Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • 27

The Detroit News Wayne County COMING TOMORROW A head start Program lets high-schoolers earn college credit in emergency services. Pace 3C I Sunday, January 12, 2003 Briefly lw 1 $0 VA'fcr'Sr UUfH jAKUrA. 11 .1 t'- f. I i jtf TV2'- 1 A- 3 L1r': ME XICO lit. I r- Allen Park plans vote on rec tax Millage would pay for a new center, ice rink upgrades.

By Craig Garrett ALLEN PARK The dry asking residents to pay for new community center and improvements to its ice arena in Jaa 2S millage vote. The measure, if approved by voters, would raise S6.5 million over 30 years and add an average .344 mills to homeowners' property tax bills. The owner of a home with a taxable value of 150,000 the city average in 300a would pay a low of too8 to a high of (29.95 over the 30 years. City officials say the proposed measure is critical because they're losing the existing community center to Allen Park schools. The school district wants back the building it had leased to the city for senior and some youth The tax would raise 15 million for a community center that would have a gymnasium and an area for seniors.

It would be built alongside the Frank Lada Ice Arena near downtowa The tax also would provide S1.5 million for new ice-making equipment and modernized concessions at the arena. Improvements made with the tax money would help keep existing residents happy and attract residents to the inner-ring suburb, City Administrator Kevin Welch said. Dearborn. Livonia, Canton Township and Southgate have, each used tax dollars to build community centers. The proposed community cen Photos by lohn T.

Gnilkk Thi Dttwit Nw American Islamic Academy teacher Jehad Dakroub gives a lesson in American history at the high school In Dearborn. The school, which opened in Sept. aooi, is the first Islamic high school of its kind in the state. Academy caters to Mamie stadeets High school in Dearborn is the first in state Westland Plain Talk group seeks volunteers The Plain Talk organization is looking for adults to talk to young people about avoiding sexually transmitted diseases. The youngsters will be from a neighborhood in Westland bounded by Merriman, Wildwood, Glenwood and Palmer.

Plain Talk office manager Tara Hopkins said the group wants to reduce teen-age pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases among young people. "This is a community effort, and we need adults to talk to the kids," she said. For information, call (734) 721-7012. Grosse Ile Township Ford Yacht Club plans barge system The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality notified residents about the Ford Yacht Club's plans for a motorized barge system. Club officials applied to the agency for a permit to construct the system, which will transport people and equipment from the club to Round Island.

The club has not yet submitted development plans to the township, which is required for approval Supervisor Doug Jones said. Residents interested in learning more about the barge system can review the public notice at township hall, 9601 Groh. Dearborn Museum to hold auditions for singers Henry Ford Museum is looking for four young singers to sing what is known as the black national anthem, "Lift Every Voice and Sing," during the museum's "Celebrate Black History" theme next month. Auditions will be held from noon to 3 p.m. Jaa 25 at the museum's Anderson Theater.

Applicants must be 18 or younger and accompanied by an adult. Anyone interested in attending auditions should call (313) 982-6100, Ext. 2168, by Jaa 23. Skin cancer prevention tips available Prevention of skin cancer is the topic of a Jaa 30 presentation at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center in Dearborn. A dermatologist will explain prevention tips and give skin care advice.

The program, which is free, starts at 10:30 a.m. in the senior services wing. For informatioa call (313) 943-2034. NORTHVILLE Arts group opens winter concert series The Northville Arts Commission will kick off its 2003 winter concert series with a special performance by the Canton Chamber Orchestra, part of the Plymouth Symphony Orchestra. The concert will be held at 3 p.m.

today in the Northville High School Auditorium, 45700 Six Mile. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for students. For informatioa call (248) 449-9950. Canton Township Board approves 2 rezoning requests Canton trustees approved two rezoning requests to build homes on two parcels on Beck. The first is a 2.25-acre plot on the west side of Beck between Ford and Saltz.

The request was made by Timothy Yerebeck, who wants the property rezoned from rural residential to single-family residential. The second parcel is a 10-acre tract on the east of Beck between Ford and Saltz, which was rezoned from rural residential to single-family residential. Township officials said both rezoning requests were consistent with the township's plans for the land. Business workshop deadline approaches The Canton Downtown Development Authority and the Canton Chamber of Commerce are holding three workshops aimed at helping businesses Jan. 28 in the Summit on the Park, 46000 Summit.

Times for the two-hour workshops vary. Attendance is limited to the first 50 who pay $29 per workshop. Attendees can bring others for $15 per person. Registration is required, and the deadline is Jan. 21.

