Be Neighborly

The Americas Cup

I have been enjoying the America's cup races on the VS network these last few weeks. The Swiss boat and the boat from New Zealand are closely matched and the best of 9 series is tied 2-2 with race 5 today! I crew for a friend of mine on Long Lake in C-Scows and have a great time (past sailing posts are here and here) sailing. So I really get a kick out watching this stuff. The coverage on TV is amazing with tons of on-board remote cameras for some great coverage.

My Dad took me when I was very young in the sixties to see the America's Cup races when they were being held in Newport off Long Island, New York so I always have a fond spot for these races! Anyway these are some of the best races I have seen in a long time.

Road Construction Update

Townline Road-- The project consists of widening Townline Road from Cedar Lake Road west to Bacon Road to a three lane cross section, installing storm sewer and constructing a bike path. The construction work will include hot-mix asphalt roadway construction, curb and gutter installation, bike path construction, storm sewer construction, ditch grading, and parkway restoration.

The construction of Townline Road started this week. (see picture at right) The Contractor began earth excavation and storm sewer installation this week. Curb and gutter installation is scheduled for the week of July 16th and asphalt installation is scheduled for the week beginning July 30th. The project is anticipated to be complete in mid August.

Cedar Lake Road-- Cedar Lake Road, Stage 1 is a Lake County Division of Transportation project that is nearing the end of construction. The work performed on Cedar Lake Road is expected to be complete by July 18th with Cedar Lake Road scheduled to be open at this time. North of the intersection of Bacon Road and Cedar Lake Road, Bacon Road will become a cul-de-sac. Bacon Road at Cedar Lake Road is expected to be closed permanently on July 18th and at this time the cul-de-sac will be constructed.

Fairfield and Gilmer-- The project is a few weeks ahead of schedule at last report from the County becuase of the lack of rain although it has rained more recently so we can only hope!

Save the Date...Bike Racing in Lake County

Last year there was a great day of Bike racing at Prairie Crossing, lots of different age groups raced over the course, and it was lots of fun to watch. This year the event is taking place on August 4th

It's a fast, flat horse-shoe shaped 1.1 mile course! There are all sorts of age group and gender related races throughout the day with the professionals riding last around 4pm.

If you want more information go here.

GIS Update

Last week at the village board meeting we got a presentation by the GIS team on our GIS implementation project which has been taking place for the last half year or so.

A Geographic Information System (GIS) is a system for capturing, storing, analyzing and managing data and associated attributes which are spatially referenced to the earth. In the strictest sense, it is a computer system capable of integrating, storing, editing, analyzing, sharing, and displaying geographically-referenced information. In a more generic sense, GIS is a tool that allows users to create interactive queries (user created searches), analyze the spatial information, edit data, maps, and present the results of all these operations.

Some of the highlights were when I asked how many street lights we had, how many miles of road we had (1,079 and 411,840 feet --over 78 miles-- worth of road). Since this was a live demo, they were able to answer the questions instantly!

The pictures show the streetlights and how they are connected and to where, with both satellite photography and with a plat map as well.

Block Party Weekend

I went to a couple of block parties this weekend, and the Mano a Mano Kermesse as well. Had a very nice time! My favorite time was the block party on Asbury, they had pinata's all sorts of food. The best was the Filipino bbq shish-ka-bobs...darn that was good!

I helped get the candy frenzy underway with a few ritual swats at the pinata before the kids got down to some serious beating on the "star".

Best story of the day was the lady who had to use my name on her citizenship test! Apparently one of the questions is who is your Mayor? So she was all excited to meet me! I had no idea they ask questions like that...but it makes sense, you do want new citizens to be aware of local issues!

Mano a Mano Fundraiser is Today

The Mano a Mano GREAT KERMESSE is here again benefiting Mano a Mano programs the fun and games go on from 3:00 to 10:00 p.m. There will be Food, raffles, games, and much more...

At Mano a Mano Parking Lot 6 E. MAIN STREET, ROUND LAKE PARK, IL 60073

SPONSORS include
• Round Lake Area Chamber of Commerce
• McGinty Bros, Inc.
• Ace Hardware
• Perez Auto Center, Inc.
• Home Depot
• Dr. Jesse Murayama, Doctor of Naprapathy
and more....
*AJ Storage *Londono’s Auto, Inc. *Cambridge Courts *I love Pets *NorStates Bank *Vision of Beauty Salon *Jalapeño Produce Market *New Century Real Estate-Sara Valadez, Agent

Hope to see you there!

Round Lake Park Blues Fest Coming Soon!

Outstanding Raffle Prize for the Discerning Cub Fan!

I have two tickets to the Cubs-Rockies game on the 27th of June. I won these at the send a kid to camp golf outing a few weeks ago and forgot all about them because baseball ceased to be a sport for me once they canceled the World Series many years ago or so.

