Round Lake Police Tobacco Compliance Check

The Round Lake Police Department, completed a tobacco compliance check operation last monday, the Round Lake Police Department conducted a tobacco compliance check operation at fourteen establishments within theVillage of Round Lake.

Two of the fourteen establishments sold tobacco to an underage person: Four Coynes Tavern, 302 W. Nippersink Road, and the Marathon Gas Station, 1175 W. Railroad Ave. These businesses have had prior violations during alcohol countermeasure enforcement operations. The underage person presented the merchant with their valid Illinois identification card which clearly states that they are under the age of eighteen. Individuals who sold tobacco to the minor were charged with Sale of Tobacco to a Minor and must appear in Lake County Branch Court on December 21, 2007.

This operation was conducted pursuant to a grant from the Illinois Liquor Control Commission. Of course you all recall the give and take of the last few times we have had violations of our liquor sales to minors, and I am sure you can recall the names. The sad thing is that even though the grant comes to us via the Illinois Liquor Control Commission it does not fall under the liquor commission's guidance.

The public is reminded that an arrest is not evidence of guilt and that the defendant in this criminal case is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Pancake Breakfast with Santa this Sunday

Don't Miss Out on this Family Fun Event! Join the RL Chamber of Commerce for the Annual Pancake Breakfast with Santa & Holiday Gift Bazaar. Its this Sunday, December 2, 2007 from 7:30 am - 12:00 noon its, held in the Round Lake High School Cafeteria.

Don’t miss your visit with Santa! Sit on his lap and get a photo for ONLY $5.00 Plus you get to eat Pancakes, sausage, eggs, juice, milk & coffee for $5 for adults & $4 for kids under 12 or over 65 Purchase tickets in advance or at the door.

FABULOUS RAFFLE PRIZES:
Grand Prizes include:1 night at the Marriott Lincolnshire with theater tickets courtesy of Strang Funeral Home; $200 Shopping Spree at the ACE Homestore, courtesy of ACE Hardware; Choice of a Season Pass to the RLAPD Fitness Center -OR- a Season Family Pool Pass courtesy of the Round Lake Area Park District AND SO MUCH MORE....

Raffle tickets can be purchased for $1.00 each or 6 for $5.00. Need NOT be present to win. (Prize donations are currently being accepted. Shop our Holiday Gift Bazaar. Visit area crafters to check out all they have to offer and check off your holiday shopping list.

Proceeds from this event benefit the Scholarship Program through the Round Lake Area Chamber.

CMAP Survey for you to take!

One of the good quality planning organization's in the Chicagoland area is the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning which is doing some excellent work. They sent me some information in the form of a survey so I figured why not get Round Lake involved at this grass roots building for the future. After all why not weight our opinions!

Metropolitan Chicago needs a long-term vision for the future to define the desired standards of prosperity and livability for its residents. With projections of an additional 2 million residents and over 1.2 million new jobs by 2040, communities across the seven-county region of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will must plan more collaboratively and comprehensively.

Anticipated growth can become real progress if all stakeholders -- including local governments, public agencies, developers, businesses, and especially residents -- work together to define and implement a regional vision of sustainable prosperity.

The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) is developing the region's first truly comprehensive plan for land use and transportation. To be published in 2010, the plan will articulate a regional vision based on a number of themes that have been identified by CMAP's working committees. This survey is a chance for you to provide input to the regional vision.

Library Sign Goes Up and then Down

Long time in the planning process, and funded by the Friends of the Round Lake Library a long needed sign went up a few weeks ago, and after a few days while waiting for the bottom part of the sign.

A sharp gust of wind took the sign down bricks mortar and all!

I have gotten about 20 emails about this amazingly enough, more then most anything else this year! Who would have thought that!

Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony

Don't forget that this Friday the 30th at the Village Hall starting at 6pm we will have our annual Tree lighting along with Reindeer lights and a "special visitor" as well! If you want a hint...there will be elves around!

Officer G will be making a special appearance as well! Here is map to the Village Hall, hope to see all of you there!

Thanksgiving Vacation

The blog and the Mayor are taking a few days off from blogging for the Thanksgiving break. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

COMMENTARY--Round Lake Area Fire District

What would you say if there was a multi-million dollar public agency in Round Lake that spends your tax dollars with out any say from you the tax-payer? Seem outrageous? Welcome to the independent kingdom of the Round Lake Fire Department. Like a kingdom they have hereditary positions passed down from father to son and from husband to wife, and whats better is the three board members are appointed by the county board chairman who is in Waukegan. In other words we as tax-payers have zero say in how our tax dollars have been spent.

