McHenry County Blog

There were so many elections worth reporting on last night that some were left out when I went to be at 2 AM.

One was the election in Lake in the Hills, where both the Village President and three trustees were to be elected.

With Ed Plaza retiring as head of the government, two candidates stepped forward–Trustee

Bill Dustin faced off against Trustee Paul Mulcahy.

The Trustee results follow:

Incumbents Bob Huckins, Denise Barreto and Stephen Harfinger won re-election to the Lake in the Hills Village Board.

The following is a message from the Lake in the Hills Trustee candidate Ken Tentler, who did not receive enough votes to gain election:

“Nearly 500 people went out and voted for me leading up to last night.

“Thank You!

“Naturally, I am disappointed that I fell short of the needed votes.

“Probably, my plan and dream to become President on my own terms with my own effort ended last night as I drove to look at some of the posted results.

“I cannot say for certain that I will run for political office again.

“I will, however, remain active in the political system attending between 2-4 meetings per month and seeking fellow citizens for local activism.

“This website will continue to be developed probably under another address as I think it could be a unique contribution to 21st century political effort and healing.

“May God Bless the United States!”

A letter from Lake in the Hills Trustee candidate Ken Tentler:

Kenneth J. Tentler
19 Hilltop Drive, LITH, IL 60156 847-767-4700
Dear Fellow Leader:

Ken Tentler

My name is Kenneth J. Tentler and I am a strong candidate for Trustee in Lake In The Hills.

Kjttrustee.com is built to prove, state insight and politically motivate.

Having not held public office, one goal of many is to inspire. The polls open on Tuesday the ninth.

I have worked the past 3 months to prove that I would be a stellar addition to that executive board and that my campaign has added to political practice.

Some political thinkers may at times be asked to be flag bearer. Hardworking, honest, straightforward-people must mobilize to be united problem solvers.

I have put together a valuable political campaign for the people of Lake In The Hills and now see it may have value to other political thinkers.

I know that my cause is good.

New and independent minded activists need to be voted into office and they need to score victories to show that traditional thought, business development and political tools can be improved and people can make political accomplishment by hard work and good strategy.

Land, nature, a less bottom line based way of commercial accomplishment and the active pursuit of the best way of life are strong motivators.

This letter is more evidence of a political campaign that is insightful, moving and needed.

Once elected, I will work on the following-

• research and enjoy strong outreach at every meeting,
• generally keep a low profile the first 6-10 months to make a few determinations,
• research the meaning of “Trustee” with some reference to early American and classical Greek political thought,
• continue to meet other local political figures,
• continue to research village issues and become knowledgeable of other village precedents,
• attempt to add valuable statements to village issues as time progresses and
• I will look for a group of 20 or so fellow citizens to help chart a course for the following solutions-a major piece of business redevelopment that challenges, several pieces of land purchased and left as green space, restorative conservation and great outreach to the business community.

I would also continue to seek the social issues that drive things in general-justice and right must always prevail.

A Trustee engages in judicial like thinking representing and serving the community and those things that are good-judgments must be thoughtful and final. I belong and your election help is requested.

Very Sincerely,

Ken

A press release from Lake in the H8lls Village President candidate:

Planning and Zoning Commissioner William Dustin Announces Bid for President

Bill Dustin

Lake in the Hills, Illinois (October 20, 2012) – William “Bill” Dustin, a 14-year Lake in the Hills resident has announced his intent to run for village president in the April 9, 2013 election.

Dustin says “I made my decision to run for village president after Ed Plaza announced he would not run for a fourth term.”

Dustin notes professionalism, promoted by Plaza, as important to successful government.

Dustin states “extensive executive business management experience with public, private and personally owned companies make me the best candidate for the job”.

Dustin’s forty plus years of management experience includes more than twenty years of corporate board experience.

Dustin’s resume includes positions as President of the Greeting Card Association in Washington, DC, Chairman of the Board of Giftco Inc in Vernon Hills, IL and President of Creative Card Company, Chicago, IL where he managed 450 employees.

Dustin currently owns a printing company, a greeting card manufacturing company, a specialty imprinting company, an advertising specialty company and is a sales broker for Baird & Warner Real Estate. Dustin has served on the Lake in the Hills Planning and Zoning Commission since 2011.

Among Dustin’s top goals if elected, “to increase economic growth and commercial involvement, increase commercial revenue to the village and see community involvement and participation maximized in the parks, community activities and government.”

Ken Tentler

The next day he sent the following, but without a photo.   Now I have the picture, so you can read what he has to say and see what Tentler looks like.

I am a candidate for Trustee in Lake In The Hills.  This is my press release to you.

