McHenry County Blog

This welcome to the CABA World Series is posted on the Lions Community Events sign in front of the Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce building in the park under the water tower near 1776, our favorite restaurant.

Right now, it bears the following message to the largest tourist attraction in Crystal Lake:

Labels: CABA, Crystal Lake Lions Club

I went to bed late last night.

How late?

Yesterday morning, I first typed the first sentence: “I went to late bed last night.”

Why did I think I had to transfer and edit one gigabyte of photos taken for my son’s birthday party?

Over 200 pictures from the cat holding a balloon that greeted party goers to the collapse Moon Walk from Ed’s Rentals.

Then as I was reading the Chicago Sun-Times and eating my oatmeal in a very late breakfast, I saw this article about how birthday parties have gotten more, shall I say, elaborate.

That is not the case in our family.

They have been elaborate for ten years.

So, I didn’t have to read the article.

Since we live within walking distance of Crystal Lake, we usually offer the option of going swimming in addition to any other activities, if they stick around long enough.

One year a convoy of us drove all the way to Glencoe for a party at The Grove, its nature center.

Last year it was just "Party!"

Chuck E. Cheese was enjoyed by the 9-year olds, who would soon find themselves "too big" to go there.

After our son selects a theme, my wife goes into action. In the past, the birthday parties have been the following:

1. # 1
2. Race Car
3. Construction
4. Train
5. Bugs
6. Jungle
7. Ocean
8. Lab/Germs
9. Party!
10. Cats

When he was six, he was really interested in fish, for instance. He would see some deep-sea fish on TV or a video and insist that I make him one.

Now, I’m not much of a craft Daddy, but I did figure out how to make three-dimensional fish out of paper. You should see my angler fish. Some are still dangling from the place they were hung.

This year, the theme was cats.

But, you've guessed that from the cookies decorated with cats already.

I guess that was in honor of our now one-year old cat, Keely of McHenry County Republican Cat Tax fame (infamy, if you were on the losing side).

After the kids started arriving, Keely retreated to his rabid bat hunting perch. He looks pretty dejected, doesn’t he?

I married an Italian.

She is totally organized.

I have my list of things to do at these birthday parties, but, once they start, I just go with the flow.

Without fear of being contradicted, I can tell you that Italian families always have more food than those attending can eat.

We order Italian beef, mostaccioli and chicken.

Last year or the year before I suggested pizza. I knew I would prefer it and I thought the kids might, too.

So, pizza came first--for the kids’ part of the party. By then, I was hungry, having not eaten since breakfast.

So were the kids, having jumped around in the Moon Walk to the point where medically alert bride brought out ice cooled wet wash clothes to cool their brows.

The main dishes arrived after the adults came.

And, as usual, there was more than enough.

As soon as everyone left—about nine—my son was working on the Star Wars Trade Federation Mobile Troop Transport. He finished it by 12:10 the day after.

And, before that he finished General Grievous’ Star Fighter.

As you can guess, my son told everyone that he wanted Star Wars Legos.

The next morning arrived.

The Moon Walk was deflated in the back yard.

When the truck from Ed's Rentals arrived to pick up the Moon Walk, Keely cat leaped to the window sill of the bedroom.

He had been trained well to look out of those McHenry County Republican Cat Tax Collectors.

Fortunately, this was a false alarm.

But when facing a threat, it is well to stay in training.

And, no, the tee shirt is not mine.

I am not that brave.

Labels: Birthday Party, Ed's Rentals, Moon Walk

If anyone ever complains about McHenry County Blog’s willingness to allow others to take photographs for publication--like this one from McHenry County Democrats--please keep the following in mind.

Chicago’s ABC Channel 7 used videotape paid for by you and me on Monday night during its six o’clock broadcast.

The story was about an $82 million subsidy granted an electric generating plant’s investors. The story said the plant would pump emissions underground.

I’ve heard of small Downstate stations running Illinois Information Service video, but this is the first time I have seen it on a Chicago station.

This appears to be the Association Press story that was read while the Governor Rod Blagojevich was seen signing the bill and passing out ceremonial pens.

Labels: Electric Generating Plant, Illinois Information Service

McHenry County Democrats may have refused to march in the Crystal Lake Gala’s 4th of July Parade, but it had no qualms in Algonquin.

Local Democrats withdrew from the Crystal Lake parade when the Gala Parade Committee banned the McHenry County Peace Group.

The Democrats took offense at the Gala’s censorship of speech, based on content and didn’t march in Crystal Lake.

The Peace Group probably got more mileage out of parking its Statute of Liberty float on the parade route than it would have by towing it the length of Dole Avenue.

No similar problem raised its head for Democrats in Algonquin Founders Day Parade because the Peace Group did not participate.

Labels: Algonquin, Founders' Days, McHenry County Democrats

There’s a new way to test campaign themes and charges.

It’s the comment section in the Northwest Herald.

The NW Herald published a story about a McHenry County attorney named Daniel Regna. The article, by Brandon Courtre, says that Regna is a former assistant state’s attorney.

I confess to having never heard of him.

He is the fourth name that defense attorneys in McHenry County have put forth as a potential opponent to Republican McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi.

First there was Jim McAuliff. Then, there wasn’t.

