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/ THE MCHENRY PLAINDEALER SERVING THE CHAINO-I.AKES REGION SINCE 1875 1980 VOLUME 105 NUMBER 22 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1980 2 SECTIONS 30 PAGES 25* Two Zoning Petitions Get Nod Meet Our Staff. . . and how your homttown ncwipopti grow* ' •och wook. In observance of National Newspaper week, Oct. 12-18, the Plaindealer would like to introduce its readers to staff members and acquaint them with operations undertaken twice weekly that bring the home town newspaper into 7,800 homes. A photographic and word story appears on Pages 10 and 11. speaking children are enrolled in their classes. But for the rest of the children involved the resources were unknown and many of the federal funding assistance programs for the In- dochinese had expired. However. DeRoche ad­ ded, research has in­ dicated that some federal title grants may still be available and ap­ plications are being prepared. State assistance of $130 per youngster will be received in December but otherwise the local community is expected to be responsible for financing any special needs, DeRoche said. As schools began and the problem surfaced, DeRoche and Jania made a plea for help through the local newspapers. Coming forward to assist were a number of local residents who had language skills: Maxine Moy, Cantonese; Neon Carlson, Thai and Lao; Dowe Reed, a high school student who can speak Thai; Mrs. Reed, who also speaks Thai: and Chinh Pham, a Viet­ namese trained in English and educated as a teacher in Kalamazoo, who rejoined her family in August. DeRoche says the full impact of the problem hits when the teachers try to orient the new students to their school environment. In addition to the cultural differences which tends to make the Indo-Chinese children more reserved or shy with Americans, the newcomers must fearn to use, w^hout fully knowing what they are called, the buses. lockers and combinations, wash­ rooms, cafeterias and books (without knowing which book is required for which course). They also must learn how to find their way into the school, to the classrooms; and finally to find their bus home again. The language problem, DeRoche hoped, could be overcome within a year DeRoche said school personnel had received much guidance and assistance from Porter Reed, an Indochinese education specialist with the state board of education DeRoche, who cha ract erized the multilingual situation as a challenge, but rather a perplexing one. explained that his staff didn't even know what questions to ask the consultants who were made available to them. They were uncertain where the young people should be placed as to grades and what to do about many other problems. But, DeRoche said, the consultants had most of the answers before they had the questions to ask them. The consultants made a number of general recommendations which included: to usually place students one or two years below age level, to un­ derstand the shyness of Asians who may be reluctant to change clothes to participate in physical education, that generally (until the language barrier is overcome) children should be placed in classes that do not require a lot of English use, such as Art. Music, Physical Ed., and Home Economics and to teach intensive English during the times when other academic classes are in session. The aim of the school is to net the children back to their age grade level as soon as possible DeRoche noted that for children who have already been to school in their former countries assimilation into the American school system is fairly easily accomplished once the language barrier is passed The basics are pretty much the same, (•specially in math and sciences, and the students soon are back to their natural level of ac­ complishment. DeRoche says that most of the larger school systems in McHenry county are involved in the same language problem and noted that Crystal Lake reported 30 non- English speaking children enrolled. To assist meeting these needs, McHenry County college has announced courses in "English as a second language" at its campus and ««t other locations for the new students School officials throughout the county are cooperatively exploring ways of handling this problem, which can in­ volve the hiring of more personnel, to jointly and (( ouiiniK'ti on 20) The City of McHenry Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) voted last Friday to recommend approval of two petitions to the McHenry City Council. One of the petitions con­ sidered Friday concerned the proposed 102-unit development in the McHenry Lakes Estates subdivision which has been discussed considerably at hearings held in the last month-and-a- half. According to. the site designer, Howard Holtzman, and Attorney Daniel Curran, the petitioner, Milfred Towne, is planning to build the 102 units in groups of four or six units to a building. The site for the proposed development is a 12.5-acre tract of land at the northwest corner of the McCullom Lake road-Orleans street intersection, near Petersen park. The popular' slogan, "You've come a long way baby", may be intended to sell a particular product, but it could apply to almost everything around us. In National Newspaper week we are thinking especially about the popular pastime of old monarchs who killed the messenger when the daily news he tafought was distasteful. For the fated messenger, freedom of information had become a death sentence. That's a long way from today, when just about anything is carried in newspapers. The quantity of news is greater than ever before, and comes to us more quickly. But the news has changed very little. Each day we report as much bad news as