PLAINDEALER Q •SERVMG THE CHAIS O LAKES REG 10* SIXCE 18 VOLUME 105 NUMBER 96 WEDNESDAY. JULY 1, 1981 1 SECTION 20 PAGES 25 . "The purpose of Orleans street is to expedite through traffic," the alder man said. "With no homes to bother, if the semis want to use it, more power to them. 'It's not the city's fault that the road is not finished. I could go with a speed limit to protect the road, but the owners should maintain it until dedication." The McHenry City Council also voted to enter into an agreement with the Chamber of Commerce in order to bring in more electricity to Pearl street P®1* 2 According to Bryce Klontz, who represented the Chamber, there was some problem with providing enough power for the 11 restaurants slated for operation on Friday night of the summer celebration. V He commented that the Chambe^aT "not happy" with proposals w rent generators or have Commonwealth Edison do all the work. Klontz said the system could be upgraded to 400 amps for probably less than $2,000, if tome of the work and equipment could be obtained at no cost. r After more than two hours of executive session regarding pending litigation, the City Council authorised public notices for the McHenry Lakes Estates and Pheasant Valley sub divisions which prevents the con struction of any structures until the public improvements are either con structed or a performance bond is put up. According to Mayor Standi, the measure is a tool to ensure that prospective buyers are aware that all the improvements are not yet com pleted. "Before anything is built,/they have to square up with us," Stanek said. According to City Attorney Narmis, the city will not issue any building permits for lots until these com- .mitmenti pre resolved. Mayor Stanek reported that the owners of the McHenry Lakes Estates subdivision had requested a weight limit for vehicles traveling on Orleans street, which has but a single asphalt oyerlayment at this time. The owners complained that semi trucks were using the road as a shortcut to Brake Parts, Illinois Coil Spring and the Market Place shopping center. Alderman Jack Pepping was opposed to any weight restrictions on the roadway. The Chamber, he said, was willing to cost share the project on a 50-50 basis, up to $1,000. The city voted unanimously to meet the figure, on the condition that if the project ran over the $2,000 limit, it would come back to council for further discussion. % In other council business, the Police department is looking at alternative means to delineate the parade route for the Fiesta days parade, Sunday, July 26. Since the council authorized the' removal of the parking meters and poles, there is no place to post the "no parking" signs. Park Director Peter Merkel reported that mid-July is still the tentative opening date of the swimming pool at Knox park. He commented, however, -that continued rainy weather Could set back the opening. The council entered into a $1,500 lease agreement with the V.F.W. for the use of the baseball diamonds for the McHenry Junior Youth league. It is expected that this will be the last year as McHenry should have enough diamonds of their own to take care of the^aague next year. Walter Morris was appointed by Mayor Stanek to fill the term of Ruth Fenwick, who recently resigned from the McHenry Library board. Karen' Kent and Robert O'Brien were re appointed to the board. Further sidewalk construction is in the works, as the City Council voted to contact property owners on the south side of Route 120, just west of Industrial drive, with a cost-sharing proposal. No time frame was set on the project. Mayor Stanek reported that the Illinois Historical Advisory board has rejected an application to have the brick mill, near Crystal Lake road, placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The council also passed the Ap propriation ordinance in the total amount of $10,552,570. According to state law, money must be appropriated before it can be spent. * ' v The ordinance rt\£t with no objection at a short public hearing held prior to the City council meeting. When work to completed tkto week on restoring this bicentennial raft to Its original quality, the Village of Lakemoor will he spruced ap for the July Fourth holiday. Since It was constructed la 1171, the raft has been damaged, necessitating the talents of Charles Schmidt of the village's Public Works department to restore. Kelly Nejedly, 12, and Brian Wlthrow, I, Inspect the raft prior to Its entry Into the water. They are especially iatrigued by the large American flag painted on one portion of the surface. Kelly, Brian and other Lakemoor youngsters mil aeon he using the raft to enjoy their summer hours of recreation. Money for the restoration was furnished by the Neighborhood Alliance for the Promotion of 8ocial and Athletic Clubs (IAPSAC). J STAFF PHOTO-WAYNE GAYLORD Debate Over Zoning Request "If we look at all personal con veniences, we might as well do away with the ordinances." City Attorney Bernard Narusis ex plained that (he council was locked into a variation procedure by the Zoning ordinance. In these situations, wher& there is some ambiguity in the definition of a permanent or non-permanent struc ture, the building officer has to make an interpretation, or come to the council for di^ection, ,.Frqm there, the homebWfltt dm Appeal to the Zoning board. "The whole idea is to protect the neighboring property," Narusis said. The attorney noted that the council was "mouse-trapped" into a position where one resident will point to the mistakes made in the past and say a precedent has been set. while another "throws the letter of your own law at > you." Alderman Michael Wieser said, "We have been in error. Is this the way we want the ordinance or do we change " it?" The matter, was referred to the BUflcBng and ZOOS* committee, which Will make a recommendation to either change or leave the ordinance as it stands „ . groups for base increase purposes: those personnel receiving less that^ $25,000 per year in 1980-81 (seventeen members) and those receiving more than $25,000 (seven members). Four evaluation-merit levels were mrtdifhad tm tea shf managerial groups. 