The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 9

Former Blount County sheriff convicted, 3B. 2BNEIGHBORHOOD NEWS SECTION 5BBUSINESS NEWS The TENNESSEAN TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1990 1-840 headed across land of McWherter backer JIM EAST Staff Writer FRANKLIN, Term. Robert A. Keenan, a major financial contributor to Gov. Ned McWherter, owns 626 acres of Williamson County land in the chosen path of Interstate ber contributed $5,000 to McWherter's re-election campaign, is within 1,600 feet of the proposed Sedberry Road interchange.

Property surrounding interstate interchanges often becomes prime real estate for commercial development The 1.5-mile stretch of property on both sides of the I-840 path is west of Sedberry Road and east of Thompson Station Road, state Department of Transportation maps show. The final route was one of three under consideration by DOT engineers. One of the others would have connected 1-840 with the Saturn Parkway in Spring Hill. The third route ran farther south of the route selected. Keenan operates Robert A.

Keenan Construction Co. and is a major landowner in Williamson County, having at least 2,668 acres of property under his control, courthouse records show. Assembly said it had to go through Williamson County. If you're going to go through Williamson County and if you want to avoid businesses and homes, where are you going? The 1-840 route runs east to west and is south of Keenan's West Harpeth Road home, where McWherter usually attends an annual dove hunt Courthouse records and DOT maps show that Keenan owns twice as much Williamson County property along I-840 as anyone else. Williamson County Tax Assessor Dennis Anglin said that most county land is valued for tax purposes at about $2,500 per acre if used for farming, but that speculative prices may run up to $5,000 per acre.

Under those parameters, Keenan's 626 acres along the 1-840 route could be valued at between $1.56 millioa Keenan, who loaned McWherter his home in the Virgin Islands fora 1989 NewYear's vacation, was out of town yesterday and unavailable for comment on whether his friendship with McWherter could have influenced the final 1-840 route. McWherter spokesman Jim Kennedy said the governor's friendship with Keenan was not a factor in route selection. "The DOT engineers have done their very best in trying to get around and minimize the impact on businesses and people's homes," Kennedy said. "If you don't go through businesses and you dont go through people's homes, you're going to go through farmland. How much farmland is there in Williamson County that's in the general route of 1-840? "The other thing is the legislation originally that was put forth by Governor Alexander then and by the General ft Just a spoonful of affection helps the dental exam go on Wanda Birch, a second-year dental student at Meharry Dental School, tries to comfort Tyrone Gooch, 4, before his dental exam.

Tyrone's community center preschool class was taking part in Children's Health Day at Meharry-Hubbard Hospital. In her effort to make him feel at ease, Birch lets Tyrone look into her mouth to show him that it doesn't hurt Linda Springer, Tyrone's teacher stands in the back to watch. Finally, Birch gets a hug from Tyrone after she cleaned his teeth. In all, more than 600 children were examined at Meharry Dental School yesterday. 840, courthouse records show.

McWherter and Transportation Commissioner Jimmy Evans on Jan. 1 1 announced the Williamson County route of 1-840 after a year's delay and numerous public hearings on the 75-mile stretch of highway designed to connect Interstate 40 near Dickson with 1-40 in Wilson County. The $351 million 1-840 project, proposed in 1986 as part of former Gov. Lamar Alexander's $3.3 billion, 10-year road program, was planned to relieve Nashville traffic by offering travelers an east-west bypass around the city. The 1-840 property owned by Keenan, who last Novem- 3 knew aliens illegal: INS 3 businesses, others fined EMME NELSON BAXTER Staff Writer three Nashville businesses including the celebrated four-star Mario's Ristaurante Italiano on Broadway "knowingly" hired unauthorized aliens, a U.S.

Immigration and Naturalization Service officer said yesterday. The Fifth Quarter Restaurant and Fidel Gomar Contracting were also fined for "knowingly" hiring unauthorized aliens, said Ronald Kidd, an INS investigator from the Memphis office. In the past 20 months, 14 Midstate businesses have been fined a total of $80,700 by the INS for "knowingly or unknowingly" hiring unauthorized aliens and for failing to comply with the paperwork provisions of the 1986 immigration law, said Kidd. The Immigration Reform and Control Act requires all employers to complete an 1-9 form which verifies identity and their right to work in the U.S. on all of its employees.

The 1 4 businesses fined had hired a total of 35 illegal aliens from Nigeria, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Ecuador, Lebanon, Jordan, Ghana, Liberia, El Salvador and the Philippines, Kidd said. Bethany Health Care Center of 421 Ocala Drive was slapped with the greatest fine $21,350 for 67 violations. The nursing home received violations for hiring three unauthorized Nigerian workers and for 64 paperwork violations, Kidd said. Nashville attorney Matthew Lonergan, who represents Bethany, called the fines "excessive" and said he is filing a notice to request a hearing to contest the amount "Over two-thirds of the workers at Bethany did have proper documentation," he pointed out "Three people out of 1 80 who are unauthorized to work in the U.S. is not that bad the penalty adds up to so much because of all the paperwork violations." Fines for paperwork violations run from $100 to $1,000 per offense.

