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IN THE NEWS
01/22/2010 -
JUDGE CANDIDATES PUSH FOR EFFICIENCY
By CARRIE FRILLMAN
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cfrillman@daily-chronicle.com
The two men seeking the
Republican nomination for the circuit-wide judge position in
the 16th Judicial Circuit both said they would work to
improve efficiency in the courtroom while upholding the
virtues of honesty and integrity on the bench if elected.
Associate Judge Kevin Busch, 51, of Batavia and attorney
Fred Morelli, 68, from Aurora, are vying for the seat in the
district, which encompasses DeKalb, Kane and Kendall
Counties and is on the Feb. 2 primary ballot.
Morelli said Friday that his more than 43 years of legal
experience – in criminal and civil cases in state and
federal courts – separate him from his opponent.
He has been part of more than 200 jury trials, he said, and
more than 1,000 bench trials. In addition he has also
handled more than 50 appeals in state and federal courts,
including a petition in the U.S. Supreme Court.
“I have been in federal courts from California to New York
and from Wisconsin to Texas,” he said Friday. “Besides all
my legal experience, I have 68 years of life experience to
draw from.”
Morelli said he likes to solve problems and prides himself
on treating everyone in the courtroom with dignity and
respect. Among his goals is to improve civility for
litigants, amongst lawyers and between the bench and the
bar.
“I can bring the realization that it’s really not my
courtroom,” Morelli said.
“The courtroom belongs to the public and the taxpayers. It’s
their courtroom and their tax money. I’m their servant to
get the job done as efficiently as possible.”
Busch, too, is concerned with efficiency. He began his
career in the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office in 1984,
where he spent eight years as an assistant state’s attorney.
For three of those years, he served as chief of the criminal
division, trying everything from traffic tickets to murders,
he said.
He left for 16 years to manage his own law practice and was
appointed an associate judge in July 2008. He currently
presides over Kane County’s driving under the influence
court, where he said he’s improved efficiency by starting a
half-hour earlier and staggering return times for litigants.
Doing so reduced wait times and eliminated the “cattle call”
crunch that’s typical in high-volume courtrooms, he said.
“Just by making that simple change we have seen the backlog
reduce significantly,” he said.
“We need to identify old cases and move them forward, rather
than always continuing them. It’s important to have finality
with these cases.”
Busch arrived at his decision to run in the circuit-wide
race after weighing a number of factors.
He said colleagues approached him about the race, and he
feels he’s well-suited after more than a year on the bench
to serve the district.
01/15/2010 -
LETTER TO THE EDITOR - SUPPORT MORELLI FOR JUDGE
I want to mention something
people in your area might want to know. I recently became
aware that a lawyer who has been helping our group pro-bono
in our fight to save the Fox River Valley is running for
judge in Kendall, Kane, and DeKalb counties. His name is
Fred Morelli.
Leaving a meeting, I happened to see the sign on the side of
his car and asked him about it. He told me he is running for
a Circuit Court judgeship.
I personally know he has spent countless hours, including
trips to Springfield and Chicago on our behalf, and has
charged us nothing. He cares about our cause very deeply and
is trying to help us prevent Ameren from running a large
transmission line through the forests along the Fox River. I
know he has done some late hours in the office making up for
the time he spent on us. It is a worthy cause, but there are
lots of them, and not everyone takes the time to help. He
has a fine ability to focus and sort through the issues.
Fred Morelli has represented us well, and his
straightforward and honest approach to this struggle has
been inspirational.
I think he would make a fine judge and would be fair and
even-handed in his approach to administering justice. I
wouldn't write this if I didn't think so. As I have gotten
to know him over the last eight months of our battle, he has
been at every single meeting, and inspired us to keep going.
We are winning, by the way, and a large part of the victory
will be because of Fred.
I heartily endorse Fred Morelli's candidacy and thought I
would let you folks up there know how he has helped us. I
think he will make a good judge. Please consider Fred
Morelli when you vote, and please do vote.
Twila L. Yednock
Ottawa
07/14/2009 -
HIGH TENSION LINE ROUTE CREATES HIGH TENSION FOR AFFECTED
REISDENTS
Steve Stout, newsroom@mywebtimes.com
In an attempt to add political muscle to their cause,
members of the Fox River Alliance, a grassroots organization
opposed to high-voltage line construction through Dayton,
presented their case to the Dayton Township Board Monday
night.
More than 40 alliance members, armed with aerial maps and
outrage, spoke informally with township trustees, who had no
idea the group was going to attend the meeting. The civil
discussion was lead by alliance attorney Fred Morelli of
Aurora who used the maps to explain Ameren's plan to run
nine miles of 138,000-volt transmission lines from Ottawa up
to a substation in Wedron.
Dayton Township Supervisor Phyllis Donahue was surprised by
the turnout yet said she was grateful for the group's
attendance. She promised them the board would study the
issue to see how it would affect the river area and the rest
of the township.
Most alliance members agreed they were just as concerned
about the swath of trees in the river valley that would have
to be destroyed to allow for the necessary poles as well as
their homes and real estate properties that are in the
project's path.
Ameren initially proposed erecting the tension lines from
Ottawa along Route 71. However, other local opposition
groups, the Illinois 71 Resistors as well as the City of
Ottawa preferred the Dayton path which parallels the
Illinois Railnet. Other proposed routes have been considered
by the power company with each generating public protests of
varying degrees.
Ottawa Mayor Robert Eschbach is on record on favoring the
Dayton route because it is more in line with the city's
comprehensive plan that calls for Route 71 from Interstate
80 to be a greenway area entrance into the city.
"The Railnet route made more sense because there's already a
swarth," Eschbach has said.
