The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

wjM.t t s>| • T ' ' J"' >- - >*• The first school election, and the second vote, under the new Con­ solidation of Elections law, went smoothly last week. Considering that the changes in voting were significant, this is good. We were voting in political precincts, and we were expressing our preferences by machine for the first time in a school election. The only negative comments that reached us were from taxpayers concerned with what seemed to be a considerably more expensive election than they have been accustomed to in a school vote. Whether there should be concern is a question because of a number of factors that must be con­ sidered. From the standpoint of school alone, there is little doubt that the cost will far exceed one conducted within our own school district under the old law. County Clerk Rosemary Azzaro had no exact figures the day following the election, but thought the total might reach $75,000 or $80,000 for the entire county. The business office in Elementary School District IS, McHenry, said $600 had been tops for an election within that district in previous elections. To get a better picture, it's important * to understand that school elections in the future will be held only once every two years. Also, special referenda cannot be called except at times specified by law. This will cut the number of elections. v In addition, the consolidation includes a greater number of offices to be voted at an election. For example, city voting, formerly held in wards apart from other elections, are now included in the precinct voting. "Is there a way we can cut down on the number of precincts"? , This was a question asked im­ mediately after the Nov. 3 election. The answer is "yes", through a procedure known / as precinct clustering. Under this provision an (Continued on page 20) THE MCHENRY PLAINDEALER 'SERVING THE CHAINOLAKES REGION SINCE 1875" 11 -- • 1 • • VOLUME 106 NUMBER 30 WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1981 1 SECTION 22 PAGES 25* v • • Blaze Destroys Business Structure Story and photos by Anthony Oliver In one of the worst fires in the past few years in McHenry, Adams Enterprises, at 3017 W. Route 120, was levelled late Thursday afternoon. , McHenry Township Fire Department Chief Glenn Peterson said die loss could reach an estimated $500,000 in building, vehicle and equipment damage. The fire evidently started when gasoline fumes were ignited by a welding torch, Peterson said. An employee was apparently Installing a trailer hitch when the blase began. The worker received minor burns and was treated at the scene by the McHenry Area Rescue squad. Two late model cars belonging to customers were lost in the blaze. Adams, who has been in business for a quarter of a century, has put his talents to work for many years in restoring Model A cars. Fortunately, the cars and parts for them were located elsewhere. .. McHenry Fire department Assistant Chief Chris Bennett noted that acetylene, oxygen and gasoline tanks aggravated the fire and accounted for the numerous detonations at the scene. ChiefPeterson explained that some of die explosions were caused by inflated tires in the building. Other potential problems included fuel oil that was stared on the premises and an underground gasoline storage tank, but Bennett noted that both were well protected. Bennett said that with a fire of this magnitude, many people do not realize the time involved in setting up an adeouate water supply. While tankers were shuttling back and forth from the McHenry Company I fire station for water, a pumper from Company II (Johnsburg) was setting up at the Fox river. A special four-inch hose is used when a major water supply is needed, Bennett explained, noting that there are no fire hydrants east pf the river. The four-inch line was extended from the pumper at the river east on Route 120 to the fire scene. The assistant chief pointed out that it takes time to set up the heavy suction fane and the rest of the equipment. He noted that working as fast as was possible, it took between 20 and 30 minutes to establish the pumping operation from the river to the scene. "Because of the magnitude of the fire and the amount of equipment involved, it was impossible to let traffic continue on Route 120," Bennett sa: . of many travelers. "Traffic was a tremendous troblem. This could not »except Saturday morning. n emergency vehicles was closed from Riverside drive in McHenry to Chapel Hill road, east of the fire scene. Most tf the traffic was rerouted across the Pearl street bridge. Route 120 remained closed until about 7:30 p.m. "We had to stop traffic", Bennett said,"in order to establish water lines, move a large amount of equipment and help insure the safety of the fire fighters. "These are not little Volkswagens that we're moving around," Bennett said. "This was a tough fire," he commented. "But, I am very pleased with the response of the men from McHenry and the other fire departments involved. It worked well, we've been training on this for a long time." Responding to the fire and mutual aid call were between 60 and 65 fire fighters and equipment from seven companies - McHenry Company I, Company II (Johnsburg). Company HI (Lakemoor), spring Grove, Richmond, Wonder Lake and Nunda Rural Fire departments. Escapees From Youth Center Found In City «HAW MKMA NCWt SMVKX Two escapees from the Illinois Youth center at Valley View were ap­ prehended early Saturday in a truck parked at Adams Lawn and Leisure, 2103 W. Rt. 120, McHenry, when sheriffs police became suspicious of the parked vehicle and its occupants. Seventeen-year-old Larry J. Richards and Wesley H. Lovelett, 17, were taken into custody by sheriffs police and are being held in county jail for the Illinois Youth center authorities and the Lake Geneva Police depart­ ment, after it was discovered the two youths had stolen the vehicle they were found in, which was from Lake Geneva'. Police said both suspects were in­ carcerated in the youth center on charges of burglary and theft and one for shooting at a police officer during a' burglary. Library Debt Repayment O.K. By a unanimous vote, the McHenry City Council approved a plan at Mon­ day night's continued special meeting "Tor the repayment of a library board debt in the amount of $15,716,41. According to Alderman Jack Pep­ ping, who also chairs the Finance committee, the debt was incurred in 1976 and had not been repaid. A recommendation from the firm that audits the city's financial records was that the debt either be forgiven or repaid. Pepping also noted that, in 1979, the city did not levy the full amount of the • tax allowed the Library board by law. Had the city levied the full $.15, the (Continued on page 20) • i hm m • * i n"W Shores Septics in Trouble