McHenry County Blog

When I got to the hearing on State Rep. Mary Flowers bill to impose a single payer medical delivery system for Illinois and to increase individual income tax rates 67%, State Rep. Mike Tryon and his Democratic Party challenger Bob Kaempfe were talking in the hall.

I wasn’t close enough to hear was they were discussing.

Maybe it was debates or joint appearances.

I asked them to pose together and this was the best shot I got.

Later in the hearing, Kaempfe took Tryon to task for opposing Flowers’ bill, just as he said he would in his press release.

Kaempfe supported the Flowers' proposal, as did Democratic Party activist Rich Garling, anIsland Lake village trustee challenging State Rep. Mark Beaubien.

Labels: Harmony, Mary Flowers, Message of the Day, Mike Tryon, Robert Kaempfe

Last week traffic was jammed on Crystal Lake’s Route 14 because Illinois Department of Transportation road crews were patching and repaving the road.

First day of the work week and IDOT employees are out again.

This picture was taken ab out 9 AM looking East where Dole Avenue intersects with Northwest Highway.

Factoid of the day: This intersection had the first traffic light in McHenry County, according to my father.

Labels: Crystal Lake, Dole Avenue, IDOT, Illinois Department of Transportation, Route 14

You can tell from blog comments that the Huntley teachers union wants to make the argument they are underpaid.

For a unit school district with K-12 grades, this is a strange argument.

Here's the two words that explain why:

There is a huge oversupply of regular class room elementary teachers in this suburban area.

For every opening there are dozens of qualified certified teachers who can't get one of these jobs.

In a normal market this huge oversupply would drive market salaries down.

It is likely that Huntley could hire as many regular classroom elementary teachers it wants if it were paying $3,000 or 5% less in salary for these jobs.

What props up the salaries for these teachers?

A union that negotiates salaries from school district to school district that are the same for these elementary school teachers as they are for higher demand special education and high school math and science teachers.

More than half the teachers in Huntley District 158 are elementary teachers. Given this fact, their unions' "underpaid" argument doesn't hold water.
n
Or, as I'm told Huntley School District 158 Superintendent John Burkey once described the situation at a public meeting, elementary school teachers are "a dime a dozen."

More tomorrow.

Labels: Huntley School District 158, John Burkey

Not only did McHenry County Democrats get more votes in this spring’s primary election than Republicans, but they have begun marking their territory.

The mark is in code, just like other gangs, but, with proper manipulation, one can clearly see that it represents the Democratic Party.

And, it is not benign.

Not only does the Democratic Party want to destroy the hegemony Republicans have enjoyed in McHenry County since the party was created in the mid-1800’s, but it is out to leave its mark on the landscape.

They aren’t doing the dirty work themselves any more than donkey droppings at mislabeled "pony rides" can be directly attributed to volunteers going door-to-door in Lake in the Hills last weekend.

Oh, no.

Their little agents don’t leave harmless, if misleading, leaflets about party candidates.

See if you can decode the sign that the Democrats’ latest messengers have begun leaving in very unlikely places.

OK.

Let me make it easy for you.

Look at this mark on Stan Gladbach’s ash tree.

It’s in the shape of a “D.”

And, when was it discovered?

This year.

And how long had it been there before anyone noticed?

A state employee told me 2000, but, he did get his current job about the time Governor Rod Blagojevich took office, so we’ll take everything he says with a grain of salt.

And, speaking of salt, didn’t the Republican Party turn into a pillar of salt about that time?

Still can’t see the “D?”

We know those Democrats are sneaky.

They don’t want Republicans to know what they are doing until after the votes are counted and they have won a county board seat here, maybe a coroner’s or state’s attorney’s race there.

But, in an attempt to provide early warning to Republicans who are interesting in reforming the local party, published here is the exit hole of the emerald ash borer.

It is clearly shaped like a “D.”

So, Republicans, be forewarned.

The first ash trees were just across the street from Kane County.

We know what happened there two years ago.

The Democratic Party candidate for sheriff beat the Republican.

Forewarned is forearmed.

Labels: Emerald Ash Borer, McHenry County Democrats

The same Chicago Sun-Times reporter, Chris Fusco, who wrote an end of May Saturday story about an FBI search of Operating Engineers Local 150 Union President Bill Dugan’s Maryland buffalo farm, had one Saturday about Dugan’s retirement.

Dugan attributes his retirement to his wife’s fight with cancer.

Dugan is of interest because his union is the only Chicago-area local that regularly supports Republicans.

The local leader is Wauconda’s Chuck August and I’m wondering if he might become Dugan’s successor. Probably more likely Vice President James Sweeney will step into the post.

August and former McHenry County Republican Central Committee Chairman Al Jourdan worked closely together to locate 150’s union and banquet hall in McHenry County, but couldn’t find a suitable location. The result was the union/banquet hall being built on Route 120 just over the McHenry/Lake County line in Lakemoor.

Union local members were quite active in Dan Regna’s campaign to unseat McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi during the primary election.

What you see above was found on Regna’s campaign web site under “Event Photos." The web site is still up even though it is almost five months after the primary election. It is a picture of Dugan and Regna.

I couldn’t find the retirement press release on the union’s web site, but I did find it at Illinois Review after I finished this article.

Labels: Chuck August, Operating Engineers Local 150, William Dugan

This is one of the items made by the little tykes at the First Methodist Church of Crystal Lake’ Vacation Bible School.

About 320 children attended last week from 9-noon.


Is what this flag says.

