The two mayoral candidates share their views, A2 Homelbwn COMm.SHA f KINH Nil f W«>HM_ Sunday 0 October 26,1997 Hle0ttan& (Dbsmrer Putting You In Touch With Your World VOLUME 33 NUMBER 41 WESTLAND, MICHIGAN • 78 PAGES • http://observer-eccentric.com SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS © 1997 HomeTown Communlcatlonj Network, Inc.- THE WEEK Candidates slug it out at forum AHEAD Mayor Robert Thomas and challenger Ken­ neth Mehl faced off Wednesday during a candidates' forum sponsored by the West- Mayor denounces letter Concert tonight: The land Chamber of Commerce. Schoolcraft College Wind BY DARRELL CLEM "If he did not graduate," Thomas STAFF WRITER wrote, "why lie about it?" Ensemble will perform a BY DARRELL CLEM Thomas and Mehl squared off Wednes­ Wayne-Westland Superintendent STAFF WRITER day during a candidates' forum spon­ Mayor Robert Thomas fired back Halloween concert at 7:30 Friday at longtime politician Greg Baracy confirmed that Thomas Incumbent Westland Mayor Robert sored by the Westland Chamber of was a Wayne Memorial graduate. p.m. tonight in the Rad- Commerce. Thomas Brown for falsely implying Thomas says voters should ask them­ that the mi^or dropped out of high With Thomas' permission, Baracy cliff Center Community selves a simple question when they go About 60 people attended the event allowed the Observer to see confi­ at Joy Manor, but the forum was school and lied about being a Wayne Room, 1751 Radcliff to the polls Nov. 4: Memorial High School graduate. dential school records showing that Are they better off now than they offered to a wider audience on local .Thomas received his standard diplo­ Road, Garden City, south ca*ble television. Brown, who supports mayoral were eight years ago, when he was first challenger Kenneth Mehl, issued to ma on June 8, 1968. of Ford Road between elected? Thomas, seeking his third consecu­ "I graduated from Wayne Memori­ tive four-year term, touted city services newspapers a letter saying Thomas Wayne and Merriman. A Challenger Kenneth Mehl says he should admit it if he quit high al," Thomas said Friday, "and I already has the answer: No. that he said have improved dramatical­ believe that Tom Brown knew when donation will be request­ ly under his leadership. school and later obtained his Gener­ In what is expected to be their last al Equivalency Diploma, or GED. Please see DIPLOMA, A3 ed at the door. pre-election appearance together, Please see FORUM, A3 MONDAY Stories to tell Attic sale: Grandma's Attic Sale will be at the No fear! Senior Resources Depart­ ment (Friendship Center), 1119 Newburgh Road, Westland, daily from 9 Children hear a.m. to 4 p.m. Also included in this sale are hundreds of ceramic special stories molds and hundreds of pieces of greenware and a Halloween is a traditional time for imaginary ghosts and goblins and scary stories. kiln, tor injormation, call But the Westland Parks and Recreation 722-7632. Department and Westland Civitans presented a Halloween Walk, a "non-scary" family adventure through a special story on Thursday, Friday and Saturday in Central City Park. The 40-minute guided tours took small groups TUESDAY along candle-lit pathways through the park. Pro­ ceeds from the event benefited the Fun For All Children Recreation Scholarship Fund. On the road: The mobile The guide played out a scene with other charac­ office of U.S. Sen. Spencer ters to tell different chapters of a story. Abraham will be in Some of the characters included a friendly troll, Wayne County from 9:30- woodsman, three blind mice and Cinderella. 11 a.m. at Livonia City The costumed characters were volunteers from Hall. Constituents are many organizations including the Muggs coffee STAFF PHOTOS BY TOM HAVLEY shop, All Stars Youth Theater Troupe, Westland welcome to visit; no Breakfast Lions, playscape, Collins Rebekah appointments are needed. Neat treats: Cinderella Diane Halis (top photo, left) with the Westland Fire Depart­ Lodge No. 325, Civitans, VFW 3323 Ladies Auxil­ ment hands out treats to Corine Eastman (right to left), Brittaney Gardner and iary and Kiwanis Club ofWestland. Angela Sagert who dressed up in her Halloween costume as a cat. This was one of the Another event, for children in elementary and middle school, is the Boo Bash. 14 stations on the Halloween Walk at the Bailey Center sponsored by the Westland It will, be l-4^ripy$oday at the Wayne Ford Parks and Recreation and Westland Civitan. Angela Sagert, 3, ofWestland, (lower left Civic League. ' WEDNESDAY photo) dressed as a cat takes a lookup at the Bunny at the Halloween Walk. Scarecrow Ticket's* are $5 and the Bash will include hot Kelly Elswick (lower right photo) with the Collins Rebekah Lodge