They are Upper Deck Reserved Aisle 524 Row 1 seats 107 and 108, the game is a 1:20 start. Slightly to the right of home plate, in fact I found a picture pretty close to the actual seat you will be in!

Best "sob story" in under 50 words about why you are a Cub fan will win the tickets, you must be a Round Lake resident! All decisions of the Mayor are final as they should be! Winner will be announced Monday morning! Deadline for submissions are Saturday night at midnight!

Motorcycle Awareness

With the recent series of motorcycle fatalities in the area I thought it appropriate to go over some basic motorcycle safety tips. Over two-thirds of car-motorcycle crashes are caused by drivers, not by motorcyclists. The driver either does not see the oncoming motorcyclist at all or does not see the motorcyclist in time to avoid a crash. Special thanks to Sean Gillette for sending me most of this material!

Why Didn't I See That Motorcycle?

• Drivers tend to look for other cars, not motorcycles.
• Because of its smaller profile, a motorcycle is harder to see and you may find it more difficult to estimate the motorcycle's speed.
• The motorcyclist's riding pattern is different from your driving pattern. Different actions may be needed for the same driving or highway situation. For example, you may ignore a piece of road debris as a driver; however, that same piece of road debris may be deadly for a motorcyclist.
• Traffic, weather, and road conditions require a motorcyclist to react differently than a driver, thus it is more difficult for you to judge and to predict cues that may require the motorcyclist to take an evasive action.
  

What Are Some Situations When Crashes Are Most Likely to Occur?

• Car making a left turn: You are attempting a left turn in front of a motorcycle operator.
• Riding in your blind spot: A motorcyclist is riding in your blind spot and you may not see the motorcycle. Additionally, you may fail to adequately check blind spots before changing lanes or making turn.
• Hazardous road conditions: Potholes, wet leaves, railroad tracks and other road obstructions may dictate that a motorcyclist take an action that you may or may not.
• Obstructed line of sight: Large vehicles, such as sport utility vehicles, delivery vans, and large trucks may block a motorcycle from your view and the motorcyclist may seem to suddenly appear.
  

How Can I Become More Aware of Motorcyclists?

• Respect the motorcyclist: Remember the motorcycle is a vehicle with all of the privileges of any vehicle on the roadway. Give the motorcyclist a full lane of travel.
• Look out: Look for the motorcyclist at intersections, when a motorcyclist may be making a left turn, and on the highway, when a motorcyclist may be changing lanes. Clearly signal your intentions.
• Anticipate a motorcyclist's maneuver: Obstructions that you do not notice may be deadly for a motorcyclist. Predict evasive actions.
• Allow plenty of space: Don't follow a motorcycle too closely. Allow enough room for the motorcyclist to take evasive actions.
  

Where Can I Go For More Information?

American Motorcyclist Association
13515 Yarmouth Drive
Pickerington, OH 43147
Phone: 641/856-1900
1-800-AMA-JOIN
Fax: 614-856-1920
http://www.amadirectlink.com

Motorcycle Riders Foundation
Phone: 202/546-0983

Motorcycle Safety Foundation
Phone: 949/727-3227

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Phone: 202/366-1739

National Association of State Motorcycle Safety Administrators
Phone: 612/785-9242

---

Over two-thirds of car-motorcycle crashes are caused by drivers, not by motorcyclists. The driver either does not see the oncoming motorcyclist at all or does not see the motorcyclist in time to avoid a crash.

Why Didn't That Driver See Me?

• Don't assume that you are visible to a driver. As a motorcyclist, it is your responsibility to make your presence known to the driver. Select and wear an appropriate helmet with retroreflective materials. Wear bright, contrasting protective clothing. If you choose darker clothing, wear a fluorescent vest.
• 23 states require that the headlight be on while the motorcycle is on the highway. Use high beams rather than low beams and consider using a modulating headlight if your state allows it.
• Proper lane position is important to being seen and for protecting your riding space. If you can see the driver in the side-view mirror, the driver can see you. Don't "hide" in the driver's blind spot!
• Clearly, communicate your intentions by signaling appropriately. Let the driver know what you intend to do.
  

What are Some Situations When Crashes are Most Likely to Occur?

• Car making a left turn: A driver is attempting a left turn in front of you.
• Riding in a driver's blind spot: You are riding in the driver's blind spot and the driver may not see the motorcycle. Additionally, the driver may fail to adequately check blind spots before changing lanes or making turn.
• Hazardous road conditions: Potholes, wet leaves, railroad tracks and other road obstructions may dictate that you take an action that a driver may not or does not anticipate.
• Obstructed line of sight: Large vehicles, such as sport utility vehicles, delivery vans, and large trucks may block a motorcycle from a driver's view and you may seem to suddenly appear.
  

How Can I Increase the Driver's Awareness of My Presence?

