The Journal Times from Racine, Wisconsin • 1

tfc s- rcTnocDiTiofi; BUSINESS CELEBRATE RACINE OUn STOPiMY WEATHER Over the years, Racine has its fair share of cold, miserable winters PAGE ID WILDCATS NCAA CHAMPS Kentucky beats Utah 78-69 to win its second NCAA title in the last three years PAGE ID UNEMPLOYMENT Jobless rate falls to record 3.1 in Wisconsin PAGE 4A 1 I I 1 reft Visit us at: www.racinecounty.com im mm II RACINE, WISCONSIN 50 CENTS HOME DELIVERY: 634-3333 TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 1998 UWe don't know where we'll be sleeping." FLOYD VEENSTRA, headed to St. Peter, as a volunteer Money from Unified deal, didn't change ca fe Tally of teacher votes today BY MICHAEL BURKE Journal Times members were commenting Monday on the deal, as they awaited ratification results. REA Executive Director Jim Ennis and REA President Dennis Wiser could not be reached for comment. In an odd sidelight to the ratification process, teachers reportedly were not simply asked to vote yes or no on the pending deal. They could do that or they could vote yes or no on different years contained within the overall scope of the 1995-99 agreement.

"I wonder why (REA) did that?" board member David Hazen said. The tentative agreement was not compartmentalized but rather was a comprehensive, single agreement. Some features of the six-page deal: Money For the 1993-95 contract period, it is considered resolved except for any adjustments the state or a court More on CONTRACT, Page 7A The tentative Racine Unified School District contract deal reached March 18 was not forged with any last-minute boost in salary offered, but it did grant amnesty for the teacher sick-outs. The pending deal, which the Journal Times obtained Monday, includes the same salary increases as contained in the previous offer which the Racine Education Association rejected March 12. The tentative agreement may become the new collective bargaining agreement as soon as today, when the results of ratification votes reportedly will be tallied.

The votes were held at individual schools over the past four school days. "It's my understanding that ratification voting ended (Monday) and the votes are to be counted (this morning)," Frank Johnson, Unified director of employee relations said Monday. Neither he nor school board Associated Press Sarah JelEiff, a Gustavus Adolphus College student, pauses Monday while salvaging personal belongings in her St Peter, apartment that was destroyed by a tornado Sunday. Below: Floyd and Mickey Veenstra of Racine have their bags packed and ready to fly to Minnesota, where they will volunteer for disaster relief for St. Peter's victims of the tornado.

The calm after the storm Couple volunteers to help tornado-ravaged town Case employees work without new contract BY JULIA STARZYK Journal Times BY LAURA SUMNER COON Business Editor Superior MINNESOTA loomnj 7 4 100km Si St Paul I Minneapolis 0 (WISCONSIN 1 Comfrey sLaCentMr 't. StPeterV Apple Valley. A page from what appeared to be a library book from Le Center was found in Eagan, 40 miles away. Floyd Veenstra, 65, said he expects to be working in damage assessment, going door to door to determine the amount of damage to each home. The Red Cross and the Federal Government will use Veenstra's assessments in determining how much assistance each family will receive.

Mickey Veenstra, 64, a retired registered nurse, will be part of the Health Services team. Each shelter has a nurse on duty, and she expects to help victims with problems ranging from emergency care to replacing prescriptions lost in the wreckage. More on HELP, Page 7 A With a jacket slung over one shoulder and a "No Contract, No Peace" badge pinned to his Harley T-shirt, Tom Lober walked out of the Case Corp. tractor plant Monday ready to go home. It was 4 p.m., an hour later than normal, since the shifts began to work one hour overtime this week, a week that would be the first without a fresh contract.

Lober, who has worked on the assembly line for 24 years, said this has been the worst period of bargaining he can remember between his union, United Auto Workers 180, and his employer. Although the Case-UAW contract expired at midnight Sunday, Lober said it is too early to make a prediction about how things are going. "I'm going day by day," he said. While the sides are still negotiating, they have agreed to a media blackout. But each faction did issue a statement Monday.

Floyd and Mickey Veenstra are taking a different sort of vacation this year they're heading to south-central Minnesota to help the victims of Sunday's tornadoes. This husband and wife volunteer team left Monday for St. Peter, a town of about 10,000 people whose community was destroyed by the storms. A six-year-old boy was killed and approximately three dozen people were injured Sunday when the tornadoes ripped through southern Minnesota. Officials estimate that 200 to 300 homes were damaged in St.

Peter and 32 trailers were flattened in a mobile home park in nearby Le Center. -f ii. i in "I'm going day by day." TOM LOBER. 24-year employee of Case Corp. Debris was found 55 miles away in the Minneapolis-St.

