McHenry County Blog

I can read two of these patches on this motorcyclist’s leather jacket.

He was attending Sunday night’s concert at Lakeside Festival.

The top patch on the right hand side has an American flag and says,

THESE COLORS
DON’T RUN

The one right below says,

LOUD PIPES
SAVE LIVES

On the left is a Route 66 patch and another that I can’t figure out.

I see the word “FREE” on the right.

Anyone know what the rest of the patch says?

Labels: Lakeside Festival, Motorcyclist, Patch

This is a press release I received from the Hillary Clinton campaign. It announces the McHenry County Democrat's support for her candidacy and is seen below:

Illinois State Rep. Franks Endorses Clinton
McHenry Democrat is Noted Government Reform Watchdog

The Clinton Campaign today announced the endorsement of Illinois State Representative Jack Franks, a respected government watchdog who chairs the State Government Administration Committee and sits on the Government Accountability committee.

“When it comes to reforming our government to make it work for the people, Hillary Clinton is the best candidate to lead that change,” Franks said. “During these uncertain times we need someone who is ready to hit the ground running on day one, and that leader is Senator Clinton.”

Rep. Franks has represented McHenry County since 1998, leading efforts to strengthen ethics standards and transparency in government as chair of the State Government Administration Committee. A leader in government accountability, Franks co-sponsored a bill to end pay-to-play practices in Illinois government. In addition, he has fought to improve state healthcare services, passing a Senior Citizen Prescription Drug Discount Program to guarantee affordable prescription drugs for all seniors and disabled persons, and pushing for the Patients' Bill of Rights that allows patients to make their own medical decisions.

“I’m honored to have the support of Rep. Franks,” Clinton said. “We share the goal of restoring Americans’ faith in their government and I am thrilled he is joining me and the millions of other Americans ready for change.”

I wonder if this means that Clinton will make a visit to McHenry County.

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Now, if I could just get on Jack Franks' distribution list for press releases.

Labels: Hillary Clinton, Jack Franks

Here’s a group of people who decided not to pay the $5 entrance fee at the Lakeside Festival last Sunday night.

They took out their pontoon boat and anchored it.

They didn’t have to get as close to the music as they did.

We could hear it from our bedroom six blocks away.

Labels: Concert, Crystal Lake, Lakeside Festival, Pontoon

I am certain that CTA union officials must be smiling.

Even thought the Chicago Sun-Times reported Thursday,

”The bottom line for CTA unions is an agreement that would force bus drivers and motormen to lose money during the first year, break even in the second and finally start making money in the third year,"

employees are being called to contribute only 3% toward retiree health care and 6% toward their pensions (up from 3%).

Talking to a former NICOR union vice president last Saturday, I learned that Northern Illinois Gas union employees pay 40% of their health care costs.

Paying 40% is a real incentive not to misuse health care.

The coming Chicago Transit Authority’s 3% isn’t.

Notice the pension plan doesn’t look like the private sector’s norm—a 401(k). It’s still a defined benefit plan.

And the pension plan was what the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 241 wanted to save.

The Sun-Times reports its president, Darrell Jefferson, said,

"We’re living in a time now when pension plans are being crashed instead of being brought back to life. I think we’ve done a remarkable thing here.”

The CTA still wants McHenry and other collar county residents to double the amount of sales tax (from one-quarter of one percent to one-half of one percent) to the Regional Transportation Authority.

Maybe you won’t notice the difference at the cash register, but I’ll bet you the extra money does not get spent in McHenry County.

And will it pass?

Former Jacksonville State Representative Jim Reilly, now head of the RTA, “predicted that the sales tax hike could attract ‘extraordinary majorities in both houses’ needed to override a veto.”

Labels: Amalgamated Transit Union Local 241, Chicago Transit Authority, CTA, Darrell Jefferson, Jim Reilly, Regional Transportation Authority, RTA

Required to be posted by Governor Rod Blagojevich, this notice informs women that they can get the “morning after pill” at the Crystal Lake Walgreens.

This move was made, of course, to please the pro-choice folks who backed the governor in the 2002 election.

If I remember correctly, the posters were ordered put up shortly before the 2006 fall election.

Of course, pharmacies do not have to post them as prominently as the Crystal Lake Walgreens does.

Maybe it is trying to attract the overnight market, as well as the morning after market.

You can make the print in the notice large enough to read by clicking on the image.

Labels: Crystal Lake, Morning After Pill, Pro-Choice, Rod Blagojevich, Walgreens, Wallgreen

One of my very first stories on November 2, 2005, was entitled,

Got Crutches, Wheel Chairs, Walkers, Hospital Beds or Other Medical Equipment You Don’t Need? The American Disabled Equipment Fund Wants Them

Since I couldn’t think of a better title, I’ve repeated most of it above.

And, maybe, now that a lot more people are reading McHenry County Blog, those with used medical equipment will give Ted Liegel a call at 815-337-2649.

An update just arrived from Liegel, The American Disabled Equipment Fund President. Call it a progress report.

Here it is:

I just wanted to drop a line. You did a cover story on my organization, The American Disabled Equipment Fund about 2 years ago. I greatly appreciate the exposure.

I am still providing medical equipment and we have a new number to reach us I just thought you might want to pass it on. It's (815) 337-1336.

