McHenry County Blog

A while back McHenry County Blog took a look at how the Republican Party was faring, based on the number of people who filed GOP Precinct Committeeman petitions.

Let’s take a walk down that same path with McHenry County Democrats.

To put McHenry County political landscape into perspective, there are 212 election precincts.

People filed to run for Democratic Party Precinct Committeeman in only 40 of them.

Less than 19% of the precincts in a county carried by Barack Obama have people with enough energy to get ten of their neighbors’ signatures.

That’s compared to the 49% of precincts where there are GOP candidates, which was pathetic in itself.

Unlike in the Republican Primary, there are no contests for Precinct Committeeman in the Democratic Party.

I know that local Democrats like to call their Precinct Committeemen “Precinct Representatives,” but the title is “Committeeman.”

As I have suggested more than once, if local Democrats want to change the title of the office, folks in their party control the legislature and the Governor’s Office.

Hey, there’s even a Democrat in the Illinois House from McHenry County.

Just ask Jack Franks.

That should not be a hard bill to pass.

Alden Township

(Alden)

ALDEN – No Candidate Filed

Algonquin Township

(Algonquin, southern Crystal Lake, Lake in the Hills, Cary, Fox River Grove, Barrington Hills)

ALGONQUIN 1 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 2 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 3 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 4 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 5 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 6 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 7 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 8 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 9 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 10 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 11 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 12 – No Candidate Filed

ALGONQUIN 13 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 14 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 15 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 16 – Patricia A. Abboud (Barrington Hills)
ALGONQUIN 17 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 18 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 19 – Loreen (Lori) Keller (Crystal Lake)
ALGONQUIN 20 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 21 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 22 – No Candidate Filed

ALGONQUIN 23 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 24 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 25 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 26 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 27 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 28 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 29 – Katherine M Tremont (Cary)
ALGONQUIN 30 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 31 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 32 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 33 – Debbie Chirikos (Algonquin)
ALGONQUIN 34 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 35 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 36 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 37 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 38 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 39 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 40 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 41 – Robert R. Waddell (Algonquin)
ALGONQUIN 42 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 43 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 44 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 45 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 46 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 47 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 48 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 49 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 50 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 51 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 52 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 53 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 54 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 55 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 56 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 57 – No Candidate Filed

ALGONQUIN 58 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 59 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 60 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 61 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 62 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 63 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 64 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 65 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 66 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 67 – No Candidate Filed
ALGONQUIN 68 – No Candidate Filed

Burton Township

(Spring Grove, Fox Lake)

BURTON 1 – Jeff S. Thirtyacre (SpringGrove)
BURTON 2 – No Candidate Filed
BURTON 3 – No Candidate Filed

Chemung Township

(Harvard, Lawrence)

CHEMUNG 1 – No Candidate Filed
CHEMUNG 2 – No Candidate Filed
CHEMUNG 3 – No Candidate Filed
CHEMUNG 4 – No Candidate Filed
CHEMUNG 5 – No Candidate Filed

Coral Township

(Union)

CORAL 1 – Ryan Anderson (Union)
CORAL 2 – No Candidate Filed
CORAL 3 – No Candidate Filed

Dorr Township

(Woodstock, Bull Valley)

DORR 1 – No Candidate Filed
DORR 2 – No Candidate Filed
DORR 3 – Robert E. Gibson (Woodstock)
DORR 4 – Ann Legg (Woodstock)
DORR 5 – No Candidate Filed
DORR 6 – No Candidate Filed
DORR 7 – Thomas J. Cynor (Woodstock)
DORR 8 – No Candidate Filed
DORR 9 – No Candidate Filed
DORR 10 – No Candidate Filed
DORR 11 – No Candidate Filed
DORR 12 – No Candidate Filed
DORR 13 – No Candidate Filed
DORR 14 – Thomas G. Erlenborn (Bull Valley)

Dunham Township

(Southern Harvard)

DUNHAM – Scott Summers (Harvard)

Grafton Township

(Huntley, Lakewood, western Crystal Lake, western Lake in the Hills, western Algonquin)

