Trip to the Upper Penisula--Northern Michigan University here we come!

I am taking a blogging vacation this weekend, because I am going with my daughter to inspect a potential college campus. This one is due north, and I mean due north! Until you get to Lake Superior, and the town of Marquette! The school is Northern Michigan University. Upper Peninsula here I come! Hey guess what the weather says its snowing! It snows about 140 to 160 inches a year up there! They have a Nordic skiing team 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!

Interesting Article in Crains on Hospital Board

There was an interesting article in Crains Chicago Business about the Illinois Hospital Board.

Good synopsis of the issues and challenges facing potential hospitals. The link is here.

Round Lake Library-- Sunday Sampler Series

I got this email from Candice Lutz who is a reference librarian at the Round Lake Area Library about some wonderful programs the library is offering. So naturally I decided to run with it!

I just wanted to let you know about a relatively new development at the Round Lake Area Library: we have a wonderful performing arts series here!

It’s called Sunday Sampler because:

• the performances are always on one Sunday a month and
• the program is--an hour long—enough time to “sample” a style of entertainment.

So far we have presented a jazz and chamber choir, an internationally recognized tap dancer, a professional jazz duo—vocals and guitar, and last Sunday a steelpan combo from NIU performed to a capacity crowd of 100. All events are free to the public.

In April we will be offering a sample of classical ballet combined with some classy jazz dance. Trio Los Magnificos will end our season in May. We’re taking summer off, and resuming in September with flamenco dancers accompanied by a guitarist (date is still open). Chicago Bronze, an English hand bell choir, will ring in the holiday season in December. I’ll fill in the blanks between now and then.

As you can tell, I’m rather proud of my program; it seems to be a caliber of entertainment not otherwise available in this area. Given the last attendance numbers, it also seems that it is an idea whose time has come.

COMMENTARY-- Gangs Part 2

The Round Lake Area had traditionally benefited from many multi-jurisdictional efforts such as the Lakes Management Commission, Chamber of Commerce, the Round Lake Area Park District, parades and events. It is a little know fact among many area residents that the Round Lake Area police departments have worked closely for a number of years. Recently, the Round Lake Area Chiefs of Police meet and agreed to increase the level of multi-jurisdictional law enforcement efforts.

The Chiefs recognized that their departments are routinely dealing with the same offenders throughout the Round Lake area. For example, a delinquent juvenile who attends the Round Lake High School might live in Round Lake Park and probably hangs out in Round Lake Beach (this is only an example and not meant to indicate that delinquent juveniles live in Round Lake Park). That delinquent juvenile could possibly come into contact with three different police departments. Why should three separate police departments build three separate cases against the same delinquent juvenile? Why not join forces and maximize resources? That is exactly what the Round Lake Area police departments are doing.

Starting this spring, the Round Lake Area police departments will be increasing their cooperative enforcement efforts in the areas of gangs, general investigations, DUI enforcement, commercial vehicle enforcement, boat patrol and areas of CALEA accreditation that the departments share such as dispatch. I applaud these efforts and hope that they will have a positive impact on the limited crime that we have in the Round Lake Area.

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.

CALEA-- Timeline starts now!

On the 26th of February the village board started the clock ticking on the Police Departments CALEA accreditation process. Its a 36 month process that ultimately leads to being a certified agency.

As many of you know we have had to forcefully yank our police department out of the past and into the future in the last two and half years. The process has been painful and costly. If some had spent as much energy resisting change as they had in getting with the program we would be much better off. But I can't change the past, only take us towards a better future.

CALEA is the way law enforcement agencies voluntarily demonstrate their commitment to excellence in law enforcement. The standards upon which the Law Enforcement Accreditation Program is based reflect the current thinking and experience of law enforcement practitioners and researchers. Major law enforcement associations, leading educational and training institutions, governmental agencies, as well as law enforcement executives internationally, acknowledge CALEA’s Standards for Law Enforcement Agencies and its Accreditation Program as benchmarks for today’s law enforcement agency.

