D300 Board Vows Teacher Rehire If Union Relents

District 300 Board Members and union spokesmen have both said they don't want to negotiate a new teachers' contract in the newspapers but that hasn't stopped them from spinning news releases.  Friday it was the Board's turn with an announcement they'll hire back all 363 teachers let go to balance the budget if the union will agree to "critical language changes". Last week the union told FEN it would give the District all the financial concessions it wanted if it would agree to 23 pages of "language changes".

In the sense that neither side's said what the "language changes" entail, both sides are holding to their vow not to negotiate in the press.  D300's release said they'd allow "flexibility to reorganize schools and assign teachers based on enrollment and student needs."  In an FEN interview last week, union President Kolleen Hanetho wouldn't say what was involved but did say whatever it is, it's too broad for the teachers to accept.

Since negotiations finally began last month, a lot appears to have been settled.  According to Friday's release, teachers have agreed to a new health insurance plan administrators figure will save about $1 million per year, a 72 percent reduction in pay for bus and lunch supervision, most of a wage freeze and a two-student per classroom increase before expensive overload pay kicks in.

The District may be trying to pressure teachers toward a fast resolution on the rest of the contract. Separately Friday, Superintendent-elect Michael Bregy emailed District parents with a message about how a revised curriculum wouldn't be worse than other districts offer and, besides, "conversations continue with all labor groups".  Over the past several months D300's budgeteers have made it clear that "secondary school reorganization" is the substitute for money from the teachers.

Bregy said the administration will decide "in the next couple of weeks" whether to put the truncated curriculum in place.

New House Map Completes Area Dissection

House Democrats released a map of State House Districts late Friday, the second stage of revising representation in the Legislature to represent changes in the 2010 census.  If Thursday's changes in the Senate map chopped this area into bits, Friday's House map ran it through a sausage grinder.

The House map was really the second part of the remap announcement Thursday since each Illinois Senate district encloses two House districts within in.  Thursday Senate Democrats released a map moving much farther south part of one Senate district that intrudes into McHenry County and slotting in a chunk of a new district squeezed out of Cook County. Even worse, the lines chop through Algonquin, LITH and Huntley like a buzzsaw.

Republican State Sen. Pam Althoff who currently represents (most) of the villages said Friday she knew there'd be changes but, "I really, really in my wildest dreams didn't imagine it would be so parceled out."

In the bulk of the 32nd Senate District left to her, Democratic State Rep. Jack Franks of Marengo was left with pretty much the same 63rd House District he has now.  However the new boundary for Republican Mike Tryon's 64th District managed to exclude his home by 500 feet. The new location for the 52nd House District means Republican State Rep. Mark Beubien will have to make lots of new friends in eastern Algonquin and part of Lake in the Hills. Meanwhile the newly-migrated 65th and 66th House Districts in Algonquin and Grafton Townships are a pair of a tabula rasae which manage to slash through the heart of Huntley along Main Street.

Tryon's comment Friday was that he didn't plan to sell his house in Crystal Lake which will soon be in the 66th district. "I’ve seen the south boundary of the district that I’m going to be assigned, but it looks like it’s going to go down in the Kane County quite a way," Tryon said. "It looks like about 35 percent or 40 percent of the voters will be in the district that I’m in now are in McHenry County. The rest are going to be in Kane County."

Tryon's also reportedly mulling the possibility of running for the Senate seat associated with the two new districts but even if he doesn't, at least the 66th District is fairly compact.  The 65th including south Huntley is a sprawling thing that loops like a zucchini vine all the way from Hampshire to down below Elgin, then over to Wood Dale.

Many Republicans accused the Democrats of putting re-election ahead of representation. Democrats in Illinois control the process, because the party holds majorities in the House and the Senate, and the Democrats hold the governor's mansion. “There seems to be a lot of districts that lumped Republican representatives together so again, you kind of wonder, ‘Was this more political or were they really looking at strong rational for creating good geographical districts?'" said freshman State Rep Joe Sosnowski, R-Rockford.

Althoff will be at a public hearing in Chicago on the Senate remap today but didn't sound as if she thought it to make much difference. A second one's scheduled in Springfield Tuesday.  Senate and House leaders are expected to send combined maps to the Governor by the end of the month.

In the pic:  Proposed House district boundaries can be examined here: http://www.ilhousedems.com/redistricting/ .  The interface still isn't very user-friendly but at least it's not as bad as the Senate site.

Local Cops Raise Almost $5,000 For Special Olympics

Huntley police occupied the roof of the Dunkin' Donuts shop there Friday from 5 am for the next nine hours.  It wasn't another burglary stakeout, however.  Rather, it was the PD's annual Cop on Top fundraiser for the Law Enforcement Torch Run to benefit Special Olympics Illinois.

Police in 116 state municipalities perched on donut shops Friday, swapping places with each other as duty schedules allowed and demanded.  Huntley's boys and girls in blue raised almost $2,800 for Special Olympics in Illinois.  Their brethren (and sisteren?) atop the LITH Dunkin Donuts collected $2,100 at that location.

In the pic: Huntley PD Sergeant Amy Williams and Officers Gary Schwartz and Ron Miller, "Cops on Top".

D158 Honors Young Authors, Scientists

The District 158 Board of Education whizzed through a routine session of reports and Board housekeeping Thursday evening.  In the midst, however, the board took time to recognize two groups of district students.

One group was students in Kindergarten through grade 8 in each District 158 school whose stories won the Young Authors Program sponsored by the Illinois Language and Literacy Council and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). The kids will be at the 37th Annual Young Authors Conference today at Illinois State University, Normal. The winners (not in order in the pic):
Grades 1-2
Caitlyn Gooden    “Mystery of the Missing Crown”  Chesak Elementary
Emma Kai   “Mya’s Seashell”   Chesak Elementary
Allison Braaten   “My Big Vacation”   Leggee Elementary
Taylor Lucas   “The Dragon and the Hunter”;  Mackeben Elementary
Grades 3-5
Drake McHugh    “The Slow Going Death”   Conley Elementary
Julie Stout   “Growing Up”    Leggee Elementary
Marisa Bowman   “Cage Break”   Martin Elementary
Madison Overly   “Beelieve in Yourself”   Martin Elementary
Grades 6-8
Madeline Moffett “Miracle”  Heineman Middle School
Lexie Ziolkowski “From Chanel to Chapstick” ;Marlowe Middle School

Also honored were winners in the recent Illinois Science Olympiad State Tournament.  Winners included (again, not in order in the pic):
Kristen Koniewicz and A.G. Navarro  Human Anatomy -- First Place
Kristen Koniewicz and A.G. Navarro  Ecology -- First Place
Megan Walsh and Simona Olberkyte&  Forensics--Second Place
Kristen Koniewicz and Vytas Olberkis  Protein Modeling--Third place
Shirley Huang, Sheetal Gowda and Rodrigo DeLosada  Experimental Design --Third place
Vivek Verma and Zeeshan Falzal  Wind Power--Fifth place
Sheetal Gowda and Shirley Huan  Towers --Fifth place

2012 Election First Test For New Maps

By Andrew Thomason, Illinois Statehouse News
New Illinois legislative maps aren't even final yet, but lawmakers are weighing options on how to run in the 2012 election.

Normally, candidates must live in a legislative district for at least two years before they can run for office there. However, during the election immediately following the once-a-decade redistricting, lawmakers can run in any new district that contains part of their old district, regardless of their current address. “The idea was that at least initially it should be possible for a person not to be automatically eliminated but to have a chance to run again in that area,” said Dawn Netsch, a constitutional scholar at Northwestern University Law School who helped draft Illinois’ Constitution.

Several Republicans, including GOP Senate Leader Christine Radogno, now have two choices, if they run in the 2012 election — run in the district the Democrats put them in, possibly against fellow Republicans, or run in another district and move if they win.

Radogno was placed in the same district as freshman Sen. Ron Sandack, R-Downers Grove.
“I’m just trying to evaluate it. I’m not alarmed by it. I’ve been in this situation before; other members have as well. Everyone looks at all the opportunities that might present,” said Radogno, who lives in Lemont.

If the 2010 election was good for Republicans, 2012 should be great for Democrats,said John Jackson, a professor of political science for the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University. In addition to controlling how the districts will look in that election, it is also a presidential election year, which generally draws more voters than other years.In Illinois, more voters generally translates into more votes for Democrats, he added. “While drawing the lines on the map is terribly important, turnout is so much more important.  It just kind of overwhelms everything else,” Jackson said.

