Board election Residents wondering CANTON A GANNETT COMPANY who's going to lead the Plymouth-Canton Com­ munity Schools Board o f Education fo r the next 12 months need to be at the E.J. McClen­ don Educational Center Tuesday at 7 p.m. Ob ser ver That's when the board conducts its PRICE: $1 • SUNDAY, JANUARY 6, 2013 • hometownlife.com annual organizational meeting. Leadership : positions up fo r grabs include president, vice president, secretary and treasurer. Those Driver dies positions are held cur­ rently by John Barrett, Adrienne Davis, Judy Mardigian and Barry Simescu, respectively. in two-car There could be some changes. Trustees Mark Horvath and Mike Maloney, elected in collision November 2011, have served as board presi­ dent in previous stints as board members. The E.J. McClendon Center is located at 454 A 41-year-old d river died after he S. Harvey in Plymouth. apparently suffered a medical con­ dition Thursday morning in Canton, crossed the center lane while south­ bound on Canton Center at Hanford Sneak peek and struck another vehicle, police Sgt. Theater lovers' can Pat Sullivan said. get a sneak peek at The accident happened about 8 a.m. Canton's One Acts Fes­ and snarled traffic. Canton Center tival when TLC Produc­ remained partially closed late Thurs­ tions' "The Playwright day morning with police using traf­ Next Door" comes to fic cones to keep one lane open in each the Canton Public Li­ direction, Sullivan said. brary 7 p.m. Thursday, PHOTOS BY BILL BRESLER | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Police and firefighters rushed to the Jan. 10. Jessica Krone, Brenna Degener and Drew Degener in full o f clothing donated through Geneva scene, and the 41-year-old man was Canton’s own Jake Presbyterian Church to help the homeless. taken to a hospital where he was pro­ Zinke and Brion nounced dead. Scheidel w ill share their “We believe his death is due to a med­ one-act plays, speak ical condition and not the accident,” about the art o f play- Sullivan said. “We don’t believe speed writing, get you in a was an issue, and we don’t believe alco­ writing mode and even hol was a factor with either driver.” sign a few scripts. Winter warmth Police had not released the man’s Canton's One Acts name Thursday morning. The accident Festival is at Cherry Hill occurred when he apparently crossed Village Theater, 50400 Church project covers homeless in blankets the center lane and struck a north­ Cherry Hill, Jan. 18-20. bound vehicle. The driver of the second vehicle was treated at the scene by paramedics but declined to be taken to a hospital. Arts grants Canton police were awaiting results of The Michigan A 20-foot truck packed with an autopsy to determine the man’s offi­ Council fo r Arts and winter clothing, blankets, cial cause o f death, though it is believed Cultural Affairs has quilts, boots, sleeping bags he suffered a medical condition. approved nearly and toiletries le ft a Canton dclem©hometownlife.com | (313) 222-2238 $5.7 m illion, includ­ church Friday morning for a ing $600 to Canton Detroit ministry working to Township, in the help the homeless population form o f 312 grants to survive another cold winter. outstanding non­ It’s the 19th year Geneva p ro fit arts and cultural Presbyterian Church, on Shel­ Numbers down, organizations, edu­ don north o f Ford, has deliv­ cational institutions ered a truckload o f compas­ and municipalities in sion to Fort Street Presbyteri­ 47 counties to sup­ an Church fo r its Open Door need up for port their efforts to mission, which provides the Drew Degener, Jessica Krone and Brenna Degener collect clothing produce quality arts homeless with food, clothing, and other items from the front door of Geneva Presbyterian Church. programming. MCACA counseling, medical attention, received 401 applica­ showers, haircuts and job Moments after Smith’s sica Krone and Drew Degen­ local families tions requesting $8.9 postings, among other ser­ remarks Wednesday after­ er, both 14, and Drew’s sis­ m illion in support. vices. noon inside the church, Can­ ter Brenna, 12, to organize a The fiscal year 2013 “ I t ’s wonderful,” the Rev. ton residents Christine and huge pile of clothing and oth­ funded applications Bryan Smith of Geneva Pres­ Leonard Zoltowski, who don’t er items that fille d a room. represent 10,718 fu ll byterian said. “ The great even attend Geneva Presby­ The church draws its mem­ When taken individually, most o f the tim e employees and thing is, the community has terian, drove up to deliver bers from Canton and neigh­ numbers tracked by the Plymouth Sal­ an additional 54,868 become conditioned to this clothing and blankets. boring