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service VOLUME 107 NUMBER 30 ' S E R V I N G T H E C H A I N - O - L A K E S R E G I O N S I N C E 1 8 7 5 " WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1982 1 SECTION 24 PAGES 25' Remembering: Armistice -191 This was the scene on Armistice day (now Veterans' day) in 1925 in McHenry. The photo looks west from East campus high school toward the Wm. Tesch home (now the McHenry Public library). The photo, which shows large crowd attending program, was found among other belongings of the late Ray McGee. The picture was taken for the sponsoring Post 491, American Legion. Spur Development By Two-Party Agreement _ • by Anthony Oliver In an attempt to spur development in the McHetify Lakes Estates sub­ division, the McHenry City Council and new title-holders, Elgin Federal Savings and Loan, reached agreement at a special meeting last Thursday night. \ John J. Brittain, attorney for Elgin Federal, explained that the financial institution had to foreclose on a loan If there were some who were not previously disenchanted with the election process, last week's general election was the clincher. Cruel and inhuman punishment is not even allowed to be administered to the criminal population, yet Illinois candidates for high offices suffered something close to it. For years the public has been grateful to the highly technical society that brought television into their homes. With it came news as it was being made, with no waiting for the next day's newspaper. But this year circumstances created a mockery of both the election process and the TV media. Anxious to bring the news to eager listeners first, and to project winners at the earliest possible moment, we heard a variety of misleading statements, some of which were later corrected and others left to the imagination. We are accustomed to making judgments based on first returns from Chicago precincts, knowing that early trends are many times reversed. But this was our first experience with ballot boxes we were told had to be searched out. For years we have been ad­ monished to vote. "Every vote counts" was the message, and it was accompanied by stories of just how important one vote was in determining the outcome of a particular election. But last week we were told, by radio and TV, that each election, some Chicago voters are disenfranchised because the votes are not turned in - unless the voting is close. Then the . search begins. In the meantime, contradictory announcements came over the air* waves. Some gave the total according to the last word given; others added a previous count to it. Thompson was ahead - Stevenson was ahead - and all at the same time. The result was millions of confused voters wbo began to wonder whether the whole system needs revamping. (Continuod on pag« 22) on the property and now held title to the subdivision. The. overall project is slated for a four-phase development sehedukf. "t- "We plan to market by having a builder come in and build, on a custom basis, homes in the $47,500 to $60,000 range," Brittain said. The attorney said a contract for road work specified in the annexation agreement had been secured and the work should be completed before winter. In response to a question from Alderman Michael Wieser (3rd ward), Brittain said Elgin Federal Savings and Loan was title-holder to only the single-family residential lots in the subdivision. McHenry Mayor Joseph Stanek noted that the entire development could not be built, given the economy, and said that was the reason for the grid (phased) development. City Attorney Bernard Narusis pointed out that no building permits would be issued in a particular phase until all road and utility im­ provements were completed. Further, he said, the improvements would have to be completed one year after ap­ plication was made for a building permit. Brittain said the developers agreed to pay, upon first building permit, interest due from the deferred developer donation fees ($6,091.01), retained personnel ordinance prin­ cipal and interest ($9,424.48) and 25 percent of the cost of the railroad crossing ($893.93) for a total cost of $16,409.42. , The total developer donation principal of $92,700 will be due and payable on Jan. 2, 1984. Brittain said Elgin Federal will pay 10 peccant interest in quarterly installments. Alderman William Busse (2nd ward) asked if the developer donation amount could be "collateralized," noting that this was essentially a "$100,000 unsecured claim." Alderman Wieser suggested that the developers pay the interest plus that part of the principal owed, which amounts to about $46,000. Brittain took exception to this and said, "We're asking for some con­ sideration. If you want us to, we'll let the land sit. If you were so concerned about Orleans (the previous title- holder), why didn't you make sure he had the money. We're throwing in $200,000 to make this viable and I can't see where we're getting any cooperation." Wieser said, "This project has gone through three different owners and has cost the city bucks." "We're (Elgin Federal) going to be making loans on this property," Brittain said. "We're going to make sure we don't sell ourselves down the river." A unanimous vote of the council authorized the issuance of a building permit for a model home in one of the phases, pending receipt of the required funds. "Went over the top with 1st Battalion advancing from Herbenville to St. Hilarit. Three casualties. Hostilities ceased at 11 a.m. Armistice signed at 5 a.m. and took effect at 11 a.m. Great cheering by Germans; bands played; bugles were blown and a great display of rockets, etc." Those words, describing first hand the end of World War 1, were found several years ago in a diary kept by the late Ray McGee of McHenry. He was with Machine Gun Co., 129th Infantry, 33rd Division overseas when the war came to an end. It was Pat Wirtz of McHenry who made the discovery of this and other prized possessions from the war years. Wirtz was on vacation from college, assigned to cleaning up a room in the basement of McGee's Store for Men, where he worked. The diary was found among belongings stored in an old Florsheim shoe box in one corner of the room, apparently placed there by the owner and forgotten. In the collection were two gas masks, one American and made of rubber, the other used by the Germans, made of leather. His Soldier's Pay Record book was another item of interest. It showed I that as sergeant he was paid $44 a month, a sum increased to $60 when he became a first sergeant. After payments for a number of things, such as insurance, he actually received, at first, $21.20 and later $38.20. A postcard sent to his mother from overseas was included among the mementos. Others were a sewing kit, a U.S. Army belt, a cigarette lighter and a deck of cards. Those who knew Ray McGee best were not surprised that a prayer book and a Bible were also