McHenry County Blog

An email from Grafton Township Supervisor Linda Moore:

Dear Residents of Grafton Township,

Thank you for the honor and opportunity to serve as your Township Supervisor for the past four years. I have really enjoyed working for you and meeting the challenges of the office.

We have accomplished many things for the benefit of the residents, but there are some items on the list of things left to do.

The audits of FY 2012 and FY2013 are well underway and expected to be complete by the end of this month.

In April 2013 the board officially accepted the FY 2011 audit as presented two years ago with nothing untoward found and no changes.

The new board will need to quickly adopt budgets for the township and road district.

Grafton Township will have a nearly fresh start with only one carry over official.

The voters elected newcomer Jim Kearns to serve as your 2013 to 2017 Grafton Township Supervisor.

We have worked together to ensure a smooth transition.

He will be officially in office starting Monday, May 20th.

I wish all of the new and retiring township officials only the best going forward.

I remain available to everyone at 1-847-630-6325.

Please call if you have a question or there is something that I could do to help you.

We can all be proud to say that we are residents of Grafton Township.

Sincerely,
Supervisor Linda Moore (2009-2013)

Saturday, June 30th, is the day when McHenry County Pro-Lifers hold their annual fund raiser.

It’s a pig roast and, at least in election years, lots of politicians turn out.

It will again be at Irene Napier’s farm on Valley View Road.

Contact numbers are 815-861-5847 and 847-910-5001.

Since McHenry County Blog was started in reaction to the Crystal Lake City Council’s putting Route 14 next to the Vulcan gravel pit in a Tax Increment Financing District, perhaps you will excuse me for returning to the subject once in a while.

For those with memories that don’t go back to 2005, the Vulcan Lake TIF District was going to finance the Three Oaks Recreational Area (TORA, for short).

But right after picking Bill Cellini’s firm to do the development work, Cellini was identified as one of those “Person A” or some other designation in a U.S. Attorney’s indictment.

Cellini, who made substantial sums for the Teachers Retirement Fund from real estate investments pulled himself out of the TIF District management and, eventually, his firm withdrew as well.

Of course, anyone who drives past that Route 14 TIF district knows there has been no real estate appreciation that could possibly have paid for TORA’s development.

So, the City Council decided to high its share of the sales tax by 75% to do the same thing.

That brings us to the question of who pays for TIF-financed projects.

The answer is you, if you live or own property in McHenry County.

In his column on Thursday, the Sun-Times’ Mark Brown reminds readers of that in the context of the DePaul basketball stadium to be subsidized by Cook County taxpayers.

Although it will be on the Chicago lakefront, every taxpayer in any tax district covering McCormick Place will help pay for it as other tax districts raise their tax takes in order to cover future losses of assessed valuation.

A press release from the Village of Lakewood:

Aerial Spraying of Gypsy Moths in the Village of Lakewood

Viable gypsy moth egg masses have been found at two locations within the Village.

The locations are near the intersection of Broadway and Cumberland Lane, and near the intersection of Huntley Road and Oakwood Drive.

There are numerous egg masses that cannot be reached using ground based treatment strategies, so the Village will be conducting aerial spraying for gypsy moths at and around the aforementioned locations.

Gypsy moth infested sites will be treated by helicopter with an application of Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki (B.t.k.), a naturally occurring bacteria used by gardeners as an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical pesticides. B.t.k. is not considered toxic for people, animals, birds, fish, and other insects such as bees and ladybugs. Also, it does not harm water supplies.

As a general precaution, Public Health officials recommend all persons in spray areas minimize exposure to B.t.k.

Persons who are more susceptible to infections or respiratory irritation should pay particular attention to the precautions above. This includes people with underlying illness such as leukemia, AIDS or other immune system deficiency, people receiving radiation or chemotherapy treatment, and people with asthma, emphysema or allergic sensitivities.

The initial application is tentatively scheduled to occur next week, but spraying is dependent on weather conditions and larvae development.

A follow-up application will occur 7-10 days after the initial application.

The gypsy moth is a non-native leaf-eating insect that feasts on plants and shrubs. Gypsy moths are among the most destructive forest and landscape pests in the United States.

