The Dispatch from Moline, Illinois • 8

A8 THE DAILY DISPATCH, Molinc, Illinois Saturday, March 9, 1991 Local Veteran TWA worker retires as cutbacks Ml the Qiiacl-Cities Airlines in October 1986. jjp He said he discovered he had 4 enough points with the airlines to 7 1 1 portune time to leave the compa ny, ins last aay wun TWA is March 31. He will then begin working for Trans State Airlines in a similar position in charge of Trans State's ground service operation at the Quad City Airport Trans State, an independent airline, operates as Trans World CHARLES SEAMAN By Rita Pearson Staff writer Quad-Cities TWA manager Charlie Seaman retired abruptly Thursday, the same day 16 TWA ground crew workers were notified of their impending furloughs from the airline's operation at the Quad City Airport. Mr. Seaman said his retirement was not linked to the layoffs.

Passenger service with TWA remains unaffected by the layoffs, which are effective March 18. TWA will continue to operate its customer service counter with its remaining 15 workers. However, in a separate decision, the airline will cut the number of daily jet flights to and from the Quad-Cities from four to three in April, Mr. Seaman said. "When I came in to work yesterday, I had no intentions of retiring, and I went home last night retired," Mr.

Seaman said Friday. "Time will tell if I made the right decision." An opportune time Mr. Seaman, 58, has a total of 37 years of service with TWA and Ozark Airlines. TWA took control of Ozark line because it no longer has four hours of work available per shift, as required under union rules, Mr. Seaman said.

The ground crew was represented by the International Association of Machinists. The reduction of flights over the years have eaten away at the ground crews' work, Mr. Seaman said. When TWA took over Ozark in 1986, TWA offered eight jets a day to and from Moline. Next month, TWA will be down to three, Mr.

Seaman said. Trans State is a non-union operation, he said. The soon-to-be furloughed ground crew handled baggage for TWA and Trans World Express flights and fueled TWA jets and the other seven carriers that fly in and out of the Quad-Cities Airport The workers have between 22 and 32 years of service with the combined airlines (Ozark and TWA). The workers will be offered a chance to relocate to other openings within the company and have enough seniority to do so, Mr. Seaman said.

However, it is difficult to leave a community one has lived and worked in so long, he said. TWA workers appeared nervous Friday, some fearing the writing is on the wall for their jobs, one said. Workers worried Mr. Seaman acknowledged that the workers are concerned. "It's been hard," Mr.

Seaman said. Many of the workers who were let go were ones he hired many years ago ones "who have been with me the whole time," Mr. Seaman said. He remains hopeful that the current downswing in passenger traffic will turn around with the advent of ri-verboat gambling and other positives in the Quad-Cities and that the airlines will rehire the workers. So far, two other TWA workers have retired and one quit to take jobs with Trans State, he said.

"Quite honestly, traveling passengers won't see anything different at the airport with TWA," said Kent George, airport director. "The difference is TWA is not going to fuel their aircraft at Quad Cities Airport any more and someone else is." Mr. George said Mr. Seaman "is a fine gentleman. He's done a very good job, and he's well-respected and liked in the Quad-Cities and throughout the industry.

We're happy to say that he'll still be involved with operations at the airport He's a super guy." Express in a shared agreement with TWA similar to one between United Airlines and Air Wisconsin, which operates as United Express. TWA will stop its ground service operation March 18 at which time Trans State will begin fueling and handling baggage for TWA and Trans World Express. Passenger tickets will continue to be handled at the TWA customer service desk. Not enough icork The airline decided to stop its ground service in Mo- Ready to feed an army. Campbell's Island seeks silting relief Discovery of missing truck like 'folding a needle in haystack' Missing driver's fate remains unknown -i-.

lttr: -V. -y St 1 By Adell Specht Staff writer FULTON Finding the truck John Deetz of Fulton was driving when he disappeared in Spokane, over two years ago "was like finding a needle in a haystack," says one of the detectives working on the case. Mr. Deetz, a long-distance truck driver for Westside Transport, Cedar Rapids, was last heard from when he called his wife, Caryla, on the evening of Dec. 30, 1988, from VA V' I ber of semi tractors and trailers on the property that had questionable ownership" stored in a large underground facility.

"We also found rental property of Mr. Benson's in California and that was where we found the truck Mr. Deetz drove," he added. The detective described the defendant's business as "a kind of independent trucking firm." Because California authorities purge information on stolen vehicles from their system after two years, they were unaware of the truck's significance, he said. "In Washington, we have a different system, and we keep stolen vehicle information longer." Despite the police's luck in finding Mr.

Deetz's truck, Mr. Hussong said he is running out of hope that the Fulton man will be found alive. "I have no hope of finding him alive. We have two years on this without a trace." Wife retains hope Mrs. Deetz, however, says she has not given up hope, despite the fact "I've only heard two concrete things since he disappeared." After the truck was discovered, it was impounded and then released and returned to Westside Transport in Cedar Rapids.

