The Times Herald from Port Huron, Michigan • Page 3

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1994 PORT HURON, MICHIGAN 3A WHOM TO CALL: REPORTER WANT ADS TO DISCUSS LOCAL NEWS HELP US WITH YOUR STORY Reporter Denise Valenti is looking for parents who participate in school programs and help their children with schoolwork at home. If you are actively involved in your child's education, call 989-6275. Judith McLean, assistant managing editor 989-6255 Bob Gross, assistant city editor 989-6257 Peggy Walsh-Samecki, River District 765-4081 3A MICHIGAN CBS, WGPR poised for Dec. 11 switch At the same time CBS moves to WGPR, the network's current affiliate, WJBK-Channel 2 will convert to a Fox station. Jay B.

Newman, vice president operations for CBS Television Stations and head of the transition, said the network will spend $1 million promoting the station during the first 10 weeks. While the channel numbers will change, many programs will not. Mr. Newman said he does not know what Channel 62 will air at 12:01 a.m. Dec.

11 at the moment of the switch, but at 7 p.m. Sixty Minutes will be in its usual time slot, followed by Murder, She Wrote and the CBS Sunday night movie. Local programs may be in new time slots. Mr. Newman said CBS officials are talking with local ministers who want WGPR to maintain its slate of locally produced religious programming.

That lineup is likely to move to early Saturday and Sunday mornings. The station has begun hiring employees. But a newscast probably Channel numbers will change from 2 to 62 but programs to remain the same The Associated Press DETROIT Detroit TV station WGPR and CBS are sharpening their focus on Dec. 11 and The Switch when the network will move from Channel 2 to Channel 62. will not be in place until midsummer or later.

CBS will invest several million dollars on the initial start-up equipment to upgrade the station's technical facility and increase the power of its broadcast tower, Mr. Newman said. The changes should improve the channel's power by 55 as well as its sharpness and reliability. Within the next two years, CBS plans to move to new studios. But for now, CBS has leased 15,000 square feet of office space in the as tor tadl 3-' mm i i 4 fi "i 1 SMM'sffA gSSlIpilf ItlpfiWl zini By TONY PITTS, Times Herald George Andaluz sets up a demonstration Thursday on an IBM computer at Best Buy.

His department was preparing for today's opening of the Fort Gratiot store. Best Buy opens its doors Minnesota-based retailer boosts electronics supply 3 NEWS OF THE STATE Senator: Ingham judges have too much clout LANSING Ingham County judges have too much influence on Michigan laws and policies and shouldn't hear cases involving the state, Sen. David Honigman says. "It just seems kind of odd that that particular county should exert undue power over state policy, just because the state capital is located in that county," said Sen. Honigman, R-West Bloomfield.

He plans to introduce legislation next year creating a special three-judge panel to hear state cases. Chemical train fire linked to DNR worker illnesses MORRICE About 50 Department of Natural Resources employees were sent home after complaining of sore throats and headaches apparently caused by toxic fumes in their building here. The fumes might have come from a chemical fire aboard a Grand Trunk train in Morrice, where the regional DNR office is located. Detroit starts return to red fire vehicles DETROIT The city's fleet of fire trucks and cars will be making a transition from lime green to Hawaiian red, but it's going to take about 20 years. Early this year, Mayor Dennis Archer and Fire Commissioner Harold Watkins decided the change in paint job would be a psychological boost to firefighters, who consider red the color of choice.

WMU drinking fountains undergo tests for lead KALAMAZOO Western Michigan University is testing 179 drinking fountains in dormitories arid classroom buildings for possible lead contamination, university spokesman Joe Gagie said. Tests have shown 21 fountains from four buildings have lead levels above federal standards, he said. Those fountains will be replaced. Teen goes to prison for trying to kill dad PONTIAC A 16-year-old has been sentenced to eight to 40 years in prison for attempting to kill his father and his father's girlfriend by leaving a gas stove turned on and their house windows closed. Robert Nihranz was sentenced this week by Oakland Circuit Judge Richard Kuhn for the attempted murder of Robert Nihranz Sr.

and his girlfriend, Gabrielle Shepherd, at their Ortonville home on July 7. State prison escapee caught in Grand Rapids GRAND RAPIDS A man who escaped a week ago from a minimum-security prison near Jackson was arrested early today, police said. Jeffrey Dale, 33, was arrested about 4:15 a.m. after taking refuge in a house on Thursday afternoon, Grand Rapids police said. He broke out of Camp Waterloo Nov.

