Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Recyling Efforts Growing by Leaps and Bounds in Round Lake!

Three years ago the Village adopted a new program for recycling. The yellow topped containers (sort of Packer-like colors) that are slightly smaller are designed solely for use on recycled material. The program was quite well received because it did away with the old open bins, which had paper flying around the neighborhoods. Plus it was bigger.

I got some information from the Solid Waste Agency of Lake County (SWALCO) that shows how the village has increased its recycling over the last few years.
Total tons collected
2003-- 537 tons
2004-- 1,211 tons
2005-- 1,540 tons
Even though we have grown dramatically since 2003, doubled in size, we have tripled our recycling tonnage.

Monday, February 27, 2006

Patrons of the Arts? Search no More!

A Round Lake Area Resident Melanie Fuhrmann and her husband Ed sent me this link to a wonderful site called the Lake County Performing Arts website. I spent quite a bit of time on the website last night and am VERY impressed, as I am sure you all will be. As all of you know we have plans to develop a cultural arts program and center in our soon to be renovated downtown development district. I will let Ed and Melanie explain it in their words.
My wife Melanie and I have lived in the Round Lake Beach for the last 8 years. She is a professional musician (including 5 years with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's Chorus and now teaching at CLC) who was frustrated that so many residents of Lake County thought they had to travel to Chicago for a "real" performing arts event, when in fact Lake County has so much to offer (and not just Ravinia, either).
Part of the problems is that individual performers, as well as small and medium sized groups, frequently don't have much advertising budget, or they rely on volunteers who don't have the experience or contacts. Area groups frequently perform to half-empty venues because so few people get the word. The newspapers usually are short-term in focus, and are only good for those who receive them. Then there's the Lakeland Media vs Pioneer Press aspect, where adjacent communities get different news (and calendars). Interested parties could look up performing arts websites (which have to be found first, and there are literally dozens of them... I know).
Melanie's answer is the recently started website: "Lake County Performing Arts" www.LakeCountyPerformingArts.org
Our hope is that as more and more people gain web reliable web access, the site grows to become the "Look Here First!" resource serving anyone having anything to do with the performing arts in Lake County. Right now, the searchable Events Calendar is the main content.
Other content, such as directories of instructors and schools, performers, venues, etc., is still being populated, but with so many events on the calendar... we didn't want to wait until everything was "perfect" before letting people use the site. Kind of a "soft-start" as opposed to a big official launch.
This is a very very cool site, in fact it went into my favorites instantly. I think this kind of site is what makes the web the single most fascinating thing to happen in my lifetime.

Sunday, February 26, 2006

Frosty 5K Results

Long story short I stunk! 9:15 first mile, 10:00 second mile, 12:00 minute third mile. Finished last in my age group as well, thanks to Dale Multerer for pointing that out to me. As for the race within the race me against the Del Prato family, the three ladies got three age group medals! They all talked smack to me as they blew past me as well!

I was pleased with my speed until mile 2 when the stinking occurred. I lumbered home from the 2 mile mark, with a set of dead legs. I am not sure why but when you hit my age you can't complain that you can run 2 miles in under 20 minutes I suppose! Back to sprinting however in two weeks I am going to the USTAF Master Indoors Track and Field Championships held in Sterling, IL.

Busy Weekend So Far as I Race Through It

Yesterday I attended the democratic gathering of candidates in for Lake Villa, Grant, Antioch and Avon township. There was a nice crowd of people, and a nice crowd of candidates as well. Democracy and the two party system appears to be thriving in Lake County.

I went from the Democratic gathering to the Round Lake Area Chamber of Commerce's Annual Installation Dinner, where we had a nice turnout of trustees. Trustee Don Newby, Trustee Jerry Shaw and his wife Liz, Trustee Brian Brubaker and his wife Lori, Trustee Sherry Perkowitz and her date Kevin Hedlund, and last but not least Trustee Patricia Blauvelt and her husband Mike. Patty was honored with a plaque for 15 years of service to the Chamber of Commerce as a Board Member! Congratulations!

Today I am running in the Round Lake Area Park District, Frosty 5K. All proceeds from the race benefit the senior fitness programs. The race kicks off with a 10 a.m. registration and 11 a.m. start from the Sports Center located at 2004 Municipal Way in Round Lake Beach. Hot soup and awards will follow the competition. As we all know I run in a few races throughout the year with some success and some races with no success. However my goal today is to get under 28 minutes and 30 seconds.

Saturday, February 25, 2006

Meet the Candidates Event – Lake Villa, Grant, Antioch, and Avon Townships

There will be a meet the candidates sponsored by the Lake Villa, Grant, Antioch, and Avon Township Democrats today. The event will start at 3:00 with opening comments by Township Chairs. Candidates have maximum 15 minutes to speak and answer questions. The program will end around 5:00.
Some of the candidates represented will be the candidates for State Treasurer, State Senate, State Rep, Congresswoman Bean County Sheriff, County Clerk, and County Treasurer. For information on the Lake County Democratic Party go here.
When: 3:00 --– 5:00 p.m.
Where: Lake Villa Township Hall ("Caboose Park"”) Community Room B
(S.W. corner of Grand Ave. and Fairfield Rd., Lake Villa --– Entrance off of Fairfield)

Friday, February 24, 2006

My Moment with Congresswomen Bean

My moment of fame! That's Congresswomen Melissa Bean with me (lower right). I do have some cooler pictures with the Congresswomen and Senator Obama to come. Not my finest effort with the cell phone I would add! I did take a better one, but I look fat in the photo, so that one is not blog-worthy!

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Help Avon Township Adopt a Platoon!

There are so many things going on the in community that sometimes wonderful programs get missed. Molli Larson the Clerk of Avon Township, and a Round Lake resident, was telling me about a program that assists platoons stationed in Iraq I thought this was an excellent idea! Molli sent me some information on what the platoon needs and then some contact information if you are interested in donating. Please do!
There are 24 soldiers in the Avon Township sponsored platoon, all males, and they are deployed from Ft.Carson, Co. to Iraq until approximately Dec. '06. This is an infantry platoon and they are doing some very hazardous missions. They would appreciate lots of letters, snacks, AA Batteries (Lithium), Whole bean coffee (they have a grinder), magazines, wipes, beef jerky, in addition to any and all the other things listed on the website. Go to www.adoptaplatoon.org then to the toolbar on the left and click on Care Package Ideas, or you may pick up a copy at the Avon Township Office.
Also, we are collecting household and clothing items for the Afghani people that another Platoon is doing outreach work with. Gently used clothing, shoes, blankets, needles, thread, fabric, pretty much anything you can think of that's not too bulky and would be fairly easy to ship.
Hours - Monday - Thursday 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Avon Township Center 433 E Washington St Round Lake Park, IL
For more info or to arrange a special drop off time call 847-546-1446.

Blog Breeds Boisterous Bluster

Got some nice press on the front page of the Neighbor section of the Daily Herald yesterday. Always nice to know people are reading the blog! Plus the headline had aliteration in it! Always one of my favorite word plays.

Round Lake Mayor Bill Gentes is finding out the power of the written word.

As well as the galvanizing power of opinions.

Gentes started the week on Monday with a post in his blog, www.eroundlake.com/blog, about the notion of consolidating the four Round Lake area communities into one city, an idea that has been tried, and failed, in the past.

Monday’s post, which ended with Gentes writing, “I think this is a concept whose time is getting closer,” was followed by a second post about the idea on Tuesday.

And the comments rolled in on both offerings — some supportive and some saying he was off his rocker for favoring the idea.

Monday’s post garnered more than 20 replies, while Tuesday’s stands at nearly 20. Gentes said the real eye-opening numbers are the number of unique visitors. Bloggers are able to track the number of visits and visitors to their sites, and Gentes said Wednesday was the most visited day ever of his site.

“It’s been fun watching the spikes in visitors,” he said.

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

The Mayor Serves up the Heart Attack Special!

My specialty in the cooking department are eggs! To be even more accurate omelets! I made one this morning for myself with mushrooms, feta cheese and ham. I reduced the mushrooms, and ham, then tossed in the feta to toast it. I then continued with 3 eggs in one of my special pans (I own 3) and made the omelet then I shoveled in the above goodies. Then of course the folding of the omelet completed the masterpiece! I messed up the flip slightly in the upper right corner you can see where it broke slightly. Mmmm it was good as well, plus low carb as well!

