August 3,2008
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Win tickets to area USA WEEKEND concerts and Comedian Jack Black: 1 want to make sure my kids sporting events can be proud of me/ hometownlife.com Inside today's Newspaper August 3,2008 75 cents WINNERS OF STATE AND NATIONAL AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE wmMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmm www.hometownlife.com low vote in Tuesday's primary To see who we endorsed in Tuesday's Polls will be open from 7 a.m. time Commissioner Kay Beard and Dearborn attorney Douglas Tuesday, with absentee ballots votes in races for U.S. Congress, primary election, see today's Opinion to 8 p.m. Turnout is expected to after Beard stepped down Kaye; and parent advocate included. Wayne County clerk and county page on All. not even reach 20 percent. in March, will face former Danny Wilson. "It could be a little higher treasurer, among others. One of the most closely Commissioner Paul Citkowski; On the GOP side, former because of the county commis- DeHart has reminded vot- watched local races will be the Schoolcraft College trustee Westland City Councilman sion race," she said. 'I'm hoping ers that they still may go to the BY DARRELL CLEM 12th District Wayne County Joan Gebhardt, a staffer for David James will face retired for 17 or 18 percent." city clerk's office, on Ford Road OBSERVER STAFF WRITER Commission contest, which state House Speaker Andy Detroit Public Schools teacher The city has just over 60,000 between Wayne and Newburgh, has eight Democrats and two Dillon; Westland City Council Thomas Thompson of Livonia. registered voters, DeHart said. to cast absentee ballots Westland voters will help Republicans competing to President James Godbout; Although Westland typi- Voters also will help decide a Monday. decide federal, state and county become party nominees. Inkster Mayor Hilliard cally has a primary turnout 0.1-mill zoo tax that would cost For more information, she political races — and a Detroit On the Democratic side, Hampton; former Inkster of around 15 percent, Clerk the owner of a $200,000 home said, call (734) 467-3185. Zoo tax — when they go to the commission appointee Ronaele City Council member Wanda Eileen DeHart predicted about $10 a year. polls in Tuesday's primary. Bowman, who replaced long- Harris-Foster; Livonia resident it could be a little higher Local voters also will cast [email protected] | (734) 953-21)0 hopes changes will quiet ics of senior village plan BY DARRELL CLEM ed new landscaping ideas. OBSERVER STAFF WRITER His original plans called for 54 stand-alone homes, 20 duplex condo- Besieged by complaints over his pro- miniums and a 147-unit, three-story * posal for a $35 million senior citizen apartment building with certain ame- village on Westland's north side, devel- nities, such as a hair salon, a theater oper Glenn Shaw Jr. hopes to extend an and a restaurant. olive branch to his critics by offering Shaw has described Nankin Mills changes to his plans. Village as a place where seniors could Still, Shaw indicated that he can't enjoy a day of activities without stray- implement massive changes, such ing from home, but residents have as eliminating a three-story senior repeatedly blasted his plans and said it apartment building, because he has to is too large for the neighborhood. ensure that the project will remain-eco- In a 4-3 vote in June, the council nomically viable. approved two measures — a rezoning Shaw has announced he hopes to and a planned unit development pro- meet with select residents on Aug. 7 posal — for Shaw's plans. Those deci- for private, invitation-only talks to sions fueled criticism from residents of discuss the latest changes for Nankin Ravine and Gray streets. Mills Village, a development he has Moreover, a newly formed group proposed south and east of Sts. Helen hopes to recall Wild, Godbout and PHOTOS BY TOM HAWLEVI STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER and Constantine Church on Joy east of three other council members who Bonnie Sue Olds Asbury (left), of Inkster and a member of the Westland Chamber of Commerce, and Debbi Routin of Redford, who are Newburgh. support the plan, including Michael members of the Purple Pals of the Red Hat Society, leave Qdoba Mexican Grill, part of the Westland Chamber Restaurant Rally. "I'm hoping for a positive resolution," Kehrer, Bill Johnson and Dewey he said. Reeves. Shaw also has invited Mayor William Shaw said he still hopes that, with Wild and Westland City Council the latest changes, he can win over President James Godbout to attend the most residents. He and some city offi- talks. cials also have pointed out that the Shaw told The Observer his team has