McHenry County Blog

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.

Touchdown Sponsor

• Tamara Kurtz

Field Goal Sponsors

• Erv & Louise Lecoque
• Dr. Robert & Carol Minkus

Safety Sponsors

• Jeannine Thoms
• Connie Zukowski
• Scott Summers
• Jewel Hahn
• Jill Hartman

Extra Point Sponsors

• Keith & Marge Nygren
• Phyllis Walters
• Bill & Alice Howenstine
• James & Diane Gesler
• Lou Ann & Jerome Majewski
• Jean Plews
• Patricia Floeter
• Brett & Tina Hopkins

During the last six months, Crystal Lake Mayor Aaron Shepley raised $7,800 and spent $7,017.41.

$650 of that was contributed to the McHenry County Republican Central Committee.

Of that $750 was for bookkeeping expenses, $500 to Geri Davis and $250 to Cathy Malacki.

$3,358.16 went to Crystal Woods Golf Course for his golf day. Another $1,558.25 went to Lake in the Hills-based American Promotions.

The now-defunct Crystal Lake Gala was paid $500.

The contributors were

• Alliance Contractors – $600
• Citizens for Mark Beaubien – $250
• Robert Boncosky – $200
• Clark Mosquito Control – $600.00
• William Dwyer – $480
• William Franz – $480
• Gummerson & Rausch – $180
• Dean Lisi – $240
• Manzullo for Congress – $240
• Northern Key & Lock – $240
• Results One of Oak Lawn– $480
• River Birch Crossing of Algonquin – $480
• Richard Thennes – $480
• Committee to Elect Michael W Tryon – $180
• Zanck Coen & Wright – $1,200

$1,470 in smaller contributions were not required to be itemized.

Lawyers who appear before the council and some contractors are among Shepley’s contributors.

Shepley owes himself $2,038.49 from 2001.

Here’s information http://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2008/10/shepley-competes-with-partisan.html published last fall. It shows the contributions in descending order.

During the last six months, Crystal Lake Mayor Aaron Shepley raised $7,800 and spent $7,017.41.

$650 of that was contributed to the McHenry County Republican Central Committee.

Of that $750 was for bookkeeping expenses, $500 to Geri Davis and $250 to Cathy Malacki.

$3,358.16 went to Crystal Woods Golf Course for his golf day. Another $1,558.25 went to Lake in the Hills-based American Promotions.

The now-defunct Crystal Lake Gala was paid $500.

The contributors were

• Alliance Contractors – $600
• Citizens for Mark Beaubien – $250
• Robert Boncosky – $200
• Clark Mosquito Control – $600.00
• William Dwyer – $480
• William Franz – $480
• Gummerson & Rausch – $180
• Dean Lisi – $240
• Manzullo for Congress – $240
• Northern Key & Lock – $240
• Results One of Oak Lawn– $480
• River Birch Crossing of Algonquin – $480
• Richard Thennes – $480
• Committee to Elect Michael W Tryon – $180
• Zanck Coen & Wright – $1,200

$1,470 in smaller contributions were not required to be itemized.

Lawyers who appear before the council and some contractors are among Shepley’s contributors.

Shepley owes himself $2,038.49 from 2001.

Here’s information http://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2008/10/shepley-competes-with-partisan.html published last fall. It shows the contributions in descending order.

Starting out with almost $6,900 at mid-year just 14 months after being re-elected Crystal Lake’s mayor, Aaron Shepley held a fund raiser anyway.

He raised $7,800 before fund raising expenses for his golf outing.

Contributors consisted of the following:

$1,200 – Zanck Coen & Wright, Crystal Lake
$600 – Alliance Contractors, Woodstock
$600 – Clark Mosquito Control, Rosselle
$480 – William Dwyer, Crystal Lake
$480 – William Franz, Crystal Lake
$480 – Results One, Elmhurst
$480 – River Birch Crossing, Algonquin
$480 – Richard Thennes, Crystal Lake
$250 – Citizens for Mark Beaubien
$240 – Dean Lisi
$240 – Northern Key & Lock
$240 – Manzullo for Congress
$180 – Committee to Elect Michael W Tryon
$180 – Gummerson & Rausch

$1,060 more was in amounts less than $150 each.

Shepley reported contributing $650 to the McHenry County Republican Central Committee.

Starting out with almost $6,900 at mid-year just 14 months after being re-elected Crystal Lake’s mayor, Aaron Shepley held a fund raiser anyway.

He raised $7,800 before fund raising expenses for his golf outing.

Contributors consisted of the following:

$1,200 – Zanck Coen & Wright, Crystal Lake
$600 – Alliance Contractors, Woodstock
$600 – Clark Mosquito Control, Rosselle
$480 – William Dwyer, Crystal Lake
$480 – William Franz, Crystal Lake
$480 – Results One, Elmhurst
$480 – River Birch Crossing, Algonquin
$480 – Richard Thennes, Crystal Lake
$250 – Citizens for Mark Beaubien
$240 – Dean Lisi
$240 – Northern Key & Lock
$240 – Manzullo for Congress
$180 – Committee to Elect Michael W Tryon
$180 – Gummerson & Rausch

$1,060 more was in amounts less than $150 each.

Shepley reported contributing $650 to the McHenry County Republican Central Committee.

At the February 20th meeting of the Crystal Lake Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, adjoining townhouse and a commercial developments presented by local attorney Bill Franz received unanimous approval.

Franz seemed surprised, but pleased at the city staff’s compliments of the architecture.

“The retail architecture is fairly eclectic and provides visual interest through horizontal and vertical articulation. The building as proposed is 200′ long, but it does not appear long and bulky because of the varied massing.”

Also praised were the “use of alternative roof structures and dormers…(and) the stone veneer chimney and a colonnade patio…(plus) a variety of building materials…”

The residential component has a description with this comment on the visual interest of the facade of the 2 and 3 bedroom units:

”structural articulation, varying roofline, addition of dormer windows, decorative lovers and chimneys.”

You can see what each component will look like from the pictures above.

All in all, I don’t think Lakewood’s Turnberry residents will be displeased with he look of this development as many pass the Bard and Huntley Road project on their way to and from home. The architect was the Crystal Lake firm of Repholz Studio in Downtown Crystal Lake. Landscaping is by Waterstone Landscapes of Woodstock. Elgin’s Scheflow Engineers did the engineering.

At the February 20th meeting of the Crystal Lake Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, adjoining townhouse and a commercial developments presented by local attorney Bill Franz received unanimous approval.

Franz seemed surprised, but pleased at the city staff’s compliments of the architecture.

“The retail architecture is fairly eclectic and provides visual interest through horizontal and vertical articulation. The building as proposed is 200′ long, but it does not appear long and bulky because of the varied massing.”

Also praised were the “use of alternative roof structures and dormers…(and) the stone veneer chimney and a colonnade patio…(plus) a variety of building materials…”

The residential component has a description with this comment on the visual interest of the facade of the 2 and 3 bedroom units:

”structural articulation, varying roofline, addition of dormer windows, decorative lovers and chimneys.”

You can see what each component will look like from the pictures above.

All in all, I don’t think Lakewood’s Turnberry residents will be displeased with he look of this development as many pass the Bard and Huntley Road project on their way to and from home. The architect was the Crystal Lake firm of Repholz Studio in Downtown Crystal Lake. Landscaping is by Waterstone Landscapes of Woodstock. Elgin’s Scheflow Engineers did the engineering.