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THE MCHENRY PLAINDEALER VOLUME 106 NUMBER 55 'SERVING THE CHAIN-O-LAKES REGION SINCE 1875 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1982 1 SECTION 20 PAGES 25* t A. n Explore Careers Tony Gurske. an East campus freshman, is shown discussing with his teacher, Kay Huck, some of the information he learned from a recent interview with Dr. Robert J. Stein, chief medical examiner for Cook county. With an interest in forensic pathology as a career, Tony expended more than the usual amount of effort in seeking out facts that will guide him in a future decision. STAFF PHOTO-WAYNE GAYLORD When Kay Huck, coordinator of the Social Science department at East campus, assigned freshmen students to conduct an in-depth investigation of possible careers, she had no idea of the effort (hat would be expended. Tony Gurske, a freshman on campus, probably topped the list when he arranged an interview with the chief medical examiner of Cook county, Dr. Robert J. Stein. His extraordinary effort provided the young student with an opportunity to get first hand information about his career choice from a nationally known expert in the field. The experience fulfilled the requirements qf the Careers couf setnwhieK he is enrolled. A~ number of residents of McHenry are well acquainted with Dr. Stein, who once worked as a pathologist at McHenry hospital. Dr. Stein told Tony he was born in Russia and came to the U.S. at age 7. His original career aspirations were in the field of engineering, but he said that an Advanced Biology teacher steered him in the direction of medicine. Tony learned from the prominent doctor that he will need a great deal of dedication if he is to become a forensic pathologist, which includes 14 years of post-secondary training. Dr. Stein explained also thatlfc medical examiner not only deals with the medical but also the legal aspects surrounding a death. Mrs. Huck said, "The assignment was part of an in- depth investigation of a career which the student is interested in .it was quite an effort on Tony's part." She also lauded Dr. Stein, who took time from an extremely busy schedule to cooperate with Tony's request. A New Classroom Discipline With discipline a significant problem in most schools today, a relatively new idea known as "assertive discipline" is being viewed seriously as a possible answer. In McHenry high school, it is being tried as a possible system-wide means of classroom management. As described by East campus prin­ cipal William Dodds, assertive discipline is a relatively simple techniquethat is surrounded by a good amount of experience. This "no argument" form of management, Dodds said, basically involves a set of rules and consequences known and understood by all students. When a student violates one of the rules, the teacher simply writes the student's name on the board and continues with teaching the class. No time is wasted in a verbal harangue with the student. Subsequent violations result in a check after the student's name, up to a point. After sufficient checks have accumulated, the student then visits the principal's office, where further action is taken as necessary. "It's a fairly formalized program," Dodds said, and he added that there were no plans at this time to implement the system on a school-wide basis at tEast campus. He noted that a number of East campus teachers and administrators had attended a recent seminar on the system and were using the basic plan in the classroom. "It's the type of program that ap­ peals to people of all teaching levels and experience," Dodds said. Likewise at West campus, Principal Gregory Johnson noted that assertive discipline allows for maximum teaching and learning. "This is not to imply that this is something new that the schools are trying because nothing else works,",. Johnson said. "It is a fundamental concept of control and the key is the teacher's effectiveness in handling the management." Johnson added that, in order to work, the system must be supported by the school administration, board and parents. The teacher, he said, has to follow through and be consistent in the ap­ plication of the program. "Inconsistency can blow a good at­ mosphere," Johnson pointed out. The West campus administrator noted one of the attractive features of the system. Assertive discipline, Johnson explained, does not waste the other kids time and allows the teacher to continue with the class. Both administrators commented that assertive discipline was receiving a good and enthusiastic response by faculty members at each school. "Assertive discipline is not the an­ swer to all problems," Johnson said. "If the kid blows up the bathroom, we have other ways of dealing with that." The principals reiterated that the look at assertive discipline was not a reaction to an increase in discipline problems at the schools, rather they said that problems have been on the decline in recent