Volume 1 | March 2025

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Kathleen M. O'Connor

Supervisor

From the Desk of the Supervisor

What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world, remains and is immortal. ~Albert Pike, 1860

Over the years, I’ve witnessed the incredible generosity of people in our community. Through their selfless acts of kindness, we are always able to provide for those in need of food, financially assist families facing a crisis, and enhance the stewardship of our open space. The Libertyville Township Food Pantry provides food to approximately 100 households per week. In 2024, we provided Community Emergency Assistance to 34 families in financial need. Through the generosity of others, we were able to lighten the burden of families over the holidays with our Holiday Giving Program, our Gift Room and the Thanksgiving and Holiday meals that were distributed.

Our Open Space District flourishes because of our volunteer program. Our volunteers faithfully remove invasives, collect and spread native seed, track bird species, assist with the application of herbicide and participate in prescribed burns.

None of this would be possible without all of you. Your generosity and dedication to our community is one of many reasons Libertyville Township is an amazing place to live!

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

~Kathleen O’Connor

From the Supervisor's Office

Libertyville Township Board Meeting

March 18, 2025

7:00 pm at the Township

359 Merrill Court, Libertyville

Food Pantry News

The food pantry operates on Tuesdays from 10 am - 3 pm for any Libertyville Township resident in financial need and provides proof of residency. If an individual is not a registered user of the food pantry, they will be asked to provide a photo ID and a copy of a current utility bill as proof of residency. The bagged food will be distributed via drive thru. Residents will remain in the car and Township staff will load the food items.

We are currently in need of TOOTHPASTE, shampoo and conditioner, ground coffee, canned spaghetti, rice, ramen noodles, canned soup, canned stew or ravioli, canned tuna, liquid dish soap, liquid hand soap, baby wipes, and toilet paper.

*****WE ALWAYS NEED PAPER GROCERY BAGS!*****

Donations can be made Mon-Friday between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

at our office located at 359 Merrill Court, Libertyville

Call 847-816-6800 if you have any questions.

Did you miss the last newsletter? Click here to view!

OPEN SPACE UPDATES

JOIN US FOR AN OPEN SPACE VOLUNTEER WORK DAY!

On Saturday, March 8--Liberty Prairie from 9:00 a.m. to noon, we will hold a volunteer work day at the Liberty Prairie Nature Preserve.

No experience is necessary – we’ll show you what to do, and we’ll explain why it’s important. We’ll also provide gloves, goggles and hand tools (if needed), drinking water and snacks.

Wear layers of clothes that can get dirty. We strongly recommend blue jeans, sturdy boots, and three layers on top. We’ve learned that fleece jackets are just a magnet for sticky seeds and are best left in the car. We’ve also learned that if we’re cold we’re miserable, so we always recommend an extra layer of warmth – better to have it and not need it than the other way around.

We’re tough and hardy but we know our limits. Workdays will not be held under the following conditions:

Temperatures of 95 degrees or higher
Lightning or extremely high winds.
Deep, heavy snow
Temperatures or wind chills of 10 degrees or lower

Directions to Liberty Prairie Nature Preserve

18295 W. Casey Road, Grayslake, IL 60030.

Located on the south side of Casey Road, one mile west of Milwaukee Avenue (Route 21).

Turn into the driveway and park/meet where the driveway crosses the trail. This is a private driveway. Parking is only permitted on volunteer work days.

Youth Guidelines

Children 12 and older are welcome if accompanied by a supervising adult. High school students who enjoy working in the outdoors are welcome with parental permission. Releases will be available at the work day.

Questions?

Please contact us at 847.362.9760 or email jhapp@libertyvilletownship.us

News From the Highway Commissioner

Snow Removal Operations

The Libertyville Township Highway Department plows approximately 28 miles of unincorporated Libertyville Township roads, including centerline roads, cul-de-sacs and dead-end streets. The Illinois Department of Transportation plows state roads, including Routes 45, 21 (Milwaukee Avenue), 43 (Waukegan Road), 176 (Park Avenue), 60 (Townline Road) and 120 (Belvidere Road). The Lake County Division of Transportation maintains county roads, including Butterfield Road, Winchester Road and St. Mary’s Road.

Plowing generally begins when snow is more than one-inch deep and freezing temperatures indicate that the snow will not melt.

Please do not shovel or blow snow back into the street after it has been plowed and salted. Snow that is deposited on the street can refreeze and cause hazardous conditions for you or your neighbors
When it starts to snow, park your vehicle off the street. This protects it from being plowed in. It also prevents receiving a ticket and being towed
Check that your mailbox and post are in good repair and that they are behind the curb, not leaning out over the street.
If there is a fire hydrant in front of your home, clear the snow around it. It is there for your protection and that of your neighbors.
Please remove portable basketball hoops from the right-of-way. The Township is not responsible for damages that occur during snow removal operations.
Please place garbage and recycling bins on the apron of the driveway. These bins are not to be placed on the roadway as they become hazards for plow drivers.

Oak Spring Road Bridge Reconstruction Project Updates

There is a project specific website for stakeholders to use to keep up with the progress of the project. There will be a weekly update and there is an option to subscribe to receive those updates. You can view it at www.oakspringroadbridge.com

Due to the size and nature of a bridge replacement project, Oak Spring Road will be CLOSED for the duration of construction from the Des Plaines River Trail to the west and the private driveway at 15463 Oak Spring Road to the east. Local traffic only will be permitted from Appley Avenue/2^nd Street to the full closure, and from St. Mary's Road to the full closure. It is anticipated the Lake Minear parking, Des Plaines River Trail path, and all residential driveways and side streets will be accessible throughout the construction duration, however, the Lake County Forest Preserve District Canoe Launch parking lot will be closed. Please see below for location map and detour exhibit.

