The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

---- iai&JfeM Fiesta-A •- m .Have you ever received a ticket from a McHenry police officer? And did you ever hope some time the tables would be turned? That opportunity Will be afforded £he public over the Fiesta weekend when the McHenry Police Officers association sponsors Knock-a-Cop. The gamj will feature a dunk tank and if the participant can fulfill all requirements, his "favorite" cop will drop into the cold water. Knock-a-Cop will be offered from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday on Riverside drive and at 7 p.m. during Banjo ; Bear night in the park. Proceeds will benefit a new youth bowling league sponsored by the McHenry police. Crowds will gather in McHenry this week. Former residents will return, and others will visit the community for the flf*t time. And the reason is Fiesta days. All of the visitors will be entertained, they will be fed, th#y will see, and they ^rill buy. Each one will experience advantages year 'round residents often take for granted -the attitude of residents, clean streets, a pleasant atmosphere - all to prove that McHenry is a good place to live, work and play. Hardly a community within this area has had a celebration that has been continuous for so many years and has grown and been so successful. It isn't only the hard work of the committee chaired this year by Tim Low, and assistance from the Chamber of Commerce office, and help from the city officials, the police and Public Works department, but a community effort. ' Successful is not a monetary description but one that indicates it has entertained everyone well and shows th&m a good time w||!lgood, clean, wholesome entertainment for all ages. Wednesday, July 25 through Sunday, July 29, has been well d by the committee. Many other organizations have and added events such as Knock-a-Cop Saturday on ide drive during Sidewalk sale and at the park Saturday night, sponsored by the Police Department. Sunday the Rotary it using the same equipment in the city park and the people the public has an opportunity to dunk may surprise many. Wednesday night will highlight the Teen dance with the Trilogy, Thursday night the McHenry Stage band, Friday, Sqtlare Dancing, Saturday, Sidewalk sale, Fireball Eight, Knotk-a-Cop and Banjo-Beer night, Sunday, Jaycee Chicken-in- th* Park, Dunk a Wheel, colorful parade, music, floats and to cap it off , the best Drum Corps Magic show ever produced. This hard working member of the Madison Scouts drum and bugle corps of Madison, Wis., gives his all on a high note. The Scouts will be part of the Fiesta Sunday parade and of Dram Corps Magic that evening. " J "SERVING THE CHAIN-O-LAKES REGION SINCE 1 .a' 3toarb Winning i^etospaprr 1978-- Illinois Press Association Newspaper Contest VOLUME 103 NUMBER mmSam ' 'iKilf 103 WEDNESDAY, JUflT 25, 1979 1 SECTION 24 PAGEg 20' Flood Insurance For City A Day On The Farm A young cat watches patiently as 5-year-old Marjorle Vicek holds a pail for a young calf to drink milk. It was Farm-City visit exchange at the Walter Bolger farm last Saturday morning and Marjorie, her parents, Tom and Peggy Vicek, and her two brothers, Tom and Ken, had come to McHenry from their Hojnewood residence. Other pictures and a story of the weekend visit appear elsewhere in this issue. STAFF PHOTO-WAYNE GAYLORD The program which ^vould provide federally subsidized flood insurance for existing buildings and their contents would also effectively condemn future development of river front land, according to City Attorney Bernard Narusis. The program was presented to a small audience by Alan Birman of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Monday afternoon. The agency is in the process of completing base flood elevations, which will be published in the Plaindealer. Once these are published, the City has six months to upgrade its building standards, or be suspended from the program. Under the program, in order for flood insurance to be available, the local government would be required to adopt a flood plaiti ordinance whim is approved by Jte> FEMA. "A- typical ordinance requirement' is that any building in "flood prone" areas must be at least one foot above the "base flood elevation." Existing buildings are not affected unless they are "substantially improved." The base flood elevation is determined and mapped by the Army Corps of Engineers and is also known as a 100-year flood. In order to meet this requirement, builders often move enough earth (fill) into the site to elevate the structure to the specified elevation. But, should that 100-year flood ever occur, the fill used to elevate the building is going to displace some water and force it to go elsewhere, which could damage another person's property. In order to alleviate this situation, the builder has to dig a hole large enough to accommodate the displaced water. "And it can't be 40 miles away either," Narusis said. More often than not the City will deny building permits, and this can cause trouble. Narusis cited a case where a local government was taken to Consider Northern Pump Land For Conservation court because it denied building