The Judiciary: Moran elected chief justice

Illinois Supreme Court Justice Thomas J. Moran was elected by his fellow justices to a three-year term as chief justice of the court, effective January 1.

Despite a vigorous challenge by Criminal Division Judge Earl E. Strayhorn, Cook County Circuit Court Chief Judge Harry G. Comerford won reelection to a fourth term in November. Comerford received 130 of the 168 votes cast when full circuit judges met in a closed-door conference at the Daley Center for nominating speeches and balloting. It was the first time in nine years that the chief judge faced opposition critical of his skills.

Appointments, assignments and retiremed announced recently by the Illinois Supreme Court are reported below:

3rd District Appellate Court

• Appointed acting clerk: Deputy Clerk Bradley T. Fedorow of Ottawa by the judges of that court effective in October.

Cook County Circuit Court

• Appointed circuit judge: Associate Judge Frances Barth of Chicago to fill the vacancy in the judicial office of John McCollom; and Joseph K. Luby of Evanston, in private practice, to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Paul Gerrity. Both appointments were effective in November.
• Resigned: Circuit Judge Thomas J. Janczy of Chicago, a judicial officer since 1971, effective in November; Associate Judge Joseph R. Schwaba of Glenview, a judge since 1972, effective in February 1988; and Associate Judge Bruno J. Tassone of Chicago, a judge since 1983, effective in October.

1st Judicial Circuit

• Resigned: Circuit Judge William H. South of Murphysboro, a judge since 1980, effective in December.

2nd Judicial Circuit

• Resigned: Circuit Judge Henry Lewis of Carmi, effective in December, currently assigned to duty in the 5th District Appellate Court.

9th Judicial Circuit

• Resigned: Circuit Judge Max B. Stewart of Carthage, a judge since 1974 and former chief judge, and Associate Judge Lewis D. Murphy of Monmouth, a judge since 1969, both effective in December.

10th Judicial Circuit

• Resigned: Circuit Judge Calvin R. Stone of Peoria, a judge since 1968 and former chief judge, effective in December; and Circuit Judge Stephen J. Covey of Peoria, recently appointed U.S. bankruptcy judge in Oklahoma, effective in November.

14th Judicial Circuit

• Not seeking retention: Circuit Judge David DeDoncker of Rock Island, a judge since 1976 and former chief judge, announced that he will not seek retention and will therefore leave office when his term expires in December 1988.

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20th Judicial Circuit

• Appointed circuit judge: Associate Judge James K. Donovan of Belleville, effective in November, to fill the vacancy created by the appointment of Joseph Cunningham to the Supreme Court.
• Resigned: Circuit Judge Robert Bastien of Pinckneyville, a judge since 1961, effective in November 1988.

Steve Selcke director of Department of Professional Regulation
(formerly Registration & Education)

Gov. James R. Thompson's administration continues to be a family affair for Stephen and Katharine Selcke. On December 1 Steve moved from assistant director of the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs to factor of the Department of Registration and Education, which became the Department of Professional Regulation effective January 1. In November his wife Kathy shifted from Thompson's deputy chief of staff to accept his appointment as assistant director of the Department of Conservation.

Steve Selcke replaced Gary L. Clayton, director for seven years, who left to assume the post of executive vice president of the Illinois Association of Realtors. Selcke had been assistant director of the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs since 1983. Previous experience included stints as an assistant in the governor's office of legislative affairs, legislative liaison with the Capital Development Board and House Republican staffer. He will be paid $60,439 per year.

Denney named solicitor general

Shawn Denney of Springfield was appointed Illinois solicitor general by Atty. Gen. Neil F. Hartigan in October. He replaced Roma Jones Stewart who resigned in September to return to private practice with the firm of Jones, Ware & Grenard in Chicago. Denney has been with the Office of Attorney General since 1976 and had served as chief of the opinions division since 1980. He will be based in Springfield.

Illinois Commerce Commission's new Office of General Counsel

Clyde kurlander of Chicago, named general counsel for the Illinois Commerce Commission in November, will direct the activities of attorneys in the solicitor, advocacy and advisory sections of the new Office of General Counsel. He had served as a hearing officer for the commission since 1984. Prior to that he was a partner in the law firm of Springer, Carstedt and Kurlander in Chicago, where he specialized in corporate and utility practice.

Also in November, Joe O'Brien, who has served as hearing officer in the hearings and orders division of the Illinois Commerce Commission since 1979, was appointed program director of the commission's transportation division's review and examination section. O'Brien has been with the commission for 20 years.

Department of Mines & Minerals

John B. Vancil of DuQuoin was appointed assistant director of surface mines for the Department of Mines and Minerals in November at an annual salary of $38,404. He replaces Huck Huckaby. Vancil had been a coal miner for Consolidation Coal Company and has 37 years of mining experience.

In October Department of Mines and Minerals director Richard R. Shockley appointed Robert Pate of Harrisburg as chief of technical planning and evaluation, and Robert E. Jones of Benton and Tom Allan of Gillespie as acting inspectors-at-large. Pate began state service in 1971 as a state mine inspector and had served the department as an inspector-at-large for the past 10 years. Jones, who began work with the department in 1967 as a state mine inspector, will serve the southern part of the state. Allan joined the department in 1981 as a state mine inspector and will serve the central part of the state. Jones and Allan will also retain their positions as job safety analysts.

Bertini to HHS

Catherine Bertini, a commissioner with the Illinois Human Rights Commission since 1985, was sworn in as director of the Office of Family Assistance at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in September. Prior to her appointment, Bertini had 10 years of experience in the private sector and held appointive positions in federal, state and local governments. The Office of Family Assistance, located within the HHS Family Support Administration, is responsible for administering the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program.

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Commission to streamline, revise mental health code

The new Governor's Commission to Review and Revise the Mental Health Code began work late last year to streamline and update the decade-old Illinois Mental Health Code. Co-chairmen are Cook County State's Atty. Richard M. Daley and Donald Hallberg, president of Lutheran Social Services of Illinois. The 23-member commission will seek information and recommendations on such issues as ambulatory commitment, voluntary vs. involuntary status, persons adjudged unfit to stand trial and not guilty by reason of insanity, and authorization and procedural safeguards in the use of restraint and seclusion. The governor's predecessor group, the Task Force on the Future of Mental Health in Illinois, recommended such a commission be established.

Legislative members of the new commission are Sens. Richard F. Kelly Jr. (D-39, Hazel Crest) and William F. Mahar Jr. (R-19, Homewood) and Reps. Andrew J. McGann (D-29, Chicago) and Tom Ryder (R-97, Jerseyville).

Other members include Robert Doerner, Protection and Advocacy, Joliet; Jim Hamilton, Milestone, Rockford; Thomas Minogue, M.D., psychiatrist, Urbana; Hazel Mrazek, M.D., psychiatrist, Maywood; Mary Chase Pell, private citizen, Evanston; Terry Sheen, attorney, Elmhurst; and Patrick Staunton, M.D., psychiatrist, Park Ridge.

Additional members, all based in Chicago, are Bruce Bennett, psychologist; Nicholas DeLeonardis, Mabley Developmental Center Parents Association; Prakash Desai, M.D , psychiatrist; Jerry Dincin, Thresholds; Jerome Goldberg, attorney; Doris Lomax, Human Resources Development Institute; Jose Morales, Association House; Norval Morris, University of Chicago; Donald Paull, Public Defender's Office; and Joseph Pribyl, psychologist.

The Illinois Humanities Council presented its Public Humanities Award in October to husband and wife Walter A. Netsch and Dawn Clark Netsch. He is a renowned architect and Chicago Park District commissioner; she has served in the state Senate since 1972 and is professor of law at Northwestern University Law School.

New Illlinois Issues board members

Two new Illinois Issues board members, Leonard Gardner of Bloomington and Robert F. Rich of Urbana, were appointed jointly by Sangamon State University President Durward Long and University of Illinois President Stanley O. Ikenberry in November.

Gardner, executive director of governmental affairs for the Illinois Farm Bureau, joined the bureau in 1956 as a research department assistant. He served six years as assistant to the president and 10 years as secretary of the Farm Bureau before devoting full time to the governmental affairs program.

Rich has been director of the Institute of Government and Public Affairs at the University of Illinois since July 1986. He also holds professorships in the department of political science and in health resources management at the University of Illinois at Chicago. His primary research interests are in the areas of mental health policy and science and technology policy.

