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J s aindealer 2 Sections 33 Pages 25' Friday April 6, 1984 Numbor 70 Volume 106 Expect Rt. 120 bridge work to begin soon Rv Anthnnv ftllvor inn _< n ....... ... By Anthony Oliver Plaindealer staff writer The reconstruction of the Route 120 bridge should go ahead as planned as a result of the contract bid letting on March 23. Robert Miller, of the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), bureau of design, said the low bid'was turned in by Peabody Coal Company, which apparently has a large con­ struction division. The awarding of the bid has to come within 45 days of the let­ ting, which means construction could commence in early June, at the latest. "With anyone who works for us, construction is supposed to start within a reasonable period of time after the bid is let," Miller said. The bridge will 'be under construction for an estimated' 230 working days. Miller ex­ plained that there are little more than 100 working days in a year, so the estimate really means \ ~ . 4 • - 'fc V • * Ik' The Route 120 bridge across the Fox River will soon be under construction as a result of a recent bid letting by the Illinois (Plaindealer photo byTknthony I Department of Transportation (IDOT). The state agency let bids for the total reconstruction and widening of the bridge. Council has mixed feelings on landfill plan By Donna Bertulis Plaindealer staff writer McHenry City Council members have mixed emotions about allowing a compost- landfill plan to operate in its back yard. A proposal to build a trench- type compost cell in the Mc- Cullom Lake area was the result of long study by the McHenry County Waste Study Advisory Committee. The committee was appointed by the McHenry County Board last year to propose a long-range waste disposal plan for the area. The end result of the study proposes an innovative, alter­ native landfill in the McHenry area, reportedly somewhere on the 1,200 acre Northern Pump farm north of the city. The system has been lab-tested and is patented by the Institute of Gas Technology and the American Technology Cor­ poration. The new method reduces waste to compost and methane in a period of six to 24 montto, as opposed to the traditional method of landfill, which takes 15 to 50 years. The construction confines all solid waste, septage and sludge in an impervious membrane liner with cover. Methane gas • a by-product of the process, could be sold to industries for energy generation. Hie key to the system is septic sludge, which is available in the McHenry area. Microorganisms from septic sludge, combined with sewage sludge from the McHenry sewage treatment plant, speeds up the decom­ position as it seeps through refuse deposited in the cell. "Hiey want to locate the test cell here, and ask the city to zone a piece of property," said Mayor Joseph Stanek. "I think it's worth looking into. It possibly may be a benefit to mankind." Several council members, however, were hesitant to agree. "I don't know," said Alderman Frank McClatchey. "Hiere's a lot of questions unanswered. Hiis is basically a landfill." One of those unanswered questions was proposed by Alderman Liz Nolan, who asked, "If it's not successful, what disadvantages will there be, if any, to our community?" Gary Snell, fourth ward alderman was uncomfortable with the fact that a system such as this has only been tested in a laboratory environment. "This is a first time test. It's only been done in a lab." Alderman Cecelia Serritella, also of the fourth ward, agreed, stating, "I don't think the City of McHenry wants a pilot test in its back yard. I think there's a strong chance of leaching, with the water table so high." Other concerns were potential odors put off by- the compost cell, and the possibility of in­ creased traffic through the city of garbage trucks and other large vehicles transporting waste. Stanek defended the plan, stressing that it is only a proposal at this point. He added that there could be advantages to the city. "If it were successful, it would free up some capacity in the sewer plant," he said. "We're not at a point to make serious judgments. I just told them, yes, we would listen." There also could be some financial benefit to the city, according to the proposal. "I envision firing generators and heating industries with (the methane gas)," said Stanek. "I think we should have an open mind and listen to these poeple," said the mayor. "Before anything proceeds it must be brought up here in detail." Approximately 20 acres of land are necessary for the compost cell, according to the. mayor. The actual unit would be 30 feet deep, 120 feet long and approximately 20 feet wide. Filling the receptacle would take approximately 45 days. Give warning after Scout cookie hoax Section 2, Page 4 Page 7 A look inside. Teen Concerns Regional History Fair Regular features Obituaries Page 4 So I Hear Look for this popular column in each Wednesday edition Classified Reader Ads 344-4800 Display and Classified Display 385-0170 By Angela Burden Plaindealer news service Hie false report about con­ tamination of Girl Scout cookies has led McHenry County Sheriff Hank Nulle to issue a warning statement Thursday. Police discovered Wednesday that the report from a 12-year- old Wonder Lake girl regarding metal staples in a cookie was a hoax. "If we find another case like this, we'll definitely ask the state's attorney to prosecute. Making a false police report is a serious offense," Nulle said