"/3- v-z- D 1AM hometown newspaper serving Canton for 27 years — ?Trt" =• anuary 13. 2002 WW Volume 27 Number Canton, Michigan ©2002 HomeTown Communications Network™ Note from the Comcast Dear Readers: Beginning today, you will find a users new section "Pastimes" in your Canton Observer. Pastimes will feature what was formerly called Taste, but much more. It will also include stories on shopping, knocked travel, books, hobbies and other diversions and videos. We are repackaging these stories in our Sunday Observer because Sunday is a time to relax and do what you want to do — not what you have offline to do — and enjoy this information. Look inside Pastimes for the popular "Where Can I • Some Canton Internet sub- Find" feature along with a list of scribers are seeing red - and ' what's happening on mainstreets blank computer screens - after a and malls in our towns. recent switch of service providers. As part of our repackaging, we A Comcast spokesman says the have moved our art news to company is working to resolve the Thursday and combined it with entertainment to become "Arts problem. , and Entertainment" in an effort BY JACK GLADDEN to help you plan your weekend STAFF WRITER . ? activities. STAFF PHOTOS BY BRYAN MITCHELL [email protected] As always, I welcome your He shoots...he scores!: comments. You can e-mail me at The Maple Leafs celebrate a goal in Saturday's Canton Ama- When Comcast switched its former MediaOne [email protected] or call teur Hockey Association game against the Bruins at the new Arctic Edge arena. Road Runner customers over to its own high me at (734) 953-2100. speed Internet service on Dec. 29, some Canton subscribers felt like the Road Runner had been caught by Sincerely, Wile E. Coyote. And some of their stories Play time sound like they could have been taken from a Warner Brothers cartoon. For Annette Gamblin it Arenas score big at Victory Park meant trying to reach a Comcast technician starting at 7:30 a.m. on a Sunday, spending the BY TEDB SCHNEIDER entire day either on hold or redialing the support STAFF WRITER Young helpers: number, and finally getting through to a person tschneider#oe,boiaecomm.Bet Tom Yack, that evening while she There was a double header Sat- Canton Town- was cooking dinner. —r,M • urday at Canton's Victory Park - even though the baseball season ship Supervi- "I was walking See also related ended months ago.. sor, along around the kitchen with library Story on * Township residents and local with members my earpiece on and my page A4 Subscribe, dignitaries gathered to celebrate of CAHA cut phone hooked to my and the grand opening of two recre- the ribbon at waist while I cooked," ation facilities at the newly she said. Start 2002 off with a resolution the Arctic renamed Canton Softball Center For Chuck Konarske, it meant dealing with a to stay informed by subscribing to on Michigan Avenue, between Edge for the broken CD that was supposed to be used to your hometown Observer Canton Center and Beck roads. A official grand install the necessary software, finally download- Newspaper. Subscribe between . opening on ing the software from the Internet only to find now and March 31 and your name his Internet service didn't work anymore after he will be entered in a contest to win arINA: Saturday. a golf getaway for two courtesy of see COMCAST, A4 Boyne Resorts USA and the Observer Newspapers. Twelve other winners will enjoy gift cards to Kohl's, Best Buy and Plan calls for new motel to replace Willow Acres AMC Theaters (offer applies to six-month and annual BY TEDB SCHNEIDER retail and light industrial projects, in nearly four years. Previous based Kishan Co. subscriptions only). STAFF WRITER township officials believe. approvals have long since expired with To subscribe and be entered into [email protected] "The reality of these things is that But don't count on seeing bulldozers no construction. they take time," he added. the contest for the golf trip The Willow Acres Motel on Michigan at the site - on the south side of Michi- "There is still an active plan" to build package and gift cards, call the The board voted 7-0 on the new pro- Avenue at Canton's eastern edge could gan, between Hannan and Lotz roads - a motel on the site, a spokesman for posal, which also got a unanimous Observer circulation department be razed to make way for a 90-room anytime soon. the developer said Friday. at (734) 591-0500. approval from the Canton Planning motel and banquet center. The Canton Township Board of "We have the financing, but there The contest is open to new and Commission in early December. The proposal makes sense in an area Trustees