In large populations, it is capable of stripping plants bare, leaving them vulnerable to secondary insect and disease attacks. Oak trees are the most vulnerable to gypsy moth devastation, but the caterpillars will feed on up to 500 other types of trees and shrubs if oak leaves are scarce.

The Village will post signs in the spray areas the day before aerial spraying.

With a child in college, Congressman Peter Roskam has introduced a bill to let students and parents know what the cost of college might be.  His and Congressman Matt Cartwright’s press release follows:

Roskam, Cartwright Introduce Truth-In-Tuition Act To Take Guesswork Out of College Education Costs

WASHINGTON— Today, Congressman Peter Roskam (R-IL) and Congressman Matt Cartwright (D-PA) introduced H.R. 2020, the bipartisan Truth-In-Tuition Act, which requires universities and colleges to provide a four-year price model for students and parents so they can plan for the ever-increasing costs of higher education:

“The staggering and unpredictable costs of a college education makes it difficult for many Americans to realize the dream of a higher education.

“Too many students end up dropping out of a four-year institution because the financial burden becomes too great.

“For those that graduate with college loans, many enter the workforce with massive debt that can take decades to pay off,” said Roskam.

“We must take the mystery out of the cost of higher education. For the colleges and universities that rely on federal dollars, it is only reasonable that Congress demand these institutions provide transparency for the students and families that pay tuition.”

“Skyrocketing tuition is inhibiting college access and placing families and students in heavy debt. While the increases alone are daunting, the unpredictability of the rate hikes creates an added strain on families,” said Cartwright.

“Without having the full picture of college costs, students and their families are forced to take on more student loan debt than they originally anticipated.

“The total outstanding student loan debt in the United States has surpassed the $1 trillion mark. It has outpaced credit card debt, auto debt, and is second only to mortgage debt.”

The Truth-In-Tuition Act will require private and public universities and colleges to give every student a clear picture of what their degree will cost by using a pricing model, taking the guesswork out of how much and when payments are due throughout their education.

There are many successful examples of this bill being implemented in states across the country.

In Illinois, public universities and colleges are required to provide a financial roadmap – a bill Congressman Roskam supported as a State Senator in 2003.

Ultimately, this bill will help create a clear path forward for students so that unforeseen costs don’t inhibit their ability to achieve their higher education goals.

The escalating cost of higher education has been a serious deterrent to students’ ability to afford college.

In just a decade, from 2002-2012, tuition at public four-year universities and colleges have increased by 66 percent beyond the rate of inflation.

In that same time period, tuition at private universities and colleges have increased by 27 percent beyond the rate of inflation.

Even though it is a bit late, here is what Lakewood Village President told residents right before the election in which she was unopposed for a second term:

From the President

Dear Neighbors:

Spring is traditionally a busy time for municipal government, and this year is no exception. We continue to be encouraged by the interest shown in our community by both the residential builders and businesses. Following is a summary of projects and activities that may be of interest to you:

Village Hall/Police Department

As reported in the previous newsletter, there has been steady progress in the movement towards a new Village Hall/Police Station.

Specifically, there is agreement among the Board of Trustees that

• there is a need
• property already owned by the Village of Lakewood on Haligus Road is the appropriate site for a new facility
• the present is a good time to build in terms of borrowing and construction costs
• any debt instrument issued for the project will not allow taxes to be levied to pay for it

After consultation with several builders and developers, we have determined that the next step in the process is to begin due diligence on both properties (Haligus Road and the current site).

Due diligence includes such steps as t

• taking soil borings
• performing topographical surveys
• completing a wetland delineation

Once this information has been obtained, we will work with a number of builders/developers to obtain a more definitive (and we hope lower) project cost.

If we determine that the project is affordable, we will choose the type of development process (i.e. cost/plus, design/build, construction management, etc.) that will be the most effective for this project.

Thank you to everyone who has provided input based on previous articles. Please do not hesitate to reach out to any one of us for further information regarding this project.