You can read Andrew's full report at: http://illinois.statehousenewsonline.com/6086/2012-election-first-test-for-new-map/

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
May 20
1912 HRS 101 N. RANDALL RD. (DOMINICKS). RETAIL THEFT. COOL, KATHRYN G., F/W 27 YEARS OF AGE, 4035 DIXON DR., HOFFMAN  ESTATES, CHARGE: Retail Theft. TURNED OVER TO MCHENRY COUNTY JAIL.
1950 HRS 10 BLOCK OF WANDER WAY. DOMESTIC BATTERY. VIELMA, DOLORES, F/W 46 YEARS OF AGE, 12 WANDER WAY, LAKE IN THE HILLS.
CHARGES: Two Counts of Domestic Battery. TURNED OVER TO MCHENRY COUNTY JAIL.
1637 HRS 1115 CRYSTAL LAKE RD. (LITH POLICE). FOLLOW-UP ARREST: BURGLARY. JUVENILE, M/W 14 YEARS OF AGE, LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGE: Theft under $300. RELEASED TO PARENT.
0245 HRS 0 BLOCK OF LINCOLN ST. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Male, 62 years of age, having a diabetic reaction.  Transported to McHenry  Centegra Hospital.
0921 HRS 500 BLOCK OF CHEYENNE DR. THEFT. Jewelry, taken three weeks ago. TURNED OVER TO INVESTIGATIONS.
1156 HRS 100 BLOCK OF VILLAGE CREEK DR. LOST ARTICLE. Front license plate. Entered into LEADS.
1319 HRS 0 BLOCK OF ROYAL OAK CT. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Male, 47 years of age, needing an evaluation. Transported to Sherman  Hospital.
1531 HRS CRYSTAL LAKE RD. & ALGONQUIN RD. ACCIDENT. Two vehicles. Property damage only.
1822 HRS 900 BLOCK OF ASTER CT. ACCIDENT. Two vehicles. Property damage only.
1939 HRS 3900 BLOCK OF BLACKBERRY DR. ACCIDENT. Two vehicles. Property damage only.
2047 HRS 1300 BLOCK OF CUNAT CT. INFORMATION FOR POLICE. Report for insurance.
2111 HRS ALGONQUIN RD. & LAKEWOOD RD. ACCIDENT Two vehicles. Property damage only.
2148 HRS ALGONQUIN RD. & LAKEWOOD RD. INJURY ACCIDENT. Two vehicles. Three male occupants of unit 2 transported to Sherman Hospital. Female driver of unit 1 transported to Woodstock Memorial Hospital.
2208 HRS ALGONQUIN RD. & LAKEWOOD RD. ACCIDENT. Vehicle vs. Ambulance. Property damage only.
2232 HRS 300 BLOCK OF STARWOOD PASS. FOUND ARTICLE. Red bicycle.
2344 HRS 400 BLOCK OF PRIDES RUN. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Male, 27 years of age, with low blood sugar. No transport.

Huntley Board Rejects Giant Wireless Tower

The Huntley Board gave a unanimous thumbs down Thursday to a 175-foot cell-tower in the middle of the village.  Nobody liked it but Trustee Nikko Kanakaris said it in the fewest words:  "This should go in some industrial area somewhere."

Site leasing company SBA Towers, wants to put up a tower to mount equipment for as many as five wireless companies on a site north of the Deans plant along the UP tracks. At a sparsely attended hearing earlier this month the Village Plan Commission unanimously rejected a Special Use Permit for the tower since there was no benefit to the village and it would look out of place in "the adjacent older residential neighborhood."

Despite that setback, SBA Towers attorney Richard Riley told the Board Thursday burgeoning area wireless service for cellphones and mobile computers requires a new tower and the way wireless works, it has to be in Huntley.  Riley said after tossing out areas too close to roads, too close to subdivisions and too close to nature areas, the site off Mill Street was about all that was left.

Dean St. resident Pat Rechsteiner said she'd just heard about the proposal adding simply, "This isn't something I want to see or have my neighbors have to look at."

Resident Bob Kunde didn't like it either and cut to the heart of another problem.  "I can see it (somewhere) in the village limits but you've got to get some money out of it."

Trustee Pam Fender asked Riley if there wasn't some technical alternative to a tower 30 feet taller than one of the village's water towers. 

"You could have five 120-foot towers, instead of one 175-foot tower," replied Riley.  "But most village's arent interested in that."

Riley clearly failed to persuade the Board but the session was only a Committee of the Whole so the official vote won't come until next week.  Even that may not be the last the Board hears of the proposal, however.  Riley brought along a stenotypist to record Thursday's meeting. Three years ago the Porter County, Indiana, Board of Zoning Appeals turned down a similar tower but Riley and SBA got an Indiana judge to overturn that group's decision.  Porter County's been appealing the case for a year now.

In the pic:  A computer simulation, apparently at about a 1/8 mile distance, of a 175-foot wireless tower proposed for Huntley.

East Dundee Nabs Suspected LITH Armed Robber

Lake in the Hills Police charged a 21 year-old Huntley man with aggravated armed robbery Thursday after he was apprehended by East Dundee Police following another robbery. Investigators said they believe Brandon L. McBryde, 12181 Sinnett St., Huntley, is the man who robbed a Lake in the Hills convenience store Wednesday.

According to police, shortly before 1 am Wednesday a man wearing a black ski mask, black hooded jacket, black pants and black gloves and carrying a black handgun entered the 7-11 store at Lakewood and Algonquin roads, demanded money from the attendant, then ran off.

Thursday afternoon after another armed robbery at the Shell gas station in East Dundee, police there said they stopped McBryde's car because he matched the description of the robber in that later incident.  They said they found a ski mask, cash and a BB gun pistol in the car.

East Dundee Police said McBryde was charged with aggravated robbery, robbery and felony theft in the Thursday stickup with bond set at $75,000 in Kane  County.  Bond's $100,000 on the McHenry County charge from the Wednesday robbery, according to LITH PD.

In the pic:  LITH's 7-11 store robbed Wednesday.

Illinois GOP Outraged At Senate Dem Remap Plan

Illinois Republicans feared a new State Senate District map would be the product of a Democratic smoke filled room.  What the map released Thursday did to southeastern McHenry and northeastern Kane counties probably left some wondering what the Dems were smoking.  The map leaves the area chopped up like cabbage in a Cuisinart.

The current map isn't exactly neat and intuitive.  McHenry Republican Sen. Pam Althoff's 32nd District has most of McHenry County except for a pie slice on the east that belongs to 26th District Barrington Republican Dan Duffy.  The Kane County parts of Algonquin and Huntley are in the 25th District of Aurora Republican Chris Lauszen.

The proposed map still leaves Althoff with most of McHenry County, but adds back Duffy's part and tacks on pieces of three townships in Lake County.  Most of Algonquin Township shifts into Duffy's district including the McHenry part of Algonquin and the eastern part of LITH.  However,  the western part of Algonquin Township  including western Algonquin and western LITH (the boundary's along Hilltop, Hansen and Sleepy Hollow roads) and most of Grafton goes into a radically displaced Cook County District, the 33rd, currently held by Park Ridge Democrat Dan Kotowski.   The Kane part of Huntley goes into the 33rd, too, while the Kane part of the Village of Algonquin goes into a peninsula of Duffy's 26th.  (Lauszen's 25th drifts considerably to the south.)

Althoff's phone message box was jammed late Thursday afternoon and FEN didn't work out the rest of the changes until other pols' listed offices were closed.

Sen. Dale Righter, the top Republican member of the Senate Redistricting Map Committee, said, "I would suggest to you that if you didn’t know who drew these lines and you just looked at the map, it wouldn’t take you very long to figure out which party had drawn them.”

However, Senate President John Cullerton said that the map was not drafted with an eye for putting incumbent Republicans out of a job. “We’re following the Illinois voting rights act as well as the federal voting rights act. And we’re complying with the people that testified (at redistricting hearings held throughout the state) in favor of certain configurations,” Cullerton said. “It follows the law, and it’s fair.”

Many downstate Republicans found they would be left out of their current districts if the Senate Democrats' map is approved. “This was strictly political, and it always has been, and to claim that it is not is just not being honest,” said Sen. David Luechtefeld, a Republican from Okawville who would be shifted from his district under the proposed map.

Cullerton said he encouraged those unhappy with the map to submit amendments with potential changes. “We have at least a week before we vote on it, so people can offer amendments if they want.” The Senate Redistricting Committee has a hearing scheduled  Saturday in Chicago and another  Tuesday in Springfield.

The Senate Democrats' map did not include House districts, even though they're paired two to a Senate District. House Democrats are expected to release their proposed map today.

Editor's note:  This story includes parts of a story by Jamey Dunn, Illinois Issues.  Her full report can be found at: http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/senate-democratic-map-could-send.html

Editor's note II: An earlier version of this story based  on a featureless PDF version of the Cullerton map incorrectly said the Kane part of Algonquin would go into Mike Noland's 22nd District.  FEN regrets the error.

In the pic:  Proposed State Senate Districts in Northern Illinois  (Click to enlarge. See the current map at: http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/publications/illinois_bluebook/legislative_branch/legdistrictmaps.pdf )  A detailed redistricting map with bells and whistles can be found at http://www.ilsenateredistricting.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=98&Itemid=50 , however you must have the Google Earth plugin installed to your browser to use it.

