McHenry County Blog

The “TTFN” on this license plate driving out of Crystal Lake caught my attention.

The full plate reads


Does that mean the driver graduated from high school or college in 1964?

And what does “TTFN” mean?

You Tigger fans know, right?

Underneath in the Jeep license plate holder is the admonition,



Tigger is sort of a February 29th sort of guy, isn't he?

Labels: February 29, License Plate, License Plate Holder, Message of the Day, Tigger, TTFN

The McHenry County Green Party has scheduled a convention at 6:30 PM March 5th at the Woodstock Library.

Whether they are ready to play with the two power parties remains to be seen.

If anyone has the urge to run for office in McHenry County, the Greens can slate them. The deadline for such slating is April 7th, so folks have time to think it over.

McHenry County Board Trustee Scott Summers, you may remember was kicked off the 16th congressional primary ballot by a campaign supporter of Democratic Party candidate Bob Abboud.

Anyone want to bet against his being slated for the contest?

Here is the press release on Wednesday's meeting:

McHENRY COUNTY GREEN PARTY GETTING READY FOR NOVEMBER

The primaries are over, but the campaigning is not.

Local officials already are planning for the November 4th general election.

Their work formally resumes on March 5th, when all established political parties -- Democratic, Green, Moderate, and Republican -- meet throughout Illinois in countywide conventions.

Led by recently elected committeemen Frank Wedig and Scott Summers, the McHenry Greens will organize for the very first time as the McHenry County Green Party Central Committee. The meeting will begin at 6:30 PM at the Woodstock Public Library, 414 West Judd Street.

In accordance with the election code, Wedig and Summers first will appoint other individuals to join them as Green Party committeewomen and committeemen. The expanded group will elect officers and adopt by-laws.

The committee then will turn its attention to statutorily-prescribed mechanisms for filling vacancies in nomination for McHenry County offices, including state's attorney, auditor, clerk of court, coroner, and recorder of deeds.

The group also is empowered to appoint Greens in races for McHenry County Board, state representative, and state senator.

If appointed by the committee, Green Party candidates will appear on the general election ballot in November.

"We're looking for fresh faces with common sense ideas," says Wedig, who won the Green Party nomination for McHenry County Board District 5.

"In particular, we're seeking people committed to the four pillars of Green political philosophy: ecological wisdom, social justice, grassroots democracy, and nonviolence."

"We've not yet decided about slating candidates for the McHenry County vacancies," notes Summers, who is eyeing a run for U.S. Congress in the 16th district.

"We seek quality individuals committed to making a difference," he continues. "If we find the right people, we'll slate them."

The Greens -- and the other established parties -- have until April 7th to fill vacancies in nomination.

"Let's be clear," cautions Wedig. "We're a new political party with very few resources. We'll provide advice. But for all practical purposes, candidates will be entirely on their own for organizing, campaigning, and fundraising."

Individuals interested in running in McHenry County as Greens may contact Summers by phone (815-245-7473) or mail (P.O. Box 430, Harvard). A brief statement of interest, a resume, and references are requested. Following a telephone interview, prospective candidates will meet with committee members. Slating decisions will follow shortly thereafter.

For more on the Green Party of the United States or the Illinois Green Party, visit www.gp.org or www.ilgp.org.

• Information on the Wedig and Summers campaigns is at wedigforboard5@sbcglobal.net and


• www.SummersForCongress.com, respectively.
  

Sign up for email notices about meetings and other activities of the McHenry Greens through Wedig's email (above).

= = = = =

Scott Summers can be seen on top. A picture of Frank Wedig, the Green Party candidate for county board in District 5, can be seen in the body of the text of the press release.

Labels: Frank Wedig, Green Party, Scott Summers

It's no secret that Huntley School Board President Shawn Green is a close friend of Huntley school district Chief Operations Officer Glenn Stewart.

He is a consistent defender of Stewart's decisions.

After all, Stewart is a former District 158 school board member. Stewart is Green's and the board majority's inside guy.

Take a look at this email from Green to Superintendent John Burkey and the Board of Education members.

It refers to a serious electrical injury to a bus driver that has required days of hospitalization:

"John- This type of thing is not board business, and therefore I wouldn't expect to be notified. I don't imagine a village board gets notified every time a police officer, firefighter, etc., gets injured on duty."

Could it be that when an employee gets severely shocked by electricity and is in the hospital for many days, Green has no interest in knowing about it or if unsafe work conditions caused the employee to be hurt?

He couldn't be trying to convey either of those two thoughts.

Being a suburban police officer, Green's department undoubtedly has procedures for reporting and investigating serious on-the-job injuries.

We know that when Chicago policemen gets shot, for instance, we even hear it on the news.

No special reporting to the aldermen is necessary because the media are all over such events.

Not so in McHenry County.

Fights occur at school that taxpayers don't read about.

Maybe one of the Heralds will report on the serious electric cord mishap to the Huntley school bus driver on Friday.

My guess is that the accident in question is serious enough to require a report to OSHA, the federal job safety agency.

I don't know about Green, but, if I were on a governing board, I would be interested in accidents that serious.

= = = =
Thanks to the commenter below for an update on the bus driver's condition:

"Question? Someone’s life was seriously altered because of this incident, and all you can say is brainless comments about a board member!

"My prayers go out to this employee who was a wonderful bus driver to my children, and with a bit of luck she recovers with no long term side effects.

