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Page 1 - May 7, 2020 / McHenry County News

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Quilted Barn Program in McHenry County VOLUME 10 • ISSUE 20

Several years ago a local newspaper featured a photo of a barn shadowed in the light of the setting sun.

The caption read, “Nothing is more beautiful than seeing the sunset behind a McHenry County barn.” The thought that such a scene in this once prominent Illinois dairy farming county may soon end up as this generation’s memory is giving impetus to a new program.

It is a public art-related project that may be the answer for barn appreciation, preservation, and agri-tourism.

It combines the tradition and beauty of quilt designing with the long lasting durability of American barns and their adaptability as showcases for public art. Following the lead of states like Iowa and Ohio, McHenry County is setting the stage for a similar “Quilted Barn” program in this state.

Download the most current barn quilt map at mchenry.lunarcowimap. com/imap. Check the barn icon for a map of quilted barn locations. Details about each quilt are available by clicking on individual icons.

The program involves selecting a quilt pattern and painting it onto two, 4-foot by-8-foot plywood sheets, creating an 8-foot-square piece of art. It then is attached to barns located in well-traveled areas of the county. Information about the quilt patterns, be it “Log Cabin” “Grandma’s Flower Basket,” “Flying Geese,” the barn, the sponsors and/or artists will become part of one or more self-driving or biking tourist brochures. One county in Iowa already has 48 quilted barns while in Ohio half of the 88 counties have them.

“We have the opportunity to do likewise. Our barns are located in close proximity to each other. They are diverse historic structures that will be enhanced by the use of art and quilt designs. Public art in and of itself can be shared by everyone. The program opens up agri-tourism opportunities and quilted barns reconnect all areas of McHenry County to

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their common origins,” stated Kurt Begalka, administrator, McHenry County Historical Society.

For information on ways to participate in the Quilted Barns program visit mchenrycountyhistory.org/ quilted-barns-program.

Participation in the McHenry County Quilted Barn Program is open to owners of barns and other rural structures suitable for display.

Other groups such as quilt clubs, 4-H clubs, scout troops, artists, religious and civic groups are encouraged to participate in this program by sponsoring the creation of a barn quilt and/or actually making a barn quilt.

For additional information or questions contact the McHenry County Historical Society at 815-923-2267 or info@mchenrycountyhistory.org.

The requirements of this Public Art/Barn Preservation Program are minimal purposely to encourage greater participation. For barn sites COURTESY PHOTOS McHenry County News located within a municipality, conAbove and below: A public art project can be found on barns throughout the country. McHenry County tact those Building/Zoning Departis participating in the Quilted Barn Program. ments directly for any restrictions.

Sarilumab in clinical trial through Northwestern Medicine Northwestern Medicine is enrolling patients in a global clinical trial for hospitalized patients who are severely or critically ill with COVID-19. The drug being tested is sarilumab, which is currently used as a treatment option for adults with moderately active to severely active rheumatoid arthritis. Northwestern Memorial Hospital enrolled its first patient for the COVID-19 trial in March.

“The drug is being given to people with very severe COVID-19 infection who have a high chance of dying or prolonged critical care requirements without specific therapy,” explained Richard Wunderink, M.D., pulmonary and critical care specialist, who also serves as the medical director of the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

Sarilumab blocks an inflammatory cytokine (type of protein) the body makes, called interleukin-6 (IL-6), by binding to the IL-6 receptor. Preliminary evidence shows excessive amounts of IL-6 may play a role in causing acute respiratory distress in COVID-19 patients. The clinical trial will help determine if sarilumab helps alleviate the overactive inflammatory responses in the lungs when damaged by COVID-19. The study will compare the response of people who get the drug to a smaller control group of patients who receive a placebo.

“Some patients with COVID-19 are thought to develop lung injury from an overly exuberant immune response to the virus,” says Dr. Wunderink. “In some patients in China, the levels of a protein

in the blood called C-reactive protein (CRP) were significantly elevated. The CRP levels increased because of excessive release of IL-6. Sarilumab blocks the IL-6 receptor in the body, theoretically making cells resistant to the ill effects of excessive IL-6. There is always a concern that this will limit the immune response, so it is important to monitor patients for evidence of infection and treat it.”

Northwestern Medicine is using special diagnostic tests, developed in-house, to look for infection in patients receiving sarilumab.

“Very often with new diseases, people try multiple things at once, making it difficult to tell what, if anything, worked,” said Dr. Wunderink. “Researchers in China gave a similar drug to a small number of people

and observed what they thought were good effects. It is important to confirm (or not) these findings before we use this medication routinely. We also need to look to see if there are unexpected side effects of the drug in these patients.”

Patients of Northwestern Medicine are also eligible to participate in an international clinical trial for remdesivir, an anti-viral drug developed to treat Ebola. The academic health system is also studying other experimental antibiotics for select patients.

“The best strategy right now is prevention,” added Dr. Wunderink. “We want to thank those who are making important sacrifices by social distancing, so we can provide the best care to those in our community who become the most ill.”

VIEWPOINT Page 2 - May 7, 2020 / McHenry County News

Slices of life

Foods of the alphabet Fact one: Because of a stay-athome directive, we aren’t supposed to venture out into public unless we are essential or in need of essential items – like milk or eggs. Sometimes the shelves are bare.

Fact two: Many of us have had some time on our hands lately. We can’t do the things we’d normally do, so we fill in with substitutes.

Fact three: I love words and words are made up with letters of the alphabet.

These three facts got me to thinking. About food and doing without and making choices. At one point the shelves at my grocery store were all but empty. What if we didn’t have easy access to all the foods of our choosing? What if we were limited to just a shortlist for the rest of our lives? What would we pick if we were limited to just one item starting with each letter of the alphabet?

