Lansing State Journal from Lansing, Michigan • Page 13

SB MetroMichigan Lansing State Journal 5 Friday, Aug. 14, 1987 Kelley charges Also: 7 car tayeirs Capitol Digest Office to help select nuke waste site Gov. James Blanchard has Issued two executive orders establishing an office of low-level radioactive waste management to help handle the selection of a site for a radioactive waste disposal site. The orders follow selection of Michigan as the "host state" for the site by the Midwest Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Commission. The seven-state panel, noting Michigan generated the most low-level waste, picked it to construct a disposal site to serve the region.

Blanchard's order said the new office would help coordinate government efforts to handle low-level waste, such as material generated by universities, hospitals and nuclear power plants. It does not include highly radioactive spent nuclear fuel. The new office will be located in the state Department of Management and Budget. It permits the director to be Michigan's representative on the Midwest commission. Currently, that is David Hales, a former University of Michigan professor.

The Midwest commission is scheduled to meet Monday and Tuesday in Detroit to complete a formal agreement with Michigan over the waste facility. Fishing reef to be formed in Tawas Bay A new fishing reef will be formed by 4.500 tons of limestone rock dumped into Tawas Bay and that should dramatically improve the walleye, perch and ice fishing in the bay, officials say. Department of Natural Resources fish biologists said the reef will attract small fish seeking cover and food, and that will draw larger fish to the area. The reef, to be formed by rock deposited in the bay on Thursday, will stand 7 feet high in 20 feet of water and lie about 1,500 feet from shore. "We expect anglers, year-round, to double here," said DNR fish biologist Dave Smith.

"We anticipate a lot of traffic by small-board owners especially." The DNR provided $25,000 for the project, while a local sportsmen's group and a Washington, D.C, organization also helped. Smith said similar reefs may be constructed in other parts of the state. Court reverses murder conviction The state Court of Appeals, citing repeated delays in the court trial, has reversed the second-degree murder conviction of a man in Detroit Recorder's Court. Jeryl Wayne Dennis was sentenced to 35-120 years for the murder conviction years concurrently for his conviction for assault with intent to commit murder. He also received a two-year sentence for using a firearm to commit a felony.

According to the appeals court, Dennis shot two people, killing one, during a dispute June 11, 1978. In reversing his convictions and sending the case back to Recorder's Court for a new trial, the appeals court noted "numerous irregularities and interruptions" in the trial which violated due process and "fundamental fairness." Compiled from Associated Press reports. MBmBaBHi chiseled By JEFF HOLYFIELD Associated Press Taking aim at a widespread practice, a trio of top state officials announced Thursday a long-term crackdown on those who cheat the state out of $20 million a year in taxes on used cars and trucks. Attorney General Frank Kelley said 27 felony warrants were issued for citizens who allegedly underreported the amount they paid for the vehicles or claimed a phony family exemption. Treasurer Robert Bowman said the buyers of used vehicles, boats, or airplanes are supposed to pay a 4 percent use tax on their purchases before they can get a title.

However, of the million private vehicle sales in the state each year, 100,000 to 150,000 cheat the state out of all or part of the taxes due, he said, adding that's a $20 million drain on the treasury. "Our job is to try and find it and collect it for the honest taxpayers," Bowman said. Secretary of State Richard Austin appeared at a news conference with Kelley and Bowman and said the departments will join in a cooperative effort to catch the cheaters. Austin said his department will send every title application to the Treasury Department for review and won't issue a title until the Treasury Department is satisfied the proper amount of tax has been paid. The names of suspected cheaters will be forwarded to the attorney general's office for possible prosecution, he said.

"We will see to it that everyone follows the state laws," Kelley said, adding he believes those Wolpe hopes capital confrontations end Wolpe wins Synfuels battle The State Administrative Board meets at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in the Governor's Conference Room at the Capitol. TODAY: The Michigan Commission for the Blind meets at 10 a.m. in the Market Square Building, 309 N. Washington Ave.

