Set Your Clocks Tonight -- Check Your Stocks

McHenry County Department of Health (MCDH) reminds residents when you move your clocks back 1 hour for daylight saving time this Sunday November 7, remember to also check your preparedness kit to make sure your emergency stockpile isn’t missing any items or food hasn’t expired.   The American Public Health Association’s “Set Your Clocks, Check Your Stocks” campaign is reminding people to refresh their emergency supplies before a disaster occurs. If you haven’t created a stockpile yet, now is the time to create one – and don’t forget to check the batteries in your smoke alarms.

Emergencies such as floods, fires and hazardous weather can occur at any time of the year.  Following a disaster, local officials and relief workers cannot reach everyone immediately – it may take hours or even days – so your stockpile should have at least 3 days of food, water and supplies.  Basic services such as water and electricity may also be interrupted.  A checklist to get you started is available at.   Other items to set aside include important family documents, cash/traveler’s checks, prescriptions and pet supplies.   

Manufacturing In Northern Illinois Gets A Boost

The top Republican in the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, Congressman Don Manzullo (R-IL-16), sends thanks to Frank Mochuzuki, President of Nippon Shayo U.S.A. for investing in Rochelle.

The company recently announced its plans to locate its new $35-40 million passenger railcar plant in Rochelle and bring up to 300 new jobs to northern Illinois

Congressman Manzullo says, "Companies like Nippon Shayo are exactly what he envisioned when he worked with State Sen. Brad Burzynski (R-Rochelle) and city officials to help convince Union Pacific in 2002 to open a new $180 million intermodal Hub in Rochelle. That unique rail infrastructure is a major attraction for new industries and a perfect fit for Nippon Sharyo, says Manzullo.

Manzullo, top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and the Global Environment, arranged for Mr. Mochizuki to spend an evening with Japanese Ambassador to the U.S. Ichiro Fujisaki when the Ambassador visited Rockford this past April. Manzullo also arranged for Mr. Mochizuki to meet with U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood during a visit to Rockford last November.

“I am excited about what Nippon Sharyo means for our regional manufacturing community. Not only will hundreds of direct manufacturing jobs be created, but many local companies will be suppliers to this new manufacturing operation, and that will spawn even more good paying jobs,” Manzullo said. “I consider Frank Mochizuki a friend, and I want to thank Frank for his faith in our area workforce, and his commitment to this region. Today’s announcement is the result of a lot of people working together at the local, state and federal level for more than a year. And the people of northern Illinois are the big winners.”

Manzullo said companies like Nippon Sharyo are exactly what he envisioned when he worked with State Sen. Brad Burzynski (R-Rochelle) and city officials to help convince Union Pacific in 2002 to open a new $180 million Intermodal Hub in Rochelle. The unique rail infrastructure in Rochelle is a major attraction for new industries and a perfect fit for Nippon Sharyo, Manzullo said.

“There is absolutely no better place than Rochelle for a company like Nippon Sharyo to locate in the United States,” Manzullo added.

Social Security Fast-Track Disability Processes Get Even Faster

New Rules Will Further Speed Benefits to Tens of Thousands of Americans with Disabilities

Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, announced that the agency has published final rules that will further reduce the time it takes to decide applications for disability benefits from those persons with the most severe disabilities—a process that currently takes less than two weeks on average. 

The new rules allow disability examiners to make fully favorable determinations for adult cases under the agency’s Quick Disability Determination (QDD) and Compassionate Allowance (CAL) processes without medical or psychological consultant approval.  It also will help the agency process cases more efficiently as it will give medical and psychological consultants more time to work on complex cases where their expertise is most needed.

“The new rules we are publishing today will help us get disability benefits to the most severely disabled Americans even faster,” Commissioner Astrue said.  “This year, more than 100,000 people benefited from our fast-track disability processes and received decisions in a matter of days rather than the months and years it can sometimes take.  I am pleased that our fast-track processes will now be even faster and help speed much needed benefits to our most vulnerable citizens.”

Under Social Security’s QDD process, a predictive computer model analyzes specific data within the electronic disability file to identify cases where there is a high likelihood that the claimant is disabled and we can quickly obtain medical evidence.  The CAL process currently identifies 88 specific diseases and conditions that clearly qualify for Social Security and Supplemental Security Income disability benefits and can be fast-tracked.

