Unclaimed bodies a problem in Kane County

By James Fuller

Kane County officials say a dramatic increase in the number of unclaimed bodies in their morgue may be due to tough economic times.

No one is claiming five or six bodies a week, Kane County Coroner Charles West said Thursday, speculating that a sluggish economy leaves next of kin without enough money to pay for funeral and burial services.

"People all of a sudden realize that the wake of their loved one is going to cost thousands and thousands of dollars, and so they walk away from it," West said.

The problem with unclaimed bodies is not a new phenomenon. West said even before the economy slowed his office would handle five or six unclaimed bodies in a month.

But both the increase in unclaimed bodies and the sheer number West is dealing with is unusual for the suburbs.

Lake County tallies about six unclaimed bodies a year. DuPage County Coroner Pete Siekmann said his office sees maybe four unclaimed bodies all year long.

"That number is a bit higher than it's been in recent years," Siekmann said. "We're recognizing we have a pending problem."

Siekmann said just this week he made contact with the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services to establish a relationship for when DuPage must handle the rare case of an unclaimed body with no financial resources.

Coroners in the area said what happens to unclaimed bodies depends on how much money can be located for a burial.

First they determine if the person was an honorably-discharged military veteran. If so, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs department pays for burial in Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery.

If the individual was not a military veteran, then the coroner's office tries to secure Public Aid funds to cover the burial. If no public aid or accepting funeral home, then some coroners have the body cremated. The coroner's office keeps the ashes until a relative picks them up.

The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office follows a similar process, said Executive Director David Foley. The main difference is Cook County stores intact bodies for about 90 days before turning them over to a funeral home for burial. Foley wouldn't speculate about how many unclaimed bodies the county currently has or handles in a year, but said there are quite a few.

"In any big city you're going to have unclaimed bodies," Foley said.

Kane County's population boom may help explain the increase in unclaimed bodies. Socioeconomics may also be a factor.

Siekmann said he suspected the rarity of unclaimed bodies in DuPage is because of the county's relative affluence.

"We're a good, family-oriented place to live," Siekmann said. "Most people who do live here have family of some sorts around."

In Kane, West said there are four new, but still unclaimed, bodies at his office right now. And the remains of 30 to 40 people are stored in urns across from his office. Some of those remains have been around for many years, West said.

Every now and then, an investigation into next of kin will yield a surprise.

Several years ago, West investigated the death of a man who died from natural causes in a two-bedroom flophouse with newspapers covering the windows. In a paper sack on a dresser, the man had two checkbooks and a Christmas card. The checkbooks showed one account with a balance of $40,000. The other account had about $70,000. For whatever reason, the man just chose to live in poverty.

West tracked the Christmas card back to a woman who lived in Michigan. She knew the man's family well enough to know both of his parents were dead, and he had no siblings. She'd actually never met the dead man in person, just had him included as part of her Christmas card list because she felt sorry for him. With her help, and as he sought access to funds to pay for the burial, West found another surprise.

"There were several investments this guy had made that were worth about $2.5 million," West said.

Needless to say, there was plenty of money for a full burial, but that was a rare instance. The norm is just the opposite. Cremation for unclaimed bodies actually costs the coroner's office between $600 and $1,600 for each body.

West told a committee of Kane County Board members Thursday there is more to the problem of providing a dignified end for the bodies, or even storing ashes. There is no actual line item in the coroner's budget that funds the handling of unclaimed bodies. West advised that may be an issue the Kane County Board will have to take a look at in the near future.

As Chicago prepares bid, hotels scramble

By James Fuller and Eric Peterson

As the Beijing Olympics unfold, the people working to bring the Games to Chicago in 2016 are nearing a vital goal - with the helps of the suburbs.

Chicago Olympic committee members say they have neared the two-thirds mark to seal hotel room commitments, one of the major competitive portions of the bidding process. In fact, it's so competitive, that they're not saying just how many rooms they're seeking.

Officials must prove they've got enough hotels for tens of thousands of visitors and athletes. And that's in addition to rooms for the media, security and Olympic staff, many of whom will be in town as long as six months before and after the games.

The suburbs will be the major staging point for those long-term guests. Chicago 2016 staff has toured the suburbs in recent weeks and met with convention and visitors bureau officials. The goal was to get local hotels, resorts and college housing groups to sign contracts that will dedicate 85 percent of their room space to those long-term guests.

The geographical range the committee is reaching out to shows the economic footprint the games would have if Chicago secures the bid. Chicago 2016 staff has stretched as far north as Gurnee, as far east as LaPorte County, Ind., as far south as Kankakee and as far west as St. Charles. Chicago's McCormick Place would be considered the epicenter of the Olympic activity.

Deadlines are now approaching for local hotels to return their commitment contracts.

St. Charles area hotels, for example, just passed their deadline to decide if they want to be a host site. Like most towns, the bulk of the major room-providers have signed contracts, including the Hotel Baker, Pheasant Run Resort & Spa, Best Western, Holiday Inn and Hampton Inn.

Hotel hurdles

Meanwhile, some smaller hotels, such as the Country Inn, are balking at the contract because it asks for a commitment that is too far in the future to be able to promise current hotel ownership will still be in place.

Potential turnover in ownership is a bigger concern for smaller hotels, which are more frequently bought and sold than larger chains. The Olympic contracts are legally binding through ownership changes, prompting some of the smaller outlets to shy away.

That's a potential problem as delegations from smaller countries may not be able to afford a long-term stay at a large hotel. In contrast, ownership security and the potential for big profits also makes the hotels with the largest allotment of rooms the most likely to sign the Olympic contracts.

For instance, in Lake County, the Lincolnshire Marriott Resort, Hyatt Deerfield and Keylime Cove Water Resort are among the biggest hospitality names in the area and all committed 85 percent of their rooms early in the process.

"The housing is such a critical component to Chicago securing this bid," said Maureen Riedy, president of the Lake County Convention and Visitors Bureau. "So it's really incumbent for the convention and visitors bureaus to come together so that Chicago will be No. 1 in that category."

Lake County would not only house visitors, but also be the site of at least one competition: Tempel Farms in Wadsworth recently was designated as the host site for 2016 equestrian events, if the games come to Chicago.

Yet, when it comes to committing hotel rooms, some were initially hesitant.

"People were pretty alarmed about the games at first," said Nanette Traetow of the DuPage County Convention and Visitors Bureau. "It actually started out being kind of a negative. Local hotels started to look at the Olympics as a glass half empty, but now it's been turned into a glass half full and then some."

The fear was they'd block out a third of their rooms with no guarantee they'd be filled, and end up with months of empty rooms. Yet Chicago 2016 officials assured the hotel owners they will know a year before the games if their rooms are needed. If not, they can release the rooms to the public.

On the plus side, the contract is designed to give the hotels a nice financial boost. The Chicago 2016 committee sets the hotel rates with a built-in special event rate escalator and inflation adjustment. In other words, hotels commit to what could be a larger than normal percentage of their rooms booked, for far longer stays and at a more profitable rate than usual.

"It's kind of a no-brainer at that point," Traetow said. "All our hotels were waiting for was to hear what's in it for us."

