Dear Neighbors,
I am always looking for feedback on my newsletter as well as
what's happening in Lake County. If you have any comments or concerns, feel
free to send me an email. If this newsletter was forwarded to you, please
sign up to continue to receive news about Lake County and District 21.
Also, make sure to like my Facebook page where you can get relevant and up-to-date information important to District 21. Remember to hit "Like” at the top of the page!
Sincerely,
Ann B. Maine
amaine@lakecountyil.gov
847-857-1732
Lake County Board, District 21
President, Lake County Forest Preserve District
 The April
4 Consolidated Election gives Lake County
residents some real voter power as they will be electing their local mayors,
presidents, supervisors, clerks, commissioners, alderman, councilmen, and
assessors. Also on the ballot will be park, library, and school board district
candidates along with eight public questions.
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Grace voter registration is available at all early
voting sites, which are open now through April 3 as well as at the assigned
Election Day voting site and the County Clerk’s Office on April 4. Registered
voters are encouraged to log onto LakeVoterPower.info to confirm their registration records reflect their current name and
address.
Vote
by mail
Registered voters can request a ballot by mail until March 30. Voting by
mail is so easy that even a couch potato can do
it!
Early voting
Early voting will run through
April 3. Vote at any early voting site regardless of where you live. View
the early voting sites, dates and hours.
Election Day
Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on April 4. Use the polling
place locator to find your assigned voting site.
Preview your ballot
Registered Lake County voters can preview their
ballot at LakeVoterPower.info after logging in to confirm their registration status.
Get up-to-date
election information by visiting the County
Clerk’s website as well as by following the County Clerk’s Office
on their Facebook
page and on Twitter.
The Board approved two significant actions at its March meeting,
one that approves a half million dollars to support people with gambling
addiction and other behavioral health issues, and another that creates a
commission on governmental accountability and reform.
Lake County collects a portion of the revenue generated from
video gaming in the unincorporated areas of the county. Consistent with its
policy to allocate those funds to support social programs, the Board approved
$545,000 in grant funding to several local agencies for gambling addiction and
other behavioral health services.
The
Board also took action to create a bipartisan commission to evaluate proposed reform
measures and report on key findings that enhance accountability to the public, provide for an
effective and responsive government structure, maintain strong professional and
ethical standards, as well as redistricting reform to mitigate political
influence. The group will consist of community members, elected officials,
faith leaders, major political party representatives, and other advocates of
good government. The action is in response to proposed State legislation that
would require a referendum for voters to decide whether they support a
countywide elected chairman--fundamentally changing Lake County’s current
structure where the Chairman is selected by county board members every two
years. Learn more.
 Crooks use schemes to defraud millions of people. They combine
technology and tricks to get you to give money or personal information,
pressuring you to make important decisions on the spot. Stay a step ahead and
protect yourself with the latest
information as well as practical tips from the Federal Trade Commission. Sign
up to get scam alerts right to your email.
Be aware of deeds scam in Lake County
The Lake County Recorder’s office has received calls from residents about official letters they have received regarding the deed to their home. The Recorder's office is urging you to be cautious, especially if you recently purchased or refinanced your home. Find out more
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 Forest Preserves News
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Maple syrup hikes
Stroll
through a maple woodland while learning about the sweet sap of sugar
maples. Ryerson Woods in
Riverwoods is one of few places in Lake County where conditions are right
for maple syrup production and where trees grow to a diameter and height that
allows for tapping. Hikes will be offered from noon to 2 p.m. every half hour Saturday, March 25 and Sunday, March 26. Registration is required. Learn more
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 Move more in April
Every April, the American Heart Association celebrates physical activity and
encourages all Americans to commit to being more active on a regular basis.
Your forest preserves are the perfect place to hike or stroll while improving
your health. Join an Rx for Health walk, bringing together naturalists and health professionals
for guided tours of some of Lake County's most breathtaking scenery. Learn more
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 Trout season opens April 1
Banana
Lake at Lakewood Forest
Preserve in
Wauconda opens for rainbow trout fishing on April 1, following the release
of roughly 500 to 600 rainbow trout. For details and a free fishing guide,
visit LCFPD.org/fishing.
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 Spring
controlled burns
Each
spring, our restoration ecologists conduct controlled burns across
hundreds of acres of forest preserve land. Fire is
the most effective and economical tool
available for managing natural communities and improving habitat. Learn
more and view an interactive map that shows where we
are burning each day.
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 Volunteer
with the Forest Preserves
Volunteers help the Forest Preserve District from public safety
and habitat restoration to historic preservation
and nature education. In 2016, volunteers contributed more than
36,000 hours. The value of this work exceeds $1 million and is
the equivalent of nearly 20 full time staff members. At a recent volunteer recognition brunch, we
introduced the Gilman Award to
recognize an individual who proves dedication through service. Congratulations
to the 2017 Gilman Award winner, Paul Klonowski! Paul,
who began volunteering 15 years ago, helps with our paddle sports program
and grew the Water TrailKeepers program from scratch. Learn how you can get involved.
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 Book your event at a
Forest Preserve picnic shelter
Reservations for 2017
picnic permits are now available. Choose from 31 picnic shelters located
in scenic forest preserves throughout the county. Picnic shelter permits
ensure exclusive use of a shelter for your family reunion, company picnic or
other group gathering. Plan early to help ensure your first choice of
shelter and date. Learn more
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Enjoy nature? Want to learn something new? Visit our Nature Blog, this summer and fall Alison and Jen will be exploring the Des Plaines Trail and Greenway, in anticipation of the completion of the trail. And if you enjoy history, be sure to read the History Blog by Diana Dreske. You'll be surprised at what you learn.