"For the record thou she was released, and is no longer in the hospital, but still is experiencing serious complications.

"Also interesting enough all of the power cords that were laying in water, ice, and snow were removed today, merely more than one entire week after the incident.

"I am not so overconfident of these administrators’ actions that were so punctually and discreetly executed to secure the lives of the employees that transport our children, but what the heck; they weren’t plugging the buses in everyday, were they?"

Labels: Glenn Stewart, Huntley School District 158, John Burkey, OSHA, School Bus, Shawn Green

Economics Research Associates staffers Richard Starr and David Stone sent a February 26, 2008, introductory letter to McHenry County College President Walt Packard.

It asserts they will expound on the “reasonableness and achievability” in something they allege is a 3rd party analysis of the baseball stadium and Health, Wellness and Athletic Center proposal.

However, the ERA analysts admit no market analysis exists to show that using characteristics of Camden, New Jersey, and Fargo, North Dakota, baseball stadiums are even a tiny bit reasonable.

Remember geometry?

Accept the assumption, even if they are false assumptions, and everything flows from them.

With the wrong premises, logic will lead to incorrect conclusions.

It happened in city X, in city Y, so it could happen in Crystal Lake.


And when the bonds can't be repaid, the board members will say,


In ERA's initial 3rd party review, the authors talked about projected attendance in terms of “capture rate.”

On page 9 of the first review, it says ERA recommends further verification of the projected 52.3% capture rate.

I can't even find the term in the second report.

So what is a “capture rate?”

If the population of the market area is 300,000, a 50% capture rate would mean than annual attendance is estimated to be 150,000.

The first report

“..assumes the team will achieve capture rates comparable to the highest captures in the Frontier and Northern Leagues.”

There is no reference to “capture rate” in the second report, but it is still a relevant concept.

The first report puts it in terms of the market place, but the second ignores the market.

Five teams in Chicago market have capture rates ranging from 5.9% to 52.6%, according to page 9 of the first report.

When you take the market out, use of the terms “reasonable and achievable” in nonsensical. Just because it is reasonable and achievable somewhere else doesn't mean it will happen in Crystal Lake.

In ballpark feasibility studies, all revenue streams flow from attendance.

ERA looks at other teams, but, as ERA points out, “It is not known if the other teams' reported figures represent paid or actual attendance.”

Remember, it is common practice for teams to give away tickets as promotional items.

So, ERA is reporting unaudited numbers. No one, except maybe the investors, look at gate receipts.

Take ERA's minor league attendance figures with a grain of salt, maybe piles of salt the size that should have been stockpiled for this winter.

Likewise, ERA's comments on audience attendance growth from year to year need to be closely examined.

In the last paragraph on page 6, ERA states,

“The assumed 30 percent attendance growth over the first five years...is fairly aggressive, but achievable, particularly considering the relatively low projected attendance rate for 2009.”

What team has achieved that attendance growth rate without expanding its stadium?

River City's Rascals, located in suburban St. Louis on the Missouri side of the river, had a stadium built specifically for the Frontier League team. It has been around the longest.

River City's average daily attendance in the first year (1999) was 3,611. In 2007, the comparable figure was, 2,095. (The 2007 figure is right in the table on page 5.)

That's a 42% decrease.

So, where's the growth found?

How does this fit into the “reasonableness and achievability” predicted by Economics Research Associates?

It doesn't.

It isn't even mentioned.

Let's examine three of the Frontier League teams that ERA considers comparables. Look at the attendance figures for 2005, 2006 and 2007 on page 5.

Not one team cited in the ERA report is shown growing at the rate projected by MCC baseball promoter Pete Heitman.

It's not even close. No wonder the table isn't lined up so one can easily figure that out.

Here are daily attendance figures for 2005, 2006 and 2007 for three of the teams listed.

Suburban St. Louis Gateway Grizzles went from

3,619 to
4,235, then decreased to
4,086.

In Washington, PA, Wild Things attendance for the three years were essentially flat:

3,197
3,251
3,317

Suburban St. Louis River City Rascals:

2,379
2,387
2,095

Obviously none increased 5% a year over the two-year period.

How about Rockford?

That's close by.

You should know that a new stadium for Rockford was financed completely with private money, opening in 2006.

One would assume that the incentive not to lose money (or make money) would be stronger for entrepreneurs than for elected officials. Elected officials, of course, can keep coming back to the taxpayers to get non-referendum taxes; investors can't...or maybe they can, if they are Pete Heitman.

Average daily attendance that first year in the new stadium was 2,463, higher than 2,065, an increase of 398 per game.

The stadium cost $7 million. It cost $17,588 to garner each new fan (on a daily basis).

The second year in the new stadium, attendance did not go up much—twelve fans per game.

In any event, that's not support for an increase of 5% per year by Heitman...

Let alone EquityOne's Mark Houser's forecast a 10% increase in attendance during its second year. (See page 5.)

At least Rockford's new stadium was financed completely with private money.

They weren't using other people's money, like the MCC team.

No wonder ERA didn't emphasize Rockford's problem.

There is no example of any team anywhere (unless major, major capital improvements have been put in) that has the attendance growth and, therefore, the revenue growth as sustainable as the promoters' plan suggests.

Taxpayers have a 20-year repayment obligation, so why do the ERA consultants concentrate on the first five years' performance, which history shows are a team's best years?

