ExpandEd Muncie (Photo provided by Ed Muncie) Trustee for the Village of Campton Hills I‘m a Vice President and Risk Manager for a family-owned group of construction and manufacturing companies I have held the office of village trustee for the Village of Campton Hills since 2021 Ed4theHills.com in Industrial Technology and Occupational Safety & Health from Northern Illinois University and a Mini-MBA from Loyola University Chicago I organized and ran a very successful “Cruise Night” car show event with over 200 cars and I have participated in and helped with other community events like National Night Out Holiday in the Hills and others as a village trustee over the past four years My wife and I just celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary We have twin daughters that have started their careers and are living on their own now so Maggie the English Setter keeps us company in the house and the barnyard is home to half-a-dozen ducks We’re still a relatively new and fledgling village so while I’ll admit there have been some growing pains over the past four years we’ve taken the necessary steps to increase professionalism implement significant improvements in training and set standards for civility and effective working relationships If we continue to further these efforts and expectations with an eye towards continuous improvement we will keep our village on course for continued success In Illinois municipalities are required to comply with Illinois TRUST Act and other state laws which set the requirements for how local law enforcement interacts with immigrants This is not a matter in which local municipal government officials have any input on Please reference “Illinois Laws Governing Law Enforcement Interactions with Immigrant Communities,” January 2025 from the office of the Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul for more information I want to continue to preserve and protect our semi-rural way of life while promoting responsible growth The foundation for this is being laid through our new zoning ordinance and our village comprehensive plan currently under revision As the liaison to the Planning and Zoning Commission I’m very impressed with our amazing community volunteers as they ensure that our comprehensive plan paves the way for this balance of preservation and responsible growth we need to continue to fully fund and staunchly support our Police while maintaining a balanced and debt-free budget with no residential property tax We’ve been able to accomplish this since the village’s inception in 2007 and I see no reason we cannot continue this with a fiscally responsible approach to village operations I’d like to achieve further increases in the effectiveness and professionalism of village operations and continue to strengthen our partnerships with Campton and Plato Townships for additional road maintenance and services This can be accomplished with a firm commitment to our high-quality staff and our partnerships while maintaining an eye towards continuous improvement efficiency and maximizing available resources The Village of Campton Hills is a small village with extremely limited resources, and as such increases in public transportation and related infrastructure are not within our current plans. Our village board staunchly supports our local businesses, and we’re proud of the vast and wonderful products and services available in our small community. As a small municipality, we can continue to make it easier and more effective to launch new commercial endeavors and to create a welcoming and collaborative environment in our village. The Village of Campton Hills is blessed to have an amazing group of men and women officers in our Police force. As a testament to their community outreach, commitment, and vigilance, Campton Hills has been ranked as one of the very safest cities in Illinois for each of the past four years. I want to continue vehemently supporting the brave and tireless men and women of our Police force, as well as their efforts to obtain grant funding to further expand their resources. I have always been accessible to the residents of the Village of Campton Hills. I read and answer every email and have responded to every resident that has contacted me over the past four years. I remain committed to listening and responding whenever a resident reaches out. I love Campton Hills, and I hope that the residents will let me continue to preserve, protect, and promote our unique and wonderful community. Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network Campton Hills has cited one of its village trustees alleging she is operating a massage therapy service as a home-based business in violation of the town’s zoning code Issued by Building and Zoning Officer James Brown on Jan the citation sets the case of Trustee Janet Burson for a Feb Burson risks a maximum of $750 per day fine for the violation Burson, who was recently censured by her board colleagues for other issues — dismissed the citation’s validity She said she previously operated a clinic in Oak Park Village Administrator Mark Rooney said former trustee Darlene Bakk presented evidence at a board meeting in November that Burson has a website where customers can sign up for an appointment at her home Village trustees initially indicated they would add massage therapy to a list of special uses allowed under the zoning code Rooney said he warned Burson to change the text on her website so people could not sign up for an appointment at her house ‘You can’t prove I’m doing it and I’m not changing a … thing,’ and gave me the middle finger in my face not once but twice,” Rooney added Burson said the website’s appointment function has not worked since the pandemic “They had no business asking me to do anything with it.” Expand(Left to right) Campton Hills trustee candidates Nicolas Boatner and Janet Burson village president candidate Barbara Wojnicki and trustee candidate Timothy Morgan celebrate early returns in the Consolidated Election on Tuesday (Sandy Bressner – sbressner@shawmedia.com) The Campton Hills Village Board majority voted to censure Trustee Janet Burson at its Jan Trustee Jim McKelvie read a statement before vote alleging that she leaked confidential information from closed meetings and abused appointed officials Burson said all of the allegations are untrue “We are not attempting to limit your ability to achieve what you seek through your office,” McKelvie said “But we will not allow a member of the corporate authorities of the Village of Campton Hills to engage in conduct which raises new potential liabilities expenditures and compliance issues for our village It is for this reason that the members of the board hereby censure you as a result of your actions.” Trustee Ed Muncie said officials told her numerous times to stop “The list was three pages long – the list of infractions - which included much more than what was in that statement,” Muncie said “It is warranted,” Muncie said of the censure Burson responded that she never disclosed closed meeting information to anyone – and besides that – it isn’t against the law regarding the confidence of closed session,” Burson said Campton Hills board censures Trustee Janet Burson by John Sahly on Scribd At the Illinois Municipal League training they all took it was made clear that village boards in Illinois are prohibited from censuring members for alleged violations of closed session confidence “As it relates to what I may or may not say to other members of the board – I think I can say what I want," Burson said “And I don’t think that you or any combination of members on the board are in a position to tell me what I can and can’t say there are no possible restrictions over what I can say politically outside of this room.” Burson said the board has had some heated policy discussions are fair game in our meetings,” Burson said “Personal attacks and petty political theater such as this are not...I will not be bullied out of a position to which I was elected by residents with a nearly two to one majority Campton Hills incorporated in 2007. This is the second time in eight years that its village board censured an elected official trustees voted to censure then-Village President Harry Blecker because he spoke to the media about a closed session discussion saying that when a public body goes into closed session citing the exemption of litigation Blecker spoke to the Kane County Chronicle about the board holding a closed meeting Sept The closed session was not for any type of litigation The board did not release the three pages of infractions – not even to Burson – that night But after officials initially denied a Freedom of Information Act request and the Kane County Chronicle filed a request for review their attorney Carmen Forte changed course released it and notified the Attorney General’s Public Access Counselor Larsen is known for his Larsen’s Christmas Lights Show which he relocated to Pingree Grove The lawsuit has since been settled but Village President Barbara Wojnicki said Burson went to Larsen’s property to talk to him after she was elected in April 2023 “It was not right for her to go speak with him,” Wojnicki said “She violated the trust of the board to do that” Burson said when she went to Larsen’s property she had not been sworn in and had not been part of any closed meetings As to the dissolving of the existing Planning and Zoning Commission and the creation of a new commission the board kept two previous members and appointed five new ones “The only reason she was angry was because we didn’t include (her friend) in the new Zoning and Planning Board commissioners,” Wojnicki said “She’s forgetting that decisions we make here are not for one or two people She berated both the attorney and (Village Administrator) Mark Rooney.” Burson said she spoke to Rooney and Forte before the meeting started “I spoke...in strong terms that I was upset and disappointed,” Burson said Rooney said he told Burson she was wasting her breath because neither he nor Forte decide these appointments she made some pretty pointed comments about what (her friend) and she could do with social media to make my life and reputation unemployable,” Rooney said Burson said she was not upset just for her friend but for throwing existing members off the commission “It was high-handed and disrespectful to our residents “We have 38 people serving on eight committees It seemed to be a chilling effect on people’s willingness to volunteer.” The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on March 24, 2022, that a public board’s censure of another board member’s actions is protected speech under the First Amendment. Campton Hills board censures Trustee Janet Burson by John Sahly on Scribd A majority of Campton Hills village board members voted this month to censure Trustee Janet Burson this month alleging she leaked confidential information from closed meetings and abused appointed officials “We are not attempting to limit your ability to achieve what you seek through your office,” Trustee Jim McKelvie read from a statement before the vote saying she never disclosed closed meeting information to anyone — and besides that “There is no statute … there is no village code “Personal attacks and petty political theater such as this are not … I will not be bullied out of a position to which I was elected by residents with a nearly two-to- one majority Before Burson’s election as trustee in 2023 the village was suing resident Brian Larsen for more than $22 million over alleged zoning code violations Larsen is known for his Larsen’s Christmas Lights Show but Village President Barbara Wojnicki said Burson went to Larsen’s property to talk to him after she was elected She also denied claims she berated an attorney for the village and Village Administrator Mark Rooney when the town dissolved its planning and zoning commission and created a new panel “The only reason she was angry was because we didn’t include (her friend) in the new zoning and planning board commissioners,” Wojnicki said but for the residents removed from the dissolved commission “It was high-handed and disrespectful to our residents,” she said ExpandMatthew Wilcox of Geneva is assisted by election judges (from left) Larry Cabeen Rudi Hebling and Pam Cabeen before voting in the 2025 Consolidated Election on Tuesday Voters in Kane County this election determined who will make the important decisions regarding their communities Tuesday marked the last day mail-in ballots had to arrive at county clerk’s offices and still be counted Provisional ballots also had to be addressed by that time [ Photos: Voters take to the polls for the 2025 Consolidated Election in Kane County ] Totals for all counties will be made official next week after they are canvassed. 