Hi-Liter Illinois 5/1/24

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MAGICAL CRAFTERS POP-UP - Browse through our mini Magical Craft Pop Up Faire (10-4) located in the mini park in downtown Antioch For More Information Check Out Our Website: WizardsWeekend.com or call Antioch Chamber 847-395-2233

Bears pitch $3.2 billion stadium plan, but Pritzker

remains ‘skeptical’ despite team’s $2 billion pledge

Bears executives, city leaders make appeal for $900 million in public funding, $1.5 billion for infrastructure

By Dilpreet Raju and Jerry Nowicki

CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS

The Chicago Bears laid out a $3.2 billion plan for a new domed stadium on Chicago’s lakefront last week, painting pictures of future Super Bowls and other major public events while pinning their hopes on yet-to-be-had conversations with the governor and lawmakers.

The Bears, accompanied by Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson at a news conference, proposed a public-private partnership through which the Bears lease the stadium from the Chicago Park District.

While the team would put up over $2 billion of the $3.2 billion needed to build the stadium, it’s also seeking $1.5 billion in infrastructure support over several years to realize its vision for a multi-use public

park space on Chicago’s lakefront Museum Campus.

Chicago Bears president and CEO Kevin Warren said the $2 billion committed by the Bears would be the largest private investment in Chicago history. He also said a new stadium can provide thousands of temporary and long-term jobs for Chicagoans. Warren joined the Bears in early 2023 after previously brokering a deal to bring the Minnesota Vikings a new stadium with a public-private partnership in Minneapolis

“Look around Chicago, I know the mayor is doing all that he can with his leadership to lean in to get economic development going,” Warren said. “We want to be that catalyst.”

Despite that major commitment, Bears executives sought to fill an estimated $900 million “gap” through state funding via a bond from the Illinois Sports

Facilities Authority, a state agency created in the 1980s to finance new sports stadiums. The team also proposed using the city’s existing hotel tax and restructuring ISFA’s current debt over a 40-year period.

While the proposal represents the largest private commitment of any of the recent pushes by professional sports teams for a new stadium yet, it was quickly met with skepticism by Gov. JB Pritzker, who was at a concurrent news conference at Loyola University Chicago.

“I’m highly skeptical of the proposal that’s been made and I believe strongly that this is not a high priority for legislators, and certainly not for me when I compare it to all the other things,” Pritzker said.

The governor downplayed the competing news conferences. He’d scheduled his in

advance to highlight health insurance reforms that recently cleared the House with his support. The Bears’ announcement was scheduled within the past two days.

Part of the proposal includes developing about 15 acres of recreational park space for public use and more stadium vendor businesses owned by women and people of color. Johnson hailed the project for upholding his “criteria for any new development project.”

“We require real private investment, real public use and real economic participation for the entire city,” he said.

He noted no new taxes would be imposed on Chicago residents and the city can expect “increased tax revenue from this investment, expanded public recreation, stronger economic growth for the entire city of Chicago for generations

Lake County DOT announces $127 million 2024 construction program

The Lake County Division of Transportation (LCDOT) announced the 2024 construction program that includes $127 million for infrastructure projects to increase driver and pedestrian safety, improve mobility and reduce carbon emissions on Lake County’s transportation system.

More than 20 transportation projects will be under construction in 2024, featuring intersection improvements, non-motorized paths, resurfacings and bridge maintenance.

“The Lake County Board is investing more than $800 million over the next six years to maintain and modernize our roads, bridges, and paths,” said Lake County Board Chair Sandy Hart. “Through this commitment, we are able to address critical transportation needs for everyone who travels through Lake County.”

Project spotlights include:

Aptakisic Road Reconstruction – Concentrated from IL 83 to Buffalo Grove Road, the five-lane roadway will include two travel lanes in each direction and a road median with left-turn lanes. Non-motorized gaps along the corridor also will be connected.

Arlington Heights Road Reconstruction – Pavement replacement from IL 83 to Lake Cook Road, leading to a quieter ride. The enhanced storm sewer system will accommodate higher rainfall totals. Non-motorized gaps will be filled.

Wadsworth at Lewis Avenue Intersection – Improves the intersection by adding turn lanes and pedestrian signals with push buttons. Numerous other pedestrian accommodations will be made including a new shared use path from this intersection to the regional Robert McClory Path. IL 59 at Grand Avenue Intersection – The intersection will be reconstructed, realigning Washington Street to meet IL 59 south of Grand Avenue. New left-turn lanes will be added along with sidewalks and multi-use paths

LCDOT announced 2024 construction projects that will preserve, modernize and expand Lake County’s transportation system. This image shows what is planned for these projects.

that connect to Grant Community High School.

Stearns School Road at US 41 Intersection – Adds a southbound right-turn lane and left-turn lane on US 41, a second left-turn lane on northbound US 41, a second right-turn lane on eastbound Stearns School Road, and a westbound receiving lane on Stearns School Road. LCDOT led and funded Phase I and Phase II engineering, and the Illinois Department of Transportation is leading and funding Phase III construction using federal safety funds.

