Upper Level Drug Traffickers
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LnnONICLE MEMBERS OF Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3644, Cass City, stand to honor all veterans during Monday’s Memorial CASS CITY,MICHIGAN - WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2,1993 Day service at the Elkland Township Cemetery. VOLUME 87, NUMBER 9 FFW CENTS 12 PAGES PLUS ONE SUPPLEMENT Grand jury goal: penetrate upper level drug traffickers evidence and testimony to a A multi-county citizens’ be composed ol17 residenis bers won’t be divulged, nor cutors can show good cause grand jury - the third of its grand jury, which decides - 7 from Lapeer County, 6 whether there is sufficient will the location of the grand for an extension. kind in Michigan - will be from Tuscola County and 4 jury . Gaertner said grand juries seated to investigate the use evidence to formally from Huron County. Gaert- The panel will be seated for charge, or indict, a suspect. typically hear cases in which and distribution of illegal ner said names and ad- 6 months, with an additional the prosecutors trace the narcotics in Tuscola, Huron It’s a law enforcement tool dresses of the panel rnem- 6 months possible if prose- and Lapeer counties. that goes beyond conven- Please turn to back page. The announcement was tional methods of investiga- I made by Thumb prosecutors tion, Scott pointed out. at a press conference Thurs- A grand jury can elicit in- day in Lapeer. formation that is often unat- The Michigan Court of tainable under the counties’ Appeals’ recent urder con- existing criminal justice vening the grand jury, as system, explained attorney MORE THAN 80 people attended provided by a 1989 grand Mark Gaertner, who has jury statute, culminated been hired by the Thumb Monday’s ceremony in Gagetown some 18 months of prepara- Narcotics Unit to assist the 3 dedicating the village park and ga- tion. counties in presenting evi- Lapeer County Prosecutor dence to the grand jury. zebo to the late William L. Downing, Justus Scott called the grand - former village mayor. Above, a jury a cooperative effort COMPEL TESTIMONY plaque is unveiled by Sister Nancy among prosecutors and law enforcement agencies in Gaertner said grand juries Ayotte (left) and Downing’s wife, each of the 3 Thumb coun- can subpoena witnesses and Valerie. tics. compel them to testify, as The Court of Appeals has well as grant immunity to appointed Tuscola County individuals in exchange for Circuit Judge Patrick R. their testimony. Joslyn as the presiding The secretive nature of the Weather holds down judge. He has already begun grari’d’jurj allows witnesses the jury selection process, to come forward to testify according to Scott, and the and be assured their identity Memorial .Dav crowds first witnesses are expected will be protected, he added, 4 to be called in 2 to 3 weeks. The goal is to penetrate the Area residents will hear upper levels ofthedrug traf- ELWYN HELWIG GETS Marlene Erla of Cass City ready Cold and rainy weather put the Chemical Bank on the Flags”. He said they were little else about the grand ficking hierarchy via testi- a damper on this year’s corner of Main and West unable to set p the display jury until the project ends, monyfromlowerleveldeal- to vote on Proposal A at the Cass City Fire Hall Wednesday streets and marched down because wha. flags get wet Memorial Day services but due to strict statutory se- ers, Scottsaid. “We use the morning. The voter turnout was better than ele‘ctionofficials not the sentiment behind Main Street for all to see. they tend to mildew. crecy requirements. drug dealers themselves to them. After the parade, onlookers Esau announced the dis- Under the grand jury sys- investigateotherdealers.’* had expected. A total of 29 people had shown UP to vote in Cass City’s parade, sched- advanced to the Elkland play will be set up at the next tem, prosecutors present TheThumbgrandJury uled to begin at 10 a.m., was Township Cemetery. available time, such as Vet- precincts one and 2 by 7:30 a.m. delayed until 11 a.m. erans Day or the 4th of July. A small crowd watched Jack aau, quartermaster The Rev. Ken Ray, formcr participants in the parade of Veterans of Foreign War Navy chaplain and pastor of Revenues still up $38,457 march proudly despite poor Post 3w4,Cass City, served Salem United Methodist weather. Veterans, cub as the master of ceremonies Church, Cas City, was the scouts and girl scouts, little for the 34th consecutive guest spcaker at the service. leaguers and the Cass City year. High School marching band At the beginning of the .l’heCass City High School Cass City rolls back tax rate were just some of the partici- outdoor service,Esau apolo- marching band Performed pants. gig& for the absence of the the national anthem and Cass City’s tax rate will be pating an increase ot The parade lined up behind traditional “Avenue of “Taps” at the Service, rolled back ,1452 of a mill $38,457 in revenue this