2014 Spring
Winter Events:
Last winter season 2012-2013, we saw the longest stretch of snowless days since 1994. We all know that can change in the Midwest and at the Road District we continually plan for winter storms. In fact this winter season we experienced one of the snowiest weeks on record to start 2014. From December 30th through January 5th O’Hare International Airport, saw 23.1 inches of snow. To keep the snowfall totals relative, the entire 2012-2013 winter season saw 30.1 inches and as of January 5, 2014 we have already received 34.7 inches.
Not only did we break snowfall records, but we were also introduced to the POLAR VORTEX. As you may remember and would like to forget, immediately after the record breaking snowfall we plunged into record breaking low temperatures and wind chills that brought in the polar bears at the local zoo. The coldest temperature was -16 degrees on the morning of January 6th. As if this wasn’t enough, northern winds came gusting in to drop the bitter cold further. The lowest wind chill of -42 degrees was also set on this dreadful morning of January 6th. For more information regarding the records please visit http://www.crh.noaa.gov/news/display_cmsarchive.php?wfo=lot.
While all these records were being broken the Road District Crew were out plowing and applying ice control measures. We stand ready to remove snow and ice in an effective manner in order keep the motoring public safe.
Yard Waste Program 2014:
This successful, annual program will resume on April 7, 2014 and will continue until November 25, 2014. Weather permitting, in late March and early April, we will deliver 56 yard waste stickers to each household in the unincorporated areas. These stickers are to be used on yard waste bags that you purchase for the following items: grass clippings, leaves, twigs, garden debris, weeds, stalks, vines, bark and wood chips. Please do not put more than 40 pounds of material into the bags as they become too heavy to lift into our refuse truck. If you have small brush or branches, please tie them with twine in bundles 4 ft. or less in length and 2 ft. or less in diameter. By doing so, they will be more manageable for disposal. Additionally, for your gardening use, we have compost which is aged, ground yard waste. New this year, is the availability of wood chips provided by the Village of Palatine. Both these materials are available for pick-up at the Road District Garage, located at: 530 N. Smith Street, Palatine. Please call 847-358-6336 for directions and hours.
Tire Amnesty Program 2014:
The famed inventor Charles Goodyear changed the world in 1839 when he accidentally dropped a mixture of India rubber and sulfur onto a hot stove and turned a flimsy gum into the sturdy stuff which today is the modern tire. But that same wonder material that has become a staple of modern society has become one of the largest solid waste headaches. This headache extends to our roadside ditches where some residents “fly dump” their unwanted tires which creates breeding grounds for mosquitoes, flooding and mowing problems for the Road District, not to mention an unsightly landscape. In response we started a tire amnesty program several years ago. Early each spring on selected Saturdays anyone living in Palatine Township can drop off their used tires at our yard. These tires are then sent to the grinder where they are ground up and used for asphalt pavement and playground surfaces. If you are a resident of Palatine Township come and drop off your old tires at the Road District Garage, located at: 530 N. Smith Street, Palatine. This year centered on Earth Day, the tire amnesty program will be from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday April 19, 2014 and Saturday April 26, 2014. No tires over 16″ in diameter or from commercial vendors will be accepted.