Other appointments

Director Don Etchison of the Illinois Department of Energy and Natural Resources was appointed to the Innovative Control Technology Advisory Panel, a federal group that will advise the U.S. Department of Energy about clean coal technologies. The panel, which held its first meeting in September, was created in response to a 1986 U.S.-Canadian report that recommends developing technologies to reduce emissions associated with acid rain. Chaired by the undersecretary of energy, it includes representatives from federal agencies, the Canadian government, state governments, the private sector and citizen groups.

Glenn J. Grzonka of Lombard was named chief of the new bureau of licensure and certification for the Illinois Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities (DMHDD) in October. He will be in charge of surveying and reviewing provision of service to developmentally disabled persons in community residential alternatives and developmental training programs. Grzonka comes to the central office following 14 years of service with DMHDD at Madden Mental Health Center in Hines, where he had been facility director since 1984. Succeeding Grzonka in that position is Edwin Goldman of Hoffman Estates, formerly assistant facility director for special programs and services at Elgin Mental Health Center.

Ralph Travis, an administrator with 30 years of experience caring for the mentally ill and developmentally disabled, was appointed facility director of Lincoln Developmental Center in November by DMHDD director Ann Kiley. He replaces Linda Gustafson, who left to head operations at a similar facility in Salem, Ore. Travis had been administrator for the developmental learning division at DMHDD's Anna Mental Health and Developmental Center since 1974.

The Illinois Health Maintenance Organization Guaranty Association (IHMOGA) elected its initial board of directors at its organizational meeting in September. Brian Van Vlierbergen of HMO Illinois Inc. was elected chairman; Ann Gillespie Pietrick of Anchor Organization for Health Maintenance, vice chairperson; and Lloyd F. Mathwick of Quad City Health Plan, secretary-treasurer. Also elected to the initial board were representatives of American Health Care Providers Inc.; Carle-Care Inc.; Chicago HMO Ltd.; Maxicare Illinois Inc.; Michael Reese Health Plan Inc.; and Prudential Health Care Plan Inc. The purpose of IHMOGA is to protect enrollees of HMOs who reside in Illinois and their beneficiaries, payees and assignees against failure in the performance of contractual obligations due to financial impairment or insolvency of a certified HMO.

Teacher of the Year

Jean C. Tello, an American history and government teacher who has taught at Amos Alonzo Stagg High School in Palos Hills for all of her 18-year career, was named Illinois Teacher of the Year for 1987-88 at the State Board of Education's 14th annual "Those Who Excell" banquet in November in Matteson. As state teacher of the year, she will receive a paid sabatical, a tuition waiver and a $10,000 stipend to pursue graduate studies at a state university. She also will represent Illinois in the Nation Teacher of the Year competition sponsored by Good Housekeeping magazine, the Council of Chief State School Officers and other national organizations. The national winner will be announced in the spring.

Christa McAuliffe fellows

Four Illinois teachers were awarded grants in October from the newly established Christa McAuliffe Fellowship Program. Receiving awards were: Sandra Flannigan of Batavia District 101, $14,650 for "Writing Exchange";

