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PLAINDEALER- HERALD McHenry , I l l ino is Wednesday, December 19, 1984 2r> LINTS Lakemoor annexes gravel pit properly PUindealer Herald photo by Donna Santl A jolly welcome An un-Christmas like rain greeted Santa, Mrs. Claus and hun­ dreds of area youngsters last Saturday at Pearl Street Park, but the event did not lack holiday festivity. The Christmas couple will return to the park Saturday, Dec. 22 from 1 to 3 p.m. Parents are encouraged to bring cameras. Heidi Bender, 1984 Miss McHenry, will also be present. Council votes on zoning issues By Marion Olsen PUlndMtor-Hcrald Newt Service Motorists were hardly aware of it last Friday, but it took longer to drive through the village of Lakemoor than it did on Thursday. ^ The village board Thursday night finally annexed 531.4 acres belonging to Peterson Sand and Gravel, Inc. after months of slow process toward the goal. Even Thursday night at one point, Attorney Samuel Diamond picked up his legal papers and said, "Well, that's it, no annexation," and started to walk out. It happened just after the annexation agreement, which required a three-fourths majority vote of the Lakemoor board to pass, was voted down with four trustees voting for the annexation and two against. Trustee Raymond Embrey and Trustee Richard Frazier voted against the annexation. Em­ brey expressed concern over the contours of a five-acre* parcel of land being donated to the village for a park. And Frazier was dissatisfied with the petitioner's offer of $3,000 for fees (already paid) and an immediate payment of $6,500 with ad- By Robert Gordon PUlndeeler Herald staff writer 1 • . « V«/ \ ../> The McHenry City Council honored petitioner Thomas Adams' request to rezone his property, located on Route 31 near the entrance of Knox Park, from HI (residential) to B1 (light commercial) with a B3 variance (heavy commercial). The B3 variance will allow ; Adams to continue his • automobile repair business at *. the location. However, the council made no ; decision on a similar zone • change request made by I petitioners Raymond Stilling ; and Jerry Mathews. Mathews • made an agreement to buy a > parcel of property, located next ! to Adams' land, from Stilling on ; the condition that it be rezoned •to B1 with a B3 variance, t Mathews plans to build a con- . crete building with a car - showroom if the rezoning - request is accepted. But the council had reser­ vations about Mathews' plans, and after much verbal in- • teraction, voted to table the ; issue for later discussion. f. "This may sound like an old song to the council, but it's just another case of continuing • creeping commercialism in our community," said Aid. Elizabeth Nolan, Ward 1. Nolan was the sole dissenter in the Adams rezoning vote, and the council member who made the motion to table the Mathews rezoning request. ; Aid. Frank McClatchey, Ward 3, was also concerned with the new business's impact on the immediate area. "I think what bothers me is the used car lot," McClatchey said. "I don't think a used car lot right by our park entrance is a good idea.' Members of the public, audience, Dick Golbeck and Frank Gregory, also announced their objection to the Mathews rezoning. Golbeck said the new business would "compound the eyesore" already in the area. The "eyesores" some of the council members and members of the audience are concerned about are old tires, car parts and other "junk" that may be left outside, visible to neighbors of the business. However, the petitioners said they would agree to a requirement of mandatory inside storage. It should be pointed out that although the two zoning petitions made by Adams and Mathews-Stilling are identical, Adams is currently operating a car repair business on the property he wishes to rezone. The rezoning is only a legal formality. The Stilling property next to Adams, however, is vacant, and therefore the city council can avoid the birth of a car lot at the location. The city council also agreed to issue a two million dollar in­ dustrial revenue bond (IRB) to the NIMED Professional Arts Building. According to Mayor Joseph Stanek, ERB's allow the company to pay less interest. John Gerstad, of Whispering Point Center, was present at the meeting to ask the council to waive a $2,000 set-aside letter of credit. Gerstad said that three of five construction projects were finished,and the council agreed that the set-aside letter of credit was not currently needed. "I think the fact that all of the underground work has been completed-all the pipes put in- it just makes sense to waive the set-aside letter and collect1 it when the parking lots are put in," Stanek said. Sandy Eckert, owner of the McHenry Depot Hotel, 3939 W. Main St.,spoke to the council about the lack of parking around the older section of town. She said her tenants and customers are continually receiving tickets for parking too long in the two hour parking spaces, even though there are no other spots to park. "I think we have a real op­ portunity to preserve the older part of McHenry, but we need help in improving the parking situation," Eckert said. Aid. William Bolger, Ward 1, suggested that the council meet with the affected merchants, and discuss possible solutions to the problem. He and Aid. Raymond Smith, Ward 3, will plan to meet with merchants located in the limited Main St. parking area. Bolger will head the special cmmittee. However, it was generally agreed that the city would not be able to provide public parking spaces at no charge to those merchants and residents affected. "We have to walk very carefully and softly when we start providing space on public parking (areas)," Smith said. "I understand the problem, but it( the Depot Hotel) is a private enterprise." The general con­ sensus of the council was that a good solution may be to rent or lease public lots for private use. ditional payment of $5,000 a year for four years, a total of $29,000 for annexation costs. After a recess, during which village officials conferred in the president's office and petitioner Raymond Peterson and At­ torney Diamond had a cup of coffee, the board returned and unanimously approved the annexation based on a $31,000 total payment, with an im­ mediate $8,000 to be paid Monday morning, according to the