Huntley Petitions Pile Up For Amtrak Station

More than 2,300 petitions asking for an Amtrak station in Huntley had collected on Village Clerk Rita McMahon's desk by mid-afternoon Friday with more still to be added to the pile.
"We'll FedEx them to Governor Quinn's office Monday morning," said McMahon.

The Village Monday asked residents to circulate the petitions in an attempt to persuade the Governor he should pick a northern Amtrak rail route from Chicago to Dubuque, especially with Huntley as a midway stop.  Quinn chose the route late last year and local officials including Congressman Don Manzullo and State Rep. Mike Tryon found a warm reception for a Huntley stop in May. In August, however, as FEN first reported, Quinn decided a different southern route looked pretty good, too, and ordered a whole new study without telling anyone in McHenry County.

The petitions are the first batch in a hoped-for flood to show area residents are all behind a Huntley Amtrak station.  However, as the petitions have circulated during the past week village officials said it's evident a lot of residents aren't really clear about what they're supporting.  Here's the condensed version:

Amtrak, the nation's quasi-governmental passenger train operator, wants to provide direct service between Chicago and Dubuque.  There are two lines it could choose, one that runs through Huntley and another that runs through Genoa, Huntley's apparent current rival. Huntley thought it had an ace in the hole with an offer this Spring to pay for a station.  "We have ample resources in land and money, if need be, to put a stop in the community," said Village Manager Dave Johnson Friday.

No one has any particular place in mind for a Huntley Amtrak station right now, though.  On the rail line, obviously, and somewhere "Downtown", which is to say, basically, not the cornfields. Something not very big.  "This is Amtrak, not Metra," said Johnson.  "It's not going to need a lot of parking. It's not like Crystal Lake."

Metra's the Chicago-area commuter rail service and Huntley would dearly love to have that extended out from Elgin.  Planners figure that's still at least a decade away, though.  Nevertheless, when the time comes for a Metra extension, they reason, having an Amtrak stop already in place sure wouldn't hurt Huntley's application.

Right now, "We think there's ample demand for Amtrak service," said Johnson.  "There are lots of people who'd like to go up to Galena for a boat ride or in to Chicago for a weekend."

"It's not going to congest Route 47 and it's not going to clog the Downtown," Johnson said.  "The schedule's one train each way (per day) and they'd go through Huntley whether there was a station here or not."

At least they would if the Governor goes back to his original route choice which is what the petitions are all about.

You can download petition forms here: http://www.huntley.il.us/documents/LetterandPetition-HuntleyAmtrak.pdf

In the pic:  Huntley officials expected to have about 2,500 petitions collected Friday to support at Amtrak station in the village.

MCC Security To Become PD

The McHenry County College Board of Trustees this week authorized  changing the College’s Campus Public Safety and Security Department into a law enforcement agency.

The transition will take between four to six months to make sure training and resources are in place. The move allows campus police officers to respond immediately without waiting for outside law enforcement personnel to arrive.  The change will also allow campus police officers to properly investigate potential threats and check vehicle registrations or conduct background checks.

MCC’s Campus Police will have dual roles, according to the plan, both as peace officers and security officers. Currently, three full-time peace officers, plus two part-time peace officers are employed at MCC. They'll function as sworn MCC police officers and would be authorized to possess a firearm. In addition, MCC has two full-time and three part-time non-peace officers. They'll continue their existing roles as unarmed campus public safety and security officers.

According to MCC president, Vicky Smith, the Board has been considering the upgrade for a while now in wake of recent college campus violence, like the shootings at Northern Illinois University and Virginia Tech. “The majority of community colleges in Illinois now have security departments that include sworn police officers,” Smith said.

Bundle Up Now With Coats From Grafton Twp. Drive

Huntley's Red Raiders Travel Baseball 12-U Team and the Huntley Cheerleaders conducted a coat drive at Wal-Mart in Huntley last week and collected 113 coats which are now available as a part of the Grafton Township Coat Drive.

The Coat Drive now has over 200 coats for those who need them in the conference room at the township office, 10109 Vine Street, Huntley.  Just stop by between are Monday-Friday 8 am and 4 pm Monday through Friday. Call Supervisor Linda Moore with any questions, 847-669-3328.

Halloween Tales Grandpa Never Told

McHenry County is remarkably devoid of ghost stories.  The thing to do is make some up.

During the Second Great Awakening of U.S. religious fervor Vermen Alcott, a farmer near Richmond, awoke one September morning in 1844 with a clear memory of the Archangel Gabriel warning him that the world would come to an end Oct. 17 so he'd better get his affairs in order.

Vermen told his wife, Edna, about it. She said that sounded pretty important so maybe he ought to tell the neighbors.  Vermen did that and since he was known to be pious to a fault (his only one) and totally unimaginative most of them believed him.  Besides one way or another almost all of them were his distant relatives by either blood or marriage and they thought it was important to keep peace in the family.

Vermen decreed the thing to do was give up all earthly ties and await the end of the world on the hill overlooking Woodchuck Grove so everyone spent the next few weeks giving away their land, livestock, farm implements and clothing. Clad only in shifts and union suits they gathered Oct. 16 above Woodchuck Grove to await the end of everything. Most of them fell asleep and when they woke up the next morning they found everything was still there so they complained about it.

Vermen was chagrined and said the Archangel Gabriel had come to him during the night and apologized.  There'd been a mixup. He'd gotten his calculations wrong on account of the switch in 1752 from the Julian Calendar to the Gregorian one and the world was really going to come to an end Oct. 24 and if everyone would just be patient Earth's foundations would depart next week.

There was a lot of muttering but everyone finally decided to give Vermen another chance so they pottered aimlessly about for a week subsisting on roots and berries until Oct. 23 came and they went to sleep only to wake the next morning to find the world was still there, same as always.  At this they waxed exceedingly wroth with Vermen.

That worthy told them the Archangel Gabriel had come to him again apologizing profusely.  He'd made another mistake, it seemed, something about there being no year "Zero" on the Christian calendar but he'd fixed that and gone over this calculations twice and was prepared to say with complete authority that the world was going to end Oct. 31.

The muttering turned to grumbling this time but most of the folks finally decided "in for a penny, in for a pound" so they spent the next week gnawing the bark off the trees up to tiptoe height and eventally fell asleep Oct. 30.  When they woke up the next morning there was the dadblasted world STILL spinning through its courses and most of them were angry enough to spit, especially in the direction of Vermen Alcott.

Vermen tried to explain the Archangel Gabriel had turned up again with some excuse about Leap Year but he never got very far because his followers began pelting him with clods of dirt and (well-gnawed) sticks and even his wife, Edna, normally a docile woman, kicked him in the shin.

Lafe Hoffelmeyer was so mad at Vermen after weeks of sitting around  naked, cold and hungry that he punched him in the nose, notwithstanding the man was his wife's cousin's brother-in-law.  The blow knocked off Vermen's spectacles  sending him head over heels down the hill and the last anyone ever saw of Vermen Alcott was his semi-naked figure stumbling blindly toward the biggest patch of poison ivy in Richmond Township.

After that the faithful wandered back to try to reclaim their homes and what was left of their possessions, Hoffelmeyer declaring,  "I don't care what happens to Vermen Alcott. I hope the so and so itches himself to death."

Some say that's exactly what happened. Others claim he fell in the creek, washed down to the Fox and fetched up in Morris where he went to work on the I&M Canal, eventually obtaining a position as lockmaster with a pension that supported him to a ripe old age.

However, to this day, local residents near where Woodchuck Grove used to be say come Halloween night you can smell a distinct odor of calamine lotion there.

McHenry County Indictments

A McHenry County Grand Jury returned indictments this week against the following individuals:
The charges against these defendants are merely allegations against them.  The defendants are presumed innocent of any crime until proven guilty in court.
PATRICK N. MOORE, DOB:  02/13/86, 930 LAKE AVENUE  #14, WOODSTOCK. RETAIL THEFT, THEFT.--Woodstock PD
  
JOSE A. RESENDEZ, DOB:  09/28/87, 1020 N. STATE STREET, MARENGO. AGGRAVATED BATTERY, RESISTING A PEACE OFFICER.--McHenry County Sheriff's Office
  
JOSEPH R. WILSON, DOB:  07/31/93, 6902 LEXINGTON TRAIL, CRYSTAL LAKE. CRIMINAL SEXUAL ASSAULT, UNLAWFUL RESTRAINT.--McHenry County Sheriff's Office
  
ZACHARY L. MCMACKIN, DOB:  10/27/87, 20704 ANTHONY ROAD, MARENGO. UNLAWFUL DEFRAUDING DRUG/ALCOHOL SCREENING--McHenry County Sheriff's Office

SEAN A. LANCASTER, DOB:  06/25/91, 955 BRIDEN DRIVE  #8, MARENGO. AGGRAVATED BATTERY, DOMESTIC BATTERY, UNLAWFUL INTERFERENCE WITH THE REPORTING OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE--Marengo PD
  
MICHAEL W. GROSSKLAS, DOB:  11/22/54,5289 SANDY LOOP, RHINELANDER, WI. AGGRAVATED CRIMINAL SEXUAL ABUSE.--Harvard PD
  
STEVEN R. PRICE, DOB:  06/23/89, 602 N. HART STREET, HARVARD. AGGRAVATED BATTERY(2CTS), BATTERY, OBSTRUCTING A PEACE OFFICER.--Harvard PD
  
