Musick: Sick, shorthanded Bulls fall to Nets in Game 6
013 FRIDAY, MAY 3, 2013
WWW.NWHERALD.COM
The only daily newspaper published in McHenry Co.
Sports, C1
75 CENTS
NATIONAL PRAYER DAY • LOCAL, B1
PREP TRACK AND FIELD • SPORTS, C3
Residents pray in Woodstock Square
Bad weather suspends Fox Valley Conference Meet
Richard Withrow (left)
Morgan Schulz, Cary-Grove
Pension bill passes Ill. House
CENTER OF THEIR SOCIAL NETWORK
More than a bingo game
Madigan’s rewrite now heads back to the Senate By KEVIN P. CRAVER
How they voted
kcraver@shawmedia.com The Illinois House has passed a far-reaching pension reform package muscled through by Democratic Speaker Michael Madigan. The bill, a rewrite of a much weaker Senate proposal, on Thursday squeaked by on a 62-51 vote, with two voting “present.” Sixty votes were needed for passage. It now heads back to the Senate for concurrence, where the new proposal’s fate is questionable in the last weeks of the spring legislative session. Madigan’s bill requires most state employees to pay 2 percent more for their retirement, limits their costof-living increases from the current 3 percent and raises the retirement age for workers under 45. In exchange, the bill requires the state, which for decades has shorted its actuarial payments, to fully fund them. The five state-funded pension systems have about $97 billion in unfunded liability. About 20 percent of fiscal 2014’s General Fund budget is anticipated to go to the state’s ballooning pension obligations.
Voting “yes” for House Speaker Michael Madigan’s pension bill: n Rep. Jack Franks, D-Marengo n Rep. Barbara Wheeler, R-Crystal Lake n Rep. David McSweeney, R-Barrington Hills n Rep. Tim Schmitz, R-Batavia Voting “no”: n Rep. Mike Tryon, R-Crystal Lake
Lathan Goumas – lgoumas@shawmedia.com
All but one of McHenry County’s legislators supported the bill, which had Minority Leader Tom Cross, R-Oswego, as a chief co-sponsor. The new language builds on reforms proposed last session by Cross and House Personnel and Pensions Committee Chairwoman Elaine Nekritz, D-Northbrook, who also co-sponsored Madigan’s bill. “I think this is meaningful reform to ensure the retirement security of Illinois workers, and taking steps to restore fiscal stability to the worst-funded retirement system in the nation,” said state Rep. Jack Franks, D-Marengo.
See PENSIONS, page A6
Johnsburg resident Shirley Miller (left), 76, laughs with June Mackus, 65, of McHenry during a break between bingo games Wednesday at the McHenry Township Senior Center in McHenry. Both women said they enjoy the social aspect of the center and attend activities there regularly.
McHenry Township Senior Center helps elderly stay engaged By SHAWN SHINNEMAN sshinneman@shawmedia.com
J
OHNSBURG – The numbers come echoing out over laughter and muted chitchat, cutting through a well-lit space at the McHenry Township Senior Center. O-71 ... O-61 ... G-53 ... B-13 ... “One-three?” a voice asks. “13?” Yes, 13. It’s the weekly Wednesday afternoon bingo game, and there aren’t more than a
handful of open seats in the center’s rec room, which is about the size of a basketball court. Some players, in their 60s through their 90s, crack jokes. Others barely peer up from their sheets. In a literal sense, they’re here for bingo. But there’s a deeper reason. “I think I would die – Oh, what was the number?” said Carol Hansen, distracted
See SOCIAL, page A6
The bingo card of Johnsburg resident Colleen Szramek, 68, is seen during a game Wednesday at the McHenry Township Senior Center in McHenry.
Campaign rivals put differences aside Highway commissioners work together to aid flood victims in Nunda Township By JIM DALLKE jdallke@shawmedia.com NUNDA – The phone rang incessantly at the Nunda Jim Dallke – jdallke@shawmedia.com Township Highway CommisNewly elected Nunda Township Highway Commissioner Mike Lesper- sioner’s Office as rain pounded ance (left) sits with ousted Commissioner Don Kopsell on Thursday. McHenry County last month. The Fox River was pouring The two political rivals put politics aside to help flood victims as heavy over onto residents’ properrains overflowed the Fox River last month.
LOCALLY SPEAKING
ties. Homes were on the verge of destruction. The phone calls were as desperate as they were frequent. That’s when 16-year outgoing Highway Commissioner Don Kopsell and newly elected Commissioner Mike Lesperance put politics aside and worked together to bring aid to
CRYSTAL LAKE
SHAW MEDIA NAMES NEW PRESIDENT Northwest Herald Publisher John Rung was named president of Shaw Media and elected to its board of directors Thursday at the company’s annual meeting. Rung, 50, previously was senior vice president and chief operating officer of Shaw Media. For more, see page F1.
Kyle Grillot – kgrillot@shawmedia.com
HIGH
LOW
55 49 Complete forecast on A8
LAKE IN THE HILLS: D-158 hosted a walkathon to raise money for families affected by pediatric cancer. Local, B1
Where to find it Advice Business Classified Comics
C6 F1-2 F3-14 C7
Vol. 28, Issue 123 Local&Region B1-6 Lottery A2 Movies D5 Obituaries B5
Opinion A7 Planit Screen D1-6 Puzzles F7 Sports C1-5
residents in need. The two worked side by side to orchestrate relief efforts and get supplies to people facing rising floodwaters, even though Lesperance doesn’t officially take office until May 20. Just two months earlier, the men were involved in a hotly contested race where Lesperance ousted Kopsell by 175 votes and third candidate Rob Parrish by just four votes. During the race, Kopsell said
neither candidate had the experience needed to lead, and Lesperance blasted Kopsell for nepotism and financial mismanagement. But as residents called for help, the two worked together by organizing the delivery of more than 83,000 sandbags to hundreds of Nunda Township residents. Twenty trucks and 120 workers and volunteers covered 25 miles of roads, often
See FLOODING, page A6
Winning is no accident. Franks, Gerkin & McKenna 815.923.2107 www.fgmlaw.com