"Text Me" Says Jacobs Principal In Surprise Security Plan

"This may be the wildest thing I've ever done," said Jacobs High School principal Mike Bregy over the school's PA system Friday.  And then he told all 2,500 students his personal cell number. He wasn't inviting calls from the kids, rather he asked for text messages.

Specifically, Bregy's hope is that they'll text him if they know about bad things like drugs, alcohol, weapons and gang fights that might pose security concerns at the high school.

"We're living in an age when technology is surpassing our ability to effectively communicate with you," Bregy told the students.

Translating from educationese Bregy said, "They don't talk anymore.  You ask them, 'When was the last time you called your parents?' and they tell you, 'We don't talk, we text.'"

Students were nonplussed when Bregy's voice told them to get out their cell phones and power up.  Cells are verbotten at Jacobs. "You get Saturday detention and you'll get your phone taken away," said sophomore Adam Yontz.

They were stunned when Bregy told them to enter his number and name--followed by the notation "Text".

The classroom reaction was negative. "I'm not going to text my principal," said sophomore Dylan Butler in a tone suggesting if some germicidal hand cleaner were nearby he'd use it. But peer pressure, especially imagined peer pressure is strong among teenagers.  In private, things might be different.

"You'll just have to trust me that this is totally confidential," Bregy said.

In the pic: Adam Yontz was grinning as he entered Jacobs Princial Mike Bregy's number into his cell phone Friday.

No Contempt In Special Prosecutor Records Release

Circuit Judge Joseph Condon ruled Friday it was OK for a McHenry County Special Prosecutor to release grand jury transcripts to the Illinois Attorneys Registration and Disciplinary Commission.

Defense attorney Wes Pribla last week filed a motion in the name of Amy Dalby seeking a criminal contempt citation against David O’Connor for sending the records on two local attorneys to the commission. Pribla maintained the commission wasn't a "prosecutorial agency".  Condon said yes it was and manifestly so.

O'Connor investigated Dalby's removal of computer records from McHenry County State's Attorney Lou Bianchi's office that she said proved he made her do political work on county time. Dalby pleaded guilty to computer tampering and another special prosecutor has been appointed to see if Bianchi did anything wrong.

O'Connor has refused to identify the lawyers in the grand jury testimony. The names of at least four lawyers appear in the State Police investigation of the theft of the computer records that ended up in the hands of campaigners for Bianchi political opponent Dan Regna. None is currently associated with the State's Attorney's office but all were at various times Assistant State's Attorneys.

State Unemployment Rises Again

The Illinois seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for September increased 0.5 percent to 10.5 percent, according to figures released Friday by the Illinois Department of Employment Security. That was the highest level since October 1983.

Nationally, the September unemployment rate increased by 0.1 percent to reach 9.8 percent, the highest rate since 1983.

Meanwhile, the number of jobs available in Illinois fell, according to the report.  Illinois non-farm payroll reported 14,200 fewer jobs in September than the previous month, the 20th consecutive monthly loss. The state job total of 5,634,700, is at its lowest level since December 1995.

IDES reports the unemployment rate is not the same measurement as those collecting unemployment benefits. The unemployment rate reported by IDES identifies those who are out of work and seeking employment, regardless if they are eligible for unemployment insurance, according to a spokesman.

McHenry County H1N1 Vaccine Arrives But Not A Lot Yet

The McHenry County Health Department is all set to begin its program to innoculate 160,000 county residents against the H1N1 flu except there's no vaccine to do it yet.  The department received 3,300 doses of nasal vaccine Thursday but that's for doctors, nurses and emergency personnel so they won't be too sick to help everyone else.

It's just as well, according to department spokesperson Debra Quackenbush, since there's no way to administer the injectable vaccine at the moment. "We've received swabs and gloves but we haven't had the needles yet," she said.

The department has recruited nurses and doctors for a massive vaccination effort aimed at protecting high-risk parts of the population.  That's about half the county, primarily those younger than 25 or folks with compromised immune systems.  Plans are to distribute H1N1 vaccine through mass clinics in schools and via medical facilities and pharmacies.

The department is also waiting on more shipments of seasonal flu shots. Appointments for those immunizations were frozen late last month when only about a fifth of the vaccine on order showed up.

In the pic:  The county department of health has plenty of temporary storage ready for swine and seasonal flu immunizations.  There's just not much to store yet.

Fox Valley Conference Football

Scores from Friday night...

Cary-Grove 28, Crystal Lake South 16.
Johnsburg 24, Prairie Ridge 21    
Crystal Lake Central 46, Woodstock North 7    
McHenry 37, Jacobs 12    
Huntley 40, Dundee-Crown 20 

Obituaries

Maria Kraft, 82, of Crystal Lake, formerly of Algonquin, died Thursday at her home. Born Oct.3, 1927 in the Ukraine, she was the wife of  the late Martin Kraft.

Visitation will be 3 to 8 pm Sunday, Oct. 18, at Willow Funeral Home, 1415 W. Algonquin Road, Algonquin.  Funeral services will be 10 am Monday at the home with interment at St. John Nepomucene Catholic Cemetery, Fox River Grove.

Survivors include her childen Wendell (Barbara) Kraft, Harry (Leslie) Kraft, Nicklaus (Patricia) Kraft, Martin (Bridget) Kraft and Rose (Dick) Block and her grandchildren Tracy (Rich) Peyton, Brandon (Alma) Kraft, Nick (Bobbie) Kraft, Jeremy Kraft, Krystie (Shaun) Pohlman, Marty Kraft, Cindy (Chad) Merek, Erick Block, Shelly (Jeremy) Yaney and Brian Block.

Memorials may be made to Hospice of Northeastern Illinois, Barrington.

