The South Bend Tribune from South Bend, Indiana • 1

rT The South Bend Tribune, Thursday, March 27, 1980 Township residents through southwestern Michigan and the rest of the state will be turning out Saturday to attend annual meetings and to exercise their voice in the operation of township government. Part of that operation can only be decided by a vote of those attending the annual meeting. I Residents may approve or reject salaries for township officials, either or as a group, commented John LaRose, deputy director of the Michigan Townships Association, in a telephone conversation with The Tribune. A vote of residents attending the annual meeting also is the only way authority can be granted for the sale, purchase or lease of real estate, except possibly at a special meeting or election called for that purpose. LaRose said the annual meeting usually serves as a public hearing on the budget, although final authority to adopt a budget rests with the board.

Some townships, however, allow residents to vote on the budget at the annual meeting. Other items of business on which residents may exercise a direct voice include approving rules for conduct of the annual meeting and establishing office hours for township employees, but not for township officials themselves. All townships in Berrien County will be holding their meetings Satur- day afternoon or evening, except St. Joseph, which has opted for June 28. Likewise, all annual meetings will be held in township halls except Benton, Chikaming and Niles townships.

Benton residents will meet in Hull School; Chikaming residents in the Chikaming Elementary School, and Niles residents will meet in the Little Theatre at Brandywine High SchooL Meeting at 1 p.m. will be the townships of Bainbridge, Baroda, Benton, Berrien, Coloma, Galien, Lincoln, Niles, Pipestone and Three Oaks. Meeting at 1:30 p.m. will be the townships of Chikaming, Hager, Lake, Royaltoii, Sodus, Watervliet andWesaw. The township of New Buffalo will meet at 2 p.m., while Bertrand, Buchanan, and Oronoko townships will meet at 7 p.m.

In Cass County, several township boards have opted to conduct annual meetings at a later date, although most will still be meeting Saturday Jefferson and Marcellus townships will have annual meetings in June, the Penn Twp. annual meeting will be April 5, and LaGrange Twp will not meet until July. Meetings for the other 11 townships will be Saturday. The Newberg Twp. meeting will begin at 1 30 at the township hall on Paterson Hill Road.

All other boards will meet at 1 p.m., including Ontwa, Mason, Calvin, Po-kagon, Howard, Milton, Newberg, Porter, Silver Creek, Volinia and Wayne townships. In every case, the meetings will be at the respective township halls. Simple solution bogs down in bureaucratic quicksand By LOUIS MUMFORD Tribune Niles Bureau NILES The redesignation of 31 to Business Route 31, a matter that had seemed so simple when it first was discussed, has fallen prey to Michigans bureaucratic maze. Even though seemingly everyone favors the designation, from the Indiana State Highway Commission to the cities of South Bend and Niles, the B.R. name apparently will not be applied, at least in Michigan, because the Michigan Department of Transportation (MOOT) says the highway segment does not meet the criteria for a business route.

The issue was made as clear as mud at a meeting here Wednesday involving officials from South Bend, Niles, MDOT and the Southwestern Michigan Regional Planning Commission session was aimed at hashing out differences on renaming the highway, in the wake of completion in Michigan of the first leg of the U.S. 31 bypass. Since the bypass has taken the U.S. 31 designation, the old U.S. 31, from Niles to South Bend, must have a new name.

The Segment is being called U.S,. 33 for now. Patrick McMahon, South Bend city engineer, explained at Wednesday's meeting in the Four Flags Area Chamber of Commerce that when South Bend originally asked for the Business Route designation, the Indiana State Highway Commission informed it there would be no problem, so long as all the governmental units adopted resolutions supporting the designation. The reason for wanting the designation, he said, was simple Businesses that use the 31 title in their and the Michiana Area Council of Governments (MACOG) adopted a resolution last week calling for the highway to be renamed either B.R. 31 or Old 31.

That resolution will be sent to Lansing but, considering MDOTs disapproval of the business route name, its expected the Old 31 designation will be accepted. The Old 31 designation would not officially be the name of the highway segment in Michigan, though, according to Merrill. the highway still would be U.S. 33, from the state line north to a where U.S. 31 is picked up again north of Niles, but signing will read U.S.

33 (Old 31 McMahon, though, said South Bend still will attempt to secure the B.R. 31 designation as far north as the state will allow. That point apparently will be the Indiana Toll Road since a business route must eventually meet back with its designated highway (in this case, the U.S. 31 freeway). Therefore, as it appears now, U.S.

31, which officially is known as U.S. 31-33 south of South Bend, would be known as U.S. 31 Business Route-33 from Ireland Road north to the Toll Road. From there to the Michigan line, it would be U.S. 33, and from the" state line north to U.S.

31-33, it would be U.S. 33 officially, but would read U.S. 33 (Old U.S. 31) on highwav signs. Nearly to a man, people at Wednesday session here expressed dismay that such a simple matter could become so complicated.