These are the attitudes I carry with my in my public career-

• This is a world in need of repair.
• Flat land open developing is beneath us as 21′st century beings.
• It is likely that other institutions that guide us as individuals and people are as bulky, selfish and undeveloped.
• We live in ways that are very difficult to factor all of the variables when they are needed.
• There are many things I think we all want to see more of-a healthy happy people, high end challenging-multi-development with underneath parking, challenging political debates with 3-4 candidates for mayor or village president etc..

I am a strong young mind and I am interested in ideas, quality thinking, problem solving, critical and independent thinking and vibrancy/urgency.  This things together are a powerful headlight to a world viewpoint.

My website-kjttrustee.com is an attempt at some valuable political talk and summary. The website will continue in a different form once elected (the current content will continue to be added too and refined) to share insight-my political travels and battles, help others and help me find the things I am looking for.

While I do not consider myself or my views malleable, I very much can learn on a daily basis and even last night [the night of the McHenry candidates' forum] picked up on about 10 ideas the helped.

The ballot in Lake in the Hills looks like this:

The Woodstock Institute, based in Chicago, has analyzed mortgage foreclosures and foreclosure auctions in the metropolitan area and released the results.

The number of real estate auctions in McHenry County doubled.  Most–90%–were purchased by the lender.

Foreclosure auctions in Chicagoland.. “REO” means “Real Estate Owned” and indicates when the lender buys the property.

The Woodstock Institute’s Spencer Cowan explains the increase this way:

“We saw a precipitous drop in foreclosure auctions while the robosigning scandal was being investigated. Now that the case has been settled with new standards for foreclosure processes in place, servicers are working through the backlog. This will almost certainly lead to an influx of vacant properties on the market.”

Foreclosures in McHenry County increase by 8% to 3,024.

Foreclosure filings also increased, but nowhere close to as dramatically.

An eight percent hike was found.

There were breakouts for foreclosures in McHenry County’s largest towns

• Algonquin
• Crystal Lake
• Huntley
• Lake in the Hills
• McHenry
• Woodstock

You can see them below:

Foreclosure activity in Crystal Lake and Lake in the Hills seems to have stabilized.  The increases there are 2.4% and 5%, respectively.

The rates for the other big towns are as high as 45%.  Put in descending order of percentage increase the rates for the municipalities for which date are available follow:

• Woodstock – 45.1%
• Huntley – 43.9%
• McHenry – 31.5%
• Algonquin – 26.4%
• Lake in the Hills- 5%
• Crystal Lake – 2.4%

Trustee Bob Huckins is on the left. Paul Mulcahy is standing next to him.

With Village President Ed Plaza retiring, Village Trustee Paul Mulcahy is running for the office. Realtor Bill Dusting is challenging him.

Village Clerk Denise Wasserman has not filed for re-election, although the post pays $6,000.

The following four have filed for three Village Trustee spots:

• Bob Huckins
• Denise Barreto
• Steve Harlfinger
• Kenneth Tentler

All terms are for 4 year terms.

Trustee terms expiring next May are Bob Huckins, Denise Barreto and Steve Harlfinger.

Filing is open until the close of business on December 26th.

Those thinking about running need to file a Statement of Economic Interest with the County Clerk and attach its receipt with a staple to one’s petitions and Statement of Candidacy. And, be sure to number the pages.

Denise Barreto

What does a Village Trustee in Lake in the Hills do when she gets tired of the rat race.

She writes a book and creates her own job if her name is Denise W. Barreto.

The name of the book is

From Here to There: 5 Steps to Doing Your Life’s Work Every Day

The cover of “From Here to There: 5 Steps to Doing Your Life’s Work Every Day.”

“I finally left corporate america this past winter,” she writes, “and I love it.

“I  ‘created my own job.’

“Now there’s a first – a politician who had no intention of creating a job actually doing it.

“My book is sort of a memoir/handbook to encourage people to pursue their life’s work versus work someone else has for them.

“It should resonate well in our current climate.

“It is simple and short (just under 24,000 words and about 74 pages printed).”

She has a coming out party, so to speak, on Wednesday in Rosemont. It will be held at the Rosemont Park District Building’s Thompson Room. The address is 6140 Scott Street.

The event runs from 6:30-8:30 PM with Barreto speaking at 7:15 and 8.

Free parking available directly in back of the building and across the playground to the left of the building

Barreto’s author page on Amazon can be found here, where she says her next book will be on marketing.

Right now she is “Primarily delivering strategic business and marketing planning services, Relationships Matter Now, LLC, sees relationships–internal and external–as the key driver and differentiator for long-term success.”

And knowing that I might ask if she is running for re-election, she let me know, “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time on the Lake in the Hills Village Board and have pulled a packet for re-election.”

In the Lake in the Hills Labor Day Parade Trustee Bob Huckins is on the left. Paul Mulcahy is standing next to him.

The First Electric Newspaper is reporting that long-time Village President Ed Plaza is not running for re-election.

