McHenry County Blog

It was the discovery of more marijuana growing in the Hebron area in a press release issued by the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department that reminded me of the August 2008 and August 2009 discoveries of three pot fields, some of which were reported to be located on McHenry County Conservation District property.

I filed the following Freedom of Information request:

Now that there is no active investigation about the marijuana found growing on McHenry County Conservation District land, I request documents, photos, etc., relating to the marijuana on MCCD land referred to in the following articles:

August 4, 2008:

http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2008/08/04/mchenry-county-conservation-district-gets-off-easy-in-hebron-pot-bust-2/

August 14, 2009:

http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2009/08/14/mystery-as-to-pot-field-location-on-rural-woodstock-mchenry-county-conservation-district-land/

Thanks for your cooperation in fulfilling this request.

I just received the following reply:

Dear Mr. Skinner:

Based on the information that you have provided we are unable to locate the documents you are requesting.

The Freedom of Information Act establishes clear guidelines for receiving documents from government offices. It does not mandate that we research articles on websites outside of our control in an attempt to determine what document you are requesting.

We would like to extend to you another opportunity to clarify your request. Please provide adequate information that would clearly describe the document. Names, Dates, Locations and any other information that you may have available to you that would best describe the documents that you are requesting would be helpful.

Sincerely,

Freedom of Information Officer

My reply follows:

From your request, perhaps I should conclude that there were so many fields of marijuana found on McHenry County Conservation District property during the beginning of August, 2008, or the end of July, 2008, that you cannot figure out what I am requesting when I referred you to my article of August 4, 2008:

http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2008/08/04/mchenry-county-conservation-district-gets-off-easy-in-hebron-pot-bust-2/

The approximate location of one field of marijuana found in August of 2008 near Vanderkarr Road and Kemman Road.

While I consider that absurd, I have now provided you with a period in which to search for the requested documents.

The approximate locations, one of which was shown on a map at the top of the article was “on its [MCCD's] land southeast of Hebron off Vandder Karr [Vanderkarr] Road near Kemman Road, as well as the Friday discovery of a second field on its land southwest of Hebron.”

One of the locations included the arrest of “Miguel Talavera-Lopez of Battle Creek, Michigan,” which is information contained in the article.

Please provide all documents concerning the two discoveries, including the photo of Miguel Talavera-Lopez.

With regard to the second part of the request, referred to in my article of August 14, 2009:

http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2009/08/14/mystery-as-to-pot-field-location-on-rural-woodstock-mchenry-county-conservation-district-land/

the information is contained in a press release from your office, which I am sure will be among the documents provided me. It was issued on the Thursday of the week during which Aug. 14, 2009, falls.

I will reprint the press release, which was contained in my article below. Surely your office can figure out what documents to provide me which relate to your own press release.

Cannabis Grow Operation Discovered Near Woodstock

Sheriff Keith Nygren announced the eradication of approximately two thousand five hundred cannabis plants at an outdoor cannabis grow operation located near northeast unincorporated Woodstock, Illinois. Members of the McHenry County Conservation Police discovered the outdoor cannabis grow operation and campsite during a recent joint investigation.

On August 12, 2009 members of the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department Narcotics Unit, McHenry County Conservation Police, Illinois State Conservation Police and the DEA (Rockford Division) eradicated a cannabis field less than 2 acres in size. The field showed indications that it had been recently tended to and was in preparation of being harvested.

The estimated street value of the eradicated cannabis plants is 2.5 million dollars. The cannabis plants averaged from 5’ to 10’ in height. No suspects were arrested in conjunction with this outdoor cannabis grow.

This is the first such eradication to take place since 2008 in McHenry County. Evidence recovered from the scene is being evaluated for comparison to previous fields that were eradicated last year.

Any person with information about this crime or any others is encouraged to contact the McHenry County Sheriff’s Narcotics Division 1-815-338-2144 or CRIMESTOPPERS at 1-800-762-STOP. (1-800-762-7867).

A press release from the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department:

Outdoor Cannabis Grow Operation

McHenry County Sheriff’s Office announced today the seizure of approximately 2,000 cannabis sativa plants from a wooded area in unincorporated Hebron, Illinois. On May 11, 2013, Sheriff’s Deputies were called to the area of Nichols Rd. and Hillside Rd., Hebron for a trespassing complaint.

A hidden marijuana plot was found near the intersection of Nichols and Hillside Roads northwest of Hebron.

A concerned citizen had stumbled upon a campsite in the middle of the woods and startled two unidentified Hispanic males who then fled the area on foot.

Sheriff’s Deputies were unable to locate the offenders, but did locate two cleared out areas in the dense woods that were being prepared for the planting of this illicit crop.

Two Hispanic men ran from the pot farm. Photo of tent from Sheriff’s Department.

The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit was called in to process the scene and recovered approximately 2,000 cannabis sativa seedlings, fertilizer, soil, hoses, food, water, and camping equipment.  Undersheriff Andrew Zinke estimates the street value of the plants at $1,000,000 (if harvested).