Pre-Founders' Days Carnival Spins Up In Algonquin

Young Gabriella Czapla from Elgin had a whirl on the Merry-Go-Round Thursday evening at Algonquin's Pre-Founders' Days Carnival at the Great Escape on South Randall Road.  She like it a lot and told her Mom and Dad, "I want to go on some more rides."

Rides and games at the carnival will be open this evening and Saturday and Sunday afternoons and evenings, too.

State Looks For New Prepaid Tuition Boss

By Melissa Leu, Illinois Statehouse News
Illinois’ prepaid tuition program may soon be under new management. Some House lawmakers are pushing to shift the College Illinois program from the Illinois Student Assistance Commission to the state Comptroller Judy Barr Topinka’s office after a series of reports revealing the program’s risky investment strategies.

State Rep. Jim Durkin, R-La Grange, said he hoped to restore investors' confidence in the system. “College Illinois is the worst funded prepaid college program in the country … ISAC has placed over-reliance in risky alternative investment tools — hedge funds, real estate and equities,” said Durkin, who himself has invested in the program.

An audit released by Illinois Auditor General Bill Holland’s office that revealed improper management and a $338 million deficit for the ISAC program only served to fuel lawmaker discontent. “Reasonable people can't even disagree on this issue. That is so outside of any responsible fiduciary investment policy, that that on its surface calls for major fundamental change,” said state Rep. Chad Hays, R-Danville.

Investments made into the program are not guaranteed by the state or the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. However, under the law, the governor must ask the Legislature to pay for any shortfalls that may have incurred that year. Quinn announced two new appointments to the Commission Thursday but worried investors have started pulling money out of the fund. ISAC admits to seeing more contract withdrawals, but said it is awaiting final tallies in its next audit before revealing numbers.

You can read Melissa's full report at: http://illinois.statehousenewsonline.com/6069/state-looks-for-new-boss-for-illinois-prepaid-tuition-plan-2/

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
May 19

0009 HRS 20 BLOCK OF SIERRA CT. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Male, 38 years of age, had a seizure. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
0054 HRS 300 BLOCK OF PYOTT RD. DOMESTIC. Boyfriend vs. Girlfriend. Verbal only. One prior.
0100 HRS 101 PYOTT RD. (BUCKY’S). ASSIST AMBULANCE. Female, 32 years of age, highly intoxicated. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
1226 HRS 5400 BLOCK OF WILDSPRING DR. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Male, 65 years of age, unable to stand. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
1309 HRS 400 BLOCK OF BIG CLOUD PASS. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Male, 51 years of age, having trouble breathing. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
1406 HRS 00 BLOCK OF PERSHING AVE. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Male, 65 years of age, with a hip injury. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
1535 HRS RAKOW RD & PINGREE RD. ACCIDENT. Two vehicles. Property damage only.
1630 HRS 100 BLOCK OF E. OAK ST. HARASSMENT BY TELEPHONE. Complainant is being threatened by text messages. PENDING INVESTIGATION BY REPORTING OFFICER.
Algonquin
May 16
18:45pm A sixteen-year-old from West Dundee, was charged with Criminal damage to Property at 2001 Azure. She was taken into custody at the Algonquin Police Department. She was released with a Notice to Appear with a court date of 06/19/11 in Algonquin and released to her father.
May 17
02:18am Gutierrez-Herrera, Oscar D., DOB:02/21/87, of 1913 Cherokee, Carpentersville, was Wanted on a Warrant out of Kane County for Failure to Appear on Traffic charges . He was taken into custody at Woodview and Longwood. He was released after posting $1000, with a court date of 06/19/11, in Kane County, Elgin Court.
7:49am Ibarra, Martin Jesus, DOB: 12/11/54, of 49 Wren Road, Carpentersville, was charged with DWLS, No Insurance and No Seatbelt. He was taken into custody at Shagbark Ct. and Huntington Dr. He was released on an Recognizance Bond with a court date of 06/22/11 in McHenry County.
15:11 pm Harris, Duane James Jr., DOB: 05/20/89 of 850 Royal Ln., West Dundee, was charged with hit and Run. He was taken into custody at the Algonquin Police Department. He was released with a court date of 06/15/11 in McHenry County.
May 19
9:09am Schulmeister, Victoria L., DOB: 09/16/70, of 430 Amberwood Court, Algonquin, was charged with DWLS. She was taken into custody at Algonquin Road and River Road. She was released after posting $150, with a court date of 06/22/11, in McHenry County.
14:20pm Hartman, James A., DOB: 12/12/74, of 26 N. River Road, Algonquin, was charged with Unlawful Display of Registration Sticker. He was taken into custody at the Algonquin Police Department. He was released on a Personal Recognizance, with a court date of 06/22/11, at McHenry County.
21:00pm Pinsel, Joseph A., DOB: 02/10/92, of 1440 Richmond Lane, Algonquin, was charged with
Unlawful Consumption of Alcoholic Liquor. He was taken into custody at the Algonquin Police
Department. He was released on a Personal Recognizance with a court date of 06/22/11 at McHenry
County.
22:09pm Santini, Wesley A., DOB: 11/25/88, of 1604 Glen Eagle Drive, Carpentersville, was charged with Theft. He was taken into custody at Meadowsedge Lane, Carpentersville. He was released after posting $150 with a court date of 06/22/11 in McHenry County.
22:10pm Rivera Robert G., DOB: 09/13/91 of 2403 Meadowsedge Lane, Carpentersville, was charged with
Theft. He was taken into custody at Miller Road and Meadowsedge Lane, Carpentersville. He was
released after posting $150, with a court date of 06/22/11, at McHenry County.
22:10pm Scott, Ashley E. DOB: 03/05/1993, of 11920 Mohican Drive, Algonquin, was charged with Theft. She was taken into custody at Miller Road and Meadowsedge Lane, Carpentersville. She was released after posting $150 with a court date of 06/22/11 at McHenry County.
Huntley
May 10
Stephen A. Tolvstad, age 44, of 9718 Dunhill, Huntley, was arrested on two counts of domestic battery.  Mr. Tolvstad was transported to McHenry County Jail to await bond call.
2011 A theft report was taken in the 12800 block of Farm Hill Dr.  A concrete lawn ornament was stolen from the yard of the residence.
May 11
A theft report was taken at the High School.  A student reported his wallet stolen.
A credit card fraud report was taken in the 10600 block of Elizabeth Ave.  Fraudulent charges were made to the victim’s credit card.
May 12
Cody J. Dunkelberger, age 18, of 11721 Woodcreek #E, Huntley, was charged disorderly conduct at the High School.  Mr. Dunkelberger was released with a notice to appear in McHenry County Circuit court on June 13, 2011.
A theft report was taken at the High School.  A student reported that her Ipod was stolen on May 9, 2011.
May 13
A theft report was taken at the High School.  Cash was reported stolen from a class room.
Michelle LaLuz, age 31, of 1264 Walden Oaks St., Woodstock, was arrested for displaying a false insurance card and was cited for registration suspended for non-insurance and operation of an uninsured motor vehicle.  Ms. LaLuz posted bond and was released with a McHenry County court date of June 17, 2011.
May 14
Blake T. Buccieri, age 21, of 1107 Isabel, Algonquin, was arrested for DUI.  Mr. Buccieri posted bond and was released with a McHenry County court date of June 17, 2011.

Sun City Owners Protest New Church Rental

More than 500 people jammed Drendel Ballroom Wednesday as irate Del Webb residents told the Sun City Community Association Board to stop renting Meadow View Lodge to a church group starting a new congregation.

"Relaxed nondenominational" Community Christian Church is the latest of three new churches to open in the Huntley and west Lake in the Hills area this year.  Controversy's been brewing over this one since the group held its first service in Prairie Lodge a month ago but it's still not entirely clear what the controversy's about.  It seems to be as much about the SCCA Board and the trial lease it granted as about the church itself.

Resident Ellen Butler said, "We are not anti-religious. We are anti-long term contract for one of our facilities.  There are many empty storefronts in Huntley.  That's how many churches start."

Other residents complained they didn't know the Board had approved a three-month lease for the church until services were announced in April.  Board President Bill Ziletti said it was all on the up and up in open session but ex-Chicago cop Paul Heyden said he thought he had proof one board member was tied to the church.  Member Harry Leopold shut him off and Ziletti later on said "I have nothing to do with church planting.  I'm not part of it."

CCC pastor Perry Martin told FEN Wednesday he hadn't even met any of the SCCA Board until he asked for a lease.  "I didn't know any of them until it was approved, " he said.

Community Christian  is a fast-growing church (12 other groups in the Chicago area) that includes a congregation in Plainfield's Carillon retirement community.  That's the apparent connection to Sun City.  Martin said after he retired from the pulpit at a church in Kansas City, he decided the Baby Boom age cohort still needed ministering to and found the Plainfield group with the same idea.  Opponents claim info on the CCC website shows the Plainfield congregation's been planning a new church in Huntley since 2009.

