For those who think McHenry County College Board members Donna Kurtz (now a candidate for McHenry County Board) and Scott Summers (now running for State Treasurer on the Green Party ticket) were wrong to help kill the minor league baseball stadium on MCC property, take a look at what has happened to a much better situated stadium on I-90.
To put it in pre-teen talk:
Stadium Fail!
First is was Trustee Gerry McMahon.
Last night it was Supervisor Linda Moore.
Trustee Rob LaPorta read what sounded like a bill of particulars listing all the actions that he considered improper and the four trustees, all of whom have been at odds with Moore since she beat incumbent Supervisor John Rossi by 30 votes in this past spring’s Republican primary election.
“Could I have a copy?” Moore asked after the vote was taken.
The main thrust of primary Moore’s campaign was to reverse the approval of a new $3.5 million township hall ($5 million with interest) the then-board, three of whom were re-elected, approved.
Nothing in the resolution of censure referred to Moore’s and her allies’ success in forcing the loan to be repaid and putting the sale of the current township hall to the township road district in jeopardy.
Grafton Township is the second McHenry County governmental board to go in for censure.
The first was the McHenry County College Board. The five-member board majority censured colleagues Donna Kurtz and Scott Summers for changing their mind on using taxpayer-backed bonds to build a minor league baseball stadium at the Crystal Lake McHenry County College campus.
The Grafton Township meeting ended about 12:15 AM and I stayed to the bitter end.
The board passed its levies with one minute to spare, yesterday being the deadline.
The Road Fund is asking for $732,788. On the non-road side, the total is $999,200.
“We’ll only get an additional $19,000 no matter what we do.
There seems to be a one-day problem with public notice. The levy must be filed with the county clerk by December 19th, but it has to be posted 20 days.
Hard to figure out how both requirements can be met.
Back when I was McHenry County Treasurer in the late 1960’s about ten percent of the tax bills were paid under protest. My non-lawyer’s guess is there might be some folks talking to tax protest attorneys about the two deadlines.
In one of the first county board fund raisers of the year, McHenry County College Board member Donna Kurtz gathered supporters at The Cottage at the corner of Crystal Lake Avenue and Brink Street Thursday night.
Kurtz is running to replace either incumbent County Board Chairman Ken Koehler or member Lyn Orphal in the early February Republican primary election.
Crystal Lake City Councilman Jeff Thorsen introduced the candidate.
“I am very, very, very enthusiastic supporter of Donna Kurtz,” he said. “We need someone with her honesty and integrity in county board government.”
Kurtz said she was inspired by her mother former State Rep. Rosemary Kurtz’ concern for environmental protection and former State Rep. Cal Skinner’s fiscal conservativeness. Rep. Kurtz defeated Rep. Skinner in the 2000 GOP primary election.
Former State Reps. Rosemary Kurtz and Cal Skinner, plus McHenry County College Board member and County Board candidate Donna Kurtz. (Jeff Thorsen commented that this should be sent to Ripley's Believe It or Not.)
“As many of you know, the world goes full circle.”
Kurtz said she running for the board of directors of a $260 million organization, McHenry County government.
Reflecting on her service on the McHenry County College Board, Kurtz said it had taught her this lesson:
“You gotta do your own research. Everyone’s got their own agenda.”
She didn’t say she was reflecting on her support of building a minor league baseball stadium on college property and, then, changing her mind with the announcement being at the Crystal Lake City Council meeting the night re-zoning was being discussed, but that might be a good guess.
“My courage was driven by my thought I couldn’t stand not to do the right thing,” she stated.
Besides Thorsen, City Council members Carolyn Schofield and Brett Hopkins were in attendance, as were park board members Mike Walkup and Richard Sexton.
McHenry County Recorder of Deeds Phyllis Walters, who actually lives in District 2 in the tiny bit of Algonquin in the district was also in attendance, as was Nunda Township Supervisor John Heisler.