Non-motorized transportation improvements

Several non-motorized transportation (NMT) improvements are scheduled for this year’s construction program, with many of them built into larger projects. For example, a new bike path will be constructed from the Metra railroad tracks to East County Farm Road as part of the Winchester Road project, and a multi-use path and sidewalk are being constructed along Aptakisic Road.

“It is exciting to see our non-motorized path network

expand as part of several projects this year,” said Jennifer Clark, Lake County Board Public Works and Transportation Committee Chair and Board Member for District 15. “Our goal is to expand options for residents traveling to work, local businesses, forest preserves, Metra and Pace stations, and other destinations without the need for their motor vehicles.”

Resurfacing lineup

Resurfacing a roadway can require temporary lane closures and flaggers to direct traffic. Preservation work planned in 2024 includes the following pavement resurfacing projects:

• Butterfield Road - IL 137 to IL 176

• Deep Lake Road - IL 132 to IL 173

• Fairfield Road - Nippersink Road to IL 60

• Fairfield Road - Old McHenry Road to Ivanhoe Road

• Gilmer Road - IL 120 to IL 176

• Grass Lake Road - IL 59 to State Park Road

“Maintaining and preserving our transportation system is always a top priority as it ensures that Lake County high-

to come.”

Team leaders claimed in their presentation that the stadium would create over 40,000 construction jobs and over 4,000 permanent jobs.

The Bears’ presentation noted the organization was seeking about $1.5 billion in three phases of infrastructure investment that could come “at the state level, at the potentially federal level, potentially at the city level,” according to Warren, who gave no specifics.

Karen Murphy, the team’s executive vice president of stadium development and chief operating officer, said that includes $325 million in transportation, roadway and utility improvements that would be needed to open the stadium.

The remaining funding, at least $1.1 billion, would come over a period of at least five years. That could include $510 million in a second phase of construction for things such as parking upgrades and building surrounding parks and ballfields, followed by $665 million for further attractions and transportation improvements in a third phase. Bears representatives said those estimates are subject to change.

Pritzker mentioned “higher priorities for the state” than building a football stadium, including his $4.4 million proposed investment in birth equity centers to create a statewide plan and distribute building grants. And he noted Missouri voters rejected a stadium funding plan for the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs and for the Kansas City Royals baseball team.

“The problem is that the offer that they’ve made just isn’t one that I think the taxpayers are interested in getting engaged in,” Pritzker said of the proposal, later adding, “We’ve seen this fail over and over across the United States.”

House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, who attended the governor’s news conference at Loyola,

said he gave Warren a blunt assessment when they recently met privately.

“If we were to put this issue on the board for a vote right now, it would fail and it would fail miserably. There is no environment for something like this today,” he said.

Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, also expressed skepticism in a statement.

“At first glance, more than $2 billion in private funding is better than zero and a more credible opening offer,” he said. “But there’s an obvious, substantial gap remaining, and I echo the governor’s skepticism.”

As for the bonding authority sought by the Bears, Pritzker noted three pro sports teams are seeking money through the ISFA for a new stadium—the Bears, the Chicago White Sox baseball team and the Chicago Red Stars women’s soccer team.

“And this is one team that is offering to take all of the tax revenue for their stadium and there apparently is nothing left over for the other two teams,” Pritzker said.

While Pritzker had not been briefed on the proposal prior to Wednesday’s news conference, Warren said team representatives “look forward to having some detailed conversations with the state here in the near future.”

“Today (April 24) was the first day that we have been able to publicly roll out our plan,” he said. “It’s very difficult for someone to say they’re against this and we just presented it, so we look forward to having more conversations with individuals in Springfield.”

When pressed by media at the Loyola event as to whether there was a “path” for him to support a subsidy plan, Pritzker responded “sure,” but with a caveat.

“This has got to be a lot better for taxpayers than what they put forward. That’s all I’m saying,” he added.

ways are safe to drive on,” said Shane Schneider, LCDOT Director of Transportation. “We ask everyone to take it slow and be mindful of crews working in construction zones so we can all make it home safely at the end of the day.”

See all 2024 projects at lakecountyil.gov/ConstructionProgram

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Cult phenomenon Rock-afire Explosion regrouping for summer concerts

17-year-old working on re-assembling the pneumatics in the characters

By Cynthia Wolf CONTRIBUTOR

For fans of a certain band that’s been out of the limelight for a few decades, excitement is ratcheting up at the Volo Museum.

In fact, everything is coming together now for a summer filled with Rock-afire Explosion concerts, said Brian Grams, director of the museum at 27582 Volo Village Road, Volo. And, when dealing with roughly 40-year-old animatronics, it’s no small undertaking.

The Rock-afire Explosion — a seven-member band that once thrilled audiences at ShowBiz Pizza Place, with a later incarnation performing at Chuck E. Cheese — has achieved something of a cult following, accumulating even young fans who weren’t yet born when the band was at the height of its popularity in the 1980s and 1990s.

“This is the holy grail of pizza animatronics,” said Grams, who purchased the museum’s complete, matching-numbers set in 2019. “I believe we will be one of only two locations in the U.S., and three in the world, with a full Rock-afire show operating in the public. The rest are owned by collectors.”

