McHenry County Blog

It’s that time of year in the rural parts of Crystal Lake.

Leaf burning time.

This smoke was blowing across the Crystal Lake-McHenry Blacktop from the first lot in Covered Bridge Trails.

It was thick and would soon be thicker, because it was starting to rain.

I am so glad that Lakewood Village President Julie Richardson led the movement when she was still a trustee to ban leaf burning in town.

It used to be that people would burn along the sides of Lake Avenue. At times the smoke obscured the road.

It was worst than a blizzard.

The worst part was that one could not leave one’s bedroom windows open during what could arguably be labeled at the best sleeping nights of the year without contaminating the air in the room.

And, if you had asthma, you’d best move out of town to protect your health.

Today, leaf rakers were making their first attack on the droppings of the oak-hickory forest where we live.

They’ll have to do it every week between now and the first week of December, the last leaf pickup here.

How I long for a return to the way leaves were picked up by Veugelar’s with a vacuum-powered tube and deposited into a truck.

Just rake the leaves to the side of the road. No putting them into containers and bags.

So much more convenient.

Anyone running for Lakewood village board who wants my wholehearted support can promise to re-instate that leaf collection method.

It’s that time of year in the rural parts of Crystal Lake.

Leaf burning time.

This smoke was blowing across the Crystal Lake-McHenry Blacktop from the first lot in Covered Bridge Trails.

It was thick and would soon be thicker, because it was starting to rain.

I am so glad that Lakewood Village President Julie Richardson led the movement when she was still a trustee to ban leaf burning in town.

It used to be that people would burn along the sides of Lake Avenue. At times the smoke obscured the road.

It was worst than a blizzard.

The worst part was that one could not leave one’s bedroom windows open during what could arguably be labeled at the best sleeping nights of the year without contaminating the air in the room.

And, if you had asthma, you’d best move out of town to protect your health.

Today, leaf rakers were making their first attack on the droppings of the oak-hickory forest where we live.

They’ll have to do it every week between now and the first week of December, the last leaf pickup here.

How I long for a return to the way leaves were picked up by Veugelar’s with a vacuum-powered tube and deposited into a truck.

Just rake the leaves to the side of the road. No putting them into containers and bags.

So much more convenient.

Anyone running for Lakewood village board who wants my wholehearted support can promise to re-instate that leaf collection method.

Omega Demolition has been paid $22,000 for a court-ordered clean up of Paul Iverson’s property between Walkup Avenue (aka, the McHenry Blacktop) and Covered Bridge Trails.

But McHenry County Blog keeps running photos of stuff found on the property, I am told, after Omega’s bill was submitted.

You’ll have to admit that today’s offering would be hard to miss.

It’s not a half buried 55 gallon drum.

I see two that are right on the surface.

And, how about that fuel tank?

High enough to see?

I think so.

Omega Demolition has been paid $22,000 for a court-ordered clean up of Paul Iverson’s property between Walkup Avenue (aka, the McHenry Blacktop) and Covered Bridge Trails.

But McHenry County Blog keeps running photos of stuff found on the property, I am told, after Omega’s bill was submitted.

You’ll have to admit that today’s offering would be hard to miss.

It’s not a half buried 55 gallon drum.

I see two that are right on the surface.

And, how about that fuel tank?

High enough to see?

I think so.

Neighbors living in Covered Bridge Trails complained for years about the junk on neighbor Paul Iverson’s property.

They finally got McHenry County government to clean it up.

They thought.

The county hired Omega Demolition to do the work for $22,000.

It would be done lickidy-split.

Even faster than the August 20th deadline in the bid specifications.

Couldn’t trust that veterans’ advocate guy to do it for the $1 that one of his legal entities bid.

That guy, John Blanchard of Crystal Lake’s NASA (National Association of Systems Administrators), was going to hire unemployed veterans and pay them with the sale of the most useful of the junk in the dump.

is holding a reception tonight at 6 at the Holiday Inn. Illinois Veterans Affairs Director Tammy Duckworth will announce $1 million in grants to improve the lives of veterans.

What do we see in today’s picture of stuff not cleaned up by Omega Demolition?

Beats me, but it looks like junk?

Neighbors living in Covered Bridge Trails complained for years about the junk on neighbor Paul Iverson’s property.

They finally got McHenry County government to clean it up.

They thought.

The county hired Omega Demolition to do the work for $22,000.

It would be done lickidy-split.

Even faster than the August 20th deadline in the bid specifications.

Couldn’t trust that veterans’ advocate guy to do it for the $1 that one of his legal entities bid.

That guy, John Blanchard of Crystal Lake’s NASA (National Association of Systems Administrators), was going to hire unemployed veterans and pay them with the sale of the most useful of the junk in the dump.

is holding a reception tonight at 6 at the Holiday Inn. Illinois Veterans Affairs Director Tammy Duckworth will announce $1 million in grants to improve the lives of veterans.

What do we see in today’s picture of stuff not cleaned up by Omega Demolition?

Beats me, but it looks like junk?

McHenry County government paid Omega Demolition $22,000 to clean up what has been called “Paul Iverson’s Dump.”

For over a week, McHenry County Blog has presented photographs of Iverson’s property after the clean up was supposedly completed.

Today, we have another photo from the land between Covered Bridge Trails subdivision and what Crystal Lakers call the McHenry Blacktop.

What is it?

A jeep.

McHenry County government paid Omega Demolition $22,000 to clean up what has been called “Paul Iverson’s Dump.”

For over a week, McHenry County Blog has presented photographs of Iverson’s property after the clean up was supposedly completed.

Today, we have another photo from the land between Covered Bridge Trails subdivision and what Crystal Lakers call the McHenry Blacktop.

What is it?

A jeep.

Maybe whoever from McHenry County government signed off on the completion of this private dump clean up could be excused for not seeing this red two and half gallon gasoline can on the Paul Iverson property next to Coverer Bridge Trials.

But it looks like there is a lawn chair sticking up out of the undergrowth.

Hard to miss that.

The person who found it there took this photograph for me.

I was informed it was after Omega Demolition was supposed to have finished its clean up.

Enlarge the photograph by clicking on it and see what else you can identify.

Maybe whoever from McHenry County government signed off on the completion of this private dump clean up could be excused for not seeing this red two and half gallon gasoline can on the Paul Iverson property next to Coverer Bridge Trials.

But it looks like there is a lawn chair sticking up out of the undergrowth.

Hard to miss that.

The person who found it there took this photograph for me.

I was informed it was after Omega Demolition was supposed to have finished its clean up.

Enlarge the photograph by clicking on it and see what else you can identify.