Pat Dieckhoff is awared the Theta Award by Bill Howenstine.

The Theta Award went to Pat Dieckhoff in recognition of “her years of leadership on behalf of the McHenry County environment at many organizations:

• the Defenders,
• McHenry County Schools Environmental Education Program and
• the Lou Marchi Total  Recycling Institute

The Theta Award is the highest honor the Defenders bestow upon an individual or group for environmental service.

Alice and Bill Howenstine hold their Lifetime Achievement Award.

Alice and Bill Howenstine received a Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of “the leadership, inspiration and simply the example they have provided to other people who share their love of the Earth, on how to care for it and how to treat their fellow human beings.”

Cassandra McKinney accepted the Government Award on behalf of the McHenry County Groundwater Protection Program Task Force.

Cassandra McKinney accepted the Government Award on behalf of the the McHenry County Groundwater Protection Program Task Force. The recognition was given to the many who worked cooperatively to develop the McHenry Groundwater Protection Action Plan to ensure a safe and sustainable supply of fresh water for current and future generations.

Named volunteer of the year for “her unwavering and successful advocacy for inclusion of the clean water needs of our aquatic ecosystems in the Northeastern Illinois Regional Water Supply Plan” was Lynn Rotunno.

Officers for the next year are

• President Nancy Schietzelt – Crystal Lake
• 2nd Vice President Joe Starzynski – Woodstock (first VP is currently vacant)
• Treasurer Jim Wigman – Woodstock
• Secretary and Board member Suzanne Johnson – Cary
• Board member Dwight Dalton – Crystal Lake
• Board member Cynthia Kanner – Algonquin
• Board member Jim Donato – Woodstock
• Board member Roy Asplund – Woodstock

Videos of the event can be found here.

The only politicians I discovered were McHenry County Board member Barb Wheeler and county board candidate John Jung.

= = = = =

Photos are from the web site of the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County.

Nunda Township precinct map. Click to enlarge.

Nunda Township also had a hotly contested Republican county board primary. Five candidates ran with the results you see below:

In the analysis below you see the Nunda Township precinct number, the percentage of GOP turnout and the name of the elected precinct committeeman, if anyone ran for the office.

• Nunda 1 – 13.5%
• Nunda 2 – 12.2%
• Nunda 3 – 9.7%
• Nunda 4 – 10.2%
• Nunda 5 – 15.4% (Howard Parth)
• Nunda 6 – 13.0%
• Nunda 7 – 9.7% (Kevin Lee Jennings)
• Nunda 8 – 11.6% (Kathy Corwin)
• Nunda 9 – 11.8% (Bernard Narusis)
• Nunda 10 – 17.0%
• Nunda 11 – 22.5% (Mark Daniel)
• Nunda 12 – 13.9%
• Nunda 13 – 14.4% (James Becker)
• Nunda 14 – 11.4% (Patrick Collins)
• Nunda 15 – 16.4% (Mike Shorten)
• Nunda 16 – 19.5% (James Schlader)
• Nunda 17 – 16.7% (Nick Provensano)
• Nunda 18 – 22.6% (Dave Gervais)
• Nunda 19 – 13.7% (In the only contest, Jon Heideman beat Doug Mann.)
• Nunda 20 – 18.2%
• Nunda 21 – 16.7% (Brent Smith)
• Nunda 22 – 16.3%
• Nunda 23 – 9.3%
• Nunda 24 – 13.1%
• Nunda 25 – 10.9%
• Nunda 26 – 7.1%
• Nunda 27 – 7.0%
• Nunda 28 – 9.3%
• Nunda 29 – 22.7% (Barbara Wheeler)

So, who did the best job of getting GOP voters to the polls?

The only three precincts with turnouts over 20% are those of county board member and candidate Barb Wheeler, Dave Gervais and Mark Daniel.

If you live in one of the precincts without an elected precinct committeeman and would like to serve in that position, shoot me an email.

July 4th Crystal Lake TEA Party demonstration.

It’s time for those people who attended TEA Party demonstrations to increase the intensity of their activity.  Serving as a precinct committeeman is one way to do that.

