;"V', I HK MCHENRY PIAINDKAI KR VOLUME 107 NUMBER 72 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 1983 1 SECTION 22 PAGES 25' Trade Fail! Opens April 8 In an old fable, an Eastern prince tours his jail and listens to the oc cupants protesting their innocence. Wfeea he finally comes across a self- confessed pickpocket he releases him from prism,wryly saying, "I'm only doing this so that you don't corrupt all these innocgnt people". There is no shortage of people who argue their innocence and moan about receiving unfair treatment at the hands of the media. Conservatives howl at being skewered by a predominately liberal press. "Not so" cry just as many liberals. And the journalists add to the discordant sound by protesting their innocence. Probably all three positions are at least partially wrong since a totally objective press, while laudable, is one of life's goals that is never really achieved. One of the complainers - a writer - whose cry n^st recently reached our desk via the postal service suggests an amendment to Murphy's law. It would add the following to Murphy's principle that if something can go wrong it will: If the story is wrong, you probably saw it on TV. That's a broad generalization, to be sure, but that's the stuff TV news is made up of. It doesn't always give a clear picture of life and events as they are. This man's complaint concerned the almost nightly television reports on the food stamp program, one of the mast vigorously covered of any social spending. He calls them misleading for after all has been said, the paring in the program was from $11.4 billion to $11.3 billion in 1982. We admit to being surprised at the figures, for we joined the millions whose homes were entered by newscasters who convinced us the action was of much wider scope. If you aren't eating, any cut can spell disaster, but the culprit may not be reduction as much as it is clearing up a well intentioned government program that is widely recognized as having run amuck. Less than 20 years ago about 367,000 Americans received food stamp assistance at a cost of $30.5 million. Today, the program has an $11.3 billion budget with more than 22.4 million recipients. Official estimate has been that as much as $1.6 billions or more is being lost a year because of fraud, ad ministrative error, organized theft, and even counterfeiting. No one we know wants to drastically reduce the benefits of a food program for those in real need. But everyone we know would like to eliminate the fraud. It is difficult to believe that labeling someone conservative or liberal makes an individual more or less sensitive to the needs of others, and particularly to the truly poor who deserve help. There are insensitive people who have no concern for anyone but we have never found that they fell into any one political party or carried one particular label. KAF Rose Bushes To New Subscribers During the month of April, the McHenry Plaindealer will make a special offer to new sub scribers. Through April 30, a tearose bush will be given free to anyone in McHenry county who subscribes to the Plaindealer for a year. The offer is being made in observance of Arbor day. The bushes have a value of $4.87. Details of the offer appear in an advertisment on Page 22. Tim Althoff, left, assists Tim Ogurek in posting the new directional signs for the unlimited parking facilities and free shuttle service for this weekend's Trade Fair at Parkland school. Rt. 120 and Ringwood road. STAFF PHOTO-WAYNE GAYLORD Johnsburg High View Building Changes As School Enrollment Grows \ by Marion Olsen A definite increase in Johnsburg high school enrollment next Fall will cause changes, both in status and architecture, at the five-year-old school. Principal Robert Gough said the actual numbers on hand indicate a 732-student enrollment compared to 675 in 1982-83. An influx of freshman students will partly account for the increase. Some athletic coaches will be upset, according to Dr. Duane Andreas, Preparations which have continued for many weeks will culminate this weekend when the McHenry Trade Fair is held at Parkland school, April 8, 9 and 10, marking its tenth an niversary. Parkland school is located On Rt. 120, at the intersection with Ringwood road. From the first greeting by the parking and shuttle service (chaired cSLuuv (cEKed bynmAUhSjdf is in readiness for the thousands of guests expected to attend the McHenry Area Chamber of Com merce presentation. Ova* 100 exhibitors in three exhibit halls will display thousands of products and services. Surveys, samplings, seminars, and shows are added Trade Fair treats for the entire family. Children are expected to be accompanied by parents or respon sible adults for the maximum en joyment of all. Costumed characters, clowning in the aisles, and cashing in on the hundreds of free prizes