McHenry County Blog

Seeman Road runs north from Harmony-Huntley Road.

To All Concerned McHenry County Citizens,

Yesterday I received an email from Michael Musgrave, one of the members in our network.

Two teens tried to break into Michael’s house (after midnight) Saturday night (April 27th).

Fortunately, Michael was home in the yard at the time.

This attempted burglary happened on Seeman Road in Huntley. I left Michael’s letter to me attached below for you to read.

I am happy to report that because of Michael’s alarm system and surveillance cameras, the teens were not successful, and Michaels cameras picked up two photos of one of the teen boys.

If you know this teen, please contact the McHenry County Sheriff’s office as this attempted burglary occurred in the unincorporated area of Huntley.

Stay safe, stay vigilant,
Kristin Ottolino

Below is the letter from the resident of the home:

Kristin: last night we had some kids try to gain entry to the house a little after midnight.

We had friends over and were in the back yard around the bon fire, the kids snuck up from the road and we have them on camera looking in all the cars (presumably for anything sitting out they could grab and dash with).

At one point one of them brazenly walked up to the front door (picture attached).

First photo of teens caught on camera on Seeman Road in Marengo.

They did get into the garage because the side door was unlocked, and we think they got spooked and ran off when they tried to open the interior door and the alarm system chimed.

My partner saw them when they were running off, and was able to chase after them, but couldn’t catch up with them.

This afternoon two 15-ish year old boys were hanging around at the end of our driveway checking out our place and our neighbor across the road, they took off when they realized we saw them.

One was shaggy dirty blonde, the other was short red head.

A second picture of the same teen.

The deputy thinks it was the same kids from last night, and probably the same kids involved in other area thefts.

When we were out looking for them last night, we think they were in a car that turned unto Ridge Lane off of Church Road (just west of Seeman Rd).

The kids on bikes today also turned onto Ridge Ln. today (we followed them at a distance).

Michael Musgrave

Newcomer Ronda Goldman led the Huntley Trustee race Tuesday.

The results without the early and absentee ballots having been added follow:

• Ronda Goldman – 1,366
• John Piwko – 1,300
• JR Westberg – 1,270
• Jay Kadakia -1,189

Huntley Trustee candidates JR Westberg, John Piwko and Ronda Goldman carried the McHenry County part of Huntley.

In Kane County, Ronda Goldman, Jay Kadakia and John Piwko won the most votes.

Those who wish to fill seats on the Huntley Village Board will be in Sun City tonight.

Just a note to let Huntley residents know what they can hear candidates for Village office on
in Sun City on Monday, March 25th, 6:30.

Ronda Goldman greeted voters at the Huntley Expo. Husband Alan accompanied her.

Had not I been knocking on doors in support of candidates when the Huntley Expo was going on, I might have taken this photograph myself.

But I didn’t.  Huntley Village Trustee candidate Ronda Goldman sent it.

She also emailed the following comments:

“I would like to thank everyone who stopped by my campaign booth on Saturday and Sunday.

“I had a lot of visitors who expressed interest in my mission and goals and support for my desire to be a trustee in Huntley.

“It was an interesting experience as this is the first time I have run for a public office.

“I noted that many seniors attended the Expo on Saturday and that families with young children came on Sunday.

“It also appeared that the Saturday visitors seemed to come from Huntley and that yesterday’s attendees came from diverse places such as Marengo, Cary, Crystal Lake, Hampshire, Hebron, etc.

“Kudos to the Huntley Chamber of Commerce for organizing a wonderful well-attended event.”

Ronda S. Goldman
Candidate for Huntley Trustee(Independent)

Joe Walsh spoke to a meeting of the Huntley Tea Party Wednesday night.

Here’s a photo of former Congressman Joe Walsh talking to a crowd of Huntley Area Tea Party members at the Huntley Park District building.

A press release from the Huntley Tea Party:

Meet and interact with former Congressman Joe Walsh

Hear more about what’s going on out there from someone who knows.

Joe Walsh ran a great, hard fought campaign for re-election to Congress.

Joe Walsh spoke with notes the last time he appeared before the Huntley Area Tea Party.

We congratulate him for conducting a principled campaign, focusing on key issues facing our country.

Joe urged us all to act like grownups, acknowledge our financial crisis, and take the necessary steps to fix our current problems in all of America’s best interests; especially those of our children and grandchildren.

Joe will be joining us on Wednesday, February 20 at 7:00 PM to discuss the U.S. Congress, Republican strategies for negotiating and dealing with Democrats on taxes, spending, government expansion and more.

He will tell us how we citizens can help influence these important issues and events.

We can count on an open and frank discussion with Joe Walsh, and plenty of time for some Q & A!

Plan to be here Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Gather in 6:30pm – Program start 7:00pm

HUNTLEY PARK DISTRICT
12015 Mill Street (Just west of Route 47)
Huntley, IL 60142

Ronda S. Goldman has sent out an introductory letter in her campaign to gain a seat on the Huntley Village Board:

Ronda Goldman

“I am announcing my candidacy for trustee of the Village of Huntley.

“I love where I live and I want to ensure that the structure and organization of our local government continue to deliver the quality services our residents have been receiving.

“I believe in the three principles of leadership:

• effective communication,
• mutual cooperation, and
• reasonable compromise.

“I have followed these three C’s in my career and organizational involvement.