DuPage County's deadline to return contracts to the Olympic committee was July 31. Traetow declined to provide a full list of hotels that have signed on, but said there's been "an overwhelmingly positive response" for the DuPage hospitality community.

"The reality is they absolutely need us," Traetow said. "They need all the collar counties to be involved in this to get the games. And DuPage's location is the type that makes us especially critical. We're the closest to both airports. We are in the perfect position for people to get into and out of the games. We are it!"

Olympic options

Managers of hotels in suburban Cook County may beg to differ. The big hospitality names in Schaumburg and other communities are lining up to sign commitment contracts, and hope to prove they are worthy of some of the actual Olympic events.

Tom Robertson, general manager of the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center, said he's definitely on board and thinks his convention center could be used for a related activity, such as a practice facility for a particular sport or country or as a media venue.

"Part of the issue is the Chicagoland area does need to make a commitment about inventory capacity," Robertson said. "We're extremely interested. And, in general terms, the big box hotels are on board. I'd be taxed to tell you what hotels are not on board at this point."

Some communities are eyeing additions to their hotel stock, potentially making them even more appealing to large Olympic delegations.

Hoffman Estates has more than 1,200 rooms in eight hotels. But now there are plans for additional hotels including the 240-room SplasH20 water park, which may open in 2010. That's good news as the Chicago 2016 staff is set to meet with both Hoffman Estates and Mount Prospect in the next few weeks.

Linda Scheck, Hoffman Estate' tourism and business coordinator, said the Sears Centre arena should be a lure. She hopes all athletes competing in a particular sport - say gymnastics - at the Sears Centre could then elect to stay in Hoffman Estates.

And she said the village is building a resume to host events, including the World League volleyball matches with Team USA versus Bulgaria, held in June. And a USA gymnastics event is slated to occur at the Sears Centre, presumably as a prelude to Chicago having the 2016 Summer Games.

The one-upsmanship is a sign of the pressure hotel owners and city managers may feel heading into the games to make their facilities and communities as attractive as possible, or risk losing out on the financial windfall of unprecedented international tourism in the suburbs.

"When they arrive, the Olympics are likely to be the only game in town," Robertson said.

• Daily Herald Staff Writer Ashok Selvam also contributed to this report.

New Kane County jail unveiled, but more space may be needed soon

By James Fuller

The new Kane County Adult Justice Center and Sheriff's Office opened Friday to applause for it being on time and below budget, but the question moving forward will be whether it's big enough.

Kane County officials gathered for the unveiling of the new $56 million facility. All the flash of high-tech units, cells with thick glass instead of bars and a kitchen five times larger than what the old jail has were on display.

However, if inmates actually moved in on Friday, the jail would've been short by about three dozen beds. The new jail has 640 beds. The county's inmate population as of Friday morning was 676.

The new jail already has space to accommodate up to 768 inmates, but that area is just a shell right now. It's unclear how much it would cost to convert that shell to inmate areas at this point. The facility came in about $2 million below budget. It cost $5.1 million to convert shell space into offices for sheriff department employees.

Sheriff's office Spokesman Lt. Pat Gengler said he expects the day inmates move into the jail there won't be a need to send any of them to other counties.

"The number of inmates is such a variable, but we're hoping to keep it around that 640 level," Gengler said. "It's quite possible we'll hit that goal. Just about a week ago we had less than 640 inmates."

Gengler said the jail population usually rises in the warm summer months and falls when it gets cold. That said, the idea that some of the shell space might need to be converted sooner rather than later is a real possibility.

"That's always something that's there depending on what the needs are," Gengler said. "If it looks like it's going to be a long-term issue and the need arises, then I think the need to convert some of that shell space will come a lot quicker. It's always in the back of everybody's mind that this going to be something that we're going to have to do some day."

Kane County Board Chairman Karen McConnaughay praised the new facility as a much needed replacement for an outdated, deteriorating and unsafe jail that "was built for a different time.

"This is a well-built facility that will last for many, many decades to come," she added.

Indeed, the jail has some of the most modern technology available. It will be used to house inmates in a much different fashion than the old jail allowed for. Touch-screen computers control every exterior door in the jail and can take over any housing unit at any time. Housing units of 64 beds each provide for either 2-man cells or 8-person dormitories. The inmate-run laundry can handle up to 900 pounds of clothes each day.

Perhaps most notable of all is the end of the sound of a barred-door rolling shut for each cell. Cells now have thick glass doors so officers can have unobstructed views of every inmate at all times. The lights and doors are all controlled by hand-held PDA units. Key cards have replaced actual keys in just about every area of the jail.

Chief Judge Donald Hudson praised one of the other key aspects of the new facility, which is a hallway that links the jail directly to the courthouse. Currently, inmates have to be bused across town to make it to court dates, slowing down the system. Creating efficiencies in the whole justice process is one of the ways the county hopes to keep the jail population down and minimize the need for expansion.

Hudson reminded officials at the ribbon-cutting that jails themselves cannot deliver justice, but they are also more than just a place of punishment and broken dreams.

"Ultimately a jail exists for the protection of the public," Hudson said. "We must never lose sight of that."

Insanity plea leads to acquittal in attempted mall kidnapping

By James Fuller

When Arthur C. Robinzine walked into a home in Carpentersville last December that wasn't his, he displayed the first signs of a mental disorder that would lead to arrest.

The 20-year-old sophomore at the University of Illinois at Chicago appeared confused and disoriented to the residents of the Carpentersville home, who reported his sudden appearance in their living room to the police. Robinzine, of 1432 N. Luna Ave. in Chicago, left the Carpentersville residence before police arrived, but it wouldn't be long before they'd encounter him in person.

A teacher from an Elgin preschool spotted Robinzine just a couple of hours later at Spring Hill Mall in West Dundee. Again, he appeared disoriented. Robinzine approached the group of 11 children the teacher was escorting on a field trip. He then grabbed the arm of a 4-year-old Elgin boy, scooping him up in his arms before trying to bolt.

A parent with the group tackled Robinzine before he could get away with the child and held him until mall security arrived.

Robinzine would eventually be charged with criminal trespass to a residence, unlawful restraint, two counts of aggravated battery, two counts of kidnapping and resisting arrest for kicking a police officer. With the disorientation signs on full display, Robinzine was sent for evaluation and treatment at the Elgin Mental Health Center.

This morning, Kane County Associate Judge Allen Anderson ruled Robinzine "lacked the capacity to appreciate the criminality of his conduct" in acquitting Robinzine of all charges by reason of insanity.

Robinzine has been receiving treatment and medication since the time of his arrest. Today, he told the judge he was able to understand everything happening in the courtroom.

Robinzine will remain in the custody of the county's Department of Human Services for further evaluation until his next court appearance on Aug. 25.

Robinzine's public defender, Tom McCulloch, said his hope is the report on Aug. 25 will result in a positive outcome for his client.

"I think as long as he's taking his medication he's probably fine," McCulloch said.

St. Charles, Hoffman Estates look to get on board early for 2016 Olympics

By James Fuller

Hotels and sports facilities in fringe suburban Chicago are finding out not only how they can get a piece of the 2016 Summer Olympic Games business bonanza, but also how they can help ensure Chicago becomes the host.

