Ali'ObserverlaiKi Seniors strut down runway Dialysis patients put I ymnastics team in latest prom fashions their lives on hold m u m m i View daily updates of photos, new s and sports online at w w w .honfietow nlife.com y ^ 1 \ i P L Y M O U T H SUNDAY Your hometown newspaper April 9,2006 serving Plymouth and ( f D m t t m t Plymouth Township for 120 years 75 cents WINNERS OF OVER 100 STATE AND NATIONAL AWARDS SINCE 2001 www.hometownlife com S c a m u s e s f e a r o f Fountain, m e d i c a l e m e r g e n c y clock set BY TONY BROSCATO STAFF WRITER Plymouth Township police are investigating two cases in which a scam artist took advan­ to be back tage of people who thought their loved ones were involved in serious accidents and needed BY TONY BRUSCATO immediate medical attention STAFF WRITER ‘ The caller generally identi­ fies himself as a police officer Two of Plymouth s most w^-known downtown icons and asks if they have a relative — the Kellogg Park fountam and Mam Street dock ~ who might be dn\mg a vehicle are expected to be erected and operational this summer at this moment,” Plymouth Qty Manager Paul Sincock said the new fountam is Township Police Chief Tom eiqiected to be operational by June, replacing one that Tidenngton said “After the vic­ toppled over and smashed into several pieces in May tim reveals a possible name, the 2004 caller says the relative has been BILL BRESLER \ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER City commissioners Monday night approved a in a serious accident and needs Teacher Leah Inman watches Scott Kim fill m the word "pledge" m the Pledge of Allegiance at the Cross Bridge Academy in $27,800 bid from Boston-based M Alwut Ponds, to be airlifted to an emergency Plymouth winch developed four different designs based on a room However, the victim first design contest by the Plymouth Community Youth must transfer funds through Advisory Commission, which has taken on the Western Union to pay for med­ ‘Fountain of Youth” project ical services The Wilcox Foundation has given the city a $27,000^ It happened to a 55-year-old grant tov'ard the purchase Sincock said the total cost Plymouth woman, who lost Crossing the bridge will be an estimated $36 000 $940 March 29 when she wired 1 he Youth Commission is considering a plaque with the money through Western the history of the fountain, and there will be electrical Union at the Kroger on Ann and plumbing costs he said Arbor Road and Sheldon Academy helps Cximmissioner Michde Potter who mentors the An 80 year old Plymouth Youth Commission said the group is planning addi Township woman almost lost tional fund raisers to raise the remaining cost her $850 autistic kids We did a lot of (bottled) water sales dunng the sum­ In both April 3 when mer concert senes, and Mayor Pro Tfem (Phil) Pursell cases, she wired gave us the use of his car wash for a day m September money from reach their when we laised $1,300,” Potter said "The Youth according to the same Commission is also tallang about a project where kids store potential can make Mother’s Day cai^s They have some other Wilson, the “There w b s opportumties th ^ re lookmg at, fund-raisers vnth other money was an attempt to businesses and restaurants m the area” pick up the BYBRADKADRICH Potter said the Youth Commission has thus far raised wired to a money, but STAFF WRITER about $2,500 the (Western The new fountam will include a spray nng on the Kroger store Union) lady When John Kim saw the kind outer limits of the fountam bowl that vaE shoot and Aniu a fftiM release of progress his son Scott was cascade water m a six-foot arch toward the center The Qm ydiewa few it when she making at Lorraine Zaksek’s center vnll feature a smgle bowl that will have water miles away in suspected Speech, Language and Sensory BILL BRESLER j STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER bubbling up and cascading over the edges something,’ Motor Sj^tems clinic in Kevin Crowley and Leah Inman work with students Scott Kim, Andrew Liptonand “What a great achievement, said Mayor Dan Dwyer Westland. Plymouth Plymouth, he urged Lorraine Billy Kuffner of the Youth Commission’s efforts “It’s absolutely Township Sgt and her husband George to open incredible to see the youth of our commuraty step up Denms Wilson said ‘In the a school dedicated to working “Some of the family testimoni­ ment of educational programs and lead the charge m a community project ” meantime, the victim thought with autistic