ROMONA L. GARCIA, DOB:  08/07/72, 211 GROVE AVENUE, FOX RIVER GROVE. THEFT, CRIMINAL TRESPASS TO REAL PROPERTY, AGGRAVATED DRIVING WHILE LICENSE REVOKED.--Fox River Grove PD
  
CHRISTOPHER B. PETERSEN, DOB:  11/14/78, 4302 SHAMROCK LANE  #3B, MCHENRY. AGGRAVATED BATTERY.--McHenry PD
  
DONALD B. VISH, DOB:  06/15/83,    512 HIGH STREET, GENEVA. CRIMINAL TRESPASS TO RESIDENCE, UNLAWFUL USE OF LICENSE OR PERMIT.--Crystal Lake PD

MAGGIE I. LEWENSTEN, DOB:  03/21/85, LKA:  8711 ALDEN ROAD, WONDER LAKE. UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE(2CTS).--McHenry County Sherfiff's Office
  
JAMIE J. RICHARDS, DOB:  10/07/79, 75 CENTER STREET, CRYSTAL LAKE. AGGRAVATED DOMESTIC BATTERY, UNLAWFUL RESTRAINT, UNLAWFUL INTERFERENCE WITH THE REPORTING OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, AGGRAVATED ASSAULT.--Crystal Lake PD
  
BENJAMIN H. PALESNKE, DOB:  01/19/84, 1762 SEBASTIAN, WOODSTOCK. UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA, UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF CANNABIS, OBSTRUCTING IDENTIFICATION.--McCullom Lake PD

BRIAN L. STEVENS, DOB:  06/28/84, 11581 S. LAFAYETTE STREET, CHICAGO. UNLAWFUL POSSESSION WITH INTENT TO DELIVER A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF CANNABIS.--McHenry PD

BRANDON C. WILSON, DOB:  05/01/86, 511 N. LAKE ROAD, LAKEMOOR. UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE(2CTS), UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF CANNABIS, UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA.--Lake County Metropolitan Enforcement Group
  
SERENA M. MEE, DOB:  04/05/74, 4003 W. MAIN STREET  APT 101, MCHENRY. UNLAWFUL DELIVERY OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE.--McHenry PD
      
JOHN A. GIBSON, DOB:  08/31/66, 835 CLAY STREET, WOODSTOCK. UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE.--Woodstock PD
      
MARK A. SCHLARB, DOB:  05/27/76, 643 S. BRENTWOOD DRIVE, CRYSTAL LAKE. UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF A HYPODERMIC SYRINGE.--Crystal Lake PD
  
RUSSELL J. DEGNER, DOB:  04/06/88, 10614 SEAMAN ROAD, HEBRON. CRIMINAL SEXUAL ASSAULT, AGGRAVATED CRIMINAL SEXUAL ABUSE(2CTS)--McHenry County Sheriff's Office.

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 29
1755 HRS 1115 CRYSTAL LAKE RD., (LITH POLICE). UNLAWFUL VISITATION INTERFERENCE. BAILEY, TANYA A., F/W 33 YEARS OF AGE, 800 GREENLEE ST. UNIT #6, MARENGO. CHARGES: Unlawful Visitation Interference. NOTICE TO APPEAR ISSUED.
0030 HRS 100 BLOCK OF LAKE DR. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Male, 21 years of age, needing an evaluation. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
1332 HRS 101 N. RANDALL RD., (DOMINICKS). RETAIL THEFT. Female took three bottles of vodka.
1641 HRS 250 N. RANDALL RD., (COSTCO). DECEPTIVE PRACTICE. Bad check issued.
1829 HRS 5200 MILLER RD.,(SUNSET PARK). BATTERY. Male teens fighting at the park.
1920 HRS ROUTE 31 & VIRGINIA RD. ACCIDENT. Two vehicles. Property damage only.
2114 HRS 100 BLOCK OF CRYSTAL LAKE RD. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Female, 89 years of age, possibly having a heart attack.  Transported to St. Alexis Hospital.

Unemployment Rate Continues McHenry County Fall For Sept.

The unemployment rate in McHenry County dropped to 8.3 percent in September according to the latest report released Thursday by the Illinois Department of Employment Security.  The report showed McHenry County with the second lowest unemployment rate among the collar counties after DuPage.

Meanwhile Illinois's overall unemployment rate remained among the highest in the nation at 9.5 percent for September while the overall U.S. unemployment rate remained stubbornly high at 9.2 percent.

September unemployment rates fell in every metropolitan area in the state for the first time since March 2007.  The statewide rate has dropped throughout this year since it peaked at 12.2 percent in January. That was the same month that saw a national peak unemployment rate at 10.6 percent.

Locally, the numbers for September drew a picture of a slightly larger labor force with a decreased number of people looking for work.  Economists believe there's a large pool of people who lost their jobs and have given up trying to find a new one but an IDES spokesman reports they're not included in the unemployment report because the agency doesn't have a way to count them.

Locally Lake in the Hills showed the lowest unemployment rate at 7.6 percent, followed by Algonquin at 7.9 percent and Crystal Lake and McHenry at 8.8 percent.  IDES doesn't break out a local unemployment rate for Huntley.

                           UNEMPLOYMENT (unadjusted)             
               REVISED AUG   2010       PRELIMINARY SEPT. 2010               
               LABOR    UNEMPLOYED      LABOR   UNEMPLOYED      SEPT.
               FORCE    NUMBER  RATE    FORCE   NUMBER    RATE  2009   
U.S. (X1000)   154,678  14,759   9.5    153,854   14,140   9.2   9.5    
ILLINOIS     6,678,899 663,242   9.9  6,658,735  629,741   9.5  10.4    

MCHENRY COUNTY 178,118  15,352   8.6    178,533   14,865   8.3   9.5    
KANE COUNTY    267,618  25,614   9.6    267,063   23,717   8.9  10.1    
LAKE COUNTY    370,530  37,723  10.2    363,420   34,364   9.5  10.0
DUPAGE COUNTY  523,379  42,083   8.0    524,248   40,283   7.7   8.8

ALGONQUIN       16,685   1,367   8.2     16,726    1,324   7.9   8.9   
LITH            16,919   1,372   8.1     16,926    1,293   7.6   9.2    
CRYSTAL LAKE    22,268   2,022   9.1     22,321    1,963   8.8   9.6    
MCHENRY         15,016   1,364   9.1     15,050    1,322   8.8  10.0   

Huntley Board Solves Walleye Party Crisis

The Huntley Village Board scrambled Thursday to patch together a solution to a social crisis for a lot of residents in the wake of last week's closing of Sun City's Walleye Grill.

As FEN first reported the Sun City Community Association abruptly shut the restaurant down after failing to come to terms with operator Brian Jason to renew his company's management contract.  That threw a cloud of uncertainty over parties that had already been booked ahead.

"There was a wedding that was supposed to be there last Saturday," said Trustee Pam Fender.  "I don't know what happened to that."

Nor was it clear what would happen to others since the Community Association has remained officially mum.  The situation became even more complicated when Jason turned his liquor license back in to the village this week.

Thursday the Board came up with a stopgap measure that would at least allow booked events at the Walleye.  They created a new class of liquor license for "Caterer/Retailers". Candidates for the license would be limited to businesses that already hold a village liquor license but would allow sales of food and liquor at social gatherings "not open to the general public at a site or sites other than the primary place of business", read "Walleye".

"I'm hoping this is temporary," said Trustee Paul Mercer.

"We're trying to help the (residents)," said Mayor Chuck Sass.  "You can't let just anybody (sell liquor)."

"Why didn't we think of this years ago?" asked Fender eyeing a $50 fee per event.  "We're going to make money hand over fist."

The vote was unanimous except for Trustee Niko Kanikaris who abstained.  He's one of the people who could apply for the new caterer/retailer license.

Sheriff Appeals Deputy Firing Again

Thursday was the deadline for McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren to file an appeal from a judgement to reinstate fired Deputy and now foe Zane Seipler.  After a month of mulling it over with the general election looming Nygren filed the appeal to the Second Appellate Court just before time ran out.

Nygren fired Seipler more than a year ago for writing a pair of traffic tickets the Sheriff said were bogus.  A federal arbitrator said even if they were, Seipler didn't deserve more than a three-day suspension.  So did a McHenry County Judge when Nygren challenged the decision.

Five days before the general election Nygren decided to give it one more try.  The progression was similar to that in  another deputy firing case the Sheriff took to the same court last year.  He lost that one earlier this Summer.

Nygren maintains Seipler's lost all credibility as a police officer with a pair of somewhat bizarre tickets, one a warning for no seatbelt, the other a ticket for no proof of insurance.  Nygren was quoted Thursday saying he still believes that.

Seipler, after a game of phone Ping Pong with FEN, couldn't be reached but a post on his anti-Nygren website calls the appeal "a Titanic mistake".

Meanwhile Seipler posted some more overtime slips to his site that he claims prove Nygren's been using County personnel for campaign work.  His request for a Special Prosecutor comes up again in Circuit Court the day after the election.

In the pic:  Zane Seipler, very frustrated ex-McHenry County Deputy.

Tasers, Parking, Sidewalks Revealed In Huntley Budget Workshop

The Huntley Board began hammering together the village's 2011 budget Thursday with a workshop session featuring a briefing from Village staffers on what problems and issues expected to come up in the coming year.  Financially there were few surprises.  Operationally there were at least three.

One is a plan to equip Huntley police with Tasers, hi-tech electronic devices to stun combative suspects.  Chief John Perkins said officers have asked to be equipped with the things since a couple of incidents this year that turned nasty.  "One (suspect) just a few months back had a knife," said Perkins. "And he was pretty big, too."