Over the winter and into this spring, Grams has overseen the construction of an enclosed 40-foot-by-10-foot stage for the band, with its larger-than-life bears, a bird, mouse, wolf, mongrel and gorilla. It will feature three garage-style doors that will open during shows. Also hard at work preparing the band for its re-debut has been 17-yearold Jacob Mickan of the Crystal Lake area.

Mickan counts himself a fan of the video game series and film “Five Nights at Freddy’s,” which features a troubled security guard who gets a job at an abandoned pizzeria where the animatronic mascots are possessed. “When that game was released in 2014, it solidified my interest in animatronics,” he said.

Mickan also cherishes a photo of his 2-year-old self visiting a Chuck E. Cheese where the animatronics were still intact (the chain removed those still remaining in the late 2010s).

He so loved the Rockafire Explosion, in fact, that he purchased his own Dook LaRue, the drummer in the band, in 2021. After watching numerous YouTube videos, he brought his Dook back to solid working order, he said.

Mickan was hired by Grams after the youth responded to a Facebook post seeking someone who could reassemble the bandmates and hook them properly up to a series of pneumatic tubes, from which pumped air brings them to life.

Mickan has been spending numerous hours each weekend for several weeks attending to every detail on each character — from their moving limbs to their wandering eyes and blinking eyelids.

“I like being here,” Mickan said. “It’s a lot of fun and something I really enjoy, working on these guys. I’ve already had people stopping over to check on the progress. They’re excited to see it when it’s done.”

Grams said he is thrilled at the prospect of families enjoying some time watching the band perform on a grassy area just east of the newly constructed stage, where the nearby Munchin’ Junction offers cool drinks and tasty treats.

“This has been a long time in the making,” he said. “During fair weather and at set times the doors to the stage will open and play a free show. We are also looking into bill acceptors that would

following after its many years in ShowBiz Pizza places. Invented by Aaron Fechter, the band was also featured in a 2008 documentary.

allow people to see a show on their schedule.”

Even the show’s original creator, Aaron Fechter of Orlando, Florida-based Creative Engineering Inc., is excited for Volo’s re-introduction of his cult phenom production.

“I always call it modestly the greatest animatronic rock show ever created, and I challenge anybody to defy that label,” said Fechter, who not only built the bands, but whose voice also animates some of the characters. “It’s one of the few high-tech products that will remain the greatest ever.”

Between purchasing the band, building its enclosed stage, licensing the show and bringing the aged Mitzi, Fatz, Billy Bob, Rolfe, Dook, Looney Bird and Beach Bear back to life, Volo has invested roughly a quarter of a million dollars into its Rock-afire Explosion, said Grams, who, at 48, was among the myriads of children who grew up enjoying the band on special occasions.

“Our investment will be well worth it when we see the smiles on the next generation to fall in love with this band,” he

said. “We’re thrilled to preserve this iconic piece of history and put it back on public view.”

The Volo Museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Regular museum admission is $22.95 per adult, $20.95 per senior or military, $12.95 for children ages 5 to 12 and free for children 4 and younger.

Separate, single-day admission to the Jurassic Gardens dinosaur park is $15.95 each now ($16.95 in season); free for children 4 and younger. Members are admitted free. For other details, visit volofun.com, find Volo Museum on social, or call 815385-3644.

Pritzker says state ‘obviously’ needs to change 2010 law that shrunk pension benefits

Governor adds

By Hannah Meisel CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS

With a month-and-a-half left in the General Assembly’s spring session, Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration is readying its proposal to address Illinois’ chronically underfunded pension system.

But the governor also acknowledged in the strongest terms yet that any plans to finally get the state on track toward fully funding retirement plans for public school teachers, university employees and state workers could be derailed by a looming legal fight over a 14-year-old law.

Pritzker’s comments came as Illinois’ two influential statewide teachers unions were wrapping up a “week of action,” encouraging their members to call and email lawmakers and urge them to essentially “undo” a 2010 law that created a new less generous pension system for those who began their jobs after Jan. 1, 2011.

The General Assembly and

voice to growing consensus that ‘Tier 2’ pensions may violate federal law

then-Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn quickly approved that law in the wake of the Great Recession, which forced state leaders to grapple with decades of underfunding in Illinois’ pension systems.

But in the years since, economists and labor leaders have repeatedly warned that the retirement benefits in the Tier 2 system are so low, they might violate federal “Safe Harbor” laws. Those laws dictate Social Security replacement plans, like pensions, can’t offer benefits that don’t at least match Social Security.

Lawmakers—the majority of whom were not in the legislature when Tier 2 was passed— have picked up on those warning signs, and in the last few years have been studying the issue in occasional committee hearings. In February, Pritzker signaled his willingness to get ahead of the looming legal issue, and on April 18, he took a big step forward in his position. “We need, obviously, to

make some changes to Tier 2 to make sure that we’re meeting the Social Security Safe Harbor,” the governor said at an unrelated news conference in his Capitol office. “We don’t yet really know what that’s going to cost.”

Earlier in the day April 18, Pritzker’s top budget advisor, Governor’s Office of Management and Budget Director Alexis Sturm, told a House committee that the governor was “open to that conversation” about increasing the cap on Tier 2 pension earnings to match Social Security.

