Saturday, August 25, 2012

They're Here For Their Annual Visit


Mosquitoes!

Samples of these pests recently taken from traps in Crystal Lake have tested positive for West Nile Virus.

In response to this unhappy news, the City of Crystal Lake is implementing additional mosquito control efforts. A city-wide adulticide application will take place overnight between Thursday, August 30 and Friday, August 31. If weather conditions do not allow the application to occur as scheduled, the application will take place on the next available evening.

The application is in addition to the City’s existing mosquito control program and will better control the mosquito population, decreasing the potential for spreading West Nile Virus to humans.

West Nile Virus emerged in the United States in the New York metropolitan area in the fall of 1999. Since then, the virus, which can be transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito, has quickly spread across the country.

The Illinois Department of Public Health recommends the following steps people can take to help reduce the risk of contracting any mosquito-borne disease.
  • Apply insect repellent that includes DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus according to label instructions. Consult a physician before using repellents on infants.
  • Avoid being outdoors when mosquitoes are most active, especially between dusk and dawn.
  • When outdoor, wear shoes and socks, long pants and long-sleeved shirt.
  • Make sure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens. Repair or replace screens that have tears or other openings. Try to keep door and windows shut, especially at night.
  • Eliminate all sources of standing water that can support mosquito breeding, including water in bird baths, ponds, flowerpots, wading pools, old tires and any other receptacles.
Questions regarding the application of any other part of Crystal Lake Lake’s Mosquito Abatement Program can be directed to Clarke Environmental Mosquito Management Hotline at 1-900-942-2555.

Additional information regarding the West Nile Virus, adulticiding and repellents is available at the Centers for Disease Control and prevention web site at www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/ or the Illinois Department of Public Health at
http://www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/wnv.htm

Words Of Wisdom

The prosperity of commerce is now perceived and acknowledged by all enlightened statesmen to be the most useful as well as the most productive source of national wealth.
 
" --Alexander Hamilton

Friday, August 24, 2012

Open House And Family Fun Program Saturday 8-25


The Crystal Lake Park District is now offering Child Care!

Just in time for parents planning back to school care! Our newest program, Grand Oaks Child Care is now open and taking registration for immediate enrollment.

Stop by the Grand Oaks Child Care Center Open House and Family Fun Day on Saturday, August 25, 10 am-Noon. Our program directors and staff will have fun activities and projects for your child to try while you tour the center and meet our staff. Grand Oaks Child Care is located at 1401 W. Route 176, Crystal Lake.

The Grand Oaks Child Care program is licensed by the Department of Children & Family Services and provides children ages 3-5 years old, a quality child care and education program. The daily schedule includes literacy, music, art and dramatic play. Breakfast, lunch and snack are served daily. Registration is now open and open enrollment will continue throughout the year as space permits. 3 and 5 day schedules with full and half day options are available.

For further information contact Sam Thompson at (815) 459-0680, ext. 220 or via email at sthompson@crystallakeparks.org

Mother Nature Not Playing Nice For Agriculture Industry

Portions of Illinois and other states are experiencing a significant drought. This drought is adversely affecting hay production and pasture conditions for the agriculture industry across the region.

To assist the agriculture industry, loads of hay, transported by truck or truck tractors as defined by 625 ILCS 5/1-211 and 625 ILCS 5/1-212, not exceeding 12 feet in width are hereby authorized to be transported on Illinois Interstates with the following restrictions:

1) A copy of this authorization must be in the possession of the operator during the progress of the movement and shall be available for inspection upon request to any police officer or any authorized employee of the Department of Transportation.

2) Undertaking the movement is evidence that both the owner and operator of the equipment agree to abide by the conditions included in this AUTHORIZATION.

3) The vehicle owner and operator shall assume all responsibility for injury to persons or damage to public or private property, including their own, caused directly or indirectly by the movement authorized herein. The owner and operator agree to hold the state of Illinois and its employees harmless from all suits, claims, damages, or proceedings of any kind and to indemnify the state of Illinois and its employees for any claim they may be required to pay arising from this movement.

