The Beecher Herald: January 2, 1975
Here are some of the 1974 Beecher highlights from “A Word Picture of 1974 Happenings in Beecher”….
January: Township would levy an additional 5¢ in road and bridge fund; Village initiated crossing guard program; School board reached ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ concerning snowmobiling being allowed on district property west of high school; and Prairie State College Board to assist Beecher leaders in determining Beecher’s junior college district annexation.
February: Area firemen battled fire that destroyed Knuth’s Kountry Korner; Illinois EPA conducted survey to determine condition of village water; and school board unanimously votes to prohibit use of snowmobiles, motorcycles, and minibikes on school property. (Did that affect January’s decision?)
March: Village agrees to extend water mains from Hodges to Miller Street; BJHS spelling bee team takes first at Kan-Will Conference for second year in a row; and school board gives teachers and administrative personnel pay increases.
April: Storm water in sanitary sewers continued to pose problems; Improper downspout drains labeled major concern for village; and new softball league formed.
May: Doug Brands and Sharon Owens selected prom king and queen; Boy Scout group survey showed 133 downspouts draining into either the storm or sanitary sewers; Public Safety Committee recommends adding third full-time patrolman; and Beecher Players presented ‘Cops and Mobbers.’
June: ICCB placed Beecher students with Kankakee Community College District; and village sends residents questionnaire concerning flooding.
July: EPA directed village to begin treating village water with soda ash to aid in filtering rust from mains; Petition circulated for an election regarding staying in KCC district.
August: Village board hires Illiana Piping Corp. to extend sewer system to the Stolzenbach Implement property on Dixie Highway; and Bahlman Oil #1 in softball league standings.
September: EPA report states village water quality is much improved; and residents baffled when hot air balloons launched in area.
October: Voters voted 356-156 to opt out of KCC district; Firemen’s Auxiliary planned to purchase uniforms for all firemen in department; and Chamber names Fred Bernhard named ‘Man of the Year.’
November: Village plans to send police department members to Police Training Institute; and new radio system begins for fire and police calls.
December: Village board adopts Village Plan Commission’s proposed Comprehensive Amendment to Beecher Zoning Ordinance; Mr. and Mrs. James Churchill donated 10 acres of land to school district; and school board discusses possible tax increase.
At the Holiday Theatre: “The Island at the Top of the World,” plus “Winnie the Pooh and Tigger, Too.”
The Beecher Herald: January 9, 1975
“Water Pressure Drop Reported to Board”
“After hearing again of a malfunctioning panel board, which operates the pumping of water in the village system, the village board meeting Monday night moved the remedying of this previously discussed problem up the priority list.
“George Wilkening reported the water pressure had been dangerously low at 4 a.m. one morning last week. ‘This,’ he said, ‘would have been extremely serious had there been a fire.’
“Once again, Bob Williamson pointed out that although the controls are not old in years of service, they are almost obsolete since they were built at the end of an era and great advancements have been made in electronic systems since then. The board authorized LaVern Wiggenhauser, Supt. of Waterworks, to make the necessary contacts to either have the panel repaired or replaced.”
“Welfare Club Forms Library Committee”
“Following the reading of communications from Bur-Oak Library Association, in which they stated the library service would be continued in Beecher only until June 1975, a committee of volunteers agreed to form a Library Committee. Anita Stahlberg will serve as chairman; Barbara Kamper, Vera Churchill, Norene Kurth, and Shirley Biery will work with her to ascertain the necessary procedures for forming a library district. They will report at the February meeting.”
The Beecher Herald: January 16, 1975
“Village Board Hears Flooding Complaints”
“It was almost inevitable that there would be complaints registered at the village board meeting Monday night following the heavy rains late last week. And that which was certain became a certainty as two voices were heard from the audience posing questions of when and how the flooding problems will be solved.
“The first question was asked by Ms. Claire Young, who inquired ‘Are you going to clean out the drainage ditch and creek?’
“Trustee Bud Fugett explained this is the drainage district’s responsibility, and the village has been after them for several years to get the job done. An engineering study has been going on for the past six months, but the cost estimate is not yet ready. After that, a special assessment will be levied to finance the project.
