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Animals out in the cold MUSIN&MEANDERIN ' PA6E 2 PLA1NDEALER- HERALD S H A W \ H i i P R E S S M l l ) I A I N C F r i d a y , F e b r u a r y 1 , 1 9 8 5 Dist. 156 classes resume contract agreement reached sad Robert Gordon District 156 students were back In class Thursday morning after the McHenry High School Teachers' Association wfl the board of education apparently settled on a two year contract at itely 7:45 Wednesday to McHenry High Association Marty SolMtalK the contract agreed upon gives teachers a 4.2 percent pay in­ crease on base salary for the first semester of the 1984*5 school year, which will grow to a 175 percent increase second j out to a 6:5 on the base for percent base will be com- with the 6.75 percent raise in 198546. This five per­ cent raise could go as Ugh as 7 percent, depending on the ijtndex, Sobczsk school administration five road; to work out the details, mend the hurts that exist and to get back in the business of educating kids." Hie McHenry teachers strike was in its 12th day when the apparent agreement was reached, though contract negotiations were ongoing since March of 1984. Although Sobczak said the teachers were happy with the pay raise, he pointed out that other less tangible progressions were made. 'ibelieve it is a victory for the district, including the school board, administration, students and ourselves," SObczak said. "I think it is a fair settlement, but I think some of the principles we talked about - communication, accountability, involvement in decisions-are as important gains as the monetary Issues." "The importance of the open communications cannot be put into a savings account or used to the grocery bills, but it does the attitude and said it could not verty fife terms thusiasm for all of those who are Jtaplr fn normal of the contract until a Jointuress involved in the educational UUtJV lU I1U11II«1 ?«K.- purpose of district 156," added WlWit IlilMilininiM-- 11 tl ftl approves itendentM Norb Welter sak! the agreement must still be approved by the school board, which was scheduled to meet Thursday id**. "I don't expect anything not to work out," Wolter said. "We're very pleased to get back on the and he is ready to start a normal absence, following In ednesday night between the tifcebers and the school m. Left, students trudge through the snow to get to ready schedule again. "It's been a long ten months," mj New citizens group West Semester days of review review exam. next wneMoUowing two to troduce myself to them. HI have to reintroduce in some ways. ^to££dt By C*r*l Steven, NswaBarrlcc Crime Stoppers to host midwestern conference A new citizens group has been formed in the Johnsburg area, to the advantage of the District 12 schools. Interest By Mark Bans IN«wstarvto» A Midwest Crime Stoppers qui conference is planned at Wei McHenry County College this spring. The fourth annual Crime Stoppers Mid-America Con­ ference is scheduled for May 22- 23 at MCC. According to Crystal Lake police Detective Roger Sether, police coordinator for the Crystal Lake Crime Stoppers and active in the countywide Albuque quickly Crime Stoppers was first started eight years ago in erqUe, N.M., and _ formed throughout est. It wasn't until four years ago, when a Crime Stoppers group was formed in Rockford, that the program was introduced in the Midwest. Crystal Lake started the first local Crin Legislative F Kishwaukee (LINK) The Network of will be involved in monitoring the Illinois Legislature for current issues and bills which would have a direct effect on the school district. This will include studying bills related to education, communicating the results of the studies to the community, establishing lines of communication with those who represent the legislative district, and becoming alert and ready to express views regar- ap- . .•.ap­ propriate manner. • The group is modeled from an area-wide program, which has met much success in other communities, the nearest being the Crystal Lake District 47 schools. According to Pat Bingman, administrative representative on the Johnsburg LINK, the group will study newsletters published by an Aurora-based coordinator, as well as in­ formation from the Illinois State Board of Education. "We also slators in this area,' Mrs. Bingman. viiuk reacty w express views rej res organized iust ding legislation at the year ago and a propriate time and in the bounty Crime Step- nrooriate manner. Members of the new board attended a workshop hosted by the Dupage County LINK, and at the local group's first meeting Jan. 29, dozens showed "quite a bit of interest," she said. A total of 21 persons attended the in­ formational meeting. Crime Stoppers group in 1962. The McHenry Area Crime Stoppers was over one McHenry County Crime Stop- pers organization, made up of than 40 Crime Stoppers groups representatives of the six local o » ri i_ i in Illinois, WtacKsin, Iowa, Crime Stoppers programs in the SUjriliff LrFOVe SChOOl aillOIl£ Minnesota, Michigan county, was also established at _ _ _ •, _ _ C7 and Ohio are expected to send representatives to the two-day been very successful Crime Stoppers organizations pay cash rewards of up to $1,000 for information which leads to arrests and criminal charges. Callers to Crime Stoppers, improving and which maintains a central telephone number for the county ^ pregentations from three rmmmEi consultants on a reorganization anonymous. Money for rewards feagfbility study. At the next scheduled meeting,7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 13 at the District 12 Ad­ ministration Center, LINK will be electing officers and a program. Nine be elected from an executive council, which will include John Heidler, president of the school board; ad­ ministration rep Mrs. Bingman, a PTO member, a JTO member and five