Representatives from the Chicago 2016 Committee are organizing meetings with convention and visitors bureaus throughout the suburbs to get them to legally commit to help make Chicago's Olympic dreams come true.

Early reaction from communities like St. Charles and Hoffman Estates may touch off a suburban frenzy of interest as communities vie to host various delegations.

Committee officials appeared in St. Charles this week and will soon head to Hoffman Estates with contracts for hotels and resorts. Businesses that sign the contracts commit to reserving 85 percent of their rooms for the 17-day period of the games at a structured, annual rate increase. The structured rates are designed to keep hotels from inflating room prices through the roof with the increased demand. But the profit from those guests is a small nugget in the potential gold mine for area hotels and related businesses.

"The meeting had nothing to do with athletes or the spectators," said Amy Bull, executive director of the St. Charles Convention & Visitors bureau. "It was about accommodating the people that do the things that orchestrate the games. Those people could be here as long as six months out."

Area hotels typically see an average of up to 70 percent of rooms booked at any given time. So 85 percent for an extended period will do more than make hotel owners and a managers smile.

"Oh, hello! Yes, it absolutely will be a big deal for them," Bull said. "For those six months the hospitality industry will be glowing."

An 85 percent commitment can also be a strain on hotels who also have high demand from business travelers and conventions. Hotels also aren't guaranteed a full 85 percent of the rooms will be used, nor do they sign the contract knowing who their guests will be.

Those unknowns haven't kept hotels away. St. Charles' Hotel Baker is one of more than 80 establishments to already sign the contract. In fact, the hotel's general manager, Ginger LoGalbo-Irps, said the Olympic committee specifically approached her hotel back in May.

"They haven't guaranteed anything, but I think we'd be a perfect fit for some of the European delegations," LoGalbo-Irps said. "We signed on for more than just the business. We want to be part of the excitement. We want to be included in the history."

St. Charles isn't alone in that sentiment. Lou Mengsol is already setting up a meeting with the Olympic committee and Hoffman Estates officials, including Sears Centre staff.

Mengsol is the executive director of the Northwest Suburban Chicago Sports Council. He is fresh off bringing a successful World Volleyball League engagement to the Sears Centre that showed the facility's potential to draw international crowds. He's looking to duplicate that in Olympic fashion in 2016.

"This is an opportunity that is really unprecedented," Mengsol said.

He believes the first step will be getting hotels committed. He doesn't foresee too many problems with managers embracing the 85 percent commitment, even if hotel ownership changes.

"When the Olympics rolls into town, it's pretty much going to be the only show around," Mengsol said. "When something that big is going on, you don't really mind dedicating that much of your business."

Mengsol said he believes the Sears Centre has a shot at becoming a practice facility for athletes during the games, or hosting concerts, plays and other shows as an entertainment hub.

"The committee is looking for communities that are embracing the Olympics and having community fairs, festivals and entertainment," Mengsol said. "When the athletes aren't competing, they, and everyone associated with the games, will want to get away and experience the area. That will create some really unique opportunities."

How to prevent being in the next 'When Animals Attack!' show

By James Fuller

Where does a 400-pound alligator sleep? Possibly in the basement of the home next door.

That may not be a problem unless it gets out and comes wandering down the street, or the owner decides he doesn't want to keep it as a pet anymore.

Rob Carmichael encountered just such an alligator one day in Lake County when he was called in to help remove it.

"He was a pretty aggressive alligator, too," Carmichael recalled. "This one would just as soon eat someone for dinner as anything else."

Carmichael works with state and local animal control agencies to relocate animals that suddenly appear in public and may be many miles from their natural habitat. Alligators are an extreme example of creatures suburbanites might encounter, but the warm months of the spring and summer are the busy period for animal control phone lines.

Animal experts throughout the suburbs urge caution whenever an unfamiliar animal is encountered. Such encounters can include the baby bobcat caught in the pallets of a truck a few weeks ago in Kane County, or the python in Lake County that crawled into a bathtub through an open window, or the wallaby once found in DuPage County.

"Do not go near them. Do not approach them. Do not try to touch them," advised Lauren Bluestone about any unfamiliar animal. Bluestone is an animal control officer in Kane County. "Your best bet is to err on the side of caution."

Something as simple as a snapping turtle can actually bite a human hand clean off if the animal is big enough. But even the family pet can be dangerous when it's been abandoned by its family.

Such unusual animal encounters have increased as a byproduct of the housing finance mess. Animal control officers said they are getting called out to homes abandoned in foreclosure or eviction situations more frequently than ever before because pets have either been left behind or animals have invaded the empty spaces.

"It's crazy busy right now," said Kerry Vinkler, executive director of DuPage County Animal Care & Control. "I honestly don't understand why people just abandon these animals. People need to know that it's literally a crime if you've knowingly abandoned a pet.

"The problem is we can't even enter these properties for a certain period of time unless we get a complaint from somebody. Meanwhile, the animals are trapped in there."

Animal control experts are also tracking a notable increase in is rabid bats. Experts in DuPage, Kane and Lake Counties all said they are seeing more rabid bats, and they are appearing earlier in the year. The DuPage animal control staff is keeping an eye on skunk and raccoon populations as rabies has been found in those animals in nearby states.

Len Hackl, coordinator of rabies control for Lake County Animal Care and Control, said rabies, especially in bats, tends to appear in cycles. Nine rabid bats were found in Lake County last year. Four have been found this year so far with August and September tending to be the months where they find the most rabies cases. In years past, the county would encounter maybe two rabid bats the whole year.

"We've sent 75 to the lab already this year to be checked," Hackl said. "We found a rabid bat at a house in Lake Villa for the second time this year. That's the first time that's ever happened."

One type of encounter local animal control agencies haven't substantiated is cougar sightings. After the April shooting of a 150-pound cougar in Chicago, local animal control agencies said they've all received multiple reports of sightings, but not a single one has yielded any evidence that cougars are stalking through the local landscape.

Coyotes, turtles, snakes and birds of prey are more commonly encountered because they lived naturally in the area before the suburbs ever existed. Experts said that's another reason why such animals shouldn't be approached. A snapping turtle plodding down a cul-de-sac probably isn't lost or sick; it's just moving from one nesting or feeding site to another.

Capturing or confining an animal, even for its own safety, is generally a bad idea, experts say. A person bit by an animal may want to keep it for rabies testing, but even then, experts warn against it because any attempted capture typically results only in another bite.

The first and usually only step to take in an animal encounter is calling police or animal control. Depending on the animal, they'll ensure it is either relocated or taken to an agency equipped to care for it.

That's how Carmichael ended up with about two dozen of the 250 reptiles that live at the Wildlife Discovery Center in Lake Forest.

Carmichael said the most rampant problem he sees contributing to dangerous animal encounters is people who have exotic pets they aren't equipped to deal with, so they let them loose in the wild. Other times animals escape from people or businesses that actually are licensed and trained to care for them like the lion and the tiger that roamed the streets of Libertyville one day.

"We've pulled venomous snakes out of people's houses," Carmichael said. "I've gone kayaking after small crocodilians on the Fox River. It's kind of scary. There's never a dull moment in this job."

