The Times Herald from Port Huron, Michigan • Page 3

WESMTQJM1: TT P1 MICHIGAN Engler names Republican to state high court issues that affect all of us and our families. I am confident that Judge Taylor can make those decisions decisions that are right for Michi- The Associated Press LANSING Clifford W. Taylor, a judge on the state Court of Appeals and a longtime political ally of Gov. John Engler, was named Thursday to the state Supreme Court. "Cliff Taylor believes strongly that it is the responsibility of the court not to make the law, but to interpret the law without regard to" partisan position," Gov.

Engler said in announcing his selection. "Every term, profound issues are presented to the Supreme Court nounced April she would resign from the high court as of Sept. 1 because of Parkinson's disease. The appointment does not require confirmation by the Michigan Senate. Mr.

Taylor, 54, from East Lansing, will have to run for election next year to fill the rest of Ms. Riley's term, which expires in 2001. He will have to run for a full 8-year term in the 2000 election to remain on the court. "It's a wonderful post with rich opportunities," Mr. Taylor said.

Neither he nor Gov. Engler took questions after their brief appear He then called Taylor's selection "an admirable choice." In Michigan, Supreme Court justices run as independents. But candidates are selected at partisan party conventions. The state Supreme Court currently has four Democrats and three Republicans. Mr.

Taylor's appointment will maintain that split. Mr. Taylor's wife, Lucille, is legal adviser to Gov. Engler. Long part of Gov.

Engler's political circle, Clifford Taylor has run unsuccessfully for Congress and attorney general. ance in the omate former Supreme Court chamber in the state Capitol. Mrs. Riley issued a prepared statement saying Mr. Taylor was "an extraordinarily able jurist and is committed to our state's 'One Court of "I take great comfort in knowing that he will carry on in my stead and serve the people of Michigan faithfully and effectively," she said.

Chief Justice Conrad Mallett a Detroit Democrat, called Mrs. Riley "a Michigan Supreme Court legend." gan. Mr. Clifford Taylor Taylor will succeed Supreme Court Justice Dorothy Comstock Riley, who an ST. CLAIR WASTE WATER TREATMENT PLANT 1..

i 1 ft 4 'i-? 1 j.JI 5A.1 Tip time and equipment to test the water at the Harbour Club pool. "We can still discharge solid waste, so of course after a few years it's going to build up and cause a septic problem at the marina." Engineers, township supervisors and commissioners agreed at Thursday meeting's that the cheapest solution would be to extend the 30-inch-diameter discharge pipe beyond the sea wall. It's not clear how far it would have to be extended, but officials estimated it would cost $500,000. Arnold Luallen, an engineer from Hubbell, Roth and Clark who is representing the public works board, said the owners of the Algonac Harbour Club do not plan to remove the wall or pay to extend the pipe. "Their attorney sent us a letter that pretty much said they did all of this under a permit and did not plan to take further action," he said.

William Coglin, general manager of the marina, could not be reached for comment. Officials at the state Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers should have notified the county when they granted the permit in the late 1980s, Mr. Luallen said. "I really think it has come to the point where this is a legal issue," he said.

"This permit was granted and you were never notified, and it was granted by people that should have known what was involved." Leonard Hool, St. Clair County road commissioner, agreed. "Let's see if we can find an attorney and fight if we have to fight," he said. "I'm not too pleased." It might be possible to force the marina to dismantle the wall, Mr. Luallen said.

"The Corps (of Engineers) said if we can show that it is in the public interest, they can go back and require remedial action," he said. "But I don't know that we've succeeded in ing them that 'it is in the public interest, since they haven't issued that action." Jon Manos, Clay Township supervisor, said he hoped there might be a compromise with the marina. "The marina is going to be getting the effluent, and that is not favorable to their customers," he said. "That pipe is designed for an outflow of 2.7 million gallons per day." By TRISHA VONER Times Herald ALGONAC County officials are preparing for a possible legal battle with the state over an estimated $500,000 water problem near the St. Clair County Waste Water Treatment Plant.

Engineers said the problem lies not with the plant, but instead with the neighboring Algonac Harbour Club marina. State officials granted a permit for the marina to build a sea wall directly downstream from the treatment plant's outflow pipe a move that has prevented the treated effluent from adequately dispersing in the river. The effluent contains both biological and chemical hazards, and will create a dangerous back-up in the St. Clair River if not properly diluted, plant superintendent Charles "Chuck" Bayly told the St. Clair County Department of Public Works board Thursday.

