IW< «PM mvm All-area K,r's volleyball team, C2 H6fitt5Iovvn 'OMHI'Ml VrillJi* NIlTWffflK* Putting you In touch Thursday "with your world April 1,1999 Serving the Westland Community for 34 years $. VOLUME 34 NlVRfR 86 WtsiLAND. MICHIGAN • GG F'Aciis • httji:/ olisetvureccentric.com Sf ,>{ NJN f i.< <;t\^s 0 IfM HoawTown COWBOJIIMIIM* IWInri, Inc. work: Dave Beecher (left) -brings sal­ vageable items out of his River COUNTY NEWS Bend Apart­ ment Mon­ day after­ Spring ritual: More than noon after a 20,000 marshmallows fire had will be dropped Friday swept from a helicopter to the through the delight of children; who apartment will scramble to collect building these goodies during the that he and his fiancee 14th AnnualGreat Carolyn Marshmallow Drop./AS Doherty lived in early Monday COMMUNITY LIFE morning. He had no Somber scene: People are renters coming from far and near insurance. to Holy Transfiguration Helping Orthodox Church in Livo­ Beecher bring items nia to be anointed by the out is his rose-scented oil, said to be ' future broth­ myrrh, that has been er-in-law' streaming from an Icon of Pat Doherty. the Mother of God./Bl — STAFF PHOTOS BY TOM HAWLEY AT HOME Special space: Students Trash fire ignites apartments found imaginative places for rugs in The Ohiordes Westland and Garden City firefighters bat­ Knot-American Society of tled a blaze that erupted about 1:24 a.m. Interior Designers Stu­ Monday at a River Bend Apartments build­ ing on Merriman, south of Warren, in Wes.t- dent Creative Space Com­ land. petition. Their designs BY DARRELL CLEM man,'south of Warren. Residents were displayed at The STAFF WRITER stood outside and watched many of GhiordesiKnot showroom [email protected] . 'their possesions go up in flarues. at the Michigan Design . Robert St. Onge thought about his Fire official-: j*atd; theykA«w of no sleeping neighbors-when he realised serious iiijaries among theestiinated '• Center'in troy-/06 that fire was racing through a^two- 20 people who fled the 10-uhit build­ storyWestland apartment building. ing. One resident' suffered minor St. Onge, 40, rushed to a hallway injuries. ENTERTAINMENT and banged on doors, kicking one in "It was a nightmare," second-story when no one answered. resident Lee Caudill said. He was "Bob was terrific," neighbor David rescued from his balcony by a fire Theater: Jessica Grove, Beecher said. "-..,. truck ladder. Dorothy, is nearing the "I helped get people out.^St. Onge Patrick Harder, Westland assistant end of the yellow brick said Monday afternoon. "They're still fire chief/fire marshal, said the fire thanking, me." * started inside a plastic planter being road in "The Wizard of Westland and Garden City fire­ used as a trash can on a second-floor Oz" now playing at the. fighters battled a blaze that erupted balcony. Fire damage: Units of River Bend Apartments in Westland were about 1:24 a.m. Monday at a River Residents had twice doused the fire. Fox Theatre./El Bend Apartments building on Merri­ damaged by fire early Monday morning. The fire marshal says Please see FIRE, A4 the fire started on this balcony. Music: Hanging out with members of the all-female pop quintet StunGun is kind of like joining a Residents sift through damaged belongings girls' club./El BY DARRELL CLEM "We're hoping tlvat we still have "I pulled some pictures off of the said. "We had one coat closet and STAFF WRITER dclem@oe homecomm.net them," he said. "All of our stuff is just refrigerator and put them out in the some camping gear that didn't seem t wet and in bags and boxes." sun to dry," he said. "I'm still looking to be touched, but everything else is REAL ESTATE After fire ravaged their Westland Monday afternoon, Beecher and his for my discharge papers from the' pretty much damaged." apartment ear.ly Monday, David brother-in-law to be, Pat Doherty, Navy." Beecher,, 30, and Doherty, 29, had Beecher and fiancee Carolyn Doherty carried load after load of da*maged Beecher hoped to salvage a more gone to bed when fire erupted inside Playing fair; Everyone can faced a weary task of sifting through belongings from a" fire-gutted, second- than 100-year-old trunk that his an adjacent residence, eventually get involved with fair belongings charred by flames, soaked story residen'ce inside a River Bend fiancee's grandmother brought to damaging all 10 apartments in the by water and covered by soot. Apartments building on Merriman America from Poland. He also carried building; Patrick Harder, "Westland housing/fly- - "We hat! a lot of our wedding con­ south of Warren. out wooden-4ables-and-sheivesthat-h*« assistant fire chief/fire marshal, said tracts in the apartment - contracts Beecher placed pictures alongside made himself. flames