The multiple victims of a traumatic brain injury

St. Charles woman loses her "sunshine"
Listen to the interview with Sheila McCormick here
By James Fuller

When Mark McCormick was 2 years old, his family caught him on tape singing his favorite song, "You Are My Sunshine." His mother, Sheila, thought it was so good that she mailed the tape to her sister in England.

That song would later become intrinsically tied to McCormick's identity, but not before tragedy would strike.

McCormick was only 24 years old when it happened. He'd had a headache he just couldn't shake for at least a week when he sat down for dinner with his pizza parlor boss at a restaurant in Arlington Heights. McCormick went to the men's room. While there, he blacked out. McCormick fell, smacking his head on the tile floor.

The result was a traumatic brain injury, making McCormick one of the 1.4 million Americans a year who suffer similar blows to the head.

Most victims are treated and released from hospitals. In McCormick's case, he'd never be the same again. The former track star at Niles West High School awoke to a life in an assisted care facility. He couldn't walk. He couldn't talk. He had no memory of what happened.

That was the condition Mark McCormick was in when his relationship with his mother evolved. Sheila and Homer McCormick put their lives in Indiana behind them and moved to St. Charles to be close to Mark. They visited him daily, a routine that only increased for Sheila when her husband died.

She would arrive at Pine View Care Center every day at about 11 a.m. to perform Mark's therapy with him and have lunch. Then she'd tuck her son in for a nap and return around 5 p.m. for dinner and some time outside before she'd kiss him goodbye for the night.


Eventually, Mark McCormick learned to walk and talk again. He'd have some good days when he'd walk full hallways with a chair, but other days he'd just sleep. He was never the Mark of old.

"Some days I'd get there and we'd start with a 'Hi, mom'," Sheila McCormick recalled. "Other days it would be, 'Who are you?' "

Even 20 years later, Mark McCormick's mind was stuck. He still believed he lived in a Skokie apartment and worked at a pizza parlor.

The daily care he needed was expensive. It out-priced the family's insurance, Medicaid and savings. So the family created an annual fundraiser, a run in St. Charles that hearkened back to Mark McCormick's track days. It started with just 80 or so runners and grew into more than 400, providing up to $6,000 to help with medical bills.

But none of it helped with the emotional taxes the loss levied. Sheila McCormick would often sleep in fear of the telephone. Late night calls always meant Mark had suffered a seizure. Those calls usually came at 2 or 3 a.m., up to six times a year. Sheila would leave the warmth of her bed and trek into the night to her son's bedside to hold his hand while he calmed down.

The next day, the therapy would begin again. And Sheila would be there, looking for the son she remembered, but living with the impaired version he'd become.

And then that tape he made as a 2-year-old boy resurfaced.

"One day I brought that tape, put in on and said, 'This is you,' " Sheila McCormick said. "And he sang along. He remembered every word. So everyday we'd put that on. The girls there would come in and say, 'Who's my sunshine?' "

Mark would simply reply, "Me."

Last Saturday, Sheila McCormick received another one of those dreaded phone calls. Only this time, it wasn't just to let her know Mark was having a seizure.

"They just said, 'Sheila, get over here.' "

She was five minutes too late when she arrived. Mark McCormick died at the age of 44 having lived for 20 years with a brain injury he never fully recovered from.

There are currently 5.3 million Americans living with some level of disability as the result of similar brain injuries, according to the Centers for Disease Control. There are even more family members dealing with their own trauma as they care for their loved one.

The chances of recovery are somewhat unpredictable and vary according to the severity of the injury, said Dr. Keith D'Souza, associate medical director of the Brain Injury Program at Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital in Wheaton. The impact to the victim depends on what areas of the brain are injured and the ability of other parts of the brain to assume those mental functions. Younger people with no history of drug use have the best chances for recovery. But there are no hard rules that will tell how well or how quickly someone will recover, if at all, D'Souza said.

"With a brain injury we generally tell families they can expect a loved one to recover over a period of up to two years," D'Souza said. "That's 90 percent of the recovery. That 90 percent will be different from person to person. It may just be moving a hand. For another person that may be being able to walk. Some may progress, plateau, then progress again. It does make it very hard on families."

D'Souza said the unpredictable nature of recovery can result in up to 15 years of emotional distress and family problems for people associated with a victim. That's why there are multiple support groups and peer mentoring programs for such families at hospitals around the country.
For Sheila McCormick, her therapy will be moving back to Indiana to be with her daughter and granddaughter. This year's Mark McCormick Milers Fox River Run will be the last. It will serve as a tribute.

"I thought we'd all be together again," Sheila McCormick said of her move to Indiana. She'd planned the move even before Mark died, setting up his transfer to another care facility.

"Now he's going back in a different way," McCormick said. "He's up there now. He's running and happy again."

Pat Tillman's mother puzzled, knows there's more to the story

By James Fuller
Published: 5/11/2008 12:05 AM

Mary Tillman sat down at Anderson's Bookstore in Naperville on Saturday with the best intentions of keeping the conversation light in honor of Mother's Day.

She began with memories of a teenage Pat Tillman scaling an elm tree in her yard, already bearing the muscles that would carry him to stardom in the NFL.

Years later, she'd catch herself smoking by that same elm tree, filled with grief and frustration over the loss of her son.

Pat Tillman's death in 2004 is perhaps the most publicized casualty of the war on terror. It's certainly one of the most scrutinized.

Mary Tillman's new book, "Boots on the Ground by Dusk," details her search to find out exactly how her son died.

On Saturday, she discussed the search in an hour of questions and answers with fans who labeled her a "soldier for truth."

Tillman knows all the names of the military investigators and elected leaders who've poked and prodded at the details of her son's death. She's sure there's more to the story than anyone has said on the record about her son being killed by friendly fire. She knows the answers go beyond breaches of protocol and incongruent stories.

"On every level, it's pretty clear that this was an attempt to dupe the public," Tillman said.

But Tillman said she's not just mad that she feels lied to. She's mad because she believes her son's honorable death was twisted in a dishonorable way to fuel popularity for an unpopular war.

What's less clear to her are the specific individuals she should target with her anger. Tillman has theories about who she would make wear a scarlet letter "L" for liar, but a frustrating lack of proof. The physical evidence is destroyed. There's no real paper trail anyone has found. There's no one coming forward to admit a wrong.

Mary Tillman still sticks to her beliefs because there are too many facts that just don't add up for her. She is a grieved mother with no closure. And now her book is a permanent documentation of all the reasons she believes Americans should feel just as deceived as she does.

"We weren't out for blood because he was killed by friendly fire," Tillman said. "And it's not because we can't get over it. That's not it. This was a huge deception, and it was a huge deception to all of us. This government lies to us all the time."

She accuses the Bush administration, and Karl Rove, Donald Rumsfeld and President Bush in particular, for directing a coverup.

And that's why the book is coming out now, just as that administration is on its way out.

"I'm relieved they're going to be gone, but it angers me that they're just going to slip away," Tillman said. "It really disturbs me that they're going to be walking away from this with no accountability whatsoever."

What sustains Mary Tillman may be her desire to restore all the honor to every part of her son's death. But she told the audience Saturday that what gets her through Mother's Day is an old e-mail sent from her sons Pat and Kevin while they were serving in the military on Mother's Day in 2003.