Joint sign for Mary Donner and Nick Provenzano for county board showed up for the first time the night before the election around polling places. Provenzano lost the election to Democratic Party challenger, now central committee chair, Kathy Bergan Schmidt.

It wasn’t that Provenzano and Jung didn’t have signs up supporting their re-election.

In retrospect, I believe it was because they did not run joint campaigns with their Republican running mates.

There was nothing but being next to each other on the Republican Party ballot to encourage supporters of their running mates to vote for them as well.

This causation factor hit me the night before the election when I saw this joint yard sign for Mary Donner and Provenzano.

It turned out to be too little, too late,

Provenzano lost to Kathy Bergan Schmidt and Paula Yensen beat Jung.

Yard signs for John Jung running mate Virginia Peschke began showing up two weekends before the election in which Democrat Paula Yensen picked off Jung. Peschke ran first.

Jung’s running mate, Virginia Peschke, put on no discernible campaign until yard signs appeared about two weekends before the fall election.

So, here’s my unsolicited advice to Republican county board candidates.

Convince your running mates to have joint yard signs.

Even if you don’t like them and they don’t like you.

Consider it a self-preservation move.

Right now, most GOP candidates don’t have Democratic Party opponents.

It is legal for the Democratic Party to slate candidates. They’ve done it before.

Certainly, it is difficult to find candidates like Yensen and Schmidt, people who will put shoe leather into a campaign.

Campaigning is boring work.

But, there are personal benefits. Candidates who are serious tend to miss meals and, because of that and the energy required going door-to-door, lose weight.

Nevertheless, odds are good that the Democrats won’t find vigorous candidates and, without “fire in the belly” opponents, Republican ballot holders probably aren’t in much trouble in this year of the backlash to corruption so evident among the Democrats’ high profile politicians.

But, it’s always better to do more, rather than less, in an election campaign.

If I were running for county board, I’d want a joint sign campaign.

And joint literature.

Especially, if I came in second in the primary election.

Merkel, running unopposed in the Republican primary election, did not volunteer to reveal his property ownership outside of his home or other potential conflicts of interest.

No opponent. No political need to do so.

Nevertheless, his running mate Sandy Salgado was one of the 20 people running for the county board who did fill out the Alliance for Land, Agriculture and Water ethics questionnaire.

And, so did Jeff Thirtyacre, so far, the only Democratic Party challenger in the fall election.

Merkel ran first in the primary election.

Looking at the almost final primary election results, Merkel would seem to have no reelection problems.   The Democrat received 1,800 fewer votes than Merkel.

So, he would be the perfect person to lead the charge against ALAW.

The questionnaire was politically motivate, he charges.

No question about that.

It was designed to influence the February 2nd primary election.

Truth.

But, then Merkel charged that the conflict of interest form had nothing to do with “transparency and openness.”

He really should have come to the Patriots United County Board Candidates’ Forum and heard the tepid applause after incumbent Dan Ryan (R-Huntley) made known that he was not going to fill out the ALAW form.  Subsequently, Ryan blamed his loss on the questionnaire.

There he swerves from the truth and threatens to lead the Republican Party, as exemplified by its county board members, into an abyss.

No matter how insulated McHenry County’s Republican board members are from the public, even they, if they will just let their emotions subside, are capable of figuring out that Illinois voters are fed up with politics as usual.

Those who don’t think so aren’t paying attention.

Will it be the sea change that I noticed in 1969?

Before that date, the fact that Crystal Lake’s mayor worked for the biggest developer in town was no big deal.

Everybody had to work somewhere.

Then the Crystal Lake Jaycees, many of whom lived in Coventry, the development built by that developer, did a fire safety project. They discovered that in the back section of Coventry fire trucks could not get through if cars were parked on the streets.

Then, it became important where the mayor worked.

Tony Wujcik beat incumbent Mayor Lou Goosens handily in the 1971 election. (More about that change in ethical standards here.)

To mix metaphors, are we at a similar fault line now?

I think so.

McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler was one of three re-nominated incumbents who has so far not completed the ALAW conflict of interest form.

Twenty of twenty-seven candidates for county board voluntarily completed ALAW’s questionnaire.

Of those who won nomination in the Republican Party, incumbents

• Anna May Miller,
• Ken Koehler,
• Pete Merkel, plus
• newcomer Robert Nowak

are a minority of 4 out of 12 GOP county board candidates on the ballot this fall who did not do so.

Democrat incumbent Jim Kennedy is the only Democrat who did not fill one out.

Maybe these four incumbents know something that the rest of the people (sans District 1 newcomer Robert Nowak) running for county board don’t know.

Eight of twelve people on the Republican Part ballot this fall have filled out the form are:

• Donna Kurtz
• Nick Provenzano
• Barb Wheeler
• Sandy Salgado
• Tina Hill
• John Jung
• Diane Evertsen
• Mary McCann

Among the Democrats, two-thirds answered ALAW’s questions:

• Jeff Thirtyacre
• Lori McConville

So did the only Green Party candidate:

• Frank Wedig

So, maybe those out of step with the times are those who have not yet sent in the questionnaire.

= = = = =

I’ll have some more comments a bit later.

Provenzano is running first, which means that the proponents of video gambling have picked up one vote. Two pick-ups are needed to switch the vote from a ban to allowing video poker at bars and restaurants in unincorporated areas.

A post card from Barb Wheeler hopes to clear up any confusion.

But, he isn’t, as McHenry County Blog reported exactly a month ago.

To recap, the candidates endorsed by Illinois Citizens for Life follow

Sheriff – Zane Seipler

County Board

Irene Napier

• District 1 – Robert Nowak
• District 2 – Ken Koehler and Sandra DePaul
• District 3 – Nick Provenzano and Barb Wheeler
• District 4 – No endorsement
• District 5 – Dave Fredrick
• District 6 – No endorsement

Wheeler, like Provenzano is endorsed by local pro-life leader Irene Napier, who heads McHenry County Right to Life.

Personal PAC, probably the most radical and most effect pro-abortion political action committee in the country (they certainly beat me) endorsed

• District 2 – Donna Kurtz
• District 4 – Jeff Thirtyacre (only Democrat whose endorsement is reported on this page)
• District 5 – Tina Hill

Personal PAC actually has a McHenry County agenda, as you can read here.

Nothing about how the county was looking for a place not near a residential neighborhood…on cheap land…without brick walls and ended up near a residential neighborhood on one of the busiest highways in McHenry County with brick walls.

After Blake Hobson gave Ken Koehler the credit for the new facility, someone named “OakLeaf” wrote the following:

OakLeaf wrote on January 25, 2010 12:44 p.m.

“I think the county could have found a much less expensive place. This is from mchenrycountyblog The folks running for re-election (or, in the case of one seeking to return to the board) who voted to impose the cat tax in order to help pay for new animal control shelter on Route 14 in Crystal Lake follow:

• Ken Koehler, County Board Chairman, Crystal Lake, District 2
• John Jung of Woodstock, District 5
• Tina Hill of Woodstock, District 5
• Anna May Miller of Cary, District 1
• Sandra Salgado of McHenry, District 4
• Barbara Wheeler of Crystal Lake, District 3″

Keely Cat doesn't have to hide from the McHenry County Cat Tax Collector anymore.

It was a coincidence that I wrote a story about the votes on the McHenry County Republican Cat Tax the same day the NW Herald did a two-year retrospective.

And, the Herald didn’t point out the role its approval played in the defeat of Woodstock Republican County Board member Perry Moy by Lake in the Hills Democrat Jim Kennedy.

There are certainly different roles played by the NW Herald and McHenry County Blog.

And, only McHenry County Blog features the best know cat in McHenry County:

The one, the only

Keely Cat

That’s how one lawyer familiar with Suzanne Ehardt’s discriminatory firing case against McHenry County and various appointed and elected officials characterized the decision. That decision can be found in full here.

