Chicago Tribune du lieu suivant : Chicago, Illinois • 93

Section 2 0UC23 CTrltunc Wednesday, January 1, 1032 By Christine Winter A Northwest's best made 1. i- 6 Tribune photo by Bob Langer Playing it ccol An enthusiastic group of fun-seekers seems to find the frozen surface of Crystal Lake an ideal winter playground for ice skating and ice fishing. A Hlnlii Mi 11 in By Flynn McRoborts and Colin McMahon Huddled behind a dilapidated house on Lippincott Road in Fox Lake, 13-year-old Randy Plasky and seven of his buddies were looking for a cheap high Monday nighL The thrill was cheap, but the price was dear. Plasky died after sniffing Scotchgard from a paper towel. maker, Minnesota Mining Manufacturing Within the last year, doctors at the Northern Illinois Medical Center treated a teenager for sniffing Scotchgard.

The patient spent "a few days in intensive care and recovered," said nursing supervisor Linda Haswell. "We're getting the message out about the dangers of drugs, but I'm not sure youngsters are fully See Sniffing, pg. 6 in the last five years, according to experts in the field, but the number of young people inhaling substancesfrom Scotchgard to glue to typewriter correction fluid has held steady. What's more, an unsettling number of those people are paying the same price Plasky did: In the last two years, at least 20 people have died from sniffing Scotchgard, according to Mark Fenner, a spokesman for the product's product used to protect fabrics. Six had been treated and released by Tuesday, according to hospital officials.

The seventh was in good condition at Northern Illinois Medical Center Tuesday nighL Fatalities caused by inhaling chemicals are a small but maddeningly persistent obstacle in the nationwide fight against substance abuse. Drug use by minors has declined His death came despite efforts by friends to save him and despite an active community campaign against substance abuse. Plasky died shortly after being taken to Northern Illinois Medical Center in McHenry Monday night, according to Fox Lake Police Chief Ronald Nagcl. The seven other youngsters were taken to hospitals as well after police discovered that they too had been sniffing Scotchgard, an aerosol Videotaped man ruled Coatless may need light rap on head out by cop quite a year Well, it's that time of year when everybody reminisces, so here's our look back at 1991 in the northwest suburbs. Woodstock's Most Wanted: In a vote taken at the Tribune's northwest bureau, the capture of Richard Church, the fugitive accused of killing his girlfriend's parents in Woodstock, won out as No.

1 news story of 1991 in the northwest suburbs, even though it took place in Utah. Bonnie and Clyde, NW-sryle: The bloody conclusion to the year's record number of bank robberies came in a close second, as FBI agents and police arrested one suspect and killed his wife in a shootout on a residential street in Hanover Park. Note to nervous bank tellers: That was allegedly the bearded robber, the one with the rubber mask is still at large, but is perhaps having second thoughts. Ilonoralle mention: A United Airlines pilot was charged with murdering his estranged wife in Hoffman Estates, cutting off her legs, and flying a stolen plane 75 miles to Grundy County. Grundy County? Well, that's just about the last place you would have expected him to go, isn't it? Biggest Mystery: Why all the official silence about the Nov.

9 car crash in ML Prospect in which three 14-year-old girls died? Rumors abound, but there are no hard facts yet, and it's been nearly two months. Silliest Squabble: Schaumburg Mayor Al Larson and the Jeep Eagle dealer on Golf Road, who refused to move his flagpole 16.5 feet to conform to village regulations, stared each other down for nearly a year. After accruing $20,000 in fines, and plenty of legal fees, the car dealer finally blinked but only after a patriotic attempt to make his flagpole legal failed in Springfield. Second Silliest Squabble: Did somebody vote Arlington Heights dry while we weren't looking? The saga continues over whether The Big Kahuna, located on the site of the old Forum rcstuarant, itself a well-known singles watering hole in its day, should be granted a liquor license. Local residents, who can count Tire America and Ponderosa among their neighbors, object to the noise.

