Woodstock Independent 11/11/2020 by Woodstock Independent

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Woodstock

I NDEPENDENT

Nov. 11-17, 2020

Published every Wednesday | Est. 1987 | Serving Woodstock, Wonder Lake and Bull Valley, Ill. | www.thewoodstockindependent.com | $1.50

‘Going to be rough two years’ Reick headed back to General Assembly as state faces difficult issues By Larry Lough

LARRY@THE WOODSTOCKINDEPENDENT.COM

MARKETPLACE

Veterans, arts center planned as ‘place of beauty, healing’ PAGE 12

SCHOOLS

In winning election to a third term in the Illinois House of Representatives, Republican Steve Reick of Woodstock had to overcome some political hits that could have derailed his campaign. In fact, a year ago he expected to be

“primaried” – challenged in last spring’s primary election when seeking his own party’s nomination. He had, after all, voted in 2019 for an increase of 19 cents a gallon in the state’s fuel tax, effective July 1 that year, explaining that it would make possible a $45 billion capital spending plan that would benefit Woodstock with

FOR VETERANS DAY

D200 Foundation calls off 2021 Groundhog Day auction PAGE 9

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MCC photography prof finds creativity in remote learning

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The Woodstock Independent

671 E. Calhoun St., Woodstock, IL 60098 Phone: 815-338-8040 Fax: 815-338-8177 Thewoodstock independent.com

See ELECTION, Page 2

Despite aid, city expects tough times By Larry Lough

PAGE 11

INDEX

the rebuilding of Route 47 through Woodstock. Then in late August 2019, he pleaded guilty to a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol in Sangamon County during the session of the General Assembly the previous spring. But no other Republican filed to

LARRY@THE WOODSTOCKINDEPENDENT.COM

INDEPENDENT PHOTO BY TRICIA CARZOLI

Army veteran Larry Halbmier gets a selfie with daughter Jodee during the presentation of an Honor Flight sign in the lawn of his Woodstock home. Halbmier was among Vietnam War veterans who were supposed to visit war memorials in Washington, D.C., with Honor Flight before the pandemic struck. Halbmier and four other veterans are profiled today starting on Page 14.

Say ‘Thank you’ to a veteran Want to make Veterans Day a little more personal today? Here are some suggestions from veterans. n Say “thank you” to a veteran. n Listen to a veteran’s story. n Say “thank you” to a mother or father of a child serving.

n Buy a veteran a meal or a cup of

coffee.

n Send a card to a veteran. n Fly a flag. n Donate to a local veteran

organization.

n Write a letter or send a care pack-

age to a veteran you know.

Woodstock officials are under no illusion that the city’s new $500,000 Restaurant Relief Grant Program is going to offset losses suffered by local businesses during the pandemic. During a City Council meeting last week, Deputy Mayor Mike Turner said that while the grants to local bars and restaurants represent a “positive step,” they will not “stem the hemorrhaging” of businesses under state restrictions on bars and restaurants designed to slow the spread of COVID-19. “We have absolutely no ability to reverse the situation on our own,” Turner said as the council prepared to approve the program. “We don’t have unlimited funds to throw money at this. ...This is not a solution. This is a stopgap, and it’s the best we have.” In announcing the program Oct. 29, Mayor Brian Sager reported that state mitigation efforts had cost local restaurants and bars more than $4 million in lost revenue from March 1 to May 31 this year compared to 2019. The grant program will use federal funds administered by the state to See AID, Page 5

NEWS

Nov. 11-17, 2020

THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENT

ELECTION

Continued from page 1

challenge him in the primary, when Democrats nominated Woodstock Mayor Brian Sager to be his opponent. How did Reick win? He raised and spent money throughout the district, which falls entirely within McHenry County. “I got out early, put up billboards,” Reick said last week, two days after his victory. “And honestly, I don’t think I’ve done a bad job.” Sager’s direct-mail campaign materials prominently mentioned Reick’s vote on the fuel tax as well as his arrest, using the incumbent’s jail mug shot in the postcard mailers. In an email interview, Sager said he should have kept the campaign positive. “The thing I regret and would do differently is having participated in negative campaigning,” Sager said. “I am disappointed I allowed myself to be pulled in that direction.” Despite his hard campaigning and the work of many volunteers, his election to the Legislature “was not meant to be,” Sager wrote. “I was honored to run for the House of Representatives in this election and am sincerely grateful to the many individuals who supported and worked so hard on our campaign and to those who extended their confidence by voting for me,” his email said. “I extend my sincere congratulations to Steve Reick and wish him well in his third term as our state representative.”

‘Really, really hard times’

The downside of Reick’s victory is that he now will serve in a General Assembly session with enormous challenges from the state’s financial problems. “It’s going to be a rough next two years,” Reick acknowledged. “Really, really hard.”

Gov. J.B. Pritzker had counted on new revenue from the graduated income tax referendum to help, but that initiative won support from only 45 percent of statewide voters, and barely 37 percent in McHenry County. Reick conceded that the Democratic-inspired referendum probably helped him and other Republicans on last week’s ballot. With COVID-19 cutting into other state income, the Legislature will be forced to look at new tax revenue and spending cuts that Pritzker warned would “hurt.” “I think it’s really time to talk about tax reform,” said Reick, who suggested a mix of revenue sources and a broader tax base. Although Democrats, with strong majorities in the House and Senate don’t have to involve Republicans in the big tax and spending decisions, they’re more likely to want to share the blame for what are likely to be unpopular program cuts and new taxes. Between that and many Democrats trying to neutralize troubled Speaker Mike Madigan, Reick said the coming session should be entertaining. “I’m going to get a big sack of popcorn,” Reick said, “sit in the front row and enjoy the show.” As for Sager, he confirmed last week he would not seek a fifth term as mayor. “As I ran for my fourth term as mayor in 2017, I indicated it would be my last term, and it is,” he said in an email. “I will complete my term through the end of April 2021, and then a newly elected mayor will step in and assume the leadership role. Change is an important dynamic for me and the community.” Sager, 67, said he would continue serving as the McHenry County representative on the Chicago Regional Transportation Authority Board of Directors until the end of his term in 2023. He also will continue to serve as the general livestock superintendent of the Illinois and Du Quoin State Fairs for the next few years.”

McHENRY COUNTY ELECTION RESULTS (Unofficial results for selected races) Voter Turnout – 66.35 percent Ballots cast – 157,666 Registered voters – 237,640 President/Vice President Donald Trump/Michael Pence (R) – 79,396 Joseph Biden/Kamala Harris (D) – 73,610 Jo Jorgensen/Jeremy Cohen (L) – 1,988 Howie Hawkins/Angela Walker (G) – 704 Brian Carroll/Amar Patel (ASP) – 264 Gloria La Riva/Leonard Peltier (PSL) – 195 U.S.Senator Mark Curran Jr. (R) – 77,412 Richard J. Durbin (D) – 69,762 Willie L. Wilson (WWP) – 3,365 Danny Malouf (L) – 3,306 David Black (G) – 1,282

Signs lay out the rules for voters at Woodstock North High School, where four Greenwood Township precincts voted on Nov. 3.

Congress District 14 Jim Oberweis (R) – 58,459 Lauren Underwood (D) – 50,517

22nd Judicial Circuit Circuit Court Judge David Gervais (R) – 84,675 Elizabeth ‘Beth’ Voneau (D) – 66,499

Illinois House District 63 Steven Reick (R) – 27,429 Brian Sager (D) – 22,215 Circuit Clerk Katherine M. Keefe (R) – 90,894 Renee M. Overlee (D) – 61,482 State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally (R) – 125,035 No candidate (D) Auditor Shanon L. Teresi (R) – 101,801 James “Jim” Young (L) – 35,295 No candidate (D) Coroner Michael R. Rein (R) – 97,048 Kelly Liebmann (L) – 40,213 No candidate (D) County Board Chairman Mike Buehler (R) – 81,109 Jack D. Franks (D) – 71,559 McHenry County Board District 5 (Elect two) Michael Skala (R) – 12,174 Paula Yensen (D) – 10,862 Damon Hill (R) – 9,075 Lynn M. Gray (D) – 8,741

INDEPENDENT PHOTO BY KEN FARVER

Voters and poll workers can be seen inside Building D at the McHenry County Fairgrounds in Woodstock where four Dorr Township precincts voted on Election Day, Nov. 3.

INDEPENDENT PHOTO BY KEN FARVER

Congress District 6 Sean Casten (D) – 22,560 Jeanne Ives (R) – 21,570 Bill Redpath (L) – 1,110

District 6 (Elect two) James A. Kearns (R) – 14,201 Tracie Von Bergen (R) – 12,730 Nancy Glissman (D) – 9,743 Larry Spaeth (D) – 7,538

Judge, 3rd Subcircuit Justin Hansen (R) – 18,998 Jeannie Ridings (D) – 15,390 Judge, 4th Subcircuit Mark Gerhardt (R) – 19,456 Kimberley Crum Klein (D) – 16,841 Judge retention to 22nd Circuit Michael W. Feetterer (Yes/No) Yes – 107,622 No – 32,596 Judge Retention State Appellate Ann B. Jorgensen (Yes/No) Yes – 112,751 No – 29,080 Mary S. Schostok (Yes/No) Yes – 110,026 No – 29,154 Binding referendum Shall the coroner of McHenry County be eliminated as an elected office and be replaced by an appointed coroner, appointed by a McHenry County Board Committee, to be effective Nov. 30? No – 93,258 Yes – 55,816 Proposed amendment to the 1970 Illinois Constitution Shall the state have the ability to impose higher income tax rates on those with higher income levels and lower income tax rates on those with middle or lower income levels? No – 95,590 Yes – 57,070

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Nov. 11-17, 2020

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“I’m Selling Homes and Want to Earn your Business!”

JOLENE WHITE

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Call/Text: 815-687-0329 or visit www.jolenewhite.realtor

Nov. 11-17, 2020

THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENT

Chris Gehrke, president of the Woodstock VFW Auxiliary, sells poppies in front of the Opera House. Poppy sales, which support the VFW’s disabled veterans relief fund, were sold last weekend at several places around Woodstock.

Police arrest three men after call to Red Mill By Larry Lough

LARRY@THE WOODSTOCKINDEPENDENT.COM

INDEPENDENT PHOTO BY TRICIA CARZOLI

PUBLIC SAFETY LOG NEWS

Tavern again in spotlight after beating

POPPY PEDDLING

Woodstock Police Department

■ Gabriel G. Macias, 18, Woodstock, was arrested Oct. 7 on U.S. 14 at Lake Avenue on charges of squealing tires and no valid driver’s license. Released after posting 10 percent of $2,500 bond. Court date Nov. 19. ■ Kieanalanay V. Travis, 24, Harvard, was arrested Oct. 8 at U.S. 14 and Washington Street on a McHenry County warrant charging failure to appear. Released on personal recognizance. Court date Oct. 26. ■ Carice B. Reed, 29, Chicago, was arrested Oct. 10 in the 1200 block of Walden Oaks Drive on a charge of domestic battery and a McHenry County warrant charging domestic battery). Taken to jail. Bond $15,000 and to be set. Court date to be set. ■ Jacob A. Kearns, 29, Huntley, was arrested Oct. 11 in the 1000 block of Lake Avenue on a charge of possession of a controlled substance and a McHenry County warrant charging failure to appear. Taken to jail. Bond $100 and to be set. Court date to be set. ■ Paul E. Scheiler, 54, Woodstock, was arrested Oct. 11 on charges of criminal damage to property (five counts), criminal trespass to vehicle; and criminal trespass to building. Bond $400. Released on personal recognizance. Court date Nov. 26. ■ John F. Gonzalez, 39, Woodstock, was arrested Oct. 11 in the 1100 block of Lake Avenue on two counts of domestic battery. Taken to jail. Bond and court date to be set. ■ Erica R. Malchin, 19, Spring Grove, was arrested Oct. 13 in the 500 block of Washington Street on charges of reckless driving, improper lane usage,, and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident. Released after posting 10 percent of $2,500 bond. Court date Nov. 19. ■ Howard L. Travis, 34, Crystal Lake, was arrested Oct. 15 in the 2300

block of Aspen Drive on charges of criminal trespass to residence and criminal damage to property. Taken to jail. Bond $100. Court date Oct. 16. ■ Nicholas A. Lopez, 25, Harvard, was arrested Oct. 16 in the 200 block of North Benton Street on charges of battery and resisting a peace officer. Bond $100. Released on own recognizance. Court date to be set. ■ Anthony J. Cirocco, 33, Woodstock, was arrested Oct. 18 on a McHenry County warrant charging failure to appear. Released on personal recognizance with notice to appear. Court date Oct. 30. ■ Matthew T. Oppenhagen, 33, Woodstock, was arrested Oct. 19 in the 2100 block of Willow Brooke Drive on a McHenry County warrant charging criminal sexual assault. Held on $75,000 bond. Court date to be set. ■ Irnacio Salinas-Cortes, 27, Woodstock, was arrested Oct. 20 at Madison Street and Todd Avenue on a charge of driver’s license expired more than one year. Bond $2,500. Released on personal recognizance. Court date Dec. 24. ■ Lacy Ousley, 26, Harvard, was arrested Oct. 23 at U.S. 14 and Dean Street on charges of improper passing, operating an uninsured motor vehicle, and driving while license suspended. Bond $2,500. Released on personal recognizance. Court date Dec. 3.

