Fall Quarterly D IALOGUE In this Issue BMW Championship..................7 Calendar....................................11 Citi zens Fire Academy.................7 Citi zens Police Academy.............7 Croctoberfest.............................6 CROYA.......................................10 Dickinson Hall.............................9 Electrical Aggregati on.................4 Energy Forum.............................5 Energy Saving Tips.....................3 General Informati on.................12 Lake Forest College....................6 Lake Forest Day Foundati on.......6 Library.......................................10 Mayor’s Message.......................2 Nati ve Tree Sale.........................3 Open Air Market.........................6 Parking Pay Stati ons...................5 Police News................................8 Recreati on................................11 Sanitati on Schedule....................9 Students on Boards....................5 Sustainability Survey..................3 Trick-or-Treat..............................6 Vehicle Sti ckers...........................6 Ward Meeti ngs...........................4 Water Billing Online...................4 Women’s Self Defense Class.......8 E-News Sign up to receive emergency noti fi cati ons, the latest informati on on community events, constructi on updates and other news at www.cityofl akeforest.com. Click on the “Subscribe” butt on on the home page. Fall 2015.indd 1 8/12/15 8:29 AM Family Education Tradition Philanthropy Family Education Tradition Philanthropy Mayor’s Evans Scholars Foundati on, which has sent over 10,000 Message student caddies to college since 1930. This year, three Lake Forest residents always know graduates from our community were awarded the that fall is just around the corner Scholarship: Trevor Marti nez and Sean Casey from when Labor Day weekend arrives Lake Forest High School and Shalonda Jones from and the Deer Path Art League’s Woodlands Academy. During Tournament Week, Art Fair takes place in Market several local retailers and restaurants will be promoti ng Square. In its 61st year, the Art Fair the “Welcome Back, Give Back” campaign to benefi t is one of the most beloved community events, att ract- the Evans Scholars Scholarship program. When you ing visitors from all over the region. shop or dine locally, a porti on of your purchase will be donated to the Foundati on. The WGA has made many The mission of the non-profi t Deer Path Art League is improvements to the Tournament, making the 2015 to “spark, nurture and enhance creati vity as well as BMW Championship a fabulous and exciti ng experience raise community awareness and appreciati on of the for residents, their guests and visitors this year. arts.” Nearly 500 nati onal and internati onal arti sts apply for this annual juried fi ne art show, which Late summer and early fall are great ti mes of the year features ceramics, digital art, drawings and pastels, to experience our great community events and to ex- painti ngs, photography, sculpture and more. plore Lake Forest. A new, well-designed and very infor- mati ve phone app, “LFGo” is in its fi nal stages of devel- opment (at Dialogue press ti me) and will be launching in September. Similar to what is used in museums, this SEPTEMBER 14-20 • CONWAY FARMS GOLF CLUB • LAKE FOREST app, available through iTunes, will be perfect for those BMWChampionship.com who wish to experience a self-guided tour of the com- BENEFITING munity on foot or bike. Data points with fun facts will EVANS SCHOLARS include architecture, history, landscapes and outdoor To donate visit wgaesf.org art, landmarks, parks, nati ve open spaces, and venues for shopping and dining. Check our website and online media for the go live date. WELCOME BACK, GIVE BACK. Shop, dine and support: ShopLFLB.com. Newly awarded Evans Scholars Trevor Martinez, Lake Forest High School; Sean Casey, Lake Forest High School; and Shalonda Jones, Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart. Lastly, I sincerely hope you will all join the City Council Another exciti ng event that will return to Lake Forest is and me at the annual Town Hall meeti ng on Thursday, the 2015 BMW Championship, which we are delighted November 5. Enjoy this beauti ful and busy season in to once again host at Conway Farms Golf Club. Named Lake Forest. “Tournament of the Year” by the PGA when it was here in 2013, the BMW Championship benefi ts the Donald P. Schoenheider PAGE 2 Fall 2015.indd 2 8/12/15 8:29 AM Family Education Tradition Philanthropy Native Tree Sale Join The City of Lake Forest and Lake For- est Open Lands in celebrating OAK-tober! Come to the Native Tree Sale on Saturday, October 17 from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. at Lake For- est Open Lands’ Conservation Campus, 350 N. Waukegan Road. Many varieties of trees will be available below retail cost. Pre-orders are strongly encouraged online. Please visit Sustainability Survey