February 21, 2008
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Daily sports Workshop to teach how news updates landscape with grass - hometownlife. ****** „ 75 cents WINNERS OF STATE AND NATIONAL AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE www.hometownlife.com BYDARRELULEM STAFF WRITER Petitioned by hundreds of people to start a curbside recycling program, Westland city lead ers may be inching toward a plan. "I would hope that by early summer, we could be moving forward," said Westland City Council President James Godbout, who led the city's recy cling committee for years. "We've talked about it long enough. It's time to take action." Cinema set to That came as welcome news to recycling pro ponents who last year circulated petitions and close in March collected more than 600 signatures of residents who want a curbside program. BY DARRELL CLEM "It's about time," Margot McCormack, who led STAFF WRITER the petition drive, said. "The sooner the better, in my opinion. I'm still very much in favor of it." Showcase Cinemas Westland Mayor William Wild and council members will close its doors in early plan to discuss a citywide program during a March, pulling the curtain on public session scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. the city's last remaining movie 25, on the second floor of City Hall, on Ford theater unless local officials can Road east of Newburgh. Currently, residents win a reprieve from its owners. Mayor William Wild Please see RECYCLING, A3 announced Tuesday that National Amusements, the Dedham, Mass., company that operates the theater, plans to shutter the eight-screen movie house on. March 2. In a last-ditch effort to save the theater, Wild said he hoped during a teleconference Wednesday to convince cor While in custody in the aftermath of a murder porate officials to change their police say he played a key role in planning, com minds. mitting and covering up, Alexander Letkemann Showcase Cinemas opened made at least three statements to police, includ in Westland in 1989 on Wayne ing a videotaped confession to Road south of Warren, but it Canton police revealed at his has faced increasing competi preliminary hearing. tion for movie goer dollars from On Friday, Letkemann, 18, of newer places like Emagine Westland, was in court argu Theaters in Canton and AMC ing he was sleep-deprived and Livonia 20. intimidated into making those National Amusements also . statements, and his lawyer was owned the old Quo Vadis movie asking a circuit court judge to theater further north on Wayne Letkemann suppress those statements. Road. That theater closed in Letkemann and Jean Pierre 2002 and is expected to be torn Orlewicz, 17 of Plymouth Township, are accused down this year to make room of first-degree murder in the Nov. 7 killing 26- for a $5 million fitness center. year-old Daniel Sorensen of River Rouge, burn Showcase Westland was in ing his body and beheading him to mask his the spotlight last year when identity, disposing of the body in a Northville BILL BRESLERI STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER its operator sought an enter field and the head in the Rouge River. The Women of Westland and First Step honored Sue Mason, editor of the Westland Observer, as the 2008 ATHENA Award tainment license to offer din Among claims Letkemann made in testimony recipient. Mason was nominated by St. Damian School teacher Kim Rourke. ner and drinks with a movie. in the Wayne County Circuit courtroom of Councilman Charles Pickering Judge Annette Jurkiewicz-Berry: He didn't fully voiced opposition to the plan, understand his rights, he was coerced into mak saying he feared the license ing the statements, and tricked into revealing could lead to adult entertain the location of Sorensen's head. ment such as "nude and topless In making her ruling, Berry said Letkemann BY DARRELL CLEM nominated." a big part in what I do. I was glad activity." was intelligent enough to understand his rights. STAFF WRITER Mason won the award with to have them with me to share this Some officials worried that Letkemann's lawyer, Raymond Cassar of her husband Bob and their two award," she added. "I could not do the controversy could cause Farmington Hills, argued his client was sleep- Sue Mason, a Westland resident children, Bobby, 13, and Carolee, what I do without their support. National Amusements to pull deprived and intimidated during questioning who has maintained close ties to 11, at her side. Their children They're my anchor." out of Westland, but even Wild that took place Nov. 9 -11. her hometown during her 35-year attend Stevenson Middle School in Mason was nominated by St. said Tuesday that, "I'm not sure Letkemann initially told Northville police career in community journalism, Westland. Damian School teacher Kim if that played into their decision Sorensen's body was already wrapped in a has