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BpL • t~m Kp|rgjfc •-{.. &mL St ' • ' I. V V ' % .- - . • :. •• \ *JS .:•• :.i f& LAMBERT ' • • " " " • ' . " ' ' V : • ' • I \ - \* .>• •; IP , • ; MCC Working Cash .. . 5f *» ' McHenry County college's board of Trustees voted last Thursday to establish a $875,000 working cash fund to assist in alleviating cash flow problems. The fund will be financed by issuing bonds which will be repaid by levying a working cash fund tax over five years to repay the bonds and the interest on them. The interest rate on the working cash fund bonds will be set by competitive bid­ ding, with the lowest bidder receiving the opportunity to buy the bonds from the college. After five years the levy for the working cash fund will not appear on local tax bills. Moreover,'as the assessed valuation of the district grows the rate to repay the bonds will drop on individual tax bills. The $875,000 figure set for the fund represents the maximum allowed by state law, approximately 75 percent of the total of the educational and building fund tax levies. The current MCC tax rates for other funds include 12 cents per $100 assessed value for the educational fund, 3 cents for the building fund and 3.5 cents to retire the bonds issued when the new campus was built. Setting up the working cash fund will remove the Uncertainty of interest rates and administrative costs of issuing tax anticipation warrants as a way to finance the college operations while awaiting tax revenue. The board also authorized acting president Robert C. Bartlett to correspond with Thomas H. Madigan, executive director of the Capital Development board, stating that suggestions given by CDB represen­ tatives to alleviate problems of the roof top units were Tax u n a c c e p t a b l e . T h e suggestion made by CDB representatives that the college hire a consultant at an approximate cost of $10,000 to suggest alter­ natives, determine possible costs, and possibly establish blame for the problems was made at a recent meeting of CDB representatives, MCC board chairman Gerald Smith, trustee Barbara Pautz and college ad­ ministrators. Trustee David Murphy, in making the motion for the correspondence, stated the feelings of the college board were that the responsibility was that of the Capital Development board. At the time of constructing the new campus, CDB required that roof top units be installed against the concerns of the MCC board. M e m b e r s a p p r o v e d spending $1,000 to build a (Continued on page 18) ELAINE BOTTARI Name Two Well Known f Women "Outstanding" THE PLAINDEALER The board of advisors for the OuUAjuiding Young "Women of America Awards program has announced that two women well known in the McHenry area have been selected for inclusion in the 1979 edition of Outstanding Young Women of America. They are Elaine Bottari of "IcHenry and Rosemary i Roti) Lambert, now residing in Palos Park, 111. The Outstanding Young Women of America program is designed to honor and encourage exceptional young women between the ages of 21 and 36 who have distinguished themselves in their homes, . their professions and their communities. (Continued on page 18) "SERVING! THE CHAIN-O-LAKES REGION SINCE 1875 VOLUME 104 NUMBER 41 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1979 2 SECTIONS 30 PAGES 20' Tell Impact-Of Career Center Failure On iLocal High School Christmas draws nearer, our long gift list loses a few names each day and the cards and their stamps will soon be on their way with messages of good cheer. All of this is as it should be. But beside us sits a young reporter who declares he is Scrooge. He has not given his reasons - and we have reason to doubt the seriousness of his stat- mement - but this is not as it should be. Youth and age alike should be able to muster some spirit at Chrismas or there is little hope for that spirit at any time. Nevertheless, we must agree that life's small problems sometimes make it difficult to maintain spirit once it has been acquired. For instance, take the new official size for niailing required by the Postal Service. One lady didn't remember and armed to mail her holiday cards only to find she had to pay an additional seven cents on each. We were one of the lucky ones, and the postal em­ ployees beamed their ap­ proval as we returned to make a huge investment in a second purchase of stamps. Now consider the plight of all who are in business (and (Continued on page 18) The failure of the McHenry County Area Career center to materialize does have an impact on vocational education in McHenry's high schools, according to Ron Dale, director of vocational education for High School District 156. It means fewer options for training and a decreased opportunity for a "capstone" experience in the junior or senior years. Dale noted that the district does not have adequate floor space for such training and does not have the most up-to- date machinery. "We were counting on the Area Career center for the newer and larger machines," Dale said, "and had deferred expanding our own vocational education facilities." Dale said they had need for new equipment (estimates ran up to $200,000) but said that part of the need could be met by agreements with local shops or industries to make work stations available for the upper level students. Until the school district can acquire the modern mills and rotary grinders, the program will function with its existing facilities but with fewer opportunities and probably turning some young people away from the programs. Bill Noyes, in charge of industrial programs at East campus, said they had to turn away 25 students during this current semester. Dale said that at some -levels the vocational program operates at a level of excellence, contrasting with an earlier "poor" evaluation by the Illinois % Division of Adult Vocational ' Training and Education. 