The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Q I McHenry • «since 1875 amdealef Wednesday May 2, 1984 Number 77 Volume 108 2 Sections 36 Pages 25* Shew Free free* Mayor breaks tie vote on salaries, insurance State superintendent of schools ̂visits \ (Plaindealer photo by Anthony Oliver) Illinois Superintendent of Schools Donald GUI behind Gill is District 156 Board President Eld looks on as an East Campos student explains the Neumann. Pictured to the right are District 156 construction of an airplane wing. McHeiiry high Supt. Robert Swartzloff and Dist. 15 Supt. Dr. school students are building an airplane. Directly 1 Richard Farmer. District 156 board By Marion Olsen Plaindealer news service Two questions led the District 156 school board to turn to its attorney this month. On hiaadvifie, the high school board decided against voluntary recognition of the membership of the mgh school support personnel in the Illinois Education Association. And, on a question arising , from a request for approval of a summer trip to Mexico by a foreign language teacher and students, the board will again seek legal counsel. In the first instance, Mrs. Pat Buhrmann, representing school support personnel (employees other than teachers and ad­ ministrators), last month presented a petition to the board for recognition of association with the Illinois Education Association as a collective bargaining agent. advice Mrs. Buhrrpfahn told the Plaindealer that she had been notified of the board's refusal to recognize her group. She has sent the petitions to the ftfcbis Education Labor Relations Board and is now awaiting their response. V She anticipates a represen­ tative will come to McHenry to verify that the signatures are those of high school employees. She added that 30 percent of the employees must request the affiliation in order to be ac- said, "I am quite sure we ive that amount," and in­ dicated that after the verification, she believes a notice will be posted, and after' 90 days, an election held. Mrs. Buhrmann told the board that foUowing a favorable election result, the board will be required to recognize the new organization. The second question raised at the April 24 board meeting had to do with the board approving an activity not sponsored by the District. Although a trip to Mexico was planned by in­ structor Debbie Baldwin for 11 students, the activity is not a school-sponsored trip. The administration has checked the reputation of the tour company offering the trip, but is not in­ volved otherwise. , Board Member Steve Cuda questioned the board's ap­ proving a non-school-sponsored -activity. Board President Eld- ward "Ned" Neumann and Superintendent Robert Swart­ zloff noted that it has been traditional to bring such trips to the board's attention since the district has an implied concern and responsibility by virtue of , the fact that the trip is being planned at school and involves Continued on pogo 3 By Anthony Oliver / Plaindealer staff writer McHenry's first and second ward aldermen butted heads with their counterparts from the third and fourth in a budget fight that ended Monday night with a compromise salary-insurance package. . A 4-4 stand-off concerning the compromise package was broken with a "yes" vote from Mayor Joseph Stanek. Aid. William Busse (2nd) said an across-the-board salary increase of $1,600 was a "fair compromise" reached at a committee meeting last Thursday night. Busse chairs the council finance committee. According to Busse, city employees sought to maintain the status quo concerning dependent health insurance, plus a $1,000 pay hike. Until this year, the city had paid the full premium Ifdr dependent in­ surance. The city came back with a plan which gave employees $1,700. But, the cost of dependent insurance was' cut, _ the employee to pick up the^tab at an estimated cost of $100-a-month. Employees in all departments were not happy with spending two-thirds of their raise on insurance premiums and they made their views known' to councilmen. Busse said the $1,600 increase was split into two parts: $600 compensation ^in lieu of dependent coverage, and $1,000 annual salary increase for employees at the maximum level. He pointed out that the $600 was approximately half the cost of dependent coverage, leaving the employee to pay $50-a-month for the next year. On April 1, 1985, the dependent insurance premium would be reviewed and the cost would be split 50-50. Any increases or decreases in the premiums would be cpst-shared by the city and employee. Aldermen from the city's third and fourth wards favored the city paying all insurance costs and were vocal about it. "To me, insiir^nce is part of the original salary. Yes, it costs a tremendous amount. Yes, it will go up. For years We have been able to do this," said Aid. "Ray Smith (3rd). "The argument is always that we have no money. I'm sick and tired of hearing it. We have enough money to buy new ^bobcats and equipment. I think the employees should be number one. Busse pointed out that the benefit package last, year amounted to about $43,000, while this year's topped $73,000-with double the city's original salary proposal. Aid. William Bolger (1st) said he would "fight" for the full benefits sought by employees, but because the budget had to be passed Monday night, he sup­ ported the compromise' proposal. "Everyone is not going to get everything they want, but I think this is a good package," . Bolger said. - "I still believe we have enough money to cover the insurance," said Aid. Cecilia Serritella (4th). » "But if the council decides it can't be done, then it (dependent insurance premiums) should/be" picked up by all employees • (married and single). The married vs. single issue still has some employees rankled. Married employees argue that the $600 in lieu of the dependent premium goes straight into the pocket of the single person, while they have to pay that money for insurance coverage. The $1,000 pay hike applied to city employees at the maximum rate for their grade. Those Continued on pago 3 Court awards Smith family in suit Changes improve product - for readers At the Plaindealer strives to meet the needs of our community, readers will note two changes, effective Wednesday. One is a per­ manent improvement in the of our product, ie other concerns its delivery. Beginning with this issue, readers may note a "cleaner" look to the paper. 