By BER ICE BROW
Benton Harbor City Commi -
ion approved r ommenda-
tion from City r Be rly
Brewer at their January 10,
m ting to di lve th City's
Do nto n D v lopment
Authority and Tax Increment
Finan Authority boards for 30
days to allow th City Admini-
tration to re-evaluate the exist
ing by-laws in Recorda with
th philosophy of th Planning
and Community Development
Department.
The commission also ap
proved to disolve the City's
Cemetery Board for a period of
60 days, at which time the City
commission will consider recon
stituting a new Board.
Brewer said the Cemetery
bord is an agent of the City com
mission, who has the ultimate
and final authority to adopt
rules, regulations, budgets, ordi
nances and resolutions.
She said she believes that
Boards have been a disservice to
the residents of the City and are
affecting her plans in reorganiz
ing the departments of the City.
Brewer will hire a full-time
Economic Development Coordi
nator at a salary not to exceed
$30,000 a year, utilizingexisting
DDA/TIFA funds.
ENTERPRISE ZONE Coor
dinator Dorothy Baker will man
age the Ben on Harbor Business
Growth Center, along with the
Economic Development Coordi
nator and existing administra
tive assistant position, under
the administrative supervision
of E n LeDuc, Planning nd
Community lopm t Di
tor.
Th Eoonomic lopm t
Coordinator ill mint in all
tat' tical and physical da to
promote the city, coordinate city-
id ialeven, identify out-
id fnding 0 to provi for
program to encourage n
trepreneurial and enterprising
ctiviti within th City, c-
cording to Bre er.
The Busin Growth Center,
located at 200 Pa Paw, has
been operated by the Adminis
trative Assi tants of the
DDAtrIFA boards.
For the last year, DDA/TIFA
has been functioning without
budget although taxes have
been collected for DDA trIF A
use.
For the last six months of
1993, Board members tried to
set-up meetings with the cityof
ficials regarding the operations
of the Busin Growth Center.
CHRISTOPHER Brooks,
Chairman of the DDA/TIF A.
Boards, told the commission
that he was "surprised" at the
decision the commission made to
disolve the Boards.
Brooks said the action was a
big disservice.
He said the. board members
have not been involved with the
City in any diseu ion regarding
the matter.
"The DDA/TIF A Boards has
spent countless hours, volunteer
hours, monthly meeting, trying
to help this City. They've done a
lot of good with project money
that they've been dealth with
Who runs
Benton Harbor?
TH TIO many mor . over
eoff everyday by hundr of p ple, wond ring what can be
done, who going to do i , and how th y n hlp. There are
answe nd if w pull our r our togs h r,just mayb w
can improv th quality of life for veryone in this communi y.
I only want to serv you, th people. Your responses to th e
questions a welcome, and I guarant they'll forwarded to
the "l ader of our community. "
Comml loner George Wy Inger
348 W hington
Benton H rbor, MI 49022
pen no .
Commissioner Ricky Hill said
they (commission), appoint th
board, so it's their shot. He went
on to say some people want th
old Benton Harbor and the old
ANNOUNCEMENTS
n.
Bring th family to njoy
tmo'
A min r on univer al
h lth cov rage ill be h ld
Thu y, J nuary 20, from 8 to
11 .m., t th Lake Michigan
ColI ndel Cen Dance
nd Drama Room. Th inar
. oo-eponaored by Cornerstone
Alliance and W tern Michigan
Uni ity.
Information will be p nted
on th relationship betw n
rocketing medical co ts and
large uninsured population,
how the dministration wan to
tabliah uni health eov-
rage, and hat collaborations
OBITUARIES
azel Elli
Hazel Ellis, 34, of Benton Harbor,
died January 5, at Mercy Memortal
Medical Center In St. Joseph after a
Garland
Johnson
Garland Green Johnson, 39, for
merty of Benton Harbor, died Decem
ber 29, at Foote Hospital, Jackson,
Michigan, after a long Illness.
The funeral was held January 10,
at Second Baptist Church, Benton
JiarbQr. _ ij1JJim, w� .. ��tioslh ShQtft
Memory Gardens. Arrangem nts was
made by Robbins Brothers Funeral
Home, Benton Harbor. .
Mr. Johnson was born January 11,
1954, In Benton Harbor. He was for
merty employed as a landscaper.
Survivors Include: a daughter,
Damlka Young of Benton Harbor, and
his mother, Dorothy Jo Blakemore of
Benton Harbor.
hortlll
The funeral w held January 13,
at Israelite Beptl Church, Benton
Harbor. Burtal was In Crystal Springs
Cemetery. Arrangements was made
by Robbins Brothers Funeral Home,
Benton Harbor'.
Miss Ellis was born March 24,
1959, In Panola, Miss.
Survtvors Include: a son, Anthony
Ellis of Benton Harbor, two daughters,
Latonya Ellis and Lawanda EIII , both
of Benton Harbor; her mother, EIlar1ne
Ellis of Benton Harbor, four sisters,
Diane Penn, Crystal Ellis, Martha Ellis
and Patrtcla Brown, all of Benton Har
bor; and three brothers, Terry Ellis and
BIRy ElHs, both of Memphis, T enn., and
�.E"18 of B �on rbor ..