You can view a full calendar of Forest Preserve events for more information.
 Behind
the Bars: Lake County Sheriff spends a week in the life of a corrections officer
Lake County Sheriff
Mark C. Curran recently completed a five-week corrections officer training at
the Lake County Jail and then was responsible for a 60-inmate pod for five
days. Watch this video to learn more about his
experience and the responsibilities of a corrections officer on a typical day.
Sheriff's Office warns of telephone
scam in Lake County
The Lake
County Sheriff’s Office has received reports of residents receiving fraudulent
telephone calls from individuals falsely representing themselves to be from the
Sheriff’s Office and serving the caller with a collection notice to collect
money. Residents should be aware the Sheriff’s Office never calls to
solicit money for any reason. Find out more
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National Crime Victims' Rights
Week
Please join the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office in recognizing
National Crime Victims’ Rights Week on April 4 at the College of Lake County A
wing lower level auditorium in Grayslake. The resource fair will run from 5:30
to 6 p.m., and the program will follow. This year’s theme of National Crime Victims’
Rights Week reflects a vision for the future in which all victims are
strengthened by the response they receive, organizations are resilient in
response to challenges, and communities are able to seek collective justice and
healing.
 Junior
high and high school girls, parents, and role models are invited to join the
annual Girl-Wise
Conference from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 8 at the College of Lake County in
Grayslake. This annual conference offers the girls an opportunity to attend
workshops that promote creativity, healthy bodies, healthy minds, and taking
charge of their lives. Watch this video
to learn more, including how to register.
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 Meet Erin Cartwright Weinstein, who was elected the new Clerk of the
Circuit Court this past November. The office’s primary role is to handle court
documents as well as manage passports, civil filings, and more. Watch this edition of Lake County Update as Clerk Weinstein
discusses her priorities and shares more about the services provided in the
Circuit Clerk’s Office.
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 Signal study shows reduction in vehicle delays, fuel usage
In 2016, the Lake County Division of Transportation studied four
travel corridors to look at signal timings during peak travel times in the
morning, mid-day, and in the evening. One
of the corridors in the study was St. Mary's Road from Old Rockland Road to Atkinson Road. The results of the study show LCDOT reduced delay by 91.5 hours and saved 63.4 gallons of fuel per day for an annual benefit of $603,275.
The overall results of the study show
that technology enhancements, adjusting the signal timings, and coordinating
the signals through the Lake County PASSAGE system led to a reduction in
vehicle delays (477.8 hours) and a reduction in fuel consumption (318.2
gallons) per day. Not only does this save money, approximately $3.1 million a
year, but this also means less time stuck in the car and more time doing the
things you want to do. An added benefit of the study was a reduction in CO2
emissions by 566 metric tons per year. Learn
more about the study.
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Transportation Links:
Tollway Construction
IDOT
Metra
Travel Midwest
Wisconsin Construction
Current status of mumps in Lake County
On March 7, the Lake County Health Department announced an official mumps
outbreak after the third case of mumps was confirmed at Barrington High School.
The Health Department continues to monitor suspected and probable cases of the
disease in the county. The Health Department will regularly be updating its mumps web
page, where you can find the current status of mumps
in the county, information about mumps, and helpful resources related to mumps.
 Spring
pet vaccination clinics begin April 1
The Lake County Health Department will offer
spring pet vaccination clinics starting April 1 at locations across the county.
These low-cost clinics provide a convenient, affordable way to keep pets up to
date with their shots and rabies tags. Learn more about the clinics and all upcoming dates.
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 Lake
County leads nearby counties in alternative commuters
Nearly 25 percent of Lake County commuters are finding ways to beat the
traffic with alternative transportation such as carpooling and commuter rail
service. Lake County now leads suburban Chicago counties in non-traditional
commuters. Learn
more about this transportation snapshot.
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 Learn how Lake County and you can help our environment
From reducing CO2 emissions on the roads to providing more ways
you can recycle, let us show you what Lake County departments are doing to make
this county a vibrant, healthy place to live and work and how you can help too!
Check our Sustainable
Lake County website!
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 Prepare if severe weather approaches. Check these resources
Severe weather can happen anytime,
such as hazardous conditions produced by thunderstorms, including damaging
winds, tornadoes, large hail, and flooding, and winter storms associated with
sleet, snow and strong winds. Make sure you are prepared before severe weather occurs. Go to Ready.gov to learn your risks as well as how to create an
emergency plan.
Lake County also has resources to
keep you informed. Watch this video to
learn ways to receive emergency alerts. One way is have alerts sent to your
mobile device or email through Alert Lake County. You
can also stay alert by visiting Lake County government Facebook and Twitter pages.
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 University
Center to hold free open house March 30
The University Center of Lake County will hold a
free open house from 6 to 8 p.m. March 30 at the University Center's Grayslake
facility, 1200 University Center Drive. The event will showcase the 130
academic programs available in Lake County for adults who wish to complete a
bachelor’s degree, earn a graduate degree or pursue professional
certificates. Register for the event,
or call 847-665-4400.
University Center honored for its college outreach program
The University Center of Lake County recently
received the Innovative Initiative Award from the Illinois Council on
Continuing Higher Education for its First Generation College Outreach
Program. This program works to help strengthen students’ path to
college by collaborating with schools, businesses and public libraries across the
county. Learn more
about the program.
Apply for scholarships awarded by Illinois Counties
Association
The Illinois Counties Association is taking applications for its 2017-18
scholarships. Applications must be completed online before midnight April 28.
Eligibility is limited to applicants who live in counties that participate in the
Nationwide Retirement Solutions 457 program, of which Lake County does
participate. Learn more about the scholarships and the application process.
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