u
By Rhonda B. Sewell
Capital News Service
LANSING - Attempting to
assist the City of Benton Harbor
- or what many have called an
economic disaster area - has
been rewarding.
But, John Schweitzer, direc
tor of Michigan State
University's Benton Harbor
project also adds that the
r.roject was met with some skep
ticism in its beginning years.
Schweitzer said current
project expansion efforts to es
tablish a permanent site in the
city have been welcomed posi
tively by Benton Harbor resi
dents.
Negotiations with Michigan
Bell Telephone Co. to expand
the project in the company's
building located on Wall treet
in Benton Harbor may be com
pleted this year.
"I'm hopeful that this is the
year that we can do it," Schweit
zcr said. "We've been talking
with them since June 1986."
A candidate to head the
project site in Benton Harbor
has not been chosen, but -
Schweitzer said it will be some
one ho can serve the needs of
the community as well as the
university.
The � it will be a center of
small businesses or what he
refers to as a "business in
cubator" of commercial and
retail businesses.
"The city is supportive,"
Schweitzer added.
MSU collaborated with city
officials in 1985 to form the
M U - Benton Harbor project.
As part of the project, MSU
'. profes ors and graduate stu
dents from the urban planning
department and professors
travel to the city to develop com
munity program and assist city
officials with job-training ses-
ions.
Although curre t activities
eem to e welcomed by the
community, Schweitzer admits
that when the project was first
implemented, residents viewed
the project and its participants
as "outsider • tampering with
their community at no benefit to
Benton Harbor'S citizens.
"It's been an incredible ex
perience and there was a lot of
skepticism, even questioning
amon� the residents as to - "Do
we really need another study' -
or "Here comes � bunch of
outsiders'," Schweitzer said.
"But now the community has
been really accepting and sup
portive. now there is a lot of will
ingness to work with us."
MSU President John Di
Biaggio said he is sensitive to
those who have been skeptical of
the project and its efforts to ac
tually benefit the community
and not ju t the univ rsity
through research.
- I
he ENTER FO ELF
, RIVERW OD
R, Benton Harbor, an
I no nee the foil wing open
gro pm clings for March:
arch 10, 7:30-9 p.m. - Ber
rie Epil p Y Program. River
wo d 'enter onununity
Ro m (Entrance 3), 1485 H
M- 39, Bent n Harb r. Infor
-m l on and upp rt for peopl
wit� pilep: y, family, c n
eer cd pr fe sional. Car-po l-
ing. all 925-0594 or 1-800-336-
034 .
arch 18, 7:30-9 p.m. -
P n of�urd�
Chi dren. Christ EVangelical
Lut eran Church; 4333
Cle land Avenue,
Stev' nsvill County
Pro ccutor aul Maloney will
spes . Open to anyone
toue ed by the violent death of
a 10 I d-one, Call 429-9566. _
arch 21, 7-9 p.m, - Uving
Wit an r. Memorial Hospi
tal .cond floor Forum Room,
St. J . cph. pen {o all cancer
pati nt: and their families. Call
I
al scnola ship benefit
LM district.
T ckets to attend the auction
are 25, which includes dinner
and ntertainment by singer
Jcnif r Lewis. Items donated for
aucti n include art, appliances,
good and services.
March 13-19, 1988,
U H FOOD DRIVE - United Again t Hung r, Inc. i co
food drive in Berrien, C s and Van Buren counties,
Pictured l-r are committee members orUAH: Rev. Ruth arlan r,
treasurer; Bill Wamego, ecretary; Alex 0 y, presid nt, Betty
Cumming , board member; and Fred Baird, boar
making first donation to food drive.
"I can understand why (resi
dents) feel that way," DiBiaggio
said, in an interview. "It may look
as it the project is just a lot of
. tudics, hut there i a spin-off to
that view because we are provid
ing a valuable benefit, I have
faith in the residents of Benton
Harbor and the project.
"The other- frustrating aspect.
some residents may feel is that
there is not enough control over
activities which involve their
coinmunity. There is some very
good people and leadership in
Benton Harbor and they're en
thusiastic, but I can see where
the frustration comes in."
Schweitzer said he also is
pleased with the project's ac
complishments, but hopes to see
expansion over the years.
"I would love to see the
university get involved on a
larger scale - We've been fairly
I
small-scale and haven'tl
broadened the effort of involv
ing more university units,"
Schweitzer said. "I'd like 10 see
long-term efforts planned,
designed for a broader based
group from the university and
the community ... such as health
promotion."
Schweitzer said although
Benton Harbor is subject to
enterprise zoning, industries
and other businesses must
pledge a stronger commitment
to hiring Benton Harbor resi
dents.
An enterprise zone does not
require industries that move into
the area of Benton Harbor to
hire city residents:
"Too many times valuable
programs wiH be established in
the city, but they don't focus on
Benton Harbor."
Schweitzer said he hopes the
BHHS students to participate in
Washington Semin r
BENTO HARBOR - The
Close Up Foundation, the
National's largest government
studies program, has invited
. Benton Harbor High School to
participate in a weeklong series
of seminars in Washington, D.C.
with several hundred other stu-
I dents and teachers during t
week of April 24-30, 1988.
This is the third year BHHS
has been invited to attend the
program, ecording to Mary
Ealy, the Close Up teacher at
BHHS who along with Robert
Contreras will accompany the
students to the nation's Capital.
enton Harbor students par
ticipating in this years program
are: Ann Dungey, Jimie Davis
and Annissa Robinson.
- During their stay in
Washington, the students will
attend several workshops, tour
the city and attend a theatre per
formance and a final banquet.
Ealy and Contreras will par
ticipate in a teacher program to
give insight into the actual work
ings of government, which can
be carried back to the class
room.
l -
pro ect can expand to include
oth r university departments in
ord r to assist residents more
directly.
�ther institutional efforts to
ass Benton Harbor include
Lak M�c�an College in Ben
ton arbor, Andrews University
in Berrien Spnngs and Jordan
College- Berrien County
Branch.
All of the in titutions have es
tablishcd programs, including
tudeni internship opportunities
in Benton Harbor, to assist what
many now call a city on the way
up.
L
B�NTON T P - Lake
Michigan College will conduct
an annual aucti n entitled
"Winner's Circle" t benefit the
College's schol rship fund
March 19 in the LMC Com
munit� Center.
According to
Kibler, LM C ass ate director
of grants, each y 'ar a com-
munity leader will honored
with an endo ed olarship in
his or her name. is year, the
College has sele ted Elisha
Gray, former chai an of the
board of the Whi lpool Cor
poration.
. Kibler explained he goal for
this year' auction is $25,000.
She t' d in additi n, monies
raised t the auction . supple-
. ment he College general
scholarship fund, w . ch is used
to pro . de scholar . ps to stu
dents all ag and education
al ltD from thro ghout the
11
ar-
B TO TWP -. Lake
M iChif.n College ha Board
of Tr tee scholarsh p avail
able or 1988 high school
graduES who have earned a 3.0
grade int average or higher.
Accor . g to LMC financial aid
director Sylvia Coleman, the
scho arsbip are for $500.
S e aid there are also full
schola . ps available for high
schoo valedictorians and
saluato .
..