Ahead of Pritzker’s annual budget address in February, Sturm and other top staffers laid out a larger plan to address Illinois’ underfunded pension systems, which included a nod to the Social Security issue. At the time, the plan merely encouraged the boards of the state’s retirement systems for teachers, university employees and state employees, along with the legislature, to “review

and adjust, if necessary, the structure of the Tier 2 pensionable earnings cap.”

But in acknowledging the Tier 2 issue on Thursday, the governor also signaled to New York-based credit ratings agencies that he was still committed to fiscal moves that would earn the state further credit upgrades Pritzker said state leaders “just need to be exceedingly careful” about pension “sweeteners”— including any fix made to Tier 2 pensions.

“So that, in a way, is a sweetener in the sense that it’s going to cost taxpayers something,” Pritzker said. “But we have to do it because the alternative would cost the taxpayers much more.”

There is no official price tag on tweaking the law to comply with Social Security rules, but one analysis run for the state’s Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability last year estimated it could cost the state $5.6 billion through 2045, or about $255 million

annually.

Path to 2048

Sturm’s appearance in a House committee April 18 was intended to sell lawmakers on the governor’s plan to fully fund Illinois’ pensions by 2048.

Pritzker’s team had laid out the proposal ahead of his budget address in February, and one credit rating agency immediately signaled its approval.

The plan would alter a 1995 law signed by then-Republican Gov. Jim Edgar that put the state on a 50-year ramp to get Illinois’ pension systems to a 90 percent funded level by 2045.

Pritzker wants to extend that deadline three more years, but up the funding goal to 100 percent. He’s also pushing to keep spending half of the amount of money Illinois is currently spending on debt repayment for old bonds taken out in 2003 and 2017 when they’re retired in the early 2030s and put that money toward the pension systems.

The 2003 bonds were taken out to pay for pensions during Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s administration, and the 2017 bonds were sold in the aftermath of the state’s two-year budget impasse under Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner to help pay down Illinois’ record near$17 billion backlog of unpaid bills accumulated during the political struggle.

Sturm called the plan a “balanced” way to address Illinois’ longstanding practice of not paying enough into its pension systems, creating an ever-growing sum of unfunded liabilities.

“It was there in the ‘90s, it was there in the ‘70s and the ‘40s,” Sturm said of the pension debt.

She also clarified that Pritzker is “not interested” in issuing any bonds to put an infusion of cash into the state’s pension systems, a move made under Quinn in 2010 and 2011 several years after the state borrowed See PENSION, Page 6

CYNTHIA WOLF Hi-Liter/MCN

Jacob Mickan, a 17-year-old from the Crystal Lake area, is putting all of the pieces back together to reanimate the Rock-afire Explosion. The animatronic band has a cult

CYNTHIA WOLF Hi-Liter/MCN Mickan talks about the pneumatic tubing system that he is reassembling to bring the Rock-afire Explosion to life at the Volo Museum.

CYNTHIA WOLF Hi-Liter/MCN

Mickan shows how the eyes and eyelids move on Rock-afire Explosion band member Billy Bob Brockali.

Certified lifesavers

McHenry Community High School District 156 added another 100 students to the list of those who are certified in lifesaving skills of cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external defibrillator use. The physical education teachers have used the American Heart Association K-12 CPR/AED curriculum and since they began offering the program more than 10 years ago and a total of 2,002 students have been trained and certified. Northwestern Medicine officials attended the school celebration on April 12. District 156 instructors include: Mrs. Anna Centella, Mrs. Theodora Davis, Mrs. Colleen Eddy, Mr. Dennis Hutchinson, Mrs. Carrie Recard and Mr. John Beerbower.

Cutting edge public safety software launches for 40+ agencies in Lake County

In the latest move towards improving 9-1-1 call-taking, emergency dispatch services and public safety in Lake County, more than 40 local law enforcement and fire agencies have gone live with state-of-the-art computer software that will improve the way they receive and manage information and work together.

The new computer software consolidates more than 15 systems used by local agencies into one, resulting in greater collaboration and efficiency when minutes matter. Collaboration on this effort began through the Regional 9-1-1 Consolidation Consortium in 2018 with the goal to implement a state-ofthe-art “system of systems” due to the clear benefits and cost savings it could provide to the community. The new computer software embodies that goal, with Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD), records and jail management as well as law enforcement

reporting (citations and accidents) being built into one shared, multi-agency package.

Calling 9-1-1 has changed drastically since its inception nationally more than 50 years ago. Today, most agencies utilize CAD, which allows 9-1-1 public safety telecommunicators to identify the status and location of responders in the field, and effectively dispatch the closest first responders to an emergency. Using this new system, 9-1-1 public safety telecommunicators will also know more accurately where public calls from cell phones are coming from in Lake County.

“The new CAD system is a critical part of the overall consolidation effort,” said Greg Formica, Fire Chief for the Greater Round Lake Fire Protection District, Chair of the Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP) Consolidation Committee and Representative for CenCom E9-1-1. “It

will help to save lives, protect property and increase the ability for agencies to work together and share information.”

