uced
By ichael Becker
Industrial ite plan were
approved for two bu ine
moving into Bent n Township
at the town hip board' regular
me ting Tue day night but not
without orne difficulty.
Harbor Printing Co., owned
by ichael Green received onJy
a year tax abatement on
the structure propo ed to
build on Plaza Dr.
Green al 0 own Midwest
Con truction company, and had
told the board he planned to
r construction equipment
the property, Treasurer
James Culby added that he
had heard that Green might
use the printing companies
building to house office for the
construction company.
Green began his con truction
company when h became the
successful bidder on Benton
Harbor city's HUD-funded de­
molition program in 1982,
ccroding to information . en
the city commission by taff.
Culby . d inc the J T
batement (or arbor
Printing only, Green uld not
receive the u ual 12 year 1FT. "
The site plan calls f r the plant­
ing of a green It around the
building. The board will take
up the construction equipment
is ue at a later date, ccording
to Trustee Margaret Crishal.
R&D Builders' site plan was
I 0 pproved by the board.
R&B will be the first industrial
Citiz 0
emocr tic
BE TO 1WP. � Jack W.
o 'Brien today announced the
frmation of a citizens com­
mittee titled "Citizens For Good
Government In Benton Town­
ship".
According to O'Brien, a
township businessman, resident
and former Township Clerk, thi
is a broad b d group represent­
ing I segments of Benton
Township.
O'Brien said the commit-
tee upports busine growth,
is concerned about rvices and
oppo any new tax incre s
existing revenue are uf­
ficient to provide good govern-
ment and rvi O'Brien
ated that Township's
future depend 0 und finan-
cial planning and alanced bud­
geting.
O'Brien id the committee
has decided to support the
Democratic late of candidates
To nship office . Support
d on a number of re ons,
developer in the rbandal In­
dustrial P rk. Charles S hrenk
dept. head of the Berrien C un­
ty onomic Development
Dept., a ked the board to t
the ne t regular meting Oct. 2
as a public hearing date for
R&B' propo ed 12 industrial
tax ab tement. The board
old R&B three acres on Urban­
dale for 1.
Jeno's Benton Harbor plant
which was given a 12 year tax
abatement earlier this year, laid
off 60 employees, and moved
much of the processing to a
Jackson, Ohio plant. Spoke­
man for Jeno's said the move
would idle, but not close the
Twp. facilities.
Pyramid Oil was given the
final go-ahead to run a water­
line from Crystal, down apier
to the Famous Truck Plaza on
1-94. Charles Barger, town­
ship engineer, and Merritt Eng.,
repre nting Pyramid, agreed to
the final plan approved over a
month 0, adding only an
additional fire hydrant at Cry tal
and apier.
Treasurer Colby also an­
nounced that the board will
be accepting bids on auto
insurance for the' township.
Their curren t coverage with
Dan Flaugh Insurance expires
oon, and Flaugh wrote to the
board explaining that premium
costs would go up 90% for the
next year.
end
lat
according to O'Brien. The
main reason O'Brien stated was
the fact that the Democratic
slate is in agreement with the
committees' concerns and offers
an approach that assures resi­
dents will have input.
O'Brien appointed James
Boothby, Democratic candidate
for Treasurer, as committee
Vice-Chairman and Treasurer.
Current committee members,
for relea ,include: Jack W.
O'Brien, 2884 Britain; James
Boothby, 278 Higman Par ;
Rev. Delano Bowman, 955
South Crystal; linda Scar­
brough, Millburg; Daniel Skin­
ner, 143 Hampton; Arvie Kiser,
3666 S. Blue Creek Rd.; Rev.
Rudolph Thomas, 957 Emerson;
Rev. athaniel Gathright, 670
. Euclid; J D. Collins, 297
ickerson; Robert Whitney,
4307 Highland; Jerry Hazel
Dubar, 4763 Territorial; John
LaTatta, 2220 Butler; and John
Williams, 1070 East Main.
11IB CITIZEN ENCOURAGES ITS RBADERS
TO BXPRESS ONS AND VIEWS
to: The CitizeJl. P.O. Box 216. B.H.,)049022
SEPT. 26 - OCT. 2, 1984 THE CITIZEN PAGE THREE
WO KE 5 FACE FELO
Continued from p I
too then to Public orks D -
partment,
states.
the
rep rt
p lice
,
"It wa ob rved that the
steel grates were laying on a ce­
ment floor at the east end of the
building that sits along the ide
of the alley' Lt. Fuller wrote in
his report. "The grates were at
least 20 to 25 feet north of the
alley and it would have been im­
possible for a front end loader
going through the alley to run
into these steel grates. There was
a Perfect imprint of the grates
on the concrete in rust stains
where they had been laying."
The police report amend­
ments were not complete yet.
On Wednesday morning, at
9 a.m., Hudson talked with Lt.
Fuller at the station.
Hudson, too, revised the orig­
inal statement made to Officer
Deuel. Hudson told Fuller, he
was called to the alley by
Perkins where he observed a
couple of steel grates laying
slong side the alley and assisted
AS
FO
Continued from page 1
tional; Ali Furqan Muhammad,
American Muslim Mission; Rev.
Dr. Carlos Page, Peace Temple
United Methodist; and Mattie
Roddy, Hope United Methodist.
