March 20,2008 A2 (W) LOCAL NEWS Firm's Software Lets Parents Secretly View Computer Use
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Telly on the fct/tt •9 S^JW ,JMs£#.».-» •L J-C^^-^-jT <» -*i «IT UlAJSlAiV * ' ", s* « ' i?-vh-tfMBBa ggaaps 75 cents WINNERS OF STATE AND NATIONAL AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE www.hometownlife.com BY DARRELLCLEM to help pay for the proposals, despite a troubled economy that est master plan has a sharper Tattan Park OBSERVER STAFF WRITER which contain a bold vision for has given some residents strong focus than some of the more would receive a renovated Central City Park reservations. sprawling proposals of years .*"? .¾^ a new water Westland city leaders have and an eye-catching blueprint "I'd love to see it," resident past. r*t. playground rolled out an ambitious, $15.5 for Tattan Park -- neighboring Dan Devlin said Monday during "This one is a lot more con .Sr^ +., under a new million plan for ushering in far- recreation areas southwest of a public hearing at City Hall on centrated on what we want /5^1 parks and reaching improvements to local Ford and Carlson. the five-year parks and recre to do and what we believe we recreation parks within the next five years. In all, Parks and Recreation ation master plan. But, he cau can do," Kosowski said prior to master plan. Officials hope to tap into Director Robert Kosowski has tioned, "I just can't see it hap Monday's public hearing. The park is state grants, a Wayne County unveiled a towering, 16-pro- pening for quite a long time." Kosowski led the charge to located on parks tax, local coffers, bond posal plan that city officials City leaders appear much Carlson just dollars and private donations view as potentially affordable, more optimistic, saying the lat Please see PARK PLAN, A3 "4EJ south of Ford. Council approves 5-year pact command offi BY DARRELl CLEM \ develop a new spending plan. OBSERVER STAFF WRITER f "I think the contract is fair," Wild said. A Westland police union h^s Council President James secured a five-year contract Godbout agreed, saying the that mirrors labor agreements police union could have played already in place for two other hardball by forcing the city employee groups. into binding arbitration that The 32-member Westland could have resulted in a costlier Police Lieutenants & Sergeants settlement. Association will receive a 2 Pickering, who also voted percent pay hike retroactive to against the earlier contracts, Jan. 1, followed by raises of 2 said the labor agreements will percent in 2009,3 percent in chip away at the city's budget 2010,2 percent in 2011 and 3 surplus, which has hovered percent in 2012. around the $2 million mark. The labor pact, similar to He suggested that all employee contracts already negotiated groups should have accepted a for police officers and firefight one-year pay freeze. ers, won approval Monday in a "I'm not going to balance the 6-1 vote by the Westland City budget on the backs of our tax Council. Councilman Charles payers," he said. Pickering opposed the plan and Retroactive to Jan. 1, the renewed his concerns about salary range for the Westland whether the city can afford the Police Lieutenants & Sergeants PHOTOGRAPHER raises amid tough economic Association will be $68,694 A travel book is among the things Tammy Henderson has packed in her suitcase for her trip to Thailand, where she will undergo adult stem cell therapy times. for a first-year sergeant to to repair her damaged heart. "It's going to be worse next $84,046 for a deputy chief. year," he said, "and who knows By the end of the contract when we're going to come out that range will be $75,081 of it" to $92,768, according to Other council members Personnel Director Keith BY SUE MASON husband John leave for the Far want to see my doctor less, take being offered in the Dominican and Mayor William Wild Madden. OBSERVER STAFF WRITER East in hopes that the treat less medicine and stay as far Republic, although there's no called the contract fair, say However, Wild stressed ment will repair her damaged away from a heart transplant as difference in cost. ing it essentially contains that the new agreement also What a difference six months heart, after taking out a loan I can." Henderson's road to Thailand cost-of-living raises for an contains concessions. Newly can make. to raise the remaining $13,000 The Hendersons left at noon began in 1990, when she employee group that helps hired police will have to set Last August, Tammy needed for the life-saving pro on the 19-day trip that could was diagnosed with stage II to protect the city and its aside 5 percent of their gross Henderson was collecting cedure. give her a second lease on life. Hodgkin's