Furniture raffle to raise money for breast cancer awareness

From the Thursday, July 31, 2008, edition of the Northwest Herald:

Furniture raffle to raise money for breast cancer awareness
VOLO – The malls at Volo Country Village are raffling four pieces of furniture to raise money for a breast cancer awareness and support group.

The Antique Mall is raffling a mahogany empire sideboard valued at $500, and a Weller Breton vase from the late 1920s, valued at $165.

The Mercantile Mall is raffling a round, cherry curio cabinet valued at $449, and a Tiffany-style Iris lamp valued at $100.

The winning ticket will be drawn at 2 p.m. Sept. 6. Raffle tickets are $1, and can be bought in advance. Winners do not need to be present at the drawing to win.

All proceeds will be donated to the Illinois chapter of Breast Cancer Network of Strength, formerly Y-ME.

For information or to view the furniture, visit voloshopping.com.

Volo Country Village is at 27640 Volo Village Road, Volo.

– Diana Sroka

Spring Grove safety committee still considering alert system

From the Thursday, July 31, 2008, edition of the Northwest Herald:

Spring Grove safety committee still considering alert system
Spring Grove – The village hasn’t ruled out a community-alert system that could notify residents of weather emergencies by phone, text and e-mail messages.

The Spring Grove Safety Committee discussed the alert system at a meeting this week. Chairman Del Houghton said the committee was investigating whether the system would work as an auxiliary emergency warning system.

Houghton said the committee was consulting a number of provider companies.

One provider, Connect-CTY, gave a presentation at a Spring Grove Village Board meeting this month. Barrington Hills, Antioch and Wauconda have similar systems.

Houghton said discussion about the system would continue.

– Diana Sroka

Political parade snags small

From the Sunday, July 27, 2008 edition of the Northwest Herald:

Political parade snags small
By DIANA SROKA - dsroka@nwherald.com

ALGONQUIN – Need a bag for candy?

That’s how some campaigners circumvented the “no campaigning” rule at Algonquin’s Founders’ Day parade Saturday.

Before the parade, campaigners for Democrat John Noverini handed blue-and-white “Noverini for Circuit Court Judge” bags to residents sitting along the parade route.

“I noticed there were family members passing things out,” parade organizer Alan Kirk said.

The Noverini campaign was questioned, Kirk said, but “we’re not here to be policemen.”

Meanwhile, other politicians placed tape over the words “elect” or “re-elect” on their vehicles and signs.

“We’re just going to follow by the rules,” said Paula Yensen, McHenry County Board candidate. Yensen walked with the McHenry County Democratic Party float.

Despite debate over the parade’s no-campaigning rule, Kirk said the parade went “extremely well.”

Safari hats and animal-print clothing were abundant as participants dressed to the parade’s theme, “Founders’ Goes on Safari.”

Lakewood resident Angie Markwalder came to the parade with her three sons and husband for the first time.

The firetrucks and Boy Scouts were the boys’ favorite part of the parade, she said.

“I liked the Indiana Jones,” said Robbie, Markwalder’s 9-year-old son, referring to some of the Boy Scouts’ costumes.

Founders’ Days continues today with a pancake breakfast, carnival, duck races and other activities throughout the day. The festival concludes tonight with fireworks.

Donut Run attracts hundreds

From the Sunday, July 27, 2008 edition of the Northwest Herald:

Donut Run attracts hundreds
By DIANA SROKA - dsroka@nwherald.com

WOODSTOCK – Hector Garza can eat 10 glazed doughnuts in three minutes.

That’s down three doughnuts from last year, but still pretty good for the McHenry County Sheriff’s deputy.

“I just kinda shoved them in; I didn’t really count,” Garza said after he won the donut eating contest at the Shop with a Cop Donut Run on Saturday.

Almost 100 motorcycle riders and 500 others came to the second annual event, held at Woodstock Harley-Davidson.

Bikers met in the morning and paid to ride with police on an 88-mile tour through McHenry and Boone counties. The event also featured a K-9 demonstration, raffle, food and live music from Woodstock guitarist and singer Rob Webster.

“It’s a real thoughtful way to introduce kids to law enforcement,” said Angela Wood-Zuzerick of Rockford, who brought her 3- and 7-year-old daughters to the event.

Proceeds from the event will be used in August to help local underprivileged children buy school supplies, as well as in December, when the children are paired with police officers for a morning of holiday shopping and breakfast.

“We want the people to know they’ve helped a good cause,” event organizer Amy Knop said.

Last year, $16,000 was raised at the event. Knop said she hoped to match or exceed that amount this year.

McHenry senior citizen group builds community

From the Thursday, July 24, 2008 edition of the Northwest Herald:

McHenry senior citizen group builds community
By DIANA SROKA - dsroka@nwherald.com

McHENRY – Carolyn Herriges missed her friends when she moved to McHenry eight years ago.

Her husband had died three years earlier, and she wanted to live closer to her children. In hopes of building a new social circle, Herriges, 74, joined the McHenry Senior Citizens Club.

“I had to reinvent myself,” Herriges said. “I couldn’t go back to Des Plaines to see my friends.”