2023 at 10:26 am CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Stipetic is the second employee with Campton Hills placed on leave in recent weeks police chief Stephen Millar was also put on paid leave pending a state police probe IL — A second Campton Hills village employee has been placed on paid administrative leave The decision to put executive assistant Dorothea Stipetic on leave came last week — just weeks after police chief Stephen Millar was also put on paid leave pending a state police probe Shaw Local News Network is reporting Stipetic was sent home Wednesday following a heated verbal disagreement with a village hall contractor regarding a battery for her computer mouse She said Stipetic is set to return to work on Monday Millar was placed on paid administrative leave on July 6 pending the outcome of an ongoing probe by the Illinois State Police according to a news release from the village of Campton Hills James Levand has been named interim police chief pending the investigation’s outcome Millar will not report to work or engage in any work-related activities during his leave He has agreed to make himself available to provide updates on the investigation and for any further inquiries by state police investigators or village officials who has worked for the village for the last eight years will serve as interim police chief until further notice and pending the outcome of the investigation said his client "expects to be fully cleared of any wrongdoing." He referred to the allegations against Millar as "unsubstantiated and politically motivated attempts to assassinate his character and impugn his integrity." "In over 30 years as a law enforcement officer Chief Millar has only selflessly served his community and protected its citizens He welcomes an investigation into his service as Campton Hills Police Chief and has fully cooperated with any and all requests for information," McQuaid said in a statement Village officials are not providing anymore details at this time regarding the investigation Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. ExpandFrank Binetti (Photo provided by Frank Binetti) Campton Hills Village Trustee 2 year term Carol Stream Park Commissioner. 4-year Term, Served 2 years as President. I currently don’t have a website. Facebook- Frank Binetti CH Trustee Bachelors of Science - Marketing - NIU University Home DuPage - Board of Directors - VP and Chair of Finance Committee. Columbian Club of Chicago - Position Secretary 2025 Feed my Starving Children - Participate in annual Food Drive 4 Children - All grown Christopher, Alex, Kaitlin and Nicholas 1. Unify the board and the village by being a bridge between the village and the residents as well as the trustees, President and staff. Seeking everyone’s opinions on issues and being as transparent as possible. Shift the focus to doing what’s best for the village and its residents and away from the drama and individuals. 3. Water: It’s my understanding that the Wasco Sanitary District may be reaching its capacity. Learning more about what the potential issues are and the impact in may impact the Village be is a priority. I’ll need to research this issue more thoroughly before I can really comment but it is a concern. I really don’t have a personal agenda in running for office. I’ve reached a point in my life where I feel I can give something back to the community I’ve lived in for the past 20 years. I’m not a fan of big government so having a commonsense approach to passing legislation that impacts businesses is important. Safety and health concerns should be the villages main concerns. Otherwise, we should do whatever we can to help the businesses that are currently in town expand while trying to attract a diversity of businesses to the area. Over regulation is a business killer as we all know. Common sense governance is the key. We are fortunate to live in a low crime area and we have a very good police force. With so many open roads in the area, speeding traffic is probably one of the main things we need to address. Otherwise, just making sure most people just go about their business in a friendly and neighborly manner. To my wife’s chagrin, I’m always on my phone. There are numerous ways people can reach out to me and my history is to respond as quickly as I can. That way I won’t forget by letting things sit. Anyone who knows me and has worked with me can attest to that as well. I’m in the area most of the year so finding me is relatively easy. Phone call, Text, e-mail, Facebook, Instagram. I’m easy to find. ExpandFILE – Director Of Elections at Kane County Clerk's Office Raymond Esquivel demonstrates how to vote on a sample ballet ahead of the last election (Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com/Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com) This spring, Kane County voters get to decide who will make the important decisions regarding their communities Early voting has started and voting will conclude on Election Day To vote by mail, go to the Kane County Clerk’s Office’s website to obtain an application for vote-by-mail ballots The last day for the county clerk’s office to accept applications is Thursday Early voting has started at multiple locations in Kane County. To find a location and its hours, go here Below are all competitive races in Kane County with candidate questionnaires and coverage as available This voter guide will be updated if additional candidates submit their questionnaires and more coverage completed Thomas M. Connelly: Candidate questionnaire James Fahrenbach: Candidate questionnaire Races for city clerk as well as aldermanic races in wards 1 Kevin Burns (incumbent): Candidate questionnaire Karsten Pawlik: Candidate questionnaire Podcast: Geneva Mayor Forum: Kevin Burns and Karsten Pawlik debate Transcript: Kevin Burns and Karsten Pawlik debate the future of Geneva Lee W. Eysturlid: Candidate questionnaire Larry Furnish: Candidate questionnaire Amy Mayer (incumbent): Candidate questionnaire Patrice Bertheau: Candidate questionnaire Jeff Palmquist: Candidate questionnaire The race for city clerk as well as aldermanic races in wards 1 and 2 are uncontested A two-year term for Ward 5 alderperson is also uncontested Our coverage: “Chosen Geneva candidates stump for votes at GOP event” Clint Hull: Candidate questionnaire Lora A. Vitek (incumbent): Candidate questionnaire Our coverage: “St. Charles Mayor candidates share their top priorities for the city: audio and transcript” Ronald Silkaitis (incumbent): Candidate questionnaire Robert Kasper: Candidate questionnaire Listen to Silkaitis and Kasper discuss the issues on our podcast Ryan S. Bongard (incumbent): Candidate questionnaire Angela Churchill: Candidate questionnaire Listen to Bongard and Churchill discuss the issues on our podcast or read the transcript Vicki Spellman: Candidate questionnaire Paul D. Lencioni (incumbent): Candidate questionnaire Carolyn Waibel: Candidate questionnaire Our coverage: “St. Charles development projects drive candidate forum” Steve Weber (incumbent): Candidate questionnaire Lauren Duddles: Candidate questionnaire Races for city clerk and treasurer as well as a two-year term for Ward 3 alderperson and full four-year term for Ward 4 are uncontested Ed Muncie (incumbent): Candidate questionnaire Frank Binetti: Candidate questionnaire Muhr are running for three open full four-year terms John M. Piwko: Candidate questionnaire Timothy J. Hoeft (incumbent): Candidate questionnaire Listen to our podcast: Huntley Village President debate The race for three open Village Board seats is not competitive Anthony “Tony” Speciale: Candidate questionnaire Attempts to reach the township clerk to determine incumbency was unsuccessful Incumbent Mary Anne Cummings is running unopposed in District 2 and incumbent Marea Berkley Clement is unopposed in District 3 Incumbent Aimee Cisneros is running unopposed for a two-year term in District 3 No candidate filed for an unexpired two-year term Coverage: “District 220 candidates discuss change at pre-election forum” Kristin Gehrels: Candidate questionnaire Katherine “Katy” Swiecicki: Candidate questionnaire Aaron Kilburg (incumbent): Candidate questionnaire Rose McNaul: Candidate questionnaire Our coverage: “Kane County Chair makes pitch for $51M sales tax referendum” Junaid “J” Afeef (41N Range 7E - Plato) (incumbent) Ryan Wasson (41N Range 6E - Burlington) (incumbent) Dornetria Hemphill (41N Range 8E - Elgin) (incumbent) Not more than two board members can be elected from the 41N Range 8E Elgin area and not more than two can come from the 41N Range 7E Plato area Patrick Malia Jr. (Dundee): Candidate questionnaire No more than two candidates can be elected from the Dundee area Leslie LaMarca (Rutland) (incumbent): Candidate questionnaire Dana Wiley (incumbent): Candidate questionnaire Andrew Fekete: Candidate questionnaire Richard Bobby III: Candidate questionnaire Paul A. Troy (incumbent): Candidate questionnaire Corine Burns: Candidate questionnaire Sean Cratty (incumbent): Candidate questionnaire Andrew Martin: Candidate questionnaire Jim Hollich: Candidate questionnaire Addam Gonzales (40N Range 7E - Campton) (incumbent) Jennifer Simmons (40N Range 7E - Campton) (incumbent) Scott Stalcup (38N Range 7E - Sugar Grove) Aaron Lawler (38N Range 7E - Sugar Grove) (incumbent) Only one board member can come from the 38N Range 7E Sugar Grove area Katie Heiden: Candidate questionnaire Rovel Pollock: Candidate questionnaire Erika Sieh: Candidate questionnaire James T. “Jim” Marter: Candidate questionnaire Kari Foulk: Candidate questionnaire Brandi Robinson: Candidate questionnaire Heather Martin: Candidate questionnaire Our coverage: “Infrastructure needs, immigration among issues discussed at Oswego 308 School Board candidate forum” Jenna Hancock: Candidate questionnaire Elias Palacios: Candidate questionnaire Kimberly Rich: Candidate questionnaire Thomas Lentz (incumbent): Candidate questionnaire Katherine “Kate Bell (incumbent): Candidate questionnaire Christian Copple (40N Range 5E - Cortland) (incumbent) Michael DeVito (41N Range 5E - Sycamore) (incumbent): Candidate questionnaire Jonathan “Cole” Regnery (41N Range 5E - Sycamore): Candidate questionnaire Eric Jones (41N Range 5E - Sycamore) (incumbent): Candidate questionnaire Heather Tomlinson (40N Range 5E - Cortland): Candidate questionnaire Alan Zantout (40N Range 5E - Cortland) (incumbent) No more than two candidates can come from either area Our coverage: “How do Sycamore school board candidates plan to address aging buildings?” Two additional board members will be elected from Bristol Township Our coverage: “Yorkville school board candidates discuss DEI, ICE, and vetting classroom subjects” “Yorkville school board candidates defend ‘Just Mercy’ votes ahead of April 1 elections” “Yorkville school board candidates remark on removal of ‘Just Mercy’ at forum” Richard “Rick” Guzman is running unopposed for an unexpired four-year term Shall Campton Township issue $17.2 million in bonds to finance the acquisition Shall Campton Township Cemetery Association be allowed to increase its property tax levy beyond the current limiting rate It would mean taxpayers would pay an additional $7.30 per $100,000 in taxable value the first year Shall Ella Johnson Memorial Public Library District issue $15 million in bonds to build a new library in Pingree Grove Shall the County of Kane be allowed to increase the local sales tax by 0.75% for public safety purposes Shall Kaneland School District 302 be allowed to issue $140.274 million in bonds for various building projects including replacing roofs and updating playgrounds at the elementary school buildings and improving learning spaces the main entrance and athletic facilities at the Kaneland High School Building Our coverage: “Kaneland referendum to improve safety, security and learning environments” Shall the Kaneville Fire Protection District be allowed to increase its property rate beyond the current limiting rate? The increase is estimated to cost $96.67 per $100,000 of value on a single-family home the first year. Shall Sycamore School District 427 school board members be elected at large and without geographic restriction? Should the Village of Sugar Grove’s approval of The Grove, a development project near Interstate 88 and Route 47, be immediately reversed using all necessary and lawful measures? Election 2024ExpandCampton Hills Village President election candidate Michael Tyrrell (Photo provided by Michael Tyrrell ) What office are you seeking? President - Village of Campton Hills Occupation and Employer: Retired from business - current president; Garfield Cemetery [31 years- president over 15 years]; Campton Township Open Space Committee [Referendum and Acquisition - volunteer 2000-2004]; Campton Township Planning Commission [volunteer 2013-2015] Campton Hills is now entering its 16th year In its formative years there were the expected ‘growing pains’ we have completed several tasks and goals to bring stability and financial security to the Village This comes with managing resources and building solid teams and appointing citizen volunteers (nearly 30) to our 6 committees is essential to achieving those goals Our Village now has twice the financial reserves of 4 