McHenry County Blog

Remember when there used to be Secretaries Day.

Now, it's called personal assistants day or something like that.

In any event, it's when you buy your secretary, oops, assistant, flowers.

The Crystal Lake Kiwanis Club is selling a dozen roses for $20 for that day.

They need to be paid for in advance and picked up at the Amcore Bank branch on Route 14 in Crystal Lake.

Just call the number on the flashing sign at the Algonquin Township Office that you see above.


The deadline for orders is today.

It's first come, first serve on flowers.

I bought some for my wife last year and lucked out and got red.

Labels: Crystal Lake Kiwanis, Rose Day

There was “Sturm und Drang” in GOP circles when the primary election results showed that Democrats were getting more votes than Republicans.

This showed that the early voting results had predictive value.

Democrat Robert Kaempfe, a veteran and retired postal union official topped Crystal Lake's Republican State Rep. Mike Tryon.

The only Democratic Party candidate for countywide office, Dave Bachmann, received more votes than incumbent Republican Coroner Marlene Lantz.

The Democratic Party tide was not uniform in McHenry County.

In fact, in the only district that attracted enough Democrats to make a primary election necessary to select county board challengers, more Republican than Democrat votes were cast.

Taking a look at the county by county results in the 16th congressional district cannot have been the best news for Democratic Party challenger Robert Abboud. Abboud is the village president of high income Barrington Hills.

When he spoke to the McHenry County Democratic Central Committee about three weeks before the February 5th primary election, he had high hopes of unseating Don Manzullo, the seven-term incumbent.

But look at the results below:

Winnebago County even went for Manzullo.

There, you have to add the results for Rockford with those for the county, but, when you do, Manzullo got 24,6298, besting Abboud's 23,343. Manzullo received 53.6%.

I guess having had a family restaurant with you last name made a lasting impression.

And, I guess Abboud won't be able to use the primary returns to fortify his fund raising efforts as much as if he had beaten the incumbent.

Although he undoubtedly did better in McHenry County than any previous Manzullo challenger.

The same goes for total for the entire 16th district.

Districtwide, the unknown 2004 Democrat got 34,141 to Manzullo's 59,507 in the primary elections. Manzullo got 63.5%.

In 2006, the totals were 27,749 to 60,440. Manzullo got 68.5%.

Note that Manzullo got 5,364 more votes than he did two years ago. Democrat Abboud, got 22,810 more votes than the highest number the previous two primary elections.

And, now the two power party candidates have a third party challenger from the Green Party, McHenry County College Trustee Scott Summers.

Labels: 16th Congressional District, Dave Bachmann, Don Manzullo, Green Party, Marlene Lantz, McHenry County Coroner, Robert Abboud, Scott Summers

At last Thursday's meeting of the McHenry County College Board, former State Representative Rosemary Kurtz addressed the board during the brief time allowed for public comments.

I included some of what she said, but asked her if she would send me the entire text. She has and it can be read below.

You can see why newly elected student trustee Tom Kendzie was so impressed with what she said.

Good Evening.

There's a wise saying that makes me think of Erv LeCoque, your former Board Trustee and Foundation member.

"A bird in the hand is
worth more than 2 in the bush."

At your December meeting he reminded you of his initiative to set up a fund, called the "Promise" which would provide tuition to any needy high school graduate who wanted to go to MCC. There are some Big Donors who have set a goal of $4 million as the first step.

Mr.LeCoque then announced that these donors have $2 million in hand right now to contribute to the "Promise" for student tuition.

How noble!

How generous!

These extremely successful business men and women, these donors, from their vast experience say that the College Board and President should drop the Minor League Stadium enterprise because this is a business that they know nothing about.

If the Board goes back to the business it was created for by the voters, which is EDUCATION, then these new donations of millions of dollars from these generous industrialists will be a "win-win" situation for the students and for all of us in McHenry County.

How did we end up with this business of a Stadium?

It is just a year ago when you were about to plunge into this unknown venture of risky investment with a Limited Liability Company.

To me it seems like "hedging your bets," like buying into a hedge fund for us the taxpayers.

Investors don't know what their hedge fund manager is doing.

His decisions are secret and it's like a CLOSED meeting at the College. The investor is in the dark.

He may know the manager takes a big percentage, but it's worth it to take the risk.

Every good economic advisor will tell you,

"if it's too good to be true,
then it probably is.”

The message:

BEWARE.

Referring to the shady world of hedge fund management, I believe that the Public, the people who pay the bills for MCC have been forced into the same kind of secrecy by your Closed Meetings.

According to the Open Meetings Act and conversations I have had with the Attorney General's assistant,

a unit of government does not always
HAVE to go into Closed Meeting.

The Act says that the officials "May" close the people out of certain discussions; but they are not mandated to do so.

I don't believe that you had to go into secret session when you were entering into a relationship with the Stadium developers.

We were kept in the dark for 5 months until it surfaced with the petition before the Crystal Lake Planning and Zoning Commission.

