1995-10-20; Central Michigan Life

              I
Central
Michigan
FRIDAY,
OCTOBER 20,
1995
VOLUME 78, NUMBER 23
MOUNT PLEASANT, MICHIGAN 48859
©1995 CM LIFE
Plachta paper
on PBS to be
released today
President Leonard
Plachta will address
issues concerning CMU
Public Broadcasting
[today when he releases
his fourth "Presidential
Paper." The paper, titled
("President offers
(thoughts on Public
Broadcasting," will be
[distributed to the CMU
[community, according to
Rae Goldsmith, director
off Public Relations.
SPORTS
CMU football team returns
to Kelly/Shorts Stadium
The CMU football team
returns to Kelly/Shorts
Stadium Saturday afternoon after three straight
games on the road.
PAGE 6
ARTS
&
ENTERTAINMENT
(517) 774-3493
12 PAGES
Theatre-on-the-Side
play looks at abortion
"Keely and Du" is a powerful production exploring
both sides of the abortion issue as well as the
development of human
relationships under
extreme circumstances.
The play runs at 8 p.m.
today and Saturday.
PAGE 8
Man threatened with gun outside Sweeney
By CHRIS C DAVIS
LIFE Staff Writer	
A male reported being
assaulted by four teenage males
early Thursday morning, one of
whom brandished a stolen gun.
Ron Williams, associate
director of CMU's Department of
Public Safety, said a statement
from the man indicated the
incident occurred at approximately     2:15     a.m.     outside
Alcohol
availability
forum set
for Nov. 2
By ANNA LAM PI
LIFE Staff Writer	
The Isabella County Circle of
Health Partnership says it'n too
easy for the county's youth to get
alcohol.
And to do something about it.
the group will host its sixth
community forum from 7 to 9
p.m. Nov. 2 at West Intermediate School, 440 S. Bradley
Road. There it will get feedback
on the availability of alcohol to
youth.
The partnership hosted a
press conference Thursday at
18S8 o. s*Jvif80rvon Utieet wriei e 0
small group outlined the history
of past forums and issues leading
up to the sixth forum.
David Bair, chairman of the
Isabella County Circle of Health
Partnership committee on
alcohol and prevention coordinator of the Central Michigan
Community Mental Health
Services, said there is a correlation between alcohol's availability and its use by minors.
Bair said what happens in
Mount Pleasant impacts the
surrounding area.
Byron Doty, chairman of the
Isabella County Circle of Health
Partnership and executive
director of Mount Pleasant
Counseling Services, said it's a
county-wide issue.
"We're not the Mount Pleasant
alcohol task force; we're the
Isabella County alcohol task
force," Doty said.
Bair said the partnership
wants to achieve a balance.
''We're not a Prohibitionist
organization, and we never have
been," Bair said.
Instead, he said the partnership wants to help the
community avoid much more
than alcohol related deaths by
overconsumption and accidents.
There are other problems such
as date rape and forms of
violence associated with alcohol.
Bair said a different sort of
violence goes along with alcohol.
Drug distributors harm people,
while alcohol leads to domestic
violence, he said.
The fifth forum, held in April,
went so well that it led to this
forum, Doty said. There was
enough feedback so the policy
committee could develop strategies for the county.
Sandra Thelen, prevention
planner for the Isabella County
Circle of Health Partnership,
said the partnership gave a set of
policies to Mount Pleasant and
Union Township. In response,
the township developed policies
that it will present soon to its
board.
Sharon Tilmann, city commissioner, said Mayor Donald Sowle
appointed her and commissioners Gerald Cassel and Al
Kaufmann to a committee to
review the policies the partnership had presented. The
committee originally planned to
See FORUM Page 12	
Two jailed after incident
Sweeney Hall.
The man told police he and a
friend got into a verbal
argument. Trie friend left and
shortly after, a 16-year-old male
from Jackson, two 17-year-old
males from Jonesville and one
18-year-old male from Jonesville
returned.
The friend whom the man had
argued with earlier was not in
the group, Williams said.
The four teenagers reportedly
approached the man and spoke
momentarily. One of the teenagers then produced a gun identified as a .22-caliber derringer,
and leveled it at the man's head,
Williams   said.   No   bullet   was
fired from the gun.
The teenagers left the scene,
after which time the man
contacted DPS. The suspects
were located by DPS officers
shortly thereafter.
