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X Dial-A-Ride officially opened in township PAGE 11 - PLA1NDEALER WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 171984 McHenry Township officially joined the Regional Tran­ s p o r t a t i o n A u t h o r i t y Paratransit Grant Program nnf* began operating a Paratransit Dial-A-Bus service for the general public Jan. 30. The program marked the first time that residents of McHenry Township have had access to door-to-door specialized public transit service. Jeffrey R. Ladd, member of the Transition Board of the Regional Transportation Authority, and Albert A. Adams, township supervisor, made the announcement about the new service which is being cooperatively funded by RTA and McHenry Township. Following the announcement, Director Ladd presented Township Supervisor Adams with the keys to two new lift- equipped Paratransit vehicles on behalf of the Authority. Officials of McHenry Town­ ship and other dignitaries were on hand for the dedication ceremony of the new transit service and the presentation of the vehicles held at the McHenry Township Office, 3703 North Richmond Road, McHenry, Monday. The new service is one of 30 Paratransit projects funded by the RTA Paratransit Grant Program now operating within the RTA's six-county region. These projects are cited as working examples of how the RTA and local governments together can further improve public transportation for those who reside within the region. The Paratransit bus was manufactured by Coach and Equipment Corporation of Penn Yan, New York for the Regional Transportation Authority. It is lift-equipped and can seat 14 passengers and accommodate one wheelchair or 13 passengers and two wheelchairs. The 21-foot bus has a ven­ tilation system designed to maintain a comfortable en­ vironment without the use of air conditioning. Unique features for comfort and safety of special users in­ clude the lift, which may be used by a standing passenger or one who is in a wheelchair, seats upholstered in nubby fabric rather than smooth vinyl, and additional grab bars for stability. Painted white with a wide blue stripe and narrower vivid orange stripes, the vehicle is highly visible to pedestrians and other drivers. It has the stan­ dard Statfe of Illinois features as to lights and reflectors. Those who wish to use the Dial-A-Bus mode of tran­ sportation should call 385-5671 at least 24 hours in advance to. make reservations for the McHenry Township Dial-A- Ride, 3703 North Richmond Road, McHenry. Because this number is not in the directory, people are urged to keep this number handy. Service is available 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mondays, Tuesday, Thursdays, and Fridays, and from 8 a.m. to noon on Wednesdays. A one-way trip costs $1.00 for adults and .50 cents for senior citizens (65 plus), handicapped persons and students of the township. Ser­ vice is provided only within the township limits. Senior citizens and han­ dicapped must have an R.T.A. pass. These may be obtained at the township office. They must bring proof of age. Handicapped persons will be given a form to fQl out and mail to the R.T.A. ^•general^^™ Hews Mother declared insane in her son's stabbing death Mrs. Karen Dage, 37, charged with stabbing to death one son and attempting to murder another, was found not guilty by reason of insanity at the close of a murder trial. Ms. Dage stood accused of the June 24, 1983 murder of 5-year- old Matthew Dage and the at- witnesses had observed IV!~s Dage attacking the boys in her car along the highway. Explaining the circumstances of the incident, Bish testified that he investigated the report on June 24 of two vehicles trying to pull over another car on Haeger's Bend Road, south of tempted murder of his 6-year-old Spring Creek Road. STAFF PHOTO-WAYNE GAYIORD State Rep. Dick Klemm boards new McHenry Township Dial-A-Ride bus by way of the lift which allows its use by the handicapped. Public Aid office busy despite cutbacks By Cliff Ward Shaw Free Press News Media Through program and staff cutbacks, red tape and policy changes, the McHenry County Department of Illinois Publifc Aid is still in there aiding. Despite staff reductions the past few years and the loss of almost all social programs due to state mandates, the depart­ ment still offers a wide range of services to a large group - larger than one may think - in McHenry County. According to Administrator Richard Bonofiglio, his department of 17 employees handled 1,756 on-going cases in the month of November. In September, 2,533 people received some form of public aid in the county, affecting 1,377 households, as a part of a $2.9 billion annual state public aid budget, according to statet figures, which do not break ^down to a county level.. B.J. Jones, a supervisor in the county department, said the average public aid recipient is a white, single mother between the ages of 20 