BENTON HARBOR
Ip I
I
Tb city commi ion elcomed
Elliott and ga him their upport,
Elliott aid his first day on the job
"great." "I'm just e cited I
hen they offered me the job, "
Elliott ·d. "I'm even more excited
bout the potential that I've een that
this city in terms of developing
it elf into one of the mo t
outstanding cities in the are ."
He aid the follo ing day he
ould be meeting with alJ of the
city' general employee,
introducing himself and his
phil ophies. Later on in the week he
said he would be meeting
"one-on-one" with the department
heads.
"My concern when I sit down
JOHN ELLIOTT
with each of the department bea
will releg te i elf to what they are
doing. what they think they ought to
be doing, what kind of problems
they've had and how I can help them
an administrator," he d. "From
The Berrien-Cass- Van Buren Private Industry Council is in the proce of receiving a $20,000 Action
Grant to assist 76 workers affected by the closing of the Du- Well Products plant in Bangor.
According to Lowell W. Perry, State Labor Director, the money will be used to provide Job placement
and readjustment services to the workers.
The Action Grant funding comes from Governor Engler's Reserve portion of the state's Job Training
Partnership Act (JTP A) funds.
Action Grants are administered by the Labor Department's Rapid Response Unit in the Governor's office
for Job Training as part of the Dislocated Worker program.
Forty percent of the JTP A dislocated worker funds are kept in reserve for emergency assistance in case
of plant closings or mass layoffs. Action Grants enable local Service Delivery Area (SDA) job training
agencies to respond rapidly to local needs. Services can include crisis counseling, skill asse ment, job
development and job referrals.
"Since the Action Grant program began in October, 1991, $354,000 has been awarded to local JTPA
agencies to assist nearly 3,000 workers at 22 locations," Perry aid.
Perry went to to say that the, "Action Grants support Michigan's on-going commitment to allow local
communiti to determine e be t approach to training work ho I e their jobs as the result of PMUU .......
lay "
Ie
wor
r
ummer family to r plan
: By MARY GOWDAY
My sister Siddie Turner, my
: cousin Hedlsine Fields and myself,
· travelled by Amtrack recently to
Mississippi to visit relatives. We also
went to Jackson, Vicksburg and
Utica.
My brother from Flint, Rev.
Clarence Knox and family and his
church, Ebenezer Baptist Church,
. were at Greater Zion Baptist Church
: where Rev. Lewis is the pastor.
,
; Rev. Knox brought the message.
It was a family day. We also had
. relatives from Illinois along with us.
We had a wonderful time thanks
'_to our relatives and friends.
The Mission Department of
Beulah Baptist Church will have
their 5th Sunday program on August
30, at 7 p.m. Their theme will be,
"Broadcasting the Gospel." (1st
• -Thessalonians 1-8).
Their special guests will be Rev.
· Jerome Kirby, pastor of New Mt.
· Moriah Baptist Church of Highland
• Park. Rev. Willie N. Paul Jr., is the
: pastor.
The West Shore Youth Sym-
pbony will hold auditions for new
and returning members on Tuesday,
August 25 and Thursday, August 27.
Music director Dr. Lee Copenhaver
will conduct auditions from 5-9 p.m.
each day.
The audition will be held at the
Hilt Building of Muskegon's
Frauenthal Center for the Perform­
ing Ar1s at 427 W. Western Avenue .
Area junior high, high school and
first and second year college stu­
dents are invited to participate.
Each musician should be
prepared to play scales, a solo piece
or etude, and Sight-reading. No piano
accompaniment i nece ary. There
are openings in the trings, winds,
brass, and percussion sections.
The young performers are slated
for two concerts this season. The an­
nual fall concert will be held Novem­
ber 22, at the Frauenthal Theater and
the spring concert is scheduled for
April 24, 1993.
For more information and to
schedule an audition appointment,
call the West Shore Symphony of­
fice, at 726-3231.
Food distribution'
set for Aug. 25
The Commodity Distribution for
Berrien County residents is
scheduled for Tuesday, August 25.
Products to be distributed include:
butter, flour, applesauce and raisins.
Clients who have not registered will
be unable to receive commodities on
this �te.
Non- enior residents registered
with the North Berrien Senior Center
(Coloma) may pick-up their
products on Wednesday, August 26.
A replacement site for clients
who picked up at the Church of Our
Lord and Savior, 793 Highland, has
been established at Union Memorial
AME Church, 911 South Crystal,
Benton Harbor. .
Clients wishing to register may
contact their area Senior Center for
dates and times. To register, clients
must provide proof of income, ad­
dress, and Social Security number.
Applications will not be taken at
distribution sites on the day of dis-
tribution. '
Annual
Member hip Outing
Cornerstone Alliance, Council of
Commerce and Community
Development will hold its annual
membership outing on Tuesday,
September 3.
the steak fry will take place at
Riverview Park, Briarwood Shelter,
from 4-9 p.m. with dinner at 6 p.m.,
featuring teak and all the trimming ,
prepared by Northern Berrien Coun­
ty Scottish Ri te Club, and soft drinks,
beer, and wine. Door prizes donated
by members will be awarded. Music
will be provided by WHFB AM/FM.
