~r*r •* W wpwfRPVpn mm mm mmmmmm >if 4Me£ftIanb Volume 18 Number 66 v Thursday, February 10,1983 Westland, Michigan 48 Pages Twenty-jive cents * l}ttS»but*)Coaa>ulc«UoaCorporillo«.AURI{kURt«<Tvt4 Students mourn 2 classmates killed in crash John Glenn High School students are mourning the death of two 10th grade mm classmates who died early Sunday in a :^¾¾ car crash. Gary A. Wade and Michael J. Knope, both 15, were killed when their car went out of control on a gravel road and rrashed-intoa-tree, : A third student, David Griffin, also 15 and the son of Westland City Coun­ cilman Charles Griffin, was reported If out of intensive care at University Hos­ pital in-Aim Arbor. Washtenaw County sheriff's depu­ ties, said the accident occurred at 4:50 a.m. Sunday, three miles north of Ypsi- BILL BRESLEfl/ataff photographer lanti on Harris south of Cherry Hill. The car, which was owned by Wade's Gary A. Wade A crowd of local officials and supporters of Wayne County General remain open. The county's new executive William Lucas has threat­ Hospital pack a meeting to air reasons why the hospital should mother, was reportedly being driven by ened to close or sell the facility because of its operating costs. the youth without his parents' permis­ sion. Deputies said none of the boys had a driver's license. Closing hospital may prove costly GRIFFIN had been riding in the right front seat of the 1976 Volkswagon which was traveling at high speed, ac­ By Maurie Walker iced 1,406 emergency patients and staff writer cording to police. The car struck a tree 3,841 clinic patients. Emergency pa­ 25 inches in diameter, cutting the" car tients from all of Wayne County totaled in half. Closing Wayne County General Hos­ 31,303. pital may not be much of a savings for "Where would all those patients be According to unconfirmed reports, the youths had overslept after planning the county, according to some county"* cared for if the hospital is closed?," 1 -anearly morningexcusion tocfteckou officials. Beard asked in charts assembled by Commission- Among those attending the meeting reports of a haunted section of a road er Kay Beard, whose districts include were Westland's Mayor Charles Pick­ in the area. AU Westland, Garden City and Inkster, the ering and Police Chief William Rech- Conflicting reports say Griffin either Michael J. Knope county would still face a" total cost in lln; Garden City's Mayor Vincent For- struggled free or was thrown from the the first year of the closing of nearly deli and Coiincilnien Gene Salvatore' wrecked car and made his way to a skater Interested in entering competi­ 123 million. and Don McNuity; Inkster Mayor Wil­ housewhere he collapsed. tion. At an open meeting held Wednesday liam Daniels; and several county com­ His father said David, a John Glenn lie Is survived by his parents, Gary in Inkster Recreation Center, at which missioners, including Mary Dumas of wrestler, was to fair condition at the and Patricia Wade; a brother* Martvn more than 25Q^irsohs attended, Beard Livonia. ' Mott Center of University Hospital. Timothy Wade; grandparents, Mr, and said this figure would include such.oa- "He's conscious and able to walJf," Mrs. Matt Gross and Mr. and Mrs. Mar­ _ Beard told the gathering that the Griffin said. "He has a ruptured kidney golng expenses as_utilities, insurance, board of commissioners "does not rec­ ty Fogarty. depreciation, supplies and repairs as which is causing internal bleeding." Services for Knope were also held ommend the closing of the hospital. John Glenn assistant principal David well as retirement funding, unemploy- "No proposals have come to the com­ yesterday from the John N. Santeiu and ' ment compensation and retiree's hospi­ Bolitho said that the accident has had a Son Funeral Home, Garden City. Burial mission from Wayne County Executive "very somber, sober effect on the kids. talization insurance. William Lucas," she added. u was in Michigan Memorial Cemetery, The county would spend $4.2 million A lot of parents have called to excuse Flat Rock. FORDELL said he was in attendance their kids to go to the funerals." for employees' accrued vacation and to support the maintenance of the hos­ He is survived by his parents Melvis sick time, $9.2 million in unemploy­ Services for Gary Wade were held Knope and- Nancy Jones; stepfather, pital. "yesterday from the Uht Funeral Home ment compensation in which the county "The hospital is a safe haven for our Robert Jones; brother, John Holet; sis­ is liable for all 52 weeks, and $800,000 in Westland. Burial was in Cadillac Me­ ters, Marion Busch and Susan Otlen community. In addition, many Garden morial Gardens. in worker's compensation. There would City residents are employed there. grandparents Mr. and Mrs.