-teamsgear up for season Pages S,6,7 i m n CAS SPRl N(;KxIT’ RTNnFRY VOLUME 92. NUMBER 23 --TY*. RONICLE - WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBERCHRONICLE 2,1998 FIFTY CENTS 14 PAGES SPRTNGPIW M N,W+ I Colony Contract vote near House sold Back to scho to Thumb Michigan Sugar, area bank A popular area banquet hall union optimistic~ has bcen sold to Signaturc Bank of Bad Axe. Michigan Sugar Company anything we could put in the employees and contracted crops. Signaturc Bank officials re- officials emerged from a con tract .” workers as it has since Aug. “We are committed to the ccntly confirmed the pur- marathon 12-hour bargain- Negotiators representing 7, when employees rejected 1,400 sugar beet growers who are the backbone of the chase of the Colony House, ing session Monday with Michigan Sugar and the the company’s settlement which was closed last year by some words of optimism, al- union spent more than 7 offer. agricultural community in long-time owners Marv and though no tentative agree- hours at the bargaining table The workers were subse- mid-Michigan. We will not Janice Winter. ment had been reached. Thursday after Don Power, a quently locked out of Michi- put their family farms and The facility, located miles Talks continued early this federal mediator, invited gan Sugar’s factories in Caro, livelihoods at risk.” 4 Negotiations began June 3 north of M-81 on M-53,for week as a lockout of some both sides to again try to Carrollton, Croswell and years hosted scores of trade 250 employees entered its work out their differences. Sebewaing Aug. 10. and concluded July 3 1, when fourth week. the workers’ previous 3-year and craft shows as well as Following the session, com- Michigan Sugar’s parent Thumb Electric Coopcrative “We’re hoping right now contract expired. A week pany officials vowed to do company, Imperial Holly annual meetings and Thumb that we’re going to have an later, union members re- what is necessary to meet Corporation, operates sugar- Ag Day -- the area’s largest offer that the (union) mem- jected the contract, citing dis- their obligations to growers processing factories 16 agricultural show - not to bership is going to have an in putes over wages and other and customers. locations in 9 states and em- mention dozens of banquets, opportunity to vote on,” issues, including worker Mark Flegenheimer, vice- ploys nearly 2,000 salaried wedding receptions, proms Mitch Reno, Michigan Sugar morale. president and chief operating workers, according to and othcr cvunts. c om rn u n i c a t i o n s man age r, Company officials have officer at Michigan Sugar, Flegenheimer, who said the When it reopens, the tacil- said Tuesday morning. since proposed an extension said the company will con- company will utilize these of the contract until March ity will scrve as a general Reno said negotiations tinue to operate its 4 facto- resources to protect area 31, 1999, but the union has ope rat i on s c c n t e r for the were slated to continue Tues- sugar beet growers and their bank, housing computer op- day at 1 p.m. ries with managerial, salaried not accepted the offer. et-a t i o n s, s t atcnie n t render- Dean Hutchinson, president ing, accounting and other of Local 260, American Fed- “back room” banking act ivi - eration of Grain Millers, ex- tics, according to Gerry pressed cautious optimism Trio charged in dozens Smith, bank president and Tuesday. chief executivc officer. “We have a package to Smith, who declined to dis- bring back” to the union membership, he said. “It’s of break-ins last vear cuss the purchase price, said d the facility will enable the not signed, sealed and deliv- hank to continue growing in ered. We haven’t got every- Huron County authorities activity. the strength that would oth- the Thumb. thing ironed out, but I’m op- have charged a trio of Thumb Bond was set at $50,000 erwise be lacking if pursued “We outgrew our current t im i st ic .” residents in connection with cash for Kowalski and as individual prosecutions.” facility in Bad Axe, so we CASS CITY SCHOOLS opened Thursday Hutchinson said union a spree of break-ins targeting Champagne, who remain Investigators said the crime were looking for sonic addi- including second grader Leigha Drohn (fro members are happy to have dozens of schools, busi- lodged in the Huron County spree began with a meeting tional room,” he added, not- an offer, but the loss of nearly nesses and churches last Jail. Both men face prelimi- of the suspects late last sum- ing thc Colony House also a month of work has