^mmmmmm^jmmmmmmmmim* DONT BLAME CARRtCR FOft LATE Df LIVERY Glenn All-Star hits upper deck at Tiger Stadium, CI Tb*^« IN* Mwy li ntH t* . hAolww Obttnw «rt»f. tX4 to tetfrtod dHnMH, M wtn iMtti to 9ft 9w WMptp4fV pU on Bw*. Homelbwn < OM_Mt NjC.AfHINtt NUiHOHK* Putting you In touch Thursday with your world < June 24,1999 Sewing theJWeM^ 35 years # VoiLvt 35 NUMBER 6 WESTLAND. MICHIGAN • 80 PAGES • http://ouserver-eccentric.com SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS j 01«H HoawTown Communication* Nttwork, Inc. IN THE PAPER Summertime TODAY OPINION Let them speak: There are arguments on both sides for Cox of the Garfield Elemen­ • David Cox was chosen tary School controversy. Monday to fill a vacancy on , The Livonia school super­ the Westland City Council. intendent should listen to Cox will step down as all involved./A1A Wayne-Westland school board president. BY DARRELL CLEM COMMUNITY LIFE STAFF WRITER , [email protected] With his family and his Bible in tow, Monopoly, anyone? You David Cox came ready to be sworn in can buy Boardwalk, put Monday if chosen as interim appointee up four hotels, even skip for a Westland City Council post. He wasn't disappointed. Go while playing a life- Cox, widely rumored as a front-run­ sized version of Monopoly ner, clinched a six-month appointment at Prince of Peace Luther­ to a seat that became vacant when for­ mer Councilman Charles Pickering an-Church this week- stepped down April 30. end./Bl As expected, Cox, 41, won the post following a split Westland City Council vote. "I'm humbled and honored," Cox said after Monday's meeting. AT HOME STATT PHOTOS BY TOM HAWLEY Water's great: Enrique Pardo and son Evian, 5, of Westland spend time in the Bailey Center See related story, Page A4 "" Cultivating interest: Tour pool. Below, Marissa Johnson, .7, tries out the slide at the municipal pool. He immediately went to work, join­ visitors will see that area ing his colleagues for a post-meeting, gardeners raise more closed-door session on a legal matter. than beautyjn their yards Plucked from 10 candidates who and gardens./010 sought the job, Cox will return to a Folks find the living is easy council that he left in 1995. He was ousted by voters after serving a two- year term. BY JULIE BROWN in Dearborn, is tall enough this year His appointment gives him incum­ ENTERTAINMENT STAFF WRITER to use the slide. "She's pretty excit­ [email protected] bent status as he prepares for a full- ed," said Bobosky, who's been coming fledged council campaign this fall. onday was officially the first to the pool for the three years she's Music: Mudpuppy featur­ Council members who supported day of summer, and the lived in Westland. She and her hus­ ing Paul Randolph, a Cox's appointment say he has matured crovrds «t the Bailey Center band own a commercial cleaning M and become less combative than he was Southfield High School pool were a good indicator of the time business in Plymouth. four years ago. of year. "She loves coming here," she said of graduate, has a lot .po eel-, "He's really the most qualified,'' Mario Bobosky of Westland came to Marissa. "She couldn't wait to come council President Sandra Cicirelli said ebrate these days. It just the pool with her sister, Marissa here today. It is nice." after the meeting. "He is dedicated to Johnson, 7. "Just taking care of her In the pool, Gail Streit of Mears, released a live album, the community, and he knows the job. today, actually. She came with me Mich., was with granddaughters "One Night Only," and We won't have to train him." last year to the pool." Christa and Alyssa Genovese. "I'm Cicirelli also said Cox has impressed now it's part of a national Marissa, who attends grade school advertising . - Please see UVINQ, A3 her'as a three-year Wayne-Westland campaign. /El Please see COX, A4 Festival: The three-day ^fiv^T Tcfnnrf Ff><ttiiinlf nn Westland's water-sewer rates ^ the Huron River in Ypsi- lanti's Depot Town dis­ BY DARRELL CLEM higher costs partly attributed to federal "I, for one, do not want to be stuck on to Westland for the water it sup­ trict, features zydeco, STAFF WRITER clean-water measures. giving the residents of this community plies. [email protected] The increase will boost water-sewer a $1 increase," Councilman Charles "The rates that we're asking for are blues and jazz. /El A splintered Westland City Council rates by 27 cents to $4.46 per 1,000 "Trav" Griffin said. not rates that we want to tack on." on Monday socked residents with a 6.5 gallons. It will tack $9 onto quarterly Westland - like other Rouge River Mayor Robert Thomas said. percent water-sewer rate hike to cover bills of typical homeowners using communities - is threatened