"Happy Mother's Day, ma," said Tillman, slightly choked up as she shared the letter with the audience Saturday. "Unfortunately we must apologize for our absence on this glorious occasion. However, know we are thinking of you. ... All is well, and please spend today reflecting on all the positives of the past and the bright future that lies ahead as opposed to worrying about us We love you, mom."

Shades of Green

By James Fuller

Kay McKeen, Greg Stolzer and Heather Goudreau are the new cool kids in town.

They've lived by a set of principles for years, which only recently became in vogue. But on Tuesday, many of their friends and neighbors will change their lives to be just like them, even if only for a day.

McKeen and company are environmentalists of varying degrees. On Earth Day, and every day, they'll abound with life-altering tips to help casual recyclers and the "ultragreen" alike. All the tips are actions they already do in their everyday lives.

Ultragreen

Think you're already a hardcore greenie? Then match your compost heap against the likes of Kay McKeen.

McKeen was a greenie before green became the new black. Tips from the other greenies are measures McKeen took a long time ago. The canvas bags she takes to the grocery story are 18 years old.

McKeen has infused the mantra of reduce, reuse, recycle into her daily life so extensively that she only takes actual garbage to her curb about once every five weeks. That's less than a dozen trash pick-ups a year at the McKeen house in Wheaton.

"Reduction is really key," she says. "That's how I started."

She has no plastic containers in her house. There are only glass jars. The jars once contained mayonnaise and pickles. Now they contain leftovers and homemade salsa. Not only can McKeen reheat the food right in the glass jars with no chemicals leaching in, but she can store the food with no odors leaching out.

Plastic bread bags also get reused.

"Think before you buy," McKeen said. "Ask yourself what are you going to be able to do with this."

There are no disposable razors or shaving creams in McKeen's house. Only straight razors and shaving soaps (no can).

And just about everything that doesn't get eaten or reused gets recycled, loaded into her Toyota Prius Hybrid and donated to someone else, or composted.

Letting nature take its course is McKeen's action plan outside. She doesn't rake away her leaves and bag them up. Instead, she uses them to create natural fertilizer.

"Think about it," McKeen said. "Nobody rakes up a forest. Leaves fall. Apples fall. Branches fall. When you rake it up, you've just taken away the nutrients from the soil and a protective layer for tree roots. Bacteria can still do what it's done for billions of years. That's a pretty good track record."

McKeen may be the extreme example of living green, but anything that benefits the environment is a step in the right direction. There are plenty of small and simple changes anyone can make at any time, starting at home.

'Green house' effect

Living in a "green house" does not require dirt floors and stone walls, local environmental stewards say.

However, when it comes time to replace a roof because of leaks, or a rug because a pet has left his mark more than once, there are better options than asphalt shingles and Afghan.

Annemarie Rexroad chose steel roofing and bamboo flooring for her Wheaton home when it was time to make some changes.

Rexroad's new roof is made of recycled steel that should last for more than 100 years, and be cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.

The steel shingles are laid with a space beneath and insulation to prevent that "pinging" sound rainfall would otherwise create. Unlike asphalt, which won't stick well in the cold, steel roofs can be put on during the winter, usually at a discounted price, Rexroad said.

"The cool part is that snow will melt in sheets," Rexroad said. "There are safety guards to prevent an avalanche falling on you, but to hear it whoosh down is kind of cool."

She also has bamboo wood floors. Bamboo in its natural state can be harder than some oaks. It's also a green option because bamboo isn't a tree. It's a quick-growing grass. So while it can take decades to grow an oak floor, it only takes weeks to grow enough bamboo for a floor.

Beyond the infrastructure of the house comes purchasing decisions for the amenities inside. That's where Greg Stolzer's green instincts kick in for his Mount Prospect home.

His refrigerator is Energy Star-rated. That means it uses less water and electricity to cool the food inside than a regular refrigerator does. It's a bit more expensive, but the cost difference pays for itself in lower water and electricity bills, Stolzer said.

He also invests in compact florescent light bulbs, which are available at any local hardware store. If Lance Armstrong's pedaling was the fuel powering the bulbs, compact florescent lights would be easy coasting versus the uphill, hot-pursuit pedaling required to power incandescent lights.

"The proof of energy savings is in the heat the bulbs generate," Stolzer said. "You put your hand on an incandescent bulb that's been on for a couple minutes, and you're going to burn yourself. Not so with a CFL."

Other tips include not cleaning with bleaches and ammonia. Lemon juice, baking soda and vinegar all are alternatives that don't put toxic odors in the air or chemicals in the environment. And clean with reusable rags instead of paper towels and use cloth napkins instead of the disposable kind.

Greening the green

Food that tastes good and doesn't make you sick in the long run was popular long before the green revolution. But with tighter living spaces, having a green thumb in the garden is harder than ever.

With or without a garden, there are ways to eat and grow plants that will make Mother Nature smile.

Heather Goudreau in St. Charles and Kelly Joslin in Oswego both have small gardens at home. That in itself is a nod to the environment. But there are little things they do to supplement those gardens to help keep the planet alive and well.

You'll never see Goudreau carry plastic bags out of the supermarket. You won't see her carry out paper bags either.

Neither of the traditional checkout options are a good choice in her mind. Instead, she totes reusable, canvas bags to and from the store. She doesn't even use the clear, plastic bags in the fruit and vegetable aisles.

For lunch, she doesn't use baggies or a brown sack. She uses washable plastic containers for sandwiches and metal spoons instead of their disposable, plastic cousins.

She also supports the local farmer's market, a step Joslin takes even further.

As the winter ices recede, Joslin hits the farm fields and greenhouses leased by the Green Earth Institute in Naperville.

The institute's farm grows crops as part of a community-supported agriculture program. The program connects area residents with locally grown food by having them buy shares. The shares support all the seeds, supplies, labor and growing costs of the crops. In return, the farmers provide the shareholders with weekly or bi-weekly boxes of fresh vegetables for about 20 weeks.

Because the veggies are grown locally, there is less need for preservative chemicals and less use of gas to transport the food. There are also the taste benefits.

"I don't like tomatoes, but I eat tomatoes now because they're fabulous from there," Joslin said.

At home, Joslin also has what amounts to a free irrigation system. The spouts that collect the rainwater flowing from her roof are diverted into a pair of 60-gallon barrels. So instead of turning on the hose, Joslin can just scoop out the free water in the barrels.

"The barrels are basically the easiest green thing you can do," Joslin said.

In a group setting, one easy thing by each person can turn into a big movement.

Where a little is a lot

If Kay McKeen embodies the potential impact of one greenie on the planet, then Joanne East and her fellow residents at the Wyndemere Senior Living Campus in Wheaton embody the impact of a group.

East leads a team of residents who work with staff at the retirement community to inject green forethought into just about every aspect of their daily lives.

The seniors recycle and compost, but again, it may be their efforts to reuse products in their current form that makes the most impact.

Old eyeglasses are donated for reuse. Empty pill bottles are donated to local veterinarian offices. Expired medicine is taken to Central DuPage Hospital instead of flushed down the toilet. Old clothes are taken to resale shops. Unwanted shoes are donated to the needy. Plastic shopping bags are taken back to the stores they came from. Metal hangers are given to local dry cleaners. Styrofoam packaging materials are donated to local UPS and Mailboxes, Etc. stores. Even pots and vases are donated to local flower shops and greenhouses.

