*• -*, **^ »'"ji •— *-* * •»* J ?-•*.• *"-. 116th Year, Noc 10 St; JOHNS, MICH.- WEDNESDAY, JULY 7, 1971 15 cents %.- t. Johns board new age ST. JOHNS-Members of the, St. Johns - AS OF YET, THERE is no official open in September and run for about Board of .Education will meet Monday, word on what the final state aid situation four weeks," he said. July 12 to set the millage amount for the F wiil.be. If voters refuse to pass the needed Aug-2 special election. J However, Sen. William Ballenger told millage, the school district would have to * The. meeting is also-being called to the Clinton County News Thursday that be closed. If that shouldhappen,thepresent reorganize the board for the coming fiscal action has finally been initiated on the school board could resign and the district year as required by ;law. The new school state aid bill. Ballenger is a member would come under the control of the inter­ board officers will be named at the meeting. of the Senate Education Committee which mediate school district, and would probably The* St. Johns schools are without any' reported out.. Senate Bill 804. The bill be assigned to another district within the extra voted operating capital because of must still get by the. House Education county. the June 12 defeat of the 17 mill proposal. Committee, the House and Senate Ap­ "What we do If the millage fails will That proposal called for a renewal of propriations Committee and both full have to be the decision of the board," 14.5 mills,. which had been in effect for houses of the legislature. Lancaster said. the past two years, and an additional Ballenger made a calculated guess on 2.5 mills to cover increased expenditures. the amount of state aid per child for the Lancaster said he did not know what The district only has 8 mills, as al­ St. Johns schools, indicating it could be - action, millage wise', • the board would located by the county, for operation at an 11.9 per cent' raise, of $44.51 per take Monday night. He cited the large the present time. The 8 mills are not child. no vote turnout in the June 12 election, enough to qualify the district for state Supt. Earl Lancaster said the district saying the board did not know at this aid. Last year,, a district had to ,have could not qualify for the state aid if there time what they were going to do. at least 10 mills to qualify for minimum was no extra voted millage. He speculated they may have a two- SWEET SUMMER .state aid and 12 mills for maximum. ballot proposal, possibly one for 14.5 That may rise slightly this year. _ "Right now we;have enough money to mills and one for 2.5. "If, and only if, the state aid bill which Sen. Ballenger is speaking of is the one Little. Pamela Mathers, 5, of DeWitt child from Clinton County participating in we get, we could survive on the 14.5 finds the warm air, cool water, summer the camp for handicapped children' at the Fall out ers name d mills without the increase", he said. "We could probably hold the program on an even grass, and a small friend a pleasant way Beekman Center. For a complete report , ST. JOHNS—The County Board of Com- Mfg. Co;, Elsie) Michigan Milk Producers keel. to learn her new environment at the Easter on the center's summer camp see page Plant and the junior high school, Ovid; * However, if that state aid is less, and .mlssloners recently adopted a formal plan Seal Society's Camp Chippewa in Lansing. 3A. for protection of county residents in the Bath Junior High School; DeWitt High we do get 14.5 mills re-voted, we would event of a nuclear attack."' The plan in­ School, Franciscan Retreat House and then have to make cuts in our program." Pamela, who is totally blind, is the only (News photo by Tim Younkman). cluded the designating of shelter locations Friary and the Michigan Beef Co. Plant throughout the county. Under the plan, the east wing of the at DeWitt; St. Mary's Church at West-' court house would serve as the Emergency phalia. Operations Center. The 3,300 square foot The west end of Capitol Airport and basement contains enough room to handle ( DeWitt Master Plan ready for public the .30. member emergency staff working the terminal building there are also des­ a two shift operation. , •; ignated as shelter areas, By TIM YOUNKMAN • tracted the consulting firm in September^ 2a..yearsJ(,,witH,-P^Wift: TowKsMp haying Other areas fn" the courthouse base* : k ,jn .St.. Johns the .shelters-are;-Dean's Editor • _ ioesl ' - _ almost 30,000 persons. - • * - -•Home neighborhoods must be attractive; a.nd "corridors will pre liartiwiirfci Hdtei Steel, Volunteer:} bf Amer- in atf introductory letter* Orla B, Mc The problems oipopulation B*dwth were protected and fully improved which would space