Herald and Review from Decatur, Illinois • Page 3

Decatur, Illinois, Thursday, November 22, 1984 Page A3 Central Illinois- Sightings of smspeclt mmcoiufiirmed The girl did not fall for the ploy and was uninjured. Hermes said. The parents of the girl did not advise authorities of the incident until two days after it happened, Hermes said. He has written to parents advising them to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the sheriff's office. The man sought by Decatur police is described as a black man in his 20s, 5-foot-8 to 5-foot-10, with a medium-dark complexion, dark curly hair, full beard and mustache.

A reward of up to $5,000 has been offered for information leading to the arrest of the person, or persons, responsible for the murders. People with information are asked to call Decatur police at 424-2711 or 423-TIPS. By JUDY TATHAM MrM A nmritm Staff Wrtter Champaign County authorities have received reports of at least three sightings of a man fitting the description of the suspect sought for the murders of two Decatur cousins who disappeared while trick-or-treating Halloween night But the sightings cannot be confirmed as being the suspect, a spokesman for the county's sheriff's office said on Wednesday. "There has been mass confusion" as the public and news media have reacted to reports of the sightings, according to Capt. Roger Corray, head of the sheriff's detective bureau.

Corray said his department will review possible Champaign-area men fitting the description and assist Decatur police. ment about 36 hours after they disappeared when they left their apartments in the 800 Block N. Broadway. School officials in Champaign County are taking precautions to urge parents and youngsters to be particularly wary of attempts to lure youngsters into vehicles. There was one such incident about 7 p.m.

Nov. 13 on the main thoroughfare of Homer, according to Homer School Superintendent James Hermes. Hermes said he learned of it late Tuesday afternoon from the Champaign County Sheriff's Office, which advised him there had been similar incidents in Champaign. An 8-year-old girl was approached on Main Street in Homer by a man who said he was to pick her up because her parents were shopping and asked him to take her home. The man's physical description is similar to the one released by Decatur police.

But he cautioned that he does not. at this time, consider the incidents to be a major development in the Decatur case. The reports of the sightings came after Decatur police Friday released a composite sketch of a man seen in the company of the two girls and a sister of one of them. The third girl survived the abduction. All the sightings were made before the sketch was aired on television in Champaign-Urbana.

The latest was on Friday before the newscast Champaign County deputies and the Illinois Department of Law Enforcement are working to see if they can help Decatur police assist in finding the suspect, or suspects, who sexually assualted the two girls. The bodies of Sherry Gordon, 12, and her cousin, Theresa Hall, 10, were found in a Longview Place apart Taylorville hospital flap leaving scars By DAVE PETRINA HrM Rtvkw Staff Wrlttr TAVLORVILLE Controversy continues to swirl around St. Vincent 'Memorial Hospital since hospital officials revealed last week that two Taylorville surgeons have voluntarily given up some or all of their operating privileges. Although not named by the hospital, other sources have identified the two doctors as Ignacio Del Valle and M. T.

Salaymeh. The two doctors were confronted with the results of a survey of surgical procedures conducted at the hospital by an independent firm, Inter Qual. As a result, Del Valle and Salaymeh were given the choice of withdrawing, seeking assistance to perform some surgeries or asking for a medical staff hearing on the findings. Salaymeh, at the time the hospital's director of surgery, has practiced in Taylorville for about 13 and Del Valle has been a surgeon in town for more than 25 years. Del Valle has since regained authority to perform certain types of surgery at the hospital.

The surgeons were confronted with the survey results at the end of August Both surgeons have refused to comment, and both have said they are considering filing lawsuits. Three members of the Board of Paula Veach reads Thanksgiving story to 'Pilgrims and Indians' at Southeast School. Bergner employees contribute criticized Koerner and Freese for failing to allow other members of the hospital medical staff to review the surgical survey results. They pointed out that the medical siaff originally had requested an independent survey of surgical procedures. Collodi said many surveys of various hospital services are conducted routinely.

Freese said the medical staff and other trustees weren't consulted because they would have served as a hearing appeal board if the surgeons sought a hearing. And because the action was voluntary by the surgeons, Freese said he saw no need to inform the other trustees and medical staff after they decided to give up their privileges. Collodi said Tuesday he still hasn't been notified officially by the hospital of the medical status of the two surgeons. He said he found out the next morning when the two surgeons called him. Freese disagreed, stating Collodi was informed because Collodi was advised to appoint himself director of surgery.

Trustee Dr. George Ferry, a Taylorville dentist, said he resigned from the board of trustees because of the manner in which the surgeons' privileges were removed. He, too, said the trustees were never consulted about the action. Ferry said he "woke up one morning to learn that their privileges had been removed." He was he faced an avalanche of telephone calls from people wanting to know what was happening at the hospital, but he couldn't explain anything because he hadn't been part of the decision. George Zimmerman of Harvel also resigned as a trustee in late October because Koerner and Freese did not consult the board about the surgeons.

