The Huntley Farmside

              Special Graduation Section— see inside Senior Scene ^ see inside
The Hmitlev Farmside
35 cents
Thursday, June 4,1998
A Press Publications newspaper ar serving the Huntley connmunity
Volume 37 Issue 60
Chasing away the summertime blues
Huntley Park District prepares for season with wide range of activities
Steve Brosinski
Press Publications
Now that school is almost out, the Huntley Park District is gearing up for the dozens of young people expected to attend day camp this summer.
Ranging from all-day get¬ aways to tennis lessons at Ol' Timer's Park, programs are offered for youth from pre¬ school to eighth grade, Recreation Director Betsey Warrington said.
Warrington said registration is off to a slow start, but she expects it to pick up soon.
"We have no idea how many campers we will have," Warrington said. "We are hop¬ ing kids will come out and sign up."
Camps are in session from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., except for pre¬
school, which runs from 9 a.m. to noon. There is no extended care.
Popular teen activities vary from weekly day trips for paint- ball and lazer storm to swim¬ ming at the Elgin YWCA. For everyday activities, campers spend hours using the gym at the Teen Center gym, at the Huntley Technical Center, 11179 Dundee Road.
Children ages 6-9 interested in crafts and field trips can reg¬ ister for Camp Laugh-a-Lot. For children ages 10-12, there is Camp Adventure for campers with an eye for a weekly sport theme. Both camps are held in two-week sessions.
Warrington, the district's recreation director since 1979, said the staff is always looking for interesting ways to improve summer programming.
Jcicob Thiel, 4, and Kylee Pluimer, will join them in the coming weeks as
"Our staff is excellent for coming up with new ideas," she said. "For a Park District our size, we're very proud of the programs we can offer."
Warrington said the Park District is able to offer innova¬ tive programs in part because of ^assistance from School District 158 teachers. Summer Music ORFF, named after musicologist Carl Orff, for example, will be
Photo by Steve Brosinski
4, take a break on a swing at Diecke Park on Friday. Many more children summer activities get under way at the various parks around town.
taughfrT^ music teaeher Ingrid Mullane.
"The School District is great. We have a good relationship with sharing staff and with shar¬ ing facilities," she said.
Created in 1965, the Park District continues to expand services and enlarge park proper¬ ties. With the addition of a neigh¬ borhood park in the Cambridge Homes   subdivision,   the  Park
District's two parks, 24-acre Deicke Park and 16-acre Ol' Timer's Park, will get some relief from the increasing demand of new residents moving into town. And as Huntley gets larger, Warrington said the district may need larger facilities to better serve the community. The dis¬ trict leased space in schools and churches, before moving to the see Activities—page 2
MCEDC asks for consensus on route widenings, warns against congestion unless towns take steps
Steve Brosinski
Press Publications
The widening of two county highways is inevitable and municipalities should be plan¬ ning for the day when the state agrees to do the work, officials from the McHenry County Economic Development
Corporation said.
The private corporation insists that unless towns take the lead in preparing for the future.
then they will pay a high price as Route 47 and Route 31 are someday widened.
"We would like to get a con¬ sensus of all communities that control land use on Route 47 and Route 31," said David Kerrigan, chairman of the MCEDC's Transportation
Committee. 'That use of proper¬ ty should protect the right-of- way and curb cuts."
Though the corporation has
no authority in mandating these recommendations, Kerrigan said the MCEDC is urging munici¬ palities in Kane and McHenry counties to take steps now, before problems arise.
"We don't want to make the congestion any worse than it is," he said. "If we're going to attract and keep business, then we have to have some good congestion corridors."
Village    President    James
Dhamer, who is a member of the MCEDC Transportation
Committee, said the village has already agreed to these recom¬ mendations. In anticipation of widening of the highway, Dhamer said the village began requesting businesses to agree to a 12-foot setback in 1990.
"We've had the right-of-way acquired and moved all the property back," Dhamer said. "If plans come up in 2001 or
2002, we are ready," Dhamer said.
Dhamer said the village has an extensive wish list of state and federal funded road pro¬ jects.
The estimated cost of widen¬ ing from Dear Street to Reed Street is $4.3 million, he said.
"One of the big ticket items is the railroad crossing on Main Street. It's not going to be easy,
see Consensus—page 2