For Herriges and a number of other area seniors, the club is a source of fellowship and entertainment.

Each year, more than 1,000 seniors visit the McHenry Township Senior Center, 3519 N. Richmond Road, Johnsburg, said Candie Hitchins, activities director.

Activities at the center range from morning exercise and line dancing to computer lessons and pinochle. Programming is based on survey feedback and visitor input, Hitchins said.

“Our seniors are not shy in telling us what they want here,” she said.

At Church of the Holy Apostles Catholic Church in McHenry, the senior citizens ministry tries to host an event at least once a month. Four Seasons, as the group is called, is described as a ministry for “the chronically gifted.”

“[Outings] usually evolve around getting together, enjoying each other’s company, and looking after each other,” member Dorothy Kuta said. This month, the group is going to lunch at Blarney Island on the Chain O’ Lakes.

Kuta said the approximately 45 members enjoyed seeing familiar faces from church, although nonparishioners were welcome to come on outings.

Most of the seniors who visit the senior center or join local clubs are women whose husbands have died, said Judy Jonas, president of the McHenry Senior Citizens Club.

That was the case for Carolyn Jacobs, 72, of McHenry. Her husband had been gone since 1979, and when she moved to the area in the ’90s, she wanted to meet people.

“When you’re in a strange town and you’re working, you don’t meet anybody,” she said.

She visits the senior center in Johnsburg regularly for line dancing.

Herriges said McHenry was unlike other areas where she had lived because there was a wide variety of opportunities for seniors.

“If [seniors] want to be involved, they really have the opportunity to do that in this area,” Jonas said.

Community hoping that arrest will break Carrick case

From the Sunday, July 20, 2008 edition of the Northwest Herald:

Community hoping that arrest will break Carrick case
By DIANA SROKA - dsroka@nwherald.com
and JILLIAN DUCHNOWSKI - jduchnowski@nwherald.com

JOHNSBURG – Ryan Haynes said he still gets goosebumps when he thinks about the unsolved disappearance of Johnsburg High School senior Brian Carrick.

Haynes, who lived behind Carrick’s house for about seven years, paused to reflect on the case’s latest developments Saturday afternoon at Half Time Bar and Grill. Throughout the town, many people were aware that a former employee at Val’s Foods, where Carrick last was seen in December 2002, was charged Friday in connection with the case that authorities believe was a homicide.

“The family needs closure,” said Haynes, who often saw Carrick’s siblings play outside in his neighborhood.

Robert Render, 22, remained in McHenry County Jail on Saturday evening on $40,000 bond on a charge of concealing a homicidal death. Prosecutors allege that Render knew that Carrick was killed.

Render was appointed a special public defender Saturday morning in McHenry County court. He stood quietly with his hands behind his back as a judge read the indictment for the Class 3 felony charge that a grand jury approved last week.

If convicted of the charge, Render could be sentenced to two to five years in prison. His next court date is scheduled for Thursday.

Carrick’s family declined to comment on the arrest Saturday. But residents in and around Johnsburg praised authorities for not giving up on the case and said they hoped that the latest developments would prompt more answers.

“I think anytime you don’t have a body it’s harder to try,” said Scott Kantenwein of Ingleside. “In a town so small, somebody knows something.”

Last year, authorities charged Mario Casciaro of McHenry with eight counts of perjury in connection with the investigation. Casciaro, now 25, also worked at Val’s Foods.

Casciaro allegedly told another man, Alan Lippert, that Carrick’s body was dismembered and thrown into a river in Iowa, among other statements. But Casciaro denied making those claims when he was asked about them before a grand jury in February 2007.

Casciaro also denied telling Lippert that he “directed Shane Lamb to scare Brian Carrick, and things got out of hand.” Casciaro, who was released on $50,000 bond last year, is next expected in court Aug. 26.

Lamb was released from Taylorville Correctional Center on parole in April. He served about two years for an aggravated battery that occurred in DeKalb County, according to Illinois Department of Corrections records.

The case’s latest developments caused Steve Wilkins of Ringwood to reflect on his own children and grandchildren as he walked into the Johnsburg Public Library on Saturday.

“I hope this brings closure,” he said, “so they find out what happened to their child.”

– Northwest Herald reporter Tom Musick contributed to this story.

Ambiance draws fest regulars

From the Sunday, July 20, 2008 edition of the Northwest Herald:

Ambiance draws fest regulars
By DIANA SROKA - dsroka@nwherald.com

McHENRY – Mark Fluger stirs his sugary mixture into a large, black, copper kettle.

It’s a hot job, he says.

He’s in town from Twin Lakes, Wis. It’s his eighth Fiesta Days.

When the mixture is slimy, he adds a pound of popcorn kernels. A line forms at his Country Time Kettle Corn booth on Court Street.

He stirs some more.

Within minutes, the kettle is brimming.

Fluger reaches for the bell.

Ding, ding, ding! Another batch is ready.

The sweet, fluffy treat wasn’t the only draw to Veterans Memorial Park on Saturday.

The festival’s ambiance has attracted McHenry resident Stan Mill for 18 years.

“[It’s] the whole family, small-town atmosphere,” he said.

