From Rich DeVries, posted with permission

 As Chairman of our legal committee Rich DeVries felt someone should attend the meeting regarding the post office status for Poplar Grove and took it upon himself to do so. Following are excerpts from his email report. Thanks to Rich for donating his time for the meeting as well as his update.  Ken

Today at noon I attended the post office hearing at the Poplar Grove Village Hall.  It turned out to be a very small gathering hosted by Michelle Harris, area director for all of 610xx zip codes, and Christina Walker, "Postplan" coordinator -- both from Pecatonica, IL.

It was reported that 3,905 surveys were mailed at random of which 763 were returned.  The largest response, 75%, favored realignment of hours and that was told us without any options.  7,000 post offices in the USA will have their hours reduced effective June 29.  My question about Caledonia staying open in a village of 200 persons. Yes because they serve a large rural area and get lots of business from Hwy. 173.

Poplar Grove hours today: M-F, 9-11 a.m. and 1-5 p.m.; Sat. 8-12 noon.

New hours after June 29:  M-F, 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (1/2 hr lunch 1:30-2:00); Sat. 9-1:00 p.m.

24 hour Lobby will continue.  This will all be in the newspapers. I suggest that an official announcement could go into our July CW News.

A Sunday contemplation

“I have faith that God will show you the answer. But you have to understand that sometimes it takes a while to be able to recognize what God wants you to do. That's how it often is. God's voice is usually nothing more than a whisper, and you have to listen very carefully to hear it. But other times, in those rarest of moments, the answer is obvious and rings as loud as a church bell.” 
― Nicholas Sparks, The Last Song

The confidence factor

 

I want to tell you a little story about a situation that shakes one's confidence in the medical establishment. I will be going in May 29th for a surgical procedure that I have been putting off and dreading. We will leave it at that. I will also not mention the hospital or doctors involved. Those facts are not necessary.
  The surgery was set to go and I was told I would be getting a call to go over the pertinent information. The call came about when I was told to expect it so that worked fine. From there it all went downhill. I take two medications for the A-fib and blood pressure. They had the wrong dosage for each in the system. Then came the daily aspirin. It was again the wrong dosage on their record. Next came the health conditions. It seems according to their records I have COPD. That is surprising since I can out walk many people, easily climb stairs, and carry bags of water softener salt. The caller said they must have my chart mixed up and put in the wrong items. Some were right and some wrong. Thank the Lord they called to verify the information prior to surgery. All my health information is electronically stored for access by my doctor and hospital so what is going on? I have had the same family doctor since my 20s.
 Friday I received in the mail a notice I would be called May 15th for the interview. As I said, it came in the mail Friday the 17th and was postmarked the 16th (one day after I was to receive the call). It also had highlighted in yellow the time I am to arrive at the hospital. It is a different time than I was told during the call. They also scheduled an appointment with my general practitioner the 24th. I have no idea why. He has no involvement in the situation. 
  All this shakes my confidence in the entire procedure. I am going through with it but with a lot more apprehension than I would have had without all the errors. One of those rock and a hard place scenarios.
 K-K-K-Ken

One more reason the grant meeting matters.

Joe Rush and Rebecca Olson

Most of you know in order to receive the grant money we must contribute a portion of the funding. The great part is a lot of our portion can be through volunteer hours, including the time our residents spend at these planning and informational meetings. I don't remember off the top of my head the dollars per head available but it is substantial. The hours are bankable, meaning they accrue so each meeting or physical work counts going forward. This is a very bad time for me to attend a meeting but you can bet unless there is some disaster I will be there. Please step up to the plate and show you will be there for our community.
This meeting is for all interested parties, including surrounding areas so I hope we are standing room only.
See you there... please!   Ken

This is really important!

Thank you Chief Wood. This is a very good thing!

Important Candlewick Lake Information

Candlewick Lake Public Safety

 

RESIDENTS OF CANDLEWICK LAKE

It has been brought to the attention of our public safety department; during the bulk garbage pickup, subsequent to the weekend garage sales; scavengers are traveling through the candlewick lake community seeking useful items they can salvage. This is a good thing! Unfortunately, it has been observed by numerous residents, salvage folks are leaving the garbage receptacles a mess. After having gone through bags and ripped open boxes. They have left garbage lying in the driveway and on the street. These items are for the homeowners to clean up.

I am asking our residents, if they are participating in these salvage operations, please be considerate of the homeowner who has placed valuable items near the roadway. Please do not leave a mess. Be appreciative of those who provide the salvage to you!

If you observe anyone abusing this privilege, please notify the public safety department. Citations can and will be issued. No warnings!