years ago it is now possible to focus on the number of road miles for road reconstruction For the first 13 years the Village repaved roughly 2 miles/year Our current projection for this coming year is 8+ miles Building on this foundation while committing to the preservation of the semi-rural agricultural environment --Quality of Life -- is why I am running What makes you qualified for the office you’re seeking A a nearly 40 year resident I have see the challenges that our community faces This office is not about sound bytes and cliches I believe that my resume (prior question) and achievements Fostering a collaborative environment is essential it is about avoiding special interests and focusing on the long term picture which serve the greatest number of residents I believe that my years of community knowledge and service underscore those qualifications What is your position on the Illinois weapons ban that took effect in January 2023 As with 1081 (83%) of the municipalities in Illinois Campton Hills has achieved the status of the ‘Safest Community’ in Illinois multiple times in the past several years This is something that emanates from a community that takes pride in the Village that we all call home and is founded in Respect intensity and frequency that differentiates safe from unsafe communities Campton Hills continues to be among the safest in Illinois A few years ago we achieved #2 in the nation police department contribute to that ‘Safest Community’ recognition What is your assessment of how the COVID-19 pandemic was handled locally Education and individual responsibility played a key roll on the impact of Covid-19 their choices and the community volunteer care for those who were in need was the shining star during a most difficult time How would you spur economic development in your community Campton Hills is predominately a semi-rural community The core of Village is the historic Wasco district which has the only central sewer and water services The Wasco Sanitary District is independent of the Village and is in fact approaching capacity limitations Campton Hills is in an excellent financial position Our financial reserves have doubled within the past 4 years we are the largest municipality in Kane County with NO municipal tax Would/can/should local governments do anything to help reduce the tax burden on residents Campton Hills does not have a municipal tax Do you support recreational marijuana being sold in your community to help lower residents’ tax burden Our residents have told us that they do not want the sale of marijuana in our community There is no advantage to this type of sale as there is no municipal tax to reduce What projects or infrastructure would you look to address in your community and how would you do it We are in the final phases of converting a former law office to a proper Village Hall and Police Department Isolating police operations and detainee holding cells from administration areas has been an vital objective to ensuring safety for Village staff and improving safety and efficiencies for our police department No longer will detainees and village staff share the same toilets and hallways This process is nearly complete...and there will be no debt incurred or reserves tapped We have implemented an analytical process to target where our money is most needed we have been increasing the number of miles that we can replace each year Will you accept the voters’ decision in your race on Election Day Transparency is a corner stone in service to the public Not long ago our web page went through a major update with increased accessibility to notices and records financials are just a fraction of those on-line accessible documents Campton Hills has achieved an “Excellent’ rating on transparency from the Illinois Policy Institute Residents are encouraged to contact the Village with questions or information that may be needed some social media outlets have incorrectly clouded this topic I often extend the invitation to residents to come to the Village Hall or meet locally for coffee where questions can be answered or to listen to concerns Emails and texts are often inadequate to achieving understanding and resolution respectful meetings clear misunderstandings provide a useful exchange of information and resolves concerns Do you support the Freedom of Information Act and citizens’ ability to freely access government records Please reference the prior question and response Would you sign a nondisclosure agreement with a prospective company that would limit your ability to communicate with your community I can’t imagine any circumstance under which that would occur With respect to the oath that I have taken and in support of the Open Meetings and Freedom of Information Act I would say ‘no’ to signing such a document ExpandHiring a new village administrator is a priority in the new year according to Campton Hills Village President Barbara Wojnicki CAMPTON HILLS – Residents of Campton Hills can look forward to road resurfacing in 2024 “We need several of our roads resurfaced and “We are working with a couple of engineers on a road program.” Another issue for officials will be balancing the village’s budget “Obviously this year there are no American Rescue Plan Act funds to help with certain expenses – things we’d like to do,” Wojnicki said The village had some drama in 2023 with the firings of its village administrator and village administrative assistant. Hiring a new village administrator is a priority in the new year, Wojnicki said. “We have an interim village administrator, Mark Rooney,” Wojnicki said. “He is very, very experienced, easy to work with and it’s just great working with him. We are all excited.” Rooney came to the village after the board approved an employee lease agreement with Govtempsusa, LLC, in September. The Village Board has not yet voted on offering Rooney a contract, but Wojnicki said it was unanimous in a consensus of the board to offer him a contract. “Everybody is so open space focused out here. He totally gets it and jumped right in and seems to be going in the right direction,” Wojnicki said. The village also can look forward to a new restaurant at the former The Lodge on 64, Wojnicki said. The village’s interim Police Chief James Levand is attending a staff and command school hosted by Northwestern University to prepare sergeants to move up to a chief position, she said. “We’re certainly not finished with our chief. He’s a great guy,” Wojnicki said. The village is waiting for a resolution of a State Police investigation of Chief Steve Millar, who is on paid leave. Wojnicki said Levand can rely on the additional training if he chooses to go to another municipality. ExpandCampton Hills Interim Police Chief James Levand signed his acceptance of the proposal for a detective agency to perform an audit of the Campton Hills department's evidence CAMPTON HILLS – Campton Hills paid a private detective agency more than $18,000 for an audit of the evidence being held in the police department but refused to release the agency’s final report according to documents released in response to a Freedom of Information Act request Gold Shield Detective Agency in Bloomingdale submitted a proposal on July 25 for an experienced police evidence auditor – C.J Camel – and an assistant at a rate of $160 to $175 an hour Per diem fees were $30 a day and mileage was .655 per mile Camel is a civilian member of the Glendale Heights Police Department who is the evidence officer, according to the city’s website, www.glendaleheights.org. Generally an evidence officer maintains the chain of custody for property and physical evidence for law enforcement Campton Hills Interim Police Chief James Levand signed his acceptance of the proposal Village President Barbara Wojnicki wrote the contract with Gold Shield “was moved forward in closed session in August We didn’t have to go out for bid because the cost wasn’t more than $25,000.” The village paid Gold Shield $18,541.10 for 105.5 hours of work from Aug mileage and per diem costs for on-site work also released through the Freedom of Information Act Gold Shield Proposal - Redacted by John Sahly on Scribd Officials would not comment on the reason behind the audit other than to say it is in connection to a still-pending Illinois State Police investigation of former Campton Hills Police Chief Steven Millar. According to Gold Shield’s audit proposal, it would review the village’s existing written policies for collection, intake and storage of evidence and property and prepare a computerized inventory database. It also would inventory all evidence stored, such as currency, valuables, firearms and narcotics. A hands-on count of all items in police custody “will be compared to the information listed in the Campton Hills Police Department’s computer evidence inventory data base ... identified as the ‘Crime Star’ computer software system,” according to the proposal. Gold Shield will provide an initial reconciliation of actual inventory versus what is in the Crime Star inventory, according to the proposal. Items in evidence will be compared with industry standards, according to the proposal. Gold Shield also will “provide a confidential written report concerning the findings of the inventory audit,” according to the proposal. “The outcome or result of the audit cannot be guaranteed. A ‘clean’ audit cannot be guaranteed.” In estimating how long the audit would take, according to the proposal, “based on representations of the police department command staff, concerning the current conditions, volume of evidence/property and potential for lack of records ... the physical audit is 24 to 30 hours with both the auditor and an assistant.” An additional eight hours is necessary to complete the auditor’s written report, according to the proposal. Millar resigned Jan. 22 after seven months on paid leave. The village denied a request to release a copy of Gold Shield’s audit report, citing the following exemptions to the Freedom of Information Act: • Regarding pending or contemplated law enforcement proceedings • Active administrative enforcement proceedings • Unavoidably disclose confidential sources or those who file complaints • Obstruct an ongoing criminal investigation • Preliminary drafts, notes or other records in which opinions are expressed or policies or actions are formulated • Materials compiled in anticipation of a criminal, civil or administrative proceeding • Records related to adjudication of employee grievances or disciplinary cases The Kane County Chronicle has filed a request for review from the Public Access Counselor of the Illinois Attorney General’s Office for this denial by the village of Campton Hills to release the information. Gold Shield Proposal - Redacted by John Sahly on Scribd ExpandOutgoing Campton Hills president Michael Tyrrell receives a plaque and thanks from incoming Village President Barbara Wojnicki at the May 2, 2023 Village Board meeting. (Brenda Schory) CAMPTON HILLS – It was the changing of the guard at the Campton Hills Village Board meeting Tuesday night, as incoming Village President Barbara Wojnicki thanked outgoing president Michael Tyrrell for his service and presented him with a plaque. Wojnicki won the April 4 election against incumbent Tyrrell for village president. Wojnicki said when she lived in what is now the village some 30 years ago before it incorporated in 2007, there was an issue with water levels that dropped in 22 of the wells and some went dry. “The word was getting out and many of us were working together to solve this issue and who knocked on my door but Mike Tyrrell,” Wojnicki said. “He introduced himself and told me he was president of E3, an environmental … grassroots citizens’ group. And here he was, he had a map laid out on the dining room table and here he was with these sticky dots, so we could stick the dots on every house that was affected.” Wojnicki said as the area was unincorporated at the time, residents were concerned with what new developments the county was going to allow, such as retail and subdivisions. Also saved was the historic Corron farmstead and original building, she said. “We’re all very appreciative of all the work you’ve done,” Wojnicki said to Tyrrell. The plaque recognizes Tyrrell’s community service to the area as a volunteer since 1989, including as village trustee from July 2015 to April 2019, and as village president from May 2019 to April 2023. “I have to say it is with great gratitude and humbleness that I want to take this opportunity to thank so many people for the opportunity to be village president,” Tyrrell said. He named village officials, trustees, staff and volunteers who serve on committees and thanked them. He turned to Wojnicki said said, “To you, Barb, I wish you all the success in the world.” The audience broke into a standing ovation for Tyrrell. Retired Kane County Judge Edward Schreiber swore in Wojnicki as village president, Janet Burson and Nicolas Boatner as trustees and Tracy Johnson as village clerk. Wojnicki