The final rules, 20 CFR Parts 404 and 416 will be effective on November 12, 2010.

Additional information about Social Security’s Compassionate Allowances process is available  at

Thirty-nine Year Old Faces A Possible Two To Five Year Prison Term For Kicking Another In The Face

Thirty-nine year old Boguslaw Czapla, previously of Elmwood Park, was found guilty yesterday of felony offenses of aggravated battery and mob action. According to a report from McHenry County State's Attorney, Louis A. Bianchi, the guilty charge was handed down by a McHenry County jury following a four-day trial. The jury deliberated for approximately two hours before finding the defendant guilty of both charges.

Trial testimony revealed that the defendant and the victim were attending a birthday party for a two-year old child on July 19, 2008. An argument ensued and towards the end of the party, the defendant kicked the thirty-two year old victim in the face causing the loss of his right eye.

Czapla faces either probation or two to five years in prison for the more serious charge of aggravated battery. The case is scheduled for sentencing hearing on December 15, 2010. The case was investigated by Detective Kevin Keane and other members of the Huntley Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant State's Attorney Ryan Blackney and Criminal Division Chief Philip Hiscock.

Walk-in Flu Shot Clinic At Woodstock Library

McHenry County Department of Health will provide a walk-in flu clinic for adults and children aged 9 and over at Woodstock Public Library, 414 West Judd Street, on Monday, November 22 from 3pm-6pm.  No appointments are needed.  The cost is $30.  Medicaid and Medicare Part B accepted. 

With families gathering for the holidays, now is the best time to create a “circle of protection” around yourself and your family by getting a flu shot.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the vaccine for anyone over 6 months of age.  Even healthy adults 19 through 24 years of age should get vaccinated so flu isn’t spread to those at high risk for complications such as grandparents, younger siblings or those with health conditions like asthma or diabetes. 

Flu is a serious and contagious illness.  Get your flu shot now so you don’t get sick and miss out on holiday festivities.  To reduce the spread of influenza, it is important to cover your cough, wash your hands and stay home if you’re sick.   

For more information, visit http://www.mcdh.info/ or call 815-334-4510.

Crystal Lake Public Library Committee Meetings

The Public Relations Committee Meeting of Crystal Lake Public Library ---

Is scheduled for 7:00 p.m on Monday, November 8 in the Library Director's Office of the Crystal Lake Public Library.

The Finance Committee Meeting of the Crystal Lake Public Library --

is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 9, in the Library Director's Office of the Crystal Lake Library.

Independent Audit Recognizes MCC For A Stellar Financial Report

During a recent presentation to McHenry County College’s Finance Committee, Aurora-based Sikich LLP noted that the financial condition of McHenry County College is excellent. Sikich LLP, the College’s external audit firm, highly praised MCC’s fiscal year 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR), the audit and the management letter, indicating that MCC is one of only a dozen Illinois community colleges that prepares such a detailed report. “We are very pleased to be part of a small group of community colleges in the nation that develops and publicly displays a comprehensive annual report,” stated MCC president, Vicky Smith.

           

According to Frederick G. Lantz, CPA, Sikich’s partner-in-charge, government services, “while MCC had close to a 30% increase in total credit hours for the year, the total costs only increased by 3%, which reflects a great job by the administration and staff of containing the College’s cost structure.” Another noteworthy factor, according to Sikich LLP partner, Ray Krouse, is the amount of federal financial assistance processed by MCC’s Financial Aid Office. “Financial aid processed applications exceeding 350% over prior year,” Krouse stated. “They passed the federal single audit with flying colors and should be exceptionally proud of the federal assistance they helped facilitate,” he added.

The auditing firm also congratulated the College and its new financial team for redesigning the report to include year-to-year comparative data, which provides more detailed and useful information for the president, Board of Trustees and the community.

The reports and management letter were accepted by MCC’s Board of Trustees during its monthly meeting on Thursday, October 28, 2010. The fiscal year 2010

Comprehensive Annual Financial Report will be submitted to the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) as required and is posted on the College’s public website at www.mchenry.edu/finance.

