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Maintenance STAFF PHOTO- WAYNE GAYLORD "SERVING THE C •LAKES REGION SINCE 1875' Citizen Views John E. Murphy, who headed the "Future of McHenry" effort of .the M c H e n r y A r e a Chamber of Commerce early last Fall, is shown perusing some of- the suggestions offered by a representative group, of citizens responding to an invitation to present ideas, they believe will be important for the Mcllenry of 19X5. brochure giving the C oi C Plan of Action for 1980 is based on many of t h e s e r e c o m - mendations. fltoarb Winning &to*paper Illinois Press Association Newspaper Contest Four months ago members of the qpmmunity representing business, schools, the medical com­ munity, police and civic groups met for an unique experience. Responding to a Chamber of Commerce invitation to view the '•Future of McHenry", they presented ideas they believe will be important for the McHenry of 1985. In the final weeks of 1979, a plan of action for 1980 was set forth as the result of objectives established by the Chamber board acting on the ideas presented in early September. Although details have not been revealed, several plans Stand out as important improvements of general interest to residents of the city. One of the aims is t» reduce traffic congestion on major thoroughfares and business districts by 25 percent through cooperation with government agencies and the C of C. + Others are listed as follows: ...Improve local postal service by consolidating grievances of business patrons; ...Establish Ambassadors club of qualified senior citizens to assist with Chamber projects and functions; . . . I n c r e a s e p u b 1 i - c awareness of positive contributions by the business community; . . . I m p r o v e b u s i n & S s climate through mem­ bership interaction among business districts; Possible help for member firms involved in" zoning matters; ...Work to improve the industrial labor supply. Other suggestions not contained in the 1980 plan of action but addressed by the Chamber board include the parking problem. The city will pave the municipal Green street parking lot. Others concerned a review of the retail refund policy (conduct a survey to identify the problem); improve the business climate (increase involvement through ink dividual shopping district® hotel-motel promotion (can be done only after Highway 420 progress has been decided );., and municipal industrial bonds (delegation to mayor to pave way for future city bonding). VOLUME 104 NUMBER 46 FRIDAY, JANUARY 4, 1980 1 SECTION 16 PAGES 20' As Burglars Persist Following closely behind the season to be merry is the season to reform - in other words, new year resolutions. Nb need to make them before the turn of the.,3 calendar dr they will be forgotten^ aifd relegated to the memory of 1979 failures. Better lo start a new year and a new decade with firm resolve to improve and chalk up the failure there if J needed. ...We resolve not to form early judgments on the success of the state's work at the Terrible Three (Waukegan-Front-120) in­ tersection like our friends have done. Even though the expenditure of thousands of dollars to date makes one /hat"? we zhorus. will ask, "For \ not join the (No, we will wait until the very end, and then, if west­ bound Waukegan road traffic continues to cavort into the intersection and block our way we will scream loudly. And we will demand the return of $35 tickets for the offenders. ...We resolve to bite our lip rather than complain because other drivers pass us with ease as we conform with the speed limit of 35 and 40 on Rt. 120 west. We are not happy, but we will not kick and grow red in the face. ...We resolve to look kindly on those who, with no ex­ perience, like to tell us how to run our business. The same vexing problem that others encounter is ours. Recalling that the average man-on-the-street thinks he knows how to cut meat better than the butcher, and that he (or she) also knows diseases better than the doctor, we promise to view t h e i n e x p e r i e n c e d , unknowledgeable advice with the respect it deserves. We will not throw tan­ trums - we will mierely grind our teeth. We resolve not to stamp our feet 'when the bottle capr refuses to budge. This doesn't mean we will not recognize the stupidity of the manufacturer, but we will keep our dagger-like thoughts deep inside .. We resolve not to laugh openly when confronted by the magnificent sputterings of political candidates. And further, we will not pretend (as we have sometimes done) to recall each hand shaker who comes, into our office to sell his appeal when in reality his face is only familiar enough to have stared upon us from a billboard. The year has changed ~ the decade has changed -- but from early musings it would seem the world may be very much the same as we enter the 'eighties. KAF With the start of the 'eighties, everyone is looking ahead, and a few are also looking back to better digest the happenings that brought the McHenry community to Rs present state. A review of the past ten years leaves