Housing Commission - needed?

Here we go again. Something's broken, so the County Board is going to create a commission to fix it.

This morning's headline in the Northwest Herald: "County eyes housing costs", with the sub-headline, "Foreclosures, pricey rents prompt proposal for commission."

282 foreclosure filings in September 2009.
228 foreclosure filings in September 2008.

Why September? Why not October? November? And what's the year-to-date total? Certainly, the courthouse should be able to provide more current numbers.

"Affordable housing" in McHenry County? What a joke!

If the County Board wants to do something to make rents and housing more affordable, how about a commission to lower property taxes?

Supply and demand ought to control the marketplace, but the extremely high property taxes in McHenry County will keep rents and mortgage payments high. Maybe a County Commission could have some influence on municipalities to lower their property tax bite out of the apple or some influence on school districts? Not likely!

Woodstock granted dispensation to some Cunat apartments that were carved out of storage rooms before Cunat bought the rental property. Instead of telling Cunat, "Tough luck; should have done your due diligence more carefully", the City Council blessed the previously-unapproved changes. And how much are the rents for a storage room-now-efficiency apartment? What were they - 380 sq. feet? $600/month??? Now that's pricey!

Affordable housing for someone (that's some"one") who wanted an efficiency (or studio) apartment would probably mean a monthly rent of $300, not $600.

No tickets in WPD vs. UPS crash

On November 24th a Woodstock Police car hit a UPS van turning into a driveway on Route 47, just north of U.S. 14. The crash occurred about 10:45AM, and I happened to drive by before a supervisor from WPD or a deputy from the sheriff's department arrived to take the crash report. The roadway was wet, but it was not raining.

According to the crash report prepared by Deputy #1654 (names are now omitted from crash reports written by the McHenry County Sheriff's Department), Ofc. Richard Dolan was following the UPS truck too closely, when the UPS truck turned right the strip shopping center at 1662 South Eastwood.

Both vehicles were southbound on Eastwood (Route 47). The UPS driver reported that he turned on his right turn signal, but moved to the left partially to make what I'll call a "country" or wide right turn. Ofc. Dolan reported that he thought the UPS driver intended to turn left, because he had moved toward the middle (two-way, left-turn) lane. Dolan braked but slid on the wet pavement, striking the right rear of the UPS van.

According to the crash report, no citations were issued. The UPS van driver was not cited; Ofc. Dolan was not cited.

I'm always curious when a police officer is involved in a crash and is the at-fault driver, when no ticket is issued. This happens more frequently than the public knows, because the traditional media do not report it fully.

Several years ago a serious crash occurred, involving a Woodstock Police car running hot through a red light by Wendy's. It was investigated by a McHenry County deputy sheriff, and no ticket was issued to the officer. When the citizen who was hit was later asked whether the officer was ticketed, his answer was, "Oh, can cops get tickets?"

It took him three years to collect the damages from the City of Woodstock, but he finally got his money; and then he was kind enough to call me and thank me for helping him.

In July 2008 a deputy pulled off a highway shoulder on U.S. 12 to make a U-turn and drive a prisoner to the McHenry County Jail. Unfortunately, he didn't wait for passing traffic to clear, and he struck the right side of a vehicle that was passing by. Not only did he not get a ticket for causing the crash, the crash report got manipulated at the sheriff's department, and the woman driver going by was put in the Unit 1 (the at-fault) position. There was $5,600 damage to the woman's car, and the Sheriff's Department or the County refused to pay her, because she was put on the report as Unit 1.

That crash should have been investigated by an independent agency, such as the State Police or a nearby municipal PD officer. It wasn't; the at-fault deputy's supervisor handled the crash report. Initially, the report indicated the deputy was at fault and he was placed as Unit 1. He complained loudly, and the sergeant re-wrote the report, placing the woman citizen as Unit 1; i.e., the at-fault driver.

Numerous deputies realized the deputy had caused the accident and were upset at the falsified crash report. But the sheriff refused to have it corrected, and the woman never got paid for the damages to her vehicle.

If a citizen causes a crash, he or she gets a ticket.

If a cop causes a crash, he should get a ticket.

By the way, McHenry County Sheriff's Department Deputy #1654 is Laura Larson.

Garden Prairie accident - 1 ticket (so far)

On November 17, 22-year-old James L. Taylor, II, of Marengo, was tuning his MP-3 and ran off Route 20, seriously injuring Don Pilgrim of Garden Prairie.

Taylor was issued a ticket for driving with no insurance, and the Boone County State's Attorney's Office is determining whether any other charges are to be filed. Taylor's first court date on the no-insurance ticket comes up on December 17 at 8:30AM.

