The Herald-Palladium from Benton Harbor, Michigan • 21

A. SECTION TWO PAGE TWENTY-ONE Michigan's Biggest Buy. For Reader And For Advertiser BENTON HARBOR, MICH. THURSDAY, MAY 23, 1968 tuwrr? JV IV 1 $2 Million Plan Backed By County Bids On Project Scheduled To Be Opened On July 2 A July 8 date was set Wednesday the Berrien County Public Works board for St5 i Ifillipf i. a LACOTA BARNS BURNS: South Haven volunteer able to escape.

One of the horses was slightly burned when it tried to re-enter the burning building but a veterinarian said the burns were not serious. In addition, about 500 bales of hay and straw were destroyed when the 100-year-old structure burned. (Prosch-Jensen photo) firemen water down embers of large barn destroyed by fire on the property of Columbia township supervisor William Kader at Lacota Wednesday. Sparks from a nearby rubbish fire were believed to have caused the blaze. Kader said two horses were in the barn when the fire started but were URBAN PLANNING Mm-, xA, -w $6,141 Federal Aid Awarded To Bangor ROOKIES ON TARGET: Benton Harbor Patrolman Ronald Piel (right), guided by FBI Firearms Instructor Daniel Bidwell of Detroit, prepares to ventilate a man-sized target at seven yards Wednesday during one of two two-day basic firearms schools for Berrien, Cass and Van Buren county rookie policemen.

Sponsored by Lake Michigan college and Tri-County Law Enforcement Training committee, schools are held free on Berrien County Sportsman's club grounds at Arden. Forty men from eight departments were participating. (Staff photo) BANGOR Van Buren county's newest city has been awarded an urban planning assistance grant of $6,141 by the Housing and Urban Development department. In announcing the grant for Bangor, P.S. Sen.

Philip Hart, said the money is to be used for comprehensive planning for one year. The money will allow the city planning consultant, William S. Lawrence and Associates of Chicago, to draw a master plan for future development of the city of. Bangor. The $6,141 from HUD will provide approximately two-thirds "of the entire cost with Bangor providing the other third.

The master plan will cover all facets of the city, including water and sewer lines, lighting, and housing and what the city needs to do for future development. SOUTH HAVEN Acting Postmaster Up For Appointment Niles Pair Accused Of Rape Girls Reported Lured From Party NILES Two men were ar rested yesterday on charges of forceful rape, concerning an incident on May 18 off Snyder road southeast of Berrien Springs, Niles state police' reported. The two men, Gary Burks, 25, of 1458 Sycamore street, and Larry Johnson, 20, of 1204 Cass street, turned themselves in to police. Troopers said Burks was arraigned before Niles Municipal Judge Edwin Donahue yesterday. He demanded ao examination and was remanded to Niles city jail when he failed to post a $2,500 bond.

Johnson was to be arraigned today. Troopers said the incident involved two men who coaxed six girls away from a slumber party in Mishawaka, drove them to a field off Snyder road and allegedly raped one, a 15-year-old girl. The six girls were 15 and 16, all live in Mishawaka, One sustained an arm fracture, in the incident, police said. Conviction of forceful rape in Michigan is punishable by 20 years to life in prison. Dow Requests Talks On Pact MIDLAND (AP) Dow-Corning.

Co. Wednesday informed a union local, which struck its Midland plant Monday, that the firm would resume negotiations on a new contract whenever the anion desired. A company spokesman said Wednesday night it had not re ceived a reply from Local 12934 of the United Mine Workers of America. a landmark bond sale to finance the construction of a $2 million water distribution system in Benton township. The board at the same time also took a somewhat unusual course of setting an earlier date, July 2, for opening of construc tion bids Jot the project.

Atty. Francis (Mike) Jones, counsel for the township, explained that if the construction bids are higher than the maximum $2 million borrowing authority approved by the Michigan Municipal Finance commission the bond sale would be called off until changes could be made. The bonds will be the first to be sold by Berrien county under a new program of putting the county's full faith and credit behind, the financing of major public works projects in lesser political subdivisions in the county. The program was developed by the public works board, headed by Supervisor Herbert Seeder of Chikaming township. Other units have indicated plans to take advantage of, the county's credit position for other water or sewer projects in order to get lower interest rates on the financing.

FINANCING AGREEMENT While the bonds will be issued in the name of Berrien county, Benton township is required to pay off the debentures, even to the point of levying additional property tax if revenue from the sale of water is not sufficient to meet the payments. Also, the county is entitled to intercept state funds going to the township, in the event the township cannot meet its obli-jjation otherwise. The $2 million water system will provide a distribution line to the Fairplain area of the township, a loop to the Pipestone industrial district and the new Lake Michigan college campus, and to the built-up area of the township east of Fair avenue. Water will be furnished by the City of Benton Harbor under a contract with the township. Invitations to bid on the construction will be advertised beginning June 7.