If someone needs something, they can contact Stephanie.

If you are still doing your column, I would be greatly appreciative if you could pass the news on.

We also have a new website were people can reach us. It's www.tadef.us.

We are holding a rock concert benefit at:

Penny Road Pub on July 28th 2007, from 1 pm to 8 pm where we will be giving out vehicle hand controls to a Woodstock Resident.

Liegel even invited me to be his guest.

The Penny Road Pub is on Penny Road. If you take Old Sutton Road south from Route 62 past Route 68, you will run into Penny Road. If you reach Route 72 (West Higgins Road for Chicago types), turn around, you've gone too far. It is west of Route 59 in South Barrington pretty much straight east of East Dundee.

There is a $10 cover charge for the concert, which features The Draft, Leaving Normal and Dazed Child. (I wonder if "Leaving Normal" started at ISU.)

This benefit is being held to help install driving controls into an automobile for Julie Wagner of Woodstock.

I met Liegel sitting outside of Jewel collecting money for his organization. Since I hadn’t heard of it, I asked some questions and came up with the first article.

The following mission statement and history is on the group’s web site.

TADEF was established to provide much needed medical equipment to the disabled and elderly populations of Northern Illinois. It’s sole purpose is to purchase medical equipment such as: wheelchairs, hospital beds, ramps ( For homes and vehicles ) crutches, canes, walkers, and orthopedic braces, for those in need.

Founder, Ted Liegel, was born with Spina Bifida. The fund was established by the Founders, because they understand the difficulties of a lifetime - or even a month’s time - spent trying to accommodate changing medical needs, and their ever increasing expense. The Founders developed The American Disabled Equipment Fund as a not-for-profit organization with a single mission:

To Help.

“By working together we can provide independence to all those in need of medical equipment for daily mobility, “ says Mr. Liegel.

And it’s working. Since it’s inception in 2002, TADEF has provided disabled and elderly disadvantaged residents of Northern Illinois with equipment donations totaling nearly $200,000 thanks to a growing network of businesses, manufacturers, medical facilities, churches... and generous individuals such as yourself. One by one, you’ve made it possible for us to bring hope to many people, who sustained an injury or suffer from a disability.

If you would like to make a donation, it may be sent to

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The picture is of Julie Wagner. It was obtained from the group's web site.

Labels: Dazed Child, Leaving Normal, Penny Road Pub, TADEF, Ted Liegel, The American Disabled Equipment Fund, The Draft

12,831,970 in the middle of 2006 versus 12,765,427 for the 2000 census.

A growth of 66,543.

A growth rate of just a tiny bit over one-half of one percent.

But the nation as a whole grew almost twice as fast--one percent (0.98%).

Still the fifth largest state.

Only one state larger—New York—shrunk in population.

The larger northern states, like Illinois, were pretty stagnant.

All neighboring states grew more than Illinois (+0.52%), except Wisconsin, which tied.

• Indiana +0.77
• Iowa +0.57
• Missouri +0.75
• Kentucky +0.79

So, what happened in McHenry County?

Seventeen municipalities grew faster than the state average. Six grew less.

Crystal Lake is still the largest--by a lot--41,533.

Almost tied for second place are Algonquin and Lake in the Hills at under 30,000.

McHenry is fourth at almost 25,000, while Woodstock is fifth at almost 23,000. Huntley is next at 20,000. Cary is a bit under 20,000.

The rest are much smaller, with the next being Harvard, which is under 10,000.

The fastest growing, using actual people, was Huntley, which added 2,376 residents.

Here's the ranking of those where more than 100 people were added:

• Huntley +2,376
• McHenry +910
• Algonquin +884
• Woodstock +694
• Lake in the Hills +573
• Harvard +549
• Cary +463
• Crystal Lake +458
• Wonder Lake + 251
• Lakewood +110,

By those figures, you can guess where school bond referendums have been or will be held, except for Wonder Lake, which gained population by adding already built subdivisions.

A look at percentage growth for those increasing more than 1% might give an idea of which villages and cities might have the greatest challenges in providing additional services:

• Huntley +13.4%
• Richmond +9%
• Wonder Lake +9%
• Harvard +6%
• Hebron +5.2%
• McHenry +3.6%
• Prairie Grove 3.6%
• Woodstock +3.1%
• Lakewood +3.1%
• Algonquin +3%
• Cary +2.4%
• Lake in the Hills +2%
• Barrington Hills +1.3%
• Marengo +1.2%
• Crystal Lake +1.1%
• Island Lake +1%

Find your town. Here are the differences, estimated 2006 population listed first, 2000 second, difference third, percentage increase last. Towns growing faster than the state average are shown in boldface type.