The Fire Department Union has been passing these petitions diligently and they need quite alot to be handed in next Tuesday to the Fire Protection Board who are mandated to turn them over so the following questions can be placed on the ballot in February of 2008.

Shall the trustees of the Greater Round Lake Fire Protection District be elected rather then appointed?

Shall the number of trustees of the Greater Round
Lake Fire Protection District be increased from 3 to 5?

They need your your help with getting more signatures, becuase the dirty tricks that are being used on businesses that the union firefighters are standing outside of are stunning so they need to make sure there are tons of signatures on the petitions and taxpayers can finally take control of where there tax dollars are being spent!

If you want to help you can download the first and second petitions here.

Visio-Elected.pdf
Visio-FivePerson%5B1%5D.pdf

Please pass them and contact this gentlemen to have them picked up

Lake County Citizen's Group Exposes Assessment Abuses

Another side heard from on the property tax discussion.

When it comes to property assessments, many homeowners feel utterly powerless. Assessments are carried out, for the most part, behind the doors of a veiled bureaucracy that is mostly unaccountable, opaque and often unfair.

After six months and hundreds of hours of research, the Citizens' Action Project (CAP) has found in a White Paper that there are serious problems in the Lake County assessment system that results in inaccurate assessment, lack of due process and uneven treatment of similar properties. CAP is calling for immediate investigations by the county board and state legislature into these practices.

"The major part of the problem -- at least in understanding the assessment process in Lake County -- is that few assessors can provide a consistent explanation on how they arrive at assessments, the process of valuing a property for tax purposes,'' according to CAP's white paper.

CAP examined home assessments because it was the collective experience of far too many Lake County taxpayers that this process was unfair. It was discovered during citizen assessment appeals – most of which were summarily rejected without much examination – that assessors were adopting methods that ran contrary to Illinois state assessment guidelines.

Like most Lake County taxpayers, CAP members are alarmed by the rate of increases seen in assessments – ranging from 10 percent to 50 percent. Illinois property taxes, according to the Tax Foundation, are among the highest in the country. If homeowners are going to be able to afford to stay in Lake County, the assessment process needs to be brought under control.

CAP has support from State Senator Michael Bond and Larry Leafblad, Lake County Board Member and Vice Chair of Revenue, Records, and Legislative Committee.

The Citizens Action Project is a newly formed volunteer organization dedicated to fairness, accountability and transparency in public agencies. The group has filed for 501(c)4 status under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. To read the complete white paper, go to www.citizensactionproject.org.

250,000 Unique Users

What has had 904 posts, 1,011 unique users a day, 33 months of shelf life and 980 day's later....I hit 250,000 unique users late yesterday!

Throw in 4,235 comments, and what do you have? Why my blog of course! I was impressed when I got to 50 people a day, now I get that in an hour on a slow day....amazing!

Residents can learn about tax assessment procedures and receive answers to their property tax questions

In an effort to help residential property owners understand the assessment process, their new property tax assessment and the tax assessment appeals process, the Lake County's Chief Assessment Office will hold a public information meetings for homeowners. The meeting will be held Saturday, November 17 at 10:00 a.m. At the College of Lake County Grayslake Campus in the Building C Auditorium.

At the meeting, the Chief County Assessment Officer will explain assessment procedures, provide the recommended steps to review a tax assessment, outline the assessment appeal process and answer questions from residential property owners.

"When property assessment notices are distributed, many residents do not understand what the assessment notice means or how they should evaluate their property tax valuation. We want to answer questions and provide property owners an opportunity to learn about how their property is assessed, their role in the tax process and how to evaluate their property's assessed value," explained Chief County Assessment Officer Marty Paulson.

Residents who cannot attend the public information meeting still have an opportunity to meet one-on-one with Lake County assessors at one of the five remaining Tax Assessment Help Centers. The Lake County website - www.co.lake.il.us - has information about dates, times and locations for the Tax Assessment Help Centers. Anyone can visit the Lake County website at www.co.lake.il.us/assessor for relevant information or contact the Chief County Assessment Office at 847.377.2050.

Valley Lakes Wins Yet Another Award!

The United States EPA in Chicago and the Chicago Wilderness Conservation has awarded Valley Lakes the Native Landscaping Award. This award was created to recognize outstanding efforts by corporations, park districts and municipalities to use native plants in the landscape or use conservation development practices within the Chicago Wilderness region.

Annual Pancake Breakfast with Santa & Holiday Gift Bazaar

Don’t miss this annual community event that raises funds for the Chamber Scholarship Program. Its Sunday, December 2, 2007 from 7:30 a.m. – 12:00 noon at the Round Lake High School Cafeteria

Over $12,000.00 in scholarships were provided to Round Lake Area students last year due to the support of this event. Enjoy great food, photos with Santa, fabulous raffle prizes and get some holiday shopping done at the “Holiday Gift Bazaar”! The cost for breakfast is ONLY $5 for adults and $4 for children/seniors.