4) Owners and/ operators of vehicles with loads exceeding 10 feet in width must have in effect liability insurance, or be self insured, in the amount of $500,000 per occurrence combined bodily injury and property damage

5) All loads more than 8 feet 6 inches in width must display an operable oscillating, rotating, or flashing amber light(s). If the load blocks visibility of the amber light from the rear, a light must be displayed at the rear of the vehicle.

6) “OVERSIZE LOAD” signs are mandatory on the front and rear of all vehicles with loads over 10 feet in width. These Signs must have 12-inch high black letters with a 2-inch stroke on a yellow sign that is 7 feet wide by 18-inches high.

7) Flags shall be displayed so as to wave freely at the extremities of loads exceeding 8 feet 6 inches in width. All flags must be clean, and bright red with no advertising, wording, emblem or insignia inscribed upon them and at least 18 inches square.

8) Loads are restricted to widths less than those posted at construction zones or displayed on the Truck Permit Route Map at www.gettingaroundillinois.com

9) The maximum speed for loads exceeding 10 feet in width shall be 5 miles per hour below the posted speed.

10) Movements are authorized from a half hour before sunrise to a half hour after sunset.

11) Movements shall not be made during periods of inclement weather, i.e., when the pavement is covered with snow or ice or when visibility is unduly impaired by rain, snow, fog, smog, or at any time travel conditions are considered unsafe by the Department or State Police.

Per 625 ILCS 5/15-102 of the Illinois Vehicle Code, loads of hay not exceeding 12 feet in width are authorized to be transported on all other Illinois roads.

This AUTHORIZATION is effective immediately and expires upon December 31, 2012.Violation of any of the conditions of this AUTHORIZATION will subject the owner and operator to arrest, pursuant to the provisions of Section 625 ILCS 5/15-301(j) and any other applicable portions of the Illinois Vehicle Code.

For the Department,
Justan Mann
Acting Engineer of Operations

Words Of Wisdom


"A man may, if he know not how to save, keep his nose to the grindstone, and die not wirth a groat at last." –

-Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanack, 1742

Thursday, August 23, 2012

All Part of Politics

Remember all of those hard fought victories? Thousands of people who gave up their time and money to attend precinct caucuses?  And then faced coordinated attacks at District and County Conventions, where threatened establishment Party hacks had hired thugs ready to arrest them? Sometimes the very new Country Chairman, duly elected to replace them?
Remember all of that?

And we won some of those battles and people were saying, don’t be a defeatist Doug, we can still win enough states to get him nominated in Tampa and thus galvanize the nation behind his message.

And they were right if it had been fair and it had happened naturally but there was always this, that the cheating that was experienced on a local level, often happens at the national level too and so we have come to that moment, the one that I have been warning you about.

Here is the message coming out of Headquarters:
The Committee on Contests recently issued a ruling on the establishment’s challenge to Ron Paul’s delegates and alternates who were duly elected in Maine, and on our challenges to the outright cheating that occurred in Louisiana, Massachusetts, and Oregon (alternates only).

Despite Ron Paul’s supporters being so clearly in the right in these four states, the establishment is so far refusing to rule fairly and seat our duly elected delegates and/or alternates.

Here’s a brief summary of the bogus challenge made by the GOP establishment against us in Maine, as well as our challenges to the cheating that occurred elsewhere:

In Maine, where Ron Paul supporters held a clear majority at the State Convention, the establishment is attempting to unseat the state’s duly elected delegates and alternates – acting like sore losers in the process.

The challenge to our delegates in Maine is so bogus that Republican Governor Paul LePage – who is one of the few delegates not being challenged by the establishment – has declared he will not attend the Republican National Convention unless Ron Paul’s delegates and alternates who were duly elected are seated;

In Louisiana, establishment “big wigs” used threats, intimidation, and force – literally smashing the bones of one gentleman – to shut out Ron Paul supporters who had a clear majority at the State Convention;

In Oregon, the State Chairman blatantly ignored the votes of the Convention, taking it upon himself to replace the duly elected alternate delegates with an “appointed” slate chocked-full of establishment cronies;

In Mitt Romney’s home state of Massachusetts, corrupt Party officials changed the rules after the game was over – kicking out Ron Paul’s duly elected delegates and alternates and replacing them with their hand-picked cronies.

As you can see, the Old Guard establishment doesn’t care about cheating, lying, abuse of process, and high-handedness in our Party.

