A "Serving The Chain-O-Lakes Region Since 1875" Volume 85 -- No. 46 -- 3 Sections McHENRY. ILLINOIS^ THURSDAY, MARCH 17. 1960 20 Pages -- 10c P6r Copy usiri* * -> jiot;,j Proposed Hospital We hate to disagree with the poet, but in spite of what the calendar says we can't quite believe that "spring can't be t far behind". As we sit at our typewriter and gaze from our window at a beautiful (?) snow fall, we figure it is behind dozens of stalled . cars, hundreds of snow shovels and a fs^od deal of plowing equipment. Parochial schools called off school during the morning, but public schools were planning to continue classes throughout the day. It was baseball season at the high school, but some of the players displayed a sheepish grin as they carried equipment doMi the street in preparation for ^he planned practice. Well -- maybe the poet's right, If we don't mind a few more weeks of waiting. "Tis the day for the wearin* of the green, but a sad time for those of us with only a smattering of Irish blood who must work side by side with honestto- goodness Irishmen. living traced our own ancestors several different places, we had never thought of anything like a particular loyalty to one or another. But for those true, blue Irishmen, it's different. Working with them day by day, we're convinced that if the rest of us suddenly disappeared for good it wouldn't matter if only they left the Irida. After all, who was this bi^ wide, wonderful world made for but the Irish? At any rate, we're not going to argue the point on St. Patrick's Day. The circus came to Chicago last week, and there must have been a few folks who watched its arrival and chuckled as they compared its attractions with a period riot so long ago. #fost of lis thtrik of the circus as an unchanging part of the American scene, bat it was only sixty-four years age that the Barnum and Bailey circus displayed as one of Its main oddities, not some rare animal or unusual act, but the greatest novelty of 1896 -- the automobile, '{t is hard to believe that Eraland tried to discourage thWise of cars in 1865 by passing the Red Flag law. This law required that someone carrying a red flag in the daytime and a lantern at night walk ahead of any steam carriage travelling on the highways. Today, little more than a half century ago when the car was a novelty, there are more 80 million passenger cars travelling on the world's roads, and about 56 million are owned by Americans. That's enough cars to take every man, woman and child in this country for a Sunday drive at one time -- with room left over for all the people of Great Britain and France. The average car lasted 6.5 years in 1925, they tell us, and toflfy it lasts more than twelve years. This latter fact we can verify, and from our own experience they do a pretty good job even then. K. A. F. saL harfsuii'wwAiri" This floor plan of McHenry hospital's proposed eighteen-bed building with a maternity department shows location of various facilities. The one-story structure will be built along the south bank Of Boone creek and wffl be accessible via a driveway connecting with W aukegan road. This will be the first of four stages in a I ong range plan. As each phase is completed, facilities will be moved to the new building. When the first phase is completed, the hospital will own, occupy and operate its own bu ilding. TO The initial eighteen-bed stage is the objective in the current fund raising campaign. It will contain a complete heating and air c onditioning plant and a central oxygen supply unit. As in other parts of the plan, the maternity department has been carefully laid out to provide the greatest comfort for new mothers and new arrivals, as well as for visiting family members. Hold Man On Federal Charge A twenty-year-old Lakemoor man, Mike Holcomb, and two Woodstock youths, a boy of 15 and a girl of 14, have been held in Florida by the FBI prior to an investigation into a charge of interstate larceny of a motor vehicle. The three were apprehended in Florida the last , of the week after authorities were led on a long trail which started in Woodstock with a missing- auto belonging to Donald Tibbits. Woodstock Police Chief Emery Hansman <te3d a Plaindealer reported last weekend that he had not been informed whether or not the three would be returned to Illinois. It was believed Holcomb might be held in Florida to answer the charge of interestate larceny, after which he would need to face charges of local authorities. Lakemoor police a n d other city officials on first check could recall none listed in the village by that name. However, further