McHenry County Blog

A note reader Ron Bieber asked me to share. I am pleased to do so.

Cal -

My name is Ron Bieber and I am writing to you in the hopes that you can write a blog entry around a cancer benefit we are doing this Saturday from 2p-11p called Walla-Pa-Looza.

For some background, Walla-Pa-Looza was founded in May of 2009 when its founder (and a high school friend), Craig Wallace was planning a party at his house. We know quite a few bands and he was talking to some of them about playing at this party.

The party wound up getting kind of large and his wife decided they should probably not have it at their house. At the same time, she had bought Craig the book “Always Looking Up : The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist” by Michael J. Fox which he was reading.

As they were sitting watching TV and talking one night, the subject of the economy came up and its effects on charities that they donated to. Craig decided he was going to start his own to benefit the American Cancer Society – and convert his party into a funds drive for the cause.

He assembled a group of volunteers and organized the event over Facebook. His goal was to create a family friendly event that would raise money that we could donate to the American Cancer Society.

Over time, we secured a group of corporate sponsors, along with many donations for goods for silent auctions, 50/50 auctions and other activities.

Four bands donated their time to play during the event:

• Blush,
• Peter and the Versatiles,
• Danny and the Devils, and
• Always Frantic (the last of which was the band that played at the July 4th fireworks in McHenry this year).

On July 27, 2009, we received the news that one of the members of the organizations step-son, Zakary Woods, had been diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma, a form of cancer (press release here: http://www.walla-pa-looza.org/press/bionda.html).

This added a new dimension to the cause.

August 1 is the date of the event, which will be held at the Johnsburg Community Club (2315 W. Church Street, Johnsburg Illinois, McHenry County).

We’d like to get as many people there as possible to raise money for the American Cancer Society, as well as to fund a trust fund for Zak to help with costs of his treatment.

Almost everyone has been touched by cancer.

We’re trying to help and would really appreciate your help in getting the word out.

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The photo of Always Frantic was taken from its web site.

Here’s a new McHenry County blog which has a story about Johnsburg folks might be interested in.

Silver Lake’s resident Erica Burke, who is managing editor of McHenry County Living writes about “Paradise Lost (in Johnsburg.)”

The “Lost Paradise” is Paradise Cove Motel.

I really like the picture she has of docked boats on her masthead.

Besides the township road commissioner pork amounting to $1.9 million, cities and villages in McHenry County got some pork, too.

Hebron is going to get $150,000 for “public safety construction and road
infrastructure.”

Pretty broadly defined, wouldn’t you say?

I figure the village board can spend the money on virtually anything they want.

There’s $475,000 for the widening of Miller Road in McHenry and $575,000 for widening Rakow Road in Crystal Lake. Both are county highways.

There’s $700,000 for “all costs associated with Huntersville Sewer Project” in McHenry.

McHenry Township will receive $75,000 for the “construction of a food pantry building.” (Grafton Township got nothing for its food pantry.)

Crystal Lake is getting

• $700,00 for “all costs associated with road infrastructure improvements.”
• $482,000 for “all costs associated with the North Shore Flooding Improvement Project”
• $100,000 for “all costs associated with water and sewer improvements”

Algonquin will receive $100,000 for “all 10 costs associated with roadway, sanitary, sewer, storm sewer, and water main improvements.”

Cary is getting $450,000 for the “Route 14 and Jandus Road intersection 17 improvements.”

The Cary Park District is getting $150,000 for “all costs associated with park improvements.”

The Fox Waterway Agency will be waiting for $1,000,000 for costs associated with capital upgrades to waterway, plus another $500,000 for “reconstruction and shoreline stabilization (Trinski Island).”

$200,000 is earmarked for Fox River Grove for “infrastructure improvements” and $200,000 for “reconstruction and public utility extension project.”

Fox Lake is getting $185,000 for “the construction of a de-icing storage and containment facility.”

And the Fox Lake American Legion Post 703 will get $50,000 for “costs associated with capital improvements to the facility.”

