Haitian Earthquake Relief Efforts

The City of Highland Park has recently activated its Emergency Relief Task Force in response to the recent earthquake in Haiti. Enclosed is more information on the Highland Park Emergency Relief Task Force and their efforts to provide humanitarian aid to the region. Additionally, there will be several events during the month of February to provide awareness and financial support for relief efforts directed to the region.

Environmental Education Program for NSSD 112 Students

The Environmental Education Program (EEP) allows students and their teachers to develop problem-based learning projects related to environmental education in the areas of recycling, open space, conservation, alternative forms of energy, environmental toxins and ecosystems. EEP was made possible by the Highland Park Environmental Commission and the North Shore School District. These projects help students learn about a variety of important issues related to the environment and how to advocate for their resolution. The deadline for project submission is April 23, 2010. There will be a special recognition ceremony for the participants on May 7, beginning at 5 p.m, at Highland Park High School featuring State Senator Susan Garrett, State Rep. Karen May, Mayor Michael Belsky, Councilman Nancy Rotering and NSSD 112 Superintendent David Behlow. To sign up for a project or learn more about the EEP, please visit the North Shore School District Web site (www.nssd112.org).

Electronics Recycling Program

The City of Highland Park, in partnership with the Solid Waste Agency of Lake County, is pleased to announce a new year-round drop-off program for outdated, broken, or unwanted household electronics. The drop-off collection will be open each week on Tuesdays and Fridays, from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Firearms Training Center, 1180 Half Day Road. The events are open to household electronics only; no commercial, governmental, or institutional materials will be accepted. Click Here for a list of items accepted at Electronics Recycling Collection Events. In addition, the City will accept fluorescent bulbs during these times as part of a pilot project. Fluorescent bulbs and fluorescent tubes up to 48 inches in length will be accepted.

Visit swalco.org for a list of additional collection events throughout Lake County. For more information, please contact Renee Helm, Administrative Intern, (847) 926-1030.

Highland Park Public Access Center
The Highland Park Public Access Center will open to the public on Monday, February 1, 2010 for video production and editing. The Center is located in the lower level of the Police Station at 1677 Old Deerfield Road. As of January 8, 2010 playback resumed on Channels 10 and 19 in the following municipalities: Highland Park, Highwood, Deerfield and Winnetka. Click here for additional information regarding the Highland Park Public Access Center and to view the weekly schedule. For additional information, please contact Renee Helm, Administrative Intern, at (847) 926-1030.

Highland Park Spring Clean-Up

Veolia Environmental Waste Services will be conducting their annual Spring Clean-Up Program for the City of Highland Park on four consecutive Saturdays, beginning May 1 and ending May 22. The collection is based on residents’ primary garbage collection day (the day when both garbage and recycling are collected). Items for collection may be placed at the curb up to seven days prior to the collection date, but residents are encouraged to set out items as close to their collection day as is convenient. In order to guarantee collection, all items for collection must be placed at the curb by no later than 7:00 a.m. on the scheduled collection day. Click here for a list of items accepted for spring collection and to view your scheduled pick-up. For additional information, please contact Veolia Environmental Services at (847) 272-4145, or Renee Helm in the City’s Manager Office at (847) 926-1030 or rhelm@cityhpil.com.

The H1N1 Influenza, also known as swine flu, is an influenza caused by a new strain of the influenza virus. Because it is a new strain of the flu, there is a chance that many people will be infected by the virus. The average healthy person who is infected by the H1N1 virus will have similar symptoms to the seasonal flu and recover fully. The enclosed document from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides additional information regarding the H1N1 virus. Individuals in the following categories are at a higher risk of complications from the flu:

A friendly reminder to all Highland Park residents that the “Snow Ordinance” takes effect each year between December 1 and March 31. Vehicles may not be parked in excess of 15 minutes on any public streets between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. This is a citywide ban on parking to facilitate snow removal operations when necessary and to decrease occurrences of accidental damage to vehicles parked on the streets or in City parking lots. This ban applies at all time regardless of snow conditions. Authorized overnight City parking lots are identified on the City’s Web site www.cityhpil.com and require a valid overnight parking permit which can be obtained at City Hall, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. In the Fall of 2008, the City increased related signage at key locations in the City to further inform the public about this seasonal parking restriction. Presently, fines for this violation are set at $20.  For more information, please contact Sergeant Chris O’Neill at (847) 926-1766 or coneill@cityhpil.com.

The City Manager’s Office recently completed upgrades to the parking portion of the City’s website. A new enhancement is the interactive map using the familiar Google-based mapping function developed with the City’s GIS Office that allows browsers to clearly identify the parking designation of any parking space within all of the public parking lots located throughout the City. The new parking page also offers specific maps for different types of parking needs, such as Commuter, Employee or Overnight parking.  These easily printed maps give a snapshot of all the public lots in Highland Park that offer that particular type of parking.  An application for purchasing parking permits is available for download.  The new parking page also includes answers to questions about holiday and weekend parking, beach and lakefront parking, and temporary handicapped parking permits. Visit the new parking page here. For more information, please contact Jennifer Dotson, Executive Assistant, at (847) 926-1006.

Homeowners Assistance Available

Many homeowners are facing difficult financial challenges - trying to make timely mortgage or rent payments and controlling credit card debt, all with less income.  While no specific programs exist to help with property taxes, there are several other types of assistance programs homeowners can explore that might help to free up financial resources so taxes can be paid on time, ultimately avoiding foreclosure.
 
