McHenry County Blog

The rumor has been going around that Shawn Green, a former President of the Huntley School Board, may run in the Republican primary for McHenry County Board.

When I saw him at the McHenry Country Club Republican Party Play Day, I asked.

The answer was, “Probably.”

I asked if I could put that in an article. His answer: “Probably.”

I told him he only got one “probably.”

Green lives in Coral Township, which is in the most rural County Board district.

Northwest Herald reporter Kevin Craver, who is the paper’s County Board reporter, mentions an interesting aspect of District 6 politics in his response to Board Chairman Ken Koehler’s response to Craver’s complaint about Koehler’s and several members’ having violated the Open Meetings Act during the reapportionment process.

I reprint that portion of the Craver letter sent to the Illinois Attorney General’s Public Access Counselor below:

Note especially the third paragraph about possible implications for “growth politics” in McHenry County:

“One of the proposed changes in the alternative map would have put several heavily developed prprecincts–in a town where population jumped 324 percent in a decade from 5,730 residents to to more than 24,000–into a district that is predominantly farmland and open space.  Sever of the private meetings attendees have significant real estate and land development interests.  Likewise, the district’s four representatives have historically fought encroaching development.”

I missed a good meeting of the Nunda Township Republican Central Committee earlier this month.

Besides the main speaker, newly-appointed State Rep. Kent Gaffney, other candidates were present to announce their candidacies.

McHenry County Board member Barb Wheeler was one of them. She is running for State Representative in the district that runs from my Crystal Lake-Lakewood precinct to Antioch in northern Lake County.

There is no incumbent living in this 64th District.  Mike Tryon, who is State Representative in the current 64th District has chosen to remain in his current home, which is not within the boundaries of the new 64th District.

Mary Donner and Nick Provenzano, the two other Republican incumbent County Board members, announced their candidacies for re-election.

The other County Board member from District 3 is Democrat Kathy Bergan Schmidt.

Three people appeared seeking to join the two GOP incumbents.

They are Lyn Orphal, who represented District 2 until she was knocked off by Donna Kurtz last year. Orphal’s precinct, just south of East Crystal Lake Avenue west of Route 31, was moved into District 3. She attended the County Board meeting when the new lines were approved.

John O’Neill, now a member of both the McHenry Grade School District and the McHenry Library Board, plus being the only one brave enough to challenge Democratic Party State Rep. Jack Franks, announced he was going to run for County Board in 2012.

Rounding out the trio of those seeking County Board seats was Nunda Township Trustee James Schlader. Schlader ran unsuccessfully for County Board in 2008, getting a bit over half the votes received by Donner and Provenzano. Kurt Milliman, recently murdered, ran in the same primary and got about the same proportion of votes.  He was elected Nunda Township Trustee in 2009.

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The photo of Kent Gaffney is by Robin F. Pendergast, Inc.

Getting photos of McHenry Elementary School and Library Board member John O’Neill taken at McHenry’s Fiesta Days Parade reminds me that I was in Joplin at my nieces wedding when he announced.

O’Neill was the only Republican brave enough to take on Democrat Jack Franks. While Franks won, the Democrat certainly took notice of O’Neill. The Spring Grove precincts O’Neill won were put in another state rep. district by Franks during reapportionment.

In any event, here is O’Neill’s announcement of candidacy:

John O’Neill Announces Candidacy for County Board
Makes Fiscal Responsibility, Responsive Government Top Priorities

McHenry, IL – In the upcoming 2012 Republican primary election, John O’Neill has announced his candidacy to run for one of four seats up for election in McHenry County Board District 3.

Currently a member of

• the Board of Education for McHenry Elementary School District #15 and
• the Board of Trustees for the McHenry Library District,

O’Neill has fought for taxpayers of McHenry, casting the lone vote against accepting stimulus money for the library renovation project. O’Neill is committed to continuing the fight on the county level.

“Through policies of fiscal restraint and working with state and judicial representatives to ensure that any future trials of public officials do not result in taxpayers being saddled with outrageous legal fees,” O’Neill said, “we can work to maintain McHenry County’s AAA Bond Rating – one of only two counties with such a rating in the State of Illinois.”

O’Neill also made responsive government a central focus of his campaign.

“The County Board represents the whole of McHenry County. Sensitivity must be shown to the rights and desires of residents in the unincorporated areas of the county to maintain their communities the way in which they see fit.”

O’Neill continued, “The residents of McHenry County deserve a representative on the County Board who will stand up for their desires.”

