Looking Back

By Arline Adamsick

The Manteno News: October 27, 1972

Some highlights in the paper on October 27, 1972, included news the Sportsmen’s Auxiliary was holding a Halloween Dance October 28 at the clubhouse, with plans only announced last week. The event included music by The Jakol, a cake walk, plus an electric fondue pot offered as a door prize, in addition to games, refreshments, a costume contest, and a balloon drop, with drink coupons inside the balloons.

There also was news concerning Trick-or-Treat hours, which were from 6:30 to 9 p.m. The Legion was sponsoring the annual Halloween Children’s Parade, which would begin at the elementary school and travel to the Legion. No prizes were to be awarded, but refreshments were mentioned.

It was election time and the Republican Party in the area was sponsoring a “Meet Your Candidates Night” at the Legion.

“Band and Chorus Boosters to Feed 300 Kan-Will Students”

At their last meeting, Manteno’s Band and Chorus Boosters discussed the Kan-Will Conference, hosted by Manteno on October 28. Plans were being made to provide food for 300 participating students.

“Manteno Volunteer Firemen Protect Community Life, Health, and Property”

“Horace, back in 65 BC said, ‘When your neighbor’s wall is on fire, it becomes your business.’

“More importantly than that, it becomes the business of 30 regular volunteer Manteno firemen, under the leadership of their chief, Maurice O’Keefe.

“The local department just completed another year of observing Fire Prevention Week by distributing posters to the businesses, talking to school groups, and being available at the fire station for groups of children who want to take tours.”

On staff were Chief O’Keefe, Asst. Chief Eugene Barten, Captains Milo Hendrickson and Fritz Baker, plus Lieutenants Don Baker, Kenneth St. Aubin, Tony Jarvis, and Lonnie LaMore.

“The department is part of the Manteno Community Fire Protection District and is supported by tax funds. Financial aid comes to the local department through the district for such items as building maintenance. The station recently was painted, and the district picks up the tab for materials, while physical labor is supplied by the firemen.

“In the summer, firemen meet each Thursday at the fire station, with three of the four meetings being drills where the men practice laying hose, ladder work, and dragging operations. Sometimes, residents in outlying areas have buildings they no longer want. These are often offered to the firemen who purposely set the buildings on fire to practice various methods of extinguishing the blaze.

“Saturday mornings are devoted to maintenance and checking of vehicles and equipment, making sure everything is functioning properly. This year, for the first time, a fire department auxiliary was formed. Mrs. Arthur Eldridge is president, Mrs. O’Keefe – vice president, and a treasurer yet to be appointed.”

The Peotone Vedette: October 27, 1972

“Board Votes to Hold Storm Sewer Referendum”

“Peotone residents will have a chance, just after the first of the year, to decide if they want additional storm water relief. The village board voted Tuesday to hold a referendum allowing the village to issue general obligation bonds in the amount of $439,000 for construction of the project. The tentative date set for the election is Saturday, January 20.

“This amount will not be enough to complete the entire village but is the maximum amount of general obligation bonds the village can issue, as determined by the amount of bonds outstanding and the total assessed valuation of the village.

“Present plans call for main trunk lines to be installed on Corning, from Conrad to West; on West Street, from Corning to Park Road; on South Street, from West to Harlem Avenue, and then south to the creek.

“Plans also include an additional trunk line on Fourth Street from South to Main. The cost of this line is estimated at $74,000, and the board feels they can pay for this out of money received from sales tax returns, state income tax returned to the village, and the new federal revenue sharing money.

“Also, with the trunk lines in, it will be possible for the village to install additional lines using village employees, similar to the project just completed in the Meadows subdivision and the line completed last year in the downtown area.

“It was noted that although these are basically main trunk lines, they will handle water from many of the bad areas in the village, and the water taken out of the sanitary sewer system will alleviate a tremendous amount of pressure on that system, thus helping the entire village.

“The only disadvantage to the project at this time appears to be the fact any expansion needed for the disposal plant will apparently have to be financed by water and sewer revenue bonds, which will mean an increase in these rates.

Also, on the front page of the Vedette that week was this headline: “Peotone Woman Shot; Husband Jailed for Attempted Murder.”

A 31-year-old woman was in fair condition in Riverside Hospital after her husband was charged with attempted murder. The woman was staying with Peotone residents after separating from her husband.

