1993-02-26; Central Michigan Life

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Central
Michigan
VOLUME 75, NUMBER 67
© 1993 CM LIFE
MOUNT PLEASANT, MICHIGAN 48859
(517) 774-3493
14 PAGES
Trustee Brown resigns from Board
By Brian D. Bell
Llf-F Editor
RON BROWN
CMU Trustee Ron Brown has decided to call it
quits.
Brown, White Lake resident, said he mailed a
letter to Gov. John Engler Feb. 19 stating he was
resigning from CMUs Board of Trustees because
scheduling conflicts prevent him from attending
most meetings.
He was appointed to the Board in December
1989 by then-Gov. James Blanchard and attended
11 of the 26 meetings since then.
Shortly after his appointmemt, Brown was
promoted from president of Local 876 of the Food
and Commerical Workers union to UFCW international vice president. His additional duties
coupled with other obligations required him to
travel out of state frequently.
"I actually felt terrible not being able to be there,
and at the meetings I did attend I felt a little bit
squirmish because of the meetings I had missed,"
Brown said.
Although during the past few months he contemplated resigning, he said he held out in hopes
that he could fit the meetings into his schedule.
"I enjoyed being on the Board. It was truly a
learning experience," Brown said. "If I'd not had
(other) responsibilities, I would have stayed on."
Brown's decision was somewhat of a surprise to
University officials, said Russ Herron, vice president for University Relations.
"(But) I knew Mr. Brown had been struggling to
attend some meetings," Herron said. "I think he
sincerely wanted to be on the Board."
Brown said he believes CMU is heading in the
right direction.
"With budget restrictions and lack of funding,
all universities have problems," he said. "(Administrators) are struggling very, very hard to remain
See BROWN Page 2
Officials pleased
Playboy chose to
drop party label
By Karen Joseph
I IK   Ambience Frditor
Clinton
to raise
head start
funding
By Lisa J. Schwass
LIFE  St^ff Wr.ter
Fn the wake of President Bill
Clintons State of the Union
address last week, there are
some smiling faces coming from
CMUs Eight-Cap Head Start
Program.
1 The reason for the enthusiasm results from Clintons
announcement to raise funding
to head start programs in the
nation.
"We're excited more kids will
be serviced." said Holly Gerkin,
director of CMUs head start
program "It's not just for the
children, it helps the total fam-
With the additional funding,
five more centers in Isabella,
Gratiot. Ionia and Montcalm
counties will open by next fall,
said Nancy Secor, head start
manager for the* Isabella, Gratiot. Ionia and Montcalm region.
The CMU head start program
has been in service for 14 years
and recently gained (Jerkin as
its new director.
See START Page 2
Engler submits budget cuts
Executive order spares state's universities
By Matt Crossman
l IF r-  St.jff Wnter
An anticipated executive
order to confront Michigan's $367
million budget deficit was
announced to the state legislature Tuesday.
The proposal included spending cuts, an increase in the
amount of money the stale
receives from liquor sales and
additions to current programs
stemming from leftover funds
from the new cuts.
Gov. John Engler submitted
the plan to both the Senate and
House Appropriations Committees. Under law, these committees can pass or kill the proposal.
A full vote is not required.
The House Appropriations
Committee unanimously passed
the order within approximately
30 minutes, said committee
member 99th District State Rep.
Jim McBryde, R-Mount Pleasant.
The Senate Appropriations
Committee passed it Wednesday.
The problem was not overspending, but rather a miscalculation of incoming revenue,
McBryde said
In addition to the executive
order, the Senate is expected to
vote on the supplemental Senate
Bill 363 by Tuesday
Neither contained across-the-
board cuts to higher education
Proposals to cut the current
budget for all universities by 2
percent failed to make it into the
governors proposal.
"Other areas were found that
were a lot less painful," McBryde
said "Compared to some of the
other options, this is the best
package we could support for eliminating the $367 million deficit."
A lack of across-the-board cuts
benefits the University because it
will have a higher funding base to
work from for the next fiscal year
budget. McBryde said
Special maintenance funds for
universities and community colleges were cut by $950,000. CMU
will not feel the effects because
the University had a prior understanding with the State that
funds would not be available,
said Jerry Scoby. assistant vice
president for Business Affairs.