"Putting it on the Internet isn't a very good way to keep a secret," chuckled Martin.

Despite calls for a referendum on extending CCC's lease, the Board took no action Wednesday since there wasn't anything on the agenda about the church, anyway.  There probably will be at its next meeting in June, however.

"I personally am appalled at the way this has polarized the community," said Betty Darow but one question is whether it really has.  Complaints about the church lease drew rounds of applause and cheers Wednesday but another about allegedly poor snow removal produced roughly the same response.

In the pic:  Some Sun City residents want a referendum on a lease for Community Christian  Church.  At least, "Come up with some answer to this," begged resident Dan Rosenfeld.

Board Chairman Scrambles To Find New Schools Superintendent

McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler is putting together a committee to pick a new Regional Superintendent of Schools in the wake of the announcement by Huntley resident Joe Williams that he doesn't want to fill the seat he won in the November election.

Williams ran unopposed to replace retiring Superintendent Gene Goeglein but last week said he declined to assume the office for "personal reasons". He didn't say what those were but Governor Pat Quinn's threat to defund all the Regional Superintendents' budgets to save $12.3 million might have had something to do with it.

The House put most of the money back into the budget it passed last week but Quinn could still nix it.  Meanwhile the law says Koehler has to appoint someone to fill the arguably vestigial post, even though, "We won't know until June 6 or 7 if they have funding or any budget at all," according to Koehler.

The committee the chairman wants to put together would include a member of the County Board's Health and Human Services Committee, a school superintendent , a member of the Regional Board of School Trustees, someone from the McHenry County Mental Health Board and Koehler himself.

The trick will be for the committee to find someone willing to take a spot with uncertain salary prospects who also meets all the legal requirements.  Those include being a Republican like Williams,and holding a master's degree, one of several superintendents' certificates and working for two of the past four years as a teacher or superintendent.

Things are even more complicated than it sounds since Goeglein announced he's going to retired early.  Koehler told the County Board Tuesday it was "a very unique situation" but said according to State law the committee won't have to come up with a name "probably until the end of August."

In the pic:  Regional Superintendent of Schools-Elect Joe Williams doesn't want the job.

Local Government Consolidation Bill Awaits Governor's Signature

Rural McHenry County State Rep. Jack Franks took a small bow Wednesday for authoring a bill the Senate sent to the Governor Tuesday to establish a Local Government Consolidation Commission.

“Illinois has over 7,000 units of local government, thousands more than the next closest state,” Franks said. “As we find ways to reduce the size of state government, we can also save millions of dollars by identifying opportunities for collaboration and consolidation in local levels of government.”

Franks number may be misleading, according to a discussion last week at the Algonquin Township Board meeting.  For instance, "It probably includes drainage districts," said Trustee Dan Shea. "We've got drainage districts in the County that haven't done anything since the 1930's."

Be that as it may, Franks’ legislation creates a commission charged with reviewing the effectiveness and impact of local units of government. The Commission would make recommendations to eliminate overlapping and duplicative responsibilities and increase efficiency. If the governor signs the bill, The Commission will have 17 members including representatives from counties, municipalities, townships and park districts, as well as state legislators. They'd send a final report to the General Assembly by December 31, 2012.

LITH Splash Pad To Open Soon

At the moment it sounds like carrying coals to Newcastle, but Lake in the Hills' Parks & Recreation Department's Splash Pad at Sunset Park is tentatively set to open May 28 in time for
Memorial Day to help the little ones stay cool this summer.  Not that it's very hot right now but this is the Midwest--if you don't like the weather, just wait a day or two.

The splash pad hours of operation will be 11 am to 7 pm daily. The Pad's also available for private rentals between 9:30 and 11 am daily. For information on that, contact the Parks & Rec Department at 847-960-7460.

Mayors Say Proposed Cuts Could Be Dangerous

By Jamey Dunn, Illinois Issues
Mayors and village presidents came to the Illinois Statehouse Wednesday to lobby against potential cuts to the share of tax dollars the state gives to local governments, saying that cuts would result in layoffs of municipal employees — including police officers and fire fighters. The money in question comes from the Local Government Distributive Fund, which is fed by revenues from state sales and income taxes among other state taxes. In Fiscal Year 2010, the state filtered about $1.2 billion back to municipal governments through the fund.

“All they’re doing is passing along their problems to all of us that operate cities of various size and capacities. And these monies are generated by our folks that live there, work there and do everything else in our communities,” said John Spring, mayor of the western Illinois city of Quincy.

Gov. Pat Quinn has proposed delaying payments to local governments until lawmakers approve some form of borrowing to pay off the state’s backlog of overdue bills from vendors, schools and social services providers. Meanwhile, Senate Republicans have called for a $300 million cut to the revenues the state shares with the municipalities. Brie Callahan, a spokeswoman for Quinn,said the Governor is weighing several plans to accomplish that and suspending payments to local governments is one of them. She added that the state is currently three to four months behind on such payments.

Mayors said they have already cut waste and nonessential items, such as weekly grass trimming at local parks. They have also eliminated positions and laid off employees, including police officers. They said further cuts or delays could threaten public safety.

Gerald Bennett, mayor of Palos Hills, described Quinn’s plan as an attempt to “blackmail” mayors to get them to pressure their local legislators into borrowing. “It is not their money,” said Bennett. “It’s their budget. They need to balance that budget. And we’re not a vendor. We’re not a social program. We are the ones [who need] to receive 10 percent of that local income tax back to our local taxpayers.”

Kent Redfield an emeritus political science professor at the University of Illinois Springfield, said said if lawmakers did cut the revenue the state shares with local government, they would just be pushing their budget woes down the line. “It’s cost shifting. You’re either going to cut programs, or you’re going to raise taxes at the local level.”

You can read Jamey's full report at: http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/mayors-say-proposed-cuts-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
May 18
1826 HRS 101 N. RANDALL RD. (DOMINICKS). RETAIL THEFT. JUVENILE, M/W 14 YEARS OF AGE, ALGONQUIN. CHARGES: Trespass to Property. RELEASED TO PARENT.
JUVENILE, M/W 15 YEARS OF AGE, ALGONQUIN CHARGES: Retail Theft, Obstructing a Police Officer. RELEASED TO PARENT.
2147 HRS ALGONQUIN RD & ELLIS RD. SPEEDING. MILKOVIK, VIKTOR M/W 18 YEARS OF AGE, 11717 DAVEY DR. APT A, HUNTLEY. CHARGES: Speeding (40 or more miles per hour over posted speed limit). RELEASED ON BOND.
0053 HRS 4500 W ALGONQUIN RD. (7-ELEVEN). ARMED ROBBERY Undisclosed amount of currency taken. TURNED OVER TO INVESTIGATIONS.
0135 HRS 70 BLOCK OF HILLTOP DR. ASSIST AMBULANCE Male, 33 years of age, highly intoxicated. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
0900 HRS 800 BLOCK OF WILLOW ST. CIVIL STANDBY. Subject unable to remove items from residence.
1508 HRS ALGONQUIN RD. & HILLTOP DR. ACCIDENT. Two vehicles. Property damage only.
1703 HRS 10 BLOCK OF SUGAR CREEK CT. DECEPTION. Unlawful use of a credit card. TURNED OVER TO INVESTIGATIONS.
1807 HRS 900 BLOCK OF TARALON TRAIL. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Female, 40 years of age, unconscious but breathing. Transported to Woodstock Centegra Hospital.
1928 HRS 1300 BLOCK OF CUNAT CT. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Female, 36 years of age, dehydrated. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
2348 HRS 10 BLOCK OF TORREY PINES CT. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Male, 63 years of age, having difficulty breathing. Transported to Sherman Hospital.

New Wrap Key To Fate Of Algonquin's Tyvek Towers

Residents will know in the next two weeks if Algonquin's infamous Tyvek Towers is likely to come tumblin' down.  If workers begin replacing the eponymous Tyvek wrap on the half-finished condo development at Route 31 and Algonquin Road by the end of the month it will mean the project's new owners think they can salvage it. If nothing happens it will be an indicator things aren't looking good.

May 30 is the key deadline in a settlement agreement between the Village and Riverside Plaza Development.  That's when developers John and John Peter Breugelmanns have to submit proof they have enough money to complete the 54-unit condo and retail structure.  It's also the deadline to start "replacement or repair of all damaged, loose or frayed exterior building wrap."  Privately, some Village officials think that means all of it.

Already there's been a technical snag in the agreement to suspend the Village's court case to have the eyesore torn down as a safety hazard.  April 30 was the date to submit engineering and environmental reports on damage to the structure from water leaks over the past two and a half years.  Village Community Development Director Russ Farnum told FEN Tuesday neither's actually been completed.  "They're integral to each other, the structural report and the mold report," said Farnum.  The problem is that there's been so much rain lately that parts of the building interior are still too wet to evaluate. When they dry out, said Farnum, "That'll tell us if cleaning will be enough or if there has to be (full) remediation."