John lives in McHenry with his wife Barbara and their children. They have been involved in numerous community activities such as the McHenry Baseball Association, Knights of Columbus Council #1288, and Boy Scout Troop #131.

Now that Democrat State Rep. Jack Franks has dumped the Spring Grove precincts he lost to Republican John O’Neill, Franks has no need to press the flesh prior to the next election.

When you’re part of the majority, a representative can keep the parts of his district where he did well and get rid of the precincts he lost.

So, Spring Grove is no longer in Franks’ new 63rd state representative district.

And Franks is skipping the parade.  Nothing else on his schedule on Independence Day.

John O’Neill, however, will be in the parade.

I checked with him and he says he plans to be in the Spring Grove parade on July 4th.

He will be there for Ray Chevrolet in Fox Lake and wants everybody to know that when you are looking for a vehicle,

“If you want a deal, see John O’Neill.” 

Hmm, whom would I rather have represent me in Springfield, a lawyer or a car salesman?

And in Congress, Melissa Bean or Joe Walsh?

And as President, Barack Obama or some Republican?

I’ll keep my John O’Neill bumper sticker.

OK. You got me.

It’s July 3rd.

And it wasn’t sweltering hot.  I found the shade most of the hour and a half 90-something entry parade.

The biggest political entry was Congressman Joe Walsh’s.

He followed Congressman Don Manzullo and his wife Freda, who rode in a convertible.

Between them was McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren.  If one did not recognize the Sheriff, one would not have known that he was in the parade.

Last year at parades there were Sheriff’s Department motorcyclists, a snow mobile, a community service vehicle, plus a convertible with identification signs on the sides in which the Sheriff rode.

There was an unmarked gray car that followed with a female officer. I’m not familiar enough with the patch she wore to know if she’s a Sheriff’s Deputy.

Can’t do a story without mentioning the Grand Marshall. After all she is the mother of McHenry County Board member Jim Heisler and Nunda Township Supervisor John Heisler.

Next came the Crystal Lake Lions huge flag. I only wish I had had a higher vantage point.

JA Frate’s Fallen Heroes semi-trailer paid appropriate honor to those who have defended our freedom.

Then the banner of Congressman Joe Walsh came down the hill.

A man with a bull horn said patriotic things.

Next came Congressman Walsh.  He was greeting people along the parade route, the only politician besides McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi to do so.

What you see below was not an isolated occurrence.  A number of people made the effort to reach out to Congressman Walsh.

Parents seemed please that Walsh did not ignore the future voters.

Marching music was playing from Joe Walsh’s parade vehicle and a line of girls were marching to its beat.

Walsh saw them and stepped over to clap in time with them.

The Congressman who has had his 8th District reapportioned out from under him did not ignore the ladies of voting age.

Some women were as enthusiastic to see him as the men above.

A blue-shirted lady nearby was not to be outdone. She also grasped Walsh’s hands and told him something.

Walsh was not the only member of the family greeting voters.

His wife Helene was pressing the flesh, too.

The truck from which the sound was coming contained that part of a mariachi band that needed a stable platform.

Ever since I heard my first mariachi band in the 1960′s, I always wished I had enough money to hire them for parades.  He hired the Ranchitos.  I hope he does it for every parade.

But that wasn’t all I noticed in the Joe Walsh contingent.

One of the rejected applicants to replace State Rep. Mark Beaubien, Nick Sauer, introduced himself. Since I didn’t have a picture of him, you can bet I pushed the button.

The Barrington School Board member was waving an American Flag at the end of the Walsh group.

I also spotted past Crystal Lake City Council candidate Mike Shorten.  He is now a  Nunda Township precinct committeeman.

The next political entry was a bicycle ridden by a man displaying signs for McHenry County Board member Donna Kurtz. (She tells me she and her mother, former State Rep. Rosemary Kurtz, were in the parade, but my eyes must have been elsewhere.)

The only County Board member I saw at the parade was Nunda Township’s District 3 member Mary Donner.

Looking very much as if he will be a candidate in the 2012 elections was McHenry County State’s attorney Lou Bianchi.

The political entry was the PTLAG contingent.

The acronym is short for “Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays.”  The group is a member of the coalition that convinced the Illinois General Assembly to enact the civil union legislation that took effect June 1st.

The next political group was the Jesse White Tumblers.

Before you get all bent out of shape, do remember that Secretary of State Jesse White did accompany his tumblers in one 4th of July Parade.

Coming near the end of the parade were the McHenry County Young Republicans.

