August, 2025

Serving Our Community

Road District: 847-381-7793

Township Office: 847-381-1924

Assessor's Office: 847-381-1120

Supervisor Christopher Karam

Hello Cuba Township residents. We hope you’re enjoying these final weeks of summer and making lasting memories with family and friends.

August offers us a chance to savor those cherished last summer getaways before all the back-to-school excitement. Whether it's a family road trip, a weekend at the lake, or simply time spent together in the backyard, we hope you’ve found time to relax and recharge.

I’d like to thank everyone who participated and supported the Land We Love Run on June 29. We had a record turnout of 192 runners and walkers, and we were able to raise nearly $20,000 for our beneficiary, Folds of Honor. We are enthusiastically planning for next year’s event as we have established a goal of hosting 250 participants to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. We will have a save-the-date ready for you soon.

As we look ahead, mark your calendars for two of our favorite community events coming up in September:

Shred Event – Friday, September 6th

Bring your sensitive documents and enjoy peace of mind at our free community shredding event. It’s a safe and easy way to protect your personal information and help the environment at the same time.

Annual Fall Festival – Saturday, September 20th

Join us for an afternoon of fun, food, music, and family-friendly activities. The Fall Festival is a Cuba Township tradition that celebrates our community spirit and the beauty of the season. We can’t wait to see you there!

As always, we thank you for being part of what makes Cuba Township such a special place to live. Enjoy the rest of your summer and we will see you or talk to you again soon.

Warm regards,

Chris Karam

Township Services

****Appointments for services are REQUIRED****

Passport Services

Passport Applications: Passport processing takes 2-3 weeks for expedited processing and 4-6 weeks for standard processing. Expedited processing is an additional $60 per passport. Passport appointments are required - call 847-381-1924 to schedule an appointment. To check the status of your passport, click here.

Visit Travel.state.gov's renewal page if you want to renew an adult passport.

Food Pantry

The Tuesday food pantry continues weekly, by appointment only, from 10 AM to 1 PM. If you need food assistance, please email info@cubatwpil.gov or call 847-381-1924.

Below is a list of needed items:

Canned chicken, salmon, spam, and tuna
Canned meals including chili (mild), stew, and pork & beans
Canned soups including vegetable, chicken noodle, and any chunky soups
Toilet Paper and Paper Towels
32 oz bottles of liquid laundry detergent

Visit the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) Online Portal for Reduced Fare and Ride Free Customers

The RTA'S Fare Programs Online is a web-based online customer portal that allows residents with disabilities and seniors to apply for, replace, and renew Reduced Fare and Ride Free Permits. It's quick and easy to use - go to Fares.RTAChicago.org.

Cuba Township Half-Fare Taxi Program

The half-fare taxi program is available for Township residents who are 65 or older. The Township will subsidize half of the taxi fare up to $10.00. Please stop in the office to sign up for this program. Proof of age and residency is required. Limits may apply.

Metra Access Pilot Program

Metra Access is a pilot program running through July 31, 2025, providing a reduced fare on all Metra lines and zones for individuals enrolled in the SNAP program who live within the RTA six-county region (Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will counties). To apply, you will need a SNAP eligibility letter, a government-issued ID, and a 2" photo of yourself. You may apply at Fares.RTAChicago.org.

Cuba and Barrington Township PACE Service

The Pace program is subsidized by Cuba and Barrington Townships, as well as the Villages of Barrington, Lake Barrington, North Barrington, South Barrington, and Tower Lakes.

The service is available to seniors and disabled persons, Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM. The fares are $2.00 each way. Advanced reservations required. Call 1-800-451-4599, Monday - Friday, from 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM.

For additional assistance, call Pace customer service at 800-606-1282, option 2.

Ride Lake County - PACE Service

Seniors aged 60+ and people with disabilities interested in using Ride Lake County are encouraged to register by calling the Pace Call Center at 1-800-201-6446.

Registering early for Ride Lake County will allow riders to schedule trips. Seniors must provide their date of birth at registration, and individuals with disabilities must provide their RTA Reduced Fare Permit number at registration. Learn more

Clerk Heidi M Shannon

Cuba Township Monthly Meeting Set for Thursday, August 14, 2025

Cuba Township's Monthly Meeting is set for Thursday, August 14, 2025, beginning at 6:00 PM at the Cuba Township Office located at 28000 W Cuba Road in Barrington. Members of the public are welcome. View the Agenda.