McHenry County Sheriff’s Office ■ Kevin R. Smith, 26, Woodstock, was arrested Oct. 28 on a charge of failure to report change of address. ■ Sergei M. Lynn, 23, Woodstock, theft/false representation of less than $300. ■ Jason L. Lamb, 37, Wonder Lake, aggravated domestic battery/strangle, domestic battery/physical contact, causing child to be endangered (eight counts), and reckless conduct/endangering safety of another person (four

counts).

Charges are only accusations of crimes, and defendants are presumed innocent until proved guilty.

Woodstock Fire/Rescue District EMS calls for Oct. 29-Nov. 4: 51 Fire Runs Oct. 30

2:29 a.m. – 1100 block of Walden Oaks Drive, malfunctioning smoke detector activation; ambulance 11:21 a.m. – 14200 Jankowski Road, building fire; chief, shift commander, truck, tender, two engines, ambulance 5:38 p.m. – 9700 block of Creekside Drive, Wonder Lake, public service; engine 10:36 p.m. – 600 block of Oak Street, electrical wiring/equipment problem; truck Oct. 31

1:48 a.m. – 7500 block of South Grant Highway, Marengo, traffic accident with injuries; ambulance 10:52 p.m. – 10000 block of Bull Valley Road, unintentional alarm system activation, no fire; shift commander, truck, engine, tender Nov. 1

3:42 p.m. – Hogbac and Thompson roads, traffic accident with no injuries; engine, ambulance, shift commander Nov. 2

12:25 p.m. – 13000 block of Hebron Road, Hebron, assist police or other agency; truck 12:35 p.m. – 2300 block of Eastwood Drive, carbon monoxide incident; engine Nov. 3

1:32 p.m. – 2200 block of Preswick Lane, authorized controlled burning; shift commander, truck 3:05 p.m. – 2300 block of South Eastwood Drive, carbon monoxide incident; truck 5:24 p.m. – U.S. 14 and Lily Pond Road, traffic accident with no injuries; engine, ambulance

Three men are charged with the severe beating of a customer inside a local tavern that was open in defiance of a state ban on inside dining intended to slow the spread of the coronavirus. A Woodstock man was one of the three arrested on felony charges of aggravated battery after an attack left a fourth man seriously injured Oct. 31 at Niko’s Red Mill Tavern. Anthony E. Chrisos, 54, of Woodstock, and Steven J. Wennerstrom, 54, of Lakemoor, face charges of aggravated battery (great bodily harm), aggravated battery (public place) and mob action – all felonies – after the victim suffered serious injuries in the attack. A third suspect, Timothy M. Freitag, 47, of Gilberts, has been charged with aggravated battery (public place), but a news release from the Woodstock Police Department said additional charges were expected to be filed later. Jail records show the three suspects were released Nov. 2 after posting bond, 10 percent of $60,000 for Chrisos and Wennerstrom and 10 percent of $75,000 for Freitag.

Better security promised

Red Mill is one of several local restaurants that have continued inside dining despite a COVID-19 mitigation order by Gov. J.B. Pritzker that prohibits inside service to customers for anything but picking up food orders – or video gambling. The governor’s order was effective the day the reported Niko attack took place. Kanakaris Tavern owner Niko Kanakaris took to The Independent’s Facebook page to defend his tavern against criticism of bad management practices that allowed fighting. “I think I’ve made it abundantly clear I DO NOT CONDONE ANY type of violence or behavior like this at any of my See TAVERN, Page 5

Continued from Page 4

Report Infections

03/29 04/05 04/12 04/19 04/26 05/03 05/10 05/17 05/24 05/31 06/07 06/14 06/21 06/28 07/05 07/12 07/19 07/26 08/02 08/09 08/16 08/23 08/30 09/04 09/11 09/18 09/25 10/02 10/09 10/16 10/25 11/01 11/08

52 133 (+81) 234 (+101) 348 (+114) 503 (+155) 703 (+200) 953 (+250) 1,175 (+223) 1,407 (+232) 1,584 (+177) 1,733 (+149) 1,849 (+116) 1,911 (+62) 2,002 (+91) 2,119 (+117) 2,268 (+149) 2,470 (+202) 2,703 (+233) 2,946 (+243) 3,210 (+264) 3,396 (+186) 3.598 (+202) 3,828 (+230) 4,002 (+174) 4,199 (+197) 4,343 (+144) 4,527 (+184) 4,705 (+178) 4,992 (+288) 5,298 (+306) *6,035 (+737) *6,906 (+871) *8,170 (+1,264)

* Change to state metrics

Deaths

2 3 (+1) 7 (+4) 16 (+9) 28 (+12) 39 (+11) 50 (+11) 61 (+11) 69 (+8) 73 (+4) 83 (+10) 87 (+4) 90 (+3) 96 (+6) 97 (+1) 101 (+4) 106 (+5) 108 (+2) 112 (+4) 113 (+1) 113 (+0) 113 (+0) 115 (+2) 116 (+1) 116 (+0) 118 (+2) 118 (+0) 119 (+1) 119 (+0) 120 (+1) 120 (+0) 120 (+0) 120 (+0)

Woodstock officials had announced the police department would not be involved in enforcing the governor’s order against inside dining but would enforce an 11 p.m. curfew for bars and restaurants. Two days after the reported attack, city officials sent a reminder to liquor license holders that police would enforce the curfew. But City Manager Roscoe Stelford said the follow-up memo was for clarification and had “absolutely nothing” to do with the reported assault at the tavern. City officials said violations of the indoor dining ban might be referred to the McHenry County Health Department, which could be involved with that enforcement. According to the news release, police

AID Continued from Page 1

issue individual grants ranging from about $5,000 to $30,000, depending on how many businesses apply and the amount of their documented revenue losses between March and September compared to a year ago. Applications are due by Nov. 30, with grants expected to be made by the first week of December.

Need for ‘flexibility’

Mayor Sager, in response to a question from resident Randy Tipps, said the grant funding would not be tied to compliance of bars and restaurants with the state ban on inside dining, which is being widely ignored. The city has said local police won’t enforce that order by Gov. J.B. Pritzker intended to protect public health. “The license ability to stay open is always in potential jeopardy, ...” Sager said. “We do know licenses can be either suspended or revoked if we have major problems arise.” But the mayor said the program would seek the “best balance we can” between restaurants’ ability to stay in business and public health concerns. “It does rely on flexibility,” the mayor said. “There are so many variables out there that need to be considered. A six-page application for the grant

money is available on the city’s website, woodstockil.gov. The city also is still offering $5,000 business loans at 3 percent interest for any local business suffering the effects of the coronavirus. So far the city has lent out $280,000 from a $500,000 fund created during an emergency meeting of the City Council in late March. While that program still has $220,000 available, no applications have been received for more than two months, so funds might be used to provide short-term cash flow for the restaurant relief program until the state provides the program funds.

New liquor license OK’d

In other business at its Nov. 3 meeting, the council: n Granted a Class A-2 liquor license to Lucky Café, 460 S. Eastwood Drive. Councilman Jim Prindiville opposed the license because the business plans to seek a video gambling permit. Mayor Sager said all 25 gambling permits allowed by city ordinance were in use, so Lucky Café will have to wait for one to come available or persuade the council to change the ordinance. n Approved a special use permit for a new 5,270-square-foot commercial building on a 0.7-acre outlot at the Jewel-Osco shopping center at Country Club Road and Route 47. The building will house a dentist’s office in 3,770 square feet and a 1,500-square-foot restaurant.

Recreation Center closed after COVID-19 positives City officials have closed the Woodstock Recreation Center for a week after three staff members tested positive for COVID-19. A news release from the city announced the immediate closing through Friday, Nov. 13, because of the positive tests. A posting by the center, 820 Lake Ave., reported the closing complied with protocols of the federal Centers for Disease Control. “To err on the side of caution, we are implementing a facility closure to ensure the health and safety of all of our members, visitors, residents and staff,” the center reported. “This will also allow time for a thorough cleaning and sanitizing of the building to prepare for reopening.” The city’s news release said the closing was “out of an abundance of caution.” “Thank you for your patience and understanding, during these not only difficult, but frustrating times,” the release said. “Transparency is imperative in reducing the spread of COVID-19.” For more information, email citymanager@woodstockil.gov.

City Public Works hires new assistant director Woodstock has announced the addition of a deputy director of Public Works after having earlier hired a director to replace the retiring Jeff Van Landuyt. Brent Aymond will join the city’s largest department this week as part of 57 full-time and seasonal positions in seven divisions under new Director Christina Betz. Public Works divisions include streets, parks and facilities, water treatment, wastewater treatment, water and sewer maintenance, fleet maintenance, and administration. Aymond had managed a department of 55 people as Public Works director in Opelousas, La. Brent His background Aymond includes almost 20 years’ experience with civil engineering projects, with emphasis on water and wastewater utilities. He holds a B.S. in civil engineering from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. City Manager Roscoe Stelford said the city was “extremely fortunate” to also find Aymond during the search for a new department director.

NEWS

WEEKLY COVID-19 CASES FOR McHENRY COUNTY

Enforcing curfew only

were called to the tavern, 1040 Lake Ave., shortly before 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, after a dispute over access to the women’s restroom involving the victim’s teenage daughter. Freitag reportedly had words with the victim before leaving the restaurant and returning with Chrisos and Wennerstrom, who were also involved in “severely battering” the victim in the men’s restroom, according to the release. Freitag was arrested at the tavern, the two others at their homes after police obtained warrants. Woodstock Police Chief John Lieb said he was “extremely disheartened” by the reported attack. “The accused individuals do not reflect the type of community that Woodstock is,” he said in a statement. “There is absolutely no excuse or explanation for their actions.” The chief said his department would work to ensure the victim received justice through the courts. “Additionally,” the chief’s statement said, “the officers of the Woodstock Police Department will fervently continue to endeavor that Woodstock is a safe community to reside and visit.”

Nov. 11-17, 2020

restaurants,” he wrote. “Those disgusting humans will NEVER be allowed in any of my establishments, again. “This is not something we are taking lightly and we will be increasing security to ensure the safety of our customers as if I was protecting my own family.” Kanakaris reported the man who was attacked was “home from the hospital and well.” Police said the victim was taken by Woodstock Fire/Rescue District ambulance to the hospital for treatment of serious but not life-threatening injuries. No other injuries were reported. In June, Mayor Brian Sager, as the city’s liquor commissioner, suspended the alcoholic beverage license of Niko’s for 10 days after finding multiple violations of state COVID-19 restrictions. The suspension, however, was “put into abeyance until after Oct. 1,” Sager said, “when the status of the conduct for the remainder of the season will be reviewed.” A repeated violation would double

the suspension to 20 days, the mayor said. The mayor had found violations of “proper protocols” under state and local restrictions, including “direct services to customers at the indoor bar” and the employees’ failure to wear required face masks.

IN BRIEF

THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENT

TAVERN

OPINION

Nov. 11-17, 2020

THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENT

Opinion

Cheryl Wormley

THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENT

Publisher, Co-Owner

Paul Wormley Co-Owner

Woodstock, IL • 1987

THE EDITORIAL BOARD

Cheryl Wormley Larry Lough Sandy Kucharski Ken Farver

As elections go, this seemed like old times McHenry County, being a reliably Republican suburb in a decidedly Democratic state, exposed its red roots last week when Democrats had little success locally in the Nov. 3 election – but not just because of the county’s political history. True, the county gave a majority of its votes to Republican candidates for president and U.S. Senate, both of whom lost statewide races by about 13 percentage points. But that local vote translated into successes down the ballot for Republicans. Democrat Paula Yensen of Woodstock defended her District 5 seat on the County Board among the few victories her party won locally. Countywide, they appear to also have put two new Democrats in district seats on the board, cutting the Republican advantage to 17-7. Give them board member Suzanne Ness’ victory over a Republican incumbent, and their contribution to Sean Casten’s winning re-election in the Sixth Congressional District, but everything else in McHenry County belonged to Republicans. That includes four representatives in the Illinois House, nine County Board seats (five unopposed), new board Chairman Mike Buehler, four countywide offices (one unopposed), a deciding vote in the possible defeat of a sitting congresswoman, and decisive totals in killing two referendum questions they opposed. Republicans were contested by Libertarians for two countywide offices after Democrats

It’s been a long, slow ride.

