SV; ttfcrn*i*»-<; * Highway violence top 1968 county news story ,..........,)• .x.:.:t:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.v.v.-.v.v.-...x.-.v.-.:.v. Tragedy and triumph were the the summer, with the Lansing 29. As the numbers of Victims body could raise the money to throughout the year, each holding grams and personnel in the face bywords in picking the top two YMCA operating it. soared unbelievably out of pro­ put the equipment in working a special degree of importance of a lean financial future. There The top 10 news stories of 1968 in the It was the unnerving continuity portion, more and more people order and get the pool ready to to various people. The Clinton was a lot of public grumbling Clinton County area. of the traffic accident stories around the county became aware open. County News, however, tries to but also a lot more public par­ I); County traffic fatalities Unfortunately, tragedy went throughout the year that distin­ of the situation, and talk of the A group of interested citizens pick out the top 10 for county - ticipation, as witnessed by the 2) Swimming pool fund drive with the No. 1 story—the shock­ guished it over the pool story rising toll could be heard every­ got together, and under thelead- wide importance, interest and pool fund drive, the city park ing total of 29 violent deaths as the top news of the year. where. ership of Dr Herb OaUey they readability. clean - up and other do-it-your­ 3) St. Jofins austerity budget on county highways during the Hardly a month went by in 1968 raised in a few short weeks more Following the traffic deaths self projects. 4) School millage failure, success year. The fatalities were nearly that at least one traffic death ' DURING APRIL AND May, the than $14,000—enough to get the and pool program in the ranking In the wake of theprogramcame 2 1/2 times the numberofpeople 5) Chest drive hits 100 per cent yta.s not recorded, and the num­ talk around the central portion pool ready and buy necessary of "news" was the St. Johns the resignations of the city clerk who died in traffic accidents in bers started counting up only of Clinton County concerned a equipment. Late arrival of some austerity program and its many and city manager, new men in 6) New city proposed in DeWitt 1967 and were by far the highest three days afte r the new year summer swimming program for of the equipment forced a delay ramifications. The city commis­ those positions, new water rates number in recent years. 7) NFO activities,in area began. youngsters of the area. The city, in opening Jhe pool until June sion put the austerity budget into and finally a city commission The No. 2 story was the heart­ There were two triple fatali­ shackled with an austerity bud­ 24, but it was a popular place effect late in the spring fol­ with three new faces 8) Woodruff State Bank holdup ening one — when the financial ties during the year—a two-car get, had announced it couldn't during a hot summer that lasted lowing defeat of both an income 9) Construction boom chips were down for the city of crash on South Shepardsville foot the costs for opening the through Labor Day. tax proposal and an alternate THE NO. 4 STORY, in this news­ St. Johns, a citizens group Road and a one-car mishap on pool, let alone operating it. The Clinton County was a newsy charter millage limitation plan. paper's estimation, concerned 10) Summer roadside clean-up formed and raised enough money Francis Road—as well as two Lansing YMCA proposed to run place during 1968, and there were The short-of-money City of St. the operation of the schools of to open the swimming pool for double fatalities among the total a swimming program if some­ a lot of other "top" stories Johns cut back a lot of its pro­ (Story continued on Page 2-A) P Imrv-NiTb nmrirN n\n r*? rp n V ?, V 'ftWft'ft'&'&'ft'ft-W 113th Year, No. 36 ST. JOHNS, MICHIGAN — WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 1969 ONE SECTION - 22 PAGES 15 Cents K New city proposal may wait New zoning months for SA That proposed new city in DeWitt Township may be merely a proposal for quite a while yet before residents of the affected area get a chance to vote on it. The Clinton County Board of Supervisors last -week set law approved a tentative date of Nov. 4, 1969, for the election on the question. The date drew criticism from some of the supervisors and re­ sulted in a less-than-unanimous approval. j A new rural zoning ordinance for Clinton . Reginald Nelson, DeWtH Township supervisor who proposed County got unanimous approval of the the No. 4 datej said he* felt the residents of the affected area should have an opportunity to vote on this single question with­ Clinton County Board of Supervisors last out being influenced by such things as school millage elections Monday afternoon after the zoning com­ Borrowing and other related -votes that will probably come up through the spring and summer. mission had ironed out final details in ' BI ask only that the people have a right to make their own a nearly all-day session. for gravel decision," Nelson said. "It appears they have a choice of the north half going with DeWitt, the south half going with Lansing "We can't say it's flawless, because it or forming their own city. We want a date that is not antagonistic isn't," commented Supervisor Earl Barks, to voters." chairman of the board's zoning commit­ site OK'd While the board of supervisors approved the Nov. 4, 1969, date by a 12-5 vote, it is still only a tentative date subject to tee, "but it's a whale of a lot better than The Clinton County Road Com­ ilnal approval by a 'new elections commission appointed earlier the old ordinance. mission got'the blessing of the in the supervisors' session last week. Atty. Roland Duguay said he board of supervisors last Monday "It is much need­ couldn't put his personal stamp to borrow $150,000 to buy and GERALD LANKFORD, SUPERVISOR from the City of DeWitt, ed, and it is at a of approval on it because he develop a new gravel supply at was the first to question the November date and said he thought had not had a chance to go over an undisclosed site in DeWitt it was too far away. He dais he felt a big issue was the possible point where we can the final draft and look for the Township. relocation of the White Motors plant In DeWitt Township and take it and grow corrections he had suggested. Donald Haske, engineer-man­ the proposed annexation of that property and the property between But he said it was "a good ager of the road commission, toldi it and Lansing to the City of Lansing. He said a decision should with it. We'll be ordinance from what I could ob­ the supervisors the site would be. made earlier so that White Motors could make its plans happier with it than serve of it. The work was done yield enough gravel for a four township area for from five to accordingly. with the old ordin­ in a rush, but I strongly think Lankford was one of those voting against the date. Joining it should be adopted." 10 years. him in opposition were Supervisors Rex Sirrine of St, Johns, ance." William Roman of the Tri- He said the commission would Walter Thelen of Westphalia, Maurice Gove of Bingham and County Regional Planning Com­ like to borrow $150,000 against Barks was urging the board to anticipated gas and weight taxes Raymond Mayers of Bengal. approve the ordinance—the last mission which did the drafting Voting for, approval of the date were Supervisors' Charles of the ordinance, admitted the for the next 10 years so that major piece of business con­ the land in question could be pur­ Coletta and Tom Hundley of St. Johns, Herman Openlander of ducted by the 22-man board be­ ordinance was not perfect and Watertown, Claude Underhill of Victor, Norman Thelen of Riley, that it would need amendments chased and the gravel supply de­ fore it goes out of existence on veloped. George Austin of Ovid, Walter Nobis of Lebanon, Derrill Shinabery New Year's Day. His comments in the future. of Greenbush, John Setterington of Essex, George Moore of Beauty in the winter woods The final text of the new zon­ He noted the rising costs of and those of other persons fol­ trucking gravel over great dis­ Duplain, Nelson of DeWitt Township and Bill Hufnagel of Dallas. lowed a general question by ing law for the rural areas of There were five supervisors absent. The annual weather picture would be rather dull if it wasn't for the county was hammered out tances and said the new site and Supervisor Derrill Shinabery of supply could result in consider­ The supervisors' discussion and action came after County winter., Not only does it make us appreciate the other seasons, but Greenbush. by the zoning commission about Clerk Paul Wakefield detailed his research and work on petitions 4 p.m. last Monday. The com­ able savings to the county. winter can provide some pleasantness, too. A picture like this one, "We as a board know prac­ Haske and two of the road com­ Vhlch had been filed in his office Nov.