About this column:
Have an opinion you'd like to share? Send it to jacob@patch.comIn the wake of regional flooding, the city continues to monitor water levels and work diligently towards storm cleanup efforts after nearly 150 reports of flooding, 60 of which reported basement flooding in homes. Advanced Disposal is offering several options for homeowners as the community now faces clean-up: Special curbside collection for storm debris at $20 per cubic yard Roll-off dumpster at $380 per load which includes delivery, haul away and disposal of storm debris Free curbside collection on designated Spring Clean-up day Spring Clean-Up days begin April 27 and run until May 18. …
Editor's note: Carolyn Cerf lost the election to serve on the Highland Park City Council on Tuesday. Read Patch's full election coverage here. Your support made it possible to run a very strong campaign, and I can't thank you enough. Victory is not ours today, and I'm sorry to disappoint those who worked so hard with such high hopes. But there's so much more work to do in the community, whether we contribute to studies of HP's human services needs, help implement plans to improve and invigorate our business districts or, of course, put on some good old fashioned fun with events like the …
Editor's note: Dan Kaufman was elected to serve on the Highland Park City Council on Tuesday. Read Patch's full election coverage here. No more yard signs, knock-knocks, and forums to announce....just a huge THANK YOU! I want to express my deep gratitude to you for putting us on top! I am excited to continue my work on the Council. With your engagement and thoughtfulness, I am confident we will continue to move Highland Park forward. Please join me in congratulating Alyssa Knobel and Kim Stone as they begin to work with Mayor Rotering, my other fellow Councilmen and me to enhance the quality…
It is a sincere honor to be elected to serve as your councilman. Campaigns are not as much about the candidate as they are about the community they want to serve. As involved as I have been in Highland Park, this additional opportunity to meet and listen to thousands of residents to discuss concerns, ideas, or just to share community pride was a reminder that many hands, hearts and minds contribute to the success of our community. Each conversation underscored our collective commitment to improving our quality of life in Highland Park. I am ready to get to work on the mission and …
Editor's note: This letter is in response to the passage of the District 113 referendum. For more background on the referendum, click here. Of course we are disappointed with the outcome, but there are no regrets. Nevertheless, when Education First decided to campaign against the referendum, its members did so knowing the risks involved with taking the position we did. We all knew our position would be unpopular and come under severe criticism at times, but we took our position because we believed then, as we do now, that it was the right thing to do for the community. If nothing else, the …
I’ve been laying low as the “VOTE YES’s” and “VOTE NO’s” have flown back and forth other the past several weeks regarding the referendum on tomorrow’s ballot. At this late hour I offer the following regarding my experience and perspective as a member of the Steering Committee intimately involved in the planning of what you’ll be deciding tomorrow –I hope you find it useful. This plan is based on simple common sense. It’s a plan that provides a safe, properly equipped, and educationally sound learning environment that affords our kids a well rounded educational experience – not more nor less …
Over the past 20 months, I, along with more than 100 industry experts and community residents, have studied the physical and educational conditions of both Deerfield and Highland Park High Schools and found the following: The schools have structural/masonry issues, The schools have safety issues, The schools have ADA compliance issues, The schools have ventilation issues, The schools electrical infrastructure cannot support modern learning, The schools have heating and air conditioning issues, and The schools’ pools are nearly 50 years old and need replacement. Experts have crafted a …
We are writing with concern about District 113’s proposed referendum for enlargement of Highland Park and Deerfield High School’s athletic and classroom facilities. In the face of dropping school enrollments, District 112’s need for capital improvements, the persistently sluggish economic recovery and deflated home values, we feel the referendum would place an unwarranted tax burden on the citizens of Highland Park and Deerfield. While the current referendum asks “only” $89 million, the actual cost of the Phase One project that tax payers will be funding is $120.4 million; not too far south …
Friday's tragedy in Newtown, Conn. has left us all with broken hearts and worries almost too profound to say out loud. As a parent with four school-aged children, as a member of this community, as Mayor, my first thought was "What are we doing here to keep our kids safe?" And while tragedies such as Friday's are beyond the comprehension of any of us, the question still needs to be addressed. I just got off the phone with Police Chief Paul Shafer. We discussed his recommendations for the immediate and the long-term. I want to assure you that we are working now, as always, in partnership with …
While it may seem a little early to be talking about our April elections, it's just that I can't contain my enthusiasm for Highland Park City Council candidate Alyssa Knobel. Earlier: City Council Candidates Already Campaigning Why? Because of the enthusiasm Alyssa brings to everything she does -- especially the countless volunteer activities I and others have been involved in with her. And it's because of Alyssa's dedication to improving the vitality of our city through her volunteer work as the Chair of the Business & Economic Development Commission (BEDC). Want Highland Park news in your …
