McHenry County Blog

This is where the first Public Health Committee meeting will be held with Tina Hill loyalists having the majority.

If the McHenry County Board follows Chairwoman Tina Hill’s recommendation, McHenry’s Sandy Salgado will have been replaced by Spring Grove’s Bob Martens the night before the Board’s Public Health and Human Services Committee meets in Crystal Lake at 9 AM in the Public Health Department building where Woodstock Street intersects Route 14.

That makes it convenient for those in the southeast corner of McHenry County to see the committee to which Crystal Laker Donna Kurtz was appointed chairman after supporting Hill’s chairmanship on the second vote.

Hill’s argument for replacing Salgado is that she works for Pioneer Center, which receives funding from the 708 Mental Health Board whose members are appointed by the the committee.

Martens, of course, before he retired, ran the Family Services agency which the 708 Board pumped in upwards of $1.8 million in an unsuccessful attempt to forestall its going out of business.

With Martens on the committee, Kurtz will have lost the fourth vote needed to advance proposals and nominations to the County Board floor, if Hill disagrees with them.

There will be a public comment period.

Correction: I thought the notice I received yesterday had to do with Friday’s meeting of the Public Health Committee. It was a notice for the May 22nd meeting instead.

The snow has melted, but the meeting room remains inside the Public Health Clinic on Route 14 in Crystal Lake.

Originally scheduled in Woodstock at the McHenry County Administrative Center at 8 AM, the Friday meeting to consider alternatives to Scott Summers’ rejected appointment to the 708 Mental Health Board will now be at 8:30 in Crystal Lake at the McHenry County Department of Health’s Crystal Lake Health Clinic at 100 N Virginia Street (Route 14 across from Woodstock Street.

I don’t hear chants of

“We’re number one!”

arising from the latest distinction, but those people who want to

“Get the kitties!”

are undoubtedly thinking about licensing cats again.

The following press release is from the McHenry County Public Health Department:

County leads State in rabid bats – 17

Woodstock IL – Two residents from Woodstock have begun receiving treatment for rabies exposure after they awoke to find a bat in their bedroom; it later tested positive for rabies.

This is the 17th rabid bat reported this year, according to the McHenry County Department of Health, matching the total recorded in all of 2009.

Bats are unusually active this time of year as they’re in the middle of their breeding season. The most recent data from the State Health Department’s website (8-13-10) shows 68 rabid bats reported state-wide.

The County saw the highest number of rabid bats in 2008 with 23.

Last year, rabid bats were reported locally as late as November.

You can’t tell by looking at a bat if it’s rabid.

However, a bat that is active by day, found in a place where bats are not usually seen (such as in your home, in a swimming pool or on the lawn) or is unable to fly is likely rabid.

If you find a bat, don’t release it; keep it contained in a room, under a bucket or blanket and call McHenry County Animal Control (815-459-6222).

Keely cat wasn't too worried about the report of rabid bats in McHenry County. He didn't even get up to go looking for the dreaded McHenry County Republican Cat Tax Collector.

Bats must be in good condition in order to test it for rabies – either alive or recently deceased. Specimens that are in good condition and test negative for rabies eliminates the need for rabies treatment.

Rabies is a virus that affects the nervous system of humans and other mammals; it can only be confirmed in a laboratory. The best way to avoid rabies is to avoid exposure.

Pet owners are reminded to keep their animals’ rabies vaccinations up-to-date.

Teach children to never approach or handle wild animals to reduce their risk of exposure.

Yesterday McHenry County Blog reported on the effort by the McHenry County Department of Public Health to obtain emergency control over the abandonment of septic tanks in Port Barrington as homes were being connected to the Northern Moraine Sanitary District.

As part of the defendants’ reply was what amounted to a legal brief from NOMO President Kenneth A. Michaels, Jr., a member of the board since 1994 and head of it since 2005. He outlined the history of district and the law that authorizes and regulates it.

Created in 1978 (I remember well the “Royal Flush” dedication ceremony in Island Lake), the district now has 23.5 miles of sewers in Lakemoor, 37.5 miles in Island Lake and over 7.2 miles in Port Barrington.

The NOMO Sanitary District boundaries near the Fox River.

Michaels says he can find no document that the County Health Department every “asserted that it had exclusive or any jurisdiction to issue permits for or to inspect the abandonment of septic systms associated with the sewer connections.”

“My belief is that the entire assertion of exclusive jurisdiction here is because McHenry County Health Department currently charges its citizens for issuing such a permit, while NOMO does not charge it citizens anything for this service incident to the new sewer connection.”

The McHenry County Health Department, a.k.a, the wannabe McHenry County Republican Cat Tax Collectors are back.

The have identified two rabid bats in Cary.

That’s pretty close.

And, one got inside.

In a basement.

Don’t play coy.

You know about basements.

You run through the basement door any chance you get.

Then Cat Mom has to use those cat wipie dipes to clean off the dirt.

Now, if she reads this article, she might be more worried that you would get bitten by a rabid bat.

You are so lucky that she doesn’t read McHenry County Blog.

No word on whether the McHenry County Board will try to force house cats to have rabies shots, while ignoring those barn cats that may be in real danger.

“If it’s all the same with you, Cat Dad, I’d rather sleep.”

The McHenry County Health Department, a.k.a, the wannabe McHenry County Republican Cat Tax Collectors are back.

The have identified two rabid bats in Cary.

That’s pretty close.

And, one got inside.

In a basement.

Don’t play coy.

You know about basements.

You run through the basement door any chance you get.

Then Cat Mom has to use those cat wipie dipes to clean off the dirt.

Now, if she reads this article, she might be more worried that you would get bitten by a rabid bat.

You are so lucky that she doesn’t read McHenry County Blog.

No word on whether the McHenry County Board will try to force house cats to have rabies shots, while ignoring those barn cats that may be in real danger.

“If it’s all the same with you, Cat Dad, I’d rather sleep.”