Members of A-LAW, the Alliance for Land, Agriculture and Water were in attendance. The group recently proposed strict potential conflict disclosure rules for county elected and appointed officials. The Alden Road Alliance was also represented. District 3 county board candidate Craig Steagall, who actively opposes the location of the proposed Ridgefield Metra station on Country Club Road, also was present.
Former McHenry County College Trustee Scott Summers has written about the Ridgefield train station that Metra has proposed. His essay follows:
A Metra station at Ridgefield: Making a Good Thing Better
by Scott Summers
Much has been said of Metra’s plans to buy land in Ridgefield for a new commuter train station. A parcel already is under contract, subject to contingencies. The City of Crystal Lake is weighing annexation and other matters.
There is, however, a much better location for the station: about three blocks to the south and east, at the intersection of Tartan Drive and Ridgefield Road. It’s the easterly entrance to McHenry County College.
Why is it better?
Because the public already owns fifty-seven acres of vacant land there!
Two years ago, MCC “land banked” this acreage in order to assure plenty of room for future growth.
So if the public owns considerable property in the vicinity already – why spend in excess of a million dollars for more?
Especially for land that’s roughly three blocks farther away from what’s likely to be the largest generator of passengers for the station — McHenry County College!
Let’s be clear:
MCC’s land is not contiguous to the train.
Ridgefield Road lies between the MCC entrance and the tracks. Land for the station proper needs to be purchased.
But parking? Place the requisite commuter parking on the presently unused MCC property. The College can lease (rather than sell) the land to the City of Crystal Lake, which would in turn manage the lots. In the event the land is required for campus expansion some decades hence, a lease would permit easy reversion to MCC.
By leasing out MCC’s vacant property, the Metra land acquisition funds can be freed up instead for station and traffic improvements, including a bike and walking trail covering the three or so blocks from the station site up to the campus proper.
Traffic issues – very difficult in Ridgefield, to be sure – would be mitigated through lot entrances and vehicle flows concentrated along Tartan Drive.
Let’s sketch out some of the other benefits of a train station at Ridgefield.
Access – or, more correctly, lack thereof – has been a chronic problem at the College ever since the facility was sited on Route 14 almost forty years ago.
Public transit options are severely limited: the Crystal Lake train station is almost four miles away, and PACE bus service is sporadic.
In other words – unless you can drive to MCC, you’re basically out of luck.
And given the ever-worsening countywide traffic congestion, and suboptimal roads, and winter and nighttime driving hazards, and gas prices, and climate change, well – driving is not exactly ideal in any event.
A public transportation option for the College grows more compelling every day.
A train stop three blocks away (as opposed to six blocks, under the present plan) would of course benefit the students and faculty and staff directly.
But it would benefit all of the county as well.
It would ease automobile traffic.
It would open up attendance opportunities at the College.
It would make the campus a county – indeed, a regional – focus for concerts and other cultural events.
There’s more.
A Ridgefield station would drive economic development in the vicinity.
The stretch of Route 14 between Crystal Lake and Woodstock already is slated for business and retail uses.
A commuter train station in the vicinity would be a boon to businesses, workers, retailers, and shoppers alike.
So let’s marry two of our very best public resources – Metra and MCC. And let’s use vacant public land for the purpose!
We all know that McHenry County is a great place to live. Let’s make it better.
“Take a train to college!” Our good fortune in this respect would be the envy of communities throughout the country.
This magnificent opportunity is ours for the taking. Let’s seize it!
= = = = =
Scott Summers was a trustee at McHenry County College between 2005 and 2009. Summers is also the Green Party candidate for State Treasurer.
Only reporter Pete Gonigam, who writes the First Electric Newspaper, attended last week’s Grafton Township meeting.
He writes of how the board, by a 3-2 vote censured newly-elected Township Trustee Gerry McMahon. McMahon and Betty Zirk voted against the motion. Township Supervisor Linda Moore and Township Tru
McMahon is the one who consistently interrupted his running mate, newly-elected Township Supervisor Moore.
