r^^w High hupcS for bone rrjsrrow transplant between sisters. D4 lloniclowiv COMM^NUJAtlONN .Nlj'/l WOltK Putting you in touch Sunday with your world September 26,1999 Serving the Westland Community ^SSyep^s *>. VOLUME 35 NUMBER 33 WESTWND, MICHIGAN • 68 HAGES rhttp://obs$rver-ocqentrlc,coin SEVCNTYr-flVE CSHtJS C 1&99 HomeTown t'<?rhmunlcatldni Network, Inc. Friday night blaze destroys s BY DAKRELL CLKM SrAFK.W'KITEK, Wesllanct.firer officials are investi­ gating the cause of a Friday evening blaze that destroyed two Heather Ridge condominiums, damaged two others and injured two firefighter's. Flames erupted inside an unoccu­ pied residence but caught the atten­ tion of neighbors who heard "loud pop­ ping sounds" inside the building on the east side of Newburgh Road, BY DAKRELL CLEM between Warren and Joy, Fire Chief STAFF WRITER . Mark Neal said. dclcm©oe.homecomm.net While fighting the 8:30 p,m. blaze, Westlalid District Court security offi­ firefighter Tim Marshall suffered cers have confiscated knives, razor . burns when hot embers fell on his blades, corkscrews and syringes - but back and his neck, and Capt. Avis no. guns - since metal detec­ Dorsey received leg burns after falling tors were installed a month drywall knocked him onto a couch, ago to improve safety, > Neal said. COUM SJttMU Court visitors likely left But their injuries weren't severe other objects in their Vehi­ enough to keep them from battling cles after seeing entry sign's warning the fire, Neal said. "They just kept them of the new security measures, watering down their burns." officials say. No Heather Ridge residents suf­ No arrests have been made - and fered any injuries, he said. 'thrt's not the new policy's intent, court Neal described two condos as a administrator David Wiacek said. "total loss" and said two others were STAFF PHOTO BY BRYAN MITCHILL "We're not looking to arrest people. damaged by water. He didn't immedi­ We're looking to increase the safety ately have an estimate of damages. Leadership: Larry R. Galbraith, executive director of student services for Wayne-Westlan'd and security of everybody who walks The fire chief commended his fire­ .schools, leads the district's educational technology efforts, through those doors.'" he said. fighters for quickly dousing the worst, Still, visitors posing a threat could of the'flames. face arrest. "They knocked it down fairly quick­ Judges and court employees long sus­ ly, I'd say within a half-hour,!' he said, pected that some visitors had been tot­ although it took firefighters longer to ing weapons, but the screening system extinguish some remaining hot areas. School district*s tech implemented Aug. 30 proved it. "They saved another eight units'- Items confiscated include 33 knives. from damages in what. Neal described as a 12-unit building. "They did a real ~"" Please see SECURITY, A-l nice job."' Early Saturday iriornirig. an insur­ upgrades on schedule ance reconstruction company was on , the scene securing the building. BY DOUG JOHNSON ing laws in alt uses of software, Galbraith s*aid. Westland's The building was one of the units.- i STAFF WAITER- ; . • , *'/• The media center labs at both high schools (John nearest Newburgh Road. A witness;', -•' The distribution of instructional technology equip- .Glenn and Wayne Memorial) received 16 new computers Jerry Sindici°of Livonia, lives nearby last winter. (Joy-IIix area) and said the fire .ment bought by. the $108 million band issue continues court one this Tallin theWayne-Westland schools. : " The high school administrative computers and these . burned very' brightly for the first 30 iised by the counselors for scheduling were upgraded minutes. Ijooyer, Jefferson-Barns, Kettering;, Liitcoln.Hoo- sevelt-McGVath^ Schweitzer and Walker-Winter are last winter. A.high-speed connection to the county of busiest scheduled to get.Dell computers, printers and TV moni­ (RESAJ nininfrairie computers was completed to "more efficiently schedule students and tors as the schools finish their-rumod-• '. .. BY DARRELL CLKM eling projects during the next few maintain student records," Galbraith .STAFF WHITER .-•<'•'. [.weeks.''.'.. • Hoover, Jefferson- said. ' dc!cm©oe:homeconiin.net ' " ' Just being completed were labs at Last year.all K-12 schools-received A new security System has. revealed Barns, Kettering, Lin­ the two high schools where the com­ Job Fair: More than 100^ 'some coijvputers tb begin the tra'iiimg just how busy Westland.- 18th District coln, Roosevelt-McGrath, puter studies classes are taught, The process forstudents and staff, accord­ Court is.