EDITORIAL CARTOON BY JIM MANSFIELD

failed to field candidates in those races. So, yeah, this is still a Republican county. Bigly. And Republicans also did a much better job of messaging to define those two referendum questions – one state, one local – that complemented their victories throughout the county ballot.

A Democratic initiative to make the McHenry County coroner an appointed, rather than elected, position lost with less than 38 percent of the vote. A Democratic initiative to replace the state’s “flat” income tax with a graduated scale won only 45 percent statewide – and 37 percent in McHenry County. By positioning Democrats as corrupt, high-tax politicians, Republicans turned out their vote in counties where they should win and exceeded expectations elsewhere, even picking up two seats in the still heavily Democratic Illinois House. Legislative Democrats can begin to repair their tattered image by dumping House Speaker Mike Madigan, who has had that position in a stranglehold for the better part of four decades. Republican attempts to taint Democrats statewide as Madigan cronies have been largely unsuccessful at the polls until this year, as the speaker now finds himself at the center of a bribery investigation – though no one has yet found his fingerprints at the scene of a crime. While the election was no disaster for Democrats, it suggested that still might be coming – as early as the 2022 midterm, when one of their own occupies the White House – if they don’t reform their budgetary misfeasance and provably corrupt politics at the state level. And in McHenry County, Democratic successes from 2018 that hinted of a new political trend are a distant memory. Change comes slowly – if at all.

» GUEST COLUMN

On Veterans Day, remember a proud stand By Dr. Mark DePue

COURTESY PHOTO

Robert Greenwood of Illinois in Korean War’s “Frozen Chosin.”

For many of us, the Korean War is truly a “forgotten war,” lost to our consciousness between America’s triumph in World War II and the tragedy of the Vietnam War. But for the past two decades, the Korean peninsula has again caught our attention, chiefly because of the incessant saber rattling by one of the newest nuclear powers, North Korea, led by the world’s most enigmatic leader, Kim Jong-un. With that in mind, it is worth remembering the Marine Corps’ desperate fight in late 1950 at the Chosin Reservoir, deep inside North Korea. Carl Greenwood, a young Marine with the First Marine Division, was there, fighting in bitter cold as the Marines and U.S. Army troops were overwhelmed by a flood of Chinese soldiers. The Marines were forced to

withdraw, but with such valor that the Chosin Reservoir is heralded as one of the Marine Corps’ finest moments. Greenwood was only 19 in 1950, a young kid from the river town of Havana, Ill., where his father hunted and fished to keep food on the table. Greenwood followed his dream and joined the Marines in 1947. The Korean War began in June 1950 when Kim Il-sun, Kim Jong-un’s grandfather, unleashed the North Korean Army in an attempt to unite the Korean peninsula under communist rule. The U.S. rushed troops to the port city of Pusan and, with the aid of the United Nations, halted the Communists just short of their goal. Then came the Marines’ surprise landing at Inchon, followed by the U.N.’s drive deep into North Korea toward the Yalu River and the border of China. By the end of November, the Marines had

reached the Chosin Reservoir. Greenwood was assigned as a machine gunner in his unit’s heavy machine gun platoon. His weapon was a water-cooled .30 caliber machine gun they named Beulah. Their mission: dig in at Koto-ri and guard the road connecting the lead Marine and Army units a few miles north at the Chosin Reservoir with the Korean port city of Hungnam. But then came one of the worst intelligence failures in American history. The Chinese launched a massive offensive on Nov. 27 with hundreds of thousands of seasoned troops, veterans of the Chinese Civil War, who caught the Americans flat footed. They quickly surrounded the U.N. forces at the Chosin and along the entire length of the road, cutting it in several places. Greenwood remembers one night

Continued on Next page

United States, need encouragement now. For me, John McCain’s words in 2008 are the most healing and motivating. I’ve chosen but a few paragraphs. Should you want to read it from start to finish, the entire transcript is easily found on the internet. “Senator Obama and I have had and argued our differences, and he has prevailed. No doubt many of those differences remain. These are difficult times for our country, and I pledge to him tonight to do all in my power to help him lead us through the many challenges we face.” He continued, “I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in not just congratulating him, but offering our next president our good will and earnest effort to find ways to come together, to find the necessary compromises, to bridge our differences, and help restore our prosperity, defend our security in a dangerous world, and leave our children and grandchildren a stronger, better country than we inherited. “Whatever our differences, we are fellow Americans.” He concluded, “And I call on all Americans, as I have often in this campaign, to not despair of our present difficulties but to believe always in the promise and greatness of America, because nothing is inevitable here. “Americans never quit. We never surrender. We never hide from history. We make history.” Cheryl Wormley is publisher of The Woodstock Independent. Her email address is c.wormley@thewoodstockindependent.com.

Continued from Previous page

desperate fight against a relentless foe, fought in the rugged North Korean terrain where temperatures dropped as low as 40 below zero. “It was a combination of hell,” Greenwood said. “It’s bad enough just trying to survive during that condition. … That cold weather just plays on you. “You’re sleeping on the ground, and it’s just a gradual deterioration of your body,” he continued. “… And then when the people are shooting at you at the same time, it’s a nightmare. But when you look around, you see your other guys doing the same thing, and if they can do it, you know, by God, you can do it.” Greenwood and his buddies kept their sector of the road open, then fought their way south along with the rest of the U.N. forces, with the Marines taking their casualties and their equipment with them. More

than 2,900 Americans died during the battle, and thousands more were wounded. An additional 7,000 Marines suffered cold-weather injuries, including Greenwood, who ended up with a case of “walking pneumonia.” His lungs have been scarred ever since. “I’m not a hero,” Greenwood said at the end of his interview. “I didn’t do anything that anybody else didn’t do.” The Marine Corps takes a different view, however. They consider the fight at the Chosin Reservoir to be one of their finest moments, a heroic stand against overwhelming odds.

vividly. It was bitter cold, and he and his squad mates were fighting a losing battle to stay warm. “We had a cup of cocoa out of the C rations,” he explained during an interview with the Oral History Program at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield. “That cocoa tasted pretty good. … Just before dark, before we settled in — we’re just finishing off this little cup of cocoa and Lucas said, ‘I thought I heard a bugle.’ And I said, ‘Well, I know darn well I did.’” “The bugle blew, and here they come, screaming, hollering. Well, they walked into a pair of heavy machine guns down on that flat ground.” Before it was done, Greenwood recalled, some 300 Chinese lay in the snow. That was only the beginning of a

Mark DePue is the director of oral history at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. You can hear Carl Greenwood’s entire story, as well as hundreds of other veterans, at the program’s web site at oralhistory.illinois.gov.

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OPINION

wars, and the decision was made to honor the “patriotism, love of country, willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good” of veterans of all wars and Cheryl change the name Wormley to Veterans Day. Declarations So this is where I tie elections and Veterans Day together. Patriotism, love of country, willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good – are what we honor about our veterans, and they are essential qualities of an elected official. This fall, we have witnessed a very heated and, often, mean-spirited presidential campaign. As I write this on Nov. 6, three days after the election, votes are still being counted. Neither Joe Biden nor Donald Trump has the required 270 Electoral College votes. But that number will be reached. The people of the United States will have spoken and elected their president. In the past when that has happened, there have been two speeches – victory and concession. It is often the concession speech that reunites the country and is remembered. This past week, numerous columnists and writers have upheld John McCain’s 2008 concession speech for its dignity and call to action. I expect Joe Biden will be our next president. I hold out hope Donald Trump will deliver a concession speech. If he does, it may be a long time coming, and we, the people of the

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Nov. 11-17, 2020

First off, let’s celebrate the wonderfully warm, dry first week of November 2020. The Chicago Tribune reported it was the longest string of warm November days since 1953. I was 9 then, and unfortunately, I don’t remember taking advantage of those unlike-November days. November is one of Northern Illinois’ cloudiest, grayest months. Its twin is February. So when we have a week of sun and blue skies in November, it is reason to celebrate. And I did. I worked outside, walked, jogged, and watched leaves fall. Whoopee! Now, let’s move on to elections and Veterans Day. Sometimes, as I’m thinking about writing another week’s Declarations, I tie together ideas that may or may not have any reason to be linked – like elections and Veterans Day. This year connecting them seems appropriate. There was no advance planning for elections and Veterans Day to fall within nine days of one anther. Way back in 1845, Congress passed a law making “the Tuesday next after the first Monday in November” for general elections of federal public officials – think president, senators, and representatives. As a result, those elections can take place sometime between Nov. 2 and 8. Since 1919, the people of the United States have paused to reflect on peace and honor veterans on Nov. 11. Until 1954, we celebrated Armistice Day, remembering the end of World War I when the Allied powers signed the cease-fire agreement with Germany at 11 a.m. Nov. 11, 1918. By the middle of the 20th century, there had been other

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Adam Buker is a senior at Woodstock North High School. He is the son of Brad Buker and Laura Buker, Woodstock. “Adam is a student that shows up ready to work and learn and does it with a smile on his face! He brings enthusiasm to class, even in the remote setting! He is diligent in his studies and a pleasure to work with! Thank you Adam!” said Mrs. Savittieri and Mrs. Kim. Adam is an honor-roll student and has been recognized as student of the month at WHNS for the history department. He is involved in the theater program at WNHS, Woodstock North Chamber Orchestra, VEX robotics, and when school is in session Adam does the school announcements for all of WNHS. Adam has volunteered to help paint the library at WNHS. He has also volunteered many hours to the WNHS orchestra program helping set up/tear down and doing optional performances throughout the school year. When asked who inspires him, Adam said, “Someone who really inspires me and motivates me is a video game developer named Toby Fox, who started his career by making simple modifications to games. Eventually, he wanted to move on to his own independent project … and the game that would end up being made, Undertale, has gone down as one of the greatest games ever made. Toby Fox has inspired me to not just follow what society tells me to do but to instead follow my passions and strive to do what makes me happy.” When asked what makes him feel successful, Adam said, “This question is a hard one for me. I guess at the end of the day it really comes down to my parents and the way they raised me. They taught me that I should always be thankful for what I have and to always find the good in things when times are dark. With this mindset I try to look at everyday positively and always strive to get closer to my dreams. … I always strive to achieve my goals and hopefully make the world a better place along the way ….”

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c in that CharlotteeMcM said rated homes and own rd deco hterarea. Stelfo30 seller,and daug the ahon ent, INDEPENDENT PHOTO BY TRICIA CARZOLI more than elevat McM 22gerofRosco classified or City Mana the sale agreem route Melissalish strucUnder Pomenade nOtices 29 the former grain dayerm public demostockallPride willWood By Larry Lough the site of 24 puzzles first the On long-t of summer 2020, umbrellas protected diners at The Double Yolk Café from sun early in the DeLong Co., city’s the ENT.COM of 30 TOCKINDEPEND was a “key piece” and t.from raindrops later as the Woodstock Farmers Market finished its third week on the Square. spOrts morning LARRY@THE WOODS tures on the site. developmen 25 town Anderson, thepublic nOtices down betding to Garrett much op- plan for Accor a in Devel pcity mic 26 the spOrts “This puts simiis right for develo - city director of Econo l of the loss of limbs, and the s the city will When the time , having contro Wood of mean bones on n area, acres of positi town e ter c Crash broke ment, that 1.02 s. Just days before iof the area north ment of the down place to develop. north of the Squar nal Major Traffi lar critical injurie Regio parcel,” he said County a big , Page 2 will have 16.5 acres tially be developed”Lough , MCAT invest vedThe stock will have . in Woodstock See DOWNTOWN The By Larry involvil last week appro h could poten will M Assistance Team him on the scene of wreck “whic stock The City Counc Grove accident DEPENDENT.CO d grainWood acres the city TOCKIN a Spring blank keptLough g Woodstock gated of the vacate By Larry g more meeting July 21, depending t than 17 That’s what to council’s as hittin a t whocanvas LARRY@THE WOODS kind ofcyclis amon survived enden more than “It’s 000.Indep the purchase Independent nt June 4 for ing a motor Short St. for $200, WOODSTOCKINDEPENDENT.COM St., fatal accide to do anything different,” he on what members hear from the public of ninewhether a aLARRY@THE silo site at 313 671 E. Calhoun St., s, nt is seriou 671 E. Calhoun leading a team policesaid. , tree. a accide hours – including restaurants – between now he received traffic a eight When Woodstock, IL on information from five city IL 60098 Woodstock, rs Mike . Based office and then. to MCAT moreFire/ for issue the stock discussing After colurged Turner Mayor Deputy out police the Wood goes or the igated call 60098 invest s injury 815-338-8040 Phone: 4 from a seriou tments who activatedTurner said the issue was raised - June council an hour, “be than to (Wash City Council 120 Woodstock Pritchardagreed “It has to be Fax: 815-338-8177 of the thedepar ct, members Phone: Route ard Distri and e Pritch 14 3 Benton Street bars about the Que Rescu Rob nothing – for now. See MCAT, Pageby considering changes to to do creative” lision atinU.S. death,” said Sgt. Thewoodstock 815-338-8040 Department. to t The issue was a discussion-only Pasta truck being parked on the street food ).truck regulations city’s Street hastheington Woodstock Policeindependent.com us injury” mean Fax: 815-338-8177 Pritchard, 50, ard said “serio from brick-and- item on the agenda for last week’s outside Ortmann’s Red Iron Tavern at complaints Pritch nryaddress Since May 2019, Thewoodstock of the McHe mortar restaurants about their mobile council meeting. Changes to the city’s Church and Clay streets. om been commander independent.c 2012 ordinance could be made at the See FOOD TRUCKS, Page 2 competitors. puzzles

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Schools

9 THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENT Nov. 11-17, 2020

Outdated phones will be replaced in schools’ elevators Staff Report

NEWS@THEWOODSTOCKINDEPENDENT.COM

Hundreds gathered in February for the D200 Education Foundation Groundhog Day live auction and fundraiser at Woodstock Harley-Davidson. The event has been canceled for 2021 because of the coronavirus.

