hometownlife.com - ONLINE PHOTO GALLERIES Last chance This is your last chance WESTLAND to enjoy Hines Park without the sounds of vehicular traffic. Saturday, Sept. 29, is the last day Wayne County Parks will close Hines Drive to vehicle traffic from the Warren- dale Picnic area west of Outer Drive to the Nan­ PRICE: $1 • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2012 •hometownlife.com kin Mills area at Ann Arbor Trail in Westland. Enjoy a stroll, go for a run, ride your bike or roller skate safely along and on the parkway minus vehicles from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Westland sees uptick in The closure on Satur­ days since May 5 is part of Wayne County Parks' Saturday in the Park. For information on other county parks' activi­ new home construction ties, go online to www. waynecountyparks.org. By Sue Mason thing that bodes well for then, an indication of an White Tail Observer Staff Writer the sustainability of West- improving economy in the Run subdivi­ land's housing market." state. sion is one At first blush, the num­ The Westland Building "Builders are building of several Craft show ber of new housing starts Department has issued and developers are devel­ .,, arrested resi- this year may not seem 23 new home permits this oping," said Bruce Thomp­ :¾¾¾ dential devel­ The Westland Friend-. like much. But for West- year, an almost 100 per­ son, Westland building opments in ship Center is hosting land city officials, an cent increase from 2009- director. "There's a lot of Westland its first Holidaze Craft uptick in residential build­ 10 building season when interest in in-fill projects where new Show 9:30 a.m. to 4 ing permits is definitely the city hit its low point in interurban areas. Basi­ builders have p.m. Friday, Sept. 28, good news. of 12 new homes starts. cally, they are projects stepped in to and 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. In fact, Mayor William New home construction complete the Saturday, Sept. 29. Wild views it as "some­ has slowly increased since Please see HOMES, A2 project. The craft show is a fundraiser for the cen­ ter's Christmas Special, a celebration that will be held at the center on Fri­ day, Dec. 7. Crafters will Westland honors memory of POWsand MIAs show off their items, so those who want a jump By LeAnne Rogers on the holiday shop­ Observer Staff Writer , ping can purchase home made gifts early. Prisoners of war and There is no admis­ military personnel Miss­ sion charge, and there ing in Action were ;• will be food available remembered at a ceremo­ during lunch hours for ny outside Westland City purchase. The Westland Hall Friday. Friendship Center is at It was the third Friday 1119 Newburgh, south . of September which is of Ford Road. officially the POW/MIA Recognition Day. There are 83,419 POW/ MIAs from the United U-M ticket States, said Westland Vet­ erans Association Pres­ contest ident Ken Mehl, 73,681 military personnel from Enter our Facebook World War II. contest for a chance to win two great tickets "It gets harder and to see the University of harder to find the miss­ Michigan Wolverines ing as the years pass. The homecoming game longer they are missing, against Illinois Satur­ the easier they are to for­ day, Oct. 13, at The Big get," said Mehl, recount­ House. ing the recent return and ••'*•. PHOTOS BY TOM BEAUDOIN Brian Luther of Garden City plays Taps" for the missing soldiers and those held as prisoners of war. Luther served in the Entering is easy. Just go to our website, Please see CEREMONY, A2 U.S. Air Force and is a member of Bova VFW in Westland. hometownlife.com, and look to the right in our Don't Miss module for the Wolverines ticket W-W board looks at its contest. Fill out the short Griffin looks form and you are en­ tered in the contest. Rec­ operating procedures ommend the contest to forward to a Facebook friend and get five extra entries for By Sue Mason documents that we feel every person who also serving on Observer Staff Writer will work," Schofield enters the contest. said. The Wayne-Westland The board has held sev­ The prize winner will W-W board be selected in a random school board has decid­ eral study sessions to drawing from among all ed to take a closer look at' work on fine tuning poli­ eligible entries Oct. 10. Eleven years after he operating procedures for cies, However, questions left the Westland City boards in five Michigan arose over the difference Council, Charles "Trav" school districts in devel­ between policies and pro­ Griffin