McHenry County Blog

If you feel that tug to be with people on Christmas Eve for a church service, may I suggest the First United Methodist Church of Crystal Lake.

There are three services, as you can see below:

As you can see, se4rvices will be held at 6, 9 and 11.

The church is at the corner of West Crystal Lake Avenue and Dole Avenue.

A perfect T-shirt for Christmas Eve.

This young fellow was wearing over Thanksgiving vacation at Disney World.

I dedicate this post to the memory of my friend Larry Snow, who loved it when I posted pictures of our cat.

Today we dip into the photo archives to show you a red sweatshirt a young man was wearing at a McHenry Marlins swim meet.

There are all sorts of great lines on this Christmas sweatshirt:

• Can we talk?
• Please don’t talk to my teacher.
• Check your list again.
• The other kids had a lot to do with it!!!
• Does “Mostly Good” count??
• I really did try!
• I TRIED!
• I had a bad year!
• My sister did it.
• I’ll explain.
• Save time and drop my sister!!!
• My brother did it!
• Define good.
• I was framed.
• It wasn’t my fault.
• The dog did it.

A ress release from the Village of Lakewood:

Christmas Light Recycling

Don’t throw away your tangled, frayed or burned-out Christmas lights this year!

In support of the Strategic Plan goal to be “green” mindful and sustainable, the Village will offer recycling of Christmas tree lights and extension cords.

A receptacle will be available inside Village Hall at 2500 Lake Avenue through January 31, 2013. Items may be dropped off during business hours, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Acceptable items are:

• Mini-lights (also known as Italian lights)
• C7 lights
• C9 lights
• Rope lights,
• LED lights
• Extension cords

Special thanks to Elgin Recycling for partnering with the Village to promote sustainability in the community. For further information contact Village Hall at (815) 459-3025.

It’s Saturday, December 17, 2011.

Today is more like the Christmas Days I grew up expecting in Easton, Maryland.

My wife says this photo looks like Thomas Kinkade painting.

That’s how the Daily Caller puts it:

“It’s official: Congressmen Joe Walsh, an Illinois Republican, and Mike Ross, an Arkansas Democrat, have saved Christmas.”

Put in place in 1974, the House Rules prohibit the use of “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Hanukkah” on mail authorized by a Congressman’s signature or “frank.”

When Walsh found out about the prohibition, he, Congressman Mike Ross and sixty-some others signed a letter of protest.

The Franking Committee, headed by Illinois Congressman Aaron Shock, backed down under the pressure from Walsh and other Federal House members.

“This country was founded on religious freedom and free speech, and I am confident that the Franking Commission will hear the message that I and 61 of my colleagues have expressed,” Walsh told the Daily Caller. “Let’s stop worrying about political correctness, and start worrying about what we were sent here to do.”

Earlier Walsh took on the Obama Administration’s “Christmas Tree Tax.”

He won that fight also.

I think this goes to show that a bully pulpit can have an impact.

More substantially, Walsh changed the terms of debate during the fight over raising the debt limit.

When the Obama Administration falsely claimed that failure to raise the debt ceiling would result in Social Security and Medicare checks not being sent out, Walsh cut a YouTube video calling the President out. The word “liar” got bandied about.

Walsh pointed out that it was up to Obama what 25% of Federal expenditures would not be made, if the debt ceiling were not raised.

Thereafter, mainstream media started pointing out that fact.

Amazing the impact that one man can have on the national political arena.

A press release from Huntley School District 158. The article was written by Mike Krebs – HHS “The Voice” Staff Writer.

Huntley High School’s Freshmen Class and Link Crew Raise Over $3,200 for Holiday Charity

HUNTLEY, IL – On December 7, the Huntley High School Link Crew and their freshman advisories delivered Christmas gifts to St. Mary’s Catholic Church that will be delivered to needy children throughout the area.

Since before Thanksgiving, the Link Crew Leaders, and their respective freshman advisories have been collecting money to buy Christmas gifts for young children in need.

Thirty children were “adopted” through the Mitten Tree program at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Huntley.

These children were “adopted” through either Turning Point of McHenry County or Options and Advocacy (two local organizations that petitioned to St. Mary to be a part of the Mitten Tree program).

Each advisory received four paper mittens which listed the items that a child wants for Christmas this year.

The Link Crew Leaders then began to organize and collect money from their freshman in order to go shopping for their “adopted” children.

The HHS Link Crew Program has participated in this event for the past three years. Link Crew Leaders look forward to this experience every year.

“For me it is all about realizing how much we truly take for granted. It is hard to imagine my life as a 7 year old girl where ‘Santa’ could not come because of my parent’s financial situation,” said senior Brittini Chung.

“I cannot ask for a better way to give a little service than to anonymously give gifts to little kids on Christmas morning.”

“I thought that this was a cool experience and that it was really nice to provide something for these children that they would not otherwise receive,” said junior Taylor Hilbrant.

Each advisory collected, on average, about $100 (some as much as $170), all of which is spent on the toys, clothes, educational gifts, games, and movies that will be delivered to the children.

Every child that was adopted by an HHS advisory received what they wished for and some received above and beyond what they asked for.

The Freshmen Class and Link Crew also sent 700 cards to the Troops overseas. They really helped spread holiday joy to many families this year.

Huntley High School is located at 13719 Harmony Road, Huntley, Illinois, 60142. For more information, please contact Mrs. Valerie Lindquist, Link Crew Coordinator at (847) 659-6600.

A press release from Nunda Township Trustee Joni Smith:

Gift Donations Needed for Underprivileged Children

Nunda Township Family Working to Collect Gifts

Prairie Grove, IL- Nunda Township Trustee Joni Smith and her family have taken up a personal mission to make sure that all children in Nunda Township have a present from Santa underneath their tree this year and they are seeking help from the local community to make Christmas wishes come true.

Working off a list that provides only the ages gender of kids in Nunda Township who’s families are struggling to keep food on their table as well as the heat and lights on in their homes, Smith, her husband Brent and their children Zach, Chelsi, Krista and Derreck are working to collect gifts; however they have been overwhelmed by the number of needy families.

“There are 102 children in Nunda Township who’s families are clearly struggling to get by. Oddly enough there are equally 51 boys and 51 girls who’s ages range from 7 months to 18 years of age,” Joni said.

“My family and I have collected just about 30 items so far, but we have a long way to go in a very short time to collect the entire 102 gifts for these children.”

Working in cooperation with the Nunda Supervisor’s office, Smith said that she will not know which families will be receiving the gifts, “Even though we will not see who is enjoying our gifts we can all take a moment on Christmas day to know that a child in Nunda Township who has no control over the economy or what has been dealt to them can have a moment of joy knowing Santa Clause made it to their house this year.”

Anyone who would like to help can contact Joni Smith via cell phone at 815-245-0836 to arrange for pick up unwrapped gifts for a boy or girl between the ages of 7 months and 18 by December 15th.

For more information, please contact Joni Smith by calling 815-245-0836, or e-mail Joni at coonpy@att.net.

Crystal Lake used to get a lot of money from sales taxes?

To keep the dollars flowing, the Crystal Lake City Council voted to hike the city’s rate by 75%.

Advertising shopping opportunities in the city might help repay the $16,000 apiece that the city paid to erect four monuments marking the eastern and western edges of the Virginia Street Corridor Tax Increment Financing District.

What do you think?

Is it worth a try?

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Photoshopping by one Heck of a Guy blogster Allan Showalter.