The Herald-Palladium from Benton Harbor, Michigan • 3

-w T- t- en Stv Pvppto Mtrtro Editor. 422400 Of 1-80O35C2, XL293 fttkg staffed: Venetian holds first msSng tor Tuesday April 20,1933 Page 3A oard hopes new name for Ross Field flies By JACQUELINE ELOWSKY H-P Staff Writer METRO Digest Lincoln townships. They nope the-new name will make these municipalities feel mort comfortable contributing to the airport, which is located in Benton Harbor. Airport Manager John Chad dock said the name win have little effect on day-to-day operations. "Well have to change the stationery," be said jotdngh.

The airport has been called the DiMaggio said that last year more than 450 airplanes representing arta companies landed at the airport which is owned by St Joseph and Benton Harbor cities. The cities share expenses for the facility with St Joseph and Benton townships. Airport board members recently responded to financial difficulties at the airport by soliciting help from surrounding Lake, Royalton and Monday night became the first of four contributing municipalities to approve the change. It also must be approved by Benton Harbor and St Joseph cities and Benton Township. "Our service area is much bigger than the Twin Cities area," said Township Superintendent and Airport Board Chairman Isadora Di-Maggio.

"Everybody thought it was a good idea." Twin Cities Airport Ross Field since the mid 1940s, Chaddock said, and it will keep the Ross Field portion of the name. The new name will be used as soon as the other municipalities approve it "We've been discussing it on and off," Chaddock said "It was time for a change. We've got other people contributing, so why not give them some recognition?" Lakeshore tax votes on ballot By MICHELLE CRANDALL H-P Staff Writer The Lakeshore Board of Education voted unanimously Monday to follow the recommendation of a community group and place two separate millage questions on the June 14 annual election ballot However, the questions will be taken off the ballot if voters approve a June 2 question that will raise the state sales tax as part of a school and property tax reform package. Board Vice President Marc Del Mariani said about 30 people, representing ail areas of the community, discussed the different options last week and came to the agreement that the district should ask for a 24.75-mill renewal and an override of the Headlee Tax Limitation Amendment on its county allocated millage. When property values rise, the Headlee Amendment limits growth to the rate of inflation.

It can only Twin Cities Airport Board members hope a new name for the airport will soar into the hearts and budgets of local community leaders. The board last week renamed the airport the "Southwest Michigan Regional Airport" The St Joseph Township board Volunteers get awards By JACQUELINE ELOWSKY H-P Staff Writer The Niles High School National Honor Society recently described 16-year-old Me- 1 lissa Thatcher as someone who "does not wait to be called, she volunteers." Thatcher, a senior at Niles High School, on Monday received the Southwestern Michigan Volunteer Center's 1993 Out I THATCHER standing Youth Volunteer Award. She accepted the honor at a luncheon at the Benton Harbor Holiday Inn. Thatcher said she has been volunteering for various organizations for about seven years, and the National Honor Society nominated her for the award. She is the daughter of Jack and Dorothy Thatcher of Niles and plans to attend St.

Mary's College in South Bend, Ind. where she will continue to be involved in volunteering. The Volunteer Center also presented its annual Corporate Neighbor Award to the Jewel Food Store in Benton Township. Peggy Foster of Safe Shelter, which nominated Jewel, said the store regularly donates bread, rolls, and other baked goods to the non-profit agency. "Any way you can help out the community it's worth it," said Jewel Service Manager Rick Molenda, who accepted the award.

Jewel also donates food to the Benton Harbor Soup Kitchen and Salvation Army. This is the second year the Volunteer Cen- 1 MOLENDA ter sponsored the Corporate and Youth Volunteer awards. Besides certificates from the Volunteer Center, the winners received letters of appreciation from U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St.

Joseph. Other award nominees were: Berrien Springs High School student Elizabeth Dunbar, 16, nominated by Safe Shelter; Lakeshore High School student Mike Sterk, 16, nominated by Sarett Nature Center; Inter-City Bank; Michigan National Bank; Old Kent Bank-Southwest; Tyler Refrigeration WSJM radio; James F. Scar-pone, CPA Inc. The Volunteer Center, which has offices in St Joseph and Niles, matches volunteers with organizations throughout the area. Anyone interested in volunteering may call 683-5464 or 983-0912.

H-P photo by Scott Aiken PRISON TERM: Pernell Orr (right), shown here with his attorney, Paul Jancha, was sentenced to a 12-60 prison term in Berrien Circuit Court Monday for two counts of second-degree murder. Orr, 19, admitted helping make the Molotov cocktails used to set a house fire in Benton Harbor last summer that took the lives of Maxine Parr and Michael Stevens. Last arsonists sentenced Case closed on 1992 BH firebombing that killed 2 Sex offender gets prison term A New Buffalo man convicted of sexually assaulting two children and a suspect in attacks on others was sentenced in Berrien Circuit Court to a 10-15 year prison sentence. Ronald F. Litke, 5.

