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.. X • : ' " ' " r Si ' Area Soccer season opens Sports McHenry Friday Number 7 Volume 109 Since 18/: 1 Section 24 Pages WW WM»MM C ss aw/Frcc Press Mcdiu, Inc September 14, 1984 Survivors unite to fight drunken drivers EDITOR'S NOTE: The McHenry Plaindealer's four- part series on drunken drivers concludes in this issue. The following is a focus on some of the survivors of victims of alcohol- related accidents. An editorial comment appears on page two of this issue. By Kirk Birginal Plaindealer News Service More than 11 million families have had a family member killed or seriously injured by a drunk driver in the past 10 years. Those who have are often angry! Wayne NotsOn of McHenry lost a daughter and a granddaughter. His daughter, Sheryl Raimonde, worked on the night maintenance crew at an insurance company in Long Grove. Notson is the supervisor. Raimonde was 8^ months pregnant yrith a 3-pound, 4-ounce girl, and her friends at work had given her a shower two weeks before. The baby clothes were in her father's garage. < After work one night in July, she left at 1:30 a.m., as usual, with her father. But Raimonde decided to ride home with a neighbor and co-worker. The driver who hit the car she was riding in, 19-year-old Garl {*. Ekx Jr., of Elk Grove Village, was driving home from Wisconsin. Reports say he had just finished drinking 12 vodka sours. He has been indicted on two counts of reckless homicide in connection with the deaths of Raimonde and her unborn child. He is charged with killing the fetus based on a state statute that says killing a "viable" unborn Child is murder. The 1981 law, however, does not specifically address the matter of intent. "These slaughters are not accidents. They're homicide," Notson said. "You become an angry person. But nothing's going to change until the laws are changed and there are some stiffer penalties." He said he plans to join the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists, an Illinois-bred citizens group fighting drunken driving and perhaps best known for its "Extra Eyes" project. Members drive the in- terstates at the invitation of Illinois State Police. They watch vehicles, trying to spot drivers who might be drunk and alerting authorities by CB radio. of AAIM's members About 70 percent of those in the organization have been victimized in some way by drunken drivers, according to Richard Binning, president of the Fox Valley Chapter of AAIM. Most voluntarily commit themselves to the battle because of what they've gone through, he said. "The whole motivating force behind this is to keep one other mother or one father from going through the heartbreak and asking 'why?' " said Binning. That will never happen until drivers are discouraged from going on the road drunk and con­ sistently having their driving privileges revoked, said David Osborn, statewide AAIM president. "Too many people are escaping the consequences. Most experts say drivers who drive drunk don't fear dying as much as they do losing their licenses and having the insurance company find out and raising their rates," Osborn said. Osborn, who testified before Gov. James Thompson's task force studying solutions to the g said he Is pleased with progress so far but that some additional changes in the law are still needed. Effective deterrence depends on first-time of­ fenders having their licenses revoked for at least one year, "come hell or high water," he said. To do that, he proposes.transferring Jhe power of revocation from the courts to the secretary of state. That office cctold be given administrative authority to take licenses under its duties in regard to motor vehicles. "The law now really says 1 you get a free ride your first time," Osborn said. "There seems to be over*cOncern by judges to protect the drunken driver" by allowing him to continue driving to get to his job and support his family. Drivers who refuse albreatfr analyser testier whose tests show an illegal Wayne Notson of McKenry holds a picture of his driver of other car reportedly had been drinking daughter, Sheryl, who was killed while eight and in Wisconsin. a half months pregnant in a car accident. The level of alcohol in the blood should have their licenses suspended immediately, Osborn said. Other measures backed by AAIM include raising the maximum prison sentence for reckless homicide, he said, from three years to perhaps seven years. Osborn said reckless homicide, as a class 4 felony, now is in the same category as causing $350 worth of property damage. In addition, he said he plans to lobby state legislators to alter the dram shop act. The law limits the liability of tavern owners if they should be sued for over- serving. "The limits have to be raised hundreds of thousands of dollars and should apply separately to each individual involved in a crash," he said. Improvements set for parks, parking By Marion Olsen Plaindealer News Service Several McHenry parks and Green Street parking will un­ dergo improvements as a result of action taken at the McHenry City Council meeting this week. Aldermen voted unanimously to level and construct a ball field at city-owned property in Fox Ridge at the end of Dartmoor. The project is .a cooperative one with the Kiwanis club. They also voted to level and cut grass at a non-city-owned park nearby at Dartmoor and Waters Edge. A contract was awarded to Hoffstetter Corporation to hydroseed Creekside Park in McHenry Shores for a total cost of $5,265 with work to begin by the end of the month. Other park work was discussed including construction of two piers in McCullom Lake at Petersen Park and planting of trees at most of the city's parks Park Director Pete Merkel was directed to obtain pricing on both projects. Mayor Joseph Stanek asked the council to consider purchase of one acre of land for $5,000 which would square off the boundaries of the present Knox Park. He said land owners Marian and Howard Knox have agreed to sell if the city will fence the property. The matter will be pursued at the next council meeting, Stanek said. Moving from parks to parking, the council voted to accept four of six recom­ mendations relative to Green Street parking presented by Alderman William Bolger (1st), chairman of a committee studying the problems. The city will: -Repaint a sign beside McHenry's Favorite Sport Center to delete the word "municipal" referring to a former municipal parking lot. -Paint sidestripeson the city's 18-foot easement beside St. Regis Pub and extending south behind Carriage Bakehaus. -Erect a "One Way-Enter Only" sign at the entrance to the parking lot off Green Street beside St. Regis Pub. -Restrict parking on Green Street adjacent to exits near the McHenry Saving and Loan Association to passenger cars only so motorists exiting the parking lots onto Green Street have an unobstructed view of traffic. 