Riverside Square: At Least Ninety Days More

There was no breakthrough Friday in the Village of Algonquin's suit to tear down the village's eyesore Riverside Square.

The Village charges the half-built and decaying luxury condo project is a safety hazard asking the McHenry County Circuit Court to order the present owner, Harris Bank, to tear it down or let Algonquin do it.

"We won our motion to dismiss the Bank’s affirmative defenses," said Village Attorney Kelly Cahill.  That means Judge Michael Sullivan decided there wasn't a simple legal excuse for Riverside Square's decrepitude.

Judge Sullivan gave both sides 60 days to gather testimony from regular witnesses and another 60 days to interview experts, although they'll both be back in late April to set a trial date.  Harris lawyers will be in Judge Michael Caldwell's courtroom in a separate case March 3, though, to report if there's been any luck trying to sell the structure.

Jury Convicts LITH Car Salesman In Fraud Scheme

A Lake in the Hills businessman is free on bond awaiting sentencing in a $2.25 million used car fraud scheme. A federal jury in Chicago late Thursday convicted Glenn C. Stancil, 39, former president of now-defunct Clover Financial Sales & Leasing headquartered in Roselle, of 11 counts of mail and wire fraud.

The scam, according to prosecutors, was a simple one:  Clover would take in a car promising to pay off the owner's loan or lease, then sell it again and pocket the money.  When the new owner wondered where his title was the company would string him along with a story about slow processing by the Secretary of State or the bank. Evidence showed Clover conned lenders, too, with altered vehicle titles and fake checks. Investigators said the scheme worked for almost two years suckering over 120 car-buyers and at least three finance companies.

Pamela Mendyck, 36, also of Lake in the Hills who worked in Clover's financing department, testified against Stancil.  She's on probation, now.

Clover owner Patrick McManamon, 50, of Elk Grove Village pleaded guilty to mail and wire fraud late last year and the government's trying to get all the money back from him and Stancil. There's a hearing on that and setting a date for Stancil's sentencing Monday in Chicago. He and McManomon face massive fines and up to 20 years in prison.

Motherhood Maternity Store Opens In Algonquin

The latest ripple in the resurgence of the Randall Road retail corridor came this week with the opening of a new Motherhood Maternity store in Algonquin Commons Thursday.

The shop's a unit of Destination Maternity Corporation whose somewhat paranoid publicity department on close questioning was willing to admit in an email that it "offers an extensive breadth of quality hot fashions at everyday low prices especially created for the young and fun expectant mom."  Motherhood Maternity also lists nursing clothes on its website, however, suggesting it has both sides of the happy event covered.

The new store in Algonquin Commons is, in fact, a relocation of the one in West Dundee's Springhill Mall.  No one would comment on that but the change came the same week Penney's announced it will be closing its Springhill anchor store June 1.

In the pic:  At the new Motherhood Maternity store in Algonquin Commons FEN noticed an alliterative point of purchase display for pregnant ladies' pantyhose.  

Possible Huntley Child Stalking Found "Unfounded"

Huntley Police called off a dragnet late Friday for a silver BMW involved in the possible stalking of a child in the village's Georgian Place Subdivision.

Police had sent out an alert Thursday about a man in such a vehicle following children from the bus stop at Allegheny Pass and Manhattan Dr. after the vehicle cruised past the home of one of the kids Wednesday afternoon.  Friday Huntley officers found the man and the car and questioned him.  Deputy Chief Todd Fulton said the man was no longer a suspect and "the case is determined to be unfounded."

Lawmakers: Audit Illinois’ Pension Funds

By Mary J. Cristobal, Illinois Statehouse News
Illinois' public employee pension system appears to be on Uncle Sam’s radar. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is apparently looking into the state’s underfunded pension funds, and some lawmakers are eager for an audit.

Lawmakers this week cited a Moody's report regarding the SEC involvement also stating that the state’s pension system is only funded by 50 percent with liabilities as close to $136 billion. Illinois Statehouse News contacted Gov. Pat Quinn's office for comment, but did not receive a callback.

However, state Rep. Patti Bellock, R-Westmont,  said she believes the SEC is questioning how accurate Illinois has characterized its pension debt. “I’ve never agreed with the underfunding of our pension systems and not making our pension contribution,” Bellock said. “And I think we need to move forward with an audit on our pension systems to make sure that everything is accurate and clear and that there’s full transparency as to what our actual debt really is.”

The SEC has also reviewed pension systems in New Jersey and California. Illinois has the worst underfunded pension fund in the nation, according to many studies. Lawmakers last year passed, and the governor signed into law, pension reforms that increase the retirement age for new employees as of Jan. 1 from 60 to 67 years old, the highest in the nation.

You can read Mary's full report at: http://illinois.statehousenewsonline.com/5006/lawmakers-audit-illinois-pension-fund/

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
January 28
0755 HRS RANDALL RD. & ACORN LN. DRIVING WHILE LICENSE SUSPENDED. YOUNAN, ROBERT L., M/W 24 YEARS OF AGE, 4465 BARHARBOR DR., LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGES: Driving While License Suspended and Speeding. RELEASED ON BOND.
1344 HRS 300 BLOCK OF CRYSTAL LAKE RD. DRIVING WHILE LICENSE SUSPENDED. MORRIS JR, DWAYNE R., M/W 27 YEARS OF AGE, 1114 SPRUCE ST., LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGE: Driving While License Suspended. RELEASED ON BOND.
1731 HRS REED RD. & LAKEWOOD RD. DRIVING WHILE LICENSE REVOKED. KRUZELOCK, JOHN M., M/W 49 YEARS OF AGE, 5 DOGWOOD CT., LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGE: Driving While License Revoked. RELEASED ON BOND.
2052 HRS RANDALL RD. & ACKMAN RD. WANTED ON WARRANT. GJATA, MICHAEL, M/W 35 YEARS OF AGE, 357 BUCKINGHAM DR., CRYSTAL LAKE. CHARGE: Wanted on Warrant out of Kane County for Contempt Of Court, bond set at $350.00 full cash. RELEASED ON BOND.
0130 HRS 500 BLOCK OF CRYSTAL LAKE RD. ASSIST AMBULANCE Male, 37 years of age, having a seizure. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
1334 HRS 1480 IMHOFF DR., (M&A PRECISION TRUCK). LOST ARTICLE. Lost license plate. Entered into LEADS.
1400 HRS 800 BLOCK OF NAVAJO. THEFT. Prescription medication taken from residence. FAIL TO FILE.
1618 HRS 0 BLOCK OF MELBOURNE CT. ASSIST AMBULANCE Male, 74 years of age fell down the stairs. Transported to Woodstock Memorial Hospital.
1745 HRS 0 BLOCK OF HUNTERS PATH. VIOLATION OF ORDER OF PROTECTION. Respondent telephoned the Petitioner. PENDING INVESTIGATION.

McHenry County Unemployment Rate Rises Again

Bucking a statewide trend, the unemployment rate in McHenry County rose in December, according to the latest report from the Illinois Department of Employment Security Thursday.  The County rate rose from a revised figure of 8.1 percent in November to 8.4 percent last month while state's overall figure fell from 9.2 percent to 8.8 percent.

IDES spokesman Greg Rivara said the state's unadjusted unemployment rate has consistently dropped since it peaked at 12.2 percent in January 2010.  However, Julie Courtney, head of the McHenry County Workforce Network said that hasn't been the case locally.  "In the last month or so we've seen an uptick in the number of people applying for (unemployment) benefits," she said Thursday

Among the four cities and villages broken out of the county numbers by IDES, Algonquin and LITH saw their unemployment rate fall slightly. Crystal Lakes fell more but McHenry's increased.

The unemployment rate is based on the number of people who claim they're actively looking for work, not the number receiving benefits.  Experts worry there's a pool of jobless people who've effectively given up hope. Two weeks ago when Huntley RV held interviews for jobs at its new superstore now abuilding.  There were 35 jobs up for grabs but a spokesman said more than 330 applicants showed up to try to get one.