good, and if this had been done in the old days, reporters would have met an untimely end. The press has suffered the thrust of the arrows of legislators and others in high places who, in a modem version, seek to "kill the fhessenger" by limiting their ability to gather, produce and distribute the new?. Assure Funding For Area Seniors Good news for senior citizens who participate in activities at the local Meet and Eat center in the McHenry Moose lodge came a few days ago A McHenry County Senior Citizens' council . spokesman in Woodstock confirmed that funding for the program lor a nine-month period has been assured The board of directors of the Region II Area Agency on Aging voted unanimously to fund the county program at several locations The MCSCC will carry out day- to-day services offered by the council and Region II will administer the funds and monitor spending by the council Although no exact opening date was given, it is believed activities will be resumed by Novemlier The door of the McHenry Moose lodge, headquarters for the McHenry Meet and Eat center, closed Wed­ nesday, Oct 1. The reason was that by an unanimous vote Sept 30, the t>oard of directors of the McHenry County Senior Citizens council rejected an offer of t tie Region II agency to fund this part of the program wholly, and other services in part, for a period of two months. • The agency explained its action was for the purpose of allowing the county council (( • >1111 • 11 <*'< I Oil |>r««|«' 20) Rural. English In • • The Schools Francisco Martinez, a seventh grader, Betty Lee, an eighth grader, and Khame Bondasak learn the intricacies of opening a locker at McHenry Junior high. Of Spanish, Chinese and Laotian descent, respectively, the three young people are among 15 new students in the local school system who are being oriented to a new BchObl environment. STAFF PHOTO-WAYNE GAYLORD McHenry's elementary schools find it necessary to face up to what is normally a big city problem this year as it seeks to integrate into the system 13 non-English speaking children. As assistant superin­ tendent for educational services Dan DeRoche says, "It isn't a bilingual program they need, but a multilingual one. And the languages involved are not only Spanish, but Chinese, Laotian. Viet­ namese and Korean: ,' • Trie problem landed on the schools without ad­ vance notice when the term began at the end of August, DeRoche noted. This caused him and Ron Jania, pupil personnel services coordinator, to scurry around for people who eould assist in communicating with the new students, who knew little or no English. It was also necessary to line up programs involving "English as a second language." DeRoche recalled that District 15 had formerly hatia bilingual teaching program in the system until three years ago. This involved only Spanish speaking children. Fortunately, two of the teachers from this program were still in the system and the school was to draw on their expehise to help with the problem. The . three Spanish The petitioners requested three variations to the McHenry zoning ordinance which would reduce the square footage requirement, allow one-car parking in the front yard and a zero-lot line. The petition also requested a change in zoning from "R- 3a" single family residential on one lot to "R-4" multi- family. By granting the City a perpetual easement instead of dedicating a right-of-way, the petitioners were able to meet various setback and road width requirements of the ordinance. In previous meetings, the petitioners had requested as many as six variations from the or­ dinance. ' Curran explained that in order to sell each of the units to individual owners, the square footage requirement of the "R-4" district of 5,000 square feet and 50-foot What is sometimes a lesson learned reluctantly is that this is not an intrusion at all. Today, as in the days of the old monarchs. killing the messengers will not stem the flow of bad news. Even in a community and a county as smalL as McHenry, there are things that need telling. Yet, there are folks who still complain that too much news in the Plaindealer is bad. They aren't all wrong. Vandalism, stealing, reckless driving, in­ flationary prices -- they aren't the kind of stoHes that make us feel good. But sometimes something good comes out of something bad. As unhappy as a driver might be whose name ap­ pears in the newspaper for speeding - as angry as a thief might be because his misdeeds have been recorded for friends to see - there is a bright side. For many of them, the recorded words will be a deterrent to repeating their failure, and that's not bad! KAF frontage per lot had to be varied to allow construction on lots of 2,500 square feet with 25-foot frontage. Curran also noted that a variation for a zero-lot line was necessary to allow the "rowhouse" construction planned by the developer. Curran argued that the "R-4" classification does provide for townhouse or rowhouse structures but doesn't address the zero-lot line question. Curran commented that because the homes were connected and in a multi- family district, the or­ dinance required two parking spaces per unit. The ordinance stipulated that parking on the driveway in the front of the building could not be included in counting the number of required spaces. ZBA members questioned what the change in the dedication of right-of-way to • easement did to ownership of the land. Curran answered that with a dedicated right-of-way, the land is owned by the City. The easement, he pointed out, leaves ownership of the land with the resident but allows the City to use the land for whatever purpose it desires - utilities, sidewalks, etc. Board member Kay Halverson