Foundation cancels 2021 fundraiser Money still available for teacher grants; applications due by Nov. 30 By Janet Dovidio

NEWS@THEWOODSTOCKINDEPENDENT.COM

Woodstock District 200 Education Foundation raised more than $45,000 at its annual Groundhog Day dinner and auction in February, when more than 330 people attended. Dozens of local individuals and businesses contributed as sponsors. And then COVID-19 arrived. Proceeds from the event support the foundation’s Impact Grants program for special classroom projects, field trips, and equipment. When the pandemic halted in-person school attendance, $15,973.41 still remained for the previously awarded spring 2020 grants. This money is held until future consideration. “The foundation has decided not to host the Groundhog Day event in February 2021 for obvious reasons,” said Kevin Lyons, D-200 director of communications. “The members have also chosen not to host a virtual fundraiser, since they are dependent on the generosity of local businesses, which are currently facing serious economic issues.” Jennifer Thomas, co-chairwoman

of the foundation, thanked those supporters. “We would like to express our sincere appreciation for all the local businesses for their support and generosity,” she said.

Money for grants

The decision to cancel the annual fundraiser will not stop the organization from continuing its work. Board members, who have met virtually since April, are using the money raised last February to fund teachers’ requests for 2020-21. The application period for teachers is open until Nov. 30. The awards can be used anytime through May 28. Grants will be allotted for requests of materials to enhance classrooms’ online learning experiences or any other creative use of resources. “In the spirit of using creativity, the D200 Education Foundation partnered with D-200 alumni and Read Between the Lynes book store for the ‘Color Our Libraries’ program,” Thomas said. “It was a unique book drive used to increase diverse representation of authors as well as main characters of color in every library

collection within District 200.” One board member provided an interesting perspective. “I’ve been witness to the pandemic as a parent of two D-200 students, the spouse of a D-200 teacher, the assistant director of the Woodstock Public Library, and a D200 Education Foundation member,” Martha Hansen said. “I am incredibly proud at how our community has come together to support one another and how responsive the D-200 administration and teachers have been in meeting the needs of the district’s students.” “We are pleased that we have been careful enough to have monies this year without putting any added pressure on our supporters,” said Jaci Krandel, foundation co-chairwoman. “We look forward to the time when we can celebrate D-200 educators and volunteers as well as fundraise at our normal fun Groundhog Day dinner auction.” Community members are invited to participate on the D200 Education Foundation Board. The contact address is president@d200edfoundation.org.

In other recent business, the board:

n Agreed to a two-year lease for the farm land the district owns on Raffel Road. In 1991 the district bought 120 acres, where Woodstock North was built 15 years later. But that project left 34 tillable acres that the board has leased to KRC Farm since 2007. The new lease for $140 per acre will provide $4,760 in rental income each year of the new lease. n Approved a Title I School Improvement Plan for Northwood Middle School in the 2020-21 academic year. That program provides educational support and resources designed to raise the achievement of students in the lowest-performing schools. The plan needs additional approval from the State Board of Education.

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More than $95,000 will be spent for 10 new elevator phones in seven schools of Woodstock School District 200. The Board of Education last month approved the purchase with the district’s life safety funds for ADA compliant, hands-free emergency elevator phones from Otis Elevator Co. The district needed only approval from the Illinois State Board of Education to have the phones installed. The former phone provider, Call One, had notified school officials that it was discontinuing service on outdated analog phone lines that were in use at Woodstock and Woodstock North high schools; Creekside Middle School; Olson, Prairiewood, and Westwood Elementary schools; and Clay Academy.

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Rich and Laurie Dina with children and grandchildren – the Flores family and the Freund family – are “masked up” to help in preventing the spread of the coronavirus. The Independent wants you to join your neighbors by sending in a photo of members of your family, club, office, or other group wearing your masks. Please email your photo to woodstock4all@ thewoodstockindependent.com. We’re all in this together, Woodstock.

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PICTURE THIS The Woodstock VFW color guard stands at attention during the Veterans Day celebration in Woodstock Square in 1965.

The McHenry County Historical Society & Museum is offering free activity kits for third- through fifth-graders. The range of topics include pioneer, trains, and quilts. To get your kit, email Karolina Kowalczyk, MCHS volunteer and outreach coordinator, at karolina@mchenrycountyhistory.org.

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For McHenry County College photography instructor Justin Schmitz, like many instructors across the country, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way he’s been able to deliver classes this year – but he has seen some positive outcomes from this switch as well. “Remote teaching has not changed my focus on student-centered learning,” he said. “While I selfishly miss the ease of being in the classroom, I feel that my instruction has become clearer, wider in scope, and way more dynamic.” Now in his sixth year at MCC, Schmitz teaches Digital Photography 1, 2, and 3; Darkroom Photography 1; and Graphic Design. “Over the summer, I built a custom website with tons of instructional videos, assignment content, and even wrote and designed free digital handouts that have completely replaced all the textbooks my students would ever need,” he said. The website can be viewed at schmitzteachesphoto.com. “I’ve refined my assignments to be more accessible and more clearly defined,” he explained. “I am working hard to provide a learning environment that– while it may not work the same way as traditional modes – is still rigorous, thoughtful, and dare I say hopeful.”

Thanking donors with art

Schmitz was one of 85 regional artists who collectively raised more than $48,000 for the Greater Chicago Food Depository this year. Through the Prints for Hunger Campaign, the group of Chicago artists sold their prints at affordable prices and donated the proceeds to the Food Depository. Each print in the collection was available for a $100 donation plus $5 in shipping. Schmitz was one of the artists who helped to organize and recruit other Chicagoland artists for the cause. He

MCC PHOTOS

Justin Schmitz’s photo submission (above) for the fundraising campaign was an archival inkjet print titled “Flowers and Letter Marengo, II.” Schmitz (right), photography instructor at MCC, helped to organize the “Prints for Hunger” campaign, which raised more than $48,000 for the Greater Chicago Food Bank.

said the effort was the idea of one of his best friends and artist colleagues, Marzena Abrahamik. They were inspired by friends in New York who organized a similar photography fundraiser so a local hospital could buy PPE and other supplies for the staff. “The idea was that individuals could donate money to help the community deal with the food insecurity many are facing as a result of the COVID19 pandemic,” Schmitz said, “and we could thank them by providing an extraordinary piece of art.” The campaign showcased a wide variety of photography, including projects depicting Chicago neighborhoods, representations of identity, landscapes, and more. The photograph Schmitz chose for the fundraiser was titled “Flowers and Letter Marengo, II,” an archival inkjet print. The group chose the Greater Chicago Food Depository because of the organization’s work with communities on Chicago’s South and West sides, which have been particularly impacted by the pandemic.

Quilters plan to honor veterans at quilt pickup

Schmitz and Abrahamik also invited MCC alum and New Yorkbased photographer Terttu Uibopuu to participate in the campaign.

It’s not ‘homework’

Schmitz urges his students to participate in their eduction. “I want my students to be artists,” Schmitz says of his teaching philosophy. “I often tell them if they are viewing class assignments as ‘homework,’ they are not fully participating. I want my students to bring their whole self to class, not just the ‘student’ part. “I encourage my students to make mistakes and extend themselves beyond their perceived limitations. I want them to grow by questioning everything and engaging their curiosity, even if that sometimes means challenging authority and the status quo.”

The McHenry County Historical Society will again partner with the Gazebo Valor Quilters of Huntley to honor several area veterans on Veterans Day. But COVID-19 will affect how it will be done. Rather than gathering the recipients, their families, and guests indoors for a formal presentation, this year will feature “touchless” delivery curbside, starting at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, outside the 1895 West Harmony School on the museum campus at 6422 Main St. in Union. Members of the public, donning masks and social distancing, are invited to drop by to offer thanks to the servicemen. Since 2011, the Gazebo Valor Quilters have given away about 3,100 quilts to men and women veterans. For more information about Gazebo Valor Quilts, email Cathy Smetters at cbsmetters@ameritech. net. To fill out a Valor Quilt application for yourself or a loved one visit mchenrycountyhistory.org/ heritage-quilters.

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Entries are due Monday, Nov. 23, for the Woodstock Christmas parade, which is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 29. According to a news release, all participating groups must have a vehicle, float, or other form of transportation as walkers will not be permitted because of COVID-19. The parade route length has also been extended to allow for greater social distancing by participants and viewers. The parade will begin to form at 1:30 p.m. at Woodstock Water Works and, at 2 p.m., move south through Emricson Park, turn east on South Street to Putnam, south then east on Forrest, and end at Dean Street. For more information, call the Woodstock Opera House at 815-3384212 or visit woodstockoperahouse. com.

Nov. 11-17, 2020

Photo prof at MCC leads campaign to raise $48,000 for food bank

Deadline Nov. 23 to enter Nov. 29 Christmas parade

THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENT

Action through artwork

IN BRIEF

MARKETPLACE

Nov. 11-17, 2020

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Marketplace

REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS

Transactions filed in the McHenry County Recorder’s Office Sept. 9. ■ Residence at 3040 Courtland St., Woodstock, was sold by Gene P. Mortimer, Crystal Lake, to Christopher Owens, Woodstock, for $164,900. ■ Residence at 2466 Fairview Circle, Woodstock, was sold by D. R. Horton, Inc.-Midwest, Vernon Hills, to Jeffrey Paulson, Woodstock, for $285,330. ■ Residence at 2008 Greenview Drive, Woodstock, was sold by D. R. Horton, Inc. - Midwest, Vernon Hills, to Debra Siegmeier, Woodstock, for $301,540. ■ Residence at 209 W. Greenwood Ave., Woodstock, was sold by Habitat For Humanity of McHenry County, McHenry, to Reette Martyne, Woodstock, for $191,000. ■ Residence at 8709 Shady Lane, Wonder Lake, was sold by Timothy N. and Karen S. Batdorff, Wonder Lake, to WL Smooth Sailing LLC, Wonder Lake, for $107,000. ■ Residence at 8907 Ramble Road, Wonder Lake, was sold by Kenneth McGill, Plainfield, to Larry E. Hamlin, Joliet, for $52,000. ■ Residence at 1170 Greenwood Circle, Unit 10F, Woodstock, was sold by Jeffrey Paulson, Woodstock, to Christopher Salemi, McHenry, for $108,000. ■ Residence at 797 Irving Ave., Woodstock was sold by The Adam and Staci Krejci Joint Declaration of Revocable Trust, Crystal Lake, to Michael A. Musengo Jr., Woodstock, for $219,900. ■ Residence at 401 Tanager Drive, Woodstock, was sold by David M. Klein, Gladstone, Mich., to Richard W. Davis, Woodstock, for $250,000. ■ Residence at 311 Marawood Drive, Woodstock, was sold by Todd Hanne, Crystal Lake, to Robert Hopkins Jr., Woodstock, for $371,000.

Presented by: Kim Keefe REALTOR® 110 1/2 N Benton St, Woodstock, IL 60098 815-333-0014 • 815.790.4852 (call or text) Kim@TeamOpenDoors.com

INDEPENDENT PHOTO BY TRICIA CARZOLI

Paul Letizia (bottom left) and his partners pose at the site of the former Deer Run Golf Center. They bought the surrounding property – six acres are zoned B-3 for general business, development, and the remaining 89 acres will be zoned A-1 agriculture. Clockwise from Letizia are Mike Nelson, Kevin McVeary, Adam Forbes, and Dan Wisniewski.

