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•yN- iued fron PAGE 12 - PLAINDEALER - TUESDAY, MUSIN AND MEANDEI (Continued from page 1) some respects the "old time" Christ­ mas most of us long for may well have been part of Christmas 1981. If we go back four or five decades, many families were hard pressed to earn enough to pay the rent, to buy food and clothing to keep going. There weren't as many cars and we didn't have as many work-saving gadgets. We were at war in 1941-45, 1950-53. and 1963-74 and didn't always have the variety of foods, toys and amusements we have today. But there was something very special about those holidays. Because there was lqss, Christmas was a time for family reunions, quiet days and evenings together. Maybe the very fact that many families were again denied the superabundance of amusements because of cost this year, the "old time" spirit went into the most recent holiday. Whatever it was, the 1981 Christmas season had much in its favor, not the least of which was the spirit of concern that provided a happy holiday for well over a hundred families who needed very special friends. KAF "HUNG JURY" IN HOSPITAL CASE (Continued from page 1) Witt said he joined the jury in the case with an open mind. "I enjoyed the experience. Lawyers on both sides of the case did an exceptional job. They were good legal counsel," he said. "I'm sorry we didn't reach a verdict. We tried very hard to do so. Within the first hour of deliberation we had a 6-6 vote. The following day it was 9-3 then 10-2 and back and forth until the final 11-l in favor of defense. By then there was no possibility of changing that one vote or of all the other 11 votes being reversed," he said. The judge and lawyers involved in the six-week trial praised the jury for its determination in trying hard to reach a verdict. During the trial, counsel for the plaintiffs argued the hospital, doctor and nurses were directly responsible for Jason's condition and urged the jury to return a verdict in favor of the Toeppers. * According to the defense, no damages DECEMBER 29, 1981 Three Persons Held Hostage SHAW MEDIA NEWS SERVICE A woman, her son and a neighbor t were held hostage for about an hour Christmas Eve morning by a 15-year- old Crystal Lake youth, but there were no injuries in the incident. The teen-ager, whose motive still is unclear, brandished a ,30-caliber M-l rifle taken from his father and entered the residence of Patricia Chavez, 24,*? 4718 Squaw Creek road, two miles northeast of Crystal Lake. Ms. Chavez's six-month-old son and Sheri Vann, 17, were also in the house. The boy's father contacted authorities after realizing the rifle was missing, McHenry County Sheriff Henry "Hank" Nulle said. The youth's father said he believes his son temporarily went "crazy." "He wouldn't have done something like that if he'd been in his right mind," his father said. The two women escaped a short time later with the help of police. According to Chavez, a policeman entered her home behind Vann's mother, Loretta, after she came to the door to ask for a cigarette. The boy was in the bedroom guarding the baby, with the door closed. should be awarded because the defendants did not contribute to the condition of young Jason. Asked what happens in the case now after a "hung jury", Judge Herrmann said that post-trial motions would have to be filed within 30 days and a new trial will probably be set for the Spring of 1982. Police then called on the phone asked whether the youth was armt . Ms. Chavez said. "They told me to get out." She was reluctant to leave her son, but as it turned out, police corf- vinced the teenager to surrender a few minutes later. . -; The boy fired numerous shots into the ceiling and walls, Ms. Chavez said. Twice he pointed the rifle at her and Vann, firing bullets near them. Although Vann declined to comment, Ms. Chavez described the ordeal as "scary and very strange. It's an ex­ perience I'll never forget. You didn't •' know how long you were going to live." She said she has known the youth for two to three years, and still is .unsure why he held them hostage. "All he said was he needed help," Ms. Chavez said. An investigation is being conducted by the juvenile department of the McHenry County sheriff's police. No information on the youth's court date is available. Minor Fires Over Weekend Fire Chief Glenn Peterson reported three minor fires over the Christmas holiday weekend. A defective light fixture at the home of Mrs. Fred Anthony in Lakeland Park resulted in only a small amount of damage. At the John Neuman home, 3114 Riverstream, wax from a lighted candle fell on a TV set and a family member awakened to find soot damage. Lights