On the day of the incident, the husband came to the home where his wife was staying and asked to see her. After briefly speaking with her, he “allegedly pulled out a gun and started shooting. He then left the house.” The victim was shot five or six times in the chest, thigh, abdomen, buttocks, and finger, according to the hospital. After being admitted to the hospital, she was in surgery for more than three hours.

According to Chief Tom Ivanhoff, after returning to the site of the incident and not finding the perpetrator there, he returned to the police station and ‘he was sitting on the steps waiting for me. He told me he had shot his wife.’

The Crete Record: October 26, 1972

“Attempt to Fire Pomeroy”

“An unsuccessful attempt to fire Will County Supervisor of Assessments Oren Pomeroy was launched by Democratic members of the County Board last Friday. Declaring all the taxing bodies are upset over the late tax bills, Stephen Luzbetak offered a motion to fire Pomeroy immediately. His remarks were greeted with applause from the audience, which included a contingent of irate taxpayers from the Lockport area.

“County Board Chairman Roy Hassert, a Republican and chairman of the board of review, ruled Luzbetak’s motion out of order, because Pomeroy is on a four-year contract, with about two years remaining.

“He asked States Attorney Louis Bertani whether Pomeroy could be removed some other way than by County Board action, but Bertani said the subject caught him unprepared, and he had not researched the question, since he did not know it was going to be raised.

“Hassert then stated he had checked into it and his own findings were that a petition could be circulated calling for a referendum to abolish the office of Supervisor of Assessments. Substituting for it, a five-man board of assessments could be established. Luzbetak noted his motion called only for the firing of Pomeroy and not to abolish the office.

“LeRoy Van Duyne interjected, ‘We are the ones who hired him, we can show just cause for firing him.’ He observed the Planning Committee had fired County Planner Robert Brown only the day before.

“It was explained the Planning Committee had merely voted to recommend the County Board not renew Brown’s contract when it expires December 1. This was not the same as summarily firing someone, Allan Mauer, planning committee chairman, said.

“Luzbetak appealed the ruling of the chair that his motion was out of order, but the board upheld Hassert’s ruling on strict party lines, 16-9. The ensuing rhetoric brought a spate of speeches, as members sought to ‘explain’ their votes.

“Failing in the firing attempt, Van Duyne sought to have the board ask for Pomeroy’s resignation. Hassert again refused the motion, but said Van Duyne could ask for Pomeroy’s resignation if he wanted to. The entire question was referred to Oster’s committee or Taxation, which won’t act until after the elections, Oster indicated.”

It appears there were entrepreneurs at Hubbard Trail School. The junior high students were on “their way to becoming successful businessmen with a going product. The seventh graders are making wooden checker sets by the hundreds and doing very well at it. Along with learning woodworking skills, the youngsters are preparing for the working world.” Students Jerry Dismuke, president, and John DeFrank, vice president, of Hubbard Trail’s Dismuke and DeFrank, Inc., posed next to a giant display of their “completed product.”

The Beecher Herald: October 26, 1972

“Purchase Thorn Creek Tract, Debate Roadway”

“Purchase of two parcels of privately owned land in Thorn Creek Wood was authorized by the Will County Forest Preserve Commission last Friday, paving the way for purchase of an adjacent 85 acres owned by the Manilow interests.

“Five acres owned by the Philip Mellender family and 10 acres owned by the Emory Harr family are to be purchased at $5,000 an acre or acquired through eminent domain, if necessary. The properties are east of the Monee Road that runs from Crete-Monee Road into Park Forest and north of Exchange Street.

“The Mellender parcel includes the family home, where they will continue to live for their lifetime. The Harr property excludes two family homes from the acquisition. The total 100 acres will comprise the county’s purchase of Thorn Creek Woods, to be combined with parcels being acquired by the villages of Park Forest and Park Forest South, all for forest preserve use.”

Remember this discussion…

“Winter Hours Won’t Change for County”

“There will be no change in winter hours at the Will County Building, continuing the practice of several years. By a vote of 19-4, the Will County Board approved the hours of 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., starting October 29. During Daylight Savings Time, the hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The 4:30 p.m. closing hour was instituted to release women employees before it gets dark because of muggings and assaults on women going to a parking lot two blocks from the County Building in the dark.

“A suggestion by Ray Woock that employees come to work a half hour earlier in the morning to make up for the early closing was not adopted. Neither was a proposal by Allan Mauer to reduce the parking rate in the county-owned parking lot across the street from the County Building so employees would not have so far to walk to park at low rates.

Holiday Theatre: Peter Sellers in “Where Does It Hurt?”

Happy Halloween, stay safe, and Life is Good!!