• Make yourself visible: Choose protective gear that will increase your visibility in addition to providing protection in the event of a crash. A motorcycle helmet is your most valuable piece of protective gear and should be most visible to the driver.
• Ride where you can be seen: Remember that there is no one safe place to ride. Use lane positioning to your advantage to be seen and to provide extra space for emergency braking situations or avoidance maneuvers. Avoid the driver's blind spots. Make your lane moves gradually, and always use appropriate signaling.
• Never share a lane with a car: A driver may not expect you to be there and may not be aware of your presence. Remember most drivers are looking for other, bigger vehicles.
• Clearly signal your intentions to the driver: Signal before changing lanes and never weave between lanes.

Where Can I Go For More Information?

American Motorcyclist Association
Phone: 641/891-2425

Motorcycle Riders Foundation
Phone: 202/546-0983

Motorcycle Safety Foundation
Phone: 949/727-3227

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Phone: 202/366-1739

National Association of State Motorcycle Safety Administrators
Phone: 612/785-9242

The Grate Mystery is Solved!

The "grate" mystery is solved, it was determined to be a field tile or drainage pipe from the 1950's. It is quite a bit deeper then we thought, so after evaluating our options it was decided to leave it be.

However I was unwilling to leave it in the state that it was in here. So the public works department came up with a grate that was attached to the top that allows it to function and be safe as well! It is quite strong as you can see, since it is being load tested to 180 lbs by Public Works employee Mark Kilarski in this picture.

Kind of an interesting type of problem to work on, I enjoy these type of things since you can really make a difference on something seemingly minor yet potentially dangerous!

American Cancer Walk July 28th and the Round Lake Team!

One day. One night. One community. Your Relay For Life® is about celebration, remembrance, and hope. By participating, you honor cancer survivors, pay tribute to the lives we've lost to the disease, and raise money to help fight it – all right here in your community. You won't want to miss one moment of this life- and community-affirming event!

Our local relay will be on Saturday the 28th of July from 6pm to 6am in the morning at the Grayslake Aquatic Center there will be the Grayslake/Round Lake Area Relay for Life 2007.

I have created a team for us! The link to the team is here. So if you want to sign up to volunteer please do so at this website. I set a goal of $1,000 for us, but I am guessing we can go higher! I have numerous volunteers from my earlier post about the Relay. Off the top of my head I had about 10 people say they would come help which is exciting. So please go sign up for the team, make your pledges, and write the dates and times into your calendar.

The local event organizer is Erin Powers the daughter of Bob Powers one of our County Board representatives she assures me that as long as we have one team member walking at all times we are in good shape!

Queenly Gifts

Yesterday I got the standard gift from the Reigning Round Lake Area Queens which always goes on the wall of my office at the Village Hall, I have all 6, for my six years in office!

However this year was slightly different I got a wonderful gift from Heather Bavido the Junior Miss Queen, she made me a beautiful well thought out scrapbook (you can see to the left of the picture). I was deeply touched with the gift, I get all sorts of goodies as Mayor but this one ranks right up there! Thanks Heather!

Queen-a-palozza is Today

Lots of contestants for todays Round Lake Area Queen pageant at 3pm at the Round Lake Beach Civic Center....see you there! Trustee Brian Brubaker's daughter is competing, I bet he is excited!

Taking a True Day Off

Interesting Post on States and Where they Rank with GDP

I found this article with this map here and here (double click on it to make it bigger) and thought it was interesting as we look at Illinois in the context of the 14th largest economy in the world!

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is a convenient way of measuring and comparing the size of national economies. Annual GDP represents the market value of all goods and services produced within a country in a year. Put differently:

GDP = consumption + investment + government spending + (exports – imports)

Although the economies of countries like China and India are growing at an incredible rate, the US remains the nation with the highest GDP in the world – and by far: US GDP is projected to be $13,22 trillion (or $13.220 billion) in 2007, according to this source. That’s almost as much as the economies of the next four (Japan, Germany, China, UK) combined.

The creator of this map has had the interesting idea to break down that gigantic US GDP into the GDPs of individual states, and compare those to other countries’ GDP. What follows, is this slightly misleading map – misleading, because the economies both of the US states and of the countries they are compared with are not weighted for their respective populations.

Pakistan, for example, has a GDP that’s slightly higher than Israel’s – but Pakistan has a population of about 170 million, while Israel is only 7 million people strong. The US states those economies are compared with (Arkansas and Oregon, respectively) are much closer to each other in population: 2,7 million and 3,4 million.

