Photo by Chris Jackett

By CHRIS JACKETT
Sunday Times Newspapers
The fall season isn’t just an educational time for children returning to grade school.

It also can be a learning experience for adults as well.

The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth projected earlier this year that a variety of fields will see growth through 2016. They range from engineering to management, medical services, computer systems and more (view the full list under “Publications” at www.milmi.org).

Statewide unemployment is still at one of the highest rates in the country, but a variety of Downriver colleges and trade schools are providing educational training opportunities looking to move up in their job or make a career change into one of the growing fields.

Baker College of Allen Park
Address: 4500 Enterprise Drive (near Outer Drive and I-94)
Website: www.baker.edu
Starts: Sept. 27
Cost: $205 undergraduate, $360 graduate (per credit)
Focus: Undergraduate degrees are available in business administration, health sciences, engineering/technology, information systems, education and human service, culinary and automotive/diesel. Graduate degrees are available for a doctor of business administration; master of science in information systems (management information systems); master of business administration (areas of study include overview – MBA, accounting, finance, general business, health care management, human resource management, information management, leadership studies, and marketing); and a master of occupational therapy.

Detroit Business Institute–Downriver
Address: 19100 Fort Street (near Sibley Road in Riverview)
Website: www.dbidownriver.com
Starts: Oct. 11 for day classes, Nov. 8 for night classes
Cost: $9,460 to $11,700 per year based on program and time of classes
Focus: Due to high demand from students and its personal goal of small classes sizes (15 or fewer students), DBI is only offering medical assistant and medical office programs this fall. In other semesters, administrative assistant, medical billing, computer office specialist, legal administrative assistant, medical office specialist and legal administrative specialist programs also have been offered. Don’t be fooled by the small, strip-mall entryway; the school extends to nine full-sized labs and classrooms.

Lifton Institute for Media Skills
Address: 16630 Southfield Road, Entrance Five (between Allen Road and I-94)
Website: www.liftoninstitute.com
Starts: Sept. 13
Cost: $9,000 for 512 hours of training in a focused track over a 12- to 15-week span
Focus: Media-centric training in production; art; hair and make-up; wardrobe; camera, light and grip; sound; and editorial all are available.

Stautzenberger Institute
Address: 16630 Southfield Road, Entrance One (between Allen Road and I-94)
Website: www.sitoday.net
Starts: Oct. 6
Cost: $7,290 for full certificate program
Focus: Certificates in massage therapy, medical administrative technology; medical assisting; medical billing and coding specialist; personal fitness trainer; phlebotomy technician; and a continuing education series are available.

Wayne County Community College – Downriver Campus
Address: 21000 North Line Road (west of Allen Road in Taylor)
Website: www.wcccd.edu/WCCCDcampus/Downriver
Starts: Aug. 23
Cost: $67.65 for district residents, $100 for nondistrict residents (per credit).
Focus: Accounting, automotive service technology, business administration, business information technology (e-commerce, office specialist), child care training, computer information systems (computer database specialist, computer network administrator, computer programming specialist, computer support specialist, systems administrator, Web administrator, Website designer), Criminal justice, emergency medical technology, fire protection technology, machine tool technology, manufacturing technology (numerical control technology), and pre-physician assistant programs are available.

(Contact Chris Jackett at cjackett@bewickpublications.com)

About 12:30 p.m. Aug. 20, a man described as a black male in a white T-shirt and driving a black 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix robbed TCF Bank,16350 Fort St. in Southgate.

Downriver Central Dispatch made the call to all Southgate and Wyandotte patrol units to keep an eye out for the suspect.

A Wyandotte officer in the parking lot of CVS/pharmacy on the southeast corner of Fort and North Line Road saw the suspect traveling north in the described Grand Prix. The officer turned out of the parking lot to follow the suspect’s vehicle north.

The officer saw Watkins observe the patrol car’s presence, which resulted in the quick maneuver of the Grand Prix – which is registered to a Southgate woman – across two lanes of traffic to get into the turnaround for southbound Fort.

At that point a Southgate officer also joined the chase.

Watkins saw southbound traffic stopped at a red light and turned the Grand Prix into the 7-Eleven on the northwest corner of Fort and North Line. He slowed down as if he was going to park the vehicle.

The Wyandotte officer turned on his car’s emergency lights, at which point the Grand Prix accelerated through the parking lot and into westbound traffic on North Line. Both officers pursued the vehicle west at speeds exceeding 80 miles per hour as it weaved throughout traffic.

After disregarding a red light at Dix-Toledo Road, Watkins sped up to faster than 100 mph while disregarding a red light at Fordline and nearly colliding with a white convertible that was turning left off Fordline onto westbound North Line.