"There's lots of old people here, so they get lots of flowers and plants," East said.

Retirement doesn't have to mean not making a contribution to society and the planet, East said. The reward is the effort itself.

"You feel like you're making a little inroads," East said. "It would be nice if other places would join us."

Colleges reaching out to recruit gay, lesbian and transgender students

Listen to the radio interview about my article here!
By James Fuller

They've chased star athletes. They've pursued valedictorians. Now colleges and universities are vying for the attention of gay, lesbian and transgender students.

Several Illinois institutions of higher learning Friday will join the likes of Princeton, Yale and other top colleges at the National Gay-Friendly College Fair in San Diego.

Recruiters say the fair and others like it are a budding trend. College and university administrators want prospective students to know their sexuality won't just be allowed on campus, but embraced.

Eric Tammes is among the recruiters planning to attend Friday's fair. Tammes is an assistant vice president for student services at Roosevelt University, which has campuses in Chicago and Schaumburg.

This will be the second fair of its kind Tammes has recruited at. He'll attend a third fair next week at Harvey Milk High School in New York.

"Students are coming out at a much younger age," Tammes said. "That process isn't beginning in college or after college like we may have seen 10 or 20 years ago. So these high school students who are out come looking for a range of things that show a college will generally have students like them, and a university with an inclusive mission."

For Roosevelt, that mission may seem obvious as its president, Chuck Middleton, is one of a handful of college leaders who are openly gay.

Other factors LGBT students might look for are gay and lesbian student organizations, gay and lesbian courses or majors, and gender-neutral residential halls where students can live in co-ed rooms.

Colleges are even subjecting themselves to ratings by gay-friendly organizations, such as Campus Pride. The not-for-profit unveiled a 55-question rating system in September. Colleges can answer the questions and receive a starred ranking on Campus Pride's LGBT-Friendly Campus Climate Index. There are now more than 150 colleges ranked in the index.

Eight Illinois colleges and universities are ranked in the system. Of those, the University of Illinois at Chicago has the highest rating- a perfect five stars. Bradley University in Peoria has the lowest rating- one and half stars out of five.

"These fairs and this index show that a campus is committed to go specifically to outreach to these students and their families," said Shane Windmeyer, executive director of Campus Pride. "For the first time, every college can come and find lesbian and gay students who are out and let them know they can be themselves at their school."

Robin Matthies said she would've loved having that information available to her back when she was in high school. Matthies is now the coordinator of student activities at the Illinois Institute of Technology, which has campuses in Chicago and Wheaton.

She also is an openly gay adviser to IIT's gay and lesbian student organization and recruited gay students at a recent fair in Pennsylvania.

"We didn't have anything like that in my high school days," Matthies said. "But high schools all over the place have gay student associations now. When they get to college, the organizations there are a lot louder and a lot outer."

That's key for a school like IIT because its science focus doesn't allow for gay studies majors, Matthies said.

"We go to these fairs because we want students to know this is a gay-friendly school, and if you're into science, math, architecture or engineering, this is the place to be," she said. "The idea for these fairs is great, and it's really going to take off."

Some Groundhog Day fun

Our groundhog gets no respect on his biggest day of year
By James Fuller

For most groundhogs, early February means it's time to stop hibernating, refill their bellies and find a date for the Super Bowl.

Not me.

This groundhog awoke to bathe in the glory of the one day of the year devoted entirely to me. I'm so famous, crowds gather just to get a glimpse of my shadow.

It was about 9 a.m. when I strolled outside ready for the glare of the flashbulbs and paparazzi. Smiling, I greeted … no one.

What the heck? Where is my adoring crowd? Did everyone forget?

I headed out to find my public. First stop, back to my roots at Herrick Lake Forest Preserve in Wheaton. Maybe people hadn't heard I dumped that hole in the ground and got my own apartment.

When I arrive, the only people there are some cross-country skiers.

"Are you here for some sort of YouTube video?" Asked one lady.

"Um, no, I happen to be a groundhog," I replied.

"Oh yeah, Groundhog Day. That's coming up pretty soon, right?"

"That would be today," I reply, in disgust. Seriously, who doesn't know when Groundhog Day is? I decide to go to a place where I'm sure to find some fans on my special day.

When I arrive at Cosley Zoo in Wheaton I'm a bit taken aback at the lack of cars in the parking lot. The calendar for the zoo clearly says there will be a Groundhog Day event.

"We had to cancel that due to lack of interest," said the receptionist in the gift shop.

"Lack of interest?" As I pondered what she said another zoo employee approached me.

"Are you a singing telegram?"

"No! Look, I'm a groundhog here to hang out with my fans. Isn't there anyone who wants to cheer for me or something?"

A third employee comes out and tells me there's a meeting with the Junior Zookeepers taking place and I can pop in there if I want. As I leave the gift shop, I'm asked if I saw my shadow this morning.

"Not yet, but I'm so big it's kind of hard for me to see my own shadow."

"I don't think that whole six weeks more of winter thing means anything up here anyway," the receptionist said. "That's more in the South."

Clearly, she was just jealous of my fame and trying to bring me down. I had to find my real fans.

I headed into the zoo's barn to find the Junior Zookeepers. They all sat in a circle around a senior zookeeper.

"Do you guys know who I am?" I asked.

Puzzled looks.

"A guy in a costume?"

"I'm a groundhog! Don't you know about Groundhog Day?"

I could see that struck a note with the senior zookeeper.

"Oh yeah, that's coming up soon."

I couldn't believe it. Even the zoo had forgotten my day. There weren't even any other groundhogs there. Although it seemed some of them knew about my day, I couldn't stay and listen to the young zookeepers get brainwashed.

Feeling pretty bummed, I took the search for my fans to the Morton Arboretum near Lisle. They, too, were scheduled to have a big Groundhog Day party.

As I approached the gateway to the Children's Garden, a woman approached me with someone who looked familiar.

"You must be here for Groundhog Day," she said.

Finally, a fan.

"You know it," I said. "But who's that you've got with you?"

"This is the pelt from a real groundhog."

I could feel the fur on my nape spring to life as I shuddered. This was no party. It was an ambush. I didn't get a good look at the pelt, but it appeared they'd already gotten Uncle Bob.

"It's OK," the arboretum staff reassured me. "This one died of natural causes."

I always told Uncle Bob he'd pay for it one day if he didn't cut back on the dandelions.

And then I saw him. The smiling little boy walked right up to me.

"Hi, do you know who I am?" I asked.

"A groundhog?" Answered Jackson Roach, a 7-year-old from Glen Ellyn.

"Yup. Do you know what I'm doing here?"

"Trying to find your shadow?"

"Do you see it?"

"Umm, no."

"So what does that mean?"

"It means the winter is going to be over sooner."

Bingo. Finally, a true fan. As it turned out, everyone at the arboretum was a groundhog fan.

It made me feel a little guilty.

You see, it's not easy being just an average rodent. Groundhogs get all the love-- a holiday, even a Bill Murray movie. All that hype, but do most people even know what a groundhog looks like?