Mill and his wife brought their children to the festival years ago, the way Marion and Chris Metz brought 3-year-old Michael this year.

The Metz family is new to McHenry. They moved from Georgia last month.

They recognize the ambiance Mill enjoys.

“We’re taking in the atmosphere,” Marion Metz said. “We’ve found the people to be extraordinary, nice.”

They’re excited for today’s parade at 1:30.

For them, the festival is a welcome to town.

For Jaime and Ashley Magnus of Lakemoor, it’s a shopping trip.

The stepmother and stepdaughter browse a jewelry booth at the craft fair.

They’re scoping out rings.

“We always like the crafty stuff,” Jaime said.

And the sidewalk sales on Green Street – good bargains, they said.

At a booth selling trinkets, crowns and tiaras for girls, 9-year-old Emily Prescott received a hair wrap.

The Prescotts, from McHenry, vacationed in Florida this summer.

Emily wanted a hair wrap then, but there wasn’t time.

This was her chance.

“I like the color pink,” she said, as the hair wrap was completed.

Her sister Jessica, 5, waited for her turn.

“She’s excited to try it,” their mother Laura said.

Fiesta Days continues Saturday with Family Faith Night at Petersen Park.

On the record with Rich Tobiasz

From the Sunday, July 20, 2008 edition of the Northwest Herald:

On the record with... Rich Tobiasz
At the end of a long day at the Spring Grove Fire Protection District, Chief Rich Tobiasz relaxes by tending to more than an acre of gardens at his home.

Tobiasz, a master gardener, has been the town’s fire chief for the past 15 years.

When he’s not at the firehouse, he grows a wide variety of vegetables, herbs and fruits at his Spring Grove home.

Tobiasz moved to the area from Chicago after graduating from high school and has lived there since.

He relishes in the rural atmosphere, which complements the passion for botany that he’s had since childhood.

From the Japanese gardens to his bulb garden, Tobiasz said he and his wife spent about four hours gardening daily – as well as tending to their sheep, goat and chickens.

All their produce is grown organically, and the couple even garden through winter months.

Tobiasz sat down with reporter Diana Sroka to talk about his passion for gardening.

Sroka: How long have you been gardening?

Tobiasz: There’s pictures of me in my busia’s – “busia” is Polish for grandmother – in her garden at age 2 with a rake in my hand in my garden.

Sroka: What do you plant?

Tobiasz: Just about everything in the way of vegetables. A lot of tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, onions, squash, corn and an orchard ... and we do some small fruits, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries.

Sroka: What do you do with all the fruit and vegetables?

Tobiasz: Freeze it, can it, eat it, give some away to the food pantry, and that’s pretty much what we do with it.

Sroka: Has there ever been a major catastrophe in the garden?

Tobiasz: We had the corn blow down one year with a big storm. We grow small patches of sweet corn, and it knocked it down one year. We periodically have a Colorado potato beetle problem. Pretty common. This year’s kind of tough because there’s been so much rain that the weeds are growing faster than the gardens, so we’re spending more time weeding than usual. Drought years are very tough. But no one major catastrophe.

Sroka: What about the winter?

Tobiasz: We do some winter gardening. I have a small heated greenhouse, and we have experimented with something called a high tunnel, or a hoop house. ... We ate lettuce through Jan. 15 last year; we ate lettuce from the high tunnel. Then we started planting in the greenhouse, transferred it to the hoop house, and by March 15, we were eating fresh lettuce this year.

Sroka: What advice can you give to someone who wants to get into gardening?

Tobiasz: Do it, that’s the first one. I would say, take a class if you can. There are plenty of seminars, things like Garden Fest at the college in the spring, take a class that can give you some basics. Read everything you can about gardening because there’s plenty of information out there. And grow things you like.

Heat brings health concerns for some residents

From the Saturday, July 19, 2008 edition of the Northwest Herald:

Heat brings health concerns for some residents
By DIANA SROKA - dsroka@nwherald.com

Out came the sprinklers and swimming pools with this week’s rising temperatures, as well as special concerns for senior citizens in the area.

McHenry County agencies are reaching out to make sure that residents know how to cope with the heat, particularly the county’s senior citizen population. About 28,000 county residents are 65 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

“Check on friends and family members and make sure they’re OK,” said Robert Ellsworth, assistant director of the McHenry County Emergency Management Agency.

Since the county isn’t home to high-rise apartment buildings, residents don’t face as many risks as people living in the city, Ellsworth said. However, he advised that precautions still be taken.

“Drink lots of fluids, stay indoors,” he said.

Ellsworth stressed that people should stay in air-conditioned environments as much as possible, and residents without home cooling should spend time in libraries or shopping centers when the mercury climbs above 90 degrees.

During the week, residents can visit cooling centers for relief. McHenry County’s center is at the Family Community Resource Center, 2215 Lake Shore Drive, Woodstock.

Those who live farther south can use Kane County’s cooling center at 600 S. State St., Elgin. And residents in the eastern part of the county can use Lake County’s cooling center, 3234 W. Belvidere Road, Park City.

Senior Services Associates in McHenry keeps an eye on seniors who are clients of the center by calling them when temperatures hit the 90s.

