Elm Place School's "Project Citizen" Rocks!

Spent a day at Elm Place School with the 7th grade class talking about the Greening of Elm Place School. Big suggestions from these students on a no idling policy for cars and especially the buses during drop off and pick up of students.

Other suggestions included more electronic formats instead of using paper for assignments and education in general. They would also like to plant a green roof to cool the building and opening up the school to more natural sunlight. Students also promoted turning off lights, computers, and any electric device that is not in use.

Over all, these young citizens were very impressive and had much more to say than I capsulized in this memo... We will be seeing them at City Council in a few weeks and you can watch them yourself at our city website at http://www.cityhpil.com/ or on cable channel 10 when they make their presentations.

Vote Today at NS Health Center (behind Sunset Foods)

Today, Monday March 16th will be the first day you can vote in the City Elections!!!!!!

Please Vote Early and ask others to do the same since it is convenient and allows us the greatest chances to get out more than the 20% of voters that usually vote in this election. More Highland Park Citizens should have a say in who represents them at City Hall, the schools, and Township government.

Early Voting Location and Hours: From March 16 to April 2.
Early voting is available to all eligible, registered voters who need not give a reason to vote prior to Election Day. A valid government-issued ID containing the voter’s photograph, name, and address is required.

WHERE: North Shore Health Center, 1840 Green Bay Road

WHEN: Monday - Friday, 9:00-4:30, Saturday, 9:00-2:00 through April 2.

Election Day at your neighborhood polling place April 7th. For more information Call the Lake County Clerk at 847-377-2410

Green Alliance getting traction!

Mayor Belsky's Green Alliance Initiative is moving right along with a recommendation coming to the Green Alliance to pick a firm to help us achieve sustainability. Terri Olian, Rebecca Grill, and myself just finished 6 interviews for the writing of a sustainability plan and will be reporting to our Alliance Tuesday on our chosen firm recommendation! Let's Go!!!

Protecting Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes

Those of us along the Great Lakes have the responsibility to protect this most valued asset. We can't take for granted the water that gives us and our environment life.

While most people do not believe we can ever lose Lake Michigan, think again...........! Look at what happened to the Aral Sea, the 4th largest fresh water body in the world. Check out this website at http://www.stumbleupon.com/url/scitech.blogs.cnn.com/2008/10/15/worlds-4th-largest-lake-almost-gone/ and this website at http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/uzbekistan_1297.html .

We must be strong stewards of our lake and stand back with a macro view of this situation. Lake County Water Resource Planning is in full swing designed to take additional water out of Lake Michigan and pipe it to western communities, way out of the natural watershed. Where does it stop? Is this a watershed possession, a County possession, a State possession, a National possession, or a World possession. A sustainable water method that has been discussed is to bring back all the water taken out of the watershed........ but this is very very expensive.

All of the Great Lake States have just signed a regional compact that has virtually limited the use of Great Lakes water to within the natural watershed. The natural watershed for Lake Michigan in Illinois is approximately the 294 tollway if you count in the Chicago River area as the historic watershed (this has been changed since river flow was reversed toward the Mississippi). Illinois was exempt from this provision and limited to a court decision that was restricted by a court ordered quantity rather than a watershed boundary in the recently signed compact.

We must all take a hard look at this situation and follow the spirit of the compact in limiting the use of the Great Lakes water. We must have a methodology that is fair and accepted as a sustainable practice for us to be secure about the future of our water and lives.

Fort Sheridan Cemetery Help Requested

The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4741 (Highwood) is asking for financial help to raise funds for the much needed repair of a monument to Chaplain J. Vattman at the Ft. Sheridan Military Cemetery. The private monument is at the entrance to the Ft. Sheridan Cemetery. A combination of age and weather has caused deterioration, and the Highwood VFW Post has undertaken the challenge to raise funds to repair the monument to honor a Chaplain who served his country and fellow citizens.
Please remit contributions to:
Vattman Memorial Fund
c/o Highwood VFW Post 4741
Post Office Box 474
Highwood, Illinois 60040

Community Reaches out to Writers Theater

Many of our fine community organizations reached out to writers theater to join the great cultural arts environment that is within Highland Park. I too agree, we can attain the best for the Writers community as well as the Highland Park community if we join forces and promote our successes together.

A letter was sent to Writers Theater by Port Clinton Art Festival, HP Strings, Yea HP, Arts Center of HP, NS School of Dance, Midwest Young Artists, Music Inst.of Chicago/HP, HPHS, Pilgrim Chamber Players, and East on Central.

All these organizations along with our Mayor and City Council are available to help writers in anyway to facilitate and promote their transition into Highland Park's downtown and community. We have the finest supporting people and organizations to support a great leading organization like Writers and create even a finer cultural environment for all of us in Highland Park.

Spring Cleanup right around the corner

Veolia will be collecting our spring clean up stuff on four consecutive Saturdays in late April and May, assigning a particular Saturday to each of the four residential routes.

The first pick up date is Saturday April 25th for the folks that have normal Monday(SE) garbage dates. 2nd pick up date will be Saturday May 2nd for those folks that have Tuesday(SW) garbage pick up. Next will be Saturday May 9th for those that have Thursday(NE) and the final pick up date is Saturday May 16th for those that have Friday(NW) pick up dates.

So, get ready and have a plan in place so you are ready to get that junk out up to a week before your pick up date. We have changed this ordinance from the night before to allow folks more time to get ready for this free pick up.