The Rock Island Argus from Moline, Illinois • 1

ri A 1 pr I TTL' IS to Grand slam imwi err-'; 3 Pfi3 Cl 143rd YEAR No. 116 ROCK ISLAND FEBRUARY 21, 1993. ROCK ISIANP, ILLINOIS $L25 ail PROGRESS T93 SamHOBDEmM Q-C housing market' grows 1 1 Residents building, Proposed energy tax Lii concerns Wilkinson said. "We cant go out and recoup the loss in the marketplace. It becomes an internal cost we must absorb through bet ter productivity and smarter manufacturing technology ALCOA already has embarked 6ft $21 million cost-reduction plan; he said.

There'll be less travel fix: our employees and we wont be holding our Thunder night or sponsoring the alrshow IT ft -j. Wliat it means to you iv 1 liquid petroleum, would pay additional 8il cents per 1 Z'A Quad-Cities area residents, million BTUs. schools and formers will pay higher energy costs under a Based on an average annual new tax proposed by the conwimipOmi of 110,000 ctddc -Clinton administration, RSJJ2. 1 Under a plan released this week, consumers and busi-1 3 nM would pay 25.7 cents I JgJJ perl million BTUs for all foe- M8M per year wr energy by 0 all fuels, indnding coal and filly in IKSUSlSEl' taSSK fc l': PLEASE SEE COST, A7 SUfi.S8iBw3BS5 A proposed energy tax will raise Quad-Cities businesses operating costs and make them less competitive, area business leaders say. President Clinton, has proposed a tax of 25.7 cents per 1 million BTUs on all fossil folds, including coal and natural gas.

An additional tax of 342 cents pm 1 million BTUs would be levied on all petroleum-related products. The tax would be phased in over a three-year period starting in 1994. Industries that are heavy users of natural gas and electricity, including many in the Quad-Cities, will be hardest hit by the proposed tax, if implemented. ALCOA will pay out $400,000 more each year in additional taxes if the current plan is inqda-mented, company spokesman Tim Wilkinson said: We are a high energy-user. ALCOA produces aluminum used in ilrplane and automobile construction, lighting, lithograph machines and tooling plates for the machine-tool industry.

The 4 THE -buying, restoring S.5XS5 vfc f- for. the construction industry and real estate agents. Todays edition also takes a look at the growth of small business, where service, ser-. vice and more service is becoming foe catch phrase. i-' Despite long work many Quad-Citians say die best boss to work for is themselves.

Like those investing in homes, members of the small business community have been working to make their dreams come true. John CkMmtood staff SUNDAY. Qj citizens businesses following their dreams UAYQ.TAL CAKSSMVE3 -Ji -a; 1' -j Mayoralhopefulsagree1onfuture, but see past leadership differently rills year. Gail Hoffoian, human resources manager for Lafarge Corporation of Davenport, has simlllar concerns about the effect of the proposed tax. Laforge produced 900,000 tons of cement in the past year and uses about 8 million BTUs of heat energy and 120 kilowatt hours of electricity per ton.

The company employs 125 people. On the up side, Mr. Hofflnan believes the energy tax may improve the companys competitive position domestically. "We tend to be more foel-efflcient than our competition. The tax could force marginal competitors out of business.

The downside of that is there is less competition. But the tax could put his business at a competitive disadvantage on the world market "We could face renewed competition from Mexico, South America and Spain. "At the very lout it will mean rearranging our priorities; the biggest change will be in our use PLEASE SEE TAX, A7 OUTSIDE i INSIDE Quad-Cltlans have been taft ing the advice of follow you dreams seriously. yl. Whether it be building their own dream homes or renovat- ing ones of a past area residents have been busy during ttie past year.

Todays edition of Progress 93 examines the housing and construction picture and finds it stable and healthy, thanks in part to Iowa: mortage inter-. est rates. Renters are becoming buy as and builders good news yi Staff wMr MILAN Incumbent Duane Dawson and Jan Elliott, his challenger in Tuesdays Democratic mayoral primary, mostly agree on Milans needs for the foture, but disagree over its past pollti-cal leadership. Both put economic development, especially strengthening Milans retail sales base, at the top of their agendas. They part ways over the adequacy of development efforts during Mr.

