MCC Trustees vote for, then regret

Be sure to read today's article in the Northwest Herald that carries the headline, "Packard exit was board's decision." At this point, probably few care why Mr. Packard left MCC but here's what matters: The board lied to the public when it announced his reason for leaving.

Get it? The MCC Board of Trustees lied to the public. That is, they LIED. Two have left the board; maybe it's time for the public to clean house and sweep out all the others. Give the new MCC president a board unburdened by the lie.

Was reporter Brett Rowland talking about the closed session as being the "three-hour meeting"? If so, then of course there was no formal vote. A public board cannot vote in executive/closed session. It can "discuss"; members can voice their opinions. And then they must return to Open Session. If a vote is to be taken, somebody has to make a motion in open session, and then the vote on the matter has to be taken by roll call with the vote by each member individually recorded. And they better have recorded the Executive Session, either by audio- or video-tape. Did they?

Board member Carol Larson and board president George Lowe reportedly "eventually joined the majority". Several paragraphs later, they reportedly "...said they regretted the board's decision." You know something? The world just doesn't work this way; or does it? If you regret something, then you take a stand, no matter how unpopular, and you don't vote for it.

This same affliction is present in Woodstock at some City Council meetings. Members talk about a matter under discussion and say they are not in favor of it. And then, a little later, when it's time to vote, they vote for it.

Trustee Donna Kurtz said, "We could have done the transition and communication better, but we did the best possible job we could with the information we had."

Sorry, Trustee Kurtz. No pass. No one was in a position to have more information than the trustees in closed session. You infer that there was information you didn't have. No, you had to have it, or you should have gotten it. Sure, you could have done the transition and communication better. The trustees, or their spokesperson, could have told the truth.

And Trustee Mary Miller? According to the newspaper, "I think it's huge media hype," she said. "Let it die. Move on with something more positive."

In other words, we lied and we got caught. So what? Live with it...

Sorry, Trustee Miller. No pass for you, either. The Board has gotten caught in the lie. Just because, for you, his leaving was about caring for his wife, if it really wasn't, you should have spoken out and informed the press and the public of the truth.

MCC Taps Sager

For those of you who don't read the Northwest Herald, President Walter Packard has announced his decision to step aside from his role as President of McHenry County College, in order to devote time and attention to the care of his wife, Nancy.

Today's Northwest Herald describes the condition affecting Mrs. Packard as "frontotemporal dementia, a disease that attacks the frontal lobe. Its progression can be slow as it affects a person’s personality, ability to concentrate, social skills, motivation, and reasoning. The disease should not be confused with Alzheimer’s, which tends to strike people older in age."

This will be a time when support for both the cared-for and the caregiver will be important and needed. Best wishes to Mr. and Mrs. Packard.

MCC has announced the appointment of Brian Sager to the role of acting president. Sager will serve during the College's search for a successor to Packard. Sager, of course, is Woodstock's Mayor and had been serving as Interim Vice President - Academic and Student Affairs.