A withholder of information while he was McHenry County College president, Walt Packard now wants to share.
He has started two blogs:
Distance Learning 2.0 – Emerging Technologies that Redefine the Online Classroom
and
Helping him will be former assistant Kathleen Plinske, who has a four other of blogs.
I looked at these tulips that were sitting on our sun porch and they looked like bells to me.
How about you?
When he was on trial, I pointed out that Chicago U.S. Marshal John Ambrose was not the first to cozy up the Mob.
So, I thought I ought to complete the loop.
For disclosures he made in 2003, Ambrose was charged with supplying information about Nicholas Calabrese’s cooperation with Federal authorities.
Ambrose was found guilty Tuesday, after what seemed to be a pretty quick trial.
Media observers said that U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald made a better prosecutor than a witness.
He was joined on the stand by incarcerated Syndicate (ex-, I guess) member, Michael “Mickey” Marcello.
You probably don’t remember, but Cicero’s M&M Amusements, owned by Mickey and his brother James, contributed to Governor Rod Blagojevich‘s campaign on June 29, 2002.
After I contacted political spokesman Peter Giangreco, the money was returned to the mobsters. (More information about contributions from M and M Amusements here.)
Not given to charity, but where it could be used in a legal defense fund!
I’ve been filing Freedom of Information requests with state agencies for years.
They always wanted pieces of paper. Sometimes a Fax would do; sometimes they insisted I mail a hard copy.
Now comes information that Governor Pat Quinn is directing all agencies under his jurisdiction to accept FOI requests by email, just like McHenry County College did (!) today.
Imagine, state government recognizing that modes of communication have changed.
The Post Office has certainly figured that out.
Also annoying was the excessive cost charged by agencies like the Illinois Department of Revenue.
A year ago, Governor Rod Blagojevich’s folks wanted to charge me 50 cents a page.
How one could justify a cost of more than a dime a page is beyond me.
I understand the Quinn Administration is also in the process of bring down the cost to some more or less reasonable level.
Ready for that, Revenue Department?
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McHenry County College would not release the heavily redacted biography of BMB Communications Management’s John Maguire. His company is the one that wants to build the highest (1,500 foot) free standing broadcast tower in the country in Crystal Lake.
I posted the article below on McHenry County Blog late last night. It had such an effect on me that I woke up in a start dreaming my 11-year old was saying,
I used to have a face.
I used to have hands.
I just wrote a check for the Camp I Am Me, formerly called the Burn Camp, about which the following was written.
I went to the grand opening of the Huntley Super Walmart this week and found lots of license plates not regularly seen around Crystal Lake.
Today’s is a commemorative plate that can be displayed only 60 days. You can see it expires on June 20th.
It commemorates the summer camp that the Illinois Fire Safety Association puts on.
The president this year is Huntley Fire Protection District Chief James Saletta , so maybe this plate was on his car.
It’s a camp for severely burned children.
It used to be called the IFSA Burn Camp, but, starting this year, because of a comment from one of the campers that the Burn Camp name did not help them escape from being a burn victim and just be a kid for a change, the name is being changed to
describing the purpose of the camp, one of the fireman wrote,
“It is also the intent of the IFSA to allow kids to be kids.
“It’s an opportunity for them to spend time with other children and adults that are just like them.
“It is always interesting to see the children show up on the first day of camp with their long sleeve shirts and long pants, even though it’s 90 degrees in the shade.
“As the week goes on, you can see the campers wearing shorts, tee shirts, and swimming suits.
“This is one of the most obvious signs that camp is allowing kids to be just another kid.
“For one week a year they don’t have to worry about people starring or being different.
“Well, it took this young camper’s comments for us to realize that we were inadvertently placing label on the children that we were working hard to erase.
If you would like to contribute, you can find out here. You can find how to volunteer at the camp on this page. The address is Huntley Fire Protection District, P.O. Box 517, Huntley, IL 60142.
The camp is held the third week of June at the YMCA Camp Duncan near Fox Lake in Ingleside, Illinois.
