MARCH 26, 1998 'V'rf, OUTDOOR CALENDAR
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IN THE PAPER Mother superior I I I ; TODAY ;l" COUNTY NEWS Jail mlllage: Western Wayne County officials to save continue to oppose\ike countyjail inillage while at least one county official expects to go full steam ahead with or without their support./'A6 • Teacher buyouts, officii -i ly called employee sever ance plans, will result in ?*•!'-(; COMMUNITY LIFE four administrators and :' 116 of the district's 887 ^ Tea tlnie: tittle girls have teachers leaving their jobs a penchant for having tea within the next two> years,•,< U with their dolls and often officials said. invite their parents to join BY0ARRELLCLEM them-Butit'snotmake- STAFF WRITER '•":••'<• believe anymore as area Wayne-Westlanc) school officials will save businesses invite girls to an estimated $2 million bring their dolls and their during the next two parents to a series of years by replacing long time educators with American Girls' teas./Bl new, lower-paid employees. The savings will come as 120 educa tors accept early buyouts that, in most AT HOME cases, top $59,000. "We're losing some excellent, excel •..••::•••>-•••..- ..v..;-,'.^ .;• ••• .';•.•• .:'-,•:• . y-': .y:r. STAFTPHOTOBTTOMHATUT lent people," Mathew McOusker, school Paper wonders: Long Let's dance: Westland Mother of the Year Patricia Garrett (second from left) dances with her board vice president, said Monday. before computer games daughter and friends at Marshall Middle School. Garrett, a chaperone at the dances once a "We've got a hard task to replace these month, enjoys the time with the students. Above (left to right) enjoying the St. Patrick's Day folks with comparable talent." ••',' and Barbie dolls - dance are seventh-grader Savannah Isor, 13, Garrett, seventh-grader Dawn Canales, 12, and The buyouts, officially called employ/? indeed, long before Barbie ee severance plans, will result in four seventh-grader Matlory Garrett, 12. administrators and 116 of the district's -paper dolls were popu 887 teachers leaving their jobs within lar toys. Members of an the next two years^ officials said. area club celebrate these Patricia Brand, assistant superintend works of art./08 IS dent for business, estimated that tfi$ <fi plan will trim expenses by $2 million; during the next two years, although This is the second in a four-part series on the ^-~~>- City address at 7-p.m. April 8 at the Hellenic Cul annual savings will gradually shrink ENTERTAINMENT Salute to Excellence winners. tural Center on Joy Road. as new employees move up the salary BYBETHSUNDBLAJACHMAN Nominated by her daughtersr Garrett-fiaysehe ladder. -^ STAFF WBITBB was surprised to find that she had won the Top-paid educators accepting the award. "I go everywhere arid I do everything - I'm Theater: Jeffrey Seller, one Her days start by 5;30 a.m. SALUTE TO early buyouts have been on the job for of "Rent's" producers, By 7 a.m., she is driving her 15-year-old daugh everywhere, but nobody knows who I am," she as long as 39 years. The district hired ter to school, picking up a couple of her friends "rEXCELLENC6^*™y»E said. most of the employees in the 1960s and returns to metro Detroit . who need a ride along the way. The mother of three daughters, Alicia Fenster- 1970s. April 8 when a touring Then it's back to the house to get her youngest daugh macher, 21, Corrine, 15, and Mallory, 12, Patricia Gar Employees began signing up for the ter off to school by 8a.m. , rett does seem to be everywhere. From her church volun program after the school board company of "Rent" opens That completed, she may take an elderly neighbor to teer work, to helping friends and neighbors, to her approved it in December, at the Fisher Theatre./El the drugstore, do her grocery shopping, or bake cookies - daughters' school field trips, to family outings, Garrett "We're doing this primarily for eco or all three. finds time to help out those around her in big and small nomic reasons," Dan Slee, assistant Music: Rick Monroe loves Later in the day, she'll pick up her daughters, chaper ways. "This is what I do," she says of her busy life. superintendent of employee services, one a middle school dance, serve dinner and then go to That active life prompted her nomination as her eldest said. playing music. After the church for her daughter's confirmation ceremony. daughter couldn't wait to nominate her for the award. Officials had predicted 100 educators concerts, people will A full, but typical day for Westland's Patricia Garrett, Alicia