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INDEX/SECTION B • i TRENDS Tuesday, August 6,1985 Section B Selective Service nas impressive success rate By Steve Metsch Herald staff writer The Selective Service System, which returned to the United States in a swirl of controversy five summers ago, has settled down to a peaceful -- and very successful -- existence. More than 14 million men have registered with Selective Service since 1980. Of those in the prime age group eligible to be drafted -- 20 to 25 years old -- an impressive 99 percent have taken the five minutes to register at their local post office. "There's been no draft for over 12 years now. We're involved with registering men 18 years old and older and, yes, it's been going remarkably well," said Glen Ford, administrative officer for the service's Region III based in the Naval Training Center in Great Lakes. Ford Jokes that his office is at Great Lakes "because they had free space for us." Actually, that's about the only direct connection Selective Service has with the military. Because of that, Ford was unable to answer the question whether the return of mandatory registration has con­ vinced more men to enlist. Lt. William Alexander of Navy Recruiting Area Five, which covers 12 Midwest states, discussed his Job and how Selective Service and various factors have affected it. "Well, there is no draft. We have met our recruiting goals every year for the last three years. It gets harder, but we still meet our goals. "It's a tough environment, recruiting. Number one, because the economy is healthy and so many Jobs are available. Another thing that's difficult is the age group of eligible youths is shrinking. The number of 17-to-2l year olds is the smallest since World War II and the Baby Boom. So there are fewer eligible people out there and, according to demographers, that won't change until the 1990s," Alexander said. While the lower population makes recruiters' work difficult, it doesn't bother the Selective Service people as much. Since the law supports them, they don't have many problems signing people up. Time Magazine reported in Sept. 1980 that the Selective Service, which President Jimmy Carter signed into law two months earlier, had a 93- percent success rate. When the registration returned in July 1980, there was an animosity toward it. Young men trudged off to their nearest post office to write the required information upon a postcard, which would be sent to Selective Service. Today, there is still some delay before those required to regis­ ter actually do, but time tends to improve those numbers. """ * - "There is a lower compliance percentage for 18- and 19-year-olds. Five thousand men turn 18 every day. The compliance level fluctuates tre­ mendously. We might get 75 percent one week and 95 percent another week," Ford said. Five thousand men turn 18 every day. Ford said that eight of every 10 men required to sign up do so on time. "By the time they hit 19, that number is up to 92 percent. By the time they hit 20 -- the most important age -- 99 percent have registered. That's quite remarkable. "If you look at the 18 and 19 year olds, the numbers are a little different. If you put the 19 and 20 year olds into that total, the compliance rate is 96.5 percent," Ford said. Economics don't affect Selective Service, but come into play with recruiting. "Certainly the economy is always a factor. When the economy is down, recruiting is up and vice versa. The effects lag behind by a year or a year and a half. If it takes a big turn down, we won't feel it until a year or so. "It's personal opinion. People try to wait it out. If it's not so temporary, the military becomes more attractive," said Alexander, who added that retention of personnel has been increasing. All young men born on or after Jan. 1,1960, are required to register with Selective Service. Those born in 1960-65 compose the 20- to 25-year-old group, which would be the first drafted in a natural emergency, according to Ford. Despite early opposition to the return of Selec­ tive Service, the numbers of those signing up has steadily increased. "Back in 1980, it was July, we re-instated registration for 18-year-old men. Through 1982, there was a compliance rate of 88 to 90 percent," Ford said. Judy Carlson, superintendent of postal opera­ tions at the Crystal Lake Post Office, hasn't noticed any recent problems with registering men for Selective Service. "There's no reluctance now," she said. "When I was a clerk, there was no problem. Of course, at the time I was working at a naval base and most of those who had to register were officer's children." Carlson shuffled 10 registration forms -- that week's total -- in her hands while she talked. "Well, roughly, I'd say we send in probably about seven of these a week and about 40 a month," she said. The area post offices send registration forms to North Chicago, where they are logged into a computer system. "They (registrants) fill them out, show us an ID so we know they're using the right name, and that's about it," Carlson said. Carlson added that things have gone smooth SERVICE-Page 3B From summerjob to supervisor Work at dam has its ups and downs By Anthony Oliver Herald staff writer During a summer weekend, it's one of the busiest places around. People wait two hours or more to get on this ride, but unlike Great America, it only goes up or down about six feet and gets ydu from one side of the McHenry dam to the other. For about 15 years, Frank Novak has been working at the McHenry Lock and Dam and is currently the supervisor there. "We put 150 boats (average) through the lock a day during the week," Novak said. On a nice- weather weekend, the lock is twice that,busy and then some." It all started in the late 1950s when the Novak family would take refuge from the western suburbs and go boating with friends on the Fox River. "I was a kid at the time, but one year we were boating with friends and my parents saw a house they liked. The next year it was for sale," he said. "We moved out here the day after I graduated from eighth grade. I went to Cary- Grove High School." He started at the dam as a sum­ mer Job, working as a lock