McHenry County Blog

The Nunda Township Board met to accept Supervisor John Heisler’s resignation and appoint Trustee Jim Schlader Interim Supervisor. From left to right are Road Commissioner Don Kopsel, Trustees Joni Smith and Lee Jennings, Clerk Bridgett Provenzano, Trustees Tom Palmer and James Schlader and Assessor Dennis Jagla.

In a letter dated December 11th, Nunda Township Supervisor John Heisler submitted his resignation as of January 3, 2013.

The missive, addressed to Trustee James Schlader, read,

John Heisler

“Due to recent events and family responsibilities, I will be unable to complete my current term as the Nunda Township Supervisor.

“I hereby submit my resignation to you effective January 3, 2013.

“Further, I am withdrawing my petition for candidacy for the February 26, 2013 primary election.

“I will make myself available3 for the execution of official documents and transitional discussion through January 3, 2013.”

It is dated one day before a challenge to Heisler’s petition resulted in his being removed from the GOP primary ballot.

Following Schlader’s reading of the letter, the four Township Trustees voted unanimously to accept Heisler’s resignation.

Jim Schlader

“I know we have had our ups and downs…but I think John’s heart was really in it,” Schlader said.

One of the three remaining candidates for the Republican nomination for Township Assessor, Lee Jennings, moved that Schlader be appointed to Interim Supervisor.

Trustee Tom Palmer pointed out that Schlader was “a good choice” because he was “the senior Trustee.”

After a vote, Schlader said, “Seeing how it’s unanimous I do accept.”

Before the meeting Schlader had explained Thursday was the first day of his retirement after being at th3 same medical supply company for thirty-nine years.

Schlader explained that it was not necessary to make “a whole bunch of changes,” but there would be some. He solicited suggestions from the elected officials at the meeting.

“I will be here at the office tomorrow morning at 8 o’clock.

“I need everybody’s support and I thank everybody here for their support.”

A second candidate for the permanent position is Township Clerk Bridget Provenzano, who will swear Schlader in on Friday.

Kerry Leigh, an Oakwood Hills Trustee, is the third candidate for Supervisor.

John Heisler

Lee Jennings

Bridgett Provenzano

I have given up trying to understand Nunda Township Republican politics.

Township Supervisor John Heisler, a former McHenry County Board member, is being challenged by three people.

Heisler, whose family’s name has been associated with Crystal Lake since his grandfather started a shoe repair shop across from the railroad station in 1908, won his first election in 2001 with a write-in campaign running against Mike Walkup.

So, beating him will be a real challenge.

Usually, the more opponents, the better for the incumbent in a primary election.

Even so, three have lined for the opportunity:

• Bridgett Provenzano (current Township Clerk and wife of County Board member Nick Provenzano)
• Kelvin Lee Jennings (current Trustee)
• Kerry Leigh (Oakwood Hills Trustee)

Don Kopsell

Running for Highway Commissioner are

• Incumbent Don Kopsell
• Robert Parrish (Crystal Lake, Supervisor, Geske & Sons Asphalt Paving)
• Mike Lesperance (Lakemoor, owner of Iron Mike’s Excavating)

For Assessor, no one is challenging incumbent Dennis Jagla.

Two are running for the Clerk’s position, which Provenzano is vacating to run for Supervisor:

• Angela Koscavage (Community Care Assistant to the Director of Community Care and Equipping with Crystal Lake Willow Creek Community Church)
• Susan Jennings

For Trustee there are only four candidates for the four positions:

• Tom Palmer (Crystal Lake, incumbent)
• Ed Dvorak (Crystal Lake, former Road Commissioner and County Board member)
• Eddie Gil (Holiday Hills, husband of County Board member-elect Mary McClellan, retired trucking company owner, property investor)
• Mike Shorten (Crystal Lake,Vice Chairman of the Nunda Township Republican Party)

Bowing out as Trustees are Joni Smith and Jim Schlader.

A press release from the Fox River Ecosystem Partnership:

Public Talk and Natural Area Tour
Restoring Local Natural Resources
FREP Noon Network on Wednesday, August 17 in Oakwood Hills

Attend an event on Wednesday, August 17, Noon to 1:30 p.m. to learn about a current local community effort to restore a natural area and the benefits it will provide to the community and the environment.

The Fox River Ecosystem Partnership (FREP) hosts a bi-monthly FREP Noon Network that will begin at the Oakwood Hills Park pavilion off of North Park Dr. in Oakwood Hills.

Oakwood Hills Village Trustee, Kerry Leigh, will share information on her work with the Village of Oakwood Hills to restore 20 acres of savanna habitat in the community park adjacent to the Oakwood Hills Fen Nature Preserve.

Oakwood Hills Fen. Photo from The Fox River Ecosystem Partnership.

Steve Byers, Field Representative with the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission will lead a tour of the fen wetland, one of the rarest types of wetlands in the U.S.

Bring your lunch to enjoy at the pavilion where you can learn about restoration efforts to remove invasive plant species that will improve the health of the natural area and allow easier access to a portion of the park for passive recreational activities. Attendees will also learn how a partnership with McHenry County Conservation District and financial assistance from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service helped to make this project possible. Steve Byers will provide information on the unique natural resources associated with nearby Oakwood Hills Fen Nature Preserve.

After the presentation, Kerry Leigh and Steve Byers will lead the tour of the restoration area and nearby Oakwood Hills Fen Nature Preserve.

The program is open to the public and is one of the regular bi-monthly FREP Noon Network lunchtime programs providing an opportunity for FREP members and other interested people to discuss Fox River Watershed-related topics and learn more about environmental projects and programs.

There is no charge and reservations are not necessary. People are encouraged to bring their lunch to eat during the program. Wear comfortable walking shoes if you plan to join the tour.

The event is co-sponsored by the Village of Oakwood Hills and the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County.

This program is part of a current effort to help protect water quality and watershed health in the Silver Creek and Sleepy Hollow Creek watersheds in southeastern McHenry County.

A watershed is an area of land that drains water into a common receiving body such as a stream. Oakwood Hills is within the Silver Creek Watershed. These watersheds are part of the larger Fox River Basin. To learn more, visit http://foxriverecosystem.org/planning.htm .

Directions: The park is located several blocks east of the village hall located at 3020 North Park Dr., Oakwood Hills. Turn south just past Oakwood Dr. to enter the parking lot. Walk south to the nearby pavilion.

For more information, call 815-338-0393 or send an e-mail to atershedinfo@mcdefenders.net.

The watershed planning activities are being funded by Section 604(b) of the Clean Water Act by way of a grant from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Bureau of Water, to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning.