Northwest Herald from Woodstock, Illinois • Page 9

Section -1 torn (faffi mki dod ST Village promises court fight to bktk its new ordinance By OWEN R. BRUGH Herald News Service HUNTLEY An ordinance banning the sale of alcohol at gas stations runs the risk of landing the village in court. Village officials say they will go to court to defend what they feel is a critical state- ment against drunken driving. "We're not going to allow liquor licenses at gas stations. If they want to get a lawyer and fight it, they can fight it," Village Presi- Adent James Dhamer said.

"I'm not going to 'worry about it until something happens. If someone forces the issue, I guess we'll have to meet the challenge." In January, by a 4-2 vote, trustees banned liquor licenses for gas stations. But, a 1981 Illinois 2nd District Appellate Court ruling found it illegal for communities with fewer than 25,000 residents to impose a blanket ban on selling alcohol at gas stations. Doing so treats a class of businesses unfairly, the court ruled. To reject an individual liquor license application, the appeals court in Elgin ruled non-home rule municipalities must show a public health and safety concern, such as the gas station being too close to a school.

Should Huntley be sued, the plaintiff could use the 1981 decision to make its case that the gas station should receive a liquor license. The likelihood of Huntley being sued in the near future is small. Of the two gas sta tions in the village, one is across from North" Elementary School on Route 47. The at Route 47 and Main Street, is just down; the street from the school. Still, village could be sued by stations that might come to the village, exactly the establishments Huntley was try ing to keep dry.

Dhamer acknowledged he was not-aware of the 1981 appellate court decision! and said he does not think anyone will challenge the Huntley ordinance. See HUNTLEY, page! Disaster Cary: The Architectural Review Committee meets at 7 pm.v today at the village hall, 255 Stonegate Road. HUNTLEY: The planning commission meets at 7 p.m. today at the village hall annex, 11 221 Dundee Road. MCHENRY: The zoning board of appeals meets at 7:30 p.m.

today at city hall, 333 S. Green St. An agenda includes review of a request from Spence Management Services Inc. for a Burger King on two acres of unincorporated land on the east side of Route 31 north of the McHenry Commons Shopping Center. Spring Grove: The village hosts a luncheon forum for business owners on Route 1 2 to present plans for wastewater and drinking water facilities.

The forum isat 11:30 a.m. today at village hall, 7401 Meyer Road. Tuesday Briefing Algonquin: The village board meets at 8 p.m., Tuesday at village hall, 2200 Hamish Drive. Cary: The village board meets at 7 p.m. Tuesday at village hall, 255 Stonegate Road.

Johnsburg: The village board meets at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the village hall at 1515 Channel Beach Ave. The agenda includes a review of a cost analysis for the proposed wastewater treatment plant, and trustees are expected to approve a 1998-99 budget. McHenry: The landmark commission meets at 7:15 p.m. Tuesday at city hall, 333 S.

5r victims 1 grieve .,.1. Survivors share 7 common strength By KURT BEGALKA The Northwest Herald WOODSTOCK One by one the Africans stood up, choked back the tears and spoke from their hearts. Cameroonians on their way through Woodstock stopped at Rich Foxwillow Pines Nursery to Heifer Project International and the survivors of the Oklahoma City terrorist bombing of 1995. The nursery owners, Richacd and Susan Eyre, sit on the board of directors for HPI, a nonprofit organization that supplies food and income-producing animals to developing countries. It was an offer of grief coun-, seling that brought those who lost a loved one in the Alfred P.

Mjur-rah Federal Building to HPI's headquarters in Little Rock, Ark. But it was HPI staff members, such as Wendy Peskin, who intro duced the two sets of survivors to-' each other in 1997. 7.1 Peskin, staff tours coordinator knew that more than 1,700 people died in August 1986 along the shores of Lake Nyos in the west central African nation of Cameroon. A volcanic eruption on the lake bed released vast amounts of carbon dioxide into the surround: ing countryside, Peskin said. Animals and people nearby; suffocated in their sleep, Peskin said.

Umara Sule, who once lived in Nyos, said 99 percent of his ViK lage's population perished in the. disaster. Like most of the Sule lost his parents and other close relatives. See DISASTER, page 2 Marengo celebrates the Fifth Residents turn but "to commemorate Mexican holiday By ANDREA J. DEL DOTTO The Northwest Herald MARENGO The parking lot behind Marengo's library was transformed Sunday into a miniature Mexican marketplace complete with food, music and a pinata.

More than 150 people turned out to sample steak tacos and Mexican soft drinks from El Camino Real Mexican Restaurant, listen to live bands including The Void and wave tiny Mexican flags- "TBe Mexican community yt extended and has grown, so we try to keep our roots," said El Camino Real owner Carlos Alvarez. "And most of the American community doesn't know about Cinco de Mayo." Cinco de Mayo, or "the 5th of May," is a Mexican holiday that 4 celebrates the defeat of Napoleon's army at the Battle of Puebloio- 1 "This is great," said Pam Woodruff of Marengo. "There's a lot of culture of this area. It's a mix of everyone, and there's something here for everybody." Salvador Lopez of Marengo was celebrating the annual holiday with his family. "I like the music," he said.