• CALEA Accreditation requires an agency to develop a comprehensive, well thought out, uniform set of written directives. This is one of the most successful methods for reaching administrative and operational goals, while also providing direction to personnel. (Click HERE for a list of standards.)
• Accreditation standards provide the necessary reports and analyses a CEO needs to make fact-based, informed management decisions. (Click HERE for a list of standards.)
• CALEA Accreditation requires a preparedness program be put in place – so an agency is ready to address natural or man-made unusual occurrences. (Click HERE for a list of standards.)
• Accreditation is a means for developing or improving upon an agency’s relationship with the community. (Click HERE for a list of standards.)
• CALEA Accreditation strengthens an agency’s accountability, both within the agency and the community, through a continuum of standards that clearly define authority, performance, and responsibilities. (Click HERE for a list of standards.)
• Being CALEA Accredited can limit an agency’s liability and risk exposure because it demonstrates that internationally recognized standards for law enforcement have been met, as verified by a team of independent outside CALEA-trained assessors. (Click HERE for a list of standards.)
• CALEA Accreditation facilitates an agency’s pursuit of professional excellence.

Don't Forget the Wine Tasting is Saturday!

Don't forget this Saturday is the Wine-tasting that benefits a playground at the Park District. The event is being held by the Park District Foundation on Saturday at the 814 Hart Road from 6-10pm. Tickets are still available by calling 847-546-8558 they are $30.

Village School Art Program

A long time Round Lake Resident and active member of the Village School PTO Shelley Trump sent me this email letting me know whats going on with a marvelous program at Village School.

I wanted to let you know about the great art programs that are happening at Village Elementary School in Round Lake.

Last Spring we held an auction to raise funds for art programs at Village. This year, with those funds, we have hired local artist, Andrea Zachotina, to create an ArtSmarts Program for our students. Mrs. Zachotina has been visiting each classroom and teaching the students about famous artists and their styles and techniques. Thus far, these visits have taught the students about color theory, pointillism, portraits, and watercolor techniques. This week she will conclude her visits by teaching about Henri Rousseau. The students will learn how to create jungle art using colored pencil techniques. Mrs. Zachotina will be at Village all day on Tuesday, Feb. 27, Wednesday, Feb. 28, and Friday, March 2.

To conclude our ArtSmarts Program, we are holding an "ArtSmarts Night at the Museum" on Friday, March 9th, from 6:30 to 8:00pm at Village School. Each student will submit 2 works of art from the ArtSmarts Program, and these will be hung around the halls and gym for a wonderful display of over 1000 works of art. This event will provide the students an opportunity to proudly exhibit their artwork.

Mrs. Zachotina will return to Village School in April to work with our 6th grade students to create a jungle-themed mural for one of our cafeteria walls. Last year's 6th graders left a flower garden mural on another wall.

On Friday, April 20th, we will hold our next "Auction for Art" at Village School from 6:00 to 8:30pm. This will be both a silent and live auction. We are currently seeking donations for this event and hope it will be even more successful than last year so that we can continue providing opportunities for our young artists to express themselves at Village School.

If you have any questions, please contact Shelley Trump, Village School PTO Art Committee and Auction Committee. (847) 546-7835 or trumpj2@hotmail.com or Village School (847) 270-9470. Thanks!

COMMENTARY-- Gangs Part 1

This is the first of a multiple part discussion of gangs. There will be another part that discuss some of the steps that our police are taking in conjunction with the other police departments in the area to combat gangs in the area. Much of the information gathered here is from the following two sources (here and here) in addition Police Chief Cliff Metaxa helped quite a bit.

The existence of gangs in the Round Lake Area is not a new or recent phenomenon. The following is a brief discussion of the history of gangs and specifically Chicago based street gangs.

Gangs in the United States have been traced back to the post Revolutionary War days and originally formed as a means of self-protection and as social clubs. In the early nineteenth century, Irish immigrants formed the first street gangs in New York City. By the 1920's, the city of Chicago is reported to have had over 1300 gangs in the city

In the 1960's a "youth group" called the Black P-Stone Rangers developed into a criminal organization. The group's leader, Jeff Fort, united the leaders of some 50 area street gangs into a single organization, the “Black P-Stone Nation”. The group was controlled by a 21-man commission, self-titled the "Main 21". The leaders projected the group as a socially conscious, self-help organization that would help uplift themselves and their community. As a result of this premise, the group sought and obtained $1.4 million in federal anti-poverty funds. These funds were then used to support the group's illegal activities. A federal grand jury uncovered the funds mismanagement and Jeff Fort was sent to federal prison.

The perceived success of Fort's Black P-Stone Nation resulted in the formation of many other street gangs, which claimed to be politically and socially motivated. Of the groups that surfaced, many dropped to a level of disorganization, while others developed into sophisticated, highly organized groups involved in prostitution, robbery, burglary, extortion, and drug sales.