Committees

Several years ago, a number of committees were formed to allow for citizen input, including:

• Parks and Recreation
• Economic Development
• RedTail Golf Club
• Special Service Area (SSA) #1

These committees have provided a great deal of assistance by taking on such projects as design of the new entryway signs, prioritization of bike paths throughout the community, oversight of our first annual Celebrate Lakewood event, a feasibility study for a new clubhouse, and a new approach toward restoring the long term health of the Turnberry Lakes system. With the completion of these tasks, however, the Board of Trustees has undertaken a review (with the input of committee members) of the committees and made the following changes.

The Parks and Recreation Committee has been eliminated. Residents with an interest in this area will be encouraged to participate in a variety of ways through the Crystal Lake Park District.

The Economic Development and RedTail Golf Club Committees have been combined into a new Community Development Committee.

No changes have been made to the SSA #1 Committee. Volunteers are needed to serve on all three remaining committees.

Please contact me if you have questions about committee assignments.

Celebrate Lakewood

Our first event was such a success that we’ve decided to have it again!

Please set aside Sunday, June 9 for the Second Annual Celebrate Lakewood event!

The newly configured Community Development Committee is already hard at work and hopes to add several new features, including live music and “bounce houses” for children.

While the Village of Lakewood will underwrite most of the costs for the event, the Community Development Committee is seeking sponsors for some of the new features. Checks can be made payable to the Village of Lakewood.

Sponsorship levels include:

• Bronze $100
• Silver $250
• Gold $500

Volunteers are also needed to help on the day of the event. Please contact Village Hall at (815) 459-3025 or info@village.lakewood.il.us for further information about volunteering or sponsorship opportunities. We will even recognize you or your business in a future newsletter!

Spring Elections

The spring election will be held on Tuesday, April 9. For the Village of Lakewood, there are no contested elections. Four positions were open, including Village President and three Trustees. Three incumbents chose to run, including Gene Furey, Jeff Iden and myself.

Due to work commitments, Trustee John Burton chose not to run again. We extend our sincere appreciation to him for all of his efforts during the past four years, including his oversight of the Parks and Recreation Committee and efforts toward Crystal Lake. Beverly Thomas, a resident of the East Side, has stepped forward to serve as a Trustee and has already been regularly attending meetings and reviewing Board packet materials. We thank her for her willingness to serve in this capacity.

While there is not a contested election within our community, there are some important local elections. I encourage you to make yourself aware of the issues, the candidates and participate in the upcoming election. Key dates include:

• March 25 – Early voting begins
• April 6 – Early voting ends
• April 9 – Election

Please call the McHenry County Clerk’s Office at (815) 334-4242 if you have additional questions regarding the spring election.

Please be certain to carefully read the front page of the newsletter as we welcome our newest business, Tres Chic Boutique, and highlight some upcoming activities at Crosspoint Lutheran Church.
As always, I encourage you to contact me or any of our officials listed on the back cover with questions regarding any of the projects highlighted in the newsletter or that you might read about elsewhere.

Sincerely,

Erin
Village President

A press release from McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi:

MCHENRY COUNTY STATE’S ATTORNEY’S OFFICE HOSTS THE ILLINOIS GAMING BOARD

Louis A. Bianchi is pleased to announce that the State’s Attorney’s Office is sponsoring a free seminar on Legal and Illegal Video Games on June 4, 2013, in the State’s Attorney’s Office Grand Jury Room at the McHenry County Government Center at 3:00 p.m.

This seminar is open to all law enforcement, public officials, municipalities, judiciary, lawyers, business owners and the general public.

Mark Ostrowski, Administrator, Illinois Gaming Board will be presenting.

When State Senator Pam Althoff’s Telephone Town Hall Meeting contacted me after her five hour session (with committee meetings in the morning), I decided to listen in.

Some notes I took follow.

A man from Woodstock with a $10,000 property tax bill said, “Taxes are out of control for Dorr Township. I can’t afford to retire in my home. As soon as I can, I’m moving out of this state.”

[I would point out that Woodstock School District 200 took every dime it could and that was most of the local tax increase.]

Althoff took two polls, the first about the Democrats 67% income tax hike. She said she would announce the results during the hour and did.

