Harvard High School Progress- Northwest Herald

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Written by Shawn Shinneman, The Northwest Herald. July 10, 2014

http://www.nwherald.com/2014/07/10/harvard-high-school-in-second-phase-of-face-lift/awz0fos/

Harvard High School in second phase of face-lift

HARVARD – It’s been more than 20 years since Harvard High School received substantial work and nearly a century since it was built. So, yes, District 50 officials are excited to be closing in on the second phase of a major sprucing up of the place.”It’s very much needed – the original part of the building was constructed in 1921, and then it had additions in 1955 and 1993,” said Steve Miller, the district’s director of facilities. “So yeah, the older section of the building really did need some updating.”

Update it, they have. Contractors started last year building 10 new classrooms, which opened by Christmas break. They did the exterior of the kitchen last summer, and completed the interior throughout the school year. Equipment was installed in the spring.”That was a new addition to the building,” Miller said. “It’s completed and ready to go when the kids come back in September.” The old kitchen is being demolished and rebuilt as cafeteria space, expanding seating and adding a “senior cafe” that will incorporate “restaurant-style” seating, Miller said.
Crews also will build a fitness center with cardio equipment and an area for yoga, and redo the administrative area. The high school also will get installed a secure entrance, along with four other schools in the district this summer.

In the new entrance, a first set of doors will open into a small atrium where guests can speak with school staff through a video screen before being buzzed through a second set of locked doors. The district’s fifth school, Richard D. Crosby Elementary, already has a secure entrance. Additionally, both the high school and Jefferson School are getting new HVAC systems. The high school’s upgrades have been a long time coming. The school was the district’s only building not to feel relief from a $22 million referendum in 2008, which allowed the district to build Crosby school and drop a grade level at the others to create space. But that referendum was leveraged for a $13.8 million grant, which officials are using to complete the high school renovations.
So far, the completed projects have gone over well with students, Miller said. “They’ve been very good,” he said. “The modern rooms are very nice.”

lamp incorporated current projects
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D300 Parking Lots Improvements- Courier News

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Written by Suzanne Baker, The Courier News. June 30, 2014

http://couriernews.suntimes.com/2014/06/30/19-school-parking-lots-getting-facelift/

19 School Parking Lots Getting a Facelift

The parking lots of 19 schools in Community Consolidated School District 300 are getting a much-needed makeover this summer.

District 300 Assistant Superintendent of Operations Chuck Bumbales said this past winter was particularly harsh on school parking lots throughout the district. He said work already has begun repairing the lots filled with potholes.

The $3.3 million project to fix the holes ranges anywhere from completely tearing out all asphalt surfaces at one school to paving small areas at other schools.

Among the lots getting work done are:

  • Hampshire Middle School
  • Algonquin Lakes
  • deLacey Family Education Center in Carpentersville
  • Dundee Highlands Elementary in West Dundee
  • Eastview Elementary in Algonquin
  • Hampshire Elementary in Hampshire
  • Hampshire Middle in Hampshire
  • Lake in the Hills in Lake in the Hills
  • Liberty in Carpentersville
  • Lincoln Prairie Elementary in Lake in the Hills
  • Perry Elementary in Carpentersville
  • Sleepy Hollow Elementary in Sleepy Hollow
  • Golfview Elementary in Carpentersville
  • Neubert Elementary in Algonquin
  • Parkview Elementary in Carpentersville
  • Lakewood Elementary in Carpentersville
  • Algonquin Middle in Algonquin
  • Westfield Community School in Algonquin — (track original to the building)
  • Dundee-Crown High School in Carpentersville
  • Jacobs High School in Algonquin.

In addition to parking lots, Golden Eagle Drive adjacent to Jacobs High School will get facelift to repair the numerous potholes.

While the top layer of asphalt was ground away in the parking lot at Parkview Elementary School in Carpentersville, the community still was able to use the lot for public parking at the Rock the Fox Music Festival June 27-29 in town. Drivers did have to navigate the lighted traffic sawhorses marking the manholes that jutted up from the scraped surface.