Lake in the Hills is getting three grants:

• 300,000 for “costs associated with park development and improvements”
• $100,000 for “capital improvements for Sunset Park” (In 2007, State Rep. Mike Tryon earmarked $45,000 for the park.)
• $300,000 for park development and improvements”

Huntley’s share is $150,000 for “all costs associated with road and other capital improvements.”

$500,000 is in the bill for Johnsburg for “water and/or wastewater infrastructure improvements.”

Woodstock comes in with $300,000 in the pork sweepstakes. It’s for “road infrastructure improvements.”

And, my home town of Lakewood is even getting $200,000 for “all costs associated with road improvements.”

And, while not a municipality, the Richmond Fire Protection District will get $150,000 for “public safety improvements and construction of a parking lot”

Maybe you can find more McHenry County pork in House Bill 313.

If you do, please let me know so I can share the information more broadly.

It’s long, but I thought you might be interested in what 8^th District Democrat is asking be included in next year’s congressional budget. I have included the whole district so that you can get an idea of how McHenry County fares at this stage in the budgetary process.

Below are Congresswoman Melissa Bean’s (IL-08) funding requests for FY2010. As part of her commitment to increase transparency in government, Congresswoman Bean in previous years has posted a list of all funding secured in appropriations bills. This year, Congresswoman Bean is posting a list of all funding requests, earlier in the Appropriations process. The projects and amounts requested do not guarantee funding. After requesting priority projects, the House Appropriations Committee considers requests from all Members of the House and decides which projects get funding and at what levels. Therefore, the list of funding requests below cannot be accurately used for a year-to-year comparison against previous lists.

Click here to read more about changes to the federal funding process

Note: Requests are listed by bill and in alphabetical order.

Commerce, Justice and Science
Law Enforcement Advocacy Partnership (LEAP)

• Recipient: Turning Point, Inc., located at P.O. Box 723, Woodstock, Illinois 60019

• Description: $300,000 through the Department of Justice’s Juvenile Justice account to the LEAP program to support the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) at the local level. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars because LEAP is a collaboration between 15 police departments, the State’s Attorney and Turning Point that provides crisis intervention, emergency shelter, overnight and daily orders of protection, domestic violence training for police, and advocacy in court for domestic violence victims.

Northern Illinois Police Alarm System (NIPAS)

• Recipient: Glencoe Police Department on behalf of the Northern Illinois Police Alarm System (NIPAS), located at 675 Village Court, Glencoe, Illinois 60022

• Description: In conjunction with other Members, $200,000 through the Department of Justice’s COPS Account for the expansion of NIPAS. NIPAS, a private non-profit mutual aid organization, is responsible for law enforcement coverage of 68 member towns with a total population of approximately 1.8 million residents in northern Illinois. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars because NIPAS serves as a model mutual-aid system for police departments nationwide. Ensuring that they have the atmospheric detection equipment they need will allow them to better combat the effects of hazardous crime sites, improve response time, and save millions of taxpayer dollars through the combining of resources.

Public Safety Communication (McHenry County, IL)

• Recipient: McHenry County, located at 2200 North Seminary Avenue, Woodstock, IL 60098

• Description: $400,000 through the Department of Justice’s COPS Law Enforcement Technology and Interoperable Communications account to McHenry County, IL to improve communication in areas at risk for both manmade and natural disasters, and as a means to protect data exchange between various local entities. McHenry County is in the process of bringing in new computer technology to the Courts, State’s Attorney, Public Defender, Sheriff’s Office and Jail. This technology upgrade is a critical step toward integrating the County’s criminal justice information system, but it will not complete the project. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars to complete the interface between law enforcement and the court system, thereby allowing McHenry County to completely utilize the benefits of fully integrated criminal justice system. McHenry County received $94,000 in federal support in FY2008, and has committed over $3,000,000 of its own funding to the Integrated Justice Project.