surrounding straw outside a Johnsburg home resulted in a fire which caused little Uamage. Happy Holiday The Plaindealer wishes its readers a Happy New Year and thanks them for this past year of readership, and for Vheir interest in the betterment of this community. Newspapers have traditionally been a form of public service in America and the fact that the nation contains 10,000 weeklies and 1,500 dailies makes it impossible that any one philosophy or presentation monopolizes the news and editorial columns of America. The great blessing of the community newspaper is that it offers local news and views in addition to national and international news; its editorial voice is locally controlled. News for the news columns and opinion in editorials-and plenty of entertainment for al! the family as well-can be enjoyed whenever the reader wishes to enjoy it in a newspaper. That, plus advertisements, which can be read len the reader wishes to read them, is still the best buy in our society. REDUCTION SfiLE sNVENTORY REDUCTION SfiLE STARTS WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1981 MAIN STREET SHOE SHOP y p sA.yfc $A S fl ON SHOES FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY • MEN'S STYLES--From Florsheim, Dexter and Hush Puppy • LADIES' STYLES--CW, from Bass, Naturalizer, Life Stride, Footworks, Joyce, Dexter; Daniel Green Slippers, Zodiac and Clinic • CHILDREN'S STYLES--/!// their favorites from Buster Brown • ALL WINTER BOOTS--30% OFF ALL RED WING WORK 9(1 SHOES & BOOTS / o U h h JbShoe Shop Deck The Halls" Day The Christmas spirt filled the air at Hilltop school as one day was designated "Deck The Halls." Stockings were hung by the chimney with care, Santa and his elves were busy in their workshop, with reindeer waiting close by. The gingerbread Principal John Nilles of Hilltop school and fourth grader Miranda Roberts view the gingerbread house that adorns a hall of the school. It was one of the outstanding contributions to the school's "Deck the Halls" day STAFF PHOTO-WAYNE GAYLORD house looked good enough to eat and the carolers, wreaths, snowflakes, and trees filled everyone with Christmas excitement. Each of the classes spent time during the week making all of these Christmas projects and decorations. By Thursday afternoon the hallways were tran­ sformed into a Christmas wonderland. Hilltop's Christmas activities con­ cluded with a red and green day, an all- school sing along, and Christmas parties week. Recycling In Twelfth Year The Jan. 2 recycling drive marks the beginning of the McHenry County Defenders twelfth year of recycling. During the past year alone, they collected for recycling over 1,000,000 pounds of paper, 188,000 pounds of glass, 48,000 pounds of tin, 63,600 pounds of aluminum, and 1,980 gallons of used motor oil McHenry area residents wishing to participate in this program to save vital natural resources, as well as energy, should bring their recyclables to the Market Place parking lot on West Route 120 between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 2. Newspapers securely tied (no magazines, cardboard, or junk mail), glass containers rinsed and all metal removed, steel ("tin") cans washed and flattened, used motor oil in plastic or metal containers, and aluminum scrap of all kinds--these are the items that can be recycled. There is also an immediate pay-back for all-aluminum cans brought to the drive. For further information about recycling or abou co-sponsoring a drive, cotnact the McHenry County Defenders representative at 385-8512. MCC CLOSES - McHenry County college will be closed Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. Regular office hours will resume Monday, Jan. 4. 9 233 Main Street, Woodstock, 338-6030; Mon.-Thurs. 9-5; Fri. 9-8; Sat. 9-5 3"li*S N0li)r)03t! AH01N3ANI NOIIMX!̂ Would you like for Uncle Sam to contribute the equivalent of $15,000 toward your retirement? Would you like to painlessly save $50,000 and then turn it into $300,000 for retirement? Are you mature enough to be a little concerned about where Social Security will be going in the future? If so, we'd like to cordially invite you to attend a free seminar (approx. 90 minute duration) entitled HOW TO CONVERT TAXES INTO RETIREMENT INCOME. You w^l have an opportunity to direct your questions to our panel of IRA specialists. WHERE: WOODSTOCK OPERA HOUSE WHEN: JANUARY 7th TIME: 7:00 P.M. We're financial professionals...we're concerned about tomorrow's retirees...and we want to help. ^ & Please call our New Accounts Department at 338-6200 for reservations. The Professional Bank ? • 9 First National Bank of Woodstock 225 W. Jackson I 2100 N. Seminary P. O. Box 549 Woodstock, Illinois 60098 (815) 338-6200 -