H o m e T o w n COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK f) lumouth (Dbsmw M l ^ Plymouth District Library 223 S Mam Street Yowr hometown newspaper serving Plymouth and Plymouth Township for 116 years Plymouth, Mich 4gno Thursday. January 31. 20d2 w w w .pbspr^j^2£e£triQ . cop 750 Volum e 116 Number 45 Plymouth Michigan © 2002 HomeTown Com m unications Network™ Stewart faces primary challenge .^^Congratulations to Barbara Rutecki of Plymouth whose B y T o o t B r u s c a t o “I see a need for m ore effective re p re ­ 2 0 th D is tr ic t is w h e n th e ra ce is w on Livonia) and (^fepresentative) Bruce winning entry describing a S t a f f W r i t e r sentation m Lansing for people of the “I want to take the campaign to the Patterson (R Canton Township) who tbruscato@ oe hom ecom m net romantic date with her husband, 20th District,” said Grant “My com­ people ’ said Grant “We w ill be in pushed it through,” said Grant “Stew­ Bill, earned the couple a special First-term State Rep John Stewart mittee and I have been exploring the every corner of the district, knocking art wasn’t involved m the process If night on the town Feb 8 The w ill definitely face opposition m the potential of running for state represen­ on at least 50 000 doors I want to he wasn’t invited to the table, the dis­ Ruteckis parents of four children upcoming election, and it’s coming from tative for several weeks and have been encourage people to get out and vote, trict wasn’t represented, and that’s won the following prizes w it h in h is o w n p a rty pleasantly surprised by the tremen­ vote Republican, and vote for me ” in e ffe ctiv e re p re se n ta tio n ” S3 Two tickets to a Red Wings Plymouth resident Jonathon Grant dous groundswell of support and Grant said his primary issues Stewart said Grant should get his game this week announced his intention to encouragement we have been receiving include the local and state economies, facts straight before challenging him a Dinner for two at Cafe run for the 20th District House seat th ro u g h o u t th e d is tric t ” sm all business taxes, the environment on th e 3 5 th D is tr ic t c o u rt ju d g e sh ip Cortina in Farmington Hills currently held by Stewart, (R Ply Grant, 36, is a political newcomer and improving public education “I testified at hearings in favor of a tr Transportation compliments mouth Township), by filing his candi­ who has not previously run for office, W hile Grant has thus far stayed third judge, and I gave Bruce my of International Limousine date committee with the Michigan Sec­ though he considered a run at the Ply­ away from attacking Stewart, he’s unqualified support all the way,” he in Westland re ta ry o f Sta te mouth City Commission this year He openly critical of Stewart’s role during said “Bruce began legislation for a IS Candy from Kemmtz Fine Grant w ill make it official w ith a said he w ill run a traditional Republi­ the recently-created third judgeship for third judge long before I was elected to Candies & Gifts in Plymouth kickoff party at Com pari’s tonight can campaign through the August pri­ 3 5 th D is tr ic t C o u rt in P ly m o u th H A dozen red roses from (T hursd ay) a t 6 p m mary, which m the mostly-Repubhcan “It was (Senator) Thad McCotter (R- Please see CHALLENGE, A 9 Flowers from Joe $ by Carolyn in Livonia Rutecki’s entry and the story of her and her husband s Before and after I c e F e s t big night will be featured in the Observer s HomeTown Life m a y h a v e section Feb 14 Please read this special Valentine s r e b o u n d e d fin an cially BY BRAD KADRICH S t a f f w r i t e r [email protected] It may have struggled financially, but the overwhelming consensus apjpears to be that the 2002 Plym outh International Ice Sculpture Spectacu­ lar was a public relations, if not neces­ s a r ily a m onetary, success Official figures won’t be available for Children’s art: S t a r s weeks, but festival officials are hopeful the 20th-anmversary event did a little bearing children’s wishes better than break even, an idea that for a happy fam ily w ill be seem ed rem ote a few w e e ks ago I “Because of the good weather andin a them e j| sold fo r $10 a piece at a turnout, the fact our concessionaires^>nairesr_ ft fundraiser H ealing the did bett^|” and -donations were H earts o f Children Feb . 