Former Trustee John Huebner (1934-2008)

Yesterday the village lost a wonderful public servant John Huebner who was a life long resident of Round Lake, and who served as a Village trustee for 16 years, retiring in 2003. John passed away yesterday after a long struggle with cancer.

John was a village trustee when I was elected and I served with him for two years until he retired, I always valued him for his insight, opinions and his support. He had a passion for water issues and was always a useful person to consult on the history of why something was done that way versus another way when it came to engineering or public works.

Trustee Dale Multerer and I had been visiting him at the hospital for the last few weeks and his sense of humor and command of the facts were there right to the end. John will be missed by all of the village.

Comcast Newsmakers

This week on Comcast Newsmakers the following will be airing about 8-10 times a day during CNN Headline News. Its a nice way of articulating whats going on in the community and in the area. I have done this before as you all know. Since not all of you get cable, I am linking it here.

Me and a Friend

Always nice to see a United States Senator!

Comcast Newsmakers Interview on the Internet

A couple of months ago I appeared on Comcast Newsmakers and wrote about it here and here. I promised to have the video on when I got it converted and online and here it is! Not everyone has cable, such as myself, so I was able to get a digital version for us!



They say the camera adds a few pounds, how many cameras were pointed at me!

2007-- A Year in Review

Well it's the end of 2007 and as this seems to be turning into a media outlet for Round Lake, a year end recap seems in order.

January--The big news this month was the commitment of Advocate to build a 142 bed level 2 trauma center hospital in Round Lake at the corner of 120 and Wilson. The other big story was of course the illegal gambling den we uncovered at the 4 Coynes in downtown Round Lake. Best part of this post was the comments!

Feburary-- This was a good month for me as I received a Forefronts award from the Lakeland Journal. The village was awarded a Tree City Designation as well!

March-- Had our first guest blogger with John Gutknecht talking about wetlands and how the Valley Lakes HOA was managing them. The 4 Coynes thing went on and on!

April-- The blog hit its second birthday in full stride! Plus I announced a complete overhaul of village government, which oddly enough I have no been able to enact!

May-- Roads and festivals dominated the month. With some trustees being sworn in, some new, some old and some recycled.

June-- Advocate's public hearing was held before the state board and we packed the room and wore out the rival hospital chains with our endless testimony about why we should have a hospital in the area.

July-- I announced that I was running for the Illinois State Senate in 2008 (you can read about all that here). I did my annual mayoral inspection of the top of the water towers, this time climbing the west tower. I was joined by Trustee Michael Blum as well! The picture in todays post is from the top of the tower as a matter of fact.

August-- I actually vacationed away from the blog along with doing tons of public events with the highlight being the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life.

September-- The blog hits 200,000 unique users, and daily readership breaks an average of 1,000 a day climbing steadily it seems weekly. I also reprinted one of the more informative and popular posts I write on taxes here.

October-- Our cops went swimming in a retention pond saving a life! I wrote a three part story on Stormwater Management that was quite well read, much to my surprise.

November-- Seemed to be all about updates-- to the 120 bypass, more awards for our HOA's, reminders to watch out for deer as well as hitting 250,000 users!

December-- Slow month for the blog, but I was able to write about Mortgage assistance and update you on the seemingly never ending hunt for a hospital!

Comcast Newsmakers

Last week I appeared on Comcast Newsmakers which airs twice an hour at 24 and 54 past the hour on CNN Headline News. They say the camera adds 10 lbs! I wonder how many cameras were actually on me!

I am working on having the digital copy of it here so you can play it and enjoy my pearls of wisdom!

Long Lasting!

I am shocked that I lasted 8 days away from the Blog! Hopefully the rest-stop will energize me for better blogginess! My vacation was dull, just the way I wanted it, other then going to work twice for issues...ahhh the joys of being a boss! Other then that, horse racing and politics ruled the day!

I see from the comments that some of you are unaware of the fact that being Mayor is a part-time job! Well it is! I get paid a smoking $10,000 a year for the 20-30 hours a week that I put in on average serving the village.

By the way this was my view from my back porch, I had a few things moved around to improve the view!

Vacation Time

Going to be on vacation this week....so I am going to attempt to avoid blogging for nine days! I am sure I will be able to stick with that! Last time I tried I lasted two days! I will be back on August 6th like a blogging fool!

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!

