A Message from Mayor Shapiro: Stop the Violence

It is time that we stop the hatred, the unnecessary violence and the overheated rhetoric. It is time to call out the evils of intolerance and consider good over guns, kindness over killings and civility over criminality. Giving cover to those who want an excuse to harm our kids, our community and our residents must end.  The racist, antisemitic rants serve no purpose other than to energize more unnecessary killings, threats and vitriolic behavior.  

According to the FBI, more than half of religious hate crimes in America in 2021 targeted Jews and were motivated by antisemitism. The Anti-Defamation League similarly found that in 2022, antisemitic incidents in America reached their highest levels on record since it started tracking incidents more than 40 years ago.  Hate must not have any space for harbor. 

We cannot have more mass murders than there are days of the year, nor can we turn a blind eye to outrageous acts of violence, discrimination and antisemitism. We cannot each week see children’s lives gunned down in their classrooms, swastikas spray painted in our communities or people treated with disdain because of their gender, sexual orientation or color of their skin. It is harmful to who we are, to the soul of our communities and to our next generations.   

Call out the hatred and stop these most challenging days where we seem to have daily newscasts about unnecessary loss of lives or acts of evil.  I am confident that from moments of darkness we will find joy and hope and light. I am convinced that rather than act in ways which drive us apart, we must see each other as we should as fellow human beings. Hug your kids, tell them you love them. Call your parents, reach out to a friend you have not talked to in a while. Courage and decency are contagious, and hope will take a life of its own.

Door-to-Door Solicitors

Solicitor season is upon us. Solicitors must adhere to the following guidelines and rules regulating door-to-door solicitation:

• Must cease solicitation upon owner or occupant request
• Must obey posted “No Solicitors” signs
• Must carry and display their permit while they are soliciting
• May only ring bells, knock or engage with residents for solicitation between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.    

If a solicitor does not display or cannot produce a permit, they may not be licensed to solicit within Deerfield and can be reported to the Deerfield Police Department by calling (847) 945-8636.  Please visit the Solicitor Permit page on our website to see a list of current solicitor license holders. 

To prevent solicitors at your home, prominently display a no soliciting notice on or near the main entrance by way of a sign measuring at least 3 inches by  4 inches in size. No soliciting notices should read in letters at least 1/3 inch in height “No Solicitors Invited” or comparable language. It is illegal in the Village of Deerfield to solicit at a location where proper No Soliciting signage has been posted.  With or without a sign, residents should not ever be afraid to exercise boundaries with solicitors by refusing to answer their door or by politely stating ‘no thank you’ or ‘not interested’ and shutting and locking their door. Remember however, that as a homeowner or occupant you may at any time ask a solicitor to leave your property. Every resident has the right to feel secure in their home, should you feel threatened or unsafe based upon a solicitor’s behavior, contact the Police immediately at 847.945.8636.

Can the Village Ban Solicitors?

The First amendment and the U.S. Constitution protect the rights of door-to-door solicitors and preclude the ability of a community to ban or significantly limit door-to-door sales.   The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld free speech for commercial purposes and the Village’s ability to restrict commercial door-to-door solicitation is limited to local regulations restricting the time, place and manner of door-to-door solicitations.  Homeowners and occupants, however, do have the ultimate right to determine whether solicitors shall or shall not be invited to their residences or property.

Fire Hydrant Flushing

Starting on Monday, the Public Works Department will begin flushing all fire hydrants within the Village. Opening fire hydrants and flushing out water on an annual basis allows Public Works to ensure that hydrants are in proper working condition and helps to flush sediment out of the distribution system. Signs will be posted in each area before flushing begins. The work is typically performed between 7:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and takes approximately two weeks to complete for the entire Village. 

Waukegan Road Water Main Replacement Starts

The contractor began the installation of water main this week, starting near Fair Oaks and moving south. It is anticipated that next week the contractor will begin to connect to the side street water mains, which will cause impacts at those intersections. Any anticipated impacts will be communicated via the Village blog as well as pertinent on-site signage. 

This $4M project will result in the full replacement of the existing and aged water main from Deerfield Road to North Avenue.

Updates on the project will be shared via the Village website and interested parties can sign up to receive e-mail and/or text message updates on the project. You can also watch a video of a recent public open house about the project.

For more information, contact the Engineering Department at 847.317.2490.