awarded every hour of the Fair are all part of the fun. mi * • ^ • • No admission charge, no parking fee, no charge for the special events - these are bonuses. A special sup plement in this issue of the Plain- dealer lists all exhibitors, events, and hours of the Fair. The McHenry Trade Fair promises both education and entertainment, all presented in a professional manner. Extend Date For Water Rate Vote The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) has extended the suspension of the general rate increase proposed by the Lakeland Park Water company until Sept. 28,1988. The MeHenry.Ctty Council learned of that action in a Monday evening meeting. In October, 1982, the water com pany, owned by T.P. Mathews, of Wonder Lake, petitioned the ICC for a rate increase. The City of McHenry filed as an objector on behalf of the (Continued on pag* 20) Okay Restrictive Park Policies District 12 superintendent, because those figures will cause the school to jump from a small school, 'A', category to a larger school, *AA\ category in some sports activities. These categories apply in some academic and vocational com petitions as well. For the Johnsburg District 12 school board, the news led to planning interior changes in the high school building. The board played verbal checkers with departments, walls and furnishings in the flexibly-built (Continued on page 20) 0 by Anthony Oliver The McHenry City Council voted Monday night to set forth more restrictive Park department policies, determining just who may play league sports and how often they may play, on city park facilities. By a 7-1 vote, the council now requires that not less than 80 percent of players on all league teams using McHenry park facilities must come from within either McHenry or Johnsburg school district boundaries. Park Committee Chairman Aid. Elizabeth Nolan (1st) brought the matter to the floor noting that the policy had been applied to only those teams sponsored by the McHenry Parks and Recreation department. Park Director Peter Merkel was on vacation and not in attendance Monday night. McHenry Mayor Joseph Stanek said the move was necessary in order to protect the person who may not have the connections to get on a softball league team, for example. "Some of the teams are set before the registration," Mayor Stanek said. Stanek, who was supported by other councihnen, also favored an even more restrictive policy in the future, perhaps limiting league teams to some percentage of McHenry residents (corporate limits). The mayor commented that there were two teams comprised almost entirely of people from Woodstock, Crystal Lake and Algonquin. Aid. David Gelwicks (3rd) questioned, "If a team has only 78 percent McHenry people, then what? They can't play? You're setting limits again." Mrs. Nolan said perhaps it was time to take a hard approach to the matter and suggested that the team in such a situation would either get another area player or cut one of the "out siders." On a motion from Mrs. Nolan and second by Aid. Cecilia Serritella (4th), the council passed a rule mandating at least 80 percent of the players on all league teams reside within the McHenry or Johnsburg high school districts. Voting in favor were Aldermen Pepping, Nolan, Busse, Datz, Smith, Serritella and Meurer. Aid. Gelwicks opposed. The second ruling limits the number of league teams, in any given sport, on which one may play, to one. Mrs. Nolan made the motion that no one in league play in a given sport may be on more than one team, for any league using McHenry park facilities. Seconded by Aid. Jack Pepping (1st), the motion passed unanimously. The council also voted to raise daily fees at the swimming pool by 50 percent. Aid. Pepping noted that the intent of the increased daily fees was to en courage people to purchase season passes. Doing so would provide up front money for upcoming pool maintenance and repairs and make administration of the facility "cleaner." The new fees for resident-non resident children are $1.50-$3.00 and for resident-non resident adults are $3.00-$6.00. / Aid. Raymond Smith (3rd) ex pressed dissatisfaction with what he termed a "temporary occupancy permit" being issued for a dental operation, which had opened in spite of zoning ordinance off-street parking violations. Aid. Smith said his biggest objection was that the policy was not-applied fairly in all instances. In a previous case, Smith said, a property owner was not allowed to rebuild after a fire because of ordinance violations. "I want like treatment," Aid. Smith said. "We've already told the people go ahead and operate your business, then come back and have your hearing and we'll say, 'yes.' " (Continued on pag* 20) Divulge Development Plans by Anthony Oliver Representatives of a Woodstock investment firm addressed the McHenry City Council Monday night