[omeTbwn COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK jp l^mouth ( m s t m n Your hometown newspaper serving Plymouth and Plymouth Township for 116 years Sunday, May 26, 2002 www.observerandeccentric.com 7 5 C Volume 116 Numbw 78 Plymouth Michigan ©2002 HomeTown Communications Network^” Union set to picket Picture Dad* We’re celebrating Dad this year with a special contest Send us a township favorite photograph of you and your Dad with a short caption, BY BRAD KADRICH explaining why it’s your favorite STAFF WRITER (funny, sentimental or just [email protected] interesting) We’ll hold a drawing Tired of what they perceive as a slug­ of all entries and award a winner gish bargaining position on the part of from each Observer Newspaper Plymouth Township officials, members of with two tickets to the Ford AFSCME Local 2958 have scheduled an Semor Players Championship golf informational picket of township hall toumeiment at the Dearborn TPC, Tuesday night July 8-14 Participants are The union, which represents some 26 expected to include Tom Watson, mostly clencal workers employed by th^ Hale Irwin, Tom Kite and senior township, will picket beginning at 6 30“ “rookies” Fuzzy Zoeller emd Ben p m , shortly before a scheduled meeting Crenshaw All tickets mclude a of the township’s Board of Trustees free shuttle bus nde to the front The union certified in March 2000, and gate of the TPC To enter, send negotiations on an initial contract have your photo to Brad Kadnch, 794 gone on for more than a year South Mam, Plymouth, MI 48170 “Our members have not gotten raises Photos will not be returned All PHOTO BY EATY BATDORFF since 1999 and continue to experience entries are due by 5 p m Teach your children well: After 36 years in Garden City schools, director of secondary special problems getting an initial contract set­ Thursday, June 6 Even if your tled,” said Nichole Hunt, president of the name isn’t selected for a prize, education Dennis McQuillan of Plymouth Township is retiring this year. local “The township continues to exhibit you’ll have a chance to show Dad an inability to counter our proposals as how much he means to you We’ll originally presented and return with have a special page on Father’s counter-proposals that are appropnate ” Day, Sunday, June 16, where Fond farewell Hunt points to other union contracts, well publish the photos particularly the firefighters, who recent­ ly inked a three-year agreement that took two years to negotiate, as evidence R etiring educator w ill m iss kids, challenges the township has trouble coming to deals B y J u l ie B r o w n in history from Wilmot was looking for someone with a Plymouth Township Supervisor Steve STAFF WETTER Central Michi- building background, McQuillan said, jbrown@ oe.homecoininjiet Mann obviously disagrees sgan University, so he got the job in special education “We’re here to bargain with them and Dennis McQuillan has lots of good a master’s in “You have to know the lay of the land memories of his 36 years as a Garden cooperate with them,” Mann said “I m educational of the buildings ” His wife, Vera, a don’t think they need to look much fur- City educator leadership from counselor at Walled Lake Middle “We work as a team,” said McQuil­ ther than to the four other unions we’ve * Eastern Michi School, was then a special education reached agreement with to decide w h ich O ^ lan, retiring this June as director of gan University teacher secondary special education “I’ve had side has the problem ” and an educa Dennis McQuillan has liked the According to Hunt, the union has nothing but the best cooperation and tional specialist opportunity to work with special educa support ” already filed “a number” of unfair labor degree in educational leadership from tion students It was the best thing I practice charges against the township for Holiday closings: Both McQuillan 60 of Plymouth Town Wayne State University ever did I ve really enjoyed the 10 ship came to the district as an English what the union says are “bad faith prac City of Plymouth and Ply­ He moved into administration in years I’ve spent in this position ” tices by the township and social studies teacher at Burger 1980, noting that number of years There are about 500 secondary stu­ mouth Township offices Junior High in 1966 In 1969, he went Hunt and other union members hope doesn’t seem possible During his dents he and his staff work with, at the Tuesday’s informational picket draws will he closed for the to Garden City East High School teaching time, McQuillan was an assis high school, jumor high and center pro- “I taught history and government,” attention to their cause Memorial Day holiday. tant football coach and golf coach “I have been ai^ officer and an active he said He earned a bachelor’s degree Former Superintendent Michael Please see EDUCATOR/A7 Offices re-open Tuesday