“This system has no barriers, residents and visitors in Lake County will benefit from it,” said Steven Winnecke, Executive Director for the Lake County Emergency Telephone System Board (ETSB). “The scope of this project took the time, efforts and expertise of a multitude of individuals and organizations to complete. I feel it is important to acknowledge all involved agencies, Crowe LLP and Tyler Technologies for their unwavering support and partnership.”

The “system of systems” is one of the major 9-1-1 consolidation initiatives, building a foundation of standardized technology to improve emergency response, information sharing and coordination amongst partnering agencies while reducing long-term costs. The

plan and contracts have been structured so additional partners can easily transition to these new systems for the operational and fiscal benefits.

“Using the new shared computer software is a monumental milestone and gets us ready for the physical consolidation of the participating 9-1-1 entities to the Regional Operations and Communications (ROC) Facility that is now being built,” said Steve Husak, Chief of Police for the Lake Zurich Police Department and Lake County ETSB Chair. “Agencies will see cost savings and be able to use a better-end product because of this software consolidation.”

“The implementation of this technology is the second successful step in the 9-1-1 consolidation plan,” said Sandy Hart, Lake County Board Chair. “This new shared collaborative system will decrease public safety response times in emergencies when minutes matter.”

Native Plant Sale set for May 11-12

The Lake County Forest Preserve native plant sale will be held on May 11-12 this year. Hours are Saturday from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. until noon.

Choose from a variety of plant species including nature flowers, ferns, forbs and grasses. As you shop, learn about eco-friendly practices to benefit your home, wallet and community. Experts will be available to answer questions.

Inventory is limited and available on a first-come, first-serve basis. The best plant selection will be on Saturday as plants are not restocked overnight. Shoppers are encouraged to bring boxes to transport their plants home.

Plant prices will vary and admission to the sale at Independence Grove is free for all native plant sale customers.

The sale is an annual fundraiser benefiting environmental education programs and events at LCFP.

The sale will be held at the North Bay Pavilion at Independence Grove, 16400 W Buckley Rd., Libertyville. For more information about the plant sale visit lcfpd.org/plant-sale.

in the soil like in late May and early June.

Cicada Symphony: a 17-year crescendo display opens at the Dunn Museum

The Dunn Museum in Libertyville, Illinois is combining a spectacle of nature with a special exhibition. Dedicated to the emergence of the spectacular 17-year periodical cicadas, “Celebrating Cicadas” opened April 27 and runs through Aug. 4.

Every 17 years, billions of periodical cicadas emerge from the ground, creating a natural phenomenon that captures the imagination of people worldwide. The Dunn Museum’s exhibition offers visitors a unique opportunity to learn about the biology, behavior and ecological significance of these remarkable creatures.

Cicadas are expected to emerge in Lake County in late May and early June, once the temperature of the upper 8 inches of soil reaches 64 degrees.

Featuring interactive displays, informative exhibits and captivating visuals, the exhibition provides visitors with an engaging, educational experience. Visitors will discover the secrets of cicada life cycles, learn about their role in local habitats and explore the cultural significance of these insects through folklore and history.

“Cicadas, with their fascinating life cycles and distinct sounds, have captured the interest of many,” said Angelo Kyle, president of the Lake County Forest Preserves. “Through this exhibition, we hope to inspire curiosity and

appreciation for the natural world.”

“The Dunn Museum will host special events and educational programs throughout the duration of the exhibition, including guided tours in the forest preserves, hands-on activities and guest lectures by leading experts in entomology and ecology,” said Director of Education Alyssa Firkus. “This fabulous exhibition was designed to capture the interest of visitors of all ages.”

Cicada specimens from the Field Museum dating back to 1939 will be showcased at the exhibit to illustrate the remarkable phenomenon.

The Lake County Forest Preserves, which operates the Dunn Museum, commissioned Samantha Gallagher, a Lake County freelance illustrator, to help with the exhibition. Known as the “bee girl” in second grade due to her fascination with insects, Gallagher employs colored pencils, pastels and textured paper to bring cicadas, moths, birds and other subjects to life.

She encourages residents to “try to coexist” during the emergence.

“This happens once every 17 years,” she said. “The cicadas deserve this brief moment of glory after waiting so long.”

The Dunn Museum is located at 1899 W Winchester Rd., Libertyville. For more information visit the website at www.lcfpd.org/museum/ PHOTO

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OF JIM & JOAN SAYRE Hi-Liter/MCN

A special exhibition, “Celebrating Cicadas” opened April 27 and runs through Aug. 4 at the Dunn Museum in Libertyville. 17-year periodical cicadas are expected to emerge from holes

Songs & Stories from the Compost Café set for May 9

Join in on a virtual event Thursday, May 9 at 7 p.m. for a special evening with presentations and performances from a group of artists at the Songs & Stories from the Compost Café. This event is provided by the Solid Waste Agency of Lake County (SWALCO), and Vernon Hills Park District.

The program is geared towards elementary age group and families, but adults and those of all ages will enjoy this special program featuring music, song, storytelling, poetry, spoken word,

• Pension

some video shorts and art from local artists.

Performers and presenters will include: William Marr, Connie Purcell, Kimberly Waller, Shawn Killackey & Artist’s Alliance, Monica Chen, Seema Keshav and Merleanne Rampale.