Entertainment will be provided by the Round Lake Community Band and the Round Lake High School Choir and band Crafters and Direct Sales Consultants may contact the Chamber for an application for the Craft and Gift Bazaar. Spaces are only $40! Call today!

For additional information please contact the Round Lake Area Chamber of Commerce at 847-546-2002 or info@rlchamber.org.

Thanksgiving Communty Service

It is fast approaching that time of the year that our nation gathers to recognize the things in life that rise to the level of our gratitude. The annual Thanksgiving Community Service this year will again be on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, Nov. 18th, at 3:00 P.M.

The village of Round Lake Beach has graciously consented to allowing us to use their new Cultural & Civic Center on Hook Drive. We anticipate a meaningful service that is right and fitting for a nation that has as its motto, "In God We Trust". Chaplain Gerald Felder of the Great Lakes Naval Base will be our featured speaker.

We are excited to have our newest clergy in the community, Father Tim O'Malley, participating. The St. Joseph's Hispanic Choir will bring special music. Ricky Bueno, a former gang member of one of the Round Lake gangs who has served time in prison, has been active in Christian ministry to gangs for the past several years and will share of his outreach to teens and at-risk youth in this area, as our offering for the service will be given to Ricky's work. Please consider this a personal invitation to you and your family.

Skating Fundraiser for the Nurnburg Fund

There will a Skating Fund raiser at the Round Lake Roller Rink, 766 North Hainesville Road on Monday, November 26th (6:00 - 8:30 P.M.) The cost is $5 and two can goods. (which includes admission and skating) (Rollerblade and Speed Skates will have a $3.00 Rental Fee)

Your $5 dollar donation will be donated to the Nurnburg Fund in honor of Keith Nurnburg the late husband of Village School Teacher Tonya Nurnburg who passed while on duty in Iraq

Your canned good will be distributed to deserving families by the People Lending Assistance Network on 1860 North Route 83, in Grayslake.

Everyone is invited. All students, all community members. Sponsored by Village Student Council (VSC) and Round Lake Roller Rink For more information, please e-mail adassow@rlas-116.org

Valley Lakes wins an Award

I am very pleased to announce that the Valley Lakes HOA has received a very prestigious county wide award from the Stormwater Management Commission as Development of the Year! For those of us who live in we know the hard work the boards put in to making this development one of the best in Lake County! I have included the before and after shots of some of the areas that were addressed above.

An awards dinner will be held on December 6th with the regular SMC meeting to follow at the Byron Colby Barn, Prairie Crossing Subdivision in Grayslake. The dinner will start at 6pm and the meeting at 7pm.

• Community of the Year: Village of Vernon Hills for various projects this year including the Seavey Ditch restoration and Lake Harvey restoration.
• Development of the Year: Valley Lakes Community Association, Round Lake, for restoring six natural wetlands and 21 ponds under their jurisdiction, and they will be doing more restoration of the 273 acres of wetlands the VLCA manages.
• BMP Project of the Year: Mundelein Park District's Aquatic Center Bio-swales.
• Stormwater Manager of the Year: Lydia Scott, for her work on several projects including the Des Plaines River restoration projects and the Florsheim Nature Preserve restoration. She also is very active in both planning committee and leadership roles in Upper Des Plaines River Ecosystem Partnership , Chicago Wilderness and North Branch Chicago River watershed plan process.
• Stewardship of the Year: Bill Grinnell, Fremont Township Highway Department, for his dedicated leadership on within Fremont Township on many drainage and stormwater related projects .
• Media Award: Pioneer Press' July '07 "Power of Water" series of articles on wetland restoration, rain gardens , a former SMC employee working in Bolivia on water projects, and the health benefits of drinking water. Reporters: Stephanie Fosnight and Dan Pearson.

Specific credit needs to go to the Valley Lakes Board John F. Flader, President, John R. Gutknecht, Secretary and Tami Bradford, Treasurer. Tallgrass Restoration and Mark Micek (project manager) and Linda Yunker (grant co-ordinator) Tallgrass does all the work and manages the project.

Also mention that Valley Lakes Community Association is a member of the Chicago Wilderness and is dedicated to pursuing "Best Management Practices" (BMP's) when managing the landscaped and non-landscaped areas owned by the Community Association.

Whats up with all the Black Helicopter's

Many of you have asked me what's up with my personal fleet of black helicopters landing at the Police and Public Works station last week.

