Talk About "Greening" The Future

The public is invited to join the Green Drinks McHenry County group on June 6^th from 5pm-7pm at Duke’s Alehouse & Kitchen, 110 N Main Street in Crystal Lake.

 This month’s presentation will be by Duke's own Chef Zak, discussing the challenges of running an eco-friendly restaurant and the steps Duke's has taken to become the greenest restaurant in McHenry County!

Zak began his Culinary Training at his parents’ restaurant Duke O’Brien’s in 1998. His passion for cooking grew and led him to study the culinary arts at Kendall College in Evanston Illinois. After graduating from Kendall in 2001 he went on to get his Bachelor’s in Hospitality Management from Purdue. After graduating he worked at several restaurants and resorts throughout the Chicago area including Ixcapuzalco (Fine Dining Mexican Cuisine), Durty Nellie’s, Marriott Lincolnshire, Le Titi de Paris, Spring, and Mon Ami Gabi before returning to Duke O’Brien’s in 2004
.

Upon returning to Duke’s he brought with him his passion for sustainable ingredients and relationships with many farmers and producers. In August of 2004 Duke O’Brien’s closed and reopened as Duke’s Alehouse and Kitchen. Duke’s is now a gastropub offering traditional American food utilizing superior ingredients from local and sustainable farmers paired with an amazing selection of American craft brews and Belgian ales. Duke’s has recently joined the Green Restaurant Association and is involved in many community activities
.

Pick up a drink or order some food at the bar before coming upstairs for info and inspiration, business and pleasure. Come talk about “greening” the future with others. Must be 21 to purchase alcohol - non-alcoholic drinks are available, of course!

There will be an information table set up, and you are welcome to bring information about your green products and services each month to share.
 

Additional parking is available at the train station
.

To be added to their email list, send a note to: GreenDrinks@mcdefenders.net or “like” the group on FaceBook www.FaceBook.com/GreenDrinksMcHenryCounty.

Please note: No Green Drinks in July because it would fall on Independence Day! (Have a sustainable picnic at home!)

Words Of Wisdom

"If virtue & knowledge are diffused among the people, they will never be enslav'd. This will be their great security."

--Samuel Adams, letter to James Warren, 1779

Congressman Joe Walsh Examines Death Tax On Small Businesses

“This week in Washington, I chaired a hearing that examined the devastating impact of the Death Tax on small businesses. The Death Tax forces businesses to take money from creating jobs and growing the economy and give it to the federal government. It is yet another unnecessary and government-created burden on the American job market.

“Under the current tax code, when a family member dies and the business is passed on, a heavy tax – currently 35% - must be paid by family members to inherit what is legally theirs. If Congress does not act before the end of the year, this forced payment will jump to 55%. The committee heard testimony from small business owners from Illinois and elsewhere who argued that simply planning for the Death Tax was burden enough.

“As a cosponsor of HR 1259, the Death Tax Permanency Repeal Act, I will fight for passage of this bill which would repeal the Death Tax. Click here to read my full statement”.

Congressman Walsh sends this reminder: “My staff will hold mobile office hours every Friday from 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. at the Schaumburg Township Center, One Illinois Blvd. Hoffman Estates, IL. If you cannot make it to one of my district offices, let us come to you.”

Summer Day Care Available At MCC Children's Learning Center

Parents who are exploring summer day care options for their young children may consider the McHenry County College (MCC) Children’s Learning Center.

Registration is underway for ages 15 months through five-year-olds for the summer day care program, available from 8 a.m. to noon beginning June 11 through Aug. 10 at the Children’s Learning Center, located on MCC’s main campus, 8900 U.S. Hwy. 14 in Crystal Lake.

The summer day care program offers developmentally appropriate activities and programs for children that benefit the intellectual, physical, social and emotional needs of children, all under the caring supervision of experienced early childhood education teachers. Children receive individualized attention with excellent teacher to student ratios.

The MCC Children's Learning Center is a state-licensed childcare center where the teachers’ credentials meet or exceed state mandated requirements.