All they seem to care about is maintaining their iron grip over the Republican Party.
But Ron Paul’s number-one goal for the RNC is making sure his delegates and alternates who deserve to be seated in Tampa are credentialed.

So if the establishment wants a fight in Tampa, rest assured we’re going to give them one.
Currently, our campaign lawyers and staff are furiously working to analyze and craft the appropriate response to the Committee’s rulings, and we’ll be sure to keep you informed as we move forward in the process.  And believe me, we will not sit idly by and watch the establishment run roughshod over Ron Paul’s supporters who were illegally railroaded by the GOP.

We will stand up and fight for all of Ron Paul’s delegates and/or alternates in these four states – and we will not back down. Of course, one would think the Romney campaign would want these conflicts resolved so they didn’t become major issues at the Convention.

But so far they’ve sat idly by on the sidelines. Hopefully they’ll change their do-nothing approach once they realize we’re serious about going all-out to win these credentials battles

And remember, nearly 90 major media outlets have already reserved a spot at our “We are the Future Rally.” So if the GOP goes through with these bogus challenges, they won’t be able to hide behind their iron curtain.  They will be exposed by the press. The good news is, the Committee on Contests’ ruling is not the final word in this fi ht
.
The battle will be decided by the Credentials Committee in Tampa – where we are very organized and prepared to take action. As the battle rages on over the next two weeks, I’ll be sure to keep you updated on our progress and any new developments that occur along the way.
This was sent to me. Thought it was rather amusing.


Government At Work

FRIDAY, AUGUST 24—
8:15 a.m. – McHenry County Board Public Health and Human Services Committee –
Meeting in the County Board Conference Room, County Administration Building, 667 Ware Road, Woodstock.

The Committee is to consider a resolution authorizing entering into a contract with MDI-Management Data, Inc. for upgrading the Clinical/Accounting software used at Valley Hi Nursing Home.

It’s budget review time and this committee is to review FY 12-13 budgets for Valley Hi, Health Department, Mental Health, Workforce Network, and workforce Investment Board.

9:00 a.m. -- McHenry County Hearing Officer --
Meeting in the County Board Conference Room, County Administration Building, 667 Ware Road, Woodstock. 

A hearing is scheduled for the Swanson property in McHenry Township regarding a variation to allow a detached garage to be located in a side yard abutting a street, and to allow a side yard setback of fourteen feet instead of the required 20-foot setback along Fairview Lane. 

The Wild Side of McHenry County

United States Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar visited McHenry County to announce the authorization for the establishment of the Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge through the National Wildlife Refuge System at Glacial Park in Ringwood, IL.

The Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge eventually will provide up to 11,200 acres of habitat for wildlife as well as outdoor recreational opportunities within easy driving distance for the residents of southeastern Wisconsin and northeastern Illinois.

The Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge will allow for restoration of wetlands, prairie and oak savanna habitat and provide a home for 109 species of animals and plants that are of concern. The list includes 49 birds, five fishes, five mussels, one amphibian, two reptiles and 47 plants. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will also provide ample environmental education and recreational opportunities for visitors, including the 3.5 million people within 30 miles of the refuge.

To learn more about the Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge, please visit: www.fws.gov/midwest/planning/Hackmatack

Words Of Wisdom

"Society in every state is a blessing, but government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one; for when we suffer or are exposed to the same miseries by a government, which we might expect in a country without government, our calamity is heightened by reflecting that we furnish the means by which we suffer."

--Thomas Paine, Common Sense, 1776

Government At Work


THURSDAY, AUGUST 23—
9:00 a.m. – McHenry County Local Emergency Planning Committee –
Meeting in the Conference Room, McHenry County Administration Building, 667 Ware Road, Woodstock.

The Committee is expected to consider routine business regarding emergency planning for the County.

9:00 a.m. – McHenry County Technical Advisory Committee –
Meeting in the Conference Room, McHenry County Administration Building, 667 Ware Road, Woodstock.

The Committee, which handles matters regarding water matters in the County, will be considering countywide stormwater permits based on Illinois Department of Natural Resources requirements.

10:00 a.m. – McHenry County Coordinating Council –
This committee involves all those working together in preparation for any type of emergency, whether man-made or from Mother Nature.