In the future, I hope you restore the trust we the Public had in MCC from the time we voted the College into existence.

I hope you will open up those meetings to the Public because YOU TRUST THEM and YOU RESPECT THEM.

They only want what is best for this Place of Learning.

INDIVIDUALS, among Your Public, are EXPERTS in areas that elected officials and your loyal staff are not aware of. This County College deserves to hear that expertise in finance, construction, and land use in OPEN Meetings.

In conclusion, please reflect on Erv LeCoque's business advice and his offer of millions for your students.

Please remember you Don't Have to go into secret session (closed meetings) as often as you have done in the past. Put some Trust in Your Public who is very well-intentioned.

WE Care.

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Newly elected McHenry County College student trustee Tom Kendzie is in the head shot at the top. Former State Rep. Rosemary Kurtz is see addressing the MCC Board. The other photographs of Kurtz were taken earlier. Crystal Lake retired investment banker Barry Glasgow is at the bottom.

Labels: Barry Glasgow, Baseball Stadium, Erv LeCoque, MCC, McHenry County College, Open Meetings Act, Rosemary Kurtz, Tom Kendzie

Not your birthday hat.

Your thinking cap.

I told you you can't get rid of Mayor Aaron Shepley's 75% Crystal Lake Sales Tax Hike by covering it up.

You say you don't know where it is?

Well, we who shop in Crystal Lake need help.

The RTA is going to triple its quarter of one percent sales tax tomorrow.

The total rate is 6.5% today. 7% tomorrow.

Not much we can do about that since the Democrats imposed it on our still Republican county.

Oh, they had help from those misguided DuPage County Republicans like State's Attorney Joe Birkett, County Board Chairman Robert Schillerstrom and those three GOP state senators who sold out the other collar counties to please Birkett and Schillerstrom.

And, that's before Mayor Aaron Shepley's 75% city sales tax hike takes effect on July 1st.

What to do.

That's the question.

Are you sure you can't find your thinking cap?

Labels: 75% Sales Tax Hike, Aaron Shepley, Crystal Lake, Joe Birkett, Robert Schillerstrom, RTA Sales Tax, Sales Tax

Sorry that this bumper sticker for McHenry's Church of the Holy Apostles is to blurry.

Sometimes I get good shots.

Sometimes I don't.

Located at the intersection off Bull Valley Road east of the blacktop from McHenry to Crystal Lake, this church is the one my in-laws attend when they are not in Florida making the rest of the family envious.

Its first priest was visiting McHenry Hospital after my father finally agreed to see a doctor and had been admitted. He had been told his cancer was in remission by his doctor at Georgetown University Hospital and to check back in three months.

It was less than three months before cancer had returned to his lungs and advanced to his brain.

Lesson: if you doctor says check back in three months, go back in two.

Labels: Brain Cancer, Cancer, Church of the Holy Apostles, Lung Cancer, Message of the Day

Last Thursday, the Green Party's 16th congressional district committee met in Belvidere and, as readers of McHenry County Blog might expect, nominated McHenry County College Board Trustee as its candidate.

This was not Summers first attempt to get on the ballot. He filed for office at the same time as the power party candidates incumbent Don Manzullo (R-Egan) and Robert Abboud (D-Barrington Hills).

One of Abboud's contributor-neighbors filed an objection to Summers' petition signatures.

The challenge succeeded.

But, just as McHenry County Democrats did when they could not induce anyone to run for McHenry County State's Attorney and Auditor, plus county board candidates in the Crystal Lake-Lake in the Hills District 2, the Greens have now put Summers on the ballot for Congress through the back door.

Differing from the add on Democratic Party candidates in McHenry County, Summers at least tried to get on the ballot through the front door.

Summers profile has increased considerably since he and fellow Trustee Donna Kurtz announced their reversal of position on McHenry County College's building a minor league baseball stadium for promoter Pete Heitman, the construction of which would be overseen by a highly paid business buddy Mark Houser, both of Libertyville.

This led to the infamous “melt down” meeting, which I missed, but John Coonen didn't.

That was followed by the meeting at which the majority four on the MCC Board censured Summers and Kurtz for speaking out at the Crystal Lake City Council meeting.

Summers has since been a strong advocate for opening up the MCC Board to public scrutiny, including suggesting posting of board packets on the internet (which is occurring) and live streaming of the meetings over the internet, to be considered in April.

The baseball stadium saga is almost over. MCC Board President Walt Packard announced its impending death at last Tuesday's Committee of the Whole meeting.

So, again voters in the district that stretches across Northern Illinois from the Cook County line in Barrington Hills to the Mississippi River north of the Quad Cities will be a three way race.

Summers has much higher name identification now than he did when he filed for officer last fall.

Labels: 16th Congressional District, Baseball Stadium, Don Manzullo, Donna Kurtz, MCC, McHenry County College, Robert Abboud, Scott Summers

My wife and son ventured into the Crystal Lake Expo at South High School Saturday.