Defense
Large Aircraft Podded Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) Guardian Pod for the KC-135

• Recipient: Northrop Grumman Corporation (Defensive Systems Division), located at 600 Hicks Road, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008

• Description: $4,495,000 from Air Force Procurement (P-1 Line #:050) for the LAIRCM Guardian Pod for the KC-135 aircraft deployed in support of ongoing operations that have inadequate protection against an Infrared Missile threat. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars to procure and install the Guardian AN/AAQ-24 (V) LAIRCM system on the AFRC KC-135 aircraft.

Ultra-Wide Coverage VIS/NIR Sensor for Force Protection

• Recipient: Goodrich ISR Systems Barrington, located at 550 West Northwest Hwy, Barrington, IL 60010

• Description: $2,850,000 from Navy, Research and Development, RDT&E, Force Protection Advanced Technology (Line 16, PE# 0603123N) for the Ultra-Wide Coverage VIS/NIR Sensor for Force Protection. This is for developing, integrating and demonstrating a new visible/near infrared sensor that would be used for airborne persistence surveillance. The advanced sensor technologies will be incorporated to include high resolution, high quantum efficiency, very large format visible / near IR detectors coupled with high fidelity, geo-spatially accurate optics. These technologies will be integrated into a comprehensive surveillance system suitable for manned, or unmanned, and long endurance missions.

Wide Area Sensor for Force Protection (Targeting)

• Recipient: Goodrich ISR Systems Barrington, located at 550 West Northwest Hwy, Barrington, IL 60010

• Description: $2,050,000 from Navy, Research and Development, RDT&E, Force Protection Advanced Technology (Line 16, PE# 0603123N) for the Wide Area Sensor for Force Protection (Targeting). This is for developing the wide area sensor program to build a deployable day/night, wide-area, persistent surveillance system to provide real-time surveillance for combat troops in theater. These technologies will be integrated into a comprehensive surveillance system suitable for manned, or unmanned, and long endurance missions.

Energy and Water
Lake County Wetland Preservation and Restoration Plan

• Recipient: Lake County, located at 18 North County Street, Waukegan, IL 60085

• Description: $200,000 in the Army Corps of Engineers Planning Assistance to States account to prepare a countywide plan to identify key wetlands. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because these wetlands will be preserved and restored to reduce flood damages, improve water quality, and protect high quality natural resources. The Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission projects a 63 percent increase in population in the Des Plaines River watershed from 1990 to 2030. Already, Lake County has lost over 42 percent (38,000 acres) of its wetlands since settlement. Therefore, the plan promulgation process will: (1) examine the County’s remaining wetland resources and their potential flood damage reduction, water quality functions, and natural resource value, (2) use County database information to identify areas that continue to experience flood damages, (3) identify those wetlands that should be preserved or restored, and (4) develop a prioritized list of these resources that can be used by SMC, other agencies, and local groups to implement projects.

McCook and Thornton Reservoirs

• Recipient: Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, located at 100 East Erie Street, Chicago, IL 60611

• Description: In conjunction with other members, $5,000,000 in the Army Corps of Engineers General Construction account for the McCook and Thornton Reservoirs construction project authorized by the Water Resources Development Act of 1988. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because completing the McCook and Thornton Reservoirs and bringing them fully on-line is crucial to local communities, the health of Lake Michigan and its tributaries, and to the economic development of the region. Without timely completion of the project, communities will face decreased drinking water allocations, significant decreases in water quality and thousands of homes will be vulnerable to flooding. In fact, at any one time, over 550,000 homes are subject to flooding with annual damages sustained exceeding $150 million.

Financial Services
Harper College Northwest Suburban Small Business Incubator

• Recipient: Harper College, located at 1200 W. Algonquin Road, Palatine, Illinois 60067

• Description: $150,000 through the Small Business Administration’s Salaries and Expenses Account for Harper College’s Northwest Suburban Small Business Incubator, which will provide vital assistance to local entrepreneurs who are starting new small businesses. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because r50esources will be allocated to provide support services such as legal, accounting and business counseling professionals to allow entrepreneurs to concentrate on growth and lay a foundation for a successful start-up. This project will also create at least 30 individual incubators in addition to common areas needed to support individual businesses.

