McHenry County Blog

Boone Creek facing Green Street from next to Sullivan's parking lot.

What was the McHenry man’s name who used to clean up McHenry’s Boone Creek every year?

[A reader identifies the man as Anton Rebel.]

He used to write lots of letters to the Northwest Herald. It was he I thought of when I received the following press release from the McHenry County Defenders.

If you are free Saturday, this might be a place you could do some good.

Defenders, Sierra Club Plan “Fox River Rescue Day”

Saturday, May 15

Local environmental groups seek volunteers to clean up Boone Creek wetland

Ducks are swimming at the top of this shot toward Route 120, while garbage floats at its bottom.

MCHENRY, IL – Volunteers are invited to help clean up Boone Creek, a tributary of the Fox River located in northern McHenry County, during the annual “Fox River Rescue Day” set for Saturday, May 15.  The work-day event is co-sponsored by the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County and the Sierra Club.

Here’s an opportunity to spend a spring morning outdoors, helping to clean up this riverbed wetland and working alongside other local-area stewards of the environment.  Bags, gloves, and snacks will be provided.  Volunteers are advised to wear appropriate clothing and footwear, since they may possibly get muddy and wet.

Someone will have to go wading to get this Reece's Pieces wrapper.

All participants must sign a liability release form, which may be found on the Defenders’ website at www.mcdef.org.  Students under 18 years old should download and bring a form signed by their parent or guardian to the cleanup.

Volunteers will meet at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 15 in the parking lot of the McHenry Public Works Building, which is located directly behind the Jewel grocery store on Highway 120 in McHenry.  For more information, contact the Environmental Defenders at (815) 338-0393 or e-mail to mcdef@owc.net.

The Environmental Defenders of McHenry County is a citizen-based, 501c3 not-for-profit organization, dedicated to the preservation and improvement of our natural environment. Volunteers are welcome and donations are tax-deductible as charitable contributions.

To learn more, visit www.mcdef.org or contact the Defenders’ office at 124 Cass Street in downtown Woodstock, phone (815) 338-0393.  Business hours are 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday.

Near sunset on April 16, 2010, at the Lake Avenue stop sign overlooking Crystal Lake's Main Beach.

Driving home from Route 14 Friday night, the sunshine was so yellow as I drove along Lake Avenue to Crystal Lake’s Main Beach.

I snapped this picture while waiting for traffic to clear on the street that runs in front of the entrance to the Main Beach.

A Crystal Lake Main Beach silhouette in May. The water is still cold.

My son saw some kids at Crystal Lake’s Main Beach play ground going home from drum lessons at the First United Methodist Church and asked if I would take him back.

Unfortunately, by the time we returned, all the kids had gone home to dinner.

Nevertheless, he explored the park anew, as I took some photos.

Here is one of a father with his two young children wading in the still very cool water.

There’s a sign nearby that says, “No Swimming.”

Well, it doesn’t say, “No Wading,” does it?

My son saw some kids at Crystal Lake’s Main Beach play ground going home from drum lessons at the First United Methodist Church and asked if I would take him back.

Unfortunately, by the time we returned, all the kids had gone home to dinner.

Nevertheless, he explored the park anew, as I took some photos.

Here is one of a father with his two young children wading in the still very cool water.

There’s a sign nearby that says, “No Swimming.”

Well, it doesn’t say, “No Wading,” does it?