For questions and/or additional information, please contact Dave Marquardt, Gewalt Hamilton & Associates, Inc., at dmarquardt@gha-engineers.com or 847.821.6263 or Marty Neal, Highway Commissioner, at 847.362.3350 or highwaydepartment@libertyvilletownship.us.

Fun Facts:

You may have heard the weather proverb, “If March comes in like a lion, it will go out like a lamb,” meaning that if the month starts off stormy, it will end with mild weather. There is, however, a different interpretation: The constellation Leo, the lion, rises in the east at the beginning of March. Thus, the month “comes in like a lion,” while Aries, the ram, sets in the west at the end of the month, and hence, the month “will go out like a lamb.”

**Old Farmers Almanac

Early Voting Information for April 1 Consolidated Election

Don't Forget to Turn Your Clocks Ahead on Sunday, March 9!!

National Weather Service Training

Garden Learning Series is back!

Session 2 - Successful Vegetable Gardening

When: March 12th 2025

Presenter: Lake County Extension Master Gardeners

Description: Imagine tasting your own vegetables picked fresh from your garden... Build your success with research-based methods that promote healthy, productive plants. To get the most out of your garden, University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners will give you steps to plan and tend your garden. This will include tips on garden location/layout, preparation, recommended varieties, proper planting, pest control, watering, and harvesting tips.

Registration: https://go.illinois.edu/vegetablegardening2025

Libertyville Connect

NARCAN Is Now Available Over the Counter

NARCAN, which reverses fentanyl poisonings and other opioid overdoses, is now available at your local pharmacy. You can save the life of a friend, neighbor, or family member by keeping NARCAN at home and carrying it with you.

Most health insurance companies cover NARCAN if you purchase it through the pharmacy. If you don't have health insurance, or your insurance doesn't cover it, you can request free Naloxone from the Lake County Health Department.

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For Tips on Talking With Your Kids

Check out our website. Topics include:

· Conversation Goals

· Tips by Child's Age

· When to be Concerned

· Risks & Facts

Check out the Libertyville Connect site

Lake County Passage

Know before you go! Check Lake County PASSAGE for real-time, local traffic information. Through PASSAGE you can also sign up for email traffic alerts, twitter alerts, and smartphone apps. Another feature that can be helpful when winter weather strikes is the ability to view camera images from intersections.

Flood Insurance Premium Discounts

Property owners residing in unincorporated Lake County may be eligible to save an average of $232 a year on their flood insurance policies. Currently, there are more than 654 flood insurance policies in unincorporated Lake County.

Through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Community Rating System (CRS) program, residents within unincorporated Lake County – who meet certain requirements – are eligible for up to 20% savings on flood insurance premiums. This results in a potential annual total savings of $151,708 overall for residents across the county. Property owners should contact their flood insurance agent to obtain individual savings information.

Since 2008, Lake County has participated in the CRS program and received favorable ratings saving property owners thousands of dollars on their policies. Lake County is required to create an Annual Evaluation Report to maintain the favorable rating.

Highlights from the report include:

Lake County issued permits for two projects for elevating the finished floor of an existing structure to be above the regulatory floodplain elevation and for one project for elevating utilities and/or adding foundation openings to bring the structures into compliance with the Lake County Unified Development Ordinance in 2022. This will help protect these structures from future flooding.
The Lake County Stormwater Management Commission's (SMC) Watershed Management Board cost-share grant program helps fund local stormwater projects. The highest funding priority is flood damage and prevention/mitigation, but other project benefits are also included in funding decisions.
Lake County works closely with residents and coordinates with other agencies such as the Township Highway Commissioners and Lake County SMC to respond to drainage complaints affecting private properties.
View details of the Annual Evaluation Report

The Veterans Assistance Commission of Lake County

The Veterans Assistance Commission (VAC) promotes the welfare of honorably discharged veterans of military service and their families. The VAC acts as a central service office for all veteran organizations and has general oversight of the distribution of emergency assistance to military veterans and their families.

Types of Assistance

· Assistance with rental and mortgage payments.

· Utility payment assistance.

· Emergency medical care is provided to any member of the veteran’s immediate family who qualifies. Medical care includes hospital payments, outpatient care provided by Lake County clinics, emergency dental, and vision care.

· Job service assistance.

· Food, clothing and other supplies at Midwest Veterans Closet.

· Proper burial for indigent veterans.

For more information, please visit their website: https://www.vaclc.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lakecountyvac/ or call 847.377.3344.

Ride Lake County

Ride Lake County is a borderless countywide paratransit service that provides seniors age 60+ and people with disabilities transportation to any area of Lake County for work, shopping, medical appointments and more.

As a dial-a-ride program, vehicles do not travel in a fixed route each day. Riders schedule their trips in advance and the vehicles provide curb-to-curb service from the rider's desired pick-up and drop-off destinations. Ride Lake County is a shared-ride service, so vehicles may make stops for other passengers.

Click here for Brochure

211 Is Here to Help

211 is a free, confidential, 24-hour information and referral helpline connecting individuals & families in need with access to available health and human services.

211 is Lake County's one-stop shop for help!

Lake County residents can connect to a wide range of services by phone or text, and an expert navigator will guide them to the help they need, regardless of the time of day, the language they speak, or where they live.

More Information