Paper Making May Be in Mill's Mture, Says Its New Owner Ives Tentative
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Youngsters come to the aid of 38 gifts from merchants for the Friday night deluge dampens n cancer victim's family page 7 area's "Best Mom" pages 88- enp#>dwav opener page 15 M i A Wi, A SOM.s' THE COMBINED NEWSPAPER OF THE WATERVLIET RECORD. COLOMA COURIER & HARTFOI 163-N-E-W-S TRI-CITY RECOKD 112th Year Issue No. 19 May 8,1996 Fifty Cents Paper making may The Chief be in mill's mture, is back! By Joe Cheshire ft says its new owner After IVz months without a full- time police officer, the City of Hartford can now boast of having By Joe Cheshire plant going. one. While boasting, Hartford The old vine-covered brick There were a lot "Lookie- can also say the popular former building that for many years liOus" said then Vice President Chief is back. manufactured paper in Water- and Operation Officer for Flet- Paul Muinch, the City's longest vliet now has a new owner and cher Paper Mike Bekes, as the serving Police Chief, is back oa perhaps, just perhaps, the era of company attempted to sell the the job after a 1^-month paper making along the Paw mill intact. When there were no absence. Muinch left the depart- Paw River isn't over yet. takers on the facility, Fletcher ment on March 22, entering the New owner Alan Enders of then began liquidating equip- private business sector after pur- ment. Berrien Springs said at least two m chasing Woody's Towing and paper-making entities are study- "A" Machine, the largest of the Transportation service. ing the possibility of making two paper-making machines, "I guess you could say I caved was sold to a company in India, paper or coating it at the old in to the requests of the people," Watervliet paper-making plant. which must still be removed. The said Muinch on why he returned Enders, who has been Assessor I^minator, one of only two in the as Chief. for Berrien Township for the last United States, was sold off to Many of Hartford's citizens Midwest Laminating of Chicago; twelve years, purchased the mill THE FLOAT THAT NEARLY WASN'T...was vandalized, got fixed, went to the parade, and business people had talked to and 230 acres of property for and the hydropulpers found their and won an award. Here's the unsinkable float with Miss Coloma Kimberly Shearer and Muinch since his resignation, $225,000 from Fletcher Paper way to a new home as well. her court. For the story and another on the 90th Grand Floral Parade, plus more photos, urging him to reconsider the Company. The trimmers, cutters, and see pages 15 and 16. (Carole Kiernan photo) position. Under the terms of the sale many other pieces of equipment "I couldn't be more pleased," agreement, Fletcher Paper has were either sold off by Fletcher said businessman Ed Holland, until January 1997 to remove the earlier or their operations aban- owner of Vic's Pizza in Hartford. remaining equipment and two of doned. Still remaining are ''B" "Paul is an important citizen in the former employees of Flet- paper machine, some coaters ives tentative approval Hartford, and I'm glad he's not cher will remain on with Enders, and calenders, along with mis- only decided to reside here but said Gloria Frazier of Century 21 cellaneous equipment used in for end of desegregation ruling also taken the job as Chief back Tala Real Estate. paper manufacturing. again." Enders said he hopes to attract The Watervliet landmark has Muinch has served on the Hart- both light and heavy industrial seen one kind of a mill or another in Coloma & other area schools ford Police Department for six plants to Watervliet and will pro- on its present site for nearly 134 years, with five of those years as bably use a portion of the plant year^, first seeing operation as a By Cliff Stevens final approval of the settlement In 1978, Judge Fox ruled Col- Chief. During his tenure, he for a warehousing operation. sawmill before being converted At a May 2 hearing, U.S. in the case. oma, Eau Claire and Benton Har- handled cases involving murder, Fletcher announced the closing to a paper-making facility. Federal District Judge Douglas in March, the Coloma and Eau bor School districts, along with arson, burglary, breaking and of the plant in October 1994, citing The*plant has faced many i Hillman ruled preliminary ap- Claire School boards approved an six other defendants, had con- entering, multiple fatal car ac- the rising coit of pulp ai the adversities over the years and, proval on an agreement which agreement, which was later ap- tributed to segregation condi- cidents, rapes, and child culprit. An aborted attempt to with a resilience of