1Dec. 17-23, 2014THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENT

INDEPENDENTTheWoodstock Dec. 17-23, 2014

Serving Woodstock, Wonder Lake and Bull Valley, Ill. $1.00www.thewoodstockindependent.comPublished every Wednesday Est. 1987

NEWS

PAGE 4

No snow? No problem. Area houses

are in the holiday spirit

ENTERTAINMENT

Local filmmakers will bring their

Chester Gould doc to WTTW

MARKETPLACE

PAGE 19 PAGE 11

OBITUARIES 5

OPINION 6

EDUCATION 8

A & E 9

MARKETPLACE 11IND

EX

The Woodstock Independent671 E. Calhoun St.,

Woodstock, IL 60098Phone: 815-338-8040Fax: 815-338-8177

www.thewoodstockindependent.com

O B I T U A R I E S E N D Q U O T ECOMMUNITY 12

CALENDAR 17

CLASSIFIEDS 18

PUBLIC NOTICES 20

SPORTS 24

Jerome Lee “Jerry” Bough, HebronLawrence James “Feez” Feezel, Woodstock

“It isn’t a competition; it’s an exhibition.”

— Miriam Berry, page 8

The Public House moves into

the Old Courthouse

VISIONS OF SUGARPLUMS‘Nutcracker’ dances back into the hearts of Opera House audiences

Flu outbreak hits Woodstock, region hard

By KATELYN STANEKThe Independent

If you’ve spent your recent days curled

up on the couch or in the doctor’s office,

you’re not alone.

An early-season flu outbreak has hit

Woodstock and the surrounding region

exceptionally hard — and according to

officials at the McHenry County Depart-

ment of Health, it’s likely to get worse be-

fore it gets better.

“We are definitely seeing increases in

flu cases,” said Debra Quackenbush, the

health department’s spokesperson. “…

Given that the Christmas and New Year’s

holiday is coming up, that increase is go-

ing to get worse, unfortunately.”

McHenry County doctors and hos-

pitals had reported 64 laboratory-con-

firmed cases of the flu to the MCDH for

the week of Dec. 7, up from no cases at

around the same time last year. �ose

numbers only reflect people who have

gone to the doctor to seek treatment and

whose tests were reported to the MCDH.

Trish Skram, a representative for Mer-

cy Woodstock Medical Center-Immedi-

ate Care, said her organization’s doctors

have fielded an “influx of patients due to

the flu,” with about 10 a day testing posi-

tive for the illness.

In Woodstock School District 200,

attendance offices have seen a huge

spike in the number of students being

called in sick.

At Verda Dierzen Early Learning Cen-

ter — home to the district’s youngest pu-

pils — more than 170 of the school’s 771

students were absent from class Dec. 8.

Nearly all reported “flu-like symptoms,”

according to district officials.

VDELC was the hardest hit of the

schools. “[Absent rates] were at 20 per-

cent, so that really makes us go, ‘Huh,

something’s going on,” said Carol Smith,

the district’s spokesperson.

Under normal circumstances, about

6 percent of students miss school on a

given day.

Emilie Jost preps her costume during a rehearsal of “The Nutcracker Ballet” at the Woodstock Opera House. The ballet runs through Sunday, Dec. 21. INDEPENDENT PHOTO BY KEN FARVER

BV cop commander honored by Crime Prevention AssociationBy KATELYN STANEK

The Independent

He’s been on the job for less

than two years, but Bull Valley

Police Commander James Page

is already making a name for

himself.

Page was one of three police

department heads to be nomi-

nated for Chief of the Year from

the Illinois Crime Prevention

Association, an Oakbrook Ter-

race-based law enforcement or-

ganization made up of about 30

departments. Peter Kinsey, chief

of police in Lincolnshire, won the

award at a banquet Dec. 3.

“[Page’s] results are just amaz-

ing,” said Bull Valley Administra-

tor Rich Vance, himself a former

Rockford police officer who also

‘Nutcracker’ has been a Woodstock tradition since the 1980s

By SANDY KUCHARSKIThe Independent

Visibly impassioned, director Judith

Svalander watched a dance scene with her

students during a rehearsal for “�e Nut-

cracker Ballet.” “I get all emotional,” she

whispered, in awe of how beautifully they

performed.

A holiday tradition in Woodstock since

the mid-1980s, the Judith Svalander

Dance �eatre has returned to the Op-

era House to perform “�e Nutcracker

Ballet.” �e second and final weekend,

Madison Hutson portrays the Snow Queen and Royal Hartwig is the Snow King in the Judith Svalander Dance The-atre’s pro-duction of “The Nut-cracker Ballet.” INDEPENDENT PHOTO BY KEN FARVER

Please see Flu, Page 3Please see Nutcracker, Page 3

Please see Chief, Page 3

2 THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENTDec. 17-23, 2014 NEWS

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Three arrested, accused of thrift shop burglaryOne suspect charged with residential burglary, too

Two Woodstock adults and a juve-

nile were arrested

Dec. 10 for allegedly

burglarizing Wood-

stock Community

�rift Store, 780 S.

Eastwood Dr.

Anthony T. Lemke,

19, and Deonte Ja-

mal Jones, 20, were

each charged with

one count of bur-

glary, a Class 1 fel-

ony; one count of

criminal damage to

property over $500, a Class 3 felony;

and one count of theft under $500, a

Class A misdemeanor, according to a

press release from the Woodstock Po-

lice Department.

Jones was additionally charged with

resisting a peace officer, a Class A mis-

demeanor, after resisting arrest when

police officers attempted to take him

into custody, the release said.

A 17 year-old Woodstock resident was

identified as the third alleged perpetra-

tor. �e juvenile was taken into custody

Dec. 11, and will be referred to court ser-

vices.

�e theft, which occurred during the

evening of Dec. 9,

resulted in the loss

of $260 and dam-

age to two cash

registers. Police re-

sponded the follow-

ing day to a report

of delayed burglary.

All three sus-

pects were identi-

fied through video

surveillance taken

from the scene, the

release said.

Lemke also has been charged for a

residential burglary that occurred Dec.

3 in a multi-residential building in the

300 block of Vine Street in which about

$400 was stolen, Woodstock police

said.

As of Friday, Lemke and Jones re-

mained in custody at the McHenry

County Adult Correctional Facility. �e

juvenile was released to his guardian.

— Emma Krupp, The Independent

Anthony T. Lemke

Deonte Jamal Jones

3Dec. 17-23, 2014THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENTNEWS

HOME SWEET HOME

Curt VanHyfte, right, a Pulte Group division president, presents Tim Carner and his family with the keys to a new home on Yasgur Drive Dec. 12. The home was presented free of charge to Carner, an Army veteran who was wounded in the War in Afghanistan, as part of Operation Finally Home, a program that seeks to pair wounded veterans with free homes. INDEPENDENT PHOTO BY KEN FARVER

In response to the flu outbreak, Smith said custodians performed a special cleaning of VDELC in an effort to stop the spread of germs. �e district also sent a letter home to families to inform them of the disease.

“We want to make sure parents are keeping their kids home from school if they are sick,” Smith said.

�at message follows the advice of of-ficials at the health department.

“If you are sick, stay home, because you are spreading those influenza vi-ruses to everyone,” Quackenbush said. “You’re not doing anyone a favor by try-ing to be the brave soldier by going out when you’re sick.”

The Woodstock Independent (USPS #001287) is published weekly at 671 E. Calhoun St., Woodstock, IL 60098-3213. Periodicals post-age paid at Woodstock, Illinois.POSTMASTERS: Forward address changes to The Woodstock Independent, 671 E. Cal-houn St., Woodstock, IL 60098-3213.

The Woodstock Independent

Phone: 815-338-8040

FluContinued from Page 1

Friday, Dec. 19, through Sunday, Dec. 21, includes four performances.

“It’s much easier to understand than you think,” said Svalander, offering ad-vice for potential first-time attendees. “�e story is clearly expressed in move-ment and music. It’s visually exciting, and it does take you away. I often hear dads, who come because they have a child in it, saying they didn’t realize they’d enjoy it so much.”

�ough she won’t make major chang-es to the classic story, Svalander does make subtle adjustments each year. “�is year we have more magic in the opening scene,” she said, “and a surprise in the second act in the Land of Sweets.”

She is also continually updating and refreshing costumes. “We have new rose-bud costumes and new flower girls,” she said. “�ey’re just gorgeous!” �e dew-drop fairies and winter fairies also are sporting new tutus. “�ey have no idea how lucky they are,” said Svalander, ex-plaining that tutus range in price from $700 to $3,000. �e sets also are continu-ally refurbished.

�e Judith Svalander Dance �eatre is the resident dance company of the

Woodstock Opera House. In addition to the annual performance of “�e Nut-cracker Ballet,” there is a spring produc-tion at the Opera House.

�is year marks Svalander’s 50th year with “�e Nutcracker,” an association that started in Chicago in the ’60s with the legendary Ruth Page. Svalander, who once toured with the Royal Swedish Ballet Company, started producing the show in Woodstock in 1984 with excerpts, work-ing up to the full show by about 1990.

“‘�e Nutcracker’ is such a tradition, and especially here,” she said. �e ballet is set in the 1800s — just like the Opera House, which was built in 1889. “We’ve been asked to be other places, but I don’t want to ever leave.”

Nearly all of the 170 dancers perform-ing in the show are current students of

the Judith Svalander School of Ballet, Crystal Lake, ranging in age from 3 to 18.

Dancing the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy is Madeline Nichols, 17, Woodstock. �e Marian Central Catholic High School student has been dancing for 10 years. She practices five to seven days a week, approximately three hours a day with the exception of Saturday when she logs about nine hours.

“[‘�e Nutcracker’] is something that people never really get to see,” she said. “You see plays a lot, but you never see the magical dancing of ballet.”

Grace McGregor, 15, Woodstock, has been cast as the Snow Queen. �e Wood-stock North High School student has been dancing since she was 3. “It’s my dream role,” she said. “It’s a really great show, and we put so much work into it. It’s a really great opportunity to see such great art be-ing performed in such a small town.”

�ough only 6, Christina Sosnowski, Wonder Lake, said, “I’ve been dancing a long time.” �e young ballerina is a stu-dent at Valley View School, McHenry. “I do lots of things that are fun,” she said. “I like the pink costumes and the jewelry and stuff.”

Nutcracker Continued from Page 1

IN BRIEF

Weatherization assistance available

Financial assistance is available to peo-ple in low-income households for home re-pairs and renovations that reduce energy consumption and cut utility bills.

The Illinois Home Weatherization As-sistance Program provides home improve-ments such as furnace repair or replace-ment, insulation installation, air sealing, electric baseload reduction and window or door work free of charge to households with a combined income at or below 150 per-cent of the poverty level.

The limit on assistance available to house-holds is based on each individual home, with up to $7,500 provided for repairs re-lated to energy consumption.

For information about eligibility, call the McHenry County Housing Authority at 815-338-7752.

Copy Express offers free Woodstock calendars

Copy Express announced the publica-tion of its 2015 wall calendar featuring local scenes by Woodstock photographer Steve McKenzie.

The calendars are available at Copy Express, 301 E. Calhoun St., and at the Woodstock Chamber of Commerce office, 136 Cass St. One calendar per customer is free. Additional copies are available for $5 each.

Owners Jim and Vicki O’Leary have produced the promotional calendars an-nually since 1983.

helps out the Bull Valley PD when he’s needed. “It’s just uncanny. I can’t even put it into words.”

“It,” according to Vance, is a change in culture for a police department once fa-mous for its prowess at writing speeding tickets — and not much else.

“He is absolutely gifted. If I pull up to an accident scene and he pulls up, he will have that thing completed in 10 minutes after making sure everyone is OK,” Vance said. “He’s organized, he’s an expert in accident reconstructions. … You almost need to be a cop yourself to recognize what he can do.”

Page, a native of McHenry County, spent 27 years as an officer in Dallas, where he was a major crimes detective, before coming back to Bull Valley to serve as commander about 18 months ago. (�e department does not have anyone with the title of chief.) Page said he was “humbled” by the honor from the ICPA, and he credited the ability of his 12 offi-

cers — most of whom are part-timers — to adjust to a change in management style as being behind his nomination.

“We were a depart-ment that was pre-dominately a ticket-writing department, and the officers had limited skills in doing anything else,” Page said. “… We have a lot of people who pass through Bull Valley. Once we train them what to look for, we don’t have to stop people for speeding, we can stop them for something legitimate.”

Among those legitimate reasons are suspicions of drunk driving, something Page said is a major problem in Bull Val-ley. In 2011 — before Page took over — Bull Valley police arrested just five people for driving under the influence of drugs

or alcohol. Members of the BVPD have made 108 DUI arrests so far in 2014.

Part of the reason for the increase in arrests, Vance said, is because Page taught his officers to look for the signs of impaired driving rather than focus-ing on things like minor speeding in-fractions.

“�e [Village] Board made some chang-es and wanted to go in a different direc-tion because of drugs and the dangerous accidents that were happening in the vil-lage,” Vance said. “Once we got someone like [Page] here, he was able to go out and see just how significant the problem was.”