Algonquin 29,886 vs. 29,022: +884, +3%
Barrington Hills 4,320 vs. 4,264: +56, +1.3%
Cary 19,633 vs. 19,170: +463, +2.4%
Crystal Lake 41,533 vs. 41,075: +458, +1.1%
Fox River Grove 5,144 vs. 5,098: +46, +0.9%
Greenwood 249 vs. 248: Essential no change
Harvard 9,694 vs. 9,145: +549, +6%
Hebron 1,204 vs. 1,145: +59, +5.2%
Holiday Hills 815 vs. 816: Essentially no change
Huntley 20,047 vs. 17,671: +2,376, +13.4%
Island Lake 8,533 vs. 8,447: +86, +1%
Lake in the Hills 29,359 vs. 28,786: +573, +2%
Lakewood 3,623 vs. 3,513: +110, +3.1%
Marengo 7,499 vs. 7,404: +95, +1.2%
McHenry 25,884 vs. 24,974: +910, +3.6%
Oakwood Hills 2,375 vs. 2,365: +10, +0.4%
Prairie Grove 1,884 vs. 1,819: +65, +3.6%
Richmond 2,288 vs. 2,222: +66, +3%
Ringwood 493 vs. 492: Essentially no change
Trout Valley 609 vs. 609: No change
Union 582 vs. 580: Essentially no change
Woodstock 22,777 vs. 22,083: +694, +3.1%
Wonder Lake (remember, this is only the incorporated area) 3,036 vs. 2,785: + 251, +9%

Labels: Census, McHenry County, Population, Population Growth

With this post, McHenry County Blog will begin an intermittent series on things seen on Crystal Lake, the lake.What looks like a crew of novice rowers was out on the lake Tuesday night.

They had an accompanying motor boat with what I assume were coaches.

Most in the skiff were women, but men were at the front and back.

Needless to say, it was a no-wake night.

Labels: Crystal Lake, Rowing

And, they are related.

The bumper sticker says,

The license plate above is

MADD 242

The van belongs to Kathy Berringer, the driving force behind the local MADD chapter, whose number is 242.

Her ten-year old is attending Camp Invention at Indian Prairie Grade School in Crystal Lake. He is a Blue Asteroid during the Planet Zak-themed week.

So is my almost ten-year old. He is a Red Rocket. Yesterday he won a small plastic horned beetle for wearing the most red on “color day.”

Labels: Bumper Sticker, Camp Invention, Crystal Lake, Indian Prairie Elementary School, Kathy Berringer, License Plate, MADD, Planet Zak

I laughed so hard when I read this resolution, I think I may have laughter-induced asthma, much as my son, the swimmer guy has just been diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma.

(I emailed the author my physical reaction and he replied:

"Well, that's gratifying although I suppose killing ones audience is a suboptimal strategy in the long run."

It's a good thing I am not in the hall outside a Prairie Grove District 46 Grade School Board secret meeting.)

Please enlarge the resolution by clicking on it and join in my amusement of what Allan Showalter, the author of “Heck of a Guy” blog created:


Inspired by Carpentersville's non-binding resolution making English the official language of the village, Showalter came up with this resolution, which gives me approval to proclaim such a day whenever I wish.

What a Heck of a Guy!

And he has more at

The Non-Binding Resolution Bindery

Showalter says,

"...the process of creating such resolutions is poetically and accurately described by those famous lines from Macbeth:

… it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing."

Of course, he has more to say and this self-effacing comment caught my attention:

As for the idiot telling the tale, DrHGuy certainly wants in on that action.

He suggests "eliminating the middleman," that is the resolution-sponsoring councilman, state legislator or congressman.


He's even come up with a marketing slogan:

If you wish, you can read the witty ("declare that the official languages of a given town would henceforth be apportioned on the basis of population percentages") suggestions/instructions on how to write such a resolution. There's even a fill-in-the-blank sample.

And free use of his seal.

Frankly, it sounds like the beginning of a scam similar to the name a star after someone scheme to separate you from your money. ("Only $49.95.")

That is to say, it has money-making potential.

But, he's GIVING THEM AWAY!

(Even though "DrHGuy eschews whenever possible the all caps missive," I could not resist.)

Apparently, One Heck of a Guy is not one heck of a businessman.

And, for some reason, this reminds me of a resolution I drafted as a state representative in the 1970's honoring departing Coventry Republican precinct committeeman Dave Musselman.

I had the Illinois House of Representatives wishing him a good life in Rockford. I ended it wishing best wishes to "...David, Phyllis and his son, David John."

I also pointed out how Musselman had come up with support groups for Crystal Lake Mayoral candidate Tony Wujcik's campaign. "Pets for Wujcik." "Joggers for Wujcik" and "Streakers for Wujcik" come to mind, but, maybe, I left out the latter one.

A Daily News reporter selected it as one to point out the types of non-binding resolutions passed by members of the Illinois General Assembly.

I wonder why.

Labels: Allan Showalter, Crystal Lake, Dave Musselman, Flash Photography Appreciation Day, Non-Binding Resolution, One Heck of a Guy, Rockford

Amazing the people who read McHenry County Blog.

Every once in a while, someone gets in contact with some really interesting information.

That’s how I scooped everyone on the planned minor league baseball stadium in Harvard.

Recently I received an email from another person with an insider’s knowledge:

Love your blog! I am a frequent reader of it. I found your post on the stadium proposal in Crystal Lake very interesting. I was curious to your thoughts on the whole thing.

I think one thing MCC doesn't realize, or maybe they do, is that whatever baseball team decides to move into the facility is not going to be paying them a million dollars a year.

Has anyone up there even said how much they are expecting? Usually stadium levies are very minimal.

I replied, askeing for financing details and pointing out:

The college absolutely refuses to release the Mark Houser (or any other) cash flow estimates.