I asked her if she would take pictures of the political and governmental booths.

She found three governmental booths and one political.

Right at the entrance McHenry County State's Attorney Lou Bianchi had his booth. I don't know most of the assistant state's attorneys, but I assume the man in the picture is one.



Next up was the Algonquin Township Republican Central Committee booth. That's Karla Dobbeck, head of the township central committee talking to an Expo attendee.

16th congressional district Congressman Don Manzullo's table was next. The sign says he would be there from 1:30 to 2 on Saturday. It's a long trip from his home south of Rockford to Crystal Lake.

Finally, you see a picture of McHenry County Board member Barb Wheeler staffing the joint booth of State Rep. Mike Tryon and State Senator Pam Althoff.

I asked my wife if she saw any Democratic Party booths. She said she didn't.

The Expo will be open again Sunday from 11-3. It is sponsored by the Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce.

Labels: 16th Congressional District, Algonquin Township Republican Central Committee, Crystal Lake Expo, Don Manzullo, Karla Dobbeck, Lou Bianchi, McHenry County State's Attorney, Mike Tryon, Pam Althoff

Sure, Keely Cat is an experienced tax fighter.

He beat the McHenry County Republican Cat Tax, didn't he?

Oh, I know you were afraid at first.

But, you turned into a real helper the way you kept watch for those McHenry County Republican Cat Tax Collectors.

When Cat Dad put that slip of paper in your litter box saying, “75% Crystal Lake Sales Tax Hike,” I know I know it scared you.

But, you can't get rid of Mayor Aaron Shepley's 75% Crystal Lake Sales Tax Hike by covering it up.

That works for excrement, but not for taxes.

You need to take more forceful action.

Put on your thinking cap.

Labels: 75% Sales Tax Hike, Aaron Shepley, Crystal Lake, Keely, Litter Box, Sale Tax

On the same day that McHenry County College had its credit rating upgraded from AA3 to AA2 by Moody's, MCC President Walt Packard presented the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award to Ron Ally.

Packard noted that MCC is one of only five community colleges in Illinois to achieve that recognition.

He added that the college has the third longest tenure for receiving the award.

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MCC President Walt Packard is on the left, Ron Ally on the right.

Labels: Budget, MCC, McHenry County College, Ron Ally, Walt Packard

It's the same flower sent in by Pat Kennedy, but this is all that was left after Thursday's snow.

The endless winter continues.

Here's what it looked like before the snow fell.

At least it was melting Friday and will continue to do so today.

Isn't this reverse order?

Labels: Flower, iris reticulata, Message of the Day, Pat Kennedy

McHenry County College's baseball stadium has gotten most of the attention of people interested in college expansion plans.

That has irritated those pushing the baseball stadium to no end, because they think the nursing program part of Health, Wellness and Athletic Complex is most important.

The MCC board majority would probably be surprised that, when they learn about it, most people agree.

“Why are they even talking about a baseball stadium?” is a typical reaction.

But, Economics Research Associates do not break out the revenue streams for the baseball stadium from those for the fitness center.

How strange.

As if ERA had been instructed not to do so.

My guess is that it's because the baseball stadium will provide 36% (or something in that range) of the revenue, while its cost exceeds that.

For almost the entire debate prior to the city council vote, the public was led to believe that the baseball stadium would bring in 64% of the project revenues. That's what the Northwest Herald reported MCC President Walt Packard said in early June, 2007.

But, he admitted to me that he misspoke in that interview.

64% is significantly more than what the expansion would cost.

Now the question is whether the baseball stadium will pay what it costs.

The first ERA report seemed to say the answer was “No.”


I couldn't find an updated answer in the 2nd ERA study.

One should be able to find that cost-benefit ratio.

It tells whether the taxpayers can expect to be forced to subsidize baseball promoter Pete Heitman's and Mark Houser's little game.

Now the question is whether the baseball stadium will pay what it costs.

I couldn't find that answer in the ERA study.

One should be able to find that cost-benefit ratio.

Labels: Baseball Stadium, Economics Research Associates, ERA, HWAC, MCC, McHenry County College, Pete Heitman, Walt Packard

Keely Cat has been reading that Mayor Aaron Shepley and the Crystal Lake City Council voted unanimously to buy 25 Tasers the same night they voted 6-1 to raise their sales tax 75%.

He wonders if there is any connection?

When Catkins was fighting the McHenry County Republican Cat Tax, he kept looking for those rabid bats that the county board was trying to protect him from.

They won't even let me go in the garage when I hear a critter in there.

Cat Mommy says my paws get too dirty.

Keely thought it would be fun to go bat hunting on the second floor, but he could never find a bat, rabid or not.

He laid in wait, but to no avail.

“Why did Crystal Lake buy Tasers the same day they hiked the Sales Tax?”

Keely wonders.

“Are they going to send Crystal Lake Police into Lakewood to make sure we keep buying cat food in Crystal Lake?”

