THIS WEEK'S HEADLINES

Another Suit Filed At Grafton Township
Limited Huntley Water Shut Down, Boil Order In Effect
April 1 Set For Huntley Rte. 47 Expansion Start
French Casual Dining (Crepes) Comes To Algonquin
ISP Doomsday Budget: 400 Troopers, 5 Districts Cut
Police Blotters
FEN Asks Attorney General For D158 FOIA Review
Two Weeks Deadline For LITH Arbor Day Contest
Search Ramps Up For New D300 Superintendent
Green Party Candidate Outlines Budget Plan
Police Blotters
Flood Advisory All Week For Fox At Algonquin
AMCORE Woes Add Uncertainty To Riverside Square
MCC Enrollment Growth Highest In Illinois
Police Blotters
State Budget Proposal Gives Schools Some Guidance
Hooker Bust In Lake in the Hills
Algonquin Store Flunks Liquor Check
March Primary Bill Heads To Quinn
Police Blotters
Raised Voices, Frayed Tempers At Regular Grafton Twp. Meeting
County Assessments Likely To Stand Unchanged
Algonquin Police Chief Calls For National Crime Commission
Quinn: Tax Or Education Cuts Not A Scare Tactic
Police Blotters
Grafton Supervisor Sues Trustees, Township Attorney
GOP Pols Reject Quinn Budget
Algonquin Township To Continue Paint Recycling
No Date Yet For Randall CFI Meeting, Take Two
Police Bloters
Area Officials Blast Plan To Cut Income Tax Sharing
LITH Seeks Best Way To Bail Out Of Water Problem
D300 To Send Three Students To National Conference
Pro-Choice, Women's Groups Blast Brady
Police Blotters

Another Suit Filed At Grafton Township

Grafton Township trustees filed a countersuit late Monday afternoon against Supervisor Linda Moore. It was another escalation of the continuing conflict over who runs the embattled township.

The suit filed by law firm Ancel Glink, the township's legal counsel, merely formalizes the charges made in last week's Grafton Township meeting that Moore removed or destroyed computerized financial and senior bus records and their backups at the township offices after trustees ordered them audited.
 
Trustee Rob LaPorta said today he expects a forensic exam of the computers which the board authorized at the meeting to provide proof of the allegation.

Moore filed suit against trustees and an Ancel-Glink attorney last week charging they were interfering with her job as Supervisor.

LaPorta said Monday's suit against Moore was on behalf of the Township, not the individual trustees themselves.

Limited Huntley Water Shut Down, Boil Order in Effect

Huntley Public Works will be making an emergency water main repair at the corner of Main and Church Streets this morning so water in the area will be shut off for a while.

Water will be off on Church Street from Mill Street to Main Street; on Main Street Church Street to Woodstock Street, and on Woodstock north to Coral Street until things are fixed again, probably early to mid-morning.

The area affected includes around a dozen homes and several businesses including two restaurants. Even after the water goes back on, though, as a precaution village officials advise five minutes' boiling for drinking and cooking water in those areas until 9 pm Wednesday.

If anyone has questions Dan Ruggles in the Public Works Department is the man to ask at 847-515-5283.

April 1 Set For Huntley Rte. 47 Expansion Start

Nicor's gas main work on north Route 47 in Huntley has been another clue that the thoroughfare's expansion is getting close and Monday Mayor Chuck Sass announced April 1 will mark the official start of the long-awaited widening project.

In a posting on the Village website Sass was frank.  "We ask for your patience during this project," he said, observing the job will take two construction seasons in which "it will be difficult to travel Route 47."  He said it would be worth the trouble, though, since "traffic flow through the village will be improved."

Huntley's scheduled an informational meeting on the widening for 6:30 pm next Wednesday, March 24, at Village Hall.  In the meantime, there's a series of detailed maps posted here:
http://www.huntley.il.us/news/Recent%20news/2010/Rt%2047%20Striping%20Plan,%20Sidewalk%20and%20Lighting.pdf

The village has also set up a Route 47 Hotline for questions at 847-515-5266

Besides the gas main work underway ComEd still has to relocate buried power lines on the north section of Route 47.  Village Manager Dave Johnson said Monday he expected that to begin soon.

French Casual Dining (Crepes) Comes To Algonquin

How a one-time chef at the Elysee Palace (that's like the French White House only classier) came to open Algonquin's latest restaurant last week is a complicated tale.

Short version with lots of editng: Crystal Lake guy decides France needs an American bakery.  Young Parisian chef figures turnabout's fair play and French couisine would be just the ticket in the collar counties. Pause for five years cooking hospital food in Barrington but with periodic shopping trips to Algonquin. Finally, voila, Creperie de Normande in Algonquin Commons.

A creperie is, um, well, it's a place that sells crepes. Crepes are sort of like a French tortilla except not very much since they're a lot more delicate but, anyway, you wrap stuff, savory or sweet, hot or cold, in them. And you eat them, of course.

"We are not fast food," said chef Lionel Pilate-Jean.  "We are quick food casual. French casual. Exactly as in Normandy."

Those of a certain age may remember crepes were a fad 30 or so years ago but proved to be only a flash in the pan. (Sorry.)  Pilate-Jean isn't worried about that.  "I was not here then," he laughed.

"It's very authentic," volunteered lunch patron Diane Black. "I was in France a few months ago."

The secret is in the flour, said Pilate-Jean, buckwheat flour.  "That's the how they are made in south France."

In the pic: Chef Lionel Pilate-Jean cooks up a couple of lunch crepes with a chicken filling at Algonquin's Creperie de Normande Monday.

ISP Doomsday Budget: 400 Troopers, 5 Districts Cut

By Benjamin Yount, Illinois Statehouse News
The acting director of the Illinois State Police said he cannot guarantee that Illinois will be any safer next year. Jonathon Monken told a group of Illinois lawmakers Monday that he's planning for a "doomsday budget."

Monken said Gov. Pat Quinn's proposed budget would leave the Illinois State Police with the fewest number of troopers in at least 20 years. "Quite honestly to be able to continue to perform the functions that we are required to do for the agency and that we owe to the people of Illinois, we'll still be able to perform them in a certain capacity," said Monken. "But not at the level that's necessary to keep crime down, to keep traffic fatalities down, to keep all these things in check."

Monken said he's preparing to lose as much as 30 percent of his force. The acting director said by the time older troopers retire, and there are no replacements, Illinois could have more than 400 fewer state troopers on the road.

Monken had said he'd look to target districts in low crime areas, or areas of the state with plenty of local police backup. But he would not offer any specifics on which of the state's 22 Illinois State Police Districts may be closed or combined.

