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- • Fear Gypsy Moth Infestation A possible infestation of the gypsy moth in McHenry county has state and federal forestry experts on guard against the pest in the Chicago area. Eight gypsy moths have been trapped within a one-mile radius in the city of McHenry, and lone moths have been found in Cook, Lake and Kane counties, according to Norm Seaborg, an entymologist with the Illinois Department of Agriculture. Eleven is the largest number of moths found in a single year since an infestation was documented in southwest suburban Palos Heights in 1975. Last year, by comparison, only two moths were taken by 8,503 traps set in Illinois, Seaborg said Once an infestation of the moth is documented, a spraying program to eradicate the pest is generally put into effect. Sevin-4 Oil is currently a preferred insecticide because it breaks down within twenty days. Seaborg said. Containment of the pest is extremely important because the gypsy moth is probably a %<JTse threat to hardwood foftsts than Dutch Elm blight Not particularly selective, it has destroyed some 18 million acres of forest in New England in the past fifty yeafs. said Illinois Department of Con­ servation forester Elmer Werhane Only in the past fifteen years has the moth been a problem in the Midwest, he added Because the moth was im­ ported to this country from Europe, it has no natural enemies here to help control it The gypsy moth presence detected in McHenry county could well be the overflow of an infestation in Waukesha county, Wis., where 600 mo!;hs have been taken in only forty traps so far this year "There's no doubt they (Wisconsin) have an infestation and it's getting advanced," Seaborg said Because the gypsy moth does extend its range primarily by hitchhiking on vehicles, the seriousness of an infestation of a nearby state is bad news for Illinois as well. Seaborg added Attempts will be made by investigators for the Illinois Departments of Agriculture and Conservation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to locate egg masses of the moth in McHenry county this fall That effort will be followed up by an intensive program of trapping for the moth next spring in McHenry Intensive trapping within a mile radius of moths found at these locations will also be conducted: ... Routes 83 and 60, near Mundelein in Lake county ... Lees and Sauber roads near Virgil in Kane county and the May wood track at Fifth and Nortl. avenues in Cook county Ironically enough, intensive trapping for the moth at the two locations where they were found last year has so far proved fruitless No moths have turned up in northwestern Carroll county, and the Maywood moth is the only of its species to turn up near the Thatcher Woods area where a moth was found last year and a subsequent trapping program conducted Intensive trapping in the Palos Heights area so far has indicated that the eradication program conducted there has been effective. Seabore said 190 THIS THE MCHENRY PLAINDEALER S E R V I N G T H E C H A I N - O - L A K E S R E G I O N S I N C E 1 8 7 5 VOLUME 103 NUMBER 8 FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 1978 2 SECTIONS 26 PAGES 20' Back To Books Unidentified juniors at McHenry Community high school register for classes Tuesday with Richard Rabbitt of the faculty. This year there were 439 juniors who registered compared to 533 in that class last year. The number of seniors dropped from 557 last year to 383. However, both of these figures will rise when classes start because 2.9 percent of the students failed to register this week. STAFF PHOTO-WAYNE GAYLORD City Fails To Resolve Developer Contributions Musin9 And Meanderin9 The adage, "The squeaky wheel gets the oil", may be an oldie but it's also a goodie Squeaking - if it's loud enough-pays off as evidenced by the work now in progress on a new bridge over Dutch creek 31, north of McHenry. jjjtTl year and a half ago we thought such success was possible only in the mind of a first class dreamer The fact that the state has seen fit to include ledges for the small Phoebee, a bird that 'frequents the bridge area, overwhelmed many who read about this extra It seems impossible that anything as large and complicated as state government would let itself be coqccrned over the little Phoebee in McHenry .^Jt was on Jan. 7, 1977, that the Plaindealer carried front page HOtiyes showing hazardous Sriving conditions on this narrow bridge and the small margin for error on the part of a driver Both before and since that time the bridge has been 'marked by tragedy It was a year and a half ago that we questioned how many fatalities would occur at the location in the five years ahead Jt was a question that had no vnswer in January of 1977 and it more than a guess that the bridge would not be improved wiihin that period of time „ The Illinois Department of Transportation had informed James Rakow, superintendent of the McHenry County High way department, during the previous holiday season that due to limited funding in its Short Range program, "it seems very unlikely that the improvement to this structure can be programmed before Fiscal Year 1981. Because Rakow had referred to numerous accidents at that location in the previous six months, the district engineer promised to review the "ac­ cident experience" and in­ vestigate the possibility of this location qualifying under some future safety program At that time we noted that "the vagueness of the letter smacks of political verbiage and makes the reader wonder whether or not action will be forthcoming at any time in the forseeable future". When we squeaked loud enough, some of our legislators perked up and asked to be in­ formed of accidents that oc curred on the bridge We obliged and the squeaking increased even more Now the wheels are in motion and we can be optimistic that the number of injuries and deaths that might have been anticipated between now and 1981 will be greatly reduced If this is a reality, no one will mind that the squeakings became a very real annoyance Our hats off to a state government that has acted for the safety of motorists in our area KAF Rescue Squad Dance Proceeds For Construction Money derived from