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Two Remain In Serious Condition After Crash Ready For Christmas \ Anticipating the arrival of Santa, these city workersjfcecome Santa's helpers as they decorate his hut in the Pearl street city park. The big man in the red suit with the hearty laugh will arrive Thursday, Dec. 7, to ride in the parade that annually opens the holiday season officially in McHenry. He will then go to the hut and remain until 9 p.m., and will return each weekend. STAFF PHOTO-WAYNE GAYLORD Salute Honors A Public Servant Council and in 1949 was elected to a four-year term as mayor of Marengo. He also served as the first radio operator for the sheriff in the early 1950 s. He turned to county govern­ ment service when he was elected McHenry county treasurer in 1954 After a term in that office he was elected to succeed the popular long-time county clerk. Raymond D "Brick" Woods He was re­ elected with commanding vote totals in 1962, 1966, 1970 and 1974 Calvin Skinner, Sr., Crystal Lake, chairman of the Legislative and Public Affairs committee, presided at the sometimes-solemn, sometimes- humorous ceremonies honoring one of the most popular county officials in recent history. Assisting Skinner with the presentation of a plaque lauding Kays were other committee members, including Phyllis Walters. Algonquin; Charles Weingart, McHenry; Ross Kitchen. Marengo; and A.B McConnell, Woodstock. The hand-lettered blue and gold plaque praised Kays as the "Textbook Embodiment of the Ideal Public Officials, and a Friend " It hailed his con­ tributions to the "vitality, stability and progress" of McHenry county. With a smile. Skinner also presented Kays with a diploma as Dean Emeritus of the College of Public Affairs A set of Illinois Statute books and big bundle of letters written by many friends especially for the occasion were presented to Kays during the surprise ceremony. It was held in the midst of the board meeting which was called to adopt a tax levy to complete the budget procedure and conclude items on the regular meeting agenda which was started Nov 14 As county clerk. Kays supervised the conduct of elections, the 620 judges at a genera] election and the distribution of materials and equipment to the 124 precincts. Since he assumed office, the county's population has ex­ ploded from 80,000 in 1958 to 138.000 todav Two McHenry women remain in the intensive care unit of Swedish American hospital. Rockford, a week after a two-car accident in which they were seriously injured The condition of Alice G. Chermak of 819 Royal drive and Charlotte Wons of 609 N. Water's Edge was reported stable Monday They were hurt in a crash outside Byron, on State Rt 2. about 3 o'clock in the afternoon of Nov. 20. Immediately after their admittance to the hospital. Mrs. Wons was reported in critical condition and Mrs. Chermak in poor condition State police reported that the Wons car was northbound when the vehicle slid on slippery pavement and crossed the center line, striking head-on a vehicle driven by Alan Sprouse of Lake Bluff He was listed in stable but poor condition in Rockford Memorial hospital immediately following the crash The accident is still under investigation. Three persons were reported to have been injured in area auto accidents over the weekend according to the McHenry county Sheriff's department. Transported to McHenry hospital were Steve C Batjes. 8905 Acorn Path, Wonder Lake. Albert A Witt, 2101 V Woodlane avenue. Lindenhurst. and to Harvard hospital was Herman Jacob- sen, Jr., 37, 4212 Ponca, McHenry. with head injuries Hospital authorities in­ dicated that Witt was treated and released and Batjes was admitted and then transferred to an unnamed hospital for further treatment of his in­ juries. Jacobsen was also treated and released Batjes was hurt when he totalled his car after hitting a tree at the intersection of Barnard Mill road and Sum- merville drive at Wonder Lake at 12:59 a.m. Sunday. Nov 26 Deputies reported that the victim was unable to give a statement. but physical evidence at the* scene indicated that he was driving west at high speed when he ran off the road onto the grass for about 200 feet east of Summerville His car continued eastward hitting a sign and then a tree at the in tersection Officers said that two traffic citations were awaiting Batjes: failing to reduce speed to avoid an accident and improper use of license plates Witt was hurt when his vehicle ran off of Greenwood road at the curve south of Greenwood at 2:30 am Saturday, according to in vestigators He sought aid following the mishap by knocking at the door of a nearby residence Sheriff's police transported him to the emergency room of the McHenry hospital for treat­ ment. Witt said he didn't know where his car was. Police reported finding the vehicle 540 feet into a field from where it left the road. It had jumped a 4-foot deep drainage ditch, ran through a barb wire fence clipped an electric pole, ran between two trees, damaging both, and stopped in another segment of the drainage ditch Witt claimed that he had been run off the road by an approaching car. Damage was estimated at over $1,000 Jacobsen was hurt when his Thunderbird failed to negotiate a turn at the intersection of Alden road and McGuire road, northwest of Woodstock, at 2:28 am Saturday Officers reported that Jacobsen /was eastbound on McGuire- yoad. went through the intersection and hit a low bank on the op­ posite side of Alden road, where his vehicle was