June 15, 2000 (W)A2
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lomelbwn COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK illlcstlanit (IDbscrwr Your hometown newspaper serving Westland for 36 years Thursday, June 15. 2000 hometownnewspapers.net 75c Volume 36 Numb* 4 Westland, Michigan CCOOO MomeTown Cofmnunicattons Network™ <"°£Q0& ULTS Trial WMmmmum • BM^rtf^^^Mf TBI set in Marshall Wright ,,..:.487 LeeAnna Qenlston..... -.,272. •' UVQNVk PlMJC SCHOOLS '' • HI VUnrNmr,.... sen I *^ MVH WlWIWWB««m«t4t»»»«i.tt«»M'W>P*w Alicia Dougles,. .-...,...2.151 Ctlflbfd Thompson...... .649 "' Chfvk macfc iridic**** winn*f». • Former Adams Middle School Principal Celestine Sanders faces trial in Standoff Wayne County Circuit Court on criminal charges is over related to embezzling. BY BARBELL CLEM STAFF PHOTOS ST TOM HAWLlY BY DABRELL CLKM STAFF WRTTCR STAfTWETItt Nice going: School board winner Cindy Schofield gets congratulated by Superintendent Greg dctaaOoeJiomecoiilnunet delemOoeJuunecomiiuiet Baracy after winning the election. At left is Cindy's husband, David Schofield. A Livonia judge Tuesday ordered for A Westland man tried to run over mer Adams Middle School Principal his wife with his pickup truck and Celestine Sanders to stand trial on 15 then held their two children hostage criminal charges stemming from accu inside a house during a two-hour sations that she embezzled thousands standoff that ended Wednesday morn of dollars of school money. ing when police officers forced their er win District Judge Kathleen McCann way in and arrested the suspect, ruled that Sanders, 52, should face Mi Chief Emery Price said, BY DAHKKLL CLEM Livonia race coverage, A9 trialin Wayne County Circuit Court The 39-year-old man's wife suffered 8TAFF WRITER dclem&o«.boinecomm.net amid allegations that the popular prin cuts on her leg from a knife or razor, $5.4 million during the next year. cipal stole money from student fund and Price said the suspect also "muti Newly elected Wayne-Westland "We'll be in deficit after that," raisers and other internal school lated himself." The chief dismissed' school board trustees Cindy Schofield Superintendent Greg Baracy said. accounts, rumors the incident involved guns. > and Richard Eisiminger say they "Some kind of legislative relief from McCann's decision came after The domestic dispute started about want to boost the image of a district Lansing is absolutely necessary for Sanders, accompanied in court by fami 4:30 a.m. at 32131 Glen, near Ketter that suffered a budget crisis and ly members and friends, waived a pre ing Elementary, and neighbors called us to be even partially whole in the massive program cuts in the last future." liminary hearing and averted pretrial police when the family terror spilled decade. outside about 9:15 a.m. With that gloomy outlook, testimony on accusations she embez Td like to see us work on market zled money between Jan. 8, 1998, and The suspect then held his two ele Schofield, 41, and Eisiminger, 40, mentary school-age children hostage ing the district,* said Schofield, the won handily in Monday's four-way early last month. for two hours in a basement. "Obvi top vote-getter in Monday's school school board race, claiming victory in Sanders also stood mute Tuesday as ously, they were emotionally upset," board election. their first election bids and defeating McCann reinstated two earlier-dis Price said. "We need to change the image third-time candidate Marshall missed charges involving allegations The children - a boy and a girl - that's out there in the general pub- Wright and newcomer LeeAnna that Sanders improperly used school escaped harm, but the wife was treat- tic, Hitiu nisiuiiugei, «ppO>ut£u Dtniistou. mnncy to pay for flowers for personal ed for cuts and the suspect has been incumbent and second-place finisher. The victors will receive four^year use and for tickets to a YMCA banquet. placed in a hospital psychiatric ward. But the two winners and their five terms. In all, Sanders faces trial on 12 The incident came two weeks after board colleagues will face new money Schofield garnered 901 votes com- felony counts of embezzlement over $50 the suspect threatened his wife with a problems as the district's budget sur by a public official; two felony charges loaded gun, but Lt. Marc Stobbe said plus plummets from $10.9 million to Please see WIN, AS Rtehart EWmlngef and wtfa K«1 the woman had since removed "~"~~~_ Please see CASE, A5 firearms from the house. The suspect left home following that incident but returned at 4:30 a.m. Wednesday, and a domestic dis pute escalated until he cut her and Black driver exonerated following traffic stop eventually chased her from the house about 9:15 a.m., police officials said. It in believed she wants a divorce. BY DAHEEUL CLEM from 1999 