1July 29-Aug. 4, 2015THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENT
INDEPENDENTTheWoodstock
Serving Woodstock, Wonder Lake and Bull Valley, Ill. $1.00www.thewoodstockindependent.comPublished every Wednesday Est. 1987
NEWS
PAGE 4
Want to appeal your property tax bill? Get ready to do it soon
SPORTS
Woodstock North has a new athletic director
PAGE 24
MARKETPLACE
A Walmart project prompts picketing
July 29-Aug. 4, 2015
OBITUARIES 5
OPINION 6
EDUCATION 8
A & E 9
MARKETPLACE 11IND
EX
The Woodstock Independent671 E. Calhoun St.,
Woodstock, IL 60098Phone: 815-338-8040Fax: 815-338-8177
www.thewoodstockindependent.com
O B I T U A R I E S E N D Q U O T ECOMMUNITY 12
CALENDAR 19
CLASSIFIEDS 20
PUBLIC NOTICES 22
SPORTS 24
Robert H. “Bob” DeWolf, CarpentersvilleKarl William Knutter, Wiota, IowaLinda C. Schalz, WoodstockRoger Wolter, Woodstock
“The thing that motivates us is our passion for music.”
– Judy Matzen, page 12
By STEPHANIE PRICEThe Independent
Residents of Northern Illinois
and Southern Wisconsin will
start seeing advertisements in
print, online and on digital bill-
boards along highways promot-
ing Woodstock and all it has to
offer.
�e five-member Promote
Woodstock Board unveiled the
new “Real Woodstock” adver-
tising campaign last week that
aims to increase tourism, bol-
ster economic development and
ultimately encourage people to
move to Woodstock.
�e Promote Woodstock
Board presented the campaign
at a special meeting held July
20 at Stage Left Café. About 50
people representing local busi-
nesses and organizations at-
tended the meeting.
“�e marketing plan and the
creative platform are designed
to put Woodstock on the map,”
said City Councilman Mike
Turner, who, along with Coun-
cilwoman Maureen Larson, rep-
resent the city on the Promote
Woodstock Inc. Board.
CourthousestudyreleasedUrban Land Institute’s Technical Assistance Panel suggests handing property to nonprofit, says renovation costs could total $7 million
By KATELYN STANEKThe Independent
A study into potential uses for the
city-owned Old Courthouse and Sher-
iff’s House has been released to the
public.
�e 24-page document, called a
Technical Assistance Panel report, was
compiled by Chicago’s Urban Land
Institute, which assembled an eight-
person panel of professionals in real
estate, architecture, finance and related
fields to generate the study. �e report
aims to provide a strategy for the city
of Woodstock to implement as it tries
to redevelop the Old Courthouse prop-
erty, which it has owned since 2011 and
which has been undergoing a multimil-
lion-dollar renovation project since ar-
chitects began work in 2012.
�e panel conducted a series of tours
and meetings with residents and public
officials before issuing the TAP report,
which is available to read on the city’s
website at www.woodstockil.gov.
�e study was funded with a grant
from the McHenry County Community
Foundation.
Most of the report’s content first was
City, advertising agency unveil ‘Real Woodstock’ campaign
Please see Campaign, Page 3
Please see Study, Page 3
$100K is budgeted this year for marketing campaign intended to increase tourism, bolster economic development
MORNING GLORY
By STEPHANIE PRICEThe Independent
When Steve Hall accepted the posi-
tion of postmaster at the Wonder Lake
Post Office 11 years ago, he had no idea
how his life would change.
Once settled into the role in May
2004, Hall and his wife, �eresa,
moved from Algonquin to Wonder
Lake and eventually immersed them-
selves into the community.
“It’s really been a wonderful experi-
ence for me,” Hall said. “I didn’t know
too much about Wonder Lake when
I got the position. �e people in this
Wonder Lake postmaster retires
Please see Postmaster, Page 3
The early-morning sunrise peaks out over trees and cornfields in Woodstock July 27. INDEPENDENT PHOTO BY KEN FARVER
Lake and Bull Valleyyyyyyyyyyyyyy, ,,, Ill..l...l....
PAGE 11
Steve Hall celebrates his retirement as Wonder Lake postmaster. INDEPEN-DENT PHOTO BY KEN FARVER
2 THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENTJuly 29-Aug. 4, 2015 NEWS
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3July 29-Aug. 4, 2015THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENTNEWS
The Woodstock Independent (USPS #001287) is published weekly at 671 E. Calhoun St., Woodstock, IL 60098-3213. Periodicals postage paid at Woodstock, Illinois.POSTMASTERS: Forward address chang-es to The Woodstock Independent, 671 E. Calhoun St., Woodstock, IL 60098-3213.
The Woodstock Independent
60098 Phone: 815-338-8040
community are great people. �e
employees at the post office are
great. It was almost like a dream
come true.”
Hall, who just turned 60, officially
retired as the small lakeside town’s
postmaster June 30. �e Wonder
Lake community celebrated Hall’s
retirement as well as his many con-
tributions during a special party
July 26 at Dusty’s Pizza. During
the celebration, the Wonder Lake
Chamber of Commerce honored
Hall by presenting him its “2015
Person of the Year” award.
“Steve was so involved in the
community and was such a huge
part of Wonder Lake,” said Chamber
Executive Director Donna Sullivan.
“Being part of the community for so
long, he was a big part of our Fourth
of July celebrations and Winter
Wonder Walk.”
Hall began his career with the U.S.
Postal Service in 1985 as a substi-
tute rural mail carrier in Algonquin.
He then became a city mail-carrier,
advanced to a clerk position and,
ultimately, was named supervisor at
the Algonquin Post Office in 1993.
During that time, he served two
years as the officer in charge of the
Algonquin site, overseeing 80 em-
ployees and approximately 40 car-
rier routes.
When he accepted the Wonder
Lake postmaster post, he wasn’t
sure what to expect from the sig-
nificantly smaller community. �e
Wonder Lake Post Office has 15
employees and six mail-carrier
routes. Its territory includes Won-
der Lake and the surrounding rural
area in the 60097 zip code bound-
aries, which totals approximately
4,600 delivery sites and post office
boxes.
“In one way it’s harder being at
a smaller office because you have
less people to draw from in terms
of the number of employees, but
I certainly enjoyed working in a
smaller community,” Hall said.
“You can get closer to your em-
ployees and closer to the people in
the community and have that one-
on-one interaction.”
Several years ago, while work-
ing on a U.S. Post Office food drive,
Hall reached out to the Nativity
Lutheran Church in Wonder Lake.
He needed a place to donate all the
food collected during the drive and
discovered Wonder Lake Neighbor-
hood Food Pantry at the church.
�e connection was the beginning
Postmaster Continued from Page 1
made public during a presentation at the
Woodstock Opera House in April. At that
meeting, as in the recently published re-
port, the panel suggested the city turn
over ownership of the Old Courthouse,
101 N. Johnson St., to a nonprofit group
that could attract new tenants to the
building and find grants and other dona-
tions to fund its ongoing renovation.
�e report says an institution of higher
learning would be an ideal tenant for the
Courthouse.
“�e question was, what would be a
use that would be sustainable and be
a good fit for the property?” said Ray
Hartshorne, an architect who chaired
the panel. “�ere aren’t a lot, because
the property is very limiting in its square
footage, size of spaces and so on. So the
institutional use was the most flexible.”
In the report, the panel calls the prop-
erty, which dates back to 1857 and which
once served at the McHenry County
Courthouse, an “asset that is rare and
valuable.” �e panelists link the success
of the Woodstock Square — and the town
— to the success of the Old Courthouse.
“People need to recognize the Court-
house is integral with not only the his-
toric Square, but the community,” Harts-
horne said. “It’s worthy and important to
preserve that asset. … �ere are probably
a lot of people in the community ask-
ing, should we save it, should we tear it
down? Our answer is, save it.”
�e report identifies four primary
steps to take in order to revitalize the
Courthouse property:
Issue a new request for proposals
“limited to stabilization.” �e panel sug-
gests the city retain ownership of the
building while focusing on commission-
ing repairs that limit further deteriora-
tion of the property, using money from
the Tax Increment Financing district and
other available funds to finance the work.
Form an advisory board. �e board,
which the report says should be made up
of residents, employers, city officials and
others, would create a “common vision”
for the use of the Courthouse.
Transition ownership to a nonprof-
it group. �e nonprofit would dedicate
itself to the “longterm ownership and
stewardship” of the property.
Implement the vision. Members of
the nonprofit group would be respon-
sible for finding a final tenant for the
property, securing capital and operat-
ing funds, maintaining and rehabbing
the building and hiring a design team,
among other things.
Report says renovation costs could total $7 million
In total, the TAP report estimates the
Courthouse and Sheriff’s House face
about $5 million in repairs to the shell
and core, with about $1 million to $2
million in additional renovations nec-
essary to suit a future tenant’s needs. As
of April 2015, the city had spent about
$1.7 million on renovations to the prop-
erty; its five-year Capital Improvement
Program calls for another $3.2 million
in spending through April 2020, mon-
ey for which comes from the city’s TIF
district. �e TIF is set to expire in April
2020, when the city’s current CIP cycle
ends.
In 2012, an architect working for the
city estimated the renovation costs for
the property at $4.53 million, a total
which was to be split between the city
and a future private buyer. But in 2014, a
request for bids to take ownership of the
building yielded only two formal offers
— one, a $1 bid from an investor looking
to make the space into condos, and an-
other, a $10,000 bid for only the Sheriff’s
House. Both bids received lukewarm re-
sponses from City Hall and eventually
fizzled out.
“�e fact that the RFP process did not
yield any feasible responses, however —
and that the building was on the market
for years by its previous owner — con-
firms that the high costs for renovating
and adapting the Courthouse compared
to the local real estate market rates,
keep the Courthouse from being profit-
able for a private owner,” the TAP report
says. Because the property is unlikely
ever to be profitable for an investor, the
report says the city and its residents
should measure its worth based on what
the pre-Civil War Courthouse adds to
the town.
“�e calculus on what is financially
sustainable for the property can and
should be rethought in terms of the full
cost-benefit to the Square,” the report
says.
Study Continued from Page 1
Campaign Continued from Page 1
�e board hired a5, a Chicago-based
brand and digital advertising consultan-
cy firm, to create and execute the “Real
Woodstock” campaign that features pic-
turesque images of Woodstock, such as
the Opera House and carries the pitch
line: “Real Charm. Real local shopping.
Real bars. Real Festivals. Real fun.”
“We’re all about telling our clients to
tell their stories in a clear, concise man-
ner,” a5 president John Harris told at-
tendees at the unveiling meeting. “And
we make sure their story is authentic.”
�e city of Woodstock has budgeted
$100,000 toward the “Real Woodstock”
promotion for the 2015-2016 fiscal year,
which runs May 1 to April 30, according
to City Manager Roscoe Stelford. �e
city will disburse four $25,000 payments
over the coming year to the advertising
agency, which will place all the media
buys, Stelford said.
“It is my understanding the board is
also working to bring in private parties
to help fund the campaign,” Stelford said.
Promote Woodstock has already
launched a new website, RealWoodstock.
com, a Facebook page by the same name
and a Twitter account. Print advertise-
ments began running in �e Woodstock Independent and area newspapers this
month, Harris said. �ey agency is look-
ing to buy advertisements on online
news sites, digital billboards lining the
regional highways and on kiosks outside
the Ogilvie Train Station in Chicago.
�e a5 agency has targeted five region-
al markets in which to advertise includ-
ing Rockford, Milwaukee, Madison, Wis.;
Lake Geneva, Wis.; and Chicago, accord-
ing to Harris. During the first year, the
agency plans to utilize radio, Google Ad-
words, Pandora and to seek promotional
events for additional advertisements.
“�e key is that this is a start, a begin-
ning,” Harris told the crowd. “We have a
theme, and it can grow.”
�e Promote Woodstock Board was
formed earlier this year and includes
Turner, Larson, local businessman Tom
Dougherty and two members represent-
ing Woodstock Celebrates Inc., Rodney
Paglialong and Greg Gantner. Original
plans called for using the Woodstock
Celebrates’ slogan and logo to build a
campaign to create a buzz about the
city’s offerings. Woodstock Celebrates is
a nonprofit organization comprised of
volunteers who host events such as the
Orson Welles Festival to promote the
city’s heritage and its residents who’ve
made an impact on Woodstock.
However, city officials ultimately de-
termined a need to create a separate
board to oversee the campaign.
The “Real Woodstock” campaign was created by Chicago-based a5. IMAGE SUPPLIED
“The marketing plan and the creative platform are designed to put Woodstock on the map.”