Interior and Environment
Hunterville Subdivision Sanitary Sewer Project (McHenry, IL)

• Recipient: City of McHenry, located at 333 S. Green Street McHenry, IL 60050

• Description: $150,000 in the EPA’s STAG account to provide sewer and water lines to Hunterville Park. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because at present time, the 62 households in the Hunterville subdivision utilize septic systems that routinely fail and contaminate the Fox River. This project would extend city sewer and water service to Hunterville, which is pitched toward the Fox River, preventing the contamination currently resulting from the subdivision’s reliance on outdated septic systems.

Village of Johnsburg Wastewater Treatment Facility

• Recipient: Village of Johnsburg, located at 1515 Channel Beach Drive, Johnsburg, IL 60050

• Description: $500,000 through the EPA’s STAG account for Village of Johnsburg to assist with the construction of a centralized wastewater treatment and collection system. This funding would compliment $462,200 that was received in The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because an estimated 300,000,000 gallons of raw or partially treated wastewater that is being discharged from failed or failing septic tanks into the Fox River each year. In addition to being one of the nation’s most popular recreational waterways, the Fox River is the primary source of drinking water for some 200,000 people. Improving the quality of its water will also complement ongoing efforts to clean up and restore the ecosystem of the Illinois River, into which the Fox River flows.

Village of Spring Grove Water Main Extension

• Recipient: Village of Spring Grove, located at 7401 Meyer Road, Spring Grove, IL 60081

• Description: $150,000 in the EPA’s STAG account to expand the sewer and water main through the town of Spring Grove, which is 95% comprised of septic systems that are adjacent to a high value aquatic resource. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because he septic systems in this area are failing and even with temporary repairs, they can’t keep up with current and proposed infrastructure in the area. The biggest impact the water main extension would have is on the local elementary school, which is in dire need of expansion but can’t proceed without access to the water main. The extension will also increase the number of users on the municipal system and add to the number of hydrants available to a commercial area.

Water’s Edge Waldorf School, (Wauconda, IL)

• Recipient: Water’s Edge School, located at 150 East Bonner Road, Wauconda, IL 60084

• Description: $11,000 in the EPA’s STAG account to provide clean drinking water to the children at Water’s Edge Waldorf Elementary School. Water’s Edge School is located 400 yards from the Wauconda Sand & Gravel Superfund site. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because the school currently draws its drinking water from a groundwater aquifer contaminated with vinyl chloride. Like $750,000 received four years ago to aide nearby homes, this grant will be used to remove the school from this potentially contaminated water supply and instead hook up to a clean, permanent supply of municipal drinking water.

Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education
Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital

• Recipient: Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital, located at 450 West Highway, Barrington, IL 60010

• Description: $72,500 through the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Account for the Breast Cancer Center at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital. This funding is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars because it will support the development of a centralized digital mammography reading station at the Breast Care Center “headquarters” on the Advocate Good Shepherd campus, so the hospital’s radiologists have the equipment and capacity they need to read and interpret a rapidly growing volume of screening and diagnostic mammograms.

Children’s Memorial Hospital Intensive Care Unit Facilities

• Recipient: Children’s Memorial Hospital, located at 2300 Children’s Plaza, Chicago, IL 60614-3394

• Description: $500,000, in conjunction with other Members, through the Department of Health and Human Services HRSA Health Facilities Account to help build a new hospital. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars because construction of a new hospital will allow Children’s Memorial to continue providing all children in our region with access to the best minds in pediatric medicine and science and the most advanced cures, treatments and technology in a family-centered environment.