the benefit dance for the Johnsburg Rescue squad will be used to construct an addition to the present building At this time one of the vehicles is being housed in the meeting room The dance is scheduled Saturday. Aug 26. from 9 p m to 1 a m at the Johnsburg Community club Tickets for this twenty-sixth annual dance can be purchased at the door Lengthy discussion con­ cerning proposed increases in the Capital Development fund for the city ended at Monday night's City Council with no action being taken Much of the discussion centered on the Capital Development contribution for city sewer, as aldermen ad­ dressed themselves to the sewer plant capacity problem City Engineer Hal Sundin had told the Council previously, that the city's sewer plant is nearing capacity and that an addition, which would cost approximately $12 million, is needed Alderman Ray Smith spoke at length concerning lots^ already in the city which he feels should not be forced to pay any increases in the Capital Development fund Smith indicated that lots that were assessed when the sewer plant was first constructed had already paid for a "spot"' in the sewer plant and should not have to pay for a developer who uses up the capacity of the plant Alderman Bolger indicated that he felt that lots plotted before the construction of the sewer plant shouldn t have to pay the Capital Development fund increases Mayor Stanek said that in creases for all lots in the city are needed to pay for the ad dition to the sewer plant, so that it can be accomplished without using federal dollars Stanek indicated that he would like to see the Capital Docked Boats Target Of Thieves Sheriff's police are in vestigating several thefts in the McHenry area including the theft of numerous items from two docked boats Monday. Eugene Kamin, 3105 River Park road, notified Sheriff s police that sometime over the weekend his boat was entered while it was docked at his home Taken by the thieves were a marine battery, a slalom ski and a tape player Gordon Lepper ol Beach road in Wonder Lake told Sheriff's police Sunday that sometime during the previous two days, someone entered his float boat that had been secured at the Shore Hills Community Beach A gas tank, a spotlight, an anchor and a fire extinguisher were taken from the boat A briefcase belonging to Frank Martin of Crestwood avenue was stolen Saturday Close Race With Calendar For Opening New Johnsburg School Martin briefcase business calculator told police the which contained papers and a was taken from his The Johnsburg school district appeared to be in a close race with the calendar whether its new high school and junior high school facilities will be ready for use when school opens in September Reports by ad ministrators to the school board at the Aug 22 meeting indicated that some areas would be "occupiable", but others would not be available until perhaps mid-October Dr Duane Andreas, superintendent of District 12, said that punch lists had been prepared for about one third of the high school building and that the rest of the classroom Headstart To Open Sept. 12 Headstart. a pre school for 3- to-5-year^)lds from low income families as defined by federal guidelines, will begin its program Tuesday, Sept 12, in McHenry Headstart registration will be held Tuesday. Aug 29, from 9 a m to 4 p m at 3717 W Main street, in the basement of the First United Methodist church Those interested in enrolling a child should come that day or call 385 3243 to learn more Investigate Bus Service Renewal The board of Johnsburg School District 12 moved this veek to investigate a request , for renewal of bus service to ' students residing at West River ' terrace off Weingart road To ! view conditions first hand, the board okayed a special bus trip for 7 p m Aug 30 to carry board members, the tran sportation director, and area residents over the road section •under discussion. The board promised then to review its .previous action discontinuing Splrr on the narrow winding • road'serving this community ' Tom Miller. resident ' representing the community * which contains twenty-five • children, eleven of whom were already enrolled in school, noted that bus service had been * withdrawn following a minor accident The road is not a township thoroughfare, but is maintained by the homeowners' association Children have about a half mile walk along this narrow road, he said The transportation director said the service was discon­ tinued after a judge had cen­ sored the driver involved in the accident at a blind curve with a high bank and heavy foliage obscuring the view The court reportedly said that if the visibility was that bad. the driver had no business operating a bus on that road. Another spectator at the meeting noted that the high school operated a bus in the area and wondered why the elementary school couldn t get in and out about the program The Headstart program has been operating in the city of McHenry for the past five years It offers pre-schoolers .social and developmental group activities as well a-s individual programming when needed Headstart also offers services to handicapped pre schoolers There is a daily nutrition program including a sup plement in the morning and a hot lunch at noon The medical program in­ cludes physical and dental exams with follow-up as necessary These education, medical, nutrition, social service and parent involvement programs are offered to all children from Monday through Thursday from September through May parts of the building should be ready for school use within two weeks, though there may fx* minor items yet to be com pleted Dr Ken Falkinham. business manager, added that the new pump for the well was here and that it would take about five days to install it It was the one thing that could have delayed the use of the school, he said Another problem is equipment for the school kitchen, which probably will not be ready by school opening, it was in dicated The problem is the bankruptcy of 'TKS ", the firm that was retained by the con tractor to install the items purchased by the school Because of bankruptcy laws, some items may be frozen in .the TKS inventory until the Yourt releases them The board was advised, however, that all plumbing