Sheriff Keith Nygren apparently declined to introduce State’s Attorney Bianchi when Bianchi announced his re-election. McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler, normally a Nygren ally, did the honors instead. McHenry County Republican Central Committee Chairman Bill LeFew also did not attend and made no bones about not wanting Bianchi re-elected.

Then, those who want Bianchi apparently sweet-talked Appellate Court Justice Susan Hutchison into thinking about running. If she ran, McAuliff would step aside.

She Hutchison decided not to listen to that siren song, back came former State’s Attorney Gary Pack from his Florida job to test the waters.

They must have been chilly because the day it was hinted that Pack might announce, up popped Daniel Regna’s name.

Go figure.

In any event, under that article appear vibrant attacks on and defenses of Lou Bianchi.

The attacks come from people not bold enough to use their names..unless BillLeMany is a real name. (It’s not in the phone book.). The defense comes mainly from equally anonymous “Augustine” and “defender.”

But Augustine and defender seems to be pretty good at knocking down the opposition’s themes and specific charges.

What might have taken weeks in years past now takes a couple of days.

Bianchi knows what will be used against him in the February 5th primary election.

And, those intent on ousting Bianchi know how he will reply to those charges.

Labels: Bill LeFew, Daniel Regna, Jim McAuliff, Keith Nygren, Lou Bianchi, Susan Hutchison

When one of my friends lived in Covered Bridge Trails, he took me to see what he called the dump between his part of the subdivision and Walkup Road, a.k.a, the McHenry Blacktop.

It was a mess.

The McHenry County State’s Attorney got a court order demanding clean-up and somehow the county gained the power to hire someone to clean it up.

Bids were let and Monday they were opened.

All promised to clean up the mess by August 20th, three weeks from now, except Langos Corporation, which wanted 45 days. The most expensive, Omega Demolition of Elgin, said it would finish in 9 days.

Low bidder at just $1 was Anchor Solutions, part of the Avant-Garde group of companies created to help Veterans re-enter the workforce.

Next lowest was $1,000 from Paul Iverson. He is probably the owner of the property about which this Northwest Herald article and editorial were written.

McHenry County Assistant State’s Attorney Dave Stone told me that is the case.

“He’s disqualified,” Stone said.

“He was court ordered to do the clean-up in 30 days and he didn’t do it.”

I asked if Stone had “any idea when will it be let?”

“I hope tomorrow,” he replied.

The next highest bidder was NASA Education at $4,999. It is related to Anchor, with John Blanchard being its driving force. It sponsors the Homeless Veteran Stand-Downs at Camp Algonquin that I wrote about on October 4th of last year and March 7th.

The National Association of Systems Administrators, Blanchard’s main company bid $8,999. Another Avant-Garde firm Liberating Solutions said it would do the work for $14,900.

Omega Demolition of Elgin bid $22,000, while Langos Corporation of Barrington Hills came in at $48,000. Highest bidder was Excavating Concepts of Woodstock at $98,525.

The Avant-Garde companies were created to help homeless, disabled, disadvantaged and displaced veterans re-enter the workforce as productive citizens.

Liberating Solutions just won a $270,000 contract Thursday from the Bureau of Public Debt for loading and delivering 150 desktop computers.

Vet-Teks, another of the Avant-Garde companies received news that it had won a $3,800 contract with Wisconsin’s Fort McCoy to remove trees from five acres of property in Joliet, which Ft. McCoy uses for an artillery range.

John Blanchard is president of the National Association of System Administrators, a company that maintains computer hardware to numerous government and private institutions, such as, Northern Illinois, Western Illinois, Eastern Illinois and Illinois State Universities, as well as mortgage company Sallie Mae and the Department of the Navy’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, among other places.

He also runs NASA Corp., which designs case management software for Veterans organizations and Veterans Assistance Commission. The program is installed in McHenry County. The firm also has designed and sells software to keep track of court cases. The Ho-Chunk Nation and 21 counties in Indiana utilize the program.

All of Blanchard’s firms are housed at 3305 South Route 31.

When contacted, Catherine Link, McHenry County’s purchasing person, told McHenry County Blog,“

I can’t reveal any information when a bid is pending.”

Having worked for the Illinois Department of Central Management Services, the state’s purchasing agency, I find the secrecy strange. Once bids are opened, people have a right to know who bid what…at least they used to in state government.

Labels: Avant-Garde, Catherine Link, Dave Stone, Liberating Solutions, McHenry County, NASA Educational Foundation, Paul Iverson

This is really a twofer.

It was the new “Welcome to Illinois” sign that I wanted.

It’s the first one put up since 1973, when the last Democratic Party governor, a guy named Dan Walker, put ones up that took off the name of the governor and rightly bragged about it.

He claimed to be the "people's" governor and the sign said the "People of Illinois" welcome you.

I even sent out a press release praising the change.

Now, Illinois has another governor who is a Democrat.

Although as or more confrontational than Governor Walker, this one has decided having the “people” welcome travelers to Illinois is inadequate.

He has put “Rod R. Blagojevich, Governor” on the sign.

So, "welcome to Illinois" signs have come full cycle.

At least “The Land of Lincoln” is in bigger letters.

And, the twofer?

There is precious little state road work being done in McHenry County this summer.

This sign indicates that the two miles on Route 47 between the Illinois-Wisconsin line and Route 173 in the heart of Hebron are being re-surfaced.

Not exactly done in priority order, I am certain people who drive on Route 31 between McHenry and Crystal Lake would suggest.

