Voting Site Changes
To protect the election’s integrity and ensure voters’ privacy, it was necessary to change a number of voting site locations beginning with the March 20 Primary Election. Impacted voters were notified by mail and sent a revised Certificate of Registration card, noting the new voting site name and address. You can always visit the Lake County Clerk’s website at LakeCountyClerk.info or call 847-377-2400 for current voter registration and election information. View complete list of voting site changes. 

Forest Preserves News

Strategic Plan Update
Promoting public access and trail connections is the central focus of one of our strategic directions. Last fall, a new pedestrian bridge was installed over the Metra Railway in the wee hours of the morning when train traffic was light. The new bridge now connects 4.5 miles of trails at Middlefork Savanna Forest Preserve (Lake Forest) to the Lake Forest Academy and Townline Community Park. Crosswalk improvements at Route 60 and Academy Drive provide safe access. This project is part of a larger effort to connect Middlefork Savanna and the Middlefork Trail and Greenway to the Des Plaines River Trail at MacArthur Woods Forest Preserve (Mettawa). Several local partners and donors made this trail connection possible. Learn more

Governor Approves Land Exchange
Last fall, Governor Bruce Rauner signed HB 534, an act of the state Legislature authorizing a historic land exchange between the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and the Lake County Forest Preserves. The terms of the act call for 131-acre Black Crown Forest Preserve (Volo), currently owned and man­aged by us, to be transferred in full to IDNR and added to the adjacent Moraine Hills State Park. In exchange, IDNR will fully release its partial ownership interests in our current land holdings at Oriole Grove (Lake Bluff) and Prairie Wolf (Lake Forest), giving us 100 percent ownership of the land at both forest preserves. The agreement benefits residents because the three parcels, Black Crown, Oriole Grove and Prairie Wolf, will remain as public open space in perpetuity.

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

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

Playdate with Nature: Presidents Day
Are your kids off school on Feb. 19? Move them outdoors for unstructured seasonal play activities, proven healthful and beneficial for children of all ages. Join us for this free event from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at Lyons Woods in Waukegan. Adult supervision is required. This is a Lake County Nature Network Event.  Learn more

Symbols of Illinois: Flourite, Drummer, Tully Monster
Celebrate the Illinois Bicentennial (1818-2018) by learning about state symbols. Each program in this 10-part series teaches about the origin and natural history of the state symbols and may also include a brief walk. The program will meet from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Feb. 25 at Independence Grove in Libertyville. All ages are welcome. Adult supervision is required. Learn more

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!

Book Your Event at a Forest Preserve Picnic Shelter
Reservations for 2018 picnic permits are now available. Choose from 31 picnic shelters located in scenic forest preserves throughout the county. Picnic shelter permits ensure exclusive use of a shelter for your family reunion, company picnic or other group gathering. Plan early to help ensure your first choice of shelter and date. Learn more

Protect Yourself From the Flu
Flu activity remains high in Lake County and across the United States. It is not too late to get a flu vaccine. The CDC anticipates there will be significant flu activity for many weeks to come. Learn how to protect yourself in this message from Victor Plotkin, epidemiologist coordinator at the Lake County Health Department. Watch video. 

Test Your Home for Radon Gas This Winter. 
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.

This year, 86 volunteers took part in the annual Point-in-Time Homeless Count searching across Lake County to help document the need in our communities and offer assistance to unsheltered people experiencing homelessness. Volunteers made contact with 20 people experiencing homelessness, compared to 27 last year. Learn more about this year’s Point-In-time Homeless Count, and find out how you can make a difference in ending chronic homelessness. 

Individuals who earned $66,000 or less in 2017 can self-file their federal and state taxes for free and save an average of $200 in fees by using My Free Taxes. English and Spanish support via telephone (1-855-MY-TX-HELP) is available, along with email and online chat support from IRS-certified specialists. Learn more about My Free Taxes.

Important Notice for those who Prepaid their Property Taxes
The Lake County Treasurer’s Office has completed processing the nearly 23,000 property tax prepayments made in 2017. Taxpayers who prepaid will receive a receipt. Individuals who made a prepayment but did not receive a receipt can contact the Treasurer’s Office at 847-377-2323. View other facts and an important notice for those who prepaid their 2017 real estate taxes.

Apply to Join Summer Youth Employment Program
Applications for the 2018 Lake County Summer Youth Employment Program are now being accepted. The program, funded by the Lake County Board, will provide meaningful work experiences for approximately 215 youth. Participants will work at various sites in Lake County, including private employers and nonprofit organizations, local municipalities and community-based organizations.  The program will begin June 18 and will last approximately six weeks.

Applications will be accepted until Feb. 28 the following ways:

• Bring to the Job Center of Lake County, 1 N. Genesee St. Waukegan
• By mail, postmarked by Feb. 28, to the Job Center of Lake County
• By fax at 847-377-3474 
• Submit this form.  

Dirty Jobs – Utilizing Drone Technology

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.

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.

Household Chemical Waste Collection
Instead of throwing away your household chemicals, drop them off with the Solid Waste Agency of Lake County! Did you know chemical waste in our landfills can potentially leach into the soil and pollute the surrounding groundwater? Schedule an appointment to drop off your household chemicals. View acceptable and unacceptable items.

When you’re ready, there are tips you should follow to get it there safely.

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.

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.

I am excited to serve on the newly formed Lake County Government Reform Implementation Committee that is charged with evaluating the recommendations outlined in the final report from the Lake County Commission on Government Reform and Accountability. 

The County Board recently accepted the report from the special bi-partisan Commission, which was created in 2017 to explore reform measures, including redistricting, the method of electing the chair, and the size of the county board. The Commission concluded that Lake County functions well, and Lake County has the opportunity to be a leader in pursuing independent redistricting. Lake County would be the first County in Illinois to undertake independent redistricting reform, and would join only a handful of other counties in the U.S. that have addressed this.

The Committee will meet monthly to evaluate the recommendations in the report and submit its findings to the County Board for consideration and action. To learn more about the work of the Lake County Commission on Government Reform and Accountability, watch this video, and read the final report and other resources.

Be on alert for scam artists claiming to be a ComEd representative seeking payment. The company has seen a significant increase in reports from small businesses and residential customers who were victimized by these types of scam incidents. Take these precautions to avoid being scammed.

If you’ve been victimized by fraud, the Consumer Protection Division of the Illinois Attorney General’s office may be able to help. Visit www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/consumers.

Be A Careful Consumer! Protect Yourself
Crooks use schemes to defraud millions of people. They combine technology and tricks to get you to give money or personal information, pressuring you to make important decisions on the spot. Stay a step ahead and protect yourself with the latest information as well as practical tips from the Federal Trade Commission. Sign up to get scam alerts right to your email.

Join Citizen Police Academy
See first-hand how the Lake County Sheriff’s Office maintains law and order by attending the Citizen Police Academy, which begins March 8 through May 17. The academy is offered free to Lake County residents, who must be 21 years old or older. Get an application online or at Lake County Sheriff’s Office, 25 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., Waukegan. Apply by Feb. 26.