Why has ERA ignored the next 15 years?

ERA does conclude,

“...we would not expect for this to continue indefinitely, as attendance would stabilize and potentially decrease (after the five-year projection period). This would directly affect the growth of team and facility revenues” (see top of page 7).

Heitman has attendance increases every year for 25 years, a minimum of 5% per year.

ERA hints that a 5% attendance increase is unrealistic--even as soon as the 6th year--but refuses to point out how this will negatively affect the ability to repay the bonds...which it will.

In fact, ERA doesn't address anything beyond fifth year as far as financing goes, other than to say that attendance might decrease (see top of page 7).

Internet fantasy baseball would cheaper and probably as much fun.

More tomorrow and the days to follow.
= = = = =
Senior Economics Research Associates staffer Richard Starr appears on top. Below is associate David Stone.

Below, baseball promoter Pete Heitman appears above his buddy Mark Houser in the pictures in this article.

Labels: Baseball Stadium, David Stone, Economics Research Associates, Equity One, EquityOne, ERA, Fantasy Baseball, Mark Houser, MCC, McHenry County College, Pete Heitman, Richard Starr, Walt Packard

At Monday's Committee of the Whole meeting, the McHenry County College Board considered a proposal by Trustee Scott Summers to put the already computerized board packets on the internet.

Available electronically previously only the those on the board and MCC employees, now the people who elect the board and pay the employees' salaries can find out what the board is going to do to or for them before tonight's 7 PM meeting.

You can even read the second version of the feasibility study by Economics Research Associates, dated February 2.

Having examined this in some detail, my hope and advice is that the college board not repeat its past practice of not letting anyone ask questions about the report and the commitment of twenty years of tax dollars before proceeding further.

Oh, I forgot.

The board has allowed people to ask questions in the public comment period.

They just won't give any answers.

Labels: Baseball Stadium, MCC, McHenry County Board, Transparency

Crystal Laker Allan Showalter's Heck of a Guy blog has put the Tony Rezko trial in literary perspective. It's so good, I asked his permission to share it with you.

Here's the beginning.

Public Official A - A Comic Morality Play In The Illinois Style

Filed under: Local | By DrHGuy | February 28, 2008 at 8:31 am

Judge reveals Blagojevich is ‘Public Official A’
Rezko allegedly sought donations for governor

-Headline from February 26, 2008 Chicago Tribune

I guarantee you that the rest is worth reading.

Labels: Public Official A, Rod Blagojevich, Tony Rezko

My father let me use his Mercedes diesel while I was running for county treasurer in 1966 and after I was elected. (He went through both a Cadillac and a Mercedes stage.)

To make sure the underpowered 190D started after cold nights in our detached garage, we plugged an electric cord running from the block into an extension cord.

During really cold days, I'd run an extension cord out from my ground floor office to the car, which was parked with the other elected officials' cars behind the old courthouse on the Woodstock Square.

The delinquent personal property collection operation was located in the basement's southwest corner right in front of the car's parking space.

Marge Rom once did an expose in her Crystal Lake News about how I was stealing electricity from the courthouse.

Picture and all.

This is an overly long way of relating that I know that diesels have to be kept warm in order to start on cold days.

Even Metra now plugs in its diesel engines, rather than running them all night as they did when I lived within sight of the old police and fire station and, hence, within earshot of the engines parked all night on the main line sidings.

A District 158 bus driver was apparently seriously injured some days ago while making a similar effort to keep a bus engine block warm.

Information I have received indicates that the electric shock was bad enough to turn the bus driver's hand black.

The event happened in the District 158 bus yard right next to the administration building.

Each bus driver hooks up to an electrical connection so the diesel engine in his or her bus will start in the morning.

Normally there is a circuit breaker that would sense, trip and shut off when a dangerous voltage condition is detected. You have something similar in your bathroom and kitchen if you have a newer home or a re-wired one.

Of course it really helps if the circuit breaker, which I'm told is known as a “GFI” breaker, doesn't malfunction.

Details are sketchy.

Superintendent John Burkey hasn't informed the Board of Education about the accident, even though the bus driver is apparently still in the hospital.

Many days after the accident.

There's a rumor that a whole lot of installed, but malfunctioning GFI circuit breakers were being replaced on Tuesday night.

October 10, 2007, someone wrote under a Northwest Herald story that Glenn Stewart, District 158's Chief Operating Officer, was a mechanical engineer and Doug Renkosik, who is in charge of Building and Grounds, was a civil engineer.

Even if they aren't professionally so trained, it would seem just about anyone would think that having bus drivers pick up live electrical outlets that have been on the ground in wet conditions could be a bit dangerous.

Maybe OSHA should or will weigh in on the issue.

I wonder if anyone has notified that federal occupational safety agency.

OSHA or the Huntley School District's insurance carrier or even District 158's risk manager, if indeed the district has one, might provide some on-site training for whoever should have made certain that the electrical cords were safe.

I wonder if the bus driver has an attorney yet. Goodness knows I am not a lawyer, but the word “negligent” pops into my head for some reason.

And I wonder if any or all of the defective GFI breakers in District 158 that get replaced were tossed away. It seems so strange that a whole group of GFI breakers would all of a sudden start malfunctioning at the same time.

Might they be kept as evidence to try to prove it wasn't the school district's fault?

If the electrical hook-ups to the buses in Huntley were similar to the ones I've been told about in the Woodstock school district, perhaps this injury could have been avoided.

