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PAGE 20 - PLAINDEALER - WEDNESDAY. APRIL 23, 19M SUPERINTENDENT STAYS AFTER SCHOOL HASSLE (Continued from page 1) president, explained that there was no board action, that the superintendent was automatically rehired if he was not given a notice of intent as of April 1, and no notice had been given to him. Earl Miller, who identified- himself as a Spring Grove resident for 43 years, outlined the anti-Storm parents' concern about the superintendent. A number of parents had a feeling that Storm was using questionable methods of discipline and when they contacted him, they were not satisfied with his responses. They informed the board of his alleged conduct, made their statements to the board in executive session and then were shocked when the board failed to take action. A number of the parents then took their story to the state's attorney, who ad­ vised the school board that the investigation showed no basis for criminal prosecution but his office would neither approve or disapprove the superin­ tendent's actions. The parents involved felt that the situation deserved the dismissal of Storm. A petition with 192 signatures asking for his resignation was offered to the board. Mrs. Wiezbicki questioned what the board voted on in an executive session March 27, and Ms. Toler denied that any action was taken. But as Wiezbicki insisted that any action on Storm should be taken in open session, board member Wally Garber moved to rehire Storm for the next year, and the board approved. President Toler then ad­ vised the group that she would allow a half hour in which each, person who wanted to speak would be allotted 2 minutes. She reminded the crowd that Mr. Storm had rights too and each speaker would make his or her statements at his own risk. She noted that in the opinion of the board the superintendent had made some errors of judgment in the administration of discipline but his intentions were good and he had agreed that the errors would not be repeated. The board saw no need for further action. One parent formally asked that the current superin­ tendent not be permitted to administer discipline to her children. Another, Delores Norton, who said she was the parent of two girls, noted that the school board had heard Storm's side of the controversy and the parents had not. They would like to hear it from him now. Storm, in a low voice, said he had expressed himself to the board and to the parents who came to see him, but he was not going to go into specifics. He apologized for errors in judgment and that is all he would say in open forum. Another parent said that when he had taken his son to talk with the superintendent, Storm, when responding, had said that if he lost the trust of the people, he would, in view of the petition, resign. He then asked Storm "Are you a man of your word?" Storm replied, "I've said all I'm going to." John Wiezbicki, noting no action on the part of the board, asked if they "were there to serve us or to dictate to us." He wondered if the petition means something or not. He believed in children's rights, as everyone should, and questioned if the board represented the community. Ms. Toler reminded the assembly that the board had a feeling that they did represent the community since they had just been elected last week. Jim Curran spoke up and stated his belief in discipline for quality education instead of letting young people do what they want, with ap­ plause from the audience. John Toler, husband of the board president, reiterated that the last election had shown the community did support the board. (Two candidates who advocated the dismissal of Storm failed to be elected according to several audience members). An unidentified woman in the audience protested that the results were not in­ dicative because the school board interfered (by phone calls) in the election. Other audience members began questioning the board how they could make a decision on Storm when they had not seen the report of the state's attorney's in­ vestigation, only the state's attorney's opinion of lack of r |TA»̂ T|j Custom decorator shop. Selected custom fabric, lining and sheer. 40% off. Choose from selected fabric, lining, sheer and get a total, new look for your window. Dec­ orator brings swatches, mea­ sures. Free estimate. Labor, installation regular-priced. Call 459-3120 Ext. 68 for shop-at-home custom service. YU )\ T( ,< ) \"U k'Y e? A 20% off. Select custom bedspreads. Wide variety of fab­ rics, styles, tones to complement any bedroom. Call today for custom service. Visit our custom shop in most larger Wards stores •I1M&312I FREE PMKIIKB criminality. Ms. Toler said they had asked for it but did ,, not receive a copy. The questioning continued with a query that if there was nothing to hide, why couldn't it be released. The state's attorney's letter of March 19 was read publicly. Floro had said that the in­ vestigative report would not be released without Storm's authorization, and Storm had delayed granting that pending a talk with his own lawyer. The report still has not been released. Another man, who iden­ tified himself as James Beniish, said he abhored the rhetoric that was gbing around the community, despicable rumors. They couldn't base a decision on this. He claimed there was a small faction trying to polarize the community. He suggested this faction take legal action to justify their contention. Another person noted that the board must have found it difficult to make a decision without knowing the truth, and crowd members mur­ mured, "Release the report, why doesn't he release the report?" Ms. Toler reiterated that she felt the board, in February, was making the best decision for the com­ munity. It is the function of the school board to in­ vestigate and to make a decision, she said. Another person in the crowd alleged that at the very least Storm was guilty of unethical and-or un­ professional conduct. She asked each individual board member to honestly state that he now believed that he knew all that was needed to know at the time he made a decision. Each publicly affirmed support of