Columbia Missourian Newspaper 1984-09-18

              jfofo Columbia
76th Year No. 4 Good Morning! It's Tuesday, September 18, 1984 2 Sections 14 Pages 25 Cents
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Mail clipper
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No, it's not tie Pony Express But 73- year- o- ld Cleo Roberts in front of his house at 1700 Indiana Ave ' When you can t
does find his lawn mower is helpful for picking up the mail walk very good, you ride," he said
Council sees leak in water station project
By Pat Lm and DavM Vok
MUsourian staff writer
With Mayor John Westland and
City Manager Dick Gray in Japan,
Second Ward Councilman Don Mos- b- y
lead a short- but- swe- et council
meeting Monday that was high
lighted by a public heating on a pro-posed
land purchase for a water
pumping station and reservoir
The council delayed approval of
the purchase and asked for more
study on alternatives the city may
have for the project
The pumping station and under-ground
reservoir would meet the
drinking- wate- r needs of rapidly de-veloping
south Columbia, but the
owner of the land said he opposes the
plan.
Paul Godfrey of 500 Green Mead-ows
Road objected because the prop-erty
is productive farmland In-stead,
be said, the aty should
consider ether sites in the area.
Land purchase put on hold
after owner voices objection
Water and Light Department Di-rector
Dick Malon said the proposed
purchase of land northwest of Nifong
Boulevard and Bethel Road would be
convenient and economical for the
aty Several council members, how-ever,
questioned the move.
Fifth Ward Councilwoman Barba-ra
McDonald ssM she thought the
city should not Imnt itself to the pro-posed
site, and she expressed con-cern
over the possible negative im-pact
the purchase would have on
Godfrey's family
" I mink mere are at least four or
five other sites in the area that
should be explored," she said, citing
adjacent tracts of land that are not
bemg used for farming
Fourth Ward Councilman Pat Bar-nes
agreed " If it's just convenient,
mat's nota good enough reason."
If another site could be " cost- justified- ,"
he said the city should not cut
into Godfrey's farmland.
The elevation of the proposed site
allows for natural drainage for the
reservoir, Malon said. If the aty
used that land, little work would be
needed on the site, compared to
more extensive alterations if one of
the other nearby sites were chosen,
be said.
Under current plans, Malon said,
the reservoir would not be con-structed
unhl 1995
Westlund and Gray are touring Ja
pan to promote Missouri business
opportunities.
In other action, the council
Changed an amendment to the build-ing
code when Charles Scheunch,
former buQding regulations supervi-sor
for the city, pointed out that it
would deter property owners from
improving their buildings
The amendment would remove the
incentive to improve or add to easti-ng
buildings, Scheunch said, be-cause
it would require people mak-ing
renovations to use materials
approved by the amended fire code
rather man using material similar to
that originally used.
After Schuench's recommenda-tion,
the council removed the pro-posed
amendment and replaced rt
with the corresponding section in the
present code, which Scheunch said
gave the owner more leeway in mak-ing
home improvements
The council then adopted the
amended building code.
Auto strike
puts brakes
on 13 plants
DETROIT ( UPI) Striking auto
workers halted production at 12 Gen-eral
Motors Corp assembly plants
nationwide Monday as a 13th plant
called a wildcat strike
The strike is costing GM about $ 18
million a day
Several hundred workers at Cab
fonua's only GM plant, in Van Nuys
who had struck briefly during the
weekend walked off the job again
Monday in a strike that was not au-thorized
by the United Auto Work
ers a company spokesman said
The union had reached agreement
Sunday night on a local contract cov
enng about 4 000 workers at the Van
Nuy plant, and most employees re-turned
to work Monday But many
workers on the first shift left mid-way
through their workdav despite
the pact
" There's a lot of confusion around
here right now said GM spokes-man
Harrj Kelly " We have stopped
work because several hundred peo-ple
have walked out They were not
authorized to leave their jobs "
The enure first shift, 2 500 employ
ees was sent home because of the
confusion, KeDy said We decided
the best thing to do was to release
everybody "
UAW officials at union headquar
ters in Detroit refused to comment
on the Van Nuys development.
' There will be no comment today
UAW chief spokesman Dave Mitch-ell
said. ' Our bargainers are getting
some sleep."
