p mmm ^^^^^^^T^^TPf.\ J" / j«".»™>wj — T^M »^ J • J —r>- ' \ Teenage depression is treatable, B4 HomeTown v I OMHlMlATIOHH NH l»(|HK- Putting you In touch Sunday with your world September 13,1998 Serving the Westland Community for 34 years •d VOLUME 34 NUMBER 29 WESTLAND, MICHIGAN • 68 PAGES • http://observer-eccentric.com SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS O 1»6 HouwTown Com»unk»lloiu Network, Lqc. THE WEEK Toddler tales AHEAD for corner MONDAY Republican club: "My : Favorite President: Con­ near Glenn fessions of a Present pay In the wake of safety concerns, Mugwump" is the topic of major changes are on tap for a talk by Lawrence Reedy the Marquette-Carlson inter- ;"•< president of the Mackinac section just west of John Glenn Center for Public Policy, High School. attheWestland Republi­ BY DARRELL CLEM can Club meeting at 7 STAFF WRITER p.m. Monday. The club Parents have won a long batr Intftreectlon meets at Amantea's Improvement* tie to convince An 'intersection riea; Restaurant, 32777 West Westland offi- . John Gtenrt High.;" .'''; ttii Warren Road at Venoy. cials to improve Schoolis scheduled Wntltnd an intersection to be improved. m considered dan­ Writing workshop: Kath­ gerous near leen Ripley Led will pre­ John.; Glenn High School. sent a free creative writ­ Mayor Robert ing workshop for adults Thomas con­ 7-10p.m. Monday at the firmed that major changes William P. Faust Public loom for the Library of Westland, 6123 Marquette-Carl- Central City Parkway. son intersection just west of the school. School board: The Wayne- Specifically, a • Westland school board traffic light will be installed and meets at 1 p.m Monday at Glenn's western­ TAMMIE GRAVES/STATT ASTOT the administration build­ most driveway ings 36745 Marquette. will be moved to align with Carlson. • Work could begin as early as February or March, although it possibly could be delayed until the school year Council meets: The West- ends, Thomas said. ' : land City Council will Parents such as Linda Long and Tina Schweirh have long hold a study session sought intersection changes to increase safety for students beginning at 6 p.m. in the Please see CORNER, A2 study chambers; second floor, Wcstlahd City Hall, ^1 Ford Road west of Wayne Road. TUESDAY on selling Mock BY DARRELL CLEM Health and wellness: A STAFF-WnntB•: ..'"•'.•••.-.•'''••'/.'•.v.'../''...: health and wellness pre­ Scores of vacant land parcels and nine houses will, be view featuring magnetics placed on the bidding block following the city of Westlarfd's ini decision to get rid of land it acquired from non-payment of taxes; • . '•••• '::.:. .- • • . ". ";- : / is set for 1-3 p.m. and 7-9 City officials hope to spur some new development and p.m. Tuesday attheWest* boost tax revenues by selling properties to high bidders. 'The main thing we're trying to do is get these properties land Friendship Center. back on the tax rolls," Assessor James Elrod said, Potential bidders face a 10 a.m. Sept. 28 deadline if they want to try to buy some of the 151 parcels and nine houses that the.city wants to sell, Elrod said. Bids will be opened WEDNESDAY the same day. : :.'."','• ' :; • -;'•; Bid packets, including maps that show available property, Library board: The board can be picked up at Westland City Hall, 36601 Ford Eoad. '. One nonprofit group. Peoples Community Hope for of the William Pi Faust Homes, plans to submit bids on vacant land on the city's far Public Library ofWesfc southeast side amid hopes of boosting a revitalization effort Iandrhee0&t7p.m^ in Carver subdivision. The group builds new homes, sells them and uses the the library, 6123 Central money to pay for other hew housing/The project also is fuel­ City Parkway. ; ing the renovation of older, dilapidated homes that get; 1 Storytlme . At top> Lisa Gruebnau and her daughter, Meghan, 2, of Westland placed on the market; ! get involved in a finger play song at the beginning of Toddler Tales at the "We'll be putting in bids," Hope for Homes executive direcj INDEX Westland Library this past week. Below, Children's Librarian Jolee Kempf tor Sam Brown said. "Exactly which lots hasn't been decided yet.'', .-;• • ": ;' reads a story about places to live to tpddlers, preschoolers and parents. Several lots in Carver subdivision are large enough toj • Obituariea _ _ :_:J:;1-.:_;.LM. • Classified Index ;.u.':'. .:..,:.¾ Please see LAND, A2 ( Real Estate ^ __ El Crossword :,^L^,Ejj_ Jobs HI &ees new Automotive Jl Home & Service J5 BY DARRELL CLEM BUSINESS • A new full-service restau­ • An older party store on the south* Kilroy said. - •••;•. STAFFWRITER rant looms on the northwest west corner of.Joy and Wayne will be And a hew Auto Zone business has • Taste • •-.