10. From Times Herald wire services The 10 most populous states in the year 2020, according to U.S. Census Bureau projections (1990 rank in parentheses): 1) California (1) 47,953,000 2) Texas (3) 25,592,000 3) Florida (4) 19,449,000 4) New York (2) 19,111,000 5) Illinois (6) 13,218,000 6) Pennsylvania (5) 12,656,000 7) Ohio (7) 11,870,000 8) Michigan (8) 10,377,000 9) Georgia (10) 9,426,000 10) New Jersey (9) 9,058,000 Source: U.S. Census Bureau CORRECTIONS AND AMPLIFICATIONS The Times Herald strives for fair and accurate reporting, and we regret it any lime 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 Judith McLean or Michael Eckert at 989-6257. MICHIGAN Stroh River Place office complex near WGPR studios to house its business, sales, promotions and programming staffs. Other operations will remain at WGPR. CBS purchased the tiny Detroit' station on Sept. 23 for $24 million after courting other Detroit-area stations.

The network began its. hunt for a new affiliate in May after long-time affiliate WJBK switched to Fox. The network plans to begin a Detroit-area news program at the station. FOREIGN TRADE ZONES WHAT'S NEXT The Port Huron-St. Clair County Industrial Development Corp.

proposal will be reviewed by the U.S. Foreign Trade Zones Board. Public comment will be accepted by the board until Dec. 27. If there are no objections, the application may be processed more quickly.

Generally, consideration of an. application takes about 10 months. The U.S. Customs Service, part of the Treasury Department, also will review the proposals. If the proposal is approved, the Customs Service would keep track of the goods imported into the foreign trade zones.

FOREIGN TRADE ZONES WHAT ARE THEY? There are 205 foreign trade zones and 280 subzones in the United States. Subzones are smaller foreign trade zones for example, a subzone could be one automobile plant. About 74 of the merchandise received in foreign trade zones is domestic. More than 2,500 companies use foreign trade zones, and more than 200,000 people are employed in them. Foreign and domestic merchandise may enter a foreign-trade zone without a formal Customs entry or payment of duties or government excise taxes.

Merchandise within a foreign-trade zone may be: stored, tested, sampled, relabeled, repackaged, displayed, repaired, cleaned, assembled, manufactured, salvaged, destroyed or processed The duty is paid when the final product is imported into the United States from a foreign-trade zone. If the final product is exported from the United States, no U.S. Customs duty or excise tax is levied. than that paid on individual components. For example, a duty on a' car is about 2.8, but individual parts can be taxed at 4.

The process began two years ago when Wilkie Brothers Conveyors-asked for a foreign-trade zone designation through the Greater De- troit Foreign Trade Zone Inc. But the IDC, led by Mr. Brian, objected. Mr. Brian said he was concerned, a Detroit-area board would not understand the needs of St.

Clair, County. The Detroit group withdrew, its proposal and the local IDC; stepped forward. hunting on his property, Cheboygan' County deputies said. The two shooting victims were-Raymond Simon, 30, of Bay City-and Wayne McDcrmont, 56, of Belleville. Mr.

Simon was shot Wcdnes- day in Missaukee County. Police were withholding the name of the 47-year-old Saginaw man who fired. Mr. McDcrmont was -killed Tuesday when a hunter's rifle" discharged in Schoolcraft County's'. Seney -National Wildlife Refuge.

By ELIZABETH WALSH Times Herald Transforming the Port Huron area into a foreign trade zone could spark a boom in international commerce, a federal official was told Thursday. John J. Da Ponte, executive director of the U.S. Department of Commerce Foreign-Trade Zones Board, gathered testimony from about 20 people at a hearing in Port Huron's Municipal Office Center. They agreed the trade designation would attract and expand international companies.