Red Ar row Highway, bad no prior convictions for sexual assaults on children, but may have been involved in incidents as far back as 1966, said Assistant Prosecutor Michael Sepia Litke pleaded no contest to first-degree criminal sexual conduct (penetration) with a 14-y ear-old boy in New Buffalo in 1992, reduced from two counts of third-degree CSC. He also pleaded no contest to third-degree CSC (penetration) with a 10-year-old girl In imposing sentence Friday, Judge John Hammond exceeded state Supreme Court guidelines, which called for a minimum prison term of 2V2-6 years. Hammond said litke used a position of trust to take advantage of children, leaving emotional scars that may last a lifetime. Litke pleaded in two cases, the judge said, but there are allegedly at least eight other victims. Hammond also said the chance of reform is lessened by Litke's age.

Jackson to speak at Andrews Benton Harbor businessman Bob Jackson will speak to students and faculty at Andrews University on Wednesday about Benton Harbor's enterprise program. Jackson's speech is titled: "Enterprise Zone in Benton Harbor: How Successful?" Hie speech is scheduled for 4 p.m. in the Whirlpool Room of Chan Shun Hall on the campus in Bemen Springs. Jackson, owner of Triax, is the third speaker in a weekly series of talks exploring entre preneurial, grass roots ap proaches to community development. The series is sponsored by the School of Business and the Department of Behavioral Sciences Joint Masters Program in Human Services Management Lakeshore budget rises slightly The Lakeshore school board modified its budget Monday to reflect $105,046 increases in its expenditures and revenues.

Revenues are now at $11,487,071 and expenditures are at $11,484,575, said Superin tendent Gary Campbell. Major changes for the quarter include revised benefit costs, a consult ing fee for an assessment project and increased special education paraprofessional costs. 1 The $30,000 consulting fee is being paid by a grant, Campbell said. Fruit market is history topic Martin Bass, marketmaster at the Benton Harbor Fruit Market, will speak on the his tory of the market at a history session at 2 p.m. Wednesday in the auditorium of the Benton Harbor Public Library.

Authority board meets Wednesday The Twin Cities Area Trans Dortation Authority board will meet at 5 p.m. Wednesday at the authority's offices at 275 Wall St. in Benton Harbor. I The identifications of Sean Seymoure, 8, of Millburg, and Joashua Admave, 7, of Benton Harbor, were switched in the caption for a photo of the Pine- wood Derby races in Sunday edition of The Herald-Palla dium, according to Sean's mother. She also said her son was the overall winner in the second-grade division of the race.

1 1 Orr pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder, and arson, and the prosecutor's office agreed to drop felony murder charges which carry a mandatory life prison term. As part of the plea agreement Orr testified against Foster and Harden. Orr admitted it was his idea to make the firebombs and use them on the Parr home but claimed Foster and Harden lit and threw the gasoline-filled bottles. Cannon admitted that he helped the others get gasoline and fill bottles but denied intending to kill anybody. He pleaded guilty to arson or a house, and the prosecutor's office agreed to drop two counts of felony murder.

Before sentencing Orr, Judge Hammond said all four defendants were about "equally guilty." But Orr was "the only defendant who 'fessed up, admitted his guilt, and tried as best he could to make it right," the judge said. Orr pleaded guilty to murder charges which carried a penalty of up to life, but Hammond declined to impose the maximum. "He couldn't make it right but he did what he could to mitigate," the judge said. if don't understand why my daddy had to die." Orr was one of two men sentenced Monday in connection with the deaths of Stevens and Parr, both 42, who were killed when an early-morning fire destroyed a house at 432 Lincoln Ave. Stevens and Parr were apparently asleep when the bombs came through a downstairs window.

Their bodies were found in a second-floor bedroom, and both were unintended victims of a revenge scheme that went awry, witnesses said. Orr pleaded guilty in November to reduced charges. In addition to the sentence for murder, Judge John Hammond imposed a concurrent 5-20 year term for arson. Co-defendant Jewon Cannon, 18, of Benton Harbor, who had no prior criminal record, pleaded guilty in March to arson, Judge Casper Grathwohl sentenced him Monday to a 4-20 year prison term for arson. Timothy Foster, 21, and William Harden, 18, both of Benton Harbor, were sentenced in March to 8-20 year prison terms.

