Ottawa County news. (Port Clinton, Ohio) 1931-1956, 1953-05-15
COUNCIL
Continued from Page One)

II do not think the recent vote
at the Primary in any way con-
demns us. We are being asked to
do things a little differently.
These are few of the problems
we can start on at once to cor
rect. The recent trend in voting
demands it. We were given
$4,000 Municipal Airport: surely
we can administer it with fair
ness.
Council Stunned
After Nelson completed read
ing the letter, there were several
moments of stunned silence and
then hell broke loose
Councilman Lee Bracken, crair-
man of the airport committee, was
the first to regain his composure.
Bracken asked Tewers why such a
letter had ever been written, in
that it openly critics council.
Tewers said it was not his OBJ
iect to critic council in any way
and that he was assuming"
throughout the letter. He claimed
he felt lax in not making himself
clearer at times and that he
wanted to ''let the people know
where | stand.
When Tewers claimed that the
recent Primary vote demanded
changes and indicated council ac-
ton had been wrong in some
cases., Councilman Charles Rud-
lock stated:
81 do not feel the recent vote
IN any way reflects such
thought. After all, only one-third
of the eligible voters are repre-
sented in the total votes cast, and
two-thirds of those eligible did
not vote.
'T have talked to numerous
people since the election and !
have vet to talk to single per
son who wants us to drop the air
port legal fight The vote was no
reflection on the airport contro-
versy. We can't afford to give the
airport away. After all it belongs
70 the city = I'd rather see. it
closed completely" Ruddock ad-
ded.
Councilman Rabert Reynolds de-
clared: cpl agree there is a
smoke screen around the airport
rase, but it's not only in Port
Clinton but at Put-in-Bav as we'll.
Do you realize that Hersberger is
using 100 acres of city property
md paying only $3.50 annual rent.
This amounts to only AT cents
rent per day." REYNOLDS stated.
In defense of the airport COM
mittee, Mr.. Bracken said his group
and the Public Utilities Commits
sion have worked untold hours in
irving to reach an agreement with
''the opposition but 1--WE were
told flatly they would go no fur
her..
Flames Go Higher
Things got even hotter when
Councilman Ray Oman took the
floor in defense of the city ga
rage purchase for $55,000 from
the Port Clinton Manufacturing
Company two years ago.
oman declared: "Our purchase
IF the city garage was good in
vestment In other years, city
equipment had to remain out
doors and in one winter alone we
saved $4,000 in broken equip
ment''.
Oman then asked Mr.. Tewers,
Cor the second time, how many
people had seen the letter before
it was read in the council meet
ing. He claimed he had been told
earlier in the day that such
letter was due and that several
others also knew it. When Oman
first asked Tewers this question,
Tewers stated he had shown it
Monday to the City Solicitor and
given copy Tuesday forenoon to
Mr.. Nielsen.
This answer did not satisfy Mr..
oman. When he asked the same
question later, Tewers said copies
had also been given to the local
newspapers. This admission did
not entirely please several council
men, who stated the letter was adj
dressed to council and should
have been held for the meeting.
Carl Heckler of the Board of
Public Utilities gained the floor
and also spoke in regards to the
garage purchase. He declared that
two contractors submitted bids on
a like building, without its heat
ing system, and 1--WE saved plenty
of money in its purchase.
Heckler then tossed a verbal
bombshell when he accused Tew-
ers of submitting the letter due
to Hersberger's gasoline business
with the oil company for which
Tewers works. eff the airport con-
troversy is settled and more
planes are permitted to use the
airport, there will be much more
business" he claimed.
Reynolds said the city garage is
ideally located and will tie in with
the proposed sewage disposal
plant to be built in the same area.