[omeTown COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK Plymouth (Observer Your hometown newspaper serving Plymouth and Plymouth Township for 116 years vT'hiaiisa^^Dp.cefnber 6. 2001 www.observem ndccccntric.com ___ J Volume 116 Number 29 Plymouth Michigan ©2001 HomeTown Communications Network™ R uling in favor of gay display Tom Salbenblatt his bulletin board at don ruled that Chiumento and Salben­ opinion their purpose was to ‘promote B Y T o n y B r u s c a t o Salem High School, m October 1999 blatt “were not teaching anything by (their) own lifestyle ’” phe holiday season is here and S t a f f w r i t e r “We’ve been vindicated,” said Chiu­ putting up the displays, they were Walcott left the distnet when current so is the Plymouth-Canton [email protected] mento “The arbitrator understood merely presenting information which Superintendent Kathleen Booher was Observer Cheer Club what it’s all about We were trying to they hoped would improve the climate hired m February 2000 However, he Opening the Cheer Club to new The Plymouth-Canton school district create a tolerant, safe and orderly envi­ of the school by enhancing understand­ was re-hired last summer, by Booher, and returning “members” is one of has been ordered to apologize to two ronment in the schools The ruling by ing and acceptance of gays and les­ as interim executive director of human our favorite holiday traditions gay teachers who were forced to tear the superintendent two years ago sent bians their purpose in doing so was resources Walcott was unavailable for Please join us by bringing down gay history month displays at a message to students that gay kids to help create a safe, accepting, affirm­ comment donations of new toys and canned West Middle School and Salem High are targets ing learning environment for all stu­ Glendon ruled the district must issue or boxed food to our office at 794 School more than two years ago “I hope the ruling reaffirms that gay dents “ written apologies to Chiumento and S Mam m Plymouth during An arbitrator ruled this week First and lesbian people are productive Glendon was critical of Walcott, not­ Salbenblatt, which Deputy Superinten­ business hours Amendment rights were violated when members of society and should be given ing “it is painfully apparent that his dent Jim Ryan said will be w ntten and former interim superintendent Ken The items will be collected until the same respect afforded other peo­ real reason for ordering gnevants to d elive re d Friday, Dec 14, when we turn Walcott forced Mike Chiumento to take ple,” he said take down these displays was that they them over to the good folks at down his showcase display at West and In his findings, arbitrator Paul Glen- themselves are gay and in his personal Please see DISPLAY, A4 Salvation Army They’ll distribute the items to needy people m Plymouth, Canton and Northville The idea is to make the Ice Fest holidays special for everybody, not just the lucky families where people have plenty to spend So if you’re out doing your returns Christmas shopping and have a few minutes to look for another toy or maybe a gift of warm clothing, your thoughtfulness will despite be appreciated When you bring your donations by our office, we’ll ask you to leave your name and funds lag city/township of residence That’s because we like to print donor names in the paper, while the BY TONY BRUSCATO Cheer Club drive is on Of course, STAFF WRITER you may remain anonymous if [email protected] you prefer Each year, we’ve The show will go on recorded around 200 donors to the Despite a lackluster year m collec Cheer Club from Plymouth and mg sponsorships and donations, tl Canton Plymouth International Ice Sculpti Happy Holidays’ Please keep Spectacular will go on as schedule our Cheer Club in mind Jan 16-21 “We’re still going to have an event However, the nature of it has yet to be determined,” said Mike Watts of ‘Sketchy’ show Watts-Up Inc, who has organized the Ice Spectacular for the past 11 years tonight at Canton it’s been held m downtown Plymouth “This year has not been easy It’s nothing against the Members of The Improv Club at event, it s Plymouth-Salem High School will ju s t th a t will be making take to the stage for the first time m oney is smaller, more Thursday (tonight) at 8 p m for tight ” “Sketchy at Best ” intricate dis­ STAFF PHOTOS BY PAUL HUBSCHMANN The down­ The show will run about an hour turn in the plays as com­ at the Canton High School Little Role playing: Mike Broughton as “Guy LaFleur”portrays a Voyageur as he