McHenry County Blog

Mike Shorten sends the following invitation to the Nunda Township Republican Central Committee’s Candidates’ Night, which will be held this evening from 7 pm to 9 pm at the American Community Bank, 1500 S IL Route 31 in McHenry.

“I’d like to invite you to a Candidate’s Forum taking place this Wednesday at the American Community Bank on Route 31 featuring Republican Candidates on the ballot in Nunda Township for the February 26th primary. I’ll be one of the moderators of the forum and will be speaking as a candidate for Trustee in Nunda Township.

“You can find additional information at our website nundagop.org.

“If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to give me a call directly. I hope to see you there!

“I’m casting a wide net on this so in the event that your geography or political affiliation results in you having a lack in interest in this post, please accept my apologies.

“Please fee free to extend this invitation to your neighbors who this might be of interest!”

The flyer is below:

Details on the Nunda Township Republican Central Committee’s Candidates’ Night.

Central committees of the other townships holding Republican Primary Elections, Algonquin and Grafton, are not holding candidates’ nights.

I didn’t notice until after I had posted the story on the Nunda Township Republican Party mailing that it listed only three County Board candidates–Joe Gottemoller, Michael Walkup and Mary McClellan.

Now GOP incumbent Nick Provenzano has shared a letter he is sending to Nunda Township residents. It urges residents to apply for an absentee ballot.

Nick Provenzano’s letter urges residents to apply for an absentee ballot. Click to enlarge.

In an email accompanying his letter, Provenzano explains,

Nick Provenzano

“To ensure a strong Republican voter turnout in the 3rd District, Nick Provenzano, candidate for re-election to the McHenry County Board launched a “Vote by Mail” campaign today.

“An application for a ‘Vote by Mail’ ballot (historically called an absentee ballot) was mailed to over 5,000 Republican households in the 3rd District of McHenry County.

“The new ‘Vote by Mail’ law allow voters to cast ballots by mail for any reason.

“This program is designed to lift votes for all Republican candidates in the district by offsetting voter apathy in the historically ‘Blue State’ of Illinois.

“In much of the 3rd District the only strongly contested races are Romney and County Board.

“A few precincts in the Southeast of the District will have the hotly contested race with David McSweeney running for State Representative.

“The additional Republican voter turnout should also boost votes against the County Executive ballot initiative.

“The program was supported by a robo call alerting voters to watch their mailboxes for the ballot application.”

Take a look what the Nunda Township Republicans are sending out this fall:

The address side of the Nunda Township Republican Party mailing.

Pictures of all the Republican candidates on the ballot in Nunda Township this year.

Nunda Township Republican Precinct Committeemen stepped forward to be introduced.  From left to right are Barb Wheeler, Nick Provenzano, Bridgett Provenzano, Don Kopsell, Mary McClellan, James Becker, Mary Alger, Joe Gottemoller, Dave Gervais, Chairman Mark Daniel, Mike Shorten and Mary Donner.

In a Veterans Acres picnic, the Nunda Township Republican Central Committee hosted area residents and politicians Saturday afternoon.

I got the privilege of introducing the two newest candidates for McHenry County Sheriff, Jim Harrison and Bill Prim.

Jim Harrison, on the left, and Bill Prim get to know each other at the Nunda Township Republican Picnic. In the background are County Coroner candidate Dr. Anne Majewski and, in the cowboy hat, Fox River Grove GOP Precinct Committeeman Andy Gasser.

Although sitting about ten feet away, Sheriff Keith Nygren’s choice, Andy Zinke, who announced over a year ago, didn’t show any desire to meet his rivals.

Andy Zinke gets up from a Crystal Lake Park District picnic table. Pro-Life leader Irene Napier can be seen in the background.

Both Harrison and Prim talked to the crowd.

Sheriff’s candidate Bill Prim talked to the gathered Republicans.

Jim Harrison addressed the gathered faithful as well.

Zinke left the Nunda Township Republican Picnic before the speeches were given.

The 2009 Nunda Township GOP Picnic was held on the grounds of Nunda Township. Here a teen taunts those trying to dunk him.

The Nunda Township Republican Central Committee will hold its third Annual Picnic this Saturday.

In 2009, there was a passel of gubernatorial candidates in attendance. Here you see State Senator Bill Brady and State Rep. Mark Beaubien. This year, will all three 2014 GOP primary candidates for Sheriff be courting votes?

It will again be held at Veterans Acres at the Rotary Pavilion, which is near the north end of the parking lot.

