McHenry County Blog

I’m beginning to realize why people like to read police calls.

Harmilda, the plastic Holstein, stands near the intersection of Routes 14 and 173 in Harvard.

The Harvard Police Department seems to send out its arrests to subscribers of Nixle on a weekly basis.  Sign up here.

Take a look at the last arrest below:

Harvard Police Department – Press Release – 09-27-10

3010005151 – Domestic Battery
On 09-22-10 at 1729 hrs a Harvard Youth (f/16 yoa) was arrested for Domestic Battery after scratching a household member on the face.  The Youth was released to a parent and petitioned to Court Services.

3010005173 – Damage
On 09-23-10 at 1946 hrs Christopher Priester (m/20 yoa) of 501 N Grant St reported his vehicle had been damaged during the night, while parked at that address.

3010005175 – Traffic Arrest
On 09-24-10 at 0039 hrs Oscar Gonzalez-Garcia (m/25 yoa) of 830 W Roosevelt St was arrested for DUI, Aggravated DUI, DUI Over 0.08, Driving While Revoked, No Insurance and Failure to Signal after he was observed driving in the 1300 blk of N Division St.  Gonzalez was transported to the McHenry County Jail in lieu of bond.

3010005180 – Burglary to Motor Vehicle
On 09-24-10 at 0834 hrs Michael Muehlenkamp (m/48 yoa) of 411 Galvin Pkwy reported USC and electronic equipment was stolen sometime overnight, from his 09 Ford parked at that address.

3010005185 – Traffic Arrest
On 09-24-10 at 1747 hrs Pedro Esquivel (m/49 yoa) of 307 W Washington St was arrested for Following Too Closely and No License after his 95 Chevrolet struck a 04 Honda driven by Sara Pickard (f/49 yoa) of 5705 Hempstead Rd, Madison WI, in the 100 blk of S Ayer St.  Esquivel posted $150 bond and received a court date of 10-20-10 at 1330 hrs.

3010005188 - Disorderly Conduct
On 09-24-10 at 2140 hrs Maria Bertrand (f/54 yoa) of 343 Cobblestone Cr reported a subject had alarmed and disturbed her the previous night, in the 300 blk of S Division St, after approaching her while masked, with a fake weapon and made a threatening comment.  This matter is under investigation.

3010005212 – Traffic Arrest
On 09-26-10 at 0223 hrs Alfego Contreras-Tellez (m/44 yoa) of 108 W Brink St #7 was arrested for DUI, No DL and Driving Too Slowly after he was observed in near Brink and Division Sts.  Contreras was transported to the McHenry County Jail in lieu of bond.

I tried to get the backing of Barack Obama for Heck of a Guy blogster Alan Showalter’s campaign to convince the McHenry County Board that Dick Tracy should be in the center of the county seal, but Obama must not be interesting in campaigning for the McHenry County’s vote anymore.

So, because

supporters of the idea will have to conduct a campaign.

Yesterday, the campaign button was unveiled on McHenry County Blog.

Today, you can see the yard sign designed by Showalter. (You’ll have to create you own. That’s a problem, I admit, but this has been a county of individual responsibility.)

The problem with selecting something to represent McHenry County is there is no symbol that epitomizes the county.

If the Fox River is used, the fields of corn and soy beans are ignored.

Emphasizing Wonder Lake or Crystal Lake misses most of what the county is all about.

I guess the county board could use a picture of row upon row of new subdivision homes, but, somehow, I don’t think that would be acceptable.

That could be a reason to ignore the farms, though…since there won’t be any left in the lives of some of us.

The Woodstock Square Civil War statue is great for Woodstock, but what about the rest of the countyu.

Similarly, Harvard’s plastic cow Harmilda works for Harvard, but dairy farms were going out of business at the rate of about one a week during the four years I was reading auction ads in Harvard’s Shoppers Service during the late 1960′s.

I think the main line of the Union Pacific running from Fox River Grove to Harvard comes closest to being a unifying symbol, but what about Marengo and Richmond-Spring Groved.

You see the almost insurmountable problem that the county board faces.

So, why not do what any number of businesses have done.

Re-brand an old enterprise with something striking.

Hard to find anything more striking than the sharp chin of Dick Tracy.

I predict its adoption would result in nationwide, if not worldwide publicity. As I have said previously, it might even shame some McHenry County deep pockets to re-open the Dick Tracy Museum.

Imaginative county board members might envision a county-sponsored web site that would see enough Dick Tracy merchandise to pay for any licensing fee. (State tourism folks spent $2,000 a year for permission to use images to promote the Dick Tracy Museum.)

