Assessments for water Best free throw shooters Warm hearts in Fowler, New pla.t book coming INSIDE: mains in news-Page 2-A at mid-sepsoh-Page 9-A • Westphalia-Page 1-B Page 4-B A Group opposes current urban renewal plan Feels some buildings could be retained Present urban renewal plans The group was well represented for St. Johns are being opposed at the public meeting Tuesday by a group of merchants who night. Monday night formed the Urban Renewal Property Owners Assn. "WE CAN'T REALLY go any Some 20 persons attended the further with this until urban re­ first meeting. newal people cant provide some Robert Prowant, owner of the answers to our questions, par-, L & L Restaurant, was elected ticularly where it concerns fi­ chairman of the association, and nances," Prowant said. Edward (Spud) Heathman was "Some of us have our lives in­ named secretary-treasurer. vested in our businesses now and Prowant said the group has we couldn't make a go of it in hired an attorney to represent higher priced locations." Vol. Ill, No. 40 ST. JOHNS, MICHIGAN - THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 1967 2 SECTIONS - 32 PAGES ,10 CENTS them in legal phases. He said the group is opposed to the urban renewal plan as presently laid out but not to improvement of the business district. "WE FEEL THERE are some buildings in the demolition area which aren't that bad and which School project could be made as presentable and as sound as others in the reha­ bilitation area," Prowant said. "We do agree that wood frame buildings should be torn down and that parking is a must," but he said the group felt total demoli­ tion of the northern two blocks off n running was too much for the small busi- , nessman to take. "We canvassed the people in that area, and only one had a de­ sire to relocate in the redevel­ oped area,* Prowant said. The association's first step, he said, will be to advise the city after bids OK commission of their feelings and to voice their opinions at the pub­ Bid combinations totaling $1,497,783 for lic meetings on urban renewal. construction at the four rural elementary Detroit car sites were approved by the St. Johns Boardof CLINTON COUNTY Education Monday night. crash kills traffic deaths Work could begin yet this month with since Jan. 1,1967 completion of the new East Olive and Riley DeWitt man This was the scene in the St. Johns High School library last Wednesday night as architect C. Doug­ A DeWitt man was killed Sun­ schools and the additions to East Essex and day night in a two-car accident 2 las Pardee of St. Johns (second from left) read bids received for construction of the rural elementary Eureka coming within one year. in Detroit. Glen B. Corp, 62, of schools and additions at East Essex, Eureka, Riley and East Olive. Left to right are Ken Gunther In related action 4610 DeWitt Road, DeWitt Town­ THIS TIME LAST of the engineering firm of Dean- Fairbrother-Gunther; Pardee; Fred Meyer, school board secretary; won't be needed until near the end ship, was the victim. ' Monday, the school of the elementary construction His son, Robert Corp, 28, of YEAR: 1 Ray Parr, board president; and Henry Enochs, school business manager. board.tabled the low anyway. Those equipment bids 5940 Daggott Road, was critically will reportedly be firm for sev- injured, and two others from Sun- bids for kitchen field were also hurt. The elder The Urban Renewal Story - IV eral'months yet. Consolidation equipment and for The board anticipates taking Corp was dead on arrival at Mt. Carmel Mercy Hospital about classroom e qu ip --*• bids on the high school project plans aired sometime the latter part of 9:45 p.m. Sunday. Renewal land survey findings interesting A public meeting in Laingsburg merit. March, Detroit police said, the Corps' Monday night aired plans for a Bids for the rural elementary car, driven by Robert, was struck ARCHITECT C. Douglas Par­ head-on by another vehicle at As" part of the St. Johns urban "renewal feasibttity study, in relation to the legally described property lines contained in proposed consolidation of the dee and the board whittled down schools had been opened last the Clinton Abstract Co, made ^preliminary title search of' the preliminary title search. The survey also would show lot Laingsburg, Collister, Octagon Wednesday evening. Six contrac­ Pinehurst and Grand River ave­ the original low bids as opened nues in Detroit at the scene of a each parcel of land within thesix-biockdowntownproject area. measurements, building measurements and other pertinent arid Walters school districts. last Wednesday night by making tors' entered