McHenry County Blog

Saturday night in Spring Grove, a banquet was held to raise money to buy an ultrasound machine for 1st Way Pregnancy Support Services.

Monday, the Chicago Tribune noticed that Pro-Lifers are deploying ultrasound machines in the fight against abortion.

In the fight against abortion, ultrasound images of unborn babies have been found to be the most persuasive tool.

A speaker pointed out that 80-85% of mothers decide to carry their babies to term after seeing its ultrasound image.

Even more astounding is the claim that 99% of men will encourage their mates to have their baby after seeing such an image.

And the machine’s importance was emphasized on the front page of the Chicago Tribune today.

In the Elgin area, an ultrasound machine has been installed in a bus by now-retired Dr. Ronald Winters.

The complete message on the sign is “Pregnant? Find out for sure.”

A component of Elgin’s Life Center, the bus is parked, with permission, near Larkin High School at the Evangelical Covenant Church and J.B.’s Pub 7 Pietro’s Pasta.

Now the city has enacted a zoning ordinance which prohibits the weekly efforts.

The Pro-life organization has sued in Federal Court, claiming violation of of First Amendment free speech and religious rights.

Councilwoman Anna Moeller seems to be most disturbed with the anti-abortion efforts.

But back to Spring Grove.

The “full cost” of the Samsung machine is $75,000 that First Way wants to put in its office in Johnsburg near and south of Angelo’s Grocery.

Connie Freund

This is an openly Christian outreach organization.

As originator and Executive Director Connie Freund said, “I couldn’t have done this without God, without Jesus in my life.”

There are 67 people who volunteer their time in the organization that was founded in 1973, the year Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton (the “health of the mother,” very loosely defined, case) was handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Jill Stanek poses by the Samsung ultrasound machine.

Speaker for the evening was Jill Stanek.

Stanek is the nurse who blew the whistle on Christ Hospital’s practice of allowing unsuccessfully aborted babies to die without offering medical care.  The instance that set her on her over decade-long mission was one in which a baby was left to die in a janitor’s closet.  She held the tiny infant for the forty-five minutes it took to die.

Part of her presentation was an interview with Bill O’Reilly that twice left O’Reilly speechless.  (It was one of five interviews used that year in the end-of-year wrap-up of the show.)

At the end of the interview, O’Reilly tells the names of the people who voted against the Federal statute that required hospitals to provide medical care.

Included in the short, under ten in number list was Jesse Jackson, Jr.

“I haven’t watched that video since Jesse Jackson was indicted,” Stanek observed.

Some of the First Way volunteers who stood for recognition.

“All I can say is ‘What goes around comes around.’”

Stanek described abortion as “the most despicable moral atrocity of our generation.”

She lamented the one billion abortions, “one-seventh of the world’s population,” adding, “No one who waits for God will ever be put to shame.”

“We aim to continue to provide loving assistance, emotional and financial support for women and girls who find themselves in a crisis pregnancy,” readsthe goal of First Way Life Center.”

And although Stanek cautioned those present at The Shores of Turtle Creek banquet hall not to depend on politicians, she did observe, “While the other side continues to abort their babies, [ours]continue to be born.”

She suggested Pro-Lifers could “win the war by attrition.”

Making part of the pitch for donations at the event, whose entire cost had already been covered by sponsors, Stanek pointed out, “We are the hands and feet…and pocketbooks” of Jesus.

She urged people attending not to leave thinking, “I missed my chance.”

The dinner was underwritten by

• Pat Griffin
• Luster Leaf Products
• Right to Life McHenry County Education Fund
• Bert and Joan Schommer
• Sports Decals, Inc.
• TW Machine Service – Tom Wiznerowicz

Volunteer servers posed for this picture after the event. Teens were from Carmel, Woodstock North and Johnsburg High Schools.

Some volunteers at First Way Pregnancy Support Services sit after being recognized.

Table sponsors included

• David F. Bengston
• Berger Excavating
• Len and JoAnn Charlan
• Merle and Connie Freund
• ITW Foundation – Rich and Sue Podloski
• James and Kathleen Morrow
• Irene Napier
• Patriots United – Joe Edwards
• Patriots United – Brian Kelly
• Rabine Group Foundation – Gary and Cheryl Rabine
• Greg Steil
• Russell R. Steil
• In hone of Alice and Jerry Sullivan
• Joahn Vickery

$41,000 was raised.

A press release from newly-elected State Senator Karen McConnaughay:

McConnaughay Office to be Located in South Elgin

Karen McConnaughay spoke at Jacobs High School Tuesday night.