‘A place of beauty and healing’

Veterans memorial, community center latest Route 120 plan By Susan W. Murray

NEWS@THEWOODSTOCKINDEPENDENT.COM

The combination of COVID-19 and the state of Illinois’ delay in awarding licenses for cannabis operations has impeded progress for the partnership that hopes to build a craft-grown cannabis operation on property at the southeast corner of Route 120 and Queen Anne Road. While Paul Letizia and his fellow nine investors will have finalized the purchase of all 95 acres in December, the project’s timeline of 24 months has stretched out to eight years. Earlier plans for the property included a refurbished mini-golf

course on the site of the former Deer Run Golf Center, a two-acre veterans’ memorial garden, and a live-music stage – all part of a “family-friendly rustic entertainment center” known as Uncle Bud’s Junction. Additionally, the old Deer Run clubhouse was to become a restaurant, but Letizia said that concept had been put on hold. Instead, the property will open on April 1 Paul as The Junction Letizia Community and Arts Center, with a ribbon-cutting on Memorial Day. The community center in the spiffed-up clubhouse will be open to anyone, Letizia said, and could be used

for yoga classes, art shows, craft fairs, and Thanksgiving dinners for military personnel. Letizia also hopes to host weekly events on the property, such as classic car shows, outdoor movie nights, and beekeeper programs. Eighty percent of the proceeds realized from events will be given to local veterans’ organizations, including TLS Veterans, Letizia said.

Junction Garden of Hope

The veterans memorial garden, a two-acre flower garden named the Junction Garden of Hope, will also debut in the spring. The flower garden will be located near the old mini-golf course, with a half-acre vegetable garden nearby. Letizia, who plans to hire veterans to work the gardens, envisions the flower garden as a place of beauty and

Continued on NEXT page

IN BRIEF

healing for vets – the first step in creating programs for those in the midst of the “transition from military to home.” The public will be invited to buy bricks in honor of, or as a memorial to, family members or friends who served in the military. Mike Iwinicki, superintendent of McHenry County’s Veterans Assistance Commission, met with Letizia in the spring to discuss the project and hopes to re-engage with the Junction’s partnership as the garden nears its opening date. For veterans adjusting from the military to civilian lives, Iwinicki said, there would be “a therapeutic value in working in the gardens.” “Anytime you give someone the opportunity to have options and learn skills, that’s a great thing,” Iwinicki said. Letizia has also been in touch with McHenry resident Raleigh Showens, one of a squad of eight military veterans who handle golden retrievers as part of Lutheran Church Charities’ Kare 9 Military Ministry. The veteran handlers take their dogs to visit homebound vets and to tour VFW posts, VA hospitals, and Traumatic Brain Injury Care Centers, providing comfort and spreading “mercy and compassion,” according to the group’s mission statement. Letizia’s idea is to have Showens and his golden retriever, Spike, make regular visits to the vets who will work in or visit the memorial garden. “A little break with the dogs helps

bring quiet and soothing,” Showens said.

Executive director on board

Alana Sattler, a 2012 graduate of Illinois State University, is the executive director of the veterans’ foundation. Sattler brings eight years of experience in communications and marketing for nonprofit agencies to her position, as well as a passion for helping veterans. Five of Sattler’s high school friends joined the military after graduation. After four years of service, two committed suicide and one suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, Sattler said. “They didn’t know how to be civilians again,” she said. “This is a necessary thing for McHenry County,” Sattler said. “There’s a place where veterans can go that’s safe.” Letizia and his partners do not expect to hear until January whether they will be awarded a license to cultivate, dry, cure, package, and dispense cannabis. In the meantime, they’re exploring the option of growing in Niles, Mich., with extracting and crafting on the Route 120 property. Transportation would need to move to another location, Letizia said. For now, community and veterans’ programs are the center of attention. “I’ve always wanted to start something like this,” Letizia said. “The community center will focus on three things to live by: grace, integrity, and love.”

MARKETPLACE

Continued from Previous page

“Whole Grain Supply Chain” will be the topic this coming weekend in the virtual speaker series, “Forefront: Ideas in Food and Farming,” presented by the Center for Agrarian Learning at McHenry County College. The program, 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15, will explore the importance of regenerative agriculture and whole grains, and describe how those practices improve soil health, human health, and local economies. Three speakers will discuss their personal experiences and challenges working with and growing specific grains. They are baker Rachel Bernier-Green of ’Laine’s Bake Shop; farmer Andy Hazzard of Hazzard Free Farm; and food-system dietitian Erin Meyer of Basil’s Harvest The speakers will also share details of their combined work with the Artisan Grain Collaborative. The session is free to attend, but online registration is required at mchenry.edu/ forefront. Registration ends 48 hours before the event.

Nov. 11-17, 2020

McHenry County is joining other local governments in seeking input on the updated Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy plan for McHenry, Boone and Winnebago counties. The ultimate goal of the CEDS is to help the three-county area have a stronger and more diverse regional economy. While the plan’s most critical function is to provide a regional economic development framework, it also serves as a required vehicle through which several federal agencies evaluate requests for federal economic development grants. Anybody who lives, works or who is associated with McHenry, Boone and Winnebago counties is welcome to provide input by submitting comments to info@ r1planning.org by Sunday, Nov. 15, with “CEDS Comments” included in the subject line. While participants are not required to list their address, they are asked to include their municipality and county where they live or work.

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Public comments sought for Agrarian Learning Center economic development study series will resume Sunday

COMMUNITY

Nov. 11-17, 2020

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Community

Overdue Honor

Local Vietnam veterans recognized for sometimes unappreciated service By Tricia Carzoli

NEWS@THEWOODSTOCKINDEPENDENT.COM

Five local Vietnam veterans were recognized with yard signs from Honor Flight Chicago in preparation for Veterans Day. “We cannot conduct our usual honor flights this year,” Chicago Co-Director Doug Meffley said. “But we want these men and women to know that they are not forgotten.” The local veterans were supposed to fly to Washington, D.C., in the near future, but because of COVID-19, all flights have been canceled for 2020. “This is a population that is susceptible to the virus,” Meffley said. “And we want to keep our veterans safe. Now we want to publicly say ‘thank you’ to those who have served.” Signs and window decals were the way to do that. “Some of our veterans across

Illinois live in places where we cannot place yard signs – apartments maybe – so we came up with window decals as well,” Meffley said. The organization has placed 1,800 signs or decals so far and will continue until the entire Honor Flight Chicago wait list is covered. “The response to the signs has been similar to the flight,” Meffley explained. “Our veterans are overwhelmingly grateful.” That was the case on two brisk October mornings when Honor Flight Capt. Eleanor Mamayek delivered signs to Army veterans Robert Halvey, Orville Borchardt, Larry Halbmier, Peter Behrns and Leon Dahlberg. “It is an honor to do this,” Mamayek said. “I’m usually at the airport in the morning to see everyone off, but being able to spend time with each veteran has been so nice.”

Larry Halbmier

Robert Halvey

Woodstock resident Halvey served from 1969 to 1971 after being drafted. He completed basic training at Fort Polk, after which he returned home during his two-week leave to marry his wife, Mary. He eventually served overseas in the signal corps thanks to his interest in civilian communication. One of Halvey’s most cherished memories is that of communication with Mary while overseas. “My wife and I would write letters,” he said. “But we also sent cassette tapes back and forth. ... It was the next best thing to a phone call.” Halvey said he saw the Vietnam War Memorial traveling wall when it visited McHenry. “But I’d really like to see the original,” he said. “... I have some names I want to look at, and make some [pencil rubbings] when I am there.”

INDEPENDENT PHOTOS BY TRICIA CARZOLI

Veteran Larry Halbmier and his wife of 51 years, Joyce, greet Honor Flight Chicago Capt. Eleanor Mamayek at their Woodstock home.

Veteran Robert Halvey poses with his daughter, Kirra Stell, at his Woodstock home.

Woodstock resident Halbmier thought he was having an early Thanksgiving with family that morning of sign drop-off last month. When Mayamek approached the door, Halbmier, his wife, Joyce, and their children and grandchildren came pouring out to honor him. Halbmier served in Vietnam from 1967 to 1969 after having been drafted. He was stationed in Qui-Nhon in 1968-69. He was engaged to Joyce, his long-time girlfriend, at the time, and they married shortly after he returned in September 1969. Joyce planned to honor her husband with all the trimmings during the Honor Flight visit, and she invited the immediate family. Only they knew that what they were really celebrating was Halbmeir. “The [whole] family is very proud of him,” Joyce said. Halbmier said it was nice to have his family there for the sign presentation. “It is special,” he said. “It is nice to have a thank you – because we didn’t really have any thank-yous when we returned.” See HONOR FLIGHT Page 16

15 THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENT

Come in to Great Clips for a haircut on November 11

Come in for a haircut on November 11 and get a free haircut card to give to a veteran. And, of course, all veterans and current military members get a free haircut on Veterans Day.

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offer good at the following locations:

Who are you thanking this Veterans Day? Tell us on social with #GREATful4vets. Woodstock

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Nov. 11-17, 2020

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The

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I NDEPENDENT

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Across from the Movie Theater Hablamos Español

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(815) 338-4422

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Nov. 11-17, 2020

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HONOR FLIGHT

Continued from Page 14

Orville Borchardt

Orville Borchardt was drafted and served in Vietnam during 1970-71. He served in a base camp on Binh Thuy as a welder, repairing equipment and manufacturing whatever the troops needed. After leaving the military, he returned to farming and a variety of jobs as he tried to fit into society again, but always with Vietnam in the background. In 1993, he visited the Vietnam War Veterans wall in Washington, D.C. “I was able to visit my brothers – especially my best friend in Vietnam, Stephen Gari, who died there,” he said. “And I would like to go again with Honor Flight.” He explained that he felt healing at the memorial, and he knew he needed to help VietNow in bringing the traveling Wall to McHenry, “so that others would be able to feel that same healing,” he said. For him, the sign outside his home “Makes me feel good,” he said. “We aren’t special, but we did something not everyone has the opportunity to do.” The Honor Flight yard signs are a symbol that local veterans are not forgotten during this pandemic. But it is also a symbol of hope. “Some people have no other way to get [to D.C.] to observe the memorials,” Borchardt said. “Honor Flight provides that. “When I went, I thought I was prepared because I had seen the traveling wall. But I wasn’t. There is nothing like it. I want to see it again.” Meffley will make certain of that. “We will fly again,” he said.

Army veteran Orville Borchardt of Woodstock.

Leon Dahlberg

Leon Dahlberg, Wonder Lake, was drafted during the semester he had run out of money for college and served from 1966 to 1967. He served in the Army’s 196th Light Infantry Brigade and was a “screaming eagle” before becoming an Army Corps of Engineers squad leader with the 101st Airborne in Tay Ninh. He was charged with providing electricity for the 1st Battalion, 8th Support Infantry, and assisted with supplying the rifle squad artillery near the Cambodian border. He found himself on the base of Black Virgin Mountain with the Green Berets at the top and the Vietcong in the middle. “I wouldn’t have wanted to be on the top,” he said. In Vietnam, he developed a sense of constant awareness. “You never really slept,” Dahlberg said. “And when you woke up, you were ready to go. That awareness lasted about a year after I returned home.” For Dahlberg, the memories of Vietnam don’t come often. “I have more dreams of missing class in college than I do of my time in Vietnam,” he said. Dahlberg now is a substitute teacher after retiring from a career as an engineer.

INDEPENDENT PHOTOS BY TRICIA CARZOLI

Veteran Leon Dahlberg is shown with Honor Flight Chicago Capt. Eleanor Mamayek at his home in Wonder Lake.

Peter Behrns

Peter Behrns, Wonder Lake, said he worked hard to avoid going to Vietnam,but “I went there anyway.” Behrns had enlisted in the Army to avoid being drafted, serving from 1969 to 1972. He had heard it was easier to choose a military occupational specialty that way, and he had planned to choose one that kept him out of Vietnam. After he graduated boot camp, and after a lot of changes of plans, particularly to join the signal corps and be stationed in Europe, he ended up just outside of Saigon. He came back to his wife, Nannette, after 11 months and 30 days overseas. Behrns was pleased to be able to display the Honor Flight sign. “It was nice to be thought about – when we came back, we were not thought about,” he said. “I think because of things like Honor Flight, things have changed for the better.” He said when he returned from overseas, he was just expected to fit in – and not all veterans could. Behrns recalled returning to a lessthan-welcoming crowd. “I don’t remember anyone throwing a party or going out of their way to welcome me home,” Behrns said. “But I didn’t think about it. I had my wife, and I was smitten by her from the day I met her at Elgin Community College, and I am smitten by her today.”

