Friends of Kim Stone

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Kim is the experienced leader and strong advocate Highland Park needs. She is committed to continuing to work to ensure that Highland Park remains a great place to live, work, and raise a family. An independent voice on the City Council, Kim listens carefully to all views and studies issues thoroughly in order to make decisions that enhance our community.

Kim has decades of non-profit management and environmental experience. She currently serves on the National Advisory Board of the Union of Concerned Scientists and previously served on the Board of Directors of Community Partners for Affordable Housing. Kim graduated from Middlebury College and received Masters degrees in Population Planning and Public Policy from the University of Michigan. A third generation Highland Park resident, Kim loves being an involved member of the community.

Any communication via this site is the personal opinion of Councilwoman Kim Stone and is not necessarily the stated opinion of the City.

Aging in Place and Complete Streets

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Just before her 99th birthday, we convinced my grandma to give up her driver’s license. While I’ve been an advocate of Complete Streets and Active Transportation for many years, I’ve been thinking more about how someone like my grandma can continue to live independently in the suburbs without a car. There are many options now that did not exist in past years, like ride share services and safer streets. AARP is a proponent of Complete Streets, and here’s a video about why it’s a good policy for older adults. Share your thoughts on this subject by emailing me.

Did you get a letter from Com Ed?

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If you received a letter recently from ComEd that indicated that your electricity contract is expiring, don’t worry — your electricity service will continue uninterrupted. The City of Highland Park recently entered into a new contract for the purchase of electricity for residents. During the transition, all homes in the program will go back to ComEd temporarily before switching to Integrys. This will happen automatically — you don’t need to do anything. There’s a more detailed explanation here.

May is Bike Month

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Highland Park is hosting a Bicycle Fair on May 16 from 10 am – 12 pm at the Highland Park Metra Station, southeast parking lot. Join me for a pre-fair community bike ride at 9:15 am. The family friendly fair will include a children’s bike rodeo, Biking 101 workshops, maintenance clinics, helmet checks, and more.  Working Bikes will be there to collect bicycles that you want to donate. Other activities happening in celebration of National Bike Month include:

May 4, 10:30-11:30 am: Senior Cycling Presentation hosted by Trek at the Police Department Training Room. This event is free and registration is not required.

May 5: Bike to School Day. Information is here.

May 6, 10 – 11:30 am: Senior Bike Expo at Trek Highland Park, 1925 Skokie Valley Road. Try innovative bikes, including recumbents and 3 wheelers, as well as new accessories to make your ride more comfortable. Register by emailing Laura.

May 12, 9 – 11 am: Bicycle Repair Clinic. Register by May 7. Learn how to handle simple bicycle breakdowns with confidence, including; 1) changing and repairing a flat tire, 2) re-engaging a dropped chain, and 3) creating a survival kit with basic items to keep you rolling. Trek Highland Park, 1925 Skokie Valley Rd. Register by emailing Laura.

May 21, 1 pm: Senior Ride, contact Laura by May 15 for information and to register. This ride is appropriate for people of all abilities ages 50 and up.

May 2 Recycling Event

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Go Green Highland Park is collecting eyeglasses, trophies, shoes (paired), keys, pens, crayons, empty toothpaste tubes, toothbrushes and panty hose on May 2 between 7 am and 1 pm at the HP Recycle Center, 1180 Half Day Road. The City will be accepting electronics and styrofoam, as well as clothing and textiles. Please bring items sorted by category, to help keep the drop off running smoothly. If you’d like to help, or want to learn more about Go Green Highland Park, contact them here.

Highland Park Approves Green Energy Contract

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On March 23, the City Council approved a new contract for residents who are currently in its municipal aggregation program. The two year agreement with Integrys provides cost savings over the ComEd rate, and also includes the purchase of renewable energy credits (RECs). One REC is produced for each megawatt hour of renewable electricity put on the grid, and will help finance renewable energy generation. The REC option will add approximately $1.60 per month to the electricity bill for an average Highland Park home.