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t • - " . . •• £ '• •'SI- "V-'I, . ;•;••• i i- • •'• • •'•• V. ' yRpt Seventh r --. . ...V ...J* **'• - , „ , It was a day of little compromise and hope - and the teachers strike in Elementary school District 15 continues. From 1 to 8 p.m., Sunday, members of the negotiations teams representing the Who's Hurting?... (The StrikeJ (an editorial) -- .... , , "It's the children who are being hurt"! A common expression throughout McHenry during the days of the School District 15 teachers' strike. The words come from both sides and from bystanders. And they're right. But the real harm doesn't, come from their absence from the classroom. Unless the strike should continue for a long period of time, a thoughtful conjecture would hardly place a few days out of class in the category of serious educational deprivation. The real injury is to something that continues to slide into the losing column - respect. It's a complaint of teachers, administrators and the general public when they talk about children. It's something they should be learning at home and having enforced at school. But something has gone wrong! Now we have a strike that destroys what should be every community's last and most im­ portant stronghold»f respect * our schools. , « Even when students made their teachers, and the older generation, despair that the word should be a part of the 1979 dictionary, there was hope. In the adult world there were still forces that demonstrated a degree of respect for each other. It was an unique relationship that included paren­ ts, teachers, administrators and school board. The respect was not always present, to be sure, and maybe what we gave credit to was often not deserved. The important thing was that the image of teachers and board conferred with their legal representatives in the administration building on Main street. When they emerg­ ed, tired and distraught, there remained the same stumbling blocks preventing the signing of a contract. At left are negotiators sndteacher representatives in one room; at right are Joan Miller, left, Frances Larsen and Gary Lockwood, right, members of the District 15 board negotiations team, with their lawyer, Stanley Eisenhammer. STAFF PHOTOS-WAYNE GAYLORD In a dramatic move, the full board of education met last Sunday evening with the McHenry Classroom Teachers association negotiating team in an unsuccessful effort to settle what then was the district's four-day old teachers' strike. The two-hour meeting, called at the request of the board's chief n e g o t i a t o r , S t a n l e y Eisenhammer, climaxed a seven-hour negotiations session conducted - by Federal Mediator, Lew Moore. Timothy Althoff, president of the board, termed the meeting "emotional and tense, but frank and complete." The federal mediator ad­ journed the negotiation session after the parties failed to resolve whether the teachers would be paid for days they strike. Eisenhammer com­ mented, "The board is unalterably opposed to rewarding teachers for violating the law and breaching their contract. If the board pays teachers for striking, the community will suffer a strike every year." After making progress on key issues earlier in the day, a school spokesman said the negotiating teams for both parties deadlocked late Sunday afternoon on the issue of payment for strike days. In an effort to end this new deadlock, Eisenhammer requested the teacher negotiating team meet with all the members of the board of education and present the teachers' demands to the full board. » , E i s e n h a m m e r s t a t e d , "Something had to be done to end the strike. The teachers have continually complained that the board negotiating team does not represent the board of education. That issue is now dead. There should be no doubt that the board team speaks for the board." Although the meeting did not produce an end to the strike, Eisenhammer felt the meeting "cleared the air" and ex­ pressed hope that it would contribute to the resolution of the strike. Judy Hamilton, president of the McHenry Classroom Teachers association, found some progress in the fact that Sunday's meeting was the first held with the board in at­ tendance since the negotiations began. Ms. Hamilton pointed out that five hours were spent in discussion by two negotiators from each side. The subject matter was planning time for teachers. Later, she said, the entire board convened and the entire teacher package, containing the most recent changes, was explained. Priority items were included. After the federal mediator adjourned the session just before 8 o'clock Sunday night, Ms. Hamilton stated she thought the board was more interested in winning the strike than in a fair settlement. On the other hand, she commented that the teachers were "not hung up" on winning but wanted a fair settlement. She had previously said the teachers want to make up the days they are on strike by extending the school year. The association president emphasized that all moves for negotiation sessions had been made by the teachers. Federal Mediator Moore has set the next mediation- negotiation session for 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 12. Last Friday, a signed statement by Ms. Hamilton said the Illinois Education association and the National Education association had offered to provide striking teacher members with interest- free loans for the duration of the strike. "The board's attempt to starve us into a poor settlement won't work", she concluded. About 275 parents gathered at Faith Presbyterian church Friday night to obtain in­ formation from both sides concerning the strike. Representatives of the MCTA were present to answer questions. The board declined to attend, pointing out that members thought "it would not be wise or (Continued on page 15) THE MCHENRY PLAINDEALER SERVING THE CHAIN-O-LAKES REGION SINCE 1875" VOLUME 104 NUMBER 13 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1979 2 SECTIONS 26 PAGES 20* Hearings Opened On Falcon The City Council met with the petitioners last Thursday in what was the first night of the public hearings concerning the proposed Falcon development on Route 31, north of McHenry. In the three-hour meeting, the Council and the Falcon brothers ironed out minor phrasing and technical prohlems in the seven-page started to get into a debate over the completion time of the McCullom Lake road ex­ tension. Mayor Stanek wanted the road completed in two years, but would settle for three. The Falcons proposed a five- year completion time and said they would have to think about this a little more, will pass through 14 lots in the northeast corner of the proposed development, and one plat without an allowance for highway 420. As originally presented, the Falcons had given preference lo the plat without the 420 allowance, using the other plat as an option considering the uncertainty of the highway The Falcons said they had no problems with this and em­ phasized that they wanted to be able to develop the 14 lots (the 420 allowance) should the land still be open when the building reaches there. The heart of the matter, according to City Attorney Bernard Narusis, is the acquisition of the land by the state. Upon notice from either the City or the Falcons that plans were in the works for con­ struction to begin on this land, the state would be forced into either buying it, or forgetting it. Narusis said this could leave the City in the position of "holding a gun to the state's head." A compromise was reached in that the Falcons will give the state nine months' notice that they intend to build on the 14 lots in question. The meeting was recessed at 11 p.m. respect remained in an important place at an im­ portant time, when it is being lost everywhere else. Maybe strikes are a necessary evil of our time. But whatever the status of necessity, they are un­ pleasant and harmful to impressionable young people. The one bulwark to which they could look to set an example has let them down. So the next time you hear someone say, "This strike is hurting the children", you can be sure it's a fact. And if you're saying it, don't kid yourself that the greatest loss is because the youngster is out of class for a few days. It's because he has lost an invaluable strength. And he isn't the only one. There Is mistrust on both sides as a public, in dismay, tries to sort out the confusing outpouring of fact and fiction. Most regrettable of all, the community is losing pride in one of our most venerable institutions. "Who's hurting"? Just about everyone! annexation agreement. The items most likely to stir some debate, i.e. money, time frames, exhibits and the completion time of the Mc­ Cullom Lake road extension, were left until a future date, when the meeting resumes. The Council and the Falcons Another of the problems that was resolved centered around the proposed highway 420. The meeting was recessed before the issue was settled. The Falcons are presenting two plats for approval-one allowing for highway 420, which construction. Alderman Pepping said that because of the passage of the transportation bill in the House of Representatives, the plat with the 420 allowance should be given priority and the plat without the allowance should be (he option. Public Service Work For Adult Offenders ' A n i n v i t a t i o n f r o m t h e McHenry Chamber of Com­ merce took us to the Country club last Friday morning for discussion. What we found was a well informed group of local citizens dedicated to the task of looking ahead to the McHenry of five years from now. They were asked to assess what they believed would be the future needs and desires of this growing city in 1985. In small groupings, the men and women representing diverse interests were asked to give their opinions, when possible, on solutions to the problems they knew to exist. At the conclusion, after the suggestions were given priority by each group,-they went to the Chamber for review. Those items selected as most im­ portant in the opinion of the C of C will be used as a basis for a ' seminar-type discussion in * > M " . . • u " ' . ' : v • mid-September by that organization's board. The public will be informed of the findings of the citizens and of their Chamber. Maybe much will come of this small beginning. Maybe very little will result. The initial meeting was unique, at least locally, and piqued the interest of those selected to be a part of ,the McHenry of Tomorrow. Sitting with a top city of­ ficial, a bank officer and a long time businessman, we were impressed with the knowledge displayed in a variety of areas. And looking at the serious approach of other groups, we were equally impressed with the attitude of our business and community neighbors. It was evident as discussions continued that McHenry, like (Continued on page 15) The McHenry County Department of Court Services will soon be implementing a program of public service work for certain adult offenders. An option available to the McHenry county courts when sentencing individuals to probation, Public Service work participants are placed in unpaid work positions with a public or community not-for- profit agency within the county. The program will afford offenders the opportunity to repay the community, as well as provide the potential to teach new skills and promote responsible behavior. During the time the offender is serving the community, he will be under the direct supervision of the McHenry County Depart­ ment of Court Services. According to state statute. Public Service work would include, but not be limited to, picking up litter along public roadways, working in local parks or providing services to other non-profit organizations. The county of McHenry and the village of Cary are currently contributing agencies with Public Service work. They have provided positions for offenders in their organizations. A Public Service worker is not considered an employee of these agenoies and no agency is responsible for providing Workmen's Com­ pensation. The McHenry County Public Service program was developed after thorough research by a special com­ mittee of probation officers under the direction of David J. Klasing, director of Court Services. The committee, composed of Steven J. Hippler, Ms. Betsy Witt, Richard Leiser and Ms. Diane Jamiolkowski, has had careful evaluation and monitoring from Phillip R. Ulmer, chief adult probation officer. In addition, positive input and assistance were received from the circuit and associate judges, state's at­ torney, public defender and the „ county board. Public Service work has unlimited potential and it is felt its development will be an effective addition to existing services in McHenry county. Any not-for-profit agency in­ terested in listing service sights or requesting further in­ formation on Public Service may contact Steven Hippler at 338-2040. * State Approvai For Third Building On MCC Site The board of trustees for McHenry County college authorized the MCC ad­ ministration to seek the necessary state approval for possible construction of a third building on the college campus at its last summer meeting. The cost estimate of the 264' x 130' building; which includes a 100' x 120' multi-purpose area, a theatre and workshop area, four classrooms, locker rooms, offices and storage areas, is $980,340.00. Although the board did not approve the plan, a committee was named to work with the architects and staff to study and revise the drawings to bring back to the board for approval. If the building is approved by the state and the MCC board, a referendum will not be necessary as monies in the site and construction fund, which includes the 1976 federal grant of $416,782, is adequate to cover the costs of construction - At the May meeting, the board of trustees appointed Wight and Company, Inc., Downers Grove, to complete the preliminary planning and cost estimating for the third building. The board also approved the adoption of a 1979 tax levy of $1,116,553 for the Education fund and $279,133 for the Building and Maintenance fund. The levy will keep tax (Continued on page 15) Youngsters In Picket Line A large number of children, all from the Brittany Park area of McHenry, are shown with their own picket signs In front of Landmark school early Tuesday morning. Mrs. Denite Morjal, who helped organise the children, tali the parents didn't want to take rides la the dispute between teachers and board, bat thought the children's marching might call attention of both teachers and beard to the necessity for agreement on a contract se classes can resume. STAFF PHOTO-WAYNE GAYLORD