And yet, wile a per capita GDP might give a good indication of the average wealth of citizens, a ranking of the economies on this map does serve two interesting purposes: it shows the size of US states’ economies relative to each other (California is the biggest, Wyoming the smallest), and it links those sizes with foreign economies (which are therefore also ranked: Mexico’s and Russia’s economies are about equal size, Ireland’s is twice as big as New Zealand’s). Here’s a run-down of the 50 states, plus DC:

1. California, it is often said, would be the world’s sixth- or seventh-largest economy if it was a separate country. Actually, that would be the eighth, according to this map, as France (with a GDP of $2,15 trillion) is #8 on the aforementioned list.
2. Texas’ economy is significantly smaller, exactly half of California’s, as its GDP compares to that of Canada (#10, $1,08 trillion).
3. Florida also does well, with its GDP comparable to Asian tiger South Korea’s (#13 at $786 billion).
4. Illinois – Mexico (GDP #14 at $741 billion)
5. New Jersey – Russia (GDP #15 at $733 billion)
6. Ohio – Australia (GDP #16 at $645 billion)
7. New York – Brazil (GDP #17 at $621 billion)
8. Pennsylvania – Netherlands (GDP #18 at $613 billion)
9. Georgia – Switzerland (GDP #19 at $387 billion)
10. North Carolina – Sweden (GDP #20 at $371 billion)
11. Massachusetts – Belgium (GDP #21 at $368 billion)
12. Washington – Turkey (GDP #22 at $358 billion)
13. Virginia – Austria (GDP #24 at $309 billion)
14. Tennessee – Saudi Arabia (GDP #25 at $286 billion)
15. Missouri – Poland (GDP #26 at $265 billion)
16. Louisiana – Indonesia (GDP #27 at $264 billion)
17. Minnesota – Norway (GDP #28 at $262 billion)
18. Indiana – Denmark (GDP #29 at $256 billion)
19. Connecticut – Greece (GDP #30 at $222 billion)
20. Michigan – Argentina (GDP #31 at $210 billion)
21. Nevada – Ireland (GDP #32 at $203 billion)
22. Wisconsin – South Africa (GDP #33 at $200 billion)
23. Arizona – Thailand (GDP #34 at $197 billion)
24. Colorado – Finland (GDP #35 at $196 billion)
25. Alabama – Iran (GDP #36 at $195 billion)
26. Maryland – Hong Kong (#37 at $187 billion GDP)
27. Kentucky – Portugal (GDP #38 at $177 billion)
28. Iowa – Venezuela (GDP #39 at $148 billion)
29. Kansas – Malaysia (GDP #40 at $132 billion)
30. Arkansas – Pakistan (GDP #41 at $124 billion)
31. Oregon – Israel (GDP #42 at $122 billion)
32. South Carolina – Singapore (GDP #43 at $121 billion)
33. Nebraska – Czech Republic (GDP #44 at $119 billion)
34. New Mexico – Hungary (GDP #45 at $113 billion)
35. Mississippi – Chile (GDP #48 at $100 billion)
36. DC – New Zealand (#49 at $99 billion GDP)
37. Oklahoma – Philippines (GDP #50 at $98 billion)
38. West Virginia – Algeria (GDP #51 at $92 billion)
39. Hawaii – Nigeria (GDP #53 at $83 billion)
40. Idaho – Ukraine (GDP #54 at $81 billion)
41. Delaware – Romania (#55 at $79 billion GDP)
42. Utah – Peru (GDP #56 at $76 billion)
43. New Hampshire – Bangladesh (GDP #57 at $69 billion)
44. Maine – Morocco (GDP #59 at $57 billion)
45. Rhode Island – Vietnam (GDP #61 at $48 billion)
46. South Dakota – Croatia (GDP #66 at $37 billion)
47. Montana – Tunisia (GDP #69 at $33 billion)
48. North Dakota – Ecuador (GDP #70 at $32 billion)
49. Alaska – Belarus (GDP #73 at $29 billion)
50. Vermont – Dominican Republic (GDP #81 at $20 billion)
51. Wyoming – Uzbekistan (GDP #101 at $11 billion)

Some Road Relief in Sight? Lets Hope So!

Tonight is a 120 Byapss Corridor Planning Council meeting at the Round Lake Police and Public Works Facility on Townline Road, we will finally have a consultant (pending board ratification) and the next few meetings we will be getting into the meat of the project! To that end I want to talk about transportation and funding. While I am not a 100% supporter of all this coalition is proposing I think alot of the ideas proposed here bear study. I bolded one section that is quite interesting. I have some comments and information at the bottom of the article.

The Transportation for Illinois Coalition (TFIC), a diverse group of statewide and regional business, labor, industry, not-for-profit and governmental organizations, calculates the State’s transportation infrastructure needs an additional $5 billion per year over the next five years. This can be achieved with an approximate $2 billion revenue increase through bonding with a multi-year payment schedule and pay-as-you-go financing.

“Transportation funding has not gotten its needed attention,” said Michael T. Carrigan, president of the Illinois AFL-CIO and TFIC co-chair. “Transportation is the resource on which everything else depends and putting off investment for even one more year is not an option. Every day sends our already deteriorating network into further disrepair, undermining our ability to pay for other vital government programs and ultimately putting Illinois’ economy, jobs and families at risk. The Governor and General Assembly must act now.”