Labels: First United Methodist Church of Crystal Lake, Flag, Jesus, Vacation Bible School

After almost 24 years in office, Chicago’s State Rep. Mary Flowers still has passion for her job.

Chairperson of the Health Care Availability Access Committee, Flowers came to McHenry’s Shah Center, operated by McHenry County College to hear testimony.

I got there after State Rep. Mike Tryon testified, but still got a lot of the content, some of which will be laid out here.

“We come up with these catch plans like ‘All Kids.’ Can’t we at least try it?” she asked about her proposal.

“The system is broken. Health care is broken.”

Nick Skala, who was the one called upon to explain the details of the bill, explained that the cost would be an additional “2% personal income tax,’ plus “a 7% payroll tax.”

Since the personal income tax is now 3% (up from 2½% before the time of Jim Thompson and Jim Edgar, who both signed bills to raise the rate to 3%), a two percentage point increase would in reality be a 67% hike in the individual income tax rate and the amount people would pay.

Flowers heard the testimony of people from within and without McHenry County.

Then, she gave her experience of accompanying her brother to the doctor.

But, first she told how she learned she was to chair the committee. House Speaker Mike Madigan called to inform her. She told him she didn’t know anything about health care.

“But, Mary, you’re going to.” Then he hung up. He told me he had more important people to talk to. (One can read that sentence in two ways. I assume Madigan was telling Flowers that she was important, but that he had other important people to talk to.)

"I went with my brother to find out what’s going on. I went to the doctor with my brother.

“’Well, Mr. Flowers, it looks like you’ve lived a pretty good life. We could operate and you’d walk around all your life with a bag.

“’Face it. You’re 51 years old. I suggest you go home, enjoy life and die like a man.’

“You can’t do this!” Flowers asserted. “Who do you think you are?

“I can’t tell what else I told him, but he’s no longer practicing in this state.

“I swore my presence would be felt.”

If that hasn’t provided passion for her mission, I can’t imagine what has.

“I’ve seen people lying on gurneys,” she continued, pointing out they weren’t just black people, but people (I think she said) “like us.”

“They were not waiting for the doctor. They were waiting to get permission from the insurance company (to receive medical care).

“Who am I to say which one of you should live or die?

“If you don’t like (the way local politicians are representing you), I’d suggest you vote the bums out.”

There was more, of course, but it’s past midnight and I’ve had a long day.

= = = = =
All photos can be enlarged by clicking on them.

Labels: All Kids, Income Tax Hike, Mary Flowers, Mike Tryon, Nick Skala, Single Payer

Kathleen Bergan Schmidt, Chairwoman of the McHenry County Democratic Central Committee, has sent out an email concerning the Thursday death of transplanted Chicago politician Francis S. Lorenz.

Lorenz, who lived in Lakewood's Turnberry subdivision, was appointed state treasurer in 1960 and defeated for the office by Republican Bill Scott in 1962. A rematch for the office of attorney general in 1968 also saw Scott come out on top.

Lorenz had family in Crystal Lake and was passionately concerned with the treatment of a grandchild at school, according to a friend who conferred with him in the 1990's.

Locally, Lorenz was associated with Zukowski, Rogers and Flood, if my memory serves me correctly.

Here is Bergan Schmidt's email:

It is with great sadness that I inform you of the death of Justice Francis J. Lorenz on Thursday evening.

Justice Lorenz was the 2007 Recipient of the Democratic Party of McHenry County's Thomas Jefferson Award for Lifetime Achievement. As was stated on the 2007 program:

Retired Illinois Appellate Court Justice Francis Lorenz began his career as a lawyer for the city of Chicago. He became a leading authority in eminent domain law, and led efforts for land acquisition for O'Hare Airport and the Skyway Bridge. He was elected Clerk of the Superior Court of Cook County in 1956, then Cook County Treasurer in 1958. He was appointed Illinois State Treasurer in 1960. In 1963 he became Director of Public Works and Buildings, where he oversaw construction of the Chicago area's toll roads and major highways. Justice Lorenz was elected to the Illinois Appellate Court, First Judicial Circuit in 1970, where he served until his retirement in 1992.

Justice Lorenz was a generous supporter of our local Democratic Party and was quite pleased with the recent growth in Democratic strength in our county. The Democratic Party of McHenry County has lost a great friend.

A floral arrangement has been sent on the behalf of the party. Thus far, I know of 3 members of the Democratic Party of McHenry County who will be attending the visitation and/or funeral mass for Justice Lorenz. If you would like to do likewise,

visitation will be from 3 to 9 PM on Sunday, June 29, at the Davenport Family Funeral Home, 419 E. Terra Cotta Avenue, Crystal Lake. On Monday, June 30, there will be a service at 9 AM at Davenport Family Funeral Home, followed by Mass at 9:30 AM at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church , 451 W. Terra Cotta, Crystal Lake.

Unfortunately, Lorenz retired so long ago there is very little information about him on the internet.

Labels: Bill Scott, Cook County Appellate Court, Frances J. Lorenz

This is a continuation of Nichole Owens' statement in opposition to paroling McHenry County serial killer Mark Smith. (You can find the first part here. ) Owens serves as Chief of the Criminal Division.

On the evening of the murder, Jean Ann’s parents became worried when she didn’t return home from studying for finals at a friend’s house.

Like Jean, the search for Jean Ann began that night.

Inmate Smith feigned concern for Jean Ann and assisted law enforcement with their search for her.