Because this is my own made-up game, I get to make the rules. Water, salt and pepper are givens. No need

to pick them. The same goes for your favorite beverage of choice, except for milk and dairy. You have to include those in your limited list, if you so desire.

You can combine foods to create something new. If you choose corn, no need to choose popcorn. Tomatoes can be used to make ketchup, flour for bread and so on.

The following is a fairly comprehensive list from A to Z. My husband and I had quite the time discussing which items we’d pick and why. I thought others with time on their hands during these dire days might enjoy doing the same. Some letters are much more difficult than others. “C” was a doozy for me.

Chocolate, chicken, cheese and crab and I could only choose one. (Coffee didn’t even make the short list.) Try it yourself. What would you pick if you could choose just item for each letter?

Ready, set, go!

A – apple, almond, avocado, anchovies, apricot, artichoke,

By

JILL PERTLER Contributor

asparagus, allspice B – beef, broccoli, butter, bread, banana, blackberries, blueberries, bacon, basil, beans, beets, Brussels sprouts, bell pepper, bay leaf C – chocolate, cream, chicken, cheese, cauliflower, crab, cherries, cabbage, cashews, caviar, celery, coconut, coffee, corn, cucumber, curry, cantaloupe, cardamom, caraway, cayenne, chives, cilantro cinnamon, cloves, coriander, candy D – dill, donuts, duck, dates E – eggs, eggplant (Easiest one ever.)

F – flour, figs, fish G – garlic, ginger, green pepper, grapes, grapefruit, green beans, guava H – ham, honey, honeydew, hot

dogs, horseradish, I – ice cream. No choice here, but at least it’s ice cream.

J – jalepeno, jellybeans, Jello, jerky, jicama K – kiwi, kale, ketchup, kumquat L – lobster, lemon, lime, liver, lettuce, lima beans, leeks, lettuce M – muskmelon, mayonnaise, mango, milk, mushrooms, mustard N – nutmeg, nectarine, noodles, O – onion, oranges, olives, oatmeal P – pork, pineapple, peanuts, peanut butter, pecans, potatoes, pickles, papaya, peaches, popcorn, pasta, pears, peas, peppercorn, plums, pomegranate, pumpkin Q – quinoa. With such a limited choice, pick a previous letter for a bonus choice.

R – raspberries, rice, raisins, radish, rhubarb, rosemary S – shrimp, strawberry, sugar, sweet potato, sausage, saffron, sesame, soybean, squash, starfruit T – turkey, tofu, tomato, tarragon, thyme, turmeric, turnips

U – ugli fruit. Another bonus pick, if you so choose. Look to another letter.

V – veal, venison, vinegar, vanilla W – watermelon, walnut, water chestnut, wheat X – You can’t eat a xylophone, so pick a different letter and choose a bonus food (I’d recommend a look at letter C.) Y – yams, yeast, yogurt Z – zucchini. No bonus here. We all know you can never have too many zucchini.

How did you do? I hope this gave you something to think about and talk about with the people you are quarantined with. I hope it provided a respite/distraction to being immersed in a pandemic. Corny (no pun intended) but I hope it made you smile. Take care.

Jill Pertler is an award-winning syndicated columnist, published playwright and author. Don’t miss a slice; follow the Slices of Life page on Facebook.

Weekly connection

Football and fences When I was in high school, I loved playing football, especially on game nights. There was always something about the smell in the outside air on a Friday night in the fall that just made my senses come alive with fervor and passion.

Our pre and postgame locker room music was always the Beach Boys. The only difference in the music between pregame and postgame was the volume. Before the game we kept it low and in the background. That was so that we could be thinking about the game and our responsibilities on the field. However, after winning the game, we cranked those tunes in the locker room just as high as the record player would go. If we lost, which was almost never, we didn’t play any music whatsoever. It was

dead quiet in the locker room and on the bus ride home too. Nobody said anything. We genuinely hurt that badly on the inside. We really, really cared deeply and felt that we had let down our coaches and the entire community.

It’s so funny how I just love listening to the Beach Boys to this day, and every song takes me back to those locker rooms and the football Friday nights of high school days. Songs like, ‘She’s Real Fine,’ ‘My 409,’ ‘Little Deuce Coup,’ ‘Surfin USA,’ ‘California Girls,’ ‘Good Vibrations,’ ‘In My Room,’ ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice’ and, of course, my favorite, ‘Be True to Your School.’ These songs are some of my prime tunes to this day. They bring back so many memories.

I spent several days last week

When I finished all the fencing, my sons and I loaded up a few heifers and drove them out to By turn them loose on the pasture.

SCOTT CERNEK Everything seemed to be working Columnist out fine, but the only problem was about an hour later they were back up at the barn. I guess they weren’t too used to electric fences and trimming a ton of tree branches decided to bust out. Since it was along a couple of fencerows back Saturday night and I didn’t want to on my heifer pasture. I followed that up with building and repairing be chasing them around on Sunday, the fence back there too. I’m telling we locked them back up on the cow lot. I’m planning to try again this you what - after a few days of week. that, my body began to feel like It’s funny how sometimes we as the morning after one of those Christians, like my heifers, have big football games. I could hardly been given vast green pastures move because every joint and of God’s goodness to feast on, muscle ached so badly. It’s how but sometimes we will return to I remember feeling on Saturday mornings after a Friday night game, our former life because it’s more stiff and sore. familiar. We don’t realize that the

boundaries God has given us to follow in the Bible are there to help us enjoy our relationship with Him. If we will accept His boundaries, they bring tremendous security and freedom giving wonderful security in Christ. When we are living according to the word of God, we can enjoy the goodness and peace of God. He wants us to know the riches of His grace and mercy for our lives, but only when we accept His truth.