South Elgin, IL – Senator Karen McConnaughay has announced the opening of her new District Office in South Elgin. The new office is located at 81 McLean Blvd., in South Elgin.

Senator McConnaughay was inaugurated into the 98th General Assembly to represent Illinois District 33 on January 9, 2013. The 33rd District includes portions of Kane County and McHenry County.

In addition to the South Elgin and Springfield Offices, Senator McConnaughay will be conducting mobile office hours at locations throughout the 33rd District as an added convenience for constituents.

Those dates and locations will be announced in coming weeks.

“I am committed to being accessible to all my constituents and keeping them up-to-date on vital issues,” said Senator McConnaughay.

The Senator has announced she will be hosting an open house in the new district office on February 22nd from 1pm-3pm.

“The open house will be a great opportunity for citizens from the district to stop by, meet the District staff and discuss their concerns,” McConnaughay said.

Springfield Office
303 Stratton Building, Suite A
Springfield, IL 62706
(217) 782-1977
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30-4:30

Where Karen McConnaughay’s office is in South Elgin.

South Elgin Office
81 South McLean Boulevard, Suite E
South Elgin, IL 60177
(847) 214-8245
Hours: By Appointment

Email Address: KarenMcConnaughay33@gmail.com

For more information on Senator Karen McConnaughay and the services her offices provide, please visit www.ilga.gov/senate.

Tammy Duckworth in one of the few debates she has attended.

Today, Joe spoke in front of the Elgin League of Women Voters. The event was meant to be a debate in which the community could gain a better understanding of where the candidates for the 8th Congressional district stand on the issues our nation faces.

Here is what Joe had to say this afternoon in Elgin – Tammy Duckworth Declines to Debate Joe Walsh

Because Tammy chose not to participate, the League enacted their “Empty Chair” policy. Subsequently, Joe was allowed just two minutes to speak.

This was 1 of 12 debate invitations that Tammy Duckworth has declined to date.

This election will decide the path our nation takes for the next four years.

Because of the significance of this election, voters deserve to hear what the candidates plan to do to fix our nation’s stagnant economy and get Americans back to work.

Unfortunately, the community is not hearing what Tammy Duckworth has planned. We know that she plans to “roll up her sleeves”, but what she will do after that remains to be heard or seen.

Have a great evening,
The Walsh for Congress Team

A press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office:

ELGIN ROOFING COMPANY PRESIDENT CAPTURED AFTER ALLEGEDLY ELUDING ARREST FOR NEARLY TWO-WEEKS FOLLOWING INDICTMENT FOR ALLEGEDLY DEFRAUDING SUPPLIER OF MORE THAN $1.8 MILLION

CHICAGO — The president of an Elgin roofing company allegedly eluded authorities for nearly two weeks after he was indicted on federal fraud charges and is facing a detention hearing this week, federal law enforcement officials announced today.

The masthead of Singles Roofing’s web site.

The defendant, ROBERT DURCHSLAG, president of Singles Roofing Company, Inc., allegedly cheated a roofing manufacturer of more than $1.8 million worth of materials and supplies that he purchased on credit and never paid for, according to an indictment charging him with three counts of wire fraud that was returned by a federal grand jury on Aug. 16.

The following morning, FBI agents went to arrest Durchslag at his business, but he was alerted to their arrival by surveillance cameras and fled the premises.

After nearly two weeks of pursuit, agents located Durchslag at a Michigan Avenue hotel last Wednesday and arrested him without incident.

Durchslag, 56, of Aurora, has remained in custody since then and is scheduled to have a detention hearing at 3:30 p.m. Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sidney I. Schenkier in U.S. District Court.

The arrest and charges were announced by Gary S. Shapiro, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and William C. Monroe, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

According to the indictment, between June and November 2009, Durchslag defrauded Building Materials Corporation of America, doing business as GAF-ELK, a New Jersey roofing manufacturer that had an Illinois office in suburban Woodridge.

Durchslag obtained and attempted to obtain materials and supplies from GAF on credit by making false representations about Singles Roofing’s financial status, its assets, and its ability to pay on credit.

In late June and early July 2009, Durchslag allegedly falsely inflated the balance of a Singles Roofing bank account by more than $2.8 million by depositing 18 non-sufficient funds checks into the account.

He then withdrew more than $683,000 from the account and used the funds to pay business and personal expenses, the indictment alleges, while at the same time, he failed to pay GAF for a $122,939 invoice.

In early July 2009, Durchslag allegedly falsely told GAF that Singles Roofing had failed to pay the invoice because his company had been the victim of an embezzlement.