read a letter from attorney Joseph McMahon on behalf of trustee-elect Timothy Morgan Sr., who was declining to take the oath of office to which he was elected. “You may declare a vacancy for the position of trustee that he was elected to in the recent election,” Wojnicki read. Burson, Boatner and Morgan defeated incumbent trustees Charles Cappell, Susan George and Wendy White Eagle in the April 4 consolidated election. No other details were available regarding Morgan’s decision Tuesday night. ExpandThe village of Campton Hills settled its lawsuit against Brian Larsen whose Christmas light show used to be at his house on Beith Road Larsen moved his light show to Pingree Grove Brian Larsen Settlement Agreement by Joe Biesk on Scribd CAMPTON HILLS – Campton Hills officials approved a settlement last week that ended a 19-month legal battle with Brian Larsen – of the Larsen’s Christmas Lights Show fame – in which they agreed to drop the village’s lawsuit over zoning violations and pay him $5,000 with one present and Village President Barbara Wojnicki voting yes Trustees were unanimous, however, to end the at-will employment of executive assistant Dorothea Stipetic and village administrator Denise Burchard All actions were taken without comment and Wojnicki declined to say anything Stipetic and Burchard did not answer voicemail messages seeking comment “I’ve been dealing with this for 10 years,” Larsen said. “This is dirty politics. They didn’t want the light show because it didn’t get known as Larsen’s Light Show Campton Hills, so they started making things up in the lawsuit.” Larsen has since moved the light show to Goebbert’s Farm in Pingree Grove, where it is known as Goebbert’s Light Show. The eight-page settlement ends the village’s civil action, requires that Larsen remove gravel fill from the western-most driveway on his property and remedy the former parking lot area. Larsen will donate the $5,000 from the village to the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation, its children’s charity, in the next season. The settlement states that all the village’s actions against Larsen are dismissed and that Larsen will release all village officials, former and current, and all their agents in their official and unofficial capacities who were connected to the civil action. That is, all except one: Michael Tyrell, a former trustee and former village president who lost his seat to Wojnicki in November. “Former village president and former Trustee Mike Tyrrell, in his official capacity only, and not in his individual capacity,” according to the settlement. The settlement leaves Tyrrell open to being sued because he was not indemnified as the rest of the officials, former officials and employees were. If Tyrrell is sued and seeks support from the village or its insurer to defend him, Larsen’s attorney James Newman offered “to appear and defend the village as special counsel … for the limited fee of $1, plus all reasonable costs and expenses,” according to the settlement. The settlement also requires statements from the village and Larsen about the lawsuit be in the next newsletter and recited aloud at its next meeting. In its statement, the village acknowledged that it could “do better and will do better.” “Campton Hills is a small village, run by volunteer neighbors, and the village realizes that a handshake is always better than a hammer,” according to the settlement. Larsen’s statement acknowledged that the village has the right to enforce its codes and rules, “but that always has to be tempered with good judgment. … I am happy to put this all behind me.” Newman said the village’s lawsuit against Larsen never should have been filed. Newman said when the village first filed its complaint, he filed a motion to dismiss. Instead of answering his motion, the village filed an amended complaint to which Newman said he presented evidence that the allegations “were mostly false and they were not able to demonstrate any truth.” One example was citing Larsen for not having a permit to put in a pool, when the village told him three times in person and in writing that he didn’t need a permit leading to the settlement, Newman said. “Despite that, they filed suit anyway,” Newman said. “They were fining him like $800 a day for pool fines. … That’s why it came to be settled. The new village president and the new village board determined there was not any merit to this lawsuit. I give kudos to the new board.” In the April election, three new trustees were elected – Timothy Morgan, Nicolas Boatner and Janet Burson – unseating three incumbents. Newman criticized trustees Mike Millette, Jim McKelvie and Ed Muncie who were on the board when the lawsuit was filed against Larsen. Millette voted present while McKelvie and Muncie voted no on the settlement. “They get no credit,” Newman said. “They get an F.” “In my opinion, this was nothing more than a personal vendetta pursuing Brian from the former village president,” Newman said. Tyrrell said he had not seen the settlement and could not comment. Millette, McKelvie and Muncie did not respond to voicemail messages seeking comment. Brian Larsen Settlement Agreement by Joe Biesk on Scribd ExpandCampton Hills Village Trustee Janet Burson (Sandy Bressner – sbressner@shawmedia.com) Village officials promptly dropped an alleged zoning violation against Campton Hills Trustee Janet Burson Tuesday in an adjudication hearing that lasted barely two minutes The village cited Burson Jan alleging she was running a massage therapy service as a home-based business because she included her home address on her website Burson presented hearing officer Tom Elsner with a 12-page motion to dismiss from her attorney I’ll give you time to respond,” Elsner said to Building and Zoning Officer James Brown and Village Administrator Mark Rooney Campton Hills drops zoning citation against Trustee Burson by John Sahly on Scribd Brown responded that Burson was in compliance and agreed to dismiss the complaint Is it that the code was not violated or the violation was remedied prior to hearing?” Elsner asked Burson said it was unfortunate that a person cited under the village’s code needs to hire an attorney “It’s a broader issue of what the village can and can’t do with regulating home-based businesses I think the motion (to dismiss) makes a good argument that this was not a violation.” Burson said in an administrative adjudication hearing the presence of a citation is all the proof needed “Then you need to come and prove – by the preponderance of the evidence – that they’re wrong,” Burson said “This is a high bar for the average citizen showing up at administrative adjudication.” Rooney said the village got what it wanted – Burson’s compliance in taking down her address from her website and removing the calendar where a client can make appointments “The village is happy to be at the point of dismissal because her attorney gave us in writing that she is now in compliance and not advertising her home-based business,” Rooney said Rooney said her attorney sent an email to the village that in conversation with the village attorney Carmen Forte that she will be in compliance going forward “I don’t have the staff go to after a sitting trustee There’s a reason there is such a low trust in government and disdain for it if the person making the rules or the laws isn’t following them Rooney was referring to meetings last year when trustees were writing a new zoning code and Burson asked if massage therapy could be added as legal home business she did not disclose that she had a home business for massage Daniel’s motion to dismiss the citation against Burson cited other deficiencies in the village’s code Daniel asserted that the village’s own code did not give the village’s building and zoning officer the power to cite her for a home-based business because “This ordinance does not attempt to define or list all permitted home businesses.” “The Code Hearing Division cannot ignore the first sentence’s recognition that there are innumerable home-based businesses that could arise,” according to the filing was to “cease advertising of the business.” “‘Advertising of the business’ is not a zoning violation,” according to the filing “The only locations in the Zoning Ordinance where the term ‘advertise’ or ‘advertising’ appears are in the sign regulations and the definition of terms used in the sign regulations There is no allegation that Defendant has a sign and sign regulations appear nowhere in the citation.” The village also relied on a section of its code that acknowledged the difference between principal uses and accessory uses for a home “since all home-based businesses must be accessory to the principal use of a home as a residence,” according to the filing That section requires that the person operating the home-based business reside inside the house “The provision of massage therapy services in a home-based occupation is a lawful accessory use to the principal residential use of a home in the (residential) districts,” according to the filing “No more time should be wasted in defense of a flawed endeavor,” according to the filing Burson maintained that she did not operate a massage therapy business, West Suburban Pain Relief, out of her home and travels to see clients she used to have in Oak Park. Burson also said the calendar function to make appointments had been disabled. The citation against Burson arose from a former village trustee, Darlene Bakk, who provided officials with print-outs of Burson’s website which included her home address in Campton Hills. Campton Hills drops zoning citation against Trustee Burson by John Sahly on Scribd ExpandCampton Hills Administrative Assistant Dorothea Stipetic (left) with former village president Michael Tyrrell and current Village Administrator Denise Burchard at last year’s Night Out Against Crime event in the village Stipetic was put on paid administrative leave this week following an incident with a village contractor (Photo provided by Village of Campton Hills ) CAMPTON HILLS – On the heels of its police chief being placed on paid leave a second Campton Hills village employee was on paid administrative leave as of Wednesday Officials sent executive assistant Dorothea Stipetic home on Wednesday after she was involved in a heated verbal argument with a Village Hall contractor over a battery for her computer mouse The incident started when a contractor who was installing a new Village Hall air conditioning system had a key to Police Chief Stephen Millar’s office Millar was placed on paid leave July 6 pending a State Police investigation “The contractor was able to get a key to get into the chief’s office She had permission to be in there,” Wojnicki said Stipetic did not respond to an email or voicemail message seeking comment Stipetic was introduced to the Village Board at an April 5 2022 meeting as the executive assistant to Village Administrator Denise Burchard Wojnicki called a special meeting for 6 p.m According to the agenda, there is action to follow a closed session on two personnel issues. One is to act on a human resources matter and the other is to approve the appointment of Sgt. James Levand as interim police chief while Millar is on leave. Millar’s attorney Matt McQuaid issued a statement that the claims against the chief that led to a State Police investigation are “unsubstantiated and politically motivated.” 