• 71% said cut spending and the tax hike
• 21% favored leaving the tax hike in place but not allowing government to grow
• 2% wanted government to continue to increase in size
• 6% were undecided

At least two people talked about government employee pensions.

Althoff said that something would have to be done or 15-20 years from now “people will get a pink slip.”

I’m not sure one can get fired from a pension program, but her point was that the five public pension funds would eventually run out of money.

When asked where she stood on the union-backed pension plan (the one State Senate President John Cullerton is sponsoring), she said, “I supported both of the pieces of (pension) legislation.”

Another person pointed to the 3% annual pension increases, which are compounded, in public pensions as a big problem. He said that nobody in the private sector gets anything like that.

Althoff agreed and pointed out that the compounding was more than 50% of the problem.

A poll was taken on what Althoff characterized as “conceal and carry.”

Althoff said she was in support of such legislation.

The results were

• 47% support
• 29% do not support in any form
• 26% support with exemptions
• 4% were undecided

A nurse called to ask if the state’s assuming administration of Obamacare would result in something like the pension crisis down the road.

Althoff did not try to dissuade her of that possibility.

A man called about fracking. He was worried about his well water.

He apparently thinks it will occur in McHenry County.

Althoff said she was undecided but did not tell him natural gas and oil has not be found under McHenry County’s acreage.

A man from a small town without zoning whom Althoff recognized as someone she had talked to before talked about windmill regulation in places like his. Althoff just passed a bill to give them some control within their village limits, but with no power outside those limits. Municipalities with zoning have some power within a mile and a half of their boundaries.

When the hour was up Althoff invited people to leave messages on her answering machine.

A press release from the McHenry County Historical Society:

McHenry County Historical Society to Plaque the Lorimer Residence

(Union, Illinois-) The McHenry County Historical Society’s Historic Sites Committee will plaque the Josephine and William Lorimer Jr. House at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 18, at 615 Lake Ave. in Crystal Lake.

The present owners, Rudolph Magnani and Lynn Lourie, have taken the utmost care in preserving and restoring this 1929 grand residence and will be awarded the plaque in a public ceremony.

The year was 1929. The downtown sign, electrified with 80 light bulbs above the recently paved Williams Street, proclaimed: “Crystal Lake, A Good Place to Live.” It also stated “55 minutes to Chicago.”

Life was good and everything seemed to be feasible through modern technology.

Radio, telephones, and moving pictures with sound, were bringing ‘modernity’ to the most remote parts of our population.

Mickey Mouse spoke for the first time (“hot dog!”) and a color, talking movie debuted – all available at the Crystal Lake’s new El Tovar Theatre. Jazz and dancing rose in popularity, and Europe’s art deco movement was influencing not only art, but American architecture as well.

Across the border the Canadians proclaimed woman to be “persons,” and just 55 minutes away, the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre shocked the nation.

The excessive Roaring Twenties were coming to a close, and with it, Wall Street’s crash. In France they proclaimed the era “années folles” (“Crazy Years”).

While clouds were rolling over this golden time, American’s discovered a board game called, The Landlord’s Game, later known as Monopoly.

During this time, a Chicago businessman, William Lorimer Jr., was doing rather well in the timber Industry.

His business required him to make frequent business trips south and he was often accompanied by his wife, Josephine.

The South’s pre-Civil War architecture greatly inspired Josephine and she dreamed of building such an estate up North.

Eventually the Lorimer’s bought several acres just across the street from Crystal Lake’s, Main Beach, bordered by Lake Avenue, Country Club and Ringling Roads.

By 1928 they hired a local builder, W. Frank Robbin, who claimed the “W” stood for “willing.”

Unaware of the hard financial times ahead, Josephine and Mr. Robbin broke ground to create a bit of Natchez, Miss. in Crystal Lake: The Lorimer mansion.

Completed in 1929 this 5,000-square-foot plus Federal Revival home, with its truly magnificent white portico, centrally located Palladian window, and unique white glazed brick Duntile walls, often was referred to as the “White House.”

Upon entering this home one is greeting by a two-story foyer and rather grand open staircase with original balustrade.

To the right the foyer opens up to a formal dining room with adjoining kitchen, sitting room and simple back staircase.