Inmate Smith found Jean Ann’s body floating near the shore of a small lake. He knew where to find her because that is where he discarded her corpse.

Jean Ann had been viciously beaten and strangled with her own bra.

Her nose and jaw were broken. Her liver was lacerated. Her vagina was violently torn with the neck of a beer bottle.

Inmate Smith readily admitted these disturbing facts without compassion for Jean Ann or remorse for his actions.

Actions which have affected the lives of so many…today Jean Ann’s niece, a young lady who never knew her, appears today, speaking on her behalf.

These horrific facts are difficult to hear; however, it is necessary that none of us forget how dangerous this confessed serial killer truly is and it is important that we realize that this cold-blooded killer is completely and utterly incapable of rehabilitation.

He is devoid of remorse or compassion, callously stating to a former State’s Attorney, that “everyone has to die sometime.”

It is particularly difficult for the family members of these two lovely women, every three years, to revisit the horror and grief that Inmate Smith reaped upon them.

He has outlived many of those who cared for and loved his innocent victims.

But as difficult as it is for them, they are here, once again, protesting his release and heart-felt letters by family members who have passed remain, attached to our petition, for your consideration.

As Jean Bianchi’s deceased mother pointed out in one of her letters,

“I speak from experience when I say a family of the victim is NEVER the same after such a death of a loved one. Emotional, mental suffering still continues for each one of us.

"The sentence of grief for the families of the murder victim is a life sentence.

"It cannot be commuted and parole is not possible.”

Jean Bianchi and Jean Ann Lingenfelter were but two of at least twelve victims Inmate Smith admitted to raping and murdering.

His victims were not human beings to him.

Abducting them, raping them, murdering them, that was sport to Inmate Smith.

We have attached a copy of the book "Legally Sane" to our petition for your consideration. On page 63, Smith states,

“It was sort of like the so-called ecstasy of the hunt must be for animals, only I’m just a little bit above the hunt in snatching girls.”

Dr. Joseph Wepman, a psychologist who examined Inmate Smith years ago stated,

“Mark Alan Smith is always adapting, changing his story or his coloration to suit the circumstances. He will, no doubt, come up for parole within our lifetime, and he will look and sound like a repentant and rehabilitated sinner.

"That would be like giving a driver’s license to somebody who is blind and I don’t want to be on the road when he’s driving the car.

"Don’t let him out. He should remain in Stateville for the rest of his life.”

The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office vehemently opposes the release of Mark Smith from the Illinois Department of Corrections.

In support of our petition, an addendum is attached containing 18 pages of protests to the inmate’s release from the families of his victim; 50 pages of letters and petitions from citizens opposing parole; 12 pages of crime scene photos of the Bianchi and Lingenfelter murders; 25 pages of autopsy reports of Jean Bianchi and Jean Ann Lingenfelter; and a copy of the book "Legally Sane."

The inmate has been sentenced consecutively to a total of 500 years in the Department of Corrections for his horrific crimes against three innocent, unsuspecting, and defenseless women.

The inmate agreed to this sentence.

He has yet to serve even 10% of it.

Allowing the release of this inmate would deprecate the seriousness of his offenses, endanger the community, and serve as an outrageous injustice to the families of the victims who continue to suffer, thirty-eight years after the deaths of their loved ones.

= = = = =
The photograph is of Nichole Owens, the Chief of the Criminal Division of the McHenry County State's Attorney's Office. You see the cover of the book "Legally Sane" next. Finally, what Mark Smith looks like now.

For those wishing to communicate to the Illinois Prisoner Review Board should send letters about inmate Mark Smith, the address is 319 E. Madison, Suite A, Springfield, IL 62701. Be sure to include Smith’s inmate number: C10587.

Labels: Illinois Parole Board, Jean Ann Lingenfelter, Jean Bianchi, Joseph Wepman, Lou Bianchi, Mark Smith, McHenry County State's Attorney, Nichole Owens, Serial Killer

The current teachers' contract in Huntley District 158 started an interesting practice.

You could call it "double pay."

Because they get paid twice for some of the time they are on the clock.

Of course, a Huntley teacher's clock is 7 hours and 45 minutes with a paid thirty minute lunch period included in that. So, there are 7 hours and 15 minutes available for work.

The Huntley teachers have a great double standard working for them.

The Huntley elementary teachers are expected to show up for work thirty minutes before classes begin.

This thirty minutes is basically free time for the teachers. It is part of their 7 hours and 15 minutes time on the clock.

Subtract the pre-school time and lunch break and it appears they have a six hour and 15 minute work day.

If you think it would be part of the teachers' work day to supervise the students from the bus in the morning as part of this 7 hours and 15 minutes on the clock, well, you would be wrong.

Labels: Huntley Education Association, Huntley School District 158

Last Saturday, it was Democrats approaching homeowners in Lake in the Hills on behalf of Paula Yensen, McHenry County Democratic Party candidate for county board in the 65th district.

Today, it is 6th district candidate Robert Ludwig.

Accompanying him with be the Democratic Party for McHenry County State’s Attorney, Tom Cynor.

They are meeting at Culver’s at 11 AM. They will knock on doors until 3, when treats at Culver’s

I wish I could be there to take a picture when they meet, but I’ll be at the First Methodist Church of Crystal Lake at our 11 o’clock service looking at some of the hundreds of pictures I and others took at Vacation Bible School this past week. They will appear on the big screens before each church service.

And, I’m sure my wife and weekend scheduler has me doing something in mid-afternoon as well.