-bolstering the need for the companies will recruit •'••••• half-year (0.5 credit) class is required ing to Larry Galbj\aith, executive Schweitzer and Walker- planned $2.7 millibnexpa.rision. employees atthe Fall Job for graduation, ,, '' director of student services for the A new \yalk-through niet'al Winter are scheduled to Computers are" not new to Wayne-. Fair sponsored by The .district, • . ' •:- r , • APtert -}j\j4,Jjjsjt ailed Aug. 'jQ_ Wesiland schools. Students, hav^"" Galbrhitlv is spearheading the. dis- ijet Dell computers, to improve security --.count- Observer & Eccentric been, working on a variety of. COURT 3, tric.ttstechnology efforts. • / -•' .. printers and TV monitors • exl X.1.042 visitOFS. inthe first. Newspapers arid the r" Installeds.oftwai-e included Claris- machines that were-.installed in the teswt i9aos;., / •; -, .>. •.• ••'• :l.$days'. *' • '••.*•..'.'• HomeTown Newspapers. Works {nosy called AppleWorks); amd as the schools finish "We were probably one of the first Local judges GailMcKnight and C. The job; fair ivill take ' i^n.some cases Qffic.e 97 or 98, -A remodeling projects, Charles.Bokos..have/long touted their hypertext multi-media software districts with computer labs in the -.'.' ', '•:, • . • ..- - - state, if not the country.'.G'albi-aith courtrooms as among: the county's- busi­ place front 11 a.m. to 7 -called HyperStudio was placed, on the est, and. most overcrowdeel, but the ,''-:'. -'• . • - •'. •• said. ; p.mViih the Laurel.Manor , computers as well-as-Kid Pix for the : . number* surprised even them. eleriientary'schools'. High, schools/will be "using Tnspira- V The two high sohoials made individual, arrangements', ;/>We are, on :t pvc-jirdge; basis.' I BanquMahd Videciflonh for^ their computer studies labs. At Wayne 32 computers -iion,:"ajiiind-niappir^[ software, used to develop, critical think, the busiest court.;.r..pe,r.i-pd," McK- ference Center at 39Q00 . thinking skills. /•'.',...••.'\ ~..'..•-•'.'. ./ v ; ^ '- an A-two high speed printers will be used. At 'Glenn' three night said. • . '.', " labsof 16with a printer each/will be utilized. A;cbn sultan t:h as been..contraci^d -^Ka^ren Bunting - ': Sfc'curity- nffic.e'i's'eoncede that people Schoolcraft Road (dm- . Eventually.all high school -arid, middle school comput­ -who i's"Vetireicl fro'iii .tHe-Wayne Cbimty Regional Educa-": s who.leave the^bUilding and ret urn have ers will allow access to' the Ihternqt' and will be net­ quarter mile west of New­ tionaj" Sen-ice/Agency {RESA). "We've stayed away from been counted more than once during worked in a WAN (wide-area network). •'.. burgh Road), Livonia. , . '.buying curriculum sofhvare; We are looking at that now the sariie day.. •,'•'; : . it.instructional leaders a;nd teachers," Galhraith said. '"/ : •"• -:' "' :-' • "" • '/ . •'-: '•'•-.- ; - ••- ^ V-'- • ./"'•• -" . lint .court administrator David There will be strict adherence to ..copyright.arid licensr PJease see SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY, A2 Please see EXPANSION, A4 |HMHMBj JNHHIHMMHi mm \-» :; • Arts '.';'• ci • Classified Index / "•;.-• E3 Aufos .-., •'.:'•••• HT Homo & Service ' ;: HG iversto Jobs ; - Gl Rentals rv •..;•: :: m BY DAltRELL CLEM • Witnesses told police (lie suspect .1.. homebaliiid • Crossword . \ .; M STAFF WRITKR Was a black male believed to be in.'-, [email protected] his 20s. His height was described'^ lif Health •'";.,..:•'•;...." ;»1 - A lone bajidit escaped after rob-'- 5-foot-8tn.5rfrtnt'-10. ' ' ,.'•''• j^The: William ^.Foust Public M Movies C4 ; biiig a Westland bank Wednesday The suspect had a meclium builtl Library, in Westland has fegret- afternoon, a police official said. • .• • ^nnd long hair pulled back into a tably aimounced the suspension • Obituaries 1. • ••••'••,•:.;*«•• The -.'man took an undisclosed ponytail, according to witnesses, lie of the homebopud program. • Heai.Estafe •;•'••'.- • '-:151- amouhtof cash'from a teller then wore silver-framed sunglasses; a .The library hopes,-to Vest art" • Sports . ',••:••• in .-'-fled the Comcrica-branch on Wayne bJiieMichigan ca|), blue jeans and a the. .service with a few good vol­ blue flannel or denim jacket, they unteers: « Taste j; • •!;••_ Head south of Cherry 11 ill, Lt« Mmc : in- v ; Stobbesaid, •-.••.'.•..' - • ., • reported, ; Tlie \Ve.sUnivd\librai-y had beeiv ': ';••'• C8 » Travel ;•;';;,;•'", The incident happened ' The 'Vri'an also was delivering boeksUo a liandful ,of /1/^-1/¾¾¾ i. •',.' at 4:K) p.nv./just 15 described ;Ys clean•. Iwinchrmnd residXnts/ The city's minutes before\lw> end shaven with a mcriiunV . Senior liesoyrco Center had ini­ '! ^.1.^1^/¾/J|,J4^.-\ i of the business day/No [..SiJ'-::" couiplexion, Stobhe tially sugge.sted.theNidea in 1090 'Ch«try':HiH said, and hod/ p»'ovided • vhTr-deVivery_ HOW TO REACH US ., .one was injured, f '.;.'•••' ' ~ - 'The bandit didn't, indi- "•Fi "We've got «'•'pretty part.of the sen:ice. • •.' > " Pobbery at L. ''• -': good description,"'. he