concerning a plan for the development of McHenry Lakes Estates sub division. John Gould, of Woodstock Financial Services, Ltd., said the group was planning to continue the development of the subdivision, the former Jacob Freund farm south of McCullom Lake road, in conjunction with Elgin Federal Savings and Loan, the title holder. "It is our intention to continue the development with manufactured housing," Gould said. He said it was important to be able to offer affordable, financeable, quality homes, given the state of the economy. With the "modular home" concept, the house is 90 percent built at a plant in Goshen, Ind., and then trucked to the site, where it is set on a concrete foundation, either crawlspace or basement. Gould said the firm would require at least a one-car garage, cement stoops, upgraded insulation, a concrete sidewalk, paved driveway and a minimum landscape package on each of the lots. Aid. Raymond Smith (3rd) asked if other buyers would be able to come in, or would all have to go through the investment firm. Gould replied that the firm has the first right of refusal on all lots in the subdivision. Aid. Jack Pepping (1st) questioned whether there was sufficient variation in the offerings to prevent "tract housing." Gould and manufacturing representative, Donald Quinn, said/ there was a full range of houses, starting at about $50,000. They said that different placement on the lots, different location of garages and variations in color, windows and doorways would offer sufficient change to make the subdivision at tractive. "The ultimate issue is does it or does it not conform to the specs," Aid. Pepping said. "I will need a detailed evaluation from our building in spector. I won't be satisfied without it." The matter was referred to Building Inspector Orville Andrews. Business Supports Local Funding Trade Fair Supplement City Candidates' Night Increases Contributions All of the Highlights Parkland School Page 10 In Today's Plaindealer Page 4 by Anthony Oliver Nearly three inches of rain fell Friday and Saturday, dampening Easter festivities, but also raising the the water level of the Fox river and many McHenry area tributaries. "The water level down here above the dam is just below the normal summer level," said Frank Novak, lockmaster at McHenry lock and dam. "But, we're running wide open. In the past, we've tried to avoid that." This means that there is essentially no storage capacity in the Fox river basin for any more rain. Flash flood warnings were issued periodically Saturday as the storm showed little sign of abating. Between Friday and the time the rain ended, 2.85 inches fell in the McHenry area, according to John Shay, director of McHenry County Emergency Services and Disaster agency. "With that ridiculous November and December (when the winter snows were replaced by autumn downpours), all winter long the ground was soaked and never got a chance to dry out," Novak said. About two months agfr, balmy, springlike weather took hold fojr a couple of weeks. It was then that the frost line disappeared and water locked into the watershed began flowing into the Fox river system. "We opened the gates when the warm weather hit. They're actually 4 / Fox Water Level Rises "We'll be watching the next few days, and weeks, very carefully," he said. "Actually, we're still building on the rains that fell* last November and ^ Normally a quiet little stream that flows to the Fox river, Nippers ink creek rose the likelihood of additional rains. This photo was taken off of Pioneer road, just December. I can't remember when more than two feet with the rains that fell last Friday and Saturday, south of Solon road, last Saturday afternoon. (Continued on pog* 20) Lockmaster Frank Novak expressed concern over the saturated watershed and STAFF PHOTO--ANTHONY OLIVER out of the water," Novak said. "We haven't been able to hold the river at winter levels; but we've been pretty close." Until Saturday. Each year, as spring approaches, the flood gates at McHenry dam are opened to draw down the level of the Fox river and Chain Of Lakes in preparation for spring thaws and rains. This level, the winter level, is about two feet below the normal summer surface elevation. "Right now (Saturday afternoon) we're just about at summer levels. We're trying to get rid of as much water as possible without flooding the people downstream." The U.S. Weather Service predicted a crest in the rising waters at Wilmot dam sometime Sunday afternoon. "I think the Weather Service prediction is pretty optimistic...I mean it hasn't even stopped raining yet," Novak said. The McHenry lockmaster said there was no serious flooding problem, or threat of one, for the time being. Waters at "the Wilmot dam topped the flood level by about one foot, however, Novak said this was normal for this time of year. )