5285006 0 0285 HOAG & SONS SPR I NGPClR T MI 49284 LETTERS TO ARFA ROLLING BACK AT YOUR WANT ADS SPORTS & THE EDITOR OBITUARIES THE YEARS SERVICE & NOTICES OUTDOORS SEE PAGE 2 SEE PAGE 4 SEE PAGE 6 SEE PAGE 10 SEE PAGE 12 SEE PAGES 15 & 16 COLOMA HARTFORD WATERVLIET 25« THE TRI-CITY RECORD Vol. 104 - No. 12 RED ARROW EDITION OF THE WATERVLIET RECORD March 23,1988 Coloma City residents pan proposed 6.4% tax increase By Marion Leedy Coloma City Commissioners mended eliminating clerical Taxation issue. The possible were told, during a special employees In the Police Depart- 6.4% Increase is based on a pro- meetlng Monday night, by ap- ment and Public Works Depart- jected increase in the City's proximately 20 residents that a 6 ment. State Equalized Valuation from HELP percent tax Increase was not ac- The protests came during the $14,508,970 in 1987-88 to ceptable. The very verbal first scheduled public hearing $16,394,733 in 1988-89. HO residents came up with sug- on the City's 1988-89 budget The proposed operating gested budget cutbacks that in- which included a possible 6.4% budget presented Monday night cluded a cutback in all depart- tax increase under the state's showed an anticipated income ments. Truth in Taxation law and the on- Proposed cutbacks were not jy public hearing on the Truth in See TAXES on page 4 m hiring a replacement for a job opening, dropping all financial lum MISS BLOSSOMTIME... support for special City ac- Lainie Lu Howard, Miss St. tivities including the Glad- Budget increase sought TOOTSIE ROLL SALE... area. Joseph, was crowned Miss Peach Festival, providing no Members of the Watervliet Ready with a smile and a Blossomtime at ceremonies help toward the City Ice skating Knights of Columbus will hold Tootsie Roil are Brother Monday night. Miss Blossom- rink or mowing the summer for Watervliet Airport their annual Tootsle Roll sale Knights, left to right, Ed time was crowned from a field of baseball program field on the this weekend to help the mental- Ostruszka, Otto Vent and Lewis 30 Southwest Michigan com- Salem Lutheran Church proper- By Bob Lohr Currently, the airport receives ly handicapped in the area. Cordaro. (Karl Bayer photo) munity queens. ty and either cutting back or Members of the Watervliet $1,000.00 from each governing First runner-up was Miss Mat- dropping planned street im- Airport Board, at their regular body, Watervliet City and tawan, Pamela Blodgett, and se- provements and paving, monthly meeting, have made a Watervliet Township. If approv- cond runner-up was Miss sidewalk replacements and decision to ask both budget ed, the new allocation would in- Stevensvllle, Lucy Kras. sewer rodding. They also recom- committees of Watervliet City crease to $1,500.00 from both (Carole Kiernan photo) and Township for an increase in the City and Township. annual appropriations. In other matters, Board members met with Jordan Tatter $224,769 budget deficit The move, according to Air- port Board Vice Chairman Karl and Richard Woodruff of the Bayer, is to increase general Watervliet Lions Club to further discuss the upcoming fly-in to slated for Hartford Schools revenues for proposed im- provements planned at the air- be held at the airport this sum- By Phyliss Buechner proposed budget and work port. According to Bayer, the in- mer. Tatter, Woodruff and Board The preliminary budget for the toward increasing revenues and crease, if approved, would members agreed that commit- district for 1988-89 was cutting expenses before the benefit the airport in the way of tees will still have to be formed presented to Hartford School budget is brought back to the new equipment purchases, land between the Lions Club and the Board members at their regular Board June 2. acquisition and the start of a airport to further organize such business meeting held Thurs- Hallgren discussed a report general fund to complete pro- matters as events and prizes day, March 17. he had received from Brian posed airport improvements that will be part of the fly-in. Business manager Michael Lefler with John Hancock Finan- such as the resurfacing of the Airport Board member Merle Hallgren said projected cial Services. At the present main runway. Bujack informed other members revenues for the general fund time the school diptriAt ha? two An increase in the budget, ac- that he has enrolled the airport were $4,323,000.00 compared to bond issues outstanding and cording to Bayer, "would better in a federal surplus program. $4,084,200.00 for 1987-88. The owes $500,00.00 to the School promote the airport and change Under membership of the pro- expenditures were anticipated Bond Loan Fund. The 1958 