The college board is about to put us into debt for $36 million and all they will say is that 2/3 will be paid back by the minor league team/stadium operation. I've read the contract and there is $250,000 a year guaranteed, plus 10% of various concessions. 1/3 will be financed through fitness center revenues.

Here is my source’s reply:

Two-thirds of the cost you said would be paid by the minor league team, which would amount to around $23 million and change. If the team was suppose to pay $250k per year in rent, over thirty years you are looking at $7.5 million and my guess is they are looking at average attendance around the 125,000 - 150,000 for the season. Rockford, which is in the Frontier League, pulled in around 115,000 fans. To my knowledge, Schaumburg did around 200,000 last year. My basis for the 125,000 - 150,000 comes from a prediction of 3,500 attendees per game.

In terms of concessions, there are major question marks that come into my mind. Is the stadium concessions going to be run internally, such as the Kane County Cougars Baseball Team, or run by a management company, such as the Schaumburg Flyers and the Sears Centre arena here in Hoffman Estates?

If the concessions are going to be run by a management company, which is going to take a huge cut of the concession profits and then MCC takes their 10% cut, the team will make almost nothing on concessions.

Another question that comes up is picnics and such. The Kane County Cougars make a boatload of money off of picnics for companies and groups of people. Would that be considered a "concession?" A

lso, if the team is looking to make extra money to make up for the 10% cut from MCC, would that mean higher concession prices which end up resulting in less sales? Kane County does a great job with concession prices while the Schaumburg Flyers charge literally an arm and a leg, just like the Sears Centre. If it was me as an investor of the team, I would choose to do the concessions in-house.

Another question that arises, who is going to control major sponsorships such as the naming rights for the stadium? That right there alone could potential raise $200,000 per year.

The Alexian Field deal at the Schaumburg Flyers was a ten-year deal at $200,000 per year. Depending on the companies that are approached for the sponsorship for the naming rights, you could command $250,000 per year. If memory serves me correctly, I believe it took the Flyers at least four or five years before they finally sold their stadium rights, which they were not able to keep.

All things aside, $250k a year for rent ($7.5 million), lets say $1,000,000 in concessions which is $6.66 per person, which I think is high ($3 million), and let's just say that MCC keeps the naming rights deal and somehow they get $200k per year ($6 million over the 30 years if they can get $200k per year).

All of those together is only $16.5 million over thirty years.

Who is going to cover the $6.5 million difference?

Honestly, even if concessions were to double, you are still looking at a $3.5 million dollar short fall. Again, I think a million a year in concessions is do-able, if you have picnic areas and such.

Sorry to throw this in there now. But with such a crazy deal as this, what type of investor are you going to have come in?

I bring up the Chicago Hounds, which is a hockey team that played at the Sears Centre last year and went under this month (June). They had a bad owner when the team started last fall and then another bad owner buy them again this spring. They went under because the owners had no idea what they were doing.

Also look at the football team, the Chicago Slaughter, that play at the Sears Centre. They are only pulling in around 1,000-1,500 people a game. What is going to happen if you have a bad owner or a bad staff.

What happens if the team goes under in the first five years?

The stadium will then see itself not being used by a baseball club besides the MCC college team.

Also, Chicago is the most saturated city in the entire country. On the baseball front you have the Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Kane County Cougars, Schaumburg Flyers, Joliet Jackhammers and the Windy City Thunderbolts.

With Crystal Lake being so close to Rockford, you also have the ball club out of Rockford to compete against. Also, Harvard was talking about building a field for summer ball teams, which would draw a decent amount of people. On top of that you have the Beloit Snappers somewhat close as well, which play the Kane County Cougars.

Honestly Cal, I think this whole thing could blow up in their face.

They need to look at some other options.

Those other options could include part ownership in the stadium, forcing the owners of the baseball team to come up with some of the money up front.

Lets say 10% ownership in the baseball aspect of the stadium with $3 million due up front???

Just an idea.

Another option again would be to have Crystal Lake float some bonds to help pay for part of the stadium and share ownership in the stadium.

Like I pointed out in an earlier email, Crystal Lake would benefit extremely in this deal with those 150,000 people eating in Crystal Lake most likely, getting gas and possibly shopping before/after games.

You might want to do some research with the Sears Centre arena. Hoffman Estates floated the bonds for the stadium.

You also might want to do some research with the Flyers stadium, which is a joint partnership with the Schaumburg Park District and the City of Schaumburg. I know Metra is part of it as well because the Flyers use their parking lots there at the train station.

That’s more forthcoming that McHenry County College officials have been.

And, what kind of money is Peter Heitman trying to raise from investors? I asked, “So, how much money do the owners put up in a minor league team? Total and how much do individuals invest?”

The answer:

What I have been hearing from various sources is that a franchise in those leagues is going for around $3,000,000. That is just for the rights to the franchise. So (they) are (also) going to need working capital.

Usually owners don't make any money in the first few years, which is like most businesses. I am not quite sure though on what the requirements are in the league....sometimes leagues will put income requirements (X dollars in liquid capital and X dollars in net worth).

I am assuming that on top of the $3 million for the franchise fee, they will probably need at least a million in working capital, it not a little more than that.

To answer your question, somewhere between $4 million and $5 million.