communities such as vation A rm y indicate assistance to contracted-Michigan project. We start getting calls “It’s a wonderful project,” Plymouth, Livonia, Westland, local famihes may have been down artists. They also indi­ in November from people Christine Zoltowski said. Bedford, Belleville and Ann over the holiday season. cate th a t an estimated who want to help. Sometimes Back inside, Nancy Glodich, Arbor. But Army officials are quick to point 50 m illion individuals people w ill bring in stuff still director o f youth ministries, “This is the largest single out that doesn't mean the need fo r help w ill attend th eir pro­ in the bag from Kohl’s (and worked Wednesday after­ among needy families in Plymouth, grams or exhibits and other stores). I t ’s amazing.” noon w ith church youths Jes­ Please see HOMELESS, A3 Canton, North ville and Belleville is o f th at number some diminishing. 9.8 m illion are youth. The Plymouth Salvation Army pro­ vided assistance to 424 families for "The best our state YEAR IN REVIEW has to offer is reflect­ Christmas, down 76 from the same ed in these grants. tim e last year. However, a total of more This industry provides than 1,000 families actually got assis­ an invaluable service tance from the collaboration affection­ to our communities, Last year’s gains show ately dubbed “ The Collective,” a net­ from Houghton-Han- w ork composed o f the Salvation Army, cock to Coldwater, local Goodfellows groups and area from Holland to Port churches. Huron," said MCACA “ Our numbers have been trending promise for the future very slightly down the last couple of Executive Director John Bracey. years,” said Laurie Aren, the Plymouth tracts in late 2012 that eased Salvation A rm y’s director of communi­ spending and set the stage to ty and fam ily outreach. “ But the need reduce legacy costs by adopt­ is s till there, as is demonstrated by the INDEX As the New Year dawned, ing changes to retiree pen­ total numbers of families the Collective Community Life B5 Canton Township leaders face sions. What’s more, workers is helping.” Crossword Puzzle the same challenges they hired after Jan. 1 no longer The Salvation Arm y took some 500 Health.............. B10 tackled in 2012 — reining in receive retiree health care applications fo r holiday assistance this Homes .............. year, and assisted on 424 o f them, down Jobs ................. spending, finding a solution benefits. Rather, the township Obituaries.......... to Ford Road tra ffic woes, agreed to pay $50 a pay peri­ 22 from the number o f applications reducing employee legacy od toward a health care sav­ facilitated a year ago. The Salvation Sports ............... costs last projected at $75 m il­ ings plan. A rm y’s assistance numbers include Wheels............. lion and ramping up efforts to Talks s till loom this year some 1,481 people, down from more spur residential and business w ith other groups such as fire ­ than 1,800 in 2011. growth. fighters and police lieutenants Yet, one final look at 2012 and sergeants. D u a l h e lp shows much o f the ground­ “U ntil those (negotiations) are Aren said those numbers can be w ork has been laid to address all put to bed,” Thistee Pat Wil­ attributed to a better job o f eliminating these issues, and encouraging liams said, “we don’t know how duplicate applications — famihes who signs have emerged that hold much that (unfunded liabihty) apply to more than one member o f the promise for this community of curve is going to come down. Canton’s Allison Schmitt Collective. "This year we avoided making Return Address over 90,000 residents. But these latest actions are mov­ a 2012 Olympic medalist appointments fo r people who were get- 41304 Concept Ot Canton officials and three ing us in the right direction.” acknowledges cheers from the Plymouth Ml 43170 employee unions reached an crowd during a ceremony in accord on concessionary con­ Please see REVIEW, A2 her honor. Please see FAMILIES, A3 REVIEW prayer ceremonies to honor those slain at a Wis­ Continued from page A1 consin Sikh gurdwara. In November, Demo­ Issues fa c e d crat Steven Sneideman Settling contracts was emerged as the top vote- one issue that shaped getter among part-time Canton in 2012 — a year township board trust­ marked by Olympic pride, ee candidates, and others attempts to ban books in winning four-year terms schools, the loss of Good- included former Supervi­ fellows icon Nancy Spen­ sor Tom Yack and incum­ cer, yet another study of bent Trustees Pat W il­ tra ffic congestion and liams and John Anthony. high-profile crimes, par­ Former TVustee Syed Thj ticularly against children lost his Democratic bid and teens.