and 25 with two children. Jones said the average woman has typically been married and is typically separated, divorced or has been deserted. "She won't be on public aid very long," Jones said, ex­ plaining that public aid provides mostly short-term support. Bonofiglio agreed, saying there are few people the county department supports on a long- term basis. There is a wide variety of programs available to persons from public aid, provided the applicant meets requirements, which are complex and con­ fusing in some cases. Larry S wager, another^ supervisor and a 12-year veteran of the state's public aid system, explained the proems., as filling out forms, personal interviews and determination is figured according to income and various other standards. However, if approved, ap­ plicants can receive a number of benefits, including aid for families with dependent children, supplemental payments to the blind, aged or disabled, and food stamps. The department will even bury a person if no one else will pay for it - but don't expect a Viking funeral at the state's expense, they said. If a parent is not keeping up on child support payments, the department can step in and press the case for the parent who has custody, and even determine paternity, if necessary. Illinois does not have a good record on collecting back child support, Jones and Swager said, but both agree it is im­ proving thanks to some new laws. Due to state and federal government belt-tightening, though, many services, such as food stamps, have been cut or made more restrictive. "The (food stamp) rules were lax for awhile," Bonofiglio said, adding that many more people were eligible to receive food stamps several years ago. Other state and federal changes force his staff to keep on their toes, he said, adding that sometimes employees have to rapidly digest and implement new policies that come out of Springfield. ° "Almost traditionally, everything changes in July," on the eve of the fiscal new year, according to Jones, who has 14 years of experience in the department. Swager said the toughest part of the changes is trying to "unlearn" old procedures. Jones recalled one state report she received which instructed her to pull just one chapter, the one dealing primarily with social services, out of the policy manual and dispose of it. Jones said the job can be frustrating if one leans toward dealing in those social services, since most of those programs have been ended, and public aid employees don't have much personal contact with recipients anymore. Bonofiglio said when times are toUgh, and more people are applying for public aid, the state cuts back on staff because more money is needed for programs. When the economy rebounds, as it is now, the state allocates more money for staff «•- a "Catch-22" situation, he said. However, Bonofiglio said he has an "excellent" staff wh^efe is able to keep up with the jqb's demands. The state feels the same way, and it recently gave an award to the McHenry County Public Aid Department for its efficiency. The perception of government employees as overpaid and underworked does not apply to public aid employees, according to the public aid officials. Swager said when he worked in public aid in Cook County, some of the clerical staff itself received public aid. There's also deadline pressure, he said, since staff has to grant interviews, make decisions and implement programs all within certain specified time limits. brother, Steven in her car along the highway. Dr. Werner Tuteur of Elgin State Hospital testified that in his opinion, Ms. Dage is men­ tally ill now and was at the time of the "castastrophe". He said she suffered from "extremely s e v e r e ' ' p a r a n o i d schizophrenia. Examinations of the defen­ dant and some delving in to her past history, Dr. Tuteur said, led him to the opinion that she had suffered a mental disorder for two years prior to the murder. She was "very mentally ill" on June 24 and has not recovered from schizophrenia paranoia, the doctor said today. After hearing testimony presented in the case in 19th Judicial Circuit Court, Judge Leonard Brody found Ms. Dage was "not guilty by reason of insanity" and he ordered that she be placed under the care of the Department of Mental health as an in-patient. The court set Feb. 16 for a mental evaluation hearing on the defendant. Ms. Dage of West Chicago, stared straight ahead in court, apparently not aware of her surroundings. There was no reaction from her when the judge announced his finding. The state called Sgt. Christopher Bish of Barrington Hills police who testified that On arrival at the scene, Bish said he observed a large car and a statiofi wagoi: which had curbed between them a com­ pact car occupied by Ms. Dage and her two injured sens He said the older child was on the front seat of the car and his brother on the floor in front of him. Matthew was prouneed dead at the scene and Steven was taken to a hospital suffering from multiple injuries. The offficer testified thbt a handleless four-inch serated steak knife "covered with blood" was found on the front seat on the Dage vehicle and the handle which belonged to it was found in the back of the car. He said a June 25 autopsy conducted in the county morgue showed that the dead child received a total of nine wounds in the back, chest and upper abdomen. Bish said the doctor conducting the autopsy reported that the wound causing death was a back u ound which caused massive hemorrhage from an aorta incision. Dr. Tuteur revealed some of the quotes made -y M<= during interviews. 