Labels: Dan Walker, Hebron, Message of the Day, Rod Blagojevich, Route 173, Route 47, Sign

A YouTube video the biggest con job in Illinois, the Illinois Tollway, was posted on Illinoize by blogger “It’s My Mind” by Levios.

He has the same complaints about the Tollway I have.

And quite eloquently.

He owns two cars and is searching for something to hold an I-Pass transponder.

He hasn’t heard about SharePass.

It was invented by a couple of folks from McHenry County. It costs $5.95.

Labels: I-Pass, Illinois Tollway, Levios, SharePass

I have commented on the money that the City of Crystal Lake spends on postage when I file a Freedom of Information request.

I regularly receive certified letters. The cost is now up to $5.21 each.

In the latest reply, I noticed that the price for a copy of a document page has leaped to 80 cents.

Certainly that is not what it costs to copy a piece of paper.

Think this is an attempt to stifle the dissemination of information Crystal Lake’s city fathers and mothers don’t want people taking home?

Labels: Crystal Lake, FOI, Freedom of Information Act

McHenry County Blog noted earlier that it appeared that former State Rep. Rosemary Kurtz was in active opposition to a position of her daughter, McHenry County College Board member Donna Kurtz.

The younger Kurtz voted with all other members of the MCC Board to cover 45% of the college’s property, all of which is in Crystal Lake’s watershed, with impermeable surfaces.

For decades, Crystal Lake’s watershed ordinance has prohibited construction on more than 20% of such property.

Now, the fix seems to be in, since the idea of a Frontier Minor League baseball team originated at city hall.

But, first it must go before a public hearing of the Crystal Lake Planning and Zoning Commission. The first time around the college threatened to expand elsewhere in McHenry County, if it didn't get its way.

To drum up opposition, Kurtz, the Elder, has distributed this notice to at least the lake front property owners on Crystal Lake’s North Shore. All are Crystal Lake residents—unlike those living on the South Shore.

Here’s the text of the message:

LAKE ALERT!

Public Hearing

Wednesday, August 1 at 6pm

Planning and Zoning will be discussing McHenry County College’s proposal for a baseball stadium complex. MCC campus is located in the groundwater recharge area for our Lake and this watershed has been under a restricted development footprint. Our Lake depends on clean ground water.

Petitioners have asked for a large increase in the currently allowed footprint.

The City and MCC have been working on this for the last 18 months. Why are we now just hearing about it?

Decisions made here will determine the allowed practices for future development in the CL watershed. Our Lake needs the protection of environmentally sound state-of-the-art practices, thorough, careful planning, and the involvement of all stakeholders!

Attend and be part of this important process.

If Rosemary had asked me to co-sign, I would have.

Labels: Baseball Stadium, Crystal Lake, Crystal Lake Watershed, Donna Kurtz, MCC, McHenry County College, Rosemary Kurtz

Here’s a chuckle.

Illinois’ 8th congressional district United States Representative is identified as
Melissa Bean, D-California

in an article published Saturday by Harrisburg’s Insurance News Net.

McHenry County Blog reported that Bean held a fund raiser in Nancy Pelosi territory, but didn’t know she had moved there.

Clearly, these McHenry County Democrats did not get the news that their congresswoman had moved to California before they marched in the June 16th parade in Hebron.

= = = = =
The photo comes from the Democratic Party web site.

Labels: California, Hebron, McHenry County Democrats, Melissa Bean

Today’s “Message of the Day” was found while registering our son for summer camp at Covenant Harbor in Lake Geneva.

It was worn by the nurse, who is a school nurse the rest of the year.

She was wearing this delightful tee shirt containing the Ten Commandments.

They are somewhat shorted:

• One God
• No Gossipin’
• Sunday Go To Meetin’
• No Stealin’
• No Hanky Panky
• No Cussin’
• No Killin’
• No Idols
• Honor Ma & Pa
• No Wantin’ Neighbors Things

They are called

Labels: Covenant Harbor, Lake Geneva, Nurse, School Nurse, Ten Commandments

I was waiting just a little while in the Crystal Lake Post Office Friday when I again noticed that there was no clock on the center of the wall behind the counter.

I had noticed before, but this time I asked why.

The clerk told me, “They took it down.”

I asked if the employees were clock watchers or the patrons.

She didn’t know why.

I had seen the postmaster outside with a couple of men whom I assumed were vendors or other post office employees visiting from afar.

I asked him about the clock.

“They mandated they be removed a year and a half ago,” he told me.

So much for my being super observant.

So, were they taken down so patrons would have less of a chance to know how long they had to wait, were the employees always looking at the clock or, as a cynical friend of mine suggested, is it so people can’t point to the clock when they bang on the door when the post office closes before the hour on the door?

Labels: Clock, Crystal Lake Post Office, Post Office

You’ve heard of dust bunnies.

We have more of them at our home since we got rid of the rugs in favor of the hardwood floors that were sitting under them since the 1920’s when the house was built.

Recently we have been seeing a rather bold bunny in our Lakewood yard.

Here it is savoring our bed of clover.

Although the Chicago Sun-Times ran an article last Sunday featuring the threat of bunnies, let me tell you, I’d rather have bunnies than skunks.

We shut the windows upstairs.

One night this past week, my wife and I awoke smelling a skunk.

I figured a car on Lake Avenue had hit one.

Then I thought of the ones downstairs.

