August 2008 News from the Village of Hoffman Estates Hoffman Estates ver. 2.0 If you’re a regular visitor to www.hoffmanestates.org, you’ve probably noticed a big change. On Friday, Aug. 1, the Village of Hoffman Estates unveiled its new Web site. One year in the making, Hoffman Estates’ new online answers to questions that will keep Village government at presence is the end product of hard work and collaboration. your fi ngertips 24/7. What appears to be a simple facelift at fi rst glance is, in real- ity, a completely redesigned custom site aimed at meeting the The new design captures the natural themes of Hoffman eGov needs of residents, businesses and visitors of Hoffman Estates, which has abundant open spaces, forest preserves Estates. and parks. The “look” of the site is a logical extension of the Village’s other communication vehicles, such as this newslet- The intuitive site navigation will provide easy access to a ter and the welcome packet. more comprehensive calendar, document library and online service request center. Visitors will fi nd an extensive knowl- [continued on page 3] edge base that searches hundreds of Village documents for In this issue National Immunization You Drink and Drive. Clerk’s corner . 5 p3 p6 Awareness Month . 2 You Lose . 3 Growing to Greenness! . 6 Citizens Police and Community briefs . 4 Historian’s notebook . 6 Fire Academies . 2 Health and Human Floodplain information . 6 A message from Services news . 5 Mayor McLeod . 3 August calendar . 7 August is Immunization The 2008 Citizens Awareness Month Police Academy The word vaccination, which stems from the Latin for cow, was coined in 1796 by Edward “9-1-1 emergency: units respond, armed Jenner. He discovered that by injecting small quantities of the cowpox virus into an eight-year- robbery in progress, man with a gun ...” old child, he was able to prevent smallpox infection. Thus, the fi rst successful vaccine was born. It’s your fi rst day on the job and this is August is National Immunization Awareness Month. It is the perfect time for everyone to up- your call. A dangerous felon armed with a date their vaccinations, particularly as we prepare to return to work, school or college, as well as gun. How would you respond? the upcoming fl u season. Vaccines have reduced, and in some cases, eliminated many diseases that once harmed or killed tens of thousands of children and adults. What’s it really like to be a police offi cer? You’ve seen the TV show, now live the Most of us are aware of the necessity to vaccinate our children to experience. The Hoffman Estates Police protect them. It is also important for adults to receive needed Department is accepting applications for vaccines. In some cases, vaccines administered during its 19th annual Citizens Police Academy childhood do not have to be repeated during the adult beginning Tuesday, Aug. 26. years. However, not all vaccines given during child- hood will provide 100 percent protection to adults. Class runs for 12 weeks every Tuesday evening from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Immunization facts ending Nov. 11. They are held at the • Vaccines are a safe and effective means of preventing Police Department, 1200 Gannon Drive, many diseases. on the corner of Gannon Drive and Golf Road. Applicants must be at least 18 years • Some infections acquired by human/animal contact, old, and reside, attend school or work in consuming contaminated food or drinking water, or Hoffman Estates. Class size is limited, through the bite of infected insects can be prevented and spots fi ll up quickly. by vaccination. • As we grow older, we can become more susceptible to A participant shows off her some serious diseases caused by common infections marksmanship after the (e.g., infl uenza, pertussis, pneumococcus and shingles). live-fi re exercise • Effective protection provided by some vaccines may gradually decrease over time. Therefore, “booster” immunizations may be needed. Hoffman Estates provides vaccines for children and adults on a regular basis, and for a nominal fee. For more information, contact Health and Human Services at 847-781-4850. Classes meet on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 The 2008 Citizens p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at fi re station 22, located at Fire Academy 1700 Moon Lake Blvd. The academy starts on Aug. 26 and runs through Nov. 10. Does the thought of climbing a 100-foot The Citizens Police Academy gives If you are ready to begin your fi refi ghting ladder excite you? Would you like to use the participants insight into police work and adventure, contact Tony Butler at 847-843- “Jaws of Life” to cut through a car? Have you the functions of the department. Students 6498, or [email protected]. ever dreamed about leading a fi re