Federal Court Judge Philip Reinhard, a former Winnebago County State’s Attorney, found in McHenry County’s favor, plus the following individuals

• Peter Austin, individually and in his official capacity as McHenry County administrator,
• Kenneth Koehler, individually and in his official capacity as McHenry County board chairman,
• John Jung, Jr., individually and in his official capacity as McHenry County vice-chairman,
• Tina Hill, individually and in her official capacity as McHenry County board member,
• Barbara Wheeler, individually and in her official capacity as McHenry County board member, and
• John Kelly, in his official capacity as McHenry County hearing officer.

McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi’s assistants who won the case are Sarah B. Jansen, Don Leist and Christina Webb.

Ehardt claimed that the Employee Handbook gave her a property interest in her continued employment.

But the judge found,

“…’[n]othing in this manual establishes contractual rights or obligations.’ The ‘disclaimer’ section further states that both employer and employee have the ‘mutual right to terminate their employment relationship at any time for any reason-with or without cause’ Finally, the disclaimer provides that employees, unless otherwise provided in a written contract, are ‘at-will’ and ‘the employee relationship may be terminated at any time with or without cause.’”

Ehardt also asserted, according to the decision,

“that she had a property interest in her job created by a county ordinance which provides, in pertinent part, that a department head such as plaintiff may not be dismissed unless the liaison committee approves and that any such dismissal must be pursuant to the procedures in the employee handbook.”

But the judge found,

“the ordinance relied on by plaintiff contains no substantive limitations on terminating an employee. The language relied on by plaintiff is merely a matter of procedure.”

Ehardt claimed, again according to the decision,

“a violation of a constitutionally protected liberty interest where the state actor is the employer, a plaintiff would have to show that the defendant called into question her good name, reputation, honor or integrity in a way that makes it virtually impossible for the employee to find new employment in her chosen field.’

But the judge concluded,

“plaintiff’s barebones allegations are insufficient to plead a claim for a denial of a liberty interest. Herreference to “disparaging remarks,” along with the allegation that she has been “ unable to obtain a [similar] position,”are conclusory and too sketchy to provide defendant with adequate notice of her claim.”

An individual claim against John Kelly, in his official capacity as McHenry County hearing officer was filed. The judge characterized it as a claim about “a denial of due process based on the previously alleged property interest in continued employment combined with an alleged ’sham’ post-deprivation hearing conducted by Kelly.”

Ehardt claimed denial of equal protection under the law.

Judge Reinhart did not agree because

“…plaintiff does not set forth allegations sufficient to state a claim for a violation of equal protection. She merely alleges that other department heads ’similarly situated’ were ‘alleged’ to have engaged in rude and unprofessional behavior but were not terminated. She does not provide specific factual allegations that touch on the elements of discriminatory effect and intent as required…”

A number of counts in the suit were “based on the allegations that plaintiff had an enforceable employment contract with the County,” the Judge wrote.

“In this case, plaintiff’s claim fails as there is no enforceable employment contract based on the allegations and the materials attached to the complaint,” he concluded.

The next claim the Judge explains is this:

“plaintiff alleges a tortious interference with a business relationship. According to the allegations, plaintiff had a business relationship with the County as an employee and these defendants were aware of, and interfered with, that relationship by causing her to be terminated in violation of the ordinance.”

He disagrees, saying,

“…plaintiff’s claim fails as she has not alleged any third-party interference. Alleging interference by various county board members, who act on behalf of the County, is insufficient. Further, plaintiff has not alleged a prospective business relationship that was prevented from coming to fruition, nor does she have a reasonable expectation of continued employment in light of her at-will employment status.”

Here you see conservative challenger Tom Morrison campaigning against Palatine's liberal State Rep. Suzie Bassi. Any local candidates hoofing it? Send me a photo, but don't look at the camera and be at a door with a potential constitute.I thought you might want to see the mail that candidates or those being courted for their vote have sent out in District 3. (If I have missed any, I ask the candidates to email it me.)

Candidates for the District 3 McHenry County Board seats are starting to send out mailings.

I thought you might want to see the ones that I have found.

