LOCAL THURSDAY, AUG. 7 . 1 9 9 7
K'zoo River improvements
COMMUNITY CALENDAR HELP YOURSELF
Here's a reminder The City of Battle Creek Water Division was
turning off water at 8 a.m. in part of the city today to repair a
broken water valve.
The water was be restored at 4 p.m. along:
Roosevelt Avenue from Wash-ington Avenue to Howland Street.
Baldwin Avenue from Wash-ington to the dead end.
Roseneath Avenue from Wash-ington to Howland.
Howland from Roseneath to Roosevelt.
Washington fron Roosevelt to Northside Drive.
After service is restored, cus-tomers should check water quality
before washing white or delicate clothing.
SELF-HELP GROUPS Brain Injury Support
Group, 1:30 p.m. today, Disability Resource Center of
Southwestern Michigan, Kalamazoo.
Kalamazoo Gay/Lesbian Resource Center Youth Group, 7 p.m. today.
First Presbyterian Church, 321 W. South St., Kala-mazoo. For more
information, call 616-345-7878 from 7 and 10 p.m. to-day through
Friday.
Overcomers (Victory Through Christ), 7 p.m. Friday, First United
Methodist Church, 114 E. Michigan Ave.
HEALTH Lakeview Square mall walk,
6:30 to 9 a.m. weekdays. Blood pressure screening offered from 7
to 8:30 a.m.
Calhoun County Health De-partment, free or low-cost pelvic and
breast exams, including mam-mograms, free for women over 40 with a
limited income, 191 College Street. For appointment, call
966-1234.
SPECIAL INTERESTS Battle Creek NAACP Youth
Council, 6 p.m. today, NAACP Headquarters.
North American Patriots Association, 6:30 p.m. today. Speed's
Restaurant, 1425 W. Mich-igan Ave.
National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Michigan Chapter, 7 p.m.
today. Clarion Hotel, 3600 E. Cork St., Kalamazoo.
Battle Creek Magic Club, 7:30 p.m. today. Miller Gymnasi-um,
Kellogg Community College.
Battle Creek Stamp Club, 7 p.m. Friday, Y Center board room.
Interaction of Kalamazoo inc. (for single adults), 7:30 p.m.
Friday, People's Church, 1758 N. 10th St., Kalamazoo.
Buddhist Meditation And Study Group. Call 962-6741.
Amateur Radio Club of Batde Creek 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Russ's
Restaurant 963-4574.
SERVICE CLUBS Harper Creek Optimist
Club, 6:30 p.m. today, Custer American Legion Post 54.
SENIORS Blood-pressure check, 9 to
11 a.m. Friday, Battle Creek Health System Wellness Clinic,
Burnham Brook Center.
Senior meals, served by Elder Services Department of Community
Action Agency: 11:30 a.m. Monday through Friday in Springview
Towers, Bedford Man-or, Franklin Center, Washington Heights United
Methodist Church and Mercy Pavilion Lakeview Cen-ter, 11:30 a.m.
Monday, Wednes-day and Friday in the Springfield Senior Fellowship
Center at the Battle Creek Area Math and Sci-ence Center, 765 Upton
Ave. Make reservations the previous open day at 963-1212.
TO SUBMIT INFORMATION Please send items to Commu-
nity Calendar, 155 W. Van Buren St, Battle Creek 49017-3093. Or
fax to 964-0299. Please include your name and phone number.
SETTING IT STRAIGHT ' Gerald O. Woodman, who
died Saturday, was married to the former Lena Claflin. Due to
incor-rect information provided to the Efiquirer, her maiden name
was spelled incorrectly on Page 4A Wednesday.
:i-he Battle Creek Enquirer cor-rects errors of fact. To report
an er-ror, call 966-0674.
HOW TO REACH US ; Have a story tip or idea? Here's how to reach
us 24 hours a day: ; Reader hat l i ie : 966-0681
Fax: 9644)299 Great Lakes Free-Net: Leave a
message in the Battle Creek Enquirer tonference area. I E-awl:
[email protected]
Calhoun action may make grants available
Vie Enquirer
MARSHALL - A renewal may be in store for the Kalamazoo River
through Calhoun County.
