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Afterschool Club Open House October 21 – Lake Villa

LCCIL After School FlyerHigh School and transition students with disabilities have a special invitation to attend an Open House on Monday, October 21, 2013 at Camp Peacock in Lake Villa.   The Open House is to promote a new “Afterschool Club” that is sponsored  by the Lake County Center for Independent Living and the Lake Villa Township.  The Open House will take place at from 3:30-6pm.  RSVPs are encouraged.

The “Afterschool Club” will emphasize leadership, employment readiness and self-advocacy.  Anyone with an interest in helping advance young people with disabilities should attend (parents, teachers, service providers, etc.)

Getting to the event:   Camp Peacock is off Deep Lake Road, north of Grand Avenue, on Crooked Lake.    (See map below.)  Information on transportation, including use of the Northwest Demonstration Project buses is available from the LCCIL. Call Allison at 847-949-4440 allison@lccil.org.

Camp Peacock used to be a summer camp targeted at young people with disabilities. (Read Chicago Tribune article here.)  It stopped operating some years ago and was recently purchased by the Lake Villa Township.  (Read the NewsSun article here.)

 

Peacock Camp

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Disability Pride Parade: Get on the LCCIL Bus!

general parade logoExcitement is growing for the 10th Annual Disability Pride Parade in downtown Chicago.  Activities begin at 9am and the parade starts at 11.  There will be booths, entertainment and presentations.  Lake County-ers who want to attend the Parade can take the bus sponsored by the Lake County Center for Independent Living.  The bus leaves the LCCIL office at 8 and will return about 3.  To reserve your spot contact Matt at 847-949-4440, ext. 215, email:  matt@lccil.org

Are you wondering about the parade itself?  According to the event website:

The overall mission of the Disability Pride Parade is:

  • To change the way people think about and define “disability”;
  • To break down and end the internalized shame among people with Disabilities; and
  • To promote the belief in society that Disability is a natural and beautiful part of human diversity in which people living with Disabilities can take pride.

Visit the website at: http://www.disabilityprideparade.com/index.php.  

 

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LCCIL Boot Camp for Parents

Summer Boot Camp for Parents continues at the Lake County Center for Independent Living (LCCIL).  July offerings are open to parents and advocates with an interest in the IEP/Transition process.   The class is free and held on Tuesdays from 1-3 at the LCCIL.  For information contact Shanta Frierson, 847-949-4440, shanta@lccil.org

The July schedule includes:

July 16 — Bullying 101, presented by the Lake County Health Department Children’s Program.  They will also discuss the Health Department programs and services.

July 23 –Skills to Succeed, presented by the Division of Specialized Care for Children.  Shannon Jones is coming from Rockford to explain this little known program for children up to age 22 that is administered by UIC  http://www.uic.edu/hsc/dscc/

 

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Day at the Lake, 2013 — June 23 and July 28

day_at_the_lake_2013Individuals with special needs and their families are invited to spend a  “Day at the Lake”  on June 23 and July 29.   The event runs from 11am to 5pm  and is at Lake Como, just north of Lake Geneva in Wisconsin. The event is sponsored by a few members of  Willow Creek Community Church.  This event is free of charge, but registration is requested as spaces fill up quickly.

The event will feature swimming, boating, fellowship, food and fun!  Families are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs and fishing poles in addition to the usual suits, towels and sunscreen.   TheNemoNews has heard that this is a *FUN* event as well as a chance to meet other families.

To register for a Day at the Lake contact Trudy at 847-855-9571 or email rcapoccion@aol.com

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SO Torch Run in Lake County June 9

COLOR-IL-TORCH-RUN-jpgOver 100 Law Enforcement Officers will be carrying the Special Olympics Torch through Lake County on Sunday, June 9.  There are several “legs” to the run and it is likely the officers will be running somewhere near you.  Check with your local police department to see if/when you can cheer them on. The routes start at various places near the state line with Wisconsin around 6am.  They are detailed below.

These runs are part of 23 similar Torch Runs that begin in various places around the state (East St. Louis, Quincy, etc.)  All 23 segments will join up at the Opening Ceremonies are scheduled for 8 p.m. Friday, June 14 at Hancock Stadium in Normal, Illinois.

The Illinois Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics is a year round activity that has raised nearly $28 million over the last 27 years to support Special Olympics activities.   They aim to raise $3M this year.  For more information about the Torch Run visit the Special Olympics Illinois website, or visit this link   http://s162186.gridserver.com/law-enforcement-torch-run/

BTW — If you need a donut on May 31, stop by Cops on the Roof fundraiser held at these area Dunkin Donuts!  http://www.soill.org/dunkin-donuts-cop-on-rooftop/

Supporters are invited to line the course and cheer for the torch bearers
as they show their support for the Special Olympics Summer Games.

The Law Enforcement Torch Run in Lake County details follow with itineraries and maps:

The Gurnee Route begins at the Six Flags Employee Entrance on Grand and Milwaukee at 6:15am  and proceeds down Rt 21 to Dempster.  From there, it meets other legs in Proesel Park in Lincolnwood.  The Libertyville Stars Swim Team invites others to join them in front of the Baker’s Square on Milwaukee (21) and Greentree.  The torch runners are expected to pass by between 7-8am.

The Sheridan Road Route  begins at 6am at Sheridan Road and 128th in Winthrop Harbor for the first segment.   They will run along Sheridan Road until they arrive in Lake Forest around 8:30.  Then they will follow Green Bay Road to Evanston and conclude in Lincolnwood around noon.  In Lincolnwood, they will meet up with runners on another leg of the Torch Run.