penfinits to a developer who owned twenty or more lots in a flood hazard area. The net result of the litigation, which cost the community more than it ifcould afford, was that the ju%e found the regulations (in this instance) to be "Un­ constitutionally vague." "Let 's not kid ourselves, the City is going to be the enforcer of these regulations. You say you'll back us up, but one judge can blow it." Narusis said. Birman said the program will provide affordable flood in­ surance for people already along waterfronts and will reduce the dollars and lives lost due to floods each year. The real cost of the program, Narusis said, is going to fall on the person who owns un- v developedH waterfront land, ' Someone may have $25,000 ^ ijgi- more tied up in land which - far* cannot be built and you're saying tough," Narusis said. "Right, someone is going to be negatively affected," Bir­ man said. "We have the knowledge. We know what areas are most likely to be flooded. What do you want me to do, throw that knowledge away?" "I think people are smarter than that," Narusis said. "If someone builds along a river, they know there is a chance they could be flooded out." Should a community choose not to upgrade its building standards, or not do it in time, it could be dropped from the program in which case there would be no flood insurance available, according to a FEMA publication. Also, the community would be denied all federal grant money, mortgage backing (FHA, VA, etc.), direct loans or any other taxpayer funds, including disaster relief, Birman said. By law, flood insurance is required if: a) the community is in the program, b) a FEMA flood map is in effect and the parcel in question is in a flood prone area, and c) if the financing is through a federal agency or a federally regulated or insured lender-almost any bank. Arrests In Murder Attempt Sharon A. Slechte, 18, Cary, and Lee T. Martinek, Barrington, were charged wif.h Friday night's attempted murder of Sharon's mother, Mrs. Lillian V. Slechte. At about 10:14 p.m. Friday night, Algonquin police responded to a report of a person screaming in the Sandbloom road area in Algonquin. Upon arrival, the police were flagged down by a young female (Sharon) who said an older woman was lying on the side of the road, badly beaten. Ms. Slechte told police that she and her boyfriend Called' her mother to come and get them after they had had car trouble. When her mother arrived, three men allegedly came from the side of the road and beat her. Further investigation by Algonquin police resulted in the arrest of Ms. Slechte and Martinek. Mrs. Lillian Slechte is listed in fair condition in Sherman hospital, Elgin, with multiple contusions about the head, neck and chest and a broken left hand. Bond for Ms. Slechte and Martinek was set at $1,000,000 each. Fiesta Week Events Wednesday, July 25 Teen Night-City Park Featuring The Trilogy 7:30p.m. Thursday, July 26 McHenry Stage Band City Park -7:00p.m. Friday, July 27 Square Dancing-Checkerboard Squares City Park Saturday, July 28 Sidewalk Sales --- Various Business Areas 8:30-5:00p.m. Banjo-Beer Night City Park - 7:30 p.m. 'til Sunday, July 29 Chicken-in-the-Park McHenry Jaycees All Day Fiesta Day Parade 2:00p.m. Drum Corps Magic McCracken Field -7:00p.m. For ticket information for Drum Corps Magic call 385- 4300. Suzanne Gerasch Leads Educators Of Region 5 Teachers in Region 5 of the Illinois Education association recently elected Suzanne Gerasch to the position of Region 5 chairperson. Elected for a three-year term, she will serve as official spokesperson for IEA members in Region 5, which covers most of Lake county. As chairperson, she will also represent the region on the board of directors of IEA. Daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Paul Gerasch of McHenry, Ms. Gerasch currently teaches English at Antioch Community high school, where she has been active in IEA acitivites for the past 10 years. During this time, she has functioned as treasurer, vice- president, and president of the Antioch Community High School Education association. For the past three years, she has been a member of the teachers' negotiating team. Additionally, she has represented her local,and Region 5 at numerous state and national assemblies of the IEA and the National Education association. Ms. Gerasch assumed the position of Region 5 Chair­ person effective July 15. Kerr Heads Montini Board <y At its July meeting, Montini Catholic schools board of education unanimously reelected (David Kerr as president for another term. Ken Diedrich was elected vice- president and Mrs. Joanne Garrelts was elected secretary. Newly elected and appointed members, Gerald Grant and Mrs. Christina Gorski from St. Patrick's parish, and Mrs. Patricia Gilmore and Leon Schmitt from St. Mary's parish, were seated and began their terms. The Rev. James Gaynor, the new pastor of St. Mary's parish, was welcomed as an ex-officio member of the board. Recognition was ac­ corded to Paul Wember, Ron Vacula, and Mrs. John Lawrence, who finished their terms as board members. In other business, the board approved teacher contracts for 1979-80 for Debra Weber, Kathleen