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PAGE 2                                                         ASSOCIATED NEWSPAPERS OF MICHIGAN                                          January 10, 2019


                                                            PLYMOUTH









        Technology ‘Petting Zoo’ draws large crowd





                          Julie Brown                             ”                                    “Books aren't going away. I do
                          Staff Writer                  Books aren't going away.                    personally get a little concerned
                                                                                                    with the screen time,” said Page.
           Virtual reality lived up to the              I do personally get a little                “You need to give them (children)
        hype for 9-year-old Gavin                   concerned with the screen time                  exposure to regular books. We
        Borensik last week at the                                                                   need the distractions as well as
        Plymouth District Library.                                                                  the serious things.”
           “It felt like I was flying. I felt so  for the holidays. The event drew  library on Main Street in down-  Borensik was with his family
        dizzy,” Borensik, said of his expe-  a crowd of all ages although Page  town Plymouth, agreed technolo-  from Plymouth and said he liked
        rience with cutting edge technol-  noted it was geared for begin-  gy should have limits for young  the Technology Petting Zoo expe-
        ogy on display during a library  ners.                        children.                     rience.
        program Dec. 29 and 30.          “If you get dizzy, you just take  “That's just it, to connect the  “That's pretty cool. I feel like
           Librarian Katie Page advised  it off,” she instructed a child  two things together,” he said of  I'm really flying. Does it have any
        Borensik to, “look at it briefly” as  using the goggles. “It goes over  books as well as “the connection  functions besides flying?” he
        he used goggles to watch the   my bulky glasses.”             to the outdoors.”             asked.
        monitor screen.                  Page said, “We've got a lot of  “You can travel the world,”   “No, this is a simple one,”
           “Good job,” Page added as   cool stuff” at the library. “It's just  Page said of the virtual reality  Page said.  She gave varied
        encouragement.                 a fun thing for people to do on  experience.  She's a gamer and  instructions, as did the other  Gavin Borensik, 9, of Plymouth
                                                                                                                                   tries out virtual reality.
           The “Technology Petting Zoo”  the weekend.”                sees value in that although she  staffers, based on student ages.
        took place Saturday and Sunday   She and Charlie Stratton, a  added that is her personal opin-  Stratton said children and  “is what piques their interest and
        when students were out of school  technology assistant at the  ion.                         teens need variety and the key  gets them going.”
        Lawsuit claims 5-year-old assaulted at church




           First Presbyterian Church in  who put all the children in                             ”                                 the suit was filed which stated:
        Plymouth has been sued by the  grades K-5 together in one class.   The police investigation continued for 17 months        “The Church was made aware of
        family of a 5-year-old girl, claim-  When the 5-year-old was excused                                                       a claim involving a child on Palm
        ing the church was negligent in  to use the lavatory, she was           but was subsequently closed pending                Sunday in April 2017 and imme-
        protecting the child from a sexu-  allowed to leave unescorted and   any new evidence or information in the case.          diately commissioned an investi-
        al assault.                    was gone from the room for 20                                                               gation. The Church has fully
           The lawsuit was filed last  minutes, according to the lawsuit                                                           cooperated with, and provided
        week in Wayne County Circuit   which also claims her absence  had been wearing and unidenti-  the case.                    information to, the Plymouth
        Court claiming that the child was  went unnoticed. The suit claims  fied male DNA was found in her  The lawsuit alleges the family  Police in connection with the
        sexually assaulted at the church  that an unknown man assaulted  underwear, according to the law-  is worried about the welfare of  police investigation. The Church
        on Palm Sunday in 2017. The suit  her sexually while she was in the  suit.                  other children in the community  has not seen any lawsuit involv-
        identifies the girl only as a Jane  church lavatory and exposed  The only description the 5-  and that the church was negli-  ing this matter and was not
        Doe to protect the identity of the  himself to her.           year-old was able to provide was  gent in the care of the child.  The  aware of the filing.
        family.                          The same evening, the child  that the man was an adult wear-  family attorney said the church  “The Church is deeply sad-
           The suit, filed on behalf of the  told her parents what had hap-  ing a cross on a chain, according  did not inform anyone in the con-  dened by this claim and contin-
        family by attorney Monica Beck,  pened earlier in the day and they  to the suit.            gregation that the assault had  ues to pray for anyone involved.”
        alleges that the child attended  reported the incident to the   The police investigation con-  taken place for more than a   Anyone with information is
        Sunday school at the church on  Plymouth Police Department the  tinued for 17 months but was sub-  month.                  asked to contact the Plymouth
        the day of the incident under the  next day. The parents supplied  sequently closed pending any  A statement from the church  Police Department at (734) 354-
        tutelage of substitute teachers  police with the clothing the girl  new evidence or information in  was issued Jan. 3, the same day  3232 or (734) 453-8600.
        Festival                               dren play in the ice.                 “but this one of my real favorites. It is a  everybody, the visitors, the merchants,
                                                                                       “We do a lot of festivals,” Geitzen said,
                                                                                                                           the community. Don't miss it.”
                                                 He added that the festival wouldn't be
                                                                                     great time and a terrific excuse to get out
                                               complete for many local visitors without
                                                                                                                              (A complete guide to the Ice Festival
        FROM PAGE 1                            the traditional Party Lot behind E.G.  in the cold and walk the downtown    attractions is included with this edition of
                                               Nick's restaurant on Forest Street, where  streets of Plymouth. This event benefits  The Eagle.)
        will explain the gear, help suit people up  there will be cold beer, drink specials,
        and give them the chance to experience a  and live music. The Party Lot has become
        mini-winter wonderland on the cross-   “The Place” to be for nightly entertain-
        country skiing trail built in Kellogg Park.  ment - along with the ice bar in front of
           Another highly-anticipated attraction  the restaurant where visitors can enjoy
        of the festival, Geitzen said, is the Ice  some Stolichnaya Vodka specialties.
        Playground. This interactive space is    This year will feature live entertain-
        filled with games carved out of ice and  ment by Smokin' Mirrors on Friday,
        numerous ice sculptures providing plen-  Jan.12 and Power Play Detroit on Sat.,
        ty of opportunities for pictures while chil-  Jan. 13


           Fire destroys home

           An early morning fire New Years Day in
           Plymouth Township had community fire fight-
           ers from four departments battling the blaze for
           almost four hours, according to township fire
           department officials. According to firefighters at
           the scene, the fire at the unoccupied single-
           family residence, located at 50081 Shefield
           Court, was fully involved when the first fire
           company arrived and took two hours to bring
           under control. Firefighters from all three
           Plymouth Township fire stations were called on
           to respond at the time of the initial 9-1-1, call at
           2:15 a.m.  Firefighters from the City of
           Plymouth, Northville Township and Canton
           departments provided mutual aid. The cause
           of the blaze remains under investigation. The
           home, according to Zillow.com, was listed for
           sale for the past 62 days for $395,000. There
           were no reported injuries in the incident.
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