forcibly halted The impact caused head in­ juries. and Jacobsen was transported to Harvard by their fire and rescue unit The victim told officers in the only statment he would make that he was not driving and that he had been forced through the intersection by another vehicle The deputies issued him a traffic citation for disobeying a stop sign No one was reported injured in a collision at 9 p.m. on Mc- Cullom Lake road between vehicles driven by Kathleen E Semro, 3701 W James street, and Annette M Mathesius, 4914 W Parkview, both of McHenry Deputies said Semro was issued a ticket for driving in the wrong lane According to the drivers' statements. Semro's vehicle ran over a patch of ice and slid onto the south shoulder This caused her car to fishtail across the westbound lane where it was struck by a vehicle driven by Ms Mathesius Both vehicles sustained more than $250 in estimated damages The report noted that it was snowing at the time of the accident A vehicle driven by Fred F Bykowski. 138 Rand road, McHenry, had to be towed away after it struck a mail box and garbage can on Valley View road at Short avenue in Nunda township at 12:59 a m Nov 25. No injuries were reported Bykowski told in­ vestigators that his tire must have blown His car wound up in the ditch with damages estimated at over $100 Stan W Gin. 5409 E Eisenhower. Wonder Lake, was ticketed for failing to yield while turning left after a collision on E Wonder Lake road at 3:15 a m Nov 25 No one was injured His vehicle {(.ontinurd on |>a£«- KM THE MCHENRY PLAINDEALER SERVING THE CHAIN O LAKES REGION SINCE 187 5 VOLUME 103 NUMBER 35 WEDNESDAY. NOVEMBER 29 2 SECTIONS 26 PAGES 20' Update Transportation Policy In Distr ict 156 VERNON KAYS The McHenry County board saluted a distinguished public- servant at its meeting Tuesday morning, honoring Vernon W Kays with eulogies and mementos. Kays is ending four decades of public service with his retirement as McHenry county clerk this weekend He has held that office since 1958 His public career began well ahead of his present position He worked as a state highway patrolman, served as a member of the Marengo City Request For Estate Zoning A petition has been filed for hearing before the McHenry County Zoning Board of Ap­ peals by Bernard and Marilyn Miller for an amendment to the McHenry county zoning or­ dinance from "F" Farming district to "E-2" Estate district The property is located in McHenry township on the £asi side of Route 31 at 1614 North Richmond road. McHenry. and consists of approximately 3 acres "My first thought was to panic" Those words came from a McHenry woman well acquainted with the business scene after she had walked through a huge shopping center some miles away last week Her second thought followed quickly. "There will be no Christmas in McHenry "! This woman had brushed by at least twenty local residents of her acquaintance who were scratching out names on their Christmas list in stores outside their home community. To the unobservant, meeting friends or acquaintances anywhere is a pleasant occurrence of the day. To the experienced eye that knows the business community, this is a danger sign for local merchants. The lady was particularly annoyed because in her quest for an unusual item for which she had gone to the center, she found little to appeal to the average shopper There were massive crowds, no offers to gift wrap, and the treatment by clerks showed a lack of courtesy at the best, and downright rudeness at the worst Only the conscience of the individual shopper can judge the merits of a trip out of town to buy. Maybe the twenty people observed elsewhere were also shopping for that something unusual they could not find in McHenry. But more likely it was the old story of looking everywhere else and then returning home to "wrap up the shopping". At best, this is a difficult time of the year for business people While shoplifting is a year round problem, it becomes a way of life for many in the busy, pre-holiday season It's a well known fact that for every dollar s worth of merchandise sold, about a nickel of it goes to pay for security and shoplifting. Store owners also know -and have had to accept- the fact that about one customer in ten or fifteen who enters a store steals something. Does this offend you, as a good citizen? Then you may be surprised to learn that in a small community the unsavory practice of shoplifting is probably not regarded as seriously as the problem of hometown shoppers buying "somewhere else". If for no other reason, shopping at home is good business for each of us personally McHenry merchants offer us the service of convenience and often throw in the extras - a smile and a gift wrap. But they do much more. Their taxes, their membership in civic and service organizations -yes, and the money that corties back to the city through your sales tax -are all part of the reason to shop at home When McHenry prospers, so do we all prosper for living in a city that is able to offer us more. We can all remember that the next time wanderlust overcomes The hearing on this petition will be held Nov 30, at 2 p.m in Room 112 of the McHenry county courthouse, 2200 North Launch Christmas Seal Drive Christmas Seal contributions being received by the DuPage McHenry Lung association give every indication that residents will provide sufficient support for the association's program activities and services for the coming year August Rossetti, M D . McHenry. executive committee member of the Lung