investigation revealed someone by that name having lived at Hollywood Terrace sometime within the past year. The Woodstock girl was apprehended by authorities in Bradenton and the two youths were taken into custody at St. Petersburg. They had left the car and the girl in Bradenton and hitchhiked to St. Petersburg. SCHOOL FOR JUDGES A school of instruction for election judges will be held in the circuit court room on March 17 from 10 a.m. until noon and from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Judges in the sixty precincts of the county are expected to attend, according to County Clerk Vernon W. Kays. SCHOOL BOND SALE CONTINGENT ON ACTION OF DISTRICT VOTERS AT SPECIAL ELECTION APRIL 9 Bonds in the amount of $350,000 were sold to Harry J. Wilson Co., and Scott Kegley of Chicago at Monday night's meeting of School District 15, the action contingent on the outcome of the special issue for approval of the bonds by the public at the April 9 election. The bond issue" - being brought before voters in order to construct a much needed school for grade pupils west of the city. The location was chosen to alleviate a transportation problem for children in that area just as tthe new school on Lincoln Road, north of Eastwood Manor, will accomplish the same purpose for youngsters residing north and east of McHenry. Representatives of the Illinois Gas Co., were present at the meeting to state advantages of the use of gas in the new Hilltop school, but no decision was reached by the board. A letter of resignation was read from Mrs. Keenum. physical education instructor at Edgebrook school. During the meeting, the •jboard voted a 5 per cent salary increase to non-certified employees. FONT ANA WOMAN KILLED AS TWO CARS HIT HEAD-ON Wild Chase Ends In Capture Of Young Father Who Took Baby f --- Howard Cairns of McHenry ended a long service period with the sheriff's office last Sunday, but not before he had spent two hours in ,one of the most exciting assignments of his career. The police duty, which included a long chase down side roads in the area southeast of McHenry. ended ie apprehension of a young faffier who had taken his sixweek old baby from the home of the parents of his estranged wife, with the threat that they would never see the child alive again. The father was Thomas Ketchum. 21. who left an older child but took the infant from the Connors home on Roberts R^d as his wife. Patricia. 18, w^ched. He took the baby after she is reported to have refused to go for a ride with him. The sheriff's office was alerted and began the two-hour search which ended in Ketchum's capture on Nish road, off Barreville road. They had been informed that he had abandoned the truck which he drove away from the Connors home and continued his escape with the baby in a car. Authorities began the long chase for "the Ketchum car about 9 o'clock Sunday evening and recovered the child at 11 p.m. The infant was unharmed when found. Cairns said Ketchum was being charged with reckless driving and also, on complaint of his wife, with assault. He is held under heavy bond in the county jail. CATHOLIC WOMEN MEET Approximately 140 women from parishes throughout McHenry county attended an open meeting of the McHenry deanery, Council of Catholic Women. on March 14 at St. Patrick's parish, McHenry. Guest speakers included Rev. Thomas Brady, who spoke on "Spiritual Guidance at Marian Central." Mrs. Charles Wilkinson of Aurora. 1958 woman of the year in the Rockford diocese, addressed the group on the subject of "Communism and Our Lady". Another tragedy of the highway occurred Saturday night, March 12, taking the life of an Indian Hills, Fontana, woman. She died after her Volkswagen se£an crashed a^d burst into flames on Rt. 14, south of Harvard. The dead woman was Mrs. Patricia Weideman, 27, whose i machine crashed head-on into a car driven by Thomas J. 1 Berry of Rt. 1, Harvard, who was badly injured. Mrs. Weidernan's car was fol- I lowing another driven by her i husband, who was north-bound, i He passed a semi-trailer truck, and as she attempted to do likewise, crashed into the Barry auto. Wonder Lake Youth Hurt In Gun Accident LeRoy Flemming, 20, of Wonder Lake suffered a bullet wound in the calf of his right leg last Sunday afternoon when his gun accidentally dis* charged. He was engaged irt* target practice with-a .22 eaK-' bertarget pistol at a gravel pit west of the city when the accident occurred. According to county authorities who investigated, Flemming was practicing,, along with two friends, when the pistol fired as he was putting it into a holster. »'as