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Algonquin Township Board Appoints Russell Cardelli as Township Trustee

May 16, 2012 By: Cal Skinner Category: Algonquin Township, Chuck Lutzow, Joe Powalowski, Russell Cardelli, Tom McDermott, Township Government, Township Trustee

The Algonquin Township Board last summer.

Word from the Algonquin Township meeting is that Russell Cardelli of Algonquin was named to replace Joe Powalowski, who resigned.

Russell Cardelli

I interviewed Cardelli about the interviewing process.

“I was a little surprised.

“It seemed one of the other guys had been a trustee (Chuck Lutzow) and was a little better qualified.

Referring to Tom McDermott, Vice Chairman of the Algonquin Township Republican Central Committee, Cardelli said, “I just assumed someone like that would get the position.”

Asked what Township Trustees do, Cardelli said townships maintain the roads, they try to save the taxpayers money, they re-cycle old wood chips and give them away, among other things.

Cardelli has been a carpenter-contractor for thirty-five years in Algonquin, Lake in the Hills and Crystal Lake, and more recently “all over place.”

The five candidates not selected were

  • Robert Abraham, Lake In The Hills
  • Charles A. Lutzow, Crystal Lake
  • Thomas P. McDermott, Crystal Lake
  • Catherine Nash, Algonquin
  • Bob Simpson from Crystal Lake

Two More Apply for Trustee Vacancy on Algonquin Township Board

May 02, 2012 By: Cal Skinner Category: Algonquin Township, Algonquin Township Trustee, Dianne Klemm, Joe Powalowski, Township Trustee

More contestants have popped up for the Algonquin Township Trustee position left open when Joe Powalowski resigned.

A meeting of the Algonquin Township Board.

The two are

  • Bob Simpson from Crystal Lake
  • Russell Cardelli from Algonquin

The deadline for filing applications was April 30th.

The appointment will be made by Algonquin Township Supervisor Dianne Klemm. It will have to be approved by the Algonquin Township Board.

Others who have applied for the Trustee slot are

  • Robert Abraham, Lake In The Hills
  • Charles A. Lutzow, Crystal Lake
  • Thomas P. McDermott, Crystal Lake
  • Catherine Nash, Algonquin

The pay for the last year of the term for Trustees will be $2,290.

All township positions throughout McHenry County will be up for election next spring.

Joe Powalowski Resignation Opens Spot on Algonquin Township Board

April 14, 2012 By: Cal Skinner Category: Algonquin Township, Appointment, Joe Powalowski, Township Trustee

Want to get started in politics?

Algonquin Township Map

If you live in Algonquin Township and would like to try to start a political career, there is a vacancy on the Algonquin Township Board.

Algonquin Township Trustee Joe Powalowski, who was the only Pro-Life Democrat ever to run against me in the 1990′s, has unexpected resigned with almost a year left on his term of office.

Joe Powalowski poses with the sign for himself and Neils Sorensen. Algonquin's Sorensen died while in office and was replaced by Dan Shea of Fox River Grove.

Powalowski is an appointed Republican Precinct Committeeman and served as a Cary Village Trustee prior to being elected to the Algonquin Township Trustee.

Three years ago, some Democrats challenged the Algonquin Township GOP candidates. The Republicans won.

While Powalowski ran last among the GOP Trustee candidates, he got 700 more votes than the nearest Democorat.

Township Supervisor Dianne Klemm is asking those who would like the seat to send resumes by April 30th.

They can be mailed to the township office (3702 U.S. Highway 14, Crystal Lake, IL 60014) or emailed to supervisor@algonquintownship.com.

Because Powalowski was elected as a Republican, only those with a GOP primary voting record can be considered.

Residence in the township is also a requirement.

More information can be obtained from Klemm at 847-639-2700.

Next February there will be a primary election to decide who will be on the Republican ticket for the April, 2013, general election.

Algonquin Township officials and their home towns follow:

  • Supervisor Dianne Klemm, Crystal Lake
  • Road Commissioner Bob Miller, Cary
  • Assessor Bob Kunz, Fox River Grove
  • Clerk Marc Munaretto, Algonquin
  • Trustee Lowell Cutsforth, Fox River Grove
  • Trustee Linda Lance, Algqonuin
  • Trustee Dan Shea, Fox River Grove

Township Republicans Survive Democratic Push

April 07, 2009 By: Cal Skinner Category: Barack Obama, Joe Powalowski, Kelvin Jennings, Meredith Reid Sarkees, Neils Sorensen, Pew Survey

In the very few partisan elections—all townships—Republican Party candidates brushed aside the challenge from Obama-energized Algonquin and Nunda Township Democrats.