I had the pleasure of attending the presentation by the architects and construction management company of the options for the D113 master Plan. The group took us through three main scenarios which they said are not set in stone yet and that they could mix and match between the scenarios. A decision has not yet been reached by the board regarding the final plan. District 113 showed us the numbers for each expenditure category but was unwilling to provide us with totals since the plans are still in their formative stages. It did seem like most of the audience wanted to know the totals for …
Highland Park has always been a leader. Whether it’s the Frank Lloyd Wright houses or the world famous Ravinia Festival, our town has always blazed its own trail. And that’s true of our environmental policies as well. A few years ago, our city became concerned about products that we were not recycling and how it was impacting our community and natural resources. With input from the community, environmental organizations, and the Solid Waste Agency of Lake County (SWALCO), we sought a solution that would work for everyone. Launching a new chapter for Highland Park, the city began working with…
Join us as we observe Veterans Day on Monday, Nov. 12 at 11 a.m. at Memorial Park, 405 Propsect Ave. (across from the library) with a special ceremony by American Legion Highland Park Post 145, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Jewish War Veterans. Our featured speakers are Captain Randall J. Lynch, Commanding Officer, Naval Station Great Lakes and Lt. Colonel John Novak, Commander, 16th Psychological Operations Battalion, Ft. Sheridan. State Representative Karen May, State Senator Susan Garrett and Congressman-elect Brad Schneider will join us as will our Highland Park Military Liaison…
Thanks to the 75 volunteers who joined with thousands of people in caring for our environment during the Alliance for the Great Lake’s Adopt-a-Beach™ Event, part of the International Coastal Cleanup. At the Lake County Forest Preserve’s Fort Sheridan beach alone, we collected 173 pounds of trash and debris during theSeptember 15 clean-up! From discarded cigarette butts to deflated balloons to tires, claws of invasive crayfish and airsoft gun pellets, volunteers combed 1.25 miles of publicly accessible lakefront to make it a pristine place for everyone to enjoy. The cleanup was part of the …
I would like to thank all those who have attended District 113’s Community Engagement Meetings. Your participation throughout this entire process is essential to creating a Long Range Facility Master Plan for our high schools that addresses several long-term educational and facility needs. As many of you know, this has been an extensive process and the Community Engagement Meetings represent that. The first presentation on Sept. 4 focused on informing residents about the development process and the schools’ serious capital improvement needs and priorities. The second meeting on Oct. 2 was …
Dear North Shore School District 112 Community Members: Many of you have reached out to me over the past two days to ask that the board do everything possible to avoid a teacher strike. District 112 Contract Negotiations: The Story So Far I want to assure you that board members are committed to doing everything we can to arrive at a settlement that will be fair to our teachers and responsible to our community. I want to let you know that the situation we face is personally painful to me and to my fellow board members. Our community has a long, rich history of commitment to excellent schools…
Happy fall! We are off to a good start on another season in Highland Park -- budget season. With the changing leaves of fall comes a re-assessment of the City's priorities. I am working hard with the Mayor and my fellow City Councilmen, as well as City Staff, to develop the City Budget for FY2013. The challenge is to develop a budget for all seasons, literally and figuratively. My general approach to the City Budget is outlined below. Budget In Brief It is important that we adopt a balanced operating budget, as we did for 2012. Key priorities in the budget process are: Funding core …
The City Council and Staff have begun working together to develop the 2013 City Budget and we want you to join the conversation. First, some quick information: the average household in Highland Park paying $10,000/year in property taxes pays $6,870 to the School Districts, $764 to Lake County, and $565 to the Park District. The City's property tax portion is $645, with additional revenues coming from sales taxes and other fees. Click here to see how your property tax bill is split across 11 government agencies. Each of us, in our daily life, approaches budgeting as an exercise in …
When we first approached the discussion of upgrading our water plant in 2002, a few issues were brought up. Earlier: City Lifts Outdoor Water Ban The first issue was that with new technologies emerging we could remove some micro organisms from the water to make the water safer (the reality is statistically a very very small degree of safer water). Let's be perfectly clear on this issue- our water standards meets and exceeds our federal and state standards and is very safe and healthy to drink. Secondly, we could increase capacity so we would not have problems supplying water during high …
As you may know, effective July 5, 2012, City Manager David Knapp instituted a complete ban on outdoor water sprinkling until further notice. Hand watering (watering cans, hand-held hoses) is still permitted. The ban is in effect 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Please turn off automatic sprinkler systems to avoid a fine or water shut-off (Highland Park City Code Sec. 50.010) for sprinkler ban violations, and help reduce water production peaks by using high volume water appliances (washing machines, dish washers) during off-peak hours (before noon and after 6 p.m.). Overdue infrastructure …