For informatioa call (734) 394-5184. Plymouth Whistle Stop Players holds auditions Whistle Stop Players is holding auditions for children ages 6 and up for its spring production, "Famous Folk Tales from Around the World." The auditions will be held today and from p.m. Thursday at the Plymouth Community Arts Council, 774 N. Sheldon. Performances will be held in April.

For information, call Jennifer Tobin at (734) 416-4278. Belleville Meeting to focus on traffic congestion Residents with concerns about heavy traffic in downtown Belleville are encouraged to attend a meeting later this month at City Hall. City officials have been meeting with residents and business owners to learn how to best ease traffic on Main. Heavy growth in nearby Van Buren Township has caused traffic to clog city streets and made headaches for residents. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m.

Jan. 22 in Belleville City Hall, 6 Maia Lincoln Park Book discussion group resumes Jan. 22 The Lincoln Park book discussion group resumes its meetings Jaa 22. The acclaimed novel "Middlesex" by Jeffrey Eugenides is the topic of the meeting. Other books planned for the year include The Dive from Clausen's Pier" in February, "Year of Wonders" in March and "Look at Me" in April The group meets in the Lincoln Park library's activity room.

The gatherings are free. For details, call (313) 381-0374. Trenton Harpist to perform at St. Paul Lutheran Harpist Greg Buchanan, a popular Christian musiciaa visits St. Paul Lutheran Church Jaa 19.

Tickets are complimentary, but they must be reserved. An offering will be taken at the door. The event starts at 4 p.m. For details and directions, call (734) 676-2942. Detroit News staff reports and wire services.

ifr- tix 4 I 1 it-, i ixL Her complaints aren't isolated, Sami Hijazi said. "They must come to us as if they're coming to work," principal Sami Hijazi said. "Our students do complain about the level of difficulty (of the classes here) than at the high school they attended before." Officials said the location in Dearborn is especially important since it has the largest concentration of Arabs outside of the Middle East. About 30,000 Dearborn residents identified themselves as Arab citizens or Arab Americans in the 2000 Census. Demographers estimate there are about 220,000 Arabs in Metro Detroit The Arab community also is expected to get a boost in 2004 when the country's first Arab American National Museum opens in Dearborn.

Schools like the American Islamic Academy will only lead to more resources, officials said. "The presence of the school gives the American Muslim community an opportunity that they might not have in another state or another location," said Rana Abbas, public affairs director for the American-Arab Anti Discrimination Committee. "(The schools) are a new phenomenon and they show how the Muslims and the Arab community have expanded and that they can assimilate easier and maintain their values at the same time." Tenth-grader Noha Bey-doun said she likes the intimate setting at the academy. There are 525 students at the academy from kindergarten through 12th grade. "I like the atmosphere and feeling of community," said Beydoun, 15.

"You feel like you're around your peers. The top priority here is to teach the students." You can reach Shantee" Woodards at (734)354-4040 or swoodardsdetnews.com. By Shantei Woodards The Detroit News DEARBORN Sami Hijazi considered canceling a camping trip the day his assistant told him about the 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. But Hijazi, principal of the American Islamic Academy, decided to go ahead with his plans a few days after the attacks. He and a group of students camped out in a park near Mackinac Island as a way to teach some of the students about leadership.

On the way back, they were stopped by police, who said they had reports of terrorists In the area. Hijazi's group was questioned for nearly two hours before they were allowed to leave. "It was a lesson for all of us," Hijazi said. "We're teaching the students that in any religion or race, you're going to have somebody good and somebody bad." Hijazi and his students are used to standing out By attending the state's only Islamic high school, they are part of a small group of students who are required to have a background in Arabic and Islam, as well as math and science, by the time they graduate. The American Islamic Academy opened its newest addition, an $8 million high school, in the fall of 2001, just before the terrorist attacks.

There are 76 students enrolled in the high school, where they learn about Islam, the Koran and other academic courses. The campus, on Dearborn's east side, also has an elementary and middle school. The Islamic Institute of Knowledge opened the Academy in 1995 as a way to serve Metro Detroit's Muslim community. So far, three students have graduated, and five are expected to graduate in May. It costs $3,500 to attend the academy, but the price is reduced for parents with more than one ter would be 35,000 square feet, enough for senior and youth functions.

"We don't want too much or too little," Welch said. "We want to be reasonable." The city's campaign to seH the millage to voters got tougher after The Detroit News published incorrect millage figures last week, Welch said. As a result of the errors, the city sent a letter and chart to all residents giving them the correct informatioa he said. The News published corrections fir the errors. The city's letter also noted mill-age costs would be offset by a $500,000 state grant and -a 1300,000 donation from the city's special taxing district "Cities like Allen Park have to improve the quality of life to attract new families and keep the ones they have," Mayor Levon King said.