Lawmakers in Springfield say they now worry their State Police district back home may be on that list. Almost every lawmaker said the plan to balance Illinois' budget on the backs of the State Police is a bad idea. They'll begin work on their own spending plan when they return after a legislative spring break at the end of this month.

You can read Ben's full report at: http://illinoisstatehousenews.com/2010/03/15/isp-doomsday-budget-400troopers-5-districts-cut/

Police Blotters

The filing of charges is not proof of guilt. A defendant charged is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the state’s burden to prove his or her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Lake in the Hills
March 15
1248 HRS 101 N. RANDALL RD. (DOMINICKS). DRIVING WHILE LICENSE SUSPENDED. BARSON, SHANE A., M/W 28 YEARS OF AGE, 1521  CUMBERLAND PKWY., ALGONQUIN. CHARGES: Driving while license suspended, no insurance. RELEASED ON BOND.
2113 HRS ALGONQUIN RD. & SQUARE BARN. DRIVING WHILE LICENSE REVOKED. RODRIGUEZ, DAVID A. M/W 25 YEARS OF AGE, 1534 N.  SEMINARY AVE. #A, WOODSTOCK. CHARGES: Driving while License Revoked, No Valid Insurance, Speeding. RELEASED ON BOND.
1134 HRS 200 BLOCK OF BOULDER DR. DOMESTIC BATTERY. Husband and wife. One prior. FAIL TO FILE.
1643 HRS 250 N. RANDALL RD. (COSTCO). ASSIST AMBULANCE. Female, 33 years of age, fell down. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
1715 HRS 5400 BLOCK OF SAVOY DR. DOMESTIC. Husband vs. Wife. Verbal only. Two priors.
1851 HRS 5800 BLOCK OF LUCERNE LN. SEX OFFENDER REGISTRATION VIOLATION. Investigating a possible sex offender registration  violation.
2305 HRS 00 BLOCK OF LA QUINTA CT. ASSIST OTHER POLICE AGENCY. Assisted McHenry County Sheriff with serving an Order of  Protection.

FEN Asks Attorney General For D158 FOIA Review

Whatever's happening to District 158's Special Services Department will prove one of the earliest tests of Illinois' newly revised Freedom Of Information Act.  In the face of revelations last week that there may be two very different letters of resignation submitted last month by Special Services Director Cheryl Kalkirtz, the First Electric Newspaper today requested a FOIA Review of D158's response providing an uninformative version.

"The Freedom Of Information Act sets up a little game journalists and Government play," said FEN Publisher Pete Gonigam.  "The rules are if we keep playing 20 questions long enough before quitting for a decent-paying job, Government has to finally give us the information we ask for. Only I'm not sure D158 is playing by the rules."

Kalkirtz was the latest of five special education directors or top administrators who have departed D158 in the past year.  When the Daily Herald newspaper first reported Kalkirtz' departure Feb. 2 Superintendent John Burkey at first declined even to say whether she had resigned or been fired citing an exemption for "personnel" issues. Area media filed FOIA requests and all appear to have received a letter of resignation dated Feb. 1 reading in its entirety, "I, Cheryl Kalkirtz, resign from CSD158 effective immediately."

However, Thursday McHenry County Blog Publisher Cal Skinner revealed a two-page Kalkirtz letter of resignation dated Jan. 11, almost a month earlier, laying out a litany of complaints about heavy-handed D158 conduct of its Special Education program.  That same day the Daily Herald reported Kalkirtz had "authenticated" the earlier letter and said Kalkirtz' attorney had charged Burkey directed Assistant Superintendant Terry Awrey to destroy it.

FEN was unable Friday to contact Chicago resident Kalkirtz and her attorney didn't respond to inquiry.  Burkey didn't reply to a request for interview. All other apparent avenues exhausted, FEN instructed its attorney to prepare the request for FOIA Review over the weekend.

Under the previous version of Illinois' Freedom of Information Act, an appeal from response to a FOIA request would have been decided by the chief executive officer of a government entity, in D158's case, Burkey.  However since Jan. 1, appeals now go straight to the Illinois Attorney General's Office.

FEN's FOIA request asked for "letters of resignation or dismissal" not just for Kalkirtz but for all five Special Ed admininstrators who've left D158 in the past year.  FOIA Officer, Lori Woods, Burkey's Administrative Assistant, said there was "no written document" for Assistant Director Renee Erickson who left last year.  Resignation letters from former Director Meg Schnoor and Early Learning Coordinator Susan Kondrat provided no clues about why they left at the end of the last school year.  Neither did a letter of resignation from Assistant Director Perry Yates just before Christmas and less than a month before Kalkirtz apparently resigned.  However, it did say his decision came "after a great deal of reflection and deliberation."  FEN has been unable to contact Yates, either.

Special Ed parents have periodically packed D158 Board and special meetings to complain that programs aren't as good as those in nearby districts.

In the pic: These two supposed Kalkirtz signatures don't look a lot alike. Top is from the letter of resignation D158 provided to media FOIA requests.  Bottom is from the earlier "complaint" letter of resignation allegedly destroyed.

Two Weeks Deadline For LITH Arbor Day Contest

Break out the crayons and markers. There are only a couple of weeks left for kids to enter the Village of Lake in the Hills' Arbor Day poster contest.  The contest is open to  Lake  in the Hills residents ages nine through eleven who can win up to $250 in Savings Bonds.

The theme for 2010 is: Trees are Terrific…and Energy Wise.

First, prize is a $250 bond; second $150 and third $100. All contestants will receive a prize. This year's conteast is sponsored by Alaniz Landscaping Group,Ryco Landscaping and Rough Cut Tree Service.

Rules and regs for the contest are at http://www.lith.org/arborday.html

The entry deadline is April 2.  Posters can be submitted to the Parks & Recreation Department at Village Hall.  The winner will be announced on April 16 and prizes will be awarded at the Village Board meeting on April 22.

In the pic: The 2009 LITH Arbor Day Poster Winner.

Search Ramps Up For New D300 Superintendent

District 300 will hold a special meeting Wednesday to gather public input on the search for the new District 300 superintendent.  After 10 years as D300 boss Ken Arndt will retire at the end of this school year.

Wednesday's parent/community forum will begin at 7 pm on Wednesday in the Board Room of the D300 Administration Center, Carpentersville, under the auspices of recruiting firm Hazard, Young, Attea & Assoc.(HYA) which the school board hired to shepherd the search process.

The firm wants input on three key questions:

(1)   What are the strengths of District 300 that are important to continue and support?
(2)   What are the challenges that will face District 300 in the next few years?
(3)   What characteristics, skills, and/or experience would you like the next D300 superintendent to possess?