The paving work was bid in early March, and the School Boards approved the bids from the lowest contractors in April.

Contracts went to Abbey Paving Co. for $1.8 million, Schroeder Asphalt Services for $371,685, Arrow Road Construction for $647,095 and Accu-Paving for $240,065. The total amount for all contracts, including oversight services from Lamp Inc. and allowances for unforeseen conditions, was $3.3 million.

Money for the work will be paid out of District 300’s Capital Projects Fund.

The budget established for this work was $3,516,281.

lamp incorporated current projects
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East Dundee’s New Fire Station Response Time- Post-Tribune

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Written by Erin Sauder, The Sun-Times Media. June 13, 2014

http://posttrib.suntimes.com/search/28057210-418/east-dundees-new-fire-station-location-improves-response-time.html

East Dundee’s new fire station location improves response time

EAST DUNDEE — A year after construction began on East Dundee’s new fire station, officials moved this past week into their new digs along Route 25.

“It’s been great,” said Fire Chief Steve Schmitendorf. “And the biggest thing we’ve noticed — which is what we thought would happen — is that our response time is much better out of this building. Especially anything in the eastern end of our district. Obviously, going back by the old station will take a little longer, but it is downhill and we don’t navigate those narrow streets anymore.”

A $5.5 million referendum approved by taxpayers in November 2012 made possible the new fire station, located near Routes 25 and 72. Fire officials said the area is more centrally located to serve their entire district, which extends as far east as Higgins Road and Interstate 90. The district serves the villages of East Dundee, South Barrington and Barrington Hills, and unincorporated Kane and Cook counties.

The move also means more room for the East Dundee Police Department, which will expand into the fire department’s old building on Third Street.

Fire officials were able to move into the new building Monday.

Schmitendorf said that for the most part, the project stayed on its projected timeline.

“We were maybe two weeks behind what we were hoping for, and that was just because of that tough winter,” he said. “Obviously, we still have some odds and ends to work on; but we can function out here now.”

The land the new fire station is built on is owned by the village. Both fire and village officials agreed to swap the land for the current fire department building. To make the exchange more equitable, since the village was receiving three acres of land with a complete building, East Dundee officials said they would donate $100,000 per year to the East Dundee Fire Protection District — a separate taxing body — for the 20-year life of the loan to build the station to offset payment of the bonds.

A community open house is planned for the fall, to coincide with Fire Prevention Week.

“We’re waiting because we want to do things in the building to spruce it up,” Schmitendorf said.

Village President Lael Miller visited the facility Friday.

“It’s incredible,” he said. “It’s a beautiful building, and I’m sure those guys will be happy in it for the next 50 to 75 years. It’s a huge asset to all the residents of East Dundee and our entire fire service district.”

As for the construction of the village hall and police station, Miller said those projects are going through the final design phase.

“We’re anticipating sometime at the end of summer or early fall we’ll start construction on the police station portion,” he said. “Last I heard, the tentative completion schedule on that is May of next year.”

Miller said work will also begin on the village hall “somewhere in parallel with that.”

lamp incorporated current projects
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ECC Life Sciences Building achieves LEED Silver Certification.

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Lamp Incorporated is honored to announce that the Health and Life Sciences Building at Elgin Community College has achieved LEED Silver Certification! Congratulations to all who worked hard to accomplish this success.  Click here to read the full report.

lamp incorporated current projects
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2014 AABE Awards- Daily Herald Business Ledger

Written by Richard R. Klicki, Daily Herald Business Ledger. March 13, 2014

http://dhbusinessledger.com/Content/Default/Homepage-Rotating-Articles/Article/AABE-awards-honor–extraordinary–suburban-businesses/-3/303/11226

AABE awards honor ‘extraordinary’ suburban businesses

Twenty-two suburban businesses and organizations were recognized Wednesday for being extraordinary in what they do during the 2014 Annual Awards for Business Excellence, sponsored by the Daily Herald Business Ledger.

