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fJW|MANX>F J?.*aAfW!AiYAagavKiaw• aaMa«^fja^-s30A!i ' v PAGE3-PlAINDEAl^V^^|^^AYjA!^bYS»>lf09 Resume Of News Events In 7979 Highlights Of Past Year In Community Reviewed I T S - JANUARY A McHenry man was the first Chicago cab driver kill­ ed in Chicago in '79. Benrtie Russo, 61, 4614 Garden Quarter, was fatally shot through the head and neck while driving a taxi cab in Chicago. How is the skyrocketing rate of inflation affecting grocery prices in the McHenry area? Beginning this month the Plaindealer will compile a market basket survey, examining prices of certain selected items at the three major food stores in the city. The last week in each month, prices at the stores will be recorded. Hie first week of the next month, the prices will be listed at the three major food stores in the city. Discussion at the McHenry Area Chamber of Commerce meeting focused on the Chamber's role in the for­ mation and application of a Political Action committee, as well as its involvement with the established Illinois Political Action committee (IPAC) and affiliate of the Illinois C of C. Although their goals and projects for 1979 may be different if all of them are accomplished within the next twelve months, both Mayor Joseph Stanek and the McHenry Area Chamber of Commerce should be well "Satisfied. The C of C lists the formation of a Political Action committee as a top priority, asserting that such a group would further in­ crease Chamber in­ volvement in governmental and legislative matters. Traffic is another matter of prime interest to the business organization. In setting forth projects, the officers and board listed evaluation of the traffic flow problems in McHenry and recommendations for solutions. Another goal is increased promotion of the McHenry area through broader publicity and distribution of the Profile book which recently became available. McHenry taxpayers will pay for a "new'1 high school in spite of the fact that they did not approve a tax referendum for such a facility last year, according to information released to a group of interested parents and others at East campus. Supt. Robert Swarfzloff and other school officials advised the Parents Advisory committee at a question and answer session that the Illinois Office of Education had approved the proposed Life Safety code im­ provements for East cahipus for a maximum of $2,035,338 in a certificate dated Dec. 21. Superintendent Swartjrioff explained (hat improving the East campus building -was one of the options remaining for the school board after voters had defeated a proposal last April to sell the old building for $1 million million to local taxpayers. A $2.3 million grant from the state Capital Development board would have covered the balance of the $5.4 million needed for con­ struction. McHenry, with a hospital that serves much of the eastern part of the county, topped all communities in the number of investigations and inquests held during the past year. That fact was disclosed in the annual report of Coroner Theron J. Ehorn. McHenry accounted for 123 of the 274 total, followed by Woodstock with 43, Crystal Lake with 33 and Harvard with 27. With the first week of filing nomination papers for the April 17 election when four McHenry City Council aldermen seats will be filled, Len Abruzzo, 5201 Home avenue, was the first to file his petition to seek the Fourth ward seat currently held by Jerome Rogers. With maximum bus safety of utmost importance in the minds of McHenry Elementary School District 15 board members, con­ siderable time was spent in reviewing results of a survey to determine improvements that can be made locally. Twenty-two suggestions were included and were ranked with a view to the probable time they can be accomplished. One which is ' hoped to assist the school is the recommendation for a medical and I.D. card file by bus routes, particularly in identifying trouble makers. With predictions of more snow ringing in their ears, McHenry residents continue to spend their time digging out from under what many have termed the "worst snow ever". During the blizzard and after, the same scene was , being constantly repeated throughout the city. It was of Public Works employees working hard to keep streets open, private operators plowing driveways and parking lots and residents trying to shovel their way out of their predicament. The McHenry Zoning Board of Appeals heard two witnesses testify that the proposed RDG-Backhaus farm annexation is the highest and best use for the proposed property. It was explained that the property was contiguous to the present city limits and the annexation was in keeping with logical growth in the area. The utilities for the proposed subdivision would be able to blend in with those of Fox Ridge and Whispering Oaks communities. Roads in the subdivision would be tied * to roads in the Lancer corporation's Pheasant Valley development. The nearby village of Lakemoor may be due for extensive revitalization if plans presented to the McHenry County board are realized. Presentation of was made by Nai Housing authority. It received board support, which means that it is the county making the funding request on behalf of the village, A total of $437,000 is sought, but Ms. Briscoe said the funding under a Small Cities Discretionary Com­ munity Development Block grant, is highly competitive. Only about 15 percent of an " anticipated 200 requests statewide will be accepted. The program is divided into four parts, Community Revitalization, Community Center, Land Acquisition and Lakefront Park. The final, preliminary plans for what many hope will be the improvement of the Front and Elm street intersection, were approved by the City Council. The plans were submitted for approval by the Illinois Department of Tran­ sportation and are aimed at solving the problems of what McHenry residents have labelled the "worst and most dangerous intersection in the city". The major change in the plai) calls for revision on Waukegan street, with restrictions placed on en­ trance and exit. Entrance to Waukegan road will be only allowed to traffice nor­ thbound on Front street, which turns left (east) on Waukegan road. Exit from Waukegan road will be a right-turn-only onto Front street. Action on handling the sale of bonds for health, life safety and energy con­ servation work at East campus