News you can use....

Buffalo Grove Park District Hosts Flag Day Ceremony June 14

                      The Buffalo Grove Park District will celebrate Flag Day on Thursday, at Veterans Park, located at 1300 N. Weiland Road in Buffalo Grove.

                        The Buffalo Grove Fire Department's Honor Guard will present the Colors; and the speaker will be Officer Matthew Mills from the Buffalo Grove Police Department.

                        Music performed by the 85th Army Band's Woodwind Quintet and changing the flags will also be part of this program.

                        There will be free hot dogs beginning at 4:45 p.m, with the program beginning at 5:30 p.m. There is no rain date for this event.

                        Please visit the Buffalo Grove Park District website here for additional information.

Cops have a holiday suggestion: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over 

            Buffalo Grove police are taking part in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign during the upcoming holiday period, between June 25-July 8, as part of an enhanced enforcement of Illinois drunken driving laws

   "It’s essential that our community members understand the safety and financial risks they take when they drink and drive,” said Buffalo Grove Police Department Sergeant Michelle Kondrat. “Under no circumstances is it ever acceptable to get behind the wheel of a vehicle after you’ve been drinking. This endangers you, and everyone on the road with you.”

                        With holiday festivities wrapping up in the evening or late at night, more cars will be on the roads. Nighttime is especially dangerous; the rate of alcohol impairment among drivers involved in fatal crashes is more than three times higher at night than it is during the day. 

                        “This July 4th holiday period commit to only driving 100-percent sober. Don’t lose your independence on Independence Day, and don’t be a deadly risk to yourself and other innocent people on our roadways,” Kondrat said.

                        Drinking and driving is dangerous, even if you’re “just buzzed.” When you drive impaired, you risk your life and safety, and the lives and safety of those riding with you and around you. Does mortality not get your attention? Maybe the financial costs will: A DUI arrest could cost you up to $10,000, not to mention the loss of your vehicle and driver’s license. You could face jail time, higher insurance rates, and hefty expenses from attorney fees, fines, car towing, repairs, and lost time at work. Imagine trying to explain that to your family, friends, or employer.

            During the 2016 holiday period 188 people were killed in crashes involving at least one driver or motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher. This is a 28-percent increase from 2015, when 146 people were killed during the same period.

Small turnout -- but a big success

It may not have a had the “luster” of previous relays at either Stevenson or Buffalo Grove High Schools, but in the end, it was proof that sometimes good things come in small packages.

                The 2018 Buffalo Grove / Lincolnshire Relay for life held Saturday was the second at Twin Groves Middle School. And while attendance appeared slim in the early going, in the end the Relay raised (as of Tuesday) $70,331.25 which is not only $16,000 more than last year but exceeded the Relay committee's goal of $60,000.

                “It was a huge growth year and the new teams were excited to be there and are already talking about coming back next year,” said Deputy Village Manager Jennifer Maltas by e mail. She coordinates the Buffalo Grove team. Maltas added that Walgreens is currently asking people to donate to the ACS this month and the money donated will go to the local Relay.

            To no surprise, Maltas says Relay coordinators hope to capture some of the excitement from this year’s success by at a follow-up event “to get feedback from all of our teams and we will be looking for volunteers to help plan the event next year.”

            Capturing the momentum isn’t a bad idea. Hopefully other people will capture it.

Buffalo Grove Village Board President Beverly Sussman

and husband, Marty, man the Village team's tent.

Trustee Jeff Berman, whose mother died from

cancer, participated in this year's Relay

Village Trustee Joanne Johnson (left).

Village Clerk Jan Sirabian

Trustee Jeff Berman does a lap.

Relay for Life tops events schedule

Notes from the fine folks at Village Hall….

Relay for Life This Saturday

This year's Relay for Life event is from 3 to 10 p.m. Saturday, at Twin Groves Middle School, 2600 N. Buffalo Grove Road.  Area residents are invited to stop by, start a team with family and friends, or consider making a donation. Cancer survivors are invited to come out at 3:00 p.m. for the opening ceremonies to help kick off the first lap. The Village of Buffalo Grove has participated in the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life for more than 15 years. The American Cancer Society is the largest fundraiser of cancer research outside of the federal government, and is currently investing over $400 million in research impacting 25 different cancers.   A reception for survivors begins at 3.30 p.m. More information can be found here.

Arts and Crafts Vendors Sought for BG Days

Are you a crafter, artist or direct sales person interested in being part of Buffalo Grove Days? The Arts and Crafts Fair held during Buffalo Grove Days on Aug. 29-Sept. 3 has vendor openings.  Interested vendors should email crafts.bgdays@vbg.org.

Fire Department offers outdoor grill safety tips

The Buffalo Grove Fire Department has tips for grill safety. A grill placed too close to anything that can burn is a fire hazard; follow these tips for grilling outdoors: Never leave your grill unattended. Grills should be placed well away from homes, deck railings and out from under eaves and overhanging branches. Remove grease or fat buildup from the grills and in the trays below the grill. Always make sure your gas grill lid is open before lighting it. For more grilling safety tips, click here.