Thankfully, I found the answer is no. And it made it a lot easier for this chipmunk to leave the groundhog's shadow and steal a little glory, even for just one day.

Watch the video of my day as a groundhog:

Wheaton veteran's battles now on the homefront

Five years of war in perspective
By James Fuller

Joel Gomez's post traumatic stress disorder is on a different level than the more fortunate of his fellow Iraq war veterans.

It's not uncommon for his niece, Sonia Sanchez, to warn him ahead of time if she's about to open a can of pop. That noise, and many others -- including his respirator and the Van Morrison ring tone on his cell phone -- often trigger the dive-for-cover instinct Gomez learned as a soldier.

Only Gomez can't dive for cover. Tomorrow, he'll mark four years as a quadriplegic. On Wednesday, he'll join fellow veterans in commemorating the five-year anniversary of the war that ruined his body.

In reflecting on both anniversaries, it's the latter that seems to cause Gomez the most grief.

His personal life is one of a minor celebrity and local war hero. Gomez's service in Iraq is so revered in Wheaton that the community rallied to raise money to build him a new house loaded with technological amenities to make his life easier.

Yet in the last four years, health is a primary concern for those who love Gomez. He's had bed sores, a hole in his esophagus, pneumonia, a collapsed lung and a blocked artery in his heart. He's set to get skin grafts on his hips later this year.

At one time, his parents thought he'd die.

Now he spends most of his days in bed with his feet and shins wrapped in wool booties and a sheet over his torso.

It sounds bad, but Gomez's humor and spirit is as strong as his body is broken. It's not uncommon for him to top off his dress with a T-shirt that reads, "Trust me, I'm perfect."

Gomez's parents, his sister and his niece and nephew all share the home with him. He never is truly alone.

Except for maybe in his thoughts.

When he closes his eyes, Gomez has two symbolic images of the Iraq war that flash before him.

The first is of a lone soldier who's suffered a traumatic brain injury, or a serviceman, like him, whose limbs are without function or missing.

The other is of a car bombing. Children and civilians are dead and confused loved ones are all asking the same question: "Why?"

That is Gomez's view of the war -- pain on both sides. No winners.

Gomez said he could see as a soldier there was no way Iraq would ever achieve an American democratization.

"I knew it would never be done because the differences and ideals are so varied that it would be impossible," he said. "We are not run by religion in every aspect of life, but they are."

Indeed, Gomez is a veteran who believes the U.S. went into Iraq "based on a bunch of lies and fabrications."

If you can't tell by the calendar that mocks President George W. Bush's talent for making up words, Gomez will be happy to tell you himself that he regards him as a "horrible president."

Maybe, then, it's not a surprise that Gomez breaks from Wheaton's usual Republican leanings to favor Hillary Clinton for president. He even donated a little more than $400 to her campaign.

Politics get Gomez fired up. But it's his dreams for the future that fuel him.

He's trying to find a college with distance learning to study world religions. He wants to write a book about his life. And he wants to shed light on problems in the VA medical system.

Gomez describes his time in various VA hospitals as "almost disturbing."

"They're great people, but their training and knowledge of patient experiences is, I hate to say it, subpar."

Despite it all, Gomez will not wake up angry tomorrow. He won't be in a cold sweat, reliving the plunge of his Bradley Fighting Vehicle off a cliff into the Tigris River.

Gomez has no memory of the accident. "Part of me wishes I did remember, and part of me is really afraid to remember."

This week, and both anniversaries, will pass pretty much like any other. In defiance of the odds, Gomez will be both alive and happy.

"I think God has given up on trying to take me. So far it's Gomez 8, God 0."

New growth towns face challenges that come with more people

By James Fuller

Fairview School was closed last year after more than three decades of serving the Darien area.

The more than 400 students now attend a grade-level center.

Fairview's shuttering and Darien Elementary District 61's revamped system is the result of declining enrollment and an aging population.

Yet, 16 miles southwest, an enrollment boom continues in Plainfield Unit District 202 reminiscent of the old woman who lived in a shoe.

The district's population began to explode with the turn of the millennium. On average, more than 2,500 new students enroll in District 202 every year. It's now one of Illinois' five largest school districts with about 29,000 students in 28 schools. More of both are on the way.

The growth is a reflection of an ongoing migration from suburbs that at one time were considered the outer ring -- such as Darien, Elmhurst and Elgin -- to a newer outer ring -- Plainfield, Oswego and DeKalb, for example.


U.S. Census data and projections from local planning agencies show a decrease in Cook County's population, but an explosion in the far west that will see the population nearly double in the next 20 years. That growth has various levels of government scrambling to keep pace.

Money and melting

Perhaps the biggest impact to the outlying suburbs is the influx of young families with school-aged, or soon-to-be-school-aged children.

That's because families are buying their first homes farther out these days, as the cost of real estate prices them out of areas that once were magnets for such buyers.

DuPage County, for example, has a reputation for good schools. But the median home price in DuPage now is the highest in the area.

"What we see happening is that the younger people that are ready to buy their single-family house or first townhome, we find that we're taking them west and taking them out to the Fox Valley area and beyond that," said Wheaton Realtor Pat Callan, president-elect of the Illinois Association of Realtors. "We're going to Oswego, the west side of Aurora, St. Charles, even DeKalb."

That's resulted in huge tax increases to build new school buildings in some areas.

In the past two years, Plainfield, Oswego and DeKalb residents approved tax increases for a combined $812 million to build 25 new schools and renovate existing buildings.

They'll need those schools to accommodate an influx of children in coming years with different backgrounds than they've seen before. Education is the new spoon that stirs the melting pot.

Unlike the baby boom generation, most newborns in the area now are not white; they're Hispanic.

For example, for every white person who dies in Cook County, only one white baby is born. Meanwhile, there are seven Hispanic births for each Hispanic death.

This phenomenon is playing out farther out, too.

The 1990 Plainfield Unit District 202 profile showed a 96 percent white population in its hallways. Less than 3 percent of the students were Hispanic. And there wasn't a single black student.

By 2006, the population was 62 percent white, 20 percent Hispanic and 9 percent black.

"The face of Plainfield is definitely changing, and it's something that we celebrate," District 202 spokesman Tom Hernandez said. "We are now much more akin to what the real world presents to our students. We are very pleased with it."

Yet that also creates new language and cultural barriers to learning that the school districts must adjust to.


A total of 62 different languages are spoken by students in Plainfield schools. Spanish is the No. 1 language besides English. But now there's a notable Polish community and something District 202's Hernandez never thought he'd see.

"Who would've thunk that Plainfield would've had an Urdu community?" he said.

And don't let the housing market slowdown fool you into thinking the growth is over.

Kris Monn, the assistant superintendent for finance in Oswego Unit District 308, said the new schools will still be built and open eventually. They just won't be at capacity on the first day of school.

"We are definitely a new-construction community," Monn said. "Eventually the residential growth will continue. We've had a lot of the larger retail stores that continue to come on board out here. They wouldn't continue to build if they didn't believe the people were coming."

That commercial growth is exactly the economic development communities such as DeKalb seek.

With every new community, subdivision and neighborhood, municipalities in the far west strive to seek a tax balance between residents and their commercial and industrial businesses.

