FRIDAY
D e cember 18, 2015 • $ 1 .0 0
NO CONTEST
NORTHWEST
Jacobs wrestling wins easily against CL South, which had 6 forfeits / C1
HERALD
HIGH
LOW
31 16 Complete forecast on page A10
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Some coping with no snow
‘STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS’ SET TO SMASH RECORD-SETTING OPENING OF 2012’S ‘THE AVENGERS’
Some businesses alter winter plans, others tally losses By KATIE DAHLSTROM kdahlstrom@shawmedia.com
Matthew Apgar – mapgar@shawmedia.com
“Star Wars” fans Rob McAllister (left) and Tanner Hallenstein, both of Woodstock, play a game on their cellphones as they sit in an empty theater three hours before the 7 p.m. Thursday showing of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” at Classic Cinemas in Woodstock.
‘The force awakens’
Moviegoers flock to opening night of new ‘Star Wars’ movie “I was managing during the original ‘Star Wars’ trilogy. The hype wasn’t that much. Not anywhere near it.”
By CAITLIN SWIECA cswieca@shawmedia.com WOODSTOCK – A few hours before “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” hit the big screen Thursday night, Jeremy Poggensee stood anxiously in a hallway at Woodstock’s Classic Cinemas theater and described why he decided to spend his evening waiting to get prime seats for the saga’s latest installment. “It’s the thrill, the excitement, the mystery,” Poggensee said. Poggensee, of Woodstock, arrived about four hours before the 7 p.m. showing and passed much of
Inside:
Mike Wozny General manager of Classic Cinemas in Woodstock
the time chatting with Joseph Tambone of Richmond – the first person at the theater at 12:30 p.m. – and Paul Soulard of Woodstock. The self-described lifelong fans were among hundreds who flocked to McHenry County’s movie theaters to see the newest “Star Wars”
film, which continues the story from the original 1970s trilogy. Classic Cinemas had eight showings Thursday night, with Regal Cinemas Crystal Lake Showplace 16 and AMC Lake in the Hills 12 each hosting more than a dozen. According to The Hollywood Re-
porter, Amobee Brand Intelligence predicted a global debut upwards of $500 million and said the movie was positioned to top the record-setting opening of 2012’s “The Avengers,” which raked in $207.4 million. Mike Wozny, general manager of the Woodstock theater, said the theater first got inquiries about tickets more than six months ago and opened sales in October. The theater has been adding shows throughout the week to meet demand, referring to the phenomenon as “insanity to the Nth degree.”
See OPENING, page A7
Reaction from “Star Wars” fans after one of the first public showings of “The Force Awakens.” PAGE C10
McHENRY – The unseasonably warm weather has made for a pleasant winter for some. But for business owners who rely on the snow to earn their income, above average temperatures have made for plummeting profits. Joe McManaman, co-owner of Glacier Plowing in McHenry, expanded his small fleet Voice your from two to three plows opinion this year Are you and also purchased new dreaming snowblowers of a white and salt. But Christmas? since the No- Vote online at vember storm NWHerald. that dropped com. up to 15 inches of snow on some parts of McHenry County, his plows haven’t seen a snowflake that needed removal. “Profits will probably be nonexistent this year,” McManaman said. Temperatures in the area have been about 10 degrees warmer than average December temperatures, which sit in the low to mid-30s. National Weather Service meteorologist Amy Seeley said most of the country is warmer than normal this year because of the El Niño event on the Pacific Coast. Friday and Saturday temperatures will dip, with lows dropping to the mid-20s overnight. A chance for flurries exists Friday, but then temperatures will rise into the
See SNOW, page A7
D-200 teachers contract lays out changes in evaluations, raises By ALLISON GOODRICH agoodrich@shawmedia.com WOODSTOCK – Starting next school year, student growth will be factored into performance evaluations for Woodstock Community School District 200 teachers per a new five-year contract. The school board unanimously approved the contract,
which will run from 2016-17 to 2020-21. The Woodstock Council of Teachers, which has about 500 members, ratified the agreement Monday, union President Bill Donato said. The current agreement between the district and the union expires at the start of the next school year. The contract includes a 3.75 percent raise for the first
WHEELS
two years, according to a recent district news release. In years three, four and five, teachers will receive increases based on a property tax extension limitation law formula. Teachers will receive an increase of no less than 3.5 percent and no more than 4 percent in the third and fourth year, and of no less than 3.25 percent and no more than 4
percent in the fifth year. The agreement also includes notable changes to the health insurance coverage as well as to teacher performance evaluations, Associate Superintendent for Human Resources Mark Heckmon said. “In recent years, the state Legislature passed legislation requiring districts to include student performance in the
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Garfield’s liquor store gets Crystal Lake City Council’s approval for bar area / A3 LOCAL NEWS
rating for classroom teachers,” Heckmon said. “The major revision incorporated a measure of student growth that will be part of the performance rating beginning in 2016.” The district will use results from the Measure of Academic Progress assessment for first- through eighth-graders, the ACT Aspire test for grades
nine and 10, and the ACT for grades 11 and 12, Heckmon said. While not a fan of the law, Donato praised the collaborative efforts of both the union and the school district. “We have committees that are half union and half administration, and we’ve been
See D-200, page A2
GIFT CARDS $25 FREE WHEN YOU BUY $100 $10 FREE WHEN YOU BUY $50 Fireplaces are on
Prime Rib is Really, Really Juicy! PARTY ROOMS AVAILABLE For your Holiday Parties, and get togethers “A Good Place To Be!”
20 Questions with Fred
Philanthropic spirit at work
Test your automotive knowledge with the holiday edition of the annual car quiz / D1
Hundreds of volunteers pack gifts for more than 1,100 families in need in District 200 /A6
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