CASS CITY n‘QONICLE VOLUME 86,NUMBER 9 CASS CITY, MICHIGAN .- . - WED 4TY CENTS 12 PAGES PLUS ONE SUPPLEMENT I Group forms to study high tech for school lating a technology plan. by Brian D. Bell A WIDE VARIETY An entire set of encyclope- Staff Writer The committee and its pur- dias with text, photos and Psehave the Support of the A *OUp Of more than 2o &e thing be committe synthesized music could be Tuscola County area resi- cm City School Board. determine is what Stored On a Single disc, and dents are gearing up to take a the district’s computer accessing the information critical look at the state of UPGRADES NEEDED n@sae,and whetherthose would requireonly a few key technology in Cass City needs Ne being met, accord- strokes, he continued- The schools and how to improve Committee Chahlan ing to ~~hfiTownsend, encyclopedia could be Up- it. George Bushon& computer committee member and di- dated for about $100 allnu- Membersof theCassCity teacher at the City rector of Regional Educa- Educational Technology middle and high schools, tiond Media Center In addition, networking Planning Committee met for provided the PUP with in- Many schools in the United allows different computers thefirst&neThws&yinthe sight into the poor state Of states have first- and set- t0 COmmUniCak With each A MARLETTE WOMAN was injured Monday morning when her car struck a Cass City figh School li- the schOO1s’computer Pro- ond-grade students working Other Via telephone no mat- brary. gram. with computers on a daily ter where they ate in the parked pickup truck near the intersection of M-53 and Shabbona Road. Above, Committee membership “We’re prow- basis, he said. In Birming- world. Elkland Township fire fighters use the Jaws of Life to extricate the driver from her includes pplefrom a vh- mingthat you don’t need to ham, first graders do word Television also is an im- ety of backgrounds and in- know anymore:’ he processingonaregularbasis portant tool for learning, vehicle. cludes Russell Biefer, high “We’re teaching ‘Om- using lap top word-process- Townsend said. school principal; Leslie putertas computer. ing systems costing about for a lot of people “I know don’t teach “Now While tending dog Goslin, Student Council We $400 each. that’s a dirty word,” he said. president; Dan Hittler, a pen; we don’t teach pencil*” Students must 1- what “Parentsdon’twantstudents Walbro engineer; Elaine most are computers can do for them, watching TV in the class- Howard, community educa- to at which means they must have rmm. “We really ought to tion director; Marilyn Pe- and home* he said access to computers and, call it ‘video’ to get away Marlette woman crashes ters, schwl board member; when they t’ more importantly, quality from the negative connota- Linda Volz, PTA member, have no programs and applications, tion.” A 64-year-old Marlette lette Community Hospital, a eyes off the road while at- Tracy was wearing a seat and Jerry White, dean of the to they are en- Townsend said. Television is only a tool, he woman was hospitalized hospital spokeswoman said. tempting to place a cloth belt at the time of the acci- Thumb Campus of Jordan in a campukr class* “Without it, a computer said, adding it’s how people Monday after thecar she was Tracy was northbound on under her dog, which was dent, according to reports, College. “Why do we m&esag&batanchor.” use it that matters. Using driving struck a parked M-53, one-tenth of a mile riding in her vehicle. Troop- which state she was trans- Thefirstmeetingprovided them when to Although many people cable television, students pickup truck about 6 1/2 south of Shabbona Road, ers said the car left the east ported to Marlette by Cass members with an overview thegroup* associate compact discs can Stay abreast of the latest miles southeast of Cass City when the 9:18 a.m. crash shoulder of the road, and City-Mercy Ambulance. of the group’s general pur- Bushong and with music, their ability newsfromaroundtheworld, in Sanilac County’s Ever- occurred, according to when the driver looked up, it Trooprs, who were as- pose and what they hope to Other committee members store thousands of pages of and satellites connect them green Township. Michigan State Police was too late to avoid impact sisted at the scene by accomplish. Although no the text and color photos makes to classrooms across the The motorist, Josephine troopers from the Sandusky with the pickup, which be- Elkland Township fire fight- formal goals were drafted, to take action, a hem an important tool for nation or world, he said. Tracy, was listed in stable Post. longs to Paul Auten of Cass ers, cited the motorist for members plan