Please see PICKET^ A4 morning. Teachers called back as budget exam continues TUESDAY BY TONY BRUSCATO “It’s down to seven, which is 5 5 full­ district $250,000 Board members dis­ Trustee Judy Mardigian said until the Township meets: The Ply­ STAFF WETTER time employees,” said Bihun When cussed the 2002-2003 budget reduction contracts are finalized, it will be difficult tbruscato@oe homecomm.net asked if he thought all the teachers analysis presented by Booher at last to determine the extent of cuts to bal­ mouth Township Board of The number of Piymouth-Canton would eventually be called back by the Tuesday’s budget workshop, but didn’t ance the budget Trustees meets in regular teachers scheduled to be laid off could be time school opens next August, Bihun vote on any cuts Further discussion is “What we’re looking at is an incom­ reduced to less than half the 18 that said, “I’m hoping, but I’m not sure if it’s expected at Tuesday’s regular board plete picture because we don’t know the session at 7p.m. in the were approved by the Board of Educa­ going to be there ” meeting impact that staff raises will have,” said board room at township tion April 23 Bihun said the four English as a Sec Several trustees had concerns about Mardigian “It seems to me that we’re hall, located at Ann Arbor Trustees will be asked to vote on a res­ ond Language teachers at Starkweather the impact of pay raises for the four going to take another look at things and olution Tuesday night, recalhng 11 of the Education Center are among those being employee groups which are currently dig a little deeper ” Road and Lilley. teachers who received pink shps recalled The other seven are K-12 edu negotiatmg contracts with the district Board secretary Dar Watts said there’s Ray Bihun, the executive director of cators throughout the distnct The largest is the Plymouth Canton Edu­ the possibility Booher’s $950,000 m cuts human resources for the district, said Meanwhile, among the $950,000 budg­ cation Association with more than 1,000 could be amphfied because of a number of circumstances et cuts being recommended by Supenn- members Both sides have said they are “But it’s also possible, after more infor­ such as retirements, leaves of absences tendent Kathleen Booher are four ele­ close to finalizing an agreement, and are mation, we might ask for a little bit INDEX and job chants, there will be fewer lay­ mentary teaching positions and one mid­ hopeful details can be worked out by the deeper, whether that be in expense line Apartments/D7 0bituanes/A4 offs than earlier announced dle school teacher, which would save the board’s June 11 meeting items or people,” he said Automotive/E7 Real Estate/Dl Classified/D,E,F Service Guide/E5 Classified lndex/D2 Sports/Cl Veterans Crossword/D4 T a ste /B l Jobs/D7 Travel/B8 TV’s Scillian shines at Author Lunch New Homes/Dl BY TEDD SCHNEIDER ready to^hi4 .—1 STAFF WBITEB tschneider@ oe.hoinecom]iiJiet He picked up his guitar and played parade route He read his first children’s book - from memory He devoted maybe a BY TONY BRUSCATO minute to talking about his career m STAFF WRITER local television news tbruscato@ oe.homecomm.net Devm Scillian gave a crowd of near­ Plymouth’s annual Memorial Day ly 300 at Wednesday’s 16th annual Parade will be held early Monday Friends Author Luncheon exactly morning to honor veterans who gave what it wanted The broadcast jour­ their lives fighting for America nalist spent some 40 minutes address­ Orgamzer Dennis Shrewsbury of Ply­ ing his “other” avocations and talkmg mouth, a member of the Piymouth- about growing up as an Army brat Canton Vietnam Veterans Association He also left the audience with a cou­ Chapter 528, believes the public has ple of deftly dehvered messages about more appreciation for those who the permanence and intellectual stim­ fought, especially since the terrorist ulation books still offer in an increas- attacks mgly media-frenzied world “I think there’s a heightened aware­ “Books are more powerful than any ness of patriotism by the public since other media And the power of boofe Sept 11,” said Shrewsbury “Around is that we use our mmds to shape the this area, there’s always been a core words into what we want them to group who appreciate servicemen mean,” the WDIV-TV anchor said However, I think there’s been an “We fill in the blanks” mcreased enthusiasm and appreciation The luncheon, held for the first time for those who fought and died ” at the Summit, is hosted by the STAFF PHOTO RY BRYAN MlICHELL Shrewsbury said he gets a great Friends of the Canton, Plymouth, Noteworthy: Devm Scillian picked up his guitar and played two sense of pride when marching along Novi and Northviile libraries The songs from the “A is for America” CD near the close of Wednes­ parade routes with his Vietnam veter­ event is sponsored by the Observer day's luncheon.