GRAFTON 1 – Diane E. Oltman Ayers (Huntley)
GRAFTON 2 – Sara Ryerson (Lakewood)
GRAFTON 3 – Elizabeth A Puchmelter (Crystal Lake)
GRAFTON 4 – No Candidate Filed
GRAFTON 5 – Mary Mackowiak (Crystal Lake)
GRAFTON 6 – No Candidate Filed
GRAFTON 7 – Jill McCutcheon (Crystal Lake)
GRAFTON 8 – No Candidate Filed
GRAFTON 9 – No Candidate Filed
GRAFTON 10 – No Candidate Filed
GRAFTON 11 – No Candidate Filed

GRAFTON 12 – Michael Bissett (Lake in the Hills)
GRAFTON 13 – James P. Kennedy (Lake in the Hills)
GRAFTON 14 – No Candidate Filed
GRAFTON 15 – No Candidate Filed
GRAFTON 16 – No Candidate Filed
GRAFTON 17 – No Candidate Filed
GRAFTON 18 – Denise Barreto (Lake in the Hills)
GRAFTON 19 – No Candidate Filed
GRAFTON 20 – No Candidate Filed
GRAFTON 21 – No Candidate FiledGRAFTON 22 – Samuel S. Melei (Huntley)

GRAFTON 23 – No Candidate Filed
GRAFTON 24 – Michael A. Henry (Huntley)
GRAFTON 25 – No Candidate Filed
GRAFTON 26 – No Candidate Filed
GRAFTON 27 – No Candidate Filed.
GRAFTON 28 – No Candidate Filed
GRAFTON 29 – No Candidate Filed
GRAFTON 30 – No Candidate Filed
GRAFTON 31 – No Candidate Filed

Greenwood Township

(Northern Woodstock, western Wonder Lake & Greenwood)

GREENWOOD 1 – No Candidate Filed
GREENWOOD 2 – No Candidate Filed
GREENWOOD 3 – No Candidate Filed
GREENWOOD 4 – No Candidate Filed
GREENWOOD 5 – No Candidate Filed
GREENWOOD 6 – Brian D. Meyers (Woodstock)
GREENWOOD 7 – No Candidate Filed

Hartland Township

HARTLAND 1 – No Candidate Filed
HARTLAND 2 – No Candidate Filed

Hebron Township

(Hebron)

HEBRON 1 – Andrew J Georgi, Jr. (Hebron)

HEBRON 2 – No Candidate Filed

Marengo Township

(Marengo)

MARENGO 1 – No Candidate Filed
MARENGO 2 – No Candidate Filed
MARENGO 3 – No Candidate Filed
MARENGO 4 – No Candidate Filed

McHenry Township

(McHenry, eastern Wonder Lake, Johnsburg, McCullom Lake, Lakemoor, Holiday Hills, Ringwood)

MCHENRY 1 – Martha B “Marti” Swanson (Ringwood)
MCHENRY 2 – No Candidate Filed
MCHENRY 3 – No Candidate Filed
MCHENRY 4 – No Candidate Filed
MCHENRY 5 – No Candidate Filed
MCHENRY 6 – No Candidate Filed
MCHENRY 7 – No Candidate Filed
MCHENRY 8 – No Candidate Filed
MCHENRY 9 – No Candidate Filed
MCHENRY 10 – No Candidate Filed
MCHENRY 11 – No Candidate Filed
MCHENRY 12 – Irene Wolff Raven (McHenry)
MCHENRY 13 – No Candidate Filed
MCHENRY 14 – No Candidate Filed
MCHENRY 15 – No Candidate Filed
MCHENRY 16 – Michael Mayo (Johnsburg)
MCHENRY 17 – No Candidate Filed
MCHENRY 18 – No Candidate Filed
MCHENRY 19 – No Candidate Filed
MCHENRY 20 – No Candidate Filed
MCHENRY 21 – No Candidate Filed
MCHENRY 22 – No Candidate Filed
MCHENRY 23 – No Candidate Filed

MCHENRY 24 – No Candidate Filed
MCHENRY 25 – Brian Peters (Lakemoor)
MCHENRY 26 – No Candidate Filed
MCHENRY 27 – No Candidate Filed
MCHENRY 28 – Herbert Hassinger (McHenry)
MCHENRY 29 – No Candidate Filed
MCHENRY 30 – No Candidate Filed
MCHENRY 31 – No Candidate Filed
MCHENRY 32 – No Candidate Filed
MCHENRY 33 – No Candidate Filed
MCHENRY 34 – No Candidate Filed
MCHENRY 35 – No Candidate Filed

