MONDAY
June 22, 2015 • $1.00
HEALTHY ENDEAVOR
NORTHWEST
HERALD
About 500 athletes flocked to Crystal Lake to participate in the 2nd annual triathlon / B1 NWHerald.com
THE ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED IN McHENRY COUNTY
HIGH
85 64 Complete forecast on page A8
Facebook.com/NWHerald
McHENRY COUNTY BUCKS NATIONAL TREND
MARRIAGE MATTERS
LOW
@NWHerald
Forum to help crime victims
Event aims to raise awareness of court proceedings By CHELSEA McDOUGALL cmcdougall@shawmedia.com
A cake topping depicting a bride yanking the tuxedo of an escaping groom adorns the top of a wedding cake before the Mattos wedding reception June 13 at D’Andrea Banquets & Conference in Crystal Lake. Matthew Apgar – mapgar@shawmedia.com
Area businesses reap rewards of uptick in weddings By ALLISON GOODRICH agoodrich@shawmedia.com Despite a national decline in the rate of marriage, McHenry County nuptials have not been lacking. In fact, county records show the number of recorded marriages has been on a steady rise the past four years, and some local businesses that cater to weddings have noticed an uptick. “Our weddings that we’re booking have been on the increase,” said Bernice Zubrzycki, owner of 31 North Banquet and Conference Center in McHenry. “We’ve booked more than ever this year and next year.” According to the County Clerk’s Office, the number of recorded marriages has increased from 1,232 in 2010 to 1,397 in 2014. There was a decrease from 2008 to 2010, which is when business owners said the Great Recession took its toll on the industry. Meanwhile, the United States marriage rate is at a century low and is expected to go lower, according to Demographics Intelligence, a forecasting firm that provided a 2015 Wedding Forecast.
Although local marriage rates are up ...
Voice your opinion At what age did you get married? Vote online at NWHerald.com.
Information provided by Bradford Wilcox, who advises the firm and directs the National Marriage Project at University of Virginia, indicates the marriage rate is predicted to fall to 6.74 marriages per 1,000 population this year. The firm expects it to fall again in 2016 to 6.71, all down from a rate of 7.09 per 1,000 in 2008. But Demographics Intelligence President Sam Sturgeon said the increase in recorded marriages in McHenry County doesn’t surprise him. “The most growth in population is among those 60 and older,” he explained. “That population growth could cause the marriage rate itself to go down even if there’s an increase in overall marriages.” Speaking toward McHenry County – predominantly white and with more college-educated residents than the state and the nation, according to the county’s commu-
nity study – Sturgeon said he thinks its demographics lend itself to a higher number of marriages. National trends showing the percentage of weddings to college-educated women rising from 30 percent to 36 percent from 2008 to 2015. At D’Andrea Banquets in Crystal Lake, event planner and bridal coordinator Lynette Kaszuba said she’s seen slight increases in the local wedding business over recent years. But as D’Andrea operated before the Great Recession, unlike 31 North, Kaszuba noted the recent increase in business has been more of a climb back to a prerecession point. “We noticed a big hit the following years [after the recession first hit] because we book a year in advance,” she said. Peter Spentzos, the owner of D’Andrea, agreed there have been upticks in business since then, but not substantial ones. “It’s increasing,” Spentzos said. “We’re really behind compared to where we were back in 2008, but yes, you see it – that’s it’s going up, but in a slower motion.”
See MARRIAGE, page A4
... marriage on the national level is on the decline
1,397
recorded marriages in McHenry County in 2014, up from 1,232 in 2010
14 percent
6.74
predicted rate of marriages per 1,000 population in 2015, down from a rate of 7.09 per 1,000 in 2008
the decline in the marriage rate among women 24 and younger between 2008 and 2015
McHenry County Clerk’s Office
Demographics Intelligence
FOX LAKE – An upcoming public forum will help victims of crimes understand their rights when they step foot into a courtroom. Hosted by Mothers On a Mission to Stop Violence, or MOMSV, the free event also will discuss changes to the state’s Crime Victims’ Bill of Rights. The forum will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Grant Community High School in the auditorium, 285 E. Grand Ave., in Fox Lake. McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi and state Sen. Pam Althoff, R-McHenry, are scheduled Lou Bianchi to attend, as is McHenry the state’s attorney in Lake County State’s C o u n t y a n d Attorney deputy police chief in Round Lake. There will be question-and-answer opportunities. MOMSV w a s s t a r t e d State Sen. b y D e n i s e Pam Althoff R o t h e i m e r R-McHenry after her 11-year-old daughter was raped. Rotheimer is dedicated to ensuring that no other crime victims are “blindsided” like she was in seeing her daughter’s rapist prosecuted in Lake County. “We went through the entire process completely unaware … of how the legal system works,” she said. “It was a rude awakening.” The man was convicted in 2003 and sentenced to 7½ years in prison, Rotheimer said. The panelists also will talk about recent changes under the Crime Victims’ Bill of Rights. “Marsy’s Law,”
See FORUM, page A4
Equal pay, marijuana bills test Bruce Rauner’s social agenda By SOPHIA TAREEN and SARA BURNETT The Associated Press SPRINGFIELD – Throughout his campaign for governor, Bruce Rauner asserted he didn’t have a social agenda and was focused solely on Illinois’ deepening financial crisis. He’ll now be forced to stake out positions on a range of social issues thanks to the majority-Democrat General Assembly passing proposals this spring that would, among oth-
er things, reduce penalties for possession of small amounts of marijuana, ban therapists from trying to change a young person’s sexuality and ensure employers pay women at rates equal to men. Any of the bills could spark the controversy the first-term Republican hoped to bypass. “The campaign was all about laying low on all the social issues and stressing the tax and economic issues,” said John Jackson, a visiting professor at Southern Illinois University’s Paul Simon
Public Policy Institute. “This is time to begin to find out where he really stands.” Rauner hasn’t signaled how he’ll proceed. Six months after taking office, he still refuses to detail his stance on Bruce Rauner same-sex marriage or immigration reform. When pressed about four issues in particular – decriminalizing marijuana,
legalizing the drug for those who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, requiring equal pay and banning gay conversation therapy – a Rauner spokeswoman emailed a standard reply: “The Lou Lang governor will carefully consider any legislation that crosses his desk.” How Rauner acts could fur-
ther complicate his relationships in Springfield. Signing the bills may irritate his GOP base, while vetoing could irk Democrats. He’s already deadlocked with Democrats over a state spending plan and is trying to influence public perception through critical television ads. Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan has accused Rauner of being “extreme” in budget talks. He’s also in the middle of negotiations with Illinois’ largest public employee union after some aggressive attempts to
LOCAL NEWS
SPORTS
LOCAL NEWS
WHERE IT’S AT
On the record
U.S. Open
Update
County administrator opens up about new job, challenges / A3
Masters champion Jordan Spieth wins 2nd straight major title / B1
Crystal Lake-based D-155 changes official publiccomment policy / A3
Advice ................................C8 Classified........................ C1-7 Comics ............................. C10 Local News.................... A2-4 Lottery................................ A2 Nation&World.............. A2, 5 Obituaries .........................A6
curb union power. “He doesn’t want to make a lot of public policy statements, which is pretty odd for a governor,” said Democratic Rep. Lou Lang, who’s sponsored marijuana-related bills. “But just because he said that doesn’t mean he has abdicated his role as governor.” Democrats have denied the bills are an effort to test Rauner publicly, saying each one stands on its merits, and that
Opinion...............................A7 Puzzles ........................... C8-9 Sports..............................B1-6 State ...................................A4 TV listings ......................... C9 Weather .............................A8
See RAUNER, page A4