McHenry County Blog

On May 13th at D’Andrea’s in Crystal Lake, McHenry County Republicans will pay tribute to former Congressman Don Manzullo.

The Egan Republican was first elected in 1992, beating a Democrat elected in 1990, when Manzullo lost the GOP primary for the office.

In 1992, Manzullo bests State Senator Jack Schaffer in the Republican primary before knocking off the one-term Democrat.

He held the seat for twenty years before being beaten in the 2012 Republican primary by Congressman Adam Kinzinger. Reapportionment put both incumbents in the same district, one that went from the Wisconsin to the Indiana border around the Chicago metropolitan area.

The cost is $30 for the reception, which will run from 5:30 to 7:30.

Just not having enough processing time for the articles I want to write.

Today, let’s play catchup with the Monday McHenry County Republican Central Committee fund raiser at Port Edward in Algonquin.

I didn’t wonder around too much, but I did get a couple of photos of Republican activists.

Arriving early was McHenry County Sheriff’s candidate Jim Harrison and his wife Carolyn. They were sitting with Algonquin Township Trustee Lowell Cutsforth and Tony Cundiff.

Then along came another Sheriff’s candidate, Bill Prim, with his campaign manager Matt McNamara.

And, since the third aspirant to succeed Sheriff, Andy Zinke, was in attendance, too, this, let me show you the shot I got of him and Prim against the back wall of Port Edward.

McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi made the rounds greeting people.

All sorts of County Board candidates were in attendance. I am sure I can’t list them all, if you know someone not mentioned, put it in a comment and I’ll add him or her.  I saw Nick Provenzano.

The speaker for the evening was the Republican State Representative candidate for eastern Algonquin. [Algonquin was split into two districts by the Illinois Democrats. Mike Tryon will represent the western part.]

The Congressman who represents Algonquin Township, Peter Roskam, was not in attendance, but Randy Hultgren, the Republican Congressman who is running in the rest of McHenry County was.

One final long shot that I took before I left early. You may be able to pick out some of those in attendance.

The event ended at 8:30.

Let me add that there were plenty of Grafton Township candidates. Besides Supervisor Linda Moore, mentioned above in a cut line, there was Supervisor candidate Marty Waitzman. The only candidate not in attendance was Pam Fender. Road Commissioner candidate Tom Poznanski and Assessor candidate Al Zielinski helped the GOP raise money for the fall campaign.

What started out as a fall fund raiser for McHenry County Recorder of Deeds Phyllis Walters at Algonquin’s Port Edward morphed into one for the McHenry County Republican Party.

This year it is set for Monday, October 8th. The cost is $55 ($100 a couple), as you can see below:

If you were inspired by the Republican National Convention and would like a Romney for President sign, the McHenry County Republican Party will be giving them away at D’Andrea’s at the southeast corner of Route 14 and 31 Thursday night.

The faithful will gather to hear Mitt Romney give his acceptance speech.

He wasn’t at the front of the parade but the owner of Port Edward, Ed Woloweic, was the Grand Marshall.

The parade took about an hour, truncated because of construction south on Route 31.

Most of the politic entries which I try to document were fairly near the front of the parade.

But, before they arrived, a volunteer for Congressman Peter Roskam, who will, pending a political upset of tremendous proportions, represent Algonquin Township in Congress next session, was sighted passing out small bags. With candy on their minds, a lot of folks took them.

Of course, there were the members of the Algonquin Village Board.

But before the politicians came Police Chief Russ Laine.

And an entry dedicated to the Chicago Cubs.

Founder Favorite Rusty Cherbak was surrounded by a Chicago Cubs wish fulfillment contingent.

There was even a goat.  A billy goat, of course.

Then came the village politicians.

Village President John Schmidt waved.

Village Trustee Bob Smith was accompanied by Buzz Lightyear.

Village Trustee Debbie Sosine was in waving mode.

Trustee Jerrold Glogowski was one of three trustees walking the route handing out candy.

The other two were Jim Steigert and John Spella.  Handing out candy is the Algonquin Parade is easy on Route 31 because the spectators are all on the south side of the street.

The village clerk came dresses as the clown Lazy Bonz.

The first partisan politician was District 1 Republican McHenry County Board member Bob Bless.

District 1 Republican McHenry County Board members Marc Munaretto and Anna Miller were driving in a Mercedes convertible by Algonquin Township Road Commissioner Bob Miller.