Special Veterans Day Recognition Ceremony November 11 At MCC

McHenry County College will host a Veterans Day Recognition program beginning with patriotic music by the MCC Concert Band and Chorus at 9 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 11 in the Multipurpose Room in Building A at the College, 8900 U.S. Hwy. 14 in Crystal Lake.

Keynote speaker will be Suzanne Casteel, Air Force Reserves master sergeant, who recently returned from Afghanistan where she served in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. She served in the Air Force from 1990 to 2000, where her duties included customs chief and criminal investigator in Saudi Arabia. She was honored for her service overseas in criminal investigations.

Since 2000, Casteel has been in the U.S. Air Force Reserves, assigned to the 375th Security Forces Squadron at Scott Air Force Base, located in St. Clair County, near Belleville. She was activated and deployed to Kandahar Airfield, where she served as superintendent of criminal investigations for Kandahar and military bases and camps in southern Afghanistan.

She is employed as area manager in Asset Protection for AT&T. She earned an associate’s and bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and law enforcement, respectively. She earned an MBA with a concentration in organizational psychology and development. She describes her most important job as a civilian is mother of her 10-year-old son.

Special guest speaker will include Paul Wheeler, chairman of MCC’s Military and Student Veterans Association. Wheeler is a former U.S Navy Petty Officer, 2nd class and his military career included deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. He also participated in Tsunami Relief for Malaysia.

In addition to patriotic music and the speakers, the Veterans Day Ceremony will include a posting of the colors by the Combined Service Color Guard and bagpipe music.

The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be provided following the program. For more information, contact MCC Veterans Day Committee at (815) 479-7635.

An Opportunity To Have Your Pet Photographed With Santa

McHenry County Animal Control & Adoption Center will host a “Santa’s Photo” event on Sunday November 7 from noon-3pm at its Crystal Lake location (100 N Virginia Street). Appointments are required at 815-459-6222.  The cost is $10 for a 4x6 color photo of Santa and your pet in a Christmas card setting. 

Pet adoptions are also available during these hours.  Adoption fees are $80 and include all vaccinations, spay/neuter, FELV & FIV testing, microchip, de-worming, free 1st Veterinarian visit and discounted grooming.  Animals available for adoption can be viewed online at http://www.mcdh.info/ (click on Animal Control).  For more information, call Animal Control at 815-459-6222.

Cherry Blossom Festival Time Is Coming And MCC Trips and Tours Is Traveling There

McHenry County College’s Trips and Tours office is offering a spring trip to the Washington, D.C. Cherry Blossom Festival from April 7-11, 2010 featuring the Cherry Blossom parade from reserved seats.

Experience one of the most popular times of the year when visitors come from all over the world to view the cherry trees at their peak of bloom. The famous cherry trees were a gift from Japan in 1912 and now symbolize the natural beauty of our nation’s capital.  Enjoy staying in one hotel, and each day the tour director will escort you to the famous sites of the area. Some walking is involved. 

Home pick-up and return, round trip airfare from Chicago, nine meals and tours around the D.C. area are included. Cost is: $2,154 for double; $2,479 for single; and $2,134 for triple.  All prices are per person and are guaranteed through Dec. 28.  Cost includes an optional cancellation/interruption insurance premium of $193.

For more information or to register, please contact Claudia Terrones at (815) 455-8782. 

Governments At Work

Wednesday 7:30 p.m.---

Crystal Lake Planning and Zoning Commission meets in the Crystal Lake Municipal Building, 100 West Woodstock Street, Crystal Lake.

Colonial Cafe, presently located at 6000 Northwest Highway, Crystal Lake, apparently is planning to move across the highway to 5689 and 5545 Northwest Highway. Their plans for using the former Baker's Square property in the Crystal Court Shopping Center are before the Crystal Lake Planning and Zoning Commission this evening, beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the Crystal Lake Municipal Building, 100 W. Woodstock Street.

The Crystal Court Shopping Center became a part of the City of Crystal Lake in 1988 and was developed during the early 1990's

The property Colonial Cafe is planning to utilize is a 5.93 acre- portion and includes the former Baker's Square Restaurant, Harris Bank and the multi-tenant building which houses Jimmy Johns and Regency Beauty.

