Santa Claus is coming to town on Saturday, Nov. 22, A4 Homelbwn <:<>Mttt.NI< ATKIMH r<HTy>W«* Thursday 0 November 20,1997 lfe0tlan& (Bbmmt Putting You In Touch With Your World" VOLUME 33 NUMBER 48 WESTLAND, MICHIGAN • 84 PAGES • http://observer-eccentric.eom SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS 01997 Hometown Communication! Network, toe. IN THE PAPER Horse attacked Robbers TODAY Band on the run: The hit 3 Franklin High School Marching Band per­ formed at its final compe­ tition of the year last week places at the RCA Dome in Indi­ X • anapolis. /A2 Like an Egyptian: Steven­ in city son Middle School sixth- • Westland police are graders last week trans­ investigating three armed formed their school robberies that occurred library into an Egyptian within three days in West- land. No one was injured, museum boasting nearly and no arrests have been 300 exhibits. /A4 made. Authorities don't know of any links among Junior Miss: The Wayne- the robberies. Westland Junior West- BY DARRELL CLEM land Miss program is STAFF WRITER coming up Nov. 22./M Westland police are investigating three '( h armed robberies that COMMUNITY LIFE reportedly occurred «i h- during a 53-hour peri­ od ending Sunday at a Memories: Die cuts, pho­ STAFF PHOTOS BY JW JAGDFTLD department store, a gas tographic pencils, acid- Sunny at home: Laurie Williams is concerned about injuries to her horse, Sunny. A loose pit station and a pizzeria. bull Saturday viciously attacked the 19-month-old horse on Williams' Westland property. No one was injured, and Westland free paper, stickers and Sunny, a 1,000-pound Appaloosa with chestnut hair blanketed by white on its rear quarters, police Lt. Marc Stobbe said no arrests tape ... It's a new lan­ suffered injuries that ended hopes of him becoming a show horse. have been made. Authorities don't guage for a new way of know of any links among the robberies. The first incident occurred last organizing and preserv­ Thursday at 9 p.m. when a 29-year-old ing family photographs in woman was robbed in the parking lot of memory albums./Bl Pit bull attacks, injures horse the Target store on Warren Road, between Wayne and Central City Park-, way. ; BY DARRELL CLEM . The victim told police that she had STAFF WRITER Knee Injury: AT HOME Sunny also placed shopping bags in her car and A loose pit bull Saturday viciously suffered a was preparing to get inside when she attacked a friendly, 19-month-old heard footsteps of a man who suddenly Small world: A West horse fondly named Sunny by the knee injury in grabbed her from behind. .>,'.'-; Bloomfield woman uses Westland family that owns it. an attack by a The 'woman reported that the-than; great care as she makes The attack occurred abput 9:40 pit bull on "stuck something in her right side," a.m. after the dog managed to get Saturday in told her that it was a gun and demand­ little roomboxes, which inside a fenced-in yard on Stein- ed money. The bandit then grabbed the Westland: The victim's purse and fled on foot. are scaled replicas of hauer, where Laurie and Wayne attack rooms and other settings Williams own two acres of land near The victim told police that she Merriman and Cherry Hill. occurred while screamed, turned around as the man from life./D8 Sunny, a 1,000-pound Appaloosa Laurie and fled and saw that he was carrying a with chestnut hair blanketed by Wayne handgun. No shots were fired. white on its rear quarters, suffered Williams were The woman described the man as a injuries that ended hopes of him out of town 5-foot-8 white male who was in his 20s ENTERTAINMENT becoming a show horse, Laurie and who had short, dark hair. West- Williams said. with their son land police searched the area around Street Scene: Detroit "He's got a big hole in his right Oden, 19, and Target but couldn't find the man. knee, and the muscle is just hang­ their daugh­ The second incident happened funksters Howling Diab- ing out," she said. "He's got a hole ters Inga, 13, around 3:25 a.m. Saturday when a los give fans the "Green between his nostrils and his upper and Tara, 12. gun-toting, masked man reportedly lip, and he's got a hole in his gums robbed the Total gas station on the Bottle."