New funds are critically needed to reverse years of decline and neglected maintenance in our
transportation networks, as well as, to finance expansion, modernization, and congestion relief. It is necessary to increase the taxes and fees dedicated to constructing and maintaining transportation networks from time to time because the funding sources do not keep up with inflation or the rising cost of building materials. Increased investment in our transportation networks is required to sustain commerce and promote job growth in Illinois, while making travel easier and improving the quality of life for everyone.

The Coalition also recommends increasing the sales tax that is levied within the six county RTA region to sustain public transit operations in Northeastern Illinois. The Transportation for Illinois Coalition supports for expansion of gaming in Illinois and recommends $500 million dollars of the new revenue generated from the gaming industry be dedicated annually to infrastructure funding for public transit systems. The Coalition further recommends that additional revenue generated from the gaming industry be used to halt diversions from the state road fund that are currently being used to finance governmental purposes other than investing in improving highway infrastructure.

“It is time that our legislators move forward with a bill that adequately funds Illinois’ transportation infrastructure,” said Doug Whitley, president of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce and TFIC co-chair. “We are the nation’s transportation hub and our entire economy is built on this infrastructure. It is imperative that we protect and advance this vital asset. TFIC is prepared to support new levies from appropriate sources to fund the needed investment.”

Except for a modest $200 million increase for mass transit, which falls short of the $2 billion a year in increased funding RTA needs, the Governor's proposed capital budget for FY2008 does not include increased funding for infrastructure improvements or new capital funding for airports, rail passenger improvements or the CREATE rail freight congestion program. Further, his proposed capital program only calls for $1.875 billion for highways, a cut of $100 million from this year's level.

Illinois’ last comprehensive transportation funding program was Illinois FIRST, enacted in 1999. The remaining funds under Illinois FIRST were disbursed three years ago. Since 2003, state capital spending for highways and transit has been cut by more than 60 percent ($1.2 billion a year), and the number of miles of state highways repaired and improved each year has dropped from about 1,200 in 2003 to a proposed 360 for 2007.

Without adequate funding, Illinois transportation systems are quickly grinding to a halt. Thousands of miles of highways, roads and bridges are in disrepair, bottlenecked rail lines in northeastern Illinois are affecting regional and national commerce and aging public transit systems, as well as ever worsening congestion on urban and suburban roads, are frustrating commuters.

TFIC is dedicated to working with the General Assembly to ensure the passage this year of a comprehensive transportation infrastructure bill that is sufficient to address the needs of highways, bridges, local roads, freight rail grade separations to relieve urban congestion, inter-city passenger rail, public transit, paratransit and local airport. It is imperative to assure adequate state funds exist to supplement federal dollars allocated for many of the state’s transportation projects.

TFIC is a diverse group of statewide and regional business, labor, industry, not-for-profit and governmental organizations that have joined together in a united and focused effort to support a strong transportation alliance for Illinois. The Coalition takes a comprehensive approach and seeks to speak with one voice for all of Illinois when it comes to transportation funding needs at the federal and state level. This comprehensive approach involves all modes of transportation, including rail, air, water, highways and mass transit.

For more information about TFIC, visit www.TFICIllinois.org.

Note: The bolded text in the article above referes to Senate Bill 572 which has an ammendment in the house which says on page 40 of the ammended bill:

One-third of those taxes collected in DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will Counties under Section 4.03 shall be distributed by the Authority to those counties based on collections of the tax within each county. The County Board of each county shall use amounts it receives from the Authority to fund operating and capital costs of public transportation services or facilities or to fund other transportation purposes, including road, bridge, public safety, and transit purposes intended to improve mobility or reduce congestion in the county and to advance the goals and objectives set out in the Strategic Plan of the Authority.

Okay what does that mean in plain english, if this bill passes and is signed by the Governor. Lake County could potentailly recieve $29 million a year in transportation funding in addtion to what it gets now!

Don't get your hopes up becuause this bill has some nasty little other features that may not pass or may be stricken, but all in all if it does pass, its a sizeable chuck of change for county roads!

Board Meeting and School Tour

Before our board meeting last week we met with the Facilities Manager for District 46 who took us for a tour of the new school. Its quite nice and spacious, with lots of nice touches. Its nice to see the progress they are making towards opening this fall

Lakewood Grove-- G23 Development Ground Breaking

Just last week we had a ground breaking for the Lakewood Grove Commercial project. We had a nice turnout for the shovel action, but the big machine in the background of the picture did the majority of the work however. I blogged about this project awhile ago here. So its nice to see the next step taking place.

The developer has a nice PDF for the project on this link. Its quite informative and we should be seeing some action in terms of retail and office space quite soon!

Scenes from the Lake Clean-up Yesterday

Here are two pictures of just some of the things taken out of the lake by the volunteers yesterday, There were over 20 people pitching in and helping out!