The 23rd Psalm starts with these familiar words; The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul. I hope you will take the time to rest in the love of God this week.

Until next week, God bless.

Gen Xers and Millennials can benefit from the CARES Act, too Jakob Loescher, CFP, CHFC, AIF, overview of who is going to receive CRPC, CRPS these checks and how.

SAVANT CAPITAL MANAGEMENT How much a taxpayer receives Most of the articles I’ve seen of- is initially based on their filing stafering advice on how to get through tus and how many eligible children the pandemic and associated eco- they have. Those with a married nomic downturn have been geared filing joint status have a base credit toward retirees and business owners. of $2,400, and all other filers have a But I want to concentrate on the ap- base credit of $1,200. They will reproximately 137 million individuals ceive an additional $500 for every making up Generation X and the eligible child they have (under the Millennials. So let’s dive into what age of 17). However, there will be specific relief and potential strategies income limits where these rebates apply to them. begin to phase out. For those married Recovery Rebates will be going filing joint it begins at $150,000, for out to eligible individuals and cou- head of household filers it begins at ples, hopefully as soon as the next $112,500, and for all other filers it three weeks. Here is a very basic begins at $75,000. Once a taxpayer

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hits these levels, the credit begins to phase out at a rate of $5 for every $100 of excess AGI. This means that these taxpayers (if they do not have children) will be completely phased out at an AGI of $198,000 for married filing joint filers, $136,500 for head of household filers, and $99,000 for all other filers. However, if you have eligible children you essentially get an additional $10,000 worth of AGI per child before you are completely phased out. Where does this AGI number come from? It comes from your latest filed tax return, be it 2018 or 2019.

Example #1: Tax Filer: Married Filing Joint; No

Eligible Children; $205,000 AGI Base Credit: $2,400 Phase Out: -$2,750 [($205,000 – $150,000) x .05] Payable Credit: $0 (cannot be negative) Example #2: Tax Filer: Married Filing Joint; 2 Eligible Children; $205,000 AGI Base Credit: $3,400 ($2,400 + $500 + $500) Phase Out: -$2,750 [($205,000 – $150,000) x .05] Payable Credit: $650 A major downfall of this system is that it does not take into account life changes that have occurred since your last return was filed. This potentially includes getting married, getting divorced, having children, and losing your job in 2020. Taxpayers who do not qualify for the recovery rebate based on their 2018 or 2019 tax return will receive credit on their 2020 tax return if their 2020 AGI allows for it. However, this is of little use to someone who needs the money now.

If you or your spouse is laid off right now, there are other benefits you can take advantage of. For example, unemployment benefits are

expanded to now include self-employed individuals, extend the period of availability, and add an additional $600 a week in benefits. There has also been an easing on the requirements for taking a loan or distribution from your retirement account.

And, if you have outstanding federal student loans, you now have the ability to suspend your payments through Sept. 30.

My last piece of advice is for those young people who have been unaffected financially by this crisis. If you are confident with your current emergency fund, now is a great time to think about investing into your retirement fund. As of this writing, the global stock market is approximately 25 percent off of its all-time high.

And while we do not know if we have hit the bottom, we do know that stocks are trading at significant discounts to where they were just two months ago. This means we could potentially be looking at increased rates of return moving forward.

We are grateful for the continued trust you have placed in us. Should you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to your advisor.

Together, we will all get through this.

McHenry County News / May 7, 2020 - Page 3

The Village of Huntley Police Department is scheduled for a virtual on-site assessment as part of a program to achieve reaccreditation by verifying it meets professional standards.

Administered by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA®), the accreditation program requires agencies to comply with state-of-the-art standards in four basic areas: policy and procedures, administration, operations, and support services. The Village of Huntley Police Department has been accredited since 2010.

Anyone wishing to submit written comments about the Village of Huntley Police Department’s ability to comply with the standards for accreditation may send them to the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement, Inc. (CALEA), 13575 Heathcote Blvd. Suite 320, Gainesville VA 22030-2215 or calea@calea.org.

“We at the Huntley Police Department are extremely proud to be nationally accredited by CALEA,” states Chief Porter. “I believe that the accreditation process not only provides a blueprint for success, it also builds trust with our community. The transparency and accountability of being accredited are key in earning and maintaining the public’s trust.”

Accreditation is for four years, during which the agency must complete annual standards compliance reviews assuring continued compliance with the applicable standards.

For more information regarding the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. view their website at www. calea.org.

Crystal Lake rain barrel program Rain barrels have become a popular water conservation tool for many homeowners and business owners.

A rain barrel is a manufactured container designed specifically to collect and disperse rainwater from a rooftop drainage system for later use on lawns, gardens and for other outdoor uses. Benefits from the use of rain barrels include reduced water bills, additional groundwater recharge, and general water conservation.

In April 2012, the Crystal Lake City Council passed an amendment to the original ordinance, which regulates rain barrel installations in a manner that addresses potential property maintenance issues without discouraging the use of this environmentally friendly practice. The intent of the ordinance is to facilitate the use of rain barrels so that they remain functional without becoming unsightly or unsafe, such as insect breeding areas. Rain barrels are important tools in community sustainability.

Rain Barrel Incentive Program: The City of Crystal Lake is offering a one-time $25 water/sewer utility credit to water/sewer utility customers that purchase a rain barrel from a retailer located within the corporate limits of the City of Crystal Lake.

The City of Crystal Lake Rain Barrel Incentive Program is designed to help reduce residential/business water consumption through the conservation of rainwater and roof runoff.

Rain barrels are a cost-effective alternative to using potable water for watering yards and gardens.

