Musick: Hawks’ Antti Raanta having fun as backup
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D-155, union reach tentative deal INGS HAPPENming up co What’s state in your
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Officials expect agreement to be approved in coming weeks By STEPHEN Di BENEDETTO
Johnnie Thomas, District 155 superintendent, said that throughout negotiations neither side lost focus on the end goal: “Serving our students and community.”
sdibenedetto@shawmedia.com CRYSTAL LAKE – District 155 and its teacher union reached a tentative, threeyear agreement Friday evening after nearly 10 months of negotiations that stalled earlier this fall over salary and benefit differences.
Neither side would disclose the details of the tentative deal, but both administrators and union officials expect the agreement to be approved in the coming weeks. The District 155 Education Association should vote Jan. 17 on the contract, with the District Board expected to vote Jan. 21, according to a
joint statement from the district and its teacher union. “This tentative agreement will allow us to recognize our excellent teaching staff,” Superintendent Johnnie Thomas said in the statement. “Though these negotiations were lengthy, neither side ever lost focus on the end-goal of serving our students and
community.” Both sides submitted final contract offers to the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board in early November after formally declaring an impasse in negotiations that began in late March. Concerned with proposed contract cuts, an overwhelming majority of the District
HOLIDAYS COME AT A PRICE
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Overspending is a common problem this time of year
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By EMILY K. COLEMAN ecoleman@shawmedia.com With last month’s credit card bills to arrive in the coming week or so, Virginia Peschke expects to see more people come through the doors of the nonprofit she heads looking to get a handle on their holiday spending. Americans collectively had $856.9 billion in outstanding credit-card and other revolving loan debt in November, a number that edges up each year before dropping again in January, according
to statistics released this week by the Federal Reserve System. Overspending is the most common financial problem for families this time of year, said Terry Maryniw, the owner of Maryniw Financial in Lake in the Hills. “It’s hard if you’re a family,” he said. “It’s hard to say no to your kids. You want them to have a good Christmas, but you need to be able to put food on the table and pay the rent.” That’s why he and other financial advisers recommend that people put together a budget, as-
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sessing their financial situation and laying out what their income is and their bills are. This type of planning can help people prevent overspending during the holiday season, but it also is necessary to help them get back on track, said Peschke, the executive director of Consumer Credit Counseling Service of McHenry County. Peschke’s nonprofit offers free credit counseling; it also has a debt management program, in which participants can have their
See DEBT, page A5
“It’s hard if you’re a family. It’s hard to say no to your kids. You want them to have a good Christmas, but you need to be able to put food on the table and pay the rent.” Terry Maryniw Owner of Maryniw Financial in Lake in the Hills
Voice your opinion How much holiday debt did you rack up? Vote online at NWHerald.com.
155 Education Association’s 440 members authorized the intent to strike before the impasse. The Crystal Lake teachers’ union had never before held a strike vote in its 40-year history. On Friday, Justin Hubly, District 155 Education
See D-155, page A5
McQueen acquitted, blasted by judge By CHELSEA McDOUGALL cmcdougall@shawmedia.com ROCKFORD – A Winnebago County judge acquitted the special prosecutor in Lou Bianchi’s criminal trials, but not before blasting the man and apologizing to the State’s Attorney. Bianchi defense attorney turned prosecutor in this case, Terry Ekl, was seeking to hold Thomas McQueen in criminal contempt, alleging that McQueen withheld discovery materials that would have been beneficial to Bianchi’s defense. M c Q u e e n Thomas was appointed McQueen as special prosecutor in Bianchi’s two corruption trials. In both – first in 2010 and again in 2011 – the State’s Attorney was acquitted before presenting a defense. Winnebago County Judge Joseph McGraw lambasted McQueen saying he believed McQueen ignored his legal duty by withholding emails and witness statements from the Bianchi prosecution. Ultimately, though, McGraw ruled that there was not proof beyond a reasonable doubt that McQueen had willfully violated court orders. But the judge called the McQueen’s actions “repugnant.” “This should in no way be construed as an exoneration
See McQUEEN, page A5
LOCALLY SPEAKING
LAKE IN THE HILLS
PLANS FOR INTERSECTION REVIEWED LAKE IN THE HILLS – Village officials now are reviewing plans for the county’s proposed Randall Road improvements, which include a continuous flow intersection at Algonquin Road. Early estimates for the Randall Road improvements from Ackman to County Line Road put the price tag at $80 million. For more, see page B1.
Shaw Media file photo
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CRYSTAL LAKE: Organizers of bike race seek $20,000 grant from city council for 2nd annual event in July. Local, B1 Vol. 29, Issue 11
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