Cost is: $7.50 per hour for 3-5-year-olds and $7.75 per hour for 15 months to 3 years old. Drop-off rates are available for parents who want to drop off a child at an unscheduled time.

Register in person in the Children's Learning Center office, room C115, online at www.mchenry.edu/clc. For more information or to set up a center tour, contact Taliashia Borders, director of the Children’s Learning Center, at (815) 455-8555 or email her at tborders@mchenry.edu.

Village of Huntley And Grafton Township Join Efforts For Senior Transportation

Cooperation between the Village of Huntley and Grafton Township is helping to provide senior transportation for the area.

The Village Board approved a $10,000 grant toward the Grafton Township Senior Transportation Program which serves residents of Grafton Township and Huntley Village.

According to a Village Staff Analysis Report, ridership has increased from 1,373 in 2010 to 2,000 in 2011. Overall activity has increased from 3,337 in 2010 to 4,041 in 2011. The amount the Village will pay is the same as the intergovernmental Agreement.

At the most recent Village Board meeting, May 24, an agreement with the Township was approved. More information about the transportation program may be found at www.graftontownshipsupervisor.us or call the Township office at  847-669-3328

Something New In McHenry County

There is something new in McHenry County – well new on the County website.

It is the new McHenry County Meeting Portal. Look for it at

http://www.mchenrycountyil.iqm2.com/Citizens/Default.aspx.

T\\e goal of the new McHenry County Meeting Portal is to include all McHenry County meeting agendas and minutes in one location.

In the continued effort to be a leader in transparency through technology, McHenry County selected IQM2, Inc. (www.iqm2.com) Open Meeting Management System to automate the agenda preparation process. The implementation of the new agenda management software will enable interested residents to listen to a live audio stream of County Board meetings as they occur and access archived County Board meetings after the fact.  The first County Board meeting that will be audio streamed live will be on Tuesday, June 5th at 9:00 a.m.  

A link to the McHenry County Meeting Portal can also be found on the County’s homepage through the “McHenry County Meetings” link under the Quick Links section.

For more information on McHenry County agenda management/audio streaming, please contact Adam Lehmann at 815-334-0309 or aflehmann@co.mchenry.il.

GED Preparation Classes At MCC

Area residents who are interested in GED preparation, basic reading, basic math, and English as a Second Language classes may come to McHenry County College for registration and placement testing at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. every Monday and Thursday. Walk-ins are welcome.

Classes start on June 11 at MCC and at many other locations throughout the county. Tutoring is available for eligible students.

The College is located at 8900 U.S. Hwy. 14 in Crystal Lake. For more information, come to Room A362 or call (815) 455-8752.

Words Of Wisdom

"Would it not be better to simplify the system of taxation rather than to spread it over such a variety of subjects and pass through so many new hands."

 --Thomas Jefferson, letter to James Madison, 1784

First Crystal Lake Park District Battle of Bands This Afternoon-Evening

The first teen Battle of the Bands is taking place this afternoon to evening at the Crystal Lake Main Beach, located at 300 Lakeshore Drive.

The competition begins at 3:00 p.m. and ends at 9:00 p.m. Bands in this week’s competition include:

The Skelters,

Dinner with Barack

Tree Culture,

Meet Us Halfway

You Were

Open House

Prizes for first, second and third place will be awarded and the First Place Winner of this qualifying event will be eligible to compete in the Regional Battle of the Bands. The location and time for this competition will be determined. The winner of the Regional competition will continue on to the State Final Battle of the Bands to be held at the Illinois State Fair in August.

Admission for spectators is $5.

Government At Work

FRIDAY, JUNE 1, 2012 –

1:00 p.m. -- McHenry County Continuum of Care for Homelessness –

Meeting for a Special Meeting at the Home of the Sparrow, 5342 W. Elm Street, McHenry.

The only item on the agenda is the 2011 and 2012 Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Emergency Shelter Grant Funding Request.

McHenry County Green Infrastructure Explained Today 4 - 7 p.m.

A special Open House is taking place TODAY 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. in the McHenry County Department of Planning and Development, located in the McHenry County Administration Building, 667 Ware Road Woodstock.