F.A.S.T. Solutions Initiative

• Recipient: McHenry County, located at 2200 North Seminary Avenue, Woodstock, IL 60098

• Description: $250,000 through the Department of Education, Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FISPE), or the Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Training and Employment Services to fund the F.A.S.T Solutions Initiative. This program is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars because it will provide flexible and sustainable workforce training in a “boot camp” format which is designed to provide intensive, short-term occupational training in specific fields identified by employers through their participation on the McHenry County Workforce Investment Board (WIB).

Specialty Care and Diagnostic Testing (Lake County, IL)

• Recipient: Lake County, located at 18 North County Street, 9th Floor, Waukegan, IL 60085

• Description: $500,000 through the Department of Health and Human Services HRSA Account to assist Lake County’s two safety net providers – HealthReach and LDHD/CHC. Providing this assistance is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars because it helps prevent patients from deteriorating to the point that they must receive care in local hospital emergency rooms, which is more costly, and facilitates access to diagnostic services such as x-rays, ultrasounds, MRIs, CT scans, biopsies, cardiac stress test and referrals to specialists.

Transportation and Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Illinois Route 120 Corridor (Lake County, IL)

• Recipient: Lake County, located at 18 North County Street, 9th Floor, Waukegan, IL 60085

• Description: $1,000,000 from the Transportation, Community and System Preservation (TCSP) account in the FY10 Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) budget for phase one engineering of a freeway section of the Illinois Route 120 corridor between U.S. Route 12 and Illinois Route 131. This funding would compliment $975,000 that was received in The Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009, and the $980,000 that was received in The Fiscal Year 2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act for this project. East-west travel across Lake County continues to become more congested as the county grows. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because creating the Illinois Route 120 Corridor will be a coordinated effort including several local municipalities, Lake County, and the state of Illinois in order to reduce congestion and increase traffic flow.

Meacham Road Tollway Access Ramps (Schaumburg, IL)

• Recipient: Village of Schaumburg, located at 101 Schaumburg Court, Schaumburg, IL 60193

• Description: $500,000 from the Transportation, Community and System Preservation (TCSP) account in the FY10 Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) budget for phase one engineering of a west-bound off ramp at Meacham Road from U.S. Interstate 90. This funding would compliment $475,000 that was received in The Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009 for this project. The Village of Schaumburg is the largest center of economic development in the State of Illinois outside the City of Chicago, generating nearly $3 billion in retail sales each year. More than 5,000 businesses take pride in their Schaumburg address and Woodfield Mall has been named the Illinois Number One Tourist Attraction. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because the Village has worked closely with the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority, and the adjacent municipalities on developing this plan, which has broad community support.

Metra Commuter Rail System Development of the Suburban Transit Access Route Line (Northeastern, IL)

• Recipient: Metra Commuter Rail, located at 547 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, IL 60661

• Description: In conjunction with other Members of the Illinois Delegation an appropriation of $5 million from the Section 5309 New Start funds in the FY09 Federal Transit Administration (FTA) budget for the Metra Suburban Transit Access Route Line (STAR). This funding would complement the $13,227,500 that was received in FY08 and FY09 for this project. This essential funding would be used by Metra for preliminary engineering and environmental assessment work for the STAR Line. This forward-looking suburb to suburb commuter rail line, which was authorized under SAFETEA-LU, would continue this initiative that will link more than 100 communities and their rail lines in the Chicagoland region. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because this project is vital to the region in terms of alleviating traffic congestion, providing new commuting opportunities, and linking communities and places of business with new service promoting additional economic development.

Metra Commuter Rail System Expansions and Upgrades to the Union Pacific Northwest Line (Northeastern, IL)

• Recipient: Metra Commuter Rail, located at 547 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, IL 60661

• Description: $5 million from the Section 5309 New Start Funds in the FY09 Federal Transit Administration (FTA) budget for the Metra Union Pacific NorthWest (UP-NW) Line. This funding would complement the $13,227,500 that was received in FY08 and FY09 for this project. This funding for a vital commuter rail line authorized under SAFETEA-LU would be used by Metra for preliminary engineering on the UP-NW line. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because these improvements will provide an essential upgrade to Metra’s second busiest line that will include a new station, an extension of track, new facilities, and enhanced overall service.