On June 19, the county board ap-pointed Assistant County
Admin-istrator Keeley Taylor to apply for
NEIGHBORS PLUS
Delton to A parade, entertainment, games,
food, children's rides and more will be part of the 24th annual
Delton Area Founders Weekend on Friday and Saturday.
Longtime resi-dents Charles and Donna Mo-nica have been named
grand marshals of this year's event, and they will be hon-ored for
their years of commu-nity service at a special presentation at 7
p.m. Friday. Tliey also will reign over the annual parade at 1 p.m.
Saturday, along with Miss Delton 1997 Katie Riffey and her court,
Andrea Mandoza, Danielle Freeland, Brindy Stiles and alternate
queen Nicole Glenn.
Most activities will be centered around the Delton Kellogg
Schools complex on M-43.
Events scheduled for the weekend will include an arts and crafts
fair be-ginning at noon Friday and continuing Saturday; bingo; a
fashion show at 5:30 p.m. Friday; a Las Vegas Night
designation of the Kalamazoo River Watershed as an American
Heritage River.
At its meeting tonight, the county Board of Commissioners will
con-sider moving forward with the initia-tive. The waterway passes
through Calhoun County and ends up at Lake Michigan.
The committee has developed a let-ter inviting public
participation in the project
from 6 p.m.-midnight Friday; karaoke from 5-9 p.m. Friday; a
talent show at 6:30 p.m., with the winners of the ju-nior division
performing at noon Saturday and senior division winners performing
at 3 p.m. Saturday; a pan-cake breakfast from 6-10 a.m. Saturday; a
horseshoe pitching tour-nament; antique tractor display; and
more.
Entertainment Saturday will in-clude Miss Delton performing at
10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.; Gull Creek Cloggers at 12:30 p.m. and
1:30 p.m.; Thornapple Valley Dulcimer Society at 2 and 5 p.m.; and
Brad Vincent at 2 p.m. Saturday. There also will be children's
rides and pony rides.
In addition, the Bernard Historical Museum, located one mile
west of Delton on Delton Road, will be hope for tours from 1-5 p.m.
Saturday.
The weekend will conclude with a free gospel music concert at 7
p.m. Saturday at Faith United Methodist Church.
For more information, call the Founders Weekend hotline at
616-623-2020.
Taylor asks that commissioners ap-prove copying and mailing
costs, so that the letter can be sent to people who might be
interested in the initia-tive.
Through the program, communi-ties that live along the river may
be el-igible for grants to maintain and improve it.
Commissioners also will consider: Appointment of David M. Kipp
to
the Solid Waste Management Plan-
ON CAMPUS Suzanne Wichmann of Battle
Creek recently received her master's degree from Western
Michigan University. Wichmann, a teacher of the hearing impaired
for the Calhoun Intermediate School District, also was inducted
into Phi Kappa Phi honor so-ciety for earning her degree with a
perfect 4.0 grade-point average. She is the daughter of l^rry and
Roxie Schroeder of Battle Creek and Gerry and Barb Wichmann of
Raleigh, N.C.
possible ning Committee as solid-waste indus-try
representative.
Determining what department should be responsible for handling
$3,000 in senior-millage funds. The money would be used to develop
and print informational brochures and stickers to increase
awareness of and access to senior services.
Approval of a $466,288 agreement with Correctional Foodservice
Man-agement for service at the Calhoun
Judge Miller denies request for mistrial in elderly man's
death
TRACE CHRISTENSON The Enquirer
For the second day Wednesday, the prosecution tried to shatter
the testi-mony of character witnesses in the murder trial of Sharon
Zachary.
Witnesses testifying about a caring and non-violent Zachary were
ques-tioned Tuesday about her conviction for making threats and on
Wednesday about her confession concerning the taking of money from
a Battle Creek car dealership.
