In Highland Park, you can now put food scraps into your yard waste bin. Here’s a new video from the Solid Waste Agency of Lake County (SWALCO) with some good tips on food composting. Countertop bins to collect food scraps are available at City Hall for $5 each. Click here for more information or to contact Lakeshore Recycling Systems to request a compost cart for your home. Food scrap and yard waste pick up continues until December.
Voting By Mail
Voting has gotten more convenient. You can now vote in person on election day, in person during early voting, or by mail. If voting by mail is convenient for you, click here to find out how to get your ballot.
Voter Registration
To vote in the November 8 election, you must be registered to vote. If you are in Highland Park, you can go to City Hall (ask for Jennifer in the City Manager’s Office) or Moraine Township until October 11 to register. To get more information, and confirm your registration (for those in Lake County, IL) click here.
Active By Design Summit
Please join me on October 4 at 1 pm at Chicago Botanic Gardens to learn more about the many benefits of designing communities that promote physical activity. Featuring Mark Fenton, nationally renowned walkability expert, and Eric Chehab, MD, of Illinois Bone and Joint Institute, the program will also include a panel of local community leaders who will share their successes with complete street enhancements and strategies for funding healthier places for walking and bicycling. Registration is required for this free event. There will also be a “walk audit” in Highland Park at 8 am on October 5. If you’d like to participate, email me for details.
New Shoe Recycling Drop Off
Do you have old shoes that you’d like to dispose of, but not send to the landfill? The City of Highland Park has recently begun to collect shoes at the Recycle Center, 1180 Half Day Road. Please pair the shoes with a rubber band or by tying together the laces. Moldy or wet shoes, ice skates, roller blades and snow boots are not accepted. Shoes can be dropped off when the Recycle Center is open — 7 am – 1 pm every Tuesday and the first Saturday of each month.
Important Post about Radon
Have you tested your home for radon lately? It’s a leading cause of lung cancer, and you should test your home every 18 mos. to 2 years. You can get test kits from the American Lung Association. Start with a short term test, and, if it shows anything of concern, follow up with a long term test. Our tests were fine until recently. Remediation is relatively easy – I’ll let you know how it goes.
Bike Walk Fair and Film Fest
Bike over to the Highland Park Library on Sunday, May 15, 2016 for Highland Park’s second annual Bike/Walk Fair. From 1-3 pm there will be bike and helmet safety checks, information from local bicycle shops and environmental organizations, and even some free stuff. Bring used bikes that you no longer need to donate to Working Bikes. Stay to see the one hour Bicycle Film Fest inside the Library at 2 or 3:15. This event is free and all are welcome. Please share.
Spring Clean Up Season
The City of Highland Park is hosting a donation drive this weekend — May 7th and 8th from 9 am to 1 pm at Hidden Creek Aqua Park. Bring over books, small household items, toys, shoes and other items (for the specifics please call 847-926-1000) to donate for reuse. Got clothing too?? Our clothing and textile bin is only a few minutes away at 1180 Half Day Road! There are many year-round Reuse-A-Shoe drop offs nearby.
Closing the Loop on Electronics Recycling
If you’ve been reading this page, you know that you can bring used electronics to the Recycling Center at 1180 Half Day Road in Highland Park, or leave one large item or three small items at the curb for pick up on your first trash day of the month if you live in Highland Park. For electronics recycling to work, there must be a market for used electronics. Here’s an interesting article that makes the case for buying certain items used. Reputable retailers refurbish these items so that they work well, and you can save money buying used.
Trash Stickers soon to be obsolete
Don’t stock up on trash stickers! Our garbage carts have an RFID chip which can be used by the trash hauler for our pay as you go system of trash pick up. They will begin using the chip instead of stickers on August 1, and stickers are not returnable. Stickers will still be needed for compost/organics if you are not on the seasonal subscription, and if you put out an extra can of trash for a special occasion.