 Shakespeare First Folio. There is no admission fee to see the First Folio! exhibition. The museum is the exclusive Illinois host institution for this exhibition, which is traveling during the entire 2016 year, and stopping for a one-month show at a single institution in each of the 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. Learn more about this exhibit.

Join our conservation volunteers
Join our conservation volunteers who work year-round to improve our preserves. Typical activities include invasive plant removal, native plant seed collection and processing, and tree and shrub planting. Restoration workdays happen every weekend at preserves across the county. Learn more. 

Register for summer camps 
Sneak some learning into your child’s summer adventures at a Lake County Forest Preserve summer camp. Register today

Attention youth: Get a jump on summer job search
Applications are now available for the Lake County Board’s Summer Youth Employment Program, which offers youth the opportunity for a paid, part-time work experience over the summer. Apply online​ or at the Lake County Job Center in Waukegan until Feb. 29.  

Visit Lake County’s largest job and resource fair 
Job seekers ages 16 to 21 are invited to attend Lake County’s largest job and resource fair, Jobapalooza. The fair will run from 6 to 8 p.m. March 3 at the College of Lake County in Grayslake. Meet with over 30 employers that will provide job information on full-time, part-time and seasonal positions, and learn about valuable training opportunities that will help you become successful.  More information

Stormwater Management Commission offers eight internships
The Lake County Stormwater Management Commission (SMC) is offering eight internship opportunities this spring, summer and fall to work in the Des Plaines River Watershed. SMC is seeking two interns to collect detention basin inventory data, and six to collect river and stream inventory data. View further details regarding the positions and how to apply.