lymphoma. She residents. Wild, saying he pay to help fund their pensions, bottles and cans in hopes of "My goal is to come back and The stem cell therapy isn't underwent radiation and che refuses to balance the budget and they will have to accept a raising $50,000 to get vescell go bike riding and lose weight," covered by insurance, nor is it motherapy. In the middle of the at the expense of public safety health insurance plan that is adult stem therapy in Bangkok, said Henderson who grew up in available in the United States. treatment, she put on a wig and employees, said administra more cost-effective for the city. Thailand. Westland and graduated from |t5s been available for some tion officials will accom Today, Henderson and her John Glenn High School. "I time in Thailand and is now Please see TREATMENT, A3 modate the pay hikes as they [email protected] I (734) 953-2110 vows to maintain services despite fuel costs BY DARRELL CLEM fallen trees. diesel fuel has thinned out the has raised concerns that the nate plan. With economists predict OBSERVER STAFF WRITER • Buford publicly touted his city wallet. Buford's department bulk of the budget amendment, Some residents have criticized ing even higher gas prices, department Monday as the has faced a growing demand,for $173,334, will come from a gen the city for overspending, while city officials — like residents Public Service Director Westland City Council coped services like snowplowing dur eral fund surplus that has hov others have commended lead ^- wonder how they will pay Kevin Buford, saying he lives in with rising fuel costs by approv ing an unusually busy winter ered precariously around the $2 ers for doing the best they can the tab. CouncilwomanCheryl Westland arid loves it, declared ing a $260,000 budget amend season. million mark. The rest would be to cope with what is now widely Graunstadt and others have Monday he will not compromise ment. The amount marked a Still, it isn't the first time the paid from the water-sewer fund. viewed as a recession. voiced fears that, if the situation city services for residents due to 68 percent increase over what city has been forced to approve Pickering suggested the Resident Normie Brazier, who should become dramatically < rising fuel costs that have wal officials had earlier set aside to fuel-related budget amend city should find another way drives long distances for her job, worse, city leaders might not be loped the city. keep more than 400 city vehicles ments. Mayor William Wild said to pay for rising fuel costs said she feels safer on Westland able to afford the level of services Buford called his department rolling. previous administrations have rather than deplete the bud streets than most anywhere she thatresidents have come to the backbone of die city, whether Buford said Westland's usage had to increase spending for fuel get surplus. Council President travels on snowy days. expect. workers are plowing snow, fixing of unleaded gasoline has actu by as much as 59 percent. James Godbout indicated that "Our streets are the best any broken water mains or removing ally declined, but high-priced Councilman Charles Pickering Pickering didn't offer an alter where," she said. [email protected] j (734) 953-2110 !) The Observer .1 & Eccentric &*•> V INDEX For Home Newspapers APARTMENTS C3 in Health Delivery call: AUTOMOTIVE C6 Volume 43 (866) 887-2737 CROSSWORD PUZZLE C9 Number 85 Wow Open! HOMETOWNLIFE Dl JOBS C8 OBITUARIES D4 OPINION A8 PINK D6 REAL ESTATE C3 SERVICE GUIDE C3 SPORTS B1 nth lUDUS Observer & Eccentric | Thursday, March 20,2008 A2 (W) LOCAL NEWS Www.hometownlife.com Firm's software lets parents secretly view computer use BY REBECCA JONES Alert!, which sends them an OBSERVER STAFF WRITER e-mail or text message anytime a certain defined keyword is Parents can now be a fly on typed at home. the wall of a chatroom their James, of Saline, paired his kids are using. background in Web design and A Livonia company, Blackfly information technology with a Networks, has launched a new Livonia programmer, who is a program called TRAP, which Stevenson High School gradu lets parents^ employers and ate but did not want to be iden other subscribers spy on a com tified. The three-person staff, puter's activity from elsewhere. including two founders, may All keystrokes and visited expand as demand increases. Web sites are logged. The software will only work This means everything chil on personal computers, not dren type in e-mail messages, Macs. chat rooms or instant messag TOM HOFFMEYER STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER The free software is avail ing programs get logged, as Philip James of Blackfly Networks describes the company's remote able for downloading at www.