The only other local public officials to have been censured are McHenry County Board members Donna Kurtz and Scott Summers. They were not censured because of constant interruption of MCC board meetings. They were censured for changing their minds on the advisability of putting their taxpayers in debt to pay for a minor league baseball team and announcing the change at a Crystal Lake City Council meeting considering the necessary re-zoning.
The photo you see above was taken from the video recording of the prior meeting. From left to right you see the four Grafton Township Trustees, Barbara Murphy, Rob LaPorta, Betty Zirk and Gerry McMahon.
Former McHenry County College Trustee Scott Summers is running for State Treasurer on the Green Party ticket.
Last year he was the Green Party candidate for Congress in the 16th Congressional District.
On his campaign web site, Summers offers this “sampling” of “programs and outreach:”
* Enforce fiscal responsibility, including advocacy for a balanced state budget and debt reduction
* Champion “microcapitalism” through a program of home and community-based businesses, using microloans and microgrants
* Develop green-collar jobs and training programs
* Recognize that economy and ecology really are bound up as one: commit to a statewide “eco-eco” program of business and development
* Stand up for citizens, and work hard to rein in predatory financial practices and dubious lending schemes
* Foster financial education as early as grade school, and equip children and adults alike with smart money management skills for their personal lives
Here’s what he says about himself:
“Scott Summers has been an attorney for over twenty years. He concentrates in estate planning, probate, and business. In addition to his law degree from Northern Illinois University, Summers holds an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management and a liberal arts degree from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.
“Summers has long been active in a wide variety of civic pursuits. Between 2005 and 2009, he served as an elected trustee at McHenry County College. Scott was a member of the Board of Visitors of Northern Illinois University’s College of Law between 1997 and 2004. During the 1980s, he was treasurer for three nonprofits: Harvard Community Memorial Hospital, Hospice for McHenry County, and a church in Woodstock, IL. Before becoming a lawyer, Scott worked as an executive in the public sector, including four years with the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission.
“Summers also is the author of two ‘how-to’ volumes. Guardianship and Conservatorship: A Handbook for Lawyers appeared in 1996. Advance Health Care Directives: A Handbook for Professionals was released in 2002. Both titles are published by the American Bar Association.
“Born in Evanston and raised in Wilmette, Scott has resided in Chicago and Oak Park. For over thirty years, he and his wife and have lived on a small farm near Harvard, in far northern McHenry County. They are the parents of two adult sons.”
A press release and photo from McHenry County College:
At a special board meeting on August 4, 2009, the McHenry County College Board of Trustees voted to appoint Bob DeWitt to fill the position vacated by Scott Summers, who resigned in June.
With nearly 20 years of experience in higher education service development and delivery, DeWitt will bring his passion for learning and research to the table as he works closely with other trustees to fulfill a strong vision of success at the college.
DeWitt currently works for SunGard Higher Education, where his focus is on research and technology. He has served in various high-level positions at SunGard, including Interim Chief Information Officer (CIO) at several community colleges and universities.
Previously, he was CIO at National-Louis University for three years. He has also served as both a consultant and educator for numerous corporations and institutions, both in the United States and internationally.
DeWitt earned a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), as well as a Master of Science (M.S.) degree, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He earned his Baccalaureate Degree (B.S.) from University of Missouri at Rolla.
After DeWitt’s appointment, MCC Board of Trustees chairperson, George Lowe, stated,
“On behalf of the board, we are just thrilled that Trustee DeWitt is going to be working with us.“He is very enthusiastic about both the college and its programs, especially the new ERP system, and his fresh viewpoint will be an added benefit as we plan for MCC’s future.”
After his appointment, DeWitt stated,
“MCC is a great institution which benefits a great deal from the strong support of the community. MCC’s continued strong enrollment growth demonstrates that local students recognize the quality of its academic programs.“I am honored to have been chosen by the board to contribute to the further success of the college.”
A resident of Crystal Lake, DeWitt is also committed to the community. He volunteers his time as a member of the Voices in Harmony (formerly the Crystal Lake Community Chorus). His wife, Sharon, is a leader in information technology in the area, and volunteers her time to coach people who have lost their jobs in the current economic crisis.