1. No increase due to un satisfactory performance or recent employment at the college. 2. A maintenance adjustment only to recognize satisfactory performance and thereby help maintain relative level of compensation. The main tenance adjustment for those making over $25,000 will be 9 percent and for those making less than $25,000 will be 9.5 percent. 3. A maintenance ad justment plus a basic merit of $450 to recognize above average performance. 4 A maintenance adjustment plus high merit of $900 to recognize exceptional performance. A standardized evaluation system was used to assess (Continued on page 18) I IP » • ' Wednesday, July l, marks the ef- I 1'meQfl(U!TTI% $ fective date for the new salary package Iti^' 0 m $i agreed upon by the board of McHenry County college. MCC President Robert The folks in the business of fixing up C. Bartlett received a two-year con- damaged eyes - the people who really tract at $43,000, an offer described as a should know - say . MUlatwpof coofldeaca, toJtidflnhlP by th§ celebrating the Fourth in the right way, witn an organized community fireworks display. After the half million dollar explosion of the World Wide Fireworks company on McCullom lake road in the early 'seventies, enthusiasm for any kind of celebration was on the wane locally. McHenry had experienced one big firecracker explosion and folks were scared. . --- r- - They had a right to be. Safety organizations have been warning for years that firecrackers in the hands of inexperienced individuals makes for a dangerous practice. Locally, moat of the injuries have been (Continued on page 18) Cary. „ . . The individual faculty salaries were developed in accordance with the provisions in the professional negotiations agreement as negotiated between fife board and the faculty association last year. With the ad ditional increases resulting from the change in faculty summer pay agreed to by the Board, the total faculty salary increase for the 1981-82 over 1980-81 will be 12.02 percent. There are 52 returning full-time faculty members at MCC for 1981-82. The salary program for 24 members of the administrative, managers and professional group was divided into two City Sponsors Holiday Picnic The City of McHenry is sponsoring its at 2:30 p.m. annual Fourth of July community All picnic tables are on a first come, picnic beginning at 1 p.m. at Petersen first serve basis. The beach at Petersen park. Families staying home over the park is open for a family swim during weekend are invited to pack a picnic the day. basket and join in the festivities. For further information on this Beverages will be available. family activity, call the McHenry Activities planned for the afternoon Department of Parks and Recreation at include games and contests beginning 344-3300. enry Business.. In Another Day covered by the pond would have submerged the present-day Route 120, from near Green street to Borden street, all of the businesses and a good many homes on the north side of the highway. STAFF PHOTOS-WAYNE GAYLORD Alvan Baur (top left) looks at a painting of the lane along Boone creek that would later become Waukegan road, leading down to the Fox river. The scene (bottom left) depicts what the mill pond might have looked like if one were standing on Green street in mid-winter. Baur built this scale model which shows in detail the Ice house operation, started by his father, Matthew. The area and Loan. The mill run powered a 15 years, when the weather conditions water wheel at the mill. were right, the Baur family and crews The resulting pond covered what is of men from the McHenry area would now one of McHenry's busiest in- work for four days cutting and storing tersections. Elm street and Richmond ice in the ice house. road, and a number of businesses. Baur recalled hitching a 14-foot plow According to Alvan Baur. the ice to a team o| horses to clear the snow house was built in about 1920 by his, from a large area on the mill pond./ father. Matt! Each winter for the next After theJce was cleared of snow, the team would be hitched to a long saw. which would cut a groove in the ice about three inches deep. "We'd have to go over the same cut four times before a section could be moved." Baur said. When enough cuts were made so that a grid pattern was cut in the ice to within three inches of the water sur- For well nigh 15 years in the early Third street. The pond occupied a large pqrt of the 20th century, Matt Baur and area, extending from just west of Green his sons cut, stored and sold ice to the street to a point near Tonyan con- people of McHenry and the surrounding struction on Borden street. area One of Matthew Baur's sons, Alvan, On the shores of a large mill pond, the said Boone creek had been dammed by Baur ice house once stood where the . the Owens family, who operated a grist AfcP is located now - the dirt road that mill near the present location of led to the rear of the ice house became Gladstone's and the McHenry Savings tl,' j >'• V^ j t L . Honor Outstanding Employees McHenry High School * - ^ Page 2 face, men would break the section loose with iron bars. The ice would cleave evenly along the cuts Baur said men with pikestaffs would maneuver the section of ice toward a ramp leading up into the ice house. When the block was in the proper position, another man would break off a (Continued on page 18) Announce Honor Rolls From Area Schools Page 8 County Geology Bus Tour Starts In Glacial Park Page 9