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PAGE * - P« AINDEAI.FR - FRIDAY. MARCH It. 1984 Views Public Pulse: LIBRARY IS THE BIG ISSUE Reviving the barter system Did you take a vacation last summer? And while you were gone did a neighbor watch your house and check the mailbox in exchange for the same service when he was gone? If your answer is yes, you, too, have engaged in bartering, an age old method of exchanging goods or services. M usin' &, anderin BY KAF It was a practice common when Illinois was still a frontier and currency was in scarce supply. In recent years the practice has had a resurgence of popularity and bartering clubs have attracted a surprisng number of people who believe they have a service or product to offer Talking points for an old fashion barter are that it eliminates credit cards, high interest rates and at the same time builds a knack for bargaining. The latter, however, is not always necessary if you can judge from the expertise of some neighbors who go about it as if bartering were second nature. The challenge of the gamble is another attraction. Folks will swap almost anything if they believe they'll get the best of the deal. "Swap meets" have become popular in some places, and they are serious business. Those who take part realize one of the big advantages is that when the trade involves items of equal value no sales tax has to be paid. The fascination of the public with garage sales may very well be a forerunner of a return to barter on a big scale. Interest rates, the high cost of credit and other fluctuations in the supply and demand on money could well usher in this centuries old form of exchanging goods and services. We'd like to see it happen, a return to this practice that went out when urbanization came in along with business expansion and more products. In an era when cash is not always accepted for a service, anything is possible. Support for library referendum "To the Editor: 'Election time approaches once more, and again the people of the Johnsburg area ar being offered the opportunity to permanently establish the Johnsburg District Library. Visit the Library Project (as it is now called) at almost any time of any day and you will find eager young faces of school students perusing the shelves in search of books that meet their needs, whether it be that of research for a school project or merely a good book with which to pass the time "You will also find adults - young mothers lo'ojEhig for something to fill their af­ ternoons instead of/ watching soap operas; business men looking for ansisuers to questions in their particular field or even in other fields of endeavor; many others all looking for something in the book stacks, something that over a year ago they would have had to travel out of the area to McHenry or Fox Lake or even (Chicago to find. "Adults can find answers to puzzling questions, information to help them complete their taxes, purchase computers, or fix nutritious meals. If a book is r)ot immediately available in the library a request can be sent to titae Northern Illinois Library System, and quite often the book is received within a week, sometimes coming from as far away as Virginia or Washington "Shut-ins can take advantage of a service that brings them new books every two weeks, new chances to expand their en- vironmment beyond the four walls that surround them. "Yes, we will have to put up with a small increase in our taxes, but even that is not a tremendous amount. The average home owner will probably not pay more than $25 or $30 per year. Isn't that worth it? Do we begrudge our children the money spent on their education each year? Certainly not. In fact, we can be proud that we have one of the best school districts around. When it comes to selling a house, many people buy their home simply because it is in the Johnsburg school district. By supporting a library then, we are simply showing our support for quality education, which in turn increases our property values. "Please, on March 20, vote "Yes" for the establishment of the Johnsburg District Library, for the sake of our children as well as for ourselves. "Most sincerely, "Carol A. Stevens" MEET THE STAFF • Mike Lamb Sports Editor McHenry Plaindealer readers take their sports very seriously and so does the man in charge of that department, Mike Lamb. Whether it's any number of high school sports, Softball leagues during the summer, or the not-so-common activities like arm wrestling or polo, Mike is covering the local sports scene. With the Plaindealer for more than a year, Mike is in charge of the sports department. He covers the events, writes the stories and also fills in as photographer. In house, he is responsible for the layout of the sports pages and helps with the paste­ up. Mike came to the Plaindealer from Neenah, WI, where he attended the nearby University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and worked as editor of the school newspaper. Married last July, Mike and his wife, Julie, live in McHenry. He enjoys golf in his spare time. # you Cox Cmd Ok Ua . . Ramilealer IN FAVOR: "Dear Editor: "I have just received a letter from the Citizens Against In­ creased Taxes who have stated their opposition to the proposed Johnsburg Library District. While I can accept their op­ position (that's their