Chicago Tribune from Chicago, Illinois • Page 250

Section 2 Chicago Tribune, Thursday, December 12, 1996 DuPage overnight A DIGEST OF LATE NEWS REPORTS, COMPILED BY ALLAN GRAY ROSELLE Parks board OKs bond sales The Roselle Park District Board passed two bond ordinances Wednesday night that will affect the outstanding debt on the recreation center and capital improvements throughout the district. Director Diane McCray said the Itasca Bank and Trust has purchased $150,000 of limited bonds, proceeds of which will be used toward purchasing equipment and making park improvements. The bank offered an interest rate of 4.15 percent to the district. Unlimited bonds worth $282,000 were purchased by the Bloom-ingdale Bank and Trust at an interest rate of 3.9 percent. McCray explained that unlimited bonds refers to selling bonds at whatever amount is needed to pay a note due on property; limited bonds are controlled by an amount determined in 1994 by the state.

David Sharos and DuPage County Sheriffs Lt. Robert Winkler, who also testified that Cruz and Hernandez implicated themselves in the crime. Attorneys for both men acknowledged that they expect to be indicted. Meanwhile Knight, the prosecutor in Cruz's first trial; DuPage County Circuit Judge Robert K. Kilander, who served as a prosecutor in Cruz's second trial; and Vosburgh also are among those expected to be indicted, according to their attorneys.

Charges are expected to include obstruction of Justice, official misconduct and conspiracy to commit obstruction of Justice. Kunkle arrived in DuPage County with a sterling reputation in government and private practice, and he had experience as a special prosecutor. In 1988, Kunkle, a Republican, worked with his former law partner Richard Phelan investigating the finances of former Democratic House Speaker Jim Wright. Wright resigned a year later. Earlier this month, Kunkle was appointed by Cicero President Betty Loren-Maltese to investigate allegations of official corruption in that town.

A graduate of Northwestern University Law School in 1969, Kunkle spent three years as a Cook County assistant public defender, and 13 years as a Cook County assistant state's attorney during which time he prosecuted serial killer John Wayne Gacy. And Kunkle's job may not eno with Thursday's announcement. "I might try the case," Kunkle said. Tribune reporter Ted Gregory contributed to this article. Kunlde CONTINUED KROM PAGE 1 Galasso, whose staff attended to Kunkle's administrative needs.

"Every so often he would go and talk to the state's attorney." During the year, Kunkle interviewed dozens of people, read through thousands of pages of transcripts, subpoenaed witnesses and documents. The cost to the DuPage County Board of the special investigation had reached $253,000 by Nov. 19, according to county records. The expected indictments are the latest turn in a case that began nearly 14 years ago when Jeanine Nicarico, 10, home recovering from the flu, was abducted by one or more assailants who kicked in the front door of her home. Her badly beaten and raped body was found days later just off a remote stretch of the Illinois Prairie Path.

The shocking nature of the crime prompted a public outcry and a massive search for those responsible. In 1984, Rolando Cruz, Alex Hernandez and Stephen Buckley were indicted. A year later, Cruz and Hernandez were convicted and sentenced to death. The jury deadlocked on Buckley and he eventually was freed. DuPage County Assistant State's Attorneys Thomas Knight and Patrick King won the convictions with no physical evidence.

They relied on statements from witnessesmany in the law enforcement community who said Criu and Hernandez admitted committing the crime. The convictions were reversed and new separate trials were MILTON TOWNSHIP 2 incumbents lose GOP endorsement Milton Township Republicans turned their backs Wednesday night on two incumbent township officials who had been seeking re-election next year. Hank Kruse, vice president of the Wheaton Park Board, defeated incumbent Township Supervisor Herbert Wehling. There reportedly had been some grumbling among Republicans that Wehling was devoting too little time to the job. The township GOP also declined to endorse for reelection incumbent Assessor Ed Schoenenberger, opting instead to back James Gumm, a former employee of the assessor's office.