D300 staff members will have a separate meeting with HYA at 4 pm March 17 in the Board Room.  Persons who are both parents and staff members are welcome to attend either of the forums or both.  HYA will be holding one-on-one focus groups this week with stakeholder groups including municipal leaders, PTO Council presidents and other parent groups, church leaders,  school administrators, the D300 Foundation Board and district labor.

Green Party Candidate Outlines Budget Plan

By Rachel Wells
Green Party candidate Rich Whitney last week that if elected governor, he would fix the state’s $13 billion budget problem by creating a new tax – a sort of sin tax on the profits of speculative trading – and by pushing a tax increase plan that stalled in the General Assembly last spring.

A financial transactions tax, which the state would levy on securities traded on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the Chicago Board of Options Exchange at what Whitney called a “minuscule” rate, “not pennies on the dollar but pennies on the $100,” could potentially bring in enough funds to wipe out Illinois' budget deficit, he said. He added that he would seek only a tax rate high enough to bring in $4.5 billion.

Whitney said he would also call on legislators to pass the same “comprehensive” plan outlined in Senate Bill 750, a tax and education funding reform bill previously sponsored by Sen. James Meeks, a Chicago Democrat. The measure called for an income tax increase of 2 percentage points, an expansion of the sales tax base to include some services but a cut in property taxes. Whitney said the income tax plan could generate more than $7.3 billion. A version of Meeks’ bill passed in the Senate last session but was never called in the House.

Whitney would also like to legalize and tax cannabis, as well as implement a greenhouse gas fee and dividend system under which fees imposed on high pollution energy producers would benefit consumers until more environmentally friendly energy sources become more common and less pricey.

You can read Rachel's full report at: http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/green-party-candidate-outlines-budget.html

In the pic: Whitney

Police Blotters

The filing of charges is not proof of guilt. A defendant charged is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the state’s burden to prove his or her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Lake in the Hills
March 14
2213 HRS JEFFERSON ST. & LINCOLN ST. DRIVING WHILE LICENSE SUSPENDED. CRANE, KASANDRA L., F/W 19 YEARS OF AGE, 4312 W. SHAMROCK LN. APT 3G, MCHENRY. CHARGES: Driving while license Suspended. RELEASED ON BOND.
0046 HRS 0 BLOCK OF POINT O WOODS CT. DOMESTIC BATTERY. Husband vs. wife. Two priors. FAIL TO FILE.
00526 HRS 300 BLOCK OF RAMBLE RD. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Female, 64 years of age, possible diabetic reaction. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
0731 HRS 20 BLOCK OF HILLY LN. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Female, one year of age, having a seizure. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
1013 HRS 300 BLOCK OF APACHE TRAIL. DOMESTIC. Boyfriend vs. girlfriend. Verbal altercation only. Two priors.
1327 HRS 1300 BLOCK OF CUNAT COURT. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Male, 50 years of age, having chest pains. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
1531 HRS 5200 MILLER RD. (SUNSET PARK). ASSIST AMBULANCE. Female, 13 years of age, possibly broke her arm. Transported to Lutheran General Hospital.
1914 HRS 1440 IMHOFF DR. (PERIMETER TUCKPOINT). LOST ARTICLE. Lost trailer plate. Entered into the Law Enforcement Agency Database System.
Algonquin
March 12
12:43pm Cruz, Steven, DOB: 12/25/91, of 145 Arquilla Drive, Algonquin, was charged with Unlawful Consumption of Alcohol by a Minor.  He was taken into custody at Jacobs High School, 2601 Bunker Hill Drive.  He was released after posting $100, with a court date of 04/14/10, in McHenry County.
22:47pm Byrne, Garrett S., DOB: 10/14/87, of 625 Gaslight Drive, Algonquin, was charged with Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Unlawful Possession of Cannabis.  He was taken into custody at Towne Park, 100 Jefferson Street.  He was released after posting $100, with a court date of 04/14/10, in McHenry County.
March 14
01:17am Petrash, Thaddeus A., DOB: 07/22/83, of 974 Osage Court, Carpentersville, was Wanted on a Warrant out of Kane County for Disorderly Conduct.  He was taken into custody at Tavern at the Bridge, 101 E. Algonquin Road.  He was released after posting $300, with a court date of 04/01/10, in Kane County.
04:54am Karavitis, James C., DOB: 04/23/73, of 124 Mohawk Trail, Algonquin, was charged with DUI, DUI Over, Improper Lane Usage and Improper Turn.  He was taken into custody at N. Harrison Street and Edward Street.  He was released after posting $100 and his Illinois Driver’s License, with a court date of 04/21/10, in McHenry County.
04:59am Ruck, Trevor J., DOB: 12/23/90, of 640 Ash Street, Algonquin, was charged with DUI and Failure to Notify SOS of Address Change.  He was taken into custody at 1Arrowhead Drive.  He was released after posting $100 and his Illinois Driver’s License, with a court date of 04/21/10, in McHenry County.
19:01pm Nechvatal, Alex M., DOB: 08/19/90, of 1425 Meghan Avenue, Algonquin, was charged with Retail Theft.  He was taken into custody at TJ Maxx, 832 S. Randall Road.  He was released on a Notice to Appear, with a court date of 04/28/10, in Algonquin.
19:17pm Byrne, Davis T., DOB: 12/31/91, of 850 Taralon Trail, Lake in the Hills, was charged with DWLS and Improper Lane Usage.  He was taken into custody at Bunker Hill Drive and Fairway View Drive. He was released after posting $100, with a court date of 04/28/10, in McHenry County.

Flood Advisory All Week For Fox At Algonquin

The National Weather Service issued a flood advisory Saturday for the Fox River at Algonquin affecting both McHenry and Kane Counties. The flood advisory extends through next Saturday, March 20.

The river was at 1.89 feet at the last report at 1:45 am this morning, up an inch from the 8:45 pm mark Saturday evening. Bankfull stage above the Algonquin Dam is 2.8 feet and flood stage is 3 feet. River forecasters expect the Fox to hit flood stage in Algonquin Thursday rising to a 3.1 feet Friday and Saturday.  At 3.2 some homes are threatened by flooding in Richardson subdivision.

You can track the Fox at Algonquin at: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=lot&gage=algi2&view=1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1&toggles=10,7,8,2,9,15,6&type=2

AMCORE Woes Add Uncertainty To Riverside Square

Thursday's report in Crain's Chicago Business adds another dimension to the expected showdown between AMCORE Bank and the Village of Algonquin over what to do about the failed Riverside Square condominium project in about two weeks.