Nunda Township

(Northern Crystal Lake, Southern McHenry, Prairie Grove, Island Lake, Oakwood Hills, Holiday Hills)

NUNDA 1 – Kathleen Bergan Schmidt (Crystal Lake)
NUNDA 2 – Pauline Walker (Crystal Lake)
NUNDA 3 – No Candidate Filed
NUNDA 4 – No Candidate Filed

NUNDA 5 – Patrick Murfin (Crystal Lake)
NUNDA 6 – No Candidate Filed
NUNDA 7 – No Candidate Filed
NUNDA 8 – No Candidate Filed
NUNDA 9 – No Candidate Filed
NUNDA 10 – Kevin L. Klopfenstein (Crystal Lake)
NUNDA 11 – No Candidate Filed
NUNDA 12 – Alexander Bielsky (Holiday Hills)
NUNDA 13 – No Candidate Filed
NUNDA 14 – No Candidate Filed
NUNDA 15 – Mitchell J. Wisumierski (Crystal Lake)
NUNDA 16 – No Candidate Filed
NUNDA 17 – No Candidate Filed
NUNDA 18 – Nancy Schietzelt (Crystal Lake)
NUNDA 19 – Nan Kueller (Crystal Lake)
NUNDA 20 – No Candidate Filed
NUNDA 21 – No Candidate Filed
NUNDA 22 – No Candidate Filed
NUNDA 23 – No Candidate Filed
NUNDA 24 – No Candidate Filed
NUNDA 25 – No Candidate Filed
NUNDA 26 – No Candidate Filed
NUNDA 27 – No Candidate Filed
NUNDA 28 – No Candidate Filed
NUNDA 29 – Robert Routzahn (Crystal Lake)

Richmond Township

(Richmond, Spring Grove)

RICHMOND 1 – No Candidate Filed
RICHMOND 2 – No Candidate Filed
RICHMOND 3 – No Candidate Filed
RICHMOND 4 – No Candidate Filed

Riley Township

(Southern Marengo)

RILEY -No Candidate Filed

Seneca Township

(Western Woodstock)

SENECA 1 – No Candidate Filed
SENECA 2 – John Bartman (Marengo)

Just thought folks might be interested in what Erin Smith, Lakewood’s new village president is telling constituents:

From the Village President

Dear Neighbors,

It’s been a busy summer in the Village of Lakewood and, on behalf of the Village Board and Village Staff, I want to thank you for your ongoing support. At this time, I would like to update you on a number of exciting initiatives that have kept us very busy over the last few months:

New Committees Formed

I am thrilled with the overwhelming response to my request for committee volunteers! We had more than enough volunteers and a very good representation of various neighborhoods. I hope that residents who were not appointed to the committees this year will remain active with the committees as informal members. Every committee meeting is open to the public and the meeting schedule, meeting agenda, and meeting minutes will be available to the public per the Illinois Open Meetings Act.

Four new resident committees have now been formed, which we believe will improve communication and increase the number of projects we can pursue each year. Each committee has met at least once to begin the process of setting goals for 2009 – 2010. The members of each committee are listed below along with their term on the committee, and I would encourage you to reach out to these members with any ideas you have related to the charter of that committee.

Economic Development Committee — Ken Santowski, Board Liaison; Julie Richardson, Chairman (3-year term); Steve Bottorff (2-year term); Blake Hobson (2-year term); Robin Cero (2-year term); Harriet Ford (1-year term); George Mueller (1-year term); and Bob Rosenberger (1-year term).

Parks and Recreation Committee — Dorothy Pfeuffer, Board Liaison; Ed Kisman, Chairman (3-year term); Sharon Bean (2-year term); Carlie Dobbeck (2-year term), Wendy Frederick (2-year term); Gail Bialk (1-year term); Tom Podraza (1-year term); and Lis Tevyaw (1-year term).

RedTail Golf Club Committee — Gene Furey, Board Liaison; Rich Ford, Chairman (3-year term); Sandy Holden (2-year term); Bill Peterson (2-year term); Rick Clark (2-year term); Tim Heagy (1-year term); Jeff Wolfgram (1-year term); and Jeff Iden (1-year term).


Special Service Area #1 Committee — John Pfeuffer, Board Liaison; Jesse Waldon, Chairman (3-year term); Pam Eddy (2-year term); Don Foster (2-year term); David Harris (2-year term); Debbie Hall (1-year term); Jane Kutilek (1-year term); Phil Lambruschi (1-year term).