— Mike Turner, councilman
COURTHOUSE REUSE ACROSS THE COUNTRY
The TAP report includes examples of towns that have faced situations simi-lar to Woodstock's Courthouse issue. The Urban Land Institute compiled a list of aging courthouses from around the country that were renovated and reused for different purposes:
Ada County Courthouse, Boise, IdahoJackson County Courthouse, Sylva, N.C.Old Harrison County Court-house, Marshall, TexasOld Federal Building, Grand Rapids, Mich.
of his long-term involvement with the
pantry and the church, which he and his
wife joined.
During his time in Wonder Lake, Hall
initiated the stamp-cancellation pro-
gram for Wonder Lake Christmas cards
and, more recently, for the Management
Property Owners Association, which
marked its 50th anniversary this year.
He also served as second vice-president
of the chamber of commerce for more
than 10 years and played an active role
in coordinating the Wonder Lake Open
Golf Outing. He volunteers for PADS, as
well.
For now, Hall plans to enjoy his retire-
ment and spend more time with his four
children and 11 grandchildren. He hopes
to attend his grandchildren’s special
events for which he hasn’t had time or
opportunity while working as postmas-
ter; the job often required him to get to
work before 6 a.m. and sometimes not
leave until after 6 p.m.
He and �eresa, married 32 years, have
no plans to leave Wonder Lake.
“It’s really a wonderful place to live,”
Hall said. “After living in Algonquin
so long and being impacted by all the
growth down there, it’s really nice to sit
on my deck and not hear a car go by for
15 minutes.”
Hall said he expects the U.S. Post Office
to name a new Wonder Lake postmaster
within the next month or so.
“I didn’t know too much about Wonder Lake when I got the position. The people in this community are great people. The employees at the
almost like a dream come true.”
— Steve Hall, former Wonder Lake postmaster
4 THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENTJuly 29-Aug. 4, 2015 NEWS
Window for tax appeals opens for someTownships are publishing real estate assessments, homeowners have 30 days to appeal
By SANDY KUCHARSKIThe Independent
It’s tax appeal time again in McHenry
County.
Real estate assessments are in the pro-
cess of being published for each township
in the county. Residents have 30 days from
the date their assessment is published to
file an appeal if they feel their property
taxes are unfairly high compared to those
of comparable properties in the area.
“No one likes their tax bill anymore,”
said Robert Ross, chief county assessment
officer. “At least that’s what I hear, whether
it’s fair or not.”
Typically, any properties with changes
in the assessed value must be published
annually. However, this year marks the
quadrennial assessment.
“Every four years, we’re charged with
looking at the assessments and doing re-
assessment,” said Ross. “It levels the play-
ing field.”
As a result, the assessed value of every
property in the county must be published
during the next few weeks. Assessments
are divided by township. For Woodstock
residents, townships include Greenwood,
Dorr, Seneca and Hartland.
�e Woodstock Independent published
the Greenwood Township assessments
July 15, so residents of the township have
until Aug. 15 to file an appeal.
Dorr Township assessments are sched-
uled for publication in early August, with
Seneca and Hartland to follow.
Looking at the assessments, names are
not listed alphabetically. Properties are in
numerical order based on PIN numbers, a
unique number assigned to each parcel of
property, loosely grouped by location. �e
assessed value listed represents one-third
of the total assessed value of the property.
Acceptable appeal bases include incor-
rect assessor data, recent sale of a subject
property, fair cash value, equity and mat-
ters of law. Supporting evidence – typical-
ly three comparisons – must be presented
with any appeal.
A resident choosing to appeal a prop-
erty tax in McHenry County can enlist the
assistance of an attorney, a non-attorney
tax representative or can do it themselves
– a no-cost option for anyone willing to
devote time to research.
Ross recommended do-it-yourselfers
begin the process by contacting their
township assessor. He said, “�ey did the
initial assessment, and they can explain
how they came about with the assess-
ment and help you see what they used for
comps in the neighborhood.” He added, “If
the assessor sees something, they might
be able to fix it before it goes to hearing.”
Upon deciding to move on and appeal
to the county, an appeal form must be
filled out and submitted within 30 days
of the township’s publication of the as-
sessments. �e forms are available at the
county assessors office and on the website
co.mchenry.il.us.
New this year, a fillable form is also
available on the website. It can be filled out
online and emailed back with supporting
documentation.
If a settlement isn’t offered, the next step
is a hearing. �e hearing is rather infor-
mal, and it consists of the homeowner pre-
senting his or her case to the local board
of review.
�e county saw a rise in 2012 with 10,413
appeals filed. In 2013, there were 7,103 ap-
peals, dropping to 4,308 in 2014.
Since the quadrennial serves to level
out property taxes, Ross said, “Remember,
if you had a low assessment and it goes
up, it’s only fair. You can’t look at the per-
centage increase of the change and say the
market didn’t go up that much, it’s all rela-
tive. If your assessment was below market,
you will go up higher than what the annual
increase in real estate values would be.”
Property owners who reached age 65 or
older are entitled to a homestead exemp-
tion of $5,000 off the assessed value of
the property. Anyone who qualifies should
visit his or her township office with identi-
fication to take advantage of this offering.
Individuals older than 65 may qualify for
an assessment freeze if their income is less
than $55,000.
IN BRIEF
National Night Out Against Crime event to be held in Wonder Lake
McHenry County Conservation District, McHenry County Sheriff’s Office and
the Wonder Lake Fire Departments will team up to celebrate National Night Out Against Crime, 5:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 4, at Harrison Benwell Conservation Area, 7055 McCullom Lake Road, Won-der Lake.
The purpose of the event is to promote crime prevention and safety programs, while strengthening police-community
partnerships and encouraging neighbor-hood camaraderie. The evening will in-clude food and family fun.
All residents of McHenry County are in-vited to stop by for complimentary food, beverages and activities. Information booths include: Child Passenger Safety Information and Project S.W.E.E.P. Vari-ous police and fire equipment will be on
display. Demonstrations will include: ex-trication, 5:30 and 6:50 p.m.; precision motorcycle riding demo, 5:50 and 7:10 p.m.; and police K-9 demonstration at 6:10 p.m.by the McHenry County Sher-iff’s Office.
For event updates, the McHenry Coun-ty Sheriff’s Office Facebook page or MCCDistrict.org.
“No one likes their tax bill anymore. At least that’s what I hear, whether it’s fair or not.”
— Robert Ross, county assessment officer
5July 29-Aug. 4, 2015THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENT
St., Woodstock, was charged July 15 with domestic battery at his home. Popoca was turned over to the McHenry County Sher-iff’s Office. No bond was set. Court date was to be set.
Rodrigo A. Hernandez-Gutierrez, 29, 857 N. Madison St., Woodstock, was charged July 16 with no driver’s license and expired registration at 800 N. Madi-son St. Hernandez-Gutierrez posted $150 bond. Court date was set for Aug. 27.
Reveland D. Moses, 22, 192 Elm-hurst Road, Crystal Lake, was charged July 17 with driving while license suspended and unlawful use of an electronic commu-nications device in the 800 block of Lake Avenue. Moses posted $150 bond. Court date was set for Aug. 20.
Per Robert Andersson, 48, 311 W. Judd St., Woodstock, was charged July 18 with driving under the influence and driving under the influence over at 640 St. John’s Road. Andersson posted $300 bond. Court date was set for Aug. 27.
Kevin Mark Lundborg, 36, 211 Church St., Woodstock, was charged July 19 with two counts of domestic battery and resisting a police officer at 149 Peach Tree Lane. Lundborg was turned over to the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office. Bond and court date are to be set.
OBITUARIES
NEWS
Robert H. ‘Bob’ DeWolfRobert H. “Bob” DeWolf, 78, Carpen-
tersville, died Friday, June 26, 2015, at JourneyCare Hospice Center, Barrington.
He was born Jan. 28, 1937, to Dr. Wil-liam H. DeWolf and Dorothy (Bryan) De-Wolf in Woodstock.
He was preceded in death by his par-ents and twin brother, Richard.
Survivors include a sister, Patricia Rosenberger; a brother, Dave DeWolf; four children, Cindy, Bill, Jennifer and Richard; and his soul mate of 31 years, Marti Williamson.
Veteran services were held July 22 at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, El-wood.
Karl William KnutterKarl William Knutter, 74, Wiota, Iowa,
died Friday, July 17, 2015, at the VA Central Iowa Health Care System, Des Moines, Iowa.
He was born Aug. 18, 1940, to Lester and Marian (Slavin) Knutter in Elgin.
On Sept. 3, 1973, he married Joan Ma-rie Hackwell in Omaha, Neb.
He grew up in rural Marengo where he attended country school. He graduated from Marengo High School in 1958. Af-ter graduation, he entered the U.S. Army, serving until his honorable discharge in 1961.
He and his wife lived in rural Exira, Iowa, until 1977 and then in Adair, Iowa, until 2003. He managed Pelgas in Adair for 26 years. In 2003, they moved to Pleasant Hope, Mo., where he worked with Century 21 for six years. He moved to Wiota in the spring of 2015.
He loved watching his grandkids partic-ipate in sports activities and watching the Iowa Hawkeyes, the Chicago Bears and the Cubs. He loved animals and enjoyed raising donkeys.
Survivors includes a son Mike (Jenny) Knutter, Adair, two daughters, Debbie Burrows, Belvidere, and Karlene (Mike) Timm, Clinton, Wis.; 13 grandchildren; 2 great-grandchildren; and two sisters, Pat Hammer, Woodstock, and Barb Knutter, Lake Geneva, Wis.
He was preceded in death by his par-ents; his wife; and a daughter, Kelly Eng-land.
Visitation was July 24 at Hockenberry Family Care, Adair, and the memorial service was July 25 at United Methodist Church, Casey, Iowa. Burial was private in the Exira Cemetery.
Memorials are preferred to family’s wishes.
Arrangements were made by Hocken-berry Family Care, Adair, Iowa.
Linda C. SchalzLinda C. Schalz, 71, Woodstock, died
Monday, July 20, 2015, at her home.She was born on Feb. 12, 1944, to Arlie
and Emma (Chandler) Chambers in Morris-vale, W.V.
She married Matt Schalz Sr. in 1973.She loved to travel with her husband. She
especially enjoyed trips back home and to Florida. She learned to use firearms and be-came a sharpshooter. She was committed to her Christian faith. Her greatest passion was her family and spending time with them was her greatest joy.
Survivors include five children, William (Sarah) Ray, Kimberly (Roland) Fillmore, Donna Johnson, Robert H. (Brianna) Ray and Carri (Tim) Townsend; three brothers, Dennis (Vickie) Chambers, Harold (Sandy) Chambers and Doug (Sheryl) Chambers; 14 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her par-ents and her husband.
Visitation and funeral were July 25 at Schneider, Leucht, Merwin & Cooney Funer-al Home. Burial was at Calvary Catholic Cemetery, Woodstock.
Roger H. WolterRoger H. Wolter, 82, Woodstock, died
Wednesday, July 22, 2015, at his home surrounded by his loving family.
He was born Aug. 19, 1932, to Henry
and Florence (Lahn) Wolter in Elk Grove.
On Sept. 1, 1951, he married Marjorie Freeman in Elk Grove.
He was a loving hus-band, father, grandfa-ther and great-grand-father. He enjoyed woodworking and gardening. He also enjoyed doing house-hold projects and helping his family with their home projects. He was extremely gen-erous and will be missed by all who knew him.
Survivors include his wife; three children, Richard (Gayle) Wolter, Kim (Don) Jenkins and Charles (Christina) Wolter; a daughter-in-law, Dawn Wolter; seven grandchildren, Bradley (Meaghan) Wolter, Jill (Dustin) Bud-den, Michael Jenkins, Jason Wolter, Kara (Chase) Ritter, Matthew Wolter and Jack Wolter; and four great-grandchildren, Ethan Budden, Violet Wolter, Amelia Wolter and Emersen Ritter.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a son, William Wolter.
Visitation will be from 2 p.m. until the 4 p.m. memorial service Sunday, Aug. 2, at Unity Spiritual Center, Woodstock.
Memorials can be made to Vitas Hos-pice, 12179 Regency Parkway, Huntley, IL 60142.
Arrangements were made by Schneider-Leucht-Merwin & Cooney Funeral Home, Woodstock.
POLICE BLOTTER
Jose Antonio Alonso-Contreras, 30, 710 Wisconsin St., Lake Geneva, Wis., was charged July 1 with driving while li-cense suspended and a child restraint vi-olation at Johnson and Van Buren streets. Alonso-Contreras posted $150 bond. Court date was set for Aug. 27.