'Advertisements sold throughout the Shaw-Free sample copies of the paper to more than 1,800 non- subscribers, flLthe western half of the city>By May 16 aU subscribers in the western section, Whispering Oi Park, West McCullom Lake, Foi and Winding Creek, the first to experic advantages of delivery. The service will be < Press Newspaper Group soon in the remainder have conformed to common city and this aimnwr motor 'Standard Advertising Units", or SAU's. The standard advertising inch is set on a wider column, one more than two inches wide. routes will reach our customers in the outlying McHenry area. According to Jim Freeman, * circulation Hie result is a newspaper f manager, these readers will that is less cluttered, and not only behefit from more better read. sFor us it provides superior page makeup. For advertisers, the wider columns mean expanded visibility without a rrte increase. To the readers this means a better all-around package that is aesthetically pleasing, with more continuity. Also effective with this issue, carriers will deliver personal service, but earlier delivery. Twenty-three carriers will deliver the bi­ weekly paper by 7 a.m., each Wednesday and Friday - before daily mail delivery and before many stores selling the paper open for the day. Carriers will also collect bi-monthly, in person, eliminating the need to pay by mail. Plaindealer news service A total of $200,000 was awarded to the estate of Donald G. Smith, of McHenry, by a jury last week in 19th Judicial Circuit Court, Woodstock. Smith died at age 12 as a result of electrocution on April 25,1979, while touching or being in the vicinity of a "Cloud 9" athletic machine during a junior high school track meet at McCracken Field in McHenry. nected with the manufacture Of Thr In n milt nun fitflflfa 4iWii i ttHUIifif W'" ^ 1979 by John F. Smith, ad- The complaint is6ugm a ministrator of his son's estate. It $250,000 judgment against the named McHenry School school districts, which wgpe Districts 15 and 156 as defen- dismissed from the suit 4Ved- dants. The complaint charged^ nesday at the close of the trial, that the school districts were The $200,000 award was made careless and negligent. against Thermo-Flex Inc., An amendment to the lawsuit was filed in Woodstock at a later date naming as additional defendants three firms con- Dayton Electric Manufacturing Co. and W.W. Grainger Inc. Judge Leonard Brody presided at the civil trial Wind storm hits hard in county A look inside. . . Wonder Lake Budget HSA Board Regular features Crime of the Week So I Hear Obituaries - , Page 10 Section 2, Page 15 Page 11 Page 4 Page 10 New Fiesta days logo introduced "Celebration of the 50's and 60's" is the theme for Fiesta Days '84. ^ The new logo was designed cooperatively by commercial artist Mike Cajthaml and the Johnsburg High Schdol Graphics Arts Department. In keeping with the aura of the era, pink and black, and black and silver have been selected as the color combination for all promotion items, announced Judy Irwin, chairman of the theme committee. Although all of the most popular events of Fiesta will be repeated, many new features will be incorporated for Jfte theme. Among those are a rod show, which wiH be presented by the North Shore Rod Club, and a lumber jack ^show by the Scheer's of Hayward, Wis. who have been featured on "ABC's Wide World of Sports", "CBS's Battle of the Sexes," and "ABC's Super Stars." Watch this newspaper for complete information, but direct all, inquiries to the McHenry Area Chamber of Commerce office at 1257 N. Green St., • McHenry, 385-4300. mm By Angela Burden Plaindealer news service Motorists, home owners, Commonwealth Edison workers and highway crews throughout McHenry County cleared debris caused by heavy winds, some clocked as high as 95 mph early Monday in Woodstock. Trees were uprooted and power lines downed in the storms, which caused power outages to about 2,000 Com Ed customers during the peak of the severe weather, according to District Manager Ron Russell. Lines were downed by the wind and by falling branches across McHenry and Lake counties, Russell S£tid. "Considering the strength of the wind, it's a miracle no in­ juries were reported," said John Shay, director of the McHenry County Emergency Services and Disaster Agency. About 25 ESDA volunteers were on hand in strategic areas to watch the sky for developing funnel clouds, Shay said. The volunteers turned out between 4 and 8 p.m. during Friday's bad weather and again about 9 p.m. Sunday until 2 a.m. Monday, he said. Uiere was no verification Qf any funnel cloud sightings in the area, Shay said. However, wind gusts of 95 mph were recorded at 6:23 a.m. Monday at the county courthouse on Route 47, and at 77 mph about 9 a.m. He said the winds averaged 50 or 52 mph during the night. In the McHenry area, a downed tree damaged a car parked in a driveway on Green Street, just south of Kane Avenue. The Plaindealer also received various reports of vehicles damaged by fallen limbs and trees in the Mr Cullom Lake area and a house urjder construction was damaged in Glacier Ridge subdivision. ? > • A new windshield and roof are the least that will be needed to repair this car at a home on Green Street near Kane Avenue, which was struck by a (Plaindealer photo by Anthony Oliver) tree during in the high winds this weekend. It was also reported that the city garage roof was ex­ tensively damaged by the gale-force winds.