I wonder if any of the District 158 workers warned management of the hazardous work condition.

I wonder if any record exists of that warning.

Surely no emails about the problem have been deleted.

Labels: Crystal Lake News, Diesel, Glenn Stewart, Huntley School District 158, John Burkey, Marge Rom, McHenry County Treasurer, OSHA, School Bus

The Christmas wreath is still hanging from our bay window.

I figure when I get to it without getting snow in my shoes, then it's time to take it down.

So, it's pretty much “Last Call” for this holiday decoration.

My wife is asking when I am going to take it down.

Labels: Last Call, Message of the Day, Snow, Wreath. Christmas Wreath

McHenry County State's Attorney Lou Bianchi has hired a new assistant.

He is Michael Combs and now serves as top deputy in the office of Bianchi's Ogle County's counterpart.

Here is the press release Bianchi sent out:

Louis A. Bianchi, the State’s Attorney for McHenry County, is pleased to announce that Attorney Michael Combs, the First Assistant to the Ogle County State’s Attorney, will join the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office on March 10, 2008 as a prosecutor handling narcotics and special prosecution cases.

Combs is a 1999 Cum Laude graduate of New York Law School, is certified by the Illinois Supreme Court to try capital cases as lead counsel, and is a Trial Advocacy instructor of prosecutors statewide.

Combs was previously a prosecutor in the Winnebago County State’s Attorney’s Office where he handled murder, reckless homicide, gang, and drug cases. He has successfully prosecuted four first degree murder cases and 75 jury trials throughout his career.

Labels: Lou Bianchi, McHenry County St;ate's Attorney, Michael Combs, Ogle County

The following press release has been received from 8th congressional district Republican candidate Steve Greenberg.
He uses opponent Melissa Bean's maiden name “Luburich” in the release ans calls on her to return campaign contributions form “the anti-American Serbian Unity Conference.” Greenberg says she has taken “over $24,000” from its members.

Greenberg points to Bean's sponsorship of House Resolution 445, which “affirms Serbian control over Kosovo, by stating that “since 1999 Serbia has had no political, military, or economic presence in its[emphasis added] province of Kosovo,” and rejects future independence of Kosovo.

While the United States has recognized the new government of Kosovo. Greenberg's press release says,

“Bean even sent a letter to President George W. Bush urging him to not recognize Kosovo as an independent nation.”

“Melissa Bean places the interests of radical foreign nations above the interests of freedom and democracy,” Greenberg says, among other things below:


LAKE ZURICH 2/27/08— Eighth District Republican Nominee Steve Greenberg re-affirmed his support for the newly independent nation of Kosovo and called on Melissa Luburich Bean to follow his lead, by denouncing the Serbian violence against America and the people of Kosovo, withdrawing her sponsorship of controversial H. Res. 445 and by returning campaign donations from the anti-American Serbian Unity Conference.

The United States and eighteen other major world powers, including Great Britain, France, and Germany, have officially recognized Kosovo as a sovereign nation, but Melissa Luburich Bean stands against Kosovo’s freedom and independence.

Last May Bean introduced H. Res. 445, which affirms Serbian control over Kosovo, by stating that “since 1999 Serbia has had no political, military, or economic presence in its[emphasis added] province of Kosovo,” and rejects future independence of Kosovo. Through her continued support of her resolution, Melissa Bean chooses to side with Serbian criminals who attacked America by breaking into and setting ablaze the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade last week while the Serbian government stood by and did nothing.

Bean’s support for anti-American Serbian fundamentalists runs even deeper; she has taken over $24,000 from members of the Serbian Unity Conference which “strongly denounces Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence as well as America’s subsequent recognition of it.” Bean even sent a letter to President George W. Bush urging him to not recognize Kosovo as an independent nation.

Steve Greenberg:

“Melissa Bean chose to side with oppression and anti-American fundamentalists, instead of freedom and independence. Melissa Bean places the interests of radical foreign nations above the interests of freedom and democracy. She must denounce the Serbian violence against Americans at our embassy. She must stand on the side of freedom and withdraw her sponsorship of controversial H. Res. 445 which does not support the American policy of recognition for Kosovo. Finally she should return all money sent to her by the Serbian Unity Conference.”

Labels: 8th Congressional District, American Serbian Unity Conference, Kosovo, Luburich, Melissa Bean, Serbia, Steve Greenberg

Thanks for the calls and emails of concern from readers.

The evil Vista upgrade has caused me to be without a computer for the last couple of days.

That's the bad news.

The good news is that I finished my second book about how a conspiratorial group of international influentials were trying to make themselves rich at others' expense.

The first was Steve Berry's “The Alexandra Link” in which the rich biggies try to find the re-located contents of the Egyptian library.

The second was Allan Folsom's “The Machiavelli Covenant.” It tells of a conspiracy to to spread deadly toxins over Arab countries by a group of business folks and politicians—including virtually of the presidents top appointees—by satanic worshipers.

1190 pages schooling me on the nature of politics for only $11, plus tax, at Sam's Club.

Pure escapism, right?

No one would think there's any conspiracies going on in McHenry County or Illinois, would they?

And, I even got finished those, I read Eric Flint's latest alternative history anthology called “Ring of Fire II.”