Colonial Cafe has plans to subdivide Lot 1 into three separate lots individually accommodating each of the businesses and relocate Colonial Cafe in the former Baker's Square property. They also desire to add to the existing restaurant building, revise the facade and reconfigure the parking area.

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Thursday 8:30 a.m. ---

Planning and Development Committee of the McHenry County Board meets in the conference rooms of the County Administration Building, 667 Ware Road, Woodstock.

The Committee will be considering a contract with a consultant for the development of a Unified Development Ordinance for the County.

Otherwise, the Committee is to consider the reappointment of Richard C. Kelly as a member and Chairman of the McHenry County Zoning Board of Appeals.

Thursday 9:00 a.m.---

McHenry County Board

(Meeting was rescheduled to Thursday from the regular first Tuesday of the month due to the General Election held Tuesday.)

Transportation Budget Hearings

Several budget presentations are scheduled for the County Board and any public interested to hear. These include the METRA Fiscal year 2011 Budget, the PACE Fiscal Year budget and the RTA fiscal year 2011 budget.

Writing The Unified Development Ordinance

The County Board will make the final decision on hiring a consultant to write the Unified Development Ordinance.

Rescind Resolution Regarding Equity One Development Corporation

The Board is expected to rescind a prior resolution approved for Equity One Development Corporation since the Corporation is reported to be unable to utilize the Allocated Volume Cap due to timing issues related to the issuance of the Bonds. The bond would revert back to the County for future allocation.

Transfer of Recovery Zone Allocation for Sportsplex LLC

Regarding another previously approved project under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Tax Act of 2009, the County is proposing to transfer the allocation of $18 million of the Recovery Zone Allocation for the Sportsplex LLC, planned for location in Lakewood near the intersection of Route 47 and Pleasant Valley Road, to the Upper Illinois River Valley Development Authority allowing the UIRVDA to issue the bonds for the proposed project.

Bonds for Wonder Lake Dredging Project

Another financial action of the County Board involves issuing $6 million in bonds for the Wonder Lake dredging project. It is noted that Wonder Lake is not borrowing money from the County, but is receiving assistance of the County in obtaining the bond, which the property owners of Wonder Lake will be responsible for repayment to the lender. The funding is to be used to finance the construction of a sediment dewatering and processing site for dried soils and hydraulic dredging removal of approximately 1 million cubic yards of lake bottom material located in the Wonder Lake.

Repayment of the funding is to be handled through the special levy of taxes sufficient to pay the debt service due on the bonds.

Speed Zone Change For Randall Road

An altered speed zone is expected to receive County Board approval to setting the maximum speed for Randall Road from Miler Road to McHenry Avenue to 50 miles per hour.

The altered speed zone takes effect upon the erection of signs giving notice of the maximum speed limit.

7:30 p.m. Thursday----

Crystal Lake Park District Board of Commissioners

The agenda calls for accepting a bid from the lowest responsible bidder for an Alternative Revenue Source Bond. The District's financial adviser, Dave Phillips, of Speer Financial is to be present regarding the acceptance of the bid.

Also a tax levy is to be adopted for $6,820,564 for the 2010 tax levy and a discussion is also planned on the Winding Creek Cell Tower.

Learn About Earth-Friendly Lifestyle and An Energy Efficient Household

Want to learn how to make your household more energy efficient or take your earth-friendly lifestyle to the next level? The free Green Living Expo from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 6 at McHenry County College’s Multipurpose room in Building may provide the answers you need. The location is 8900 US Highway 14, just north of its intersection with Illinois Route 176.

Approximately 50 exhibitors representing local businesses will be available to help residents use less energy, eat healthier and find environmentally-friendly products. Exhibits will feature geothermal, solar and wind energy companies, local food suppliers and associations, environmental organizations and building supply companies who specialize in energy efficiency and/or renewal. A chiropractor and a pet kennel are also included.

Another highlight will include “What is a Green Kitchen,” a presentation at 12:45 p.m. by Thomas Kaltenecker, CHE, MCFE, executive chef and instructor of culinary management at MCC, who will present valuable information with a dash of humor.