voiced a concern over what safeguards purchasers would have insuring the construction of the proposed community house and swimming pool. An allusion was made to the Whispering Oaks situation where a golf course was mentioned, but never built. ZBA chairman James Fouse noted that the con­ struction of the golf course was never included in the deeds or covenants in Whispering Oaks. At the last meeting, Curran said the petitioner had agreed to construct the recreational area by such time that 75 percent of the 102-unit development had been sold. Ms. Halverson wanted to know what would happen if development stopped at some point before the 75 percent construction level. Curran said people would have the right to sue for the construction of the recreational area and it was noted that something could be worked out when the matter comes before the City Council. In four separate motions, the three variations and the zoning change on the one lot were okayed by the ZBA. In other ZBA business, a request from Gustav Robert Roalsen was approved by a unanimous vote. The petition requested changing a single lot on the north side of Pearl street, between Richmond road and Green street, from "R-3" single family residential to "B 1" business zoning. If approved by the City Council, Roalsen will sell the lanc^to the McHenry State bank. The bank is planning to use the land for an em­ ployee parking lot and may, someday, erect a small office building on the site. Board member Suzanne Kauss raised a legal point when she noted that the requested "B-1" business classification does not specifically provide for parking lots as a legal use. City Attorney Bernard Narusis commented that commercially operated lots were allowed under the "B- 2" and "B-3" classifications, but also noted that this was not to be a commercially operated or public lot. Narusis said, "The City's attitude, as far as I know, is that this has always been a permitted use." He observed that if the lot were to be used commercially, it would be a different matter. With that interpretation, Ms. Kauss moved to recommend approval of the petition to the City Council. Both matters must now be presented to the City Council for a final decision. Bikes In Auction The City of McHenry Police department will put 31 recovered and unclaimed bicycles on the auction block at 10 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 18, ac­ cording to Police Chief George Pasenelli. • The auction will be held at the City garage, 105 N. Green street. Pasenelli said that 8 hours, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. last Saturday, had been set aside for the public to view the bikes. The reason for the viewing, he noted, was that someone may have recognized one of the bikes as lost or stolen and claimed it Set School Referendum Nov. 15 The school board of McHenry Grade School District 15 has tentatively scheduled a referendum for Nov. 15, at which time the voters will be asked to authorize an increase in the Education fund rate limit. Nearly 30 people were present recently to help organize a Citizens' com­ mittee for McHenry Grade School District 15. This committee has pledged its support to the board of education of the grade school district. Earlier, a 19- member lay Citizens' Locate Missing Boat With Five Passengers A missing boat with five occupants was located early Saturday morning by the Sheriff's police with the assistance of two residents. At 12:10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 11. Phyllis Dickstein, of 2414 Orchard Beach, McHenry, called the Sheriff's police when her husbaad and four passengers had not returned from a boat ride after din­ ner. A search was begun and with the help of the John- sburg Rescue squad and two local residents, Matthew Rokosz, 2407 Fairview, McHenry, and Richard J Short, of 3411 N. Coun- (t ••uiiiiimhI on 20) committee spent a number of months reviewing the district's financial picture, looking at the various alternatives which were open to the district, and finally making a recom­ mendation to the board to call for a referendum. The majority of the members of this newly formed Lay Citizens' and Study committee have volunteered to actively assist the board in getting facts out to the entire school district on the real needs facing the district and why such a referendum is essential now. The Citizens' committee is under the general chair­ manship of Diane Kappen and Tom Tucker The vice- chairman of the group is Bill Austin, and Kathy Cichonski is serving as its secretary. At its organizational meeting, the- group divided into four working com­ mittees. A Publicity committee, headed by Dick Rabbitt and Bonnie Gaza, will be responsible for preparing all materials for distribution into the community. A Speakers committee, co- chaired by Gary Garde and Debbie Hommeland, will provide informational speakers for any group wishing to know more about the referendum. This committee will also schedule coffees i|j. the community. "An effort will be made to contact every group or organization in the school district and provide speakers for them if they wish," said Garde. Any group ^ or organization wishing to arrange for speakers should contact the i< <Hiiiiiiifd <ni p«m»' 20i Reign Over Homecoming Big City Problem Goes These two attractive Marian Central Catholic high school seniors reigned over homecoming festivities last weekend. Thr queen is Karen Truckenbt <»d, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Donald W. Truckenbrod of 3307 W. 2nd avenue, McHenry. T. J. Hamnann was named the ittKO king, lie is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Russell Haumann of 486 K. Broadway, Crystal Lake. DKWANK STUDIO PHOTO