Interested attendees may arrive at any time to learn about the green infrastructure concepts and how they promote the county’s goals of natural resource protection and intergovernmental cooperation.

This is the presentation of a Green Infrastructure Plan For McHenry County, which the McHenry County Planning and Development Department has been working on since late 2010.

“Green infrastructure” is a term that represents the latest strategies and technologies that support the natural environment, wildlife diversity, and clean water.

The efforts for this plan stem directly from recommendations and policies of the McHenry County 2030 Comprehensive Plan. This plan embraces a collection of ideas and practices known as “green infrastructure” and, through maps and policy recommendations, presents a vision for county wide implementation.

View the draft of the McHenry County Infrastructure plan, please click here.

WHAT:          Open House on the McHenry County Green Infrastructure Plan

WHEN:          TODAY between 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm

WHERE:       McHenry County Administration Building Conference Rooms, 667 Ware Road, Woodstock

Words Of Wisdom

"To the haranguers of the populace among the ancients, succeed among the moderns your writers of political pamphlets and news-papers, and your coffee-house talkers." –

Franklin, Reply to Coffee House Orators, 1767

U.S. Trade Promotion Legislation Co-authored By Manzullo Heads To Senate For Approval

The U.S. House of Representatives tonight unanimously approved legislation designed to strengthen U.S. trade promotion efforts to help American companies sell more of their goods overseas and create more American jobs.

The Export Promotion Reform Act (H.R. 4041) would integrate the Administration’s export promotion agenda by giving the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee budget review authority over the numerous export promotion programs managed by the Administration.

The bill would also deploy U.S. Commercial Service personnel and budgets to help U.S. firms win sales in the markets with the best opportunities.  H.R. 4041 requires performance assessments of the effectiveness of our embassies in carrying out commercial diplomacy and helping U.S. exporters. The legislation, co-authored by U.S. Reps. Howard Berman (D-CA) and Don Manzullo (R-IL), now heads to the Senate for consideration.

“Currently, each trade promotion agency submits its budget to the President and is judged on its own,” Manzullo said. “The Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee should be able to review each agency budget first and determine how it fits in with other export promotion programs to implement the trade promotion agenda of the Administration. The TPCC could then recommend to the President an integrated trade promotion budget that works most efficiently on behalf of U.S. exporters to create American jobs.”

Manzullo, who represents the heavy exporting 16 ^th Congressional District of Illinois, introduced legislation in 2006 and 2008 to reform the TPCC and move its responsibilities to the Executive Office of the President. Many of those reforms were realized when the President formed the Export Cabinet in 2010 and adopted many of the reforms included in Manzullo’s earlier bills.

In 2010, Manzullo joined with former Rep. Gabby Giffords in introducing legislation to remedy the current problem. Rep. Berman continued Giffords’ legacy by joining Manzullo on the legislation the House approved tonight.

Government At Work

Wednesday, May 30 –

6:00 p.m. -- McHenry County Mental Health Board –

Meeting at McHenry County Mental Health Board facility, 620 Dakota Street, Crystal Lake.

The agenda for the Board calls for an Emergency Response For Mental Health Board regarding Community Response To Mental Health And Substance Abuse Services for FY 12-13.

Also to be considered is Ratification of the 2011 Annual Report and setting of five Special Meetings of the Board for the next five months regarding five different programs provided by the Board.

Be Educated On Green Infrastructure Concepts

Reminder

The public is invited to learn about green infrastructure concepts at an Open House taking place tomorrow --Thursday, May 31-- between 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. in the McHenry County Department of Planning and Development. The location is in the McHenry County Administration Building, 667 Ware Road, Woodstock.

Attendees may arrive at any time and learn about the green infrastructure concepts and how they promote the county’s goals of natural resource protection and intergovernmental cooperation.

Don’t know what “Green Infrastructure” is? It is a term that represents the latest strategies and technologies that support the natural environment, wildlife diversity, and clean water.

The County’s 2030 Comprehensive Plan embraces a collection of ideas and practices known as “green infrastructure” and through maps and policy recommendations, presents a vision for county wide implementation.