bids for all or part Subsequent field inspection demonstrated that a land survey of surveying information. The proposed merging is en­ of the general contract work, six pedestrian accident which oc­ detailed changes in procedures curred minutes earlier. the project area would be necessary. During the course of Williams and Works' survey, a large dorsed by the Shiawassee Coun­ and materials which Pardee said bid on the mechanical phase and The firm of Williams and Works, Engineers, of Grand number of cases cropped up where buildings overlapped other ty Intermediate School Reorgan­ five on the electrical contract. They were In -Detroit to at­ would not lessen the quality of tend a hocky game. Also hos­ Rapids was hired to perform that task. They were selected be­ property lines. In other instances property lines were only ization Committee. Collister the schools one bit. About 40 persons were on hand cause of a considerable amount of survey work they had per­ vaguely described or in no way related to the descriptions. District is in Clinton County and for the bid opening. pitalized there were Norvel Bos- formed for the City of St. Johns int.*e past. Some of their past In order to clear up the numerous discrepancies, Williams is the only remaining independ-' .With the whittling all but done All of the winning contractors worth ofSunfield,Mr Corp's son- work actually involved certain areas in the project. Then, too, and Works was required to do considerable additional work ent rural school district left now, the successful bidders and employ union labor. in-law, and John Bosworth, Nor- two former St. Johns city managers are members of the board over and above their primary contract. here. They have already asked the amounts of their bids are: vel's father. of directors of the firm and thus were very familiar with the The fact that property lines and title clearances are di­ to join the Laingsburg district. Baker - VanderVeen of Grand city; rectly related.to acquiring property made this phase of the Representatives of the Octagon Rapids, $871, 605 for general project a most important one in the urban renewal survey. and Walters districts are on rec­ contract; Goller Plumbing and Gratiot crash THE SCOPE OF SERVICES required Wiliiams-and Works Williams and Works' survey will lay the base for a complete ord in opposition to the plan if Heating of Cedar Springs, $450,- . to prepare maps of a suitable scale to delineate building lines (See ABOUT URBAN RENEWAL, Page 2-A) it means loss of representation. 478 for mechanical contract; and r Martin Electric of Lansing, V $175,700 for electrical contract. kills local man, The mechanical and general New Ovid-Elsie contract could run slightly more, depending on what architect Par- Ashley man , dee determines in talks with the millage vote Feb. 20 ^contractors concerning acousti­ Jess W. Cliristensen, 52,own- Margaret, lived above the store. cal tile for the ceilings of the ' er of the Chris Party store in Obituary details can be found on OVID-ELSIE - Voters in the to $80,000. all-purpose rooms. The board St. Johns for the past five years, Page 7-A. Ovid-Elsie Area Schools district If the millage is again turned .was divided on whether or not to was killed in a fog-shrouded col­ ,__| will be asked again to decide on down, the district will be in even use acoustical material in view lision Sunday afternoon on M-57 new operating millage for the worse financial trouble. "This is of the extra cost of it and related a mile and a half west of US-27 district. a crucial decision thatthepeople work. in Gratiot County. *** A special election has been will be making on Feb. 20," said _ The crash also claimed the life sceduled for Feb. 20, but no Beauchamp. *It will determine of Lucas E. Mikulka, 22, of 11055 I CHECK THE ALPHABET I amount of millage has yet been AS IT WAS, THE board cut a the kind of a program that the considerable amount off the base S. Bagley Road, R-l, Ashley. A determined. The school board is schools will have for some time passenger with Mikulka, Eva Ann ft A IB for Antiques ft: awaiting reports from a number bids it had originally asked for. ft B Is for Boats ft: to come." Baker VanderVeen's base bid of Moore of Mlddleton, was seri­ ft C Is for Cars . ft: of citizens' committees studying ously injuried. ft D la for Dogs ft: the school situation before mak­ Everyone should vote on such $979,227 was trimmed to $871,- ft E la for Electrical Appliances ft> w an important issue, he said. You 605; Goller's Base bid of $498,- Two other cars later were in­ ft F la for Furniture ft! ing a decision on the millage.