DeWitt was chosen from 23 eligible candidates to serve as the newest trustee through the April, 2011 election.
Here’s what it will look like.
The 1,500 foot tower that BMB Communications Management’s John Maguire, Jason and Ron Bradshaw want 3.6 acres of McHenry County College land to build upon.
BMB proposes to pay the college a definite $5 million and maybe as much as $6 million.
People from virtually every place in McHenry County into surrounding counties and Wisconsin will be able to see it.
The lights will radiate 30 miles at night, “if you’re looking for it,” as Maguire put it.
Maguire is a good salesman. He disarms potential opponents by agreeing that if he were in their place he would be concerned.
Think pilots.
Bob McCormick, a pilot and structural steel worker in college, pointed out the Eiffel Tower is two-thirds the size of the proposed tower.
“If the business plan fails, it’ll be pug ugly,” he said after pointing out that the World Trade Center had been “taken down by two airplanes.”
“It’ll be like the Motorola plant in Harvard, the empty stores in Crystal Lake.”
He revealed that most pilots fly 600 and 800 feet above the surface. Because of O’Hare, other traffic has to go at low levels to avoid commercial planes.
“The problem with the tower lighting, those lights appear in a field of lights, he explained later.”
Other extremely high towers are in the middle of nowhere where they are easy to see, he said.
“With the local airport, we’re not going to get that done. With the local pilots’ support, we won’t get that done,” Maguire replied
“I know that.
“You’re going to get a whole lot of bites at this apple.”
Maguire brought in two experts to answer the technical questions, radio engineer Alan Kirschner and Professional Engineer Ernest (Ernie) Jones.
Both seemed competent, having worked on some of the biggest tower projects in the country.
Kirschner displayed this slide, which seems a bit out of focus, but makes the point about the value of the MCC site.
FM stations or potential stations that now reach 200,000 or so listeners would be able to reach about 3 million people within the blue circled area.
And radio is all Maguire talked about tonight until after I told him that people without cable television were thinking they might get better over the air reception, if his tower were constructed.
Would television stations be able to send a signal from his tower?
“Not unless they (the TV stations) pay,” the entrepreneur told me.
But he said that having learned that Rockford’s and Chicago’s TV signals faded out in McHenry County, “I’ll go call those TV stations now that I know.”
And there will be “no limitation on the number of stations, except structural capacity,” which I think he said was 11.
I also asked Maguire if cell phone companies could locate their equipment on his tower.
The answer was “Yes,” which just might explain why T-Mobile dropped its request for a cellular tower in Crystal Lake’s Ken Bird Park.
Trustee Scott Summers asked if there were any other uses, suggesting Defense, Homeland Security and several others.
“Any use imaginable,” Maguire replied.
“Would it be possible for the college to share in those revenue streams?”
“No.”
Summers also said he felt “strongly about the money com(ing) to the college,” rather than the college’s foundation.
After I made the same point in the 3 minute public comment I was allowed after all the questions by board members (who have been talking about the matter since February 28th of last year), Board President George Lowe said,
“I think the board agrees.”
I also suggested that the board should not make a final decision the Thursday after next at its regular board meeting.
I feel strongly that a deal of this magnitude needs time to percolate among the citizenry.
Should the sixth million go by the wayside, if BMB doesn’t find a fifth broadcaster within five years, for instance?
Who knows how long this economic slump is going to continue.
Two citizens were forthright in their support. One was Jim Bishop, who handled legal work for the zoning for the other towers next to McHenry County College and engineer Loren Burkett.
The last question was probably the most incendiary.
The closest resident to the tower speaking, Jerry Welsh, said,
“This is going to be a beautiful terrorist target. How are you going to protect it?”
Macguire seems resigned to the possibility.
“If someone wants to (blow out one of the three support legs), there’s no way we can stop it.
“How can we protect anything?” he continued philosophically.
“We can put cameras on it, but we’ll just get to see him blowing it up.”