Sincerely,

Heidi Shannon

Assessor Nicole E. Knapik, CIAO

Dear Neighbors,

Tax Relief Exemptions

Remember to file for your 2025 qualifying exemptions if you purchased your home last year. If you purchased your home this year, the first day to file your exemptions is January 2, 2026. If you need help filing, please schedule an appointment by calling 847-381-1120. Below is a list of the most common exemptions. Visit our Tax Relief page for more information.

Filing for exemptions is quick and easy through Lake County's Smartfile E-Filing Portal. If you can't file online, you may contact our office at info@cubaassessoril.gov or 847-381-1120 to schedule an appointment.

General Homestead Exemption (GHE)

If you purchased a residence in Cuba Township, and it is your principal residence, you may be eligible for the General Homestead Exemption (GHE). The GHE for 2025 is $8,000.

Senior Citizen Homestead Exemption (SHE)

If you or your spouse turn 65 at any time in 2025, and your property is your principal residence, you may be eligible for the Senior Citizen Homestead Exemption. The SHE for 2025 is $8,000. There is no income requirement and no annual renewal.

Senior Citizen Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption (SCAFHE)

Homeowners 65 or older with an income of $65,000 or less may qualify for the Senior Citizen Assessment Freeze. Beginning January 2022, proof of income must be filed along with Senior Freeze applications. You must own the property as your principal residence for two consecutive years (January 1). If you currently receive the Senior Freeze, the Lake County Assessor's Office mails reminder letters in March 2025. The SCAFHE must be filed annually to verify income eligibility.

Homestead Exemption for Persons with Disabilities (HEPD)

This exemption may be claimed in addition to the General Homestead Exemption and the Senior Homestead Exemption, if applicable. Applicants must be disabled under the Federal Social Security Act and supply evidence of disability, in addition to completing the PTAX-343 Application for Homestead Exemption for Persons with Disabilities and PTAX-343-A Physician's Statement.

Standard Homestead Exemption for Veterans with Disabilities

You may claim this exemption in addition to the General Homestead Exemption and the Senior Homestead Exemption. Disabled veterans qualify if they have at least 30% and up to 100% service-connected disability. Evidence of disability is required along with the completed PTAX-342 Application for Homestead Exemption and PTAX-342-A Annual Verification of Eligibility.

We are here to serve you!

Nicole E. Knapik, CIAO

Highway Commissioner Thomas J Podgorski

For the latest updates on roads, please follow us on Facebook!

Self-Serve Mulch

Self-serve mulch is available on a first-come, first-served basis. The mulch pile is next to the textile recycling bin in the same lot as the road salt.

Mulch Madness!

Mulch is now available for delivery to Cuba Township residents ONLY, for a delivery charge of $125.00 per truckload. Mulch is delivered on Fridays from 7:30 AM - 2:30 PM. Each load is 6-8 yards. The mulch is a double-ground mixture of hard and softwoods from removed Cuba Township trees. Email Sue at info@cubaroads.org or call 847-381-7793 to schedule your delivery.

Free Paper and Electronics Shredding Event Set for Saturday, September 6, 2025

The fall Shred Event is being held at the Cuba Township Road District, 28160 W Cuba Road in Barrington, from 8:30 to 11:30 AM, or until the trucks are full.

Please click here for a list of accepted electronic items.

Putting in a new driveway?

If you are putting in a new driveway, a Road Bond is required. Please complete the Permit Application and email it to info@cubaroads.org.

Driveway Alert for Unincorporated Homeowners

If you are a homeowner in unincorporated Lake County and planning to put in a new driveway over an existing culvert, contact the Cuba Township Road District to inspect the culvert.

Instructions for Trees or Limbs Touching Utility Lines or Power Outages

If you have issues with trees or limbs touching utility lines, contact the utility company directly. The Township cannot trim trees or limbs within 10 feet of utility lines.

If trees are blocking the road, dial 911.

Need to report a pothole?

Lake County roads - (847) 377-7400 or visit the LCDOT site.
Unincorporated Cuba Township Roads - 847-381-7793

The Road District does not offer year-round electronics recycling. Visit LRS Recycling, Wauconda Recycling, or the Solid Waste Agency of Lake County.

The Enduring Story of the White School by Barbara Benson

In the summer of 1889, Emaline Hawley Brown was writing one of her voluminous letters from the Octagon House to her daughter Laura Nightingale in Fairmont, Minnesota. Part of her letter read, “They have been after George Barnett to teach in the White Schoolhouse, the school has got to be such a terror that a lady teacher cannot manage them, the last 3 teachers have had a hard time with the school.” For many years the school was to carry the reputation of being a rough place to learn.