But, maybe someone will send me a picture I can show you.

Free publicity, folks, and both candidates certainly need more name identification, if they are to have a chance of victory.

I was going to run a story entitled, "Democrats Invade McHenry County," but it will have to wait until tomorrow. One Democratic Party invasion story a day is sufficient.

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Democratic Party District 6 McHenry County Board candidate Bob Ludwig is in the top photo. State's attorney candidate Thomas Cynor appears below.

Labels: Culver's, Huntley, McHenry County Democrats, Robert Ludwig, Sun City, Thomas Cynor

This sign was on the garage refrigerator at Brian and Lorie Berrettini's residence on Saturday.

It celebrates the college graduation of Brian (the son) Berrettini.

On the left is son Brian and on the right is father Brian.

Labels: Brian Berrettini, Message of the Day

I went searching for confirmation from official sources that the tree killers in Algonquin homeowner Stan Gladbach’s yard was the emerald ash borer.

When I called Jeff Coath, the United State Department of Agriculture official in charge of the Illinois Emerald Ash Borer Project, at about 3:30 yesterday, all I could do was leave a message.

He returned my call while I was at my son's swim practice and tried again while I was picking up photos of the First United Methodist Church’s Vacation Bible School, so it’s not like he’s trying to avoid me.

Then I called the Algonquin Public Works Department. How was I to know they left work at 3:30?

I worked my way up to village hall, but Village Administrator Bill Ganek and his assistant were also out for the day.

I tried to find a Public Information Officer with the Illinois Department of Agriculture, but was only able to access a message machine. Finally, the Director’s Office sent me to the folks who knew what was happening.

Lesson: persistence pays off.

I made contact with Mark Cinnamon, the State Plant Regulatory Official. He took Stan Smith’s job when he retired. You may remember Smith’s name from the successful fight against the Asian longhorn beetle.

Let me tell you what Cinnamon had to say.

“We pulled out four adults that definitely look like emerald ash borers and we found a couple on the ground,” he said of his trip to Gladbach’s property Friday morning.

“There are ‘D’-shaped exit holes.”

I asked him if he would confirm the emerald ash borer was killing the trees.

“Our agreement with the USDA (which provides the grant money to pay for the state program) requires that we have a USDA identifier that is in Brighton, Michigan.

“It (the samples taken Friday) will be FedXed overnight to Brighton.”

You know the old saying,

“He who has the gold rules.”

So, the Feds want to make the announcement.

I asked about the samples that were sent in over a week ago.

“They dug them out with a knife. They cut off their heads.”

Hence, positive identification could not be made.

That got me one of the five belly laughs that people need every day to stay healthy.

“They’ve just begun emerging. In the next few days, it will be easier to find adults.”

I asked how Gladbach could get rid of his ash trees.

“They’re several options. He could burn them in a fireplace.”

I interjected that this weather didn’t make that an attractive option.

“If they’re chipped up in dimensions of less than one inch in two dimensions, all life stages will die,” he added.

Having an ash taller than our house on the property line which my parents’ neighbor Postman Walt Southern (225 Meridian Street) convinced my father not to chop down, I asked how to protect it.

He suggested something called "Tree-Age."

‘It was just labeled for use in Illinois this spring,” Cinnamon told me. “In research trials you get control of 98% of larva.”

But, the bad news is that “the pest population builds at a minimum of 10-fold per year.

“Eventually, the pest will spread throughout the region.”

The emerald ash beetle was discovered in Illinois just two years ago, the state official explained.

“We think it’s been in Illinois since approximately 2000.

“It existed in Michigan for 10-12 years before it was found.”

Let me tell you that this interview was one of the most informative and enjoyable that I have ever had with a state employee.

More yesterday and tomorrow.

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The pictures shown were taken by property owner Stan Gladbach, who lives on the McHenry County side of the Kane-McHenry County line on the east side of the Fox River in Algonquin. The truck was parked in front of his house, along with two other vehicles Friday morning. The state, federal and village officials later held a meeting.

Labels: Algonquin, Emerald Ash Borer, Illinois Agriculture Department, Jeff Coath, Mark Cinnamon, Stan Gladbach, USDA

The following press release has been received from Robert Kaempfe, the Democratic Party's candidate for state representative against Republican incumbent Mike Tryon in the 64th district:

KAEMPFE WILL
CHALLENGE TYRON
ON HEALTH CARE
AT HEARINGS SATURDAY

CRYSTAL LAKE—Robert Kaempfe, Democratic candidate for the 64th District seat in the Illinois General Assembly, will challenge incumbent Mike Tryon’s assertion that “we don’t need” comprehensive, single payer health care in McHenry County.

Kaempfe is slated to testify at hearings being held by Rep. Mary Flowers on the Health Care for All Illinois Act (HB311) this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the McHenry County College Shah Center, 4100 Shamrock Lane in McHenry.

“Before making a blanket statement like that he should have checked with all of the people in McHenry county that do not have any health care,” Kaempfe said. “That elected official did not ask my step daughter her opinion. She is a divorced single mother who works full time but does not have health care for herself or her 5 year old son. My guess is that he also did not ask the thousands of other people in McHenry County what their opinions were.”

According to Kaempfe the many un and underinsured are not the only victims of the current health care system based on private health insurance.“

This past January I had a medical procedure done, and was stunned to see a list of charges, like $25 for a pair of gloves. My neighbor was telling me about the time she went to an urgent care, and was charged over $300 for a shot of penicillin. A friend of ours went to the emergency room because of a reaction to a bee sting. She asked for something to blow her nose. Bang, $25 for a square gauze. I am sure that most people have a story about something ridiculously over priced in the hospital or emergency room. What’s wrong with this picture?”

