SATURDAY
De ce m be r 27, 2014 • $1 . 0 0
EAGLES’ RALLY QUASHED Jacobs falls to Larkin in Hinkle Holiday Classic semifinals / C1 NWHerald.com
THE ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED IN McHENRY COUNTY
DIVERSITY IMBALANCE
Demographic shifts over the last 14 years provide clues to what McHenry County is going to look like in the future. We should expect to be older and more diverse. How well are we situated for the gradually changing population?
HIGH
LOW
44 24 Complete forecast on page A14
Facebook.com/NWHerald
@NWHerald
Cancer lawsuits settled Details not disclosed in McCullom Lake pollution cases By KEVIN P. CRAVER kcraver@shawmedia.com
H. Rick Bamman – hbamman@shawmedia.com
Lake in the Hills village trustee Denise Barreto has been an active parent advocate for the village’s Parks and Recreation Department since her arrival in Lake in the Hills in 2002. Barreto is the managing partner and founder of Relationships Matter Now LLC, a growing strategic business consulting firm.
MINORITIES UNDERREPRESENTED IN MUNICIPAL BODIES By ALLISON GOODRICH • agoodrich@shawmedia.com
T
he face of McHenry County might be changing, but the bodies behind the important decisions of each city or village have yet to reflect that. In looking at city councils and village boards throughout the county, it’s clear white residents make up the majority of each one – not surprising considering 90.1 percent of McHenry County’s population is white, according to 2010 census data. Still, diversity in local voting bodies is scarce even in cities and villages with growing minority populations. Census data show the largest minority population in virtually all of the observed municipalities to be those of Latino descent. In Harvard, nearly half – 45.2 percent – of the city’s residents fit into that category, yet Mexican-American Ward 3 Alderman Raul Meza is the lone nonwhite councilman for the city. In Woodstock, which has a Latino popu-
“
“Trying to get people into citizenship allows them the ability to get more involved. As we start working with families, hopefully offering ways to connect with the government in positive ways will encourage them to get involved.” Laurie Crain
Woodstock cultural diversity and social awareness commission chairwoman
lation of 23.6 percent, there are no racial or ethnic minorities sitting on the City Council, and the same goes for Marengo (15.3 percent Latino population), McHenry (12.8 percent),
Crystal Lake (11.7 percent), Cary (8.9 percent), Huntley (7.7 percent) and Johnsburg (3.4 percent), officials from each municipality said. While racial or ethnic diversity isn’t necessarily a requisite for a functional and dependable voting body, it’s one way to bring a new perspective, said Denise Barreto, the only black trustee on the Lake in the Hills Village Board. Barreto said when she moved into the village, she was well aware that a minority presence was lacking. Lake in the Hills has a Latino population of 11.6 percent, and a black population of 2 percent. “Let’s face it, McHenry County isn’t exactly a cornucopia of diversity,” she said, adding the lack of diversity on village boards and councils is undeniable, for both racial minorities and women.
See IMBALANCE, page A4
ABOUT THIS SERIES
THE SERIES DAY-BY-DAY
A look at U.S. Census and other data and an examination of how the housing industry, social services, education and local government is adjusting to changing demographics.
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
What’s changing about the population of McHenry County and how are we adjusting to population needs?
How have social service agencies been changing delivery models and what needs are they trying to fill?
Is the housing market well suited for a population that’s getting older?
What are local educators doing to give students who aren’t native English speakers the best chance to succeed?
Are the shifts in ethnic diversity being reflected in local elected offices across McHenry County?
Rohm and Haas has settled the 33 cancer cluster lawsuits brought against it by McCullom Lake-area residents, ending a legal fight that began more than eight years ago. The Pennsylvania judge hearing the cases has approved the settlement, the details of which have not been disclosed. The settlement comes several months after the courts granted the first plaintiff a new trial, ending a four-year legal limbo created when her case was improperly dismissed. Both sides have remained tight-lipped while details have been finalized – Rohm and Haas declined comment Friday – but plaintiffs’ attorney Aaron Freiwald said he and his cliAbout this ents are satisfied with series the results. “It’s been a long road for these families, and “Coincidence we’re pleased with the or Cluster?” is outcome, and gratified the Northwest that there is now this Herald’s ongoresolution,” Freiwald ing coverage said. about the The lawsuits alleged McCullom Lake that decades of pollu- brain cancer tion from the company’s lawsuits. plant in neighboring Ringwood fouled air and Inside groundwater with carcinogenic vinyl chloride A timeline of and other harmful chemevents in the icals, and caused a clusMcCullom Lake ter of brain and pituitary tumors in McCullom cases. PAGE A4 Lake, population 1,049, and the Lakeland Park subdivision in neighboring McHenry. Three former McCullom Lake nextdoor neighbors diagnosed with brain cancer within a short period of time sued the Philadelphia-based specialty chemicals manufacturer in 2006, prompting concern as more and more plaintiffs came forward. Rohm and Haas – since 2009 a subsidiary of Midland, Michigan-based chemical giant Dow Chemical Co. – acknowledges that a plume of vinyl chloride and other volatile organic compounds have leaked into groundwater from years of dumping by the plant’s previous owners into an 8-acre unlined waste pit. However, the company vehemently denies that pollutants reached or sickened neighbors. Past and present owners of the plant have been working for the past two decades to clean up the contamination plume. The original lawsuits also named the neighboring Modine Manufacturing plant, alleging that its contribution of
SPORTS
LOCAL NEWS
WHERE IT’S AT
Cary pedestrian hit by train
Advice ..................................C8 Business Snapshot ...........A9 Buzz.................................... C10 Classified......................... D1-6 Comics ................................C11 Local News...................... A1-4 Lottery..................................A2 Movies................................. C9 Nation&World............... A9-11 Neighbors.........................B1-8 Obituaries ......................... A12 Opinions ............................A13 Puzzles .............................D5-6 Sports................................C1-7 State .................................... A6 Weather .............................A14
24-year-old man was reportedly trespassing before being struck by Metra train / A3 NATION & WORLD
Gaffes catch up to Illini For much of Heart of Dallas Bowl, Illinois looked better than Louisiana Tech, but final result – a 35-18 loss – didn’t show it / C1
Wake held for slain NYC cop Fellow officers salute flag-draped casket; man remembered as compassionate / A9
adno=0302293
See CANCER LAWSUITS, page A4