Red Holman celebrates 40th anniversary, C5 Clreck out the coupons inserted i m today's issue o( you home- • delivered Observer and save an | average $20 to $30 a week on you : • grocery bil For home-deirvery, please ! •can 591-0500 ; Sunday September 7,1997 & PuttingYou In Touch With Yout World VOLUME 33 NUMBER 27 WESTLAND, MICHIGAN • 74 PAGES • http://observer-eccentric.com SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS 01997 HomoTown Communication* Ketwork, Inc. Every Sunday starting Candidates cite sign-swiping today, your i The candidates in Westland's mayoral pri­ Councilman Kenneth Mehl, 50, and woman, whose identity Knudson Observer mary say their signs are being removed by first-time office-seeker Dixie Johnson declined to reveal, said she was being will McNa, 53. paid by an undisclosed Wayne resident, political opponents. Polls will be open 7 a.m. No other issues are on the ballot, and Knudson said. publish to 8 p.m. Tuesday for the election) which has City Clerk Diane Fritz has predicted Even though the woman was "very Cable I TV > H*. t no other issues for voters to decide. that fewer than 20 percent of West- nice" and gave the sign back to Knud­ Weekly, your guide to BY DARRELL CEEM Could it be all of the above? land's 55,400 voters will bother to vote. son, the great-grandmother said she STAFF WRITER It comes as no surprise that all can­ One Westland great-grandmother, was nonetheless upset by the incident. complete local cable didates are denying responsibility. BettyAnne Knudson, said Friday she "I thought it was terrible," she said, All three Westland mayoral hopefuls was upset when she caught a woman "and I was very upset and shocked." television listings in an are claiming their campaign signs are Voters will have to decide between fact and fiction on those and many stealing a Thomas sign in front of her Knudson, who said she had placed easy-to-read tabloid being stolen and vandalized in the home on Mohawk. Moreover,-Knudson the sign in the city right of way, said waning days of the primary election. other issues as they go to the polls from format. Listings are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday. said the woman claimed she was being she was planning to place it directly in Could it be the candidates are get­ paid to remove signs. her front yard. localized for your ting nervous, seeking sympathy votes In a sometimes-spirited mayoral race, voters will choose among incum­ Knudson said the woman also Thomas, seeking a third consecutive community and cable or trying to hurt their opponents? claimed to have friends who were being Could it be they are truly victims? bent Mayor Robert Thomas, 47, former franchisor. Please look for paid to remove Thomas sighs. The Please see CANDIDATES, A4 Cable /TV Weekly in Section F of today's "WTTHTV "m-lrjUV paper. n Fancy /¾^ V'*\ * foot­ work: *W ^wssSffiKMSis**''"--* >• Barb THE WEEK W$3Fy'*<' "• y V r? Duka w -;,k ^*"« enjoys *• •* Ji.-, * «tP* her time AHEAD mfrr-' in the M '.-, s/v center class. $m . f^K^iZ Cars galore: The eighth annual Car Show and •*<'J Swap Meet will be 9 a.m. to 4p.m. Sunday at Cen­ «4»* tral City Park in West- land. For more informa­ 7 tion, call (313) 326-7222. H ~> t ®* M kfj MONDAY Moving: Oscar Bdlde does some Pool's cool: Swimming t dancing at the Renter. the $6-. ^^Rfc^'* ""^w* ^^^^^^^BP^^^HPi classes start Monday at L^fe-^ •s .-^ H K> r > V A 'x^^KvU^K? the Wayne I Westland year-Old Westfand resident likes 1¾ fll to 4dm:: \ . :: ;, 1^- l&^fl^BP YMCA, 827 S. Wayne sSaft ^Bcl ^•'•^^^^I^^K- Road in Westland. For ^^Br^S ^ ^y^rPw? ' if HI* '*i information, call (313) ' 'J, H^. % ,1^^^^^ B 721-7044. ^•?,«w« •*• ^K '•''' 1 ^^|^B ^•r '- M -1 TUESDAY T^T* ^^^1 ^^^^V ^ r* «*IA ->*t^^ ^^^^H ^. \ ^^^^H * - ' ^M \ V Time to vote: Tuesday is :;/. S \^^H mayoral primary day in * Westland. Polls will be K (1 ^^^^^^L' open 7 a.m. to 8p.m. ^'-^^^^^^ Mayor Robert Thomas nf^H •Pf4' *> i • * ^ v --..V'/a^M faces challengers Kenneth R^rsC *w -r v.^^H W'JK \i<tr r'S*' "s-'^^HH i »V t .'