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
October 16
1622 HRS MILLER RD. & WATERFORD LN. DRIVING WHILE LICENSE SUSPENDED. AHMAD, AMBER M., F/W 27 YEARS OF AGE, 2891 BRIARCLIFF LN., LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGES: Driving While License Suspended, Failure to Yield to An Emergency Vehicle, Uninsured Motor Vehicle, Driving on the Median. RELEASED ON BOND.
1802 HRS MILLER RD. & RANDALL RD. DRIVING WHILE LICENSE SUSPENDED. VOELKER, TONI M, F/W 23 YEARS OF AGE, 307 CHEROKEE TRAIL, LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGES: Driving While License Suspended. RELEASED ON BOND.
2209 HRS 200 BLOCK OF TERRAMERE LN. POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA. SEILER, BRETT M, M/W 17 YEARS OF AGE, 270 TERRAMERE LN., LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGES: Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Possession of Cannabis 10 to 30 grams and Illegal Consumption of Alcohol By a Minor. RELEASED ON BOND.
1034 HRS ALGONQUIN RD. & LAKEWOOD RD. ACCIDENT. Two vehicles. Property damage only.
1441 HRS 8304 PINGREE RD. (VETS TOTAL CARE). ASSIST AMBULANCE. Male, 50 years of age, having hard time breathing. Transported to Northern Illinois Medical Center.
1546 HRS 100 BLOCK OF VILLAGE CREEK RD. DOMESTIC. Verbal argument between mother and son. Six priors.
1614 HRS 100 BLOCK OF DEER PATH LN. ASSIST AMBULANCE. 43 year old female having difficulty getting up. Transported to St. Joseph Hospital.
1649 HRS 3900 BLOCK OF THORNBERRY WAY. ASSIST AMBULANCE. 15 year old having trouble breathing. No transport.
1704 HRS RAKOW RD. & PINGREE RD. INJURY ACCIDENT. Three vehicles. Driver’s of unit 1 and unit 2 transported to Northern Illinois Medical Center.
2242 HRS 2100 BLOCK OF CLAREMONT LN. CRIMINAL DAMAGE TO VEHICLE. Unknown substance put in gas tank.

County Home Sales Up But Prices Down

The number of homes sold in McHenry County were up in September but the average sales price took a header according to the latest report from the McHenry County Association of Realtors.

Sales increased more than 10 percent over August to 293 units according to the report.  But the average sale price fell almost 10 percent to only $198,000. That's the same average the county saw in January.

"I'm not terribly surprised," said area realtor Amy Foote. "What's been driving the prices in the market is all the foreclosures.  Those prices drag down the prices of non-foreclosure properties."

Foote said October may turn out differently, though. "I've seen in the past two weeks a significant increase in interest," said Foote.  I myself have sold five listings in the past two weeks."

Foote attributed that increase to purchasers trying to cash in on the first-time homebuyers credit due to expire next month.  Congress is debating whether to extend the program but critics are comparing it to the government's Cash For Clunkers program.  Economists now agree that measure didn't really increase demand for cars but only moved forward sales that would have happened anyway.

Foote said what home buyers ought to have their eyes on is mortgage interest rates.  "There's nowhere for them to go but up," said Foote.

More Conflict With Algonquin Riverbank Owner

Algonquin property owner Mike Greisman packed up his chainsaws and trucked off his earthmover last month when village officials told him in no uncertain terms to get permits, if indeed he could, before doing any more work on his land.  All was quiet then on the riverfront at Route 62 and River Road. Until this week.

"Mr. Greisman cut down another tree," said Algonquin Community Development Director Russ Farnum. "It was the one with the 'Stop Work Order' sign on it."

Greisman was "moving earth in a floodplain" too, according to Farnum, without a village permit.

Greisman has said he's just cleaning up detritus on his property and  making a path to get his gear from the street to the shore.

Village officials said Thursday that's all well and good but without permits the work violates village ordinances and will earn Greisman more administrative violation tickets. 

"We gave him a stack of them today," Farnum said. 

Huntley Prepares For Route 47 Widening

Prep work for widening Route 47 was the major topic at Thursday's Huntley Board of Trustees meeting.  On tap is a new path through Diecke Park.  Up in the air, perhaps literally, is reconfigured power lines.

Village Manager Dave Johnson said the village plans an asphalt pedestrian and bike path through Diecke Park to connect the village sidewalks that now terminate at its north and south boundaries.  The village has to enter an agreement with the park district since it's their land.

Currently stalemated is part of a plant to relocate power lines from the west side of 47 to the east side. The move would allow ComEd to accommodate the road widening with only one power interruption instead of a series.

The problem Johnson said comes in the stretch between Algonquin and Reed roads.  Power lines are buried there and the village wants the relocated lines to be underground when they're moved to the east side of the road.  Johnson reported ComEd negotiators were perfectly happy to do that just as long as the village was the one to foot the bill.

"Why does ComEd hate us?" asked Trustee Pam Fender.  No one had an answer and no action was taken.

In the pic:  A new pedestrian path through Diecke Park is marked in blue.  Click the pic for a larger version.

New Algonquin Public Art Revealed

The village of Algonquin Thursday unveiled the latest group of works to be displayed for the next year in its Publc Arts Program.  About 70 people thronged Village Hall to view the more portable of almost two dozen paintings, sculptures and photographs soon to ensconced in and on locations throughout the village.

Algonquin's Public Arts Program has won repeated awards over the past four years but, art being in the eye of the beholder, it's not been entirely without controversy. Last year an artist complained his work was being censored since it included a nude figure.  Village officials said it was just too darn big to hang anywhere.

