Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 3

Free Press telephones City News Desk 222-6600 Classified Gold Ads 222-5000 Insurance Dept. 222-6470 For Home Delivery 222-6500 All Other Calls 222-6400, today's chuckle When her doctor recommended a hearing aid, the patient declined politely, saying: "At 96, I've heard enough." Section Page 3 SECOND FRONT PAGE Friday, June 12, 1981 101 dumped drums turn up; their contents may be toxic At Fraser City Hall, they give no quarter Fraser is getting a wild and woolly reputation these days. A few weeks ago, Mayor John M. Clarkson got into an argument with a neighbor who, according to police reports, pulled out a sawed-off shotgun. vJ I 2T2 TV A JOUt 29 Mile 1 i i I 0 28 me iNewHaven 8 Mile 1 1 XT, jr BaltimoreV Schoolcraft rN a I a 01 I K'fS? Muml5ers indicate 7 number drums found Then last Friday, a brouhaha in the city's police headquarters ended with an assault complaint being lodged against Public Safety Director Larry Hofmann.

The com plainant was Sgt. Norman Spinelli, who was in the building during off-duty hours wearing a T-shirt that stated, "Love Thy By ANDREA FORD Free Press Staff Writer One hundred and one rusty, sometimes leaky 55-gallon drums containing what may be toxic substances have been found since last weekend dumped illegally at sites in Detroit, Southfield and Lenox Township. At least three people suffering from nausea have been sent to area hospitals after coming Into contact with the substances, police said. There was no report on their conditions. The dumps, about a dozen in all, have typically been behind homes or businesses or in vacant lots.

FORTY DRUMS, in groups of two to nine, have been found behind homes in Detroit. In Macomb County's Lenox Township, a large number of drums were found in one field. Some of the contents are sticky and thick like molasses, police said, while some are runny like paint thinner and some are filled with chunks of paint sludge. Thomas Fitzhenry, a bowling alley mechanic, saw two drums behind the South-field Bowl bowling alley Wednesday but didn't think much of it. "Then I went home last night and saw the news," he said Thursday.

"When they were still here when I got back this morning, I called the police," he said. "It stank like varnish, or fingernail polish or banana flavoring," Fitzhenry said. Others have described the substances as foul-smelling. Officials say they are most certainly flammable. The contents are being analyzed to determine what they are.

MINUTES AFTER Fitzhenry called police, two more drums were found across the street from the bowling alley, behind-a Detroit apartment building. On Tuesday, two police officers and a civilian, who inhaled fumes from the substances, were sent to the hospital with nausea. Agents from the State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and from federal and local environmental agencies set up a See DUMPS, Page 10A Neighbor But Don't Get Caught." Hofmann, who feels police officers should dress "appropriately" on duty or off, asked Spinelli to leave. Spinelli refused. Hofmann says there was physical contact but that no one was assaulted.

Spinelli, who is involved in litigation with the department over an Map by Free Press artist DOMINIC TRUPIANO Lost? accident report he allegedly falsified, could not be reached for comment. As of late Thursday, the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office had not issued a warrant against Hofmann. If elected, he will not serve on school boards, that is Tn Bell, chairman of the Detroit Board George Panel Asks Jr roDe By JAMES N. CRUTCHFIELD Lansing Bureau Chief LANSING Amid charges of Education and of the Wayne County Community College trustees, paid some political dues last year when he paved the way for the college to hire former deputy mayor Richard Simmons as WCCC president. Now Bell plans to announce that up to $32 million has been wasted, a state subcommittee "What has happened is that the department has been ripped apart.

It has been ripped apart in terms of budget. It has been ripped apart in terms of people," he said. MICHIGAN operates community placement houses through its departments of Cor Thursday asked the attorney general and State Police to investigate possible fraud in the oper Bell running said, he late next month that he is for City Council. If elected, Bell has will quit both school boards. ation of halfway houses, mainly for the mentally ill and retarded.

The Legislature joint capital to having mental patients living in their neighborhoods. At the suggestion of acting chairman Rep. Gary Owen, D-Ypsilanti, the subcommittee said it would urge legislative leaders to undertake an investigation of the problems, and declared its opposition to Gov. Milliken's creation of a group of state departmental directors to co-ordinate the community placement programs. Owen blamed the programs' problems on the departmental directors.