I asked Munaretto, who is not running for re-election to the County Board, whether he was running for re-election for Algonquin Township Clerk.

“You’ll have to wait and see,” he replied.

That was the same answer he gave last year before for filing deadline for County Board.

There are no Democrats in District 1, but there is one in District 5–Paula Yensen.

Next came Jean and McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi.

 McHenry County Auditor Pam Palmer followed Bianchi.

Both Bianchi and McHenry County Auditor Palmer are unopposed this fall.

Kane County politicians followed the McHenry County ones.

There were two County Board members, Hollie Lindgren and Maggie Auger.

There are always pictures that could have been.  The one below was going to be of the current and future Kane County Auditors, incumbent Bill Keck and candidate Terry Hunt.

Fortunately, I got a shot of Keck and Hunt before the parade.

“Take my picture. Take my picture,” the two members of the Eagles, a youth football team shouted as they mugged for my camera.

How could I resist?

Interrupting the parade was the girder from the World Trade Center brought by the Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District.

On the sides of the fire engines you can see the above sticker.

I was seated on the porch of a closed building when I way something political after a truck for the Red Run.  (The 5K is August 11th starting at Presidential Park in Algonquin.)

It was the McHenry County Republican Party entry…right at the end of the parade.

There was a banner for GOP State Rep candidate David McSweeney up front.

Right behind were people carrying Congressman Peter Roskam signs.

Then, Dave McSweeney passed me quickly.  I got his attention and he turned around so I could get the photo above.

Next came the McHenry County Republican float.

I just kept snapping my shutter, getting County Board member Nick Provenzano and County Chairman & State Rep. Mike Tryon.

Next came supporters of State Senator Dan Duffy, whose district mirrors that of David McSweeney on the eastern edges of McHenry and Kane Counties.

Next I found McHenry County Board member Robert Nowak.

And with the passing of the next entry, cheerleaders from CEE Snowball Blast Grand Champion, the Algonquin Founders Day Parade was over.

Afterward, however, the young man who had been assiduously gathering candy during the parade put on a Young Republican sticker and agreed to let me take his photograph.

= = = = =
A special note for you Sheriff’s Department watchers. The McHenry County Sheriff’s Department had no entry in the parade. Neither Sheriff Keith Nygren nor his Undersheriff Andrew Zinke was anywhere to be seen.

Just as there was not a quorum at the Special Meeting called to determine whether Democratic Party State Rep. Jack Franks would have Tonya Franklin as an opponent, there was no quorum Monday night.

Gathering at the Algonquin Township meeting room, 53 GOP Precinct Committeemen answered the Roll Call. That’s about ten more than came to the Special Meeting that Tryon discouraged people from attending.

65 were needed for a quorum.

As usual, a meeting was held anyway, although no official action was taken.

Chairman Mike Tryon explained that the Romney campaign won’t be supporting the Party on the local level, but that there probably would be television ads bought in the Chicago market in order to reach the swing state of Indiana.

Tryon said he looked forward to Tea Party Republicans campaigning for those running for local office.

As he talked about how it may be difficult to convince Republican voters to think anything is at stake, I thought of how a Tonya Franklin candidacy against Jack Franks would have energized Tea Party enthusiasts in County Board Districts 4, 5 and 6, all of which have Democratic Party challengers.

A lost opportunity to increase GOP turnout, in my opinion.

That, he hoped, would bring some sense of excitement to the closing days of the campaign.

The Party is trying to find a Crystal Lake Route 14 storefront from which to mount a campaign, but, with the economy improving locally, affordable locations are difficult to find.

Nevertheless, the campaign is going forward under the assumption that a location will be found. Those willing to volunteer should contact John McCrory. His email address is john.mccrory@mchenrycountygop.com.

After the party pitches, McHenry County Clerk Kathie Schultz instructed the new committeemen on how to register voters and swore them in as Deputy Registrars.

I’ve written previously that McHenry County Board member Donna Kurtz was appointed March 29th as a precinct committeeman in Algonquin Township Precinct 20. (She lives in Crystal Lake Mayor Aaron Shepley’s precinct. Algonquin 10.)

That was before Central Committee Chairman Mike Tryon won re-election to the post.

