Crystal Lake Businessman Asks Metra to Probe Ridgefield Station

Jim Roden, owner of the Framery in Ridgefield has sent the following letter to Metra Chairwoman  Carole Dovis. A copy was sent to the railroad commuter agency’s Inspector General Hillard Heintze. Metra Board Chairman, Carole R. Doris 547 W. Jackson … Continue reading

Metra’s Executive Director Phil Pagano of Crystal Lake Under Investigation for Possible Unauthorized $56,000 Payment

That’s what Crain’s Chicago Business is reporting online. Phil Pagano lives in Covered Bridge Trails, which is located north of Hillside Road in rural Crystal Lake. At a salary of $269,625, I can’t imagine any public official/servant living in McHenry … Continue reading

Metra Ridgefield Station Chugs Along, But Planning and Zoning Commissioners Want Traffic Improvements, Too

The Crystal Lake Planning and Zoning Commission gave preliminary approval to Metra’s proposed Ridgefield Train Station, but conditioned it on making multi-million dollar road improvements recommended by city engineering firm Patrick Engineering. The improvements, most overdue, according to Patrick engineers … Continue reading

Making Public Real Estate Commission when Tax Districts Are Involved

Yesterday, I commented on the Northwest Herald’s recommendation that the McHenry County Board move forward on enacting some form of the Alliance for Land, Agriculture and Water’s proposed conflict of interest ordinance. I disagreed with the NW Herald editorial writers’ … Continue reading

Those Who Didn’t Volunteer to Fill Out ALAW’s Conflict of Interest Form

It’s the day before the election and time to do some reviewing of issues that McHenry County Blog has covered on the county level. Most attention was given to the Alliance for Land, Agriculture and Water’s conflict of interest questionnaire.  … Continue reading

County Board Candidate Craig Steagall Focuses on Tighter Ethics Rules

The man who has taken on Ken Koehler‘s sale of the old Flowerwood nursery property on County Club Road to Metra for a commuter rail passenger station–and I mean really taken him on–is calling for other county board members and … Continue reading

Crystal Lake Council Tells Metra OK for Ridgefield Station…IF

And the “IF” was in capital letters. Metra Executive Director Phil Pagano returned to his home town city council for a second time seeking permission to proceed with plans seeking approval for a new commuter train station in Ridgefield next … Continue reading

Scott Summers, Former MCC Board President, Reflects on a Metra Commuter Station Near the College

Former McHenry County College Trustee Scott Summers has written about the Ridgefield train station that Metra has proposed. His essay follows: A Metra station at Ridgefield: Making a Good Thing Better by Scott Summers Much has been said of Metra’s … Continue reading

Metra Makes No Contact with McHenry County College Between Site Selection and Site Approval Vote

When I discovered that the Metra board had approved the purchase of a $1.5 million 17 acre piece of land on the wrong side of the tracks and/or the little early settlement of Ridgefield, I filed a Freedom of Information … Continue reading