^jm v \ t- 'f'Vl^rT1 Mehland Dixie Johnson ; A < y,\> >- . , N - " * **r;^* " Tf t. ,&T\<k- ' V \ } McNa. - - " * i . i •.',*" ,*' " . • ^v- ^ • . ' < 1 - - * , *??: •> - ^ N ' - " - ' WEDNESDAY •- * ^ .r ^ » \ ' . \ ' *-_:— STAFF PHOTOS BT Jot JAGDTOD Books for kids: 7%<? William P. Faust Public Library of Westland offers Just for Me Preschool Seniors learn the right moves in classes Time, for ages 3 5, and BY DARRELL CLEM Weiland had only one complaint. He wishes more class, and IVe been coming ever since. It has been Toddler Tales, for ages STAFF WRTTSR men would line dance during classes that Thomas, a lot of fun." 18-36 months accompa­ s country music blared from a boom box and a Livonia resident, teaches Wednesday mornings Some seniors voiced frustration when they nied by an adult. Sessions line dancing teacher Fran Thomas called out at the Friendship Center ort Newbvirgh Road north missed dance steps, but with a little practice they dance steps, senior citizens shuffled, of Marquette. mastered the moves and gained self-confidence. are 10 a.m. and 11:30 A "Most guya don't try this," said Weiland, one of "Isn't it good when you get it?" Thomas asked as stomped, clapped, shimmied and swirled around a.m. For information, call Wednesday at the Westland Friendship Center. only three men among 36 dancers Wednesday. one senior applauded herself after mastering a (313)326-6123. "This is great exercise and a lot of fun," Ed Wei- "They don't know how touch fun it is," dance step. land, a 71-year-old Garden City resident, said, Phyllis Taylor, a 60-year-old Westland resident, Seniors from Westland, Garden City, Plymouth, smiling aa he danced. "I lost my wife almost three joined the line dancing classes more than a year Livonia and other communities joined in the fun yeans ago, and this is something I can do without a ago. Wednesday. INDEX partner." ' "I do this for the exercise and because I enjoy dancing," she said. "A friend talked to me about the Please see DANCERS, A2 I Classified Index J* Real Estate m Crossword .__ m Playscape building to get under way this week Rentals^ __ _ H8 Jobs_ __ ; / • ji BYJUUKBROWN ture will be named Imagination Play • Younger children will STAFFWRITER Station, a moniker chosen by 7-year- "Home & Service wash tires, with older kids K5 Many hands are said to make light old Ben Maple of Westland fallowing a Automotive ^. work, and Playscape volunteers would contest. taking on more demanding K6 Playscape "We whittled it down to four final­ tasks. • Taste___ be happy to have even tnore pe<>i)le join to go up JB1 : ists," Kreis said. -Those attending the .them.'•. ;'.';'.:•:•.':, -': *'.'•• • :'•;/;'• '-'•'•' •- CeolfdCityParti.Fofd. • Majl«_ The project, which has been in the, «C»fl»oolnW»iti«o<J. Westland Summer Festival put money J4 in canisters to vote for their favorite. • Health A Business works for more than a year, has tions, so the volunteers won't go hun­ CI involved many people with diverse tal-, Proceeds supported the project. gry. Child care will also be provided. ents. "We're almost there now," Said A rather unique fund-raiser was held "And the kids are going to help too," HOW TO REACH US Kevin Kreis, public relations coordina­ Aug. 24. In "Cow Chip Bingo," a" Con-, Kreis said. Younger children will wash tor for the project tral City Park soccer field was squared tires, with older kids taking on more The children's play structure, off. A cow made a "deposit" on the site, demanding tasks. Newsroom: 313-953-2104 designed by Robert Leathers & Associ­ V»>B<yrt marking the spot for first-, second- and *A lot of people are really excited Newsroom Fax: 313-8917279 ates, will be constructed this week. • third-place winners. The Outback about it," Kreis said. "We're hoping for E-mail: newsroom© oeohllne.com Sept. 9-14, workers will be at Central Steakhouse donated dinners which a big family turnout." were sold at the site, with proceeds Nlghtllne/Sports: 313-953-2104 City Park, performing a variety of the community. tasks. f ' ,•'.';: going back to the project. For information on volunteering, call Reader Comment Line: 313-953-2042 "Plus the kids get something out of it "We've had a lot of support from dif­ The idea originated with Mayor also," Kreis said. (313) 467-3198. Volunteers who just . Classified Advertising: 313-591-0900 Robert Thomas, who had seen similar ferent businesses," Kreis said. show up are asked to wear comfortable Bob Kosowski, We9tland Parks and Sept. 9-14, volunteor workers will • Display Advertising: 313-591-4300 structures in other communities, Kreis Recreation director, Is chairman for the clothing. Sandals shouldn't be worn, Said. Thomas thought it would benefit work in four-hour shifts. A food com­ due to safety concerns. : Home Delivery: il&S9X4Bto Westland Playscape. The wooden struc­ mittee has been busy lining up donn- fl A2(W) The Observer/SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1997 Dancers frontpage A1 Getting the job done "A lot of senior women are Wednesdays, followed by an "We do have a good time," she divorced or they have husbands advanced class from 10:30 a.m. said, "and nobody has to feel who don't like to dance, and this to noon.