A sculpture on show this year came in for criticism when a resident complained it looked like a woman's genitalia.  Officials replied they couldn't see that even if they squinted and it remained on blatant exhibition.

In fact, the village arts commission chose the sculpture as a holdover for the coming year.  Perhaps in unconscious balance, though, they picked another sculptural work that looks, with a vivid enough imagination, like a man's genitalia .

(Nope, FEN won't identify either sculpture but for those looking for outrage there'll be a map soon on the village website marking all of the 2009-10 Public Arts locations.)

In the pic: Young and old previewed the artworks to be displayed in Algonquin during the coming year.

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
October 15
1117 HRS RAKOW RD. & PYOTT RD. SPEEDING SZOCKA, ANDREW NMI, M/W 48 YEARS OF AGE, 1755 VILLAGE CT, CRYSTAL LAKE. CHARGE: Speeding 40 mph Over. RELEASED ON BOND.
1304 HRS 8700 BLOCK OF SWANSON RD. DRIVING WHILE LICENSE SUSPENDED. DOUCET, JACQUELINE M., F/W 45 YEARS OF AGE,11417 MAIN ST APT, HUNTLEY.
CHARGES: Driving While License Suspended, No Insurance. RELEASED ON BOND.
0621 HRS RANDALL RD & MCHENRY AVE. ACCIDENT. Vehicle in ditch. Property damage only.
0914 HRS 5400 BLOCK OF WHITMORE WAY. BURGLARY FROM MOTOR VEHICLE. A cooler and wallet were taken from an unlocked vehicle overnight.
TURNED OVER TO INVESTIGATIONS.
L09-12293 1506 HRS RANDALL RD. & VILLAGE RD. ACCIDENT. Two vehicles. Property damage only.
1452 HRS 5400 BLOCK OF WHITMORE WAY. CRIMINAL DEFACEMENT. Smiley face spray painted on the bike path.
HRS 4581 PRINCETON LN. (BB’S LIQUOR). RETAIL THEFT. Female subject stole a bottle of alcohol. FAIL TO FILE.
1454 HRS 0 BLOCK OF ANNANDALE CT. CRIMINAL DEFACEMENT. Name written on the bike path with spray paint.
1643 HRS 5500 BLOCK OF MCKENZIE DR. FOUND PROPERTY. Bicycle. Entered into evidence.
1648 HRS 280 N RANDALL RD. (DUNKIN DONUTS). DOMESTIC BATTERY. Ex-boyfriend vs. ex-girlfriend. No priors. FAIL TO FILE.
1832 HRS 1100 BLOCK OF BURR ST. ASSIST OTHER AGENCY. Assisted Task Force with a search warrant.
HRS MILLER RD. & RANDALL RD. INJURY ACCIDENT. Two vehicles. No transport.
1928 HRS 5600 BLOCK OF DANBURY CIRCLE. FRAUD Complainant’s credit card was used to make unauthorized purchases. TURNED OVER TO OTHER AGENCY.
Algonquin
October 12
11:55am Stefani, Danielle M., DOB: 01/19/92 of 2642 Loren Court, Algonquin, was charged with Domestic Battery.  She was taken into custody at 2642 Loren Court.  She was transported to Kane County Jail, to await a bond hearing.
17:53pm Tinajero, Irene, DOB: 07/06/92 of 566 Canterbury Lane, Pingree Grove, was charged with Retail Theft.  She was taken into custody at Wal-Mart, 1410 S. Randall Road.  She was released on a Notice to Appear, with a court date of 12/30/09, in Algonquin.
October 13
10:02am A fifteen-year-old male from Algonquin was charged with Unlawful Possession/Storage of Weapon on School Grounds.  He was taken into custody at Jacobs High School, 2601 Bunker Hill Drive.  He was formally Petitioned into Juvenile Court and then released into the custody of his mother.
18:26pm Aguilar, Ricardo, DOB: 11/23/88, and Acosta, Irene Del Carmen, DOB: 06/14/90, both of 100 Granada Road, Carpentersville, were both charged with Retail Theft.  Both were taken into custody at Wal-Mart, 1410 S. Randall Road.  Both were released on a Notice to Appear, with a court date of 11/25/09, in Algonquin.
22:08pm Zent, Kevin R. DOB: 06/10/88 of 506 Seminole Trail, Lake in the Hills, was charged with Felony Theft and 2 counts of Forgery.  He was taken into custody at 506 Seminole Trail.  He was transported to McHenry County Jail, to await a bond hearing.
22:22pm Sanchez-Lara, Jeronimo, DOB: 09/30/76, of 240 Circle Drive, Crystal Lake, was charged with No Valid Driver’s License, No Taillights and No Proof of Insurance.  He was taken into custody at Algonquin and Route 31.  He was released after posting $100, with a court date of 11/18/09, in McHenry County.
October 14
14:54pm Richmond, Wayne L., DOB: 07/21/74, of 528 Falcon Ridge Way, Bolingbrook, was charged with DWLS, Speeding and No Proof of Insurance. He was taken into custody at Sandbloom Road and Souwanas Trail.  He was released after posting $100, with a court date of 11/18/09, in McHenry County.
16:00pm A fifteen-year-old male from Carpentersville was charged with Consumption of Alcohol by a Minor.  He was taken into custody at Jacobs High School, 2601 Bunker Hill Drive.  He was released into the custody of his father after being issued a Notice to Appear, with a court date of 11/25/09, in Algonquin.
October 15
13:49pm A sixteen-year-old male from Lake in the Hills was charged with Consumption of Alcohol by a Minor.  He was taken into custody at Jacobs High School, 2601 Bunker Hill Drive.  He was referred to the Tri Area Peer Jury and then released into the custody of his parents.

