Star Tribune from Minneapolis, Minnesota • Page 19

3B MetroState news Minneapolis Star and Tribune FridayAugust 71987 Metro news Would pawn shop lend wrong air? Move by displaced Hy's Loan to Elliot Park questioned Charcoal spontaneously ignites, starting blaze in Highland Park home 1741 Bohland said Doug Fri- Charcoal stored in a garage spontaneously ignited late Wednesday, starting a blaze that caused 1 8,000 damage to a home in St. Paul's Highland Park neighborhood, fire officials said. One firefighter was injured battling 1 the blaze. The fire, which started about 10:40 p.m., was confined to the garage at Union leader ordered to repay $41 ,1 89 Said Rosen: "What area are we wanted? We can't move onto the Nicollet Mall at 8th St or into what's that place on the river Riverplace. Where does the city want us to go?" Despite the objections voiced by Elliot Park residents at a community meeting Thursday night, the city may not be able to prevent Hy's from moving to Elliot Park because the business conforms to zoning regulations.

"When they see there are a lot 'of people who are unhappy, maybe they'll find another location," said Council Member Barbara Carlson, who represents that part of the city. Hy's must move because the store at 1114 Hennepin Av. S. will become part of a housing development called Laurel Village. Rosen is supposed to vacate the store he's been in for 26 years by Aug.

31. He decided to move to 739 14th St. after the Minneapolis Community Development Agency found that spot for him. Until about a week ago, it was occupied by a small grocery store. "It's a location we thought would be ideal," said Rosen.

"We have to be in Vohs. Or that they will sell their'own belongings for the same purpose? "That would contribute to a we already have with people consuming alcohol and using drugs oif the street and then being a problem to other people," said Vohs. Rosen said the image of a pawnshop buying stolen merchandise is a- stereotype created by televisiorfand movies. "If we were operating the city of Minneapolis would close us tomorrow morning," said "Would they (Elliot Park residents) rather have a liquor store, (an adult) bookstore or a sauna?" Carlson noted that Hy's has a reputation with the police department as abiding by the law, but she said, she'd like to see Rosen relocate inthe downtown area rather than in a -residential neighborhood. Although the business conforms to zoning regulations at its proposed location, the City Council must approve a license for it to operate there.

The council is meeting today, but the issue is not scheduled to be dh the agenda until its Aug. 28 A former secretary-treasurer of the St Paul local of the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers Union was sentenced in federal court Thursday to two years in prison and ordered to repay $41,189 that he embezzled from the union. Steve Lemmer, 38, 246 Cochrane Woodbury, had pleaded guilty earlier to the embezzlement charge. Two men sentenced in drug case Two Minneapolis men who pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting in the distribution of drugs were sentenced Thursday in federal court. U.S.

District Judge James Rosen-baum sentenced James Thomas Spodcn, 37, to a two-year prison term that was suspended on the condition he serve six months in jail. He is to spend three years on supervised release. By Dennis J. McGrath StaffWriter Against a backdrdp of saxophones, electric guitars, jewelry, golf clubs and portable TV sets, Marvin Rosen explained that his pawn shop is a reputable business. "We're what's called a poor man's bank," Rosen said.

Last month, after 53 years of family ownership and only one violation by the store, Minneapolis officials renewed Hy's Loan Office's annual license again. But the pawn shop is being displaced by a Hennepin Av. redevelopment project and just weeks before it is scheduled to move into the Elliot Park neighborhood, residents there are raising a fuss. They're worried that the shop's clientele will exacerbate public drinking and drug abuse, promote burglaries and undermine efforts to improve the image of their neighborhood on the fringe of downtown. "We were just successful in closing Dolly's bar this last January," said Kim Vohs, executive director of Elliot Park Neighborhood Inc.

"People are worried this is a step backwards." Staff Photo by Charles Bjorgen i mm y-ic t- 1 Sv goo -immas Truck kills Minneapolis man at landfill A 59-year-old Minneapolis man was killed Wednesday when he walked behind a truck that was about to dump garbage at an Inver Grove Heights landfill. The Dakota County coroner said Archie L. Kliber, of 619 Lowry Av. paw; Around Minnesota Ail berg, fire department spokesman. Firefighter David Fleming suffered second- and third-degree burns when he fell on a piece of hot metal, Friberg said.

Charcoal, an organic substance, will ignite under the right conditions, he said. Four misdemeanor counts of destroying documents and filing false annual reports were dropped. Lemmer took the money from Local 6-409 between 1983 and 1986. He told officials that he had spent the money on family expenses. He was defeated for reelection as secretary-treasurer last fall after holding the job for 10 years.