years. Dodds commented that the problems at East campus included an occasional fight, vandalism, students leaving school and drug or alcohol use. The decrease in the number and severity of incidents in the last year or so he attributed to a combination of factors. "We have a more structured school day and the students are required to be somewhere every hour of the day. except during lunch," Dodds said This has helped to reduce the number of incidents at the school Another factor was the formation of the Johnsburg school district which lessened the number of students and made East campus more manageable and personal, he said. The students and faculty have more pride in the building since the major life-safety work was completed and he noted the identity of the campus since (Continued on page 18) CHILD DIES A two-week old infant, Amy Michelle Johnson, who was transported out of McHenry hospital by helicopter last week, died Wednesday at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago According to a relative, the first daughter of Ron and Dale Ann Levand, of McHenry, suffered from heart problems and would have been three weeks old on Thursday. The family expressed their appreciation to the McHenry hospital physicians and staff, the private helicopter company, the McHenry Area Rescue squad, McHenry Police department and the Fire department for their respective roles in the emergency transport Replacement Taxes To Government The last replacement tax payments received for 1981 brought to $531.5 million the money distributed to cities, counties, school districts, park districts and other local taxing bodies, ac- <%>rdihg to J.sTtwmas Johnson, director i of the Illinois Department of Revenue. McHenry was included among the 6,800 units of local government to gain from the disbursement. Checks totaling $43.6 million are being distributed to cities, counties, school districts, park districts and other local taxing bodies, Johnson said. This final payment brings the total distributed this year to $531.5 million, he said. Grade School District 15, McHenry, received $130,475 in replacement taxes this past year. For High School District 156, it wa* $128,978. The City of McHenry realized $22,681.44 in 1981 compared to $24,640.12 the previous year. It is estimated that the 1982 figure will reach $23,961.01. me state's 1,018 public school dist­ rict* received tha largest-share of the distributions for the year, with $277.9 million or 52.3 percent of the total going to them. Other categories of local government to receive major shares were Municipalities- $107.5 million (20.2 percent); Counties-$45.8 million (8.6 percent); Park districts- $28 1 million (5.3 percent); Sanitary districts--$19.6 million (3.7 percent); Junior colleges--$18.8 million (3 5 percent); Roads-$10.1 million (19 percent); Townships--$9.1 million (1.7 percent) All others-$14 6 million <2.8 percent). The state estimates that payments for next year should again total $53u million. (Continued on page 18) Proceed With Life Safety Work At Johnsburg Schools ...... . • . . ... ... Slump In Sales Tax There have been times when almost everyone has questioned the ex­ penditure of money for lawmakers' salaries on almost any level. Some of the antics picked up by perceptive TV cameramen in Springfield prompt the viewer to wonder if this can, indeed, be part of the legislative process, or if he is watching a B-rated comedy The scene in Washington, D.C. is also one of disillusionment, if one can rely on the many visitors who have watched proceedings in disbelief. Congressmen and senators chatting -- or sleeping - or reading - all of this has been routine for decades while one thing or another is being read from the rostrum. We are assured, however, that these men and women do their homework, and they can miss a few hundred words uttered by another lawmaker without hurting. It's the vote that counts. But in spite of these shenanigans, there are moments of encouragement, and they have come in recent months. One of them happened in Springfield. A1 ihe conclusion of J .he first year, it appears that the State Mandates act is a resounding success Under this act, legislation that forces local govern­ ments to offer new services or expand existing services must provide state money to cover the cost of im­ plementing the new program. That's what school districts - and others - have pleaded for as long as we can remember. Until this act, it was the political thing for legislators to appease lobbyists by granting their requests. It was easy to vote "yes" and let local governmental units find a way to pay. But the day of reckoning came. What a reversal! A total of 52 new programs and regulations were proposed during the last legislative session. Those 52 proposals could have I cost local governments $2 billion. SHAW MEDIA NEWS SERVICE The City of McHenry, along with other municipalities in the county, has realized a general decline in sales tax revenues, according