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tTAIV PHOTO-WAVNi CAY(0«D V. V: •: h % . Okay new fire-rescue procedures by Anthony Oliver New operating procedures for the combined operations of fire and rescue divisions were ap­ proved at a recent meeting of the McHenry Township Fire Protection District board of trustees. John Sulok, Co. S, asst. chief, questioned the requirement for officers to have a minimum of Firefighter II certificate. Sulok contended that this may discourage older members with many years experience from running for command positions. Board President James L. Althoff explained that the authority of the chief to waive the requirement, .which had been added, was designed to alleviate that problem. By a voice vote, the board unanimously approved the operating procedures. In other business, the board looked at the proposed six- month budget for the Johnsburg Rescue Squad and authorized the first payment of $8,000. District officers will be looking at the possibility of providing gasoline and diesel fuel storage at the Co. 1 firehouse, 3610 W. Elm St., McHenry. A recommendation is expected at the next board meeting. Phil Gust, rescue division asst. chief, repeated to the board on details of toe dissolution of the rescue squad. He reported that the squad answered 68 calls in November. The aerial platform truck that is being purchased by the district has an anticipated delivery date of Aug. 31, 1964. Filing flurry Monday in county Santa arrives STAFF PMOTOWAYNC CAVIORO Big smiles on the faces of Santa and Mrs. Claus are evident as they wave to the crowd before entering their hut at the Pearl Street Park. It was Mc Henry's official opening Of the Christmas season last Saturday. y By Angela Burden Shaw Free Press News Media Five persons seeking Republican nomination .for county offices filed petitions Monday morning with McHenry County Clerk Rosemary Azzaro. No Democrats had filed for county positions by mid- morning. Those seeking re-electkm^jprho filed Monday include Theooore Floro for stale's attorney, Albert Jourdan for county auditor, Vernon Kays for circuit clerk and Alvin Querhammer for coroner. Phyllis Walters, currently serving as county board member from Algonquin, filed for the position of recorder of deeds, an office held by WiDert Russel, who has said he will not seek re-election. There will be four seats up for election in each of the three McHenry County Board * districts. k Encumbent county board members filing Monday from Expect Dial-A-Ride in late January by Donna Bertulis The McHenry Township Board has a very ̂ favorable outlook for 1984, feeling that Dial-A-Ride service will be a reality late next month. Two buses will begin daily para-transit service tentatively Jan. 24, 1984, says Albert Adams, McHenry Township supervisor. Fares will most likely be one dollar for a one­ way trip anywhere .within the township and half price for senior citizens and handicapped individuals. Regular RTA bus service on fixed routes will continue in addition to Dial-A-Ride, which will work door-to-door on a reservation call basis. The buses hold up to 12 passengers and are equipped with a wheelchair lift. Like most things that are a long time in coming, but well worth the wait, establishing paratransit service here has not been an easy venture. "McHenry County hasn't been getting its fair share," says Adams. "We've been paying the taxes, but not getting the ser- -f vices," 'V One-quarter of a cent of the five and a quarter percent sales /tax is earmarked for the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA). Two years ago, legislation was passed in i Springfield specifying that whatever money collected through the RTA tax must be spent in the same county it was collected. Dial-A-Ride is a logical vehicle to do just that. However , D ia l -A-Ride requires a local governmental body to undertake the operation of the service, and with that a certain financial commitment. In this manner, Dial-A-Ride was started in Crystal Lake, Marengo and Harvard. The city of McHenry was contacted by the RTA, but it declined to take the responsibility. McHenry Township was contacted by the RTA in November, 1982. The township board called a public meeting on the matter and according to Adams, the "response was terrific." "Ninety-nine percent of the people there were in favor of it." The township negotiated with the RTA board, and agreed on a 75-25 cost sharing method. The paratransit service would have started this year, except for a snag - the state abolished the RTA board, as it had existed and appointed an interim board. The interim board was instructed to re-examine its budget. McHenry Township paratransit was one of many new contracts put on the back burner. "The board had to take care of contract^ that were already in effect," explained Adams. "We were fortunate enough to be the first to be considered for a new contract." Even so, Dial-A-Ride service is not permanent. It will work on a month-to-month basis. Adams