Earlier board member Donna Kurtz asked how close various infrastructure was.
The answers were:
P.E. Jones stressed that the tower was being designed to prevent a catastrophic layout collapse, seen above.
Of the three candidates on the ballot for the April 7th MCC board election, only one attended the meeting. Mary Miller, a trustee up for re-election was one absent.
Only challenger John Darger was there.
He pointed out that local residents could have a win-win outcome or a lose-lose outcome. In the lose-lose scenario, the college would have sold off land that it needed and the FM radio stations would be blasting “slock across our landscape.”
“I’m not hostile to the idea,” he said, noting he was just trying to show both sides.
Darger had more than three minutes to contribute, but was cut off by Board President George Lowe, as he was saying that he would like to see the college have a radio station of its own.
Safety concerns were raised, most prominently by Board member Summers.
A former Armed Forces radioman Mike Toyler commented, “This amount of power is nothing. This will not impact life safety or (cause) biological concerns.”
= = = = =
The images are referenced in the text of the article except for the two schematic drawings of the tower. The one on the left shows how it will sway in the wind. The triangle is a view from either above or below. In any even the tower will have three legs.
Here’s what it will look like.
The 1,500 foot tower that BMB Communications Management’s John Maguire, Jason and Ron Bradshaw want 3.6 acres of McHenry County College land to build upon.
BMB proposes to pay the college a definite $5 million and maybe as much as $6 million.
People from virtually every place in McHenry County into surrounding counties and Wisconsin will be able to see it.
The lights will radiate 30 miles at night, “if you’re looking for it,” as Maguire put it.
Maguire is a good salesman. He disarms potential opponents by agreeing that if he were in their place he would be concerned.
Think pilots.
Bob McCormick, a pilot and structural steel worker in college, pointed out the Eiffel Tower is two-thirds the size of the proposed tower.
“If the business plan fails, it’ll be pug ugly,” he said after pointing out that the World Trade Center had been “taken down by two airplanes.”
“It’ll be like the Motorola plant in Harvard, the empty stores in Crystal Lake.”
He revealed that most pilots fly 600 and 800 feet above the surface. Because of O’Hare, other traffic has to go at low levels to avoid commercial planes.
“The problem with the tower lighting, those lights appear in a field of lights, he explained later.”
Other extremely high towers are in the middle of nowhere where they are easy to see, he said.
“With the local airport, we’re not going to get that done. With the local pilots’ support, we won’t get that done,” Maguire replied
“I know that.
“You’re going to get a whole lot of bites at this apple.”
Maguire brought in two experts to answer the technical questions, radio engineer Alan Kirschner and Professional Engineer Ernest (Ernie) Jones.
Both seemed competent, having worked on some of the biggest tower projects in the country.
Kirschner displayed this slide, which seems a bit out of focus, but makes the point about the value of the MCC site.
FM stations or potential stations that now reach 200,000 or so listeners would be able to reach about 3 million people within the blue circled area.
And radio is all Maguire talked about tonight until after I told him that people without cable television were thinking they might get better over the air reception, if his tower were constructed.
Would television stations be able to send a signal from his tower?
“Not unless they (the TV stations) pay,” the entrepreneur told me.
But he said that having learned that Rockford’s and Chicago’s TV signals faded out in McHenry County, “I’ll go call those TV stations now that I know.”
And there will be “no limitation on the number of stations, except structural capacity,” which I think he said was 11.
I also asked Maguire if cell phone companies could locate their equipment on his tower.
The answer was “Yes,” which just might explain why T-Mobile dropped its request for a cellular tower in Crystal Lake’s Ken Bird Park.
Trustee Scott Summers asked if there were any other uses, suggesting Defense, Homeland Security and several others.
“Any use imaginable,” Maguire replied.
“Would it be possible for the college to share in those revenue streams?”
“No.”
Summers also said he felt “strongly about the money com(ing) to the college,” rather than the college’s foundation.
