Freeport Journal-Standard from Freeport, Illinois • Page 4

Page 4 Freaport (III.) Journal-Standard, Saturday, March 9, 1974 Vacating Old Courthouse Gathers Momentum Friday Moving equipment from the old Stephenson County Courthouse so it can be razed to be supplanted by a new building proceeded Friday at a brisk pace. There was no effort on the part of county: officials to delay the moving process after action Thursday night by the Freeport City Council aimed at preserving the courthouse through a City Landmark Commission. Both George Koehler, County Board chairman, and Dr. Phillip Hardinger, chairman of the County Board public building committee, said Friday that the relocation of county and judicial offices from the old courthouse would be accomplished as quickly as possible. "The way it looks now, everything will be out by March 19," said Sheriff Don Scofield, who by statute is courthouse custodian.

Lying ahead is the matter of a demolition permit for the old courthouse. The general contractor for the new courthouse, Cheeseman Construction of Freeport, obtained both demoli- tiion and construction permits Tuesday afternoon from the city engineer's office, but the permits were rescinded Thursday night by Mayor Mark McLeRoy. John Garrity, legal counsel for the County Public Building Commission, could not be reached Friday for comment on the status of a demolition permit. The Building Commission has been directed by the County Board to erect the new courthouse. State's Attorney William Sisler said he will be spending the weekend researching the actions taken to this point by the city in attempting to block demolition of the century old courthouse.

Questions were raised Friday by dissenting aldermen within the City Council on proper procedures were followed in forming the Landmark Commission. "I'll have a report for the County Board if asked on Tuesday, when it meets," Sisler said. All judicial offices will be open Monday in second and third floor quarters of the Post Office Building, according to Scofield. Courtrooms for Circuit judges Everett Laughlin and Robert Law will be on the second floor, while the circuit clerk's office, state's attorney's office Mayor Chooses Members Of Landmarks Commission Mayor Mark McLeRoy announced the names of the members to serve on the Freeport Landmark Commission which will hold a public hearing next Friday night at 7:30 on designating the Stephenson County Courthouse as a landmark, in an attempt to save it from demolition. The members of the commission are Jack Goddard, chairman, The Rev.

Robert Huff, vice chairman, Mrs. Betty Credicott, secretary, and Richard Lumby and John James Sr. as members. The commission, which will meet sometime next week for an organizational meeting, was established when the-City Council adopted a landmark ordinance Thursday night designed to save the courthouse. The commission has the power to hold a public hearing to hear the viewpoints of all persons concerned with the courthouse issue.

Seven days notice of the hearing is required, and a public notice was posted on the courthouse doors Friday afternoon by Freeport police sergeant Robert Reed. It was signed by the mayor. The commission will make a finding according to the evidence presented at the public hearing and will report its recommendation to the City Council at the March 18 meeting. The council must then draft and adopt an ordinance designating the courthouse a landmark. The commission will receive no pay for their services the mayor said.

He said he attempted to have the commission be as non-political as he could, and still have all interested parties involved. Goddard lives on West Stephenson Street and runs a business management service. The Rev. Huff is the pastor of St. Paul's Baptist Church, Mrs.

Credicott is a member of the Landmark Association, Lumby is the chairman of the city's Zoning Board of Appeals and James, a plumbing contractor the first chairman of the Landmark Association. "Once the recommendation is made, the, commission will probably be done," the mayor said. The landmark ordinance the council adopted on an 8-6 vote specifically calls for the commission to act only on the Stephenson County Courthouse. A broader ordinance could be passed at a later date if the council sees fit. The mayor said he had no announcements as to appointing a new corporation counsel.

He said he would have someone by the March 18 City Council meeting. and courtoom of Associate Judge Dexter Knowlton will be on the third floor. Relocation of the county treasurer, supervisor of assessments and county clerk to the former Garrity drug store building will proceed next week, according to Scofield. Friday's full day of moving equipment and files was carried on amid normal routine in many county offices. There were few onlookers as a 16-foot van from a Freeport transfer company was stationed at the front steps of the courthouse loading material.

