Volume 1 | November 25, 2025

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Kathleen M. O'Connor

Supervisor

Libertyville Township Offices

will be closed on

Thursday, November 27th and Friday, November 28th

in observance of

Thanksgiving

From the Supervisor's Office

Libertyville Township Board Meeting

Tuesday, December 16

7:00 pm at the Township Office

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 macaroni and cheese, rice (1 lb. bags), canned fruit, ground coffee, ramen noodles.

*****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.

Monetary donations are always welcome.

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!

Saturday, December 13---Oak Openings Nature Preserve from 9:00 a.m. to noon.

We will hold a volunteer work day at the

Oak Openings 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 Oak Openings Nature Preserve

Route 45, Grayslake, IL

On the east side of Route 45, one-half mile north of Casey Road.

Meet in the parking lot.

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.

Grow Your Skills

Volunteers have several opportunities for training and licensing for activities such as herbicide application and controlled burns. Please note that classes and tests must be successfully completed and volunteers then work under direction of paid staff. Safety is our highest priority.

Questions?

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

Where There's Smoke......

Smoke will soon be rising into the sky throughout Libertyville Township as controlled burn season begins. Fire is an essential part of the prairie landscape. Trained crews conduct controlled burns to mimic historic fire patterns and achieve restoration goals that benefit plants, animals and people. They are one of the most efficient and cost effective tools for managing natural areas.

A properly executed controlled burn provides many benefits. Fire converts dead above ground vegetation to ash returning vital nutrients to the soil, clears dead vegetation which allows new seeds to germinate and decreases the vigor of invasive plants providing an opportunity for native vegetation to thrive.

Controlled burns are conducted when most animals are dormant or absent. Animals that are active either flee the area or escape to underground burrows or other protected areas. Following a fire, green vegetation provides food for herbivores and plants produce an abundance of seed and nectar.

Safety is of the utmost importance. All burns are supervised by a Certified Prescribed Burn Manager and crew members are Midwest Ecological Prescription Burn Crew Member trained.

In the days and weeks that follow a burn a lush carpet of green will reclaim the landscape.

Any questions about upcoming burns in your area and/or would like to volunteer, please contact the Libertyville Township Open Space Office at (847)362-9760.

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.

December Poem

I heard a bird sing

In the dark of December.

A magical thing

And sweet to remember.

"We are nearer to Spring

Than we were in September,”

I heard a bird sing

In the dark of December.

--Oliver Herford

Garden Learning Series

Session 11 – Vermicomposting

When: December 10th, 2025

Presenter: University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners

Description: Learn how to make compost with worms! You will learn the basics of composting, why composting is important, and how to use worms to create compost at home without the need for a lot of space. See the various vermiculture bins, what to feed the worms, how to harvest the vermicompost and ways to use it.

Registration: Vermicomposting 2025 link

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 $241 a year on their flood insurance policies. Currently, there are more than 508 flood insurance policies in unincorporated Lake County.

Annual Evaluation Report 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 $121,526 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:

During the project year, Lake County issued a number of flood protection-related permits, including elevating structures and utilities as well as the addition of flow-through foundations. These improvements, required per the Lake County Unified Development Ordinance, are designed to 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 continuously 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