Labels: Frontier Baseball League, MCC, McHenry County College, Minor League Baseball

UPDATE: After I wrote this story, the woman in question was found not guilty, according to a Northwest Herald story by Brandon Coutre. I saw no article in the NW Herald about the trial before the verdict.

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Don’t know how this former McHenry County Treasurer (1966-70) missed this story about corruption in the office of McHenry County Treasurer (and McHenry County Republican Central Committee Chairman) Bill LeFew.

Written by the Daily Herald’s Chuck Keeshan, the piece is about a deputy county treasurer who is accused of stealing $1,000.

It comes complete with surveillance tape evidence purported showing Jennifer L. Gallo of Genoa City, Wisconsin.

Yes, that’s right, Wisconsin.

Check out the story for the details.

During the four years I was McHenry County Treasurer, we balanced to the dollar, except for a $10 counterfeit bill, which the Feds seized.

Was the late Oral Herendeen a good bookkeeper or what? (And that’s not to say that my chief deputy, Audrey Walgenbach, who was my predecessor and long-time successor, didn’t do an excellent job as well.)

And that’s not to say that there was not a crime committed.

One of the holdover clerks who was under 21 stole a voter registration card form in order to create an identity that I suppose would get her a drink.

The voter registration cards were in a vault in the basement of the old courthouse on the Woodstock Square now occupied by part of the bar. The main part of the bar was where the Address-O-Graph machines were located. The Address-O-Graph machines were used to prepare voter registration forms.

The county treasurer’s office used the Address-O-Graph machines to print the names, legal descriptions and addresses on tax bills, while the county clerk’s office used NCR machines to calculate and print the amount of property taxes owed. I’m pretty sure the clerk’s office did all of the voter registration work.

One day in my first two years in office, I was asked to come over to the State’s Attorney Dick Cross’ office, where I found the girl and her mother, who worked for the County Clerk’s office. Cross explained the situation and suggested that the matter be dropped and the girl be allowed to resign from the Treasurer’s Office..

Obviously, everything had been set up ahead of time without my knowledge, but the resolution seemed reasonable, so I agreed.

Labels: Audrey Walgenbach, Bill LeFew, Cal Skinner Jr., Genoa City, Jennifer Gallo, McHenry County Treasurer, Oral Herendeen

What you see is a prairie flower called Queen of the Prairie."

My Aunt Louise Stevens, a maiden school teacher, gave them to my mother several decades ago…probably in the 1970’s.

They survived the tearing down of the garage and I have transplanted them around the yard. They do best in a lot of sun.

They usually bloom in the first week of July in Crystal Lake, but maybe my memory is again faulty, because some are beginning to bloom this week.

I think they are the most beautiful flower in our yard.

And, for years, I thought they were blue.

Come to find out, when I mentioned how pretty the blue flowers were, my wife told me they were pink.

My colorblindness strikes again.

It must be a beautiful world out there for those who can see the full range of colors.

Labels: Louise Stevens, Quenn of the Prairie

If you are, you can obtain access to the U.S. Attorney’s exhibits, including tape recordings, by clicking on this page on the U.S. Attorney's web site.

Judge James Zagel has allowed their dissemination, but only by the internet.

That's what U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald's spokesman Randall Samborn wrote earlier today:

"Please be advised that Judge Zagel has authorized the Government to release trial exhibits publicly only via the Internet on the U.S. Attorney’s Office website. We are endeavoring to establish a webpage containing the trial exhibits that have been admitted and published to the jury so far, but I do not expect it to be available until sometime this evening, hopefully, and probably not until after the 6 p.m. news cycle. I will send out another email notice when it is launched with a link to the page. It will contain the photos that were admitted yesterday, along with the audio/video tapes and transcripts that were presented today."

How's that for an innovation?

Samborn later advised,

“The exhibits are now available on the Internet via the link above. Please note that audio/video recordings are embedded in the pdf transcripts of each consensual conversation; that is, if you click on the pdf link corresponding to the date of a conversation, separate links to the audio/video recordings will appear beneath the transcript."

The top photo was labeled "group photo" by the prosecutors. Can anyone name the diners?

Below left is Joseph Lombardo with dark hair. A bit lower and to the right appears to be a booking photo of Anthony Spilotro. Frank Schweihs is seen below Lombardo. Below Spilotro is Anthony Daddino. Marshall Caifano is below Spilotro. Mike Glitta is next to the bottom on the left. Louis Eboli is bottom right. Alva Johnson Rogers is on the bottom left.

I haven't listened to the tape recordings yet, but you might find them interesting in their entirety after you read or hear snippets.

The tape recordings are from way back in 1987 and 1988.

All are labeled consensual.

Probably not by both parties to the conversation.

Labels: Anthony Daddino, Anthony Spilotro, Family Secrets, Frank Schweihs, James Zagel, Joesph Lombardo, Marshall Caifano, Mob

The complaints about too many zoning change opponents talking before the McHenry County Board may have been heard by the McHenry County Zoning Board of Appeals.

The Northwest Herald posted a short story about the Tuesday meeting’s results by noon Tuesday, again not waiting for the print edition to share the news that I assume that courthouse reporter Kevin Craver.

By voting 7-0 against re-zoning the pit for Merryman Aggregate—surely not one of the biggies in the gravel business like Switzerland-owned Meyer Material, which is seeking pit approval in Cary--the ZBA has given “cover” for board members also to defeat the proposal.