McHenry County Indictments

A McHenry County Grand Jury returned indictments against the following individuals this week:An indictment is not proof of guilt. A defendant 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.

BENJAMIN G. FREEMAN, DOB:  04/28/69, 850 DOGWOOD LANE, LAKE IN THE HILLS, IL, 60156. THEFT (OVER $300.)--LITH PD

DANIEL W. OLSEN, DOB:  08/19/90, 1530 WYNNFIELD DRIVE, ALGONQUIN, IL,  60102. AGGRAVATED BATTERY(2CTS)--LITH PD

Local Domestic Violence On The Rise

About 100 McHenry County domestic violence victims and advocates gathered Friday at Woodstock's Square Wednesday at dusk for an annual candlelight vigil. The gathering was part of national Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Lake in the Hills Police Social Services Coordinator Sue Blechschmidt said Wednesday that as the economy has tanked calls reporting domestic disturbances have been on the upswing. "I think we're being called in to mediate," she said. But sometimes by the time police arrive disputes have passed the mediation stage.

"I know my caseload (for domestic abuse) has gone up," Blechschmidt said. She said she expected to have a report ready soon.

Algonquin PD domestic violence specialist Sgt. Brett Wisnauski said Saturday his department handled about 200 domestic calls last year. Some were only involved verbal conflict but some involved violence.

Wisnauski said both were part of a spectrum.  "When there's physical abuse we find the victim has usually been emotionally abused for a long time."

Even when abuse becomes physical, Wisnauski said, "We almost never get called the first time.  When we're called for physical abuse we interview the victim and usually find it's happened before. This one was just another turn of the screw."

For years the problem with domestic violence cases was that when they finally came to trial victims would recant setting their abusers free to commit more violence.

McHenry County State's Attorney Lou Bianchi said Wednesday he's fighting that with "evidence-based prosecutions".  Instead of relying on victim testimony Bianchi said prosecutors build a case around fact.  He said 911 police recordings have been very persuasive.

"The lady's screaming.  She's calling police saying, 'He's hitting me,'" said Bianchi. "A lot of the time we'll introduce photos of people showing bruises and blood. We'll interview witnesses, neighbors and children."

Bianchi said the technique isn't foolproof but reported that in the 13 domestic violence trials since his office began using it 7 have ended with convictions even though the victim denied she was ever beaten in the first place.

Wisnauski said domestic violence has changed this way in the past 25 years or so:  "You don't have to be a victim anymore."

In the pic:  Organizer Bev Thomas of the Illinois Family Violence Coordinating Council outlined the problem of domestic abuse at Wednesday's candlelight vigil.

Campaign Finance "Redo" In Limbo

By Bethany Jaeger
Two months ago, Democratic and Republican legislators stood next to Gov. Pat Quinn and agreed to start over on a bill that would — for the first time — limit the amount of money individuals and political organizations can donate to Illinois political campaigns. But reform advocates called the new bill introduced Wednesday by House Speaker Michael Madigan a step backwards.

Madigan's bill would limit donations to $5,000 from individuals, $10,000 from corporations, labor organizations and associations, and $50,000 from political action committees or other candidates. It would still allow unlimited financial support to candidates from statewide political parties and legislative caucuses, though.

That's why reformers are upset. “It restricts everybody else but the leaders. We don’t think it’s going to restore public trust,” said Peter Bensinger, co-chairman of the Change Illinois reform coalition.

While all candidates would be able to collect a little money from individuals and organizations, newcomers would be at a disadvantage to incumbents who had unlimited financial support from party leaders.

Madigan said there's no difference between entrenched incumbents and rich neophytes.

"There is really no meaningful distinction between a party spending on behalf of its candidates and expenditures made by the candidates themselves,” said the Speaker.

The campaign reform bill went on hold for technicalities and reasons of parliamentary strategy. It probably won't see more action until the legislature’s spring session starts in January.

Read Bethany's full report on this story at:
http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2009/10/campaign-finance-redo-in-limbo.html

Algonquin Township Settles With Hotelier In Tax Dispute

The seemingly-interminable dispute between Algonquin Township and Holiday Inn won't go to hearing today before the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board .  Township Assessor Bob Kunz told township trustees he'd reached a settlement on the hotel's valuation.  At least for the years 2005 and 2006.

Kunz said Holiday Inn thought the true value of their hotel at Routes 31 and 14 in Cystal Lake ought to have been $9 million in those years while his own estimate was $14 million.  Last week he said the two sides decided to split the difference and agree on a $12.5 million value.

Kunz said that means taxing bodies will have to give back about $100,000 Holiday Inn overpaid for the two years in question. He said roughly two thirds of that were taxes for schools.

The value of the hotel in tax years 2007 and 2008 still hasn't been settled Kunz said.

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
October 14
1227 HRS 1000 BLOCK OF MAPLE ST. TELEPHONE HARASSMENT. Subject being harassed by ex-boyfriend via telephone.
1307 HRS RANDALL RD & ALGONQUIN RD. ACCIDENT. Two vehicles. Property damage only.
1413 HRS 100 BLOCK OF CAPELLA CT. TELEPHONE HARASSMENT. Subject being harassed by ex-boyfriend via telephone. FAILED TO FILE.
1633 HRS 1000 BLOCK OF NOELLE BEND ST. ASSIST AMBULANCE. 44 year old female vomiting. Transported to Woodstock Memorial Hospital.
1710 HRS 1400 BLOCK OF JEFFERSON ST. ASSIST AMBULANCE. 78 year old male with difficulty breathing. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
2043 HRS 300 BLOCK OF TECUMSEH TRAIL. DOMESTIC BATTERY. Husband vs. wife. No priors. FAILED TO FILE.