/El where the pit bull actually bit into The attack southwest corner of Ford and Wayne his mouth. occurred about roads, according to police reports. Theater: "Les Miserable^' "He's got bite marks on his throat, 9:40 a.m. after An 18-year-old clerk, working alone, is returning for its sixth and he's got these sores all over his the dog man­ told police she was held up by a man face," she added. "He's going to be aged to get who pointed a gun at her and ordered Detroit engagement. But scarred." inside a her to lie on the floor behind the this will be a slightly dif­ The attack occurred while Laurie counter. No shots were fired. and Wayne Williams were out of fenced-in yard The man seized money from a cash ferent "Les town with their son Oden, 19, and on Steinhauer. register and then fled the store. A cus­ Miserables."/El their daughters Inga, 13, and Tara, tomer who entered Total seconds later 12. reported seeing a man running toward Big Lots, a business directly south of the gas station. REAL ESTATE ~ Please see HORSE, A6 Please see ROBBERS, A6 Last-minute cleanup: There are still a few things you should do Local business plugs into annual Festival of Trees before winter hits for real. /Fl BY BETH SUNDRLA JACHMAN al home parking lot and will return at of Wayne and her sister-in-law Diane in remembrance of a friend. STAFF WRITER about 3 p.m. The senior citizens, who Doletsky of Westland and her sister, "It makes us feel so good," Husby They will see the festival for the were signed up through area churches, Gwynn Manzel of Northville, have said. trees. have already been signed up for the been decorating a tree at the festival The central theme this year is The Uht Funeral Home in Westland trip. each year for the past 10 years. angels, but designers don't have to dec­ INDEX is sponsoring a trip for area senior citi­ Held at Cobo Center each year, the Also, Uht Funeral Home director orate according to that theme, Husby zens to the Festival of Trees in Detroit. festival benefits the Evergreen Foun­ Harold Rediske's wife, Claudia, has said. • OJ)huartes_ A8 The funeral home will provide bus dation, which aids the Children's Hos­ been decorating a tree at the festival The trees are donated but the • Classified Index transportation and the entry fee for pital of Michigan in Detroit. for the past five years and this year is designers pay the cost of the decora­ Real Estate F8 about 145 senior citizens to attend the Taking senior citizens to the festival decorating a tree with her daughter-in- tions themselves unless they have a is new this year for the funeral home, law, Gayle Rediske. sponsor. Crossword F7 festival, which features 110 decorated Christmas trees. The buses leave at 10 but involvement in the festival isn't. Husby started decorating a tree for Husby's group was sponsored by the Jobs HI a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 25, from the funer­ Funeral home employee Barb Husby the festival when she decorated a tree Home & Service J2 Please see TREES, A6 Autos J3 • Opinion A1849 Veterans meal Christmas dinner P3 Sports About 76 people enjoyed a Veterans Day meal at The Salvation Army will be having its annual • Calendar C6 Bova VFW Post 9885 in Westland last week. Senior Christmas dinner 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Fri­ The meal was provided to honor U.S. veterans and day, Dec. 5, at AMVETS Post 171 Memorial Hall, • Entertainment El was held at the post at 6440 Hix Road in Westland. Trek items, figurines, Hot Wheels, Match-Box items, 1217 Merriman in Westland, for senior citizens liv­ ing in Wayne, Westland and Romulus. The dinner is Ryan's Steak House in Westland, Cake World in slot cars, GI Joes, games, comic books, dolls, chil­ Westland, Top Notch Bakery in Canton, Al's Bever­ free. Participants must be 55 or older (one ticket HOW TO REACH US age in Westland, VFW Thursday Pool League Post dren's books and Beanie Babies. For information, per person). Transportation will not be provided. 9885 and VFW Ladies Auxiliary Pool League Post call Ken Bolanger, (313) 721-1810, or John Toye, To pick up a ticket, come to the Salvation Army at Newsroom: 313-953-2104 9885 contributed to the meal. (313)728-TOYE. 2300 Venoy Road, Westland. For more information, call (313) 722-3660. Newsroom Fax: 313-591-7279 Toy Show Goodfellows E-mail: new9room96eonllne.com Shopping special Nlghtllne/Sports: 313-953-2104 Westland Rotary's Toy Show, featuring antiques, The Westland Goodfellows "No child without a Senior citizens and shoppers with disabilities can collectibles, and obsoletes, will be 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Christmas" newspaper fund-raiser will be Friday Reader Comment Line: 313-953-2042 Sunday, Nov. 23, at thfc Wayne Ford Civic League, shop from 7-9 a.m. Friday, Dec. 5, at Mervyn's Cali­ Classified Advertising: 313-691-0900 1645 N.