project will bring in some much-need- created a bigger buffer between his ed tax revenues as Westland continues proposed development and neighbors. to weather an economic slump. He also said he has settled on some BY DARRELL CLEM architectural changes and implement- [email protected] (734) 953-2110 OBSERVER STAFF WRITER A Westland event that allowed • patrons to pay $20 to sample food from 13 restaurants became so popular this year that it drew three generations of one family. Even the queen showed up. Sue Mikolhaczyk of Canton BY DARRELL CLEM' on the phone when Laci Green got and her mother, Joan Chyba of OBSERVER STAFF WRITER home around 12:50 a.m. Westland, tried the mild chicken That's about the same time that taxi- wings at Famous Dave's, while A Westland couple whose daughter cab driver Michael Tabb earlier testi- Mikolhaczyk's daughter, Mandy, was strangled to death near their home fied that he dropped Howard off on braved the hot wings. Both flavors will have to wait — again — to learn Westland's southwest side, not far from passed the taste test as they sat whether the accused killer will face where the Greens live on Dunn Court. inside the Warren Road restaurant trial for first-degree murder. Baynes has told police he didn't kill with Sally Louks of Canton. Barbara and Edward Green had tes- Laci Green and that he was at home Chyba also sampled the salmon tified in June that their daughter Laci's when she was murdered. Police don't spread on a cracker as the women ex-boyfriend, Robert James-the-First suspect him of any involvement. made their first stop during the Howard, was outside their house early In court Thursday, defense attorney Westland Chamber of Commerce's May 7, the same morning their daugh- Bertram Johnson asked 18th District annual Restaurant Rally. ter was found dead near the south side Judge Sandra Cicirelli for more time "It's very good," Chyba said, after Saliy Louks of Canton (clockwise from left), Sue Mikolhaczyk of Canton, her mother of Millpointe subdivision. to review an audio and video tape of biting into the cracker. Joan Chyba of Westland, and Mikolhaczyk's daughter, Mandy, sample the food at Barbara Green even testified that police interrogating Howard, among The group planned to make Famous Dave's. Howard, 25, told her, "I hope you don't other potential evidence. As such, Starbucks Coffee their next stop. think I had anything to do with this." • Howard's hearing will continue Aug. "We love our Starbucks," leys that traveled among the eat- Purple Pals of the Red Hat Society, As Howard's preliminary hearing 28. Mikolhaczyk said. eries, while others chose to drive accompanied nearly 20 of their resumed Thursday in Westland 18th In the meantime, the defendant Restaurant rally participants themselves. social club members. Qjdoba served District Court, a newer friend of Laci remains jailed without bond, If con- wore special T-shirts that gave them At the Qdoba Mexican Grill at up its naked burritos, or burritos in Green, Paris Baynes of Detroit, testi- victed as charged, Howard will face life access to sections of restaurants Warren and Central City Parkway, a bowl. fied that Laci Green had dropped him in prison. reserved for the fifth annual event. Queen Marilyn Hayward and Vice off at home before she returned to her Many patrons hopped aboard trol- Queen Irish Miller, royalty from the Please see RALLY, A3 parents' house. The two of them talked [email protected] | (734) 953-2110 © The Observer & Eccentric INDEX I Coming Thursday For Home Newspapers APARTMENTS DZ ( in filfcr Delivery call: AUTOMOTIVE CIO Volume 44 CLASSIFIED C 10-D3 (866) 887-2737 Number 20 HEALTH C6 •toMETOWNUFE C1 Joss CIO im HOMES 31 OBITUARIES C4 OPINION All ?EAL ESTATE D2 1 r larlfcnn cfars alnnntirfa Run fti|laf SERVICE GUIDE D3 1 and Jack Black in the upcoming SPORTS B1 comedy 'Tropic Thunder.' ,.:•' . ,•{ Observer & Eccentric j Sunday, August 3,2008 A2 LOCAL NEWS Www.hometownliW.com Hayes Jones: Gas riding a SMART choice BY SUE MASON ership "is a blessing," it's also "If you can bring those kinds the discretionary income." OBSERVER STAFF WRITER a curse, according to Jones. of services to people, you can With the state's faltering econ- get them to want ride the bus," MAKING IT WORK What a difference a year omy, the transit system hasn't Jones said. "I feel our customers Jones added that a demon- makes. In 2007, gas was sell- received the money it needs should have the best." stration project in the works ing at around $2 a gallon and from the state, and federal . Jones also wants SMART to that would connect Ann Arbor Hayes Jones was wondering government also isn't giving go green. The system is start- to Detroit with a connection how to fill the empty seats on it out.