More than 170 people attended the awards ceremony at Medinah Banquets in Addison to hear the stories of how the companies achieved their individual successes. The annual AABE awards are given to to outstanding suburban companies, businesses and nonprofit organizations for its business achievement, growth and community involvement.

Keynote speaker Tom Gimbel, founder and CEO of LaSalle Network of Chicago, noted the companies honored were able to find the key to make themselves rise above the ordinary.

“When you achieve success like the people in this room have, it’s extraordinary efforts,” Gimbel said.

And while encouraging the businesses to look at how other companies achieve greatness and see how they can adapt it to their needs, Gimbel stressed that success is not a one-size-fits-all formula.

“Building business excellence and building a great company … there’s absolutely no similarities between what any company does,” Gimbel said.

“Fact of the matter is, when you’re trying to replicate what somebody else has done, you’re missing the point.

“We’re all unique, and what makes us unique is the people we have that work for us,” he added. “When I think about business excellence, to me it’s about attracting great people, retaining great people, and then rinse and repeat.”

At LaSalle Network, which was honored in the mid-sized company category, Gimbel said he’s worked hard to hire people who have the same passion for the job that he has, as well as create a work culture that makes them want to stay with the company.

“I love what I what I do, and I’ve been very fortunate that I’ve hired the people who have the passion that love what they do,” Gimbel said.

He also stressed that you need to cut people who don’t share that passion, as they can hurt the company’s culture you worked hard to build.

“When you have people who don’t have the passion for what you’re doing, they are the biggest cancer that can hurt you business, and they sabotage
business excellence,” he said.

A number of the honorees shared the theme of equating great employees with great business.

“Our business is helping families through one of the most difficult transitions they will ever face, and having an extraordinary staff makes that possible,” said Ray Palmer of Sullivan, Taylor and Gumina PC in Wheaton, which was honored in the small business category.

Ken Buckman, CEO of Trade Tec Skyline of Lombard, which was also honored in the small business category, stressed developing your leaders to
their full potential, as well as recognizing the importance of employees believing in a purpose for work.

Doug Cook, president of Feldco in Des Plaines, which was honored in the family business category, added the importance to have your employees feel like family so they can best understand their customers.

“You can’t understand other people if you don’t understand your own family,” he said.

Profiles of all the honorees will be featured in the April 16 edition of the Daily Herald Business Ledger. Sponsors of this year’s event are B. Gunther and Co., NIU MBA College of Business, AIA Northeast Illinois, Quad County African American Chamber of Commerce, Small Business Advocacy Council, Construction Industry Service Corporation, AM 560 The Answer, and Valley Industrial Association.

 

aabe-2014-logo

By category, the 2014 recipients are:

Small Companies (50 or fewer employees)

  • Design & Promote, Naperville;
  • Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard, PC, Waukegan;
  • Sullivan, Taylor & Gumina, PC, Wheaton;
  • Trade Tec Skyline, Lombard.

Mid-sized Companies (51-150 employees)

  • LaSalle Network, Oak Brook.

Large Companies (more than 150 employees)

  • Transportation Solutions Enterprises, Carol Stream.

Architecture & Construction

  • Kluber Architects + Engineers, Batavia;
  • Lamp, Inc., Elgin;
  • Leopardo Companies, Hoffman Estates;
  • Wight & Company, Darien.

Economic Development Entity

  • Village of Elk Grove.

Entertainment / Hospitality

  • Medieval Times, Schaumburg;
  • Tinley Park Convention Center.

Family Business 

  • Feldco, Des Plaines.

Innovation

  • AEC Technology, St. Charles;
  • Kelmscott Communications, Aurora;
  • SimplyFly, Sugar Grove.

Manufacturing

  • Ergoseal, Inc., Carol Stream.

Minority Owned Business

  • The Virtual Assistant Group, Naperville.