www.lfola.org. In the Lake Forest 2013-2018 Strategic Plan, the City’s first listed Environmental Stewardship goal is to “develop a Lake Forest Sustainability Plan to identify priorities and guide future initiatives.” Acting on this goal, this past May and June 2015, the Oak Tree Lore City of Lake Forest, with support from the Lake Forest Collaborative for Environ- mental Leadership, released a Sustainability Survey to the residents of Lake Forest. • There are over 600 species of oaks The purpose of this survey was to gain insight into the opinions of Lake Forest worldwide residents on local environmental issues and to use these insights as guidance in the • Most species of oaks live over 200 years, creation of a Sustainability Plan. with some living over 500 years • The white oak is the Illinois state tree As demonstrated in the survey, most residents of all ages would like to see a • In 2004, the oak was officially declared Sustainability Plan approved by City Council that will encourage environmentally the National Tree of the United States, sustainable behavioral changes in the City. The survey findings show that residents symbolizing our nation’s strength tend to agree that the general sustainability of Lake Forest is a concern, including • Acorn production begins when the oak attention to water quality, energy use, and the volume of waste we create. Most tree is between 20-50 years old who responded indicated a willingness to adapting their own lifestyles – such as • Oaks can produce more than 2,000 participating in a curbside composting program – if they are provided with more in- acorns a year, but only one in 10,000 formation. Overall, all residents participate in some sort of environmentally friendly acorns will develop into an oak tree efforts, such as recycling, and agree that environmentally sustainable practices are • Oak trees support over 500 species of topics that matter to them. plants and animals • Oaks are tolerant of many different The City will continue to analyze data with a report to follow which will be available weather conditions including drought on the website. The main findings in this report will guide discussion at a Commu- nity Engagement Forum to be held at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, The City and Lake Forest Open Lands is pro- October 21 at Gorton Community Center, 400 E. Illinois Road. The report, in addi- moting OAK-tober throughout the communi- tion to ideas presented at the Forum, will provide direction in the creation of the ty and encourages all residents to learn more Lake Forest Sustainability Plan, to be completed later this year. at www.lfola.org. Home Energy & Money Saving Tips • Seal leaks around windows and doors • Replace light bulbs with LED bulbs • Insulate water pipes • Close unused air vents • Install smart power strips, allowing you to choose which devices receive power • Check energy-saving tips from ComEd and other utility companies • Use ceiling fans all year long • Plant a tree: one well-placed shade tree can reduce your cooling costs by 25% PAGE 3 Fall 2015.indd 3 8/10/15 1:15 PM Family Education Tradition Philanthropy Electric these arrangements. This charge or credit, which ensures Aggregation overall ComEd customers do not pay any more or less than ComEd’s actual cost of purchased electricity, is capped at a Update maximum of 0.5 cents per kWh each month. What is the current status of the Consorti um’s How does ComEd’s price compare to those off ered by Electricity Aggregati on Program? alternati ve suppliers? In anti cipati on of the expirati on of the contract with As expected, the diff erence (or cost savings) between the MC Squared in May 2015, the Consorti um att empted to ComEd default rate and the Consorti um rate has con- enter into an agreement with a new alternati ve energy verged over the last three years due to the expirati on of a supplier. However, the Consorti um was unable to secure number of high cost power supplies in the ComEd portf o- a rate less than ComEd’s for a period of a one-year lio. As these contracts have expired, the cost of electricity minimum contract. Therefore, residents parti cipati ng in for ComEd has reduced. As the gap between the default the program have been transiti oned to ComEd for their rate and the Consorti um rate for electricity narrows, it electricity supply. Electricity supply and billing schedules becomes more diffi cult for an alternati ve supplier to pro- were not interrupted due to this transiti on. vide a fi xed, long-term competi ti ve rate that can provide a signifi cant savings advantage for residents. Additi onally, Why hasn’t the Consorti um entered into a new because the PEA has off ered a credit over the last couple agreement with an alternati ve energy supplier? months, the ComEd rate is actually lower than current At the present ti me, it is not in the City’s best interest to prices that are currently available by alternati ve suppliers.