REFERENCE ONLY T> ... W'UfAM P. FAUST Clarenceville topples Lutheran Westland, CI Public Library 0f Westland m i m m~*> *•£?*.* nfGlT 48185 Homelbvvn itv•fiUJWisiWi I 53/14/S*. 1'IMIH'MIAI ll»Nn Hi: rvtOIlK- WE§7,r l 1BRA UILLIMt FAUST Putting you in touch Thursday KV with your world KSS.S'48185 ' September 24f 1998 Serving the Westland WESTLAND MI i> VOLUME 34 NUMBER 32 WESTLAND, MICHIGAN • 76 PAGES • http://observer-eccentrlc.com SEVENTY-Fivt CfcN^S O.iesailomeTpwn Communication* Network, Inc. IN THE PAPER Dancing duo TODAY New teachers: New stu­ 7 dents aren't the only unfamiliar faces through­ out Wayne-Westland schools this fall - there are also 88 teachers who cons were hired this past sum­ mer after a teacher buy­ out in the spring./A3 studied COMMUNITY LIFE • During a special study session Monday, Westland Got the fever: Baseball City Council received infor­ mation about recreation fans are hot on the trail of centers. baseball cards for this BY KlMBERLY A. MORTSON season's heroes - Mark STAFF WRITER McGwire and Sammy The pluses and Sosa - who are slugging minuses of recreation it out to see who will be centers in Colorado and Michigan were shared the new Sultan of with six Westland city Swat/BX council members as they weighed building a new facility. During a special study session prior to Monday evening's city council meet­ ing, Scott Veldhuis, economic develop­ ENTERTAINMENT ment director, and Bob Kosowski, parks and recreation director, present­ Theater: Chuck Forbes of ed the council with information, brochures and photographs from a mid- Troy, who initially reno­ June trip to the Colorado Design Man- vated and opened the Gem Theatre on New Please see CENTER, A4 Year's Eve1991, cele­ brates its reopening and rescue from the wrecking Teen faces ball./El Music: The San Francisco charge Symphony brings a tour­ ing celebration of George Gershwin to the Universi­ in ty of Michigan's Hill Auditorium./E'L BY RENEE SK0GLUND STAFF WRITER Joseph Norman Novell, 17, of Farm- •MMmwwjw ington Hills was arraigned Monday in 18th District Court on charges of negli­ BBBBMB^s^SMyAj gent homicide in the death of a preg­ Take the plunge: Get nant Inkster woman, 18-year-old Julia Margaret Serda. inspiration and motiva­ Novell's bond was set at $50,000 by tion to beautify your bath­ Judge Gail McKntght. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m. Thurs­ room at the Fall Remodel­ day, Oct. 8. ing Show this week- Serda died Aug. 1 of internal injuries end./OB when the 1990 Ford Tempo in which she was a front-seat passenger collided with Novell's 1990 Chevrolet Beretta at the intersection of Middlebelt and Ann Arbor Trail in Westland. Serda was 7\> months pregnant at the time. Doctors at Garden City Hos­ Doing It right: Those at STAFF PHOTO BY TOM IIAWLEV pital, where she was declared dead the top set the tone for Western sty\eiNancy Guaetta of the Friendship Center.in Westland drags Oscar Balde frorn about 45 minutes after the 5:48 p.m. good service, Realtors accident, delivered a baby girl by'Cae- thedanceflooratthe .Country Western Get Together at the center Balde was namedthe best- sarean section. The baby was airlifted leant, /Fl dressed maleat'thewestern outing. For more^ please see Page A3. to University of Michigan Hospital in. Please see TEEN, A2 Opinion A1243 Officials track traffic delays at railroad crossings Obituaries A4 Crossword G2 BY KlMBERLY'A. MORTSON Kelly may bring about a temporary Court receiving fines just over $8,000 from repeatedly breaking the law. "It's STAFF WRITKR answer to the ongoing problem but he's for more than a dozen incidents involv­ early in the planning stages,"said Classified Index F6 ing trains blocking the road beyond the DeHart of a sliding scale she's propos­ A train overpass being constructed doubtful it will be the absolute solu­ Autos J3 legal limit. ing to make it "more costly" for railroad on Newburgh Road may relieve the tion. companies to block traffic. Home & Service J2 traffic problems at one intersection but 'They seemed serious about trying to Police officers in both Westland, do something about blocking the cross­ Wayne and Plymouth report fining the The preliminary proposal would fine Jobs G7 other crossings will continue to be a problem as motorists find themselves ings, but I think they'll do what they Florida-based railroad company on a a railroad.company $5,000 per incident Rentals G4 waiting long beyond the legal five- have to to appease us," said Thomas. weekly basis but to no avail. The if there were three infractions in one Community Life minute limit. The city of Westland and community authorities can penalize CSX'up to week; and $25,000 if 10 occurred in a • B'l $500 per incident yet