 Welcome to 2018. Lake County looks beautiful! I couldn't help but pull over and take a few pictures of the trees and field covered in snow. Then the reality of having to go home and shovel set in : ).
Last week I stopped in at the Lake Villa Township Senior Reno Event. I always enjoy volunteering and helping out especially because, everyone wins! It was nice seeing Lake Villa Mayor Jim McDonald and Retired Mayor Frank Loffredo, who is still volunteering and very active in the community. Township Supervisor Dan Venturi and his team always do a terrific job.
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 There are a lot of meetings and events coming up this year. I look forward to seeing you out in our district.
Together we can make sure that Lake County remains a wonderful place to call home.
Respectfully,
Tom Weber
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 The new year brings more than 200 new laws that have gone
into effect beginning Jan. 1. This includes lowering the organ donor registry
age, allowing motorists to pass bicyclists in a no-passing zone, and a new law
that protects consumers who leave negative online reviews. See the complete list.
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Seasonal flu activity has increased sharply in
recent weeks, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is
reporting that influenza-like-illness is now widespread across most of the
country, including Illinois.
The CDC
recommends everyone ages 6 months and older get a flu vaccination:
- The Lake County Health Department
provides flu vaccinations at 2303 Dodge Ave., Waukegan. For information or
to make an appointment, call 847-377-8470.
- The vaccine also is available at sites
throughout Lake County. Find
a convenient location.
Learn
more about the seasonal flu in Lake County, including tips to help prevent
the spread of the flu.
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Dispose Unwanted, Expired Prescriptions Safely
Dispose your unused, unwanted and
expired prescription drugs properly at disposal boxes across Lake County. The
service is free! Find a drug disposal
box near you, and learn what is not accepted.
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 Reuse-A-Shoe
Donate new and gently used shoes to
SWALCO’s Reuse-A-Shoe program. Individuals or families with a few pairs can
visit the drop-off locations. Groups or families who have a large number of shoes or who want to
collect them can contact Merleanne Rampale at SWALCO at 847-377-4954 to set up
a seasonal collection site or drive. View acceptable and unacceptable items.
Remember the R’s
Just as important as reusing or recycling is purchasing
eco-friendly items, including those that contain recycled content. There
are numerous markets out there, and even your local retailer offers
eco-friendly options. Visit SWALCO’s website
to learn more.
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In the general election on November 5, 2008, Lake County voters approved a referendum of $185 million to support the mission and vision of their Lake County Forest Preserves. The referendum provided $148 million to purchase between 2,500 and 3,000 acres of land to expand existing preserves and create new open spaces. The balance of $37 million provided funds to complete trails, open new preserves, restore habitat for endangered wildlife and plants, and improve and renovate existing preserves and facilities.
Now, nearly a decade later, it’s time to check in and report what value those funds have brought to Lake County. Learn more
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Skip the lines on election day and vote by mail! Registered Lake County
voters can now request a ballot by mail for the March 20 primary election.
Request a ballot at www.LakeVoterPower.info or
call 847-377-2410. |
A Paratransit Market Study is underway in Lake
County to evaluate transportation options for seniors, people with
disabilities, and the general public. Please join us for the second round of
community meetings for the Paratransit Market Study. Lake County, in
conjunction with the Lake County Coordinated Transportation Services Committee (LCCTSC),
is conducting this study to evaluate transportation options for county
residents and to prepare an implementation plan to improve service. At the
community meetings, we will provide an overview of the draft analysis of
existing conditions and draft recommendations for service implementation. You
will have the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback and comments on
these findings to help shape public transportation in Lake County.
Tuesday, Jan. 23, 1 – 3 p.m.
Round Lake Beach Cultural and Civic Center, 2007 N. Civic Center
Way, Round Lake Beach
Wednesday, Jan. 24, 5 – 7 p.m.
Warren Township Senior Center, 17801 W. Washington St., Gurnee
The meetings will be conducted in an informal, open house format
so feel free to attend at any
time during a session. The same information will be provided at all meetings.
Additional information can be found on LCDOT’s
website.