won the prestigious ATHENA The ATHENA recipient is cho Rourke, who was impressed with here." tarp when he arrived at the Canton home of award. sen for attaining and personifying Mason's coverage when NASA Some other Showcase the Orlewicz's grandfather, where the murder took Mason, community editor for the highest level of professional astronaut Sunni Williams visited aters in cities like Dearborn place, and that he didn't know what was in it as the Westland and Garden City edi excellence, devoting time and the school. and Sterling Heights also have he helped load it in a truck. tions of the Observer & Eccentric energy to the community in a "While her writing is derived closed in recent years. He told them in the videotape Orelwicz lured Newspapers, received the award meaningful way, and opening the. from an objective eye, she makes Sorensen into the garage and killed him by stab Saturday during the fourth annual door of leadership opportunities a point to highlight and applaud [email protected] I (734)953-2110 bing him from behind. He later wrote out an Chocolate Fantasy Ball -- a choco for women. both women and children who eight-page statement. late lover's dream at Hawthorne "My inspiration was.my par have either accomplished a sig Berry said Friday police officers did nothing Valley Country Club in Westland. ents," said Mason, a graduate of nificant goal or brought about a What do you improper and that statements were obtained The ATHENA award is given each Westland John Glenn High School worthwhile change within the think about legally from Alexander Letkemann, who in the year by Women of Westland and and Wayne State University, where community," Rourke wrote in this issue? video admits to police he understands his rights. First Step, two organizations dedi she received a bachelor of arts her nomination, adding later Comment online t She dismissed his attorneys' attempts to toss cated to improving women's lives. degree in jeurnalism. "They taught that Mason "is a well-rounded, hometownlife.com or "I still am in awe of receiving me to follow my dreams and to do thoughtful individual who is a out the statements. E-mail'your responses Letkemann and Orlewicz face an April 7 trial this award," Mason said. "I was my best. to [email protected] date in the case. honored beyond belief at just being "And my family has also played Please see MASON, A3 I«ff.!T«»siS%S«(Ss"v: © The Observer & Eccentric Newspapers For Home APARTMENTS C4 in Health Delivery call: AUTOMOTIVE C6 Volume 43 CROSSWORD PUZZLE C7 (866) 887-2737 Number 77 .* s : HOMETOWNLIFE Dl J it] ' i t M3 ri'tiql'lWiWvO/ JOBS C8 OBITUARIES A4 OPINION A8 PINK D4 REAL ESTATE C4 SERVICE GUIDE C4 SPORTS 81 It's time to get at a famiiv Observer & Eccentric | Thursday, February 21,2008 A2 (W) LOCAL NEWS www.hometownllfe.com Inside the j t -m 1 H V ** v* operating room •* Teamwork, advances awe #1 St. Mary Mercy visitors 5" BYALEXLUNDBERG For more images from the operating STAFF WRITER room, some of them graphic, visit www.hometownlife.com. Caterers and legislator's aides, CEOs and correspond Mendelson discussed the gen dents got a firsthand look, eralities of joint replacement and a very close one at that, at surgery while replacing a hip how a hospital operating room and a knee. The procedures really runs Tuesday morning are necessarily violent — even in the Healthcare Partnership elderly bones are hard — but Program at St. Mary Mercy the conditions the procedures Hospital. are designed to alleviate are no Volunteers got to shadow less brutal. -\. doctors that morning, watch "Over time, cartilage erodes /:/ » ing them perform various pro and bone starts rubbing **. cedures, as part of a program against bone," he said. "It's designed to educate people painful." about the inner workings of the Osteoarthritis, the loss of *** most private of public build cartilage due to wear, is some ings. thing that virtually everyone Jennifer Kennedy, marketing will face given a long enough aiftfc and public relations manager, life. No one knows what causes said the program, launched in it. 4. 2001, is there to inform. "All of the treatments "We want to educate the are based on replacement," The knee replacement is cemented in place. Surgical technician June pital's cardiology department. reminded me of people work community about what we do," Mendelson said. "We don't Mathews applies cement before handing the part to Dr. Mendelson. He was floored by the abilities ing construction, pouring she said. "Not everyone gets to know how to prevent it. he saw on display. concrete into a pillar. It was see so far inside the hospital. Inflammatory arthritis, like natural joint and replacing it ment parts can be expected to "The skill the doctor pos amazing, they were doing it by We're trying to encourage a rheumatoid or lupus, can be with a construction of tita last for the life of the patient.