Two very influential gangs, the Black Disciples, led by David Barksdale, and the Gangster Disciples, led by Larry Hoover, followed Fort's example and unified their gangs to form the Black Gangster Disciple Nation. Throughout the 1970's, the Black P-Stone Nation and Black Gangster Disciple Nation controlled the Chicago drug trade and became bitter rivals expressing their anger by creating the bloodiest gang war in Chicago's history.

During the 1980's, within the prison walls, gangs began separating into alliances. The two alliance names that emerged were the “People Nation” and “Folk Nation”. All gangs that were originally aligned with the Black P-Stone Nation aligned with People Nation. Those that were originally aligned with the Black Gangster Disciple Nation aligned with the Folk Nation.
Many gangs or "sets", as they are called, are aligned with one of the two Chicago alliances. The more prevalent groups are shown below by alliance.

People Nation Sets

• Black P-Stone
• Latin Kings
• Vicelords
• Spanish Lords
• El Rukns
• Bishops
• Gaylords
• Latin Counts
• Kents

Folk Nation Sets

• Black Gangster Disciples
• Black Disciples
• Gangster Disciples
• La Raza
• Cobras
• Eagles
• Latin Disciples
• Maniac Latin Disciples
• Simon City Royals
• Spanish Gangsters
• Two Sixers

It is very common for Chicago-based gangs to maintain charters, constitutions, recruiting documents, and other written materials. These documents are almost always in cryptic code or subliminally hidden in artwork. Rules and codes of conduct must be strictly followed. Those members who choose not to participate in a gang activity are subject to disciplinary action or "violations".

Graffiti is used by gangs to communicate with fellow members and rivals. Disrespect to a rival gang or their members is accomplished by displaying rival symbols in a disrespectful manner. The disrespect of symbols communicates hatred toward the rival group. This type of graffiti encourages retaliation. The most effective method of preventing this activity is to quickly remove the graffiti in order to reduce the amount of recognition gained by the act. Notify local authorities and request the removal of graffiti.

In the Round Lake Area, you can contact CenCom at the non-emergency telephone number (847-270-9111) to report graffiti. In the Village of Round Lake, the village code 9.16.080 states:

It shall be the duty of the owner of the structure or wall upon which any inscription or representation prohibited in subsection A of this section is made, to block or remove such inscription or representation or to otherwise repair or restore the structure or wall to its prior condition within twenty-four (24) hours from receipt of notice of such occurrence.

If you have any questions about gangs you can contact your local police department. If you live in the Village of Round Lake you can contact the Round Lake Police Department at (847) 546-8112.

Round Lake Driving Alert---The First Daughter has a New Car!

As a public service I am showing a picture of the vehicle and the driver. Please be careful when you see her coming...why? Because I taught her how to drive! She is actually a pretty decent driver, which I am assuming will only improve with time. She has had her license for over a year and we have only had one scrape and that was in a parking lot to my car.

In addition since the car is just a giant MP3 player for her. I decided that it needed to have as many air bags as possible, since she is my most valuable possession!

CANCELED--- Mayors Run

There is no sense in doing that today, running or walking in the blowing snow benefits no one!

Baxter and Fenwal Announce a Sale of Some of the Round Lake Transfusion Business

More information: The transfusion therapies is a small group housed in the Round Lake Campus - 40 - 100 employees, they have been purchased by the investment groups and will move off campus and they will become a stand alone company called FenWal, Ron Labrum - former local president of Cardinal/Allegiance, and a former Baxter Guy will become the president.

Fenwal Launched as Independent Corporation Following Completion of Divestiture From Baxter Healthcare Corporation

ROUND LAKE, Ill., March 1 -- Fenwal Inc. today announced its launch as an independent company. The new corporation is formed upon Baxter Healthcare Corporation completing the sale of its Transfusion Therapies business to Texas Pacific Group (TPG) and Maverick Capital, Ltd.

Established by TPG and Maverick Capital, Ltd. as an independently operated company, Fenwal now becomes one of the world's largest suppliers of products and services to the transfusion medicine industry. Since it was first established in 1949, the Fenwal brand has become recognized around the world as being synonymous with innovation in transfusion medicine.