Weary negotiators for GM and the
United Auto Workers broke off con- tracttalks- at3
30am Monday after
a 20- ho- ur session. Bargaining was to
resume at 8 30tius morning
The first strikers hit the picket
lines at 5 am. They will get $ 85 a
week in strike pay phis medical cov
erage from the union s $ 570 million
strike fund
" They don't really want a strike
but they want restored what was
taken from them," said J. M Conus- ke- y,
spokesman for Local 594 in Pon- ua- c,
Mich.
The contract, which expired at
midnight Friday contained $ 3 billion
in concessions made in 1982
Sources said bargainers were
hung up on job security the union's
toppnonty
GM refused to make an economic
offer during the 20- ho- ur bargaining
session, insisting that the job- secu- n
ty portion of the contract be resolved
before wages and benefits are dis-cussed
UAW President Owen Bieber and
Vice President Donald Ephhn issued
a statement saying that significant
differences remain between the par
hes on the principle issues "
Analysts estimate walkouts by
nearly 59000 hourly workers in 12
plants will cost GM $ 125 million a
week, or about $ 18 million a day
Dealers also expect an early squeeze
Strike
Report
Thirteen plants
closed
v More than 60,000
workers off job
w GM losing $ 18 million
daily
Key issue job secun
ty
v Talks resume today
on inventories.
' Most Cadillac dealers are all
cleaned out of TM models and none
of us has an inventory of 85 mod
els," said Everett Ahlgnm, owner of
Ahlgrun Cadillac in Hammond Ind
The union authorized local- issu- e
strikes at 13 plants after bargainers
failed to reach agreement by mid
night Fnday Workers at selected
plants officially went on strike Sat
urday, but weekend work was sched-uled
only at a Flint, Mich., plant em-ploying
13 100 workers
The chosen plants which pro-duce
some of GMs hottest- sellin- g
models and house some of the
unions most militant members
are located in DoravDle, Ga Arung
ton Texas, Wilmington, DeL Bowl
ing Green, Ky , Shreveport, La
Wentzvflle Mo Linden, N J War
ren, Flint and Onon. Mich., and two
inPonuac Mich
The remainder of GM's 350000
hourly workers were told to stay on
the job but more wildcat walkouts
were expected.
GM told 5,000 workers at a Fisher
Body plant in Flint, Mich., not to re-port
for work Monday because their
companion Buick assembly plant
was on the strike- targ- et list
City awaits UMC's reply to fire safety proposal
ByOonraONaal
MHaaoMrtan Staff Writer
University officials may have an
answer this week to Columbia Fire
Chief BUI Westhoff s proposal for a
jointly funded, citycampus fire in-spection
and education program.
Westhoff s proposal for the two- yea- r,
$ 30j00Oy ear pilot program
with the cost shared equally by the
aty and University has been rai-der
study by campus business ted
safety departments for several
weeks. The City Council on Sept. 4
approved HWWa for the city's share
of the program, whose fate now de- pen- ds
on a nod from University offi-cials
wining to match the city's
funds.
" Fm hopeful we can" match
funds, sakl Kee Groshong, director
of Business Services. A decision
sbomVlcomeirtthinaweek, hesail
The program would hire a fire
safety specialist to improve fire in- spectk- ma,
public fuw aajetyedoca- tu- n
and Are code enforcement on
campus and hi the ctty, Westhoff
said.'
" We Jos are not in a position right
dott to do as adequate a Job in public
fire inspection and education as we'd
like to," said Westhoff. citing a
shortage of fire department person-nel
as one reason.
UMC Envronmental Health and
Safety Director Jim Beckett, who
!
has been working with Westhoff on
the proposal, said the University's
safety programs have followed a
similar course.
" Very definitely I'm in the same
boat," he said. " We don't have a
safety representative on the staff
anymore'
Budget crunches have kept that
position unfilled since Dave KeQer
retired several months ago because
of health problems, Beckett said.
Fire safety in campus- owne- d
buildings is a recurring concern
among University officials " I think
there are some needs on the campus
in the fire safety area," Groshong
said.
Beckett said be thinks the Univer-sity
has a good program. " But that
doesn't mean you cant improve," be
said.