*VIOLATION 13-4, paragraph D:  

No person shall dump, deposit, drop, throw, discard, leave, or litter anywhere on Candlewick Lake Association property. Fine $50

Thank you and have a great weekend

Chief Roland Wood

The skinny on the herbacide treatment

You noticed Wednesday there was an e-blast as well as a posting here about the treatment for lake weeds today (Thursday). One noticeable absence in the notice was the warning about consuming fish after the treatment. I checked on this and according to the label only watering of lawns and flowers with treated lake water was mentioned. Our lake biologist also is good about warning us of any possible danger with these necessary treatments. If I am informed otherwise I will post it here and I am sure there will be another e-blast at that time.
That being said, I intend to keep no fish for three days out of an abundance of caution. If it will kill my lawn I really don't want to eat fish that are ingesting it. That is just me.  Ken

The Naysayers should remember this

As mentioned in the post about the ALUM treatment

IMPORTANT NOTICE

On May 16, 2013 weather permitting there will be designated areas of the lake chemically treated for weeds and algae.

The following restrictions should be noted:

     

        No irrigation for grass or flowers for 7 days.

        

***This does not affect your water supplied by Aqua Illinois.

We can see which jobs are valued in the U.S.

Unions run amok!

(CBS) – The Better Government Association has found that local police are allowed to work when they’re close to what’s considered drunk.

WBBM Newsradio’s Mike Krauser reports the BGA said numerous suburban police departments have contract clauses that allow officers to be on duty with a blood-alcohol content as high as .079 – just below the .08 legal limit for drunk driving.

I know my posts the last couple days make it look like I am against law enforcement. I am not. I just want sensible law enforcement. This story is about Illinois departments.  Ken

Which doth the general coffers fill

Here we go again! this morning (Tuesday) as I was passing the front gates here was the county again writing tickets for seat belt violators. They park on our property and use our gates as an easy spot to observe drivers and stop them. Now I know we should all wear seat belts but is it the duty of our police to protect us from ourselves or is this another example of the "nanny state?" 
Sheer chance kept me from getting a citation. It is not abnormal for me to not put the belt on when I am going to the office or returning. It is a few blocks and the speed limit is 25. I don't see a real danger in that situation. 
Please pass this along. I don't want to see our residents or guests having to pay a $100.00 ticket just to help out the cash strapped county. I called the sheriff a couple years ago about this same practice. No response. 
Ken

Monday evening's board meeting

The main point of the meeting was of course the awarding of the contract for our alum treatment this year. Time is of the essence for this application. We went out for bids twice and received only one bid, that being from HAB Aquatic solutions. HAB is the company that made the initial presentation at the Lake Management meeting, handled the studies, and did the core sampling tests to determine the correct application volume. HAB was awarded the contract and they of course did not know they would be the only bidder so it is a good bet we received a competitive bid from them. They made it clear they wanted the job. Their bid was in the amount of $255,179. We will need to be sure this is not too late for the application considering the filamentous algae already forming on our lake. This has to be done right. Our biologist says that algae is actually beneficial at this point, using up some of the nutrient load in the lake. Hopefully we will also kill a lot of the curly leaf using our in-stock herbicide prior to the alum treatment so that decomposing matter can also be locked into the lake bottom.

filamentous algae

A couple other actions were taken at the meeting as well.....

Don Parisi read a letter from our lake biologist regarding the tests we took privately on our lake water after the overloading of the AQUA system and some of that being pumped into the lake to avoid basement back-up to the degree possible. Our testing showed no ill effects from the AQUA water entering the lake. To put this in perspective, the health department says a beach should be closed when CFU readings are at 235. Our readings are at 2. Obviously not a problem.

Parents of those 16 an 17 wishing to use the fitness center after passing the orientation class must sign a liability waiver for the association in the event of injury.

(The fitness center guidelines were discussed in detail and the best way to get the full story on this is to pick up a sheet at the rec center.)

There was discussion about opening Savannah Oaks earlier. After extensive discussion the proposal lost on a close vote but it will undoubtedly come up again after further input from the golf commission and the P.O.s.

posted by Ken

Public Safety Report

Important Candlewick Lake Information

Candlewick Lake Public Safety

 

WEEKLY REPORT

Week Ending 5/12/2013

Rescue Calls

Public Safety responded to the 100 block of Liverpool for a report of a subject having severe abdominal pain.  The subject was transported for treatment.

Public Safety responded to the 300 block of Rochester for a report of a subject having blood pressure issues and passing out.  The subject was transported for treatment.

Public Safety responded to the 200 block of Hastings for a report of a subject who was retaining high fluids.  The subject was transported for treatment.

Theft

Public Safety responded to the 1100 block of Candlewick Dr. for a report of gas stolen from a vehicle.  An extra patrol was conducted.

Disorderly Conduct

Public safety received several calls of juveniles placing items in the roadway throughout Candlewick Lake.  A subject was apprehended and subsequently cited accordingly.

Criminal Damage

Public Safety responded to the 200 Talladega for a report of a spray painted vehicle and boat.  A report was taken with an extra patrol conducted in the area.  The matter is under investigation.

