Craig Steagall Unleashes Broadside Against McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler over Metra State Land Purchase

Calling the proposed Metra station purchase McHenry County Board Chairman “Ken Koehler’s boondoggle,” Craig Steagall took the Dave Letterman approach in a Northwest Herald ad yesterday. Steagall has property across the tracks that was under consideration by Metra for a … Continue reading

Metra Scheduled to Approve Former Flowerwood Land for Station in Ridgefield This Morning

After having been public in a Northwest Herald story on August 5th–a mere nine days ago–Metra’s board is scheduled to purchase 17 acres in Ridgefield for $1.5 million from a trust half-owned by McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler today. … Continue reading

$1.5 Million Being Paid for Ridgefield Metra Site Half-Owned by McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler

Very, very shortly after I asked Metra Board Secretary Lisa Murphy to fax me what would be in the board packet for Friday’s meeting, my machine started to buzz. The summary memo from Metra Executive Director Phillip Pagano revealed that … Continue reading

Musings on the Proposed Ridgefield Metra Station

More than one person has reacted to Metra’s proposal to build a train station about as far from McHenry County College as is possible. Below I share some thoughts that have come from readers: I am becoming concerned about the … Continue reading

Alexander Lumber’s Move to Ridgefield, Proposed Metra Station Implications

When I was posting about the 400th day of Crystal Lake Mayor Aaron Shepley’s 75% city sales tax increase, I was fantasizing that Alexander Lumber was moving to the unincorporated Ridgefield location of the old 84 Lumber property in order … Continue reading

Message of the Day – Clotheslined

Don’t see clothes lines much anymore. Guess most people have clothes dryers now. I think my bit-too-uppity Village of Lakewood has even banned this “green” way of drying clothes. I found this clothes line in the blessedly unincorporated early McHenry … Continue reading