The May 30 deadline is the real fish or cut bait date in the settlement.  Riverside Plaza Developers bought the uncompleted 54-unit condo and retail project in early March for only $325,000.  By May 30 they not only have to prove on paper they can complete it, they also have to put up a $500,000 letter of credit to tear it down if they're wrong.

In the pic:  In the next two weeks watch to see if workers start stapling new building wrap to Algonquin's moldering Tyvek Towers. 

Environmental Advocate Named To County Zoning Board

McHenry County's controversial Alliance For Land, Agriculture and Water was the center of another dispute at Tuesday's McHenry County Board meeting.  When the anti-development group's President Pat Kennedy's name came up for appointment to the Zoning Board of Appeals that rules on possible new construction, some members said they saw a conflict.

"I just don't see the fit with the ZBA considering (ALAW's) pre-position," said McHenry District 3 Member Nick Provenzano.

Member Peter Merkel, also McHenry but District 4, joined the battle charging ALAW, despite it's claim to moral high ground, wasn't registered with either the Secretary of State's Office or the IRS.  "They have to be very careful of their high ethical standards," he griped.  ALAW was the instigator of the County's new Financial Disclosure Form to prove Officials aren't involved in self-dealing.

"This is just over the top," complained Woodstock District 6 Member Ersel Schuster, a former ALAW member.

Returning to Kennedy herself, McHenry District 4 member Sandy Salgado said, "I've seen her be very objective."  Since the Board had just approved naming real estate developer Charlie Eldridge to the ZBA, she said, "I would challenge all the names on this list as having an agenda."

In the end only three members voted against confirming Kennedy who said ALAW was, indeed, registered with the Secretary of State and with the IRS as a non-profit organization.  An FEN online check shows ALAW registered in Springfield since October, 2006.  A quick check of the IRS wasn't possible overnight.

In a separate unexpected development, the Board tabled until September a somewhat complicated budget shuffle to allow State's Attorney Lou Bianchi to fill his office's empty First Assistant slot.  In December Bianchi asked, in effect, for $30,000 more to hire a second-in-command to help handle a raft of criminal trials coming up.   Provenzano, head of the Board's Law and Justice Committee, Tuesday said the embattled Bianchi now thinks he can make it through the trials with the help of extra interns in the office.

"We've had a lot of good applicants since nobody's hiring attorneys right now," said one Assistant State's Attorney Tuesday.

Time Running Out To Join ALFPD Fire Academy

There are still a few days left to sign up for the Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District’s Citizen Fire Academy. The nine-week hands-on course gives residents a chance to learn about and perform the same duties that firefighters are faced with every day, including fire suppression, truck operations, auto extrication, and emergency medical services.  Students will also become CPR certified.

The 6 to 9 pm class at Station One, Thursdays from June 9 to August 11, is open to those who reside or work in Algonquin or Lake in the Hills, and are at least 18 years of age.   All candidates will be required to complete an application and sign a release of liability prior to being accepted into the program.  For more information, contact the District’s Public Education Officer, Lt. Erick Kennedy, at 847-658-8233 extension 154 or via email at ErickK@alfpd.org.

Jacobs Wins Top Prize In Spirit Eating Competition

In a final surge last week, Jacobs edged Crystal Lake Central to see who'd win an extra $3,000 first-prize in the contest to see who could eat the most chicken wings (or whatever) at area Buffalo Wild Wings Restaurants. According to results announced Tuesday, 15 percent of nonalcoholic purchases in three Jacobs events raised $3,577.  Central, last year's champ, only managed $2,580 in their "Spirit Night" wingfests.

The win means Jacobs will garner more than half of the roughly $12,000 local BWW franchises will donate from the second year of Spirit Night competitions to Jacobs, Huntley, Crystal Lake Central, Woodstock North, Prairie Ridge, Woodstock, Jacobs and Crystal Lake South high schools.

In the pic:  Some Jacobs students waiting in the wings for some wings at the first BWW Spirit Night in January.

Huntley Scout Commended By County Board

The McHenry County Board honored a Huntley Youth Tuesday for earning his Eagle Scout's badge. 
Matt Heiden's Eagle projects in Troop 167 included building garden frames and a composter for Chesak Elementary School. Only about four percent of Scouts manage to reach Eagle rank and the Board likes to encourage Scouts to try.

In the pic: McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler congratulates Huntley Scout Matt Heiden.

Construction Bill Gets Day In Court

By Jamey Dunn, Illinois Issues
As lawmakers mulled over the pressing issues of this legislative session, like workers’ compensation reform and changes to the state employee pension system, the fate of what many call one of the biggest legislative victories in recent years was being debated just across the street. The Illinois Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday a case that will decide the future of the state’s $31 billion capital construction program which includes Huntley's Route 47 widening and Algonquin's Route 31 Bypass.

An appellate court stuck down the legislation in January on the basis of the “single subject rule” of the Illinois Constitution. The rule requires that bills be confined to one subject to avoid logrolling — tying an unpopular issue to a popular one in an attempt to force its passage.

Rockwell Wirtz, owner of the Chicago Blackhawks hockey team and Wirtz Beverage, a liquor distribution company, filed the lawsuit against the state in the summer of 2009. At the time, Wirtz said he took issue with the way the plan was rushed through the legislature. Wirtz also had a problem with the increased taxes on beer, wine and spirits that helped to fund the plan, saying that the increases on beverages with higher alcohol contents were unfairly larger than the increase on beer.

Assistant Attorney General Richard Huszagh argued on behalf of the State that the legislation all fits under a single subject: “the capital program.”  Sam Vinson, Wirtz’s lawyer, said the fact that the law diverts into general spending some of the money brought in from the increased taxes proves the law isn't all about construction.

Vinson argued that lawmakers could easily rework the legislation to ensure that the bills are fair and constitutional and asked the court not to allow the legislature to continue to circumvent proper procedure out of fear of killing a jobs program.  “Convenience isn’t the best way to run a legislature or to run government or to run a society. Constitutions are,” he said.

The Supreme Court is expected to release opinions on May 19, June 3 and June 16 but has given no indication when it would rule on the Wirtz case.

You can read Jamey's full report at: http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/supreme-court-hears-arguments-on.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
May 17
0816 HRS 101 PYOTT RD. (MOBIL). DRIVING WHILE LICENSE REVOKED. MOONEY, JOHN J., M/W 49 YEARS OF AGE, 502 FOX RIDGE DR., FOX RIVER GROVE. CHARGES: Driving While License Revoked, Improper Registration. RELEASED ON BOND.
1540 HRS 101 N. RANDALL RD., (DOMINICKS). RETAIL THEFT. JUVENILE, F/W 15 YEARS OF AGE, LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGES: Retail Theft. RELEASED TO PARENT.
JUVENILE, F/W 15 YEARS OF AGE, LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGES: Retail Theft. RELEASED TO PARENT.
2242 HRS 0 BLOCK OF CRABAPPLE CT. DOMESTIC BATTERY. KIM, JIN S., M/W 49 YEARS OF AGE, 9 CRABAPPLE COURT, LAKE IN THE HILLS.
CHARGES: Two Counts of Domestic Battery/Bodily Harm, Domestic Battery Provoking Nature. TRANSPORTED TO MCHENRY COUNTY JAIL.
0758 HRS 5200 MILLER RD. (SUNSET PARK). CRIMINAL DAMAGE TO PROPERTY.  Graffiti on Brian Krueger Memorial located between baseball fields 1 and 2.
0935 HRS 200 BLOCK VILLAGE CREEK DR. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Male, 90 years of age, pain on one side of his body. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
1139 HRS 400 BLOCK OF PLUM ST. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Female, 91 years of age, losing consciousness. No transport.
1218 HRS 2500 BLOCK OF FAIRFAX LN. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Male, 72 years of age, feeling weak. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
1254 HRS PATTON AVE. & MILLER RD. ACCIDENT. Two vehicle. Property damage only.
1254 HRS 200 BLOCK COOL STONE BEND. DOMESTIC. Mother vs. son. Verbal only. Two priors. Male, 45 years of age, was transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital for an evaluation.
1709 HRS 800 BLOCK OF WILLOW ST. INFORMATION FOR POLICE. Child abandonment investigation. Turned over to the Department of Family Services.
1711 HRS RANDALL RD. & MILLER RD. ACCIDENT. Two vehicles. Property damage only.
1809 HRS RANDALL RD. & MILLER RD. INJURY ACCIDENT. Three vehicles. Female, 35 years old, transported to Sherman Hospital for chest pain. Female, 36 years old, transported to Sherman Hospital for head and neck pain.
1826 HRS 101 N. RANDALL RD. (DOMINICKS). RETAIL THEFT. Four bottles of alcohol taken. Valued at $215.46. TURNED OVER TO INVESTIGATIONS.
1936 HRS 1300 BLOCK OF WASHINGTON ST. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Male, 29 years of age, having a seizure. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
2004 HRS 0 BLOCK OF RAXBURG CT. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Male, 68 years of age, with chest pains and high blood pressure. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
2135 HRS 800 BLOCK OF BRANDT DR. CRIMINAL DAMAGE TO VEHICLE. Complainant’s tires were slashed. TURNED OVER TO INVESTIGATIONS.