The Hwy 83 Route begins in Antioch at 6am.   It goes through Lake Villa, Round Lake, Grayslake, and Wauconda.  The route takes Hwy 83 to Hwy 120 to Fairfield to Chardon and ends at the Wauconda Police Department around 9: 25am.

 

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Federal Partners in Transition eDiscussion til May 27

Have you ever thought that there was a better way to do things?  Have you ever wished you could talk to somebody important enough to act on your ideas?  Or maybe just listen to your ideas?  Here’s your chance.  There is an online discussion taking place the next two weeks (May 13-27).  Representatives of the Department of Labor, Education, Health and Human Services and the Social Security Administration (Federal Partners in Transition)   are hosting this discussion and asking the following question:

What legislative and regulatory changes need to happen to effectively implement employment, education, health and human and social security services for youth and young adults with disabilities under public law?

It is a “crowd-sourced” discussion.  Individuals and agencies present their ideas and the rest of us vote their ideas up and down.  In this way, the “cream” of ideas rise to the top.  There were over 100 ideas within 24 hours, and the top idea (with 54 votes) was to eliminate waiting lists.  (Nemo votes for that!)

Participants need to register in order to participate.  In order to participate go to:  http://fptepolicyworks.ideascale.com/  In addition, we asked one author a question about their particular idea, and have received half a dozen responses from participants so far.  So Nemo won’t be asking a lot of idle questions…LOL.

Nemo has noted that some ideas on the website are poorly written and difficult to understand.  Some are pure jargon.  A participant might want to draft an idea and have someone else read it before posting.  Otherwise your great idea could be lost in the mix if it is unclear.   And we don’t want that to happen!

 

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Extreme Recess on July 31 — Dreams for Kids

Extreme Recess -- Dreams for KidsDreams for Kids will hold its annual summer Extreme Recess event on July 31 at 9am.  This is a  spectacular water sports day for kids with disabilities held in in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin (not too far from Fox Lake.)   Following a day full of adaptive water skiing, swimming,  jumpy castles, water slides,  fishing, canoeing, kayaking, tube and jet ski rides, there will be a free ski show by the famed Aquanuts!

Contact Shelly ASAP to sign up as a participant, volunteer or an event sponsor.

 Read last year’s review here.  http://thenemonews.com/extreme-recess-a-review/

 

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Drive-able Distances and Services: Opinion

carAs I read about the wonderful advances being made in Chicagoland and the nation, I often find myself wondering if there is any way our family can tie-in to them.   Those social groups, work opportunities and  miracle-working professionals inspire me and I am grateful to learn about them and to be in a metropolitan area where wonderful things can and do happen.

Yet, many resources remain out of reach since they are not a “drivable distance” for our family.  We are in the Grayslake area, and we can’t schedule weekly visits to a gifted therapist in Tinley Park or join an athletic team  in West Chicago.   While we can plan to participate in special events in those towns, we hope our day-to-day needs can be met by opportunities that are near us.  But how do we find them?

The idea of a “drivable distance” is one of the key concepts behind TheNemoNews.com.  Our news is hyperlocal, meaning we target a specific group of individuals within a specific geographical area — those affected by disabilities in the Lake County, Illinois area.  (You might be familiar with ThePatch.org;  they do the same kind of thing.)

TheNemoNews concentrates on resources, opportunities and events that take place within a one hour drive of Mundelein.   We promote news and information that helps us find and support each other here — where we live.

Of course, the “drivable distance” term includes the use of cars, buses, taxis, bicycles and other forms of transportation that are accessible to individuals with disabilities.  And we all know that is spotty.   (We’re hoping to do an article on transportation sometime soon.)  TheNemoNews has settled into the Lake County Area, including news from Lake and McHenry Counties, sometimes Kenosha –driveable.  We occasionally include online resources that are really good.

We welcome your local news, articles and comments.

 

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Nemo News at Parents’ Meeting — YL Capernaum

Mary Curran Rhodes, publisher of The Nemo News will speak at the next Parent Meeting of Young Life Capernaum, on Friday, January 25, 2013 from 6:30-7:30pm.  There will be a demonstration of the website and a discussion about improving communications in Lake County.   It will take place at the United Methodist Church of Libertyville, 429 Brainerd Avenue.

Young Life Capernaum is an interdenominational Christian social group with transition age (14-25) individuals with special needs.   Parents meet separately at the same time.  The Libertyville group began last fall.  For more information about Young Life Capernaum or the parent’s group contact Tasha Taylor, tasha4gayle@yahoo.com , 847-735-9595

 

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Grinch Steals Christmas! Not. SRACLC

Cast of How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

The people were seated,
The lights now were dim,
The curtain came open,
Twas time to begin.

With walkers before them,
With chairs and their aide,
The lines they had learned,
And backdrops they made.

With memories true,
Applause in their heart,
These ShowStopper actors,
Brought joy with their art.

That Grinch who stole Christmas,
Just couldn’t stay mean,
With dancing and singing
For all to be seen.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas was put on by the Special Recreation Association of Central Lake County, (SRACLC) and performed on December 5 at the Sullivan Center in Vernon Hills.  It featured over 25 participants in the ShowStoppers program who prepared 13 weeks for the production.  It was produced and directed by Cassie Newton.  They are producing Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory  in the spring.

For more information on ShowStoppers contact Cassie Newton at SRACLC,  (847) 816-4866, cnewton@sraclc.org

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