Veteran Peter Behrns and his wife, Nanette, pose outside their Wonder Lake home. When Nannette’s father, who had served during World War II, flew with Honor Flight Chicago, Behrns noticed the attention to kindness and appreciation of servicemen. “I went to see my father-in-law off at the airport for his Honor

Flight – he was a WWII veteran – and when you see the smiles and the kids and what parents are teaching their kids now – it is respect freely given,” Behrns said. “And it means a lot. I’m looking forward to my own Honor Flight.”

Honor Flight Chicago is run entirely on donations and flies qualifying veterans for free. To make a donation to Honor Flight Chicago, visit:honorflightchicago.org.

book sales at the Woodstock Square Mall, where our office and book store are located. And, for the time being, we have The Green Spot Clearance Corner in Suite 113, where you’ll find leftover books from the hallway sale at bargain prices. Like our sister store, The Green Read in Crystal Lake, The Green Spot is now open six days a week – Monday through Saturday! Weekday hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Please come shop, but don’t forget your mask. Again, we are grateful, especially for those who help make all of this possible, like our amazing volunteers, many of whom are from Woodstock and vicinity.

Grant funds new position

Final event next month

Our last event to close out our 50th anniversary year, which we ordinarily would have held in person at McHenry County College, is the screening of the

Environmental Defenders’ full documentary, “50 Years of Defending.” You can find the trailer at mcdef.org/50years-of-defending-trailer. The full documentary will be shared via Zoom webinar at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1, and will also be streamed on social media. The ID for the Zoom webinar is 832 1233 5275. We have been so fortunate to employ another individual from Woodstock, Steve Firak of Ahoj Productions, who has done an amazing job editing hours and hours of interviews down to one hour of history while capturing some beautiful scenery from around McHenry County. In the documentary, you’ll have a chance to hear from the first executive director of the Defenders as well as three other previous ones; the leaders of the McHenry County Conservation District and The Land Conservancy of McHenry County; and importantly, Environmental Defenders’ members and volunteers. We hope you’ll join us on Dec. 1. Stay well, and stay green! Cynthia Kanner is executive director of the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County and a columnist for The Independent.

Ladies Nite Out is back for its 17th year, with a twist. In an effort to limit gathering size, this event will be spread out over four Thursday evenings; November 19th, December 3rd, 10th and 17th, from 4 to 8 pm. Grab a small group of friends and family and enjoy a socially distanced evening out! Register online for free tickets or upgrade to Girls Just Want to Have Fun package for additional perks. Every attendee receives a raffle ticket for a chance to win a grand prize basket valued at $1,000, sponsored by The Thoughtfulness Shop. Hand sanitizer and bags are provided by T-Mobile with masks provided by Studio D Jewelers. Event cups, sponsored by Habitat for Humanity ReStore of Woodstock, will be available for a donation at check in.

REAL COMMUNITY.

REAL FUN.

COMMUNITY

While things have been challenging this past half-year, they have also been exciting as the Environmental Defenders became the new home to the McHenry County Schools Environmental Education Program, as you might have read about in a previous column. And, there is more exciting news to share as we welcome a new employee as of Oct. 23. Mallory Fischer is filling a new position made possible

by a grant from the Grand Victoria Foundation – communications and membership specialist – and she happens to call Woodstock home. Mallory graduated in 2011 from Woodstock North High School, where she participated in Green Club, Key Club, and Spanish Club. She went on to earn a B.S. in wildlife and fisheries management from Northern Michigan University as well as her M.A. in conservation biology from Miami University of Ohio. Previously, Mallory was an educator and engagement specialist for organizations such as the Walt Disney Co., the National Park Service, the Forest Preserve District of Will County, Lake County Forest Preserve District, and the Chicago Zoological SocietyBrookfield Zoo. We are so fortunate and excited that Mallory has joined our staff, and the connection to her upbringing in Woodstock is a really neat part of her story.

Nov. 11-17, 2020

This has been and continues to be a challenging year. It has affected the Environmental Defenders organization in various ways, including the shutdown of our two book stores and physical office back in the spring and early summer due to COVID-19. We barely squeezed in our Environmental Defenders special 50th anniversary The Green Scene dinner, which took place on March 8, just at the cusp of unwelcome change. We are grateful for that. The rest of our regular fundraisers were mostly canceled, except for one garage sale. And, while you can still cut your own Christmas tree at Pioneer Tree Farm in McHenry this year, there will be no warming house, baked goods, or crafts. But, the Environmental Defenders, like so many others, is a resilient organization that has come up with new and creative ways of doing things. We’ve been able to hold two hallway

THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENT

Defenders closing out 50th anniversary year

Putting the garden to bed for the winter A few of the steps to “put your garden to bed” for the winter include cutting back, protecting, and cleanup. It’s been the accepted custom for many years to get the perennial gardens cut down in the fall for a clean look with a light layer of mulch. That is some people’s preference, but leaving up the perennials gives the gardens interNancy est in the winter. Shevel Perennials that Gardening have had a few years growth really do not need to be mulched for the winter. Save yourself some work and let the leaves that have blown into the garden stay right where they land, and they will provide a light mulch and a more natural look – and they are free. New perennials should be mulched to help give them more time to develop roots and avoid frost heaving in the spring. Hostas are a mainstay in many gardens and can have good fall color. After a hard freeze, they will lie flat on

COURTESY PHOTO

During winter, goldfinches thrive by eating the seed heads of coneflowers, so leave them as a food source.

Pet Week of the

SAVING JUST ONE PET WON’T CHANGE THE WORLD BUT, SURELY, THE WORLD WILL CHANGE FOR THAT ONE PET.

“Teddy”

10-month-old male

To see this pet or others or to volunteer to help walk dogs, call the shelter at:

Hello there! My name is Teddy and I’m a handsome Beagle mix. I am looking for someone who understands that sometimes pups like me have not had the best start in life and need to learn trust. I need time to adjust to being around kids and certain other dogs. At times, I am protective of my yummy food, so I need someone who is willing to work on this issue with me. However, I am very good at keeping my kennel clean and making everyone laugh with my silly wiggles and tail wags! I love going on long walks and hearing staff tell me what a smart boy I am when I sit for them. I hope to find a patient person who is willing to give me the chance to become their best friend! Will you give me the loving home that I deserve?

815-338-4400

Temporary hours: M/W/F/SA 12 PM - 4 PM by appointment only 2500 Harding Lane, Woodstock (Off Rt. 14 at the Lake Shore Dr. traffic light)

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Nov. 11-17, 2020

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the ground and have no winter interest, so should be cut back then. Your annuals are not coming back, so now is the best time to pull them out. In the winter, goldfinches thrive eating the seed heads of coneflowers, so cutting them down removes this valuable food source. Butterflies, moths, bees, and many beneficial insects overwinter in the stems of plants in the Illinois landscape, so by leaving them up and just changing a few gardening habits, you can make a huge difference! If you have any overgrown areas that you may have overlooked during the year, now would be a good time to clear those out so pests and animals don’t move in. This will also make it easier for new plantings in the spring . In regard to “cleanup,” don’t forget your garden tools, containers, cages, and garden ornaments. Before storing tools, remove dirt and debris and,

if needed, sharpen edges with a file. Garden ornaments will last longer if not exposed to winter weather. Maybe you thought weeding was over for the year? Now is an excellent time to go after perennial weeds. If you pull them now there will be less chance for them to fill back in when spring comes. In spring, try to get out in the gardens to cut back the perennials you left up before they start growing. If you run a little late for this spring cleanup, just be careful not to damage any new growth. Here is a link to perennials that can be cut down in the fall: thespruce.com/perennial-plantsto-cut-back-in-the-fall-4767363, and this link has info on perennials that should wait until spring to be cut down: thespruce.com/ suggested-perennial-plants-1402713. Nancy Shevel of Marengo is a a garden columnist for The Independent.

Dr. Bret Musser and Heather Quiroga of Woodstock welcome their baby boy,

Preston Bailey Quiroga Musser, on May 15, 2020. He weighed 6 pounds, 11 ounces. Bret Musser is a Foot and ankle surgeon. Quiroga is an emergency room registered nurse.

IN BRIEF County seeks public input on Fox River Corridor Plan

Carpentersville, and another in 2018 for McHenry and Lake counties.

Community Foundation celebrates, prepares move

Pre-Thanksgiving

Sale

ROLLS AND ROLLS OF IN-STOCK CARPET READY TO BE INSTALLED!

$10 FREE GAME PLAY Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-12 p.m. Must bring in ad to receive offer

150 S Eastwood Dr, Woodstock, Illinois

Questions about a Medicare plan? ANNUAL ENROLLMENT IS OCT. 15 TO DEC. 7 We help you navigate the Medicare Maze! Get Medicare coverage for the whole you » What is Medicare Advantage? » What does it cost? » Will my prescriptions be covered? Let me help answer your questions.

Call, text, or email to make an appointment. Our appointments are by phone, virtual, or in person.

WE WORK FOR YOU! JOHN JONES 815-575-0401 • johnjonesins@gmail.com A licensed sales agent will answer your call.

Offices in Woodstock and Lake Geneva

Hours: Mon-Thurs 10-6, Fri. 10-5, Sat 10-4 Sundays by appointment only • Contractors Welcome! 2020 S. Eastwood Drive (Rt. 47) • Woodstock, IL • 815-334-5985

COMMUNITY

The Community Foundation for McHenry County will “virtually” celebrate National Philanthropy Day on Nov. 15 to recognize the contributions of philanthropy and people active in the philanthropic community, both givers and receivers. According to a news release, the foundation soon will move into its new home at 33 E. Woodstock St., Crystal Lake. The new building will also house the Philanthropy Center, which will serve as a hub for charitable collaboration. The center was made possible through a donation from Greg and Dana Gliniecki. For a private tour of the Philanthropy Center, call 815-338-4483 or email connect@thecfmc.org

Nov. 11-17, 2020

Public input is sought on the ongoing Fox River Corridor Plan, which seeks to create a comprehensive plan for the future of the Fox River along the study area, which stretches 8 miles from North Chapel Hill Road in Johnsburg south to Burtons Bridge at Route 176. According to a news release, the ongoing plan will focus on commerce along business districts adjacent to the river; public access and recreational use; environment and natural resources; and transportation connections to the river. The public is encouraged to learn more about the plan, submit input, and take a survey by visiting the project website at engage.cmap.illinois.gov/ fox-river-mchenry. This project builds upon the foundation of two previous Fox River Corridor plans – one completed in 2015 for Algonquin and

M/TH: 8am -12am • F/SA: 8am - 2am • SU: 10am - 9pm Whiskey | Wine | Eats | Gaming

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BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT Musser/Quiroga welcome son Preston Bailey

Nov. 11-17, 2020

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Happenings

•••PLEASE CHECK WITH SPONSORS OR VENUES ABOUT CANCELLATIONS OR POSTPONEMENTS OF EVENTS•••

calendar

11 WEDNESDAY VETERANS DAY

12 THURSDAY VIRTUAL CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP

COMMUNITY

Zoom meeting open to the public 4 to 5 p.m. Visit woodstockilchamber.com for website, meeting ID, and password.

14 SATURDAY

WINTER MARKET AT THE FAIRGROUNDS McHenry County Fairgrounds Building D 11900 Country Club Road 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. woodstockfarmersmarket.org

16 MONDAY

FINAL LEAF COLLECTION South of the railroad tracks All week

VIRTUAL: THE A, B, C, AND D OF MEDICARE: UNDERSTANDING YOUR MEDICARE CHOICES

D-200 BOARD OF EDUCATION

Woodstock High School 501 W. South St. 7 p.m.

19 THURSDAY

HISPANIC CONNECTIONS MEETING Woodstock Chamber of Commerce Noon 127 E. Calhoun St.

VIRTUAL CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP

Zoom meeting open to the public 4 to 5 p.m. Visit woodstockilchamber.com for website, meeting ID, and password.

WOODSTOCK WEDNESDAYS Tune in to Facebook at Woodstock Folk Festival Mustard’s Retreat (David Tamulevich and Libby Glover) performs at 7 p.m.

20 FRIDAY JAZZ NIGHT

Stage Left Café 124 Van Buren St. 8 p.m. Tune in on Facebook at Woodstock Opera House.

1150 S. Rose Farm Road 9 a.m. to noon conservemc.org

VIRTUAL: TURKEY BINGO

2 to 3 p.m. Woodstock Public Library program Email katieb@woodstockil.info for the Zoom link.