8 think weTe going tp flo a little than break even,” said Mi^p Watts'a tis o f at the State Theatre in W atts Up, Inc , who organized the D etroit./Bl event “We’ll be solvent, and have a S t a f f P h o t o s b y B r y a n M i t c h e l l good step forward for next year If everything hadn’t worked out, it might S prin g to w inter: be d iffe re n t ” W hat a difference a B u t th e re a l cheers a p p e a r to be com ­ ing from retailers, many of whom were few days m akes. Under one roof: Y o u c a n e csta tic about it L ittle Lau ra fin d w hat you need to “Most of the retailers are extremely Kapanow ski, 1 rem odel your home at the pleased,” said Fran Toney, executive (above), w as enjoy­ director of the Plymouth Community N ovi Home Improvement in g the sp rin g -like Chamber of Commerce “Considering the financial situation m the communi­ S h o w ./ C l w eather w ith her ty and m the country, I thought it was m om Cindy m very good It wasn’t as expansive as Jaycee p ark back h o m e i o w n IIM years past, but I thought the market­ on M onday w ith in g a n d th e crow ds w e re e x ce lle n t ” record breaking The streets were filled w ith visitors Up and away: Area seniors high tem peratures for most of the festival, particularly on Saturday and Sunday, and W atts got to v isit relatives after B y W ednesday, called it “record” attendance Whether the holidays as p a rt o f a H arold Sm ith deft) that’s true is difficult to tell, but the Southwest A irlines’ w as clearing snow festival certainly didn’t seem to lose its c o n t e s t /C7 in fro n t o f h is hom e h o ld on people on Sim pson Street John Gary is vice-chair of the Ply­ mouth Downtown Development m P l y m o u t h Authority and is also a member of the festival’s board of directors He said Apartments/E7 HomeTown that, despite the loss of some sponsor­ At Hom e/Cl Life/C7 ship money, the festival still did what it ’s supposed to do B n n g people to P ly ­ Automotive/F8 Jobs/F3 m o u th Classified/E,F Obituanes/A6-7 “Attendance was fine, the streets Classified Opimons/AlO were crowded,” said Gary, him self a lndex/E4 Real Estate/El culinary arts teacher at W illiam D Crossword/E6 Service Guide/F7 Ford Career Technical Center m West- Arts & Sports/Dl land “The participants we had carving Entertamment/Bl P lease see ICE FEST, A2 >Y-'~ | W h aler w aiters score for C anton cancer patients B y T e d d S c h n e i d e r over the past couple of years, as people S t a f f W r i t e r m this area learn more about Junior tschneider@oe homecomm.net h ockey,” h e said Dinner-hour diners at the Max & The Junior leagues, based m Cana­ Erm a’s on Canton Center Road Thurs­ da, are considered feeders for the day could have used a scorecard to National Hockey League Several identify their servers A Plym outh prominent Whalers over the last few W h a le rs scorecard years, including Detroiter David Leg- Members of the Ontario Hockey wand, now a rookie center with the League Jum or A team were guest w ait Nashville Predators, are starring in ers as part of a fund-raiser for the Kar- th e N H L m an os C a n c e r H o s p ita l for C h ild re n Scott Kelly, Whalers director of pub­ “I t w as fu n T h e y h a d u s p a ir u p w ith lic relations, said spending time away (regular) waiters and waitresses,” said from Compuware Arena at local events Stephen Weiss, whose usual duties are is “a h ig h p r io rity ” playing center “The community comes out and sup­ The third-year player from Toronto ports us and so we try to give back,” he STAFF PHOTO B Y BRYAN MITCHELL said he likes being out in the communi sa id D inner tim e: Plym outh W halers forw ard D am ian Surm a tried his ty, especially when it benefits charity Whalers players or team representa­ h an d at a different jo b la st w eek - serving up som e food a t M a x A n d he c e rta in ly doesn’t m in d th e occa­ tives typically attend three or four & Erm a's m Canton as p a rt o f a charity fund-raiser W haler sional recognition from W halers fans events each week Everyone on the p layers w ere guest servers as p a rt o f the benefit fo r the K arm a n o s “It seems like there’s more of that 5 3 1 7 4 0 0 0 8 Please see W H A L E R S , A 9 C ancer H o sp ital for C h ild ren •V - A2(P) The Observer & Eccentric/ THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2002 PLYMOUTH PIPELINE Ice Fest from page A1 the ice were world-class carvers, (local carver) Taj ana (Raukar) gious Sisters of Mercy m 1958, was head of M is­ Tea party won her events I think we put sio n S e rv ice s fo r m ore th a n 10 years The American Cancer Society Discovery Shops, The new award is given m honor of slam civil on a good show ” including the one in Plymouth, host a Mad Hat­ rights leader M artin Luther King Jr The show ran into potential ter’s Tea Party from Thursday, Feb 21 through financial problems early on Saturday, Feb 23 Arts dinner when sponsors, including John The party is an annual sales event featuring son Controls,Inc of Plymouth antique hats, tea sets, teapots and other tea party The Plymouth Community Arts Council pre pulled back on their contnbu accessories donated by generous and supportive sents its “Denim and Diamonds” dinner, sched tions At one point, organizers local residents interested m helping further