4 LOCAL NEWS • Friday, December 12, 2014 • Section A • Northwest Herald / NWHerald.com
CRYSTAL LAKE
LAKEWOOD
Charter school presentation set Village moves forward with major projects By ALLISON GOODRICH
agoodrich@shawmedia.com
CRYSTAL LAKE – The McHenry County League of Women Voters on Monday will host a public showing of a PowerPoint presentation that examines the effects and changes of charter schools throughout the years. The informational presentation will begin at 7 p.m. Monday at McHenry County College Room 2168-2169.
Charter schools are publicly funded, yet independent of many mandates applied on district schools. There are currently no charter schools in McHenry County. “The League of Women Voters has positions that we adopt on various issues,” co-president of the local league Paula Ekstrom said. “Back in 2001, we did a study and adopted a position on charter schools. Since many things have changed since 2001, a group from the state’s League of Women Voters did a study on what changes have happened and what the status of charter schools is.”
The McHenry County League of Women Voters and several other leagues statewide were asked to review the materials from the state before a June convention, during which leagues will vote on adopting an updated and newly worded position on charter schools, Ekstrom said, explaining the reason for the study. The position of the state’s League of Women Voters as it currently stands has the advantages of charter schools largely outweighing the disadvantages, according to literature on the state organization’s website.
“Generally, we’re in favor of charter schools,” Ekstrom said. “Initially it was thought they would bring some innovation and free schools from some mandates.” The point of Monday’s presentation, Ekstrom added, is to present and explore new information on charter schools, such as how they compare to other public schools and what kind of accountability is associated with charter schools. Ekstrom said area superintendents and principals were invited to watch the presentation, as is the public. More information can be found at lwvil.org.
PRAIRIE GROVE
D-46 board approves levy increase Official: Hike is needed to return funding to operational levels By JEFF ENGELHARDT jengelhardt@shawmedia.com PRAIRIE GROVE – Residents in Prairie Grove School District 46 boundaries will experience one of the largest real-dollar increases to property taxes in McHenry County. After three consecutive years of lowering taxes, the District 46 board approved a levy increase that will result in an $89 increase for every $100,000 of home value. The $89 spike assumes the district will receive the 2.6 percent increase it estimates will be the
actual result of the approved 6.4 percent levy increase. Board President Margaret Ponga said the prospect of the owner of a $100,000-plus home paying more than $89 in additional taxes is tough, but the district needs to return to funding operational levels. “If it ends up being that much, yes, that will be a tough pill to swallow,” Ponga said. “The last three years we levied below where we were operating. It looks like what we are levying is about what we need.” Unlike most school dis-
tricts that balloon levy – which District 46 did this year – District 46 followed a Taxpayer Partnership Plan that has reduced tax payments since 2007. In the first years, an owner of a $300,000 house saved about $130 each year. Since 2011, the district has forfeited about $300,000 each year. Superintendent Philip Bender, who is in his first year at the district and not part of the previous agreement, said while the district had cash on hand to reduce payments for residents, the tax rate has fall-
en to half a percent and cannot support operations. “A lot of districts like to take the opportunity to keep funding levels at the operational rate,” Bender said. “But they decided to give taxpayers some relief and now we’re down the line to the point where we have to make sure we can operate.” Bender said restoring funding levels would allow the board to properly analyze programs and staffing and adjustments could be made next year to potentially lower the levy.
T-shirt. Walk-ins welcome. Appointments and information: 815-6783672 or www.heartlandbc.org. • 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 17 – Del Webb Sun City, 12980 Meadow View Court, Huntley. Walk-ins welcome. Appointments and information: 847-515-2078 or www. heartlandbc.org. • Noon to 6:30 p.m. Dec. 17 – First United Methodist Church of Harvard, 1100 N. Division St., Harvard. Hosted by the Harvard Rotary. Appointments and information: Wanda, 815-560-2111. • 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Dec. 18 – Woodstock Public Library, 414 W. Judd St., Woodstock. All donors will receive a Culver’s coupon. Walk-ins welcome. Appointments and information: 815-338-0542 or www.heartlandbc.org. • 9 to 11 a.m. Dec. 22 – Home State Bank, 611 S. Main St., Crystal Lake. Woodstock. All donors will
receive a Culver’s coupon. Walkins welcome. Appointments and information: Sandy, 815-788-3488 or www.heartlandbc.org. • 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 27 – McHenry Public Library, 809 N. Front St., McHenry. All donors will receive a Culver’s coupon. Walk-ins welcome. Appointments and information: 815-385-0036 or www. heartlandbc.org. • 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Dec. 30 – Centegra Hospital - McHenry (Classrooms A, B, C & D), 4201 Medical Center Drive, McHenry. All donors will receive a Culver’s coupon. Walk-ins welcome. Appointments and information: Terri, 815759-4334 or www.heartlandbc.org.