Reservation forms have been
mailed to Cornerstone Alli nee
members who are encouraged to
bring gue ts. Cost of the steak fry is
$25 per person. All reservations
'must be pre-paid. Tickets are avail­
able at Cornerstone Alliance office,
185 East Main St, Benton Harbor.
ion,
inger.
y in r
J me mer 0 threatening to t e . Daneth I
Whi ield, 0 ing Commi ion Director' job w y
from her for in M nning the contract.
"I Ilk to h low can you go," Wy inger
ed. The man out of city b in and tryin to
rna e living in this community. We've got certain
individ 1, commi fone of 11 people, th t' out
till trying to give the m the haft."
ill id h can only pe for himself nd not
Turner, but h d n't believ Turner threatened
Whitfield. "I definitely didn't do any threats, I only
tal ed to Mrs. Whitfield by phone," Hill aid.
"That ace ation i a total lie. I don't work like
that and I would never do anything like that," Hill
said. "Danethel is an A-1 Director nd i very good
at her [ob."
Hill aid if the contract is legal, he doesn't have
any problems with Manning getting it.
"I'm just trying to make ure that we follow
HUD's rules and regulations and we don't have to
pay bac any HUn funds. I have no animosity toward
Steve Manning. My job is to protect the interest of
the city and the interest of the Housing Commi ion,"
Hill said.
t th city or
ce
Comrni loner Ricky Hill id, by S ve Mannfn
beingth citymanagerforth CityofBenton
the regul tions 0 HUD might pply. They t t
"noone who h been hired by th City of Benton
Harbor can receive any money or contrac from
HUD for money the city' ing."
Hill id it had to be tie t one year p t termina­
tion for Manning to do busin with HUD or the city.
HILL D TU are both members 0 the
Housing Commis ion. Hill id the problem of
regul tions came up when Manning Construction
Company tried to get a job ub-contracting with a
company that was doing busin with th city.
Hill aid when it came to the Housing Commi -
sion, he didn't want the city to be in violation be­
cause, the city would have to to pay this money back
if they're in violation.
, "Housing Commis ion or the city is responsible
for HUD funds and if we violate the contract that we
have with HUD funds, our obligations are to pay the
money back," Hill said.
Turner was absent from the meeting.
During the 1980's former city manager Gerald
Heppler used his power as city manager to reorganize
th Housing Commission, appointing a majority. He
then left the city employ and captured the contract
wi thin a year to pour the cement, for all basements
and sidewalks on a S3 million Housing Commission
project.
The Tenants Organization under the leadership of
Rev. Nathaniel Gathright protested to HUD, who did
nothing, only instructing the Tenants to protest to the
Berrien County Prosecutor.
• Heppler is white. Manning is African American.
Turner was one of the Heppler appointees to the
Housing Commission.
CCORDING TO Whitfield, the U.S. Depart­
ment of Housing and Urban Development found no
conflict of interest with Manning receiving a contract
for $37,000 for landscaping at the housing projects
on Buss an� McCord.
Whi tfield said the S241,OOO contract was awarded
to Whelan Construction Company last month and
Manning is only a sub-contractor.
Commissioner Ralph Crenshaw said the require­
ments of sub-contracting, there are some guidelines
under HUD that forbid anyone that have worked with
FOR INFORMATION LEADING
TO THE ARREST OR
CONVICTION IN THE
DROWNING DEATH OF
ERIC McGINNIS
-
Call the NAACP at (616) 925-4824
with Information or to donate to r ward fund.
.
CALENDAR
, I
D YES I want to subscribe to the Michigan Citi�cn
une ln
o·the
ru h
SUBSCRiBE.
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Name _ ___:.. .. _
Addr.ess __ ...:.- ' Phone _
City ST Zip . _
Bu Iness Center
'I compiles business
" directory
BENTON HARBOR - Lake
Michigan College's Small Business
Center is asking minority businesses
in Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren
Counties to submit information for a
Minori ty Business Directory.
, Minority businesses should sub­
• mit the name of their company, type
; of company, address, telephone and
! fax numbers, a description of the ser­
• vice or product tl!ey provide, the
: owner's name, and race of the busi­
: ness owner.
• To qualify, business .owners
� should be Black, Hispanic,
� American Indian, Alaskan Native,
, Asian or Pacific Islander.
; The information should be sent to
: Joyce Abrams at LMC's Downtown
• Center, 185 East Main Street, Ben­
: ton Harbor 49022, or faxed to (616)
: 925-6918. Deadline to submit infor­
: marion is August 31. For more infor-
• marion, call Abrams at (616).
925-8061.
5th Annual
Ox Roa t planned
Hamilton Grove, together w�th
the South Bend District United
Methodist Churches, will host the
5th Annual Ox Roast at Hamilton
Grove on Saturday, August 29, from
11 a.m. until 3 p.m. This event is to'
promote fellowship among the
home, the church and members of
the community.
There will be no charge for ad­
mi ion to the Ox Roast, however,
the charge for the picnic meal will be
$6.50 for adults, with a 50% enior
discount for 65 and older, $4.50 for
children six to ten years of age,
children five and under are free. Car­
ryout of roast pork or beef
andwiches will be available from
the concession area.
For more information call, 219-
654-3118. Hamilton Grove is Bast of
New Carlisle, just north of U.S. 20.
Mai to: Michigan Citizen, PO Box 03560, Highland p" I. u: t,:'::J:;
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