petitioner. The approximate 540 acres is located north and west of the village with borders on Route 120 and Lincoln Road. The Route 120 parcel was zoned for business and will be used for a proposed 60 by 60 foot or less office building and 30 attached 15 by 25 foot mini-warehouses. The Lincoln Road border will be a buffer zone with single-family residential zoning. The owner has promised to level off a hill for a baseball diamond and parking area on a five-acre site donated to the village. The park is located north of the village and on the east end of the Peterson property. The rest of the park is a flood plain, and while it is usable for recreation, the land would require governmental approval for any contour changes because of its "flood plain" designation. According to the agreement, Peterson wijl put in a culvert to provide |h access road to the park. The annexation agreement was reviewed and approved by the village zoning board and planning commission prior to the board meeting. Partial payment for the an­ nexation will come at a time when the village is experiencing a severe money crunch, ap­ proving payments of bills to a number of vendors but having no funds to pay them. The future looks hopeful however, according to Village Attorney Michael Poper. He said a substantial amount of money, $58,000 or more, is due the village from county-held tax monies and also money from back taxes on Fritsche In­ dustrial Park, Inc. as well as settlements in pending court cases. Because of the expected receipts, the village board deferred efforts to seek bonding for needed sewer repairs. In other action, the board: -Passed an amendment to a 1952 ordinance to allow Illinois Bell Telephone Co. rights for access lines into the village at a cost of $87.25 per month beginning Jan. 1, 1985. A retroactive payment for 1984 will be received for $77.50 because of an error in deter­ mining the number of access lines. -Approved the Municipal Maintenance Fund Report on motor fuel tax funds. -Voted to close the village hall on the days of Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. President Pro-Tem Pat Morrison also announced that lice officer David Mills is no onger employed by the village. po lor Christmas wrap is still on sale Custom-designed "Merry Christmas from McHenry" paper is still available at the McHenry Plaindealer Herald office, for your last- minute gift-wrapping needs. Each proximately 6 inches, is b^ng sheet, at ap- 600 sq sold t< square or 10 cents. McHenry man dies in one car crash Sunday F ather dies Funeral services will be held today for the Rev. John M. Dording of St. John the Baptist Church in Johnsburg, who died last Saturday at the age of 79. For obituary information, see page 12. A 19-year-old McHenry man died Sunday morning when his auto struck a tree on Crystal Lake Avenue, north of Anvil Road and south of McHenry. Dead is Steven Aim of 4204 W. Ponca. According to a McHenry County Police press release, a preliminary investigation in­ dicated Aim's auto was south­ bound on Crystal Lake Avenue at about 12:26 a.m., when his car ran off the road, struck a tree and burst into flames. Both the coroner'st office and sheriff's police are continuing an investigation into the ac­ cident, the release stated. In another, unrelated fatal accident, five people died as a result of a Saturday morning traffic accident near Marengo. The two-car fatal accident near Marengo occurred about 6:30 a.m. Saturday on U.S. 20 about a mile east of Marengo. According to the McHenry County Sheriff's Department, a vehicle driven by Juan Escobar, 22, of Elgin, was westbound on Route 20 near West Union Road when it apparently crossed into the eastbound traffic lane* striking an approaching vehicle. The occupants of the east- bound car, Richard D. Drushella, 51, and Mary L. Drushella, 52, both of Delavan, Wis., were pronounced dead at- the scene. Two passengers in the Escobar vehicle, Barbara M. Jones, 23, of Loves Park, and Carolyn S. Campa, 32, of Rock- ford, also were pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Escobar and another passenger in his car, Penny L. Mason, 21, of Rockford, were taken to St. Anthony Hospital, Rockford, where Escobar subsequently died Sunday night, and Mason was reported in serious condition. The accident is under in­ vestigation by sheriff's police and the coroner's office. Burfeindt concludes 43-year newspaper career GOOD MORNING HIGHLIGHT A Wonder Lake man hai •been honored with a meri ,award by the Boy Scouts o : America. For more informa - tion, and a photo, turn to sec tion two, page eight. - 1 1 1 , 1 1 M. IMRMU^WH MvWlHMtM# Business.. Sec. 2, Page 12 Church Sec. 2, Page 6 Life Today Page 6 Volume 109. Number 34 Obituaries Page 12 Schools .. Sec 2. Page 16 Sports.. Pages 18,19,20 2 Sections. 40 pages By Lenny Ingrassia . From newspaper carrier boy to general manager, William "Bill" Burfeindt has been "an important part of the growth and development of the B.F. Shaw Printing Co.," said E.K. Shaw, president. Burfeindt, who has been based in Woodstock* where he was publisher of the Daily Sentinel, was appointed general manager of the Illinois-Iowa newspaper group in 1978. He was honored Dec. 13 at a retirement party attended by members of the board of directors and their wives. Douglas Shaw, chief executive officer of the company, said of Burfeindt: "I have always had a high personal regard for him and his abilities! His career speaks for itself. He is like family to us." B u r f e i n d t ' s 4 3 - y e a r newspaper career has seen the industry transform from use of handset type and hand-fed folders and presses to high­ speed offset printing and highly- advanced computer technology impacting all phases of newspaper operations. The avid hunter, golfer and fisherman sees a bright future for the industry. "Newspapers will always be with us providing useful information to our readers. The electronic media BURFEINDT--Page 8 William "Bill" Burfeindt, general manager of Shaw Newspapers, is shown with E.K. Shaw (left), president; and Douglas Shaw (right), executive vice president; during a farewell dinner Dixon Evening Telegraph photo honoring Burfeindt at the time of his retirement. The dinner was l^eld Dec. 13, at the Dixon (111.) Country Club. Super Savings COUPON CLIPPER SECTION 2, PAGE 18