Page said he was happy to see the vil-lage of Bull Valley recognized by the statewide organization alongside larger departments.

“We have that little tiny department, and the village board wanted to change the culture of the department,” Page said. “�ey wanted a very professional depart-ment, and that’s what I’ve given them.”

Chief Continued from Page 1

Avoid the flu: Tips from the MCDHGet the flu vaccine. Although

this year’s vaccine isn’t as effective as in past years, it will still help. Visit www.mcdh.info to schedule an appointment during the health department’s vaccination events, or call 815-334-4510.

Good hygiene will reduce your chance of spreading germs.

elbow or a tissue. Avoid using your hands.

to the doctor within 48 hours. Doctors can prescribe antivirals if you get to them quickly enough.

JamesPage

‘THE NUTCRACKER BALLET’

Remaining performances: 8 p.m., Friday, Dec. 19; 2 and 7 p.m. Satur-day, Dec. 20; 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21Tickets: $23 adults, $16 studentsPhone: 815-338-5300

4 THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENTDec. 17-23, 2014 NEWS

HOLIDAY HOUSES

IN BRIEF

Workshop on starting a child care business to be held Jan. 20

A workshop on how to start a fam-ily child-care business will be hosted by 4-C Community Coordinated Child Care at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20, at 4-C’s McHenry office, 667 Ridgeview Drive. The workshop is free, but registration is neces-sary. For information, call 815-344-5510, ext. 12, or email joanb@four-c.org.

Houses in the Woodstock area are ready for Christmas. Below are a few of the brightest homes on their blocks:

Above and at left: A home on Yasgur Drive is lit up on a winter evening. INDEPENDENT PHOTO BY KEN FARVER

A home on Powers Road features a snow family and a herd of deer in the yard. INDEPENDENT PHOTO BY KEN FARVER

This home on Woodside Drive is ready for Christmas — and the snow, which hasn’t appeared yet. INDEPENDENT PHOTO BY KEN FARVER

5Dec. 17-23, 2014THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENTNEWS

OBITUARIES

Jerome Lee “Jerry” BoughJerome Lee “Jerry” Bough, 69, Hebron,

died Friday, Dec. 12, 2014, at his home.He was born Sept. 26, 1945, in Shoals

Ind., to Daniel N. and Mary C. (Clement) Bough. On Aug. 26, 1967, he married Jane Douglass in Shoals.

He served in the U.S. Navy. He was a member of the American Legion, the Woodstock Snowmobile Club, the Mid-west Antique Motorcycle Club, the Ven-ture Riders Motorcycle Club, the Lake County Scuba Divers Club and the Ham Radio Club. He served as a trustee for the town of Hebron as well as a member of the village board. He was part of the McHenry County Emergency Manage-ment volunteer team, the Hebron Search & Rescue team and the McHenry County Snowmobile Patrol.

He enjoyed fishing, boating, riding mo-

torcycles and taking trips to Florida. Most of all, he enjoyed spend-ing time with his loving family, especially his grandchildren.

Survivors include: his wife; three children, Michelle Bough, Jason Bough and Douglass Bough; two grandchil-dren, Carly Motta and Robert Motta; a brother, Jim Bough; a sister, Mary Kaustky; as well as several nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.

He was preceded in death by his par-ents; three sisters, Ruth Ann Bough, Eliza-beth Robbins and Monica Burchfield; and a brother, Joe Bough.

Visitation was Dec. 15, at Schneider-Leucht-Merwin & Cooney Funeral Home,

Woodstock. A funeral Mass was celebrat-ed Dec. 16, at St. Patrick Catholic Church.

Memorials can be made to the Wounded Warrior Project.

Lawrence James “Feez” FeezelLawrence James “Feez” Feezel, Wood-

stock, died Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2014, after a well-lived life. He began life Oct. 20, 1942, in Union, the seventh of 13 children born to Floyd and Alice (Bogard) Feezel.

On Nov. 4, 1961, he married Mary Rita Daly; he never did figure out how he pulled that off.

He was a lifelong resident of McHenry County, a past president of the Woodstock Jaycees, a member of Laborers’ Union Local 25, a popular karaoke singer, founder of Minuteman Press of Crystal Lake, a devout White Sox, Bears, Bulls, Hawks, Huskies, Il-

lini, Cubs and Wolves fan and a great guy.Perhaps his greatest accomplishment was

helping create the concrete outer skin for the new Comiskey Park.

Survivors include: five children, Gary, Woodstock, Teri, Littleton, Colo., Brian, Woodstock, Dan (Cheryl), Oakwood Hills, and Sean, Kenosha, Wis.; two sisters, Lo-retta “Texas” Vela and Judy Hansen, Wood-stock; 10 grandchildren, Taylor (Dan), Cailey, Jordyn, Cory, Devin, James, Elaine, Sammy, Madison and Connor; and a multi-tude of nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife and a grandson, Ryan.

A visitation followed by a brief service celebrating his life was held Dec. 13 at Schneider-Leucht-Merwin & Cooney Funeral Home. Visitors were encouraged to wear White Sox attire.

Interment was at McHenry County Memo-rial Park.

Anthony Thomas Lemke, 19, 827 Washington St., Woodstock, was charged Nov. 22 with retail theft at 155 S. Eastwood Drive. Lemke posted $150 bond. Court date was set for Jan. 22.

Shawn M. Schlosser, 27, 15055 Schlosser Court, Wadsworth, was charged Nov. 22 with criminal damage to property and criminal trespass to property at 1273 Wicker St. Schlosser was turned over to the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office. Bond was set at $1,500. Court date was set for Dec. 11.

Adrian N. Tostado, 22, 827 Wash-ington St., Woodstock, was charged Nov. 22 with three counts of burglary, two counts of theft and criminal trespass to a motor ve-hicle at 991 Carol Ave. Tostado was turned over to the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office. Bond and court date are to be set.

Ryan David Holmbeck, 30, 130 Cunat Blvd., Richmond, was charged Nov. 23 with driving under the influence, driving under the influence over, driving without headlights, unlawful tinted windows and failure to notify secretary of state of address change at Ben-ton and Judd streets. Holmbeck posted $100 and his driver’s license as bond. Court date was set for Jan. 8.

Jamiel Shalton Thomas, 31, 1402 Oak-leaf Lane, Woodstock, was charged Nov. 23 with driving under the influence, driving under the influence over, and speeding at Eastwood Drive and Country Club Road. Thomas posted $100 and his driver’s license as bond. Court date was set for Jan. 8.

David Garcia, 40, 10820 Bull Val-ley Drive, Woodstock, was charged Nov. 23 with disregarding a stop sign, failure to signal, illegal transportation of alcohol and

driving under the influence at 305 S. East-wood Drive. Garcia posted $100 and his driver’s license as bond. Court date was set for Jan. 15.

Garrett L. Basista, 25, 8410 W. Sun-set Drive, Wonder Lake, was charged Nov. 23 with obstructing a peace officer and im-proper window tint at 410 Eastwood Drive. Basista posted $150 bond. Court date was set for Dec. 11.

Sean Joseph Eigenfeld, 27, 341 Tana-ger Drive, Woodstock, was charged Nov. 23 with driving while license suspended and failure to stop at Church and Jefferson streets. Eigenfeld posted $150 bond. Court date was set for Dec. 18.

POLICE BLOTTER

Any charges are merely accusations, and de-fendants or suspects are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

STREET SMARTS

The Woodstock Police Department has reported the results of its seat belt enforce-ment and anti-drunk driving initiatives held from Nov. 17 to 30.

The annual Click It or Ticket and Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over mobilizations netted 61 seat belt citations, two DUI arrests, two citations for uninsured mo-torists and three speeding citations. The initiatives were performed in concert with other area police departments and were supported by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Average gas price

$2.50 /GAL.

Reflects average price of regular unleaded gasoline at Woodstock gas stations the morning of Dec. 14.

0.18

Jerome Lee ‘Jerry’

Bough

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6 THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENTDec. 17-23, 2014

OpinionCHERYL WORMLEYPublisher, Co-OwnerPAUL WORMLEY

Co-OwnerKATELYN STANEKManaging Editor

THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENT

Woodstock, IL 1987

THE EDITORIAL BOARDCheryl Wormley Katelyn Stanek Jay SchulzSandy Kucharski

Generosity is alive, well in Woodstock

One of the most famous newspaper editorials of all time served to remind a girl named Virginia that yes, there is a Santa Claus.

We see that lived out in Woodstock every year.

Christmas Clearing House had its ori-gins in the 1970s, when a troop of Girl Scouts, thinking it important for every-one to have a meal and a gift at Christ-mastime, set out to create the famous local institution.

Today, CCH has grown beyond what those girls ever could have imagined. Four decades on, the annual event brings Christmas joy — in the form of food and toys — to more than 1,000 less-fortunate families living within Woodstock School District 200’s bor-ders.

To call it a fundraiser, or even a volunteer event, is something of an understatement. Yes, CCH organizers take donations year-round, and then on special “Tag Days,” when they stand outside local stores and businesses to collect spare change from passers-by. And yes, the annual Delivery Day, when dozens of people work like elves, in usually freezing conditions, to pack vehicles with gifts, is entirely volunteer-run, headed up by the members of the Rotary Club of Woodstock.

But the truth is, Christmas Clearing House is more than that. For many area families, helping out at CCH is as much a part of the holiday season as hang-ing Christmas lights or visiting family. It’s a Christmas tradition — helping out their friends and neighbors — that they simply can’t do without. Indeed, some families even schedule their pre-Christ-mas calendar around when they will help by packing CCH boxes or deliver-ing CCH gifts. What an incredible way to approach the season!

�e people who make CCH a real-ity every year, from the Rotarians who spend the year organizing the event, to the residents who make a Christmas tradition out of donating or volunteer-ing, are as clear an indication as you’ll find that the spirit of Santa Claus — or maybe, simply, of generosity — is alive and well in Woodstock.

weigh inEmail letters to the editor to letters@thewood-stockindependent.com or mail them to 671 E. Calhoun St., Woodstock, IL 60098.

» OUR VIEW

New FOIA law will increase transparency

In response to recent emails and phone calls I have received re-garding my yes vote on HB 3796, I would like to explain why this legislation, will in fact, increase access to public records and improve the way “voluminous” or large Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests are processed.

HB 3796, which was vetoed by the governor but overridden by both the Senate (49-1-0) and House of Representatives (77-36-1) this fall, will increase govern-ment transparency by allowing public bodies to more efficiently respond to FOIA requests for in-formation that is available on the internet while giving public bodies more time and flexibility to deal with voluminous FOIA requests.

By allowing public bodies to refer FOIA requesters to public websites for valuable government information, it will save time and money for both requesters and public bodies. It is anticipated that many public bodies will choose to make public records available on-line rather than expend valuable and scarce resources to deal with routine FOIA requests, which will increase transparency and avail-ability of public records. By allow-ing more time and flexibility to deal with “voluminous” requests, public bodies will remain respon-sible for making public records accessible but will be able to man-age large FOIA requests in a way that effectively uses the resources of the public body.

�e debate surrounding this legislation stemmed primarily from confusion over the intent of HB 3796 and its relationship to a vastly different piece of legislation, SB 2799, which died

in the House this fall. �ese two measures were often used inter-changeably by opposition groups to argue that lawmakers are trying to restrict public access to gov-ernment documents. However, these two pieces of legislation are substantially different.

�e true intent of HB 3796 was to help improve efficiency in the processing of large FOIA requests for both the requester and the unit of government. �is will help re-duce personnel costs incurred by public bodies in processing large requests, which involve intensive efforts to copy, review and prop-erly redact requested information.

While many believe it is easy and cheap for public bodies to respond to FOIA requests, be-cause many of the documents are maintained electronically, that is really not an accurate assessment. FOIA requests require a search for records, a review of those records to determine if any exemptions apply or if any redactions are war-ranted, and the time-consuming task of redacting any documents that are subject to disclosure but contain exempt information (such as social security numbers and other personal information). It should also be noted that the “voluminous request” provisions do not apply to the press, so FOIA requests from the press will con-tinued to be handled in the normal timeframes.

SB 2799 contained provisions that were viewed as expanding the ability of public bodies to use the “preliminary drafts” exemption to FOIA and to limit the ability of a requester to obtain attorney’s fees in a lawsuit seeking disclosure of public records.

As my voting record reflects, I have long advocated for increas-ing government transparency and efficiency. I supported HB 3796 because I believe it will improve

the timeliness of FOIA requests, provide flexibility, reduce costs and increase access to public re-cords that will now be accessible online.

Pamela Althoff, State Senator, 32nd District

Choosing a new board chair is a sickening ordeal

Reading about all of the horse-trading in advance of selecting the new McHenry County Board chair has been enough to make my stomach turn.

Newly elected member Andrew Gasser should be commended for speaking out so forcefully on the subject before having even been seated. He did not earn any points with the good-old-boys who made the deals that divided the spoils and put Joe Gottemoller in the chairman’s seat. Jack Franks’ ef-forts to reform the county board also must be mentioned here. As a result of Jack’s independence from the good-old-boy machine, the chairperson of the county board will be directly elected starting in 2016 and this year will be the last time McHenry County taxpayers have to endure such a degrading spectacle.

