I Courts toolenient, says reader Clerk Elsie Hicks ends career \ PAGE 10 I PAGE 10 - __ CASS CITY CHRONICLE VOLUME 82 , NUMBER 39 CASCITY, MICHIGAN -THURSDAY, JANUARY 5,1989 ‘]TWENTY-FIVE CENTS 12 PAGES PLUS 2 SUPPLEMENTS $5,000 f cabin ..ashe S take e fire es of 2 da,mage Fire resulted in an esti- in county mated $5,000 damage Fri- day afternoon to a house along Germania Road in Tuscola County recorded Huron County’s Greenleaf its last trafficfatality of 1988 Township. and its first of 1989 over the Nearly 30 fire fighters past week. from the Bingharn and An 18-year-old Millington Elkland Township fue de- woman died Sunday mom- partments responded to the 3 ing in a one-vehicle crash in p.m. alarm. Vassar Township. Bingham Fire Captain Earl Longuski, who noted no one was home when firemen arrived on the scene, said the , blaze apparently was caused by an electrical short or re- 15 south of Evergreen Drive lated problem in the base- ment of the house. andDeputies struck asaid tree the victim Pair plead He said the house, located FIRE FIGHTERS FROM the Bingham and Elkland Township departments was extricated from her 1 about 8 112 miles southwest vehicle at the scene with the ofmly, is owned by Alex- responded Friday to a house fire on Germania Road in Evergreen Township. ander Lesh, Warren, who Above, Elkland Fire Chief Dick Root stands by as firemen enter the building, Department’s Jaws of Life, uses fie building as a hunt- and transported by the Vas- ing cabin. I which sustained about $S,OOO in damage. sac Area Ambulance Service to taro Community Hospi- city robbery tal, where she was pro- Cass City merchants reDort nounced dead. The accident remains un- The remaining 2 defen- Larry and Karen Wilding, der investigation. dants charged in the armed 6359 Pine St., who were held A Saginaw woman last robbery of a Cass City at gunpoint in their upstairs week became Tuscola couple Feb. 28 entered pleas apartment by 2 gunmen who Holiday.sales generally good County’s 14th traffic fatal- of guilty to separate charges demanded drugs and ity of 1988. Tuesday in Tuscola County money. Police believe Circuit Court. Nerkowski and Zimmerman Deputies reported Alice were waiting outside the Growing competition and Steep, 77, died Dec. 28 when The defendants, Anthony Old Drug Owner good” thanks to a lot last holiday rctail season, others as being about the =me as E. Nerkowski Jr., 24, of apartment in a car. an erratic ptfor farmcrs Tom Proctor agreed, but . +-minuteshoppers;-- hcr northboiind vehicle dis- were less pleased. last year, which was worse Dearborn, and Allen PT. Thc nthcr 2 defendants didn’t dampen holiday sales added local efforts to attract Musical instruments regarded a stop sign at the have already entered pleas for a number of retailers in shoppers has bcen a big help. Dawn Vandemark of than average. He said the intersection of White Creek Zimmerman Jr., 25, of turnedouttobepopular*is Dan’s Men’s Wear and local farm situation and Gagetown, were scheduled of guilty in circuit court to Cass City. “Thc efforts of the rctail year, according to Brian Road and M-46,about 3 armed robbcry. A total of 11 business division to coordinate ac- Dawn’s Country Casuals more places to shop are miles east of Kingston, and for trial, but entered pleas ’ Fernando Vega, 21, of owners werc recently asked tivities. .has bcen vcry who Opened said sales this year were not partly responsible. was struck broadside by an instead, according to court Mallory’s Music prior to the __-A rccords. Detroit, was sentcnced last to describe business be- good,” he said. “We didn’t g-0 eastbound pickup truck. holidays. Bud Schneeberger 01 Bond was continued at month to a prison term of 6 to tween Thanksgiving and set records, but it was a good “It was slower than our The spokesman said the “It was better than ex- previous years. I don’t know Schneeberger ’s Furniture $300,000 for Nerkowski, .20 ycars, and Lonnie L. Jor- Christmas, a pcriod which year.” pected. We’were kind of and Appliance reported a truck was driven by David dan, 21, also of Dctroit, was accounts for a significant (why); business dropped off Proux, 52, also of Saginaw, who pleadcd guilty to a The holiday season also surprised,” Mallory re- after Thanksgiving and decent year, about the same charge of armed robbery. sentenced in early Novem- portion of yearly sales for . marked. He added that elec- as last year, but he indicated who was not injured. ber to 4 to 20 ycars in prison. many