The Times Herald from Port Huron, Michigan • Page 1

July 11, 1993 Times Herald $125 Protecting I W4 ii iny Watching the Etitils tBie walls mm oiQir water CD I Summer challenges 1 5j Local stencil artist Michigan underground! for working parents IxTn hits the big time ALMANAC tank program troubled I TODAY'S FOCUS: Casino gambling fir era WEATHER There's about a 50 chance of thunderstorms both this morning and later in the afternoon. High around 90. Monday: Partly sunny, high around 85. 4-day forecast1 OA Ser JUST CRUISIN': In Port Huron this weekend, the place to be was the Big Boy restaurant on 24th Avenue. The Elias Bros, restaurant was the unofficial hangout for the hundreds of classic car buffs in town for the Parade of Classic Cars and accompanying car show.

The tradition is a salute to memories of car hops and cruisin' the drive-in. Restaurant manager Mike Benedict estimated a couple of hundred of the classic and vintage cars have been put on display in his parking lot: "We don't mind it; it helps our business out. People are happy." TIGERS WATCH I 'I'M Mill Port Huron voters will say Tuesday whether they want a gambling casino downtown. The advisory vote is open only to city residents. It is a purely advisory vote, but casino backers say a no vote would kill plans for gambling in Port Huron.

And some citizens are working up a plan to give individual property owners rebates on their taxes. The rebates would be paid for by casino proceeds. Before the riverboats, Joliet was known most for its slate prison, a tractor plant and limestone quarries. But the riverboats, on the city's stretch of the Des Plaines River, are at the heart of a program to turn the city into a tourist destination. The mood is not all upbeat in Joliet Some worry what will happen if the novelty of gambling wears off or if other cities get a piece of the riverboat action.

In Chicago, the third-largest U.S. city, Mayor Richard Daley is pushing for a $2 billion casino and entertainment complex. With all that in mind, Joliet's city manager, John Mezera, is trying to keep the riverboats in perspective. "It has been very valuable to the city, first and foremost because we are becoming a tourist destination. "But we had a plan before the riverboats.

And even if the revenues dip, we will have a plan after." By RICK BARRETT Times Herald JOLIET, 111. Psyche Williams is clearly amused by all the fuss made over a couple of riverboat casinos docked in this old city 35 miles south of Chicago. She's a waitress at the Central Bar and Grill, across the street from one of the boats, the Northern Star, owned by Harrah's Casino Hotels, that opened about two months ago. News reporters from across the country regularly drop in to Joliet. The key question is always the same: "What has gambling meant to the city?" Port Huron residents are trying to divine the answer to that question as well before they go to the polls Tuesday for an advisory vote on a Harrah's-run casino proposed for.downtown.

Mrs. Williams takes questions in stride. "Everybody says we are making history with all of this casino business. But the way I look at it, we are only repeating history. I mean, you have to remember this state was founded on By RICK BARREn, Tunes Herald SATURDAY: Tigers 9, Royals 8 RECORD: 48-39; second place in the AL INSIDE, 8A: How Joliet civic leaders are dealing with the new money from riverboat gambling.

Merchants try to figure out how to make gamblers stop and buy. The riverboat Northern Star cruises the Des Plaines River In Joliet, III. The city expects to receive $8 million this year from gambling. horse racing and gambling. So what's Joliet's city council plans to spend new?" about 80 of its take from the casinos What's new is the estimated $3 mil- on neighborhood improvement projects lion a year in tax money the city of such as streets and sewers- ne rest 78,000 expects to get this year from the win" be used to offset the city's budget riverboats.

deficit Sailboats head to Alpena; tune up for Mackinac IP 9' 1 i v. 4 vii'it i 1 I i hVi-' 1 East, Vi game behind the slumping Blue Jays NEXT GAME: at Kansas City, Doherty (8-4) vs. Appier (9-4), 2:30 p.m. today, channel 4 OTHER GAMES: Rangers 10, Blue Jays 7 Orioles 6, White Sox 0 Red Sox 5, Athletics 0 SportsD Section TV TODAY MOVIES: DAn Officer and a Gentleman (1982) Richard Gere is a tough guy who gets his head straightened out by Marine drill sergeant Louis Gossett Jr. Oh, and he finds a sweetheart, too.