1 This rating. Dale said, was due to poor communications and improperly sequenced programs that failed to "deliver marketable skills to the students. Working with the teachers in the program, Dale said they reorganized the entire structure. The schools also have a "model office skills program", Dale asserted, and they are now aiming at top computer training. Because of recent developments in computer technology and word processing systems, schools must avoid training graduates for jobs that no longer exist in the business world, he cautioned. Dale notes that oc­ c u p a t i o n a l e d u c a t i o n a l programs at McHenry cover more than industrial education and agriculture (standard for this area), but also covers health, business and home economics-related job training. Students can choose from 22 educational sequences that lead to one of the five major areas. Dale noted that the sequences are constantly changing, since they are based on the em­ ployment needs within the state. He added that 373 students of the class of 1979 graduated with skills for 62 specific occupations. Dale said his people feel good about the direction the career program has taken. Students begin research into alternatives for their life work in eighth and ninth grades, and as freshmen take their career assessment test. Involved are teaching career decision processes and making of computer models to determine where decisions lead and where are sources of learning (schools) and available assistance. To aid the students in this process the district has established a "career center" complete with a computer terminal tied into a c o m p u t e r l o c a t e d a t Woodstock. Students fill out q u e s t i o n n a i r e s , t a k i n g a vocational test to match their interests and aptitudes to related career op­ portunities. Working with key sort processes and a volume of information and catalogs* available, students outline possible courses of action for themselves and with the aid of Beverly Dunlap, a CETA paid coordinator for the computer operation, students research their future. To further aid students in decision making, the district offers a Career day every two years where weekly guest speakers ex­ plain various career options. For people who want to get (Continued on page 18) Year Round Spirit...At Christmas Time •» Smiling with the satisfaction that must be within each Willing Worker, these women set about the task of filling attractive Christmas card houses with cookies. From left, are Sylvia Grayson, Josephine Russo, Concetta Pierpaoli, Sue Dattomo, Ann Carlson, Rose Penser and Dorothy Kirk. >/ "I almost feel sorry for the rich kids, they aren't a part of this". * The words were spoken by Sylvia Grayson, her sincere expression for the tremendous spirit in the Head Start classroom in McHenry. Mrs. Grayson was founder of the Willing Workers, a group of women in the community who have been donating their talents for these children and others in need throughout the county for more than a year. Recently, the Willing Workers were guests of Head Start to recognize their tremendous accomplishment in behalf of the 60 children who attend classes daily in the First United Methodist church. They distributed handmade books of cloth and bean bags to their young hosts and hostesses. Although the Willing Workers consist of between 10 and 20 who attend regular work sessions weekly in the basement of the McHenry Public library - and all are senior citizens - the group is open to anyone Mrs. Grayson recalled how this project of service had its beginning. She had a quantity of handmade items and material stored in her house until it became necessary to dispose of them. She also had a request for a group to supply cookies and warm attire for needy children. Thi§ gave her an idea and led to her talk before the McHenry Senior Citizens club asking for people who would donate the raw material and for people interested in sewing. The response was excellent, and soon the women who accepted the challenge were turning out needed items for FISH, which assists in emergencies. Foster children in the county were also beneficiaries of the energy and talents of those who worked faithfully. Each young fos er child between the ages of 12 and 17 (Continued on page 18) STAFF PHOTOS-WAYNE GAYLORD Jr "' - • m Two pretty little girls who attend Head Start tell Santa what they hope to find in their Christmas stocking. Dorothy Kirk, left, and Sylvia Grayson are shown amidst the spirit of Christmas. They are packing bags containing gifts for almost all the members of the families of Head Start children. These most attractive Christmas card houses were made by the Willing Workers, and one of them. Concetta Pierpaoli, is opening one side of the roof to place homemade cookies inside. Head Start children sit entranced by the appearance of Santa Claus at the McHenry Public library-sponsored party last week. Cookies they received were the culinary artistry of Willing Workers.