TODAY School officials mull mlllage bid - Canton Public Library

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The Obaen*r> THURSDAY. JUNB 15, 1995
Discover close-to-home bike routes
BY HLCM CALUiiHU
9T»#» wmm
When weekend* «n«.
undt ef Michigan cyduu arc
Md) t» kit lb* road (or healthy
«ufC>w and beautiful acenery
But where mil they |« 1
Two m n ago «riur Karen
Gutuy saw a need U> anawer that
question aa>l an opportunity to do
it.
-| worked for the Weal Michigan
Tounat AaaociaUoo We were
.jweys call* asking about
biking and Ibane juat waan t a
good collacOoo ol tup* available.'
the said "l worked with a travel
writer who was starting hi* own
publishing company We knew
there wa* a market for a bike
book It wa* fun to do and alao
know 1 had a publisher for it
"Cycling Michigan 25 of tbe
beat Bike Route* in Western
Michigan" wa* published in 1993
and became an instant »uccesa
'When 1 started they told me
regional guide book* tbat sell
1.000 to 1/500 are doing good. We
sold over 2.000 coptes." Gentry
That success ha* led to the
publication at "Cycling Michigan:
4
Ejstar vacation: Lisa
Baker and Mary Kryska
of Canton spent their
Easter vacation in Port
Charlotte, Florida with
Lisa i grandparents
Here they are with their
Observer at Busch Gardens
in Tampa
90 of tha Beat Bike Routes in
East Michigan,** ($13-96, P^g
Leg! Publication*) The book fa4
lo«a the same pattern aa tha (If*
book with detailed, wail written,
description* of routes that follow
bfeckrofeda, main roads with wide
•boulders and daaagnatad bike
trails. Each routs haa a dear, simple
map, information an arm bika
sbopa for emergencies and oo res
taurants, lodging and scenic
Gentry, who lives in Grand
Rapids and work* as an informs
tion specialist for Kent County,
has been bicycling for many years
but has only become a "serious
cyclist ~ in tbe last eight year*
Her books, however, are aimed at
a wider audience than biking
fanatics
"I would aay the book* are not
for the competitive cyclists who
want to go 25 miles an hour. It's
more for the recreational and
weekend cydists and for families.
It'a for people who want to get out
and see the acenery. aee Michigan
up close.'' she aaid.
The new guide cover* Michigan's
more populous side. But our
side of the state ia Urn noted for
W t "
Emm
(Introducing Doubletree's Dream Deal*.
Tbe Only Drawback h Thai You 11 Sleep a
Through Some Of It.
upon check-to Then you
p,breakfast far two, apao— su — mWmandsa
D o u b l e t r e e
Guist SUITir
Send Drum*
1-800-222 TREE
IU acenery. Gen try'• book givm
proper appreciation to thoae
beautiful
we did an
ia that people
wanted to hike cloee to home
They weren't looking for vaca
but for day outings,' she
Thia book follows the first with
a special appreciation for the
needa of tha caaual rider, eepe
dally the need to eat Gentry de
lights in finding and aharing
restaurants, grocery storee
and snack ban along the routes.
"I'm not a big eater but that a
definitely a matter of interest
You build up an appetite when
you ride and people want to know
when and where they can stop
Gentry aaid that feedback from
readers has convinced her that
ber guide is popular because it
answers thorn questions that
sometimes keep people from get
Ung oo the road. They want to
know where they can ml. where
they can park their cars, how long
between stops, what will they en
counter on their way. how bad or
good are the roads.
S0LTHFIFJJ>
§791
Wetktmdj
CHICAGO
w
The new book covers such cloee
to home rules as the Paint Creak
Trail between Rochester and
Lake Orion, the Lakelanda Trail
between Hamburg and Stock
bridge, two rides out of Ann Arbor,
a trip around Groaee lie and
a ride through Kennaington Park.
It also moves up to the Thumb,
the northeast Oscoda to Alpena
arm and Mackinac Island. Writer
Jim DuFresne helped with nine of
the routes and many bicycle clubs
suggested routes, as Gentry duly
notes throughout the book.
She picks a ride in the Up of the
Thumb aa her favorite in the new
book.
