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WP IPHI mm wmm ^^ Garfield opposition wilts under bias charge, A2 / Honxilbvvn « M.>JM>«i'J*lt:fit >«>.>(* NUT WIIHK* Putting you in touch Thursday with your world June 10,1999 Serving the Westland Community for 35 years o ! Vou viL 35 NUMBER 2 WESTLAND. MICHIGAN • 80 PAGES • http: observer eccentric com Smv» F;'*E CFNTS 'don split01« M HNHTCWI C«W»I Itrtfoffc, JacJ The Westland City Council vote on budget Charles "Trav" Qriffin said is "long , That'seeros to be adequate for emer approval was 4«2, with Councilmen Glenn overdue" for a financial boost. gencies," Griffin, said. Anderson and Richard LeBlanc voting no. The Other new hires will range from Griffin favored the budget and watetrsewer, department employees to helped form a supportive majority that new budget of $44.2 million represents a 7 per road workers. also included colleagues Cicirelli, Jus LOCAL cent spending increase. Councilmen Glenn Anderson and tine Barns and £>h~3ron Scott. BY DARRELL CLEM employees to spruce up cityparks that Richard LeBlanc voted against the The vote didn't include a proposed Dignitary visits: Bernard STAFF WRITER officials say have been neglected. budget - partly because they question'- 27-cent increase in water-sewer rates - dciemdoe.homecomin.net ' '• Anderson, U.S. assistant "We want our families to use the whether the city can afford the new a plan that is expected to be decided parks," council President^ Sandra positions long-term. June 21. Divided over hiring 115 new employ = secretary of labor, visited ees, We8th?n3 City Cduncirmemb^fs: Cicirellrsaid; ^~~ --.--+-. Anderson said the 16 new.hires Finance Director Tim McCurley said the William D.Ford Monday split 4-2 in approving a $44,.2 Some city leaders received com amounted to "a budget killer" for him. the 6,5 percent increase would boost Career Technical Center millipn budget that includes a 7 per plaints from residents about deteriorat Other city leaders stressed that, water-sewer rates from $4,19 per 1,000 cent spending increase. ing parks. despite the new positions, the spending gallons to $4.46. ' Tuesday. His topic was The new budget reflects a pledge by Six out of 16 hew jobs will go to a plan maintains a $1.2 million budget McCurley predicted that an average teen safety in the work - Mayor Robert Thomas to hire more parks department that Councilman surplus.- That is $150,000 below earlier place, a message he projections. /T -"•" Please see BUDGET, A6 shared with Wayne-West- land students. /A4 'Pomp and Circumstance COMMUNITY LIFE Tracing roots: Brigitte .•--.•*»< Frost was in seventh grade when she got hooked on genealogy. 4lS4l;; .=^::11 Twenty year later, she's is near still tracking down miss BY DARREI ing relatives and helping [email protected] others fill out their family Westland city officials are close to trees./Bl ^approving a new agreement with MediaOne - a 15-year pact that 'ensures cable competition for residents. AT HOME The agreement would virtually par allel a 15-year contract that city offi cials reached with MediaOne competi Safe at home: Style as tor Americast in October, said Diane well as security and con Abbott, Westland community rela tions/cable-TV director. ' venience make home safes "Both agreements are very good for a winning combina- the city," she said. "We feel that it's real positive to have competition in our tionyOS community." On Monday, a united Westland City Council supported a proposed ordi ENTERTAINMENT STAFT PHOTOS BY BRYAN MITCHELL nance to renew a cable television fran Proud moment: John Glenn High School graduates, including Sara Tominac(center), listen chise agreement wjth MediaOne. Summer festival; There's, during commencement Saturdq^gt tfae l^ipersityofMfcbiij^^.^. Ann Arbor. For a list of The council introduced the ordinance graduates dridmo^^ot^i Monday and is expected to approve it something interesting "^ ' " ^^seeBageAl2 of today'sObserver. ~—* ----• on June 21. happening every, weekend . "I think it's great that we have two: cable companies," Westland Cable at Greenfield Village in Sweet sound: Commission Chairman Ed Turner said Dearborn during Summer Wayne Memor Tuesday. "As long as we continue to Festival, June 12 to Aug. ial High • have two, I'm thrilled about it." Sctwol gradu Both cable companies-are embroiled 22./E1 in mergers - Americast with SBC Com ates gather for munications Inc. and MediaOne with Music: When Sean Gavin their com AT&T. mencement Rather than posing a threat to local of Bedford and his / Saturday cable programming, however, Abbott friends get together to afternoon. For said she believes the mergers would ' play, they might do a few a list of gradu likely improve local services. City officials haven't disclosed specif reels and marches, then a ates and more ic details of MediaOne's proposed fran couple of slow airs. /El photos, please chise agreement, but the Observer has^ see Page A12 