"More than 50 years ago, this business was created with a single purpose: to support the mission of health-care providers to save and improve lives by providing high quality, innovative blood collection and processing products and services," explains Ron K. Labrum, President and CEO of Fenwal. "Today, this purpose is renewed as Fenwal once again becomes an independent company."

A pioneer in the science of transfusion medicine, Fenwal has introduced technological breakthroughs that have helped make blood collection and blood therapy a reality, and its advanced technologies have helped to ensure a safe and plentiful global blood supply. "We are focused on delivering new and better solutions and products that are developed in collaboration with our customers, and backed by the service and support expected of an industry leader," said Labrum. "As an independent business, Fenwal will have a singular focus and resources to continue investment in research and development, as well as pursue opportunities to shape the future of transfusion medicine."

Baxter will continue to provide certain manufacturing, distribution and support services to Fenwal for a period of time following the close, under transition agreements signed by the companies. "As the transfer of ownership occurs, our first priority is to maintain excellence in customer service and to execute a seamless transition of ownership," said Labrum.

TPG is a private investment partnership that was founded in 1992 and currently has more than $30 billion of assets under management. With offices in San Francisco, London, Hong Kong, New York, Minneapolis, Fort Worth, Melbourne, Menlo Park, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo, TPG has extensive experience with global public and private investments executed through leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations, spinouts, joint ventures and restructurings.

Dallas and New York-based Maverick Capital, Ltd., a manager of private investment funds, is also an investor in this transaction.

Fenwal Inc. has five manufacturing plants located in Haina, Dominican Republic; San German and Maricao, Puerto Rico; La Chatre, France; and Bir Drassen, Tunisia. The company has approximately 3,500 employees worldwide, and annual sales of more than $500 million.

Fenwal's global team is focused on the development, manufacture and global marketing of products that allow blood centers, hospital blood banks, and plasma collection centers throughout the world to collect, separate, process, filter, store and administer whole blood and blood components for therapeutic use. To enhance the safety of transfusion medicine, Fenwal has focused on improved patient protection and has played a key role in developing automated systems and safety systems for whole blood collection. From the first fully automated blood cell separator to the most advanced apheresis technology, Fenwal continues to be a world leader in the development of innovations that change the practice of transfusion medicine.

Current product development is focused on systems that facilitate the process of cell separation using automated methods, systems to remove leukocytes (white cells) from blood components, and other processes to aid in ensuring a safe and available global blood supply.



Here is the Baxter Press Release

Baxter Completes Sale of Transfusion Therapies Business

DEERFIELD, Ill., March 1, 2007 - Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) announced today that it has completed the sale of its Transfusion Therapies business to Texas Pacific Group (TPG) and Maverick Capital Ltd. for $540 million.

TPG and Maverick Capital, Ltd. have established the new independent company as Fenwal Inc. Fenwal becomes one of the world's largest suppliers of products and services to the transfusion medicine industry, with a product portfolio of manual and automated blood-collection products and storage equipment, approximately 3,500 employees, and five manufacturing facilities located in Haina, Dominican Republic; La Chatre, France; Maricao and San German, Puerto Rico; and Bir Drassen, Tunisia.

Baxter will continue to provide certain manufacturing, distribution and support services to Fenwal for varying periods of time following the close, under transition agreements signed by the companies.

TPG is a private investment partnership that was founded in 1992 and currently has more than $30 billion of assets under management. TPG has extensive experience with global public and private investments executed through leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations, spinouts, joint ventures and restructurings.

Dallas and New York-based Maverick Capital, Ltd., a manager of private investment funds, is also an investor in this transaction. Baxter International Inc., through its subsidiaries, assists healthcare professionals and their patients with the treatment of complex medical conditions, including hemophilia, immune disorders, cancer, infectious diseases, kidney disease, trauma and other conditions.

The company applies its expertise in medical devices, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology to make a meaningful difference in patients' lives.

Mayors Run/Walk this Saturday

This Saturday morning is the 3rd Monthly Run Walk and we will hold it in Valley Lakes at the South Park. The run starts at 7am and the walk at 7:30am. The run is 2 miles and the walk 2 miles. Last time the walkers, walked while the runner ran from 7 to 7:30!

I have used mapmyrun.com to map the run here. I was able to get it to be exactly 2 miles.

For those of you who are concerned about keeping up, the last one had a variety of speeds that people ran at, and the average pace was maybe 11 minutes per mile on the run and maybe 20 minute mile pace for the walk.