An angry Defense Attorney John Hofman requested a mistrial after
Assistant Calhoun County Prosecutor David Wallace asked Zachary's
sister if information about the embezzle-ment changed her opinion
of her sis-ter's character.
Zachary, 32, is charged with mur-der, felony murder and armed
rob-bery in the April 26, 1996, beating death of Robert Rogers,
80.
Rogers, who was being cared for by Zachary, was found dead in
his house at 1015 Raymond Road in Emmett Township.
Several months before, Zachary had been named sole beneficiary
of Rogers' $750,000 estate.
CHARACTER WITNESSES Hofman, who is expected to com-
plete his case today, began calling wit-nesses Tuesday to
discredit the prosecution case and also show the good character of
his client.
Several family members and friends have testified that Zachary,
who has denied killing Rogers, was caring and non-violent and had
made Rogers a member of her family.
As part of his cross-examination on Tuesday, Wallace questioned
Zach-ary's sister, Sandra Dickerson of Marshall, and a close
friend, Billie Jo Leitz of Eau Claire, about Zachary's misdemeanor
conviction.
Wallace asked both women if they knew Zachary had been convicted
in September 1992 of making a tele-phone threat to another woman in
Coloma Township.
The women said their opinions would not change.
Wednesday, Hofman called Ann Huhtula, another of Zachary's
sisters, to the stand for similar character testi-mony.
But then Wallace asked if her opin-ion would change of she knew
her sis-ter had admitted taking money from a car dealership where
Zachary worked.
Hofman exploded and, after the
K. Jeffrey Woodside, a 1990 grad-uate of Pennfield High School
and a fourth-year medical student at the University of Michigan,
has been awarded a Howard Hughes Medical Research Scholars
fellowship at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Md.
Woodside will spend the next year conducting research at the
National Institute of Health, then return to the U-M to complete
his medical degree. He is the son of Kenneth and Kathleen Woodside.
.
BATTLE CREEK ENQUIRER 3 A
WHAT'S NEXT WHAT: Calhoun County Board of
Commissioners meeting. WHEN: 7 p.m. today. WHERE: County
Building, 315 W.
Green St., Marshall.
County jail. Continuing the Community
Development Block Grant Program. A resolution supporting a
Habitat
for Humanity project in Albion, where a three-bedroom ranch home
is being built.
jury was taken out, asked that Circuit Judge Stephen Miller
dismiss the charges and called Wallace's question "totally
inappropriate."
Hofman argued that the rules of ev-idence prevented Wallace from
asking the question.
But after arguments by both attor-neys, Judge Miller ruled that
Wallace could ask the question.
Wallace said Zachary had admitted to officials of Heritage
Chevrolet that she pocketed $280 from a customer in December 1993.
Then she signed a confession and was fired but was not
prosecuted.
Huhtula told Wallace that she didn't know whether the
information changed her opinion of her sister.
ALSO ON WEDNESDAY In oth^r testimony: Charles Niswander, of
Ceresco,
said he knew of a robbery of Rogers a year or two before he was
killed. Niswander told Hofman that he is a former drug user who
owed money to two men from Detroit.
He said that, one day in 1994 or 1995, the two men came to
collect from Niswander but that he didn't have any cash. He said
the men had him in a car and stopped outside Rogers' home.
One of the men, armed with a gun, said that he knew the man
inside the home had some money, got out and went to the front door,
Niswander said.
"He got back in the car and he had a gun, some blood on his
hands and an envelope with some cash."
The man, Billy Matthews, told Nis-wander and the other man,
George McBurroughs, that he had hit Rogers in the head with the gun
and taken the money, according to Niswander.
Hofrnan has tried throughout the trial to show that several
people are possible suspects.
Wallace said later that Mc-Burroughs was in prison at the time
of the murder and police were unable-to find Matthews during the
murder investigation.
Several people - including Bren-da Case, a former co-worker, and
Linda Beckwith and Tim McCaleb, former probation officers - called
Michelle McCormick a liar. Mc-Cormick testified earlier for the
pros-ecution that, while they were in the county jail together,
Zachary admitted killing Rogers. But Beckwith summed up the
testimony against McCormick by calling her a "chronic liar."