Save The Date --Saturday August 18

 The Crystal Lake Park District is pleased to announce its partnership with BMO Harris Bank as presenting sponsor for the 2012 Blast on the Beach. 

On Saturday, August 18 from 3-9 pm, Crystal Lake Main Beach (300 Lakeshore Drive, Crystal Lake) will be the hot spot to enjoy the final summer weekend before the beginning of school.

This event will truly be a 'Blast on the Beach' featuring a Kid's Fun Fair with over sixteen vendors, a Craft Fair, a performance by the Crystal Lake Water Ski Club on Crystal Lake, a Treasure Hunt (real gold coins and other prizes buried in our beach!), food vendors from some of your favorite local restaurants, a beer/wine garden and a live music performance by the popular Mr. Myers. Through this partnership, ADMISSION IS FREE.

“We at BMO Harris Bank are thrilled to partner with the Crystal Lake Park District to provide the community with free access to a fun-filled day at  the beach”, said Jamie Maravich, Market President McHenry-Northern Lake County, BMO Harris Bank.  “This sponsorship demonstrates the dedication BMO Harris Bank has to community events.  The Crystal Lake Park District is grateful for their ongoing support of our programs,” stated Jacqui Weber, Marketing Coordinator for the Crystal Lake Park District.

In addition to local food vendors, the BMO Harris Bank Blast on the Beach has three media partners including Star 105.5/Y103.9, Northwest Herald and CrystalLakePatch.com.

For more information about the BMO Harris Bank Blast on the Beach, contact Jacqui Weber at (815) 459-0680, ext. 214, or via email jweber@crystallakeparks.org.

Send A Note To The Governor

For more than a year, actions have been underway In Illinois to set up Illinois’ state health insurance exchange, a new marketplace for insurance that would allow hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans to beat back skyrocketing health care costs by pooling their buying power to negotiate a better deal.

But the Illinois General Assembly is at a partisan stalemate. Lawmakers won’t even vote on it. Governor Pat Quinn needs to step in and get it done.

The governor can create the insurance exchange through executive order, rather than waiting for the General Assembly to act.

The sooner the governor acts, the sooner consumers can take control of their health insurance choices. Perhaps the Governor needs to hear from his constituents. This is the address:

Governor Pat Quinn

James R. Thompson Center
100 W. Randolph, 16-100
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: 312-814-2121

Crystal Lake Teen Hopes To Qualify For Spot On US Speed Skating Team

Hailey Leech, a Crystal Lake teen, is fundraising for an upcoming tryout in August at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

She will compete at the United States Outdoor National Championship Trials as she attempts to qualify for one of six available spots on the Junior Women's United States Inline Speed Skating World Team.

If she makes the team, she will travel to Italy in September for the World Championships. Hailey has been a member of the US Junior Women’s team the past 3 years (China 2009), Colombia (2010), Korea (2011).

Hailey has joined forces with another skater from Illinois, Megan Gillis, of Springfield in her fundraising efforts. She is looking for local support of her fundraising efforts for 2012 with the purchase of a ticket for a Lottery Calendar Fundraiser.

Hailey Leech Lottery Calendar Fundraiser

Purchase a ticket for $10. Each ticket purchased has its own individual 3-digit number. If your ticket’s number matches the Illinois State Lottery Evening Pick 3 Drawing Number, you win the cash prize for that day. Every day in July, a cash prize will be awarded.

July 4=$200

July 7, 14, 21, 28=$150

July 1, 8, 15, 22, 29=$125

All other days in July=$75

For a $10 investment, you have 31 chances to win!

For more information or to purchase a ticket, contact Hailey Leech at (815) 814-0937 or via email at jgibfeb67@aol.com.

Tickets on sale now-June 30. Only 1000 tickets will be sold!

GED Preparation, English As a Second Language Classes And More At MCC

Area residents who are interested in GED preparation, basic reading, basic math, and English as a Second Language classes may come to McHenry County College for registration and placement testing at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. every Monday and Thursday. Walk-ins are welcome.