He was forced to slow down at the I-75 interchange and nearly collided with two other vehicles. Watkins then maneuvered around others and onto northbound I-75.

The Grand Prix accelerated to more than 120 mph while weaving through traffic. Watkins temporarily slowed down as if he was getting off at the Outer Drive exit, but cut off several vehicles to merge back onto northbound I-75.

Pursuit continued as the Grand Prix forcibly turned off I-75 at the Schaefer Road exit, but Watkins was unable to control his vehicle at the high speed he was traveling and the car left the roadway off the left edge of the ramp, going over a curb and hitting a large amount of gravel.

Officers briefly lost sight of the vehicle as it hit the gravel and kicked up debris, but the car had rolled over at least once when leaving the road and coming to a stop.

When the dust settled, officers ordered Watkins out of the vehicle and to the ground at gunpoint.

He was handcuffed and a large amount of money and a loaded black semiautomatic handgun were found at the scene.

(Contact Chris Jackett at cjackett@bewickpublications.com)

Kilpatrick voted out by Democrats

By CHRIS JACKETT
Sunday Times Newspapers
Downriver residents came out to the polls in full force Tuesday to set the slate for November’s election.

The gubernatorial race is between Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero, D-Lansing, and entrepreneur Rick Snyder, R-Ann Arbor. Unofficial state primary tallies show Bernero defeated state House of Representatives Speaker Andy Dillon, D-Redford, about 309,000 to 219,000. Snyder captured about 381,000 votes to defeat four other Republican candidates who combined for nearly 666,000 votes, indicating a strong push by the current minority party.

The races in the 13th and 14th districts for U.S. Representative each provided their own forms of commentary. In the 14th, which includes Allen Park, Dearborn, Detroit, Gibraltar, Grosse Ile Township, Hamtramck, Highland Park, Melvindale, Riverview, Southgate and Trenton, unopposed incumbent John Conyers Jr., D-Detroit, captured about 45,000 votes of 58,000 cast. He will square off with Don Ukrainec, R-Trenton, whose 7,400 votes edged out the 6,000 captured by Pauline Montie, R-Southgate.

In the 13th District, which includes Detroit, Ecorse, Garden City, Grosse Pointe, Harper Woods, Lincoln Park, River Rouge and Wyandotte, incumbent Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, D-Detroit – mother of former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick – was ousted for the Democratic nomination. She placed second of six Democratic candidates with about 19,500 votes, but Hansen Clarke, D-Detroit, captured 22,500 votes for the victory. Clarke will face off in November with unopposed John Hauler, R-Grosse Pointe Woods, who got about 10,000 votes.

In the 15th District, which includes Taylor, Brownstown Township, Flat Rock, Huron Township, Rockwood, Romulus, Woodhaven, west Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Inkster, Sumpter Township, eastern Washtenaw County and all of Monroe County, cardiologist Dr. Rob Steele was the big winner on the Republican side, taking more than 45 percent of the vote. Candidates from Dearborn Tony Amorose and Majed Moughni finished third and fourth, respectively, in the four-man race. Democratic incumbent John Dingell, D-Dearborn, ran unopposed.

The Michigan Senate 8th District saw a fairly even vote among the five candidates to replace term-limited Sen. Raymond Basham, D-Taylor. Hoon-Yung Hopgood, D-Taylor, was the overall front-runner, taking about 7,100 votes. He’ll face off with Ken Larkin, R-Lincoln Park, who got about 6,700. The district includes Allen Park, Ecorse, Lincoln Park, Melvindale, Riverview, Romulus, Southgate, Taylor, Wayne and Wyandotte.

Michigan House of Representatives races in the 13th, 14th and 16th districts brought out about 7,000 to 11,000 voters in each district.

Unopposed incumbent Andrew Kandrevas, D-Southgate, took 5,300 votes in the 13th (Riverview, Southgate, Trenton and Wyandotte). He will square off with Cynthia Kallgren, R-Trenton, who defeated three others by more than 1,000 votes, capturing nearly 2,800.

Paul Clemente, D-Lincoln Park, defeated four others for the open 14th District seat with 2,200 votes and will challenge unopposed Patrick O’Connell, R-Allen Park, who took the Republican nomination with nearly 3,000 votes. Residents of Allen Park, Ecorse, Lincoln Park, Melvindale and River Rouge will make that decision in November.

The three candidates for the 16th District State Representative seat all had a close run, but unopposed Michael Mullins, R-Allen Park, took 2,800 votes to set up a ballot with incumbent Robert Constan, D-Dearborn Heights, who took 2,600 votes to defeat Michael Greene, D-Inkster, who got 1,700 votes.