Dr. Frank Ochberg, mental health director, attributed problems In his department to $9 million in budget cuts and the shifting and loss of personnel. The department's budget is now $548 million a year. outlay subcommittee also or Hobnobbers at the Knob doth protest too much dered a freeze on new leases for operators who control three or more halfway houses. The subcommittee asked the auditor rections, Social Services, Public Health and Mental Health for more than 20,000 people, but the report from the Auditor General's Office focused largely on the halfway houses of the Mental Health Department.

There could be up to 20-percent waste In $160 million in community placement programs, Albert Lee, state auditor See WASTE, Page 12A What's the rage this summer among concert-goers? Throwing a mini-rage when one has to park at Pine Knob. The parking fee is $3.50, up $1 from last year. Meadow general to produce a list of leases that should be canceled and If ever there was a program that should be frozen, this is one," said state Sen. Thomas Guastello, D-Sterling Heights, a gilfe VIS subcommittee member whose district is the site of a number of Brook charges $2 and Cobo Hall concert parking costs $2.50 in the garage and $2.25 on the roof. But Pine Knob baron Joe Locricchio says his place is a private operation unlike Cobo, owned by Detroit, and Meadow Brook, part of Oakland University.

Culinary im-pasta bares Greektown connection the controversial community placement homes. "I think this is Patterson bans 1 the worst case I've seen in 14 years in state government." Guastello complained that some investors in halfway plea bargain if houses are making $250,000 to $500,000 a year off the state. He Free Press Photo bv JOHN COLLIER said that too much. A fire fighter at ivork Roger Lennert, executive director of the Detroit Bar Association, was rather worried Wednesday that he would become known as the Janet Cooke of cooks. Lennert represented the DBA at the Battle of Hors D'Oeuvres, a benefit for the Michigan Women's Campaign Fund.

About 50 celeb IN ADDITION to the cost of the halfway houses, their loca A Detroit fire fighter pours water on the smoking shell of a house on Steele Street Thursday morning. The cause of the fire, which destroyed the house, had not been determined. There were no injuries. tlons have been controversial be cause of community resistance victim is elderly By JOHN CASTINE Free Press Staff Writer Oakland County Prosecutor L. Brooks Patterson Thursday expanded his no-plea-bargaining policy to include defendants charged with crimes against senior citizens.

The ban includes assaults, purse-snatchings and such crimes as taking money under false pretenses by scheme or trick, committed rity contestants made their own goodies for the event, which were judged by the 200 or so guests. But Lennert, not of the culinary' persuasion, smuggled in a tray of spinach pie made in Greektown. "I fell down on the 1 U-M therapy program plugged physical therapy program, said it is "inad' job. I'm not much of a cook," he confessed. While the guests were judging the delecta-bles, Lennert was hoping he wouldn't win.

"I planned to come clean if I did," he said. equate." He said he would prefer to see it discontinued unless the university is willing to make such improvements as revamping against anyone 60 or older. Patterson said he started the new policy because "the impact of crimes against the elderly is felt so much more severely," although crime is on the rise against people of all ages. the curriculum and expanding the program His entry lost. Compiled by DONNA URSCHEL to two years.

The proposal now goes to William Frye, U-M academic affairs vice-president. If Frye "The (senior citizens) I'm trying to protect are the people who are afraid to come out of (their) home because if they go to the market they are going to have sound off if agrees the program should be dropped, the issue will go to the Board of Regents, which and strengthen the program, which is one of three in the state. Both Fitch and Eugene Bodish, chairman of the state Physical Therapy Board, which registers and licenses Michigan therapists, said discontining the U-M program would seriously worsen the shortage of physical therapists. Fitch said there are more than 200 job openings for physical therapists in Michigan, while hospital outpatients must routinely wait two to three weeks to see a therapist. THE MICHIGAN Physical Therapy Association is planning a letter-writing campaign to defend the U-M program.