Doctors and medical providers often pad bills to the insured to make up for losses incurred by service to the uninsured.

“There is an old saying that if something is not broke, don't fix it.” Kaempfe said, “By the same token, if something is broke, then it needs fixing. And the whole health care industry is broke. HB 311 can save billions a year, and give health benefits to everyone in the state. It will be publicly financed (like Medicare) and administered by regional boards. Universal, single payer health care will save in administrative costs associated with complying with complex and contradictory private insurance requirements.

“When elected,” Kaempfe will tell Rep. Flowers on Saturday, “I plan support Health Care for All Illinois.”

For more information call Kaempfe at 815 788-8252 or e-mail robert.kaempfe@yahoo.com.

Kaempfe is a retired postal worker where he was a union official.

Labels: 64th District, Health Care, Mike Tryon, Robert Kaempfe

The Huntley school board faces very real restrictions on how it can bargain with the teachers union.

How can this be?

It's called "Regressive Bargaining." It's Labor Relations law.

The idea behind "Regressive Bargaining" is to prevent one side from offering less or going backwards when negotiating a contract.

Sounds logical.

Until you realize the practical limitations that it poses.

Take the Huntley school board, for example. It currently has more than a 5% increase in salary and benefits on the table with the Huntley teachers' union.

For months the union has kept more than a 35% increase in salary and benefit costs on the table.

So why can't the school board say something like,

"How about the union stop with the posturing and are you willing to accept an overall 8% increase?"

You might normally say something like this so as to get a feel for where the other side might be willing to settle at.

But with regressive bargaining once you throw out a number like 8%, you can't go lower.

Or to put it bluntly the union can file an unfair labor practice so as to legally prevent a school board, for example, from then going lower.

So in a process in which you might ask the 8% question followed by

"Okay, if 8% works for you, can we get an agreement with a 7% increase?"

regressive bargaining prevents a free flow dialogue.

In Huntley District 158's situation, with more than 5% on the table by the school board, it appears the board doesn't have much room to move.

All the teachers' union has to do is do nothing, waiting for the school board to increase its offer so it can say, "No," and then wait for the next higher offer from the school board.

Meanwhile the union can stay somewhere up in the double digits for next year's increase percentage for salary and benefits.

With a strike in the private sector the striking workers don't get paid.

A strike for teachers, on the other hand, is different.

The teachers still have to teach a minimum number of days and they'll get paid a full salary for doing that.

Labor relations law says the striking teachers have to get their jobs back when the contract is settled.

So, its not like a school board can hire other teachers and allow the replacement teachers keep their jobs.

This makes it difficult to get teachers to apply for replacement jobs while there is a strike.

Tomorrow: Is there substance to the Huntley teachers' claim that they are "underpaid?"

Labels: Huntley School District 158, Teacher Negotiations, Teacher Salaries

I'm a bit late on publishing this statement, but since has appeared no where else and since Nichole Owens did such a splendid job arguing why mass murder Mark Smith should not be let out on the street, I'm putting it up anyway.

I remember Mark Smith as the laundromat murderer.

But he was much more.

McHenry County State's Attorney Chief of the Criminal Division Nichole Owens refreshes our and the Illinois Parole Board's members' minds in her statement below. I have added some paragraphing to make it easier to read.

INMATE MARK SMITH
PAROLE HEARING ARGUMENT
PRESENTED BY NICHOLE D. OWENS,
McHENRY COUNTY STATE’S ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
JUNE 18, 2008

On January 27, 1970, at approximately 9:30 pm, Jean Bianchi, a young wife and mother of two small children, drove to a laundry mat in the town of McHenry.

She called her husband about an hour later to tell him that the family laundry was almost done and that she would be home soon.

Jean never returned home again.

She never saw her husband again.

She never saw her children again.

Her vehicle was found near the laundry mat by the police.

Her laundry was found at the laundry mat with a half-written letter to a friend nearby.

For three days, Jean’s family frantically searched for her.

On January 30th, their worst nightmare came true.

Her body was found partially clothed, floating under an icy ledge in a small creek not from the laundry mat where she was abducted.

Jean’s face was unrecognizable.

Her teeth were knocked out, her face badly distorted from the vicious beating she endured.

An autopsy revealed that Jean had been stabbed 17 times in the neck, back, and chest. Her liver was lacerated.

Her vagina was traumatically lacerated.

Sand and grass were discovered in her throat.

Inmate Smith admitted that he abducted Jean Bianchi at the laundry mat at knife point.

He confessed to forcing her into his car.

He described how he raped her in the back seat, attempted to strangle her, beat her, threw her from a bridge, attempted to drown her in the shallow icy creek, and ultimately stabbed her to death.

And then, as Jean Bianchi lay dead or dieing, Inmate Smith still wasn’t finished with her.

He then sexually assaulted her with his fist.

Jean Bianchi’s family missed her right away.

The desperate search for her began that very night.

And as she lay alone in her watery grave while her family frantically searched, Inmate Smith went home, cleaned off his knife, and went to sleep in his bed, without a second thought.

Jean Bianchi’s family still suffers to this very day, thirty-eight long years later.

This is her sister, Betty Portlander’s 11th appearance before this parole board protesting Inmate Smith’s release from prison.