No.. 325 acts out her dogs and games. part as the children listen to the story on the Halloween walk. Proceeds from the Boo Bash benefit the West- Music: Schoolcraft Col­ land All Stars Theater Troupe which is planning lege kicks off its 1997-98 a production of "The Music Man." Music Series with pianist Anton Nel noon to 1 p.m. in the Forum Recital Hall on campus, 18600 Hag- gerty, between Six Mile and Seven Mile in Livo­ nia. Admission is free. The public is invited to meet the artist at a recep­ tion following the perfor­ mance. For information, call (313) 462-4400. INDEX I Places & Faces A2 I Classified Index HI Real Estate HI Crossword H4 Rentals H5 Jobs Kl Home & Service L8 Autos L7 • Taste Bl • Malls B4 9 1 Health & Business CI 'A real fat pig eludes animal control officers •_Artsj& Leisure Dl • Sports & Recreation El BY DARRELL CLEM 'He's well-fed. He's a real fat pig.' his house with his dog, and the dog STAFF WRITER started barking at the pig. The pig boat HOW TO REACH US Remember Arnold the pig of TV's Marc Stobbe up the dog." "Green Acres" — the place to be? —police lieutenant Animal control officers shot at the Little did Westland city leaders Westland swine with n tranquilizer Newsroom: 313-953-2104 gun during one sighting — but failed to know they would attract their own eluded animal control officers for near­ Some residents have reported feed­ Newsroom Fax; 313-591-7279 capture him. Arnold when they coined a slogan call­ ly a month now, police Lt. Mnrc Stobbe ing the pig, which Stobbe estimated E-mail: newtroomOoeonllne.com ing Westland "the place to be." said. weighs 180 to 200 pounds. Some residents reported seeing the pig swimming - or bathing, maybe — Nlghtllne/Sports: 313-953-2104 But Westland has become swine "He's fast," Stobbe said- "He's well-fed," Stobbe said. "He's a country, folks, and it has nothing to do Wo8tland'a pig has been spotted on real fat pig." in the Rouge River area of Hines Park, Reader Comment Line: 313-953-2042 Stobbo said. Classified Advertising: 313-591-0900 with mudslinging by mayoral and city the city's east side and the west side — He has little tusks, too, but he isn't council candidates. often along Warren Road. suspected of hurting any people. "One day he was sunbnthinR outside Display Advertising: 313-591-2300 A wild pig roaming the city has been "He travels from Newburgh to Merri­ "He did beat up a dog, though," Sto- Please see PIO, A$ Home Delivery: 313-591-0500 seen by hundreds of people, but it has man," Stobbo said. bbe said. "One man was coming out of t, r.*-r*-"-A2(W. ) The Observer & Eccentric/ SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1997 NOV. 4 WESTLAND MAYORAL ELECTION inWk Mayor Robert How do you view your role Should thocttyof Wotland What do you see as the How would you Improve ctty What would you do about Thomas and chal­ a* mayor? Why should vot­ have an ethical conduct pol­ three biggest challenges services? the regional Incinerator? ELicnoftr,^ lenger Kenneth ers elect you? icy? Why or why not? facing the city of Westland? Mehl sre competing for a four-year term. Kenneth Mehl, The role'of mayor is to be chief I do believe an ethics policy is The three biggest challenges I believe the only way to The regional incinerator is a 51, is a 28-year executive officer of the city. overdue for our city. Elected are: A long-term financial plan improve city services is by hav­ difficult subject to discuss Westland resi­ The mayor is responsible to officials should be required to must be put into place to make ing the most technological since the mayor and council dent and former make sure the city operates live up to the highest stan­ sure the future of our city will equipment and continue to refuse to provide information to 12-year properly on a day-to-day basis. dards both financially and be financially stable. Citizens' update whenever possible. This us, the taxpayers. It appears Westland City In addition, it is the mayor's morally so the citizens can feel tax dollars must be spent wise­ must be done so that employ­ that the mayor and council Council mem­ responsibility that the finances a comfort level with people ly on services they need and ees will be the most efficient approved an agreement with­ ber. He is a of the city are maintained prop­ who represent them. I believe want. The youth of our city they can be. I also believe that out fully understanding the senior project erly, provide services to all res­ the current mayor's fund-rais­ have been neglected for years employees must be fully financial obligations on the cit­ engineer for idents and oversee all con­ ing tactics and expenditures and we must start to provide trained and updated so their izens of Westland.