While we welcome the end of construction and congestion on the Edens, we need to take steps to ensure that the expressway does not turn into a speedway. In an effort to provide for the safety of motorists, I have asked the Illinois State Police to provide additional troopers for the indefinite future on the Edens and on Hwy. 41 just north of the Edens.

By having additional supervision, motorists will feel safer and we can reduce the incidence of driving under the influence and speed racing.

The Illinois Department of Transportation has asked me to advise constituents that they will be driving on rough road surfaces on portions of the Edens until the final layer of smooth-riding asphalt has been laid. Overnight lane closures will continue until the project is completed at the end of September. The Illinois State Police will be enforcing the 45 mile per hour work-zone speed limit for the safety of construction workers and motorists. The minimum fine for speeding in a work zone is $375, whether workers are present or not.

Most of all, I hope that commuters will continue to use Metra and carpool in an effort to reduce traffic and pollution in our area.

More information about the Edens project can be found at the Department of Transportation's website.

Join me for the Alliance for the Great Lakes' annual Adopt-a-Beach Clean-ups which are scheduled for 9:00 a.m. to noon, Saturday, September 13 at Glencoe Beach and September 20 at Lake Bluff Beach. We are lucky to have such beautiful beaches in our communities and I am so pleased to lead this project in protecting our treasures.

We have a good number of volunteers for the Glencoe clean-up, but are still seeking help for the Lake Bluff beach. Please contact my office (847-433-9100) if you can help.

The Alliance for the Great Lakes has led Adopt-a-Beach programs in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan since 1991. In Illinois alone, the project has resulted in the clean-up of approximately 112,000 pounds of trash over the past 16 years.

Join me at my district office on Thursday, October 23 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. to meet with counselors from AgeOptions, a suburban county agency on aging. They will provide information and personalized help on Medicare prescription drug plan changes, Medicare prescription changes, low income subsidies, the Illinois Cares Rx/Circuit Breaker programs and Medicare Savings programs.

Bring information about your current Medicare Rx plan and your medications to the meeting. For more information and to register, call Karyn Davidman in my office (847-433-9100). Please help spread the word to seniors you know. Refreshments will be provided.

The Chief County Assessment Office of Lake County will hold two public information meetings and fifteen tax assessment help centers this fall to help residents understand their property tax assessments.

At the public information meetings, the Chief County Assessment Officer will explain assessment procedures, provide the recommended steps to review a tax assessment, outline the assessment appeal process and answer questions. The meetings will be held at 9:00 a.m. at the College of Lake County, Grayslake Campus, Building C - Auditorium, 19351 West Washington Street, Grayslake, IL (directions, map of CLC) on Saturday, October 25 and Saturday, November 8.

At the tax assessment help centers, residents will be able to work one-on-one with a member of the Chief County Assessor's staff for personal assistance with evaluating their property tax assessments. The County also provides helpful web applications to the public, which will be used during these sessions. The assessor's website provides further information about the dates, times and locations of these help centers.

The Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC) is providing at-home computer and electronics pick-ups only through September. Residents of northern Cook County can email athome@swancc.org or call (847) 724-9205 ext. 9 to arrange for pick-up. The program pick-up charge is $25 via credit card and up to 6 items can be picked-up at a time. On the scheduled pick-up day, items should be placed on the front porch or steps by 7:30 a.m. SWANCC's website provides a list of acceptable items for pick-up.

email: karenmay58@aol.com

phone: (847) 433-9100

web: http://www.repkarenmay.org