 Whether you’re looking for a parade, live music and delicious food or a spot to set down your blanket and watch the fireworks, Lake County has lots of ways to enjoy Independence Day. Check out Visit Lake County’s Guide to the Fourth of July, and have a spectacular holiday.
The following are details on celebrations near you.
Barrington: Enjoy an array of festivities that includes the Brat Tent, which runs June 30 to July 4 as well as more festivities on July 4 including the family fitness run, Barrington’s White House Open House, the Fourth of July parade and fireworks. Learn more
Hawthorn Woods: Join the fireworks display and concert starting at dusk July 3 at Community Park. The night will feature classic rock music, featuring Second Time Around. And celebrate America by watching the Fourth of July parade, which will kick off at 10 a.m. July 4 from Lagoon Drive to the Village Barn. Learn more
Lake Zurich: Enjoy music, entertainment, swimming, the Taste of Summer and more at the annual Independence Family Day July 4 at Paulus Park. The day will culminate with fireworks launched over the lake. Details
As part of Lake Zurich's festivities, the 22nd annual boat parade will begin at 8 p.m. just before the fireworks display. This year's theme is Whatever Floats Your Boat! Gift cards from local restaurants and retailers are offered as prizes to the winning boats. All interested boat owners can contact Rob Thorp at RTCHGO@Gmail.com to participate.
 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 your 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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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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The
deadline is July 7 to complete the 2017 Senior Citizen Assessment Freeze
Application for
taxes payable in 2018.
The Senior Freeze provides eligible seniors (based on income
levels) protection against real estate tax increases due to rising property
values, as this exemption “freezes” your home’s equalized assessed value at a
base year value. The base year is generally the year before you first qualify
and apply for the exemption. For example, if you first qualify and apply in
2017, your property’s equalized assessed value will be “frozen” at the 2016
equalized assessed value. Please note that this exemption is not a tax freeze or
a tax reduction and does not protect against increased taxes due to tax rate
increases.
To qualify for this exemption, you must be 65 years of age or
older, own the property as your principal residence for the past two January
1’s, and have a 2016 total household income of $55,000 or less.
Applications can be filed at the
Chief County Assessment Office, 18 N. County St., 7th Floor, Waukegan or at
your local
township assessor’s office.
 Forest Preserve News
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 26th Annual Civil War Days
History comes to life at one of the largest reenactments in the Midwest,
featuring battles, period demonstrations, kids’ activities and Civil War-era
shopping. Civil War Days will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 8 and 9 a.m. to 3
p.m. July 9 at Lakewood Forest Preserve. Purchase tickets online, and save $1
on admission. View daily schedule
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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 Wednesdays
through October. Get to know families while kids enjoy stories, hands-on
activities and crafts. Learn more
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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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So far in 2017, members
of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office have saved the lives of 16 people from
heroin overdoses. This number already surpasses the number of lives saved in
2015 (11) and 2016 (13).
The Sheriff’s Office
partnered with the Lake County Health Department in 2014 and trained all
Sheriff’s Office enforcement personnel in the administration of naloxone, an opioid antidote that counteracts the effects of heroin and
opioids in the brain and essentially “brings back” an individual from an
overdose. Nearly 100 doses of naloxone were administered
since then.
The Lake County
Sheriff’s Gang Task Force also continues to make strides, arresting heroin
dealers operating throughout Lake County as well as providing educational
presentations to school students, school staff, and community groups.
 This summer, join
the fight against opioid addiction. Here’s how:
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 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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 The
Lake County Courthouse Expansion project is well underway! Watch this edition of Lake County's Dirty Jobs as County Board
Chairman Aaron Lawlor tackles an important task and sprays fireproofing
material on the steel beams in the building, which will make it safer in the
event of a fire. This project,
which is anticipated to be completed in summer 2018, is designed to increase
the efficiency of the justice system and support growth of the justice agencies
out to the year 2030 and beyond.
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Join Barrington Brew Fest
Barrington Brew Fest will take place from 3 to 7 p.m. July 8 in downtown Barrington. The event will feature nearly 50 brewers
showcasing more than 90 different brews. Details
Save the dates for Alpine Fest
This year's Alpine Fest will take place July 21 to 23 at Lions Park in downtown Lake Zurich. Enjoy the parade, music, contests and much more. Learn more
View Environmental Graphiti exhibit
The Brushwood Center
at Ryerson Woods presents, "Environmental Graphiti," a contemporary art
created to enhance public awareness about the science of climate change. The exhibit is open now through July 31. Each of the digital paintings uses as its "blueprint" a
graph, chart, map, word or number relating to a key fact about climate change. Learn more
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