Here is the winning entry in the third annual Venetian Night contest, they were the winners in year one as well! They received the Mayors trophy!


Round Lake Beach Trustee Jerry Mattingly, Round Lake Park Mayor Jeanne McCue and myself pose with the winning pirate entry!

Many thanks to John, Neil and Doug for all there hard work on behalf of the village on this commission.

Lake Cleanup today and Tonight is Venetian Night

Kick off is at 8:00a.m. at the Round Lake Park Village Hall for our annual cleanup. There will be donuts and juice available in the morning for all volunteers. After the cleanup they will have a free lunch provided by the Pizza Place at the Round Lake Beach beach front, for all volunteers from 12:00 to 1:00.

The walk around the lake/poker run will begin at 2:00 to about 5:30. After that the family festivity's will begin and registration will begin for the Venetian night parade of decorated boats. We will also be selling raffle and 50/50 tickets and we have Lakes Management merchandise for sale to help fund the commission.

Food and drinks will be available for purchase from The Pizza Place. Please be sure to show your support in our cause and attend all the activities that you can.

Storm Damage Today

We had a microburst blow through Round Lake early this morning, and we were the center of the Chicagoland Media attention for awhile, great guest appearance by Davis Clark our Director of Public Works!

Great job by all the village staff today! Here are some pictures of the damage for you.

Lake Cleanup this Weekend

One of the best projects the Round Lake area villages are involved in is the Round Lake Management Commission, three people from the village represent us on the lake, Doug Vehlow, Neil Flamm, and John Gutknecht, they asked me to remind you that this Saturday is the annual lake cleanup and then in the evening is the third annual Venetian night. Here is a flyer with more details.

My Advocate Testimony Yesterday!

Yesterday was a big day, the state board that will decide on a certificate of need for Advocate Healthcare's proposed hospital was in town taking testimony on the why Round Lake will be a great site for the hospital!

There is some nice coverage from the Daily Herald, News Sun and the Round Lake Journal in the papers.

While all the experts and health care providers were debating the merits of which hospital should be built, the real world intruded and this is what happened. There was an accident in Grayslake, and there was an accident in Fox Lake as well and there was someone airlifted to Advocate Lutheran General from Grayslake. Kind of ironic, especially since this type of traffic issue, was going on all day, I would hope the persons transported by ambulance were okay in Lake County Traffic.

Along with a host of others, I testified. What follows below is a transcript of my testimony that I will give yesterday at the Round Lake Beach Civic Center.

My name is Bill Gentes and I serve as the Mayor of Round Lake.

Round Lake is proud to be the potential home of Advocate’s proposed hospital. Our residents are united as one towards achieving this goal.

Last year in a speech to the Round Lake Chamber of Commerce, I made a loud call for a hospital in western Lake County. I appointed a citizen-driven Hospital Task Force to identify and address the needs of our surrounding communities and attempt to attract a hospital to our region.

What this Task Force found was no surprise. There was an urgent need—not just from Round Lake—but from concerned citizens of the Round Lake area and well beyond—that they will not take their health needs lightly.

I stand today in support of Advocate with my fellow mayors from Fox Lake,
Hainesville, Lake Zurich, Old Mill Creek, Round Lake Beach, Round Lake Heights, Round Lake Park, Island Lake, Third Lake, Volo and Wauconda, who like me, recognize the significant lack of health care within reasonable reach of our communities. Each Village submitted a formal resolution to the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board stating this need.

We also recognize the lack of nearby healthcare will only get worse as each of our communities continues to grow. These communities currently represent over 130,000 people and that does not include the nearly 30,000 who live in unincorporated areas adjacent to these communities.

Western Lake County and Eastern McHenry County struggle with a significant lack of transportation infrastructure. Getting to a hospital is hard and getting harder. This village is pushing big projects that will solve big problems, the Route 120 bypass - is one of them - which will end on Round Lake’s and Advocates front door step and will give Lake and McHenry County desperately needed traffic relief, and make access to a Advocate’s Lake County Hospital easy from all compass points via Route 120, Route 60, and US Route 12

I am thrilled that Advocate wants to make this substantial investment in my community. The economic impact of a new hospital is significant: it means more jobs, supply and equipment purchases, construction work and support to local business.

Let me be clear what this hospital can and will do for this region. Coupled with Baxter Healthcare’s adjacent technology campus, which employees 2,300 people, we would be creating one of the largest clusters of healthcare jobs in the Chicagoland area. Over 1,000 directly related new jobs will be created in the surrounding communities.

It’s easy to see that a hospital will provide jobs and health security to our neighbors, but building an Advocate hospital means much more – commitment to our communities. Advocate hospitals have been serving Chicagoland for over 100 years, and I am confident they are here to stay for the next 100 years. Why am I confident? Because as a not for profit system, Advocate is a mission driven organization dedicated to serving communities.

