e _ (/) IJJ :r ~ 0 0 , n (.J .~, ; ... 10 :J cu. vJ R " fJ· <.J ::J 'J , Cl. 0 r~ I") :J .. , (It • 3:'< 1 IJ· I , . .' WAYNE COUNTY'S OLDEST WEEKLY NEWSPAPER ... ESTABLISHED 1869 Pubt~at~ N",mbef USPS 396MO ..... Vol. 116,No. 29,Three sections, 26Pages, Plus Supplements WEDNESDAY, JANUARY23,I98S-NORTHVILLE, MICHIGAN 'S l' <.. •• '0 OJ _ .r-------------------------------- Nn Fight continues ..,' over plans to use ·sp~ce at DeHoCo By KEVIN WILSON any additional prison, penallnslilutlon or correctional facility Of any type State legislators will receive conflic- within their territorial limits." ting opinions this week from Wayne The township resolutions continue to County and from Northville and state that "in the event such additional Plymouth townships regarding what Institutional land use is Imposed upon • should done with the Detroit House of the populace" certain concerns must be Correction. addressed by the state. County executive William Lucas is These include: forwarding the final report of his Com- • Allowing no temporary housing on mission to StUdy Prison Needs, adopted the site; January 17, recommending that • That only a regional prison pattern- DeHoCo be used as temporary housing ed after the prototype under construc- for 1,000 state prisoners almost im- tion in Northville be considered at mediately and that it be renovated for DeHoCo; permanent use as a medium security • That any institution on the site be prison. owned and maintained only by the .• But Northville and Plymouth state; township boards of trustees were • That a cap of 1,375 be placed on the meeting Tuesday night to adopt a joint number of prisoners housed in the resolution stating that they are "inalterably opposed to the siting of Continued on 7 City advises industry to request annexation f) City officials will invite Normae In- quest be denied, however, and Normae corporated of 720 Baseline Road, a was advised that it could obtain water if manufacturer of machinery used in it were annexed to the city. processing drill bits, to petition the "Normae is located in a hollow below state boundary commission for annexa- a bank which Griswold Road runs tion to the city. along," Walters stated in his recom- Record photo by STEVE FECHT • The firm, located just east of the mendation to council. "There is no Snow ~rougbt out sledders like Jeff Nield, 6, 'surfing' his sled down a hill at Cass Benton cider mill, is within the township boun- practical way the township could pro- < daries, and supervisor Susan Heintz vide water or sewer service in the said the township will oppose any move future. Access to Normae is on a city • to annex the property to the city. City street maintained and plowed by the ci- manager Steven Walters stressed that ty. The city police department patrols Park tobogg~n run starts to climb back the city action, approved by council this area and routinely passes Normae Monday night, is not an aggressive one in its daily operation. In contrast, the in which the city itself seeks the annex- township police department would have ByB.J.MARTIN , "Your tax dollars at work," he said, has returned to its former level of "A lot of the improvements we've ation, but simply a notification to Nor- no cause to patrol this area, which is laughing. Then after a pause he added, operational qUality, it's apparent the made are cosmetic," Relkel said. "But mae that "we would be pleased to have outside of its jurisdiction. The township The toboggan was waxed and ready "It's about time." county intends to get serious about last August, when we had to start plann- them annexed to the City of Nor- fire department is also remote to this to shoot down the well-lit, newly- He was right about that. It had been rebUilding it. Ing our winter activities, we embarked thville." location. refurbished toboggan run at Cass Ben- six years since Wayne County last "We receiVed a $2.5 million ap- on a very ambitious winter recreation ton Park last 'Vednesday. The tobog- program. The issue arose when the firm an- "As a result, Normac receives city operated an active winter sports pro- propriation to fund the parks for '84- nounced plans to expand and asked the , services by default and should logically ganers tucked in their arms and legs gram at Cass Benton Park. In the 85," said Eric Reikel, the new director "We had to get waivers from the township to extend water service to its be incorporated into the City of Nor- and began lurching around to make the meantime, buildings had deteriorated of Wayne County Parks and Recrea- workers' union so we could hire people facility. Due to the geography of the thing take off. No use - it woullLl't through lack of use. Workers to super- tion. "That's $500,000 