Perkins said the miscreant was eventually subdued but believed it would have been safer to have just briefly incapacitated him.  "Studies have shown there are fewer injuries to officers and, incidentally, there are fewer injuries to suspects, too," he said.

The other prospect that may create controversy was a plan to resurface and repaint Main Street from where Route 47 construction leaves off east to Church St.  Pavement markings have already been scraped off and Village Manager Dave Johnson said it might be a good time to repaint them to designate parallel instead of diagonal parking in the central downtown.

"I'm not so sure that's a good idea without creating additional parking," said Trustee Paul Mercer.  "Whatever the Board decides," said Johnson.

That was also his advice on a new plan to create a 50/50 sidewalk-fixing program like the Village's 50/50 tree replacement one.  Johnson said there've been a lot of complaints from residents about cracked and spalling sidewalks.  He said while the village is happy to fix sidewalks that are actually unsafe, simply unattractive ones are something else.  He said there might be room in the budget for a $20,000 sidewalk program "in place of or in addition to" the tree program, "or maybe both".

As for the financials, Johnson said the big question is really whether the State will come through with the money it's supposed to send the village.  Sales tax revenues are on time, Johnson said, but the state's months behind in paying the village's share of Income Tax revenue again, more than $400,000 at the moment.

The other big problem is that the sales tax revenue this year hasn't been as high as Johnson expected.  The new Wal-Mart and Walgreens have, indeed, brought in more money but "we were a little more aggressive (estimating it) than we normally would have been," said Johnson.

The plan for the coming year was to be about $190,000 less aggressive in the estimate which is in the same ballpark as the $165,000 in savings in operations outlays village staffers came up with for 2011.

Local Craftsman Has Monumental Undertaking

Jim Warner works the graveyard shift.  Every day, since he's the owner of the eponymous Lake in the Hills monument company.

Thursday he and his crew, including son, James, were at Dundee's east side cemetery installing a marker and engraving a new date on an existing double gravestone.

Hammers and chisels don't figure in monument engraving anymore.  Rather it's a matter of a rubber stencil and a sandblaster that cuts granite like cheese.  But the stencil's handmade to match existing lettering and custom fit to make the spacing come out right.

Warner said nobody works that way anymore, but that's the way he was taught.  "My Dad went from cemetery to cemetery coming back at dark," said Warner.

"I can show you monuments (with precut stencils) that are a crime," Warner said, artfully brushing a little dirt into the new date to help "age" it to match the rest of the markings.

A craftsman in a cemetery at the end of October.  Not exactly a Halloween story.  Although Thursday morning it was cold as a witch's...er, ah...handbag.

In the pic: Monument engraver Jim Warner on the job at one of Dundee's cemeteries.

Quinn Funnels Money To Belvidere Chrysler Plant

By Jennifer Wessner, Illinois Statehouse News
A new influx of Illinois cash is headed to a manufacturing plant in Northern Illinois that many had thought might shut its doors. Governor Pat Quinn Thursday announced a $62 million investment in Chrysler’s plant in Belvidere.

Chrysler, the struggling automobile manufacturer, sold a 20 percent stake in the company to Fiat in 2009 leading to speculation that the Chrysler plant in Belvidere, a major source of employment in the area, would be shut down. In one of the first signs of the newly reorganized company's intentions, Quinn announced a joint investment with Chrysler of the State's $62 million and $600 million dollars from Chrysler to keep the Belvidere plant open for the foreseeable future.

Quinn said the money will help keep thousands of people in their jobs. “I have been working with Chrysler frankly night and day for quite some time and I'm very blessed that their board of directors approved our incentive package,” Quinn said. “Our state is investing $62 million dollars, which is a lot of money, to preserve 2,000 jobs.”

This is the second auto-manufacturing announcement Quinn has made within days of an election. Prior to the February primary this past winter, Quinn announced the creation of 1,200 new jobs at a Ford assembly plant in Chicago. Many critics believed the announcement gave Quinn a much-needed boost with voters. Whether Thursday’s announcement, five days from the general election, results in a similar boost next Tuesday remains to be seen.

John Gedney, President of the United Auto Workers Local 1268, said the money is a good sign that Chrysler is committed to staying in Northern Illinois.

"All the models are being discontinued and Chrysler has not committed to new models here as of yet, but you're putting on a 600,000 plus square foot expansion and state of the art body shop,” Gedney said. “One can only speculate that future product would be coming here to replace those models that are scheduled to phase out in 2012."

Belvidere Mayor Fred Brereton said, "Absent everyone stepping up to the plate and seeing we'll do what we can to help you, this announcement probably wouldn't have occurred.”

Gedney said, "We have right now just over 2,200 members in Chrysler unit one.  Now a large number of those employees were temporary employees who as we speak today and the rest of this week are being turned to full-time status."

You can read Jennifer's full report at:  http://illinois.statehousenewsonline.com/4398/quinn-funnels-money-to-belvidere-chrysler-plant/

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 28
1650 HRS ALGONQUIN RD. & LAKEWOOD RD. DRIVING WHILE LICENSE SUSPENDED. JUVENILE, M/B 17 YEARS OF AGE, SLEEPY HOLLOW. CHARGES: Driving While License Suspended, No Insurance. RELEASED TO LEGAL GUARDIAN.
1939 HRS 00 BLOCK OF MANCHESTER CT. AGGRAVATED ASSAULT. OLIVERA SR., JOSEPH A., M/W 52 YEARS OF AGE, 12 MANCHESTER CT., LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGE: Aggravated Assault, Disorderly Conduct. RELEASED ON BOND.
2306 HRS RANDALL RD. & ALGONQUIN RD. WANTED ON WARRANT. STECKER, CHRISTOPHER S., M/W 30 YEARS OF AGE, 40W791 BIG TIMBER RD. HAMPSHIRE. CHARGES: Wanted on Warrant, McHenry County, Failure To Appear Violation of Order of Protection $3000 @ 10%, Failure to Appear, Driving Under the Influence and Resisting A Peace Officer $5000 @ 10%. Obstructing Identification, Driving Without Headlights as Required, Failure to Yield to Emergency Vehicle. TURNED OVER TO MCHENRY COUNTY.
2358 HRS 1100 BLOCK OF HEAVENS GATE. ACCIDENT INJURY/ILLEGAL CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL. JANNUSCH, NIKOLAS R., M/W 19 YEARS OF AGE, 511 MERIDIAN LN., CRYSTAL LAKE. CHARGES: Illegal Consumption of Alcohol, Zero Tolerance, Improper Lane Use, Fireworks. NOTICE TO APPEAR ISSUED.
0226 HRS 6900 RAKOW RD., (RAKOW CURVE). DOMESTIC BATTERY. Sister vs. sister. No priors. FAIL TO FILE.
0234 HRS 00 BLOCK OF INDIAN TRAIL. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Female, 50 years of age, injury to head. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
0308 HRS 10 BLOCK OF HERON CT. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Female, 70 years of age, having a hard time breathing. Transported to Woodstock Hospital.
0506 HRS 100 BLOCK OF PHEASANT TRAIL. ASSIST OUTSIDE POLICE AGENCY. Assist to State Police with a warrant service.
0844 HRS ALGONQUIN RD. & ANNANDALE DR. CRIMINAL DEFACEMENT. Graffiti on Lake in the Hills Village sign.
1338 HRS 4520 ALGONQUIN RD., (CASTLE BANK). ASSIST OTHER AGENCY. Bank received a counterfeit ten dollar bill.
1710 HRS PINGREE RD. & RAKOW RD. ACCIDENT. Two vehicles. Property damage only.
2045 HRS 1100 BLOCK OF PRIDES RUN. DOMESTIC Father vs. son. Verbal only. No priors.
Algonquin
October 25
10:11am Erpito, Danielle M., DOB: 12/26/89, of 408 Blackhawk Trail, Carpentersville, was charged with No Valid Driver’s License and Disobeying Traffic Control Light.  She was taken into custody at Lake Street and Ramble Road.  She was released after posting $150 with a court date of 12/01/10 in McHenry County.
October 26
07:05am A 16 year-old male from Lake in the Hills was charged with Aggravated Assault.  He was taken into custody at the Algonquin Police Department.  He was formally Petitioned into Juvenile Court and then released into the custody of his parents.
19:34pm Pease, Donald J. Jr., DOB: 12/19/77, of 10655 Grand Canyon Avenue, Huntley, was charged with Fleeing & Eluding, Obstructing a Peace Officer and Felony DWLR.  He was taken into custody at Broadsmore Drive and Poets Lane.  He was transported to McHenry County Jail when unable to post bond.
October 28
01:15am Patel, Payal S., DOB: 09/21/90, of 649 Woodbridge Drive, Elgin, was charged with DWLS and No Proof of Insurance. She was taken into custody at Randall Road and Corporate Parkway. She was released after posting $150.00 with a court date of 12/01/10 in McHenry County.
17:12pm Hernandez-Lopez, Raul, DOB: 09/14/84, of 1382 Teakwood Lane, Crystal Lake, was charged with No Valid Driver’s License, No Proof of Insurance and Disobeying a Traffic Control Device.  He was taken into custody at Harrison Street and Front Street.  He was released after posting $150 with a court date of 12/01/10 in McHenry County.

Algonquin Riverside Square: Another Extension

Algonquin's unfinished and dilapidated Riverside Square project will stand through the winter thanks to a three-month extension granted this week in the Village's suit seeking an order to tear it down.

