Sears Opening Set for October
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^^^^^*m Chamber members plan flurry of activities, A4 Thursday September 4,1997 UDestlanft (Dfoeruer & VOLUtvi^33^NtiM8ER 26 WESTLAND, MICHIGAN • 70 PAGES • http://observer-eccentric.com SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS C 1997 HomeTown Communication* Network. Inc. Sears opening LOCAL set for October A Sears store at Westland Center is scheduled to open in late October. Kohl's has expanded its Westland site, and other changes are under way at the center, situated at Wayne and Warren roads. BY DARRELL CLEM have a positive impact on sales." STAFF WRITER The $21 million, 188,000-square-foot A new Sears store that will create Sears project will become the first 350 to 400 new jobs and boost tax rev major new-store mall expansion in a enues by an estimated $200,000 a year decade, signaling new vitality for West- STAFF PHOTO BY TOM HAWLET will open in late October at Westland land's anchor shopping center. Center, officials said. "Everything is on target as far as I At work: The construction work at Sears will soon end. Officials "We are very excited about having know," said Andrew Wiggers, Atlanta- based project manager for ERE are confident the store will be open by this fall. STAFF PHOTO BY TOM HAVLEY the Sears store open," mall general manager Ed McHale said. "It's going to Yarmouth, Westland Center's mall management company. "The end of Nuptials: Mollie McEl- October is when the store is scheduled said. Consider: cial central-city taxing district, helped heran and Ian Irvine to open." • The store will hire 350 to 400 full- pay for such measures as relocating had a rather unusual That should come as welcome news and part-time employees. utilities and realigning parking areas. to area residents, according to a 1995 • An estimated 100,000 additional The money wasn't used on the Sears wedding last Saturday. survey of the local retail market by The shoppers will be drawn to Westland building itself, Veldhuis said, although The two tied the knot Green Group, consultants hired by the Center each year because of Sears. some critics said the city should have during the annual Ren city. • An additional $200,000 in tax rev avoided any spending measures to Scott Veldhuis, Westland economic enues for the city, schools and other boost the project. dezvous of the Western development director, said Sears taxing jurisdictions will come from the Wayne Conservation emerged as a favorite among shoppers Sears store. McHale said the 188,000-square-foot Club./A2 surveyed by the group. "That's why the city was very sup project includes the main Sears depart "The one store that shoppers said portive of the project," Veldhuis said. ment store and a separate automotive they really wanted was Sears," he said. City officials decided early on to pro center. On wheels: A 21-year-old Westland "It was at the top of the list." vide as much as $1.5 million in local City officials have said the Sears The Sears project also means an eco Tax Increment Finance Authority store will play a crucial role in helping John Glenn High School V»oB<xn nomic boost for Westland, Veldhuis (TIFA) dollars to boost the project. Westland Center to retain its customer City dollars, which came from a spe graduate is following his Please see SEARS, A4 dreams by being a drag racer at Milan Dragway. 4««««t**«**«**««***«« His mother and father are enthusiastic'supporters of his ambitions./A3 Reading: COMMUNITY LIFE Homegrown: Fans of fresh awdrtddf fruit and vegetables are % spicing up their meals with fresh fruits, vegeta bles and even muffins that they find at local BY JULIE BROWN farmers' markets./&X STAFF warr?B Picking up a book yourself can go a long way in encouraging your kids to read, "because children learn a lot by example," said Meaghan Battle, head of childreni's services for the William ENTERTAINMENT P. Faust Public Library of Westland. Reading to children is also essenti al Movie preview: Fall in developing a lifelong love of learn movies are no laughing ing.'