no doubt that expansion has been the keyword locally. From a population of 6,772 in 1970, the mushrooming effect of annexattdrTlras"brought the figure to well over 10,000 at the start of a new decade. The year 1970 Was marked by a most unusUal chain of events that instilled fear in the/entire community and brought it nationwide at­ tention. It was the y§ar that four murders shocked one small city as nothing had in the remembrance of even the oldest residents. Mark Smith, with the "all American boy" appearance, was found guilty of two of the murders, Mrs. Jean Irene Bianchi, 27, and Jean Ann Lingertfelter, 17, verdicts that led to a third murder in Arkansas and brought him under suspicion in others. The following December, Philip Lee Soper, 22, was charged with killing a Woodstock nurse, Mrs. Marlene Ahrens, who sur­ prised him as she left the office of Dr. William Kohl. Two days later, in holding up the Farm House tavern, he fatally shot Guenther Dolenski, 32, of McHenry, who attempted to follow him. "The Boulevard of Broken Dreams" became more than a song title the following year. Although it was an­ nounced in 1971 that two large highway construction projects, long awaited, would have their start the following year, only one materialized. White the four-lane high* way on Rt. 120 from Rt. 31 to Ringwood-Draper road was accomplished, there is still uncertainty on the FA Rt. 201A from the Wisconsin state line to U.S. 12, estimated then at a cost of $5,500,000. As 1980 has its start, even the name has changed, and no one is talking price. Although there were heated debates on the merits of the other successful proposal, McHenry acquired a new bridge after the almost century old crossing at Pearl street' was taken down. When the' Weber site on Highway 14, northwest of Crystal Lake, was selected in 1972 for the new McHenry County college, it ended speculation that had originally placed local property high on the list of consideration for a location. 1973 will long be reijiembered as the year of the spectacular explosion of the World Wide Fireworks plant on McCullom Lake road.. The rumbling quake was. felt in mid-afternoon June 9. The year 1974 marked the start of two projects destined to have a general impact on the community. One ended in accomplishment of the desired goal; the other did not. After almost a year of seeking 'property for a city park, the City Council en­ tered into an option agreement with Kenneth Petersen to buy about 33 acres of land. Eventually that property wa&&) become Petersen park, a recreation area that serves thousands. This was about the same lime that East campus went on the market for the first lime. After no bidders in 1974, the school almost went lo McHenry hospital for $1 million about two years ago, until tlVat offer was with­ drawn. The year 1975 was of particular importance lo the Plaindealer, and because it serves Jhe entire com­ munity, there was general interest in the fact that the newspaper was marking its 100th anniversary. It was tjie same year that a decisive victory at the polls assured a new high school in the Johnsburg area and marked the start of educational change that is still being felt in the area. A highlight of 1976 was the country's bicentennial, which was marked by local observances. Other news highlights were largely the result of events that had occurred before. The year 1977 had few really important news highlights. However, it was the time that the RTA completed its. study and made recommendations for a transit system 1V1 McHenry county that continues to evoke the wrath of many. The following twelve­ month period was probably most notable for extensive growth north of the city. It was also the year the RTA buses began to run. The highlights of 1979 are probably clearer in the minds of many. Certaifll^any recollection of this most recent period in McHenry history would have to include two four-year high schools in a change of educational philosophy from freshman-sophomore and junior-senior campuses. And Cable TV came to McHenry in 1979 as com­ munications marched on with time. Three new villages joined the local community during the 10-year period. They were McHenry Shores in 1972 and Sunrise Ridge, Wonder Lake, in 1974. Bull Vklley, population 275, came into, being in 1977. The acquisition of property through annexation since the beginning of 1970 has been tremendous; starting with 22 acres of Country Club Estates, 2 acres on Green street (the water plant) and other very small pieces. In 1971, only part of an acre in Cooney Heights came into the city's jurisdiction. The year 1972 saw the annexation of 125 acres (the former Freund- farm) north of McHenry, and the follpwing year an acre of the Keller estate. In 1974 it was 70 acres at Rl. 31 and Idyll Dell road lhat became part of the city. There were many pieces (Continued on page 14) The Sheriff's police were called to investigate a number of recent burglaries, thefts and break-ins fin "the McHenry area. Larry Hinkleof 221 Sunset, McHenry, called the police when he found that someone had forced ,open the* rear " door of his home and stole $300 in cash, a diamond ring and a tool box containing assorted tools. Someone also broke into the summer home of Ray PedersOn of Chicago, at 4530 Riverdale, McHenry. A television £et and three portable radios had been taken. At another McHenry summer home at 2003 Western avenue, McHenry, belonging to Stanley Nosek of Chicago, police found a broken bedroom window and the locks broken off a storage shed. Any loss will be determined when the owner is contacted. Ernest Kuck of Wonder Lake had been grocery Find Young \ Mother Of Three Dead A Wonder Lake woman was found dead of a gunshot wound in her car, which was parked in front of her home last Sunday morning. At about 10 a.m. Dec. 30, Sheriff's police were called lo the Wonder Lake home of 25-year-old Kathy Freund after she was found by her husband. Edward. The Wonder Lake Rescue squad and deputy coroner, John Freund, were called to the scene, but were unable to detect any life signs, ac­ cording to the report. A .38 caliber revolver was a l s o f o u n d i n t h e c a r . Mrs. Freund was the mother of three. shopping and was visiting relatives in Wonder Lake last Friday. Wlien he left his car there were three bags of groceries, but when he returned there were only two. Someone had stolen the bag with an estimated $25 worth of recently purchased meat. ^t th? Johnsburg Food/ Mart, someone broke a frorj/ •window and stole ^J-rve cigarette lighters, 30 packs of cigarettes and some candy. Charles Rocque of 2606 Elmoak land*. McHenry, reported lhat a man in a red low truck had backed into his property and towed away a red 1968 Ford pickup Rocque told police he had been stripping the truck for parts and estimated the loss at $80. Robert Dawdy of 103 Vernon drive, McHenry, called the police when he found that someone had entered his open garage and stole his motorcycle. The thief also attempted to take the engine from a roto-til ler, but failed. Hubert Mortimer of Wonder Lake awoke Saturday morning to find the front t ires from both his cars stolen and the autos left on blocks. (Continued on page 14) ree. Former Store Owner, Dies George F. Collette. 76, for many years a McHenry business man. died Satur day, Dec. 29, in McHenry hospital. A 35-year resident of McHenry. he*.owned ihe Gamble store and later operated the McHenry Department store. He had been district manager of (Continued on page 14) Highlands Roads To Through dedication and effort extending over a period of several years, the subdivision association of Pistakee Highlands has realized a goal of long standing. On Wednesday evening of this week, at^a special meeting, an unique dedication service was held marking the completion of ' roads to a degree that the township has accepted their - maintenance. Since many older sub­ divisions in the county still have roads that are sub­ standard, the ac­ complishment of the com­ munity of Pistakee Highlands, with a population of about 1,500, is noteworthy. Residents who have worked tirelessly for the ' , roads describe some of the problems in completing the project as ".almost in­ surmountable". However, with the persistence of numerous community members, the present association president, Dan Felix, and some former officers of the Pistakee Highlands Community association, sufficient funds were raised to complete the project. One of the major stum­ bling blocks to completion wp^rfawsuit in which an zrttempt was made by some homeowners to restrain and enjoin the association from enforcing liens. Although the litigation is still pending, the association was^kbte to gain enough communityinterest to complete the project. Building ' in Pistakee Highlands started in the early 'fifties, and the association was chartered in 195f. A road blacktopping program was completed id 1960-61, after which the township assumed main­ tenance of some of the thoroughfares. It was not until 1975 that the association undertook a massive > road program covering the uncompleted roads, and jn 1977 placed an assessment on property. Approval' /of McHenry Township' Highway Com­ missioner Clarence Regner to accept road maintenance was occasion to schedule the dedication. Felix said money had been derived from various sources but the association is still $10,000 short of paying all of its billsf Included in money spent/on roads was $43,000 frdm Revenue Sharing. / * \ From a9^5 until the present time, $152,poo has been expended on the blacktopping alone, Felix staled. He has headed the association for the past year andjyrie-half. Seven happy members of the Pistakee Highlands Community association are shown with Mcllenry Township Road Commissioner Clarence Regner, at right, prior to the dedication marking completion of roads to a point that maintenance is transferred to the township. From left are Pat Day, trustee; Denise C'orbeil. secretary; Felicia Sobie, trustee; Rosemary Prais, treasurer, Randy Amerson, trustee; BanFelix, president; Mae Kolb, financial secretary; and Regner. They are shown on Sunrise, near Broadway. * STAFF PHOTO-WAYNE GAYLORD