Judge Michael Sullivan set the next check-in date for January 28 in the case in which  Algonquin charges the failed luxury condo/retail development has become a safety hazard in the middle of the village.

"Of course we're disappointed," said Community Development Director Russ Farnum whose efforts to promote the growth in the village are complicated by the building's prominent location at the busy Route 31/62 intersection. Farnum blamed the delay Wednesday on the more than two dozen subcontractors involved in the case who have liens against the building for unpaid work they performed in its construction.

"If we tear it down they're left with nothing," Farnum said.

On the other hand, if the building molders into a heap they won't be left with much, either.  However, Harris Bank  Wednesday remained mum on what it hopes to do with with the half-finished project citing "confidentiality reasons".  Harris inherited the Riverside Square headache when it bought Rockford's failed Amcore Bank earlier this year.

On the safety of the building, when FEN informed spokesman Patrick O’Herlihy that vandals had invaded the hulk again two weeks ago, it was six hours before he could reply, "We are working with our construction consultant to keep the building secure."

In the pic:  The past two days of high winds did the Tyvek wrap on Tyvek Towers little good.

Paving On North Harrison Friday, "Weather Dependant"

Commuters in Algonquin's Algonquin Hills section will need to plan ahead for the next couple of days as workers begin to lay pavement on North Harrison Street Friday.

Work's been going on all summer to upgrade storm sewers and get the road base ready on Harrison from just north of Ericson Marina to just north of Deerpath Road at the Village limits. Wednesday Project Manager Shawn Hurtig said, "weather dependent", paving will start Friday at 7 am and continue until no later than 3 pm Saturday.

Hurtig advised residents to expect delays of up to 15 minutes and to plan an alternate route, although that might prove a bit of a challenge for Lowe Road residents.

Hurtig said North Harrison Street will remain closed to all through traffic until the completion of the project late next month.

In the pic:  The base is ready for about 3/4 of a mile of new asphalt on Algonquin's North Harrison Street.

Ballots Go To Townships Friday For November Election

Ballots for Tuesday's general election will start to go out to township clerks Friday and continue Saturday, according to McHenry County Clerk Kathie Schultz.

Not Sunday, too?  "I hope not," she laughed.  "I've spent the last two Sundays here already."

Schultz reported there are 45 different ballot permutations this yea to distribute among the 212 precincts represented at McHenry County's 197 polling places.

If voters aren't sure in which precinct they reside, here's where to find it:
http://mchenry-il.connect.clarityelections.com/precinctfinder.aspx

If voters know their precinct but not its polling place, here's where to find that:
http://mchenry-il.connect.clarityelections.com/ElectionPollingPlaces.aspx
(Clicking on the polling place brings up a map of how to get there.)

In the pic:  County Clerk Kathie Schultz does a last minute check Wednesday on some of the 108,000 ballots going out to McHenry County townships this weekend.

LITH Makes Halloween "Tour" Easy

Currency traders have decided maybe the Fed isn't going to wreck the dollar after all so gasoline prices have dropped back to what passes for normal these days and once again families can afford to hop in the old jalopy for a jaunt to inspect area Halloween decorations.  As usual, the Village of Lake in the Hills has made it easy by announcing the winners of their Parks and Recreation District Decorating Contest.

The Wrolson family at 340 S. Annandale, won the Scariest House Division with their annual front yard into an outdoor haunted house complete with fog machines, ghosts, ghouls, a graveyard, and a witch stirring a pot "for a charm of powerful trouble" (Shakespeare, Macbeth, Act IV, Scene 1).

Winners of the Cheeriest House Division were the Bashonski Family at 102 Acorn Lane. Smiling scarecrows and goofy goblins remind everyone that Halloween includes an end of harvest celebration in its ancestry.  At least that's what the judges thought.

Other entries in the contest were: 1203 Birch St., 12 Barrington Ct., 2 Montclair Ct., 5753 Foxfield Lane, 4660 Mackinac St., 4 Hadden Ct., 135 Hilltop Dr., 5 Woodland Rd., 922 Brandt Dr., and 15 Linden St.

Winners each received a gift certificate to a local restaurant and their decorations will be up through Halloween.

Admins, Advocates Ask for Education Funding

By Kevin Lee, Illinois Statehouse News
School superintendents, early childhood education advocates and special education coordinators Wednesday called for state administrators to maintain education funding in the face of the state's budget troubles.

The Illinois State Board of Education convened a public hearing, the second in a series of six, to gather suggestions as the state agency prepares its next budget.

Representatives of school districts, such as Diane Rutledge, executive director of the Large Unit District Association, which serves the 55 largest unit school districts in Illinois, advocated that local school administrators know their communities best and could make the lowest-impact cuts. "We believe local control is where we would like to see our decisions being able to be made. Again, local staff, superintendents and their boards are reflecting their community and reflecting their needs," she said.

But Carolyn Blackwell, a Springfield native and gifted education supporter, said the state should have some say on which education programs are cut. "When funding does get tight at the district level, music, art and even athletic programs take precedence over gifted education. To overcome this, we would like to see more responsibility assumed by the state and policymakers to direct these funds specifically toward the gifted learner," she said.

State Superintendent Christopher Koch said a lot of the frustration with state government stems from the fact that local administrators and education supporters do not know when they will receive payments from the state. That is leading to school districts having to plan out budgets and payroll without funding. Koch said the state is still making payments to schools from this March. He added that those payments from the 2010 fiscal year would take priority.

You can read Kevin's full report at: http://illinois.statehousenewsonline.com/4392/admins-advocates-ask-for-education-funding/

Judge Upholds Blagojevich Conviction

By Jamey Dunn, Illinois Issues
Federal Judge James Zagel denied former Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s bid to have the single conviction from his corruption trial tossed out. Blagojevich was convicted in August on a charge of lying to federal agents — stemming from a 2005 discussion when he told FBI agents he kept a “firewall” between campaign fundraising and his job as governor.

Blagojevich asked Zagel to nullify the conviction based alleged misconduct by the prosecution. Zagel did not agree that the prosecution took any inappropriate actions. "The arguments made here are weak in themselves. Defendant's motion is founded in substantial part on the well-known principle that if a lawyer cannot attack the law or the facts in a criminal prosecution, the only recourse is to attack the prosecutor,” Zagel said in a written opinion.

The jury was unable to reach a verdict on 23 other corruption charges, including allegations that Blagojevich tried to sell President Barack Obama’s former U.S. Senate seat. The former governor faces a retrial in April 2011. Zagel gave Blagojevich’s trimmed-down defense team more time to prepare after his earlier outspoken father-son lawyer team, Sam Adam and Sam Adam Jr., bowed out of having an active role in the retrial.

You can read Jamey's full report at: http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2010/10/judge-upholds-blagojevich-conviction.html

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 27
0239 HRS ALGONQUIN RD. & PYOTT RD. NO VALID DRIVER LICENSE. AGUILAR, CLAUDIA, F/W 27 YEARS OF AGE, 1923 BRISTOL CIRCLE, CARPENTERSVILLE.  CHARGES: No Valid Drivers License, Improper Lane Use. RELEASED ON BOND.
1517 HRS LAKEWOOD RD. & ALGONQUIN RD. DRIVING WHILE LICENSE SUSPENDED. GARCIA, MICHAEL J., M/W 30 YEARS OF AGE,391 STEEPLECHASE WAY, LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGES: Driving While License Suspended, Expired Registration and No Insurance.
RELEASED ON BOND.
1559 HRS PYOTT RD. & E. OAK ST, DRIVING WHILE LICENSE REVOKED. STACY, DANIEL E., M/W 33 YEARS OF AGE,603 LINCOLN AVE. APT B, FOX RIVER GROVE. CHARGES: Driving While License Revoked and Speeding. RELEASED ON BOND.
2205 HRS 600 BLOCK OF WEDGEWOOD CIRCLE. WANTED ON WARRANT. VAZQUEZ, GREGORY W., M/W 33 YEARS OF AGE, 2 CROSSVIEW CT., LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGES: Wanted on Warrant out of DeKalb County for Failure To Appear for Trespassing, bond set at $5,000 @ 10% apply. RELEASED ON BOND.
1422 HRS ALGONQUIN RD. & HILLTOP DR. INJURY ACCIDENT. Two vehicles. Male subject with an arm injury. No transport.
2103 HRS 00 BLOCK OF DEER CREEK CT. DEATH INVESTIGATION. Female, 88 years of age, unresponsive. TURNED OVER TO MCHENRY COUNTY CORONER.
2314 HRS 1300 BLOCK OF CUNAT CT. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Female, 30 years of age, feeling faint. Transported to Sherman Hospital.

County Sportsplex Financing To Shift To Development Agency

The McHenry County Board Finance and Audit Committee Tuesday handed off stimulus bond funding for the giant McHenry County Sportsplex proposed for Route 47 between Huntley and Woodstock.  While the old plan was often billed as being at no cost of McHenry County taxpayers, the new one may put all the taxpayers in Illinois on the potential hook.

Miyun Cho, Managing Director of St. Louis investment bank Stern Brothers that hopes to underwrite bond financing for the facility said costs for the 165-acre complex have risen so much that the $18.5 million in tax-subsidized Recovery Zone Bond authority the County had allocated wouldn't be enough.

Cho said the price to purchase the land at the intersection of Route 47 and Route 176 now stands at around $7 million and Illinois Department of Transportation changes to realign Pleasant Valley Road to match up with 176 to the east have at least doubled the previously estimated $3.5 million cost for that construction.  She said that's going to require a separate non-stimulus bond issue from the Upper Illinois River Valley Development Authority, the group that financed Centegra's Health System's Huntley campus. Cho said  the Sportsplex could save some regulatory costs if UIRVDA could issue the stimulus bonds, too.

