1991-02-18; Central Michigan Life

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ARTS and ENTERTAINMENT
SPORTS
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The doctor is in
Bluesman administers musical medicine
Page 8
Fantastic freshman
Bannon scores 19 in win over Rockets
Page 10
Centra I
Michigan
MONDAY
February 18, 1991
Mixed
EMOTIONS
Above, Gov. John Engler, R-Mount Pleasant, speaks after receiving
the 1991 Outstanding Citizen of the Year Award at the Embers, 1217
S. Mission, Saturday night.
Right, Sidney Persing, Mount Pleasant senior, and Kay Burton,
Mount Pleasant resident, protest Engler outside the restaurant
during the award ceremony.
LIFE Photos/Brent Henderson
Supporters, detractors respond as Engler receives award
Engler praised
by leaders
at ceremony
by JILLIAN BOGATER
LIFE Staff Wr ter
Gov. John Engler made a
special homecoming appearance
Saturday night to accept the
1991 Outstanding Citizen of the
Year Award.
The Mount Pleasant Area
Chamber of Commerce
presented the award at the 66th
Annual Awards Banquet, held at
the Embers. 1217 S. Mission.
Aside from more than 100
demonstrators and a few
harassing phone calls regarding
the decision to honor Engler. the
ceremony went off without
problems, said Jim Sandy,
executive director of the Mount
Pleasant Area Chamber of
Commerce.
Before presenting the Beal
City native with his award, last
year's recipient Mary Ellen
Brandeil. former vice mayor.
gave an introductory speech that
traveled back into the governor's
early years.
"Our award winner demonstrated creativity at a very early
age," she began. "His favorite
pastime was reading.
"According to family members,
he took pleasure in telling wild
bedtime stories to his younger
brothers and sisters." said
Brandeil, associate dean of the
College of Education, Health and
Human Services.
Brandeil shared youthful
images of Engler building a raft
that eventually sank in the
Chippewa River and of a young
boy who was softspoken.
"Unlike most young people
during their high school years,
(Engleri spent little time socializing. Apparently, he attended
only two dances — once in his
junior year and once in his senior
year, which was at the insistence
of his mother," she said.
She also talked about the
Mount Pleasant pride Engler
brings to the area.
''He is. indeed, a favorite son
and pride of our community.
Because of him, everyone in the
state now knows where Mount
Pleasant is. she said.
During the Rev. Richard
Jozwiak's benediction, he also
had a few words of praise for
Engler.
"We are proud Mount Pleasant
has given a son to serve the
state." he said.
Brandeil mentioned several
programs to benefit from
Engler's influence.
"We will never know how
many hours he has spent talking
and listening to people in the city
of Mount Pleasant and Isabella
County." she said. "WTe will never
have a way to measure the lives
he has affected in so many
positive ways."
After Brandeil presented him
with the Citizen of the Year
Award, Rep. Dave Camp
(R-Mount Pleasant) joined
Engler at the podium to present
him with a letter of congratulations    from    President    George
Bush.
Also on hand to offer congratulations were 35th District Sen.
Joanne Emmons (R - Big Rapids)
and 99th District Rep. Jim
McBryde (R - Mount Pleasant).
Recognizing his hometown
area was first on Engler's
agenda.
"This is possible because of all
of you." he said to the crowd of
200 people attending the reception. "This is something I
couldn't have done on my own.**
Engler said he was inspired by
his father, who was president of
the Michigan Cattle Association.
"I had a good role model in
terms of Dad always being
involved." he said.
Defending his restructuringof
state budgets. Engler said,
"we're downsizing certain
departments. Arthur Ellis gave
the right phrase when he called
it right-sizing."'
Ellis is a former CMU president and current director of he
state Department of Commerce.
He also said he felt the 9.2
percent budget cuts were
"unfair, but until there is an
agreement, I have no option but
to implement them.**
The biggest challenge in his
new position is economic growth,
he said.
Engler cited an unchanged
state population and a lowering
per capita income as the two
main problems impeding
economic growth in Michigan.
Engler said his goals are to
decrease tax costs, to restore
Michigan's competitiveness and
to make education a priority.