Despite the fact that they rep-resent different parties, Franks and Gasser are on the side of right here and demonstrate the im-portance of voter independence. Given that every member of the board is now a Republican, it is clear that labels are effectively meaningless in McHenry County, and as taxpayers, we must dig deeper when determining which candidates get our votes.

Stewart Bailenson,Woodstock

» YOUR VIEW

7Dec. 17-23, 2014THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENTOPINION

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Cheryl Wormley PUBLISHERc.wormley@thewoodstockindependent.com

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Columnists John Daab, Lisa Haderlein, Dan Chamness, Debbie Skozek, Tony Casalino, Paul Lockwood, Lou Ness

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s ta f f dead l ines

contact

Like many of you, I receive infor-mation every day from all kinds of sources. For fun and because all of the following have value in one way or another, I choose to share a few of the things that came my way in the last couple of days.

Although I didn’t grow up in Wood-stock, I am one of more than 3,000 people who are members of the “I grew up in Woodstock” closed group on Facebook. I found three of the messages posted on the group’s page this weekend worth passing along.

Rick Bellairs posted: “�e Wood-stock Square is beautiful this time of year. Free carriage rides again next weekend.”

Bill Tammeus, who lives in Kansas City and is retired after a remarkable career as a columnist with the Kan-sas City Star, posted: “Chicago’s ABC TV station finally has reactivated the webcam atop the old Courthouse on the Square … See” http://abc7chicago.com/weather/cams/woodstock-town-square/.”

Shelly Gerhrke Elby noted that last week the speed limit on Route 47 north of the city limits dropped from 55 to 50 by Stonetree Landscapes.

I received an email reminder worth

passing along, too. Denise Graff Pon-stein encouraged her friends and family to help the nearly 2,000 less fortunate families who live within the boundaries of Woodstock School District 200 by volunteering with Christmas Clearing House this week. Toys and gifts will be bagged from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 17, and food boxes will be filled from 6 to 8 p.m. �ursday, Dec. 18, at the old Farm & Fleet building on the south-west corner of Route 47 and Highway 14. �e gifts and food will be deliv-ered from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Dec. 20.

�e First Presbyterian Church Sunday worship bulletin included two announcements worthy of being passed along. �e children’s Christ-mas program is at 10:30 Sunday, Dec. 21, at the church, 2018 N. Route 47. �e program, “When God Made San-ta Claus,” is based on a poem written by Greg Siebold, a dad and member

of First Presbyterian. Many of you read the poem when I included it in my 2012 Christmas Declarations.

Also in the bulletin was an an-nouncement of the church’s 5:30 and 10:30 p.m. Christmas Eve services. �e pubic is invited to all three.

My husband, Jim, and I received the 2015 National Big Tree Calendar from Davey Tree Experts Company. It features 12 of the most recognized champion trees of the past 25 years.

I knew nothing about a champion tree program, so I did a bit of re-search, which I believe is worth pass-ing along. �e champion tree rec-ognition is part of the National Big Tree Program, a project of American Forests. Dating back to 1875, Ameri-can Forests is the oldest national nonprofit conservation organization in the country. It advocates for the protection and expansion of Ameri-can’s forests.

Judging from the information provided in the calendar, a tree is a champion because it is the largest of its species – taller, greater crown spread, etc. For example, the April tree is a magnificent Eastern redce-dar in Coffee County, Ga. It is 57 feet tall with a crown spread of more than

75 feet.American Forests lists 765 national

champion and co-champion trees. As of October, Florida led all states with the most champions – 131. Texas followed with 90, then Arizona, 75, Virginia, 69, and California, 56. I scanned the registry for trees from Illinois. I counted six, two of which are in the Morton Arboretum, two others were in Lisle and one in Du-Page County. �e sixth was in down-state Anna. Of the Illinois champions, two are hawthorns; two are oaks; and there is a buckeye and a jujube. I sur-mise having only six is due, in part, to Illinois being a prairie state.

One last bit of information worth passing along. I purchased seven green avocados Friday. I needed them to ripen by Sunday evening. Avocadocentral.com recommended placing the green avocados in a brown paper bag with an apple or banana or two. �e plant hormone ethylene, which triggers the ripening process in avocados, occurs natural-ly in fruits like apples and bananas. It worked beautifully.

Taking things in … passing them along» COLUMN

Cheryl Wormley is publisher of The Wood-stock Independent.

Declarations

CherylWormley

It’s a question of: macaroni or steak?�at’s how Judy Baar Topinka ex-

plained the problems with one of Rod Blagojevich’s state budgets to me years ago.

“When I’m short on money, I eat macaroni, not steak,” she explained, adding that Blagojevich had state government dining on steak when a pasta diet would be much more ap-propriate.

Illinoisans lost our comptroller, Judy, to a stroke Dec. 10.

I’ll miss her unvarnished comments and her straightforward manner.

Following her 2006 loss to Blagojev-ich in the race for governor, she didn’t like to even say his name.

She simply substituted Blago’s moni-ker with the word, “garbage.”

“When I lost to Garbage…”Blagojevich beat her by ridiculing

her intelligence with television ads that asked, “What was she thinking?”

After that election, one can’t help but wonder: What were the voters think-ing?

Judy was bright, energetic and driv-en. But there was nothing urbane or sophisticated about her.

She strolled the statehouse corri-dors in thrift-store outfits with two mongrel rescue dogs in tow. Her successor as state treasurer, Alexi Giannoulias, told me once he inherited a Capitol of-fice filled with dog hair and cigarette smoke.

A hard pack of Marlboros Reds and a plastic mug of convenience-store cof-fee were with her wherever she went.

Judy liked me. But she adored my wife, who was her dogs’ veterinarian.

I’d get clippings of my newspaper column in the mail with complimen-tary comments from her scrolled on the borders.

My wife received flowers or cards with the birth of each of our children.

Once, when I appeared on a radio talk show with Judy, she told listeners that I was married to her vet. She then regaled listeners with stories about her dogs.

And Judy poured her heart into those pooches, who accompanied her everywhere. �ey were denied noth-ing.

A former Topinka staffer complained to me once about having the job of taking the pair of canines for potty breaks on the Capitol lawn during the workday.

In fact, Topinka’s “pet” cause as comptroller was ensuring more people adopted rescue animals.

In public life, Judy, a former newspa-per reporter, was a stalwart advocate for greater transparency in govern-ment. During her time as comptroller she put the state’s “checkbook” on-line so taxpayers could see how their money is being spent.

Topinka served 12 years as state

treasurer, four as comptroller and 14 years in the state legislature.

Although she had served as GOP state party chairman, she wore the Republican mantle lightly.

Very lightly. Once when we were standing in line

in a Springfield grocery store, she told me she was heading across town that night to a Mike Madigan party.

I paused and said, “Isn’t that a fund-raiser for Democrats?”

She laughed and said, “Yeah, but he doesn’t care if I’m there, and I like be-ing around the people.”

�at was Judy. She liked people and she loved Il-

linois.

» COLUMN

Reeder Report

ScottReeder

Scott Reeder is a veteran statehouse re-porter and a journalist with Illinois News Network, a project of the Illinois Policy Institute. He can be reached at sreeder@illinoispolicy.org. Readers can subscribe to his free political newsletter by going to ILNEWS.ORG or follow his work on Twit-ter @scottreeder.

Topinka: A straight-shooting woman of the people

8 THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENTDec. 17-23, 2014

EducationMiddle school hosts annual cheer, dance event

Creekside Middle School student Alleah Oates performs in the annual Fox Valley Pom and Cheer Exhibition Dec. 11 at Creekside. INDEPENDENT PHOTO BY KEN FARVER

11 schools perform in Fox Valley Pom and Cheer Exhibition at Creekside Middle School

By TRICIA CARZOLIThe Independent

For Miriam Berg, a teacher at Creek-

side Middle School who also heads up

the seventh- and eighth-grade dance

team, traveling to major competitions

was an eye-opener.

“I saw all these squads competing at

large meets, and most of the students

there were in groups that competed all

year long. Our students have an eight-

week season,” Berg said. “It was getting

frustrating to my girls, knowing that we

would never be able to perform at that

level.”

So Berg became the catalyst for a lo-

cal event that welcomes teams from

area schools and allows middle-school

students to perform with other teams

that operate on a short season.

“I sort of took it into my own hands

and decided to create an event that

would be fun, a place to show off what

we’ve learned, and really inspire oth-

ers,” Berg said.

�at “place to show off” became the

Fox Valley Pom and Cheer Exhibition,

hosted by Creekside Middle School Dec.

11. Creekside, Northwood Middle School

and nine other local schools sent a total

of 20 cheer squads and dance teams to

the exhibition. Creekside has held the

event for the past four years.

�e exhibition is the culmination of a

season’s worth of hard work, with stu-

dents practicing for eight weeks to per-

fect their 4- to 5-minute routines. About

35 Creekside students performed in the

event. Woodstock High School student

Lily McCoy assisted in preparing the

routines.

“I tried to gauge the audience, and,

every time I looked, I saw parents really

enjoying the routines,” Berg said. “And it

is just a fun time. It isn’t a competition;

it is an exhibition. Everyone can relax,

cheer and watch their students do well.”

But an event of this size is not all fun

— it comes with a lot of planning.

Berg began preparing in the begin-

ning of November. After promoting the

exhibition and preparing her own girls,

she focused on finding a videographer.

�is year, Woodstock’s TurnKey Digital

recorded the performances and sold

copies of the event.

“�ey were really just amazing,” Berg

said. “�ey were great to work with

and were very professional. I can’t say

enough about how great they were for

us.”

Berg said she also received the sup-

port of Woodstock School District 200

administrators.

“I was also impressed with our super-

intendent, Michael Moan,” she said. “I

invited him, and he came out to support

the kids and let our parents and staff

know that what we do matters. … �is

– and the fact that so many administra-

tors were there for this event – makes

me proud to be a part of this district.”

Berg said the event ran smoothly – in

part, due to her preparation, but also

because of the staff, volunteers and stu-

dents.

“�e staff who volunteered, the stu-

dent council who sold apparel, the

teachers who took tickets, the won-

derful kids, we couldn’t have done this

without them,” she said. “I am proud of

everyone. �e event went off perfectly.

And everyone who participated in the

exhibition took home a ribbon. Our stu-

dents made our school proud.”

9Dec. 17-23, 2014THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENT

By MIKE NEUMANNThe Independent

Local filmmakers producing a docu-

mentary about Dick Tracy creator Ches-

ter Gould have received a commitment

from WTTW Chicago to air the special

in February.

Ahoj Productions – led by Wood-

stock residents, father, Tom, and sons

Steve and John Firak – are current-

ly putting the finishing touches on a

56-minute television version called

“Chester Gould, An American Original.”

A firm date for the airing hasn’t been an-

nounced. An expanded version will be

created following the television special

to be screened at film festivals and other

events.

“[Dick Tracy] has been a part of our

culture for a long time, no matter what

age you are,” Steve Firak said, but added

that even with a rich subject matter, a

filmmaker is never sure what potential

viewers will think. “It was incredible [to

get a positive reaction from WTTW].

You never know when you’re buried un-

der the work what the world will think

of it.”

�e Firaks have been working on the

documentary since 2007, before the

Chester Gould-Dick Tracy Museum

closed. Gould was a longtime resident

of Woodstock whose office was at one

time located on the Square. Tom said

the project was started as an attempt to

raise funds for the now closed attrac-

tion.

“[Gould’s family] opened their hearts

up to us and gave us any information we

needed,” Tom Firak said, adding that the

Woodstock and the comic strip commu-

nity also opened up and wanted to be a

part of the project. “Going to interview

these luminaries has been fascinating.”

Over the years, the Firaks have spo-

ken with dozens of experts, recorded

hundreds of hours of interviews and

collected other home videos and audio

recordings for use in the documentary.

Coming to your 2-way wrist TV: Chester Gould

A & E

Underground comix artists – includ-

ing Robert Crumb, Art Spiegelman, Jay

Lynch and Bill Griffith – and convention-

al comic artists such as Mort and Brian

Walker, of Beetle Bailey fame, have been

interviewed. Former Dick Tracy artists

and writers Dick Locher and Max Al-

lan Collins, as well as the family of Rick

Fletcher, also are included. Many cur-

rent and former Woodstock residents

who knew Gould or his work have been

interviewed as well.

�e Firaks chose to include local tal-

ent, including the Georgia Rae Family

Band and Dag Juhlin of Poi Dog Pon-

dering, for background music. Steve Fi-

rak has composed the remainder of the

score.

“�is area is full of great music,” Steve

Firak said. “It adds a nice touch to the

project.”

Chester Gould moved to the Chicago

area from Oklahoma in 1921 and spent

10 years attempting to get a comic strip

accepted by the Tribune Syndicate. In

1931, he created Dick Tracy, moving to

Woodstock shortly thereafter, where

he wrote and drew the comic strip until

1977. Gould was active in the communi-

ty, donating land and money to Memori-

al Hospital (now part of Centegra Health

System), and was active in Easter Seals

and promoted the Woodstock commu-

nity in general. Crime Stoppers grew out

of the comic strip and flourished nation-

wide. Gould died in Woodstock in 1985

at age 84.

