Pedestrian Rally Against Trucks....What About Bad Cops?

Concerned citizens and Marengo Pedestrians will be holding a Rally in the Downtown Business section of Marengo on Friday July 28 at 10 AM in support of pedestrian rights. There will be marches, speeches and refreshments.
This is the email I received earlier this week. Now, what seems to be wrong with a rally? Sounds like fun, right? Speeches, marches, even something to eat. A whole event. Sounds like something that the citizens of Marengo might want to attend and take part in.
Well, there's a problem.
What are rallies, demonstrations, speeches, and marches generally conducted for? Well, they are all a form of activism whose purpose is to bring about changes and to get the current government's attention that people are not pleased with what is going on. This certainly seems to be the intention of this demonstration. The downtown store owners want the situation of truck traffic on Rt.23 looked into, they want better pedestrian laws, and more signs. In return, the downtown owners will benefit by increased traffic and profits.
Does anyone except me see anything wrong with this picture?
Look at the traditional reasons rallies and demonstrations are usually held. Civil Rights Demonstrations, for instance. Compare Martin Luther King Jr's speech to a speech about….pedestrian rights!! Does this not demean the whole idea of protests and demonstrations? Here Martin Luther King Jr. risked his life and liberty to demonstrate and give speeches, as have those who participated with him. And then we have Marengo store owners risking nothing at all to have a demonstration in order to get more profits for themselves. And to also increase business on the day of the demonstration itself too, of course. There were other rallies throughout history, of course. Vietnam War protests, Iraq War protests, and Immigration Marches and rallies. Again, compare the seriousness of the issues involved to that of pedestrian rights. These people were out there protesting for a reason with great risk for themselves. They wanted to bring about important changes for themselves and others. Their acts were selfless, whereas the acts of these protestors in Marengo clearly are meant to benefit themselves. And will not piss anyone off too much, as I'm sure everyone in and outside town either agrees with them or is neutral.
Finally, my biggest issue with this rally is that some of the owners of these downtown businesses were asked to contribute money to help the Gaughans in their legal battle and to start a fundraiser. They have not agreed to it and were shocked at the audacity of the suggestion. They also are not willing to go out there and protest the Marengo Police falsely imprisoning and beating people in the police station. Clearly, that is not an important issue to them. But, when it comes to profits and something that will benefit them, they are out there ready to rally, march, and give speeches!
What would a speech about pedestrian rights be about anyway? Will it get people inspired? I doubt it. In fact, let's face it, Rt. 23 is a truck route. Some of the trucks and tractor trailers pay over $10,000 just to buy their plates for their trucks. Do they not have the right to use the route? What about their rights? The whole issue is ridiculous.

Gardening Corner

How to build a water garden
By: Museumlover

While looking up information about building a truly easy water garden for your lawn or patio, I came across this article and decided
it was so well done and simple, that I would pass it on, instead of coming up with one of my own. Water is such a comforting outdoor feature. Make one of these and enjoy the ambience.

Making a Water Garden From the National Gardening Association Editors

Bring an exotic touch to your patio, deck, or yard by making a small water garden in a tub. Use a plastic or glazed ceramic container or a plastic-lined, wooden half-barrel as the container, and add aquatic and marsh plants, and perhaps goldfish, for color and drama.

Tools and Materials

* Plastic or ceramic container or wooden half-barrel
* Plastic liner, galvanized screws, and wood strips, if needed
* Water pump, nozzle, and electrical outlet, optional
* Water
* Plastic plant pots
* Soil mix for aquatic plants
* Aquatic plants
* Newspaper
* Gravel

Install the barrel liner. If you're using a wooden half- barrel, line it with a sheet of pond liner, available at garden centers. Adjust the liner by making several large folds in the material and draping it over the edge of the barrel. Fill the barrel half full with water to hold the liner in place while you trim and fasten the upper edge to the top of the barrel, just inside the rim. Sandwich the liner between the barrel and narrow wooden or galvanized metal strips. Fasten with galvanized screws.

