The Commercial Appeal from Memphis, Tennessee • 25

ar-r- ioyw r' fy tr PAGES 25 TO 32 THE COMMERCIAL APPEAL Memphis Tenn Wednesday Morning Dec 17 1975 PAGES 25 TO 32 a 'V' W'-jp-Sv- Bank Plans I First Album i To Aid Stax Shelby Farms Panel the 350 acres not included in the priority recommendation is taken up by penal farm buildings state and federal correctional facilities proposed community college and other facilities He said he considered the recommendation a because he wu opposed to selling any of the property for private use and this 90 acres could be sold under the recommendation not needed they can sell it or do whatever they want to do with Burch said The Eckbo Man allow for a number of possible alternatives for the use of each-ana and the cost at the development estimated from $10 million to $120 million depending on the intensity of development The plan centers around a pastoral park and includes a variety of recreational areu and trails It can be expanded in accordance with the Man to include items ranging to a major league baseball park international gardens and life sciences research park Staff Photo by James Shearin Art For David Audlien 16 of Bay SL Louis Miss an outpatient at St Jude Children's Research Hospital shows fellow patient Maurice Laub 4 of Memphis some Christmas sketches he will give the youngster David was diagnosed as having leukemia Oct 10 was successfully treated and went into remission and was sent home to continue treatment as an outpatient He was readmitted last Sunshine Act Draw Ire Of Sake week for pneumonia and is now again an outpatient He will stay in a Memphis motel until early next week and then if recovery continues will go home He has been drawing since he was 10 and developed an Interest in art from an older brother While hospitalized he keeps his sketch pad at hand to pass the time He sell file drawings but gives them to younger patients nurses and doctors j' Legislators Councilman In other business the council passed on final reading six of eight ordinances to increase building permit fees and building trade license fees Consideration of two of the ordinances was postponed until next week Proposed ordinances increasing inspection license and permit fees under the electrical code and building code were postponed By the time the two ordinances were up for consideration several council-men had left the lengthy meeting Ford said he was not convinced it was necessary to increase the fees and permits but William Boyd public service director said the expected revenue from increased fees wasbudgeted last spring David Goodwin president of the Homebuilders Association of Memphis asked for a study of the permit and license costs and said consolidation of the city and county building departments might be the answer to increased fees He said there was 30 per cent unemployment in the building industry If all the ordinances are passed building fees for a 1300-square-foot house would increase from $7485 to $9394 The cost of the house is about $22300 In other business the council: 0 Approved a planned unit development for three retail stores landscaping and 30 parking spaces at the northwest corner of Poplar and Brookhaven Circle Designated Dec 26 as a holiday for city employes rather than Christmas Eve By By TERRY KEETER The Shelby Farms Planning Board yesterday recommended approval of a development plan for the penal farm but two members said they would prepare a report in opposition to the board's action -The board by a 7-to-2 vote recommended that an administrating authority given the priority of all but about 350 acres of the 4400-acre Shelby County Penal Farm for public use "as outlined in the Eckbo Garrett Eckbo a San Francisco Planner headed the planning team which prepared the $150300 report which wu presented to the board Lucias Burch Jr board chairman said be hoped a joint City Council-County Court merting could be scheduled in to consider the development plan He said he felt the meeting would attract lot of people and a lot of The board unanimously approved a recommendation that an authority be established by the court and council to administer development of the property The possibility of a minority report arose after Rudolph Jones Jr and Harold Thompson tried to have the board recommend that the authority give to development of about 3300 acres at the center of the property They proposed that the authority seek from the Planning Commission a comprehensive land use Man for the area before developing the other part of the 4400 acres -Daniel Wilkinson Jr moved for approval of both recommendations but Jerome Hoffman Joined Mrs Bonny lin Martin and Mrs Dm Horn in opposing the action Hoffman said the recommendations would be treating areas other than those in the heart of the property it was a different ballgame" The board voted to include only one of the areas in question in a recommendation for further study and Jones and Thompson said they would file the minority report Jones said the recommendations to deal with certain in proposed use for the outlying areas and that tiie planners' technical advisory committee had recommended a comprehensive land use study before any development of the penal farm Burch said the board's recommendation about 90 acres which down-the-road could be used for whatever the authority sees He said the remainder of Boyd Files Suit To Take Office Albert Boyd yesterday filed suit in Chancery Court asking the court to order the Shelby County Election Commission to issue him a certificate of election Boyd winner of a close Nov 6 runoff election for City Court Judge charged in the petition for writ of mandamus that the commission acted unconstitutionally in refining to certify his election 1 The petition said the commission made an capricious and illegal judicial decision" in violation of state and US constitutions The election commission Monday refused for the second time to issue a certification of election to Boyd The commission voted unanimously Nov 17 not to certify election because he failed to comply with the state campaign financial disclosure law He defeated incumbent City Court Judge Ray Churchill in the runoff No hearing date wu set yesterday for petition The financial disclosure law requires candidates to appoint a political treasurer and file financial reports with the state by specified deadlines Boyd did not file a report or list his political treasurer until 