McHenry County State Rep. and GOP Chairman Mike Tryon walked with the Young Republicans.

While State Rep. Mike Tryon marched with the Young Republicans, I didn’t see State Sen. Pam Althoff.

If newly picked State Rep. Kent Gaffney was in the contingent, I did not recognize him.

His new district will contain more votes in McHenry County than anywhere else.  About a third of Crystal Lake is in it.

A surprise addition was West Dundee Village Trustee Allen Skillicorn.

As I look at the contents of the photos, I see a delightful tee shirt.

It says,

“Honk if you hate red light cameras.“

That is relevant to McHenry County because Democrat Jack Franks was one of the sponsors of the bill to legalize this form of highway robbery.

And, although it has no political implications, the South Shore Drill Team brought up the rear of the parade.

The team was worth waiting for.

Almost forgot Crystal Lake’s politicians.

Mayor Aaron Shepley was not present, but City Clerk Nick Kachiroubas was.

So were two of the three women on the City Council, Ellen Brady Mueller and Cathy Ferguson.

And, finally, Councilman Ralph Dawson was seated comfortably in the back of a pickup truck.

The annual Pro-Life Pig Roast was held at Irene Napier’s Valley View Road farm northeast of Crystal Lake Sunday and there were candidates galore.

With Governor Pat Quinn’s having just signed the Democrats’ reapportionment bill for for congressional districts, the two incumbents living in the new 14th District showed up.

Joe Walsh, who lives between McHenry and Johnsburg, arrived first.

He worked the crowd, then spoke to it.

He and other elected officials were drafted to auction off donated items.

Randy Hultgren, from the DuPage County end of the new 14th District came with his family.

After speaking to those gathered, Hultgren also became a celebrity auctioneer.

State Senators Dan Duffy and Chris Lauzen told what was happening in Springfield.

Then, they were also impressed to be auctioneers.

Two people whose names have been mentioned as potential candidates for the Republican nomination for State Representative in the new 64th district, which is divided about 50-50 between McHenry County and Lake County were sighted.

Retiring McHenry County Board member Barb Wheeler was in attendance, as was McHenry Grade School and Library Board member John O’Neill.

Democrat State Rep. Jack Franks flattered O’Neill by removing the Spring Grove precincts where O’Neil beat him last year from the boundaries of his newly-drawn 63rd District.

Both are possibilities, as is attorney Joe Gottemoller.  Wheeler and Gottemoller have Crystal Lake addresses.  O’Neill lives in McHenry.

A potential candidate for the 8th congressional district is Rich Evans.

A CPA, Evans has contacts in the 8th District, although he now lives in Crystal Lake.

Incumbent 8th District Congressman Joe Walsh is not expected to run for re-election in the new district.

In addition to Barb Wheeler, three McHenry County Board
members were in attendance:

• John Hammerand of Woodstock,
• John Jung of Bull Valley and
• Nick Provenzano of McHenry

A potential candidate for District 6, former Huntley School Board President Shawn Green, attended with his toddler and pregnant wife Angela.

Other elected officials were also chowing down.

Included were

• McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi,
• Wonder Lake Fire Protection District Trustee Cheryl Hammerand, and
• Johnsburg School District Board member Steve Rooney.

Judge Michael Chmiel was there with his wife, Marie, a former McHenry County Board member.

Patriots United announced that Maria Rodriguez has been hired as Executive Director.

Out of the ordinary was the appearance of two guys not seeking office,

• physician Arie Friedman and
• former State Rep. candidate Dan Sugrue.

After his run against an incumbent Democrat in Lake County last year, Mike Madigan put the woman who beat him in a district with incumbent Republican Sid Mathias.  Any chance that Sugrue could win in the Green Oaks district where he lives is minimal.  He was elected the the village board his past spring, however.

Friedman ran in the 10th congressional district Republican primary against Robert Dold.  He has often spoken in public forms against Obamacare.

 

Patrick Miller, a member of the McHenry Grade School District 15 Board, is the most prominent person to fail to file a Statement of Economic Interest this spring.

The penalty is the forfeiture of his board seat.

Miller was part of the incumbent coalition that homeschooling Dad John O’Neill cracked in 2007 when he came in third beating, Miller ally Geoffrey Sponholtz.

There was no contest this year as Miller and two newcomers ran for four-year terms and O’Neill sought re-election to a two-year term.

Besides Miller, there was a Lakemoor Park and Recreation Department Advisory Board member, a Hebron police officer and a Greenwood Planning Commissioner who failed to file what I call the “None, None, None” form.  To say it does not reveal much information is a large understatement.