It is based on the premise of a one mile in diameter part of West Virginia being transported into northern Germany in 1632. Paperbacks are out called “1632,” “1633,” “1634: The Baltic War,” 1634 : The Galileo Affair.” I'm hooked on the interaction of today's technology with society back then.

I guess I could have borrowed a computer, but then I wouldn't be within spitting distance of finishing my income tax.

Labels: Microsoft Vista

The snow that fell Monday night was so filled with moisture that it allowed this snow flag to form on our lantern.

You will notice that the wind was constant from the north because the snow flag is “flying,” rather than drooping listlessly.

Labels: Flag, Lantern, Message of the Day, Snow Flag

These daffodils were noticed Monday, the day before the snow descended...still again.

They are on a sheltered southeast corner of our house.

They got blanketed but good Monday night.

Last year we had daffodils pushing leaves up the first week of January.

Labels: Daffodils, Message of the Day

On this is the third Sunday of Lent, sculptor Dominic Zinanni created this cross for the First United Methodist Church of Crystal Lake.

The symbolism on this week's version is a combination of the delicate and the lighthearted.

The rose is just exquisite.

At least that is what I think most adults would conclude.

On the cross bar are the words,

The smiley face may be designed to catch the attention of kids.

It is located right at the bottom of the cross.

All the pictures can be enlarged by clicking on them.

Labels: Cross, Dominic Zinanni, First United Methodist Church of Crystal Lake, Sculpture, Smiley Face

In this final of five installments, Democratic Party coroner candidate and cancer survivor Dave Bachmann tells about how he will emphasize cancer awareness education in his campaign.

However as life goes, at times, we get caught up in the day to day things..especially in Politics.

Without making any political statements because I have never personally met Mr. Louis Bianchi, but I need to say this, please.

I watched Mr. Bianchi keep his class and dignity about himself while under political fire these past months.

I was so touched by this "reminder" of how I need to keep perspective in my own race, I sent him a note of thanks for being that "feather" in my life at the right time. We are usually touched by "feathers" as reminders to take a good look at ourselves, BEFORE, the "Hammer" hits us!

I was somehow "touched" to dedicate my campaign and share my very personal story, which I have never revealed in such depth in public.

I now know why I am still alive.

In just one short week of adding my Breast and Cervical Cancer awareness campaign to my blog, I am again, finding a Miracle of love and hope from people I have never met before, nationwide!

What a blessing this journey has been for me and continues to be. I hope I'm flooded with letters from all over the world that I can share, and hold close to my heart.

I lost my mother to breast cancer October 16, 2006.

My sister Paula Muntzenberger just had a double mastectomy, my cousin from McHenry, Mary Beth Ong, fought her fight with Breast Cancer in the past couple of years, she is in her 40's and is doing well.

I just found out this last week, that my cousin's wife from Wheaten, just had a mastectomy from breast cancer at age 39.

My greatest hope is that everybody reading my story, becomes a "hypochondriac" for a day, and gets tested. It just might be the day you can say saved your life!

God Bless and thank you for sharing your stories with me.

Please visit my blog page for important links and information.

David J. Bachmann
www.bachreview.blogspot.com

I am attaching Courtney Lercara's web site Pink Wings for all to see.

Labels: Breast Cancer, Cancer, Dave Bachmann, Lou Bianchi, McHenry County Coroner

Dave Bachmann, Democratic Party candidate for McHenry County Coroner, is in the process of telling his experience with cancer and how that led him to emphasize cancer awareness in his campaign for public office.

Bachmann has just ended up back in the hospital after his Houston pancreatic cancer operation with a serious infection.

My fever spiked to 105 one night, and as I lay alone in my hospital room, I shouted out loud..

"GOD, I GET IT! Please stop this NOW"

.... Within one hour, my fever lifted completely, and I was on my way to beginning my recovery.

Rather than go on and on, I think you get the idea of where I am going with this.

This experience taught me about life.... real life.

What is REALLY important, and what REALLY is not..

It taught me about "PERSPECTIVE!"

In this light, I felt my life was spared for a higher purpose.

However until October of this last year, I was not quite sure what that was. I supposed God would let me know when the time was right.

On October 10th,2007 or so, I found out what that purpose would be.

I'm not a politician. I am a death care provider and caregiver, by nature and training over 30 years.

This opportunity I have before me to put a face on cancer and tell my story of hope, faith and strength when fear had its chance to destroy me, is what I was called to do.

A purpose larger than my own story of survival, but to show all those who have suffered the exact same life experience, that they are never alone, and that if you are willing to fight and never give up, YOU CAN LIVE TO SEE A PURPOSE LARGER THAN YOU EVER DREAMED OF.

It is my hope, that if you are just now finding out about your own "journey," that my story can inspire you and bring you the strength you will need.

It's there, just dig deep! I promise, you have it within.

It's God given.

I have to add that although I have lived through everything that I have described, at times, I still need that "reminder" of "Perspective".

I have also survived 6 major spinal surgeries, 4 bi-lateral shoulder reconstructions, a total of 17 operations if that weren't enough reminders?

I will report that, at this moment in time, I can go to any gym and work out with the best of them... well, maybe not all the guys, but for my age group, I'm in better shape than I deserve. I am lucky in that I am totally rebuilt, so I should have about 100 more good years ahead!

Part 5 appears tomorrow.

Labels: Cancer, Dave Bachmann, McHenry County Coroner

Please read this in conjunction with today's article entitled,


At one of my three trips to Menard's this past week, I saw this license plate.