said she started calling the city last fall to find out would accept the employee severance who was recently chosen as the city's 1998 Mother of the about nomination forms. plans. remember the lyrics. They Year as part of Mayor Robert Thomas' 1998 Salute to "She's such a wonderful woman," Alicia said. "We did better than we thought," touch them, people know Excellence Awards. "We've always been kind of a close-knit family." She Slee said. them from first listen. /El Garrett, who was chosen from among 365 nominees, remembers warmly the "family days" while she was Only educators who have worked in will be honored along with the city's top father, teacher growing up. "It was pretty exciting growing up. There Wayne-Westland for at least 10 years and high school senior during the mayor's State of the are eligible. "" : Please see MOM, A2 REAL ESTATE Please see BUYOUTS, A2 Giving a hand: Realtors are finding life better when they team with an Charges still pending in fetal car accident ; assistant./Fl BY DARRELL CLEM Alcohol is suspected of contributing Killed in the accident was a 31-year- James Clark, was thrown from the STAFF WRITER to the accident, he Baid.. old Westland man, Jessie Dwayne Rid back seat of the car through a side win- Hassan Clark, a 29-year-old West- ner, a front-seat passenger in the 1988 doWi but he has since been treated arid] Criminal charges are still pending in f INDEX the wake of a Feb; 7 head-on collision land man believed to have been driving Ford Escort that crossed into the released from a hospital, Frazer said. that killed a Westland man and injured the car, survived head and chest wrong lane, Frazer said. Neither the Clarks nor Ridner wor$ ir\juries, two broken hips, a fractured "He had massive head injuries, and seat belts, he said. • Obituaries four other people. A4 / The two-car accident occurred at 9;48 pelvis and a broken leg. He still was. hia legs were pinned in the floorboard The driver of the other car, 21-year* i Classified Index F6 •p.'ni; when a motorist crossed into a recovering Monday at the University of area," the officer said. "He was trapped old Rachel Burleson of Westland, has Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor, Fraz in the car." been released from St. Joseph Hospital Real Estate lane of oncoming traffic while driving J™' er said. Ridner was dead at the scene, Frazer in Ypsilanti following a lengthy stay for Crossword F7 south on Newburgh between Palmer and Norene, Westland police officer "He's lucky to be alive," the officer said. chest, facial and knee injuries, Frazer Jobs G6 Steve Frazer said. said. Hassan Clark's 32-year-old brother, Please see CHAROES, A2 Home & Service H7 Autos _ _' ^ ~J3 Money •••' I Opinion ..SI'--- A14-15 talk: I Calendar B4 gapr State "; CI Reps. I Real Estate Fl BYTONYBRUSCATO "I want the legislature to keep its promise to get EiUen STAFF WRrreR rid of the gap, and they haven't done it," said Mark DeHdrt Proposal A took a beating from most of the nearly Slavehs, who organized.the event. "If they aren't and HOW TO REACH US 600 people who attended Monday night's Michigan going to keep that promise, then they have to give back the right of local control arid allow us to have Thotnasi / Summit on School Funding Equity, hosted by the Kelly dfsl Plymouth-Canton Community Schools at the Summit enhancement millages." Newsroom: 734-963-2104 in Canton. And that appeared to be the theme of the night cuss the , Newsroom Fax: 734-591-7279 The school funding reform, designed to narrow the from those who attended. issues at E-mail: newsroom • oeonMne.com gap in spending among school districts while at the "I have a passion for public education," said Paula the Bowman of Plymouth Township. "I'd like to see Pro Nightline/Sports: 734-9M-2104 same time lowering property taxes and capping Michigan future property tax increases, was the main focus of posal A rescinded. A lot of people voted for it with Summit" Reader Comment Line: 734-953*2042 discussion. Residents from all over the tri-county their wallets." Classified Advertising: 734-591-0900 area were joined by nearly a dozen state lawmakers "I don't think it's fair that some districts get more on ._;,.; Display Advertising: 734-591-2300 and three gubernatorial candidates. money than others, but they don't have to be equal," School ..'• said Tyler Walker of Plymouth, a sophomore at Ply Home Delivery: 734-591-0500 Most all agreed Proposal A helped stop escalating Funding property taxes, and narrowed some of the spending mouth Salem High School.