He also sentenced Pablo Diaz, 32, to 42 months in prison and six years on supervised release. Spoden admitted participating in the sale of an ounce of cocaine to an undercover officer March 26, but claimed he had been coerced by his codefendant, Marvin Love. Love is awaiting sentencing. died of head injuries suffered in the accident, which occurred at 8:10 a.m. at a landfill at 107101 E.

Courthouse Blvd. Kliber apparently was killed as he stood waiting to unload his truck and was struck by another truck. for extradition of plea bargain Minnesota and return to Nevada. The trial court said Mavis would have been sentenced to prison on the drug charges were it not for the plea bargain. But Mavis broke the terms of his probation, and he was sentenced to prison anyway in 1986.

The Supreme Court's decision, to filed today, reverses an earlier ruling by the Minnesota Court of Appeals, which held that Mavis' obligation to pay the costs ceased once his probation was revoked and prison term was imposed. dered to perform 200 hours of community service 100 hours this holiday season and 100 hours next year. The indictments against the three, returned in April, said they used numerous post office boxes to collect rebates for items they had not bought. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis Hermann said no dollar value was placed on the rebates.

and ground search will continue for Thco Denucci, who was last seen leaving his Nashwauk home Monday morning. Authorities also are asking for more volunteer searchers. reports. moved their primary dates to earlier in ttiA ram no ion A March 1 5 primary would be a week later than the 1988 "Super Tuesday" primaries planned by 20 states, many of them in the South. Minnesota's new precinct caucus date is Feb.

23, the same as South Dakota's presidential primary, which was rescheduled from June for 1988. The Wisconsin Legislature could vote on the idea during its autumn session in October. our customers can About half the store's customers are blue collar workers, 10 to 20 percent are white collar employees and the balance are retirees, welfare recipients and others living on limited incomes, said Harvey Herman, the store manager. "I'm sure there's a certain number of our customers who live in that neighborhood," said Herman. But neighborhood activists aren't welcoming Hy's.

"This neighborhood has an active neighborhood organization to improve the area and the city has invested a lot of money right near the store," said Vohs, referring to a new housing development down the block from where Hy's plans to move. "People are concerned about the clientele that may be attracted and that it may lead to crime. They're worried that people may pawn stolen goods there." Some also are worried that it may promote burglaries in the neighborhood by those hoping to sell the stolen goods to the pawn shop so they can buy drugs and alcohol, said aboard. "We accept the responsibility for the problem and apologize to our customers for the delay and inconvenience," he said. About 3,100 federal retirement checks and 2,700 railroad retirement checks were involved.

The missing) checks were in Twin Cities ZIP codes beginning with the numbers 553 and 554, ZIP codes in Mankato with the first three numbers 560, and in Willmar beginning with the numbers 562. child abuse "The letter has their letterhead, and the 'dear' at the beginning of the letter is preprinted. Craig's first name was handwritten after that, and the rest of the letter is typewritten under a pre-printed heading which said Pritzker said the letter, dated Dec. 2, 1986, was to inform his client that his report of abuse had been investigated by a county social worker, who visited the home shared by Olson and Morrison and reported that she saw "light traces of what might have once been bruising" to the child's temple. The letter said Gloria Morrison told the social worker that her child was bruised after falling from a cupboard.

It ended, according to Pritzker, by stating that no further action was planned. Bonnie Branchaud, supervisor of Goodhue County Social Services, said yesterday that she was shocked to hear of the suit. She said she has reviewed the county's files on Julia Morrison with "a a place where reach us easily." Defendant must pay despite revocation A defendant who agreed to pay for his extradition to Minnesota as part of a plea bargain is bound by that promise, even when the terms of that plea bargain are revoked, the Minnesota Supreme Court has ruled. Michael Dale Mavis agreed to pay about $2,000 as part of a plea bargain that resulted in probation on drug charges. Mavis was in a Nevada prison on a parole revocation in 1984 when he faced drug charges in Minnesota.

He agreed as part of the plea to spend about $2,000 to come to be the Clerk Oscar Williams held the last of missing railroad retirement checks found at the Minneapolis Post Office. Post office finds lost pension checks Three sentenced for rebate scheme Minnesota daredevil working his way up 5 Associated Press 7 Denver, Colo. A daredevil from Minnesota scaled the 56-story Republic Building in downtown Denvtf Thursday afternoon, only Vp top out into the waiting arms of the law. Self-styled stuntman and would-be standup comedian Jeff Sobolik, who gave his age; only as "born in the early '60s," was cited for trespass and creating a disturbance, police said. Sobolik, a former Bloomingkiji resident, was arrested and charged with trespassing and disorderly conduct in July 1982, after he climbed the 40-story Pillsbury Center tower ip Minneapolis.

