He wasn’t at the front of the parade but the owner of Port Edward, Ed Woloweic, was the Grand Marshall.
Ed Woloweic, the Algonquin Founders Day Parade Grand Marshall. Port Edward, the restaurant extraordinaire he built from a corner bar, can be seen in the background.
The parade took about an hour, truncated because of construction south on Route 31.
Traffic was limited to the northern two lanes during the Founders Day Parade.
Most of the politic entries which I try to document were fairly near the front of the parade.
Bags with Congressman Peter Roskam’s name printed on them–the ones I used to hold precinct literature this spring–were distributed along the parade route.
But, before they arrived, a volunteer for Congressman Peter Roskam, who will, pending a political upset of tremendous proportions, represent Algonquin Township in Congress next session, was sighted passing out small bags. With candy on their minds, a lot of folks took them.
The huge American Flag carried by the Lions was one of many at the beginning of the parade.
Of course, there were the members of the Algonquin Village Board.
Algonquin Police Chief Russell Laine rode shotgun near the front of the parade.
But before the politicians came Police Chief Russ Laine.
And an entry dedicated to the Chicago Cubs.
I’m making a not-so-wild guess that 2012 Founders Favorite Rusty Cherbak is a die-hard Cubs fan.
Founder Favorite Rusty Cherbak was surrounded by a Chicago Cubs wish fulfillment contingent.
“Cubs Win!! World Series 20??” the banner in front of Founders’ Favorite Rusty Cherbak says.
One young lady in the Founders’ Favorite contingent wore a tee shirt saying, “It’s gonna happen!”
There was even a goat. A billy goat, of course.
Would some Cubs fan share the goat curse in the comment section?
Then came the village politicians.
John Schmitt
Village President John Schmidt waved.
Bob Smith
Village Trustee Bob Smith was accompanied by Buzz Lightyear.
Debby Sosine
Village Trustee Debbie Sosine was in waving mode.
Jerrold Glogowski
Trustee Jerrold Glogowski was one of three trustees walking the route handing out candy.
Jim Steigert (in background) and John Spella
The other two were Jim Steigert and John Spella. Handing out candy is the Algonquin Parade is easy on Route 31 because the spectators are all on the south side of the street.
Gerald Kautz
The village clerk came dresses as the clown Lazy Bonz.
Bob Bless brought a number of costumed characters with him.
The first partisan politician was District 1 Republican McHenry County Board member Bob Bless.
District 1 Republican McHenry County Board members Marc Munaretto and Anna Miller were driving in a Mercedes convertible by Algonquin Township Road Commissioner Bob Miller.
Marc Munaretto and Anna Miller
I asked Munaretto, who is not running for re-election to the County Board, whether he was running for re-election for Algonquin Township Clerk.
“You’ll have to wait and see,” he replied.
That was the same answer he gave last year before for filing deadline for County Board.
There are no Democrats in District 1, but there is one in District 5–Paula Yensen.
Paula Yensen
Next came Jean and McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi.
McHenry County Auditor Pam Palmer followed Bianchi.
Pam Palmer
Both Bianchi and McHenry County Auditor Palmer are unopposed this fall.
Kane County politicians followed the McHenry County ones.
Two County Board members from south of the McHenry-Kane County Border, Hollie Lindgren and Maggie Auger, were throwing candy at the kids.
There were two County Board members, Hollie Lindgren and Maggie Auger.
There are always pictures that could have been. The one below was going to be of the current and future Kane County Auditors, incumbent Bill Keck and candidate Terry Hunt.
Driving is Terry Hunt. Hidden by the young man who walked between me and the current Kane County Auditor is Bill Keck.
Fortunately, I got a shot of Keck and Hunt before the parade.
Bill Keck turned out OK is this picture, but Terry Hunt seems to have his eyes closed.
“Take my picture. Take my picture,” the two members of the Eagles, a youth football team shouted as they mugged for my camera.
“Take my picture!” both of these Eagles yelled. Tell us what the Eagles are in the comment section, please.
How could I resist?
This girder from the World Trade Center moistened my eyes.
Interrupting the parade was the girder from the World Trade Center brought by the Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District.
“We Will Never Forget All Who Were Lost, 9-11-11” reads the sticker with a drawing of the World Trade Center.
On the sides of the fire engines you can see the above sticker.
Red Run is the theme of this entry. It raises awareness of child prostitution and sexual exploitation
I was seated on the porch of a closed building when I way something political after a truck for the Red Run. (The 5K is August 11th starting at Presidential Park in Algonquin.)
It was the McHenry County Republican Party entry…right at the end of the parade.
A banner for State Rep. candidate Dave McSweeney led the Republican Party contingent.
There was a banner for GOP State Rep candidate David McSweeney up front.
Signs supporting the election of newly re-apportioned into Algonquin Township Congressman Peter Roskam were visible in the McHenry County GOP section of the Algonquin Founders Day Parade. Rita Heuel, the Algonquin Township Precinct 13 (Coventry in Crystal Lake) GOP Committeeman waves.
Right behind were people carrying Congressman Peter Roskam signs.
David McSweeney was working the Algonquin Founders Day Parade crowd.
Then, Dave McSweeney passed me quickly. I got his attention and he turned around so I could get the photo above.
The McHenry County GOP float has a balloon elephant this year. It also has two of four Mitt Romney signs in McHenry County.
Next came the McHenry County Republican float.
The eastern part of Algonquin is no longer in State Rep. Mike Tryon’s legislative district.
I just kept snapping my shutter, getting County Board member Nick Provenzano and County Chairman & State Rep. Mike Tryon.
State Senator Dan Duffy’s contingent carried his banner and signs.
Next came supporters of State Senator Dan Duffy, whose district mirrors that of David McSweeney on the eastern edges of McHenry and Kane Counties.
Bob Nowak, the fourth District 1 County Board member in the parade, walked with the main GOP contingent.
Next I found McHenry County Board member Robert Nowak.
Cheerleaders rounded out the day’s parade.
And with the passing of the next entry, cheerleaders from CEE Snowball Blast Grand Champion, the Algonquin Founders Day Parade was over.
Jacob was sporting a Young Republican sticker at the end of the parade.
Afterward, however, the young man who had been assiduously gathering candy during the parade put on a Young Republican sticker and agreed to let me take his photograph.
= = = = =
A special note for you Sheriff’s Department watchers. The McHenry County Sheriff’s Department had no entry in the parade. Neither Sheriff Keith Nygren nor his Undersheriff Andrew Zinke was anywhere to be seen.
Wow. Yipee for more government. Tea parties of the world unite.
Good to set this annual parade again regardless of who participated and for what reason. I had a good time and that’s all I wanted.
Thanks to everyone for their time and hard work to made this happen.
We all had a wonderful time. I have been attending Founder’s Days since the late ’70’s, and this year was the first time I actually was IN the parade, even if it was only to drive Paula Yensen’s car for her. We were told that the organizing committee specifically asked the participants NOT to throw candy, nor to badger parade watchers with campaign literature. Those pols who refused to follow these simple requests tended to ruin it for the rest of us.