 “This is a chance for you to help your family live healthier, save money and be good to the planet,” said Pat Dieckhoff, waste reduction assistant for the Lou Marchi Total Recycling Institute at MCC. “We bring together companies who offer products and services to green your life in all areas, including eating local health food to reducing energy use at home and at work.”

The expo runs concurrently with the Bioneers at MCC Conference, which takes place from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the MCC Conference Center. Admission to the conference is $30 for adults and $20 for students. The fee includes lunch featuring local organic food prepared by MCC Culinary Management Program students in cooperation with Chef Zak Dolezal from Duke’s Alehouse & Kitchen in Crystal Lake.

New highlights of the conference will be speakers from the October 2010 National Bioneers Conference via DVD:  10:15-11:15 a.m., Gary Hirshberg, CEO of Stonyfield Farm, world’s largest organic yogurt company; 2:30-3:15 p.m., Andy Lipkis, founder of TreePeople, nation’s leader of community-based urban environment initiatives and organizer of the highly successful watershed management process in Los Angeles; and 4-4:45 p.m., John Warner, Ph.D, co-founder of the Warner Babcock Institute for Green Chemistry and author of more than 100 patents. 

Keynote speaker for the conference will be Jim Braun, coordinator of the Illinois Local Food, Farms and Jobs Council, who will discuss “Food—How It’s All Connected.” Conference breakout sessions on a variety of topics are also featured, including Healthy Food and Schools and Becoming a Four Season Locavore and Greening of the Faith Community.

The Green Living Expo is free and open to the public. For more information or to register for MCC’s local Bioneers conference, visit www.mcbioneers.com or call Kristine Emrich at (815) 479-7570 or Pat Dieckhoff at (815) 479-7817. Or send an email to mccconferencecenter@mchenry.edu.

McHenry County Board of Health Meets This Evening

McHenry County Board of Health will meet at 6:00 this evening in executive session for the annual performance review of the Administrator.

This will be followed at 7:00 pm for the regular board meeting, which is open to the public. In addition to considering a number of contracts and agreement renewals including IDPH Illinois Tobacco-Free Communities and IDPH Office of Health Promotion/Dental Sealants and Administration grant, the election of the 2011 Board of Health Officers is to take place. Also, the 2011 Board of Health Meeting Schedule is to be set.

The program highlights for this meeting is norovirus, commonly known as stomach flu.

The meetings of the Board of Health are held in the Department of Health, 2200 N. Seminary Avenue, Annex A, Woodstock.

Commentary On Candidates From Project Vote Smart

Project Vote Smart, CNN and prominent national leaders of both parties completed the 2010 National Political Courage Test to measure each congressional candidate’s bravado, tenacity and eagerness to avoid public scrutiny.

After being aggressively approached by citizens and national media pressing candidates on crucial issues, a record 64% of the candidates stood their ground in square-jawed, steely-eyed silence. The other 36% ran into the arms of their tormentors, pleading for cover as they told voters what they actually thought.

The Courage Test has been conducted each election year since 1992, when an overwhelming number of candidates, weak with freedom’s sentimentality, imprudently surrendered their positions on issue after issue at the request of voters and test sponsors.

This year (after clobbering each candidate with questions on jobs, foreign policy, the economy, education, the environment, immigration, and other issues confronted by the nation) Courage Test organizers demonstrated that this crop of candidates set a new standard for the kind of toughness and duplicity that moves the nation forward at its current levels of civility, reason and responsibility.

A half century ago, no candidate was courageous enough or cunning enough to avoid answering questions on major issues when confronted by citizens and major media. Then candidates simply lacked the strength of character necessary to turn away when confronted by principle.

Today candidates of both major parties march in lock step behind their armies of consultants paving the road to election victory.  It isn’t just this dashing crop of candidates that are showing their pluck, it is the major parties too: both parties have organized their battalions so successfully that they can easily overwhelm citizens and media with nothing more than a bucket full of poppycock, saving their most potent weapons in a selfless effort to campaign on behalf of their opponents--clearly delineating their opposite positions on everything from issues to their personal habits.

