Habitat for Humanity- Housing financed by 'economics of Jesus'
By hael Bee er
BE TO HARBOR - Tired
of living in a hole? Think th r 's
no hope of finding a decent
place to li? ot true. ys
eal oran, nd th other
rea Chri tian who ha de-
cided to implement a Habitat
for Humanity project in Ben­
ton Harb r.
Twenty-five interested com-··
munity residents, including
Arnold Bolin, BH commissioner
and executive director of the
Berri n Council of Churche,
J me Turner, vice-pre . dent of
the BH Housing Commi ion,
and veral ea p tOIS met at
Peace Temple United ethodist
Church to get better aquainted
with how Habitat function,
and what it can offer in the way
of better hou ing.
oran who is erving s
temporary coordinator until an
affili ion and steering commit­
tee can be formed, howed a
film entitled "Shel er of God s
Lo ", which outlined what
Habitat is and what it does.
The film feat ured beneficiar­
ie of the pr ject from frica, .
Central America and d pre d
urban area in th Ll.S.; who
have received better housing
from Habitat. Habitat for
Humanity operates on what it
calls the' economic of Je u . '
Habitat will renovate hou s
best ever" addin that whil
he had hoped for a larger turn­
out, h found .orking ith a"
maller number m re gr tifying,
be ause it made it ea ier to
more dire tly answer que tion
b ut fea bility and operation.
Until Habitat is le ally in­
corp rated a n n-pr fit
or anization Habitat h re-
ceived clearance from the r-
rien Council of Churche to
u th ouncil' dep itories
for d nation Habit t may
ran said Habitat will
government m ney r
ut will r lyon donat­
individual and corpor-
with volunteer help, and offer
them to low income familie
on 20 to 30-year interest-free
mortage. Habitat al 0 offer
intere t-free loans for renovat­
ion project ..
Rev. el Williams, past r of
Hope United ethodi t in BH
aid h hope to Habitat
in BH bee me oth an inter­
racial and inter-denominational
effort to improve housing in the
city.
or n said a committee
would probably be ch n at the
next meting, tentatively ched­
uled for ay 14 location to
pe announced later. oran said
this meeting was 'probably the
ations.
full-time job initially. Swan
Oil bought th land at 1-94
four years 0, and they are
eking a commercial tax
abatement.on the project.
The township board
pas d a et-tough-on-junk
re lution. The re olution was
igned by all the board members,
well J c Drach township
police chief, and Jerry Camp­
bell, constable. The re olution
encoura e citiz ns to undertake
c an-up effort in the town­
ship them elve and thereby
void ticket and pro cution.
ielsen announced that state
n tor H rry Ga t (R-St. Jo­
ph h d told th board that
th ir request fo a art-up
tud grant from the state
department of commerce had
been approved. The money
will b u ed to tudy th wer
line the Br okfield f rm
nd along Cry tal
ve.
iel en aid the wer date
back a far 1929 and "are
pretty ob tete." The grant
is for 22 500 in tate money,
to be matched with 2,500
by th township.
The board al 0 approved
th proposal nt to the Tri­
County Private Industry Coun­
cil. PIC has request all local
governments to submit proposals
for employment generating pro­
jects in the respective munici­
palitie. Benton Township is
eking help in locating busi­
ne in the Urbandale Industrial
Par from PIC.
alamazoo
Bachelor 14
ove
KALA AZOO - The Kala­
mazoo City Commi ion turned
thumb down on th tran fer
of the Bachelor 14 liquor
.liscense from Benton Harbor
to a club at 206 . Pater on.
The action wa taken at the
April 8 e ion of the cornmis­
ion after having be n tabled at
at the arch 25 meeting.
Commi ioners questioned
th club '8 alledged violations
in 1977 when automatic ea­
pons and out-of- tate liquor
were found on Bachelor 14
premises then located on Euclid
v nue in Benton Twp.
ommi ioner al 0 too in
to account protest against
the club tran fer registered by
Bishop Tommy Lockett of the
Faith Temple hurch of G d,
114 . Pater on. The church
is Ie than 500 fee from the
proposed club
Pre ent at the comrru Ion
meeting as attorney David
Cornell, representing the club'
vice-president, VemeU Haynes
of Kalamazoo. Hayne 0 ns
the property at 20 E. Paterson
where he say he made 0,000
in improvement becau c-
ett promi ed he would not
oppo the club.
Public Safety ajor Kent
Coop r told commi ioners of
two alledged violations of st te
law at Hayne' Ea t Side Thre
Club 14 ills, in Kalamazoo
in 1983. That club was cited
for having gambling para·
phemalia on the premise,
Cooper said. Hayne said he
was acquilted.