Improper hiring fines range from $250 to $2,000. LA i i Rick Musacchto Staff Turn to PAGE 3B, Column 1 Council expected to seek Bordeaux landfill extension be filed but he did not know which council member would sponsor it Meanwhile, Councilman-at-large George Ar- -mistead said he would sponsor a resolution to extend the current landfill if that is Metro's "most prudent route." But he said he was not prepared to file it today. Metro's only other choice is to use Browning-Ferris Industries' landfill in Rutherford County, which would cost an estimated $6 million in lost tipping fees Metro collects at the landfill. Heidenreich has estimated the cost of an extension, expected to be for less than two years, would run about $500,000 above currently budgeted operating costs. Bordeaux residents who have had the landfill as a neighbor for 17 years have vowed to go to court to make sure it closes as scheduled.

"We are determined," said Robert Crocker of 3215 Crowe Drive. "Enough is enough." In another development Mayor Bill Boner said he will appoint a committee of government representatives and Bells Bend residents to study ways to lessen the impact the landfill would have on the community. Among possibilities to make the landfill more tolerable are a transfer station to decrease traffic and a bridge across the Cumberland River to divert traffic from the Ashland City Highway through Bordeaux and Old Hickory Boulevard, he said. Tuesday's meeting, because he will be out of town on business when the council meets. He also said he was not sure enough council members would support it "I keep coming up with the same number of votes, about 16 or 17," Hall said.

It would take a majority of the council on only one reading to pass the resolution, which would give acting Public Works Director Peter Heidenreich the go-ahead to seek a permit extension from the state. Tom Tiesler, state solid waste management director, said last week that Metro officials need to move quickly if they want an extension. An application takes at least 30 days to process. Heidenreich said he expected a resolution to CYNTHIA FLOYD Staff Writer Metro Councilman Durward Hall may file legislation today to extend the life of the Bordeaux landfill beyond its March 21 scheduled closure, he said yesterday. The council overwhelmingly approved property in Bells Bend last week for Metro's next landfill, but no decision has been made about what to do with the garbage between March 21 and the opening of the new landfill "An extension's got to be filed, I know that" Hall said.

Hall said yesterday he had not made up his mind about filing a resolution today, the deadline for legislation to be considered at next Durward Hall "Extension's got to be filed" AIDS gives chance to care Baptists told to practice what they preach about God's love ill Former day care worker arrested on sex charges TODD EISENSTADT Staff Writer A former South Street Community Center teaser was arrested yesterday on charges that he fondled two male children in the center bathroom, officials said. Anthony Dewayne Alexander, 28, of 1 029 1 3th Ave. a former employee of the day care center at 935 Edgehill Ave, was arrested following his indictment by the Davidson County grand jury Feb. 7, police said. Alexander was charged with a total of four counts of sexual battery against a 4-year-old boy and against a 7-year-old boy, said youth guidance detective Regenia Blanton.

"He took them into the bathroom and fondled them," Blanton said. "He admitted to this." Blanton said police interviewed some 30-40 students at the day care center and found the two victims after another teacher filed a complaint with the Department of Human Services. "They weren't sure of exact dates," Turn to PAGE 38, Column 1 RAY WADDLE Religion News Editor People who are dying of AIDS provide a chance for Southern Baptists to demonstrate they really believe what they preach that Jesus Christ loves everybody, Baptist ministers said yesterday. "I have found churches to be soft and spongy not on the issue of homosexuality, but soft and spongy about the love of Jesus for certain kinds of people," the Rev. Richard Bridges of Bowling Green, told 200 people at an AIDS conference here.

"AIDS is a horrible thing and a terrible plague, but ifs an opportunity for a people called Southern Baptist to demonstrate the love of God more powerfully than it ever has before." Bridges spoke at a conference at First Baptist Church, Seventh Avenue and Broadway, sponsored by the Christian Life Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. The conference is designed to prompt more ministries to people with AIDS and encourage soul-searching about personal fears associated with the disease. Bridges gave an account of his own experience with a person who died because of AIDS his brother-in-law, a lapsed Southern Baptist who was homosexual. "Ronnie suffered from AIDS because of his own sexual promiscuity," he said. "There's no getting around that" But Bridges, who became friends with him, said he tried to comfort the family by reminding them that the brother-in-law had accepted Jesus as his savior when he was 1 1, even though he lapsed in the intervening decades.

"I told them, 'Remember that old-fashioned Baptist doctrine of once-saved, always-saved? "Bridges said. "Confession of faith covered all those little nasty things little Ronnie did when he was young." Being saved also covers sins "in advance" of the confession of faith. Bridges suggested. "The love of God is so overpowering that nothing can compare to it" he said. Southern Baptists take a strong stand against homosexuality as a sinful behavior that is condemned in the Bible.

"As we talked more and more, Ronnie began to equate our acceptance of him with acceptance of his lifestyle "I told him, You mustn't make that the price of your love. Ifs one we cant pay. Let us just love Jesus always hated what people did but always loved the people themselves. He did that every time." The Rev. John Sullivan, executive director of the Florida Baptist Convention, said, "There will come the day when a person comes down the aisle and says, 'I want you to know Tm dying of What do you say that they're not worthy? We cannot turn our back on that person who says, Tve repented of my sin and God has done a new work in In an interview later, another Baptist leader said Jesus "promises never to let anybody go once we are saved," but asserted that only those who confess their born-again faith in Jesus receive eternal life.

"But Jesus promises never to let us go once we confess faith In him, and that includes Ted Bundy: Nobody, certainly not the homosexual or intravenous drug user, lies outside the grace of Christ" Rex Perry Staff HELP HAS LANDED Admirers look over the first of 16 Tennessee Air National Guard C-130H Hercules after its arrival at Berry Field yesterday from Lockheed's factory at Marietta, Ga. Story on 3B..