Jonathan E. Snapp, 36, 508 Ridge-land Ave., Woodstock, was charged July 7 with assault, disorderly conduct and criminal damage to property at 506 Ridgeland Ave. Snapp posted $500 bond. Court date was set for Aug. 28.
Vincent James Donelli, 32, tran-sient, Woodstock, was charged July 7 with possession of alcohol in a city park at 100 Main St., Woodstock. Do-nelli was released on a notice to appear. Court date was set for Aug. 28.
Danielle G. Gergeron, 30, tran-sient, Woodstock, was charged July 7 with unlawful possession of a controlled substance and unlawful delivery of a controlled substance at 100 Main St. Bergeron was turned over to the McHen-ry County Sheriff’s Office. No bond was set. Court date to be set.
Ricardo David Rodriguez-Mandio-la, 23, 892 Zimmerman Road, Wood-stock, was charged July 8 with driving while license suspended, speeding and uninsured motor vehicle at McConnell Road and Halma Lane. Rodriguez-Man-diola posted $150 bond. Court date
was set for Aug. 6. Matthew Preston Brock, 40, 610
Lawndale, Woodstock, was charged July 8 with possession of a controlled sub-stance at 100 Main St. Brock was turned over to the McHenry County Sheriff’s Of-fice. No bond was set. Court date was set for July 8.
Derik James Nord, 25, 2434 As-pen Drive, Woodstock, was charged July 11 with driving while license suspended and driving without headlights at Church and Throop streets. Nord posted $150 bond. Court date was set for Aug. 27.
Norma Y. Echeverria, 31, 327 Washington St., Woodstock, was charged July 14 with no driver’s license, operating an uninsured motor vehicle and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident at Route 47 and Country Club Road. Echeverria posted $150 bond. Court date was set for Aug. 6.
Andrew George Whiting, 28, 747 Washington St., Woodstock, was ar-rested July 14 on an outstanding war-rant from the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department for failure to appear and an outstanding warrant from Oak Park for failure to appear. He also was charged with unlawful possession of a hypoder-mic needle. Whiting was turned over to the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office. Bond and court date are to be set.
Manuel Z. Popoca, 38, 351 Dean
STREET SMARTS
Average gas price
2.87 /GAL.
Reflects average price of regular unleaded gasoline at Woodstock gas stations the morning of July 27.
.02
Bridge construction is expected to be-gin Wednesday, July 29, on Franklinville Road, requiring the road to be closed to through traffic between Route 176 and Kishwaukee Valley Road. Local traffic will have access up to the bridge. Through traffic will be detoured via Hobe Road, Kishwaukee Valley Road, Vermont Road, Garden Valley Road, Garden Valley Road, Millstream Road and Route 176.
The first phase of the project will in-clude constructing a new bridge structure and excavating a new channel for subse-
quent channel relocation. Construction will take place now through September when the detour will be removed and the roadway reopened to through traf-fic. The project will be resumed in May 2016.
Any charges are merely accusations, and de-fendants or suspects are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Karl William Knutter
Roger H. Wolter
6 THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENTJuly 29-Aug. 4, 2015
CHERYL WORMLEYPublisher, Co-OwnerPAUL WORMLEY
Co-OwnerKATELYN STANEKManaging Editor
THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENT
Woodstock, IL 1987
THE EDITORIAL BOARDCheryl Wormley Katelyn Stanek Sandy KucharskiStephanie Price
Fair-ly wonderful!
Summer’s first two months have been brim-
ming with festivals, concerts, barn dances and
patriotic celebrations.
And just when you think you’ve had your fill
of corn dogs and carnivals rides, the grand-
daddy of all summertime festivals arrives: the
McHenry County Fair.
�e 67th McHenry County Fair will be packed
with exhibits, performances, contests and con-
testants and hundreds of live animals to boot!
�e fair is scheduled to kick off Wednesday,
Aug. 5, and run through Sunday, Aug. 9, at the
McHenry County Fairgrounds, 11900 Country
Club Road, Woodstock.
�e McHenry County Fair bears particular
meaning to Woodstock, hometown host to the
fair year after year, as our community welcomes
guests from throughout the county as they
partake in the fair’s offerings. Hopefully, you will
find time to visit the fair to take a ride on the
Ferris wheel, enjoy a powdered elephant ear or
settle in for an action-packed rodeo.
Where else can you gaze into a pig’s eyes and
enjoy a swine-styled smile? Where can you
stand by as a sheep is sheared and readied for
a 4-H show ring? Where can your children try
milking a cow or watch an antique tractor pull?
Since its beginning, the McHenry County Fair
has showcased the county’s agricultural com-
munity as well as provided all residents the op-
portunity to display their talents and the fruits
of their labors.
�is year, exhibitor numbers are up, bringing
everything from prized livestock to apple pie for
showing and competing. In fact, 600 exhibitors
have entered more than 6,000 exhibits.
�e 2015 grandstand lineup includes the
annual McHenry County Queen Pageant, the
Broken Horn Rodeo, antique tractor pulls, the
Illini State Pullers, demolition derby and KTM
motocross races. On stage, live performances
by musical groups Clutch Cargo and Suburban
Cowboys are planned.
On the fair’s new Conservation World stage,
shows featuring magicians, chainsaw artists
carving sculptures from logs, hypnotists and
other family entertainment will delight fair-
goers.
Step inside the Building F on the fairgrounds
and witness an array of creations – from crafts
to cookies, quilts to photographs – presented
by people from throughout the county vying for
the “Best of Fair” titles.
�e Woodstock Independent will publish a spe-
cial Torch edition highlighting the 2015 McHen-
ry County Fair schedule and events. Look for
the Torch to arrive in your mailbox Friday, July
31. It has all the information you need to plan
your visit to the McHenry County Fair this year.
We hope to see you there!
Opinion
» OUR VIEW
» YOUR VIEW
Home rule: Woodstock’s Trojan Horse
Later this fiscal year, Wood-stock will conduct a special cen-sus at a $60,000 budgeted cost. The purpose of this census is to determine whether we have at least 25,000 residents so we can become a home-rule unit.
In late 2013, following a scan-dal, I floated the idea of becom-ing home rule. I didn’t know much about home rule; I just wanted more oversight and ac-countability of our police depart-ment, so I suggested the possi-bility of it. City Council told me that one of the concerns citizens would have about becoming home rule was that it would make it too easy to raise taxes. Upon hearing that, I realized that would certainly be problematic.
Not much was said about home rule for about a year. Then sud-denly, Woodstock City Council flip-flops and supports home rule, but not through a refer-endum, through a special cen-sus. Why didn’t they propose a special census in the wake of the
scandal and why did they pro-pose it a year later?
The obvious reason is the Old Courthouse. The firm hired to consult on its development, the Urban Land Institute, admitted it will cost millions to renovate and it will never break even. The firm suggested we pay for it through Tax Increment Financing district revenues, bonds and new rev-enue generated after we become home rule. They joked about moving people into Woodstock so we could become home rule. Council now says home rule has nothing to do with taxes. Who do you trust?
Joseph Monack,Woodstock
Franks had the courage to tell Madigan no
According to Springfield re-porter Rich Miller, who contrib-utes to newspapers throughout the state, State Rep. Jack Franks single-handedly stopped Speaker Madigan’s unbalanced state
budget from passing. Though the entire Democratic caucus in the Senate pushed to override the governor’s vetoes of the budget, Speaker Madigan did not even call the bills for an override vote because Rep. Franks defied him.
Franks told Madigan no. Franks was quoted on TV and newspa-pers as follows: “I firmly believe that we should not spend more than we have in revenue there-fore I will not be voting to over-ride the vetoes.” That common-sense decision-making is exactly what Illinois needs. We must live within our means.
Rep. Franks has proven time and again that he fights for the people and not for any political party. It takes extraordinary guts to stand up to the most power-ful politicians in Illinois and tell them no. Franks was also quoted in the Northwest Herald and said the easy way out would be to vote for the override, but it’s the wrong solution. If there were more courageous, independent legislators in both the Democrat-ic and Republican parties, Illinois would be in much better shape.
Kathy Surges,Crystal Lake
weigh inEmail letters to the editor to [email protected] or mail them to 671 E. Calhoun St., Woodstock, IL 60098.
“You get whatever accomplishment you are willing to declare.”
— Georgia O'Keeffe
QUOTABLE
7July 29-Aug. 4, 2015THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENTOPINION
Subscription rates/year: $35 in Woodstock and Wonder Lake, $37 in McHenry County, $42 for snowbirds and $50 outside McHenry County.
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INDEPENDENTTheWoodstock
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CLASSIFIED [email protected]
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Stephanie Price ASSOCIATE [email protected]
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Jason Reinhardt GRAPHIC [email protected]
Advertising Melissa Knight, [email protected]; Jen Wilson, [email protected]
Columnists John Daab, Paul Lockwood, Lisa Haderlein, Dan Chamness, Debbie Skozek, Tony Casalino, Erich Thurow, Kathleen Spaltro
Editorial Cartoonist Jim Pearson
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Proofreader Don Humbertson
Reporters Tricia Carzoli, Elizabeth Harmon, Megan Ivers
Administration Rebecca McDaniel
s ta f f dead l ines & contact s
» COLUMN
4-H is at the top of the list of or-ganizations that influenced my life. I was a 4-H member for 10 years from age 10 to 20. I took dozens of 4-H projects from dairy to flower ar-ranging and from gardening to room improvement. Last year at this time, I wrote about 4-H members exhibit-ing their projects at the McHenry County Fair and about 4-H. It’s fair time again – Wednesday to Sunday, Aug. 5 to 9, at the fairgrounds on Country Club Road across from the post office.
I remember well the excitement of exhibiting my 4-H projects at my local fair. I also remember the pres-sure and anxiety if a project wasn’t quite ready for the fair. It’s been 60 years since I exhibited Rhoda at the Kendall County Fair. She was my first 4-H dairy project – a Holstein calf. �e same year I made a navy blue cotton skirt that was gathered at the waist for my first 4-H sewing project, which was aptly named You Learn to Sew. As part of my 4-H foods project, You Learn to Bake, I demonstrated how to make butter frosting to deco-rate cupcakes in the county demon-stration contest and was chosen as a delegate to the Illinois State Fair.
I think Rhoda stood near the bottom of her class of four or five. My sister Nann’s calf, Rhea, won the class and just about every other class she was in that year, including the state fair. �e skirt wasn’t one of my favorite 4-H sewing projects, but I did wear it. As for venturing into the world of food demonstration, the preparation of food remains one of my favorite activities.
More than 800 4-H’ers from all over McHenry County will be exhib-iting their projects at this year’s fair.
4-H, started in the United States in 1902, is our nation’s largest youth or-ganization, with more than 6 million 4-H youth in rural areas, suburban communities and urban neighbor-hoods. Its strength through the years has come from county Extension professionals, volunteer leaders and the opportunities it provides for the members to assume leadership roles
locally, regionally and at state and national levels.
McHenry County has 894 youths in Cloverbuds, ages 5 to second grade, and 4-H, ages 8 to 18, and 226 vol-unteer leaders. 4-H members pledge their heads to clearer thinking, their hearts to greater loyalty, their hands to larger service and their health to better living for their clubs, their communities, their country and their world.
I benefited from 4-H’s commitment to having members “Learn by Doing” and from the organization’s underly-ing goal to “Make the Best Better.” My 10 years in 4-H were formative. I learned to set goals, keep records, work with others, enjoy public speak-ing, lead, follow and have fun. I am forever seeking ways to improve what once was the best I could do.
Now, back to our McHenry County Fair and the 4-H members and their exhibits. I encourage all of you to spend a morning, afternoon or a day at the fair this year. Make your way through the carnival rides and attrac-tions to the various exhibit buildings, livestock barns and the 4-H building. Some 4-H’ers will be in the swine, goat, dairy and beef barns with their
animals. You can learn a great deal about agriculture in 2015 by walk-ing through the barns and asking the 4-H’ers about their projects.
You also might learn that some of them are saving the money they earn from showing their animals or from the sale of their cows’ milk or selling their animals. Maybe their earnings will be used toward their college tu-ition or to start a business. �ey also can tell you about the community service they’ve done as 4-H’ers.
If smaller animals are to your lik-ing, head to the cavies and rabbits building. If you’d like to see chickens, ducks, geese and other fowl, listen for roosters crowing and you’ll know where to go. If your interests are cake decorating, fine and applied arts, photography, woodworking, robotics and the like, look for the 4-H building and be prepared to be amazed.