We all know that there is a for-profit provider touting a competitive hospital proposal that will offer property tax benefit. In my opinion, all that Advocate brings in community benefit and charity care far outweighs any property tax contribution we could imagine. In fact, the Advocate system dedicates roughly a quarter-billion dollars or so annually in community programs and services throughout Chicago and the suburbs.

The Village of Round Lake supports Advocate Health Care’s plans to build a hospital in western Lake County.

I respectfully ask the Illinois Health Facilities Board to do the same. Thank you.

Here's how you can support Advocate Tommorrow!

Today, I spoke to officials at Advocate Health Care to find out how I can get more of you to be able to comment at the hearing tomorrow. They stated that you do not need to speak at the public hearing tomorrow in order to submit a statement of support. Many of you have articulated to me that although you support Advocate’s proposal, you cannot attend the hearing tomorrow.

I have attached a letter of support has attached a generic letter of support that our members can sign and fax back to the village hall.

The Village Hall fax is 847-546-5405

I will take your letters of support with me tomorrow and see that they are recorded. So you need to get them to us by noon so we can get them over there.

As a word document (two versions)

General_Advocate.doc

Community_day%20of_template.doc

Or copy and paste it into a letter.

June 5, 2007
RE: Advocate-Lake County Hospital

Public Hearing Testimony

Project No. 07-053

To Whom It May Concern:

I support Advocate Health Care’s initiative to construct a hospital in Round Lake, Illinois.

The construction of a hospital in Round Lake would be a huge economic boon for my community, create thousands of jobs, and most importantly, improve the quality of life for residents and workers in the area.

Western Lake County is in dire need of more accessible hospital-based medical facilities and Advocate Health Care’s proposal will bring these much needed facilities to the residents. The Round Lake Area has the highest population concentration in western Lake County with 60,000+ residents. The population alone makes Round Lake the most logical geographic area to build a hospital.

I respectfully urge the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board to approve Advocate Health Care’s proposal to build a hospital in northwest Lake County.

Best regards,

The Race is Over! Thankfully for me!

Well we had 34 runners and walkers, mostly runners however, (30 and 4) to be exact. However you will note that there are only 33 finishers, because one guy showed up, did not register, and then ran the race anyway got his time at the line, and bolted!

I ran the first mile! Nudging ahead of walker Silma Villasenor (speed walker extraordinarie) which allowed me to socialize with the RL Queen manning the water booth (many thanks) and then I walked for awhile, then ran along Nippersink, then walked through Parkview, and ran from the Library to the finish line, so maybe 2 miles running total, considering the crap shape I was in, I was pleased. Oh did I mention, that an ambulance followed me the whole way (true story)!

The results are here and here! The highlight for me was that our Village Engineer Erika Frable won the womens category and finished 8th overall as well! Public Works employee/speed demon Ross Hosking shattered the 30 minute mark! Karsen Green a 16 year old from Gurnee, who was about 6'5' churned out 3- 5 minute miles to win the race.

Round Lake resident was Mike Vanata, followed by Al Villasenor, and then Barry Swan rounded out the top 3 for the village resident race! My daughter ran with one of her friends and tormented him the whole way round, and then out sprinted him at the end to show him was boss.

I am also grateful to Ramona Ruskuls one of my colleagues from my day job, who took the time on Sunday to drive from Arlington Heights to race with me. So now I can have her talk smack to me at work, delightful! By the way thats her in the picture with me.