today. The sheriff said it would not surprise him if other reports across the nation on the con­ tamination of Girl Scout cookies were also hoaxes. However, he declined to elaborate on reports to other agency's juridictions. The reported Wonder Lake incident was discovered as a hoax Wednesday when a sheriff's juvenile detective conducted follow-up questioning of the supposed victim, who admitted the report was false that a section of staples was found in a cookie. "This incident was a copy-cat antic, as often happens when there has been nationwide publicity," Nulle said. * A spokesman for the Girl Scout council which distributes cookies in this area said the council has no plans to recall them, but is also advising caution in the wake of the nationwide reports of tampering incidents. Meanwhile, a< 7-year-old Crystal Lake boy, who was warned by his grandmother to examine for tainted cookies found a pin in a fudge creme patty that he was about to eat, according to a Wednesday report. In the Crystal Lake incident, the boy's aunt said it appeared the pin had been "baked into the cookie" because the head of the pin was embedded. Last week, a 7-year-old rural Woodstock girl found a 1%-inch straight pin in a Girl Scout cookie. Sheriff's police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Continued on pog* 3 about two years from start to finish. "It is unlikely that they'll finish before two summers from now," Miller said. "The last part of the project, the land­ scaping and striping, can't be done in winter." The project calls for complete replacement of the bridge. The new structure will ac­ commodate two-lanes of traffic in each direction, separated by a 12-foot median. The in­ tersections at Riverside Drive and River Road are scheduled for improvement as part of the project. However, the one pitfall of the project will be the impact on traffic in the city of McHenry. According to IDOT, the recommended detour will affect westbound traffic only during the first half of construction. When that first half is com­ pleted, both east and westbound vehicles will be routed over the bridge. During the first half of con- s t r u c t i o n , w e s t b o u n d automobile traffic will take River Road north, to Lincoln Road, west across the Pearl Street bridge to Richmond Road and south on Richmond Road to Route 120. The report also recommends that through truck traffic take a more lengthy detour. This would send trucks north on Chapel Hill Road to Johnsburg Road, west on Johnsburg Road to Route 31 and south on Route 31 to Route 120. A $2 million plan to reduce flood damage along the Fox River by adding gates at Algonquin and McHenry dams and modifying homes will be discussed at a public meeting in Crystal Lake, April 12. Sponsored by the Chicago District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Algonquin Township hall, 3702 Northwest Highway in Crystal Lake. To be discussed are the Chicago District's tentative recommendations for flood control along the Fox River in Kane and McHenry counties. The plan calls for installing a gate at the Algonquin dam, adding a sixth' gate at the McHenry dam and floodproofing 52 homes in Kane County bet­ ween St. Charles and the McHenry County line. The detour is to be in effect for approximately one year. According to IDOT projec­ tions, Pearl Street will be handling a more than twofold jump in traffic during the year the detour is in effect. Average daily traffic counts from 1981 indicate a normal traffic flow of 7,146 vehicles on the stretch from Riverside Drive to Rich­ mond Road. With the recom­ mended detour, that same stretch of road will handle about 16,137 vehicles. Traveling across the bridge, the 6,637 (1981 fig.) vehicles that normally cross the bridge will be joined by another 8,991 vehicles. The impact will also be significant on the short stretch of River Road, north of Route 120. Here, the traffic is expected to jump from 2,177 (1981 fig.) to 11,168, if the recommended detour is accepted. On Rich­ mond Road, an added 9,791 vehicles will be traveling south from Pearl Street to Route 120. It was noted in the report that if "signed" detours are not used, most traffic would attempt to enter and leave McHenry via the Pearl Street bridge. This, the report indicated would cause serious congestion in the central business district and cause lengthy delays for emergency vehicles having to cross the river. The detour across the Pearl Street bridge was also a factor in the decision to move many of the Fiesta Days activities to Petersen Park. damage The gates would reduce flood damage by allowing flows t6 move faster down river during high water periods. Damage would be further reduced by such floodproofing measures as raising homes, sealing foun­ dations and siding frame houses with brick to reduce water seepage. Details of the plan are con­ tained in a draft feasibility report available at public libraries in Kane and McHenry Counties. The Chicago District will consider the public's comments in developing its final flood control recommendations, said David Hunter, manager of the district's study of Fox River flood problems. The final plan will be published in July. Congress will determine if the plan is implemented. Amnesty week at library (Plaindealer photo by Donna Bertulis) A patron of McHenry Library is shown returning a book before expiration date. Other library users who have kept books out too long can avoid payment by returning them during Amnesty Week April 8-!". ^