11 days after the runoff The first report wu due Oct 1 the 2380 fluorescent window lights This is the first time the bells have been displayed since the 1972 Liberty Bowl game between Georgia Tech and Iowa State I By MICHAEL LOLLAR Union PUnten National Unit if Man-nini iti fint record album black hiito- ry and mmic package that would finance -a national memorial here to Dr Martin Luther King Jr and help put Stax Record Inchon its feet again UP board chairman Bill Matthews td yesterday he has discussed the idea with internationally known black and is nearing the contract-signing phase for the album which would be produced with a Bicentennial theme The bank which loaned Stax about $103 million between 1970 and 1974 began foreclosure proceedings last wiwth against East Memphis Music Corp the most profitable Stmt subsidiary In a public auction Dec 5 UP bought the firm and the Stax-East Memphis Music catalog of musical copyrights for $3 million Now Matthews said are anxious to set up a system whereby the bank can recoup the investment and the ownership and operation of Stax can be turned over to responsible Mack leadership feel that if Stax were to fail or if the company were acquired by out-of-town interests it would be impossible for the remaining music industry to support the Mack artists who live and work here And the effect on black business could be he said Sales of the album tentatively scheduled for release about April would help finance a foundation operated by blades and the advancement of black en-trepeneurship One of the first tasks would be to commission a monument in the Beale Street Redevelopment area to the late Martin Luther King Jr Matthews said he already has discussed a possible site for the monument talking to Memphis Housing Authority spokesmen about MHA-owned property at Front and Beale And nothing is definite ists have been consulted about possible design of the monument Matthews said he visualizes a shrine covering about half an acre with two mules symbolic of Mack heritage and King's forming the entrance significance of the site for the national memorial to Dr Martin Luther King in Memphis is that even as his life ended here the realization of Ms dream for the brotherhood of man may have begun Matthews said The record album which would be marketed nationwide would be the financial backbone of die entire plan Deloss Walker the Memphis advertising executive who would help promote the plan said the album would be a combination of music from black spirituals to Handy blues and historical narrative Contemporary black artists would be signed for the album which might include such songs as Battle Hymn of the and At Last" Matthews said well known black leaders will be asked to narrate the historical aspects of the album can work together to produce a historical document that will honor Dr King and all Mack Americans that will salvage Stax Records and the Memphis music industry that will continue as a living memorial to Dr King by fostering the development of Mack industry throughout the United States Prosecutor Is Appointed i For Ft Pillow Memphis attorney Rilssell Thompson yesterday was appointed special prosecutor for any criminal violations which might arise out of Ft Pillow State Farm purchasing irregularities and patronage abuses Michael Whitaker of Somerville Tenn 16th Judicial District attorney general said in a telephone interview that Thompson had agreed to serve without pay special assistant attorney general in the investigation of all matters relating to irregularities at Ft Pillow and other patronage abuses within this The district includes Lauderdale County site of the penal facility and Gov Ray home county of McNairy site of Pickwick Landing State Park Whitaker said he met with Thompson in Covington Tenn yesterday and imposed on a personal friendship between us for this assistance He is a noted criminal attorney as well as being an ex-member of the legislature who is familiar with the matters in Thompson said last night that he served as general counsel for the State and Loud Government Committee of the House in the early 1970s and was special prosecutor for McNairy County cases involving charged irregularities in county roadbuilding' Both he and Whitaker declined to comment on the contents of a preliminary audit into Fort Pillow purchases However Thompson said the investigation reveal what I think it will probably reveal as a result of the preliminary audit there is a very strong possibility that there might be some presentation to the grand jury" Thompson a Democrat whose clientele includes the Memphis police and firemen unions as well as the state association said there would be no conflict between his party affiliation and any prosecution of Democratic figures Thompson said he thinks that any prosecution that arises will difficult The hometown people are Just super-tough to contend with been down that road He said that his prosecution la McNairy County in the early 1970s failed to win convictions The Ft Pillow audit was ordered after auditors found that at least $172320 in supplies were bought by the man-ager without proper bids The manager was fired and the area patronage chief whose friends and relatives supplied many of the items in question resigned Staff Photo by Ihomas Boiler Floating Christmas Tree The Spring Lake Homeowners Association has launched floating Christmas tree to enhance the lake just off Old Brownsville Road near Covington Pike in northeast Shelby County The tree Is turned on at dusk MHA Enlists HUD Crew In $13 Million Grant Quest and off at dawn automatically by a photocell control like those used oh street lights On the night of Dec 23 homeowners will float candles on the lake said She wu referring to the HUD re- quirement that at least 20 per cent of families in public housing must be very -poor Of 7246 families in MHA housing 4221 families pay $36 or leu in rent A total of 192 families pay no rent based on their low income Families who pay $36 or less in rent are classified very poor said William Miles MHA resistant executive director for public housing Oa the waiting list for public housing are 4079 families Miles said "This is way too he said Miles said the MHA staff is working on a program to meet new federal guidelines win aril Mrs Venson to meet with us within a month If there are things in it (the new program) that you tike we can address them at that In other business