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M ISSIN G KA VU LICH : W IDELY-RESPECTED PREP SPORTS OFFICIAL PASSES AW AY s p o r t s , b i O N E A C T S FESTIVAL FEATURES ORIGINAL COMEDY DRAMA SUNDAY, JANUARY 4, 2015 • hometownlife.com COMMUNITY LIFE, B5 2014 a year for rebuilding in city, township By Matt Jachman commercial projects an against those three, plus Trus were planned or won approval amphitheater at Township Staff Writer nounced, features planned to tee Kay Arnold, is underway, but weren’t started, while Park, stalled amid growing make the community more while Trustees Bob Doroshe- others remain in the talking public opposition. Officials Call it a rebuilding year. attractive and political and witz and Mike Kelly also face a stages. postponed it at least until the From an under-new-man- financial groundwork laid for recall threat, though signa Plymouth Township Park idea can be discussed as part agement Plymouth Ice Festi continued rebuilding in 2015 tures are not being collected saw big changes with the be of the 2015 review of the town val to new public and private and beyond. on recall petitions against ginning of a 4,500-square-foot, ship’s recreation and open development to additional However, rocky politics in them. all-weather pavilion near the space master plan. public safety jobs, Plymouth Plymouth Township led to Here’s a broad look at some baseball fields and sledding In Plymouth, plans for the and Plymouth Township saw recall petitions against six of of the Plymouth and Plymouth hill. The project, approaching $18.5 million Starkweather change and growth in 2014 that the seven Board of Trustees Township news that dominated $700,000 total, was not without Station, an upscale 93-unit showed a continuing rebound members, including full-tim headlines in 2014: controversy though, and Trust apartment complex, won final from the deep national reces ers Supervisor Richard ees Doroshewitz and Chuck approvals, though construction sion that began in late 2007. Reaume, Clerk Nancy Con- Development Curmi voted against it. has not begun. The project is There were housing and zelman and Treasurer Ron Some major projects got off One facet of the recreation recreation projects approved, Edwards. A petition drive the ground in 2014, others improvement plan, a $350,000 See REVIEW. Page A2 Recall activists rally in township By Matt Jachman Staff Writer Protesters hit the sidewalks at Plymouth Township’s main intersection Friday to draw attention to their campaign to recall four elected township officials. The rush-hour picket for what’s dubbed the Recall 4 campaign drew about two doz en people to the area of Ann Arbor Road and Haggerty, where they carried pro-recall signs and directed passers-by to a nearby parking lot, hoping to get them to sign recall pet itions there. Supervisor Richard Reaume, Treasurer Ron Ed wards, Clerk Nancy Conzelman and Trustee Kay Arnold are targeted in the campaign and BILL BRESLER | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER activists have until early next Judy Mardigian in one of her favorite parts of being a board member: annual commencement exercises at Eastern Michigan University, month to get around 3,200 pet ition signatures, per official, to force a recall election of all four. Chris Hunter, one of the organizers, said the group is about halfway to that goal. The campaign was started A PRESENCE FELT late last summer after board critics became frustrated with committee assignments and what they said was excessive M ardigian’s school other parent involvement. spending on recreation pro Her children were students jects and a lack of public input board reign saw at Isbister - 10-year-old Char on those projects, but partici lie in fifth grade, 8-year-old pants Friday cited a variety of good times and bad Sandy in third - when Jack reasons for joining the effort. Farrell left the board. It was “They just seem to spend By Brad Kadrich Mark Horvath, in his first money without any real input Staff Writer incarnation as a board mem from the community,” said ber, who called Mardigian Mary Ann MacLaren, who said If Judy Mardigian shows about the appointment. she has watched the board up for the first couple of Ply- Mardigian, who had been a “through many meetings.” mouth-Canton Board of Edu big fan of student government MacLaren said she’s gotten cation meetings of 2015, chalk herself in school, probably a positive response to the recall it up to force of habit. wouldn’t have run her own campaign. “I think they think After all, Mardigian has campaign at that point, but they’re invincible,” she said of been showing up for the meet MARDIGIAN FAMILY she jumped at the chance to the four officials. ings since 1998, when she was Retiring from the school board will give Judy Mardigian more time with be appointed. appointed to fill a vacancy. her