The Port Huron-St. Clair County Industrial Development Corp. last month officially requested that four sites be designated as foreign trade zones. A decision could be made by next fall. Under the proposal, 300 acres Wilkie Brothers Conveyors in Marysville, the Port Huron Industrial Park, the Port Huron Seaway Terminal and the International Industrial Park would be designated foreign-trade zones.

The designation could be transferred to other areas, such as Marine City, if the IDC believes there is a need and if the change does not increase the number of acres designated as a foreign-trade zone. According to IDC figures, $250 million has been invested in St. Clair County since 1989 and 1,500 jobs have been created through the relocation and expansion of foreign companies in the county. Todd Brian, the IDC's executive director, said a foreign-trade zone would promote Port Huron. "There are some 50,000 municipalities the size of Port Huron," he said.

"We have to stand out somehow." Recent bridge, interstate highway and rail improvement plans including the Canadian rail tunnel and second Blue Water Bridge would make Port Huron a trade center for goods traveling through Canada to the United States. Foreign trade zones are temporary duty-free havens. Importers benefit because they can delay paying duty fees by warehousing their goods in the zone. They have to pay duty only if they ship their product out of the trade zone and into the United States. Mr.

Brian said the IDC will apply for a trade zone designation that will allow manufacturing. Without that designation, items shipped to a foreign-trade zone only can be stored, tested, sampled or repackaged. In a manufacturing zone, imported goods can be used in Unassembled products. That could save companies money because the duty for assembled products is typically less By MARY LOU CREAMER Times Herald FORT GRATIOT Pam Palmateer was thrilled when she was able to get a good buy in the Port Huron area on a Macintosh computer for her family. There was only one problem.

"Nobody in town sells Mac software," Mrs. Palmateer, of North Street, said. Her problems are over. Best Buy, the area's newest retail business, opened its doors at noon today. On its shelves: The Macintosh computer programs Mrs.

Palmateer was looking for. The discount retail store, on 24th Avenue north of Keewadhin, specializes in brand-name electronics, appliances, computer games, car stereos, compact discs and videos. Best Buy is based in Eden Prairie, Minn. There are 14 Best Buy stores in Michigan, including the one in Fort Gratiot, store manager Tom Phillips said. "I think people will really enjoy the store," he said.

"We have great products and great prices. Our No. 1 goal is to provide the best customer service possible." During the store's grand opening, customers will be able to enter drawings for the chance to win a complete set of household appliances, a 27-inch RCA television, and an Apple Macintosh multi-media computer. Store hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Starting the day after Thanksgiving, the store will expand its hours to 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. iff By TONY PITTS, Times Herald Gary Barrels of Sterling Heights washes the windows Thursday above the entrance of the new Best Buy store in Fort Gratiot. Deal scrapped in lacocca divorce accord The Associated Press BLOOMFIELD HILLS A tentative divorce agreement between Lee lacocca and his third wife, Darrien, has broken down, lawyers for both say.

The deal was reached in October. But Mrs. lacocca recently fired her lawyer, hiring another who had represented the second Mrs. lacocca in her 1987 divorce from the former Chrysler Corp. boss.

Mrs. Iacocca's new attorney, John Schaefer of Birmingham, said Thursday he was working toward a new settlement. Mr. Schaefer represented Peggy lacocca in her divorce. Lee Iacocca's attorney, Philip Vestevich of Bloomfield Hills, said he will insist Mrs.

lacocca live up to the October settlement. "It is binding and valid. She signed it," Mr. Vestevich said. Two state deer hunters shot; eight die of heart attacks 4 i i- A The Associated Press At least eight hunters have suffered fatal heart attacks and two others have been shot to death accidentally during Michigan's firearms deer season, police say.

Kenneth McCloskey, 48, of Chas-sell collapsed Wednesday after dragging a 10-point buck to his pickup truck, Houghton County sheriff's deputies said. Bill L. Nau, 44, of Cheboygan, was stricken i Wednesday while By RALPH W. POLOVICH, Times Herald Mickey doesn't look his age Mickey Mouse celebrates an early 56th birthday Thursday with the Young Fours class at Garfield Elementary School in Port Huron. The kids sang Happy Birthday and celebrated with cake and Ice cream.

Mickey Mouse made his debut on Nov. 18, 1928 in Steamboat Willie..