Your hom etown newspaper serving Plym outh and Plym outh Tow nship for 116 years Sunday, March 10, 2002 www. observerandeccentric. com 7 5 $ Volume 116 Number 56 Plymouth Michigan ©2002 HomeTown Communications Network™ T H E WEEK Local AHEAD Kmart MONDAY avoids Drug seminar: A s e m in a r on what kinds of drugs kids can be exposed to at parties and clubs w ill be cuts the topic of discussion at Plymouth’s Kmart store avoided the the Canton H igh School chopping block Friday as the financial­ DuBois Theater. Kenneth ly troubled retail giant disclosed its list Krygel, a drug recognition of under-performing stores scheduled to be closed expert from Macomb Nearby stores that are scheduled to Com munity College's shut down include the Livonia Big Kmart on Plymouth Road near the Crim inal Justice Train­ Wonderland Mall and the Novi Big in g C e n te r; w ill give an Kmart on West Oaks Drive overview of the rave cul­ Store managers at the Plymouth Kmart refused to comment when con­ tu re , current drugs of tacted Friday, referring all questions ch o ice, signs and symp­ Sta ff P hoto b y b b y a n M itch ell to the company’s corporate office m Name game: Bird Elementary School was named for long-time educator Nellie Bird, part of the toms of drug use, a n d a Troy Plymouth-Canton school district’s history of naming elementary school buildings after its key The company announced it will close display of drug parapher­ educators. 284 under-performing stores as part of nalia. The discussion its initial Chapter 11 financial objec­ runs from 6:45-8:45 p.m. tives review The stores to be closed include 271 Kmart discount stores and RSVP to Lisa Constan­ 12 Kmart Supercenter retail outlets in tine at (734) 416-7516. W hat’s in a nam e? 40 states, and one Kmart store in Puerto Rico “The closure of these stores is expect­ ed to significantly enhance the compa­ D istrict honors its p a st in choosing ny’s operational and financial perfor­ TUESDAY mance,” the company said in a press release elem entary school nam esakes T h e P ly - The stores will remaun open for busi­ School board: ness pending approval of the store­ mouth-Canton Board of BY TONY BRUSCATO after George Anson Starkweather, whose parents were the closing plan by the Bankruptcy Court Education meets at 7p.m. S t a f f W r it e r o firift to build a home m what is now the City of Plymouth for the Northern District of Illinois and [email protected] thereafter until the related store-clos­ at the E.J. McClendon However, that wasn’t his only claim to fame Starkweath Starkweather, Smith, Bird, er contributed much to his community as a teacher, school ing inventory sales are completed on a Educational Center on Allen board trustee, township supervisor, village president and store-by-store basis, according to the H a rv e y . Just four of the 18 names that state legislator release appear on school buildings Until 1951, Starkweather was the only school to be named Kmart anticipates that the sales around the Plymouth-Canton after someone who influenced education m the district It generated from store closings and Township meets: T h e P l y ­ district Part of a long standing was then that board president Kenneth Hulsing continued related cost savings will enhance its mouth Township Board of tradition of naming K-5 schools the tradition after voters approved more than $13 million to cash flow by approximately $550 mil­ Trustees meets in regular m honor of outstanding teachers, build two elementary schools lion m 2002 and approximately $45 administrators and board mem The first was named George A Smith Elem°ntary, which million annually thereafter session at 7p.m. m the bers was dedicated m 1951 Smith was an icon in the district, Employees affected by the closings meeting room at Ply­ The first m the district, which was then known as just the and was the longest serving superintendent in his day from were notified Friday and will receive Plymouth School District, was Starkweather Elementary on 1918 1945 information about benefits and other mouth Township Hall, Holbrook Street, which opened in 1927 Now the home of resources available to them, the com­ located at Ann Arbor adult and alternative education, the building was named Please see NAME, A5 pany stated Road and Lilley. — by Paul Pace Christian gathering: S t. John Neumann Catholic D istrict’s cu lin a ry students earn g o ld m ed al Church hosts a gathering at 7p.m. at The Box Bar, BY TONY BRUSCATO custard with meringue and mascerated 25 minutes to cook osso bucca ” meal,” said Chef Warren Husid, pro­ S t a f f W r i t e r berries under a caramel cage) When Plymouth-Canton pulled out gram director of culinary arts at Baker where adults meet and [email protected] The meal fit for a king certainly the pressure cooker, the judges