Daily Herald reporter has written an article saying a secretary who is alleged to have stolen over $100,000 over a two year period from student activity funds has been arrested at a traffic stop.
She was indicted two weeks ago, the story says, but the police couldn’t find her.
It certainly has taken a long, long time.
Back in January I asked School Board President Joe Stevens what was happening and he sent me this email:
“Regarding the $100,000 suspected lost from the student activity fund, we have now completed our forensic audit and it does validate such a loss occurred.
“We fully expect to recover all of the money through our insurance provider.
“The matter now rests with the States Attorney awaiting further action.
“You may feel free to use this in your blog.”
The 46-year old woman who was arrested is Lisa Burkhart-Foster and she lives in East Dundee.
The money disappeared from 2004-2006.
In an August 6, 2007, letter to Daily Herald reporter Emily Krone, District 300 School Superintendent Ken Arndt releases a timeline which includes
Click to enlarge.The theft was discovered in 2007 while the 55-cent tax hike and $185 million bond referendum was on the front burner.
A forensic auditor was brought in…to prove up the case, I guess.
The regular District 300 auditor found nothing amiss.
The last time such a briefing was held by the McHenry County State’s Attorney Office, the board most in need of hearing the advice, not to mention following the law, the McHenry County College Board board was meeting at the same time.
When State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi sued the MCC board for violating the Open Meetings Act, the board, after spending an amount it refuses to reveal, settled out of court.
Well, at least former President Walt Packard is not going to be around to send me threatening letters. But, he’s been given over a $250,000 going away present by being kept on the payroll from his resignation to June 30, 2010.
STATE’S ATTORNEY’S OFFICE SPONSORS OPEN MEETINGS ACT AND FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT SEMINAR
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Louis A. Bianchi, McHenry County State’s Attorney is pleased to announce a seminar for Elected and Appointed Officials to be conducted May 14, 2009 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the McHenry County College Auditorium.
This seminar is sponsored by the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office and McHenry County College and the seminar will include speakers from the Illinois Attorney General’s Office and the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office to provide information regarding the Illinois Open Meetings Act as well as the Freedom of Information Act.
This seminar will provide particularly useful information for both newly elected officials and incumbents as it will encompass the requirements of these Acts as well as recent updates in this important Legislation that works to provide transparency in Government.
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The woman taking notes in the photo on top is Iris Bryan. Jane Collins can be seen in the background in the first picture. MCC security officer William Schultz reparing the evict those legally standing outside the late February 2008 meeting where John Maguire of BMB Communications Management made his first pitch to buy college property to build a mega-tower.
The editorial is from the late, lamented Algonquin Countryside and Cary-Grove Countryside, weekly newspapers that stopped publication last December.
Click to enlarge any image.
It’s not called swine flu anymore.
Now, Washington officials are calling it “H1N1 Flu.”
Anyone think that will take?
109 identified infections, according to the Centers for Disease Control, plus the death of the 2-year old brought to the United States from Mexico by his mother for medical treatment.
Note that the title reflects the renaming of the flu to try to convince people not to stop eating pork, but the words “swine flu” remain underneath the table.
On Thursday, the World Health Organization declared a Phase 5 alert, which is a
“strong signal that a pandemic is imminent and that the time to finalize the organization, communication, and implementation of the planned mitigation measures is short,”
the CDC says.
And, what can you say about Vice President Joe Biden’s deviation from the Obama “don’t panic” line?
Here’s what Bloomberg wrote:
“The day after President Barack Obama urged the flu-worried masses to stay calm, Vice President Joe Biden went off the rails, saying he has urged family members to avoid airplanes and subways.”
Sarah Palin is looking better and better.
Concerning the borders, where Napolitano said “passive” measures were being taken Sunday and Tuesday. Wednesday, when she appeared before a Senate committee, she changed her tune.
This was in her statement today:
“But as the President noted last night, closing the entire borders would have no benefit at this point because the virus is already present in the United States. The comparison is clear. It’s like closing the barn door well after the horse has left.”
But, as one person asked me,
“Didn’t we have an ambassador in Mexico?”
