October 2, 2005 Serving Westland for 41 Years
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mimhp^M ...t , ^f^MM p. FAUST jhrprVtyfWnr'l Mil scoreboard dedication Exclusive designer denim ^r.. .-.."I 't z ~s' 4 s $ ?' s 's io -Jvm\ ms amm event in the ''.-"IftStTQRi) 1 ~\ II I fi i M I; i SPORTS, SECTION B PINK List Your hometown newspaper October 2, 2005 serving Westland for 41 years 75 cents WINNERS OF OVER 100 STATE AND NATIONAL AWARDS SINCE 2001 www.hometownlife. com i• n sex case BY CAROL MARSHALL STAFF WRITER A jury deliberated in Wayne County Circuit Court for a little less than four hours before returning Thursday morning with a not guilty verdict, acquit ting a former Agape Christian Academy principal who had been accused of criminal sexual conduct with a former stu dent. Clark Sexton, 30, of Westland was charged on Feb. 2,2005, with three counts of third-degree criminal sexu al conduct, a felony which alleges penetration, and one count of fourth- degree criminal sexual conduct, a Sexton misdemeanor. Following a three-day trial, he was found not guflty on all charges. At issue was the age of a female student with whom TOM HAWLEY j STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER he admitted to having sex. But he said the sexual con No stranger to ice since he was 4 years old, former minor league hockey player Joe Burton stands inside Westland's Mike Modano Ice Arena, where he is the new tact began after her 16th birthday in. December 2000. manager. At the time, according to state law, the age of sexu al cbnsent was 16. However, according to Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Lora Weingarden, in April 2003, the law was changed, making it illegal for a school administrator, teacher or substitute teacher to have sex with a student aged 16-18. Because the PLEASE SEE EX-PRINCIPAL, AS goals. inite plus," Kosowski said. "He may be able "He's a man of few words, but on the ice to bring in some other professional players he led by example," his wife, Julie, said. "He for some camps and things like that." does that at home, too, as a father and as a husband." City officials hope that Burton will bring Burton may have his late mother, Moana, that same leadership to a money-losing ice to thank for his new job, even though she arena that could use a facelift and a fresh died six years ago. She laced him up in start. skates when he was just 4 years old. BY DARRELl CLEM It will take time. "My mother was the one who pushed STAFF WRITER "He's got some really good, innovative me," Burton said, sitting in his second-floor ideas that should get us making money in office overlooking the ice arena. "I cried Joe Burton seems refreshingly humble that arena again," said Robert Kosowski, because I didn't like being on the ice." BY DARRELL CLEM and unassuming for a minor-league hockey Westland parks and recreation director. Within a year he was playing on a team, STAFF WRITER retiree with serious bragging rights. Kosowski cited hockey camps, lacrosse also urged on by his father Joe, a Livonia As the new manager of Westland's Mike on ice, a thriving figure-skating club and plumber who coached sports during An 80-year-old Westland woman came to court Modano Ice Arena, the 38-year-old Garden more sports tournaments as promising Burton's childhood. Thursday ready to testify that she was robbed Sept. City father of two never seems boastful or goals. Burton grew up in,Garden City, and he's 14 inside the garage of her condominium. pretentious considering he became the first "We didn't hire him just because he was a She'll have to wait. American-born minor leaguer to score 600 professional hockey player, but it was a def PLEASE SEE BURTON, A2 A preliminary hearing scheduled for two 18-year- old defendants, Ajuan Hogan of Wayne and Cortne Diaz of Westland, was delayed until Oct. 13. A defense attorney asked that the hearing be . delayed in Westland 18th District Court to give him more time to review the accusations and evidence war against Hogan and Diaz. BY JULIE BROWN of antiwar protesters. Police already have obtained confessions in the STAFF WRITER <tWe were in The Mall at noon The Capitol case, police Sgt. Steve Borisch said. and there was nobody there," Building in The victim has told authorities that she was robbed Lou Toarmina and his wife, Toarrnina said of the "pro-troop" Washington, about 9 p.m. Sept. 14 after she was followed into her Gina, made a quick trip to rally set for Sunday. He wonders D.C., provided garage at Colonial Estates condos, on Newburgh Washington, D.C., last weekend. about media coverage and how the backdrop south of