that he proved Tuesday has been dis said they asked him stereotypical questions such^as Stobbe said. STAFF WRITER missed in Hamtramck. whether he was a drug dealer or had any guns. "She ran out of the house* and he dchwOoeJiainecoiiun.net Slater also showed other documents, such as proof Police Chief Emery Price has denied that his chased after her in his pickup truck Texas resident Willie Slater, who accused West- of insurance and .registration, that cleared him of all department engages in racial profiling. trying to run her over," Stobbe said. land police of stopping him in his 1994 BMW because local tickets, Westland District Court Administrator Slater had claimed all along that he wasn't in Police arrived to find that the sus he is black, was cleared 'lliesday ot ail tratric onena- uaviu niatcMsoiu. H2mtr°™i£k when the 1909 Hrk*»t. won jHRtied in his pect had taken the two children es. Slater's case was resolved Tuesday - 10. days after name T- and that someone else used his identity. hostage. The man is believed to have Slater also was refunded his $600 bail and half of police officers stopped him at 8:10 p.m. at Wildwood Until his recent vacation, he said he hadn't been in been drinking, Price said. the money, or $46, that he spent to get his car from and Warren. Michigan since 1996. "He Baid he had a gun, but we the city towing yard, court and police officials said. Slater, a former Detroit resident who works for Price said he is glad that the case appears to be found no evidence of a firearm," Price His losses: $45 for a June 3 traffic stop that he Exxon-Mobil Corp. near Houston,.was arrested while resolved. Baid, attributed to racial profiling and racism by two West- his passenger, Lynn Thomas, was left to walk home, *We don't want those hard feelings and those per A police Tactical Response Unit land police officers who, he said, stopped him for hav Slater and Thomas had been, visiting Thomas' ceptions (of racism) out there," he said. "We want tried to end the hostage situation, ing an air freshener hanging from his rearview mir brother in Wayne and were going to buy a telephone everybody to feel welcome coming into this communi- and Price tried to talk the suspect ror. at Best Buy in Westland when the traffic stop ty." into giving up. occurred. Slater was vacationing in the area. However, he added that police officers need to be "He refused to open the door," Sto Slater received a warning for the air freshener and for an improper turn, but he was arrested and jailed Slater accused police of stopping him because he is allowed to stop motorists for traffic infractions. bbe said, "and the mother was wor The guys have a job to do," he said. ried that he was in the basement with for two hours for an unpaid, suspended-license ticket a black man who was driving .a $40,000 car, and he the kids. He wouldn't answer the phone or respond to a bullhorn." Fearing for the children's safety, officers burst into the house about 11:15 a.m. and arrested the suspect. Also helping out was the Westland Fire Department's Tactical Emergen BY Jum BROWN cy Medical Support team. BTAFFwyrcn Related Community Voice, A14 The incident occurred near Ketter jbi'ownwoiiJhQnecoflu&.net ing. - Bokos was quick to note the con "We did a lockdown at Kettering It's been several years in coming, but struction will be paid for through court and canceled (afternoon) kinder the smiles at the 18th District Court revenue. Current estimated cost is $3,3 garten to the children wouldn't be Monday afternoon showed the wait was million. walking through the neighborhood," worth it. "It's a very important endeavor for Wayne-Westland Assistant Superin "We're excited about it," Judge C. this court," he told those gathered at tendent Charlotte Sherman said. Charles Bokos said of the court Monday. A safe, comfortable The suspect faces criminal charges. renovatibn/expansion at the Westland environment is needed for staff and court. The groundbreaking was held court visitors. Monday. Bokos thanked city officials, the INDEX Court officials have been working council, architects and others for their with the mayor, city council and others cooperation. "I think you are really on the effort for about four years, said Apartmenti/OJ HofTwTown going to be proud of this expansion Bokos, chief judge. A jury assembly when it occurs." At Home/0 llfe/H room will be included, along with a The court staffs including David AutomotWe/J3 Jobs/M substantial increase in the clerk's area. Wiacek, administrator. Karen Jonea, Classifted/T.O.HJ 0bltu8rles/A2 The new probation department will deputy administrator, and Donald Van- Classified OpJnions/A14-lB have a waiting area, and therell be a der&loot, magistrate, has also helped a Index/H Real Estate/Pi spot for paying those ever-popular tick great deal, he said.