The Akron Beacon Journal from Akron, Ohio • Page 7

Akron Beacon Journal Fran Murphey News in brief BOOT SOU Tuesday. February 17, 1981 ft TwT ft Travelers urged to carry smoke detectors (g Hop Stat The hotels should install (smoke detectors), but since many don't, it would be wise to bring your own. Chief Inspector Harley Ezell Akron Fire Department "They just set it on top of a closet door," Licitri said. Ed Kent, appliance department manager of the North Canton K-: mart at 1447 N. Main St, said people have told him that pack-4 ing a detector gives them a little "insurance." Smoke detector sales appear to be increasing at area stores in wake of the two hotel fires in Las Vegas and one in Harrison, N.

Y. A saleswoman at the J. C. Penney store at Rolling Acres Mall said she has had trouble keeping smoke detectors in stock ever the rooms of either hotel. The detectors, when hung on a door, will give travelers an extra 10 to 15 minutes minutes to get out of a burning hotel.

And if the detector gets a guest out of his room before the hall fills with smoke, the extra baggage could save a life. Ezell said travelers can rig a cradle of sorts out of a coat hanger to hook the detector over a door, but he said that's really not necessary. He said the detectors can simply be placed by the door. THE AKRON inspector isn't since Christmas time. She said her department has been selling about 50 detectors every couple weeks.

OF AKRON'S three big downtown hotels, only the new Quaker Square Hilton has smoke detectors. As required by Ohio's 1979 building code, there are detectors in the hallways and in each of the new hotel's 144 rooms. The Quar-ker Square Hilton also has a complete sprinkler system. There are no room or, hallway- See TRAVELERS, page C2 By Peter Phlpps Beacon Journal staff writer Harley Ezell, the Akron Fire Department's chief fire inspector, urges travelers with reservations in high-rise hotels to find room in their suitcases for a smoke detector. "The hotels should install them, but since many don't, I think it would be wise to bring your own," Ezell said.

Fires in two high-rise hotels in Las Vegas within the last three months have claimed 102 lives. There were no smoke detectors in the only fire official calling on travelers to pack a detector and apparently area travelers have taken the advice. Jim Licitri, City tax hike or Cleveland Marion police stymied by blast inside city hall ecided today The explosion left a hole a foot wide and a foot deep outside City Hall, but the only damage inside was glass that fell on the floor and a destroyed heating register. There isn't much traffic downtown at 2:30 in the morning, which makes Johnston think "there wasn't any attempt to hurt anybody." The police dispatcher and jailer were the only persons besides the prisoners in the building when the explosion occurred. The dispatcher alerted police in cruisers and one of the officers spotted the damage while driving by City Hall.

MARION, an industrial city of about 40,000 located 60 miles north of Columbus, has an unemployment rate of about 12 percent, higher than the state average. This has prompted more job-hunting than it has protest, said Johnston. "I can't even think of any strike we have," he said. There is speculation that the explosion was caused by dynamite, but Chief Exley said he won't know for sure until experts from the U. S.

Treasury Department's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms complete their investigation in about 10 days. ATF agents gathered evidence early Monday and left by the afternoon. Meanwhile, over at Harding's old newspaper, managing editor Nicholas Walker was as stymied as the police. For Marion, Walker said, this was "big news." "The paucity of details was a little frustrating," he said. "We (usually) have the garden variety of crime around here." I i 1 i if i i I ft i "Y' -T, fit' i .,1 r- 1 v.

1 1 TT" Tt manager of the Radio Shack at 4301 Kent Stow, said a number of businessmen told him they intended to pack a detector. three years," Williams said. "It's an ongoing effort in this office." In Cincinnati, Cissell said that college officials have not pushed See STUDENT, page Ct 'said be worked 300 hours of overtime in 1980 and earned $13,700. Under the proposal, the base salary of the department's one sergeant would be increased by 11.8 percent to $11,400. Two patrolmen would receive a 10.7 percent boost to $10,800, while four dispatchers who now earn $3.35 per hour would be paid a salary of $7,800.

i By William Hershey Beacon Journal staff writer MARION It's an explosion story that probably has Marion's most famous newspaperman spinning at the celestial copy desk. If he still were on the scene, former Marion Star owner Warren Gamaliel Harding, also 29th President of the United States, would have only these facts to consider: About 2:30 Monday morning an explosion rocked City Hall, blasting a hole in a 22-foot-high glass panel and damaging two buildings across the street. There were no injuries. The blast was heard three miles away. Police have neither a suspect nor a motive.

