No baseball at Hays Park Santa Claus to visit Toys for Record Christmas Gift next season... page 9 Tots collection site,.. page 5 Sub, Special,,, page 11 I he ( om hi tied Newspapers of I he VValen liel Keeord, C'oloma Courier & Hartlord Hcj-.G 2, 50ri3 TRI-CITY R SPRffiJGPORT '' 4;2>, 117th Year Issue No. 49 December 5, 2001 Seventy-Jive ^ems Demolition sets stage for developers of prime river front sites 200 say goodbye VM Ceremony begins paper mill removal By Joe Cheshire The beginning of the end of the old old friend and family provider. go out seeking other jobs. It pro- place where everyone knew every- Watervliet Paper Company took During the mill's heyday, more vided security and livelihood for one else, and cared about them as place on Monday morning. With than 500 earned their living there, a several generations of Berrien and well." more than 200 former workers and place where your father worked, Van Buren County residents." The mill was more than a place of /i spectators on hand, a mechanical you worked, and you knew your Tom Yore, an employee of the mill employment, it was a friend to the dinosaur sunk its jaws into and workers over its many years of op- children could get a job. for over 40 years, said, "The mill i Ji iM 'Al — pP. I clawed away at the metal sludge was not only a place where you eration. This reporter spent 21 removal building in a symbolic YOU WERE FAMILY worked, it was also a place where years within the walls of the old gesture of the mill's demise, thus brick structure, and I too, felt the As Aide to Senator Harry Cast, you were family." The mill pro- starting the demolition process. Bob Breckinridge said. "The mill vided hams and turkeys to employ- See MILL For more than a century, a mill has niiiAfnrii**f wasn't the highest paying place, but ees at Christmas time, along with continued on page 3 set on the banks of Paw Paw River, WATERVLIET PAPER MILL the pay was enough, that you didn't hosting parties and outing. "It was a first beginning as a grist mill, then a SAYS GOOD-BYE...Tom Yore, a lumber mill, and then early in the 40 plus year employee at Wa- REMEMBERING 20th century a paper mill. tervliet Paper Company, details Bob Flaherty The last roll of paper rolled over some of the company^ history during the good-bye ceremonies (above) and the giant machines more than a dec- Monday. The old mill on Paw : John DeFields ade ago, signaling the end of em- Paw River is being razed, and (right) were ployment to more than 350 workers. I on ships in hope springs eternal for new growth on the site. j Pearl Harbor BITTERSWEET TEARS I when it was (Joe Cheshire photo) » As the crowd, Monday, gathered ' attacked on close to hear short speeches from r Dec. 7, 1941. dignitaries, many former mill em- Their stories ployees stood in the bittersweet are on page 7. 5 arrested ' moment. Many were trying to hide the tears as they bid farewell to their for armed Watervliet treasurer resigns ^ I robberies due to health; former of Randy's commissioner appointed Amoco By Cliff Stevens missioner Ronda Jones to fill the By Cliff Stevens Watervliet City Treasurer Sandra treasurer's post. Five Benton Harbor area men have Pullins who was first elected to the Gagliardo said he expects Jones to been arrested in connection with post in 1988 resigned her position be sworn into office this week. two separate armed robberies at due to health problems. In another area, the commission ALL QUIET... but for the rumble of equipment and the tearing of metal, you could have heard a pin drop Randy's Amoco station in down- At a special meeting of the Wa- approved filing for a grant wit the as a crowd of 200 quietly watched the ceremonial beginning of the demolition of the Watervliet paper mill. town Coloma. tervliet City Commission December U.S. Environmental Protection (Karl Bayer photo) The convenience store was robbed 3, the Commission voted to accept Agency to seek additional funding twice this year, on June 2 and No- her resignation retroactive to Nov. to reduce overall costs for required vember 11. 