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' • ' W • VjU 6 * s :& ,X.v' Spills Spills were the order of the day! As water fell over the control gate across from McHenry Country club, a youngster not well acquainted with her new Christmas skates was taking her own type of spill on the pond. The water "just kept rolling along", but the child received assistance from an older friend. STAFF PHOTO-WAYNE GAYLORD 1 h w lllilll si t tm£ Mt. WM. .:V- :| dwkim Christmas may be only stacks of opened boxes, discarded gift wrap, and unpaid bills as we approach a new year But anyone who assesses strictly the physical side of the holiday is missing memories the season leaves as its legacy. Some of them we are happy to relegate to the recesses of the mind. Others we will hold onto for another Christmas. / x There are people who were ill; others who were too poor to celebrate even with a good dinner. And there was the jail inmate whose letter arrived Dec. 22 with the plaintive plea, "I have been incarcerated ' within this system five years. I'm a 32-year-old male inmate who has no family or friends to speak of §> write to me and it is especially lonely flt mail call". «He was searching for 'friends' to Jrite to him. On the brigher side, there was the xth grader who delivered our holiday gifts and made us remember what it was like to be 11 years old. As we rode, he chatted about what he was buying fM- various members of his family, when we suggested helping him to resonded m trying acquire a particular it with all seriousness, not to be selfish!" And there was the hall of St. Patrick's church, where long rows of tables held huge quantities of toys, clothing and food, the gifts of warm-hearted residents. The 11-year-old boy and the tables filled with good things for the less fortunate are the clinchers that con­ vince us all isn't wrong with the world. When the very young are concerned for their own selfishness; when the middle aged and the old make sacrifices for the poor - there is a lot that is still right with it. As we looked at the collection of food, clothing and toys, it reminded that in (Continued on page 12) THE "SERyING THE CH.41SO L4KES REC.IOS SiyCE 1875" PLAINDEALER FCL VOLUME 106 NUMBER 44 1 SECTION 14 PAGES 25' TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29, ltffcl Annexation Petition Filed SHAW MiMA NCWS SMVtCf The petition for annexation to McHenry city has been submitted to the ^County Clerk as of Dec. 23, reported ^Richard Panerali, president of the McHenry Shores village board. He noted that although the original campaign resulted in more than 150 signatures on the petition, on the advice of their attorney, the citizens' group revised the wording of the document and in a concerted effort on Dec. 21 and Dec. 22 secured 130 signatures on the amended petition that was submitted. The minimum number required was 40. Panerali and McHenry Shores trustees had reported the results of their efforts to McHenry Mayor Joseph Stanek and the City Council through a letter to the City Clerk dated Dec. 8. The letter contained reasons for village citizens to seek the merger of the village with the city and their hopes if it is realized. With the permission of the city and the McHenry Shores group that prepared the petition, the contents of the letter were made available. "This petition is being submitted in a spirit of cooperation that regretably has never before been attained by our communities," the letter said. The letter, which was signed by Panerali, said he felt the petition method to be the best alternative. "In this manner, we avoid the possibility of friction which could occur during negotiations. Mutual respect and an understanding of present and long-range benefits are the keys to agreement. The stability and track record of your well balanced City Council, your proven financial responsibility, your foresight, and the positive constructive actions already taken have not gone unnoticed." The letter stated further that many of the Shores residents have always felt they were an integral part of McHenry, noting that most social and commercial life centers around the city. "McHenry Shores is a community of well-maintained homes with a high valuation," the letter said. "The Tonyan Industrial park is a readily expandable, well-planned park presently having 15 quality buildings in a park like setting, employing more than 600 area residents. The letter pointed out that the village presently extends to the new hospital site and "is, in fact, the southern gateway into McHenry from Route 31 (and the possible new bridge)" "The additional revenues received by McHenry through the addition of the Shores' resources should outweigh the cost of extending services simply by the elimination of duplication of ad­ ministrative services; a waste of tax dollars which could be better utilized in other areas," the letter said. U The increase in population would give McHenry a larger voice in the county and the state, the letter continued. "Consider the present and future of the greater McHenry area and the many more positive aspects of this potential merger: the avoidance of a fragmented community, not unlike the Hound Lake area with different towns iHiarpnt to nric another goinp senaratp II ways with uncontrolled growth: duplicating services for four separate governments; wasting dollars for inadequate and inefficient service." the letter said. The letter ended saying, "We look forward to your support and working with you toward a sound, mutually beneficial merger." Hung Jury" In Hospital Case Debate Dial-A-Ride The "Dial-A-Ride" question surfaced once again at the regular meeting of the City Council last week. Alderman Edward Datz has been advocating, in recent weeks, a look at providing the RTA service in the City of McHenry. The majority of the council, however, seems to be somewhat hesitant due to the instability of the RTA financing situation. "It's an ongoing program that we've v never really tried to get into," Aid. Datz said. "It seems to work very effectively in Crystal Lake and I would like to see us at least investigate it." Datz noted that there was some trouble with the program as operated in Harvard, where the municipality is providing