A jury convicted the two of arson, but acquitted them of felony murder charges. ton Harbor school district has been able to find enough money to consistently operate the Charles Gray Teen Support Center in back of Benton Harbor High School. "I wonder how they're going to operate a rec center when they didn't have enough money to run the one they had?" Dudley said. The teen center was transferred from city government to the school district in the late 1980s after city officials decided that enough money wasn't available to keep the facility open. Dudley and other residents who spoke at the hearing said the City Commission should consider reallocating leftover block grant money for infrastructure and housing improvements.

Dudley's wife, Ruby, presented a petition signed by 45 residents of the 1200 block of Broadway asking -for a large pothole at Broadway and Emery Avenue to be repaired. City workers have placed a steel be waived by a public vote. "The majority felt that separating the proposals would avoid jeopardizing the renewal. It gives us a better chance to preserve that all-important renewal There's always the possibility if Headlee fails that it could be Mark Del Mariani takeshore schools None of the options was a unanimous decision, Del Mariani said. The minority of the group favored combining the two proposals into one, but the majority favored splitting the proposals.

"The majority felt that separating the proposals would avoid jeopardizing the renewal," he said. "It gives us a better chance to preserve that all-important renewal There's always the possibility if Headlee fails that it could be retrieved." Del Mariani praisedythe efforts of the group, saying'that advisory groups "do provide us with valid input and serve us well, gaining insight into the community." Del Mariani said the board's finance committee is continuing to study the state's proposal, but as it stands now, it looks as though Lakeshore will profit form the successful outcome of an increase in the state sales tax. The eligibility requirements, coupled with the shut-down of the city's Community Development Department for most of 1990 and 1991, allowed a large amount of unused block grant money to accumulate. Lacy said about $1.3 million is available, not including the $701,000 that the city is supposed to receive for 1993. If President Bill Clinton's economic stimulus package passes Congress, the city will receive another $451,000, Lacy said.

Lacy warned that HUD officials have threatened to withhold additional money unless a use for the unused dollars is found quickly. "Let's not lose this money we already have in hand," Commissioner Charles Yarbrough said. "Once you lose it, you never get it back." City Commissioners are expected to vote in the coming weeks on the reallocation of the money. By SCOTT AIKEN H-P Staff Writer Pernell Orr claimed he didn't intend to kill anybody. But he ad-mited helping make the Molotov cocktails used to set a house fire in Benton Harbor last summer that took the lives of Maxine Parr and Michael Stevens.

On Monday, the 19-year-old who confessed his role in the killings was sentenced in Berrien Circuit Court to a 12-60 year prison term for two counts of second-degree murder. The judge and prosecutor said the apologetic Orr was the only one of four accomplices who cooperated with police in the case. But that was little comfort to Mallaika Berry, who lost her father in the fire. "Me and my dad were like best friends," said Berry, who wept while she addressed Orr and the court. "I blame all of 'em, and I blame the girls, too," said Berry, referring to the co-defendants and several young women who were with them the night of the fire.

"My daddy was proud of me no matter what I did," she said. "I Lacy said a HUD official in Detroit recommended the use of block grant money to operate the center, as well as construct the proposed $1 million building. "My HUD representative looked over this whole program and he said this is the way you can go with this. I have no reason to doubt his opinion," Lacy said. Questions about the cost of operation of the center were among the issues raised Monday during a public hearing on the reallocation of more than $1 million in leftover grant money for the construction of the center.

The foot building would include a skating rink and activity rooms. Lacy said skating fees also would defray operating costs. She could not provide any projected dollar amounts for the center's revenues or expenses. Resident James Dudley noted that neither the city nor the Ben Benton Harbor community center may get grant funding By BOB TITA H-P Staff Writer Federal money would be available to operate Benton Harbor's proposed community center, which should allay concerns that the city's chronic budget problems would keep the facility from staying open once it's built, city officials said Monday. Community Development Director Helen Lacy said up to 15 percent of the city's annual block grant allocation may be used for public services, including the operation of a community center.

Lacy said the city is slated to receive $701,000 in community development block grant funds this year from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Of this amount she said, $105,000 could be set aside for running the community center, which is planned for the vacant site of the old Benton Harbor Junior High School. barrel near the hole to warn motorists. "It angers the area taxpaying residents who work to maintain their property," she said about the pothole.

"Most importantly, the road conditions have a very real potential for causing vehicle damage or, much worse, a serious accident," she said. Lacy said she sympathizes with Broadway residents, but said the average income of people in the neighborhood is too high for federal block grant money to be used to repave Broadway. Lacy said neighborhood income levels and eligibility requirements have kept city officials from using block grant money to fix some of the city's most treacherous streets or tear down dozens of abandoned or burned out houses. "I agree there are many eyesores in the city, without a shadow of a doubt, but block grant money can only be utilized with certain criteria," she said. I -fori..