2024 at 8:05 am CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}(Shutterstock)CAMPTON HILLS IL — After spending six month on paid leave amid an Illinois State Police investigation into "concerning potential criminal violations and misconduct that relate to your employment with the village," former Campton Hills Police Chief Steven Millar resigned in a two-sentence email last month Shaw Local News Network obtained the Jan. 22. email through a Freedom of Information Act request. The email read: “I am hereby tendering my resignation Please advise me of when and where I need to sign official paperwork." I accept your resignation effective immediately.” The Illinois State Police investigation into Miller began on May 25, and included a search of the evidence room and an interview with Miller, and Miller was placed on paid administrative leave on July 6 according to the Shaw Local News Network article More via the Shaw Local News Network article ExpandBrian Larsen in 2021 in Campton Hills before he sold his light show to Goebert's Farm in Pingree Grove Campton Hills is suing Larsen for 10 zoning violations officials say are ongoing None of the alleged zoning violations have to do with the Christmas light show “While that amount would admittedly be excessive,” village attorney Ryan Morton stated in the memo the fine should be enough to compensate the village for staff time to address the issues and discourage further violations Morton offered a compromise of sorts: A fine of $8,136,750 Morton gave the memo to Larsen’s attorney at a Jan 2023 pre-trial settlement conference that was unsuccessful the amount is justified based on the 10 alleged zoning violations it has accused Larsen of since 2008 according to a pretrial settlement document Larsen’s house and landscaping business are located on in the 42W800 block of Beith Road in Campton Hills The property is 9.76 acres and split between zoning for rural residential and agricultural related sales The 10 alleged violations include an unauthorized light show manufacturing business – not the Larsen Christmas Light Show itself – but materials built on site for other light shows “It’s one false thing after another,” Larsen’s attorney James Newman said of the village’s accusations “It’s like he’s not allowed to have unicorns in his back yard We could stipulate almost everything in their complaint … because we don’t do any of those things.” has generated more than 200 pages of legal briefs and motions filed back and forth with another court date pending on May 15 The document Newman provided – which included the millions of dollars of proposed fines – was given in a pre-settlement discussion and was not part of the court record “We have come down significantly from that,” Morton said Morton said the village spent years trying to work with Larsen outside of the court system to correct the violations but “hit a brick wall” and took it to court “The reason for the $22 million settlement number was for the cost of enforcement,” Morton said we would not be in this position where we are assessing fines … It has to be known that if you violate the village code the village’s lawsuit has nothing to do with Larsen’s Christmas light show Larsen began his light show in 2005, but became famous after he won $50,000 in a 2013 contest on ABC-TV’s “He continues to try to spin this back to his light show to continue to gain sympathy,” Morton said “I stopped because I was tired of the harassment,” Larsen said “They violated me for putting in a parking lot which they told me to put in … I want nothing to do with the village of Campton Hills.” The village took issue with hundreds of cars lined up on Beith Road that caused a miles-long traffic jam that posed a danger to motorists and made it difficult for emergency vehicles to get through former Campton Hills Police Chief Daniel Hoffman had said in 2016 Campton Hills officials provided a photo of Beith Road to show the traffic jam to see Larsen's Light Show Brian Larsen had agreed to shorten the light show and pay for traffic control officers during peak viewing hours The solution at that time was for the light show to have shorter music and lights cycles and assistance from police providing traffic control Larsen also put in a gravel parking lot so people could watch the show without blocking Beith Road current Campton Hills Police Chief Steven Millar had said Larsen’s neighbors had issues with the light show “They’re trying to have a peaceful life and the lights are in their house all the time,” Millar had said then “People are using their driveways to turn around and to urinate on their lawns and in the driveways.” Larsen sold the light show and moved it from his house in 2022 to Goebbert’s Farm in Pingree Grove, where it is known as Goebbert’s Light Show. The village also has accused Larsen of changing the topography of his land without proper approval, a move they say has caused flooding on his neighbor William Beith’s property. Beith had been the village’s deputy clerk after its incorporation in 2008. “There has never been a flooding issue until now,” Beith said. While Larsen denies that anything he did on his property caused flooding, Morton said the zoning for that portion of Larsen’s property is for agricultural use, not for storing landscaping materials or creating hard surfaces that cause stormwater runoff. “William Beith has had multiple incidences of flooding since 2019 and 2020 that he never had until Larsen changed the topography of his land,” Morton said. “We are just trying to make sure the neighbors are protected and the zoning codes are followed.” Newman dismissed the idea that his client caused flooding, saying there was a flood – but it was caused by a blocked culvert after a big rain. And once the culvert was cleared of leaves and sticks, the flooding was over. Still pending before the court is Newman’s motion to dismiss Campton Hills’ complaint. “If the judge denies my motion, we will be at the exact same spot as the moment they filed the complaint,” Newman said. “I have not answered the complaint.” ExpandCampton Hills Police Department hired two new part-time officers and promoted a sergeant to deputy chief. Officer Karolina Kulczyk (left), Deputy Chief Thomas Blincoe and Officer Stavroula Tsina, all took the oath of office at the March 5 Village Board meetint. (Photo provided by Campton Hills Police Department) CAMPTON HILLS – The village of Campton Hills hired two new part-time police officers and celebrated the promotion of a third, officials announced in a news release. Officers Karolina Kulczyk and Stavroula Tsina were sworn in at the March 5 Village Board meeting as part-time officers. Sgt. Thomas Blincoe was promoted to deputy chief and also took the oath of office. Kulczyk and Tsina have previous law enforcement experience and both are bilingual. Kulczyk speaks Polish and recently assisted a neighboring agency with translation during a domestic incident, according to the release. Tsina speaks Greek and is fluent in French, officials said. Tsina is a resident of Campton Hills. The department has officers fluent in Spanish. Blincoe has been a member of the Campton Hills police department since 2007 when the village first incorporated. Police Chief James Levand promoted Blincoe from his previous position as sergeant, where he was responsible for administrative duties, patrol supervision and scheduling, according to the release. The addition of two new female officers with previous law enforcement experience and bilingual skills will be an asset to the department and community. The Campton Hills Police Department will be a diverse agency that represents the citizens and visitors of the community, according to the release. ExpandCampton Hills Police Chief Steve Millar presents Campton Hills police officer James Levand Levand was a driving force in developing the village's first K-9 program as well as leading a fundraising campaign for the program that resulted in the department acquiring and outfitting Koda Levand was appointed interim chief last year while Millar was on paid leave amid a State Police investigation CAMPTON HILLS – Campton Hills Police Chief Steven Millar according to an email and an official’s confirmation The Kane County Chronicle received a screen shot of an email sent to village officials at 1:58 p.m Monday stating that Millar submitted his resignation “I wish Chief Millar the best in everything and want to personally thank him for his years of service in law enforcement including the village of Campton Hills,” according to the email “The resignation is a personal employment matter between Chief Millar and the village The name of the sender was cropped out in what was provided to a reporter Trustee Timothy Morgan confirmed Millar resigned and that the email provided to the Chronicle was the official announcement of the resignation Other officials were not available to respond to a request for a copy of the resignation letter Neither Millar nor his attorney responded to a voicemail The Chronicle has filed a Freedom of Information Act request for the letter Millar was hired as Campton Hills’ second police chief in May 2018 after the retirement of the village’s first chief Millar had been an officer at the village for five years before being named chief Village President Barbara Wojnicki appointed Sgt James Levand as interim chief at the same time she put Millar on paid leave Millar being put on paid administrative leave was connected to an Illinois State Police investigation with a search of the evidence room and an interview with Millar officials said in the letter that put him on leave you are hereby placed on paid administrative leave from your position as chief of police of the village of Campton Hills pending the outcome of the investigation by the Illinois State Police concerning potential criminal violations and misconduct that relate to your employment with the village,” according to the letter released a statement that the leave and Illinois State Police probe were “attempts to assassinate his character and impugn his integrity.” “Chief Millar is surprised and deeply disappointed with these unsubstantiated and politically motivated attempts to assassinate his character and impugn his integrity,” according to the statement released last year “In over 30 years as a law enforcement officer Chief Millar has only selflessly served his community and protected its citizens,” according to the statement “He welcomes an investigation into his service as Campton Hills police chief and has fully cooperated with any and all requests for information He expects to be fully cleared of any wrongdoing.” McQuaid would not answer any questions then and did not immediately respond to a voicemail message about Millar’s resignation Millar’s resignation follows months of drama at Village Hall. In September 2023 trustees voted to end the at-will employment of executive assistant Dorothea Stipetic and village administrator Denise Burchard Another ongoing drama is the continued efforts of Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser to remove Morgan as a trustee, citing a 2002 felony DUI conviction in Michigan. Previous offices held: Kane County Board member (1998-2022) Q: What do you consider the primary responsibility of the community's "chairman of the board?" A: The village president is the official head of the village and president of the board of trustees The president may also amend or change or ordinances and resolutions all with the consent of the trustees It is most important to protect the rights of the people involve them in important issues and serve the people we represent Q: What is the most serious issue your community will face in coming years and how should leaders respond to it A: Our federal government is encouraging people to switch to electric vehicles to help combat climate change The village relies on the Motor Fuel Tax to help fund the village and balance the budget The change to electric vehicles will not happen in the near future our village will work with the state of Illinois and our federal government to stay informed about this issue Please know that I will never move forward with a tax referendum Q: How would you describe the state of your community's finances A: The Village of Campton Hills finances are in good standing they have a fully funded police pension fund Q: What should be the three top priorities for spending in your community during the next four years A: Roads in our village and Campton Township will be one of our top priorities We will work closely with our Campton Township Highway District as we have a governmental agreement with the Campton Township who maintains our roads water drainage issues and street signs and any other maintenance issues that are in the village's right-of-ways I will listen to our residents and also encourage them to serve on a new Environmental and Agricultural Committee that I will form when elected Water resource is next and I will work with our Kane County Water Resource Department to make sure our potable drinking water remains clean and safe for all residents Q: Are there areas of spending that need to be curtailed A: The American Rescue Plan funds received by the village have been spent for expanding our police department and creating a meeting room at village hall having a community open house to share the plans for future expansions and getting our community's input would have been appreciated by our neighbors in Campton Hills with my experience on the county board and working closely with Water Resources I would have liked to see a portion of the grant funds received be put aside for a Water Resource Cost/Share program which at times flood over their septic field could be addressed with a Water Resource Cost/Share program (meaning the village would contribute half of the dollars needed to repair broken drain tiles and flooding) and would relieve some of the cost from the homeowner Q: What do you see as the most important infrastructure project the community must address what project(s) can be put on the back burner A: Roads are the #1 most important project and are funded with Motor Fuel Tax Funds from the state of Illinois Also applying for grants to bring the sidewalks entering and exiting at intersections in Fox Mill This must be completed before asphalt overlay (resurfacing) can be done I want to work with the Township connecting up walking and bike trails for our resident to enjoy Q: What makes you the best candidate for the job A: I have 26 years of government experience and community involvement with a true understanding of our residents issues and concerns and this makes me the best candidate