Recent Hawthorne Hill Nature Park Work Session on 11-08-03
At 8 AM on Saturday, November 8, 2003, 12 volunteers from the North Country Knolls Property Owners Association gathered to continue their efforts to prepare Hawthorne Hill Nature Park for public use. The 66 acre park is located in Elgin east of Randall Road, north of Foothill Road and on both sides of Brookside Drive.
Pictured in the photo from left to right are: Carl Missele, Andy Campbell, Ed Whitcomb, Lowell Koester, Dick Markovich, John Fetzer, Mike Reeves, Joe Migalla, and John Bradburn. Not pictured are: Chris Missele, Robert and Suzanne Johnson.
Carl Missele, President, North Country Knolls Property Owners Association
On Saturday, June 18, 2005, several community leaders were on hand to officially open Hawthorne Hill Nature Park to the public. The 66-acre park is located north of the Route 20 bypass and east of Randall Road. It can be accessed by taking Foothill Road to Brookside Drive. Brookside Drive bisects the park, with 22 acres on the east and 44 acres on the west.
According to the booklet, "Elgin Parks: A Community History", a Girl Scout camp once occupied the 22 acres on the east side of Brookside Drive. Over time it fell into disuse, and in 1972 the area was annexed to the City of Elgin. In 1977 the City was given a grant to purchase the site with the stipulation that it remain open to the public and be preserved as a natural area. The parcel on the west side of Brookside Drive was dedicated to the City when the North Country Knolls subdivision was completed. Little was done to develop the property due to a lack of funds, but the State provided a $400,000 grant in 2003 and the City provided the remaining funds needed to build the Nature Center and open the park to the public.
While a great deal of work remains to be done to remove many invasive species of plants, there is much to enjoy. Woodchip covered walking paths wind through heavy vegetation on the east side and past two manmade ponds on the west side. The park has a new 4600 square foot Nature Center, with full facilities, that is available for meetings and day camp activities.
Check your Parks and Recreation booklet for scheduled activities at Hawthorne Hill Nature Park. You are also encouraged to walk the paths at any time from sunup to sundown. You won't be disappointed.
Carl Missele
Native landscape restoration activities at Hawthorne Hill
Please dress for the weather and wear work gloves. We've got a lot to do!
Earth Workouts (as listed in the Parks & Recreation spring brochure):
Exercisers, put on our work gloves, roll up your sleeves and get ready for a workout OUTDOORS! Throughout Elgin, we will be getting great exercise benefits while helping the natural world. Projects include cutting buckthorn and pulling garlic mustard that threatens our natural areas. If you or your group would like to join the fun, please let us know. We are eager to have you come out! Drinks and snacks will be provided for all volunteers.
Saturday, March 4 9 am - noon Just a reminder, this Saturday we will be getting rid of buckthorn and box elder in front of the nature center. Tell your students, tell your friends, bring your family (not recommended for small children).
Saturday, March 18 9 am - noon
Saturday, April 1 9 am - noon
Saturday, April 22 9 am - noon
Saturday, May 6 9 am - noon
If you have any questions, please contact either Deb Barr (847) 531-7009 or April Anderson (847) 289-9760. If you can bring a hand saw or loping shears that would be fantastic. If not, please let us know you're coming (by Wednesday 3/1, if possible) so we have the tools we need.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SEWERS AND SUMP PUMPS
Do you know there are two different sewer systems in Elgin?
Do you know that it is a City code violation to have your sump pump discharge into the City's sanitary sewer system?
Do you know where your sump pump discharges?
In the newer parts of Elgin there are two different sewer systems. The sanitary sewer transports wastewater from your home. The storm sewer removes rainwater from streets, sidewalks, and other impervious surfaces that slope toward the street.
Downtown Elgin is torn up because the EPA is requiring communities with combined sewer systems to separate them. There are two very good reasons for separating the systems. In places where the two systems are combined, such as downtown Elgin, storm water, which is relatively clean, has to be treated along with sewage. That is a waste of resources. In the event of a large storm, so much water may come into the treatment facility that it can't be managed and some of it, containing raw sewage, must be released into the Fox River. The newer parts of Elgin, including North Country Knolls, have separate systems. However, one can see that if relatively clean ground water is pumped into the sanitary sewer from a sump pump, it must be treated along with the raw sewage. This places an unnecessary burden on the treatment facility, and it also places a burden on the sanitary sewer lines.
With the recent rains that we had in Elgin, many sump pumps were working overtime. We suspect that many of these sump pumps were discharging ground water into the sanitary sewers, the vast majority of which were probably installed that way without the owners of the home knowing that it was a Code violation. That drove the sewer lines beyond their capacity, which caused the sanitary sewers to back up into the basements of many homes in North Country Knolls. The only solution to this problem is to have ALL sump pump connections to the sanitary sewer system disconnected.
We believe that once you and other neighbors know of the City Code requirements, and the very sound reasons behind those requirements, you will be happy to voluntarily make the small changes to ensure that you are in compliance. This will not only help you and your neighbors in preventing flooding and sewer backups, but it will save tax money in the City not having to use resources to fix the problems caused by improper connections, and in not having to pursue those who are unintentionally out of compliance with the Code.
If you do not know if your sump pump is connected to the sanitary sewer system, you may call NCKPOA president, Carl Missele, at 847-741-0825 to make an appointment for a friendly, private inspection to determine if your sump pump is installed to discharge correctly. Carl and a professional tradesman from the neighborhood will make the inspection. The results of the inspection will also be kept private. No one will be reported to the City for a possible code violation. We simply want to help you become informed about this important issue that affects you and so many of your neighbors, and if you are out of compliance with the Code, to give you the opportunity to bring your home into compliance voluntarily.
Downtown Elgin is torn up because the EPA is requiring communities with combined sewer systems to separate them. There are two very good reasons for separating the systems. In places where the two systems are combined, such as downtown Elgin, storm water, which is relatively clean, has to be treated along with sewage. That is a waste of resources. In the event of a large storm, so much water may come into the treatment facility that it can't be managed and some of it, containing raw sewage, must be released into the Fox River. The newer parts of Elgin, including North Country Knolls, have separate systems. However, one can see that if relatively clean ground water is pumped into the sanitary sewer from a sump pump, it must be treated along with the raw sewage. This places an unnecessary burden on the treatment facility, and it also places a burden on the sanitary sewer lines. 