Government Day

The Leadership Greater McHenry County Class of 2008 is one-third through our year and it's been a dizzying experience, chalked full of wonderful informational about the county that I wouldn't have gained otherwise.
This month's session was on local government. We first met with State Senator Pam Althoff and State Reps. Mike Tryon and Jack Franks. They offered great insight into the Springfield disaster known as the governor, including plans to recall his position, or maybe even begin impeachment proceedings. They were full of dirty details about the CTA train wreck. How long do you think you have to work at CTA to be eligible for full pension for life? The answer is 31 months. How ridiculous is that? No wonder the CTA is in trouble.
Then McHenry County and township government officials presented information such as what the county recorder actually does, what's involved in county planning and development, the transportation department, clerk's office and we also heard from McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler about what his position entails.
Our afternoon was spent at Crystal Lake Municipal Center where we role played (and some of us thought we would die laughing at some of our classmates' acting abilities). You see, we were divided into four groups of planning and zoning commission, city council, developers and neighbors. We performed a case study based on a true development proposal that occurred in Crystal Lake in the 1990s.
I wish I could do justice to the leadership program here but I fall short. I can tell you that I was forced to miss the November session on education because my husband had half his foot amputated that day (due to diabetes-related complications) and I was devastated. I asked classmates to take notes for me because I didn't want to miss anything. I also missed the camaraderie and friends I've made through the program.
Next month's session is on health care. That will be great, too, I'm sure!

Two high schools double the great sports

by ANDREW DREISCHARF The Independent

Growth presents possibility for two sets of great public high school competitors

When it was first confirmed that Woodstock North High School would be fielding its own athletic teams when it opens in the fall, I immediately thought it was a good idea.
The population of the Woodstock area is increasing. This means more students and more student athletes, hence the reason for building a second public high school in Woodstock.
With more students, the talent pool of student athletes in the area will be much deeper. Therefore, it’s great that both schools will have their own teams. I always say it’s better to have two good teams than one.
However, it doesn’t mean both Woodstock High School and WNHS will have great teams right away. WHNS won’t even be fielding varsity teams until 2009, and, even then, the oldest players on the teams will be juniors. Come 2010, WNHS will have a senior pool of players.
Both schools might struggle for awhile. No new school is ready to compete overnight, and, in return, WHS will have slightly fewer students to make up their teams at first.
Exact enrollment for both high schools is unknown and cannot be predicted. This also in no way is saying a team of juniors can’t succeed, because they can. It’s just not something that happens often.
For any athlete, at any level, it’s all in what the athlete makes of an opportunity. Athletes, when presented with any opportunity or challenge, must step up.
Other newer high schools have gone on to see great things happen athletically.
Prairie Ridge High School in Crystal Lake is a prime example. Its teams might not have been great right away but now are a force to be reckoned with in the Fox Valley Conference in almost every sport.
Where I grew up in Buffalo Grove, the high school I attended, Stevenson in Lincolnshire, simply got too large. Forcing Vernon Hills to build its own high school.
Until then, students in Vernon Hills were attending Stevenson, Mundelein High School and even Libertyville High School, depending on where they lived. All those high schools boasted great sports programs. It was only a matter of time before Vernon Hills High School was either on par or better than other schools in its conference.
The reason for its success was the same as other schools. They had great players who were coached well at younger levels and then moved on to high school. The same can happen in Woodstock.
The only difference I can see here is the size of enrollment at each school. My graduating class had roughly 800 students. My younger brother’s class had more than 1,000 students. It was very easy to find 50 athletes to field a football team that was competitive.
Woodstock being smaller, it might not be as easy. But as long as the number of students moving to Woodstock keeps increasing there’s no doubt in my mind that there will be two very competitive high schools here.
There are other advantages for student athletes by adding a second high school. There are more opportunities. When the talent pool is so tight, like it is now with a crowded high school in Woodstock, it might discourage students who don’t feel they are good enough to make the team.
With two schools, the number of spots on teams at each school may encourage more students to try out for a team. More teams means more roster spots available. The talent pool in no way is decreased or diluted, but, in fact, actually expanded and opens the door for more potential student athletes.
The most important thing for a student athlete is opportunity, and a second high school increases opportunities for all. It’s not just students who will be given more opportunities.
A second high school also presents new opportunities for coaches.
I fully expect to see two very good high school teams in each sport in Woodstock once WNHS has a senior class.
The new rivalry created in town will be a lot of fun. One of the best things about building Vernon Hills High School was that my high school had a new rival. The fact that Stevenson and VHHS were so close geographically made it all the more exciting.
There’s nothing like the feeling of beating your closest rival. It’s nice to have bragging rights for the season. How much fun will a Woodstock High School vs. Woodstock North High School games be? I think it will be awesome.
In the end, everyone wins: the two high schools, the students and the fans. It will take time, and people will need to be patient. There might be some rough seasons ahead for both high schools.
In time, when everything gets rolling more great students move into the area, there will be two very good and well-respected sets of teams that call Woodstock home. Twice as many schools means twice as many games for sports fans like me to attend and twice as many teams to follow. I can’t wait.