The odor was strongest in the kitchen.

I began to think maybe a skunk had been defending itself in the middle of the night.

So, you can understand why I would prefer bunnies to skunks.

Labels: Bunny, Clover, Lakewood, Skunk

8th congressional GOP primary candidate Ken Arnold found me with his press release this past week. It’s probably because McHenry County Blog covered the 8th congressional district Republican primary election last year and Arnold was in it.

Steve Greenberg, who announced for the office in mid-June, now has found McHenry County Blog. I am pleased to put up his press release. It’s long, but candidates who have not run for office before need to be able to talk extensively about themselves. Here is his web site link. You might find it interesting to read the "Steve's Bio" part.

GOP Agrees to Challenge Bean in Illinois
June 13, 2007

If candidate recruitment can be compared to a bidding war, then National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Cole (Okla.) is New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner today.

Steve Greenberg (R), a wealthy businessman from Long Grove, Ill., has committed to running against Rep. Melissa Bean (D-Ill.), a top NRCC target, despite being courted by national Republicans to take on Sen. Dick Durbin (D) in the Prairie State. He officially will file his candidacy papers on July 1.

“I felt that at this time there is an opportunity for me,” Greenberg said in an interview Tuesday. “I believe we can take back the House — that’s not to say that we can’t take back the Senate, but I got a little more excited about the opportunity
to run against Melissa Bean.”

National Republican Senatorial Committee officials are disappointed that Greenberg declined the Senate race but said Durbin should not break out the champagne either.

“Steve Greenberg would have been a formidable candidate against Dick Durbin — but this does not change the fact that Durbin will have a fight on his hands come 2008; we do not intend to let him off the hook,” said NRSC spokeswoman Rebecca
Fisher.

NRCC officials view Greenberg’s decision to run as a testament to their ability to recruit top-tier candidates, despite the drubbing they took in last year’s midterm elections.

“Steve Greenberg is a top recruit and we strongly believe that he has what it takes to win in ’08,” NRCC spokesman Ken Spain said. “Melissa Bean’s record in the new Democrat majority is even more abysmal than it was before and Steve Greenberg is just the guy we’ve been looking for to take her on.”

The NRCC would love to win back Bean’s 8th district seat, which covers Chicago’s northeastern exurbs.

Bean upset Rep. Phil Crane (R) — who was then the longest-serving GOP Member in the House — in 2004 and immediately stepped in front of the NRCC’s bull’s-eye. President Bush twice carried the district and Crane held the seat for 34 years. Bean has been careful to stake out more conservative positions than some of her Democratic colleagues and has worked to forge close ties to the business
community.

She enraged labor unions by supporting the Central American Free Trade Agreement in 2005 but delighted the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and she was one of the few Congressional Democrats the group endorsed in the previous cycle.

“Congresswoman Bean is an independent voice for her district and remains closely in touch with those she represents,” said Ryan Rudominer, a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesman. “Whether it’s Congresswoman Bean fighting for fiscal responsibility [or] Internet safety ... voters know that she reflects their mainstream suburban values, and they respect her work ethic and centrist approach — regardless of their party affiliation,” he added.

Greenberg, who is 36 years old, said his decision to run for the House was aided by talks with several young GOP Members, including Rep. Paul Ryan (Wis.), freshman Rep. Peter Roskam (Ill.) and Chief Deputy Minority Whip Eric Cantor (Va.). “What really impressed me is there is an amazing group of young Members with energy that I wanted to be part of,” Greenberg said.

“When I had the opportunity to sit down with Chairman Cole and hear his vision about where the party and committee were heading ... I really wanted to be part of that.

“My original intent was to run against Dick Durbin and what really swayed me was — Paul Ryan and I have been friends for years — and he said I should meet with the NRCC before I made any decisions,” Greenberg said.

This will be Greenberg’s first run for public office. Though he has tested the waters for just a few months, he already knows who on Capitol Hill he wants to emulate. “If I were to look at an example of how to be a Congressman, I’d look to Ryan,” Greenberg said.

Greenberg’s path to the campaign trail has been atypical. Out of high school, he was drafted by the National Hockey League. He spent two seasons with the Hampton Roads Admirals, a Washington Capitals farm team in Virginia.

After multiple injuries he hung up his skates and returned to Illinois. He wanted to attend college and become a teacher, but his father convinced him to take over the family’s business, Promotions Unlimited.

He attended college here and there but found that “it’s a little hard to hang with the freshmen when you’re running a company.”

Promotions Unlimited provides “advertising and promotional programs for approximately 5,500 retail stores (including drug, variety, craft, grocery, and hardware stores),” according to the company’s Web site.
In 1997, the company bought the rights to the name of the defunct dime-store chain, Ben Franklin.

The company had facilities in Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin but merged everything in 1987 into its Racine, Wis., location, which is how Greenberg got to know Ryan so well.

Greenberg and his brother, Michael, also dabble in venture capitalism. They buy struggling companies and try to turn them around.

“We’ve had some wins and sometimes they kick you in the teeth,” he said of his newest business.

Greenberg, now a father of three, said he is running because he wants to hold government accountable. The federal government is comparable to the giant CVS/pharmacy chain that practically has a monopoly on the Washington, D.C.,
market.

“The government right now is CVS; they don’t give good customer service,” he said. Greenberg said Democrats “mock the ownership society,” which also pushed him to run.

