Heartsick: When the American Heart Association of Metropolitan Chicago decided that its Lake County Division should branch out from the Libertyville headquarters, organization officials had a good reason to pick the Highland Park-Highwood area.
“Highland Park-Highwood has the third-highest death rate from cardiovascular disease in the county,” said Lake County division manager Darla Kloepffer, citing Lake County Health Department statistics. Libertyville’s 1992 rate of one death per 199 people leads the way, with Waukegan at one per 311. Highland Park-Highwood was one per 370.
Kloepffer and American Heart Association volunteers had gathered Highland Park and Highwood city officials recently at Timbers Charhouse in Highland Park to announce the formation of the county’s first branch. But don’t look for a permanent site there, at least not yet.
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Kloepffer said the branch will hold programs at local libraries, schools, churches and possibly municipal or park district buildings.
“I think it’s a wonderful idea. They do good work. We’re happy to back them up,” said Highland Park Mayor Daniel M. Pierce.
Ditto for Highwood Ald. Larry Powers, who sniffed at the idea that his community has a high rate of heart disease. “The average age here is probably 80,” he said. “But the association will be bringing programs that are educational, and that’s good for everybody,” Powers said.