CANTON PUBLIruwAC UBRARV, ^ y5lV^ udwht, T* cc il N ianton (m$mre 2001 K>wr hometown newspaper serving Canton for 27 years Sunday. October 21. 2001 www.observerandeccentric.com 75c Volume 27 Number 31 Canton, Michigan ©2001 HomeTown Communications Network1^ Around the town For the Community Residents: Stop dumping on us Calendar listing upcoming events and programs in the Canton area, Canton Hills homeowners say proximity to landfill makes them second-rate please visit us on the Web at BY CAROL MARSHALL trial part of the township, that makes cussion of Sauk Hills Trails landfill's make those factors worse, they said. observefandeceentrle.com STAFF WRITER it sound like we're on the other side of [email protected] proposal to move its leachate evapora- the tracks. We didn't used to be on the tor from its current location in the cen- Dollars and scents Emily Brock is tired of always having other side of the tracks. We used to live ter of the landfill to a location 1,200 To move the evaporator further from to take it on the chin. Over the last in a nice neighborhood," she said Tues- feet from Michigan Avenue. The land- residential areas is either impossible THE WEEK decade her Canton Hills subdivision - day at a Canton Township Board of fill is across the rod from the subdivi- because of expense, the need to get a once surrounded by agricultural land - Trustees study session. "You know sion. new Michigan Department of Environ- has become neighbor to a large landfill, there are better ways of doing things Canton Hills homeowners protested mental Quality permit, and proximity two sewage pumping stations and than just taking one section (of Canton) the move, stating they already live to railroad tracks and utility ease- industrial properties. and just saying you have to eat this." with noise, odors and pollution. Moving ments, said Municipal Services Direc- AHEAD "When you say we're in a core indus- On the session's agenda was a dis- the evaporator has the potential to Please see LANDFILL, A4 MONDAY BPW reception: Canton Officials: Business and Profession- al Women will hold a get- acquainted reception 6:30 sewer p.m. at Damon's Restau- rant, 43750 Ford. Hors d'oeuvres and soft drinks project is will he served and a cash bar will be available. There will be a 50-50 raf- cost-saver fle for cash and prizes to support the BPW scholar- • WTUA BOND RATING ship fund. BY CAROL MARSHALL STAFF WRITER THSIDAY [email protected] Canton Township will realize a sub- Hay-Day: An evening of stantial savings when it begins paying story telling by the camp for its share of the Ypsilanti Communi- fire, hay rides, games and ty Utilities Authority sewer expansion project. refreshments will high- The savings come from an improved light the Leisure Services Western Township Utilities Authority Department's first Har- bond rating, which upgraded from a BB+ to a AAA-. vest Hay-Day. The event Western Authority received the new STAFF PHOTO BY PAUL HUBSCHMANN runs 6:30-9p.m. at the rating from Standard and Poors late On duty: Line cook Robert Smith smiles with his nominator, Sherry Sexton, at the Bob Evans Travis House, 500 N. last year. restaurant on Ford Road in Canton recently. Last month, WTUA sold Us original Ridge. Tickets are $5 and bonds which were issued in 1989, and can be purchased in re-issued in 1991. When the four bids came during the last three minutes advance at the Summit. before the bid deadline, WTUA had Kitchen wizard reason to celebrate. "We saved a ton of money, about $17 million over the life of the bonds," said WTUA spokesman Tim Faas. "We were Customers, co-workers say Mystery dinner: "Murder ecstatic with the new ratings, and these kinds of savings." in the Magnolias" opens Earlier this month, WTUA received Robert Smith is really cookin' its "limited," two-night even more good news about the expan- sion project, when value engineering BY CAROL MARSHALL prised his coworker, meal of the day, and if I can make run at the Canton Public EVERYDAY consultants uncovered a potential $4 STAFF WRITER waitress Sherryl [email protected] someone happy by serving them a Library. Performances are million in savings in the $124 million Sexton, had nomi- good breakfast, it can change their 7p.m. Friday and Satur- project. WTUA and YCUA opted to By 9:30 a.m., Robert Smith had nated her favorite whole day," he said. adopt some of the consultant's recom- already put in half his day's work. line cook to be a He didn't always enjoy cooking as day. Tickets are $35 mendations, which will save $2 mil- Dusting batter from his apron, he Canton Observer much as he does today, he said. He including dinner and lion. looked around the Bob Evans' dining Everyday Hero. started