(Almost) Balanced Budget Revealed For McHenry County

McHenry County administrators had to pull a few all-nighters to do it ("It's pretty dark in the parking lot when you're going home at 5 in the morning," said Finance expert Ralph Sarbaugh) but they presented the County Board's Finance and Audit Committee Tuesday with a 2010 budget that balanced. "Well, we can make it balance," amended Peter Austin, County Administrator.

How to make $82 million in proposed general fund expenditures balance with a conservatively-estimated $81.5 million in revenue will depend on a little wizardry, according to Austin, but nothing approaching smoke and mirrors.

Even though income and sales tax revenue have turned out even worse than the weak results expected, "Currently it looks like we'll end this year in the black," said Sarbaugh.  In fact, Sarbaugh said, thanks to economy measures the county looks to finish about $.5 million ahead of the game on the current $78 million budget.

Ordinarily that money would go into a Rainy Day fund with enough money to run the county for a minimum of five months without any receipts at all.  At the moment there's enough for almost five and a half months, said Austin.

The plan is to borrow this year's projected $.5 million excess to cover next year's $.5 million shortage.  The point of the exercise is that the county won't actually go into a hole, it just won't build the pitching mound higher.

"There is no play in this budget this year," said Sarbaugh.

Austin said news from Springfield and Washington held out hope for additional revenues but said it wasn't a good idea to count on them. "I'd rather be conservative than optimistic," he said.

In the pic:  County Administrator Peter Austin and Financial Administrator Ralph Sarbaugh outlined a 2010 budget "cut to the bone" Tuesday.

Chase Plans Algonquin Bank on Randall

A new J.P. Morgan Chase Bank on the southwest corner of Randall and Harnish roads will hinge on whether the bankers will add a cupola to their proposal. For clarity's sake, a rectangular cupola, not a domed "little cup".  That was the latest input from Algonquin's Board of Trustees Tuesday.

Trustees savaged an earlier Chase plan in May for being too generic-looking, poorly site-planned and encroaching on setbacks from Randall. After four months' revision the latest iteration included most of the visual cues of the "Algonquin look", used the site more efficiently and didn't violate setbacks by an inch.

Trustees were pleased except that one draft drawing had included a cupola dropped from the final version. Except for trustees Jim Steigert who thought it looked "busy" and Brian Dianis who said he was indifferent on the matter, the board was hot for the extra cupola.  Chase officials didn't balk but said they'd have to get their bosses to sign off on the extra appurtenance.

Trustees passed the plan along for final approval whenever that happens.

In the pic:  An architect's rendering of Morgan Chase's proposed Algonquin bank.  From this particular view an extra cupola would be obscured by the building's main tower, anyway.

County Considers Loans To Troubled Businesses

McHenry County's Finance and Audit Committee Tuesday tried to decide Tueday whether loans for a couple of troubled county businesses would be a lifesaver or just money down a hole.

New Dimension Precision Machining, Union, and Crystal Lake Pontiac GMC have both asked for help from McHenry County's Revolving Loan Fund, $200,000 for New Dimension, $200,000 to $600,000 for Crystal Lake Pontiac.

New Dimension, caught in the current economic downdraft, suffered a second blow this year when an INS raid forced it to fire over half its machinists.

Committee Chairman Mark Munaretto said a loan secured by a second mortgage didn't look like much of a guarantee since New Dimension's first mortgage is probably underwater in the current market.

Member Mary Donner said she was concerned about the jobs of 75 workers still left but also "the 125 jobs (total) when they turn around."

The Committee told New Dimension to come back at the next meeting with a plan to increase sales.

Crystal Lake Pontiac was another kettle of fish. For one thing the county's revolving loans are limited to a $400,000 maximum so a $600,000 loan was out of the question.

Another problem was "Pontiac", a line the newly-reorganized General Motors is dropping.  Munaretto said the dealership expected to pick up Buick as a replacement.

The big problem was that the dealership already owes the county for back real estate taxes. "It's sort of money from one pocket into another," said Member Tina Hill.

That was the point, replied Munaretto, who suggested the dealership find a way to pay up before the county could consider a loan.

Obituaries

Visitation for George Gordon Moore of Lake Barrington Hills will be today from 4 to 8 pm at the Willow Funeral Home, 1415 W. Algonquin Road, Algonquin. A funeral service will be Thursday morning.  Moore was the husband of Patricia Fanucci Moore and father of Kelly (Doug) Thumm, Jody (David) Hunter and Michael (Dana Smith) Moore.  Grandchildren are Delaney and Patrick Hunter.


A funeral followed by cremation was Sunday at the Willow Funeral Home for Arne A. Henriksen, Sr., of Crystal Lake who died Oct. 8 at the Sunrise Assisted Living Center.

Henriksen was born Feb. 22, 1916. in Chicago, the son of Anthon and Helene Henriksen. His wife was the late Jayne and his children were Arne (Barbara) Henriksen, Jr., and Barbara Jo Boope.  Grandchildren are A.J. (Nichole) Henriksen, Jeff Henriksen and Karyn Henriksen.