included. AflftQing hj§ treasures was a history of the 33ra Division American Expeditionary Forces during World War l until the time the Armistice was signed. Whiz Bang Alley was never described, but it can be assumed that it was the location of intense fighting. It was for action here that he received commendation. The soiled, ragged edged document read, "for gallantly and splendid performance of duty in France". Many other World War 1 veterans in the community will recall their own days at the front as McHenry observes Veterans' day with special ceremonies Thursday, Nov. 11. They will remember how they, too, eventually boarded ship, as Ray McGee did the S.S. Leviathan, and came home. Each resumed his place in the life of his home community, never forgetting the horror of war or the exultation of the Armistice. The program planned in honor of the signing of the Armistice will be held at the Legion clubhouse on (Continued on pogo 22) Pat Wirtz holds diary of the late Ray McGee which he kept during his service with the Army in France during World War I.On the table are other mementos t including American and German gas masks, pictures and a Bible. Lower photo shows a picture of Mr. McGee and entries in his diary telling events of the actual day the Armistice was signed, Nov. 11,1918. STAFF PHOTOS- WAYNE GAYLORD Terms Of Aldermen Expire Schools, Libraries Ask Boost ! • ' Of Property Assessment Levels The next municipal election is set for Tuesday, April 12, 1983. Terms expire for the following aldermen: Jack Pepping from Ward I, Wm. Busse from Ward 2. Michael Wieser from Ward 3 and Ronald Meurer from Ward 4. Nominating petitions and candidacy documents are available in the City Clerk's office, 1111N. Green street. To run for city offices one must have lived within the City of McHenry corporate boundaries for one year. Tne first day to file nomination petitions is Dec. 6 and they are to be filed with the McHenry City Clerk's office. The last day to file is Dec%48. William Busse, who is filling the unexpired term erf Geroge Harker by appointment, has a petition out in Ward 2. In Ward 3, the incumbent Michael Wieser has also taken a petition. Three have indicated their interest in Ward 4. They are Ronald Meurer. whose term ends next year; Ernest D. Schooley, a former alderman; ana Gary Snell. The new ivard map appears elsewhere ill this issue. McHenry county school district and library district officials will ask local assessors to increase local property tax assessments levels to the 33 1-3 percent of fair market value required py state law. Officials from eight library districts and 16 school districts agreed to seek In McHenry county, where the multiplier is 1.8704 percent, however, the school district and library district officials said they could be forced to run their agencies with revenue drops ranging from eight percent to 62 percent if the multiplier were eliminated and no change was made meetings with local assessors aftjr-^in local assessments. National Commendation For Three MCHS Students 'D. William Dodds and O. Gregory Johnson, McHenry high school principals, have announced the names of seniors who are being commended in the 1983 National Merit Scholarship program. A letter of commendation will be presented to Lisa Mazzoni, Darren Cepulis and Sandeep Lahoti, who placed among the top five percent of the participants in the twenty- eighth nationwide competition. A spokesman for National Scholarship corporation, which con­ ducts the Merit program, stated, "To rank among the top 50,000 performers in a competition that includes over one million participants is ah out­ standing attainment, < deserving of public recognition. We sincerely hope that the academically able young men and women who are commended in (Continued on pogo 22) attending a session Nov. 3 at McHenry County college. The local government officials came to the college to meet with State Senator Jack Schaffer (R, Cary) and State Rep. Richard Klemm (R, Crystal Lake) about the amendatory veto by Illinois Gov. Jim Thompson which would eliminate the property tax multiplier. The state uses the multiplier to equalize assessment levels between counties. Hie school and library district officials decided to seek cooperation from the local assessors after Schaffer warned that even if the current move to drop the multiplier fails there will certainly be attempts to eliminate it in future legislative sessions. Schaffer told more than 50 people at the MCC meeting that both Lake and Kane counties have assessment levels close to the 33 1-3 percent state requirement and therefore have state multipliers close to 1 percent and would be affected little if the multiplier were eliminated. At the outset of the meeting, chaired by McHenry county Superintendent of Schools Ed Hall, Schaffer told the local officials he would support elimination of the state multipler. "I feel strongly assessment belongs at the local level", he said. Schaffer suggested that if the multiplier is dropped and if assessors refuse to increase the assessments to the 331-3 percent level, then the school or library districts might have to go to court to. force the assessment increases. Schaffer added that the current multiplier system in effect denies property owners the right to protest their taxes because it is too late to pppeal assessments by the time the ^state multiplier comes out. The senator noted that the McHenry County board also has the power to apply a county equalizer between townships. In response to fears expressed by the local officials that even the one- year hold harmless clause in the amendatory veto would cause fiscal problems, Schaffer said he believes most assessors would comply with the state requirements if the multiplier were eliminated, t Klemm added that if assessors do not follow state requirements there may be emergency legislation next spring to force them to increase assessment levels. Nevertheless, both legislators warned the local officials not to expect state dollars to bail out their districts if the multiplier is eliminated. Schaffer urged the officials to seek an increase in the local assessment levels, noting that it would not mean a tax increase for property owners. "The best way for McHenry county not to have another crisis meeting is to get local assessors to comply with the law," he said, explaining that if local assessments were hiked the state multiplier would be lower for McHenry county next year. Cash-Register Stolen McHenry police are investigating a burglary at Don's Eat'N Tyme restaurant, 4506 W. Elm street, McHenry, that not only netted the thief $150, but the cash register as well. According to McHenry police, there was no forced entry to the building. The burglary was reported Nov, 8. Glaucoma Screening Wildlife Calendar Library Observes Book Week Wonder Lake Lions Project Winter Feeding Children's Contests Page 12 -- • _ Page 5 Page 23 % THE MCHENRY PLAINDEALER J 5