for the job Q: What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet A: My thought is - We have several community-oriented activities and the biggest Open Space District in the state of Illinois The open areas and farmland in the Village of Campton Hills Campton Township and Plato Township are a refuge from the big urban centers We have visual relief from urbanization and implemented historic preservation; i.e. the one-room Whitney Schoolhouse and Townhall located on Townhall Road along with many homeowners who raise chickens for their fresh eggs and meat walking through or resting in our backyards We are one of the safest communities in the state of Illinois I will work diligently to maintain our rural lifestyle I finally found a piece of paradise in Campton Hills!" Former Campton Hills Police Chief Steven Millar resigned in a two-sentence email last month after spending more than six months on paid leave Please advise me of when and where I need to sign official paperwork,” Millar wrote in the Jan The village released a copy of the email in response to a Freedom of Information Act request Millar sent the message to interim Village Administrator Mark Rooney and Village President Barbara Wojnicki The subject line stated it was a request to view and receive a copy of his personnel file from the village Millar did not respond to a voicemail seeking comment Wojnicki and Rooney both said they could not comment “We do not discuss litigation nor personnel matters,” Rooney said “I will send you COBRA [Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act] information regarding Health Insurance and Pension information by U.S the Village will pay out all accrued vacation and pay through today’s date of 22 January 2024 COBRA is a federal law that provides workers with the right to continue coverage in a group health plan Millar was hired as Campton Hills’ second police chief in May 2018 after the retirement of the village’s first chief He had been an officer at the village for five years before being named chief Millar was put on paid administrative leave in connection to an Illinois State Police investigation which began May 25 with a search of the evidence room and an interview with Millar officials stated in a letter when they put him on leave you are hereby placed on paid administrative leave from your position as chief of police of the village of Campton Hills pending the outcome of the investigation by the Illinois state police concerning potential criminal violations and misconduct that relate to your employment with the village,” according to the letter released a statement that being put on leave amid the State Police probe were “attempts to assassinate his character and impugn his integrity.” “Chief Millar is surprised and deeply disappointed with these unsubstantiated and politically motivated attempts to assassinate his character and impugn his integrity,” according to McQuade’s statement released last year “He expects to be fully cleared of any wrongdoing.” According to village compensation and benefits for fiscal 2022-23 seven months of paid leave would mean he was paid just over $72,000 Illinois Police Chief Steve Millar is on leave amid an Illinois State Police investigation James Levand is the interim chief.CAMPTON HILLS (WLS) -- The police chief for the village of Campton Hills in Kane County has been placed on paid administrative leave village officials said in a statement Friday Chief Steve Millar is on leave due to an ongoing Illinois State Police investigation The village said it's "financial in nature," and is related to Millar's role as police chief Village officials learned of the investigation in May RELATED: State Sen. Emil Jones III pleads not guilty to federal bribery charges involving red-light cameras Further details of the investigation have not been made public Millar has been in charge of the department for the past five years James Levand has been named interim police chief He has been with the department for the last eight years 2023A Kane County man is in a battle with the village of Campton Hills over alleged zoning violations.CAMPTON HILLS (WLS) -- A Kane County man is in a battle with the village of Campton Hills over alleged zoning violations Homeowner Brian Larsen is now being threatened with fines for the violations Larsen won ABC7's Great Chicago Light Fight in 2013 The village insists the possible fines have nothing to do with Larsen's actual Christmas light show but told the Shaw Local News Network there are 10 violations at Larsen's home and adjacent landscaping company The violations include running an unauthorized business The village said this is about paying legal fees and discouraging other violations Larsen moved the show from his home to Goebbert's Farm in Pingree Grove 2024 at 11:35 am CSTExpandSquire Ale House is set to open this fall in Campton Hills After being in the restaurant business for decades is about to embark on a brand-new adventure when he opens Squire Ale House on Route 64 in Campton Hills in 2025 Karas had said previously that he hoped for a fall opening but recently said it won’t be until after the new year The group owns 15 popular restaurants in the Fox Valley area Alexander’s Cafe and The Village Squire locations Bob Karas of Karas Restaurant Group visits Rookies sports bar and grill in St where exterior improvements were made to include a pergola (Sandy Bressner – sbressner@shawmedia.com) But the ale house concept is a new one for Karas “It’s an offshoot of The Village Squire brand but the Squire Ale House is a tavern,” he said “We’ll brew our own exclusive beers offsite We want to connect [the ale house] to the Squire brand [ Village Squire operators to take over former Public House in Woodstock, call it Squire on the Square ] While the menu is still a work in progress Karas said Squire Ale House will serve The Village Squire’s popular authentic broasted chicken as well as the rotisserie chicken that was a big hit at The Lodge because we want it to be different,” Karas said People can enjoy a high-end dinner or a more casual meal.” One of the biggest questions Karas said he’s asked about Squire Ale House is if it will have s’mores like its predecessor I will be a villain in Campton Hills,” he said with a laugh “We will have popcorn when you walk in and s’mores roasting outside People can make them on the fire pits on their way out.” Karas purchased the property two years ago which was in “bad shape.” He had been a customer of the former Niko’s Lodge (which was The Lodge’s predecessor) and saw the building sitting empty for years before deciding to buy it since I know a thing or two about restaurants,” he said The restaurant tentatively is expected to open in October assuming all necessary repairs are completed It’s a cross between Village Squire and The Lodge We got new furniture and changed the bar a little bit.” you’ll notice the brand-new outdoor patio that’s gone up which will offer seasonal outdoor dining and live music The patio will be an awesome experience with an outdoor stage and bar It’ll be really nice in the summertime,” Karas said Squire Ale House will have a game room for slots TVs for sports and a room for private parties Karas said he’s very excited to open Squire Ale House because the restaurant has been “closed for too long.” “Campton Hills feels like part of our family,” he said but far enough where we can have another of our restaurants People know they’ll get a quality meal,” he said Karas said Squire Ale House will open at 4 p.m but will serve lunch on Saturdays and Sundays For more information about the Karas Restaurant Group’s other locations, visit goodplacestobe.com Aimee BarrowsAimee Barrows is the editor of The Scene, Shaw Local News Network's entertainment section. The Scene is your go-to destination for all things fun in Northern Illinois. Prior to The Scene, Aimee was the editor of the Kane County Chronicle for five years, and a freelance reporter for Shaw Media for four years. Campton Hills officials approved a settlement this week that ended a lengthy legal battle with Brian Larsen - of the Larsen's Christmas Lights Show fame - where they agreed to drop the village's lawsuit over zoning violations and pay him $5,000 The vote on Tuesday in favor of settlement was 4-2 with one trustee voting present and Village President Barbara Wojnicki voting yes But trustees unanimously agreed to end the at-will employment of executive assistant Dorothea Stipetic and Village Administrator Denise Burchard All the board actions were taken without comment The lawsuit was filed in February 2022 after the village cited Larsen for zoning violations "I've been dealing with this for 10 years," Larsen said They didn't want the light show because it didn't get known as Larsen's Light Show Campton Hills so they started making things up in the lawsuit." Larsen has since moved the light show to Goebbert's Farm in Pingree Grove where it is known as Goebbert's Light Show In addition to ending the village's civil action the settlement requires Larsen to remove gravel fill from the westernmost driveway on his property and remediate the former parking lot area Larsen will donate the $5,000 from the village to the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation The settlement states that all the village's actions against Larsen are dismissed and that Larsen won't pursue litigation against any current and former village officials or their agents all except one: former Village President Michael Tyrell The settlement leaves Tyrrell open to being sued because he was not indemnified as the rest of the officials Tyrrell said he had not seen the settlement and could not comment The settlement requires statements from the village and Larsen about the lawsuit to appear in a newsletter and be recited aloud at a meeting the village acknowledged that it could "do better and will do better." Larsen's statement acknowledged the village has the right to enforce its codes and rules "but that always has to be tempered with good judgment said the village's lawsuit never should have been filed Newman said when the village filed its complaint the village filed an amended complaint - to which Newman said he presented evidence that the allegations "were mostly false and they were not able to demonstrate any truth." One example was citing Larsen for not having a permit to put in a pool when the village told him three times in person and writing that he didn't need a permit "They were fining him like $800 a day for pool fines The new village president and the new village board determined there was not any merit to this lawsuit Nicolas Boatner and Janet Burson - were elected in November Restauranteur Bob Karas just can’t sit still the owner of the Karas Restaurant Group which owns and operates the Village Squire and Rookies restaurant chains as well as Old Republic in Elgin and Alexander’s Cafe in St continues to pursue a growth strategy that seems endless Having opened up new three new Rookies locations in the last couple of years one of which involved taking over the RocHaus theatre in West Dundee to create an entirely new Rookies concept – a working music venue – and having just celebrated the 50th anniversary of the venerable flagship of the Village Squire chain Karas is launching yet another venue to add to his burgeoning empire: Squire Ale House in Campton Hills The new venue has been in the works since Karas purchased the old The Lodge property a couple of years ago Squire Ale House will be something of a departure from his traditional Village Squire locations While retaining many of the elements that have made the original brand so successful (“Yes we will have smores!!” Karas insists) the new location will be what Karas describes as “a tavern,” with a combination of home-grown standard and craft brews and a menu including burgers ribs and the Village Squire’s famous broasted chicken Bringing back The Lodge’s popular rotisseire chicken is also part of the plan “We are excited to bring our new Squire concept to Campton Hills,” Karas says while reiterating that the new venue will indeed have smores and the ubiquitous mai-tai’s so popular in both his Village Squire and Rookies venues Squire Ale House will also offer live music nightly a newly-created outdoor patio and a gaming room the restaurant is expecting to open in late October or early November © Fox Valley Magazine 2023. 