�e annual 4-H Night begins at 7 p.m. �ursday, Aug. 6, in Hansen Pavilion.
�e fair is the highlight of the 4-H year. Celebrate it with our county’s 4-H’ers.
Head, heart, hands, health and the fair
Cheryl Wormley is publisher of The Wood-stock Independent.
Declarations
CherylWormley
One-hit wonder
Forty-five years ago, Michael Brewer and Tom Shipley, two skinny hippies performing as a folk music duo, assured themselves a comfort-able retirement. �ey wrote a song, as a joke, while waiting backstage before a performance. �ey added it to their playlist almost as an after-thought, something to have on hand if they had used up the rest of their repertoire but still had time to fill. It remains their one hit after 24 albums of recorded music.
“One Toke Over the Line” is a song about smoking marijuana, a toke, in the jargon of hippiedom, being
one inhalation of marijuana smoke. Yet the drug is not explicitly men-tioned in the song. As Tom Shipley later explained, “If you listen to the lyrics of that song, ‘one toke’ was just a metaphor. It’s a song about excess. Too much of any-thing will probably kill you.”
�e song’s failure to define “toke” soon led to some misunderstandings. �e song’s opening line, which recurs throughout the song, is “One toke over the line, sweet Jesus, one toke over the line.” Some heard it as a gos-pel song. One video currently making the rounds on YouTube and Face-book is a clip from the family orient-ed Lawrence Welk Show from 1971. �e squeaky-clean duo of Gail Farrell
and Dick Dale perform the song, after which Lawrence Welk himself com-ments, “�ere you’ve heard a modern spiritual by Gail and Dale.”
It was Michael Brewer and Tom Shipley’s one hit, but it was all they needed. �ey spent the next 10 years traveling the country and the world, often as the opening act for bands that had recorded more than one hit. �ey went their separate ways in 1980, still friends but both tired of being constantly on the road. Mi-chael Brewer continued his musi-cal career, returning to Los Angeles, where they both had been staff song-writers for A&M records in the years before stardom. Tom Shipley stayed in Missouri to become an award-win-ning video producer and director.
�ey reunited in 1987 for a concert to celebrate the first birthday of a Kansas City radio station, and began writing songs together again. Even-tually, they were again performing together, but this time at a much less
grueling pace. �ey share the stage a few times a year now, a tolerable schedule for two aging hippies now in their 70s. �eir voices still blend beautifully, and their fans still flock to hear them.
�e term “one-hit wonder” can, however, be a bit sneaky. At the same time that “One Toke Over the Line” was on the Billboard Top 100 charts, another one-hit wonder had her entry topping it. She was already a superstar and remains one decades after her death. She is officially a “one-hit wonder” because “Me and Bobby McGee” was the only hit Janis Joplin had recording as Janis Joplin. �e rest were all as Big Brother and the Holding Company.
I’m thinking that whoever com-piled the one-hit wonder list may have been one toke over the line.
» COLUMN
On the Town
JohnDaab
John Daab lives in Woodstock. He has writ-ten columns for The Woodstock Indepen-dent since 1997.
8 THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENTJuly 29-Aug. 4, 2015
EducationBoard of education approves 2 agreements» SCHOOL BOARD
CL schools will share pool, D-200 signs deal with health nonprofit
By STEPHANIE PRICEThe Independent
�e Woodstock School District 200
Board of Education approved an agree-
ment to lease the Woodstock High School
swimming pool to neighboring Commu-
nity High School District 155.
Board members approved the mea-
sure at their regularly scheduled July 21
meeting, allowing the Crystal Lake-based
school district’s cooperative boys and girls
swimming teams to practice after school
Monday through Fridays at the Blue
Streaks’ pool.
“We don’t use the pool because all of
our swimmers, and even the Dolphin
(Swim Team), use Woodstock North’s
pool,” District 200 Superintendent Mike
Moan told the school board. “�ere are no
other groups scheduled to use the pool at
Woodstock High School. �is (agreement)
is a great way to make some revenue and
offset some costs.”
District 200 will charge $16,000 to Dis-
trict 155 for use of the locker-room facili-
ties and the swimming pool from Aug. 12
to Feb. 25, 2016. District 155 teams will use
the pool from 3:45 to 5:45 p.m.
�e school board also approved the fi-
nal agreement between District 200 and
Community Health Partnership of Illi-
nois to open a health center at Woodstock
North High School. CHP is a nonprofit
organization with six clinics in the Chica-
goland area that strives to provide com-
prehensive health care to underserved
individuals.
Under the arrangement, CHP will uti-
lize the space for two exam rooms, a
doctor’s/ nurse’s office, laboratory and
reception area at Woodstock North High
School at no cost. CHP will provide medi-
cal services such as school physicals
and vaccinations to all District 200 high
school students. �e clinic will operate
like any other doctor’s office or walk-in
clinic, with students
needing to make an appointment and par-
ents completing the necessary consent-
to-treat forms. Payment and insurance
coverage would be handled in standard
manner as well.
In discussing the agreement, school
board member L. William Nattress said he
wanted to ensure all health records and
students’ personal data would be stored
safely, according to regulations set forth
by Health Information Privacy Act.
Proponents of the plan hope the cen-
ter’s close proximity to the student popu-
lation will encourage students needing
the services to obtain them. �e CHP’s
services include state-mandated school
and sports physical examinations, labo-
ratory and diagnostic screenings, first
aid, health education and counseling and
mental health services. Other services in-
clude counseling for alcohol, tobacco and
abuse treatment; early periodic screening
and diagnostic testing; nutrition and den-
tal services.
�e health center will not dispense birth
control. Under the terms, CHP will provide
a multidisciplinary team of medical, den-
tal and/or other health-care professionals
directors deem necessary.
�e clinic’s hours of operation will be
from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays and Fri-
days for medical services provided by
Community Health Partnership of Illinois;
and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays, and 11 a.m.
to 2 p.m. Fridays, for behavioral health
services provided by Pioneer Center.
According to the agreement, the dis-
trict reserves the right to relocate the
clinic on the premises via a six-month
prior notice.
COLLEGE CURRENTS
Sankey awarded Iowa State scholarship
Krystal Sankey, Woodstock, received the
Marjorie McKinley Memorial Scholarship and Lorissa S. Walker Scholarship from the Department of Human Development and Family Studies in the Iowa State University College of Human Sciences, Ames, Iowa.
Tipps named to Central Missouri dean’s list
Emily Tipps, Woodstock, was named to
the spring dean’s list at the University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, Mo.
Rockford University announces dean’s list
Rachael Rossow and Jona Crouch, Woodstock, were named to the spring dean’s list at Rockford University, Rockford.
Acosta named to Washington University dean’s list
Elizabeth Ann Margaret Acosta, Wood-stock, was named to the spring dean’s list at Washington University, St. Louis.
Augustana announces dean’s list
Rebecca Andersen, Woodstock, and Aaron Jones, Wonder Lake, were named to the spring dean’s list at Augustana Col-lege, Rock Island.
Plourde named to dean’s list at University of Nebraska – Lincoln
Ryan Plourde, Woodstock, was named to the spring dean’s list at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, Neb.
Blaho named to dean’s list at Indiana State
Anna Blaho, Woodstock, has been named to the dean’s list at Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Ind.
Rost named to University of Iowa dean’s list
Owen Rost, Woodstock, has been named to the spring dean’s list at Tippie College of Business, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.
HOW THEY VOTED
To approve agreements with Community High School District 155 and Community Health Partnership of Illinois:
YesCarl Gilmore Russ GoerlitzCamille GoodwinPaul MeyerJerry Miceli
L. William Nattress David Shinherr
NoNone
9July 29-Aug. 4, 2015THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENT
A & E
Detectives deliver the pleasure of repetition
My future husband and I first bonded
with each other because we both like
Dorothy Sayers’ Lord Peter Wimsey and
Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe. A shared love
of detective fiction has glued us to-
gether more sturdily than many another
inducement. Now that we’ve stayed
together for more than 30 years, our
most enduring favorites have turned
out to be Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock
Holmes and John Mortimer’s Horace
Rumpole — most memorably portrayed
by Jeremy Brett and Leo McKern.
Watching the DVD editions of the
many British TV productions starring
Brett and McKern, I wondered whether
enjoying detective fiction reaches the
status of universal passion. Do mostly
Britons and North Americans read
the genre with gusto, do other Euro-
peans also favor it, and do people in
our world’s many other cultures also
hanker for the misleading clue, the
too-obvious suspect, the inept official,
and the eventual symbolic victory over
chaos and evil?
Some look down
on mystery fiction
because it uses stock
characters. In both
poor and excellent
detective fiction,
characterization
does remain at the
surface level—essen-
tially flat, predictable,
unchanging. Actually,
far from constituting
a drawback, this pro-
vides the genre with
its most solid attraction: the pleasure of
repetition.
We yearn to hear Watson exclaim over
Holmes’ amazing deductions, Holmes
dismiss the praise with “Elementary,”
or Rumpole quote Alice’s White Rab-
bit, “Oh, my ears and whiskers,” when
alarmedly confronting a crisis. �e
successful writer of detective fiction
devises a formula and writes according
to formula.
Sherlock Holmes and Horace Rum-
pole basically remain surface charac-
ters. Watching them portrayed by Brett
and McKern, we do not delve into the
psychological complexities explored by
such masters of film as Krzysztof Kies-
lowski or Pedro Almodóvar, nor do we
really want to do so. How disconcert-
ing to find Holmes cherishing a secret
passion for one or indeed all three Mrs.
Watsons, or to watch the Rumpole fam-
ily truly revealing what their patriarch
terms “the horrors of home life.”
Indeed, the pilot episode of the McK-
ern series, “Rumpole and the Confes-
sion of Guilt,” did exactly that — an error
never repeated in the many subsequent
dramatizations.
�e valid contrast between the sur-
face, stereotypical characterization of
detective fiction and the much more
subtle, far more complex portrayals in
great films and novels pits the pleasure
of repetition against the pleasure of
surprise.
Nevertheless, Brett and McKern
surpass most other actors of detective
fiction by providing a mix of these two
pleasures. One of Australia’s most valu-
able exports, McKern allows us at times
to glimpse beneath Rumpole’s corroded
shell of jokey cynicism to perceive the
man’s profound discontent, as when the
barrister grumpily confesses to a pupil,
“After a lifetime at the bar, I have no
interest in the law.”
Brett’s flamboyant take on Holmes
leads him to deliver famous lines with
elegance, whip a table cover from under
the tea things with great flair, and show
intense, if guarded, emotion. In fact,
Brett’s psychological acuity leads him
often to exceed the instructions inherent
in his material, for surely Brett’s edgy,
neurotic, explosive Holmes blends the
actor with his character.
So true and effective are their depic-
tions that many viewers can no longer
watch any other actor than Brett play
Sherlock Holmes. Certainly, no one else
holds my interest. Nor can I even imag-
ine anyone but McKern whom I would
want to watch impersonating Rumpole
of the Bailey.
» COLUMN
Uncraven Maven
KathleenSpaltro
Woodstock resident Kathleen Spaltro has worked as a writer, editor and teacher for many years.
Wednesday concerts to continue after band season
Lazer Lloyd will bring his unique brand of mystical Middle Eastern blues-rock music to the Woodstock Square Wednesday, Aug. 5 . PHOTO: YURI GERSH
By SANDY KUCHARSKIThe Independent
�e final performance of the Wood-
stock City Band Wednesday, July 29, is
a sure sign summer is winding down,
but the city will extend the season by
offering four more weeks of free con-
certs on the Square.
�e series will feature a wide variety
of musicians and musical styles. �e
start time will be 7 p.m., a half-hour
earlier than the band concerts were,
and there are no
ice cream socials
scheduled in con-
junction with the
event.
�e series will
kick off Wednes-
day, Aug. 5 with
Lazer Lloyd, fea-
turing mystical
Middle Eastern
blues-rock music.
Called Israel’s King
of the Blues, the Madison, Conn., na-
tive changed the direction of his life
more than 20 years ago when he met
a homeless man in New York’s Central
Park who led him to a hippie rabbi who
led him to Israel.
“We like to diversify the music,” said
Lori Steinkamp, Woodstock Opera
House representative.
Week two will feature local favorites,
the Georgia Rae Family Band, Wednes-
day, Aug. 12. �e band will present a
combination of folk, bluegrass, classic
country and old-time and contempo-
rary folk-rock music performed by sis-
ters Kelly Jo, Quin and four-state fiddle
champion Georgia Rae Mossared.