Position the container. Empty the container, if necessary. Place it on a sturdy, level surface where it will receive at least 6 hours of sun per day. The tub will weigh about 10 pounds per gallon when filled. You can also partially bury the container in the ground. Try this method in hot climates where the summer sun can overheat small aboveground pools.

Fill with water. Add water until the container is about two- thirds full. Let the temperature stabilize and the chlorine from your municipal water supply dissipate for 24 hours before adding plants. (If adding fish, ask if your water company uses chloramine, a water supply disinfectant. If it does, be sure to use a water conditioner, such as Amquel, to neutralize the chemical before adding the fish.)

Install optional water pump. For the tranquil sound of moving water, add a small fountain attached to a recirculat- ing pump. Set the pump with attached pipe and nozzle in the bottom of the container. Always plug water pumps into an electrical outlet with a ground-fault circuit interrupter to avoid risk of electrocution. Adjust the water flow to the desired force. Keep in mind that floating plants, such as water lilies, do not like water splashing on their leaves. Add plants. Plant aquatic and marsh plants in plastic pots filled with special water-plant soil mix. Place newspaper over the drainage holes in the pots to prevent soil leakage. After planting, cover the surface of the soil with gravel. Set pots directly on the bottom of the tub or on bricks or inverted pots to raise plants to the desired level.

Add two bunches of submerged plants, one floating plant, and one or two marsh plants per square yard of water surface to keep algae in check. Plants should cover 60 to 70 percent of the surface.

Remove debris regularly, and replace water lost to evapora- tion, but don't change any water. Within a few weeks, the water should clear.

Leaving no stone unturned

Marengo, IL.
Marengo Police

This week, both CBS and the Northwest Herald were given very interesting information. A tape of a State Police officer punching, yelling, slapping, and intimidating people in the Marengo Police Department was handed to them, as well as an interview with Brian Gaughan Sr., and Kevin Gaughan concerning the events on the tape. But because of threats of lawsuits from State Police lawyers, CBS producers decided to show a watered down version of what they originally planned. They neither mentioned the State Police officer’s name, William Kroncke, nor described in detail what happened on the tape that they ran. The Northwest Herald was even more cowardly, refusing to run an article already written and planned for Friday morning due to fears of lawsuits by the State Police and pressure by the State’s Attorney’s Office. The article that did come out on Saturday morning was not much more than a watered down version of the original. It even had a quote on top implying that the State Police did not believe the video was what it seemed.
Now, our Marengo Gazette is a small, online enterprise connected with our Marengo Message Board. We do not give in to pressure from town governments, State’s Attorney’s offices, or threats of lawsuits. Therefore, I will put parts of the tape online for all of you to look over and to see for yourselves what really happened.

Now, first of all, the two State Police officers on the tape are William Kroncke and Virgil Schroeder. From what I understand, Kroncke is a millionaire whose father-in-law has a lot of political clout. This is how he is able to commit crimes that you see on this tape and get away with it. I did not see Schroeder do anything particularly exciting on the tape other than to sit at his desk and stare off into space. However, he made no move to stop his partner or to prevent Kevin Gaughan from being mistreated for 5 and a half hour.

The tape contains footage which makes it pretty clear what has transpired during the 5 hour interrogation. You can watch parts of it and see for yourselves.
First of all, there is the scene where Kroncke slaps Kevin Gaughan. It is interesting to watch, as there is very little to excuse these actions. Kevin Gaughan was there to make a complaint of police brutality against Scott Crawford. He wasn’t there because he committing any sort of crime or did anything wrong. This is important to note, because the State Police asked him to come down to the Marengo Police Station in order so they could take the complaint and investigate Crawford, not to be interrogated. This is not what happened. William Kroncke attempted to force him to sign a false confession, claiming that Kevin committed the car burglaries in Doral Ridge. He was yelled at, harassed, and slapped in the face, told that his father would lose his job and would go to jail and that his whole family would suffer if he did not sign the document in front of him, dropping the complaint against Crawford. Needless to say, this was not an investigation of Crawford, this was an attempt to cover up his crimes. I need not say, I’m sure, that if the State Police really wanted to conduct an investigation into the complaint, they would have met with Kevin Gaughan in an independent setting and not in the Marengo Police Station, where the Officer in question still was employed. Obviously they were not interested in seriously investigating the incidents with Crawford in the first place, otherwise why meet there? It seems clear that the only reason Kroncke and Schroeder were brought in was because the Marengo Police Department wanted a way to cover up Crawford’s crimes. After all, Sgt. Joe Perez, who is head of the investigation, was a long time resident of Marengo and friends with those in the department, so it seems that this must not have been too hard to arrange.


(Click a video to play)

The scene where Kroncke hits Kevin is very hard to misconstrue. Watch it for yourselves. I believe Kroncke’s lawyer said that Kroncke was brushing the lint off of Kevin’s shoulder! Well, as you can see, he actually does hit him. And just in case there is any doubt about that, Kevin puts a hand to his face afterward. It is also interesting to watch what Kroncke’s partner Schroeder does: he gets up and walks nowhere, just making a complete circle. It’s obvious that he suddenly stood up like this because he simply could not believe what his partner just did. If you watch the clip as a whole several times, it will become very obvious what took place. Kroncke’s lawyer’s excuses sound just like what they are - excuses to cover up his crimes.
The most interesting part of the tape, of course, is the part where Kroncke punched out the prisoner that the Marengo Police brought in, Orest Hideo. What you can see is Hideo being brought out of the police car, into the police department, where he clearly starts saying something to Kevin before the Marengo Police put him against the wall. What he told Kevin was not to talk to the police without a lawyer. Kroncke then got off his chair and punched the handcuffed prisoner out. After Hideo is on the floor, Officer Mahlke kicks him into his cell. There is no mistaking this action either. You can see it yourselves right on the tape, regardless of what anyone might say. Just so all of you know, Officer Mahlke is also the Chief of Wonder Lake. I would think the citizens of Wonder Lake might be interested to know that their new Chief approves of prisoners in custody being punched, and that he kicks them when they’re down.


(Click a video to play)

Also, note the time on the bottom of the screen right after Orest Hideo is punched out. He is unconscious in his cell for 43 minutes. His hands are cuffed behind his back and no one calls for medical attention. Afterward, you can see the Marengo Police cleaning up his blood off the floor.


(Click a video to play)

Later on the tape, there is yet an another interesting occurrence. There is an awful lot of blood. At one point, one of the Marengo Police Officers comes back and notices that it had not all been cleaned up. Officer Mahlke gets more paper towels and cleans up the rest of it. In fact, he grabs a whole bunch of towels from a paper towel dispenser, wipes the blood off with his feet, and throws the bloodied towels in the garbage. There is no way that you can watch this and not see what has taken place. And it is just as obvious who punches the prisoner out – William Kroncke. He gets up off his chair, walks up to the Marengo police officers, who are holding Hideo against the wall, raises his arm, punches, and then Hideo falls to the floor and there is blood. I cannot see what else could have possibly happened on the tape. It seems very obvious and hard to misconstrue. Of course, the Marengo Police are just as responsible for not protecting the prisoner who is in their custody. From what Kevin Gaughan has described, they laughed about the whole incident among themselves. You can also see Officer Mahlke kicking the unconscious prisoner into a cell after he is knocked out. Apparently, this is something that must have gone on quite often at the Marengo Police Department and no one thought anything of it. Certainly, no one was angry at Kroncke for knocking the prisoner. No one thought to check on Hideo while he was in the cell, handcuffed and unconscious, or to provide him with medical attention.

What happens in some of the other scenes on the tape? Well, I watched the tape as a whole and unfortunately it is impossible to put it all online. However, I think watching the whole thing gives one a whole different perspective on what went on. Also on what kind of person William Kroncke is. For one, it becomes obvious how ridiculous the excuses the State Police lawyers make for Kroncke really are. It’s next to impossible to watch the whole tape and not see it as anything less than intimidation and further police brutality. William Kroncke is clearly a very scary and intimidating presence. But its even more than that – this is a person who seems almost as if he is insane and should not be given a gun and a badge! He should not be allowed to perform a job as an officer or an investigator after treating a witness who is supposed to have given him information about a police brutality incident in this way. Clearly, he isn’t investigating anyone, he’s breaking the law in order to help out the Marengo Police by forcing Kevin Gaughan to drop his complaint. For five and a half hour this person screams, makes gestures with his arms, threatens to do to Kevin what he has done to the prisoner in handcuffs, sticks Kevin into a jail cell, threatens Kevin’s family and friends. He picks up a chair that still has a coat on it, for goodness sakes, and swings it around over his head. What kind of normal person would do something like this? And he never lets up with the screaming, yelling, hand swinging, and holding out the paper for Kevin to sign for the whole 5 and a half hours. You can see Schroeder just sitting there staring off into space. He makes no gesture to stop the tirade, and is therefore also responsible for what happened. The most telling part was when Kevin asks to go the bathroom. You would think that after almost 5 hours Kroncke would rest and relax during this little break in order to get ready for more screaming and yelling? Nope. He goes up to the cell where Orest Hideo has now regained consciousness and starts harassing and baiting him until Hideo yells something back. Then Kroncke calls the Marengo police officers into the room, who threaten to pepper spray Hideo. It is apparent from Kroncke’s gestures that he tells them that Hideo had started yelling himself. However, when you watch the tape, you can see that Kroncke started baiting him first, when Hideo was just sitting quietly on the cot. But that’s even beside the point. Kroncke could not sit still for a few minutes while the person he was harassing for many hours went into the bathroom! What kind of person is this? Are we supposed to take this person’s word for what happened in any investigation at all, whether it’s the shooting conducted by a Marengo Police Officer or Crawford hurting people? He can’t even keep his temper after 5 hours of screaming! Needless to say, he also seems to have few morals, as he has no problem at all knocking out a prisoner completely unrelated to the case he was investigating just to intimidate Kevin Gaughan so that he would think something like this could happen to him. He has no trouble harassing the prisoner in question for no apparent reason whatsoever and then telling the police officers on duty that the prisoner was the one who caused the problem. Clearly, besides appearing to be mentally ill, William Kroncke lies and makes things up just to get his way in whatever matter is at hand. This much is obvious from his behavior on this tape.


(Click a video to play)

Kroncke isn’t the only person committing crimes in this video. At the very end, Officer Riley and County Officer Umbenhower sit down with Kevin Gaughan and try to get him to admit to them that he was the one who committed the burglaries in Doral Ridge. Of course, both of these Officers knew that this wasn’t true, as they already had a suspect in custody who really did commit the burglaries. He is in the upper quadrant of the film, sitting in a jail cell. So, there was no reason for them to harass Kevin and try to get him to admit to crimes he did not commit. It should also be noted that this incident took place after Kevin Gaughan had been interrogated for over five and a half hours. I don’t know if Officer Riley was hoping that Kevin by this time would be worn out by all the screaming and yelling and would therefore confess, or what they hoped would happen. But it is clearly wrong for a police officer to accuse someone of something that they did not do, when the Officers in question know for sure that this person did not do it.


(Click a video to play)


(Click a video to play)

One final interesting look at an another incident that transpired: While Kevin was locked up in the jail cell, Orest Hideo was taken out of his cell. Watch the cardboard that is put up to block Kevin’s view of what is about to take place. Why do you think they needed to do that? I can only imagine. But a Marengo Officer notices it and looks at it in great confusion, after which the cardboard is taken back down again. Apparently Kroncke and the others think better of it. Why is this of any significance? Well, in November of last year, Orest Hideo was arrested by the Marengo Police, brought to the police department, and then wound up in the hospital for days. I wonder if beatings are a regular occurrence in the Marengo Police Department? The cardboard seems to indicate so. This is something that one would expect to find in a third world country, not in the United States. We should all be ashamed and outraged that our police department lets these things go on and that the people in this town go and defend the police department regardless of these doings.

We Need Your Help!

I would like all who read this gazette to please write to Lisa Madigan to look into the police situation in Marengo and at the way the Gaughan case is being handled. I think we've seen that the State's Attorney's Office and the State Police are all on one side and will not treat this situation fairly. We really need your help. I'd like everyone who reads this to please write to Lisa Madigan and ask for help with this situation and to at least look into it. You've seen the videotape? Is it right for the State Police, the State's Attorney, and Crawford/Given/Riley to get away with their actions and for the Gaughans to have false charges brought against them that they then have had to fight with much opposition for years?
Here is the address:


Lisa Madigan
IL Attorney Generals Office
100 W. Randolf St
Chicago, IL 60601
312-814-3000

Gardening Corner

By: Museumlover

By now you are seeing the results of all of your hard work, growing herbs and flowers. Hopefully some veggies as well.

This is the time to take care of your blooming flowers so they will continue to give you pleasure. Deadheading (pinching or cutting off spent flower heads) will keep your plants blooming. This mostly applies to annuals. When the bloom is spent, remove the bloom at the next leaf joint. This will encourge the plant to produce more and new blooms.

Perennials are generally not deadheaded as they propogate from the seed found in the flower heads. This is particularly the case for purple cone flowers, daisies, and others with seeds in the center of the flower. Lillies, iris and other such plants propagate themselves from their roots. For maximum feeding of the plant, do not cut off the greenery until near the end of July. This feeds the roots of the plant. Many perennials are just beginning to bloom, especially flowers and plants that are indiginous prairie plants.

They will bloom quite a while and really look spectacular in a cutting bed, or just a bed to watch. You might find a few pests as well. I find that some of my plants have chews on the bottom from rabbits and chews on the top from deer! Oh the joy of living with wildlife!

If you put some humming bird feeders near some of your flowers, you should be well rewarded with these tiny, tiny birds at your feeder. No need to buy special nectar. Boil together 1 part sugar and 4 parts water to dissolve the sugar. Add a little red food coloring, if desired, and put in the feeder. Change often as the heat can cause a bacteria to form in the sugar water.

Some of you probably have impatiens growing in planters. They will begin to get leggy in July if not frequently pinched back. Pinching back at the leaf node will make them bushier and also encourage more blooms.

Some herbs are beginning to flower as well. Basil must have the beginning flower bud snipped off or it will stop growing. Pinching oregano and thyme will encourage bushiness. I also trim sage in a bush shape. Cilantro grows flowers which will eventually produce coriander seed, so to keep the cilantro growing for kitchen use, think salsa, the blooms need to be pinched off.

Vegetables also benefit from pinching off leggy shoots. Tomatoes will produce more and larger fruit if the leggy bits are pinched off, encouraging new bloom and a stronger stem.

You are probably already eating lettuce, radishes and green beans from your garden. And strawberries!. I don"t grow strawberries but I really like to buy them at farm stands and U-Pick farms. There is no comparison in flavor!

With all of the rain we have been having, be sure your plants are well-drained. Look around your area for any standing water or water sitting in pots and planters. These are mosquito havens! Empty containers of stagnant water. Moving water in fountains will not provide a breeding ground for the mosquitoes, but will give a nice source of water for the birds. They may drink the water or preen and bathe in the fountain.

Happy gardening. It is never too late in the year to plant. I have planted in August and September, but to enjoy more flowers, and quite often at the end of the season greenhouses are practically giving them away!