Superintendent Storm. Present at the meeting and advising the president and members on their responses was the attorney for the district The concerned parent, Mrs. Wiezbicki, had ex­ plained earlier to a reporter that she first became aware of the situation in the school when her son announced last Feb. 26 that his friend was no longer in school and he didn't know when the boy would return. Later, she said she learned the boy had refused to return to school until Storm left the system as superintendent. Mrs. Wiezbicki later said she learned from other parents that the superin­ tendent allegedly was making some boys undress for gym or calisthenics in his office while he was present. She also stated that when Storm was confronted with these allegations, and a talk was arranged with „the board, Storm reportedly told board members that this form of discipline (for loitering in the halls, chewing gum in school, or being late for gym class) was "text book psychology". Mrs. Wiezbicki said she and others had a problem dealing with this statement, but accepted it. However, she explained that later, Storm was asked to name the book in which he had read about this approach and reportedly could not do so. Spring Grove District 11 has about 225 students from kindergarten through eighth grade. About 25 percent reportedly were held out of school recently because of the feeling about the superintendent, and on Monday of this week the picket was started. Storm serves a dual role as superintendent and principal of the one-school system. He has no teaching duties. TELL GYPSY MOTH STORY AT CITY HEARING i (Continued from page 1) number of moths in severe infestation and useful in last ditch stands. In response to questions by aldermen, Seaborg told George Harker they planned two sprayings, both early in the morning, and that people could keep children and pets out of the backyards for a short time. He had no definite answer to Elizabeth Nolan's questions about supposed effects of the carbamate based pesticides. Ed Datz thought the proposal was a shotgun approach to a situation where the first female moth was found in Illinois. Seaborg. cited the ex­ periences in Michigan1 where moths were not found im­ mediately and when control was undertaken, it had to cover seven counties. Dave Smith and other local landscapers wondered if there weren't other means of application rather than by aircraft. Bob McAdams of the Illinois Department of Agriculture said they believed that a minimum application from a helicopter was the best way in order to reach the crown of the trees. He claimed that hydraulic spray, which landscapers endorsed, was difficult to control and would not reach the vital areas. As the landscapers attempted to refute his arguments, Seaborg questioned their sincerity and suggested that they had a profit motive in mind when they would be called on later to help fight the out-of-control moths, Audience reaction indicated that people thought this was a "cheap shot," for which Seaborg apologized later. Louis Marchi, Trey road, who identified himself as one of a group opposing spraying for the sake of their children, led off the testimony against spraying. He said they would submit evidence that Sevin 4-oil, which is used, is a poison and would recom­ mend other possible natural means of combating the moth. Mike Shan ah an, 4213 South street, said he had read ah article in the National • Geographic which con­ cerned this Gypsy Moth problem and had noted that a group, Friends of the Earth, based at Washington, D.C., had claimed that Sevin 4-oil would present potential problems. He wanted to enter an objection and presented a petition With 330 signatures opposing the spraying program. This announcement .was greeted by extensive audience ap­ plause. He claimed that the chemical had been found to be a viral enhancer (seemed to reduce the body's natural defenses against viral based afflictions.) Seaborg retorted that the data to which Shanahan referred had been refuted, otherwise the EPA would not* have approved the Sevin 4- oil. He noted that the Friends of the Earth opposed any kind of spraying. William Winkel, 4300 W. Shore drive, questioned the input of the EPA noting that they had made no long term study of the effects* of pesticides. At this point Seaborg said he was about ready to with­ draw from the program, and if he did, he predicted that it would later result in the increased use of pesticides and that a lot more people will seek to apply them. "You will have to live with it," he warned. Bob Black responded that if they would be responsible for the worms, would Seaborg accept respon­ sibility for the side affects of the spray. Seaborg said yes to the extent that any other program would. Pat Elliott, 4410 Ponca, who identified herself as a student at McHenry County college, said she had learned from her studies that 5 percent of the moths would survive the spray and because of constant genetic changes would become resistant to the spray. She didn't understand the claimed 100 percent kill. She also understood that the fuel oil spray base would be detrimental to young plants. Dr. Charles Schwalbe, who identified himself as the director of the Gypsy Moth Control Methods Develop­ ment center in Massachusetts, replied that there was a lot of misin­ formation floating around. And he noted that all states are affected (by the moths) and most are concerned. Most of the information about the situation and other controls is not correct and is based on presumptions. About two new Answering questions at the microphone is Dr. Charles P. Schwalbe, director of the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection service and the Plant Protection and Quarantine programs. Dr. Schwalbe recommended spraying the affected area with the insecticide Sevin-4- oll because it has been the most effective means to date of eradicating the gypsy moth. STAFF PHOTO-ANTHONY OLIVER preparations, "Gyp check" and "Check Mate," based on synthesized pherones (male moth attractors) which had been suggested as alter­ natives, the technology is in development and has not been demonstrated as being