Following a rousing performance
July 18 at Gavers Barndance, Hans &
�e Hormones will rock the Square
Wednesday, Aug. 19, with their rendi-
tion of '80s-to-current cover tunes.
�e four-man group calls McHenry its
hometown.
FREE SUMMER CONCERT SERIES
Where: Park in the Square, Wood-stock SquareWhen: 7 p.m.Wednesday, Aug. 5: Lazer LloydWednesday, Aug. 12: Georgia Rae Family BandWednesday, Aug. 19: Hans & the Hor-monesWednesday, Aug. 26: John Ballantyne’s Crazy Heart
“We like to diversify the music.”
— Lori Steinkamp, Woodstock
Opera House
�e final night in the series, Wednes-
day, Aug. 26, will feature John Bal-
lantyne’s Crazy Heart. �e Chicago
country band, with roots that go back
to Scotland, has played in Woodstock
previously, including Pickle Palooza.
Organizers are hoping to continue to
draw visitors to the Square for Wednes-
day night music, just as the city band
has been doing all summer.
“Our crowds generally range from
200 to 400,” said Steinkamp.
10 THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENTJuly 29-Aug. 4, 2015 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
WOODSTOCK’S ENTERTAINMENT HIGHLIGHTSThe Entertainer
» MUSICCITY BAND CONCERTJuly 29, 7:30 p.m.Woodstock SquareFreeThe Woodstock City Band will play in its 131st summer concert series with weekly themes. July 29: “Musical Potpourri.” Ice cream so-cial: Friends of the Library
LIVE MUSIC AT EXPRESSLY LESLIE’SJuly 31, Aug. 7, 6 p.m.Woodstock Square Mall110 Johnson St.FreeJuly 31: Northwest Highway will perform.Aug. 7: Big Fish will perform.
WOODSTOCK FARMERS MARKETAug. 1, 4, 8, 11, 9, a.m. to noonWoodstock SquareFreewoodstockfarmersmarket.org.Performers include: Aug. 1 – Kishwaukee Ramblers at 9 a.m., Rachel and Jori at 10:30, The Ballet Box (dance) at noon; Aug. 4 – Eimile and Mike at 9 a.m., Paul Hanrahan at 10 a.m., Sue Fink at 11 a.m.; Aug. 8 – Big Fish at 9 a.m., The Beau-monts at 10:30 a.m.; Aug. 11 – Kishwau-kee Ramblers at 9 a.m.
FIRST SATURDAY MUSICAug. 1, 7 p.m.Unity Spiritual Center of Woodstock
225 W. Calhoun St.$3 donation815-382-5264Visitors can participate in the open mic night or enjoy the show. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. The featured performers will be Keith and Judy.
CONCERTS IN THE PARKWoodstock SquareAug. 5, 12, 7 p.m.FreeThe city of Woodstock will present: Aug. 5 – Lazer Lloyd, performing blues, folk, rock and jazz; Aug. 12 – The Georgia Rae Family Band, performing folk, bluegrass, classic country and folk rock.
NORTH STREETAug. 7, 7:30 p.m.Kingston Lanes1330 S. Eastwood [email protected] Street will perform a mix of classic, country, pop and jazz music. They will be joined by special guests, The Outfit.
JAZZ JAMAug. 7, 21, 8 p.m.Stage Left Café121 Van Buren St.815-337-1395$5 donationJazz Jam is sponsored by Jazz on the Square. Artists will perform jazz music.
WOODSTOCK MOZART FESTIVAL PROGRAM II
Aug. 8, 8 p.m.Aug. 9, 3 p.m.Woodstock Opera House121 Van Buren St.Series ticket price: $95 conductor’s cir-cle, $73 A-seating, $63 B-seatingSingle ticket price: $58 conductor’s cir-cle, $45 A-seating, $33 B-seating815-338-5300The orchestra, led by conductor Igor Gruppman, will play Mozart’s Diverti-mento in D Major, K 126; Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5, Op. 73 Emperor; and Mozart’s Symphony No. 40, K. 550. Mykola Suk will be featured on piano.
STAGE LEFTOVERSAug. 12, 26, 7:30 p.m.Stage Left Café125 Van Buren St. FreeThe Stage Leftovers, consisting of Rich Prezioso, Joe Pesz, Brian Murphy, Laurel Palma, George Koester, Pete Jonsson and Les Urban, will perform.
OPEN MIC NIGHTAug. 14, 7 p.m.Stage Left Café125 E. Van Buren St. $3 donationoffsquaremusic.orgOpen Mic is sponsored by Off Square Music. Various artists will perform in 15-minute slots.
» MOVIESPreviews of films currently playing at the Woodstock Theatre unless otherwise noted.
‘SOUTHPAW’A boxer relies on his trainer to help him get his life back on track after he loses his wife in an accident and his daughter is taken away by child pro-tection services. “Southpaw” is di-rected by Antoine Fuqua (“The Replacement Killers”) and stars Jake Gyllenhaal (“October Sky”) and Rachel McAdams (“The Notebook”).RATED R, 123 MINUTES
‘MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - ROGUE NATION’The team is charged with eradicating the Syndicate, an international rogue orga-nization. “Mission: Impossible - Rogue
Nation” is directed by Christopher Mc-Quarrie (“Edge of Tomorrow”) and stars Tom Cruise (“Risky Business”) and Re-becca Fergus.RATED R, 131 MINUTES
‘VACATION’The Griswold son, Rusty, attempts to recreate his childhood trip to “Walley World.” “Vacation” is directed by John Francis Daley (“Bones”) and Jonathan M. Goldstein (“Horrible Bosses”) and stars Elizabeth Gillies (“Victorious”) and Chris Hemsworth (“Star Trek”).RATED R, 99 MINUTES
‘PAPER TOWNS’Friends hit the road to find the missing girl next door. “Paper Towns” is directed by Jake Schreier (“Robot & Frank”) and stars Nat Wolff (“The Naked Brothers Band”) and Cara Delevingne (“Model of the Year 2012, British Fashion Awards”)RATED PG-13, 109 MINUTES
‘PIXELS’Aliens intercept arcade game video feeds and misinterpret them as a declaration of war, and they attack earth. “Pix-els” is directed by Chris Columbus (“Adventures in Babysitting”) and stars Adam Sandler (“The Wedding Singer”) and Kevin James (“Hitch”).RATED PG-13, 105 MINUTES
‘MINIONS’ 2D AND 3DA group of minions are recruited by a super-villain who, alongside her inven-tor husband, hatches a plot to take over the world. “Minions” is directed by Kyle Balda (“The Lorax”) and Pierre Coffin (“Despicable Me”), and stars the voice of Sandra Bullock (“Speed”).RATED PG, 91 MINUTES
‘ANT-MAN’Equipped with a specially engineered super-suit with the power to shrink in size but increase in strength, con-man-turned-hero Scott Lang attempts to save the world. “Ant-Man” is directed by Peyton Reed (“Yes Man”) and stars Paul Rudd (“I Love You, Man”).RATED PG-13, 117 MINUTES
‘TRAINWRECK’A successful woman raised to believe that monogamy was an impossibility is forced to face some deep-seated commit-ment fears when she meets a genuinely good guy. “Trainwreck” is directed by Judd Apatow (“Knocked Up”) and stars Amy Schumer (“Inside Amy Schumer”).RATED R, 125 MINUTES
11July 29-Aug. 4, 2015THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENT
Filed in the McHenry County Recorder’s Office July 2 to 8:
Residence at 1434 Walnut Drive, Woodstock, was sold by The Judicial Sales Corporation, Chicago, to North Shore Hold-ings Ltd., Chicago, for $69,000.
Residence at 2808 Cherry Drive, Won-der Lake, was sold by The Judicial Sales Cor-poration, Chicago, to North Shore Holdings Ltd., Chicago, for $70,000.
Residence at 829 Queen Anne St., Woodstock, was sold by Randy Munoz and Jamie Motsinger, Chicago, to Stephen and Jennifer Carter, Woodstock, for $97,000.
Residence at 1420 Sandpiper Lane, Woodstock, was sold by The Helen Thome Trust, Lakewood, to Chicago Title Land Trust, Woodstock, for $180,000.
Residence at 2031 Greenview Drive, Woodstock, was sold by Kory and Susan Beckman, Crystal Lake, to Kelly and Bryan Broederdorf, Woodstock, for $225,000.
Residence at 600 Indigo Lane, Wood-stock, was sold by Sharon Slover, Glendale Heights, to Michael and Susan Payton, Woodstock, for $195,000.
Residence at 1608 Ash Ave., Wood-stock, was sold by Doris J. McKay, Lake Zurich, to Iziar Castaneda, Woodstock, for $140,500.
Residence at 8510 Dorr Road, Wonder Lake, was sold by Todd and Christal Baldoc-chi, Ringwood, to Justin Greb, Wonder Lake, for $135,000.
Residence at 3503 Deep Cut Road, Woodstock, was sold by Sierra Investments LLC, Woodstock, to Jason O’Brien, Wood-stock, for $180,000.
Residence at 3004 Lily Pond Road, Woodstock, was sold by Renie Guderyahn, Junction City, Wis., to Benjamin and Marcie Bertelsman, Woodstock, for $361,500.
Residence at 7506 Salem Road, Won-der Lake, was sold by the Federal National Mortgage Assoc., Dallas, to Paul Bialek, Wonder Lake, for $46,500.
Residence at 400 Herrington Place, Woodstock, was sold by GGL Enterprises Inc., North Aurora, to Chad McDonald, Woodstock, for $156,500.
Residence at 11407 W. Halma Lane, Woodstock, was sold by the Margaret Eyre and Family Declaration of Trust, 11618 Mc-Connell Road, Woodstock, to Jason Bohan-non, Woodstock, for $170,000.
Residence at 417 St. John’s Road, Apt. C., Woodstock, was sold by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Develpment, Chicago, to Michael and Karen Pitts, Woodstock, for $50,000.
Residence at 4505 Doty Road, Wood-stock, was sold by the Federal National Mort-gage Association, Dallas, to Jerry and Jodi Croner, Woodstock, for $290,000.
Residence at 701 Washington St., Woodstock, was sold by The Judicial Sales Corporation, Chicago, to North Shore Hold-ings, Chicago, for $57,000.
Residence at 6004 Greenwood Road, Wonder Lake, was sold by Bonnie O’Brien, Twin Lakes, Wis., to Thomas Bielak and Kris-ten Strejc, Wonder Lake, for $275,000.
Residence at 314 N. Hill St., Wood-stock, was sold by Noe Ramirez, Ft. Collins, Colo., to Katherine Day, Woodstock, for $144,000.
REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS
Union pickets Walmart construction
Off the Rails shuts its doorsSandwich restaurant vies to replace Off the Rails, which has closed
By STEPHANIE PRICEThe Independent
Woodstock has lost another restau-
rant, but a popular eating establish-
ment is working to fill its space.
Off the Rails restaurant, located at
228 Main St. across from the Wood-
stock �eater, has permanently closed.
Restaurant owners Laura and Jim
Powell opened Off the Rails in March
2014 and specialized in serving Italian
cuisine.
�e company’s website lists the res-
taurant as being closed every day of
the week, and the main entrance to the
establishment was completely empty.
Calls made to the restaurant’s phone
number were not answered.
However, Jeff and J.T. Ash, owners
of Munch, last week posted on their
Facebook page they are considering
relocating their sandwich shop to the
considerably more spacious Off the
Rails location, which has served as
home for Pirro’s Restaurante and Joey
T’s over the years.
Munch opened last summer at 1409
S. Eastwood Drive, adjacent to Golf
and Games, and has been serving
a unique menu filled with Tex-Mex
sandwich fare.
�e Ash brothers moved from Aus-
tin, Texas, to open their sandwich shop
in the restaurant location previously
occupied by Golden Rolls Sushi Bar
and Grill.
A Texas flair is evident in many of
the brothers’ menu items, but they also
serve milder and sweet flavors in their
“sammiches,” deli items, tacos and
burgers.
By STEPHANIE PRICEThe Independent
Representatives from Laborers In-
ternational Union of North America
Local 1035 spent last week protesting
construction of a gasoline station at
Walmart.
Union members said Murphy USA is
in the process of building a gasoline
station near the west entrance of the
Walmart Supercenter, 1275 Lake Ave.
�e company has hired Harco Ser-
vices, based in Kennesaw, Ga., to com-
plete the project, according to Vernon
Bauman, president of Local 1035.
Last week, a handful of union mem-
bers erected a giant inflatable rat and
carried picket signs protesting the
project at the Woodstock location.
