McHenry County jobless rate is on the rise
WWW.NWH
Business, F1
FRIDAY, MAY 24, 2013
COM
75 CENTS
PLAYOFF HOCKEY • SPORTS, C1
CAR ENTHUSIASTS • WHEELS, E10
Arnold: Toews’ struggles continue in Game 4 loss
Check out schedule for summer car shows, Cruise Night
The only daily newspaper published in McHenry Co. Niklas Kronwall (55) and Jonathan Toews
Regrets of the dying Hospice workers see range of emotions at life’s end
Officials want state to pay out Ask for $4.7M for Routes 47 and 176 intersection By KEVIN P. CRAVER kcraver@shawmedia.com
Kyle Grillot – kgrillot@shawmedia.com
Shaun Hayes, a registered nurse, makes a bed at the JourneyCare in Woodstock on Monday. The center operates seven private rooms, located within Centegra South Street Campus.
M
elissa Sandberg has spent a large portion of her life preparing and comforting people nearing the end of their lives.
The longtime social worker has consoled dying mothers who won’t see their children grow up, and also helped those at the end of a long life find peace. “There are so many things people struggle with when they are dying, and so many things they wish they could have done differently,” said Sandberg, a team leader at JourneyCare, formerly Hospice and Palliative Care of Northeastern Illinois. “Hospice is meeting people where they are in life and helping them at the end of their journey.” Every person deals with impending death differently, area hospice providers agree. But how people leave the world depends on the regrets and grief they are willing to let go.
Hitting home Some cases have been more difficult than others in Sandberg’s 10 years as a social worker. While each patient holds a special place in her heart, Sandberg knows she must set boundaries. “These families are looking to you
to be compassionate and caring, but you don’t want to break down and cross that boundary where they are supporting you,” she said. Her toughest case came last year when multiple health issues led to the rapid decline of her 68-year-old mother. Sandberg was four months’ pregnant and didn’t know the sex of her child. Wanting to grant her mother one last moment of happiness, she brought her an image from an ultrasound. “My mother always knew that me and my sister wanted to have boys,” Sandberg said. “We showed her the ultrasound, told her it was a boy, and she smiled.” Her mother died two days later. “She didn’t have to die with the regret of not knowing the sex of her grandchild,” Sandberg said. “It was so different to become the daughter of a dying mom. I was doubting myself, and my team took care of me.”
There are so many things people struggle with when they are dying, and so many things they wish they could have done differently. Hospice is meeting people where they are in life and helping them at the end of their journey.” Melissa Sandberg Team leader at JourneyCare
Grief is often misunderstood in our fast-paced culture, and is primarily associated with sadness and tears, but there is no right or wrong way to do it. There are many more emotions that go along with grief.” Daniel Sterdt Bereavement counselor at JourneyCare
CRYSTAL LAKE
RESIDENTS REMEMBER 1965 TWISTER Palm Sunday 1965 will be forever remembered as one of the darkest days in McHenry County history. About 3:30 p.m., an F4 tornado touched down in Crystal Lake, ripping through subdivisions and killing five residents. More than 100 houses were damaged, leaving many people homeless. For more, see page B1.
Jacobs’ Nick Ledinsky Sarah Nader – snader@shawmedia.com
HIGH
LOW
65 42 Complete forecast on A8
C6 F1-2 C8 F3-14
in the state – and contribute to economic development, Village President Erin Smith said. “That broad support [from local governments] is in place because these improvements have broad implications for our county,” Smith said. Proposed improvements include shifting Pleasant Valley Road about 500 feet south to create a four-way intersection, building two
See INTERSTATE, page A6
By JEFF ENGELHARDT CRYSTAL LAKE – Vicky Smith knows uncertainty abounds when it comes to pension reform, but she said one change is inevitable. McHenry County College and all public higher education institutions in Illinois eventually will pick up the state’s tab on retirement benefits. The state pays the 11 percent cost of a college’s or university’s pension contribution. Smith, president of McHenry County College, is preparing for Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s proposal to shift the state’s pension contributions to schools to become law. The
More story New MCC Board OKs $2.2 million renovation project. PAGE B1 plan would place the financial burden on colleges and universities slowly, shifting a half percent each year for roughly 22 years until the full 11 percent contribution is off the state’s books. “I think it’s inevitable that they are going to shift their share of the cost of the pensions to the colleges,” Smith said. “I would be completely surprised if it didn’t happen.” For McHenry County College, the annual half percent
See PENSIONS, page A3
Our lawyers know how to argue
CRYSTAL LAKE: Jacobs advances to the Class 4A regional championship with 8-5 win against CL South. Sports, C1
Where to find it Advice Business Buzz Classified
McHenry County municipal, county and state elected leaders are asking the General Assembly and Gov. Pat Quinn to allocate $4.7 million to improve the southern intersection of Routes 47 and 176.
MCC officials expect to pay for pensions jengelhardt@shawmedia.com
See REGRETS, page A6
LOCALLY SPEAKING
WOODSTOCK – Elected leaders have started a campaign to ask state lawmakers to allocate $4.7 million toward improving the southern intersection of Routes 47 and 176. A coalition of municipal and county representatives wrote to Gov. Pat Quinn last week asking him and the General Assembly to free up money needed to upgrade what County Board Chairwoman Tina Hill called in her letter “the last significant underdeveloped intersection in the county.” Improving the intersection, which is located in Lakewood, would improve traffic flow and safety – the Illinois Department of Transportation in past years has ranked the intersection among the more dangerous
What it means
Vol. 28, Issue 144 Comics C7 Planit Screen D1-6 Local&Region B1-6 Lottery A2
Obituaries Opinion Puzzles Sports
B4 A7 F7 C1-5
Franks, Gerkin & McKenna 815.923.2107 www.fgmlaw.com