lomelbwn COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK Your hometown newspaper serving Westland for 35 years Thursday, May 25, 2000 hometownnewspapers.net 75C VoJut* 35 Number 103 Westland, Michigan ©2000 HomeTown Communication* Network** IN THE PAPER Sanders resigns amid charges Celestine Sanders, former Adams Middle said charges against her lack integrity. achievement test scores. TODAY Sanders, 52, declined to comment on School principal, was arraigned Wednesday on Sanders, a Wayne resident, voluntar­ charges including embezzlement from school the embezzling charges that could land ily surrendered to police Wednesday her in prison. She also chose not to morning, shortly before she wa) Model behavior: Young accounts. She has agreed to repay the district, issue a statement to her former 900 arraigned by Livonia District Judge people enjoyed a recent according to the school superintendent. students. Kathleen McCann. Sanders is charged Model Rocket Day in BY DARRKLL CLEM Superintendent Greg Baracy said "She has nothing to say to anyone at with 10 felony counts of embezzlement STAFF warm this time," Hatchett said. over $50 by a public official; two felony dclein#o«.homecomixLJiet Wednesday. Westland./A9 Even BO, defense attorney Elbert Sanders, a 30-year district employee charges of embezzlement over $1,000 Adanis Middle School Principal Hatchett portrayed Sanders as being and popular seven-year principal, is by an agent or trustee; and one misde­ Celestine Sanders, charged Wednesday innocent of 13 criminal charges stem­ accused of embezzling thousands of meanor charge of embezzlement over HOMETOWN LIFE with embezzling school money, has ming from allegations that she took dollars between Jan. 8, 1998, and early $200 by an agent or trustee. resigned her $88,G00-a-year position money from student fund-raisers and this month. She was allowed to remain free and pledged to repay $8,000, officials other internal school accounts. The allegations have shocked stu­ Wednesday on a $5,000 personal bond, Suicide: Glenda Everett said.- '.;',' Hatchett, standing beside Sanders dents, parents and educators at a but she has been ordered to return to lost her youngest son to "She has agreed to make restitution outside a courtroom Wednesday morn­ school known for innovative programs court June 13 for a preliminary hear- suicide and now she's to the school district," Wayne-Westland ing, described her as "not culpable* and and recent improvements in student Please wee MNKM.All dedicated her life to sav­ ingothers. /Bl ? Let's go shopping Talented: Carol Marvin S has her hands full as a ( ? mother, businesswoman and director of the Elec­ e- tronic Music Festivai/Bl HomeTown Communications Net­ work, the parent company of this news­ paper, announced today formation of a AT HOME new subsidiary corporation, home- towndigital.com; The new company will carry out An artistic stamp: Drive HomeTown's emerging Internet strate­ around town and you gy, which includes creating a local elec­ tronic mall on the Internet. The e-mail, may see mailboxes with to be called "hometown-mall,com," will an artistic touch decorat­ offer local merchants an easy and inex­ ing the landscape. /D6 pensive way to get into the rapidly growing Field of electronic commerce. For readers of this newspaper, the e- mall will offer a quick and convenient ENTERTAINMENT way to use the Web to shop their favorite local merchant from the com­ Summer concerts: Rock, fort and convenience of home. "An 'e-mail' works just like an ordi­ pop, country and classics nary shopping center," according to await at Meadow Brook Phil Power, chairman of HomeTown Music Festival, Pine Knob Communications Network. "But instead of being made of bricks and and other summer music mortar like an ordinary mill, it exists venues./El in cyberspace, like uniaz.on'.coni," Power explained. "Tenants in homc-town-mall.com will Festival: Carol A. Marvin, be local businesses, each having their a Livonia native and Ply­ own Web site within the e-mail. These mouth resident, talks STAif Pmm> j»t MATTHIW TAPLWGn same merchants already have stores A bargain: Marjorie Dinkins (left) buys a dog from Bob and Diane Hannenberg at the annual right around the corner from our read­ about the Detroit Elec­ Westland Garage Sale at City Hall Saturday, ul think I'll call him Buddy,* she said. For more ers. So shoppers at hometown-mall.com tronic Music Festival, can either.do their shopping from home on the city event, please see A3, - 24 hours a day, seven day* .i week - Saturday-Monday, May or run down to the local store to check 27-29, at Hart Plaza./E7 out an item they see on the Web. "What's special about this approach is that it links familiar local