Traffic Woes

Two days ago as I was merging into one lane from the three lanes that Route 53 becomes at Lake Cook. A semi got stuck in the east bound off ramp and tried to get into my lane with zero success until he reached me near the end of his possible merge.

I saw him trying to get into line further back, he also was using his signal, and knowing how hard it is to back track along Lake Cook, he qualified for my "niceness to other drivers" program. So I let him in!

Imagine my surprise when the lady in the passenger seat in the car behind me, a well dressed older women with her husband (I would guess, although hopefully not for his sake), started honking at me and gesturing at me with disgust. So I waved my hand at her, to acknowledge her anger, while letting the semi in. She just went nuts! It was so worth letting the semi in just to see her reaction! So good things do happen in traffic! She also pushed her husband aside to honk at me repeatedly for almost 60 seconds all the while spewing bile at me, which I was able to deduce from my skills as a lip reader were relating to my parentage!

I could see the husband looking at my license plate which is a Mayoral one and mentioning it to his wife, she by this time was screaming invective at me. Being a peaceful person, I immediately made a show of writing down the license plate and then acting like I was using my cell phone to vector in police officers to piss her off further. This also caused a different reaction, since they dove down the shoulder, and off the east bound ramp, across some grass I would add!

I am laughing as I write this! I wish they had stuck around so I could watch them and perhaps we could drive alongside each other on Lake Cook and exchange pleasantries!

For another residents traffic perspective on merging, this blog is a fine one written by John Gutknecht who is on the Villages Planning Commission and the Valley Lakes HOA.

He has a merging story of a different sort, I was unable to capture a picture of my incident since my cell phone was in use for fake phone calls, but John dialed up the level quite a bit higher then me! Check it out here!

New Trustee Sworn in, Old Trustee Sworn in and Appointed Trustee Sworn in!

Last night former Trustee Dale Multerer (left), became a Trustee again after a 2 year vacation, Trustee Sherry Perkowitz (center) was sworn in for her second term, and Trustee Michael Blum (right) who I appointed to a vacancy late last year took office in his own right! All three are welcome additions to the village board.

Talking to Cub Scouts

Last night I spoke to 9 cub scouts from a local troop at the village hall. We held a mock meeting last night where the young men voted down the building of a play ground at the corner of 134 and Cedar Lake Road by a vote of 5-1. It was contentious debate as they evaluated the pros and cons of the issue.

Plus they rejected the potential locating of the Pokeman Hall of Fame here in Round Lake by a vote of 6-0. I had a great time, I presented the young man who had the best question with the ceremonial key to city.

We also had public comment where 2 residents asked the board questions, one of them was a 15 year resident of Round Lake no less!

COMMENTARY-- New Ordinances Being Enacted

The village board has been working quite diligently to create a more modern ordinance structure, that allows the village to run more efficiently. We have passed a variety of beatification ordinances that have been quite successful, removing signage and making the downtown cleaner and more attractive is one example. Over time the board has slowly realized that to streamline and make the village run more efficiently that there needs to be a more centralized control over village operations.

To this end tomorrow at our regular board meeting we will be discussing the following ordinance-- Item 8.3 that will grant the Mayor the ability to appoint his successor. This is quite revolutionary only 6 communities have done this before in the state of Illinois, the community you know the best is Rosemont.

In addition as the current trustees leave office the Mayor will be granted the privilege of appointing trustees as opposed to having them elected. This will save the village approximately $107,000 every two years, which is how much the trustee and mayoral elections cost the taxpayers.

There is also a salary adjustment for the Mayor to a more manageable and fair wage which will change as our population changes, the formula is $10 per resident for the annual wage of the Mayor. I plan on donating some of this to charity by the way.

While I realize that these ordinances radically change the way this village does business I think they will allow us to move in a more progressive and aggressive direction. While I think this ordinance will pass I would like to promise the residents that as long as I remain Mayor I will use these powers granted to me wisely and keep moving this village forward. Please come to tomorrows village board meeting to express your support of these progressive and modern ordinances.

Tomorrow I am going to write a post about how I will create a variety of task forces that will improve the process of running village government. I hope that getting citizen involvement in these vital committees will allow me to move this village into the 21st century.

Olympics in Chicago in 2016?

On July 26th 2006, the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) selected Chicago as one of three United States Candidate City finalists for the 2016 Games. The USOC will make the decision regarding whether Chicago advances to the international competition in the Spring of 2007.

The final decision on which international city will host the 2016 Games will be made in October 2009.