In mid-July 2009, he caused preparation of a fabricated letter from the bank to his company stating that Singles Roofing was the victim of “a substantial fraud” and that his business account would remain frozen pending an investigation, the indictment alleges.

As Durchslag knew, however, there was no such fraud and his deposit of non-sufficient funds checks had caused the freeze on his business account, according to the indictment.

Durchslag allegedly caused the bogus bank letter to be faxed to GAF to induce the manufacturer to continue providing materials on credit and to delay GAF’s efforts to collect the money he owed.

In late July 2009, Durchslag emailed GAF a letter purporting to be from a bank investigator stating that approximately $17.8 million had been embezzled from Singles Roofing, the charges allege.

In mid-August 2009, Durchslag allegedly offered to pay GAF $800,000 and, at the same time, provided false information about Singles Roofing’s financial condition, including a false claim that the company had signed a $2 billion contract with NASA.

Further, he allegedly provided GAF with checks that were returned due to non-sufficient funds, including one for $980,000.

In total, Durchslag allegedly obtained a total of approximately $1,822,642 in roofing materials and supplies from GAF through fraud.

The indictment seeks forfeiture of more than $2.5 million.

Each count of wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, and restitution is mandatory. The Court may also impose a fine totaling twice the loss to the victim or twice the gain to the defendant, whichever is greater. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.

The government is being represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Cannon.

The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

= = = = =
Listed on the firm’s web page:

Some of our clients:

Addison Park District • Alexander’s Restaurant • Kraft Foods • Salvation Army • Cagan Realty • Chili’s Restaurant • Bethlehem Luthern Church • City of Chicago • City of East Dundee (City Hall) • City of Elgin • College of DuPage • Comfort Inn • 5/3 Bank • US Government • Darwin Realty • Dundee Park District • Kmart • Cook County Forest Preserve • Covered Bridge Townhome Association • Time Life • Nextel • Congregation Kneseth Israel • Hoffer Plastics • Elgin Community College • Lifetime Fitness Centers • Elgin Mental Health Center • Elgin Sanitary District • Fist American Bank • GAF Material Corp • Geneva Police Department • ING-Bank • Tom Benson & Associates • Hamilton Partners • Heather Ridge Golf Club House • Kane County Forest Preserve • Lisle Park District • St Patrick’s Catholic Church • The Oaks at St Charles • Haeger Potteries • Marriott Corp. • Springhill Mall • Oak Creek Condo Homes • Playskool, Inc • Ryder • Pine Meadows Townhomes • Trammel Crow Co • Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago • GH Printing • Village of Elk Grove & Fire Department • St Mary’s Church • State of Illinois • Kafka Industri
Contributions made follow:

Political contributions were to Elgin politicians and PACs to enlarge Elgin Community College.

First there was an event in Schaumburg. Then, one was announced in Palatine.

Now an announcement from Judson University says Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich is going to hold a Town Hall Meeting in Elgin.

The press release is below:

NEWT GINGRICH TOWN HALL MEETING

Judson University will host a Public Town Hall Meeting featuring Former U.S. Speaker of the House and Republican Presidential Candidate Newt Gingrich at 10 a.m. Thursday, March 15 in Herrick Chapel

Judson University will host a Public Town Hall Meeting featuring Former U.S. Speaker of the House and Republican Presidential Candidate Newt Gingrich at 10 a.m. Thursday, March 15 in

Herrick Chapel
Town Hall Judson University
Judson University | 1151 N. State St. | Elgin, IL 60123

[Judson University is on the Southeast intersection of Route 31 and the Tollway.]

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

The event is free and open to the public.

Mr. Gingrich has expressed interest in engaging the Latino population of the greater Elgin area at this event as he campaigns across Illinois before the state’s primary on Tuesday, March 20.

All information regarding the March 15 Town Hall event and the April 21 World Leaders Forum will be coordinated through Mary Dulabaum at Judson University 847-628-2089; mdulabaum@judsonu.edu.

Located in Elgin, Ill., since 1963, Judson University offers a Christian, liberal arts and sciences education through its Bachelor of Arts degrees for more than 60 majors/minors, graduate programs, online, certification and accelerated adult degree programs. A Preview Day will be held April 13 for students interested in learning more about all of Judson’s academic programs. For more information, visit ww.JudsonU.edu.

The political side of Congressman Joe Walsh’s operation announces a Town Hall Meeting in Elgin on Saturday afternoon. Here’s the message:

In the wake of

• President Obama’s decision to reject the Keystone Pipeline (and tens of thousands of jobs along with it),
• the Administration’s new regulations forcing religious institutions to provide insurance benefits that conflict with their moral teachings and
• the testimony of Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernake to Congress that current spending levels are “clearly unsustainable,”

I will be hosting a Town Hall meeting tomorrow to listen to your thoughts.