College Another judge called the use share faith and spiritual Even the judges were a bit perplexed could be done by any top restaurant in swarmed to watch of the pressure cooker “a gutsy move ” The Plymouth-Canton Educational three or four hours How could four “Since we only had two burners, we Gold medalist Kristin Bence of Can­ experiences in a relaxed, Park Culinary Arts team, competing in high school students complete all the had to decide how long each would take ton put it more directly “They ate their social setting. the first Michigan Restaurant Associa­ courses m one hour, on a two-burner so we could distribute our times words ” tion Student Culinary Competition at butane stove, with no oven, no electrici­ between burners,” said Bence “We The Plymouth-Canton students Baker College m Muskegon, chose to ty and no running water’ couldn’t use anything electrical, so I worked on the meal for nearly three show off its skills with a menu usually “They were actually laughing at us had to whip the meringue by hand ” months, perfecting their skills m INDEX found m a four-star restaurant winter because they didn’t think we could do With two minutes to spare, the meal preparation of being graded on working green salad with balsamic vinegarette, it,” said Travis Jespersen, 19, of Ply­ was complete In the end, Plymouth- together as a team, sanitation proce­ Apartments/D6 0bituanes/A7 pmenuts and parmesan crackers, hen- mouth Township Canton came home with the gold, fin­ dures, cleanup and presentation But the judges didn’t know what ishing first among 11 competing teams Lauren Svoboda, 18, of Plymouth Automotive/E8 Rea! Estate/Dl cotts verts (French green beans), saf­ fron risotta, osso bucca with gramalota Travis (and his teammates) knew “I would have been proud if my top- Classified/D,E,F Police Blotter/A7 (minced herbs), and zabigiona (Italian “Using a pressure cooker, it takes only level college students prepared that Please see MEDAL, A3 Classified lndex/D3 Service Guide/E7 Crossword/D5 S p orts/C l Jobs/E2 T a s te /B l New Homes/Dl Travel/B8 ‘Sisters’ hit pavement for cause BY BRAD KADRICH S t a f f W r i t e r bkadnch@oe homecomm.net Darleen Proodian knocks on wood whenever she thinks of it The Plymouth Township resident has never had breast cancer, and never really knew anyone with it But, ever smce she Brad Kadrich decided to get involved with the Avon 3 Day walk, she’s realized how blessed she’s been Different roads for Proodian, with more than a dozen women with whom she has formed a team they laughingly call the Blister Sis­ different reasons ters, will be among the expected 4,000 They were four words that changed my people who walk 60 miles from Ann friend Annette’s life Arbor to Detroit May 31-June 2, spend­ “Baby, I love you’” Nope ing two nights in tent cities and walking “We won the lottery’” Not that lucky 20 miles a day to raise money for breast She would even have preferred, “You cancer research need root canal ” Walkers have to raise a minimum of But that’s not what she heard And 1-800-579-SELL $1,900, with most of the money going nearly five years later, she remembers toward early detection, research and the words exactly mammograms for women not covered by “Well, it was cancer ” insurance She knew the spot was there, because “I feel blessed,” said Proodian, whose a radiologist noticed it on a mammogram training has her walking around 40 STAFF PHOTO BY BRYAN MITCHELL six months earlier That radiologist did­ miles a week right now “I don’t have it, Walk for the cure: Lora O’Branovic of Novi, Kathy Rosochacki of n’t think it was anything, and told her to don’t know anyone with it I’m doing this South Lyon, Ellen Boyd of Canton and Darleen Proodian of Ply­ wait six months After enduring half a because I can, because there but for the year of wondering and worrying, Annette mouth help form the “Blister Sisters,” who will be among 4,000 or had the second test more walkers m the Avon 3-Day Mease see SISTERS, A4 Please seeJKAD To place a classified ad: 1-800-579-SELL Newsroom: 734-459-2700 Home Delivery: 734-591-0500 A2(P) The Observer & Eccentric/ SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2 0 0 2 Glass exhibit Logan Auditorium for the Performing Arts Johnson Creek nears Native West of Plymouth sponsors, “The at Salem High School Nature of Glass,” its second-annual April Tickets are $40 for reserved seating and Glass Exhibit April 1-30 PLYMOUTH PIPELINE are available by calling the school, (734) ‘trout stream’ status Native West will feature two artists 416-7723 Credit card orders are being Michael Storey uses a combination of accepted by phone through the Plymouth bronze and blow*! glass for his creations, B y M i k e m a l o t t degradation of the stream unless The concert is also a special memorial