The Daily Sentinel from Grand Junction, Colorado • 1

V. -i. a t' 'M i i ji Jl The Daily 1 4 4 32 pages Newsstand price 1 5c Grand Junction, Color Wednesday, Oct 15, 1 975 ossiimg god, 1 Junction v- VVfo it 4 lfu vf 'ifS 4 1 vvV 1.1' Vv I'8; 4 aV I i if i it 1 ui fr V- 4 4 s- i 1 -r 4 fj kflrk i i 1 y. 4 I A. WWl.

4 Nf V. 44 J. -4 14 ('I if- 7 1 I i( 1 4k 4 "tv; IU: i After the discovery Deputy Mike Smith of the Mesa County Sheriffs Department photo- graphs a body found in a pond northwest of Grand Junction this morn- ing. Other sheriffs department investigators and a city fireman stand by. Sentinel photo by Robert Grant Dfiy, mMgerbelks boe vr 1 4' I Vj M-, 4) .3 I 4 4 E23 sion, letting Meyers explain his feelings on the story.

Meyers said it was not that he was misquoted in the story, but rather what was not included that caused all the fu ror. He said during the conference that What included was his statement that he does have the support of the community because of letters and phone calls he has received from the residents, and from contact with local businessmen. He said he and Capt. Robert Burnett, who is resigning from the department, had talked this morning and agreed the meaning of their conversations was changed because of the way the story was written. The chief also announced that he would cut an order today to have Lt.

Ron Smith take over as acting operations commander for Burnett, Until a man can be recruited to fill the va cancy. He said, too, that Burnett has since asked that his resignation date be moved back from Oct. 31 to Oct. 25 so he could go to Oregon for an Interview on a possible job Oct. 29 Rose said the position will be advertised national and he expects it would take a normal time period of one to two months to find the right man, who would be chosen with the ideal that he or Capt.

Ed Vandertook, services commander, would replace Meyers when Meyers moves on. TRACY FREITAS body found in pond time the girl was last seen in her driveway at 637 Road 26, near the Tolman residence. His three dogs barked, Tolman said, and he went outside twice with a flashlight and asked in a loud voice if anyone was there. Once, a girls voice answered saying i 'A, ii im. By SUZANNE SINCLAIR And NICK PABST Sentinel Staff Writers The body of 13-year-old Tracy Martee Freitas was found floating face down in a pond in a well-to-do subburb north i west of Grand Junction this morning.

She had been missing since Oct. 4 when several girl friends dropped her off in her driveway about midnight. Mathew Pirofalo of 2585 Road Fft found the body this morning and reported it to the Mesa county sheriff. The body was identified by the girls mother at noon. District attorney Terrance Farina said that there was no 'indication of murder but we never rule out that possibility.

The body is being taken to a laboratory in Montrose where an autopsy to determine the cause of death will be conducted by Dr, Thomas Canfield. On the evening she disappeared, Miss Freitas possibly had taken some motion sickness pills, according to sheriffs a Wayne Harms. She had told that evening that she sometimes liked to swim in a portion of a canal in the area near her home. The pond in which the body was found is located on property owned by Jay Tol-man, dean of students at Mesa College in Grand Junction. Tolman said today he had been awakened several times early that Suhday morning about the Meyers stated that as far as my going somewhere else, it was understood when he took the job that he would not retire here.

1 He said he has no active resumes out at this time and still feels he has a job to do in reorganizing the department to standards of performance he expects. He also praised his department's efforts in the way it has handled the rash of unsolved murders in city this summer, and feels a constant editorial criticism of the police force hhs been unjust. The Colorado Bureau ot Investigation has commended tis men for the background work they did ifl the quadruple Botham-Miracle, murders, he said. Meyers also said his dejiartnienta morale is up, but when questioned on a statement he made at a budget meeting to the council last week that morale was low, clarified his statement by saying it did not include the detectives and Some administrative heads. He also said if the unsolved murder cases were viewed completely, people would see his staff has just three, one from 1961 and the stabbing deaths of Linda Benson and her daughter Kelley in July.