Rain barrels function by collecting roof runoff from gutters and downspouts and by storing the water for future use. In addition to water conservation, rain barrels help reduce storm water runoff to streams and storm sewer systems, and help reduce peak water demand during summer months.

This program encourages residents and businesses to purchase rain barrels to be used during lawn, garden, and water conservation activities. City of Crystal Lake water/ sewer utility customers who wish to participate in the program should be aware of the following program requirements: • A Crystal Lake water/sewer utility customer who purchases a rain barrel from a Crystal Lake retailer will be eligible to receive a one-time $25 credit towards their water/sewer utility account.

• Only City of Crystal Lake water/ sewer utility customers are eligible for the water/sewer utility credit.

• The water/sewer utility customer must be in good standing.

• Rain barrel must be purchased from a retailer located within the corporate limits of the City of Crystal Lake.

• A valid receipt must be attached to the Rain Barrel Incentive Program application to be eligible for the water/sewer utility credit.

• Agree to maintain the rain barrel according to the manufacturer’s instructions and the City of Crystal Lake’s Rain Barrel Ordinance (City Code Chapter 424).

• Agree to allow City staff to photograph the completed rain barrel installation for marketing and/or auditing purposes.

Drop off or mail your completed City of Crystal Lake Rain Barrel Incentive Program Application and original purchase receipt to: City of Crystal Lake Rain Barrel Incentive Program, Attn: Community Development Department, 100 W. Woodstock St., Crystal Lake, IL 60014.

Crystal Lake retailers that may sell rain barrels are: Ace Hardware, Barn Nursery, Countryside Nursery and Flower Shop, Home Depot, and Menards.

If you have any questions, contact the City of Crystal Lake at 815-3563605.

Huntley Police report All individuals listed as arrested or charged with a crime in this press release are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

April 23: A burglary to business report was taken in the 11800 block

of Rte. 47.

April 25: An attempted retail theft report was taken in the 12300 block of Rte. 47.

April 27: A package theft report was taken in the 11600 block of Woodcreek Drive.

Extension webinars address invasive species, prevention Invasive species pose a serious threat to native species and natural ecosystems and cost the country billions of dollars to combat. Learn what is being done to address the serious issues of both land and water invasives in an online symposium hosted by University of Illinois Extension. The one-hour webinars begin at 1 p.m. daily beginning May 11 through May 15.

Two criteria must be met for a species to be considered invasive: the species is not original to the ecosystem it’s currently living, and the species is likely to cause economic and environmental harm or harm to human health if left unchecked.

One must register online at go.illinois.edu/ILinvasives for any of the sessions to receive the logon information.

May 11 “Invasive Species Research Update,” presented by Kevin Rohling, Chris Evans, and Nick Seaton from University of Illinois Extension Forestry.

Invasive species research is a critical component of invasive species management.

Research can provide a better understanding of the ecology and impacts of invasive species and can help determine the best control methods. This presentation will give updates on recent research conducted by the University of Illinois Extension Forestry Program, with assistance from the River to River Cooperative Weed Management Area.

Topics include: -The effectiveness of unmanned aerial vehicles to survey for invasive shrubs -Foliar control of bush honeysuckle

-Pre-emergent treatments for controlling Japanese stiltgrass -Herbicide application timing to extend spring treatment windows for garlic mustard May 12 “Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Through Outreach,” presented by Greg Hitzroth, Elizabeth “Bizzy” Berg, Amanda Huegelmann; Illinois Natural History Survey.

Aquatic invasive species are economically and ecologically detrimental to the Laurentian Great Lakes. Once populations establish, they are often difficult, expensive, or impossible to remove. We use outreach and educational materials targeted to specific audiences to prevent new introductions of aquatic species and the spread of known aquatic invaders. This presentation will discuss some known aquatic invasive species and how we apply outreach to address those issues.

Topics include: -Aquarium trade -Crayfish of the Great Lakes - K-12 education -Quagga and zebra mussels -Recreational water users May 13 “Prairie Invaders: Taking Advantage of a Distrubance-dependent Ecosystem,” presented by Erin Garrett, Extension Educator, Energy & Environmental Stewardship.

Because prairies need disturbance to remain healthy ecosystems, certain invasive plants that are able to withstand and thrive after disturbance have an upper hand in taking over a prairie.

This adaptation to a disturbance, however, also makes these invasives challenging to eradicate. This talk will cover prairie ecology, which plants are suited to invade

prairies and why, and current best management practices for managing prairie invaders.

May 14 “Unwanted Invasive Insects on the Illinois Horizon,” presented by Kelly Estes, State Survey Coordinator, Illinois Natural History Survey.

Invasive insects impact everyone living in Illinois. They are a continual threat to Illinois’ agriculture, forestry, horticulture, and natural resources. While several are on our radar, including the Asian longhorned beetle and goldspotted oak borer, spotted lanternfly continues to top our list. This invasive leafhopper is continuing to spread in several eastern states. The threat of its spread is real. Learn more about its potential impact on Illinois as well as what we are doing to prepare for it.

May 15 “Forest Invaders,” presented by Ryan Pankau, extension educator, Horticulture.

Illinois forests are unique plant communities of towering trees as well as tiny, spring wildflowers. Invasive plants threaten native plant diversity in forest communities across Illinois by outcompeting our natives for water, light, and other resources. This presentation will focus on the identification and control of non-native forest invaders so you can help keep plant diversity up in your neck of the woods.

University of Illinois Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in programming, contact the presenter. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time for meeting your needs.

4-H staying interactive through pandemic The following updates were provided in a news release by Michele R Aavang, program coordinator, 4-H and Youth Development, University of Illinois Extension/ McHenry County: • Virtual 4-H office hours: Fridays from noon to 1 p.m. via Zoom for virtual 4-H office hours throughout the month of May or until staff return to regular office hours.