Notable Not-for-Profit Organizations

  • African American Men of Unity, Aurora;
  • Bridge Communities, Glen Ellyn;
  • NAMI of DuPage County, Wheaton.
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CISCO 2013 Project of Year Winners- CISCO

Written by Staff, CISCO. 2014

http://cisco.org/projects-of-the-year/

CISCO Announces 2013 Project of the Year Winners

Oak Brook, IL – The Construction Industry Service Corporation (CISCO) announced its Project of the Year award winners today as part of its annual Pride in Construction Award Program. The program, which recognizes the top quality construction projects in various categories, also honors the efforts of an area educator, Illinois public body and labor conciliator. A formal presentation to the winners is scheduled at the association’s annual breakfast meeting on January 31, 2013 at Maggiano’s Little Italy in Schaumburg, Illinois.

“We are proud to recognize these projects, organizations and individuals for this prestigious award,” said CISCO Executive Director Dan Allen. “The projects we receive each year demonstrate that the union construction industry produces the best product anywhere in the world, and this year’s entries and winners perfectly illustrates that point.”

Entering its 8th year, the program in 2013 added two new categories: 1) Infrastructure – Chicago or Suburbs, which highlighted road, bridge, excavation or utility projects, and 2) New Construction – Chicago and Suburbs below $20 million in total budget.

The top project in the New Construction/Chicago (above $20) category went to Sarah E. Goode STEM Academy, 51 S. Homan Avenue. The project was a new 215,000 sf, three-story high school that received LEED Platinum certification. The building is a structural steel frame with concrete on metal deck on all levels including the roof.

The school amenities include new classrooms, computer labs, science labs, a full cooking kitchen and cafeteria, a fitness center, a library, an indoor pool and a gymnasium with a stage, lightning and sound system for theatre production.

The Chicago Public Building Commission teamed with General Contractor F.H. Paschen S.N. Nielsen & Associates; Architect STR Partners and Engineers CE Anderson and dbHMS.

Winning in the category of New Construction/Suburbs (above $20 million) was the Elgin Community College – Health and Life Science Building. 1900 Spartan Avenue. The new addition of the 160,454 sf Health and Life Sciences Building is part of Elgin Community College’s (ECC) initiative to address employer-defined shortages of healthcare and allied health professionals. Funding for the project came from a 2009 bond referendum in the amount of $178 million to build this and several other new buildings on campus.

The ECC’s Health Careers Building is slated to achieve LEED Silver certification in order to underscore the campus’ commitment to environment stewardship. Construction of the building employed more than 700 union construction workers over a span of 21 months with zero lost days due to injury or accident.

Elgin Community College worked with General Contrator Lamp Inc.; Architects Kluber, Inc.; and Engineers Kahler Slater and AECom.

Lamp Construction - 2014 Cisco winners

Front Row, Left to Right: Lurana Bain (ECC), Kim Plate (ECC), Robin Arnold (ECC), Dr. Wendy Miller (ECC), and Rachel Hegel (Lamp) Back Row, Left to Right: Jennifer Norton (Lamp), Paul Dawson (ECC), Ned Coonen (ECC), Ian Lamp (Lamp), Melissa Tait (ECC), Debra Letizio (ECC)

Among Rehabilitation projects, the Chicago Bears Halas Hall Additions in Lake Forest was the top vote-getter. The home of the Bear’s training and administrative facilities underwent many renovations including the front offices, meeting rooms, media rooms weight room, pool and athletic training/rehab facility. Three main additions were built to expand the capabilities of the existing facility highlighted by a new kitchen, 150-person event center and a state-of-the-art broadcast studio.

The Chicago Bears Football Club’s project team consisted of General Contractor Mortenson Construction; Architect Richard Preves & Associates; and Structural Engineer Virgilio & Associates, Ltd.

The top Residential Construction project chosen was 500 Lake Shore Drive, a new 45-story apartment tower located in Chicago’s Streeterville neighborhood, just steps from Navy Pier and Lake Michigan. The building features a sleek, modern curtainwall façade and 699,000 square feet of luxurious accommodations and amenities.

