Park District accepting applications for board post

The Buffalo Grove Park District Board of Commissioners is

accepting applications from residents of the Park District to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Commissioner Jack Schmerer. The individual selected will serve as Park District Commissioner until the middle of the term at the annual meeting in May 2019. The remaining two years of the term will be open during the April 2019 consolidated election. Residents interested in applying, should contact Buffalo Grove Park District Executive Director Ryan Risinger at (847) 850-2122. Applications are being accepted until 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 14. Applications can be found on the Board of Commissioners page of the Park District website, www.bgpark.org

Partial Old McHenry Road closure begins Monday

The Lake County Division of Transportation will partially close Old McHenry Road in Long Grove for roadwork starting Monday, Sept. 10, . Old McHenry Road is scheduled to reopen to all traffic in November . Commuters are encouraged to use the following detour route: Route 22 to Route 83 to Route 53. Additional route information can be found on the detour map at this site: Detour map

Special Olympics plane pull  Sept. 22 at O'Hare Airport

Buffalo Grove Police Chief Steven Casstevens was recently interviewed on Fox 32 Chicago about the annual Plane Pull fundraiser which benefits the Special Olympics of Illinois. The Police Department will take part in the Plane Pull event. For those who would like to participate in the Plane Pull, there are 20 people per team, and it will be held on Saturday, Sept. 22, from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. at O'Hare Airport.  For more information and to register, click here. 

Garden Club to feature Mike Nowak

The Buffalo Grove Garden Club meets the second Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. at the Alcott Center, 530 Bernard Drive in Buffalo Grove. On Tuesday, Sept. 11, guest speaker Mike Nowak will present, "That Ain't No Way to Treat a Tree." Nowak is a master gardener and Openlands TreeKeeper, and has shared his expertise about gardening, the environment and green living on radio, TV and in Chicagoland Gardening Magazine. The horticulture talk will be about Daffodils 1, 2 and 3. The Flower Guild will collect gently used books (birth - grade 6) for Bernie's Book Bank in Lake Bluff. Click this link for more information about the Buffalo Grove Garden Club and upcoming events, go to this link: Buffalo Grove Garden Club.

Stampede set for Sept. 2

News and notes from around the village.... 

            The Buffalo Grove Park District's Friends of the Parks Foundation will be hosting its annual 5K and 10K race, the Buffalo Grove Stampede, on the morning of Sunday, Sept. 2.  The race begins and ends at the Buffalo Grove Park District Fitness Center, located at 601 W. Deerfield Parkway in Buffalo Grove.

            The starts at 7:30 and concludes around 9:30 am.  Several streets will be closed to traffic during this race, including eastbound Deerfield Parkway from McHenry Road (Illinois Rt. 83) to Buffalo Grove Road (from 5 -10 a.m.), McHenry Road (Route 83) between Deerfield Parkway and Buffalo Grove Road,

            Checker Drive, Old Checker Road, Farrington Drive, Shady Grove Lane, Silver Rock Lane and Springside Lane.  Maps of the routes, as well as registration information can be found at bgstampede.org

Cops set to flip burgers

            The Buffalo Grove Police Department will participate in ‘Butterburgers & Badges’, a yearly event to fundraise for Special Olympics. It will be held Thursday, Aug. 30 from 4 until 8 p.m. at Culver’s, 450 McHenry Road.

            Police Department members will be on hand to serve meals to patrons who are both dining in, as well as those who are ordering their meals at the drive thru. During this fundraiser, $1 from every Concrete Mixer sold will be donated to Special Olympics. PArticipants will have the opportunity to purchase Special Olympics gear, make donations, and meet a Special Olympics athlete.

            “This is one of the most highly-attended Special Olympics fundraiser events each year by our officers,” Police Chief Steven Casstevens said. “They really enjoy serving meals and connecting with members of our local community.”

Donations to Special Olympics can be made at any time at the Buffalo Grove Police Department, 48 Raupp Boulevard in Buffalo Grove.

In 2017, the Police Department donated more than $45,000 to Special Olympics and is aiming to hit the $50,000 mark in 2018.

Buffalo Grove Days is next week

            The 57th annual BG Days festival will be held from Wednesday, Aug. 29 - Monday, Sept. 3, 2018. This year's fest includes the BG Days Parade, the BBQ Challenge, the Carnival, the Arts & Crafts Fair, Business Fair, Special Needs Events, Main Stage Entertainment, an array of food and beverages, and more. For an overview of the events happening during BG Days and how to purchase discounted carnival wristbands, click here. The BG Days Blood Drive is from 8  a.m. until 1  p.m. Saturday, Sept. 1 at the Alcott Center, 530 Bernard Drive in Buffalo Grove. Appointments can be made by calling 877-543-3768 or by visiting lifesource.org and using sponsor code: BG98.

No farmers’ market

            The Buffalo Grove Farmers’ Market will not be running on Sunday, Sept. 2 during BG Days.

Commission for Residents with Disabilities sets food & fun

Join the Buffalo Grove Commission for Residents with Disabilities at Food and Fun, a free event hosted for individuals with disabilities at the BG Days Carnival. Register by clicking here. The event includes free admission to the carnival rides for all individuals with disabilities, and complimentary lunch for the individual and up to four family members or friends accompanying that individual (tickets for additional family and friends are $10 each).  For questions, please email Foodandfun@vbg.org.

