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Job Outlook For Area i . , • ' Shows Some Improvement Page 16 O.K. Industrial Bonds Revenue Sharing Page 3 •SERVING THE CHA1N-0-LAKES REGION SINCE 1875' ' VOLUME 107 NUMBER 43 FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1982 1 SECTION 18 PAGES 25* Charge Money Saving At Expense Of Mentally III And Disabled I 'jvjuoc oaw •.'< i, 'j U The pcoblem with community placement is that the money is not available for the people who have acquired the skills to find their way back into society because of the cuts being made in social security _and other funding, Connee Meschini, director of residential services for Pioneer center, advised the Policy and Management board of the McHenry County Mental Health Services. The dollar gap is a downer Special times of year, like Christ­ mas, are good news for journalists because they provide something different to write about. That was probably the thought of the attractive East campus junior who recently asked to interview us "about changes in the way Christmas has been celebrated in McHenry through the years". We welcomed her invitation, then spent some time in thought. The minutes passed, and when we emerged from our memories we found, surprisingly but with much satisfaction, that this greatest of all days has experienced few important changes in our lifetime. Santa has always been a big part of the celebration, and regardless of luminaries in the movies and TV, he remains at the top of the popularity list. He didn't always make his en­ trance with as much fanfare, but he has always, in our memory, been on hand Dec. 24 to assure Virginia and all those other young doubters, that he is very real. Home decorating, especially out­ side, has become a personal greeting to the community undertaken by many people. It's popularity wavered (Continued on page 3) for the discharged mentally disabled, she added. John Bobbe, associate director for the McHenry County Association for the Retarded (Pioneer center) pointed out, "We can't deal with the patients' mental health problems unless we deal first with their basic needs. We need discretionary funding to provide support for them when their other funds have been cut off." Dennis Smith, executive director of the McHenry County Mental Health (708 board) noted that only money from 708 funds and United Way is available for this purpose. They need to unlock the dollars from the categorical funds in these budgets. He explained federal monies from various other grants and sources and through the state were targeted for certain uses and couldn't be ap­ propriated for any other purpose. The Pioneer center officials told the P&M board members that the "ad­ ministration appeared to be saving money at the expense of the mentally ill and the developmentally disabled." and when asked about appeals on the social security (SSI) cutoffs, Ms. Meschini noted that the cut takes place immediately and the recipient is without funds until the appeal, which can take a half year or more, may restore the life support money. These disabled are disadvantaged in their appeals unless someone helps them, and frustratingly, with their discharge from an institution, frequently their monthly check is stopped, it was noted. Ms. Meschini told the board of four programs designed to aid the men­ tally disabled in the community and those discharged from institutions, such as in the Elgin project. She described the transitional living facility (TLF), a short term residential facility for the mentally disabled adult with 24-hour super­ vision designed to promote re-entry into the community with personnel providing support and linkage (to services available.) The capacity is five clients who stay only four months. Daycare devoted to day treatment at the family services center, a vocational workshop, school or a job and the evenings are used to build (Continued on page 3) by Angela Burden SHAW MEDIA NEWS SERVICE An evaluation by the American Humane association has concluded that the supervisor-social worker did not provide adequate child protection services to the Earl Ketchum family. In response to the AHA report, the McHenry County Mental Health board has taken action to terminate the family support unit and the super­ visor-social worker involved has resigned her position, according to a board press release issued Tuesday. The matter stemmed from in­ vestigation into the Feb. 5 death of 5- month-old Earl Ketchum, who died of starvation while his family was being monitored by the local support unit. The child's parents and grand­ mother were charged in connection with the baby's death. AHA was engaged by the mental health board to conduct an in­ dependent probe to obtain an ob­ jective determination of the quality of services provided the Ketchum family a by