Exactly four months after murdering Jean Bianchi, on May 27, 1970, Inmate Smith viciously raped and murdered a seventeen-year-old high school senior named Jean Ann Lingenfelter.

Jean Ann was about to graduate from high school. She had her entire future ahead of her.

More tomorrow.

= = = = =
The head shot is of Nichole Owens, Chief of the Criminal Division, McHenry County State's Attorney.

Labels: Illinois Parole Board, Jean Ann Lingenfelter, Jean Bianchi, Joseph Wepman, Lou Bianchi, Mark Smith, McHenry County State's Attorney, Nichole Owens, Serial Killer

I had so much fun taking pictures of kids and leaders at the First United Methodist Church’s Vacation Bible School this week.

On Friday night after the singing of the songs learned during the week—complete with hand gestures—there was a party.

Besides the type of games you would see at an elementary school fun fair, there was a silent auction for handmade baskets.

Money donated was designated to the Crystal Lake Food Pantry.

The younger children helped create the baskets, but I saw both adult and the almost and young teen leaders working on them when there was nothing else to do.

A lot of work went into their creation.

Click to enlarge the picture.

Labels: Basket, First United Methodist Church of Crystal Lake, Message of the Day, Vacation Bible School

Observant reader Stan Gladbach, who lives on the Kane-McHenry County line east of the Fox River, has found what appear to be emerald ash borer-infected trees on his property.

He lives Souwanas Trail and has 8 or 9 big ash trees in his yard.

Last week, Gladbach got the United States Agriculture Department to come take a look.

"On June 19 two USDA employees, A.B. and L.D., 'obtained [about three larvae] samples for positive identification," Goldbach emailed me.

"About a week prior," he continued, "I spoke with Paul from the Illinois Department of Agriculture about this and how they got through customs. Probably in wood pallet/skids."

A man and a woman came out from the USDA and here is what they left (click to enlarge any image):

"My wife told me they were about 98% positive that it was the emerald ash borer," Gladbach told me.

Official confirmation has not yet been received, but take a look at the above information card that was left at the Gladbach household.

Yesterday, the Village of Algonquin sent out a cherry picker truck to take a look.

Trying to get confirmation from the Illinois Ag Department or the United States Ag Department proved futile yesterday.

Julie Heminghous, who works for the state ag department in its emerald ash borer outreach project, said she was driving to Algonquin for a Friday morning meeting with its public works department.

Aaron Booton, a USDA employee with the Emerald Ash Borer Project (presumably the "AB" above), referred me to Jeff Coath, who did not return two phone calls.

But, there must be some reason that the Village of Algonquin's Public Works Department had a cherry picker truck at Gladbach's home Thursday morning.

One man picked up a dead bug and put it in a glass jar labeled "EAB."

I asked Village Administer Bill Ganek if Algonquin had received official notice from either the Illinois or US Ag Department of the emerald ash borer's presence in Algonquin.

His answer:

"We have not received verification of that."

There must be some important reason that.

Guess we'll have to wait for official confirmation that the emerald ash borer has penetrated McHenry County for a bit longer.

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The trees are from Gladbach's lot.

The map shows confirmed sightings of the emerald ash borer as of May 1, 2008. Sounds as if a more northernly red dot will be on the next version of the map.

Labels: Emerald Ash Borer, Illinois Agriculture Department, Stan Gladbach

The reply to the suit filed against the McHenry County College Board for violating the Open Meetings Act by McHenry County State's Attorney Lou Bianchi is fascinating.

"The Defendant admits...

"The Defendant admits...

"The Defendant admits...

"The Defendant admits...

"The Defendant admits...

"The Defendant admits...

"The Defendant admits...

"The Defendant admits...

"The Defendant admits...

"The Defendant admits...

"The Defendant admits...

"The Defendant admits...

"The Defendant admits...

"The Defendant admits...

"The Defendant admits...

15 times the college attorney says Bianchi's charges were "right on."

Bianchi did conclude that the violation was "not intentional." He also praises college personnel for their cooperation in his investigation.

Considering what happened earlier that night, I find the following exculpatory sentence from the college intriguing:

"The members of the Board of Trustees had no knowledge that the security guards were instructing people to leave the building based upon the policy which had been in effect for years."

I wonder if the trustees and everyone else in the secret meeting would be willing to swear the following:

"The members of the Board of Trustees had no knowledge that the security guards were instructing people to leave the building."

Labels: Lou Bianchi, MCC, McHenry County College, McHenry County State's Attorney, Open Meetings Act

Partick Murfin's blog, "Heretic, Rebel, a Thing to Flout," promotes a hearing to be held in McHenry at McHenry County College's Shah Center (the old motel MCC bought and turned into a conference center) on Saturday, June 28th.

The Shah Center is within sight of Centegra's McHenry hospital, so if medical providers don't show up, it won't be because of the inconvenience of the hearing location.

My former colleague State Rep. Mary Flowers (D-Chicago) will hold a hearing on her House Bill 311. It's a single payer approach to providing health care in Illinois.

State Rep. Mike Tryon is an outspoken opponent to the plan, Murfin says.

He doesn't say where Democratic Party State Rep. Jack Franks stands on the issue.

Labels: Health Care, Mary Flowers, Patrick Murfin, Single Payer

McHenry County Blog has hypothesized that a run for statewide office could be in the future for Democrat State Rep. Jack Franks.

If so, taking the district back would become a high priority goal of the local and state GOP.

And, because there is no heir apparent to Franks in the Democratic Party, that goal could be achieved.