BG Singers 26th annual show highlights the Best of 21st Century Broadway

The Buffalo Grove Park District’s BG Singers will perform their 26th annual choral concert, “Back to the Theater - 21st Century Broadway: Premieres and Revivals,” on Friday, Sept. 28 at 7:30 pm, Saturday, Sept. 29 at 3 pm, and Sunday, Sept. 30 at 3 pm at the Buffalo Grove Park District Community Arts Center, located at 225 McHenry Road in Buffalo Grove.  This show will also be celebrating the group’s first performance in the newly renovated, state-of-the-art theater at the Center.

             Directed by Linda Rosen, choreographed by Charla Silver, and featuring accompaniment by Dan Ermel, this show will include selections from new Tony Award-winning shows, such as Dear Evan Hanson, Beautiful, Hamilton and Waitress, as well as favorites from revivals like Hello Dolly, The King and I, and Guys and Dolls.

             “We opened the Community Arts Center in 2015 with a show titled, ‘Welcome to the Theater,’ which gave us the idea to use, ‘Back to the Theater’ when we were planning this year’s show,” Rosen said.  “We are thrilled to return to our home stage replete with great sight lines, thanks to new tiered seating, added lighting, and new sound equipment, as well as an entirely new lobby, art gallery and concession area.”

            Beginning Aug. 29, tickets for all performances will be available online at bgsingers.org, or at the Community Arts Center box office Mondays through Thursdays from 8:30 am - 7 pm, Fridays from 8:30 am - noon, or Saturdays from 9 am to noon.  Advance ticket prices are $17 for adults, and $15 for children 12 and under and seniors 62 and older.  All tickets purchased at the door will be $20.  For more information, visit bgsingers.org, or contact Lindsay Grandt at 847.850.2132 or lindsay@bgparks.org.

Buffalo Grove police officers recognized for life-saving effort

            Buffalo Grove Police Officers Anthony Turano (left) and Derek Hawkins (right),shown with Police Chief Steve Casstevens (center), were honored at the Aug. 20 Village Board meeting with Life Saving Awards for their efforts that revived a man after a drug overdose.

The officers responded to a Buffalo Grove residence on July 12 where an adult male was found unconscious and not breathing. Due to their training, the officers made the decision to administer three doses of nalaxone to the man, while also starting basic life saving measures. The man regained consciousness and was transported to a nearby hospital and survived. Buffalo Grove officers have been carrying nalaxone, also referred to by its brand name Narcan, since 2014.

Hey copper, how about some Joe?

You have to wonder what’s up when a police officer offers to pour your coffee for you.

Unless, of course, it’s the annual national “Coffee with a Cop Day,” as it was last Wednesday. A fund-raising effort for Illinois Special Olympics that is underwritten by McDonald’s Corp., several Buffalo Grove cops spent a couple hours at the McDonald’s at Rt. 83 and Arlington Heights Road to chat with residents over a cup of Joe.

In addition to, as the late Irv Kupcinet would say, “the lively art of conversation,” members of the BGPD had crime prevention information and answered residents’ questions.

            Interestingly, it wasn’t just a cop or two, but as many as six who stopped by, most of whom were off duty.  The “Coffee with a Cop” promotion was more than a way for some BG cops to chat, it was another fund-raising effort officers participate in. Earlier this year, they teamed up with Dunkin’ Donuts for the annual “Cop on as Roof” day, again to raise money for Special Olympics.

            While a “Scotch with the Sergeant” event may draw more interest, having coffee with a cop is probably easier and more family oriented.

            And what about the stereotypical donuts for a cop? One officer said he typically avoids that stereotype.  But, he said, if he does partake in a doughnut, it doesn’t have powder sugar.

The 'hole' truth --- BG cops caught accepting cash

Sad as it may seem, BG’s cops were caught being “on the take” earlier today.

Typical cops.  Give us cash if you want a donut.  Or a mug.  Or a raffle ticket.

You didn’t need a dash cam or a body cam – the take was done in plain sight.

At a time when crime is running rampant and cops are getting thrown under the bus, where are BG’s finest?  Standing on roofs and, dare I say it?  Soliciting.

Who would have thought it would come to this?

But that’s exactly what happened. Fortunately, it was all in the name of charity as members of the Buffalo Grove Police Department spent time at three BG Dunkin’ Donuts to raise money for Special Olympics through its “Cop on the Roof” program.  In addition to taking cash, officers were selling chances to win a variety of prizes while also selling coffee mugs, T-shirts and other items to raise money for Special Olympics.

This year marked an unheralded first – a chance for a copy to actually get on the roof.   Unlike the Dunkin’ Donuts at Arlington Heights and McHenry roads, and at Aptakisic and Weiland roads, the new one at 245 McHenry Road actually has a flat roof that allows people to stand on it.  The other two have pitched roofs that are too hazardous for someone to stand on.

According to information from the village’s website, funds raised benefit the 2016 “Torch Run”, which “..has raised more than $35 million over 30 years while increasing awareness of Special Olympics Illinois athletes and their accomplishments..”

The event ran from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m., so if you offer a BG cop cash now, don’t be surprised if you end in a holding cell – which is not a good idea.  The donuts are not as fresh.