McHenry County Blog

State Senate President John Cullerton has scheduled a vote on gay marriage tomorrow–Valentine’s Day.

On her Crystal Lake Tea Party email, Mary Alger writes about that vote.

The Crystal Lake Tea Party logo.

“We met with Senator Pam Althoff in Woodstock yesterday and she still doesn’t know how she’ll vote on same sex marriage!

“Relevant Radio is saying she is a key vote for its passage.

“Please let her know she is being used to achieve their goal of peeling off the weak votes by inviting them into the process only to discard what she believes she achieves.

“It is CRUCIAL that you call her office NOW and tell her to vote NO on any and all same sex marriage bills! God is giving us this opportunity to defend our culture as it was created and enshrined in our Constitution.

“God has ordered nature in His supreme wisdom. This bill serves to create disorder and chaos which is exactly what the evil one seeks.

“Here is her contact information:

Offices:

M103C State Capitol, Springfield,
Phone: 217-782-8000
Fax: 217-782-9586

5400 West Elm, Suite 103,McHenry

Phone: 815-455-6330
Fax: 815-679-6756

Email: pamela@pamelaalthoff.net

There’s a “Women for McSweeney” rally being held Saturday in Crystal Lake at D’Andreas Banquets at 10.

On the Host Committee are

• Mary Alger
• Geri Davis
• Jean Marie Kapp
• Rebecca Kress
• Cara Kretz
• Rebecca Lee
• Lu Ann LeFew
• Anne Majewski
• Lou Ann Majewski
• Anna May Miller
• Irene Napier
• Linda Post
• Lucy Prouty
• Bonnie Quirke
• Kathy Salvi
• Sue Sedar
• Joyce Story
• Nina Stephenson
• Phyllis Walters
• Barbara Wheeler
• Monica Young

The invitation to Saturday’s “Women for McSweeney” rally.

State Senator Pam Althoff, State Rep. JoAnne Osmund and Kane County Board Chairman and unopposed State Senate candidate Karen McConnaughay will speak.
McSweeney is running against Dee Beaubien (Ind.-Madigan).

Seen in Downtown Ringwood.

Look what the Crystal Lake Tea Party just sent out:

In the spirit of American Patriots, the Crystal Lake Tea Party and Huntley Area Tea Party are collaborating to share resources and staff a booth at the McHenry County Fair.

With November (and October early voting) elections fast approaching, all of us are looking at various ways in order to educate our voters and promote our Tea Party values.

The Fair runs from Wednesday, August 1st, through Sunday, August 5th, and will require booth staffing from 10 am to 10 pm each of those days, except for the early close on Sunday.

If you’ve never had the experience of meeting neighbors and friends at this type of venue, let us assure you that it is a TON of fun!

People who attend the Fair are in a happy mood to begin with, so half your work is already done!

We’d love to make sure that we’re able to accommodate all volunteers with a two-hour time slot of their first choice, so please get back to me ASAP so we can reserve your time.

If you’d like to bring a personal friend with you to help keep you company, just let us know.

Our Tea Party people always work on the premise of the more, the merrier!

Thanks! We’re looking forward to hearing your choice of times!

Contact us at:

Diane Evertsen dfevertsen@yahoo.com

Bill Broderick – Huntley TEA Party
bill@mpiresources.com

or Mary Alger – Crystal Lake TEA Party
mary@crystallaketeaparty.com

Mary Alger and Tonya Franklin in Downtown Chicago on April 15th.

Accompanying a Tuesday Chicago Sun-Times column by Chris Mooney entitled “Conservatives are happier,” is a photo featuring Mary Alger and Tonya Franklin.

Folks will remember Alger as head of the Crystal Lake Tea Party and a former candidate for the McHenry County Board in District 3.

Franklin is the woman who stepped forward to challenge Democratic Party candidate Jack Franks.

This is the enthusiasm that could have attracted Tea Party volunteers from around the area–including Wisconsin–had the McHenry County Republican Party been willing to give Franklin a chance to get on the ballot.

The irony seems heavy that Republican County Chairman Mike Tryon has not taken Franklin up on her offer to become an appointed GOP Precinct Committeeman with so, so many precincts having no representative of the Republican Party

Unsuccessful McHenry County Board candidate Mary Alger has cut a YouTube remembrance of  her District 3 Republican primary campaign.

Take a look:

Joe Gottemoller’s last name is so long that his sign emphasizes his first name.

Nick Provenano’s last name is pretty long, too.

Generally, short-named people have an advantage, if only because their name is easier to fit on a sign.

But, as you can see below, with 17% of the vote counted in District 3, the candidates with the longest names are in the lead.

Joe Gottemoller and Nick Provenzano are running first and second in the eight-person race. Next is the guy who has the road bisecting the District, Michael Walkup. Vying for fourth place are two of the three Mary's, newcomer Mary McClellan and incumbent Mary Donner.