businesses REAL ESTATE with readers of our hometown newspa­ pers through the device of a local elec­ Teens: We need a place to go tronic mall Tf'a nrtt snm*»thinff abstract Learning to live: Hard­ and distant, the way most e-commerce working people find many BY DARRELL CLEM word of mouth. dirty warehouses surrounded by drugs feels today, or even prone to risk of ways to keep their lives STAFF WintH "We want to'get away from the drugs and bad influences." abuse or fraud," Power .said. "We'lt delam#oeJ>o»ecomin,.nel and the negative influences in the Henderson was among an estimated start with local merchants whose balanced. /Fl stores are familiar to our readers. We'll Area teens attending a Westland scene," Wesley "Wes Nesman" Hender­ 75 people who attended Monday's son, 17, said. "We see a very positive forum, sponsored at the Bailey Recre­ provide them with Web page design forum on "rave" parties - plagued by and hosting services in our e-mail. And drugs and held in abandoned ware­ culture inside this scene. We see a cul­ ation Center by a group of parents ture that has a lot of potential in the loosely organized under the name we'll connect them with our readers houses - are hopeful that the city will through regular promotions in our HomeTown Classifieds sponsor alternative dance events. aspects of dance, art and creativity. Alternative Productions. Teeas asked attending city officials trusted hometown newspapers/ Power Some teens want to remove drugs, "Every generation has a different cul­ added. WORK! occasional violence and other negative ture of dance scene," Henderson, a from Westland and Farmington Hills influences from "techno" music raves - Trenton teen, added. "We see a culture to consider sponsoring dance events as "A strong Internet presence is vital typically hidden from authorities in that's being held down because it's Detroit warehouses and advertised by being stuck in the middle of Detroit in Please TON*, A6 Please UXVTCE, All "We're very pleased with the ad we took out in the Observer & Eccentric Newspapers. Road upgrade mulled Our pontoon sold in It's a sure sign that just two days." BY TSACEY BSXENHAUKR "I would never go there," she said. summer is near. STAFF finn "I don't drive during rush hour and I The city's Bailey Cen­ certainly avoid Ford Road.". ter outdoor pool will Massive development has caused open Friday in time for —FayK mammoth traffic tie-upi on south­ Kirk Urbanowicz, manager of the Canton Bob Evans restaurant just off the Memorial Day holi­ Farmington Hills bound 1*275 onto the Ford Road exit, day, used by many Westland resident*. the exit, said business would likely improve if the traffic problem was The heated pool will be The Michigan Department of open daalv from noon to Transportation will hire a consultant fixed. "If it's done properly, it could really 3:30 p.m'and 4:30-7:30 to examine £he problems into the pri­ p.m., although hours will, mary freeway access point into Can- help," he said. "From three o'clock on. that exit is congested all the way up be extended after local too. The expert will review the area schools turn out for sum­ INDEX and interchange to devise an 275." The project consultant should be mer. improvement plan. The pool includes a Aptrtm*m*/«* Hometown "Our goal is to relieve the conges­ hired by summer. *If there's a low-cost fix with large water slide, a baby pool At Horn*/D Uft/H tion you get on the southbound ramp and specials such as for maximum usage for peak travel benefits to relieve congestion, we Automottvt/JS Joto/SI could implement it as soon a* 2001," birthday packages: $7 time," said Mark Chaput, MDOT's per person includes Clmffl»d/*,ftJ 0bltuartei/A4 Taylor Transportation Service Center Chaput said. "But I wouldn't commit Classified Optmons/JOttS to that," admission, pizza, pop, a manager, "this should be a relief for T-shirt for the birthday Indtx/W Real Eststs/Wi motorists and improve the safety on The plan is in response to driver complaints as well as correnpondence person, game* and a Crowwtxd/FI S*rvta« Gukfe/J2 275." take-home "goody bag " Improvements may include widen­ from Canton Township asking for a EMertainm«m/tl spom/ci new interchange. One-hour swimming ing the exit and/or lengthening the lessnnfl will be offered in lanes farther north. *This is nothing new," sfl»d Canton Township Supervisor Tom Yack "We two-week sessions Call Th* Wayne County Traffic and 722-7620 between 9 am Safety Department has timed traffic started talking 12 years Ago We need more exit*, but we know it's not goirifr and noon Monday lights in the area to keep traffic mov­ through Friday. ing, but MDOT recognizes that's not to happen." Another problem, Yack noted, is The pool feat u res a enough.