Looking Back

By Arline Adamsick

The Crete Record: March 29, 1973

“Village Board Approves New Business in Old Barn”

“An old barn in downtown Crete, which was to have been the site of a Crete Youth Center, will house a new business instead. Crete Village Board Monday night granted a business license to Andrew Belford, of Bonanza Service Hardware in Chicago, to operate a lawn mower sales, service, and lawn supply facility in the barn behind Geraldo’s Pizzeria, 1372 Main Street.

“Belford, who lives in Dolton, said he has been in the lawn mower business in the Roseland area for 15 years and wanted to locate at the barn in Crete several years ago. At that time, it was rented instead to the committee seeking to establish a youth center here.

“A letter from Sandy Baker, advisor to the youth committee, was read to the board earlier in the evening explaining the group has given up its attempts to remodel the barn for a youth center because of lack of interest in the community.

“His letter included a check to the village for $176.56, the last remaining assets of the Youth Barn committee. He asked it be used for youth activities in some manner – perhaps in a contribution to the Court ‘n Rink project in the park or the establishment of a Youth Commission by the village board.

“Mayor Ronald Christopher agreed a Youth Commission might not be a bad idea but noted it would be difficult to do anything before the April elections. The board voted unanimously to forward the contribution to the Court ‘n Rink project, on behalf of the young people.

“The business license to Bonanza was not issued without considerable discussion on the safety and traffic aspects of conducting a lawn mower repair service in the barn. Belford said all chemicals used to clean the mowers are non-flammable, and he keeps only five gallons or less of gasoline on hand, in a safety container.

“Questioned about parking, he observed there is space in front of the pizzeria and a few spaces in areas along the alley. He stressed his customers would not be staying long.

“The visitor also was quizzed about whether the building is in adequate shape to conduct a business year-round, and he replied that it is. There is heat and electricity, Belford said, and he plans to improve the structure, which has been idle for many years. It last housed a sheet, metal, and furnace shop.

“Trustee Lynn Witley moved that ‘since we could tolerate the traffic for a youth center,’ the board grant the license. The vote was unanimously in favor, with all trustees present.”

The Beecher Herald: March 29, 1973

“Two Assessor Candidates Issue Campaign Statements”

“By Roger Schoenwald

“In Will County this year, an unprecedented 22,700 individual citizens complained about inadequate tax assessments. The brunt of the rage centered around the office of Supervisor of Assessments, where a fight developed calling for the Will County Board to fire him. Upon investigation by the Will County Board, it was discovered that houses were being assessed at 50 percent of fair market value and industry at 20-30 percent of the fair market value. Thus, private homes were subsidizing industry.

“It also was discovered there is a wide range of variance among local tax assessors. The investigation found that, while some of the local assessors were highly qualified, some of them had minimal qualifications.

“Thus, the Will County Board has called for better qualifications for local assessors, for increased cooperation among local assessors, and greater control over local assessors by the county supervisor.

“In Washington Township, a contest has developed in the election of the tax assessor. Running for the position are Republican incumbent Arnold Bands and Democrat Mrs. Alice Figlo. In her campaign statement, Mrs. Figlo questioned how property was assessed in Washington Township, pointed to the discrepancies she claims exist in the township, and calls for a reevaluation of property.

“One of the alleged discrepancies, Mrs. Figlo points out, was the increase in private home assessments, while industrial assessments were down. In another example, Mrs. Figlo stated that a woman, who has no heat or running water, was assessed $20 more this year. After complaining, she allegedly was told to ‘move out.’

“Arnold Brands, incumbent assessor and candidate for re-election, said the discrepancy between industrial and private assessments is very small and, in most cases, non-existent. Brands points out that while assessments were changed by the Board of Review in many townships, the assessment made by him in Washington Township remained the same.

“In his campaign statement, Brands points to his long career of honest assessment and praise received from Will County officials for equitable tax assessment. Brands also declares he has been ‘Sincerely interested in the community for many years, with no personal axe to grind,’ resulting in unbiased assessments.”

The Peotone Vedette: March 30, 1973

“Advisory Group Favors Annexation to Joliet Junior College”

“The Junior College Advisory Committee unanimously recommended to the Peotone School Board Monday night that District 207-U annex to the Joliet Junior College District. The recommendations followed a detailed study of the three junior college districts adjoining 207-U: Joliet, Kankakee, and Prairie State. Public hearings have been scheduled so area residents can learn more about the recommendations.