Any candidate in any district who would like to have a bit wider coverage of their direct mail campaign is welcome to email me what is sent out. And, if you as a reader receive a mailing and will be so kind as to scan it for me, I’ll be appreciative and try to get it up.

With the Chicago Democrats having set the primary election in one of the coldest times of the year to protect incumbents from challengers, the postman really is the precinct committeeman.

Not many voters will see a candidate knocking on doors like the challenger to Republican State Rep. Suzie Bassi of Palatine, two districts away from most of us.

So, let’s take a look at some District 3 mailings for county board.

Here’s a mailing from District 2 challenger Craig Steagall.  It arrived last week.

This post card from District 3 challenger Craig Steagall appears to be an introduction of the candidate and theme of the campaign--"Fresh Leadership." It also includes the campaign web site www.craigsteagall.com

Here’s the other side.

It contains biographical information. I'm guessing the yellow patch is where the address and bulk mail permit goes. Steagall discloses his successful business background, his family's service to the agriculture community, a bit about his role in building the Prairie Ridge High School soccer fields and his role in the Continental Little League.

The piece from District 3 challenger Karen Tynis is next.

This is the address side of a Karen Tynis mailing. The highlight, of course, is the photo of her family. She talks of her business background and being a community volunteer.

This is the only post card I have seen so far that has to be rotated to be read. I don't whether that is good or bad, but tend to think it is good because it is different from the others.

On this postcard, the volunteer work mentioned on the address side is fleshed out, including volunteering for Prairie Ridge High School and Club Fusion volley ball, the Salvation Army, the Prairie Grove Parks Dept.  and the Shepherd of the Hills Church.

Tynis lists her goals as

• Establish new business relationships for the county that encourages growth without hurting the taxpayers
• Help keep existing businesses in McHenry County
• Lowering taxes
• Reduce government spending
• Establish an open door policy for residents
• Community safety

Tynis also lists her business experience with Tynis Concrete and KT Leasing, two property owners associations and ten years of real estate closings.

Barb Wheeler, the only incumbent running, is the only one to have sent out a letter.

Click to enlarge any image.

It includes her web site www.BarbaraWheeler2010.com and gives her phone number–815-245-4556.

She tells of her endorsement by the Northwest Herald and being described as an “INDEPENDENT” three times.

“I am a proud member of the Republican Party; however, in local government that doesn’t always mean I will vote in lock step with the party leaders.”

Here’s her closing pitch:

“The economy is the number one issue facing the county, state and country. Because of McHenry County’s fiscal discipline, our county has consistently passed a balanced budget.

“In the last five years, we have actually seen our county’s portion of the tax bill go down.

“Further, I have proposed initiatives not only to attract and to retain businesses, but also to help McHenry County businesses expand and grow. These efforts will improve business and employment opportunities.

“Obviously, the county can’t act alone; we will need the collaboration of the Economic Development Council, the McHenry County Community College, as well as other industry leaders.

“My consensus building experience will help to bring these groups to the table for the betterment of McHenry County.”

Finally, here is a mailing from former county board member Nick Provenzano, who is seeking a return to the county board.

It is a piece aimed at Pro-Lifers. It is the most professional looking piece I have seen aimed at that important segment of Republican primary voters. I wonder what the distribution was.

Clearly, District 3 county board candidate Nick Provenzano is positioning himself to be "THE" Pro-Life candidate.

Nick Provenzano touts his endorsement by the Illinois Citizens for Life, Irene Napier, Chairman of McHenry County Right to Life and Bonnie Quirke, Chairman of the Lake County Right to Life, plus the Northwest Herald. He includes his web site address.

]]> http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2010/01/27/districtcounty-board-candidates-sending-mailings/feed/ 1 http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2010/01/25/remembering-the-mchenry-county-republican-cat-tax-now-that-county-board-members-are-up-for-election/ http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2010/01/25/remembering-the-mchenry-county-republican-cat-tax-now-that-county-board-members-are-up-for-election/#comments Mon, 25 Jan 2010 06:17:43 +0000 Cal Skinner http://mchenrycountyblog.com/?p=10762

Keely Cat takes a dim view of those county board members who wanted to send out the McHenry County Republican Cat Tax Collector. (He also takes a dim view of people who wake him up to take his picture to illustrate a story like this.) Catkins still can't understand why they thought he couldn't take care of any rabid bat that might penetrate the Skinner household. The bugs he has hunted are no longer around and, if he could get out of the sun porch, he knows that chiprats would be no problem.