A House subcommittee looking at transportation needs of mental health clients and their families holds a public hearing from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Portage Public Library, 300 Library Lane, Portage. Wolpe and U.S. Sen.

Howard Metzenbaum, D-Ohio, filed suit to try to block the project, and later the General Accounting Office recommended rescinding it Wolpe said he was notified Thursday that the Department of Treasury has recommended rescinding the award. Synfuels was established by the Carter administration during the Iran hostage crisis to help subsidize creation of a synthetic fuels industry. It was intended to make the U.S. less dependent on oil imports. Since its formation in 1980, it had been surrounded by charges of excessively high salaries, cronyism in appointments and lethargy.

And as oil prices fell, costly synthetic fuel projects became less economically feasible. Wolpe said that in all, the federal government has saved $14.1 billion by scrapping the Synfuels program. to Iran in the first place both in violation of public policy and of our law by making another mistake by trying to ingratiate the United States with more moderate Arab states," he said. By CHRIS ANDREWS Lansing State Journal Congressman Howard Wolpe said he hopes President Reagan is ready to enter a more cooperative relationship with Congress in his final year and a half as presi dent. "My hope is that the president will back away from what has been a very confrontational approach to the Congress this past year," Wolne said Thursday.

Wolpe Wolpe is back in Lansing now that Congress has begun its summer recess. Wolpe said he agrees with Reagan that the country must begin to look to the future but that it also must learn from the past, specifically the errors that lead to the Iran-Contra scandal. Wolpe, a Democrat, said Reagan's speech to the country Wednesday night didn't respond to any of the unanswered questions of that controversy. Some of those ultimately may be answered by the special prosecutor's investigation, he said. He said many people think the congressional hearings on the Iran-Contra affair were an em Jit barrassment to the country.

But Wolpe said they showed the strength and resilience of the U.S. political system. Wolpe said he found frightening the testimony about unauthorized activities of Lt Col. Oliver North, National Security Adviser John Poindexter and, others "elected by no one, apparently accountable to no one, that had taken it upon themselves to make their own foreign "We were in danger of losing our democracy," he said. Wolpe said his office received numerous calls in support of North after his testimony.

He said he attributed that to a public perception that North was being blamed for activities approved by his superiors. "I don't think the American public was endorsing the acts of deception, the shredding of documents, the lying to the Congress and all the other crimes that occurred in the course of these events," he said. Wolpe said there has been no great increase in support for the Contra rebels in Nicaragua since the hearings. The Lansing lawmaker said the No. 1 issue his constituents ask about is the Persian Gulf situation.

Wolpe said he thinks Reagan's agreement to reflag Kuwaiti ships is foolish. Wolpe said that in allying itself Panel doesn't want parking to be private, just profitable ohd who try to avoid paying their full share of taxes are "chiselers and I think they ought to be punished to the full extent of the law." He said tax fraud is a felony in Michigan punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Bowman said his department considers honest taxpayers good clients and tries to treat them as such. But the estimated 10 percent who cheat on their taxes should be found and subjected to fair and harsh treatment. He said his department is using its growing computer muscle to check the title applications and would have a program designed to reject applications that fell outside accepted parameters.

Robert Kolt, a spokesman for the Treasury Department, said the cost of the computer crosschecking is minimal and resulted in the 27 warrants issued this week. Kelley said the warrants were served in Macomb, Wayne, Kent, Oakland, Ingham, Genesee and Midland counties. All of those arrested were arraigned in district court on Thursday, he said. Bowman said $7,000 to $8,000 in taxes are involved in those cases. But he said a 100 percent tax penalty and the possible $5,000 fines push the total the state could get past $150,000.

Seventy subpoenas have been issued in cases in 28 other counties, he said. He declined to speculate if more arrests would follow, but added "arrests usually follow subpoenas." Those named in the warrants were charged with underreporting the purchase price or claiming a fraudulent family exemption. lyst, reported that Lansing's parking system is financially healthy. He and chief legislative aide Ron Onufer recommended against going private. The basic issue, Koessel pointed out, remains whether the parking system should be operated as a city service, with built-in constraints, or should focus entirely on profit.

