Town hall Plymoirth-Canton Community Schools CANTON A GANNETT COMPANY officials will present th e district's Education and Racial Equity policy at a town hall m eet­ ing 7 p.m. W ednesday, May 15, in the large board meeting room at Canton Township Hall, UBSERVER 1150 S. Canton Center PRICE: $1 • SUNDAY, MAY 5, 201 3 • h o m eto w n life.c o m in Canton. The meeting, spon­ sored by th e Plymouth- Canton Citizens for Diversity and Inclusion, will explain how the policy was written, how it will affect the Canton adds to Liberty Fest community and w hat students and parents can expect to see as the them log rolling, Racing H ot Showcar, a 30-foot by 60-foot policy is im plem ented. Saws, Spring B oard Tree Top­ display th a t includes a sim u­ A question-and-answer ping and others. la to r th a t will be open to rac ­ session will follow th e One old “friend” makes a tri­ After attending a Michigan e rs of all ages. Nationw ide has discussion. um phant re tu rn and anoth­ F estival E vents Association three — the Chevy Camaro, Anyone w anting to e r event joins fo r th e first the meeting recently, Canton offi­ th e Toyota Cam ry and th e Ford find th e policy (Policy first tim e w hen Canton Lei­ cials decided to brin g it back. M ustang — although no one is No. 2660.03) can visit sure Services prese n ts the “We’d been kicking the idea sure w hich one is in Canton. th e district's website at 22nd annual L iberty F est next around th e last th ree or four www.pccs.kl2.mi.us. m onth. years,” said Jon LaFever, Can­ D riv e it For m ore informa­ F or the f irst tim e in som e 10 ton’s recreation and facilities N ationw ide had trie d to get tion, e-mail plycandci® years, the annual festival — set supervisor. “It’s interactive, the display fo r last y e ar’s Lib­ gmail.com. fo r Ju n e 13-15 in H eritage Park and it’s exciting. We decided it e rty F est bu t couldn’t w ork out The NASCAR racing trailer, which in­ — will fea tu re the All-Ameri­ w as tim e.” the details. cludes an interactive simulator, makes can L um berjack show, 30-min­ The festival’s new est entrant its first appearance next month at the ute events th a t include am ong is the N ationw ide NASCAR Please see LIBERTY. A2 Canton Liberty Festival. District waits as Sen. Patrick Colbeck on the Senate floor with Anna Dai of Canton. bond vote looms Senate tribute Sen. Patrick Colbeck aw arded a special Senate Tribute during Once an inform ational flie r w ent hom e w ith stu­ session Tuesday to a dents Friday, it w as all ov e r bu t the w aiting for Canton woman who Plym outh-Canton Com m unity Schools officials hop­ received th e Distin­ ing th e y did enough to convince v o te rs to pass a guished Young W oman $114.4 million bond Thesday. of Michigan award. A dm inistrators and B oard of Education m em ­ Anna Dai was b e rs have been w orking since late February, when aw arded $3,550 in cash th e board passed bond language and approved scholarships during th e M ay 7 election date, to talk to a s m any people th e statew ide scholar­ throughout th e distric t as they could rea ch to pro­ ship program for high vide details o f how passage o f th e bond will affect school girls held at the district. Saline High School in “We certainly have m ade a valiant e ffo rt at ge t­ January. Debbie Bilbrey-Honsowetz. Canton Township’s director of Leisure Services, takes aim with ting the w ord out, w ith signs and fliers, conversa­ Dai is th e daughter paint-filled squirt guns while helping to create a "masterpiece" a t a meet-and-greet for tions, emails,” said board President John Barrett. of Zao Chen and Yang Canton's Acts of Culture Week Thursday a t D&M Art Studio in Canton. “We a re hopeful, obviously, because this is much- Dai and is a senior at needed to keep th e distric t com petitive in th e 21st Plymouth High School. century.” In slightly m ore than tw o m onths since the bond language w as OK’d, officials estim ate they’ve made Concert closes culture week their bond presentation some 30-40 times. They’ve