Joy. They saw a few monuments, even much people really are learning for antiwar The woman was threatened with a pellet gun and the Capitol Building, but they about their government. protesters like robbed of her purse, which police later found after weren't there as tourists. He's against U.S. involvement Lou and Gina they trailed a getaway van to a nearby apartment The Westland couple were in because he believes the country's Toarmina of complex. the nation's capital to protest the reasons for going to war have Westland. Police found the purse inside the van after two sus war in Iraq. proven to be incorrect and that pects abandoned the stolen van at Westwood "We flew out Saturday and no more should die "for reasons Apartments and fled on foot, police Lt. James back on Sunday," Toarmina said. we know never really existed." Ridener has said. "There were people shoulder to He saw Cindy Sheehan, anti Investigators also found paperwork inside the'van shoulder as far as you could see." war activist and mother of a slain that led them to Hogan and Diaz, Ridener said. He found a strong feeling of soldier, one of the speakers. pizza business, didn't worry come home." The teenagers face charge's of armed robbery and patriotism, although the protest Sheehan was arrested for her about negative reaction from The Wayne Memorial High first-degree home invasion. If convicted, they could ers believe U.S. involvement in involvement in the protest. business associates. graduate is too young to have face penalties ranging up to life in prison. the Iraq war should end, Toarmina believes Americans "We were wearing shirts saying participated in Vietnam-era Diaz also is charged with fleeing from police and Toarmina, 42, saw some pro- should consider the soldiers in 'Peace Is Patriotic,'" he said. protests, but recognizes their sig driving with a suspended license. Bush demonstrators, but feels Iraq as their own sons and "Everybody there was grateful to nificance. He and Hogan would have to pay a total of the media coverage was biased, daughters. be American. They just wanted "Those protests actually did $110,000 in cash toward their bonds before they not reflecting the greater number Toarmina, owner of a local the war ended and people to make a social change," he said. could be released from jail to await their trial. > The Observer •~~~? & Eccentric INDEX Coming Thursday For Home Newspapers APARTMENTS E6 in Filter Delivery call: AUTOMOTIVE F2 CROSSWORD PUZZLE E7 .. • (866) 887-2737 Volume 41 Number 37 COMMUNITY LIFE CI Westland Car Care Center HEALTH C6 $mm§ Love in stone (7666 Wayne Rd. at Cowan) JOBS D1 j&SflRJP DIA unveils the (734} 525-0860 OBITUARIES C4 Westland Car Care PERSPECTIVES A7 Collision and Towing PINK PAGE C8 *V (6375 Hix Rd.) NEW HOMES E4 (734) 722-7100 SERVICE GUIDE D5 SPORTS B1 MS t. „.J—v ^ >MtK^U^ A2 (W) Observer & Eccentric 1 Sunday, October 2, £005 wicw,hometownUfe,eoni AROUND WESTLAND BURTON FROM PAGE Al Annual dance more information, call Ron Levin at (248) 496- proud that he, Julie and their The Women of the Immaculate Conception 3268. two sons - Joey, 5, and Luke, 3 will have their annual Daddy-Daughter Dance - live in the house wherehis 6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13, at the Drama and dance parents raised him. He was the Knights of Columbus Hall, 30759 Ford, Garden The Westland Therapeutic Recreation oldest of four children. 1 City. , ' • Program and the Shoe String Theatre are offer After graduating from The cost is $10 per couple and includes hot ing a drama and movement program for chil Garden City High School in • -« dogs, chips, pop, dessert and music by The dren with special needs. - , 1985, Burton sharpened his •* A Goldtones. For tickets, call Bev at (734) 261- The class will be 5-6 p.m. Fridays Nov. 4-Dec,, hockey skills while attending 2603 and Noreen at (734) 722-8360. 16. Each week there will be a different theme the University of Michigan- based on a children's story. Drama, music, Dearborn. He then played 11 Haunted house movement and dance will teach youngsters years for the Oklahoma City 'I The Westland Jaycees will be spooking up the gross motor, listening and focusing skills while ; Blazers and one year in > neighborhood when they open their haunted letting children use their imaginations. Denmark before he left the ice house for the season on Friday, Oct. 7, hi the east The class will be held at the Bailey Recreation - to work for a year - first for a parking lot of the Bailey Recreation Center, Center, 36651 Ford. Cost is $30 for residents mortgage company and then 36651 Ford. and $31 for non-residents.