She won't let gangs beat her

Hollie Kissane

Occupation: Kane County Board member

Age: 45

Hometown: Carpentersville

Political affiliation: Democrat

Family: Married to Ralph Kissane for 15 years; two sons age 24 and 21

Career: County board member since 2004 and seeking a second term; won the Democratic primary for the 43rd state House District last year but dropped out of the race due to family problems.

Fun fact: The only girl on her baseball team growing up, the Meadowdale Little League, where she played third base and left field. She was president of the league from 2000 to 2005 and remains actively involved in the organization.

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The drive-by shooting outside her home was the last straw, Hollie Kissane decided 18 months ago.

The Kane County Board member planned to sell her Carpentersville house, which would mean she'd have to resign from the county board. She also dropped out of a competitive race for the 43rd state House District.

"My first thought was, 'I'm done. I'm leaving. I'm running.' I was scared," said 45-year-old Kissane, who has lived on the village's east side for most of her life.

But although she gave up her quest for higher political office, Kissane didn't leave her community. She decided she had put too much effort into making Carpentersville a better place to give up now.

"Through time, I kind of realized, 'You know what? I'm not going to let (the gangs) do this to me,'" she said. "Now that I've experienced (gang violence), I know what a lot of people have gone through in my neighborhood, and I've got to keep fighting to keep them safe."

Hearing from Carpentersville police that her son, Jesse, now 21, had been in fights that might have been linked to the shooting gave the married mother of two sons an even greater sense of urgency. She resolved to learn more about gangs and encourage other parents to do the same.

Recently, she attended a workshop organized by the 16th Judicial Circuit's gang task force. There she learned to identify gang colors and symbols.

"I had no idea this goes on," said Kissane, who works as director of clubhouse services at Blackstone Golf Club in Marengo. "I know it sounds silly, but I really didn't pay attention to it. And I wish to God that someone who was in leadership a long time ago would have done something like that to help me as a parent back then. I think it's important to reach out and get the parents educated."

Her son still faces charges of misdemeanor battery and assault and felony criminal damage to property linked to a March 2006 fight that police called gang-related. He now has a steel bar in his leg, the result of being hit by a car during that fight.

But he's since enrolled at Elgin Community College and plans to buy a home in Cary.

"He's trying to turn it around," Hollie Kissane said. "He's got to face his music."

Political career

Kissane doesn't view her son's troubles with the law as a handicap.

While she knows some might view her family in a negative light, it doesn't bother her. Instead of running away, Kissane is running her re-election campaign. A Democrat, she is seeking a second 4-year term on the 26-member, GOP-dominated county board.

"He's been getting in trouble even before I ran (for county board) and it's been in the press," Kissane said. "You do your best as a mother and try to teach him the right way.

"He's doing a lot better," she added.

Kissane is scheduled to testify in an upcoming hearing against the 17-year-old driver arrested in the shooting outside her home. He faces charges of armed violence and aggravated discharge of a weapon.

Seeking the county board seat was Kissane's first foray into politics. After beating Republican incumbent Margaret Scalfaro with 57 percent of the vote in 2004, she was viewed as a rising star in the county's Democratic party.

That led to her campaign for state legislature. In the Democratic 2006 primary, Kissane faced Elgin resident Greg Schock, who mounted a write-in campaign after state election officials ruled he didn't have enough valid signatures to remain on the ballot.

She would have faced incumbent Ruth Munson of Elgin in the November 2006 general election but withdrew from the race in June. The Democrats nominated a replacement, but Munson retained her seat with 53 percent of the vote.

Kissane said she has no plans to seek higher office again because she doesn't like the partisan politics of state government.

"Just in the short time I got involved in the upper level, it's very dog-eat-dog, and I'm not a dog-eat-dog person," Kissane said. "I think, sometimes, politics are too involved in everything that gets done. If you can get around that, I think you can accomplish a lot more."

Longtime volunteer

Kissane still spends much time volunteering around Carpentersville. In 2000 she became president of Meadowdale Little League, the ball club where she and her husband, Ralph, played as kids. By the time she took over, the fields had become so rundown, neighboring teams referred to the league as "ghetto-dale."

Under Kissane's leadership, the league began a fundraising campaign to fix up the fields and concession stand, purchase new equipment and install lights. She even financed her house to obtain the loan for the lights, which cost $60,000.

"It was her sacrifice to make that happen," said Chris Cimaglio, the league's president. "She's always willing to give her time."

In 2003, the league was chosen to host the 9- to 10-year-old Illinois State Tournament.

Kissane stepped down as president in 2005, but still coaches, sits on the league's advisory board and represents the league's softball district. Meadowdale Little League, which serves 200 kids ages 5 to 18, celebrated its 50th anniversary this year.

Kissane also serves on the village's parks and beautification committees. The panel last year landscaped an area surrounding a retaining wall to serve as a gateway to the village. A new entryway sign reads, "Welcome to Old Town Carpentersville."

The parks committee last month organized Carpentersville's first Autumn Fest -- a parade and event that commemorated the village's 120th anniversary this year.

"Hollie is one of these people when you need something done," Carpentersville Village President Bill Sarto said. "She's the person you call on to help out. She's a large asset to our community."

To Kissane, the beautification work and festival planning serves as a bright spot in a town that has been bitterly divided over immigration issues. The issue has embroiled the village since a proposed ordinance emerged last year that would make it illegal to rent to illegal immigrants.

"One of the reasons that I'm pushing for this Autumn Fest to happen and future things in our parks is I want to try to bring our community back together," Kissane said. "We're so divided right now."

Bridge on goal list

One of Kissane's proudest accomplishments from her first term on the county board is the new jail under construction in St. Charles Township. The $55.8 million facility is scheduled to open next year, replacing the aging county jail on Fabyan Parkway in Geneva.

Initially, Kissane opposed building the jail because she thought it was too small. The existing jail has room for about 450 inmates, which means another 200 have to be housed outside the county every day.

The new jail will have 640 beds, and a second construction phase in 2013 would increase capacity to 768 beds.

Kissane said the county's expansion plans have assuaged her concerns. She's also proud the county did not have to raise taxes to build the jail -- and that costs have stayed on budget.

"It's obvious to me she does her homework before she comes to (county board) meetings. She holds our feet to the fire, especially on the jail project," said John Noverini, a fellow county board member from Carpentersville. "She's very thorough. She does her homework."

Kissane also opposed building a Fox River bridge at Bolz Road in Dundee Township when she ran for county board three years ago.

"I didn't think it was fair for Carpentersville to have to have a bridge come through it because McHenry County had overbuilt," she said.

But she has since changed her mind and now supports a plan to construct the bridge, using proceeds from a toll booth there to build it.

"I've crossed that bridge on (Route) 62 (in Algonquin) for 20 years," she said. "I've sat in that traffic. I know the time that is spent, the gas that is wasted. The bottom line is it needs to be built."