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Site by SDTECHNOLOGIES “There is not many things that someone my age hasn’t experienced but this is new and this is exciting!” said Wendy WhiteEagle who was sworn into her seat as a Trustee of the Village of Campton Hills in Illinois on Aug Campton Hills is a growing community just west of Chicago in the western suburbs and boasts a population of nearly 20,000 residents White Eagle is a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation She grew up in Madison where she earned her bachelor’s degree from Edgewood College and master’s degree work in the Executive MBA program with UW-Madison and Edgewood College White Eagle was appointed by Village President and Board Chair Harry Blecker after another Trustee resigned in July White Eagle believes she is well equipped for her job saying “I have had many leadership positions throughout my career and strongly believe that one of the aspects of my performance that has consistently stood out is my ability to build teams and management arenas which I now believe I can leverage into my public service.” White Eagle is the President and CEO of Native Capital Investment headquartered near the Village and has held that title for over 15 years In her role as President she is able to work with local businesses both inside and outside the village in creating self-sustaining business and communities This objective is easily transferable into her role as a trustee of a fast growing suburb In 2010 at the census the population was 11,310 residents This is driven not only by population relocating from the City of Chicago but also large commercial growth within the township The location of the Village is close enough to the City of Chicago that growth is expected to continue White Eagle hopes to help create a community that is in demand as her Village grows forward “As we expand our vision of what makes community I believe we can also leverage both human capital and local resources to create a shared sense of place even in this microcosm that is our Village will allow for diverse voices to be heard and for plans to be made as we grow forward White Eagle makes up less than 0.5% of the Village’s Native American population she now has a seat at Board table to guarantee the diversity of the village has a voice “Wendy has been involved in the Ho-Chunk Nation’s branch office since its inception and every year since serving as the District Five Treasurer This new role as Village Trustee is a role that fits her well.” Says Chicago Branch Office General Manager Alma Enriquez “It is so powerful to hear success stories fellow Natives not only having a voice in these important roles It gives me hope to see Wendy break every statistic against her and continue to move on up Fort Walton Beach City Council has selected three finalists from a field of 11 candidates to potentially become the city’s next permanent city manager During last Tuesday night’s regular meeting The public will have an opportunity to meet the three finalists during a reception scheduled for 5 p.m at the City’s Public Works and Utility Services Field Office Complex the city council hired Colin Baenziger & Associates to conduct a nationwide search for qualified candidates which also assisted with previous city manager searches conducted extensive background checks on all applicants before presenting the council with a list of recommended candidates The final selection follows the council’s January discussion about the importance of separating the interim and permanent positions council members expressed concern that having an interim manager who wanted the permanent position might discourage other qualified candidates from applying Reeves was appointed by a 6-1 vote in January with the understanding that he would serve temporarily while the permanent search was conducted The city charter requires appointment of a permanent city manager within 180 days The council is expected to make its final selection following interviews with the three candidates and feedback from the public meet-and-greet session Join the best local newsletter read by thousands of locals each weekday morning Occupation: Director of Finance & Managing Member Employer: Tek Pak INC & InspireNous3 LLC Previous offices held: Campton Hills Village Board since 2019 Q: What is the most serious issue your community will face in the coming years and how should the village board respond to it A: Increased pressure from surrounding communities regarding development and resource use and farm use in our village and protecting this mix of land use is a prime driver for further enhancing this sense of place for community members Building a stronger community bond - with an awareness of divergent voices even within our community - will be paramount I believe that if village residents can create spaces where we can truly hear one another we can also hang our umbrella handles on this larger superordinate goal to build coalitions of stewardship we have a fully funded police pension fund and have just completed a remodel on our village hall with no debt All good - that is how I would describe the village's finances Continuing to invest in open spaces within and along our borders Working to build the water recharge areas that we do control and helping community members learn more about stewardship practices for this very important resource Continuing to expand the road analytic processes so we resurface and/or replace the roads in a manner that helps them last longer with less cost A: Since we carefully manage and approve budgets with contingencies in mind A: We don't really have any infrastructure projects pending right now so continued focus on roads will be the goal Q: Describe your experience working in a group setting to determine policy What is your style in such a setting to reach agreement and manage local government Explain how you think that will be effective in producing effective actions and decisions with your village board A: I have been a village trustee now for just over one full term so my experience in working in our village has been learned on the job with a diverse set of people around the table Each member at this policy-making table comes at it differently - this is a very good thing I know I have learned from others not only how they think but also how they problem solve I would say that I am fiscally conservative and progressive socially I am glad for the different ideas around the table that do challenge one another in a respectful manner and my heart all drive meaningful contributions to our village It is this sense of service that sits at the center of all I do This trustee role is a small part of the many ways that I give back to our world with the various constituencies who live here so that we can build community energy around stewardship for this beautiful place we call home build a strong sense of shared community vision IL — The website Safewise recently released its rankings of the 50 safest cities in Illinois topped by the village of Campton Hills in Kane County Huntley was ranked the fifth safest town in the state with a violent crimes rate of just 0.19 per 1,000 people out of a population of 27,002 and a property crime rate of 6.22 per 1,000 8) also cracked the top 10 on the 2019 list Vernon Hills (24) and Park Ridge (25) made the top 25 Illinois itself has a violent crime rate of 5.28 per 1,000 people The state has below average rates of property crime with 22.81 per 1,000 and a national rate of 27.11 According to the survey of Illinois residents the website used to develop its rankings digital security was the top worry for Illinois residents followed by a tie between violent crime or property crime The top violent crime concern is being robbed on the street a concern for 52 percent of people nationally and 63 percent in Illinois the biggest worry was having valuables stolen with 66 percent reporting it as a concern compared to 53 percent nationwide The safest community in Illinois was listed as Campton Hills a village with a population of about 11,300 that reported a violent crime rate of 0 per 1,000 and a property crime rate of 1.59 per 1,000 90 percent reported zero murders but only 26 percent reported no murder or sexual assaults it uses the most recent available FBI crime data for its reports so it based its 2019 rankings on 2017 FBI uniform crime reporting statistics and eliminated cities below a state's median population size to identity the "safest cities of 2019." Illinois was excluded from the fourth edition of the annual rankings due to incomplete crime reporting submitted to the FBI Read the full Safest Cities in Illinois ranking or find out more about the report's methodology Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. jahn was pronounced dead at the scene aged 81 born in 1940 in a town near nuremberg, germany, jahn attended the technical university of munich before emigrating to chicago in 1966. as a graduate, he continued his studies at the illinois institute of technology. in 1967, jahn then joined chicago architecture practice C. F. murphy associates, which was renamed murphy/jahn in 1981 when jahn took over as president. the firm was later renamed JAHN. united airlines terminal 1 at o’hare international airport jahn amassed a diverse portfolio of projects from all over the world: from the sony center in berlin to suvarnabhumi airport in bangkok jahn left the biggest impact on chicago with works such as the thompson center and the united airlines terminal 1 at o’hare international airport. as well as leaving his mark on the chicago skyline jahn was also committed to teaching younger generations of architects the award-winning architect taught at the university of illinois chicago campus AXOR presents three bathroom concepts that are not merely places of function but destinations in themselves — sanctuaries of style 2020 at 6:00 am CDTExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 3The village of Channahon was named the second safest city in Illinois on the National Council for Home Safety and Security annual report which examined crime rates for cities over 10,000 residents in 2018 The National Council for Home Safety and Security (NCHSS) has released its annual report on the safest cities in each U.S and the village of Channahon ranks among the safest places to call home in Illinois The Safest Cities Report examines each city’s per-capita crime data to provide state rankings The most recent report is based on numbers from 2018 The survey reported to following statistics for the village in 2018: • Number of law enforcement officers per 1,000 residents: 1.95 • Property crimes per 1,000 residents: 4.52 The village of Campton Hills in Kane County was listed as the safest city in Illinois Campton Hills saw just one recorded violent crime and 17 property crimes in 2018 Campton Hills ranked 37th on the national list of safest cities The city of Morris ranked number 59 in the survey for the state of Illinois including 16 violent crimes and 238 property crimes Crime rates per 1,000 residents in Morris in 2018 included Morris also has 29 law enforcement employees averaging nearly two police officers for every 1,000 residents Also included in the survey are Shorewood (8th place) Ottawa (51st place) and Joliet (61st place) Illinois saw a 7.7% decrease in violent crime and a 3.5% decrease in property crime since the previous year of the survey Statewide property crime rate is slightly below the national rate while the state’s violent crime rate is about 10% higher than national levels likely elevated by the state’s largest city violent crime is nearly three times the national rate many Illinois communities achieved remarkably low crime rates in 2018 with each of the state’s five safest cities experiencing about a quarter of the statewide average of violent crime or less The Safest Cities Report provides a detailed safety analysis of crime rates Findings are a result of combining data from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting tool which relays cities’ violent and nonviolent crime data Read the full report on the top 100 safest cities in Illinois online at www.alarms.org/safest-cities-in-illinois. 2019 at 10:12 am CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}An comparison of crime data reported to the FBI found (Shutterstock)The website Safewise recently released its rankings of the 50 safest cities in Illinois Numerous north suburban communities also made the list Wilmette was ranked the third safest town in the state with a violent crimes rate of just 0.15 per 1,000 people and a property crime rate of 12.81 per 1,000 so it based its 2019 rankings on 2017 FBI uniform crime reporting statistics and eliminated cities below a state's median population size to identity the "safest cities of 2019." Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. 