�e Firaks, who have self-funded the

project so far, will unveil a comprehen-

sive social media presence as well as

fundraising opportunities as they look to

create the expanded version of the proj-

ect. Fundraising opportunities through

Indiegogo and Chicago Filmmakers are

currently being explored and details will

be released in the near future.

Steve, Tom and John Firak, pictured from left, are the creators of a documentary film about famed “Dick Tracy” cartoonist Chester Gould, shown on screen at right. The documentary, which features interviews with Woodstock residents, will air on WTTW in February. INDEPENDENT PHOTO BY KEN FARVER

A locally produced documentary about Woodstock’s Chester Gould and ‘Dick Tracy’ will air on WTTW in February

“You never know when you’re buried under the work what the world will think of it.”

— Steve Firak, filmmaker

10 THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENTDec. 17-23, 2014 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

WOODSTOCK’S ENTERTAINMENT HIGHLIGHTSThe Entertainer

» MUSICLIVE MUSIC AT EXPRESSLY LESLIE’SDec. 19, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.Woodstock Square Mall110 Johnson St.FreeThe Off Square Music Singers will per-form.

SONGWRITER SHOWCASEDec. 19, 7:30 p.m.Mixin Mingle124 Cass St.$7, includes light beverages847-507-1352aplacetoshinemusic.comLocal and regional songwriters will share their music and the inspiration behind it. The evening will be hosted by Cassandra Vohs-Demann.

JAZZ JAMDec. 19, 8 p.m.Stage Left Café125 Van Buren St.815-337-1395$5 donationJazz Jam is sponsored by Jazz on the Square. Artists will perform jazz music.

WOODSTOCK FARMERS MARKETDec. 20, 9 a.m. to noonMcHenry County Farm Bureau1102 McConnell RoadFree9 a.m. to noon: The Off Square Christmas

Chorale

ED HALL’S CHRISTMAS GUITAR NIGHTDec. 23, 8 p.m.Woodstock Opera House121 Van Buren St.$25 adults815-338-5300Four National Fingerstyle Guitar Champi-ons, Don Alder, Richard Smith, Phil Hey-wood and Ed Hall, will perform in Hall’s annual show.

OPEN MIC NIGHTDec. 26, 7 p.m.Stage Left Café125 Van Buren St. $3 donationOpen Mic is sponsored by Off Square Mu-sic. Various artists will perform in 15-min-ute slots.

OPEN MIC SPECIAL NEW YEAR’S EVE EVENTDec. 31, 7 p.m.Stage Left Café125 Van Buren St. $3 donationOpen Mic is sponsored by Off Square Mu-sic. Various artists will perform in 15-min-ute slots.

FIRST SATURDAY MUSICJan. 3, 7 p.m.Unity Spiritual Center of Woodstock225 W. Calhoun St. $3 donation

815-337-3534Visitors can participate in the open mic night or enjoy the show. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m.

» STORYTELLINGSPOKEN WORD CAFÉDec. 18, 7 p.m.Stage Left Café125 Van Buren St. Professional storytellers, talented local amateurs, students and elders will share stories with the audience.

» LECTURECREATIVE LIVING SERIESJan. 15, 10 a.m.Woodstock Opera House121 Van Buren St.$24815-338-5300Photojournalist Mark Hirsch will tell his story of healing from a serious accident and share the photos of the bur oak tree that helped him.

» THEATER’THE NUTCRACKER BALLET’Dec. 19, 8 p.m.Dec. 20, 2 and 7 p.m.Dec. 21, 2 p.m.Woodstock Opera House121 Van Buren St.$23 adults, $16 students, $16 senior citizens815-338-5300Judith Svalander Dance Theatre will per-form to Tchaikovsky’s world-renowned music.

» MOVIESPreviews by Jay Schulz of films currently playing at the Woodstock Theatre unless otherwise noted.

‘PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR’Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private race to save the world from destruction. “Pen-guins of Madagascar” is directed by Eric Darnell and Simon Smith and stars the voices of Tom McGrath, Chris Miller, Christopher Knight and Conrad Vernon, who voiced the characters in the previous “Madagascar” movies. RATED PG, 92 MINUTES

‘THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES’ The Hobbit trilogy concludes as Bilbo and company are forced to go to war, while, at the same time, they must find a way to stop Smaug. “The Hobbit: The

Battle of the Five Armies” is directed by Peter Jackson (“King Kong”) and stars Ian McKellen (“Apt Pupil”), Martin Freeman (“Love Actually”) and Richard Armitage (“Into the Storm”). RATED PG, 144 MINUTES

‘ANNIE’ A foster child, who lives un-der the rule of a horrible foster mom, finds her life changing af-ter she meets up with a business tycoon. “An-nie” is directed by Will Gluck (“Easy A”) and stars Jamie Foxx (“Ray”), Cameron Diaz (“There’s Some-thing About Mary”) and Quvenzhané Wallis (“12 Years a Slave”). RATED PG, 118 MINUTES

‘BIG HERO 6’A group of friends, which includes an in-flatable robot, teams up to form a band of high-tech heroes. “Big Hero 6” is di-rected by Don Hall and Chris Williams and stars the voices of Ryan Potter (“Se-nior Project”), Damon Wayans Jr. (“Let’s Be Cops”) and Maya Rudolph (“Brides-maids”). RATED PG, 108 MINUTES

‘THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY-PART 1’Katniss meets with the president of the rebellion to plot overthrowing the capital and rescuing Peeta. “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 1” is directed by Fran-cis Lawrence (“I Am Legend”) and stars Jennifer Lawrence (“Winter’s Bone”) and Josh Hutcherson (“Red Dawn”).RATED PG-13, 123 minutes

‘EXODUS: GODS AND KINGS’Moses leads his people in rebellion against the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses. “Exodus: Gods and Kings” is directed by Ridley Scott (“Alien”) and stars Christian Bale (“The Dark Knight”), Joel Edgerton (“Warrior”) and Ben Kingsley (“Gan-dhi”). RATED PG-13, 150 MINUTES

‘NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB’Larry crosses the world to try and save the magic of the tablet before it disappears and his museum friends are gone. “Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb” is directed by Shawn Levy (“Real Steel”) and stars Ben Stiller (“Zoolander”), Rob-in Williams (“Good Will Hunting”) and Owen Wilson (“Wedding Crasher”). RATED PG, 97 MINUTES

11Dec. 17-23, 2014THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENT

MarketplacePublic House moves into CourthouseRestaurant leaves Main Street location for a spot on Johnson Street

By EMMA KRUPPThe Independent

A local restaurant has completed its

relocation to a new place on the Wood-

stock Square.

On Dec. 4, the Woodstock Public

House opened in the Old Courthouse

building on Johnson Street, leaving its

longtime Main Street location.

It’s a switch that has been long an-

ticipated by co-owner Kathryn Loprino,

who said she first noticed a need for

growth around three years ago.

“We’re thrilled to be in this building,”

Loprino said. “I mean, there is an ado-

ration for this building in the general

public, for sure, and it’s been fun to see

everyone come in and just kind of look

around.”

Aside from its historical and nostalgic

value, the Courthouse space also offers

amenities that were unavailable at the

restaurant’s previous location, including

street-level access — the previous spot

was underground — greater seat capac-

ity, an outdoor seating area, a private

banquet room and the ability to accom-

modate both small and large parties.

To account for this expansion, Lopri-

no said she aims to employ six or seven

new staff members during the ongoing

hiring process.

Additionally, a few new features will

be introduced to the restaurant in the

coming months, including brunch

served once a month, breakfast served

every Sunday and an expanded variety

of menu items. Loprino also plans to

hang pictures of the Courthouse over

the last century in the bar — the final

decorative touch to a move she feels

has finally put the restaurant on its nec-

essary path to growth.

“I think we’ve arrived at where we

want to be. It’s just going to be a matter

of being able to grow our business and

our catering capabilities and what we

have to offer our regular clientele,” she

said. “We’re not going to quite reinvent

ourselves, but definitely build upon the

core of what’s been there for almost 12

years.”

Loprino is renting space for the res-

taurant from the city of Woodstock,

which owns the Courthouse property.

A rental agreement — first denied by

the City Council over concerns about a

lack of a buyout clause should the city

sell the building to a new owner — was

subsequently amended and approved in

September.

�e restaurant’s official grand open-

ing will take place sometime in mid-

January.

Filed in the McHenry County Recorder’s Office Nov. 14 to 24:

Residence at 1205 Wheeler St., Woodstock, was sold by Mary Cummings, Burlington, N.C., to Jeremy and Amanda Olsen, Elk Grove Village, for $102,500.

Residence at 1010 Yasgur Drive, Woodstock, was sold by Centex Homes, Schaumburg, to Brian Haut Jr. and Ste-fanie Hayden, Woodstock, for $186,345.

Lot 7 on Sunset Drive, Wonder Lake, was sold by Aaron O’Brien, McHenry, to Orbis Construction Company, McHenry, for $5,000.

Residence at 2008 Parker Court, Woodstock, was sold by James Fitzgerald, Ann Arbor, Mich., to Mary Burns, Wood-stock, for $208,000.

Residence at 1846 Roger Road, Woodstock, was sold by Nationstar Mort-gage LLC, Lewisville, Texas, to Radovan Zrnich and Slavojka Ratic, Morton Grove, for $115,238.

Residence at 571 Prairie Ridge Drive, Woodstock, was sold by Michael Princer, Mundelein, to Craig Dymek, Woodstock, for $190,000.

Residence at 804 Twelve Oaks Park-way, Woodstock, was sold by Daniel and Kathleen Walsh, Crystal Lake, to Charles Kramarczyk, Woodstock, for $135,000.

Residence at 9119 Memory Lane, Wonder Lake, was sold by Louis and Pa-tricia McMahon, Wonder Lake, to SERC LLC, Chicago, for $101,000.

Residence at 5504 Wonder Woods Drive, Wonder Lake, was sold by Matthew and Erin Rife, Harvard, to Paul Riordan, Wonder Lake, for $149,900.

Residence at 820 Gerry St., Wood-stock, was sold by Venus Nienow, Santa Cruz, Calif., to Robert and Shirley Meck-lenburg, Woodstock, for $113,500.

Residence at 15815 Highway 14, Woodstock, was sold by the Julius Schmidt and Harriette Schmidt Trust, Woodstock, to James and Lisa Furst, Woodstock, for $74,000.

Residence at 8107 Pinoak Drive, Wonder Lake, was sold by Random Prop-erties Acquisition Corp. III, Santa Mon-ica, Calif., to Jose Luis Gaona-Moreno, McHenry, for $67,000.

Residence at 4413 E. Wonder Lake Drive, Wonder Lake, was sold by the Sheriff of McHenry County, Woodstock, to Sierra Investments LLC, Woodstock, for $70,001.

Residence at 681 Verdi St., Wood-stock, was sold by The Ryland Group Inc., East Dundee, to Lawrence and Kathleen Downing, Woodstock, for $269,875.

REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS

“We’re not going to quite reinvent our-

build upon the core of what’s been there for

— Kathryn Loprino, co-owner

12 THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENTDec. 17-23, 2014

CommunityHIGHLIGHT

Volunteers make for a merry Christmas

By JANET DOVIDIOThe Independent

�e Rotary Club of Woodstock that

meets at noon has coordinated its

Christmas Clearing House project

since 1972. In addition to Rotary mem-

bers, other service clubs and commu-

nity volunteers raise money to provide

food, presents, gloves and mittens to

families in need. In 2013 CCH served

1,100 families and 240 seniors. About

1,700 children received toys and gifts.

Barrels were placed throughout the

community for the collection of food

and new toys. �e toys are set to be

bagged and food packed in boxes on

Wednesday and �ursday, Dec. 17 and

18, with delivery scheduled for Satur-

day, Dec. 20.

“�is Yuletide event is only accom-

plished with the assistance of busi-

nesses, service organizations and in-

dividuals that make a commitment to

donate their time and effort to provide

financial assistance for the purchase of

food and toys,” said CCH Chairman Joe

Starzynski, who is also a member of the

Woodstock City Council.

�e names of families, children and

seniors in need are gathered through

schools, service agencies and senior-

citizen organizations. �e Toys-4-Tots

organization collects many of the toys.

Food is purchased from the Northern

Illinois Food Bank so the boxes can in-

clude a holiday meal as well as food for

several days. Seniors are given money

to buy things they need, since many live

in housing that provides their meals.

Starzynski continued, “�e look of

sheer delight on the face of a child

when they receive a Christmas Clear-

ing House food basket containing a

box of Cheerios, or the look of grati-

tude on a mother’s face when she re-

ceives toys that she could not provide

for her children – these are some of the

priceless memories of being involved

in this project.”

�ose interested in volunteering can

contact Starzynkski at 815-245-4954 or

jstarzynkski@homestbk.com.

News of recognitions and milestones can be sent to Janet Dovidio at fetjetjd@aol.com.

Dreams come true for wedding winnersBy SANDY KUCHARSKI

The Independent

Exactly two years after their engage-

ment March 29, 2013, Carolyn Larson and

Donnie Trush, Richmond, will be wed.

