Glenview, Northbrook notes: Chamber partnership; Violins of Hope; tax bills delayed

Chamber partners with business source

The Northbrook Chamber of Commerce & Industry has been named a referral partner with the Cook County Small Business Source.

The county's Bureau of Economic Development has launched a 2023 Source Grant program that will award $40 million to small businesses with funds provided by the American Rescue Plan Act.

Grant applications will be accepted until 11:59 a.m. Aug. 18.

Small businesses are eligible to apply if they've been operating in Cook County since before 2020 and have fewer than 20 full-time employees.

The program will prioritize businesses in suburban Cook County, those operated by veterans and businesses hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, such as arts and entertainment, child care and social assistance, retail, food and tourism.

For more information, visit cookcountysmallbiz.org/sourcegrant.

Violins of Hope concert at Gallagher Way

JCC Chicago has partnered with the Chicago Cubs and its adjacent outdoor park space, Gallagher Way, to present a free, teen-oriented concert titled "Growing Hope."

Starting at 7:03 p.m. Aug. 8 at Gallagher Way, it's a concert in conjunction with Violins of Hope aimed to promote understanding, tolerance and acceptance through music.

Emceed by Montana Tucker, the event features Grammy Award-winning "hip-hop violinist" Miri Ben-Ari, saxophonist Avery Dixon, modern country artists The Boykins, Emmy-winning composer Wendell Hanes.

The concert is free but requires tickets; visit jccchicago.org/growinghope.

$1K signing bonus for new camp counselors

Do you like spending time with kids? The Northbrook Park District is offering a $1,000 signing bonus to new counselors at its Adventure Campus after-school program who apply by Aug. 11.

Adventure Campus includes before- and after-school care and activities for children in kindergarten through fifth grade at five elementary schools: Hickory Point, Shabonee and Wescott, all in Northbrook; and Willowbrook and Winkelman (after school only), both in Glenview. The program takes place Monday through Friday during the school year, from late August to early June.

The park district is hiring multiple counselors who can work the after-school program from 2:15 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Applicants who can work from 2:15 to 3:45 p.m. are encouraged to apply. Shift ending times at some locations are flexible. Starting pay is $15 to $20; benefits include a free pool pass, gym membership, golf play and more.

New applicants are eligible for the $1,000 bonus if they commit to working five days per week for the school year. The bonus will be disbursed as follows: $250 in September, $250 in January and $500 in June.

For information, visit nbparks.org/programs/adventurecampus/. To apply, visit nbparks.org/about/jobs/adventurecampus.

Young Professionals head food drive

The Glenview Chamber of Commerce's Young Professionals Group is leading a summer food drive for the Northfield Township Food Pantry throughout August and September.

The pantry serves more than 1,000 families throughout Glenview, Northbrook and Northfield.

People can donate food at a variety of businesses and other locations in Glenview, including the Glenview Public Library. Each location is asked to donate five grocery bags worth of personal care items or nonperishable food items such as cereal, coffee and tea, juice, peanut butter, pancake mix, canned fruit, and pasta. People may drop items off inside during business hours or outside in collection boxes when a business is closed.

A list of participating business is available at glenviewchamber.com/calendar.

Property tax bills delayed

According to Northfield Township Assessor Alida Nally's office, second-installment 2022 property tax bills payable this year are delayed.

Cook County officials said the COVID-19 pandemic and an overhaul of the technology to administrate the property tax system has affected timelines.

Second-installment bills are expected to be available by Nov. 1 with a due date of Dec. 1.

The assessor's office also said property tax appeals filed with the Cook County Board of Review are pending review. People should receive a result letter by the end of August.

For help with property tax issues, Nally and her staff may be reached at (847) 724-8300, ext. 2, or through email at propertytaxhelp@northfieldtownship.com.

Take community survey on Northbrook pool upgrades

The Northbrook Park District is seeking community input regarding plans for upgrades at Meadowhill Aquatic Center, 1501 Maple Ave., that would make the existing facility more-ADA accessible, add two accessible gender-neutral changing rooms, and improve current infrastructure. A major goal is to enhance the public's entry experience into the bathhouse, with updates to locker rooms and restrooms.

Infrastructure upgrades would include the roof, lap pool tank and gutter system, and mechanical filtration and circulation equipment. The plunge pool and leisure/lap pool would get a fresh coat of paint while the lap pool deck concrete and shade areas would be improved.

The upgrades would comply with the latest requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The building's original structure dates back to the 1960s.

The preliminary estimated project cost for these upgrades would be $3.56 million.

The project was identified as eligible for the Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development grant program from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The maximum grant award would be $600,000 for fiscal year 2024. The application deadline is Aug. 31.

Residents can read more about the plan and complete a community input survey at nbparks.org.

Historical society fundraiser

More than 120 supporters provided $119,000 in donations at the Winnetka Historical Society's June 24 gala at North Shore Country Day School.

Gala co-chairs were Susan Sullivan and Karen Vorwald. The event was hosted by Tom Flemma, North Shore Country Day head of school.

The society will use event proceeds to preserve the village's heritage, and gather and share historical artifacts.

Sustainability plan in Wilmette

The Wilmette Park District is starting the process of creating a Sustainability Plan. Its target completion is early 2024, with input from an internal steering committee and Wilmette citizens.

An early part of the process is a brief survey for residents and park district patrons. It's available online at lp.constantcontactpages.com/sv/2KlL6Wo.