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measure passed appears that the HK,* YilAMAL.i/MM mtjri PAGE 3 - PLAIND1 Resume Of Ne "Iff JANUARY 3t, INI Highlights Of Past Year In Community Reviewed JANUARY Embarking on a new and ambitious program is never easy, but with the cooperation of area businessmen the McHenry Area Rescue squad just might be successful. In the first part of the "Survey For Life , a Rescue squad member will be visiting business establishments to look for anything that could have an effect on the treatment of an injured or ill person. For the information of others who might have desires to enroll a child in school before the accepted age, the board of Elementary School District 15 recently refused to make an exception to its Dec. 1 birthdate Kindergarten deadline. John Tuegel of Island Lake, whose son Tim. was born Dec. 2, felt his boy should not be held back one year because he had not been born 24 hours earlier. H o w e v e r , d i s t r i c t superintendent Dr. Richard Farmer, advised the board at the close of the discussion with Tuegel, "If we have a deadline, there are always going to be some who just miss it." At a recent meeting, the board of McHenry County college approved an agreement with the Illinois Migrant council to take part in a Work Experience protect. The intent of the project is to provide training tor migrant workers who indicate a strong change occupations and settle permanently in one location. Four new programs should be available to McHenry County mental health agencies as a result of funding approvals by the McHenry County Mental health board (706 board) in late December. Board members, acting on recommendations of their Planning and Management board, allotted $283,000 to implement the proposals. Projects included are listed as an emergency answering service for crisis situations, a transitional living facility, a rehabilitation and counseling service for jail inmates, and a study designed to lead to establishment of a crisis intervention psychiatric inpatient unit in the county. With the start of the 'eighties, everyone is looking ahead, and a few are also looking back to better digest the happenings that brought the McHenry community to its present state. A review of the past ten years leaves no doubt that expansion has been the keyword locally. From a population of 6,772 in 1970, the mushrooming effect of annexation has brought the figure to well over 10,000 at the start of a new decade. The year 1970 was marked by a most unusual chain of events that instilled fear in the entire community and brought it nationwide attention. It was the year that four murders shocked one small city as nothing had in the remembrance of even the oldest residents. Through dedication an effort extending over a period of several years, the subdivision association of Pistakee Highlands has realized a goal of long standing. An unique dedication service was held marking the completion of roads to a degree that the township has accepted their maintenance* With an enviable record showing a 13.7 percent decline in fire calls for the year 1979, members of the McHenry Township Fire Protection district, and Sparky, the talking fire dog, have reason for a high measure of satisfaction. Station I, located in McHenry was down 28.4 percent from last year's total. Officers credit a large part of the reduction in fire calls to the fire prevention program that was started this year. Public education on fire prevention has been stressed by all three stations. In a major step toward implementing the 208 p r o g r a m - - t n e f e d e r a l program requiring waters to Be "fishable and swimmable" by 1972-the McHenry County board recently approved signing a contract to put together the county-wide water quality committee to supervise the program. With no motion at the Council meeting to override the Mayor's veto of the 1 Dec. 17, ii appears issue has been laid to rest. With the rapid development of area land as a basis for action the board of Elementary School District 15 passed an ordinance amending a section of the Village of Prairie Grove ordinance concerning assistance to schools. The change concerns the dedication of park lands and school sites or for payment of fees in lieu of the land gift. The small amount of property in question is off Barreville road south of State Park road. Action by the Mental Health Board of McHenry County may lead to the use of the Dr. Miller property on Richmond road as a day treatment center for adolescents, it was learned at the meeting of the Policy and Management board of th§. mental health group. The board approved the renovation of the structures involved to meet minimum requirements for use at a co6t not to exceed $20,000 from the grant monies allotted to this project. McHenry County Sheriffs police were searching for a man who reportedly tried to force a 12-year-old Wonder Lake girl into his car. This was the third incident involving children attending the Johnsburg schools in the past three weeks. Called the largest transportaiton program ever carried out in McHenry county, John D. Kramer, Illinois secretary of transportation announced details of a $105 million, four- year highway improvement program. The money