“Presently, I am

• a member of Huntley’s Zoning Board of Appeals,
• Vice-President of the Huntley Civilian Police Academy,
• Vice-President of the Huntley Historical Society,
• a member of the Huntley Chamber of Commerce,
• member of Sun City’s Lions Club,
• Sun City’s Marketing Committee,
• Sun City’s Life Long Learning Committee, and
• also take classes at MCC.

“I sat on School District 158′s Financial Advisory Committee until this fall when the committee was dissolved.

“I retired six years ago from the Chicago Public School System as the High School Special Education Administrator on the northside where I supervised 500 teachers and 5000 students.

“I re-retired two years ago from a consulting position.

“All of these activities demonstrate a diversity and familiarity with Huntley’s governance and the community as well as leadership positions.

“There are four areas I intend to concentrate on when elected April 9th:

• Maintain fiscal conservatism as a responsibility to Huntley’s residents
• Work with the Village to bring expanded commercial, retail, housing, and job growth
• Effect a balance tween new development and historic preservation
• Liaison with local counties, townships, the Chamber, and other organizations

“I invite everyone to stop by my booth at the Huntley Chamber Expo on Saturday, February 23rd and Sunday, February 24th to meet me.”

Ronda S. Goldman
“A New Voice For Huntley”
1st on the ballot

The Woodstock Institute, based in Chicago, has analyzed mortgage foreclosures and foreclosure auctions in the metropolitan area and released the results.

The number of real estate auctions in McHenry County doubled.  Most–90%–were purchased by the lender.

Foreclosure auctions in Chicagoland.. “REO” means “Real Estate Owned” and indicates when the lender buys the property.

The Woodstock Institute’s Spencer Cowan explains the increase this way:

“We saw a precipitous drop in foreclosure auctions while the robosigning scandal was being investigated. Now that the case has been settled with new standards for foreclosure processes in place, servicers are working through the backlog. This will almost certainly lead to an influx of vacant properties on the market.”

Foreclosures in McHenry County increase by 8% to 3,024.

Foreclosure filings also increased, but nowhere close to as dramatically.

An eight percent hike was found.

There were breakouts for foreclosures in McHenry County’s largest towns

• Algonquin
• Crystal Lake
• Huntley
• Lake in the Hills
• McHenry
• Woodstock

You can see them below:

Foreclosure activity in Crystal Lake and Lake in the Hills seems to have stabilized.  The increases there are 2.4% and 5%, respectively.

The rates for the other big towns are as high as 45%.  Put in descending order of percentage increase the rates for the municipalities for which date are available follow:

• Woodstock – 45.1%
• Huntley – 43.9%
• McHenry – 31.5%
• Algonquin – 26.4%
• Lake in the Hills- 5%
• Crystal Lake – 2.4%

This is a continuation of Stephen Willson’s critique of the $42 million health club/classroom expansion proposed by the McHenry County College Board.

Proposition 3: But Centegra’s new hospital in Huntley will create a lot of jobs.

Response: Centegra will fill those jobs before MCC’s new program produces graduates.

Centegra Hospital plans to open a new 128 bed hospital in Huntley in 2016. MCC’s own timeline for this project shows their new, expanded program opening the winter semester of 2015.

The first students will graduate from the proposed new program after Centegra has finished its initial hiring.

Proposition 4: MCC’s students can work in the surrounding counties.

Response: Other area community colleges all have their own health sciences programs.

When challenged to justify a program that is projected to produce students far in excess of local demand, MCC President Vicky Smith said, “There will be jobs not only in McHenry County, but in Kane, Cook, Boone and Lake Counties. We would have some programs that no other community college has in our surrounding area.”

This is false.

Every neighboring community college has a health sciences program.

Elgin Community College offers certificate and degree programs in

• nursing (RN),
• nurse’s assistance,
• lab technology,
• phlebotomy,
• histotechnology,
• surgical technology,
• radiography,
• dental assistant, and
• physical therapy.

They have about 1,000 students in their programs.

Harper College has eleven different programs with over 1,000 students.

Rock Valley Community College offers programs in nursing, dental hygiene, surgical technology and respiratory care.

It is unrealistic to expect surplus graduates of an ambitious program at MCC to find jobs in neighboring communities.

The marketing presentation does not address other area community college programs at all.

= = = = =

The following are running for the three open spots on the McHenry County College Board:

• William Scott Alford, Wonder Lake, received December 19
• Chris Jenner, Cary, received December 26, 2012
• Carol Larson, Harvard, received December 17
• Erik Sivertsen, McHenry, received December 26, 2012
• Mike Smith, Village of Lakewood, received December 17
• Molly Walsh, Crystal Lake, received December 21
• Barbara Walters, McHenry, received December 26, 2012
• Arne Waltmire, McHenry, received December 17
• Thomas Wilbeck, Lakewood, received December 26, 2012

Incumbents are Carol Larson and Barbara Walters.

Rest assured I shall ask each whether they will vote to sell bonds without asking voters for permission first.

More tomorrow.

= = = = =

See Part 1 here.

See Part 2 here.

See Part 3 here.

See Part 4 here.

Charles Sass

The office of Mayor and three Trustees are up for election next April.

Village President Charles Sass has filed for re-election.

The Trustees whose terms are expiring are

• John Piwko
• Ron Hahn
• Pam Fender

Fender is running in the Republican Primary Election for Grafton Township Supervisor.

Filing so far for Village Trustee are

• John Piwko
• Ronda Goldman
• Jay Kadakia

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.