St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 22

13 OCT 12 1988 ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH QUNOI EDNESDAY 8A WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1988' East St. Louis Stalled In Effort To Drop Car-Towing Contract Reject Convention, Women's Group Says the city to follow its contract with the towing finis at least until a hearing schedUed for 10 a.m. Monday in Attached to Garner's suit was a copy of thecontract between East St. Louis and tie three towing and storage firms Clarvo Towing Johnson Towing Co.

and North End Towing Co. It bears tht mayor's signature and was to be ir effect from Feb. 24, 1987, until Feb. 4 of next year. The contract authcrizes the towing companies to charge $40 for towing a car, $50 for a thick.

The companies are allowed tocharge owners storage fees when they retrieve their vehicles. Under OfJcer's plan, the city would collect the storage fees from the owners of wed vehicles. Officer couH not be reached for comment on Gjrner's suit. SPRINGFIELD, 111. (AP) Illi-noisans should vote against calling a constitutional convention because it could endanger protections for women, minorities and the handicapped, a group of women leaders said Tuesday.

"We don't all agree on all of the issues that might be discussed, but we do agree that the time for a constitutional convention is not now," Lana Hosteller, representing the Illinois Women's Agenda, said at a press conference at the Statehouse. Rebecca Owens, representing the Illinois Women's Political Caucus, said that a convention could endanger certain protections included in the state Bill of Rights protections such as the right to privacy, the equal rights provision and the prohibition of discrimination in employment and housing based on race, religion, handicap, sex or ethnic background. "These protections could be rewritten or eliminated if a (constitutional convention) should happen, and that concerns us very greatly," she said. Jeanne Simon, a former Illinois legislator and wife of Democratic U.S. Sen.

Paul Simon, said at a similar news conference in Chicago that a convention would leave the constitution open to any fringe group "that wants to upset the apple cart." "The Illinois Constitution has gone far beyond the U.S. Constitution In upholding the rights of all citizens equal rights for women, for minorities, for the disabled," she said. "We don't want to risk those rights we have fought for and gained by having another constitutional convention." But Patrick Quinn, a political maverick who supports the call for the convention, denied on Tuesday that a convention would endanger rights guaranteed in the constitution. "I think they ought to trust the people," he said of opponents. "The people are not interested in restricting the rights of citizens.

The people are interested in getting reform," he said in a telephone interview. The question of whether a convention should be called is on the Nov. 8 general-election ballot because of a Jeanne Simon "We don 't want to risk provision in the current constitution that says voters should be asked every 20 years if a new convention is needed. Many of the state's top politicians oppose the call for a convention as does a long list of groups, including the state AFL-CIO, the state Chamber of Commerce, the Taxpayers Federation of Illinois and the Illinois League of Women Voters. In addition to Quinn's group, called Citizens for Constitutional Reform, the proposal is supported by the Citizens Utility Board, which wants an elected commerce commission, and a group of lawyers that supports merit selection of judges.

Most Corn, Soybeans Harvested CHAMPAIGN, 111. (AP) Illinois farmers have taken advantage of excellent weather to harvest about two-thirds of their corn and soybeans, and some of the farmers have found less drought damage than expected. Fred Barrett of the Illinois Agricultural Statistics Service said Tuesday that 66 percent of the corn and 70 percent of the soybeans had been harvested. "They are making tremendous progress," Barrett said. "Frost helped relieve some problems in extremely weedy fields by killing them down." The U.S.

Department of Agriculture is expected to release its latest forecast of corn and soybean yields and production today, reflecting the loss caused by scorching weather during the growing season. Conrad Leslie, a private crop analyst in Chicago, estimated this week that the corn crop nationwide would be 4.55 billion bushels and the soybean crop would be 1.48 billion bushels. Those figures are up from the department's forecasts last month of 4.46 billion bushels of corn and 1.47 billion bushels of soybeans. But the figures are well below the harvest last year of 7.06 billion bushels of corn and 1.9 billion bushels of soybeans. "It is a mixed bag here," said Larry Paszkiewicz, agricultural adviser in Perry County in Southern Illinois.

"The corn is generally a little better than we thought, but the soybeans may be a little worse. Three weeks in July really hurt the beans." By Robert Goodrich Of the Post-Dispatch Staff A judge has halted at least for now a plan that East St. Louis Mayor Carl E. Officer had hoped would a bit of badly needed revenue for his beleaguered city. Officer wanted to quit using three towing and storage companies in East St.

Louis for storing vehicles that police ordered to be towed. According to documents filed in court, Officer issued a directive Oct. 4 that the city set up its own storage yard at its Tenth Street garage. The towing company owners claim that that would violate their contract with the city. On Monday one of the owners, Viola Garner of Clarvo Towing filed suit in circuit court in Belleville.

