 Protect your dog and family from ticks! Dogs love to roll around in the
grass, jump in brush and walk in wooded areas – ALL places ticks may live. Watch this video to
find out the proper way to check and remove ticks from you dog from Heidi
Johnson, who works in Animal Care and Control for the Lake County Health
Department and Community Health Center.
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 If an
emergency should occur, do you know how to protect your furry, scaly or
feathered friends? In observance of National Pet Preparedness Month, this is a perfect
opportunity to plan for your pet’s safety. Visit FEMA’s Pet and Animal Emergency
Planning web page to find tips on making a pet emergency plan, preparing shelter,
and tips for large animals.
One important
way to keep your pet safe is to keep the vaccinations up to date. The Lake
County Health Department provides pet vaccination clinics, a low-cost,
convenient way to keep pet’s shots and rabies tags up to date. View
upcoming clinic dates and cost.
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 Forest Preserve News
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 Eat
Healthful Produce and Support Local Youth
Eat healthful produce and support local youth when you shop at the
Green Youth Farm of Lake County market. The market is open from 9 a.m. to 1
p.m. Wednesdays, through Oct. 12. Purchase fresh and nutritious organic
vegetables, herbs, honey, and more, grown in Greenbelt Forest Preserve in North
Chicago by area students. Learn more
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 Gateways
Grants Open the Door for Schools
As budgets
shrink, field trips are increasingly out of reach for Lake County schools,
especially in low-income communities. Since 1991, Gateways Grants have made
field trips possible for tens of thousands of students. They benefit from
“school” in outdoor and museum settings, where learning is experiential and
profound. School districts with a low-income population of 40 percent or more
are eligible. Gateways Grants cover program fees and provide a bus stipend.
Donations fully fund this program. Our goal is to raise $5,000 in Gateways
Grants by the start of the school year. Help make field trips possible.
Little Sprouts: Planting a Seed
Help plant the
garden at Bonner Heritage Farm in Lindenhurst and sow seeds to take
home. Join us down on the farm for fun and frolicking on select Wednesday,
through October. Get to know families while kids enjoy stories, hands-on
activities and crafts. Learn more
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The Illinois
Department of Transportation (IDOT) will be sending notice to their
contractors to stop all construction and prepare to make construction work
zones safe for a possible “long-term” shut down by June 30. This road
construction shut down is due to the lack of a state budget and an
appropriation to fund work after July 1.
This will impact several large projects in Lake County where
federal funding is administered by IDOT:
- Washington Street Grade
Separation (LCDOT Project)
- Deerfield Road – in the Village
of Deerfield and City of Highland Park (Municipal & LCDOT
Project)
- Grand Avenue at US 41 in the
Village of Gurnee (IDOT Project)
- IL Route 59 at Petite Lake Road
intersection improvement and resurfacing (IDOT Project)
LCDOT will be working with resident engineers and contractors to
make sure that the roadways are as safe as possible for the traveling public.
Road construction projects that are locally funded will continue as scheduled.
For information about any of the projects in the 2017 Construction
Program, view our interactive
construction map.
 Lake County will now get 25 percent of its electricity from
“Green power” or electricity from renewable resources, such as solar, wind, and
geothermal. This is an additional 20 percent from its previous electricity rate
contract. Green energy has proved to be environmentally preferable to
electricity generated from conventional sources, including coal, oil, natural
gas, and nuclear. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, on
average, replacing each kilowatt-hour (kWh) of traditional power with renewable
power avoids the emission of more than one pound of carbon dioxide, a key
greenhouse gas. Lake County will purchase 9.98 million renewable energy kWH(h)
under this contract, which is the equivalent of more than 15 million
pounds of carbon dioxide. Lake County has received an Environmental Stewardship
Certificate for its commitment to investing in green energy.
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Each year, an independent professional audit of Lake
County’s finances is completed. The audit firm of Baker Tilly recently issued a
“clean opinion” for the latest audit, which is the highest opinion
available.
The county board has a strong
track record of practicing fiscal responsibility. Lake County consistently has
a balanced budget, and for 20 years, it has maintained Triple A credit rating
from both Standard and Poor’s and Moody’s – the highest rating possible. Only
one other county in Illinois, and about 60 counties in the U.S have this
coveted rating (out of more than 3,000) from both of these rating agencies.
Additionally, the County has received the Government Finance Officers
Association (GFOA) award for “Excellence in Financial Reporting” for the last
two decades for the Audit, and the GFOA Distinguished Budget Presentation Award
for the past decade for the annual budget document. The recent audit, along
with the credit rating and GFOA awards, collectively show Lake County is
financially sound.
First-time, non-violent offenders now can keep a conviction from being
permanently entered on their record by participating in the Misdemeanor
Alternative Prosecution Program. The program holds offenders accountable and
addresses the needs of crime victims, but also gives deserving defendants a
second chance and the opportunity to avoid being labeled a convicted criminal. Learn more
 Individuals who struggle with substance abuse
can get directed quickly to treatment through a pilot program called “A Way
Out." The program is offered 24 hours a day, 365 days a year at participating
police departments in Lake County. Individuals, who possess narcotics or
paraphernalia, enter a participating police department and tell an officer they
are requesting help will avoid criminal charges if the participant seeks
assistance. Watch
this video to learn more about the “A Way Out” program.
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Stay safe this summer. Waukegan offers cooling centers
As we slip into summer, remember to take precautions to stay cool,
stay hydrated, and stay informed about extreme heat warnings. If you or someone
you know needs a place to stay cool, Waukegan offers the following cooling
centers.
Join a vintage baseball game
Enjoy a vintage baseball game as part of Waukegan's centennial
festival at 5 p.m. July 2 at Grosche Field in Bowen Park. Enjoy free
ice cream before game time. Admission is free. Would you like to play in
the game? Ages 14 and older are welcome. Call Julie at 847-360-4762 to learn
more.
Come to Harbor Fest
Join the fishing tournament, and enjoy musical entertainment at Harbor Fest
from noon to 10 p.m. today at the Harbor's Edge, 175 N.
Harbor Place, Waukegan. Learn more
Save dates for Scoop
Waukegan
Check
out cool cars, live entertainment and much more at Scoop Waukegan, which will
take place July 7 and 8 in downtown Waukegan. Learn more
 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, 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
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