The endorsement session at the Wilton Manor restaurant i in Wheaton was the first in a series of political steps leading to township elections in April. Democrats and Repub- licans in most of DuPage County's townships will meet in caucuses in mid-January to nominate candidates. Bob Goldsborough College Bowl team 300o Ijir? 1 1 underwriters in the local business community. The station has a staff of 30 students, about 10 them in paid positions. Rorvik said many of the students who find their way to(, WETN are planning careers in'-broadcasting, but others simply 'n want to enhance their communi-- cations skills or gain self-confi- dence.

"1 The station still broadcasts the. daily chapel service of Wheaton College and fills its programming schedule with classical and con-' --temporary Christian music, cial speakers and live sports cov- -erage. Rorvik said the station will mark its 50th year with special broadcasts and a series of welcoming WETN alumni back to the school. The station also may seek to make a name for itself in cyberspace. Many radio stations now Internet sites that allow GLEN ELLYN Trustees commend the College of DuPage trustees saluted four students, their coach and their adviser Wednesday night for their first-place finish in the autumn regional College Bowl.

The team competes in the Illinois Community College Trustees Association and Community College Activities Association tournament, which holds competitions in the spring and fall. The bowl tests general knowl OA SAVE Select Christmas Flags In many styles and colors. Choose from santa face, snowman or candlestick flags. Our Low $6 Compare At $20 ii fit i I rl by7 edge. Last year, the team finished third statewide.

This year's team consists of captain David Ugorek, Graeme MacDonald and David Stormer, all of Wheaton, and Liz Chal-loner of Aurora. The team is coached by Chuck Ellenbaum and advised by Cynthia Johnson. G.J. Zemaitis 4 SAVE Select Christmas Dinnerware Sets Choose from "Deck The Halls" (shown) plus many other patterns. Also: 40 Off Matching Accessories.

SALE $17" Our Low $29" Compare At $50 SALE SlrC99 Artie Plush Fleece Throws Throws in a variety of colors. Our Low $24" Compare At $40 OUR COMPARE OUR SALE LOW i 69" 24" Roller Bag 27" Roller Bag $100 $125 $89" I 3 Attorney William Kunkle scrutinized the Nicarico investigation. ordered for Hernandez and Cruz. Both were convicted a second time Hernandez in 1991 and Cruz in 1992, but those convictions were overturned and new trials ordered. The state's case fell apart during Cruz's third trial in the fall of 1995 when DuPage County Sheriff's Lt.

James Montesano presented allegedly contradictory tes-timony about the murder investigation and his knowledge of a so-called "vision statement" that Cruz allegedly made to DuPage sheriffs detectives Dennis C. Kurzawa and Thomas E. Vos-burgh that implicated Cruz in the crime. After Montesano's testimony. Judge Ronald Mehling acquitted Cruz, saying the investigation had been sloppy.

Hernandez was released a few weeks later. Among those expected to be indicted Thursday are Montesano Radio Continued kkom Page 1 the coverage of sporting events to its programming schedule. In subsequent years, Hollatz said, the residents of Wheaton began to appreciate the tiny station, which let a staff of about 70 students feel as if they were running something worthwhile. "I can recall when Wheaton had championship basketball teams in the 1950s, the station became a link by providing coverage of away games," Hollatz said. "And with our live-drama programming, we were operating just like the networks in Chicago during what we know as the golden days of radio." WETN took its education slot at 88.1 on the FM dial in 1962, two years after providing live coverage of the local presidential campaign stops of John F.

Kennedy in Elmhurst and Richard M. Nixon in Wheaton. The station was boosted to its current 250 watts in 1979. The station now operates in studio space in the basement of the Billy Graham Center near the heart of the campus. Gone are the days of makeshift controls, as the station now has the capability to run computerized programming on compact disc, with no human intervention necessary.