is fairly certain that the board will keep its original agreement and incur 75 percent of the operational costs of the program, but it is possible that in the future the funding structure may change. The township board estimates that the local share for Dial-A- Ride will be approximately $13,000 annually. A survey done by the RTA in this area estimated that over the 48 square miles in the township, there would be an average of 20 passengers per hour. Hence, the township will get two 12- passenger buses. Adams, however, is a little less op­ timistic. He says the township will be operating only one bus at a time until ridership increases. He added that the program will not be cost-effective unless the Dial-A-Ride bus transports at least 10 passengers per hour. District 1 were Steven Moore of Cary, John Murphy of Fox River Grove, George "Bill" Hubbard of Crystal Lake and Robert Vorisek of Fox River Grove. Dean Cunat, Thomas Huemann and Edward Buss, all incumbent members from McHenry, filed as a slate for District 2. Ernest Foote of Woodstock and Ann Hughes of Woodstock were the incumbents filing for District 3. Four former county board members filed petitions for the board seats Monday morning, including A1 Collins of Wonder Lake. District 3; Paul FkDer of McHenry and William Fit­ zgerald of Wander Lake in District 2; and Edward Sch- weiger of Huntley, District 3. Also filing for county board nominations were Edward Hall of Woodstock, District 3, who is the former county superin­ tendent of schools, and David Benrud of McHenry, District 2. McHenry » County Board Chairman Clint Claypool of McHenry has announced he will not be seeking nomination to the county board in District 2 in the next election. His term of office will end Nov. 30,1964. 'Uncle Fluffy' sentenced The township is now in­ terviewing, and will soon be training, drivers and dispat- chers For the paratransit ser­ vice. Riders must call in a reservation 24-hours in advance of their planned pickup so that dispatchers can schedule hourly routes for drivers. There will be a separate phone number for Dial-A-Ride at the township office, which will be announced at a later date. Tlioee who will benefit the most from Dial-A-Ride are obviously the township's senior citizen population, although Adams says the bus will be "super handy" for anyone. "You'll be able to go back and forth to work every day for $2." Nunda Township, the city of Woodstock and the city of Algonquin are likely to begin Dial-A-Ride in the near future, said Adams. Robert M. Wons, 40, of 609-B Waters Edge Drive, McHenry, was sentenced Friday to six years imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to a charge of indecent liberties with a child. Judc* Leonard Brady of 19th finH'ir*"*1 Court found Wons guilty but mentally ill in the hearing Friday after a review of a report on the defendant from a clinical psychologist. Wons was sen- traced to serve a six-year term with the Department of Corrections. The defendant has been held in jail on several morals charges placed by McHenry and Lake County authorities. The charges range from taking indecent liberties with a iMH to contributing to • A-iî ̂ » m -» --- > -- *^TUnl KunfMcy of mir and deviate Mini assault. According to sheriff's detectives, Wons, also known as "Uncle Fluffy," used to cruise the Fox River in his motorboat asking young people to ride with him. State approves drug-alcohol program by Cliff Ward Shaw-Free Press News Service Memorial Hospital for McHenry County's bid to open a unit to treat alcohol and chemical dependent patients received final approval re­ cently from a state health agency. The Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board (IHFPB) unanimously approved the project at a meeting Friday, according to hospital executive director Lee Pesce. Pesce said the hospital hopes to open the 14-bed center around June 1,1964. He added that the facility, which will treat alcoholism and chemical dependency on an in-patient basis, will be the first of its kind in the county. Hie center,"" which will be opened in existing space in Memorial Hospital, Woodstock, will consist of four "swing beds" for medical detoxification and 16 beds for rehabilitation. Approval from the IHFPB culminated a month of hearings on the project by the Health Systems Agency of Kane, Lake and McHenry counties (HSA- KLM). However, approval for the center is only the state's way of ensuring that major capital expenditures - and plant Continued on pog* 3 A look inside... Christmas Blues Wildlife Seedling Packs Regular features Obituaries Twice Told Tales New Classified Number Section 2, Page 1 Section 2, Page 10 Page 3 Section 2, Page 11 344-4800 McHenry « «since 187 5 aindealer 2 Sections 44 Pages 25' Wednesday December 14,1983 Number 37 Volume 10A Car T7> • ̂ Members of the AAcHenry Township Fire J"1Department extinguish flames in the engine compartment of an auto at the in­ tersection of Gre^n and Pearl. The fire broke out at 11:34 AAonday morning.