Anyone can register to receive a Zoom link to the open Q&A or chat forum: web.extension.illi-

nois.edu/registration/?RegistrationID=22222.

• Join the 4-H Zoom Yoga Tuesdays at 4 p.m. with Dana McNamara. Need to clear you mind and stretch your body after a full day of studying? Join McNamara as she leads participants virtually in Tuesday Zoom Yoga. Open to all ages. Register to receive the Zoom link to participate: web.extension. illinois.edu/registration/?RegistrationID=22195.

• Calling all 4-H alumni. Check out the Illinois 4-H alumni page:

4h.extension.illinois.edu/about/ alumni. Share your 4-H memories, join the 4-H Alumni Association, get 4-H alumni news and more.

• May 9: Virtual Regional Hippology Contest.

• May 11: MCYTT-Tech Team Zoom meeting.

Be sure to check the website for more information: extension.illinois.edu/lm/4-h-mchenry-county.

Follow 4-H on Instagram: www.instagram.com/mchenry_county_4h or on Facebook at 4HMcHenryCounty.

McHenry County Sheriff’s report The following arrests in McHenry County were reported by the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department.

Suspects are considered innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

April 17 Joseph M. Kvacik, 45, McHenry, was cited for violation of an order of protection; Brooke A. Moreano, 34, Cary, was cited for domestic battery/bodily harm; April 18 Hugh F. Brown, 21, Chicago, was cited for domestic battery/physical

contact; April 19 Christian A. Jungmann, 72, McHenry, was cited for aggravated battery of a peace officer and resisting a peace officer/correctional employee; April 20 Christian P. Anderson, 37, Lake Zurick, was cited for unauthorized possession of prescription form; April 22 Jamie L. Logan, 40, Woodstock, was cited for theft/know deprive 550<10K;

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Huntley Police Department undergoes accreditation review

Rufus C. Blankenship, 53, Harvard, was cited for domestic battery/ physical contact; April 26 Joseph M. Sylthe, 35, Lakewood, was cited for domestic battery/bodily harm.

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McHenry County News / May 7, 2020 - Page 5

Take time to chronicle life during pandemic

By Emily Dattilo FOR THE MCHENRY COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND MUSEUM

So many of us, myself included at times, think of history as something in the past, not something happening in the midst of our daily lives. The COVID-19 pandemic is changing that perception.

Each of us living through this pandemic is making history simply by adapting to these crazy times.

As the weeks of quarantine/lockdown/shelter in place roll on, more and more museums are taking an opportunity to record these historic circumstances as they happen, rather than hoping someone saved something years down the road.

The museum world often calls this collection strategy “rapid response collecting.”

It ís a great way to ensure that the institution has the materials to be able to tell an event’s story later on.

This strategy doesn’t apply just to pandemic-level situations, nor is it a new concept. In fact, many museums have been collecting present-day items for years, but the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London is generally regarded as the leader in this concept.

In 2014 the V&A implemented rapid response collecting as an intentional, ongoing collecting strategy. It also opened a gallery space where these new objects can be displayed shortly after entering the museum. The National Museum of African American History and Culture, the New York Historical Society and the Orange County Regional History Center in Orlando are some institutions in the United States that have been adopting rapid response collecting policies in order to preserve artifacts from social movements.

Caution tape on a playground is never good, but this time it’s because of COVID-19. I’ve seen small groups of people playing there throughout the shelter in place order, but then on April 10, I noticed that my town had finally closed the park.

The coronavirus upheaval has encouraged even more museums to address and record the situation as it unfolds. Longtime practitioners and institutions relatively new to rapid response collecting have all been asking people in the communities they serve to share their experiences with museums.

The museum where I work, Naper Settlement, has asked staff members and the public to contribute their photos, journals, and other items recording their experiences during the pandemic. The McHenry County Historical Society posted a fillable questionnaire on its website

JANE CHARMELO PHOTO McHenry County News

Historical societies and organizations are asking people to chronicle their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, through photos, journals or interviews with family and friends, that can become part of the historic record.

(mchenrycountyhistory.org) inviting residents to share their stories and photos.

Elsewhere in the U.S., the president and CEO of the Maryland Historical Society asked Maryland residents for the same kind of documentation, as outlined in its “Collecting in Quarantine” initiative.

The Museum of English Rural Life in Reading, England, a fixture in museum social media, asked for a more creative donation. They want people to design farmers’ smocks in “Animal Crossing: New Horizons,” the latest release in a popular video game series. (These smocks look like dresses, but farmers wore them to protect their clothes from the wear and tear of farm work.)

These are but a few of the many, many examples popping up all over

the world of museums. When the pandemic subsides a bit and more museums return to some sort of normalcy, I bet even more institutions will be reaching out to their local communities.

The exciting part about this moment in history is that anyone can contribute to the historical record!

This is an opportunity to make sure that your voice is heard and in doing so, your experiences help define how future historians interpret the COVID-19 pandemic. If you’d like to help museums make history during the COVID-19 pandemic, here are some ways that you can help: • Investigate if a museum or historical society near you is collecting materials from the COVID-19 pandemic. If not, keep a record anyway. Institutions not collecting

currently may ask for donations once they reopen!

• Keep a journal or other written record about your experiences.

Write down how the pandemic has changed life for you and your family. For example, what are you doing during the shelter in place order?

Even “doing nothing” might be important to readers 20, 50 or 100plus years from now!

• Take photos and videos of what you’re seeing and doing. Snap photos of empty parking lots, closed stores, and empty store shelves.

Screenshot your next family Skype session or Zoom meeting with co-workers! While on a walk, record the little ways your community is making the isolation more bearable.

