VOL. 1
The Benton Harbor Cit-
izens dvi� 80 d has
d th state Attorne
General, F r n Kelley, for
an "interpretation U of the
Open tin Act it
pplies to the special meet
in call d by the ayor for
Friday, ay 25.
In a letter sent to the
Attorney General, Arnold
.: Smith, Ch irm n of the
CAB, outlined the events
preceding th m ting of
y 25 and stated U e su -
ted to the City Commis-
. oners that the ction as
not in eeping . th the
spirit or intent of the la ."
Th text of the letter
sent by th CAB to the
Attorney G n ral folio s:
r. Fran J. Kell v, Attor-
ney Gen r I
L� Building
525 est Otta
Lan 'ng, ichi n 48913
Dear Sir:
e h
ut th
a question
eigh n hour
. SERVI G TRI-COU
provi ion in the "Open
eetings Act" and the
posting of public notice.
On Tuesday, ay 29,
1979, at a meeting of the
Benton H rbor City Com
nus on, e ked for an
explan tion of the "Spec
i I eeting" that had ta en
pi ce at 3:00 P.M. on
ay 25, 1979. The reason
for the qu tion CIS that
the local medi h announ-
. ced th ting at noon,
three hours before the meet
ing was to take place.
e recei ed no re
sponse to our question from
any elected official. The
City Clerk, ho ver,
s red in the folio ing
m nner: that he had receiv
ed a p on call from th
avor at 4:55 P.M. on
Thursday, ay 24, 1979,
instructing him 'to notify
commi ioners of th special
eting and to post a public
notice; and that he did get
a public notice up the
board in th hall of the
City H II before 7:30 P. .
Conti ed on pa 2
ELECTIO
y
Benton Harbor Area
School B rd elections
are ondav, J un 11.
Polls will b op n from
8 to 8 ..
Absen tee Ballots are
still available for tho
o will be out of town,
too ill to come to the
polls, nd for sen 'or
citizens aged 60 or older.
Final deadline for
oting absentee in th
Ben ton Harbor Area
Schools election i Sat-·
urdav, June 9.
On Saturday, vot r
can c t ballots t th
'0
D
Administrati Center,
711 East Bri tain, from
8:00 a.rn. to 2:00 pm.
Ballots for resid n15
of th city of Benton
. H rbor e available from
the city cler ' office in
the Benton Harbor City
Hall. All other school dis
trict residents may pick
up ballots at the dmin
istrati Offices. Com
plete instructions are
contained ith each
ballot.
For addition I in
form tion call 926-1141.
AR OLD SMITH
STER
. 1
this area e denying BI cks
comm cial and home repair
loans," Carr said explainin
stand he wil glee at the
conference.
"I "II especially be
concerned in seeing �t
sh ington realizes t's
h ppening her-e ith govern
ment programs,' Carr c0n
tinued.
"The County lies
for fund using the statis ics
of Benton Harbor's poverty, .
Carr, 0 ner of F hions and then the mo y
for All Seasons, 165 in comes for the minori' ,
in Benton Harbor, explained th majority rips it off at
that the conference ill the top," Carr ch ged. h
solicit re ponse on issues "Th County controls
"such as capital form tion, a ncies in the city
tax policy, federal procure- with th exception of OIC�
rnent, and government pro- and e only recently got
grams affecting small busi - control of that," Carr . .
ness." "Lo them, YSB, 8cA,
At the end of the d y 70001 - �I of m. And
long . sessions, an Open then if you 100 at th staff,
Forum ill take place you '11 only find one Bl c
here reports from seminars American in char of I
held during the day '11 those programs."
lead to recommendations. "The money nt h
to be "developed 'by the for the area's poor, n r
conference staff for im- ts down to them," h
m diate action, if possi- added.
ble, and further considera- "The Own of Com
tion by delegates to the merce is worlcing h d in
Washington Conference hand ·th the Cowlty 4IS
for inclusion in' the final far as suppressi Benton
recommendations to th Harbor. Just I at the ti
Presid nt. tI • development goi on in Com nity
"I'm going to explain Benton To ip, S Corpon 'on
ho financial institutionsi In Joseph Ste ill TL.-t Carr
, nm e. II.. •
Benton Harbor clothing
store owner, Percy Carr, has
been invited by the White
House to ttend a White
House Conference on Small
Bu in ss to be held in
Detroit, Jun 14.
Delegates ill be elect
ed at th D trait gathering
to convene t th ite
House with others chosen
from across the country to
advise th President on
issues.
p
A group of Cass county
residents are questioning the
ereabouts of the Cass
County Affirmative Action
policy. .
According to Ed in
Johnson, spokesman for the
Cass County Concerned
Citizens (CCCC), the Affir
m tive Action policy has
been "in limbo" since adop
ted by the Cass So rd of
Commissioners (SOC) on
December 28, 1979.
Johnson and the eccc
pp red before a recessed Vowing that eccc ill
session of 'the BOC on "fire off" letters to the
Thursday, May 24 in an Attorney General to exped
ttempt to tr ck do n the it the policy, Johnson said,
tatus of th policy. HI thought it the und r-
H related th t h h d standing th Affirm ti Ac
been told the BOC nt tion program h d to be
the policy to Lansing for pproved by the Sta Civil
ppro I. Johnson stated- Rights Department. I
h could not find a dep rt- thought it s quit cI
ment in th pitol that that once through here,
anything of the poli- th t's wh re it up
to o. Ther i no doubt it
. to
yzed.
by d
at the con
by the Coun .
not find
by
c
in my' mind it
once get it
• ep to ha
peop in here
pte, the county
personnel p
said.
prior BOC's
Terry
commented,
t my op'nion,
YO no on
ction p
it i
Commissi
F edero i told BoMd
of Commi 'oners that sh
had talked ·th the Cass
County Prosecu pro
mised ction on the affirm
ti tion �'y � �
pendi murder trial
di posed of ..
Commi iooer
Breseman pointed out that
fa n members
on th SOC nee
doption of th policy.
H felt tha ne
should be
portunity
ction
if
to