Four-year universities have
not received these funds for the
last couple of years, Scoby said.
CMU has paid for special maintenance    through    other    means
St
CUTS Page 2
A few disgruntled administrators are pleased with Playboy's decision to drop the "party
school" theme for the upcoming
April issue, but feel the damage
already has been done to CMU's
reputation.
The magazine's previous
intention of showcasing the
women of the top ten party
schools upset many people at
Central. Though the theme was
changed, some people feel the
damage already is done.
"To be frank, I'm delighted
(that they dropped the party
school theme)," said James Hill,
vice president for Student
Affairs.
"I have no joy about being part
of Playboy. I don't find any value
in it."
Richard Davenport, vice provost for Academic Affairs, said he
also was happy that the party
school image was dropped.
"I'm very pleased in the fact
that they are eliminating the
reference to the party school,"
Davenport said.
"Maybe it's a sign that the
magazine is maturing.
"I hope they focus on issues and
High wire act
City water treatment
facility site approved
By Tamara Snyder
! \hh   St,iff Wr If r
After five months of negotiations with Union Township trustees,
Mount Pleasant City officials received site approval Wednesday for a
$6.5 million water treatment facility.
Township trustees awarded the city a special use permit for a
2'A-story water treatment plant at Lincoln and Broomfield roads. The
previously proposed area near the city's well and storage areas near
MeGuirk and Green Acres' subdivisions was rejected by Township
Planning Commissioners.
About 50 residents of the area protested the site consideration last
week at the Union Township Planning Commission meeting. The city
would have saved $250,000 by placing the facility at that site.
Forty MeGuirk and Green Acres' residents also attended Wednesday's meeting to ensure property near their homes wasn't reconsidered
for the facility.
"We were real happy they approved it." said Duane Ellis, Mount
Pleasant   Public Works director
He said he was glad an agreement finally was reached because city
and township officials have- discussed the water treatment location
since October
"The next step is to proceed with design work," Ellis said.
Design work should be completed within six months with facility
construction beginning in the fall, he said The plant should be ready to
treat area water in two years
Union trustees granted the city the special use permit under a
condition that two rows of blue spruce trees be planted around the
See PLANT Page 14
Despite freezing temperatures,
Thursday.
LIFE PhotoJay Williams
GTE employees work on power lines on Bellows Street near Douglas
liThey    have
still
damaged the reputa
tion           of
the
University. 99
Rae Goldsmith
concerns, attitudes and so forth
rather than the sexual display
they've been known for in the
past/' Davenport said.
Rae Goldsmith, director of
Public Relations, said CMU's
reputation already has been
muddied, though.
"They have still damaged the
reputation of the University,'
Goldsmith said.
Goldsmith said she is glad the
magazine has decided to drop
what she called "an inaccurate
and totally outdated label."
Bill Paige, Playboy public relations manager, said it was not the
intent of the publication to damage or imply a reputation on any
See PLAYBOY Page 1 4
Autograph
session
'almost
guaranteed'
By Todd Fettig
1 Ihh   Staff Wnter	
CMU women appearing in
April's issue of Playboy might
sign autographs in Mount Pleasant as part of a promotional campaign to generate interest and
increase sales.
Representatives from Playboy
have approached local stores,
asking them to consider
autograph-signing sessions featuring the women, said Chuck
MacGregor, owner of MacGregor
News Agency, 1733 Industrial
Park Dr., which distributes Playboy to local merchants.
Most stores have refused to
sponsor such an event because of
controversy involving the issue,
MacGregor said.
However, some area stores still
are considering the* promotion as
an option.
"No one has come forward to
accept the offer yet." he said.
MacGregor said he was confident some type of autograph-
signing promotion will be implemented.
"Most stores are just waiting to
see how/ the University reacts to
the contents of the articles and
pictures in the issue."
MacGregor said if no stores
accept the offer. Playboy will conduct the autograph promotion
elsewhere, such as a hotel
Elizabeth Norris, director of
public relations for Playboy, said
an autograph session is possible
Playboy representatives who
approached the local stores were
not available for comment at
press time.
The issue hits newsstands
March lfi.
SERVING THE CAMPUS COMMUNITY FOR MORE THAN 70 YEARS