Suggestions for 'Modern Food Gifts to make in no time, Bl Homelbwn < <>MM> •*!< ATIONH WUTWOHK" Sunday December 7,1997 G: Putting You In Touch With Your World VOLUME 33 NUMBER 53 WESTLAND, MICHIGAN • 78 PAGES • http://observer-eccentric.coin SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS 01W7 BomaToWp CommujilcttSoa* Network, lac THE WEEK Students mourn death of teen AHEAD • Fourteen-year-old Alycia Madgwick died shortly before 3:30 p.m. Thursday after she was taken off of MONDAY life support at the Univer­ sity or Michigan Medical School board: The Wayne- Center in Ann Arbor. Westland school board BY DARRELL CLEM meets at 7p.m. at the dis­ AND MARK CBESTOEY trict offices on Marquette STAFF WRITERS in Westland. Grief-stricken Livo­ nia Franklin High School students are Holiday exhibit: The Gar­ mourning the loss of den City Fine Arts Associ­ 14-year-old Alycia Madgwick, a popular ation will hold its Holi­ pompon squad member day Art Exhibit and Sale who died from injuries she suffered in Dec. 8-13 in The Art a car that plunged into a Westland ditch on a rainy Wednesday night. Gallery I Studio at 29948 "She was always a happy, smiling Ford, between Henry Ruff person," lOth-grader Erin Huber said. "What I will remember most about and Middlebelt (in Sheri­ her was she had the prettiest smile," dan Square), Garden lOth-grader Andrew Morales said. City. Madgwick died shortly before 3:30 p.m. Thursday after she was taken off of life support at the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann TUESDAY Arbor. The Westland girl's death came 20 hours after she and four friends Winterfest: The Westland were involved in a one-car accident on PHOTOS BY JZBBT & MTOOZA Joy Road at Ingram, west of Merriman. Winterfest Committee will 1 "**• Remembering Alycia: Above, "Alycia will always be remembered i jt _ s*_s 1 •f # """ X* \ Franklin High School student meet at 7 p. m. Tuesday at for her smiling, sparkling personality," 4>*m|M, . •**-\ i Jaline Cartolano signs a spe­ the Bailey Center. The lOth-grader and pompon squad mem­ committee is looking for ber Dana Toll said. cial banner put up on the Franklin pompon coach Tesha •tfiw •^^mMMM^m school wall Friday as a memo­ ideas from thexommunity Thomas said practice won't be the rial to Alycia Madgwick who for the upcoming Winter­ same without Alycia. died Thursday following a — "Every day at practice I could look fest. forward to seeing Alycia's shining Wednesday night traffic acci­ smile and her beautiful red hair," J '.-^Tf'"«•£**.-; dent. Cartolano was a friend Protecting assets: Thomas said. "But it wasn't just her ml%0i and fellow pompon squad looks that made her so lovely. She was &JJL~,~ member of the Franklin fresh­ Richard Bockoff, attorney one of the hardest workers on the team man. At left, a memorial was for the Senior Justice and never once complained. set up at the site of the acci­ Center, will address West- "She was one of the sweetest girls I've known," Thomas concluded. "I will dent. land senior citizens on truly miss her." f protecting and preserving On Friday, Franklin students hung i^v" l assets with four docu­ two huge banners in a school hallway ments at 1 p.m. Tuesday Please see DEATH, A2 at the Friendship Center, llWN.Newburgh. Teen-ager pleads guilty in March fatal accident BY DARRELL CLEM Franklin High School freshman. 15 years in prison. Mugurian, who was a front-seat pas­ WEDNESDAY STAFF WRITER Gackiewicz's decision averted a trial However, he won't face a second senger, died in the 10:30 p.m. accident. A Westland teen-ager has pleaded that was scheduled to begin Monday in charge that has now been dropped, Gackiewicz and backseat passenger guilty to charges stemming from a fiery front of Wayne County Circuit Court Mcintosh said. The teen-ager had origi­ Michael Mahdi Ayoub, a 17-year-old! Holiday concert: The March 10 car accident that killed a 14- Judge David Kirwan. nally faced a second charge of causing Livonia resident, suffered injuries but! Westland Community year-old girl on Ann Arbor Trail near Witnesses who saw the one-car acci­ a death while driving under the influ­ survived the accident. ; Foundation will host a Hines Drive. dent came to court prepared to testify. ence of liquor and marijuana, Mcintosh Testimony during a May 20 hearing; Joseph John Gackiewicz, 17, pleaded "Everybody was there to testify, but said. in Westland 18th District Court raised holiday classical concert guilty Monday to a vehicular he took the plea," Westland police offi­ On the night of the accident, Gack­ allegations that Gackiewicz had been! beginning at 6:45 p.m. manslaughter charge stemming from cer Jack Mcintosh said. iewicz