i^ w m m m m u w> m mi w^m^^m^m^^m^m^mW^^m^^ mmmmmmmmm ,.....^ Volume 18 Number,38 Thursday, November 4,1982 Westland, Michigan 48 Pages Twenty-five cents 1982 Ssbgrbi* Comn)oeJ«»<k» Corpuitloa All RljiH Rntt\t4 Barns captures 38th state House district By Sandra Armbruster tallies which weren't known until about "No one can take-from me the most ue with her plans to move from a tem­ editor 3 a.m. Wednesday. beautiful feeling I have from the peo­ porary Westland apartment into a con­ "I don't know where we're at. I won't ple who have been working daily for dominium in the city. Westland City Councilwoman Justine be that secure until the AV (absentee* me," said Skrel. "No matter what the "It's great to be in Westland because Barns will have a new job in January votes) are in," said a cautious Barns at score is, that's what I've won. Westland's wonderful," she said, quot­ when she takes office as state repre­ about 10 p.m. Tuesday as she "I'm a survivor. I'll be around. We ing a phrase developed during the ad- sentative for the 38th District. waited with her - supporters at the gave it our best shot. The people have , ministration of former mayor Thomas Following traditional voting patterns Woodcrest apartments clubhouse. spokenrand I accept it. Taylor. in the largely Democratic city, ballot­ At that time, Barns knew she had a "We built an organization. For sure I Skrel said she has two job offers, one ing favored Democrat Barns with 53 lead of roughly 1,100 votes. But still to wouldn't have wanted to sit out (the with U.S. Rep. Carl Pursell, R-Plym- percent of the vote over Republican in­ be counted were two precincts where election) all summer," she continued. outh, who easily won re-election to the cumbent Sylvia Skrel. » machines had broken down as well as Skrel said sheHbelieves^that the 2nd Congressional District. Skrel had the more than 2,300 absentee ballots. "whole statewide pl<Jttoe«d a definite worked for Pursell before joining the Skrel currently represents the 36th Adding to the delay was the heavy influence" on her campaign. state House. The other job offer is as a District, which includes northern West- turnout — 58 percent — of Westland's "After ail the tallies are in statewide, legislative aide in Washington, D.C., land and Livonia, which is generally 46,060 registered voters. Election I think this (her election results) will she said. considered to be Republican territory. Workers reported that at 9:10 p.m. look good," she said. "What we could Anticipating her success, Barns said Redistricting procedures following the there were still 30 people waiting In not control was the economy and the election wasn't "Justine Barns' vic­ 1980 census carved the new 38th Dis­ line to vote at Precinct 29, in the area Reagonomics. What we could control, tory. This is Westland's victory. Why is trict out of the former 36 and 37th dis­ bounded by Warren, Wayne, Hunter we produced. it they've given me Westland?" tricts. and Apache. ~"I have made wonderful new friends- "People" have Tionored me with- fe^" THE ACTUAL vote totals were IN THE REPUBLICAN gathering at from Norwayne to Hawthorne Valley. sponsibility (in other elections), and 10,850 to 9.505. But those totals don't the American Legion Hall off Wayne It's an experience that can't be dupli­ I've enjoyed the tasks," she continued. reflect Tuesday evening's drama, as Road, Skrel and her campaign support­ cated. I just wish my friends weren't so "This is a new one, but it's still the campaign supporters at both election ers, didn't believe the absentee ballots sad," said Skrel. hugging a supporter. same town and the same people that I parties waited soberly for final vote would change the early trend of voting. SKREL ADDED that she will contin­ have known since I was a young adult. "I represent all of Westland," she stressed, denying a campaign claim by Skrel that Westland is a divided city. "The more you talk about splits, the more you create splits," she said. "Eve­ ry segment, every block has different needs." Barns credited her victory with -name recognition,^after having spent- years on the City Council. "I've done that for years and that's a BILL BRESLEfl/staff photographer positive name identity," she said. Who will be chosen by the other six Wearing a silver "donkey" pin presented by her nieces for the elec­ council members to succeed her in Jan­ tion, Justine Barns accepts congratulations from a campaign sup­ uary? Barns said Tuesday night that porter Tuesday night as she won election to a seat in the state she hadn't thought that far ahead yet. House of Representatives. Faust leads state Dems BILL BftESLER/»laff photographer in controlling Senate Sylvia Skrel blames the state's economy and the friendship of people who