Two members of the Landmark Association of Stephenson County, dedicated to preserving the courthouse, watched some of the afternoon moving with dismay The group has mounted a concentrated three-month campaign to save the building. The courthouse has been placed on the National Register Historical Places by the National Parks Service. Absentee Voting Deadline March 16 Persons wishing to vote in the March 19 primary election may cast absentee ballots until noon on March 16, Stephenson County Clerk Dean Amendt said Friday. Voting by absentee ballot will be done in the county clerk's office, Amendt said. Office hours are 8:30 a.m.

to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and a.m. to noon Saturday. Marriage Licenses AT FREEPORT Louis E. Edmondosn Beloit Julia F.

Same HANDS FULL, a moving company worker pursued the task Friday of moving equipment from the old Stephenson County Courthouse to temporary quarters at the Freeport Post Office building. The century old building is being cleared before the planned demoUtion of the structure, prior to construction of a new conrt- Phto. Public Bodies Meeting Schedule Listed The schedule of meetings of tax-supported bodies in Freeport for today and next week follows, with the times and places of meetings and items to be discussed when known. The meetings are open to the public except when an executive session is noted. Todav County Board sheriff's committee, 9 a.m., Stephenson County Jail, review bills.

County Board nursing home committee, 1 p.m., Stephenson Nursing Center, regular weekly, meeting. Monday County Board finance committee, 7 p.m., courtroom 1 of courthouse. Executive session from 7 to 9 p.m. County Board public building committee, 7 p.m., courthouse, meeting with parties interested in old courthouse artifacts. City Council committee on committees, 7 p.m., City Hall council chambers.

Discus possibility of earlier council meetings, or council meetings every Monday instead of the first and third Mondays of each month. Also discuss filling the vacant seat on thelegal affairs committee left by Milton Babcock's resignation. Police and Fire Commission, 7 p.m., City Hall police department, exams for. both firemen and policemen. Tuesday County Board, 10 a.m., council chambers of City Hall, regular monthly meeting, nursing home committee report, discussion of where to hold future county board meetings.

Stephenson County Mental Health Board, 7:30 p.m., Professional Building, regular monthlv meeting. City Council town auditors committee, 7:30 p.m. Freeport Township office. City Council legal affairs committee, 5 p.m., City Hall, mayor's of- fice. Fire code agreement for buildings outside the city which wish to annex.

Wednesday Freeport Board of Education, 7:30 p.m., Administration Building, report on transportation of students for the 1974-75 school year. Library Board, City Library 7:30 p.m. Regular monthly meeting. Thursday Planning Commission, City Hall council chambers, 7:30 p.m. heading on rezoning of property at W.

Galena Ave. and N. Park for business development. Water and Sewer Commission, 7:30 p.m. water and sewer department offices, regular monthly meeting.

City Council public property cpnv mittee, 5 p.m., City Hall council chambers. Opening bids on new public address system for council chambers. Send out bids for new chairs for council chambers after present chairs are removed by county. Some Downtown Phone Service Disrupted Telephone lines to The Journal- Standard and reportedly elsewhere downtown were out of service for a time Friday. As a result callers at the newspaper office were unable to get outside lines, and persons calling the office had difficulty.

The wire trouble garbled transmissions of Associated Press news dispatches and AP Photofax pictures to the newspaper. A telephone company source said Friday evening that workmen at the First National Bank building site damaged a large number of telephone cables While working, apparently Thursday night. Water seeped onto, the individual telephone wires and distorted impulses, the source said. The incident greatly reduced interplant telephone communication Friday between the Micro Switch plants on Spring Street and East Stephenson St. Participation Day Cancelled At HCC The Public Only Participation Day scheduled for March 16 at Highland Community College has been canceled due to a lack of public interest.

The event was scheduled in connection with "An Arts Affair," the fourtb annual festival of the arts to be held March 15-31. Hospital News Births At Memorial Mr. and Mrs. Eris Cain 923 E. Shawnee are parents of a son born Friday in Frecport Memorial Hospital.

A daughter was born Friday to Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Weber of Gratiot, Wis. Parents of a daughter born Friday are Mr. and Mrs.

Terry Flickinger, of Stockton. Patients At Memorial Medical patients in Freeport Memorial include Kristina Folk, 526 E. Garden Larry Vehmeier, 15 E. Fuller Mrs. Pearl Fischer, 624 S.