On May 15th, after Kurtz was the main speaker at the candidacy kick-off for Independent State Rep. candidate Dee Beaubien, she was removed from the appointed committeeman post. No replacement was named for the precinct whose houses are roughly between the Crystal Lake Plaza and Crystal Lake Central.

Today I noticed some similar activity in Dorr Township.

When I last dipped into the condition of its Central Committee, I noted that there were four precinct committeemen from McHenry County Board member Tina Hill’s address.

That struck me as a sign of weakness in the GOP in the Woodstock area.

Bjorn GE Mattson has replaced Casey Hill in Dorr 4.

And, Alan Hill has been replaced by newly-appointed Regional Superintendent of Education Leslie Schermerhorn in Dorr 6.

One almost needs a score card to keep track of the substitutions.

Dorr 3 is still vacant, so there’s still a place for a volunteer.

And, I’m sure the other precinct committeemen would welcome help.

The McHenry County Democrat who can do almost no harm, according to the Northwest Herald, is getting a free ride for the third out of four elections.

Instead of allowing Tonya Franklin and her supporters to go out and see if they could get 500 “good” signatures in less than two days, a feat never accomplished in McHenry County, the Republican Central Committee has let slip the appointment of two members of an obscure body called the 63rd State Representative District.

So there is no need to collect any signatures…because the Republican Party will offer no opponent to the Democrat on whose  fund raising “Host Committee”  too many members serve.

That 63rd Representative District Committee would have had the power to nominate Tonya Franklin (or anyone else) yesterday in Woodstock, but so many of the Committeemen boycotted the meeting at Chairman Mike Tryon’s and his Leadership Team’s urging or had other things to do that not enough people were showed up to conduct business.

So the process has hit the brick wall of apathy or, perhaps, antipathy.

The McHenry County Republican Party decided to give Jack Franks a free ride.

He’s made friends with high ranking Republicans like Sheriff Keith Nygren and Woodstock Mayor Brain Sager, who wants to take Franks’ place in the Illinois House when Franks gets tired enough of his eight hour a week commute to Springfield a quarter of the year to try for another post.

So join the celebration by playing the Edgar Winter Group’s song of that title.

Meanwhile, replace a few words in this Linda Ronstat song, “When Will I Be Loved?” and Tonya Frankin could be at the microphone:

Unlike the email from Mike Tryon sent twice before the Special Meeting to discourage attendance at the gathering called to select the two missing members of the 63rd State Rep. District Representative Committee, this email from GOP Executive Secretary Geri Davis reached my inbox:

Thank you to all of you who called and left messages today asking what the outcome of the “special meeting” was this morning.

Geri Davis at a GOP Central Committee meeting in Johnsburg that did not muster a quorum.

The meeting was not held due to lack of a quorum, in fact, the numbers were not even close.Chairman Tryon and Vice Chairman Mark Daniel handled this situation professionally and respectfully.

They are to be commended for their patience.

While we appreciate the efforts of those who tried to promote Tonya Franklin as a Republican candidate to run against Rep. Jack Franks and we agree with the Republican principle that everyone has the constitutional right to run for public office, they still must follow the rules in addition to being qualified and experienced to take on the challenge.Ms. Franklin chose not to run in the Republican Primary for personal reasons.

Perhaps sometime in the future she will chose to pursue public office again, time will tell.

In the meantime, when you see Chairman Tryon and/or Vice Chairman Mark Daniel express your thanks for their tireless effort.

Geri

Davis, a Precinct Committeeman did not attend.

For a more extensive explanation of what happened, click here.

As an operative for the Republican Party in McHenry County sends out (again, not to me) Chairman Mike Tryon’s letter discouraging attendance at the Special Meeting of the local GOP at d’Andrea’s Saturday morning at 9 AM (public is invited), the woman who initiated the meeting has sent the following:

A personal note: The strength of the Republican Party is at the grassroots.

Learning about McHenry County politics has been fascinating!

I have especially appreciated meeting Committeemen and local candidates these past couple of days at Liberty Center (Vaughan’s in Woodstock).

Illinois law and McHenry County By-laws mandates McHenry County Committeemen have a weighted vote to elect two representatives from the 63rd House District. Along with Chairman Tryon they form a legislative committee.

Following the vote on Saturday, the newly formed legislative committee will immediately reconvene at Woodstock Square (Starbucks) to vote for or against Tonya’s placement on the Republican ballot.