Where Joe Walsh's Elgin Town Hall Meeting will be held.

While I am very outspoken, I believe the most important part of my job is knowing what people here think. I hope you will join me for a frank and candid discussion about the issues facing our great nation.

Town Hall Meeting

Saturday, February 4th

3 – 4:30PM

Elgin Township Center

729 S. McLean Boulevard, Elgin
(Park & enter via the rear of the building)

If I don’t have the opportunity to see you over the weekend, I look forward to visiting with you soon.

Those involved with the so-called Gentleman’s Club in Elgin have run into Internal Revenue Service problems, as you can see from the press release below.

So, Grafton Township is not the only local entity with Federal tax problems.

Grafton Township’s problems are small compared to these, however.

OPERATORS OF ELGIN ADULT ENTERTAINMENT CLUB AND ALLEGED INTERNET GAMBLING BUSINESS CHARGED WITH CONCEALING MORE THAN $4 MILLION OF INCOME FROM THE IRS

CHICAGO — The operators of an adult entertainment club in Elgin were charged today with

• conspiracy to impede the Internal Revenue Service in the collection of federal taxes, as well as separately
• operating an illegal Internet gambling business,

in connection with allegedly diverting more than $4 million in unreported income to themselves from the two businesses.

Patrick Fitzgerald

The defendants,

• Anthony Buttitta and
• his father, Dominic Buttitta,

were charged in a two-count criminal information filed in U.S. District Court, announced Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Alvin Patton, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago; and Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Anthony Buttitta, 42, of St. Charles, and Dominic Buttitta, 69, of South Barrington, were each charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States by obstructing the IRS in the collection of taxes and one count of operating an illegal gambling business. They will be ordered to appear for arraignment at a later date in U.S. District Court. The Buttittas operate Blackjacks Gentlemen’s Club in Elgin through Elgin Entertainment Enterprises, Inc., which manages Blackjacks. Between 2005 and 2009, they also ran an Internet gambling business, including the websites

• Skybook.com,
• Largejoe.com, and
• Theredhotel.com.

The Blackjack's Gentlemen's Club billboard on Route 14 near Lily Pond Road.

According to the charges, both Buttittas filed false federal corporate tax returns for calendar years 2002 through 2009, and false federal individual income tax returns for calendar years 2002 through 2008 that substantially under-reported the total income they received from the operation of Blackjacks and the gambling business.

They allegedly concealed the diverted funds from their tax preparers and the IRS and used the unreported income to acquire personal property and to pay personal expenses.

The charges allege that the defendants received approximately $3,704,959 from “house” fees they collected from women for each shift they worked as dancers at Blackjacks.

Anthony Buttitta directed club employees to maintain logs of the house fee collections, and both defendants later destroyed and caused the destruction of the log sheets, the charges allege. They also placed agents of their Internet gambling business on the payroll of another company to provide the employees with the appearance of a legitimate source of income and benefits. In return, the charges allege that they solicited and received kickbacks in the form of cash from the agents and concealed the payments from their tax preparers, bookkeepers and the IRS.

The defendants allegedly received approximately $1 million in gross wagers from the gambling business between 2005 and 2009, and made approximately $400,000 in net profits.

The charges seek forfeiture of $400,000 as illegal proceeds.

At various times between 2005 and 2008, the defendants allegedly obtained unreported income from individuals as payment of losing wagers in the form of direct payments toward the purchase of a $2.9 million condominium in Las Vegas and a condominium in Costa Rica, as well as personal credit card payments.

In 2005 and 2006, Anthony Buttitta used approximately $400,000 in cash to pay for building and acquiring his home in St. Charles, according to the charges.

Each count carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, and restitution is mandatory. In addition, defendants convicted of tax offenses must pay the costs of prosecution and remain liable for any and all back taxes, as well as a civil fraud penalty of 75 percent of the underpayment plus interest. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.

The government is being represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick King.

The public is reminded that an information contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

This email from Nick Sarillo, owner of Nick’s Pizza in Crystal Lake and Elgin, explains his corporation’s financial problems and asks for customers to come in over the next month to help keep it open.

Nick’s, I am sure most in Crystal Lake realize, has offered a percentage of targeted sales to charitable organizations like local grade schools and diseases like Celiac Disease.

Political groups like the McHenry County Young Republicans have met there as well. So do class reunions.

It is a traditional meeting place when our Joplin relatives visit, as they did earlier this month.

Nick's Pizza in Crystal Lake.