"People get discouraged," said Courtney who suggested if the writing's clearly on the wall in one job area it might be time to retread for something else.  "There are lots of programs to help them," she said.

Some of them are at the Workforce Network site here:

http://www.co.mchenry.il.us/departments/workforcenetwork/Pages/index.aspx

                               UNEMPLOYMENT             
               REVISED NOV. 2010        PRELIMINARY DEC. 2010               
               LABOR    UNEMPLOYED      LABOR    UNEMPLOYED   DEC. 
               FORCE    NUMBER  RATE    FORCE    NUMBER  RATE 2009   
U.S. (X1000)   153,698  14,282   9.3    153,156   13,997 9.1  9.7 
ILLINOIS     6,684,891 612,877   9.2  6,675,950  588,848 8.8  10.8 

COOK COUNTY  2,629,813 246,605   9.4  2,608,984  232,045 8.9  10.8
DUPAGE COUNTY  527,429  37,601   7.1    523,821   35,281 6.7  8.7 
WILL COUNTY    366,476  32,461   9.5    366,006   32,869 9.0  10.9 
MCHENRY COUNTY 180,161  14,510   8.1    180,293   15,077 8.4  10.3 
KANE COUNTY    269,608  23,314   8.6    269,797   24,150 9.0  11.1 
LAKE COUNTY    361,108  34,442   9.5    363,435   34,968 9.6  1.5

ALGONQUIN       16,824   1,235   7.3     16,752    1,204 7.2  8.8 
LITH            17,050   1,227   7.2     16,989    1,208 7.1  9.6 
CRYSTAL LAKE    22,487   1,882   8.4     22,357    1,806 8.1  9.9   
MCHENRY         15,207   1,313   8.6     15,197    1,339 8.8  10.3 

Huntley Asks Developer For Money Figures

"I come to the village bearing gifts," Algonquin real estate developer Troy Mertz told the Huntley Village Board Thursday. Trustees wanted to see what they were going to cost, though.

The gifts were a "community center", a football field, a spot for a Metra station, right of way for an Algonquin Road extension and half a million dollars cash.  All Mertz asked Huntley to do was approve annexation of 411 acres of land Mertz has his eye on off Main Street north and west of Huntley and help him issue $4.5 million worth of bonds.  They'd be paid off with taxes from another special service area. Other breaks included giving back $7.5 million in presumed sales taxes revenue and bypassing a lot of the Village's normal development approval processes.

Trustees were dubious.  "This SSA--in my eyes I don't know if it's really fair to do it for you," said John Piwko.  "The other developers paid their own way."

"This reminds me of the financing the County and Lakewood were doing with the (McHenry County) Sportsplex," said Pam Fender.

Village Manager Dave Johnson explained, "It's not money out of our pocket."  On the other hand, he said, "One of the negatives we got back from (bond rating agency Standard & Poor's) was 'Your debt level per capita is higher than we like to see'."

Mertz has been trying to develop the area for about five years now.  The last proposal he brought to the Board never went anywhere and now things are even more snarled since the property's tied up in a bank foreclosure.

Trustee Paul Mercer wanted to go over the project's financial projections in a lot more detail before he'd climb aboard.

"Is that the flavor of the Board--to get more financials?" asked Mayor Chuck Sass.  Yes, everybody agreed, it was.

In other business Thursday the Board approved a resolution supporting Centegra Health Systems' proposed new hospital to be built in Huntley.  The document says it's a really good idea.

In the pic:  Troy Mertz's Company has big plans for Huntley, but not all at once.  "We'll do it 10 acres at a time," he said. 

Huntley Beats Elgin For National Bearing Distribution Site

Huntley edged out Elgin as the site for a new national bearing distribution center.  Thursday the US arm of Japan's oldest and largest mounted ball bearing manufacturer announced it planned to build a new 40,000 square foot shipping hub in Huntley's Corporate Park at I-90 and Route 47.

FYH Bearing Units USA, will relocate from a present facility about half that size in Wauconda to the new Huntley location which will be the company's main U.S. distribution point, although some light machining will be done there as well.  FYH has 16 employees at Wauconda but company spokesmen said they hoped to add 10 to 15 more at Huntley as sales grow.  The company claims it supplies three percent of the U.S. mounted ball bearing market right now.

Huntley Mayor Chuck Sass said he wasn't sure what cinched the deal for Huntley.  "The didn't mention it but a couple of their guys live in Huntley," he said.  "That might have had something to do with it."

The FYH center's expected to go online in October and the company bought enough land to almost double its size later on if everything works the way it hopes.

In the pic: FYH Bearing Units will relocate to Huntley from this Wauconda location.

ECC Jumps Tuition $8/Hr Starting Summer

Elgin Community College's Board of Trustees this week boosted tuition rates to $99 per credit hour starting in the summer 2011 term. They decided the $8 increase was needed to pay operational and maintenance costs for the college's new Multipurpose Classroom Building, Health and Life Sciences Center and the Academic Library and Learning Center buildings.

Built with funded by the capital bonds approved by voters two years ago,  the Health and Life Sciences Center and Academic Library and Learning Center are currently scheduled for completion at the end of this year. The Multipurpose Classroom Building is currently open.

Tuition at ECC has been $91 per credit hour since the summer of 2007. That was only expected to hold for a year but lasted for three more. “There is no (other) college in the state of Illinois that has been able to accomplish this, especially in these tough economic times,” said ECC President David Sam.  “Even with this increase, ECC is still affordable compared to other institutions.”

Emanuel Residency: Back To "Intent"

By Jamey Dunn, Illinois Issues
The Illinois Supreme Court Thursday ruled unanimously that Rahm Emanuel is eligible to run for mayor of Chicago. An appellate had ruled Tuesday that Emanuel didn't meet the city’s residency requirements and couldn't run in the February election.

The majority opinion said that the appellate court ignored precedent in its ruling to throw Emanuel off the ballot. “Our review of the appellate court’s decision in this case begins not where it should, with an assessment of whether the court accurately applied established Illinois law to the particular facts, but with an assessment of whether the appellate court was justified in tossing out 150 years of settled residency law in favor of its own preferred standard,” Justice Robert Thomas wrote in the opinion. "We emphatically hold that it was not," he concluded.

While the State Supremes clarified whether Emanuel was a Chicago resident they may actually have muddied the question of whether Sheriff Keith Nygren is a resident of McHenry County.  The Sheriff owns homes in two other states but recently sold his third in Hebron.  Right now he's living at an undisclosed location he says is in McHenry County.

The justices all reached the same conclusion on Emanuel but they got there in different ways so the opinion warns that it may actually pave the way for challenges in other residency cases. “Because the court holds that residency has one settled meaning, and that meaning rests on a person’s intent, today’s decision will have implications for residency requirements for in-state tuition, residency requirements for municipal employees such as police officers and firefighters, residency requirements for school districts and other similar situations," read the opinion which warned the Court had better be ready for more work on the issue.