This gravel pit’s opponents used tactics similar to those used by Burton Bridge folks who call themselves “Nunda Neighbors” to defeat a trucking terminal. (They still have to worry about a commercial or retail use business development on the same site.)

Signs in front of nearby houses.

The yard signs are professionally produced.

The first I saw said,

No Gravel Pit 815-301-9922

There may have been something underneath, but it was hidden by grass.


in reverse lettering, the better to stand out from the white background


A web site “Not For Pit.”

The site features a short slide show.

One says,

“Stop the Pit!”

The word “Stop” is on a stop sign.

Nice touch, considering the extra gravel truck traffic that would undoubtedly result on Franklinville-Hobbe Road, Kishwaukee Valley Road, Rose Farm Road and South Street.

Another of the rotating photographs shows a cornfield next to a hill. One can see wooded hills in the background.

“Keep McHenry County beautiful…” is printed above the bucolic scene.

A picture of a dusty (or maybe a combination of dust and haze) gravel pit appears. Superimposed on it are the words,

We don’t need another pit.

There is a map of the site, part of which you can see in this story. It certainly is close to Route 14, isn’t it?

“Protect our water supply,” is another legend, put on top of a babbling brook, certainly not taken in McHenry County. (There is a picture of a tributary of the Kishwaukee River called Franklinville Creek on another page of the web site and a nice little pond that apparently would be destroyed.)

“Up to 400 trucks per day?!?” shouts still another photograph in the revolving display.

These neighbors also put up a homemade stenciled sign announcing an upcoming important zoning meeting. Maybe it was updated after I took this picture on June 16th to tell local residents about the June 26th Zoning Board of Appeals meeting.

The Northwest story also reports a 7-0 negative vote on the horse racing events at Del Sol in Coral Township. Neighbors had complained of noise at these races, which were attended primarily by those of Mexican descent.

There is also a tutorial showing what has to be proven to defeat a gravel pit on the site, as well as the county board members phone numbers. Most, but not all county board members, have email addresses.

Labels: Gravel Pit, McHenry County Zoning Board of Appeals

Looks like Prairie Grove School District 46 is not the only one whose board is fuzzy on the requirements of the Open Meetings Act.

You will remember that the little school district between Crystal Lake and Cary granted its Superintendent Mary Fasbender a three-year extension on her contract--worth $450,000--in a secret meeting, according to the NW Herald.


McHenry County Blog dipped into the controversy the night of the April school board elections.

Right. That was the night I was threatened with arrest for taking pictures and laughing too loud. This is the confrontation that inspired “Heck of a Guy” Crystal Lake blogger Allan Showalter to make up a “Wanted” poster for me.

The Daily Herald reported on its web site on Tuesday that the St. Charles school board violated the Open Meetings Act for the same purpose.

And the Kane County State’s Attorney got involved, the same way the McHenry County State’s Attorney did.

School boards hiding superintendents' contracts.

My, my.

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The top picture is Prairie Grove Grade School Superintendent Mary Fasbender while the board was in open meeting.

The bottom photo is inside the secret meeting at which her previously secretly granted raise was apparently being debated. This was taken after she jerked her head right and then left in an attempt to get out of the camera's range. (You had to see it to believe.)

Labels: Mary Fasbender, Prairie Grove District 46, St. Charles School District

There were so many good tee shirts at the Lakeside Festival this past weekend.

Here’s one worn by a grade school boy:

RULE Number 1:
HE DID IT!

There was an arrow underneath pointing to the left.

Of course, it was not in block print, it was hand printed.

Labels: Message of the Day, T-Shirt, Tee Shirt

As further bad news for the Illinois Republican Party, State Representative Paul Froehlich is becoming a Democrat.

Froehlich is also the elected Schaumburg Township Committeeman for the Republican Party.

During the 2004 primary election Republican Jack Ryan—the man who won the primary election before stepping down in Chicago Tribune-induced sort-of sex scandal—had his headquarters in Froehlich’s Schaumburg Township office.

Froehlich defeated long-time Schaumburg Township Republican Committeeman Don Totten in the 1998 primary election. Totten was elected state representative when I was in 1972, becoming a state senator prior to running unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor against George Ryan and Susan Catania, both of whom were also elected to the Illinois House in 1972. (That was also the year I unsuccessfully ran for state comptroller.)

The Daily Herald posted a story by Eric Krol on its web site yesterday that contains the details.

Kroh lays out the changing political landscape:

Froehlich watched Schaumburg Township vote for Democrat Melissa Bean over Republican David McSweeney last fall. (Bean scored 58.4 percent and McSweeney 37.6 percent.) President Bush also lost Schaumburg Township to Democrat John Kerry in 2004 by about four percentage points.

Froehlick supported McSweeney over Kathy Salvi in the GOP primary election.

Last year Hoffman Estates’ Republican State Representative Terry Parke was defeated for re-election by a Democrat who switched parties before running.

Labels: Don Totten, George Ryan, Paul Froehlich, Schaumburg Township, Susan Catania, Terry Parke

And, guess what?

It’s the same firm that McHenry County Blog suggested would get the job, based on the early assistance provided by former McHenry County College Trustee Tim Stratton.