Monday, February 20, 2006

State of the School-- A District 116 Progress Report

Last Thursday morning I attended the Round Lake Area School District presentation that they made in conjunction with the Round Lake Chamber of Commerce. The presentation covered and touted two major areas educational and financial. I am going to talk about the financial aspects of the turnabout here however. Five years ago when I took office, the mayors with major stakes in the district were approached, by numerous state legislators about our feeling about putting a state oversite panel in place to attempt to fix the morass that the district had become. While I had reservations about losing some local control I did recognize that something needed to be done. The appointment of the SFA (State Finance Authority) and the hiring of Dennis Stonewall as CEO, Wally Korpan as CFO and Dr. Janet Elenbogen as Chief Education Officer have shown dramatic results.
  • In 2001, Round Lake Area Schools had a student population of 5,775 K-12 students.
  • The assessed valuation of District 116 is the second lowest in the county with the second highest tax rate.
  • Most of the taxes are generated from homeowners.
  • In 2001 40% of our real estate revenue, or approximately $7,060,000 out of $17,800,000 tax distribution was intercepted by bankers who felt that we were a poor risk.
  • In 2001, the homeowner of a $150,000 home was paying $2,630 in taxes to our school district. Of this money, $1,578 was going to pay off debt.
  • The district borrowed $14,400,000 in short-term debt to make payroll and pay for educational supplies.
  • There was a possibility in 2001 that the health insurance program that the district had for its employees would not be available due to a lack of funds.
  • In March 2001 the school district tried, unsuccessfully, to pass a referendum to sell bonds to fund a health insurance program. The long-term debt was as high as $88,172,636 and $14,500,000 in short-term .
Today things are dramatically different.
  • The long-term debt has been reduced to $77,532,228, and short-term debt is eliminated.
  • The first step of recovery began in 2001 with the implementation of fiscal management. Business operations were established, individuals trained and procedures were followed.
  • The Board received an accurate Treasurer's Report for the first time in several years.
  • Today, Round Lake Area Schools celebrates its 5th year of a balanced budget.
  • Buildings and grounds have improved with the help of several companies and organizations. Round Lake Area Schools provides a cleaner and healthier learning environment.
  • Changes have occurred without the addition of new money because business policies and procedures have been communicated to the staff and the stress of accountability is behind the positive change.
  • Many of our existing buildings have been identified for Life Safety repair. Chief among these are asbestos abatement, boiler and heating unit replacement, plumbing repair and lighting repair or replacement.
  • Technology opportunities are behind other school districts and equipment replacement and training are paramount in improving our educational climate.
  • There is an active participation by members of the Business Office with members of the Curriculum and Instruction Department to make sure that grants are properly budgeted, expended and accounted for.
However there are still things that need to be done going forward.
  • Round Lake Area Schools has a very diverse population and economic structure; more than 59% qualify for either free or reduced price breakfast and lunch waivers.
  • Instructional needs still include textbooks and textbook adoption testing and assessment tools. Current library books and software need to be purchased as well.
  • Our school population is rising at a very fast pace. Currently, our schools are at their peak enrollment. The current student enrollment has prompted the consideration of adding new mobiles at Indian Hill to house students for next year.
  • Additional teachers will need to be hired and supplies and capital outlay items need to be purchased to outfit these classrooms. These will all require additional dollars.
  • The prospect of selling bonds is necessary. Round Lake Area Schools will be forced to have a manageable debt in order to provide the space and service the community will demand. This will be no different than other school districts. These financial improvements are important, however, the quality of education must also be improved.
It is important to know that in the past year Round Lake Area Schools has become the envy of other area school districts for the financial improvements it has made. Other districts have visited to ask questions on how we made improvements. These are the same districts that a few years ago lost confidence in Round Lake Area Schools.

Sunday, February 19, 2006

Graffiti Problems in the Village

Many of you have noticed a sudden increase in graffiti throughout the older section of town. We have also recently noticed an increase in gang activity both at the Round Lake High School and in the community. We are planning and taking proactive steps to address the issues.

    Saturday, February 18, 2006

    Cub Scouts Visit my Radio Show!

    My radio show last Thursday gave me some special guests. We learned about what the Tiger Scouts are doing for projects, who had the faster pine car from the pine car derby, and we discovered what happens when a tiger scout eats a giant carrot on the air! I had a great time and I think the kids did as well.