Crain's and later the Chicago Tribune reported AMCORE is one of seven area banks on the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's April 15 auction block. AMCORE faces a probable deadline two weeks before that, however, to come up with a plan to fix eight expensive Algonquin code violations or come up with a good legal excuse not to. The village cited AMCORE, deedholder to the project locally nicknamed "Tyvek Towers", after FEN reported the masonry contractor supposed to finish its brick facing was pulling off the site.  An Algonquin administrative judge allowed several continuances but the last time said he wouldn't do that again March 31.

AMCORE was reported to have $345.6 million in nonperforming loans at end of 2009 and more are piling up. At the beginning of this month AMCORE filed a $4.5 million foreclosure suit on a 90-room hotel project in Chicago's Bucktown neighborhood. AMCORE had $4.1 billion in assets at the end of 2009 but its stock has tanked so low for so long that the NASDAQ market served notice Friday it may be delisted. Crain's claimed last week that Chicago's Harris Bank was interested in acquiring AMCORE and some private-equity groups probably would be.

All of that puts AMCORE, still trying to raise capital to stay independent, in an unenviable position.  An adverse ruling on Riverside Square would draw more attention to the bank's woes at a critical moment.  Agreeing to shell out some money to dress up the derelict project would probably be less prominent but that would drain the very reserves the bank is trying to build up.

Algonquin's position is somewhat better. No matter what happens to AMCORE, someone will end up holding the Riverside Square deed so the village can take them to Circuit Court if its board wants to.

MCC Enrollment Growth Highest In Illinois

McHenry County College led the state in student enrollment growth from last spring to this spring, according to college officials Mondday. The current headcount stands at 7,381, an increase of 28.4 percent from last spring’s headcount of 5,749, according to figures reported to the state.

This growth continues an upward trend from last fall reflecting the continued economic downturn and a national trend of community college enrollment growth. “We have seen incredible growth in enrollment due, in part, to the economy, but even more so because of the high quality educational opportunities we offer here at MCC, said Tony Miksa, vice president of Academic and Student Affairs.

Summer registration begins today and the College has implemented a new priority registration process to ensure currently enrolled students who are nearest to degree completion can enroll in the courses they need to graduate. Details are at: http://www.mchenry.edu/currentstudents/index.asp

Police Blotters

The filing of charges is not proof of guilt. A defendant charged is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the state’s burden to prove his or her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Lake in the Hills
March 13
0339 HRS 900 BLOCK OF CYNTHIA LN. ILLEGAL CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL. CRUZ, TAYLOR A., F/W 20 YEARS OF AGE, 940 CYNTHIA LN., LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGES: Illegal Consumption of Alcohol, Hosting an Underage Drinking Party. NOTICE TO APPEAR ISSUED. TAYLOR, PAIGE E., F/W 20 YEARS OF AGE, 1202 CLOVER LN., MCHENRY CHARGES: Illegal Consumption of Alcohol. NOTICE TO APPEAR ISSUED. KNAUF, PATRICK R., M/W 19 YEARS OF AGE, 4021 W. LILLIAN ST., MCHENRY. CHARGES: Illegal Consumption of Alcohol. NOTICE TO APPEAR ISSUED. BLOCKER, KEVIN J., M/W 20 YEARS OF AGE, 8181 STICKNEY RUN, WOODSTOCK. CHARGES: Illegal Consumption of Alcohol. NOTICE TO APPEAR ISSUED.
FOLLOW UP TO: 030910 @ 0955 HRS HILLTOP DR. & ALGONQUIN RD. DRIVING WHILE LICENSE SUSPENDED. MENENDEZ, ANA P., F/W 23 YEARS OF AGE, 604 WESTWIND DR., CARPENTERSVILLE. Charge: Driving While License Suspended. RELEASED ON BOND.
0059 HRS 1500 BLOCK OF WASHINGTON ST. BATTERY. Two male subjects got into a physical altercation. FAIL TO FILE.
0154 HRS 1500 BLOCK OF WASHINGTON ST. FOUND PROPERTY. Cellular phone located in front of the residence.
1257 HRS 9625 HALIGUS RD. (MARLOWE). THEFT. A laptop computer was taken.
1638 HRS MILLER RD. & RANDALL RD. ACCIDENT. Two vehicles. Property damage only.

State Budget Proposal Gives Schools Some Guidance

The unveiling Wednesday of Governor Pat Quinn's delayed budget proposal cleared away some of the fog in which school district planners have been working.  But only a little.

In a bow to reality Quinn's budget doesn't count on a continuation of the $1 billion in Federal stimulus funds used to shore up Illinois education spending this year. “It was crystal clear that the votes are not there in the Congress to extend the federal stimulus for education. It’s not going to happen," said Quinn.

His proposal calls for $1.3 billion in cuts to state education funding--unless the state increases its income tax from 3 to 4 percent. In that case the state will pay off the $850 million it already owes districts for the current year and will restore support to this year's nominal figures.

D158 CFO Mark Altmayer said the Governor's budget proposal remains a pretty broad brush affair, though.  "They didn't break down the $1.3 billion cuts," said. The state provides several different kinds of education funding but Quinn's proposal doesn't say how much will be cut from specific areas like general support, special education and transportation.

Overall, though, "The cuts amount to a 17 percent level," said Altmeyer. "We're planning for those cuts," he said, since extra money from an income tax increase is no more than conjectural now. "Is it going to get done?" he said.

D300 CFO Cheryl Crates said she hoped for more detail from an Illinois State Board of Education budget analysis but she isn't counting on an income tax increase, either.  "At this point, there's no new money," she said. Crates said Quinn's budget works out to roughly the worst-case scenario she presented to the D300 board Monday.  "If I'd had Quinn's numbers to work with I'd have still done it the way I did it," she said.

Crates' projections work out to an $11 million state shortfall for the coming year and her district has already agreed to lay off as many as 150 teachers next year.  Altmeyer is working on cuts to place before the D158 board next week.

Largely unremarked in Quinn's income tax proposal this week is an extra $650 million left over if the state paid schools at this year's level.  So far Quinn hasn't said what he'd to do with that money.

Hooker Bust In Lake in the Hills

Lake in the Hills Police Department arrested a 32 year old LITH woman for prostitution Friday. Shannon D. Harnish, 32, of 179 Northlight Pass was charged with one count of prostitution, and one count of offense against public morals and decency, a local ordinance charge.

Police said they received an anonymous complaint about activities at Harnish's home and sent in an undercover officer who was offered "an act of sexual penetration" in exchange for money.

Harnish posted $100.00 cash bond and was released.

Algonquin Store Flunks Liquor Check

A month-long liquor enforcement operation by the McHenry County Sheriff's office and Illinois State Police found an Algonquin business one of three alleged to have sold alcohol to a minor.

Sheriff Keith Nygren said Town Liquors, 1127 W. Algonquin Road sold alcoholic beverage to an underage volunteer police sent in for a compliance check.  Nygren said two stores in McHenry and Cary similarly failed the check.