With my lack of abilities, perhaps if the owner had put his phone number next to his license plate



I might have called him.

Labels: Handyman, License Plate, Message of the Day

Yesterday, I started a story on the February 5th Northwest Herald editorial about the McHenry County College Board's infringement of the First Amendment, but got so worked up thinking about the underhandedness of its minor league baseball scheme that I summarized highlights of its so, so flawed decision-making process.

Today, I finally get to discussing the editorial.

It suggests the MCC Board should “rethink” its policy to limit photography during its meetings.

The editorial notes the limitations were passed “in reaction to Cal Skinner’s coverage of their meetings. Skinner once was a state representative and now is a local blogger. Skinner’s coverage included lots of photos, and board members have found the flashing from Skinner’s camera to be a distraction.”

Continuing,

”'You look up, and we’re looking at our staff people. All of a sudden, there goes a flash bulb in your eye and ... you can’t see. It’s annoying,' College Board Chairman George Lowe said.

“Perhaps it is annoying. But last we checked, annoying speech is covered by the First Amendment.”

The editorial then notes its editorial board's disapproval of the board majority's censure of Board President Scott Summers and Finance Committee Chair Donna Kurtz.

It points out that the photography restrictions could be seen as an attempt to silence my criticism of MCC's taxpayer subsidy of the baseball stadium's private investors, whose names, I would point out, are still unknown and concludes,

”At a time when MCC is returning to Crystal Lake with a new expansion plan, this is the wrong message to send to the community. MCC should be working to repair trust with the community. Moves such as the photography restriction do the opposite.“

Remember, this comes from a newspaper that has supported the building of MCC's minor league baseball stadium.

Thanks, Northwest Herald.

= = = = =
Good thing all images can be enlarged by clicking on them. The Northwest Herald's summary of its February 5, 2008, editorial surely can be read as it appears. George Lowe's picture is near his quote. Below appear Scott Summers and Donna Kurtz.

Labels: Baseball Stadium, Donna Kurtz, First Amendment, George Lowe, MCC, McHenry County College, Northwest Herald, Scott Summers

How many trips to Menard's does it take to change four fluorescent bulbs in a kitchen fixture?

If you are me, it takes four.

First, off to Menard's to buy two bulbs.

While prying the defusing plastic panel out of the fixture, I only broke a little corner off.

I taped it back on.

I couldn't even see the break line.

Then, I couldn't get the bulbs out.

There just wasn't room.

I remembered how easy it was to slide the plastic shield out from the old fixture.

Just flip up the metal sides and slide out the plastic.

That was the one before my handyman and friend Mark Engstrom put up the one with the white cove molding that my wife liked better.

There must be a way to get inside, I thought.

Day 2, Trip 1.

I noticed that the fixture held four bulbs, so the next day I headed back to Menard's for two more.

On trip this second trip, I asked a kind lady how to change the bulbs. She told me that there might be a screw in one end to release the bottom of the overhead light.

Or something would be on its side to release it so the lights could be taken out and new ones installed.

When I got home I found the screw.

I unscrewed it.

I lowered it.

Then the small latch on the far end came loose.

The plastic fell out and broke into three more pieces.


I heard my son tell his mother after the expletive flew from my mouth.

Funny, I usually don't start using bad language until we close to Springfield on our annual trips to the Old Capitol Art Fair.

I also discovered that the light bulbs I had purchased were not bulbs. They were fixtures to hold the two bulbs each.

Misleading labeling, I thought. There were pictures of bulbs on the outside of the boxes.

Day 2, Trip 2.

Back to Menard's to buy Menard's to return the fixtures and buy bulbs.

And, to order new plastic shields.

Two of them, just to provide insurance.

A two to three week wait for delivery.

Only about $20 apiece.

But, no delivery charge because they would come right to the store, but please pay in advance and come in and pick them up.

No wonder Mark called me “a handyman's delight.”

He must be laughing his head off in Heaven.

I know my wife was down here.

Labels: Handyman, Mark Engstrom, Menard's

Sunday was the day that local golfers took part in the Crystal Lake Park District's almost annual Doc Haznow Chili Open.

Sometimes, like when the lake was low and it did not freeze sufficiently (because of the springs?), the golf day is canceled.

Sometimes, like this year, it is postponed.

This year that meant it was held last Sunday, February 17th, instead of the Sunday before.

Here is how the park district promoted it this year:

“Golfers will play one of two championship, nine-hole, par 32 courses on frozen Crystal Lake.

“All foursomes will receive our great giveaway, one bowl of chili and the chance to win several prizes.

“Prizes include: various golf bags, Ping golf clubs, Ping apparel, and other prizes.

“Decorate a sled and enter it in the Chili Open "Best Sled" contest.”

After we got back from our treacherous trip home from the Milwaukee area, we stopped at Gate 3 beach in Lakewood to take some photos.

It had rained a lot and the temperature was in the forties.

The surface of Crystal Lake was covered with water.

The golfers didn't quite look like they were walking on water, but it was close.

Brightly visible was a device that looked like a Zamboni from a distance.

What we saw was mainly people walking around.

Maybe the tournament was over and people were cleaning up.

We did see a couple with golf clubs crossing to the parking lot about noon.

Monday was a completely different scene.

The water had frozen.

The ice had been covered with snow.