10:30 a.m. – McHenry County Board Legislative Committee –
Meeting in County Board Conference Rooms, County Administration Building, 667 Ware Road, Woodstock.

Following State and Federal Legislative Updates, the Committee will consider a resolution for establishment of County Board Rules for Determination of Terms of Office, hear an update from the Task Force on Local Government Consolidation, and hold a discussion regarding County Executive Form of Government.

6:30 p.m. – McHenry County College Board of Trustees –
Special Board meeting for a tour of the Building B Renovations.

7:00 p.m. – McHenry County College Board of Trustees –
Meeting in the College Board Room of the College, 8900 U.S. Highway 14, Crystal Lake.

The regular Board meeting of the College Trustees will take place following the tour of the renovations.

In addition to the necessary matters needing the action of the Trustees, they will receive an update report on Human Resources as well as a presentation regarding Online Learning.

Other matters to be considered by the Trustees concern personnel matters.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Government At Work

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22—
1:30 p.m. – McHenry County Zoning Board of Appeals –
Meeting in the County Board Conference Room, County administration Building, 667 Ware Road, Woodstock.

The petition to be considered is:
McGuire Constant Trust – Grafton Township. A reclassification from A-1 Agriculture District to the A-2 Agriculture District is being requested. Also a conditional Use Permit is being requested o allow a second dwelling and a variation to allow an existing accessory structure in the front yard.

The property is located on the West side of Haligus Road, Grafton Township, with a commonly known address as 8219 Haligus Road, Huntley.

7:00 p.m. – Valley Hi Nursing Home Operating Board –
Meeting in the Nursing Home located at 2506 Hartland Road, Woodstock.

A resolution is being presented increasing the Daily Room Rates for the nursing home to be effective December 1, 2012.

Another resolution for consideration is authorizing a reclassification of a full time Food Service Assistant into two part time food service assistant positions.

Old Business to be considered is a resolution authorizing entering into a contract with MDI-Management-Data, Inc. for the purpose of upgrading the clinical/Accounting Software used at the nursing home.

Other old business to be considered includes the customer service program,  WIPFLI presentation coordination and unionization update.

Participate In McHenry County Long Range Transportation Planning

The McHenry County Division of Transportation (MCDOT) is working on the 2040 Long Range Transportation Plan to identify the County’s future transportation needs and figure out how to best address them.

As part of this project, MCDOT has been obtaining input through a number of different methods, including pop-up meetings, high school learning programs, focus groups, charettes, library display boards, and an interactive map on the website. 

This comprehensive outreach effort has led to an unprecedented amount of participation among the public for a planning effort in McHenry County. 

MCDOT will be holding an open house on Thursday, August 23, 2012, between 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM at Crystal Lake City Hall. 

Why? The purpose of this open house is to allow attendees to review all of the public comment that has been heard to this point, review the goals and objectives of the plan, and provide your input on the direction of the Plan.  County staff and consultants will be in attendance to listen to your ideas and get your input.  To learn more about the Plan, review documents, and see what others in the County have to say about transportation on the “Map” visit http://www.2040mchenrycountyplan.org.

Additional public meetings will be held in the fall to present the draft plan.   

Monday, August 20, 2012

Dunham Road Bridge Open

The Dunham Road Bridge was opened to traffic late in the day on Friday, August 17, 2012.  The marked detour has been removed.

The McHenry County Division of Transportation (MCDOT) would like to thank the motoring public for their patience and understanding during the construction of this important improvement to the local highway system.

The project was completed within budget at a cost of about $1.05 million, and was opened to traffic at the earliest possible date. A thank you goes out to all MCDOT and Township personnel for their efforts on this project, and to the Bridge Contractor for a job well done!               

CONTRACTOR:                             Alliance Contracting Company
1166 Lake Avenue
Woodstock, Illinois 60098
815-338-5900

PROJECT MANAGER:                 Rodney Hisel

CONSTRUCTION ENGINEER:   Pablo Faillaci
Phone: (815) 334-4982

SORRY

Sorry for the lack of news, but the Town Crier computer had to take a brief rest in a computer
"hospital", KS Computers.

We'll try to get back into routine soon.