tender. "It turned into a very long sum­ mer job," Novak said. Later, after a short stint in Chicago, he came back to McHenry Dam as the lock master. As more and more duties were assigned, the title was changed to supervisor. In addition to getting boaters through the locks, his Job includes monitoring the water level in the river and taking various weather measurements to report to the Na­ tional Weather Service. He also helps "fine tune" Mother Nature's work on the Fox River. In control of five low-flow control gates at the dam, «he can regulate to some degree the amount of water that is sent downstream. Occasional complaints? "Frequent, almost constant, is more like it," Novak said. "We've had the gates virtually closed for almost nine weeks," . Novak said. The result of this is that the water level north of the dam is higher than it is south of the dam. The people from the south com­ plain that Novak is holding the water up for the benefit of the peo­ ple to the north. While this ap­ pears to be so, it really isn't the case. Novak explained that if he lets a lot of water go south, it will Just rush over the dam in Algonquin, for which there are no gates or controls. This really won't affect the water level to the south and may turn the Chain of Lakes into the Chain of Mudflats. "We have to deal with what we get," Novak said. "If you raise the Algonquin dam, the water will be deeper south of McHenry, but there'll be real problems during high flows (springfloods)." The locks open to boating traffic at 8 o'clock each morning and stay open until midnight. Novak generally arrives at about 9a.m. "I keep saying I'm going to leave at five, but seven or eight is more like it during the summer," he added. After arriving, he'll be checking the weather monitoring stations and various river monitors along the Fox. Some of these are telemetry monitors which he can contact by telephone and note the appropriate data. The weather in­ formation is called into both the National Weather Service and the Division of Waterways in Spr­ ingfield. "These last few days, it's been very stable and it only takes a short time," Novak said. "During flood conditions, it's a lot more complicated." What makes the Job a lot easier is a good crew. In addition to Novak, there are five year-round employees and two summer workers. , These include Bruce Nulle of Woodstock, Alex Raftis of Cary, Jeff Thompson of McHenry, Jim Haswell of Richmond, and F.J. Novak of Crystal Lake. This year's summer workers are Ray Pieronl of McHenry and Mike Mooney of Bull Valley. But Just taking readings and LOCKS-Page 3B Before leaving for Elgin to return some buoys, * of the"" ~ " ! McHenry Dam make a check of some needed items. From left are Mike Mooney, Ray Pieroni, Brace Nulle and Supervisor Novak. Volunteers make Turning Point work When you dial 338-8080, the Tur­ ning Point HELPLINE, anytime of the day or evening, a profes­ sional, well-trained volunteer will answer your call. This is the first step a woman and her children will make in seeking help that can make a dif­ ference. Advocates for court, counseling and support are all available through the commit­ ment of trained volunteers. "Volunteers are the reason that we do not have to turn away any women and their children," said Lou Ness, executive director of Turning Point. "They also help keep the cost of our program down." Shelter, advocacy, counseling, transportation and office skills are a few of the items offered. Turning Point will train you free. The next training begins Aug. 13. If you would like to become a Turning Point volunteer, call the office at 338- 8081 for the time and place of the training. Farmer named chairman of United Way drive Group to attend peace rally Dr. Richard F. Farmer, superintendent of Schools for McHenry Elementary School District No. 15, has volunteered as General Campaign Chairman of the 1985 fund-raising campaign for United Way of McHenry County. Farmer's experience in com­ munity service should be beneficial to this year's United Way campaign, explained United Way president John Lynch who recently announced Farmer's ap­ pointment. ^"United Way has truly found a top caliber individual in Dr. Farmer," he said. "Dr. Farmer has assumed an especially challenging task because this year United Way of McHenry County his withdrawn from United Way of Suburban Chicago and now must raise many thousands of dollars of additional revenue to replace the subsidy it received from its former partner." Despite the large increase in donations needed to offset this deficit, Farmer is optimistic. "Wherever I look in the county I find people who are only too ready to help out where they can," he said. "I'm confident that the businesses and individuals In McHenry County can meet this challenge if they realize how many of their neighbors apreciate the services provided by United Way agencies." Farmer, currently a director for United Way, is also a board member for the McHenry Area Crime Stoppers and the McHenry Area Chamber of Commerce. Originally from West Virginia, Farmer graduated with B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale before pursuing additional study at the University of Illinois nd Eastern Illinois University. He was formerly president of the Il­ linois Association of School Per­ sonnel Administrators and the McHenry County Superintendents organization. He has authored 13 articles in professional publica­ tions, and received the Award for Educational Excellence in 1982. -1 United Way of McHenry County is a not-for-profit corporation which generates charitable sup­ port for 15 local human service agencies. This year, United Way will provide more than $460,000 to local organizations serving over 35,000local residents. On Thursday, Aug. 8, Peace, a group of local church, en­ vironmental and peace organiza­ tions, will host the Hibakusha Peace Tour in Rockford. Hibakusha is the Japanese name for the survivors of the atomic bombings of Japan. Two Hibakusha will relate their ex­ perience at the Court Street United Methodist Church, 215 Court St., at8p.m. The program is open to the public. For more information, contact Stan Campbell, (815) 963-0233. Richard Fanny