Labels: 75% Sales Tax Hike, Aaron Shepley, Catkins, Crystal Lake, Crystal Lake Police, Keely, Sales Tax, Taser

On Thursday night, McHenry County College administrator Brian Sager revealed the person who won the Faculty of the Year Award.

It's Music Department Chair Thomas Takayama.

There was an extensive explanation of his teaching philosophy and the roles he has played since becoming Music Department Chair in 2003, but what impressed me the most was that there has been a 30% increase in student participation resulting from his involvement.

Takayama has a B.A., University of Tennessee; M.A., Southern Illinois University; and Ph.D., University of Mississippi.

In addition to his musical contributions to MCC and the community, he is highly involved in MCC AQIP (quality improvement) action teams and other strategic initiatives for the College.

In 2006, he served as interim Executive Dean for Humanities.

He had “really stiff competition,” MCC President Walt Packard said.

Labels: Brian Segar, Faculty of the Year, MCC, McHenry County College, Tomas Takayama, Walt Packard

Besides McHenry County Blog, I posted my article about two lawyers using attorney-client privilege as their to excuse to allow Alton Logan to remain in state prison for 26 years on Illinoize.

I thought you might enjoy the interplay between defenders of the current system and those as outraged as I am. “Skeeter,” by the way, is a regular critic.

At 12:00 PM, ollie said...
Thanks for the story.

This is an outrage.

At 12:11 PM, Skeeter said...
" am sure there are still lawyers and judges who think they serve a noble purpose, rather than just make a very good buck."

All lawyers are at fault?

Because one is unjustly convicted?

What is it with the conspiracy theories around this site recently?

Every time I think Illinoize has hit a new low, something like this appears.

Sure the conviction was a tragedy and sure something should be done. But to blame all lawyers as Skinner does is just paranoid or ignorant.

At 12:13 PM, Stanley said...
Those People's Law Office lawyers are real scumbags. They are cop hating, criminal leaving, communist and anarchist influenced scumbags.

The Loewy law firm got 1 million and their client got less. What a deal.

The People's Law office and lawyer scumbag liar extraiordinaire Flint Taylor was representing the killer scumbag Wilsons who let innocent men rot in prison.

Yes this why people hate lawyers.

At 12:23 PM, Anonymous said...
I have to agree with these lawyers, although with great hesitation. Even if they had talked 26 years ago, what they said their evidence was would not have been allowed in the courts. Even if they talked it might have done more harm than good. That evidence would've been thrown out and couldn't even be used now. But by waiting until their client died ending the client relationship, they now can use the evidence.

I know it doesn't feel right to me either but I don't see how these lawyers could've helped if this evidence would have been thrown out anyway.

The real lawyers I think we should be upset with are the prosecutors that convicted this innocent man. Who are they? Was this during Daley's SA administration? Which cops and lawyers were the ones throwing the book at this innocent man? Are they still government employed right now? Why?

I'd like to see the focus put on those lawyers that put this innocent man behind bars to begin with. That happens way too much in Illinois for us to ignore it in a case like this one.

At 2:20 PM, Anonymous said...
And they wonder why there are so many derogatory lawyer jokes?
These two lawyers could have "leaked" this information which they were aware of to a member of the Press whom they could trust. The reason that they didn't had "NOTHING" to do with ideals or the nobleness of their profession (which is right next to Prostitution-but, of course, only for the right price). These two lawyers kept their mouths shut because "they could care less" about some black guy who wound up taking a fall for something that he didn't do. It wasn't their problem! By the way, I am a white guy who calls things as they really are and not as to how others would rather believe them to be.

These two lawyers simply did not want to risk losing or having their law licenses suspended because they failed to obey the "attorney/client privilege". Money and their law licenses meant more to them than some innocent black guy named Logan Alton "who didn't mean squat to them".

I realize that there is probably a decent lawyer (perhaps even two) out there that would have had the guts and integrity to speak out on behalf of Logan Alton, no matter what the cost to themselves in order to protect an innocent man. But, we don't hear from many of them, do we? That is why I struggle to cast my vote for any attorney that has ever run for any elected public office. I feel that (unfortunately) I know what motivates most of them to serve in public office. And, it isn't nobleness of character. Thank God for attorneys like Patrick Fitzgerald and the late Mr. Mars for reaffirming my faith in members of the legal system with it's many flaws.
Cal Skinner is simply speaking the truth (which is something that seems to get caught in the throat of many lawyers).

At 2:26 PM, Anonymous said...
Would leaking it to the press have really kept Alton Logan out of jail? I just don't know if that is true since the admission of guilt by their client would not have been admissable in court. I'm not a lawyer but it makes sense. I'd like to think there was some way these lawyers could have prevented this but I don't see it with how our laws and courts are operated.

At 3:03 PM, Cal Skinner said...
What specifically are the lawyers who are complaining going to do to change their profession's ethical standards so something like cannot happen again?

Legislators can't rectify the situation, right?

If I an wrong, please correct me and I am sure some legislator will rush to pass corrective legislation.