Paul suburbs of Apple Valley and Eagan, including a piece of the obituary page from the St. Peter Herald newspaper that turned up in JIM SLOSIAREK Journal Times fc More on CASE, Page 7 A 1-94 Construction U. I nenosna I uo. My or construction is planned for 1-94 Residents ask city for help with parking 2A Ann Landers BY JOE BUTTWEILER Journal Times Kenosha County: From April through September, road repairs on 12 miles of I-94 will reduce east and westbound roadway to two lanes at all times. Short term ramp closures at highways KR, 142, and ML from July to September.

Speeds will be reduced to 55 mph within work zones. Milwaukee area: From April through August, bridge repairs and repaving on 15 miles of eastbound I-94 from Waukesha to 13th Street in downtown Milwaukee will reduce the eastbound roadway to two lanes during the day. Til 'isaj I 50 i i immJ i an I I Construction I i a 1 Zn mm i i 1 i i I Bridge 7C Business 4A Celebrate Racine 1B Classified 4C Comics 3B Crosswords 6C, 8C Dr. Gott 2B Horoscope 3B Movies 2B Obituaries 2C Opinion 6A Racine County 1C Records 2C Sports 1D Stock listings 5A Today 2C TV listings 2B Wisconsin 3C I 164 I I BY JOSEPH A. SCOLARO Journal Times A warning should be issued for motorists whose blood boils with impatience when stuck in traffic congestion.

This spring and summer call for major construction projects on Interstate 94. It will be particularly irritating for Racine County residents who plan 1-94 drives either north to Milwaukee or south into Illinois. The major projects will require lane and ramp closures in Kenosha, Milwaukee and Waukesha counties. The stretch of interstate in Racine County doesn't have major work planned, although some daytime, short-term single lane closures may happen when workers install traffic monitoring equipment. State Department of Transportation officials planned to begin work in Milwaukee and Waukesha counties Monday night, weather permitting, including the shutdown of some interstate lanes and ramps.

State officials, speaking Monday morning at a press briefing in Milwaukee, pleaded for motorists to abide by speed limits and drive with extreme caution for the safety of construction workers and fel low drivers. Some 65 mph speed limits in major construction areas will be reduced to 55 mph. "And we do have a contract with the State Patrol for some good said Michael Burns, a DOT engineer and manager of the construction projects in Racine and Kenosha counties. In Racine County, there will be isolated temporary lane restrictions when workers install equipment to monitor traffic. The equipment, called loop detectors, will monitor the amount and speed of traffic The loop detectors must be placed in each traffic lane.

When workers install the equipment in the center lane, two lanes will have to be closed. But that is expected to happen during the night, between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. There are no expected ramp closures in Racine County. The exact construction dates are not determined.

Burns said. Interstate resurfacing work in Racine County is planned for 2000. And a reconstruction and widening of Highway 20, or Washington Avenue, between Oakes Road and Roosevelt Avenue is expected for next year. More on HIGHWAY, Page 7A i. SB 41 to EB 1-94 will 1 cke March -August.

i SB 45 to EB I-94 ramp In the Zoo interchange will be A -i on Ja.m red Saying they've paid hundreds of dollars in parking tickets, a pair of Downtown Racine residents asked the city's Traffic Commission on Monday to consider the idea of residential parking stickers. Such stickers, which are used in other communities, would relieve the owners from having to plug meters every two hours, said Tim Moore and Randall Pierce, both of 210 Third St. If use of the stickers was limited to side streets, it wouldn't have much impact on business owners who want spaces in front of their shops open for customers, Moore said. "I love my place I don't want to move," he said. But it seems the city's parking patrols target downtown residents because they get to know their cars, Moore said.

He said he has to set his alarm to get up and plug the meter by 8 a.m. on Saturdays and weekdays when he isn't working. There's nowhere else in the city where residents have to plug a meter every two hours," he said, suggesting that more 10-hour meters would help. He said there are about 100 downtown residents who share his plight Something has to be done, he More on PAR KINO, Page ja Showers and thunderstorms. High In the mid 60s.

page editor. Sam Manchester Construction KK ,,,,,,1 I I Zone i Altsnurte Intsfatate Route The Milwaukee Brewers I uffii men mi at ovaavii as a For daily ramp cnlu( urxlfltR call: 414-S4S-5SS4 Internet access: httpwwwotsuts. wt.ua vf'ational League team against ft Ii I tri 1 m-f 1 einii -1 jne Atlanta Braves Atlanta. THERESA SCHIFFER Journal Time AA.AAA.A.A.A.A.AAAA.AA.A.A.A.AAA.A.A.A.A.AAA.A.AA.-aw-A.AAA.A.A.A.A.A.A..