Plym oBtij,M jcis.48l7S Haeger dazzles Writer brings back Make a difference! [very three minutes one woman is diagnosed with breast cancer and Triple-A hitters the golden days of TV one woman will die Of breast cancer every 13 minutes in ib e Unrted States Jm ii the Sus^n G Komen Breast Cancer Detroit Raceforlhe SPORTS-SECTIONS tiometownUFE-SECTION C Cure® Locally presented by B a rb p Ann Karmanos Cancer M tu te View daily updates of photos, news and sports online at www.hometownlife.com (800) KARMANOS www karmanos Org/detroitracgfortbecure PLYMOUTH SUNDAY Your hometown newspaper May 7, 2006 serving Plymouth and Q D b s e t m r Plymouth Township for 120 years 75 cents WINNERS OF OVER 100 STATE AND NATIONAL AWARDS SINCE 2001 __ __________________ ______ www.hom etownlife.com ................... ....................... Health a concern r a n a e in pop decision Choice to drop soda could also crimp schools' revenue BY TONY BRUSCATO Drivers making their STAFF WRITER Salem High School junior Kelly Beach says if she can’t have her morning caffeine, then don’t expect her way around M-14 to be wide awake in class I buy Mountain Dew and Sprite and if they take that away from me. I’m going to fall asleep I’ve construction zone done it before,” said Beach “The caffeine in it keeps me awake ’ 8V BRAD KADRICH Beach, and fellow students, will have to find anoth­ STAFF WRITER er way of getting their morning boost of energy after the nation’s largest soda companies agreed to stop Julie Bernard chuckles a little when shes asked selling soft drinks in elementary and middle schools, whether the construction on M-14 has affected busi­ and limit soda sales in high schools to diet dnnks ness at Ilmor Engineering, where Bernard is vice The Alliance for a Healthier Generation a coUabo- president ratioa between former President Bill Clintons foun­ “It hasn t really affected us, ’ said Bernard, who gets dation and the American Heart Association, bro­ to avoid the problems because she lives south of kered a deal with Coca-Cola Co, PepsiCo Inc, them “But were trying to do some hiring, and a Cadbury Schweppes PLC and the American Beverage some of our interviewees have been late because of Association for the companies to stop selling most I t ” sodas m schools It’s all part of life since the Michigan Department of Transportation began its $38 million project to BIG SELLER reconstruct M-14 in both directions from Haggerty Nationwide, soda accounts for nt arly half of all to the Washtenaw/Wayne County line Construction dnnks sold in schools, and is being blamed in part fb1 is set to run through November The project is causing obesity m children and contributing to the designed to upgrade the increase of some diseases, including diabetes Finding new ways to commute surface condition of the The deal means the beverage companies ~ includ Sunday Perspectives' All roaowa'i and do repairs to mg Coca Cola s exclusive contras t with Plymouth- some 17 bridges along Canton schools - will only sell water juice, tea and with work on theETamps to both Sheldon and Berfc low calone dnnks m the elementary and middle When MDOT officials announced the project last schools, while offenng only diet pop in the high winter, they were hoping the two basic ^ e s of driv­ schools ers would find alternate routes — dnvers from the “I think that’s great,” said school board trustee Ann Arbor area who work m Detroit would use 1-94, PHOTOS BY BILL BRESLER! STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Joanne Lamar “The more water we put in the while those who work m the Plymouth-Canton aiea Even mid-day traffic on M-14 can fmd it slow-going as construction continues on the $38 million project machines, the better off we are ’ would use M-14 and its nearby surface roads Lamar, a registered nurse, has been pushing for While that’s happening to some degree, MDOT years to replace the soda with more v/ater choices m spoke^afi Bpb Morosi said the department has vending machines throughout the 4istnct fielded concerns from both kipds of travelers about CONSTRUCTION ZONE “My expenence with Marching Band and the access to the road The eastbound exit to Beck and Senior Party is we went through water like crazy, and the north/southbound ramps from Beck to M-14 are always had pop left over,” Lamar said 1 thmk many expected