Susan Hubbard (Dearborn) captured 73,500 votes to win the single six-year, nonincumbent position in Wayne County 3rd Circuit Court, ahead of John Sullivan (Northville) at 51,500 and Gary Jones (Detroit) at 21,900.

County government
The Wayne County Transit Authority levy renewal seeking to keep the current transportation levy of 59 cents per $1,000 of taxable value on assessed property passed with a 73.68 percent vote of approval. The four-year tax assists the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation with its goal of serving the elderly, handicapped and general public throughout the county. Estimates expect the millage will generate more than $12 million when levied later this year.

Mario Fundarski, R-Inkster, and Robert Ficano, D-Detroit, were both unopposed within their parties as they vied for the four-year Wayne County executive position. Fundarski got 54,600 votes and Ficano had 113,200 votes.

Shelly Milton, R-Belleville, took 40,200 votes, nearly double that received by Taras Nykoriak, R-Hamtramck, in the Wayne County sheriff race. Milton will face off with Benny Napoleon, D-Detroit, who took 81 percent of the votes in a pool of five Democratic candidates with 102,600 votes.

Although the Wayne County Commission races for the 13th (Allen Park, Dearborn and Melvindale), 14th (Ecorse, Grosse Ile Township, River Rouge, Riverview, Southgate, Trenton, Woodhaven and Wyandotte) and 15th (Brownstown Township, Flat Rock, Gibraltar, Huron Township, Rockwood, Romulus and Taylor) districts were mostly unopposed, all three Downriver districts are slated for narrow victory margins in the November election.

Incumbent Gary Woronchak, D-Dearborn, got 5,900 votes and J. Scott Saionz, R-Dearborn, got 5,100 votes in a 13th District where both were unopposed.

Incumbent Joseph Palamara, D-Grosse Ile, got 6,900 votes and C.B. Clark, R-Grosse Ile, got 6,600 votes in a 14th District where both also were unopposed.

With incumbent Chairman Edward Boike Jr., D-Taylor, not seeking re-election, Jackie Jones, R-Brownstown Township, took the most votes with 5,100. Basham took 4,300 votes to defeat the 2,000 votes Edward Mulka, D-Taylor, got in the Democratic race.

Democratic and Republican candidates will square off at the polls for all positions on Nov. 2.

(Contact Chris Jackett at cjackett@bewickpublications.com)

13th District
Republican Party
John Hauler 10,157
Democratic Party
Hansen Clarke 22,580
John Broad 1,871
Vincent Brown 893
Stephen Hume 820

14th District
Republican Party
Don Ukrainec 7,434
Pauline Montie 5,978
Democratic Party
John Conyers Jr. 44,886

15th District
Republican Party
Rob Steele 18,359
John Lynch 11,946
Tony Amorose 4,488
Majed Moughni 1,374
Democratic Party
John Dingell 40,646

State Senate
3rd District
Republican Party
Doug Mitchell 4,588
Democratic Party
Morris Hood 8,016
William Robinson 7,168
Mohamed Okdie 2,642

5th District
Republican Party
Bonnie Patrick 3,486
Democratic Party
Tupac Hunter 14,564

7th District
Republican Party
Patrick Colbeck 9,293
Deborah Whyman 8,023
Abe Munfakh 6,793
Dan Osterman 5,513
Democratic Party
Kathleen Law 13,691

8th District
Republican Party
Ken Larkin 6,783
Douglas Reimel 4,379
Democratic Party
Hoon-Yung Hopgood 7,147
Sherry Dragone 3,515
Mike Kell 4,862

State House of Representatives
11th District
Republican Party
Leonard Mier 206
Democratic Party
David Nathan 4,578
Deborah Davis 1,033
Lynnette Bowens 501
Tonya Wells 300

13th District
Republican Party
Cynthia Kallgren 2,775
Matthew Schafer 1,710
Bradford Glass 785
Julius Vida Jr. 428
Democratic Party
Andrew James Kandrevas 5,330

14th District
Republican Party
Patrick O’Connell 2,972
Democratic Party
Paul Clemente 2,246
Frank Liberati 1,670
Brittany Guerriero 1,391
Frank Vaslo 975
Rebecca Sarazin 195

15th District
Republican Party
Suzanne Sareini 4,492
Democratic Party
George Darany 2,129
Linda Tafelski 1,753
Stephen Dobkowski Jr. 592
Alex Shami 334

16th District
Republican Party
Michael Mullins 2,804
Democratic Party
Bob Constan 2,604
Michael Greene 1,690

17th District
Republican Party
Mike Adams 4,479
Democratic Party
Phil Cavanagh 4,424
Frank Tomcsik 1,630