Nearly every component of their fairytale

day will be free of charge, their prize for

being selected the winners of the Wood-

stock Wedding Wish.

Weddings are wonderful but they can

be costly too, and when life gets in the

way, a wedding can become a luxury that

has to wait. �e members of the Wood-

stock Wedding Network – a group of

dedicated wedding professionals seeking

to promote Woodstock-area weddings –

had this in mind when they came up with

a contest to find a deserving couple that

was already engaged but had some type

of hardship that prevented them from

making their wedding dreams a reality.

�e bride-to-be’s brother, Chris Larson,

nominated the winning couple. In his

nomination letter he said, “When I first

saw the ad for the Woodstock Wedding

Wish, the perfect couple immediately

came to my mind. My sister, Carolyn Lar-

son, and [my] best friend Donnie Trush,

are the most deserving couple for the

complete wedding day.”

�e couple has known each other for

years and began dating in 2009 while

Carolyn was a student at Northern Illinois

University. During her last year of college,

Carolyn became pregnant, but still man-

aged to complete an internship, graduate

and get a job. Living first in DeKalb and

later in Richmond, each of them experi-

enced long commutes: Carolyn to school

and Donnie to work. When Carolyn lost

her job, Donnie needed to work more

hours to support his new family.

Larson’s letter continues, “Donnie now

works six to seven days a week to keep

up with bills, while Carolyn continues the

year-long search for employment. With

college loans and interest accumulat-

ing, the wedding of their dreams always

seems out of arm’s reach. �e love they

share is strong and through all the strug-

gles they never give up.”

Woodstock Wedding Network’s presi-

dent and founder Dana Brandt said,

“�ey’ve overcome a lot. �ey’re a real

inspirational love story.”

Nearly 40 members of the Woodstock

Wedding Network have gifted the couple

with prizes including a dress, tuxedo,

rings, flowers, banquet, invitation, pho-

tos, a scrapbook, wedding consultants, a

hotel stay, massage and a spray tan. �eir

hope is to create visibility and bring busi-

ness to network members.

“What sets us aside from other net-

working groups is that we put others first.

We’re hoping good things come to us per-

sonally and professionally of course, but

we’re kind of working backwards.”�e winning couple was notified at a

party Dec. 3 at Studio 2015 with all the

contributors present. �e couple was told

they were finalists and they would be at-

tending an interview, but in reality they

had already been chosen.

“We went to the interview thinking we’d

see the other couples … see what we were

up against,” said Carolyn, with a laugh.

“Everyone was seated and there were two

chairs in front of the room. I thought, oh

my gosh, is she going to make us inter-

view in front of everyone? I got nervous.”

When they got up front, an announce-

ment was made that they were the win-

ners, and confetti popped out.

“I was in shock,” said Carolyn. “It was

amazing!”

“My family has been going crazy. �ey

are so happy for us. He’s already part of

our family, but it’s nice to make it official.”

Already looking to the future, Brandt

said, “I would love for [the Wedding Wish]

to become an annual event.”

Donnie Trush, left, and his fiancé, Carolyn Larson, react at a reception Dec. 3, when they learn that they have been chosen as the winners of the Woodstock Wedding Wish and will be receiving a virtually free wedding. INDEPENDENT PHOTO BY KEN FARVER

County Board accepting applications for CDBG

The McHenry County Board is accept-ing applications from people interested in appointment to the McHenry County Com-munity Development Block Grant Commis-sion.

Four appointments are available, in-cluding one representative each from County Board Districts 1, 3 and 4 and one township/municipality representa-tive. Individuals among the following pro-fessions, associations or organizations may apply: banking industry, McHenry County Association of Realtors, McHenry County Homebuilder Association, McHen-ry County Bar Association, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, building inspec-

tors, architects and engineers.All interested persons are encouraged

to apply regardless of affiliation with any group.

Representatives from township supervi-sors, township road commissioners and/or municipalities within McHenry County are limited to mayors (presidents), aldermen/councilmen (trustees) or administrators (managers).

All applicants shall be residents of and/or employed in McHenry County. Forms are available at the County Board Office, Room 209, McHenry County Government Center, 667 Ware Road, 815-334-4221 or visit http://www.co.mchenry.il.us/home/showdocument?id=12290.

Completed applications should be re-turned to the County Board office no later than 2 p.m. Monday, Feb. 2, 2015.

Friends of MCC seekingdistinguished alumni

The Friends of McHenry County College Foundation is seeking nominations for the 2015 MCC Distinguished Alumni Award to recognize MCC alumni who have dem-onstrated exceptional achievement in their chosen profession and have made a posi-tive impact on their communities.

The winners will be recognized at a cer-emony in April.

The deadline for nomination forms is midnight Monday, March 2, 2015. Nomi-nees can self-nominate or be nominated by someone else. For nomination criteria and nomination forms, visit www.mchenry.edu/alumni or call 815-455-8556.

IN BRIEF

13Dec. 17-23, 2014THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENT

�e winter season is upon us. Maybe some have been busy the last several weeks preparing by caulking windows, checking insula-tion on pipes, fixing cracks and winterizing cars.

Getting ready for winter on the farm requires a bit of effort as well. As the harvest season winds down, we must plan for winter. Dairy farming is not a seasonal business, but happens 365 days a year. We remember last winter. �ose tem-peratures can be hard on animals, just as for people. When the tem-perature starts to dip below freez-ing at night, one of the first things we do is to roll down the canvas walls on the sides of our barns. �at will prevent the wind from blowing in. Cows will experience the cold, but not the wind-chill ef-fects. Canvas-walled barns provide great ventilation during the sum-mer months and provide fresh air even in winter. Cows are ruminants and create a lot of heat digest-ing food in their four stomachs. �e temperature inside our barns is warmer than the outside tem-peratures thanks to the cow’s body heat. �eir hair coat also naturally thickens as winter approaches.

Baby calves need extra special treatment in winter. During most of the year, our baby calves are in nursery pens outside, but dur-

ing the cold-est months, we move them inside. We make sure these little ones have lots of bedding to snug-gle in and extra feed to keep them warm. We also provide newborns with a “calf coat” during the first couple weeks until their hair coat thickens.

�e equipment also needs extra attention in winter. We rely on trac-tors to mix ingredients, for feeding the animals and to clean the barns. Diesel tractors have block heaters that can be plugged in to keep the engine warm. �e days begin early on the farm and you do not want a tractor to not start at 4 a.m.

Snowstorms mean another criti-cal job on the farm: snow plowing. All the driveways, the feed mixing area and the entrances to all the barns must be cleared of snow in order to feed the animals. Some-times we have to plow the road so employees and the milk truck can make it to the farm. Our milk is picked up daily, and if the truck does not arrive by the time of the afternoon milking at 3 p.m., our

milk holding tank will overflow and the milk will be wasted. It would not be healthy for the cow to wait for the milk truck.

Snowstorms can bring electric outages. We have a generator large enough to power everything on the farm. If there was no electricity, it would mean no water for the cows, no lights, no milking. Cows must be milked at least two times a day and water is critical to their health. On the farm, barns are generally quite quiet, cows are quiet. In the past, without generators, farmers had late milking times, no water, and the noise level did go up in a hurry. �e cows moo in a loud fashion un-til their needs are met. �e genera-tor put an end to the cow concert. We keep it easy to access and in good condition so it can be started as soon as the outage begins.

You will put a smile on our face (and yours) during these wintry days. Just help yourself to cheese or another dairy product while you celebrate the holidays. Do cows smile? Sometimes, and they do wish you a happy holiday season.

» COLUMN

On the Farm

LinneaKooistra

Linnea and her husband Joel were born and raised on farms in McHenry County. They grow corn and soybeans, milk 250 cows, and raise 200 young dairy animals near Woodstock.

No slow season for farmers

COMMUNITY

14 THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENTDec. 17-23, 2014

Benjamin F. Edwards & Co. 11621 Catalpa Lane, Woodstock, IL 60098Phone: 815-337-4485 Toll Free: 855-337-4485

2014-1221 Exp. 7/31/2016 Member SIPC benjaminfedwards.com

Proudly serving all investors in the McHenry County area. Stop by or give us a call .

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR LIFE’S MILESTONESCollege. A first car, or home. A new baby. Retirement. These are the milestones that help us measure life’s progress.

They also require careful planning so that you are prepared to meet them head on. Whether you are just starting out or are well on your way, we will work with you to tailor a goals-based investment plan that meets your needs.

Dennis Anderson, CFP® Branch Manager

Senior Vice President – Investments

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Ryan Wormley, AAMS® Senior Vice President – Investments

Sandy PetersonSenior Registered Financial Associate

d CFP®

d P

The Wormley Team

Jenny Murray, AAMS® Assistant Branch Manager

Senior Registered Financial Associate

AAMS®

Brian ReillySenior Vice President – Investments

B i R ill

The Reilly Team

David ReillyFinancial Consultant

D id R ill

Matt Wormley Financial Consultant

M W l

COMMUNITY

Marian students show they care, plan food outreach for Jan.

By JANET DOVIDIOThe Independent

Marian Central Catholic High School

Key Club members carried out several

community outreaches in December,

including ringing the Salvation Army

bell all month at various stores, deco-

rating at Valley Hi Nursing Home, dec-

orating the National Guard Armory for

Catholic Charities and caroling at Jour-

ney Care Hospice in Woodstock.

All of these projects are part of the

“Marian Cares” outreach programs at

the school.

Students Ali Dobbins, Kenzie Mo-

cogni and Mary Gende were among

the decorators at Valley Hi. Mocogni

dressed as Santa.

“Working with the residents directly

is most rewarding,” said Gende. “It is an

indescribable feeling when they reach

for my hand to hold because then I

know I have touched them in some

small way.”

Mocogni added, “Serving others

makes me feel how truly blessed I am.

Knowing I can bring happiness and

help to people is a one-in-a-million

feeling. I admire the people’s spirit and

am honored to serve them.”

Hosting the Northern Illinois Food

Bank Mobile Food Pantry is another

Marian Cares outreach. �e second an-

nual Key Club Mobile Food Pantry and

Mobile Medical Unit event will take

place from 1 to 4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 16, at

the school campus, 1001 W. McHenry

Ave.

Centegra Hospital-Woodstock will

provide screening for high blood pres-

sure and diabetes at the event. Blessings

Barn will offer gently used clothing for

distribution. Donations also come from

St. Vincent de Paul Society of McHenry.

�e Key Club members have orga-

nized the day’s schedule, including hos-

pitality for participants, children’s craft

area, volunteers to load and unload

trucks and manpower to recycle boxes

and transport groceries to clients’ cars.

�e students also will organize public-

ity for the event and outreach to area

organizations that serve people in need.

Food Pantry tickets will be handed to

the first 200 families at noon. Food dis-

tribution will start at 1 p.m.

According to club advisor Amy Kel-

ly, “Our mission is to reach out to our

friends in need in the Woodstock, He-

bron, Harvard, Hartland, Marengo and

Wonder Lake communities by provid-

ing a mobile food pantry, warm clothes

and medical assistance, as well as wel-

coming each client with the utmost re-

spect.”

For information, call Marian Central

at 825-338-4220.

HIGHLIGHT

News of recognitions and milestones can be sent to Janet Dovidio at fetjetjd@aol.com.

15Dec. 17-23, 2014THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENTCOMMUNITY

ENGAGEMENT

Russell and Pollack to wedKathryn Russell and William Pollack have

announced their engagement.

Kathryn is the daughter of Jon and Cindy Russell, Woodstock. She is a 2007 gradu-ate of Woodstock High School and attended Loras College, Dubuque, Iowa. She is em-ployed as an immi-gration specialist at Catholic Chari-ties of Chicago.

William is the son of Richard and Diane Pollack, Elgin. He is a 2007 graduate of St. Edward Central Catholic High School and attended Loras College. He is employed as a portfolio administrator at U.S. Bank, Chi-cago.

The couple will be married in January 2015, at St. Mary Catholic Church, Woodstock.

ANNIVERSARIES

Fiskes celebrate 60th wedding anniversary

Darlene and Ken Fiske, Woodstock, cel-ebrated their 60th wedding anniversary Oct. 25 with a cruise on Lake Geneva. Many fam-

ily and friends traveled from across the coun-try to join them in the celebration.

Darlene and Ken grew up together in Bev-erly, on the south side of Chicago. The Fiske family moved to Woodstock in 1943 and Darlene and Ken met again in 1952 at NBC Television, Chicago, where Ken was a pro-ducer of a network show, “Out on the Farm,” and Darlene was an assistant director on lo-cal and network programs.

After their m a r r i a g e in 1954, they moved to the one - r oom s c h o o l -house on the Fiske farm in Bull Valley, where they have lived ever since. Ken was the founding director of the McHen-ry County Conservation District. Both Darlene and Ken have been honored for their work in conservation as Volunteers of the Year by The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii (1987) and the National Wildlife Refuge Association (2003).