Nick’s Pizza & Pub
September 27, 2011

Greetings!

As a valued frequent guest of our restaurant, I feel it is necessary to share the following with you.

An Uncertain Future

I have never understood why owners or management of a failing company usually don’t give others close to the company–especially customers–fair warning about what is going on.

In many instances, the team, the core family that built the business, has showed up to work and found the doors locked. I have always said I would never do that to the people I truly care about and owe my life to.

I realize that sending an e-mail like this is risky and unorthodox, but I don’t care because I don’t have anything to fear or hide.

Young Republicans have met at Nick's.

We run our business with totally open books, and the core team that shows up to our weekly fiscal huddles will not be surprised by what I’m writing.

I truly care about our team and each guest who has blessed us by choosing to eat at Nick’s instead of any of the many other places available to them.

As of the beginning of this week, the hard reality facing us has become glaringly apparent to me.

We overbuilt and overspent, and then we didn’t cut fast enough or hard enough when sales started to go downhill.

The issue is primarily with our Elgin restaurant, but because we are one company, the failure of Elgin will likely impact Crystal Lake as well, depending on the choices our bank makes.

This failure is not the fault of our team members; on the contrary, I am extremely grateful to them for their incredible contributions, including accepting salary cuts, taking on more responsibilities, and volunteering to market us on their own time.

The whole responsibility for our troubles is mine for making the bad decisions that got us into this mess.

I realize that many of you out there see a busy restaurant and don’t understand how we cannot be profitable, or as many of you have expressed, how we could not be “rolling in cash.”

State Senator Matt Murphy met with potential supports in his bid for Governor at Nick's.

We do bring in a lot of revenue, but unfortunately that is not enough to cover our mortgage and the other expenses that accrue from having such large facilities.

In 2008, sales at our Elgin location began to drop, causing that location to lose money.

Fortunately, Crystal Lake was profitable enough to cover both restaurants most of the time.

As of this year, that’s no longer true.

The sales drop in Elgin alone has been 30% since last year and close to 40% since 2007, thanks largely to the bad economy and our location next to the road construction.

We thought that the opening of a new Walmart across the street from Elgin on October 26th would bring enough new traffic to save that location and our company.

Unfortunately, the bills that we have been pushing back this year are catching up with us now, about four weeks short of the finish line.

Barring some sort of miracle, we are going to run out of cash to pay our vendors and team members over the next couple of weeks and will have to close.

Nick's Pizza in Crystal Lake.

Believe me, I have already tried everything possible and would not be writing this if the amount we needed was not many thousands of dollars more than I personally could come up with.

I really did believe we were going to make it to the finish line and pull through this, but I have nothing left that I can sell, pawn, or promise–just my business, which now is on the table.

I do have one last hope for me and the 200 team members of Nick’s.

If within these next four weeks we could see a large increase in sales at either of our restaurants, we could still pull through.

So my final request is for each of you to come dine at Nick’s Pizza & Pub and tell all your family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors to come now, too.

We want to continue on as a part of your community and aren’t ready to tell you goodbye yet.

If you wish to contact me with investor ideas or any ideas or questions at all, you can email me at office@nickspizzapub.com, call me at 815.356.5557, or simply stop by and talk in person. Thank you for reading.

Sincerely,

Nick Sarillo
Founder and owner of Nick’s Pizza & Pub

Most of the audience at the Marengo reapportionment hearing in April.

I was looking at the transcript of the Elgin hearing conducted by Barbara Flynn Currie and her reapportionment committee.

Here’s testimony that had me laughing out loud:

MR. PEICKERT: I’m Bob Peickert, P-e-i-c-k-e-r-t.

I’m a resident of Elmhurst and the 17 chair of the demographic party of DuPage County.

As my son’s teachers have taught him, consider the context.

Later it happens again, even though in the same paragraph the word “Democrat” shows up in the transcript:

In the 2008 general election, again, for the first time ever in DuPage County, a demographic presidential candidate received more votes than the Republican candidate by a similar margin. That same election saw three democrats elected to the county board, the first time three democrats served on the county board in approximately 37 years.

A December race starts at the Center of Elgin's pool.

In the “politics is everywhere” category is what happened to me at the Elgin swim meet.

ECC Board Candidate Darwin Adams

One of the McHenry Marlins’ swim Dads introduces me to Darwin Adams, a candidate for the Elgin Community College Board.

He’s a retired Streamwood policeman who is not a stranger to community service.

Before retirement, he started the Children’s Advocacy Center.

While emphasis has certainly been on McHenry County College on McHenry County Blog, District 300 is all included in the Elgin Community College District.