with a Still, the council split 4-2 in approv­ 33,000 gallons, finance director Tim court order unless city officials tighten ing the new rates, with Glenn Ander­ REAL ESTATE McCurley said. clean-water measures such as stricter son and Richard LeBlanc opposing the The latest move follows a 38-cent cleaning of streets and sewers. plan. They said the entire cost of hiring Good advice: Words of _. Footing the MM increase last year, but city leaders City leaders said 17 cents of the new six workers to comply with clean-water /the Increase will boost water- pledged to try to avoid a rate hike next 27-cent rate hike will be used for measures shouldn't be tacked onto wisdom carry Realtors sewer rates by 27 cents to year. stricter federal clean-water measures. local water bills. through good times and $4.46 per 1,000 jgallohs.lt Council members ratified the new Six new water-sewer workers will be The.pair said the city" could find some wili tack $9 onto quarterly rates Monday amid concerns that U.S. hired to boost the effort. way to pay the tab rather than passing bad./Fl bills of typical homeowners District Judge John Feikens would oth­ The other 10 cents will offset rising on the eniire cost to local water users. using 33,000 gallons. erwise impose even higher increases. costs that the city of Detroit is passing Please see RISE, A2 INDEX Riding along: Austin Stoj'm of • Obituaries A6 '99~festival fun awaits Westland enjoys • Classified Index F5 a summer day Real Estate F5 BY JULIE BROWN dusk Sunday, July 4, will wrap things at the Garden ; STAFF WRITER up. [email protected] Crossword G2 "We're looking forward to a reairy (-S^ity Jaycees' Jobs G5 From June 30 through July 4, the good festival. I think it's a really good carnival. Sum­ Home & Service H6 cry, "There's nothing to do," won't asset," said Sue Haslacker of Westland, mer fun contin­ Automotive J3 apply in Westland. The annual West- festival secretary. "It brings people ues June 30 land Summer Festival will bring fun out.'' • Opinion A14-15 through July 4 for old and young. She and other organizers are hoping with the West- • Calendar B4 Rides aren't the only source of fun. and praying for good weather. "We CI Highlights include a parade 7 p.m. really enjoy it and everybody has fun," land Summer. • Sports Festival. • Real Estate Fl Wednesday, June 30, beginning at Haslacker said of the festival, which Ford and Wildwood and proceeding she pegged as approximately 29 years west on Ford "to City Hall. Fireworks at SUfF nil'TOM BRVtS Please see FESTIVAL, A3 Mm •mill HOW TO REACH US —» Future of south-end city fire station in jeopardy Newsrooml 734-9W-2104 Newsroom Fax 734-591-7279 BY DARRELL CLEM J That's five people from a total population of 3,353. But officials say the fire station plan, which also E-mail: tyachmanOoe.homecomnvrMt, STAFF WRfTF.R he said. would include an adjacent park and an in-house dclemOoe.homecomm.net Nigntline/S'ports: 734-953-2104 What's more, city officials say the figures are office for a part-time community police officer - is Reader Comment Line; 734-953-2042 A minor glitch in population figures could scuttle wrong. now in jeopardy. "It's a minor glitch," Gilbert said, "but it's keeping Classified Advertising: 734-591-0900 plans for a long-awaited fire station on Westland's southeast side, city officials said Wednesday. the fire station from being built." 'Shocked and shaken' Display Advertising: 734-591-2300 The problem could have even larger ramifications The new station would be built using $1 million in John Franklin, vice president of the Southeast Home Delivery: 734-591-0500 by hindering efforts to revitalize south-end neighbor­ federal dollars. The city had hoped to start construc­ Westland Homeowners Association, voiced dismay hoods, officials said. tion this summer on the southeast corner of Annapo­ over the latest developments. "We're going to keep fighting this until we right the lis and Irene, in a Carver subdivision area where new "I'm really shocked and shaken with the fineness of wrong," Fire Chief Mark Neal vowed Wednesday. housing has started to emerge for the first time in 25 the line with which the (federal) decision was made."' The problem has arisen because federal rules indi­ years. said Franklin, who is also president of the YVestlnnd cate that the southeast end has five people too many The station would sei've nn area bound by Merri- Housing Commission above the low- to moderate-income threshold, said man, Inkster, Annapolis nnd Van Born roads - a sec­ City officials learned of the problem in a now letter James Gilbert, Westland community tion of town geographically separate from the rest of .5^74 10011 5 development/housing director.