Paul Mulcahy, a Village Trustee is seen passing petitions in a photo included in the Electric Newspaper’s story.

Lake in the Hills has about 29,000 people, but has been known for very low voter turnouts.

There were 16,688 registered voters for the municipal election two years ago, but only 2,197 voted.

That’s 13%.

In turnouts that low, any candidate following Lincoln’s advice to identify your voters and get them to polls can win any office.

In a five-way Trustee vote in 2011, the highest vote getter, Ray Bogdanowski only received 572 votes.

In 2009, Plaza ran unopposed and got 1,101 votes.

Finishing first in the 2009 Trustee in a six-way race was Steve Harlfinger with 616 votes.

This is the time of year when candidates, well, mainly candidates’ supporters, knock down opponents’ signs, replace them with then own, if they aren’t very bright, or just put their candidates’ sign in front of the opponents, if they are more astute.

Dennis Anderson yard signs on the Route 14 Right-of-Way in Crystal Lake.

Candidates without supporters in an area, put their signs on the public right-of-way, not remotely legal.

Just talked to a Republican candidate for County Board in District 5 who said his volunteers were campaigning in Lake in the Hills, leaving literature at front doors, when one saw a girl get out of a car, go up to a house and take the literature.

When confronted, the girl said, “Oh, I thought that was out literature.”

Strange.

Why would someone remove their own candidates’ literature?

In this day of phones that take pictures, that’s a really strange thing to do.

Not to mention politically dangerous.

This could end up being a developing story.

A puffer fish serves as a lantern at Crystal Lake’s Chinese restaurant The Breakers.

That’s what the Chicago Tribune is reporting is the sentence for Edward F. Bachner IV.

Since he has been in jail for four a third years, he has 3 and a third to go.

Here’s the press release about the arrest.

Here’s what the FBI Agent said about his arrest.

Here’s the press release about the guilty plea.

Here is the press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office:

LAKE IN THE HILLS MAN SENTENCED TO FEDERAL PRISON FOR ACQUIRING AND POSSESSING DEADLY NEUROTOXIN

ROCKFORD – A former Lake in the Hills man, EDWARD F. BACHNER, IV, was sentenced today to serve 7 years and 8 months in federal prison for one count of wire fraud and one count of possession of a neurotoxin, Tetrodotoxin (TTX) with the intent to use it as a weapon. Bachner pleaded guilty on Aug. 2, 2011,to engaging in a scheme to obtain money from insurance companies, admitting that he fraudulently purchased a $20 million life insurance policy on an unnamed individual.

Bachner planned to profit from the death of the individual by collecting the life insurance proceeds.

In addition, Bachner also admitted to posing as “Dr. Edmund Backer” and obtaining TTX, a deadly neurotoxin, in order to use it as a weapon.

Bachner, 39, was ordered to serve the 92-month sentence by U.S. District Judge Frederick Kapala in Federal Court in Rockford. Bachner as also ordered to serve 64 months’ imprisonment on one count of filing a false tax claim, with the sentences to be served concurrently.

Judge Kapala also ordered Bachner to pay restitution of $512,396 to the United States Treasury Department.

The sentence was announced today by Gary S. Shapiro, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, William C. Monroe, Acting Special Agent-In-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Thomas Jankowski, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division.

Bachner has remained in federal custody since he was arrested on June 30, 2008.

He was indicted in August 2008 for unlawfully acquiring and possessing Tetrodotoxin, to use as a weapon on five separate occasions between November 7, 2006, and June 30, 2008, and possessing TTX in a quantity that was not reasonably justified by a prophylactic, protective, bona fide research, or other peaceful purpose.

According to court documents, Tetrodotoxin is a neurotoxin that has no known antidote and can only be treated with supportive therapy in an attempt to lessen the severity of the symptoms. Tetrodotoxin is naturally found in certain animal species, including puffer fish, and consumption of these animals can result in natural poisoning.

Dependent largely upon the amount of poisoning, Tetrodotoxin has a historical fatality rate of 50-60 percent.

If death occurs, it is usually due to respiratory paralysis and can occur within 6 to 24 hours.

A superseding indictment in June 2009 charged Bachner with new counts, including wire fraud alleging that Bachner engaged in a scheme to obtain TTX to kill an individual to collect $20 million in life insurance proceeds; soliciting another in 2005 to commit a federal felony involving the use of force; using an interstate facility for murder for hire in 2005; and filing false claims for federal income tax refunds.

In pleading guilty, Bachner also acknowledged filing false federal income tax returns for tax years 2005, 2006 and 2007, and obtaining fraudulent tax refunds in excess of $300,000.

The case was investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Rockford Office of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division. The Chicago FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is comprised of FBI special agents, officers from the Chicago Police Department, and representatives from approximately 20 other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.

The case was prosecuted in federal court by Assistant United States Attorneys Mark T. Karner and Michael D. Love.