placed his hand oping its own document. cedures, leading to the decision to develop the INDEX on a Bible held by his son, The board Monday eve­ Ben, and repeated the JENNY JOHNSON ning decided to form a latter. Schofield and Mid- Business ...A8 oath of office to become Ben Griffin holds the Bible as Diane Rohraff administers subcommittee made up del worked on getting Crossword Puzzle ...B11 information about oper­ Entertainment B6 the newest member of the . the oath of office to his father, Charles Trav" Griffin. of board President Car­ Food B8 Wayne-Westland school ol Middel, Secretary Cin­ ating procedures as well Homes B10 board. board meeting, Griffin gan Education Associa­ dy Schofield and Trust­ as a board code of eth­ Jobs B10 The swearing-in cer­ admitted that "it's a little tion UniServ director. He ee Thomas Buckalew ics. She spoke on behalf Obituaries B5 emony was held at the scary after 11 years" to also served on the Wayne- to review five docu­ of Middel who was not at Opinion.- A12 start of Monday evening's serve on an elected board. Westland school board ments from the Berkley, Monday's meeting due to Services B11 a death in the family. Sports B1 meeting. Griffin asked "I hope I can do the job before launching his polit­ Houghton Lake, South Wheels.. B12 Diane Rohraf f to admin­ that warranted your sup­ ical career which includ­ Lake, Northville and Schofield told the board ister the oath. It's a duty port," he told his fellow ed serving on the City Romulus school boards that by definition policies © The Observer & Eccentric Rohraff is quite familiar board members. Council and as mayor of to find which fits as close are the "principal guide­ Volume 48 • Number 37 with after serving for a Griffin was appointed to Westland. as possible to what the lines for the decisions number of years as West- the board to fill a vacancy In addition to his son Wayne-Westland board the board makes," while Home Delivery: land city clerk. created by the resignation Ben and his wife Andrea, does. operating procedures (866) 887-2737 "It's wonderful to be of Trustee Andrea Claw- Griffin's friends Jan "The subcommittee "are specific and are the able to serve the commu­ son. He will serve until Sapola and Sharon Scott can figure out which one steps used in the day-to­ Return Address: day operations to carry 41304 Concept Dr. nity," said Griffin. "I look the next school election in were present to witness closely mimics what we Plymouth HI 48170 forward to doing it. Thank November 2014. the ceremony. Clawson do, then we can come out policies." you for your support." Griffin also is a for­ also was in the audience. back and bring in the At the end of his first mer teacher and Michi­ By Sue Mason pieces from the other Please see BOARD, A2 John Drewniak (734) 425-3800 8040 North Wayne Road /instate M Westland You're in good hands. johndrewniak(a)allstate.com Call for a free quote. © 2011 Allstate Insurance Company. 'JKL.iJ.' JLM r i A2 (W) Observer & Eccentric | Thursday, September 27,2012 LOCAL NEWS online at hometownlife.com document," said Trust­ BOARD ee Fred Weaver. Weaver Continued from page A1 pressed the issue of hav­ ing the document contain a statement about "certain "I believe we need to duties" board members put the focus on this (pro­ need to do, such as being cedures)," said Schofield. present at graduation cer­ "These are five differ­ emonies. ent procedures that we "I'd like to put forth a ,. can look at as to how they document with the expec­ relate to the way we do tations for a board mem­ things." ber are," he said. "When With an indication that we talk about expecta­ board members would tions, if they can't live up like the operating proce- . to them than maybe they dures in place by the end shouldn't run for office. of the year, Schofield said There are certain things that the board will need to we do in this district that have another study session are important." to come up with the proce­ "Maybe it would be good dures document to have it to let new members know ready for a vote in Novem­ that this is more than one ber, giving them the month meeting a month," said of December to work on it, Buckalew. "if we fall behind." Schofield told Weaver Board members not that that would be more in serving on the subcommit­ operating procedures. tee will receive copies of "If you feel that strongly, the documents and have we may need a stand-alone PHOTOS BY TOM BEAUDOIN two weeks in which to read document," she said. Members of the Junior Auxiliary of the Bova VFW Post No.