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Harold Washington, Chicago's mayor, 1983-1987 On the 25th of November, Harold Washington died, very suddenly, leaving Chicago in shock. It could have been predicted. He was, after all, 65 years old. He was overweight. His time had come. But somehow, it was hard to believe that this energetic fellow, full of vitality, fighting his adversaries, charming his supporters, jousting with the press, poking fun at himself, warning of doom, inspiring hope, winking and chuckling and smiling his way through the city, and loving every minute of running it, was dead. It also was somewhat hard to believe that only five years ago, most of Chicago didn't know who Harold Washington was. It was five years and 15 days earlier, on November 10,1982, that Washington had declared his candidacy for mayor. It had been an historic and tumultuous five years, perhaps unmatched in Chicago's colorful political history: his stunning defeat of Jane Byrne and Richard Daley in the primary; his victory after an ugly general election; three and a half years of stalemate in the white-dominated City Council before he finally wrested control of it; and, ultimately, reelection last April to a second four-year term. Harold Washington's greatest accomplishment was simply that he won — that he became the first black mayor of Chicago, and that his election told every boy and girl in the ghetto that it can be done — that people with black skin can overcome, can achieve political power in our society. And the fact that the voters reelected him demonstrated that a black can be successful at the very difficult job of running this city. Not that those ghetto kids will all grow up great, or that they even will grow up. Life is just as rotten for most blacks as it always was. But Harold Washington gave them hope, pride, a lifted spirit. His remarkable achievement and the force of his personality made their eyes sparkle. It was an exciting thing to see. And their uncle or aunt or neighbor may have gotten something concrete out of it — like a job at City Hall, which had been pretty elusive all those years. Minority hiring went way up while Washington was mayor. So did the awarding of contracts to minority businesses, for so long closed out of the competition. Police brutality went down. The city started spending significant amounts of money in the neighborhoods — helping small businesses, rehabbing housing. City Hall, for the first time, began providing services to the black parts of town on an equal footing with the white parts. A freedom-of-information order was issued, opening public records to the public. An ethics-in-government law was passed. A tenants' rights law was passed. On the other hand, the school system is as lousy as ever, public housing is as lousy as ever, and the public health program has deteriorated. And the bureaucratic red tape at City Hall was, to use one of Washington's favorite words, burgeoning. As in all of life, and especially in politics, fate had a lot to do with Washington's initial election. It wasn't his idea to run in the '83 primary; he was drafted. A massive voter registration drive in the black community had dramatically improved chances for a black candidate. Daley, ambitious to follow in his late father's footsteps and bitter toward Byrne, slayer of the vaunted Democratic machine, was challenging her, and black leaders saw the opportunity to capitalize on the split in the white vote. Washington would have been swamped by either of them in a one-on-one contest. Though a congressman and former longtime state legislator, Washington was barely known outside the black community in 1982. And he had two big blots on his record: He had been convicted of failing to file income tax returns and had been suspended from practicing law for failing to perform services for clients from whom he had received fees. But neither involved large amounts of money, and Washington's fellow blacks weren't concerned — especially about the tax matter. He really didn't need much other than black votes to win, as it turned out. He collected about 290,000 of them, plus 30,000 from whites and Hispanics. And his margin of victory over runner-up Byrne was about 30,000. Then things turned ugly. Leading Democrats announced their support of Republican Bernard Epton in the general election, and the former state representative adopted a racist slogan: "Epton — Before It's Too Late." But enough Democrats remained loyal to Washington, and he was elected. Most observers believe Washington made a big mistake after his initial election in not reaching some accommodation with enough white aldermen to put together a majority on the City Council. He made no effort to reach out, and the result was that he controlled only 21 of the 50 aldermen; Ald. Edward Vrdolyak, the Democratic party chairman, controlled the rest, and stymied the Washington administration for three years, among other things refusing to confirm most of his appointments. Only when special, court-ordered elections were held in seven wards in 1986 was Washington able to gain control. (Some people, myself included, believe Washington was right in refusing to deal, because he ultimately won control on his own terms.) While Washington had fate on his side, he also had a lot more. He was a man with some extraordinary qualities. He was intelligent and energetic. He was quick on his feet, impressive in a debate, and he was eloquent as a public speaker. His charisma captivated his fellow blacks, and his sense of humor and his warmth melted whites. Thanks to Washington, this city will never be quite the same. The old-guard whites on the City Council managed to get a sellout black, Eugene Sawyer, named acting mayor, but Washington's people aren't going to take that lying down. The city may not always have a black mayor, but black candidates for mayor will no longer be ignored. Friction between the races will continue, but blacks can no longer be taken for granted in Chicago. For one thing, blacks and Hispanics together now constitute a majority of the city's population; whites are the minority. I knew Harold Washington, though not well. I admired him in Springfield, where he spent 14 years as a legislator. I covered the '82-'83 campaign and found myself inspired by the guy. He really meant it when he promised reform, and once he got the votes on the council, he began to deliver. Most reporters in Chicago don't like reformers, and I listened to a lot of bad-mouthing of the mayor by my colleagues. It's certainly true that he was far from perfect. But I liked him — as a mayor, as a man. He was, simply, a good thing that happened to Chicago. He'll be missed. Ed McManus

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Maureen Fletcher of Springfield School District 186, $12,480 for "Writers in Residence"; Jean Marie Settle of Alton Community Unit District 11, $16,500 for "Flight into the 21st Century"; and Jim Zimmerman of Urbana School District 116, $25,313 for "Science Education." The fellowships provide financial backing to give the selected teachers an opportunity to further their educations, develop new educational programs or assist local school districts with educational activities that will help improve the skills and knowledge of teachers. The program is federally funded.

