The Village of Long Grove wishes all residents a safe and happy holiday season! All Village departments will be closed in observance of Christmas on Thursday, December 24 and Friday, December 25, 2020. The Village will also be closed on Friday, January 1, 2021 for New Years. As a reminder, during normal business hours, Village operations are continuing remotely due to the pandemic. For additional resources and contact information, please click here.

Due to the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, residents who normally have waste and refuse pick up by Waste Management on Fridays (December 25, 2020 and January 1, 2021) will have their pick up occur on Saturday instead. Christmas trees will be picked up the first two weeks in January (January 4 - 15) on the normal yard waste pickup day. All trees must be clean, and should not include tags, lights, or tinsel. Trees longer than 6 feet should be cut in half. Visit this link for more information.

The Lake County Health Department has announced residents can now register to be notified when the COVID-19 vaccine is available. An online account can be created on the County’s AllVax Portal to complete the registration process, which can also be completed by calling 847-377-8130. After extensive clinical trials, the vaccine has been found effective with a low risk of serious side effects. Frequently asked questions about the vaccine can be found here. A notification on vaccine availability will be sent to all Lake County residents who register. Priority will be given to high-risk groups. Learn more from the Centers for Disease Control here.

Repair work on the Robert Parker Coffin bridge to replace portions of its wood-panel siding was recently completed. The project included installing new steel trim underneath the cover to help protect the panels. The Village continues to pursue additional protective measures to prevent further damages from oversized vehicles, such as video surveillance and enhanced signage that would improve visibility and provide advanced warning to drivers approaching it from both directions. Updates will be provided in future communications.

Downtown Long Grove is hosting a New Year’s Virtual 5k Run & Walk sponsored by Buffalo Creek Brewing to benefit Orphans of the Storm Animal Shelter, a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving animals in the northern Illinois area. From January 1 – January 31, 2021, the Historic Downtown Long Grove Business Association (HDLGBA) invites participants to start the New Year off by running the "fluff out of 2020,” which they can complete anytime during the month. Although this is a virtual race, the HDLGBA encourages runners and walkers to set up virtual “teams” to enhance the community spirit of the event. Winners will receive various prizes from the sponsor; the grand prize is a VIP Tour & Tasting at the German-style brewery that features an authentic Alpine Biergarten. Registration is open at this link; once registered, participants can pick up their race packets beginning this Saturday, December 19, at the brewery.

The Long Grove Park District is a rarity among local government organizations in that residents pay no taxes to keep it running. Rather, it exists by grants, donations, and volunteers. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the park district has continued to manage hundreds of acres of open land, parks and nature preserves within the Village, as well as eradicate invasive teasel along adjacent roads. This year, it continued to maintain walking trails, foot bridges and boardwalks. Volunteers implemented invasive weed control, removed dead and storm-damaged trees, and wrapped more than 100 valuable trees to prevent beavers from taking them down. Maintenance work was completed on the historic Reed-Turner Woodland Nature Center and the downtown Buffalo Creek Park.

Unfortunately, due to capacity restrictions and social distancing, the Park District has been adversely impacted. Program fees are greatly diminished, and facility fees are non-existent, as the Nature Center has been closed since last March. Please consider supporting your park district this holiday season with a tax-deductible donation to preserve and protect abundant green spaces at lgparks.org/donate or by calling 847-438-4743 or mailing a check payable to Long Grove Park District, 3849 Old McHenry Road, Long Grove, IL 60047. The park district appreciates your support.

Village meetings continue to be held virtually until further notice. Information on how to participate remotely is included in meeting agendas - found under 'View Details' below.

For more information on the Village's commissions and committee meetings, click here.