He said a universal health care program, which some Democrats advocate, would just bloat the bureaucracy and make poorer people more dependent on the government.

“If we go the way Democrats are proposing ... we’ll be giving 45 million uninsured Americans a one-way bus ticket to the land of dependency.

“And once people see government as a place of salvation, and the expectation is that we can get our needs and wants in Washington, D.C., that engine doesn’t turn off; that doesn’t promote the dreamer society,” he said.

Greenberg did not say how many of his greenbacks he will put into the race but pledged to spend whatever it takes.

“We’re going to put as much capital in as we have to to achieve our goal of getting our message out there,” the millionaire said.

Rudominer said Bean already has bested a candidate with a background similar to Greenberg’s when she beat David McSweeney in 2006.

“Her 7-point victory last November against an NRCC-supported, self-funding millionaire is further proof that anyone who tries to unseat her is going to have a rough time,” he said.

Labels: 8th Congressional District, Ken Arnold, Melissa Bean, Steve Greenberg

That’s what’s between this boy and Lake Geneva in this picture of his being flipped into the water at Covenant Harbor on Friday.

I thought this was my son, but it turns out it is another boy.

My son stayed in a tree house.

Really.

I can’t wait to find out how he describes being up in a tree during the torrential rains early Thursday morning.

Double bunks for about eight boys, plus counselor Sam Pettigrew, who is from Fox River Grove and attends Hope College in Michigan.

Pictures can be enlarged by clicking on them.

Labels: Covenant Harbor, Flipping Out, Lake Geneva

For the second time in two years, Gurnee Republican Ken Arnold is thinking about running against 2nd term 8th congressional district U.S. Representative Melissa Bean. He is the second Republican to indicate an interest. The first was Steve Greenberg. (Greenberg hasn't sent McHenry County Blog anything yet.)

Here is Arnold’s press release:

Arnold Pondering Run Against Congressman Bean

Within a YouTube interview presently being compiled by an organization called “A Citizens Voice,” recent 2006 8th Congressional District Primary candidate and Gurnee Republican Ken Arnold announced he is an official, exploratory candidate for this office once again.

Mr. Arnold outlined:

“Sadly, all five of my platform issues outlined in 2005 from Health Care to the problems of Illegal Aliens and amnesty are still there. Melissa Bean has done nothing on all of these and so many other issues in Washington. Our time is running out…”

Mr. Arnold went on to outline:

“Our Representative in Washington needs to be original, creative, and of true substance to resolve our many issues before us today. Such Congressman also needs to stand for reform of our two political parties and political processes both here in Illinois and in Washington.”

In addressing the two known contenders for this office (i.e. Democrat incumbent Melissa Bean and already announced Republican Steve Greenberg), Mr. Arnold believes that neither “meets the mark” of the criteria he outlines in his YouTube discussions and feels are so badly needed within the 8th Congressional District.

Exploratory Candidate Ken Arnold outlined that in just the coming few weeks he will make his full decision on the matter of whether he will once again run in 2008. Presently, Mr. Arnold says he will be listening to voters, Party leaders, and community leaders as to what they feel the needs are for the District and how they would welcome Mr. Arnold’s candidacy for this Congressional office.

The 8th Congressional District is composed of half of Lake and McHenry Counties along with far northwestern Cook County. The Ken Arnold for Congress Exploratory Campaign can be reached at 847-782-1688. Citizens may also visit his website at www.ArnoldforCongress.com for further information. His interview for the organization called “A Citizens Voice” can be found at www.ACitizensVoice.com and will be available there starting the latter part of this coming week.

Labels: 8th Congressional District, Ken Arnold, Melissa Bean, Steve Greenberg

McHenry County Blog had the story about the $21,000 fine imposed on Jim Oberweis by the Federal Election Commission on January 24h.

I went to the source and found out from Oberweis himself. He told me that his decision was made from a cost-benefit point of view. It was cheaper to pay the proposed fine than the lawyers.

The Chicago Tribune's Rich Pearson ran the story July 27th, more than six months after McHenry County Blog.

Here’s what the FEC said about Oberweis yesterday:

Oberweis Dairy, Inc. (Oberweis Dairy) is a family-owned business serving Illinois, Indiana and Missouri. James D. Oberweis, the Chairman of Oberweis Dairy, was a Senate candidate in Illinois in 2004. According to the complaint, Oberweis Dairy made, and Oberweis for U.S. Senate 2004 (the Committee) received, prohibited corporate in-kind contributions. The complaint alleged Oberweis Dairy ran coordinated television advertisements featuring James D. Oberweis that were targeted to Illinois voters within 120 days of the Illinois Primary election held on March 16, 2004. The complaint also alleged the Committee utilized Oberweis Dairy employees and facilities to arrange fundraising events and organize a “meet and greet” sweepstakes.

In the summer of 2003, Oberweis Dairy began its first television advertisement campaign, broadcasting the “Sunny Side Up” ad featuring James Oberweis on Chicago area local and cable television shows from December 2003 to January 2004. Oberweis Dairy spent approximately $6,224 on production costs for the ad and an additional $37,630 for airtime costs.

The Commission found reason to believe respondents violated the Act because the “Sunny Side Up” ad met the requirements of the Commission’s coordinated communication regulation and therefore constituted an in-kind contribution from Oberweis Dairy to Oberweis for U.S. Senate 2004. Respondents contended they acted in good faith and on the advice of counsel and agreed to pay a $21,000 civil penalty to avoid protracted litigation.