So why should Chicago want to host the 2016 Olympic Games? There are countless reasons, but let’s start with the top 16… My favorite is number 9!

Top 16 reasons why hosting the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games would be a great opportunity for Chicago:

1. Unite the world in our city for a celebration of sport-- With its pageantry, sport and celebration on a global scale, this will be the biggest event in our city in our lifetime. This is our generation’s World’s Columbian Exposition or 1933 World’s Fair.
2. Celebrate our love of sport-- There is no question that Chicagoans are passionate about sport. This event will bring the best in sport to our city. Over 200 countries will be sending their best athletes into our city to perform at the highest levels of competition in our stadiums and in our parks.
3. Share Chicago with the world and raise our international reputation -- We will have the opportunity to share Chicago and what makes our hometown so special with the worlds’ athletes, guests and over 3.6 billion people who will see our City through the global television broadcast. Newspapers, magazines and television from around the world will create profiles of this beautiful Olympic city. This is our chance to inspire the world - to Stir the Soul™ of the world!
4. Create a global sporting legacy for Chicago-- Already a professional sport powerhouse, Chicago will become known as one of the world centers of all sport. New venues will allow us to experience sports, like track and field, swimming and rowing among many others, before and after the games through participation and by hosting events.
5. Act as catalyst for widespread urban revitalization-- Situating the temporary stadium Washington Park will help revitalize a beautiful part of the City. The Athletes’ Village will create mixed-use community right on the lake front, again acting as a central point for improvement of an entire neighborhood on the South Side. It will also act as a magnet for attracting more people to live in the Loop.
6. Generate economic benefits before the Games-- The construction of new venues and infrastructure improvements means new jobs. Being an Olympic host city will attract domestic and international companies to open offices or even possibly move their headquarters here. This wave of new businesses means economic development and new jobs.
7. Generate economic benefits during the games-- Over six million incremental tourists from around the world staying in our hotels, eating in our restaurants, taking rides in our cabs. Employers in the service industry will need to hire additional help to service the guests thereby creating new jobs.
8. Generate economic benefits after the Games-- Tourists will come to our Olympic City in increasing numbers years after the Games to remember and relive the 2016 spectacle, see the venues, and experience Chicago firsthand.
9. Accelerate planned infrastructure improvements--Hosting the Games will fast track key capital projects, especially transportation related initiatives, to coincide with the Olympiad.
10. Experience world-class athletics and the values of Olympic sport – in our own backyard -- This is our chance to see the best athletes in the world compete in our parks and stadiums, demonstrating not only the most amazing level of competition the world has to offer, but also the values that make the Olympic movement singular – fair play, friendship, hope, inspiration, and joy in effort.
11. Capitalize on the educational benefits--Our children will be exposed to the athletes and cultures of the world. This global Olympic Movement is a great educational tool for geography, culture, history etc. The City and Chicago 2016 will create many programs focused on our youth that will enrich our children and broaden their understanding of sport and the world.
12. Enjoy great cultural events-- Beyond sport, this event will bring world class singers, actors, dance, theatre, etc. into our city. The Games will be a cultural celebration with events throughout the city - many of them free to the public.
13. Get motivated to get in shape-- The Games will be inspiration for Chicagoans to live healthier lives by embracing fitness and wellness activities.
14. Appreciate Chicago’s distinctiveness even more-- You will learn surprising and amazing things about Chicago and Chicagoans you never knew before that will make you even prouder that you live here.
15. Meet new extraordinary people--By hosting the Games, we will attract broad range of domestic and international visitors to the Windy City who we can learn from and share experiences. Chicago will become the World’s second home.
16. Have fun and show your pride-- This will be a great time, the streets will be alive, and our people will be a big part of the experience. This will be an incredible source of pride for everyone who lives here. And, more fun than you can imagine!

Delivering Meals Last Wednesday

I delivered meals to some residents here in Round Lake last Wednesday and I had a great time. I stopped and talked to many of them, although some were not available to talk. It was nice to see the energy and enthusiasm of the volunteers. There was a good cross section of Mayors from across the county and we got to talk at the reception held prior to going out to deliver the meals. There is a nice article from the News Sun here. I also got my picture in the paper as well, talking to Mayor Kristina Kovarik of Gurnee and Mayor Ted Mueller of Hainesville. Not sure what I was carrying on about, but I am sure it was brilliant!

