Election Day Tuesday—Get out the vote!

It seems just yesterday since Nunda Township Democrats caucused to nominate Meredith Reid Sarkees and myself (Patrick Murfin) as candidates for Township Trustee. Less than three month is not much time to pull together a campaign, even one for an often neglected local race. So we have been pretty busy.

We appreciate the support offered to us in donations of time, talent, and treasure. Without it he could not hope to challenge one of the most entrenched political machines in McHenry County.

Now we need you to go the final mile. VOTE! Call your friends and neighbors and remind them to VOTE! In the race for Nunda Township Trustee vote only for you Change for Nunda candidates, Murfin and Sarkees. Do not “fill out” your ballot by voting for any of the Team Nunda Republicans. You don’t need to vote for all four positions. Vote only for the best.
While you are at the polls, please support the Nunda Township Open Space Referendum, which we have enthusiastically endorsed. And vote for John Darger, candidate for McHenry County College Trustee.

And after the polls close please join us and the friends and supporters of Algonquin Township Democratic Candidates—Frank Hyden, Robert Franks, and James McTague—and John Darger at Porter’s Oyster Bar, 446 W Virginia Street, Crystal Lake to follow the returns and celebrate the campaigns.

--Patrick Murfin

April 7, 2009 Consolidated Election Polling Place Locations
Hours: 6:00 AM – 7:00 PM

