4 15 0 THE MCHENRY PLAINDEALER "SERVING THE CHAIN-O-LAKES REGION SINCE 1875 15 VOLUME 98 NUMBER 36 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1973 20 PAGES FIFTEEN CENTS Mill Kigglg Invite Public Views At School's Town Meetings TOWER MEETS INSPECTION - Standing near the recently completed water tower in the village of McHenry Shores are, from left, Ed Olbinski, village trustee; Howard Bieritz, village president; TT M«lhiM * fflnrtlurn Illinois Utilities; and Francis <3. Htgglns, vice-president of Northern Illinois Utilities. A dedication ceremony was held last Sunday, Nov. 25, following inspection by the Environmental Protection agency the previous week. Additional tests are being taken before the tower is put into operation. STAFF PHOTO-WAYNE GAYLORD An early morning call Monday from C. of C. Retail Chairman Jerry Adair in formed us that there would be no home lighting or business window display contests as planned this holiday season. "Good", we thought after just having heard all of the President's suggestions for conserving energy. This was a real spirit of cooperation. Later that day we picked up another newspaper that told us the city of Woodstock is con tinuing with plans formulated some time ago for a lighter and brighter Christmas than ever. This set us wondering. We could understand cir cumstances differing in various sections of the country, but in cities 12 miles apart? As very much a non-expert, we tried to piece the parts together. We were sure this kind of energy could not be stored and upon questioning, were told it is not feasible for several reasons to transport electricity across country. For accuracy, we turned to someone who would know the true picture. He was Owen Fordham, district power sales supervisor for Commonwealth Edison. Fordham said the company was cooperating in cutting energy use where possible. However, he said loads resulting from holiday lighting "would not cause a problem as far as the energy crisis is concerned". He continued to explain that night lighting of decorations occurs at off-peak times, when factories are closed. Because much of this type of energy is generated by nuclear power, it is not competing with other forms of power. Asked how much drain he estimated there would be if the customary use of holiday decorations should be made, Fordham estimated possibly 1 per cent of the total city load. Further, he said, all of the lighting over all of the system would probably not represent 5 org per cent of the total energy. Fordham added that he was referring primarily to street and small ornamental lighting which would not constitute a great load. He explained that just under 50 per cent of our electricity in The McHenry high school board of education recently established a number of action goals for the 1973-74 school year. The goals included an evaluation of student per formance, evaluation of co- c u r r i c u l a r a c t i v i t i e s , development of vocational programs, evaluation of the present 2-2 year campus organizational arrangement and improved communication with students, faculty and community. In efforts to improve this communication and provide any interested citizen with the opportunity to speak directly with the hoard, a series of town meetings have been planned. Although citizens are invited to attend all board meetings, agendas are often crowded and the proper time cannot be af forded. Therefore, time has been reserved at each of these town meetings to allow any student or citizen to bring any concern or suggestion to the attention of the board. The town meetings will be held Wednesday, Dec. 5, in the West campus cafeteria and Wednesday, March 6, in the East campus library from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Parents and citizens are encouraged to attend. Harrison School In Nation-Wide Survey Former Local Family Lives Through 'Miracle' The Andy Ramaeker family of Eagle Grove, Iowa, had much to be thankful for on Thanksgiving this year. Through what they described as "a miracle", the Ramaekers --nine in all-escaped death from carbon monoxide gas poisoning. The near tragedy for the former Ringwood family started to unfold about 6:30 on a Friday morning in their farm home eight miles northwest of Eagle Grove. Joann, 6, the youngest of twelve children (seven living at home), had awakened her mother several times during the night and early morning complaining of a severe headache. The incident failed to tip off the family to the impending danger. Several members had suffered from headaches and nausea as early as the previous Wednesday and it was at tributed to flu. Only when 15-year-old Tom lost consciousness as he got up to do farm chores did Mrs. Ramaeker become alarmed. Deb. 16, went upstairs to see what happened and she, too, fainted. Mrs. Rameaker opened the doors and called neighbors, who summoned a doctor. By Sunday, the family had recovered. The problem was clearly traced to about 2 feet of bird nests in the chimney. Nests had been removed in August, before the furnace was started, but apparently some farther down were missed. Andy Ramaeker and Shirley Neal of Ringwood were married locally and have been residing in Iowa for many years. Two sisters of Mr. Ramaeker reside in this area, Mrs. Alvin Miller of Broad street, McHenry, and Mrs. Gerald Miller of Volo. Students from Harrison School District 36, Wonder Lake, will be participating this year in a nation-wide survey designed to measure how well groups of young Americans have mastered ten academic areas, Robert Bright, superintendent, has an nounced. Harrison school is one of approximately 1,000 school districts in the nation which have been selected to par ticipate in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), a nation wide educational research project. NAEP is funded by the National Center of Educational Statistics