Memorial Day schedule of events for the McHenry County area
SATURDAY, MAY 24, 2014
WWW.NWHERALD.COM
CONFERENCE FINALS The only daily newspaper published in McHenry Co.
Local&Region, B2
Marian Hossa
Hawks can make Quick look human Sports, C1
$1.00
GIRLS SOCCER
J’burg falls to St. Edward in sectional final Sports, C1
Johnsburg’s Taylor Piggott
Vote split on leader’s contract
‘HEALING SOME OF THE HURTS’
Trustees to hold meeting on extension for MCC president By JEFF ENGELHARDT jengelhardt@shawmedia.com CRYSTAL LAKE – The McHenry County College Board of Trustees will hold a special meeting Wednesday to discuss and potentially act on a contract extension for President Vicky Smith after an unexpected stalemate on the issue. Smith’s contract is set to expire June 30, 2015, and trustees had offered an extension for another year that was accepted by Smith, but when the item came up for a vote Thursday the trustees split, 3-3, with likely supporter Mary Miller absent. With the contract failing to pass, there was confusion over legal ramifications among trustees with college attorney Nanci Rogers saying there could be liability exposure. “There was an offer, there was an acceptance. When Dr. Smith accepted it she did not change any of the terms that were offered,” Rogers said.
The contract for Vicky Smith, president of McHenry County College, is set to expire June 30, 2015. The MCC Board of Trustees will hold a special meeting Wednesday to discuss and potentially act on a contract extension for Smith.
Photos by Kyle Grillot – kgrillot@shawmedia.com
A handful of local clergy members have made themselves available to perform same-sex marriage ceremonies next month, including the Rev. Catherine Erwin, pictured Friday at Faith Community United Church of Christ in Prairie Grove. “There should have never been a difference to start with, within reason,” Erwin said. “LGBTQ issues are just something that this congregation has embraced for a very long time.” TOP: Marriage equality pins decorate the front of Erwin’s jacket.
Some local pastors back same-sex marriages BY EMILY K. COLEMAN • ECOLEMAN@SHAWMEDIA.COM PRAIRIE GROVE – Finding someone to stick with for the long haul, who will bring out a person’s best self and their partner’s best self, is a hard enough task without making gender an issue, the Rev. Catherine Erwin said. She’s one of a dozen or so area religious leaders who have signed up as supporters of same-sex marriages willing to perform marriage ceremonies once county clerks begin issuing licenses June 1. The list was put together by Equality Illinois, a group that advocates for lesbian,
gay, bisexual and transgender rights and covers the greater Chicago area. The list is dominated by several Christian denominations, including the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Episcopal Church, the Presbyterian Church of the United States, the United Methodist Church, and especially, United Church of Christ. There are also many Unitarian Universalist and Jewish reformed and conservative congregations represented. Erwin, who has lived in McHenry since the early 1990s, just started as the
pastor at Faith Community, a United Church of Christ parish in Prairie Grove, in February. She has been a member of the church since 1991, long before she decided to go to seminary and become a pastor. “I’ve always been in favor [of same-sex marriage],” she said. “I never saw that there was a reason not to. In fact, in this day and age, all of the arguments against it don’t make any sense in a lot of contexts.” The Rev. Jess Harren, who has been the pastor at
See PASTORS, page A9
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I’VE ALWAYS BEEN IN FAVOR [OF SAME-SEX MARRIAGE]. I NEVER SAW THAT THERE WAS A REASON NOT TO. IN FACT, IN THIS DAY AND AGE, ALL OF THE ARGUMENTS AGAINST IT DON’T MAKE ANY SENSE IN A LOT OF CONTEXTS.” The Rev. Catherine Erwin, of Faith Community United Church of Christ in Prairie Grove
See MCC, page A9
Lawmakers to try again with budget The ASSOCIATED PRESS SPRINGFIELD – House Speaker Michael Madigan said Friday that lawmakers will try again to draft a 2015 budget after the House overwhelmingly rejected a budget plan that would have made deep cuts to schools and social services next year in a vote one Republican critic called “all theater.” Friday’s roughly $35 billion budget was developed by Democratic leaders after it became clear there wasn’t enough support in the House for an earlier spending plan that relied on extending Illinois’ temporary income tax increase.
See BUDGET, page A9
LOCALLY SPEAKING
At a glance The roughly $35 billion budget developed by Democratic leaders was voted down, 107-5, by lawmakers. Only Democrats voted for the plan. House Speaker Michael Madigan said he will continue to press legislators to approve extending the tax hike.
McHENRY COUNTY
COUNTY CRACKS DOWN ON SEAT BELTS Police departments around the county, in conjunction with the Illinois Department of Transportation, are working through the holiday weekend to make sure everyone is wearing a seat belt. The enforcement is part of the Click It or Ticket campaign. In 2012 it became state law that all people in motor vehicles have to wear seat belts. For more, see page B1.
Glen Pecoraro Kyle Grillot – kgrillot@shawmedia.com
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CRYSTAL LAKE: Prairie Ridge High School students dunk teachers for charity. Local&Region, B1
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