Maybe even before the horse left the barn?
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The maps are from Google. Note that the one of Northeastern Illinois does not include the McHenry case reported by the McHenry County Health Department today.
Last Friday when I read a Northwest story online quoting a statement the college had released about the deal that had been cut with outgoing MCC President Walt Packard, I immediately requested a copy.
It finally arrived Wednesday.
Not exactly a good example for transparency.
Missing from the NW Herald article is that
health insurance is going to be provided Packard and his ailing wife for three and a half years—over two years after he goes off the over $15,500 a month dole mid-year in 2010.
Somehow that seems important.
Statement Concerning the Employment Relationship Between McHenry County College and Dr. Walter J. Packard
Since July 2003, Dr. Packard served as the President of McHenry County College (the “College”[just in case you didn’t know]). Earlier this year, Dr. Packard retired from the position of President in order to care for his wife who suffers from a debilitating medical condition.
Dr. Walter Packard is presently employed by the College as President Emeritus. His service in this role will continue through June 30, 2010.
In exchange for Dr. Packard’s service as President Emeritus, the College will continue to compensate him at his previous annual salary rate of One Hundred Eighty-Eight Thousand, Five Hundred Sixty-Four Dollars ($188,564) through June 30, 2010, prorated accordingly.
In addition to his annual salary, the College will continue to provide Dr. Packard with a continuation of benefits, including payment of his statutorily required contribution to the State of Illinois Retirement System (SURS) and a matching of Dr. Packard’s voluntary contributions to an appropriate tax deferred annuity in an amount up to Twelve Thousand Dollars ($12,000).
Dr. Packard will also continue to be enrolled in the College’s medical, dental, and vision insurance plans through June 30, 2010, and upon his retirement as President Emeritus, the College will pay the Board’s percentage share of the premium cost of health insurance coverage for Dr. Packard and his spouse for the period from July 1, 2010 through August 21, 2012. (Emphasis provided.)As President Emeritus, Dr. Packard serves at the direction of the Board through the Interim President and, upon the appointment of the successor President, the President.
Over the course of his employment, Dr. Packard has been and continues to be involved in providing consulting services to the College.
Among his services, he is providing on-going support to “The Promise” campaign, which is the largest community-funded scholarship program in the College’s history.
He is also expected to attend community functions on behalf of the College.
On a regular basis, the College will seek his input concerning the needs of the College community, fiscal and otherwise, and how best the College can meet those needs.
As during his tenure as President, Dr. Packard will continue to represent the College and participate in national conferences for higher education.
For example, earlier this month Dr. Packard attended the American Association of Community Colleges Annual Convention and co-presented the following topics:
- “What Trustees Want: The Next Generation of Community College Presidents,”
- “Cut Through the Hype: The Executive’s Web 2.0 Toolkit,” and
- “Diversifying our Faculty for our 21st Century Students.”
Dr. Packard also co-presented the topic of “Leveraging Your Systems Portfolio: Supporting Institutional Dialogue and Organizational Learning.”
In connection with that presentation, Dr. Packard co-published an article in “A Collection of Papers and Self-Study and Institutional Improvement” published by the Higher Learning Commission. His speaking engagements will continue throughout his service as President Emeritus.
So, over $15,500 per month in compensation through the end of June, 2010.
Health insurance for him and his sick wife through August 21, 2012.
That’s over three years from now, folks.
And, junkets around the country to give talks which will not focus on what he has learned from his lack of transparent leadership.
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The illustration is of Mel Brooks during the singing of “It’s good to be the king.”
The golden parachuting Walt Packard was created by Crystal Lake Heck of a Guy blogger Walt Packard.
Enough said.
A 40-year old McHenry man, recently back from Mexico, is believed to be the first case of swine flu in McHenry County.
The McHenry County Health Department has issued the following press release:
WOODSTOCK – McHenry County Department of Health (MCDH) has its first probable case of swine flu. According to lab results from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), a 40 year old male from the City of McHenry has tested positive for swine flu and has not been hospitalized.