NUNDA 01 PRAIRIE ISLE GOLF CLUB (BANQUET ROOM) 2216 ROUTE 176. CRYSTAL LAKE

NUNDA 02 NATURE CENTER (VETERANS ACRES) 330 N. MAIN ST. CRYSTAL LAKE

NUNDA 03 SALVATION ARMY (CLASSROOM 134) 290 W CRYSTAL LAKE AVE. CRYSTAL LAKE

NUNDA 04 ST. JOHN LUTHERAN CHURCH (FELLOWSHIP HALL) 405 W. STATE RD. (RTE 176). ISLAND LAKE

NUNDA 05 SALVATION ARMY (CLASSROOM 134) 290 W CRYSTAL LAKE AVE. CRYSTAL LAKE

NUNDA 06 LAKEMOOR MUNICIPAL BUILDING (1ST FLOOR) 234 W. RAND RD. (ROUTE 120). LAKEMOOR

NUNDA 07 VILLAGE OF PORT BARRINGTON (MAIN ROOM) 69 S. CIRCLE AVE. (RTE 4). PORT BARRINGTON

NUNDA 08 SHAMROCK COMMUNITY CENTER (COMMUNITY ROOM) 4300 W. SHAMROCK LN. MCHENRY

NUNDA 09 OAKWOOD HILLS VILLAGE HALL (COMMUNITY ROOM) 3020 N. PARK DR. OAKWOOD HILLS

NUNDA 10 NATURE CENTER (VETERANS ACRES) 330 N. MAIN ST. CRYSTAL LAKE

NUNDA 11 ROTARY BLDG-UPPER LEVEL (VET ACRES-MAIN PRKG LOT) 5300 N. WALKUP RD. CRYSTAL LAKE

NUNDA 12 HOLIDAY HILLS VILLAGE HALL (CONFERENCE ROOM) 1304 SUNSET DR. MCHENRY

NUNDA 13 BETHANY LUTHERAN CHURCH (UPSTAIRS-LUTHER HALL) 76 W. CRYSTAL LAKE AVE. CRYSTAL LAKE

NUNDA 14 THE FOUNTAINS AT CRYSTAL LAKE (CANTERBURY PL-LOBBY) 965 N. BRIGHTON CIR. CRYSTAL LAKE

NUNDA 15 ROTARY BLDG-UPPER LEVEL (VET ACRES-MAIN PRKG LOT) 5300 N. WALKUP RD. CRYSTAL
LAKE

NUNDA 16 PRAIRIE ISLE GOLF CLUB (BANQUET ROOM) 2216 ROUTE 176. CRYSTAL LAKE

NUNDA 17 THE CHURCH OF HOLY APOSTLES (SOUTH ENT-ANGEL'S WING) 5211 W. BULL VALLEY RD. MCHENRY

NUNDA 18 ROTARY BLDG-UPPER LEVEL (VET ACRES-MAIN PRKG LOT) 5300 N. WALKUP RD. CRYSTAL LAKE

NUNDA 19 THE CHURCH OF HOLY APOSTLES (SOUTH ENT-ANGEL'S WING) 5211 W. BULL VALLEY RD. MCHENRY

NUNDA 20 NUNDA TOWNSHIP HALL (LOWER LEVEL) 3510 BAY RD. CRYSTAL LAKE

NUNDA 21 NUNDA TOWNSHIP HALL (LOWER LEVEL) 3510 BAY RD. CRYSTAL LAKE

NUNDA 22 CALVARY ASSEMBLY OF GOD CHURCH (FOYER) 5906 S. RTE. 31. CRYSTAL LAKE

NUNDA 23 COTTON CREEK SCHOOL (LIBRARY) 545 NEWPORT CT. ISLAND LAKE

NUNDA 24 MCHENRY CITY HALL (VESTIBULE) 333 S. GREEN ST. MCHENRY

NUNDA 25 OAKWOOD HILLS VILLAGE HALL (BOARD RM) 3020 N. PARK DR. OAKWOOD HILLS

NUNDA 26 COTTON CREEK SCHOOL (LIBRARY) 545 NEWPORT CT. ISLAND LAKE

NUNDA 27 SHAMROCK COMMUNITY CENTER (COMMUNITY ROOM) 4300 W. SHAMROCK LN. MCHENRY

NUNDA 28 VILLAGE OF PORT BARRINGTON (MAIN ROOM) 69 S. CIRCLE AVE. (RTE 4). PORT BARRINGTON

NUNDA 29 NUNDA TOWNSHIP HALL (LOWER LEVEL) 3510 BAY RD. CRYSTAL LAKE

Murfin responds to attack letter in Northwest Herald

Today’s Northwest Herald contained an attack letter by one Brent Smith (pictured right) on Change for Nunda candidate Patrick Murfin. Read the letter here. Smith’s attack was not unexpected. He lurked around the January Nunda Township Democratic Party Caucus at which Murfin appealed to the voters to consider his past before they voted to slate him--the same past which is frankly revealed in his candidate profile on this very blog.

Below are the responses Murfin made in the on-line comments to the letter.

In 26 years residency in Nunda Township, I have never tried to hide my past. During the agonies of the Vietnam War I was faced with a personal moral choice, which I made at a personal sacrifice. Others made other decisions. I respect them for it. I some folks will never be able to support me because of that. I understand. Others will look at a lifetime of community service and involvement and judge that. My many veteran friends may even remember when I advocated for decent medical care for vets while a Republican administration sought to short change them.

Mr. Smith is lying when he claims that his letter “is not about political partisanship.” His wife is one of my opponents for Nunda Township Trustee. He has been using his leadership in clout heavy Local Union 150 to build a political empire within the Republican Party. Insiders may recall how he arranged for Local 150 operatives to get appointed as Republican precinct committeemen even though some of them did not even live in the county. Allied with Nunda Road Commissioner Don Kopsell’s mini patronage army, he hopes to be calling the shots in the county GOP soon.

By the way, ask honest union leaders what they think of Mr. Smith’s cozy relationship with the Republican Party.

Bob Kaempfe airs radio endorsement ads

Thanks and a tip-o’-the-hat to Robert Kaempfe for endorsing Change for Nunda candidates Meredith Reid Sarkees and Patrick Murfin for Nunda Township Trustee in radio ads that will air Saturday and Sunday on Star 105.5 FM. Eight spots will run each day. Listen for them.

Kaempfe was the Democratic Party candidate for Illinois State Representative in the 64th District in the last election and is planning to make the run again. A retired postal worker and Vietnam veteran, Kaempfe ran as a non-career politician, a “regular Joe” looking out for the interests of ordinary working people. In the ads he makes the same claims for Murfin and Sarkees as well as other McHenry County candidates in the April 7 Consolidated Election.

Also endorsed in the ads are Algonquin Township Trustee Candidates Frank Hyden, Robert Franks, and James McTague; Ed Riley for Supervisor, Kerry Julian for Clerk and Tom Ganka for Road Commissioner in Greenwood Township; Jeff Thirtyacre for Road Commissioner in Burton Township; and John Darger for McHenry County College Trustee.

The Committee to Elect Robert Kaempfe is paying for the spots.

Door bells and shoe leather

On Saturday, Patrick Murfin, with Meredith Reed Sarkees one of the Change for Nunda candidates for Township Trustee, was out canvassing for votes the old fashioned way—by ringing door bells and talking to actual voters. He had to work fast with a heavy spring snow storm threatening to close in. He will be hitting the bricks again next weekend. So will volunteers in other “urban” precincts.

While the tactic may be traditional, a high tech voter data base enables Democratic Party Precinct Representatives to target likely supporters. Getting those supporters to the polls on April 7 or to cast an early vote is critical to electoral success.

Voters, including those in more rural areas of Nunda Township, are also being contacted by phone and by post card mailing.

Look for us in your mail box and at your front door!

Patrick Murfin and Meredith Reid Sarkees, your Change for Nunda candidates, are campaigning hard for election as Trustees in Nunda Township.

Fifteen hundred post cards are already in the mail to Nunda Township mail boxes. A second wave will be going out at the end of the week. These cards will also be carried by the candidates and volunteer canvassers walking door to door in many urban precincts.

