2001-11-16 Po

Your hometown newspaper serving Plymouth and Plymouth Township for 116 years Sunday, December 16, 2001 w w w .observerandeccentric.com 750 Volume 116 Number 32 Plymouth Michigan ©2001 HomeTown Communications Network™ Former board president won’t be charged ■ Former school board president Mike Mal had asked the prosecutor’s office to that this has had on my family has oney has contended all along he’d done noth look into 18 telephone calls that were been terrible \ made from Maloney’s office at Lear “In my opinion, the school district ing wrong in the whole Kathleen Booher Corporation in Dearborn to Berkley went out of its way to smear me as a □ issue, and police have apparently agreed, Schools, Booher’s former distnct way of deflecting criticism for budget deciding not to charge Maloney. One of the telephone calls was about deficits and an ill-conceived master 30 minutes m length However, Myers plan which closes Miller School, repur BYTONYBRUSCATO who conducted the investigation, said said that call, which was the mam poses Central Middle School and elimi S t a f f W r it e r “the evidence to substantiate suspicion [email protected] stimulus for the investigation, was not nates the Talented and Gifted pro just wasn’t there and we couldn’t pro made from Lear or Maloney’s cell gram,” he added “I feel it is a real A police investigation has deter ceed ” phone Myers said he didn’t talk to shame that four months have passed mined there won’t be any criminal Maloney had been investigated for Maloney because without direct link and the distnct now has bigger prob charges filed against former Plymouth- using a false name m order to obtain age to the call, there wasn’t enough lems than ever ” Canton school board president Mike confidential employment information evidence Booher, who returned to work mid J || 11 boys and girls, naughty or Maloney m a case involving alleged about Superintendent Kathleen “I’ve done nothing wrong, and I’ve week after attending her brother’s Jlja nice, know Santa Claus will false identity Booher certainly not done anything illegal — J^m soon be checking his Christmas Dearborn police Det Sgt Neil Myers, The district’s attorney, Kan Shay, period,” said Maloney “The impact list - and checking it twice That Please see MALONEY, A2 means Plymouth youngsters need to get their letters to the Jolly Old Elf written and headed to the North Pole Once again this year, the Plymouth Observer is asking youngsters to send us their letter to Santa along with their school photo to appear in the Sunday, Dec 23, edition To make sure we have time to forward the let ters to the North Pole, get the letters to us no later than Monday, Dec 17 Send your letters to Santa, care of the Plymouth Observer, 794 South Mam, Plymouth, MI 48170 Salvation A rm y needs ringers The bells that have rung so loudly since the Thanksgiving holiday are threatened to be silent on Christmas Eve, unless the Plymouth Salvation Army can come up with some volun teers According to Maj Steve Hull, the Salvation Army commander, volun Not so fast: Young Brian Mann is slowed down by Red teers are desperately needed for Wing alum Paul Weber during the game Christmas Eve Dec 24, when the Red Kettles will be manned from 9 a m to 3 p m “We’re really running into a prob lem said Hull ‘So many people are Charitable act leaving town early for the holiday that we don’t have the people we need Police, R ed W ings team up for to nng the bells ” Anyone wishing to volunteer to ring at one of the Salvation Army’s kettle benefit hockey gam e locations can call Hull at the Salva tion Army, 453-5464 By Brad Kadrich year-old Michael Ferrantmo This Staff Writer time, though, it was all just good [email protected] clean fun m a chanty hockey game ormer Detroit Red Wing Dmo between the Red Wing Alumni and WEEK AHEAD-MONDAY Cicearelli spent 20 years tan the Plymouth Township Police All- STAFF PHOTOS BY BRYAN MITCHELL F gling with some of the rough Stars Dropping the gloves: Former Detroit Red Wing star Dmo Cie - est players — most of them bigger Ciccarelli’s scrum with the young Schools: The Plymouth- Ferrantmo, the son of Plymouth carelli roughs up, all m fun of course, little Michael Ferrantmo than him — m the National Hockey Canton school hoard League officer Mike Ferrantmo, was but during the benefit hockey game between the Plymouth Township Citcarelli was at it again Wednes one of the highlights of the evening meets Monday night to Police All-Stars and the Detroit Red Wings Alum ni Wednesday day Once again in a Red Wings uni The police had several youngsters pick a replacement for nig h t form, Cicearelli finally found an Steve Guile; meeting start opponent smaller than him — 8- Please see WIINGS, A3 ing at 7p.m. at the board building in Plymouth. Bill