LOCAL/STATE The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, February 7, 1996 - 5 State rep. to leave office after .14 years LANSING (AP) - It's not because Democrats are in the minority and it's not to beat the wave of lawmakers soon tr be drummed out of jobs by term limits. It's simply because she's exhausted. "I'm just tired," said Rep. Maxine Berman, who announced yesterday she ill not run for re-election this fall after yen terms in the state House. "It was ;agonizing decision." The Southfield Democrat said she doesn't hive the foggiest notion" what : She will do next, but is certain of one thing she will not do: return to teaching. This change, Berman said, was made so she could take on new challenges. "It was apersonal decision," she said. "It's got nothing to do with politics. It's *ot nothing to do with term limits." Michigan's term limits take effect in 4998. State representatives are allowed a maximum of six years and state sena- tors eight, while U.S. House members are limited to three terms and U.S. sena- tors to two terms. Berman, 49, said she is not leaving the Legislature in which she has served 4for 14 years without feelings of nostal- ,gia for friends and for issues she has doggedly pursued. Berman has been known for her ac- tivism on Democratic issues, particu- larly her outspoken opposition to laws requiring Michigan woman to wait 24 hours and be given information before 4getting an abortion. LAlbion Coil. accused of raist policy HOMER (AP) - The publisher of a weekly newspaper in this commu- nity southwest of Albion said he will stop using any news releases from *lbion College as long as it practices what he calls "discrimination and rac- ism." Mike Warner, who is owner and pub- lisher of the Homer Index, said he has told Albion College to takehis name off its mailing list. Warner was responding to Albion College's 20-percent tuition reduc- tion for black students. The college -began giving black students who at- *nd the school $4,000 off of tuition through its Diversity Awards in 1993 because black students had been his- torically underrepresented at the school. "In my opinion, the Diversity Award represents everything that is wrong with race relations today," he wrote in a column. "The program is having the exact opposite of what the college probably itended," he said. "It isn't bringing the ces closer together, it is driving a wedge between them." Warner said that he has no argu- ment with the college helping low- income minority students. But the Diversity Award has no income crite- ria. It is automatically given every year to every black student who at- tends the school. "I think a better way to handle the tuation is put the money in a big pot d make it available to all disadvan- taged students," he said. While Albion College officials have said they are taking a second look at the way the award is handled, they 'also have said it does not discriminate against any other students who have access to other grants and scholar- ships. "We think (his boycott of Albion College news) is an unfortunate deci- n on his part," said Sarah Briggs, Albion's director of communications. "He's denying his readers the right to learn about events and activities at the college." Gotabright idea ffr U' alums start specialty beer distributorship AP PHOTO A cold walk in the park Cindy Summerfield of Birmingham carries her daughter, Paige, 2, as they walk past ice sculptures In Birmingham's Shain Park yesterday. Ivevstigation continues i Huron Valley gwd's death Beer-by-mail business serves customers all over the world By Carissa Van Heest For the Daily As students in Ann Arbor, Robert Wolfe and Ryan Rosett acquired a taste for microbrewed beer. After graduation, the pair decided to do more than just drink beers. They started a small company called Cactus Creek, based in Troy, Mich., to sell them. Now, they ship the specialty brews all around the country. Wolfe and Rosett, 1992 graduates, became aware last year of the growing popularity of specialty beer-by-mail companies and decided to try their hand at it. "We couldn't believe these places existed and we didn't know it," Wolfe said. "Currently there has been a big surge in microbrewed beers. People are sick of drinking supermarket beer." After researching the field, Wolfe and Rosett opened Cactus Creek in October. They ship out two six-packs of microbrewed beer per month to each of their members, who pay $15.95 a month for the service. Wolfe and Rossett said they ship beer not available in their members' locals. "If someone lives in Idaho, we are not going to send them a microbrew from Idaho," Wolfe said. With each order, the entrepreneurs send out Brews Letter, which describes each beer's origin and gives some gen- eral background information aboht the company, said Eric Greenwald; man- ager of Cactus Creek. - "People are able to learn about great brewing traditions," Greenwald said. Their inventory changes each month, usually carrying two to six different microbrews. Cactus Creek advertises by word of mouth, radio ads, fliers, and with pro- motions at beer festivals, Greenwald said. Customers are required to fax a copy of their driver's license as proof that they are 21 years old. Cactus Creek's clientele consists of people from all over the country, but most of their customers are from Michi- gan. Jason McDonnell, a salesclerk from Keego Harbor, Mich., said he has been a customer