McHenry County Blog

While the McHenry County Young Republicans met Sunday in Crystal Lake’s Veterans Acres for a Petition Party, they will meet tonight at 7 PM at the upscale 1776 Restaurant on Route 14 in Crystal Lake.

The YR weekly newsletter reports that the following candidates attended their Petition Party:

• Congressman Don Manzullo
• State Senator/Gubernatorial Candidate Matt Murphy from Palatine
• United State Senate Candidate Ed Varga from Richmond
• McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren
• McHenry County Treasurer Bill LeFew
• McHenry County Board Members/Candidates

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Gubernatorial candidate State Senator Matt Murphy can be seen in the red shirt to the left of the top photo and on the left hand side facing right in the bottom picture. Sheriff Keith Nygren is sitting at the picnic table in the top shot looking right. His wife Marge is sitting across from him. Standing behind Nygren in that same picture is County Treasurer Bill LeFew. STAR 105 FM radio newsman Stew Cohen is standing next to LeFew, facing the end of the table. YR Jon Heideman, who is running for Republican precinct committeeman in Nunda 19, is in the foreground right looking away from the camera. He was the grill master.

In the bottom photo, McHenry County Board candidate John Jung is center right facing right next to Brent Smith. Again, you can see YR Jon Heideman’s back in the foreground left.

A bit late to report on the YR’s VFW rally last Saturday night, but there’s no competition from the local daily papers, so here’s what I have.

First we have Young Republican President Bryan Javor talking to Crystal Lake city council candidate Kay Stanish.

Next you see two Nunda Township candidates posing some YR’s in attendance.

From left to right, they are Nunda Township Trustee candidate Joni Smith, YR Kristin Culley, RY Vice Chair Erica Poremba, YR Membership Chair
Salvatore Cucinella and Nunda Township Trustee and candidate for re-election Jim Schlader.

Finally, here is a photo of State Representative and McHenry County Republican Part Chairman Mike Tryon talking with District 300 school board candidate Rob Lee.

Over 50 attended the rally.

Slim advertising have apparently loosened standards for political inserts at the Northwest Herald.

I can’t remember the campaign (one in the Cary area pops into my mind), but a former managing editor pledged that a political insert would no longer be allowed the day before an election.

The Republicans in Nunda Township, labeling themselves “Team Nunda,”
paid for an insert that I didn’t get, but discovered while reading the paper at the First United Methodist Church of Crystal Lake. The church is located just north of the Algonquin-Nunda Township line, which is Crystal Lake Avenue.

So, it appears the local GOP candidates didn’t waste their money on the Algonquin part of Crystal Lake.

The Team Nunda sign is reproduced on both sides of the three color campaign piece.

Endorsements from

• former State Senator Dick Klemm
• current State Senator Dan Duffy
• State Rep. Mike Tryon
• McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren
• McHenry County board members Ed Dvorak, Mary Donner and Barb Wheeler

are featured on one side.

The other side has endorsements from

• State Senator Pam Althoff
• McHenry County Treasurer Bill LeFew
• McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler
• McHenry County Auditor Pam Palmer
• McHenry County Coroner Marlene Lantz
• Bryan Javor, Young Republicans Chairman

And there’s a big

on both sides.

Not only Algonquin Township, but Nunda Township rolled out campaign literature at the Crystal Lake Expo.

Both were found at the Algonquin Township Republican Central Committee booth, which was right on the first aisle of the exhibition.

The booth looked more like a Nunda Township-sponsored one than one put up by the Algonquin Township folks.

That was because all the township trustee candidates had yard signs. You see Nunda Township Trustee candidate Lee Jennings above.

True, you could see a sponsor’s sign on top, but the six Team Nunda red and white yard signs dominated the booth. Here you see Algonquin Township Trustees Linda Lance and Lowell Cutsforth, both running for re-election, at the booth.

But, back to the literature.

There’s a side with “Team Nunda” candidates listed, even the ones who are not opposed. An “Early voting begins March 16th” is highlighted in pale yellow.

The values the Republicans tout as sharing with constituents are

• Teamwork
• Managed Growth
• Fiscal Responsibility
• Quality Road Maintenance
• Promoting Programs to Assist Residents

The reason for ignoring the two Democratic Party candidates for township trustee who are on the ballot (not phrased that way, obviously):

We have the experience and desire to maintain a strong and secure township government for Nunda Township residents.

The other side of the folded 8½ by 11 inch sheet of paper has a pitch for voting for Team Nunda, a web site address and another reminder of early voting.

Strangely, Township Supervisor John Heisler is missing from the candidates listed on the sign, but he is in the endorsement list. Township Clerk Bridgett Porvenzano is not mentioned at all. Both are unopposed, but so are Township Highway Commissioner Don Kopsell and Assessor Dennis Jagla and they are on the sign.

There’s a panel of endorsements and supporters surrounding and above the 4 by 4 foot sign that first appeared prior to the primary election.
They include

• Dick Klemm, former State Senator
• Dan Duffy, State Senator
• Mike Tryon, State Representative
• Keith Nygren, McHenry County Sheriff
• Ed Dvorak, McHenry County Board
• Mary Donner, McHenry County Board
• Barb Wheeler, McHenry County Board
• Pam Althoff, State Senator
• Bill LeFew, McHenry County Treasurer
• Ken Koehler, McHenry County Board Chairman
• Pam Palmer, McHenry County Auditor
• Marlene Lantz, McHenry County Coroner
• John Heisler, Nunda Township Supervisor
• Bryan Javor, Chairman, McHenry County Young Republicans

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.)