The bids will be opened July 2 in the board of supervisors room in the county courthouse. Bond issue bids are to be opened in the county planning office. Final plans and specifications for the project will be furnished to the county public works board and to the township by the end of May, according to Jones. The engineering firm is Consoer Townsend Associates of Chi- cago. mm SOUTH HAVEN E.R.

(Ted) Vaughn, acting postmaster of South Haven since 1966, moved a step closer to the full time postmastership Wednesday. President Johnson submitted Vaughn's nomination for the post to the U.S. Senate for confirmation. Vaughn was nominated last month for a full postmastership by the U.S. Civil Service commission.

He was the only applicant for the job in South Haven. Vaughn became acting postmaster in October, 1966, upon the retirement of R.E. Keithly, who held the job for 16 years. Other nominations submitted to the Senate Wednesday were Bole P. Cantala of Posen, and Arthur S.Q Waterman of Roseville, both Michigan communities.

1 4 i ft Tax Slices About Same In Berrien Board Preparing Tentative Figures The Berrien county tax allocation board, which splits the 15-mill taoc "pie" between various units of government in the county, may not ake many changes from the millage shares set a year ago. "I can 't see too much change," said Berrien supervisors Finance Chairman Ivan Price, also chairman of the tax allocation board. "Nobody can get too much, because whoever gains it's going to have to be taken away from somebody." The board has been meeting since April 15 to decide how, much the county, townships and school districts will get from 1968 tax millage. Price said a preliminary tax split probably won't be ready until June 10 or 12, when hearings will be held so various units may appeal their share of the "pie." The board makes final alloc ations after the hearing. Price noted that valuations of various school and government units appeared to be up slightly from the old 1967 valuation.

A year ago, the board allocat ed most school districts 9.05 mills, gave county government 4.823 mills, gave the Intermediate school district .127 of a mill, and gave all but six of the county's 22 townships the full one-mill maximum available. Board members are Chairman Ivan Price of Buchanan township. Intermediate Supt. Doyle Barkmeier, County Treasurer William Bartz, County Clerk Forrest Kesterke, Atty. Lester Page of Benton Harbor, Paul Jedele of Niles, and John Morlock of St.

Joseph. Suit Filed In Accident Mrs. Lorine Smith of Paw Paw filed a $10,000 auto damage suit Wednesday In Berrien Circuit court against a Kalamazoo man for injuries Sh8 allegedly suffered in a two-car crash on 1-94 in Chikaming township on May 24, 1965. The suit, filed by Bangor Atty. Donald McKay, names Jack L.

Keller as defendant and claims Mrs. Smith suffered neck injuries when her car and Keller's collided. BANQUET HELD GANGES Mr. and Mrs. Walter Wightman recently attended Allegan County Special Education association banquet at the Allegan Elks club.

The Wightmans also attended the conference of the Intermediate school district board in Kalamazoo. Candidate For Cass Prosecutor Ally. Saitz Of Dowagiac In Race DOWAGIAC -Herman A. Saitz, Dowagiac lawyer, announced Wednesday he is a candidate for Cass county prosecuting attorney in the Republi can primary in August. Saitz is the only candidate for prosecutor thus far.

Jerry J. O'Connor has announced he will not seek re election to the post. The candidate practices law in Dowagiac with the firm of Saitz and Cobb and has served as assistant prosecutor for Cass county since 1965. He is single and resides at 203 East Jef ferson street, Cassopolis. Saitz is current president of the Cass County Bar association and is a member of the Michigan Bar association and American Trial Lawyers asso ciation.

A native of Bremen, he 4 i Studv Unit Suggests Building Paw Paw Board Receives Report PAW PAW-A Citizen's School study committee reported last night that it will recommend to the Paw Paw school board the construction of a new middle school and temporary repair the Michigan Avenue school. The committee recommended that a middle school to accomodate 500 students in the sixth, seventh and eighth grades be built, and that the middle school be located near the high school so that common facilities can be shared. In addition the committee requested the school board to ask the architect for a proposal with a cost estimate not to exceed $150,000 for repairing the Michigan avenue school. The repairs on this scnooi snau comply with the" requirements of the fire marshal and will make the building structurally safe for temporary use until a bond issue can be voted for its replacement according to the. committee report.