The building was designed to be LEED Silver for its sustainable site selection, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources and indoor air quality. The building also features operable windows to enhance the thermal comfort of its tenant.

The owner/client was Related BIT Lakeshore Owner, LLC and their project team consisted of General Contractor Lend Lease and Architect Solomon Cordwell Buenz Robert Pope & Associates.

In the first of the two new categories this year, the winning Infrastructure project went to Runway 10C-28C at O’Hare International Airport. The new runway is 10,800 feet long and 200 feet wide and was built as part of the O’Hare Modernization Program. The footprint of the runway overlapped with many airport facilities that needed to be relocated or displaced to accommodate the construction of the runway. These included a cemetery, a railroad, a waterway, two large cargo facilities, a detention basin (Lake O’Hare), an aircraft fueling station and many properties.

The $1.3 billion project brought $4 billion in economic activity including 1,000 construction and professional services jobs created annually over the project’s 8-year duration and nearly 50,000 permanent jobs. Needed to build the runway were 940,000 square yards of pavement, equivalent to 30 city blocks; 1.4 million linear feet of electrical cable; and 7.2 million cubic yards of earthwork, which would fill Soldier Field 5 ½ times.

The Chicago Department of Aviation teamed with General Contractor Walsh T.J. Lanbrecht and Construction Manager Terrel Materials along with Architect O’Hare Airfield Engineers and Engineering Joint Venture of Jacobs and Millhouse.

The winner of the final category of New Construction – Chicago or Suburbs (below $20 million) was Hyatt Place Hotel, 5225 S. Harper Avenue in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago. The new hotel is an 84,000 sf, 131-room facility constructed of red sandstone-colored porcelain tiles and zinc shingles and stands as the gateway to the Harper Court development. As the centerpiece of the development, Hyatt Place is Hyde Park’s first new hotel in 50 years.

Hyatt Place Hotel is slated to become one of the first LEED for New Construction (LEED-NC) certified hotels in Chicago. It also received LEED for Neighborhood Development Gold certification, becoming the highest LEED-rated project of its kind in Illinois.

Owner of the Hyatt Place is Smart Hotels Olympia/Chicago, LLC and it teamed with General Contractor Wm. A. Randolph, Inc.; Legat Architects and Structural Engineers CSA Associates and Virgilio & Associates.

 

The individual winners in the Pride in Construction Program were:

  •  Educator of the Year, Glen Krause, Counselor, Evergreen Park High School
  • Labor Conciliator of the Year, Wes James, Labor Conciliator, Illinois Department of Labor
  • Public Body of the Year, Village of Bensenville, to be accepted by Village President Frank Soto.

 

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Founded in 1988, the Construction Industry Service Corporation, CISCO, is a labor-management group that brings together unions of the building trades and construction contractor associations representing more than 140,000 construction workers and 8,000 union contractors in the six-county Chicago metropolitan area.

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Berwyn Officials Approve Study- mySuburbanLife

Written by Joe Sinopoli, mySuburbanLife.com. November 21, 2013

http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/2013/11/13/berwyn-officials-approve-study-for-police-facility-expansion/a3bh9ro/?page=1

Berwyn officials approve study for police facility expansion

BERWYN – In 1999, Berwyn broke ground for a new Police Department complex that would reflect the newest and most innovative features that law enforcement had to offer at that time. It was opened for business in March 2001. Today, it is known as a pre-9/11 building.

The City Council unanimously approved the contracting of a feasibility study regarding potential additions at the Police Department complex, 6401 31st St., it met Nov. 12. In a letter to the City Council and Mayor Robert Lovero, City Administrator Brian Pabst explained a number of safety and security requirements needed to be instituted within the complex in the wake of the terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001. As a result, the facility “needs to be evaluated to identify the deficiencies and related costs.” Pabst also stated the department has experienced functional issues pertaining to inadequate space. For example, there is only one holding cage, that, when in use, forces officers to place other detainees in areas not designed for such purposes.

