From John Pletz comes the statement below on the Crystal Lake Park District’s purchasing of Northwestern Medicine’s fitness center.
It does not seem to exactly fit the Northwest Herald’s headline on the subject.
“I commend the Crystal Lake Park District for engaging the Hitchcock Group to put a Comprehensive Plan together.
“They reached out to the community, major stakeholders and park staff.
“To see where our community, stakeholders and staff want us to go.
“I think the tax payers are very clear on the fact that they want a great park district.
“They also don’t want to raise taxes.
“As far as the, now shuttered, Health Bridge facility issue goes, let me share a few thoughts.
“Perhaps they were negatively affected by COVID, as were many businesses.
“They closed down.
“Why?
“Perhaps they were not able to pay their expenses.
“If so, it was a good business decision for them to close down.
“Now, should we, the tax payers, try to take on something that a much larger entity was unable to keep open?
“By the way, I was a dues paying member of Heath Bridge for over 13 years and it was my home away from home.
“Where I kept healthy and made friends.
“The study has indicated that we are not only an aging population, but also a, slightly diminishing population.
“We will need to provide parks and programs aimed at the population of the future.
“I would support the current board in pursuing what has been gleaned from the study.
“It appears that we want an indoor aquatics facility, an indoor track and we don’t want our taxes raised.
“The study says there are 2 major, geographical, areas underserved. The far north area of our district and west area.
“The park district was responsive to earlier focus groups and we now have the very popular
pickleball.
“If you allow me to serve with the other Crystal Lake Park Board Commissioners, I will work with them and the staff, to address the desires and wants of the Crystal Lake Park District’s taxpayers.
“In an abundance of counselors, there is much wisdom.
“Our current Board of Commissioners and Executive Director, Jason Herbster, are wise in seeking council from us park district users, stakeholders and staff.
“I thank Debbie Gallagher for her many years of service on the board.
“If voters choose to elect me, I’m asking Debbie to be one of my councilors.”
The NW Herald isn’t news but propaganda for local politicians and benefactors.
Ah, it’s another remake of 1959’s A Hole In The Head.
This time, Pletz awkwardly sings Sinatra’s High Hopes to a little Debbie.
He raises good questions but sadly reading the end of his statement, it seems he will be another suck up to Herbster and the Board.
From experience, I can say there are many issues that Herbster and the Board are NOT wise about.
My husband and I attended a Crystal Lake Park District Committee of the Whole meeting a few months back.
There was discussion about finances and budgets and the Park District President said they should be selling off properties – like buildings that aren’t fully utilized – and their administration building.
That way things could be consolidated; they would save money and be able to build themselves a NEW ADMINISTRATION BUILDING.
We couldn’t believe our ears.
I can see the ideas spinning in their heads now about how they could buy the NW Medicine facility, rehab it and use part of it for their new Administration Building at the same time.
They need to concentrate on maintaining what they have before adding anything else.
There are some parks in Crystal Lake that have needed updating for years, but they say they have no $ to do it.
Hey Park District President, pretty sure you can’t build a new admin building for $6200.
The NW Herald is pure garbage along with the idea of the Park District buying HealthBridge.
But…Most of the Illegals that come here already know how to swim.
Pletz is starting to make sense!
NWH delivers 150 papers to the county jail and includes those numbers in its circulation.
Even most prisoners throw it in the trash, where it belongs!