I recently joined Lake County Board
Members, judges in the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit, and others that have been a
part of the Lake County Courthouse Expansion Project to sign the last beam of
the new court tower before it was put into place. The expansion project in
Waukegan includes an approximately 200,000-square-foot court tower and a tunnel
connecting the jail and current courthouse. The project will increase the
efficiency of the justice system and support growth of the justice agencies for
many years to come. Watch this video
to learn more about the project.
|
If
you’re starting your spring cleaning, think recycle
first, trash last. The Solid Waste Agency of Lake County (SWALCO) offers
many options to recycle your shoes, clothing and textiles, and household
chemicals.
Reuse-A-Shoe: Don't throw away your unwanted shoes! Make sure they get
recycled or reused! Drop off your shoes at one of several locations across Lake
County. View
Drop-Off Locations
Clothing and textiles: Did you know 85 percent of clothing ends up in the landfill?
Instead, bring your new, gently used, and used clothing to be reused or
recycled. Even clothes with stains or holes will be taken. Learn more, including what is
acceptable and where to drop off your items.
Household chemical
waste: Get rid of unwanted pesticides, cleaners, batteries,
gasoline, fertilizer and other household chemical waste items at public
drop-off events at SWALCO’s Gurnee facility as well as mobile collection events
at locations across Lake County. These collections are for residential waste
only. Learn
more, including acceptable items and when the next collection will be.
|
Celebrate Earth Day by checking out these upcoming events across the County.
Lindenhurst: Enjoy family fun from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 22. The schedule includes 5K and one-mile runs, a village-wide cleanup, tree planting, a kite fly and much more. Learn more about all the Earth Day activities.
Also as part of the festivities, bring up to two bankers boxes of paper to be shredded free, and any unwanted latex paint to be recycled for a small fee from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 22 at the Lindenhurst Waste Water Treatment Facility. Learn more
Waukegan: Celebrate Earth Day by cleaning up the Amstutz Expressway. Meet at 9 a.m. at North Shore Printers in Waukegan, the south end of the Amstutz to get all materials and instructions. Lunch will be provided after the clean up. Learn more
Also, seniors ages 55 and older are invited to drop by Waukegan Township Park Place for complimentary punch and earth-shaped cookies to celebrate Earth Day between 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 22.
Lake County businesses, schools, churches, non for profits and units
of government are invited to bring broken and unwanted electronics to be
recycled at a special collection event from 8 a.m. to noon April 27 at the
Lincolnshire Corporate Center (West Parking Lot), 300 Knightsbridge
Parkway.
The Solid Waste Agency of Lake County provides free opportunities
for residents to recycle electronics through a network of drop off locations.
However, State law limits these locations to accept only residential
electronics. Learn
more about this collection, including what items will be accepted.
|
Bring your electronics, such as monitors, laptops, cell phones,
televisions, and small appliances to be recycled at Recycle-O-Rama from 9 a.m.
to noon May 20 at Hawthorn Mall in Vernon Hills. Bring documents (limit two
boxes per vehicle) to be shredded, and bring latex paint to be recycled for a
small fee. There will be no household chemical waste recycling at this event. Learn more
|
Forest Preserve News
|
Ticks and Lyme Disease Ticks
can infect humans and wildlife with bacteria, viruses and parasites that can
cause serious illness. There are two species of ticks in Lake County: deer
tick (Ixodese scapularis) and wood tick (Dermacentor variabilis). Of these two species, only
deer ticks can pass on Lyme disease. However, wood ticks, also referred to as
American dog ticks, do have the ability to pass on other bacterial infections
such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia. Learn more
|
Marina Open Weekends at Independence Grove The marina at Independence Grove Forest Preserve in Libertyville is now
open weekends only through May 21 and will be open daily May 27 to Sept. 4. Before heading out to the preserve, check
here for
status updates on swimming, the marina, summer concerts, and more.
|
Check Status of Trails and Preserves Preserve improvements,
construction projects, controlled burns and weather-related events sometimes
result in temporary detours or closures of trails, preserves or facilities to
ensure public safety. Before heading out, check the
current status of trails and underpasses. Also find construction
alerts, preserve improvement
projects and controlled burn sites.
|
Did you know that
landscaping your yard with native plants is one of the best things to do for
the environment, and this can save you time and money? In fact, native plants
don’t require fertilizer, pesticides or herbicides and eliminate the need for a
lot of watering.
Citizens for
Conservation and Conserve Lake County are hosting their annual plant sales, a
great way to shop for native plants including perennials, grasses, trees and
shrubs. Conserve Lake County’s online sale will run through April 25. The native
plant sale will continue May 19 to June 3 at Almond Marsh. Learn
more
Citizens for
Conservation will sell plants May 6 and 7 at Good Shepherd Hospital. Learn
more
Volunteers who lend their time, talent and voice show they
care about their community and can inspire others to take action and create
change. Lake County offers many ways that you can contribute your time and help
make a difference. As we approach National Volunteer Week, check out all
these volunteer opportunities.
|
Find Help Lake County is a single point of
access that allows you to connect with health and human services in Lake
County. Let us know how well this free site helps you by taking this survey! The feedback will be used to improve the
effectiveness of the website. The survey is available until April 26. As an
incentive to complete the survey, one lucky respondent will win a $25 gift
card.
|
Lake County's new integrated permit and inspection system is
now available to the public! This new technology will improve
inter-departmental efficiencies, enhance customer service, improve
communication, and reduce the amount of time it takes for permits and
inspections. Customers will be able to submit and pay for many permit
applications online and review the status of their applications and inspections
using their home computer. Watch this
video to learn more. Visit the new Permit
and Inspection Dashboard.
|
Kindergarten registration to begin for Waukegan public schools Kindergarten registration for Waukegan School District 60 students for the
2017-2018 school year will be held April 29 and May 13. Those children who will be 5 years old on or by Sept. 1 will be eligible to enroll in kindergarten for the fall, but will be required to
preregister. The preregistration events are planned from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. April 29 and May 13 at Whittier
Elementary School. Parents need to bring child’s original birth certificate and proofs of residency as well as child's current school physical with a
record of immunizations, plus the dental and vision examinations, if available. For information, contact the Department for Student Support Services of
Waukegan Public Schools at 224-303-3603 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Save the date for annual Black Tie Gala Enjoy an evening of dinner, live entertainment, dancing and silent auction at the fourth annual Black Tie Gala, hosted by the Lake County Housing Authority and Aim North Development Corporation. The event will take place from 6 p.m. to midnight June 16 at the Doubletree Hotel in Mundelein. For information, call 847-223-1170 or send an email to gala@lakecountyha.org.
If you have any questions or concerns, please call me at 847-721-1563 (cell) or email me at mcunningham@lakecountyil.gov.
I encourage you to forward this update to others who may be
interested in Lake County news. Residents who wish to automatically receive my
bi-weekly newsletter can email me, or click the “Sign up for my mailing list
here” button at the top of the newsletter.
Thank you,
Mary Ross Cunningham
Ms. Cunningham, County Board member and Forest Preserve Commissioner, serves on:
Lake County Board, 9th District: Diversity and Inclusion Committee, (Ad-Hoc), Chair Lake County Law and Judicial Committee, Vice Chair Lake County Health and Community Services Lake County Rules Committee
Lake County Forest Preserves, 9th District: Operations Committee, Vice Chair Diversity and Cultural Awareness Committee
Other appointed positions: National Association of Counties (NACo), Board Representative Lake County Community Health Center Governing Council, Vice Chair Lake County Board of Health Personnel Committee, Chair Community Action Partnership of Lake County, Board Member
|
|