For those who think McHenry County College Board members Donna Kurtz (now a candidate for McHenry County Board) and Scott Summers (now running for State Treasurer on the Green Party ticket) were wrong to help kill the minor league baseball stadium on MCC property, take a look at what has happened to a much better situated stadium on I-90.
To put it in pre-teen talk:
Stadium Fail!
In one of the first county board fund raisers of the year, McHenry County College Board member Donna Kurtz gathered supporters at The Cottage at the corner of Crystal Lake Avenue and Brink Street Thursday night.
Kurtz is running to replace either incumbent County Board Chairman Ken Koehler or member Lyn Orphal in the early February Republican primary election.
Crystal Lake City Councilman Jeff Thorsen introduced the candidate.
“I am very, very, very enthusiastic supporter of Donna Kurtz,” he said. “We need someone with her honesty and integrity in county board government.”
Kurtz said she was inspired by her mother former State Rep. Rosemary Kurtz’ concern for environmental protection and former State Rep. Cal Skinner’s fiscal conservativeness. Rep. Kurtz defeated Rep. Skinner in the 2000 GOP primary election.
Former State Reps. Rosemary Kurtz and Cal Skinner, plus McHenry County College Board member and County Board candidate Donna Kurtz. (Jeff Thorsen commented that this should be sent to Ripley's Believe It or Not.)
“As many of you know, the world goes full circle.”
Kurtz said she running for the board of directors of a $260 million organization, McHenry County government.
Reflecting on her service on the McHenry County College Board, Kurtz said it had taught her this lesson:
“You gotta do your own research. Everyone’s got their own agenda.”
She didn’t say she was reflecting on her support of building a minor league baseball stadium on college property and, then, changing her mind with the announcement being at the Crystal Lake City Council meeting the night re-zoning was being discussed, but that might be a good guess.
“My courage was driven by my thought I couldn’t stand not to do the right thing,” she stated.
Besides Thorsen, City Council members Carolyn Schofield and Brett Hopkins were in attendance, as were park board members Mike Walkup and Richard Sexton.
McHenry County Recorder of Deeds Phyllis Walters, who actually lives in District 2 in the tiny bit of Algonquin in the district was also in attendance, as was Nunda Township Supervisor John Heisler.
Members of A-LAW, the Alliance for Land, Agriculture and Water were in attendance. The group recently proposed strict potential conflict disclosure rules for county elected and appointed officials. The Alden Road Alliance was also represented. District 3 county board candidate Craig Steagall, who actively opposes the location of the proposed Ridgefield Metra station on Country Club Road, also was present.
The team was named the “CornBelters.“
Nice play on words.
The “Corn Crib” is what the stadium will be called.
I wonder if it will be decorated like South Dakota’s Corn Palace. It’s covered with murals made out of corn cobs. One local told us it was “the world’s biggest bird feeder.”
How’s construction going?
“Concrete has been set around home plate for the sitting bowl, from which fans will be able to view all the action of the CornBelters Baseball excitement front and center.“The outfield is starting to take shape for its players, while the field surface is being laid into place. The first and third base side dugouts have been installed and will begin forming the outer line of the dugout for the CornBelters, as well as their opposing teams.
“The concourse is also starting to look warm and inviting for all the CornBelters’ fans to enjoy.“
The name of the team mascot?
Corny.
You can find more on the team here.
McHenry County College’s location for baseball stadium, of course, is still a corn field.
The first home game in Normal is scheduled for May 21st.
That’s the month baseball promoter Pete Heitman wanted his team to start playing at MCC.
No construction has begun on the replacement Woodstock site across from Centegra Hospital.
After the McHenry County Board’s Finance Committee meeting, Chairman Marc Munaretto answered some questions. One of them concerned how the allocation of Federal Stimulus Bonds for McHenry County was $27.5 million, but that there were about to be $33 million in requests.
Since the Woodstock baseball stadium request was for $15 million, that means the other potential request would be $18 million. Unless multiple requests are in the pipeline.