bond TRI-CITY QUEENS...representlng the Tri-Clty communities of Hart- some attitudes." gram the airport is now able to at $4,547,769.00 compared to issue will be paid off this year ford, Coloma and Watervliet at the Blossomtime Queen Contest Bayer told Board members purchase government surplus $4,292,851.00 for the 1987-88 and one from 1973 will be paid were, left to right: Miss Hartford, Wendy Phillips; Miss Coloma, that he would write a letter and equipment and supplies at a budget. This leaves a deficit of off in 2003. Lefler's plan calls for Kristlna Nord; and Miss Watervliet, Tracy Clay. present it to the two committees fraction of their initial cost, Bu- $224,769.00. They will study the the schools to float a bond issue (Carole Kieman photo) asking for the increase. jack said. to pay off the current bond loan fund. It also recommends a shift in the distribution of the millage Coloma Board nixes lowering Honor Roll standards to transfer 3 mils from debt retirement to operating ex- By Marion Leedy penses, to offset the deficit in a 3.0 average for the Honor Roll. with the policy in more detail. select an acting Assistant Prin- each and Joellyn Crandall as The Coloma Board of Educa- the general operating fund. The Board also questioned Is- The policy was defined to re- cipal from the High School staff Yearbook Advisor at a salary of tion voted in a split decision not This move would be a transfer suing the same type of Honor quire all gifts or grants to be for the remainder of the school $1,207.68. to change the criteria for the only and not an increase in the Roll to academic students and presented to the superintendent year. (3) Approved an unpaid leave Honor Roll when the Board met millage levied. Local taxpayers students not in the academic who will submit them to the (2) Approved supplemental of absence for Jan W. Atwood for its regular meeting Monday would still pay the same but this curriculum. No action was taken Board. The Board will then con- for the 1988-89 school year. night, March 14. contracts for the 1987-88 school shift could increase revenues a on that issue. sider the gift on its merits to the year with salaries based on the (4) Approved a salary adjust- In a split decision, with Larry quarter of a million dollars an- Students in the school system school district. negotiated salary schedule for ment for Terry Voogd, 8th-Grade Steck, Bob Ginter, Kay Erickson nually, but it must be done by a with a 3.0 grade average are The Board will proceed with Joseph Bishop as Assistant Basketball Coach, who was and Rose Coble opposing and vote of the people. A motion was eligible for academic letters and its policy of regular evaluations Girls Track Coach and Mark misplaced on the adopted Jean Chandler, Charles Nelson approved unanimously to direct membership in the National of the schools' superintendent, Allen as Assistant Baseball salary schedule, from $1,225.21 and Norma Somers approving, the administration to have their Honor Society. with the evaluation committee Coach at salaries of $1,009.50 to $1,470.07. the Board declined to revise the attorney prepare the paperwork The Board approved the ad- of Norma Somers and Rose Co- criteria on requirements for the to place it on the ballot for the ministration's recommendation ble reporting to the Board in Honor Roll. June election. to allow the 1988 Senior Prom to April. If the Board had approved the Board members called a be held off-campus at Playland The Board of Education ac- change in the requirements for special meeting for 5:30 p.m., Hall on Nickerson Road in Ben- cepted the administration's the school's Honor Roll recom- Thursday, March 31, if it can be ton Township on May 21, pro- recommendation on the follow- mended by a committee of ad- prepared in time. If not, this viding the junior class has suffi- ing personal matters: ministration and faculty, issue will be placed on the cient funds to meet all costs for (1) Approved the resignation students with a grade point ballot in September. The Board the prom. of George McGinnis, effective average of 3.0 would have been also adopted a resolution set- The Board also approved the March 17,1988, as Coloma High eligible for the Honor Roll, pro- ting the date for the annual elec- administration's recommenda- School Assistant Principal. viding they had no more than tion June 13, with May 16 the tion to change the policy on McGinnis has accepted a posi- one grade In the 'C range. The last day for registration. There gifts to the school to accept tion with the Benton Harbor Principal's Honor Roll remained are two four-year seats on the gifts, grants and requests pro- school system.