The Woodstock Independent June 11. 2014

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11-17, 2014 JuneJune 11-17, 20141

Woodstock

THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENT

I NDEPENDENT The

Published every Wednesday

Est. 1987

Serving Woodstock, Wonder Lake and Bull Valley, Ill.

www.thewoodstockindependent.com

$1.00

EDUCATION

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

COMMUNITY

A local educator will attend a Library of Congress teaching program

Woodstock’s Len Biedermann, 89, publishes his first book

A former Woodstock man is mayor of a Calif. town that faced wildfires

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» CITY COUNCIL

AT LONG LAST, THEY DO

City Council rejects wage ordinance

“We never thought this day would happen in our lifetimes”

Larson: ‘The data that they are using to arrive at these numbers is a complete mystery to me’ By LISA KUCHARSKI The Independent Despite a state statute requiring them to do so, members of the Woodstock City Council failed to pass a prevailing wage ordinance at its June 3 meeting, defeating the motion with a 4-2 vote. “We literally HOW THEY have no choice VOTED in passing this ordinance,” said To approve a Councilwoman prevailing wage Maureen Larordinance: son. “And yet, Yes you look at RB Thompson these wages that Mark Saladin are ‘prevailing,’

Dave Carlson, left, and Tony Rotolante were married at Unity Spiritual Center June 7. They were among the first samesex couples to be legally wed in McHenry County. INDEPENDENT PHOTO BY KEN FARVER

Woodstock plays host to same-sex wedding ceremony following statewide legalization By KATELYN STANEK The Independent Dave Carlson and Tony Rotolante have been married since 1994. On June 7, they made it official. e North Barrington couple was among the first to be legally married in a same-sex wedding ceremony in McHenry County, saying their vows in front of

about 150 friends and family at Unity Spiritual Center, 225 W. Calhoun St. “In the back of my mind, we figured we always would be outcasts in most of the world,” said Carlson, 52, an active member of Unity. “We never thought this day would happen in our lifetimes.” An Illinois law legalizing same-sex marriage took effect June 1, making it one of 19 states and the District of Columbia

to recognize the unions. In McHenry County, 25 same-sex couples were issued marriage licenses or had their civil unions converted to marriages in the first week following the law’s enactment, according to the McHenry County Clerk’s Office. “We’ve been being as married as we could all along,” Rotolante, 48, said. “We had a commitment ceremony in California in 1994, because we really thought that was it.” In 2011, shortly after they were

which you would No think meant that Joe Starzynski they are comMichael Turner mon, pervasive Julie Dillon and easy to earn Maureen Larson in the real world, and that is simply not the case.” Illinois’ Prevailing Wage Act requires municipalities and other taxing bodies to ensure contracted workers — generally used for public works projects — are paid at a rate set by the Illinois Department of Labor. Rates vary by county and usually are based on union wages. Under law, the city is required to adopt a local ordinance verifying the prevailing wage rates paid on those projects. e ordinance applies to all contractors hired by the city for public improvement projects, but it does not apply to city employees or service contracts that do not include construction, with some exceptions. Larson said she disagreed with the county wage rates set by IDOL, which are based on nationwide figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. She cited the example of machinists, who

Please see Marriage, Page 3

After years of waiting, work begins on Highway 14 lane additions By LISA KUCHARSKI The Independent Plans to add lanes to High-

way 14 between Woodstock and Crystal Lake picked up steam recently when crews picked up their shovels, end-

ing more than a decade of waiting for the Illinois Department of Transportation project to begin. “ is project has been more than 12 years in the making, because it takes time to even become a high enough priority to be listed on the program,” said Woodstock Public Works Director

INDEX

Construction is expected to last several seasons

Paul Ruscko, referencing IDOT’s fiscal year 20152020 Proposed MultiModal Transportation Improvement Program documents. One of six local projects recently awarded state capital funding, the Woodstock Highway

Please see Wage, Page 4

Please see Roads, Page 3

OBITUARIES OPINION EDUCATION A&E MARKETPLACE

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR CLASSIFIEDS PUBLIC NOTICES SPORTS

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The Woodstock Independent 671 E. Calhoun St., Woodstock, IL 60098 Phone: 815-338-8040 Fax: 815-338-8177 www.thewoodstockindependent.com

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