family, husband Si Nahra and children Sandy and Charlie. “I was really unsure of Amphitheater, more But Mardigian’s presence myself... I don’t know if I “It’s just a total lack of is no longer required, since would have run on my own transparency,” Karl Peterson she retired from the board but I think it’ll be good,” Mar Open spot and it seemed like such a said. Peterson said he also last month after 16 years of digian said of her departure. daunting task,” she said. “I objects to the “derision and serving the district. She “My family has sacrificed a The old one was pretty was so excited. I couldn’t wait satire and disrespect” with leaves the board as its longest- lot, especially my husband. good. It got started as it does to be part of the discussion which, he says, citizens who serving member. It’s time to create a bit of a for many eventual board “It’s going to be strange, new life. It’ll be good.” members, with a variety of See MARDIGIAN, Page A3 See RECALL, Page A2 As he leaves office, Ficano recalls points of pride in tenure as county executive By David Veselenak County,” he said. executive, a run that lasted 12 Staff Writer He’ll champion work with years before he was defeated the Aerotropolis development, in the Democratic primary in If you ask outgoing Wayne the Cobo Center authority as August. He, along with several County Executive Robert Fica well as attracting businesses other candidates, was defeated no about his time in office, the such as Blue Cross Blue Shield by Warren Evans, who will first thing he’ll discuss is the to downtown Detroit. take the reins later this week economic development growth It’s those economic devel as Wayne County executive. the county has seen in recent opment projects Ficano hopes Previous to his election in years. become his legacy, though the 2002 to the county’s top spot, “If you look at it, in the past debate will likely continue for Ficano served as county sher BILL BRESLER | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER five years, 40 percent of all the years. iff. He was appointed sheriff in Gov. Rick Snyder (left) and Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano both new investment in the state of Ficano, a Livonia resident, attended the launch celebration for the new Ford Focus at the Michigan Michigan happened in Wayne is ending his time as county See FICANO, Page A2 Assembly Plant in Wayne in March 2011. O bserv er & E ccen tr ic © The Observer & Eccentric INDEX hometownllfe.com M E D IA Volume 128 • Number 43 Community Life ..........B5 H o m e s .... ;......................C2 S ervices............ ........a A GANNETT COMPANY Crossword Puzzle .......C3 J o b s .................................C1 Sports............... ............ B1 6 53174 10007 8 E d u ca tio n ..................... A 4 O b itu a rie s ................ B6 W h e e ls ............ ........... C4 PRICE: $1 Home Delivery: (866) 887-2737 | Return Address: 29725 Hudson Dr., Novi Ml 48377 H e a lth ............................B7 i t •A 5 \ A 2 (P ) 0 & E Media | Sunday, January 4, 2015 LOCAL NEWS hometownlife.com The millages would raise REVIEW an estimated $3.7 million for the police and fire Continued from Page A1 departments in 2016. planned for Plymouth Crime Road east of Holbrook; The killing of Kenneth the vacant Mutual of LaBita, 76, found shot to Detroit building there is death Oct. 27 in his town to be torn down. ship home on Gilbert Plymouth also saw Street, was the only plans to provide more homicide in either com downtown public parking munity in 2014. move forward, with a BRAD KADRICH LaBita, a widower, $2.25 million purchase Families rallied in front of Allen Elementary School after the grew up in the township agreement for the Sax Plymouth-Canton Board of Education voted to close it. and had lived in his ton’s Garden Center house for more than 40 property on Ann Arbor years. An acquaintance, Trail, plus two adjacent hired six firefighters a hiring is expected soon. Andrew J. Nutt, 22, and a residential properties. with a two-year federal The commission also woman described as In other Plymouth and grant of $1.33 million. scheduled a Tuesday, Nutt’s girlfriend, Miriah Plymouth Township de FILE PHOTO Township officials say Feb. 24, vote on a new N. Pisarski, 20, are jailed velopment news: Mark and Patty Malcolm of Plymouth purchased the former they are confident they public safety property on murder charges in the » Westborn Market U.S. Postal Service building on Penniman in August and will have the revenue to tax of up to 1.5 mills, or killing and face a Mon signed a lease with build recently signed a lease with Westborn Market, which plans to keep the firefighters $1.50 for every $1,000 of day, March 2, trial in ing owners Mark and open its fourth area specialty grocery store there late this year.

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