The Undersheriff would like to inform residents that as summer approaches, persons involved in growing cannabis head into rural areas to tend to crops of cannabis plants. In recent years the Narcotics Unit has recovered over 20,000 cannabis plants from outdoor cannabis grow operations. Typically these illicit crops are located in areas such as: swamps, corn fields, wooded areas, along rivers, and on rural rental properties with large acreages. Cannabis crops can be harvested as early as August and as late as the beginning of October.

Common indicators of outdoor cannabis grow operations include:

Photo of marijuana plants provided by the Sheriff’s Department.

• Abandoned vehicles parked on side roads or trails
• People observed walking in remote areas for no apparent reason
• Bags of fertilizer, planting trays or chemicals located in remote areas
• Well trampled trails in wooded or swamp areas
• Cleared out areas in swamps, wooded areas or corn fields
• Numerous signs appear out of nowhere indicating “No Trespassing”

Be aware that in some cases outdoor cannabis grows are guarded or protected by “booby” traps. If discovered, contact law enforcement immediately.

Do not enter the grow location, turn around and immediately leave the area the same way you came in.
Residents are encouraged to contact your local law enforcement to report suspected narcotic activity and other suspicious activity. Those wishing to remain anonymous can contact McHenry County Crime Stoppers at 1
-800-762-7867 (STOP).

= = = = =

Read about the 2008 unsolved marijuana plot on McHenry County Conservation District land here.

Read about the 2009 unsolved marijuana plot on McHenry County Conservation District land here.

Long-time Hebron Mayor Frank Beatty lost his office to newcomer John Jacobson.

The margin was 145-92. (The totals may change because of early and absentee ballots that are not including in these totals.)

Challenger John Jacobson beat Mayor Frank Beatty by about 50 votes.

Hebron’s Water Tower

A press release from the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office:

DEFENDANT TYWON WILLIAMS SENTENCED TO 15 YEARS IN THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS FOR ATTEMPTED ARMED ROBBERY

Louis A. Bianchi, McHenry County State’s Attorney, announces that 25 year old Tywon Williams, formerly of Winthrop Harbor, was sentenced to 15 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for the Class 1 offense of Attempted Armed Robbery.

On November 18, 2012, the Defendant, along with two accomplices, attacked and robbed the victim, Junious Norfleet, inside his Hebron apartment.

The Defendant along with two accomplices tied up Norfleet and demanded money.

Norfleet was beaten and suffered injuries to his face, the back of his head, and back.

This case was investigated by the Hebron Police Department.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorneys Robert Zalud and David Metnick.

4-H is having its annual banquet in Hebron on Monday, October 15th.

The details are below:

McHenry County 4-H Youth Foundation

Crandall’s All you can eat Chicken Dinner Fundraiser

Monday, October 15 from 4-8 PM

Look for the chicken in front of Crandall’s on Route 31 north of Route 173.

Tickets are $15 and available at the Extension office or at the door

Eat in or Carry-out

Come support our county 4-H program!

At Crandall’s in Hebron

I found the following information on the Chicago Tribune’s Real Estate page on the internet.

It has an interative map of McHenry County (and all other parts of the six-county Chicago metropolitan area) that tells what has happened to real estate values in municipalies with enough sales from which to pull statistics.

Changes in home prices in McHenry County over the last five years (2007-2012). Only Lakewood homes increase in value.

Code for the map above.

In McHenry County, I was surprised that homes in my village of Lakewood (a suburb of Crystal Lake) have held their value better than anywhere else.

• Lakewood: +17.65% with current median value at $353,250. (Our home is a bit below average.)
• Crystal Lake: -32.98% with median value at $157,500
• Huntley: -39.59%, median at $193,000
• Lake in the Hill: -34.08%, median at $147,000
• Algonquin: -25%, median at $147,000
• Cary: -39.77%, median at $156,000
• Fox River Grove: -42.609%, median at $154,750
• Oakwood Hills: -18&%, median at $164,000
• Island Lake: -30.06, median at $114,000
• Holiday Hills: -100%, but median given at $0, so obviously there is a glitch in the data
• Woodstock: -42.14$, median at $136,000
• McHenry: -31%, median $138,000
• Lakemoor: -29.37%, median $117,250
• Johnsburg: -48.38, median $175,000
• Wonder Lake: -27.13%, median $119,500
• Ringwood: -19,2%, median $201,000
• Richmond: -36.45%, median $197,000
• Spring Grove: -33.52, median $232,500
• Marengo: -42.65%, median $117,000
• Union: -1.59%, median $310,000 (something seems a bit wonky with the median average number)
• Harvard: -50.5%, median $99,000
• Hebron: -31.03%, median $130,000

Other communities have no information.

Maybe it’s a long sleeved tee shirt.

It’s Mother’s Day and you know your mother loves you.

Jesus loves you more, though.

"Jusus Loves You' is the message on this shirt, although the word "Love" is replaced with a heart.

When the young woman wearing this message walk into Crandall’s Restaurant in Hebron, I immediately knew I had to ask to take a photo.

