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Honor society inductees SCHOOL PLAINDEALER- M r H o n r y . I l l i n o i s Police now label case a homicide Wednesday, January 2, 1985 The McHenry County Sheriff's Department is now treating the case of an Island Lake woman, mteing since Dec. 21, as a homicide. ;riff Henry "Hank" Nulle that there is a "possibility of fqbl play." "We don't have too mixm to go on, but we're treating it on a full-time basis," the sheriff said late last week. Apian to have four local pilots with their ultralight planes conduct an aerial search Monday morning was foiled by the weather. Deteriorating conditions prevented their take­ off. Linda L. White, 35, was last seen about 10:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 21, when she left a party in the Crystal Lake area, ac­ cording the sheriff. * Chief Deputy Sheriff George Hendle, who heads the detective division, said that the woman was reported missing Sunday to the Island Lake Police Department. The county was reportedly not given the missing person report until Monday, when the sheriff's department organized a search for her. Members of the county lergency .Serviceg and Agency, sheriffs posse, county auxiliary police and McHenry Fire Protection District helped in the search. • "Our investigations have revealed that members of the public observed the missing woman's car Saturday parked qff the road, where it was found Monday," Hendle said. When sheriff's detectives searched the car, parked on the outskirts of Island Lake within county jurisdiction, they discovered some , of her clothing in the vehicle and suspected blood­ stains on the interior of the car. - According to Hendle, the Roman's jacket with suspected bloodstains was found in the. back seat of her car, and other : suspicious stains were found on the front seat of the vehicle. He said her purse was found near -the car. The clothing and samples of the suspected : bloodstains are being processed by the Illinois Department of Law Enforcement crime lab. 1 • i- • to our 2 5 C E N T S New program 'gives help on tax forms' A new tax program,VITA, designed to assist people with simple tax returns is to start soon in the McHenry area. The program's free aid will be available to anyone filling out a 1040EZ, 1040A and the basic 1040 form, particularly lower in­ come, elderly, non-English speaking and handicapped taxpayers. According to VITA's township coordinator, Louise Novak, the Internal Revenue Service provides the funds to teach community volunteers the basics of preparing simple tax forms. Once the trainees have finished a four-to-five day basic course and have been tested to ensure accurate service,they are able to help those wno need assistance with their basic tax paperwork. Coordinators of the local VITA program, which is being in­ troduced for the first time in the area, said that the ideal situation "is to oper up one spot in McHenry, Johnsburg and Wonder Lake-that's where the density of population is." Coordinators added that the amount of VITA locations will depend on the number of This 1906 postcard, from the collection of Thomas Morjal of McHenry, gives a message from all who work at the McHenry Plaindealer Herald: readers. Happy New Year" volunteers. Coordinators pointed out that "anybody who's farely good with figures" can volunteer to help in the VITA program. Training is conducted at a time and location convenient to volunteers and instructors, and generally the sessions are of­ fered in December through January each year. Those interested in becoming VITA volunteers can call Louise Novak at 497-4100. Park dept. offers fitness classes Are you among the thousands of McHenry area residents who made a resolution to lose weight in 1985? The City of McHenry, Depart­ ment of Parks and Recreation of­ fers help in achieving that goal. Several fitness classes will begin in early January, including jazz, ballet and "Fit-N-Trim". Registration is now being taken at the park department office, located in city hall." What's the outlook lor McHenry in 1985,? Hotel may be built here soon By Anthony Oliver Plaindealer Herald Newt Service Nineteen eighty-four was a "banner" year in the eyes of McHenry Mayor Joseph Stanek and he looks to 1985 to be much of the same. Looking back, the mayor commented that financially the cit/ was in excellent shape. "We have about $2.million in interest bearing accounts and it looks like we will be able to reduce property taxes for the third straight year," Stanek 4aid. Among the top items on the 1984 calendar were the com­ pletion of Northern Illinois Medical Center and some creative financing which resulted in the expansion and retention of several McHenry- based industries. - The hospital expanded and relocated facilities and opened its doors in June. Also, a $400,000 grant was obtained from the Illinois Department of Com­ merce and Community Affairs (DCCA) for a water tower in Tonyan Industrial Park. The need for the Structure was graphically demonstrated by a fire that destroyed the Chroma Corporation building last ; o ' - V . January. State grants also helped with the Pioneer Center expansion and installation of the Green Street sewer lift and lines. Industrial revenue bonds (IRBs) provided needed funds for