So far, McHenry County Blog is the only media outlet to take a look at the four applicants to sell the $36 million that it will take to build and finance the minor league baseball stadium.

After posting my premonition, based on emails from Stratton prior to the RGQ’s being issued, he contacted me to tell me that he had resigned from the firm of Hutchinson, Shockey, Erley and Co. about a week before I posted the article. But his name was on the firm’s reply to MCC’s Request of Qualifications for firms wanting to help the college finance the minor league baseball stadium.

Now, the plot thickens.

After Administrative Vice President Todd McDonald reported on the staff’s recommendation of Hutchinson, Shockey, Erley and Co., almost at the end of the Board’s Monday Committee of the Whole meeting, newly elected Board President Scott Summers said because he had known Joanne Malinowski for 30 years and because she “is a personal friend of mine,” he intended “to abstain from that vote.”

“I have gone to great pains” not to be involved in the selection, he added.

Next, Donna Kurtz disqualified herself from voting on the issue. Kurtz works for Smith Barney, which is owned by Citicorp.

“I also will be abstaining because I am in the financial serviced business, so I think it is most appropriate for me to abstain from any vote on this subject,” she said.

Kurtz did ask for an “empirical demonstration of how they are to be compensated for the two firms that were interviewed, at the very least.”

AVP McDonald did not say what other firm made the first cut and I must admit I forgot to ask him.

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Let me tell a little story about a subjectively awarded contract from natural gas for which I headed the selection committee for the Illinois Department of Central Management Services. I absolutely knew whom the powers-that-be in the administration of Governor Jim Thompson wanted to get the award.

And, so did one other member of the 5 or 7-member committee.

The other member tried to steer the majority to the “chosen one,” which was not the lowest bidder by price. I managed to stave off that effort and the lowest bidder got the contract, at least for the first contract.

Whether there is an analogy in the current situation, I have no idea.

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The McHenry County College Trustee seen on top is Scott Summers. Donna Kurtz is seen below.

Labels: Baseball Stadium, Hutchinson Schockley Erley and Company, MCC, McHenry County College, Tmi Stratton

This is a really well used bumper sticker.

Its corners are peeling back from its surface.

It says,

Labels: Bicycle, Bumper Sticker, League of Illinois Bicyclists, Message of the Day

When the Tax Increment Financing District was being discussed for Main Street running from the railroad yard north of East Crystal Lake Avenue down to the classic car shop, one of the selling points was Columbia College’s presence in the old Oak Manufacturing building.

Wednesday night, Columbia College spokesman Melissa Stutts appeared before Crystal Lake’s Planning and Zoning Commissioners with a representative of Talon Development. Talon’s property is located north of Route 176 on Route 31.

“Are you going to move (the entire operation)?” one commissioner asked.

“We would move the entire college to the Route 31 (facility),” Stutts replied.

Labels: Columbia College, Crystal Lake, Main Street TIF, Oak Manufacturing

McHenry County Board members don’t like listening to people complain about intrusive neighborhood zoning requests.

The Northwest Herald’s Kevin Craver touches on it in this article.

Recently, there was the end run that Fritz Duda dis-annexed from the Village of Barrington Hills. It was the old Alexander MacArthur farm. Alex, who was a leader in the incorporation of Barrington Hills, would not have been pleased at the higher density being proposed under McHenry County zoning laws.

Barrington Hills folks are quite vociferous and effective when they get up in arms about something. Just ask the supporters of the Fox Valley Freeway, more honestly know as the Fox Valley Tollway.

Two other fights are going on that take the time of McHenry County Board members.

One proposes a gravel pit southwest of Woodstock in the Franklinville Road area. Driving through last weekend allowed me to see all sorts of signs.

The other is a threatened trucking operation on Route 176 near Burton’s Bridge. The Northwest Herald story by Craver that I linked to in the previous sentence says the Burton's Bridge folks convincingly won the first round, but, since the signs are still up, it is obvious they do not think the zoning fight is over.

I also drove by it recently.

What I noticed in both cases is that local residents have their own professionally printed signs and a web site.

Zoning change opponents in Burton’s Bridge may have the public relation advantage because the proposed truck depot will dump more traffic on a road a lot more people take than the rural roads near the proposed gravel pit.

The biggest route 176 sign is a banner that says “NO ZONING CHANGE” in bright red letters on top. The bottom gives an internet site called WWW.NUNDA-NEIBHBORS.COM. It’s at least 12 feet long and probably 4 feet high.

Next to it is what looks like a 4 foot by 4 foot sign with an arrow pointing across the road to the property that the opponents obviously believe will affect their subdivision of homes adversely.

Above the red arrow are these words: “NO ZONING CHANGE.” The “NO” is also in red.

And, there are five small flags flying on top of the smaller sign—in different colors. So besides the motion of the flags attracting commuters’ attention, there is enough color so that even most colorblind guys can see something.

But, that’s not all signs put up by the Nunda Neighbors.

There’s another sign with six flags waving in the wind.

It says,

I didn’t get the top of another sign in the frame, but I think it was on the other side of one of the flag waving signs mentioned above. The message is
Then, in a rectilinear box,
Red arrows point up next to the “Traffic Up, Accidents Up” message and across Route 176 to the proposed truck depot under “No Zoning Change.”

