The City of Lake Forest eNews: COVID Updates, Online City Services, & More!

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By The City of Lake Forest

Jan 14, 2022

Lake Forest Community News

This week's eNews includes COVID News & Updates, City Services Available Online and in the Lake Forest Now App, Pop-Up Shop Thank You, Lake Forest Cemetery Drone Video, Chamber Annual Meeting, Winter Activity Poll Results, Things to Know, Upcoming Events, and More.

Top Stories

COVID News & Updates

Public health officials urge everyone age five and older mask up, vax up, get boosted and limit in-person activities where physical distancing cannot be maintained.

IDPH Centralizing Contact Tracing

It's not a scam! IDPH has announced that contact tracing has been centralized at the State of Illinois to help ease the burden on local health departments and allow them to focus on high priority cases, such as those in long-term care and congregate settings. Individuals who take a lab COVID-19 test and receive a positive result will be contacted by text message from IDPH. The text message will display the following text:

IDPH COVID: There is important info for you,

call 312.777.1999 or click the link.

What You Need To Know

New quarantine and isolation guidance issued by the CDC.
CDC shortens booster waiting period to 5 months for recipients who received the Moderna vaccine series.
CDC authorizes Pfizer booster dose for individuals ages 12 and older and shortens recommendation to 5 months for those fully-vaccinated.
Anyone 5 years of age and older is eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. Search for your nearest vaccination location at vaccines.gov or call 1.800.232.0233.
Already vaccinated? Illinois residents can now check the State's immunization portal, Vax Verify, to confirm their vaccination status, or download a SMART Health Card that can be used to verify vaccination status at businesses, events and other locations

Booster Clinic at Deer Path Middle School on Jan. 20

Lake Forest School District 67 and Lake Bluff School District 65 are offering two COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine booster clinics on Thursday, January 20 from 7-10 am at Deer Path Middle School (make your appointment here) and Friday, January 21 from 7-10 am at Lake Bluff Middle School (make your appointment here). The clinics are free of charge for all eligible District 67 and 65 students, ages 12 and up, and staff members.

City Services Available Online

The City remains ready to serve you but your health, safety and well-being are our top priority. With COVID-19 cases on the rise, the easiest and safest way to conduct most business with the City is online or through the Lake Forest Now Mobile App.

Use our mobile app or website for online services like building permits, parking permits, pet licenses, utility bills, vehicles stickers, and more. These services can also be paid online.

That's a Wrap

Thanks to everyone who supported the Lake Forest Station Pop-Up Shop this season! Each purchase was truly a “gift that gave back,” since all proceeds are shared with the 14 participating non-profit organizations. We’re grateful for the community support, participating non-profits, and our sponsor Lake Forest Bank & Trust for making the Pop-Up a success. We hope the Pop-Up Shop brought you joy this holiday season!

Take a Virtual Tour of the Lake Forest Cemetery

Did you know the City of Lake Forest operates a cemetery? Noted for its unique beauty, the Lake Forest Cemetery is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is the permanent place of rest for many well know leaders and everyday heroes from Lake Forest and Lake Bluff. Since the Cemetery is currently covered in a peaceful blanket of snow, watch this drone video to take a virtual tour of the Cemetery grounds.

"Will COVID-19 Become Endemic in 2022?"

Join the LFLB Chamber for the Chamber Annual Meeting on Thursday, January 27 from 12-1 pm on Zoom. The general public is invited to attend the meeting which includes a presentation of "Will COVID-19 Become Endemic in 2022? Future Action Before the Next Pandemic," with special guests Mark Pfister, Executive Director Lake County Health Department/Community Health, and Dr. Jeffrey D. Kopin, MD Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, North Region Northwestern Memorial Healthcare.

Admission to the webinar is complimentary and open to all, but you must register in advance to receive the Zoom link.

Winter Activity Poll Results

Last week we asked about your favorite winter activities in Lake Forest. It's no surprise that ice skating at West Park tops the list!

Here are the rankings:

Ice Skating at the West Park Ice Rink - 39.5%
Cross Country Skiing - 23.3%
Hiking - 19.8%
Sledding - 12.8%
Other - 4.7%

We're planning to do more polls like this, so watch for the next one in an upcoming eNews!

Things to Know

Search the New Online Records Portal

Looking for historic public records like public meeting agendas, minutes, resolutions and ordinances? There's an app for that - or at least a website. The City has launched a new public search portal to make finding these documents easier for you.

Join Our Team

It's a great time to start a career with the City of Lake Forest! We're hiring a Staff Accountant I, part-time Communications Specialist, and various part-time positions.

New on Lake Forest Love

Read about 57 of Lake Forest's equestrian residents in a story on the Glen Grove Equestrian Center's move to Lake Forest. Lake Forest Love is a blog of the City of Lake Forest where we write about the amazing stories in our community. Subscribe to the Lake Forest Love newsletter to receive stories straight to your inbox.

Tree Collection Continues

During the month of January, leave your real tree at the curb on your regular scheduled recycling days and we'll collect it to be ground up and composted. To be collected, trees 1) must be free of all lights and ornamentation, 2) must have the tree stand removed, and 3) cannot be in plastic tree bags.

Deerpath Athletic Field Workshop on Feb. 17

Due to the rise in COVID cases, the date for Athletic Field Improvements Community Workshop #2 has been moved to Thursday, February 17. While the workshop date has been pushed back, we remain committed to engaging the community and gathering input on this project. If you're planning to attend, please register in advance. For the latest project information, including a summary from the first workshop, please visit the project webpage.

Community Happenings

Featured Events

Kinderhaven Preschool Academy Open House

Saturday, January 15, 2-4 pm

Are you interested in a preschool that emphasizes a Reggio philosophy, art, and compassion? If you are, then Lake Forest Parks & Recreation's Kinderhaven Preschool Academy is the place for you! Come to the Open House on Saturday, January 15 from 2-4 pm to see why KPA is such an exciting and vibrant place for your developing child’s educational needs. For more information contact Jennifer Eggert, 847.810.3947 or eggertj@cityoflakeforest.com. Learn more!

School's Out Adventure

Monday, January 17, 9:30-11 am

Bundle up and celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy of service and inclusion and explore the diversity found in the winter landscape with Lake Forest Open Lands! For children ages 6 to 9 years this Monday, January 17 at Mellody Farm Nature Preserve. Learn more and register.

Paleontologist Mary Anning and England's Jurassic Coast

Tuesday, January 18, 6:30 pm

In 1799, Mary Anning was born into a humble family in the medieval port of Lyme Regis on the south shore of England, part of its Jurassic Coast. Little did she know she would go on to develop an unmatched eye for finding the undiscovered creatures embedded in 185 million years of geological history in the notoriously unstable cliffs. Join us for a lively talk about "the greatest fossil hunter the world has ever known" and the UNESCO World Heritage site she was lucky enough to call home. Register today.

Household Chemical Waste Event

Saturday, January 22

Schedule an appointment to drop off items at SWALCO's Household Chemical Waste Event at SWALCO's Gurnee Facility (1311 N. Estes Street, Gurnee, IL 60031). Collections are for residential waste only. No business waste will be accepted. Safety is crucial during your visit. Please stay in your vehicle

Accepted items include: CFL bulbs, unwanted prescription, over-the-counter medicines and supplements (people and pet), household cleaners, gasoline, garden chemicals, pesticides, oil-based paints (no latex) and varnishes, as well as other household chemicals. For a more detailed list visit SWALCO's Household Chemical Waste Website.

Community Events