Turn on the tap and water comes out! So how did it get there?

Water seems to be a given. You turn on the tap and out it comes. Round Lake is very lucky because we were one of the founding members of an organization called the Central Lake County Joint Action Water Agency or JAWA for short. What does this mean? The short answer is Lake Michigan water some of the best drinking water in the country comes out of taps becuase our membership in this organization.

JAWA represents the community's of Grayslake, Gurnee, Lake Bluff, Libertyville, Mundelein, Round Lake, Round Lake Beach, Round Lake Heights, Round Lake Park, Lake County, Vernon Hills and Wildwood. So if you live in these areas and have city or village water, it came from Lake Michigan.

We have two water towers in the village, one on Wilson Road in the Northwest corner of Valley Lakes, the second is near the corner of 134 and Hart Road. You can't miss them they are big and white! We also have a ground storage tank along Nippersink Road, which we are going to be expanding to contain 2.5 million gallons of storage in this fiscal year. This project will be paid for by bonds from impact fees developers have paid to the village over the years.

The website for JAWA has lots of interesting information on water, Lake Michigan and the agency. Some of the interesting facts are:

• The lake contains so much water that 400,000 gallons of water (rain or snow) fall on it every second of the day!
• 320,000 gallons of water evaporate off the lake every second as well.
• Lake Michigan is the 5th largest lake in the world. (Caspian Sea, Lake Superior, Lake Victoria and Lake Huron are bigger)
  

I have appointed Trustee Don Newby as Round Lake's Director on JAWA and I serve as the alternate for the monthly board meetings. Don has served for many years on this board.

Jobs and the Great Lakes Navy Base

The Pentagon announced a 20 year plan that will save $48 billion dollars and cost the Great Lakes Naval base 2000 jobs. They employ 24,000 people at the base, so this is a reduction in force of 8%. If you recall Great Lakes in the early 90's emerged as the Navy's only consolidated training base in the country. This lost of nearly 2,000 good jobs to the county will be felt everywhere. I can think of 15-20 families who have people working at the base here in Round Lake that I know of. I am sure there are more that I don't know as well.

When Motorola closed in Harvard 4 years ago and 42 miles await least 3 families in my neighborhood who were directly affected, and countless more who also were affected throughout the Round Lake area so the impact of losing 2,000 jobs in the county will hit us here in Round Lake. That's a given.

Our elected officials are making the right noises right now about the potential closing, but its going to be difficult to prevent this from happening. But we need to try.

The Seamier Side of Being Mayor

When I was elected Mayor 4 years ago one of the things that was completely new to me were policing and public safety issues. I worked very hard to grasp the issues that confront us from a "public safety" point of view. Over time I became very familiar with resources that can help us evaluate public safety in Round Lake.

So with the horrific tragedy that took place in Zion last week I think it might be appropriate to remind you of one of the resources that the Lake County Sheriff's office has. Its the Registered Sex Offender list. You can search by municipality. I would caution you that the people listed here are registered and monitored and have paid their debt to society in terms of jail time.

I would also add that I know as Mayor, how vigilant our Police Department is when it comes to monitoring these people, I have always been impressed with the level of attention they place on this particular issue. While we are never 100% safe, our vigilance is very very high.

Transit Oriented Development

I have gotten this question a few times about the Downtown Development Plan. Since the concept we are trying to implement is Transit Oriented Development (TOD) I get the question what about the Metra station? Are we fixing that? Yes we are! The train station is the central point of the Downtown plan, TOD is based on the concept of downtown residents and business people having walking access to the train station. When we were investigating the concept of TOD I was fortunate enough to travel around the area and look at train stations that had been renovated in the TOD concept. One that was exceptional, the station in Tinley Park (shown above). The station has indoor and outdoor seating area with tables, an indoor coffee and bagel shop, and is a hot-spot for wireless internet connections.

So here's the answer yes we want that! It may not look exactly like the Tinley Park station but it will reflect the character of the downtown and it will be one of the first things that happens when we start the project!

I have some links for you to investigate if you are interested in more information on the Round Lake Downtown Plan.

School Funding Proposal in the Illinois Senate

School funding is to my thinking the single most important issue facing communities across the state. Our downstate legislators appear to be incapable of the tough decisions required to change the way we fund education in the state. However a proposal by Senator James Meeks and Senator Rick Winkel has some legs with the support of Senate President Emil Jones.

The proposal raises income tax to 5% from 3%, it also raises corporate income tax to 8% from 4.8%. However while it raises taxes, it also gives a 33% property tax rebate to homeowners. Based on what you paid to the schools in 2002. The plan could save homeowners $3.5 billion, and the income tax increase could raise nearly $5 billion.

The tentative plan would raise the bar of per student funding from the state and its existing amount of $4,900 to $6,100. All this sounds positive, in fact it would help nearly 90% of all the counties in Illinois and more importantly to us it will help Lake County schools.

So lets stay tuned and see what happens.