of learned that the pact would allow the today's paper. company to provide senior citizen dis counts if it chooses. REAL ESTATE Some former MediaOne customers switched to Americast to take advan tage of special offers such as senior dis Little things: With mini counts. mal effort and cash, you City officials and MediaOne repre can make your home more sentatives have been engaged in talks for several months to try to reach a attractive to potential new franchise agreement. buyers;/Fi "" ~ Please see CABLE, A6 INDEX New chamber director getting down to business • Obituaries A6 • Classified Index F5 Real Estate F5 BY JULIE BROWN Her background includes 14 years chamber's fine board, and said relations STAFF WRITER working at Garden City Hospital, start with the city of Westland are no prob Crossword G2 [email protected] ing as a high school co-op student. When lem. Things are very good with the city. Jobs G5 When Lori Brist took over June 1 as she left, she was office manager for a The mayor has been very supportive." Home A Service H6 executive director of the Westland clinic. "I had many good years at the hos Deputy Mayor George Gillies serves on Automotive Jl Chamber of Commerce, she wasn't a pital." the chamber board. newcomer. In addition to experience, Brist, a 1985 John Glenn High School Brist envisions more joint projects • Opinion A14-15 Brist had goals in mind. graduate," was appointed to the chamber With the city, especially grand openings • Calendar * B4 "Basically, we're here to serve our board by John Toye. The doctor she for businesses. • Sports ; CI members." She likes chamber network worked for moved his practice to South- She's been introducing herself at local field, and Brist decided to look into a businesses and explaining the chamber's • Real Estate Fl ing opportunities; the chamber, which provides some such evening opportuni chamber job. role. "I'm consistent and persistent." ties, has 389 business members. "I went ahead and talked to Linda" Brist's background includes medical "We'd like to see 425 by the end of the Shapona, then director of the chamber. terminology study at Schoolcraft College HOW TO REACH US summer," she said. 'That'sbur goal'* Brist finds hospital work, where people and medical assistant courses at the Brist, 32, of Westland had been the had to come in, quite different from William D. Ford Career Technical Cen chamber work. "So it's a totally different ter. Her old job at the chamber has been [ Newsroom: 734-953-2104 chamber's administrative assistant since October 1998 and had previously been on atmosphere." People como to the cham filled by De'Adra Dawkins, a former Newsroom fax: 734-691-7279 the chamber board. She's also a district ber by choice, she said. chamber secretary and Eastern Michi- STATF PHOTO BY ELIZABETH CARXWIE E-mail: tystthmanOoe.horoecomni.ntt Brist appreciates working with the manager with Jnfra Cosmetics. ^- ~r~- Please see CHAMBER, A6 Lori Brist, chamber director , . Night line/Sports: 734-953-2164 Reader Comment Line: 734-953-2042 Classified A dvertislng: 734-591-O900 Olsptay Advertising: 734-591-2300 Motorcyclist, 25, expected to recover from injuries Home Delivery: 734-591.-0500 BY DARRELL CLEM Kawasaki but couldn't avoid a 1983 Podge Ram that "But our best information is that he'll make it. Ho STAFF WAITER turned in front of him, Westland police Sgt. Peter was talking that same night." dclem<fc>e.homecomm.nct Brokas said. The accident initially left Colflesh unconscious, A. Livonia motorcyclist was in fair condition Tues Colflesh suffered closcd'head and hip injuries dur police Officer Jack Mcintosh said.' day after being injured Friday when he collided with ing the 5:45 p.m. Friday accident that, snarled rush- Colflesh remained at University of Michigan Hospi n pickup truck at Merriman and Ann Arbor Trail in hour traffic, Brokas said. tal in Ann Arbor, where he was flown from Garden Westland, hospital and police officials said. "He hurt hiship rather severely, and he may have Jimmie Colflesh Jr., 25, braked on his 1999 to have reconstructive surgery," the sergeant said. TT ease see MAJMn/Xi > t 4 • V<n» I **m TheOb^mr 4 fieceiUrte/ THURSDAY, JUNE 10,1999 ains BYDAElKLLCUOi STAFF wvnnt • But Robbing who supports Wright's BYMAWlCBtSTKKT that some Garfield residents don't want any Political fallout from a. 9tm y more Westland residents attending Garfield. • LIVONIA SCHOOLS Memorial Day parade contin ^S^P^PWjUrwS^P^WrJW& ^^VSw«S Ji^^r^* • • ued this week as an incumbent and ntsonbarger A letter sent to school officials backfired on 54 percent Westland residents are as follows: "We have seen an Wayne-Westland school board should'vo boon care the, 276 Garfield Elementary residents who The current school population is 54 per candidate said she participated ha<d signed it when Livonia Public Schools cent Westland residents; 46 percent Livonia increase in children brought into our school ful of appoarancos.