The board membership is the same as the St. Clair County Road Commission. "Chlorine is a carcinogen. It's going to kill some fish," said Mr. Bayly, who was reprimanded recently for side jobs including using plant NEWS OF THE STATE Detroit mayor to narrow field of casino applicants DETROIT The Miss Universe pageant, lavish restaurants, a theater, a swimming pool with a retractable glass dome and, of course, gambling, are included in plans from 1 1 developers hoping to land one of three downtown casino licenses.

Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer will narrow the field down to six or eight later today. People contributing less to children's trust funds LANSING While income tax checkoff contributions to a state wildlife fund are holding steady, those to the Michigan Children's Trust Fund have dropped substantially. According to state Treasury Department figures: About 55,000 taxpayers have contributed to the Children's Trust Fund, down from nearly 63,000 filers who made donations last year. Drunken drivers face more crackdowns AUBURN HILLS With the numbers of patrons attracted each year by The Palace, Meadow Brook Music Theater and nearby Pine Knob Music Theater and the Pontiac Silverdome, this Oakland County community sees its share of drunken drivers. Authorities are planning a weekend crackdown where they will pull over drivers who so much as make a suspiciously wide turn.

Man burns cross, charged with intimidation SAGINAW A Saginaw Township man face charges of ethnic intimidation in connection with the burning of a cross on the lawn of a black family, authorities said. Scott R. Severin, 28, who is white, also was arraigned on a charge of placing explosives or offensive substances with intent to alarm. Bills make it easier for victims to transfer KALAMAZOO Michigan students who are assaulted on school grounds could find it easier to transfer to a new school with the passage of bills sought by several state lawmakers. Four Republicans are sponsoring the bills in response to assaults last winter at Kalamazoo Central High School.

Inmate accuses officers of courthouse beating FLINT Two Flint police officers are being investigated after an inmate accused them of beating him while he was shackled. Gary R. Crosby, 42, of Flint, said that the officers hit him in the head and mouth, pulled his hair and pinned his arms behind his back as they led him away from a district court hearing. But Police say the scuffle ensued only after he tried to grab an officer's gun. Boy acquitted of murder, billed for jail time DRYDEN TOWNSHIP A Lapeer County boy acquitted of murder charges is now facing another kind of charge a bill for his housing at an Oakland County juvenile facility.

The family of Edmund J. Proulx, 14, received a bill for $4,742 only days after his acquittal. Edmund was held at Children's Village after he fatally shot 16-year-old Terry Hoeppner on April 2. After a three-day trial, Edmund was found not guilty because he acted in self-defense. Police look in lake for missing baby BROHMAN Authorities searching for a man and a baby returned to a murky Newaygo County lake.

The search came after the disappearance of several people linked to Marvin Gabrion, 43, of White Cloud, who was charged with raping Shannon's mother, Rachel Timmerman, 19. Ms. Tim-merman's body was discovered after she was scheduled to testify against Mr. Gabrion. Police can't find Mr.

Gabrion, little Shannon or Wayne Davis, 44, a witness to the alleged assault a year ago. By BOB GROSS, Times Herald NEW BIKE PATH: Crews from Boddy Construction of Marysville work earlier this week on a section of St. Clair's new bike path. St. Clair bike path almost done St.

Clair Bike Path Thursday rain produces overflow Approved extension 2 tn hilo noth cccc lu umo pain fowi St. Bike path presently under construction was recorded this morning. The city's sewer system has dumped more than 214 million gallons of untreated waste water into the rivers, following rainfall this year. The city does not recommend swimming in the Black River at any time. 2:15 a.m.

today and dumped 210,000 gallons into the rivers as of 8 a.m., according to Daniel Collins, supervisor of the Waste Water Treatment plant. The waste water entered the rivers from 19 overflow points, Mr. Collins said. Rainfall of 0.31 inches By ROBERTA STEVENSON Times Herald Storm water overflow from Port Huron's sewer system continued to reach the St. Clair and Black rivers this morning following overnight rainfall.