The 17% figures are holding up through 59% of the votes being counted.

The two top Mary’s are battling it out for the fourth spot on the fall GOP ballot.

Little difference can be seen between the 17% figures and the 59% totals.

McHenry County Board candidate Mary Alger stands outside a polling place this morning.

As the election has less than three more hours for Illinois voters to cast ballots, Congressman Randy Hultgren’s campaign manager Joe Calomino is telling supporters of the low turnout and urging them to vote:

Rob Abraham, candidate for GOP Precinct Committeeman, stands outside his Lake in the Hills polling place.

“It appears that voter turnout is well below average today. If you haven’t voted yet there’s still time.

“It is so important that we elect quality candidates to represent the GOP and our shared values leading into the 2012 General Election at every level of government from the White House to the Court House.

“The future of our communities and our nation rest in your hands…so please VOTE today and have your voices heard.

Running in one of the few contests for Republican Precinct Committeeman, Janness Abraham stands outside her Nunda Township polling place.

“Not sure where to vote?

“Click here to find out.

“Thank you,

“Joe Calomino, Campaign Manager
Hultgren for Congress”

Hultgren is running unopposed.

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If you have election day photographs, email them to McHenry County Blog.

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Turnout at Crystal Lake’s Main Beach House polling place seemed low to me.

In my Algonquin Township Precinct 7, 77 Republicans and 4 Democrats had voted by the time I showed up about 3:45.

In the other precinct that votes there, Algonquin 19, there were 57 Republicans and 7 Democrats.

Total votes two years ago were 114 for the GOP and 30 for the Democrats in Algonquin 7, while in Algonquin 19 there were 107 Republican votes and 36 Democrats. But those figures included early voting and absentee votes, which are not included in the 3:45 vote counts seen above.

Besides running for the McHenry County Board in District 3, Mary Alger has taken in both the appearance of Newt Gingrich in Lake in the Hills and, last night, Rick Santorum in Arlington Heights.

Here is her report of the event:

Rich Santorum in Arlington Heights, Illinois.

Rick Santorum gave a rousing speech to a packed auditorium.

He embodies the genuine contrast between liberty and tyranny. He spoke passionately from the heart for at least an hour.

Clearly this man is animated by his deep faith and his love for this country.

The Obamacare assault brought him into the race.

Arriving early enough to get seats down front were these McHenry County residents. From left to right are Nancy Cole, Wendy Schwan and Christine Smutney.

He spoke of Margaret Thatcher, who was never able to stem the tide of socialism in Great Britain once they entrenched a public health care system.

The people became dependent on the state. Once freedom is lost it is never regained.

Rick Santorum does not want that to be the story for the United States of America and neither did anyone at that rally!

Rick spoke passionately about the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence pointing out that rights come from God.

The Constitution puts those rights in the owner’s manual for our country.

Here's something that will undoubtedly be framed in the Alger household.

I’m including some pictures.

I got him to sign the back of my campaign postcard!

He was still signing autographs, shaking hands and having his picture taken with audience members long after his speech ended.

I am both invigorated and spent from such an amazing rally.

More recent information indicates that Newt Gingrich will be at the airport at 2:30, not 3;30.

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Here’s what I learned from Crystal Lake Tea Party honcho Mary Alger’s email today:

Lake in the Hills Rally with Newt and Callista

March 15, 2012 – 3:30pm – 4:30pm CT
Lake in the Hills Airport
8585 Pyott Road
Lake in the Hills, IL 60156
Note: This event is free and open to the public

Alger is a candidate for the McHenry County Board in District 3, which runs pretty much from Crystal Lake Avenue into the southern part of the City of McHenry.

Huntley's Matt McNamara will be accompanying Newt and Callista Gingrich to McHenry County. Here McNamara is seen in Rome, Georgia.

Here’s a campaign technique I have seen no other candidate be bold enough to merchandise except through word of mouth.

Running against the Northwest Herald.

I have written previously about what Mary Alger is doing in relationship with her sign saying, “Not endorsed by the Northwest Herald.”

Now she is sending out a postcard with that same message:

Mary Alger's "I'm not endorsed by the Northwest Herald" postcard.

While I was delivering campaign literature for all the District 2 County Board candidates in my precinct Sunday, I noticed all sorts of Northwest Heralds in plastic bags at the end of driveways.

In the other article, I pointed out that under one-third of the households in McHenry County subscribe to the Northwest Herald. I think sample copies were in more than one-third of the driveways of the homes I visited Sunday.

In any event, it’s an interesting approach. It would probably work if the McHenry County Board were elected on a proportional representation basis, but without the opportunity to cast the type of weighted vote allowed in a proportional representation election, I decline to make a prediction.

The address side of the post card follows:

Mary Alger stresses a balanced budget without tax increases, protecting private property, opposition to entitlements, and getting out of the way of job creators on the address side of her post card.