last week granted special are two or three other requirements we renewal subscriptions. Senior Canton Supervisor Tom Yack said that is seeing rapid redevelopment, land use approval for the project, the need in place before we can start," said citizens rates are available. including several new lodging facilities, third time it has come before the board Ketan Bhatt of the Lathrup Village- lease see A2 Chamber installs new board No one hurt seriously Apartments/D5 Jobs/E2 Automotive/ET New Homes/Dl Classified/D,E 0bituaries/A6 in bus-SUVs accident Classified lndex/D2 Pastimes/81 Community Real Estate/Dl BY TONY BRUSCATO • Police say Debra Jenkins I STAFF WRITER Calendar/A9 Service Guide/E7 [email protected] of Pinckney, was driving her Cop Calls/A2 Sports/Si Crossword/03 Jravel/BS * Plymouth Township police say there Jeep Liberty eastbound on were no serious injuries resulting from Ann Arbor Road when she a head-on accident involving two sport fell asleep and drove across utility vehicles and a Plymouth-Canton school bus in front of Pioneer Middle the center line. School Thursday morning. Police say Debra Jenkins, 49, of Pinckney, was driving her Jeep Liberty driver, Beth Thumm of Plymouth, nor eastbound on Ann Arbor Road when the three boys on the bus, had to be she fell asleep and drove across the hospitalized. All were reportedly treat- center line. ed at the scene. Sgt. Bob Antal said the driver of the Her vehicle hit an oncoming Ford Excursion, Nicholas Sierra Jr., of Can- Excursion, and then crashed head-on ton, was not seriously injured. into the school bus, which was waiting Police said Jenkins was transported to turn into the parking lot of the to St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann PHOTO BY SHABON LEHJEUS school. Arbor with minor injuries. SUNDAY PAPfJ? In the board room: Canton Chamber of Commerce President Despite the fact the bus sustained She was given a citation for causing THl'RSBM PAPE* Sally Bailey (standing behind chair) with the newly-inducted extensive damage, neither the bus the accident. members of the chamber's Board of Directors. Board members for 2002 are: Bailey, Rita Lowenstein, president-elect; Tom Cassidy, past president; Brenda Pollack, treasurer; Terry Job- Canton Winter Ball will be Friday bitt} vice president for business and economic development; Todd LaJoy, vice president for community development; Jean An elegant evening is on tap for This year's gala is at Laurel 1-800-57 Tabor, vice president for government relations; Jim Demmer, Canton residents Friday, Jan. 18. Manor in Livonia, with cocktails vice president for membership and marketing; and directors Make plans to attend the Can- at 6:30 p.m., dinner and dancing Tom Adamusik, Bob Boyer, Mike Bongiovanni, Aldona Chew, ton Winter Ball, the annual Can- to follow. Tickets, at $75 each, are Tom Gerou, Clarice KiUian, Glenn Patton, Ross Smith, ton Community Foundation gala. still available. The event is one of the founda- Call the foundation office, (734) Denise Staffeld. For a story on remarks by the Rev. Jack tion's major fund-raisers. They 398-5000, by Thursday for reser- Baker at Wednesday's chamber luncheon, please turn to Page also sponsor a summer golf out- vations. A3. ing. 6 53174 10009 2 rA2(C) The Observer & Eccentric/ SUNDAY, JANUARY 13, 2002 Canterbury resident victim of a break-in CANTON CONNECTION A resident of the 800 block of The resident said someone had A resident of the 2200 block of Canterbury told police she came • COP CALLS smashed the rear window on the Canton Center reported to police home about 6:30 p.m. Jan. 7 and driver's side of the car and stole that between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Department fills posts noticed that her front door was a radio and speakers valued at on Jan. 5, she left her jewelry Nichole Hamilton is the Canton Fire Department's newest closed but not locked. More stolen jewelry more than $800 from the car. box either on the bed or in a Inspector. The 29-year-old joined the department in December When she entered the house a A resident of the 5900 block of He said his car had be?n dresser drawer while she went to after working in customer service the past few years. rear sliding door was also closed • Edenburgh, said she returned parked since Jan. 1. church. When she returned According to Hamilton, firefighting is a family thing. She said but not locked. She said several home from work about 8:30 p.m. home, she did not notice any- her husband, Bruce, is employed as a Dearborn firefighter and items from, on top of a dishwash- Jan. 7 and discovered that sever- Stolen generator thing unusual.