Biography of Cal Skinner, Sr. – Part 10 – Unsuccessful County Clerk Try, County Airport Fight, Wife’s Death

When Vernon Kays retired from being County Clerk, Dad ran for the office against Vernon’s Chief Deputy Rosemary Azzaro. Rosemary won, even winning at least one Crystal Lake Coventry precinct in which she knocked on doors. Dad didn’t do any … Continue reading

Biography of Cal Skinner, Sr. – Part 4 – Sewer Grates, Miles River Yacht Club, Slot Machines, Chesapeake Bay Bridge

This is the fourth in a serialization of my father’s biography. Previous parts can be found below on McHenry County Blog. One of Dad’s inspirations for running for office involved an unresponsive city government. Plunk, plunk, plunk. I can hear … Continue reading

Biography of Cal Skinner, Sr. – Part 3 – First House, Elected President of the Easton, Maryland, Town Council

Previous parts of this biography can be found below on McHenry County Blog. I am running them again because my father would have been 105 on June 8th, if he hadn’t been a smoker. (His mother lived to be 96.) … Continue reading

Advice for Cities: Embrace the Sububs

That’s what this column in Crain’s Chicago Business says: Rust Belt cities should try embracing the suburbs Merging aging urban centers with surrounding municipalities shows promise as a path to revival. READ MORE > Been there, done that. The RTA was created ti … Continue reading

Censoring a 1952 Halloween Painting on a Barbershop Window in Easton, Maryland

I was reminded of how my 3rd grade teacher in Easton, Maryland, suggested my team of Halloween window painters change the sign on a wagon in a Halloween parade from “Vote for Ike” to “Vote” by a painting on a … Continue reading

Biography of Cal Skinner, Sr. – Part 10 – Unsuccessful County Clerk Try, County Airport Fight, Wife’s Death Copy

When Vernon Kays retired from being County Clerk, Dad ran for the office against Vernon’s Chief Deputy Rosemary Azzaro. Rosemary won, even winning at least one Crystal Lake Coventry precinct in which she knocked on doors. Dad didn’t do any … Continue reading

Biography of Cal L Skinner – Part 9 – Responsible Republicans’ Slate, County Board Reapportionment Copy

Prior to the 1972 elections, the United States Supreme Court ruled that legislative bodies like the McHenry County Board and city councils had to be apportioned on a one-man, one-vote basis. The county board divided the county into three districts, … Continue reading

Biography of Cal Skinner, Sr. – Part 7 – Running for County Auditor, Precinct Committeeman, Calling the Meeting that Led to McHenry County College Copy

In honor of the anniversary of my father’s 100 birth year, I continue this series about his life: In 1963, my mother and I attended the Illinois Crime Commission’s summer hearings held in the old county board room at what … Continue reading

Biography of Cal Skinner, Sr. – Part 5 – Switching Parties, Moving to Salt Lake City, Middletown and Crystal Lake Copy

Earlier segments of this biography of my father can be found below on McHenry County Blog. In 1952, my youngest sister Ellen was born. That was also the year Dad switched his registration from the Democratic Party to the Republican … Continue reading

Biography of Cal Skinner, Sr. – Part 4 – Sewer Grates, Miles River Yacht Club, Slot Machines, Chesapeake Bay Bridge Copy

This is the fourth in a serialization of my father’s biography. Previous parts can be found below on McHenry County Blog. One of Dad’s inspirations for running for office involved an unresponsive city government. Plunk, plunk, plunk. I can hear … Continue reading

Biography of Cal Skinner, Sr. – Part 3 – First House, Elected President of the Easton, Maryland, Town Council Copy

Previous parts of this biography can be found below on McHenry County Blog. I am running them again because my father would have been 100 on June 8th, if he hadn’t been a smoker. (His mother lived to be 96.) … Continue reading

Biography of Calvin L. Skinner – Part 2 – College, Marriage, First Jobs Copy

The first part of my father’s multi-part biography ran yesterday. Today, we’ll run Part 2 in honor of his birth 100 years ago. Dad graduated debt free from college in three and a half years. Somehow I have gotten the … Continue reading

Biography of Calvin L Skinner – Part 1 – Second Son, School Years Copy

My father would have been 100 years old todeay and it seems appropriate to run my articles on him again. There are lots of parts. Calvin LeRoy Skinner was born in Wilmington, Delaware June 8, 1916, the second son of … Continue reading