During the later part of the week, the
protesters had moved their picketing
operations to Round Lake Beach and
Shorewood, where another Murphy
gasoline station is under construction
at a Walmart location, Bauman said.
�e closest Murphy gasoline station
is located in Johnsburg next to the
Walmart.
“We are picketing Harco Services,”
Bauman said. “�e company is based
in Georgia. �ey use workers from
Texas. We feel they are exploiting
these workers at the expense of local
contractors and local workers.”
Bauman said the Murphy gasoline
stations are prefabricated structures,
built in Georgia and then shipped
north.
“�ese buildings are built out of state
and constructed with Texas labor,” he
said. “�ey are not helping our local
economy at all. �e only local workers
they use are iron workers who build
the canopies.”
Bauman said his protesters talked
to construction workers at the Harco
Services site in Woodstock and learned
they earn between $12 and $25 per
hour. He said they receive daily meal
allowances of $40 per day and workers
must share hotel rooms. Labor union
workers typically earn $39.20 per hour
plus benefits, Bauman said.
“[Harco Services] is not doing any-
thing to help our local economy at all,”
Bauman said. “If you do your research,
you see that Murphy USA is listed
number 175 on the Forbes 500 list.”
A representative from Harco Ser-
vices in Georgia said he was aware
of the gasoline construction project
underway in Woodstock. However, he
was not aware of the picketing dem-
onstrations held at the site. �e man
said he would look into the matter and
respond. At press time, The Woodstock Independent had not heard back from
the company.
A giant inflatable rat — the calling card of many unions which protest non-union worksites — stands in front of Walmart, 1275 Lake Ave. Laborers International Union of North America Local 1035 members were picketing against Harco Services, which is building a Murphy gasoline station at Walmart. INDEPENDENT PHOTO BY KEN FARVER
Marketplace
“The company is based in Georgia. They use work-ers from Texas. We feel they are exploiting these workers at the expense of local contractors and local workers.”
— Vernon Bauman, Local 1035
12 THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENTJuly 29-Aug. 4, 2015
Longtime fair judge uses experience, intuition
By JANET DOVIDIOThe Independent
Karen Reinhard looks forward to
judging baked goods and fruit pres-
ervation at the upcoming McHenry
County Fair.
She began her teaching career at
Woodstock High School in 1986 as a
home economics teacher, primarily in
foods. �e department is now called
family and consumer science. She
judged at the county fair for some 15
years, took a break, and resumed judg-
ing about six years ago.
�e county fair uses people with
professional food backgrounds for its
foods judges, such as teachers or peo-
ple working in the restaurant business.
“I love teaching foods,” she said,
“and I enjoy helping people become
educated about the proper ingredients
and techniques.”
Judging foods involves assessment
of three categories: appearance, tex-
ture and taste. Are the cookies as golden
brown as they should be? Is the pie’s
crust flaky? Is the fruit distributed even-
ly inside the muffin? Was too much salt
used?
Reinhard said, with her many years
of experience, she can easily tell if an
item was baked with oil or butter and
mixed properly. She shared a hint for
bakers: a dark baking pan holds heat
while a shiny pan reflects heat away.
�e bottoms of cookies baked on a
dark pan will be browner than ones
baked on a shiny pan.
She now judges foods at the county
fair in the senior class only.
“�ere is a decline in entries lately due
to the increased cost of ingredients and
the prevalence of convenience items,”
she said. “Not as many people are bak-
ing as in past years. Among the partici-
pants is a group of eight to 10 ladies who
submit baked goods every year. �ey
especially watch the judging procedure
carefully. I enjoy being able to compli-
ment the best entries and telling others
of how they can make improvements.”
Reinhard’s judging skills extend be-
yond the county fair. She helped judge
a pie contest for the McHenry County
Historical Society July 12. Of the 14 en-
tries, one pie received a perfect score
from all the judges.
Reinhard has a special message for
those viewing the food entries at the fair.
“Be aware that judging is done
when the products are brought in
fresh, which is Aug. 4 this year,” she
said. “�ey may change appearance
throughout the duration of the fair,
especially if the weather is hot and
causes frosting or chocolate to melt.
Rest assured that the judging was
very accurate when we received the
products.”
HIGHLIGHT
News of recognitions and milestones can be sent to Janet Dovidio at [email protected].
Community
Singing duo marks two decadesLocal musicians Judy Matzen and Keith Johnson have collaborated for years
By STEPHANIE PRICEThe Independent
Judy Matzen and Keith Johnson
have been singing partners for nearly
20 years.
�e duo met years ago when they
and their respective spouses attend-
ed a Muriel Anderson concert at the
Masthouse, a house on Calhoun Street
where musical artists gathered to per-
form. Matzen played the accordion
and had just started playing guitar.
Johnson, already proficient at guitar,
began talking with the Matzens. He and
Judy Matzen discovered they liked the
same music and shared a similar sing-
ing style. �ey decided to get together
and sing ... and that was the start of a
long collaboration.
“It’s been a lot of fun,” Matzen said.
“We’ve grown considerably. We’ve
learned to take a song and make it fit
our style.”
Matzen and Johnson performed to-
gether July 21 on the bandstand in the
Woodstock Square, a gig they do a
couple Tuesdays each summer for the
farmers market. �e duo also perform
regularly at open mic nights, held the
second and fourth Fridays of every
month at Stage Left Café, 125 Van Bu-
ren St.
“�e thing that motivates us is our
passion for music,” Matzen said.
Matzen, whose husband, Karl, also
performs, likes singing with Johnson
because they sing in the same voice
range and their styles blend well to-
gether. She jokingly said she and Karl
Matzen can’t sing in the same range.
After all these years, Matzen and John-
son have helped each other progress
and improve their musical skills.
“As a duo, you learn to depend on
the other person,” Johnson said.
�ey are members of Off Square
Music, a Woodstock nonprofit orga-
nization that plays and promotes the
preservation of folk music. �e group
encourages individuals to tap into
their own artistic talent and share
it in public. Johnson credited Off
Square Music for luring musicians to
the farmers market and to the city of
Woodstock.
“At Off Square Music, we try to pro-
vide opportunities for people to per-
form,” Johnson said. “We encourage
people to come out to our open mic
nights and sing. I think we have the
best musicians of all the area farmers
markets.”
Judy Matzen and Keith Johnson perform July 21 in the bandstand in the Park in the Square during the Woodstock Farm-ers Market on the Square. They have been singing and playing together for nearly 20 years. INDEPENDENT PHOTO BY KEN FARVER
“It’s been a lot of fun. We’ve grown consider-ably. We’ve learned to take a song and make
— Judy Matzen, musician
13July 29-Aug. 4, 2015THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENTCOMMUNITY
High school lit mag seizes foundation opportunity
For nearly two decades, Woodstock High School has annually produced and distributed a literary magazine called “Carpe Diem.” �rough annual contributions from the District 200 Education Foundation, students in the WHS creative writing classes have produced and published the magazine containing original work submitted by WHS students.
�e 2015 edition of “Carpe Diem” continued the tradition of publishing poems, paintings and short stories
from 26 student contributors. Nearly 100 pieces of work were sub-mitted and creative writing students evaluated, selected and edited the submissions. With the help of the WHS graphic arts stu-dents, they turned out another out-standing magazine and made it avail-able to all WHS students free of charge. Students and family members also were able to ac-cess an internet version of the maga-zine this year, which has expanded the readership of the work.
WHS English teacher �eresa Sistrunk was the faculty adviser of the project this year. Sistrunk pointed out that this is “the only print media of student-submitted short stories, poetry and artwork for the school. It is entire-ly student-run and student-created,” she added. Months of work go into the production of the magazine, which is published in the spring and distributed
through WHS English classes.Sistrunk told the education founda-
tion that “Creative writing students are authors of many of the pieces in ‘Carpe Diem,’ but all high school students are eligible to submit to the magazine. “ Again this year, graphic arts students worked to lay out, print and collate the magazine. “�e publi-cation showcases a variety of imagina-tive abilities from the students,” said Ms. Sistrunk.
I am delighted the education foun-dation was able to fund this and 80 other requests in whole or in part this year. I would like to thank the founda-tion board members who helped us with the ice cream social last month at the city band concert and all the concertgoers who purchased our ice cream and cookies. �e proceeds from this event support our program.
We are always looking for individu-als and businesses to add to the funds we can use to “make things happen that ordinarily would not.” Donations can be sent to the District 200 Educa-tion Foundation, P.O. Box 172, Wood-stock, IL, 60098 any time of the year. �e foundation is looking for a couple of people to join us on the board of
» COLUMN
Erich Thurow is chairman of the District 200 Education Foundation.
Education Foundation
Erich Thurow
directors for the upcoming year. Please consider becoming a part of our organi-zation. You can contact me at the above address for more information.
The Independent has a garage
sale package!
Only $15! Call
14 THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENTJuly 29-Aug. 4, 2015 COMMUNITY
HIGHLIGHT
Kiwanis Club returns to Woodstock
By JANET DOVIDIOThe Independent
Kiwanis Club has officially returned to Woodstock.
On June 16, Russ Olson and Kevin Dwyer appeared before the Wood-stock City Council to announce that a new Kiwanis Club had been formed in Woodstock. It has been 15 years since there has been a chapter in Wood-stock. Mayor Brian Sager welcomed the group and thanked them for their involvement in the community.
Club secretary Alan Arbuckle said, “Kiwanis’ motto is ‘Serving the Chil-dren of the World’ and our members are very passionate to have projects that reflect our motto.”
Kiwanis International was found-ed in 1915. �e Illinois-Eastern Iowa District of Kiwanis recently identified 10 areas in the Chicago region where clubs would be a good fit. McHenry
County businessman Brian Cunat, a past International President of Kiwan-is, was persistent in his efforts to make the Woodstock club a reality.
Kiwanians from Colorado, Kansas, Western Canada, Tennessee, Georgia, Indiana and Illinois were part of the team that opened the Woodstock club. �e new officers are Russ Olsen, presi-dent; Kevin Dwyer, vice president and president-elect; Sergio Anaya, treasur-er; and Arbuckle.
�e Woodstock Kiwanis members already are very involved in the com-munity. �ey will work with the Key Club at Marian Central Catholic High School along with the McHenry Ki-wanis. �e club hosted a booth at the Summer in the Park celebration
in July. Members participated in the Woodstock Challenge Road Run and Pool Party in June.
“Our service leadership program for students is world-class,” contin-ued Arbuckle.“Kiwanis has programs for students from elementary school through college. What community couldn’t benefit from having Kiwanis?”
�e Woodstock Kiwanis Club meets at noon the first and third �ursdays in the lower level of Golden Eagle Com-munity Bank, 975 Country Club Road, Woodstock. For information, email Ar-buckle at [email protected] or call him at 719-502-7853.
News of recognitions and milestones can be sent to Janet Dovidio at [email protected].
15July 29-Aug. 4, 2015THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENTCOMMUNITY
INDE FOCUS
MCC HOSTS CHILDREN’S TECH CAMP
Jason Thurow, 12, Woodstock, makes some adjustments to the solar-power rover that he built at the MCC Tech Camp class, “Exploration 2050: Future of Space Exploration and Drones.” Also pictured, from left, are Jack Granat, 13, Woodstock, and Ved Patel, 13, Cary. The class was part of the Kids and College program at McHenry County College that offered a variety of one-week STEM camps and academic enrichment camps. COURTESY PHOTO
ST. JOHN’S LUTHERAN CELEBRATES CONFIRMATION
St. John’s Lutheran Church, Woodstock, recently confirmed four youth members. Pictured, from left, are: Kayle Czischki, Ash-lynn Drach, the Rev. Aaron Schellhas, Zachary Phipps and Jacob Waryck. COURTESY PHOTO
DRIVE 4 YOUR SCHOOL BENEFITS WHS
A Ford-sponsored fundraiser, Drive 4 Your School, raised $6,000 for the Woodstock High School Backers Club. Bull Valley Ford employees including general manager Jose Cazares are pictured with WHS Athletic Director Glen Wilson and Backers Club members Bonnie Becker, Sue Ferguson and Darrin Chonos. COURTESY PHOTO
TLC WORKS AT BABCOCK EASEMENT
The Land Conservancy, Woodstock, recently held a workday at Babcock Ease-ment. Volunteer Lauretta Wolf is pictured standing amidst the ostrich ferns. COURTESY PHOTO
16 THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENTJuly 29-Aug. 4, 2015 COMMUNITY
IN BRIEF
Hearthstone launches new brand image and website
Hearthstone Communities has launched a new refreshed brand image, website and messaging to create more awareness about the organization’s 100-year history in senior care and retirement living. Hearth-stone enlisted Bild & Company’s marketing expertise to help them emphasize their high quality of care, dedicated close-knit family spirit and “going the extra mile” approach through original imagery and real stories.