Other recommendations of the committee included a high level of maintenance of buildings and grounds, continuing study of the curriculum of the school and provision for taking care of an anticipated growth in enroll ment. GRAND RAPIDS DEFICIT GRAND RAPIDS (AP) -Faced with a $1 million deficit next fiscal year, the Grand Rapids City Commission Wednesday proposed an admission fee to the city's John Ball Park Zoo and cut the capital spending budget of the parks departmei including the city's share for maintaining certain proposed school-park areas. Sees Water In Danger Rep. Ford Hits LBJ Proposals WASHINGTON (AP)- House Republican Leader Gerald R. Ford of Michigan says three water pollution amendments proposed by President Johnson could discourage Michigan voters from approving a $335-mil-lion bond issue in November for water cleanup.

The amendments, Ford said in an interview, would make Michigan voters feel they were being punished for their extra effort and this "would have an 5 adverse effect on their desire to vgo ahead with the One of the proposed amendments to the Pure Water Act would stop states from prefinancing the federal share of antipollution projects, Ford said. Prefinancing, he explained, allows states to pay 1 the federal share in anticipation of funding later from Washington. VERY UNFAIR "The whole idea of ending prefinancing is very unfair," he said. "Michigan and other states are willing to tax themselves to provide this money now." "I think the administration should reward, not punish, states that want to move ahead in this field," Ford said. "I am going to fight to get that provision eliminated," he said, "and I predict it will be eliminated." The other amendments would limit federal water pollution aid to communities of 125,000 or more and end the tax exempt status of bonds issued to finance antipollution programs.

Ford said the population limit should be 25,000. "Our water pollution problems are not all the problems of big cities," he said. Ending the tax exemption on pollution bonds, Ford said, would force Michigan and other states "to raise the interest rates to attract investors and this will indirectly result in a sharp rise in the cost of the Whole project." Ford said he supports' the Michigan bond issue that would finance the first pnase of a 51.2 billion state federal project to eliminate water pollution in the state by 1980. Grandson Is Killed In Vietnam 'v So. Haven Couple Get Tragic News I SOUTH HAVEN Mr, and irs.

Ward Overhiser of route 4. South Haven, have received word that their grandson, Spec, Dixie D. Wallace, 21, of was killed in ction in Vietnam May 13. Specialist Wallace was the son of Mr. and Mrs.

Horace Wallace. His mother is the former Elsie Overhiser of South jlaven. He entered the Army in September, 1966, and was serv-inn with the 34th Armored Battalion, 25th Infantry Division when he was killed. Mr. and Mrs.

Overhiser and helr son, Gordon Overhiser of smith Haven, will fly to Phoenix 4o attend funeral services when Cleanup HERMAN A. SAITZ went to high school in Misha- waka. and Berrien Springs, was graduated from Western Michigan university and received his law degree from the Detroit College of Law. PATIENT RETURNS THREE OAKS -Mrs. Henry Maneold returned to Com munity hospital, Buchanan, for treatment Wednesday.

Mrs. Mangold recently spent some time in the same hospital. VANCE DRAKE Ex-Toivnship Supervisor Dies In Cass DOWAGIAC Vance Onne Drake of Twin Lakes, route 3, Dowagiac, former Wayne township supervisor 'died Wednesday noon in Lee Memorial hospital at the age of 68. He had been a patient there for 12 days. "Mr.

Drake, township supervisor for 23 years, resigned from the board last January because of poor health. He had served as chairman of the board of supervisor's for several terms. He was born in Pehn township, Nov. 6, 1899, the son of Fred and Maude Morrlag Drake. He was assistant cashier at the Lee State Bank for 18 years.

In 1937 he purchased the Dopp farm, a 297 acre farm which was a show place in the area. During the summer months, he operated a go-cart track on his farm. Survivors include his widow, the former Goldie Hodges, whom he married Dec. 1, 1922, in Cassopolis; a son, Emerson of Glenwood; five daughters, Mrs. Raymond Janssen and Mrs.

Raymond Jerz of Decatur, Mrs. Robert Luke and Mrs. Leonard Wilds of Dowagiac and Miss Elaine Drake at home; 22 Grandchildren; two great-grand children; four brothers, Ward of Marcellus, Bernard of Kalamazoo, Jerry of Cassopolis and Phillip of Tempe, and his stepmother, Mrs. Gertrude Drake of Tempe. Mr.

Drake was a member of the Dads' Post, VFW Post No. 1855 of Dowagiac. Funeral services will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. In the McLauchlin funeral home, Dowagiac. The Rev.

Bill Bron-tema, pastor of the Volinia Baptist church, will officiate. Burial will be In South Wayne cemetery. West Main street, police said. Due to rain-slicked street, Herman couldn't -atop in time to avoid the collision. Firemen said there was considerable damage to the car.

(Staff photo) SMOKED COMPACT: Benton Harbor firemen were called at 3:11 a. m. today to extinguish a fire started by a smudge pot. The car, owned by Gerald Herman, route 1, Coloma, caught on fire after crashing through a poorly-lighted barricade on the body arrives there..