.__....-.....---------------------- Section rosse Pointe ews A 25. 'e, Copy 44 Pages-Three Sections VOL. 41-NO. 42 I'ltbtl~::J'flfl::c:~dD;~:;,~~:t~o~tthe GROSSE POINTE, MICHIGAN, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1980 510 Pe, Y•., Half-mill tax Farms teen may face would insure Woods trees murder trial as adult By Gregol'y Jakub By Joanne GouJe<:he an afghan on the living room floor. A TV tray with half-eaten food stood Besides choosing a president, A Farms widow strangled in beside her. An autopsy report indi- Congressman and other govern- her Kerby Ro ..d home bst ',T:cek c:Jted Mrs. K('ir had been raped and ment officials on Nov. 4, Grosse reportedly babysat the day of strangled. 'Ther~ were no signs of Pointe Woods residents will be her murder only a few houses forced entry into the two-story home, police said, but a search of the house asked whether they want to in- away from the home of the sus- crease their taxes by one-half indicated Mrs. Keir's bedroom was pected killer. thoroughly ransacked. A jewelry box mill .for the next four years to had been tampered with. finance a program to maintain A 15-year-old Farms boy, the city's more than 6,000 trees. suspect in the Oct. 6 rape-slay- Police said Mrs. Keir was probably attacked sometime late Monday after. Asking citizens to go out on a limb ing of Elizabeth Keir, 81, was noon. A 32-year-old Detroit man was and raise their own taxes during also involved in a scuffle with questioned and released by police in economically hard times is a tough teachers at Brownell Middle the Keir killing after police found question, so a group of citizens is School the day after the crime, him in a bus stall at Kercheval and working to inform the public aboot according to p:llice reports. Morass with scratch marks on his the benefits of the "tree insurance" face and blood stains on his pants, plan. If approved, it will authorize A Merriweather resident, who asked Police said the man, who had no the city to collect an extra $125,000 not to be named, said she dropped identification on him and only 25 from its taxpayers for the next four Mrs, Keir off at her home on Kerby cents in his pocket, bas had a record years. at about 3 p.m. after babysitting. of threatening residents in the Woods In return, residents will receive The woman said Mrs. Keir occa- with knives. treatment, trimming, removal, and sionally sat for her daughter and for Elizabeth Keir replanting of trees on public and other neighborhood children. When THOSE WHO KNEW Elizabeth private property. All are services now she drove Mrs. ~eir to her home, the Keir all agree that the small, plump provided by the Woods hut on the woman loved children-and children woman said the widow was in very The murder suspect, a freshman basis of the availability of funds in good spirits. "It was the happiest loved her. at South High, is being held at the the city budget. There are not enough I've seen her in a long time," the Wayne County Youth Home pending «Whenever I visited her inevitably funds to ,provide those existing serv- woman said. jces in the form of a comprehensive an Oct. 21 hearing before Wayne she had childre'1. on her lap. She had tree management program, according THE SUSPECT, WHO lives in the County Probate Court Judge Glatlys a warm wonderful feeling about to supporters of the plan. Photo by Tom Greenwood Merriweather-Charlevoix area, appar- Barsamian to determine if he will children. High school children were ently went to Brownell the day after be bound over as an adult for first fond of her-too," said a close acquain- mE PROPOSED WOODS' plan is The woooded character of streets like the one pict\lred above would be degree murder. tance of 20 years . maintained if a half.mill tree tax to fund a comprehensive maintenance .the murder, on the morning of OCt. 7, siIpilar to one developed by Grosse looking for a friend. The youth was program in Grosse Pointe Woods is approved in November, according to But neighbors doubt the friendl~ Pointe Park's Beautification Council approached by authorities as he had Police said there is no hard evi- supporters of the tax, widow knew the murder suspect be- that proposed a one mill tax increase been warned several times to stay dence linking the boy to the Hallow- een stabbing death of Jeanne Clyne, cau!e she was very cautious about to finance a tree survey and refor- away from the school. estation program. That