. ; ,: matter, at least as far as "You can read to children from birth,'' Battle said, "We have Toddlers 8TAJT PHOTOS BT BSYAN AtrlCHEU, Hollywood is con 18 months old coming in to story- Sharing: Library staffer Theresa Weiss reads to a group of eager listeners, at the William P. Faust cerned. /El time." Toddlers niay not appear to be pay Public Library of Westland. The Just for Me Preschool Time is for youngsters ages 3-5. ing attention, but they do hear sto ries. <^Then maybe three hours later port center to reinforce what's learned Sea rotated column, page A4 you'll hear them talking about it." in school. Westland's new library, which Library staffers do school visits to REAL ESTATE opened last November, offers a vari "That's another way of advocating encourage kids to sign up for the sum ety of programs for young readers. you're never too young to start read mer reading program. Classes visit The current storytime sessions will ing." She sees families enjoying their the library to learn about What's Back to school: Real end the week of Sept. 21, with a new time together at the library, which is available, reinforcing the importance estate professionals are session slated for the week of Oct. 12 at 6123 Central City Parkway, of reading and language. having to learn a better through the week of Nov. 16. between Warren and Ford. "I think they learn a lot." Programs include: "It's good time spent together. It Battle doesn't have children of her way to use their comput- "(•"Toddler Tales, for those ages 18- has proven to help early language own, but is aunt to 18 nieces and ers./fl 36 months. skills." nephews. "I do storytelling to my • Just for Me Preschool Time, for There's no shortage of material to nieces and nephews and they ask for children ages 3-5. challenge young minds at the library. it," • Sleepytime Storytime, for fami "We have a huge assortment, and we Ojder children benefit from story INDEX lies';'-'- have a wonderful picture book collec telling and reading aloud, she has • Creation Station, for all ages tion." found. Battle remembers reading Some books are available to help aloud in high school. I Obituaries ___ •I Beginning Bookies, for kinder- _AB gartners through thiM-graders. kids with their ABCs and numbers; "It never needs to stop. As long as I Classified Index _F4 Children benefit from coming to the there are also board books for young you have an exciting story, something Real Estate F4 library, either for organized activities children. that interests them." Crossword G2 or family visits, Battle said. In fact, "It's a different environment than a the library in Westland has no mini school," Battle said of the library. The For information on Westland Jobs mum age for a library card. library functions as an education sup library programs, call (313) 326-6123. Home & Service ~J3 Autos Il4 • Calendar MX) ••R ^J^J^^M fe Bl • Snorts^ ;_ _ CI Clerk predicts light turnout for Tuesday election • Entertainment _ El • Real Estate FT BY JULIE BROWN • She hasn't found the weather to be to be in person," she said of absentee voting on Mon STAFF WRITER a major reason for high or low turnout; day before 4 p.m. Westland City Clerk Diane Fritz estimates that The number of aljsentce ballots requested doesn't HOW TO REACH US less than 20 percent of the city's 65,400 registered people come out to vote In November necessarily indicate turnout in the election, she has votprs will cast ballots in the Tuesday, Sept. 9, may when It's often snowing. found. Some of the ballots go to people who are in oral primary. college or in the military and customarily request an Newsroom; $13463-2104 The race includes incumbent Mayor Robert absentee ballot. Newsroom Fax: 313*091*7279 Thomas and challengers Kenneth Mehl and Dixie "Usually, the turnout on the absentees is very, Her office had issued more than 2,700 absentee E-mail: newtroom 0 oaonllne.com Johnson McNa. No other issues appear on the Sept. 9 very good.* Fritz said. ballots as of Tuesday, with more than 2,000 of those "A lot of people don't vote in the primary, they only Nlghillne/Sports: 313-983-2104 ballot. Fritz was somowhat reluctant to assign a specific returned. vote in the jreneral," she said in explaining low voter Reader Comment line: 313-9W-2042 number to turnout in the election. Saturday at 2 p.m. is the deadline for an absentee turnout Classified Adyertfslng: 313-591-0900 "That's always a difficult question. Usually in a pri ballot by mail, Fritz said. On the Monday before the She hasn'i found the weather to be a major reason Display Adverting; 313-591-2300 mary you don't have as big of a turnout as you do in a election, a voter can vote absentee up to 4 p.m. at the for high or tow turnout; people como out to vote in general." city clerk's office. November when it's often snowing. : t v Home Delivery: 313-591-0500 'The ballot cannot leave the (clerk's)-office. It has "I don't think weather is much of a factor." ~S •:••' v J "W^^^1 wm m ^W^W "^•^ "^^ A2(W) T/ie O&seruer/THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1997 Tftis wedding's ifferent, but festive as well BY RICHARD PEARL affixed 16-inch bayonets held STAFF WRITER aloft to form a canopy for the all it "The Scottish-Irish bride and groom.