The Committee of the Whole also decided to hold off action on a proposed neighborhood parking permit program intended to help areas where cars from nearby businesses crowd sidestreets. The committee went along with Councilman Jim Blair's request for a financial impact statement from the transportation division. David Berridge, transportation division director, said the proposal would be the latest step in a neighborhood assistance plan that designated tow-away zones in 1985 and hiked parking violation fines to $25 in 1986. The permits would allow residents to park on their own streets where time limit signs exists. But they would not be valid for no-parking zones, parking meters or during the city's 2 a.m.

to 5 a.m. all-street parking ban. Neighborhoods would have to petition the City Council to become a parking permit district ladies5 The men's department will be brimming with quality merchandise. But you'll have to hurry while these selections last! Cash or bankcard Nolayaways All sales final Alterations at cost merchandise otl DeWitt water project faces review Monday By CHRIS ANDREWS Lansing State Journal U.S. Rep.

Howard Wolpe learned Thursday that he has won a final victory in his crusade against the now defunct U.S. Synthetic Fuels Corp. "We have just saved another $500 million," the Lansing Democrat said after hearing that the Department Treasury is rescinding a final contract of Synfuels for a Union Oil Co. shale project. Wolpe was a leader in the effort by Congress to abolish Synfuels which he called waste of taxpayer dollars.

Congress eliminated the program in December 1985 and it was supposed to be out of business by April 1986, Wolpe said. But before it died, Synfuels OK'd the shale project "We were outraged. We thought it was illegal, that it was after the congressional mandate to close it down," he said. with Iraq, the U.S. greatly increases the risk to American forces in the region.

"What you have here is the president attempting to undo his tragic mistake of sending missiles Water study r. i 1 4 i 4hi I if i ll I it" t-i -Ai. ii illlilllllllll Lansing By CHRIS GOLEMBIEWSK1 Lansing State Journal Lansing City Council members remain cool to turning the municipal parking system over to private companies. But they want the city's lots and ramps to be more profitable and able to handle expansion. Those were the conclusions of the council's Committee of the Whole on Thursday after listening to their staff report on the condition of the $4 million parking system.

The committee adopted a resolution to ask Mayor Terry McKane's administration to look at freeing the parking system from a bogged-down city bureaucracy, without turning it over to private companies. The resolution is scheduled for a vote at Monday's City Council meeting. Others agreed with Council-woman Lucile Belen's suggestion that maintenance and security in parking ramps might improve if the system had more independence. The private management idea had been presented by Systems Parking but the council wanted a look at the issue before talking to private companies, said Councilman Pat Lindemann. Greg Koessel, the council's internal auditor and financial ana all men's question on the ballot.

"I anticipate the council will set a special election date at Monday's meeting," he said. Council-members are also expected to vote on a special assessment DeWitt proposes constructing a water line from the DeWitt Township water storage tank, located south of Herbison Road off Shavey Road, to the city's closest water line. DeWitt and the township have agreed to share maintenance costs of the storage tank. DeWitt officials propose to finance the project through general obligation and special assessment bonds. Klemens indicated special assessment funding by benefitting property owners would pick up $752,987 of the costs this represents about $2,345 per property to be paid off over 20 years at an estimated 8 percent interest By SALLY TROUT Lansing State Journal DeWITT A proposed $1.3 million city water project will face public review again Monday night as a heated recessed public hearing on the issue is continued at City Hall.

City officials are proposing a special assessment district comprised of 411 properties. A number of property owners oppose the project. James L. Renz, representing the owners, presented DeWitt councilmembers with a petition Aug. 3 seeking a citywide vote on the bonding proposal which would finance the project The petition included some 260 valid signatures, according to DeWitt Administrative Assistant Kurt Klemens.

