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March 14, 2019                                                 ASSOCIATED NEWSPAPERS OF MICHIGAN                                                  PAGE 5



                                                               ROMULUS







        Staying sharp





        Local barber marks half century



        as part of the Romulus community



                                Sherri Kolade  and don't talk politics.
                                Special Writer   Ironically, however, local political
                                               leader Romulus Councilman William
           The ambient noise of razors buzzing,  Wadsworth, 74, is a longtime customer
        the television murmuring, and people   who keeps coming back, and inevitably,
        chatting away has long been the sound of  politics is discussed.
        success for Dave's Barber Shop co-owners  “I've known Dave and Judy since we
        Dave and Judy Rakotz.                  moved out here in 1967,” Wadsworth said,
           The establishment, at 37148 Goddard  confirming that he is a regular customer.
        Road in Romulus, had the same sounds     The Rakotz and Wadsworth children
        going March 1 at the shop as customer  grew up together, they attend the same
        after customer received warm, person-  church, and they are friends.
        able service - and expected nothing less.  “Both of us kind of got old at the same  Dave's  Barber-
        Which is good, because Rakotz, 75, doesn't  time,” the councilman said.      shop     owner
        know how to deliver anything else.       Wadsworth said that the business still  Dave Rakotz cuts
           Rakotz, who grew up in the city with a  sponsors local sports teams and is a big  the hair of a long-
        large family, built a house across the street  supporter of the Romulus Animal Shelter.  time customer.
        from his shop - before he owned it - in  The Romulus City Council members    Rakotz and his
                                                                                     wife, Judy, have
        1968.                                  also recently presented a proclamation  operated  the
           At the time he was working in Trenton.  recognizing Rakotz longevity as a business  shop they own
           “It was after I moved into it I was read-  in town for 50 years.          for more than 50
        ing in a paper in a barbershop one morn-  “A lot of people go there and get their  years and were
        ing and saw an ad with a telephone num-  hair cut,” Wadsworth said. “They go there  recently honored
        ber about a business opportunity,” he said.  and talk about the city, talk politics - it is a  by the Romulus
        “So I called that number and it was a bar-  barbershop.”                     City   Council.
        bershop on the corner here.”             Wadsworth added that there is only  Photo by Sherri Kolade
           The owner was retiring and Rakotz   one place to find out what is going on in  and I went to high school - he's a couple  He works in the shop three days a
        bought the property from him in 1975,  the area.                             years ahead of me.”                   week on Tuesdays, Fridays, and
        which is where his current building is   “Dave's Barbershop is the place to stop  Rakotz added casually that Matheny  Saturdays.
        housed; in 1988 he added a beauty shop  in … they're just good, decent people.  saved his life one day.               “For me that is kind of retired,” he said,
        that his wife operates.                What can I say?”                        “One day I had a pacemaker put in   adding that for 27 years he walked to work
           Rakotz said in the 50 years that he has  A customer for about 35 years,   back in 1983; I was cutting hair and he  when he lived across the street. Now the
        been running the shop there are a lot of  Romulus resident Dave Matheny, 73, is  (Matheny) was over here. I got really weak  Saline resident drives 50 miles to work.
        repeat customers.”                     also a regular who on March 1 was getting  and passed out. He came over and prayed  “It's been pretty good,” he said of his
           He said the philosophy he has lived by  his usual: a haircut.             for me and 911 came,” he said.        business which has been a part of the
        these last five decades as a businessman  What keeps him coming back is simple.  Nowadays, Rakotz likes to keep the  Romulus community for half a century
        is simple and successful: talk to people  “I like the personnel,” he said. “Dave  excitement dialed back.          and is still going strong.
        Man facing charges                                                              Review                             back to (the council) with a new con-

