1996-09-04; Central Michigan Life

              Central Michigan LIFE
Volume 79, Number 5
Mt. Pleasant,   MI 48859
©1996 CM LIFE
77 years of serving the community
WEDNESDAY
September 4,1996
20 pages
Student dies in
weekend accident
An alcohol-related car accident during the holiday weekend
proved fatal for a Mount Pleasant senior.
At approximately 10:14 pm. Sunday, Christopher Lawrence
Morris, 26, lost control of his red 1989 Oldsmobile on Nessen City
Koad in Grant Township, veered off the road and hit a tree, police
said Morris, who was pronounced dead at the scene, suffered
closed head and chest injuries.
The accident report compiled by the Traverse City Post of the
Michigan State Police listed Morris as having a blood alcohol level
of .14 at the time of the crash.
Morris was headed to traverse City with his cousin John Reed,
26, of Copemish. Reed suffered a broken tibia and various lacerations, police said. According to family members, Reed was still in
critical condition Tuesdav at Munson Medical Center in Traverse
City
See related story on page 3.
Amodeo sentenced for arson
By Emily Gerkin
LIFE   Staff Woter
The    former    CMU    student
responsible for sotting a house
fire last February was sentenced
Aug. 30 to five years probation.
Nineteen-year-old Timothy
Amodeo, who plead guilty to the
felony arson charge on Aug 7,
received the sentence from
Judge James Wilson of 21st
Judicial Circuit Court of Isabella
County.
Amodeo. sentencing for count
one, ethnic intimidation, was
delayed one year.
Felony arson carries a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment, while ethnic intimidation carries a maximum penalty
of     two     years     imprisonment
and/or a $5,000 fine.
Under the terms of probation.
Amodeo will spend the first six
months m Isabella County Jail
with time release to attend
classes at Mid-Michigan
Community College.
Amodeo, a Washington, Mich
native, started the fire at 1025 S
Main St. on the morning of
February 17, 1996 by lighting a
bag of garbage on the* porch on
fire. No one was injured in the
fire, but six people were left
homeless,
Amodeo was arraigned Feb. 22
for a charge of ethnic  intimida
tion  after writing  racist graffiti
on a student's Emmons Hall res
idence* door. He was arraigned
Feb 23 for the felony arson
charge1.
Both incidents happened in
the early morning hours of Feb
17
The defense said alcohol was a
big factor in the incident, and
Amodeo has been attending alcohol abuse meetings since his
apprehension.
Also under the conditions of
probation, Wilson ordered
Amodeo to pav restitution to the
victims of the house, especially
those who did not have insurance to cover their loses
Restitution has been estimated
at more than $100,000
School    leave   was   granted    to
Amodeo to allow him to continue
working on his education. The
defendant was a freshman at
CMU when he committed the
offenses.
"I don't want to interfere with
your schooling But I want you to
be thinking and working
towards paying those people
hack who didn't have insurance."
Wilson told Amodeo at the sen
tencing
If Amodeo has no violations of
his probation after one semes
ter's time, he may be released
from the county jail and <*-r\'v
the remainder of the balance- on
the tether program, in which he
would not have to be in jail but
would continue to be monitored
1
•WARNING TO ALL
OKUNMPPS   THtm-Ve*
OSfXUAlS   AVOKHONiSIS^
... Utt/WSO ml,***?_[
USBIANS HOCK lfR0llS*S
MO*MONS TRASH TMKBK
tmuilOMSIS witches
WSTRMMOt   POT SMOKERS
PEPIHJ OR PERM
LIFE Photos/Bryan Bosch
DIVINE DEBATE
(above)Rick Warzywak, of Atlanta, is challenged by Scott Manning, Six Lakes senior,
Tuesday in the courtyard between Pearce and Anspach Halls. "I support evangelism on
campus," Manning said, "but I think he 's off the mark in interpretation and scripture,
turning more people away than bringing them in." Warzywak, of Campus Ministries
USA, has been preaching to university students across Michigan for about three years.
Warzywak said, "I'm just trying to be a resource for people." (left) A list of no-no's
Warzywak uses as a visual aid for students.
New residents may
be fined if ordinances
are not followed
By Jeremy Russ
I II f   St.itf Writer
City officials said many people will be fined this year if they
do not find out about city ordinance's
Bill McCracken. building official for the city of Mount
Pleasant. said there are approximately 17,000 new people* com
ing into the city and many of
them do not find out the rules
and regulations of the city.
According to McCracken, two
common infractions of city ordinances are occupancy violations
and putting indoor furniture
outdoors.
McCracken said it is up to t he
landlord to inform occupants of
a dwelling of the occupancy
codes
Though most of the infractions on occupancy are due to
the tenants. McCracken said
they are not always at fault.
"If the landlord is responsible
or knows about the infraction -
he will be fined." he said. "It
depends on what we determine."
A second problem in the city is
inside furniture being used tor
outdoor use. The reasons for
this ordinance are tor aesthetic
and safety reasons, since the
furniture "burns real nice."
McCracken said.
People can put this furniture
on their porch only if the porch
is "completely enclosed with
windows and a door." he saiel
After the first warning for a
violation of the ordinance, tenants will face a $50 fine for the
second time\ $100 fmv for the
third time and every violation
thereafter is a $250 line.
"I    do    neit    believe    in    going
beyond       the      'warning".
McCracken   said    "Generally,   I
do ne>t write* a ticket.*"
McCracken saiel he* does nm
like* to write the* tickets because
he* just wants the* residents of
the* city te> be* informed of the
ordinances.