You can read Jamey's full report at: http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/emanuel-can-remain-in-mayoral-race.html

In the pic:  Rahm Emanuel at a news conference Thursday

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
January 27
0011 HRS RANDALL RD. & VILLAGE RD. NO VALID DRIVERS LICENSE. SOTO, EVARISTO, M/W 21 YEARS OF AGE, 698 COVENTRY LN., CRYSTAL LAKE. CHARGES: No Valid Drivers License, Speeding. RELEASED ON BOND.
0253 HRS 103 S. RANDALL RD., (JEWEL). DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL. NELSON, STACIE J., F/W 28 YEARS OF AGE, 4635 MAGNOLIA LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGES: Driving under the Influence of Alcohol, Improper Lane Usage. RELEASED ON BOND.
0903 HRS RANDALL RD. & POLARIS DR. ASSIST OTHER POLICE DEPARTMENT. Assisted Crystal Lake Police with the locating of a vehicle wanted in a possible battery.
1516 HRS 1300 BLOCK OF CUNAT CT. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Male, 50 years of age, lost consciousness. Transported to St Joseph’s Hospital.
1756 HRS 10 BLOCK OF W. ACORN LN. ACCIDENT. Two vehicle. Property damage only.
1717 HRS 4800 BLOCK OF THISTLE LN. DOMESTIC BATTERY Brother vs. Sister. No priors. FAIL TO FILE.
Algonquin
January 24
08:45am A 14 year-old female from Algonquin was charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.  She was taken into custody at the Algonquin Police Department.  She was referred to the Tri Area Court For Teens and then released into the custody of her parents.
January 25
16:46pm A 14 year-old female from Carpentersville and a 15 year-old female from Algonquin 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 02/23/11 in Algonquin.
January 26
17:46pm Silver, Fred, DOB: 11/18/44, of 16 Old Willow Road, Prospect Heights, was charged with DUI/Drugs, Possession of Cannabis and Stop Sign Violation.  He was taken into custody at Route 31 and Cary-Algonquin Road.  He was released after posting $220 and his Illinois Driver’s License with a court date of 03/09/11 in McHenry County.
January 27
03:15am Camacho, Antonio A., DOB: 03/02/77, of 820 Navajo, Carpentersville, was Wanted on a Warrant out of Chicago for Retail Theft.  He was taken into custody at the Algonquin Police Department.  He was transported to McHenry County Jail when unable to post bond.
04:40am Lind, Charles A., DOB: 06/10/66, of 7739 W. Howard Street, Chicago, was charged with DUI, No Proof of Insurance and No Signal.  He was taken into custody at LaFox River Drive and Washington Street.  He was released after posting $100 and his Illinois Driver’s License with a court date of 03/09/11 in McHenry County.

Court Call Raises Uncertainty For Local Road Projects

By Diane S.W. Lee and Melissa Leu, Illinois Statehouse News
An Illinois Appellate Court Wednesday threw out the state’s multi-year, $31 billion capital program, leaving Huntley's Route 47 widening project half-finished widening project uncertain and Algonquin's unbegun Route 31 Western Bypass in doubt.

In addition to funding construction projects, the Capital Bill partially legalized video gaming, allowed privatizing the State lottery and hiked taxes on beverages,candy and liquor to help pay for them. The court ruled the bill was “void in its entirety.”

The Illinois Attorney General’s office plans on filing an appeal and a motion for an immediate stay today, spokeswoman Robyn Ziegler said. A stay would allow the program to continue as usual.

A Chicago-based alcohol wholesaler brought the case to the appeals court claiming it violated the Illinois Constitution’s single subject rule. Also called the “uniformity clause,” the rule requires that legislation dealing with appropriations be limited to one subject.  Lawmakers argued over whether the appeals court was right but that didn't matter since it's all up to the courts now.

The capital program was a major initiative of Gov. Pat Quinn’s first year in office, aimed at creating jobs and investing in the state’s infrastructure. Quinn appeared to be hoping for the best. “We would expect the Supreme Court to rule on the request for a stay in the very near future,” Quinn said in a written statement Wednesday.

Capital projects already in progress like Huntley's are expected to continue. Algonquin's, still in the prep stage, might be more doubtful. One lawmaker, Sen. John Jones, R-Mount Vernon, said there's wiggle room to continue construction.   “The governor has some discretionary movement around here, so he can use money out of his own revenue fund to keep the capital bill moving forward.”

The capital bill authorized $88.5 million for the bypass and $40.3 million for the Huntley widening.

The Legislature now faces two options — wait for the Supreme Court’s decision with crossed fingers or break down the measure into smaller pieces and pass them separately when both chambers reconvene next week.

You can read the full report on this story at:  http://illinois.statehousenewsonline.com/5024/lawmakers-concerned-about-court-repeal-of-construction-plan/

In the pic:  There's lots more work like this to be done on Route 47 if Springfield can straighten out the latest legislative fiasco.

eBooks Readers Arrive, Depart Huntley Library

Two of polymath Ben Franklin's most famous experiments finally converged Wednesday at Huntley Area Public Library.  The lending library (1731) finally met electrical flow (1752) with the checkout of one of the District's first eBook readers .

"We're dabbling in new technologies.  This is going to be a big year," said Library spokesman and master of understatement Doug Cataldo.

A little over two years ago Oprah Winfrey jump-started the eBook reader craze when she endorsed the then-new Amazon Kindle.  During the subsequent year or so the Kindle and competitor devices like Barnes and Noble's Nook battled in cutthroat competition to dominate the ebook field now thought to account for 10 to 15 percent of  new book sales.  A few months ago Apple complicated things further offering book downloads for its new iPad device. 

Huntley Library's putting its toe in the water with a pair of Sony Readers donated by the electronics giant via the Libary's Friends Foundation.  "They're pre-loaded," said Cataldo, who said they'll feature best-sellers.  (History will record the first one out was a Stephen King novel.)  "They can't be downloaded," he said.  However, patrons with their own ebook readers  do a download via one of the library's services.

The biggest problem right now is probably figuring out if a reading device is supported.  "The Kindle is not currently compatible with any of our library services because its system is proprietary to Amazon," Cataldo said.  The Library has an online app here to see if a reader will work with a patron's device:
http://www.overdrive.com/resources/drc/

The Library's download services can be found and browsed here:

http://www.huntleylibrary.org/digital_books

Readers (the people kind) need a Huntley Area Public Library card to access the databases. For help, the Libary's Reference Desk is 847-669-5386 ext. 21.

In the pic:  Huntley Library patron Joanne Brickley checked out the first-ever eBook loan from the District Wednesday.  Don Griffith recorded the transaction.

D300 Foundation To Collect School Library Books

The School District 300 Foundation for Educational Excellence is declaring February 2011 “Love Your School Library Month” and holding a book drive to celebrate.  And Save some school money, too.

Many of Community Unit School District 300’s school libraries need books to replace old or worn out copies. District 300 students, families and community members can help out by donating new or gently used books to the Foundation during the coming month. Collection bins will be in the front offices of each of the district’s 26 schools.

Books collected by the Foundation will be distributed to district schools in March. It sounds pretty simple but if there are any questions, Nancy Zettler is the D300 Foundation Literacy Committee Chair and her number's (847) 844-7993.

County Appeals Inundate Assessor's Office

McHenry County Assessor panels are rushing to meet a mid-March deadline to process all the appeals  from County real estate tax assessments that flooded in at the end of the year.  The 2009 tax year saw appeals roughly double to 3,600 but the 2010 total topped 5,800 according to Assessor Bob Ross.

Even with 2 to 4 panels holding 15-minute hearings 4 days a week, Ross said the job was hectic.  "We did offer what we call 'non-hearings'.  Your appeal can be heard on the evidence submitted by you and by the assessor without any testimony," said Ross.  "It's faster and (taxpayers) don't have to take half a day off."

Whether any of the appeals will actually lower an individuals (2010) tax bill is a matter for speculation according to County Clerk Kathie Schultz.  Decreasing assessments doesn't affect tax levies, she said.  "Even though the assessments were lowered all it does is increase the (collective) tax rate so the final bill may not be lower."

In the pic:  Doug Hawthorne at the McHenry County Assessor's office prepares to distribute a batch of assessment appeals due for hearing Wednesday.  Actually, it's just the pile for Wednesday morning.

Attorney General: Pay Quinn Appointees

Melissa Leu, Illinois Statehouse News
Gov. Pat Quinn’s unconfirmed appointees can rest assured that they will receive their paychecks. Attorney General Lisa Madigan, in an opinion issued this week to Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka, said each “nomination carries over into the new biennial Senate,” as long as 60 session days have not passed. Session days are days that the Senate is convened.

Topinka sought the opinion to clarify the validity of Quinn's nominations unconfirmed by the Senate. Earlier this month, the Senate wrote a letter to Topinka protesting the salary payment of 15 of 38 unconfirmed gubernatorial appointees. The Senate contended the nominations expired when the 96th General Assembly adjourned.

Quinn's office issued its own response last week, temporarily reappointing five top agency officials who had continued to stay in their posts. The five appointees all earned more than $110,000 annually.