Nygren said 29 other stores around the county did pass the test, though.

March Primary Bill Heads To Quinn

By Ashley Badgley, Illinois Statehouse News
The push to move Illinois’ primary election back to March has cleared both legislative chambers and is waiting Gov. Pat Quinn’s signature.

State primary elections in Illinois used to take place on the third Tuesday in March. Legislators changed the date to early February just before President Barack Obama was in the running for the Democratic presidential nomination. Many lawmakers hoped an early primary would help Illinois push Obama ahead in the election. However, now lawmakers think a primary in the first week of February is too early and resulted last month in one of the lowest voter turnouts in Illinois history.

Rep. Mike Boland, D-East Moline cast the only dissenting vote. He said a March primary is just “one iota” better than a February primary. He said he would like to see the primary pushed to April or later.

Quinn said he is in support of moving the primary back to the original date in March because Illinois has “harsh winters,” and turnout will be much better in March. “I thought the primary was way too early this year,” Quinn said. “We live in a pretty tough climate in the winter in Illinois. Feb. 2 is way too early and I was happy to see the legislature address this issue.”

Quinn said he will sign the bill as soon as he sees it. “I haven’t gotten the bill yet, but I’m definitely for moving the primary back in the future,” Quinn said. “It will be a better turnout and I think it will be a better campaign for the people.”

You can read Ashley's full report at: http://illinoisstatehousenews.com/2010/03/12/bill-moving-primary-back-to-march-heads-to-quinn/

Local Sports

Boys' Basketball
Friday
CLASS 3A SECTIONAL FINALS
Vernon Hills Sectional
St. Viator 66, Johnsburg 54
Tuesday
CLASS 3A
Hampshire Sectional
Oswego 66, Marian Central 46

Police Blotters

The filing of charges is not proof of guilt. A defendant charged is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the state’s burden to prove his or her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Lake in the Hills
March 12
0056 HRS MILLER RD. & PATTON AVE. DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL. SLEBODA, PAUL J., M/W 34 YEARS OF AGE, 8 ASH DRIVE, OAKWOOD HILLS. CHARGES: Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, Disobey a Traffic Control Signal. RELEASED ON BOND.
FOLLOW-UP ARREST: 1158 HRS 100 BLOCK OF NORTHLIGHT PASS. PROSTITUTION. HARNISH, SHANNON D., F/W 32 YEARS OF AGE, 179 NORTHLIGHT PASS, LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGE: One Count of Prostitution a Class A Misdemeanor, and A Local Ordinance Charge of Offense against Public Morals and Decency. RELEASED ON BOND.
0233 HRS 900 BLOCK OF CYNTHIA LN. THEFT A cell phone was taken and returned. FAIL TO FILE.
0759 HRS 0 BLOCK OF HUNTERS PATH. ORDER OF PROTECTION VIOLATION. Possible violation on order of protection. PENDING INVESTIGATION BY REPORTING OFFICER.
0926 HRS 00 BLOCK OF BARHARBOR CT. IDENTITY THEFT. Identity Theft.
1300 HRS 2800 BLOCK OF CADBURY CIRCLE. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Male, 48 years of age, having a seizure. Transported to Woodstock Hospital.
1857 HRS 0 BLOCK OF CLARK AVE. ACCIDENT. Two vehicles. Property damage only. Delayed from March.10th.

Raised Voices, Frayed Tempers At Regular Grafton Twp. Meeting

A court reporter-style stenotypist recorded the regular three and a half-hour Grafton Township Board meeting Thursday. Trustee Betty Zirk said the steno was recording the session on the advice of Township Attorney Keri-Lyn Krafthefer.  There were also no fewer than four people making continuous video recordings of the meeting.

Kraftefer wasn't at the meeting, called to an emergency by another client according to her law firm partner Robert Bush.

During the meeting:

The Board retired to executive session for about 20 minutes to review resumes from applicants for the position of Township clerk.  They'd intended to conduct interviews, too, but forgot to tell the applicants.

Trustees told Assessor Bill Ottley to advertise for bids in "the newspaper" for a new assessment program even though he said the current program, not updated since 1995, is starting to show signs of failure. "Is this the first crack in the ice?" asked Ottley. "I don't know," but he couldn't convince trustees the danger of records loss was great enough to simply buy the specialized software from one of the three national companies he'd contacted.

Trustees voted, however, to hire without bid a computer forensics investigator to find out what or who wiped out all the township financial and senior bus records earlier this week and removed all the computer backups, too. "This was criminal activity," said Trustee Rob LaPorta. "This is not any political game," he said.

Township Administrator Pam Fender made it clear she thought Supervisor Linda Moore was the culprit.  "I'm sure you've been at home laughing," she told Moore.

Moore said she'd been instructed to say nothing about the matter on the advice of legal counsel who filed suit on Moore's behalf Wednesday against trustees and Krafthefer for interfering with the way she runs things. "She's taking the Fifth," shouted Trustee Gerry McMahon.

Trustees also voted to hire a part-time helper for Fender to cover for her when she has to be out of the office.  That was even though spectator Loretta Wuich volunteered to do it for nothing.  No hours, salary or means of recruitment were set but trustees agreed the position would carry no fringe benefits.

Spectator Dan Ziller, Jr., interjected Moore ought to do the job but Fender said Moore is no longer coming to the Township Offices.

Trustees had planned to examine how Moore's been doing administering General Assistance for township residents down on their luck but Moore said because of the loss of computer records she couldn't make a report.

Trustees passed a resolution re-affirming Moore can't fire Fender.

There was some planning for the Annual Township Meeting next month.  McMahon said he didn't want to pay for any police protection then.  "We can call 911. They'll be there in five minutes," he said.

In the pics:  (above) A stenotypist recorded Thursday's Grafton Township meeting. (below) The crowd at Township meetings keeps getting bigger and bigger.

County Assessments Likely To Stand Unchanged

Remember that 2009 property assessment that came in the mail last September? The good news is (unless you appealed and won a reduction) that's probably what your assessment is going to turn out to be. McHenry County Assessor Donna Mayberry reported Thursday all the appeals are done and there wasn't enough cumulative change to trigger a multiplier. Probably.

Algonquin Township Assessor Bob Kunz warned in January the County's independent Board of Review was being so lenient on appeals that Mayberry might have to raise all his township's assessments to even things out again. Mayberry said that didn't happen, though.

"In the last couple of days we had some big housing and commercial appeals (in Algonquin Township) and we were were getting worried but it didn't change things significantly," she said.