Associate Judge Robert L. Craig granted Garner an order requiring Rep. Flinn Says By Robert Goodrich Of the Post-Dispatch Staff State Rep. Monroe Flinn, D-Caho-kia, rejected Tuesday a debate challenge from his Republican opponent, Robert M. Goins of Belleville.

Flinn said Goins' only reason for wanting to debate was to get name recognition. "He's not going to do that at my expense," Flinn said. He added, "If we were to debate, he wouldn't be able to hold a candle to me. I've been around too long and know too much about the workings of state government." Goins says Flinn is evading key campaign issues. "Monroe Flinn has consistently refused to face the voters Illinois Bell Seeks To Cut Rate Illinois Bell is asking the Illinois Commerce Commission for permission to lower its rates for enhanced 911 emergency phone systems in communities the company serves.

The request is being made less than a month before voters in St. Clair County and other areas will decide whether to have a countywide 911 system-Gary Bennett, Illinois Bell product manager for 911, said, "After listening to the concerns of several potential users of the new service, we agreed that we could make some changes in the way the service was provided." With an "enhanced" system, a caller's telephone number and address appears on a screen in the dispatcher's office when a call is made. The call also is automatically routed to 1 WE'RE NOT TALKING 1 TOASTERS HERE. On 911 Service the proper answering point for the neighborhood where it originates. Voters in St.

Clair County will decide Nov. 8 whether to have a county-wide enhanced 911 system. Each telephone customer would be charged 65 cents a month to pay for it. Parts of East St. Louis already are served by a 911 system.

Madison County also is considering a 911 emergency telephone system. e're our new Right now much more. No To Debate of this district tnd give them a full accounting of his record," Goins asserted. "Rather, he vhitewashes his actions with meanhgless legislative reports, which tell inly a small part of the real story, at Uxpayers' expense," Goins said. A debate shoult be held In a nonpartisan setting, perhaps at Belleville Area College.

According to Goins, voters should be told why Flinn sipported a 40 percent increase in lie state Income tax and whether he id anything to prevent the closing tf the Stag Brewery in Belleville and knitt Packing Co. in National City. invest in one oi reward you in a 3-, 5-, 7-, the rewards at included as interest on 1(5 CreveCoeur 901 N. Spoede Road, 63146 (314) 994-7777 Man Found Slain In East St. Louis East St.

Louis police are investigating the fatal shooting of a man whose body was found early Tuesday in a field in the 700 block of North 51st Street. The field is used as a football practice field by East St. Louis High School. Terry Wright, 26, of the Grenzer Homes in Madison, was pronounced dead at the scene at 5:39 a.m. by Albert Ransom, deputy St.

Clair County coroner. East St. Louis Detective Lenzie Stewart said Wright had been shot in the back with a shotgun. One man was held for questioning in connection the shooting, and two others were being sought. Police said they had got a call for help from a person in the 700 block of North 51st Street at 12:54 a.m.

Tuesday. When police arrived, Stewart said, Ricky Clayton of East St. Louis said Wright had been shot in an argument with three other men over a firearm. Clayton, 30, of the 800 block of North 38th Street, told police that he and Wright had gone to the 51st Street address with a man who wanted to discuss a missing firearm, Stewart said. Two other men met them in the 900 block of North 51st Street, Clayton told police, and Wright was shot in an argument over the missing firearm.

Clayton fled. DEATHS Recent deaths In the Metro East area: Alhambra Vera Mae Henchen, 61, died Tuesday, funeral Thursday, Dauderman. Bethalto Chester Hungerfod, 85, died Saturday, services private, Smith. Belleville Joseph J. Pollaro, 76, died Monday, funeral Thursday, Kurrus.

Bunker Hill Dorothy C. Wieseman, 45, died Monday, funeral Thursday, Jacoby-Wise. Cottage Hills Kimberly Howard, 24, died Saturday, funeral today, Smith. East St Louis Mildred Jones, 63, died Saturday, funeral Saturday, Nash. Rosie Comb, 73, died Monday, funeral Thursday, Officer.

Jimmy Johnson, 37, died Monday, arrangements pending, Officer. Eura Robinson, 75, died Monday, arrangements pending, Officer. Louis Greer, 81, died Sunday, arrangements pending, Russell. Edwardsville Elmer "Deke" Ashauer, 72, died Monday, funeral Thursday, Pletcher. Hoyt Cameron Halford, 71, died Monday, funeral Thursday, Pletcher.

Godfrey Lindel Withers, 65, died Tuesday, funeral Thursday, Gent; Alton. Granite City Lloyd Deming, 92, died Monday, funeral Thursday, Thomas. Marine Wilbur Loos, 79, died Monday, funeral Thursday, Halleman. talking camcorders, VCRs, big-screen TVs, and The choice is yours when you Advanced CDs. at Farm Home, your savings will as well as later.

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