was taken by the board of High School District 156. The total will be in the amount of $2,500,000. A former McHenry resi­ dent, indicted by the grand jury following the Memorial day crash which killed five members of a Mundelein family, pled guilty to the charges on the in­ dictment. John C. Waite, 22, formerly of Sterling drive, who now resides in Ingleside, was found guilty and received an eighteen- month prison sentence. McHenry County Sheriff Arthur Tyrrell submitted his resignation to the County board. The sheriff indicated he is quitting his post to take a job with Material Service corporation, a division of Crown Industries. President Carter approved emergency snow removal assistance for twenty-two northern Illinois counties, including McHenry. Under the provisions of the federal disaster assistance, the federal government will, provide two-thirds of the snow removal costs on emergency routes. The McHenry . County Housing authority is again seeking applications from low income home owners who need winterization and- or rehabilitation services. The fiscal and traffic, analysis of ] Jtbe proposed Jeffrey Ladd, representing Shai&rock Beef Cattle corporation which has been objecting to the proposed annexation, questioned when McHenry would reach the plateau which would necessitate an increase in the cost of city operations. It was indicated that McHenry was approaching that plateau,- but it would not be reached by this annexation. Two concerned school boards and their ad­ ministrators, representing High School District 156 and Elementary School District 15, McHenry met with the mayor and City Council to learn just how much growth can be expected in the im­ mediate area for the decade ahead, Dr. Richard Farmer, superintendent of the grade school district, pinpointed the school's mission when he expressed the need to know the rate of growth, par­ ticularly in the next ten years, so a decision can be made for either new schools or additions. Mayor Stanek informed his interrogaters that three and one-half people are the average for each single family home. Stanek said growth figures can be determined by knowing the ratio between the single homes and ap- partment-type dwellings. Vacant land within the city is zoned both commercial and residential. The mayor listed the Northern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC) projected growth figure for McHenry at 32,000 by the year 2000. Severe winter weather continued to hamper activity in McHenry as snow and drifting conditions closed schools and many business and made streets and roads in the area extremely hazardous. The McHenry County Sheriff's department snowmobile patrol was used searching McHenry streets, delivering emergency medical prescriptions, transporting stranded motorists home, tran­ sporting medical personnel to the hospital and providing back-up on several McHenry Rescue squad calls. The remains of a body unearthed beneath the crawl space of -alleged murderer John Wayne Gacy's home, was identified as the body of a young Crystal Lake man, Mathew Bowman, 18. FEBRUARY The McHenry City Council voted i to spend over $50,000 on more equipment to help the city battle snow this winter and for the future. The Council authorized the purchase of a payloader, with a 21 a-yard bucket at a cost of $43,500. Also pur­ chased were a used 4-wheel drive truck for $5,300 and a plow attachment for $1,092. A total of $12,000 will be taken from the water and sewer fund to be used toward the purchase of the machine. The remaining funds will be taken from the general fund. Alderman William J. Bolger, a veteran member of the McHenry City Council, will not be a candidate for reelection in April. In a letter to the Plaindealer, he outlined the press of work as his reason, but did not rule out returning to the local political scene at some future time. Superintendent of Public Works Fred Meyer told the City Council the city had never spent more than $7,000 in a winter to hire outside firms to remove snow. This year, the figure was already listed at over $20,000, not including the cost of the Jan. 24 blizzard. McHenry county collected 99.54 percent of all taxes levied for the year 1977. The taxpayers of McHenry county are to be con­ gratulated once again for the near-perfect record of tax payments made this year. The 1977 percentage exceeded 1976 collections by one-tenth of one percent. Collections for 1977 were $40,861,089 out of a possible $50,089,989, whereas for '76 they reached $43,260,703 out of $43,515,603 levied. The cost of groceries in McHenry went up by almost 1 percent during the month of January. Dec. 2S the Plaindealer .drew up a random list of 55 food and non-food items which are commonly purchased. The . prices were checked at the three major food stores in the city and recorded. Jan. 29 the prices of the items were checked and recorded again. The average price of the January check was compared with the average of the December check. Hypothetically, if one of each item was purchased a shopper would have paid $70.11 the end of December for the 55 items. One month later, the same purchase would have cost the McHenry shopper $72.75 an increase of $2.64 or 3.76 percent. The McHenry Zoning Board of Appeals voted 5-0 in favor of allowing the reclassification of property of 420 N. Front street for the purpose of constructing professional offices on the premises. The request of James Althoff Associates, Inc., was the second of two votes by the board con­ cerning property on Front street. In the first vote, the board voted 3-2 in favor of granting-a B-l classification with no variations to property at 409 N. Front street to Mike Wieser and Dennis Conway. To send a positive recommendation to the Council, five affirmative votes are needed. The Wonder Lake dam one of eleven Illinois dams found unsafe in a study done by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Some 300 dams in the state are being in­ spected. The name of William Heinrich of 2709 Sterling drive was among 19 an­ nounced , this week by Congressman John B. An­ derson as nominees for appointment to the U.S. (naval) Air Force and Military (Army) academies. These young men and women are all from the Sixteenth Congressional district and will be con- the McHenry County city zoning board. Attorney Professional Women's chib. Haddick, at microphone, presents Woman of the Year Marty SiiMS*ring