Although she has asked to see the vehicle, Mrs. Deetz said she is meeting resistance from officials there. "They don't seem to want me to look in the truck," she said, explaining "I need to do that to settle this for myself. I need to see where John was just before he disappeared I need to know what happened to Officials at Westside could not be reached for comment Friday. Mr.

Deetz had been a truck driver By Carol Loretz Staff writer East Moline will join Campbell's Island residents who are asking the state to remedy the silting problems along the shores of Campbell's Island, said Mayor Chalmer Emmen-dorfer Friday after meeting with residents and state officials. The state intends to replace the Campbell's Island causeway with a new bridge in a couple years, but has not finalized its plans. Islanders, who met with Rep. Bob DeJaegher, D-Silvis; representatives from the Illinois Department of Transportation, city engineer William Lauper and the mayor, suggested a bridge design that would bring water closer to their boat docks. "All you have to do is look to know there's definitely a silt problem over there," the mayor said.

"The city's problem is not as drastic as Campbell's Island's, but it will eventually get that way." Islander Jack Spurgeon said he was pleased with the meeting. "We knew that Mr. (Bill) Ost wouldn't say, 'Boys, if that's what you want, that's what you'll get but this gives us some direction." Mr. Ost is the transportation department's district engineer. "Our next step is to ask for an appointment with Congressman Lane Evans, (D-Rock Island) and Hampton Mayor Scott Newberg," Mr.

Spurgeon said. "We'll ask Lane to talk to the Army Corps on our behalf." Hampton hopes to construct a boat dock next to East Moline's and expand the present parking lot at Mississiopi Park. Residents trace the silt problem back to 1938, when Rock Island County anchored the causeway bridge on a peninsula. They believe the bridge should have been longer or designed to include underground tubes to keep the river flowing close to the island. Adding the culverts to the new bridge design is expected to eliminate the backwater that deposits silt along the island's southeast shore.

Meanwhile, Mr. Spurgeon and his neighbors are asking citizens to provide support by writing to officials. For more information, contact Mr. Spurgeon at 755-1710 or Dave White at 755-8721. Nancy Berthoud, Donna Miller, Sharon Watson and Paul Knack, employees at lllini Hospital, are busy packing chocolate chip cookies made for the troops in Saudi Arabia.

Mrs. Berthoud's husband, Daniel, is serving irt Saudi Arabia. The lllini bakers made 28 dozen cookies for the troops. (Photo by Terry Herbig) Hospital fills troops' cookie order the Broadway Truck Stop in Spokane to say he was waiting for a new load to haul and wouldn't be home for New Years. A trailer which had been connected to the tractor he was driving was found six days later in the parking lot where he had placed the call to his wife.

On Tuesday, Mrs. Deetz learned the 1989 International truck he had been driving had been located in Los Angeles County by the California Highway Patrol, during an investigation into a "chop shop" operation. i'Sheer luck' Mike Hussong, a detective with Spokane Sheriffs Department, said finding the truck after all this time was "sheer luck." "During the month of January, we had a Westside Transport driver in the Portland area and he spotted an International Truck that resembled the missing Westside truck," he said. That information, he said, helped lead police to Ralph Benson, 51, Paramont, who was arrested on Feb. 24 and now is facing charges of being in possession of a stolen semi-tractor trailer.

Although those charges are not connected with the Deetz truck, Mr. Hussong said authorities have been able to determine that the defendant was in the Spokane area when the Fulton man disappeared. He added that "Further charges are pending against Mr. Benson." "During the investigation, we located a former Atlas Missile site that is now in civilian use. Additional information revealed a num By Carol Loretz Staff writer "There are over 40 in his unit, but they were just joking about the '28 dozen," she continued.

"But I think they'll all be surprised when they get them." The cookies are expected to arrive by the end of March. "They're talking about sending him home in April," Ms. Berthoud said, "so we hurried up and got the cookies ready." "The troops offered to pay for the cookies, but the hospital decided to donate to the cause over there," said Paul Knack, director of dietary services. "Everybody here's been very supportive." Mr. Knack said the cookies are big, but do not include any secret ingredients.

"They're very chocolate-chippy, which could be the reason they're so good." The hospital bakery, which has been operating a couple years, provides baked goods for patients, employees and outside orders. Ms. Berthoud said her husband told her his unit likes Oreos, but if the hospital's chocolate chip cookies are available, "we always go for them first." Their names don't rhyme with famous, but Dohna Miller and Sharon Watson's chocolate chip cookies satisfied enough taste buds in Saudi Arabia to inspire a special order. After two days of baking 28 dozen cookies, the two lllini Hospital bakers packaged and mailed them to the gulf Friday. The project started last week when Nancy Berthoud, one of the Sihis hospital's dietary technicians, received a videotape from her husband, Daniel, an Army reservist who was shipped to the gulf area in October.

The specialist's tape included one of his buddies from the 724th Transportation Unit, sitting in a truck asking Nancy to please send Daniel more cookies. "He said, 'What's Berthoud's is mine, and what's mine is Berthoud's," the dietary technician recalled. for about years when he disap-peard at age 38. Prior to that he had been engaged in farming in the Fulton area. Following his disappearance, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and-other police agencies searched for him and the family put up a $10,000 reward for information.

