More than the common cold, B6 kxiielbwn r.oMHysirtArinwit wurmnHft" Putting you In touch Sunday with your world February 14,1999 Serving the Westland Community for 34 years o VouiML 34 NUMBER 73 •WESTLAND. MICHIGAN • 74 PAGES • http://observor-occontric.com SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS C lMt Hon»«Towa Conn unlcat Ion* Network, Ins. THE WEEK Demand for ice time heats up The overwhelming demand for ice time at ation programs found the 25*year-old ation center that some city officials AHEAD Westland Sports Arena has created long wait­ arena to be in mostly good condition, envision. ing lists for some sports and has kept other despite some water seepage from out­ Ice arena officials also say that two side. surfaces should be in one spot to Goin' to the chapel: Local programs off the ice. Some officials see a need Still, city officials face some critical accommodate tournaments and special people explain why they're for a second ice surface. decisions to address increasing events, and they concede that a new happily married on Page BY DAKRELL CLEM casualties of a booked-up facility, West- demands for ice rental time. dual-rink facility would likely be cost- STAFF WRITER land Sports Arena officials say. Adding a second ice surface to West- prohibitive. A3 and in the bridal sec­ [email protected] land Sports Arena, at Wildwood and "It's a huge problem," facility manag­ Some questions A staggering demand to rent time on er Matthew Gorman said. Hunter, could cost $2 million to $6 mil­ tion inside this issue of But some city officials also question Westland's only indoor ice surface has New groups seeking to rent the sur­ lion depending on the scope of the pro­ the Observer. The bridal adding a second ice surface to the exist­ left hundreds of hockey and figure- face have to be night owls. The only ject, Mark Ward, superintendent of ing arena at Jaycee Park. section also includes sto­ skating enthusiasts on the sidelines, time slots available are midnight to 6 operations, said. "I would be concerned about taking officials say. a.m. However, overhead costs wouldn't ries on women who have away additional space from the park, Some ice programs have long waiting Arena officials say the ice surface is escalate as dramatically as if the city especially the wooded area and the ball been bridesmaids five lists while others remain shelved - among the area's best. An outside firm sought to build a second ice surface times or more, on making that recently studied Westland recre­ elsewhere - potentially in a new recre­ ~~~~~~ Please see ICE, A4 your own bouquet and on two sisters and their two cousins who got married 81 ticketed Let me call you sweetheart within two years of each other. in sex club MONDAY Presidents' Pay: City go to court offices and 18th District BY DARRELL CLEM Court will be closed Mon­ STAFF WRITER day. The Bailey Center, [email protected] Scores of people ticketed at an illegal ice arena and library will Westland sex club saw each other be open. Trash pickup again Friday - this time in court. will be on schedule. Married couples, dating pairs and singles, alike, appeared in Westland 18th District Court to answer to misde­ Coffee hour: U.S. Rep. meanor charges stemming from a Dec. Lynn Rivers has sched­ 20 raid. In most cases, they learned that the uled a coffee hour in price of their alleged crimes amounted Westland 8:30-10 a.m. to probation and fines. Monday at Bakers Square In all, 81 cases surfaced in court Fri­ day, nearly two months after Westland Restaurant, 36101 War­ police rounded up club-goers during a ren Road. All constituents 12:30 a.m. raid. of the 13th Congressional Police said some people patronizing "Peaches 'n' Cream," 230 S. Venoy, District are encouraged to were engaging in dance floor sex acts drop by, have a cup of cof­ while others watched. Authorities said defendants paid fee and discuss their con­ money to go to the club, where liquor cerns. For more informa­ also was allegedly sold without a tion, call Rivers' district license. Four people didn't show up Friday office at (734) 485-3741. for their arraignments and pretrials, prompting warrants for their arrest, GOP party: The Western court administrator David Wiacek said. More serious felony charges still are Wayne County Republi­ pending against club operators as • , swFwmwBYTpMHminr can Club (formerly the Wayne County prosecutors continue to : Westland Republican sift through lengthy documents about Quite a couvfa'. Above, Married the sex club, advertised on the Inter­ SSyearSyVUtoriaajid Joseph Club) will hold a Presi­ net. Fink were honored to become dents' Day party at 7 p. m. * The defendants - some of whom were caught partially unclothed during the this year's king ami queen of Monday at Amantea's, raid - appeared in full clothing Friday hearts at the,senior Friendship Warren near Venoy. to answer to charges such as loitering '. Center in Westland. The Finks in a place of lewd behavior and engag­ have two children; five grand­ ing in indecent or obscene conduct. children and three great­ TUESDAY Of the 81 cases in court Friday: grandchildren. Some 325 peo­ • Thirty-six people pleaded no con­ : test to charges, meaning they didn't QtiiMin' -ibr.a' "ypirfh.