South Tucson's El Independiente, 1981-05-01

              South Tucson's
Ei independiente
MarianoApaletegui, 1 ½, enjoys a sncone offered by his mother, Letty, left. They and Lindy Garcia. center, were among the 1500
people who attended last Saturday's Fiesta Primavera at Pueblo High School. See story on page 2.
(Ruolo by Jane Erikson) Election turnout unpredictable
By AUBIN TYLER
A South Tucson police official said Ile is
angry over the release without bond of a
75-year-old man charged in connection
with an Easter shooting death in South
Tucson.
"I know the jails are full, but this is a
violent act and I find this decision hard to
swallow," said South Tucson Police Lt.
Richard H. Maim.
Lenvil Frank Craig of 2828 S. Cot-tonwood
Lane was released from custody
after an initial court appearance despite
opposition by Deputy County Attorney
Jeffrey D. Ross and the vigorous Objection
of Maim.
Craig has been charged with first-degree
murder for the death of Clarence
H. Sebring, 59, of 5526 S. 13th Ave. after the
two men apparently had an argument over
a debt.
Craig was arrested on Easter at about 5
p.m. outside the Brown Derby Bar near
South Fourth Avenue and East 33rd Street
by South Tucson police after Sebring was
shot once with a .38 caliber revolver.
Justice of the Peace Emojean K. Girard
released Craig without bond on April 20 to
the custody of his landlady, Jean Russell.
Ross said he had asked the judge to set a
$50,000 bond for Craig's release because of
the severity of the charge, which carries a
maximum penalty of death, and because
of the strength of the evidence against
him.
"I would say it is pretty unusual to be
charged with first-degree murder and to
be released without having to post bond,"
Ross said.
Maim said he was appalled at Craig's
release and will formally protest that
decision, "I am personally and
professionally disturbed because there is
ouch a preponderance of evidence against
Craig in this case."
Maim said the case involves a stolen
hand gun, alcohol and a nominal amount of
money.
Defense attorney Leslie B. Miller said
Craig was released because of his age and
frail health and because he had no prior
criminal record.
"Thio is an elderly man who has dif-ficulty
moving around," Miller said, "sed
soit is unlikely that he will flee before his
next court appearance.
"I would not say it is the normal
procedure in a first-degree murder
charge," she added, "but the court has to
take into account the fact that he has never
exhibited violent behavior before, he has
lived in the same place for 20 years and he
probably does not pose the same threat to
the community that a younger, more
vigorous man might."
The conditions of Craig's release were
that he stay in Arizona, not violate any
stats or federal laws, drink no alcoholic
beverages, use no weapons and attend all
court proceedings in connection with his
case.
Craig is scheduled to attend a
preliminary hearing in Justice Court at
2:30 p.m. on May 8.
Local water rateo will increase an
average of 9.8 percent starting May 1
following a 5-1 vote by the Tucson City
Council on April 20.
South Tucson gets its water from the city
of Tucson.
Monthly service charges paid by all
residential water users will increase 35
cents and charges per unit of water used
for all classes of users will also increase.
Tucson Mayor Lewis C. Murphy and the
Citizens' Water Advisory Committee
supported a plan that would have in-creased
the service charge $1 and slightly
reduced the charge per unit of water for
most customers, but a public hearing
before the vote attracted only three per-sons
who all opposed the increase.
Murphy cast the only dissenting vote at
the meeting. Councilman Charles Ford
was absent.
It was the sixth straight year the council
has increased water rates, and similar
increases are expected to follow for the
next three years with smaller raises after
that.
Low-volume water users had been
subsidized by higher rates paid by people
who used a greater amount of water. The
plan passed by the council calls for low-volume
water usera to pay a larger per-centage
increase than the high-volume
users.
Low-volume water users, however, will
still pay less for water than it costs the city
to provide, with the difference made up in
higher charges to other users.
Most of the rate increase (6 percent) is
to pay for the increased interest rates that
the city must pay on bends to finance
water system improvements.
In June, voters will be asked lo increase
the interest limit from 8 percent to 12
percent on $14 million in bends that have
already been approved bot cannot be sold
because of current interest rates
Tucson Water Director Gene Crook said
water rates in 1994) will be at least twice
what they are now.
Crook said his "optimistic" prediction
that the rates will only increase loo per-cent
in the next 10 years depends on in-flation
and whether or not the city receives
water from the Central Arizona Project.
Vol. V No. 14 Published by l,he Journalism Department or the Universit.y of Arizona May 1, 1981
INSIDE Page
Bus use high 2
in city
Recycling for cash, 3
survival
Summer recreation 4
opportunities
En resumen: 7
en Espanol
Pueblo sprinter 8
seeks title
However, the 1979 general election However, a survey of South Tucson
sought just to fill three council positions, businessmen revealed that most either
while this year's ballot will also include a have not heard of the alternative spending
spending limitation package. proposition or do not know enough about it
The package, which has received no to comment on its possible effects.
known opposition from the city's husiness Donald J. Vingino, owner of Arizona
and private communities, was proposed Traders. 2128 S. Sixth Ave., echoed the
by City Manager Richard E. Kaffenberger recurrent response to the effects of the
to allow the city to reject the state- spending proposition saying, "I don't know
imposed budget limitations. anything about it, so I am really in no
Instead it would increase the existing position to comment on it."
state spending limit by between 11 and 140 Ronald A. LaMotte, manager of Beach
percent over the next four years. Furniture and Appliance, 2202 5. Sixth
For example, under the state Ave., agreed saying, "I am not that
limitations, the budget could not exceed familiar with the whole thing."
$3.12 million by 1984-85 and under the city's The general election also includes a
alternative spending package, city of- three-seat council race between th&'three
ficials could spend as much as $7.5 million, Democratic incumbents, Mayor Dan W.
according to Kaffenberger. Eckstrom, Shirley Ann Villegas and Luis
lithe alternative proposal is accepted, it D. Redondo, and two Republicans, Beatriz
will be up for reapproval by the voters in M. Irwin and Leo J. Beck.
1985. (Continued on Page 2) Police angered by suspect's release
By CARLA SCHMIEDER
Despite a competitive council race and a
proposition that would allow city officials
to more than double South Tucson's fiscal
budget by 1984, City Clerk William L.
Ponder said the voter turnout for the May
19 general election is "unpredictable."
"There is no correlation between the
numbers who turn out for the primary
election and the numbers who turn out for
the general election. It's really pretty
unpredictable." Ponder said.
See editorial on page 7
For instance, while only 100 South
Tucsonans cast ballots out of 941
registered voters in this year's April 14
primary, 432 voted in the May 1979 general
election.
Water rates
to rise 9a8%
for users
By JOHN ROHDE