There are some professionally printed yard signs, too.

In yellow letters surrounded by blank ink one can see the words,
above black letters on a yellow background saying.

I didn’t look closely, but I think on the other side is this message:
in black letters on yellow and I didn’t get a good view of what’s underneath (perhaps someone can fill in the blanks in a comment from its picture from this mystery side of the two-sided sign)

And, I saw one final sign. It relates to the Congregational Church that replaced Burton’s Bridge School, with that elementary school district went belly-up and was absorbed by Crystal Lake’s District 47.

It says,

In the future, what I saw west of Woodstock.

Labels: Burton's Bridge, Nunda Neighbors, Truck Depot, Zoning

This button was found at the Pheasant Run annual conference of Northern Illinois Conference Methodists on June 9th.

All the liberals were wearing them.

One evangelical wrote in


above the


lettering on the original button.

Here's what it says in the Bible:

"...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..."

What was the point being made?

Labels: Methodist Church, Northern Illinois Conference, Pheasant Run

Again I have the privilege of pointing you to a funny “One Heck of a Guy” Allan Showalter story.

Entitled,

Carpentersville Outlaws Joie de Vivre - English Now Lingua Franca

In Compromise, Board Agrees To Speak Very LOUDLY and S-l-o-w-l-y To Furriners,

First, I should warn you that it contains an illustration of partially clothed men.

But the copyright has expired, so feel free to look.

Showalter refers to the Carpentersville village mothers and fathers as “philosopher-kings and philosopher-queens” in his post about the 5-2 vote to pass

“a non-binding resolution that confers upon this decision an authority and prestige equal to that of legislative actions establishing National Pickle Day, Backpack Safety Month, and Dairy Goat Awareness Month as official commemorations…”

I don’t think Pickle Packers International, Inc., located on One Pickle and Pepper Plaza down St. Charles way would approve of Showalter’s derision.

On the days he sponsored resolutions honoring the pickle, former State Rep. John Grotberg (R-St. Charles) used to promote the industry by giving away hand-sized pickle toys that made a distinctive noise when squeezed. This led to stranger sounds than heard normally on the Illinois House floor for several days thereafter.

In the 1970’s, these folks donated a big pickle that was used as a traveling award each year, given to the most bone-headed Illinois politician at the old Illinois Legislative Correspondence Association Gridiron Dinners. Actually, the award was “for getting into the biggest pickle.”

But I digress.

The inimitable Showalter, truly “one heck of a guy,” outlines the consequences of enforcement by the “Language Police.” I won’t even try to summarize how he envisions Carpentersville’s future.

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The graphic of a man calling for a recount has been unabashingly taken from Allan Showalter's article. Good knows where he found it.

Labels: Allan Showalter, Carpentersville, English-only, Heck of a Guy, Illinois House of Representatives, John Grotberg

I couldn’t get through Emily Krone’s Daily Herald story about Fox River Grove Police Chief Robert Polston’s retirement with tearing up.

Polston was one, maybe “the one,” who had complained about the Chicago & Northwestern Metra commuter trains tearing through his town at spends of 70 miles per hour.

And he was standing on the street when the train crashed into the back of the bus carrying students to Cary-Grove High School.

Krone quotes this from a village press release:

A fixture at every village function since being hired and a steadying presence during trying circumstances, he is readily recognized by residents — many of whom can recount stories of how he helped them out or handled a difficult situation with tact.

Polston came down to Springfield the day my bill to limit the speed to 50 MPH was to be voted upon.

He helped lobby the legislators, as did Village President Bill Yocius and some of the parents of high school students who were killed. There were others, including probably Village Trustee Mary Murren.

Polston connected with one of his old Chicago neighborhood acquaintances, then a member of the Democratic side of the aisle. He was a man with whom I did not have a particularly good rapport.

I was told that then-Speaker Lee Daniels had received a call from his law firm boss, Jeff Lake was Metra Chairman at the time. Ladd requested that Lee kill the bill and Lee did his best, sending out the word that the speed limit bill was a big “No-no.” (I’m sure those weren’t his words.)

With the railroad lobbyists also working against the bill and the House Speaker opposing it, it was a tough sell. I heard that there had never been a speed limit statutorily imposed in the nation's history.

It certainly would not have passed without the help of people like Polston.

He certainly should go on the list of nominees for “Ideal Public Servant.”

Related post: “The Devil Never Sleeps”

"Tribune Trips on Little Fox River Grove Train Speed Fact"

"Rear of Prairie Grove Grade School District 46 Bus Hangs Over Railroad Track During Tenth Anniversary Week of Fox River Grove Bus/Train Crash"

Labels: Fox River Grove, Police Chief, Robert Polston

This tee shirt was found at the Lakeside Festival carnival between five and six o’clock last night.

I asked the girl the back of whose tee shirt said,

SEND
LOVE
NOTE

if I could take a picture of it.

When she turned around, her friends wanted to be in the picture, too.

The young man wanted me to take a photograph of his tee shirt, but I told him it was too common.

Labels: Lakeside Festival, Message of the Day, T-Shirt, Tee Shirt

For some reason. Patrick Ouimet, the former chairman of the McHenry County Democratic Central Committee, had trouble posting a comment under my story yesterday about the Democra