At 3:23 PM, Anonymous said...
Flint Taylor, Joey Mogul, Locke Bowman and some of the rest at the PLO, Northwestern and other places are conniving liars who in it for the money and hate cops and hate the US. They are terrible despicable people who make our streets more dangerous and our taxes higher from them picking them.

At 3:23 PM, Anonymous said...
To anonymous at 2:26 PM: I am not sure if "leaking it to the Press" would have kept Alton Logan out of jail. And, perhaps it might not have been admissable in court. However, I truly believe that if the Truth had been presented by the Press to the citizens of the state and other members of the legal profession, that "somehow, somewhere, and sometime" the Power of the Press and Public Outrage would have won over an unjust and immoral act that was allowed to take place upon an innocent man.

I may be naive but I honestly believe that there are members of the legal profession still out there that truly have a noble spirit (such as Patrick Fitzgerald) and that they would have (if necessary)fought to change a flawed law in their attempt to protect an innocent man.

At 9:24 AM, Skeeter said...
This post shows the problem with the way the GOP approaches matters.

Rather than simply saying "This result was wrong, and the rule is wrong", Skinner had to go further and conclude that all lawyers must be evil.

One does not follow from the other.

At 2:58 PM, Extreme Wisdom said...
Cal,

I believe that the legislature could carve out an exception to atty/client priviedge.

Licensing is a state matter, and the state could simply allow for an exception in this type of circumstance.

As for Skeeter's point of lambasting all lawyers, he may be right. OTOH, as a lawyer, I can tell you that the atty/client privilege is sold as the holiest of holies in law school. You will be looked down on as a person if you question it openly.

The response by the person above is instructive.

In the case at hand, the injustice is so obscene, that any profession that would argue that it must hold - even here - should be questioned in totality, not just individually.

The irony and hypocrisy would be funny if not so sad. The same profession that argues "better that 500 criminals go free rather than 1 innocent man go to jail" (more law school dogma) quickly reverses course when that principle calls on them to risk their career(s) to save an innocent man's life.

To those who ask whether I expect that a person should risk a huge investment in career, schooling, stature to prevent an innocent man from life in jail, the answer is "yes, I do."

That anyone would even ask that question that is a sign of the depths of narcsissism our culture has sunk to.

[Note: I'm licensed to practice law, but don't, so my "legal" opinion may lack accuracy. My moral opinion is dead on.]

Peoria's blueollie also comments under the headline:

“This human being is being held in prison for something he didn’t do. How bitter would you be if this were you, or your son, brother, father, uncle or friend?

“This is why many don’t have any confidence at all in our system.”

Labels: Alton Logan, blueollie, The Law Is An Ass

As we drove into Lake in the Hills to return a friend of my son after a visit to Key Lime Cove water park in Gurnee, I saw a bird perched in a tree.

It was beginning to snow, as the storm worked its way south.

The bird was a very confused robin.

Think of how confused it will be when the blizzard in Lakewood moves in.

Labels: Bird, Confusion, Lake In the Hills, Lakewood, Message of the Day, Robin, Snow

Some may remember my complaint that the McHenry County Conservation District stiffed the Crystal Lake area in its $65.8 million bond issue. (That was before last year's $73 million bond issue.)

Indeed the $90,000 parking lot dedicated to bike riders are Oak Street north of Crystal Lake where it crosses the main line of the Union Pacific Railroad line is all the District 47 part of Crystal Lake got back from the $65.8 million bond issue. Look here for where the rest of it went.

There doing a bit better recently, deciding to give Crystal Lakers access to the Lake in the Hills Fen without having to go to old Lake in the Hills.

And last night John Kremer appeared before the McHenry County College Board asking permission to build the bike path from the Commonwealth Edison right-of-way from Oak Street to Route 14 so that it will end at the south parking lot where the athletes cross the entrance drive.

Kremer noted that Illinois Department of Transportation plans to widen Route 14 are scheduled for 2014.

It is impossible not to note that the minor league baseball stadium would have been in operation years before that widening occurred. And, in 2014, Rod Blagojevich intends to be in his third term, assuming he is not in jail.

Kremer also pointed out that the bike path will use of one-fourth of an acre of MCC's impervious surface.

“Nothing we can do about that,” the MCCD official said.

Trustee Scott Summers wondered if the internal MCC bike path completion could be coordinated with MCCD's.

Kremer told the board to contact him after January 1st and he could show them how to turn $200,000 into $400,000 with 50-50 state matching funds.

MCC Board President George Lowe pointed out that the bulge in the bike path along Route 14 was because IDOT plans to put a retention pond there.

Lowe kidded board member Donna Kurtz that she would have to ride her bike to board meetings. Kurtz said he would. Presumably, she would not have to park her car in the parking lot where you see the "thank you" sign above.

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All images may be enlarged by clicking on them.

Labels: Bike Path, George Lowe, John Kremer, MCC, MCCD, McHenry County College, McHenry County Conservation District, Oak Street

The students at McHenry County College elect a student trustee each year.