“We do a wellness check on all the people we have in our system to see if they are OK,” office coordinator Rita Boulden said. “We ask them if they’re drinking enough water, do they have air conditioning or fans.”

She said about 30 seniors who were serviced by the agency received calls, but temperatures hadn’t risen enough to warrant a call so far.

“This is the first hot spell we’ve had really,” Boulden said. “If it gets to be 90 or so, that is a little too hot for the senior population.”

Temperatures are expected to remain in the low- to mid-80s next week, but forecasters say that doesn’t mean higher temperatures aren’t around the corner.

“We’ve still got a good portion of summer left,” said Stephen Rodriguez, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. “It’s not uncommon to see 90 degree weather.”

For those struggling to pay for cooling, the McHenry County Housing Authority disbursed $59,550 in state funds in less than two weeks.

“We only get a set amount of money from the state, ... we ran out of money Wednesday,” authority Executive Director Julie Biel Claussen said.

Biel Claussen said the money was disbursed on a first-come, first-served basis, and 397 residents received aid. The money is paid directly to the recipients’ ComEd accounts. McHenry Township buys air conditioners for residents who are elderly, have a respiratory condition, or have financial need and don’t have any alternatives for relief from the heat.

“We consider that to be an emergency purchase,” Township Supervisor Donna Schaefer said. “They call us directly or they are referred to us by other social service agencies.”

Schaefer said at least one person received an air conditioner this year.

Tips for staying cool:

- Drink water.

- Stay indoors.

- Turn off lights.

- Take cool showers and baths.

- Wear loose-fitting clothes.

- Avoid physical exertion.

Source: McHenry County Emergency Management Agency

Arrest made in Carrick case

From the Saturday, July 19, 2008 edition of the Northwest Herald:

Arrest made in Carrick case
By DIANA SROKA - dsroka@nwherald.com
and JILLIAN DUCHNOWSKI - jduchnowski@nwherald.com

WOODSTOCK – A former employee at Val’s Foods, the grocery store where Johnsburg High School senior Brian Carrick last was seen in December 2002, was taken into custody Friday in connection with the disappearance.

Robert Render, 22, was arrested on a charge of concealing a homicidal death in the Carrick case. Render is being held in McHenry County Jail on $40,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in bond court this morning.

McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi said Friday that he was confident that the case was a homicide even though authorities had not found a body.

“We are going to continue until this case is solved,” Bianchi said.

He credited the arrest to a lead followed by State’s Attorney’s Chief Investigator Ron Salgado, Johnsburg police and the FBI.

“Chief [Ken Rydberg] said ‘I won’t rest until this case is solved.’ He inspired us to work on it with him,” Bianchi said of the Johnsburg’s police chief, who publicly has pledged his dedication to the case.

Rydberg could not be reached for comment Friday evening.

Carrick’s disappearance remains one of the area’s biggest unsolved mysteries. The 17-year-old boy last was seen about 6:45 p.m. Dec. 20,

2002, walking into the grocery store across the street from his house where he had worked as a stock boy for about three years.

His phone never was used after that, and his blood was found in a produce cooler and in boxes from a trash compactor at the store.

The family, which includes his 13 siblings, conducted a memorial Mass at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church about a year after the disappearance, and police continued to investigate the case as the flow of leads dwindled.

Then, last year, authorities charged Mario Casciaro, now 25, of McHenry with eight counts of perjury. Casciaro also worked at Val’s Foods.

Casciaro allegedly told another man, Alan Lippert, that Brian Carrick’s body was dismembered and thrown into a river in Iowa, among other statements.

But when asked before a grand jury in February 2007 whether he made that claim to Lippert, Casciaro denied it.

Casciaro also denied telling Lippert that he “directed Shane Lamb to scare Brian Carrick, and things got out of hand.”

Lamb, 24, was released from Taylorville Correctional Center on parole April 30 after serving about two years for an aggravated battery that occurred in DeKalb County, according to Illinois Department of Corrections records.

Prosecutors have revealed that they have audio recordings of conversations between Lippert and Casciaro that were made without Casciaro’s knowledge, although the full transcripts have not been made public.

Casciaro was released on $50,000 bond June 19, 2007, about eight days after his arrest. His case next is expected in court Aug. 26.

Concealing a homicidal death is a Class 3 felony punishable by two to five years in prison.

– Northwest Herald reporters Jim Butts and Sarah Sutschek contributed to this report.

Two beaches reopened

From the Saturday, July 19, 2008 Web edition of the Northwest Herald:

Two beaches reopened
By DIANA SROKA - dsroka@nwherald.com

Two of the beaches closed yesterday for high bacteria levels were reopened this morning, McHenry County Department of Health officials said.

Main Beach in Crystal Lake (Lake Park on the department's Web site) and Indian Ridge 2 Beach in Wonder Lake were reopened, said MCDH spokesman Joseph Gugle.

Wonder Center and Indian Ridge 1 beaches in Wonder Lake remain closed. The beach by the McHenry County Early Learning Center in McHenry is open, but bacteria levels warrant an advisory.