This case revealed a recent trip to Mexico. Additional testing at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will confirm the diagnosis later in the week.
The Department of Health will continue to monitor this changing situation and provide the latest information on swine flu for the protection of its residents at www.mcdh.info.
A call center has also been activated (815-334-4510, select option 1). Centegra Health System also has set up a call center to address questions about swine flu (877-Centegra or 815-236-8347).
Reducing transmission of swine flu is the primary goal. Good health habits – washing your hands, covering your cough and staying home when you’re sick – are all ways to protect families from spreading the flu.
If you have a cough, fever (greater than 100 degrees), sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue, and have recently traveled to Mexico (or an area with known swine flu cases) or been exposed to someone who is ill, you should contact your doctor. Antivirals are provided by prescription only for treatment of swine flu.
This outbreak is ongoing and additional cases are expected. Access the CDC’s webpage at www.cdc.gov/swineflu or call 1-800-CDC-INFO. In Spanish, visit http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/espanol/swine_espanol.html.
Veteran Illinois Congressman Don Manzullo is bringing in his most recent colleague to speak on his behalf for a Friday noon fund raising luncheon in Rockford.
Tickets are still available for the 27-year old congressman’s appearance.
Manzullo’s 16th congressional district is being targeted by liberals because of how well Barack Obama did last fall. He carried McHenry County, for instance.
Still time to buy tickets. Details below:
Manzullo Welcomes Rising GOP Star to Rockford on Friday for Congressional LuncheonROCKFORD – Congressman Don Manzullo (R-Egan) will host a fundraising luncheon in Rockford on Friday. His special guest is 27-year-old Congressman Aaron Schock (R-Peoria) who will be speaking on “Reclaiming the American Dream.”
More than 400 seats have already been reserved for “The Congressional Luncheon” that will take place from noon to 1:30 p.m. Friday, May 1 at Giovanni’s Restaurant, 610 N. Bell School Road in Rockford.
Rep. Schock was elected last November to serve the Peoria-based seat vacated by now-U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.
Aaron’s political career began at an early age when the board president of his school district denied his request to graduate early from high school. When he turned 19, he ran against that school board president — and won!
At the age of 23, he was simultaneously the youngest school board president in history and the youngest Illinois State Representative.
At the age of 27, he is now the youngest Member of Congress, where he sits on the House Transportation, Small Business & Oversight and Government Reform Committees. He was also chosen by Leadership to serve as Deputy Republican Whip. He is the first Member of Congress born in the 1980s.
Manzullo, a Member of the House Financial Services Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, will also briefly discuss the work he has been doing in Washington on behalf of his constituents.
Tickets are $50 per person and can be obtained by calling the Manzullo for Congress campaign headquarters at (815) 394-1992.
My son has morphed from a 7-year old, “Dad, take the bug outside” type of guy to an 11-year old “I’ll help you get rid of the ants, Mom” type of kid.
That probably led to the title of this article.
You see, the Illinois power parties are in the process of limiting electoral competition again.
It wasn’t bad enough that write-ins have to register with the county clerk 61 days before the election. (That’s before anyone but an insider even knows there is a possibility of winning a write-in for an office for which there is no candidate on the ballot.)
Now, Republicans and Democrats are so insecure that they want to further limit the Green Party from slating candidates.
And the Illinois Green Party, the only third party in Illinois with official party slating status, has noticed this incumbent protection bill.
Here’s part of the email I received before the Senate Elections Committee voted 8-1 to shoot the bill out onto the Senate floor for certain passage:
“House Bill 723…would protect Illinois’ incumbents by effectively ending the practice of slating, which will almost certainly decrease the number of competitive elections in Illinois.
“‘Legislators in Illinois have an aversion to having someone run against them,’ said Dan Kairis, of Elgin, who himself was slated in 2008 to run for State Representative, 55th district.
“’Rather than accept competitive elections as a necessary function of a democratic system, here we have legislators who want to avoid facing any competition in the future.’
“Kairis and other Illinois Green Party members will be attending the hearing to voice opposition to the bill. The ILGP is urging its members and anyone else interested in bringing democratic reforms to Illinois to call their state senators and tell them to vote NO on HB 723.
