Lake County Gazette

Ravinia Fire Station Redevelopment Update

The redevelopment of the Ravinia Fire Station has begun! Temporary construction fencing has been installed at Brown Park, off Roger Williams and Burton Avenue, which will be the site of the temporary fire station. The fencing is anticipated to be in place for approximately 60 days while the foundation is established for the temporary station. The temporary station will include an apparatus bay and trailer that will be on-site for 12- to 15-months while the new station is constructed. The relocation to the temporary fire station will not impact the Fire Department’s ability to respond to calls for service.

Special thanks to the Park District of Highland Park for granting the City approval to use a portion of Brown Park for the temporary station. To find the latest updates on this project, bookmark cityhpil.com/raviniafire.

Share Your Feedback: Business Development Strategic Planning

Help shape the future of business development in Highland Park! The City's 2022-2024 business development strategic planning process is underway. Your input and feedback are important to help support efforts to retain and expand existing businesses and attract new and exciting restaurants, shops, experiential and other businesses! The following sessions are available:

• Property owners: Oct. 28 (4 – 5:30 PM); Nov. 1 (9 – 10:30 AM)
• Restaurant owners & managers: Oct. 27 (2 – 3:30 PM); Nov. 4 (2 – 3:30 PM)
• Office businesses: Nov. 1 (2 – 3:30 PM)
• Service businesses: Nov. 2 (3:30 – 5:00 PM)
• Retail businesses: Nov. 15 (2 – 3:30 PM)
• Realtors: Nov. 10 (2 – 3:30 PM); Nov. 17 (9 – 10: 30 AM) 
• Residents: Nov. 9 (6:30 – 8:00 PM); Nov. 15 (6:30 – 8:00 PM)

Translation services or other accommodations will be available upon request. Please contact cityhp@cityhpil.com. 

City staff will also attend the Ravinia Farmers Market on Wednesday, Oct. 27 (8 – 9:30 AM) to connect with residents and vendors. Please complete this form to sign up for one of the sessions.

Unable to join us at one of these focus groups? Please email your thoughts to cityhp@cityhpil.com.  

Register for a focus group.

Halloween EventsSpooky celebrations are coming to Highland Park this week!

Oct. 28: Festivities at Port Clinton Square

Kick off a fun Halloween weekend with trick-or-treating in Port Clinton Square on Thursday, October 28, 3 - 6 PM - rain or shine! Enjoy live music and a free store-to-store candy stroll at Port Clinton Square and Renaissance Place businesses. Special thanks to all the participating businesses and Port Clinton Management and Renaissance Place for coordinating this event.

Oct. 29: Ravinia District Candy Stroll

The Ravinia Business District's Halloween Candy Stroll will be held on Friday, Oct. 29 from 2 - 5 PM. Be sure to snap a selfie or two at one of the District's fall displays! Tag @enjoyhighlandpark and @raviniadistrict for a chance to be featured on social media. Note: In case of inclement weather, the event will be held on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2- 5 PM. Special thanks to all the participating businesses and the Ravinia District Special Service Area 17 property owners for coordinating this event.

Oct. 31: Trick-or-Treating Hours

Trick-or-treating will take place on Sunday, October 31, 2021, between the hours of 3:00 – 7:00 PM. Please review these guidelines to help promote a safe experience for all who choose to participate.

Learn more about Halloween events.

Holiday Lighting Event Nov. 6The holiday season returns with Light the Night on Saturday, Nov. 6, 3 - 5 PM in Port Clinton Square! Join Mayor Rotering and the City Council for the lighting of over 200 trees, a visit from Santa, and performances from the outstanding young performers of:

• Ballet Makkai
• The Children's Theatre Company
• Midwest Young Artists Conservatory Choir
• Soul2Sole Dance

New this year, join the CBG Institute for Dance and Health in a special dance mob! Learn the choreography in advance so that when the music starts, you'll know when to jump in. CBG's choreography of two dances, "Oh Chanukah" and "All I Want for Christmas Is You," is designed for dancers of all ages and ability levels. A rehearsal is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 4 at Port Clinton Square - more information to come. Find all the instructional videos for these dances at cityhpil.com/lightthenight.

City Council Meeting Recap

At the Monday, October 25 City Council meeting, Mayor Rotering shared information regarding upcoming fall events, including the Halloween activities and holiday lighting events mentioned above. In addition, City Manager Neukirch provided an update on the Ravinia Fire Station redevelopment and presented the City's third-quarter Major Projects update.

At the Committee of the Whole, Director of Community Development Joel Fontane and Assistant City Manager/Director of Public Works Ramesh Kanapareddy presented their department budgets during the FY 2022 budget workshop. View the meeting recording.

Video of the presentations for the City Manager's Office, the Finance Department, the Fire Department, and the Police Department, previously presented at the October 12 meeting, is also available. Slides for the department presentations as well as information from prior FY 22 proposed budget workshops are also available for download at cityhpil.com/budget.

A public hearing for the proposed budget is scheduled for the Monday, November 8 City Council meeting, after which City Council will consider the adoption of the proposed budget. Visit cityhpil.com/budget to learn more about the budget development process.

COVID-19 Updates

• The CDC provides guidance on COVID-19 vaccination for children ages 12+. The FDA is scheduled to review safety and efficacy data regarding COVID-19 vaccination in young children ages 5-12 this week.
• Keep these COVID-19 safety tips from the CDC in mind when enjoying holiday activities this weekend. 
• Travel requirements to enter the United States are changing, starting November 8, 2021.
• In Season at the Ravinia Farmers Market

It's hard to believe, but tomorrow, October 27 marks the last Ravinia Farmers Market of the season! The Market will be open from 7 AM -1 PM at Jens Jensen Park in the Ravinia Business District. Thanks to Market Manager Ed Kugler, Peggy Malecki, and all the participating farmers, vendors, and local businesses for a fantastic season!

Plan your menu around what’s in season this week: produce, fruit, farm-fresh eggs, cheeses, meats, fish, artisan breads and pastries, hand-poured chocolates, cookies and snacks, pickles and condiments, local honey, maple syrup, cut flowers for your table and so much more!

Shop for festive organic pumpkins and gourds for decorating and baking! This week’s market features heirloom tomatoes, cabbage, eggplant, sweet and spicy peppers, fall squash, greens and lettuces, herbs, and other local and organically grown produce!. It’s still fruit season, and this week’s market is abundant with Midwest pears, apples, jams and jellies, and even peaches and raspberries.

Stop by the Welcome Tent to enter the free drawing for your chance to win a natural products goodie bag!

Live music is sponsored by the Highland Park Community Foundation. 

Learn more about this week's Market.

Lake County Composting: Behind the Scenes at a Local Composting FacilityIn Lake County, two composting facilities process the majority of our organic (food and yard) waste: Organix Recycling and Midwest Organics Recycling. Both companies have perfected traditional composting techniques to produce high-quality, organic compost on a large scale. Head behind the scenes at Midwest Organics Recycling in this article prepared by SWALCO as part of a USDA grant to promote composting throughout the county.

Learn more about composting. Share Share Share