Classes start on June 11 at MCC and at many other locations throughout the county. Tutoring is available for eligible students.

The College is located at 8900 U.S. Hwy. 14 in Crystal Lake. For more information, come to Room A362 or call (815) 455-8752.

Used Books, Tapes, Software Today Through Saturday

The Environmental Defenders will hold their spring Used Book Sale at the Woodstock Square Mall, 110 S Johnson St, lower level, starting today, Wednesday, May 30^th through Saturday, June 2^nd 9 am - 4 pm. Saturday will be a Bag Sale!

For over 40 years, the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County has been a leader in encouraging re-use and recycling practices throughout McHenry County. Each year, the Woodstock-based nonprofit holds several sales of good-quality used books, tapes, videos, and software that have been donated by private citizens and area libraries. Items are sold at extremely low prices to keep them in use and out of landfills. All proceeds go to support the environmental programs and services offered by the Defenders.

The sale offers flea-market prices on thousands of top authors and best-selling novels, biographies, sports, travel and adventure books, self-help titles, cookbooks and crafts, philosophy and religion, business guides, computer manuals, and much more.

Book donations can always be made (even after the sale ends) at the drop box in front of the Woodstock Square Mall or at the Defenders’ “Green Spot” used book store, located on the first floor of the building, during regular hours.

The Environmental Defenders of McHenry County is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and improvement of the environment. The group provides community residents with educational programs and volunteer action on pollution prevention, sustainable land use and energy and natural resource conservation. Donations are encouraged and are tax-deductible as charitable contributions.  For more information, visit www.mcdef.org or call 815-338-0393.

Words Of Wisdom

"Excessive taxation ... will carry reason and reflection to every man's door, and particularly in the hour of election."

--Thomas Jefferson

Crystal Lake Vehicle Stickers Go On Sale Friday

Vehicle stickers for 2012-2013 will be on sale beginning Friday, June 1, 2012, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, at City Hall. Residents will receive in the mail a vehicle sticker application in a first-class business envelope with a return envelope enclosed for convenience in applying for this year’s vehicle stickers.  New residents need to provide current vehicle registration or insurance card.

Residents are required to display a current City vehicle sticker on the lower passenger side of their front windshield.  Vehicle stickers must be displayed by July 15, 2012.  All funds generated from the sale of vehicle stickers are used in the City’s road resurfacing and reconstruction program.

City of Crystal Lake vehicle stickers will provide parking access to Three Oaks Recreation Area, free of charge.

Vehicle sticker prices through July 15, 2012 are as follows:

Passenger Cars, SUVs, motorcycles
& mopeds - $10.00

Trucks:
A-B plates, RV plates - $14.25
D plates - $20.00
All others - $30.00

Vehicle sticker prices after July 15, 2011 are as follows:

Passenger Cars, SUVs, motorcycles
& mopeds - $15.00

Trucks:
A-B plates, RV plates - $21.38
C-D plates - $30.00
All others - $45.00

(Higher rates apply after September 30, 2012)

Senior citizens who own a passenger car, SUV, truck with B-plates or a motorcycle will be able to purchase one vehicle sticker per senior for $1.00. Additional stickers are charged at the standard rate. Stickers must be purchased at City Hall to receive the senior discount.

Passenger stickers will also be available by bringing in a pre-printed application at Dominicks Finer Foods, First Midwest Bank, West Suburban Currency Exchange, Jewel Food Stores, American Community Bank, Home Depot, Lloyd’s Paint n’ Paper, Joseph’s Marketplace, Julie Ann's Frozen Custard, Walgreens (located on Northwest Highway next to Sears) and Crystal Lake Public Library.

The Finance Department can make alternative arrangements for residents who may be unable to purchase their stickers during regular business hours.

Residents who would like to speak with someone regarding alternative arrangements, or who have questions regarding vehicle stickers, are asked to contact the Finance Department at (815) 459-2020 or by email at finance@crystallake.org.

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Words Of Wisdom

"To take from one, because it is thought his own industry and that of his fathers has acquired too much, in order to spare to others, who, or whose fathers, have not exercised equal industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association, the guarantee to everyone the free exercise of his industry and the fruits acquired by it."