year following action at a thanks to a nearly million $3 Treas&er Joyce x. LaRo- director Of Operations for Also last the coun- monthly Village Council jump in the village’s state che. Orbital Fluid Technologies week, ----. L11. meeting last week. equalized valuation, set at While some townships Inc., according to village School crime The council approved a $42,928,300. Much of the experienced big assessment Manager Lou S. LaPonsie, *Approved a resolution authorizing LaPonsie and 1993 levy of 16.3193 mills. increase was due to new hikes this year, she ex- who said the firm is consid- Broken down, 10.8580 mills construction. ering an expansion. LaRoche to sign a contract plained, land values in with the Michigan Depart- Officials say incidents do will go for general village The rollback will leave the Elkland Township were up If the Industrial Develop- operations, 2.9613 mills are village $6,409 short of an- ment District is approved, ment of Transportation for by only a few percentage the village’s Division SWmt not mean escalating problem earmarked for streets, and ticipated revenues in the points - about 3 percent in businesses in the district the remaining 2.5 mills will 1993 budget. The tax levy is could apply fora tax break of extension project. the village of Cas City - The work will extend Divi- Area residents have Tom Kern concurred. He but simply a case in which a be levied for debt retire- expected to generate because township officials up to 50 percent on new said he hasn’t observed a big student exercised very poor ment. $674,640, compared to buildings and equipment. sion Street about 1,400 feet, watched big city problems had the foresight a few years from the old Grand Trunk slowly but surely migrate to increase in reports of stu- judgement. The rollback is in compli- budgeted revenue of ago to update land values via A motion to establish the dents carrying weapons, al- “He did a silly thing and the ance with the 1978 tax limi- $68 1,050 public hearing was ap- Railroad bed to Seeger the Thumb for years, with a ’township-wide reap- Street. Construction costs drug busts and various though he acknowledged consequences turned out to tation amendment, better The new tax rate was ap- praisal. proved, 4-0, with Trustee crimes occurring more and schoolofficials often handle be more severe than he ever known as the Headlee proved pending Elwyn Helwig abstaining. are estimated at $lOO,OOO, However, she pointed out, with the state funding 75 more frequently. such cases without involv- thought would happen,” Amendment, which re- Wednesday’s special elec- Proposal A would translate Village President L.E. Understandably , incidents ing the police. Supt. Ken Micklash said. quires that local millage tion vote on Proposal A, Althaver and Trustee Cathy percent and the village, 25 into late summer tax bills percent plus engineering involving youths caught As for youth violence, the The incident has made the rates be rolled back when which proposed a 2-cent because the county would Kropewnicki were not pres- with weapons in some area sheriff commented there entire student body much assessments increase faster sales tax increase, cuts in expenses. have to start the equalization Bids on the project are schools this year have secm to be fewer problems more sensitive to the seri- than the rate of inflation as school millage rates and a process over. enHelwig t. owns property in heightened concerns. today than in the past in ousness of possessing a measured by the US. con- cap on property assess- the proposed Industrial scheduled to be opened June The state has extended the 9 in Lansing. However, court, law en- terms of fights involving weapon in school, according sumer price index. ments. deadline to get those bills in Development District, as do Even with the rollback, Passage of Proposal A forcement and school offi- youths from rival communi- to the superintendent, who the mail, from July 1 to July Marjorie Rice and Bruce D. Please turn to back page. cials say such incidents ties. added the swift and severe village officials are antici- would have little effect on 15, she said. “But there’s no Gee. remain rare and don’t point “As far as gangs,” he said, punishment doled out set a way they’re going out by to an escalating youth vio- “I haven’t seen much of that tone for the rest of the stu- July 15 because the county lence problem. at all.” dents. Village of Cass City isn’t going to be able to get Pair killed in “I have not had the impres- Kent noted a student Micklash said school offi- them out by then.” sion that kids are any more caught with a firearm in the cials don’t want to hide the Millage History “I would say you’re going violent in the school than Car0 School District earlier incident, but at the same to see a month to 2-month they have been in the past,” this year wasafirstin his 17 time don’t want to see it delay in getting the summer MondavmJ crash said Tuscola County Pro- years on the bench.