By By NORMA LERNER / Dowagiac Daily News
NILES – Two pipe bombs were found recently underneath a bridge on Thompson Road in Howard Township.
The plastic tubing was about two feet long and stuffed with gunpowder and projectiles.
Howard Township Fire Chief Ronald Fazi told the Howard Township board during its monthly meeting last week that the pipe bombs were located by the property owner.
The Michigan State Police bomb squad, the township fire department and Southwestern Michigan Community Ambulance Service (SMCAS) were called to investigate.
Fazi said the pipe bombs were found when the property owner went to look at a deer carcass.
Fazi said state police are warning the public that if anything looks like a pipe bomb not to pick it up or handle it at all.
He said the end of the pipe was taped shut. Pulling off the tape could have caused an explosion.
Township Supervisor Michael Sutherland suggested that Fazi should let the schools know about the incident, and he agreed to do so.
In other matters, the board in a 5-1 vote hired the services of LSL Planning Inc. of Grand Rapids to revise the township zoning book at a cost of $8,500.
Sutherland said the book needed to be redone for some time as it was hard to use, redundant and cumbersome. There are also errors in it.
Zoning Administrator Linda McGregor said LSL has done other zoning books in the area. She said she looked at six other township zoning books, and LSL seems to do a good job. LSL submitted a bid to do the work from an ad run in the newspaper.
Treasurer Shaune Timm, who moved to accept the LSL bid, said the current zoning book is "horrible." She said it should not have been paid for like it was.
In the 5-1 vote, Trustee George Johnson Jr. voted against, saying he would like to look into it further. Clerk Shirley Tuttle was absent.
The board held a public hearing for an industrial facility tax exemption for Modineer Co. of 1313 Airport Road. The company is a manufacturer engaged in metal stamping, welding and assembly and is investing $887,650 in new machinery and equipment.
Following the hearing, a 50-percent tax abatement was granted for 12 years. The company employs 102 full-time employees and plans to create 10 more jobs in two years.
Sutherland announced that the Michigan Tax Commission will be auditing the property tax assessments done by township assessor Jerry Thibodeau of Kalamazoo. He said this was a board request because some property taxes were lowered for residents who live on Barron Lake Road near the Moose Lake Aggregates at 1886 Barron Lake Road.
The board in a savings matter, agreed to pay off four of the higher interest bonds for the sewer project from part of 2008 through 2012 at about 6 percent interest. The savings amounted to $113,850 in interest costs for the $475,000 paid off.
The board "regretfully" accepted the resignation of firefighter Jim Hattenback who has served for many years.