~1- -I X F0 6 B.B 8 "' . EMTERTAininilEnm B6-7 HALLOWEEN LEAN & MEAN TREATS r/AYNE-WESTLAND spcmr5,B i A SAWNiTT CQMWNV TERMINATOR Lutheran High j^ t Westland grad leads ^ 24-0 Crusaders i THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2013 • hometownlife.com Auditors highlight W-W’s challenges By Sue Mason . comparison to the $21 million last two years, you’ve been cut lion from the state, just $92,900 Droyer said. “It’s another fac­ staff Writer the district had saved for a 12 percent.” from the federal government, tor that is out of the control of rainy day in 2004. Wayne-Westland received and took in another $12.9 mil­ the district.” Wa3me-Westland Communi­ “The issues facing the dis­ an unqualified, or clean, audit, lion in other state and local Likewise, the state’s budget ty Schools continues to see a trict are its dependency on the the highest level of assurance revenue. year, which starts Octll, means decline in its fund equity as it state economy, retirement and from the auditors. The largest portion of its the district receives 18 percent struggles to remain in the health care costs, elongated expenditures was for salaries of its school aid after the end of black financially. state aid payments and student Revenue sources and fringe benefits which ac­ the fiscal year on Junq 30. According |o the district enrollment,” auditor Jeffrey Based on the audit report, counted for 89 percent of its Like most district, ^ayne- auditor, Plante Moran, it fin­ Higgins said. “Eighty-six per­ the district used $6.6 million of spending. Westland has faced the chal­ ished the 2012-2013 budget year cent of your revenue is from its fund balance to cover ex -' “In 2004, the district paid 13 lenge of declining enrollment with a modest amount of mon­ foundation allowances. That penditures of $105.3 million percent (of payroll) to retire­ and has worked to attijact stu- ey ^ $5.1 m illion— in fund funding is controlled by the after receiving $98.4 million in ment, in 2013, it’s now roughly equity. The figure pales in whims of the Lansing. In the revenue. It received $85.4 mil­ 25 percent,” quditor Nathan See AUDIT, Page A2 HalloWAYNE putting out sweets on Saturday By Sue MasojL Staff W riter ' I Ghouls, ghosts an(| goblins, as well as an assortment of super heroes and priiicesses will descend on W aype for two hours of Halloween trick-or- treating. Destination Waynq and the Wa3me Cham ber of Com m erce will host the third annual Hal­ loWAYNE from 5-7 p[m. Sat­ urday, Oct. 26, along west­ bound Michigan Avenue in the city’s downtown area. “I ’m excited about the event and a bit nervous, top,” said organizer Chris Sandjers who is Junior Girls President Ariel Fretter of Livonia, Senior Vice-President, Rachel Napier ot Waterford and Treasurer Mackenzie Compton of expecting to bring a record Uvonia package a variety of^rassword puzzles, soaps, shampoos and hard candies fn the care packages. PHOtos b y to m b ea u d o in number people to downtown Wayne for the event.!“We need a win fo r the city and Hallo­ WAYNE fits perfectly.” Junior Girls pack it up for troops For a charge of ju st $1, trick-or-treaters will have the opportunity to collect goodies By Sue Mason at 87 stations along M chigan staff Writer Avenue from Seconp S treet to The holidays will look a See EVEOT, Page A2 little bit b rig h ter fo r U.S. Droops, thanks to care pack­ ages from the Junior Girls of the Bova VFW Post 9885 in School bpard W estland. The girls, ages 6-13, spent several hours last week president packing 17 boxes th at will be shipped to soldiers whose demanjds names and addresses were provided by friends and family members. The girls apology do a shipment each year as part of the support of the By Karen Sm ith military requirement of the staff W riter: Junior G irls program . “They send boxes to any­ Livonia school bo^d Presi­ one who has an APO or FPO dent Mark Johnson psked Drus- address, anyone who can’t be tee Eileen McDonneU at Mon­ home for Christmas,” said day’s school board meeting to JUl Mikolajczyk, the unit apologize for accusing an un­ leader and a treasurer of the identified employee! of improp­ Ladies A u x ili^ which spon­ erly h^dlihg a sors Junior Girls. “They mail bid, according to them now so they get them Jotmspn, but in time for Christmas.” McDoimell re­ The girls m ade up fliers fused to. that were put up at posts in “N ot at this the district and on the Dis­ time,” she said, trict 4 website, as well as telling Johnson soliciting items through Johnson