"It has sandy beeches and
prime farm land and it's straight
up from Detroit, real cloee," ahe
mid
From her previous book ahe
takes special note of the northwest
aection of the state, especially
the Mission Bay Peninsuls
near Traverse City and the road
between Petoakey %nd Croaa Village
Gentry is also a booster of the
Rails-to-Trails program of which
Paint Creek and Lakelands sre a
part She said a trail between
Jerusalem: Judy and
Dave Culler of Redford
Township took the Observer
with them to the
the Old City in
Jerusalem and posed
with this camel. Judy retired
last year as a Livonia
public school music
teacher and Dave retired
from Garden City
schools in 1992. In the
background are Barbara
and Roy Birmingham of
Livonia about to have
their picture made with
the Livonia Observer.
u
• •••
z
DO
c
30 of the
Best Bike Routes
in East Michigan
U By IUn« Gentry
Grand Rapids and Cadillac is expected
to b« completed in the
near future.
The Western Michigan guide is
currently being updated for it*
third editioo. The East Michigan
book will alao be updated a*
changes demand. Gentry said
Tour guide
Karen Gentry
helps cyclistsdiscover
bike routes
ranging from
four to 60
miles in
length in her
newly published
book
"30 of the
Best Bike
Routes in
East Michigan.
"
keeping the books current ia im
portent
"Cycling Michigan: 30 of th{
Beat Bike Routes in Baat Michigan"
is available at bicycle and
book stores throughout the area
including DAD end Town and
Country bike stores and Border's
Book Store.
gifcg tour Phyllis and Jack Paterson of Livonia took
their Observer Newspaper on an Elder Hostel Bike
Tour of CaUkiU Park in lower New York State They
stopped to have their picture taken in front of the
Peekamoose Falls.
SENIOR PLAYERS
C H A M P 1 o NI _S H_I_P
JULY 10-16.1995
This Father s Day put Dad
in the drivers seat with ...
Th* Strongest Field On The Senior PGA TOUR!
(313) 441-0300 or 1-800-741-3161
Ibaawf fsiihiii «abe*s by HiMli< « lellealag in Hi
POA TOUR.
The Observer/ THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 1995
Musical 'Forum' a mirthful toga party
"A Funny Thing Happened on
the Way to the Forum," 8 pm
Friday, June 76, 2 p m. and 8 pm
Saturday. June 17. Fordaon High
School Auditorium. 13800 Ford
Road, (between Schaefsr and
Greenfield) Dearborn. Ticket* 18
adult*. 97 aenior cituen*. Coll
(313) 943-2364
From the
opening musical
number "Come
dy Tonight" to
ths surprise ending,
Dearborn
Community
Theatre's, "A
Funny Thing i Happened on the
Way to the Po
WEI BEL
rum" is > mirth
ful toga party of sight gags, bawdy
innuendoa, double takes and mis
taken identities.
"Forum" is your basic farce set
to music, sprinkled with vaude
villa and burleeque. Thia presents
a challenge to performers because
REVIEW
there is no where to learn broad
physical oomedy. Even the TV variety
ahow has disappeared.
While some of the funny busi
nesa is s bit forced st times, director
Rosemary Gasa, who teaches
speech, forenaica and English lit
ersture at Brother Rice High
School in Bloomfield Hilla, has
rehearsed her troupe well. Dearborn's
•Forum'' has generally
high production values with good
acenery, costumes, music and
staging.
The setting is s lovely Roman
courtyard with doors to three
homes — one of which is s
brothel. On the other side of the
stage is the home of an old man
who has gone off in search of his
son and daughter. Center stage is
" the home of Senex (a dirty old
man) and his son. Hero. WTiat
else would you expect in a farce'
Hero haa hia eye on a newly ar-
Senior sex sizzles
in two-act comedy
"Bermuda Avenue Triangle'
continue* at the Fi*her Theatre
in Detroit to June 25. Call (810)
645-6666. For information, call
(313)872-1000, Ext O
BYGLKNNY MERJU-AT
STATF Warm
"Morphing" has become the
rsge of the "90s. We see it in
television commercials. We
take the kida to see the
Rangers do it in our local mov
ie bouses.
Now it's hit the legitimste
"The Bermuds Avenue Triangle."
a two-act comedy,
opened June 6 at the Fisher
Theatre and it didn't take long
for the audience to realise that
_ bey! there's major adult
morphing going oo here.
Triangle is the story of two
tired, dispirit**! old women
played by Bea Arthur and Renee
Taylor, who have been
shuttled off to a retirement village
in Florida by their daughters
to spend their fading golden
years, only to tarn into raging
sexpots.
The object of their ardor and
reaaon for their dramatic life
style change is played by Joe
Bologna, who is perhape in
worm shape than they are, but
won't admit it. In his denial,
be fires the banked flames of
paaaion and awakens the libidos
of both women wbo
thought their lima, forget their
sex Uvea, were over.