22nd District
Republican Party
Darrell McNeill 1,744
Donald Lingerfelt 1,220
Democratic Party
Douglas Geiss 4,389

23rd District
Republican Party
Pat Somerville 3,467
Matthew McCormick 2,497
Daniel McIntyre 1,631
Democratic Party
Deb Kennedy 4,632

Wayne County
County Executive
Republican Party
Mario Nesr Fundarski 54,610
Democratic Party
Robert A. Ficano 113,255

Sheriff
Republican Party
Shelly L. Milton 40,252
Taras P. Nykoriak 21,875
Democratic Party
Benny N. Napoleon 102,601
Walter L. Epps 12,361
Danny Smith 4,600
Daniel Dean Sr. 3,326
Luke Granberry Jr. 3,011

County Commission
5th District
Republican Party
Keith M. Steffke 1,204
Democratic Party
Ilona Varga 4,156
Tyrone A. Carter 1,445
Gary Allen Roquemore 321

13th District
Republican Party
J. Scott Saionz 5,091
Democratic Party
Gary Woronchak 5,918

14th District
Republican Party
C.B Clark 6,606
Democratic Party
Joseph Palamara 6,924

15th District
Republican Party
Jackie Jones 5,110
Democratic Party
Raymond E. Basham 4,359
Edward G. Mulka 2,002

Non-Partisan
District Court
33rd District
Edward J. Nykiel 5,570
Jennifer Coleman Hesson 5,124
Gordon C. Mobley 1,670
Gene Ferguson Jr. 1,157

Circuit Court
3rd Circuit
Susan L. Hubbard 73,465
John J. Sullivan 51,442
Gary Jones 21,881

Dearborn Heights City Council
Kathy Abdel-Hak 1,828
Ned Apigian 1,868
Robert Yahrmatter 1,825

Proposals
Trenton Public Schools
Renewal of its hold-harmless millage
Yes 2,558
No 1,330

Most of the Michigan and U.S. congressional positions in the region are up for grabs with the incumbents in the race, but the 8th District will have a new state senator because Raymond Basham, D-Taylor, is term limited. The district comprises Allen Park, Ecorse, Lincoln Park, Melvindale, Riverview, Romulus, Southgate, Taylor, Wayne, Wyandotte. Basham is running to represent the Wayne County Commission’s 15th District, where incumbent Edward Boike Jr. is not seeking re-election.

Also on the ballot for local residents is a Wayne County Transit Authority levy renewal seeking to keep things rolling with the current transportation levy of 59 cents per $1,000 of taxable value on assessed property. The four-year tax would assist the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation with its goal of serving the elderly, handicapped and general public throughout the county. Estimates say the millage would generate more than $12 million when levied later this year.

The 1st District Appeals Court and the 32A District Court that represents Allen Park, Melvindale, Riverview and Wyandotte, among others, do not have any action on the primary ballot.

In the Wayne County Circuit Court, Detroit resident Wanda Evans and 19 incumbents battle for 19 six-year incumbent positions. Susan L. Hubbard (Dearborn), Gary Jones (Detroit) and John J. Sullivan (Northville) face off for the single six-year, nonincumbent position with the court.

Mario Fundarski, R-Inkster, and Robert Ficano, D-Detroit, are the lone candidates for the four-year Wayne County executive position. Shelly Milton, R-Belleville; Taras Nykoriak, R-Hamtramck; Daniel Dean Sr., D-Detroit; Walter Epps, D-Detroit; Luke Granberry Jr., D-Detroit; Benny Napoleon, D-Detroit; and Danny Smith, D-Detroit, all seek the Wayne County sheriff position that is only a partial term lasting until the end of 2012.

Mike Bouchard, R-Birmingham; Mike Cox, R-Livonia; Tom George, R-Lansing; Pete Hoekstra, R-Holland; Rick Snyder, R-Ann Arbor; Virg Bernero, D-Lansing; and Andy Dillon, D-Redford, all are in the race for the four-year governor position to be vacated by term-limited Jennifer Granholm.

The polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. across the state. For polling locations go to https://webapps.sos.state.mi.us/mivote.

The following are the incumbents and other candidates, listed with political affiliation and hometown, for the U.S. and state congressional seats, as well as the county commissioner position. Representatives and county commissioners serve for two years, senators for four.

