McHenry County Blog

Look at this marvelous Santa Run graphic designed by McHenry County College student Christian Andrick.

Crystal Lake Kiwanis is sponsoring in conjunction with local charities which help kids.

As of last Wednesday’s Kiwanis luncheon, 482 people had signed up to run in Santa costumes on what will be a really good running Sunday.

Crystal Lake Santa Run organizer Mike Splitt shows off costume that each Santa participate will be provided. Reindeer Dash participants will get antlers.  Kiwanis meets twice a month for lunch.

2012 Santa Run sponsors

This is a huge turnout for a first-time event.

No trudging through the snow on December 2nd (but no guarantees for 2013).

No sireee!

Low of 53% on Sunday this year.  And cloudy.

The race is a 5k and the walk  (called the Reindeer Dash- Saunter), designed especially for kids and parents, is 1 mile.

The cost is $35 for those in the Santa Run and $15 for those participating in the Reindeer Dash.  (Race day registration is $5 more.)

People can sign up on the website Kiwanis Santa Run for Kids or in person at the Raue Center in Downtown Crystal Lake– where the race will start and end–from 10-3. The Raue Center’s phone is 815-356-9212

The organizations besides Crystal Lake Kiwanis that work with children throughout McHenry County that will benefit from the money earned at the run are

• Big Brothers  Big Sisters
• Girls on the Run NWIL
• CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates)
  
• The Light Center /Main Stay
• Turning Point

The projects Crystal Lake Kiwanis participate in can been seen below:

Crystal Lake Kiwanis programs for kids.

Former McHenry County Board member Bill Dwyer died June 8th.

Bil Dwyer was instrumental in the development of the Raue Center in Downtown Crystal Lake.

He was the one who founded and guided the Crystal Lake Gala for many years and was the spark plug behind the conversion of the Downtown Crystal Lake movie theater into the Raue Center.

His obituary appears below:

Visitation: 4-8pm, Monday, June 13, 2011 at Davenport Family Funeral Home, 419 E Terra Cotta Ave (IL Rt 176), Crystal Lake IL

Mass of Christian Burial: 9:45am Prayers at the funeral home processing to the church for a 10:30am Mass, Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, 451 W Terra Cotta Ave (Rt 176), Crystal Lake IL

WILLIAM “BILL” F. DWYER, JR.William “Bill” Dwyer, Jr., 83, of Crystal Lake, passed away Wednesday, June 8, 2011 in Elgin.

Bill was born in Chicago to William, Sr. and Mabel Dwyer.

He graduated from De LaSalle Institute and attended DePaul University.

He is a veteran of the Korean War, stationed at Fort Meade, MD.

After his military service, he went on to work for Celotex and Masonite corporations before starting his own business, the Bilmar Company, in 1970.

Bill and his family moved to Crystal Lake in 1973. Always a man with a positive attitude, he became very active in the community. He was a member of the Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce and later became a Chamber Ambassador.

He was elected to the McHenry County Board in 1990 and served ten years as Transportation Chairman, responsible for the building of Rakow Road. He was a leader in the formation of the McHenry County Road Coalition.

But his true love was Crystal Lake. One of his finest achievements was as co-founder of the Crystal Lake Gala, a place where family and friends could gather to celebrate the Fourth of July. He was chairman for five years.

He was past president of the Crystal Lake Country Club and loved his golf (sometimes). He received the Crystal Lake Jaycees Lifetime Award for community service and the Carl Wehde Community Service Award. He was also a member of the McHenry County Enterprise Club.

He was a member of the Knights of Columbus and St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, where he served as an usher.

But his proudest achievement was the creation of the Raue Center for the Arts, for which he worked tirelessly and served as president for ten years and later as chairman emeritus.

In May 2009 he was honored by the City of Crystal Lake by having a street named “Bill Dwyer Way.”

But above all was his love of family and friends.