its family support unit. The board decided on hiring AHA in August after the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services cancelled its $30,350 social service contract with the county's family support unit. The action by DCFS was triggered by failure of the county agency to take remedial action following the DCFS (Continued on page 3) 160 Needy Families Helped When weary volunteers for FISH (Friends In Service Here) left St. Patrick church hall in mid-afternoon Sunday, they were completing the distribution of food, clothing and toys to 160 McHenry area families. "It makes you feel good", was the way one 15-year-old boy expressed it to his Mom, Bev Kreutzer. Her response was, "That's the reason we do it" Mrs. Kreutzer is completing her first year as a FISH volunteer with enthusiasm. "I'm so glad I got into it (FISH)", she commented, "for what it has done for our family". Then she told of the offer of her 11- year-old son to give up one of his gifts with the comment, "I'm glad we're taking these things to other families" Mrs. Kreutzer was especially touched by the response of one family with several children whose father was unemployed. "This has made our Christmas", commented the mother. "We wouldn't have had one otherwise". She con­ tinued to thank the FISH volunteers as they hid new toys and clothing in the garage for gift giving by the parents on Christmas eve. The same recipient was overcome with emotion when the same volun­ teers returned with a box that had been overlooked. "She couldn't talk", said • Mrs. Kreutzer in recalling the experience. She was also moved by the honesty (Continued on page 3) To: FISH From: The Needy "A Job Well Done" FREE TV Guide In Today's Edition Mrs. Dixon and her husband (above) are busy making porcelain dolls in the basement of their home. Mrs. Dixon is preparing a doll's head for firing in the kiln. She musi sand out ail of the marks and seams in the head, prior to being put in ihe kiln. Charles Dixon pours the "slip" into a mold. Mrs. Dixon examines a piece lhai has been fired in the kiln at more than 2,300 degrees. ̂ The "I was just looking for something to do," said Mrs. Charles (Joyce) Dixon, 3710 W. Freund avenue, McHenry. Mrs. Dixon, and now her husband, Charles, have devoted a good portion of their recent lives and livelihood to the creation of porcelain dolls. Mrs. Dixon first began to learn the art from Mary Thennes, who formerly ran the Doll Hospital, in McHenry. It was Mrs. Thennes who advised her to go into creating porcelain dolls, rather than repair. Later, Mrs. Dixon learned the porcelain doll-making art from Marian Leske, of Lakemoor. Then, she brought it home and Charles became involved. "We have the molds of a number of heads and various parts of the body," Mrs. Dixon said. "These heads are interchangeable with a number of the bodies." The "slip," a clay thinned to the consistency of cream which is used in casting, is purchased commercially and poured into the molds. After it drys, it comes out of the mold and is sanded and cleaned to remove the marks and the seams. THE MCHENRY PLAINDEALER Terminate Family Support Unit After Infant's Death packs box. Food, lays and clothing were distributed last Sunday to 160 families in ihe McHenry area as the result of the generosity of the public. STAFF PHOTO-WAYNE GAYLORD Dolls: A Year 'Round Christmas The clay looks white and is brittle to the touch. It is then fired in a kiln at about 2,300 degrees Fahrenheit. When it is complete, the piece comes out as the hard, white porcelain which will later be painted. After painting, the piece is fired in the kiln again, at 1,300 degrees, to bake the paint on. Clothes for the dolls come from various sources, both commercial and private. Mrs. Dixon noted that she has had people comir g in for lessons. "We warn them that it is an ex­ pensive hobby," she said. She added that most of the students are from out- of-town. She has also become involved with painting doll heads for some com­ mercial companies and this helps to feed their "habit." The dolls that are made on Freund avenue range in size and decor -- from smaller, traditional porcelain dolls to larger, more creative designs and models. "We do it for fun," she said. "It's just a pasttime." two photos at the right show two of the dolls that are personal favorites of Mrs. Dixon. Various heads and pieces are stored on racks in the basement, waiting to be fired in the kiln. After firing, the pieces are painted and then fired again, before being assembled into a complete porcelain doll. STAFF PHOTOS--WAYNE GAYLORD John Grandt, who with his wife. Sheila, are among the most active workers for FISH, is shown studying the requirements for one particular needy family as he * r* • PAGE 2 - PLAINDEALER - FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24,1982