The department has a total of 10 sergeants who share one office with two or three sergeants on duty at any given time. A civilian records clerk and sworn court officer share an office, and the records and dispatch departments are working in “a very, limited environment,” according to Pabst. Storage has become a big problem as well, Pabst reported. Prompting the need for a feasibility study is the fact that the city intends to apply for a variety of grants to pay for any improvements or additions at the Police Department. The study provides the due diligence required during the grant application process.

Police Commander Tom O’Halloran said it wasn’t a matter of Homeland Security issuing directives in terms of how police departments are specifically equipped. “But if you ask for grants, Homeland Security asks, ‘How are you securing your facility?’” O’Halloran said. “It’s part of the process. We can’t get over the first hurdle of what we need because they don’t have the study.” O’Halloran added the department isn’t counting only on federal grants, but is equally interested in state grants or any other grants the department may qualify for. Meanwhile, the need remains for more room. “We’re running out of space and things just aren’t flowing functionally,” O’Halloran said. “We have more technology [and] equipment, and [the department’s] server rooms are packed to capacity. We are getting more efficient, but it also requires more equipment.” Elgin-based Lamp Inc. has been selected to do the study at an amount not to exceed $24,900.

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Elgin Kiwanis Park Dedication- Post Tribune

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Written by Staff, Post-Tribune. November 22, 2013

http://posttrib.suntimes.com/search/23273578-423/elgin-kiwanis-park-to-be-dedicated-on-wednesday.html#.U8VeGPldWoE

Elgin Kiwanis Park to be dedicated on Wednesday

The city of Elgin will host a dedication ceremony at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at Kiwanis Park (formally Observatory Park), at National and Villa streets.

The ceremony will recognize the Kiwanis Club of Elgin and its partners who teamed up to construct a gazebo in the park. Other organizations that assisted with the project were Lamp Inc., the Housing Authority of Elgin, Kane County Health Department and the Elgin Golden K Club. The total cost for the project was about $62,000.

“The city of Elgin is very grateful to the Kiwanis Club of Elgin for their leadership in the purchase and construction of this beautiful gazebo, which supports their continual efforts to serve the children of our community. Having the gazebo in this park allowed us to offer the free lunch program at this site for the first time this past summer” said Randy Reopelle, Elgin’s parks and recreation director. “Given the city’s limited park development funds, I see this type of community partnership as a template for future park improvements.”

For more details, call 847-931-6127.

 

Elgin: Sherman, city to hold family fair Saturday

Advocate Sherman Hospital, in partnership with the city of Elgin, will host the 27th Annual Halloween Family Fun Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at The Centre of Elgin, 100 Symphony Way. With an emphasis on health and well-being, this free event will feature a variety of fun and educational activities.

A costume contest will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for children ages 12 and younger. Prizes will be awarded for best character look-alike, most creative and best makeup.

In addition to games, children will get a glimpse inside an ambulance, police car and fire engine during one of the tours. The fair also will feature pediatric developmental screenings, Kidcare Photo IDs, a safe-toys booth, and various health and safety information booths.

The fair will include a car seat safety check by Advocate Sherman Hospital and Kane County Safe Kids. Certified child passenger safety technicians will inspect child safety seats and provide instruction.

This event is free to the community, and no registration is required. For more information, call 1.800.3ADVOCATE or visit www.AdvocateHealth.com/events.

Elgin: Sherman set to celebrate Food Day

Advocate Sherman Hospital will celebrate National Food Day on Thursday, a nationwide movement for healthy, affordable and sustainable food. The lake level and café of the hospital will transform into a farmer’s market open to the public from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Vendors from the Downtown Elgin Harvest Market will be on site with local produce, meat, baked goods and other locally grown and produced items.

Attendees can learn how to incorporate fresh foods into their diet and how to start a garden, with advice from Sherman Community Gardeners and the University of Illinois Master Gardeners. Sherman dietitians will share tips on how to shop for fresh foods and prepare nutritious meals.