With each election candidates lower the bar and now we find ourselves all fighting in the dirt. This successful domination of citizens is a remarkable achievement, particularly when the remedy of abundant, accurate, relevant information is well within their grasp. For test results and the facts on the candidates you will vote on: www.votesmart.org

Richard Kimball

Project Vote Smart President

Additional Supply of Flu Vaccine For Children At McHenry County Health Department

McHenry County Department of Health has received an additional supply of injectable flu vaccine for children 6 months – 18 years of age through the state-funded Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program.  Medicaid is accepted; for non-Medicaid children that meet VFC criteria, the cost is $15.  FluMist, an intranasal form of the vaccine, is available for children over the age of 2.  Appointments are required at 815-334-4500 for the following clinics –  

           

2200 N Seminary Avenue, Woodstock	100 N Virginia Street, Crystal Lake
November 15, 8am-10:30am	November 18, 1pm-3:30pm
	November 19, 1pm-3:30pm

Children over 9 years of age should receive one flu shot. Children 6 months – 8 years who:

- received 1 dose H1N1 & 2 doses seasonal vaccine in 2009 – 1 dose needed this year

- did not receive any H1N1 vaccine in 2009 – 2 doses needed this year

- have never received flu vaccine (H1N1 or seasonal) – 2 doses needed this year

- 2009 was first year to receive seasonal vaccine but had only 1 dose – 2 doses needed

Vaccination is the first and most important step in protecting your family.  In a survey from the National Foundation for Infectious Disease, the top reasons cited by mothers in favor of childhood influenza vaccination were a desire to protect their families (96%), community (95%) and children with underlying health issues (95%).  Children younger than 5 are at highest risk of serious flu complications including hospitalizations and death as compared to older children.

The VFC Program is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) largest public-private partnership, ensuring that all eligible children receive the benefits of newly recommended vaccines, thereby strengthening immunity levels in their communities.  Eligible children include those from 6 months of age to 18 years (accompanied by parent or guardian), all Kids/Public Aid recipients, families without insurance and families whose insurance doesn’t cover vaccinations. Parents must bring current vaccination records as well as any documentation of H1N1 vaccine received in 2009.  

For more information about the flu, call 815-334-4510 or visit www.mcdh.info.

McHenry County Tea Party Endorsements

The McHenry County Tea Party has made endorsements for tomorrow's election, stating:

 "We are making the following endorsements, based on our mission:

 "To promote and defend the Constitution, our freedom and liberty, limited government, sound money, and free markets.'"

These endorsements did not list the party affiliation, possibly indicating that party affiliation makes no difference. For clarification it is being added here.

 US Senate                             Mike Labno-(Libertarian)

Governor/Lt. Governor              Lex Green/&Ed Rutledge (Libertarian)

Attorney General                     Steve Kim – (Republican)

Secretary of State                   Robert S. Enriquez – (Republican)

Comptroller                             Julie Fox – (Libertarian)

Treasurer                                No Endorsement

US Congress 8^th District         Joe Walsh – (Republican)

US Congress 14^th District        Randy Hultgren -

US Congress 16^th District        Don Manzullo – (Republican)

State Rep. 63^rd District           John O'Neill – (Republican)

State Rep. 64^th District            Mike Tryon – (Republican)

McHenry County Sheriff           Mike Mahon – (Democratic)

Circuit Court Judge                 Sally Wiggins – (Independent)

"And Then There Were None" Opens Thursday, November 4 At MCC

Philip Lombard (David Howard) and Vera Claythorne (Arabella Anderson) patiently wait to find the murderer in the mystery “And Then There Were None,” which opens at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 4 and runs Nov. 5-6, 11-13 and 18-20 in the Black Box Theatre at McHenry County College

 “And Then There Were None” is directed by Tish Lyon of Woodstock with set design by Sue Lewis of Woodstock, lighting design by Rick Amundsen of Woodstock, costume design by Tish Lyon of Woodstock, technical direction by Susanne Powell of Schaumburg, stage manager Charlotte Wilson of Huntley, and assistant stage manager Kacie Swanson of Woodstock.

The cast includes Matt Lucchetti, Doc Lindquist, David Howard, and Daniel Philpot, all of Crystal Lake; Ed Dawson of Elgin, Sheri Storer of Huntley, Jared Leone of Lake in the Hills, Aaron P. Brown and Kristen Stewart, both of Spring Grove; Arabella Anderson and Christopher Stevens of Woodstock.