No state, no problem – Marian football still impressive

BY Andrew Dreischarf
The Marian Central Catholic High School football team had a great season. No, the Hurricanes didn’t go to state, but so what? This team was deeper than just wins.
The word “team” is often over-looked when it comes to sports. Too many people value a team based on wins and losses or individual players. Yes, wins do matter. However, they are not the be-all and end-all of sports.
The Hurricanes put together a magnificent season in 2007, overcoming hardships and adversity to finish with a 10-3 record.
The boys on this team played like a team, taking care of their teammates and helping each other out. They cared about one another. When one player felt pain, they all did. Most importantly, they never gave up.
Marian started the season at a disadvantage, having a very small roster of players. While most schools dress anywhere between 30 and 50 kids for home games, Marian spent the season with about 20 to 25 players available for most of its games. This meant players had to play more downs, and many of them played both offense and defense. All this while their opponents had the luxury of using fresh players.
The Hurricanes also faced many injuries throughout the season. When junior quarterback Jon Budmayr went down with a hamstring injury, the ’Canes didn’t panic; they stepped up. Marian suffered just two regular season losses to two great teams in Driscoll Catholic and Montini. The loss to the Highlanders was avenged in the playoffs on the road in Lombard. The ’Canes were without senior T.J. Pappas for the last few playoff games due to an injury. Numerous players, including senior Jack Gilleland, played games with casts on because there were just not enough guys to play. The players gave it their all.
Often, the ’Canes also had to come from behind to win. That’s a sign of a good team. They may get down, but they bounce back. Players stepped up when they needed to do so.
They all looked so happy together as a team. When Morris ended the season for Marian, I couldn’t help but feel for those players. They all looked so happy together as a team. When some of them cried after the loss, I felt sad as well. You couldn’t help but want this group to win.
The 2007 team was a close one. Budmayr hugged senior tackle Sean Cwynar after the team was eliminated, almost as if to say, “Hey, it’s going to be OK. We did well.”
The seniors were the ones I felt for most of all. After they finished second in the state last year, many thought they were going to win it all this year. I wanted to see seniors Cwynar, Pappas, Gilleland, receiver Karsten Hamilton-Smith, defensive end Brett Leahy, receiver Brett Micek, receiver Christopher Kunzweiler, running back Eric Reibel, running back Doug Simpson and receiver Jordan Peart win at state this season. I also really wanted to see head coach Ed Brucker win with this team. Their loss became the fans’ loss as well. They deserved to win. The loss in Morris truly was heartbreaking for the team, as well as for fans at the game or listening at home.
The ’Canes also had to overcome their playoff seeding. Despite having just two losses, Marian wasn’t viewed by the selection committee as a strong team. Marian proved them wrong by winning three playoff games. It was a tough season all around. If the team felt disrespected in any way, I can’t blame them, but they played the cards they were dealt without making any fuss. They were a good group of young men who played football they way it is supposed to be played. They didn’t quit, and they played with great sportsmanship. That’s something you don’t always see today in sports. This squad was very admirable.
For all they had against them this season, I say, “Well done, ’Canes. Congratulations on a fine season.”