The University employs two men
who inspect and maintain fire
aiprrrtfj eztuiguisbers and other
safety equpment Beckett said the
proposed fire safety specialist would
enhance rather Stan duplicate their
jQDS.
The specialist would divide the
time equally between the campus
and the fire department, Beckett
and Westhoff said. On campus, the
spedfiust would oversee all areas of
safely, JTctatog staff and student
edncatSon, fire inspections and fire
and tornado evacuation, Beckett
said.
Greeks to feel heat as fire inspectors crack down
ByOonnaO'Naal
Mtaaounan StaH Writer
Qty and University inspectors
have issued written fire safety
guidelines and temporarily closed
unsanitary kitchens in stepping op
enforcement of fire and health codes
at University fraternity and sorority
houses.
The increased enforcement
which began this semester follows
on the heels of a three- mont- h study
last spring by the Missoarian that
found lax enforcement and irregular
inspections among Columbia Fire
For the city, the specialist would
work with the Fire Prevention Bu-reau's
two members m conducting
fire inspections and public fire edu-cation
programs, Westhoff said.
If successful, the pilot program
likely would be permanent It is one
of a number of proposals Westhoff
has made in an ongoing evaluation
of fiie fire department
That evaluation began in Decem-ber
when Westh left as director of
the Univetwty- baae- d Missouri Fire
and Rescue Training Institute to re- pto- ce
Guard " Toot" Wren as fire
chief. Wren resigned from the post--
Department and University Student
Health Service inspectors at the
Greek houses.
Inspectors' laissez- fair- e attitude
coupled with poor communication
among fire. University and Greek
personnel allowed possible fire
and health hazards to go unchecked
at the houses, the Missoarian found.
University Sanitarian Roy Par-sons
last month denied about a dozen
Greek booses permission to open
their kitchens until they met city
health requirements. The kitchens
were allowed to open after equip-mentwas
serviced and cleaned.
tion in July 1983 but remained with
the department as senior battalion
chief.
Westhoff assumed leadership over
a department that bad been racked
by controversy Wren bad stepped
down amid charges from City Man-ager
Dick Gray that he could not
properly manage the department
Then, in August 1963, several fire-fighters
complained that deficient
equipment and a shortage of person-nel
were shortchanging the public
by posing fire safety hazards.
Once on board, Westhoff ad-dressed
those problems and more by
In his prior three years at the Uni
versity. Parsons had closed a kitch-en
for being unsanitary only once
sanitation records show That oc
curred in March at Zeta Beta Tau
fraternity while he was accompa
rued by a MLssounan reporter
" It seems be ( Parsons) is a little
stricter" this semester, said Margy
Hams, Residential Life coordinator
for Greek Life " All the feedback
I've gotten from the house directors
indicates he seems to be toughening
up a bit, which is what we probably
needed."
The Columbia Fire Department
forming several ln- hou- se task forces
to study and offer recommendations
on fire inspection, education, code
enforcement equipment and person- ne- L
So far, those recommendations
have led to the purchase of $ 30 0O0
worth of top- lin- e protective clothing
and a committee to revise and up-date
the city's nine- year- o- ld fire
code And Westhoff said he will hold
a press conference in a few weeks to
announce more plans for the depart-ment
" We're striving for a better capa-bility
overall in code enforcement,
i
also is casting a more critical eye on
the Greeks Fire Chief Bill Westhoff
has issued written fire safety
guidelines to them and has pledged
to have every house inspected at
least once a semester
That pledge would double the num-ber
of initial inspections at the
houses each year The city fire code
requires a fire official to inspect
buddings such as the Greek houses
' as often as necessary " The Fire
Department and the University
years ago agreed on annual inspec- -
Sea FIRE. paos3
public fire safety and inspections,"
Westhoff said.
Creating a drycampus fire spe-cialist
position is one way to meet
that goal, be added. " I really think
there are so many things that could
be accomplished with strong com-munication
between University and
city departments." he said.
Groshong agreed. " We're inter-ested
si cooperating with the dty
where it'd be advantageous for both
of us. We're inclined to lean toward
this type of program," he said of
Westhoff s proposal. " I think it's a
pretty good proposaL" .
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