• Be thorough in your record-keeping! Write down who

you are, who’s in your household, where you live, what you do for a living, etc. Pretend that the person reading or seeing what you’ve documented doesn’t understand you or your community, and then fill in those details. Future historians will thank you for it!

To read more of “The Walking Anachronism” blog, visit thewalkinganachronism.wordpress. com/2020/03/24/misery-loves-company-coping-with-pandemic-thenand-now-1918-and-2020.

Emily Datillo, a museum educator at Naper Settlement in Naperville, is a former collections assistant at the McHenry County Historical Society & Museum. She also pens the history blog, “The Walking Anachronism,” available at thewalkinganachronism. wordpress.com/author/ edattilo.

If losing health coverage, consider several options Farmers and ranchers often rely on employer-based health insurance to cover themselves or their families. Whether the business that provides this benefit for you is shutting down temporarily or it is scaling back its staff, make sure to ask them when is the last day of health coverage.

Consider your options: • COBRA: Short for the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, this option allows you to for up to 18 months.

In this way, everything you’re used to stays the same—same doctors, networks, co-pays, and deductibles. The downside is that you will pay your entire monthly health insurance premiums yourself.

That premium will include the part you usually paid plus any amount your employer was paying. You’ll want to find out if this option is financially feasible for you.

• Sign on to your spouse’s health coverage: If your spouse has health insurance, you may be able to be added

to your coverage. Have your spouse talk with their human resources department to ask what options are available. The cost of that coverage will come out of your spouse’s paycheck so before you make the decision, you may want to comparison shop.

• Buy your own plan on the health insurance Marketplace: The Affordable Care Act introduced an act that allows you to buy your own private plan. You’re generally entitled to apply for a new plan if you lose your existing health coverage, even though the annual open enrollment period to sign up for Marketplace plans has passed.

In Illinois, there is a window of opportunity to buy a Marketplace plan when you have lost your job or health insurance coverage. You have 60 days before your current health insurance plan expires. If you don’t enroll during this time period, you can’t enroll through the Marketplace and need to wait until open enrollment period of each year.

The benefit of the Marketplace plans is that depending on your income, you may qualify for subsidies and tax credits. This can reduce the cost of the premiums.

There are several different plans to choose from. All of them have a deductible (the amount you need to pay before health insurance pays for care) and typically the lower the monthly premiums, the higher the deductible. If you qualify for those tax credits and subsidies for the premium, that may offset the higher deductible amount and so your overall out of pocket costs may even out.

Be advised, that in order to get those credits and subsidies, you need to purchase the plans through the Marketplace or an accredited health insurance broker/ provider. Talking with a Marketplace Navigator is a great way to find out your options. To find out how much of a subsidy you may qualify for you can go to this website: www. healthcare.gov/lower-costs/. It will ask you for some information and then will

direct you to the next steps.

• Apply for Medicaid and/or Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP): Medicaid and CHIP provides free or low-cost health coverage to millions of Americans, including some low-income people, families and children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with disabilities. If your income is low, you may be eligible for Medicaid (covers families) or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (covers children only).

To find out if you can qualify go to www. healthcare.gov/screener, fill out the online form and determine the next steps.

In Illinois, you can also go to the Illinois Department of Human Services website which is a one-stop-website that helps you apply for not only Medicaid and CHIP but other assistance programs. This website is: www.dhs.state.il.us.

-Written by Maria Pippidis, University of Delaware Cooperative Extension.

Modified for Illinois by Kathy Sweedler, University of Illinois Extension, 2020.

Page 6 - May 7, 2020 / McHenry County News

Meat supply chain begins to feel effects of COVID-19 Packing, labor issues affect abundance and availability of products

By Ben Orner CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS

and Jeff Brown

ILLINOIS FARM BUREAU

The meat supply chain, which was running at full capacity at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, is now taking a hit as the disease infects plant workers and threatens the livestock industry’s ability to keep up with high demand.

The spread of coronavirus through employees at some of the nation’s largest meat plants could slow the flow of food, depending on how long plant closures last. At the same time, other plants that normally supply the food service industry with larger quantities of food are not equipped to distribute smaller packages suitable for grocery stores.

“When one section of the supply chain has a slowdown or complete shutdown, it bottlenecks the rest of the system,” Illinois Farm Bureau President Richard Guebert, Jr. said.

“With highly perishable products like milk or vegetables, the bottleneck is slowing down the process longer than the items have in shelf life.”

One of the nation’s largest pork processing plants, a Smithfield Foods facility in Sioux Falls, S.D., shut down earlier this month because of a COVID-19 outbreak, taking 130 million weekly servings of food out of the supply chain. The closure also idled plants in Missouri and Wisconsin that rely on the Sioux Falls plant’s raw materials.

On April 20, food processing company JBS shut down a Minnesota processing plant that produces about 5 percent of the nation’s pork.

Tyson Foods has also shut down an Iowa facility that produces 2 percent of U.S. pork.

Those four closures represent 10 to 15 percent of U.S. pork processing, said Illinois Pork Producers Association Executive Director Jennifer Tirey.

“That just creates a bottleneck for all the other packers, because they try to move those hogs to their other facilities,” she said.

Of the three major pork facilities in Illinois, one is operated by JBS

SUBMITTED PHOTO McHenry County News

The spread of coronavirus through employees at some of the nation’s largest meat plants could slow the flow of food.

in Beardstown and another, in Monmouth, is operated by Smithfield Foods. The third major facility in the state is the Agar-operated Rantoul Foods in Rantoul.

While Tirey said the plants are experiencing disruptions, they remain in operation. There were, however, three employees at the Monmouth plant who tested positive for COVID-19.