For over 100 years, local children trekked to the schoolhouse on Cuba Road until, in 1947, Consolidation saw the closing of country schools, and White School pupils joined the new District 89, North Barrington School.

In the ensuing years the school saw several owners, until in the mid-1960s Don and Elizabeth Moelling purchased it and became stewards of a restoration to preserve elements of its historic past.

Fast forward to 1996; Gail and Paul Wasserstein became the new stewards of this iconic survivor of Cuba Township history. With an idea in mind, they began a search of old school records and talked to local residents, some from second and third generation Cuba families.

On September 26 1998, fifteen former students of the White School came for a joyful and memory filled reunion. Together, they had totaled 79 years at the school before it closed.. The earliest student was Don Johnson enrolling in 1925, and the latest Maythel Rodgers Krasel ending in 1944. Most all had their roots in Cuba Township. Jesse Rodgers, Deloris (Dee) Homuth, Jeanne Flock Kelley, Lillian Linders Kinsell, Marion Rodgers Rizzo, Rollin and Ralph Gaulke, Bob Lindberg, John Speck, Melvin Klingenberg, Marshal Hartwig, Helen Hartwig Blume, and Connie Hartwig Grever.

A few completed 8 full years at the school and then graduated to the Barrington Public School on Hough Street. For some it was emotional; they hadn’t seen each other in over 30 years. Elizabeth Moelling was Guest of Honor, traveling from Crawfordsville, Ind. with members of her family, including her daughter Elizabeth Moelling Piller who was married in the schoolhouse in 1969.

The Wassersteins display of memorabilia, including report cards and class photographs, soon triggered the stories. Outside trash cans being cherry bombed and girls pelted with snow balls on their way to the outhouses! None of the pranks suggested the rough, unmanageable mischief recalled in Emaline’s letter.

Thirty seven years on from this reunion, the Karam family now continues stewardship of their country school residence restoring the bell and belfry. The White School’s story endures.

If you would like to email Barbara, send to Barbara and we will share your thoughts with her.

Join us - Eliminate Textile and Shoe Landfill Waste

Clothing and Textile and Reuse-A-Shoe Drop-Off Location – SWALCO Partnership

Did you know clothing is now the fastest growing waste in the US waste stream today? Join us in dropping off used clothing, linens, and shoes at the Cuba Township Textile, and Reuse-A-Shoe drop-off locations in partnership with SWALCO.

Clothing, textile, and shoe recycling is a full-circle program, diverting your new and gently used donations from landfills.

Clothing/Textiles

Unacceptable Items:

Wet, odorous, or moldy items
Nylons and Pantyhose
Fabric Scraps
Craft Scraps (yarns, threads & other craft materials)
Pillows
Sleeping Bags
Mattresses
Rugs
Carpet
Cushions
Foam furniture and foam mats
Large Luggage
Electric Blankets & Mattress Pads
Non-Fabric Household Linens: Vinyl Shower Curtains, tablecloths, furniture covers, etc.

Shoes

Dress boots, hiking boots, and rain boots are accepted. NO WINTER BOOTS ALLOWED. Shoes in any condition, from new or gently used, to those that are worn, will be accepted. And, the great news is that 95% or more of all the materials collected will be recycled or reused.

Before dropping off your shoes, please tie the laces of each pair together; if they are sandals or have no laces, please place a rubber band on the pair to keep the shoes together.

UNACCEPTABLE ITEMS include Roller Blades, Ice Skates, and Winter Boots.

Homebound and need a State ID?

The Homebound State ID program is a service program for older adults, bedridden individuals and people with disabilities who are unable to leave their homes to obtain a state ID card from a Secretary of State facility. The card may be used for identification purposes in the same way as a standard driver’s license is used for identification.

Certain documents are required to obtain the card. Once an applicant submits the information via our web form below, we will determine eligibility and the documents required to complete the transaction. For assistance to help determine if you or your loved one qualifies for this service, call 312-814-3121.

Quick Links

Homebound State ID Card Contact Form

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, and 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/ and view their most current newsletter Here.

How to Dispose of Batteries - Home Depot

Home Depot offers recycling of batteries at their Call2Recylce site located at the Home Depot, 670 S Rand Rd in Lake Zurich.

Click here for a review of how to dispose of batteries and how to recycle batteries. It includes information on single-use batteries and rechargeable batteries.

Not all batteries are accepted at Home Depot. Please click here and confirm your batteries will be accepted.