Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020

City Offices Closed

Non-emergency City of Wheaton offices will be closed on Wednesday, Jan. 1. Offices will reopen on Thursday, Jan. 2.

Garbage/Recycling Pickup Holiday Schedule

Due to the New Year’s holiday, Lakeshore Recycling Systems pickups will be one day later than usual for Thursday and Friday routes this week.

Drive Merry, Bright and Sober This Holiday Season

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 839 people lost their lives in traffic crashes involving a drunk driver last December. Throughout the 2018 Christmas and New Year’s holidays alone, there were 285 drunk driving-related fatalities – more than any other time that year. 

The Wheaton Police Department is participating in a national enforcement campaign to crack down on impaired and unbuckled drivers through Jan. 2. Keep these tips in mind to help ensure a safe and joyful holiday season:

• Before you head to the party, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation or a ride-sharing service to get home safely. 
• If you see an impaired driver on the road, pull over and call 9-1-1. 
• Have a friend who is about to drive impaired? Take their keys and help them get home safely.
• Always buckle up!

Christmas Tree Recycling

The City's garbage/ recycling hauler will pick up live Christmas trees for recycling on your collection day this week and the week of Jan. 6 at no charge, with no sticker needed. Please note that because there is no pickup on Jan. 1, pickups for Jan. 1-3 will be one day later than usual.

During this free two-week collection period, place your tree at the curb, and make sure trees are free of all decorations and are not in plastic bags. After the collection period, you will need to attach 1 garbage/organic sticker to a live Christmas tree in order to have it collected.

Adult Recreational-Use Cannabis Becomes Legal in Illinois Jan. 1

A new state law makes it legal, subject to important limitations, for adults age 21 and older to purchase cannabis for recreational use in Illinois starting today. There are some important things you need to know as this change in state law becomes effective: 

• Buying or selling cannabis in Wheaton continues to be prohibited. 
• The new state law does restrict where adults can use cannabis and the amount an individual can possess at one time.
• Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol will not be tolerated. Police will continue to enforce impaired driving offenses.

Please see the City’s website for important information on the new law, and watch this video with the Wheaton Police Department explaining some of the important considerations under the new law.

Library Hosting Screening of “The Girl Who Wore Freedom”

Presented by The Normandy Project, the Wheaton Public Library will host a screening of a World War II documentary, “The Girl Who Wore Freedom” at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 12. This new feature length documentary captures first-hand accounts of the French citizens living under Nazi occupation, telling the story of the people of Normandy, France, and the American veterans who liberated them. This is a free event, but registration is required at www.wheatonlibrary.org.

Holiday Light Recycling Available

Wheaton’s holiday light recycling program is back. Now through Jan. 13, bring strands of incandescent or LED lights in any condition to the Public Works Storage Facility at 820 W. Liberty Drive between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays. Look for signs directing you to the holiday light recycling area just inside the gate. 

This program is for light strings only. Please do not drop off lawn ornaments or other decorations, and do not put lights in a bag or box. Elgin Recycling, www.elginrecycling.com, will collect the lights, which will then be stripped and recycled for their copper and plastic parts. No materials will be shipped overseas. 

In addition to residents, the City also welcomes businesses, schools and other organizations wanting to dispose of holiday lights to participate in the program. There is no limit as to how many lights you can drop off for recycling.

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