Harlem Louis Fransen, Freeport Manor Nursing Home; Mrs. John Heine, 1253 S. Walnut Joey Schroeder, Dakota, Mrs. James Wetzel, Warren, and Michael Devine, Forreston. Cub Scout News PACK 22 Cub Scout Pack 22 held its Blue and Gold Banquet at St.

Thomas Aquinas School. Receiving awards were Brian Keith, bobcat pin, and Troy Pople, Billy Wagner, Mike Herdin and Tom Hendrickson, wolf badges. Young Candidates Vie For State's Attorney Nod Editor's Note: The preview of the Stephenson County state's attorney Republican primary is the first of a series of articles on candidates which will be carried by The Journal-Standard prior to the March 19 primary election. Voters in the March 19 primaries will have their choice of two youthful candidates for the Republican nomination for Stephenson County state's attorney. The incumbent, William Sisler, 30, was selected as state's attorney Oct.

9, 1973, when F. Lawrence Lenz resigned the position to accept a judgeship in Ogle County. He says the office is now being run well. The challenger, Howard Prestwich, 31, is a local attorney who says he can trim the state's attorney's budget and eliminate alleged "inefficiency" in the office. Prestwich has himself with the effort to save the county courthouse and says he believes that major county issues "should be decided by voters with a referendum which the county will follow." 'Vigorous' Enforcement He says that under his direction, the state's attorney's office would "vigorously enforce" the criminal law and would not prosecute for political advantage.

He says he would crack down on persons with repeated drunken driving charges and push for the strengthening of the probation department with "a fully professional and adequate staff," Prestwich says that one-third of his office time during 1973 was spent with criminal cases, although the figure has fallen to under 10 per cent during 1974. Sisler claims to have "gained the respect and confidence of all law enforcement agencies" in Stephenson County "as a result of my handling of criminal matters in preparation for and during trial." He says that since his first affiliation with the office, as assistant state's attorney in 1971, the earnings of the office "through fines, fees and forfeitures have exceeded expenditures." Stands On Record Sisler says he "stands on his record of achievement, both as assistant and then as state's attorney. Prestwich is pressing an issue of the fact that the state's attorney's budget has, increased, before state reimbursement, from roughly $48,500 in the year ending November, 1970, to just over $80,000 in the year ending November, 1974. He says that a line item for "Appellate Professional Service" appropriated for $10,000 could be eliminated, and the present sum of $26,500 paid for assistant state's attorneys could be reduced He says the $10,000 budgeted for use to "farm out appeals" to local attorneys is a "pork barrel giveaway proposition," and unnecessary because the office "should be able to do the work themselves." He also said that money spent for assistant state's attorneys could be reduced by either putting one person on full time, or reducing an asr sistant's work week to three days. Sisler points out that the $10,000 item was included as a contingency fund in case the group which normally handles all county appeals, the Illinois State's Attorney's Association, was not able to receive adequate federal funding for the coming year.

He said that when the budget was drawn up, it appeared that the ISAA would not be funded, but that it now looked as though it would. Spending Depends He added that the $10,000 would hot be spent if the ISAA is funded. If it is not, only the more routine appeals would be given to local attorneys on a per-case basis "if the appeal burden became too great. Sisler added that his assistants, as a practical matter, now spend more than four days each week working on state's attorney's business and that it would be impractical to cut back on their hours. Prestwich says he will be spending PRESTWICH SISLER approximately $500 on his campaign, the bulk of which will come from his own pocket.

He claims to have had two outside contributions totalling $100. No organized group is supporting his campaign, he says. Sisler says he will spend between $500 and $800 on his effort, with all but $25 coming from himself and his parents. He says he has not and does not plan to solicit funds. A group of citizens will purchase advertising in his behalf, but Sisler maintains he does not know who is heading the organization.

The Journal-Standard put five questions to each candidate concerning potential issues in the states' attorney's race. The following responses are alphabetically ordered by candidate's last name. 1.) Should the state's attorney also have a private practice? Give reasoning supporting your position. PRESTWICH: No. There are too many conflicts of interest if the state's attorney has a private practice.

Also, the job demands a full time man. In Background On Candidates Howard Prestwich, 31, lives with his wife, Linda, in Buckeye Township. He received his BA from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1965 and his JD degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1968. A practicing lawyer in Freeport since June 1970, Prestwich was formerly an attorney with the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board.