The two veteran television
and stags actresses pull out all
the stops in their portrayals of
stereotypical Italian and Jewiah
mothers. Their telephone
conversations with their
daughters brought sustained
laughter of recognition from
the opening-night audience
"A person could die from
; pastel poisoning." rages Arthur's
character aa she glances
around the pals pink and green
coodo.
Taylor doean't quite pull
plastic slip cover* from her
V
Bea Arthur
purse, but instead "roorphs"
the sofa with a hideoua. dashing
crocheted sfghan.
There ia high comedy in Triangle
liberally laced with explicit
language and outrageous
ethnic humor aa "The Golden
Girls' " Arthur and The Nanny's
yenta of a mother
transform themselves into sex
kittens snd in the process become
two different, compaBsionate
people.
Another familiar face and remembered
voice is Triangle's
fourth cast-member. Audienc
es will remember Cliff Norton
from his hundreds of appear
ances on network television
dating back to the Ed Sullivan
era.
Norton plays a rabbi and
head of the condo organization
who welcomes "with a gift of fiber"
what he believe* to be two
gentle, geriatric ladies into his
little dan of bead-atringing
seniors. When their metamor
phoeis is complete his incredulity
is dassic.
For thoae who enjoy rnakeo
vers (Arthur in a red wig!),
makeup (Taylor's eyes, lips
and legs), and make-out (do
they still call it that?), pay a
visit to The Bermuda Street
Triangle" at the Fiaher before
it closes on June 25 snd heads
•croaa the Atlantic for an extended
run in London.
Triangle wss written by Taylor
and Bologna, with Bologna
alao directing.
ON TUNE 24TH,
THE CURTAIN GOES
UP FOR A PERFECT
PERFORMANCE.
Join U« For Tkis Very Special Event.
• Thia special Lladrd figurine, "For A Rcrfcct I¥rformanec."
ha, been omred osdimvcly for this one day event
• Preview the New Fall items
. » b. rami oo 31.1995-Ul b.
announced
. All who puitW s figurine or joui the Llsdrt Society
will recove a complimentary gift
In the < xwrtertouO'**>rc ist
Okie World _ M
Canterbury Village
r j n -
2 P
^ — —
w t i Z ' c Z Z " w
0/# m-sm
rived courtesan — who it turns
out Is • virgin. To his slave, Peeu
dolus, he says. "Get me that girl,
and you are free The problem is,
the girl bss already been purchased
by s self-centered captain
in the Roman Army. And gueaa
what? Hero's father. Senex, is
also pursuing the damsel, thinking
ahe is the new maid.
Around and around they go.
with Tom Downey leading the
way as the slave Pseudolus
scheming for his freedom. With
effervescence and energy he keeps
the show moving aa his plan survives
one calamity after another.
Ron Richards, s science teacher
and swim team coach at Brother
Rice High School, is delightful aa
the naive, nerdy Hero. Rebecca
Staffend of Livonia is springtime
fresh as the slightly daffy virgin.
PhiUa.
CJ. Nodus is splendid ss the
henpecked fsther. Senex, with an
eye for a well turned antfe. Dianne
Bernick scores as hia imperious
wife, Domina.
Perhaps the beat performance
i« turned in by Greg Viacomi as
the smug snd conceited Roman
Captain, Miles Gloriouaua. Hia.
•aides, voice and character are excellent.
Clif Levin is likawise very good
as the hyperactive slave, Hysterinm
and Matt Higgins has juat the
right touch of debauchery as
Lycus. the buyer and seller of
courtesans.
The courtesans add spice to tbe
show, snd Lewis Sequin grabs his
share of laughs with a few lines as
Erronius, the old man in search of
his children. And gueaa what? He
finds them in a gaggle of geese.
How else would a farce end?
Music director is Csrole Mihalo
of Livonia. The cast slso indudes
Thomas Downey of Westlsnd as
Prologua/Pseudolus, Chris
Drouin snd Carlo* Sou ffrant of
Troy aa Proteans.
Bob Weibel of Wetland ie a
freelance writer, who ha* epent
more than 25 year* in community
theater a* a director, designer and
performer.
Circus sets up tent at Meadow Brook
BY KEEI.Y WYGONIK
8T*r» WRITES
For 12 weeks each year, tbe Big
Apple Circus, which ia coming to
Meadow Brook June 16-27, performs
at the Lincoln Center in
New York. "We have trailers
parked alongside the well of the
Metropolitan Opera Theatre,"
said Paul Binder, founder snd srtistic
director "We're something
specisl."