Zimmerman also criticized the lack of communication between the community, board, administration and the hospital corporation in Ruma. The Adorers of the Blood of Christ, a Catholic order of sisters, owns St Vincent Memorial Hospital and two other hospitals. Sister Joan Marie Voss, corporate president, could not be reached for comment. The order appointed three sisters' to replace the three resigned lay trustees on the 11-member board. The sisters have not announced yet if new lay members were named to the board at the Nov.

16 annual meeting. Trustees have resigned over the flap, criticizing Board Chairman George Freese and hospital administrator Edward W. for I Koerne Turkeys give all to gain respect On every other day of the year, the turkey gets about as much respect as Rodney Dangerfield. The poor creature which Benjamin Franklin once thought should become the national bird Is more commonly a term of derision, as in "You turkey!" But on Thanksgiving, he regains some of his respect School children, such as those seen here from the Wednesday kindergarten class of Lonnl Newcome and Paula Veach at Southeast school, read books dedicated to the turkey. And farmers like Dick Kaltenbach.

whose pet. Harvey, rules his acres off Mound Road, get a little credit for harboring such a strange bird. Today, thousands more In Central Illinois will give the turkey his due by making him the centerpiece to a grand Thanksgiving Day feast (Photos by Merb Slodounik) the method in 1 A sur- LS which the i geon problem was handled. Bergner Department Store employees are providing a little heartier Thanksgiving for 14 Decatur families. The employees collected about 40 pounds of food for each of the boxes, which were delivered to needy families Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Salvation Army supplied the names of deserving families, said Bob Ross, Bergner store manager. "The credit went to the associates," Ross said of store employees. "It was their idea." The company added a ham to the canned and processed foods in each basket. The gifts should give two or three meals besides Thanksgiving dinner. The workers are planning to top their food drive for Christmas, Ross said.

For the third year, Bergner's and Progress Resources Center are cooperating on the "Love Chain" fund-raising project. Proceeds from the sale of $1 Christmas ornaments go toward scholarships for the developmentally disabled clients of the center. After a person buys an ornament, his or her name is printed on a paper loop. The loops become part of a chain Bergner's is displaying through the holidays. Freese also Gaorge hr resigned, but said he left because his one-man business required more of his time.

Koerner has refused to talk with a reporter about the surgeons. The only public comment made by Koerner was at a meeting Friday of about 50 invited community leaders. Freese said such meetings are held routinely to get community input, although the session included hospital attorney Linda Haddad of Pittsburg. During the meeting, radiologist and Chief of Staff Dr. George Collodi and pathologist Dr.

Doyle Slifer C. Hospital problems shake people up Dick Kaltenbach with hit pet. i i Lmi 1 I ft I i- i v. I ex hj house," he said. Hospital Administrator Edward Koerner refused to talk with a reporter about the hospital's census or about anything involving the controversy over the two surgeons.

Another man at the counter said he would be going to Springfield instead of going to the local hospital if he needs treatment. "The only thing I find fault with is that they didn't come out and say what happened to quell the rumors." said the first man. His wife, who worked for a surgeon, said the office was deluged with calls from worried patients when the word first got out about the two surgeons halting practice at the hospital. "And we heard the most ridiculous rumors of our life," he said. Waitress Lillian Young defended Del Valle, saying he had operated on her husband for appendicitis on a Sunday to make sure the appendix did not burst, and he performed several operations on her uncle "and pulled him through." Annabelle Leighs of Taylorville.

president of the hospital auxiliary, said she continues to support the 'hospital. She said the organization will continue to raise funds for hospital equipment and programs. "It's not the auxiliary function to get involved with the operations of the hospital," she said. TAYLORVILLE Just about anyone you happen to talk to in this town is aware of the problems surrounding St. Vincent Memorial Hospital, the town's only hospital and the city's largest employer.

Many of those who voice their concerns speak from personal experience or from having friends and relatives as patients at the hospital. But now with two surgeons curtailing or halting their practice at the hospital and the resignation of several trustees, many contacted this week said their confidence in local medical service is shaken. Drs. Ignacio Del Valle and M.T. Salaymeh voluntarily withdrew some or all of their operating privileges after an independent firm conducted a survey of surgical procedures they and other physicians performed in Taylorville.

The hospital itself has suffered from a decrease in the number patients since the problems came to light, according to one customer at Rene's Drug Store, locatedjust off the square In Taylorville. Like most others contacted by a reporter this week, he refused to reveal his name. "My mother was in the hospital (last week) and there was one floor closed and only two other patients in wing," he said. "All you have to do is drive out there at night and see there are no lights on in a lot of the rooms. It looks like an empty ware Pilgrims Randy Clark, Lee Purdeu and Charlotte Jonas meat Indians Lacy Pugh and Lomell Barbee..