“To slate a candidate under current law, leaders of an established party meet and choose a candidate, based on a weighted vote.
“Slating can occur after the primary election if no candidate was nominated in the primary, or if the nominated candidate drops out or passes away.
“Currently, the three ‘established’ parties in Illinois who can slate candidates are the Greens, Democrats and Republicans.”
“If HB 723 passes, the process to fill vacancies in nomination would be become much more difficult, complicated and resource intensive.
“Candidates would not only have to seek the approval of party leaders, but they would also have to collect a massive amount of signatures in a short time frame.
“The additional requirements would also create more paperwork, which leaves candidates even more vulnerable to filing challenges that could keep them off the ballot.
“In fact, HB 723 would make running as an independent or creating a new party a much simpler an alternative for a candidate than running on an established party ticket.
“Despite the availability of the current slating option, in the November 2008 general election, 59 of 118 Illinois House seats and 20 of 40 Illinois Senate seats went unopposed in the general election.
“Even though half of all legislative seats go uncontested anyway, HB 723 will ensure there are many more uncontested races,” said Steve Alesch, co-chair of the DuPage County Green Party, which slated a number of candidates in 2008, including an opponent to Rep. Mike Fortner (R-95th), the bill’s chief sponsor in the House.
“This will have a chilling effect on democracy.”
“With the scandals of Govs. Ryan and Blagojevich not far behind us, the citizens of Illinois are demanding reforms that would reduce the unchecked power of our elected officials,” said Tom Abram, of Urbana, member of the Illinois Green Party coordinating committee.
“This bill is the exact opposite of reform, and it would only further erode the public’s trust and confidence in our electoral system.”
“The bill passed the House earlier in April with a 112-4 vote. “
Sponsored by first term western DuPage County State Representative Mike Fortner (95th District), House Bill 723 is an attempt to prevent a Green Party candidate from challenging him again in 2010.
Is that a classic conflict of interest and admission of vulnerability or what?
Fortner, who beat Green Party candidate Gerard Schmitt 32,257 to 10,024 last year, obviously doesn’t want to bother with a fall election. Hard to take a fall vacation when one has an opponent.
And the DuPage County Republican Party doesn’t want the possibility of a Green Party candidate running for
The proposed maintain-the-power-party franchise language is below:
a vacancy in nomination shall be 8 filled only by a person designated by the appropriate committee of the political party
- whose name is submitted by that committee to the State Board of Elections within 60 days after the day of the general primary and
- who files nominating petitions with the number of signatures, and at the time, required for an independent candidate for that office under Article 10.
The circulation period for those petitions begins on the day the State Board of Elections receives from the committee the notice of the person’s name.
The State Board of Elections shall hear and pass upon all objections to nomination petitions filed by candidates under this paragraph.
Of course, the bill passed the State Senate Committee. By an 8-1 vote. Only Republican Senate Elections Committee Spokesman Dale Righter of Matoon voted against the competition limiting bill.
In the Illinois House, only Mike Boland (D-Moline), Beth Coulson (R-Glenview), Paul Froehlich (D-Schaumburg), Keith Sommer (R-Morton) opposed the bill. Oak Park Democrat Deborah Graham voted “Present,” which has the same effect as voting “No,” because bills need a majority to pass.
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The green bug above is used in advertising by Certified Master Arborist Wayne White. He specializes in saving ash trees from the Emerald Ash Borer, which is a plot by the Democratic Party, don’t you know?
Under 40?
The McHenry County Young Republicans are planning an overnight canoe trip the weekend of May 15-16 at Saux City, Wisconsin. The cost is $50, which includes Saturday dinner and Sunday pancakes.
Find an island for camping the notice below says.
For more general information about the Young Republicans, contact President Bryan Javor.
One of the proposals which has the greatest potential to break the logjam in Springfield is the one I campaigned on for governor in 2002:
Needless to say, legislative leaders think this is horrible idea.