He is survived by his loving wife of 30 years, Joyce (nee Grismer); children, Daniel Dwyer, Robert (Renee) Dwyer, Mary Krikorian, Maureen (Stephen) Regele, Thomas O’ Connor and Daniel O’ Connor; grandchildren, Chris (Melissa) Dwyer, Blake (Meagan Fenwick, fiancée) Dwyer, Dylan Dwyer, Cameron Dwyer, Joseph Krikorian, Elyse Krikorian, Kelley Regele, Megan Regele, and Katherine Regele; and great-granddaughter, Delanee Dwyer.

He was preceded in death by his first wife, Marjorie (nee Reedy) Dwyer; daughter-in-law, Christine Owen; parents; and twin brother, Robert Dwyer.

Visitation will be from 4-8pm, Monday, June 13 at Davenport Family Funeral Home, 419 E. Terra Cotta Ave. (IL Rt 176), Crystal Lake. Transfer prayers will be said at the funeral home at 9:45am, Tuesday, June 14, proceeding to St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, 451 W. Terra Cotta Ave., Crystal Lake for the 10:30am celebration of the Mass of Christian Burial.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Raue Center for the Arts, 26 North Williams St., Crystal Lake IL 60014-4404.

Whenever I go to a business expo, I look for politicians.

McHenry Marlins line up for an interclub race.

Saturday was McHenry Marlins swim meet day.  The McHenry Business Expo was also occurring at McHenry West High School.

State Rep. Jack Franks confers with constituent at the McHenry Expo.

State Rep. Jack Franks (D-Marengo) and State Sen. Pam Althoff (R-McHenry) shared a booth.

State Senator Pam Althoff gestures a lot when she talks.

Both had left by three o’clock, Franks on his way to his big fundraiser in Downtown Chicago and Althoff to prepare for a Raue Center affair at which a scholarship was to be awarded in her late husband Tim’s honor.

I approached Althoff about whether she would vote for a bill to register homeschoolers.

She said she wouldn’t.

Last year this was where I met the Democratic Party candidate for McHenry County Sheriff, Mike Mahon.  His presence convinced me that he was going to put on a real campaign.

The McHenry County State's Attorney's booth.

Last year and this year both the State’s Attorney’s and Sheriff’s Office had booths.

Last year Lou Bianchi was in attendance.  This year he wasn’t.

The Sheriff's Department's booth.

Sheriff Keith Nygren delegated deputies to staff his county both last year and this year.

Poster from one of the many supporters of the Raue Center grant.

I’m sitting in Crystal Lake City Council Chambers waiting for the passage of the resolution asking McHenry County government to recognize the importance of the city watershed protection ordinance and what should occupy the minds of most in the audience, but distribution of proceeds from the Hotel/Motel Tax.

Mayor Aaron Shepley had a staffer put up a spreadsheet on the overhead projector. It contained last year’s allocations and a row for this year.

$302,000 in the till, it appeared.

Final Crystal Lake Hotel/Motel Tax Distribution (click to enlarge)

Then he started filling in numbers.

• $15,000 for the Independence Day fireworks which the Crystal Lake Gala used to finance after the Crystal Lake Jaycees stopped sponsoring them when a youth found an unexploded one and severely injured his hand. (The Jaycees collected donations at Veterans Acres in bags.)
• $2,000 to the Crystal Lake Babe Ruth League
• $10,000 to the Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce for the 4th of July Parade.
• $6,000 for the Chamber’s Shopping and Dining Guide.
• $35,000 for Historic Downtown Crystal Lake
• $3,600 for the Music Center
• $50,000 for Youth Sports (the baseball tournament)
• $150,000 for the Raue Center for the Performing Arts
• Volleyball – zero
• McHenry County Convention Bureau – zero at Shepley’s guidance, suggesting the money could be found elsewhere in the city budget
• $25,000 for Lakeside Center with Councilwoman Ellen Brady Mueller pointing out whatever was allocated was in addition to $8,000 in donated police services
• $2,500 for the Crystal Lake Rowing Club

The total awarded was $299,100.

Audience files out of the council chambers after the cutting up of the Hotel/Motel Tax pie. Most were supporters of the Raue Center's application.

Having received $150,000 the Raue Center supports left satisfied, even though they didn’t get the $44,000 they sought for repairs to the old movie theater.