Additional tickets here look like a no-brainer to me. The driver was distracted and ran off the left side of the roadway, hitting and nearly killing a man in his own yard. The photo in Tuesday's Northwest Herald showed Pilgrim on a respirator, mentioned both lungs are collapsed and indicated that he may never walk again,

Five days after the accident the reporting officer talked to a witness who said that Pilgrim had been pushed (by the car) under a trailer parked in his yard and then out to the side of the trailer. The last line in the report, which had to be written on or after the sentence added on Nov. 22, reads, "Unit 1 advised R/o he had 2 drinks, 2 hours prior, no food all day. Doctor thinks he could be hyperglycemic."

If a person has a medical condition, known or unknown, doesn't eat all day, admits to two drinks (presumed alcoholic) by 2:30PM and blacks out two hours later while driving, isn't he still responsible for causing a serious-injury accident?

Will the Boone County SAO release Taylor's BAC? Will they charge him with moving violations? Driving left of the center line? Failure to stay in lane? Careless driving? Will the BAC justify impaired driving charges?

Opera House Tickets - WTH?

In yesterday's The Woodstock Independent was a flier for the Blood, Sweat and Tears World Tour stop at the Woodstock Opera House on January 15.

OK, I'll bite. How much are the tickets? (Keep reading)

So I went to the Opera House website at www.woodstockoperahouse.com/

The first thing you have to figure out is to click on the webpage that is splashed there. Nowhere is there an indication, even in tiny print, to click on the page to get behind it to the meat of the website.

Then what? Where do you find events and ticket prices?

OK, let's try "Buy Tickets". WTH? What the heck? Now the Opera House is using a store-bought ticketing agent. Go there and just try to figure out how to find this program!

And once you do, you'll find a graphic like the one in the print ad, but no facility is yet set up ticket sales. You'll have to keep going back to that site. Or you can call the Opera House box office at (815) 338-5300

To save you a call, ticket prices are $75 each!

You know? They'll probably sell out, but will any Woodstock people be there???

Nice apartments for rent

If you know someone looking for a nice, quiet apartment at a reasonable rent, tell them to check out 500-508 Lake Avenue (the three-story brick buildings), where two 2-bedroom units are available. And 816 Clay Street, where a one-bedroom (second floor) is available.

These apartments are clean and very well-kept. Landlord prefers long-term renters who are honest, pay their rent on time and who won't tear up the place.

For information, call (815) 206-4573

New public transportation plan for McHenry County

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 3, 2009

New Transportation Option in McHenry County

McHenry County has teamed up with Pace Suburban Bus to offer expanded dial-a-ride transit service in McHenry County beginning February 13, 2010 funded by the County’s Transit Grant Program and Senior Services Grant Fund. Other agencies participating in the program include Crystal Lake, McHenry, Woodstock, Dorr Township, McHenry Township, and Pioneer Center for Human Services.

Coordination between these agencies will expand available dial-a-ride options. McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler’s leadership was vital to creating this program. As described by Chairman Koehler, “In the long-term, expanded and enhanced coordinated dial-a-ride service will create positive social and economic impacts. This coordinated effort is the first step towards refining and improving transit operations in McHenry County.”

Everyone (the general public, seniors older than 65 years, and people with disabilities) is eligible to make trips originating or ending within the city boundaries of Crystal Lake, McHenry, and Woodstock as well as to and from these cities and Valley Hi Nursing Home or the Fox Lake Metra station. Seniors older than 65 years and people with disabilities are also eligible for trips originating or ending anywhere in McHenry Township or in Dorr Township outside of Bull Valley.

All one-way trips on this new service are $3.00 and there are no discounted or multi-ride fares. Fares must be paid in cash on the vehicle. Trips are curb-to-curb and wheelchair accessible. Riders will only be picked up and dropped off in safe locations at the driver’s discretion.

Registration is required for this service and is open now. Riders are encouraged to register before February 1 to allow time for processing. Registration is available on the web at http://www.mchenrycountydot.org/; Sarah Lutz, a transportation planner at the McHenry County Division of Transportation, can be reached at 815-334-4985 for questions.

Registered riders can make trips Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Rides must be scheduled one day in advance. The first trip reservations will be accepted on February 12—call 800-451-4599 (TTY) 888-454-4724, Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

(Press Release Contact is Adam Lehmann, Public Information Officer, McHenry County, IL Phone: 815-334-0309)

PSA - How to clean your computer screen

If you're like I am, you are probably hesitant to grab the Windex and an old t-shirt and try to clean the screen on your laptop or your monitor, so I'm glad to pass along this tip. You probably don't clean your computer screen often, and it is impossible to clean it from the inside, so I am sending you a digital screen cleaner.

www.raincitystory.com/flash/screenclean.swf