Commissioner said they
anted evidence of the club'
financial stability without
revenue from the sale of alcohol
befor they would approve the
tran fer.
In a report to the city com­
rm sion Public Safety hief
John Ross recommended denial
of the transfer noting B chelor
14 ha no history of civic or
social ctivitie in K amazo
or financi I records that could
ow the club' financial
independen e without the ale
of alcohol, as required by th
. chig n liquor ntrol om-
mi ion.
eighbor of the Pater on
prop rty t stifying on behalf
of the club in luded: Clemen­
tine ole, Victor T ylor and
James hite.
Club officer are: president
illie William· vice-president
Vernell Hayne' cretary, Carl
Brown trea urer LeRoy aters;
rge nt-at-arms, J hnny il-
Iiams; and chairman of th
bard, J arne Benne tt.
pro-
cau e "plazas
and it need ren vation, iJ
need rehabilit tion." iel en
id he hop the improvements .
ill m e the pi za "a thriving
p rt of the community."
Public hearing on M y 7
and 21 ill b held on the
fur UDAG propo ay 7
will 8 0 be the date of a public
hearing on request from Swan
Oil to t up 8 commercial
development district at Pipe-
tone nd 1-94, for the purpo
of building a truck stop plaza.
Ron Schults, president of
Abonm rche Consultants, . d
th project ould co t $3.1
million, and ould create 60
KALAMAZOO City Commi ·0 rs denied
Harbor to . 206 Paterson Street ite,
mor
ne
proposed 1985-86 budget and
vote on it after a public hearing
i held June 10.
In othe busine , the board
voted four percent alary in­
creases to Hawkins, John Young,
high school principal, and James
Babcock, athletic director.
Hawkins received a $1,373
raise for being elementary school
principal, increasing his salary
from $34,334 to $35,700. He
was awarded a $424 raise for
being superintendent. This
hikes his salary from $10,600
to 11,024. His combined
salary is now $46,724.
Young received a $1,517
rai ,increasing hi salary from
$37927 to $39,444. Babcoc
gran ted a $1 ,080 raise ,
n increa from 25,996 to
2 ,075.
The board al granted raises
trict' ] 985-86 budget, which
$54,000 higher than I t
year' budget.
Hawkins unveiled his pro­
posed 1985-86 budget onday
night and told the board they
mu t cut spending. 'e're
spending more than we're taking
in," he said. The proposed
budget is 2,957,345. This
figure is $54,754 higher than
the 1984-85 budget. Ha kins
said the district is in a financial
bind because the board reduced
taxe two ye rs ago and voted
not to pre d the entire voted
mill ge. In ddition, he said
the State Equalized Valuation
(SEV) h dropped in the 1 t
two years. He id the deere
in S V h co t the di trict
about $ I 00,000 in tax revenue
e ch ye r. �
The bo rd will review the
ranging from five to seven per­
cent to six non-union office
workers and supervisors. Their
4! rie range from $12,323
for food rvice upervisor to
$21,671 for a central office
administrative secretary. All
raises ill go into effect the
beginning of he 1985-86
school year.
The boar a opted re-
solution setting the school
election for June 10. The
deadlin for filing nominating
petition i ay 13 at 4 p.m.
One four-year term is available.
The seat is now held by Frieda
Brown who is filling out the
unexpired tenn of Richard
Toms, who re igned earlier this
year. A minimum of 20 name
are nee ed on th petitions.
The board approved a 15-
day summer language arts pro-
By . tin Hay
COVERT - Covert School
Superintendent Alfred H wkin
told the chool bo rd onday
night that th district will be
in fin ncial rouble next year
if th.ey don't take in mor tax
revenue.
Ha kin recommended the
bo rd pre d the entire 15.5
mills that Covert resident
ppro d three years go. Haw-
kin aid th Y ha only been
preading 14 mill of the voted
mill e. Thi ill mean an
incre t payers will feel a
little more pinch in t ir pocket- •
books ne t ye r when the di -
trict levie an ditional 1 �
mill .
H kin
gram which will emphasize
writing. Hawkins said Co ert
tudents are weake t in com­
munication ill. The summ r
program is designed to improve
verbal and writing skills among
elementary and Junior high
school students.
Hawkin noted that the State
Board of Education has awarded
certificate of recognition to
students' who receive 100 per­
cent on the Michigan Assessment
Te t and to tho ho made
significant improvement.
The board voted to nd a
letter of commendation to John
Young who was recently reco -
nized by his peer and judged
a an 'out andin principal".
Young was named by mem-
bers of the ichigan A ciat-
ion of Second ry School Prin­
cipal .
ney
dis-