cooking three years into his show. For information The $17 million in bond savings will room and checked to be sure every "I'ye always 15 year U.S. Navy career. come in handy when WTUA, which customer looked happy before he sat enjoyed being "Someone asked if I'd like to do call Marcia Barker at the includes Canton, Plymouth and down. around people and that, and I said I'd try. It wasn't library, (734) 397-0999. Northville townships, begins in 2003 to "I just like taking care of the cus- it makes me happy. I believe in pay $90 million toward the YCUA tomers," he said, still a little sur- breakfast being the most important Please see HERO, A6 Please see SEWER PROJECT, A4 INDEX Apartments/E8 Malls/C6 Arts/CI Movies/C4 Fatal fall Automotive/G7 New Homes/El New site gives Web 'HomeTown' feel Classified/E,G,H 0bituaries/A7 Classified Real Estate/El Welcome to the Canton Observer's results in index/Gl Service Guide/G6 new Web site, HomeTownLife.com. Crossword Sports/Bl The site, launched last week, is a Puzzle/E5 Taste/Dl "complete local information system Jobs/Gl Travel/C8 that will eventually link news and MIOSHA classified advertising from all our group of hometown newspapers, business listings and advertising from our telephone directories and fine our Internet access service," said Phil Power, chairman of HomeTown Communications Network, Inc., the BY TONY BRUSCATO company that owns the Canton STAFF WRITER Observer. [email protected] Canton residents can view up-to- O'sJ- A Green Oak Township steel compa- date news content from the Canton '•<p ny has been fined $154,000 as the Observer and eventually all 44 news- result of a deadly accident last May at papers in the HomeTown Communi- the Plymouth High School construction cations Network; classified ads from site, in which one man died and anoth- the Observer & Eccentric, Mirror er was seriously injured. Newspapers and Green Sheet; and The Construction Safety Division of business listings from the new edi- STAFF PHOTO BY PAUL HURSCHMANN the Michigan Occupational Safety and tion of Canton, Plymouth, Novi and First look: Canton resident Dan Burt viaits the new Home- Health Administration has issued Northville's Own (telephone) Direc- TownLife.com web page at the Canton Public Library Wednes- three citations for five alleged safety tory. Residents can also connect to day. violations to McGuire Steel Erection, the Internet through HTDconnect, Inc. for the incident on the unfinished the competitively priced, local Inter- HomeTownLife .com. Canton, Plymouth, Northville, Novi roof May 31. A bundle of steel angle net Service Provider linked to the • Review classified ads from the telephone directory? Go to Home- iron weighing more than 2,700 pounds site. Canton Observer? Go to observeran- TownLife. com. was being loaded on the roof deck Here are some frequently asked deccentric.com. To search classifieds • Inquire about HTDconnect, the when a joist failed. The two men fell questions - and their answers - for from all Michigan newspapers in the new Internet Service Provider ser- 31 feet to the ground below, with one getting around HomeTownLife.com. HomeTown newspaper family? Go to vice? Call (734) 266-2500. of them hit by structural steel as he How do I: HomeTownLife.com. • Ask about Internet marketing lay on the ground. • Log on to see news content from • Place a classified ad in the and advertising opportunities offered Jeff Copeland, 35, of Sterling the Canton Observer? Go to Observer? Call 1-800-579-SELL. through HomeTown Digital? Call Heights, died four days after the acci- observerandeccentric.com - or to go • Scan the business listings Sam Gerardi at (734) 266-2500. the combined site, database from the recently published 6 53174 10009 2 Please see FINE, A4 To place a classified ad: 734-591-0900 Newsroom: 734-459-2700 Home Delivery 734-591-0500 —f « ^ <* 4; 2A(C) The Observer & Eccentric! SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2001 Graffiti incident results Graduation day for SWAT in principal's reprimand BY TONY BRUSCATO mg." STAFF WRITER • Her decision to have One school official confirmed it [email protected] students write the four- was a four-letter word beginning Plymouth-Canton Schools letter word - in an with an "f." administrators said Smith Ele- attempt to find the cul- The offender was eventually mentary Principal Peggy Brooks identified; however, some par- has been reprimanded for order- prit-drew criticism ents complained to Brooks con- ing fifth-grade boys to write an from parents. cerning her actions to find the inappropriate word in order to culprit. Brooks, according to the find the person who wrote graffi- report, apologized in a meeting with parents and students.