Not a village event, but of note... The Solid Waste Agency of Lake County (SWALCO) is hosting a Household Chemical Waste (HCW) collection event from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, June 16. at Wauconda High School, 555 N. Main Street in Wauconda.  For a list of acceptable and unacceptable items, please visit swalco.org. SWALCO offers year-round HCW public drop-off events at their Gurnee facility by appointment only, on the second Saturday, and the fourth Monday of the month. For questions and to make an appointment, call 847-336-9340.

Cops bowl 'em over...

Members of the Buffalo Grove Police Department joined more than a hundred children and their parents at the annual “Bowl with a Cop” event at a packed Bowlero on Wednesday.

Police Chief Steve Casstevens challenges

officer Mike Martin

The two-hour community service event gave police officers and police volunteers a chance to meet residents and to offer bowling assistance.

Bowlero provided many lanes and shoe rentals to ensure the event's success. Bowlero also offered discounts on hot dogs and soft drinks.

Chief Steve Casstevens and fire fighter Mark Anderson chat
with a young bowler.

Officer Scott Eisenmeyer with some of the kids who 

participated in "Bowl with a Cop"

Officer Mike Martin takes time between frames to chat with

some residents.

Officer Scott Eisenmeyer demonstrates his 

bowling form.

It wasn't all bowling.  Steve Casstevens 

holdsyoung Eli Hansen.  Eli's mom is 

officer Meghan Hansen.

Buffalo Grove cops may strike in an effort to stay out of the gutter

Here’s your chance to help keep a BG cop out of the gutter.

The Buffalo Grove Police Department is hosting its second annual 'Bowl with a Cop' event starting at noon on Wednesday, at Bowlero, 350 N McHenry Road in Buffalo Grove. Area children are invited to enjoy two hours of free bowling with Buffalo Grove police officers.

Police officers across the country have taken
time out to bowl with kids. This is from a
Bowl With a Cop event in Hood River, Oregon

Jay Gordon, manager of the Buffalo Grove Bowlero, will provide as many lanes and shoe rentals as needed to ensure the event's success. Bowlero will also be offering hot dogs and fountain drinks at a discounted rate of $1 each.

            If you are interested, pre-registration is encouraged. To do so, contact Community Relations Officer Matthew Mills at 847-459-2560 or by e-mail at mmills@vbg.org.

Relay for Life

            The annual Buffalo Grove / Lincolnshire Relay for Life is for Saturday, June 9 starting at 3 p.m. at Twin Groves Middle School. As noted in the Relay’s Facebook page, “…Bring some canned goods with you and drop them off at registration. Not only will they help hold down our luminaria bags, but they will be donated after the event to the Vernon Township's Food Pantry! Take a moment to go on your fundraising page and dedicate a luminaria in honor of a loved one who has fought cancer.

            There are many fundraising teams participating, including the village’s team coordinated by Deputy Village Manager Jennifer Maltas.

            For Maltas, coordinating the village team is not a “work thing.”  Her mom died of breast cancer, so for Jennifer it’s a way to not only remember her mom, but a way to help in the fight against Breast Cancer.

            For information about the Relay, go to BG Relay for Life

Farmers’ Market opens 2018 season June 17

            It’s back.

            The Buffalo Grove Farmers’ Market kicks off the 2018 season on Sunday, June 17. As always, the Market will be at Mike Rylko Park and is open from 8 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.

            The season runs into October and is open every Sunday, except the Sunday during Buffalo Grove Days, which is Sept. 2.

Green Days set

            The 7th annual Buffalo Grove Green Fair, hosted by the Buffalo Grove Park District's Environmental Action Team, is from 8:00 a.m. -12:30 p.m Sunday, June 24 from. at Mike Rylko Community Park, located at 951 McHenry Road in Buffalo Grove (next to the Farmers’ Market).

            This event is free, and families are welcome. Information will be provided about activities to help residents learn about the steps they can take at home, work, and in the community, to improve the environment and make Buffalo Grove a greener and healthier place to live.  Also, the first 100 visitors to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation booth will receive an 18-inch potted oak tree sapling to take home.

            Visit bgeat.org for a complete list of exhibits and activities at the Green Fair. For more information, call Buffalo Grove Park District Marketing Manager Mike Terson at 847-850-2116 or email mike@bgparks.org

And if you must know…

The Buffalo Grove Police Department successfully brought awareness to area residents during its annual Click It or Ticket high-visibility seat belt enforcement campaign, held May 18 through May 29, by writing a total of 47 citations for seat belt violations in the process.

Officers also made two DUI arrests and arrested one motorist for driving while on a suspended license. The campaign, which coincided with one of the busiest holiday weekends of the year, was twofold: combine increased enforcement, and a zero- tolerance policy with effective communications to road users on the importance of using seat belts.

“This year’s Click It or Ticket campaign was a real success,” Sergeant Michelle Kondrat said. “Through our enforcement efforts, we believe we helped keep community members safe and reminded drivers of the importance of buckling up. Issuing tickets was not our goal; it was a way to remind people of the importance of such a simple action.”