treated at McHenry hospital, SIX WINNERS SELECTED IN POOL CONTEST Grade Pupils Recognized For Talent In Art TYKE RESENTS SPANKING; PACKS UP. LEAVES HOME Even a cold winter breeze failed to deter a five-year-old youngster from running away from home after grandma had administered a spanking on Monday morning. The determined little fellow was Neil Petges of Chicago, who has been staying with his grandparents, the Nbwickis, near Kent Acres. Mrs. Nowicki called McHenry police after naon that day to report his disappearance. She explained that the lad told her he was going back to Chicago, whereupon he dressed for the cold winter weather and left the house. The family failed to take him seriously until he failed to appear for lunch and could be , found nowhere in the neighborhood two hours later. On advice of city police, the grandparents withheld putting out an alert until a complete check of the area had been accomplished. He was found about 3:30 in the afternoon in a Woods not far from home. T#o Men Injured By ffit-And-Run Driver A hit-and-run driver has been sought by authorities for Staking two men who were (Hanging a tire on Highway 12, a 'mile north of Volo, Sunday night. The injured were Brian Baker, 18, of Rt. 6. McHenry, a tow truck driver, and Earl H; Swanson of Park Ridge, owner of the disabled car. Baker was taken to McHenry hospital suffering from an injured back, bruises and abrasions. Swanson sustained a fractured ankle. The hit-a n d-r u n vehicle turned a corner at high speed, then hit the truck and men. Hrey were hurled against the Swanson auto. Youth Admits Local Thefts A seventeen-year-old youth who attends Junior high school admitted to McHenry police that he had shoplifted on two occasions in McHenry stores and also toM of two other thefts. The lad was questioned by Police Chief Joseph Grobel Monday morning after receive ing a call from the school dffice to verify a statement by the youth that he was la.te because he had been talking to the police. Chief Grobel recalled that the boy had stopped briefly at the station that morning but had no conversation with officers. Upon questioning later, the boy admitted to having taken h u b c a p s i n M c H e n r y a n d in Round Lake. He also said he had taken a jacket from a Green street store and other, smaller items from a store on Riverside Drive. The case of the Holiday Hills youth will be heard on March 19. ASSESSED VALUATION IN McHENRY TOWNSHIP SHOWS LAR6ER MCREASE THAN ANY OTHERS WITHIN COUNTY YOUNG SAILOB CHALKS UP MANY MEMORIES ABROAD It will take much to .convince at least one young McHenry sailor that there is any truth in the long honored belief that DRIVERS ESCAPE INJURY WHEN CARS COLLIDE Two drivers escaped injury when their cars collided about 4:30 Saturday afternoon at the intersection of Elm street and Riverside Drive. McHenry police report that William T. Koos of Elmwood Park was driving on the inside lane on Elm street, westbound, when he attempted to make a right turn on Riverside Drive. In doing so he struck a car driven by Peter J. Hertz of Sunnyside, who was just pulling up beside the Koos vehicle on the outside lane. Koos was charged with making an improper turn. VOTE QN NEW C OF C BOARD NMEItS AT MEETM Of THREE LOCAL 0R6AMZATI0NS ON MAR. 31 Last Sunday afternoon, at Edgebrook school Judges Jane Weiss, Bill Kinsala, Lpri Wilhelm and Chairman Muriel Scheuer, pictured left to right, announced winners in the McHenry swimming pool poster coloring contest. They were judged on neatness and ability in separate grade categories. MARY GRANGER NAMED CENSUS CREW LEADER Mary Granger of McHenry is one of four crew leaders ap- | pointed in the. county for the 1960 census. Others are Helen Maxwell of Algonquin, Irene Poppe of Marengo and Martha I Forester of Harvard. , Each crew leader will supervise about twenty enumerators in the big nation-wide census which begins April 1. Training for both city and rural crew leaders have already begun. fy?