Dawsons eight-year tenure as mayor. Mr. Dawson, running on a slate with three Incumbent village trustees and the village clerk, says Milan is doing well and that he and the other incumbents would like to make sure the village "keeps progressing." Mrs. Elliott says efforts to help existing small businesses and attract new ones have been inadequate. She also says the mayor is unresponsive to residents, a charge Mr.

Dawson denies. The mayoral race will be decided Tuesday no Republican or independent candidates have filed. A political newcomer; Mrs. Elliott says her business background makes her a well-qualified candidate for the mayors Job. She and her husband, Russ, company produced $1 billion in goods in 1992; Mr.

Wilkinson said. He said the competitive nature of the aluminum business will make it more difficult to raise prices to absorb the cost of the energy tax and may open the United States up to increased for eign competition. "Theres a lot of people selling the same thing we do, Mr. are Allstate Insurance agents and have had an agency in Milan for seven years. Before that, Mrs.

Elliott was a personnel supervisor for. Northwestern Bell Telephone Co. for 14 years. She had management training with Northwestern Bell, she says, and her Job included such administrative duties as "hiring and firing" that she says would serve her well as mayor. Mrs.

Elliott is a board member with the Rock Island County Life Underwriters Association. Mr. Dawson is a long-time veteran of village government, having served as trustee fix: six years before his election to the mayors Job in 1985. "I wouldn't be running again if I didnt think we were doing well," Mr. Dawson says.

"In my eight years as mayor, we can point with pride to a lot of things the village has been able to accomplish. Mr. Dawson cites as examples a 2 million upgrade of the village's sewage treatment plant and the completion of a Joint-venture, water-blending plant with Rock Island that has reduced radium levels in Milans water. The village obtained state and federal grants that paid for much of the cost of those projects, Mr. PLEASE SEE HHIAN, A7 a formhouse near Annawan.

Mrs. Craun, who was 38 years old at the time, and seven of the children spent at least one night In the Henry County Jail In Cambridge. They were taken there to provide a roof over their heads. Kevan Melton, a Geneseo resident whose mother was one of the Craun children, la among those trying to solve the myatery of what happened thereafter. "Sane fomilies In the area took some of the children In during the holidays.

They were told they would be reunited with the femi Ducno Dawson Jen Elliott 49-. vii V- lAgw 44 214 Bruce Avs. lAMrae 129 E. 2nd Ava. Biology and BO pattern NeHhbortiood chemistry teacher at Ptessant office agerXftxAnstate Insurance Valley High "'TT' Huestteni Bachelor of arts IdueaUoui Attended degree In biology ftomAugustana Northeast Missouri State Coliege, master of arts In biology University for 26 years.

from Drake University. a Ml Husband Russ, chi Faallyi Wife Judy, children then Michelle MJHar, 29, and Bradley, 27, and Kelly Hopson, Chris, 24. 25. 1 imvMvpimMi viiif mu nono eaeoi Two terms as mayor; vtl- laga trustee from 1978-1985. Craun family mystery on TV Unsolved Mysteries filming crew shooting strange By Meaee Beetter nine children were evicted from story in Henry County ly on a certain date, and they never were, said Mr.

Melton. The fetes of the parents, FTank and Hilda Craun, remain unknown. The nine children with their ages at the time of the eviction were: Marie Ruth, Frances June, Dorothy, Raymond, Leonard, 10; Clarence, 11; Florence, 12; Frank, 14; and Betty, 16u Four of the children have been located. Marie Ruth was adopted by a Kewanee femily and resides PLEASE SEE MYSTERY, A7 royalty CAMBRIDGE What happened to the Craun femily? A production crew from the "Unsolved Mysteries NBC television show will attempt to answer that question when It begins filming in Henry County this week. The crew will try to shed light on the fate of the Craun femily, which was strangely separated over the holidays In 1948.

The whereabouts of several family members remain unknown. In December of that year, Frank and Hilda Craun and their Royaltywas crowned Saturday evening during the 1993 Mardl Gras sponsored by the Junior Board of Rock Island. The king of the 54th annual ball Is Stanley H. Coin of Rock Island, and the queen is Marguerite Pierce of Moline. The fundraiser, held at Moline Holiday Inn Convention Center, helps support chll-- drens programs.

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