Grace Hatfield, Zachary's friend, testified that she was with
Zachary for most of the day that Rogers was*-killed, and said that
neither of them killed him.
GIVE US A CALL >
Neighbors Phis is a supplement to the jr weekly Neighbors
section, published each Monday. If you have news for Neighbors or
Neighbors Plus, coll Steve Smith at 966-0663 between 6:30 am and 4
p.m., Monday-Friday, or fax the mformation to as at 964-0299
Branch fair means fun and excitement
_
BECKY SHINKAHE ENQUIRER Jim Arver attempts to setde a scuffle
between two testy hogs at the Branch County Fair. The week-long
event ends Saturday.
Animal competition so hot that even the pigs get dander up
The Enquirer
COLD WATER - Residents gath-ered at the Branch County Fair on
Wednesday to enjoy the warm sun and the atmosphere of a summer
fair.
The sights, sounds, and smells were almost reminiscent of fairs
vis-ited in the past - all except for a pig fight that broke
out.
Fairgoers looked on as a squab-ble let loose in one of the pig
pens. Jim Arver used a board to separate the porkers.
It seems the competition is in-tense, not only among the
ex-hibitors but the animals themselves.
Kids are fascinated by baby ani-mals, just as David and Alyssa
George seemed entranced by a baby goat who gave the children a
friendly grin.
Smiles, shouts and smash-ups will mix tonight for the
Demolition
BECKY SHINKAHE ENQUIRER A baby goat attracts the attention of
David and Alyssa George. Animals bring out the wonder in both city
and country fair fans.
Derby at 7:30 p.m. Friday's highlights include the
large animal auction at 9 a.m. and the the World Championship
Rodeo at 7:30 p.m.
The fair continues through Saturday with horseshoe-pitching
contests, western line dancing and the professional mud racers'
cham-pionship.
FAIR FAQS The Branch County Fair continues
through Saturday. Admission is $2 for adults, free for children
12 and under, free for youth exhibitors, $5 for par-ents of youth
exhibitors. Parking is $2 daily, $6 weekly, $5 for youth/parent
exhibitors. TODAY
4:30 p.m.: Ox Roast (special events tent).
7 p.m.: Small animal auction 7:30 p.m.: USA Demolition
Derby-
Amphitheater (additional charge). Western line dancing.
FRIDAY 6 p.m.: Horseshoe pitching-dou-
bles, Showmanship Sweepstakes-Show Shelter (additional
charge).
7:30 p.m.: Western line dancing, world championship rodeo.
SATURDAY 10 a.m.: Pedal power pull for kids,
horseshoe pitching-singles. 5 to 7 p.m.: Western line dancing. 7
p.m.: Mid-Summer Pro Mud
Racers Championship (additional charge).
Character issues become trial focus
celebrate 24th Founders Weekend 2 blood drives slated amid state
appeal
The Red Cross has launched a statewide blood supply critical
ap-peal in an effort to restock falling blood supplies.
"We are not replenishing our cen-tral supply on time, and that
spells trouble during the rest of the sum-mer," Red Cross CEO John
Bennett said, adding that 2,000 units of blood are used each day by
patients in Michigan hospitals.
In response to the appeal, the
Calhoun and Branch County Red Cross has scheduled two blood
dri-ves. The first will be from noon-5:45 p.m. Friday at the local
chapter house at 162 W. Van Buren SLThe second will be from
noon-5:45 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 12, at the chapter house.
To make an appointment for ei-ther drive, call 962-7528.
"We need help to save lives in our community," said Joni Hatch,
di-
rector of blood services for the Calhoun and Branch County Red
Cross.
All blood types are needed, espe-cially O-positive and
O-negative (O-negative is the universal donor and can give to
anyone; O-positive donors can give to anyone with a positive blood
type).
To give blood, persons must be at least 17 years of age, weigh
at least 110 pounds and be in good health.
STEVE SMITH