right from the start. "I originally ordered a subscription for myself, and then I got one for my dad," McDonnell said. "Now Ibuy it for gifts. I don't have time to go out and buy gifts, so this is perfect." Wolfe attributes much of Cactus Creek's success to the freshness and uniqueness of the microbrews they ship. "In general, most people drink what I call supermarket or stadium beers; people don't know about ales," Wolfe said. "People have never tasted fresh microbrewed beer." McDonnell raved about Cactus Creek's service. "I recommend it to everyone," he said. YPSILANTI (AP) - Prisoners at Huron Valley Men's Facility remained locked in their cells yesterday while investigators sought the killerofa prison employee. Tammy Sperle, 33, of Milan was found unconscious Monday on the floor of the prison store where she worked. She was pronounced dead at 3:01 p.m. at Saline Community Hos- pital. Sperle had been beaten and had a shoestring wrapped around her neck. "We are determined to find out who was responsible for Tammy Sperle's death and why," state Corrections Di- rector Kenneth McGinnis said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with her fam- ily, friends and co-workers as they try We are determined to find out who was responsible" - Kenneth McGinnis Corrections director to deal with their grief." The prison was arranging counseling for Sperle's co-workers. Funeral ar- rangements were incomplete yesterday. The Washtenaw County medical ex- aminer was conducting an autopsy yes- terday, and results are expected today. Four inmates who had access to the area where Sperle worked were the focus ofstate police investigators. Cor- rections spokesperson Warren Will- iams said the lock-down would con- tinue until today or tomorow. Huron Valley is a close-security prison housing 457 inmates. The De- partment of Corrections said the last prison employee killed on the job was Jack Budd, who died in 1987 at the State Prison of Southern Michigan at Jackson. Sperle, a mother of two teen-agers, had worked at the Huron Valley facil- ity since June 1994. She joined the Corrections Department in 1991 as a storekeeper at the Adrian Temporary Facility. 20 years later, Oakland County killings still an unsolved mystery FERNDALE (AP) - Two decades ago, someone started abducting chil- dren off the streets of Oakland County cities and killing them. But despite one of Michigan's most intensive police investigations, the identity of the person who claimed four lives and terrorized millions has never been determined. "I want this case Schumacher, who took over the case last year when he was assigned to the Northville post. Advances in technology such as DNA analysis will be put to work to try to solve the killings, he said. The first killing occurred in Feb- ruary 1976. Mark Stebbins, 12, was abducted while walking near his home in to be solved. It needs closure des- perately for the parents, for the families and friends, and for me," former Franklin police Chief Jerry Tobias told The Oakland Press for a story yesterday. "I think about this case ev- ery day." At its peak, nearly 300 detec- tives from dozens I want this case to be solved. It needs closure desperately for, the familes and frends, and for me." - Jerry Tobias former Franklin police Chief Ferndale on Feb. 15, and his body was found four days later in Oak Park. On Dec. 22, 1976, Jill Robinson, 12, disappeared af- ter leaving her Royal Oak home. Her body was found along Interstate 75 in Troy on Dec. 26. compare them to the victim's hair. If they are not hers or from an animal, investigators may seek to exhume the former Michigan man's body to test his hair, Schumacher said. In 1989, the man's widow returned to Michigan, and his relatives began to discuss the possibility that he had been the child killer. They gave police a cross with the name Kristine on the back that had been with his belongings. "I have no doubt that the cross is Kristine Mihelich's," Berkley police Sgt. Ray Anger said. "I don't think (he) acted alone. Maybe he wasn't the kidnapper, but I have to believe he was involved somehow." Schumacher said he is calling a meeting of former task force mem- bers next week to see if they have any new ideas. "We owe these victims everything we can do to solve this case," said Schumacher. "But I don't know if it's solvable." of police agen- cies were working to catch Oakland County's child killer. They reviewed more than 15,000 tips but never made a case. One man who was the subject of four tips and who may have had personal items belonging to the vic- tims left Michigan with his family in 1980 and died the next year in a car crash. "It's been 20 years, but I look at those crime scene photos and these were babies who were kidnapped,' said state police Lt. Charles On Jan. 2, 1977, Kristine Mihelich, 10, was abducted near her home in Berkley. Her body was found in Franklin on Jan. 21. And on March 16, 1977, Timothy King, 11, was abducted from a store parking lot near his Birmingham home. His body was found in Livonia on March 22. In reviewing the case, Schumacher and state police Sgt. Richard Percy found that two hairs found in the mouth of Kristine were never tested to see if they were hers. A state police crime lab now will WOW - 44CONSECUiVE QUART ER$OFPROFITABILITY A PLACE WHERE MANAGEMENT WORKS WITH MY INDIVIDUALITY INSTEAD OFAGAINST IT APAPTECI WHAT A DREAMY COMPANY! ~ ,0 1V~. i~1 ~ ~LVWXAIX