• 13th District U.S. Representative
(Detroit, Ecorse, Garden City, Grosse Pointe, Harper Woods, Lincoln Park, River Rouge, Wyandotte)
Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, D-Detroit (I)
John Hauler, R-Grosse Pointe Woods
John W. Broad, D-Grosse Pointe Farms
Vincent T. Brown, D-Garden City
Hansen Clarke, D-Detroit
Stephen Hume, D-Detroit
Glenn Plummer, D-Detroit

• 14th District U.S. Representative
(Allen Park, Dearborn, Detroit, Gibraltar, Grosse Ile Township, Hamtramck, Highland Park, Melvindale, Riverview, Southgate, Trenton)
John Conyers Jr., D-Detroit (I)
Pauline Montie, R-Southgate
Don Ukrainec, R-Trenton

• 8th District Michigan Senator
(Allen Park, Ecorse, Lincoln Park, Melvindale, Riverview, Romulus, Southgate, Taylor, Wayne, Wyandotte)
Ken Larkin, R-Lincoln Park
Douglas Reimel, R-Taylor
Sherry Dragone, D-Taylor
Hoon-Yung Hopgood, D-Taylor
Mike Kell, D-Southgate

• 13th District Michigan Representative
(Riverview, Southgate, Trenton, Wyandotte)
Andrew J. Kandrevas, D-Southgate (I)
Bradford L. Glass, R-Trenton
Cynthia J. Kallgren, R-Trenton
Matthew L. Schafer, R-Southgate
Julius Vida Jr., R-Trenton

• 14th District Michigan Representative
(Allen Park, Ecorse, Lincoln Park, Melvindale, River Rouge)
Paul Clemente, D-Lincoln Park (I)
Patrick D. O’Connell, R-Allen Park
Brittany Guerriero, D-Allen Park
Frank Liberati, D-Lincoln Park
Rebecca Sarazin, D-Lincoln Park
Frank Vaslo, D-Lincoln Park

• 16th District Michigan Representative
(Allen Park, Dearborn Heights, Garden City, Inkster)
Robert Constan, D-Dearborn Heights (I)
Michael E. Mullins, R-Allen Park
Michael A. Greene, D-Inkster

• 13th District County Commissioner
(Allen Park, Dearborn, Melvindale)
J. Scott Saionz, R-Dearborn
Gary Woronchak, D-Dearborn (I)

• 14th District County Commissioner
(Ecorse, Grosse Ile Township, River Rouge, Riverview, Southgate, Trenton, Woodhaven, Wyandotte)
C.B. Clark, R-Grosse Ile
Joseph Palamara, D-Grosse Ile (I)

• 15th District County Commissioner
(Brownstown Township, Flat Rock, Gibraltar, Huron Township, Rockwood, Romulus and Taylor)
Jackie Jones, R-Brownstown Township
Raymond Basham, D-Taylor
Edward Mulka, D-Taylor
(Incumbent Edward Boike Jr. is not seeking re-election)

(Contact Chris Jackett at cjackett@bewickpublications.com)

Allen Park Community Center
7 to 8 a.m. — Baking contest drop-off
2 p.m. — Euchre
6 p.m. — Car show

Tuesday
8 a.m. — Tennis (co-ed), Champaign Park
8 a.m. — Bocce ball (men), Riverview Senior Center
9:30 a.m. — Pinochle, Allen Park Community Center
10 a.m. — Horseshoes, Knights of Columbus Council 3774, Allen Park
Noon — Billiards, Rack and Roll, Riverview
1 p.m. — Darts, Ford Senior Center, Taylor
1:30 p.m. — Shuffleboard (co-ed) Copeland Rec. Center, Wyandotte
2 p.m. — Ping Pong, Ford Senior Center, Taylor

Wednesday
TBD — Golf – Taylor Meadows Golf Course, Taylor
8 a.m. — Bocce ball (women) Riverview Senior Center
10 a.m. — Bridge, Allen Park Community Center
1:30 p.m. — Swimming, Allen Park High School
2:30 p.m. — Basketball shoot, Allen Park Community Center
6 p.m. — Ballroom dance contest, Allen Park Community Center

Thursday
7 a.m. — One mile run, Allen Park High School
9 a.m. — Bowling, Roosevelt Lanes, Allen Park

Friday
Noon – Unity Awards Banquet, Crystal Gardens Banquet Center, Southgate

Event sites
• Allen Park Community Center, 15800 White, Allen Park
• Champaign Park, Champaign and Pelham roads, Allen Park
• Riverview Senior Center, 14100 Civic Park, Riverview
• Rack and Roll, 13634 Sibley Road, Riverview
• Ford Senior Center, 6750 Troy, Taylor
• Copeland Recreation Center, 2306 Fourth, Wyandotte
• Allen Park High School, 18401 Champaign, Allen Park
• Knights of Columbus Council 3774, Allen Park
• Roosevelt Lanes, 6701 Roosevelt, Allen Park
• Taylor Meadows Golf Course, 25360 Ecorse Road, Taylor
• Crystal Gardens Banquet Center, 16703 Fort St., Southgate

Downriver communities participating
Allen Park, Brownstown Township, Ecorse, Flat Rock, Gibraltar, Grosse Ile, Huron Township, Lincoln Park, Melvindale, River Rouge, Riverview, Rockwood, Romulus, Southgate, Taylor, Trenton, Woodhaven and Wyandotte.