I had thought that anyone interested in running when the seat is vacated by Franks would be likely to run this year.

Even though probably losing, that would have been a way to build a network of supporters and build name recognition.

But, Franks got a pass from the Republican Party for the second election in a row.

So, if one wanted to run as the GOP candidate for Franks' seat in 2010, but didn't want to run against him, what would one do?

Increasing one's name identification and hanging out with Republicans comes to mind.

One local politician is in the process of doing both. (If there are others that come to your mind after reading this, please email McHenry County Blog with the possibility you have noticed.)

The prospective candidate for Franks' seat is Brian Sagen. He is Woodstock's mayor.

What's he done?

He got himself elected President of the McHenry County Council of Governments. He chaired the annual meeting at which the baseball stadium re-surfaced, although I see I did not mention that fact in my story.

Woodstock Mayor Brian Sager has been spotted where a 2010 candidate for state representative might appear. He is hanging out with Republicans.

The first sighting reported to me was Wednesday a week ago at a meeting billed as for Young Republicans and those willing to walk in parades.

Then, last Saturday, Sager was spotted in Hebron. He walked with the Republican Party contingent.

(If you have other sightings, please email McHenry County Blog. The more points on the graph, the better the trend line.)

On Tuesday night at the McHenry County College meeting, I asked Sager, who is Interim Vice President Learning & Student Support Services at MCC, why he was at the Hebron parade. Here's what he said:

"I think it's always good to get out to all the communities in the region and the district.

"I've had a lot of past associations with members of the rural or agricultural community and I always enjoy reconnecting with friends and colleagues."

Then, I asked if he had ambitions higher than being Woodstock's mayor.

See if you read the following tea leaves the same way I did:

"I truly appreciate the opportunity I have had to serve the community and its residents now.

"I look forward to continuing to work with them closely as we move the city's "2020 Vision" forward."

Might someone who said this have a "2010 Vision" for himself?

If so, I wonder why Sager attended the McHenry County Democratic Central Committee meeting in January featuring the Democratic Party's 16th congressional district opponent Robert Abboud to incumbent Don Manzullo. Abboud is Legislative and Intergovernmental Committee Chairman of the McHenry County Council of Governments.

At the Democratic Party meeting, Barrington Hills Village President Abboud recognized Woodstock Mayor Brian Sager as “a very good friend of mine.”

I also wonder about the before dinner conversation Sager had with 8th congressional district Democratic Party Congresswoman Melissa Bean at the annual meeting of the McHenry County Economic Development Commission. Woodstock is in Bean's district, of course. That might explain it.

Labels: 63rd District, Brian Sager, Jack Franks, McHenry County College, McHenry County Democratic Central Committee, McHenry County Economic Development Corporation, Melissa Bean, Robert Abboud

Next Monday is the last day, June 30th, of the current Huntley School District 158 teachers contract.

It is also the next scheduled meeting date with the federal mediators and the teachers union.

Will a deal get done?

Not by Monday. That's for sure.

There is no incentive for the union's professional negotiators to come to an agreement before the contract expires.

Not when the union has the threat of a strike to extract big concessions from the school board in the days right before the new teachers are scheduled to report for their first day on the job (days before the first day for the students).

The school board has made it clear the union has yet to put a reasonable proposal on the table.

With the union starting at 35% for next year's increase in salary and benefits and the board starting with over 5%, the union is in the driver's seat to decide when real negotiations will begin.

The board's initial offer is higher than the rate of inflation. By starting out so high, board members have left themselves no way to increase to make a concession and be seen as responsive to their taxpayers.

As long as the union keeps its offer outside of the range of reality, the union can keep wasting the board members' time.

The union plays the game with rehearsed acting on the part of its negotiating team members. They should try out for community theater.

They deliberately frustrate the district's negotiating team by refusing to recognize economic reality. There is an enormous difference between meeting the technical legal requirements of what's called "good faith" bargaining and real sincere bargaining.

Do the professional negotiators for the union have to be reasonable with the mediators?

In a word, "No."

All the union has to do is talk a good game. And keep insisting that the school board needs to be making concessions. And, of course, keep insisting that its new proposal is reasonable.

Remember how Bill Clinton said it depends on how you define the word "is?"

Now think of professional union negotiators who know how to define what the word "reasonable" is.

The game for the teachers union in Huntley District 158 is stringing the mediators along until a before-go-back-to-school date for the teachers.

Of course, the federal mediators have been around the block and know how the IEA negotiators operate.

The easiest way for the mediators to induce a settlement is to insist the school board to start making concessions. This, of course, plays into the union's hand.

What a pretty position for the union to be in.

Unless you realize the union's taking a hard line position for months could have had the opposite of the intended effect--convincing board members the union leadership is being ridiculously unreasonable.

Something that is more likely to be resented and not result in giving the union the benefit of the doubt.

It's human nature to not take very seriously someone who is being ridiculously unreasonable.

Continuing to insist on a 35% increase in take-home pay and benefits would strike no one as "reasonable."

I can see where the school board could look at the union's lack of sincerity, step back and say,

"There's only so much money and, if the union wants to play the strike card, then there is nothing we can do about it."

Tomorrow: Restrictions and Limitations of Regressive Bargaining.

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Same old picture from two years' ago of newly appointed Superintendent John Burkey telling teacher union leaders that the contract that the school board refused to make public and which they had no idea of the cost would not be approved that night as expected.