The wind was so strong that anyone on the lake would have experienced a near whiteout experience.

The evergreens around the holes were still visible, but the golfers were elsewhere.

All pictures can be enlarged by clicking on them.

Labels: Crystal Lake, Crystal Lake Park District, Doc Haznow, Golf

When I had my computer replaced, the beginnings of a story on the Northwest Herald's cautioning of the McHenry County College Board restrictions on the First Amendment got forgotten.

You may remember that MCC Board President George Lowe got quite disturbed at

1- my taking flash (and apparently other) pictures of board members in their dimly lit board room

and

2-my informing him that he did not have the power to limit photography all by himself. (Specifically, I told him he would have to pass a resolution.)

Needless to say, what Lowe is really upset about is my blowing the whistle on the board's trying to sneak through a baseball stadium without any public discussion.

You may remember that McHenry County Blog broke the story on Sunday, March 12, 2007.

There had been no mention of a baseball stadium at MCC anywhere else before then.

The MCC Board had been discussing the idea since at least September 2006, but dared not share the possibility with the public.

No public involvement.

The board gave away the store to Mark Houser's Equity One when MCC President Walt Packard signed an incredible $70,000 document on September 27, 2006. It promised,

”At the completion of the feasibility study and independent review, if the College elects to proceed with the project, the College will contract with EquityOne or it’s (sic) assigns to develop the project on the College’s behalf.”

Forget about bidding out or even seeking alternative vendors for significant parts of the baseball stadium and building addition work.

The MCC board even agreed to pay Houser $400,000 more to Houser to, it seems to me, make certain the public would never find out the details of the no-bid spending.

And, no competition would be considered...even from a Harvard group with private financing.

Houser's buddy and business associate, baseball promoter Pete Heitman, would get that 20 year plum.

And the board was not even smart enough to require that the names of the minor league baseball team investors be revealed to the public.

Or maybe they deliberately didn't want the taxpayers to know.

After all, knowing those names might go a long way toward explaining the board's stubborn support of the scheme.

The baseball stadium idea is so far off the educational mission as to have cost the college a million dollar contribution from Crystal Laker and former teacher Geraldine Cowlin.

That money was to go for scholarships for students who could not afford to attend MCC.

Many of use marvel at school referendum rhetoric from tax hike supporters couched in


In MCC's case, I wish I could hear such rhetoric from the board majority.

How can a scheme that has cost “the children” $1 million in scholarship money be “for the children?”

Sorry for the digression, but every time I think about the board's scheme to pick our pockets with its baseball stadium scheme, my blood pressure goes up.

Guess this article is too long already. I'll continue it tomorrow and finally get to the Northwest Herald editorial.

= = = = =
At the top is a photo of McHenry County College Board President George Lowe. Three images of the McHenry County Blog story that first revealed that MCC was planning a baseball stadium are on the upper right. Next is the picture of a smiling Mark Houser from EquityOne leaving the board room, obviously in a very good mood. Below the rendering of the privately financed minor league baseball stadium planned for Harvard is a photo of MCC's favored baseball promoter Pete Heitman.

Labels: Baseball Stadium, Equity One, EquityOne, First Amendment, George Lowe, Geraldine Cowlin, Mark Houser, MCC, McHenry County College, Northwest Herald, Pete Heitman, Walt Packard

There's a new member of the Illinois Sex Offender List living in McHenry County, according to the Rockford Register-Star.

“Mark Campobello, the former Catholic priest who was in prison for four years for sexual abuse of two teenage girls, has been living in McHenry County since he was paroled last week,” is the way the article by Geri Nikolai starts.

If you are interested in reading more, there are additional details in the article.

He was found guilty of

AGGRAVATED CRIMINAL SEX ABUSE/VICTIM 13-16
AGGRAVATED CRIMINAL SEXUAL ABUSE/VICTIM 13-16 (2 Counts)

in Kane County.

Information about Campobello can be found at the Illinois Sex Offender Information web site. Just type in his name.

His actions cost the Catholic Church $2.2 million, according to previous reports.

If you are interested in where the registered sex offenders live in your zip code, just enter it in the appropriate box.

Labels: Catholic Church, Mark Campobello, Sex Offender

Democratic Party McHenry County Coroner candidate Dave Bachmann is telling how his experience with cancer led him to decide to educate people about the disease in his campaign. Bachman has just been told by MD Anderson Cancer Center to come to Houston. He has an appointment in two days.

If you are just dipping into his story, here is Part 1 and Part 2.

I was scared to death.

There I was alone, at the World's largest cancer center, surrounded by sick people.

When you arrive, you pick up your schedule and a map of the campus, its very pro-active.. The day before you see your doctor, you complete all your tests. I started at about 0800 in the morning, and they kept me going until 10pm that night. They do things there, that are not even on the books at a regular hospital.

The blessing in what I had come to call my "Field Trips" where all the wonderful stories of hope, and miracles I heard from fellow patients.

They send you to testing in groups, so we all sat around and told our story. I heard stories from people from all over the world.

Of how they were told to go home and die by their local hometown physician, and found themselves alive and well some years beyond their anticipated expiration date.

This gave me hope as I waited my turn. I had a total of 4 "Field Trips" from 2002 to 2003.

One man, in particular, just happened to be from Lake in the Hills. Mr Jack O'Connor.. a great man, bald headed from his treatments, but with the most infectious smile you ever saw. My being from Florida, and meeting Jack from back home, what were those chances?? Another Sign? Jack and I remained friends and have kept in touch since.