Rankins celebrate 50th wedding anniversary

Steven and Bonnie Rankins celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in October with their family. They were married Oct. 17, 1964,

at the Capron Lutheran Church, Capron. Ste-ven and Bonnie have lived in Woodstock since April 1965. Forty of those years they lived in their present home where they raised three children, Steven Jr. (Jennifer), McHenry, Scott (Sheri), Zenda, Wis., Shelly (Scott) Rebman, Woodstock. They have nine grandchildren.

The Rankins enjoy annual trips to Mexico to enjoy the beaches.

BIRTH

Samantha Sophie ShaferA baby girl, Samantha Sophie Shafer, 7

pounds, 8 ounces, 20 inches was born to Jeff and Mindy Shafer, Marengo.

She has three siblings, Lauren, Lindsey and Hayley.

Her maternal grandparents are Bob and Kathy Fosnaugh, Woodstock; her paternal grandfather is James Shafer, Woodstock.

Her maternal great-grandmother is Barba-ra Carroll, Woodstock.

CELEBRATIONS

Kathryn Russell and

William Pollack

Ken and Darlene Fiske

Bonnie and Steven Rankins,

1964

Bonnie and Steven Rankins

today

HIGHLIGHT

Bartletts mark 60 years of marriage

By JANET DOVIDIOThe Independent

Evelyn and Frank Bartlett of Wood-stock celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary Nov. 27.

�ey were married in Oak Park in 1954. It was Evelyn’s father who felt Frank would be good for his daughter, so he introduced them to one another.

�ey moved from Arlington Heights to Woodstock in 1971 to raise their family in a more rural area.

�e Bartletts have nine children, 18 grandchildren and 10 great-grand-children. Most of their children – in-cluding their only daughter, Mary Bjork – live in the Woodstock area.

Evelyn and Frank celebrated over several days. �eir festivities began with a renewal of their vows at a Mass

on �anksgiving morning at St. Mary Catholic Church in Woodstock. �e Rev. Burt Absalon officiated. A tradi-tional �anksgiving meal followed at their daughter’s home.

On Friday the entire family headed to Lake Geneva, where they used to spend many summer vacations to-gether. �ey went to many of their fa-vorite places, including the Hogs and Kisses Bar. Friday evening included a wild poker game.

On Saturday, the entire family vis-ited the Yerkes Observatory in Wil-liams Bay and also enjoyed browsing through an antique mall. �at evening was the large celebration banquet that included many of Evelyn’s siblings.

Sunday morning brunch concluded the celebration weekend.

According to Evelyn, “�e secret to our long marriage is that with God’s help we have been able to go through many things in life. He has blessed us and been good to us.”

“Mom doesn’t sit down much,” add-ed daughter Mary. “She is always full of energy, and Dad goes along with it. �ey enjoy life, walk daily and love being with people.”

�e Bartletts left for Florida a cou-

ple of days later, where they will stay through May.

News of recognitions and milestones can be sent to Janet Dovidio at fetjetjd@aol.com.

16 THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENTDec. 17-23, 2014 COMMUNITY

FLASHBACKS

25 years ago The Woodstock City Council agreed

to pay $15,633 toward the construction of a fire training tower that was proposed for McHenry County College.

Woodstock School District 200 re-ceived a $35,000 grant for alcohol and drug abuse education from the Illinois State Board of Education.

The Woodstock Independent profiled Woodstock physician Margaret Phillips, who retired after 45 years.

The Woodstock High School boys swim team defeated Mundelein 51-26 behind the 200-yard medley relay team of Shane Burke, Oliver Gottwald, Eric Huebsch and Mike Fritz.

20 years ago Former Woodstock City Council

member Brian Sager announced he was running for election again after two years off the council.

Olson Middle School students pledged $2,000 to partially fund a new-born infant heart monitor for Memorial Medical Center.

The time on the clock at Ray Wolf Jewelers was fixed after being incorrect for

two months due to an electrical fire.

15 years ago The Woodstock City Council voted

3-2 to reject a motion to authorize negotia-tions for a contractual agreement to pro-ceed with Broadacre Management on the development of the former Die Cast site.

The Woodstock High School Theatre Arts Boosters announced it would be sell-ing seat sponsorships for the soon-to-be-re-modeled WHS auditorium for $150 each.

The Marian Central Catholic High School girls basketball team defeated Im-maculate Conception High School behind 16 points from Kaitlin Kusek and 12 points from Bridget O’Neill.

10 years ago The Woodstock Plan Commis-

sion unanimously approved the Hummel Group, Palatine, design for Woodstock Station, which would be built on the former Die Cast site.

The Independent remembered Wood-stock resident Bob Hockemeyer, who died suddenly at the age of 59. Hockemeyer was a member of the district 200 Board of Education and a longtime member of the

Woodstock Historical Preservation Com-mission.

The Independent profiled Woodstock resident Everett Kuhn, whose hobby was restoring Cord automobiles.

5 years ago District 200 kindergarteners raised

$380 for Christmas Clearing House selling hot cocoa and cookies.

Town & Country Restaurant, the sec-ond restaurant for owners Art and Irma Montes, opened on Eastwood Drive.

Marian Central graduate and Uni-versity of Iowa student Bryan Bulaga was named Big Ten Conference offensive line-man of the year.

1 year ago Workers were busy replacing the

30-year-old lighting at the Woodstock Op-era House. Total cost of the project was estimated to be about $65,000.

Harvard resident Ed Hall was pre-paring to perform his Woodstock Christ-mas Guitar Night at the Opera House.

Dave’s Woodstock Music, special-izing in high-end guitars, opened on the Woodstock Square.

RELIGION NOTES

BLUE LOTUS TEMPLE & MEDITATION CENTER

Meditation: 10 a.m. Saturday, TuesdayMeditation: 7 p.m. Monday, Wednesday

CHRIST LIFE

Worship: 10:30 a.m. Sunday

EDEN BAPTIST

Worship: 3 p.m. Sunday (Spanish)

FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST, SCIENTIST

Worship: 10 a.m. Sunday

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN

Worship: 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m. Sunday

FIRST UNITED METHODIST

Worship: 9 and 10:30 a.m. Sunday

FREE METHODIST

Worship: 10:30 a.m. Sunday

GRACE FELLOWSHIP

Worship: 10:15 a.m. Sunday

GRACE LUTHERAN1300 Kishwaukee Valley Road 815-338-0554 Worship: 5 p.m. Saturday (casual); 8:30 a.m. (traditional), 10:45 a.m. (contemporary)

HERITAGE BAPTIST4609 Greenwood Road

Worship: 10 a.m. Sunday

MCHENRY COUNTY JEWISH CONGREGATION8617 Ridgefield Road, Crystal Lake815-455-1810Worship: 6:30 p.m. Friday, 9:30 a.m. Saturday

REDEEMER LUTHERAN

Worship: 8 and 10 a.m. Sunday

RESURRECTION CATHOLIC2918 S. Country Club Road 815-338-7330Worship: 8 and 10:30 a.m. Sunday; 5 p.m. Saturday; 8 a.m. weekdays

ST. ANN’S EPISCOPAL

Worship: 8:30 and 10 a.m. Sunday

ST. JOHN’S LUTHERAN

Worship: 6 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m. Sunday

ST. MARY CATHOLIC

Worship: 7:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday; 5 and 6:30 p.m. (Spanish) Saturday; 7:30, 9 and 10:30 a.m., noon (Spanish), 5 p.m. Sunday

THE BRIDGE CHRISTIAN

Worship: 10 a.m. Sunday

THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS

Worship: 10 a.m. Sunday

THE VINE

Worship: 10 a.m. Sunday

UNITY SPIRITUAL CENTER

Worship: 10 a.m. Sunday

WOODSTOCK ASSEMBLY OF GOD

Worship: 9 a.m. Sunday prayer service, 10 a.m. worship service

WOODSTOCK BIBLE

Worship: 9:30 a.m. Sunday

fifth grade)

p.m. Sunday

17Dec. 17-23, 2014THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENTCOMMUNITY

Dec. 17 to Jan. 12

CALENDARUpcoming events in the Woodstock area Events are free unless otherwise noted

17 | WEDNESDAY

SANTA’S HUT Woodstock Square5 to 7 p.m.Food pantry donation requested

CHRISTMAS CLEARING HOUSE WAREHOUSE DAYOld Farm & Fleet BuildingHighway 14 and Route 476 to 8 p.m.815-245-4954Volunteers are needed to help bag toys for Christmas Clearing House. No sign-up necessary.

18 | THURSDAY

WOODSTOCK SENIOR CLUBSHearthstone Communities840 N. Seminary Ave.10 a.m. to 2 p.m.A fee will be charged for lunch, $2 donation for bingo.815-344-3555The activities will include a coffee klatch and bingo. Registration is required.

SANTA’S HUT Woodstock Square5 to 7 p.m.Food pantry donation requested

CHRISTMAS CLEARING HOUSE WAREHOUSE DAYOld Farm & Fleet BuildingHighway 14 and Route 476 to 8 p.m.815-245-4954Volunteers are needed to help bag food boxes for Christmas Clearing House. No sign-up necessary.

SPOKEN WORD CAFÉStage Left Café125 Van Buren St. 7 p.m.See The Entertainer, page 10.

UNITY SINGLES GROUPUnity Spiritual Center225 W. Calhoun St.7 to 8:30 p.m.$5 requested donation815-337-3534unitywoodstock.orgThe Rev. Tom Wendt will facilitate the get-togethers.

19 | FRIDAY

CAREGIVERS SUPPORT GROUPFamily Alliance2028 N. Seminary Ave.1 to 2:30 p.m.815-338-3590An open support group meeting will be offered for anyone giving care to an older person.

CARRIAGE RIDESWoodstock Square4 to 8 p.m.

SANTA’S HUT Woodstock Square5 to 7 p.m.Food pantry donation requested

LIVE MUSIC AT EXPRESSLY LESLIE’SWoodstock Square Mall

110 Johnson St.5:30 to 7:30 p.m.815-338-2833See The Entertainer, page 10.

SONGWRITER SHOWCASEMixin Mingle124 Cass St.7:30 p.m.$7, includes light beverages847-507-1352aplacetoshinemusic.comSee The Entertainer, page 10.

‘THE NUTCRACKER BALLET’Woodstock Opera House121 Van Buren St.8 p.m.$23 adults, $16 students, $16 se-nior citizens815-338-5300See The Entertainer, page 10.

JAZZ JAMStage Left Café125 Van Buren St.8 p.m.815-337-1395$5 donationSee The Entertainer, page 10.

20 | SATURDAY

CHRISTMAS CLEARING HOUSE DELIVERY DAYOld Farm & Fleet BuildingHighway 14 and Route 478 a.m. to noon815-245-4954Volunteers are needed to help deliver baskets of food and gifts to more than 1,000 families. No sign-up necessary

WOODSTOCK FARMERS MARKETMcHenry County Farm Bureau1102 McConnell Road9 a.m. to noonwoodstockfarmersmarket.orgVoted No. 1 in Illinois for midsize markets in 2012.See The Entertainer, page 10.

‘THE NUTCRACKER BALLET’Woodstock Opera House121 Van Buren St.2 and 7 p.m.$23 adults, $16 students, $16 se-nior citizens815-338-5300See The Entertainer, page 10.

SANTA’S HUT Woodstock Square2 to 5 p.m.Food pantry donation requested

CARRIAGE RIDESWoodstock Square4 to 8 p.m.

21 | SUNDAY

‘THE NUTCRACKER BALLET’Woodstock Opera House121 Van Buren St.2 p.m.$23 adults, $16 students, $16 se-nior citizens815-338-5300See The Entertainer, page 10.

SANTA’S HUT Woodstock Square2 to 5 p.m.Food pantry donation requested

22 | MONDAY

SANTA’S HUT Woodstock Square5 to 7:30 p.m.Food pantry donation requested

ART CLUB MEETINGDusty’s Pizza7613 Howe Road, Wonder Lake815-353-0157A group is forming and will be open to interested artists, writers, photographers and artisans.

23 | TUESDAY

SANTA’S HUT Woodstock Square5 to 7:30 p.m.Food pantry donation requested

ED HALL’S CHRISTMAS GUITAR NIGHTWoodstock Opera House121 Van Buren St.8 p.m.$25 adults815-338-5300See The Entertainer, page 10.

25 | THURSDAY

CHRISTMAS DAY

26 | FRIDAY

OPEN MIC NIGHTStage Left Café125 Van Buren St. 7 p.m.$3 donationSee The Entertainer, page 10.

27 | SATURDAY

HABITAT RESTORATIONBoger Bog2100 Cherry Valley Road10 a.m. to 1 p.m.815-455-1537Individuals, students, small groups and families with children older than age 6 can participate in re-storing native habitat at the con-servation area.

28 | SUNDAY

HOT COCOA & STORY HOUREthereal Confections113 S. Benton St.10:30 a.m.815-575-9315Children’s stories will be read aloud around the fireplace, and every child will receive a free chil-dren’s hot cocoa.

31 | WEDNESDAY

OPEN MIC SPECIAL NEW YEAR’S EVE EVENTDec. 31, 7 p.m.Stage Left Café125 Van Buren St. $3 donationSee The Entertainer, page 10.