He then gave his age as 22. The charges were dropped after Sobolik agreed not to violate the city's trespassing ordinance. He also paid $300 to the city, about half of what offi-: cials said it cost to have police and fire units at the scene dur ing the climb. In Denver yesterday, abpu( 400 people cheered Sobolik as he made the 90-minute climb. Sobolik used a special metal tool that he could clamp in, a vertical groove that ran up thp side of the building, and wpre, suction pads on his knees.

He also carried a two-way radio. In a resume passed out to re porters before the climb, Sobolik was described as a native jf Minneapolis now residing' Colorado Springs. j- rw comb" rf "It hurts to think that when something tragic like this occurs, everyone assumes it means that someone didn't do their job, and that'stnot true here," Branchaud said. "Even in retrospect, I stand behind the ottfee's actions." Branchaud said the methods of handling child abuse reports are prescribed by law, "and we followed the laws according to response tinie'and action in the Morrison case." In addition, Branchaud said, hec office had only one report of abusenot three, on the Morrison girl. Pritiker said abuse reports also had fieen made by some of his client's family members and friends.

"Perhaps he's confused about who he reported it to," Branchaud said.JShe said county social service agenries, police and sheriffs offices required by law to inform one other of child abuse reports. "The delay in delivery was the result of a postal service error in transportation loading," said Sager. "Five trays and four bundles of checks had been intermingled within a 40-foot trailer load of empty postal equipment." The trailer was parked at a Post Office garage on NE. Fillmore St. Postal employees conducting an inventory of equipment came across the mail, said Sager.

He said the truck had been loaded with the mail, but because it was not a full load, additional carts and other equipment may have been put Three residents of Avoca, were sentenced in federal court Thursday on charges of fraudulently obtaining rebates for products they didn't buy. i Isabelle Wetch was ordered to serve 90 days of a one-year prison term by U.S. District Judge Harry Mac-Laughlin. i Clarence Wetch and Joseph Enns were placed on probation for three years by U.S. District Judge James s.

Rosenbaum. They also were or suit over his daughter's death Search continues for Nashwauk man He says Goodhue County officials Nashwauk, Minn. A 92-year-old man has been missing since Monday, despite search efforts by up to 100 people, police said Thursday. Police officer Don Irish said the air Compiled from staff and news services For 5,800 federal and railroad retirees in Minnesota, the checks are in the mail. Finally.

About noon Thursday five days after the checks disappeared the Minneapolis Post Office found them. The checks were supposed to start arriving at retirees' homes last Saturday but didn't, prompting a deluge of telephone calls to various railroad and federal agencies and the Post Office. Don Sager, communications manager of the Minneapolis division of the U.S. Postal Service, said the checks will be delivered today. Man files By Ted Jones Staff Writer The father of a 3-year-old girl allegedly beaten to death by her mother and her mother's boyfriend has filed a $250,000 suit against Goodhue County child protection officials, who the father says ignored repeated warnings that his daughter was in danger.

Craig Morrison, father of Julia Morrison, charges in the suit that county officials knew or should have known of the physical buse and should have taken steps to protect the child. Morrison said officials knew of the abuse because he told them about it on three occasions. An autopsy on Julia Morrison showed she died of severe head injuries and pneumonia brought on by those injuries. Her body was also covered with bruises, the autopsy report said. The girl's mother, Gloria Morrison, and her live-in boyfriend, James A.

Olson, were charged Monday in Goodhue District Court, Red Wing, with multiple counts of murder, manslaughter and neglect in connection with the May 29 death. Gloria Morrison, 23, and Olson, 32, Wisconsin officials consider earlier presidential primary ignored reports of both of rural Red Wing, remained in custody yesterday in the Goodhue County Jail. The suit, filed in Hennepin District court yesterday, charges Goodhue County and its employees with five counts of negligence in investigating and acting on reports of physical abuse to the child. It states, in part: "As a result of the negligence of the defendants in failing to comply with (child abuse) rules, Julia Morrison died." It requests damages in excess of $50,000 for each of the five counts. Craig Morrison, 32, of St.

Paul, has said he noticed injuries on his daughter and reported them to county officials on three occasions before the girl's death. Morrison's attorney, Fred Pritzker of Minneapolis, said, "On one occasion last Thanksgiving, Mr. Morrison reported the abuse on Julia to authorities and received a form letter back from the Goodhue County Social Services office. Associated Press While Minnesota DFLers feud with the national Democratic Party over the state's move to earlier precinct caucuses, Wisconsin state officials are talking about scheduling their April presidential primary one month earlier. A suggestion by Wisconsin Democratic legislators to have the primary election coincide with the March 15 primary in Illinois has the backing of Republican Gov.

Tommy G. Thompson. Republican Rep. Betty Jo Nelsen, Assembly minority leader, said she too approves. Wisconsin officials say their primary lost prestige in recent elections because so many other states have.