- < * * . v . - . . v . i After many hours'of decision on 2,000 posters, six winners were selected, two of them tied. They were the following: First and second grade: Andrea Clark, second grade, St. Mary's and Fred Starke second grade, Edgebrook; third and fourth grades, Mike Krickl, third grade, Edgebrook; fifth a n d s i x t h g r a d e s : N a n c y Adams, sixth grade, St. Mary's, and Jeannette Hocin, fifth grade. Landmark: seventh and eighth grades, James Herdrich, eighth grade, St. Mary's. Honorable mention for outstanding features in ability of work and neatness went to the following pupils, their grade and school: Pamela Nugent, first, Edgebrook; Denise Lot- At a luncheon meeting of the general membership of the Chamber of Commerce to be held Thursday, March 31, at the Legion home, the following slate of board of directors to serve during 1960, presented by the nominating committee, will be voted on: Donald P. Doherty, Monroe Fein, Dr. John C. Goetschel, Frank Gregory, Don Johnson, Robert Justen, F^ank Low, Joseph Kuna, Edward Pieroni, Charles E. Smith, Jerry Steinbadh and Dick Zieman. The March 31 meeting will be a combined gathering for members of the C. of C., the Rotary club and the Kiwanis club, Guest speaker that day will be Dr. Frederic C. Jelen, an engineer-turned-economist, who will address the audience on the basic cause and effect factors which create inflation. Boards Meet Last Thursday, the present C. of C. boarVl and the men nominated to serve in the year ahead, met at the Chapel Hill Country club to discuss the 1969 program of the organization and work to be undertaken in 1960. President Donald Doherty introduced all new members of the board following dinner and gave a brief talk in which he stressed the necessity for continuing the projects started during the past year. Included among those he named were the welcome signs at four entrances to McHenry; the holiday lighting program and plans for 1960 Fiesta Day. New officers of the C. of C. will be elected at a meeting planned for early this spring. MANY ACCIDENTS A check with state police at 1:30 Wednesday afternoon revealed a number of minor accidents as a result of the heavy snow and slippery roads. However, none of a serious nature had been reported at that time in the McHenry community. COUNTY HAS INCREASE OF TWO PRECINCTS "Scots are Scotch", or that folks aren't pretty friendly wherever you go. Jack, son of Mr. and Mrs. M. L. Schoenholtz, recently enjoyed liberty when -his ship pulled to shore at Greenock, near Glasgow. It was a real thrill when he was one of forty-five out of 1,222 selected to attend a .party given by the Lord Mayor, with a long reception line of,lords and-ladies, and stately butlers in attendance at the generously spread serving table. The ship was scheduled for other stops, one above the Arctic Circle. When it arrived at the Port of Stockholm last week the bay was completely frozen. However, the friendly Scandinavians came out by the hundreds on skis across the snow-covered ice to greet the young American sailors. Jack's long,. four-year service period will end on July 4 this year, but memories like those he has experienced in. recent weeks will probably last a lifetime. LOCAL COMMISSION OUTLINES PLANS FOR WEEKS AHEAD Illinois will have 9,980 voting precincts for the April 12 primary election, an increase of seventy-three over the total for the Nov. 4 general election. McHenry county accounted for two of the increases. The estimated number of registered voters, is 5,090,212, an increase of 29,526. McHenry county's registration, as listed by the state, is 41,000, which will no doubt be changed somewhat since the end of the current campaign for registration. COUNCIL in CAPSULE The line formed to the right in the city clerk's office during the past weekend when 183 new voters registered before the deadline. In addition, there were many cards completed for persons who had changed their address. (Continued on page 8) FIRST AID CLASS A f i r s t a i d c l a s s w i l l b e started in McHenry on March 23 at 7:30 p.m. at the McHenry fire house. Registration may be* made by sending a card to the Red Cross, McHenry, 111. FRESHMAN REGISTRATION A total of 255 incoming freshmen" were registered at the high school on Freshman. Night Monday of this week. M a y o r F r e u n d , A l d e r m e n Pitzen and Thennes and the city clerk. Earl Walsh, spent Monday of this week visiting municipalities in the Chicago suburban area gathering information that should prove helpful in completing plans for the new waterworks improvement project. The Council is particularly interested in the reserve storage'portion of the project. In some cases it was found that underground storage has replaced the towers. Since each city has problems unique to its own location, the information secured will have to be thoroughly studied. The McHenry Plan Commission held its first meeting in March on Monday evening of this week, at which time Royal Bernier outlined the progress of the industrial sub-committee. Mayor Freund explained the work of the city in the weeks ahead to establish the best type of system to be installed in connection with the program for an adequate water supply in McHenry. Mayor Freund