AUGUST 23 - 29,1987 THE t.tICHIGAN CITIZEN
7
Benton I-Iarbor area news \
o
B
sc
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exec WI
business venture. He bought a
building in Indianapolis and
turned it into Big Fella's res
taurant in 1971.
To become the fastest-gro -
ing trucking firm no an
easy feat
"The fir t
good ape. ce
ters, b en
began to op for the rate
they could find," cFadden
says. "We realy went through
some difficult times."
A
-
Gene
INDIANAPOLIS - Gene
cFadden, form r assistant
superintendea of the Benton
Harbor Area Schools, was
named the Indiana En
repreneur of the Year.
President of Freight
aster Inc. of Indianapolis,
cFadden founded the fastest-
growing minority-owned truck
ing company in the Midwest
following failed try at selling
railroad aossties.
He began his quest for sue-
e
o
cFadden heads fastest-growing minority-owned trucking firm
cess picking cotton in Arkan
sas, then selling papers. He
earned a Ph.D. in secondary
education, rose to assistant su
perintendent of the Benton
Harbor Area Schools, left to
take up directing the Division -
for Community Services in in
dianapolis.
"I have always had an inter
est in business - since I was a
kid, " McFadden told an in
diana publication.
That interest Jed to his first
o
1
The DDA boundaries are
approximately the riverfront
on the west, east on Empire
one block, then all the way
along 11th Street to Wall
Street, west along Wall and
Highland, back to Main, north
along Fourth, to Graham and
back to the river.
Irvin said she and the other
fired members have ques
tioned the legality of Little
serving as director.
'He's not bonded," said Irvin
quoting the law requiring
directors to be secure a
$10,000 bond prior to assum
ing duties. "I also don't think
he ever too an oath as the
law requires.
DDA President John Die ey
told the Michigan Citizen that
he knew nothing about the let
ter from Petrie and was un
sure of whether or not Little
was bonded or had been
cDonald
Chiropractic Clinic
B CK, HIP & LEG PROBLE S
ECK, SHOULDER & AR CO DITIO S
WHIPLASH I JURIES
sworn into office.
Other DDA board mem
bers, Dickey said, include
. Mayor Wilce Cooke, LMC
president Anne Mulder,
Whirlpool's Andy Tackas who
sends Dale Sorget to repre
sent him, Thayer Paper Co.
president Kay Vargo, Rev.
Delano Bowman, Rev. Bar
bara Snell, and Hair Un
limited owner Jimmy Norton.
The membership of the
board raises another legal
I question, Irvin said The la
requires that five of the eight
DDA board members have
"an interest in the property" in
the DDA area.
Only Vargo, Dickey, Norton
and Whirlpool would meet
that requirement.
Commissioner Wolf has
questioned Little at city com
mission meetings about DDA
compliance with the require
ment that a detailed projec
ROBERT
BELL
CO TRACTOR
Bob - n arl tr et
PAINTING & DECORATING
ROOFING*TILE*MARBLE
REMODELING
STATE LICENSED
310 Searles Street
926·6859
Benton Harbor, MI 49022
That understatement
describes a Clap er 11 filing
in 1983, after which three
emp oyees - McFadden, a
partner and one other person-
did all the dispatching, invoic
ing. ccounting and everything
else required by the business.
Freight Masters pulled
through, and now hauls freight
for some of the biggest com
panies in the country, includ
ing General Motors Corp. and
Chrysler Corp.
plan be submitted for expendi
tures.
The question was raised
when Little admitted paying
city workers who were off duty
on vacation leave for pouring
a sidewalk infront of Thayer
Paper Co. DDA money was
used 0 bids were solicited,
little admitted.
Dickey told the Michigan
Citizen he knew nothing about
the sidewalk job and that no
checks had been written to
pay for the job.
According to Wolf and the
law establishing DDA's, a 14-
point breakdown is required
to be submitted detailing
things such as how bids will be
solicited Wolf charges that
has not been done.
Irvin also said that monthly
financial statements are sup
posed to be filed and available
to the public.
The three fired, former
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DDA board members ha
filed suit in Circuit Court as
king for court revie of their
firing. A trial date has been
set for February, Irvin reports.
'1 guess the judge saw some
merit in our charges or this
ould 110t have been set for
trial," she said
Half of Alex Little's salary is
paid for by a PIC job-creation
grant to the city. He is paid
$23,100 from the PIC grant
Another $23,100 of his
salary comes from the $1.3 mil
lion paid back to the city by
Alreco Metals. Alreco
received that amount in an
Urban Development Action
Grant in 1983.
The final $4,000 of Little's
salary comes from the city's
general fund .
Little also serves director
of the TIP A, whose president
is Public Works Director Carl
BOWD. It is not know who
signs those checks.
director of the DDA with the
uthority to co-sign checks
ith DDA Board President
Dickey. .
This too, concerns Irvin. She
noted that the DDA did not
have a treasurer since Cooke
fired the treasurer last sum
mer. Dickey confirmed that he
and Little signed DDA chec .
Irvin said the la requires
t treasurer and bonded
director sign the checks.
The DDA has $365,806
budget for the year 1987-88,
ccording to Dickey, 0
or a small business
developer for the Chamber of
<?ommerce, a PIC-funded posi-
The DDA funds re raised
through a two-mill levy on
property in the DDA district,
and are by law to be used sole
ly for improvem nts in that
area.
o In u Auto Acc d nt
Phone 925-BACK or 925-3232
e Dickey gency
6:3 ..
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F irplain PI za
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