yesterday the MHA board authorized MHA to administer a new federal rent subsidy program for existing housing units This $552300 grant I from HUD will subsidize 294 units said Randall Johnson assistant executive director for urban renewal MHA wiU hire one full-time employe and will draw on present personnel to handle this new function Johnson said By THOMAS JORDAN City Councilman Fred Davis criticized the state Sunshine Law during discussion of a proposed ordinance yesterday and said half the legislators win passed the act make deals in hotel rooms to avoid compliance with the law Characterising the law as and Davis said the public did not need to know everything it was all put Davis attacked the law which requires governmental bodies to hold open meetings during a discussion of a proposed ordinance that would provide additional vacation time for city employes The proposal was passed on first reading Chief Administrative Officer Henry Evans said the additional vacation time was part of union contract agreements negotiated earlier this year Some members of the council said they were not familiar with the proposal Sunshine Law probably got us in this predicament in the first Evans said meet with a majority of the council because the press would have to be Davis said the labor unions when they get together to strategize on how they are going to deal with the management of the city are not subject to the Sunshine Law but got to telegraph everything every move going to make Dsvis said it was that we have to spend lot of time trying to avoid that stupid Sunshine Davis also criticized state legislators who supported the Sunshine Law people win passed that dumb law are not affected by it the state legislators who passed it Half of them are away from home and they get together cut a deal in a hotel room somewhere and come back to the legislative chambers and pass it and they aren't subject to the Sunshine -l Evans said the -proposed ordinance would provide an additional week of vacation oa the 10th 15th and 25th anniver- sary of employment for general employes The employes would accumulate additional vacation at the rate of one day for each year of service up to the maximum established in 1972 he said As an example Evans said a general employe with 13 years of service now has a three-week vacation Under the pro- posed ordinance the employe would be entitled to a vacation of three weeks and three days Firefighters working an avenge 56- hour-a-week schedule with 13 yean serv- ice now an entitled to a five-week vacation The vacation time would be extended two days under the proposed ordinance 1 Evans arid Two councilmen John Ford and Philip Perel said they wen opposed to more vacation time for city employes dant have to match International Ford said A serious personnel problem could result if the council talking about changing rules In the middle of the Councilman Billy Hyman said Bus Operators Meet Unrest Is Indicated Memphis Area Transit Authority driven wen scheduled to hold a special meeting at 2 am this morning at their union hall at 2881 Lamar amid indications then was some pressun for a strike vote Luther Hall business manager for Amalgamated Transit Union Div No 713 ns not available for comment last night but the driven wen reportedly unhappy over the transfer of a driver who was in- -votved in an accident to other duties MATA sources said grievance procedures over the transfer have not been completed By DEBORAH WHITE Tennessee area Housing and Urban Development officials will go to Washington with the Memphis Housing Authority's request for $13 million to meet energy needs next winter officials said yesterday HUD officials in Knoxville decided to pursue MHA's request after Mayor Wyeth Chandler Community Development Director Gwen Awiumb and MHA Director Lawrence Wade went to Knoxville Monday to ask for the federal funds Wade told the MHA board yesterday The money would be used to convert boilers for fuel oil use in five apartment developments under natural gas curtailment Wade said MHA requested $13 million in community development funds last month but Chandler said the money should not come from community development because funding priorities have been set Carroll Oakes director of the Tennessee area HUD office said want to take a look at it and see how they (MHA) get along with an education program to cut down on usage the interim going to contact the department in Washington and tell them if time they think about the shortage of natural gas Not only is tikis situation particular to Memphis and other cities in Tennessee but also to other cities in the Oakes said the national HUD office have to take a long look at it and come up with a special program for the purpose of converting equipment to fuel oiL Of course they will have to go to Congress to get that The outlook for more funding is not favorable Oakes said because past funding for capital improvements has been drop in the bucket compared to the The MHA board yesterday approved an energy conservation program for public housing Wade said we go over the allotment (allowed under natural gas curtailment) we will have to pay a After Wade told the MHA board about the trip to Knoxville MHA Commissioner Ethyl Venson criticised MHA for not providing touring for all poor in Memphis are people that are very poor making $131 a month and they can't get in because the quota has been she Billy What puzzles me is that if God is om- 1 nipotent tow come Satan came into' power? -KG There are some clues in the Scripture as to tiie origin of Satan and the reason -for his ejection from heaven One of them is Isaiah 14 where Satan is called Lucifer and these words appear you are fallen from heaven Lucifer son of the morning! How you are cut down to tiie ground mightily though you were against tiie nations of the world'' For you said to yourself will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most It's evident then that pride wu one cause of fall Your question might- also be asked about the forces of evil that Satan has unleashed in die world Why God stop them? Some day He will but the an- swer is simply that now His plan calls for -man's self-determination I I fo Liberty Bells All Around The First' National contribution to this Liberty Bowl is the' display of four 13-story liberty Bells on die sides of its downtown build: ing The bells were created by putting green plastic covers on 800 of fa.