-^i^cto^\o/\.-. ple attended the Valentine Council meets: Westland have to publicly admit wrongdoing the Friendship fynier Sylvia party at the center, withenter- City Council meets at 7 even though their pleas are treated as Kozorosky-Wiacek (left) tainment by the center's choir p.m. Tuesday in council such. asked Heten Kenriedy, last and Phil Gram trio. At left, • Fourteen pleaded guilty. Margaret Luchewski (center) chambers, second floor; of • Six entered not-guilty pleas and year'squee% whatiuasihe asked for jury trials. mbstexcUihgpaHoffeing anddthermenxbersofthe Westland City Hall, Ford Friendship Center choir enter­ Road, west of Wayne • Six pleaded not-guilty and asked the queen this pajstyean She' \ for a judge to decide their fate. answered participating in tain a large crowd at the Road in Westland. • Nineteen people pleaded not- the parade. Valentine's party at the center. Please sec CLUB, A6 INDEX I Obituaries A4 Judge rules man should be tried in boy's death Classified Index E5 Real Estate El BY DARRELL CLEM floor-on Dee 2 at Hines Park Apart­ Cobb showed no emotion as Bokos Crossword E8 STAFF WRITER ments, near Warren and Cowan The ordered him to stand trial in Wayne [email protected] child died five days later. County Circuit Court for felony mur­ Jobs HI A Westland judge ruled Thursday But Bokos pointed to testimony from der, which involves first-degree child Home & Service J5 that Rayshawn Otis Cobb should stand a medical examiner who said the force abuse In the meantime, he will remain Automotive J7 trial for the murder of his girlfriend's of the blow knocked Darius across a jailed due to the judge's decision to room and,slammed him into an object - deny bond, Taste j Bl 3-year-old boy District Judge C Charles Bokos ripping his skull and causing fatal Cobb could face a maximum sentence Health & Fitness B6 decided that Cobb a 6-foot-1, 275- head injuries. The hoy also had bruises of life in prison of convicted Arts A Leisure CI pound man acted with malice when on his chest In court Thursday, Bokos said the boy's injuries were too severe to have Sports & Recreation Dl he hit toddler Darius Doshawn Bokos announced his ruling Thurs­ Conaway with his fist. day, three weeks after testimony con­ occurred during a fall inside the apart­ A defense attorney argued that Cobb cluded in Cobb's preliminary hearing. ment John Scott Somerset, assistant didn't mean to hurt the boy when he The judge had delayed his decision to Wnyije County medical examiner, has HOW TO REACH US STAFF l*Horo BY TOM IUVIJEY hit him for urinating on a living room review legal briefs submitted by attor­ Rayshawn Otl« Cobb neys. Plcnse see BOY, A2 Newsroom: 734-963-2104 Newsroom Fax: 734-591-7279 E-mail: bjachmanOoehomecomm.ne; t Grant to speed up computer network at library Nightiine/Sports, 734-9532104 Reader Comment Line.734-953-204 2 BY LKANNE ROGERS son, director of Westland's William P. Faust Public with a grant " Classified Advertising.734-591-090 0 STAFF WRITER Library. "Things get bogged down at the relay in Users of the Library Network computer system IrogcrsGoo. homocomm.net Display Advertising:734-591-230 0 Southfield. There is more information on the lines should be able to look up books or get information Users of computers n< area libraries should be see­ than thoy can handle." much quicker thanks to the unproved technology. Home Delivery. 734-591-0500 ing an improvement in those services thanks to n The 5G individual participating libraries won't he said Klmouchi. grant received by the Library Network getting new equipment at their sites with the physi- The Democratic state representative on the Lihrarv The $148,000 grant under the federal Library Ser­ cal changes being made at the Library Network of Michigan hoard. Hep Thomas Kelly. D Wavne vices and Technology Act will be used to study nnd "There have been all kinds of advancements nnd was pleased that the libraries were awarded tin implement improvements to the Library Network upgrades." said (iarden City Library Director Joan grant telecommunications'net work. Klmouchi "The Library Network had a consultant "As a former librarian.