Originally founded as an orphanage, Hearthstone Communities is a not-for-profit, faith-based organization dedicated to pro-
viding compassionate care for seniors. Liv-ing options range from independent living to long-term nursing. It also offers a unique integrated program with children through Hearthstone Early Learning Center.
The new tagline is “You’ll feel at home here.” They also have a new, fully mobile-optimized website at hearthstonewood-stock.org.
For questions regarding Hearthstone Communities, call 815-321-4028.
Golden Diners seeks Woodstock delivery drivers
Salvation Army is seeking volunteers to
deliver meals for the Golden Diners pro-gram, which provides weekday meals delivered in the morning to registered homebound seniors living in Woodstock. Currently, there is need for backup drivers to fill in as needed from 10 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday.
For information or to volunteer, call Kathy at 630-232-6676.
MCCD to continue First Fridays concert series
The Jeff Trudell Band will perform from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7, on the back patio of the Lost Valley Visitor Center in Gla-
cial Park, Route 31 and Harts Road, Ring-wood.
Trudell and his band have been per-forming in the Chicago area for 15 years, entertaining audiences of all ages. For a preview, visit him on Facebook or at Jef-fandBarb.com.
Visitors are invited to bring a picnic din-ner or dessert and a lawn chair and en-joy the intimate outdoor setting under the branches of ancient oaks with stunning views of the outstretched valley. In the event of inclement weather, concerts will be moved indoors. The next concert will be Sept. 4 with the Nippersink Rogues and Kingsfold.
Registration is not required. Visit www.MCCDistrict.org.
17July 29-Aug. 4, 2015THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENT
FLASHBACKS25 years ago
The Woodstock City Council voted to move ahead with engineering designs for a $4 million expansion to the city’s sewage treatment plant.
Nancy Jung, Woodstock, was hon-ored as the 1990 Realtor of the Year by the McHenry County Association of Realtors.
The city of Woodstock adopted a new salary table that allowed the city to stay com-petitive in the job market and bring employ-ees’ salaries more in line with other munici-palities.
Ernest and Betty Bohn celebrated their 67th wedding anniversary.
20 years ago The annual Woodstock Folk Festival cel-
ebrated 10 years of music on the Square after it was founded by local resident Amy Beth in 1985.
Jennifer Dahm was the winner of the McHenry County Fair pin design contest.
The Woodstock Little League’s 42nd season had a record number 572 players, 43 teams and four divisions.
The Wonder Lake Ski Show Team took third place at the eight-team Midwest Region-al Show Ski Tournament on the Rock River in Moline.
15 years ago
Construction at Woodstock High School stopped when a strike arose against Soumar Tuckpointers, the contractor hired by Wood-stock School District 200 to tuck-point the ex-terior facade of the building.
Woodstock T-ball player Joe Schmitt threw out the first pitch at a Chicago Cubs game.
The annual Olson Middle School sev-enth-grade trip to Devil’s Lake, Wis., reached its 25-year mark. It was started in 1975 by teachers Jim Grissom, Joe Liggett, Ken Gard-ner and Chuck Little.
10 years ago McHenry County health officials con-
firmed a mosquito collected in McHenry test-ed positive for West Nile Virus.
Historic impersonators Max and Donna Daniels portrayed Abraham and Mary Lin-coln during an informative program before 60 people at the Woodstock Public Library.
The Woodstock Summer Theatre pre-sented the musical “A Chorus Line” at the Opera House.
5 years ago Reichert Chevrolet and Buick an-
nounced it sold its Crystal Lake dealership, but owner John Reichert said he would contin-ue operating his General Motors dealership in Woodstock.
For the first time in 46 years, the prize money for the McHenry County Fair’s Talent Contest increased to $200, $150 and $100 for first, second and third-place winners.
The McHenry County Community Foun-dation announced recipients of funds totaling $453,000 during its annual fund distribution program. Recipients included the Woodstock Fire/Rescue District and the Transitional Living Services for McHenry County Veterans.
1 year ago The Woodstock City Council voted 7-0
to approve a change order for work on the city-owned Courthouse on the Square, allo-cating an additional $15,536 for renovation work on the cupola.
District 200 staff reported the district re-ceived the state’s quarterly payments of about $650,000 on time, bringing the state’s pay-ments up to date for the first time in six or seven years, school officials said.
The city of Woodstock hosted the first-ever Summer in the Park celebration, coincid-ing with the Gavers Barndance at Emricson Park.
The Independent featured Woodstock resident Dan Kremske, who was immersed in an intensive training program as he prepared to compete in the U.S. Olympic Marathon tri-als scheduled for 2016.
RELIGION NOTES
BLUE LOTUS TEMPLE & MEDITATION CENTER
Meditation: 10 a.m. Tuesday, Saturday;7 p.m. Monday, Wednesday
CHRIST LIFE
Worship: 10:30 a.m. Sunday
EDEN BAPTIST
Worship: 3 p.m. Sunday (Spanish)
FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST, SCIENTIST
Worship: 10 a.m. Sunday
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN
Worship: 9 a.m. Sunday
FIRST UNITED METHODIST
Worship: 9:30 a.m. Sunday
FREE METHODIST
Worship: 10:30 a.m. Sunday
GRACE FELLOWSHIP
Worship: 10:15 a.m. Sunday
Wednesday
GRACE LUTHERAN1300 Kishwaukee Valley Road 815-338-0554 Worship: 5 p.m. Saturday (casual); 8:30 a.m. (traditional), 10:00 a.m. (contemporary)
HERITAGE BAPTIST4609 Greenwood Road
Worship: 10 a.m. Sunday
MCHENRY COUNTY JEWISH CONGREGATION8617 Ridgefield Road, Crystal Lake815-455-1810Worship: 6:30 p.m. Friday, 9:30 a.m. Saturday
REDEEMER LUTHERAN
Worship: 8 and 10 a.m. Sunday
RESURRECTION CATHOLIC2918 S. Country Club Road 815-338-7330Worship: 8 and 10:30 a.m. Sunday; 5 p.m. Saturday; 8 a.m. weekdays
ST. ANN’S EPISCOPAL
Worship: 8:30 and 10 a.m. Sunday
ST. JOHN’S LUTHERAN
Worship: 6 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m. Sunday
ST. MARY CATHOLIC
Worship: 7:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday; 5 and 6:30 p.m. (Spanish) Saturday; 7:30, 9 and 10:30 a.m., noon (Spanish), 5 p.m. Sunday
THE BRIDGE CHRISTIAN
Worship: 10 a.m. Sunday
THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS
Worship: 10 a.m. Sunday
THE VINE
Worship: 10 a.m. Sunday
UNITY SPIRITUAL CENTER
Worship: 10 a.m. Sunday
WOODSTOCK ASSEMBLY OF GOD
Worship: 9 a.m. Sunday prayer service, 10 a.m. worship service
WOODSTOCK BIBLE
Worship: 9:30 a.m. Sunday
through fifth grade)
p.m. Sunday
Note to churches: Please notify The Woodstock Independent with any changes in service times, programs, etc.
COMMUNITY
18 THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENTJuly 29-Aug. 4, 2015 COMMUNITY
19July 29-Aug. 4, 2015THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENT
29 | WEDNESDAY
DRAGONFLIES AND DAMSELFLIESPleasant Valley Conservation Area13315 Pleasant Valley Road6:30 to 8 p.m.Free for county residentsVisitors will learn about the life cycles of dragonflies and damselflies and then find, catch, examine and release them again. Preregistration required.
CITY BAND CONCERTWoodstock Square7:30 p.m.See The Entertainer, page 10.
30 | THURSDAY
SENIOR EXERCISE CLASSDorr Township1039 Lake Ave.9 a.m.$10 monthly exercise class fee, $2 lunch815-344-3555Senior citizens are invited to exercise, followed by coffee, program, lunch and bingo.
HOW TO TAKE BETTER LANDSCAPE PHOTOSMcHenry County Extension Office1102 McConnell Road6:30 p.m.Free815-338-3737http://web.extension.illinois.edu/hmrs/4seasons/A session on landscape photography is available for home participation with preregistration.
31 | FRIDAY
LIVE MUSIC AT EXPRESSLY LESLIE’SWoodstock Square Mall110 Johnson St.6 p.m.expresslyleslie.comSee The Entertainer, page 10.
1 | SATURDAY
WOODSTOCK FARMERS MARKETWoodstock Square8 a.m. to 1 p.m.woodstockfarmersmarket.orgThe market features a variety of food and craft items produced directly by the vendors.See The Entertainer, page 10.
WNHS GARDEN WORK DAYWoodstock North High School3000 Raffel Road9 a.m. to noonVolunteers are invited to come and help maintain the Sue Palmore Heri-tage Garden.
DAR GENEOLOGY WORKSHOPWoodstock Public Library414 W. Judd St.. 10 a.m. to noonFree, but registration requiredVolunteer genealogists from the Kish-waukee Trail Chapter of the Daugh-ters of the American Revolution will help prospective members with ap-plications.
HABITAT RESTORATIONBoger Bog2100 Cherry Valley Road10 a.m. to 1 p.m.815-455-1537Individuals, students, small groups and families with children older than age 6 can participate in restoring na-tive habitat at the conservation area.
FIRST SATURDAY MUSICUnity Spiritual Center of Woodstock225 W. Calhoun St.$3 donation7 p.m. 815-382-5264See The Entertainer, page 10.
2 | SUNDAY
WE.CAN.TRI SPRINT AND CHILDREN’S TRIATHLONEmricson Park1313 Kishwaukee Valley Road7 a.m. start, adults10 a.m. start, childrenAnd adult sprint triathlon and a chil-dren’s event will be held. Register on-line at signmeup.com/107371
3 | MONDAY
FOX VALLEY ROCKETEERS MEETINGWoodstock North High School3000 Raffel Road, Room D1877:30 p.m.815-337-9068foxvalleyrocketeers.orgA meeting of model rocketry enthusi-asts will be held.
4 | TUESDAY
WOODSTOCK FARMERS MARKETWoodstock Square8 a.m. to 1 p.m.woodstockfarmersmarket.orgSee Aug. 1 and The Entertainer, page 10.
OFFSIDES CRUISE NIGHTOffsides Sports Bar & Grill680 S. Eastwood Drive6 to 9 p.m.815-334-8700Classic cars will be on display at the restaurant.
HOME DECORATING TIPSWoodstock Public Library414 W. Judd St.6:30 p.m.815-338-0542woodstockpubliclibrary.orgInterior designer Angie Gardeck will speak about design trends, starting a design project and getting a fresh look with existing elements.
CITY COUNCIL MEETINGWoodstock City Hall121 W. Calhoun St.7 p.m.
5 | WEDNESDAY
MCHENRY COUNTY FAIRMcHenry County Fairgrounds11900 Country Club Road10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
CONCERTS IN THE PARKWoodstock Square
7 p.m.FreeSee The Entertainer, page 10.
6 | THURSDAY
MCHENRY COUNTY FAIRMcHenry County Fairgrounds11900 Country Club Road10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
WOODSTOCK SENIOR CLUBSHearthstone Communities840 N. Seminary Ave.10 a.m. to 2 p.m.$2.50 for lunch815-344-3555The activities will include tai chi and coffee.
‘THE MILKY WAY’ MOVIECentegra Hospital - Woodstock3701 Doty Road5 p.m.815-759-4839A free screening of “The Milky Way,” a movie about American mother-hood, will be presented. Cookies and drinks will be provided. Babies are welcome.
JAIL BRAKERSUnity Spiritual Center of Woodstock225 W. Calhoun St.6:30 [email protected] Brakers is a support group that provides a safe place for children and families to express their emo-tional reactions to separation from a family member who has been incar-cerated.
COLLEGE FINANCIAL PLANNING NIGHTWoodstock Public Library414 W. Judd St.7 p.m.815-338-0542woodstockpubliclibrary.org
SENIOR EXERCISE CLASSDorr Township1039 Lake Ave.9 a.m.$10 monthly exercise class fee, $2 lunch815-344-3555See July 30.
7 | FRIDAY
LIVE MUSIC AT EXPRESSLYLESLIE’SWoodstock Square Mall110 Johnson St.6 p.m.expresslyleslie.comSee The Entertainer, page 10.
NORTH STREETKingston Lanes1330 S. Eastwood Dr.7:30 [email protected] The Entertainer, page 10.