community members. A 1 network will also be established imd will include at least 75 people willing to write letters to legislators. Hie next session of the Illinois legislature will actively be in­ volved in writing educational which will affect >n for many years. Dr. conference. ndiana, Michigan county, was also estanusned at * , # •"•/ - **••• JTt* W Sf ^isMdfS^X those discussing consolidation By Laurie Brady "The purpose of the con­ ference is to provide an op­ portunity for the different Crime Stoppers programs to exchange ideas for improving ar * >moting local programs said. "II is also a N«wi8arvtce Members of the Joint Con­ solidation Committee for four northern McHenry County school districts met last week to opportunity for communities who wish to start a Crime Stoppers program to get the widest fcfad of information and for setting up a program." ^HenryCounty resident Chester Gould, who is the creator of the Dick Tracy comic strip originator of the term "enmestoppers," will be the honorary chairman of the conference. Speakers at the conference wffl include Detective Greg MacAleese, a founder of Crime Stoppers International (CSI); Judge Richard W. Carter of the Texas Crime Stoppers Advisory and member pf the CSX. board of directors; and Dr. Dennis Rosenbaum, a Nor­ thwestern University resear­ cher who will speak on "Crime Stoppers Effectiveness in the u.£x:» and operations are solicited from local businesses, industry and organizations. Sether noted that, although it is rare. Crime Stoppers groups in different states are oc­ casionally a We to and information about crimes committed in other states. "It's seldom that we receive tips on crime commited in other states, but when we do, we have had excellent cooperation among the different programs," Sether said. A committee of Crime Stop­ pers members in McHenry County is currently working on the agenda for the bulk of the Mid-America Conference, Sether said, and they are still in the process of receiving reservations from Crime groups throughout the rest. The Alden-Hebron, Richmond- Burton High School, Richmond Elementary and Spring Grove Elementary school districts are considering a merger. After a two-year preliminary study by district superintendents, the Joint Consolidation Committee decided an impartial third is needed to conduct a feasi study. The committee will hire Dr. William Hazard, an independent consultant who is a professor at Northwestern University. Hazard said a four-person team wouM gather data, analyze it and provide recommendations or alternatives to consolidation. Hie study would cost 18,000 if a community survey is included. The cost is to be shared by the four districts. However, the bid is negotiable if the survey is eliminated, which would reduce the cost to almost half. "A survey at this point is worthless," Hazard said. "We don't know if consolidation would be advantageous or even possible without data for the communities to base an opinion." Initially Richmond-Burton, Richmond Elementary and Spring Grove considered con­ solidation. Alden-Hebron joined the effort in July after receiving data from the Illinois State Board of Education that showed a trend to declining enrollment. Johnsburg was asked to par­ ticipate in the Joint Con­ solidation Committee but declined. "Finance has probably been the most prevalent problem in the last four to five years for Alden-Hebron," District 19 Superintendent Roger Damrow said. Consolidation could provide a more balanced enrollment and benefit the districts financially. Hazard said he would include educational, transportation and curriculum profiles and CONSOLIDATION-Page 3 receive the money as soon as possible in order to help balance the budget, and discussions have 1 been held regarding the con­ troversy surrounding the in­ terest money. In the past, the county, which tax wMwrifP# for the different taxing bodies (i.e. school districts, fire districts, libraries, etc.) has collected the interest generated by the money until it ia dispersed. This year* because of an apparent court ; case in which a school sued for the interest, the court ruled that the interest must be returned to the school district. However, at the same time, a bill was reportedly passed in the Illinois legislature stating that every bodv in the niture Duane Andreas, superintendent will have the option of electing to UUexalt? /lllUUOo, BUpCuIliCUUClll •-- « * A , of Johnsburg sctaMsT said that njSjjTvp he bopes the LINK network win tteeo^tressurCT to help the citizens of the com- f munity become more aware and better informed regarding such JJSSSLi jr. lMieiatinn operating a county jail. In either legislation case, the school districts At a recent school board meeting, Dr. Andreas specifically mentioned that the LINK network may give the w ? board and community insight manager for the Johnsburg into recent legislation regarding School District and now also a the dispersement of McHenry member of LINK stated, "The County tax amnesty monies, county is making money off The Johnsburg School District every taxing district and I don't reportedly wOl be receiving think that's right." The issue $23,311.70 as its share. will probably be one of the first LINKgro . * J &S i >1 the school districts and other taxing bodies will have to the county to maintain the it was explained. Mrs. Bingman, business The school board wishes to the! GOOD MORNING group will investigate. I N D f X C The electronic age is growing every day. One of the more new-fangled concepts is the 'letter tape/ Dick Peterson explains in his column, on page three. S H A W F R E E P R E S S M E D I A . I N C Business .. Sec. 2, Page 2 Church-- Sec. 2. Page 5 Life Today Page 6 Neighbors.. Sec. 2. Page 1 Volume 109, Number 47 Obituaries Page 5 Opinion Page 2 Schools Page 4 Sports .. Pages IS; 19, 20 2 Sections 26 pages