Register to attend this zoom event at https://us02web.zoom. us/meeting/register/tZwkfytpz0tEtxuWqhkGF5gL6x6z9jq9wmE#/ registration or see SWALCO website at swalco.org

(Continued from page 4)

$10 billion in the 2003 bond sale under Blagojevich.

The April 18 discussion on the pension plan was subject matter only, meaning it did not receive a vote from the committee. It’s unclear if the measure will pass before lawmakers adjourn their spring session in May.

Just as in the past, public employee unions will likely have tremendous influence over whether the legislature approves the governor’s pension plan.

Pat Devaney, the secretary-treasurer of the Illinois AFL-CIO organized labor umbrella organization, told the panel Thursday that the We Are One Illinois coalition—a group of unions that formed after the Tier 2 pension system law passed—was not yet taking a stance on Pritzker’s plan.

“It is difficult to provide comprehensive comments on the governor’s proposal without having specific legislative language and funding projections to review,” he said. “That said, the problematic nature of the current funding ramp is well-documented.”

The coalition, Devaney said, “generally” supports making larger-than-necessary contributions to the state’s retirement systems.

“The state has always set forward with a plan to underfund the pension systems,” he said. “We’re encouraged that the governor has a plan to actually fund it to 100 percent and come out with a deliberate, responsible way to provide that funding.”

Tier 2 history

But Devaney had a much more strident position to share with House members about Tier 2 pensions.

“We can do that,” he said of Pritzker’s plan to shore up Illinois’ pension systems. “But we can also address the illegal, immoral, and, frankly, things that are hurting the operations of government at every level with the Tier 2 benefit level.”

After a long pause, state Rep. Steve Reick, R-Woodstock, signaled his agreement—with a big caveat.

“Yeah, but how?” Reick said. “That’s the thing that we need to get people together in a room and talk about because this isn’t gonna get any better for the next 20 years. I’m not going to be here 20 years from now but ... I’d like to leave knowing that we started something that would get us to where we want to be.”

Reick said his email inbox has been inundated with messages about the Tier 2 pension system. The Illinois Federation of Teachers and Illinois Education Association – the state’s two largest teachers unions – have encouraged their members to flood their local lawmakers with requests to address the Tier 2 pension system.

As of April 18, union members had sent more than 55,000 letters this week to lawmakers urging them to “fix” Tier 2 pensions, according to the Illinois AFL-CIO.

“I mean, I get a lot of emails from people who demand that we do away with Tier 2 altogether and go back to Tier 1,” Reick said later on during the hearing. “Um, that’s not going to work.”

As Illinois began its slow recovery from the Great Recession, lawmakers were facing a sudden jump in unfunded pension liabilities, due in part to poor investment returns as the stock market hobbled its way to recovery. But the General

Assembly also felt the squeeze from decades of decisions from their predecessors shorting the state’s pension systems.

Beginning in 2009, credit rating agencies began a series of downgrades to Illinois’ ratings of creditworthiness, making it more expensive for the state to borrow money via bond sales. In explaining their reasoning at the time, the influential agencies repeatedly noted the state’s pension systems were underfunded.

The financial downturn came not long after the state skipped out on paying half of its pension obligation for two years under Blagojevich, which came on the heels of more than 11,000 state workers taking early retirement under Republican Gov. George Ryan. Both moves increased the liability to the state’s pension systems by billions of dollars.

So in 2010, the Democratic-controlled General Assembly created the new Tier 2 system, which nixed the Tier 1 practice of 3 percent compounded annual cost of living adjustments for retirees, raised the age for retirees to get full benefits from 62 to 67 and changed eligibility for full benefits from five years of service to 10 years.

Tier 2 also caps the maximum salary a pension can be based on and changes the calculation of the base salary to discourage a practice known as pension “spiking,” wherein those close to retirement age would seek raises to substantially increase their pension under the Tier 1 system.

Because it takes a decade to “vest” in the Tier 2 pension system, those who made late-career switches to government employment have begun to be eligible for retirement only in the last few years.

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E-mail your photos at the highest possible resolution to: news@hi-liter.com BY NOON ON FRIDAY

Prairie Band Potawatomi becomes first federally recognized tribe in Illinois

By Hannah Meisel CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS

Nearly 200 years after Native Americans were forced out of Illinois, the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation has become the first federally recognized tribal nation in the state after a decision from the U.S. Department of the Interior.

The move represents the first victory in the tribe’s larger effort to regain the approximately 1,280 acres of its ancestral land in Illinois via legislation in both the General Assembly and Congress.

But the tribe first had to spend $10 million over the last 20 years to repurchase the first 130 acres of the Shab-ehnay Reservation, located in what is now DeKalb County, that the federal government illegally sold out from under Chief Shab-eh-nay around 1850.

Nearly two centuries later, Prairie Band Chairman Joseph “Zeke” Rupnick—a fourthgreat grandson of Chief Shabeh-nay—signed paperwork that allows the Department of the Interior to place those 130 acres into a trust, which gives the tribe sovereignty over the land.

Rupnick said he’d heard the story of his ancestral land in Illinois “ever since I was a child” from his grandparents, and said his mother started the push to reclaim the Prairie Band’s land three decades ago when she was the tribe’s chairperson.