County Clerk Kathie Schultz said she certified the County's assessment report Monday and sent it off to Springfield for review there. Mayberry said she was confident the county would end up with a multiplier of 1, that is, no change to local assessments. Schultz said it might take a month to six weeks for an official OK, though.

Algonquin Police Chief Calls For National Crime Commission

Algonquin Police Chief Russ Laine is back from Capitol Hill where he joined 200 other top cops Monday to stump for a bill to create a National Criminal Justice Crime Commission.

Laine, president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police last year, said one was long overdue since the last time anyone took a broadview look at crime was back in 1965. “This legislation will task a commission with conducting a comprehensive examination of all aspects of the criminal justice system including the prevention of crime, law enforcement, corrections and offender re-entry,” Laine said.

The proposed Commission would look at a broad range of new and emerging challenges confronting law enforcement including cybercrime, non-Mafia organized crime, violent street gangs and homeland security, said Laine. The commission would also take a look at the way technological innovations might affect the criminal justice community, he said.

Earlier this month Laine was in Springfield pushing the Governor to restore cuts to early childhood programs to prevent crime. Illinois law enforcement leaders urged that the state’s preschool and home-visiting programs be protected. Last year they were cut 10 percent cut leaving programs across the state struggling to maintain their services. “It’s penny-wise and pound foolish to scale back the very programs that we know work," said Laine.

Quinn: Tax Or Education Cuts Not A Scare Tactic

By Benjamin Yount, Illinois Statehouse News
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has been appearing this week at local schools tring to drum up support for a 33 percent income tax increase to ward off $1.3 billion in cuts to schools and universities. Thursday he visited schools in Springfield and Chicago. Monday he appeared at another in Sprinfield.

"We have to understand reality.  We are now without a billion (stimulus) dollars that we counted on this year, so we have to make it up.  And I think it's very very important to make this decision that we aren't going to cut education funding.  Instead we'll have a 1 percent surcharge for schools."

Time is of the essence, Quinn said, since the state will receive its last federal stimulus payment in July. The $1 billion in federal money was used to plug this year's education budget. "There's no scaring involved, the bottom line is the federal money is not coming."

The governor said dire consequences loom ahead if his tax increase is not approved to replace those federal dollars. "You're going to see a lot of young teachers, who just got out of school…they'd be the first ones laid off.  And we're talking about 17,000 teachers in Illinois losing their jobs."

Quinn maintains that teachers and parents will understand and support his tax increase — it's just lawmakers who need to get the message.

You can read Ben's full report at: http://illinoisstatehousenews.com/2010/03/11/quinn-tax-or-education-cuts-not-a-scare-tactic/

Police Blotters

The filing of charges is not proof of guilt. A defendant charged is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the state’s burden to prove his or her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Lake in the Hills
March 11
0436 HRS 200 BLOCK OF THUNDER RIDGE. BURGLARY TO A MOTOR VEHICLE. Global Positioning System was taken from an unsecured vehicle.
1203 HRS 00 BLOCK OF GRANT AVE. AMBULANCE ASSIST. 68 year old female having a problem with her medication. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
1855 HRS ALGONQUIN RD. & HILLTOP DR. ACCIDENT. Two vehicles property damage only.
2202 HRS 50 W. ACORN. (HOME STATE BANK). FOUND PROPERTY. Black bag with work out clothes in it, at the intersection of Randall Rd and Acorn Ln.
2305 HRS 900 BLOCK OF BRANDT DR. BURGLARY TO A MOTOR VEHICLE. Cellphone was taken from an unsecured vehicle.
Algonquin
March 8
15:40pm A thirteen-year-old male from Algonquin was charged with Battery.  He was taken into custody in the 700 block of Majestic Drive.  He was referred to the Tri Area Court For Teens and then released into the custody of his parents.
21:19pm Hermann, Daniel T., DOB: 06/10/57, of 18N304 Sawyer Road, West Dundee, was Wanted on a Warrant out of McHenry County for Contempt of Court.  He was taken into custody at Jewel, 1501 E. Algonquin Road.  He was released after posting $300, with a court date of 03/24/10, in McHenry County.
March 9
11:21am Dorantes-Martinez, Edgar E.,  DOB: 11/19/88, of 1685 Mulberry, Apt #3, Elgin, was charged with No Valid Driver’s License.  He was taken into custody at Randall Road and Algonquin Road.  He was released after posting $100, with a court date of 04/14/10, in McHenry County.
14:34pm Dennison, Keith M., DOB: 12/12/90, of 460 Buckingham, Apt #17, Crystal Lake, was charge with DWLS.  He was taken into custody at Randall Road and Algonquin Road.  He was released after posting $100, with a court date of 04/14/10, in McHenry County.
19:04pm Muskala, Mateusz K., DOB: 05/19/91, of 8 W. Oak Street, Lake in the Hills, was charged with Retail Theft.  He was taken into custody at TJ Maxx, 832 S. Randall Road.  He was released on a Notice to Appear, with a court date of 04/28/10, in Algonquin.  Also taken into custody during the same incident was a seventeen-year-old male from West Dundee, who was also charged with Retail Theft.  He was also released on a Notice to Appear, with a court date of 04/28/10, in Algonquin.
March 11
12:54pm Slowik, Jakub J., DOB: 01/24/85, of 1325 Parkview Terrace North, Algonquin, was charged with 2 counts of Domestic Battery.  He was taken into custody at 1325 Parkview Terrace North.  He was transported to McHenry County Jail, to await a bond hearing.
March 12
00:38am Beldinger, Christian, DOB: 02/20/68, of 2201 Tahoe Parkway, Algonquin, was charged with Domestic Battery, Aggravated Assault and Unlawful Use of a Weapon.  He was taken into custody at 2201 Tahoe Parkway.  He was transported to McHenry County Jail, to await a bond hearing.

Grafton Supervisor Sues Trustees, Township Attorney

The battle for control over Grafton Township stepped up another notch Wednesday as Supervisor Linda Moore filed suit against the Township's trustees and the attorney she insisted the Board accept. Meanwhile the newly-hired Township Administrator claimed the Township's financial records have disappeared and FEN turned up more evidence that the State's Attorney's Office is investigating the Supervisor.

Moore's suit charges trustees threw her out of what was the Supervisor's office and changed the lock, blocked her from the Township phone system, locked her out of the Township computer network and intercepted her mail. It also charges Township Attorney Keri-Lyn Krafthefer refuses to accept being fired by Moore in December.  The suit claims Moore fired Administrator Pam Fender at an unspecified date, too.

Moore has complained Trustees are trying to "micromanage" her but in the suit charges they aren't allowed to manage her at all.

"This is a separation of powers case," said Rockford Attorney John Nelson whom Moore hired for the Township in her capacity as Supervisor.  "It involves the fundamental right of voters to select their representatives."

