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

Meant to be mixed Solid Bntes Checks The Classics Soft stripes and white paired with classic twil l bottoms from HAf\iG TEN. _____ ft HANG TEN This Area's Largest Selection of fine Junior Sportswear! 'Established 1994 108 Cast Stroot On The Woodstock Square 9 Mon.-Thurs. 9-5:30 Fri. 9-8; Sat. 9-5:30 NT* NMpt MMfCmrd, VI-- ft American Expm* Of Woodstock Passion for Fox River grows intense with time By Donna BertuUs Northern Illinois residents have a pas­ sion for the Fox fliver that grows more intense with time. The vast array of water-related ac­ tivities this simple river offers has caus­ ed thousands of people to settle here, and thousands more to visit every sum­ mer. The Fox River branches off from the Illinois River at Ottawa. It allows ac­ cess to the 10 Chain 0' Lakes: Grass, Marie, Bluff, Fox, Pistakee, Channel, Petite, Catherine, Nippers ink and Redhead, and continues into Wisconsin, north of Waukesha. . * Water sports are a way of life. Every summer, the river draws young and old to its banks for boating, water skiing, swimming and canoeing. Fishing re­ mains popular year-round, even during the winter months. - Probably the best way the Judge the popularity of boating on the Fox River is to take a look at the McHenry Locks. The Fox River is the gateway to the Chain 0' Lakes, and the locks, located just south of McHenry, can be con­ sidered the pulse of the boating traffic. The McHenry Locks are said to be the busiest in the world, in terms of boats going through them, as opposed to tonage of the crafts, with an estimated 18,000 boats traveling through each year. They are generally open from 8 a.m. to midnight, Memorial Day to Labor Day. Boaters line up sometimes more than two hours on weekends to pass through the locks. A literal boater's playground opens up to those who pass through them, and there is not even a fee charged. Adjacent to the McHenry Locks is the McHenry Dam, originally built in 1907. The facilities were donated to the people of Illinois in 1924 and construction of a new concrete block dam was begun in 1934. In the early 1960's, a portion of the park property on the west bank of the Fox River was given to the Division of Waterways for the lock tender's building. Numerous properties, owned and operated by the McHenry County Con­ servation District, (MCCD) border on the Fox River. In addition to private ex­ plorations, canoeists can take ad­ vantage of several public trails offered in the area. There are even a few places on the river where canoes can be rented for an afternoon. MCCD sponsors a Nippersink Canoe Trail, which allows the public to travel throughout McHenry County - via the canoe. The trail can be entered only at Glacial Park, Lyle C. Thomas Memorial Park, the Nippersink Canoe Base, the McHenry Dam and Locks and the Hickory Grove Site. This network of canoe trails offers peaceful tours which take from one to (Please turn to Page 108) Fishing is fun for every member of the family, young or old. Northern Il­ linois and Wisconsin offer numerous lakes, rivers and streams for recrea­ tional fishing this summer. i • jim | imrihit <*2