the famed could lead to ending a 1981 volun- proved by others involved in the tions in the Benton Harbor molestations. The latter, accor- keep the plant running, with a Phoenix rising from the ashes, tary desegregation program in- case, which would allow Benton district. Fox's ruling stemmed ding to Muinch, is the worst reduced staff, also failed when has came back from both flood volving the Coloma, Eau Claire Harbor transfer students cur- from an NAACP lawsuit filed in possible crime that can be com- Fletcher was unable to obtain and fire, springing back to life and Benton Harbor School rently attending Coloma and Eau 1967 against the Benton Harbor mitted. "It's a sad, sad thing to enough orders to process other and providing employment for districts- Claire schools to remain in the School District. see a child molested. It breaks manufacturers' paper to keep the generations of Tri-City residents. In his Grand Rapids Court- School districts through their Both the Coloma and Eau my heart every time I hear about room. Judge Hillman, who took graduation. Claire School districts became it." over the case from U.S. District As part of the agreement, both part of the lawsuit after both Muinch has also faced down Judge Noel Fox in June 1980, set 9 school districts would receive School districts annexed land armed gunmen and successfully a.m., June 17, as the date for con- higher per pupil funding beginn- from the Benton Harbor district negotiated hostage situations. He Indian casino will be ducting a fairness hearing at the ing with the 1996-97 school year into their districts between 1970 handled an eight-hour standoff in Berrien County Courthouse to through increased foundation and 1973. In Coloma, the Eaman Hartford during his term, where at New Buffalo site hear comments from local resi- grants. School District, a predominantly a disgruntled man held a knife to dents of each School District In late March, Coloma Superin- white residential area, was an- the throat of his girlfriend before By Joe Cheshire Gast announcing some two weeks before deciding whether to grant tendent of Schools David nexed in 1971. surrendering to Muinch. Muinch, The long wait is finally over as ago either New Buffalo or DeFields said even though the When the 1981 voluntary deseg- who was a member of a SWAT the Pokagon Band of the Potawa- Bridgman had been selected, r? district would receive an in- regation case was unveiled, the team in Florida, was also in- tomi Indians finally ended the tribal members said as of last g crease in the grants, "It won't Eaman School District was strumental in opening a dialogue speculation of where it would Friday they didn't know them- IK Hp thp result with a financial windfall returned to the Benton Harbor with a man in Bangor who was place a casino by announcing selves where the casino would be * ^ 8 for the School District but will School District as part of the holding his girlfriend hostage New Buffalo had been chosen for located. Gast contradicts their Tn-City Record remedy ruled by Judge F'llman. with a loaded shotgun in an the facility. statement, saying the tribe had apartment complex. Citing proximity to tribal known New Buffalo was selected Auto Racing 15 S Hillman, in establishing the Muinch came to Hartford as a members, support from the local Community Calendar.. 10 £ for^ kimesshearing, will patrolman after serving 1^ at least 10 days before the confir- : : : officials and access to major mation announcement. rukin* i i :: ^ information obtained by years on the Western Michigan highways and urban centers as Selection of the site is only the ng Report. 14citizens' comments on whether University Police Department. the primary reasons, the Indians first step of many, according to Hometown History 4 J the proposed agreement is ade- Prior to that, he served as a chose a 145-acre plot of land near Wesaw, as now comes the gam- Kute Kids 10? quate, fair, and reasonable for all Detective with the Monroe Coun- the Interstate 94 exit. The parcel ing compact with the state of ? [g/^i Notices 12 ^ concerned in the 15-year- ty Sheriff's Department in the sits in New Buffalo Township Michigan, a management con- I oHorc 1 Pftm'monfc ' ' 9 S old desegregation case. Florida Keys, where he was in- along Red Arrow Highway. tract, and "six to nine months of Leuerc ft uommenis. Z g. ^ settlement in the case involv- strumental in slowing the drug "It's been a long, grueling pro- heavy construction." Obltuaries 6g ing the Benton Harbor School trafficking trade coming fiom cess," said Tribal Chairman According to the contract sign- :• Outdoors 14 s District has not been reached yet, South America.