Environmental Group Calls For Extra Water Protection

A Chicago group called the Environmental Law & Policy Center in a report released Monday called on the McHenry County Board to add restrictions on new construction in the county's water recharge areas when it adopts a new Unified Development Ordinance.

“Thoughtful land use can make the difference between a reliable supply of clean drinking water and wells that are contaminated or dried up,” said Jessica Dexter, Clean Water Attorney at ELPC. “We’ve pulled together tools and resources that communities can use to protect their drinking water.”

In a report sent to McHenry and Kendall counties, ELPC called for "overlay districts" with extra restrictions beyond normal zoning. McHenry County's in the midst of drafting a Unified Development Ordinance to implement the broadbrush 2030 plan adopted last year for unincorporated areas of the county. Although the report was made public Monday, ELPC spokesman Peter Gray said it had, in fact, been sent to County officials last week.  Water Resources Manager Cassandra McKinney said she'd received it but hadn't had a chance to examine it yet.

Among the report's recommendations would be bans from aquifer recharge areas of a long list of commercial activities, including gravel and sand mining, oil pipelines, airports, golf courses, feedlots and housing developments without a central sewage treatment plant. The report also calls for inspections of septic systems and limiting discharge to no more than 110 gallons per day per roughly quarter acre of lot size.

Grey said ELPC targeted McHenry and Kendall counties because they're where the building action's at--or, at least, was.  "The others have already been developed," he said.

Based on its Board of Directors, the Environmental Law & Policy Center is a group of lawyers and land developers with a self-avowed environmental bent.  A review of recent news stories shows the group's in favor of solar power, electric cars and high speed rail and very much against coal-fired electric plants. The group likes to sue them.

In the pic:  McHenry County's sensitive water recharge areas are marked in green. (Click to enlarge.)

Huntley Police Charge Burglary Suspects

Huntley Police Monday released the names and mugshots of the three suspects in the burglary of Julie's Nails on Route 47 Sunday.  It was the third burglary at the salon in two months and HPD said they'd already linked two of the trio to one in April and were still investigating a breakin in March.

Jameil D. Houser, 25, of Chicago was charged with two counts of burglary, possession of burglary tools and theft.  Xavier S. Oaks, 22, of Chicago was charged wtih burglary. Michelle Seawood, 26, also of Chicago, was charged with burglary. Police said Houser and Oaks were both inside the salon when they arrived but fled.  The said they caught Houser in a nearby apartment complex where Seawood was waiting in a car and located Oaks later on.


In the pics:  Houser (above) and Oaks.

ECC Board Approves Contract With Faculty

At a special meeting Monday the Elgin Community College District 509 Board of Trustees ratified a three-year agreement with the ECC Faculty Association (ECCFA).  Although it didn't boost base salary, the pact did include what a release called "modest, variable increases" for seniority and added education. However, instructors will pay more for their health insurance.

College officials estimated the new schedule would boost salaries 2.39 percent annually, at a cost of about $1 million per year for the contracts' three-year term. ECC’s proposed 2012 operating budget is $76 million.  On the healthcare side, ECCFA members will start to share the cost of insurance. The first year they'll pay 5 percent of the cost, year two, 7.5 percent, and 10 percent in the contract's final year.

“This agreement represents careful compromise by the board and our faculty union,” said ECC president, David Sam.

The pact ends negotiations that began in October and involved a notice to strike before agreement was reached. Union Members OK'ed the contract Sunday. Salary adjustments will apply retroactively from the beginning of the year.

Young Eagles Flights At LITH Airport Open House Saturday

Saturday is National Learn To Fly Day and the EAA Chapter 790 pilots at Lake in the Hills Airport will offer "Young Eagles" aged 8 to 17 flights in their planes during LITH Airport's Open House.

From 9 am to 1 pm airport business representatives will be there, to, to showcase their services along with static displays of the planes based at Airport.  Public Works Director Fred Mullard, once again wearing his airport manager hat ("we're still interviewing") will be there to explain airport operations. Cadets from LITH's CAP unit will also be on hand. Light snacks will be served.

Other Young Eagle flights this summer are set for June 18, August 13, September 17 and October 8.

In the pic:  Directing a Young Eagles flight at LITH Airport last year.

Algonquin Commons Touch A Truck Scheduled Sunday

Sunday will mark the second edition of Algonquin Commons' popular Touch A Truck Event. From 11am to 3pm children can explore and jump in the drivers seat of many fire, police, and military vehicles and meet the hometown heroes who use the vehicles every day.

Besides that, kids can become detectives at the event finding six symbols in the area to receive a prize. There'll also be raffle prizes, including a $500, $250 (2), $100 (3), $50 (4) Commons gift cards and many more store giveaways.

Admission is free, but if participants happen to bring along some non-perishable food items they can contribute to "Stuff A Truck" for the Algonquin/Lake In The Hills Interfaith Food Pantry.

In the pic:  The Flight For Life Helicopter was at last year's Algonquin Commons Touch A Truck. It's not on the confirmed list for this year yet.

Lawmakers Hush-Hush About Pay Raise

By Mary J. Cristobal, Illinois Statehouse News
Illinois lawmakers usually say it loud and proud when they cut their own pay to save the state some money, but they are much quieter about raising their salaries.  A state Senate panel Monday passed a plan requiring General Assembly members to take 12 furlough days for fiscal year 2012 starting in July. However, the same proposal includes “additional amounts per year” for bigwig lawmakers — committee chairmen and committee minority spokesmen and spokeswomen.

House committee bosses would see a 47-percent jump in pay. The lump-sum appropriations in the proposal would increase pay for Senate committee chiefs by 14 percent. These increases are on top of the base $67,836 annual salaries that all lawmakers earn. Committee and leadership posts bring extra pay.

In other words, more taxpayers’ money would be funneled into extra pay for select lawmakers, said state Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon,a member of the Senate Executive Committee. "It kind of makes it look like, ‘OK you’re taking it out of your pocket over here, but you’re going to shove your other pocket full,’” Righter said.

However State Sen. Dan Kotowski, D-Park Ridge, who sponsored the measure, said this move would restore the public’s good faith and trust to the government. “We’re basically changing the existing law, to require legislators to work 12 days without getting paid,” he said. “That’s very, very, important, and that’s going to lead to reduction in salaries across the board this year and a total of saving $1.2 million for taxpayers.”

Lilia Hodges, 58, of Chicago, was at the Capitol on Monday to support Progress Center for Independent Living, a nonprofit advocacy organization. “I feel ashamed, and I feel mortified that our legislators would increase the lining of their pockets when we, who are on Social Security disability, have not had a cost-of-living increase in over two years,” said Hodges, an Army veteran who served until 1984.

The measure is on its way to the Senate for a full vote.

You can read Mary's full report at:  http://illinois.statehousenewsonline.com/6024/lawmakers-hush-hush-about-a-pay-raise-2/

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
May 16
1010 HRS RAKOW RD. & VIRGINIA RD. NO VALID DRIVERS LICENSE. PEREZ-OCHOA, ELIZABETH, F/W 27 YEARS OF AGE, 9237 CHIPEWA CARPENTERSVILLE. CHARGE: No Valid Drivers License. RELEASED ON BOND.
1337 HRS RAKOW RD. & PYOTT RD. DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE/INJURY ACCIDENT. COX, JILL M., F/W 41 YEARS OF AGE, 24150 RIVERSIDE DR., CARY. CHARGES: Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, Following Too Close and No Insurance. RELEASED ON BOND.
1727 HRS 800 BLOCK OF WILLOW RD. POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA. SCHULZ-KILLIAN, JOYCE A., F/W 47 YEARS OF AGE, 833 WILLOW RD., LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGES: Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Possession Of Cannabis under 2.5 grams. RELEASED ON BOND.
0528 HRS 1200 BLOCK OF BURR ST. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Male, 78 years of age, feeling weak. Transported to Woodstock Memorial Hospital.
0848 HRS 1201 CRYSTAL LAKE RD. (GUARANTEED APPLIANCE). DOMESTIC. Boyfriend vs. girlfriend. Verbal only. One prior.
0933 HRS 300 BLOCK OF WANDER WAY. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Male, 28 years of age, having a seizure. Transported to Woodstock Hospital.
1142 HRS 2500 BLOCK OF FAIRFAX LN. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Female, 72 years of age, chest pains. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
1439 HRS 100 BLOCK OF PHEASANT TRAIL. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Male, 65 years of age, having chest pains. Transported to Northern Illinois Medical Center.
1559 HRS RAKOW RD. & PYOTT RD. ACCIDENT 2 vehicles. Property damage only.
1623 HRS HEARTLAND GATE & NORTHLIGHT PASS. DRIVING COMPLAINT. Vehicle violated stop-arm law of a school bus. PENDING INVESTIGATION BY REPORTING OFFICER.
1659 HRS 900 BLOCK OF VIEWPOINT DR. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Female, 42 years of age, stomach pain. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
1823 HRS 2100 W ALGONQUIN RD. (CASTLE BANK). CRIMINAL DAMAGE TO VEHICLE. Complainant’s window was shot with an air soft gun. TURNED OVER TO INVESTIGATIONS
1837 HRS 1200 BLOCK OF BIRCH ST. CRIMINAL DAMAGE TO VEHICLE. Complainant’s tires were slashed on 051611. TURNED OVER TO INVESTIGATIONS.