Citations Issued 10

Warnings Issued 25

Public Safety issued numerous warnings for long grass.  Please remember to keep lawns at the expected length.

 

We thank you for taking the time to read these important updates.

Being informed is half the battle.  

Coming quickly!

What a shock! IRS and politics? Not a chance.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Internal Revenue Service inappropriately flagged conservative political groups for additional reviews during the 2012 election to see if they were violating their tax-exempt status, a top IRS official said Friday.

Organizations were singled out because they included the words "tea party" or "patriot" in their applications for tax-exempt status, said Lois Lerner, who heads the IRS division that oversees tax-exempt groups.

In some cases, groups were asked for their list of donors, which violates IRS policy in most cases, she said.

"That was wrong. That was absolutely incorrect, it was insensitive and it was inappropriate. That's not how we go about selecting cases for further review," Lerner said at a conference sponsored by the American Bar Association.

"The IRS would like to apologize for that," she added.

This was very interesting to me. From the newest Discover magazine.

Researchers have discovered that a quick study of the hands — more specifically, the lengths of the index and ring fingers — can tell a lot about a person’s personality and risk of disease. Of course, your digits don’t actually control these issues; it’s closer to the other way around. 

In boys, “during fetal development there’s a surge in testosterone in the middle of the second trimester” that seems to influence future health and behavior, says Pete Hurd, a neuroscientist at the University of Alberta. One easy-to-spot result of this flood of testosterone: a ring finger that’s significantly longer than the index finger. 

Scientists are not at the point where they can factor in finger length to arrive at a diagnosis, but they’ve gathered evidence that shows how this prenatal hormone imbalance can affect a person for life, from increasing or decreasing your risk of certain diseases, to predicting how easily you get lost or lose your temper. 

Researchers continue to study what sparks these hormonal changes and have begun looking at environmental chemical exposure, stress levels and diet during pregnancy.

Measure your index and ring fingers, base to tip. (Most of the studies used the right hand.) Divide the length of your index finger by the length of your ring finger to determine the digit ratio, or finger quotient (Fq). A longer ring finger results in an Fq of less than 1 and a more “masculine” hand shape.

Shutterstock

How Do You Measure Up?

Increased verbal aggression Fq < 1

The shorter your index finger, the sharper your tongue: In both men and women, a lower Fq can predict more verbal sparring. 

Improved athletic ability Fq < 1

A greater surge of prenatal testosterone can be an indicator of high levels of achievement in sports, as well as a mental toughness in athletics. In one study, college varsity athletes (male and female) were found to have shorter index fingers than other students.

Improved sense of direction Fq < 1

In women, a more masculine digit ratio tends to predict a better sense of direction, backing up past research that found men tend to have better spatial cognition than women.

More physical aggression Fq < 1

Men with shorter index fingers are more likely to pick fights. Women with the same hand shape are more likely to react with aggression after being provoked.

More risk taking Fq < 1

Men who experience a higher surge of prenatal testosterone, and thus have longer ring fingers, tend to be risk takers. One example: The most successful financial traders tend to have the longest fourth fingers. These behavior patterns seem to apply only to men.

Healthier knees Fq  > 1

An index finger that’s shorter than the ring finger can be a sign of knee osteoarthritis risk, particularly in women, compared with people whose fingers are equal lengths, or who have a longer index finger.

Increased risk of oral cancer* Fq > 1

A high digit ratio — those with very little difference between the index and ring finger, or with a longer index finger — was found among men with oral cancer, compared with men with pre-cancerous oral lesions or no lesions, according to one all-male study.

Lower prostate cancer risk Fq > 1

Men with long index fingers and shorter ring fingers have a 33 percent reduced risk of prostate cancer. If they’re younger than 60, the risk is even less — 87 percent.

Now admit it, you are looking at your fingers, aren't you!   Ken

Goose egg addling. Final report from Jim Brefeld

Just to let you know, after 5 weeks of oiling many goose eggs in nests, today we collected and buried 54 eggs.  I would like to thank all of the following people who helped and made this a successful project....  Marge Olson, Tom Pinkowski, Rich Witt, his brother-in-law Clem Lundberg, Al Ball, Todd Jones, John Mills, Joan and Jessica Sewell, Bev Gaddis, Lee Odden, his grandson Joe Berry, Joe Cangelosi, and Dale Miedema who wrote an article for the Candlewick paper.

Thanks, again, for all your help!

These folks did a great job in all kinds of weather to help control our resident goose population. Jim Brefeld's email didn't include his name in the volunteer list but of course he has been very involved in this and many other projects. They all deserve our thanks!  Ken

For our Moms

Why all the guys looking at our roads?

You may have noticed this week a couple times there have been road inspections. We, along with our project manager (McClure Engineering), are documenting areas we consider deficient in last year's road work and those areas are being pointed out to Rabine Paving. Rabine met with management and some of the road commission Thursday to discuss addressing those issues. 
Ken