Replacing Katie Claypool will be Tom Kendzie.

Kendzie lives in Crystal Lake. He won the election 180-150. (I told him I won my first contest by 72 votes out of about 13,000--33%-, 33%, 33%+).

Sorry about the slightly fuzzy photo and that of Lowe below, but without being able to use the camera's flash attachment, the lens has to be open longer and that increases the probability of my shaking the camera. Claypool's was taken before the ban took effect.

Kendzie was asking Claypool why the college board met in secret. (In last night's case, it was to discuss employee contract negotiations.)

He was reacting to former State Rep. Rosemary Kurtz' comments to the board, which she almost finished before MCC Board Chairman George Lowe interrupted her to tell her time (3 minutes and opposed to 5 the Crystal Lake City Council allows) was up.

Kurtz pointed out that Erv LeCoque and his friends “already (had) several millions in hand” for the every high school graduate can go to MCC scholarship fund, “if the MCC Board of Trustees drops the minor league baseball enterprise.”

Based on what happened at the Committee of the Whole meeting Tuesday, Kurtz expressed optimism that would happen. It “gave me great hope.”

“If you go back to your (educational) focus, (you will be well served), Kurtz said.

She then compared the proposed baseball investment to what people do when they invest in a hedge fund.

Kurtz explained that hedge fund investors “don't know what their hedge fund manager is doing, (because) they do it in secret.”

Investors also know that “the hedge fund manager takes a big share,” she continued.

Then the part that Kenzie was inquiring about:

“According to the open meetings act, you don't have to go into a secret meeting when (you negotiate a contract).

“I hope you will open up those meetings to the public.”

Kurtz pointed out that MCC taxpayers have expertise in areas beyond what the board members and staff have and that the board would do well to utilize it.

Then, Lowe interrupted Kurtz.

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Mr. Kendzie could find the secret meetings that got the college in so much trouble by typing “secret meeting” into McHenry County Blog's search engine. Indeed, if he or others want to be brought up to date on how McHenry County College hid the baseball stadium proposal from the public and the incredible amount of trouble MCC got into as a direct result, just type “baseball stadium” in the search engine. McHenry County Blog broke the story and has certainly covered it more extensively than any where else, including Monday's death knell announcement by President Walt Packard.

Labels: Baseball Stadium, Erv LeCoque, Katie Claypool, MCC, McHenry County College, Tom Kendzie

It'll take more than blowing out birthday candles and making a wish to get rid of Mayor Aaron Shepley's 75% sales tax hike.

And, you don't like fire, remember.

I know you want to blow out the birthday candle and wish away Mayor Shepley's 75% sales tax increase, but, based on two year's experience, I don't think that is the route for success.

Put on your thinking cap.

Keep thinking.

Come up with a creative solution.

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This looks like Keely Cat's first birthday party. He's now two.

Labels: 75% Sales Tax Hike, Aaron Shepley, Birthday Candle, Crystal Lake, Sales Tax

In my Fantasy Baseball article in late February, re-printed Tuesday, McHenry County Blog examined McHenry County College's Economics Research Associates' second feasibility study on its baseball stadium.

First attendance projections were analyzed and found to be woefully inadequate.

A college professor would label that section “INCOMPLETE.”

Secondly, the ERA naming rights analysis was examined.

Despite the reported fact that the team in Schaumburg gets $200,000 a year from Alexian Brothers, a hospital group, the consultants think the junior college could get $250,000 a year.

Today, let's look at non-baseball events at the stadium.

Concerts, amateur baseball games, etc.

Here's the developer's project on non-baseball events:

”The developer has projected net revenues of $275,000 per year from non-baseball events (such as concerts, other sporting events, civic events, and others). This line item is considered separately from other team and ballpark items, as it would not contribute to rent or ticket surcharge payments. The only details provided to support this forecast is an assumption of 50 to 60 events with a total of 25,000 to 35,000 attendees.”

Isn't that special?

Economics Research Associates brags that it did work on all of Disney's parks.

Somehow I doubt such non-fact based analysis would have been found acceptable by Disney, even in Fantasia mode.

In the first year stadium revenue is listed as $732,837.

The non-baseball share is $275,000.

That's a big chunk of the $733,000 to accept on faith.

“According to conversations with the developer, this estimate is based on a generic operating model for a Frontier League ballpark that has been supplied by the league office, and could likely be aggressive.”

Talk about understatement.

No specifics provided.

No specifics requested.

Perhaps Economic Research Associates does not deserve the reputation it projects.

“The eventual amount of non-baseball revenue will be largely dependent on the type and number of the events that are allowed to be held. Events such as concerts would have the ability to generate more revenue, but if only civic events such as high school baseball games can be held at the stadium, these revenues would be significantly lower.

“Without performing a market analysis or having a completed agreement on the number and type of allowable events, it is not possible to analyze this projection in further detail.”