to channel *Ought Out plan is ‘Wired computing, he said. Please turn to page 5. condition Monday at Mar- Tracy reportedly took her City. careless driving. their efforts toward formu- Customers puy for stealing Shopli,fting costly for merchants Shoplifting has always knowledged it’s difficult to Coach Light pharmacy. person with a prior convic- volving adults. been a problem at the IGA know exactly how much “We 0 to make the CUS- tion Of stolen property val- Many of the shoplifters are Foodliner in Cass City, but thieves take. tomer aware that we know ued at more than $10, the kids and a number of them owner Harry Lenda says the Ben Franklin owner Gerald they ’re in the store,” suspect may face first de- are older residents, accord- problem has gotten worse in Prieskorn agreed. “The Prieskorncommented. still, pee retail fraud, a felony ing to Wilson. recent months. people don’t know how he added, “We don’t catch with a maximum penalty of Cigarettes, compacts, film, much has been shoplifted, as as we Should.” 2 years in Jil and/or a EMPLOYEETHEFT caffeine pills, food - you and that’s the problem,” he Most area merchants agree $l,OOO fine. name it, people are stuffing said. “It’s something that we when it comes to their @icy Although some retailers A surprising number of it into their purses and pock- dfe aware of and always on shoplifting; when some- somimes decide not to thieves get a paycheck from ets, the business owner talking about, but you get one is caught, the police PrOSxUte cases involving their victims. In fact, statis- remarked. “And (it’s) ex- busy.” called, regardless of youths, most indicated they tics show that for every dol- pensive stuff; they don’t It’s simply impossible to whether the item stolen is have ,little sympathy for 1% stolen from retailers piddle around with little catch every shoplifter, worth 5 cents, $5 Or $50. adults, whose Skill allows through other channels stuff.” Lenda agreed. “You can’t them to getaway With shop- (shoplifting,* robbery, etc.), Lenda said he recently saw be walking the aisles all the RETAIL FRAUD lifting. employees steal $15. a woman shove 2 packages time. We hope honest “If they’re Over 17, We An article in the March/ of chicken breasts into her people will come into the If prosecution is pursued, recommend prosecution,” ~pfil1991 issue of the purse. “Every week we see store, but. .” the shoplifter is charged Cass City Police Chief Gene “Michigan Retailer” re- something.” Small businesses, unable with retail fraud, according Wilson said, adding kids, ported on a survey con- Len& is fighting back with to afford elaborate surveil- to Karen Elmy of the Tus- unlessthey’rerepeatoffend- ducted by the national ac- a simple yet effective tool; lance systems, are forced to cola County hw~utor’s ers, USUanY me deased to counting firm of Ernst and he leaves notes to would-be rely on simpler methods, Office. their parents. Young which showed retail- thieves, letting them know such as mirrors, to detect The most common charge Cass City police handled ers sufferd $2.2 billion in TREELIMBS, weighted down by rain, were the reason about heknows what they’redoing theft. is second degrR retail fraud, 17 shoplifting complaints 1989 theft losses, an average and suggesting that they “We really try to k obser- a misdemeanor with a maxi- involving 7 adults (at least of $21 million for each of 150 Cass City area residents and businesses lost their power shop elsewhere. vant,” Tom Proctor, owner mum penalty of 93 days in 17 yearsofage)and 11juve- 160 companies that re- for several hours Saturday. The limbs brought down wires But the stealing goes on, of Old Wood Drugs, said. jail and/or a $100 fine, she des last Year, almost sponded t~ the survey. and more often than not, the Store design is another said double the number in 1990. me survey also revealed near Main and Downing streets. Power was lost at about only indication is empty important factor, according However, in cases involv- SO far this Ym, there have that he average recovery 10:15 and restored by about 3:30 p.m. Area businesses packaging discovered be- to Mike Weaver, owner of ing circumstances such as a been 3 complaints, all in- please turn page 5. a.m. hind other merchandise on a left without power included Hardee’s, Erla’s and China King shelf. Restaurant. Although other area mer- chants haven’t noticed a significant increase in shop- Seek millage renewals lifting recently, all agree it’s always been around, it’s hard-to stop and it .costs everyone. Annual school Shoplifting usually in- creases around the holidays and when the economy fal- ten, but “It’s just an on- going problem.