Amazing Neighbors

I’d like to take an opportunity in every newsletter to recognize the contributions of volunteers in our community. I have the privilege of witnessing the generosity of so many residents, and I hope you will join me in thanking these neighbors.

This quarter, I’d like to highlight the amazing contributions of the SSA-1 Lakes Committee and other residents who live in this area. Following the unfortunate fish kill on Lake 1, I was overwhelmed by the number of residents who signed up to assist our Village Staff with this difficult cleanup effort. Following this work, these residents have continued to meet on a regular basis for “Algae Hoedowns,” spending up to 8 hours at a time manually removing algae from the lakes using boats and rakes they have adapted for this work. A number of Village employees have also contributed to this effort. Other neighbors provided food and drinks for the volunteers. The result has been that the Village had not needed to purchase chemicals to treat 3 of the 4 lakes.

Additionally, several of the members of the SSA-1 Lakes Committee have contributed many hours toward the process of completing a Section 319 Grant application that, if successful, will provide $400,000 toward the restoration of natural buffers and other features that will improve the health of these lakes and surrounding areas from an environmental perspective.

Please join me in thanking these committee members and everyone else who has donated many hours every week toward preserving the lakes in this area.

MCC Promise Program Volunteers

The Village of Lakewood is now officially registered as a McHenry County College Promise Program agency. The Promise Program provides free tuition to students who volunteer in the community for at least 16 hours every semester. We have identified a number of projects that are well suited to the efforts of the Promise Program students, including public properties maintenance, open space rehabilitation projects and assistance for disabled or elderly residents. Please encourage college students in this program to sign up for Lakewood projects. And if you or one of your neighbors is in need of additional assistance with yard work, please contact Village Hall to inquire about receiving help from one of the students.

Improving Resident Communication

I have decided, with the support of the Trustees, to begin a new process for soliciting ongoing feedback from residents. I would like to meet with one neighborhood every quarter to engage in discussion about topics that are most relevant to that neighborhood. Our first meeting will be dedicated to residents on the east side of Lakewood on Gates 1 – 23. Thanks to a generous donation from our own Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria, we will call this neighborhood meeting “Pizza with the President”. We will meet on Tuesday, September 29th, at 6:30 pm, at the home of Rick and Ernstiena Clark (464 Meridian). Please RSVP to Rick at (815) 459-4938. This is the only notice for this meeting, so please put it on your calendar and spread the word.

Highlights from Recent Board Meetings

Some of the notable decisions or updates from recent Board Meetings include:

o Conceptual approval of the RedTail Clubhouse architectural design. Business case and funding to be determined in partnership with the RedTail Golf Committee
o $200,000 approved in State Capital Bill for repaving RedTail Drive (estimated for spring 2010). A special thank you to State Representative Michael Tryon for his assistance in securing this funding for the Village of Lakewood
o Significant progress toward annexation of properties west to Route 47 and beyond, with several businesses signed to voluntarily annex
o Conceptual approval to pursue commercial development opportunity at Route 47 and 176
o Martial arts studio signed lease agreement for development at Lakewood Commons
o Renewed refuse contract with MDC Environmental Services with several favorable modifications
o Approved and installed dry well on Lake Avenue to relieve standing water problem

Our Board Meetings are the second and fourth Tuesday of every month, at 7:00 p.m., at RedTail Golf Club. I hope you will be able to join us for some of the meetings. And, as always, please contact me anytime with questions or suggestions. Phone: (815) 356-8005 Email: erin.smith_2009@yahoo.com.

= = = = =
The sunset over Lakewood’s part of the Crystal Lake shoreline was taken from outside the Crystal Lake Park District’s Main Beach in late September.

The following press release has been received from McHenry County College (emphasis has been added):

MCC PREPARES FOR RECORD ENROLLMENT IN FALL 2009

[Aug. 21, 2009.Crystal Lake, IL] As McHenry County College (MCC) prepares to welcome a record number of new students this fall, faculty, staff and administrators have been busy working on a variety of efforts to start the semester off smoothly, including digital signage, planning for increased demand for parking, and expanding the credit schedule to include additional sections of popular classes.