plan died in levy. will be used to retain and urban port group known as Friends of the whose body was discavered at Ker- those corning to her door. early September when the Park forester to assist in formulating the Woods who have scheduled public After a slight scuffle with a teach- cheval and Merriweather, last Oct. 31. "I can't imagine Elizabeth opening Council decided that other capital city tree program and to fund a sur- information programs on Oct. 22 and er, the youth ran out to a waiting They are questioning him in connec- the door to someone she didn't know. improvements were "a greater pri- vey of private property and park 27 at 7:30 p.m. in the council room ~ar reportedly driven by a 14-year-old tion with that murder, they said. The community has got to get down ority" and refused to put the tax tr~' for inclusion in a computer- of the Woods Municipal Building. Park girl. Police said the car geared A neighbor, of Mrs. Keir's coalled and warn people. All of us should be question on the November baUot. ized tree survey. 20025 Mack Avenue. into reverse and struck a teacher. police Oct. 7 after noticing that the careful about leaving doors un. Police questioned the suspect at the The Woods' plan proposes collect- What citizens will see at those pro- widow didn't pull down her shades locked," her friend said. Farms police station and later re- The latter is an important aspect gram~ is a 10 minute slide presenta- ing a total of $500,000 over four leased hini. The teacher was not seri- from the previous day. of the plan since the Woods stopped tion called "What Trees Do For Your "I hope this makes everyone very ~'ears whieh breaks down to an addi- ously hurt .. Farms p'llice Sgt. Alfred Martin tional $15 in taxes per year to a taking inventory of privately owned Community" ,prepared by the Uni- careful about leaving people into hcrneowner with property carrying lr~s In. 19'74,.according lo-.Jean Rice, versity of 'Visconsin and including The' next day the boy's father re,' let himself into the home with a key their h<luses. And it _doesn't ma~. a a S.E.V. of $30,000. the Woods' resident tree expert. !':cenes af Grosse Pointe Woods. ported to police that his son had been kept by a neighbor nnd found Mrs. Keir lying on her back covered with (ConC1naed on Page 4-A) Mrs. Rice heads the tree tax st1p- (Continued on Page Z-A) missing since the time he was ques- <knel'ally, the funds from the tax tioned for the disturbance at Brownell. 'He was arrested at South High School Oct. 9 after police searched Your wells are secure, One more challenge for Bryant the boy's home and found undisclosed items. ./" By Susan McDonald "I think Bryant's popular, but as a public trough. If ;>eople are satis- The youth, who has had previous minority party -nember, he has to do fied with the way Congress and the trouble with police and school offi- Park revokes 'hump' law William R. Bryant, Jr., has a lot of bargainmg with his votes. He State Legislature operates, with their cials, is the prime suspect in the death held Grosse Pointe's seat in the has to give them away in order to win very sizable majority of Democrats, of Mrs. Keir, whose nude body was By Joanne Gouleehe leaves. I don't want older people support for important Republican leg- then they should elect more." r.lscovered through the front window bagging their leaves just as I don't state House' of Representatives want to bag my leaves. I'm serry to for 10 years. And this year, for islation. In that sense he's lost touch of her horne by a next-door neighbor. At first it was hard to tell the with his district," ~imbole says. Bryant also defends his vote to re- say it, but when tax time comes along, the first time in a decade, he's duce the marijuana penalty saying he boat owners from the leaf pro- it's going to be a big increase," the had to fight two challengers to Specifically, Simbole criticizes Bry- believes most parents in Grosse Pointe testers when nearly 100 residents mayor said. keep it. ant's vote to support the $800,000 don't want to see their kids sent to packed Grosse Pointe Park coun- Patterson reminded the residents 6ubsidy of the Pontiac Silverdome and the Wayne County Youth Horne if cil chambers this week for a Bryant, house Republiean leader, Inside the council's grim task of removing his endorsement of legislation reduc- they're picked up by police for using public hearing on bagging leaves.