FEC Commissioner Hans A. von Spakovsky disagreed with the decision and defended Oberweis in an eight-page memo.

He argued that the Oberweis decision is based on a misreading of a FEC advisory opinion says that “a candidate’s appearance in a communication would be sufficient to conclude that the candidate was materially involved in decisions regarding the communication. The dissenter argues that ”content control” must be proven as well as the candidate’s appearance in an ad. He also points out that Oberweis Dairy consulted “an attorney at a well-known law firm” who is “now an adjunct profession at a very well- respected law school” before cutting the ad.

McHenry County Blog observed that this summer’s Oberweis Dairy television ads, while containing Jim Oberweis, are much less blatant than previous ones.

There was also this about State Senator Chris Lauzen:

In MUR 5722, the Commission found no reason to believe Illinois State Senator Chris Lauzen violated the Act’s registration and reporting requirements for Federal candidates. The Commission also dismissed with admonishments allegations against Mr. Lauzen and his State campaign committee regarding the use of nonfederal funds to conduct polling activities to determine whether to run for U.S. Congress.

Both Lauzen and Oberweis are planning to run for Congress if U.S. Representative Denny Hastert decides to retire.

= = = = =
Jim Oberweis is seen dipping up ice cream last summer on Paul Caprio's Family PAC cruise. Want to bet that he'll be on board doing the same thing on the night of August 9th?

For more McHenry County Blog, click here.

Labels: Chris Lauzen, Denny Hastert, FEC, Hans A von Spakovsky, Jim Oberweis

At the McHenry Marlins victory splash party, I saw an intriguing tee shirt about dodgeball.

I have fond memories of playing dodgeball with Tommy Callahan, Stan Johnson, Bill Hill, Leroy Miller and Timmy (whose last name I can’t pull up, but who was the fastest runner, even though he was the shortest). We did it in a circle on an asphalt playground at Easton (Maryland) Elementary School, a three-story building with outside fire escape for the 5th graders on the top floor. It’s now the site of the Talbot County Health Department.

My son says that Crystal Lake’s South Elementary School won’t allow the kids to play dodgeball.

Or tag.

Or soccer.

No roughhousing.

But McHenry’s Fiesta Days have no such compunction.

In fact, the festival held its first dodgeball competition this year on July 14th.

I talked to a swim Dad who works in the McHenry County Jail.

He told me that basketball courts were used at the new middle school across from the McHenry Drive-In Theatre.

Just imagine.

Grown men standing in two lines across a basketball court throwing balls about the size of ninepin bowling balls at each other.

Only softer.

It was described as a big nerf ball.

21-year olds versus much older guys.

And having a ball.

The tee shirt that caught my attention said,

MADA
McHenry Area
Dodgeball
Association

Ignoring the obvious, as I with a Rockford YMCA tee shirt, I asked,

“What does ‘MADA’ stand for?”

The swim Mom said, “It stands for ‘McHenry Area Dodgeball Association.’”

Dah.

And, on the back of the tee shirt, you can see there are even sponsors.

The swim Dad said some of the guys on the Sheriff’s patrol were a bit miffed that they hadn’t been invited to form a team.

My guess is the second year of this contest will be much bigger than the first.

I found the National Dodgeball Amateur Association web site and, lo and behold, there are all sorts of program--48 in all--including ones in Crystal Lake and Algonquin.

And, the McHenry Parks and Recreation program has a MySpace web site.

Labels: Dodgeball, Easton, Fiesta Days, McHenry, South Elementary School

Will any McHenry County legislators vote to double the Regional Transportation Authority tax burden on local residents?

That’s the question I’m asking after reading the latest Daily Herald article by Eric Kroh.

Those voting for it will gain instant “tax hiker” status.

Here is a full-sized bus that pulls out of a subdivision between Crystal Springs Road and Mason Hill Road, takes the McHenry Blacktop to Bull Valley Road, turns right, and goes to Route 31 where it turns right again. This is right before 8 AM.

I have yet to see it stop for a passenger.

That's just the kind of efficiency I want to subsidize more of.

Labels: Regional Transportation Authority, RTA

It’s pretty interesting how the comment section below Northwest Herald stories allow other stories to be updated.

Huntley School Board member Larry Snow—still in a minority, but no longer in a 6-1 minority after April school board elections in which one candidate he supporter, Aileen Seedorf led the pack—continued to try to recoup unauthorized fringe benefits paid to school administrators in a comment on unauthorized expenditures in Burton Township yesterday.

Not many people from the Huntley and Lake in the Hills area will probably see the comment, but it is a method to exert some pressure on fellow board members to go after the $200,000 or so found paid, but not approved by the Huntley School Board.

Among other things, Snow asks,

“Do taxpayers feel different about unauthorized township expenses and unauthorized school district expenses?”

Labels: Burton Township, Fringe Benefits, Huntley School District 158, Larry Snow

From almost daybreak until well after dark is how long a trip to Bloomington for a board meeting of Protect Marriage Illinois took yesterday.

I didn’t even get to read the newspapers because I drove.

With having just missed getting enough petitions signatures to trigger an advisory referendum last year, the effort to allow voters to give an indication of whether they think legislators should allow a referendum on a constitutional amendment reserving marriage for men and women is off again.