started on a balcony inside a for the priest, t.he reception hall, our "other possessions that littered a "They're soaking wet, they have plastic planter used as a trash can. INDEX cake and the D J," Beecher said. soolon them and they're charred," he grassy courtyard bathed in sunlight. Please see RESIDENTS, A4 • Obituaries A6 • Classified Real Estate F5 Crossword F8 City seeks state money for parks improvements Jobs , F9 Home & Service G8 BY DARRELL CLEM courts, picnic'sheUers, in-line hockey The proposals appear>in a long-range Estimated cost: $34,000. STAFF WRITER rinks, decorative landscaping and other plan for Westland parks, and officials "There's nothing out there right now Automotive G9 [email protected] projects. such'as Councilman Glenn Anderson except a backstop for baseball,," • Opinion A1243 Three Westland parks will receive State dollars would pay for 75 per­ have voiced strong support for boosting Kosowski said. • Calendar B4 major facelifts if city leaders can con­ cent of costs, but Parks and Recreation recreation services by focusing on Officials hope to draw more families vince state officials to help pay for the Director Robert Kosowski said the city neighborhood parks. to Merriman. Park if they are able to • Sports CI projects. may face a several-month wait for a Merriman Park, a one-acre park at make the improvements. • Real Estate Fl City officials want to spruce up Mer­ decision on the grants. Merriman and Alcona in the city's Nor- "The number of people sewed will riman, Corrado and Central City parks "We'll keep our fingers crossed," he waync subdivision, would receive a dramatically increase with the pro-, with $146^000 in improvements. recently told Westland City Council full-size basketball court, a parking posed plan," according to a report from HOW TO REACH US Officials are seeking state grants to members. "Hopefully the state will area and a picnic spot with a shelter, Kosowski. * - *> cover the bulk of costs for basketball grant us a couple of these." two grills and four tables. "^ Please see PARKS, A2 .1 ••' Newsroom; 734-3*3-2104 Newsroom Fax: 734-691-7279 E-mail: bjachmanO oe.homecomm.net Pay raises to determine rainy day fund size Nfghtjlne/Spofts: 734-953-2104 : Reader- Comment Linet 734-953-2042 BY MARIE CHESTNEY All pay increases bargained with the seven unions STAFF WRITER are sure,to eat away at the $24.4 million the district Clmlfied Advertising: 734-591-O900 mchegtrtey0oe.homecomm.net LIVONIA SCHOOLS projects it will have left in its bank nccoimt in June • Display Advertising: 734-591-2300 ' •".•»'.• After showcasing piece by piece thejast few weeks 2000. Horne Delivery: 734-591-0500 fund at the end of the school year In 2000, are the Right now, times are financially good for Livonia all the new programs in its 1999-2000 budget, just pay raises yet to be negotiated with all 2,100 employ­ one question remains for Livonia Public Schools. schools, Randy Lie pa, assistant superintendent for. ees of the district. ' business, told the Livonia Board of Education Moti-. But as questions go, it's a big one, because tlje Six employee contracts expire Juno 30, 1999. The answer determines how much money the district will day a8 he unveiled the district's nrcliminarv 1999- seventh, the 1,156-member teachers'union, the Livo­ 2000 budget. have left over in its rainy day fund when the 2000 nia Education Association, expires Aug. 15,1999. school year ends. ; For its new instrumental music and £x,>anded So far, only one meeting with one union, the. teach­ physical education programs alone, the district next Still to be factored into the district's $142 million ers' union, has taken place, said Edward Navoy, budget, with its estimated^$24,4 million rainy day 6 53174 10011 6 director of personnel. Please sec RAISES, AS rt* -—j— .••< • V v> - •mil t*Ml "•^•^""T" ^' » *. »w H^FTW.»» « •» » W" /•" v> AKW) l*t «CC«II*HC/THURSDAY, APRIL if 1999 Foundation ball from page Al Officials say as many as 3,000 people within a one-mile radius of Merriman Park cpuld be served if the,improvements are made. Plans for Corrado Park, a 1Q.5- acre park at Gladys and Flamin- BY UKANNK Rocutas ' go, call for adding an in-line STAFF WBIIM ,Urofer*#o«^9ni«comm.D«( POLICE hockey rirtk and skating path­ ways, and modifying the ball W«s.tern Wayne Narcotics diamond and soccer field. The Enforcement Team officers bound bver for trial on charges of conspiracy to deliver/manufac­ price.tagis £49,000. recently participated in raids on "The current trends indicate a eight Detroit homes. - part of a ture cocaine in varying quantii ties. Depending on the amount/ strong rate of participation with suspected cocaine distribution in-line hockeyi" Kosowski said.