The Village is aware that some vehicle sticker compliance letters were sent in error to Palatine households and apologizes.

If you believe that you purchased a vehicle sticker for the 2021/2022 season and received a letter in error, please call the vehicle sticker hotline at 847-359-9079 or email vs@palatine.il.us. If emailing, please provide the following:

• Full name 
• Address
• License plate number(s)
• Picture or Scanned Copy of the Village's compliance letter(s) that you just received. 

As a reminder, any registered vehicle to the Village of Palatine must purchase a vehicle sticker each year. Please view the vehicle sticker website here.

The Village of Palatine is now on Instagram! Follow @villageofpalatine and see all the reasons to love your Palatine community! 

Saturday, May 7, the Palatine Farmers' Market opens for the season. There will be specialties for Mothers’ Day, and Sister Cities will be honoring special guests, the Palatine Ukrainian Church women, who will be bringing their homemade Pierogis, better known in Ukraine as Varenyky.  All proceeds will go to Humanitarian Aid to Ukraine through direct church contacts and to territorial defense units throughout the country.
 
Come early for breakfast, stay for lunch, greet your favorite vendors, meet new vendors, see friends and neighbors, and enjoy the music of Jazzman Jeff. 

Begin another Farmers' Market Season in Palatine this Saturday, May 7, 7 AM to 1 PM in the train station parking lot, Smith and Wood Streets.

For more information visit the Sister Cities Association website.

Thank you to Mayor Schwantz, Palatine Park District, Village of Palatine, and Hunting Ridge Elementary for helping celebrate Arbor Day last week. Three Triumph Elm trees and 2 Frontier Elm trees were planted at the school.

Each year, communities across the country observe Arbor Day by gathering for tree planting events. These Arbor Day celebrations promote cleaner air and water, protect wildlife in their natural habitats, and improve human health — all through planting and nurturing trees.

• Two DUI arrests
• Two Drug arrests
• One Felony revoked driver’s license arrest
• 12 misdemeanor suspended/revoked driver’s licenses arrests
• 43 uninsured motorists
• 85 speeding citations 
• 59 seat belt citations
• Two Child safety seat citations

Community Consolidated School District 15’s Board of Education is currently considering a proposal recommended by members of the administrative team, which is referred to as Moving 15 Forward. This proposal is a community-driven plan designed to focus on addressing long-standing educational and facility needs in order to boldly move the District forward.
 
The District continues to host community information meetings to ensure parents and community members are informed. Meeting details, additional information about the proposed improvements, and a detailed summary of the upgrades planned at each school can be found at www.ccsd15.net/moving15forward.

Now is a great time to prepare for yard and gardening projects. Why not plan to include cost saving and soil health improving compost? The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) offers a free compost delivery program to Cook County residents, schools and non-profit organizations.
 
The MWRD’s Exceptional Quality (EQ) Compost is a sustainable and environmentally beneficial product derived from the water reclamation process that blends biosolids with woodchips, grass clippings and leaves. EQ Compost is rich in organic matter and improves soil structure and porosity, allowing plants to more effectively utilize nutrients. It can be used as mulch, to establish plants and grass, or mixed with soil for pots and planter boxes.
 
There is a 10 cubic yard minimum order size for delivery. For smaller amounts of compost, residents may bring their own buckets, bags and shovels to pick up free compost at one of six water reclamation plants.
 
For more information and to place an order for compost, visit the MWRD’s website.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) recommends halt to use of bird feeders, bird baths through May 31 until spread of avian influenza subsides.

While HPAI (Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza) has not been detected in songbird species (passerines), IDNR recommends the use of bird feeders and bird baths cease through May 31, or until HPAI infections in the Midwest subside, especially those that waterfowl may visit. During spring, wild birds will have ample food sources while bird feeders are removed.

Further IDNR recommendations:

• Clean and rinse bird feeders and baths with a diluted bleach solution (nine parts water to one part bleach) and put away or clean weekly if they can’t be moved away from birds.
• Remove any bird seed at the base of bird feeders to discourage large gatherings of birds or other wildlife.
• Avoid feeding wild birds in close proximity to domestic flocks.