Chroma's rebuilding, ex­ pansion of Lenco Electronics, Alpha Plastics, the NIMC professional arts building and development of the old Jewel site into a shopping center. "These improvements add to' the city's tax base and its economy," Stanek said. Improved water service was accomplished for nearly a quarter of the city when the Lakeland Park Water Company was bought from T.P. Mathews and .brought under city control. An ambitious sidewalk con­ struction program has provided walkways on major arteries like Elm Street, Ringwood Road, Lillian Street ahd John Street within the corporate limits. eighty-four also saw a ieu research project for a' new technology called Lanfilgas. The project seeks to determine the viability of the process, which encloses controvefsi municipal waste, septage and sludge and treats the leachate to extract methane gas for energy production. The mayor said he was' 'proud of the time and effort spent pursuing the research project in the hope that we could solve a serious national waste disposal problem while protecting the environment." % Others disagree. Looking ahead to 1985, Stanek said the excellent financial shape of the water and sewer fund should see the completion of wells 7 and 8 and the in­ stallation of an iron removal system, without bonded in­ debtedness*. "Hiis and the water tower should provide for the city's water needs for the next 10 years," Stanek said. The mayor commented that he was anxious to see some state projects in the area completed. Thlese include the Route 120 bridge project, which is proceeding ahead of schedule, the widening of Route 31 from Elm Street south to High Street and the widening of Route 120, from the river east to Volo. The latter is expected to start in late 1985. . , Stanek said he would like to see the initial study and design STANEK-Page 3 By Robert Gordon Plaindealer Herald News Service Though 1984 is now only a very recent memory, it was a year in which the McHenry business com­ munity experienced some impor­ tant changes and progressions. "1 think considering^the economy was always a little shaky, it (the 1984 business growth) was much better than average," said William Bolger, d i r e c t o r o f t h e M c H e n r y Economic Development Commis­ sion. -v In 1984, reconstruction of the „Elm St. bridge began, the hospital was completed and opened, and a city council zoning approval planted the seed which will sprout a Wendys. a Taco Bell and a Midas muffler shop on Route 120. I n a d d i t i o n , m a n y s m a l l 1>usiness$s opened downtown. especUnfy along Green St. In fact, the downtown growth has left few openings for new shops. Ac­ cording to Bolger. the main business section^ town is "pretty filled upright now." The Fiesta Days activities were successfully moved from Pearl Street Park to Petersen Park last year. According to Bolger, this location for the summer festival will be the same in 1985. Another notable event in 1984 was the first annual employee ap­ preciation party thrown by the ci­ ty for its work force. Bolger chaired the committee that organized the Deo. 9 event, and credited the area's businesses for helping to make the novel idea a successful occasion. "The businesses contributed - heavily to the financial burden of this (CVent)," Bolger said "It was a sincere effort to show the city employees we appreciate the Job they do."- Due to a legislative adjustment, industrial revenue bonds (IKB'si were more accessable last year, and large companies took ad­ vantage of the economic tool Bolger said that the legislative change has "definitely helped" at­ tract more industry to the area. According to the McHenry KDC director. IRB's^re like municipal bonds because interest is not tax­ ed. - BUSINESS FUTURE Looking to the future, this may be the year that McHenry attracts a hotel to the community. Bolger is highly optimistic that a small hotel chain will soon find a home somewhere in the city. "We've been negotiating witfi some (hotels), and I'm quite confi­ dent we'll get one," he said. ' "That'sjhe number one goal for the Economic Development Conv* mittee in 1985". • C isoh the Bolger believes the reasoh the city has had difficulty in acquiring a hotel' in the recent past is because of the freeway that never came to be. "I think the problem has been that Ramada Inn and Hqljtiay Inn, in years past, were going to locate here," Bolger said."'And I think it kept the small chains out." Then, when the freeway did not come to pass, Bolger believes the larger hotel chains bowed out. But now Bolger says, "smaller hotels are looking favorably at McHenry." Although Bolger is pleased with the improved parking conditions on Green St., he said«the city is looking to improve parking on Main St. Another transportation improvement that Bolger would like to see is a bypass and or a freeway for McHenry. "It would help because we do get pretty jammed up on Fridays and weekends," Bolger said. "There's been a lot of efforflo reduce the traffic congestion, but . there's so many people going through," Bolger added. "The growth is overtaking the expan­ sion." ^ Reviewing ,the business suc­ cesses of 1984 and the expansion to come in this and future years, ° Bolger explained why he thinks McHenry attracts commerce and industry. BOLGER-Page 3