--Thomas Jefferson

Learn About Green Infrastructure Planning

WHAT:      Open House on the McHenry County Green Infrastructure Plan

WHEN:     Thursday May 31, 2012 between 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm

WHERE: McHenry County Administration Building Conference Rooms, 667 Ware Road, Woodstock

Invitations are extended to join the McHenry County Department of Planning and Development on Thursday, May 31st to learn about the Draft McHenry County Green Infrastructure Plan and provide the County with your feedback. 

This event will be held between 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm at the McHenry County Administration Building (667 Ware Road in Woodstock).  Because of its open house format, attendees may arrive at any time to learn about the plan, green infrastructure concepts, and how these concepts promote the county’s goals of natural resource protection and intergovernmental cooperation. 

 Presentations will be given periodically and exhibits and copies of the plan will be on display.  County staff will also be available to answer questions and receive comments.

The Department of Planning and Development has been working on a green infrastructure plan since late 2010. “Green infrastructure” is a term that represents the latest strategies and technologies that support the natural environment, wildlife diversity, and clean water.  These efforts stem directly from recommendations and policies of the McHenry County 2030 Comprehensive Plan.  The plan embraces a collection of ideas and practices known as “green infrastructure” and, through maps and policy recommendations, presents a vision for countywide implementation. To view a draft of the McHenry County Green Infrastructure plan, please click here. 

For more information, please contact Darrell Moore in the Department of Planning and Development at 815-334-4549 or dnmoore@co.mchenry.il.us.

Asian Americans May Influence Presidential Election

Asian-Americans have largely been ignored by U.S. politicians, but they could provide a valuable edge in the upcoming presidential election, says new polling data. 

According to recently released census data, Asian-Americans are the fastest growing minority group in the U.S. population.

Asian-Americans largely tend to identify themselves as Democrats by more than a three-to-one margin.

The population has grown 46 percent since the 2000 census, and Asian-Americans now number more than 17 million nationwide. According to Lake Research, which conducted the poll, Asian-Americans represented two percent of the electorate in 2008, with 48 percent of eligible voters turning out.

The polling was conducted in several states, including Florida, Nevada and Virginia, that are likely to be key swing states in the November presidential election.

"Every vote counts, especially in a tight election. If Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders vote at the same level they did last time, it could mean increasing margins for the party they prefer - 47,000 more votes in Virginia than last election, 33,000 more in Florida and 9,000 more in Nevada," said Christine Chen, acting executive director of APIAVote, which works to mobilize Asian-American and Pacific Islander voters.

"Political leaders must engage this rapidly growing voting bloc in the conversation. We're working with dozens of community-based groups to get AAPIs involved in the process, but locally we've barely been contacted by either party," she said.

Fifty-nine percent of Asian-Americans favored U.S. President Barack Obama, while only 13 percent preferred presumed Republican nominee Mitt Romney. Twenty-seven percent said they were undecided. That Democrat-Republican split remained largely unchanged since the 2008 election.

Despite the tendency to favor Democratic candidates, only 23 percent of those surveyed said they'd been contacted by the Democratic Party in the past two years. Only 17 percent said they'd been contacted by the Republican Party.

Republican National Committee spokesperson Alexandra Franceschi says the party is ramping up its voter contact as it looks towards the general election.

"The RNC is committed to engaging as many voters as possible across America. We will be reaching out with our economic message, because all Americans are struggling to make ends meet under the Obama Administration," she said.

The Democratic Party did not return calls, but does have a section on its web page dedicated to Asian-Americans.

Asian-American civic leaders say politicians will be mistaken to ignore their voting bloc.

"Since candidates and political parties don't think "from a national perspective "that the size of our population is significant, they dismiss us," said Mee Moua, the president and executive director of the Asian-American Justice Center, which works to advance the human and civil rights of Asian Americans. "But what the poll confirmed is that in local, state and congressional races especially in states with high Asian American concentrations we have the potential to make a tremendous difference and influence the outcome, so candidates who ignore us do so at their own peril."