1 | THURSDAY

NEW YEAR’S DAY

2 | FRIDAY

JAIL BRAKERSUnity Spiritual Center of Wood-stock225 W. Calhoun St.6:30 p.m.224-422-7431jailbrakers@gmail.comJail Brakers is a support group that provides a safe place for children and families to express their emo-tional reactions to separation from a family member who has been incarcerated.

3 | SATURDAY

WOODSTOCK FARMERS MARKETMcHenry County Farm Bureau1102 McConnell Road9 a.m. to noonwoodstockfarmersmarket.orgVoted No. 1 in Illinois for midsize markets.

11 | SUNDAY

HELPING PAWS NEW VOLUNTEER ORIENTATIONHelping Paws Shelter2500 Harding Lane1 p.m.815-338-4400helpingpaws.netHelping Paws will offer a monthly orientation to new volunteers.

12 | MONDAY

SPOUSAL CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUPFamily Alliance2028 N. Seminary Ave.10:30 a.m. to noon815-338-3590An open support group meeting will be offered for individuals car-ing for a spouse.

MCHENRY COUNTY HORSE CLUB MEETINGHooved Animal Humane Society10804 McConnell Road7 p.m.847-366-1315The general meeting of the club is open to everyone. Meetings will have various speakers and exhibits.

ONGOING

DISTRICT 200 ART SHOWDaily during library hoursWoodstock Public Library414 W. Judd St.Student works of art from all grade levels will be on display through Jan. 12.

OPEN AA MEETINGSundaysWoodstock Alano Club545 W. South St.11 a.m.815-455-3311Meetings are open to anyone who is interested or who might have a

problem with alcohol.

OVEREATERS ANONYMOUSMondaysFirst United Methodist Church201 W. South St.815-575-4283The weekly meeting is open to people with eating problems in-cluding overeating, undereating and binging.

OPEN VOLLEYBALLMondaysWoodstock Recreation Center820 Lake Ave.6:45 to 9 p.m.Free for members, $4 nonmem-bers815-338-4363woodstockrecreationdepartment.comTeams will be formed at random each week to play volleyball.

COFFEE AT THE CAFÉ FOR SENIORSTuesdaysStage Left Café125 Van Buren St.1 to 3 p.m.Senior citizens are invited to drop in for coffee.

MINDSHIFTERS GROUPTuesdaysUnity Spiritual Center of Wood-stock225 W. Calhoun6:30 p.m.$5 suggested love offering815-337-3534unitywoodstock.orgThe support group will focus on the practical use of self-help tools for personal and spiritual growth.

BINGOWednesdaysWoodstock Moose Lodge406 Clay St.7 to 9:30 p.m.815-338-0126Games will include crossfire. Food will be available. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m.

VFW FISH FRYFridaysVFW Post 5040240 N. Throop St.5 to 8 p.m.$8.50815-338-5040

MCHENRY BINGOFridaysWoodstock VFW250 N. Throop St.Doors open at 6 p.m., games start at 7 p.m.815-338-5040Proceeds benefit pediatric cancer. For weekly jackpots visit McHen-ryBingo.com.

PHOTO: ERIK DANIEL DROST

BEST BETSELECTION

To submit calendar items, e-mail pr@thewoodstockindependent.com or visit

thewoodstockindependent.com

20 THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENTDec. 17-23, 2014

PUBLIC NOTICEIN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE

TWENTY-SECOND JUDICIAL CIRCUITMCHENRY COUNTY-IN PROBATE

Case No. 14PR000316In the Matter of the Estate ofARLENE E BLANKENDeceasedCLAIM NOTICENotice is given of the death of: ARLENE E BLANKENof: CRYSTAL LAKE ILLetters of office were issued on: 11/18/14to:Representatives: BARBARA A BLANKEN485 EVERETT AVE, CRYSTAL LAKE IL 60014whose attorney is:LAURENCE A WILBRANDT65 S VIRGINIA ST, CRYSTAL LAKE IL 60014Claims against the estate may be filed within six months from the date of first publication. Any claim not filed within six months from the date of first publication or claims not filed within three months from the date of mailing or delivery of Notice to Creditor, whichever is later, shall be barred.Claims may be filed in the office of the Clerk of Circuit Court at the McHenry County Government Center, 2200 North Seminary Avenue, Woodstock, Illinois, 60098, or with the representative, or both.Copies of claims filed with the Clerk must be mailed or delivered to the representative and to his attorney within ten days after it has been filed.

/s/ Katherine M. Keefe (County Clerk)(Published in The Woodstock Independent Dec 3, 2014, Dec 10, 2014. Dec 17, 2014) L9372

PUBLIC NOTICEASSUMED NAME

Public Notice is hereby given that on NOVEMBER 25, 2014, a certificate was filed in the Office of the County Clerk of McHenry County, Illinois, setting forth the names and post-office addresses of all of the persons owning, conducting and transacting the business known as SMS IMPORTS located at 6504 SWEET BAY DR, MCHENRY, IL 60050.Dated NOVEMBER 25, 2014/s/ Katherine C. Schultz (County Clerk)(Published in The Woodstock Independent Dec 3, 2014, Dec 10, 2014, Dec 17, 2014) L9373

PUBLIC NOTICEASSUMED NAME

Public Notice is hereby given that on NOVEMBER 25, 2014, a certificate was filed in the Office of the County Clerk of McHenry County, Illinois, setting forth the names and post-office addresses of all of the persons owning, conducting and transacting the business known as JC MACHTIG HOME SERVICES located at 4608 ARDMORE CIR, JOHNSBURG, IL 60051.Dated NOVEMBER 25, 2014/s/ Katherine C. Schultz (County Clerk)(Published in The Woodstock Independent Dec 3, 2014, Dec 10, 2014, Dec 17, 2014)

L9374

PUBLIC NOTICEASSUMED NAME

Public Notice is hereby given that on NOVEMBER 17, 2014, a certificate was filed in the Office of the County Clerk of McHenry County, Illinois, setting forth the names and post-office addresses of all of the persons owning, conducting and transacting the business known as BAGS & BLING 4U located at 2464 WATERLEAF LANE WOODSTOCK IL 60098.Dated NOVEMBER 17, 2014/s/ Katherine C. Schultz (County Clerk)(Published in The Woodstock Independent Dec 10, 2014, Dec 17, 2014) L9376

PUBLIC NOTICEASSUMED NAME

Public Notice is hereby given that on December 5, 2014, a certificate was filed in the Office of the County Clerk of McHenry County, Illinois, setting forth the names and post-office addresses of all of the persons owning, conducting and transacting the business known as PROMMAR PLASTICS located at 500 NORTH CARY/ALGONQUIN RD, SUITE 1, CARY, IL 60013.Dated DECEMBER 5, 2014/s/ Katherine C. Schultz (County Clerk)(Published in The Woodstock Independent Dec 10, 2014, Dec 17, 2014) L9378

PUBLIC NOTICEIN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE

TWENTY-SECOND JUDICIAL CIRCUITMCHENRY COUNTY, ILLINOISCase No. 14PR000315In the Matter of the Estate ofKENNETH SEARSDeceasedNOTICE FOR PUBLICATION - APPOINTMENT OF ADMINISTRATOR AND CLAIMSNotice is given of the death of KENNETH SEARSLetters of office were issued on: 11/12/2014to:SCOTT K SUMMERS, PO BOX 430, HARVARD, IL 60033Whose attorney isSCOTT K SUMMERS, PO BOX 430, HARVARD, IL 60033-0430Notice is given to all unknown heirs of KENNETH SEARSheir(s) or legatee(s) who is(are) named in a petition, filed in the above proceeding to appoint an administrator and whosename(s) or address(es) is(are) not stated in the petition that an order was entered by the court on 11/12/2014 appointingan administrator.Claims against the estate may be filed within six months from the date of first publication. Any claim not filed withinsix months from the date of first publication or claims not filed within three months from the date of mailing or delivery of Notice to Creditor, whichever is later, shall be barred.Claims may be filed in the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court at the McHenry county Government Center, 2200 NorthSeminary Avenue, Woodstock, Illinois, 60098 or with the representative or both.

Copies of claims filed with the Clerk must be mailed or delivered to the representative and to his attorney within ten daysafter it has been filed./s/ Katherine M. Keefe (County Clerk)(Published in The Woodstock Independent Dec 17, 2014) L9379

PUBLIC NOTICEASSUMED NAME

Public Notice is hereby given that on December 3 2014, a certificate was filed in the Office of the County Clerk of McHenry County, Illinois, setting forth the names and post-office addresses of all of the persons owning, conducting and transacting the business known as DOLCE BELLA located at 300 W FRONT ST HARVARD IL 60033.Dated DECEMBER 3, 2014/s/ MARY E MCCLELLAN (County Clerk)(Published in The Woodstock Independent Dec 17, 2014) L9380

PUBLIC NOTICEASSUMED NAME

Public Notice is hereby given that on December 3 2014, a certificate was filed in the Office of the County Clerk of McHenry County, Illinois, setting forth the names and post-office addresses of all of the persons owning, conducting and transacting the business known as BISTRO located at 300 W FRONT ST HARVARD IL 60033.Dated DECEMBER 3, 2014/s/ MARY E MCCLELLAN (County Clerk)(Published in The Woodstock Independent Dec 17, 2014) L9381

PUBLIC NOTICES

21Dec. 17-23, 2014THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENT

them with the basics.”WHS freshman Rachel Stieg joins the

team with some bowling experience. �is is Lemke’s third year on the

team. “We’re pretty good,” Lemke said. “It’s

just a little hard, because we are such a small team.”

Lemke said she has learned a lot since her freshman year.

“A lot of it is patience,” said Lemke, who averaged between 160 and 170 pins per game last season. “Because if you get frustrated, you screw up your whole game.”

Mucha, who is in her second year on the team, said she enjoys the smaller team.

“It’s kind of like a small family,” said

Mucha, who averaged about 150 pins per game last season. “It’s not bad. At least you know everyone, and we all get along.

“I’m excited. I think we started this year off better than last year.”

Kamin, who is in her fifth year coach-ing the program that is also in its fifth year, said every year has been differ-ent.

“It’s an experience and a challenge every single year,” Kamin said.

Woodstock bowls its home matches at Wayne’s Lanes.

�e team does not have captains.

SPORTS

Bowling Continued from Page 24

Woodstock co-op bowling team member Alyssa Saucedo, Woodstock North High School, practices at Wayne’s Lanes Nov. 25. INDEPENDENT PHOTO BY KEN FARVER

“You just work on their fundamentals. You help them with the basics.”

— Regina Kamin, Woodstock co-op

22 THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENTDec. 17-23, 2014 SPORTS

Thunder top Streaks on the mat

By JAY SCHULZThe Independent

�e Woodstock North High School boys wrestling team counted on youth to defeat crosstown rival Woodstock High School 42-36 Dec. 11 at WNHS.

�e �under earned wins by fall from freshman Jake Finch, 113 pounds; junior Jared Zientz, 183; junior Jake Fiorito, 145; and freshman Christopher Flores, 285.

�under head coach Nate Zentner said he has been impressed with the performance of all his wrestlers, espe-cially his freshmen.

“�e freshmen are performing well on the varsity level,” Zentner said. “�em wrestling well is a really good sign for our team.”

WNHS co-captain senior Cody Barnes echoed his coach’s thoughts.

“We have a lot of freshmen, and that is our weakness,” Barnes said. “But they have been stepping up and con-tributing, which is what we need to have success.”

�e Streaks earned victories by fall from sophomores Luke Hodory, 126, and Dalton Bennett, 132. Junior Eli Kruse, 160, won his match 8-2, and ju-nior Martin Hali-laj, 195, won 4-2.

Five matches were won by for-feit – three for WHS and two for WNHS.

WHS head coach Jon Grell said his team could have wres-tled better.

“We went into the triangular a little banged up with injuries and illnesses, but that is no excuse,” said Grell in an email. “We did not wrestle our best. Hats off to Coach Zetner and Coach Creighton. �eir boys came ready to wrestle, and they did a nice job. It was a good atmosphere for a dual meet. Our programs have followed similar trajectories since the split, and it’s good to see both teams getting more kids out for the sport. I look forward to wrestling Woodstock North again.”

�e third team at the triangular was Harvard. Harvard defeated WHS 46-27 and WNHS 52-26.

�e Streaks are 2-4 on the season and will host Prairie Ridge at 6:30 p.m. �ursday, Dec. 18.

�e �under are 3-13 on the season and will host Hampshire at 6:30 p.m. �ursday, Dec. 18.

SCOREBOARD

MARIAN CENTRAL Boys BasketballDec. 13: MC 55, South 42For MC, Adam Pischke scored 19 points, and Wyatt Lindell scored 13 points.Dec. 13: MC 75, Marian Catholic 66For MC, Adam Pischke scored 30 points, and Wyatt Lindell scored 27 points. Dec. 9: MC 75, Rockford Christian 78For MC, Adam Pischke scored 25 points.

WOODSTOCK Boys basketballDec. 12: WHS 55, Grayslake North 54For WHS, Mason Sutter scored 17 points. Dec. 9: WHS 52, Jacobs 50For WHS, Mason Sutter scored 20 points, and Zach Cullum scored 13 points.

