LET’S TALK DEFENSE
July 2 0 , 2 014 • $1 .5 0
Former Bears player Steve ‘Mongo’ McMichael visits Lake in the Hills and sits down for a Q&A / C1 NWHerald.com
THE ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED IN McHENRY COUNTY
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82 63 Complete forecast on page A12
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MCRide may soon go farther
HOW MUCH SHOULD MCHENRY COUNTY HOUSING COST?
AFFORDABLE LIVING
County looking to expand transit service By JOSEPH BUSTOS and STEPHEN Di BENEDETTO editorial@nwherald.com
PERCENTAGE OF HOUSING UNITS IN A MUNICIPALITY DEEMED ‘AFFORDABLE’
The size of the county’s MCRide program might grow as the county’s transportation division has been discussing expanding the dial-aride program with other municipalities. The McHenry County Department of Transportation has talked with Cary, Lakemoor, Johnsburg, Harvard and Marengo, as well as Grafton, Algonquin, Nunda, Riley and Marengo townships, about joining MCRide. During a presentation to Cary Village Board members, county Transportation Planner Scott Hennings said there is a high demand for public transit in the county, especially the southeastern portion. Hennings said the county is gauging interest and seeking memorandums of understanding from communities, so it knows how many buses it will need when it negotiates with Pace Suburban Bus service. “We need to tell them who is interested in joining MCRide next year,” Hennings said. It would cost townships $6,000 a year to join. McHenry DOT is looking for municipalities to pay $2 per resident per year, to help run the program.
*Towns with less than 1,000 people are exempt from the Affordable Housing Planning and Appeal Act’s 10 percent rule
See TRANSIT, page A2
Kyle Grillot – kgrillot@shawmedia.com
Lenny Szarek Carpentry employee Dennis Slomka works on the Crystal Lake Pedcor project Tuesday. Pedcor expects to open the first building in Crystal Lake in August.
By JOSEPH BUSTOS // jbustos@shawmedia.com
C
onstruction workers along Congress Parkway in Crystal Lake carry long boards in and out of future residences as they put the final touches on a set of apartments. The first 10-unit building, which will be managed by Pedcor Investments, is set to open in August, according to city officials. When the Pedcor project went through the approval process, there were no objectors, said Michelle Rentzsch, director of Community Development in Crystal Lake. At meetings, there were people in the audience in favor of the project, and some people looking for affordable rentals in the community. In total, 60 affordable housing units are being built in an area that is predominantly commercial office space. The property also is close to Metra train stops and a Centegra Health Bridge location. Although Crystal Lake didn’t need additional affordable housing under state law, the new apartments are expected to be well accepted. “I think Pedcor is going to be a popular project and I think it will do well,” Rentzsch said. As part of the 2003 Affordable Housing Planning and Appeal Act, the state wants municipalities with at least 1,000 people to have at least 10 percent of their housing
7.8
Algonquin
5
Bull Valley
6.9
Cary
20.7
Crystal Lake
66.7
Fox Lake
9.5
Fox River Grove
25.5
*Greenwood
71.6 75.7
Harvard Hebron
By KERRY LESTER The Associated Press
64
*Holiday Hills
11.4
Huntley
34.6
Island Lake
8.3
Johnsburg
16.9
Lake in the Hills
49.6
Lakemoor
2.7
Lakewood
46.9
Marengo
70.2
McCullom Lake
31.2
McHenry Oakwood Hills
9.2 8.9
Port Barrington
3.6
Prairie Grove
46.4
Richmond *Ringwood
6.5
Spring Grove
4 1.2
*Trout Valley
60.8
*Union Wonder Lake
32 36.1
Woodstock
See HOUSING, page A4
Illinois law a boost to ex-offenders now seeking jobs
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Barrington Hills
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Source: Illinois Housing Development Authority Graphic by Kristina Peters – kpeters@shawmedia.com
Ill. requires towns to have homes in lower price range
CHICAGO – Ex-offenders in Illinois won’t have to disclose their criminal pasts until private employers first evaluate their job skills, under a new law signed Saturday by Gov. Pat Quinn. Some who attended the bill signing ceremony at St. Michael Missionary Baptist Church on Chicago’s West Side likened the change to the biblical story of the prodigal son, whose father welcomed him back into the family fold even though he had wasted his inheritance by living extravagantly. “This is the culmination of hope for so many individuals,” said State Rep. Rita Mayfield, a Waukegan Democrat. Among those in attendance at the ceremony was 34-year-old Eddie Parker of Chicago, who said he served six years at the Vandalia Correctional Center for drug possession. Though he was released a decade ago, Parker, a certified butcher, said it has been difficult to secure a job because of his criminal record. “It’s that box,” he said, referring to portion of a job application asking someone to check off whether they have a criminal history. “Without it, it can change a lot. It gives us a chance to tell you our story. A person can change a lot coming back to society.” The bill, passed this spring by the Legislature,
See EX-OFFENDERS, page A8
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New $27K simulator offers more unique, personalized firearms lessons / D1 PLANIT STYLE
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Jewelry for a cause New Directions Youth Recovery Services aids families in addiction recovery / Planit 8-9
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It is when you choose
Barndance in Woodstock Gavers Community Cancer Foundation holds annual benefit aiming to raise about $200,000 for cancer research, treatment and awareness / A3
Is the grass really greener?
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