"We want to maintain our first-class community." Selling a tax hike in Allen Park won't be easy. Voters rejected a proposed l-mill levy for new city offices in August But City Hall wasn't threatened with closure at the time of the August millage vote, as is the existing community center now. King said. State Rep. Bill CNeil, D-Allen Park, has urged voters to approve the millage.

"It keeps Allen Park vibrant and housing values up," he said. Resident Gloria Spafford, 65, supports the measure. "It's the right thing to do," she said. Tm a senior and 111 use" a new community center. You can reach Craig Garrett at (313) $61-9646 or cgarrettdetnews.com.

Ninth-graders Fatima Saleh, left, Maysa Jawad and Layla Douglas take notes during history class at the Academy. Aside from math, science, students aLso have classes on the Arabic language and religious studies. American Islamic Academy Enrollment: There are 525 students at the academy, which enrolls students In kindergarten through 12th grade This year, the four students that composed the senior class will graduate. Last year, three graduated. Admission: Parents are required to complete and submit an enrollment application, emergency Information card, release of records form, health appraisal report and birth certificate.

A required $300 per-student registration fee will be deducted from tuition. Tuition: Enrollment costs $3,500 for a one child; $3,300 for a second child; $3,100 for a third child; and $3,000 for a fourth child. Tuition for preschool is $3,500 regardless of the number of children enrolled at the school. Many of the classes offer college credit, which is not lost on student Emam HijazL Hijazi said her worst subject is biology "The teachers here are harder than at public school," said Hijazi, a ninth-grader at the American Islamic Academy and the principal's daughter. "It gets kind of boring with so much work." child in the school.

There are about 15 Islamic elementary and middle schools in Metro Detroit, but this is the first high school of its kind in the state. Students also have classes on the Arabic language and religious studies. Uniforms are required girls must wear head scarves and loose-fitting dresses and boys wear dark-colored pants and dress shirts. WESTERN WAYNE BUREAU (313) 561-9095; FAX (313) 561-7666 21925 Garrison, Dearborn, Ml 48124 PLYMOUTH BUREAU (734) 354-4048; FAX (734) 354-4046 635 South Main St, Plymouth, Ml 48170 II, -wr UV- Across Wayne County Calling all artists Grosse Folnte: The Wayne County Council for Arts, History and Humanities is sponsoring a logo contest that is open to all Wayne County visual or graphic artists. Logos must be simple enough to be recognized as symbols of the nature of the organization and its three facets arts, history and humanities.

The entry deadline is March 31. Submissions can be sent to WCCAHH Logo Contest, co Maniscalco Gallery, 17728 Mack, Grosse Pointe, MI 48230. For information, call (313) 886-2993. looking for residents to help plan the city's 75th anniversary celebration in 2004. The citizens committee will help orchestrate special anniversary events, and volunteers will be asked to attend evening meetings throughout the year.

Anyone interested should call the Department of Public Information at (313) 943-2285 by Jaa 30. Learn to fence Canton Township: Canton Leisure Services will offer 10-week courses in fencing later this month. Classes are available for beginners and continuing students, ages 10 through adult. The sessions will be held And art lovers Northville: Art history professor Michael Farrell will speak at Hillside Middle School on Wednesday as part of Northville's Art Lecture Series. Farrell is an associate professor at the University of Windsor and an adjunct curator at the Detroit Institute of Arts.

He also teaches at the Art House of Detroit. The event will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the middle school, 145 Center St. For information, call (248) 449-9950. Wanted: Party planners Dearborni City officials are Joel Kurth, reporter (313)561-8623 Jkurthdetnews.com DeJores Patterson, reporter (313)561-8146 dpattersondetnews.com David Shepardson, reporter (313)222-2028 dshepardsortdetnews.com Shantee' Woodards, reporter (734)354-4049 swoodardsdetnews.com Maryann Struman, bureau chief (313) 561-9063 nstrumandetnews.com Santiago Etparza, reporter (3D) 561-3376 sesparzadetnews.com Craig Garrett, reporter (313) 561-9646 cgarrett (ffidetnews.com Maureen Felghan, reporter (734)354-4047 mfelghanadetnews.com Fencing lessons will be offered from age 10 through adult at Canton Township's Summit on the Park.

from 7-9 p.m. Fridays in the 24 and cost $90 for resident, aerobic studio at Summit on For informatioa call (734) 394-the Park. Classes will begin Jan. 5460..