“With the current economic state, community college enrollment is on the rise nationwide,” stated Christina Haggerty, MCC spokeswoman. “Between this economic impact on our community and the inaugural semester of MCC Promise, we must be prepared for the opportunity to welcome more and more students through our doors–whether they are planning for a baccalaureate degree or in need of additional career skills.”

The total of new and returning students for fall 2009 is 6,480 (not including Adult Education), a 20.6 percent increase from the 5,374 total students enrolled last fall. Of that total, 1,890 are new, first-year students, which is a 26 percent increase over the 1,500 new students from fall 2008.

To accommodate more student commuters and enhance parking lot safety, MCC is partnering with the Crystal Lake Police Department to assist the College with directing traffic at the start of fall semester, which begins Aug. 24. An officer will be at each College entrance, and security officers will be stationed in each parking lot to monitor and help direct traffic to available spaces.

In addition, College employees will be participating in an optional shuttle service from Lippold Park to help accommodate more student parking options on campus.

MCC also installed indoor digital signage throughout campus to reduce paper flyers and to notify students, faculty and staff in an emergency and/or student activity announcements. Digital monitors are located throughout campus and include 11 flat-panel LCD screens and 24 LED screens with scrolling information. Both sets of screens are integrated with the College’s Emergency Response Plan.

To welcome new and returning students to campus, MCC’s Student Life and Campus Activities Office is hosting activities and giveaways all week, including a welcome picnic on the cafeteria patio from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 26, featuring free food, beverage and live music for the campus community. Other highlights for students on separate days include an ice cream sundae bar, arcade games and airbrush tattoos.

“Over the past months, significant planning has taken place to ensure that MCC is equipped to handle additional enrollment,” said Haggerty. “Now, we’re just excited to start the semester and once again support our mission of helping students meet their educational, career and personal goals.”

Even though there was no increase in the Consumer Price Index this past year.

Tuition is now $77 per credit hour.

But tuition is free to MCC high school graduates for at least the next five years.

That’s because of a program called “McHenry County Promise.”

Of course, there are some catches. Promise students have to maintain a “C” average and complete a minimum of 16 volunteer hours per semester (32 hours per year) while enrolled in the program at MCC.

High school graduates eligible include all in McHenry County, except those in the Carpentersville, Barrington, and Wauconda School Districts, which are in other community college districts.

Those who wish to contribute or seek more information about McHenry County Promise can find it at the Friends of McHenry County College Foundation.

4,000 high school students are potentially eligible starting in September. Only tuition is covered. Students will have to buy their own books and pay their own fees.

While currently there is only enough money for the program to last five years, the hope is to gain enough contributors to make the program permanent.

Kalamazoo pioneered the concept. In Illinois, Peoria started the first “Promise” program.

= = = = =
The northern entrance to McHenry County College is shown in the photo.

Even though there was no increase in the Consumer Price Index this past year.

Tuition is now $77 per credit hour.

But tuition is free to MCC high school graduates for at least the next five years.

That’s because of a program called “McHenry County Promise.”

Of course, there are some catches. Promise students have to maintain a “C” average and complete a minimum of 16 volunteer hours per semester (32 hours per year) while enrolled in the program at MCC.

High school graduates eligible include all in McHenry County, except those in the Carpentersville, Barrington, and Wauconda School Districts, which are in other community college districts.

Those who wish to contribute or seek more information about McHenry County Promise can find it at the Friends of McHenry County College Foundation.

4,000 high school students are potentially eligible starting in September. Only tuition is covered. Students will have to buy their own books and pay their own fees.

While currently there is only enough money for the program to last five years, the hope is to gain enough contributors to make the program permanent.

Kalamazoo pioneered the concept. In Illinois, Peoria started the first “Promise” program.

= = = = =
The northern entrance to McHenry County College is shown in the photo.

The report to the McHenry County College Board about its foundation’s fund raising efforts shows over $2 million collected for the McHenry County Promise, the program that promises to pay tuition for all MCC high school graduates.

The gifts range from $50 to $1 million.

“There is also a verbal pledge of a gift of property with an estimated value between $1 million and $1.5 million,” the report says.

The report to the McHenry County College Board about its foundation’s fund raising efforts shows over $2 million collected for the McHenry County Promise, the program that promises to pay tuition for all MCC high school graduates.

The gifts range from $50 to $1 million.

“There is also a verbal pledge of a gift of property with an estimated value between $1 million and $1.5 million,” the report says.