I met the following morning with my surgeon. I was told the tumor is bad, BUT, it appeared it had not spread yet and if I survived the 12 hour surgery, I had a good shot at making it. I was young, strong, a non smoker, I had a shot.

But he also warned me, the recovery is hell.

I had no choice, I had to do it. My doctor scheduled me for 2 weeks out. Instructed me to go home, relax, put things in order then get ready for war!

The one thing I really found out about cancer is... nobody else can fight your battle for you! Reality in its most raw form!

I did in fact survive the surgery obviously, but what was to follow could have never been anticipated. Tubes extending from my body, everywhere, no ability to eat food except via tube feeding, pain that was unbelievable, I was indeed in the fight of my life.

I remember walking through the Houston Airport, after my hospital release, with 3 tubes still protruding from my body. I met some wealthy folks there in Texas, oil people, in the rooms on my floor, and I was supplied Neiman Marcus and Marshall Field shopping bags, the type with the horse shoe shaped handle. I placed by "fluid bags" in these shopping bags to conceal my "carry on luggage."

Although, since it was so soon after 9-11, I was seriously searched by Airport Security... I was in a wheel chair barely able to walk, and they made be get up, life up my shirt and reveal my "packages" content.. Well, needless to say, they believed me and let me through.

I was determined to fly home to Pensacola alone, and walk myself up that jet way when I arrived, so my kids could see their dad looking strong. That was my first accomplishment since the operation.

I did it!

My kids needed to see that.

The weeks that ensued where full of unexpected twists and turns.

I ended up back in the hospital on life supports just 12 days later, suffering from a serious pancreatic infection from the surgery. I was given blood transfusions and drugs I cannot ever pronounce the names of.

The pain was horrendous in my mid back...They had me on Morphine, phentonol patches and shots of Demoral and Phenergen at the same time...

Tomorrow you can read Part 4.

Labels: Cancer, Dave Bachmann, McHenry County Coroner

"Dad, it's a shame you can't see the red," my son said as the moon was disappearing, referring to my red-green color blindness.

In the last shot, I added light.

Maybe you can see the red.

I could see the surface of the moon in my camera lens, but with no light adjustment, what you see in the second picture is what I saw on my screen.

And, then it returns.

Labels: Color Blind, Eclipse, Message of the Day, Moon

From what Democratic Party Chairman Tom Cynor is reported to have said Wednesday night at the McHenry County Democratic Central Committee meeting, it looks like he is thinking very seriously about running against McHenry County State's Attorney Lou Bianchi.

If so, you heard it here first.

Cynor announced he was not seeking election as party chairman again, but that he would have another announcement soon.

You may read these tea leaves differently, but I sense a party slating of Cynor is in the works.

One would assume that Cynor would have to resign his post with the 22nd Judicial District to run for this partisan office.

That would mean that some law firm or business would have to agree to put bread on the new father's table.

Reading the obituary of long-time chairman of Winston and Strawn Tom Reynolds, I was reminded how he hired Thompson for what I heard was $50,000 when he left the U.S. Attorney's Office and ran for governor.

Thompson lost his first case. It was in Elgin's appellate court and concerned a property tax appeal.

The attorney who beat the future governor was Boyd Gates of Dundee Township.

Boyd was the newly-minted attorney whom boss Ed Glaser told to call me when I was running for state representative in 1972 and all of Dundee Township had been reassessed. The senior law partner's home sat on one of the highest hills and he had quite a jump in his assessment.

Using the information I had learned in my successful representation of McHenry County assessment appeals, Boyd and I did an dog an pony show at three locations in Dundee Township, first at the congregational church, then at a church across from the historical society building and, finally, on the coldest day for the year, at St. Monica's.

The Carpentersville police were on Route 25 directing traffic that Saturday. There were that many people who wanted to file appeals. We leafleted the entire township of one of the incumbent opponents, R. Bruce Waddell. (He came in first in Dundee Township. I came in second ahead of incumbent State Rep. Les Cunningham, former mayor of Belvidere, with two to be nominated.) Naturally, the broadside that Ed Richardson printed up had my name in it, along with the three seminar locations.

Word of mouth spread throughout the township as what happened at the first two meetings became known, leading to the overflow crowd that frigid Saturday.

Labels: Boyd Gates, Jim Thompson, Les Cunningham, R. Bruce Waddell, Tom Reynolds, Winston and Strawn

Without dissent, the Crystal Lake Planning and Zoning Commission voted to recommend to the Crystal Lake City Council that McHenry County College be allowed to cover at least 50% of its current and proposed 57-acre addition, all in Crystal Lake's watershed.

There were no objectors from the Crystal Lake public.

MCC President Walt Packard explained that the college was only seeking a variation from the 20% building limit contained in the watershed ordinance.

After he finished his brief presentation, Commission Chairman Tom Hayden observed that “the ball field for all intents and purposes is now dead.”

“That's correct,” City Attorney John Cowlin replied. “The mayor said it (presumably the improper motion to reconsider) was moot.”

“To my way of thinking you are here because the 20% (limit) is still on the books (even though) the Best Management Practices are now (in place),” Hayden continued.

“By granting this variation..you eliminate the concerns of what can go on the property.” Hayden said.

“That's correct,” Packard replied.