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County picks intersection design Conventional plan chosen over CFI for Algonquin, Randall roads By JOSEPH BUSTOS jbustos@shawmedia.com WOODSTOCK – In a 17-7 vote, the County Board on Tuesday decided to move forward with a conventional intersection design at Randall and Algonquin roads, if Randall Road is widened in the future. The conventional intersection design replaces the controversial continuous flow intersection plan that previously had been proposed
McHenry teacher fired over charges
and received promised funding from the Chicago Metropolitan Planning Agency. The new plan now is to add third left-turn lanes on Algonquin Road and second left-turn lanes on Randall Road. It also would eliminate several curb cuts near the intersection and limit several retail exit points to right-in, right-out, but allow left-hand turns at others at the request of area merchants. While the overall project includes
widening 3½ miles of Randall Road to six lanes from its start at Ackman Road south to the Kane County line, the unpopular CFI proposed for Randall and Algonquin had dominated the discussion in recent years. Even though Tuesday’s vote was only on whether to move forward with a conventional intersection design, and not to give the go-ahead for the overall Randall Road widening, there was debate on whether there should be money spent on improv-
ing Randall. Lake in the Hills resident Deborah Jenssen said she is concerned about increased flooding if there is more pavement on Randall Road. “Is this going to exacerbate that problem even more?” Jenssen asked. She added she doesn’t see a problem with traffic on Randall. “It seems to fly past my house just fine,” Jenssen said.
See INTERSECTION, page A5
“Will this project be expensive? Absolutely. Will it provide jobs? Absolutely. Will it make the road safer? Absolutely. Will it be a benefit for everyone in the county? Absolutely. ... Is it worth the expense? Absolutely.” Paul Mulcahy Lake in the Hills village president, who has supported a redesign but not a CFI
GOOD FOR HOW LONG?
Food labels cause confusion
Accused of taking upskirt photograph By CHELSEA McDOUGALL cmcdougall@shawmedia.com WOODSTOCK – A McHenry high school teacher was fired in the wake of criminal allegations he took a photograph of a student’s undergarments. Thomas P. Eggert, 44, of McHenry was scheduled for trial this week on misdemeanor unlawful videotaping and disorderly conduct charges. A bench trial before McHenry County Judge Robert Wilbrandt is slated for Nov. 6. Eggert allegedly used the camera function of a cellphone to zoom in on a student’s “skirt area,” focusing on Thomas P. her undergarments, Eggert, McHenry Deputy 44, of Police Chief John McHenry Birk said. The alleged incident occurred May 6 during school hours and while other students were present. School administrators were immediately alerted by two other students who are said to have witnessed the alleged act. School officials notified police. Eggert taught social studies at McHenry High School – East Campus since August 2008, and was placed on paid leave after his May arrest, while the school conducted its own investigation, District 156 Superintendent Mike Roberts said. The school board voted unanimously Monday to terminate Eggert with no settlement or severance, Roberts said. Eggert earned $73,600 last year. School officials said they were waiting to take action on his employment while his cellphone was being analyzed at a crime lab. “We certainly wanted to make sure we were doing the right thing,” Roberts said. “We believe we were always headed down the right path, we’ve just finally come to the conclusion that we’re not waiting any longer. That’s why we
See TEACHER, page A5
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H. Rick Bamman – hbamman@shawmedia.com
Shopper Anastasia Kokkinos of Crystal Lake reads the packaging on a box of cereal at Joseph’s Marketplace recently. Date labeling on food products is a source of confusion for many Americans, according to a new NSF International survey.
Survey finds consumers often misinterpret dates on products By JEFF ENGELHARDT jengelhardt@shawmedia.com CRYSTAL LAKE – When it comes to food, sometimes the numbers do lie. A recent survey by the public safety organization NSF International found that food labeling is causing the majority of Americans to make incorrect decisions on keeping or throwing away food. The survey found one in four Americans do not throw away food past the expiration date while more than half throw out food based off the “best used by” date and another third discard food based on the “sell by” date. Sandra Johnston, a culinary teacher at McHenry County College and director of food services, said food labels are confusing and offer little assistance to consumers. “Sometimes all you see is a date and you’re left to wonder whether it’s a manufacturing date, packaging date, expiration date or something else,” Johnston said. “It’s very confusing for a lot of people.” Johnston, who has decades of experience in food service operations, said it is important to realize the “sell by” and “best used by” dates are more for the sellers than the consumers and the products
“Sometimes all you see is a date and you’re left to wonder whether it’s a manufacturing date, packaging date, expiration date or something else. It’s very confusing for a lot of people.” Sandra Johnston Culinary teacher and director of food services at McHenry County College
Voice your opinion How much attention do you give to food expiration labels? Vote online at NWHerald.com. can often remain in good condition for 7 to 14 days after the listed date. She said people can make small changes to preserve food, such as keeping refrigerators at 37 or 38 degrees compared to 40 degrees to extend shelf-life and checking commonly discarded items such as eggs before throwing them away. Johnston said it was no surprise that 78 percent of people throw away dairy products after the label date has passed without realizing the date is almost always a “sell by” date. She said eggs especially are often still good and people would just need to crack one open to see if the yolk is flat, which would indi-
cate it has gone bad. “People have to remember these companies are certainly playing it on the safe side,” Johnston said. “They need to protect the public ... but at home you have some leeway with those dates.” Though people should not be quick to throw away food, the NSF International also warns against judging food quality on sights and smells. The survey found 64 percent of people look for mold or texture changes or check to see if food smells bad to determine the quality, which can be dangerous. “The research found [people] are relying on visual cues to in-
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dicate when to throw away food,” NSF International spokeswoman Greta Houlahan said. “Consumer confusion regarding label dates may indicate that they keep foods for too long and could be exposed to food-borne pathogens.” When it comes to food safety, consumers should rely on proper handling more than dates, said Debra Quackenbush, spokeswoman for the McHenry County Department of Health. She said the department encourages consumers to monitor temperature when preparing and storing food, wash surfaces where food is prepared and separate produce and meats when refrigerating food. “Labels on food products are for quality purposes set by the manufacturer,” she said. “Product dates are not food-safety based.” With the growing interest in where food comes from and the use of genetically modified organisms in products, Johnston said she expects major changes to labeling policies in the future and clear dates should be a starting point. “The industry has not caught up to the customers’ demands,” Johnston said of labeling. “Clear dates for safe use would be a logical start since they are there already but confusing.”
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