“Fugett explained that while part of the ditch is in the village limits, it would be useless to clean just that section as the water still could not flow freely until the entire waterway was cleared. He added the village had offered to loan the district the money to get the project underway, but it had not been established if this would be legally allowable.
“Marlin Hartke registered his complaint about water backing up into his basement drain following the recent rain. In fact, Hartke remarked, ‘All you have to do is spit, and the sewer will back up in my basement.’
“Robert Williamson said it is apparent that ‘we continuously have a new situation with old results’ He suggested contact be made with R.W. Robinson and Associates, the village engineering consultants, as soon as possible. An explanation will be sought for the seeming delay in the report being prepared from the survey taken last summer to pinpoint flood areas and problems.
“It is the opinion of the board members that much of the problem stems from the downspouts illegally draining into the sewer system. The study was to determine if this might be enough of a contributing factor to make corrective action advisable. If the study suggests other solutions, this would then be implemented. However, the report has not been submitted, and the board is more than a little irritated.”
“Residents May Qualify for Flood Insurance”
“The Beecher Village Board has taken the necessary action to enable community property owners to participate in the new National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The program makes it possible for those who have property in an area designated ‘flood-prone’ to get federally subsidized coverage.
“The above information was given at the village board meeting on Monday night in answer to questions posed by property owner Claire Young. She was particularly interested in knowing if Beecher qualified because of an article in Sunday’s “Chicago Tribune,” which stated, ‘It will be illegal beginning July 1, for virtually any Savings and Loan association or bank to issue mortgages on uninsured homes in areas deemed flood prone.’
“One of the far-reaching benefits of the program, in addition to making flood insurance available, is that participating municipalities must agree to regulate land use in flood plain areas through building codes and zoning ordinances. One goal of the program is to discourage development where flooding might occur. Billions of dollars are spent on relief for flood disaster areas, but development continues when the water recedes. Communities now will be able to enforce rational land use policies.”
“Pomeroy Turns Down Job Offer; Awaits Board Decision”
“Will County Weekly Press”
“Oren Pomeroy Jr., county supervisor of assessments, has been offered at least one other job as supervisor in another county, which he turned down and is still awaiting a decision by the Will County Board as to whether he will be reappointed, according to his wife.
“Pomeroy has indicated he does not expect to be reappointed. Since his contract was not renewed in December 1973, the supervisor has been working without a formal contract since March 1974. As he was out of town, he was unavailable for comment last week.
“The county board is expected to reach a decision on a supervisor of assessments January 22, after it receives a recommendation from the taxation committee. If it fails to appoint a supervisor, hearings pertaining to a lawsuit filed by the state’s attorney last September will continue January 25.”
At the Holiday Theatre: Richard Burton and Lee Marvin starred in “The Klansman,” with a children’s matinee – “Alice in the New Wonderland,” on Saturday and Sunday.
The Beecher Herald: January 23, 1975
There finally seemed to be an answer…”Committee OK’s Olalde for Assessment Chief –Will County Weekly Press”
“The county board January 22 is expected to take action on a recommendation from its taxation committee that Donald Olalde be contracted as supervisor of assessments.
“Unless the new Democrats ‘have different ideas’ about the present supervisor, Oren Pomeroy Jr., he will not be reappointed, Vernon Drecksler predicted.
“The Democrats, along with a few Republican swing votes, have succeeded consistently within the past two years in voting down a renewal of Pomeroy’s contract. Since last March, Pomeroy has been working without a formal contract.
“If the board fails to appoint a supervisor Wednesday, legal action initiated by the state’s attorney last September will resume January 25.
“Olalde, when contacted, refused to state his intentions if he is appointed. If the salary and contract are agreeable, he did say, “I would give it every consideration I could possibly give.’
“Olalde, a hearing officer with the state property tax appeals board, added he was ‘uncommitted mentally,’ but if terms are agreed upon, ‘I think it can be arranged.”
And at the Holiday Theatre that week, Walt Disney’s “Swiss Family Robinson” was on the marquee.
Hope you are staying warm and safe – Life is Good!!
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