The Committee agreed to transfer the stimulus bond authority to UIRVDA, Chairman Marc Munaretto calling it a "ministerial change". The  primary result he said would be that "McHenry County's name won't be on the (stimulus) bonds."

UIRVDA bonds for the Sportsplex might add a new dimension of taxpayer involvement, though.  Any bonds issued under that agency's aegis, taxable or exempt, could include a quasi-guarantee that if the Sportsplex defaults the Governor can add the amount to the State budget.  The Legislature would still have to sign off on it but there's enough exposure that the quasi-guaranteed bonds would piggyback a notch below the State's own bond rating.

Cho didn't say Tuesday if that's what she had in mind for the Sportsplex and FEN didn't know enough to ask at the time.

Another possible complication appears in UIRVDA's roster of Directors.  Among them is Blake Hobson, a Trustee in Lakewood which is heavily involved in promoting the Sportsplex that now provisionally lies within its confines.

Time is running out for the Sportsplex which, barring a lame-duck Congressional extension, has to get the stimulus bonds issued by the end of this year.

Developers almost missed a State deadline that would have made the whole thing moot.  In May the Secretary of State placed the company in "not good standing" status for failing to send in a nominal fee and one-page report at the end of its first year of existence.  A spokesman said the company would have been dissolved next week if it hadn't finally renewed Oct. 21.

In the pic:  A visualization of the McHenry County Sportsplex if it can line up land and money.

LITH Mulls Flood Control Areas vs Randall Road "Bridge"

Lake in the Hills trustees agreed Tuesday to give some thought to whether they'd like the McHenry County Division of Transportation to add some flood-control areas south of Ken Carpenter Park or put the planned expansion of Randall Road in that area up on stilts.

McDOT Design Manager Wally Dittrich told the Village Board the planned expansion, still very much in the talking stage, has to be done to the west of the Randall/Miller intersection to avoid encroaching on homes in the Presidents area of LITH.  The land there is wetland, though, so either McDOT would have to build what Dittrich called a 1/4-mile or longer $10 million bridge or create some new areas to control runoff.  Dittrich said runoff areas would carry a bonus in reducing flooding at Ken Carpenter Park.

Village President Ed Plaza liked the reduced flooding part.  "You don't have to wait for a 100-year storm or even a 10-year storm," he said.  "I think it's flooded twice already this year."

On the other hand some of the possible storage areas troubled Board Members.  "(The one along Woods Creek) is pretty close to housing,"said Plaza.  "When it's that close people start to worry."

"The wetlands, your results in this would be they'd be the way they are now?" asked Trustee Paul Mulcahy.

"Yes," said Dittrich adding that the new water control areas would simply redirect water away from the Park and slow it down so it wouldn't create a flood.

"Or we could put a big sewer underneath Randall Road but that wouldn't help your problem very much," said Dittrich.

The Board asked him to come back with more detailed proposals.

In the pic: A-ii, A-iv, and B-iv would/could include "some type of underground storage system." The rest would be recontoured areas to slow runoff.

Local Halloween Costume Trend: No Trend

espite the Halloween hoopla, outfits based on the alleged reality TV show "Jersey Shore" aren't at the top of the local costume list this year, according to Ron Ferrara, owner of Algonquin's Fantasy Festival Costume/Magic Center.  In fact there is no trend this year, he said, at least not one he can do much with.

"The 80's, that's the latest trend" said Ferrara.  "The people who were teenagers then are looking back.  They're remembering."  The problem, according to Ferrara is, "the 80's were a lousy decade for costumes."

"Believe it or not there's still a lot of demand for 'Star Wars'," said Ferrara. 

How about scary stuff?  "I think we've sold a couple of witches."

Politics?  Spooky Nancy Pelosi and Sara  Palin masks, maybe?

"I've got some Rod Blagojevich Big Hair," said Ferrara.  "Unfortunately Blagojevich has been a disappointment, both as a person and a wig."

So is there anything people have been buying for Halloween?

"A little of everything," said Ferrara.  "I've got 18,000 (individual item types).  Whatever you want I've probably got it. I may never be able to get it again....  Some of them they don't even make anymore."

In the pic:  Martha Hartnett, Lake in the Hills, buys some Halloween makeup from Chris Plotts at Algonquin's Fantasy Festival.

NWS On Wind: More Of The Same

The National Weather Service has another high wind warning in effect today until 7 pm this evening for an area including McHenry, Kane and Lake Counties.  It's similar to yesterday's warning when the area saw high winds but not as bad as the service seemed to indicate might happen.

The service warns once again that winds are expected to hit 40 mph with gusts up to 60. That didn't happen yesterday, at least in the immediate area.  Winds were stiff and there were isolated power outages from downed limbs but no widespread blackouts.

Yesterday's outlook included a tornado warning and one touched down briefly near Elburn in Southern Kane County.  A local tornado warning sent students ducking at Dundee-Crown High School Tuesday morning but no twisters materialized.

Elgin Community College sent students home as a precautionary measure Tuesday.  Mostly  all that did was create a big traffic jam in Elgin.

Next Education Budget Could Face Difficulties

By Kevin Lee, Illinois Statehouse News
The state's financial difficulties continue to handcuff state and local school administrators. State Comptroller Dan Hynes has indicated that the state could face up to a $15 billion budget deficit next year, a combination of state expenses exceeding revenues and billions of dollars in unpaid bills owed to vendors.

Locally, the State Board is back up to $11.5 million in payments in arrears to District 300, for instance.

With those serious economic and cash flow problems in mind, the Illinois State Board of Education is holding public hearings on crafting the upcoming statewide education budget, with the next meeting slated today.

For each of the last two state budgets, the federal government has provided financial support to Illinois to the tune of nearly $1 billion in federal stimulus funding. That money helped local school administrators stave off extreme layoffs and budget cuts.
But future significant stimulus funding looks uncertain, creating a financial "cliff" that the state and school administrators must address.

Earlier this year, lawmakers passed and Gov. Pat Quinn signed into law a proposal that puts a hold on new mandated  programs unless the necessary funding is provided. The law does not affect current mandated programs.

But state Sen. Michael Frerichs, D-Champaign, said the approach towards funding education could depend on the results of November's general election. "I think (the situation with education funding) is very uncertain and I think a lot of lawmakers are going to be looking at the outcomes of the election next Tuesday," he said.

The State Board of Education is holding a series of public meeting to discuss the state's next education budget. One meeting has already been held in Chicago. The nearest of the remainder will be in Mundelein next Wednesday.

You can read Kevin's full report at: http://illinois.statehousenewsonline.com/4386/next-education-budget-could-face-difficulties/

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 26
1613 HRS 200 BLOCK OF FERRYVILLE DR. DOMESTIC BATTERY. JUVENILE, M/W 17 YEARS OF AGE, LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGES: Domestic Battery, Two counts. RELEASED TO PARENT.
2015 HRS 5000 BLOCK OF HAYWARD LN. DOMESTIC BATTERY. GOTTAL, PRISCILLA A., F/W 26 YEARS OF AGE, 5050 HAYWARD LN., LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGES: Domestic Battery, Two counts. TURNED OVER TO MCHENRY COUNTY JAIL.
2137 HRS 4500 W. ALGONQUIN RD., (7/11). WANTED ON WARRANT. HUNT, EDDIE D., M/B 31 YEARS OF AGE, 400 WRIGHT DRIVE, LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGES: Suspended Drivers License, Suspended Registration and Wanted on Warrant out of DeKalb County for Failure to Appear on Harassing by a Communication Device. $5,000 @ 10%. TURNED OVER TO MCHENRY COUNTY JAIL.
1153 HRS 00 BLOCK OF QUAIL RUN. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Female, 84 years of age, stomach pain. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
1203 HRS ALGONQUIN RD. & PYOTT RD. ACCIDENT. Two vehicles. Property damage only.
1210 HRS 250 RANDALL RD., (COSTCO). HIT & RUN. Vehicle was hit by a vehicle that left the scene.
1505 HRS 1115 CRYSTAL LAKE RD., (LAKE IN THE HILLS POLICE). SEX OFFENDER CHECKS. Sex Offender address verification.
1513 HRS 14 WALTER CT., (FLEXIBLE COMP). ASSIST AMBULANCE. Male, 55 years of age, disorientated. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
1604 HRS 100 BLOCK OF PHEASANT TRAIL. ACCIDENT. Two vehicles. Property damage only.
1856 HRS 2800 BLOCK OF SORREL ROW. DOMESTIC. Father vs. son. Verbal only. No priors.
1956 HRS 300 BLOCK OF ANNANDALE DR. FRAUD. Unauthorized charges on complainants debit card. TURNED OVER TO INVESTIGATIONS.
2033 HRS 6900 RAKOW RD. (RAKOW CURVE). ACCIDENT. Car vs. deer. Property damage only.

Batten Area Hatches For High Winds, Storms

Forecasters expect a warm front followed closely by a cold front to set off severe thunderstorms and high winds today.  The National Weather Service issued a high wind warning covering McHenry and Kane counties from 7 am until 8 pm this evening and a tornado watch in effect until 11 am.

The high wind warning means winds are expected to increase throughout the morning reaching sustained speeds of 30 to 40 miles an hour with some gusts reaching around 60.

"Non-secure objects may become airborne," observed forecasters who also said boxy vehicles will be a handful to handle on the road.  Power outages from falling trees and limbs were also expected.

