BENTON HARBOR
,
Mayor mmaJ.
inaugural c "I
ull
A two-day inaugural celebration
mooring Benton Harbor Mayor Emma
J. Hull is planned for Friday m1 Satur­
. day, March 6 and 7.
Friday's activities begin with an
open boise at city hall from 8:30 a.m.-
11,:30 a.m. and 2:45-5 p.m. Mayor Hull
and Benton HaIborCommissioners will
be on haOO to welcome guests. Tows
will be cOnducted of the administrative
offices, police and fire departments.
AT 4 P.M. Mayor Hull will present
<=tifica of appreciation to the com­
missioners for their rontributiom to the
city.
ThCMayorwUl host a special lurch­
con at the Captain' Table from 12 roon
until 2:30 p.m. for businesses located
WIthin the city. �re is IX> charge;but
seating is limited and reservatiors are
'required.
At 6 p.m. an opening ceremony for
Benton Harbor Parks/Recreation
Award Banquest at King Junior High.
Saturday's activiti start with a
prayer breakfast from 8-11 am. at the
Flrst Congregational Church of Benton
Harbor, corner of Pipestone m1 Broad­
way'. The publis is welcome and there .
m charge, but ting is limi1ed m1
reservatiors are required.
Various activities am entertainment
are scheduled during Mayor Hull's
Youth Oelebradon at Benton Harbor
High School from 1-3:30 p.m, includ­
ing the Benton Harbor High School
Voices Unlimited, the Benton Harbor
High School Jazz Bam, local gospel
choirs, and Karate and tumbling
demonstrations. Basketball games will
be played in the Benton Harbor High
Scbool Don Farnum Gymnasium.
EVERYONE IS INVITED to join
Mayor Hull in a motorcade through
portions of the city. Tbe cars will leave
the Benton Harbor High Scbool at 4
p.m. and return to the High School at 5
p.m. .
The Inaugural Ball at Lake
Michigan College Mendel Center,
Z755 E. Napier Avenue, begins with a
social oour at 6:30 p.m, followed by
dinner at 7:45 p.m. The program will
begin at 9:30 p.m. and will include the
mayor' ina� addrra and brief
remarks by o>ngrc:ssman Fred Upbl,
. State Senam Hany a.t, State Repre­
sentative Robert Brackenridge, am
Cllafrman of a., Berrien Q)unty 0Jm­
mission Robert Ellis.
Dancing will follow from 10:15
p.m. until 1 :30 a.m., with the Bill Birrett
Quintet (featuring Robbi Cooley).
Black tie is optional and Michigan
Ceancrs is offering a spccIal tuxedo
rental CXlSt for the event. QlSt of attend­
ing the ball is S30 eacbam reservatiom
are required.
For further information 01f 10 moke
r� pIetBe corrtact MflI"8'Wl
Adanu at 927-8407.
Commissioners take· care
of"their own health need
By BERNICE BROWN for their own premium, but now get-
Benton Harbor City Commission ting the same benefits as other city
approved a resolution at their employees.
February 24, meeting that will allow
them to have health and dental in- 'COMMISSIONER George
surance coverage. Wysinger was totally against the
By approving the resolution, the . commissioners being able to get the
city commission and mayor will benefits. He placed a motion to table
have the same privilege as city the matter for another week, but it
employe to be covered by a group failed fo� lack of support.
health plan through Blue Cross/Blue He said the commissioners that
Sheild of Michigan am Delta Den- don't have insurance, now want the
tal, Inc. taxpayers to pa for his insurance. "I
Like the city employees, the city don't know why you're putting
commission will not have to pay for anot�er b�en" on the taxpayers,"
the coverage unless there is a in- �ysmger S81d. I can understand if
crease in the co t of the insurance. If It s a fireman, police or anybody else
there is a greater than 8 percent in- that works for the city, but why does '
crease, the employee has to Inake up the taxpayer have to pay for the com­
half of the difference that is above mission, " he asked.
the 8 'percent, aid ety Finance "We are making it available to
Director Michael Vance. everyone who likes to have this in-
Commission Steve Wooden in- surance," Mayor Emma Hull said. "I
formed the other commissioners that personally feel that at this point, each
this was the arne resolution they co�ssioner is elected by th� city
approved previously, only dif- and Itts a lot of work, and I don tfeel
ferenee the commission was to pay that it is too much to ask that if the
commissioners that don't have in­
, suranee, that it be offered to them at
the rate as the city employees."