to figures recently released by the Illinois Department of Revenue. The state sales tax figures showed a 10 percent drop in monies received byy the City of McHenry in FY 1980 ($3,642,529) and those received in FY 1981 ($3,281,004). The state fiscal year runs from July to June. Throughout the county, Woodstock dropped two percent, Crystal Lake dropped five percent and Harvard dropped' three percent. The county noted a six percent drop in sales tax revenues. The state figures also show trends in a number of categories. Figures for the major categories include; --General Merchandise: McHenry, down two percent; Woodstock, up two percent; Crystal Lake, down three percent; and Harvard, down less than one percent. --Food: McHenry, down 21 percent; Woodstock, down 19 percent; Crystal Lake, down 18 percent; and Harvard, down 17 percent. --Drinking and Eating Places. McHenry, up three percent, Wood­ stock, down four percent ; Crystal Lake, up four percent; and Harvard, down eight percent. --Apparel: McHenry, up 10 percent; Woodstock, down 18 percent; Crystal Lake, down 13 percent; and Harvard, down seven percent. --Lumber, Building, Hardware: McHenry, down 16 percent; Woodstock, down 13 percent; Crystal Lake, up four percent; and Harvard, up 38 percent. --Automotive and Filling Stations: McHenry, down nine percent; Wood­ stock, up eight percent; Crystal Lake, up 15 percent; and Harvard, down 12 percent. Helen Adjoran, spokeswoman for the Department of Revenue, said while state officials cannot account for variations in individual communities, (Continued on page 18) The Johnsburg District 12 Building committee reported to the board of education at last week's meeting that Life-Safety code work to upgrade some of the buildings will proceed. According to Dr. Duane Andreas, District 12 superintendent, the district sold $135,000 in bonds last December for the work. He noted, for example, that Bush school still has the original roof and must be re-roofed. "Some of the requirements now are more stringent than when the actual buildings were built," Dr. Andreas said. He commented that most of the work, which will be bid after consulting with an architect, is directed at Bush elementary and Ringwood schools. Dr Andreas said the board was also apprised of the district's needs in terms of student population. The superin­ tendent said the district population would remain, more or less, the same as far as total numbers were con­ cerned. However, he noted that there were fewer elementary school students and more in the junior high and high school. "Johnsburg Junior high school is the largest in the county." Dr Andreas pointed out As far as the teacher distribution is affected by this picture, he said that 112 teachers would have to be taken from the elementary schools and go to the junior high and high school He ex­ plained that a "half" teacher was (Continued on page 18) $50,000 Grant Is Awarded County Housing Authority I vn (Continued on page 18) Governor James R. Thompson an­ nounced last Thursday that the Illinois Department of Commerce and Com­ munity Affairs has awarded a $50,000 Community Services Block grant to the McHenry County Housing Authority. The grant, from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is designed to develop programs which utilize all availably resources to deal with the problems of the communities' poor and disadvantaged citizens; promote activities which encourage self sufficiency; and maximize the delivery of services to the poor. Specific local activities funded by the grant include counseling and referral services, emergency assistance, and housing assistance for low-income persons in McHenry county. "The purpose of the Community Services Block Grant program is to provide services and activities which will have a measurable and possibly major impact on causes of poverty in a community or in areas where poverty is a particularly acute problem," Thompson said. "The State of Illinois has as one of its objectives the development of an ef­ fective program which encourages innovation, coordination and specific program accomplishments in dealing with the problems of the poor" the governor said. Last year, Congress approved and the President signed legislation establishing the Community Services Block grant which replaced programs previously administered by the Community Services administration. The Department of Commerce and Community Affairs administers the program in Illinois. Plan Cookie Sale It's cookie time, and no one is having more fun in planning the sale than Jenny Eiserman, left, 9, of Troop 320, and Barbie Martin, 9, of Troop 461. Between Friday, Feb. 5, and Feb. 19, the girls will be going door-to-door selling seven different kinds of cookies. Money derived from the sale will be used entirely for camping programs. STAFF PHOTO-WAYNE GAYLORD State Police Crackdown On Drinking Drivers Page 14 FREE TV Guide In Today's edition Blood Drive At Johnsburg Page 18