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/ J i . ION. SINCE 1875" SERVING THE CHAIN-O-LAKES VOLUME 106 NUMBER 20 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1981 2 SECTIONS 32 PAGES 25 Johnsburg District 12 Okays Balanced Budget Cares* Let's Fish Cfff Council Residents of Carettoel, In MeHenry, try their hick at the Rainbow Trout (i sponsored the event that found 14 ~ local club. Did they catch anything? I information. 1 an afternoon of fun and fishing as they i Route 120. The MeHenry Area Jaycees land men receiving assistance f ige 15 of this Issue for more pict STAFgPHOTO-WAY GAYLORD by Myrtle Procter , SHAW MEDIA NfWS SERVICE A balanced budget was adopted by the Johnsburg Community School District 12 at the last regular board \meeting. The total figures show $5,481,290 in revenues with $5,476,145 in expenditures, leaving a surplus of $5,145. The budget breakdown is as follows: Education fund revenue $4,097,475.00, disbursements $4,152,545.00, Operations, Building and Maintenance revenue $409,815.00, disbursements $411,700.00; Bond and Interest fund revenue $535,250.00, disbursements $534,900; Transportation fund revenue $296,950.00, disbursements $299,400; Illinois Municipal Retirement fund revenue $114,800.00, disbursements $77,600.00; and Working Cash fund revenue $27,000.00, no disbursements. Pam Dehn, from the PTO bazaar committee, appeared before the board to request permission toxoid a fund- raising sale. She assured board members that the event would be Closely monitored to prevent any pressure on children to buy. Ms. Dehn said that parents would receive in­ formation stating the prices of items and the parents in turn would indicate w much the children would be allowed to spend. The board granted permission for this affair, but asked for feedback so they might decide if this was a feasible activity for another year. One board member noted that the PTO was ex­ tremely helpful to the school an(%> commented that since this was a PTO request, he thought it should be granted. Keith Wetzstein, representing parents of band students addressed the issue of the board's paying for bus trips made by the athletic programs and assessing the individual students of the band for band trips. He pointed out that the band students must also pay rental on their instruments while athletes were not charged for their equipment. He asked the board to review this policy for next year and hoped they would find ways to use the taxpayer's money in a more equitable manner The question was raised about pareixt^JiKho were unable to pay the bfihd assessment. The board indicated that any request to the board for hard­ ship cases would be handled in­ dividually. Mr. Bush, ^niddle school principal, said he had received no such requests up to this time Roy Broderick appeared on behalf of a group of concerned citizens who questioned the busing program The concern for time spent waiting for the bus was considered a greater problem than the long ride on the bus. District 12. Supt. Duane Andreas advised that the busing schedule is still being adjusted. The school board president asked the superintendent to put the busing mat'er on the agenda for the next meeting. Pat Clemenls\ member o/ the executive committee of the Johrisburg Teachers' association, asked that the (Continued on page 18) by Anthony Oliver SHAW MBNA NEWS SERVICE On a split vote of 4 to 4, the MeHenry City Council denied a request for a water utility hook-on at a business site oh the east side of S. Route 31. The matter was brought to the council floor by Alderman Michael Wieser who noted that the water main was located on the west side of the When Mr. and Mrs. Robert Bitterman of MeHenry vacationed in Montana recently, they found more than the\ usual treasures of the West known to attract tourists. They found a bit of history related to MeHenry. It was at the Four Corner USA shop, an antique shop in Bozeman, Mont., that they stopped just to browse. In conversation with the owner, they learned he had travelled through Illinois on two occasions. • As tourists do, the discussion con­ tinued and on asking what part of the state he passed through, to their sur­ prise, the vacationing couple learned it was MeHenry. "I even stopped to have my picture taken beside the city limits sign en­ tering MeHenry. That's my name - MeHenry" he explained. Hardly believing that here in Mon­ tana she would find someone named for her home community, Mrs. Bitterman questioned further and learned our city was named for Ralph McHenry's great­ grandfather, General MeHenry. "I believe I still have a couple of relatives living there", he told the Bittermans as he shared with the MeHenry couple the Jfact that, indeed, the world is a small place. ^ MeHenry told them that to date he * had been unable to trace those relatives. His meeting with local residents gave him new hope. Ralph McHenry's story of how our community got its name is true if we can believe the history books. What is now MeHenry was formed in the year 1836 and was then part of Cook county. During the session of 1836-37, the Illinois Legislature passed an act setting off from Cook the territory now included in MeHenry and Lake coun­ ties, under the former name, which was given in honor of General MeHenry, who fought in the War of 1812 and the Blackhawk war. I Jn 1837 the village was laid out by a Chicago surveyor, the first town or village to take shape in the county. In May of that year, the county seat (Continued on page 18) street: The aldermtfh explained that when the main was installed years ago, no stubs were extended underneath the roadway to the lots on the east side of the highway. Wieser speculated that an earlier council may have neglected to extend the stubs because of a paucity of business establishments on the east side of the road at that time. He noted that the cost of the project would be about $475 The central issue in the matter concerned the "availability" of the utility to potential users on the east side of the highway. If the water is con­ sidered "available," then the city is required by ordinance to extend the service and can compel a property owner to hook into the system. If the utility is considered not to be available, then the city is not necessarily responsible for providing the service and need not foot the bill. Mayor Joseph Stanek took an op­ posing position noting, "The water can be made available if they pay for it." He said it would be a precedent- setting move if the city were the agency to install the stub. "We have never brought water across a street before," the mayor said. "My concern here is who is going to have to pay for it. The cost should be borne by the benefitted property." Alderman Raymond Smith took a