and several aldermen were in Park Ridge this past week to see underground water storage tanks and reported on these to the commission. LeRoy Olsen said he planned to meet with Supt. Carl Buckner in the near future concerning the survey of Stanton & Rockwell in connection with McHenry schools. The next meeting of the commission will be March 28. CHURCHES TO HOLD FESTIVAL OF FAITH MARCH 27 Protestants fro* all parts of McHenry county will join in special service of worship to be held at the Woodstock high school on Sunday, March 27, at 3 p.m. Dr. Carl Winters, well known lecturer and world traveler, will bring the message Ministers representing six denominations will share in the program. A combined church choir from Harvard will bring special music. The public is invited to share in. this public declaration of faith. During the past week, the city has taken further steps to relieve the drainage problem on Park av^pue" by-;^eajting out the culverts and adjoining ditch to allow excessive amounts ,of water to flow through much faster. The city has also received word this week from the Mc- Henry-Nunda-Union Drainage District, No. 2, that a meeting will be arranged within the next thirty days for the purpose of submitting a drainage plan. Police Warn About Dogs Running Loose Numerous complaints have been received from residents of McHenry and the s u r r o u n d i n g s u b d i v i s i o n s concerning dogs running loose and in packs. Officers were called to Edgebrook Heights last weekend when residents complained of several dogs roaming through the area. Officers contacted owners of the dogs and informed them that their dogs and all others must be kept tied. Police say that no further warnings will be given within the city limits, but all dogs found running will be picked up and tickets issued to owners. A report of County Clerk Vernon W. Kays, this past week revealed a total assessed valuation of all property within the county for 1959 at $354,- 123,975 compared1* to $341,247,- 310 in 1958, an increase of $12,876,655. Taxes will be extended in the office of the clerk in the various townships on this valuation. McHenry township, with a valuation of $63,013,495, was second only to Algonquin, the total of which was $78,720,- 975. Nunda ranked third with $39,977,220 and Dorr was fourth with $37,560,705. McHenry's new figure was almost $5,000,000 more than the $58,531,515 for 1958. This was by far the largest increase of the townships in the two years. Second highest increase was in Algonquin, where the 1958 valuation was set at $76,- 348,050. • • Other 1959 valuations were Riley, $6,068,880; Marengo, $19,171,110; Dunham, $9,987,- 520; Chemung, $20,358,985; Alden, $5,515,265; Hartland, $6,- 777,750; Seneca, $6,668,025; C o r a l , $ 8 , 2 8 7 , 2 2 0 ; G r a f t o n , $19,005,825; Greenwood, $12,- 142,540; Hebron, $8,429,460; Richmond, $9,379,240; Burton, $3,060,330. GOV. STRATTON TO VISIT COUNTY FRIDAY MORNING From the state office of Gov. t William G. Stratton comes word thtfr he will be in Woodstock on March 18 to meet his friends and citizens of the county. His party will be at the Woodstock V.F.W. clubhouse on Throop street, Highway 14, from 9:30 to fl a.m., at which time coffee and doughnuts will be served. Everyone is invited to attend. * VFW AUXILIARY ELECTS OFFICERS TO SERVE IN '60 Daisy Smith was re-elected president of the V.F.W. Auxiliary at a meeting held Monday evening of this week. Others named to office at the meeting were Bernadette Cisewski, senior vice-president; Irene Stoller, junior vice-president; Shirley Cisewski, treasurer; Helen Jurgensohn, conductress; Rose Murphy, guard; Wilma Ay 1 ward, chaplain; Genevieve Bradley, three-year trustee. The new officers will be installed in an impressive ceremony later this spring. DEATH CLAIMS PIONEER RESIDENT OF McCULLOM LAKE A final trip to the land of her birth was an unfulfilled dream for Ingeborg Olsen, 76, who succumbed in McHenry hospital on Monday of this week. Her death was caused from complications which developed after a fall in her home five weeks ago at which time she suffered a broken hip. Mrs. Olsen, nee Thime, was born in Norway on June 30,; 1883. and came to this country in 1905. She was married in Chicago to her childhood sweetheart, TTieodor, on Oct. 20. 1906. The couple marked' their golden wedding anniversary with a big celebration in 1956. They purchased property in McCullom Lake in 1930 and l?ecame permanent residents here in 1948. Always a very active person, Mrs. Olsen made many trips back to the land of her birth and was a member of (Continued on Page 8)