Consider also that a week ago Hoffman Estates has just announced an outdoor concert venue where Poplar Creek used to be, right on the tollway.

This announcement appeared in the Chicago Tribune before ERA's February 26, 2008, feasibility study submission date.

Sounds like it might draw McHenry County residents and be relevant to any market analysis on non-baseball team use of the new baseball stadium.

Oh.

I forgot, ERA did no market analysis.

Labels: Baseball Stadium, Economics Research Associates, ERA, MCC, McHenry County College

“I'm melting,” cried the Wicked Witch of the West as she disappeared

“Who would have thought that some little girl like you could destroy my beautiful wickedness,” the Wicked Witch said just before she died.

Dorothy McHenry wasn't scared anymore.

Wizard Packard had said the witch was dead, that her memorial service would be held at the April meeting.

But questions remained.

What will happen to all the dirt left behind?

How many taxpayer dollars did the McHenry County College Board majority allow to run into Mark Houser's EquityOne sewer?

This dirt on this snow pile near the Colonial Cafe will be washed away by April's showers.

How will McHenry County College wash away the much deserved dirt now covering its reputation?

Will its leaders invite influential businessmen and politicians to secret meetings, allow them to lay hands on the college's image and have them announce its cleansing?

Or have the powers-that-be figured out that there is a bigger problem epitomized by its obsessive secrecy?

The administration and board have stepped over that invisible line. They have enraged some taxpayers, severely disappointed others.

Most of the enraged are probably “meteors,” who will have burned out fighting the baseball stadium.

But there are others who will watchfully stay in the “junior” college's orbit, waiting and hoping for the day it deserves to be called a “community” college again.

Has the MCC power elite figured out that there are folks out there that matter beyond those the institution more or less controls?

Frankly, I doubt it.

But, time will tell.

= = = = =
Photo of and words of the melting witch from American Rhetoric: Movie Speech. The dirty pile of melting show is near Colonial Cafe in Crystal Lake, taken after a Crystal Lake Kiwanis meeting.

Labels: Baseball Stadium, MCC, McHenry County College, Power Elite, Snow Pile, Walt Packard, Wicked Witch

Thanks to my son, I have seen some of the Alien movies.

He and his friends delight in using our second floor as a space ship in which they play Alien versus Predator.

I think the sliding doors in the bathroom help remind them of the movie set.

So, Keely Cat is sitting peacefully on the kitchen counter hoping that someone will open the cabinet door where the little box of cat “candy” is kept.

He gets about there a day, usually when my wife returns from work.

Clearly, the fish smelling and shaped treats are the highlight of his day.

Then this strange creature appears.

“Is it the dreaded 75% Crystal Lake Sales Tax Hike?” wonders Keely.

“I'm not sure I know what Mayor Aaron Shepley's sales tax hike looks like.

“Could this be it?

“It sure is scary.

“Cat Daddy said it would scare people away from Crystal Lake.

“If this is what it looks like, I can see why.”

Labels: 75% Sales Tax Hike, Aaron Shepley, Alien, Crystal Lake, Keely, Sales Tax

I know that MCC President Walt Packard announced the baseball stadium proposal is dead, but I still want to critique Economics Research Associates' second analysis on Mark Houser's and Pete Heitman's McHenry County College baseball stadium proposal covers naming rights of the stadium and inside recreation facility.

Just in case, it comes back again.

On page 16, $250,000 is again reported as the annual price for naming the stadium. It assumes a 20% increase every five years.

ERA's Dave Stone doesn't say much about this early expected revenue.

Maybe that's because there isn't a lot of support for that very important number.

In Bridgeport, the largest city in Connecticut has been trying to sell naming rights for ten years and have failed to do so.

“As the data shows $250,000 per year is achievable for an independent ballpark, and in fact has been exceeded, but is toward the high end of completed deals in independent baseball,” the report reads.

Fargo got $300,000 to name its stadium Newman Outdoor Field; Camden, NJ got $300,000. Camden's is named Campbell's Field.

Neither are in the Frontier League.

The highest naming rights--$125,000--cited in the Frontier League is Florence, Kentucky, across the Ohio River from Cincinnati.

And, that's in a TV media market, which Crystal Lake definitely is not.

GMC Park in Sauget, Illinois, where Gateway Grizzles play, was $100,000. It's now called GCS Ball park, but no payment is listed.

Twenty-one teams (five Frontier League teams have no figures) are listed, but naming rights payments are listed for only thirteen.

And, there is no indication of the comparability of any of these teams to Crystal Lake's market.

In Schaumburg, the team gets $200,000; in Joliet the amount is $150,000.

And ERA says $250,000 a year is achievable.

Competitive area naming rights are not $250,000.

Menard's like flags, so maybe it will be interested.

Or, perhaps, Blain's Farm and Fleet will bite. I noticed it is flying American Flags on in Woodstock.

Tinker Bell, where is your magic wand?

