25e ',.
CITY TRACK RECORD: LESS THAN 1% TO MI
, ,
The 2.2 million was to be
loaned to the hotel developers.
As the developers paid back the
. money . to the city,. the city
would in turn hand it over to a
minority group called the Mus­
kegon Urgan Development Ad­
visory Group (MUDAG).
According to the uit,
MUDAG was to use the fund
"for various needed and price­
le local community projects
with emphasi on the elimina­
tion of economic racism and
prejudice, lessening of neigh­
borhood tension, combatting of
10c3J Mu egon Community de­
terioration and to establish pro­
grams of financial istance to
aid and improve economic con­
ditions for developing 'prospec­
tive minority busine in the
uskegon Area."
Th suit further ks for
-' e're
I
after ur fair share."
ith those word South­
western Michigan Christian
Leadership Conference (SMCLC)
director Alfred Williams Jr.
explained the purpo of
lawsuit filed against the city of
us egon by his organization
last week.
The suit, filed in uske­
gon County Circuit Court, ed
that the city be ordered to
honor a 1979 "covenant" with
the minority community.
Attorney Wendell N. Davis
Jr . attorney for S CLC.
According to the suit, in
1979, the city had applied for
$2.2 million from HUD for the
hotel project, then slated for
Fourth and Webster, impacting
on the BI c .
AXlNE FITZPATRICK, mem­
ber S CLC and city ad· ry
group.
SALLY AL YES, SMCLC mem­
ber
an injunction against the city
and county to prevent them
from . disbursing any UDAG
funds "not in ccordance to
its convenant "with UDAG.
o
COMMISSION TO CONSIDER
VOLU �ER TA FO CE
RECOMME An
CITY: 0 E rr
"It's a suit without merit
and it i very hard to under­
stand what is to be accom­
plished," commented uskegon
city manager Robert F. Hage­
mann in a telephone inter­
vie September 25.
Hagemann is listed as a
defendant along with the City
of uskegon, Muskegon city
comnussioners, ayor Elmer J.
Wolcott and County Ad mini s ..
trator Ralph Precious.
Hagemann dismissed the
suit as having no merit saying
that there were two parate
UDAG greements prepared for
Continued on p e 8
By Terry
BENTO
unteer T Force on commu­
nity recre tion needs, represent­
ing ectrum of the commun­
ity, officially pre nted its re­
commendations to the city
col1U1USS1on, onday, Sept. 24.
Rev. Dirk Ficca, chair of the
South estern . chigan Christian
Le dership Conference Steering
Committee summarized their
fmdings in presentation to the
commission.
• e are ying the recreation
YMCA in downtown Benton
Harbor.
The Steering Committee
members are: Gladys Bu rks ,
Benton Harbor Area Schools;
Rev. Daniel Coo , Progre ive
Bapti t; John Dickey, Chamber
of Commerce; Rev. Dirk Ficca,
First Presbyterian; Bill Gorman,
CA Developer; John Harris,
First Pre byterian; Rev. Dr. Jane
Ann oore, First Congrega-
Continued 0 p e 3
t - Bobbie
o G SMeLC MEMBERS are
Barry Da . ,and tl Reed.
o KE 5 FACE FELO
AP
Y
CITY'
CHANGE AS GREAT GRAtE CAPER U
he saw both suspects loading the
eight steel grates onto the back
of a "grey city pick-up truck."
The grids are drain covers for
the abandoned car wash that use
to be at the building, according
to .the report filed by officer
Paul Deuel.
According to the police re­
ports, Blanchard called Chief
Sam Watson, who in turn called
Public Works and advised that
the grate be returned. Perkins
reportedly then returned the
grates ..
According to Blanchard, eight
grate were taken but only five
returned.
The police report puts the
value of the grates at $ 112 each
for a total of 800 approxi­
mately.
Blanchard i quoted in the
police report as ying that
Hud on and Perkin told him
ByTeny
BENTO
city employees face felony
charge for allegedly stealing
grates from a building owned by
Stanley Williams at 190 We t
Empire.
Edward Hud on, 52, of 150
Birdie, Benton Twp.iand Eddie
Perkins, 50, of 708 McAllister,
both public orks department
employee face ntences of up
to five years and, or $2,500 in
fine if convicted.
The alleged incident too
place onday, Septemb riO at
] ] a.m. according to Benton
Harbor police report .
There re two differing ac­
counts of the alleged incident -
that of the two suspects and that
of a witne .
Jame Blanchard, who li es in
the neighborhood near illiam's
building, told police officers that
mission to take the grate.
Then the story changes.
Police reports say that the
next day, Septemberll, at 2:30
p.m., Perkins came to the police
department with his supervisor
Carl Brown.
'Perkins stated he would I e
to make a supplemental to the
original report," reads the report
filed by Lt. Cyril FulJer.
In the revised version
stated, "the alley at the rear of
190 . Empire wa being graded
with road grader on the morn­
ing of this complaint" Fuller'
report read .
P rkins told Fuller h was
there hen the frontend loader
driven by Jerry Long truck
som 'steel grate, a cording to
the repor .
Perkins thought th grate
were being thro n aw y and
Continued on P 3
JA ES BLANCHARD ailed ed­
Iy caupt city orken eaJ.iD
grates.
program is not a effective as it
could be," Rev. Ficca said.' e
re also ying that no m tter
ho effective the program is,
there should be community in­
olvement in overseeing it own
Recreation Center."
The recommendations ere
culled from community testi­
mony taken Saturday, June 9 in
a day-long forum held at the
they had permission from the
o ner to take .the grates. Al­
legedly, Hudson laughingly told
Blanchard he was going to make
bar-beque grills with the grates.
Officer Deuel also reported
he spo e with Hud on and
Perkins ho . d they had per-