Wysinger said when each in­
dividual ran for commission they
were ,suppose to know what the
duties of a commission were. "No
one forced them, they knew what the
situation w before they ran, So to
me that is no excuse."
Wysinger went on to say, that if
tllc commissioners wanted some in­
surance, let them donate a portion of
the $50 per week, $200 per month
salary they get to pay for the in­
surance,
WYSINGER WAS the only one
against the coDUDiisioncrs getting
the insurance benefi •
1bc city pays $126.77 a month
per person for health imurance and
$19 a month per pel10n for dental
insurance. A family with more tban
three would co t approxim tely
$284.65 a month. ,
READ A BLACK
NEWSPAPER!
RESPECT YOURSELF!!
o
Benton H rbor's Downtown
Development Authority and Tax
Increment Finance Authority
Board membe voted to appoint
Christopher Broo their new
director, at their regular monthly
m eling February 18.
The board members took al­
mo t two hours to interview four
candidate for the director position
before they elected Brooks.
Brooks has erved Clairman
for the two Boards ince August of
1988. The executive director posi­
tion call for Broo to work only
part-time, Ince the Buslnes
Growth Center is filled.
Broo will not be able to start
hi new po ition until the ety
Commi ion gives their final ap­
proval.
BOB SCHULTHEIS, Vice
Chairman of the Boards said
Brooks is out of town and the ear­
lie t possible City Commi ion
meeting he will be available to
answer questions from the com­
mission will be March 2.
Ina letter to Mayor Emma Hull,
Schultheis' stated, "We feel it
would be in the best interest of our
Board and the ety Commission
that any questions orconcerns.eris­
ing from our selection of Chris
J
Broo the e ecutive director be
handled privately be een the
Board and the Commi ion and not
publicly during the City Commi -
ion meeting."
"I have only one question that
might be legal," Commis ioner
Charle Yarbrough id, at the
February 24, ety Comm ion
meeting. He also id the commla-
ion � to have a conference
with City Attorney Scott Smith
before they meet with DDA/I1FA
Board members because they
might need a legal opinion. He
didn't elaborate 011 what the legal
question
"lfthey don't want to discus it
in pUblic, I'll honor that. We need
to have a chance to meet with their
board."
Schultheis said the board voted
unanimously to elect Broo out
of the other candida because of
his experience orking on various
- project. Schultheis, who does not
live or work or own a busi in
the city and whose very presence
on the DDA board is questionable,
served as chair for the intelViews.
SCHULTHEIS SAID Brooks
knew the operations of DDA and
TIFA and has been doing the job
of director inee Aaron Anthony
left last September to become City
o
D BILL ME
D $�1 for ONE YEAR
($5 )ff the new stand price)
D
'0
I Have Enclosed Payment
$16 Special Senior Citizen, Price
($'10 savings off newstand price)
M.alDI�er for City 0 Alle
Board members votin for
Broo ere, Brad Bryan, AI
B by, Milton Jo , Kevin oe­
men , William Nicho Dorothy
Randolph, Louis Jo eph, Bob
Schultbc and Jim McCollVille.
Ab ent ere Mayor Emma
Hull nd J. Gardner Pbilllp •
Schulthe d Phillips gave WO­
liamNicbols tbcpowerof t10mey
10 cut hia vote, making a total of
10
At the January meeting Phillips
informed (he board that be old
be gone tbe entire month of
ebruary and will not be able to be
present at the intervie •
The other candida included,
Sonny Bowens, OWDCr of Sonny'l
PI ce; Jim Cronk, board member;
and John Dickey, Dickey Realty
Group. '
WHEN BROOKS lteps down
as cbalrman to take his new posi­
tion, anotbcr board member wU1
have to be appointed.
In other business the DDA and
TIP A Board members approved to
combine the meetings of � two
boards, with both meeti at 4:30
p.m., the third Tuesday of tbc
month, instead of tbe DDA Board
meeting at 4:30 and the TIFA
board at 5:30p.m. tbc same day.
Mohammed Abdullah;
owner of Big Star Theater
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