For reservations, call (815) 455-8746 or e-mail jgeller@mchenry.edu.

Spring Trip To Cherry Blossom Festival

McHenry County College’s Trips and Tours office is offering a spring trip to the Washington, D.C. Cherry Blossom Festival from April 7-11, 2010 featuring the Cherry Blossom parade from reserved seats.

Experience one of the most popular times of the year when visitors come from all over the world to view the cherry trees at their peak of bloom. The famous cherry trees were a gift from Japan in 1912 and now symbolize the natural beauty of our nation’s capital.  Enjoy staying in one hotel, and each day the tour director will escort you to the famous sites of the area. Some walking is involved. 

Home pick-up and return, round trip airfare from Chicago, nine meals and tours around the D.C. area are included. Cost is: $2,154 for double; $2,479 for single; and $2,134 for triple.  All prices are per person and are guaranteed through Dec. 28.  Cost includes an optional cancellation/interruption insurance premium of $193.

For more information or to register, please contact Claudia Terrones at (815) 455-8782. 

Imagine A Stack of 11 Million Pages

Phyllis K. Walters, McHenry County Recorder, and her staff now have more than 100 years of indexed and imaged documents on the Recorder’s computer system. Approximately 2.8 million documents containing more than 11 million pages of information dating back to 1909 are available to search, retrieve and print within seconds in the Recorder’s Office, or on the internet.

 “This is a major accomplishment for our office and we are on target to reach completion of all recorded document indexes and images, dating back to 1839, on computer by 2012,” said Recorder Walters. While current documents are recorded on the day they are received and returned within 3 business days, the office continues to work back-in-time adding information prior to the year 1909.

While all recorded documents can be searched in the Recorder’s Office, the office offers the following online services: Recorder’s “free search” at www.co.mchenry.il.us/departments/recorder where indexed land records can be searched by grantor/grantee name, without images; LAREDO – a quarterly subscription service for those who access information often, images can be viewed and printed; and Tapestry – visit www.landrecords.net for a pay-as-you-go land records search.

More information on any of these services can be found on the Recorder’s website or by calling the office at (815) 334-4045, or (815) 334-4109. 

Matters Before Crystal Lake City Council On Tuesday

A number of matters regarding zoning requests will be before the Crystal Lake City Council on Tuesday evening when it meets beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers of the Municipal Building 100 Woodstock Street.

Included are:

A simplified residential variation at 1764 Andover Lane is requested to allow a deck and pool to encroach 11 feet five inches in a 20 foot rear yard setback in order to provide access to a pool for two handicapped children. Approval was recommended by the Planning and Zoning Commission.

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Twisted Stem Floral at 407 East Terra Cotta Avenue is requesting approval for a grant application under the City's Facade and Commercial Tenant Improvement program.

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Straight Shooters Gallery at 560 Beechcraft Lane is seeking a special use permit commercial recreation use for an indoor shooting range. The Planning and Zoning Committee recommended approval.

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The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended denial of a request to allow a minimum of two feet instead of the required eight feet in order to add to a garage for a third parking stall to an attached garage at 567 Larium Lane.

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The City Council is being requested to provide the go ahead for a 1.48 acre parcel of property on US Highway 14 to be rezoned by the County from agriculture to B-3 Commercial. The property is catty-cornered from McHenry County College. It is located within the Crystal Lake Watershed and will have to follow those requirements.

An objection from the City Council would require a three-quarter vote of approval by the County Board. The matter is to be heard by the McHenry County Zoning Board of Appeals on November 10.

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Water and ice complaints on the surfaces of sidewalks and streets have caused the City Streets Division to consider an addition to the City's Residential Code. Language is to be added to the City Code to address issues related to algae and ice on city sidewalks and streets caused by discharging of sump pumps. All premises are to be maintained to prevent the accumulation of water from sump pumps, downspouts, sprinklers, hose or other devises which may create a safety hazard on sidewalks and streets.

Notices of the needed correction would be made to the property owners to correct the problem by connecting to an existing storm sewer or to connect to a storm sewer the City will have to provide.