Other vendors at the event include the new member-owner grocery Shared Harvest Co-Op, and Food for Greater Elgin.

Sherman’s café chefs will prepare items from the official Food Day cookbook and share the recipes. Attendees can collect recipe cards at each Food Day station for a chance to win a $50 gift certificate to Sherman’s Tree House Gift Shop.

For more information, call Advocate Sherman Public Affairs & Marketing at 224-783-8700.

South Elgin: Church to hold ‘Trunk-or-Treat’

Community United Methodist Church in South Elgin will host its annual “Trunk-or-Treat” community event from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday. Refreshments will be served, and children can “Trunk-or-Treat” for candy, play various games, and participate in other exciting activities. This free event is open to all.

The church is at 400 W. Spring St. More information is at 847-931-0563 or cumcsouthelgin@sbcglobal.net.

Elgin: ‘Trunk or Treat’ at Church In The Word

Church In The Word will host its fifth-annual “Trunk or Treat” community event from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday. A group of cars decorated and stuffed with candy will line up in the parking lot at 430 Airport Road for an afternoon of free food, games, costumes and candy.

Families and local businesses team up to provide this free, fall event. Children can “trick-or-treat” from one car to the next, playing games and collecting candy. There will be warm beverages and snacks, and giant inflatables for the kids to bounce around in. The Redefined Student Ministry will host a “students only” lounge for middle school and high school students.

For more information, visit www.ChurchInTheWord.com or call 224-585-9673.

Elgin: Wild Ones to hold floral arrangement class

Artist Jean Muntz will demonstrate how to arrange dried native grasses, leaves, berries, seed pods, branches and flowers into works of art at the Northern Kane County Wild Ones meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday at Christ the Lord Lutheran Church, 12N462 Tina Trail, Elgin.

Attendees are asked to bring their own vase or other container, pruners or scissors, and any dried material they would like to use or share. A limited amount will be provided. No background in floral arranging is necessary.

Kane County: Prescription drug turn in Saturday

The Kane County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will offer the public its seventh opportunity in three years to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs.

People can bring medications for disposal from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the sheriff’s office, at 37W755 Route 38, St. Charles. The service is free and anonymous. The sheriff’s office is one of several sites in the county that will participate in this initiative. If residents are not able to come to the sheriff’s office, they are encouraged to find additional sites in the community. A list of sites can be found at the DEA’s Office of Diversion Control website at www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov. Also, the sheriff’s office does accept any unused or unwanted prescription medicines during normal office hours. People can come to the front desk at the sheriff’s office and turn these medicines in.

According to the DEA website last April, Americans turned in 371 tons (more than 742,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at more than 5,800 sites operated by the DEA and its thousands of state and local law enforcement partners. In its six previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners took in more than 2.8 million pounds — more than 1,400 tons — of pills.

Crystal Lake: Heart for Animals fundraiser set

A Heart for Animals has a fundraising goal of $3,000 at its Howl-o-ween Bash and Fundraiser on Saturday to pay for medical care for animals in foster care.

The event is open to adults, and children must be 11 years-old and older. No pets will be admitted.

The winner of the best costume award will win a $200 cash prize. The event includes buffet dinner, DJ, silent auction, raffles, 50/50 raffle, one drink ticket and cash bar for $30. Raffle prizes include Chicago Blackhawks tickets and other items. All proceeds go directly to benefit the rescue animals.

The Howl-o-ween Bash and Fundraiser will be held from 7 to 11 p.m. at Old Towne Hall, 54 Brink St., Crystal Lake. To purchase tickets or make a donation, call 847-868-2432 or visit www.aheartforanimals.org for details. Donations are tax-deductible.

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East Dundee Fire Protection District breaks ground on long-awaited new fire station site

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EAST DUNDEE — Mark Guth was 13 years old when the fire station was built on Third Street in downtown East Dundee six decades ago. At the time, his father was on the fire department staff. Guth, 75, is retired from the fire department and is now president of the East Dundee Fire Protection District Board of Trustees.