The 16-year-old was released
to      his     parents     and     the
18-year-old was arrested, but n«H
detained. The two 17-year-olds
were lodged in the Isabella
County Jail, Williams said.
The case has been turned over
to the Isabella County Prosecutor's Office for investigation.
No CMU students were involved
in the incident.
Shaun Holtgreive, associate
director of Residence Life, said the
four teen-agers were guests of
a Sweeney Hall resident.
LOTS O'
POTS
Windy Viet*, Mount
Wlghtman Hall.
for her 1
■
Hudson's president addresses luncheon
By JENNIFER ACKERMAN
LIFE Assistant News Editor	
The role of modern
technology in the business world
of the future was the focus of the
keynote address delivered at the
Business Leadership Luncheon.
Dennis TofTolo, president of
Hudson's and a CMU alumnus,
addressed an audience of local
businesses and CMU representatives Wednesday afternoon at
the Embers, 1217 S. Mission St.
The event was sponsored by
the Mount Pleasant Area
Chamber of Commerce, in
conjunction with the third
annual Business Expo.
According to TofTolo, 49, the
rapid advancement of computerized technology is reshaping the
business world and causing
retailers to modernize their
business practices to appeal to a
new generation of shoppers.
TofTolo said the retail industry
is beginning to incorporate new
electronic features into the way
they do business.
"If you want to be in existence
in the year 2020 ... it looks like
the    format    will    be    multi
dimensional sales," he said.
The retail industry will no
longer rely on catalog sales and
traditional sales that require
customers to physically enter a
store to purchase merchandise,
but will take on an electronic
component of marketing the
product to consumers, he said.
As an example of the latest
technology, TofTolo said
Hudson's is producing its 1996
catalog on CD-ROM. He said the
store already is using a
computerized gift registry
system with touch screen operation.
TofTolo explained the changing
preferences of the buying public.
He offered statistics that
indicate consumers are taking
fewer trips to the mall and
shopping a half hour less than
they were in the past.
TofTolo joined Hudson's in 1969
and became president in May
1990. He earned his master's in
business administration from
CMU.
He is a member of the Board of
Directors for the following
organizations:    Detroit   Renais-
LIFE Photo JOHN I
Dennis Toffolo, president of Hudson's, converses with other guests
before his speech on the future of retail at the Embers,
sance, Greater Detroit Chamber      university.
of Commerce, New Detroit Inc.
and United Way for Southeastern Michigan. He's also on
the College of Business Development Board at Eastern Michigan
University.
In 1992, TofTolo received the
CMU Centennial Award for
outstanding    service    to    the
Interaction between
consumers and sales people is
very important to the baby
boomer generation, while the
interaction is not as important to
the next generation of shoppers,
he said.
See TOFFOLO Page 12	
Fifty businesses appear at Business Expo
By LENNY PADILLA
LIFE Staff Writer	
More than 50 businesses
from the Mount Pleasant area
helped make the the 3rd annual
Business Expo the most
successful ever.
"It has gone extremely well so
far. This is definitely our most
successful expo yet," said Terry
Sanders, Business Expo chairwoman.
The Expo took place
Wednesday at the Comfort Inn,
2424 S. Mission St. It was hosted
by the Mount Pleasant Area
Chamber of Commerce.
The Comfort Inn, was transformed into an indoor marketplace, blanketed with tables full of
informational pamphlets and
fliers.
An estimated 1,000 people
each wearing white name tags
displaying their respective
company's name, attended the
one-day exhibit to pursue local
businesses and the products they
offered.
A   wide   range   of businesses
showcased their wares and
shared ideas in the hope of
attracting business from other
companies.
Sanders said the reason for
the continuing success of the
event can be directly attributed
to the large number of returning
companies who find it beneficial
to their business.
Rob Petree, a representative
from Chemical Bank Michigan,
said his company went to the
Expo intending to familiarize
Mount Pleasant residents with a
new banking procedure his
company has recently adopted
and would like to heighten the
awareness of their product.
Central Michigan Community
Hospital also had many services
to offer fellow businesses,
including occupational therapy,
physicals, vision testing and
physical therapy for work-
related injuries.
"This is a great business
opportunity for our company,"
said Kathy Lietaert, a representative from Manpower
Temporary* Services.