*' ~Q0¥rT9UmCA^m.n Weather cancels local games, see Sports Section C PcmwnotuvtHY • k> pi *» w*»«F*»« on km. • k>nx5lb\vn i;»H>tl'MI!^IOM«NlH»IIKK' Putting you in touch [ Thiiriday with your world .] January 7,1,999 Serving tfeW $ VOLUMF 34 NUMBER G2 WfSUANO. MhCMiG.w • 64 PAjits • http: • observer occiMitric.com S(VE\T\-F;vl CtNTS O IMS H*mT«w* Cowan totiom Ffowotfc, Inc. IN THE PAPER dig out after storm TODAY • City road crews finished their first offensive against a weekend storm and launched anew effort to SPECIAL SECTION help residents dig out from 12 inches or more of snow. Step right up: One of the BY DARRELL CLEM STAFF WBrnot bright spots in one of the dclemOoe.homeconLm.net coldest winter months Westland road crews around here is the North today are expected to American International continue second-round efforts to plow city Auto Show at Cobo Cen­ streets, following a, ter in Detroit. Check out fierce snowstorm that our special section inside residents and officials ranked among the worst they've seen. for all the details. Tve been here 27 years, and it's one of the worst I've seen,"' Public Services Director Richard Dittmar said. COMMUNITY LIFE City road crews early Tuesday fin­ ished their first offensive against the massive storm and launched a new Community support: The street-plowing effort to help residents generosity of business, dig out from 12 inches or more of snow. As workers battled the storm'that hit churches, clubs and indi­ Saturday and early Sunday, fresh snow viduals has helped fell Wednesday and made their job brighten life for clients of even more complicated. Some residents ignored a city snow First Step, Western Wayne emergency and warnings to move their County Project on Domes­ vehicles off the streets to accommodate tic and Sexual Vio­ city trucks. "That's our biggest problem," lence. /Bl Dittmar said. "We just go by and bury them." City crews worked 24 hours to clear roads. Despite snowy conditions, West- AT HOME land police Sgt. Peter Brokas blamed only a handful of traffic accidents - Learning experience: High none of them serious - on the storm. "After a big snowfall, people ca school students in the Ply­ fast enough to get into serious acci­ mouth-Canton district dents," Brokas said. learn the ins and outs of In an urgent plea, Westland Fire Department officials asked residents interiordesign. /04 for help in clearing snow away from fire hydrants that got buried m snow drifts. "We're asking for help so that we ENTERTAINMENT have access to the hydrants to allow us to provide better fire protection," Assis­ Festival: The Plymouth tant Fire Chief Bob Fields said. International Ice Sculp­ Hard at work All across the city Mond*ay, home­ ture Spectacular in down­ owners used shovels and snow blowers town Plymouth, Jan. 13- to clear their driveways and sidewalks 18, is the oldest and as children celebrated school cancella­ tions by playing outdoors. largest ice carving event "I was hoping the*snow blower I in North America./El bought would pay off, and it looks like it has," 41-year-old Mike Morris said as he cleared snow outside of his house on Music: Blues singer/boo­ the corner of Rolf and Dowling. gie woogie pianist Al Hill He and his neighbors helped motorists whose cars got stranded at has been told for years the intersection before city work crews that he should put his made their rounds early Monday after­ music to CD./BX noon. "We had to push out about seven or % eight cars," Morris said. "The snow was quite deep. I've lived here six years, REAL ESTATE and this is the most snow I've seen since I've lived here." Morris' son, home from the Marines, Boss man: Peter Burton was supposed to'catch a flight Satur­ will lead the Building day to Pensacola, Fla,, but - like hun­ dreds of stranded people - had to wait STAFF PHOTO BY TOM HAVLEY Industry Association of SnoW day: Maggie Plescow, 10, (left) and Amanda LaVigne, 10, (right) ofWestland enjoy their day Southeastern Michigan Please see SNOW, A3 off from school playing on the snow piles at Maggie's home Monday. for the next year./Fl Fire damages local house, INDEX Pair ordered to trial • Obituaries A2 prompts safety warning • Classified Index F4 Real Estate in Glenn teen's death _____F4 BY DARRELL CLEM Patrick Harder said. Crossword F8 STAFF WRITER "You should maintain at least 3 feet dclemOoe.lromecomm.net Two teenagers' have been ordered preliminary hearing Monday in Jobs ¥9 of space around any heat-producing A Westland house caught fire Sun­ equipment," he advised. to stand trial for the Dec 19 death tnkste'r's 22nd District Court. Home A Service G5 day after clothing was left too close to a Harder's-remarks