Most of the septic systems in McHenry Shores are in trouble, ac­ cording to a needs assessment survey presented to the Facilities Planning Advisory committee for the southeast area of McHenry planning area. Baxter and Woodman, the engineering firm conducting the sur­ vey, reported that out of 218 returns from 326 existing homes (or 67 percent of the total) that 65 percent of these responses indicated their systems are in trouble. Small lots and problem soils were given as reasons. The survey, which was part of the program to identify and screen alternatives in connection with the Step 1 planning grant for the proposed McHenry Shores sewer system, in­ dicated that most or all of the systems east of Hilltop drive don't work. High ground water and small lots (9,000 square feet) make on-site (septic) sewer systems unworkable, at least intermittently, in this area. As a result, George Heck, vice-president of Baxter Woodman, said, "We are stuck Deny License For Vending SHAW MKMA NCWS URVICt The McHenry County License and Liquor commission voted Monday morning to deny a vending machine license to a Lake Zurich man who is reportedly tied to crime syndicate figures. Richard Kimmel, brother-in-law to an alleged syndicate figure, Joseph Ferriola, had applied to the com­ mission for a license to operate amusement machines. In previous testimony, Kimmel said he had purchased Sagittarius, Inc. from his sister, Julia Ferriola, and Flo Posner, both wives of suspected syn­ dicate figures. He also bought McHenry County Tobacco and Candy company from Ferriola and has incorporated both firms under the name AAA Amusements. The commission was unanimous in its decision to deny the application and cited inconsistencies in the purchase agreement of Sagittarius, Inc. as a basis for the denial. Commission members noted that if Kimmel failed to make payments, ownership would revert to the original owners, who had been denied licensing by the county. County Board Chairman Ronald Morris said he was satisfied that Kimmel was "clean" and had cooperated with the commission, but concurred with the vote. with (building) a system of collecting and central treatment of sewage. Larry Thomas, of Baxter Woodman Engineering, explained further that to be effective a septic system should be installed on a lot no smaller than a half acre, and the lots are less than half that size in the Shores. In the area, there is about two feet of topsoil covering another two feet of clay under which may be some sand. Most of the systems have not been punched through this (water im­ pervious) clay barrier. As a result, when surface water runs off the slope of the Moraine ridge along which the Shores is built, the top soil is saturated and there is no place for the sewage to go. So it bubbles out of the ground and runs downhill in the ditches. The engineer emphasized that this is an intermittent problem, that in dry seasons they could probably get a satisfactory "percolation test." About the proposed sewer collector system, the engineers indicated that it would require excavations that were not deep, probably not more than six to eight feet with collectors about four inches in diameter feeding into a trunk not larger than 15 or 18 inches. Two lift stations might be necessary, the last one to pump the sewage to the treat­ ment plant which Thomas said could be at the Decker property as proposed by McHenry. This seem to be the best site for the area, he said. After analyzing the population growth to the year 2 000, the engineers suggested that an 18-inch tile for the trunk line would be a safe size to plan for. Using projections from the Nor­ theast Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC), which predicts the Shores year 2000 population as 3,000, engineers estimated that the ultimate population for the area of the village and south and west of the village outside of its limits would reach 9,000 population equivalents (P.E.), which this trunk size could accommodate. The committee learned, concerning land use, there are presently 326 homes in the village, with 250 additional lots platted giving a potential of 576 homes. There are also 48 additional acres within the village that could be developed. East of Route 31, they said, are 134 more acres that could be developed for some use. Trustee William Wilson noted that a developer had talked about some multi-familv construction near Route 31 and wondered if this had been con­ sidered in the engineers' survey. Village president Richard Panerali said their concern was that the facilities being planned might be too small rather than too large. In predicting other possible users of a system for this area, the engineers said population estimates indicated about 6,500 P.E. west of Route 31 and north of Bull Valley road which McHenry would provide for. This would include about 500 P.E. for the new hospital. Their survey would not include sizing or planning collector systems for this area, but would consider providing treatment capacity in the proposed new disposal plant, the engineers said. For the entire area, the new plant probably should provide about 25,000 ultimate P.E., Heck said. This would include the 9,000 for the Shores and south, 6,500 west of Route 31 and a possible 5,000 east of the river up to (Continued on page 20) Veterans Remember 1918... "It was the last few days in Sep­ tember and we were getting ready to cross the Hindenburg line," said Walter Reichmann, commander of the World War I barracks at the McHenry American Legion clubhouse. The time is 1918; the place is a bat­ tlefield in France. Reichmann said the men in his company knew an attempt would be made to cross the "impenetrable" German line of defense. "Some of the boys were writing letters, others were just talking," Reichmann recounted. "In the group of 10 or 15 guys", Reichmann noted, "was a little farmer lad from Iowa". He said this was the biggest fight yet and knew some of them weren't going to come back, Reichmann said. There's one person who can help us, the farm boy said as he led the group of soldiers in a prayer. "Not one of us got bumped off on that trip," Reichmann pointed out with a grin. A few weeks later, Reichmann, who served as the company signalman, was billeted in a small structure in the trenches. "At about 3 a.m. the Germans started with the trench mortars," Reichmann observed. "One shell came through the window and got Walters; and that's where I got my Purple Heart." (Continued on page 20) r\, f m •ii Henry Rahn (left), senior vice-commander, and Walter Reichmann, commander, of the World War I barracks at the McHenry American Legion Post 4tl. Paying The Price For Peace Cross Country To State Environmental Problems A Debt Of Americans Sectional Winners Women Voter League Discussion \ Page 18 ." • ^. ,.4* JJ. « $ Page 6 Page 4