    Friday, February 17, 2006

    Carbon Dioxide Bill Clears Committee

    A few months ago Trustee Brian Brubaker and his family had quite the scare with their CO2 detectors going off. You can read about it in more detail on his blog. (Go here) Brian has been quite active with this since that day. Yesterday that a statewide CO bill passed out of a House Committee and is now on the floor of the House of Representatives. There was a little challenge in both the House and the Senate and any assistance you might be able to provide would be wonderful. We need to contact our State Representative Mark Beaubien but a letter or call to him explaining your situation and the importance of this legislation would be invaluable. The legislation is as follows, Unfortunately the legislation must be moved by March 3rd or it dies, so the quicker you could write or call Representative Beaubien the better.

    Thursday, February 16, 2006

    Public Forum on Cyber Crime

    Our Congresswoman Melissa Bean asked me to mention to you that there is an educational public forum on Internet safety entitled "Cyber Crime Forum". There will be tips on protecting yourself and your family from falling victim to online identity thieves, scam artists and other criminals. Congresswoman Bean who has been quite proactive on privacy issues will be joined by a panel of experts to address this issue.
    The location of the "Cyber Crime Forum" will be at the Wauconda Village Hall 101 N. Main Street Wauconda, IL 60084 on Wednesday, February 22nd at 6:00 pm. For more information please call 847-519-3434

    Wednesday, February 15, 2006

    I Should Pay People to Comment

    Thanks to the lively comments on the consolidation of the Round Lake Area into one big giant happy family we have broken a record. Its 7:37 pm and it's the most visited day ever on my blog, so by midnight who knows what the new number will be?

    The Sun Comes up on the New Police and Public Works Complex!

    Davis Clark our Public Works Director took this picture a few days ago and sent it to me in addition to putting it on our website as well. As for today's blog post I have nothing to say. Go read the comments from the last two posts on consolidation, some are clever and others are comments!

    Tuesday, February 14, 2006

    Consolidation...How to? Part Two

    Yesterday I wrote about merging the Round Lakes today I will talk about some of the practical methods of actually doing it. About a year ago I had one of our law firms draw up a memo outlining how we could go about doing it. I won't go into the level of detail the memo went into, but its quite doable. Each municipality would have to place it on the ballot in the form of a referendum. Then any community that passed the ballot measure would then be clear to merge with any other community that also voted in the positive. As long as those two communities share a border. For example we could not merge with Round Lake Heights if Round Lake Beach did not vote positively, because we do not touch the Heights.

    The manner of government would be different as well. There would be a City Council divided into Wards (Trustees would be Alderman). More then likely there would be 15 wards. There would be a Mayor and a Clerk (the Clerk would not have to be elected but could be) as well. The process would also be partisan with party affiliations. For the most accurate model see Waukegan.

    The other thing is that to handle the old communities debt's there is a provision that each community would become a borough with some government functions mostly managing the debt and bonds until they are exhausted. So Round Lake would not be responsible for Round Lake Beach debt and vice versa. Over time these would slowly vanish.

    Monday, February 13, 2006

    Consolidating the Round Lake's? Part One

    One of the questions I always get asked is "when will the Round Lake's ever consolidate"? I am sure the mayors of the Beach, Park and Heights get the same question all the time as well. To tell the truth I get people who think I am the mayor of all the Round Lake's anyway, simply because they don't understand the 4 communities are actually separate.

    So what's the answer to the question? Well I have one that's humorous and one that's more factual. Lets stick to the factual one here however. Yes I do think its a good idea, in fact I would like to see it happen. The positives would and could be enormous in my opinion.
    • Savings-- based on economies of scale for operations, the ability to have more departments that can serve specific needs such as housing, healthcare.
    • Political Muscle-- the new community would be the second largest in Lake County. It would also be on of the top 30 populations in the state of Illinois. (ESTIMATED from the US Census) The consolidation would put a merged community somewhere around 56,000 to 60,000 people.
      • Round Lake (15,000)
      • Round Lake Beach (30,000)
      • Round Lake Heights (4,000)
      • Round Lake Park (7,000)
    There are many more potential benefits that I will talk about in a later post but I think this is a concept whose time is getting closer.

    Sunday, February 12, 2006

    Bowling Fundraiser fit for a Queen!

    I bowled with the Round Lake Area Queens yesterday at their fundraiser. There was a good crowd of people and I had a good time. Along with the bowling there was a catered dinner which was decent. I also won 3 games of bowling at Lakes Bowl, which is where it the fundraiser was held. Trustee Brian Brubaker with his wife Lori and many of the queens extended family as well.