On Tuesday, the East Dundee resident joined other trustees, village and fire staff, and community members to break ground on the fire district’s new station. “I’m kind of excited,” he said. “It’s nice to watch another one go up.”

“Today’s the day, finally,” said Fire Chief Steve Schmitendorf. “It’s very exciting. It’s something that’s been a dream for a long time.” A $5.5 million referendum passed by taxpayers in November made possible the new fire station, which will be located near Routes 25 and 72. Fire officials said that area is more centrally located to serve their entire district, which extends as far east as Higgins Road and Interstate 90.

The land the new fire station will be built on is owned by the village. Fire and village officials agreed to swap the land for the current fire department building on Third Street. To make the exchange more equitable, since the village was receiving three acres of land with a complete building, East Dundee officials said they would donate $100,000 per year to the East Dundee Fire Protection District — a separate taxing body — for the 20-year life of the loan to build the station to offset payment of the bonds.

The move also will mean more room for the East Dundee Police Department, which will expand into the fire department’s old building. Construction is anticipated to take about 10 months. Village President Lael Miller said it’s an exciting time for East Dundee. “And this is such a perfect location for the fire station,” he said. “This is a great win for the entire village.”

Guth said he hopes the building lasts as long as the Third Street location did. “Getting out of the downtown wasn’t bad 50 years ago,” he said. “But today with how big the equipment is, it’s a lot more difficult to get out of those curvy streets. And the response time will be the same. This is going to help (the fire district employees) a lot. It’s going to help everybody.”
The fire district serves the villages of East Dundee, South Barrington and Barrington Hills, and unincorporated Kane and Cook counties.

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Randall Oaks Rec Center, branch library grand opening Saturday

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WEST DUNDEE — Grand opening celebrations will be held Saturday for the $12.4 million Dundee Township Park District Randall Oaks Recreation Center and the Fox River Valley Public Library District’s branch Library inside the center.

A ribbon cutting ceremony for the facilities will take place at 10 a.m. at the center, 500 N. Randall Road. Visitors can tour the new facility and participate in free health and wellness screenings, group exercise class demonstrations and children’s activities. Library staff will be on hand to give tours, issue library cards, and answer questions at the branch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The 53,000-square-foot recreation center was funded by existing park district tax resources and Build America Bonds, which will provide a 35 percent interest rebate to the district. The center includes a 5,500-square-foot, state-of-the-art fitness center; double gymnasium with two full-size basketball courts; elevated three-lane track; group exercise studio; KidZone (child watch room); preschool; and multipurpose room. Center hours will be 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends.

More information is available by calling the center at 847-836-4260.

The 5,000-square-foot branch library, located on the lower level of the center, will feature a variety of materials with the latest titles, older popular books and select audiovisuals. Patrons will find satellite-sized areas including adult fiction and non-fiction, teens, children, audiovisual, adult and game computers, and study tables. Check-out stations, automated return equipment and an outdoor drive-up book return have been installed to make visits efficient and allow more time to browse around and make selections.

Hours for the new branch location will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. It will be closed on Fridays and Sundays. “As the branch hours were mapped out, all of our different patrons and their library needs were considered,” said library Director Roxane Bennett.

“We hope we’ve provided a time when everyone will be able to take advantage of our new location, like moms and kids in the mornings, students in the afternoons, adults stopping by after work, and families coming together on Saturdays. We based our hours on what we see at our main location in East Dundee as well as responses received during the community outreach that was conducted during the branch planning. We will watch the traffic and usage closely, and are open to making adjustments in the future if needed.”

Patrons who already have an item on hold and would like to pick it up at the Randall Oaks Branch instead of the Dundee Library can call the Dundee Library at 847-428-3661, ext. 5876; or email dundeeref@dundeelibrary.info (include library card number or have it handy) beginning Monday.

More information is available by calling the library or visiting the website at www.frvpld.info.

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