Good neighbor MCC deserves much better

I'm surprised and disappointed at all the negative attention McHenry County College has been getting on its proposal for much-needed growth in classroom space and programming.

The prospect of a baseball stadium that would host minor league games a few months out of the year is for some reason striking fear in the hearts of a vocal few. It has completely overshadowed the long list of benefits, including a new county health and wellness resource.

Naysayers worry about traffic, parking and the watershed, and rightly so. We should all be worried about these issues. But MCC has done its homework, and consulting engineers spent more than two years providing more than adequate evidence and planning to ensure a minimal impact.

If MCC were a new corporation in town or a faceless developer, I might agree with the fear-mongers. But it has been an integral part of McHenry County since 1967. The value it brings to our local economy in education, employment, job training and culture is phenomenal.

Over the past 40 years, MCC has been nothing but a benefit to McHenry County. Now, as this wonderful institution strives to keep up with growth and the educational needs of its community, suddenly it can't be trusted?

MCC has been around longer than most businesses and probably many of those so vocally against it. How about we give them a little credit where credit is long overdue? We have a health-care crisis, a nursing shortage and an economy that is making it more and more difficult for people to afford a higher education.

MCC is trying to meet these needs without dipping into taxpayers' pockets. We need to support this college in its efforts. It's the least we can do for everything it has given us.

I urge you to call or write Crystal Lake City Council members and voice support for MCC's Health, Wellness and Athletic Center.

Paula Lauer

East Dundee