Labels: HEA, Huntley Education Association, Huntley School District 158, Teacher Negotiations, Teacher Salaries

This "I Shop Crystal Lake" sticker was seen in the parking lot of Knox Park Pool on Tuesday night.

If you want one, apparently it can be obtained at Crystal Lake's City Hall.

Labels: Car Window Sticker, I Shop Crystal Lake, Message of the Day

An earlier story mentioned that legal fees were part of the reason contractual expenses were up this fiscal year.

McHenry County College President Walt Packard gets more specific in another report.

He says, the legal expenses line item may be overspent $40,000 without supplemental spending authority.

That's even though $60,000 in additional spending authority was approved by the MCC College board at the end of March.

Blamed are employee contract negotiations, purchase of the adjoining 67 acre Gilger property and those pesky citizen and media Freedom of Information requests.

And the Open Meetings violation suit filed by McHenry County State's Attorney Lou Bianchi.

You know. It's cheaper when you follow the law.

Labels: Freedom of Information Act, MCC, McHenry County College, Open Meetings Act

A Melissa Bean story popped up on my screen yesterday. I don't check out all of them, but this link led to OpEdNews.com.

The post was an article by John Olsen entitled,


Olsen tells of contacting caseworker Nicholas Jordan, Bean's Director of Constituent Services, in 2005 "on behalf of his stepfather and now deceased mother."

Olsen conveyed a complaint with a managed care provider with lots of documentation. He claims that showed the Medicare provider circumvented numerous federal regulations.

I know how I would have handled the inquiry. Not being an expert in such regulations, I would have sent the information to the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services.

Here's a sample paragraph (turned into more than one paragraph so you can read it easier):

"Jordan eventually mailed a 'letter of inquiry' regarding the issue, but:

• He mailed it to the wrong place, AdminiStar Federal, a company that has a contract with the Federal government to oversee the policies of beneficiaries enrolled directly in Medicare


• He misidentified the issue.


• He failed to provide us with the 'answers' that he claimed to have received.

"Jordan had told me that he was going to send a letter to AdminiStar Federal.

"I then had advised Jordan that instead he should direct any correspondence to Matthew Brown, who at that time was the CMS Congressional Liaison in Washington.

"I explained to him that my stepfather and my mother were Medicare + Choice [now Medicare Advantage] beneficiaries, and CMS itself oversees those policies.

"Jordan chose to ignore me.

"Jordan misidentified the issue as being about the quality of 'health care' that had been delivered.

"It is difficult to understand how Jordan made this error, because I had repeatedly told him that the issue was that Federal regulations had been violated.

"Bean is not a doctor, and I did not ask her office to become involved in a medical issue."

After an unsatisfactory discussion with Jordan, on June 30, 2005, Olsen called John Gonzalez, Bean's Chief of Staff. He promised to call back by the 4th of July.

He didn't.

Olsen suggests Bean be held accountable.

I'm not going to suggest that a caseworker can be on the top of his or her game 100% of the time, but even only hearing one side of the story, Bean's office seems to have had room for improvement.

Labels: 8th Congressional District, Medicare, Melissa Bean, Nicholas Jordan

The good news is that total premiums in property, casualty and workers' compensation insurance are down for next year.

Down by $89,000. Total cost of just under $333,000.

The wining insurance agents were from Grayslake (R.J. Galla Company) and Rockford (Williams-Manny Insurance Agency).

Williams-Manny would have been low on both bids, but its liability coverage for the board members was "only" $1 million and the board members apparently wanted $6 million.

I found three items in President Walt Packard's report that are of some interest:

• MCC is taking out $5 million of flood insurance.


• The newly purchased 67 acres have increased property values that need to be insured.


• Violent event response insurance has been added.

Anyone who has followed the baseball stadium debacle must be smiling about the flood insurance.

This is for the property that none of the paid experts said was in danger of flooding. Remember it's not flood insurance for the folks downstream.

I also fail to comprehend how "increased property values" resulting from having purchased vacant land need to be insured.

I insure my home, not my lot.

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The flooded property is in Lippold Park south of Route 176. It is where water draining from McHenry County College ends up. It was taken last August.

Labels: Flood Insurance, MCC, McHenry County Board

More information from Brent Smith about the Young Republican meeting last Wednesday.

Here, in alphabetical order, are some of the folks he says were there:

Greg Austin, Mandy Boyd, Nathan Boyd, Patty Boyd, Scott Breeden, Geri Davis, Dan Duffy, Jennifer Gibson, Lee Jennings, Jake Justen, Kathy Kuchta, Brett Leifer, Kevin Love, Pam Palmer, Sandy Perdue, Preston Rae, Dan Ryan, Dan Regna, Brian Sager and Drew Veeneman.

I recognize a state senate candidate, a county board candidate not previously mentioned, a township supervisor, a township trustee and GOP township central committee chairwoman, a mayor, a former countywide primary candidate and a second countywide official on the ballot not noted previously.

Labels: Brent Smith, Brian Sager, Dan Regna, Kathy Kuchta, McHenry County Young Republicans, Pam Palmer, Preston Rae

The cowboy's name is Dusty.

Must not have much rain where he comes from.

He looks a little like a young Hopalong Cassidy.

He is standing in the narthex of the First United Methodist Church of Crystal Lake.

He's waiting for kids attending Vacation Bible School to bring food for the needy.

This picture was taken on Monday.

I don't think the pitch had been made yet.

But, I'll bet it will be full on Friday.

Labels: Cowboy, Dusty, First United Methodist Church of Crystal Lake,