Rikeesha Phelon, spokeswoman for Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, said that the Senate was justified in its position. “[The letter "was largely based on our concern that there were key personnel that were making important decisions and being paid without legal authority based on the fact that they were never confirmed by the Senate,” Phelon said.

“The governor is evaluating all agency directors right now and plans on finalizing his top administration in the near future,” said a Governor's spokesman.

"We intend to schedule Executive Appointment Committee hearings for each of the nominees in question when the Senate comes back next week,” Phelon said.

You can read Melissa's full report at: http://illinois.statehousenewsonline.com/5023/attorney-general-pay-quinns-appointees-2/

Obituaries

Kerstin G. Anderson, 64, of Huntley died Sunday at Sherman Hospital. A Memorial Service will be 3 pm, Saturday, March 19, at DeFiore Jorgensen Funeral Home, Huntley. The family will greet people from 1 pm until the time of the service.

Anderson was born February 18, 1946, in Sweden, the daughter of Erik and May Axelsson. She married Mark Reed Anderson August 20, 1966.  She is survived by her husband of Huntley; her children, Bengt Reed Anderson and his wife Tricia of Algonquin and Lisa Victoria  Anderson-Waller and her husband Kurt of Palatine; four grandchildren, Evan and Lauren Anderson and Konrad and Annika Waller; two  sisters, Elizabeth Von Bramsen and Marie Axelsson and her brother Bengt Goran Axelsson, all of Sweden.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research or the Leukemia Research Foundation.

Dr. Delbert A. Mahler, 86, of Sun City, Huntley, died Friday at Provena St. Joseph Hospital in Elgin following a short illness. Funeral services will be held at 11 am this Friday at Trinity Lutheran Church Huntley. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 pm Thursday at DeFiore-Jorgensen Funeral Home, Huntley, and after 10 am. Friday at the church.  Burial will be in McHenry County Memorial Park, Woodstock.

Mahler was born January 19, 1925, in Bensenville to Alwin and Lizzie (Holt) Mahler. In 1950 he married Betty Schoenmeyer of Chicago. He was the first in the field to acquire the Chiropractic Orthopedist title. He is survived by his wife of Huntley, daughter, Sheralynn (John) Follin of San Diego and her two sons, Ryan & Brandon. He was preceded in death by his parents, sister, Irene Mensching and daughter, Sherrie Mader.

In Lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Lutheran Hour Ministries.

Charles “Vern” Janisch, 81, of Algonquin, died peacefully Monday. Visitation will be held Friday beginning at 11:30 am at St. Mary Catholic Church, Huntley, with a Mass of Christian Burial at 1:30 pm. Burial will be in St. Mary Cemetery, Huntley.

Janisch was born September 5, 1929, in East St. Louis, the son of Charles and Carrie Janisch. He married Dorothy Karibo on June 12, 1954, in Belleville, Illinois. He is survived by his wife, daughter, Kathryn Janisch of Algonquin, son Tom (Jonathon Gonzalez) Janisch of Roswell, Georgia, grandsons Alex, Austin and Matthew, and sister, Loretta (James) Hackett of St. Louis.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Hospice and Palliative Care of Northern Illinois.

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
January 26
0140 HRS ROUTE 31 & KLASEN RD. DRIVING WHILE LICENSE SUSPENDED. HAZELWOOD, DEANGELO L., M/B 21 YEARS OF AGE, 4512 GARDEN CT. APT A, MCHENRY. CHARGES: Driving while License Suspended, No Rear Registration Light. RELEASED ON BOND.
1704 HRS 101 RANDALL RD., (DOMINICKS). RETAIL THEFT. JUVENILE, M/W 14 YEARS OF AGE, LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGES: Retail Theft, Obstructing a Peace Officer. RELEASED TO PARENT.
JUVENILE, M/W 14 YEARS OF AGE, LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGE: Retail Theft. RELEASED TO PARENT.
0601 HRS ROUTE 31 & VIRGINIA RD. INJURY ACCIDENT. Two vehicles. Airbag deployment. Driver of unit 1 transported to the Northern Illinois Medical Center for chest pains.
0922 HRS 1300 BLOCK OF CUNAT CT. CHECK FOR WELL BEING. Checked on the well being of a tenant. Landlord had not been able to make contact for several days.
0930 HRS 5500 BLOCK OF CHANTILLY CIRCLE. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Female, 85 years of age, incoherent after a fall. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
1610 HRS 4500 BLOCK OF HERON DR. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Male, 19 years of age, needing an evaluation. Transported to Woodstock Memorial Hospital.
1635 HRS RANDALL RD. & MILLER RD. ACCIDENT. Three vehicles. Property damage only.
2111 HRS 2800 BLOCK OF CADBURY CIRCLE. DOMESTIC BATTERY. Delayed incident. Husband vs. Wife. Two priors.
2142 HRS 3200 BLOCK OF BANFORD CIRCLE. DOMESTIC. Husband vs. Wife. Verbal only. No priors.
2215 HRS 10 BLOCK OF PEBBLE BEACH CT. ASSIST AMBULANCE Female, 62 years of age, with a nosebleed. Transported to Sherman Hospital.

LITH PD To Be Down Another Officer

Lake in the Hills PD will suffer another blow Thursday if the Village Board approves an officer's request for unpaid leave.  The Board OK'd the request for a final vote but didn't discuss it much because they thought they couldn't.

If the request for up to a year's unpaid leave is granted, LITH PD will have only 37 sworn officers available, down from 42 a year ago.  Two slots have been frozen empty and two more officers were recently laid off so the Village could pay a new arbitrator-ordered contract with the police union.

No one was able to explain why the officer requested the leave or why they couldn't but the contract section cited involves either "personal or family illness" or "education". It also says such a request "shall not be unreasonably denied."  A question by Trustee Bob Huckins asking if the officer was undergoing physical therapy suggested he probably isn't going back to school.

The federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act includes stringent rules against revealing information about a person's health so local governments tend to be cautious about saying anything medical.  All LITH Director of Police and Public Safety Jim Wales would say about the leave of absence request was, "We're pretty lean right now."

In other action Tuesday the Board passed along for final approval new rules about parking junk cars in driveways and covering them with tarpaulins.  Generally, they say LITH residents shouldn't.  The new regs sharpen the Village's definition of an "inoperable motor vehicle" (hint: don't pull the engine or wheels) and require unused operable ones to be licensed and shrouded with a commercially-made cover.

Community Development Director Dan Olson said the new rules would affect about 60 residents and there'll be a grace period until June 1 for everyone to get everything right.

Village Administrator Jerry Sagona earlier said the new regs arose from a citizen complaint. Wales told FEN gripes about unsightly tarp-covered cars have been an infrequent but recurring problem for the past 20 years, "usually in a neighbor dispute."

Coincidentally, Tuesday's meeting ended with a citizen's complaint to the Board about her neighbor's cats.  No one had any solutions to that one, though.

In the pic:  (lower) The well-dressed but unused vehicle in Lake in the Hills will sport a fitted cover like these by June 1 if the Village Board approves new regs Thursday.

Windmill Consortium Nearing Connection, Sales Agreements

The School Wind Consortium of District 300 and two smaller ones inched closer Tuesday to building a proposed $50 million windfarm in western Stark County.

Consultants told the Consortium Board that an agreement to hook the planned windmill generating station into the electrical grid will probably be ready by next week and another to sell the electricity is being negotiated.  "It looks like the (sales agreement) is doable if we can make it meet the model," said Consortium CEO Cheryl Crates, CFO for D300.  The "model" is a financial one to see if the project can generate enough profit to pay for two to four years worth of D300 electricity use within seven years.

That was looking better on news that Shane Kazubowski, Superintendent of Wethersfield School District 230, thought the windfarm could avoid local taxes. The proposed windfarm would be within the boundaries of his tiny (700 students) district which, in turn, lies within a Kewanee Enterprise Zone.  Local officials estimate property tax on a windmill there would run about $10,000 per year and the Consortium plans to put up 13 of them.