in the U.S. Office of Education and is administered by the Education Commission of the States (ECS). ECS is a non-profit organization formed in 1966 by a coalition of governors, legislators, and educators to promote educational improvement through greater cooperation among the states. Membership now includes forty-four states and two territories. Both the participating districts and the students who will be tested in the schools are selected by random sampling procedures similar to those used by national public opinion polls. The national survey methods employed by NAEP provide educators and the public with new kinds of information. Assessment results establish levels of performance by young Americans as a whole and as groups in ten academic areas. This allows educators and the public to determine whether performance has improved and where improvement is needed, explained J. Stanley Ahmann, staff director, NAEP. Supt. Bright said he was contacted by NAEP to discuss the district's cooperation with the project and to establish a schedule for conducting the assessment in the local schools. He explained that a small sampling of students at three age levels - 9 years, 13 years and 17 years--will be asked to respond to assessment exer cises in two subject areas, writing and career and oc cupational development. Mr. Brightosaid he arranged • to conduct the assessment of 13- year-olds during/1^ weeks of Nov. 5-10, 12-16 a. d 19-23. In a separate survey, NAEP contacts randomly selected young adults, ages 26-35, to respond to assessment exer cises in a separate survey in writing and career and oc cupational development. Each of the age levels was chosen because it represents a certain plateau of educational development; a 9-year-old has completed most of his primary schooling; a 13-year-old has completed most of his elementary schooling; a 17- year-old has completed most of his high school education; and adults between the ages of 26 and 35 have usually finished most of their formal education. Both the individuals and the schools chosen to participate in (Continued on page 20) Burglary, Thefts Under Investigation In Community the twenty-two counties served by Edison, is generated by nuclear power. Coal and gas are also used, and oil represents about 8 to 9 per cent. Asked if there is a shortage of electrical power in the Mid west, the Edison spokesman said, "Fortunately, no". Electricity cannot be stored, he emphasized. "Once produced, it is distributed and used and we must keep generating. That's the way it's done all over the world". Certainly the spirit of cooperation with governmental requests on the part of city leaders is to be, commended. In the matter of oil and gasoline, the recommendation from the Capitol must affect the entire country, for if one section is short, these items can be shipped. But electricity becomes another matter. When an item cannot be stored and shipping long distances is not too feasible, it seems to us that we may cooperate and still celebrate Christmas in a common sense way, without giving up those observances which mean so much to us this one time of year. Could we possibly suggest that Chamber of Commerce leaders reconsider their plans for lighting and decorating contests? A graph concerning the use of lighting and its impact on the energy crisis appears on page 19 of this issue. K.A.F. School Board Views Reading Course Status At an instructional meeting of the District 15 school board Tuesday night, members learned the status of the Harcourt Brace reading program. Teachers were in troduced by Valley View P r i n c i p a l E d m u n d Sobotkiewicz. Speaking on the Valley View learning center, Miss Alice Clark spoke of the remedial reading program in which she has nineteen pupils through the fifth grade. Mary Obenauf explained the (Continued un page 20) Sometime last Wednesday night, Record City located at 7514 Hancock drive, Wonder Lake, was burglarized and numerous articles were taken. Determined to be missing from the cash register was $69.75 in cash. Also taken were a Telex stereo record player, Hitachi cassette recorder, Harmony banjo, a guitar and a display unit containing four different models of Tenna Tape Players. Entry was made by breaking a glass in the front door. Several record albums were found in the grass outside the building. Apparently, they were aban doned by the offender after having been removed from the building. James Stahl of 4402 E. Lake Shore drive, Wonder Lake, and Harry Pierce of 1912 River Terrace, McHenry, were arrested by sheriff's deputies for theft under $150 after it was determined they were stealing gasoline from autos in Wonder Lake. Bond for each was set at $1,000, with court appearance scheduled for Dec. 6. The arrests resulted Saturday night after deputies were sent to investigate the report that gasoline was being taken from autos of residents in the area of East Lake Shore drive and Backbay road, Wonder Lake A surveillance was established in an effort to (Continued on page 20) Four Hit-Run Accidents Investigated Within City Four hit-and-run accidents occurred in the city in recent days. Nancy R. Thomas of 3203 W. Fairway, McHenry, reported that her auto was hit last Monday while she was driving south on Richmond road. An auto pulled out of Pearl street, struck the left door of her vehicle and then continued south on Richmond road without stopping. Gary W. Shasta! of 911 Broadway, McHenry, parked his auto at the McHenry Savings and Loan parking lot Thursday night and attended a movie at the theatre. When h^j returned two hours later, he found his car had been damaged. The left front door on a car owned by Mark G. Mundy of 5404 Amby lane, McHenry, was damaged while parked at 4310 W. Route 120, Saturday evening. Mrs. Elizabeth H. Swan of 3719 W. Freund, McHenry, reported that her parked auto was struck while