6100 general questions. • Heartland Blood Centers – 800-786-4483; 630-264-7834 or www.heartlandbc.org. Locations: 6296 Northwest Highway, Crystal Lake, 815-356-0608; 1140 N. McLean Blvd., Elgin, 847-741-8282; 649 W. State St., Geneva, 630208-8105; 1200 N. Highland Ave., Aurora, 630-892-7055. • LifeSource Blood Center – Crystal Lake Community Donor Center, 5577 Northwest Highway, Crystal Lake, 815-356-5173. Hours: noon to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Information: 877543-3768 or www.lifesource.org. • Rock River Valley Blood Center – 419 N. Sixth St., Rockford, 877-778-2299; 815-965-8751 or www.rrvbc.org. Hours: 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 6:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Fridays; 7 to 11 a.m. second Saturdays.
BLOOD DRIVES Following is a list of places to give blood. Donors should be 17 or older or 16 with a parent’s consent, weigh at least 110 pounds, and be in good health. • 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Dec. 13 – St. John’s Parish, 2302 W. Church St., Johnsburg. All donors will receive a Culver’s coupon and pancake breakfast. Walk-ins welcome. Appointments and information: Arnie, 815-790-6837 or www. heartlandbc.org. • 8 a.m. to noon Dec. 14 – St. Mary’s Church, 312 Lincoln Ave., Woodstock. All donors will receive a Culver’s coupon. Walk-ins welcome. Appointments and information: Dave Grote, 815-861-2014 or www.heartlandbc.org. • 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Dec. 15 – Richmond Fire Department, 5601 Hunter Drive, Richmond. All donors will receive a Guns and Hoses
Blood service organizations • American Red Cross of Greater Chicago – 800-448-3543 for general blood services; 312-729-
LAKEWOOD – An estimated $5 million worth of improvements is set to take place this coming year, Lakewood’s village manager said. The Lakewood Village Board took the next steps on two major projects lined up for the 2015 construction season at its meeting Tuesday evening. First on the agenda was OK’ing a low-interest loan through the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency for the east side sewer project, which would connect the subdivisions whose sewage is currently treated by the city of Crystal Lake to the rest of the village’s sewer system. The cost to hook into the village’s system would be less in the long term than continuing to pay the city of Crystal Lake to treat the sewage, Village Manager Catherine Peterson said. The cost of the project is estimated at $2.5 million, but to ensure the village can acquire the funds it needs, the resolution approved Tuesday allows the village took
LOCAL BRIEF Park district hires new aquatics supervisor
She began her career at the Elk Grove Park District as its CRYSTAL LAKE – The Crystal aquatic program supervisor before heading to Darwin, AusLake Park District has hired tralia, to work for the YMCA of a new recreation aquatics the Top End as the Palmerston supervisor. Water Park facility manager. Jessica Ortega will be After returning to the United responsible for overseeing States, Ortega joined the Crystal Lake Park District Kankakee Valley Park District beach operations, youth and teen programming and special as its aquatic manager and the general manager of its ice events. arena. Ortega received her underResidents interested in graduate degree in recreation, sharing program ideas and park and tourism adminissuggestions with Ortega can tration from Western Illinois reach her at jortega@crysUniversity in 2011. tallakeparks.org or 815-459She also is a certified lifeguard Instructor with Ellis and 0680, ext. 1213. Associates. – Northwest Herald
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take out a loan of up to $3 million, Peterson said. The goal is to go out to bid on the project this winter with construction to follow in the spring or summer, she said. The ordinance authorizing the borrowing is “hopefully the last piece” needed to gain final approval from the state for the project. The board also moved ahead with improvements to Lakewood Road and Lake Avenue, which include repaving the Lake Avenue from Huntley Road west to the village line, as well as repaving Lakewood Road’s entire length from Haligus Road to Ackman Road. Bicycle and pedestrian lanes also would be added to both stretches. The village is responsible for 20 percent of the engineering and construction costs, although it had to front all of the engineering costs. The final price tag after reimbursement is pegged at $434,600. With the paperwork approved Tuesday taken care of, the project is expected to bid out starting Jan. 30, Peterson said. Additional improvements scheduled for 2017 would continue the repaving and bike lanes east from Haligus to the village’s eastern border. That project also has received an 80 percent grant.
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