However, Stark County Board Chairman Mike Bigger told FEN Kazubowski was in error. "We went through this before with the existing windfarm (nearby)," he said.  "All the other taxing bodies would have to sign off on that," said Bigger who was pretty sure Stark County wouldn't.  Otherwise, Bigger said, there wouldn't be very much for Stark County in the Consortium's proposal.

The Consortium includes Keeneyville School District 20, Carpentersville C.U.S.D. 300, and Prospect Heights School District, however, District 300 is the 80 percent main partner.

In the pic:  Wind Consortium CEO Cheryl Crates with a solar-powered model from a windmill company presented during a fieldtrip to Chicago last week.

Residents Unconvinced On First Rural County Road Rebuild

Alden Township residents thronged the McHenry County Division of Transportation's latest presentation in Woodstock Tuesday of plans for the first major road rebuild in more than a decade in the County's rural half.  At least some remained unpersuaded by the latest revisions.  "It's still the 'Road to Nowhere'," said township resident Jim Doetsch.

Almost two years ago MCDOT proposed a $20 to $25 million rebuild for 7 miles of the scenic but crumbling route from Charles Road west of Route 47 to the Wisconsin state line.  During the following months local residents in an uproar said, in essence, that was fine as long as everything else stayed the way it was. Particularly historic buildings and trees.  Lots of trees.

Assistant County Engineer Jeff Young said Tuesday something's still got to give even though his department's revised construction plans to minimize the impact.  First, he said, Alden Road was originally built on the cheap.  The roadbase is basically a dirt and cement mix, according to Young, except the dirt's washed away. Any new base will wash away, too, he said, since a lot of the road was never ditched for runoff in the first place.

Aside from basic engineering, however, Young said there are state and federal standards for road construction that no one ever thought of back when cars still had carburetors.  "We'd have to follow those standards no matter what funding we use," he said.

County Board Transportation Committee Vice Chairman, Paula Yensen, LITH, said the furor over rebuilding Alden Road--and now Fleming Road in Bull Valley--reminded her of the battles over widening Randall Road.  "They looked at different scenarios to address the concerns," she said. "Then there were compromises."

An encore of Tuesday's presentation about Alden Road is scheduled Thursday from 9 am to Noon at MCDOT headquarters in Hartland Township.

In the pic:  A crowd of Alden Township residents Tuesday looked over detail maps of the latest plants to rebuild Alden Road on the scenic route to Lake Geneva.

Algonquin Reviews New Bricks And Mortar Budget Draft

The Village Board began work on Algonquin's 2011-12 fiscal year budget Tuesday with the first of a three-part review of proposals.

Village Manager Bill Ganek ran through the village's proposed bricks and mortar projects for the coming year.  Total capital expenditures would be down from the year now ending.  The Village plans about $2.18 million in water and sewer construction and about $2.3 million for steets. Projects on tap include a new well and rehabbing streets in the Royal Hills subdivision, more work on Hanson  Road and reinforcing South River Road before the Village's east side starts falling into the Fox.

Outgo for water and streets will probably be less than the money expected to come in, Ganek said,  but there are more projects coming up in following years that will need the excess.  Extra money from earlier years is where $230,000 for the Village's parks and wetlands will come in 2011-12.

Two more budget presentations are set for Feb. 8 and March 8 before a budget hearing scheduled for March 15.

What Will Decide Emanuel’s Residence?

By Melissa Leu, Illinois Statehouse News
After a month of waiting, Chicago mayoral candidate Rahm Emanuel will finally get his answer and another day in court. The Illinois Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to hear an expedited appeal on  his eligibility to run for mayor of Chicago.

Without a chance of hearing fresh arguments, many are left to wonder what issues the judges will consider when making their decision.

In Emanuel’s case, the Supreme Court will have to look at whether they consider the continued ownership of his Chicago house as residency, despite his departure. Matthew Piers, a lawyer who specializes in election law, considered the law to be clear. “(Time) is an interesting question, but whenever you do (consider it), if you interpret residency to be where you live, Rahm Emanuel can't run for mayor in February, because there is no dispute that he hasn't lived in Chicago for the last year."

How the Supreme Court rules in Emanuel's case might have something to say on questions concerning where McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren legally resides now--or did in the past.

As far as Chicago goes, voters there will choose a mayor Feb. 22.

You can read Melissa's full report at: http://illinois.statehousenewsonline.com/5003/what-will-decide-emanuel%E2%80%99s-case/

Quinn Signs Medicaid Reform

By Diane S.W. Lee. Illinois Statehouse News
Gov. Pat Quinn Tuesday signed landmark bipartisan legislation to overhaul the state’s Medicaid system and save more than $774 million over five years. “Medicaid reform is one part of my plan to stabilize our budget,“ Quinn said.

As the largest program funded by the state, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services program makes up about 30 percent of the state’s total budget. The state’s Medicaid program serves about 2.8 million elderly, disabled and poor people. The program is jointly funded by the state and federal governments and managed by the state. Under the law, 50 percent of the state’s Medicaid recipients will be moved into managed care by 2015, where they will have a "medical home." The law also tightens eligibility requirements, maximizes the prescription drug program and increases civil penalties for abuses.

“It is a landmark achievement, I think for health care in Illinois,” Quinn said during a news conference in Chicago. “It really was the result of a tremendous number of people working together, putting aside any partisan differences and working for the health of the people of Illinois.”

State Rep. Patricia Bellock, R-Hinsdale, said the reforms to the $15 billion a year program will help to protect the most fragile population. “The Medicaid program was set up to be a safety net for low-income people so that they could get good health care,” Bellock said. “This reform bill will lead to people being able to (have) a medical home. They will have a primary care physician and they will get equal access to health care. And, they will get good quality of health care, we hope, with the reforms.”

You can read Diane's full report at: http://illinois.statehousenewsonline.com/5005/illinois-embraces-medicaid-reform/

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
January 25
1215 HRS MCHENRY AVE. & RANDALL RD. DRIVING WHILE LICENSE SUSPENDED. NICHOL, CORMACK W., F/W 21 YEARS OF AGE, 885 PRAIRIE VIEW LN. 2A, WOODSTOCK. CHARGE: Driving while License Suspended. RELEASED ON BOND.
1342 HRS 9625 HALIGUS RD., (MARLOWE SCHOOL). UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA. JUVENILE, M/W 13 YEARS OF AGE, HUNTLEY, CHARGES: Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. RELEASED TO PARENTS.
JUVENILE, M/W 14 YEARS OF AGE, LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGES: Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Unlawful Possession of Cannabis. RELEASED TO PARENTS.
1723 HRS 1115 CRYSTAL LAKE RD., (LITH POLICE). WANTED ON WARRANT. DUMPROFF, EMILY L., F/W 19 YEARS OF AGE, 5N295 SUNDANCE CT., SAINT CHARLES. CHARGES: Wanted on Warrant, McHenry County for Making a False Police Report. Bond Amount: $1,500.00 10% applies. RELEASED ON BOND.
0657 HRS HALIGUS RD. & REED RD. ACCIDENT. Three vehicles. Property damage only.
0838 HRS 700 BLOCK OF WEDGEWOOD CIRCLE. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Male, two years of age, consumed an unknown amount of medication. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
1344 HRS 100 BLOCK OF HICKORY RD. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Female, 68 years of age, nauseated and disoriented. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
2003 HRS 300 BLOCK OF STARWOOD PASS. MISSING JUVENILE. Female, 14 years of age, left the residence at 0600 hrs. Entered into the Law Enforcement Agency Data System. Juvenile returned home.
2129 HRS RAKOW RD. & PYOTT RD. INFORMATION FOR POLICE. Officer had contact with a registered sex offender on a Traffic Stop.

D300 OK's "Payday Loan" To Cover State Shortfall

The District 300 Board of Education approved up to $19 million in tax anticipation warrants Monday to bridge a revenue gap expected to open up this Spring.  The TAWs are sort of like a payday loan against real estate tax money that will start to appear in June but, like payday loans, they'll carry a price.  The best guess is $114,000 but the number's very iffy.