Labels: Baseball Stadium, Dave Stone, Economics Research Associates, ERA, Mark Houser, MCC, McHenry County College, Pete Heitman, Walt Packard

The Museum of Science and Industry has a glass exhibit you might want to visit this spring vacation.

It features the repair of the Tiffany dome that is in the Chicago Cultural Center (the old library to some of us), plus glass sculptures by Chihuly.

Both the Chicago Tribune and Sun-Times did stories about the exhibit, which will be up all summer, closing on September 1st.

You should know one thing about this museum. While the tickets are advertised as “$23 for adults, $22 for seniors and $14 for children 3-11,” this museum tacks on an extra “$3.75 service charge for each ticket.” There's an extra $1.50 fee, if you make reservations over the internet.

What a rip!

Obviously aimed at suburbanites.

It costs nothing if you live close enough to walk in and make a reservation.

And, if it is Chihuly glass that you want to see, there are two chandeliers in an Algonquin restaurant right next to the Oberweis Dairy store on Randall Road.

Montarra Grill is the name of the place. We have eaten there and recommend it.

Labels: Chihuly, Glass, Museum of Science and Industry, Tiffany

Crystal Lake's NASA Education is hosting its fourth Stand Down for Veterans next Monday and Tuesday. The press release follows:


CRYSTAL LAKE - Veterans who are newly discharged, displaced, disabled, homeless or unemployed are the focus of the Stand Down for Veterans, which will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on March 31 through April 1. at YMCA Camp Algonquin, 1889 Cary Road, Algonquin.

U.S Department of Labor’s Patrick Winfrey, Illinois Representative Linda Chapa LaVia, Illinois Senator Pam Althoff and McHenry County board member, from District 3, Mary Donner will address the veterans at an assembly to take place at noon on Monday, March 31st in the camp’s dining hall.

“The individuals attending our stand down, coming for assistance are truly heroes. Each and every one of us owes them our gratitude for the freedoms we enjoy, worldwide. The reasons that they have reached the point in need of assistance, varies as widely as your own individuality. The people coming to the stand down for assistance are not only recent veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan, but are also veterans that reach as far back as the Vietnam War, the Korean War and the code talkers of WWII,”

said John Blanchard, executive director of National Association of Systems Administrators Education Corporation (NASA Education), the sponsor of the event. He added that the organization is expecting to provide services to at least 150 veterans.

As NASA Education motto states,

“Through ‘help and healing and delivering on their hope’, these individuals want to rejoin the mainstream of our productive society. They were once the most loyal, dedicated, responsible and professional employees that the federal government has ever had and they need to get that back.“

Services will include medical screenings and information about other VA services by North Chicago VA Medical Center, employment services by Jeff Johnson, Andrew Michnowski and Reynaldo Infante of Veterans Employment Training Service (VETS)/Department of Labor through the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES), referrals for housing assistance and other services by Mike Iwanicki and Cheryl Kirsch of the McHenry County Veterans Assistance Commission and John Carr of the Kane County Veterans Assistance Commission, legal counseling by Attorney Jeffrey Antonelli and Prairie State Legal Services, referrals for dental services by local dentists and the Illinois Foundation for Dentistry for the Handicapped, and referrals for eye care services by Northwest Eye Care of Algonquin.

Phyllis Taylor Smith and Gail Pike of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will verify military status and eligibility for services as well as claims processing; these ladies can and will make things happen.

Veterans will be able to register for medical care at North Chicago VA Medical Center and Hines VA Medical Center at the Stand Down. Pat O’Dea Evans, COO from Paxem, Inc. of Cary, IL will be in attendance. Pat is a veteran and nurse who is trained to take applications for VA benefits.

Veteran service officers from the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs (IDVA) and representatives of AMVETS, the VFW and various other veterans organizations will assist veterans in applying for VA disability claims and other VA benefits, state health insurance, and DD214s.)

Information about community services for homeless and low-income individuals will be provided by Susan Giannone, the constituent services advocate from Congresswoman Melissa Bean’s Office, and Cheryl Schmid, the constituent services advocate from Congressman Donald Manzullo’s Office. Scott Ottesen of The Vet Center will meet with veterans and distribute information about services. Also participating as a service provider will be Tammy Tope of TLS New Horizons, a transitional living facility for veterans in Hebron, and Derek Jeske of Volunteers of America of Illinois, Chicago.

Labels: Camp Algonquin, John Blanchard, Linda Chapa LaVia, Mary Donner, NASA Education, Patrick Winfrey, Stand Down

Harvard's Pat Kennedy sends in what she thinks is an iris reticulata.

Could be by me.

It certainly is pretty.

Thanks for brightening our day.

If you have one in your garden, please send me a picture. Mine have not bloomed yet, except for the little crocus I found under the leaves on the first day of spring.

Labels: Flower, iris reticulata, Pat Kennedy

My son likes to build space ships.

He has devoured the Lego versions.

Then, he takes them apart and uses his imagination.

Not quite a space ship, but you may remember the Santa Jet.

Easter he put together eggs to create this Candy Space Ship.