Youths Implicated in Beatings TODAY Teen-Agers from Garden City Were Implicated Ing for Wiatr, Kozakowski and Defen Ments About the 3:30 A.M
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CC wins fifth-straight title, CI HomeTown <:»MMUNH;ATIOH» NiyrwowicV Thursday : December 4,1997 © Putting You In Touch With Your World' VOLUME 33 NUMBER 52 WESTLAND, MICHIGAN • 76 PAGES • http://observer-eccentric.eom SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS 01*97 H6m*Toirn Cocuauhlcattoiu Network, lac IN THE PAPER Youths implicated in beatings TODAY Teen-agers from Garden City were implicated ing for Wiatr, Kozakowski and defen ments about the 3:30 a.m. Oct. 4 inci in a beating that severely injured two West- dants James Thomas Domagalski Jr., dent. Wednesday marked the second land men. The court hearing will continue in Kyle Anders Tingstad and Christopher delay; the hearing originally began on January. The teens are free on bond. 3 Totten. Nov. 6. COUNTY NEWS -The suspects, who sat side by side in The hearing will determine whether the courtroom Wednesday, are 17 Wiatr, Kozakowski, Domagalski, BYDARRBLLCLEM victims Robert Sumey, 20, and Kevin except for Totten. He is 16. Tingstadand Totten should stand trial Remembering: Former STAFF WRITER Baker,. 19, on a wooded path leading A sixth suspect, Tingstad's 15-year- in Wayne County Circuit Court on from Hines Park to Floral, a dead-end old brother Kent, has been separately charges of assault with intent to com-, Detroit Mayor Coleman Statements read aloud in court petitioned to juvenile court for the mit murder and assault with intent to Wednesday implicated a group of Gar street near Inkster and Warren. Young's death Saturday A separate statement made by defen beating. do great bodily harm. They could face den City teenagers in a brutal Hines In an unexpected snag, Judge C. maximum sentences of life in prison if prompted reaction from Park beating that severely injured two dant David Ryan Kozakowski also accused some of the suspects of beating Charles Bokos halted the hearing and convicted. government leaders who Westland men. ordered it to resume Jan. 7 after he Wiatr admitted in his statement that Defendant Brian Alan Wiatr admit Sumey even after he was unconscious. worked with Young./AS The statements, read aloud by West- learned that Westland police inadver he hit Sumey's head from behind with ted in a statement to Westland police tently failed to provide defense attor that he and other suspects fought with land police Sgt. Tom Kubitskey, unfold ed during an 18th District Court hear neys with copies of some police docu* ~"~ Please see BEATINGS, A2 Meeting voters: Former A view from above Michigan Department of Pension Commerce director Doug Ross, who served under Gov. James Blanchard, decision was in Westland wooing Democratic voters. He hopes to, become delayed governor. /A7 BY DARRELL CLEM STAFF WRITER A Westland City Council decision on possibly eliminating retirement pen COMMUNITY LIFE sions for part-time council members suffered a delay Monday, amid increas ing public interest in the issue. Holiday cheer: AAA Crisis City resident Jim Chuck urged the Pregnancy Center has seven-member council to consider end ing the system because "part-time peo- • made its list and is check pie typically do not earn pensions." ing it twice in hopes that Current council members, paid; the community will help $11,000 annually in their elected posts,; stand to receive pensions as high as make the holidays merri $43,000 when they retire. ". - • er for the nonprofit center Councilman Glenn Anderson, push and its many clients. /Bl ing to eliminate a system that he said wastes tax dollars and fuels public dis trust of elected officials, called for a; council vote as soon as possible. i'-. -.; "J hope the delay will be nunimal^he- AT HOME said Monday. "Hopefully soon we-4an' deal with, ibis.! ••••' - • • C-£\$t:-rMH0. What's the buzz? Plug '^CofcnctVpreaident'Sandra CicHreui into some gift ideas for had indicated in November that;she. would place the issue on Monday's the electronics lover on 8TAW PHOTOS BTJUUACOTEU) agenda for a vote. >I your holiday list./OS Seasonal singing: People of all ages join in the sing-along before Santa's arrival at Westland However, she said she delayed!the vote because of roadblocks in scheJtJul- City Hall on Monday evening. ing a study session, requested by Coun cilman Charles Pickering. ,^ ENTERTAINMENT Cicirelli said a study session has: been elusive because all seven council members haven't been available simul Books: Everybody knows Tree-lighting taneously, partly because Councilman Dick and Jane. They were Charles "Trav" Griffin was vacationing in Florida. our road to reading and, Still, Cicirelli said she hopes to! they're back, at least tem schedule a session this month amid porarily, as an exhibit at signals season hopes of moving toward a decision. "That's fair," Jim Chuck said after the Southfield Public hearing why the vote was delayed.' • Library. /El YDARRELLCLEM Anderson and colleague Richard STAFF WRITER LeBlanc are counted among the most Six-year-old Amy Selewskj^giggled Monday night as she vocal critics of council pensions. On the."'