for 205 persons, The 'area jhas been bEWITT— Citizens M the city of DeWitt ica> a vacant building in the 300 block of will have a chance to discuss their views Guire, commission -chairman, urged examined in the opening of the. Master , be'a prime consideration of families lookmg stocked with shelter.food and medical N. Clinton Avenue, Clinton National Bank, DeWltt's citizens to take an active interest , Plan, and a listing of existing challenges at DeWitt asUposSi)4eVpl^e to live. '• supplies to sustain,the 205 occupants for Thursday July 22 at a public hearing on Parr's RexaU Drug,' Rehmann's Clothing, in the planning and future bf the city. for the community arid, goals to be under- ,: —0^1,4,,^^.*^^©-^ gub^ic water 14 days. the recently completed comprehensive a vacajit building at 110 E* Higham, Clin­ Master jjPlan proposed by the DeWitt "This Master Plan report is the cul­ taken was presented. supply'for >)ti*re ^protection and general. Communications plans are being made ton Theatre, Rodney B. Wilson Junior Planning Commission. household heeds in the city and surrounding to insure radio contact with all law en­ mination of monthly meetings ol the High .School, Central School, Clinton. Me­ The Master Plan, written by the com­ planning commission over the past two UNDER "EXISTING challenges," the area. forcement agencies, neighboring counties morial Hospital and its power house and commission cited the following problems: —Taxes should be set at a reasonable and- state officials .and the plan also in­ mission and its planning consultants, Scott and one-half years and a vast amount nurses' home buildings. Bagby and Associates of Grand Rapids, of work by the planning consultants. It —Most soils in DeWitt and the sur- ' level to provide for continuing community cludes how radio broadcasts will be made rounding area present substantial improvement. The report said the city to residents. I covers the projected growth, needs and is most .important that the people of De The county social services office on directions the City of DeWitt will demand Witt carefully read this report and be­ limitations to development at urban den­ should have a. properly phased program Shelter annexes have been designated S. Oakland and the county juvenile home during the next 20 years. come familiar with its many provisions sities -without adequate storm drainage to build storm sewers, curbs and gutters, v as: Most Holy Trinity School and the on S. Swegles, the post office, sheriff's and long range goals, especially over the and complete public sewer and water sidewalks and improved streets to en­ Chevrolet Garage in Fowler; Fulton Ele­ Citizens will have the opportunity to office, General Telephone Building, City question city councilmen and planning com­ next 20 years." services. hance the attractiveness and livabillty of mentary School in Maple Rapids; the Eureka Fire. Department facility, county. garage —A severe shortage of rental and sale the community. "Every dollar spent above Medical Center, Eureka; Elsie Junior, High mission members on the plan, which could McQuire added that the Plan, while op­ on M-21 and the sewage pumphouse on be adopted by council vote once the hearing housing for new families in the community, the amount needed for 'bare essentials' School, Dancers Dept. Store and the. MiCo US-27 are also listed. erating as a guideline to development, is held. could be subject to revision. coupled with a lack of speculative housing will be returned many times over by new citizens who will be seeking an improved & The planning commission began formu- "Naturally, some revisions will be neces? construction, i, —Lack of full street and drainage im­ community as a: good place in which to '?MHng the Master Plan in 1965 and con- sary as time goes by," he said. "It Is live," the report said. our hope and trust, however, that all provements causing a poor Impression of General Telephone proposed changes will be carefully con­ otherwise attractive neighborhood streets. —DeWitt should anticipate greatly in­ sidered and fully justified so that the —As thepopulationincreases,thepresent creased recreational needs and preserve value of this report will be preserved lack of adequate parking In the business Its natural waterfront areas. It cited the and the good of the community as a whole district will become acute. Looking Glass River will become an In­ will raise rates will always prevail." —Insufficient expansion room In the cen­ creasingly valuable asset. "The larger tral business district to accommodate new future city cannot replace what we allow MUSKEGON-The Michigan Public Service "THIS MASTER PLAN report should business enterprises. -to be destroyed.