He is a member of the Stephenson County, State of Illinois, State of Wisconsin and American Bar Associations. He is a former assistant public defender and acting public defender of. Stephenson County. Prestwich is a member of the Grace Episcopal Church, the Masonic Lodge, the Scottish Rite Bodies of the Valley of Freeqort, the Tebala Temple, the Association of the Handicapped of Stephenson County, the Jaycees and the Downtown Business Association. William Sisler, 30 was born in Des Moines, Iowa, and lives with his wife, the former Mary Toelle of Freeport, in Florence township.

He received his BA de gree from the University of Iowa in 1965, and his JD degree from the University of Illinois College of Law in 1968. He served on the staff of the Legal Aid and Defender Project in Kansas City, Mo. from 1968 until the summer of 1M9, when he served as a legal specialist in the Army. Sisler is a member of the State of Illinois, State of Missouri and the American Bar Associations. He is also a member of the Freeport Kiwanis Club.

addition the salary of $25,000 a year is now sufficient so the people should expect a full, time state's attorney. If I will not have a priva'te practice. SISLER: The state's attorney should devote his full time and attention to his official duties as the chief prosecuting officer in the county and legal adviser to the county offices. Given the high turnover 01 downstate state's attorneys and the uncertainty of tenure, the state's attorney should not be prohibited from retaining association with a private law firm, so long as the practice does not create any conflict of interest and does not in any way impinge upon his time and efforts in his official capacity. 2) Do you have any ground rules you want to see observed as far as time limits in moving cases through the courts? If so, how would you make, sure the deadlines are met? PRESTWICH: I see no reason why a defendant cannot be brought to trial within 60 days from his arrest in this county.

The matter is easily accomplished by the state's attorney setting the trial date. If the defendant is unprepared for the trial, he may move for a continuance. SISLER: Since taking office, I have attempted to revamp my office's policy regarding the most expedient means of moving criminal cases through court. I have established guide lines for plea negotiations limiting the amount of time within which negotiations may stand open. I have 'further attempted, by early screening, to limit the number of cases to be presented to the grand jury only to those of the most serious nature.

The court docket is of course not controlled by the state's attorney but by the courts themselves. 3) What Is your position on plea bargaining? PRESTWICH': If the defendant decides to plead guilty to a pending charge I see no reason why he slwuld be prohibited from doing so. A guilty plea saves the county and the state the cost of a jury trial. I am opposed to dropping a felony charge down to a misdemeanor merely because the defendant in plea bargaining indicates that he would plead to the lesser charge. SISLER: Plea bargaining, a proper and useful element in the criminal justice system, must serve the overall interests of justice and should not be used merely to avoid trial.

The state's attorney must endeavor to follow the standards of the American Bar Association and take into account the rehabilitation of the defendant, the seriousness of the offense, the deterrent effects of possible sentence, and overall interests of the community during the plea negotiation process. 4) What is your position on proper punishment for persons Illegally using weapons? PRESTWICH: Individuals who commit crimes using or carrying deadly weapons particularly firearms should automatically receive a stiffer sentence in proper cases. SISLER: Certainly those who commit crimes of violence through the use of weapons should suffer the most severe consequences provided by law. Laws governing the illegal use of weapons must be vigorously ana strictly enforced. 5) Why do you consider yourself the right man for the position? PRESTWICH: I can represent the people of Stephenson County better by running the State's Attorney's Office more efficiently and more economically than my opponent.

People want a county official who is responsive to their views, is sensitive to their needs and will fairly represent them. I feel my views on the issues, my experience in criminal law, the fact that I will devote my full time to the job and my independence make me the right man for the job. SISLER: I believe I have the requisite experience, temperament and sound judgment to be an effective states attorney. I have behind me a varied background in the practice of law, including Legal Aid work, experience in the military justice system, private practice and most importantly my service as an assistant state's attorney and state's attorney. I haVe established a good working relationship and mutual understanding with the Freeport Police Department and the Sheriff's Department.

Since coming to the office in 1971, I have handled all phases of its work. 4th annual festival of the arts MARCH 15-31 HIGHLAND COLLEGE Final Clearance! Winter Outerwear Values To $49.95 NOWW12 50 Racks Of Fashions TINY TOT-TEEN 21 So. Chicago.