As another season starts slow, this fan’s not hitting the panic button… yet

By ANDREW DREICHARF

I had one of the worst sports weekends ever (and there wasn’t even a Bears game). I attended both the Bulls home opener against the 76ers Friday night, and went to Milwaukee Saturday for the Bucks home opener against the Bulls.
YIKES!!!
For the third straight season in a row, the Bulls have come out of the gate to start the NBA season flat and uninspired. Something I’m getting quite tired of. This was the third straight season I attended the Bulls home opener, and for the second year in a row it was a pathetic loss to a bad team. In fact, it should have been three straight losses in three straight years to three pathetic teams. The Bulls did manage a miraculous comeback in 2005 against the lowly Charlotte Bobcats, coming back from 30 down to force overtime and win. Long after most frustrated Bulls fans (myself included) had left the game in the fourth quarter.
In 2006 it was a last second loss, as a chance for a win was thwarted when Bulls point guard Chris Duhon kicked an in bounds pass off his foot to blow any chance of the Bulls taking a shot to win against the Sacramento Kings.
This brings me to 2007. The Bulls lost a tough season opener to a very good New Jersey Nets team on Halloween night in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Fine, we’ll let a loss like that slide.
The 76ers at home? Not so much. A sold out crowd turned on the Bulls in the 4th quarter, as it was apparent to those in attendance that this one was over. The 76ers kept scoring, and the Bulls did nothing. Chants of “Kobe," as in rumored to be traded to the Bulls, current Laker Kobe Bryant, echoed through out the United Center Friday night. No, I didn’t chant, but after Saturday night’s debacle in Milwaukee, I quickly went from “we don’t need Kobe” to “give the Lakers whatever they want."
Saturday night’s game was awful. Neither the Bulls nor Bucks had 40 points going into halftime. It was the second straight night for the Bulls they didn’t shoot well, didn’t play defense, and didn’t hit open shots. To make things worse, the Bulls committed many costly turnovers on stupid mistakes.
Bulls small forward Luol Deng hasn’t made a case for himself to not be traded to the Lakers for Kobe Bryant. In three games this season, the should be star has been non-existent on the court. The two Bulls doing the most good are the two players supposedly that are going to be traded, shooting guard Ben Gordon and power forward Tyrus Thomas (a player who looks like an all-star one night, and a bust the next). None of the Bulls key players outside of Gordon and Thomas seem to do anything right. Point guard Kirk Hinrich played well below his capabilities this weekend, center Ben Wallace (at
$15+ million a season) didn’t rebound well, and swingman Andres Nocioni did very little to help the Bulls.
I am a fan is beyond frustrated. This Bulls team is one most people picked to win the division, some even picked to win the East. Enough is enough. If this Bulls team is so good, they’ve done nothing to prove it.
If this team was making that step to elite status, they wouldn’t be starting yet another season on a down note. This team at this point in time should have come out on fire and hungry as they claim to be.
So Bulls, I tell you this as a fan, and not a sports writer, you’re not going to be able to coast this year. The conference has only gotten better and everyone’s looking to beat the team most at ESPN picked to win. If you are the elite team in the East, show us. And show us now, not in five weeks. I realize championships aren’t won in November, but they can be lost.