approving 3rd judge School district OKs 7 buses, INDEX Apartments/E6 New Hom es/El goes to governor’s desk but director says more needed i A r t s / C l- C 3 0bituanes/A4 Automotive/64 On Line Dir /C7 By Brad kadrich trate to handle some of the cases BYTONYBRUSCATO purchase buses each and every year,” Classified/E.G.H Real Estate/El Staff writer So the news was welcome to Mac [email protected] S t a f f W r it e r Latnie said “To get on a iO-year Classified lndex/E4 Service Guide/G5 Donald, chief judge of the court [email protected] “Obviously we thought this was nec replacement program, and to address Crossword/E5 S p o r t s / B l It looks like the 35th Distnct Court community growth and service, we is finally going to get what most essary years ago,” MacDonald said The Plymouth-Canton school board J o b s / G l Taste/Dl-D4 would have to purchase an initial 52 observer feel it has needed for years — “We’re thrilled” has approved the purchase of seven M a lls / C 7 T r a v e l/ C 8 a third judge Assuming Engler signs the bill, the new school buses However, that’s buses AftOr the initial phase, we M o v ie s / C 2 House Bill 4788, sponsored by State judgeship would be on the ballot in the only a fraction of what transportation would have to average buying 6-15 Rep Bruce Patterson, (R-Canton), 2002 election cycle The bill calls for director Melvin Latnie feels is needed buses each and every year made its way through both the Senate the newly elected judge to start a term to replenish an “It’s a big commitment, but a neces (on a 20-12 vote) and the House of Rep beginning Jan 1, 2003 The interesting aging fleet sary one needed to provide the kind of thing, according to Patterson, is the “At least 60 service the community wants and resentatives (89-9) late Thursday ! night, meaning eight-year term that will be up for percent of our deserves,” he said ■ Bruce Pat the only thing grabs buses are at or Latnie said to factor in community “It’ll be quite an interesting judge- near the end of needs and growth, the district must terson said he standing between the ship, because it’s an eight-year term,” th e ir life increase the size of the fleet from 114 is not a candi 35th District Patterson said “It’s not just a short expectancy,” said buses to 121 date for the Court and a term, so I’m sure lots of people will be Latnie m a report “The bus issue has been around a third judgeship interested ” to the Board of Education and Superin long time,” said Trustee Susan Davis new judgeship is Gov John Patterson will not be among them, tendent Kathleen Booher “Presently, “I think you need a line item m the Engler’s signa contrary to rumors that occasionally we need to replace a minimum of 44 budget each year for the replacement ture pop up buses now to get us on a 10-year of some buses My recommendation is “I’m glad to fulfill a promise I made “I filed a senate exploratory commit replacement program without address that we need a serious conversation to the communities,” Patterson said tee, and my expectation is I’ll either ing future community needs ” about that” “It was a long timeline, but I was com serve m the state house or the state The seven buses will be purchased Last month, bus driver Del Temple mitted We have to make sure (Engler) senate starting m 2003, not on the with $535,000 m interest earned from ton warned board members about the signs it into law Our local legislators bench,” Patterson said “That would be the 1998 Discovery Middle School bond extremely poor condition of buses, have had lengthy conversations with a great honor, but it’s not my inten issue Latnie is hoping the board will some of which have more than 200,000 the lieutenant governor, and I’m very tion ” approve another 15 buses m the near miles on them optimistic ” Though the bill was sponsored by future with $1 1 million m interest “The Plymouth-Canton school bus For nearly a decade, 35th District Patterson, the Canton representative earned from 1998 and 1999 bond fleet is currently in a state of disre 1-800-S79-SELI Court judges have been seeking a third was quick to point out it was more of a issues pair,” said Templeton “The overall % judgeship Figures released by the team effort Latnie told trustees at Tuesday’s integrity of the bus fleet is m ques court show judges John MacDonald “The over-arching principle is that board meeting the distnct needs to dis tion ” and Ron Lowe handle an average of these things never happen because of continue the process of using bond Latnie has come up with suggestions 22,389 cases a year That compares to one person’s efforts,” Patterson said money to purchase buses, and instead as to how distnct transportation costs ! the statewide average caseload of “Senators

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