I pointed out that manufacturing plants have a higher multiplier effect than retail. Or a baseball stadium. With the latter two, there is only so much money in a community to be spent on things and on recreation.
“We’re out beating the bushes right now (for other applicants),” Munaretto commented.
He listed and defended three loan potentials:
Commenting on the $33 million in potential bond requests versus the $27.5 million in authorization, Munaretto observed, “We don’t have to fulfill the request,” meaning, I took it, that the entire request for any project would not have to be approved by the county board.
In any event, the mystery may be solved about a major part of the mystery $18 million.
Read this statement from the Erin Smith, Village President of Lakewood:
September 24, 2009“Since there have recently been reports in the local media about potential development plans in the Village of Lakewood, I thought it would be appropriate and in the best interests of the residents of our community to provide accurate information regarding this development activity,” said President Erin Smith.“We are currently working with a developer who is interested in building a mixed use project within the Village of Lakewood’s Planning Area, near the intersection of Illinois Route 47 and Illinois Route 176.“This Planning Area is the result of signed Boundary Agreements with all of our neighboring communities,” she explained, “and has allowed for an orderly and purposeful attitude toward our planning and discussions with developers.”This general area is designated for commercial development within the Village of Lakewood’s Comprehensive Plan and is an area of “regional commercial significance” within McHenry County’s proposed 2030 Land Use Plan.She further indicated that the first phase of the proposed development was a multi-use sports complex, including both indoor and outdoor facilities, with ancillary uses as a second phase.President Smith explained that one of the most appealing aspects of the concept is the sustainable, green development strategy that the developer has outlined.“We are both committed to the ideals of sustainable development,” said President Smith, “and believe that this concept provides the opportunity to create a strategic environmental plan that will incorporate best management practices and new technologies in all phases of the project and will solidify McHenry County’s reputation as a leader in environmental issues.”President Smith also noted that this development has strong potential in terms of job creation and overall economic impact to McHenry County.
She finished by saying,
“All of our discussions until this time have been conceptual, and the more detailed analysis is just underway. Any further specifics regarding the project are purely speculative at this time.”
“We expect to have more details available regarding the project within the next few weeks and eagerly anticipate sharing them with the community.”
“The sports complex is Lakewood is targeted for youth.
“It is not targeting a minor league baseball team.
“It should be a nice complement to the proposed Woodstock stadium.”
Actually, it wasn’t raining as I drove to Woodstock for the McHenry County Board’s Finance Committee meeting Tuesday.
“Historical. If an existing company, balance sheet and profit & loss statement for the last three fiscal years. Include accountant’s opinion letter and any schedules and notes to financial statements.”
“*The entity that will own and operate the stadium will be a start up company that will have no historical financial information.”
I haven’t gotten around to writing a story on baseball stadium promoter Mark Houser’s pitch to the McHenry County Board’s Finance and Audit Committee yesterday, so I would encourage you to read the stories of the other three reporters there:
Stadium Developer Asks More Time For Financing
Houser, of course, is one of the two promoters, the other being Pete Heitman, who pitched the McHenry County College Board to issue bonds to pay for a stadium at MCC.
A friend dropped this flying pig on my front porch last week.
I haven’t seen him in a while, but I guess I told him the story about Illinois Senate President Pate Philip’s having said the state income tax would be raised “when pigs fly.”
That was before Governor Jim Thompson somehow convinced him to get enough Republicans to vote “Yes” to hike the income tax.
Today we have McHenry County Board Republicans deciding whether a pig will fly.
The pig in question is the Woodstock baseball stadium.
If ever there were a pig in a poke, this is it.
The board’s Finance Committee meets at 9:30 this morning.
The flying pig above seems to be a hood or motorcycle ornament. I guess it would be a “flying hog,” if put on the right motorcycle.
On any three-day weekend, readership starts slacking off after noon on Friday.
