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Village of Wilmette E-news
Enews
Oct. 2, 2020
The following email provides timely information on general news and community events from the Village of Wilmette. For more information, please visit the Village of Wilmette website.
COVID-19 Update: Fight the Flu and COVID-19 Too!


You may have to roll up your sleeve, but it isn't hard work to get a flu shot! According to the CDC, getting an influenza vaccine is more important than ever this year to protect yourself and the people around you from flu. Flu vaccines will not prevent COVID-19, but they will reduce the burden of flu illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths on the health care system and conserve scarce medical resources for those infected with COVID-19.

Get your shot as soon as possible, because the best time to get vaccinated is BEFORE flu season is in full swing (flu season typically peaks December - February). AFTER your shot, it's essential to keep practicing the three Ws: Watch your distance, wear a mask properly (covering your mouth AND nose) and wash your hands frequently. As a reminder, wearing a mask is not a substitute for proper social distancing!

Flu or COVID-19? Check out the CDC's guide on similarities and differences between these illnesses. 

COVID-19 in Wilmette:
  • As of Oct. 2, Wilmette's seven-day rolling average of confirmed daily cases is at 1.7 new cases per day. To date, Wilmette has had 328 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 12 new cases reported in the last week.
  • The Village's seven-day rolling average for test positivity (percentage of those tested who test positive for COVID-19) is at 2.2 percent.
  • Overall, there have been 8,781 tests for Wilmette, with 559 new tests in the last week.
Halloween 2020: Trick-or-Treating Hours and Safety

Wilmette thinks Halloween is a spooktacular time for families and neighborhoods. To keep things fun and safe this year, we encourage you to be smart and do your part!

Given the current COVID-19 environment, we encourage you to review CDC recommendations and Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) guidance on Halloween safety and consider socially distant alternatives - visit our website for alternate celebration ideas. Public health officials do not recommend trick-or-treating this year. 

If you choose to participate in trick or treating, please follow these health and safety guidelines:
  • Trick-or-Treating is from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Oct. 31.
  • Do not participate in trick-or-treating if you are feeling unwell, if someone in your house is unwell, if you are awaiting COVID-19 test results, if you have recently returned from travel to a hotspot state, or if you know that you have been exposed to COVID-19.
  • Plan a costume that has a fun mask. Face coverings should be worn by all participants over the age of two, including individuals passing out treats. A costume mask is not a substitute for a face covering.
  • Use hand sanitizer regularly and wash your hands thoroughly before eating candy.
  • Do not trick-or-treat in groups with others; trick-or-treat as a household.
  • Maintain a safe distance from other trick-or-treating groups, and do not approach a house until the previous group has left.
  • Decorate costumes and bags with reflective tape or stickers and, if possible, choose light colors.
  • Put electronic devices down, keep heads up and walk, don't run, across the street. Make eye contact with drivers before crossing.
  • Drivers should slow down and be especially alert; children are excited and may move in unpredictable ways.
Fall/Winter 2020-2021 Communicator Now Available!


The Fall/Winter 2020-2021 Communicator is now available online and will be arriving in your mailbox soon! This edition features information on the 2020 election - including the advisory cannabis referendum Wilmette residents will see on their ballots, updates on major construction investments in Wilmette and a message from President Bielinski on the Village's COVID-19 response and inclusiveness in our community. 
Please Keep Signs on Private Property

With the Nov. 3 election fast approaching, the Village reminds residents that signs, political or otherwise, are not permitted in the Village right-of-way, which includes the grassy area between a street and public sidewalk, telephone poles, traffic signs or signals or other objects not on private property. Please note that there are no restrictions regarding signage on residential private property.