taken a year. nary examinations Sept. 10, mer in a Bad Axe apartment. of’ters ii good, central loca- a big toll on workers. The crimes were committed Filion, who was released on As the criminal enterprise tion. “It was important to us “We’ve last so much being in 1 1 different counties, cov-, a $50,000 personal recogni- unfolded, Gaertner said, the suspects allegedly commit- to kccp it close enough to locked out, it overshadows ering a period of nearly 3 zance bond, faces a prelimi- Racl Axc” so employees mon t hs . nary exam Oct. 8. ted an average of one bur- every 2 days. won’t have too far to travel. Against Aari Sales The incidents - 50 in all Gaertner said his office un- glary Smith said IS to 20 current - included break-ins at dertook the investigation “During this time, ‘Huron bank employees will work at Deford, Gagetown and with a focus on REO be- County investigators recog- the facility, which is slated to Kingston elementary cause it provides the neces- nized a pattern and ulti- undergo cxtensive rcmodel- schools, Ubly High School sary tool to take isolated mately developed suspects ing this fall. Bank officials Wills seek $100,000 in suit and Gagetown Cooperative criminal incidents, scattered through traditional investiga- tive techniques. However, hope to begin operations in Elevator between Sept. 29 over a large multi-jurisdic- and Dec. 20. tional area, with scant physi- the investigators were frus- the spring. supplement in question, the The suit states the Wills tive from one of its own Ca- A Cass City area dairy Huron County Prosecutor cal evidence, and weave trated by the failure of the Thc purchase by Signaturc couple claims they were told ccased feeding the pelleted nadian feed suppliers claim farincr is seeking $100,000 Mark Gaertner announced them together to present a Bank follows an unsuccess- the supplement was, in fact, supplement to their dairy that the Wills’ hired man had in damages from Agri Sales, Friday that the suspected prosecution “which will have Pleasc turn to back page. t’ul attempt earlier this year pcrcent protein and would cows, but continued to feed mixed the vitamins and min- Inc., claiming a feed supple- 44 “school bandits” had been to rc-open the banquet hall. be good for the dairy herd. the mix to their bred heifers erals wrong the feed ment delivered to his farm by in arraigned in Huron County Thu Huron County Eco- According to the suit, Rob- and dry cows. supplement. What the com- thc company in 1995 resulted District Court following a no111 ic. Dcvelopinent Corpo- ert Wischmeyer, who was After feeding the mix to pany apparently didn’t know, in the loss of milk production nearly year-long investiga- Union rejects ration served as a facilitator manager of the Agri Sales their cows on a number of he added, was Agri Sales had and 2S cows. tion into the burglaries that in an effort to organize a Bad Axe facility at the timc, days, the Wills claim they mixed the vitamins, minerals Harold T. Wills and his resulted in damage estimated group of Thumb investors, was contacted by the Wills, began to notice the animals’ wife, Karen H. Wills, filed and salt into the soybean at a combined $1 19,000 and which officials hoped would suit against Agri Sales Aug. made a visit to the farm “and hcalth failing, requiring con- meal prior to delivery. school contract pool their resources and pur- the theft of $67,000 in cash 20 in Huron County Circuit acknowledged that there was stant veterinary attention. Cass City School bus driv- of 3 1 years, said union mem- chase the business. The suit alleges that, and checks. C c) u rt . Rumensin in the pelleted ers, cooks and custodians last bers rejected the contract for More than 100 letters were feed, but said that it would In the end, Cubitt said, the through sloppy handling, The suspects were identi- The couple, who have ap- week rejected a proposed 3- reasons other than the pay mailed out inviting Thumb dairy operation’s milk pro- Agri Sales workers mixed fied as Donald J. Kowalski ei-ated their farin in Sanilac not hurt the dry cows and year contract. hike offered by the district. community leaders as well as heifers and to ‘go ahead and duction suffered. The Wills, into the Wills feed supple- Jr., 22, Bad Axe; John V. County since I98 I, have re- Champagne, 25, Kinde, and Members of Operating En- “We’re feeling the money business, agriculture, manu- yuestcd a jury trial. They are feed it to them’.’’ who milked about 50 cows ment a large quantity of at thc time, were forced to pelleted feed destined for a Melissa A.