A friend of McHenry County Blog took me up on my offer to provide information about local election contests. I’ve done some minimal editing, including adding a lot of paragraphs to make it easier to read on a screen.

After sending yesterday’s article (below this short update), I got this email and copies of the most recent handout (click to enlarge the images from “The Truth Squad” and other previously sent campaign literature):

“(Village Trustee) Ed Peters, whose endorsement had been misappropriated by newcomer candidates Ed Stygar and William Arnos, has gone on record saying he will be voting for his fellow incumbents, Heger and Reinhard.

“This explains why we haven’t heard from the people who wrongly claimed the endorsement.”

The title of the article below, as well as the article, was provided by someone who seems close to the Wonder Lake Village contest. I have no clue who the person is, but his or her observations may be of interest. Certainly, the collection of campaign literature allows McHenry County Blog to lay down a paper trail for this election.

Wonder Blunder

A story in Saturday April 14’s Northwest Herald by Jenn Wiant under the online headline “Voters Misled” details the erroneous endorsement of two would-be candidates for Wonder Lake Village Trustee by one of the Village incumbents.

Five candidates are running for three seats.

(Village Trustee) Ed Peters describes his surprise in opening his mail to find he had endorsed the two newcomers Ed Stygar and William Arnos.

He had never authorized the endorsement. He notes the awkward situation since this seems to set him against his running mates from the last village election, incumbent Village of Wonder Lake Trustees Mike Heger and Larry Reinhard.

The promotional mailing boasts the headline “From The Desk of Ed Peters” and asks voters to support Peters, Arnos and Stygar.

It is signed by Peters.

Peters says he did not write the endorsement nor had he directly discussed the matter with the organization who funded the mailing, Citizens for a Better Wonder Lake, lead by Wonder Lake resident, Bill McKinney.

Peters says he was contacted by another Village Trustee (whom he would not name) who asked only if he would accept an endorsement FROM Stygar and Arnos, both of whom represent newly annexed subdivisions and a new pool of voters. He said yes.

The controversial mailing arrived early last week.

A couple of days earlier, residents had received a mailing from the same organization, this one signed by WL resident Harvey Barton, endorsing Peters/Arnos/Stygar.

A Reinhard and Heger flyer is also reproduced here, this one being delivered by hand on Saturday April 7.

Bill McKinney calls the endorsement error “a little mix up”. The promotional company hired by McKinney’s group to send the mailings took responsibility, saying the mailings had gone out before they realized Peters had not authorized them.

Wiant’s story mentions some vague discussions of righting the wrong on the part of the promotional company.

It was with some surprise that Wonder Lakers opened their mail on Saturday April 14, several days after receipt of the controversial mailing, to find yet another mailing from Citizens for A Better Wonder Lake. This one “From The Desk Of William Arnos” and in the style of the other two.

The newest missive contains no correction of the record, a surprising omission.

While it is possible that the production schedule meant the newest mailing had been prepared before the error was discovered, it served to remind that in the several days that had passed since the error was noticed, nothing had apparently been sent by Citizens For A Better Wonder Lake to correct the record.

There was certainly time for an overnight local mailing, especially since CFABWL have been working with a professional promotional company in what appears to be a comfortably funded campaign.

In the meantime, Heger and Reinhard are described as going door to door to explain that Peters had not endorsed the other candidates.

The three candidates promoted by CFABWL are favorably inclined towards the proposed and controversially massive Thatcher Meadows development on the southeast side of Wonder Lake.

Here’s the who’s who in the news story:

• Dick Hilton is the president of the MPOA, a property owners association of around 16 Wonder Lake subdivisions, incorporated and otherwise, all with an interest in the lake. The current focus is to fund the dredging of Wonder Lake. The development of Thatcher Meadows is expected to help with the cost. He is also chair of the Nippersink Creek Watershed Planning Committee and MPOA director for the Wooded Shores subdivision.
• Ed Stygar and Harvey Barton are board members of the newly annexed subdivision, Deep Springs Woods.
• Mr. Barton is also a director to the MPOA.
• Bill McKinney is the longtime MPOA newsletter editor and the head of the White Oaks Bay subdivision board, of which
• William Arnos is also a member.

Stygar and Arnos are competing with Ed Peters, Mike Heger and Larry Reinhard, the three incumbents for the three seats on the Village Board.

Local news has suggested that the White Oaks Bay subdivision does not have representation on the Village board and that Arnos would be the first. However, Village of Wonder Lake Trustee Lester Anderson, while resident outside of White Oaks Bay, is on the White Oaks Bay board as well.