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January 5, 2015 • $1.00
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Regime change comes to court
CARY OFFICIAL: ‘LIKE EVERY OTHER TOWN OUT THERE, OUR ASH TREES ARE IN DECLINE’
Positions filled, created in county courthouse By CHELSEA McDOUGALL cmcdougall@shawmedia.com
Photos by H. Rick Bamman – hbamman@shawmedia.com
Crew members from Trees “R” Us cut down an Ash tree along Pine Oak Circle in Cary. The village is removing all of the ash trees in its parkways to combat emerald ash borer. BELOW: An ash tree stump remains in the parkway along Montana Drive.
Cary removing ash trees to fight emerald ash borer Video online
By JOSEPH BUSTOS jbustos@shawmedia.com CARY – During the course of the winter, workers from Trees “R” Us Inc. will be going through town. In the course of several minutes, the workers apply a saw toward the bottom of an ash tree to bring it down. The logs are hauled away and some of the limbs are put through a wood chipper and turned into mulch. The scene will repeat itself over and over in Cary as the village removes the remaining 1,800 ash trees in town to combat the infection of emerald ash borer. “Like every other town out there, our ash trees are in decline,” Public Works Director Erik Morimoto said. The village was able to get favorable per unit cost for tree removal, Morimoto said. The contractor is expected to work through the winter and be done by the spring. As trees come down, the village’s public works crews remove the stumps and pre-
Watch an ash tree be removed in Cary on NWHerald.com
pare each tree site for landscaping. Over the next six to seven years the village plans to replace the trees as budget funding allows, Morimoto said. “We don’t want to get into a bind when whatever diseases or insects
The intent is to replace as many as possible. In the 1980s and 1990s, ash trees were very popular with developers. The invasive insect eventually migrated to the country and worked its way to the midwest. “Cary is not alone in dealing with this,” Morimoto said. Morimoto said in some of the trees that have been removed, the effect of the insect is visible. When the emerald ash borer larvae mature, they burrow through and out of the tree, Morimoto said. The insect cuts off the tree’s vascome along,” Morimoto said. “We cular system preventing the roots want to encourage a [diversity] of from being connected to the rest of the plant. trees to try to get a balance.” Eventually as the decline continMorimoto said the village will ues, the tree’s leaves die off. be thoughtful in how it replaces trees, such as how they are spaced to make sure the trees will thrive. See CARY, page A4
WOODSTOCK – There will be a few new faces in key roles around the McHenry County Courthouse in 2015. County officials recently hired administrators for two open positions, and a another in a newly created role. A vacancy was filled in Probation and Court Services after former director Philip Dailing resigned in June. Walt Pesterfield will start Jan. 12. He has a background as a police officer, in juvenile corrections and both adult and juvenile probation. Before taking the position in McHenry County, he served as director of parole for the Colorado Department of Corrections. His salary information was not immediately available. Jason Sterwerf has been chosen for the position of director of specialty courts. He will oversee the drug, mental health and domestic violence courts, a position held by Scott Block. Block left in December to take on the leadership role with the McHenry County Mental Health Board. Sterwerf previously worked at CASA of McHenry County and Transitional Living Services in Hebron, 22nd Circuit Court Administrator Dan Wallis said. “He’s got a combination of education, a background in treatment and a clinical background, and he’s been in the community for a number of years so he knows what resources are available,” Wallis said. Sterwerf will earn $54,116 in his new role that began Dec. 8. A newly created, but “budget neutral” business analyst and IT position was created for 2015. Matt Weingart will earn $48,600 in the position, yet Wallis says there were no additional dollars added to the budget, but that Weingart’s salary was created by shifting dollars from other places. Weingart will start Jan. 5.
See COURTHOUSE, page A4
In Quinn’s last week, prospects uncertain for special session By SOPHIA TAREEN and KERRY LESTER The Associated Press CHICAGO – Gov. Pat Quinn enters his final days in office with a last speech and special legislative session on the agenda, but it’s unclear whether fellow Democratic leaders will work with him on his proposal for a 2016 comptroller election or other issues he might raise. The Chicago Democrat has kept a lower-profile since los-
ing Nov. 4, aside from a weekend flurry of public stops. Political experts and lawmakers say his dwindling influence means little hope for a full commitment from legislators on his desire for an election to replace late Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka, or any last push to increase Illinois’ minimum wage. Aides also acknowledge the lower-key exit, saying he’s focused on slogging through clemency petitions and the transition of power to Repub-
lican Gov.-elect Bruce Rauner. Quinn addresses the City Club of Chicago’s business and civic leaders for a Tuesday luncheon – a setting where he’s previously floated new ideas but this Pat Quinn week could also talk about his legacy or future plans. He’s called lawmakers to
Springfield two days later to consider the special election and told reporters Sunday he hopes lawmakers also use Thursday to consider succession of statewide officeholders on a wider scale. With days left, though, lawmakers said there had been little talk of plans to take up the issue. House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie acknowledged the opportunity for tackling other matters, but said she hadn’t spoken with House
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Speaker Michael Madigan about the election proposal. “Whether there are the votes, I don’t know,” Currie said. Senate President John Cullerton supports a special election, and his spokeswoman Rikeesha Phelon said legislation would be filed by Tuesday. But Madigan has indicated he believes replacement decisions should be left to Quinn and Rauner. His spokesman didn’t respond to messages.
Topinka died last month just weeks after winning a second term. Quinn appointed an interim replacement, and Rauner intends to name someone for her full upcoming term after he takes office. But Quinn and Attorney General Lisa Madigan say a 2016 contest should be held to let voters decide on the last two years. “This approach will allow for a two-year appointment
WHERE IT’S AT Advice ...........................C9 Classified.................C1-10 Comics ........................C10 Local News...................A3 Lottery...........................A2 Nation&World..... A2, 4-6 Puzzles ......................C8-9
Obituaries ....................A6 Opinion......................... A7 Sports........................ B1-8 State ............................. A4 Weather ........................A8 TV grid...........................C8
See QUINN, page A4