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It’s the time of year to take precautions against
ticks, which can be most active during the warmer weather and can carry
diseases such as Lyme disease. Once considered a rare illness in Lake
County, Lyme disease is becoming more common in the area. The Lake
County Health Department and Community Health Center provides tips to help
protect yourself from exposure to ticks:
- Clear leaf litter under trees, and keep the ground clean
under bird feeders.
- Keep grass near playground equipment short.
- Install a wood chip or gravel barrier between lawns and
wooded and tall grass areas.
- Minimize wood piles as these are attractive to small mammals
such as mice, which can carry ticks.
 How to remove a tick
Whether it’s rubbing alcohol, nail polish, or a burnt
match, there’s a lot of misguided folklore when it comes to how to remove a
tick. Watch
this video as Lake County Health Department Senior Biologist
Mike Adam explains the proper techniques to remove a tick.
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 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.
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 Caterpillar
has selected Deerfield as home to its new corporate headquarters. Caterpillar
initially plans to relocate approximately 100 employees to its new site
immediately, but that number is expected to triple in coming years. The move
adds high quality jobs and a new global brand to Lake County’s bustling
economy. Caterpillar, a Dow Jones 30 company, joins 11 other Fortune 500
companies that call Lake County home. Watch this video as
County Board Chairman Aaron Lawlor speaks with Deerfield Mayor Harriet
Rosenthal and Lake County Partners
President Kevin Considine to welcome Caterpillar to Lake County and discusses
working together to ensure that the transition is smooth and successful.
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 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.
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 The Solid Waste Agency
of Lake County, Stormwater Management Commission and Lake County Forest
Preserves will hold their annual rain barrel, compost bin and native plant sale
from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 13. The compost bins and rain barrels both are made
with recycled plastics. Learn about the benefits of composting and harvesting
rain water. Watch demonstrations, and meet experts to answer your
questions. Learn more
Also, don’t miss as
the native plant sale continues, just in time for Mother's Day from 10 a.m. to
2 p.m. May 14. Find all this at Independence Grove Forest Preserve's North Bay
Pavilion in Libertyville. Learn the value of planting native species and find a
variety of flowers, plants, shrubs and trees. View list of available plants.
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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 native plant sale will take place 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
 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
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 Forest Preserve News
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 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.
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 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.
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