Tirey said the bottlenecked supply chain dropped the number of pigs processed in the U.S. on April 20 to 370,000, down from 415,000 only a couple days before.

“Just losing those couple processing plants in neighboring states brings the overall total down,” she said.

Tirey added, though, that she does not expect the amount of pork in supermarkets will decrease, for now. Instead, she said, shortages at supermarkets should be attributed to consumers’ heightened demand for

meat.

Tirey also said that Illinois pork plants, including the one in Monmouth, have stepped up their safety protocols, including social distancing, daily temperature checks for employees and requiring workers to wear personal protective equipment (PPE).

Meanwhile, farms in some parts of the country have an oversupply of their products. The inability to bridge the gap between farmers growing produce, milk and meat with the growing number of needy consumers has not been from a lack of trying, Guebert said.

Illinois Farm Bureau and the Illinois Farm Bureau Young Leader Committee recently wrapped up a 16-day fundraising campaign that raised a total of $26,000 for eight food banks that serve Illinoisans.

County Farm Bureaus in six northern Illinois counties donated $5,000 worth of milk—nearly 2,000 gallons—to 30 food pantries in

those counties.

And the American Farm Bureau Federation is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to purchase products from farmers who have lost other markets during the pandemic and redirect them to food banks.

“It isn’t that the food isn’t there,” the Illinois Farm Bureau’s associate director of food systems development, Raghela Scavuzzo, said.

“What we are facing is a readjusting of the distribution system. That takes time. More time than any of us would like.”

Guebert said farmers would prefer to donate their products to those who need them rather than dispose of them on the farm. But food pantries’ capacity to store products with short shelf lives is limited.

“It’s heartbreaking for farmers whenever they’re forced to dispose of products,” he said. “Many farmers do not know where their income is going to come from during this

time, but believe me, they would rather find a home for these products.”

Many food banks are based on repackaging bulk loads of products into smaller amounts to be distributed individually. But the volunteer base that performs that work has largely dried up because of social distancing guidelines.

Other barriers stand in the way of getting meat and dairy products from farm to fork.

The facilities that package eggs, milk and cheese, for example, are set up to distribute more than half of those products to food service sectors. Eggs are typically delivered in either liquid form or in 15-dozen quantities. Cheese might be delivered to a pizzeria in 10-pound bags, not the 8-ounce bags a shopper would buy at the grocery store.

And large amounts of milk would ordinarily be packaged in half-pint cartons for students eating lunch at school, not the gallon jugs that have been subject to rationing at many supermarkets.

“Approximately 60 percent to 65 percent of product from farms typically goes into the food service industry—restaurants, hotels, schools and cafeterias,” Scavuzzo said. “The way in which these businesses purchase food is very different than what goes into a retail space or what the food banks are needing due to their labor barriers.”

Some relief is coming to farmers struggling from low demand, supply chain crises and low prices after the federal government on Friday announced a COVID-19 agricultural aid package. The USDA will provide $16 billion in direct payments to farmers and ranchers, including $9.6 billion for the livestock industry.

Producers will be compensated for 85 percent of price losses from Jan. 1 through April 15. Compensation will then decrease to 30 percent of prices losses through the next two quarters.

The USDA says another $873 million will go toward purchasing agricultural products to be sent to food banks. This is on top of $600 million of previous COVID-19 relief money set to food banks to purchase food.

Woodstock Police report The Woodstock Police department reported the following arrests and citations. Persons charged with domestic battery and juveniles 17 or younger are not named.

An arrest does not constitute a conviction, and suspects are considered innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

April 24, 5:05 p.m., in the 500 block of North Madison Street,

Derrick L. Hardison Sr., 35, of Woodstock, was arrested on WOW (FTA-McHenry County).

April 27, 2:33 a.m., North Seminary Avenue at Irving Avenue, Carlos Orozco, 22, of Hebron, was arrested for DWLS and headlight violation.

April 29, 5:26 p.m., in the 300 block of South Eastwood Drive, Steven J. McMillan, no address giv-

Tuttle farm 1889

en, arrested for criminal trespass to property.

April 30, 1:32 a.m., in the 300 block of Short Street, Jamaine Craft Jr., 36, of Chicago, was arrested for aggravated battery to a peace officer.

May 1, 7:28 a.m., in the 2000 block of Willow Brooke Drive, David L. Gehrke, 43, no address given, was arrested for theft and WOW (FTA-McHenry County).

MCHENRY COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY PHOTO McHenry County News

Charles Tuttle Farm, Coral Corners (Coral Road & Route 20). Charles Tuttle is pictured with his daughter-in-law Ada Tuttle and her two children Clarence and Edith, 1889.

McHenry County News / May 7, 2020 - Page 7

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Page 8 - May 7, 2020 / McHenry County News

Third-party candidates’ ballot access rules officially loosened Federal judge grants more time and allows fewer signatures during pandemic

By Rebecca Anzel CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS

A federal judge’s ruling April 23 made official what Capitol News Illinois reported earlie: Requirements for third-party candidates to be on November ballots in the state will be loosened this election cycle.

Rebecca Pallmeyer, chief judge of the Northern District federal court, agreed with the state’s Libertarian and Green parties that stay-at-home and social distancing requirements in Illinois have made gathering the required number of petition signatures by June 22 “practically impossible.”

The parties filed a lawsuit on April 2, and attorneys for Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois State Board of Elections acknowledged in a court filing “the need for some accommodations.”

Because both the Libertarian and Green parties are considered “new” under state election rules, their candidates must obtain a greater number of signatures than those

with “established” parties—typically, Democrats and Republicans.