Most I lard-Hearted Crime: The volunteer treasurer of the Palatine High School band booster club was indicted for allegedly embezzling $100,000 in funds that were raised to pay for a band trip to a music festival in Hawaii. He allegedly needed the money to pay off racetrack losses. Nicest Gesture: United Airlines gave the kids free airfare to Hawaii. Not a bad public relations move, either. On Second Thought The Dcs Plaincs City Council, after quietly voting to make the mayor's job full time, and increasing the salary to $55,000 from $6,000, noisily changed its mind two months later when citizens seemed less than pleased with the 800 percent raise.

Most Redundant Addition: Here a mall, there a mall, everywhere you look in Schaumburg there's a mall. Just in time for one of the slower Christmases in recent retail memory, One Schaumburg Place opened its glittery doors, right across the street from Woodficld. Scandal du Joun An exotic dancer at Chances a now defunct Palatine bar, let customers at a private party do what with their drinks? It Was There a Minute Ago: You and I probably would think twice about tossing a bag containing $80,000 in cash on top of our car. The undercover Dcs Plaincs cop who drove away and left all that loot lying in the street probably will next time, too. Most Ungracious Gesture: The marked cash, intended for a drug bust, was returned a week later, and the somewhat tardy citizens were informed by the city of Des Plaincs that they wouldn't be charged with any crime for finding the money.

No reward, either. Biggest Consolation Prize: Schaumburg didn't get its convention center, but it got a medieval castle. Why we moved to the Tiurbs, Part 1: A lengthy teachers strike in Elgin and a school bus drivers strike in Carpentersville probably had quite a few parents wondering if they had really left Chicago behind after all. Why we moved, Part 2: Traffic congestion got worse, crime rates jumped, and teenage gangs drew graffiti all over the northwest. What was that about leaving Chicago behind? Not in my backyard: Rolling Meadows and Palatine just said no to Wal-Mart after vocal citizens protested the chosen site.

Public Enemy No. 1: Nobody seems to like the Canada goose anymore. Golf courses fire shells to scare them away and corporate campuses ponder renting swans and putting fake alligators in their ponds. A Palatine park official joked they'd make a great meal for the homeless. Public Enemy No.

2: Bucky and his pals have been keeping busy whittling trees to a point along the Dcs Plaincs River and at Crcckside Park in Arlington Heights. Beaver stew, anyone? Tribune photo by Val Maizenga Cash cow for the hungry Michael Bland and his 3-year-old son, Lau- thedral, 65 E. Huron St. The church put up ren, do their part Tuesday to feed the cow the cow as part of a fundraising project to standing in front of St. James Episcopal Ca- help feed the hungry.

By Steve Johnson The specter of the stereotypical mother looms over Chicago in these last days of the year. "It's cold outside," she is saying. "Button up your coat." Most of us heed her advice, taking care to steel ourselves in wool, fur, leather or Holofill II against the element that makes breath visible, fingers blue. Some even go mom three or four better, adding on earmuffs, gloves, toques, thermal underwear, battery-operated socks, pelts of semiaquatic mammals anything to make the chill chill out. Indeed, on the thinking person's list of wintertime priorities, comfort comes in first, and pride in appearance checks in just a notch above licking metallic public sculpture.

There are, however, a few who dare to shun maternal wisdom, venturing outside in garments more appropriate to a cruise ship shuffleboard tournament or a late summer barbecue. You see them walking down Michigan Avenue or Irving Park Road or Garfield Boulevard in a sportcoat and T-shirt, or maybe a bulky sweatshirt, and you wonder, "Why? Is there something in this person's head where a brain should be? Does his diet consist solely of jalapeno peppers?" Case in point: Marta Bryant, lately of Downstate Morris, purchasing comic books on 30-some degree Michigan Avenue Monday for her son and nephew to read, wearing a thin white rayon sport-coat over a thin magenta sweatshirt. Her excuse: a more temperate See Coat, pg. 6 yM a Holler from first to last 921 homicides make it a year to forget for Chicago By John W. Fountain Wheeling police said Tuesday that a man who came forward after his photo, taken by a liquor store video camera, was broadcast on television is not a suspect in the strangulation of Jamie L.