Now that the primary election is but a week away, I’m going to give you a chance to read my article on the McHenry County Board’s 2007 defeat of the Republican Cat Tax.

The folks running for re-election (or, in the case of one seeking to return to the board) who voted to impose the cat tax in order to help pay for new animal control shelter on Route 14 in Crystal Lake follow:

• Ken Koehler, County Board Chairman, Crystal Lake, District 2
• John Jung of Woodstock, District 5
• Tina Hill of Woodstock, District 5
• Anna May Miller of Cary, District 1
• Sandra Salgado of McHenry, District 4
• Barbara Wheeler of Crystal Lake, District 3

The original February 21, 2007, article follows. For some reason Google has removed the original photographs, even though I paid extra to keep the up.

11 Republicans, 1 Democrat Kill McHenry County Republican Cat Tax

If you ever think that your voice can’t make a difference in local government, think again!

Both opponents and proponents of the Republican Cat Tax mentioned they had been lobbied by their constituents.

And some of them used language (“Cat Tax Collector”) that made me know that McHenry County Blog readers had been spreading the word.

The McHenry County Board, stacked 23-1 in favor of the Republican Party, defeated the cat tax backed by County Chairman Ken Koehler (he called it a “fee”) and nine other GOP county board members.

The motion to eliminate the cat tax from the revision of the animal control ordinance passed 12-10 on a motion by Lyn Orphal, seconded by Mary Lou Zierer. Perhaps Republicans have been this split on a board vote before. I don’t follow it closely enough to know. It must be a rarity, however, for a county board chairman not to get his way.

The 11 Republicans voting to kill the Republican Cat Tax follow. (Those in bold face type are on the ballot.)

• Yvonne Barnes of Cary, a newcomer
• Sue Draffkorn of Wonder Lake
• Randy Donley of Union
• Ed Dvorak of Crystal Lake
• John Hammerand of Wonder Lake
• Mary McCann of Woodstock, just elected
• Lyn Orphal of Crystal Lake
• Nick Provenzano of McHenry
• Daniel Ryan of Huntley, just elected
• Dan Shea of Fox River Grove
• Mary Lou Zierer of Marengo

Newly elected Democratic Party member Jim Kennedy of Lake in the Hills joined this majority of voting Republicans (two were absent) to kill the cat tax.

Get down, Catkins. I’m writing a story.

Don’t worry, you’re safe now from the McHenry County Republican Cat Tax Collectors.

Relax.

I’ll scratch your chest and neck later.

Those voting in favor of the Cat Tax ordinance, which would require rabies inoculation, plus the fee (which even a supporter slipped and called a “cat tax”), couched their arguments primarily toward being fair to both dog and cat owners, plus getting ahead of the spread of cat rabies, which is in Pennsylvania.

Those voting in favor of imposing the Cat Tax Hike were all Republicans. Their names follow (those on the ballot shown in bold face type):

• Ken Koehler, County Board Chairman, Crystal Lake
• Marie Chmiel of Crystal Lake
• Mary Donner of Crystal Lake, just elected
• John Heisler of Crystal Lake
• Tina Hill of Woodstock
• John Jung of Woodstock
• Anna May Miller of Cary
• Virginia Peschke of Woodstock
• Sandra Salgado of McHenry
• Barbara Wheeler of Crystal Lake

= = = = =
Here, minus Chairman Ken Koehler, are those who attended the Cat Tax County Board meeting. (Click to enlarge.)

Koehler is pictured in profile on top, while Lyn Orphal, the Crystal Laker who made the motion to kill the McHenry County Republican Cat Tax is just below.

Keely cat is shown relaxing after the death of the McHenry County Republican Cat Tax Collector ordinance.