The tornado watch doesn't mean tornadoes are going to happen, just that conditions are right for their formation

Forecasters say fierce weather is common on the backside of winter storms when energy from the high- speed jet stream gets transferred to surface levels.

In the pic:  When a heavy cold front shoves the warm air before it into a pile the weather can turn violent.

District 300 OK's Jobs Money For Oversize Class Pay

The District 300 Board of Education Monday approved using $1 million in Federal money for new teachers to pay the bill for oversized classes being taught by instructors who still have a job.

The vote was unanimous with little discussion even though Board President Joe Stevens said, "We've had a fair amount of email saying that we should actually use this for more staff."  Stevens said he'd like to have more teachers but "it's not continuing (funding). That would just dig a bigger hole for the next school year."

Member Karen Roeckner amplified that. Hiring more teachers now would just mean "we'll have to release them in March."

"And then we'd have have to pay them unemployment," Stevens added.

President of LEAD 300, the teachers' union, Kolleen Hanetho said before the meeting that Illinois Education Association attorneys pored over the $26 billion so-called Teachers' Job Bill for the past two weeks and couldn't find anything in it that says it's OK to use the money for classroom overload pay.  However, neither, she said, could they find anything forbidding it.

"It may be legal but it's wrong," said Hanetho.

After the meeting Stevens said that the District's $1 million share of the Jobs Bill wasn't really offsetting the $2.3 million extra-student pay triggered when the District laid off more than 100 teachers for the new year.  "The money can be used against hires from August 1 and we're doing that," he said.  That would free up the money the district was going to use to pay the new hires so those are the funds really paying the extra freight for oversized classes.

While the vote was unanimous two members were absent Monday, Karen Plaza and Chris Stanton.

Board Inks Promise Not To Text And Drive

Jacobs High School driving students honored at Monday's District 300 Board of Education meeting had a surprise for members.  As part of a campaign to gather 5,000 signature student thumbprints, "We want you to pledge not to text and drive," they said.

There was much laughter among board members at the idea of pledging not to do something so manifestly stupid. However, only Sunday a 16 year-old girl took out a Crystal Lake resident's garage when she missed a curve trying to drive and text at the same time.  "It's like they're addicted," said one Jacobs driving instructor.

In the pic: President Joe Stevens and the rest of the District 300 Board inked up their thumbs to promise not to text and drive.  They spent the rest of the evening trying to surreptitiously scrub the ink back off with hand sanitizer which turns out to be a poor solvent.

McHenry County Candidate Forum Opens With Pledge, Not Dispute

The suspense at Monday's McHenry County League of Women Voters forum at McHenry County College was more about what would precede the candidates' comments than whatever they had to say.

A similar forum by the Lake County League last week outraged a lot of people when the moderator forbade saying the Pledge of Allegiance since it wasn't on the agenda.  When the audience said it anyway she berated them for disobeying her.  The pledge wasn't on the agenda for the McHenry County forum, either, but that's what it opened with absent any drama.

Incumbent Republican Sheriff Keith Nygren and Democratic challenger Mike Mahon mixed it up over who was really a lawman and how to improve the Sheriff's Office budget.  Nygren wanted to grow revenue with contracts like the one announced late last week to house naughty Navy swabbies in the Jail.  Mahon wanted to cut fat which he puts at $1 million, minimum.  Green candidate Gus Philpott said he's been a lawman, too, and wasn't sure if he'd cut anything except cellphone use to circumvent recorded radio transmissions.

County Clerk candidates were at the forum, too.  Incumbent Republican Kathie Schultz said she's been doing a good job.  Democratic challenger Mark Freund said he thought he could do a better one.

Safeguard In Recall Amendment Could Be Downfall

By Jamey Dunn, Illinois Issues
A provision viewed as a safeguard in a proposed recall amendment to the Illinois Constitution has raised questions of constitutionality days before voters will consider it. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Illinois claims that requiring a gubernatorial recall effort to get at least 100 signatures from 20 different counties runs counter to the “one person, one vote” principle.

Harvey Grossman, ACLU of Illinois’ legal director, said the requirement gives individual voters in smaller counties more power. In a large county, such as Cook, it would theoretically be easier to find 100 voters to sign a petition, while in a much smaller county it might be more difficult. Grossman said this would mean signatures from voters in smaller counties would be in greater demand, and the voice of a voter in larger county would be diluted.

McHenry County Rep. Jack Franks who introduced the amendment, said the requirement that a recall campaign collect signatures from multiple counties was meant to prevent a more populous county from single-handedly initiating a process, which would affect residents throughout the state.

Those seeking to recall a sitting governor would have to collect signatures from citizens equal to 15 percent of votes cast in the last gubernatorial election. A bipartisan group of 20 House members and 10 Senate members also have to sign off on a recall effort.

Franks, a lawyer, said he does not know if the ACLU’s argument would hold up in court, but he said the organization should have raised concerns earlier in the process instead of days before the election.

Grossman, who wrote an opinion piece on the topic for the Chicago Tribune, said that his organization was responding to recent complaints from voters. “We felt we had a duty, once it was brought to our attention, to inform the voters.”

Kent Redfield, an emeritus professor at the University of Illinois Springfield  said he is not convinced by the ACLU’s case against the amendment. “I think the argument is a stretch, and I think it’s one of the reasons [they] didn’t raise it sooner.”

You can read Jamey's full report at: http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2010/10/safeguard-in-recall-amendment-could-be.html

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 25
0158 HRS 1200 BLOCK OF POPLAR ST. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Male, 62 years of age, fell down the stairs. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
0631 HRS 2400 BLOCK OF STANTON CIRCLE. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Male, 49 years of age, with low blood sugar.  No transport.
0701 HRS HIAWATHA DR. & WILLOW ST. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Female, 72 years of age, difficulty breathing. No transport.
1240 HRS 00 BLOCK OF SWEETWATER CT. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Female, 45 years of age, unable to move. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
1259 HRS 00 BLOCK OF WALNUT DR. MISSING JUVENILE. Male, 16 years of age, reported as a runaway. ENTERED INTO LEADS.
1522 HRS 300 BLOCK OF WINSLOW WAY. DOMESTIC. Mother vs. son. Verbal argument only. Four priors.
1724 HRS 0 BLOCK OF CROFTON CT. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Female, 83 years of age feeling weak. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
1730 HRS 4000 BLOCK OF LARKSPUR LN. THEFT. Blue Haro bicycle was stolen.
1955 HRS 0 BLOCK OF ELIZABETH CT. LOST ARTICLE. Lost temporary license plate. Entered into LEADS.
2001 HRS 100 BLOCK OF VILLAGE CREEK DR. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Female, 17 years of age having a diabetic reaction. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
Huntley
October 18
Theft of a gas grill was reported in the 9900 block of Thornton Way.  The theft occurred sometime between 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm on October 17, 2010.
October 19
Thomas G. Tripp, age 24, of 13609 Rt 176, Woodstock, was charged with Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Possession of Marijuana.  Mr. Tripp posted bond and was released with a Kane County court date of November 4, 2010 at 9:00 am.
Anna M. Dallain, age 36, of 10604 Rushmore Ln., Huntley, was charged with Operation of an Uninsured Motor Vehicle and Driving on a Suspended License.  Ms Dallain posted bond and was released with a McHenry County court date of November 5, 2010 at 8:30 am.
October 20
A theft was reported at the Huntley High School 13719 Harmony Rd Huntley.  An iPod touch was stolen from a student’s back pack.
A theft of Halloween decorations was reported in the 12100 block of Main St.
Quinn W. Bauler, age 40, of 326 Hayward, Woodstock, was charged with Expired Registration, Operation of Uninsured Motor Vehicle and Driving on a Suspended License.  Mr. Bauler posted bond and was released with a McHenry County court date.
Joseph M. Lichay, age 49, of 11325 Fleetwood Dr., Huntley,  was arrested on an outstanding warrant for Delivery of Cannabis.  Mr. Lichay was transported to Kane County Jail.
October 21
Alexis Hernandez, age 27, of 103 Green Ln., Carpentersville, was charged with Driving On a Suspended License.  Mr. Hernandez also had an outstanding Kane County arrest warrant for Failure to Appear.  Mr. Hernandez was transported to McHenry County Corrections.
October 23
Kyle Bender, age 18, of 3781 Bunker Hill Dr., Algonquin,  was charged with Illegal Transportation of Alcohol, No rear registration light, Possession of Paraphernalia, and Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol.  Mr. Bender posted bond and was released with a McHenry County court date.
Joseph A. Fisiorek, age 18, of 10435 Sawgrass Ln., Huntley,  was charged with Possession of Cannabis.  Mr. Fisiorek posted bond and was released with a McHenry County court date.
Davis T. Byrne, age 18, of 850 Taralon Trail, Lake In The Hills, was charged with Consumption of Alcohol by a Minor.  Mr. Byrne was released with a McHenry County court date.
October 24
Salvador T. Torrison, age 21, of 3109 Heritage Ct #26, Manhattan, KS, was arrested on an outstanding McHenry County warrant for driving on a suspended license.  Mr. Torrison posted bond and was released with a McHenry County court date.

Special Prosecutor Might Reveal Billing Rate

The Special Prosecutor in the Lou Bianchi Official Misconduct case says he might be willing to reveal how much he's charging McHenry County for his services.  Henry "Skip" Tonigan makes no promises, though.

