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Urge School-Citizen Study On Referendum During the Tuesday meeting of the Elementary School District 15 board, President Gary Lockwood urged preparation with interested citizen groups for a possible referendum for a property tax increase to meet the increasing shortfall of revenue against rising expenditures to operate the vhnnls , Lockwood noted that With the cutbacks made recently, the district would not operate in the red this year, but there would still be an accumulated deficit in ex­ cess of $900,000 which present revenue had no chance of reducing. This deficit had leaped by $600,000 in the past school fiscal year due partly to adjustments made in the state aid for­ mula and accelerated in­ flation-related increases in expenditures. Board members Eileen ZurMis and Gerald Bunting related their conversations with Governor James Thompson during a recent meeting at Springfield urging approval of a state measure to relieve the financial pressure on elementary districts. District 15 board members accompanied their coun­ terparts from Crystal Lake's District 47 to make their case for state aid changes. y Supporting their claims, that elementary districts were being shortchanged under present allocations was a table prepared by Dr. R i c h a r d F a r m e r , superintendent for District 15, which details the change .in state aid funding in the last seven years. In the case of McHenry's two school districts, elementary District 15's allotment has increased 42.75 percent from $1,021,152 in 1973 to $1,457,731 in I960. Dr. Farmer's chart in­ dicated that the high school district's share of state aid during the same period increased 400.97 percent from $291,886 to $1,462,286. Farmer indicated that the governor was not happy with the recommended bill in its present form, which ap­ peared to be too costly to the state, and reminded the school people that the state has money problems . also. Farmer said that a school administrator from down- state had urged that the affected districts continue writing to the School Problems committee of the legislature and then follow up with attendance to present supporting data at the hearings scheduled later. Ms. Zurblis said she had reminded the governor of the many state and federal mandated programs which are administered by the schools without com­ pensating increases in funding, which he acknowledged. She also suggested that the board set up an official legislative group as suggested earlier by the superintendent of Cary Elementary School District 26. Although Dr. Farmer noted there would probably be no need for the group during the summer when the legislature is not in session, Bunting said that members of this committee could use the lime for some self- education which would be needed to be effective. The proposal was referred to the public relations committee under Joan Miller for further action. Lockwood urged the finance committee to meet soon to make recom­ mendations about a possible referendum for a tax in­ crease in the district's education and building maintenance funds. He suggested that they try to get interested citizens to help in the effort and to invite them in to review the financial situation of the schools and their needs. These people could also give opinions on conducting the referendum, he said. The board also wrestled with conflicting signals regarding filling vacancies with tenured or untenured teachers RIFed (fired due to district finances) at the end of the current year. As the board approved the rehiring for the coming school year of five teachers who had been laid off earlier, discussion arose on board policy on preference for reemployment between tenured teachers who were not qualified for certain jobs at the time of lay-off and untenured teachers who were. Causing the un­ certainty were two letters from the Illinois ducation Association (IEA) and statements made at recent liaison meetings (between board and teaching staff). Local teachers had urged in the committee meeting that the board fill vacancies in teaching positions as soon as possible. On the other hand, the IEA asked that the board hold positions open (Continued on page 20) Parking Warning Automobiles parked in spaces marked and set aside for handicapped people will be ticketed unless a handicapped sticker or license plate is visible. McHenry Police Chief George R. Pasenelli said the Police department has run into a parking problem concerning people who are clearly eligible to use the handicapped parking spaces but who have not, for whatever reason, obtained either the sticker or the license plates. The stickers can be obtained from the City Clerk's office at 1111 N. Green street. Before receiving the sticker, the applicant must fill out the form which must be signed by a physician. There is no charge for die sticker. "The calls to rent offices are just ..pathetic all over town," -he said. The ZBA opted by unanimous vote to recom­ mend approval of the second alternative which would keep commercial use in the first floor of the east wing and allow the other four units to be used for residential purposes. The matter must now come before the City Council for final approval. Mayor Joseph Stan^ and Fran' Oben, executive director of the McHenry Area Chamber of Commerce, read names of lucky grand prise winners in the Parking Meter promotion sponsored by the C. of C. Gary Reinwali of Ringwood was top winner of a meter filled with dimes; R. K. Mercure of McHenry was second with a meter containing nickels; and L. L. Scanlin of McHenry won third prize with a meter filled with pennies. Each meter is valued at $102. The drawings that determined grand prise winners Were made from registrations in the 75 participating business firms. The promotion was held in connection with a 90-day moratorium on parking meters in McHenry business districts. At the end of this time, a study-survey will determine the future of parking meters within the city. STAFF PHOTO-WAYNE GAYLORD Meter Winners THE MCHENRY PLAINDEALER SERVING THE CHAIN-O-LAKES REGION SINCE 1875 FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 1980 1 SECTION 22 PAGES 25 VOLUME 104 NUMBER 90 controversy lies in the area of the Vok) Bog. Two Environmental Impact statements must be approved before the project can be accepted, according to Stanek. Others who spoke at the luncheon included James Rakow, County Highway commissioner, Tran­ sportation Chairman Tom Huemann and Richard Klemm, chairman of the County board. Planning Commission (NIPC), which assists local governments in a six-county area with development, is expected to consider the project at its next regular meeting Thursday, June 19. Stanek said he wants to take h bus load of people to the meeting in Chicago to give local support to FAP 420. The environmental danger of the project has been a big question deterring approval of the |rian so far. The Stressing that it would be hard to match "political muscle" with the "urban power," Mayor Joe Stanek asked the McHenry Chamber of Commerce to drtrni up support to get Federal Aid Project (FAP) 420 included in the Year 2000 Transportation System Development plan. Speaking at the June 11 Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the McHenry Country club, Stanek told about 35 members to voice their opinions by writing to their congressmen and by starting petitions to get a new $70 million freeway built from the Wisconsin border to the border of Lake County the Northeastern Illinois street for the thrill of dodging an oncoming car. But for some it isn't even the thrill,' or the challenge. It is just doing what comes naturally for a 10- or 11-year- old. Fear isn't a characteristic of this age group. Besides curb hoppers, there are also trail bikes whose riders make frequent appearances on the streets, even though they are unlicensed, and on private, vacant lots Bike problems in 1180 are not unique, but they do seem to be on the increase A few days ago we motioned on two older teens "Before the end of Sum­ mer, one of them will be killed". A McHenry business man sat in our office last week, telling his concern for wayward bicyclists who teem to have multiplied many times since the last school boll sounded. Three days later, a youngster lay on the high way at the intersection of Front street and Rt. 120. his bicycle crunched under the wheal of a van The child will Uve. and if we are fortunate his ex­ perience may provide the Volo Bog Visitor Center Open Soon We recall noddii Three Local Beaches To 8e Closed As a r«e*Ut My Dad's Greatest" he McHenry Cenaty McHenry Country Art Fair This Weekend