parked at 3703 James street Sunday af ternoon. Sixteen-year-old John Reese of 1715 Beechnut drive, McHenry, was taken to McHenry hospital by the rescue squad after he was hit by a car Monday afternoon at 3514 W. Waukegan road near East campus. Driver of the auto, Mrs. Frances M. Reeves of 5502 May, Richmond, told police she was west-bound on Waukegan when the boy ran from the north shoulder of the road into the path of her car. Mrs. Reeves said she applied her brakes and the boy ran into the right front fender of her vehicle. Reese said he was running for a bus, darted into the street and didn't see the car until impact occurred. Michael J. Niska of 1611 N. Park, McHenry, was charged with driving while intoxicated and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident after he hit the rear of a car owned by (Continued on page 20) Spring Registration At MCC Gets Under Way Soon Registration for Spring semester classes offered through McHenry County college will be getting under way shortly. According to John Adelmann, a counselor at the college, all currently-enrolled students, both full and part- time, will have an opportunity to register early, at designated times during the month of December, beginning Dec. 3. In addition, Jan. 3 marks the beginning of general registration for both new and returning students. Throughout January, residents may register at the college Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and on Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Adelmann stated a series of informal, small-group program-planning sessions will . be conducted for the benefit of both part-time and full time students. Regarding these sessions Adelmann said it has been our experience that many people come to the community college with some idea of their goals and plans, but with little idea as to the steps necessary to reach them. The primary purpose of these sessions, which are voluntary and available to all, is to assist participants with the development of a program of study that is consistent with their short and long-term plans." Also, Adelmann indicated that the counseling staff of the college is available to assist residents on an individual basis during regular office hours, Monday through Friday, and on Monday % and Thursday evenirigk-^ Additional information concerning registration for Spring semester, which gets under way on Jan. 28. as well as the necessary registration materials /fean be obtained through the Admissions- Records-Counseling office at 6200 Northwest highway. Crystal Lake Arrest Men Fleeing From Local Police David M. Wagner of 2006 N. Oak drive, McHenry, was charged with improper left turn and fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer following a recent incident. His father, Lloyd Wagner, of the same address, was charged with resisting or obstructing a peace officer. Bond for David Wagner was set at $550 and $25 bond for his father. Their court date has been set for Dec. 10. The arrests resulted after Lt. Robert Kranz observed a truck driven by David Wagner at the intersection of Waukegan and Front streets. When the light changed, Wagner's truck which was in the right turn lane on Front street, made a left turn (Continued ~on page 20) Charge Man With Unlawful Use Of Weapons John W. Anderson of 1512 W. Hickory, McHenry, was taken into custody Tuesday evening by sheriff's deputies on charges of unlawful use of weapons and criminal damage to property with bond set at $6,000. At approximately 7:45 Tuesday evening, deputies investigated a report by Peter Katris of 2500 N. Flanders road, McHenry, that someone had tapped on a window of his apartment. Next he heard gunshots. When the shooting stopped, he went outside and (Continued on page '20) Advance Dates For Mailing By One Full Week Postmaster Leroy M Smith said the local post office is notifying customers that it is necessary to advance the Christmas mailing dates one full week. Packages should be mailed by Dec. 3 and cards by Dec. 8 The change of dates has resulted from the fuel shortage which caused a reduction of hundreds of airline flights, Smith explained In addition, he said, trucks carrying mail have slowed to 50 miles per hour. IN FESTIVE MOOD - Working high above the street en one of the many rainy days of the past week, this worker is putting in place the attractive candles which will decorate the city throughout ttVf Christmas season. It is McHenry's way of welcoming shoppers to the business districts and saying a sincere thanks for a wonderful* year. STAFF PHOTO-WAYNE GAYLORD In Holiday Program Terry Muck and Larry Ekeroth. as the princess and prince of •'Cinderella", w ill step from a large Christmas display window to sing for the McHenry Choral club's annual holiday programDec. 1 and 1 at X: 15 p.m. in West campus auditorium. They will appeWin one segment of the Christmas presentation which takes tRte^ audience to the "Land of Make Believe". x (PHOTO BY WAYNE GAYLORD) "The Sights and Sounds of Music" will fill West campus auditorium Saturday and Sunday evenings. Dec 1 and 2, when the McHenry Choral club carries out that theme for its annual holiday program Curtain time is 8:15 The club's human Christmas tree will be seen in an outside setting for the first time, featuring familiar music of Santa and snowfall The jolly man will make his appearance to open the singing w ith "Santa, the Happy Wanderer", followed by old favorites, "White Christmas" and "Winter Wonderland" and the chorus singing "Snowtime Holiday" 's As the stage is transformed into large display windows at holiday time, some favorites of the "Land of Make Believe" will come to life briefly Later, these same windows will be filled with a representation of the nativity scene as Mary Ann Wegener sings "Ave Maria" and John Marco will be heard in "Birthday Party of A King". (Continued on page 20)