In McHenry and Dorr Townships no Democrats filed.

Dorr Township Green Party candidate Frank Wedig was competitive, running 158 votes behind the lowest Republican, Joseph Evanoff. Wedig had 84% of the votes of the lowest Republican vote getter. (That is the margin prior to adding in absentee and early voting results, which were not tremendous this election.)

Running enough candidates to take control of the Algonquin Township Board, the highest Democrat, Robert Frank, was behind the lowest Republican, Joe Powalowski, by 770 votes prior to adding in the absentee and early votes.

Frank had just over 77% of the votes received by Powalowski.

In Nunda Township, before folding in the absentee and early votes, the highest Democratic Party candidate, Meridith Sarkees, was trailing the bottom Republican, Kelvin Jennings by 473 votes.

The ratio was a bit less than 4-3 in the Republicans’ favor.

The reason might be that the Democrats’ township candidates could not muster the enthusiasm that Barack Obama did.

The disparity in national popularity poll results may have also helped motivate local Republicans. Pew Survey results release yesterday show that 88% of Democrats are pleased with their new president’s performance, but only 27% of Republicans agree. The disparity is 61 percentage points—“the most polarized in modern times.”

That polarization may have helped motivated Republicans to the polls locally as a way to push back at November’s national Democratic victory.

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That’s Powalowski in my driveway holding his and Neils Sorensen’s sign on top. Nunda Township Democratic Party Trustee candidate Patrick Murfin can be seen asking for a vote below.

Prediction: Linda Lance Will Get Most Votes for Algonquin Township Trustee in My Precinct

April 06, 2009 By: Cal Skinner Category: Algonquin Township, Algonquin Township Trustee, Joe Powalowski, Linda Lance, Lowell Cutsforth, Niels Sorensen

A couple of weeks ago I let the four candidates for Algonquin Township Trustee know that I was going to knock on doors in my Algonquin 7 precinct.

I asked for literature to distribute.

Only Linda Lance supplied me with something. You can see it below.


Lance was kind enough to include the names of her running mates at the bottom of her piece. And she points out that none of the Democratic Party challengers has attended a township meeting.

Boy, that’s something I would have stressed in a pamphlet.

I don’t know whether the failure to provide literature by the township candidates is an indication they thought too few GOP precinct committeemen would do anything with it to make it worthwhile to produce it or what.

After working about half of my precinct, I came home for more literature and discovered this post card in the mail box:


It was paid for by candidate Lowell Cutsforth.

So, pushing myself to finish the 225-home CCAPOA precinct Saturday, so I could avoid what I expected to be a rain and show-filled Sunday, I got to all but a handful of homes on by block.

And, I got to meet some new people, too. It’s my experience that, knocking on doors pretty much every election, I can meet someone from every household over about a five-year cycle. After yesterday’s experience, I would conclude that Saturday is the best day this century.

On Sunday, I opened the Northwest Herald, which finally started arriving 12 days after I signed up at the Crystal Lake Expo.

And, there, as if coordinated with the Saturday postcard was an eighth-page ad, which you can see below:

The Democrats started early, popping up signs in Algonquin 25, a precinct between McHenry Avenue and my precinct, which votes at Lundahl Junior High.

Its Democratic Party precinct committeeman, Maurice Hill, has to be the most energetic one in Crystal Lake, perhaps in the whole county. This could be Hill’s precinct letter, but maybe it’s just addressed to fellow Democrats.

Next, in mid-March. came the first direct mail of the campaign.

The campaign claimed to be making at least a thousand phone calls.

The Dems say they are going door-to-door and being greeted “with enthusiasm.” The post does not indicate whether the canvassers are talking to just Democrats or knocking on doors or independents and Republicans as well.

The Republican candidates for township trustee have signs, too.

But there are two of them.

Linda Lance and Lowell Cutsforth share a sign. One name is on one side and the other on the other.

Running mates Joe Powalowski and Neils Sorensen share another one. Both of their names are on each side, but in smaller print.

I wonder why the four do not have had joint yard signs.

I do remember that hard-working Democrat Lake in the Hills Trustee Paula Jensen beat out John Jung in a campaign in which Jung and running mate Virginia Peschke did not run a joint campaign.

Will history repeat itself, as the Democrats hope.

And, it looks like I’m wrong.

There is a joint sign for the “A” Team on McHenry Avenue near Route 14.

This is the only one I have seen.

There’s even a yard sign for unopposed Algonquin Township Road Commissioner Bob Miller.