Damage to City Hall was estimated at "We've never had anything like this in the 26 years I have been here," Police Chief Robert Exley said. THE POLICE department, jail and municipal court are located in the $3.5 million City Hall, which opened in 1978. Exley said he has no reason to link any of the 13 current prisoners to the explosion. "We've had no threatening phone calls, no letters. There's no motive," said Police Inspector John Johnston.

City Hall was closed Monday for Presidents Day so the explosion didn't disturb city government. Johnston theorized that whoever set off the explosion intended to damage all nine large panels of glass in the front of the building. His theory was based on the location of the explosion near the center of the large glass panels. Colleges Associated Press CINCINNATI A federal prosecutor blames Ohio colleges for letting former students default on $35.5 million in loans that the government plans to collect. James Cissell, U.

S. attorney for the southern district of Ohio, said 501 suits seeking judgments totaling $663,868.46 from former Ohio students are being filed in federal district courts in Cincinnati, Dayton and Columbus. The defaults include loans from the National Direct Student Loan Program, which the colleges administer, and Veterans Administration assistance allowances. JAMES WILLIAMS, U. S.

-attorney for the northern district of Ohio, which covers Akron, said today that his office is planning to continue its usual policy of fil Associated Press CLEVELAND Cleveland voters go to the polls today to decide whether to raise the city income tax from 1.5 to 2 percent. The special election is the second attempt by Mayor George V. Voinovich to persuade voters tc approve the tax boost. The pro posal was rejected in last Novem ber's general election by a margin of 55 percent to 45 percent. In the past month, the Republican mayor, whose backers range from corporate executives to black leaders, has vigorously pushed for the tax boost.

He calls the increase a life-or-death issue for the 573,000 residents of Ohio's largest city. Most city leaders and both the city's dairy newspapers have endorsed the increase. THE CUYAHOGA County Board of Elections predicted a voter turnout of between 105,000 and 125,000 persons, according to chairman Robert E. Hughes. Cleveland has 314,0 registered voters.

The National Weather Service forecast above-normal temperatures with a high near 50. A 40 percent chance of rain was predicted. Ninth Ward council wo man Barbara Pringle, who supports the tax, said the vote might be so close that a recount would be necessary. The tax's most vocal opponent, former Mayor Dennis Kucinich, also said the vote would be too close to call. Voinovich would make no prediction on the tax's chance of passage.

"I have a clear conscience. I have done my best to get this message out to the people of Cleveland and it is their choice which way to go," he said Monday. City residents are promised better police, fire, emergency and other services and reinstatement of 300 laid-off workers if the proposal succeeds. THE TAX increase is part of Voinovich 's three-year fiscal recovery plan, which is based on tight-fisted budget policy. That plan began last year when Cleveland went out of default on $10.5 million in bank notes.

Kucinich, a Democrat who lost the mayor's seat to Voinovich in 1979, has led a campaign against the increase. He says the mayorj is blackmailing residents withj threats of reduced services and could make better use of $106 million in 1980 tax revenues. Kucinich, seen as trying to make a political comeback, has the support of the United Auto Workers. He argues that any more taxes will break the back of the working man and that the mayor and City Council members should not have voted themselves pay raises. VOINOVICH says he took over a debt-ridden city and that tional revenue from the higher tax is essential to prevent further erosion of city services and fur-ther borrowing.

Voinovich said that if the tax i passes, an additional $24.8 mil-? lion will be raised this year, $39.6 million next year and $42.3 lion in 1983. Rubber's I Big Four boost tax Firms contribute for Akron drive Akron's Big Four rubber companies have contributed $32,294 to the campaign to increase the city income tax, or about 60 percent of the money raised for the tax drive, according to records filed with the Summit County Board of Elections. The Concerned Citizens for Issue One, the group campaigning for the tax increase, had raised $52,628 and spent $27,482 through Feb. 6, the records show. Additional contributions will appear on a final campaign report to be filed after Thursday's election.

However, Vincent Lobello, thc- special assistant to the mayor' who is coordinating the Issue One campaign, said be does not expect many more contributions. Added expenses will use up almost all of the balance of the fund, he said. THERE IS NO organized oppo-t sitkm to the tax increase, which; would raise the city income tax; from 1.5 percent to 1.8 percent; this year and to 2.0 percent in 1982. The increase would cost an: Akron worker making $20,000 a. year an additional $100 after the second step.