    As for the bowling I performed with my usual low technical ability, which only got poorer as I consumed a few beverages. I did however throw 2 strikes and pick up 4 spares, in 3 games which is not bad for me.

    Saturday, February 11, 2006

    Winter Olympics OD Starts Now!

    I spent the evening watching the Winter Olympics Opening Ceremonies from Italy. As many of you know I like Olympic like-sports. However I have never taken to winter sports, I have only skated 2-3 times in my life, never skied, I have been on sleds...mostly on the nasty "luge" course on Harts Hill in Round Lake with my daughter. I have never even been on a snow mobile either although that's not an Olympic sport. Needless to say its enjoyable to watching, even though there is not one winter sport that I have even tried! Although ski jumping seems like a good start!

    Friday, February 10, 2006

    New Lake County Blogger

    Lake Counties Coroner Dr. Richard Keller has a blog at coronerlakecountyil.blogspot.com where he writes about some interesting stuff. The blog was mentioned in the Chicago Tribune front page of the Metro section with a line that I got a kick out of.
    "House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Round Lake Mayor Bill Gentes are also a part of the blogosphere."
    Interesting company I am keeping in that sentence. However it appears that one of those blogs is written by a PR flack and the other may or may not be written by the representative. Both however are pretty good.

    Here is the article from the Chicago Tribune.

    County coroner brings job to life in online posts
    Blog helps give public a closer look at office


    By Courtney Flynn Tribune staff reporter Published February 9, 2006

    The question posed on a new online journal seemed more fitting for a forum on lost love, amorous crushes or the pitfalls of dating: Is it possible to die from a broken heart? But with Lake County Coroner Richard Keller as the host of the Web blog, the response had a bit more clinical flavor, with a healthy dose of sensitivity thrown in for good measure. "I do have an autopsy picture of an individual's heart damaged in an auto accident," Keller wrote in late January. "Other than the fact that a heart isn't really heart-shaped, the injury looks quite a bit like a drawing made of a broken heart ... you can die of a broken heart, but fortunately it is a rare occurrence."

    Although countless others have preceded Keller in joining the highly popular world of Web logs, better known as blogs, he is among a growing number of elected officials in the state who are latching on to the craze. House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Round Lake Mayor Bill Gentes are also a part of the blogosphere.

    Keller acknowledges that his blog might help him score some political points with constituents who may feel more connected with him, but he insists that the reason he decided to create "Live from the Coroner's Office" was to give the public a better understanding of the work his office does. "While I think everything in my job certainly is interesting, it's not all newsworthy, so it wouldn't be in newspapers and I only have a limited number of speaking engagements," Keller said. "This just seemed like the best and easiest way to get [information] disseminated widely."

    Keller's blog, which was set up last month to explore "life and death in the purview of a county coroner," features serious topics with lighthearted asides that range from busy days in his office to organ donation. Keller said he spends about an hour at home each night drafting the next day's post.

    The idea for the blog had been brewing since he campaigned for office in 2004 and was constantly peppered with questions by people unfamiliar with his work, Keller said. Irving Rein, a communications studies professor at Northwestern University, said blogs raise the profiles of ordinary people who might otherwise remain faceless and Keller should be able to demystify the work of the coroner through his.

    "He's expanding the idea of what a coroner's office is," said Rein, the author of "High Visibility," which examines the influence of blogs. "Over the years, when you think of the coroner, you don't think of somebody who has an identity; it's kind of a scary thing, and he's really redefining that."

    In a lighthearted post on Jan. 24, Keller mused about a phone call he received from a mystery writer who wanted to pick his brain about a plot line for a murder. "What would be the right medicine or toxin to cause a death that might look natural, or a toxin that would cause them to linger before dying as the story unfolds ... the possibilities are nearly endless," he wrote. "It is certainly a change in pace to have these discussions [alright I do enjoy them] and I do like a good mystery story."

    Then, Keller had second thoughts. "But at the end of the call I get to thinking, what if it isn't a murder-mystery writer or what if it is a murder-mystery writer actually contemplating a real murder?" he wrote. "That almost sounds like the premise for a mystery story itself."

    Other blog entries are more serious. In a post Jan. 23, Keller explores his grief over the loss of a loved one, which surfaced when he was speaking at an event about hospice care. "As I know from personal experience and as has been reinforced by my professional experience, don't expect others to get over a loss, to get over their grief," he wrote. "Help them, support them as they work through this life experience, but there is no `blueprint.'"