lost control of a 1989 Buick drinking, using marijuana and speed-! the death of 14-year-old Nicole Muguri- Gackiewicz faces sentencing Feb. 6. Regal and slammed into a roadside ing when he apparently lost control of; Wednesday at the St. He could face a maximum sentence of tree. The car burst into flames. Constantine & Helen an, a Westland resident and Livonia Please see GUILTY, A2- Greek Orthodox Church in Westland. Children know toy story of what's popular THURSDAY BY DIANE GALE ANDREASSI "any" CDs. Family affair: • SPECIAL WRITER A few feet away, Elliott McDonald, 7, Dad Tim ; Forum: U.S. Rep. Lynn N. We staked out area stores to corner liked just about everything he saw. His Evans goes : Rivers will beholding a the experts on their picks for the mom, Linda, will have an easy time over the list in', hottest toys of the season. shopping for his gifts. town hall meeting 7-8:30 And these young consumers — who When pressed to give his first choic­ his notebook '. p.m. Thursday in the prompt others to chalk-up millions of es, Elliott thought a moment and with sons Dorsey Community Cen­ dollars in sales during the holiday sea­ declared that he wanted cars and any­ Brad, Tad son — know what they want. thing with.motors. During a five and Chad. ter, 32715 Dorsey in West- Video games; remote control cars; minute tour of the aisle, however, he land. The meeting will be Tamagotchis (the tiny pets from said "I like this, too" at least five times an open forum. cyberspace that have to be fed and as he pointed to various emergency cared for); JCnex; laser tag games and vehicle cars, especially a fire engine anything to do with Barbie topped thatlit-up. their lists. The second-grader from Detroit was INDEX Last year's most popular toy, Tickle awestruck after he spotted a micro­ Me Elmo, came up a winner again, too. scope laboratory kit. "Mom, I would really like this," he declared. • Obituaries A6 Walking down a short toy aisle in the boy's department at Sears, Chris Jason, a Botsford Elementary School • Classified Index K3 Petersmark, a fourth-grader at student from Livonia, who was shop- 8TAIT PHOTO BT EUZAKTH CARNEGB ping with his mom, Amy, and his 10- Real Estate HI Coolidge Elementary School in Livonia, motorized Jeep. Dearborn had his month-Old baby brother, Justin, could­ said Legos are his first choice quickly At Jacobson's in Livonia, four-year- eyes and hands on Brio train set Crossword H4 n't resist'trying his hand at computers followed by K'nex; Nintendo 64; Sega old Catherine Vollmerhausen of Grosse pieces. Jobs Kl that were placed just within his reach. GGenesis and "anything Star Wars," He said she likes Princess Barbie and Amy Gulick said her 21-month-old Home A Service L7 His sister Caitlin, a sixth-grader, Aside from computers, Jason, 5, Christmas Barbie. son, Eddie, likes anything to do with Autos L9 Wants Sega Genesis, Nintendo and wants a.basketball net; Nintendo; _ i i Four-year-old Brandon Evans of Please see TOYS, AG. • Taste Bl Gooey Louie; a water tag game and a • Health News CI • Arts & Leisure Dl Skating classes School helper • 8porta & Recreation El Westland Sports Arena will have registration for Auto body repafr students at the William D. Ford its learn-to-skate program on consecutive Mondays, PLACES & FACES Career/Technical Center will benefit from a mechan­ Dec. 8 and 15, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on two Sat­ ics tool chest donated by Husky Tool Corp. and from urdays, Dec. 13 and 20, from 9-11 a.m. Classes are HOW TO REACH US poster contest, which had the theme "Inside These a complete set of tools given by Home Depot in Can­ available for skaters 4 years old to adult. Classes Doors: One Year Later." Winners in the kinder­ ton Township. Auto body instructor Scott Heim said are available Monday afternoons and Saturday garten through second grade category were: first Newsroom: 313-953*2104 mornings. Seven-week sessions cost $31.60. place, Brooke Cabe, second place, Emily Rodler, and the chest and tools are valued at more than $1,200. Newsroom Fax: Z1&-$91J279 Also at the sports arena, Santa Glaus will visit for third place, Brandon Cabe. Winners in the third Career/technical center principal BiU Richardson E-mail: newsroom 0 o*on!ln*.com open skating 1-2:45 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13. Admis­ through fifth grade category were: first place, said, "Donations of new tools and equipment by local Nlghtllhe/Sports: 313-953-2104 sion will be $2.75 for students and $3.25 for adults. Annette Mihailovich, second place, Michelle companies to any of our 23 training programs pro­ Mihailovich, and third place, Amanda Sparks.