To the left a large formal living room and adjoining music room awaits you.

These formal areas all retain their original bold black and white checkerboard terrazzo flooring and arched windows with segmental pediments.

Midway up the stairs a large landing and the exquisite Palladian window with three Gothic arches in the pediment provides a panoramic view of Crystal Lake.

The second level, with its original hardwood floors, houses the master and guest bedrooms, and baths.

he silver door hardware, plaster work and trim details, reflect a touch of an art-deco inspiration.

A separate simple staircase in the back services all floors, including the kitchen, garage, and basement.

It is here, in the basement, one can find the origin of the unique white bricks used to build this home. The Duntile logo can be seen on several of the exposed basement bricks.

These special bricks were locally produced from 1928 to 1936 at the site of the old Oak Industries building on the southeast corner of Main Street and Crystal Lake Avenue. [See also 800 Broadway for the same bricks.]

The Lorimer home was a perfect fit for William, Josephine and their six children. Unfortunately their luxurious White-House lifestyle was short-lived.

The Depression took its toll on their business and by 1930 they were forced to leave Josephine’s Natchez mansion.

William Lorimer died in 1934 at age 74, under a cloud of suspicion.

Following his appointment as a U.S. Senator – from June 18, 1909, until July 13, 1912 – the Senate adopted a resolution declaring “that corrupt methods and practices were employed in his election, and that the election, therefore, was invalid.”

Lorimer, nicknamed the “blond boss” in Chicago, was the last senator to be deprived of office for corrupting a state legislature.

In May 1913 the 17th Amendment providing for direct election of U.S. senators became part of the U.S. Constitution.

Lorimer served as president of the La Salle Street Trust & Savings Bank after leaving political office.

Through the years several families came and went and sadly the home was divided into a rather neglected duplex. Today, thanks to the talent and dedicated restoration efforts of Rudy and Lynn, the Lorimer Home can once again proudly hold the “White House” title.

Winston Churchill said “First we shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.” This is very true, but unfortunately few of us in McHenry County know the historical background of the buildings that surround and shape us, such as the Lorimer residence. Your McHenry County Historical Society is working to change that.

To the right the foyer opens up to a formal dining room with adjoining kitchen, sitting room and simple back staircase.

Your McHenry County Historical Society is working to change that. We invite people with architectural and/or historically significant buildings, homes, businesses, farms, to apply for a plaque. Please contact the McHenry County Historical Society at 815-023-2267, Info@MCHSonline.org or go to www.MCHSonline.org.

= = = = =

Our much more modest stucco home down the street (the one with the tree house) must have been built about the same time.  We have bathroom tile that is similar to that of the Lorimer house, as do several homes in the neighborhood.

For a different take on William Lorimer, you might be interested in reading

“How About a Historical Marker for a Republican Crook with a Crystal Lake Connection?“

A press release from State Rep. Darlene Senger:

Senger, McSweeney Resolution Condemns IRS, Demands Investigation

SPRINGFIELD – In the wake of the recent scandal regarding politically-motivated targeting by the Internal Revenue Service of conservative groups, State Representatives Darlene Senger (R-Naperville) and David McSweeney (R-Barrington Hills) today introduced a resolution condemning the IRS actions and demanding an investigation into the individuals involved in targeting Americans for their political views.

Recent reports indicate that starting in 2010, personnel of federal IRS, including high-ranking and supervisory personnel, singled out American individuals and groups based on their apparent political leanings.

These groups have been denied or delayed recognition of their nonprofit standing based upon how these groups use certain identification words favored by political conservatives, including “Tea Party”, “patriot”, and “9/12”.

“This is an outrageous violation of the trust that the American people have put in the federal government,” says McSweeney.

“Any politically-motivated targeting of Americans by the IRS is intolerable and I expect a full investigation.”

“I think if there is something that we can all agree on here, it is that we want to find out the truth about what really happened at the IRS,” says Senger.

House Resolution 359 specifically commends the work of the United States Congress in investigating the threat to fundamental liberties and urges the White House, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, and the IRS to comply with all requests related to Congressional inquiries without any delay.