•/•V'.BI' Several new businesses will corner of Oakwood ' and converted into a hew 7-Eleven. been approved near the southeast cor­ • Health & Fitness B4 soon sprout up along Wayne- _Wayne. It will lead to renova­ The latest three projects follow other ner of Bock and Wayne, although many • Arts A Leisure CI Road, but city officials predict tion of the once-popular Wayne Road improvements that arc neighbors don't want it built. ; it will be a few years before Lcrights, a dining place that nearingrcomple-tipn or in the works. "Certainly there's reinvestmeivt in • Sports & Recreation m the commercial corridor sees : closed more than a year ago. A Rite.Aid drug-store, next to a new, the community," Kilrby said of the lajU a real upswing. •I Dillon's Jewelers will build a new adjacent Thrifty Florist,.is-hearing; est projects. •> •' . ,.'•'<*• Just last week, Westland City Coun­ Store: near the. northe&st corner of complcUoh on the southeast corner of Developers are taking a second look HOW TO REACH US cil members approved throe measure's Avondale^and Wayne, more than Wayne and Ford, at redevelopment as Westland conti(v that could help boost Wayne Road's tripling the space it.now occupies in i\ •'They're finishing \ip the Rite Aid . ues to grow and as vacant lam\ nearbystrip mall. how," Westland Planning Director Tod image. Consider: . - IMease soe BUSINESSES, A2 Newsroom: 734-953-2104 Newsroom Fax: 734-591-7279 E-mail: bJactwnan*o«.homecomm.n«t Places of beauty School, and two years as athletic director at Bald* , NighUine/Sports: 734-953-2104 win High School. The city of Westland has announced the winners Learmont alsoserved for six years as a high ' Redder Comment lino: 734953-2042 of the 1998 Summer Beautification Contest. ' school math teacher.. > ' Classified Advertising: 734591-0900 The residential winners include: first place, the --- - Display Advertisit]g: 734-591-2300 Dischers of Fairlane Street; second place, the Assistant principal leaves GiHissies of HnzolwootH third place, the 13rcgoW6kys Infantry school ' . Homo Delivery: 734591-0500 ofBock:: . : Donald Ivcarmbnt was named assistant principal Army Pvt. Raymond L! Utter Jr. has arrived at Non-residential winners include: first place, West: at Walled Lako Western .High .'School.•••Loarmont the U.S; Army Infantry School, Fort Benning, : land Estates, 6843 N. Wayne Road; second place, holds bachelor's and master's degrees fronv Central Columbus, Ga., to receive One Station Unit Train­ Taylor Towers, 36500 Mnrquette; third place, St. Michigan University., ing. The training combines basic military training -^twlomPftrishr^aoaNAVftyno-Roadi-^-^^ ., , He has been assistant.-principal at Wayne Memo­ and advanced individual training.' The awards will be presented at 7 p.m. Thursday, rial High School,in the Wayne-Westland Schools litter is the son of Darlenc A. litter Of Wixom and since July of 1995, after serving four years as assis­ Oct. 8, at tKe Willianv I\ Faust Public Library. Raymond L. Utter of Westland. He is a 1998 gradu­ tant principal/athletic director at East Jackson High ate of John Glenn High School^Wostland. 6 63174 10011 e '•.. i ,s A*W) The Observer & Eccentric/ SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1998 Buddy Walk goal Corner from page Al walking to and froin school. • The city and the have on Marquette," he said. Price said the project stems in Schweim's daughter, Christina Wayne-Westland school "We have 2,000 people coming part from Long's unrelenting to raise awareness Raymond, suffered leg injuries out of the school every day. efforts to convince city officials to including a chipped bone and district have reached "It think the improvements improve the intersection. torn ligaments when she was hit an agreement to pay would certainly help the inter^ While most Marquette-Carlson Weatland will be host to the be served at the finish. by a car near Marquette and section and help us remove stu-> accidents have been fender-ben­ Buddy Walk as part of National Registration is at lp.m. at the Carlson in 1997. for Intersection dents from the building;" he ders, Long and a few other par­ Down Syndrome Awareness Lions Pavilion in Central City Schweim described the inter­ Improvements, •said., ents have said that a disaster is Month in October. Park. The rain date is Oct, 10. section as "terrible" and said stu­ Westlarid city officials have waiting to happen in the inter­ Th« Buddy Walk will be 1:304 The deadline to mail donations: dents "have to dodge cars all .the . been considering a traffic light to section. -.• p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4, at West- and registration forms and time." , > "/•!"..- •:.. accommodate sometimes-heavy Officials can't say with certain­ land's Central City Park. receive a T-shirt is Sept. 21. The city and the WayneAVest- traffic stemming from schools ty when the project will be done. This is the first walk for Down Make checks payable to UpSide He also said a street-light is land school district have reached.: expected to be erected to better and senior citizen high-rise "Unless we can do it in Febru­ syndrome in western Wayne of Downs and mail to Angela an agreement to pay for intersec­ buildings along Marquette.