Wente, Sharon Halwax, Mary Beth Blum and David Joslyn. Montini Catholic schools registration day will be Tuesday, Aug. 28; classes will begin Wednesday, Aug. 29. Registrations are also being taken at both buildings over the summer months. After a winter of forced rest near the hearth as the wind swept snow in our driveway, it is good for a period of respite. Even soaring gas prices fail to keep most of us from the smaller excursions that provide that good feeling of not being housebound. J||&aybe that's why there 3<(ftriis to be an unusual interest •••i* Fiesta week events which start today and continue through Sunday, ending only " When the last horn reaches its dfoiactic tone and the last drum thunders its concluding roll. But before our own traditional celebration, we had aft opportunity to see, for the . first time, the restored Opera House in Woodstock. An imaginative and delightful production of "The Club" did justice to this venerable building that received its seeond lease on life only ently after several years in state of repair, we recalled the theatre Us who had their start at listoric Opera House, we ' l&bld only wonder if one from among this very talented, young, professional cast might some day become as famous and credit her start to McHenry county. Arriving 10 minutes before ctirtain time, there was an opportunity to walk through the park in the Square. This, too, we found to be restored over our last viewing, which was several years ago. Disease had destroyed almost all the trees and the old band stand stood rather desolately in the center. Today, younger trees have taken to the sky, shrubbery and flowers abound and it provides a perfect setting for a walk for early arrivals at the theatre. We passed the old cour­ thouse, also restored, and took time to express a silent "thanks" that it remained. And then we remembered -- not much more than a decade ago - when it was almost gone. New and larger facilities were needed for the courthouse, and few seemed Jp care what happened to tne old building. About the same time we were waging a battle to save Land­ mark school, we were bemoaning the probable fate of the old courthouse. Money can't always be the root of all evil. It had to have had much to do with the final decision to commercialize the building, utilizing its historical importance. The idea caught on. Even before the television version of Roots, people in the county seat were beginning to realize the (Continued on page 20) In a move which would lead to the acquisition of 165 acres of land from the Northern Pump farms,< McHenry and Rich­ mond, the trustees of the McHenry County Conservation district last week approved a letter of intent to buy (in about two years) in order to take advantage of a $126,000 gift from the Northern Pump nrm and a grant for the develop­ ment of a portion of the land. Director Ken Fiske indicated the district will lease for im­ mediate use 14 acres that ex­ tend from Keystone road to Nippersink creek for a canoe launching area. The $126,000 gift was made to the Cor­ poration for Open Lands (Corlands). The district will qualify for a grant for the purchase of the land after its acquisition, Fiske added. Planned acquisition was completed for an 80-acre ad­ dition to the Rush Creek con­ servation property near Harvard, the trustees of McHenry County Conservation district noted July 19 when they moved to execute an agreement to buy the land. Director Ken Fiske said this would fill a long standing need to secure highway (U.S. 14) access to the existing Rush Creek area lands. In addition, a residence in good condition would furnish housing for a ranger and a large outbuilding on the site would provide facilities for maintenance. An appraisal of the land had set the price at $280,000, which the trustees accepted as reasonable. Terms included a 29 percent down payment to the owner, Mr. Best, in the first year and after the second year the balance would be paid off in five years. Fiske said only half of the land had been farmed, the rest was wooded or pasture. Trustees invited comment from the audience during the purchase deliberations, and William Ford, who lived near the site, expressed approval of the purchase. He added there was a need by horsemen in the county for extensive riding areas secure from the general public. However, it was noted that the horseman's association would agree to share the use of riding trails with other groups, this in response to a trustee's question about allowing snowmobilers to use the trails in the winter. It was observed that certain other groups such as bicyclists and cross country skiers are not necessarily compatible with horses on trails. The trustees also approved the purchase of 3.14 acres of (Continued on page 20) Rotary Exchange Friends Meet Here Getting ready for a Uttle water sklin dy. Rotary Exchange student from Sao Paulo, Brazil, staying with the Larry •• iing are, from left to right. Echtermeyer, Peter Reinhardt, Mandy Missman and Margo Lund. Dirk It a Lund family. Peter, a close friend also from Sao Paula, visited Dirk for a few < days and is staying in Nipawin, Saskatchewan, Canada. t STAFF PHOTO-WAYNE GAYLORD*