should be ready Falkinham urged, a bit of muscle is needed to prod the Capital Develop ment board to issue correction orders for two athletic field problems so the work on the surfacing of the track and tennis court can be ac complished while the weather is still favorable Falkinham noted a problem of water retention on the site of the high school and said some re-engineering might have to be done to obtain more fall to get rid of the rain Heavy rainstorms during the past several weeks have revealed some apparent deficiencies in the grade work The retaining ponds were working too well, it was noted. The addition of top soil to the ponds' interiors seemed to render the units impervious to percolation for which they were designed, and maintenance employees suggested jokingly that the school should consider stocking them with catfish The Middle school con struction was also coming along and will probably be usable for classrooms by school time, although the lockers may not be here until mid-October, Falkinham said The roof work had also been delayed by rain, but was expected to be com pleted by Friday The high school gym and auditorium was not expected to be ready for use for another seventy to ninety days The board tentatively ap proved budgeting money for preparing and fencing an area to store buses and heavy equipment i part of a proposed equipment restoration program at the high school > In addition, $7,500 was con­ ditionally budgeted for the heavy duty equipment program under the direction of Steve Pollock, depending on the condition of the general budget and possibility practicality of the program The board okayed the making of an agreement for football field facilities at McHenry for this season's activities Coach es J Mevers and M Heimer dinger advised the board that up to sixty-five students had already indicated interest in trying out for the football teams, and that they expected there would be more than seventy-five candidates after registration Faculty members, R Swikle and R Keber. named Scott Dixon as editor of the as yet untitled school paper and Curt Ames as editor of the yearbook for the coming year The teachers said that as part of their mass media courses, the school paper would be prepared (Continued on pa^e 18) auto while it was parked along River road On Saturday, while members of McHenry Township Fire Protection District Company III were answering a fire call, someone entered their fire house and stole a scanner and two hand lanterns The offender also tried to steal the base radio unit Phillip Mieszala, 906 W Steuben, a fireman for Comp nay III. told Sheriff's police that while he was answering the fire call, his van was en tered and his CB stolen Dale Snell of Wonder Lake notified Sheriff s police that his locked auto had been entered while it was parked at Little John s. 1211 \ River road Taken from inside the car were golf clubs, a tennis racket and a water chemical sample case Sheriffs police were notified \ug IK that the Pine Tree Pet Shop 2102 Route 120. had been broken into According to police reports, the building had been entered since the previous day by someone who pried open a window in the building Taken were a few pet sup plies and $25 from a cash register Development fund for sewer raised from the present $300 to $600 or $700 The Council also discussed making the contribution the same for a home or an apart­ ment Apartments are currently charged on the basis of the diameter of the sewer pipe "The three-bedroom apart ment," said Stanek. "has as much impact on the sewer plant as a three-bedroom home " Contributions from industrial users were also discussed Stanek has proposed that in dustrial users be charged based on the capacity used based on population equivalent The Council authorized the spending of $1,500 to $2,000 to repair the emergency generator for the Cooney Heights police transmitter station The repairs are needed to make the backup natural gas system operational A d d i t i o n a l z o n i n g classifications were also adopted as recommended by the Zoning Board of Appeals The R-4A classification reduces apartment density from 17 per acre to 10 per acre and R 4B reduces the density in apartments to 8 per acre New densities limiting the density for condominiums to 10 and 8 per acre were also adopted The older ordinances allowing higher densities remain intact Purchases of eight parkas, ten safety vests and ten stop sign paddles for the crossing guards were also approved Police Chief Pasenelli 's request to put specifications out to bid for four new police cars will be acted on next meeting Charcoal burners for Petersen park will be pur chased with $800 that was donated by the Newcomers club By a 5 to 3 vote, the Council decided to spend $2,332 on the construction of a sidew alk near West campus Alderman George Harker requested the building of the (Continued on page 18) Set Holiday Deadlines Because of the Labor day holiday Sept 4, deadlines for the first issue of the Plaindealer that week will be moved ahead. Classified advertising for both the Plaindealer and Citizen will be accepted until 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 1, and both display advertising and news for the Plaindealer and also display advertising for the Citizen must be turned in by noon the same day. Columnists for the Wednesday issue must have copy turned in by noon Thursday, Aug 31 Mayor Stanek shakes hands with Officer James Rust of the McHenry Police department after presenting Rust, Charles Ackerman and Gary W. Leider with resolutions commending their work during a fire in McHenry Aug. 4. Rust and Special Officer Ackerman were praised for their brave work in checking the building adjoining a burning garage for occupants. Leider, of 517 Kensington, was honored for pulling James R. Ball, Sr., from his burning car after Ball had apparently suffered a heart attack and crashed into the garage. Despite Leider's heroic efforts. Hall later died. Stanek read the resolutions commending the work of Leider and the two police officers during Monday night's regular City Council meeting and thanked the three men on behalf of the city for showing concern for their fellow man. r w - . t n n \ l o i | > n i \ I