If your sign is removed, Village staff will make reasonable attempts to preserve the sign and provide owners the opportunity to claim the removed signs. Please call code enforcement at 847-853-7521 or email signs@wilmette.com. Note: Signs will be kept through the election; please contact the Village to make an appointment to retrieve signs.
Please Stay Off the Grass at Elmwood Dunes


As you enjoy Elmwood Dunes Preserve this fall, please be sure to walk only on the designated path and stay off the dune grass. The dune grass has suffered this year from trampling and erosion from high lake levels. Thank you for doing your part to help the grass re-establish for future generations to enjoy this natural ecosystem!
Leaf Collection Begins Oct. 12


The Village's free leaf collection service will begin the week of Oct. 12 and conclude the first week of December. View the 2020 leaf collection schedule. 

Please remember these tips and guidelines for smooth collections: 
  • Be mindful of posted parking bans.
  • Residents who live on side streets are asked to rake leaves to the curb. Residents who live on arterial streets (Lake Ave, Wilmette Ave, Sheridan Rd, Green Bay Rd, Ridge Rd, Skokie Blvd and Hibbard Rd) should place leaves on the parkway behind the curb due to heavy traffic.
  • During a two-day collection period, only one collection is made for each street and will occur on either the first or second day of scheduled collection. Residents must have their leaves raked out no later than 7 a.m. on the first scheduled collection day.
  • Only loose leaves will be collected (no bags). Branches, tree stumps, shrubs and other types of yard waste are prohibited.
  • Avoid raking leaves onto the street until two days prior to your scheduled collection day to prevent storm drains clogs.

*Please note that the print Communicator delivered to residents' homes incorrectly indicates that Zone 4 collection will take place on Nov. 3. Nov. 2-3 are both Zone 3 collection days. Correct calendar is available online

Jennifer Scott is co-chair of Chicago's Memorials and Monuments Assessment Project. 
Wilmette Historical Museum Virtual Lecture: "Chicago's Monuments and Memorials"

Join the Wilmette Historical Museum on Thursday, Oct. 15 from 7 to 8 p.m. for a free virtual lecture with Jennifer Scott discussing "Chicago's Monuments and Memorials." Ms. Scott is co-chair of Chicago's citywide Memorials and Monuments Assessment Project which "will grapple with the often unacknowledged - or forgotten - history associated with the City's various municipal art collections, and will provide a vehicle to address the hard truths of Chicago's racial history, confront the ways in which that history has and has not been memorialized, and develop a framework for marking public space that elevates new ways to memorialize Chicago's true and complete history."

Advance reservations required by Oct. 14. 
Visit wilmettehistory.org or call 847-853-7666.
Village Construction Projects
The Neighborhood Storage Project is the Village's largest ever infrastructure investment and will bring flooding relief to thousands of Wilmette residents while improving access and safety for our entire community. Visit the project website for construction updates
  • Phase 1A: Storm sewer and watermain improvements
    • All storm sewer/watermain improvements and roadwork are now complete! Crews will work on remaining wrap-up items next week.  
  • Phase 2: Hibbard Park stormwater storage vault
The Central Avenue Reconstruction and Downtown Streetscape Project will enhance lighting, sidewalks, roadways, plantings and amenities on Wilmette and Central avenues within downtown. Visit the project website for more information.  
Traffic Impacts: 
  • Central Avenue is closed to eastbound traffic between Sheridan Road and Green Bay Road. Please follow the detour and allow extra time for travel.
  • Expect congestion, temporary lane shifts and temporary blocking of parking stalls in the work area.
  • Downtown parking on Central Avenue now accommodates vehicles traveling westbound.
Every year the Village completes road, sidewalk and alley repairs, brick street maintenance, sewer lining and many other infrastructure improvements. View project timelines and completion status, and check out an interactive map of all Village construction projects.
Wilmette Events and Happenings
Oct. 13 - Village Board Meeting
The Village Board will meet remotely on Tuesday, Oct. 13 at 7:30 p.m. The meeting will be held via Microsoft Teams and broadcast live on the Village's YouTube and Channel 6. For more information on submitting public comment and remote participation via Microsoft Teams or YouTube Chat, please click here. View the agenda and materials here