Transportation Woes in the County

The second failure of the Lake County Traffic Referendum (No's -53% Yes's 47%) was disappointing to say the least. The proposal would have allowed the county to bond for $100 million + dollars for highway improvement. Among the projects lost based on the failure was the widening of 60 from Diamond Lake up to and past Round Lake.

Looking at a few of the Round Lake Precincts (Round Lake's 10 precincts favored the referendum roughly 68% to 32%) we can see the broad support out here in western lake county for traffic improvements. But unfortunately the further east you go in the county the less the support becomes, since that's where all the counties traffic dollars have been spent over the years and of course that area has the tri state running through it as well.

The sad fact is that because half of the county board members are up for election in the next electoral cycle we will not see the traffic referendum on the ballot again in the foreseeable future. The board members do not want to have their names appear on the ballot with a tax increase for something that is desperately needed.

Todays' Daily Herald has an article on the traffic issue here in Lake County that I strongly suggest you go read. It gives a little of the background on the issue and what some elected officials (me and others) and others are doing this summer. Hopefully we can finally get moving in the right direction!

Happy Mothers Day!

The earliest Mother's Day celebrations can be traced back to the spring celebrations of ancient Greece in honor of Rhea, the Mother of the Gods.

During the 1600's, England celebrated a day called "Mothering Sunday". Celebrated on the 4th Sunday of Lent (the 40 day period leading up to Easter), "Mothering Sunday" honored the mothers of England. During this time many of the England's poor worked as servants for the wealthy. As most jobs were located far from their homes, the servants would live at the houses of their employers. On Mothering Sunday the servants would have the day off and were encouraged to return home and spend the day with their mothers.
A special cake, called the mothering cake, was often brought along to provide a festive touch. As Christianity spread throughout Europe the celebration changed to honor the "Mother Church" - the spiritual power that gave them life and protected them from harm. Over time the church festival blended with the Mothering Sunday celebration . People began honoring their mothers as well as the church.
In the United States Mother's Day was first suggested in 1872 by Julia Ward Howe (who wrote the words to the Battle hymn of the Republic) as a day dedicated to peace. Ms. Howe would hold organized Mother's Day meetings in Boston, and a mass every year. In 1907 Ana Jarvis, from Philadelphia, began a campaign to establish a national Mother's Day. Ms. Jarvis persuaded her mother's church in Grafton, West Virginia to celebrate Mother's Day on the second anniversary of her mother's death, the 2nd Sunday of May. By the next year Mother's Day was also celebrated in Philadelphia.

Ms. Jarvis and her supporters began to write to ministers, businessman, and politicians in their quest to establish a national Mother's Day. It was successful as by 1911 Mother's Day was celebrated in almost every state. President Woodrow Wilson, in 1914, made the official announcement proclaiming Mother's Day as a national holiday that was to be held each year on the 2nd Sunday of May.

First Saturday in May

To me the first Saturday in May is Kentucky Derby Day! Some of you may not know it but I own a horse (pictured above), she is a 2 year old filly named Karakorum Starlet (I own 9%). My guess is she will not be running in the 2006 Derby but you can always dream.

I own the portion of the horse through a marvelous idea, a limited partnership named Karakorum Thourghbred Partnerships. Check them out!

I like Bellamy Road to win with Sun King in the place hole in todays Derby. (please note this was posted before the race) Of course the horse is trained by my favorite trainer Nick Zito (trained Go for Gin a former Derby winner and a large score for me on that day). So lets run for the roses in 2006 with Karakorum Starlet but enjoy the 2005 Derby first.

Police and Public Works facility moving along!

On the Southeast corner of Bacon and Townline Road the village purchased a 39 acre parcel a few years ago to house this 34,000 square foot structure that will be our new police and public works department buildings later this year. The project has had a few snags but its on track right now and I know both departments can't wait until they get into their new home. The village board made sure that this facility is expandable so it can meet future growth needs for the village.

The old police station will become the new village building department and the village engineers. The old public works facility will go away and become more parking for Metra. Our guess is we will add 80 spots depending on the configuration. This will bring us close to 400 spots around the station. That's an increase of 120 spots in 3 years, we aim to add more over time as well, with our transit oriented development program.

Lake Access in Silver Leaf Glen

Over the last four years I have been dealing with the large park land parcel that Ryland homes deeded to the village when Silver Leaf Glen (SLG) came into the village. The issues that have come up and vanished over the four years are way to many to recount here. A short list of phrases should give you an excellent overview of whats going on... "5 presidents of Wooster Lake Association (WLA) in 4 years" "no bylaws" "no money" "Cease and Desist letters" "confusion" "finger pointing" "100 different points of view" and of course a partridge in a pear tree.

Now we have residents living in SLG, and of course we listen to them not the WLA. So when residents of SLG start asking me to do something and the ideas range from a boat launch to a passive park, the village has to listen to them. So at some point in the next month or so I am going to gather the SLG residents together exclusively and talk through the issues with them and see what they really want, and then we are going to move in that direction.

