The Herald-Palladium from Benton Harbor, Michigan • 14

2C TUESDAY, Jufy 2, 2002 SOUTH IV EST MICHIGAN ThaHeraidhPaSacSum Benton KartnSt Joseph Dn Twin Cities Relay for Life funds stlH cominz in Traffic to roll on M-63 Wednesday spring for the second phase of the pro ject, removal of the Klock Road inter- The road, undergoing a two-year, $16 million rebuilding project, win open to traffic north of the Blossom-land Bridge at 6 pm. Wednesday, according to the Michigan Department oTTransportation. One traffic lane will be open in Two lanes of highway to be open for Fourth ST. JOSEPH Michigan 63 is scheduled to reopen in the Twin Goes time fox the Fourth of Jury holiday. Work began in late 2000 with removal of an obsolete, bridge that once spanned factories.

The old bridge was replaced with a 300-foot bridge. M-63 reopened for the winter but closed at Momany Drive in early Bus mechanic gets state honor Paw TIM JANSSEN, who is in charge Year by the Michigan Association and don't require the bus be pulled from the road. State police inspections are incredibly thorough and inspect not only the mechanics of the vehicle but also every element of the bus including things like seat cushions. Paw Paw's inspection takes three full days. Wood said the change was not only an improved fleet but also happier bus drivers.

She said the mostly women drivers joke that Janssen is a taskmaster and only lets them borrow the buses. Still, she said she sees a real pride in drivers as they take care of their buses and report small problems before they become big ones. The district has also helped with the transformation. They implemented a schedule for bus replacement several years ago and have purchased a bus washer so the drivers can wash their buses at least once a week. of There's only one mechanic of the year, and it's Tim Janssen ByPAMGEHL H-P Paw Paw Correspondent PAW PAW When Paw Paw School District head mechanic Tim Janssen attended the Mechanics Expo last month in Midland he had no idea he would be the one selected as Mechanic of the Year by the Michigan Association for Pupil Transportation.

"This was very unexpected and a great honor. I was very surprised and very happy to receive (the award). I knew there was a lot of competition out there," Janssen said. Paw Paw transportation director Ruth Wood, who nominated Janssen for the award, was not as surprised. "It amazes me all the things he can do," she said.

Janssen not only takes care of the district's 24-bus fleet but also maintains the district's maintenance vehicles. Wood said Janssen took a very beat up and rusty maintenance van and repaired and painted it; "When he was through it looked great," she said. Janssen also redesigned one of the bus passenger-door closures because the original design never functioned properly. According to Wood, the real accomplishment, however, was turning around the school's bus fleet from one that had perpetual problems to one that everyone takes pride in. State police vehicle inspector William Massey agrees.

"To understand what Tim has accomplished you must first understand what he has overcome," he wrote. "The Paw Paw fleet had consistently maintained a failure rate in the 85 percentile. The previous mechanic had allowed the fleet condition to erode to the point that the driving staff had no confidence or comfort in operating these vehicles. Tim's easy manner and his quick response have restored the driver's confidence. His attention to detail, his uncompromising dedication to quality and a genuine desire to ensure that the students are provided the safest means of transportation available have improved inspection performance and the fleet condition." The fleet passed its latest inspection with a 100 percent approval mark.

Janssen said there were two yellow tags, which are minor repairs that have to be done within 30 days BERRIEN SPRINGS Funds collected from last weekend's Relay for Life at the Berrien County Youth Fairgrounds currently stand at $372,000, said Wendy Willis, community development director for the American Cancer Society, Berrien-Cass counties. The goal is $400,000, and funds continue to come in, Willis said. Four teams Chemosabies, Dancers for Cancers, Lancers to Cure Cancers, and Sara Bears raised more than $10,000 each. Two new teams, Jurassic Joggers for Josh and Hugs for Hope from Berrien Teachers Credit Union, raised more than $5,000 each. Willis said 1 12 teams and 2,500 'participants took part Last year Berrien County was third in the nation for raising the most per capita for a community of 150,000 for the Relay For Life, Willis said.

Willis said Berrien County in 2001 raised a total of $468,000 $362,000 from the fairgrounds relay and $106,000 from the NilesBuchanan Relay For Life. This year Is NilesBuchanan relay will be held July 27-28 at Niles High School, Willis said. Township flail closing on July 4 and 5 BENTON TOWNSHIP Benton Township Hall will be closed Thursday arid Friday for the Independence Day holiday. The hall will reopen at 8:30 a.m. on Monday.