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An amendment to the City Code is proposed to incorporate addressing guidelines as proposed by the City Fire Chief. The proposed changes would apply to any new building or structure that needed an address or a new occupancy that would correct an inconsistency with the address system. The proposed changes would not affect any existing business or residential address unless requested by the property owner or the postal service. There would be no added costs to businesses or property owners.

The primary goal of this change is to provide emergency service agencies with a tool to ensure that emergency victim can be located with the greatest efficiency.

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Why The November 2 Election Is Called General Election

A general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are up for election.

General election is also a term used in opposition to primary election. In the United States, primary elections serve to narrow down a field of candidates, and general elections actually elect candidates to offices. The general election is usually held on Election Day, the Tuesday after the first Monday in November of even-numbered years.

It meets the above definition of "general election" in that the entire United States House of Representatives is elected on Election Day, though not the entire United States Congress. Prior to the 17th Amendment, members of the United States Senate were not directly elected by the people but rather by their state legislature. Though Senators have been directly elected since then, only one-third of them are up for election on any given Election Day. The U.S. President is also chosen during a November general election that follows primaries.

On November 2, or prior to that date, voters made choices for various elected offices on the Federal, State and local areas. This Primary Election, as opposed to the General Election, was held February 2.

In the Primary Election voters chose candidates to be included on the ballot for the General Election. During the period between the two elections other candidates could be added under certain terms. For instance candidates could file for candidacy as an independent or an entire slate for a Party that does not have a slate selected.

FOIA Request Refusal By ICE

McHenry County Board members are not the only ones denied requested FOIA information. The Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) recently charged Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of illegally preventing the public from obtaining information that would show what the government is doing and not doing to enforce federal immigration laws. TRAC is a data gathering,data research, and data distribution organization at Syracuse University.

The charge and supporting information were outlined in a letter from TRAC to the agency's Freedom of Information director, Catrina M. Pavlik-Keenan. The letter noted that in violation of the FOIA law, ICE had ruled that anonymous statistical data which the agency formerly released -- such as the city or state where an alien was arrested, the details of any criminal charges, and the facility where the alien is currently being detained -- were now "unavailable." Such a blanket ruling violates long-standing provisions of the FOIA, agency rules and the transparency policies and guidelines promulgated by President Obama and Attorney General Holder.

For TRAC's press release, the September 22 letter from ICE announcing its current position and TRAC's October 4 responsego to

TRAC is self-supporting and depends on foundation grants, individual contributions and subscription fees for the funding needed to obtain, analyze and publish the data we collect on the activities of the US Federal government.

Public Information Meeting on Area 4 of Crystal Lake Flooding

The City of Crystal Lake will be hosting a public information open house to provide residents with an update to the City’s flooding study for Area 4 which is located south of the lake and focuses on Crystal Creek. A copy of the final flooding study is located at on the City's Flood Study Page.

The meeting will begin at 6:30 pm on Monday November 1, 2010 and will be held in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 100 West Woodstock Street. For more information, call the Engineering Division at 815-356-3615 or email at engineering@crystallake.org.

Law and Justice Committee Meeting Monday Morning

The Law and Justice Committee of the McHenry County Board is slated to meet at 8:30 a.m. Monday in a Conference Room of the County Administration Building, 667 Ware Road, Woodstock.

The agenda includes a presentation by Dr. Joe Williams, currently the Assistant Superintendent of the Regional Office of Education. This relates to the McHenry County Compulsory Attendance Program.

Matters related to law enforcement division of the County includes the appointment of 13 individuals representing McHenry County law enforcement agencies to the McHenry County Emergency Telephone System Board. Also the 2011 McHenry County Emergency Operations Plan is being presented for review before it goes on public display until December 21 when it will be considered for approval by the Committee and the County Board. This action is necessary in order for McHenry County to receive between $70,000 and $90,000 a year income for emergency operations.

The Committee is also to consider the continuation of the Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan and the continuation of the related committee. Approval of this plan by the County is necessary in order for the County to receive Federal Mitigation funding of approximately $65,000.

Another resolution to be considered by the Law and Justice Committee is for the continuation of the position of a Commission for the Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) within the Sheriff's Department. The cost for this position of $73,000 is included in the 2011 county budget.

There also could be more discussion on courtroom space and utilization as well as a discussion on judicial review and expenses.