Nelson asked for an emergency preliminary injunction and temporary restraining order but Judge Maureen McIntyre denied those saying there wasn't an emergency.  A date for arguments on a regular injunction and restraining order is expected to be set Monday.  The main case it set for scheduling July 14.

In a posting to Internet bulletin board Huntley Neighbors Wednesday afternoon Fender charged Moore had "her IT guy" remove the Township's computerized financial records which trustees last week ordered audited because of "discrepancies."  She also claimed Moore rigged the township phones to forward calls to a cellphone set on "a quiet tone" abandoned on a backroom desk.

Krafthefer had already confirmed that the Township financial records are missing on the Township computers.

Krafthefer likewise confirmed FEN's report last week that the McHenry County State's Attorney is investigating the Grafton Township conflict.  She said she has spoken repeatedly with an investigator looking into charges Moore made unauthorized withdrawals from and deposits to personal checking accounts of township employees.

Grafton Township's regular monthly meeting is set for this evening at the Park District, 7:30 pm.

In the pic:  Grafton Township Supervisor Linda Moore and Grafton Township's latest attorney, John Nelson, leaving the McHenry County Courthouse Wednesday.

GOP Pols Reject Quinn Budget

By Mary Massingale, Illinois Statehouse News
"We were sent to Springfield to make difficult decisions, not push our problems off to future General Assemblies and future generations,” said McHenry County State Rep. Mike Tryon (R-64) after Governor Pat Quinn's state budget speech Wednesday.

“After years of overspending by Governor Blagojevich and the Democrats, Governor Quinn could have put us on the right path by embracing reforms and rejecting business as usual,” said Tryon. “Instead, Governor Quinn seems content with maintaining the status quo by proposing a tax increase, borrowing more money, delaying payments to state vendors and refusing to entertain any spending and budget reform proposals."

Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Brady called  Quinn’s fiscal year 2011 budget a “catastrophe,” insisting his own plan for a 10 percent across-the-board cut would balance the budget and dig the state out of its $13 billion hole.

According to Quinn, the solution to the state’s financial woes lies in $4 billion in short-term borrowing and $2 billion in spending cuts, with $1.3 targeted for education. To soften the blow to education, the Democratic governor is calling for a 1 percent point increase – or 33 percent – in the state’s 3 percent income tax rate.

Brady said the income tax increase didn’t “make sense” to him, criticizing Quinn for singling out only one of the state’s major expenses.

“There’s $40 to $45 billion that you can cut and re-construct,” Brady said.” Brady declined, however, to elaborate on the details of the cuts that he believes could be made.

“It seems to me that what he’s simply doing here is ignoring the problem, kicking the can down the road, trying to make it past the election,” Brady said. “I frankly wonder if he’s planning on being here in January because he’s leaving a pretty big problem.”

You can read Mary's full report at: http://illinoisstatehousenews.com/2010/03/10/gop-candidate-for-governor-calls-quinns-budget-catastrophe/

Algonquin Township To Continue Paint Recycling

Highway Commissioner Bob Miller told the Algonquin Township Board Wednesday he plans to continue the Township's award-winning paint recycling program even though "we haven't got a dime" from efforts to find replacement money for state funding cut late last year.

Miller said Algonquin Township and one in Cook County will be the only organizations to continue municipal paint recycling after the Illinois EPA discontinued support for the program last November as the State fell further and further behind paying its bills.

Since 1997 "We've kept 200,000 gallons of paint out of the waste stream for a little over $300,000," Miller said but warned the program would have to be modified a little to hold costs down.

Paint dropoff has always been in theory only for Algonquin Township residents but Miller said workers haven't been to zealous about enforcing that.  ("Some of the people pull up with Wisconsin plates, that's a dead giveaway.")  This year Miller said workers will card paint recyclers and if they don't live in the township charge a $5 per car non-resident fee.

He also said workers may not be quite so picky in deciding which paint is good enough to save for reuse and which is dreck requiring incineration.

Algonquin Township's Recycling Center will open this season at the Township headquarters on Route 14, Crystal Lake March 27. Besides paint the center accepts aluminum, glass, plastic, paper, motor oil, tree branches and, on the fourth Saturday of each month, computer junk.

The Township's Recycling Center page is here, although it hasn't been updated with the latest changes yet:
http://www.algtwsp.com/recyclingcenter.html

In the pic:  Algonquin Township paint recyclers combine partial cans of paint into five-gallon buckets for use by environmentally aware or simply cash-strapped residents.

No Date Yet For Randall CFI Meeting, Take Two

McHenry County Transportation Committee Chairman Anna May Miller said Wendesday there's still no date set for the McHenry County Division of Transportation to return to either Algonquin or Lake in the Hills with more information to support plans for a novel intersection to fix traffic tieups at Randall and Algonquin Roads. "They're still gathering information," she said.

Algonquin trustees expressed reservations right off the bat after an MCDOT presentation in January. Lake in the Hills Trustees had to think about it a little before they decided last month they had problems with the idea, too, but backed off on a resolution to immediately reject a so-called Continuous Flow Intersection.

LITH Village President Ed Plaza said Tuesday he and village officials had met with MCDOT engineers but said, "The meeting was not to resolve anything but so they'd have a better understanding of our concerns."

"We asked them to come up with an apples to apples comparison," said Plaza. "We'd like to see what a standard widening would do to the commercial entrances." Impact on retailers was the kind of thing Algonquin trustees were worried about, too.

Police Blotters

The filing of charges is not proof of guilt. A defendant charged is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the state’s burden to prove his or her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Lake in the Hills
2156 HRS RANDALL RD. & ALGONQUIN RD. DRIVING WHILE LICENSE SUSPENDED. PAZOSFERRER, WILLIAM I., M/W 23 YEARS OF AGE, 112 N. HAGER AVE., CARPENTERSVILLE. CHARGES: Driving while license suspended no tail light. RELEASED ON BOND.
0822 HRS 00 BLOCK OF HUNTERS PATH. VIOLATION OF ORDER OF PROTECTION. Text messages, emails and voice mails.
1826 HRS 2900 BLOCK OF HILLSBORO LN. ASSIST AMBULANCE. 50 year old male fell and injured his chin. Transported to Woodstock Memorial Hospital.
1955 HRS 1400 BLOCK OF WASHINGTON ST. MISSING JUVENILE. Male, 16 years of age, did not return home. Entered into L.E.A.D.S.
2219 HRS 00 BLOCK OF DOGWOOD CT. DOMESTIC. Mother vs. daughter. Verbal only. No priors.

