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Volume 142

Number 29

PRICE: $1 • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012 • hometownlife.com

“Write On”contestThe search is on for

inspired authors witha keen eye with theShort on Words poetryand short story contestbeing held in conjunc-tion with Northville’s2012 Arts & ActsFestival. PreservationDental is the sponsor ofthe first edition of thisliterary competition.There are three fea-

tured photographs (thehut, the man and thelittle girl), and poemsand short stories mustspeak to one of thephotos. Entries shouldbe no longer than1,500 words and mustbe postmarked no laterthan May 4.The cash award for

first place is $150;second place is $100;third place is $50. Therewill be additional prizerecognition awardedat the discretion of thejudges. The presti-gious panel of judgesincludes: publishedauthor Michelle Fecht(Member, NorthvilleCity Council) and thenationally-recognizedprincipal Ellen Dem-ray from GrandviewElementary School(Livonia).Criteria and complete

information packetsare available at theoffice of PreservationDental at 371 E. MainSt. (corner of Griswoldand Main in historicdowntown Northville),on line at preservation-dental.com, and at theNorthville Art House.

Heise’sproperty taxtown hallState Rep. Kurt Heise

(R-Plymouth) is sponsor-ing his second annualproperty tax town hallmeeting to help inter-ested residents betterunderstand their prop-erty tax assessment andthe Board of Reviewappeal process.The town hall meet-

ing will take place at 10a.m. Saturday, March 3in the Northville Town-ship Hall, 44405 Six MileRoad.Douglas Shaw and

Holly Adams, certifiedassessors, will discussthe assessed value andtaxable value of proper-ty, how it is determinedand what it means, aswell as the Board of Re-view process and howto properly prepare foran appeal.Call 1-855-REPKURT

or e-mail at kurtheise@house.mi.gov.

By Lonnie HuhmanCorrespondent

Even with the new rigorous cutscores, Northville Public Schoolsstudents still performed rela-tively well in comparison to therest of the state when it comes tothe latest MEAP scores.“We are happy to see strong

overall scores in the district,especially in comparison with

the county and state,” said Rob-ert Behnke, assistant superin-tendent for Instructional Servic-es. “Northville continues to be aleading school district within thestate for high performing stu-dents.”Behnke said the district saw

solid gains in math with four outof six grades seeing an increasein math proficiency.The biggest proficiency gains

were in third-grademath scores,which went from 53.7 percent in2010 to 60 percent in 2011 whilefourth-grademath jumped from55 percent to 60 percent. Sixth-graders math proficiency scoresincreased from 52 percent to 58.The biggest decline in profi-

ciencies was with ninth-gradesocial studies, which fell to 59.7percent in 2011 from 61.2 per-cent in 2010, and eighth-grade

science with a dip to 34.5 per-cent from the 36.8 percent it hadin 2010. In 2008, over 47 percentof eighth-graders demonstratedproficiency in science.The scores were released by

the state’s Department of Edu-cation last week. The scores andthose from the previous yearsreflect the updated proficiency

By Julie BrownStaff Writer

When Tom Casari grad-uated from Detroit HenryFord High School in 1972,he headed to SchoolcraftCollege. After one year ofgeneral business, Casaridecided to study engineer-ing, with a choice of theUniversity of Michigan orMichigan State University.The new Northville

Township director of pub-lic services is quick to sayhe doesn’t wish to offend

Wolverines, but his choicewas MSU.“I went up to their ori-

entation and it was a goodchoice,” said Casari, whoserved as Canton’s town-ship engineer from 1984-2011. He earned bache-lor of science and masterof science degrees in civ-il engineering from MSU.“Either one would havebeen a good choice. I cer-tainly enjoyed my yearsthere.”He also praises School-

craft.

“I was aware of the repu-tation as a community col-lege,” he said of School-craft, where he enrolledafter growing up in north-west Detroit. Casari, 57,now has 33 years of hiscareer in, including a cou-ple years with OaklandCounty and around fourwith a private contractor.

Moving onThere were a lot of

changes for government

By Lonnie HuhmanCorrespondent

A new name for the NorthvilleCommunity Senior Center couldbe in the works as part of the latestmaster plan adopted by the North-ville Parks and Recreation Commis-sion.The center’s name change is

expected to come soon and it hasbeen endorsed by groups like theSenior Advisory Commission. Thehope is that a name changemightgenerate more interest in the use ofthe center and its services.Joanna Vaghy, interim Parks &

Recreation director, said manyseniors already call it the commu-nity center rather than by its fullname. Northville Township Super-visorMark Abbo said using an his-toric name or something specifi-cally Northville related could alsobe looked at. Suggestions from thecommunity are requested.That item, and hiring a full-time

director, went before the commis-sion at their Feb. 9 meeting, whichwas specially called for the plan’sadoption.The hiring process for a new

director will get underway afterAbbo, Mayor Chris Johnson, CityManager Patrick Sullivan and Town-shipManager Chip Snider make arecommendation to the commissionon how the process should proceed.Amotion to appoint Vaghy as full

time was put forth at themeeting,but it was shot down after Abbo saidthe shared-agreement bylaws statethe hiring process must be creat-ed and then agreed upon before anyfinal decision. Vaghy has been serv-ing as interim director since Janu-

JOHN HEIDER | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Northville Township’s new Public Services director, Tom Casari (right), meets with Karl Gorham,the township’s Water and Sewer supervisor, at one of the township’s recently-built water pump-ing stations.

MEAP results showNorthville still strong

NorthvilleCommunitySenior Centercould get anew name

True to his school:

Spartan serves as new DPSdirector, praises ‘good people’

Please see PLAN, A8Please see CASARI, A11

Please see MEAP, A5

NORTHVILLEHOCKEY TRIESNEW TACTICS

SPECIAL INSERT INSIDE

SPORTS, B1