Spring Grove safety committee to review alert concept

From the Friday, July 18, 2008 edition of the Northwest Herald:

Spring Grove safety committee to review alert concept

SPRING GROVE – The Spring Grove Safety Committee will investigate whether Spring Grove should implement a community alert system that could notify residents of weather emergencies by phone, text or e-mail message.

Connect-CTY, a company that provides alert system service, addressed the board at Tuesay’s meeting. Trustees are not yet positive that there is a need for the service, so the Safety Committee will research the topic, Safety Committee Chairman Del Houghton said.

“It’ll be on the radar, and we’ll determine if this is something we should be moving forward with or it’s just not feasible for Spring Grove,” Houghton said. “Due diligence is the key to this.”

Connect-CTY already provides service to Barrington Hills, Wauconda and Antioch.

– Diana Sroka

Stade's kicks off sweet-corn season with all-day picnic

From the Friday, July 18, 2008 edition of the Northwest Herald:

Stade's kicks off sweet-corn season with all-day picnic
By DIANA SROKA - dsroka@nwherald.com

JOHNSBURG – If you’ve been craving sweet corn all summer, Stade’s Farm and Market is the place to be Sunday.

The public is invited to feast on the first sweet corn of the season at an all-day picnic from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Sunday at Stade’s Farm and Market, 3709 Miller Road, Johnsburg.

“Sunday our sweet corn will be ready,” owner Vern Stade said. “We will roast it here or you can buy it by the dozen.”

Festivities will kick off at 10 a.m. with an outdoor Christian worship service. After the service, picnic-goers can buy burgers, brats, hot dogs, beverages and the main draw, the first of this season’s sweet corn. The corn will be picked from Stade’s fields Sunday morning. An ear of roasted corn will be $1.50. There also will be hay rides, a bounce house and games for children, and music.

“We try to keep everything family- and country-oriented,” Stade said. “Something for mom and dad, and something for the kids.”

Beyond the start of sweet corn season, this weekend is the grand opening of the new farmer’s market facility on the farm; Stade closed the Wilmot Road outdoor farmer’s market.

“It’s all about making neighbors aware of where I’m at,” Stade said.

The Miller Road market is indoors, so the produce stays fresher, Stade said.

He also said from onions and potatoes to broccoli and green beans, there will be plenty of fresh produce for sale.

Stade said he hoped that Sunday’s festivities will be as educational as they are entertaining.

“I hope they enjoy a day in the country, on an actual working farm,” he said. “There’s not a whole lot of places you can do that around here.”

For information, call 815-675-6396 or visit stadesfarmandmarket.com

If you go
What: Opening Day Picnic at Stade’s Farm.

When: 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Sunday.

Where: Stade’s Farm and Market, 3709 Miller Road, Johnsburg.

Cost: Admission and parking is free. Food, beverages and corn are available for purchase. Varying fees charged for hay ride, other attractions.

Spring Grove board approves raises

From the Wednesday, July 16, 2008 edition of the Northwest Herald:

Spring Grove board approves raises
By DIANA SROKA - dsroka@nwherald.com

SPRING GROVE – The Spring Grove Village Board unanimously approved salary increases for the village president and trustees Tuesday.

The village president’s annual salary will increase by 11 percent to $10,000 and trustees’ salaries will increase by 13.6 percent to $5,000. The increases will take effect after the spring 2009 municipal election. All trustees were present at the meeting, but Village President Mark Eisenberg was absent. There was no discussion amongst the board or public comment about the raises.

“It’s a minimal amount of money, especially with this board,” Trustee Del Houghton said after the meeting. “The money is inconsequential to me.”

Hougton estimated board members each spend 10 to 15 hours a week addressing village matters, and by the end of the year the rate of pay is less than $10 an hour. The village president and trustee salaries are slightly higher than neighboring Johnsburg, which has a population slightly higher than Spring Grove. Johnsburg Director of Operations Claudett Peters said trustees earn $4,000 and the village president earns $9,000 each year. Trustee Mike Lee said the Village Board researched area salaries before choosing the increase amount.

“Different numbers floated around, we thought it was fair,” Lee said. “For the amount of work that we do, we’re not doing it for the money.”

Some residents present at the meeting agreed.

“[With] all the hard work they do, I think they should earn more,” said Spring Grove resident Ray Perkins.

“I don’t think that’s very much money.”

Spring Grove considering new alert system

From the Tuesday, July 15, 2008 edition of the Northwest Herald:

Spring Grove considering new alert system
By DIANA SROKA - dsroka@nwherald.com

SPRING GROVE – Village officials are considering a community alert system with the ability to contact residents by voice, or text and e-mail messages during weather emergencies.

Residents complained that they didn’t hear emergency sirens during last month’s storms, so as a possible solution, Trustee Jim Anhalt arranged for a provider company to demonstrate the system at Tuesday’s board meeting.

Anhalt said during last month’s storms that he could not hear the siren at his home, too.

“The siren by us is no more than a quarter mile away, but because of the wind direction, most people didn't hear it,” Anhalt said. “If we had a tornado, we would have been wiped out, and people wouldn't have known about it.”

The company giving the demonstration, Connect-CTY, already provides service to Barrington Hills, Wauconda and Antioch.