Area Officials Score Plan To Cut Income Tax Sharing

Governor Quinn won't officially release details of his proposed budget until later today but bits have been leaking out for days and his chief of staff held a briefing on it Tuesday night. The latest wrinkle revealed is a plan to cut income tax revenue sharing with cities and villages.

Jerry Stermer outlined Quinn’s proposal to plug the nearly $13 billion deficit with $2 billion in cuts and $11 million in short-term borrowing. No income tax increase is included in the spending plan but governor will ask municipalities across the state to give up $300 million in income tax revenue to help balance the budget.
"Because of the fiscal crisis, we're calling for a suspension of the current rate of 10 percent of income tax going to local governments to change to 7 percent," Stermer said.

That proposal met a cold shoulder at Algonquin where the village board was just winding up plans Tuesday  for its new fiscal year.  Village president John Schmidt said, "So now the state is saying, 'Help us out of this problem,' that we didn't create."

"In effect what they're doing to the muncipalities," said Schmidt,  "is making them kill services or raise taxes."

Village Manager Bill Ganek had a more Machiavellian analysis.  Alhough Quinn's budget doesn't call for an income tax increase now,  Ganek said cutting municipalities' share of the pie might be a way to get municipal officials on the bandwagon for one later. "If you cut sharing but then increase the income tax 50 percent you end up (from a municipal viewpoint) about the same place as you were," he said.

McHenry County State Rep. Jack Franks scored Quinn's proposed cut  in a release Tuesday. "Instead of demonstrating the fiscal discipline that is needed to solve our fiscal crisis, (Quinn's) answer is to steal money from local governments. That’s not leadership. It’s a complete lack of leadership.”

Sharing 10 percent of revenues with municipalities has been a feature in Illinois since the state first enacted an income tax in 1969.

LITH Seeks Best Way To Bail Out Of Water Problem

For three years the Lake in the Hills Board has been wrestling with what to do about the deteriorating water system in unincorporated LITH south of Algonquin Road and east of Hanson.  Tuesday they  agreed it would be a good idea to ask residents what they wanted.

Lake in the Hills provides water for homes and businesses in the area even though they aren't officially part of the village.  Public Works Director Fed Mullard has been warning that the 70 year-old pipes and valves have been deteriorating but said Tuesday they've now reached the point of no return with an estimated replacement cost of $1.7 million.

Trustees have made it clear that kind of money just isn't there so Mullard said the Village has called a meeting of residents to ask which of three non-village replacement options they prefer.

Option one calls for calls for residents to somehow assume control of and funding for their section of the water system.  The proposal is short on detail but therefore long on flexibility

Option two would be to sell that part of the water system to a private utility and let them fix it. Mullard said two companies have "expressed interest" in the idea.

Option three boils down to spiking the feed line and everybody drilling private wells.

Mullard said notices have already been mailed for a meeting on the water problem March 24, 6:30 pm at Village Hall.

In the pic: Folks in unincorporated LITH get village water through lines originally owned by the defunct Lake in the Hills Water Company.

D300 To Send Three Students To National Conference

District 300 and the Friends of D300 Foundation for Academic Excellence showed off a little at Algonquin's Barley House Tuesday celebrating sending students from each of the district's high schools to the National Young Leader's Conference in D.C. in a couple of weeks.

"This is the first time we've sent three students (to such a conference) since the district was formed in 1949," said Superintendent Ken Arndt.

Jim Pratt, Chairman of the Foundation Student Leadership Committee said it was an uphill fight.  Even after raising enough money for the conference itself, airfare only came through thanks to the area Rhodes Foundation, he said, and lunch money came out of members own wallets when they realized they'd forgotten about it.

In the pic:  D300 Foundation's Jim Pratt congratulates Jacobs' Stephen Lenzini and Dundee-Crown's Kwamayne King on being chosen for a national leadership conference while Superintedant Ken Arndt adds his kudos.  Hampshire's Christopher Egger is going, too, but was ill Tuesday.

Pro-Choice, Women’s Groups Blast Brady

By Bill McMorris, Illinois Statehouse News
A coalition of pro-choice and women's groups on Tuesday took aim at Republican Bill Brady's bid for the governor's mansion, blasting the Bloomington senator for his social conservatism.

Beth Kanter with Illinois Planned Parenthood's politcal action committee and several other activist groups gathered in Chicago to declare Brady “anti-woman," vowing to support Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn. "Over 17 years in Springfield, Bill Brady has amassed quite a scary record," Kanter said. "And in his run for governor, Bill Brady is not backing down in his extreme positions against women."

Kanter was joined onstage by representatives from the National Organization of Women, Personal PAC, Citizen Action, and a supporter of stem-cell research. She said she and other activists scrutinized Brady's Senate record and campaign questionnaires in formulating their opinion of him as a gubernatorial candidate.

Kanter cited Brady’s opposition to abortion rights, noting his response to an Illinois Federation for Right to Life questionnaire.

Brady could not be reached for comment Tuesday, but he has said in the past that he stands by his pro-life views, which he says are rooted in his Catholic faith. Last month, Brady proposed a ban on gay marriage, prompting some political observers to label him as too conservative. Quinn’s campaign issued a press release on Friday after Brady's primary victory became official, condemning his "extreme positions."

You can read the full report on this at: http://illinoisstatehousenews.com/2010/03/09/pro-choice-womens-groups-blast-brady/

Police Blotters

The filing of charges is not proof of guilt. A defendant charged is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the state’s burden to prove his or her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Lake in the Hills
March 09
1033 HRS 3500 BLOCK OF SONOMA CIRCLE. DOMESTIC BATTERY. CZASKA, ROBERT J., M/W 43 YEARS OF AGE, 3513 SONOMA CIRCLE, LAKE IN  THE HILLS CHARGES: Domestic Battery. TURNED OVER TO MCHENRY COUNTY JAIL.
1816 HRS 00 BLOCK OF DEER CREEK CT. THEFT. JUVENILE, 17 YEARS OF AGE, LAKE IN THE HILLS. Theft. RELEASED TO PARENTS.
0749 HRS ACORN LN. & RANDALL RD. ACCIDENT. 2 Vehicles. Property Damage Only.
0844 HRS 1115 CRYSTAL LAKE RD.(POLICE DEPT). FOUND ARTICLE. Driver’s License and credit cards.
0955 HRS HILLTOP DR. & ALGONQUIN RD. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Female, 24 years of age, having contractions. Transported to Sherman  Hospital.
1326 HRS 400 BLOCK OF PRIDES RUN. CRIMINAL DEFACEMENT. Graffiti.
1756 HRS RANDALL RD. & ACORN LN. ACCIDENT. Two vehicles. Property damage only.
2251 HRS 1100 BLOCK OF STARWOOD PASS. DOMESTIC. Verbal argument. Mother vs. son. No priors