The Botham-Miracle cases now are In the Jurisdiction of the county sheriffs department, he said and with the -finding of a womans body in the Debeque canyon last summer, the county now has five unsolved murders to the city's three. the Colorado Public Utilities Commission for the utility. The commission approved the rate hike last week, but said it will hold further public hearings to determine which Mountain Bell customers will get higher rates to cover the $11.5 million. unwilling to drop demands before starting the formal contract talks again. Kara said that under those conditions, The board is better to sit where it is right now.

His remark caused an audible gasp and the exit from the meeting of most of the teachers. Unlike 1973, when salary differences caused the teachers strike, the Issues in dispute this year involve non-salary, working condition items. An MVEA demand that teachers not be required to assume any assignments, duties, or responsibilities that extend beyond the school day and that teachers be paid for any extra duties that occur during the school day. Again, Kara said this would limit the district's management prerogatives. An MVEA demand that teachers be gives the power to determine the school she was trying to get through.

i A pair of tennis shoes belonging to the girl was found on the porch of the Pirofalo home that Sunday, Oct. 5. Law officers searched that area in the next several days and interviewed a number of residents. Miss Freitas's body was found near the shore of the pond which was used for recreation and swimming. Tolman said that the Sunday after the girl disappeared, one of his boats was in the middle of the pond.

When Pirofalo found the body it had a ceramic necklace of the kind described by the girls mother when the girl was reported missing. The area around the pond is heavily wooded. It is possible that the girl passed through the wooded area near the Tolman dogs to reach the pond. The houses surrounding the pond are reached by private driveways. Police said there was no evidence linking the death of the girl to recent murders in the Grand Junction area.

Miss Freitas was a student at West Junior High school and had been at a pinball arcade on North Avenue the night she vanished. Sheriffs deputy Joe Hicks said that some weed seeds found on the girls tennis shoes may have come from a por-' tion of the canal beyond the swimming 1 pond. Hicks speculated that the girl might have gotten her feet wet in the canal and then left the tennis shoes on the Pirofalo porch. ii-' A. i -t I i ard about what is proper for districts to negotiate and that what other school boards have granted is not a binding obligation on Dist 51.

After the teachers departed the meeting, about 80 parents remained and re- marks by about eight of them were fairly evenly divided between those who thought the board should resume nego-! tiations regardless of management1 prerogatives and those who believed the board should stick to its position. Board members told the parents they recognized the validity of some of the MVEA demands, but believed these demands should become school board policies, which can be changed any time by the board rather than part of a labor contract. However, Kelley of the MVEA said, Teachers as a whole do not have much faith in board policies since they can be changed at will by the board. Above all else, most parents urged-the board to do anything possible to avoid another strike. One woman, Jackie Stafford, said, Weve all got to work harder toward a mutual settlement I just don't see that where we're headed is goirg to help any of us.

A By RAY SULLIVAN Sentinel Staff Police Chief Ben Meyers will not be disciplined or fired for telling The Sentinel Tuesday that hed quit if he could find another job where the press and the community were more willing to support the police. City Manager Harvey Rose announced his decision in a press conference City Hall this morning, after receiving the City Councils authority United Fund collections hit $34,858 United Fund contributions had climbed to 134,858 at this mornings report meeting, but whether thats good or bad depends on the point of view, co-chairman Ted Albers said. Todays collection total represents 23 per cent of the compaign god, thats good by comparison with last years rating at the end of the third week, $29,985, or 16 per cent. It isnt so good, considering that the campaign, is already half way to the Nov. 5 closing date; leaders are also concerned that five divisions have reported no collections whatever up to this point.