As you can see, she gave permission.

The logo on the Blue Star Vineyard web site masthead.

This past weekend. John Hammerand was cast in an unfavorable light by a Northwest Herald article about the desire of the makers of Blue Star Wine to be allowed to serve customers and sell bottle of wine at the vineyard this past weekend.

Today, McHenry County Board member Barb Wheeler was the focus of a story on WBBM-Radio in which she promoted approval.

Focusing on the objection raised by Hammerand that the winery would essentially be a bar with no limits on the amount of wine sold by the glass, the WBBM story said,

“Blue Star would have to agree not to be a bar, which Wheeler says has already happened.”

Hammerand put his objections in writing, which you can see below:

Winery?

My wife and I have visited many wineries, including California’s Napa Valley, Iowa’s Amana Colonies, Illinois and Wisconsin, and we have enjoyed them.

John Hammerand

On these Wine tasting visits it was always very clear I was not in a Tavern. For one thing the quantities were just a taste – a small quantity – and usually limited to 4-6 ounces per day.In the new proposed ordinance for McHenry County, the wine will be sold by the glass in unlimited quantities. And to make it more interesting, you can buy fortified wines. The process of Fortification raises the alcohol content between 18 – 20 percent alcohol with the addition of spirits to the wine. This — on top of the wine’s natural 17% alcohol content means they could be serving a drink of 74 proof – by the glass.

How does this differ from a tavern?

You might say, it’s the hours of operation. But 6 a.m. to Midnight? Maybe closing an hour early makes it winery, not a tavern.

A Tavern has to be located in Business Zoning. The proposed ordinance does not consider zoning. The process will be handled by a Conditional Use Zoning Petition. and it may be located anywhere outside of municipalities in the County. Many people refer to this as “Spot Zoning” – not a good zoning practice and, in fact, not in compliance with the intent of our recently adopted 2030 Plan.

Maybe it is a Winery and not a Tavern because it is Agri-Tourism. But putting a Tavern in an agricultural area does not make it agriculture.

As the newspaper reported, a majority of the liquor commission opposed requiring local grapes.

I don’t understand how this is Agri-Tourism?

Do we not have grapes, apples, pears, strawberries in the bountiful harvest of McHenry County, hoping to be turned into a local product and keeping our agricultural heritage intact?

In case the McHenry County grape harvest is insufficient because of drought or too much rain, the Director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture could allow grapes to be brought in.

So I have many questions and I hope you do too. It will be discussed in a vote taken to move it on to the County Board Tomorrow, April 10th in the Administration Building at 11:00 a.m.

John Hammerand

Chairman,

McHenry County Liquor & License Committee

p.s. Here’s a letter from a constituent who actually lives in the area affected.

Hammerand also shares a letter he received from a Hebron woman, which you can see below:

Hi John and Cheryl,

Happy Easter!

I have read the article in today’s paper.

I guess you should have told me, or perhaps I should have asked, what the real issues were when you asked me what I thought about having a winery in our area.

If approving this thing allows for bars/taverns to just pop up willy-nilly, I would be against it. If that can be written out of the proposal, it should be.

I have nothing against a nice winery, such as we see on TV, a place to go learn about raising grapes, making wine, what various wines are used for and taste like. That seems “refined,” and safe. It would attract people who have money, and who drink responsibly. It would be a good tourist attraction.

As far as it being a problem for zoning, isn’t it a problem for zoning on either side of your committee/board decision? They have to go through zoning – is your acquiescence a yes vote for zoning, don’t they have their own issues?

I totally support you on any issues you think are dangerous. I understand that what your opponent said sounds a lot like she is trying to bully you.

The thing about using only grapes grown here can be defined somehow – limiting what can be brought in, and some kind of permission from our county Farm Service Agency could be worked out, for instance them defining what would consist of a crop failure that necessitated importing produce. And, the company might want to achieve a certain taste in a wine by adding some exotic-tasting grape that cannot be grown here.

I am not a drinker – but “a little wine for the stomach’s sake” might be something I might do someday. I have a glass or wine or a can of beer three or four times a year at most, and I do not mind if someone else drinks responsibly.

But I surely hate drunk driving – and anything that would encourage or allow it.

You may quote me or use any of my letter if you would find it helpful.

Sincerely,

Carol Hansen

The front page article.

Way down in the bottom right hand corner of this page is news of the Nygren home sale.

There is some irony that McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren made the Northwest Herald two times Thursday, January 20th.

On the front page is its story about the seemingly exculpatory letter from the FBI.

On the last page with news in the Real Estate section is information under a Woodstock heading saying that he and his wife sold their Hebron home.

You can find the details on the home sale here.

Right after he was sworn in, Keith Nygren and his wife sold their Hebron home for $250,000 to Marengo’s Bryan Krause.

Nygren is still registered at the Hebron address.

The Nygrens took a $13,000 loss in the sale, according to the purchase information found below. They paid $263,000 for the house to John Jacobson.

Nygren Green Party opponent Gus Philpott has additional information on his Woodstock Advocate.