The circus performs under a
1.972 square foot, big-top tent-
No seat is more than 50 feet away
from the action in the ring. "Our
circus ia like circuaea in Europe.'
said Binder. "It incorporates ss
pects of trsditionsl thester, including
original muaic, lighting,
choreography, seta and costumes
with classical circus elements, including
aerial acta, clowning,
mime, juggling and acrobatics,
and a special focus on claaaical
equestrianism."
Each year's show is created
around a spedfic theme, and the
heart of the a reus is a small core
company of performers who return
each year with new acta centered
around the new theme. They
are joined by guest artiste from
around the world, 20 countries in
all including Russia snd Mexico.
- Thia year's theme ia "Grandma
Meeta Mummenschsnx," snd
takes circus goers to s magical
world where the Mummenachanz
(Miguel Camerero and Cathy
Callhoun) meet both the human
and animal inhabitants of the
circus ring. The show features the
beloved down character Grandma,
(Barry Lubin).
"Mummenschanx is a Swiss
group that does movement theater
with puppets and abstract
characters. Some of them sre
eight feet tall," mid Binder
"Grandma encounters these characters.
At first she's sfraid, but.
Funny Focum: Philia (Rebecca Staffend of Livonia) and
Senex (C.J. Nodus) in a scene from "A Funny Thing
Happened on the Way to the Forum." .
like all grandmas she'd rather
knit them a sweater than scare
them away. So Grandma introduces
them to the elephant* and
other people in the circus.'
From Denmsrk. world-renowned
equestrian Katja
Schumann, who has been married
to Binder for 11 years, snd her father.
Max Schumann, present
their regal stallion romping in a
lively act with a Copland inspired
mariachi beat.
Other acts include the frantic
antics of Arturo Alegris of Mexico.
s juggler of ping-pong balls
and soft balls; sward-winning trapezist
Elena Panova. and the aerial
acrobat Egorov Troupe of Ruasia;
and America's Ben Williams
who teams with his 5.000 pachy
derm pal. Ned. in a funny set
where Ben shares hia lunch.
Big Apple Circus
Wheel a Mrtmrwx June 1&-
27. under air-conditioned Big
Top lent at Meadow Brook on
the Oakland University
Campus, (southwest corner of
Walton Boulevard and Adams
Road) Rochester
Show thnmss 1 pm. Friday.
June 16; 1 and 7 p.m.'
Saturday; June 17; 1 and 5
p.m Sunday. June 18; 1 p.m.
Monday. June 19; no shows
June 20; Vand7 p.m
Wednesday. June 21 and
Tuesday, June 27.
Tickets; Range $18-125
(weekday evenings and weekends).
$12-$20 (weekday
matinees) Can (810) 645-
6666. For more mlormaticxv
caH (313) 923-8250.
Greenfield Village musters array of car collectors
Steer into the past lane for a
sentimental journey during Motor
Muster June 17-18 at Greenfield
Village in Dearborn.
From the crime de la chrome of
the 1930s to the fin-taatic fantasy
machines of the 1960s, this gsthering
of collectors from across the
nstionsl features 500 vehicles including
cars, trucks, bikes snd
motorcycles.
Vintage vehicles cruise through
Village streets for s narrated
pass-in-review, offering a chsnce
to learn more about automotive
history, design snd restoration
from nationally recognized experts.
When they're not psrsding. the
vehicles will be on displsy for
tours. Visitors can also meet the
collectors.
Children can try toys their par
enta snd grandparents enjoyed,
including hula hoops and pogo
sticks. Each day concludes with
the Popular Choice awards. Visitors
csn vote for their favorites,
and watch the winners make a
"victory lap."
&
lladr£>
-For A Perfect
Performance"
10W $510 FREE
Motor Muster marks the beginning
of Greenfield Village's Sum
mer Festival, June 17 to Aug. 21.
Vistors can meet George Washington
Carver and learn how his
ingenuity unlocked a miracle in a
nutshell.
500
A new presentation shows how
playing with toys and riding bikes
helped the Wright Brothers solve
the mysteries of powered flight.
Summer Festivsl slso offers craft
demonstrations and make-andtake
activities.
MICHIGAN'S LARGEST & FINEST
ii T
i
GREAT SELECTION OF
•Handguns 'Rifles 'Ammo
•Safes 'Shotguns "Knives
•Military Items -Hunting Supplies
•Plus Much More!
Friday Is Set-Up Day Come Early
For Kmr Best Deals!
Not AM Deafer* AsrSopaW On Fndey*
Henry Ford Museum k Greenfield
Villsge are assessable via 1-
75. I 94. Southfidd Freeway and
Michigan Ave. Hours are 9 a.m. to
5 p.m. Call (313) 271-1976 or 1-
800-835-5237 for viai tor information.
W Bur.'
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