Tonigan and fellow prosecutor Tom McQueen have submitted bills for the first nine months of their year-long investigation of the State's Attorney totaling $109,000 but no one except Associate McHenry County Judge Gordon Graham knows what they did for it.  About one third of the County Board expressed concern about that earlier this month since now they're going to have to pay Tonigan to prosecute Bianchi and they don't have a clue what it's going to cost.  County Administrator Pete Austin said there was no way to find out because all the records are sealed by Graham's order.

McHenry County Blog publisher Cal Skinner last week managed to break out the information that about $40,000 of the total went for work done by private investigations firm Quest Consultants, Ltd., of Schaumburg but that leaves $70,000 paid to the Special Prosecutors at an unknown rate for an unknown number of hours.

After Bianchi's arraignment Friday Tonigan refused to divulge his hourly rate to FEN ("You're not my client") but said he might reveal it to McHenry County. "If the County--the County Administrator asks that I might consider it," he said.  "It depends on how it's presented to me."

Tonigan, appointed by Graham more than a year ago, was at one time Chief Judge of the 19th Judicial Circuit when it still contained McHenry County.  He's currently a lawyer with North Barrington legal firm Kelleher & Buckley where Tonigan confirmed Friday he's not a partner but "of counsel".  By American Bar Association opinion that term applies to a lawyer who's either semi-retired or an occasional consultant.

According to published reports Tonigan is currently the administrative hearing officer for at least 10 villages in Lake County where he renders decisions on things like red light camera cases and building code violations.  That's two more villages than the total signed up by another area hearing officer who makes his living at it.

According to a survey conducted about a year ago, the average pay for municipal administrative hearing officers in the area was $150 per hour.  That's the figure Tonigan accepted when he was appointed hearing officer in Gurnee three years ago.

Halloween Hours And Events Listed

Pumpkins were flying out the door (well, not really--that would have been too spooky) at Dave's in Huntley Sunday with a week left before Halloween.

Here's a list of Trick or Treat hours for each village and some of the Halloween events on tap:

Algonquin's official hours are 3 to 7pm Sunday.

Algonquin's Meijer story will hold an in-store “Halloween Factory Fun” event Saturday, from 11 am until 2 pm. There will be spooky crafts for kids, devilish treats and free giveaways.

Border's in Algonquin will have a costume "Spooktacular" Saturday at 11 am.  The event will feature a story time (naturally), crafts and games.

Probably not for the junior set, Saturday Nero's Pizza & Pub in Algonquin will host its annual Halloween Costume Party with prizes for the best costumes. Local rock band Phidget will perform from 9:30 pm to 1:30 am, way past bedtime for the young 'uns.

Lake in the Hills' recommended Halloween hours run from no earlier than 2 pm to no later than 8.

The Lake in the Hills Police Department will hold its seventh annual Safe Trick or Treat Night Sunday at the children's Safety Town behind the Safety Educational Center. From 3 to 6 pm kids will be in the the fenced-in area where they can go up to each of the little buildings and meet friendly monsters and other cool characters handing out treats. Any adults or business owners who would like to volunteer to dress up in costume and help that evening, can contact the Community Relations Division at 847-658-5676.

Huntley's approved Trick or Treat hours run from 4 to 7 pm.

Friday the Huntley Park District will have a  Halloween event from  6 to 7:30 pm with the entire gym full of games, treats and contests while hayrides will trundle outside. The costume contest will be separated by age group. Although the event itself is free there will be fees for games and activities.

Sunday Huntley's First Congregational Church will hold a "Trunk or Treat" event from 1 to 3 pm. Cars in the parking lot will open their trunks to hand out treats to the children. There is no fee for the safe and fun Halloween event. If you're interested in  becoming a "trunker", decorating your car and handing out treats, contact the church office at 847-669-3691!

MCC Instructor Tracks Down Goldfish Origin: Chicago

MCC English instructor and armchair detective, Peter Ponzio has solved a mystery that's kept goldfish fanciers awake for a century:  Where did the little guys come from?

Not where, originally. Everyone agrees that was Japan where a natural mutation turned dull green carp into glittering goldfish.  But how did they get here?  Pixar movies to the contrary, they didn't swim.

Friday at MCC Ponzio, a goldfish aficionado since his Dad brought home a couple he'd won at a carnival, outlined how he traced a rumor that they came from Chicago to proof positive they'd actually originated in:  Chicago.  Specifically they came from the 1893 Columbian Exposition, Ponzio found.

Condensing a three-month quest through many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore, Ponzio said he discovered the Japanese pavilion at the Exposition included 350 goldfish which produced quite a lot of interest among the attending throng.  When the it closed the fish were donated to the Smithsonian Institution.

Ponzio had some trouble there.  "Surprisingly there aren't a lot of records (about goldfish) at the Smithsonian," he said.

It turned out the Smithsonian was next-door to the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries at the time. There the goldfish did what goldfish do and pretty soon the fish population was big enough that they began to be distributed to people who'd been struck by their glittering novelty at the Fair.

You might say Ponzio did a Cracker Jack piece of detective work tracing goldfish origins.  Cracker Jacks were the other famous hit of the Columbian Exposition.

In the pic:  MCC instructor Peter Ponzio showing an artwork from the Japanese exhibit at the Columbian Exposition which brought us goldfish.

Voters Oppose Major Cuts And Tax Increases

By Jamey Dunn, Illinois Issues
New poll numbers from the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute show Illinois voters generally don’t support tax increases or substantial cuts to the state budget.
More than half of those surveyed in the poll of 1,000 registered voters said the state should cut the budget, and more than a quarter said cuts and new revenue are needed. But only 9 percent said a tax increase was the answer to balancing the budget.

If there had to be more taxes, an income tax increase had 40 percent support, with 56 percent opposed. Support on the issue has grown by 9 percentage points from a poll by the institute last year. Only 24 percent were in favor of increasing the state sales tax, while 45 percent supported extending the sales tax to services. Increased gambling in the state had 49.9 percent support.

Participants were even less likely to support cuts to major areas of state spending. More than 80 percent were against cuts to services for residents with developmental or physical disabilities and K-12 education. More than 70 percent opposed cuts to police forces or corrections, and more than 60 percent did not back cuts to services for low-income residents. More than 50 percent of participants opposed cuts to higher education and spending on natural resources and conservation.

Public pension benefits garnered the lowest support, with only 47.3 percent opposed to cuts. However, cuts to pension benefits were not backed by a majority either — 45.5 percent were in favor, and 7.2 percent were undecided.

John Jackson, a visiting professor with the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, said politicians have not done enough to educate voters about budget realities. “People have been fed this line that there is ‘waste and fraud out there’ and that it will painlessly solve the problem,” he said.

He said voters dwell on cuts that may get them fired up but fail to do much to help the budget. For instance, some voters arguing the legislature should cut its staff. “You could fire them all, and all the rest of us that work for the state, and the sum total would be about $3 billion.” Then Illinois would still be facing a $10 billion deficit with no state government left to sort it out.

You can read Jamey's  full report at: http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2010/10/voters-oppose-major-cuts-and-tax.html

Obituaries

Joseph R. Buck, 76, of Huntley died, Friday.  He was born January 10, 1934, in Chicago, the son of Joseph E. and Sophia (Porazinski) Buck. He was a tuckpointer for 48 years.

He is survived by his companion, Mercedes Zimmerman; one son, Richard Buck (Evelyn) of Indianapolis; two sisters, Beverly Clark (Ben) of Milton, WI, and Carol Cartardi (Bill) of Huntley and five grandchildren, Andrew, Laurie, Jason, Sherri and Amy Buck. He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Helen and one son, Larry

A memorial service will be held 5 pm Saturday at DeFiore Jorgensen Funeral Home, Huntley.  Visitation will be from 2 pm until the service.  Burial will be in Mt. Emblem Cemetery.  In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to the American Cancer Society.

