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Gas Situation Stable... (With Reservations) The second polling of area service station operators this week indicates that gas should be available in the McHenry area over the Memorial day weekend. There was a note of caution, however, that the situation for the present was satisfactory only if people refrain from hoarding and don't drive unnecessarily. One area operator said he would be closed both Sunday and Monday, but he hastened to add that it was not because of a shortage of gas but only because he wants to go fishing. Two local Amoco (Standard) statibn operators said they had been cut back 20 percent of their allocations at the same time last year. However, they didn't foresee any serious supply problems.) Some station operators were extremely cautious about talking with the press. One of them explained it this way: "I'm afraid of you blowing everything out of proportion and starting a scare." At one station a driver was heard commenting about a friend in California who had taken a trip, became worried about the gas supply and decided to cut the trip short. He had no difficulty in getting gasoline any place along the feturn trip, and at no place was he limited on the number of gallons purchased. ' One operator, who for obvious reasons chose not to be named, said he felt the gas shortage is more due to industry-government antagonism than anything else. Johnsburg Views Request To Join School District The board of education of the Johnsburg Community Unit district Tuesday night heard a lengthy presentation by members of a citizens' com­ mittee from the Lotus school district, asking that Johnsburg seriously consider Lotus' request to join District 12. Board president Charles Boak advised Lotus' committee spokesperson, Jane Walideck, that Johnsburg would take its request under advisement. Ms. Waldeck explained that Lotus suffers from a quirk in the state aid formula, which is figured on a district's tax base and daily attendance. The tax base is extremely high due to Leisure Village, a retirement community, making up slightly more than half of its population. This also ef­ fectively keeps the daily at­ tendance low, so that Lotus has reached a point where it receives no state aid. Up to this point, Lotus' only indebtedness has been for life safety work, which has been completed. Its small debt would be paid off by those who were originally taxed for it. and would not carry over to a new district. Its bonds would be retired in 1980, but if the district is not able to consolidate, it would acquire further in debtedness by next year. Lotus students comprise about 13 percent of Grant high school's enrollment and an even smaller percentage of Richmond-Burton's, and its pull-out pose^ little threat to either school! Further com plicating issues for the Lotus group, however, is the fact that the district 's lawyer is also Grant high school's lawyer, and cannot counsel them in their considerations When asked about citizen support. Ms. Waldeck replied that a petition with promised signatures of over half the population of the area was held off because it would have been directed to the county level, thus appearing to go over the heads of school board members in contiguous districts The committee felt that a presentation to the boards of each of the four districts being considered would be a necessary courtesy before going to county boards with citizen support petitions. In summarizing the com­ mittee's presentation, Ms. Waldeck reminded Johnsburg lx>ard members that at the time of this second request. John­ sburg would be their choice. She again mentioned Lotus' excellent tax base, and the small number of students. (Continued on page 18) X 3toard Winning ihtofipaper 1978-- Illinois Press Association Newspaper Contest THE MCHENRY PLAINDEALER SERVING THE CHAIN-O-LAKES REGION SINCE 1875 VOLUME 103 NUMBER 86 FRIDAY, MAY 25, 1979 2 SECTIONS 32 PAGES 20' Emergency Aid At Plaindealer Carol Wetland uses eyedropper to give a cooperative fledgling water as Sam Zito looks on with concern. The Plaindealer office took on the appearance of a veterinarian's office Saturday morning when the two members of the newspaper advertising staff found the bird, believed to be a barn swallow, clinging to life on the sidewalk after its nest had been disturbed by workmen. STAFF PHOTO-WAYNE GAYLORD People who see newspaper employees as cold and un­ feeling just haven't known the right ones. For the second time in as many years, Plaindealer employees have engaged in a life saving effort in behalf of nature's less fortunate creatures. This time it was to save the lives of three tiny birds. During last winter's severe storm, the newspaper awning was destroyed. As workmen started' repair work last Friday, the bird's nest evidently was damaged and the birds fell to the ground. Carol Weiland found one dead in the grass and another alive on the walk as she arrived