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Lake County property
owners who sustained flood damage from the July 2017 flood may be eligible to
claim an income tax credit worth up to $750 under a new law recently approved
by the Illinois Legislature and signed by the governor. If eligible, the income
tax credit may be applied to the resident’s 2017 Illinois income taxes. Learn
more
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Lake
County is consistently leveraging technology to improve the effectiveness and
efficiency of operations, including using drones to conduct land surveys in a
fraction of the time. And, during the July 2017 floods, new drone technology
helped assess damage quickly and easily that otherwise would be inaccessible. Watch
this edition of Lake County’s Dirty Jobs as County Board
Chairman Aaron Lawlor explores how drones can make jobs less dirty. |
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Lake County is on the front lines of addressing the mental
health crisis impacting our country and our communities. Over the past
year, the Lake County Mental Health Coalition has been
working diligently to study this issue at the local level and make
recommendations on how to better serve this vulnerable population in order
to maintain their health and well-being. Watch this video to
learn more. |
 Meet with healthcare employers and
training professionals at the Job Center of Lake County’s and Lake County
Health Department’s Healthcare Job Fair! More than 100 positions are available,
including physicians, registered nurses, social workers, medical assistants,
and more. The event will run from 3 to 7
p.m. Feb. 1 at the Lake County Health Department, 3010 Grand Ave., Waukegan.
RSVP for the job fair, and
learn more about the event by watching this video.
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 Lake County homeowners are urged to test radon levels
in their homes and apartments during the winter months, when indoor radon
levels are at their highest.
Radon is an odorless and colorless gas that naturally
occurs in rock and soil. It can seep into homes from the soil through cracks in
the basement floors and foundations, crawl spaces, poorly sealed sump pumps,
porous cinder block walls and other foundation floor and wall
penetrations.
To purchase a radon testing kit, please call 847-377-8020. Learn more about radon in Lake
County.
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Road salt and other deicing materials are needed to keep
Lake County’s roads, parking lots and sidewalks safe, but the products used can
impact our water quality. Lake County departments recently teamed up to offer
deicing workshops to public agencies and private contractors to show how to
wisely use road salt that will reduce the environmental impacts and help them
save money. Watch
this video. |
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 Forest Preserve News
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 Experience Winter’s Beauty
Hiking across the snow. Tracing figure eights on the ice.
Feeling the tug of a fish below the frozen water. Zooming downhill on a
snow-packed surface. These experiences and more await winter outdoor
enthusiasts at your Lake County Forest Preserves, where breathtaking scenery
goes hand-in-hand with exercise and fun. Before heading out, check online for current trail, snow and ice
conditions for sledding, snowmobiling, ice fishing, ice skating, and
cross-country skiing.
Take an Evening Hike on Solar-Lit Trails
With small solar lights to guide the way, hikers, skiers and
snowshoers can get some evening exercise along the 1.3-mile fitness trail
at Old School Forest
Preserve in Libertyville, and along a 1.65-mile hilly section of
the Millennium Trail adjacent to the Winter Sports Area at Lakewood Forest Preserve in
Wauconda. Though regular preserve hours are 6:30 a.m. to sunset, the
illuminated trails and adjacent parking lots will remain open after sunset
until 9 p.m., daily, through March 11. Learn more
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Winter Habitat Restoration
This winter, our well-trained
crews will remove invasive woody species, primarily buckthorn, autumn olive,
sandbar willow, and honeysuckle, from 17 preserves. A total of 23
restoration projects are scheduled for this season, including 852 acres of
woody clearing, forestry mowing, and small invasive tree and shrub removal. View
map and details
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Register for School Programs Today
Registration for school programs at the Dunn Museum is now open. Field trips are
available beginning March 26. For more information or to book a field trip or
in-school program, contact Nicole Stocker, Museum Educator, at 847-968-3422
or nstocker@lcfpd.org. Learn more
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 2018 Camp Registration is Now Open
Research has proven that time spent in nature fosters the healthy
development of children. Most of our camps are held completely outdoors, and
those that aren’t have components outside. Outdoor play helps children manage
stress and become resilient. Natural spaces stimulate children’s limitless
imaginations and foster creativity. Camp provides children with a safe, positive
environment that helps children grow. Our wide variety of topics allows your
camper to attend camps from ages 4 through 14 without repeating a topic. Register today!
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 Fort Sheridan Project Update
Construction of public access
improvements at Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve is going well. The project is on schedule for
reopening a portion of the preserve this summer. Progress has been made on the
entry drive, parking lot, pond expansion, turf trail, timber bridges, and
overlooks. Boulders selected by our preserve planners are incorporated in the
overlooks as gateway and seating elements. During construction, all
portions of the preserve north of Fort Sheridan’s historic district and south
of the Vattman Road entrance drive to the cemetery are closed to public
access. Respect all safety blockades and closure signage. Do not move
blockades or attempt to access closed areas. Respecting the closure will keep
work moving apace and allow the site to be reopened sooner. View closure map
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Lake County History Symposium–Call for Papers
On April 29, the Dunn Museum (Libertyville)
will host the fourth Annual Lake County History Symposium. The Symposium is
open to the public and aims to bring together those interested in and actively
researching the history of Lake County. This year’s theme is History from
Objects. Proposals for presentations and posters are requested. Submissions are
due on or before Feb. 1. Submit yours today. |
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