The overflow began at Vine I.I Clinton Ave. By BOB GROSS Times Herald ST. CLAIR Mary Te-beau rides her 10-speed Huffy about four or five times a week, but she is leery about taking it out of her neighborhood near St. Clair High School. "I just ride up and down the street here because I'm afraid to ride on the busy roads," she said.

But Mrs. Tebeau's horizons will be broadening. St. Clair currently is building a $400,000 bike path along Carney Drive in the western part of the city. The IVi mile path should be done within three weeks.

"I'm excited about it," Mrs. Tebeau said. "I like to ride my bike, and I have kids that like to ride their bikes. It will be safer for them." Safety is a concern, he said. The bike path will cross Carney twice at Vine Street at a four-way stop and at a planned pedestrian crossing where Carney turns into Brown.

"I think it gives us a way to get to places like Gregg Park (on Carney Drive) without having to travel on the main streets," he said. Mr. Sullivan said it also links the newer western part of the city with the older downtown section. The project is being funded with a combination of state and city funds. The bike path with its extension runs from Brown and 19th to Fred Moore Highway and 15th.

City officials hope one day to extend it across the Pine River and connect the south part of St. Clair with the north part. 2 attempts at arson cause little damage Fred" Moore Hwy- By SUE WITHAM, Times Herald Earlier this week, the St. Clair City Council approved an extension of the bike path east along Brown Street. That portion of the project will cost an additional $122,000, city Superintendent Pat Sullivan said.

"Two guys were working on a house and they had a 1978 pickup parked out front," he said. "When they came out, they noticed that the gas cap was off and someone had stuffed a lit rag in there." Capt. Kinsman said the fire burned itself out before the gasoline could catch fire. The second fire was at By JOHN WISELY Times Herald Two potentially dangerous fires burned out quickly Thursday, according to the Port Huron Fire Department. Capt.

Thomas Kinsman said the first was an attempted arson in the 900 block of Pine Street at about 3:15 p.m. about 10 p.m. at the intersection of Superior and Glen-wood. Fire officials found a Molotov cocktail in the middle of the intersection. A Molotov cocktail is a bottle filled with fuel and stuffed with a rag.

"We just went over to make sure it was out," Capt. Kinsman said. "It didn't damage anything." Memphis' unsettled contract 'critical teachers' union says ji. VI School starts Sept. 2 in Memphis.

Both the union and the district said the school starting date won't be affected by the stalled talks. They also said they plan to meet soon to work on the issues involved. Memphis teachers have been working without a contract since August 1994. Memphis Superintendent Kenneth Helinski said there may be a meeting on Monday. He said even though the contract remains unresolved, the board has implemented a better health care package and a raise for teachers that will begin on their first check for the new school year.

He said the teachers were being paid under an old pay scale, but will receive a 9 raise this year 3 for each of the last three years. Mr. Helinski also said he hopes an agreement can be reached soon. "The fact is that we're going into the fourth year," he said. "We would like to get a final contract." Sharri Justice, a secretary in the county MEA office, said a teacher orientation day is scheduled for next Wednesday.

She said the association has been trying to schedule more talks but haven't been able to. Dawn Cooper, a spokeswoman for the state MEA, said the number of unsettled contracts is about typical for this time of year. "Those that open on Monday will use that very important leverage of getting them open on Monday to facilitate some strong, hard, intense bargaining," she said. From staff and wire reports LANSING Memphis School District is on the state's "critical" list for unsettled constracts, the state's largest teachers' union said Thursday. The Michigan Education Association said 56 percent, or 359, of the 639 bargaining units it represents statewide which are engaged in collective bargaining this year still had no contracts as of Wednesday.

The union put bargaining units at Ferris State University and four school districts on its "critical" list. Beside Memphis, the other school districts on the list arc: Traverse City, Grand Haven and Benton Harbor. 3 'i By DOROTHY EATON, Times Herald Flower child CORRECTIONS AND AMPLIFICATIONS The Times Herald strives for fair and accurate reporting, and we regret it anv time an error is made. It is the policy of this newspaper to correct substantive errors of fact that appear in its news columns. Please bring errors to the attention of Gary Miles at VS9-6257.

Abigail Elstermann, 2, of Port Huron, darts in and out of the sunflowers and gladiolus at the farmer's market at Horizon Outlet Thursday afternoon. Rainy weather kept all but two stalls from opening..