Early voting has already begun and continues through Thursday, April 2. Election Day is Tuesday, April 7. Make sure your voice is heard! Get out and vote. And remember to make sure to get the change we need, vote only for Murfin and Sarkees and not for any other candidates!

Join us to learn about water resources in Nunda Township

The Nunda Township Plan Commission will be hosting an informational presentation on the Future Supply of Groundwater in Nunda Township on Tuesday, March 24 at 7 pm at the Nunda Township Hall.

Meredith Reid Sarkees and Patrick Murfin, your Change for Nunda candidates for Township Trustee, will be in the audience to learn more about our critical water resources. This program promises to shed light on the need to preserve open space to aid in re-charging precious ground water, as provided for in the Open Space Referendum on the April 7 ballot, as well as proving a broad view of the challenges we face.

Nunda Township was identified as one of several townships in Southeastern McHenry County at risk of running low of groundwater supplies. This meeting is intended to provide background on the situation to local residents and municipal officials. Two speakers will be featured; Cassandra McKinney, the Water Resource Manager for McHenry County, and Janet Agnoletti, the Executive Director of the Barrington Area Council of Governments (BACOG).

McKinney staffs the county’s Groundwater Protection Task Force and its effort to create a draft policy for groundwater management for all of McHenry County. Agnoletti recently guided the preparation of a groundwater analysis of the BACOG area, with consultant Kurt Thomsen, which mapped out three dimensional layers of groundwater supply over more than 100 square miles, including portions of Nunda Township.The meeting will help guide Nunda Township Plan Commission efforts in its updating of the township’s comprehensive plan.

The Nunda Township office is located at 3510 Bay Road. From Crystal Lake Road, take Edgewood Road east and turn South on Bay Rd. Or take Edgewood Road west off of Rt. 31, then left on Bay Rd.

Signs, Signs, Everywhere are Signs...

Our Change for Nunda yard signs are in! If you would like to host a sign, please e-mail your request to pmurfin@sbcglobal.net. Hurry, supplies are limited!

Early Voting Begins Monday, March 16

Early voting for the April 7 Consolidated Election begins Monday, March 16 and continues through Thursday, April 2. This increasingly popular voting option is the choice of many busy people and insures that your vote is locked in and counted no matter how hectic election day turns out to be.

Meredith Reid Sarkees and Patrick Murfin, the Change for Nunda candidates are opposed by an entrenched political machine. We need bank every reliable vote now.
Please consider opting for early or absentee voting.

If you want change in Nunda Township, when you get to the polls cast your Trustee votes only for Murfin and Sarkees. There are four Trustee positions up for election and only two Democratic candidates. You are not required to cast 4 votes! Votes for any of the Republican candidates will pile up votes for them and lessens the chance that your voice for change will be heard.

Early Voting Will Be Conducted At:

McHenry County Administration Building
667 Ware Rd., 2nd Floor, Conference Room A
Woodstock, IL 60098
Mar 16th thru Mar 20th, Mar 23rd thru Mar 27th,
Mar 30th thru Apr 2nd
Hours: 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM
Saturday, Mar 21st and Mar 28th
9:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Nunda Township Offices
3510 Bay Rd, Annex
Crystal Lake, IL 60012
Mar 23rd thru Mar 27th, Mar 30th thru Apr 2nd
Hours: 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Saturdays--NO Hours

Early voting will also be conducted at a number of other locations in the county. Ballots for all jurisdictions will be available at each location. For a full list of locations and times consult the McHenry County Clerk’s web page.

Vote April 7--Donate Now

Last November the winds of change blew through Washington. Now the same refreshing breeze is stirring in McHenry County as we come up on the April 7 Consolidated Election.

Patrick Murfin and Meredith Reid Sarkees your Democratic Party candidates are challenging an entrenched Republican establishment in Nunda Township. Just when the storm of economic crisis intensifies, fresh eyes, hands and voices are needed in local government.

These are the issues:

• How can the Township serve the greater needs of citizens buffeted by the economy while tax revenues stagnate or fall?
• How can we best preserve our threatened ground water resources and preserve open space operating under these restraints?
• How can we coordinate planning with the County and local municipalities and re-think zoning and transportation systems geared to unsustainable sprawl?

Meredith and Patrick need you help to bring

Change to Nunda and end routine business as usual.

Please consider giving $100, $50, or $25 to Friends of Murfin and Sarkees. Even $5 or $10 would help us print literature, send out mailings, and buy the signs needed to challenge our well funded opponents and the political machine that backs them.

Just click on the convenient PayPal button in the left hand column to make a contribution.

Or send a check to:

Friends of Murfin and Sarkees
c/o Murfin
522 W. Terra Cotta Ave.
Crystal Lake, IL 60014

John Darger for MCC Trustee and Change for Nuda Campaigns Join for Phone Banking

Please join us for a co-operative voter calling party this Sunday, March 1 from 12 to 3 PM at Pauline Walker's house, 233 Third Street in Crystal Lake. Volunteers will be calling identified Democratic voters on behalf of John Darger’s campaign for McHenry County College Trustee, and the Change for Nunda candidates Meredith Reid Sarkees and Patrick Murfin.

If you are not familiar with John Darger, you should be. A former candidate for the McHenry County Board, Darger is a leading McHenry County Democrat who worked full-time as an Obama Fellow this past summer in Saginaw, Michigan, the town where his parents grew up, and worked weekends for Obama in northwest Indiana. Now he is applying that hard earned political acumen to making our community college work for all of us.

Darger is a sale representative for a leading independent publisher, W.W. Norton and has the intellectual curiosity of a true bibliophile.

He has also been a strong supporter of MCC, as well as a vocal critic when this vital community institution has strayed away from its mission. Many observers point to him as critical to crystallizing opposition to the Board’s ill advised scheme to build an addition with a minor league baseball stadium last year. And he has been skeptical of the current proposal to locate the world’s tallest free standing broadcast antenna on land sold by the college.

Bring your cell phones and join us this Sunday!

And the Winners are…

Change for Nunda candidates Patrick Murfin and Meredith Reid Sarkees congratulate the winners of the Republican Party Primary, Tom Palmer, Joni Smith,
James C. Schlader, and Kelvin “Lee” Jennings. We look forward to engaging them in a vigorous debate about the future of our township. The vote totals courtesy of McVote are:

NUNDA TOWNSHIP TRUSTEE

Vote for 4

Precincts Reporting 29/29 100.00%

TOM PALMER 581 19.95%
JONI SMITH 540 18.54%
JAMES C. SCHLADER 512 17.58%
KELVIN JENNINGS 480 16.48%
RICHARD MEYERS 412 14.14%
KEVIN SARNWICK 388 13.32%

All four trustee candidates ran together as part of Team Nunda, which was led by powerful Highway Commissioner Don Kopsell, who was unopposed in the primary. Dennis Jagla crushed Alan Weaver, the candidate who ran as a “soft” Republican and who appealed for Democratic support with a disingenuous mailer.

All in all, it was a triumph for the regular Republican political machine and business as usual. Team Nunda can leave out all of those campaign signs already dotting the township. They probably believe that they can sprint toward victory in the April 7 Consolidated Election while hardly breaking a sweat.

But only about 850 voters participated in the primary. They represent, for the most part, the core of party diehards. The spring election is also typically a low turn-out affair. But this time Democrats and the many Independents, who are loath to identify party preference to their friends and neighbors, will be in the mix. And these voters are eager to see the refreshing winds of change and reform blow through this corner of the county as they have blown through Washington. They know that the economic crisis faced by all of us will bring new challenges to township government that can only be met with fresh eyes and hands.

Democrats and Independents have often skipped the spring off-year election because the races are low profile and they have assumed the contests—when there are any—have been decided by an unchallengeable GOP machine. But if we can get only one quarter of the folks who cast Democratic ballots in the 2008 Primary or who in the privacy of the voting booth changed the political landscape of McHenry County forever by decisively supporting Barack Obama, we can win. Yes we can!

It is our job to make sure those Democrats and Independents know what is at stake. You will be hearing from us. We will be reminding you to vote—and to cast your votes only for Sarkees and Murfin.

You can help us get the message out by hitting the PayPal button in the left-hand column and donating now to the Friends of Murfin and Sarkees.

--Patrick Murfin

NUNDA TOWNSHIP—Only Votes in April Election Can Elect Democrats

McHenry County Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Bergan Schmidt addressed confusion over the upcoming Republican Party primary elections in Algonquin and Nunda Townships in a recent statement.

“The only way voters can support Democratic candidates in these townships is to cast their ballots in the April 7th Consolidated Elections,” Bergan Schmidt said.

Republicans chose to select their candidates in a primary election scheduled for Tuesday, February 24. Democrats elected to choose their candidates by caucus, which Bergan Schmidt noted was a considerable savings to tax payers.

Winners of the Republican primaries will square off against Democrats for trustee seats in both townships. Frank Hyden, Robert Frank, and James McTague are the party nominees in Algonquin Township. Patrick Murfin and Meredith Reid Sarkees will be on the ballot in Nunda Township.

“If a voter chooses to participate in the Republican primary, however, he or she can still vote for Democratic candidates in the April election,” Bergan Schmidt pointed out.

Voters with questions should contact Friends of Murfin and Sarkees at 815 814-5645 or e-mail changefornunda@yahoo.com.