"Our Illinois (bond) market is really in trouble right now," said financial expert Liz Hennesey.  "Analysts are predicting 100 defaults in Illinois," she said which might drive what would be around a one percent interest rate on TAWs right now as high as 3 percent almost doubling the total cost.

The revenue gap  comes from late education payments from the State which at District 300 already total about $9 million halfway through the current school year.  Chief Financial Officer Cheryl Crates said Illinois' new income tax increase may not help much since it's only expected to raise around half of the state's projected budget deficit.

Crates said there might be a way to nickel and dime down the cost of the TAW's, though.  Instead of selling them to investors the district might be able to sell them to other school districts.  "There are a lot of school districts sitting on a lot of cash," she said.  "Banks won't loan us the money but the rich districts will."

Board member Chris Stanton liked that since the legal paperwork would run to around $35,000.  "Some of the (issuing) fees would disappear," he said.  "Maybe it ought to be 'Alternate A'."  Crates said she'd explore the issue.

In other action the Board examined version two of the draft budget for the 2011-12 school year.  Crates again emphasized that if the state doesn't come through on what it owes this year the District will eat up all its savings to start the new year with salary and benefit increases outstripping new local tax revenue by an estimated $4.2 million.

You can read all about the TAW  starting at p. 69 and see the version 2 of the draft budget at p. 64 here: http://www.d300.org/files/Board%20of%20Education%20Meeting%20Packet%2001.24.11.pdf

The District's Community Finance Committee will comb through proposed budget cuts this evening at 7 pm.

In the pic:  Cash on hand at District 300 is expected to bottom out late this Spring.

Huntley Tea Party Plans For New Year

Born in the battle about Obamacare last summer, the Huntley Tea Party embarked on a new mission Monday: make it go away.

Sun City resident Ann Arvantis told the group meeting at Algonquin's Golden Corral that she's seen how government medicine works in her Greek homeland during visits with her family. "Health care is free (in Greece)," she said. "The hospitals are terrible."

"Write your congressmen.  Write your senators," said organizer Linda Bahlwell.  "Write them a real letter on paper," she said.  "It works better."

Don't forget your County Board members added T.R. Smith whose Kane County 25th District includes Rutland Township.  Newly-elected to the Kane Board Smith said runaway spending's a problem at every level. "What I have seen scared the Hell out of me," he said.  Smith was particularly incensed at a referendum to allow the Kane County Forest Preserve to add $30 million worth of new land.  "It's the wrong time," he said.  "This thing is all wrong."

Largely in Rutland Township, Del Webb is still the core of the Huntley Tea Party but it's not clear if that's because residents are more receptive to its message or just more political in general.  "We had 70 percent turnout in the Primary," said Bahlwell.  "We'd like to make that 95 percent in the next one."

The Huntley Tea Party already has two rallies planned this year.  The first one's set for April 15.

In the pic:  Linda Bahlwell told the Huntley Tea Party 15 more people had joined this month.  "We're reaching 400 people and growing every day," she said.

Planning Begins Tonight For Relay For Life In Huntley

Friends, neighbors and cancer survivors can gather at Huntley Park District at 6:30 this evening to kick off the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life of Northern Fox Valley.

Relay For Life is an annual overnight event celebrating the lives of those who have had cancer, remembering loved ones lost to the disease and rallying individuals to fight back against a disease that takes too much. Teams raise funds before and during the event, to support cancer research and education. This year's Relay For Life of Northern Fox Valley will be June 17 at Deicke Park in Huntley.

Volunteers are needed to organize and recruit teams, secure community support, coordinate logistics, obtain refreshments and prizes, assist with publicity and plan entertainment activities.

In the pic:  The 2010 Relay For Life at Huntley raised $72,000 against cancer.

Gov’s Revenue Predictions Sunny If It Doesn't Rain

By Andrew Thomason, Illinois Statehouse News
Figures released by Gov. Pat Quinn’s Office of Management and Budget show the state digging its way out a massive budget hole in less than two years. However, that prediction relies on some measures that haven’t passed yet.

A proposed $8.75-billion bond issue to pay vendors, hospitals and social service providers that stalled in the previous General Assembly is crucial to the governor’s projections. Right now, the backlog of bills sits at more than $6 billion. Projections by the former and current state comptrollers show it could rise to more than $10 billion if nothing is done, exacerbating the state’s financial woes.

Another critical component of Quinn’s map towards financial security is a $1.01 tax increase on the cost of a pack of cigarettes. This would bring in more than $300 million annually. That, like the bond issue, stalled in the lame-duck session.

Including revenue that isn’t a reality in the budgeting process is a gimmick former Gov. Rod Blagojevich liked to use, said state Sen. Dave Syverson, R, Rockford. “You should plan your budget on a snap shot of where you are today and what you know is coming in,” he said.

The bonding needs a three-fifths majority vote in the both chambers to pass. Republicans who didn’t cast a single vote in favor of the recent income tax increase would have to vote yes on borrowing. Syverson said not to look for those votes until there are more reforms of state operating systems and further cuts to spending.

Also included in the projections is money from the income tax increase and reinstituted estate tax. In total, those should generate around $7 billion annually the state wasn’t bringing in previously, according to Quinn’s office. "These projections, which do include the passage of the cigarette tax, display no structural deficit (the difference between what the state spends and what it brings in). So yes, these projections represent the end of the structural deficit," said Kelly Kraft, spokeswoman for the Office of Management and Budget.

You can read Andrew's full report at: http://illinois.statehousenewsonline.com/4988/govs-revenue-predictions-sunny-2/

Obituaries

Jack Allikian, 76, of Sun City, Huntley died peacefully Sunday. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated 10:30 am on Thursdayat St. Mary Catholic Church,Huntley. Visitation will be Wednesday from 4 to 9 pm at DeFiore Jorgensen Funeral Home, Huntley.  Burial will be in St. Mary Cemetery.

Allikian was born December 10, 1934, the son of Archibald and Mary (Stepanian) Allikian.  He married Patricia Duszak on October 3, 1964. He is survived by his wife;his daughter Lisa and her husband Earl J. Barnes of North Barrington; his son Michael Jack Allikian of Chicago and his brother, Kenneth Allikian of Denver. He was preceded in death by his parents and by one sister, Violet.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to the American Cancer Society or Seasons Hospice.

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
January 24
0027 HRS 1200 BLOCK OF CRYSTAL LAKE RD. DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL. STEPHAN, GEOFFERY A., M/W 24 YEARS OF AGE,
32798 WEATHERVANE, LAKEMOOR. CHARGES: Driving under the Influence of Alcohol, Driving under the Influence of Alcohol with a Breath Alcohol Content over .08, Disobeying a Stop Sign, Improper Lane Use. RELEASED ON BOND.
0903 HRS 9625 HALIGUS RD., (MARLOWE SCHOOL). ASSIST AMBULANCE. Female, 12 years of age, lost consciousness. Transported to St Joseph’s Hospital.
1157 HRS 800 BLOCK OF TARALON TRAIL. IDENTITY THEFT. Unlawful use of complainant’s Social Security Number. TURNED OVER TO INVESTIGATIONS.
1329 HRS 00 BLOCK OF HILLTOP DR. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Female, 25 years of age, having abdominal pain. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
1614 HRS 1000 BLOCK OF BURR ST. ASSIST AMBULANCE/ Female, 80 years of age, fell in the bathtub. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
1711 HRS 100 BOCK OF HAWTHORNE RD. DOMESTIC. Boyfriend vs. girlfriend. Verbal only. No priors.

Deputy Asks For Money From, Contempt Against Sheriff

A new court filing revealed Sunday in the racial profiling complaint of ex-McHenry County Deputy Zane Seipler asks for a monetary sanction and a contempt citation against McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren and his employees.  Seipler's filing charges they withheld data on 5,000 arrests and gave a court-sealed deposition to a regional newspaper.