Miller Road Widening (McHenry County, IL)

• Recipient: McHenry County Department of Transportation, located at 2200 North Seminary Avenue, Woodstock, IL 60098

• Description: $500,000 from the Transportation, Community and System Preservation (TCSP) account in the FY10 Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) budget to widen Miller Road from Illinois Route 31 to River Road. This funding would compliment $6,839,000 that was received in SAFETEA-LU and The Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009 for improvements to Miller Road. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because by widening Miller Road from Routes 31 to River Road in McHenry, Illinois to four lanes, existing and projected traffic demands would be met well into the future for this heavily traveled north-south thoroughfare in eastern McHenry County.

The Illinois Campaign for Political Reform has released a report on lobbying expenses by units of local government.

I’ve extracted those from McHenry County and present them below:

Carpentersville School District 300
2006-07 $28,347 (Hinshaw & Culbertson)

Elgin Community College
2006-07 $47,500 (Advanced Practical Solutions)
2007-08 $60,000 (Advanced Practical Solutions)

Harper College
2006-07 $84,000 (Advanced Practical Solutions)
2007-08 $126,000 (Advanced Practical Solutions – $60,000; Alfred G. Ronan Ltd – $50,000; Michelle Teresa Olson – $6,000; Zack Stamp Ltd – $10,000)

Huntley
2006-07 $45,000 (Morreale Public Affairs Group)
2007-08 $65,507 (Morreale Public Affairs Group)

Johnsburg
2006-07 N.A. (Advanced Practical Solutions)
2007-08 $35,000 (Advanced Practical Solutions)

And who are these lobbying firms?

Advanced Practical Solutions
Milan Petrovic, Shqipe “Sheri” Osmani, and Matthew R. Pickering were the exclusive lobbyists; the firm also reported contractual relationships with All-Circo, Government Navigation Group, Roger Marquardt, and two other firms. The firm also reported Dan Shomon, Fidelity Consulting Group, Illinois Governmental Consulting Group, and Roger Marquardt, as clients.

Morreale Public Affairs Group
Kim Morreale was the exclusive lobbyist.

Olson, Michelle Teresa
Michelle Teresa Olson is the exclusive lobbyist. The firm also listed Cullen & Assoc as a client.

Ronan, Alfred G., Ltd.
Alfred G. Ronan and Cheryl Axley were the exclusive lobbyists. The firm listed Miguel Santiago and Thomas J. Walsh as clients

Stamp, Zack LTD
Zack Stamp, Kevin McFadden and Steve W. Kinion were the exclusive lobbyists. The firm also reported contractual relationships with B-P Consultants, Cullen & Assoc., Zack Stamp Consulting, and one other.

Endowment Fund Director Mike Sullivan told Crystal Lake Kiwanis noon meeting yesterday at Colonial Cafe about his organization.

“We still have some seniors who don’t interface with the community any more. If you know any of them, we’d like you to rat on them so we can help them,” Sullivan explained.

His agency, which covers McHenry, Kane and Kendall Counties, has local offices in Crystal Lake next to the fire station and where McHenry Township offices are located.

700 are served in Crystal Lake; 400 in Johnsburg.

Sullivan told of a Domino’s Pizza delivery boy who took at $5 pizza to an elderly couple in Plano.

He noticed that there was a stack of Domino’s Pizza boxes in the corner of the kitchen, which was filthy. The teenager told his mother, who told Senior Services.

The agency arranged for two meals a day with volunteers taking meals weekends. They cleaned the couple’s home. They provided them with the assistance of a home care agency to check on them evey week.

That story preceded Sullivan’s hope that local residents who know of seniors in need would put them in touch with Senior Associates.

The social service agency is even capable of providing home repair services.

Its goal is to help individuals live in their own homes as long as they can—pretty much the goal of everyone.