Yes, I do want to persuade you to vote YES for our pro-Tonya slate, and welcome the opportunity to do so between now and Saturday morning’s vote.

More importantly, I want to ask you to show up to vote.

I called the meeting, but I am not the leader. We are.

25% of McHenry County Committeemen and many additional Committeemen we are contacting from Victory Center (Vaughan’s).

We offer you information and the venue to meet as Committeemen and then to vote.

We are not engaging here to fight Chairman Tryon and his team.

We are here to fight Mr. Incumbent – AKA Franks and Madigan.

This election is about providing choices to Republicans in McHenry County.

It is about engaging in the conversation with Democrats, race by race!

I respectfully request that Chairman Tryon and the McHenry County Republican Party team join us and lead us on Saturday.

Even if we disagree, let’s engage as McHenry County Republicans, on Saturday morning.

And then – better for this exercise in Liberty, join and work together. November is nearly here, and it is time to change the General Assembly and the White House!

From Yesterday – Update: The supporters for Tonya have arranged for Republican election lawyer, Laura Jacksack, to be available to answer questions you might have about legal issues related to the meeting.

Today’s Events: Good Ole’ Retail Politics – Meet and Greet for lunch, snacks and dinner. We are responding to Mr. Incumbent’s greeting he left at Victory Center. Also, we are contacting fellow Committeemen and organizing the weekend petition walk.

We are moving quickly as we organize.

Really, Vaughan’s food is unbelievable.

Join us all day today (11am-9pm) for food, conversation, and mobilization.

SHARING RESOURCES: SEND US/DROP OFF YOUR LITERATURE: Do you want to communicate with your fellow Committeemen?

We don’t have much time, but if you send me a jpeg type file, (by 11pm tonight) we will add it to our PowerPoint for tomorrow.

There will be time for visuals to flip through the background from 8-9am and then after the meeting (out by 11am).

If you have a local issue (or are a candidate) please send us something by 10pm tonight.

Also, bring your literature to Victory Center.

We have precinct walk sheets with phone numbers for the entire 63rd District for distribution and sharing.

This is a great time to promote Republican leadership, and we look forward to the meeting on Saturday!

With enthusiasm, we are looking forward to Saturday. Tonya and her team are motivated and experienced grassroots workers. We also love to have fun while we work.

Respectfully,
Sharon Meroni

PS: Lori Miller has a surprise to share on Saturday.
Vaughan’s Family Restaurant
790 S Eastwood Dr, (Hwy 47)
Woodstock, IL
Temporary Campaign Phone Number 847-304-8800.

Friday: 1:00 am – 9:00 pm
Lunch or Dinner! Phone Calling – Pick Up Walk Sheets, and Committeemen Folders

Saturday: 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
Petition Signature Central – Pick Up Walk Sheets – Notary After 4pm.

Sunday: 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
Petition Signature Central – Pick Up Walk Sheets – Notary

REMINDERS:

200 Hours to Success- The Challenge: Traditionally, in door to door campaigns, 10 signatures an hour can be collected. Signatures collected door to door, are by far the most reliable and walking provides an opportunity to drop off literature to inform voters.

Based on the calculation of 10 signatures an hour, we need 150 walking hours to achieve 1500 signatures. Rounding that figure up to 200 walking hours provides extra cushion.

Two days… We need commitments for 200 walking hours, 100 each day.

UPDATE: We have 100 hours committed to already! We have a structure in place to help us keep track of the commitments and the walk sheets. Over the weekend notary Linda Moore will be available to assure each petition is properly notarized.

We have acquired neighborhood by neighborhood walk sheets for the entire 63rd House District. That is over 19,000 Republicans. We will hand these out from our Victory Center beginning Friday. We will also have literature to hand out. Join us and we will provide you updated walk sheets for your precinct!

Our temporary Victory Center call-in number is 847-304-8800. We invite you to bring your cell phone and help us to make this campaign a success as part of our response to Mr. Incumbent’s welcome message yesterday!

At the Victory Center are packets we made for Committeeman specifically for the McHenry County Republican Party Special Meeting on June 2nd. We mailed these to Committeemen, if you do not have yours by Friday night, please stop by and we will give you a second one. If you are appointed AFTER May 24th, we don’t have your name or address yet, so please let us know! We have extras at the Victory Center.