less than we had seasonally," he added. "We fixed up thville," he concluded. budge. • area, the township water department Heintz said she only learned of the vise use of facilities had been laid off. asked for. But before I~t year, the ap- the bUildings we'd Jeft go for a long found it impractical to do so and re- issue Monday and has not yet explored propriation was for about $1 million a time. When the weather improves, Finally a chilly Wayne County Parks Slowly, the park began to acqUire a we're going to remove some trees, quested that the city extend service whether township services could be ex- and Recreation worker trudged over reputation for shoddy upkeep and - year. For a 4,OOO-acrepark system, that from its line in Baseline Road. doesn't scratch the surface. There had clear out underbrush and fix up picnic and gave the group the push needed to even in Northville - as a site for crime. tables. Walters recommended that the re- Continued on 7 careen downhill. to be an incre~ in ap~ropriation." While nobody is claiming the park "The idea" the key to the whole Northville's share of the budget has system - is to get the parks back to an so far been most visible at the toboggan acceptable standard for people to begin run on the east side of Cass Benton using them again. Our goal is to Drive between Six Mile and seven Mile upgrade them completely, but that's Ward Presbyterian plans use of acreage roads. The lights for the run can be seen going to be a gradual process - $2.5 plainly by drivers. There are rest room' mlllion may sound like a lot Ofmoney to and warming shelter facilities you and me. But to operate as much By KEVIN WILSON of the committee that selected the new perty Is just beginning and that no visitors every SUIlday - people who available for public use, and there is a park territory as we have, It's barely • site. timetable exists for construction. have never been there before." recreation facilities supervisor on hand enough." Ward Evangelical Presbyterian "The property was purchased with Phenomenal growth Of the church The site selection committee he head· between 10a.m. and 10p.m. daily. For years, Relkel was director Ofthe Church has purchased nearly 140acres the intention that it will serve the con- congregation may be restrained due to ed explored three options, Tyrpak said: "Those runs are just for toboggan- Oakland County Parks and Recreation of land at the n.>rthwest comer of Six gregation into the next century," said the crowded conditions at the present continued eXpansion at the present site, ing," Relkel pointed out. "People can Department. He was hired by Wayne Mile and Haggerty roads to serve the Tyrpak. "No specific plans have been facility, Tyrpaksaid. purchase of an existing facility (such as sled anywhere else there's a hill, but it County when the 'parks and recreation expanding .needs of the fast-grOWing made." "There are 4,500 members. but the a vacant junior high school in Livonia) won't be supervised. They'll be sled- department split off from control by the congregation. Possible developments for the site In- numbers don't tell the whole story," he and purchase of open la:Jd. ding at their own risk." . Road Commission last. August.. .' '. The chur~h has '\,500 members, and clude new administrative buildings, a said. "If we had more space now, 11m· "~though we still need immediate In communities southeast or Nor- "We think that by increasing activity the purchase of the property in Nor- new sanctuary, ChrisUan education agine we'd have 5,000, maybe 5,500 in relief, the decision was to purchase raw thvllle, there are more shelter stations, at the parks and by increas;pg superVi- thville Township was the result of a facilities, athletic fields, a school or a the congregation. The church is crowd- land in order to be more flexible In ad- supervised skating, tobogganing and sion, people Will feel more secure in Us: search for ways to relieve its crowded retirement vlllage, Tyrpak said. He ed, and there are totally inadequate dressing the need for more space," he sledding facilities, and cross-country ing the parks. If we can addreSs their facilities at Farmington and Six Mile in cautioned that the process of determin- parking facilities. Despite that pro- ski trails - again, for the first time in desires better, we can take more • Livonia, said David Tyrpak, chairman ing what uses will be made of the pro- blem, we average ISO first-time, new Continued OIl 8 years. • positive action." . Northville battles the"deep freez~, ..' For most local residents, last and Taft Gas-n-Go service station went lIut Sunday - so all the calls c~e weekend's sub-zero temperatures operated by James Davis Monday after 7 a.m.