Some 220 signatures are needed to place the SALE iflix4i'lm; 1 ttuUI 1 iTin i- F- I pit A fj III clothing is now at final markdown Judge says racer must pay for crime $1 00 at a time State JournalKRISTIN L. MILLER The best buys for men and women have all been gathered and regrouped for your shopping convenience. Browse through stacks of shirts, suits, sport-coats, slacks, neckwear, and more. other selected from 30 Cole Lawless, 2Vz. of Lansing is mesmerized by the water from a Potter Park drinking fountain.

He climbed atop the fountain to get a better view. Cole was at the park with his mother, Kathy Lawless. 2 Detroit pilots face drug charges Final Days Friday and Saturday on. the second floor By PHILJURIK Lansing State Journal CHARLOTTE A midnight drag race between a Trans Am and a Camaro two summers ago left two area men dead. The Camaro driver died in a crash.

The Trans Am driver lived to pay for it. John Lyman brings home $126 a week after expenses. A judge ordered Thursday that every week he must surrender $100 of that salary to pay off the funeral of one of the men killed by the race. Lyman, who already has served a year in jail, also was given five years of probation, which he was told he will violate if he loses his job. And he was denied a restricted license to drive to work.

The defense attorney told Eaton County Circuit Judge Richard Shuster that the sentence would place great pressure on Lyman's family and cause the 21-year-old Dimondale man to struggle to keep his job. "His family is going to be supporting him," attorney Sheila Robertson said later. "The judge really left no room for him to even feed himself. Even though he's an adult, he'll be forced to live at home." But Shuster said he thought he was being conservative in punish ing Lyman. The state Court of Appeals criticized the judge in June for abusing his discretion by sentencing Lyman too harshly last year.

He fined Lyman $200,000 then, which amounted to assessing civil liability, the court said. Lyman, who pleaded no contest to negligent homicide, was racing William Merriman. 22, of Wil-liamston in July 1985 on Bishop Road when Merriman's car struck a third vehicle head-on. Merriman was killed instantly. Gary Van Lancker, 23, of Lansing, a passenger in the vehicle Merriman hit died two months later of injuries from the accident Lyman drove on and later was charged with leaving the scene.

"I'd like to say I'm sorry for what happened," Lyman told Shuster before Thursday's sentencing. "I'm just trying to get my life back together." Robertson said the Court of Appeals opinion that reversed Shuster's original sentence wasn't entirely clear. Robertson said she didn't think the appeals court allowed Shuster to assess any restitution for the victims' families. The prosecutor said he didn't think it would be excessive to charge Lyman the $3,400 for Van Lancker's funeral. Robertson said Lyman hasn't decided whether he will appeal Shuster's latest sentencing.

1 Two of the four pilots named in the indictment are auto company employees from the Detroit area. Hans Bolte, 32, of Union Lake, who has worked for Volkswagen of America Inc. since 1985, was charged Thursday in U.S. District Court and released on $50,000 bond. Jeffrey Hubbard, 30, of Canton Township in Wayne County, was expected to be formally charged later Thursday.

Hubbard has been an employee of Chrysler Pentastar division since 1984. The indictment charges the marijuana was flown from Colombia to landing sites in the United States, including airstrips near Atlanta and Lewisburg, Tenn. The marijuana was driven to Michigan in cars or trucks. Associated Press DETROIT Two corporate pilots from Detroit were among 10 people indicted on charges of smuggling about $45 million worth of marijuana into this country. The ring is accused of smuggling 75 tons of marijuana into the United States nearly all of it to Michigan between 1976 and 1983, according to a federal grand jury indictment released Wednesday.

Most of the marijuana was believed to have been sold to students at the University of Michigan. Michigan State University and Wayne State University, authorities said. nositchek's setting the standard since 1865 113N. Washington Downtown Lansing. pn 482-H7 Hours: Monday 10-8.

Tuesday-Friday 10-6. Saturday 10-5.