'She sa'(^ One has to die first in order to live,' and 'I felt the two bos s and I were betterj>ffdead." The doctor testified that a report from another psychiatrist indicated Ms. Dage obviously suffered hallucinations Weapons stolen from home s Three weapons were stolen from area homes last week, according to McHenry County Sheriff's Police. County deputies were called to the home of Roy Rogers, 902 Landl Park, McHenry, where a 30-30 caliber rifle and a 12-gauge shotgun were stolen. In Wonder Lake, Eugene Vago, 5524 E. Lake Shore Drive, reported the theft of a .22 rifle and ammunition from his home. Other items taken included a telephone, kitchen implements, glassware and tool.1:. County police also in­ vestigated the theft Of $40 change, eight silver dollars ami personal papers from the -^rr.e of Michael Pettis. 49(M> E J < Shore Drive, Wonder Lake. Stephen Serak, 2517 Chestr.ut. Wonder Lake, called county police when he discovered that someone had .aken fh<" bumper and v heel " um his pickup truck. vrt\wmmn Traffic deaths in state decline for sixth consecutive year Governor James R. Thompson has announced that for the sixth consecutive year the number of traffic fatalities in Illinois has declined. "Illinois is the only state in the nation with a favorable traffic safety record for this many consecutive years," the governor said. "We are proud of this record for our state. All of those involved with traffic safety and law enforcement should be commended for their efforts which have contributed heavily to fatality reduction." The announcement was made jointly by Illinois Secretary of Transportation John D. Kramer and Illinois State Police Superintendent Laimutis Nargelenas. During calendar year 1983 provisional figures show that there were 115 fewer deaths on Illinois highways than occurred in 1982. There were 1,537 deaths in 1983. For the other five years, there were 1,652 fatalities in 1982,1,852 in 1981, 1,994 in 1980, 2,048 in 1979, and 2,166 in 1978. Over the six-year period there has been a 23 percent drop in the number of highway deaths in Illinois. "There are many factors contributing to this trend," Secretary Kramer said. "Among them are roadway safety improvements, increased public awareness of traffic safety, the 55 mile-per-hour law and the crackdown on drunk drivers." Service news DANIEL BROWN Marine Pfc. Daniel P. Brown, son of Paul E. and Lydia Brown, 5219 Miller Road, Wonder Lake, has completed the Field Radio Operator's Course. During the seven-week course at the Marine Corps Com- munication-Electronics School, students received instruction on the installation, adjustment and operation of the tactical radios usedj by Marine Corps ground and aviation units. They studied voice radio procedure, com­ munications security and the use of encryption (message "scrambling") equipment. JOHN GANSKE Airman John C. Ganske, son of Chris A. Markee of 3903 W. Maple, McHenry, has been assigned to Lowry Air Force Base, Colo., after completing Air Force basic training. The airman will now receive specialized instruction in supply field. JOHN CARLE John K. Carle, son of Ken and Karen Carle, Augusta Drive, McHenry, enlisted in the U.S. Air Force's delayed enlistment program recently, according to * TSgt. Mike Zelez, Air Force recruiter, located at 386 Virginia St. (Hwy. 14) Crystal Lake. Upon successfully completing the Air Force's six weeks basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, Tx., He will receive training in the mechuiical aptitude area. He is attending McHenry West High School. PERMANENT HAIR REMOVAL 4302 W. Crystal Lake Rd., Suit* C Whispering Point • McHenry, IL (8)5) 344-3640 or (312 Summer is just around Ihe corner & you'll want to look yow best, let me give you the inside lads on my specialized technique to help you look fantastic in yow bathing suit. Electrolysis is salt, comiortable and the only medically approved method ol permanent facial or body hair removal _ FREE MINI TREATMENT inltrnitionel Guild oi Professional Elcctrologists rr--* £Be>au/y W 2350 E. ROUTE 120, McHENRY 3|5-2290 Offer good 1 ues. jun. 31 thru c i WITH THIS COUPON HAIRCUT WITH FREE FACIAL SHAMPOO & SE! WITH FREE RINSE --WITH THIS COUPON Offer good Tues. Feb. 7 'hr u Fit. 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