for work Saturday morning. (Continued on page 18) 'Hollywood On Parade' McHenry Fiesta Theme The theme for this year's Fiesta Days week long celebration will be "Hollywood on Parade". Floats and general decorations of stores will depict the various eras of that great town of entertainment and its stars of bygone years. The Fiesta Days committee has announced that the annual celebration will begin Sunday, July 22, and end with the colorful parade Sunday af­ ternoon, the twenty-ninth of July. Drum Coips Magic that same evening will feature many of the nation's oustan- ding drum and bugle corps at McCracken field. Tickets will go cn sale soon at the McHenry Law enforcement agencies continue to step up their efforts to make our highways safe from humans who refuse to relinquish the wheel after displaying their fondness for the fruit of the vine. But they are neglectful of the fact that inebriation is not just a human foible, that some animals also overindulge. The results would probably not be as disastrous unless the human and the creature, each in less than full possession of his faculties, should meet Even the friendly, neigh­ borhood robin has been known to get tipsy as the result of dining on ripe pyracantha berries. Sometimes, in fact, their condition reaches the point of bumping into each other or (lying into telephone wires and windows. In some cases hordes of migrating robins have been seen staggering after lingering too long at the bushes. A few days later they sobered up and continued on their way South. But ornithologists are quick to point out that "drunk" may not be the correct term for birds in this condition. The big difference between humans and animals is that humans may set out deliberately to addle their senses, while animals are usually taken unawares. A mammal bigger than man has a long tradition of inebriation due to the habit of feeding on various fermented (Continued on page 18) Chamber of Commerce office. More information can be ob­ tained by calling 385-4300. The Fiesta Days celebration will again be an event filled with entertainment for both young and old. Teen dances, square dancing, music of yesteryear, banjo-beer night and of course the annual sidewalk sale Saturday, July 28, will be part of the activities. Plans are not yet finalized, but are being made for a dif­ ferent opening day activity on the twenty-second of July. As soon as the commitee has completed these plans they will be announced. The drum and bugle corps scheduled for the parade and evening • Drum Corps Magic competition are the Madison Scouts from Madison, Wis., the Kilts from Racine, Wis., the Cavaliers from Park Ridge, the Guardsmen from Schaumburg, 111., the Pioneers from Cedarburg, Wis., and the Flying Dutchmen from Quincy. A coupon to be used to enter the parade appears elsewhere in this issue. The board of education of Montini Catholic schools has adopted a budget of $259,400 for the 1979-80 school year. In­ cluded in it are the 1979-80 tuition rates: $340 for one-child families of St. Mary's and St. Patrick's; $415 for two or more child families of the two parishes and $490 per child for out-of-parish families. The budget represents a 12 percent raise over the 1978-79 budget, with the greatest exp­ enditure increase in the area of teacher salaries (the teachers were given a 5 percent raise for 1979-80) and utilities, according to Superintendent. Ron Svoboda. * Registration for 1979-80 is now taking place. Interested families should call the Montini (Continued on page 13) Morris Property "Misunderstanding" On Proposed Annexation Mayor Stanek said there was "some misunderstanding" at a Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) recent meeting. This misun­ derstanding led to the bulk of the business conducted at the four-hour City Council meeting Monday night. The misunderstanding concerned the proposed an­ nexation of the Morris property, a nine-and-one-half acre plot of land near Bull Valley road and Route 31. The petitioners, Arthur Keevil, McHenry, and David Evans, Crystal Lake, and their attorney. Thomas Henley, requested a zoning change to B- 3, which would allow them to build an auto service center. The ZBA, on the other hand, was concerned that this piece of land would return to the junkyard that it once was and recommended that only single use zoning be granted. This would prohibit the petitioners from storing damaged cars, selling the used parts and scrapping the damaged vehicles. Keevil, Evans and Henley appeared before the Council to explain their position. They said that it was not their in­ tention to make a junkyard out of the property. "Our objective is a complete auto service center," Keevil said. Storage would be needed for our customers' cars. Keevil said, but 30 days is usually the maximum. As far as the selling of used parts was concerned, Keevil said that he does not operate any dismantling of cars and that he will deal only in new parts Financing