Just to make it easy for you to find stories you might want to read on this blog that does not go to sleep on weekends, here are the stories published since then:
County Board Committee Set to Award $15 Million in Bonding Authority to Baseball Stadium Tuesday
Bianchi Offers Statement on Appointment of Special Prosecutor
What Grafton Township’s Just Resigned Attorney Sees as Looming Legal Issues
Harvard High School Running Obama’s Tuesday Speech Through Social Studies Department
Weekend of Decision for Jack Franks
Paying the Tryon-Althoff-Beaubien Tax
Teachers Needing a Remedial Math Class
Crystal Lake Youth Gets National Boy Scout Heroism Award at Camp Lowden
McHenry County Green Party Opposes $15 Million for Baseball Stadium
Playing Keep Away in the Huntley School District
Kane County Health Department Wants a $150,000 a Year Epidemiologist
“Hecklers’ Veto” Not Applicable to Patriots United Forum on Health Care
I have received the following statement from Frank Wedig, Chairman of the McHenry County Green Party. He ran for a District 5 county board seat (how well he did is in this article) and, next, Dorr Township Trustee.
“One of the components of the Green Party Platform that is at the lop of my priority list is Fiscal Responsibility.“The $15 Million Federal Stimulus Bonds to be allocated to the Woodstock Baseball Stadium do not meet that criterion.
“If the Stadium starts out being heavily subsidized by taxpayer money, future taxpayer bailouts are almost guaranteed.
“What is worse, if future bailouts are not forthcoming the $15 Million Dollars will have been lost – wasted. The economics of the stadium should stand on their own and be totally transparent.
“I am against corporate welfare, but in these difficult economic times some Government stimulus to the private sector can be justified.
“Spending the limited stimulus money on an entertainment complex is economically unsustainable. There will be good paying construction jobs initially, but then the permanent service-sector jobs will be low paying.
“For this Stadium to succeed, the local residents will have to spend their hard-earned money on entertainment. There are only so many entertainment dollars a family can spend. In this economy, people’s discretionary income may be diminished for a long time to come.
“This whole thing just doesn’t make good economic nor policy sense.”
An article that focused on the issue, on the Tuesday agenda at the Finance Committee meeting at 9:30, can be found here. Here is an article about the Woodstock City Council meeting that approved the proposal.
= = = = =
The photo is of Frank Wedig knocking on doors while running for Dorr Township Trustee.
Toot, toot.
Or is it,
“Hoonk, hoonk?”
That train speeding down the track is the one delivering authority for the Woodstock baseball stadium developer to use $15 million in Federal Stimulus Bonds to finance their proposed stadium.
The beneficiary of this largess is Equity One Development Corporation. The application form lists Mark Houser as the 100% owner of the firm.
Here are a couple of relevant sections of the proposed resolution:
Section 1. The County meets certain conditions specified in the Act required to designate the County as a Recovery Zone, those conditions being a significant increase in the unemployment rate, an increase in the rate of home foreclosures, and general distress and the County has been designated as a Recovery Zone.Section 2. The County Board hereby approves the Project submitted by Equity One Development Corporation and designates $15,000,000 of Recovery Zone Allocation to Equity One Development Corporation for the issuance of Recovery Zone Facility Bonds to finance the Project.
Section 3. The Allocation shall be used to issue bonds to finance the Project and said Bonds must close no later than March 1, 2010. In the event the Bonds do not close by March 1, 2010, then the Allocation shall expire and revert back to the County.
Section 4. All actions of the officers, agents and employees of the County that are in conformity with the purposes and intent of this Resolution, whether taken before or after the adoption hereof, are hereby ratified, confirmed and adopted.
Here are the committee members who will meet next Tuesday at 9:30:
Chairman: Marc MunarettoVice Chair: Lyn Orphal
Members: Scott Breeden, John Hammerand, Tina Hill, Daniel P. Ryan, Mary Donner
Up for election this year are
In yesterday’s article about this pending decision, I laid out the campaign opportunities it would offer Democrats.
The light at the end of this tunnel could be what Democrats planning to run for county board are seeing.
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