Seipler claims Nygren fired him for complaining about deputies' targeting hispanics for arrest.
The Sheriff's Office has maintained therew was never any racial profiling for him to complain about but Seipler's attorney, Blake Horowitz, in a mail filing last week, charges Sheriff's records already show there was. The latest charge is that if all the records had been turned over when he asked for them they'd have shown there was more than anyone ever thought.  In the case of one deputy, the filing claims he admitted to listing 140 hispanic-surnamed drivers as "white" but new evidence turned over Jan. 2 shows he actually did it in 240 cases.  As soon as Horowitz shook loose the latest records, his complaint reports the Sheriff's Office suddenly began an investigation of 51 deputies.

Horowitz claims the Sheriff's Office held back the information to cripple his case against Nygren. Now that new info's finally been released, Horowitz says he'll have to re-interview witnesses and comb through more records and the Sheriff's Office ought to pay for it.

Horowitz also wants someone at the Sheriff's Office held in contempt for releasing a copy of a deputy's secret deposition to the Northwest Herald.  A column by News Editor Kevin Lyons three weeks ago ridiculed in detail a sworn statement by Deputy Scott Milliman containing sensational charges of murder orders, alien trafficking and bribery. Horowitz claims the deposition hadn't been cleared for release yet but someone on the Nygren side "apparently" gave it to Lyons who is called "a well known supporter".

FEN didn't obtain a copy of the latest Seipler complaints until Sunday evening and so was unable to reach Nygren attorney Jim Sotos.  In a conversation last week, however, Sotos told FEN he had given a copy of the Milliman deposition to his client, Nygren.  Nygren couldn't come to the phone this morning to comment.

The latest Seipler filing can be read here; a list of traffic tickets to hispanic-surnamed drivers listed as "white" begins at page 19:   http://www.scribd.com/doc/47456587/Motion-1-21-11-Sanctions-and-Dep-Extensions-1

In the pic: Zane Seipler says he was fired for complaining about McHenry County Sheriff's racial profiling.

Sheriff Says He Still Lives In McHenry County

McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren still lives in McHenry County but, through a spokesman, he declined to say where exactly he hangs his hat these days.

Late last week Woodstock Advocate blogger and defeated Green Party Sheriff's candidate Gus Philpott announced real estate notices showed the Sheriff sold his Hebron home Dec. 3.  Philpott asked if the Sheriff still lives in McHenry County as the law requires for him to remain Sheriff.

A spokesman Thursday said, "The Sheriff still lives in McHenry County," but declined to say where, adding, "a lot of chiefs of police withhold that for security."  Nygren's erstwhile Hebron address has been readily available via the Internet, however, as still are the addresses of his homes in Wisconsin and Florida.

It's the one in Florida, in fact, that fixated Philpott on where Nygren lives.  Either Philpott or Nygren opponent Dave Bachmann discovered Nygren had claimed a tax exemption available only to Florida residents on the home.  Nygren gave up the exemption last year saying it had been claimed by mistake but Philpott thought Nygren was disqualified from being Sheriff while it was in force and asked the McHenry County State's Attorney to file a suit about it.

Civil Division Chief Tom Carroll declined to do that in an October letter to Philpott saying there aren't any brightline standards about where an officeholder lives. He said a search of caselaw just turned up a range of indications about residency "intent" and, as far as Nygren was concerned, the intent added up to McHenry County residency.

If that sounds similar to complaints earlier this month in Chicago that Mayoral candidate Rahm Emanuel isn't a Chicago resident, Carroll said Friday it's because they are.  A judge's ruling that Emanuel never gave up Chicago residency is being appealed and Carroll said "That's really probably going to clarify the standards in that direction."

Nygren's phone listed for Hebron reaches his current home but FEN has been unable to determine where it rings. FEN offered to do a mini-House Beautiful interior shoot of the Sheriff's current abode but he hasn't called back on that.

Carroll's letter about standards for judging officeholder residency can be read here:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/47462713/Carroll-Lettere
In the pic: McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren sold his Hebron residence to his chauffeur in this pic, Bryan Krause, who heads his squadcar repair garage.

Sammy's, Huntley, Still Belongs To Sami

An incorrect report about a Sunday Playoff celebration at Sammy's Restaurant and Bar in Huntley caused a small uproar at Village Hall Friday until the facts were straightened out.

In similar features about Bears' fan and A-1 Towing head Mike Lyp that appeared Friday in both the Chicago Tribune and AOL's local news website, the Lake in the Hills resident was described as Sammy's owner.  There've been rumors lately Sammy's might be for sale with Lyp as a possible buyer but no one had notified the village which licenses the establishment to sell liquor that it had a new owner.  By the end of the day it was clear that was because it doesn't yet.

Sami "Sammy" Abdullai told FEN there's a deal in the works with Lyp but "we haven't done any paperwork" and probably won't until Feb. 1.  Abdullai said Lyp will take a minority interest in Sammy's but he himself will remain majority owner and manager.

Lyp said he's going in on Sammy's because, "I'm a customer and a friend and I just want to help out."  He said when the partnership is finalized he and Abdullai will submit whatever information the Village wants from them.

Abdullai said some of the confusion might have come because Sammy's started new hours recently. 

What new hours?

"Well,  we've changed them again," said Abdullai.

Sammy's new new hours are weekdays 7 am to Midnight, weekends 7 am to 1 am.

Study: States Don't Need Bankruptcy Option

By Jamey Dunn, Illinois Issues
A new study says doom-and-gloom news stories predicting that states will default on their debts are overblown and draw attention away from the need for long-term reforms.

The report last week by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a Washington-based think tank that studies state and federal fiscal decisions that affect low- and moderate-income families and individuals. It acknowledges that many states and municipalities are struggling to overcome large deficits, partly because of falling revenues caused by the recent recession.

Iris Lav, one of the authors of the study, said the potential for bankruptcy might take pressure off of states to address some unpopular issues “The political process will be more difficult (with default as an option) … and there’s not evidence that it’s necessary.”

The report says lumping pension and borrowing debt into the immediate operating funds shortfall is the wrong approach because states have more time to solve such problems as under-funded pensions. “Unlike the projected operating deficits for fiscal year 2012, which require near-term solutions to meet states’ and localities’ balanced-budget requirements, longer-term issues related to bond indebtedness, pension obligations and retiree health insurance … can be addressed over the next several decades. It is not appropriate to add these longer-term costs to projected operating deficits.”

The report's authors cite Illinois as an outlier state facing more extreme short- and long-term problems. “Illinois also has one of the worst structural deficits in the country,” said Nick Johnson, director of the State and Fiscal Project for the CBPP.

The study cited Illinois as an “extreme example” of “failure” to address such fiscal and budgeting issues: "Because Illinois is chronically short of the revenues it needs to cover its expenses, it has engaged in a number of poor fiscal practices over the years. It has postponed payments to vendors, failed to make adequate pension contributions or borrowed money to make the contributions, securitized or sold assets, and taken other dubious actions. As a result, it has had a particularly difficult time coping with revenue declines during this recession, with a fiscal year 2012 deficit projected to equal half of its general fund budget, and has developed an large overhang of longer-term debt and unfunded liabilities."