New Republican Senate Leader Christine Radogno told the Chicago Tribune “she would not support term limits for legislative leaders.
“House Majority Leader Tom Cross (R-Oswego) declined to take a position…”
Some with long memories will remember that he said he would serve no more than ten years when campaigning to replace Lee Daniels in 2002.
That promise went by the wayside last year.
Newly elected Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago) “wants to read the report before taking any position, spokeswoman Rikeesha Phelon said.”
And Lisa Madigan surely is speaking for her father when she says,
“That’s something that I’m skeptical of. You don’t necessarily want to put into place a situation where it’s staff and lobbyists and special interests who control a lot of government. There’s no harm in having some institutional knowledge. Voters always have the ability to make sure that someone’s not re-elected.”
She has a point, but there’s nothing saying the term-limited leaders couldn’t remain in office in order to offer their expertise.
You will remember that on Sunday Janet Napolitano, President Barack Obama’s Secretary of Homeland Security, said her department was dealing with swine flu “passively.”
That was when the CDC has confirmed 20 cases.
Monday, the number of cases was up to 40.
With 64 cases on April 28th, Napolitano was still being “passive.” http://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2009/04/napolitano-and-mexican-border.html
Today, with 91 cases, 
Napolitano caved.
“’passive surveillance’ is ‘not an accurate picture of what is going on’ at U.S. entry points.”
And, thus the Obama administration’s rhetoric bows a bit to reality.
But, no closing of the Mexican border, even with requests from border state congressmen.
“It would have very little marginal benefit in terms of containing the outbreak of virus within our own country,” Voice of America News.com reported.
U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) suggested using thermal scanners as countries, such as Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, South Korea, etc.
Napolitano said such scanners are “not always accurate.”
Sounds like the arguments liberals made in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s about the lack of 100% certainly of HIV-infection when people tested positive on the HIV-antibody test.
That wasn’t exactly the title used by Executive Editor of the Northwest Herald, but it’s close.
In his Sunday column, mainly about opposition to turning Resurrection Center into retirement condos and the NIMBY opposition, Christ Krug comments on how McHenry County College President Walt Packard turned “off-site,” no recorded hours required work into a $200,000 per year gig through the June after next.
What a golden parachute!
And Krug drops this delicious hint that Packard was really fired:
“Ask anyone on campus what happened and those toeing the line will tell you that he resigned.”
The Kane County Health Department announced today that Aurora’s Marmion Academy and Rotolo Middle School in Batavia would
“close temporarily following the identification of a probable swine flu case in each of the schools. This is a preventive measure designed to help break the cycle of disease transmission and protect students, faculty, staff, administrators, and the larger community.”
Meanwhile the Illinois Health Department issued a press release announcing nine “probable cases of swine flu.”
Five are within Chicago’s city limits, one each in DuPage and Lake Counties, plus the two in Kane County.
The Daily Herald and the Northwest Herald are reporting that Lake in the Hills’ puffer fish guy Edward Bachner wants out.
Put briefly, he wants out of jail.
His lawyer says he was unfairly questioned.
My illustration above is a real puffer fish out of water.
Quite dead, but probably its toxin is still quite dangerous.
The one below is at The Breakers, a Chinese restaurant on Route 14 Northwest of Crystal Lake on the way to McHenry County College. It’s lit up even with drinking any of the Bud Light being advertised above the bar.
Other articles on the Puffer Fish guy:
7-1-8 Toxin Neighbor in Lake in the Hills
7-1-8 Bachner Connection to the Murder Request: “I was bored.”
7-2-8 Dog Days and Zombies Have Arrived
7-3-9 Speculation for Motive of Puffer Fish Poison Guy
8-26-8 Lake in the Hills Puffer Fish Man Indicted, Charged with Getting Toxin to Use as a Weapon
It’s that time of year when yellow enters our yard.
Daffodils, tulips, forsythia.
The ones you see are along Lake Avenue in Lakewood, Illinois.
Other ‘yellow” posts:
Click to enlarge photos.
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The yellow violet above was a volunteer in my back yard last year. This year I have seen two plants.