Goodyear president Robert Mercer is chairman of the Issue One group. Goodyear heads the" list of rubber company donations' with $12,294, followed by Goodrich and Firestone, $7,500 and General Tire, $5,000. i Other contributions of $1,000 or more have been made by A. Schulman Inc. McNeil Corp.

the Civil Service Personnel Association ($1,420) and the Akron Area Board ot Realtors, Roadway Express, M. O'Neil Co. and the American Federation of Slate, County and Municipal Employees ($1,000 each). Mayor Roy L. Ray's $1,000 loan to the committee to set up a downtown headquarters has been repaid, according to the report; Marten Star pheto City hall explosion blew oat this window blamed for loan defaults overpaid government aid, such as that provided by the Veterans Administration.

"We've always placed a high priority in this area for the past ends in Crooksville ing between 10 and 15 cases a said the cases seek to recover money from those who have defaulted on student loans as well as people who have been 'Blue flu9 CROOKSVILLE, Ohio Seven of the eight members of the police department in this Perry County community staged a brief sick out Monday to protest a wage proposal made by the village's counciL They returned to work later in the day after negotiations were scheduled for Wednesday night Police Chief Robin Zinn and one other village employee an swered telephone calls at the police department during the sickout Employees asked for a 50-cent-an-hour increase in January, but the council has proposed placing city workers on salary. That proposal would increase Zinn's base salary from $11432 to $12,300 but would not allow for overtime. Zinn AREA DIGEST after an expfestoa tajared 11 wwters aad Mew waQs aad iadws at tin ptaat at tZl Beaver St, Aire. The explosion occulted when molten steel was accidentally poured into a trough of water, according to company officials. The Injured workers suffered minor burns and bruises and were expected to return to work today, said Roger RkJen-our.

plant manager. Rideoour said "over $100,000" was spent to repair windows, walls, and a furnace damaged la the explosion. Contractors were expected to continue to repair, damaged walls and the roof dur tog the Crst shiA, which tavorves US workers. NAZI TRIAL: The federal etrt trial a sabartea Clevetaad aatowrker ae-etued aiding his past as a Nad war erimiaa! was to eater its Qfta day today vita a sevea-lMar vMectape testimay given la West Germny fcy a farmer member ti Nad special pcike fane, SS officer Otto Horn was stationed at the death camp at Treblinka, Poland, one of the camps where the U. S.

government alleges 60-year-oid John Demjan-juk worked while believed to be a prisoner of war la Austria. A controversial issue in the case is the use by Justice Department lawyers of copies of German war documents filed la Soviet archives. One of those is aa NEIGHBORHOOD STUDY: mghlaad Sqaare gviag to be toe star a new tkrw. The area on Akron's near West Side has been selected for the first neighborhood history project being undertaken by the Summit County Historical Society. Throughout 1981.

volunteers and professionals will work together in probing the history, recording the architecture, listening to stories from residents and gathering photographs and memorabilia. The project will be financed by a $11454 grant from the Ohio JTograa la the Humanities, as affiliate of the National tar the Hams pities, GIRL'S BODY FOUND: Tests were expected be coodaetea today the partially deeampased bdy a girl fMJtd in a ecMd-flMr rem afea-toeed west side Oevelaad Iwase, Police said that the girl met a violent death and that her hands were tied. Homicide detective Harold Murphy said he did not know if the body was that of missing paper carrier Tammy Seals. 14, who disappeared tn the early morning hours of Oct 16 while delivering newspapers. The house, which is about 10 blocks from where Tammy lived, was searched last fall after Tammy disappearedbut nothing was found, detective Michael Cumituap sakL identification card issued to Iwan Demjanjuk at a Nazi training camp in Trawniki, Poland, in 1912.

The government obtained a photocopy of the card, which includes a photograph, from Soviet authorities. Much of last week's testimony centered on the authenticity of the card. The government is trying to prove that Demjanjuk. a quiet church-going family man from Seven Hills, is the Iwaa Demjanjuk pictured on the card, a guard at two Nazi death camps known to doomed Jewish prisoners as Ivaa the Terrible. FOUNDRY REOPENS: Tme AtUatfc Pmadrj Ca ifyowd today, five 4ay.