he needed to their schools. The girls were review[ the video “highly motivated” to collect of the board’s Oct. 7 meeting the item s and to get cards when the alleged accusation and letters to put in the box­ took place. es, especisdly the latter. If Asked by Johnson if she they didn’t get the cards and intended to apologize in the letters, they had to do 100 future, McDonnell ^aid, “I’m push-ups, M ikolajczyk said. not sure. At this point. I’m going to say no.” Filled w ith goodies “I think it’s reprehensible, The boxes w ere filled M rs. M cDonnell,” Johnson with toiletries like tooth­ said. paste, toothbrushes, tissues, L ater in the m e e ^ g , Dnis- sunscreen and hand sanitiz­ tee Julie Robinson jW ped to er. T here also w ere snacks, McDonnell’s defense, saying it and books filled with word was inappropriate rpr Johnson searches and crossw ord to ask McDonnell t6 apologize puzzles. dining a public meeting. “I felt Junior Girls m em ber like you w ere a tta c to g her,” Ariel Fretter of Livonia she said, adding it m ade her Isabella Schrock of Plymouth loads shampoo into to the boxes for troops serving our country. upset and angry. “My feeling See BOXES, Page A2 See APOLOGY, Page A2 ♦ O bserver & E ccentric © The Observer & Eccentric INDEX homotownllfe.com MEDIA Volume 49 •Number 45 B u sin ess....................... ...A 8 H o m es................. R tn S e rv ic e s........ ........... BIO A GANNETT COMPANY Crossword Puzzle.....B 1 1 In h s ..................... B in Sports............. R1 53174 “ 10007 "8 Entertainment....... ...B 6 O b itu a rie s ......... ........... B5 W h e e ls.......... R11 PRICE: $1 Home Delivery; (866) 887-2737 | Return A d d r^ ; 29725 Hudson Dr., Novi Ml 483T7 F o o d ............................. ...B 8 O pinion.............. ..... ...A 1 0 f A2 (W) 0 & E Media | Thursday, October 24, 2013 ^LOCAL NEWS hometownlife.com fewer students, Ttoyer other districts get more the Michigan and our credit to our people in health care to save the AUDIT said. in per pupil money from fimding is in the lowest finance.” district som e $14 m illion. the state, the auditors 25 percent,” Trustee Going forw ard, the “The employees Continued from Page A1 By the calendar explained that Proposal C h ile s “Tl-av” G riffin auditors are projecting stepped up and took the The fund balance A in 1994 was meant to said. “We’re getting the district finish the bullet so w e could stay in dents through pro^am s represents 4.92 percent “alleviate the funding ripped off. In spite of current budget year with the economic position like schools of choice at of expenditures and is equity.” Residents now losing $12 million over a fund balance of $2.3 we’re in,” school board all grade levels and a the equivalent of oper­ pay 6 mills in state edu­ the last several years, million. Staying in the President Carol Middel talented and gifted pro­ ating the d istrict 17 cal­ cation tax as opposed to w e’re not in deficit; we black is due in big p a rt to said. gram. The growth in endar days or eight the locally levied millage don’t have an em ergency the district’s employees charter schools also has school calendar days, p rio r to Proposal A. m anager. We’re doing a that took pay cuts, pay smason&hometownlife.com been a challenge forcing Ihiyer added. “We are one of the pretty good job with freezes and increased 313-222-6751 districts to compete for lil^en questioned why largest school districts in what we have and that’s a contributions for thhir Tw itter @SusanMarieMason the event,” he said. “I’d EVENT like to brin g in a pro­ fessional pum pkin Continued from Page A1 sculptor to the event. I believe if we get the Elizabeth Street. More right players involved than 100 businesses we can turn the pump­ along th e th oroughfare kin carving event into and businesses outside som ething like the the area like American Plymouth ice festival. Jetw ay, Ja c k D em m er It won't be overnight.” F ord and M ark Chev­ ro let w ill have stations Hopes for a crowd to distribute treats. Destination Wayne has promoted the event Plenty of sw eets through mailers sent to Phoenix Theaters, every home in the city which is a primary and with fliers distrib­ Christmas cards were made by students at Farmington 5/6 Campus in Garden City, Johnson Upper Eiementary in Livonia sponsor along w ith uted at W ayne-W est- and Guardian Martial Arts and Fitness in Garden City, p h o t o s b y t o m b e a u d o i n March Chevrolet and land and Garden City the Wayne exchange, is schools.