There were indications Niles officials still would push for the business route designation in Michigan, but apparently feeling it would be a waste of time, they decided at W'ednesday nights NATS meeting nol to pursue it. such a redesignation for several reasons. First, he said that according to federal guidelines, highway "signing is not carried out fojr businesses but for persons not familiar with a highway system. Second, he said a B.R. 31 designation would not fit the definition of a business route, since it would not quickly take a motorist into a city and back onto the highway as other business routes do, or intend to do.

(Asked why there are at least two examples of 11-mile business routes in Michigan, Merrill explained only that they do not cross a state line). Merrill emphasized that a motorist would tend to become confused if forced to travel 17 miles on a business route before picking up the highway. If youre coming west or south on U.S. 31 or U.S. 12, and you want to get to Niles, then business route signing would force you to travel an adverse distance before getting there, he said.

Asked by Harry Siedelberg, Niles Twp. supervisor, whether signs simply could be erected designating the highway Old 31, Mrs. I.eah Daniels of MDOT answered that could be done providing local governmental units approve the designat ion. Thats apparently the course of action that will be followed. At a meeting" Wednesday night of the Niles Area Transportation Study Review Committee, Niles area governmental officials, convinced that MDOT would not accept a plea for a B.R.

31 designation, indicated they would seek the Old 31 designation instead. A bi-state committee of SMRPC Businesslike KALAMAZOO (AP) Michael Lyn Fisher, 16, had no cash hen she was stopped by a robber in the parking lot of a Kalamazoo supermarket. But the robber was not disappointed he simply took a check. Miss Fisher told police she was held up about 10:20 a.m. Monday by a man who approached her and demanded money.

When she told him she had no money, he ordered her to write a $100 check. The girl told police she started to cry while writing the check and the robber fled on( foot with the incomplete check. The victim told police she spot-. ted a handgun in the waistband of the mans pants. She said she later stopped payment on the check.

names want the designation kept. Besides, renaming it something other than 31 would tend to confuse residents, he said. McMahon said he had hoped that the highway, labeled U.S. 31-33 up to Ireland Road in South Bend, would be known as B.R. 31 the rest of the way north.

McMahon, commenting on the fact that the business route would run 17 miles before connecting again to U.S. 31 in Michigan, said he didnt think there would any opposition since long business strips are not uncommon in either Indiana or Michigan. Ralph Merrill of MDOT, though, answered that no matter how long the ot her business routes in the state, Michigan does not look favorably on INSPECTION Former President Gerald R. Ford cautiously descends a ladder Wednesday after inspecting the upper level of the $7.6 million Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum presently under construction.

Ford was in Grand Rapids to headline an annual Republican dinner. UPI view on electable Reagan 2ESISSS3 Tax plans blooming ing proposal advocated by Robert Tisch, the Shiawassee County drain commissioner. The Tisch plan, which backers are trying to get on the November would cut property taxes in half, require the state to make up the lost revenue and force a public vote before any taxes could be increased or new taxes added. A preliminary draft of the Milliken administration plan calls for a $500 cut in each households property taxes, and a raising of sales taxes enough to make up the lost revenue. The Republican lawmakers said their plan was a tax cut, not just a LANSING (AP) Tax plans are blooming faster than spring flowers around the state capitol.

A 10-member Republican task force showed off the latest proposal Wednesday a scheme to slash property taxes $1.3 billion and raise the sales tax from 4 percent to 5.5 percent to help school financing. GOP leaders met with Gov. Wil-tam Milliken to discuss their plan' and his own tentative proposal, which also includes reduced property taxes and an increase in the sales tax. Everyone at the capitol wants to offer an alternative to the tax-slash ter and a catastrophe. The former president told the crowd that he and his Betty, were enjoying retirement in California, that he was falling less when he 1 skied and hitting fewer people with errant golf shots.

As a 'matter of fact, I would recommend retirement for President Carter as soon as possible, Ford said, spurring the first of several ovations. Ford said the country is in very deep trouble, both at home and abroad and that he had never seen the nited States in such disarray. The only way to have a fundamental change in policy is to elect a Republican president and bring in a majority of Republicans in the House and Senate, he said. Twice during his speech, Ford appealed to independents -and bemo- crats to join with Republicans to institute a change in the presidency. He described the foreign policy of the Carter administration as one of gullibility and vacillation.

"The administration says one thing one day and undercuts it the next, he said. The former president said the economy is in a shambles and blasted Carter for his cuts in the defense budget, i The U.S. must be first in defense and President Carter has reduced military programs consistently until the last month, Ford said. He canceled theBl bomber program, a program that would have given us the finest supersonic aircraft in the world, and he slashed Navy shipbuilding by half. By BRIAN TUCKER Associated Press GRAND RAPIDS Ronald Reagan could beat Jimmy Carter in the 1980 presidential race, says former President Gerald Ford, making one of the biggest turnabouts in this political year.