Two incumbent township trustees were dumped by Republican voters in Nunda Township.

One, Kevin Sarnwick, was an appointed incumbent.

The other Richard Meyers was also an appointed incumbent.

Taking them out were newcomer Joni Smith and rejected appointed trustee aspirant Kevin Jennings.

The results follow:

• Tom Palmer – 581
• Joni Smith – 540
• James Schlader – 512
• Kevin Jennings – 480

Notice the fall off of votes for Team Nunda candidates as folks proceeded down the ballot. Their order is the same as on the Team Nunda signs.

Results for the two who lost follow:

• Richard Meyers – 412
• Kevin Sarnwick – 388

I spotted my first political signs of the February 23rd Republican primary election yesterday.

They are for “Team Nunda.”

The slate includes unopposed Supervisor John Heisler, opposed incumbent Assessor Dennis Jagla and opposed Trustee candidates

• Tom Palmer (incumbent)
• Joni Smith (challenger)
• Jim Schlader (incumbent)
• Lee Jennings (who unsuccessfully sought appointment)

In addition to the “Team Nunda” 4 by 4 foot sign, each of the candidates on that sign have smaller color coordinated yard signs. You can see them if you click on the picture to enlarge it.

Trustees left off the sign are appointed incumbent Dick Meyers and incumbent Kevin Sarnwick.

Also missing from the sign are unopposed Road Commissioner Don Kopsell and Clerk Bridgett Provenzano.

If someone would like to tell me why which trustee candidates made the slate and which didn’t, I’ll bet that would be an interesting story.

I spotted my first political signs of the February 23rd Republican primary election yesterday.

They are for “Team Nunda.”

The slate includes unopposed Supervisor John Heisler, opposed incumbent Assessor Dennis Jagla and opposed Trustee candidates

• Tom Palmer (incumbent)
• Joni Smith (challenger)
• Jim Schlader (incumbent)
• Lee Jennings (who unsuccessfully sought appointment)

In addition to the “Team Nunda” 4 by 4 foot sign, each of the candidates on that sign have smaller color coordinated yard signs. You can see them if you click on the picture to enlarge it.

Trustees left off the sign are appointed incumbent Dick Meyers and incumbent Kevin Sarnwick.

Also missing from the sign are unopposed Road Commissioner Don Kopsell and Clerk Bridgett Provenzano.

If someone would like to tell me why which trustee candidates made the slate and which didn’t, I’ll bet that would be an interesting story.

They don’t get paid a lot, but township trustee is considered a step on the political ladder.

When Nunda Township Clerk Bridgett Provenzano made the random selection. Here is what happened:

1. Thomas Palmer, an incumbent
2. Joni Smith, a challenger
3. James Schlader, an incumbent who ran for county board in the GOP primary election
4. Richard “Dick” Meyers, just appointed to take the place of Walt Romanus, who died, and a former township clerk and McHenry County Board member
5. Lee Jennings, who sought the appointment Meyers received
6. Kevin Sarnwick, an incumbent

Four will be elected.

No other contests exist, except for township assessor.

There incumbent Dennis Jagla will appear first will face off in the Republican Party primary election against challenger Alan Weaver, who serves as appointed assessor in Alden Township. Weaver ran as an independent last time around.

They don’t get paid a lot, but township trustee is considered a step on the political ladder.

When Nunda Township Clerk Bridgett Provenzano made the random selection. Here is what happened:

1. Thomas Palmer, an incumbent
2. Joni Smith, a challenger
3. James Schlader, an incumbent who ran for county board in the GOP primary election
4. Richard “Dick” Meyers, just appointed to take the place of Walt Romanus, who died, and a former township clerk and McHenry County Board member
5. Lee Jennings, who sought the appointment Meyers received
6. Kevin Sarnwick, an incumbent

Four will be elected.

No other contests exist, except for township assessor.

There incumbent Dennis Jagla will appear first will face off in the Republican Party primary election against challenger Alan Weaver, who serves as appointed assessor in Alden Township. Weaver ran as an independent last time around.

Filing for the five Republican township primaries in McHenry County has ended and the major Nunda Township officers have emerged unchallenged, according to Township Clerk Bridgett Provenzano.

That means Supervisor John Heisler, Road Commissioner Don Kopsell, Assessor Dennis Jagla and Clerk Provenzano can relax between now and the February 24th township primary election.

However, there does appear to be a spirited contest for township trustee in the offing.

With the death of Township Trustee Walt Romanus, the Nunda Township Board appointed former Township Clerk and McHenry County Board member Dick Meyers as his replacement last week.

Those running for township trustee follow in alphabetical order:

• Kelvin (Lee) Jennings, who applied unsuccessfully for the Romanus vacancy
• Dick Meyers, appointed incumbent
• Thomas Palmer, incumbent
• Kevin Sarnwick, incumbent
• James Schlader, incumbent
• Joni Smith

Four will emerge as primary winners.

Nunda Township runs north from Crystal Lake Avenue in Crystal Lake into the southern part of McHenry north of Bull Valley Road. Its western boundary goes north from the middle of Crystal Lake. The Lake County line is its eastern boundary.

Democrats could caucus in mid-January and name opposing candidates.

If so, it would be much like the state Democrats, who are now backing away from U.S. Senator Dick Durbin’s suggestion to hold a special election to select President-elect Barack Obama’s replacement.

Why hold an election to select the party’s candidate when an appointment is so much less dangerous?