League spoken to ih ’O groups, tow nship boards, cham ­ meeting b e rs of com m erce and service clubs. Som e of those efforts have proved tangibly successful — sever­ The League of al m em b ers of th e Canton Township B oard of Trust­ W omen Voters will I t sta rted w ith last ees and the Plymouth Community Chamber of hold an informational weekend’s Plymouth-Can- Com m erce-have com e out in support — w hile oth­ meeting ab o u t some of ton K-12 a rt show, and it e rs have had le ss obvious results. the proposed changes closes with today’s (Sun­ For instance, the district conducted two well- to Michigan's public day) Cihco De Mayo con­ publicized town hall-style meetings last week, and schools on Thursday, c e rt featuring the M ichi­ attendance — nobody show ed up for one a t Can­ May 9, a t 7 p.m. a t th e gan Philharmonic. ton H igh School, while only a half-dozen tu rn ed out Livonia Civic Center B ut in betw een, a siz­ a t th e Plym outh C ultural C enter — w as sparse, at Library. able crow d of a rts sup­ best. The public is invited p o rters gathered T hurs­ “T he Canton m eeting w as on our ow n ’tu rf,’ and to hear a presentation day a t D&M A rt Stu­ we typically do b e tte r off-site a t a m eeting cen­ given by the League's dio in Canton to help cel­ ter," said Jeremy Hughes, the district’s superinten- state president, Sue e b ra te th e th ird annu­ Smith, titled "Financ­ al Canton A cts of C ulture Please see BOND, A3 ing Public Schools in W eek with w hat owner D&M Art Studio staffer and face-painter Kim Shaughnessy Michigan: Time for a Sharon D illenbeck called (left) decorates the face of Canton resident Rachel Bisson- Change?" a “m eet-and-greet w ith a nette at Thursday's meet-and-greet. tw ist.” Touring China Dozens of people gath­ e re d to ta ste wine, have CULTURAL FINALE INDEX th e ir faces painted and What: Michigan Philharmonic's “Cinco De Mayo" concert Community Life B6 build a w ork of a rt w ith Crossword Puzzle.... C2 When: Today (Sunday), 2 p.m. sq u irt guns. Education A4 Where: Village Theater at Cherry Hill, 50400 Cherry Hill The week, sponsored Health ................... B11 in Canton Homes................... C2 by th e Canton Com m is­ Why: Working in partnership with the Canton Commis­ Jobs ....................... Cl sion for Culture, Arts, Obituaries BIO and H eritage, is designed sion for Culture, Arts and Heritage, the concert is the Services................. C3 to help celebrate and pro­ finale of the third Acts of Culture Week Sports .................... B1 Also: Community members can also participate in a Wheels .................. C4 m ote aw areness of the arts. silent auction at The Village Theater with all proceeds “It’s been a fantas­ benefiting The Partnership for the Arts ^Humanities, a © the Observer S Eccentric tic response we’ve got­ 501 (c)3 organization which is committed to encouraging tfolume 38 • Number 9t te n from th e com m unity,” the development of cultural arts. said com m ission spokes­ Tickets: $20, $15 for seniors, $5 for students, available w om an ReG ina Sham- at the door (866) 887-2737 berger. “We’re so thrilled to have th e support of the m eet-and-greet at D&M th e studio’s face-painter, A local guide explains th e intricacies of making silk cloth township and residents T hursday got to ta ste view ed th e a rt on display while a worker threads a spooling machine at a silk fac­ and businesses to help us wines provided by Vint- in th e studio, tory in Suzhou to Jay and Linnea Young of Canton, who out.” n er’s C ellar Canton Win- recently completed a tour of China. Jay Young writes Those who attended th e ery, took advantage of Please se e CULTURE, A2 about the experience in Community Life, page B6. Stop by my office for a free insurance quote to find out how Allstate can help protect you. No one knows Cheryl Bowker Agency (734)738-0300 the local community 5972 N. Sheldon Road Canton, Ml 48187 Allstate like a local. [email protected] Subject to terms, conditions, and availability.