"It's a good party for the Mexican people and the American people." Representatives from Marengo's new Prairie State Bank handed out the miniature flags as they answered questions in both Eng-. lish and Spanish about their ser-. vices. The bank has been open for 30 days, Vice Chairman John Week said. Wildflower plants root, By OWEN R.

BRUGH Herald News Service (7 Sporting a miniature Mexican flag tucked into a buttonhole on her jacket, Charlotte Deneen of Marengo said that she has been to most of the Marengo's seven annual Cinco de Mayo celebrations. "This is the most people I've seen here, and I'm glad they're coming out," she said. "I wish more of the community would get involved. We have a lot of Hispanic people in the com IT Deborah Cannon Th Northwest Herald Salvador Lopez 4, raises his Mexican flag and lets out a yell during a Cinco de Mayo celebration in Marengo. The event Sunday afternoon featured live music, vendors and a variety of ethnic foods.

munity, so it's a social outing," Deneen said. "It's great to get everyone out here to party," said Connie Hong, sister of Richard Lee, the owner of Hong's Delight, a restaurant that offered food at the festival. The Chinese restaurant opened in downtown Marengo in January. "Would you like a Chinese burrito?" Lee's brother-in-law, Punja Punitai, offered with a grin. "We wanted to find a way to give something back to the community," Week said.

"It's a day that celebrates pride in (Mexican) culture and heritage," he said. Cinco de Mayo T-shirts and caps from Marengo's Hyperstitch digital embroidery company were available at the festival, which was sponsored by El Camino Real, Prairie State Bank and Levin's Shoes and Dry Goods. Richmond: The village's Finance Committee meets at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday to approve bills. The meeting is at village hall, 5600 Hunter Drive.

Riley Township: The planning commission meets at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the township building, Riley Road north of Anthony. Spring Grove: The village's Safety Committee meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the village hall, 7401 Meyer Road. Sale of a used squad car is on the agenda.

The village board meets at 7 p.m. Tuesday at village hall, 7401 Meyer Road. A special-use permit for a proposed day-care center at Holian Drive and Cherrywood Lane is on the agenda. The zoning board of appeals recommended denial of the plans in early April. Wednesday Briefing Huntley: The zoning board of appeals meets at 7 p.m.

Wednesday at the village hall annex, 11221 Dundee Road. Johnsburg: The village Finance Committee meets at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in the village hall at 1515 Channel Beach Ave. McHenry: The city council meets at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at city hall, 333 S.

Green St Council members are expected to approve a 1998-99 budget. Richmond: The village board meets at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at village hall, 5600 Hunter Drive. Final plat approval for Remington Ridge is on the agenda. It is a 21 -lot subdivision behind the Days Inn at Burlington Road.

The project also includes four acres zoned commercial. Spring Grove: District 1 1 hosts "Celebrate the Arts Night" at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Spring Grove Elementary School, 2018 Main St Displays from the drama club, Young Authors books and visual art will be available. At 7 p.m., the band and chorus perform a concert and at 7:45 pjn. refreshments are served.

The village zoning board meets at 7 p.m. Wednesday for a proposed variation on a frontyard setback at a home in Oak Valley Hills subdivision. The meeting is at the village hall 7401 Meyer Road sale helps prairie cash coffers grow prairies on school "We spend a lot of time working with the schools, helping them "tdxievetop their own prairies or woodlands," Bartmess said. The Defenders plant native plants along highways and rescue plants that are about to be destroyed so generations of residents will be able to enjoy the plants that were here hundreds of years before the settlers. Among the crowd of several hundred was Adrianne Adams of Richmond.

Adams came out to restore native plant lifeto a bit of her yard. "We like prairie plants and we've been coming for nine years. Prairie plants are really important to us," Adams said. David Burks of Bartlett found out about the sale in a gardening magazine. "We thought we'd come out here and (satisfy) our curiosity and see if we could get some good plants," Burks said.

(' "We don't know all the names of these plants, but we have a new home and this is our first planting season, so any success we get (in getting the plants to grow) will be appreciated," he said. CRYSTAL LAKE McHenry County College was awash in green on a drab Sunday as the McHenry County Defenders conducted its 14th annual wildflower sale. The sale provided the Defenders the chance to educate the public about native prairie plants, while raising money for prairie restoration "It's so nice that your fund-raising activity can promote your reason for being an sale co-chairman Kathy Bergan Schmidt said. While organizers are just happy the sale makes a profit, they feel it is definitely worth their time. "It's worth it because you teach people.

People have the opportunity to learn about and purchase plants you can't get at a nursery," co-chairman Katie Bartmess said. "It gets bigger and better every The sale raises needed money so the Defenders can work with schools in creating Robin CimwW The ltorthwaBt Sussl Hart (right, balancing box) end Lcrctta AlcZkouls, (left) squetza in ta some wittfnowers Sunday et the Wlidfiower SsSa st UcHenry County 1: was sponsored by the McHenry County Defender..