The alert service is for emergency use only, said Natasha Rabe, a spokesperson with Connect-CTY. Phone numbers will not be sold to telemarketers, and the village will not use them for any other purpose.

“[The phone numbers] are only available to key government officials in the area, and they can only use it to send information that’s in the public interest,” Rabe said.

She also said residents who wished to submit their cell phone numbers could receive emergency messages by text message, a technique that sometimes is used to disseminate emergency alerts on college campuses.

Anhalt said he looked forward to the presentation and hoped residents would attend.

“Within a couple minutes, everybody in Spring Grove would be notified,” Anhalt said. “I think it's a small investment that would hopefully make us safer.”

Anhalt said the cost would be about $2.50 a house a year, and he estimated Spring Grove had about 2,500 homes within its borders. At 2,500 homes, the cost would be $6,250 annually.

Fiesta Days keeps going, rain or shine

From the Sunday, July 13, 2008 edition of the Northwest Herald:

Fiesta Days keeps going, rain or shine
By DIANA SROKA - dsroka@nwherald.com

McHENRY – Although the morning rain left puddles in the volleyball sand, that didn’t stop six teams playing at McHenry’s Fiesta Days from having a good time Saturday.

“It’s sloppy, but fun,” said Katie Hendle of McHenry. “It’s sand volleyball, so you’re going to get dirty anyways.” Hendle, 19, played on the team sponsored by Harms Farm.

On the drier side of the festival, eight children and six adults competed at the second annual Fiesta Favorite talent competition. Several original compositions were performed, including 16-year-old Brooke Sieben’s song, “All I Need is Time.”

This was Sieben’s second performance at Fiesta Days.

“I just love performing,” said Sieben, who lives in Johnsburg.

“Any chance I get, I take it, and this is local.”

Audience members voted for their two favorite performers in each category. In the children’s category, Maggie Johnson, Hannah Leclair, Dean Palya Jr. and Amber Willis will compete in the Fiesta Favorite Finalits Competition at 2:30 p.m. today.

In the adult category, Thomas Hirschler, Jessica Parson, Amy Yore and Catherine Yore will compete today.

Festival-goer Laurra Koster and her daughters Sierra, 13, and Cheyenne, 11, liked the mix of entertainment and food.

“It’s enjoyable to listen to the talent show and have some dinner, something different,” said Koster of McHenry.

“It really doesn’t matter who’s playing – it’s nice to sit out in the sun and listen to the bands.”

Fiesta Days runs through July 26 at various locations in McHenry.

For information, call 815-385-4300.

Some items non-negotiable even in tough times

From the Saturday, July 12, 2008 edition of the Northwest Herald:

Some items non-negotiable even in tough times
By DIANA SROKA - dsroka@nwherald.com

Jamie Rodriguez likes a fresh haircut.

So much so, that the 28-year-old from Woodstock used to have his hair trimmed once a week.

But “with the way everything’s going up so high,” Rodriguez said, he’s cut his trips to the barber shop down to twice a month.

Rodriguez is among the thrifty who have reacted to rising fuel and overall costs by curtailing their spending.

But experts say affordable luxuries aren’t that easy to give up, which is why many refuse to let go of their daily indulgences despite their potential cost savings.

“I’ll still get my hair done professionally, regardless,” Algonquin resident Kelley Vojtsek said. “Every eight weeks, color and cut ... always at a salon.”

Vojtsek, 52, estimates that she spends $125 on each trip to the salon.

This little luxury is not only worth it, Vojtsek said, it’s well-deserved.

“I’m not going out to lunch with my girlfriends or having lattes,” she said.

Lunch and lattes aren’t in Vojtsek’s budget.

However, they are in Jill VanCamp and Rachelle Moody’s.

The two friends, both teachers at Lundahl Middle School in Crystal Lake, meet for coffee at least three times a week.

“It’s a time we can get together and chat,” said Moody, who lives in Carpentersville. “There are certain things you have to do [for] yourself.

They estimate spending about $20 weekly – Starbucks caramel macchiato is their drink of choice – but they allow themselves this luxury only during the summer.

“When we are working, I’ll make my own at home and bring it to work,” Moody said.

Consumer behavior experts say many businesses are based on the concept of affordable luxuries because these small indulgences become defining aspects of people’s personalities.

“People use them to distinguish their own behavior in themselves,” said Mary Ann McGrath, a marketing professor at Loyola University Chicago.

McGrath said rising gas prices were noticeable because gas typically is bought in isolation and isn’t really a choice. People don’t react the same way to expensive haircuts or coffees because they actively choose to buy these things.

“These are irrational, non-economic choices,” McGrath said. “It’s a different type of arithmetic that says, ‘This is something that is important to my life.’ ”

For some, it’s important to look good. For the Duex family in Spring Grove, the trump card is convenience.

Janet Duex said her husband and three children went out to dinner “once, maybe two or three times” weekly because it’s easier than cooking every night.

“I don’t want to clean up the mess; I don’t want to cook,” Duex said. “It’s convenience.”

It’s tough for Duex, a teacher at Nippersink Middle School in Richmond, to make dinner after work, so the family frequents Chili’s, McDonald’s or local pizza places.