2016 at 2:30 pm CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}In a matter of days thousands of dollars in donations poured in to help pay for costs to allow a local family to keep their popular Christmas light display up and running Brian Larsen has been sharing his love for Christmas with the community since 2005 when he first opened up the Larsen's Christmas Light Show at his home along Beith Road in Campton Hills to the community the over-the-top light display has grown in popularity the Larsen family won ABC’s reality TV show The Great Christmas Light Fight This year, Larsen requested help to pay for his light show through a GoFundMe page after the village of Campton Hills told Larsen he would need to hire off-duty police officers to direct traffic if he’d like to keep the show up and running Village officials also said he would need to reduce the length of the show to 25 minutes hire parking attendants and put up new signage which included $5,800 to pay for off-duty officers “This has always been a free show open to the public and any donations received were voluntary,” Larsen wrote on a GoFundMe page set up in late October “I also have links on my web sites for donations to charities but the show itself is funded entirely out of my own pocket this $11,580.00 bill is too much for me to bear and I will be asking for donations this year to help with the cost.” "I'm amazed at the response," Larsen told the Aurora Beacon-News which is enough to pay for the police officers.” So far, the new plan to direct traffic has been going smoothly. Crowds were small in the first weeks of the show, when technical difficulties limited his show to just nine minutes, Larsen told the Daily Herald. But the show is back up to 25 minutes and Larsen said more people have been stopping out During the week there's very little traffic if at all The purpose behind forcing the changes had to do with the sheer amount of traffic coming down Beith Road during the holiday season as crowds stop out to watch the holiday light show “We've had a lot of complaints from residents who can't reach their homes because of the traffic as well as complaints about people peeing in lawns on the south side of Beith and illegally parking and turning around in private driveways,” police Chief Daniel Hoffman told the Aurora Beacon-News “People get tired of waiting and drive east in the westbound lane which increases the risk of head-on collisions." The village initially proposed passing an ordinance last month to ticket cars that slow stop or park along Beith and Anderson roads $75 to deal with the traffic woes "We'd all like to avoid (issuing tickets) if possible. But we have safety concerns and we have to address them," Blecker told the Daily Herald in an Oct. 21 article This is when Larsen met with village officials and came to a compromise of paying for the off-duty officers and installing new signage hiring parking attendants and reducing the length of the show to 25 minutes which will allow more families to see it with less lines and shorter wait times Larsen was initially appalled by the idea of the village issuing tickets to people stopping out to see his light show "That's the biggest Grinch Scrooge move That's just wrong," Larsen told the Daily Herald last month It's about the holiday season and people." he not only received his goal of $5,000 to help pay for off-duty officers but he also received a donation of a free scrolling sign from Paul Chicoine of TCP will be donated to to Alzheimer's Association and Blackhawks Charities.And he said next year he plans to save up for the full costs to fund the off-duty officers and other costs needed in order to keep his light show free to the community “I appreciate ALL THE HELP AND DONATIONS and we want to continue this for the community and enjoy making everybody's holiday special,” Larsen wrote on his GoFundMe page “We hope to keep this FREE show going for all and for many years to come” This year’s show opened on Thanksgiving and will continue through Jan Those heading out to the show will be directed into a 50-car lot adjacent to the home at 42W891 Beith Road in Elburn where they can view the show “I hired a DJ to blend the songs together – everyone’s favorite songs,” Larsen told the Kane County Chronicle. “And Christmas movie quotes between each song Larsen explained the logistics for those planning to stop out on his GoFundMe page: Here is a video snippet from Larsen’s light show last year Authorities are hopeful everything will run smoothly this year, but will be watching traffic issues in the area. “Hopefully, this will clear some things up. This shortening of the show will alleviate a lot of the traffic jams, [but] I can’t verify that,” Hoffman told the Kane County Chronicle 2020 at 4:08 pm CSTExpandBrian Larsen and his family have debuted a new light show for 2017 at their Campton Hills home The show won ABC-TV’s “The Great Christmas Light Fight” in 2013 CAMPTON HILLS – After 15 years Larsen’s Light Show – with its swirling blinking sparkling red blue and purple lights pulsing in the dark to music – will come to an end at 42W891 Beith Road as Brian Larsen said he is looking to set up an even bigger display at another location without the traffic problems neighbor complaints and – hopefully – without viewers abusing his kids when they’re trying to direct traffic “I’m good when people attack me,” Larsen said But attacking my kids – my own kids – that’s personal The free light show is set up at his house every night from Thanksgiving to just after New Year from Monday through Thursday and 5 to 10:30 p.m “I appreciate that everyone appreciates what I did That part I’m very grateful for,” Larsen said Larsen detailed his reasons in a lengthy Facebook post one of which is the verbal attacks his kids and traffic controllers have received recently from attendees He also hopes to escape the village of Campton Hills that is “fighting and messing with me all year long.” A voicemail message left for Village Administrator Ron Searl was not returned Larsen said he’s working out the logistics to relocate the show “It would be the exact same house and handle all the traffic with … double the lights fire features all blended into the same show,” Larsen said “It will be more spectacular than at Vegas or Disneyland.” His dream location would have a parking lot that is tiered so no car will block the view for someone else The new display would have nearly 3 million pixels pixels are individual lights that can change color which are different from regular Christmas lights because each can change on its own even while wired together “I’m building a house with the exact same footprint of what we have and reuse everything in the exact same order without having to redo everything,” Larsen said “I can come out dressed as Santa off the roof with sparklers.” “People don’t realize that for the last 15 years I’ve not had Thanksgiving or Christmas Eve or Christmas with my family I’ve been working every single night … where I create this,” Larsen said with all the accolades and compliments on social media Larsen said he is brought to tears at the idea of all the people his light show has touched I’m glad people did enjoy what we did,” Larsen said That’s why closing it down at the end of this year’s show “is one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made.” “I knew it could not go on forever where it’s at I just want the end of this year to go smoothly,” Larsen said “People should realize that Sunday through Thursday is a zero wait time.” Campton Police Chief Steven Millar said the only real issues his department has had is with a few of Larsen’s neighbors calling to complain “They’re trying to have a peaceful life and the lights are in their house all the time,” Millar said Millar said those are only the things Larsen has done without permits You cannot put up a driveway or parking lot without a permit,” Millar said a neighbor who lives a mile away from Larsen’s house said not until the last two years has there been a lot of problems with backed-up traffic blocking the driveway “I work nights and I was 15 minutes late for work because nobody would get out of the way,” Lunacek said It doesn’t surprise me that there’s 5,000 cars there.” drivers go down the driveway and turn around on her lawn “I’ve watched cars do u-turns in the middle of the road and almost cause car accidents,” Lunacek said Lunacek said she will miss seeing the light show “I watch it from the driveway almost every night,” Lunacek said Brenda SchoryBrenda Schory covers Geneva, crime and courts, and features for the Kane County Chronicle My father used to tell me there are two types of people in the world---drivers and passengers Some folks lead naturally and others are more than content to watch from the sidelines is undoubtedly a serious driver when it comes to his life When Morgan sees any type of injustice or someone in need Several factors in his life recently have led directly to his newest passions---pit bulls and local politics Morgan’s career in the collision repair industry spans 44 years as a technician educator and director of collision repair at a nationally accredited technical college Morgan redirected his career when he began working for companies focusing on the distribution of structural repair equipment develops and manufactures an entire range of body shop equipment a nonprofit pet rescue organization back in 2018 when he witnessed pit prejudice and felt it was just a bunch of bull He purchased a 3-acre farm and converted his barn into a kennel that can accommodate four dogs at a time The conversion is complete and the kennels are simply awaiting final inspection A beautiful black and white pit bull came into the life of Penny “A family friend decided to bring the girls home the runt of the litter,” he said “She was so tiny and a little beaten up from the rest of the pups That started everything and led to Second Chance Ranch.” Now the ranch has three pits on-site in addition to Daisy---Spike Three years ago, Morgan’s oldest daughter, Samantha, produced a short video, "The Beginning of Our Journey," as part of her junior high school English class using local news clips and other footage to illustrate the problem Daisy is adopted by the Morgan family and becomes an integral part of their lives There's a lot of misinformation out there about pit bulls so Morgan began using Daisy to show the world the truth about the breed the media latches on to it and won’t let go,” he said this is one of the gentlest breeds you’ll ever encounter Pit bulls can fight if they are trained to do so all they want to do is please their owners I tell people that the only time Daisy barks is when she wants to jump up on the bed and sleep with us “We are committed to helping our animals,” Morgan said nonprofit to support our community's pit bull population we formed our organization to provide sensible solutions We take our convictions and turn them into action "Sometimes our connections can find a home for a pet before the animal needs to change housing We currently have a rescue that will allow our babies to venture in and out to over 3 acres while protecting them from the elements and giving each one their own independent space while additionally giving us indoor space for training and support of our furry friends.” Saving dogs’ lives is a passion but it’s also a job Whenever Morgan and his family take on any pit bull with visits to the vet to make sure they are current on their boosters and medications “Members and volunteers provide the momentum that helps us do good work,” he said we take actions that make a long-lasting difference." Morgan is running for trustee in the Village of Campton Hills as a write-in candidate for an election on Feb “We need someone who will listen and support your ideas fight for the needs of your community and earn your respect For someone who truly cares for your community "Moving to Village of Campton Hills had a journey within itself but it’s safe to say the area brought me and my family joy to have a small piece of the American dream and not be lost in an overdeveloped community development." Morgan saw running for office in this tight-knit community wasn’t going to be easy and the fact the town’s offices were closed for COVID protection surely didn’t help By the time he navigated through all of the proper documentation required to run so he had to enter as a write-in candidate It also triggered a primary election because previously the current trustees were the only candidates for the office Problems with zoning and other issues motivated Morgan to run for office the township tried to rezone my property and several others to residential without even having a public meeting," Morgan said "That’s when I could see that there needed some new blood and I felt as though I could use my background and experience to help.” Morgan reaches out to help the community in many other ways by helping families in need with gift cards and assisting the local community in getting a K-9 officer for law enforcement While many people wait for their lives to change and helping both animals and people will always be on the top of his list “There are new challenges all the time and as we get through this pandemic Saving pit bulls and playing a leadership role in his community are Morgan’s passions If you’re interested in supporting the Second Chance Ranch through a donation, visit the website Read Now Regional and national collision repair news your shop needs! Copyright © 2025 Autobody News. is a publication of Autobody News, LLC Copyrights. All rights reserved. March 05, 2010 at 11:20 pm CSTExpandRobert Young (left), president of the Prairie Lakes homeowners association, and Pat Griffin, a partner in B&B Enterprises. [Sandy Bressner – sbressner@kcchronicle.com]