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
October 13
FOLLOW-UP ARRESTS: 0538 HRS 1115 CRYSTAL LAKE RD. (LITH POLICE). HIT & RUN.  O CONNOR, JOSEPH, M/W 26 YEARS OF AGE, 424 KING AVE., EAST DUNDEE. CHARGES: Leaving the Scene of an Accident, Failure to give Information, No Valid Insurance, Improper Overtaking. RELEASED ON BOND.
0014 HRS 2800 BLOCK OF BRIARCLIFF LN. BURGLARY FROM MOTOR VEHICLE. A radar detector was taken from a vehicle. FAIL TO FILE.
0727 HRS 9625 HALIGUS RD. (MARLOWE MIDDLE SCHOOL). ACCIDENT. Two vehicles. Property damage only.
0901 HRS 1299 PYOTT RD. (PYOTT RD BRIDGE). CRIMINAL DEFACEMENT. Spray paint graffiti found in bridge.
1422 HRS RAKOW RD. & PYOTT RD. HIT & RUN. Victim’s vehicle was struck by offender who fled. PENDING INVESTIGATION BY REPORTING OFFICER.
1434 HRS 00 BLOCK OF CEDAR RIDGE DR. ASSIST OTHER AGENCY. Officer assisted the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department with serving an Order of Protection.
1732 HRS ALGONQUIN RD & PYOTT RD. ACCIDENT. Two vehicles. Property damage only.
2104 HRS 200 BLOCK OF VILLAGE CREEK DR. INFORMATION FOR POLICE. Complainant’s garage was damaged.

Murky Bianchi Wrongdoing Case Clears A Little

The lawyer for teaching student Amy Dalby said Monday she "cares, she just cares" that a special county prosecutor released grand jury information from her case to the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission.  Meanwhile Monday ex-State's Attorney candidate Daniel Regna said he knew during his campaign Dalby had removed documents from the State's Attorney's office but had "no concept of the volume she'd taken."

Friday Dalby Defense Attorney Wesley Pribla filed a petition in her name in McHenry County Circuit Court asking that Special Prosecutor David O'Connor be cited for criminal contempt for sending grand jury minutes about two unidentified attorneys to the state discipline board.

In Dalby's trial O'Connor asked for and was granted permission to release grand jury information to "prosecutorial agencies that I believe to be appropriate."  Pribla said maybe so but "I didn't think he meant this. If I had, I'd have objected."

Since the names of the attorneys haven't been released, the 24 year-old ex-secretary's interest in their fate remains unclear.

Dalby was charged with stealing about 5,000 pages of computer records she claimed proved misconduct by State's Attorney Lou Bianchi.

O'Connor couldn't be reached for comment on the Monday holiday. Pribla, however, said Monday he's spent about $30,000 of his own time and money defending her because, "It's the right thing to do."

Also Friday Woodstock Advocate blogger and Green Party candidate for Sheriff Gus Philpott finally connected the dots between an unnamed "off-duty Sheriff's deputy" who received Dalby's stolen records and Regna's primary campaign for State's Attorney.

According to portions of a State Police investigation Philpott obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, Dalby gave a flash drive containing the files she'd taken from Bianchi's office to Michael J. Cooper in October, 2007. Cooper, according to the State Board of Elections, was then chairman of Regna's campaign organization.

In an FEN interview Monday Regna said Cooper was  "a close personal friend", a retired state policeman and now a part-time security officer at the county Justice Center.

McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren could not be reached Monday for confirmation or comment.

Regna confirmed for the first time that former Assistant State's Attorney Kristen Foley was part of his campaign for State's Attorney against Bianchi but that he hadn't recruited her. "She approached me," he said.

Foley, according to prosecutor O'Connor, encouraged Dalby to copy State's Attorney's records to a computer flash drive to prove Bianchi wrongdoing. Regna vehemently pointed out that happened long before he announced his candidacy.

Regna said he knew Foley had information she believed incriminated Bianchi and that "there was discussion" between the two about whether Dalby should give it to a law enforcement agency, the press, or do nothing at all.

Apparently the decision was to go to the press since, according to the police report, Foley set up a meeting between Dalby and a Daily Herald reporter whose name was redacted.

Foley did, it eventually turned out, send a letter about Bianchi to the Illinois Attorney General's office.  The AG eventually decided Foley's complaints weren't worth investigating.

In the meantime, according to Regna, Foley and Cooper decided to keep Dalby's original flash drive of stolen records because "someone (else) might destroy it."

The police report indicates Cooper told investigators June 28, 2008, that he had the flash drive in a safe deposit box and would turn it over to them July 8. That didn't happen and at Dalby's sentencing four months ago O'Connor said Cooper, not then identified, had reported he'd lost it.

Regna said he didn't direct Foley and Cooper to use the stolen records in his campaign against Bianchi and isn't even sure now how much he knew about what they were doing.

"What I knew at the time and what I know now are two different things," Regna said.

"I had hundreds of issues going on," said Regna. 