But just because they’re eating out doesn’t mean they’re spending recklessly, Duex said.

“I keep track of every penny we spend,” she said.

More than 340 cited in blitz

From the Friday, July 11, 2008 edition of the Northwest Herald:

More than 340 cited in blitz
By DIANA SROKA - dsroka@nwherald.com

Seven people were arrested for driving under the influence during a roadside safety check on Routes 12 and 120 last month, Illinois State Police said.

That same day, June 27, police issued more than 340 citations for other offenses at a traffic enforcement blitz along Route 12 in McHenry and Lake Counties.

Police said 139 of the citation issued were for not wearing seat belts.

“That’s a big effort on our part, to get people to wear their seat belts,” State Police Lt. James Griffith said.

The fatality rate for accidents involving people who weren’t wearing seat belts is up, he said, especially in Lake and Kane counties.

Griffith said the number of citations issued that day were consistent with past blitzes in the area.

“If we’re identifying the people that are violating the law hopefully that’ll make an impact on them,” Griffith said.

The next traffic enforcement blitz will be Monday along Route 47. Police from Hebron, Woodstock, Huntley, Lakewood and Lake in the Hills will assist in the blitz.

Fiesta Days planners put focus on family

From the Friday, July 11, 2008 edition of the Northwest Herald:

Fiesta Days planners put focus on family
By DIANA SROKA - dsroka@nwherald.com

McHENRY – From 1960s Beatles music to wild game meat, the organizers of McHenry’s Fiesta Days promise something for everyone this year.

The festival kicks off at 4 p.m. today at Petersen Park, off McCollum Lake Road in McHenry.

There will be 13 food vendors offering plenty of pizza, hot dogs, Chinese food, seafood and even game – wild boar, buffalo and elk sausage, said Jane Manny, events director for the McHenry Area Chamber of Commerce.

The music selection throughout the weekend will span from the 1960s to the 1990s. Friday will feature ’80s music. Saturday’s Led Zeppelin tribute band will channel the music of the 1970s. Later that night, headliner band the Spin Doctors will play music from the 1990s. Sunday’s entertainment will feature Beatles and Motown tunes from the 1960s.

For children, there will be carnival rides and games, track-and-field events, balloons, finger-painting and more.

“It’s important to me that families stick together,” Fiesta Days Chairwoman Karen Noel said. “This is an event that everybody can go to.”

New this year, the Riverview Theatre will perform Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer’s Night Dream” next weekend at Veteran’s Memorial Park. Parking is free and available at Petersen Park. Overflow parking also is available as needed.

“[Residents] can look forward to lots and lots of fun,” Noel said. “There’s multiple things for just about every age group.”

Fiesta Days, which is one of the oldest festivals in the area, runs today through July 26 at Petersen Park, Veterans Memorial Park and other locations in McHenry.

For information, call 815-385-4300.

Mosquito abatement in McHenry

From the Tuesday, July 8, 2008 edition of the Northwest Herald:

Mosquito abatement in McHenry
McHENRY – There will be citywide mosquito control misting tonight and early Thursday in McHenry.

The misting is part of the city’s efforts to control the adult mosquito population.

The mist is a synthetic pyrethoid that is widely used for mosquito control. It’s not harmful to humans, said Bill Hobson, assistant city administrator.

The mist will be applied by Clarke Mosquito Control.

Residents with questions or concerns about the misting are encouraged to call the company’s mosquito hot line at 800-942-2555.

– Diana Sroka

Gala-goers enjoy parade, fireworks

From the Sunday, July 6, 2008 edition of the Northwest Herald:

Gala-goers enjoy parade, fireworks
By DIANA SROKA - dsroka@nwherald.com

CRYSTAL LAKE – Kristin Weeks, 34, asked her daughter Olivia what her favorite part of the Crystal Lake parade was.

“Everything!” the 5-year-old said loudly. Her mother probes a bit – suggesting different groups and performances from the parade.

So Olivia changes her answer, but only slightly: “Everything, Mommy! Getting candy!”

Olivia certainly isn’t alone in her opinion. The Crystal Lake parade route was flooded Saturday as residents watched for almost two hours as a wide variety of personalities, organizations and performances passed by.

When the parade ended, many crowd members made their way to the Crystal Lake Gala at Lippold Park.

Louise Steinbach, president of the Gala board, said the new festival location had worked out “fabulously” so far.

“Everybody was talking about how wonderful the new space was. It’s all been coming together just so great,” she said. “It’s what we hoped for.”

Festival-goers seem to have enjoyed the new space, as well.

“It’s real good,” said Jean Wehling of Cary. “It’s different, but good.”

Steinbach said after Thursday night, festival organizers decided to increase the space between booths at the galeria, but there had been no other snags or problems since.

She also said the shuttle service from five locations around Crystal Lake had proven popular.

“People come in, they get dropped off right at the front door, [and] when they want to leave they get picked up right at the front door,” she said. “It’s really a wonderful option.”

After Sister Hazel’s performance today, about 12 chairs decorated by local service and charity organizations will be raffled. Raffle tickets are $1 each.

“They’re just beautiful art,” Steinbach said. “We really want to raise as much money as we can.”