McHenry County Home Prices Plummet

McHenry County homeprices nosedived to a new post-bubble low in April according to the latest report from the McHenry County Association of Realtors.  The average price of a home sold last month fell to an even $150,000 from $174,000 in March.

The drop wasn't wholly unexpected but the magnitude was.  National home prices are approaching the low for the recession according to the closely watched S&P/Case-Schiller index.  Chicago area home prices in February were down 32.4 percent from their July 2006 peak, according to the latest report, 7.4 percent below the recession low in April, 2009.  Month-to-month comparisons are variable but McHenry County's 8 percent drop from March was outside the normal range.

The number of homes sold in April, 236, were up 18 percent over March so one possible explanation is that sellers have begun to bow to the foreclosures and distressed properties overhanging the market.  The latest figures from Internet real estate reporting service RealtyTrac show 2,713 homes for sale in McHenry County. However, 1,355 those are bank-owned homes and banks don't want to own homes. Banks want to own money.  More ominously, by RealtyTrac figures, another 3,060 county homes are in some sort of mortgage trouble that could lead to foreclosure.

There was another indicator in the latest area sales numbers that sellers may be adjusting to a more modest market reality.  The time it took to sell a home increased again to 207 days.  That's an increase of more than a month since the same April last year.

In the pic:  The trend on national housing prices.

Paving To Resume On Huntley Route 47 This Week

Paving for the east lanes of Route 47 in Huntley's expected to begin this week from Kreutzer Road heading north so village planners are warning drivers to be watchful for new lane configurations.

There's a slight mismatch between the info on the Route 47 project website and the signs on the route.  The website says paving will be Tuesday and Wednesday.  The signs say Wednesday through Saturday.

Meanwhile Dean Street where the pavement's been removed east of 47 is supposed to be closed off again all this week.  Traffic there will be detoured to Mill Street but access to Centegra, Castle Bank and Reicher Goerdt property will be maintained and available from Dean.

On the north end of the project, IDOT crews will continue working on sanitary sewers and watermains on the east side of 47 between Main and Kenneth. New street lights on the west side of Route 47 between Algonquin and Reed roads are supposed to be going in this week, too.

Huntley Soccer Club Raises Funds For County Clinic

The Huntley Heat United Soccer Club was well-named Saturday and Sunday as the group mounted a two-day soccerthon to support McHenry County's Family Health Partnership Clinic and the Huntley Park District.

The Heat dedicated a new homefield sign Saturday to match the main one for the Tomaso Sport Complex, then played soccer for six hours of cold, drizzle and gusty winds.  Proving that sports builds character, they came back Sunday for another six hours minus the drizzle but even chillier.  Almost $2,400 had been pledged before the soccerthon even started.

The Huntley Heat has about 200 boys and girls aged 9 to 16 enrolled right now.  Tryout info's here:

http://www.heatunited.com/tryoutv2.html

Competing Budgets Problematic At The Capitol

By Benjamin Yount, Illinois Statehouse News
Illinois now has two budget plans, but chances are slim that either one will be the state's final operating budget. Friday, just hours after the Illinois House passed the final piece of its 2012 spending plan, the Illinois Senate raced through a 22-piece budget that Democrats said trims state spending.

However, what the Senate would spend is nearly $34.3 billion. That is about $1 billion less than what Gov. Pat Quinn has said he wants to spend, and nearly a $1 billion more than the $33.2 billion budget passed by the House.

House Speaker Mike Madigan, D-Chicago, said the governor wants to spend more money than House lawmakers, but he didn't guess as to what kind of compromise may be reached. The state House did not eliminate any of the governor's budget proposals, but did spend much less than Quinn wanted. “We are very anxious to work with the governor,” Madigan said. “Our goal is to adopt a budget that works for the state of Illinois and for the people of the state of Illinois in a depressed economy. That’s where we are.”

Kelly Kraft, a spokeswoman for the governor, said Quinn is looking at both plans. She did not say when she expects the leaders to meet. Illinois lawmakers are supposed to have a 2012 budget delivered by June 1. The current spending plan does not expire until July 1, but the Constitution requires super-majority votes to approve anything after June 1.

Former state Sen. Denny Jacobs said there likely may be a compromise on the state's final budget, but taxpayers won't know until everything is wrapped up "It is a tremendous improvement over the past, but I don't know if the results are really going to be any different. We still hear the same old diatribe of the in-party saying one thing, and the party that's on the outside saying something else," he said.

You can read Ben's full report at: http://illinois.statehousenewsonline.com/6014/competing-budgets-at-the-capitol/

Obituaries

Nancy J. Kimnetz, 68, of Woodstock, died peacefully at her home. Visitation will be Tuesday, from 4 to 9 pm at DeFiore Jorgensen Funeral & Cremation Service, Huntley.  A funeral service will be held at 10:30 am Wednesday at the funeral home.

Kimnetz was born July 10, 1942, the daughter of Herme T. and Marie (Hasenauer) Henningsen. On February 27, 1965, she married James J. Kimnetz. She is survived by her husband of Woodstock; her son, Jim H. (Amanda) Kimnetz of Huntley and her sister, Judy M. Wilmer of Huntley.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Hospice & Palliative Care of Northeastern 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
May 15
0054 HRS 2300 BLOCK OF WEXFORD LN. AGGRAVATED UNLAWFUL RESTRAINT. BRATZ, VICTOR A., M/W 39 YEARS OF AGE, 2370 WEXFORD LN., LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGES: Aggravated Unlawful Restraint, Aggravated Domestic Battery-Bodily Harm, Domestic Battery, Criminal Trespass to Motor Vehicle, Aggravated Battery to a Peace Officer, Aggravated Assault, Unlawful Interference with the Reporting of Domestic Violence, Aggravated Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, Driving with a Revoked Drivers License, Resisting a Peace Officer, Aggravated Fleeing and Eluding, Failure to yield to an Emergency Vehicle. TURNED OVER TO MCHENRY COUNTY JAIL.
1641 HRS 200 BLOCK OF APACHE TRAIL. POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA. JUVENILE M/W 15 YEARS OF AGE, LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGES: Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Possession of Cannabis. RELEASED TO PARENT.
JUVENILE, M/W 15 YEARS OF AGE, LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGES: Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Possession of Cannabis. RELEASED TO PARENT.
1835 HRS 900 BLOCK OF CYNTHIA LN. DOMESTIC BATTERY.  POBOL, JAMES N., M/W 23 YEARS OF AGE, 916 CYNTHIA LN., LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGES: Domestic Battery. TURNED OVER TO MCHENRY COUNTY JAIL.
0930 HRS 400 BLOCK OF PRIDES RUN. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Male, 26 years of age with low blood sugar. No transport.
1206 HRS 10 BLOCK OF W. OAK ST. CRIMINAL DEFACEMENT TO PROPERTY.  Graffiti on the side of the residence. TURNED OVER TO INVESTIGATIONS
1253 HRS 20 BLOCK OF CRYSTAL LAKE RD. LOST ARTICLE. License plate was lost or stolen. Entered into LEADS.
2141 HRS 4800 BLOCK OF HIGHWOOD LN. DOMESTIC. Husband vs. wife. Verbal Only. No priors.
Algonquin
May 13
09:56am Washington, Henry Lee, DOB: 01/15/66, of 563 N. Pine Avenue Apt #3, Chicago, was charged with DWLS and Suspended Registration.  He was taken into custody at Randall Road and Becky Lane.  He was released after posting $150 with a court date of 06/22/11 in McHenry County.
13:06pm Stanko, Sean M., DOB: 07/25/91, of 2004 Clematis Drive, Algonquin, was charged with Criminal Trespass to Residence.  He was taken into custody at 1721Lehman Avenue.  He was released after posting $150 with a court date of 06/22/11 in McHenry County.
16:30pm Benitez, Efrain, DOB: 05/18/82, of 262 Franklin Boulevard, Elgin, was charged with No Valid Driver’s License, No Seat Belt and No Proof of Insurance.  He was taken into custody at Main Street and LaFox River Drive.  He was released after posting $150 with a court date of 06/22/11 in McHenry County.
21:34pm Conforti, Melissa C., DOB: 11/29/78, of 1061 Prairie Drive, Algonquin, was charged with DWLS and Disregarding Traffic Control Light.  She was taken into custody at Algonquin Road and Randall Road.  She was released after posting $150 with a court date of 06/15/11 in McHenry County.
May 14
11:29am Guerra, Arturo R., DOB: 03/30/73, of 1837 23rd Avenue, Melrose Park, was charged with DWLS.  He was taken into custody at Sherman Drive and Bunker Hill Drive.  He was released after posting $150 with a court date of 06/22/11 in McHenry County.
13:01pm Salerno, Michael S., DOB: 08/03/58, of 9420 2nd Avenue, Cary, was charged with DWLS and No Seat Belt.  He was also Wanted on a Warrant out of Cook County for DWLS.  He was taken into custody at Harrison Street and Route 62.  He was released after posting $150 on the Algonquin charges with a court date of 06/15/11 in McHenry County and after posting $250 on the Cook County Warrant with a court date of 06/10/11, in Cook County.
15:33pm Malone, Juanita L., DOB: 03/05/73, of 1896 Cambridge Drive, Carpentersville, was Wanted on a Warrant out of Kane County for Failure to Appear on a Violation of an Order of Protection charge.  She was taken into custody at Huntington Drive and Rolls Drive.  She was released after posting $400 with a court date of 06/09/11 in Kane County.
20:24pm Castro-Martinez, Raul G., DOB: 02/10/78, of 1006 Essex Court, McHenry, was charged with DWLS.  He was taken into custody at Main Street and Riverview Drive.  He was released after posting $150 with a court date of 06/22/11 in McHenry County.
May 15
00:05am Ryan, Anthony M., DOB: 10/24/87, of 16220 US Highway 14, Woodstock, was charged with DUI, DUI Over, Leaving the Scene of an Accident, No Proof of Insurance and Failure to Reduce Speed.  He was taken into custody in the 1400 block of S. Randall Road.  He was released after posting $100 and his Illinois Driver’s License with a court date of 06/22/11 in McHenry County.