! Ice show: If you liked stood among some 250 people on Westland City Hall's same night LeBlanc was elected NoY 4 "Aladdin" the movie, front lawn, singing Christmas carols, watching for Santa to a four-year council term, he told the you're going to love it on and waiting for thousands of holiday lights to illuminate Observer he wants the issue decided* City Hall trees. Council members already vesied • ice. This beloved story Her 4-year-old brother, Danny, seemed equally with six years of city service wouldn't • comes to life in "Walt Dis awestruck viewing the crowd from atop the shoulders of be affected by a decision to strike down hiB mother, Gail Selewski. council pensions; former council mem-, ney's World On Ice - Night lights: A pair of deer light the way as bers also would be exempt. - * - Aladdin."/EL folks make their way to the fire station. Please see TREES, A2 Please see PENSION, A2 REAL ESTATE Between the lines: Every First King birthday tribute in planning stages purchase agreement BY DARRELL CLEM formed a committee to study the issue. Netter, who chaired the western referring to cities that historically have masks a human story./Fl STAFF WRITER "We haven't finalized what we're Wayne County NAACP branch's first- done nothing to honor King's birthday. A local NAACP activist said he is going to do yet," Thomas said during a ever Freedom Fund Dinner in October, "It's almost an insult to the American encouraged that the city of Westland - Westland City Council meeting. has long pressed for local communities people. This is not just a black holi INDEX for the first time ever - will honor the Netter said he hopes Westland will to observe King's birthday. day." Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday eventually join cities that close down Communities such as Wayne, Van Netter said King helped pave the in 1998. on King's birthday to allow citizens of Buren Township, Romulus, Inkster way for civil rights that helped not only • Obituaries A8 all races to do volunteer work in and Dearborn, among others, are blacks, but women and others. • Classified Index F5 "It's a step," Jim Netter said. "It's a wise step." churches, senior citizen homes and closed for the holiday, and Netter said Netter noted that President Bill Real Estate F5 Mayor Robert Thomas announced other places. he wishes other cities would follow Clinton, in a recent speech, called on Crossword F6 Monday that the city will pay tribute to "It's not just a holiday for African- suit. Americans to make positive use of Jobs HI King's birthday, observed on the third Americans," he said. "It's about "It's foolish to have a national holi humanitarianism." day and Ignore it totally," he said, Home A Service J2 Monday of January. He said he has ~~ Please see KINO, A6 Autos J4 • Opinion Aie.17 • Sports CI City's finance director to leave post Dec. 31 • Calendar C6 • Real Estate Fl BY DARRELL CLEM "My plans aren't finalized," he said. Thomas also commended Gorman publicly during STAFF WRITER Gorman gained the trust of his colleagues and the meeting. Westland Mayor Robert Thomas is losing his top often made them laugh with his quick wit. "I even told him that if he would stay, I'd let him HOW TO REACH US finance official. That wit remained intact Tuesday. When asked his catch the biggest fish the next time we went fishing," Finance Director Michael Gorman, 53, confirmed age, Gorman divulged that he not only is 53, but also . Thomas said. Monday that he will leave his post Doc. 31. "extremely good-looking." Council members praised Gorman after hearing Newsroom: 313-953-2104 "I regret leaving the mayor's staff. He does a great Not only did he make.others laugh, but he, too. word that he planned to leave his job. Newsroom Fax: 313-591*7279 job,? Gorman told the Observer- "I've made a lot of laughed heartily when an occasional joke eased the When Councilwoman Sharon Scott heard the news, otherwise serious tone of Westland City Council she said, "It just depressed me." E-mail: newsroom 0 oeonllnt.com friends here, but it's time for a change." Gorman's decision ends a 12-year stint in Westland meetings. She commended Gorman for boing a top-notch Night line/Sports: 013-953*104 and a 28-year career in municipal finance. He also —-But-Oorman wno soriotts-about-^ns-workr^ecominfl— -finance directox^aMJ^oMimmfljiJtoirjgi! Reader Comment Una: 313-953*2042 worked in Wayne, Canton Township and Detroit.