Fitch said the organization also will contact state legislators in hopes of pressuring the university from Lansing. Dr. Richard Darnell, director of the U-M By DAVID MEYER Free Press Special Writer ANN ARBOR A recommendation to discontinue the University of Michigan's physical therapy program has sparked opposition from physical therapists around the state, who warn that cutting the program will worsen the state shortage in their profession. U-M Medical School Dean John Gronvall last week recommended the university drop the 36-student program, citing only "average" program quality and a tight budget. The proposal is part of a $22 million package of budget cuts university regents will consider this summer.

Dale Fitch, president of the 900-member Michigan Physical Therapists Association, said his organization is planning a campaign to pressure university officials to continue will make the final decision, possibly in September. "There will be extensive review before it their purses snatched," Patterson said. "Hopefully, this will give them a feeling of more security in this county." Approve of Israeli raid? Israel has destroyed a nuclear reactor in Iraq, claiming that Iraq planned to build atomic bombs with material from the reactor. Do you think Israel should have proceeds to the next step," said Medical School spokesman Robert Potter. "But PLEA-BARGAINING is a there's bound to be unhappiness.

I mean, when you discontinue programs, you're practice that permits a criminal dealing with the fabric of people lives their careers." defendant to admit guilt to a lesser crime than the original bombed the reactor? How you voted NO, 56 percent. COMMENTS: "The Middle East situation is explosive enough" charge, presumably getting a lesser punishment and avoiding "They're the real terrorists" "Israel could start World War III" "We L. Brooks Patterson: "Hopefully, this will give them (senior citizens) a feeling of more security." traffic offenses and violation of probation or parole. "WE'RE MOVING further and further to the elimination of a trial. In 1973, Patterson forbade his staff to plea-bargain in narcotics cases.

Since then, he has expanded shouldn't give Israel any more military aid." YES, 44 percent. COMMENTS: "Better to bomb the reactor than have nuclear war later" "Israel had no choice" "Can the list to include burglary, armed robbery, concealed weap ons, negligent homicide, involuntary manslaughter, felonious you imagine an Arab country with nuclear weapons?" "Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East. I support Advertisement plea-bargaining across the board," Patterson said. "But it's a process of getting the (justice) system acclimated. "I think if I came in and said no plea-bargaining at all that that would be almost cold turkey and put the system into some kind of shock." Patterson also said he supports a petition drive begun by Pay -TV firm wins order barring sale of pirating device By MARTIN F.

KOHN Free Press Staff Writer U.S. District Judge Robert DeMascio issued a preliminary Injunction Thursday barring a Windsor firm from advertising or selling to U.S. residents devices that decode ON TV's pay television signal and prohibiting U.S. residents from bringing the decoders back into this country. Attorneys for ON TV, which uses Channel 20's facilities in Southfield to transmit its pay-TV service, sought the injunction against Video Gallery of Windsor, whose main business consists of selling the devices.

ON TV President J. Patrick Kerich termed the court action "the latest episode in the continuing saga of ON Television battling the river rats." AT VIDEO GALLERY THURSDAY, it was business as usual for See ON TV, Page 10A it." Sound off is a non-scientific, reader opinion feature. Today's percentages are based on approximately 2,500 calls. Tomorrow's question Promoters of Friday's WBC heavyweight Liitle ad goes long way Judy Rocheleau of Cass City was just a little surprised by the pulling power of her Free Press Classified Gold Ad. "Living in Cass City, I didn't think I'd sell my dogs so soon," she said.

But all five of her German Shepherd pups went quickly, including one to a family in the Upper Peninsula! "I sold one to people in Sault Ste. Marie," she said. "That's a long way to come for a dog!" Call 222-5000! championship fight have had trouble selling tickets, and some observers say Detroit is no longer a "fight town." Are you excited by the Larry Holmes-Leon Spinks State Sen. John Hertel, D-Harper Woods, to impose a five-year mandatory prison sentence on anyone convicted of a felony against a person 60 or older. A Hertel aide said Thursday about 300,000 signatures would be needed to get the initiative on the November 1982 ballot.

match? To vote YES To vote NO Call 961-3211 Call 961-4422 Free Press Photo bv DOUG SCOTT Buddy Baker (left) and Larry Krzeminski, owners of the store, show the decoder. 1.