The money collected from the Hotel/Motel Tax could be spent for any purpose.

Crystal Lake Food Pantry Benefit Concert Saturday Night

Concert Poster for this Saturday night at the Raue Center

Here’s something interesting.

At the Raue center for the Arts, “local Christian Artists” will perform on Saturday night. I got a black and white version of the poster above as I walked out of the sanctuary of the First United Methodist Church of Crystal Lake last Sunday.

While there is no ticket required, there will be an offering taken to benefit the Crystal Lake Food Pantry.

The event is being put together by the Blacksmith Project, which offers this explanation:

“See, it is I who created the blacksmith, who fans the coals into flames and forges a weapon fit for its use.” – Isaiah 54:16

Welcome to The Blacksmith Project! The above scripture probably sums up best what we are all about. Blacksmith exists to fan the coals of God-given talent into flames for His use.

We are all “blacksmiths,” gifted with talents and a life-time of experience that we can use to mentor others. At the same time, we are all in need of mentoring so that our coals can burst into flame as well. It is our desire that The Blacksmith Project will become a fertile ground for the growth of Christian artists and the creation of glorious, powerful and excellent music for God’s pleasure and whatever purposes He has planned for it.

Like all of our artists, our website and its content are a work in progress. We believe God will continue to refine this site, just as He continues to refine our vision of what The Blacksmith Project is. We also believe He will do this, not only through the core Blacksmith Team, but also through our on-line “members.”

Details are at The Blacksmith Project!

The Crystal Lake concert is the group’s first.

Performing will be

• Ellis Van Gilder – Heartland Church in Rockford
• Annie Sander – Willow Creek McHenry
• Mark Filippi – 1st Presbyterian Church of LaGrange
• Crosspoint – Crosspoint Church in Ingleside
• Sally Graham – Northminster Presbyterian Church in Evanston

Crystal Lake’s Mike Tryon introduced and passed House Resolution 363 to honor Bill Dwyer. It follows:

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to honor Bill Dwyer of Crystal Lake for his many contributions to his community; and

WHEREAS, From 1983 to 1985 he served as President of the Crystal Lake Country Club; until 1989 he served as the Co-Chairman of the Piccolo Raffle Committee, raising thousands of dollars for cancer research at the Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; in 1987 he was elected to the Crystal Lake Chamber Ambassadors; and from 1987 to 1993 he served as the Gala Chairman; and

WHEREAS, In addition, from 1990 to 2000 he served as a County Board Member; from 1991 to today he has served as the Chairman of the Crystal Lake Civic Center Authority; in 1993 he was honored to be named the Parade Grand Marshal; and from 1993 to 2007 he served as President of the Raue Center; and

WHEREAS, Bill Dwyer served as the 1994/1995 Chairman of Ambassadors of the Crystal Lake Chamber; from 1996 to 2000 he served as the Chairman of the County Board Transportation Committee; from 2007 to today he has served as the Chairman of the McHenry County Better Roads Coalition, as Chairman Emeritus of the Raue Center, and as President of the Lucile Raue Hometown Foundation; and

WHEREAS, He is a member of the St. Thomas Knights of Columbus and a past member of the Crystal Lake Police Commission; and

WHEREAS, In 2003 he received the Jaycees Lifetime Service Award and previously received the Jaycees Community Service Award; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we honor Bill Dwyer for his hard work and dedication to the people of Crystal Lake; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Bill Dwyer as a symbol of our respect.

And, as you can see, Crystal Lake has followed in Chicago’s footsteps by giving an honorary name to a street:

It’s located near the Main Beach’s Band Stand across from the entrance to the parking lot.

I don’t know whether this huge American Flag was put up before yesterday or not, but it was on 9-11 I first saw it.

It is hanging from the top of the Raue Center.

You can see it above Brink Street Market’s Mum Floral Design.

I don’t know whether this huge American Flag was put up before yesterday or not, but it was on 9-11 I first saw it.

It is hanging from the top of the Raue Center.

You can see it above Brink Street Market’s Mum Floral Design.