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
October 12
2251 HRS 5000 BLOCK OF HIGHWOOD LN. DOMESTIC BATTERY. SANCHEZ, RAMIRO,
M/W 39 YEARS OF AGE, 5021 HIGHWOOD LN., LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGES:
Domestic Battery, two counts. TURNED OVER TO MCHENRY COUNTY JAIL.
FOLLOW-UP ARRESTS: 1508 HRS 1115 CRYSTAL LAKE RD. (LITH POLICE).
DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL. OSIECKI, CHRISTOPHER, M/W 17
YEARS OF AGE, 1751 HARTLY DR., ALGONQUIN. CHARGES: Driving under the
Influence of Alcohol, Speeding. RELEASED ON BOND.
1222 HRS 8195 PYOTT RD. (LUMBERJACKS). BURGLARY. Landscaping equipment
was taken.
1253 HRS 5200 BLOCK OF GREENSHIRE CIRCLE. BATTERY. Two male juveniles
were fighting.
1541 HRS MOHICAN TRAIL & MCPHEE DR. FOUND ARTICLE. Possible drug
paraphernalia found. Entered into evidence.
1641 HRS 1200 BLOCK OF BIRCH ST. ACCIDENT. Two vehicles. Property
damage only.
1658 HRS 00 BLOCK OF CEDAR RIDGE DR. DOMESTIC DISPUTE. Husband vs Wife.
Verbal only. One prior.
1725 HRS 1115 CRYSTAL LAKE RD. (LITH POLICE). INFORMATION FOR POLICE.
Information given about suspicious Craigslist ads.
Huntley
October 5
Two male juveniles at the high school were charged with possession of
tobacco by a minor for smoking on school grounds.
A resident near 12700 Bluebell reported theft of several pieces of
jewelry.
Cody J. Dunkleberger, age 17, of 11721 Woodcreek was arrested for theft
and cited for possession of tobacco by a minor.  Mr. Dunkleberger was
unable to post bond and was transported to McHenry County jail and
issued a court date of November 6, 2009.
Gary C. Dunkleberger, age 49, of 11721 Woodcreek was arrested for
domestic battery.  Mr. Dunkleberger was transported to McHenry County
jail.
October 6
A village sign near Huntley and Haligus roads was shot with a paintball
gun.
Criminal defacement to property occurred at the high school.  Graffiti
was found in boy’s bathroom and sophomore boy’s locker room.
October 7
Chinyere T. Liles, age 34, of 1965 Sheila, Woodstock, IL, was arrested
on an outstanding warrant out of McHenry County.  Ms. Liles posted bond
and was released with a McHenry County court date.
Two residents near 10000 Cummings reported theft of propane tanks.
October 8
Megan G. Faux, age 22, of 437 Pleasant St., Woodstock, IL, was arrested
for driving while license suspended and cited for expired registration.
Ms. Faux posted bond and was released.
Nikolis D. Thurnau, age 21, of 116 Jackson St., Hampshire, IL, was
charged with disorderly conduct.  Mr. Thurnau posted bond and was
released with a McHenry County Court date.
October 11
Criminal damage to property occurred near 9800 Fairfield.  A rear
passenger window and rear window were smashed out of a vehicle that was
parked in the driveway.
Criminal damage to property occurred near 12500 Lions Chase. A mailbox
was damaged.

Autistic Scout Organizes Algonquin Nature Project

Algonquin got a few more trees Sunday and an autistic Jacobs sophomore got a little closer to his Eagle Scout certification thanks to the village's Public Works Department.

Seventeen year-old Ben Bourassa of Carpentersville needed a scout project and horticulture is one of his pastimes.  "At home he's the one who's responsible for everything you see there.  He really enjoys it," said his mother, Marie.

Ben came up with the idea of planting trees in nature areas but the village of Carpentersville weren't very interested in it.  Fortunately, Ben's Scoutmaster, Dan Griggel is a supervisor at the Algonquin Public Works Department and, even better, nature areas are the passion of Assistant Public Works Director Michelle Zimmerman.

More trees were already on the agenda for the village's Gaslight Park so it wasn't hard to arrange for a truckful of serviceberry, chokeberry, nannyberry (really) and hazlenut trees to be on hand Sunday morning. Ben's job was to arrange for and supervise a horde of scouts from Packs 63 and 86 and Troop 295 to provide the muscle.

The village even got a bonus when, planting done but plenty of woodchips unused, the scouts mulched a bunch of previously planted saplings.

"I'm glad the village did this," said Andy Pieri who usually puts in the village's trees and was fidgety not doing it himself.  "This is really a good thing for all the kids."

In the pic:  Scoutmaster Dan Griggel and Eagle Candidate Ben Bourassa check the plans as area scouts pitched in to plant saplings at Algonqun's Gaslight Park natural area. 

Pumpkins A Family Affair For Huntley Entrepreneur

With three weeks to Halloween and counting, on Sunday Dave's Pumpkins, Algonquin Road, Huntley, looked like rush hour in the Loop with corn shocks.

"We'll sell about 10,000 pumpkins this year," said Mrs. Dave, Diane Reid, putting out decorative squash, apparently from the planet Klingon. ("Dave just loves to go through the seed catalogues.")

Dave Reid has been selling pumpkins in Huntley since he was 12 years old.  He put himself through college selling pumpkins.  If he isn't the only pumpkin king in the world with a Northwestern MBA he's got to be the only one driving a Haunted Hayride tractor.

In contrast to other pumpkin purveyors Dave's Pumpkins has a simple price list: One pumpkin, one Fiver.  "We're usually sold out by Halloween," said Mrs. Dave.

Dave's Pumpkins are Huntley-grown and hand-harvested, according to Mrs. Dave.  "Mostly it's Dave and his dad.  He's 73."

Indeed, Dave's Pumpkins involves three generations.  The Reid's three chidren were also busy peddling pumpkins Sunday. The oldest is only four years away from college. "That's how we're going to put them through," said Mrs. Dave. 

Open House Sunday At ALFPD Station One

Kids and parents learned fire safety Sunday at the Algonquin Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District open house at Station One on Algonquin Road, Lake in the Hills.

On site was the district's mobile fire safety house to help learn proper escape procedures.  In the station were ambulances, CPR dummies and a variety of fire-related crafts.

In the pics:  At the end of a fire obstacle course six year-old Lindsay Warren got to help Battalion Chief John Green on a fire hose.  Five year-old Steven Ruhnke got a ride in a 1926 Pirsch fire truck with Battalion Chief Fred Schau.

County Political Blog Blocked

Local political junkies jonesing for a fix from the popular McHenry County Blog website will have to sweat it out a while longer. Gadfly publisher Cal Skinner reported Sunday he's been blocked from posting the past week by his web host, Blogger.com, for "violation of terms of service".

"That's all it says," Skinner complained. "I've read the 'terms of service' and all it says is 'you have no rights.'"