You can get information and download a petition for your county on the Protect Marriage Illinois web site. We’ve made it easy to print out one for your county. Or, if you live in a city with a separate election commission, we have a petition for you there, too.

It is very important that signatures from different jurisdictions not be allowed on the same petition.

State law has made it more difficult to collect petition signatures for statewide advisory referendums than for local advisory referendums or statewide candidates. (My hypothesis is that this was done in order to keep Pat Quinn from getting enough signatures on an advisory petition to get on the ballot.)

In any event, if you want to help at your local county fair, the odds are good that the Republican Party would allow you to collect signatures at their booths or tents, based on the cooperation that the State GOP Chairman Andy McKenna has provided. (There’s even a link on the Illinois Republican Party web site.)

It seems that leading Republicans like McKenna and Senate Minority Leader Frank Watson have figured out that having the Protect Marriage question on the ballot next fall will encourage conservatives to go the polls. That was not the case last year, except in Cartwight Township.

As Senator Watson said recently after Joetta Deutsch spoke at a state GOP listening session in his home area,

“You won’t find these petitions at any Democratic Party function.”

(If that is not the exact quote, it is really close.)

In any event, this is a long way of explaining why blogging is light today.

Labels: Andy McKenna, Cartwright Township, Frank Watson, Protect Marriage, Protect Marriage Illinois

I am delighted to see that the Northwest Herald has highlighted Ted Liegel’s charitable efforts to raise money for his American Disabled Equipment Fund.

A story by Jenn Wiant tells of a fund raiser that will be held at Barrington’s Penny Road Pub from 1 to 8 p.m. Saturday. (See more information and directions here.)

I met Liegel sitting outside of the east door of the Crystal Lake Jewel shortly after I started McHenry County Blog.

It is much fun seeing him get some well deserved publicity right before his fund raiser for hand controls for a car for Julie Wagner, a 23-year old with spina bifida.

If you can’t attend the fund raiser, checks can be sent to

= = = = =
Julie Wagner's picture came from the web site of The American Disabled Equipment fund.

Labels: Ted Liegel, The American Disabled Equipment Fund

A salad bowl.

And, guess what I found in it.

Keely cat.

He is in his "Salad Daze," I think.

Labels: Bowl, Cat, Message of the Day, Salad Days

Regan Foster of the Northwest Herald wrote a story Thursday about the McHenry County Transportation Committee’s having approved a 5-year highway plan to be financed with $50 million of borrowed money.

The theory is that people using the new and improved roads will be paid for by the people who are using them.

The article outlines what will be constructed in the next year:

“This calendar year’s projects include spending $3.4 million on highway maintenance; widening Algonquin Road to five lanes between Randall Road and Route 47; resurfacing part of Alden Road and conducting engineering on both Alden Road and the Alden Road Bridge; and pursuing land acquisition to widen Walkup Road between Route 176 and Bull Valley Road.”

Note the traffic I found just after 5 PM on Rakow Road.

Vehicles were backed up all the way from Virginia Street Road to Pingree Road on Thursday--the complete distance of the biggest Vulcan Lake. The image can be enlarged by clicking on it.

Labels: McHenry County, Pingree Road, Rakow Road, Roads, traffic congestion

While 16 Crystal Lakers have pulled out their check books to make contributions to presidential candidates, only 11 from Woodstock and 3 from McHenry have made the plunge.

Maybe the population of the two areas are similar, so the percentage of residents making contributions might be roughly comparable.

Some of you may know that I’m not too deeply into presidential politics. That's because I know that making the same contribution to a local or legislative candidate or volunteering one's time to local candidates has a much greater chance of making an impact in the direction one wants than participating in presidential politics can ever yield.

Nevertheless, I'll readily admit it is not as exciting.

I decided to go to Oberlin College in 1960 because it was a good school and had the first mock political convention in the country.

When I was at Oberlin College, my goal was to bring the Republican message to that liberal bastion for at least one year and we Young Republicans did gain enough control of the student council to designate the 1964 Mock Convention a Republican one. I became its chairman.

Before that 1963-64 convention experience, I was the 1962 student campaign manager of the Oberlin College YR's (now called College Republicans). We marshaled 2,700 student hours of campaigning for the re-election effort of Congressman Charles Mosher, an Oberlin grad and local newspaper publisher. That convinced me an individual could make a difference in a congressional campaign.

But I learned that the lower on the political totem pole, the more impact one can have. We worked in 1961 and 1963 for Woody Mathna's mayoral campaigns in Lorain, Ohio. He was a Republican running in a Democratic Party steel town. He won in '61 and was re-elected in '63. The YR's door knocking helped fill holes in Mathna's campaign organization.

In my only local foray into presidential politics, I did have my name on the ballot as a convention delegate for Jack Kemp in 1988. He folded after the Iowa caucus, a week before the Illinois primary. Not much impact. Point made, perhaps.

But, when Bill Baar pointed out the ease of using the Chicago Tribune campaign contribution data base, I started looking at those in McHenry County who are involved in the national campaign in a pocketbook way.

(If local folks are involved beyond writing a check, I would be interested in learning how to contact them. Party is irrelevant.)

Unlike a couple of the Crystal Lakers, no one from zip code 60050 gave the maximum amount allowed by law--$2,300.

However, two people—Steven and Mary Jacobs--who live on Madison Street in Woodstock, the same street where I used to live, gave that maximum to Rudy Giulianni.