the service. The alderman said he "would never go for" the city operating the service, rather con­ tracting with a private operator. Alderman Jack Pepping voiced one of the opposing viewpoints, "It's not a question of the competence or professionalism of the carrier. It's a question of need and how much we want to be party to the subsidization. Dial-A- Ride does not provide any service that is not available through a private taxi company." The alderman continued, "It's $1.50 as opposed to $2. Should we spend a couple hundred thousand dollars of the taxpayers' money to give some people a $.50 break? My position is no." Datz commented, "If the money is there we should use it." Mayor Stanek commented that he had heard a number of proposals for financing and "had come to the con­ clusion that the whole situation was in a state of flux." "I'm of the opinion that we should wait for the entire situation to clear up," the mayor said. "I would hate to promise the service and not be able to deliver (because funds dried up)." By Angela Burden SHAW MEDIA NEWS SERVICE A weary looking jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict Christmas Eve after receiving an $8 million malpractice case 46 hours earlier. The jury foreman told Judge Roland Herrmann Thursday morning in 19th Judicial Circuit court the jurors were trying to reach a verdict and the court gave them extra time for deliberation. However, Thursday afternoon the judge was informed the jury was deadlocked and he declared a "hung jury" in the case. The civil suit was brought by Jim and Jane Toepper of Volo, claiming their 4- year-ol^ son, Jason, suffered per­ manent brain damage at birth, Jan. 24, 1978, in McHenry hospital. Defendants in the suit included McHenry hospital and former staff members of its obstetrics department. The suit claimed "fetal distress" at the time of the baby's birth caused Jason's brain damage because procedures were not followed and the physician was not called in time. The defense argued an acute respiratory infection when the child was about six-months-old was the probable cause of his permanent brain damage. 1 At the close of the lengthy trial Tuesday, the plaintiffs asked damages of about $8 million. The civil trial began Nov. 9 and because of the severity of the case, it took about 24 weeks to select a jury, with more than 100 potential jurors being excused before the final panel was chosen. Members of the jury, who had been sequestered Tuesday and Wednesday nights in an area motel, said Thursday afternoon that no decision could be reached on liability. They said the vote on Wednesday was 6-6 and by Thursday morning was 9-3 in favor of the defense. Their final and deadlocked vote was 11- 1 in favor of the defense. Willard Witt of Crystal Lake, a jury member, said there was "strenuous deliberation for about 24 days. We were not beligerent, nor too heated in argument. We discussed the testimony piece-by-piece " (Continued on page 12) Doctors Fight Nuclear Activity Although Dr. David Frasz was on a social visit to his parents in McHenry over the Christmas holiday, he could not completely forget a project that occupies much of his time in his home state of Maine. Dr. Frasz and his wife, Dr. Lesley Fernow, live in Dover-Foxcroft, Me., where he is state chairman of Physicians for Social Responsibility, a branch of the national movement. The goal of the doctors, and their colleagues, is to prevent nuclear war not only from the standpoint of the United States, but also throughout the world. Dr. Frasz said the movement is growing with each month, and there are now 8,000 physicians, dentists and scientists (mostly physicians) from among about 250,000 physicians in this country, who are actively involved. The movement originated in the early 1960 s because of atmospheric nuclear testing After several years in which interest waned, activity was reac­ tivated in the late 'seventies with a new generation of nuclear weapons these professional people believe to be more dangerous. They think the chances for nuclear war are increasing. Until this point, the movement has been chiefly aimed at educating other doctors, but in 1982, Frasz said, they will "go public". He believes that in spite of a good safety record to date, the longer these weapons exist, the more chance there is for a nuclear accident. He emphasized that belief with the facts of one ac­ cidental launch and two bombs falling from an Air Force plane. Although neither detonated, the safety devices were sprung Dr. Frasz said lie was less knowledgeable about the political side of the problem, but both he and his wife feel the military is moving in the direction of increased nuclear activity. The goal for 1982 is to generate concern of the public to the really catastrophic results they say would occur from a nuclear war. Their hope is that the public will then carry the movement forward in a grass roots approach. They promise to return next Christmas to McHenry to visit his parents, Mr.and Mrs. Casimir Frasz. in Whispering Oaks, and to inform the local public of their progress f*REN KEITH MCHS State Scholars In recogntion of their achievement in the 1981-82 State Scholar program, the Illinois State Scholarship commission has awarded Certificates of Merit to 12 MCHS students. At left are East campus students who qualified, from left, front, Elizabeth Boeka and Stacy Fox; in back, Debra Mortell, Ann Murray, Susan Smith and Karen Thietje. At right are the seven West campus students honored, from left, front, James J. Gibson, Sandara K. Gilbert and Lisa A. Haselow; in back, Douglas E. Maris, Melissa J. Mayberry, Harry J. Raemont and Marylynn Thornton. More than 38,000 students from nearly every high school in Illinois competed in the program, from which number 10,000 students qualified as State Scholars. State Scholars can be found on the campuses of all of the nearly 200 public and private institutions of higher education in the state. State Scholars named in previous years earned "B" grades on the average during their college freshman year. STAFF PHOTOS-WAYNE GAYLORD Extra Holiday Patrol Estate Planning Program Happy Holiday Greeting By State Troopers Farm Bureau Women From The Plaindealer Page 13 Pog» 4 1 Page 12 /