22 SUNDAY YONDER PRAIRIE WORKDAY

1150 S. Rose Farm Road 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. conservemc.org

23 MONDAY

BLOOD DRIVE VERSITI BLOOD CENTER

4 to 7 p.m. Woodstock Public Library All donors must show a photo ID prior to donating. Register at: https://donate.illinois.versiti.org/ donor/schedules/city

26 THURSDAY THANKSGIVING DAY

27 FRIDAY

VIRTUAL LIGHTING OF THE SQUARE

6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Woodstock Public Library program Email katieb@woodstockil.info for the Zoom link.

21 SATURDAY

7 p.m. See https://www.woodstockil.gov/community/page/ lighting-square-virtual-2020

17 TUESDAY

McHenry County Fairgrounds Building D 11900 Country Club Road 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. woodstockfarmersmarket.org

28 SATURDAY

WOODSTOCK CITY COUNCIL MEETING Woodstock City Hall 121 W. Calhoun St. 7 p.m.

WINTER MARKET AT THE FAIRGROUNDS

YONDER PRAIRIE WORKDAY

WINTER MARKET AT THE FAIRGROUNDS McHenry County Fairgrounds Building D 11900 Country Club Road 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

To submit calendar items, email pr@thewoodstockindependent.com woodstockfarmersmarket.org

9 a.m. to 1 p.m. woodstockfarmersmarket.org

SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY

10 TUESDAY

Shop at local small businesses. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

LADIES NIGHT OUT ON THE SQUARE

29 SUNDAY

Woodstock Square 5 p.m. https://woodstockilchamber.wellattended.com/events/ ladies-nite-out

WOODSTOCK’S ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARADE

Emricson Park to Dean Street 2 p.m. Call 815-338-4212 to participate.

12 SATURDAY

WINTER MARKET AT THE FAIRGROUNDS

DECEMBER

1 TUESDAY

McHenry County Fairgrounds Building D 11900 Country Club Road 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. woodstockfarmersmarket.org

WOODSTOCK CITY COUNCIL MEETING Woodstock City Hall 121 W. Calhoun St. 7 p.m.

14 MONDAY PRIDE MEETING

3 TUESDAY

LADIES NIGHT OUT ON THE SQUARE Woodstock Square 5 p.m. https://woodstockilchamber.wellattended.com/events/ ladies-nite-out

4 FRIDAY

COFFEE WITH THE CHIEF Woodstock Police Department 656 Lake Ave. 7 p.m.

STANDARD JAZZ PROJECT Stage Left Café 124 Van Buren St. 8 p.m. Tune in on Facebook at Woodstock Opera House.

5 SATURDAY

WINTER MARKET AT THE FAIRGROUNDS McHenry County Fairgrounds Building D 11900 Country Club Road

Resurrection Catholic Church

Woodstock Chamber of Commerce 6 p.m. 127 E. Calhoun St.

GRIEFSHARE

Grace Fellowship Church Register at griefshare.org for online sessions.

17 TUESDAY

HISPANIC CONNECTIONS MEETING Woodstock Chamber of Commerce Noon 127 E. Calhoun St.

2918 South Country Club Road Woodstock, IL 60098

We welcome all to join us at our Mass times: Saturday at 5:00 pm & Sunday at 8:00 am and 10:30 am.

We, the members of the Resurrection Catholic Church, are a prayerful, loving community formed by the Holy Spirit, striving to be a sign of the Gospel values of Jesus Christ: justice, truth and love.

Worship: 1 p.m. Sunday ■ JEWISH REFORMED CONGREGATION TIKKUN OLAM 503 W. Jackson St. (St. Ann’s Episcopal Church building) Call 815-455-9236 or email tikkunolam@ hotmail.com for service information. n McHENRY COUNTY JEWISH CONGREGATION 8617 Ridgefield Road, Crystal Lake 815-455-1810 Worship: 7 p.m. Friday, 9:30 a.m. Saturday n NEW LIFE CHRISTIAN CENTER 5115 Dean St. • 815-337-4673 Worship: 10 a.m. Sunday ■ RESURRECTION CATHOLIC 2918 S. Country Club Road 815-338-7330 Worship: 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Sunday; 5 p.m. Saturday; 8:30 a.m. weekdays ■ ST. ANN’S EPISCOPAL 503 W. Jackson St. • 815-338-0950 Worship: 10 a.m. (indoors); noon (outdoors) ■ ST. JOHN’S LUTHERAN 401 St. John’s Road • 815-338-5159 Worship: 5 p.m. Saturday; 9 a.m. Sunday ■ ST. MARY CATHOLIC 313 N. Tryon St. • 815-338-3377 Worship: 7:30 a.m. Monday - Saturday; 12:15 p.m. Monday-Friday; 5 and 6:30 p.m. (Spanish) Saturday; 7:30, 9 and 10:30 a.m., noon (Spanish), 5 p.m. Sunday ■ THE BRIDGE CHRISTIAN 2620 Bridge Lane • 815-496-0548 Worship: 10 a.m. Sunday ■ THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS 2016 Hartland Road • 815-334-1703 Worship: 10 a.m. Sunday ■ THE VINE CHRISTIAN CHURCH 1132 N. Madison St. • 815-338-3380 Worship: 10 a.m. Sunday ■ UNITY SPIRITUAL CENTER 225 W. Calhoun St. • 815-337-3534 unitywoodstock.org Worship: 10 a.m. Sunday ■ UPPER FOX VALLEY QUAKER MEETING 4614 Pioneer Road, McHenry 815-385-8512 Discussion and singing, 9 a.m. Sunday Worship, 10 a.m., fellowship, 11 a.m. Sunday ■ WOODSTOCK ASSEMBLY OF GOD 1201 Dean St.• 815-338-1316 Worship: 10 a.m. Sunday ■ WOODSTOCK BIBLE CHURCH 118 Benton St. Worship: 10:30 a..m. Sunday

30 years ago – 1990

■ Republican candidates John Howell, Don Larson, Virginia Peschke, and Ann Gilman won two-year terms as District 3 members on the McHenry County Board. The Woodstock School District 200 referendum didn’t pass. ■ Olson Junior High School sixth-grade teacher Judy Connor was named to the first edition of “Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers.”

25 years ago – 1995

■ The McHenry County Board, sold 19.6 acres of county-owned property at Country Club Road and Route 47, which included part of the fairgrounds, to MidWest Acquisition, Chicago. ■ Ben Rosenfield, a.k.a. “That Frog Man,” Woodstock was featured at The Great Blue Heron Storytelling Festival in Barrington. Rosenfield shared “Storytelling – A Life’s Journey: On Becoming a Storyteller.” ■ Corey Ungaro, a junior at Woodstock High School and member of the varsity football team, finished the season with 1,142 rushing yards on 169 carries.

20 years ago – 2000

■ Wally Phillips, a Chicago radio personality, made a special appearance at Hearthstone Village Health Fair’s Holiday Giving Trees kickoff. ■ A winter coat drive by the Woodstock Morning Rotary Club and Woodstock Area Community Ministries netted more than 400 coats.

15 years ago – 2005

■ The Woodstock School District 200 Mentoring Program was entering its 10th year and had 73 students hoping to be paired with volunteer mentors. ■ Lisa Kelly reviewed Town Square Players production of “Arsenic and Old Lace,” starring Anne Marie Cina and Sherry Tessler as the Brewster sisters. ■ Edgetown Bowl opened after being destroyed by fire in March. Immediately, after the fire, owners Steve and Carolyn Walters put a plan in place to rebuild at the same location.

10 years ago – 2010

■ The Woodstock City Council voted to accept a donation of the Old Courthouse building on the Square from Centralia Investors Inc., a Chicago-based real estate trust. In accepting the donation, the city would absorb costs, including legal fees, taxes, liens, and other fees

21 totaling as much as $260,000. “It would not be the intent of the city to take the donation for the intent of perpetuity,” Mayor Brian Sager said. ■ Ralph Webster announced he would resign as Woodstock city councilman, effective immediately. Webster said increased obligations associated with his newly assumed role as president of the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association would not allow him to devote enough time to the council. He had served 7½ years. ■ The Lady ’Canes varsity volleyball team advanced to the IHSA Class 3A state semi-finals – a first in Marian Central history. “We’ve taken it one game at a time,” senior Kaitlyn Hartlieb said. “This year, we are a family, and we play for one another.”

5 years ago – 2015

■ Woodstock Harley-Davidson became the first Harley-Davidson dealership in North America to install a permanent veterans memorial on its grounds. The dedication ceremony included military personnel, the Classic Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps, a flag presentation, and a flyover. More than 1,000 people attended. ■S even years after Woodstock’s original Kiwanis Club disbanded, a new generation of community and business members had come together to form a new Kiwanis Club. “We have 15 members, and we needed 15 members to start a charter,” said Kevin Dwyer, president of the new club. The original club was active for 55 years. ■ WHS senior Luke Beattie finished ninth in the state cross-country meet. He finished the 3-mile course in 14 minutes, 47 seconds.

1 year ago – 2019

■ Susan Kirby, co-owner and controller at Associated Electrical Contractors, Woodstock, was one of two McHenry County College graduates named to MCC’s Distinguished Alumni in 2019. Kirby graduated with an Associate Degree from MCC, then continued her education at the University of Illinois. ■ After 21 years, the Thoughtfulness Shop was preparing to close. “It’s been wonderful,” owner Ceal Schroeder said. Schroeder and her husband, Ken, had bought the Hallmark Shop at 104 Cass St. from Doug and Jan Geiger in the spring of 1998. They reopened it as the Thoughtfulness Shop in May of that year.

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COMMUNITY

■ BAHA’I COMMUNITY OF WOODSTOCK Gatherings are open to the public the second Saturday of each month. For information: 815-337-0126 woodstock.bahais@gmail.com ■ BLUE LOTUS TEMPLE & MEDITATION CENTER 221 Dean St. • 815-337-7378 Meditation: 10 a.m. Tuesday, Saturday; 7 p.m. Monday, Wednesday ■ CASA DE BENDICION 8015 Ridgefield Road, Crystal Lake (Crystal Lake Christian Church) Worship: 1 p.m. Sunday, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday ■ CHRIST LIFE 13614 W. Jackson St. • 815-338-4934 Worship: 10:30 a.m. Sunday ■ COVENANT REFORMED BAPTIST CHURCH 4609 Greenwood Road P.O. Box 463 • 815-575-9612 Worship: 10 a.m. Sunday ■ EDEN BAPTIST 1903 N. Seminary Ave. • 815-814-7847 Worship: 3 p.m. Sunday (Spanish) ■ FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST, SCIENTIST 111 W. South St. • 815-338-2731 Worship: 10 a.m. Sunday ■ FIRST PRESBYTERIAN 2018 N. Route 47 • 815-338-2627 Virtual worship: 9:30 a.m. Sunday ■ FIRST UNITED METHODIST 201 W. South St. • 815-338-3310 fumcwoodstock.org Worship: 9:30 a.m. Sunday Sunday school for children 9:45 a.m. ■ FREE METHODIST 934 N. Seminary Ave. • 815-338-3180 Worship: 10:30 a.m. ■ GOOD NEWS CHURCH Meeting at Dorr Township Community Room, 1039 Lake Ave. 815-575-9224 goodnewswoodstock.org Worship: 10:15 a.m. Sunday ■ GRACE FELLOWSHIP 200 Cairns Court • gfchurch.org Worship: 9 and 10:45 a.m. Sunday ■ GRACE LUTHERAN 1300 Kishwaukee Valley Road 815-338-0554 Worship: Videos on website each weekend; parking lot services at 9 a.m., listen on 89.3 FM ■ HOUSE OF BLESSING 2018 N. Route 47 (First Presbyterian Church building) cbhbfil413.com

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Nov. 11-17, 2020

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PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice of Self Storage Sale Please take notice Red Dot Storage 6 - Woodstock located at 2105 S. Eastwood Dr., Woodstock, IL 60098 intends to hold an auction of the goods stored in the following units in default for non-payment of rent. The sale will occur as an online auction via www. storageauctions.com on 12/1/2020 at 9:30 am. Unless stated otherwise the description of the contents are household goods and furnishings. John Gonka Unit #336; Kelvin Gonzalez Unit #604; Byron Cleaves Unit #805; Will Pourchot Unit #700; John Knuth Unit #200. All property is being stored at the above self-storage facility. This sale may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Certain terms and conditions apply. See manager for details. (Published in The Woodstock

