McHenry County Blog

Yesterday Nunda Township Supervisor-Elect Lee Jennings sent out another robo-call seeking volunteers.

Can anyone identify where this flooded Nunda Township Road is located?

[Jennings identified this as Rawson Bridge Road near the Broken Oar.  When he emailed me, he said the water was higher on Monday morning.]

People are needed for both heavy lifting and tying up the bags of sand.

On Sunday, April 21, the Fox River was still rising as of 1:15 PM at the McHenry Dam.  The water is at 7.36 feet, above the record of 7.2 feet.

Here is Jenning’s plea for help:

Lee Jenings

Where the Bay Road Nunda Township Office complex is located.

“Even though the rain has stopped, the Fox River continues to rise.

“Nunda Township still needs able bodied volunteers to help operate a sandbagging program to assist our residents affected by the flooding.

“We will not stop until the river crests and the flooding begins to subside.

“Please join us this weekend from 8:00 am until 9:00 pm Saturday and Sunday at the Nunda Township Highway Department located at 3518 Bay Rd. in Crystal Lake.

“Even a few hours of your time will help tremendously.

“If you are in need of sandbags or for more information, please contact the Nunda Highway Dept at 815-459-4410.

“Thank you.”

Sandbags available in Fox River Grove

Due to the recent amount of rainfall experienced in the Village over the last 48 hours, various locations throughout town are flooding. The Village has sand and bags available to residents if needed. These bags are not prepacked with sand but both bags and sand are available to residents free of charge.

They can be picked up at either the water tower located at Algonquin Road and Grove Avenue or at the park at Lincoln Avenue and North River Road.

Chief Lukasik

Don’t flush your toilets in old Lakewood

I got a phone call saying that there might be sewer backups in the part of Lakewood served by the Crystal Lake Sewage Treatment Plant.

After talking with a village employee, I’m assuming that infiltration into the sanitary sewer pipes is occuring.

That strikes me as strange because we had them lined with plastic pipes.

Here is what is on the Village web site:

HEAVY RAIN UPDATE: 04/18/13

Note that the less water used in your home, the greater capacity there is in the sewer system to decrease the possibility for raw sewage to back up into your home.

Please minimize water use to the greatest extent possible!

Call Village Hall at 815/459-3025 if you have any questions.   Thank you for your cooperation.

Nunda Township Seeks Sandbaggers

From Township Trustee Mike Shorten:

Good Afternoon,

I’m sending this message out to a multitude of contact lists so if you are out of the area or receive this message multiple times, I do apologize.

With all of the recent rain the Fox River had gone up over 2-1/2 and as a result many homes are at risk of flooding.

Nunda Township’s Highway department is helping by filling sandbags at the Township Offices for delivery to residents who’s homes are at risk. Because of the urgency of the situation the Highway Department is working around the clock and they are looking for willing and able volunteers who can help.

If you are available even for an hour or two to come out and help with the effort, volunteers will be welcome at the Highway Commissioner’s office located at 3518 Bay Road in Crystal Lake.

Thank you for your consideration and I hope to see you out there tonight!

4 PM Road Conditions

Closures:

• Kemman Rd. North of Vander Karr Rd. (Roadway washed out)
• Maxon Rd. between Oak Grove Rd. and Graf Rd. Chemung
• Riverside Road at Brentwood, McHenry
• Jankowski Rd between Billingsgate and Raycraft Rd, Greenwood Township
• Coon Creek Rd, entire Road closed, Marengo
• Carls Road, between Hartman Road, Grossen Road, Marengo
• Grange Road, west of Blissdale Rd to County Line Rd, Marengo
• Burma Road, between Grange Road to the 6100 block, Marengo
• Jackson Road, west of Burma Rd to County Line Rd, Marengo

High Standing Water:

• Algonquin Rd between IL RT 31 and Pyott Rd. Algonquin
• Route 20 at County Line Rd, Marengo
• River Rd. between Route 23 and Squire Rd., Marengo
• Route 23 at Olbrich Rd., Marengo
• Route 23 at Collins Road, Marengo
• Oak Grove Rd. between Route 173 and Wright Rd., Harvard
• Route 47 at Hercules Rd., Woodstock
• Sunnyside Rd at Perkins Rd, Woodstock
• Route 31 at Ringwood Rd., Ringwood
• Route 12 at Wilmot Rd., Spring Grove
• Wright Rd, Prairie Grove
• Route 176 at Buhl Rd., Prairie Grove
• Riverdale Rd and Dee Dr., Island Lake
• State Line Rd, between Lilja Rd and Weidner Rd
• County Line Road at Rt 173, Harvard
• Fleming Road between Bull Valley Road & Country Club Rd, Woodstock
• Ramer Road at Oak Grove Road, Harvard
• River Road between McHenry Dam Road and Fernview Road, McHenry
• Kishwaukee Valley Road at Noe Road, Marengo
• Rt 176 west of Terra Cotta Road
• Queen Anne Road between Rt 120 and Bull Valley Road
• College at Uteg, Crystal Lake
• Mary at Union, Crystal Lake
• Northshore at East, Crystal Lake

Chances look good for the tax hike referendum to create a 337 Board to pass out more property tax dollars to agencies serving the Developmentally Disabled.