Real baseball fans will tune in

BY Andrew Dreischarf
I overheard something that made me chuckle to myself the other night at the WHS football game at Dundee-Crown. Something that is all too common in the day and age of the “fickle sports fan.” They were talking about how they weren’t going to watch the World Series if it ended up being the Rockies and Indians. My question to them would have been, “What does it matter who’s playing?”
After all, the Rockies a month ago were in fourth place in their own division, and somehow found a way to win game after game and edge out the Padres for the National League Wild Card. They won 21 of their last 22 games.
Is it really bad for baseball to not have to teams in the World Series from major markets? I’m sure Major League Baseball would have loved the Yankees and Cubs to meet for money reasons, but this is why they actually play the games. I’m a Cubs fan, and yes, it stinks that they didn’t make it, but they got beat by a better team.
Just because a team doesn’t have a bunch of players everyone knows, or aren’t from a big city, does that make them less deserving of advancing in the playoffs? I say no way. They’ve earned their way this far by beating teams most people expected to destroy them. To me that’s excitement. I’m sick of the Red Sox being there every year. I’m sick of the love for the Yankees and Mets and then people being shocked and upset when they don’t make the World Series.
In 2004 there was a surprising amount of Red Sox “bandwagon” fans all of a sudden during the playoffs. Most were either Cubs fans that supported another club with a long championship drought, or “Yankee haters.” Some were both. I find it somewhat hypocritical that people hate the Yankees because they spend a lot of money, and then support the Red Sox, Cubs, and Mets for doing the exact same thing. People should be happy that teams are spending their money on players, and not pocketing the money themselves like many of the so-called “smaller market” teams do. People that supported the Red Sox that season (and many continue to do so) all gave me the same answer when I called them on it. They told me “I’m a Cubs fan and want to see the Red Sox end their drought.” Why on Earth would you want another franchise to end their drought before your favorite team does? That makes no sense to me. And if that’s the case, all these Cubs fans should be cheering for the Indians in 2007 since they’ve not won a title in 59 years. Yet all I hear is, “If the Red Sox don’t make it, I’m not watching.” Those same people are wearing a Red Sox cap they recently bought.
On national sports talk radio shows the big sticking point seems to be, “These teams don’t have a lot of viewers” and “Ratings are down.” People need to understand that of course the Rockies and Indians will draw fewer ratings. Denver and Cleveland are not New York, Los Angeles, Chicago or Boston. They have a lot less people than much larger cities. Unless you’re a television executive, what does it matter to you if a lot of people are watching? If you’re a baseball fan, or claim to be one, you should be watching no matter who makes it.
I know I’ll be watching the World Series between the Rockies and most likely Indians as of today. I’m a baseball fan, and I like watching good (lately great) playoff baseball. I think you should join me in watching, too. Who knows, you might see some really wonderful games with some really wonderful players.
Give the World Series a chance; you might just love what you see.

