SkokieNews - Recycling recap, major new development, and more!

April 16, 2024

Recycling Recap: Skokie Spring Greening

Photo by Rich Cahan

More than 1,000 community members participated in Sunday’s annual Skokie Spring Greening at Westfield Old Orchard! The free event included electronics recycling, medication disposal, document destruction and much more.

Green lens: Local photographer Rich Cahan captured photos of the event. See them on the Village’s Facebook and Instagram. (And follow us while you’re there!)

Couldn’t make it? No worries! View more upcoming recycling events and see what items are recyclable through the Village’s curbside program.

Trailblazing Office-to-Residential Conversion Slated for Skokie

Last night, the Skokie Village Board granted site plan approval for a mixed-use residential development at 5202 and 5250 Old Orchard Road, believed to be the first of its kind in the Chicago area.

What to know: The project will convert two largely unoccupied, seven-story office buildings into a 245-unit mixed-use development. Five percent of the units in the south tower will be offered at below-market rates (affordable at 120% Area Median Income).

The context: As cities adapt to remote and hybrid work, Skokie is among the first to approve the environmentally responsible, adaptive reuse of a former office space.

The project is part of transformative changes coming to the Old Orchard corridor, including The Henry and Westfield Old Orchard redevelopment projects, as well as Old Orchard Road roadway and multi-use path improvements.

These Four Households Are Serious About Sustainability

Four Skokie households have been recognized with the Village’s first-ever Residential Sustainability Awards.

Environmental excellence: Presented by the Sustainable Environmental Advisory Commission and Go Green Skokie, the awards recognized households for their outstanding dedication to sustainable practices, including rooftop solar installations, pollinator-friendly landscaping, smart stormwater management, and more.

Celebrating Our First, First Responders

In honor of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, the Village salutes its dedicated team of 911 telecommunicators, who are on duty 24/7 to dispatch emergency assistance to those in need.

Help first responders help you: Skokie Smart911 not only alerts you to emergency situations via text, email and phone, it also allows you the option of providing your household’s emergency medical and contact information in advance so that first responders can provide the very best care during a crisis. Don’t wait for an emergency to sign up for this free program!

Welcome!

Last night’s Village Board meeting included the swearing in of a new village clerk and five new police officers.

Minal Desai, Skokie Village Clerk

Minal Desai was sworn in as Skokie’s next village clerk following her nomination by Mayor Van Dusen and approval from the Village Board. Clerk Desai has served as vice president of the Skokie Park District Board, and fills the vacancy created following the retirement of Clerk Pramod Shah earlier this year.

Photo: Clerk Desai is sworn in by Judge Michael Weaver.

New Skokie Police Officers

The Skokie Police Department is proud to welcome five new officers to its ranks: Cori Calcaterra, Fernando Navarro, Alzbeta Gajdacova, Benjamin Umansky and Ernesto Colon. Welcome to Skokie!

Timber Ridge Park Compost Site Open Through May 4

The Village, in partnership with the Skokie Park District, has opened a temporary additional food scrap compost site at Timber Ridge Park, located at Lawndale Avenue and Davis Street, through May 4.

Accepted: All food scraps, including meat, dairy, and bones, are accepted. Food scraps should be transported loose (preferred) in paper bags, or in CMA compostable bags.

Not accepted: Plastic bags, deli containers, and other containers are NOT allowed in compost bins.

More locations: The Village offers nine other free composting sites throughout Skokie.

Going Fast: Electric Leaf Blower Rebates

Go green and take advantage of a $50 rebate on the purchase of an electric-powered leaf blower!

Eligibility: Rebates are available for residents on a first-come, first-served basis for purchases made on March 26, 2024 or later; limited quantities remain.

Why it matters: The Village’s Environmental Sustainability Plan calls for reducing emissions produced by lawn equipment by 30 percent by 2030.

Explore Skokie

Nut & Candy

Just a week after visiting Skokie’s Even Made, WGN Morning News’ “Around Town” segment returned to town for a tantalizing tour of Nut & Candy, 3745 Dempster St.

See how it’s made: Reporter Ana Belaval enjoyed a hands-on tour of the creative confectionery. Watch the WGN video.

Soul Good Coffee

The Chicago Tribune highlighted Skokie’s Soul Good Coffee, which is working to open a brick-and-mortar location on Main Street later this year.

Did you know: The Village’ Consumer Affairs Commission recognized Soul Good Coffee as the 2023 Skokie Business of the Year! Watch the highlight video.

Haben Celebrates 100 Years

At Monday’s Village Board meeting, Haben Funeral Home and Crematory was recognized for 100 years of service to the Skokie community.

Family business: The 4th generation family-owned business, located at 8057 Niles Center Rd., received the Village’s 2017 Business of the Year Award and the Skokie Fire Department’s Community Service Award.

2024-25 School Registration Reminder

It’s not yet summer, but School District 69 and other Skokie public schools are already planning for the 2024-25 school year.

What to know: If you have a child(ren) starting school or returning to school in the fall, register as soon as possible. Registering well in advance helps Skokie schools plan for the next year.

Upcoming Events

Community Calendar

Unite Against Racism event, April 24

The Skokie Human Relations Commission invites you to attend the YWCA Evanston/North Shore Equity Institute’s reimagined Unite Against Racism event, “Practicing Solidarity and Imagining New Futures,” on Wednesday, April 24. (Note: This year, the YWCA will not hold Unite Against Racism events in neighboring communities, including Skokie.)

Other Community Events