effective as yet, he said. But, he pointed out, chemical pesticides are. Natural solutions are more ap­ pealing, he conceded, but not proven. Alderman Jack Pepping asked Schwalbe how much time the city had to react to the "menace/' He answered that the infestation level might stay at the present level for 15 years, and it was also possible that it could multiply 10 or 20 fold this year for some unknown reasons. He wished he could give more precise in­ formation. Schwalbe said that the the cost to abate the nuisance of the moths b e c o m e s p r o h i b i t i v e e c o n o m i c a l l y a n d ecologically, then it would be up to the individual homeowner to seek solutions. He related that some of the experimental practices' have cumulative later effects. But the release of parasites (15 possible ones) has been tried but has not proven effective. He explained that a parasite depends on a generous supply of hosts and until the worm infestation was severe, parasites do not thrive. He said they have been working on integrated biological controls in both state and federal agencies which may show some effect in several years. As Dr. Schwalbe tried to clarify for Pepping how much time the city had, he said the untreated egg masses could result in a ten fold increase each year but the problem (in prediction) is in their dispersal in order for the multiplication to spread. The limit of travel for breeding is about 300 meters per year. The female cannot fly. Pepping wondered if they would have better risk by using more positive control now. But he said he did not want to be "pressured to call in the heavy artillery today to get rid of the problem once and for all." Schwalbe reminded him that the Gypsy Moth by itself would not go away. Harker asked, "If natural controls would work, why didn't they in the East? The Council has to make a decision. We have to separate fact from fancy." Schwalbe said that the present situation in McHenry is not favorable for parasite control (of the moths). Alderman Mike Wieser asked when and how did they find out that McHenry had Gypsy Moths. Walter Ring of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said they made regylar surveys every three years. Two years ago they found eight specimens in traps here and returned for a more intensive survey. This survey, coupled with estimates of number, in­ dicated an infestation. When Wieser asked where is the epidemic stage, Ring warned that they shouldn't be lulled by the earlier statement on there possibly being no increase. He noted that the cure never gets easier with the increase in infestation. He said the non- pesticide method with the most chance for success is to use a large number of moth traps with the hope that the males will find the traps before they find the females. About three per acre was suggested as appropriate. Tom Phillips, 1710 N. Glen, read the warnings on the label of some Sevin 4*oil that he had purchased which cautioned against a number of effects. Seaborg retorted that the same warning would appear on a bottle of water if it were used for pesticide, to which remark the audience booed. A l i c e H o w e n s t i n e , speaking for the McHenry County Defenders, advised the agriculture personnel that McHenry is not an apathetic community. If the city should decide not to spray, she urged the state employees not abandon them but help with the funds that would have been used on spraying and to use all techniques that do not in­ volve pesticides. Seaborg noted about spraying and concerns about residue in the creek that they can't spray directly over water but have to stay back 75 feet. He claimed it was not because of a hazard but a legal requirement. If they don't use Sevin 4-oil, they could try the alternatives. Sentence One In Burglary Ring One of four men reported to be part of a burglary ring operating in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin, Daren R. Thomas, 18, for­ merly of 1501 Fourth street, Spring Grove, was sentenced to three years imprisonment Monday morning in 19th Judicial Circuit Court before Judge Roland Hermann. Thomas' transportation to the Department of Corrections was stayed until the middle of May because it is expected that he will testify as a state's witness in the trials of the other three men, Frank Noller, Ralph Bain and Jack R. Dickens. The three-year sentence was the result of a negotiated plea between defense Attorney James Boback, of Crystal Lake, and Assistant State's Attorney Henry Sugden, III. Although Irving Berlin wrote "God Bless America" during World War I, he waited until 1938 to have it published. 'DR. ROBERT CLICK Podiatrist -- Foot Specialist Crystal Lake STOtt HOUR NsatkraFn. lOtsf SoL 9 30 taS. Sea. 11 IsS McHenry Office 4305 W. Elm Street (Rte. 120- Across the Street from Hornsby's) (815) 344-3900 DR. ARTHUR J. HOWARD CHIROPRACTOR Would like to announce that his NEW LOCATION will be SM HILLSIDE AVENUE ANTIOCH, ILLINOIS *0002 PHONE (312) 395-M66 MUSICAL REVUE--Lara (Colleen Corey, Crystal Lake) looks for her guardian angel in "The Sound of Music" vignette featuring, left to right, first row, Reglna Nowicki, Mary Yaeger, Emily Hatchings and Jon Bankel; in back, Steve Schuerr, Nancy Smith and Ron Callahan. The musical revue, "Scamps Scallawags and Other Urchins," opens April 25 and plays through April 27 at Montlni Middle school. For ticket information call 385-7897 or 385-3365. STAFF PHOTO-WAYNE GAYLORD Correction When Clint Gaypool of McHenry made a motion at last week's County board meeting for acceptance of a petition to allow a residential facility for developmental^ disabled people to be operated in the city, the vote of Donald Doherty was reported to have been in o p p o s i t i o n . A c t u a l l y , Doherty voted in favor of acceptance. • * • • The human race, for all its boasting and puff­ ing, is merely standing on the threshold of knowledge. • • • • * Church services are still being held every Sunday-just like they were when you were taught to go regularly. If all the political speeches to be made this year in this country were laid end to end, there would be no end to politi­ cal speeches.