Huntley Police Arrest Three In Nail Salon Burglary

Huntley Police arrested three suspects early Sunday morning  for allegedly committing a burglary at Julie’s Nail Salon on Route 47 in Huntley.

Police said that at approximately 3:15 this morning two male suspects broke out a front window at the salon and tried to remove a flat screen TV.  They were still inside, officers reported, when police arrived on the scene.  The two fled on foot from the rear of the business through the alley to the southeast with officers giving chase.  Police said they caught one at an apartment complex in the 10400 block of Church St.  The second male suspect was taken into custody a couple of hours later near 47 and Main.

A third suspect, a female, was arrested while sitting in a vehicle in the parking lot of the apartment complex on Church St., according to police.  No charges have been filed against anyone yet.  Detectives said they're still investigating.

In the pic:  Fast service replaced the front window of Julies Nails Sunday morning after a botched burglary.

LITH Beats Algonquin In PD Charity Basketball

Lake in the Hills police beat their Algonquin counterparts 41 to 32 Saturday in a basketball game at Jacobs HS to benefit the benefit the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Illinois.  The run and gun (not literally, of course) game raised $600 for the program. 

LITH PD may have had a special edge in Saturday's game. By the luck of the hiring and duty draws, they took to the boards with two big men (and one distance-running woman) Algonquin PD lacked.  What the fast-moving game really proved was if you're a perpetrator in either village, there probably isn't any point in running from police.  You'll still end up in handcuffs, just tireder.
 
Friday LITH and Huntley PD's will be raising more money for the Torch Run clambering atop the Dunkin Donuts stores in those villages from 5 am until 2 pm. Everyone who visits and makes a donation to the Torch Run will receive a free donut. Donors of at least $10 will also receive a Law Enforcement Torch Run® travel mug and a coupon for free coffee.

More than $207,000 was raised during last year's record-breaking Cop on Rooftop event at 111 locations.

Algonquin E-Waste Event Creates Mountain Of Old Electronics

More than 450 cars and trucks unloaded obsolete or defunct electronic doodads Saturday at the Village of Algonquin's third E-waste recycling event.  The number somewhat belied the actual mountain of formerly high-tech junk brought to the Village's Public Works headquarters.

"There was one man at 8:30 (am) who brought a pickup truck and a trailer full of old computers and printers," said Trustee Debbie Sosine directing a steady stream of traffic.  Just as she said that, the same guy turned up again with another load of aggressively obsolete batteries and hard drives discovered in the garage of a deceased family member.

"Are these hard drives worth anything?" he asked.  Hmmm...1.6 gig.  Once it was cutting edge technology.  Now it's a paperweight.

The back and gut busters of the day proved to be the raft of old big-screen TV's the size of Volkswagens.  "We've had seven pallets of them," said Sosine.

Muffins With Mom Yields Carload Of Food For Unfortunate

Chesak Martin PTA's Muffins with Mom event garnered 300 pounds of food donations Saturday.  The annual early morning family social event was free with a contribution for the Grafton Township Food Pantry.

"It was great," said Pantry Director John Rossi.  "We depend on local organizations like this during summer when contributions fall."

Glad to be of help said CMPTA organizer Dana Wiley, since "We're the biggest PTA in the District."

In the pic:  "Bill Heiden (left) and John Rossi load up CMPTA contributions to the Grafton Food Pantry after the Muffins with Mom event at Chesak School Saturday.

LITH Public Works Open House In-House This Year

Eight year-old Blake Nasternak bounced up and down (a lot) on the airseat and pulled every lever and pushed every button in the cab of a LITH dump truck Saturday.  He was having a ball at LITH Public Works Annual Open House until he pushed one control too many.  "The door's locked. I can't get out," he told a rescuing FEN photographer. Next target was one of Public Works' riding mowers which, too, had lots of levers.  But no doors.

The Open House event was an indoor affair this year thanks to unseasonable chill, wind and ominous clouds.  Even so attendance seemed about on par with other more clement years when Public Works' big machines were arrayed outside.

ALFPD Open House Proves Popular Saturday Attraction

Weird Spring weather canceled a scheduled landing by the Flight For Life-Northern Illinois helicopter at the Algonquin Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District Station 1 in LITH Saturday.  The ceiling was too low for the trip of McHenry which may have been just as well since the chill and threatening clouds drove most of the rest of the event inside, too.

Oddly, there seemed to be more people perusing pump trucks and ambling around the ambulances than in years when the sun was shining.  The kids seemed drawn from a younger cohort, too.

LITH Legion Meat Raffle Benefits Vets

Bill Fajer bought a fistful of tickets at Algonquin Lake in the Hills American Legion Post's  giant Meat Raffle Saturday evening.  Two minutes later he tucked a big pack of frozen boneless pork chops under his arm (although, of course, not for very long).  "Five dollars," he said, "what a deal."

Post 1231 raffled off about 125 pounds of steaks, chops and brats Saturday. "This is top-of-the-line meat," said Jennie Hayes measuring off a strip of tickets for another carnivorous customer.  Proceeds from the event will support the Legion Auxiliaries Veteran's Affairs and Rehabilitation program.  Nationally that group's contributed more than $3.4 million to help vets and their families shift back to civilian life.

In the pic:  Shelley Wallenga (left) and Jennie Hayes were tangled in strips of tickets as Bill Fajer (left) and Jim Wallace debated how much of a flier to take on packages of chops at Post 1231's Meat Raffle Saturday.

Quinn's No Layoff Deal Imperiled

By Andrew Thomason, Illinois Statehouse News
Gov. Pat Quinn's deal with one of the state’s largest labor unions to avoid layoffs until at least next year might prove futile, because there may not be enough money to keep state workers on the job.

Quinn’s agreement with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union, which has about 75,000 members, includes no layoffs until July 1, 2012, but the state House budget throws a wrench into that plan, by not only compromising state jobs but also jeopardizing scheduled raises that have been deferred because of the state’s finances. The Illinois House of Representatives state budget approved Friday includes cuts to personnel of up to 7 percent from Quinn’s introduced budget, according to AFSCME

State agencies faced with tight budgets could decrease their number of positions, instead of laying off workers, which would create an unfilled, yet retained position, said state Rep. Frank Mautino, D-Spring Valley.  “This is how much money the committee says you, (the) director, have. You are under a decree that you can’t lay off people; you can, however, reduce the size of your force completely,” Mautino said.

Anders Lindall, a spokesman for AFSCME, said no matter how the House phrases it, a layoff is a layoff. “This construction is totally fictitious. It’s bogus. It doesn’t exist,” Lindall said.

The state Senate, too, passed a version of the budget Friday, though the revenue figures upon which it based its numbers were less conservative that those the state House used: $34.3 billion versus $33.2 billion. Most state agencies would see a 5 percent cut to personnel under the state Senate’s budget. If the state Senate and state House could agree on a budget, Quinn would have the final decision, and his office did not answer questions on whether it would veto personnel cuts.

You can read Andrew's full report at:  http://illinois.statehousenewsonline.com/6013/fewer-state-workers-possible-2/