·1 I C
I
I C
Mu c camp
chol h p available
LINCOLN, NE - Music students are sought for the 1994 camp
scholarships for the national summer music camp in Lincoln,
NE.
Transportation assistance is also available for students who
cannot afford it. Available also are incentive grants.
The dates of the summer music camp are June 19 - JUly ir,
1994. The Lutheran Summer Music Camp is held on the
campus of St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN.
For additional information write to: Dr. John Lunde, director
of admission and financial aid, 2225 Washington Street, Lin
coln, NE, 68502.
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as I pa
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with a. word or o n g ;
he' trave ling wr ng,
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Readers Write
This holiday season, lees ask ourselves a few questions on
behalf of the unemployed, the homeless and the less fortunate
residents ofBent'on Harbor. Nobody seems to have the answers;
now even I am forbidden to ask them, so I bring them to you,
the people who should be running Benton Harbor.
- Over 100 businesses have received Enterprise Zone
status, tripling tax revenues, creating over 500 jobs and saving
the city from bankruptcy. With this success, why is there no
new legislation proposed, as the current Act expires in June of
1994. What Bill number and Schedule have been introduced' to
extend our Enterprise Zone?
- Our residents need jobs, housing the ability to rebuild
sound neighborhoods Senate'Bi1l662, enacted by the Governor
on July 15, 1992, gives Benton Harbor the best neighborhood
Enterprise Zone in the state. Why don't we use it? Why is it
ab ent from all 1994 and future planning? What happened to
the original Cornerstone commitment to rebuild the Bellview
neighborhood?
- The Cornerstone promi eel to create 30 million dollars in
redevelopment, spent 10 million doll rs, with a substantial
unpublished amount used for administration. Are you happy
with the results?
- Everyone I talk to privat ly thinks the ship canal will be
a waste of money. Will it really help the city?
. - Why does the city want to spend $79,500 for Empower
ment Zone consulting yet refus to accept free help from Bob
Jackson, father of the Enterprise Zone, Chairman of the Michi
gan Empowerment etwork, and nationally recognized propo-
nent of Empowerment Zone ? .
. - The world's largest applian manufacturer has spent 5
million dollars and pledged an additional 5 million dollars to
the Corn rstone Alliance. Would thi money be better spent
building a new plant andcr atingjob ?
_ Benton Harbor's D.DA and T.I.F.A. have completed
many successful projects including Riverview Drive, substan
tial building demolition and clean up, North of Main Industrial
Park, the Business Growth C nter, and the list goes on. Why
are they now unfunded? Why has the city not fulfilled its
revenue sh ring agr men? Why is all the new development
in th Cornerstone's industrial parks?
_ With the per capita crime Tate the highest in the state,
why haven't we received more matching grants for the police
and crime prevention? Why are we so understaffed that our
offi rs ha 0 work 12 hour hifts?
George
Williams
George Williams, 29, of Benton
Harbor died at Mercy Memortal Medi
cal Center, St. Joseph. He was a vic
tim of a stabbing January 2, In Benton
Harbor.
The funeral was held Janury 11, at
Grace Temple Church, Benton Har
bor. Burtal was In North Shore Mem
ory Gardens. Arrangements was by
Robbins Brothers Funeral Home,
Benton Harbor.
Mr. Williams was born February
22, 1964, In Benton Harbor. He was
formerly employed as a cook at
Shoney's Restaurant In Benton T ClNn
ship.
Survivors Include: a daughter,
Dominique Williams of.Benton Harbor;
stepdaughters, Candance McRaith
and Crashawn Tara, both of Benton
Harbor; his parents, Willie and Ullie
Ferguson of Benton Harbor; and
grandparents, Virgie James and
Florence Cooper, both of Benton Har
bor.
Freddie
Moore
The funeral for Freddie Lee Moore,
48, of Benton Harbor who died Janu
ary 4, was held January 10, at the
Union Memortal African Methodist
Episcopal Church, Benton Harbor.
Burtal was In Crystal Sprtngs Ceme
tery. Robbins Brothers Funeral Home,
Benton Harbor, was In charge of ar
rangements.
Mr. Moore was born Aprtl11, 1945,
In Caruthersville, Mo. He was em
ployed as a probation officer for Ber
rten County and was a member and
President of the Twin City Area Local
Branch NAACP. He was a Marine
Corps veteran of the VIetnam War
where he received the Navy Cross.
SurvIVors Include: his wife, Glorta
Jean; a son, Cameron of Benton Har
bor; a daughter, Eursla Doyle Qf Kala
mazoo; his parents, James and Etta
Moore of Benton Harbor: two grand
children; five brothers, James Jr., MI
chael, Kerry and Welsey, all of Benton
Harbor and Ricky of South Carolina;
and three sisters, Phyllis King of Ben
ton H rbor, Marshall Foster of Okla
homa and Wanda Davts, serving with
the U.S. /vmy.
IF I C' N
TN
N CH
OM
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
01 The Coca Cola CompIny
HOW'
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Dyn m .bIXlI' VIC nd
neG C Com
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P rmt 100 gr nted by
Ir$ of r'tln l r King. Jr 1