Vaccine guidelines / Christmas tree recycling / One less restaurant

Village facilities remain closed

All village facilities, except for the Police Department, 46 Raupp Boulevard, remain closed to the public until further notice due to a surge in COVID-19 cases.

Village Hall services, including the issuance of building permits and plan reviews, scheduling for inspections, bill payments, transfer stamps and other services will be still available, but only at the Village Hall walk-up window, by calling (847) 459-2500 or online at this link.

All public meetings for January will be held electronically.

No mandate for Lake County businesses

            Cook County’s requirement that folks going to restaurants and health clubs show proof of vaccine will stay in the Buffalo Grove portion of Cook County.  However, the Village Board at its Jan. 3 meeting opted to not include the Lake County portion of the village. Details are available in the Daily Herald.

Park District lists guidelines for Cook County facilities

With facilities in both Lake and Cook counties. the Buffalo Grove Park District is following the Cook County vaccine requirement mandate only in its facilities and programs in Cook County, which includes the Alcott Center, Emmerich Park, Cooper Middle School, Longfellow School, and Kilmer School.

The following are exempt from proof of vaccination requirements:

      ·         Participants 18 years of age or younger.
·         Youth and adults participating in special recreation activities.
·         Spectators of indoor sporting events, provided that no food or drink is being served, and that they remain masked at all times.

COVID guidelines in effect at Indian Trails Library

            In response to the heightened COVID-19 outbreak, the Indian Trails Public Library District has made the following adjustments to its operations. The library is pausing all in-person programming for the month of January. Please check the events calendar at itpld.org for program updates. If you signed up for an in-person program, you will receive an email with updates for that program.

Hours of operation for all buildings remain the same. Check the hours at this link.

Operational adjustments include:

• Proof of vaccination card with a photo ID is not required to enter the Main Library or the Branch.
• Vending and coffee machines in the café area are out of order until further notice. Food and eating meals are not allowed in the Main Library or the Branch until further notice.
• Study rooms remain open for reservations and utilization by members. Masks are required while using the study rooms.
• The Middle Ground remains open.
• The ESL Lab will not open until ESL classes return to in-person sessions at a future date.

Additional information is available by calling the main library at (847) 459-4100.

Christmas tree recycling available

The Lake County Forest Preserve District is holding Christmas tree drop offs, where tress will be properly recycled. This service is available through Feb. 1.

Drop-off sites are at the following forest preserves:

      ·         Grant Woods in Fox Lake 
·         Greenbelt in Waukegan
·         Half Day in Vernon Hills
·         Lake Wood in Wauconda
·         Old School in Libertyville
·         Ryerson wood in Deerfield
·         Van Patten Woods in Wadsworth

Popular eatery shuts down

Countyline Tavern, which for six years had grown to be a popular Buffalo Grove restaurant, unexpectedly announced it was closing last week.  A spokesperson for owner Select Restaurants in Cleveland told the Daily Herald in an email that "Due to the current difficult business conditions, we have decided to close the Countyline Tavern effective January 1, 2022. The spokesperson, Amy Simmerson, said the company would  "re-evaluate this decision at a future date." She did not elaborate.

      Countyline employee Korei Galow, said in a social media post that the news was “heartbreaking.” She added that "what made it special was the people that worked there throughout the years and the customers that we had," she said. "The people that I have worked with at Countyline over the past few years, we all became a family."

Agency touts Buffalo Creek

The Buffalo Creek Reservoir expansion received the Regional Resilience Award from the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning for increasing the region's resilience to flooding, while improving recreation opportunities. The project is estimated to reduce future flood damages by more than $26 million. It also added 1.3 miles of trails and seven new boardwalks, relocated existing trails out of flood-prone areas, expanded public parking, and improved public access to the existing Buffalo Creek Forest Preserve.

Enforcement results announced

The Buffalo Grove Police Department issued 39 seat belt citations during the recent holiday enforcement effort, which took place from December 17, 2021 to January 3, 2022. During the enforcement period, Buffalo Grove Police also issued four distracted driving citations, four speeding citations and four additional traffic citations.

Registration begins for Vernon Twp. summer camp

Registration for Vernon Township summer camp is open for children who will be 4-7 years old on or before Sept. 1, 2022.  Camp will take  Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Campers will dress themselves for swimming and must be toilet trained. Campers must also bring their own lunch, water bottle, bathing suit, towel, sunscreen and rain gear. Camp will take place outdoors.

All counselors are carefully screened high school and college students.  Adult camp supervisors are always present. 

The Township monitors all guidance from the State of Illinois and Lake County Health Department, and we will follow all IDPH guidelines.

            For additional information, click here.

Schneider donates miles

Congressman Brad Schneider (D, IL-10) donated his 50,000 frequent flyer miles to programs helping wounded service members and supporting global health and well-being.

Schneider donated 25,000 miles to the Hero Miles Program administered by the Fisher House Foundation, which provides round-trip airline tickets to wounded, injured, and ill service members and/or their families who are undergoing treatment at a military or VA medical center.

Schneider also donated 25,000 miles to the Miles for Global Health and Well-Being Program, which supports national partners including the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, and Stand Up to Cancer. Partnering organizations use the donated miles to help families and children get to their destinations.

Need a reason to celebrate?

Need a break from looking for COVID testing sites and kits?  Here are some options.

Jan. 10

       ·         National Houseplant Appreciation Day
·         National Oysters Rockefeller Day
·         Peculiar People Day

Jan. 11

       ·         National Hot Toddy Day
·         Learn Your Name in Morse Code Day
·         National Girl Hug Boy Day

Jan. 12

       ·         Feast of Fabulous Wild Men Day
·         National Marzipan Day
·         National Take the Stairs Day

Jan. 13

       ·         National Rubber Ducky Day
·         National Peach Melba Day
·         Make Your Dream Come True Day

Jan. 14

       ·         National Dress Up Your Pet Day
·         National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day
·         Cesarean Section Day
·         Take a Missionary to Lunch Day

Jan. 15

        ·         National Bagel Day
·         National Pothole Day
·         National Fresh Squeezed Juice Day

Jan. 16

       ·         National Fig Newton Day
·         Appreciate a Dragon Day
·         International Hot and Spicy Food Day
·         National Nothing Day

For more information on these festivities and to find others, go to nationaltoday.com

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In case you didn’t know…

Buffalo Grove News and Info, is independently produced by Buffalo Grove resident Stan Zoller. A longtime journalist and journalism educator, Zoller covers Buffalo Grove and monitors news and information about the village, its schools, park district and community events. Buffalo Grove News and Information is not affiliated with any municipal body.