We have reason to know that things have been happening in these division; we expect a big jump when the reports finally begin to come in, Albers said. One institution, the State Home, has already turned in 100 per cent of its allotment Hoping that the campaign can be finished before Christmas activities begin, leaders are planning a concentrated effort for the final two weeks, reports of which will be due on Oct. 29 and Nov. 5. during Tuesday nights budget hearing to decide the matter himself.

Rose said he called the conference to stop the rumors and news reports circulating around the city that he was going to discipline or fire Meyers. Ben Meyers has done an excellent job as police chief of Grand Junction, Rose said, in his two years here. He added that Meyers had Roses full support and that of the city council in conducting the department business. -Mayor Larry Kozisek concurred, skying Roses decision was supported 100 per cent by the council. That Meyers might be reprimanded or fired was reported in a television news show last night and early today.

The report stemmed from the activities at the council session last night, much of which was held in private. Rose would not elaborate on his deci month, be resumed. Mrs. La Salle said of that decision, It shortens our options, and added that as things now stand the chances of a strike are "very good. The boards decision did not shut the door completely on future contract talks.

In a comment made after about 250 teachers had already left the meeting, Board President Miles Kara said, We concede that there are things upon Bell proposes rate hike plan No discipline Grand Junction City Manager Harvey Rose, left, said this morning he would not discipline police chief Ben Meyers, right, for statements Meyers made in a story in Tuesdays Daily Sentinel. Meyers complained about the lack of support from the community and press in the story. Sentinel photo Clhsriiees for teeaeher stroke flermed Very DENVER (AP) Mountain Bell Telephone Co. proposed hiking residence and business telephone rates, charging fpr directory assistance and doubling the price of pay telephone calls on Tuesday. The proposal was for distribution of an $11.5 million rate hike approved by which compromise and negotiation can be effected." But earlier, Kara said the MVEA had to agree that There are certain things we dont have the power to give before the board will return to the negotiation table.

But the MVEA did not agree, with Mrs. La Salle saying the group was willing to resume negotiations, discuss and seek compromise on all issues, but was Kara reviewed six MVEA demands that he said the board believed could not even be negotiated, much less granted. Mrs. La Salle maintained the six items have been granted in contracts among other Colorado school districts and that other school boards have shown a willingness to discuss and reach compromise on these Issues. But Kara said there exists no stand- year calendar.

Kara said this was a power given solely to the school board by law and that other community groups should have a say in the calendar. This morning, Kara mentioned two more MVEA demands the board believed had to be dropped requests for a seven -hour teacher workday and a 60-minute, continuous daily planning period for all teachers. By DON FREDERICK Sentinel Staff Writer The chances of a teachers strike are now very good in Mesa County School DisL 51. That word came today from Sherryl La Salle, president of the Mesa Valley Education Assn. (MVEA), after the districts school board Tuesday night said it would not resume contract talks until the teachers group dropped some of its major demands.

A strike vote by local teachers, who walked out of their classrooms because of a similar contract dispute in 1973, is unlikely to occur until next week at the earliest. Mrs. La Salle said no general meeting of teachers had yet been scheduled. Tonight, teacher leaders will be meeting with parents at various schools in the district to explain their side of the controversy. But Mrs.

La Salle said, Teachers are very upset by what we were told last night. The board's decision came after both the MVEA and a parents group had requested th2t negotiations, which iave been at a-tandstdl for a I 3 ear! won't budge mi six denncaneSs dents in a class. This, Kara noted, might require hiring more teachers regardless of the district's future budget situation. An MVEA demand that the district's teacher transfer policy be changed to better benefit current district teachers. Kara said any contract could not limit or control the board's rtgh to employ and assign teachers.

4 Following are the MVEA demands which Dist. 51 board president Miles Kara Tuesday night said could not be negotiated: An MVEA demand that the board make a philosophical commitment to keeping class size low. Board members expressed fear that if this demand was granted, the MVEA would eventually be asking an actual number limit on sfj-.