Those same regulations dictate “new” party and independent candidates have from March 24 until June 22 to gather enough signatures—in person with a campaign worker watching—to qualify for inclusion on the Nov. 3 general election ballot.

Pritzker instituted his stay-athome order March 20, and announced April 23 it will extend through at least May 30.

“The combined effect of the restrictions on public gatherings imposed by Illinois’ stay-at-home order and the usual in-person signature requirements in the Illinois Election Code is a nearly insurmountable hurdle for new party and independent candidates attempting to have their names placed on the general election ballot,” Judge Pallmeyer wrote in her opinion.

For only this election cycle, petition signatures may be collected remotely, Pallmeyer ordered. Can-

didates may mail voters a petition or share a digital file online or by email. Voters then are able to print it out, sign it and either send a hard copy to the candidate through the mail or electronically in an emailed attachment or as a photograph.

Voters can also electronically sign the forms from their smartphone, with a computer mouse or using a laptop’s trackpad.

The deadline for candidates to submit signatures to the Board of Elections was pushed by Pallmeyer to Aug. 7, more than six weeks after the deadline established by law.

Also, the number of signatures that candidates with third parties are required to gather was cut by 90 percent.

Independents or those in a “new” party needed at least 25,000 signatures to run for president or a seat in the U.S. Senate. Under Pallmeyer’s terms, the minimum required number of signatures is 2,500.

In addition, Libertarian and Green candidates who were suc-

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missions of hand-written signatures, maintaining the June 22 deadline and reducing the number of signatures by 50 percent.

The Board of Elections was “very concerned” about pushing that deadline to Aug. 7, its representative Michael Kasper said, according to a court transcript.

“That bumps up against the other statutory deadlines and the deadlines imposed to get military ballots out under federal law,” he said.

Representatives of all parties said the judge’s decision addresses their concerns.

“In general, we think Judge Pallmeyer’s order is a well-reasoned and fair resolution of the difficult issues raised by this case, and that it provides the plaintiffs with substantial relief,” Hall said in a statement.

A spokesperson for the State Board of Elections said its directors “think the order serves the best interests of all parties involved.”

A spokesperson for the attorney general’s office, which represented Pritzker, said the opinion is being reviewed and options evaluated. A spokesperson for the governor’s office said Pritzker “supports an open and fair electoral process.”

“In light of the fact that the period for these candidates to gather signatures is occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic, the governor supports the court’s order allowing candidates additional means to obtain actual signatures for their ballot petitions, such as through email, and additional time in which to submit those petitions,” the spokesperson said in an email.

One aspect absent from Pallemeyer’s order is a mandate that the State Board of Elections notifies voters of the ballot requirement changes—namely that voters will be contacted by candidates to electronically sign their petitions.

Sam Cahnman, an attorney representing an independent candidate for president who joined the lawsuit later, said the elections board should “at a minimum post a big alert on the opening page of their website, alerting readers to the new rules ordered by the court.”

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cessfully placed on Illinois’ general election ballot either in 2016 or 2018 immediately qualify for inclusion on the 2020 ballot.

According to the State Board of Elections, the parties are able to nominate a candidate to run for president and the U.S. Senate.

Also, Green Party candidates are able to choose a candidate to run in the 5th and 12th Congressional district races.

“The court is satisfied that the ... order will ameliorate (the parties’) difficulty meeting the statutory signature requirement due to the COVID-19 restrictions,” Pallmeyer wrote in her opinion, “ ... while accommodating the state’s legitimate interest in ensuring that only parties with a measurable modicum of public support will gain access to the 2020 general election ballot.”

The judge, in her opinion, added “numerous states” reduced the signature requirement for candidates, including Michigan, New York and Massachusetts.

A compromise ruling The final decision is not one that the political parties, nor the state, requested as the lawsuit proceedings began.

The Libertarian and Green parties wanted Illinois’ signature collection mandates to be waived or suspended this general election cycle. And if that was not possible, they wanted the state to develop fair, reasonable rules for candidates to meet petition signature requirements during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Although we appreciate the extraordinary and challenging circumstances from which this case arises, the fact is that it’s the state’s obligation to provide a procedure, a constitutional procedure, by which candidates can demonstrate that they have the modicum of support necessary to qualify for the ballot,” Oliver Hall, the parties’ attorney and founder of the Center for Competitive Democracy, said in a court hearing, according to a transcript.

Attorneys for Pritzker and the elections board initially proposed allowing electronic petition sub-

To allow Illinois residents to engage in some outdoor activities, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) will reopen select state parks, recreation areas fish and wildlife areas and trails beginning May 1. Visitors to the reopened sites will be required to comply with social distancing guidelines and other COVID-19 best practices.

The IDNR sites that will reopen May 1are listed below. All other IDNR sites, including state historic sites, will remain closed until further notice.

Visitors to reopened IDNR sites should bring alcohol-based hand sanitizer (containing at least 60 percent alcohol) and face coverings. Additional health and safety guidelines include: • Practice social distancing by keeping at least six feet of distance between yourself and others; • Please stay home if you are sick or feeling any symptoms, such as fever, coughing, troubled breathing,

and/or other flu-like symptoms; • Visit alone or with members of your household; • Stay local; visit parks that are closest to where you live; • If you arrive at a park and crowds are forming, please move to another area or return another time/ day to visit; • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper arm/elbow.

IDNR sites reopening beginning May 1: Region 1 (Northwest Illinois): Argyle Lake State Park, Jubilee College State Park, Lowden State Park, Morrison-Rockwood State Park, Rock Island Trail, Shabbona Lake State Recreation Area.

Region 2 (Northeastern Illinois): Chain O’ Lakes State Park, Illinois and Michigan Canal State Trail, Kankakee River State Park, Moraine Hills State Park, North Point Marina.