retailers. received good marks from didn’t pick up again until the Zimmerman, meanwhile, Cass City Sports co-owner tric guitars priced under week of Christmas,” she shoppers should expect to entered a plea of guilty to In proceedings Dec. 22, Of .those surveyed, most $300, and keyboards were pay more for various goods The Caro Fire breaking and entering an Detroit resident Eric Hub- indicatcd holiday qhoppcrs Phil Martin, who noted arch- said. Department’s Jaws of Life ery equipment was popular hot items. Vandemark said rctailers in 1989. occupied dwelling with in- bard, 26, entered a plca of made this year satisfactory felt that the local wcre used to free Steep from this year. “We in general were expected to tent to commit larceny. His guilty to breaking and enter- or better. pcoplccamc out in force and “We had a good year. It the wreckage, Deputies said ing a building with intent to “We had an excellent year. “I’d say we wcre probably have a slow fourth quarter, bond was continued at reallv Datronized us (and) might even be UP over last she was wearing a seat belt at $50,000. commit larceny. In fgct, we’ve been up for the 10 to 12 percent up from last we ;c&y haven’t slowed For Ben Franklin Store co- Y,.” He added; however, the time of the 5:17 p.m. A presentence investiga- past 3 months,” Bill ycar,” he said. “I didn’t see Sentencing for both men is down that much. We’re still owner Gerald Prieskorn, “There’s going to be more crash. to be scheduled, tion was ordered for the Kritzman, owner of the last minute surge like we doing pretty wcll,” he said, 1988 holiday sales were inflation” in 1989. A total of 5 pcrsons have dcfendant, who is charged in Kritzman’s Clothing Store, have in past years.” Both defendants’ pleas While many retailers said neither good nor terrible. Everything’s going up, he lost their lives on Tuscola stem from the robbery of Please turn to page 5. remarked. :‘We’re vcry “We’rc not disappointed at they experienced a good Prieskorn described sales said. County roads over the past 2 happy. We saw a lot of all,” Cindy McConkey of (strangers) in town.” McConkey’s Jewelry and Kritzman, who estimated Gift Shop agreed. an increase in salcs of about “It was long and kind of $450,000 needed 10 percent, said he bqlieves drawn out, but in the end a decent year for farmers is sales were as good as last one contributing factor. year. We had a nice Christ- “It’s hard to put your finger mas,,’ she said. C;roupexamines financing for on it. I feel the gencral econ- Some new business owners omy was better here his also reported good holiday year,” he said. sales. Mike Weaver, owner of “We had a really good Coach Light Pharmacy, also season. We had a lot of Jordan College building inCass City rcported a good year. traffic-a lot of new people “It was better. I’m happy,” who hadn’t seen our store,” he commented,adding sales Jeff Leinwebcr, vice-presi- If Jordan College is to were pretty much up across dent of CasCity Hardware, become a reality in Cass City, it appears that a por- the board. observed. Wcavcr pointcd out that Leinwebcr said sales for tion of the financing of a new retailers in a community the the store, which opened in building by interested local size of Cass City continuc to early Dccember 1987, were residents will be required. up at least 10 percent over That was the ccnclusion face stiff competition both reached at a memng of in and out of town. He last year. some 15 arcit residents at added, “Wc have the same Also enjoying a decent sccond holiday season was Walbro Corporation Mon- 8,000 pcople” in our service day night that was chaired area. “We’re in a closed Bigclow’s Hardware, Co- community. It’s hard to do owner Janice Hunt de- by Lambert Althaver. more and more business.” scribed sales as “pretty It has been estimated that Auto crash a ncw bui1d;lng for the col- lege, now operating at Res- cue, north of Cass City, will cost some $450,000 exclu- A rt Holm b erg sive of thc cost of the land. rill e Thc sitc suggested is at the corncr of Main and Ale, suJ-ers injury property that was recently Cass City resident Arthur curred. Hc was admitted to donated to the Economic Holmberg, 4659 N. Seeger Crittenton Hospital, Roch- Development Corporation. St., is recovering from inju-. ester, with broken ribs, a Thc site and adjacent lots ries sustained in a car acci- broken nosc and facial lac- would provide 52,272 dent that occurred after the erations. square feet for the building, Christmas holidqy.