Go forth locally on 4th

From the Friday, July 4, 2008 edition of the Northwest Herald:

Go forth locally on 4th
By DIANA SROKA - dsroka@nwherald.com

Home-sweet-home types, not to worry. From fireworks displays, music and food to carnival rides and magic shows, plenty of Fourth of July festivities are happening locally this weekend.

Crystal Lake’s Gala Festival started Thursday night at Lippold Park, west of Route 14 on Route 176, Crystal Lake. The Gala – complete with live music performances, carnival rides and food – will continue through 10 p.m. Sunday.

For Tom Wieczorek of McHenry, the holiday will be a time to visit family in Wonder Lake and partake in festivities there.

“I’m going to Wonder Lake to see the water ski show, fireworks and parade,” Wieczorek said.

Wonder Lake’s ski show will be at 4 p.m. today at Center Beach. A magic show will follow the ski show, and fireworks will be at dusk.

For people such as Cherie Smith of Crystal Lake – a self-proclaimed “party pooper” – there will be plenty of fireworks to choose from if you opt out of festivals in the daytime.

“Usually I just go see the fireworks,” Smith said.

Huntley, Woodstock, Wonder Lake, Spring Grove and several other communities will host their fireworks shows tonight.

If the celebration mood hasn’t ceased on Saturday, swing by Fox Lake for the Celebrate Fox Lake Parade at 10 a.m. and crafts fair at Millennium Park after the parade.

Fox Lake, McHenry and Crystal Lake all have fireworks Saturday night.

Police bust alleged underage party

From the Friday, July 4, 2008 edition of the Northwest Herald:

Police bust alleged underage party
By DIANA SROKA dsroka@nwherald.com

McHENRY – Ten people face a variety of charges after McHenry police broke up an alleged underage drinking party at 1101 N. Green St.

Charged Tuesday with purchase, acceptance, possession and/or consumption of alcohol were: Iliana M. Beeter, 28, of 5932 Castlewood Trail, McHenry; Kelly C. Blauw, 17, 1101 N. Green St., McHenry; and Leonard D. Reed, 20, 1101 N. Green St., Apt. 1, McHenry.

Reed also was charged with harboring for unlawful activities, according to a statement released Thursday by McHenry Deputy Chief William Brogan.

Billy W. Mcelyea, 20, also of 1101 N. Green St., Apt. 1, McHenry, was charged with harboring for unlawful activities, disorderly conduct, and purchase, acceptance, possession and/or consumption of alcohol by a minor.

Joseph O. Ziegler, 18, 5221 Cleveland Drive, Johnsburg, was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.

Also, a 15-year-old from Lakemoor, a 16-year-old from Cary, a 16-year-old from Oakwood Hills and a 16-year-old from Johnsburg were charged with curfew violation and purchase, acceptance, possession and/or consumption of alcohol, the police statement said.

A 15-year-old from McHenry was charged with curfew violation, disorderly conduct and purchase, acceptance, possession and/or consumption of alcohol.

Attempts to reach Brogan to discuss more details about the incident were unsuccessful Thursday.

Spring Grove teens get deal, keep licenses

From the Thursday, July 3, 2008 edition of the Northwest Herald:

Spring Grove teens get deal, keep licenses
By DIANA SROKA - dsroka@nwherald.com

Not only will some of the teens charged with underage drinking at a February barn party in Spring Grove be able to drive this summer, but the charges they face also might be dismissed in October.

Spring Grove police took 58 teens into custody in February after they discovered a barn party at 7119 S. Solon Road. Of the 58 teens, 22 were charged with underage drinking. Many of the teens received three-month driver’s license suspensions.

State law since January of this year states that any underage drinking conviction or guilty plea – even with supervision – results in driver’s license suspension by the Secretary of State’s Office.

However, their attorneys said the teens were not aware that their licenses would be suspended when they pleaded guilty – and Spring Grove Police Chief Tom Sanders has said publicly that neither was he.

On Wednesday in McHenry Branch Court, 12 of the teens who pleaded guilty were allowed to rescind the pleas that they entered in March.

All first-time offenders among the 12 in court Wednesday and the 10 others who were charged have been offered a deal involving good behavior, alcohol awareness classes, community service, and a monetary contribution to CrimeStoppers or Students Against Drunk Driving, village prosecutor Mary Spiegel said.

“We want to impress upon the kids that we can’t take this lightly,” she said. “This is a serious offense.”

Spiegel said that if the youths don’t receive any new arrests of any kind, register for and complete 10 hours of alcohol awareness and education classes, complete 20 hours of public service work, and make the $50 contribution, the charges will be dropped in October.

But if they aren’t first-time offenders or they fail to complete any of the terms of the agreement, they will be prosecuted, Spiegel said.

“This multi-faceted approach is a great way to impress upon these kids that this is serious, this cannot be treated lightly, and to educate them,” Spiegel said.

Spiegel said the village decided on this approach after investigating how other communities have dealt with underage drinking charges.

In court Wednesday, Judge James S. Cowlin advised the teens to “conduct yourselves in the appropriate manners in the future.”

He said he believed that the original consequences were appropriate after the teens pleaded guilty in March.