The residents along the Fox River and Dayton disagree. At
the township meeting, alliance members told the board it
made little sense to cut 100-foot wide path nine miles long
through the village of Dayton and destroy up to 1,000 mature
oak trees in the process. Some mentioned the effect such
construction would have on Fox River wildlife and future
tourism.
In March, the Illinois Commerce Commission granted
permission to Ameren to build two sets of lines, one from
Ottawa to Wedron and another from La Salle to Wedron. Before
the commission's decision, concerned residents were assured
by Ameren officials that the Dayton path was too expensive
and not in the company's best interests.
The alliance and others were shocked in April when the power
company forwarded letters to Dayton area landowners whose
properties would be affected to begin negotiations for
purchase of easements and other land acquisitions. Ameren is
expected to turn to the courts, if purchase agreements
cannot be reached, to utilize the power of eminent domain to
force sale of land and buildings.
Kirk Smith, owner of Para-Concepts, a pro shop at SkyDive
Chicago outside of Dayton, told trustees, "The river valley
is a resource for everyone not just the residents who are
caught in the path of this route."
He and others told the board there has to be other possible
solutions to consider beyond the river route or even the
Route 71 proposal. Some mentioned that Ameren should just
"bury the lines."
Despite the ICC stamp of approval, Morelli said the Dayton
route was "far from a done deal." He will be meeting Ameren
officials in St. Louis Thursday to discuss the situation and
claims to be "encouraged" that a compromise solution can be
found.
Ameren official have stated they might start cutting trees
along the route as soon as November. Morellis said flatly,
"That will not happen." He expects to file suit in La Salle
County Circuit Courts to block the start of any construction
if a better solution is not found.
"After all," the attorney said, "nobody, not Ameren or
anybody, wants a skydiving accident involving a fatality on
the lines which would stand 90 to 100 foot in the air on
massive steel poles." He stressed to the board the route is
too close to the SkyDive Chicago airport and the river area
is too pristine to carve up.
Asked what the alliance would like her board to do, Donahue
and the other trustees were urged by Morrelli to consider
filing a petition to reopen the matter before the ICC. He
told them the commission needed to hear from locals who
would be the most affected by the construction.
Donahue thanked alliance members for their attendance and
promised that the board would consider the matter.
06/03/2009 -
DAYTON GROUP: POWER LINES TOO MUCH - FOX RIVER ALLIANCE
FORMS AGAINST PLANNED AMEREN PATH
Dan Churney, danc@mywebtimes.com, 815-431-4050
Ameren power's plan to string high
voltage lines along the Fox River, has spurred a group of residents in the
Dayton area to form an opposition group — the Fox River Alliance.
"They (Ameren) have shown little regard for the effects this will have on the
families living in the area, the wildlife in this wonderful natural habitat and
the safe operation of businesses along the route," said Kirk Smith, of Dayton.
Smith has set up a Web site — www.foxriveralliance.org — that lays out his
worries, which are shared by others, including Kale Close.
Close said he has done tree clearing work for ComEd and from his experience, a
swath of trees will have to be removed to make way for the Ameren lines. The
owners of the Skydive Chicago airport just north of Dayton and near the Fox
River, are also concerned the lines will hamper parachutists.
"Any parachutist using the facilities at Ottawa Airport could find himself in
the position of having to make a decision whether to land in the wires (138,000
volts) or landing in the Fox River," wrote Fred Morelli Jr., the Aurora attorney
representing Skydive Chicago, in an April 29 letter to the Federal Aviation
Administration.
Ameren sent letters in April to landowners whose properties are in the path of
the lines, to arrange meetings to negotiate the purchase of easements and other
land rights. If a purchase agreement cannot be reached, Ameren could go to court
to use the power of eminent domain to force the sale of land.
In another letter Morelli sent to residents along the path, he recommended that
if Ameren contacts anyone about their property, they should tell Ameren they
belong to the Fox River Alliance and are represented by attorneys, giving
Morelli's name or that of his colleague, Dana Kurtz, and they are not interested
in selling an easement.
The Illinois Commerce Commission gave permission to Ameren to erect two sets of
lines — one from La Salle to Wedron, and the other from Ottawa to Wedron.
Morelli asked the ICC to have another hearing on the matter, but the ICC refused
his request May 20.
In defending the route that will travel along the Fox River, Ameren spokesman
Leigh Morris noted the ICC did grant approval.
"Trees and power lines don't mix. It's impossible to build lines without
impacting trees," Morris said. "We work very hard to minimize the impact, but
it's no different if you're building or widening a road, some trees have to come
down."
Morris does not know approximately how many trees will be affected, but did say
the impact will be kept to a minimum. He noted the National Arbor Foundation has
recognized Ameren for having high standards in its approach to trees, with the
company donating money every year to communities for trees.
Morris did say two houses will be in the way and likely will be bought by
Ameren. He noted lines cannot hang over structures and trees cannot be below
them.
"You can't put a line anywhere you want to. You must be able to get to them with
relative ease. Sometimes options for lines are limited. You need accessibility."
As far as Skydive Chicago, Morris acknowledged lines can't interfere with flight
paths and said Ameren will comply with all Federal Aviation Administration
rules. An environmental impact study has almost been completed, not being done
sooner because the ICC relatively recently approved the power line project.
Morris said erection of the towers and lines should begin next year, taking two
years to finish.
As for Smith, he said Ameren originally opposed the route along the river
because it was costly, affected the most people and had the most visual and
environmental impact. Smith added he doesn't expect smooth times ahead in
reminding Ameren of this.
"I'll see what my legal options are. It's probably not pleasant."
Smith also noted he has a photo of one of the trees in his yard that is likely
to fall to an Ameren chainsaw. The photo shows the tree as a sapling in 1906.
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