for the projects is part of $2.2 billion resulting from funds at one time designated for C h i c a g o ' s p r o p o s e d Crosstown Expressway and Franklin street subway. The [dan calls for upgrading the county's major arterial highways and major improvements at computer rail stations, including McHenry. More than 45 miles of highways and streets will be repaired or reconstructed and two bridges either rehabilitated or replaced. Twelve traffic intersections will be improved. In a brief monthly meeting the McHenry County Board entered into a contract with the Illinois Department in Transportation concerning planning assistance for the National Flood Insurance program in the county. The McHenry Planning commission accented no testimony or considered no plat proposals at its regular January meeting. However, c o m m i s s i o n m e m b e r s updated their planning notebooks and heard planning consultant Robert Grossman present a number of conclusions and findings with a promise of a look at the first draft of the new sketch plan for the city. Testimony by Faestel Investments for the proposed Valley Brook annexation comer of Bull Valley and Crystal Lake roads was deferred until the Feb. 14 meeting of the commission. McHenry will have its circus June 20, according to action taken by the board of High School District 156. A f t e r P h i l B a r t m a n n , speaking for the McHenry Chamber of Commerce, presented information that met conditions set for the use of West campus vacant land, the board granted the request for the fund raising event and specified a fee of $500 or 5 percent of the Chamber's profits. In a report to the City Council, a number " of projects slated to improve traffic and transportation in the McHenry area were mentioned by Mayor Joseph Standi. According to the mayor, bids will be opened on Friday, Jan 25, relating t o i n t e r s e c t i o n improvements at Ringwood ana Route 120, the Crystal Lake blacktop and Route 120, Pearl street and Route 31 and Johnsburg road and Route 31, north of McHenry. Listed as one of the "fall behind" projects is the construction of a new Route 120 bridge across the Fox river. This project was already "in the hopper" and will be started in Fiscal Year I960 (July). The Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) voted unanimously to recommend denial of a petition which proposed the development of about 60 acres of land in Whispering Oaks. The land was originally presented as a golf course. The land in question comprised 140 acres and was part of the Boone Creek planned unit d e v e l o p m e n t ( P U D ) , Attorney James Green, representing the Residential Development Group (RDG), petitioned the ZBA to alter the PUD in order to reclassify 50.9 acres of the land as "R-3" residential and 13.27 acres as "R-5" c o n d o m i n i u m . T h e remainder of the 140 acres would be left as open area. Sue Gerasch, a long time McHenry resident who now t e a c h e s A m e r i c a n Literature at Antioch high school, was among 18 members of the Illinois Education association who were briefed by the White House in Washington, D C. FEBRUARY In an effort to consolidate and centralize operations, four area Pioneer center a d u l t v o c a t i o n a l rehabilitation workshops have been "collapsed" into one, according to executive director Robert G. Lam- bourn. Lam bourn said one of the major goals of the new facility, located on Route 31 south of McHenry, is to " e v a 4 u a t e , t r a i n a n d hopefully place clients in the competitive labor market". It was opened late in 1979 Members of the McHenry City Council met in a special meeting to discuss the proposed construction of a sewer plant south of the City The plant would be located on 27.5 acres of land which was deeded to the City by the Brittany builders as part of the 100-acre Bauer farm annexation Kenneth E Vogwill. 32, the McHenry man charged with possession of cocaine at O'Hare International air port, has been released on his own recognizance. Lt. James Maurer, Narcotics and Gang Crimes division. City of Chicago police department, voiced his opinion that Vogwill, and people police called his associates, are probably tied to organized crime. McHenry area residents can expect to pay 'sub­ stantially higher fines if their vehicles are cited for non-moving violations-like overtime parking-as a result of action taken by the City Council at the regular meeting. Recommending the increases, the chairman of the License committee Alderman Wieser, cited increasing costs of writing and processing citations as grounds for the measure. The McHenry City Council rejected by a vote of five to three a petition to convert a 17-unit apartment building at 3705 W. James street, McHenry, to condominiums This was the first such petition in McHenry. Voting for denial of the petition were Aldermen Meurer, Schooley, Adams, Wieser and Datz Voting against the Rider Escapes Uninjured With a safety line around his waist. Bob Worzala, a diver for the McHenry County Emergency Services and Disaster agency enters the Fox river while Joe Colditx assists. The two were attempting to recover a snowmobile that had broken through the ice earlier. The rider escaped without injury. STAFF PHOTO-WAYNE GAYLORD