“All three subcommittees dealing with finance, physical facilities, and curricula, agreed the Joliet JC had the most to offer residents of this district.”

Some of the committee’s deciding factors included: JJC is the world’s oldest junior college; the area had tremendous growth possibilities in assessed valuation, with both Mobile Oil and ComEd building plants, figured at $500,000,000; taxpayer cost was 5¢ per $100 less at JJC than Kankakee; and students would stay in Will County. Other desirable factors included a better curriculum, plus JJC had the largest campus and most complete facilities. Unless there are some snafus in the next editions, we all know what choice was made – as Peotone still belongs to JJC’s district in 2023.

As a former kindergarten teacher, this type of headline always manages to catch my eye – “Kindergarten Roundup for District 207-U.” Even when I was still teaching, it always came as a surprise – like “already?” It’s similar to school supplies appearing on store shelves by July 4^th. Summer’s over????

“Village Officials React to Illinois Central Derailment”

“Peotone officials reacted sharply to last week’s derailment of 15 IC freight cars. Village President Howard Scrivens pointed out the village has been trying for several years to get the IC track bed improved to prevent this very thing.

“Letters from the village and Bennett Industries to the IC Railroad were read at the Tuesday meeting of the board of trustees. The Illinois Commerce Commission also was contacted to bring pressure on the railroad to improve their trackage.”

The village’s letter reiterated the number of requests for addressing the condition of the tracks and concluded with… “Everyday repairs of a permanent nature are delayed will be additional moments of anxiety on the part of people working and living close to your right-of-way. Days in which they will fear for their property and life. Please let’s have action!”

In the letter from Bennett Industries, simply put, the company noted if the derailment had occurred at the north end of town, rather than farther south, it would have put the manufacturer out of business. Can’t get clearer than that! According to a picture featured that week, crews were in town earlier in the week and still removing large pieces of debris from the wreck site.

The Manteno News: March 29, 1973

“W.H.O. Says W-H-O-O-O-O?”

“Manteno’s Women Helping Others (W.H.O.) Club will sponsor a Meet the Candidates Night on April 3, at the high school, beginning at 8 p.m., to enable Mantenoans to learn more about the respective candidates for village office.

“The program will give each candidate for village president an opportunity to outline his party’s position and an opportunity to rebut any statements offered by any of the remaining candidates. Questions will be accepted from the audience, and each candidate for trustee or clerk will receive an opportunity to answer questions to state their positions on public matters.”

Featured on the front page were three candidates vying for village president – John (Jay) Smith, Gerald (Jerry) Jarvis, who was the incumbent village president, and Harold Jacobs.

Ever wonder when nutritional standards on packaged food came into being?

…As We See It … “FDA Stirs”

“The food and Drug Administration, for years quietly insensitive to many of the nation’s nutritional needs, continues to show signs of awakening. Its latest stirring is the long-overdue announcement it will begin to set nutritional standards for prepared foods. The first category of such foods to come under FDA guidelines will be frozen dinners.

“The idea is to prevent food producers from marketing prepared foods with no nutritional value or next to none – which the public has no way of knowing. Millions of Americans are subsisting on a diet lacking in proper nutrition, proper vitamins, and minerals. There’s no requirement at present that processors and packagers display nutritional information on products. The FDA effort to change that is obviously in the public interest.”

Speaking of nutrition, here’s what was on sale at Kasco Foods: Round steak – $1.19/lb., rump roast – $1.39/lb.; Armour bacon – 69¢/12 oz.; an actual half gallon of Scot Lad ice cream – 29¢; and Stokely tomato juice – 29¢/46 oz. can. Green peppers were two for 19¢, Cello carrots – 10¢/pkg., and a head of lettuce – 29¢.

There also was news about the up-coming school board election. Richard Brandt and William McMurtry were the only candidates filing to oppose incumbents Calvin Meyer and Richard Hagenow.

People must have been thinking spring, as least some businesses were, as Hilsenhoff Drug Store featured a half price sale on last year’s Foster Grant and Polaroid sunglasses. Yep – it was last year’s!

Hope you had a great week. Life is Good!! Are you getting used to it being still light at 7 p.m.? Spring is here!!!