demonstrates how nation’s econ­ pared to some Theater to blow on a beaver fur to see the underfur which was used to make hats Fourth grade students omy, and the Sponsored by art teacher Jordan from Lynn Burns class sit m the Metro Park van and listen to the presentation The visit culmi­ after-effects of the larger Brun, who has studied at Second nated a unit on Michigan History, including Native Americans and Voyageurs of the Sept o n e s w e’v e had City, The Improv Club has been 11 terrorist in the past.’ meeting for about two years Ten attacks, have members of the 40-member club taken their M i k e W a t t s made it through the first tryout for toll It was — Watts Up, Inc this show, Brun said T radin’ p ost only a few “Improvisation is the purest form w eeks ago of acting, because the actors don’t there were doubts the internationally rely on anything - script, or set or renown Ice Spectacular would see its props,” Brun said 20th anniversary Brun hopes his group can do four T raveling trailer takes kid s hack in tim e The event requires a minimum of shows this year Tryouts for the next $150,000 to put on a week-long ice show are the week of Jan 7 after carving display and competition, with Christmas break The club meets B y B r a d K a d r ic h S t a f f W r it e r about $200,000 needed to make it Mondays after school [email protected] net “spectacular ” As of Tuesday, about Tickets at the door are $2 six weeks before taking center stage in arrand Elementary teacher Lynn Bums thought it Kellogg Park, the festival had collected might be better for her fourth-graders to learn a lit­ just over $100,000 That figure was tle about Michigan history m a hands-on fashion, $10,000 less than just 24 hours earlier, rather than simply from books and stones as two sponsors decided their budgets Apartments/E4 HomeTown The folks at the Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authonty would not include the Ice Spectacular At H o m e / C l Life/C6 Metroparks were happy to oblige this year One of the festival’s annual The Metroparks Mobile Learning Center, a 48-foot trav­ sponsors, Johnson Controls, earlier Automotive/F6 Jobs/F2 eling exhibit trailer that brings natural arid cultural histo­ Classified/E,F 0bituaries/A6 announced it would pull back its ry programs to schools, was parked at Farrand Tuesday $10,000 contribution Classified 0pmions/A8-9 Supervising interpreter Mike George, playing the role of And, to make matters worse, Watts lndex/E4 Rea! Estate/El Jean Louise Baptiste, gave his hour long presentation to said the cost of ice this year has gone Crossword/E5 Service Gutde/F5 four classes studying the voyagers, who paddled 34-foot Bargaining power: Michelle Hobig as up 30 percent Entertamment/Bl S p o rts / D l canoes through the Great Lakes area searching for Native “Gabrielle,” a French trader, bargains with “We’ll still spend about $22,000 on Amencans with whom to trade European goods for furs “Roaring Moose,”portrayed by Greg Mogos, ice, but we won’t be able to buy as Please see EXHIBIT, A5 9, of Farrand Elementary School Tuesday much,” he said “Our carvers will be Please see ICE FEST, A4 Fresh ideas earn Fox Hills state ‘Course of the Year’ BY KURT KUBAN included customer service, course S T A F F W R IT E R maintenance, and how courses market­ [email protected] ed themselves to the public Earlier this year, Fox Hills Golf and “They really have something for Banquet Center unveiled a new 18- everyone, from a price standpoint, to hole course called the Strategic Fox, pace of play and level of difficulty,” which was designed to attract more Moore said women and children to the game with Owned by sisters Kathy Aznavonan its shorter and less difficult holes and Sandy Mily, Fox Hills has three It is just one of the innovative ideas separate courses with a total of 63 and practices that have earned Fox holes covering 500 acres on North Ter­ Hills the very first Michigan Golf ritorial west of Napier m Salem Town­ Course Owners Association’s golf ship course of the year award “It’s an honor To be selected from Kate Moore, MGCOA executive more than 900 golf courses is pretty cool Honestly, we were shocked when STAFF PHOTO BY PAUL HURSCHMANN director, said Fox Hills was selected for Award winner: Sandy Mily stands m the banquet room over­ the award from a pool of more than we learned about it,” Mily said 900 public golf courses in the state looking the gazebo and the Golden Fox course Friday at Fox 6 53174 00G Some of the criteria for the award Please see FOX HILLS, A4 Hills.