    Place    Name                    City               Bib No Age     Age Group        Time      Pace
  1    Karsen Green            Gurnee  IL            228   16     1 M  0-99      17:02.0    5:30/M
  2    Steven Kleine           Gurnee  IL            223   18     2 M  0-99      17:18.8    5:35/M
  3    Keith Brzezinski        Lakeville  IL         222   45     3 M  0-99      18:42.5    6:02/M
  4    Ray Levernier           Crystal Lake  IL      224   38     4 M  0-99      19:07.3    6:10/M
  5    Kevin Kerrigan          Spring Grove  IL      207   39     5 M  0-99      19:22.2    6:15/M
  6    Gardiner Wade           Round Lake Beach  I   220   27     6 M  0-99      21:38.3    6:59/M
  7    David Lomax             McHenry  IL           227   35     7 M  0-99      22:16.0    7:11/M
  8    Erika Frable            Spring Grove  IL      202   38     1 F  0-99      22:16.3    7:11/M
  9    Thomas Vaughn           Waukegan  IL          219   50     8 M  0-99      23:22.9    7:32/M
 10    Michael Vanata          Round Lake  IL        218   38     9 M  0-99      23:40.7    7:38/M
 11    Rick Wade               Highland Park  IL     226   57    10 M  0-99      24:38.3    7:57/M
 12    Al Vilasenor            Round Lake  IL        230   39    11 M  0-99      24:50.8    8:01/M
 13    Daniel Hartsteren       Kenosha  WI           221   53    12 M  0-99      26:26.2    8:32/M
 14    Mike Solomon            Lake Villa  IL        215   50    13 M  0-99      26:50.8    8:39/M
 15    Carlos Avila            Round Lake Heights    198   21    14 M  0-99      27:21.7    8:49/M
 16    Clint Rodriguez         Antioch  IL           213   32    15 M  0-99      27:36.0    8:54/M
 17    Barry Swann             Round Lake  IL        216   35    16 M  0-99      27:49.4    8:58/M
 18    Ana Caballero Rodri     Antioch  IL           199   31     2 F  0-99      28:05.8    9:04/M
 19    Kiki Dafnis             Round Lake  IL        201   29     3 F  0-99      28:53.5    9:19/M
 20    Renee Nichols           Naperville  IL        212   27     4 F  0-99      29:09.5    9:24/M
 21    Michael Freisinger      Round Lake  IL        203   30    17 M  0-99      29:17.8    9:27/M
 22    Elizabeth Kolek         Gurnee  IL            209   20     5 F  0-99      29:45.2    9:36/M
 23    Ross Hosking            Grayslake  IL         206   37    18 M  0-99      29:50.6    9:37/M
 24    Jen Kober               Round Lake  IL        208   35     6 F  0-99      30:09.6    9:44/M
 25    Denise Gentes           Round Lake  IL        204   17     7 F  0-99      34:38.7   11:10/M
 26    Rob Craig               Round Lake  IL        200   17    19 M  0-99      34:42.5   11:12/M
 27    Miriam Swann            Round Lake  IL        217   39     8 F  0-99      35:14.7   11:22/M
 28    Ramona Ruskuls          Arlington Heights       2   27     9 F  0-99      35:34.9   11:28/M
 29    Lori Hagi               Ingleside  IL         225   27    10 F  0-99      38:19.0   12:22/M
 30    Silma Villasenor        Round Lake  IL        229   39    11 F  0-99      41:02.8   13:14/M
 31    Mayor Bill Gentes       Round Lake  IL          1   47    20 M  0-99      44:48.7   14:27/M
 32    Anne Aleksich           Grayslake  IL         197   17    12 F  0-99      49:09.1   15:51/M
 33    Corey Miskell           Grayslake  IL         211   26    13 F  0-99      49:09.6   15:51/M

Thanks to all the volunteers who helped, set the course up and policed it for us!

Saturday was one Busy Day

Had quite the busy day yesterday, I attended my sixth consecutive Round Lake High School Graduation. Saw lots of kids that I have met over the years graduate, which was very exciting. Trustee Dale Multerer, Don Newby and Brian Brubaker were on hand, along with just a handful of other elected municipal officials.

I then went over the street of summer grounds to judge the Car Show and award my Mayor's Choice trophy. Which rather then award to a Ford Mustang as I always seem to do, I gave it a 1950's Ninety Eight Oldsmobile (I think that's what it was) which had the biggest trunk I ever seen in my life!

I then went and raced sailboats on Long Lake, and candidly I should have stayed at the Fest, we were terrible 8th out of 10. A bad day on the water usually means you are soaked, and I was.

So after that I went back to the Fest and watched Denny Diamond, the Jimmy Buffet look-a likes, and then the Ides of March.

Before the main event I got on stage and thanked our committee who put together the festival, and out trustees who were intimately involved as well.

I forgot my reading glasses, and I had scratched out my notes for my talk on the back of 3 business cards so I almost forgot to introduce Brian Brubaker and Dale Multerer, because I could barely see the cards in my hand with the spotlight shining in my face. So sorry about that guys!

The Streams of Summer--- or Friday at the Streets of Summer

The Streets of Summer kicked off last night with a drizzle followed by a deluge! Most people were hiding under the beer tent or some of the food tents, at the height of the storm, I took this picture! Which approximates what it was like, except it was cold and wet!

Once the storm blew past, the bands and the carnival rides got going again and people started to "re-arrive"!

The highlight of the evening was the headline band ARRA, who cranked out about 15 songs from the 80's and 90's to great effect. They had some capable assistants at the end as well.

Two of the Round Lake Area Queens came up on stage and danced with the lead singer on the last song which was quite entertaining!

Overall a great, if not wet, night, which ended moments before curfew at 11:30 an hour late because of the rain!

Many thanks to our vendors and volunteers who came out and did a fantastic job! It never ceases to amaze me how good the fest is every year thanks to these volunteers!

Streets of Summer Kicks off Tonight at 5!

Starting at 6pm tonight will be the following bands The House of Normandie and then Inspector Owl at 7pm will be followed by Sky Box at 8 and closing out the night will be ARRA at 9pm. Click the picture to hear some music by ARRA.

The carnival will be open at 5pm with some great rides from one of the best carnivals companies in Chicagoland, Windy City! All this and a beer tent as well!