After I made the same point in the 3 minute public comment I was allowed after all the questions by board members (who have been talking about the matter since February 28th of last year), Board President George Lowe said,
“I think the board agrees.”
I also suggested that the board should not make a final decision the Thursday after next at its regular board meeting.
I feel strongly that a deal of this magnitude needs time to percolate among the citizenry.
Should the sixth million go by the wayside, if BMB doesn’t find a fifth broadcaster within five years, for instance?
Who knows how long this economic slump is going to continue.
Two citizens were forthright in their support. One was Jim Bishop, who handled legal work for the zoning for the other towers next to McHenry County College and engineer Loren Burkett.
The last question was probably the most incendiary.
The closest resident to the tower speaking, Jerry Welsh, said,
“This is going to be a beautiful terrorist target. How are you going to protect it?”
Macguire seems resigned to the possibility.
“If someone wants to (blow out one of the three support legs), there’s no way we can stop it.
“How can we protect anything?” he continued philosophically.
“We can put cameras on it, but we’ll just get to see him blowing it up.”
Earlier board member Donna Kurtz asked how close various infrastructure was.
The answers were:
P.E. Jones stressed that the tower was being designed to prevent a catastrophic layout collapse, seen above.
Of the three candidates on the ballot for the April 7th MCC board election, only one attended the meeting. Mary Miller, a trustee up for re-election was one absent.
Only challenger John Darger was there.
He pointed out that local residents could have a win-win outcome or a lose-lose outcome. In the lose-lose scenario, the college would have sold off land that it needed and the FM radio stations would be blasting “slock across our landscape.”
“I’m not hostile to the idea,” he said, noting he was just trying to show both sides.
Darger had more than three minutes to contribute, but was cut off by Board President George Lowe, as he was saying that he would like to see the college have a radio station of its own.
Safety concerns were raised, most prominently by Board member Summers.
A former Armed Forces radioman Mike Toyler commented, “This amount of power is nothing. This will not impact life safety or (cause) biological concerns.”
= = = = =
The images are referenced in the text of the article except for the two schematic drawings of the tower. The one on the left shows how it will sway in the wind. The triangle is a view from either above or below. In any even the tower will have three legs.
Crystal Lake City Clerk Roger Dreher is retiring after two terms.
When I talked to him Monday morning, he told me only one person had filed to replace him in the $3,600 job.
Nick Kachiroubas is the only one who has filed.
Nick made history by being elected to the McHenry County College Board at about as young an age as is possible.
He ran a spirited campaign for re-election, complete with 4 by 8 foot signs. I remember one on the northeast corner of Route 31 and East Crystal Lake Avenue.
I was going to write a story at the time, but failed to do so.
It seems to me that Kachiroubas’ last name contributed to his re-election loss.
I know that people would like to think that things over which candidates have no control shouldn’t affect election outcomes.
But, look at the 2005 election results:
Two were elected—George Lowe and Scott Summers.
The candidates with white bread names all beat Kachiroubas. He placed last.
Even though he had first place ballot position. (The names are listed above in ballot order.)
According to the mimeographed ballot order analysis I read in graduate school at the University of Michigan, if there are 7 or more candidates, first ballot position is worth about 10%. That effect is lower with fewer candidates, but, by no means, could first place be considered a disadvantage.
That candidacy got Mayor Aaron Shepley in some hot water. On March 12, 2005, Shepley’s campaign fund made a $250 contribution to Kachiroubas. Nothing wrong with that in and of itself.
But Shepley’s campaign treasurer has filed a Statement of Nonparticipation. Making a campaign contribution to an active candidate was not considered “nonparticipation” by the State Board of Elections.
It wasn’t a big deal. His committee was fined $100, but that was waived since it was a first offense.
Crystal Lake residents can still file for city council or clerk.
Filing is open through Monday when city hall closes. 33 signatures are required, but I would recommend getting at least twice that many.
= = = = =
Crystal Lake City Clerk Roger Dreher meets me at the front counter on top. The two winning McHenry County College board members are seen next. From left to right is George Lowe, Jr., and Scott Summers.
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