The station runs 24 hours a day and can be picked up across most of DuPage County. But despite the obvious advancements, broadcast manager John Rorvik said the station's goal of giving students a training ground has not changed. "Sometimes it can be challenging to try to serve the needs of future broadcasters and still serve the community well," Rorvik said. "Some colleges have a station that gives students who are training something to play with. We are a station that aspires to give the students all the skills they will need and still provide quality broadcasting for our listeners." WETN is largely funded by the school, but collects an estimated 20 percent of its revenue from Boy Continued from Page 1 Acosta had been living with the boy's mother for about three weeks at the time of the murder.

"Before moving in with Acosta, Tyler was a happy little kid, but he changed into a screaming hurt child," said prosecutor Daniel Guerin. "The little boy was tortured at Acosta's hand," said co-prosecutor Joseph Ruggiero. "He got his kicks out of torture." Prosecutors claimed that Acosta told co-workers at a local cup manufacturing plant about how he mistreated the boy and how he disliked the boy because the child was half African-American. Guerin and Ruggiero said that each time the child was left alone with Acosta, it appeared that the boy was injured. "Those were windows of danger for Tyler," Guerin said.

Ruggiero told Dockery that Acosta would get angry at the boy and curse at him when the boy referred to him as "Daddy." "He talked about putting the boy in hot water and washing the black out of the boy," Guerin said. "Acosta had the opportunity, the means and the intent to kill Tyler." Acosta denied knowledge of mwmm, i 4 1 1 Entire Stock Christmas Motif Glassware and Silverplate Gift and Serveware Gifts and serveware from Mikasa, Indiana, International Silver and more. SALE t9-20" Our Low 99-29" SAVE Select Bedding Ensembles Choose from a variety of styles and patterns from a huge selection of fashion ensembles. Compare At SALE Black Decker Snake Light Unique flexible core can be bent, coiled or draped into any position for any task. Compare At $30 4000 SAVE Entire Stock Christmas Wrap, Tins and Boxed Cards Choose tram our great selection of ribbons, bows, wrap, cards tins SALE 20-13 Our Low 29M8" Compare At J1-J25 SAVE All Collectible Dolls Choose from a large assortment of collectible dolls.

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Our Low $19" 39" Compare At 1 00 SAVE Entire Stock "Millennium" Stainless Non-Stick from Paroerware" stainless, non-stick cookware. Sauce pans, sauce pots, fry more. SALE Our Low Compare At 50 I 1 sale n) s16" fV' using the World Wide Web the. chance to listen to the station Rorvik said the framework for a WETN home page already and work is under way to add to it- "I think putting audio on the Internet will be a great way to -n build relationships with alumni here and even overseas during our next 50 years," Rorvik said. "It will be a form of communication with Wheaton College.

If the Wheaton football "i team makes it to a championship game and someone in another-', country wants to listen to it, they will be able to." J.R. Smith, director of media resources for the school, said he likes to think there are two ti WETNs. One is on the air today -in DuPage County, and the second exists in the memories of alumni and others. "You would be amazed to knowjjj how many people tell us they met their wife here or about some- thing that happened to them because of the station," Smith -m said. "It holds a very special place in the lives of a lot of people." i ii iff PLUS EVEN MORE SAVINGS THROUGHOUT THE STORE! SALE 49.99 AB SCULPTOR Targets all abdominal muscles in one easy motion.

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did was wrong, but he didn't think he was causing great bodily harm or the death of the boy," which is what the law says has to be proven. "My client called the paramed-'" ics and cooperated with police, and the death of Tyler was a great shock to him." Dornblaser "People do stupid and unthinkable things, but he never intended to kiU Tyler." Acosta and Tyler's started dating in the fall of 1995, and moved in together on Feb. 18, 1996, 19 days before Tyler died. Lerma usually took Tyler to a day care center in the where she attended college and worked part-time for a social agency dealing with child abuse But Acosta would baby-sit for the child on many occasions. Sentencing was scheduled for Jan.

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