    He also explained how the coroner's office uses inquests to determine causes of death with the help of a jury in homicides, suicides and accidents. He went on to discuss the impact the inquests have on victims' families.

    "These can be long tough days for everyone involved," Keller wrote Jan. 12. "At times the roiling emotions of the family reach the point of outburst, but can they be blamed? There are few more emotion-laden occurrences in life." In his most recent post, Wednesday, Keller wrote about suicide and how many people's lives have been affected by it, including his own with the death "of a close relative." "Many, many individuals have been touched, people I have had contact with without ever knowing. It has been eye opening," he wrote. He's now available at www.coronerlakecountyil.blogspot.com to answer any of those questions people might be dying to ask.

    Thursday, February 9, 2006

    Busy Mayoral Day

    Today I have a meeting of the Hospital Taskforce at 10. An interview with for a needs assesement with Mano a Mano at noon. Mano a Mano is the local aid agency located in Round Lake Park. I served a term on the agencies board a few years ago. It's a worthwhile agency that does some needed things for the area.
    Then in the afternoon I have two meetings one internal and the other a planning meeting for some issues with our Downtown development district. Lastly I am going to go to the Lakemoor village board meeting at 7 with one of our county board members Bonnie Thompson Carter to make a presentation to them on the "wisdom" of joining the 120 corridor planning council. Other then that I have nothing going on!

    Wednesday, February 8, 2006

    First Ever 5K Frosty Footrace!

    Join the fun and walk or run in the inaugural 5K Frosty Footrace. The event is scheduled for February 26, 2006 with all proceeds from the race benefiting our senior fitness programs. Race day kicks off with a 10 a.m. registration and 11 a.m. start from the Sports Center located at 2004 Municipal Way in Round Lake Beach. Hot soup and awards will follow the competition. For more information contact Kristy Nacker at the Round Lake Area Park District at 847-740-9826 or by email.

    I am running in it and I hope to see many of you there. This is the cold version of the park district's fall 5K. I have a grudge match with a Trustee's wife, with dinner riding on the outcome as well.

    Tuesday, February 7, 2006

    Moving Day!

    Its official we are moving into the new facility on the South East corner of Bacon and Townline road. We will be talking more about the facility in the near future! I have talked about the complex here, here here and here. However tomorrow is the big day, phones are on, and we are taking over the facility! We have taken a huge step in getting this done, and in a month or so when the weather gets better we will have a dedication and a open house for the community. This picture was taken in August of last year, I used all the other ones of I have of the facility in the other posts so this was all I have!

    Monday, February 6, 2006

    My Movie and Screen Personality!

    I found this interesting test last night while surfing and I know that since I would be watching the Super Bowl, I might not be able to organize my post for the morning so I am taking the easy way out. This is who I would be if I were a movie star! Ha!

    Cary Grant
    You scored 9% Tough, 23% Roguish, 9% Friendly, and 57% Charming!

    You are the epitome of charm and style, the smooth operator who steals the show with your sophisticated wit and quiet confidence. You are able to catch any woman you want just by flashing that disarming smile. When you walk into a room, the women are instantly intrigued and even the men are impressed. When you find yourself in trouble, you are easily able to charm your way out of it, or convince others to help you. You're seen as dashing, suave and romantic. Your co-stars include Katharine Hepburn, Irene Dunne, and Joan Fontaine, stylish women who know a class act when they see it.

    Sunday, February 5, 2006

    Super Bowl Sunday

    I always enjoy the Super Bowl for the commercials and the game. When I was growing up in Mexico they used to take the affiliate feeds from CBS and NBC and do a voice over in Spanish, but since they wanted the crowd noises the station would leave the English on in the background. I got very good at listening to the background noise so I could hear the US announcers.

    The mexican networks used to also take the feed from the Texas or Louisiana stations for the CBS (the NFC at that time) feed, so I got a steady diet of New Orleans Saints games and some team in Dallas (I automatically rooted for their opponents). Then the other network would take the late game from NBC (then the AFC) from San Diego where I got Charger games and sometimes Oiler games. Needless to say I love the Saints, which is like loving a tooth ache! I have only worn a bag on my head once as a New Orleans Aint fan once by the way.