Daniel Tomes and Josh Owens recently died in Melvindale and Riverview.

Owens, a 25-year-old Trenton resident and 2003 graduate of Lincoln Park High School, died about 8:20 a.m. July 10 in Riverview after being struck by a train near Colvin and Electric, south of Pennsylvania Road. Officials said they believe the death was either an accident or a suicide, but it still is under investigation.

The death came just three days after Tomes, a 24-year-old Redford Township resident, lost control of his motorcycle and struck nearby construction equipment, causing Tomes to be thrown from the bike. The crash occurred about 3 a.m. July 7 on northbound I-75 near the Fort Street-Schaefer Road exit.

(Contact Chris Jackett at cjackett@bewickpublications.com)

Dear Aging
Because more accidents and injuries happen in the bathroom than any other room in the house, this is a great place to start seniorizing. Here’s what you should know.

Small Changes
To avoid hygiene hardships as you get older, let’s start with some simple tips and a few low-cost add-ons that can make a big difference in making your bathroom safer and easier to maneuver.

• Floor: To avoid slipping and tripping, get non-skid bath rugs for the floors or secure existing floor mats or rugs with double-sided rug tape.

• Lights: The older we get the more light we need, so install the highest wattage bulbs allowed for your fixtures, and get a plug in nightlight that automatically turns on when the room gets dark.

• Entrance: If the doorway into the bathroom is not wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair or walker, you can easily widen your doorways (two inches) with inexpensive offset door hinges.

• Bath/shower: To make bathing safer, buy a non-slip rubber mat or put down self-stick strips on the tub/shower floor, and install grab bars for support. If you use the shower, it’s a good idea to put in a shower curtain rod that screws or bolts into the wall (versus a tension-mounted rod), so that if you lose your balance and grab the shower curtain, the rod won’t spring loose. Another safety precaution is to put in a water-resistant, wall-mounted phone in or near the bath/shower in case of a fall. And many seniors with mobility or balance problems need to shower sitting down. If this applies to you, install a hand-held, adjustable-height shower head, and buy a portable bath/shower chair.

• Toilet: Install grab bars next to the toilet too if possible, or purchase a toilet seat riser. This adds two-to-four inches of height making it easier to sit and rise.

• Faucets: If you have twist handles on the sink, bathtub or shower faucets, replace them with lever handles. They’re easier to turn, especially for seniors with arthritis or limited hand strength. Also be aware that it takes only 130-degree water to scald you, so turn your hot water heater down to 120 degrees or get anti-scald devices for your faucets.

Bathroom Products
If you’re thinking about remodeling, there are a variety of practical and stylish products on the market that can make your bathroom more age-friendly.

For bathing, prefabricated “curbless showers” and “walk-in bathtubs” are two popular options today. Curbless showers have no threshold to step over so access is a breeze and ideal for wheelchair users. Theses showers also typically come with a built-in seat, grab bars, an adjustable hand-held shower head, and a slip resistant textured floor. Or, if you like to take baths, a walk-in bathtub with a front door may be the way to go. You can find these products at sites like Accessible-Showers.com and Premier-Bathrooms.com.

If you’re interested in getting a new toilet, go with an ADA compliant “comfort height” toilet that’s 17 inches high, versus a standard toilet that’s only 15 inches. Kohler (Kohler.com) and American Standard (AmericanStandard-us.com) make a nice variety.

And if you’re putting in a new sink, install it at a level that reduces bending. For wheelchair access wall-mounted or pedestal sinks, or a sink built into a cabinet that’s open underneath will let you roll in nice and close. And if you get a new faucet, the single lever handle style is great for those with arthritis.

Savvy Tips: For more information on senior-friendly modification tips visit aarp.org/families/home_design/bath and Homemods.org. Also contact your nearby independent living center (ilru.org, 713-520-0232). These are nonprofit centers that provide modification information, and many even offer free or low-cost home assessments. Your Area Agency on Aging (800-677-1116) is also a good referral resource.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

Allen Park
(Winners in bold type)
School Board
Fran Babbage (I) 1,439
Margaret Marten (I) 1,375

Dearborn
(Winners in bold type)
Mayor
John B. (Jack) O’Reilly Jr. 14,150
Michael J. (Mike) Prus 1,932