Another problem the* city has
is overnight parking
McCracken said there is ne>
overnight parking em any city
street because of snow removal
in the' winter and stre'e»t cleaning
He* added that occupants can
rake* their leaves during the* fall
into the* stre'e*t anel will be
picked up through the- street
cleaning process. "This happens
sometime in < October,** he* said
McCracken    said    one*    ordi
nance*    many    people    are'    ne>t
aware of is pet ordinances that
state' owners of dogs e>r cats are'
responsible for the*ir animals'
e»xcre*me'iit
"If you are going te> walk your
ele>g he* sure* te» bring something
to put (excrement) m,"
McCracken said "If your cal
ge>e*s te> the bathroom in your
neighbor's garden, you can be*
fined for it "
McCracken added that dogs
also must bt* on a lease at all
time's
James Collin, fire* marshal for
Mount Pleasant, said the*
biggest violation of ordinances
they find are1 smoke detectors in
apartments that are* disconnected e»r have no batteries.
Collin said a majority of these
ease's are due tei tenants disconnecting the* alarm or taking out
ORDINANCE
ae 12
___
Mt- Pleasant plans Washington Street upgrades for summer of '97
By Liz Wishaw
Li*-F Assistant News I di*
Washington   Stree*t   will   receive
upgrades    but not until next sum
me*r. acce>rdmg tei Mount Pleasant's
city manager.
Paul Preston, city manager, said
the-  section  of Washington  Stree*t
between    Bellows    Street    and
Broomfield Roael will be reparved
and storm drains, curbs and gut-
te'rs will In* added.
Unlike* past proposals including
«t two-phase improvement, Preston
said the 1997 Capital
Improvements Budge*t weiuld
alleiw the* construction te> be finished in one phase*.
Pre*ste>n said a sidewalk e>n the*
we*st   side*   e>f  Washington   Stre*et,
next to Lot 22, is not in the* proposal at this time
Last October, Preston sent a letter to CMU asking for its he*lp in
the $400,000 ceist of repairing
Washmgtein Stre*e*t
Kim EHe*rste*ri, vice* president of
Business and Finance*, wreite in
response* tei Preston's letter that
CMU  wants to close*  Washington
Stre*e»t, anel the»re*fe>re* he weiuld neit
re*ceimmenel that university funds
Ik* need tei continue the* stre*e*t*s
use*
Preston saiel he' would like* te> discuss again the* possibility of CMU
bed ping with the* ceists for
Washington Street, but said he* ebel
ne»t know when he* would discuss
the issue* with CMU
President Leonard Plachta saiel
the* university was asked once
before te> help with the- repair cost
anel tlie lined, but the* university is
always willing to talk business.
"We* are* willing to liste*n te> the*
proposal*" he* saiel
"Our f*>mt of view was tei dose
the* Street. The' primary purpose
for Washington Street is past the*
ge>al it was intended fe*r, anel West
Campus Drive* is there now."
Plachta saiel
He* saiel the* university was ie*d to
In-Iie've* it  was difficult   to close* the
street because people in the* area
still u>t-d the street as a mam road.
Plachta saiel the university concern is for pedestrian aafcty on
Washington Stre*e*t
U.S. strikes at Iraq for second time to 'mop up'
WASHINGTON   -AP) The
United States fir-el a hailstorm
ejf cruise* missiles at Iraep air-
defense site*< for the* second time*
in 24 hours te> destmy targets
that survived Tuesdays initial
attack
The* strike* came* 12 hours afle*r
President Clinton warned that a
eh'fiant Saddam Hussein must
"pay a price* * for h:s boldest
aggression since* the Persian
CiulfWar
Acknowledging that the* first
e*flV>rt had fallen she>rt. Pentagon
spokesman Ke*n Bacon saiej,
"This   is   what   we-   weiuld   call   a
mop-up operation."
He*   said   twei e>f the*   four   Iraep
air defense* targets had te> be*
struck again He* did ne>t elaborate.
Anothe»r official put it this
way: "We* have* te> go back and
ge*t what we* missed."
"Like* the* initial strike*,
tonight's attack is necessary te>
ensure the* safety of aircraft anel
crews operating in the* expanded
nei-fly zeine'.'1 White* House
spokesman Mike* McCurry saiel
in a state*mt*nt
Hi* said VJ S military forces
"carne*d eiut additional strike's
against Iraqi air dedense* site's
located heleiw the* SArd parallel,"
beginning at K p.m. BDT, which
was   Wednesday   morning   local
time*
A teital of 17 cruise* missiles
we*re* fire*el fremi thre*e* VI.S. Navy
ships and one* submarine* le>cateel
in the Persian Cult, Pentagon
sources saiel. Twenty-seven hael
be*e*n    fire*el    during    the*    initial
operation.
An administration official said
that if the* second strike* is successful, "the'ri' will be nei way"
that Saddam could attack e*ithe*r
Jordan e»r Kuwait "It is te»
ensure that we* ran rule* the*
skies ove*r Iraej." be* said
The*   sea launched   cruise*   missiles we*re* fire*el fre>m the* destroy
e»r   USS    Russell,    the*   ele*stre've*r
USS Hewitt, the* guided missile*
ele*stre*ye*r USS Labe>on anel the
submarine* USS Jefferson City.
all in the* Pe*rsian Culf
In a speech before an evening
meeting e*f the* Natmnal Guard
Association, Chnte>n restated his
case* against Saelelam. saying
that    it    was   important    for   the*
I Fnited States tei make* dear that
Mreckless acts have* oonse
quences
The* president said that the-
attack anel the* extension of the
"im-fly" zone' in southern Iraej
have* "reduced Saddams ability
te> strike* our again at his neigh
b«>rs
See BOMBINGf\Kj<   5
LIFE Graphic/Jerry Sova