Thursday's trash collection routes will be picked up on Friday. There will be no yard debris pickup on Friday or on Friday, July 19; Hartford school re-elects officers HARTFORD The Hartford Board of Education on Monday reelected its current officers to new terms. The officers are: Inge Lerdal, president; Gary Unrath, vice president; Ed Liebenthal, secretary; Terry Tibbs, treasurer. The board meets at 1 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month beginning with July 18, 2002.

The only scheduled exception is a meet ing to be held on Monday, Feb. 17. Royalton gives initial OK to development ST. JOSEPH The Royalton Township Board on Monday voted unanimously to recommend tentative approval to a preliminary plat plan for the proposed 29-lot Royal Circle subdivision. The subdivision is being developed by Kalin Construction Co.

Buchanan inks new assessment contract BUCHANAN The Buchanan City Commission has signed a new three-year contract with Berrien County to provide property assessment services to the city. For the last several years the city had hired an independent contractor to be the city's assessor instead of having someone on staff, City Manager Jeff Wilkins reported. For the last three years, that person had been Rick Ryker. His contract expires June 30. Wilkins told the commission that the city will actually save money by hiring the county and will get better service.

County personnel will be at the Buchanan City Hall one day a week and, be available by phone five days a week. The new contract calls for the city to pay the county $25,200 the first year, $26,400 the second year, and $27,400 the last year. The city has been paying Ryker $32,400 this year and $30,900 last year. Atterberry opens campaign HQ BENTON HARBOR Berrien County Commissioner James Atterberry announced that he is opening campaign headquarters at 254 Colfax Ave. Atterberry, a Democrat, is seeking another term this year as 4th District representative on the county board.

The re-election headquarters will be open each afternoon, said spokesman Ruthie Haralson. Watervliet Twp. drops price on old hall WATERVLIET The Watervliet Township Board voted to lower the listing price of the former Watervliet Township Hall, just south of Watervliet, from $87,500 to $84,900 and to continue listing the property with Epple Realty Inc. through Nov. 1.

each direction, MDOT said, but Klock Road wiB remain closed at M453 antO late fall when the project is completed. The Klock Road interchange is being replaced with a grade-level crossing controlled by a traffic light Paw A. maintaining Paw Paw's 24 school for Pupil Transport. The Paw Paw fleet runs 321,000 miles each year and each bus averages about 15,000 to 22,000 miles annually. Seventeen of the buses are on regular routes and the remainder are used for field trips, sporting events, and for replacement in case of repairs.

Woods said the average turnaround time for a bus repair is less than a Janssen said he's been a mechanic all his life, starting as a youngster alongside his father. Working on buses, however, is a relative new venture and started when he came to Paw Paw six years ago. He said he gives a lot of credit to former part-time mechanic and driver Stan McGrew who showed him the ropes. He said Massey also helped a lot when he would explain why and item was tagged and what needed to be done to keep the fleet in shape. with the two other ambulance "Medic 1 told me a month ago they forwarded our contract to their attorney for review," said Molter.

The contract stipulates what the township expects from the ambulance service, outlines their service area and requests data on response times to calls throughout the township. Molter said both Coloma and Sis lust be on or before this date in 1984 to purchase tobacco products." "Coming to these kinds of things is great," said Warren. "This is a good start, having managers and employees doingmore training, making commitments to not sell to minors, and being involved in what's going on in the The people who attended the forum said they found it informative. Ron Sullivan, district manger of Speedway, said youths trying to buy tobacco products illegally are not uncommon at the gasoline-convenience stores he oversees. "We're behind not selling to minors," said Sullivan.

"We back the program all the way." Motorists have had to use a detour that followed Business Loop 94 and Paw Paw Avenue through Benton Har-bor. Niles Twp. Officials SMCAS fee hike By DEBRA HA1GHT H-P Correspondent NILES Niles Township officials are questioning the legality of a S3 increase in a yearly assessment charged to municipalities financing the Southwestern Michigan Community Ambulance Service. Township Board Trustee Kevin Tonkin called the whole process of boosting the per parcel fee into question Monday night. He said the only public notice for the increase was done by the city of Niles and that notice mentioned four of the five other ties.