City Clerk
Kathleen Buda 12,181

City Council
Thomas Patrick Tafelski 9,744
Suzanne Sareini 8,103
George T. Darany 7,762
Mark C. Shooshanian 7,586
Robert A. Abraham 7,570
Brian C. O’Donnell 7,101
Nancy A. Hubbard 6,970
David W. Bazzy 6,422
Sharon Dulmage 5,789
Doug Thomas 5,078
Patrick M. Kiernan 4,921
Ali Sayed 4,676
Patrick D’Ambrosio 4,563
George Hart 3,915

School Board
Pamela Adams 7,367
Hussein Berry 6,284
John C. Corbin 4,790
Roxanne McDonald 5,174

HFCC Millage Renewal
Yes 13,175
No 3,769

Dearborn Heights
(Winners in bold type)
Mayor
Daniel S. Paletko 5,116

City Clerk
Judy Dudzinski 5,015
Mario Nesr Fundarski 583

Treasurer
John J. Riley II 5,283

City Council
Margaret M. Van Houten 4,086
Thomas A. Berry 3,521
Janet S. Badalow 3,354
Margaret M. Horvath 3,301
Jim Lynch 2,249
Cynthia Boguslaski 1,740
Ned Apigian 1,438
Kathy Abdel-Hak 600

District 7 School Board (6-year term)
Lori Fujita 796

District 7 School Board (4-year term)
Virginia Morgan 477
Cathrine Marie Bunker 319
Soja A. Smith 161

Lincoln Park
(Winners in bold type)
Mayor
Frank Vaslo 2,291
Joseph Baughman 1,668

Clerk
Donna Breeding 3,378

Treasurer
Patricia Lulko 3,270

City Council
Joe Kaiser 2,823
Suzanne Moreno 2,621
Mark Kandes 2,570
Thomas Murphy 2,194
Mario DiSanto 2,165
Donald Majors 2,118
Michael Myers 2,021
Valerie Brady 1,581
Gleason Heine 1,390

School Board
Mike Hall 2,259
Charles Kaminski 2,039
Vernon Wynn 1,273

Charter Amendment 1
Yes 2,882
No 999

Charter Amendment 2
Yes 3,281
No 604

Charter Amendment 3
Yes 1,981
No 1,711

Charter Amendment 4
Yes 3,290
No 607

Charter Amendment 5
No 2,343
Yes 1,527

Melvindale/North Allen Park Schools
(Winners in bold type)
Matthew James Martinez 631

Riverview
(Winners in bold type)
City Council
James D. Trombley 1,035
Andrew M. Swift 1,034
Betty Priskorn 1,010
Donald R. Capezza 653
Bo Schimers 608

School Board (4-year term)
Kathleen A. Bosman 735
James J. Makowski 468
Martha E. Willliams 351

School Board (2-year term)
Amy L. Reeder 697
David Boike 690
Mark Kirkwood (write-in) 139
Anita Reyes Estrada (write-in) 5

Southgate
(Winners in bold type)
Mayor
Joseph G. Kuspa 3,450
Dennis D. David 1,182

City Clerk
Thomas Alexander 3,583

Treasurer
Sheryl Denman 3,520

City Council
Phillip Rauch 2,783
Carol Batko 2,606
Christopher Rollet 2,557
Patricia Ganzberger 2,451
Janice Ferenez 2,385
Karen George 2,315
Dale Zamecki 2,313
Thomas Holme 2,282
Michelle Davis 2,098
Neil Cameron 1,399

Charter Amentment
Yes 3,615
No 561

Southgate Community Schools
(Winners in bold type)
School Board
Darlene Pomponio 2,160
Kirk Hayhurst 2,003
Paul Knott 1,983

Proposal
Yes 2,394
No 2,099

Taylor
(Winners in bold type)
Mayor
Jeffrey P. Lamarand 5,596
Cameron G. Priebe 4,448

City Clerk
Mary Ann Rilley 5,413
Erin H. Dobbins 4,152

Treasurer
Wayne F. Avery 7,700

City Council
Cheryl Burke 5,704
Jill Brandana 5,174
Herman Ramik 4,585
Jacklyn Molner 4,579
John E. Delo 4,110
Suzanne L. Weycker 3,931
Dennis E. Stapleton 3,772
Rick Sollars 3,595
Tim Witz 3,466
Rick Flood 3,280
Doug Reimel 3,139
Jennifer Lane 3,039
Edward G. Mulka 2,960
Frank C. Canning 2,878

School Board
Linda L. Newsome 4,869
Mary E. Moore 4,837
Jeremy R. Waechter 4,131

Trenton
(Winners in bold type)
City Council
Terrence P. Teifer 2,271
Timothy Taylor 2,023
Timber Baun-Crooks 1,843
Robert Howey 1,767
Robert Baker 1,456
Lindsay Davis 734

Charter Amendment
No 2,119
Yes 1,616

School Board
Dennis Bearden 2,354

Wayne County
(Winners in bold type)
Proposition O
Yes 176,090
No 71,828

‘Adults need to agree. Adults need to compromise, and we don’t need to drag the kids into it.’
— Supt. John Savel, Trenton Public Schools

By TOM TIGANI
Sunday Times Newspapers
The budget crisis in school districts Downriver and statewide deepened last week with two actions taken by Gov. Jennifer Granholm.