Take a bite' wins prize

The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority's two-year-old campaign to encourage citizens to "Take a Bite Out of Crime" was awarded a certificate of merit from the national Advertising Council in October. In November 1985 the authority, using a combination of federal and state funds, began a statewide public information campaign featuring McGruff, the trenchcoated "spokesdog" of the National Crime Prevention Council. Since then the authority has distributed approximately eight million pieces of crime prevention literature through more than 440 law enforcement agencies that participate in the McGruff campaign in Illinois.

Energy innovations

Five Illinois winners received national recognition in October in the Illinois Energy Awards Program, sponsored jointly by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Illinois Department of Energy and Natural Resources. The purpose of the awards program is to spotlight unique energy savings projects and to encourage the sharing of conservation techniques. Winners include: City of Highland, which lowers electric rates for the public through purchase agreements with utilities and conservation programs for customers; Deere and Company, Moline, which reduces its consumption of natural gas and electricity by using waste heat and coal-fired steam; Tom and Sandy Hecht of Pleasant Plains, whose passive solar home has a number of energy-saving features; Highland Community College, Freeport, which has installed ground water heat pumps at its college

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center; and Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, Chicago, which has been implementing conservation improvements since the 1970s such as infrared and ultrasonic occupancy detectors to turn lights on and off.

Senior centers, senior citizens receive honors

Two senior centers and several individuals have been recognized for their services to senior citizens.

The North Shore Senior Center in Winnetka was one of three recipients nationwide to be honored with a certificate of merit by the Health Care Financing Administration in September. The center provides volunteers with extensive accounting and CPA backgrounds to help seniors prepare and file Medicare and Medicaid forms, in many cases avoiding unnecessary medical payments.

The Stephenson County Senior Center in Freeport was one of 13 community-based agencies nationwide selected by the federal Administration on Aging to receive a community achievement award in October for excellence in providing a responsive and effective community service system. Because a center in Illinois was a recipient of the award, the Illinois Department on Aging will receive a $30,000 grant to promote continued development of community-based systems of care.

Five senior citizens were named in October as winners of the 1987 Illinois Governor's Senior Leadership Award for Health and Physical Fitness sponsored by Illinois Bell. They include: Mike Clarizio, 74, of Chicago Heights, who began a one-member senior club that has since grown into three clubs with more than 700 members; Thomas Cureton, 86, of Urbana, a former professor of physical education at the University of Illinois who has been a pioneer in the area of fitness since 1930; Esther Fuenning, 75, of Chicago, a retired professor of physical education who teaches a weekly fitness class for approximately 100 people at the Levy Center; Robert Moore, 75, of Chicago, who is actively involved with the LaSalle Senior Center and teaches ice skating and tennis to children of Cabrini Green; and Lena Strickland, 75, of Chicago, who presently chairs the Metro Seniors in Action organization's 20-member health committee which develops, promotes and implements key health legislation.

Former Gov. Walker sentenced to federal prison

Former Illinois Gov. Dan Walker was sentenced in November to seven years in prison on federal fraud and perjury charges. Walker pleaded guilty in August to bank fraud, misapplication of funds and perjury, charges that stemmed in part from improper loans arranged for him from his First American Savings and Loan Association before it went broke. The government charged that Walker misapplied $280,000 from the savings and loan, lied to U.S. banking officials and filed false financial statements to borrow more than $1.1 million from five banks. Walker, who served as governor from 1973 to 1977, also was sentenced to five years probation and 500 hours of community service, and he was ordered to pay $231,609 in outstanding loans from the suburban Oak Brook savings association he owned with his wife. (Also see "Chicago," page 42.)

Deaths

• Chicago Mayor Harold Washington, 65, of a heart attack on November 25 in Chicago (see page 33).
• Former state Sen. Frank M. Ozinga, 73, of Evergreen Park died there November 22. He was a Republican state senator for 26 years before retiring in 1982. He also was chairman of the board of the First National Bank of Evergreen Park.
• Naomi Hyett of Springfield, director of the Illinois Commission on Children for 23 years, died November 15 in Springfield. She directed the Illinois committee for the White House Conference on Children in 1960 and 1970, and helped with various legislative accomplishments, including the creation of the Department of Children and Family Services in 1963 and the revision of the Juvenile Court Act in 1965.

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