the auto service center is the McHenry Savings and Loan, which has said that if single use zoning for the land is approved, the financing agreement could not be honored Their concern stems from the fact that if Keevil and Evans should default, single use zoning would severely limit the resale value and the number of potential buyers of the parcel Alderman Wieser pointed out that while the ZBA is worried about the possiblity that this area would become a junkyard, the B-3 classification would not allow a junkyard without a variance, which the Council could deny. Wieser also pointed out that the screening of the damaged cars, so as not to create an eyesore, could easily be controlled through the pre- annexation agreement Alderman Schooley was still concerned about the junkyard aspect of the property Alderan Pepping suggested that the petitioners would have to file a site plan, approved by he Council, before any work could be started on the property. Keevil said that the north part of the property, away from the road, would be used for storage, with any type of fence or screening that the City required. Keevil added that before the body shop or storage r!! of damaged vehicles would be allowed, a detailed written site plan, including the screening proposal, would have to be approved by the Council. City Attorney Narusis said that the Council could build in *Qie safeguards, but it was up to the City to make sure the petitioners comply Thomas Neulle, an attorney representing the McHenry hospital, voiced the hospital 's concern that the area should be "kept attractive to the eyes and the senses." The hospital owns property in the immediate vicinity of the land in question The proposed U-W zoning was approved w'ith onl> Alderman Schooley dissenting Approval was made provided there would be no sale of used parts, no cannibalization of damaged cars, storage for a maximum of 30 days, a site plan would have to be approved, building of the center would have to begin within two \ears and be completed in three. aTrd^some sort of penalty for non­ compliance arranged In Police Chief Pasenelli 's report to the Council he first gave the bad news. Last week, the police department received two emergency calls where the officers responding had trouble locating the house because the numbers were not visible from the road The Council is considering a possible ordinance requiring house numbers to be prominently displayed on the house which would be easily visible from the road. Pasenelli then gave the Council some good news. The first quarter crime report for the City of McHenry shows a 33 percent drop in the crime rate overall, and a 32 percent drop in index crimes, the felonies And. it could be time to close t*e books on the controversy and lawsuit between the Jagers, the owners of Jake's Deadend Lounge, and the City of McHenry Carl Thonn, the former owner of the Old Bridge tavern, is in the process of buying Jake's Deadend Lounge from the Jagers As a pre-condition to the granting of the liquor license, the City of McHenry is requiring that the Jagers drop their suit against the City at the time of the real estate closing, (Continued on page 18) Do You Believe . . . My Dad's The Greatest! "My Dad's the greatest!" More than a tew youngsters feel that way but may never be able to voice their sentiments in person. This year, the Plaindealer is extending an invitation to children 10 years of age and under to put their thoughts in words in a contest for Father's day called. "Why My Dad's the Greatest" An advertisement in this issue describes the contest in detail The grand prize will be a tent and two sleeping bags and flags will be given to the two run- ners-up All letters will be published in the June 13 issue of the Plaindealer in a special Father's day supplement A picture of the winner and his- her father will appear in the June 15 issue. Deadline date to accept entries is Friday, June 8. at noon Contestants must keep their entries under 50 words Judging will be on significance <»f content and sincerity New Montini Budget $259,400 Merit Award Honorees Outstanding students scholastically from McHenry Junior high. Parkland Junior high and Montini Catholic school are shown above as they were honored by the McHenry Kiwanis club. The annual Merit Award dinner was held in the cafeteria of West campus Tuesday night. In front row, from left, are Parkland students, Darren Cepulis. Brenda Eylander. Natalie Krak, Sandeep Lahoti, Debra Palmer, Patricia Schillaci, Geraldine Schiller, Christopher Stumbris, Shannon Tiffany and Cheryl Wright; second row, from Montini, Timothy Truckenbrod. Ruth Pierce, James Leon, Charles Temple and Nora Fallon; and from McHenry Junior high, Mike Bauml, Giselle Dowe, Laura Franks, Joe Gattone, Ed Nolton, Debbie Laskonis. Lisa Mazzoni, Adam Miller, Penny Schultz and Jim Wynveen. STAFF PHOTO-WAYNE GAYLORD Chamber Of Commerce Cash Coupon Contest To May 26 (Details In May 23 Issue)