Notices about the case were printed in truckers' magazines. Toxic wastes collected by state sit and wait Bright may replace O'Brien as Iowa-Illinois chairman Barry O'Brien, 64, chairman and chief executive officer of Iowa-Illinois Gas Electric will retire April. 30 after 31 years of service, the last seven years as CEO of the Davenport-based utility. Stanley Bright, president and chief operating officer of the utility since April, will be proposed as the new chairman and CEO at the board of directors meeting April 25. If elected, he would retain his 11 'VlV-'VjU other two positions.

W.U If rf U-Y- tyrA C3 It is anticipated that Mr. Bright also will replace Mr. O'Brien as chairman and CEO of Iowa-Illinois Investment a wholly owned subsid By Carol Loretz Staff writer Rock Island County is still babysitting two steel barrels of toxic waste residents dropped off nearly 10 months ago on Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day at the former RIMCO Exhibition Center in Rock Island. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency says it will pick up the toxics as soon as it finds a place to put them. Storage in the Emergency Services and Disaster Agency's Milan garage has kept them out of local sewers and landfills.

"I'm not real excited about keeping it on my property," said Dave DeBarre, who coordinates the county's disaster agency. "The two, 55-gallon drums have been stored in our garages, but I'd just as soon have someone remove them." Last May 19, about 700 vehicles brought gallons of old paint, thinner, pesticides, oil and other toxics to the collection day sponsored by the EPA and the Rock Island County Local Emergency Planning Committee. The state contracted with SET Environmental, a private waste disposal company, to classify and dispose of most of the waste. "We agreed with the EPA that anything with dioxin derivatives would be kept in the host county until proper decontamination or disposal sites were available," said Paul Guse, the county's environmental health director. "We expected it would be kept here six to 12 months." he continued, because they fear that the other 49 states would want to send their toxics there.

Even though the county is holding the two barrels, "we figured it was worth it to get the toxics out ol people's homes," Mr. Guse said. "It's not like it's a cache of 50-year-old exotic waste. Most of it's probably stuff that's commonly used. "It's in a secure site now, and we expect it will continue to be." No collection day soon Quad-Cities residents wondering what to do with their obsolete household contaminants should not expect another local collection day soon.

"We have 50 to 60 applicants from where we've never gone," Mr. Nechvatal said. "We have to give them a chance first." Those who want to rid their homes of paint, pesticides and other contaminants should never pour them down the drain, he cautioned. "My imperfect advice is to hang onto it until another collection day." "Or you could find someone a school or theater group to use the extra paint, and give the pesticides away, too," he suggested. Once paint has congealed or dried, it can be sent to a landfill.

The ultimate solution, of course, is to stop purchasing toxics or buy only the amount that will be used, he said. The downside to the free collection days is their tremendous cost, Mr. Nechvatal said. "Rock Island's was one of the better organized, but we spent about $200,000 on it" Rock Island County Emergency Services and Disaster Agency coordinator Dave DeBarre kneels next to two 55-gallon drums of toxic wastes that were collected last May on Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day in Rock Island. The drums are still in the warehouse at ESDA heaquarters waiting for the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to remove them.

(Photo by Todd Mizener) iary Of IOWa- BARRY O'BRIEN STANLEY BRIGHT HOWARD POE Illinois, according to a company statement. Currently, he is the director of the investment company. Mr. O'Brien, Bettendorf, announced his plans Friday in a letter to all company employees. He also will retire as a member of the utility board of directors, in keeping with company policy not to have retired employees serve on the board.

Howard Poe, 56, vice president-finance and chief financial officer, will be nominated for the first time to the utility's board. Mr. Bright, 50, of Bettendorf, joined the company in 1986 as vice president-finance and chief financial officer. Prior to joining Iowa-Illinois, he was senior vice president-finance with Potomac Electric Power Company (PEPCO), Washington, D.C. He has been a manager with Price Waterhouse, independent public accountants, in Washington, D.C.

He has a degree in accounting from George Washington University and is a certified public accountant Mr. Poe joined Iowa-Illinois in 1968. He was promoted from director of information services to manager of the customer service department in 1975 and to controller in 1982. He was named vice president-controller in 1985, vice president-administration and control in 1988 and to his current position in 1990. The EPA, which owns the waste, reconfirmed its responsibility about a month ago, Mr.

Guse said. "They said if they couldn't find a place to handle it, they would move it to a centralized state storage site." No site will lake them The contaminants, still in the containers people dropped off, are surrounded with "an absorbent material that looks like Kitty Litter," said Mike Nechvatal, who manages EPA's Solid Waste Department in Springfield. The two barrels in Milan, plus nearly 20 barrels stored in other collection-day sites, contain pesticides with certain chlorinated compounds, Mr. Nechvatal said. "They cannot be recycled, and no site in the country will take them." For two years, the EPA has been hoping a Texas incinerator would get a permit to burn the hazardous waste.

A special permit is needed because burning these toxics creates dangerous dioxins. "Burning is not the perfect solution," Mr. Nechvatal said. Some people in Texas oppose the permit,.