worked for her dur­ By 8andra Armbruster tion with James Blanchard as a Demo­ CONCERNED THAT Democrats Reagonomics for her'loss in a bid for the new 38th ing her campaign. editor. cratic governor in his "concepts that I could lose control over the state Sen­ State House seat. Skrel adds" that she has "won" think are viable and will bring Michi­ ate, the majority leader spent election State Sen. William Faust, who easily gan out of its deep depression." He also night in his Lansing office watching won re-election to a fifth term by a predicted that the executive and legis­ voting returns from the state's 83 coun­ 46,125 to 1,698 vote, expects that Tues­ lative branches of government would ties. day's Democratic landslide will mean continue to be independent, in spite of Confident that he would win the cam­ that for the first time in many years both being Democratic Party affiliat­ paign since his Libertarian opponent Westland voters follow the state will have a "team and a pro­ ed. had decided to not actively seek the gram that hopefully legislative leaders "Seldom has the legislative branch can support." totally accepted a governor's program Please turn to Next Page The Democratic Legislature has had without being involved in (developing) a "defensive posture" in past years, it," he said. } • r ' ; statewide Dem trends Faust said, although Gov. Milliken, a Although Blanchard was criticized Republican, "fortunately" agreed with for not being specific about his eco- Democrats on many of their own goals. High turnout local politics for the last 30 years, vic­ nomic programs, Faust thinks-BJanc- Westland voters followed a state­ gave Sheriff William Lucas about 72 Now, however, Faust predicts that hard was "smart enough to leave room torious over incumbent Republican Syl­ wide trend in sending Democrats to percent of the vote, slightly less than legislators will find room for negotia­ open so there could be compromise." Lansing and to Washington in Tues­ via Skrel in the new 38th State House the 76.8 percent he received throughout day's election. District. the county. causes wait Throughout the 15th Congressional The unofficial vote total in that race His Republican opponent, Robert ilfc^^m:..--. - • District, including Westland, voters was 10,850 to 9,505, giving Barns about Fitzpatrick received 151,583 votes gave_ incumbent William D. Ford an­ 53 percent of the vote. Also in that race compared with Lucas' total of 519,048 other term in office wltfc>'abour74~peT- was Libertarian Keith L. Kaye who throughout the county. at the polls n than cent of the total vote. His opponent was received 219 votes, sllghty ™ ™ —In statewide races, Democrats Republican Mitchell Moran. 1 percent. (See separate story). topped the ticket. For governor, James Westland City Clerk Diane Rohraff Skrel lost her*current 36th district in Blanchard received about 56 percent of said that a record turnout of 58 percent of the 40,060 registered voters cast bal­ IN THE 12TH State Senate District, the reapportionment process that fol­ Westland's vote. The totals were 13,091 Democrat-William Faust easily won re­ lowed the 1980 census. lots on Tuesday. That's nearly double for Blanchard, 9,440 for Headlee and the turnout in past elections. Final vote election to a fifth term in office with a In the 33rd District, Bill Keith also 583forTisch. vote of 46.12MO 1,698. His only opposi­ was returned to office with 15,766 results weren't completely tabulated tion was another Westlander, a Liber­ votes. His Libertarian opponent For secretary of state, Richard Aus- until aboutll a.m. Wednesday. tarian who had declined active cam­ received-only-417-votes: —— ..tln won by a^-Xmargin_oy^r_B€p_Mbili Long lines were, reported at many- paigning. The senate majority leader is can Andrus with a vote total of 16,656 precincts during the day. At 9:10 p.m.; -likelyHo-continue In his leadership role THE WAYNE County Commission to 5,164. Precinct 29 in the Wayne-Warren area with the state Senate maintaining race in the 12th district found Kay Incumbent State Attorney General of the city called election headquarters Democratic control by a slim margin Beard, who formerly represented only Kelley, who had personally cam­ to report that there were still 30 people of 20-18 (see separate story). a small section of southeastern West- paigned for the utility proposal before waiting in line to vote. Faust has been known for his state land, expand her district after reappor­ Westland's senior citizen -community, Rohraff said that nearly 2,400 absen­ Senate>eforms and authored the suc­ tionment to cover Westland, Garden received more than 60 percent of the tee ballots were requested, and about cessful Proposal A on the ballot which City and Inkster.