One final thought about yard signs. You don’t have to wait until your local municipality allows candidate signs to be posted. Since this is an issue sign, you can put it up right now, just like the pro-life supporters have. I’m remembering a U.S. Supreme Court decision out of Missouri that ruled that a woman could post her opposition to the first Iraq War after the local city fathers told her to take down the 8 1/2 by 11 inch sign she had in her front window.

Tomorrow the campaign continues.

I tried to get the backing of Barack Obama for Heck of a Guy blogster Alan Showalter’s campaign to convince the McHenry County Board that Dick Tracy should be in the center of the county seal, but Obama must not be interesting in campaigning for the McHenry County’s vote anymore.

So, because

supporters of the idea will have to conduct a campaign.

Yesterday, the campaign button was unveiled on McHenry County Blog.

Today, you can see the yard sign designed by Showalter. (You’ll have to create you own. That’s a problem, I admit, but this has been a county of individual responsibility.)

The problem with selecting something to represent McHenry County is there is no symbol that epitomizes the county.

If the Fox River is used, the fields of corn and soy beans are ignored.

Emphasizing Wonder Lake or Crystal Lake misses most of what the county is all about.

I guess the county board could use a picture of row upon row of new subdivision homes, but, somehow, I don’t think that would be acceptable.

That could be a reason to ignore the farms, though…since there won’t be any left in the lives of some of us.

The Woodstock Square Civil War statue is great for Woodstock, but what about the rest of the countyu.

Similarly, Harvard’s plastic cow Harmilda works for Harvard, but dairy farms were going out of business at the rate of about one a week during the four years I was reading auction ads in Harvard’s Shoppers Service during the late 1960′s.

I think the main line of the Union Pacific running from Fox River Grove to Harvard comes closest to being a unifying symbol, but what about Marengo and Richmond-Spring Groved.

You see the almost insurmountable problem that the county board faces.

So, why not do what any number of businesses have done.

Re-brand an old enterprise with something striking.

Hard to find anything more striking than the sharp chin of Dick Tracy.

I predict its adoption would result in nationwide, if not worldwide publicity. As I have said previously, it might even shame some McHenry County deep pockets to re-open the Dick Tracy Museum.

Imaginative county board members might envision a county-sponsored web site that would see enough Dick Tracy merchandise to pay for any licensing fee. (State tourism folks spent $2,000 a year for permission to use images to promote the Dick Tracy Museum.)

One final thought about yard signs. You don’t have to wait until your local municipality allows candidate signs to be posted. Since this is an issue sign, you can put it up right now, just like the pro-life supporters have. I’m remembering a U.S. Supreme Court decision out of Missouri that ruled that a woman could post her opposition to the first Iraq War after the local city fathers told her to take down the 8 1/2 by 11 inch sign she had in her front window.

Tomorrow the campaign continues.

Although this photograph of Harvard symbol, Harmilda, the cow, is almost two years old, it will have to do.

The annual Milk Day Parade is today at 1 PM.

Harmilda stands at the head of Ayer Street, which is whitewashed each year to make it the “Milky Way.”

When I was a Young Republican in the late 1960′s, we were loaned a baby elephant named Tuffy. It was owned by Tuff-Coat, a Woodstock paint company and kept between two buildings in town.

The role I chose was walking behind the elephant with a snow shovel.

You can image why. We had a wagon for interim deposition.

I got the idea from something that happened at Oberlin College.

In my senior year, I was chairman of the Republican Mock Convention.

A circus came to Cleveland, which was about 30 miles away from the campus. It decided some publicity might result by bringing an elephant to Oberlin.

The elephant and media were standing out in front of the little house where the convention was headquartered.

The elephant took a dump.

Right on the sidewalk.

I rushed up to the porch, got the show shovel and cleared the way.

Although this photograph of Harvard symbol, Harmilda, the cow, is almost two years old, it will have to do.

The annual Milk Day Parade is today at 1 PM.

Harmilda stands at the head of Ayer Street, which is whitewashed each year to make it the “Milky Way.”

When I was a Young Republican in the late 1960′s, we were loaned a baby elephant named Tuffy. It was owned by Tuff-Coat, a Woodstock paint company and kept between two buildings in town.

The role I chose was walking behind the elephant with a snow shovel.

You can image why. We had a wagon for interim deposition.

I got the idea from something that happened at Oberlin College.

In my senior year, I was chairman of the Republican Mock Convention.

A circus came to Cleveland, which was about 30 miles away from the campus. It decided some publicity might result by bringing an elephant to Oberlin.

The elephant and media were standing out in front of the little house where the convention was headquartered.

The elephant took a dump.

Right on the sidewalk.

I rushed up to the porch, got the show shovel and cleared the way.