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 24
0133 HRS 200 BLOCK OF THUNDER RIDGE. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Male, 24 years of age, highly intoxicated. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
0735 HRS ALGONQUIN RD. & HILLTOP DR. DOMESTIC. Boyfriend vs. Girlfriend. Verbal only. No priors.
1033 HRS 3800 BLOCK OF BLACKBERRY DR. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Male, 82 years of age, kidney pain. Transported to Woodstock Hospital.
1046 HRS 900 BLOCK OF BLACKBERRY CT. FOUND ARTICLE. Found wallet. Wallet was returned to owner.
1139 HRS RANDALL RD. & ACORN LN. ACCIDENT. Two vehicles. Property damage only.
1147 HRS RANDALL RD. & ACORN LN. ACCIDENT. Two vehicles. Property damage only.
1201 HRS 400 BLOCK OF VILLAGE CREEK DR. DOMESTIC BATTERY. Daughter vs. Parents. One prior. FAIL TO FILE. Female, 15 years of age, needing an evaluation. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
1219 HRS 4000 BLOCK OF SPRING LAKE DR. BURGLARY FROM MOTOR VEHICLE. Tools, laptop, helmet, and a vest were taken from a trailer overnight. TURNED OVER TO INVESTIGATIONS
1145 HRS RANDALL RD. & ACORN LN. ACCIDENT. Two vehicles. Property damage only.
1725 HRS 100 BLOCK OF HILLTOP DR. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Male, 42 years of age, in need of an evaluation. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
1736 HRS 1100 BLOCK OF MOONSTONE RUN. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Male, 11 years of age, hurt his leg. Transported to Good Shepherd Hospital.
1742 HRS 200 BLOCK OF COOL STONE BEND. DOMESTIC. Father vs. Daughter. Verbal only. No priors.
2034 HRS 2800 BLOCK OF HILLSBORO LN. DOMESTIC. Boyfriend vs. Girlfriend. Verbal only. No priors.
Algonquin
October 22
16:41pm Wilhelm, Amanda M., DOB: 04/27/88, of 701 Majestic Drive, Algonquin, was Wanted on a Warrant out of DeKalb County for Failure to Appear, on a DWLS charge.  She was taken into custody at 701 Majestic Drive.  She was released after posting $600 with a court date of 11/18/10 in DeKalb County.
October 23
00:30am Bole, Irene A., DOB: 03/17/64, of 1701 Roger Avenue, McHenry, was charged with DUI, DUI Over, Improper Lane Usage and Failure to Signal.  She was taken into custody at Route 31 and Front Street.  She was released after posting $100 and her Illinois Driver’s License with a court date of 11/17/10 in McHenry County.
Huntley
October 11
Kimberly J. Davis, age 44, of 735 Western, Hoffman Estates, was charged with Improper Lane Usage, Disregarding a Traffic control Device, Operation of Uninsured Motor Vehicle, and Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol.  Ms. Davis posted bond and was released with a McHenry County Court date of November 19, 2010, at 8:30am.
A 15 year-old male juvenile was cited for Curfew Violation.  He was released to the custody of his parents.
Ashley M. Coquillard, age 22, of 10018 Haverhill Dr., Huntley, was arrested on an outstanding DuPage County warrant for failure to appear in court.  Ms. Coquillard posted bond and was released with a DuPage County court date.
Laura Maggiore, age 31, of 10816 Hill Crest Ln., Marengo, was charged with Operation of Uninsured Motor Vehicle and Driving on a Suspended Drivers License.  Ms Maggiore posted bond and was released with a McHenry County Court date of November 12, 2010.
October 12
A theft was reported at the Huntley High School.  An iPod Touch was reported stolen from a student’s back pack.
October 13
Deisy C. Sanchez, age 26, of 5147 S. Kolin Ave., Chicago, was charged with Driving on a Suspended Drivers License.  Ms Sanchez posted bond and was released with a McHenry County Court date of November 5, 2010. 
October 14
Santana Sotelo-Bahena, age 53, of 168 S. Union St., Elgin, was charged with Disregarding a Traffic Control Device, Operation of Uninsured Motor Vehicle, and Driving With a Suspended Drivers License.  Sotelo-Bahena was also arrested on two outstanding arrest warrants from Elgin Police Department.  Sotelo-Bahena was transported to McHenry County Corrections. 
Two Burglary to Motor Vehicle reports were taken in the 9800 block of Aberdeen.  In One, unknown persons forcibly entered the vehicle and stole an iPod, GPS and cash.  In the second report an unlocked vehicle was entered and a cell phone was taken.
Burglary to Motor Vehicle was reported in the 11000 block of Balmoral.  Unknown persons entered unlocked vehicle and stole a garage door opener and tools.
Burglary to Motor Vehicle was reported in the 13300 block of Deerpath.  Persons entered unlocked vehicle and stole a wallet.
Burglary to Motor Vehicle was reported in the 9800 block of Fairfield.  Unknown persons entered an unlocked vehicle and stole a wallet.
A theft was reported at the Huntley High School 13719 Harmony Rd.  An iPod Nano was reported stolen. 
Two Burglary to Motor Vehicle reports were taken in the 12400 block of Lions Chase.  An unlocked vehicle was entered and credit cards were taken.  In the second report an unlocked vehicle was entered and a stereo and speakers were taken.
A female juvenile was petitioned to juvenile court for battery for a fight that occurred at the Huntley High School 13719 Harmony Rd. Huntley IL.
Alfredo G. Pantoja, age 45, of 721 N. Henderson, Joliet, was charged with having Expired Registration, Driving on a Suspended License and Possession of a Suspended Drivers License.  Mr. Pantoja posted bond and was released with a McHenry County court date of November 12, 2010 at 8:30 am.
Burglary to Motor Vehicle was reported in the 10400 block of Aldridge.  An unlocked vehicle was entered and unknown persons stole a garage door opener.
David C. Moore, age 47 of 13904 Harmony Rd., Huntley, was charged with Battery after an altercation at the Huntley Park District building 12015 Mill St Huntley IL.  Mr. Moore posted bond and was released with a McHenry County court date of November 19, 2010 at 8:30 am.
October 16
Michael B. Koop, age 48, of 721 Elm St. #304, Woodstock, was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol.  Mr. Koop was transported to McHenry County Correction. 
October 17
Joseph C. Calomino, age 31, of 1317 Summersweet, Bartlett, was charged with Expired Registration, Driving on a Suspended License, Possession of Cannabis, Possession of Paraphernalia.  Mr. Calomino was also found to have three outstanding warrants.  One warrant out of Hoffman Estates and two warrants out of DuPage County.  Mr. Calomino was transported to McHenry County Corrections.  

Brady Makes McHenry County Whistle Stop

Republican Gubernatorial candidate Bill Brady's been racing around the state for the past couple of weeks drumming up last-minute support for his drive to the Governor's Mansion.  Saturday morning one stop was in Crystal Lake to address the Women’s Business Owners Forum.

The hectic schedule may be taking a toll.  Brady clutched a cup of coffee like a long-lost friend and appeared to think a comment that "Energy is the fuel of the future" made sense.  Then again, so did the 75 people who trooped through the rain to hear him.

"That's pretty good since we didn't even know he was going to be here before 8 o'clock last night," said one organizer.

Brady spent a lot of time outlining Illinois' parlous state, especially its budget.  "It's worse than some countries'," he said. "It's worse than Afghanistan's."

He was short on what specifically to do about it, though.  One idea Brady supported to fix the mess was replacing the state's $75 billion-underfunded pension plan with "something like a 401k like the rest of us have."

Then Brady roared off to  Highwood for a try at a Guinness Book of World Records pumpkin carving thing followed by a stint handing out candy at another pumpkin festival in Round Lake.

Huntley Ramps Up Petition Drive For Amtrak Station

With a hoped-for Amtrak station suddenly in peril the Village of Huntley's decided a pile of petitions to Springfield is what's really needed.

As FEN reported last month, not only is the question of which village should have a station up in the air again, so is the issue of which route is best to get from Chicago to Dubuque, IA.  The choice through Huntley was supposed to have been settled last year and the village looked like the leader for a station after offering to pay for it instead of Amtrak.  However, in a move no one's sorted out yet, the Governor without really telling anyone put the route selection back in play during the Summer.

Nobody's really very hot to go to Dubuque on Amtrak although some people think there might be a market for trips to Galena.  What Huntley really wants is a Metra station and planners think an Amtrak station would give the village a leg up on that.

A link to petition forms was posted late Friday. You can find it here: http://www.huntley.il.us/documents/AmtrakPetition10.21.10.pdf

Business Development Coordinator Margo Griffin says she wants as many signatures as possible and ASAP, too, with a deadline for the first bunch this Friday.  "Persons signing the petitions do not have to live in Huntley," according to Griffin.  "They only need to have the desire to locate a train station here in Huntley and be in favor of this train route," so anyone can sign the Huntley petition.

Vehicles, Unmarked And Emblazoned Feature In Sheriff's Race

The race for McHenry County Sheriff got nasty this week with a Sheriff's spokesman calling Green candidate Gus Philpott an "ignorant, self-serving individual" for posting the license number of what turned out to be an undercover Sheriff's car on his Woodstock Advocate blog.

The short version of the donnybrook is Philpott was walking a friend's dog last week when he noticed a civilian car filling up at the County gas pump in Woodstock.  Primed by a rumor that Sheriff's mechanics have been servicing the personal vehicle of a certain County Board Member, Philpott jotted the license number down and posted it on his blog in hopes someone could identify the owner.

Undersheriff Andy Zinke hit the roof raging the car in question was one of the Sheriff's undercover units and Philpott had outed it.

"I didn't identify it as an undercover car, Zinke did," said Philpott. Sheriff Keith Nygren's response, was "Hah. Oh, yeah."

The comment from one ex-spook: "It sort of proves why it's not really  very good tradecraft to gas up a covert vehicle at an official site."

Meanwhile ex-deputy Zane Seipler posted pictures on his blog this week of a vehicle emblazoned all over with Sheriff's markings that he said weren't supposed to be there.  Seipler said a golfcart purchased by Nygren's campaign committee shouldn't have had Sheriff's decals all over it since they were the same ones as those on some official Sheriff's vehicles. Seipler claimed the Sheriff was mixing up the office he holds and his campaign to keep it.

Seipler also posted some more overtime slips for guys driving the Sheriff around in parades and attending expo's. The post carried a tongue-in-cheek headline: "If I Was Working I Wouldn't Have Time For This," a reference to a judge's recent decision that Nygren shouldn't have fired him for an infraction a couple of years ago and that Seipler should be reinstated.  Apparently the latter still hasn't.

In the pic:  A golf cart covered with Sheriff's logos opponents say shouldn't be there.

Clerk, Sheriff's Candidates At Forum Monday

The McHenry County League of Women's Voters has another candidates forum set Monday at McHenry Community College.

On tap from  7 to 9 pm will be candidates for County Clerk, incumbent Republican
Kathie Schultz, and Democrat Mark L. Freund.  Also scheduled are the candidates for Sheriff, incumbent Republican Keith Nygren, Democrat Mike Mahon and Green candidate Gus Philpott.

There's no indication whether or not the Pledge of Allegiance will precede the affair.

In the pic:  Philpott, Mahon and Nygren at a Tea Partyish forum at MCC a couple of weeks ago.