Green Infrastructure Plan For McHenry County On View Thursday

A special Open House is taking place Thursday between 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. in the McHenry County Department of Planning and Development, located in the McHenry County Administration Building, 667 Ware Road Woodstock.

Interested attendees may arrive at any time to learn about the green infrastructure concepts and how they promote the county’s goals of natural resource protection and intergovernmental cooperation.

This is the presentation of a Green Infrastructure Plan For McHenry County, which the McHenry County Planning and Development Department has been working on since late 2010.

“Green infrastructure” is a term that represents the latest strategies and technologies that support the natural environment, wildlife diversity, and clean water.

The efforts for this plan stem directly from recommendations and policies of the McHenry County 2030 Comprehensive Plan. This plan embraces a collection of ideas and practices known as “green infrastructure” and, through maps and policy recommendations, presents a vision for county wide implementation.

View the draft of the McHenry County Infrastructure plan, please click here.

WHAT:          Open House on the McHenry County Green Infrastructure Plan

WHEN:          Thursday May 31, 2012 between 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm

WHERE:       McHenry County Administration Building Conference Rooms, 667 Ware Road, Woodstock

A Day To Honor Those Who Gave So Much To Defend Freedom

“Today we pause as a nation to honor and remember those who have given “the last full measure of devotion” for our freedom and way of life. Over the Memorial Day weekend, we must not lose sight of the actual holiday we are celebrating and take the time to remember the brave men and women who have given so much to defend our families.

“Generation after generation, men and women have stepped forward to defend our great nation. We must continue to remember the brave men and women in uniform who so courageously served our country.

“We honor and remember these brave servicemen and women who knew that one day they might be asked to give their lives in defense of our liberty and freedom.  We also remember and honor their families and loved ones who shared in their burden.

“This Memorial Day, it is our turn, it is our duty to honor and remember those who have served our country both past and present.  We continue to honor their sacrifice and will forever remain in their debt.

“As President Reagan reminded us 38 years ago, “We will always remember. We will always be proud. We will always be prepared, so we may always be free.”

Thoughts from Congressman Joe Walsh

Words Of Wisdom

"There is not a single instance in history in which civil liberty was lost, and religious liberty preserved entire. If therefore we yield up our temporal property, we at the same time deliver the conscience into bondage." 

Memorial Day, Formerly Decoration Day

Memorial Day, as we know it, actually began as Decoration Day, a day to honor those who die in war. This is something that began over 24 centuries ago, according to research we conducted.

The Athenian leader, Pericles offered a tribute to the fallen heroes of the Peloponnesian War over 24 centuries ago. It could be applied today to the 1.1 million Americans who have died in the nation’s wars: “Not only are they commemorated by columns and inscriptions, but there dwells also an unwritten memorial of them, graven not on stone but in the hearts of men.”

To ensure the sacrifices of America’s fallen heroes are never forgotten, in December 2000, the U.S. Congress passed and the president signed into law “The National Moment of Remembrance Act,” P.L 106-579, creating the White House Commission on the National Moment of Remembrance.

The commission’s charter is to “encourage the people of the United States to give something back to their country, which provides them with much freedom and opportunity” be encouraging and coordinating commemorations in the United State of Memorial Day and the National Moment of Remembrance.

The National Moment of Remembrance encourages all Americans to pause wherever they are at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day for a minute of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to the nation.

We also found that Decoration Day had its beginning three years after the Civil War end, on May 5, 1868, the head of an organization of Union veterans – the Grand Army of the Republic – established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers.

Maj. Gen. John A. Logan declared that Decoration Day should be observed on May 30. There seems to be a “squabble” over the birthplace of Memorial Day with locations being mentioned as Macon and Columbus, Georgia, Richmond, Virginia, Village of Boalsburg, Pa., Carbondale, IL, which was the wartime home of Gen. Logan. As a result about 25 places have been named in connection with the origin of Memorial Day.

In 1966 Congress and President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, N.Y., the “birthplace” of Memorial Day. It was here on May 5, 1866 that a ceremony was held honoring local veterans who had fought in the Civil War.