followed a house of 14-year-old Jeffrey Joseph Fir­ Charged as adults, the juvenilis Automotive G6 basement water heater, prompting a fire Sunday in the 33700 block of man, a Westland youth who had were arraigned Dec. 23 on open attended John Glenn High School. murder charges after Inkster police • Opinion A6-7 fire official to issue a warning to home­ Arrowhend, east of the Wayne-Warren owners. area. The defendants, 14-year-old found Firman dead four days earlier • Calendar B4 "Any time you have heat-producing No one was injured, and nnc fire offi­ Stephen Rains ofWestland and 15- on an Inkster football field. • Sports CI equipment, such as furnaces and hot- cial estimated damages at $60,000 to year-old Jason Rlevins of Inkster, The two boys remain in custody were ordered to trial in Wayne under $300,000 cash bonds, 22nd • Real Estate Fl water heaters, it's improper to keep $70,000. clothing, paper and other combustibles "A woman smellcd smoke coming County Circuit Court following a Please see DEATH, A8 stored noxt to it," Assistant Fire Chief Please see FIRE, A2 HOW TO REACH US City, 4 unions prepare for contract negotiations v Newsroom : 73*953-2104 Newsroom Fax 734-591-7279 BY DARRELL CLEM • Westland Police Lieutenants and Sergeants The latest talks are set to start one month after the E-mali. bJachmaoOotnofnvcofTwTi.nv. t STAFF WRITER city settled contracts for Westland police officers and dclemOoe.homccomm.nct Association, which represents 31 employees. , Nightllne/Sports 734-9134104 • Westland Supervisory Association, which has 22 firefighters. Reader Comment Line.734-953-204 2 Contract talks loom between a city bargaining members. Those two groups received annual pay raises aver­ aging 3 2 percent for what was hailed as unprece­ Classified Advertising.7 34-591-0900 team and negotiators for four employee groups. • Administration directors and office staff who "I'm hopeful that they're not going to take very work for Thomas. This group has 23 members dented five-year agreements Display Advertising;734-591-230 0 long, but you never know when you get into bargain­ Initial meetings already have been held with New costs associated with those contracts amount­ Home Delivery,734-591-050 0 ing," city Personnel Director Keith Madden said. AFSCME Ixical 1G02 and the police lieutenants and ed to $1 l million through June 30. 2003 In a closed-door meeting, Westland City Council sergeants groups whose contracts expired Jan 1 Once contracts are settled for the lour other members Monday night discussed what Mayor Thomas didn't predict when settlements might hi' groups. Madden said, the nty will he done with nego­ Robert Thomas called parametors for the negotia­ possible for the employee groups tiations for all non elected eniplnvees. tions with four employee groups: "We're just getting under way now," he said Mon­ Pay raises for Thomas and the seven member • American Federation of State, County and day. Westland City Council will he di^cus-o-d later this, Municipal Employees Local 1602, which represents Madden said h$ hopes negotiations can be wrapped year by the I.oral Officer* ('uiiipo]i<at mil Commis­ public services workers and other hourly employees. up quickly, "but I hate to trv and put a target date on sion Jfl 63174. 10011 5 .It has 119 members. ,. it" u. '•••:'*?•'".• I*#06»»#^isjfcdif^^ New Year's baby •nnnm ttAJOi A. PMKOWtftl Funeral service* for Marie PinkowakI, 76, of Warren were x Dec, 28 in Uht Funeral Home. Mr», Pinkowski, who died Dec. 24 in Warren, was born Aug. 7, 1022, in Detroit; She wei a homemaker, Surviving are her sons, Robert (DeboTah) of WeetlandandMar­ tin (Ann);daughters, Louise (Michael) McKetma and Theresa McCullough; brother, William (Nancy) Roleaon; 16 grandchil­ dren; and one great-grandchild. Mrs. Pinkowski was^preceded in death by her husband, Archie, and daughter, Christine Tewart. N04ANOH.AM>flt$ON Funeral services for Roland Anderson, 62, ofWestland were Jan. 5 in Ss. Simon & Jude Catholic Church with burial at St. Hedwig Cemetery in Dear­ born Heights. Mr. Anderson, who died Jan. 1 in Dearborn, was born May 28,1936, in Detroit. He was an electrician in the construction industry. Surviving are his wife, Bar­ bara; son, Roland Jr. (Jessica) Anderson; daughters, Catherine (Thomas) Martin, Kelly (Thomas) Murphy and Susan (Thomas) Pietruszka, 11 grand­ children; and one great-grand­ New arrival: the first baby of tjuiNew Year bom at St Mary'Hospital in Livo­ child. Mr. Anderson was preced­ nia is Jordan Christopher Barr, son of Kelly and limothyBarr ofWestland., ed in death by his sister, Linda Jordan carhe into the world at 6:06pm. Jan. L He has a big sisten Ashley.