1 A plan to change the location of handicapped parking spaces was held in abeyance until proper access for wheelchairs from sidewalk to street can be provided. Bolger said further study is needed on improving Main Street parking, but, in the meantime, recommended the city clean up the present Main Street city parking lot. In other business, Police Chief George R., Pasenelli requested approval to replace two metal doors and frames at the police department and to erect a security gate between the public area and the squad room. Alderman Raymond Smith (3rd) recommended that directions to the evening en­ trance to the police department be made more visible to the public by way of a sign, a sidewalk and a canopy over the entrance. The entrance is located at the side and rear of the municipal building. The council approved all of their recommendations. Sidewalk work may be delayed because of more pressing work In progress, the mayor said. In further action, the council authorized repair of a city- owned Ford traetor^at $1,200 by Freund Equipment of Huntley. They approved the purchase of a liner for $209 to increase the life of a city truck. And they approved the purchase of a plow, interchangeable between other city-owned trucks, for $1,977.20. Alderman Gary Snell (4th) noted that the public should be encouraged to attend council meetings, but should be aware that observers must request permission to speak at meetings prior to the meeting. Following a two-hour executive session, the council voted to renew comprehensive liability insurance with Arthur J. Gallagher and Company in the amount of $76,785 with some additional coverage over last year. The council passed the motion 6 to 1. School board decides not to take issue against proposed branch bank EDITOR'S NOTE: The following school board meeting was held previous to a McHenry -County Zoning Board of Apt*als hearing on the branch bank issue. A recommendation has not yet been rendered. By Carol A. Stevens Plaindealer News Service At a recent meeting of the Johnsburg School Board, the rezoning of a seven-acre tract of land on Wilmot Road and Church Street was discussed. The McHenry State Bank has asked for the rezoning so thpt it can construct a banking facility on that site. Some citizens in the' area expressed coftcern that the rezoning would cause an in­ crease in traffic and so increase the danger of children who walk to and from school. Lillian Pomonis, an concerned mother of four, addressed the board on that count, asking the board to take a stand against the rezoning. Mrs. Pomonis pointed out that when the bank had studied the area to determine traffic patterns, it did so during the summer when school is not in session. She felt that the bank had not adequately studied the situation so as to minimize the danger to the school children. The school board felt that its duty is to be concerned with the safety of the children going to and from school. To this end, Wilmot Road has long been designated as a dangerous road and students who live on that road are assigned to a bus even though most are within walking distance of the schools. Board member Ken Lund said that since safety is the question, he feels the board has handled its responsibility, although those students who choose to walk cannot be forced to ride the bus. James Preston, board secretary, added, "Where does the responsibility, end? There are other areas which are similar. Who says which is more dangerous?" Board member Ken Schaeffer indicated that, as an architect he would like to see the bank use a little more of its property and have traffic enter from Church Street and exit on Wilmot Road, rather than having all traffic enter and exit on Church Street. ' The board decision was that - since safety of the children has been considered by the school, the board should not take a. stand on this issue. In other business, the board heard a report from Jim Van Bosch, high school assistant principal, and Kathy Kucik and * Kris Simons, both teachers in the district, regarding the status of the High School Gifted Program. The program has been developed over the last four years giving emphasis on subject area programs discipline, extra-curricular activities and facilities. A visit from the directof of Region II Area Service Center for the Gifted resulted in some recommended changes, the majority of which are for the Cont inued on pog* 3 A look inside. Accidents Waste Study Regular features Twice Told Tales Obituaries ' Musin' and Meanderin' Barber named to fill vacancy on District 15 school board Page 11 Page 8 Page 7 Page 11 Page 2 By Marion Olsen Plaindealer News Service The District 15 elementary school board last week ap­ pointed Kevin E. Barber to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Edward Samen. Samen resigned last month because of illness. Barber, a seven-year resident of the McHenry area, was the lone losing candidate in the November, 1983 school board election. At that time he sought a two-year term. He will now serve by appointment a portion of Samen's four year term, and may seek election to the post in November, 1985, according to Dr. Richard Farmer, district superintendent. When Barber takes hiS seat at the Sept. 19 business meeting, he will bring with him the per­ spective of businessman, former educator, parent and taxpayer. He has worked as public relations manager for the Kemper Group in Long Grove for the last eight years. Before that, he taught language arts at Lincoln Junior High School in Mt. Prospect. ' With is son enrolled in first grade at Hilltop School, he described one of his motivations for serving as "self-interest," working for better education for a his sop. His experience as an educator can be applied to the new post, he said, and his ex­ posure to teachers with whom he spoke as a candidate last year gives him an idea of the needs they related to him at the time. Barber holds a bachelor' degree in English literatui from North Park Col Chicago. He said he believes in a broad-based education. "I think that we are entering a new information age and students need to be ready to enter that system. They will need the broadest possible experience, both in liberal arts and the sciences, the fundamentals plus," he said. The new board member in­ dicated he believes the District 15 curriculum is going in the right direction to attain those goals. v ,• . Barber and his wife, Lyn, live at 1309 N. Hillside Lane with their two children, Jesse, 6, and Angela. 3.