Our Community, My Commitment
Yard waste and food scraps are now collected year round, but you must sign up by emailing Service@lrsrecycles.com. You can pay per can/bag with stickers or purchase a seasonal subscription.
Pick ups are on Wednesdays through the end of March. The every other week schedule will begin for those located West of 41 on Wednesday, December 16 and then East of 41 on Wednesday December 23, rotating every other week until Wednesday, March 31.
We all have coronavirus fatigue. Please power through and continue to make responsible choices regarding mask wearing and physical distancing, so that we can get through this challenging time as safely as possible.
Covid cases are rising in Lake County and hospitals are becoming overwhelmed. According to the Centers for Disease Control, “Travel increases your chance of getting and spreading COVID-19. Staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.” It’s very hard to tell your adult children and those in college not to come home for the holiday, but that may be safest for everyone.
If you have requested a mail-in ballot and have not yet returned it, you should deposit it in a secure ballot drop box (find locations and hours here). If you’d prefer to vote in person, you may surrender the mail-in ballot and certification envelope to the check-in judge on Election Day and get a new ballot to vote right then and there. While you may still mail in the ballot, it may not be received in time at this point to be counted.
If you have requested a mail ballot, please fill it out and return it as soon as possible. This will prevent a surge of ballots from coming in at the last minute, and make it easier for the election authority to process ballots.
According to the League of Women Voters of Illinois: “Mail-in ballots are processed as soon as they are received and drop boxes are emptied daily. All mail-in ballots are inspected by election judges who check the signature on the ballot envelope to make sure that it matches the signature on file for that voter. Ballots can be rejected if the signatures don’t match, if the envelope is unsigned or not sealed, or if it is determined that the voter has already voted. Three judges must be unanimous in their decision to reject a ballot for any of these reasons. Voters must be notified within two days if their ballot is rejected, and they have until 14 days after election day to resolve the issue with their election authority. “
You can find links to the locations and hours of Lake County’s official ballot drop boxes and early voting sites here.
It’s time to make your plan to vote in the fall election. More details on the options are here. Please note that our nearest Early Voting site has moved from the Police Station and is now located at the Highland Park Country Club. On Election Day, you must vote at your assigned polling place.
As I said in my email, if you choose to use an official drop box to return your mail ballot, it must be in the box by the time polls close on November 3. However, drop boxes will not be available on Election Day at all locations – check here for a list of locations and hours. Mail-in ballots dropped by November 2 in Lake County will be counted on election night along with early votes. Those dropped on the 3rd will be counted with those mailed and postmarked by Election Day, but arriving later. More information on voting options, polling locations and hours is here. Most importantly, please vote early if you can, whether in person or by mail.
On most roadways, bicyclists (including those on electric bikes or low-speed vehicles such as scooters and mopeds) have the same rights and responsibilities as other roadway users. Additionally, bicyclists riding on the sidewalks are reminded to please alert pedestrians before safely passing them, either verbally or using a bell. The Illinois Secretary of State provides an overview of essential laws and safety tips regarding bicyclists:
Read more on the Illinois Secretary of State’s website. Always remember to wear your helmet!
The spring clean up days that were postponed due to Covid-19 have been rescheduled to August. The new dates coincide with your normal trash collection day. Monday collection: August 8, Tuesday collection: August 15, Thursday collection: August 22, Friday collection: August 29.
Electronics and recycling will not be collected during the special summer clean up days. Recycling should go out on your regular trash day. Electronics can be left out next to your trash on the first pick up of the month or taken to the City Recycling Center when they are open. You can take used clothing and textiles to the drop boxes at the Recycling Center or the HP Metra Station for reuse and recycling.
Remember that you can put out one large item with your trash each week rather than waiting for these seasonal pick up days.
If you plan to vote by mail in the November election, you can now request a ballot online here. On August 1, the County Clerk will begin mailing vote by mail applications to registered voters who voted in elections or primaries in 2018, 2019 or 2020. You may fill in that application and return it to the Clerk if you prefer. More information about voting options is here.
Curbside bulk and electronic pick up has resumed. You may place one large (bulk) item out with your trash each week at no additional charge. On your first pick up day of each month, you may place one large electronic item or three small items out with your trash. More details are here.
The City Recycling Center at 1180 Half Day Road has reopened for drive up drop off of electronics, styrofoam, fluorescent bulbs, rechargable batteries, shoes (paired) and textiles. The Recycling Center is open from 7 am – 1 pm every Tuesday and the first Saturday of the month. More details are here. Clothing and textiles can be put in either the drop box outside the Recycling Center gate or the box on the south side of the Highland Park Metra station at any time.
As I walk around the neighborhood, I’ve been seeing plastic bags and styrofoam sticking out of recycling carts. Please take a few minutes to review this list of what is recyclable in Highland Park’s curbside program. Local grocery and big box stores have plastic bag recycling receptacles. Please do not bag your recyclables in plastic. Styrofoam should be taken to the City Recycling Center. To keep our recycling system clean remember: when in doubt, throw it out.
Thank you to everyone who is supporting our front line workers – health care, grocery store employees, and pubic safety. They are working very hard, and it helps them to know that the community appreciates their efforts. Many people have lost jobs or income due to the pandemic and are struggling to pay their bills. If you are able to, please consider directing donations to Moraine Township Food Pantry or the Highland Park Community Foundation. Both of these organizations support those in our community who are in need of help.