Independent November 11, 2020) L11108

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice of Self Storage Sale The Storage Space LLC, 975 Martha Ln., P O Box 1873, Woodstock, IL. 60098, must receive the delinquent amount of $580.00 for rental of unit #3 at 975 Martha Ln., Woodstock, IL. 60098, name Tares Stokes. Or contents will be sold (no auction) or disposed of on 11/30/20 at 10:00 a.m. at 975 Martha Ln., Woodstock, IL. 60098. Contents: Loveseat, Couch, Cushions, 21 speed Hatchet 26” bike, Tables, Box spring, Mattress, Artificial plant, Ironing board, Books, Pictures & frames, Toolbox, Folding chair, and Bags & boxes contents unknown and other general household. (Published in The Woodstock Independent November 11, 2020) L11109

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice of Self Storage Sale Please take notice Red Dot Storage 78 - Woodstock located at 740 Washington Rd., Woodstock, IL 60098 intends to hold an auction of the goods stored in the following unit in default for non-payment of rent. The sale will occur as an online auction via www. storageauctions.com on 12/1/2020

at 9:30 AM. Unless stated otherwise the description of the contents are household goods and furnishings. Vincent Carbajal Unit #254; Carrie Delich Unit #212. All property is being stored at the above self-storage facility. This sale may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Certain terms and conditions apply. See manager for details. (Published in The Woodstock Independent November 11, 2020) L11110

PUBLIC NOTICE

ASSUMED NAME Public Notice is hereby given that on OCTOBER 26, 2020 An Assumed Name Business Certificate was filed in the Office of the County Clerk in McHenry County, IL under the following business name and address, and setting forth the names and addresses of all persons owning, conducting and transacting business known as MINUTE LANDSCAPING located at 1954 TAPPAN ST, WOODSTOCK IL 60098. Owner Name & Address: JAVIER PEREZ CARBAJAL JR. 1954 TAPPAN ST, WOODSTOCK IL 60098. Dated: OCTOBER 26, 2020 /s/ JOSEPH J. TIRIO (McHenry County Clerk) (Published in The Woodstock Independent November 11, 2020) L11111

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICE

Oak and Pine Retreat, Ltd. is a not-forprofit corporation. Its annual returns for 2020 are available for public inspection during regular business hours by any citizen who requests it within 180 days after the date of this notice. The principal office is located at 10601 Bull Valley Dr., Woodstock, IL. The principal manager is Frank Karth. Telephone # 815-338-8282. (Published in The Woodstock Independent November 11, 2020) L11107

Nov. 11-17, 2020

PUBLIC NOTICE

STATE OF ILLINOIS IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE TWENTY-SECOND JUDICIAL CIRCUIT MCHENRY COUNTY-IN PROBATE Case No. 20PR000293 In the Matter of the Estate of MARGARET ANNE DONOVAN Deceased CLAIM NOTICE Notice is given of the death of MARGARET ANNE DONOVAN Of: CRYSTAL LAKE, IL

Letters of office were issued on: 10/19/2020 to: Representative: CATHERINE DEGALAN 5910 PRAIRIE RIDGE DR. CRYSTAL LAKE, IL 60014 whose attorney is: WOLF, DAVID J. LAW OFFICE OF 244 N. THROOP ST. STE 100 WOODSTOCK, IL 60098 Claims against the estate may be filed within six months from the date of first publication. Any claim not filed within six months from the date of first publication or claims not filed within three months from the date of mailing or delivery of Notice to Creditor, whichever is later, shall be barred. Claims may be filed in the office of the Clerk of Circuit Court at the McHenry County Government Center, 2200 North Seminary Avenue, Woodstock, Illinois, 60098, or with the representative, or both. Copies of claims filed with the Clerk must be mailed or delivered to the representative and to his attorney within ten days after it has been filed. /s/KATHERINE M KEEFE (Clerk of the Circuit Court) (Published in The Woodstock Independent November 4, 2020, November 11, 2020)L11105

THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENT

ASSUMED NAME Public Notice is hereby given that on OCTOBER 26, 2020 An Assumed Name Business Certificate was filed in the Office of the County Clerk in McHenry County, IL under the following business name and address, and setting forth the names and addresses of all persons owning, conducting and transacting business known as NICK’S QUALITY PAINTING AND DRYWALL located at 10507 WRIGHT RD., HARVARD, IL 60033. Owner Name & Address: NICK RUSH 10507 WRIGHT RD., HARVARD, IL 60033. Dated: OCTOBER 26, 2020 /s/ JOSEPH J. TIRIO (McHenry County Clerk) (Published in The Woodstock Independent November 4, 2020, November 11, 2020)L11103

SPORTS

Nov. 11-17, 2020

THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENT

Sports

Grateful for the extended season

The weather this past week was phenomenal! After a taste of freezing temperatures and a dusting of snow, it was truly a blessing to roll up my sleeves and soak up the 70-degree sun. As someone who enjoys outdoor recreational sports – specifically horseback riding – I was thrilled at the possibility of enjoying it in comfort a little longer. I scrambled to adjust my schedule to accommodate a ride or two, but then my internal struggle began. While my first reaction was a chance to enjoy some fun, it was immediately folSandy lowed by my more Kucharski practical reacSpeaking of tion that I should Sports take advantage of a break in weather to accomplish more things on my fall to-do list, like mow and rake, clean out gardens, straighten the garage, get my animal water heaters ready ... the list goes on and on. What to do? I decided to make the most of each of these bonus days by getting up early, doing chores quickly, and carving out some time for fun. Although I always have more that I wanted to accomplish, I feel satisfied. I checked off several items on the to-do list but also enjoyed some time in the saddle. My favorite riding buddy – my daughter – even managed to tear herself away from her young family for a few hours and join me. I saw a lot of happy people out riding, hiking, and just enjoying our extended autumn last week, because we never know what Mother Nature has in store next. While I’d be happy to be wrong, I’m pretty sure this was probably the last of the shirtsleeve days this season, but I won’t hibernate. I’ll bundle up, saddle up, and look forward to the time when temperatures above 32 feel like a heatwave, because it will mean spring is on its way again. Sandy Kucharski is the sports editor for The Independent.

Walsdorf scores top 10 in ShaZam race Independent run has a state championship feel By Dan Chamness

NEWS@THEWOODSTOCKINDEPENDENT.COM

It was not the Illinois High School Association state championship, but the ShaZam Racing – High School XC Championship in Chillicothe had a state finals feel. Peter Walsdorf, who completed his cross-country career for Marian Central Catholic one week ago at the IHSA Sectional, finished ninth overall Nov. 7 in the Division 2 race. The senior, who was competing for the Fighting Gingers club team, finished the 5,000-meter race in 16 minutes, 23.16 seconds. Five thousand meters is equal to 3.12 miles. “I would have liked to finish better, but ninth is pretty good,” Walsdorf said after the race. “I really did not know what to expect, given that this was a new course, that I had never been on this course before.” The Division 2 race was won by Limestone’s Wilson Georges, who finished the race in 15:46.06. Georges competed for the Bartonville Boxers. During the school year, he competed for Limestone Community High School in Bartonville. “I wanted to stay with Wilson, but he just went way fast,” Walsdorf said. “I could not stay up with him.” In the history of Hurricane boys cross-country, only four athletes have finished in the top 10 of the IHSA state finals. Darryl May did it twice in the late ’70s, finishing ninth and third, when Marian was a Class A team. Walsdorf’s 11th-place finish a year ago is the highest finish by a Marian runner since crosscountry was split into three classes. One year ago, Walsdorf ran the three-mile course in 15:12.67. The ShaZam Race at Three Sisters Park was tightly packed in the Division 2 race, as would have been the state finals. Walsdorf was less than eight seconds from being in the top five. “It is nice to be mentioned with the greatest runners of all time at Marian Central Catholic,” he

INDEPENDENT PHOTO BY DAN CHAMNESS

Marian Central Catholic High School’s Peter Walsdorf runs in the ShaZam championship high school race Nov. 7 in Chillicothe.

said. “I wish that there would have been a state final this year. But this had all the feel of a state final.

NN SCOREBOARD NN

The venue was just different, but all the players were there. I had the same nerves as I did one year ago at Detwiller Park for the state championship.” ShaZam Racing came up with a plan earlier in the year on how to host the meet one week after the high school teams completed their season. The race invited the best competitors of the state of Illinois and, similar to the state finals, had three classes culminating with the biggest class on Sunday, which is not traditional. On Friday, they hosted the Division I runners, and all the runners had to compete under a club name, not their high school name. The girls races started at 9 a.m. with the sixth and seventh runners competing, followed by the 9:30 a.m. start of the fourth and fifth runners from each club team competing against each other. The second and third runners from each girls team, competed against each other at 10 a.m., followed by the top runners from each club team and the invited individual competitors, who were deemed good enough to get an invite. The boys followed the exact same format, except they started at 11:30 a.m. The times were then combined, and the girls awards were distributed at 11:30 a.m. The top 25 finishers in each division were honored, as were the top four teams. The boys awards ceremony was at 2 p.m., one hour after the top runners from each team and top individuals competed against each other. The time schedule was the same for all three divisions, each on its own day.

SCOREBOARD PRESENTED BY

ALL CONFERENCE MARIAN CENTRAL CATHOLIC GIRLS CROSS-COUNTRY Caroline Binotti BOYS CROSS-COUNTRY Peter Walsdorf GIRLS GOLF Lauren McNulty

815.338.7830

205 E. South St. • Woodstock

Team above self

No winter basketball for Marian Central Catholic H.S. In a letter last week, the Diocese of Rockford announced that its six Central Catholic High Schools would not participate in the IHSA 2020-21 basketball season, which is scheduled to begin Nov. 16. The decision affects Marian Central Catholic High School as well as Aurora Central, St. Edward, Boylan, Aquin, and Sterling Newman. The Nov. 5 letter was a response to the recent decision by the Illinois High School Association to move forward with the 2020-21 high school girls and boys basketball seasons. The IHSA decision was issued without the support and endorsement of either the Illinois Department of Public

A golfer since he was 12 years old, Trewyn said he looked up to his father and cousin who help him with his skills. “Whenever I get the chance, I go to the driving range and do drills,” he said. This year he worked on driving the ball consistently and on his putting game. With help from his coach and a lot of practice, he has seen improvements in both. He enjoys playing Woodstock coop’s home course, Bull Valley Golf Club, and Woodstock Country Club. Both are tough courses, and Trewyn credits that with making him a better golfer. “I get better and better at each practice,” he said. Goals for his senior year include continuing to improve each time he plays and helping his team toward another undefeated season. Golf coach Brent Filetti said the team was proud of Trewyn for winning the top honor. “During this season, Luke has really become a great teammate and has learned that hard work over the summer really pays off,” Filetti said. “We look forward to continued success for him and our program next year.”

Health or the Illinois State Board of Education, and it would be in violation of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s order prohibiting basketball practice and games. The diocese cited the health and safety of all students as its first and most important priority. “Entering into the high school basketball season at a time when the daily COVID positive percentages in Northern Illinois and, in particular, in our diocese, are at 10 percent and above would be irresponsible and unsafe,” the letter said. The letter expressed concern and offered prayers for all people who have been affected physically, emotionally, and spiritually by the pandemic and for the well-being of all of the school communities within the diocese.

SPORTS

Player of the year was more like a cherry on top for Trewyn, who was most satisfied with his team’s accomplishments. “I’m proud of our team going undefeated in conference, winning back-to-back titles,” he said. “We’ve had a good team through all my years in high school.” Describing the strong team as dynamic, he said all the boys are friends and enjoy each other’s company on and off the course. “I love getting a great score, but also seeing friends get a great score,” he said. “We all support each other.” In a season that was very different from any other, golfers had a lot of new protocols to learn and follow. As the season progressed, some of the restrictions were lifted – such as the requirement for masks while playing. “I was just happy we were able to play and have a season,” Trewyn said.

Practice makes perfect

Nov. 11-17, 2020

When the All-Conference golf list of the Kishwaukee River Conference was announced recently, the Woodstock co-op team had five players who received a nod for outstanding play during the fall season, including the top award among golfers. Woodstock High School junior Luke Trewyn was named KRC Player of the Year. “It was very exciting,” said Trewyn, who learned of the honor through a group email his coach sent. “I felt it was a big achievement.”

Despite the difficulties the pandemic presented, Trewyn admitted some positives came out of it. “I could get out more,” he said. “With my class schedule, I could get my homework done and then go golf.”

INDEPENDENT FILE PHOTO BY VICKY LONG

Luke Trewyn hits an iron shot onto the green of hole No. 1 at Bull Valley Golf Club.

ATHLETE OF THE

WEEK GIRLS TENNIS TEAM

Congratulations to the girls tennis team. This season was the team’s fourth KRC championship and fourth undefeated season. This is an amazing group of athletes! These girls showed constant support of each other, on and off the court. They never gave up on themselves, each other or the game and this determination paid off! Thunder Nation is proud of your commitment to yourself and your team! #Thunderstrong

Woodstock Independent 11/11/2020

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