At the 2010 Nunda Township Republican Picnic, Chairman Brent Smith brought a Louisiana alligator to intrigue and entertain the guests.

The event will run from 11am-2pm.

In 2011 Sheriff Keith Nygren and McHenry County Board member Nick Provenzano chowed down on Crystal Lake Rib House.

Free Food & Pop will be provided.

So, mark your calendar.

It will be held at Veterans Acres at the building at the north end of the parking lot.

Lunch will be served from 11-2.

We’re close enough to township elections that I’d guess all the hopefuls from Nunda Township will be present, not to mention the contested county candidates.

2012 Nunda Township Republican Party Picnic flyer.

Mark Daniel

Rebecca Lee

Listed below are the precincts in the hotly contested 52nd House race.

That’s where Independent Dee Beaubien, with Democrat Mike Madigan’s help, is challenging Republican primary election winner David McSweeney.

You will note that many precincts are empty.

In addition to McSweeney, State Senator Dan Duffy is running a contested race in the same part of McHenry County.

Campaign finance logic dictates that joint attack mailings will be made against Dave McSweeney and Dan Duffy  by the pro-abortion Personal PAC.  After all, they are both pro-life and agree on many other issues.

Besides Madigan’s providing two staffers (see here and here) and Personal PAC’s having targeted the district, Planned Parenthood is also getting deeply involved.

Wouldn’t you think the McHenry County Republican Party would have as its highest priority finding people willing to work for McSweeney and Duffy?

Do they really want another probable vote for Madigan for Speaker to come out of a McHenry County district?

It’s hard to see that McHenry County Party leaders want to “Fire Madigan.”

Having demonstrated that a majority of the Committeemen wanted to make sure Democrat Jack Franks could cast his eighth vote for Mike Madigan for House Speaker by their refusal to allow Tonya Franklin the opportunity to challenge him, you can understand why some might make that conclusion.

Do “Actions speak louder than words?”

By looking at the unmanned precincts, one can easily conclude that the Nunda and Algonquin Township Republican Parties have some other agenda that is more important than electing Republicans who will fight Mike Madigan in Springfield.

Under the procedure ostensibly being following County Republican Party Chairman Mike Tryon, a precinct committeeman in Algonquin Township himself, only when a Township GOP Chairman recommends a person will Tryon use the appointment power given to him by State Statute.

So who are the two Township Chairmen?

• Nunda Township Republican Central Committee Chairman (also Vice Chairman of the County GOP organization) Mark Daniel and
• Algonquin Township Republican Central Committee Chairman Rebecca Lee (Township Road Commissioner Bob and County Board member Anna Miller’s daughter)

Wouldn’t you think their highest priority would be to find people willing to help McSweeney and Duffy win the empty precincts?

There are two empty precincts in Nunda Township’s portion of the 52 State Rep. District and fifteen in Algonquin Township.

52nd REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT

(47 entire) (10 splits)

Nunda Precincts and Committeemen

Where the precincts are in Nunda Township. Click to enlarge.

1 – Donald C Kopsell (Appt 6/25/12)
pt of 2 – Robert L. Borchert
4 – None
7 – Kelvin Lee Jennings
9 – Bernard V. Narusis
pt of 12 – Mary McClellan
pt of 14 – Patrick Collins
pt of 22 – Joni M Smith (Appt 5/24/12)
23 – Scott E. J. Brown
25 – None
26 – Kathleen R. Reiland (Appt 5/24/12)
28 – Mary Donner (Appt 6/25/12)

Algonquin Township Precinct Committeemen
1 – None
pt of 2 – Kenneth (Ken) D. Koehler
3 – Michael E. Barnas
4 – Andrew Gasser
5 – Charles A. Lutzow, Jr
6 – Anne Majewski (Appt 3/29/12)
8 – Neils Kruse
9 – Dan Shea
pt of 10 – Aaron T. Shepley

Click to enlarge this map of Algonquin Township precincts.

12 – Raymond G. Chisholm
14 – None
pt of 15 – Thomas Kantner (Appt 3/29/12)
16 – Lou Anne Majewski
17 – David W. Miller
18 – Mary Cardelli
20 – None

Credit Fox River Grove Republican Precinct Committeeman Andrew Gasser with this illustration of the connection of Mike Madigan to Dee Beaubien.