I spent the afternoon walking the parcel with a resident of SLG and came away struck by the beauty of the property and I can understand why the residents want to use it.

Daily Herald Article on Taxation

Today's Daily Herald has a great article on exactly how your tax dollars from your home are spent. There is a chart and a table that I can't find online but I will see if I can make into a PDF file for this blog tommorrow. I am copying the article into this post below.

Tax rates slip; what you owe might not

By Bob Susnjara
Daily Herald Staff Writer
Posted Thursday, May 05, 2005

Tax rates from most local governments in Lake County are slowly eroding, but that doesn’t automatically translate into less cash coming out of your wallet.
That’s because while tax rates slide, property values in the county are rising. Whether you’ll catch a break this year depends on where you live.
For example, typical tax bills should be down in Vernon Hills and Wauconda. Residents in Grayslake and Antioch are among those who should receive higher bills.Tax bills were sent to Lake County residents Wednesday, with the first equal installment due June 6 and the second Sept. 6. Some property owners pay their taxes as part of monthly mortgages, so not everyone forks out twice a year.Bills might not go up as much this year — or even drop — due to the new $5,000 homestead exemption, said Wayne Wasylko, Lake County’s director of tax extension. The exemption had been $3,500 in Lake County, until a change in state law last July.
Wasylko said tax-cap regulations mostly ensure declining rates when assessed valuations rise. And, a declining tax rate doesn’t always ensure a slimmer bill, he added.
Here’s how it would work under a hypothetical situation:
A government might cut its tax rate from 35 cents to 33 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. But any potential savings could be negated if a home were to rise in value from $200,000 to $250,000.
“Every year, the assessed value of property goes up,” Wasylko said.
One example of rising land value and a declining tax rate combining to produce more revenue is at the Vernon Hills Park District.
District residents will pay 34 cents per $100 of equalized assessed valuation in the 2004 tax year. That figure is down 7 percent compared with the 37 cents charged in 2003.
“I think it’s pretty amazing,” Vernon Hills parks Executive Director Larry DeGraaf said of his district’s declining tax rate. “In spite of all the growth and things we have accomplished, our tax rate goes down.”
Land value within Vernon Hills park system boundaries jumped from $930 million to $1 billion. The park district will receive about $3.4 million in property taxes.
Meanwhile, some Lake County residents must prepare to pay for tax increases they approved just last month.
Grass Lake Elementary District 36 and Deerfield Elementary District 109 already have increases on the new 2004 tax bills.
In the Antioch area, the owner of a $200,000 home in District 36 will pay an extra $400 to the school district.
Questions about property taxes may be directed to the Lake County clerk’s office at (847) 377-2400.

Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

The 5th of May is celebrated in the United States among the Mexican-American population, especially in Illinois, California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. Various Mexican-American societies use the celebrations to commemorate the overthrow of the Mexican Imperial Monarchy headed by Maximilian of Austria. The Imperial Monarchy was imposed from 1864 to 1867 on Mexico by Napoleon III, Emperor of France (nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte) and the Mexican conservatives "Club de Notables".

But it is in the United States of America where the celebration is more festive consisting of parades, music, folklore, dances and food. These festivities are mainly fund raising events and for solidarity among Mexican-Americans.

So for those of us in the Round Lake area who are celebrating today... ¡Viva México! ¡Viva Juárez! Viva el 5 de mayo!

Streets of Summer is June 18th

The second year of the Round Lake Festival "Streets of Summer" is set for June 18. We have a wonderful committee of volunteers who worked very hard last year to make the 2004 (and first) festival a success. This years committee is doing what appears at first glance an even better program, the headliner is Blues legend Lonnie Brooks last year we had a stage on the south end of Cedar Lake Road and when the music started the street was packed all the way to the North end of Cedar Lake Road at 134. This year you better come early because its going to be packed.

So make sure you save the date! June 18th in downtown Round Lake. Booths, food, music, games for the kids you name it we will have it!

Swearing in Last Night

Last night was the culmination of the election season here in Round Lake. Two new trustees were sworn in Brian Brubaker (above left) and Bob Del Prato (above right), one current Trustee Don Newby, Village Clerk Jeanne Kristan and myself as Mayor. Leaving the board was Dale Multerer who had served one term as trustee. It was a nice night, as we had Judge Vicky Martin swear us in, and the village hall was packed with friends and family. We had a short meeting followed by a reception for everyone afterwards. Next week we are back to work!

Saturday Night at the High School Booster Club Outings

Last night we attended the Grant HS booster fundraiser/bowling "soiree" and at the same time the Round Lake Panther Pusher "soiree" was held in the same place with Grant getting food and then bowling, and Round Lake bowling then eating. We had a nice time with all the couples at dinner, and then we bowled! I was abysmal, the first lady and I teamed up for a 88 and a 82 alternating shots, and then in the goofy bowling we rolled a sizzling 59, the highlight being a strike by myself left-handed (my only decent shot of the evening). I also struck out on the raffles, and the 50/50 as well. Who says being Mayor is not fun!