Dear Neighbors,
I am always looking for feedback on my newsletter as well as what's happening in Lake County. If you have any comments or concerns, feel free to send me an email, or give me a call at 847-513-1736. If this newsletter was forwarded to you, please sign up to continue to receive news about Lake County and District 8.
Construction on the new courthouse in downtown Waukegan is
progressing and on track to open in summer of 2018. Here are some interesting
facts about the construction and the facility:
- With the steel structure now in place, it is now officially
the tallest building in Waukegan standing approximately 170 feet above street
level.
- The predominant exterior elements include more than seven million pounds of architectural precast panels. These panels weigh more than
2,200 Volkswagen Beetles and were put into place by a 210 foot tall tower
crane.
- The north face of the building features a façade referred
to as “the wave,” a signature design concept that recognizes the significance
of Lake Michigan in Lake County. (Construction and design teams are currently
installing the windows to complete this piece).
- There are about over 120 workers per day on site.
- The exterior work is almost complete, and the facility should
be fully enclosed in October.
To learn more about this project, please visit www.lakecountycourthouseexpansion.com.
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The Kids’ Korner at the Lake County Courthouse in Waukegan recently marked a
milestone, caring for 50,000 children. The Kids’ Korner provides a safe and fun
waiting area for children who are visiting the courthouse to testify or whose
parents or guardians are conducting court business. Watch
this video to learn more.
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Every
year, millions of Americans are unable to vote because they miss a registration
deadline, don't update their registration, or are unsure of how to register. On
National Voter Registration Day, Sept. 26, volunteers will be working throughout
Lake County to connect people with the ability to vote. View voter registration locations. Learn how you register
to vote online. |
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The County Board has approved an ordinance to
increase the minimum legal sales age to
purchase tobacco products to 21 in unincorporated Lake County, effective
Jan. 1, 2018. Lake County is the first county in Illinois to raise the
minimum legal sales age to 21 in unincorporated areas. To date, five Lake
County communities including Deerfield, Highland Park, Lincolnshire, Vernon
Hills, and Buffalo Grove are among 11 municipalities in the state of Illinois
to adopt Tobacco 21 ordinances. Read news release.
Tobacco use continues to be the leading
preventable cause of disease and death in the United States and is
responsible for 480,000 deaths annually. In Illinois, 6,300 youth become new
daily smokers each year. The Lake County Health Department provides FREE
one-on-one and group counseling with a certified tobacco treatment
specialist for adults looking to quit smoking or other their tobacco
use. Learn more
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is partnering with the Veterans Assistance
Commission, several local law enforcement agencies and many local high schools
to collect coats and outerwear for the Lake County Law Enforcement Veteran's
Coat Drive. Donations will be taken now through Nov. 8 at County offices and at
police departments throughout Lake County. View
donation locations. The donated items will be delivered to Midwest Veterans Closet in North Chicago.
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Veterans and members of the military can learn
practices to help better manage and release stress by joining a free
introductory session to a power breath meditation workshop from 7 to 8 p.m.
Sept. 26. The workshop will take place Oct. 12 to 16 and is free to veterans,
active military and family members. For information, call Bob at 847-322-5176,
or email robertegorman@sbcglobal.net or Pam at Pam.brockman@pwht.org.
Individuals, businesses,
and non-profit organizations impacted by the July 2017 flooding in Lake County
may be eligible for disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration
(SBA). The deadline to apply for Physical Damage loans, such as loans to
businesses to repair or replace disaster-damaged property, is Oct. 17,
2017. The deadline to apply for Economic Injury loans, such as loans to
assist small businesses and non-profits through the recovery period, is May
16, 2018. For more information on eligibility, loan amounts, and other
requirements, please view this SBA Fact Sheet. If the
governor's request for a Federal Disaster Declaration is approved, other
resources may become available for Lake County residents and businesses.
For more information,
contact the SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling
800-659-2955, or emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.
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The recent Lake County flooding and hurricanes impacting many
parts of the country all remind us of the importance of coming together as a
family and community to prepare. As we observe National Preparedness Month
this month, learn tips to help
you prepare.
Lake County also has a variety of resources to help you
prepare for an emergency. Alert Lake County is your emergency
preparedness resource, and watch this video for tips to get
emergency alerts.
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Beginning Oct. 2, the hours of operation for receiving
walk-in applications at the permit counter at the Lake County Central Permit
Facility will be 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. This change applies to all walk-in permit
applications for the Health Department, Planning, Building and Development,
Public Works, the Division of Transportation, and the Stormwater Management
Commission. The Central Permit Facility, however, will be open at 7:30 a.m. and
will close at 4:30 p.m., so residents can still drop off applications or
paperwork if the permit counter is not staffed.