The letter from the State’s Attorney’s Office informing Miller than he has forfeited his office by not filing the Statement of Economic Interest follows:

That happened four years ago, too, when homeschoolers John O’Neill was elected to the McHenry Grade School Board and John Ryan won a District 300 seat.

This year, O’Neill was re-elected without opposition and Steve Rooney won a seat on the Johnsburg Unit School District 12 Board of Education.

John Ryan has moved out of Illinois and the woman appointed to replace him on the District 300 Board, Karen Plaza, the wife of Lake in the Hills Village President Ed Plaza, failed to win election to retain her seat.

Just got an email from former candidate for State Rep. John O’Neill concerning Illinois Senators wanting to pretend they are U.S. Senators. It concerns the Senator’s wanting Illinois agencies to comply with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

Below, the McHenry Grade School Board member, due to be re-elected today without opposition (that is, the same number of people are running for school board as there are number of vacancies), explains his position:

I am writing to urge SR92 not be passed.

Twenty years ago, in the early 1990s I had heard this UN Treaty being discussed on the radio and was in utter disbelief of what the broadcaster was discussing. I thought that perhaps the statements were being exaggerated at best or misrepresented at worst so I contacted the UN in New York and asked for a copy of the document to be mailed to me (this was before the internet had become so widely used), Upon receipt of the document, I read it and was outraged that any governmental or quasi-governmental entity would attempt to force doctrines upon parents which absolutely run counter to our society.

A few notable intrusions into how parents in a free society choose to raise our children are, as follows;

• Children would have the ability to choose their own religion while parents would only have the authority to give their children advice about religion.
• The best interest of the child principle would give the government the ability to override every decision made by every parent if a government worker disagreed with the parent’s decision.
• A child’s “right to be heard” would allow him (or her) to seek governmental review of every parental decision with which the child disagreed.
• According to existing interpretation, it would be illegal for a nation to spend more on national defense than it does on children’s welfare.
• Children would acquire a legally enforceable right to leisure.
• Christian schools that refuse to teach “alternative worldviews” and teach that Christianity is the only true religion “fly in the face of article 29″ of the treaty.
• Allowing parents to opt their children out of sex education has been held to be out of compliance with the CRC.
• Children would have the right to reproductive health information and services, including abortions, without parental knowledge or consent.
• Parents would no longer be able to administer reasonable spankings to their children.
• A murderer aged 17 years and 11 months and 29 days at the time of his crime could no longer be sentenced to life in prison.

Please, before voting for this horrible UN Treaty based on a benign sounding name or what you may have heard about it in the media or from your own legislative leaders, download and read the treaty text for yourself available at http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/pdf/crc.pdf and decide if giving up the rights of parents to raise their children as they see fit should be supplanted and the state or the UN should enforce its own ideas of how a child should be raised.

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is a terrible document which, if adopted in our state or nation would seriously strip away parental rights.

Rather than focusing on taking away the rights of parents to raise their children as they see fir, I would love it if the Illinois State General Assembly would work on repairing the economy and bringing back jobs to our great state.

Thank you,
John O’Neill

O’Neill even supplies the email addresses of the Senators, compliments of State Senator Dan Duffy’s web site:

The Executive Committee which is voting on this United Nations Treaty tomorrow is comprised of the following members, please call them and let them know that you do not want this treaty to be approved by the committee.

The Illinois Senate’s Executive Committee:  Sen. Don Harmon, Chairman (217) 782-8176 Sen. Ira Silverstein, Vice Chair (217) 782-5500 Sen. James Clayborne, Jr. (217) 782-5399 Sen. Maggie Crotty (217) 782-9595 Sen. John Cullerton (217) 782-2728 Sen. Kimberly Lightford, bill sponsor (217) 782-8505 Sen. Antonion Munoz (217) 782-9415

Sen. Jeffrey Schoenberg (217) 782-2119  Sen. Donne Trotter (217) 782-3201 Sen. Dale Righter (217) 782-6674 Sen. Bill Brady (217) 782-6216 Sen. John Jones (217) 782-0471 Sen. David Luechtefeld (217) 782-8137 Sen. Matt Murphy (217) 782-4471 Sen. Christine Radogno (217) 782-9407

The corn beef and cabbage will be served on Wednesday, March 16th, according to the flyer below:

It’s at the McHenry Country Club and runs from 5:30 to 8:30.

$50 a person.  Reservations requested by March 9th at 847-589-7500.