In arriving at its recommenda­
tions, the committee heard test­
imony from the YMCA director
and board president; Carl Brown
and Glen Yarbrough, in charge
of the city's recreation program;
Blossomland United Way execu­
tives; James Rutter, principal
BHHS; Mayor Wilce Cooke;
Commissioner Arnold Bolin;
KeA Platts, Senior Citizen
Center; local pastors and con­
cerned citizens.
The committee presented six
recommendations:
- A consortium of all those
who deal with recreation meet
regularly for better communica­
tion and cooperation.
in ) ading them on the truc
the p lice report tates.
Jerry Lon wa interviewed
by Lt. Fuller and confirmed
Hud n' and Perkin's revi d .
account�, police reports show.
Long added s me details. He
aid the report- st tes, that a
long chain was pre nt that had
"po sibly been u d to pull them
into the alley from where they
had been laying on the concrete
slab.'
Lt. Fuller observed in the re­
port, "It might be noted that the
concrete slab mentioned is a
floor of a building that has been
torn down. Also, the south wall
of the building is still about two
feet high (2 cement blocks)
which the grate would have had
to be lifted over to get them to
the alley."
Eyewitness Blanchard also of­
fered evidence that contradicts
the Hudson, Perkins, Long ver­
sion.
Blanchard told Lt. Fuller that
he saw no, heavy equipment at
co
u
y
- A public directory of exist­
ing recreation and community
facilities and program be circu­
lated.,
- The YMCA Family Center
expand and upgrade its efforts
to serve Benton Harbor through
adequate representation on the
Y board and special attention to
needs of unemployed young
adults and poor. families.
- Blossomland United Way
consider positive ways of meet­
ing city needs in its allocations.
- Establish greater account­
ability at the Charles Gray Rec.
Center.
- Establish a board of direc­
tors with the authority to hire,
evaluate and oversee staff and
budget, plan program '.
- Reactivate a program simi­
lar to the Community Education
Project that served the commun­
ity successfully a decade ago.
p
w rk in the alley at the tim of
the incident.
Blanchard said, t po
rep rt tate," that he sa
Hud on back "a silver Benton
Harbor city truck down th y
and up onto the cement founda­
tion."
Hudson and Perkin re
duled for a pre-examin tion con­
ference September 26 at 2:30
and a preliminary exam, Sept.
27 at 8: 30 a.m.
A plea-bargaining offer by
Pro cutor Paul aloney - flied
in the court records. The off r
would allow th men to plead
guilty to larceny under S 100, a
misdemeanor.
City Man ger Ellis uc II
remarked at the regular onday
night city commission IDee g
the men would not be ded
pending the outcome.
Mitchell said he" would ba
no one working for him if he
took action everytirne one of hi
employees was accused of
thing.
TV
Rev. Ficca ked the COIDIDIS
sion to concentrate on t 0 re­
commendations specificaDy_
asked the commission to pre-
ent, if they could, a decision
October I on the two.
Tho . two are the tab - -
ment of a forum to dele
the present process (or .'
and evaluation personnel, pro­
gramming and budget. The
forum would also ek to clarify
the relationship of the Center to
the schools, the role of
Advi ory Board; and the provi­
sions of the original HUD appli­
cation for funds with the
Center was built.
The second item �_ Fica
requested immediate 'Com .
sion action on as the cret.ti
. .
of an independent board to run
the Rec Center and recreation
programs.
First Black lawn and garden
manufacturer opens
SOUTH BE D - High Tech
Products, Incorporated was
"formed in June of 1983. Oper­
ating under the trade name
PIO EER, by High Tech, it is
the first minority owned and
operatedmanufacturer of Lawn
and garden equipment in the
United States.
High Tech Products, is locat­
ed at 408 W. Sample St. and
is headed by Lee C. cKnight,
President; Charles E. Howell,
Secretary; and Dr. Dennis Car­
ter, Treasurer.
High Tech ha at its facility
approximately 25,000 square
feet including office and manu­
facturing space. In addition it
is estimated that fifty (50
new job will be created in
the areas of management, ales
and manufacturing with poten­
tially 150-250 employees total
over the next three years.
Product line consists not
only of push and elf propelled
lawn mowers, but High Tech
offers a riding mower, a sulky
mower, weed eaters, garden
tillers and snow blowers. Other
lawn and garden products will
be introduced to the market­
place in 1985. All products
are suitable for both residential
and commercial applications, the
founders state. '
Pre ntly the company is
seeking individuals who are
interested in b coming distri­
butors, dealers and manu­
facturers repre entatives begin­
ning in 1985.
The First Annual Dealer-
Distributor Conference will be
held September 23-25, 1984
at the Americana Inn in do
town South Bend. Approxi­
mately 325 interested indi id­
uals contacted at tr e f:' ,
shows and exhibits from across
the country have been invited
to attend thi" conference,
High Tech will be holding
its Grand Opening ednesd y,
September 26, 1984. The
ribbon cutting ceremony will
be at 9:00 a.m. and will be
attended by federal state
county and city official from
the surroundin cities and town.
One city mayor said ' hat
you are doing is not just go d
for uth Bend, or just Indiana,
it is good for the hole
nation.'