I believe Governor Reagan, with the full support of all the Republican candidates, could defeat President Carter in 1980, Ford said Wednesday night. Speaking to reporters before an appearance at a Republican dinner in his hometown of Grand Rapids, Ford said he changed his position because the economic situation has deteriorated more dramatically in the past week, Ford has said recently that Reagan was not electable, an opinion he repeated Tuesday at a Chicago news conference. He said then that if the polls change, Ill revise my estimate. But he said Wednesday night, If you do have a Reagan-Carter race, the public will look at the 18 percent inflation rate and the growing unemployment and make their choice. The former president saicf that he would not rule out his candidacy if the GOP convention in Detroit is deadlocked; but conceded that thats not very likely.

He said he would not support any candidate dur- ing the primary campaign. Ford sounded much like a campaigner as he continued his attacks on the Carter administration before a crowd of 4,000 inside the Grand Rapids Civic Auditorium. He said Carters policies have been a disas would have to be approved by both houses of the Legislature to appear on the fall ballot. This is a comprehensive, balanced proposal that is a reasonable alternative to the Tisch amendment, said Rep. Donald Van Singel, Grant.

Cast said the Republican plan would provide an $80 million tax cut for senior citizens, the blind, the disabled and disabled veterans. Renters would receive increased tax credits totaling some $14 million. In addition, the personal exemption, deductions and credits in th state income tax would be indexed to reflect inflation," he said. home up illness to the hospital, according to Nancy McDonald, mother of one of the chil- dren. About half were treated, she said.

Im very upset by the way they handled this, she said. They tried to hide it and waited too long to tell us; they should have done more. Another Maureen Copeland, has a daughter who attends a different school, but rides the same bus as the Wolven boy. They didn't examine any of the children at the school my daughter attends, Mrs. Copeland said.

But she was on the same bus as the ill child and lots of kids play with those at Greenridge." School Supt. Joe Giamalva said the incident was not reported until Monday because the Kent County Health Department offices were closed during the weekend. We felt there was no need to make a general announcement and alarm the community, Giamalva said. If there had been any doubts, we wouldnt have opened school Monday. A health department spokesman said the department is supposed to be notified as soon as possible with a case of spinal meningitis.

Ideally, we should have been notified before Monday, but the disease was under medical supervision, said Keith Tail Kent County shift, because their sales tax increase would not be enough to re-coup all the revenue lost to lower property taxes. Were not dealing in cosmetics here. Its the real thing, said Sen. Harry Cast, R-St. Joseph, who detailed the GOP plan at a news conference.

After meeting with Milliken, Cast said the governor liked it he just didnt know if he could afford it. The GOP plan would exempt the first 26 mills of property taxes from being used to finance public schools. Some $858 million in lost revenue could be made up by increasing the sales tax, they estimated. The plan Pupils kept in hushed COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. (AP) -Some angry Comstock Park parents are keeping their children home from school incensed over what they call a hushed up case of spinal meningitis at an elementary school.

School officialsNvaited more than two days before notifying health authorities that a child was stricken with the highly contagious and sometimes fatal disease, the Grand Rapids Press reported Wednesday. A 7-year-old Greenridge Elementary School student, Scott Wolven, contracted the disease Friday. The boy was reported in good condition Wednesday and was being kept in isolation at Blodgett Memorial Medical Center in Grand Rapids. No other cases of the disease were reported among the 330 students at the school north of Grand Rapids, but the disease has an incubation period of two to 10 days, health officials said. The boys father, Edmond Wolven, said his son was sent home from tfchool Friday after the boy developed a high temperature and became incoherent.

For several hours after the boy was taken to the hospital it was questionable whether he would live, the father said. On Friday night, the elder Wolven and school officials contacted the parents of Scott's classmates, recommending they take their children to the hospital for drug treatment to protect them from the disease. Almost all of the 28 children went Autopsy required in death of student NILES An autopsy was to be completed today on the body of an 18-year-old Niles High School special education student, who collapsed Wednesday afternoon while playing basketball at the Blossomland Learning Center in Berrien Springs. Dead on arrival about 2 30 p.m. Wednesday at Berrien General Hospital was Alvin Frazier, of 1208 N.

11th, Niles. The youth's mother, Mrs. Barbara Frazier, said she was told her son suffered some type of seizure during the game. Attempts to revive him were unsuccessful She noted he had played basketball for several years, and had never had any physical problems before. She said she was awaiting word from a doctor at Berrien General on the cause of death.

The youth as a senior at lies 1 1 lgh School she said. The body was taken to the Pifer-Smith Funeral Home. MURDER SUSPECT This is an artists drawing of a suspect in the stabbing death on Tuesday of musician William J. Mull in South Bend. Police said a white male, 23 to 25 years old with dark brown hair and a medium complexion, was seen leaving the scene of the brutal slaving of Mull 57, owner-operator of the Music Shop, 419 W.

Colfax. The suspect is believed to be roughly six-feet tall about 170 pounds, wearing a dark waist-length jacket and dark pants. Police said the composite drawing is about a 65-70 percent likeness..