JAZZ JAMStage Left Café125 Van Buren St.8 p.m.815-337-1395$5 donation
See The Entertainer, page 10.
MOVIES IN THE PARKWoodstock Water Works1313 Kishwaukee Valley Road8:30 p.m.“Big Hero 6” will be screened out-doors.
8 | SATURDAY
WOODSTOCK FARMERS MARKETWoodstock Square8 a.m. to 1 p.m.woodstockfarmersmarket.orgSee Aug. 1 and The Entertainer, page 10.
FOX VALLEY ROCKETEERS CLUB LAUNCHKishwaukee ParkDavis Road9 a.m. to 1 p.m.815-337-9068foxvalleyrocketeers.orgModel rocket enthusiasts will launch rockets. Everyone is welcome.
WOODSTOCK MOZART FESTIVAL PROGRAM IIWoodstock Opera House121 Van Buren St.8 p.m.Series ticket price: $95 conductor’s circle, $73 A-seating, $63 B-seatingSingle ticket price: $58 conductor’s circle, $45 A-seating, $33 B-seating815-338-5300See The Entertainer, page 10.
9 | SUNDAY
WOODSTOCK MOZART FESTIVAL PROGRAM IIWoodstock Opera House121 Van Buren St.3 p.m.Series ticket price: $95 conductor’s circle, $73 A-seating, $63 B-seatingSingle ticket price: $58 conductor’s circle, $45 A-seating, $33 B-seating815-338-5300See The Entertainer, page 10.
10 | MONDAY
SPOUSAL CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUPFamily Alliance2028 N. Seminary Ave.10:30 a.m. to noon815-338-3590An open support group meeting will be offered for individuals caring for a spouse.
MCHENRY COUNTY HORSE CLUB MEETINGHooved Animal Humane Society10804 McConnell Road7 p.m.847-366-1315The general meeting of the club is open to everyone. Meetings will have various speakers and exhibits.
COFFEE WITH THE CHIEFWoodstock Police Department656 Lake Ave.7 to 8:30 p.m. 11 | TUESDAY
WOODSTOCK FARMERS
MARKETWoodstock Square8 a.m. to 1 p.m.woodstockfarmersmarket.orgSee Aug. 1 and The Entertainer, page 10.
ALZHEIMER’S & DEMENTIA FAMILY SUPPORT GROUPValley Hi Nursing & Rehabilitation2406 Hartland Road6 p.m.815-334-2817Caregiving tips and strategies will be discussed.
OFFSIDES CRUISE NIGHTOffisdes Sports Bar & Grill680 S. Eastwood Drive6 to 9 p.m.815-334-8700Classic cars will be on display at the restaurant.
CONCERTS IN THE PARKWoodstock SquareAug. 12, 7 p.m.FreeSee The Entertainer, page 10.
NORTHLAND AREA ARTLEAGUE MEETINGOpera House Community Room121 Van Buren St.7 p.m.815-337-2027An open meeting for the art league will be held. Walk-ins and guests are welcome.
12 | WEDNESDAY CONCERTS IN THE PARKWoodstock Square7 p.m.FreeSee The Entertainer, page 10.
STAGE LEFTOVERSStage Left Café125 Van Buren St.7:30 p.m.FreeSee The Entertainer, page 10.
13 | THURSDAY
THROWBACK THURSDAYWoodstock Public Library414 W. Judd St.6 p.m.815-338-0542A PG-rated classic movie will be shown. Visitors can bring snacks and drinks.
SENIOR EXERCISE CLASSDorr Township1039 Lake Ave.9 a.m.$10 monthly exercise class fee, $2 lunch815-344-3555See July 30.
July 29to Aug. 13
CALENDARUpcoming events in the Woodstock area Events are free unless otherwise noted
For ongoing events, visit www.thewoodstockindependent.comPHOTO: SARAE
BEST BETSELECTION
To submit calendar items, e-mail [email protected] or visit
thewoodstockindependent.com
COMMUNITY
22 THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENTJuly 29-Aug. 4, 2015 PUBLIC NOTICES
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AD Continued from Page 24
trict and the depth of his understand-ing of the role that an athletic director can play in the success of a school’s athletic and co-curricular programs,” Heckman said. “...[Stromquist’s] per-sonal experience coaching football, girls basketball and boys track gave him a broad perspective on a variety of sports offered in our district.”
Stromquist graduated in 1991 from Cambridge High School, also located near the Quad Cities. He attended Illinois State University, where he earned a business education degree, and earned a master’s degree in edu-cational leadership from Western Il-linois University.
Over the years, he taught several classes including computer courses, business education, management,
marketing, graphic designs and web design.
Stromquist said, during his tenure at Sherrard, he served as the assis-tant coach and defensive coordinator for the football team for 17 years. He was head coach of the boys track team for 16 years, and served as assistant coach for girls basketball for 10 years, he said.
SPORTS
“When I met the admin-istrative team, I felt like
— Brady Stromquist, WNHS athletic director
can challenge my current team,” Full-er said.
Fuller already knows a handful of alumni who are planning to partici-pate. Some of the former coaches also plan to attend.
In addition to helping his present team, Fuller said he believes this ex-perience will demonstrate running doesn’t have to stop with high school
graduation. “I think my kids seeing the alum-
ni still running will help them think about doing so in the future. �ey’ll see that running can really be a life-long hobby if they want it to be,” Full-er said.
WHS cross-country alumni inter-ested in participating can email Fuller at [email protected].
Silver Continued from Page 24
GET RID OF ALL YOUR JUNK?
CALL TODAY!
815-338-8040
DO YOU WANT TO
23July 29-Aug. 4, 2015THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENT
ever hold your piece.” As far as I know, there is only one more athlete left that finished their athletic career during the 2014-15 school year. �at athlete is Cody Johnson, a Milwaukee School of Engi-neering track athlete and Woodstock High School graduate. I am going to double-check, but if your son/daughter finished their college sports career this year, it is not too late to let me know.
I am currently compiling a list of
athletes for the 2015-16 College Re-port that will start Sept. 2. Please email the name of the athlete, former high school, college/university and, of course, the sport to [email protected]. Please put “Woodstock Indepen-dent” in the subject line of the email.
SPORTS
The College Report
DanChamness
Dan Chamness follows the college athletic ca-reers of Woodstock-area athletes.
» COLUMN
Zubrzycki steals, stretches
singles into doubles
Marian Central Catholic graduate Steve Zubrzycki rarely was caught on the base paths during his four years playing for Concordia-Chicago. As a junior, he stole 38 bases and was thrown out only twice. He led not only the team and the Northern Ath-letics Collegiate Conference, but the NCAA Division II as well.
“I have to credit our pitching coach [Mike Stawski] with transforming me into a great base stealer,” said Zu-brzycki. “He helped me take away a few unnecessary movements. It gave me another half second. One of the things about stealing is you have to know that you are fast enough. When I thought I could successfully steal a base, he and I would give each other a look.”
Overall, Zubrzycki stole 56 bases during his college career. He was caught only four times.
In addition, he finished with a ca-reer batting average of .314. His low-est average was .262, and his average for the other three seasons was .319 or higher.
As a senior, he finished with 28 hits (six doubles) in 107 trips to the plate. He scored 25 runs, drove home 12 and walked nine times. In his career, he had 153 hits in 487 trips to the plate. Of his hits, 29 were doubles,
while one was a triple. He also had 124 runs scored, 71 RBIs and 38 walks.
He finished as a NACC All-Confer-ence selection as a junior.
In his four years of college base-ball, Concordia-Chicago won 100 more games than they lost, post-ing a record of 144-43, 70-15 in the Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference.
“I wanted to be a part of a suc-cessful team and help the younger guys continue that success,” said Zubrzycki. “I was there mentally and physically. I hope my teammates rec-ognized me as a great teammate. My ultimate goal was to leave a piece of myself with the program.”
He earned a Bachelor of Science in management and a Bachelor of Arts in psychology, while posting a GPA of 3.55. He had a minor in market-ing. He was on the dean’s list four times, including three of the last four semesters.
Zubrzycki is currently a sales apprentice at Bohler-Uddeholm, a steel company in Elgin. He is the son of Michelle and Joe Zubrzycki of McHenry
“Early in my career, I lost my start-ing position,” said Zubrzycki. “It made me work much harder and taught me to rise to the challenge. I will miss playing college baseball, but I am also ready to go to work. I have always been career focused.”
Like the preacher says during a wedding ceremony, “speak now or for-
24 THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENTJuly 29-Aug. 4, 2015
SportsBy STEPHANIE PRICE
The Independent
A former athletic director
from Western Illinois has been
hired as the new athletic direc-
tor for Woodstock North High
School.
�e Woodstock School Dis-
trict 200 Board of Education
unanimously approved hiring
Brady Stromquist at its regu-
larly scheduled July 21 meet-
ing. Under the terms of his
contract, Stromquist will earn
an annual salary of $92,000.
He replaces the �under’s for-
mer AD Nicolas Kearfott, who
resigned his post June 30 and
has since accepted a position
as athletic director for DeKalb
High School, according to
the school’s website. Kearfott
served as AD from 2008 to
2015.
Stromquist, 42, has worked
17 years at Sherrard High
School in Sherrard, a town lo-
cated about 20 miles south of
Moline. He served as athletic
director for five of those years,
and coached and taught vari-
ous classes over the years.
�e new AD said he was
drawn to the District 200 posi-
tion because he has friends in
the area, including Woodstock
North golf coach and physical
e d u c a t i o n
teacher JC
Wise. He is
also close
friends with
Pat Elder,
AD at Rich-
mond-Bur-
ton High
School.
“ I ’ v e
driven by
Woodstock
many times,” Stromquist said.
“It’s a beautiful town, and
Woodstock North is a beau-
tiful school. When I met the
administrative team, I felt like
this was a good fit.”
Stromquist, along with his
wife and 18-month-old son,
plan to move to Woodstock as
soon as possible. Per his duties
at Woodstock North, he will
oversee all the athletic teams
and coaches. One of his first
jobs will be to hire a new head
wrestling coach and fill a boys
soccer assistant coaching po-
sition.
“My first goal will be to work
with coaches to see how they
work with the kids,” he said.
“I want to make sure they are
working with them in the right
way. My second goal will just
be to find out what [the coach-
es] need from me – what can I
do to help them be successful.”Stromquist was selected
from a field of 50 candidates
for the open position, accord-
ing to Mark Heckman, associ-
ate superintendent for human
resources. He was interviewed
by a team consisting of teach-
ers, parents and administra-
tors. He was hired, in part, be-
cause his leadership style and
personality fit well with the
WNHS culture, Heckman said.
“He was selected as a result of
his strong experience working
with athletic programs for the
five years in his previous dis-
New athletic director joins Woodstock NorthFormer Thunder AD takes job at DeKalb High School, Brady Stromquist joins WNHS staff
Please see AD, Page 22
Brady Stromquist
WHS cross-country team looking for former runners for annual event at Emricson Park
By TREVOR PRICEThe Independent
�e Woodstock High School cross-
country team is reaching out to its
former runners.
On Saturday, Aug. 22, the team will
meet for its annual blue/white run at
Emricson Park. As is customary, the
runners will be split into two teams,
blue and white. What will be unusual
about this race, however, is the pres-
ence of a third team — the silver team.
Team silver will consist exclusively
of former WHS cross-country run-
ners. WHS cross-country coach Jay
Fuller is inviting anyone who previ-
ously ran for WHS to attend.
“I’m trying to get people who ran
before together with the current run-
ners in order to build a culture. I want
them to share their stories about why
they run and allow the current run-
ners to see who came before them,”
Fuller said.
�e event will begin at 9 a.m. Alumni
not interested in running are invited
to watch. Fuller is providing time for
runners to gather after the race and
enjoy breakfast. At around 10 a.m., the
runners will cool off at a pool party.
Alumni are encouraged to bring their
children to the pool party.
�is event will be the first of its
kind for the WHS cross-country team.
Fuller believes meeting the alumni
will help strengthen his current team.
“[�e advantage of mixing the
two groups] is the camaraderie. �e
groups get to talk before and after.
�ey’re also good alumni, and there
are some good young runners that
Blue and white run to add a silver streak
Please see Silver, Page 22
PUMPED UP KICKS
Top: The Thunder’s Nathan Sciarro sports a Paris Saint-Germain shirt during soccer practice at Woodstock North High School July 21. Right: Matthew Schmidt, left, and Frankie Guerra battle for the ball during practice at WNHS. INDEPEN-DENT PHOTOS BY KEN FARVER