On Monday she signed a school-aid bill previously approved by the Legislature, but vetoed a special funding source that was supposed to provide $51.5 million for 39 eligible districts in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties.

The funding category, known as “hold harmless” or 20J, was created as a way to maintain high-spending school districts’ budgets when school finance reform was passed in 1994 in the form of Proposal A.

Monday’s bad news got worse Thursday, when Granholm announced a pro-rata cut to public schools’ foundation grant of $127 per student. The cuts come on top of the $165 per student cut legislators already had approved in their school-aid bill.

Combined, the latest cuts mean about $292 less for every Michigan student compared to 2008 levels.

“It’s been a very difficult week for K-12 schools in Michigan,” Granholm said. “We have never seen times in Michigan like this where we’ve had to cut like this.”

Trenton and Melvindale-Northern Allen Park are among the Downriver school districts hit hardest by last week’s announcements. The results are an additional funding loss of about $ 1.6 million in both Trenton and Melvindale-Northern Allen Park.

Granholm said legislators left her “no choice” but to make the veto Monday, because the school-aid bill they approved Oct. 8 was funded insufficiently.

The bill passed by legislators was reliant on at least $100 million in speculative revenue from yet-to-be-approved measures and didn’t account for less-than-projected sales tax revenues – the primary funding source for K-12 education.

“My veto reflected what I am supposed to do, which is pass a balanced budget,” Granholm said at a news conference.

Trenton Public Schools’ budget is now $563 per student less, Supt. John Savel said. The original cut to all districts came to $473,000 in his district. Granholm’s veto meant the loss of another $774,000 and Thursday’s cut means doing without another $826,000, he said — suddenly, and one-fourth of the way into the school year.

Proposal A’s objective was to “take districts at the bottom end up toward everybody else,” he said, not to “bring other districts down to mediocrity.”

“Hit hard isn’t the word,” said Mel-NAP Supt. Cora Kelly of her district. “It’s devastating news. It’s frustrating. I have 42 years in education, and it’s the worst we’ve ever been hit.

“This is extremely disappointing coming this late in the school year. It is really disappointing. We have our staff and programs in place.”

Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop, R-Rochester, has been steadfast that the budget can be balanced through cuts and stimulus money, and has characterized Granholm’s cuts as political posturing to pressure legislators into raising taxes.

“There is not sufficient support in the Senate Republican caucus for tax increases, and for you to think otherwise is a mistake,” Bishop said in a letter to Granholm.

His comments echo widespread speculation that Granholm’s Monday veto and subsequent announcement Thursday were politically calculated moves in her battle with the state Legislature to balance Michigan’s budget.

Asked whether that meant the situation might change, Savel said, “I honestly don’t know. I have to take the Legislature and the governor at their word.”

He added, however, that schoolchildren are being placed in the middle of that battle.

“Adults need to agree,” Savel said, “adults need to compromise, and we don’t need to drag the kids into it.

“I think it’s wrong to hold kids hostage for a problem when adults can’t agree. There are certain things that a government is supposed to provide, and schools is one of them.”

To illustrate the magnitude of the problems Trenton faces, Savel said that cutting all busing would save only $500,000, as would cutting all athletics. Neither of those moves is planned at the moment, he emphasized, but added that officials will face a steep challenge to try to make the numbers balance.

“We’ve always tried to keep the cuts as far away from the kids as we can,” Savel said. “I don’t know how we’re going to be able do that now.”

Kelly agreed, saying, “We don’t know what we will cut. We want to keep the cuts away from the classrooms.

“This is truly disheartening. We are working so hard to meet the mandates the state has set out, and it’s devastating to have this happen in October after we have hired our teachers and established our programs.”

Trenton already has slashed over $5 million from its budget in the last four years, Savel said, adding that the latest cuts constitute another 7 percent.

“How we (cut) that, I don’t know,” he said. “In the meantime we have students that are trying to learn.”

Trenton’s Board of Education meets tomorrow night and likely will continue discussion on what can be done.

Kelly said she will hold a workshop meeting Nov. 23 with all Mel-NAP administrators, staff and teachers once the dust settles and they know exactly what will come out of Lansing.

(J. Patrick Pepper and Sue Suchyta contributed to this report.)