You can read Jamey's full report at: http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/study-states-dont-need-bankruptcy.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
January 23
1656 HRS 1300 BLOCK OF CUNAT CT. DRIVING WHILE LICENSE REVOKED. ERICSON, KEITH A., M/W 24 YEARS OF AGE, 1351 CUNAT CT. APT 1C, LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGES: Driving while License Revoked, Speeding, Attempted Fleeing and Eluding, Illegal Transportation of Alcohol, No Insurance. RELEASED ON BOND.
2105 HRS FRANK RD. & MILLER RD. DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL. GARD, JOANNE L., F/W 47 YEARS OF AGE, 788 DOGWOOD LN., LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGES: Driving under the Influence of Alcohol, Driving under the Influence of Alcohol with a Breath Alcohol Content over .08, Lane Change Violation. RELEASED ON BOND.
0849 HRS RANDALL RD. & ACORN LN. ACCIDENT. Two vehicles. Property damage only.
1101 HRS 20 BLOCK OF ECHO HILL. DOG BITE. Dog bit pet owner.
1756 HRS 400 BLOCK OF VILLAGE CREEK DR. DOMESTIC BATTERY. Mother vs. Daughter. One prior. UNFOUNDED.
1836 HRS 10 BLOCK OF WOODLAND RD. DOMESTIC BATTERY. Husband vs. Wife. Four priors. FAIL TO FILE.
2139 HRS 10 BLOCK OF WOODLAND RD. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Female, 47 years of age, with irritation to her eyes. No transport.
Algonquin
January 21
15:55pm A 16 year-old male from Algonquin was charged with Possession of Cannabis and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.  He was taken into custody in the 100 block of Oakleaf.  He was formally Petitioned into Juvenile Court and then released into the custody of his parents.
21:39pm Curnutt, Chelsea I., DOB: 03/17/92, of 911 Wedgewood Circle, Lake in the Hills, was charged with Retail Theft.  She was taken into custody at Meijer’s, 400 S. Randall Road.  She was released on a Notice to Appear with a court date of 02/23/11 in Algonquin.
January 23
00:14am Kaskas, Peter J., DOB: 10/15/87, of 312 Russell Street, Barrington, was charged with Obstructing a Peace Officer.  He was taken into custody at 900 Perry Drive.  He was transported to McHenry County Jail when unable to post bond.
01:45am Nelson, James D., DOB: 01/12/84, of 1469 Yosemite Circle, Crystal Lake, was charged with DUI, DUI Over, Improper Lane Usage and No Proof of Insurance.  He was taken into custody at Randall Road and Stonegate Road.  He was released after posting $100 and his Illinois Driver’s License with a court date of 02/23/11 in McHenry County.
09:55am Sanchez-Martinez, Maria E., DOB: 05/26/81, of 653 Sherman Drive, Elgin, was charged with No Valid Driver’s License, No Proof of Insurance and Disregarding a Traffic Control Device.  She was taken into custody at the Algonquin Police Department.  She was released after posting $150 with a court date of 03/02/11 in McHenry County.

Conspiracy Buff Disrupts Area Town Meeting

Police nervously checked their sidearms when a Barrington conspiracy theorist began shouting about "corruption at the federal level" at Saturday's Town Hall Meeting featuring the area's Congressional delegation at McHenry County College.

Both Senator Mark Kirk and U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh had earlier referred to the Tucson massacre only two weeks previous where a deranged shooter killed 19 persons and left U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords hospitalized with brain damage.

The woman unfurled a banner promoting a self-published book she'd written about the conspiracy and eventually subsided as U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo kept insisting the meeting format only allowed 90 seconds for each question. By then there was a cop at her elbow to enforce the point.

There were about 300 residents at the meeting and the rest of the session's Q and A was more normal.  Algonquin resident Jim Taylor said he'd heard the feds were going to give General Motors $540 million to keep a plant open in Janesville, WI, which would create 500 new jobs except they'd all be in Mexico.  Kirk confirmed that was true adding, "That's why it's wrong to have the government involved in business in this way."

All politics, famously, is local and one question from McHenry County where mistreated or abandoned horses have abounded lately proved it:  Isn't it time to take another look at (effectively banned in 2007) horse slaughterhouses?  Strangely, none of the delegation had an answer there.

Andrew Biggs of the conservative American Enterprise Institute was also on hand at the meeting with a cautionary message.  Biggs recapped a study he'd done of 100 attempts around the world to balance government budgets.  Was it better to do it by raising taxes or cutting spending?  He said his study found cutting spending was the way to go.  However, he also admitted 80 percent of the time neither approach did a bit of good.

In the pic:  Police stood by as a local conspiracy theorist tried to promote her ideas and self-published book at Saturday's Town Hall Meeting at MCC.

New LITH Business Adds Kids' Clothing Retailer

A sixty-hour work week topped to a transfer to Burr Ridge is the backstory behind another of Lake in the Hills' latest new businesses, Love It Again children's consignment Boutique on Algonquin Road at Crystal Lake.

Selling new and like-new children's clothing is the plan for Monique Mahon, former Citi banker and ex-head of the Huntley Chamber of Commerce, to escape the rat race, not that being an independent retailer is any bed of roses.

"We looked at (franchise kids' resale shop) Once Upon a Child," said husband and "Mr. Mom" Dad Michael Mahon, "but the (existing franchises) just didn't work out."  That's why Love It Again is in a spot that would probably make a dandy doctor's office but leaves something to be desired for a retail store.  It's also why it doesn't have a store sign..  "All the village will let us do is put banners in the windows," said Mahon.  "We can't put anything on the building," he said.  "This is just temporary."

Love It Again "Next to AutoZone-Across from Fradillios" is open 10 am to 6 pm Monday through Saturday except Thursday.  Then it's open 'till 8 pm.

In the pic:  Moms Amy Link from Woodstock and Kristin Byrnes, Lake Zurich, were heavily into shopping for the kids at LITH's Love It Again consignment boutique Friday.

Area Housing Prices Fall Again

Housing prices slumped in McHenry County again in December according to the latest report released last week by the McHenry County Association of Realtors. That mirrors the conclusion of an important Federal Reserve quarterly report a couple of weeks ago that said housing prices in the Chicago area are depressed because of a high level of distressed foreclosed homes.

The price of an average home in McHenry County was only $187,000 last month. That was a drop of $17,000, an eight percent decrease. December actually saw an increase in home closings, however, 218, up from 190 the month before. The length of time it took to sell a home dropped slightly, too, but still remained at about six months.

McHAR's monthly report drawn from area listing services includes homes in Alden, Algonquin, Cary, Oakwood Hills, Chemung, Harvard, Lawrence, Crystal Lake, Lakewood, Prairie Grove, Fox River Grove,
Bull Valley, Greenwood, Woodstock, Harmony, Marengo, Hebron, Huntley, Holiday Hills, Johnsburg, McHenry, Lakemoor, McCullom Lake, Sunnyside, Ringwood, Lake In The Hills, Richmond, Solon Mills,
Spring Grove, Union and Wonder Lake.

Report Shows College Savings Up In State Program

By Melissa Leu, Illinois Statehouse News
More Illinois families are saving for college in two State programs, according to the latest financial report from State Auditor General William Holland. In 2010 the number of investors increased about 8 percent for one program and 20 percent for the other. Total net assets also increased.

A financial report for the Illinois’ College Savings Program, which includes the Bright Start and Bright Directions College Savings Programs, shows that it made significant gains from the previous year, according to the report released late last week. The plan, which began in 1999 under the Treasurer’s Office, is designed to allow parents to pay for their child’s education through investment funds. Earnings from the accounts can be used to pay for qualified college expenses — including tuition, books and room and board — tax-free.

Under the regulations, account owners invest at their own risk, though, and former State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias came under fire when the 2009 financial report revealed that the program had lost $629.7 million in investments. The discovery led to a lawsuit against Oppenheimer Funds, an investment company, which resulted in the state recouping some of the losses. The program had an $867.1 million jump in investment earnings last year, though.

Despite more people joining the program, total contributions to accounts were still down $94.5 million from last year. Treasurer’s Office officials, however, insisted that the dollar amount of contributions entering the fund still outweighs the amount going out. The Auditor General could not be reached for a comment.

You can read Melissa's full report at: http://illinois.statehousenewsonline.com/4983/new-report-shows-college-savings-off-to-a-%E2%80%9Cbright-start%E2%80%9D/

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
January 22
1003 HRS 9228 TRINITY DR., (NEW LIFE BAPTIST CHURCH). DRIVING WHILE LICENSE SUSPENDED. SABO, MARCUS J., M/W 38 YEARS OF AGE, 245 WELLINGTON CT., CRYSTAL LAKE. CHARGES: Driving while License Suspended. RELEASED ON BOND.
1711 HRS 1100 BLOCK OF PRIDES RUN. INFORMATION FOR POLICE. Information regarding a possible retaliation over a civil matter.
1827 HRS 500 BLOCK OF BARTON CREEK DR. DOMESTIC. Father vs. Son. Verbal only.No priors.
2335 HRS 3100 BLOCK OF BANBURY CT. DOMESTIC. Wife vs. Husband. Verbal only. One prior.