Hello Neighbors
Happy New Year. I'm pleased to be able to share this first newsletter of the year with you.
It is cold outside - but this is Lake County in the Winter. Unlike some of the TV weather forecasters, we are not surprised! In fact, as some of the Forest Preserves articles point out, it's the time of year for skating, sledding, ice-fishing and hiking under clear star-lit nights. Check the links to your park districts for even more activities such as the Hawthorn Woods Winter Carnival in February.
If you want to curl up with a book, our public libraries provide the books, activities and much more. The Fremont Library has a used book (7,000) and CD sale Jan 13 and 14. While you are there, kids of all ages may enjoy the model trains set up just for that weekend.
And/or...you can dispose of your tree, clear the house by recycling fabrics, shoes, hazardous materials and so much of what we no longer need that can be repurposed. Do NOT let old prescriptions fall into misuse or abuse. It's a fact, we must all rid our homes of excess drugs effectively and in an environmentally-responsible manner. Please read the information below.
In the midst of your 2018 planning and resolutions, I have a suggestion - in fact two.
First, consider using this newsletter to learn more about resources available in your community, our County Board 10th District and across Lake County. Use a new link, read an article you may have overlooked, learn about your local schools - programs, courses and events. Attend a village, school or county board or committee meeting.
Second, if you find this e-newsletter to be helpful and/or interesting, please invite a friend to sign up to receive this twice each month. Please use the link above or send an email message to me.
I look forward to hearing from you in 2018 as I have for the past three years. Please email or call me with your suggestions, questions, issues and concerns.
Regards,
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, 9 – 11 a.m.
Barrington Park District, 235 Lions Drive, Barrington
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.
 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.
Short-term test kits are
available through the Lake County Health Department for $10. Watch this video and visit the health department's website to learn more about radon and the test kits.
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Stay Green after the Holidays
The holidays are over, but don’t
throw those decorations away! Recycle your old and unwanted strings of lights
for free! View the list of locations and what items are accepted.
Donate your
holiday tree to the Lake County Forest Preserves, and we’ll recycle it into
wood chips for trails and landscaping at forest preserves throughout Lake
County. Bring your tree to a drop-off site now
through Feb. 1.
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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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 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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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. |
The Lake County Commission
on Government Reform and Accountability held its last meeting in December 2017.
The bipartisan commission was created by the County Board to evaluate proposed
government reform measures and will be reporting their key findings to the
County Board for consideration. Some of their proposed recommendations include
ideas for local government consolidation and independent redistricting. Watch this video to learn more. |
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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. |
The minimum legal sales age to
purchase tobacco products has increased to 21 years old in unincorporated
Lake County as of Jan. 1, following an ordinance approved by the County
Board. Lake County is the first county in Illinois to raise the minimum
legal sales age to 21 in unincorporated areas.
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 tobacco
use. Learn more
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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 Save the date for Mobile Passport event
Apply
for a new passport or renew your passport as the Lake County Circuit Clerk
Office's Mobile Passport Team comes to Fremont Township from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 10. Pictures also can be taken. No appointment will be necessary. Learn more
Check out Hawthorn Woods' special events
The Village of Hawthorn Woods has unveiled its 2018 special events calendar, including the winter carnival on Feb. 17. View the complete list.
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