T E JEWISH NEWTS THIS ISSUE 60c SERVING DETROIT'S JEWISH COMMUNITY FEBRUARY 13, 1987 / 14 SHEVAT 5747 Team Effort Evacuated 78 Patients At Prentis Manor Staff and rescue workers turned a near-tragedy on Sunday into an adventure for 91 Jewish Home For Aged residents ALAN HITSKY high winds were affecting the outside power line and electrical service in the facility. When it fell, electricity Two evacuation plans, fire de- from the line arced through the partment and ambulance crews, the ground to break the gas pipe. Jewish Home For the Aged staff and The falling line also started a sympathetic security guards com- small fire in the service area of the bined last Sunday to make an adven- Prentis basement at the north end of ture instead of a tragedy out of a the building. When firemen turned dangerous gas leak at the Prentis off the sprinklers that put out the Manor. fire, they heard and smelled the es- The Lahser-Civic Center Drive caping gas. facility of the Jewish Home For Aged "We opened windows where we was threatened by a major gas leak, could, broke others, and brought in caused by a broken power line which fans," said Southfield fire Lt. Marcel fell and hit the building at approx- Charette, who headed the operation imately 7:30 a.m. at Prentis Manor. Electrical and gas The Southfield Fire Department utility repair crews were delayed in had been at the facility for 30 min- getting to the home because of the utes waiting for utility crews follow- weather and other emergency calls. ing reports from the Prentis staff that Fire fighters dug down to the gas line News Editor in an effort to allow the gas to dissi- pate outside the building, but it con- tinued to seep into the basement. When Consumers Power crews arrived, Lt. Charette said, they had trouble finding the outside shutoff for the gas line under the snow, and they recommended the evacuation. Firemen and Prentis staff had already moved the facility's 91 resi- dents to the south end of the building, and Lt. Charette had received ap- proval from Lahser Hills nursing home to move Prentis residents there. A second choice was the head- quarters fire station across from Southfield High School. But in an ef- fort to keep the residents closer to their own building, he received per mission from security personnel at - Michael Pelavin SEEKING CONSENSUS 5 Continued on Page 14 CLOSE-UP David Hartman THE PASSIONATE PHILOSOPHER 36 Amazing Marketplace Births Capitol Report Editorials Entertainment Obituaries Single Life Torah Portion Trifa And Church Tu b'Shevat Women Youth 85 78 66 6 53 102 81 48 40 42 64 76, 80 Candlelighting at 5:44 P.M.