“For me to actually get it accomplished and signed, honestly, words couldn’t describe the feeling that I had that, you know, when I actually completed that task,” he told Capitol News Illinois, adding that the credit should be shared with his entire counsel and tribal membership more broadly. “And now the real work begins.”

Prairie Band leaders initiated the process with the federal government 30 years ago, Rupnick said, even before the tribe made the three purchases of private land that make up the 130 acres signed over

on April 19. In 2004, the tribe purchased a house located on the historic reservation, then in 2006 it bought a 128-acre farm.

After a 2020 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that found Native American tribes still have a claim to their reservations unless Congress took specific actions to disestablish a reservation, the Prairie Band refiled its land trust application with the Department of the Interior last year.

A bill pending in the Illinois House would also give the Prairie Band tribe the title to the approximately 1,500 acres that make up Shabbona Lake State Park, located a little less than 20 miles southwest of DeKalb. Shabbona Lake State Park is named for Chief Shab-eh-nay and covers much of the Prairie Band’s original reservation.

But other parts of the Prairie Band’s ancestral lands are now occupied by private homes.

“Right now, if you did a title search, and you had a house that was within the boundaries of that reservation, that title search would come back and say that sale is subject to the concurrence of Shab-ehnay and/or his descendants,” Rupnick told Capitol News Illinois earlier this year.

To clear up those claims, the Prairie Band tribe has proposed federal legislation that would allow the current occupants of those homes to keep those properties, and even to pass them on to their descendants. But if those homeowners ever choose to sell, the federal legislation would give the tribe a right of first refusal to purchase.

In a podcast interview with Capitol News Illinois released in March, Rupnick told the story of how the Prairie Band lost its land over time—and how the federal government betrayed Chief Shab-eh-nay in a land grab.

In 1833, the Potawatomi signed the Treaty of Chicago, ceding nearly all its Illinois land along the western shore of Lake Michigan except the

two square miles in DeKalb County preserved for the tribe in an earlier treaty.

Though the Potawatomi had bought a 30-by-30-mile reservation in what’s now Kansas with money they received for ceding their Illinois land, Chief Shab-eh-nay and about 20 to 30 other members of his family stayed in Illinois.

But when the chief took a trip to the Prairie Band’s new home in Kansas to see how the tribe was settling in, the General Land Office of the U.S. government pounced.

“Once he got back here (to Illinois), that’s when he discovered that people were living in his house,” Rupnick said. “They actually picked up his house and moved it to another location.”

Rupnick said Chief Shabeh-nay tried to fight the land grab in court, but the courts ruled he had abandoned his land, giving the General Land Office authority to sell it.

“And they allowed the settlers and whoever else to live there,” Rupnick said.

Rupnick told Capitol News Illinois Prairie Band would pursue agreements with existing fire protection districts and police departments to continue delivering services to the 130 acres now controlled by the Prairie Band.

If the land transfer of Shabbona Lake State Park is approved, Rupnick said the general public wouldn’t notice much difference, as the tribe would pursue agreements with the DNR.

But the Prairie Band would have to file another application with the Department of the Interior to get any additional acreage added to the land trust so the tribe would have sovereignty over it.

“Kind of ironic, isn’t it?” Rupnick said. “The land that was carved out by treaty, that was owned by the federal government for Shab-eh-nay and his descendants, was sold by the federal government, then the nation had to go back, repurchase that land and now we signed over title to the federal government again.”

Native shrub and tree orders due by Friday

The deadline to place orders with the Friends of Volo Bog Native Shrub and Tree spring sale-fundraiser is Friday at 3 p.m.

Planting native shrubs and trees in your yard will help

support neighborhood pollinators and other wildlife.

Pick-up will be May 11 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Volo Bog SNA parking lot behind the visitor center. Plants will be tagged for your conve-

nience to pick up. Volo Bog State Natural Area is located at 28478 W. Brandenburg Road, Ingleside. Order forms can be found online at www.FriendsofVoloBog.org.

Lake County Sheriff’s arrest bulletin

The Lake County Sheriff’s Dept. reported the following arrests in Lake County. Suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

March 16

Brayan A. Urrutia Aguilar, 25, Waukegan, was cited for DUI–alcohol, and no driver’s license;

March 17

Wissam Osman, 46, Lake Bluff, was cited for violating an order of protection;

Jeffrey L. Lewis, 46, Waukegan, was cited for driving while license revoked;

Marcos A. Atempa, 35, Waukegan, was cited for aggravated DUI, driving while license suspended.