children als were quite heart-wrenching,” for “children along the autistic Meanwhile, Smcock said the Victonan-style dock better of it, called her daughter, With a lot already on their she admitted ‘We were teary- spectrum” and those with signif­ that sits in the Mam Street median at the intersection and then canceled the money plate, the Zakseks declined But eyed, and just at that moment icant language and sensory dis­ of Ann Arbor Trail is expected to be back in Plymouth transfer, thinking it was a scam fate intervened when their John walked by We grabbed orders next month Herwig Lighting in Russellville, Ark. “I don’t know of any medical daughter, Stephanie Naberhaus, him and said, ‘OK, we’ll do it ” The school, which currently which built the cloci and delivered it to Plymouth m organization that wants money returned to the area. It took Stephanie and her husband, has five students, started m Oct 1986, has completed restoration ofthe time piece upfront,’ Wilson added “These another turn when the Zakseks Brad, took over the Plymouth September 2004 at St John and will once again dehver it to the City of Homes scam artists are just preying on attended a seminar about deal­ clinic, and Lorraine and CJeorge Neumann Catholic Church in The dock was knocked over m May 2005 when 27- peoples emotions The victims ing with autistic kids Zaksek concentrated on opemng Canton Church needs forced year-old Timothy Anderson of Plymouth drove his are put m a panic situation and That’s what really got Lorraine Cross Bndge academy, a school 2002 Ford Crown Victona mto i^ separating the dock probably giving out information Zaksek they designed for the develop­ PLEASE SEE ACADEMY, A10 fixim its cast aluminum stem they shouldn’t be ” In both cases, according to Wilson, the money w ^ wired to a Kroger store only a few miles School board elections 2D06 away in Westland “It’s hard to ttack because you don’t need identification to wire B o a r d candidate ready to money under $1,000,” Hopeful says support of Tidenngton said ‘ They use prepaid cellphones and unregis­ tered cell phones, so tracking a m ake the tough decisions students is 'in m y heart' number is impossible ” Tidenngton noted while BY TONY BRUSCATO being able to spend any more BY TONY BRUSCATO said “It’s m my heart, more there’s been more than a dozen STAFF WRITER money year to year,” said STAFF WRITER than anything That’s the of the scams reported in Martin “Our budgets get cut biggest thmg” Michigan, it’s occurnng around As an engineer for nearly 20 every year, and every year we When Cheryl McKoy is McKoy, a Canton Realtor the country years at General Motors, Larry have to do more with less It’s asked why she wants to run and sm^e mother of three “If someone gets a.gall such Martm of Plymouth Township happemng everywhere ” for the Plymouth-Canton who volunteers to lead the as that, our suggestion is to take knows what it’s like to hve wiffi Martin believes he can bring Community Schools Board of youth of her church, said run­ the information down and con­ a decreasing budget and sur­ that real world expenence to Education, her explanation is ning for the school board will tact their local poftce,” vive simple Larry Martin Tidenngton said “I’ve been faced with not PLEASE SEE MARTIN, A4 ‘I love children,” McKoy PLEASE SEE MCKOY, A4 Cheryl McKoy © The Observer r 1 Coining Thursday & Eccentric Rates as low as INDEX Newspapers For Home C o m m u n ity F in a n cia l A partments E2 in Filter Delivery call A utomotive FI (866) 887-2737 Volume 120 Thinking forward Banking right COMMUNFFY LiFE Cl Number 66 6 0 0 " Crossword D8 Rocks Annual Percentage Rate C lassifieds D2 F4 (734)453-1200 (877) 937-252S toll free wwwdcuorg Rummage: % J obs D1 Home Equity Line of Credit P l y m o u t h C a n t o n N o r t h v i l l e N o v i N ew H omes El Flea markets O bituaries C11 and music Perspectives A9 for hipsters R eal E state E2 0 6 3 174 6 S ervice G uide G A T ^ I T S ports *2 (P) Observer & Eccentric | Sunday April 9 2006 PLYMOUTH PIPELINE wwwJiometownlife.com Jaycee egg hunt Museum is hosting the last battle These symbols of brav­ The Plymouth Jaycees will three p^rts of the senes, Flags- ery and loss on exhibit at our hold one of the areas longest History and Heroes,’ 7 30 p m Michigan State Capital were running Easter egg hunts on Thurs^y, Apnl 13 restored and reproduced under Saturday, April 15 at Plymoudi Lmcoln interpreter Fred the direction of Kerry Chartkoff Township Park.