Santos. But the man may have provided information that could bring police closer to solving the October murder of the 27-year-old exotic dancer, authorities said. Wheeling police, however, would disclose no details about the information. "Right now it's the hottest lead that we have going," said Wheeling Deputy Police Chief Michael Hermes. Police would not identify the man, who also has declined to talk to reporters.

Officials would say only that the man lives in Wheeling and is in his mid-30s. He was videotaped Oct. 28 by a hidden security camera inside a Buffalo Grove liquor store just moments after a caller phoned 911 from a public telephone booth outside the store to tell police about a woman who "was not breathing." When police followed the caller's directions to a Wheeling townhouse, they found Santos. The man came forward within hours after police released his photograph to the media Monday, but not before the police station received many calls, seven of them giving the name of the man who later phoned police himself, according to officials. In fact, the man phoned just as investigators were about to pay him a visit based on information from callers.

The man telephoned police saying he believed that he was the man shown in the videotape and arrived at the station at about 7:30 p.m. He was questioned by investigators for about two hours, Hermes said. Police intend to question him again in coming days. The unidentified man has agreed to a voice analysis and already has given a voice sample, which will be studied. "He definitely is not a suspect in the murder, and we definitely do not believe he is the 911 caller," Hermes said.

"He is continuing to be cooperative with us." Police would not say why they had definitely ruled the man out See Videotape, pg. 8 cennes Avenue. His death was followed by the 921st late Tuesday. Police released few details on that West Side murder. A bullet struck the Englewood youth in the back of the head as he ran from the gunman, and he died instantly, according to Wcnt-worth Violent Crimes SgL Dennis Murphy.

"A witness said she heard the See Homicide, pg. 8 Banks lay dead on the floor, and a second man was wounded. The gunman fled and has not been apprehended. The slaying of Banks touched off what was to become one of the bloodiest years in Chicago's history. Early Tuesday morning, a 17-year-old Englcwood youth became the city's 920th homicide victim when someone opened fire at him in the 4800 block of South Vin- By William Recktenwald The year was less than 90 minutes old when David Banks became the first homicide victim of 1991.

Banks, 27, was riding home from work on the King Drive bus in the wee hours of Jan. 1. Suddenly, another man on board pulled out a handgun and began firing indiscriminately. By the time the bus driver pulled over to the curb near 26th Street, Cat leads hunters on merry chase in Lemont food most attractive to cats tuna, sardines and catfish. But for days, the elusive prowler didn't bite.

Exasperated, the hunters then put pizza in the box, but the crafty critter removed the pizza from the box without getting caughL Yet appetite finally was its undoing. On Tuesday, it turned out that the mountain lion was well, not a molehill but a big stray cat. Lemont police said the animal, seduced by food, emerged, was snatched and remanded to a local animal shelter. By Martin Zabcll Somewhere in Lemont's Centennial Park Community Center, a critter was lurking. Some thought it was a raccoon, or maybe be a chubby cat.

Some panicky observers swore they saw a mountain lion. One thing was certain: it loved pizza The first fleeting glimpse came about three weeks ago by construction workers, who reported something darting through as they were completing a $2.5 million expansion of the Lemont Township Park District building. During the day, it hid in the ductwork in the basement, conjectured park director Bob Porter. At night, it scrounged for food. "It looks for all the lunch food the laborers drop," Porter said.

"He's getting a gourmet meal." As news of the animal's exploits spread, callers from all over the nation offered advice on how to catch the beast, or inquire about its latest adventures. A trapper from Tennessee suggested putting clothespins on the pizza. Recently, the park district planted a humane box trap to try to catch the animal. Inside the trap, officials placed the type of KEncisAbout 3,400 state employees worked their last day Tuesday thanks to an early retirement plan. Sea Pzz 4 CprioaHclJ Joan Walters (left) of Lcko Fcrcst The District Gov.

Jim Edgar's Bureau of the Budget warns 67 school board may seek to have of a $100 million shortfall in paying state the state remove former Principal employee insurance claims. Ceo 4 Linda Chase's teacher certification. Cca Peso County A Highland Park physician is sentenced to 13 years in prison for trying to suffocate his wife with a pillow last February. Ce3 Pri 3.