right),*I cannot accept their tactics - using inflamatory, false, or misleading statements to gain support. "Hiese citizens complain that the Johnsburg Library Board is guilty of misleading and in­ sulting the intelligence of the voters. First, there is no Johnsburg Library Board in existence. There can be no Johnsburg Library Board until after the referendum is passed. Secondly, I have to question who is more guilty of insulting the intelligence of the voters. "The Friends of the Library, a not-for-profit organization composed entirely of volunteers, has worked hard to place this referendum before the voters and to provide factual in­ formation to the residents of the proposed library district. This has not been an easy task because opposition groups seem more concerned with preying upon people's emotions than with providing accurate in­ formation. I ask you which of these approaches does more to insult the intelligence of the voters? "To those of you who have read this letter from the Citizens Against Increased Taxes I wish to make the following comm- ments; 1 - "The issues in this referendum are the same as in previous referenda. There have been no changes in the proposed tax rate of 1.6 mils. 2 - "The proposed boundaries of Library District needed to be changed, by law, in order to petition for another referendum. Precinct 15 was excluded in this change because those voters clearly did not want to be in­ cluded. 3 - " While the exclusion of precinct 15 decrease the tax base, the proposed tax rate (1.6 mils) remains the same as fcefcee. " The referendum is not dwgned to generate income for people connected with the library. It is designed only to provide public library services to the residents of the district. By law. library board members cannot receive payment for their services. 5 - " There are no existing plans to build a larger facility. The need for a different facility w ill be decided by the residents of the district when and if they should so choose. "I hope that the voters of this proposed library district will decide this important issue on the facts and not on the in­ flamatory and . misleading statements proffered by a few. "Unlike the Citizens Against Increased Taxes I am not afraid to sign my name. "Sincerely, " Richard Kucik" "Dear Editor: "March 20, election day, is coming soon. In just a few days, citizens of the Johnsburg area will once again be asked to vote on a tax referendum to establish a public library. Much to my surprise, passage of this referendum has failed in the past two elections and this is the last chance those living in the Johnsburg area have to keep the library doors open. "A public library is a great asset to any community and the benefits to those living there are great. I'm sure everyone has heard, 'There's something for everyone at the library'. And this is true. Books abound on all topics from fictional romance, mysteries, science fiction and the great classics to non- fictional books on religion, languages, nutrition, medicine, agriculture, sewing, busi ness... and the list goes on and on. Magazines, newspapers, atlas, records and films, as well as artwork are available to all. Hiere are story-hour programs for the young and a program to bring books into the home for those who are shut-ins. "We all know the advantages of a library and, of course, the main disadvantage, namely, increased taxes, which I'm sure we all agree is the most dreaded disease of all time. However, the matter of establishing a library does not concern the advantages or disadvantages of a library. Its a matter of growth. In order for a community to thrive and prosper, it must grow. The community must strive toward a goal of increased benefits for those who live here. "We must work toward making our neighborhood a better place to live now and in future generations. We cannot have a better place to live for our children and grandchildren and so on down the line, if we remain as we are, as if stuck in quagmire, unwilling to change and grow. If we are forced to close the doors of the library, we might as well close the doors to the future. "Sincerely, "Mrs. Virginia Kepilanski' 'Editor: "I urge all resident* proposed Johnsburf Disteict Library to vote for the establish­ ment of a permanent library on Tuesday, March 20. "Library tax for one year will be approximatley $24 if a property's taxable value is $15,000 and the referendum is approved. This is less than 50 cents per week, less than a pack of cigarettes or a glass of beer. "The pre-school story hour is well attended. It is exciting to SCO children's eyes light up with enthusiasm when they attend story hour, a wonderful, positive experience for them to enjoy books and learning. The library has been very popular with students of all ages for reading and research material. A wonderful way to encourage reading and research of new ideas by making resources convenient to them. The library 5.00 - '/a HOUR SESSION SUNTANNING WE TAMED THE SUN... .. .and made it comfortable! FREE TRIAL 344-3101 UNLIMITED VISITS FOR 30 DAYS $75 • •• -- i m. VISITS MUST M 4t HOURS Af ACT GUARANTEED IMMEDIATE RESULTS... MEDICALLY PROVEN...SAFER THAN THE SUN! ADVANTAGES OVER "COFFIN" TYPE BEOS 1) TWICE AS FAST 2) FOAM MATTRESS.. .NO HARD PLASTIC 3) USE OF LOCKER ROOM WITH JACUZZI & SAUNA 4) SAME PRICE! McKENRY NAUTILUS ST.