1 p.m., channel 50 TV bookInside SPORTS: Auto racing: Cleveland Grand Prix, 1 p.m., channel 7 Sports on TV4D 1 (lTTFRV Daiy: lUIILm 1Daiy.4: 2-4-1-0 Lotto: 2-3-15-27-32-43 Bonus Ball: 40 No winner; pot at $12 million DEATHS REPORTED Margaret C. Alexander, 65 Raymond Cummins, 45 Geroge R. Ignasiac, 73 Vonda Lobstein, 79 Roderick A. Morrison, 84 Grant Muir, 76 Joseph M. 0'Grady, 78 Justine L.

Ranger, 77 Patricia A. Richards, 50 Wanda Rogan, 36 Marshall Tebo, 78 Deaths reported2 I 1 I.I i Psychic's tip leads to body of child Mother's fiance held in death of girl, 3 The Associated Press MOUNT PLEASANT A psychic's tip led authorities to the buried body of a 3-year-old girl who had been missing for five days. State police also said Saturday that the fiance of the girl's mother was arrested. Ken Norton is expected to be charged with open murder in Tabatha Horn's death, said Lt. Frank Hughes, commander of the state police post in Mount Pleasant.

His arraignment is scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday. The child's body was found Friday in a shallow grave near the home where she lived with her mother and Mr. Norton, her mother's fiance. The 35-year-old state prison guard was being held Saturday in lieu of $500,000 cash bond.

There were no visible signs of physical or sexual abuse on the body, Lt. Hughes said. An autopsy was being conducted Saturday. Mr. Norton had told police he briefly left the youngster strapped in her car seat Monday while he went inside a convenience store off Interstate 96 in Brighton.

That prompted a two-day search in the area. A woman who identified herself as a psychic called police at 4:15 p.m. Friday and said she had a vision of a child near a wishing well, police said. The woman also said the body would be found in or near a green duffel bag. Authorities searched an area matching the woman's description about two miles south of Tabatha's home near Vestaburg in Montcalm County.

The girl's naked body was found about 8 p.m., near a green baby seat Police did not release the woman's name and said she would be questioned later. They said she is not a suspect. By RALPH W. POLOVICH, Times Herald INDEX A group of sailboats clusters near the starting line Saturday of the annual Lake Huron International Regatta from Port Huron to Alpena. The winner among 47 competitors was expected to finish early today.

The race to Mackinac is two weeks away. Ad index2A Ann Landers5C Calendar6C Classified4E Crime map3B Crossword9E Living1 LocalIB Movies6C 0bituaries2B 0pinion4B Ships7B Sky Calendar3A Sports1 Stocks-Mutuals2E Travel8C Weather1 OA Weddings7C The fight for John Dee After 30 years in prison, convict finds an ally for his freedom DEPARTMENTS Mary Coulter of Port Huron, with her uncle, John Coulter, in a snapshot. Mary is working with such legislators as Rep. Terry London, R-Marysville, on a change in the laws that would allow her uncle a new hearing. He has spent 30 years in prison.

Photo courtesy Mary Coulter a A. m-. 1-. Circulation: Open from 6 a.m. to noon today.

Call 985-7171 or 800-462-4057 (toll free) Newsroom: 985-7174 TalkBack comment line: 985-5888 anytime Copyright 1993 The Times Herald Co. A Gannett NewspaperPrinted in the USA I I a it it i Southern Michigan Prison in Jackson. "We weren't drunk, just high we knew what we were doing." At about 2 a.m, Mr. Coulter, then a 23-year-old East Detroit resident, and his two buddies, Fred "Tony" Chamberlain, 25, and Kenneth Funke, 22, both of Hazel Park, left the party and climbed into Tony's car. They brought two Please see PRISONER, back page, this section r- l.

By TRACY WILSON Times Herald John Coulter remembers everything about the morning of Aug. 10, 1960 the music, the hours spent guzzling Stroh's beer and whiskey and the impromptu decision to rob someone, anyone. "We was partying, drinking, a bunch of kids raising hell and horsing around," Mr. Coulter said, in a telephone interview from Wa ika all Aarth-friendtv soybean-based inks and some recyoeu rwwspnm nrint thie AAwcnanar.