The United Way of Lake County has produced an informational flyer with detailed information.  It includes directions for calling your lender, steps to make your home more affordable, ways to seek legal assistance and ways to explore social services.  A database of human service agencies helping Lake County residents is also available.

The Affordable Housing Corporation of Lake County (AHCLC) offers the following free programs to income-qualified Lake County residents:

*Mortgage assistance products for new home purchases that provide up to $50,000 in mortgage assistance to lower monthly mortgage payments and help with down payment and closing costs;

*Home improvement programs - for structural or code improvements - including extremely low-cost financing options and grants, and technical assistance to ensure quality work is done by reputable contractors at a fair price;

*Homebuyer education classes and individual counseling to help buyers navigate the complex home purchase process and overcome credit and debt issues;

*Foreclosure prevention counseling for those behind on their mortgage payments.

To obtain more information about qualifications and programs, contact AHCLC at (847) 263-7478 or visit the organization's website.

The Federal Government is offering homeowners' assistance through its "Making Home Affordable" program. The following tools are available:

Refinancing: Many homeowners pay their mortgages on time but are not able to refinance to take advantage of today’s lower mortgage rates perhaps due to a decrease in the value of their home. A Home Affordable Refinance will help borrowers whose loans are held by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac refinance into a more affordable mortgage.

Modification: Many homeowners are struggling to make their monthly mortgage payments either because their interest rate has increased or they have less income. A Home Affordable Modification will provide them with mortgage payments they can afford.

Please use the program self-assessment tools to see if you are among the 7 to 9 million homeowners who can benefit from Federal assistance. For more information, please visit the "Making Home Affordable" website.

One Book, One Highland Park Community-Wide Read Program

The "One Book, One Highland Park" program began in Spring 2008, with the goal of broadening an appreciation of reading and encouraging friends, families, and neighbors to share their experience while reading the same book. In 2009, this teen and adult program was expanded to include complementary reading materials for children of all ages to encourage multigenerational discussions. Every four months, the program selection committee comprised of representatives from East on Central, the District 112 Foundation, and Highland Park High School will select a new title. The Highland Park Public Library and Borders Books & Music will then sponsor events during each read, which will often include the author, or other notable speakers, and related topics, or activities, which will add depth to the public exchange of ideas. The Highland Park Public Library and Borders Books & Music invite existing book discussion groups to participate and discussion leaders to convene new groups at the Highland Park Public Library and Borders Books & Music. For each book selection, the community may find information, a reading guide, and a calendar of events for One Book One Highland Park in The Highlander, on cable Channel 10, and at City Hall. This information will also be available at the Highland Park Public Library, and Borders Books & Music. Typically, the community will have six to eight weeks to read a book before discussions and events begin at the Highland Park Public Library and Borders. For more information regarding the One Book program, book selection, and associated events, contact Carolyn Hersch at (847) 926-1027, or visit the Highland Park Public Library’s website.

Signup for Citizen Alert System

The Highland Park Police Department transitioned to the CitizenObserver citizen notification system on January 1, 2009. Residents may now subscribe to the service. Residents are encouraged to sign up for this effective and efficient means of being alerted to significant events that may effect them and the community. For more information, please contact Police Deputy Chief David Schwarz at (847) 926-1112.

Healthy Highland Park Task Force Promotes Health Education on Comcast Local Access Channels

The Healthy Highland Park Task Force, established by the Mayor and City Council, aims to foster well-being, health, and a healthy life style among the citizens of Highland Park.  Part of this effort is a TV series of health and medical interviews of local doctors and health professionals.  The series is produced by the Task Force, interviewed and taped by the HP Senior Center's Senior Producers, and broadcast on Comcast Cable Channels 10 and 19.  If a show is missed, or wished to be seen again, a DVD copy is available at the HP Public Library.  The Task Force plans to present additional educational videos and the timing and content will be publicized.  The Local Access Channel Schedule contains scheduling information for the health education programs. For more information, please contact Emily Palm, Staff Liaison to the Healthy Highland Park Task Force, at (847) 926-1046.

Connect with Local Social Services Through Comprehensive Community Resource Guide

FindHelpLakeCounty.org is a comprehensive guide to community resources in our local area. It includes an overview of social services, how to obtain community services, and some examples of major service providers in the area. A Service Index is also provided classifying services according to their specializations. Agency profiles include address, phone numbers, web and e-mail addresses, hours, fees, eligibility requirements and service descriptions.

Highland Park Municipal Services Wish List

The City of Highland Park has created a Municipal Services Wish List to assist residents looking to make charitable donations to Highland Park. The list includes items designed to assist City staff in delivering high quality services to Highland Park residents. Click here to view a copy of the Highland Park Municipal Services Wish List. For additional information, please contact Chuck Meyer, Administrative Intern, at (847) 926-1043.

Public Access Channel Playback Schedule

For programming information for cable channels 10 and 19, please see the weekly schedule. For additional information concerning cable channel 10 please contact Renee Helm, Administrative Intern, at (847) 926-1030.

Police Department's TERF Program

The Highland Park Police Department would like to remind residents of the Traffic Education Report Form (TERF) program. Residents who observe abnormal or dangerous driving behavior are encouraged to call the police department when the activity is observed. However, there are times when making an immediate report of this behavior is not possible. The TERF program offers residents a method to report driving behavior via the website. The Highland Park Police Department will follow up on submitted reports when enough information is available (i.e. license plate). For questions concerning this program, please feel free to contact Traffic Sergeant C. O'Neil at (847) 926-1766.