- is open three evenings and Saturday. "Whatever we do in life we must read to learn and stay up with technology. "Let's give everyone the resources to learn. Support the Johnsburg District Library Tuesday, March 20. "Elsie Munson" OPPOSED: "Letter to the Editor: "Here we go again. Some of the voters in the Johnsburg area will be asked for the third time to vote on the proposal about the formation of the Johnsburg Library District. I wonder how; many tunes more we will be asked to vote on this same proposal if it doesn't pass this time. One would think that when told 'no' twice before that the message would get through. "I also wonder how many people are aware of the fact that the district boundaries have been changed again, and that part of the area with a large 'no' vote was not included this time. "It seems apparent that a 'yes' campaign is being con­ ducted this time. Very little information has been given out to all people within the new boundary lines and mailings were sent only to the 'Friends of the Library'. "There still remains voter confusion about bow the taxes are figured and how much it will cost each land owner. On two separate calls to the library I received two different sets of instructions. I'm sorry, I can't stomach these deceitful methods that are being used by the 'Friends of the Library' to try to sneak this vote by. "Richard Jelinek "A Disgusted Former 'Friend' of the "Johnsburg Library "District" "Dear Editor: "I am writing in oppostion to the Johnsburg Library District referendum. "Let me state up front that I would like to have a Johnsburg Library if there were no financial constraints. Also, I am fully aware of the potential benefits to our school libraries by belonging to the Northern ffiiikfts Library System. "For the sake of brevity, I will not recite arguments regarding potential taxing body abuse, the almost complete disuse of the Bush School Library when it was opened to the public (with maximum publicity) several summers ago, etc. Rather, my concern stems from the following perspective. "Even the most conservative revenue calculations show an average home tax increase of at least $20 per year. That is also the cost of an out of town card in the McHenry Library. So, if a citizen is interested in library usage a complete facility is available nearby. "Furthermore, the Johnsburg District has a low enough population density that almost all potential library patrons must use an automobile rather than being within easy walking distance. "Therefore, the bottom line is that all citizens are being asked to pay a tax equivalent to the McHenry Library fee so that the relatively small percentage of active library users can save a ' few minutes driving time. Is this fair? "Finally, the citizens have said 'No' to this issue twice in the most recent elections. Is it fair to the majority to con­ tinually have this issue on the ballot until, during some elec­ tion day blizzard, the minoirty finally have their way? "The answers to both of these 'fairness' questions is rather obvious to me. "Sincerely, "Kenneth J. Lund" "Dear Editor: "Well, it is about six months and time again to write to the paper and try to stop the establishment of a new taxing district - the Johnsburg Library - for the last time again (the third last time so far). But I have had enough. Let somebody else write it this time. "Let somebody else tell the local citizens that they have to get out and vote every time a taxing district is proposed, for once it is accepted, there is nothing they can do about it. They will never get a chance to vote it down after it has started. "Let somebody else dig up the figures and investigate what levies can be made. Let him tell that the minimum they will levy (the maximum allowed) will cost a modest household like mine about $35 per year, not counting the extra levies for construction, and procuring materials, which may treble that amount (or have no limit for all I know) because they will have to build (or buy) and buy books when starting a library. "Let somebody else tell them that after each of us has paid well over a thousand dollars and they are done building up the library, all we wil have is a room full of popular fiction books which a few people will read today and forget tomorrow. When you are looking for a classic work or have to do research and need reference materials, you will still have to go elsewhere. "Let somebody else call the other libraries in the towns we each visit every day and find out that for $25 or $30 per year your family can have a card to use ' their libraries. We can use the facilities already built, and the materials already purchased, for only the cost of maintaining their libraries, and thereby contribute to the enrichment of the libraries already giving long service. If we are senior citizens, we can even get these cards for free. "Let somebody else tell them that if it really was a libary that we are after instead of a taxing district, we could have a volunteer library, without forcing anybody to pay for it if they do not want to support such an effort (freedom). Then we could have something that is our own to which we could con­ tribute, and of which be could be proud. "I have already told them all this before. 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