Currently the 708 Board provides about $1.5 million and various park districts in the area levy non-referendum taxes for NISRA, the Northern Illinois Special Recreation Association, which provides recreational opportunities.

Some signs are outside the Fire House in Fox River Grove.

In Fox River Grove, only 354 out of 2900 people have voted.

110 out of 1600 in Nunda 15 in northern Crystal Lake.

69 voters out of close to 700 registered voters in Grafton 2, which is in Lakewood.

A low turnout is perfect for a mobilized minority to dominate an election.

Got the following email from Tom Anderson, who is running for Village Trustee in Fox River Grove.

His literature is below his email. (If your favorite candidate would like broader exposure, email his or her literature to the address on the left.)

“Hi Cal – I have been following your blog and see that you publish local candidates campaign information from time to time.

“I am a candidate for FRG trustee and have attached my information for consideration to publish on your site.

“The candidate night in FRG was held last night and I thought it was very well done and the room was packed.

“Boy Scout Troop 166 should be commended for that effort.

“The adult scout leaders just got out of the way and let the scouts run the thing and they did a heck of a job.

“I certainly enjoyed myself and was heartened to see the strong turn-out of residents at the event.”

Regards –

Tom Anderson
Candidate
FRG Trustee

The front of Tom Anderson’s palm card points out he served 20 years as a volunteer fireman, is a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals, served in Desert Storm and is Vice President of the American Steamship Company.

The back is a little harder to read here because is is horizontal, but he says he “wants to hold the line on taxes,” wants to “learn best practices” on business growth from other villages and institute “mid & long-term financial plan[ing].”

Fox River Grove Village Hall

A “Meet the Candidates” night will be held at the village hall in Fox River Grove.

The event is hosted by Boy Scout Troop 166 and begins at 7pm

Fox River Grove Village Trustee candidates Andrew Migdal and Chester Olencheck share their campaign literature with McHenry County Blog readers:

A majority of the Fox River Grove Elementary School Board are up for election next April.

And four people have filed to run:

• Tim Hatfield
• Stephen Pickering
• Patrick Riley
• Patrick Wall

Only Pickering is listed in the McHenry County Yearbook as an incumbent.

The other incumbents whose terms are expiring are

• Pat Hughes
• Lisa Anderson
• Kris Germain

Filing is open until the close of business on December 26th.

Those thinking about running need to file a Statement of Economic Interest with the County Clerk and attach its receipt with a staple to one’s petitions and Statement of Candidacy. And, be sure to number the pages.

The Vulcan Lake TIF District will suck millions out of the property tax bills of homeowners and businessmen throughout McHenry County over the next twenty or so years. Until other tax districts reach their statutory maximum every tax district that includes part of the Three Oaks Recreation Area will be able to raise their tax rates to make up for the revenue lost in the Route 14 TIF District.

Included on the Tax Rate Calculation page of the McHenry County Clerk’s Office are totals for taxes levied on property within TIF Districts.

Tax Increment Financing Districts are mechanisms that allow municipalities to pry money out everyone in McHenry County who have property outside of the district in question.

This past year the following was taxed so that city councils and village boards could have what amount to unaccountable petty cash funds to distribute to those with property within the TIF districts.

Here’s who taxed the rest of us for how much:

• Cary – $115,681.46
• Cary 2 – $17,531.96
• Crystal Lake Virginia St. – $84,186.88
• Crystal Lake Main St. – $48,186.88
• Crystal Lake Vulcan Lakes – $25,112.22
• Fox River Grove – $501,280.62
• Harvard 2004 – $217,092,10
• Harvard 2005 – $203,854.06
• Harvard – $104,076.14
• Marengo Northside – -0-
• McHenry – $501,261.32
• Woodstock – $648,210.88

Remembering as you read early election results that they are only for paper ballots cast at the precinct and ignore absentee and early voting tallies, here are the results for Fox River Grove’s Algonquin 9 precinct for the McHenry County Board:

• Anna May Miller – 221
• Robert Novak – 218
• Bob Bless – 207
• Yvonne Barnes – 201
• Nick Chirikos – 174

Mr. and, presumably, Mrs. Bob Nunamaker at State Rep. Mike Tryon’s 2011 Huntley Fish Boil.

Never saw the current Fox River Grove Village President Robert Nunamaker until we both attended State Rep. Mike Tryon’s 2011 Fish Boil. I assume the woman with him was his wife Marylou.

Earlier McHenry County Blog posted a photo of the Village President’s home which showed Obama and Dee Beaubien yard signs. You can see it below:

Campaign signs in front of Bob Nunamaker’s home in Fox River Grove.

Now, look at the election judges in Nunamaker’s precinct:

• Marylou P Nunamaker: Democrat
• Michael G Hartke: Democrat
• Robert J Nunamaker: Republican
• Kathleen A Hartke: Republican
• High School Student A.J. Brown