stand supporting Wieser in the discussion. He commented that a water main placed on the opposite side of the street should be considered "available." "To me, the water is available," Smith said. "The main should have been stubbed, but it wasn't." City Attorney Bernard Narusis noted that there may be some ambiguity in the wording of the ordinance. "The service is either available or it isn't," Narusis said. This was an issue that would have to be decided as a matter of interpretation. Narusis took a position • that the utility was not available to the property in question. Alderman Edward Datz commented that he did not believe the omission of the stubs was an error in the foresight of an earlier council. "At that time, there was no reason to put in the stubs," he said. "Now, we have a Johnny-come-lately. If he wants it now, he should pay." When the matter of whether to extend the stub to the east side of S. Route 31 came to a vote, Aldermen Serritella, Smith, Wieser and Nolan voted in favor. Aldermen Meurer, Datz, Harker and Mayor Stanek voted against. City Attorney Narusis explained that when there is less than a majority of the full council, the mayor is required, by law, to cast a vote. A tie vote defeats a motion. - In a separate water-sewer matter, Superintendent of Public Works Richard Weber rioted that departnftn employees, along with someone from the engineering firm of Baxter and Woodman, which is retained by the city, would start "Flood and dye" testing of the storm sewers in the near future. According to Weber, the procedure involves placing a dye in the storm sewer and then flooding the line. Checks would be made at the lift stations to determine if there had been any seepage ot infiltration into the sanitary sewer lines. The flood and dye testing was proposed as an alternative to smoke testing, which was considered to be impractical at the last council meeting. The council approved the project, which is expected to cost between $500 and $800. In other business, the City Council voted to authorize City Attorney Narusis to take what steps are necessary to redeem a lot at the in­ tersection of Prairie and Oak drive, in Lakeland Park, for the city. Narusis reported that he has been in contact with representatives of Residential Development Group, which owns the land in trust, in order to complete the transaction. The deed for the property should have been given to the city some time ago, but this was never done. Once the deed is in the possession of the city, the property can be redeemed for back Continue Hearing In Murder Case Of Marengo Man SHAW MEDIA NEWS SERVICE A preliminary hearing on a murder charge against Donald Bailey Loomis, of 601 Kishwaukee St., Marengo, was continued in 19th Judicial Circuit court Monday to Oct. 9. Loomis, 73, being held in county jail on $500,000 bond, was arrested and charged Sept. 15 with the murder of his common-law wife, 62-year-old Margaret Carr. Marengo police reported that ap­ parently Carr was shot soon after she had made a telephone call for some assistance. Police Chief Gene Westergren said Carr told Loomis' son that Loomis had been arguing and her husband had a gun. The message was relayed to Marengo police and a squad car was dispatched. Before police reached the scene, a call was received from the accused, stating someone had been shot, Westergren said. Police reported two spent cartridges and a 38-calibre revolver were found at the scene. ces and taketf off the tax rolls. Ac­ cording to City Clerk Barbara Gilpin, $206.33 Is presently owed on the property. She also noted that possession of the property was necessary in order to complete road and bridge work in the subdivision. Following executive session, the council voted to purchase a little more than six acres of land, which is con- (Continued on page 18) McHenry-Shores Merger? Representatives of the City of MeHenry and the Village of MeHenry Shores met Sept. 30 for an exploratory discussion ot the possibility of annexation to the city. Participants described the session as a "get acquainted" meeting as each group sought to learn the concerns of the other. Richard Panerali, who was recently selected the president of .the village • following the resignation of David Grimes, presented a list of questions which MeHenry Shores residents thought might be involved in a possible merger of the two communities. In general, the groups explored the possible advantages to the village and the city and what the Costs might be to each. Mrs. Elizabeth Nolan, who with Edward Datz as Aldermen represented the City of MeHenry, said they listened, heard and probed but at this time neither party wished to make any kind of a commitment regarding a possible merger MeHenry Mayor Joseph Stanek attended the meeting as an observer Included in the MeHenry Shores representation were Richard Panerali, trustee Rose Lillegard, Fred and Mary Lou Heald and other interested observers. •* The next such meeting is slated for Oct. 22. Volunteers of the MeHenry Area Rescue squad attend to one of the drivers involved in a two-car collision at the intersection of Front and Elm streets last Saturday night. Both drivers, Diane Graff and John R. Powell, were taken to MeHenry hospital for examination and treatment of injuries. STAFF PHOTO-WAYNE GAYLORD The drivers of two cars involved in a collision last Saturday evening were taken to MeHenry hospital for examination and treatment of injuries. At about 5:30 p.m. Oct. 3, units of the MeHenry police and Rescue squad arrived at the intersection of Front and Elm streets where an auto driven by John R. Powell, of Polo, 111., had struck another vehicle. The driver of the second auto was Diane Graff, of 3913 W. Grand, MeHenry. Miss Graff told MeHenry police she was driving south on Front St. and proceeded into the intersection when the collision occurred. She noted that the traffic light was green. Powell said he was heading east on Elm St. and said the light had just turned yellow. He added that the Graff auto just came out of nowhere, ac­ cording to MeHenry police. Powell was ticketed for disobeying a traffic light. James W. Hum, of 4507 E. Lake Shore Dr., Wonder Lake, reportedly received minor injuries when his vehicle snapped off a utility pole and went into a ditch at 2:30 a.m. Saturday on Mc- Cullom Lake Road, west of Ringwood Road, MeHenry. Charges are pending against a driver who left the scene of an accident early ^unday on Johnsburg Road at Fairview Lane, MeHenry, where a utility pole was broken. Scott B. Kuhns, of 8412 Elm St., Wonder Lake, was ticketed for driving (Continued on page 18) o So I Hear New Horhe Page 4 ii r Appoint Board Members MeHenry Hospital Sect/on 2, Page 11 Circus Trip Sign-Up Park Department Page 12 J People Hurt