Boys wrestlingDec. 11: WHS 36, WNHS 42For WHS, Eli Kruse won 8-2 (160).

Dec. 11: WHS 27, Harvard 46For WHS, Kevin Zange won by fall (152).

Girls basketballDec. 13: WHS 34, Prairie Ridge 47For WHS, Selena Juarez scored 12 points, and Jenifer Crain scored 10 points.

WOODSTOCK NORTHBoys basketball Dec. 9: WNHS 50, McHenry 55For WNHS, Josh Jandron scored 30 points.

Boys wrestlingDec. 12: WNHS 47, Prairie Ridge 30Dec. 11: WNHS 42, WHS 36For WNHS, Jake Finch won by fall (113), and Christopher Flores won by fall (285). Dec. 11: WNHS 26, Harvard 52For WNHS, Jake Fiorito won by fall (145).

» WRESTLING

“The freshmen are perform-ing well on the varsity level.”

— Nate Zentner, coach

23Dec. 17-23, 2014THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENT

the team and specializes in the 100-yard butterfly, said his coach is point-ing the team in the right direction.

“Coach Shanahan is a great coach and he’s working us pretty hard,” Mice-li said. “If we keep working hard and working on our technique, we should be pretty good at the end of the sea-son.”

Wilhelm, who is in his third year on the team and specializes in the 100 freestyle, said he enjoys working with the younger team members.

“It’s nice to have a bunch of new guys joining the team,” Wilhelm said. “It’s going to get them exposed to the sport. We’re definitely in for a lot of work.”

Shanahan said he has been impressed with the team’s can-do attitude.

“We just have a good group of kids,” Shanahan said. “Everyone wants to get better. Everyone’s very attentive.”

�e team swims in the WNHS pool and will host the Mary Landa Invite at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 24, and the Fox

Valley Conference tournament at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 14.

Name YearJarod Baker JuniorLuke Beattie JuniorDanny Blalock SophomoreBen Detwiler SophomoreAndrew Dort SophomoreIno-Perfecto Gonzales SeniorStephen Grimes FreshmanSpencer Hanson SophomoreWilliam Mark Harter JuniorLucas Hess SeniorCorwin Hoefling SophomoreAugust Hutchens SeniorDonny Kadlubowski FreshmanJustin Kucharski SophomoreNichola Madaus FreshmanJake Maker FreshmanDaniel Mendoza JuniorJoe Miceli SeniorJustin Orozco JuniorJose Pozo SeniorConnor Wilhelm SeniorDylan Wolf FreshmanJeremy Wolf Sophomore

Woodstock boys swimming roster

» COLUMN

Ott honored for play on the

court Most athletes see the greatness in

other players, but not in themselves.Marian Central Catholic graduate

Dena Ott is no exception. Even though she led the Ohio Valley Conference in total digs with 360, the Eastern Ken-tucky University senior was shocked when she was named as the OVC de-fensive volleyball player of the year.

“I thought it would go to another woman (Courtney Smith) from Tennes-see Tech,” said Ott. “�is was the best year for us as a team and for me per-sonally. I think the coaches that voted for me saw my leadership skills. People

looked up to me a bit. I know I will miss it, but not as much as I will next August.”

Ironically, Ott had her best match against Tennes-see Tech, finishing with 33 digs. Her 5.06 digs per set ranked second in the OVC and 30th in the country among NCAA Division I players. She was one of two Eastern Kentucky players to be named to the OVC all-conference team.

In addition to her dig total, she also had 42 assists, 14 service aces and three kills in the 16 conference matches. Eastern Kentucky finished with a 21-14 overall record; they were 11-5 in the OVC.

Danielle Pautrat (Woodstock), Megan Pautrat (Woodstock) and Zoe Klay (Woodstock North) all logged time for McHenry County College’s vol-leyball team this year. Danielle Pautrat, a 5-foot-3-inch sophomore setter/defensive specialist, finished with a team-leading 877 assists. In 36 match-

es, she had 286 digs, 44 service aces, 32 blocks (seven solos), 21 kills and 84.5 points. Megan Pautrat, a 5-foot-7-inch freshman outside hitter, had 195 points this year. She had 140 kills, 35 blocks (15 solos), 30 aces and nine assists in her 35 matches. Klay led the team with 128 blocks, 71 of which were solos. �e sophomore middle blocker also had 134 kills, 110 digs, 23 assists, 22 service aces and 255.5 points this year. McHen-ry County finished 19-22 overall.

SoccerCarianne Sobey (Woodstock North)

scored five goals and doled out a team-leading 12 assists for Grace College

this year. Sobey, who finished with 22 points, had three game-winning goals. In 25 games played, 24 of which were starts, she played 1,924 minutes. �e junior midfielder helped Grace finish 17-5-3 overall and 8-1 in the Crossroads League.

SwimmingAllison DeWane (Woodstock)

helped Western Illinois University de-feat Lindenwood University-Belleville 102-19. �e Leathernecks were topped by Truman State University 101-21 in the outing, scored as a head-to-head meet between the three teams. Indi-vidually, DeWane finished sixth in the 100-yard freestyle (59.20 seconds) and seventh in the 200 freestyle (2:12.70). She was also a member of the Leather-neck 200 freestyle relay, which finished third in 1:43.81, and 200 medley relay, which finished fifth in 2:00.00.

Emily Albertz (Woodstock North) swam to a fourth-place finish in the 50 freestyle in a dual meet between Butler University and Miami University of Ohio. �e Butler swimmer finished in :26.72. Butler lost a 134-106 decision.

The College Report

DanChamness

Dan Chamness follows the college athletic careers of Woodstock-area athletes.

Swimming Continued from Page 24

SPORTS

Woodstock co-op swim team member Connor Wilhelm, Woodstock High School, prac-tices at the Woodstock North High School pool Dec. 10. INDEPENDENT PHOTO BY KEN FARVER

however many years and see how good Marian is, I want to say I was part of the foundation.”

Taylor said that the perspective Virzi has gained, while at a cost, has benefitted the other players.

“It’s easy for a coach to say w r e s t l i n g d o e s n ’ t matter, but it’s hard for a kid to ac-cept that,” said Taylor. “What he’s done is he’s decided to step in and still be a senior lead-er.”

Remke has wrestled with Virzi since the 2011-12 season and ap-preciates the effort Virzi has made to stay committed.

“When I look back at my high school career, there is one per-son who has been there all four years, and it’s him,” said Remke.

“His determination and reliabil-ity is what we need for Marian wrestling.”

And for that reliability, the coaches are grateful.

“�ere’s a saying that, ‘�e name on the front is more important than the name on the back,’” said Taylor, r e f e r e n c -ing famed h o c k e y p l a y -er Herb

Brooks. “Andrew Virzi puts Mari-an wrestling before Andrew Virzi.

“He’s everything you’d want as a coach from a wrestler. So, I hope he sees sometimes you sacrifice little things for bigger things. ... It will be worth it to see him with his kids someday … �at’s worth a million wins. It’s worth a state title.”

Dena Ott

Virzi Continued from Page 24

“I already put so much into the team, but it wasn’t worth the risk to wrestle.”

— Andrew Virzi, Marian Central

WOODSTOCK CO-OPBoys bowlingDec. 12: Woodstock 2,672, Westminster Christian 2,070For Woodstock, Zach Myers bowled a 221 high game, and Joey Brown bowled a 567 high series. Dec. 9: Woodstock 2,673, Elgin 2,187For Woodstock, Joey Brown bowled a 224 high game and a 579 high series. Dec. 8: Woodstock 2,813, McHenry 2,721For Woodstock, Ethan Geg-

gie bowled a 251 high game, and Zach Myers bowled a 647 high series.

Boys swimmingDec. 9: Woodstock 86, Elgin 64For Woodstock, Jake Maher won the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 2 minutes, 23.28 seconds, and Danny Blalock won the 100 breast-stroke with a time of 1:29.71.

Girls bowling

Dec. 12: Woodstock 1,699, Evanston 1,935For Woodstock, Samantha Kunke bowled a 155 high game and a 463 high series. Dec. 11: Woodstock 2,320, Grayslake Central 2,413For Woodstock, Samantha Kunke bowled a 212 high game and a 586 high series. Dec. 9: Woodstock 2,052, Grayslake North 2,692For Woodstock, Samantha Kunke bowled a high game of 178 and a high series of 529.

SCOREBOARD

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DO YOU WANT TO

24 THE WOODSTOCK INDEPENDENTDec. 17-23, 2014

By JAY SCHULZThe Independent

�e Woodstock co-op girls bowl-

ing team, made up of bowlers from

Woodstock and Woodstock North high

schools, will have a numbers issue this

year, and those are not numbers on the

scoring sheet. �e team has only six

bowlers, which will prove to be a chal-

lenge.

Head coach Regina Kamin said the

team’s obvious weakness is its size.

“With the small talent pool we have,

we’ll do the best we can,” Kamin said.

“We have to make sure we have enough

players every single meet and every

single invite.”

Four of the six team members return

from last season’s team – WNHS ju-

niors Samantha Kunke, Kristin Lemke,

Kasia Mucha and Alyssa Salcedo.

“Our returners have some experi-

ence,” Kamin said.

WNHS junior Meghan Johnson is

new to the team and new to bowling.

“You just work on their fundamen-

tals,” Kamin said of Johnson. “You help

WRESTLING

PAGE 22

The Thunder defeat the

Blue Streaks 42-36

COLLEGE REPORT

Columnist Dan Chamness on

college volleyball, soccer and morePAGE 23

SCOREBOARD

Scores, stats and highlights from

area high school teamsPAGES 22 & 23

SportsSports

After injury, the Marian Central senior has assumed a new role with the team

By MEGAN IVERSThe Independent

A career-ending injury usually

means just that — the end of an ath-

lete’s career.

For Marian Central Catholic High

School senior wrestler Andrew Virzi,

however, a career-ending injury

simply meant a change in course.

“I didn’t think I wouldn’t get to

wrestle again,” said Virzi, of a fright-

ening situation during which he

slipped a disc in early 2014.

�e injury led Virzi down a labori-

ous road to recovery that included

months of treatment and rehab. De-

spite all the work he put in, when he

started training for wrestling season

earlier this fall,

he still suffered

pain.

At that time,

Virzi began to

talk with his fam-

ily, head coach

Chris Taylor and

his teammates,

especially fel-

low senior Nick

Remke, about

how he could

stay connected

to the team during his final season.

“I already put so much into the

team, but it wasn’t worth the risk to

wrestle,” said Virzi. “I still wanted to

be part of the team. �ese guys are

my family. Especially with all the

new freshmen, I was excited.”

So Taylor suggested Virzi stay on

as student manager. Instead of suit-

ing up for competitions, Virzi would

cover stats, offer training support

and make sure his teammates had

all they needed to compete.

�e decision was initially devas-

tating, and Virzi still misses compe-

tition. But, as he’s the first to say, he

is contributing to the team’s success

regardless of the role and shares the

same goal as his teammates, to help

the team qualify for the IHSA state

finals.

“It’s unbelievable how far we’ve

come in the last three to four years,”

said Virzi. “When I come back in

By JAY SCHULZThe Independent

�e Woodstock co-op swimming

team, made up of swimmers from

Woodstock and Woodstock North

high schools, enters the season with a

good-sized roster, but not a lot of ex-

perience.

“We lost a lot of guys to graduation,”

said head coach Ian Shanahan.

Woodstock has 23 swimmers and

will be led by senior captains Joe Mice-

li, WNHS, and Connor Wilhelm, WHS.

“�ey will be two of our better swim-

mers,” Shanahan said.

With five freshmen and seven sopho-

mores on the team, Shanahan said the

goal is to continually improve times.

“�at’s the nice thing about swim-

ming,” Shanahan said and noted the

team would set goals after its first

meet against Elgin Dec. 9, which it won

86-64. “You’re always looking at your

times. It’s a lot like track.”

Shanahan said one of the problems

with the team is they do not have a lot

of club swimmers.

“We don’t have many club kids,”

Shanahan said. “Swimming is mostly a

club sport. �ose are the kids who are

going to dominate.”

He did note that he sees potential in

freshman Jake Maher, WNHS, who has

club experience.

“We have some good freshmen that

came out for the team,” Shanahan said.

WHS juniors Luke Beattie and Spen-

cer Hanson, who excelled in cross-

country this fall, also are on the team.

“It’s fun training those guys,” Shana-

han said. “�ey are using the time to

give their legs a break. �ose two are

fun.”

Miceli, who is in his second year on

A youth movement» SWIMMING WOODSTOCK BOYS CO-OP

Please see Swimming, Page 23

Girls bowling will play a numbers game

» BOWLING WOODSTOCK GIRLS CO-OP

Please see Bowling, Page 21

» WRESTLING MARIAN

Virzi has a change in direction

Please see Virzi, Page 23

Woodstock co-op swim team member Joe Miceli, Woodstock North High School, practices at the WNHS pool Dec. 10. INDEPENDENT PHOTO BY KEN FARVER

“We just have a good group of kids. Everybody wants to get better. Everybody is attentive.”

— Ian Shanahan, Woodstock co-op

Co-op team will rely on younger swimmers for success this season

AndrewVirzi