1982-07-28;Central Michigan Life

              Central Michigan LIFE
Vol.63 No.95
*•' 1982 CM LIFE
Mount Pleasant, Mich. 48859
12 pages
Wednesday, July 28,1982
Splash down
CM IFE/Kon Stovon*
The Chippewa River, a rope from an
overhanging tree, and a warm summer day
provided 20-year-old Norma Zalud of
Shepherd with a splashing good time.
Ferency leads spirited rally
by ROGER HITTS
LIFE Staff Writer
and J. A. HEBLER
LIFE News Editor
Gubernatorial candidate
Zolton Ferency spoke before
a hopeful mid-Michigan contingency during a rally on his
behalf at Island Park
Thursday afternoon.
The Michigan State professor currently is running
third in the polls behind Jim
Blanchard, D-Pleasant Ridge,
currently a U.S. congressman,
and William Fitzgerald for
the Democratic nomination
for governor.
Ferency said the policies of
Ronald Reagan are to blame
for Michigan's economic woes,
and sees a Democratic
resurgence in Michigan
politics.
"Thanks to Ronald Reagan,
the Republicans are on the
run," Ferency said. "We can't
find people who are willing to
admit they voted for Reagan
last time."
Ferency attacked the
public utilities and big
business with out-state interests during his address at
Island Park in Mount Pleasant. He also stated Michigan
must stop relying on the
automobile industry for its
economic resources.
"I don't believe that
Michigan ought to continue to
tie its fortunes to the fortune
of the automobile industry,"
Ferency said. "We've done
that for 70 years, and I'm
tired of going up and down
like a yo-yo on a string."
"I think it's about time we
begin to diversify this
economy and begin to work
with the things we have in
this state."
The weather was still
balmy at dusk as Ferency addressed the enthusiastic
crowd, many of whom were
drinking beer provided at the
rally.
Mark Klein and Jeff
Cleveland, two Mount Pleasant area Democrats running
(See "Ferency"—page 2)
Pierce doesn't back down
by ROB ISELER
LIFE Editor
With the heart of the gubernatorial race,
now in full swing Democratic candidate Ed
Pierce considers himself the most electable
candidate and said the majority of the voters
have not made up their minds yet.
"Eighty percent of the people, who are going to vote, don't know who they are going to
vote for," said Pierce, a state Senator from
Ann Arbor, in a Wednesday afternoon press
conference at the Isabella County Building.
"I've learned this through my own experience with talking to people, I'm a good
conversationalist," he said.
Of course the major obstacle in Pierce's
path to Lansing right now is the Aug. 10
primary.
"If I can get through the primary I think
I'm the kind of person the electorate would
like in the governor's chair.
Pierce said last Wednesday he would have
to raise at least $100,000 within the next 10
days to stay in the race.
"I have raised $350,000 (including state
matching funds) and I would like to raise
another $100,000 to buy the precious television time," said Pierce, who also is a physician.
In order to win the primary race Pierce
said he will be concentrating his campaign in
the Detroit area, including Wayne, Oakland
and Macomb counties.
Pierce lashed out against democratic
gubernatorial front-runner and current U.S.
congressman James Blanchard, D-Pleasant
(See "Pierce"—page 10)
Drugs are a tough battle for lawmen
(Editor's note: This is the
third and final part of LIFE'S
drug series).
by ROGER HITTS
LIFE Staff Writer
and J JL HEBLER
LIFE News Editor
Enforcing current drug
laws and arresting dealers in
Mount Pleasant and Isabella
County is similar to killing insect pests. You know there
are a lot out there to kill if you
could only get at them.
"Of the total amount of people dealing in the Mount Pleasant area, we are getting
about one percent while the
other 99 go free," said Mount
Pleasant's Assistant Prosecutor Tom Plachta. "I think
in the three or four county
area surrounding us, there
are bails of marijuana and
pounds of cocaine being sold."
Societial drug use levels
have increased dramatically
over the past 20 years said
Mount Pleasant Police Chief
Martin Trombley.
"Many people in different
communities feel that the
drug problem is abstract,"
Trombley said. "Personally, I
feel there has been no reduction in drug use. from 1961 to
1982, my entire career."
While drug use became
predominantly known as a
trait of the younger generation in the 1960's, it has
become widespread in all professional spheres and age
groups in the 1980's.
"Since Tve been working in
narcotics enforcement in
1970, we continue to work 8
hours a day to capacity on the
drug problem," said Bill
Burns, Unit commander of the
Bay Area Narcotic Enforcement Team (BAYANET). "I
feel drugs are becoming more
wide-spread. Narcotics aren't
limited to the college kid, it's
in   the   professional   sphere
now. In 1970, we didn't have
as many public officials doing
it. Now we find that there are
people high on drugs who are
making our laws in
Washington."
Drugs are also, becoming
more prevalent for the
children of society, Trombley
said. Like a spreading, sucking leach, marijuana, cocaine,
and other hallucinigens must
be dealt with at a younger
age.
"If Tm 12-years-old today, I
can expect to talk freely
about drugs from now until I
graduate at 18," Trombley
said. "This wasn't necessarily
true in the early '60's."
Narcotics have swept into
the power structure, destroying the myth that only the
lower class has a drug problem, Trombley said^
"A white middle class Joe
Smith with a good low profile
identity as a student can
make good money dealing cocaine at $10,000 a month, all
tax free for 12 months," he
said. "At your level (college)
of parties, bags of weed are
around, someone might snort
up some cocaine, it's just like
a bottle of beer now."
CMU's    Department    of
(See "Drag series"—page 5)
In Brief
This is LIFE'S last summer publication.
Publication will resume with the beginning of
the fall semester on August 30. Enjoy the rest of
the summer Mount Pleasant!
Campus
A new class beginning next fall at CMU
will deal with the effects of nuclear war.
page 3
Sports
Index
CMU has some pro
hopefuls    .beginning
camp this week,
page 8
■i i i i »
Comment  4
Sports  8
Classifieds 11