McHenry County Blog

A press release from the Crystal Lake Police Department:

Autumncrest Drive and Deerhaven Drive in Crystal Lake.

On Sunday, January 22nd, 2012, at approximately 8:10 P.M., Crystal Lake Police responded to the corner of Autumncrest Drive and Deerhaven Drive after receiving information of an individual damaging a stop sign with what appeared to be a crow-bar.

The witness, a Crystal Lake Street Department employee who was salting streets at the time, contacted police immediately with the license plate number and description of the suspect’s vehicle.

Cleveland L. Wiggins

Within minutes the suspect vehicle was located and stopped by Crystal Lake Park District Police at Candlewood Drive and Alexandra Blvd.

The vehicle was occupied by two male adults and one male juvenile.

All three subjects were detained and transported to the Crystal Lake Police Department.

During subsequent investigation it was revealed that all three individuals were responsible for at least 24 separate acts of reported damage which targeted unoccupied parked vehicles and mailboxes between Saturday, January 21st, 2012 and Sunday evening January 22nd, 2012.

The majority of the damage occurred in the southwest area of the City, which included eight vehicles damaged with one windshield broken and sixteen mailboxes.

The estimated damages collectively exceed $3,000.00 dollars.

Zachary J. Mecko

The offenders:

• Cleveland L. Wiggins an 18 year old male residing at 764 Weston Drive, Crystal Lake and
• Zachary J. Mecko an 18 year old male residing at 1024 Butler Drive, Crystal Lake

were each charged with

Two Counts of Criminal Damage to Property,

Class A Misdemeanors.

Additional counts may be added pending review by the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office.

The juvenile offender, who is also a Crystal Lake resident, was charged with One Count of Criminal Damage to Property and released to his parents.

The adults were processed and released after posting $150.00 cash bond with a court date of March 13th, 2012.

As I was driving down Dole Avenue toward McHenry West High School for my son’s swimming practice, I saw a new sign had been erected across from the First United Methodist Church of Crystal Lake.

That’s was after having a hard time seeing if any traffic was coming east on Crystal Lake Avenue. I had to pull slowly into the intersection to make sure it was safe to go across the street.

When we went to church Sunday, I saw it was a new stop sign.

As I drove back from Toys R Us, I got the two shots below.

First, there’s a new warning sign, complete with flags.

Next, a flashing, lighted stop sign.

The intersection has to be safer now, but those used to coming west on Crystal Lake Avenue and swinging left on Dole are going to be irritated about having to stop.

I’ve been taking that route from Downtown Crystal Lake since high school when I picked up my father from the train station. Dole Avenue had not yet been built from the Methodist Church to Woodstock Street in 1958 along the old railroad tracks.

As I was driving down Dole Avenue toward McHenry West High School for my son’s swimming practice, I saw a new sign had been erected across from the First United Methodist Church of Crystal Lake.

That’s was after having a hard time seeing if any traffic was coming east on Crystal Lake Avenue. I had to pull slowly into the intersection to make sure it was safe to go across the street.

When we went to church Sunday, I saw it was a new stop sign.

As I drove back from Toys R Us, I got the two shots below.

First, there’s a new warning sign, complete with flags.

Next, a flashing, lighted stop sign.

The intersection has to be safer now, but those used to coming west on Crystal Lake Avenue and swinging left on Dole are going to be irritated about having to stop.

I’ve been taking that route from Downtown Crystal Lake since high school when I picked up my father from the train station. Dole Avenue had not yet been built from the Methodist Church to Woodstock Street in 1958 along the old railroad tracks.

If you have ever tried to pull out on Route 176 from Briarwood across from Sunset Park in Crystal Lake, you know how dangerous the intersection is.

The last time I drove to Woodstock the back way—the way I’ll get to Super Walmart after Crystal Lake, under Mayor Aaron Shepley’s leadership, raises its sales tax 75% on July 1st—I noticed a safety improvement.

There was a blinking red light above the stop sign.

The intersection so needs a read traffic light, plus re-alignment so the cross road is angled at 90 degrees!

This is the intersection that McHenry County College did not even consider improving when it proposed its minor league baseball stadium.

As if no one would take Briarwood to Lucus Road to beat the traffic on Route 14.

Fortunately, Crystal Lake City Councilman Jeff Thorsen, who lives nearby, pointed out that omission.

The intersection still needs a traffic signal.

If you have ever tried to pull out on Route 176 from Briarwood across from Sunset Park in Crystal Lake, you know how dangerous the intersection is.

The last time I drove to Woodstock the back way—the way I’ll get to Super Walmart after Crystal Lake, under Mayor Aaron Shepley’s leadership, raises its sales tax 75% on July 1st—I noticed a safety improvement.

There was a blinking red light above the stop sign.

The intersection so needs a read traffic light, plus re-alignment so the cross road is angled at 90 degrees!

This is the intersection that McHenry County College did not even consider improving when it proposed its minor league baseball stadium.

As if no one would take Briarwood to Lucus Road to beat the traffic on Route 14.

Fortunately, Crystal Lake City Councilman Jeff Thorsen, who lives nearby, pointed out that omission.

The intersection still needs a traffic signal.