NORTHWEST
HERALD
GIRLS TRACK
March 29, 2015 • $1.50
Huntley’s Macy Tramblay determined to finish strong / C1
SUNDAY
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Candidates differ on state of CL Incumbent mayor sees success; write-in challenger sees fiscal missteps By EMILY K. COLEMAN ecoleman@shawmedia.com CRYSTAL LAKE – The city of Crystal Lake as described by the two candidates vying to be its mayor looks starkly different. One candidate described its fiscal health as “poor and deteriorating,” while the other said the city has seen success after success in the years after the housing bust.
The incumbent, Mayor Aaron Shepley, points to business after business coming to Crystal Lake, the second lowest property tax rate among comparable municipalities in McHenry County and an improving credit score. But his challenger Sascha Chadwick, who is running as a write-in candidate after getting kicked off the ballot in December, worried about the cost of the projects the city is
taking on, the tax burden on residents and the poor relationships the city has with Crystal Lakebased ComAaron munity High School District Shepley 155 and the Crystal Lake Park District. “What I’m finding as I’m campaigning and interacting
with a lot of the public is that there’s a lot of feeling of where the city’s at and what it’s doing, and it’s Sascha not positive,” Chadwick Chadwick said. Shepley doesn’t think a majority of residents in Crystal Lake feel that way, however,
and said Chadwick is running on a platform that is either uninformed or intentionally misleading.
Property taxes Chadwick is running a platform of stop the tax hikes, a platform Shepley said makes no sense because Crystal Lake has the second-lowest property tax rate in the county.
Election Central Follow the local races at NWHerald.com/election-central.
Voice your opinion Have you voted early in the April 7 election? Vote online at NWHerald.com.
See CANDIDATES, page A7
Exelon makes a play for state aid
NONPROFITS HELP FAMILY BOUNCE BACK FROM TOUGH CIRCUMSTANCES
Claims 3 plants at risk of closure By RAY HENRY The Associated Press
Sarah Nader – snader@shawmedia.com
Cecilia Vasquez (center) hugs her son, Javier Garay, 11, after receiving the keys to her new home in Woodstock during a March 21 dedication by Habitat for Humanity of McHenry County.
Getting a chance at a new life Woodstock mother, kids move into home from Habitat for Humanity By ALLISON GOODRICH agoodrich@shawmedia.com WOODSTOCK – It’s taken so long to get here. Cecilia Vasquez, a 46-year-old mother of four, sat at a large dining table amid justmoved-in clutter that was waiting to be organized in brand new shelves and cabinets. She drew the tips of her fingers across her lower eyelids to stop the brimming tears from
falling – even though they were tears of relief and happiness. “A year ago, I remember just hoping and hoping that one day we would have a house again,” Vasquez said, “and now we do.” On Monday, Vasquez and her three younger kids – 11, 17 and 19 – only had been occupants for two days in their new home, built through Habitat for Humanity efforts. For Vasquez and her family, the move meant so much more than
fresh paint and spotless countertops. The new Woodstock resident left what she described as an emotionally draining and abusive relationship nine years ago, making the decision to raise her kids on her own. Child care started to strain her time and energy in 2009, when her oldest son graduated and enlisted in the Marines. That son has since come home,
See HABITAT, page A7
The biggest player in the beleaguered nuclear power industry wants a place alongside solar, wind and hydroelectric power collecting extra money for producing carbon-free electricity. Exelon Corp., operator of the largest fleet of U.S. nuclear plants, says it could have to close three of them if Illinois rejects the company’s pitch to let it recoup more from consumers since the plants do not produce greenhouse gases. Chicago-based Exelon essentially wants to change the rules of the state’s power market as the nuclear industry competes with historically low prices for natural gas. Dominion Resources Inc. recently closed the Kewaunee Power Station in Wisconsin for financial reasons, and Entergy Corp. likewise shuttered its Vermont Yankee plant. Plans for a new wave of U.S. nuclear plants have been delayed or canceled, aside from three projects deep into construction at Plant Vogtle south of Augusta, Georgia; V.C. Summer Nuclear Station north of Columbia, South Carolina; and Watts Bar Nuclear Plant in eastern Tennessee. Electric utilities in those states do not face competition. Nuclear plants provide about 97 percent of the electricity supply in Exelon’s Midwest market, according to company filings.
See EXELON, page A9
PLANIT STYLE
LOCAL NEWS
Petition for special use permit Scorched Earth Brewing gets preliminary OK for outdoor beer garden in Algonquin / A3 SPORTS
Answering the call Local pastors spend year bringing Christian nondenominational Latino church to Crystal Lake / Planit Style, 6-7
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Strong season opener Senior forward Deanna Hecht shines with 3 goals as Huntley beats Elk Grove, 5-0 / C1
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