March 18

Juvenile, cited for battery;

Javon S. Henderson, 24, Beach Park, was cited for a warrant arrest: battery;

Jonathan W. Brooks, 54, Round Lake, was cited for theft, and criminal trespass to motor vehicle;

Jorge A. Robledo Martinez, 30, Round Lake, was cited for DUI–alcohol, no insurance and open transport of alcohol;

Desmond D. Loud, 49, Fox Lake, was cited for unlawful possession of cocaine;

March 19

Mihai G. Crump, 23, Antioch, was cited for domestic battery;

March 20

Juvenile, was cited for dis-

orderly conduct;

Jeremiah E. Richardson-Jones, 18, Lindenhurst, was cited for a warrant arrest: theft;

Amber N. Beverly, 28, Round Lake Beach, was cited for aggravated speeding (70 mph in 40 mph zone);

Andresha R. Thomas, 22, Milwaukee, WI, was cited for driving while license suspended and no insurance;

Laija M. Patton, 27, Zion, was cited for driving while suspended and no insurance;

March 21

Little Joe C. Cobb, Jr., 30, Racine, was cited for a warrant arrest: failure to appear in court (theft);

Juean A. Landa, 25, Zion, was cited for driving while license suspended;

Daniel J. Wolff, 37, Beach Park, was cited for a warrant arrest: failure to appear (DUI);

Dartanian J. McClain, 23, Round Lake Beach, was cited for driving while license suspended, suspended registration and no insurance;

March 22

Fanta K. Keita, 34, Mount Prospect, was cited for aggravated speeding (81 mph in 55 mph zone), suspended registration and no insurance; Jajuan Handy, 41, Waukegan, was cited for aggravated DUI, aggravated driving while license revoked, fleeing ad eluding and reckless driving;

Ruben Aguilar, 29, Hoffman Estates, was cited for DUI – alcohol, driving while

license suspended, and aggravated speeding (67 mph in 40 mph zone);

March 23

Kevin O’Brien, 27, Wonder Lake, was cited for DUI – alcohol;

Jose A. Cortes-Mendoza, 19, Fox Lake, was cited for driving while license suspended, no insurance and a warrant arrest: failure to appear (domestic battery);

Kyle J. Harrison, 32, Ingleside, was cited for domestic battery;

Gregory R. Gatson, 46, Chicago, was cited for DUI –alcohol;

Rene Jimenez-Mancilla, 58, Waukegan, was cited for DUI – alcohol;

March 24

Erika Rodriguez, 48, North Chicago, was cited for driving while license suspended, and suspended registration;

Luis Garcia, 24, Waukegan, was cited for aggravated speeding (86 mph in 55 mph zone);

Benjamin N. Davis, 47, Zion, was cited for DUI–alcohol;

Justin D. Carberry, 37, Ingleside, was cited for aggravated domestic battery;

Karl R. Puder, 43, Ingleside, was cited for unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia;

Hailey A. Gertz, 22, Ingleside, was cited for unlawful possession of a controlled substance;

Michael J. Kvacik, 44, McHenry, was cited for obstructing identification.

MCDOT announces 2024 county paving program

The McHenry County Division of Transportation announces the annual pavement preservation program, which includes resurfacing of 15.3 lane miles of county highways. This project involves a $5.9 million investment in the county’s infrastructure. Paving begins in early May for Bay Road from Chapel Hill Road to the

County Line, Hartland Road from Nelson Road to US Route 14, and Spring Grove Road from Johnsburg Road to US Route 12. County paving is expected to be completed by the end of September, weather permitting. Please note access to residences and businesses will be maintained through construction. Travelers are to pay

close attention to flaggers and signs in the work zones, obey posted speed limits and be vigilant for workers and equipment.

To learn more about other MCDOT constructin projects, visit the webpage at www.mchenrycountydot.org and click ‘Current and upcoming construction’ on the left hand side.

Automobiles

1990 CADILLAC FLEETWOOD Coral. Florida car no rust. 1 owner. 45k miles. Make an Offer. 262379-4161.

2004 MONTE CARLO Mechanically sound. Make an offer. 262379-4161.

Boats

2000 SUPRA LEGACY, Indmar inboard, very low hours, always garaged or lift kept, Elkhorn. $11,500. (262) 949-6997.

2003 ALUMACRAFT 175 TROPHY With 2002 Trailer. 90 HP, 9.9HP, Elec. 50lb Troller, Elec Anchor, Helix5 Hummingbird. Call only if interested 815-389-2480.

Campers and RVs

2022 COACHMAN FREEDOM EXPRESS 20SE. $19,900. 262470-4083.

Farm Machinery

S&H 80 BU Spreader PTO driven. 608-728-1629

Sports/Classic Cars

1967 CADILLAC CONVERTIBLE, rebuilt engine, 1000 miles since rebuild, runs great, $13,950. Call 262-949-6997.

Wanted to Buy

ALL BEER-SODA-GAS-OIL SIGNS All related items-TAP HANDLES-BEER CANS. 262825-0932 Will Travel CASH PAID.

1969 CONVERTIBLE OLDS

CUTLASS S. Asking $38,000. Serious inquiries only. Text (262) 210-3147

1990 CORVETTE CONVERTIBLE, triple black, 49,000 miles, automatic, no winters. $10,995. (630) 886-6667.

Trucks & Trailers

2005 DAKOTA Quad Cab SLT V8, 4x4, locking tonno, new tires June 2023, 2 owners, runs good & looks great. $3,850. Call 262767-1092.

CARGO TRAILER 5x8 Enclosed, needs cosmetic work. Elkhorn location $199. 262-9496997.

Other Real Estate

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familiar/ status or national origin, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination call HUD toll-free at 1-900-669-9777. The toll-free tele phone number for the hearing impaired is 1-800-927-9275. EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY