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Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
'We're waiting to sit down with John': Signs point to Cleary remaining as Cork manager
Cork GAA chiefs are confident of having the Cork senior football manager's position 'sorted' by the August County Board meeting, with all indications pointing towards John Cleary remaining in the job. Cleary's three-year term concluded on the evening of Cork's All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final defeat to Dublin, but recent dispatches suggest he is keen to continue for a fourth season, albeit with a shaken-up backroom team. 'We hope to be in a position by August 5, at our next county board meeting, to have sorted the senior football. We will be speaking to John and hopefully we will have that sorted by then,' said Cork GAA chairman Pat Horgan. When pushed by the Irish Examiner if this was confirmation that Cleary was staying put, Horgan replied 'the bottom line is that we are waiting to sit down with John, and once we sit down with John we will then be in a position to finalise it, hopefully'. Ray O'Mahony's two-year term as U20 football manager concluded with their comprehensive Munster final defeat to Kerry and so an appointments committee is currently dealing with that vacancy. Similar to Cleary, Pat Ryan's three-year term as Cork senior hurling manager came to a close on Sunday evening. Horgan insisted the proximity to Sunday means that position will not be moved on for another couple of weeks. 'We are all tremendously disappointed after the weekend but now is a time for reflection and we'll leave time for reflection. We'll then sit down and talk to everybody concerned. 'In my few words at the banquet, what I said is 35 minutes should not define a team or a group. The one point I made at the banquet very forcibly was that Sunday was our seventh championship game and every single one of them was sold out. That is something the GAA and business community have benefited from considerably. And we are very grateful to our fans for getting behind the team. We are also very grateful to the people who put their hands into their pockets to support the whole thing.' Horgan said the executive both understood and supported the decision of the Cork senior hurling management and players to abandon the traditional homecoming. 'The thing about the homecoming is that we had never actually put it in place until we saw what the result was. We respected their wishes that they just didn't want to go through with it, and we said that is fine. I think that is fair and reasonable. 'We had it last year, and I think they deserved a bit of space to themselves. I just think it was going to be so, so difficult for everybody involved. We understood.' The county board chairman did not give clarity on when the review recommendations of those who were part of the Cork football 2019-24 plan would be executed and who had been charged with executing them. They included a review of Divisions' and Colleges' participation in County Championships, continued focus on the senior development squad, expansion of training hubs across the county, and reform and restructuring of the county coaching committee. 'We have a meeting tonight [Tuesday] on nothing else but football and how we can improve football, and I've no doubt we will have lots of discussions between here and the end of the year on football and how we can make progress.'
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
State of Cork football: report says five-year plan failed to meet key objectives
CORK GAA chiefs have admitted failure in two of the primary objective of the five-year plan for Gaelic football development in the county – inter-county success and winning back public support for football teams. Am executive report in the wake of a three-hour debate at County Board level on the state of football in Cork states that while most of the actions in the plan were completed, the over-arching objectives of success at inter-county level and greater engagement by the public in support of teams were not achieved. Starkly, it also says there are not enough grass pitches available to inter-county teams in Cork to properly prepare, and there is a 'worrying' downward trend in results at under age across Munster and beyond. The 2,000 word report, following discussions at the beginning of July, reports that 'milestones relating to success at inter-county level were not achieved - for example, a lack of success at underage level coupled with the senior team remaining in Division 2 for another season and with no All Ireland semi-final appearance in the interim. Also, the lack of engagement by the GAA public at large was clear.' The five-year plan was launched to much fanfare by then chair Tracey Kennedy, and has achieved structural and some commercial gains. It sought to achieve equity at County Board Level, a meaningful, competitive, club structure, top quality coaching, player development pathways based on scientific research, effective administration structures and, importantly, improved perception of football in Cork. The appointment of All-Ireland winning player and manager Conor Counihan as the county's football director was seen as a good first step in that direction, but the Aghada man has not been replaced since his departure last summer. Club competition structures have improved, though a review of divisional structures, proposed in the plan, has not been completed. Financially there have been gains at Board level, driven to some degree by hurling success and progress. The report notes that no funding request by senior football Management was refused across the duration of the plan. In the key areas of coaching and coaching development, the report notes: 'While there was significant progress in coach education countywide, there was a failure to engage the football coaching community to the same extent as their hurling counterparts, as well as a clear and present requirement to connect more with former players.' Progress on what remains a central tenet remains as elusive as ever, despite pledges that it remains a priority – a Cork GAA centre of excellence. 'While there was a clear improvement in terms of the provision of gym facilities and with engagement with regional facilities having been secured in clubs, there remained a shortage of grass pitches for inter-county teams. The support of MTU in this regard was noteworthy, while the pursuit of a Centre of Excellence is a clear objective of the current strategic plan,' the report says. UNCERTAIN: Cork manager John Cleary has done three seasons as senior manager and has made progress in broad terms without securing promotion back to Division 1. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile It said that hopes the five-year plan would elevate the performances and success of Cork's inter-county teams have not been realised. 'With Cork senior footballers losing to Kerry and Tyrone in 2018 by 17 and 16 points, respectively, some would argue that results have indeed stabilised. That said, there is a worrying downward trend in many of our underage football results and the long-awaited return to Division 1 (Allianz League) football has not been achieved. Meanwhile, excellent championship performances against a number of Division 1 teams have been spoiled by poor performances versus lower-ranked opposition. 'One positive to emerge from the football plan at this level was the formation of a senior development squad which has provided a pipeline to the senior squad, with a number of new debutants emerging in the past year.' The Cork executive report says that while the five-year strategy proposed the broadening of the base of development squads, a later consensus emerged in terms of narrowing the focus to have a more significant coaching effect on a lesser group of players. 'A central venue for the training of all underage teams, as proposed, is on hold until a Centre of Excellence comes to fruition.' Following a review of the 2019-24 plan by members of the original committee, it was recommended that there be a) a further broadening of development squads, b) a review of Divisions' and Colleges' participation in County Championships, c) continued focus on the senior development squad, d) expansion of training hubs across the county and e) reform and restructuring of the county coaching committee. Delegates at the July 1 meeting expressed their frustration at what was seen a lack of significant progress in recent seasons with one speaker arguing that the split season gave an advantage to single-code counties and was causing damage to a dual county such as Cork. Others outlined the stagnation of Cork football for over a decade, stating that returning to Division 1 was imperative and that it may be time to consider looking outside the county. The future of senior manager John Cleary remains unclear at this time. Cork's general style of football was criticised. 'The ponderous style and handpassing 'epidemic' were seen as covering for a skills shortage and it was suggested that the new Gaelic football rules would allow progression to a more 'forward friendly' style from Cork teams. This may entice more players towards the panel and encourage players to express themselves further rather than 'trying not to lose'.' Another area which was hotly disputed was the topic of inter-county underage players' availability to their clubs. Some felt that such players were being cocooned away from their clubs and friends, while others remained adamant that players were available to their clubs at all times. 'In truth, such availability probably varied depending on which specific age category or team management one was referring to,' the report notes. The July 1 meeting was also addressed by Head of Games Development, Niall Twomey who was adamant that players were available to their clubs for all fixtures. He stated: 'The first principle for all players and mentors in Cork GAA Development Squads is 'club comes first'.' County Coaching Officer, Ronan Dwane, outlined the context of the absence of city players on the Cork minor football squad in 2025 due to their preference for other codes and highlighted the drawing power of Cork hurling to fringe panel members. He said the days of the dual players had long since passed and he promoted a narrowing of development squads to increase the quality of coaching and to reduce the volume of players included on extended hurling panels. Cork's High Performance Manager Aidan O'Connell also address the meeting, highlighting a closing of the gap with competing counties in terms of S&C development over the duration of the five-year plan. He recommended that a firm focus be placed on coach education in optimising player development, outlining the various courses, conferences and workshops now available to mentors. He also highlighted the growing requirement for specific coaching qualifications at inter-county level. He believed coach education would 'rise all boats' and required specific and direct investment. This was even more important in the context of the rapid evolution of Gaelic football and the requirement for Cork football to be at the cutting edge of such progression.
Chicago Tribune
5 days ago
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Will County approves solar farms in Crete, Lockport townships; deny two in Troy
The Will County Board voted Thursday to approve commercial solar energy facilities in Lockport and Crete townships but denied two solar farm plans in Troy Township. Several government agencies objected to the four separate plans. The village of Homer Glen objected to the Lockport Township proposal; Crete Township voiced concerns over the solar farm proposed in its community and 10 agencies, including Shorewood, the Troy Fire Protection District and various school districts, objected to the solar projects for Troy Township. Concerns included the solar farms not being a right fit for the site, potential depreciation of nearby home values and concerns regarding soil and groundwater contamination. Board member Kelly Hickey, a Naperville Democrat, said if the County Board denies a project, they will likely get sued by the solar developer. 'It's the county that's going to foot the bill,' Hickey said. Illinois law sets statewide standards for wind and solar farm siting and states local ordinances cannot be more restrictive than the state standards. The Illinois State Association of Counties has created a Wind and Solar Facility Task Force to discuss and propose policy recommendations to provide counties with more flexibility when complying with the state law while ensuring counties and their residents retain adequate protections. A handful of solar companies have sued the county after the board denied a project, and the courts may issue a decision in the coming months which will give the board greater direction, County Board Speaker Joe VanDuyne, a Wilmington Democrat, said. 'Board members feel like the state legislature is taking power out of our hands,' he said, saying not every project is the right fit for the site proposed. When 10 separate government entities protest a project, such as the two solar farms on the table for Troy Township, County Board members listen, he said. 'Our job is to listen to the residents,' VanDuyne said. Shorewood attorney David Silverman said the state's legislation doesn't require counties to approve solar fields, and discretion can be used. Board member Judy Ogalla, a Monee Republican, said solar farms decrease the land available to farmers. The leasing of farmland to commercial solar energy providers is especially concerning to young farmers, she said. As part of all the solar projects that were voted on, Ogalla requested the developers bury their connectivity lines to ComEd underground to make the solar farms more aesthetically pleasing, especially since leases for the solar farms can run 30 to 40 years. In Lockport Township, Enterprise Energy proposed a 4.25-megawatt commercial solar energy facility along South Archer Avenue, abutting the city of Lockport. The solar facility would be built on about 23.5 acres of a 45-acre parcel at 14910 and 14750 S. Archer Ave., and the lease would run for 35 years, according to county documents. Enterprise Energy proposed a community solar garden, that allows people who do not have a good spot for solar panels to be treated by the electric utility as though these solar panels are on their property. The site was selected, in part, due to its proximity to electrical infrastructure, Enterprise Energy said. According to the company, the electricity will be sold to local customers for 10% to 20% less that what they pay to ComEd. Neighboring Homer Glen submitted a letter of objection to the county, saying the village limits solar energy projects to an industrial zoning district. Concerns were raised in the village regarding the affect of solar farms on the community, depreciation of property values and potential contamination of groundwater from solar panels or other equipment, the letter states. 'Homer Glen is also a primarily rural community and the Village felt that the installation of solar farms may be incongruous with this rural, agrarian character,' Planning and Zoning Director Christopher Gruba wrote. County Board member Steve Balich, a Homer Glen Republican, said the project 'creates a hardship for the area.' 'The state has no business telling us we have to approve solar projects,' Balich said. 'I don't like the idea of taking good farmland out of production.' He questioned what would happen if the solar energy farms became obsolete. Dan Gorman, a representative with Enterprise Energy, said the solar facility would have robust screening. It would not generate traffic once built, he said. The project passed by a 14-8 vote. Construction on the solar farm is expected to begin next spring and be completed before winter 2026, according to board documents. In southwestern Crete Township, Renewable Properties wants to operate a 3.5 megawatt solar energy facility on nearly 21 acres near Bemes Road and Stoney Island Avenue. Crete Township Supervisor Michael J. Liccar wrote to the county saying the township is opposed to any more solar farm developments because the locations of sites 'appear to be chosen haphazardly with little or no regard to the residences in proximity.' He told the county the township opposes the patchwork of the facilities popping up closer to residential areas, which would cause a reduction in property values. Many homes rely on well water in the township, and there is not enough data on environmental concerns such as soil and ground water pollution, he wrote. Attorney for the developer Benjamin Jacobi said the Crete Township objection was a blanket objection and not specific to this project. No neighbors objected to the plan, he said. The project passed by a 17-5 vote. In Troy Township, two projects were proposed by New Leaf Energy, including one for Baltz Road and County Line Road, Joliet, and another for West Black Road and South County Line Road, Joliet. Among the objectors included state Rep. Harry Benton, Minooka Community High School, Troy Community Consolidated School District as well as Shorewood, Troy Fire Protection District and Troy Township. The Troy Fire Department said it is not equipped to fight fires in solar developments. Shorewood Mayor Clarence DeBold said the village is not against solar projects, but they have to be in the right location, and this property is within Shorewood's comprehensive plan. 'The underlining concern on these cases is siting. The village of Shorewood supports solar in an appropriately zoned location,' he said. 'We are not anti-solar, but we are following our comprehensive plan.' Each municipality needs to find an appropriately zoned location that doesn't affect residential growth, he said. Ogalla said each solar facility is unique where it is proposed, and the board needs to respect the planning done by communities. Board member Katie Deane-Schlottman, a Joliet Republican who represents the area, said residents are not in favor of these solar plans. 'As a board, I would hope we support the people who live in the area,' she said. Both Troy Township solar proposals failed with 16 board members voting against it and 6 supporting it. The Troy Township landowner Mark Fecht said he received an email of support for the solar project from state Rep. Janet Yang Rohr and state Sen. Laura Ellman, both Naperville Democrats, which points to state law that siting or special-use permits for a commercial solar energy facility shall be approved if it is in compliance with the state regulations.
Chicago Tribune
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Will County Board member from Naperville announces bid for Senate seat
Will County Board member Julie Berkowicz, a Naperville Republican, has announced plans to run in the 2026 primary for the state senate seat representing District 21, which covers portions of Will and DuPage counties. The position is currently held by Sen. Laura Ellman, a Naperville Democrat elected to the post in November 2018. Berkowicz said at the county level, she advocates for lower taxes and smaller government and has been frustrated in recent years with the increased tax levies that have been approved. Financial votes tend to break along party lines, she said. The Will County Board has 11 Republicans and 11 Democrats, with County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant, a Democrat, able to cast tie-breaking votes. Berkowicz said she knows residents grapple with paying high property taxes and believes it's wrong that tax burdens are forcing people out of their homes and prompting some to move other states. 'If people in the state are struggling, then we are not doing our job,' she said. 'People are not feeling secure anymore.' Mandates coming from Springfield are another factor in her senate bid, Berkowicz said. She said she believes the General Assembly has tied the county board's hands when it comes to issues like approving solar farm projects, taking local control away from the board and its residents. If the board rejects a commercial solar farm, the company can sue the county, Berkowicz said. While she supports some solar projects and opposes others, Springfield needs to return control back to the counties and municipalities, she said. 'I feel by going to serve in state government, I can make a difference and give people back their voice,' Berkowicz said. Preserving farmland, helping the agriculture industry and protecting open space are also important initiatives, she said. The 21st District covers portions of Naperville, Bolingbrook, Downers Grove, Glen Ellyn, Lisle, Lombard, Wheaton and Warrenville. Berkowicz said she is 'not motivated by blue or red' agendas, acknowledging DuPage County has been shifting in favor of Democrats for the last several years. As an example, she said she cast her vote against a quarry expansion in Wheatland Township on the borders of Plainfield and Bolingbrook and not far from Naperville despite eight of her Republican colleagues voting in favor of it. Berkowicz has been on the county board since 2018 and serves as vice chair of the finance committee and treasurer of the board for the Forest Preserve District of Will County. She was reelected last fall to a four-year term, which ends in 2028, and would likely have to resign from the board were she elected to the senate. The campaign for state office, however, will not affect her commitment to her board duties, she said. She plans to take the same approach to governing at the state level as she does at a county level, she said. 'I go in there to do my best,' Berkowicz said. 'I do my research, become educated, understand the role I take and act accordingly. I have the experience, knowledge and background to go to the table, look at the facts and do what's best for Illinois.'
Chicago Tribune
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Illinois attorney general investigation of DuPage County clerk a concern for county's Democratic growth
When activist Jean Kaczmarek was elected DuPage County clerk seven years ago, she became the first Democrat elected to countywide office in 84 years and her subsequent work as clerk to make voting easier and more available was lauded by the party faithful. But the appointment of Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul's office as special prosecutor to investigate Kaczmarek's office over allegations of official misconduct has prompted concern among Democrats that the gains they have made in wresting significant control of the once strongly Republican suburban county could be at risk. Kaczmarek, hailed in 2022 by the Democratic Women of DuPage County with its leadership award, is already facing a primary challenge as she seeks a third term next year. And her previous budgetary actions helped lead to a change in state purchasing law for most Illinois counties — a law that is now at the center of the Raoul investigation. DuPage County Circuit Judge Bonnie Wheaton's order on Monday appointing Raoul's office as special prosecutor is rooted in more than two years of internecine battles between the Democratic clerk and the Democratic-led DuPage County Board involving the often labyrinthine world of budgetary control and power in county governance. Even before the special prosecutor appointment, each side had filed civil suits against the other over such issues as Kaczmarek's ability to make budgetary transfers from one account to another without informing the county's chief financial officer from where the money was coming — as other county agencies and offices are required to do. In defending the moves, Kaczmarek is leaning on an April 2023 advisory opinion from Raoul that says a county board's budgetary authority over county officers using 'internal control provisions' is limited to appropriating lump sum amounts for equipment, materials and services. 'The attorney general's office has been crystal-clear for decades on this issue and it's time DuPage County started following the law,' Kaczmarek said in a statement a day after the special prosecutor appointment. 'The job of the County Board is to fund the office, not to micromanage operations.' But DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin, one of only three GOP countywide officeholders and the legal counsel for both the board and the clerk's office, said that under state law the clerk's transfers 'must be accomplished in such a manner for the County Finance Department to track' them. 'You were cautioned that expenditures in excess of an appropriation are prohibited, and a violation may result in prosecution of a Class B misdemeanor,' Berlin wrote to Kaczmarek's chief deputy clerk, Adam Johnson, in a May 2023 email. 'Further, a violation of any of these laws may constitute official misconduct by the public officer and/or the employee. Penalties may include forfeiture of the office or position, in the case of an employee, and is also a Class 3 felony.' The Democratic-led county board has sided with Berlin amid concerns over Kaczmarek's power, contending that there is a lack of transparency and a failure to follow traditional bidding rules. It led Deb Conroy, the county board's chair since 2022 and a former Democratic legislator, to travel to Springfield last year to persuade her former legislative colleagues to change state purchasing law to specifically put controls on the actions of elected county officials like Kaczmarek. 'The DuPage County Board and I work diligently to ensure our offices are fiscally responsible and that they comply with procurement laws and Generally Accepted Accounting Principles,' Conroy said in a statement. 'For years, we have expended significant time and energy to persuade the clerk's office to comply with these procedures. I went to Springfield in 2024 to clarify the law, ensuring the statute specifically outlined bidding guidelines for elected officials.' The new law, which took effect Jan. 1, requires elected county officials outside of Cook County to bid out 'services, materials, equipment or supplies in excess of $30,000.' Nine days after the law took effect, however, Kaczmarek signed a contract with Prager Moving & Storage Co. to transport early voting booths for this year's spring municipal elections, Berlin wrote in requesting a special prosecutor. The firm billed the clerk for $113,710, above the $30,000 bidding threshold, but the clerk's office has refused to give the county auditor any documentation to prove the contract was bid in order for the payment to be made, Berlin wrote. 'The County Auditor's office is not a court to which the County Clerk submits evidence in order to obtain the Auditor's subjective approval of her internal operational decisions,' Johnson, the chief deputy clerk, responded to the auditor's request for bidding documentation, according to Berlin's court filing. In another instance in April, the county auditor's office received a $115,997 bill from Governmental Business Systems for election supply kits, such as ballots, supplied to the clerk's office. The auditor requested more information from the clerk about the invoice, but the clerk has not provided any, and the auditor won't process the bill for payment. 'The clerk's failure to comply with the competitive bidding law may constitute official misconduct,' Berlin told the DuPage court, saying the county board knows the county could be sued for nonpayment of the invoices — something that prompted the board to request 'an investigation into possible misconduct.' Because Berlin legally represents both the clerk and the county board, he has a conflict of interest and requested Raoul's office step in as an independent special prosecutor. Wheaton granted the request and Raoul's office has agreed to the role. In a statement after the special prosecutor appointment, Kaczmarek said she would 'welcome the involvement of' Raoul's office but said the action was 'simply another example of the lengths to which Bob Berlin will go to avoid admitting being wrong about the law.' Berlin, in response, issued a statement saying, 'In my thirty-seven plus years in public service, my ethics have never been called into question. I have no vendetta against anyone. All I am trying to accomplish is to ensure that everyone follows the law.' The new state law contains one exception for bypassing competitive bidding — professional services. Those are generally defined as professions in which a government-issued license is needed for the work to be performed, such as lawyers, accountants, physicians or architects. In an interview with the Tribune, Johnson, Kaczmarek's chief deputy clerk, contended the contracts awarded for moving and supplying polling equipment and ballot materials were 'professional services' that exempted the clerk from having to bid out the work. 'The act of moving 250 pieces of sensitive equipment throughout the county to polling places that by law have to be open at 6 a.m. the next day — yes, we do believe that that requires the professional expertise of our vendor,' Johnson said of the moving and supply contract. He said the same held true for the ballot kits, citing the March 2018 primary night fiasco of misshapen ballots that hampered vote counting — an issue that effectively ended the DuPage County Election Commission and merged its duties into the clerk's office. 'If people go back and look at the issues that the election commission had with improperly produced (ballot) cards that caused the election night catastrophe, my feeling is, if you can ruin the entire election by doing your job wrong, that sounds like a professional risk to me,' Johnson said. Beyond the immediacy of the investigation by Raoul's office is the potential fallout for Democrats if the probe concludes that prosecution of a criminal nature or official misconduct is warranted. Once considered a Republican firewall against Democratic votes out of Cook County, DuPage County since Kaczmarek's 2018 election has seen Democrats now hold six of the nine countywide elected offices and 12 of the 18 county board seats, with the countywide-elected chair, Conroy, also being a Democrat. Democrats privately fear that a prosecution of the clerk could halt their advances, with many wondering why the clerk and county board couldn't simply work out their differences. Now, Kaczmarek, who in May announced her 2026 bid for reelection as clerk, faces an announced Democratic challenger, county board member Paula Deacon García of Lisle, who Conroy is backing. What's more, there are also Democratic concerns that a highly visible prosecution could give Republicans an opportunity to regain the office. Such a development could potentially curb the expansion of voting opportunities created under Kaczmarek, such as increasing early voting sites and allowing people to vote at any polling place in the county on Election Day. 'It's disappointing that an investigation is needed,' Conroy said in her statement. 'However, I'm grateful the attorney general's office will investigate, provide information and determine the appropriate next steps.'