Critics gather
to protest
award banquet
by JILLIAN BOGATER
LIFE Staff Writer
More than 100 people picketed
the Outstanding Citizen of the
Year banquet at the Embers
Saturday, saying Gov. John
Engler did not deserve the
award.
Protestors paced in the cold
while holding signs saying "Save
our jobs so we can afford to eat at
the Embers sometime." "Child
abuse won't go away because
there aren't any more foster
homes," "Wno cares about our
children? Elderly? Handicapped?
Not Engler."
The crowd consisted of
employees from the Community
Mental Health Department, the
Mount Pleasant Regional Center
for Developmental Disabilities,
the Corrections Department, the
Department of Social Services
and Protection and Advocacy
and foster parents, said Kelly
Camp, co-organizer of the
protest.
Each may be or already has
been adversely affected by
Engler's cuts in the state budget,
she said.
Camp, who works at the
Isabella County DSS office in the
child protection service, said the
group gathered to voice its
opinions about the adverse
effects of Engler's recent budget
CLltS.
"We're concerned about cuts to
clients and agencies," she said.
Areas severely affected by
Engler's cuts are the Medicaid
program.    Aid    to    Dependent
Children (ADC) and workers for
foster care, Camp said.
A man who asked not to be
identified because he feared
losing his job said he was
frustrated with the budget cuts.
"The budget cuts take money
out of the supply system instead
of creating jobs," he said. "Who
do you kick? The dog? The cat?
Your wife? Your kids?"
"(Engler) says he wants to
create jobs but what he doesn't
realize is that the largest
employer in Mount Pleasant is
the state."
Budget cuts proposed by
Engler include cuts in state
programs, he said.
Many protestors declined to
identify themselves, explaining
their names were not important
but the issue of lost wages,
workers and jobs were the focus
of their actions.
1991 Ms. Ebony receives crown
County recycling hits new high
by JOHN DOBBERSTEIN
LIFE Staff Writer
Because of greater environmental awareness
and the higher cost of waste removal, more of the
county's garbage is recycled now than ever before.
Recycling in Isabella County increased nearly 31
percent — from 1.339 tons of collected waste in
1989 to 1,754 tons in 1990. according to figures
released by the Isabella County recycling center
this month.
The increase is attributed to several things, said
Tracy Crawford, recycling education coordinator
for the county.
"It's   the   awareness   of  the   people,"   she   said.
"Every time the cost of the city bags and tags goes
up, there seems to be an increase (in recycling
participation)."
Mount Pleasant currently charges city residents
$10.50 for 10 garbage bags and $5.50 for 10 clear
plastic bags for leaves. The cost helps the city pay
for garbage removal.
April 1990s "Earth Day" celebration also encouraged recycling. Crawford said.
"We have an excellent participation rate now,"
she said. "The proposed (material recovery facility)
would bring even greater participation because the
See RECYCLE Page 2
LIFE Photo/Mic Stankiewicz
Stephanie Stuart, Flint freshman, hopes one day
to be among Ebony Magazine's 100 Most
influential Black Women of America. Stuart was
crowned Ms. Ebony 1991 Saturday evening.
by KRIS BANFIELD
LiFE Staff Writer
Ms. Ebony 1990, South Haven senior Cassandra
Jenkins, turned her crown over to sucessor
Stephanie Stuart Saturday in Warriner
Auditorium.
The Flint freshman says responsibility comes
with the honor.
"You have to be a good representative of the
African-American people," she said. "I think you
have to be a positive role model and keep your
image up. and be somebody others can respect."
Stuart, who received the double honor of Ms.
Ebony and Ms. Congeniality, vied with three other
women for the crown.
Detroit freshman Perissa Millender was selected
as first runner-up. Carol Husbands, Pickering
senior, and Velvet Farley, Detroit freshman, also
competed before a crowd of about 200.
Five members of CMU faculty and staff judged
candidates in five categories: talent, self-
expression, evening wear, impromptu speech and
sophistication.
"I hope your ideals of a black woman are
enhanced by what you see through myself and my
fellow contestants," Farley said.
For the talent category, Husbands sang "For the
Love of You" by Whitney Houston. Stuart followed
with her piano rendition of Lionel Richie's "Still."
Millender gave a monologue she wrote, "What
Shall Become of Me?"
See EBONY Page 16
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