That allows seniors to retain their independence and dignity.

Sullivan said, “Senior Services is one of the best kept secrets in the area.”

Clearly, he is out to change that.

He is planning a June 15th golf outing at Cary’s Chalet Hills Golf Club on Rawson Bridge Road. He may be contacted at 847-741-0404 or 1800-741-2163.

One-third of the group’s money comes from donations.

Endowment Fund Director Mike Sullivan told Crystal Lake Kiwanis noon meeting yesterday at Colonial Cafe about his organization.

“We still have some seniors who don’t interface with the community any more. If you know any of them, we’d like you to rat on them so we can help them,” Sullivan explained.

His agency, which covers McHenry, Kane and Kendall Counties, has local offices in Crystal Lake next to the fire station and where McHenry Township offices are located.

700 are served in Crystal Lake; 400 in Johnsburg.

Sullivan told of a Domino’s Pizza delivery boy who took at $5 pizza to an elderly couple in Plano.

He noticed that there was a stack of Domino’s Pizza boxes in the corner of the kitchen, which was filthy. The teenager told his mother, who told Senior Services.

The agency arranged for two meals a day with volunteers taking meals weekends. They cleaned the couple’s home. They provided them with the assistance of a home care agency to check on them evey week.

That story preceded Sullivan’s hope that local residents who know of seniors in need would put them in touch with Senior Associates.

The social service agency is even capable of providing home repair services.

Its goal is to help individuals live in their own homes as long as they can—pretty much the goal of everyone.

That allows seniors to retain their independence and dignity.

Sullivan said, “Senior Services is one of the best kept secrets in the area.”

Clearly, he is out to change that.

He is planning a June 15th golf outing at Cary’s Chalet Hills Golf Club on Rawson Bridge Road. He may be contacted at 847-741-0404 or 1800-741-2163.

One-third of the group’s money comes from donations.

This sign is on the road from Route 31 to Johnsburg.

It pretty much says it all:

I wonder what the story behind the sign is.

Citizens should erect them on every road crossing the Illinois border.

This sign is on the road from Route 31 to Johnsburg.

It pretty much says it all:

I wonder what the story behind the sign is.

Citizens should erect them on every road crossing the Illinois border.

According to KC for Obama, the following projects have been requested by Senator Barack Obama be included in the United State budget for McHenry County:

McHenry County, for its Sheriff’s Office law enforcement communication system, $1,000,000

The radio system owned by McHenry County and operated by the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office needs to be replaced. This critical link between residents, dispatchers, and public safety officers was designed in 1953 and it has run its useful life and needs to be replaced with a new 800 MHz system. New technology will allow McHenry County to meet the communication needs of its Sheriff’s Office and the 9 municipal police agencies for which it provides dispatch services, and will provide McHenry County with regional interoperability.

McHenry County, to widen Miller Road, $500.000,

The state routes (Illinois Route 120 and Illinois Route 31) through the City of McHenry are heavily congested. Due to continued growth in this area, the existing Miller Road corridor is also heavily congested. The widened Miller Road corridor would enhance the mobility of the area by reducing congestion and improving safety and decreasing emergency response times.

McHenry County, for Flexible and Sustainable Training Solutions Initiative, $600,000

The Flexible and Sustainable Training Solutions Initiative would provide training so that employers’ needs for skilled workers, and residents’ needs for livable wages, can be met. “Boot camps” would provide intensive short-term occupational training in fields identified by employers through their participation on the McHenry County Workforce Investment Board.

Johnsburg, IL, to support construction of additional sewer lines, $2,000,000

The Village of Johnsburg is the largest municipality on the Illinois portion of the Fox River lacking a sewer system. An estimated 300,000,000 gallons per year of raw or partially treated wastewater is discharged from failing or failed septic tanks into the Fox River. This situation is problematic not only for residents, but also for visitors and the 200,000 individuals for whom the Fox River is a primary source of drinking water.

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The picture of Obama comes from his campaign web site.