Friends and Neighbors,

It has been a busy July and it looks to be a even busier August. There are many local activities starting this week with Lake Villa Days and next week Lindenfest. Hopefully you can join me and stop in at one of our local festivals.

For those of you still dealing with flood damage I recently spoke with a resident who is heading up the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief. The group will be continuing to offer assistance to residents  impacted by the recent flooding throughout the area for weeks to come.

ISBDR has work teams available to provide hands on help with flood recovery.  Once a person fills out a request for assistance, their teams will assess your home and will remove contaminated materials and drywall and sanitize the structure.  You can contact their Incident Command Center at 1-217-622-5101 or email them @ SBCDisasterRelief@yahoo.com .  Renters will need to have both themselves and their landlord sign assistance request forms.

If you know anyone who still needs help please forward this information on to them.

I am honored being a voice of reason for fiscal responsibility while representing our district on the Lake County Board and as a Forest Preserves Commissioner.

I am looking forward to a great year here in Lake County!

Respectfully,

Tom Weber

Find your next adventure with our interactive trail map, built on GIS technology. This easy-to-use map will help you locate trails, preserves, activities and amenities within your Lake County Forest Preserves from your phone, tablet or computer. The 2017 Hike Lake County trails are also included on the map. Exercise, relax and spend quality time outdoors along nearly 204 miles of trails in peaceful, natural settings. Learn more and start exploring today!

Hike Lake County
It’s back! Earn your yearly commemorative shield while exploring designated “Hike Lake County” trails and enjoying fall breezes and autumn colors. Complete just seven of the hikes between Aug. 15 and Nov. 30 to earn the custom designed shield. Learn more

Following the devastating floods, Lake County government and its partners have been working nonstop to respond to the disaster and provide needed resources and assistance. In this video, Chairman Aaron Lawlor visits the Red Cross Disaster Resource Center, which has helped hundreds of families impacted by the floods. He talks about the response efforts, including what a local disaster declaration means, clean-up, and what all residents should know about mosquitoes. Watch now.

Flood Information Website
Make sure to view the county’s flood information page, which contains updated, valuable information, including steps to follow if your home or personal property was damaged by the flooding, free water testing provided by the health department, and additional local resources that may be available for those affected by the flooding. 

Illinois REALTORS® Relief Foundation (IRRF) 
The IRRF is accepting applications from northern Illinois property owners in Cook, Kane, Lake, and McHenry Counties who have been impacted by the recent flooding.

Anyone who is a full-time Illinois resident, a U.S. citizen, and meets the criteria of the program is eligible to obtain funds.  Relief assistance can be used for the applicant’s home-related items (e.g. mortgage assistance, rental cost of temporary shelter, unreimbursed losses), and is limited to $500 per application. 

For more information and to apply for assistance, property owners should download this application.

A mosquito pool sampled earlier this summer in Zion has tested positive for West Nile virus and is the first confirmed indicator of West Nile presence in Lake County this year. While floodwater mosquitoes are reaching nuisance population levels in the county, the Lake County Health Department reports they do not carry the West Nile virus. The concern is that standing water in items like buckets, gutters, plant containers and debris from flood cleanup will become breeding sites for the species of mosquito that is the primary carrier of West Nile virus.

Remember to practice the 4 D’s to protect yourself and your family from mosquitoes: Drain, Defend, Dawn to Dusk, and Dress. Visit the health department’s Fight the Bite Now website to learn more prevention tips and additional information about West Nile virus.

Did you use Lake County PASSAGE as a resource for local road information during the flood? The widespread flooding that hit Lake County in July caused major roads to close, and commutes were disrupted for several days in a row. Throughout the disaster, LCDOT had a team of traffic operators and engineers updating Lake County PASSAGE around the clock, and remotely observing traffic conditions to adjust signal timings as flooding events unfolded. This was done in real time to help traffic adjust to road closures and backups.

Whether you are a regular PASSAGE user or if this was your first time - you may be wondering how it works? Here is a video tour of the PASSAGE operation so you can see what happens behind the scenes.

Work, Earn and Learn with Division of Transportation
Gain paid work experience with the Lake County Division of Transportation as part of its WEL Program. Attend one of the following information sessions to learn how you can work, earn and learn with the Division of Transportation for six months. Learn more about the WEL Program.

When: 10 a.m. Aug. 11 or 2 p.m.  Aug. 18
Where: Job Center of Lake County, 1 N. Genesee St., Waukegan

Paid internships available 
Youth ages 18 to 24 who live in Lake County and are currently unemployed may be eligible for a paid internship. Internships expose youth to viable careers while expanding their skill sets and connecting them to training resources to secure long-term employment. Learn more by attending an information session. Learn more 

Job Center of Lake County Waukegan: 3 p.m. Tuesdays and 11 a.m. Thursdays

Job Center Satellite Office Grayslake: 3 p.m. Wednesdays

The Nineteenth Judicial Circuit recently celebrated the expansion of the Robert W. Depke Juvenile Complex Center in Vernon Hills. The building now features new courtrooms and hearing rooms and more space for the State's Attorney's Office and Public Defender's Office to privately interview clients and witnesses. Watch this video to learn more about the center. 

Fred Fest returns to Fox River Forest Preserve in Port Barrington on Aug. 19. Join us for this exciting all-day music festival featuring a full lineup of diverse local bands, food and drinks, and activities for the family. All net proceeds benefit the Preservation Foundation. Learn more

Set in the midst of bustling suburbs, this emerald island offers a quiet place to relax and recreate with nature. Its wide-open spaces are safe, clean and easy to explore. Four miles of gravel trails are open to hikers, bicyclists and cross-country skiers. Please keep dogs leashed and on trails at all times, and pick up after them. The trails run through open areas within the preserve, crossing several creeks, skirting the reservoir and traversing restored prairie.

Within the next year, Buffalo Creek Forest Preserve will be undergoing reservoir expansion, preserve improvements, wetland mitigation and new trail construction. Visitors will enjoy 1.2 miles of additional trails that will provide two new loops east of Schaeffer Road, seven new boardwalks, two scenic overlooks and a 30-car expansion of the existing parking lot. Approximately a half-mile of the existing trail in a flood prone area will be relocated to higher ground to increase accessibility for longer periods and reduce long-term maintenance costs. Nineteen acres of new wetlands and 35 acres of prairie/savanna will be added as part of the restoration of the basin.

As part of a wetland mitigation bank, additional restoration work on the preserve’s western 65 acres will reestablish and rehabilitate native wetland habitat by returning the former farm fields to a sustainable natural condition. When complete, visitors of the preserve will be able to enjoy an additional 1.1 miles of new trails connecting an adjacent residential area and the Village of Long Grove’s soccer fields to the extensive network of existing trails within the preserve. View concept plans and project details.