Dear Cubs: Please, don’t break our hearts this time

By ANDREW DREISCHARF
The Cubs are going to the playoffs for just the fifth time in my lifetime. The franchise hasn’t won a World Series title in 99 years, but hey, who’s counting? While I’m very happy and plan on watching every minute of their playoff games, I’m still not drinking the “Cubs Kool-Aid” but I’ve noticed many in Woodstock and the surrounding areas are.
Even at dinner last night at Finn McCool’s in Crystal Lake, someone had already gotten “Chicago Cubs 2007 National League Central Champions” painted onto the back of their truck. Both Sports Authority stores in Crystal Lake had sold out of Cubs division champion gear by 4 p.m. on Saturday. Let’s not plan that parade just yet.
Part of me still isn’t sold on the 2007 Chicago Cubs. It is a team that has done well this season, but how well? It’s not that I’m a jaded fan, but I am a realistic fan. I learned at a young age that the Cubs were a team that was loved by many, no matter how well or not they did. The traditional Cub fans’ mantra of “This is our year” usually would turn to “Wait until next year” by mid July. I’ve been waiting since 1982 for it to be our year.
In my time on this planet, I’ve seen every major Chicago sports franchise at least make it to the title game or series, except for my beloved Cubs. I’ve seen the Bears and White Sox each bring back one title to Chicago, and have been spoiled by seeing and loving the Bulls win six NBA championships. While those were all special, I don’t think anything could compare to the Cubs finally bringing home a World Series championship. As of now, the most meaningful championship in the last 25 years in Chicago is the Bears Super Bowl XX win over the New England Patriots, but I don’t really remember much of it. I was only about to turn 4-years-old three weeks later. I loved all six of the Bulls titles, but I think most of that was because I actually remember those vividly, and I adored Michael Jordan. At the time, what kid didn’t? The White Sox title of 2005 was cool, and while I hold nothing against the Sox and I’m not a Sox hater, it isn’t my team. That leaves the Blackhawks who I love, but they’re constantly doing nothing. They’ve not won a title since 1961, and last made the Stanley Cup finals in 1992, but that’s for another blog.
Now, back to the Cubbies.
Time after time, Cubs fans get a bad rap. People who aren’t Cubs fans will say, “You’ll root for anyone” and they call the Cubs and their fans the loveable losers. While some people who claim to be Cubs fans are like that, most of us are not. I hate losing. I hate being out of the playoff hunt in June. I don’t go to Wrigley just to drink, or talk on my cell phone and waive at the camera. I go to watch the Cubs and hopefully a good baseball game. If a player or the team having a bad game, I don’t say, “It’s OK, they’ll bounce back.” I get upset. Baseball’s not an inexpensive thing to go to. When I go, I demand a good product on the field.
My point is that no longer will Cubs fans accept a bad product just because the wrapper says Chicago Cubs. I guess I’m part of the fan base Chicago columnist/radio host Chet Copack has dubbed a new breed Cubs fan. I’ll gladly agree with him.
2006 was a disaster of a season for the Cubs. The team finished 66-96 and was eliminated by mid-summer. It was terrible. By that point I couldn’t wait for the Bears to start, just to take my mind off the Cubs. In the off-season, the Cubs shocked me and pleasantly surprised me by spending money on free agent outfield Alphonso Soriano, starting pitcher Ted Lilly and the signing a nice core of players that play team baseball. Guys like Mark DeRosa, Cliff Floyd and Daryle Ward were welcome additions to a Cubs club that in the past has had too many “me first guys.”
The capper was when the Cubs named Lou Piniella manager. He never would have taken two months to tell Sammy Sosa he wasn’t batting third anymore when he wasn’t hitting.
I was so happy to follow the Cubs all summer going to Wrigley Field, US Cellular Field and Miller Park in Milwaukee to see this Cubs team. It’s a team that cares and plays as a team was something that seems to have been lacking the last few seasons on the north side. It was quite the breath of fresh air. However, I won’t lie and say I knew this was going to happen. When I made my picks back in March, I had the Cubs winning the wild card and going 86-76. They finished 85-77, pretty good, huh? My reasoning was the Cubs had made enough good moves in a bad division to win the wild card spot. Had I know the Cardinals team that won it all in 2006 was going to be so hurt by injuries, I would have picked differently. The rise of the Brewers came about a year or two earlier than most had thought. The Cubs should have run away with the National League Central though, and that’s why I’m still skeptical.
The playoffs won’t be easy, they never are. The teams that made it this year, for the most part, played much tougher schedules than the Cubs did. If what happened in 2003 has taught us anything, it’s that anything can and will happen in the playoffs. I do have hope, though.
The NL Central winner the past two seasons has made it to the World Series. As my grandmother always told me when I was a little kid, “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.” Don’t go printing those World Series tickets just yet. I really want to see the Cubs win a title. I just won’t be crushed if it’s not this season. Even if the Cubs bow out this week, we asked for a foot this season, and they gave us a yard.

Trusting is not as hard as we make it out to be

By KIM KUBIAK
I’m proud to be part of the Leadership Greater McHenry County Class of 2008. So far, we’ve enjoyed our first introductory reception and a weekend retreat at the beautiful Resurrection Center in Woodstock.

Like most everyone, I was dreading the weekend away from my husband and kids, but now that I’ve experienced it, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Here are a few highlights:

• A learning type measurement exercise that confirmed my Myers-Briggs and True Colors personality testing. I’m definitely an orange-blue type that primarily likes to conceptualize, experience and do something, rather than watch. I’m a No. 3-type learner (for those LGMC alumni who knows what that means!)
• Team-building exercises in the woods included getting close to one another inside a hula-hoop laying on the ground, and then sharing what we learned. We also found a partner and performed a few trust-building exercises. One was being blindfolded while having our partner walk us through the woods over mulch, logs, leaves and the like. I had a great partner and one that I’ll call a dear friend for a very long time.
• Once the team-building exercises were completed, we were presented with a keychain with an important imprint; but before we could accept our gift, we had to tell the group what we had learned that day. I said that trusting is not as hard as we make it out to be. I had just met my partner hours before we were walking through the woods together blindfolded. I completely trusted her, so why do we often pretend that trusting others is so difficult? That was a revelation to me. The keychain reads, “There is a new adventure coming and I know it will be a good one.” By Sigurd F. Olson.
• The following day we were divided into four groups and sent on a road trip! One group traveled to Union; one traveled to Woodstock; one traveled to Harvard and my group traveled to Richmond. Each group took a few hours to get to know their assigned community, and then created a production about that community to present to the rest of the class. We were “Google-ing” Richmond on our Blackberries as we drove there, asked a few residents about their community, took several photos on our digital camera, bought a few items for the class from Anderson’s Candy Store, then put together a complete Power Point presentation together. What a blast!
• Over the weekend, we also were assigned teams. Now we’ll work to create an entire day’s presentation on the subject of our choice.