Mayors for Meals in Lake County

I am spending the morning participating in "Mayors for Meals" which was organized locally by Catholic Charities Lake County Senior Community Services and nationally by Meals on Wheels Association of America. We spend a hour or so socializing and listening to information about the program from a national perspective. We then pair up with our local community rep as well and then went go off to the distribution site. This is the second year that this program was offered and I enjoyed it last year immensely, along with learning quite abit about Catholic Charities program that are offered here in the Round Lake Area.

Lake County had more mayors participating then any other site in the United States last year! 18 mayors participating and only 462 nationwide so we got to pat ourselves on the back for that! Last year that is!

I delivered 5 hot meals to various seniors in the village and had a good time talking with the seniors, and hopefully they had a good time talking to me as well.

If you are looking to volunteer with some free time, I can assure you that Catholic Charities located right off of Cedar Lake road in our downtown area will welcome you with open arms.
There are numerous programs and services that Catholic Charities offer outside of the meals program, and if you know of a senior in need of help, I would refer them there for help!All in all I had a worthwhile time! I am already pledged to do it again next year!

COMMENTARY-- Underage Drinking

Last Friday, the Round Lake Police Department completed another Alcohol Countermeasure Enforcement operation in conjunction with the Illinois State Police. This operation was organized as part of the Lake County Chiefs Association Underage Drinking Committee, which Chief Metaxa is a member.

The results of last nights operation were slightly better than last time. We had four of twelve establishments sell liquor to the minor. That is better than the six of eleven a few months ago. The four establishments that sold liquor to the minor were the Tool Shed, Round Lake Liquors, El Ranchero restaurant, and Community Food and Liquors.

This is the third time that the Tool Shed has been cited for selling liquor to a minor as a result of these types of operations. I have scheduled a liquor control commission hearing for Monday, March 19, 2007 at 6:30 pm at the village hall. In the meantime, the liquor license for the Tool Shed has been suspended until the hearing. The Tool Shed continues to sell alcohol to minors and is a danger to public safety.

Channel 7 (ABC) rode along with the officers who conducted the ACE operation last Friday in Round Lake and interviewed Mundelien's Chief Raymond Rose (the Committee spokesperson) this morning. Here is a link to a story done by ABC.

The Chief's Underage Drinking Committee has focused their efforts in four areas: enforcement, education, legislation and membership. They meet monthly to discuss specific topics within these areas to ultimately achieve our goal of reducing the underage drinking in Lake County.

They will continue to conduct these types of operations in the future, but will also be focusing on education. Chief Metaxa is organizing a pre-prom presentation at the high school with the fire department and the Coroner's office.

I am going to bring in all of the liquor licensees and providing them with education and a discussion about our expectations at some point quickly.

The disappointment I get from this is enormous. Since Four Coynes is appealing my revocation of its liquor license with the Illinois Liquor Commission and is free to be open until such time as the board ratifies my decision. I have been sending officers into every bar in Round Lake every night, so its no surprise there were no violations in any of those 5 bars. I am not picking on any one bar, just being hyper-vigilant to all.

Yet in the other 7 places that sell that we checked, 4 failed. My summit with the various license holders hopefully will help them wise up, I suspect the individual liquor hearing will assist with there focus as well!

Commencement Speech at ITT Tonight

I have been serving on the ITT Technical Institute Advisory Board for a couple of years now and have been enjoying it. Post about this is here.

I was flattered when they asked me to be there commencement speaker. So tonight I am doing that! I gave the commencement speech at district 116 and I had a great time and have had a few kids over the years mention it to me.

Not sure what I am going to talk about, because I don't have much guidance on the subject, but I would guess I will talk about opportunity, education and the value of a good education!

Surprisingly enough despite its location in Mount Prospect there is a sizable contingent of Round Lake people at the school! Last time I was there I saw some Round Lakers!

Wine Tasting Last Night

Had a very nice time last night at the wine tasting fund raiser, there were about 120 couples and they raised about $4,000 dollars towards the construction on a new park. I would have some pictures of the actual event here, but my cell phone battery went dead on the way to the event, killing any chance of that happening! I walked out of there having ordered a case of assorted wines for myself, so all in all a good night! Saw to many people to mention here, but lots of Round Lakers were here!

Talked to the Latino Alliance Yesterday

I was invited to speak at the Latino Alliance yesterday for lunch at the College of Lake County. They wanted to hear how being bilingual has helped my career and what type of volunteering in the community they could get involved in. I would guess there were 30 kids in the room while I was talking, and overall I had a good time, and I think they did as well.