In fact, a perusal of Blogger.com's Terms of Service prohibits pornography, hate speech and spam blogs.  Since Skinner's blog doesn't feature skin or calls to bring the sheets and torches Spam seems the most likely suspect.  Postings on Blogger.com forums indicate the company, a subsidiary of Google, has a a program to lock blogs that its computers have automatically identified as spam sites and the program is returning a lot of false positives.  Other bloggers are irate and Skinner isn't  very happy, either.

"I don't know what the problem is," said Skinner. "You can't talk to them."

Skinner said he hoped to get his blog back on track soon.  "My computer guy's been busy this week with other things that actually pay him money," Skinner said.

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
October 11
0101 HRS ABLRECHT RD. & RONAN DR. POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA. BERNAL, VICTOR, M/W 19 YEARS OF AGE, 600 N. SHARON DR., WOODSTOCK.
CHARGES: Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Illegal Consumption of Alcohol by a Minor. RELEASED ON BOND.
0455 HRS RANDALL RD. & ACKMAN RD. DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL. POPP, BRYAN M., M/W 21 YEARS OF AGE, 1351 CUNAT CT., LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGES: Driving under the Influence of Alcohol, Driving under the Influence with a Breath Alcohol Content over .08, Speeding, No Valid Insurance. RELEASED ON BOND.
0531 HRS 311 N RANDALL RD. (LITH THEATRES). BURGLARY TO MOTOR VEHICLE. Stereo, digital camera, radar detector, and CD’s were taken from a vehicle overnight. TURNED OVER TO INVESTIGATIONS.
0744 HRS 70 BLOCK OF HILLTOP DR. AMBULANCE ASSIST. Female, 92 years of age, had difficulty breathing. Transported to Good Shepherd Hospital.
1215 HRS 600 BLOCK OF WEDGEWOOD CIRCLE. BURGLARY FROM A MOTOR VEHICLE. Portable DVD player was taken from an unsecured vehicle. TURNED OVER TO INVESTIGATIONS.
1936 HRS RANDALL RD. & ALGONQUIN RD. SUICIDE ATTEMPT. Female, 38 years of age, suicide attempt. Transported to Woodstock Memorial Hospital.
Algonquin
20:09pm Monroe, Ralph DOB: 10/18/91 of 3236 W. Augusta, Chicago, was charged with Criminal Trespass to Vehicle.  He was taken into custody at the Huntley Police Department.  He was transported to McHenry County Jail, when unable to post bond.

Brisk Attendance At Algonquin Country Harvest Day

History On The Hoof At Algonquin's Cemetery Walk

Only about 150 well-bundled souls turned out Saturday for the Algonquin Historic Commission's annual Cemetery Walk at Algonquin Cemetery.

"Last year we had 400," said Chairman Jeff Jolitz. "But then it was sunny and 70 degrees."

In the pic: Historic Commission member Louise Nee channels Algonquin Civil War nurse Jane Morton during the commission's seventh annual Cemetery Walk at Algonquin Cemetery Saturday.

Harvest Day Pumpkin Baking Contest Winner

Martini's On Main proprietors Klara Cukova and Greg Geigel were among the judges at Algonquin County Harvest Day's pumpkin baking contest.  Lolita McAfee's Pumpkin Crunch was the top pick. It was more custardy than usual.

Here's the recipe:

Pumpkin Crunch

1 12 oz. can evap milk
1/2 cup half and half
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1 14 oz. can condensed milk
1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree
2 egg yolks lightly beaten
2 tsp. pumpkin spice
2 tsp. vanilla

1 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chilled butter

Pulse the flour, sugar, butter in a food processor until it's crumbly.

In a large saucepan combine the cornstarch, salt, evaporated milk, half and half, condensed milk, egg yolks, puree, etc.  Bring to a boil and hold there for one minute.

Pour the filling into a two-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with the topping.

Bake in 400 degree oven 45 minutes, then start checking with a knife.

Legion Auxiliary To hold Wii Bowling Tournament For Kids

Lake in the Hills American Legion Auxiliary Post 1231 will hold a Wii bowling Tournament next Saturday, Oct. 17, 6 pm,  at the post. Proceeds will help fund donations to children including the annual children's holiday  party, Hearts of Gold and other area children in need.

Pre-registration at Post 1231 will be $10, $15 at the door the day of the event. Contact Shelley Walenga or Kelly Hass at 847-658-2010. The post is at 1101 W. Algonquin Road, Lake in the Hills.

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
October 10
0025 HRS ACORN LN. & RANDALL RD. ACCIDENT. Two vehicles. Property damage only.
0153 HRS 10 BLOCK OF PERSHING AVE. DOMESTIC DISPUTE. Boyfriend vs girlfriend. Verbal only.
0331 HRS 400 BLOCK OF CRYSTAL LAKE RD. AMBULANCE ASSIST. Male, 43 years of age, having a seizure. No transport.
0930 HRS 300 BLOCK OF TECUMSEH TRAIL. CRIMINAL DEFACEMENT. Graffiti was found on two buildings.
1407 HRS ACORN LN. & RANDALL RD. INJURY ACCIDENT. Two vehicles. Female, 49 years of age, had a neck injury. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
1554 HRS 10 BLOCK OF HUNTERS PATH. REPORT FOR INSURANCE. A window was found cracked on a vehicle.
2130 HRS 311 N RANDALL RD. (LITH THEATRE). FOUND ARTICLE. An employee found a bag of cannabis. Enter into evidence.
2132 HRS 300 BLOCK OF PYOTT RD. INJURY ACCIDENT. One vehicle traffic accident. Male, 17 years of age, with unknown injuries. Transported to Sherman Hospital.