What really happened is the Law Enforcement Aviation Coalition (LEAC) conducted a training/educational session at our facility. LEAC was started by the Winthrop Harbor Police Department to provide air support for law enforcement in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin.

In 2005 they incorporated as a not for profit charitable organization. They own three Bell OH58 helicopters and have access to a privately owned Bell 430. The helicopters are based out of the Rockford, IL area and Kenosha, WI. The helicopters are equipped with Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR), Night Vision, flood/spotlights, and radios to communicate with ground units.

Two helicopters landed and were displayed. I have attached several pictures and more information can be obtained at their website, www.airsupport.com

All of their personnel are volunteers. Having these helicopters available are a great resource to the Village. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you.

Watch out for Deer!

I was driving last night along Fairfield and saw some deer bounding along in the dusk and decided that I would look up some statistics and some safety tips. More than 50,000 drivers will crash into a deer on Illinois highways this year, according to statewide figures from State Farm Insurance claims. That foreshadows chances of a crash occurring among one in 187 drivers. The incidence of car vs. deer encounters is far higher in Michigan at 1 in 86, and Wisconsin clocks in with chances at 1 in 99.

• Deliberately watch for deer, particularly when driving during peak collision times.
• Highest-risk periods are from sunset to midnight and the hours shortly before and after sunrise.
• When driving at night, use high-beam headlights when there is no opposing traffic. The high beams will illuminate the eyes of deer on or near a roadway. Watch for the reflection of deer eyes and for deer silhouettes on the shoulder of the road. High-beam headlights will not necessarily frighten a deer, so do not rely on the high beams to deter deer, but rather rely on the lights to better illuminate the animal.
• Deer are often unpredictable, especially when faced with glaring headlights, blowing horns and fast-moving vehicles. Sometimes they stop in the middle of the road when crossing or cross quickly and come back. Sometimes they move toward an approaching vehicle. Assume nothing, slow down and blow your horn to urge the deer to leave the road. If the deer stays on the road, stop, put on your hazard lights and wait for the deer to leave the roadway; do not try to go around the deer while it is on the road.
• Deer frequently travel in groups and in single file. If you see one deer on or near the road, expect that others may follow.
• Brake firmly when you notice a deer in or near your path, but stay in your lane. Many serious crashes occur when drivers swerve to avoid a deer and hit another vehicle or lose control of their cars.
• If you do strike a deer, and are uncertain whether or not the deer is dead, then keep your distance, as this is an injured, wild animal with sharp hooves that can inflict injuries. If the deer is blocking the roadway and poses a danger to other motorists, you should report the incident to the Game Commission or a local law enforcement agency.

Halloween with Madrona

I was special guest costume judge at Madrona's pre-Halloween warm-up party last weekend. Great time was had by all! There were some great costumes!

120 Project Status Update

Recently I got an update from Transcom and the Lake County Department of Transportation on the status of the Illinois Route 120 Corridor Feasibility Study. We have a variety of task forces working on the project and this is an approximation of where we are.

Public Information Task Force

• Public Information Task Force leading the majority of the work with assistance from Lake County Partners Potential Task Force meeting to be scheduled for November

Environmental & Stormwater Impact Task Force

• Initial data collection completed including GIS from all task forces Data reviewed and base maps created Field visits by TranSystems and Roux scheduled for October 23 to evaluate sensitive environmental resources.

Land Use, Economic Development & Municipal Impact Task Force

• Reviewing data collection and task force studies Field visits by TranSystems and Lakota with Task Force Chair Dennis Sandquist scheduled for October 19 to discuss land use studies

Technical Task Force

• Received traffic data from County
  
• Requested traffic data from IDOT
  
• Traffic counts for the eastern portion of the corridor completed prior to IL 120 at I-94 construction began
  
• Traffic counts for the western portion of the corridor began after the completion of the Fairfield / Gilmer interchange and to be completed by October 18
  
• Met with CMAP regarding CMAP preparing regional traffic models for various scenarios
• Existing 2030 projected with LCTIP IL 53 expressway option and with IL 120 Bypass
  
• 2030 projected with LCTIP IL 53 arterial option and with IL 120 Bypass 2030 projected without IL 53 and with IL 120 Bypass
  
• 2030 projected without IL 53 and without IL 120 Bypass CMAP has completed the existing model and one of the four projected models and estimates completion of the final three projected models by the end of November
  

• TranSystems has begun creating sub-regional traffic models based on CMAP regional traffic models calibrated to provided traffic data and counts
  
• Character of Road studies to move forward after further traffic, land use, and financing studies
  
• Placement of Road studies to move forward after further character of road and environmental studies