I can’t wait to get started.

You say goodbye and I say adios

By BOBBY LA GESSE
I hate goodbyes.
I’ve never been good at them. That’s probably because I associate goodbye with the last time I will ever interact with someone.
As some of you may know, this is my last story for The Independent. I am leaving to cover Iowa State football for The Ames Tribune. I wasn’t looking for the job. It just fell into my lap.
I’ve always loved college sports. As a kid, I always came down with a cold during the NCAA Tournament. As a college student, my favorite memories were following the Illinois basketball team. As a journalist, I always wanted to cover college sports again.
And now that I have that chance, I can’t bring myself to say goodbye.
If I say goodbye to someone, it’s the last time I intend to communicate with them.
That isn’t the case.
I will still follow the Marian Central and Woodstock athletic teams. Just like you, I want to know if Marian Central can win a state title in football.
And if the Blue Streaks can make the football playoffs.
And if the Woodstock girls cross country team will get to state.
And if Joe Conroy and Curtis Price can turn both schools into winners on the hardwood.
The thing I will miss most about Woodstock is the high school athletes. They are unlike any high schoolers I have covered in the past. After Marian Central’s final volleyball game of the 2006 season, I had a senior come up and thank me for covering the team. I never had an athlete do that before — let alone minutes after his or her high school career just ended.
I’ve had athletes from both schools thank me for covering them. They’ve thanked me for writing stories on them. They’ve even chatted with me while watching sporting events at their schools.
Marian and Woodstock should be proud of the student- athletes they produce.
I’d also like to thank everyone at both Marian and Woodstock — superintendents, principals, athletic directors, coaches, secretaries — and at The Independent who I have had the pleasure of working with for the last 13 months.
Now I have one plea for the town before I go. Please do not push the young athletes of this town too far.
While in Woodstock, I’ve covered youth sporting events where the coaches, parents and officials let the kids be kids and play the game. You should be commended.
I have also seen a few renegade coaches and parents who have gone too far. We all have to remember that the children are playing sports for fun. Let them have fun.
I’ve seen too many athletes stop playing a sport they love because they were burned out by the time they hit high school. They played too many games with too many ranting and raving coaches to want to do it anymore.
I think that might be the worst thing that happens in sports. Youth sporting events are held for the kids’ fun and enjoyment. We all need to always keep that in mind.
So I will say so long and adios. Who knows when we will run into each other again?

Back in the U.S.S.R.

By BOBBY LA GESSE
Pellumb Halili is an interesting kid with an interesting story.
The Woodstock senior linebacker grew up in Albania. He immigrated to the United States when he was 6.
When Halili moved from Albania to America in the early 1990s, it was like he fast-forwarded from the first half of the 20th century to modern times.
Halili didn’t see a lot of cars growing up. The roads weren’t really paved. Albania in the early 1990s was more like America in the 1940s or 1950s.
That shocked me.
Now you have to know, I was a little kid when the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. I never really lived during the Cold War.
I never visited a country that fell under Communist control as a kid. I figured once communism fell, the good guys won. The bad guys lost. And the kids there would be watching “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” the next day just like I would.
You don’t know better in elementary school. Over the years I learned that wasn’t the case.
But it still floored me when I found out someone younger than me grew up in a European country where cars weren’t an everyday part of life.
Cars are a huge part of modern life. Cars were a huge part of European life in 1990.
Imagine being a small child moving to a new country and going from seeing a car once in a while to seeing one every second.
Talk about culture shock.
And now Halili experiences culture shock when returning to Albania every spring break. The country is more ”Americanized,” as he puts it. Cars and roads are so turn of the 21st century. The Internet is the new rage.
Which is good. Because if Halili’s dad Ahmatt, who still lives in Albania, wants to check out how his son is doing playing the American version of football, he can.
And naturally The Independent would be the best spot to look (no shameless plug needed).
For more information, see the Sept. 12 issue of The Independent for a feature on Halili’s trek from Albania to America.