    Anyway I think Pittsburgh running game is going to be to much for Seattle tomorrow. But not by that much, I think Pittsburgh will win in overtime after wearing down the Seahawks defense. Say 27-24.

    Saturday, February 4, 2006

    A Day Without a Mayor! Well sort of!

    I spent all day doing real estate stuff today. My real job! I was looking for some homes for purchase and improvement for some investors I represent. Since it was raining most of the morning it seemed like I was putting shoes on and off all day as I went in and out of places.

    I was however unable to restrain myself from "Mayoring up" and attended Trustee Bob del Prato's meeting at the new Police and Public Works Facility in his capacity as Chair of the Facilities and Capital Assets Committee. I also saw Trustee Shaw and Trustee Brubaker there as well.

    Friday, February 3, 2006

    The Day of Meetings!

    It seems like every once in awhile there is a day where all I do is have meetings! Yesterday was such a day. I had a morning meeting at the hall ironing out some issues, then it was off to a meeting with Dick Hilton Director of Lake Counties GIS Department (maps!). For those of you unaware of what the county has for free go to this website right now! There are some really interesting things you can do there. The picture at the left is of the land where Great America currently is! Somewhat changed I would say.

    From there it was a dash to the Lake County Department of Transportation where I attended as a spectator the set-up meeting of the 120 Corridor Planning Council's Steering Committee. It was interesting to hear some of the experts thoughts on the 120 process!

    Then tonight it was Stormwater Management, I am the municipal representative of the Fox Watershed all with the county representative and County Board member Bonnie Thompson Carter. There are 12 members from the 4 watersheds, its quite interesting at times but quite dull at others. No comments on which it was tonight however!

    Thursday, February 2, 2006

    Visitors from Afar

    I got an interesting email from an old Round Lake Resident named Robert Hooker, who knows the guy who invented the word blog! Who by the way is named Jorn Barger. But I will let him tell you in his own words because he says its better then me!
    I found the blog because a friend of mine from Chicago is in to blogs, as am I, because of my job. She knows I know the guy who invented the word "blog" and looks out for blogs. I am working on my PhD studying the impacts of the Internet an spend a massive amount of time tracking what is going on, I used to Google "Round Lake" until about 2001 when too many returns came back, so I now use virtual social nets to get information. I presently live in London itself, though what London means is not as clear as US cities. I don't live in the tiny centre called the City of London, rather I live in a place called Bow, which is part of the Greater London Authority, though the town I live in is technically Tower Hamlets, where I pay local taxes to. If Round Lake is still a bunch of townships sharing common schools and other services than that would be a good idea of the political situation in London. I live with my wife.

    I left my own .com company in 2004 to join LogicaCMG which is one of the largest consulting firm in Europe and India but has little presence in the United States. I am an Internet consultant which today means I work on everything that has anything to do with computers. I am afraid my roots in Round Lake were rather shallow, just the nuclear family of my parents and my brother and we have all since moved away, though I have moved the furthest."
    I would note that he did however graduate from Round Lake High School in 1984 and the University of Chicago in 1988. In addition he offered to send me all sorts of Manchester City soccer stuff. Whom by the way beat Newcastle United today 3-0.

    By the way the picture is of the new mayor of Tower Hamlets Mayor Doro Ullah he's the one on the right with the "bling" on. Not sure what the guy with the giant stick does, but my guess is that any mayor could use a guy with a giant stick near him.

    Wednesday, February 1, 2006

    Chairman of the Hospital Task Force Named!

    A few weeks ago when I spoke at the Round Lake Chamber one of my central tenets was the need for a Hospital to serve the general area. I have been stunned by the number of emails I have been receiving from people with positive comments and encouragement. In addition some local residents have stepped up and offered to help.

    One resident that stood out is Al Villasenor and I have asked him to chair the taskforce. He was gracious enough to accept. Al was born in Chicago and raised in Skokie, IL. Al and his family moved to Round Lake Beach in 1997, then subsequently to Round Lake in 2003. Currently, Al serves as the treasurer of the Madrona Village HOA. Professionally, Al holds a B.S. in accounting from DePaul University. Al has served as the Controller and CFO of two local corporations with annual sales exceeding $3 million each. After many years in the corporate world, Al seized an opportunity to help individuals of all means set and reach their investing goals as an Investment Representative with Edward Jones Investments.

    Hopefully we will have some positive feedback and news that we can relay to you in the near future.

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