there arc no legal single week. According to Westland Mayor Robert of Wayne fall victim to frequent traffic Sports CI bounds to the quantity of violations the J. Thomas, a meeting this week delays at crossings on Glenwood, New­ 'Right now the $500 fine is so cheap • railroad company receives'... Entertainment El between CSX railroad, representatives, burgh.and Cherry Hill" roads — three they'd rather pay than uphold the law busy thoroughfares in the cities. DeHart shared with the group some by not'blocking the crossings," said Real Estate ^ ••'.' Fl city of Wayne Mayor Ken Warfield and state Reps. Eileen DeHart and Tom Just two weeks ago CSX railroad sample legislation she's initiating to appeared in Wayne's 29th District financially deter railroad companies —— Please see RAILROAD, A2 HOW TO REACH US Newsroom; 734-953-2104 Bennett's war chest 5 times bigger than Warfield's Newsroom Fax: 734-591-7279 f-ma//;[email protected],net BY SCOTT DANIEL had received $316,221.99 from abnnt is going well on our end. 1 expect to win this thing." Nightline/Sports: 734-953-2104 STAFF WRITKR 150 contributors. The state senator Voters will have their say on the Bennett-Wai field - Reader Comment Line: 734-953-2042 said it's a testament to the support his battle Tuesday, Nov. 3. Ivoren Bennett is pulling out all the £/••>/ /> H'J/s Besides the Senate Republican. Caucus. Bennett Classified Advertising: 734-591-0900 stops in his bid to retain his Eighth &£(XX/4?/£jf\ .candidacy is receiving throughout his 12-coinnnmity district, which includes has received contributions of at leas! $1,000 from 72 Display Advertising: 734-591-2300 District Michigan Senate seat. «•<*• a portion of Canton and all of West- sources. The biggest gifts come from political action ^0010 06//^7.734-591-0500 According to post-primary campaign finance reports, the Canton Republican has raised land. committees. more than five times the money challenger Ken "They've seen what I've done over the last four The Detroit-based Michigan Beer and Wine Whole­ Warfield has. The Democrat believes the race* will years." Bennett added. "It makes a big difference." salers I'AC, for example, has contributed just under come down to more than just dollar.^ however. By comparison, Warfield has raised $55.()10.55 $1-1.000 to Bennett's re-election bid. The Realtors "I feel the people of .this district won't be bought,'' from about 120 contributors, lie wasn't surprised by PAC of Michigan, meanwhile, gave the Canton resi­ said Warfield, who currently serves as Wayne's the gap between his campaign war chest and Ben­ lient more than $11,000. mayor. "This scat isn't up for the highest bidder." nett's. He noted that the Senate Republican Caucus Big business has also contributed substantially to As of the report filing deadline of Kept. 3. Bennott has contributed more than half of Bennett's .money. 6 63174 10011 6 "That's typical." Warfield said But the campaign Please see WAR CHEST, A2 YJHO HOHlffim A*<W) The Observer & Eccentric)"THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24,1998 • FmYomi Oct. 1 by phone or althe Children's ' Service Desk. Dates for session II War chest from page Al M*<M* Who'* Who in America, 52nd are: Tuesdays, Nov. 3,10,17, 24 and txKtioh Dec; land8;Wednesdays, Nov.A. THis r«tarene« wcrt< contains current 11,18, 25. Dec. 2 and 9. Bennett's campaign^ Millwrights, boilermakers, the and accur*U oicgrtpWc* information, The programs are as follows: ; The Detroit Auto Dealers PAC Teamsters, asbestos workers, fW nw» th*n 100,000 notabte living Toddler Tales gave him more than $10,000 and sheet metal workers are just Americans who h*v« proven to be Choose one; 1:30 p.m. Tuesdays or since May of 1997. CMS Energy, • polrtlcei, economk; or cultural leaders. 10:30 a.m. Wednesdays a few giving hundreds of dollars This Include* fedeml end etate offi- Browning Ferris Industries, to Warfield.: Session Includes developmental <sl#ii edroWetmtJve «fflci*s of major appropriate Coca Cola, the Michigan Restau­ That suits the Democratic, can­ univerettree andtioMegei, rrtlitary offl- rant. Association, Michigan Man­ INFORMATION storytlmes for didate just fine. eej* on active duty, recipients of r. • N i n A • Children 18 to ufactured Housing and Blue "I intend to fight for working majornational and international '," 36 months Cross/Blue Shield are a few award*, membef« of honorary and pro- wniiAM^r. r*u»? families," said Warfield. "I want other big names contributing to jfca^onal organization* and leaders of- •«w;v- Bennett. better wages and working condi­ pr|nCiple religious denominations. p«wi« LlbrMy Movement, "I don't pay a lot of attention tions for the people of my dis­ Geographic and professional indexes .