company get hands-on experience with real police into a burning building? If so, then the equipment, such as squad cars, jail cells Hoffman Estates Fire Department would like Are you ready to climb and duty gear, including fi rearms. Stu- to invite you to its Citizens Fire Academy. the 100-foot ladder? dents receive briefi ngs from police patrol offi cers, detectives and guest speakers. The Citizens Fire Academy is an opportunity For more information and to download an for residents of the Village to experience and application, visit www.hoffmanestates.org/ learn about the inner workings of their fi re police and click on Citizens Police Academy, department. Not only will you get the chance or contact Sgt. Greg Poulos by phone at to participate in the exciting opportunities 847-781-2866, or by e-mail at listed above, you will also learn about home [email protected]. fi re safety, CPR and the history of the depart- ment in a fun, relaxed environment. The CITIZEN is published monthly by the Village of Hoffman Estates as a public information service for residents and businesses. Editor: Doug Schultz Previous editions are available online at www.hoffmanestates.org. This publication may not be reprinted or reproduced as a whole Telephone: 847-781-2609 2 or in part without written permission from the Hoffman Estates Village Manager. © 2008. All rights reserved. [email protected] New Web site [continued from cover] The Village is planning for further upgrades in the future, including improvements to our online bill payment system, which is scheduled for 2009. Vision Internet, out of Santa Monica, Calif., was selected as the redesign vendor because the Village was looking for a unique Web site that would refl ect and serve the community effective- ly. As the national leader in government Web site development, Vision Internet was the ideal choice. A message from Mayor McLeod Please take a few minutes and visit our site, www.hoffman- Recently, while attending a neighborhood block party, a estates.org. We’d love to hear what you think, and encourage resident asked me how he should dispose of used antifreeze you to send us feedback by completing our online survey about and the old motor oil from his lawnmower. the new site, which can be found on the main page. These items are considered household hazardous waste, For more information, feel free to contact the Village Manager’s and are banned from landfi lls. They cannot – by law – be offi ce at 847-781-2600. Happy surfi ng! disposed of via the regular garbage pickup. Moreover, they must never be poured down a sink or sewer. Due to the ex- pense related to properly handling such waste, the options for disposing of such materials are limited. The Village of Hoffman Estates maintains information on local service stations that will accept and properly recycle these fl uids. Only household waste can be brought to these facilities; no business or medical waste will be allowed. The city of Naperville has a permanent household hazard- ous waste collection facility, which is located at 1971 Brookdale Road. The facility is open Saturdays and Sundays, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., excluding holidays. Two additional facilities are available to residents; one located in Chicago at Goose Island and one at the Rock River Reclamation District in Rockford. More information about these facilities can be found at An example of an interior department page with placeholder text www.swancc.org/hcw/hcwcollection.html, or by calling the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) at 312-744-7606. You Drink and Drive. You Lose Accepted items Summer is here, and that means barbecues, beaches and road • Household cleaners, drain openers trips. Unfortunately, an increase in travel also means an in- • Insecticides, herbicides crease in impaired driving and traffi c deaths. • Flammables, automotive fl uids Over 1,200 people die each year on Illinois roadways, and • Prescription medication alcohol and failure to buckle up play an overwhelming role in a number of these deaths. Many of these crashes take place Unacceptable items at night. In fact, from midnight to 3 a.m., traffi c crash fatali- • Explosives, ammunition ties involve alcohol more often and seatbelt use less often than any other time of day. There is also a tremendous amount of • Radioactive materials alcohol-involved, single-vehicle crashes that occur during this • Latex paint timeframe. • Trash and non-hazardous materials The Hoffman Estates Police Department is teaming up with For more information household hazardous waste, contact Illinois Department of Transportation’s Division of Traffi c the Code Enforcement Division at 847-882-9100. Safety for the “You Drink and Drive. You Lose” Labor Day crackdown from Aug. 15 through Sept.