In Woodstock, 5 people gave $2,255.05 to Barack Obama. Four were men, one a woman.

Besides the couple who contributed $4,600 to Giuliani in Woodstock, 2 men contributed a total of $600 to John McCain.

In McHenry, three men donated money. McCain and Giuliani got $500 and Obama received $250.

Woodstock contributors (zip code 60098):

• Borelli, Nelson, 1347 Galloway Dr, Woodstock, IL 60098, Not Employed, $100.00, May. 14th - Obama; $100.00, Jun. 29th - Obama
• Jacobs, Steven A, .348 S. Madison Street, Woodstock, IL 60098, Really Great Meetings, Inc., Meeting/event Planner, $2,300.00, Jun. 29th - Giuliani
• Jacobs, Mary B., 348 S. Madison Street, Woodstock, IL 60098, College Of Lake County, R.d.h./instructor, $2,300.00, Jun. 30th - Giuliani
• Metiver, Donald, 413 N Cold Springs Rd, Woodstock, IL 60098, Sportdecals, President, $1,000.00, Apr. 26th - Obama
• Pitsch, James L., 8108 Crystal Springs Rd, Bull Valley, IL 60098, Staffordshire Associates, Inc., Executive, $100.00, Apr. 24th - McCain
• Schlosberg, Leo, 370 Lincoln Ave, Woodstock, IL 60098, Cary Concrete Products, Inc., Contractor, $25.00, Jun. 6th – Obama; $30.05, Apr. 1st - Obama
• Smith, Marschall I, 344 Fremont St, Woodstock, IL 60098, Brunswick Corp, Attorney, $500.00, Apr. 23rd - Obama
• Sterling, Betty, 423 Marawood Dr, Woodstock, IL 60098, Not Employed, Homemaker, $500.00, Mar. 5th - Obama
• Zimmer, Donald C., 11128 Berltsum Ln, Woodstock, IL 60098S, Self, Engineer, $500.00, Mar. 31st – McCain

McHenry (60050) contributors:

• Fleming, Henry J, 4123 W Shamrock Ln, McHenry, IL 60050, Self, Accountant, $500.00, Mar. 21st - McCain
• Nowland, Jeffrey D, 4006 Boone Creek Circle, McHenry, IL 60050, Citadel Investment Group, L.l.c.Software, Development Manager, $500.00, Jun. 13th - Giuliani
• Skiba, Thomas J, 3712 W Lee St, McHenry, IL 60050, $250.00, Apr. 12th - Obama

= = = = =
The picture of Barack Obama comes from his web site. I took the photo of John McCain at an event at the Union League Club.

Labels: Barack Obama, Cal Skinner Jr, Jack Kemp, John McCain, Oberlin College, Oberlin College Young Republicans, Rudy Giuliani

Since the McHenry Marlins team won first place at the Rockford regional swim meet this past Saturday, I’ll be you think that trophy is the one I’m featuring today.

Here’s a picture of it, but it is not the star attraction.

It’s the trophy some of the swimmers gave almost-18-year-old coaching assistant John Sherman that caught my attention.

It was dedicated to the ”Number One Muffin Man.”

Besides that message, the small trophy had two muffins in it.

Somehow I missed the interplay between the kids and Coach John at Boylan Catholic High School.

I think John had muffins he shared.

It caught at least one parent’s attention, as you can see from the photo on the bulletin board that John can be seen looking at.

At the bottom of the photograph you can read this line, if you click on it:


And the first place North Central Swim Conference Team Championship trophy won on July 21, 2007, that the McHenry Marlins won in Rockford?

You can see it here.

Click to enlarge it or either of the photographs of John Sherman.

Labels: John Sherman, McHenry Marlins, Trophy

If you ever wanted to see the federal government run amuck, the Northwest Herald’s Kevin Craver’s expansion of McHenry County Blog’s Saturday article ought to fill the bill.

Mayo Underwood runs Underwood Gardens, an organic garden supply company, as well as selling heirloom plant seeds.

One of her products is fermented salmon heads. They provide good fertilizer and the product stinks so much it keeps away the critters.

Underwood told me Friday that the fish heads were “a threat to Homeland Security.”

Craver has found something even more stupid.

The United States Agriculture Department thinks the jars of fermented salmon heads might contain mad cow disease.

Really.

After prodding, U.S. Congresswoman Melissa Bean’s staff told Underwood she would have an answer by Monday.

Apparently, help didn’t come from the second term Democrat.

Otherwise, Underwood would have told Craver.

2,000 customers rely on the product.

Labels: Fish Heads, Mayo Underwood, Melissa Bean, Underwood Gardens, United States Department of Agriculture, USDA

As I was about to head beddy-bye, a press release arrived from United States Representative Don Manzullo. It follows up on the earmarking of $250,000 to help a bit with extending Algonquin Road west of Huntley. I will point out again that $250,000 is not big money in highway projects, as you can see from the prior projects

The press release follows:

U.S. House Approves $250,000 Manzullo Secured to Help Extend Algonquin Road West of Huntley

(CRYSTAL LAKE) The U.S. House of Representatives tonight approved $250,000 in federal funds to help relieve traffic congestion in McHenry County by extending Algonquin Road west of Route 47 to the western side of Huntley.

The funding, secured by Congressman Don Manzullo (R-Egan) is included in the 20