Controlled growth

DeKalb has long been synonymous with Northern Illinois University. The school is the largest employer in the area.

The continued population growth and a pro-growth city council has the community thinking about that identity. Is the goal to be and stay a college town? Or should DeKalb be a community that just happens to have a college in it?

"I think it's inevitable that we'll transition into the latter of the two things," said City Manager Mark Biernacki.

For now, that means concentrating on economic growth to balance out tax burden on residents.

Ten years ago, the majority of the city's tax income came from the larger apartment complexes in town. Now the cash cows are the major retail and warehouse manufacturing businesses.

The city is edging toward a 50/50 tax burden between residents and businesses mainly through zoning and permitting that allows major residential developments only when the city deems it's ready to handle that growth.

The result is no sudden influx of people, nor an unreasonable expectation of growth that sinks economic projections during a housing market slowdown.

DeKalb is also one of those communities that's nearing capacity in terms of developable lots. Biernacki said there's roughly 300 lots still available for single-family homes and townhouse development.

But the other growth factor the city is watching are the transportation challenges of getting all the new residents to their jobs, and all the potential customers to the new businesses. In recent years, the city has seen double-digit percentage increases in traffic on I-88.

All jammed up

The Illinois Department of Transportation is figuring out what commuters already know.

The road system in far western communities was built for the population that used to exist, not the cars now on the roadway, and certainly not the migration still to come.

The Prairie Parkway Study group is charged with finding answers to that problem. By 2030, the study found the average daily traffic count on state and federal highways in the far west will increase by 76 percent. County highway traffic will increase by 55 percent.

The grid system of roads that works in Chicago doesn't exist in the far west suburbs. Indeed, the farther west you travel, the more spaced out the roads become. That limits the alternative routes for commuters.

And don't even ask commuters how they feel about all the truck traffic on routes 23, 34, 47, 71 and 126 to Plainfield.

Life is somewhat easier for those traveling east into Chicago and west back home. But the Fox River and limited north-south routes in the far west make commutes between suburbs much more difficult.

The lack of suburban connections is the same problem plaguing public transportation options.

"The big challenge is how do you creatively serve that transit market and what should you do with your land use to make it more transit-friendly," said Rick Powell, a studies and plans engineer for IDOT in the far west.

On the roadways, Powell said, the answer is not just adding more lanes on existing routes, he said.

"Widening does address the capacity, but because there's development going on at the same time along these routes, you're still getting more traffic," Powell said. "The road becomes a victim of its own success. Once it's built, it draws even more development."

So the answer may be more roads and highways, but they won't come without a price.

More fuel-efficient or electric cars are expected to be on roads in the next 20 years. That means less money from the motor fuel tax to fund road improvements. Powell said the funding solution is likely to be more toll roads or a replacement of the gas tax by a mileage-based tax. Such a tax is based on the length of commutes as tracked by a transponder placed on cars.

"Of course, there's privacy concerns with that," Powell said. "Some people don't want a device that follows you wherever you go."

Even with all the new challenges of building more schools, balancing tax burdens and crawling through traffic, the far west population continues to grow.

Plainfield's Tom Hernandez said he knows why.

"People want the American dream, but they also want their green and their lawns," Hernandez said. "They have backyards here. The American dream is here."

Election coverage: Candidates find immigration is sticky issue

Second in a series on the issues facing 13th Congressional District Republican candidates Judy Biggert and Sean O'Kane in the Feb. 5 primary.

The national debate about illegal immigration boils down to two numbers: There are more than 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States right now. And there's been more than four years of legislative gridlock trying to decide what to do about
The Republican candidates in Illinois' 13th Congressional District both admit they don't have a magic answer, especially when it comes to the illegal immigrants who are already here. But they do have foundational ideologies for where they'd like to focus the debate.

Closing the borders

Both incumbent Judy Biggert and Republican primary challenger Sean O'Kane agree the illegal immigration debate begins with sealing the borders. Both prefer creating that seal with law enforcement and military personnel rather than fences and walls.

"I don't like the image of a Berlin Wall-type facade along our border," O'Kane said. "But to contain the size of the illegal immigrant population and for national security purposes, we need to know who's coming into our country."

Biggert also believes in closed borders. If borders don't receive priority, Biggert estimates the illegal immigrant population will swell to 20 million before the paperwork for people currently waiting to become citizens is completed.

The major difference in this realm between Biggert and O'Kane is what to do with illegal immigrants caught crossing the borders.

O'Kane favors immediate deportation for illegal immigrants caught while entering the country.

Biggert said that's not enough of a penalty.

"We have to end catch-and-release through mandatory detention," Biggert said.

Biggert doesn't know what the appropriate jail time would be but said it would be nice if there were a way to charge the cost of that time back to the country the illegal immigrant originated.

"We should look at promoting international policies to try and deter the illegal immigration," Biggert said.

Employing illegals

The other side of immigrants coming to the United States illegally is having a reason, which is usually a job.

Both Biggert and O'Kane say Americans must be willing to pay more at the grocery store and for the homes they build. Both want higher wages in the agriculture and construction industries, which employ the most illegal immigrants. They believe Americans will fill the jobs illegal immigrants take if the pay is higher. A higher cost of business will trickle down to consumers.

"I do worry about when farmers can't pick the fruit and you see the oranges left on the trees," Biggert said. "We have to raise the bar to make sure they have legals filling those jobs. Illegals won't stay here if they can't get jobs."

O'Kane said America must also abandon any negative perceptions of citizens who work or train in a trade rather than go to college.

"There tends to be a network for immigrants to get into the trades a little more," O'Kane said. "If somebody likes to work with their hands, we should assist them to help them get the skills they need to enter the work force and be productive in that fashion."

Both candidates believe companies, especially large corporations, need fast, accurate technology available to them for mandatory identification checks of a potential employee's citizenship status. Both Biggert and O'Kane believe employers who hire illegal immigrants should be punished with stiff fines, but not jail time.

"You've got to have a penalty, or what difference does it make?" Biggert said. She suggested fines as large as $250,000 may be appropriate.

The amnesty dilemma

Neither Biggert, nor O'Kane has a definitive action plan for what to do about the illegal immigrants already in the country. Both believe any plan must involve the enforcement of laws already on the books. That includes deporting all illegal immigrants who come into contact with the justice system for commission of a felony.

Both also believe any path to citizenship would start at the bottom of the list, behind people who are already in the process of trying to legally enter the country. Biggert and O'Kane agree all immigrants must be required to display at least a basic proficiency in English to become a citizen.

O'Kane also said there should be no concessions to illegal immigrants in the form of giving them identification cards or driver's licenses.

However, neither he nor Biggert believes in raiding neighborhoods or businesses for deportation roundups.

"That makes me think of the Gestapo," Biggert said. "I hate to think of this huge mass attacking a neighborhood. That bothers me. I also hate to see people hiding. However, their presence does abuse our social services."

O'Kane said deporting 12 million people isn't even possible.

"It's completely ridiculous to think that we're going to go around and physically round up everyone who's illegal," O'Kane said. "It would send the completely wrong message. It would be kind of a stain on our national image. We want people to come to our country, but we want them to come here legally."