The implementation of a new County-wide
permitting system has expanded the number and types of permit applications that
customers can submit online, reducing the need for people to visit our permit
counter. Customers can now create an account to submit and pay
for many permit applications electronically and review the status of
their applications and inspections online. We analyzed traffic at our public
counters and found that less than 5% of permit applications take place before 8
a.m. or after 4 p.m. Adjusting the hours slightly will allow us to staff
our public counters more efficiently, while still meeting the needs of our Lake
County customers. For information, please
visit the Planning, Building and Development website.
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Attention business
owners! Learn how to overcome the challenges of small business ownership and
mitigate risk by joining a half-day workshop Oct. 11 at the University Center
of Lake County in Grayslake. Topics include A State of Lake County from Lake
County Board Chairman Aaron Lawlor, Overcoming Challenges of Small Business
Ownership, and Mitigating Risk with Subject Matter Experts. Sign
Up.
Do you still have the glasses you used to view the solar eclipse?
Don’t throw them away! Bring glasses to one of four
locations across Lake County now through Nov. 11 as the Solid
Waste Agency of Lake County is working with Astronomers Without Borders to
bring these glasses and provide a first-hand science experience for schools in
developing countries. Please do not donate scratched, broken or torn glasses.
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Forest Preserve News
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Celebrate National
Public Lands Day Grab some work gloves and
join other Forest Preserve volunteers to save some of Lake County's natural
areas on Sept. 30 at Rollins
Savanna in Grayslake. Dress in long pants and sturdy shoes, and bring
work gloves for brush clearing, seed collection, and tree and shrub
planting. All ages are invited. No prior experience is necessary. Register today
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Grants Received for Conservation
Projects
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Ethel’s Woods Forest
Preserve: A $1 million Clean Water Act
grant was received from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
for work underway at Ethel’s Woods in Antioch. The grant will fund ecological
restoration of the historical North Mill Creek riparian
corridor.
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Lake Michigan Lake Plain: A $1 million grant from the Sustain Our Great Lakes
Partnership will help support continued restoration efforts for the Lake
Plain project in northeastern Lake County. The grant, administered by the
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, will be used by the Lake County
Forest Preserves and the Chiwaukee Prairie Illinois Beach Lake Plain
Partnership to restore connected habitat key to sustaining and enhancing
the biodiversity of the rare Lake Michigan Lake Plain ecosystem, which is
part of the Great Lakes basin. The project will restore critical
blocks of land through invasive plant and prescribed burn management
strategies to increase acreage of connected quality habitat for the
Blanding’s turtle and other federal and state-listed species of
concern. Learn more
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Bridge Connects Middlefork Savanna to Local Trails, Parks
At around 1:30 am on Sept. 9, the Lake County Forest
Preserves began installing a 221-foot steel pedestrian bridge over
the Metra Railway to connect trails at Middlefork Savanna Forest
Preserve to Lake Forest Academy and Townline Community Park. Watch video of installation. Other
project elements include a scenic overlook, 10-foot-wide paved trails, and
crosswalk improvements at the intersection of IL Route 60 and Academy
Drive. View project map. This
project is part of a larger effort to connect Middlefork Savanna Forest
Preserve and the Middlefork Trail and Greenway to the Des Plaines River Trail
at MacArthur Woods Forest Preserve in Mettawa.
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The Lake County Forest Preserves is pleased to be working with the
following partners and donors to make this project possible: City of Lake
Forest, Lake Forest Academy, Lake Forest Bank & Trust, Lake Forest Open
Lands Association, and Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein. The Forest Preserve is
the lead agency responsible for administration and coordination of the project
and 60 percent of the local funding for construction costs. The Forest Preserve
also secured federal funding for the project through a grant from the
Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program, administered by the Illinois
Department of Transportation. Learn more
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Did
you know average person uses 25 to 50 gallons of water taking a shower? And by
shutting off the water when brushing your teeth or shaving, you can save one to
three gallons of water per minute? Read Lake County’s water usage and
conservation guide, which has helpful information
about water consumption, both indoor and outdoor and water conservation tips.
Use this knowledge to verify that your home is leak free, and start conserving
water in your daily activities. You may save money too!
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Lake County is delivering on its mission and values of operational
excellence and transparency, and toward that goal, the County is being
recognized for its outstanding communications achievements with three national
awards. The County’s website (www.lakecountyil.gov)
received a first place Savvy Award from the City, County Communications and
Marketing Association (known as 3CMA) — the top award for overall website among
local governments in the U.S. The
“Meet Mitch and Hitch” video also took home the first-place Savvy
award for promotional video. This video features the State’s Attorney’s
Office’s two facility dogs and showcases the meaningful work they do. Finally,
for the “Most Creative Activity with Least Dollars Spent” category, the “Vote
Like A Couch Potato” marketing campaign won a first place Savvy. 3CMA
received nearly 700 entries in various categories, and 3CMA volunteer judges
from across the country reviewed entries and selected winners.
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