association and chairman of its medical advisory committee, said that an early study of the first 2,000 Christmas Seal contributors revealed that they have increased their gifts by an average of over 8 percent "One of our new innovative programs this past year was a summer camp for asthmatic children." Dr Rossetti said, "with six campers sponsored by us with either full or partial Christmas Seal scholarships, depending on family need. "Now. we soon will sponsor a meeting for school personnel and parents of asthmatic children to increase un derstanding of the asthmatic child's problems" Dr Rossetti added that the Lung association maintains a loan closet of breathing machines for emphysema patients at no charge, provides anti smoking programs in the classroom and for adult groups, conducts early detection campaigns for lung disease With free pulmonary function tests, and supports medical research Seminary avenue, Woodstock Interested may appear and be heard James R Hansberger is asking for an amendment to the county Zoning ordinance from "F" Farming district to E 2 " Fstate district The property is located in Richmond township on the west side of Keystone road, south of Nor road, and consists of approximately WlH acres The hearing on this petition will lie held Dec 7 at 2 p m in Room 112 of the McHenr> county courthouse. 2200 North Seminary avenue, Woodstock Required actions to comply with new transportation regulations and modifications to the building at East campus were among a number of items considered by the board of High School District 156 at the regular meeting held last week - Michael Kelly, business manager, was appointed as the designated official to sign applications for bus drivers' permits (required because of a number of sensitive questions now being asked) and also as the hearing officer for the appeal process from bus suspension applied to students in discipline problems The school attorney had recom mended Kelly as appropriate person because he is not in the actual discipline chain of school administration and would be more objective in reviewing actions. Reports of the review would have to be submitted to the board anyway, it was in dicated Board member Judith Zid asked "What are we getting into' ' ' ' Superintendent Robert Swartzloff explained that the board policy on transportation is antiquated and out of date This action and the further recommendations by the regional superintendent of education would make it current The administration is working on the policy, he said Board member Fdward Neumann asked how many students might be involved in bus discipline cases Swartzloff indicated that it has been no more than six per year Board member Paul Nitz asked what was developing in the investigations and hearings being held by District 15 following the recent bus ac cident He said District 156 should keep an eye on the resulting recommendations Dick Glawe. director of transportation who serves both districts, said he would advise them of the results, including information about the costs which they were looking into Swartzloff assured the board that the two districts would work together closely on transportation matters (ilawe noted that his people were looking into the prac ticability and cost of installing interior padding in the older buses The board approved the purchase of insulation to wrap hot water pipes running beneath the floor of certain classrooms at East campus Staff members connected with the hot classrooms said that situation had been intolerable when the heating season started But the temperature was considerably reduced with the addition of the insulation Cost was given as $1,010 for insulating material purchased from the Rite-Way Insulation Co Also procured for the East and West campus buildings were four safety storage cabinets to store flammable liquids at a cost of $428 and the replacement of 20-year-old furniture and equipment in the drafting room at East campus at an undisclosed cost In connection with life safety code improvements for the East campus building board ((.onlinu«-d on pagr 10) I US. K A F. Special School Meeting The board of High School District 156 will hold a special meeting Saturday, Dec 2, at the central administration office at 8:30 a m The purpose of the meeting is to review and approve the proposed life safety amendment for East campus The Magic Of Christmas Fanciful characters including the gingerbread man. left, in the person of Allan Cook; the candy man, Edwin Wittrock; and Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus, Michele Reining and Don Reinboldt; will bring the spirit of the season to a child (Robin Irwin) when the McHenry Choral club presents its holiday program Dec. 2-3 in West campus auditorium. STAFF PHOTO-WAYNE GAYLORD The magic of Christmas, both in its secular and spiritual context, will be brought to young and old alike when the McHenry Choral club presents its annual holiday program based on that fheme It will be presented in West campus auditorium Saturday and Sunday evenings, pec 2-3, at 8 15 p m Ten-year-old Robin Irwin of McHenry, a member of the Bicentennial Dance theatre, will be guest artist, featured as the child for whom the R O B I N I R W I N awakening of spirit is brought through song Robin will sing "Tomorrow" from the musical, "Annie", and also will dance Singers from Wonder Lake Richmond, Crystal Lake. Solon Mills, Ingleside and Salem Wis , will join local members of the club in the presentation |( onlintird on pttif*' IO(