to be closed through early July ■ I ^ ^ ^ of the kids are making better dioices Last year, we “Local drivers want to know if there’s any way to did a pilot program (throughout the distnct) where open up the Beck Road interchange, and through- we put in more water in the machines and haven’t traffic (dnvers) have concerns about the slowdowns had any problem with sales I think we’ll do fine ” at Sheldon,’ Morosi said “Local traffic wants more Its a Catch-22 for the school distnct At the same access, and th ro u ^ traffic vrants less We re confi­ time students are being taught good health practices, dent we’ve worked it out the best way we can ” Plymouth-Canton Schools has a contract with Coca- Right now, eastbound M 14 is shut down, and traf­ Cola that nets more than $250,000 annually, much fic runs one lane m each direction on the westbound of It selling pop side of the expressway In early July, traffic will shift The current seven-year contract with Coke - which to the eastbound side and westbound M-14 will close ends July 1 - gives the distnct $155,000 upfront That will also include north- and southbound Commission sales earned by the high schools average entrance ramps from Beck to M-14, and the west­ Morosi said the project is on track to be completed $100,000 annually, according to Patncia Brand, bound exit to Beck in November In the meantime, dnvers are mafang assistant supenntendent of business services In September and October, dnvei^ will see intermit­ the best of it The eastbound M-14 ramps from We’re m the process of preparing requests tor pro­ tent lane closures on both sides, along with the closing Beck Road are closed until early July posal for our exclusive beverage contract, said Brand of exits to Sheldon, with traffic diverted to Beck PLEASE SEE CONSTRUCTION, A6 as work continues W ith the announcement, there will be some modifi­ cation on what you can sell at certain points of time ” Plymouth-Canton middle schools have pop machines, howevei, they are turned off dunng school Northviile lawyer jumps into judge race PLEASE SEE $ 0 D A ,A 6 BY TONY BRUSCATO Angelo Plakas & Associates, said the law and making a decision downtown Detroit STAFF WRITER his experience includes repre­ based on it The 35th Distnct Court m senting plaintiffs, as well as pros­ Plakas will face incumbent Plymouth serves the cominum The race for 35th Distnct ecuting cases as an assistant city Ron Lowe of Canton Township ties of Plymouth, Plymouth Court judge intensified this week attorney for Westland Plakas and attorney Brian Stacey of Township, Canton Township, after Northviile Township attor­ said It’s that expenence, from Plymouth Township in the Aug Northviile and Northviile ney Jim Plakas announced he’s both sides of the courtroom, that 8 primary Lowe has held the Township throwing his hat into the fray gives him the expenence to be a position for 12 yeais Stacey has Chief Judge John MacDonald Plakas, 38, filed 995 petition judge practiced law for 25 years The who has been on the bench for 21 signatures to entei the three- “The more I’ve been practicing candidates with the highest vote years, will face mandatory age man race State law requires law, the more I feel this (becom­ totals will challenge each other in restrictions and be forced to between 600-1,000 petition sig­ ing a judge) IS something I want the Nov 7 general election retire after his term expires in natures to run for the judgeship, to do,’ Plakas said “I love to Nominating petitions to enter January 2009 Judge Mike a six-year term which pays mediate disputes between peo­ the race for 35th Distnct Court Gerou was elected to an eight- BILL BRESLER 1 STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER $138,272 annually ple, and I love the law There’s judge are due by 4 p m Ibesday, year term in 2003 The vending machines at Salem High School won't have any Plakas, an 11-year attorney nothing better than sitting on the May 16, and can be filed at the regular pop after an agreement between the soft-drmk with the Westland law firm of bench and applying the of Wayne County Clerk’s office m tbruscato®hometowniife com i (734) 459 2700 companies not to provide sugary dr nks to high schoolers © The Observer & Eccentric INDEX Coming Thursday C h e c k in g ! 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