21 – None
22 – Lowell A. Cutsforth
23 – Anna May Miller (Appt 3/29/12)
29 – None
30 – Riley Quinlan
31 – None
32 – None
33 – Sean Murphy
34 – Joseph Powalowski (Appt 3/29/12)
pt of 35 – None
39 – None
40 – Mallory A. Rosencrans
41 – None
pt of 43 – None
44 – Patrick Colcernian
45 – Sharon Ann Meroni
46 – Kathleen R. DeRaedt
47 – Rebecca M. Lee
48 – Timothy J Corr (Appt 3/29/12)
49 – Demetrios Pete Tsilimigras
50 – Linda (Lyn) Orphal
55 – Derek Lee (Appt 3/29/12)
56 – Eugene F. Sittinger
59 – None
60 – None
pt of 61 – None
64 – None
65 – Eleni K. Markos Tsilimigras (appt 5/26/12)
67 – Robert Miller (Appt 3/29/12)

= = = = =
My email is on the left, just in case anyone gets inspired to want to help McSweeney and Duffy.

Mark Daniel

In the what goes around comes around category is the lack of a quorum for the most recent meeting of the Nunda Township Republican Central Committee.

McHenry County Republican Central Committee Vice Chairman Mark Daniel is also the Chairman of the Nunda Township GOP.

Daniel is the one who took the roll when Sharon Meroni, along with 25% of the elected and appointed GOP committeemen called a special meeting on June 2nd.

You remember the one, right?

The one in which Daniel’s cell phone ring tone–the Theme from the Godfather–went off during the roll call.

(See “Tryon Meeting Boycott Strategy Works – ‘Chainsaw Jack’ Franks Gets Third Free Ride from GOP in Four Elections.”)

When I got word of the too low attendance meeting on June 6th, I emailed both Chairman Daniel and Vice Chairman Mike Shorten asking if it were true that there was a lack of a quorum.

Neither replied.

Now Mary McClellan, the Secretary of the Central Committee, has submitted minutes to its members.

Read for yourself what happened:

MINUTES OF SCHEDULED NUNDA TOWNSHIP
REPUBLICAN CENTRAL COMMITTEE, June 6, 2012

A meeting of the NUNDA TOWNSHIP REPUBLICAN CENTRAL COMMITTEE (“Committeemen”) was held at Prairie Isle Golf Course, Prairie Grove, IL at the hour of 7:00 p.m., pursuant to notice of all the Committeemen.

Mark Daniel, chairman was present.

Mike Shorten Vice Chairman was present.

Scott Brown treasurer was present.

Secretary McClellan took role stated that a quorum was not present and the meeting could not continue.

Motion to adjourn by Mike Shorten, seconded by Scott Brown meeting adjourned 7:49 pm

Right before the McHenry County Republican Central Committee organization meeting, the Nunda Township Republican Central Committee met to select officers for the coming two years.

From left to right are the new Nunda Township Republican Party officers: Mary McClellan, Mark Daniel, Mike Shorten and Scott Brown.

Mark Daniel was elected Chairman, just before he was elected Vice Chairman of the County Central Committee.

Mike Shorten moved up from Secretary to Vice Chairman.

Mary McClellan was elected Secretary and Scott Brown was named Treasurer.

A full house attended the Nunda Township Republican Central Committee candidates' night Monday.

The following is a press release from the Nunda Township Republican Central Committee. The photos were taken by Tessa Shorten.

This past Monday, February 13th, 2012 the Nunda Township Republican Central Committee sponsored a Candidate Forum for precinct committeemen, captains and voters in Nunda Township and McHenry County.

52nd District State Rep. candidates Danielle Rowe, Kent Gaffney and David McSweeney were questioned by Mike Shorten.

The meeting was well attended as more than 70 people came out to the Prairie Isle Golf Course to learn candidate’s positions on many important issues.

You can see the precincts of the 52nd State Rep. District in McHenry County in this map. The straight line is the Nunda-Algonquin Township border.

Brent Smith

All Republican candidates appearing on the ballot in the March Primary were invited.

Candidates in the contested races in the State House 52nd District and McHenry County Board 3rd district answered questions submitted by voters.

Questions ranged from candidates involvement with the Republican Party to the State and County’s financial status, use of open space and gun rights.

After the Q&A session attendees were invited to stay and enjoy pizza provided by the Nunda Republicans and to take the additional opportunity to meet the candidates and ask them questions directly.

Nunda Township GOP leaders are seen at the table. Chairman Brent Smith is to the far right, Secretary Mike Shorten to his left, Treasurer Mark Daniel, and Township Trustee James Schlader.

The Forum was arranged by the Nunda Republican Executive Committee which includes Chairman Brent Smith, Treasurer Mark Daniel and Secretary Mike Shorten.