Niles Township was not mentioned although it is one of the six helping to finance the Tonkin said that hes trying to get legal clarification whether any of the votes, except for maybe the Niles city vote, were actually valid since the notices were issued by just one entity and not all six. Tonkin added that he felt that the Niles Township Board should have a formal vote yes or no on the issue when the matter of the legal notices is clarified, even if it's a moot point with a majority of municipalities agreeing to the Supervisor William Myers said the board would wait for a clari-- fication on the legal issue before proceeding. Last month, four of the six municipalities operating the service voted to raise the fee to $10. They were the cities of Buchanan and Niles and Bertrand and Buchanan townships. One of the six, Howard Township, rejected the increase.

Niles Township did not vote because it had been left off the original public notice about the proposed increase. SMCAS Executive Director Marlene Beach said last month that the assessment increase would go into effect for all six owner municipalities if it was approved by four of the six. In other matters, the board agreed to a contract with the Niles District Library that calls for a one-time payment of $50,000 to the library to make up for part of the funds the library lost last year when the township's library property tax rate was thrown gut in Berrien County Trial Voters in the city of Niles and Niles Township will be asked Aug. 6 to approve a 1 .4 mill levy to support the newly-created district library. The board also gave preliminary approval to the plans of Berrien Springs developer Dave Regal for the new "Victorian Farm" subdivision' off Walton Road near Guyer Road on the northwest side of the township.

The first phase of the project calls for 55 lots over a 26-acre area. The matter had been tabled two weeks ago when board members wanted to make sure they had wnuen reports on drainage and water table concerns raised by the township Planning Commission in the spring. Those reports were in at Mnn. day's meeting and all the concerns had been met. The board went ahead with plans to purchase a vacant piece of property on the townshin' west side for $7,300.

The property is near new U.S. 31 on Niles-Buchanan Road and was available from the state as a foreclosed property. treasurer James Rineler said that the land is in the targeted area where the township wants to develop a water system in the future. question 7 buses, was named Mechanic of the Janssen most recently worked as a factory mechanic and troubleshooter for Meriwood in Dowagiac. Before that he was a maintenance foreman in Saudi Arabia working at an airport in charge of all the ground equipment.

Over the years, he's worked in other garages but he started his career as a mechanic for the Cass County Road Commission and that is were he first worked with diesel engines. 1 Wood said the award was judged on the number of years experience, training and certifications, outside recommendations and community involvement. Janssen is very involved in the community and served as 4-H leader, president of Square Dance Club, president of Square Dance Association, a union steward, a member of the Knights of Columbus and a member and on the parish council for the Holy Family Church in Decatur. ter Lakes ambulance services have provided their response time information since April. In another matter, the board tabled action on considering dropping its annual contribution, above the state mandated three-tenths of a mill, to four libraries Eau Claire, Benton Watervliet and Coloma.

Clerk Debra Grieser said with increased township expenses the savings next year would total $21,400. From page 1C i Driftwood Path. The site is in a sensitive dune area so the project required more than the usual permits. Lincoln Township in June issued permits for eight new houses worth a total of $1,714,71 1, officials said. That makes for 44 house permits issued so far this year possibly a record pace worth a total of $10,1 89,804 or an average of $231,586 per house, officials said.

The houses have an average size of 2,355 square feet. Bainbridge Twp. Medic 1 payment held pending contract By CLIFF STEVENS H-P Coloma Correspondent WATERVLIET The Bainbridge Township Board voted Monday night to withhold its quarterly payment of $2,363 to Medic 1 ambulance service until it receives either a signed contract or an agreement from the ambulance service; The vote followed a report by Supervisor Patty Molter about TEENS Prom page 1C checking identification for alcohol. If stores are in noncompliance with tobacco regulations, it is more than likely that the same is true for alcohol. Store employees who sell tobacco products to minors can be found guilty of a misdemeanor, and fines can range from $50 to $500.

"In addition, Youth Tobacco Act violations can lead to notification of the Liquor Control Commission, resulting in penalties for liquor license violations as well," said Cox. "The health attempts to get a signed contract from Medic 1 to provide ambulance service in the township. Molter said two other ambulance services, Coloma Emergency Ambulance and Sister Lakes Ambulance, have had signed contracts with the township since April 1 The two also provide service in parts of the township. Molter said last week Medic 1 requested copies of the contracts department is raising the consequences of what can happen by getting us involved." Warren said, however, it is essential to understand that the health department is more interested in taking proactive approaches than penalizing violators. Attendees received tobacco retailer kits, which are distributed by the Michigan Department of Community Health.

Included in the packets were tips on employee training and developing store policies, information on laws and penalties and Youth Tobacco Act stickers that are required to be posted in conspicuous locations where tobacco items are sold. The stickers read: "Your birth date 1.