20. testing on properties involved in Family of paralyzed youth needs van Coloma City Police Chief Kenneth Pullins was elected to a new two- Brownfield Redevelopment areas Gustafson said both armed robber- year term in city's general election and Renaissance Zones in both ies were solved through the efforts last November. Watervliet City and Township. Lee Smith coming home of two Berrien County Sheriffs Watervliet Mayor Tony Gagliardo, Approved $100 merchant gift cer- detective-sergeants Michael Dan- with the approval of the Commis- tificate to fiilltime employees and By Joe Cheshire while the family preformed artificial High School. "He loved football neffell and Dennis Buller. sion, appointed former City Com- $50 certificates to part-time work- Lee Smith, the Watervliet High respiration on Lee. He was trans- and is. really looking forward to get- Working on a tip received by ers. School Junior who was injured July, ferred to a nearby hospital, where it ting back in school." • Chief Gustafson, the detectives is coming home from the hospital. was determined Lee had broken his Edmonds said the family has talked were able to identify the subjects Michelle Edmonds, Lee's aunt said neck. with the school about Lee's re- involved in both robberies. Monday morning, "Lee is expected Lee was transferred to Children's enrollment. Watervliet Superinten- Arrested in connection with the to be released from the hospital on Hospital in Little Rock, Arkansas dent Bob Gabel confirmed the June 2 robbery was Anthony John- Memorializing 9-11 Wednesday, and is looking forward where he underwent surgery on his school has talked to Lee's family, son, 18. Chief Gustafson said a sec- 1 to getting back home." neck, and remained in a coma for and stated, "when Lee is re- ond accomplice is still being sought. Lee was injured in a freak accident some time. enrolled, there will be special con- In the Nov. 11 armed robbery, the on July 18, while on a family outing Lee was transferred to the Univer- siderations and equipment re- arrests of Antoine Broadway, 17; in Arkansas. The family was fishing sity of Michigan Hospital in Ann quired." Gabel said when the time Willie Lee Nash, Jr., 20; David" on the Arkansas River when they Arbor after a 29-day stay in Chil- comes, a meeting will be held to Partee, 15, and Damario Rimpsoit,' decided to seek relief from the heat. dren's Hospital. determine what special needs will 17, have been made. Lee ran down a hill and dove into He has seen regained the use of his be required for Lee. Gustafson said none of the money the water, where he apparently arms, but still has no hand or finger Lee suffered severe lung damage taken was recovered. struck his head on an unknown ob- control. "They're trying to teach from inhalation of water and re- City police said in addition to tWF ject. When the other members him how to use silverware now," mains on a breathing device. He sheriffs department, Coloma reached the river's edge, they found says Edmonds. also suffered severe swelling of the Township officer Brett Langstott? and Watervliet City police assisted Lee floating unconscious, face down Anxious to return to school See LEE in the investigations. in the water. Edmonds said Lee is anxious to continued on page 3 GOD BLESS US ALL...is the mural designed by art students from Emergency crews were called return home and reenter Watervliet Coloma High School as a way of remembering the September 11 ter- rorists attacks in both New York and Washington, D.C. Murals painted by the students are being displayed on a billboard off 1-94 near Volunteer to speak of WTC Vacant buildings targeted the Coloma exit. (Cliff Stevens photo) • horrors at church service in proposed Wvt. charter Sunday December 9, will be Youth this area volunteered to go to New By Cliff Stevens on April I. ••V.T • Day at the Plymouth Congrega- York. He spent a week working at After eight months of work, the Charter members felt it would be tional Church, 123 First St., Wa- Ground Zero and was blessed be- Watervliet City Charter Revision beneficial to the city of Watervliet ^ | cause of the assistance he could tervliet. The speaker will be Pastor Commission has all but wrapped up to have its fiscal year start at the Johan Abrahams son. Earl Abra- give and at the same time shocked revising the 1925 city charter. same time as other surrounding * * 4' hams. The service starts at 11 ;00 at the horror of terrorism. Meeting November 29, commis- governmental units, Coloma City, a.m. Earl came from South Africa sion members reviewed chapters Coloma and Watervliet Township. with his parents in 1986. He was In his own words when he came they'd completed earlier in the year, At the meeting, charter members t k * educated at Berrien Springs High , back, "I will never be the same undertook some minor word approved an amendment to its Spe- School and did his Master's degree again." Along with him there will changes and agreed to take official cial Assessments Chapter stipulat- in psychology at Andrews Univer- be groups of musicians from Zim- action to forward the revised charter ing that any commercial, industrial sity in Berrien Springs.