- Walter also be fringes on earnings totaling $1.6 Knope; Adam Hassa; and Mr. and Mrs. "I'm in favor of any solution for sav­ WADE WAS reportedly a speed Bill McPhee. million, Beard said. ing the.hospital" Fordell said. "Contrary to popular belief, patients Pickering said that while he believes don't just come from the western the people should be fair to Lucas in his Wayne County suburbs. All of Wayne efforts to work out the county budget, County uses the hospital," she said. he hoped there would be a solution by Lucas, the employees and the commis­ Parents win delay THE HOSPITAL, in the year ending Nov. 30, handled 15,526 out-patients sioners. who came from all areas of the county "Our city has some 7,000 emergency including Detroit, Hamtramck,'.High­ runs to the hospital last year. Where land Park and the Grosse Pointes? "would they have gone if it was closed?" in Bentley closing Emergency patients from these areas The mayor added that he and the handled by the hospital totaled 4,222. Westland City Council will do their By Terl Banas sary," Garver said yesterday. Tenta­ Added to these figures, the hospital part to help keep it open. staff writer tively, Tuesday, March 1 has been ta- handled 87,809 out patients from sur­ Several of the speakers attacked Lu­ geted, as well. Garver had recommend­ rounding cities, including Westland, Al­ cas. - . James Lynch and supporters fell ed to the board that it schedule len Park, Ecorse, Belleville.and Livo­ Bard Young, UAW representative, short of what they originally set out to hearings Feb. 14-16. nia. speaking as a resident, said "the big­ do'Monday night — set up a communi­ . In additton to the new hearing sched­ From Westland last year, the hospi­ gest violator of the Wayne County Larry Smith 6f Westland, who is employed at Ford Motor Compa­ ty task force to study the closing of ule, board president Marjorie Roach tal handled 7,088 emergency patients budget has been Lucas." ' ny's Wayne Assembly Plant, tells the story of a friend's life saved Bentley High School. told Lynch that trustees would wait un­ and 17,774 clinic patients. by hospital employees after his friend was injured by a robot at The parent group, however, did win til March 21 for his committee report.- From Garden City, the hospital serv- Please turn to Page 3 the plant. Listening in the foreground is Mary Dumas. one concession in its campaign to stall On March 28, trustees will decide a decision by the Livonia Board of Edu­ whether they have-enough information cation. The school board, after a to make a decision on the closing of lengthy presentation by Lynch, agreed Bentley. to delay by one week public hearings The compromise was reached after a Board hearing airs summer tax plan on Superintendent George Garver's heated- debate among trustees and recommendation to close the district's some 75 people who attended the meet­ firs{ high school by June 1985. ing. The Livonia school board will hold a used for special education programs MEMBERS OF the audience ap­ the school system would agree to iden­ "It's a good compromise, I'll go for AT ISSUE was the board's vote on public hearing at 8 p.m. Feb. 17 In the and returned to local districts. plauded as the summer collection is­ tifying who were the mortgage holders it," Lynch, the parent group's chief Carver's, report, calling for the closing Franklin High auditorium, 31000 Joy BUT A DECISION on summer tax sues Tvere either denied or delayed. In the Westland portion of the district. spokesman, said later.'Tm glad the of Bentley. Board action Monday ac­ Road, on whether half the district's collections was postponed for the Livo­ Westland councilman Kenneth Mehl Estimates varied of the revenue the board 6f fered us some extended time to knowledged receipt of the report and -mlllage levy should be collected this nia and Inkster districts. A decision asked for a survey of residents' reac­ city would lose if the school system or make an intelligent and reasonable set the stage for its deliberation. summer in the Westland portion of the must be reached, by law, before March tions, to the collection. county collected the taxes Instead of presentation to them. They are being Garver has said that because of de­ district. ' • • —_ l. ••'• ; . •'" . "I think in this case public input is Westland. A minimum for the Livonia accommodating, just not as much as clining enrollment, school program­ . Total debt and operating mlllage "If this was something the council important," he said. district alone was set at $15,000. we'dlike." ming will suffer through limited course amounts to about 37.86 mills ($37.86 could defeat, I would vote no," said one But Carll and councilman Kent Her­ The compromise calls for a public offerings unless the district cuts down" per $1,000 of equalized valuation) for Westland councilman, Robert Wagner.