Maybe there are more “A” Team signs for the Republican township trustees in Cary, where there is a huge Working Cash bond referendum.

Algonquin Township Rolls Out Literature

March 22, 2009 By: Cal Skinner Category: Algonquin Township, Algonquin Township Republican Central Committee, Bob Kunz, Bob Miller, Dianne Klemm, Joe Powalowski, Linda Lance, Lowell Cutsforth, Marc Munaretto, Niels Sorensen

“Traditional” might be the best way to describe literature being rolled out by the Algonquin Township candidates at the Crystal Lake Expo this weekend.

It’s pretty much a straight name ID piece with a group photo of all the candidates on the front and head shots and names on the back.

No reason offered to vote for the candidates unless the words

  • Experience
  • Integrity
  • Dedication

and the phrase

Local Government Service at the Lowest Possible Cost

motivates you to vote Republican.

Two of the candidates, Linda Lance and Lowell Cutsforth were manning the Algonquin Township Republican Central Committee’s booth at the Crystal Lake Expo.

Each of them had signs.

The other two candidates, Joe Powalowski and Neils Sorensen, did not.

All are incumbent Algonquin Township Trustees.

Click to enlarge the images.

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For those of you who don’t know much about townships, they perform three basic functions: assessing, road maintenance in unincorporated areas and hand out local welfare, called General Assistance. Crystal Lake is in four townships. The two major ones are Algonquin and Nunda. The horizontal dividing line is Crystal Lake Avenue. The western part of Crystal Lake (west of our home in Lakewood on Meridian Street, in fact, is Grafton Township. The far Northwestern corner is in Woodstock-dominated Dorr Township.)

Algonquin Township Democrats Activate Trustee Campaign

March 14, 2009 By: Cal Skinner Category: Bob Frank, Frank Hyden, James McTague, Joe Powalowski

For any Algonquin Township Republicans thinking that local Democrats are going to be satisfied with just having three names on the ballot for township trustee, think again.

Showing up in Crystal Lake on and west of McHenry Avenue south of Route 14 are signs—many signs—like the one you see above.

At first I thought it might be for High School District 155′s board.

Looking closer, it’s obvious it’s for Algonquin Township.

The names on the yard sign are Frank, Hyden and McTague.

If any incumbent, except appointed incumbent Joe Powalowski did any campaigning in the Republican primary election, I didn’t see it. Powalowski sent out a post card that arrived the Saturday before the election.

Perhaps Republicans need to be reminded that three votes can control the township board.

I don’t know what that means these days, but it might be interesting to watch.

Incumbents Rule in Algonquin Township Trustee Race

February 25, 2009 By: Cal Skinner Category: Joe Powalowski, Linda Lance, Lowell Cutsworth, Mark Guerra, Niels Sorensen

With four township trustees to be elected in Algonquin Township and five candidates, the incumbents called the day.

Even though challenger Mark Guerra had the best ballot position—right on top—he trailed second place Niels Sorensen by 58 votes.

There were very few voters.

Here are the results:

  • Linda Lance – 464
  • Joe Powalowski – 461
  • Lowell Cutsforth – 454
  • Niels Sorensen – 451
  • Mark Guerra – 392

Note that the female candidate ran first.

Powalowski sent out a post card, the only campaign material I saw in the contest.

There Is a Campaign in Algonquin Township

February 21, 2009 By: Cal Skinner Category: Algonquin Township, Joe Powalowski, John Opatrny, Republican Primary Election, Ted Wagner

Amazing.

I have heard nothing about the contest for Algonquin Township Trustee until today.

It’s Saturday. The Republican primary election is Tuesday.

Five people are running for four spots.

I get the mail and there is a very basic post card from appointed incumbent Trustee Joe Powalowski.

The last trustee candidates to mail out a postcard were Ted Wagner (now president of the Crystal Lake District 155 High School Board) and John Opatrny.

Both won, defeating incumbents.

There Is a Campaign in Algonquin Township

February 21, 2009 By: Cal Skinner Category: Algonquin Township, Joe Powalowski, John Opatrny, Republican Primary Election, Ted Wagner

Amazing.

I have heard nothing about the contest for Algonquin Township Trustee until today.

It’s Saturday. The Republican primary election is Tuesday.

Five people are running for four spots.

I get the mail and there is a very basic post card from appointed incumbent Trustee Joe Powalowski.

The last trustee candidates to mail out a postcard were Ted Wagner (now president of the Crystal Lake District 155 High School Board) and John Opatrny.

Both won, defeating incumbents.