                                                                                                                           tract if it turns out that we're going to
                                                                                                                           recommend that we continue with RT
        in road rage incident                                                           FROM PAGE 1                        to do any rehabilitation homes for
                                                                                                                           2019.”
                                                                                                                              Councilwoman Virginia Williams
                                                                                          They work with more than a dozen
                                                                                        municipalities in southeast Michigan,  said if Romulus continues some sort of
           A Detroit man is facing felony      dished a weapon and pointed it at the    including Canton Township, Detroit,  rehabilitation program, the city should
        charges following his arrest for a road  couple's car. The victims immediately  Dearborn, Ecorse, Melvindale,      model it after the City of Detroit, which
        rage incident that took place in       located a Michigan State Police trooper  Southgate, Westland and Wyandotte  matches the rehabilitated houses with
        Romulus early this month.              in an I-94 median turn and requested     and have fixed up hundreds of fore-  first-time home buyers and offers them
           According to the office of Wayne    his assistance.                          closed or blighted properties.     assistance to purchase the homes.
        County Prosecutor Kym Worthy,            The trooper and local law enforce-       Hitchcock said it makes sense to    “There are so many residents in our
        Demetrius Deshawn Butler, 28, is facing  ment officers located Butler driving on  look at the contract now, before any  city that would love to be first-time buy-
        the charges in connection with an inci-  I-94 near Michigan Avenue and conduct-  work takes place this year.       ers,” she said.
        dent that took place at about 4 p.m.   ed a traffic stop and then placed the      “We don't have any 2019 work for RT  Burcroff agreed.
        March 7 on westbound I-94 near         defendant under arrest.                  to do on any new homes at this point,  “Our intent it to get families in
        Merriman Road in Romulus.  According     Butler has been charged with felon in  anyway. That wouldn't be an issue until  homes; if there are different ways to do
        to official reports of the incident, Butler,  possession of a firearm, felon in posses-  about August, when those would be  it, I'm open to it,” he said. “We just want
        with two passengers in his vehicle, is  sion of ammunition, two counts of felo-  available from the treasurer's office,”  to make sure we're creating opportuni-
        alleged to have been driving erratically  nious assault,  four counts of felony  he said. “We certainly will be coming  ties.”
        and menacing another vehicle. The vic-  firearm, reckless driving and driving
        tims were described as a 49-year-old   while license suspended.
        Detroit man and a 25-year-old Royal      Butler was arraigned March 8 before                           CITY OF ROMULUS
        Oak woman, along with their 8-month-   34th District Court Magistrate Alan        RFP 18/19-27 Request for Proposals - Downtown Development Authority -
        old infant, who were driving westbound  Hindman and received a $100,000                     Development Partner for Site Description & Vision
        on I-94 near Detroit Metropolitan      cash/surety bond.
        Airport.                                 His preliminary court examination is  The City of Romulus, Michigan, Downtown Development Authority (DDA) is seeking proposals
           Prosecutors charge that while men-  scheduled for March 27 before Judge    from qualified developers for the development of residential housing on three, City-owned parcels
        acing the other vehicle, Butler bran-  David Parrott in 34th District Court.   of land near historic downtown Romulus. This request for proposals is issued by the City of Romulus
                                                                                      DDA to choose an experienced and accomplished development partner to serve as Master
                                                                                      Developer.
                                                                                       (1) Qualified individuals and developers wishing to submit a proposal must use the forms pro-
                                                                                           vided by the City. Proposal forms and specifications may be obtained from the MITN
                      CITY OF ROMULUS                                                      Purchasing Group Page of BidNet Direct at http://www.mitn.info/. Copies of documents
                      BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS NOTICE OF A PUBLIC HEARING                   obtained from any other source are not considered official copies.  Proposals may be rejected
                      WEDNESDAY, April 3, 2019                                             unless made on the forms included with the bidding documents.
                                                                                       (2) Any and all questions regarding the request for proposal documents, the project scope or the
         Notice is hereby given that the City of Romulus Board of Zoning Appeals will hold public hearings  required submittals must be emailed to Purchasing@romulusgov.com and received no later
         at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 3, 2019 at the Romulus City Hall, 11111 Wayne Road to con-  than 12:00 P.M. local time, Tuesday, March 26, 2019.
         sider the following petitions:                                                (3) Clarifications, modifications, or amendments may be made to this solicitation at the discre-
                                                                                           tion of the City.  Any and all addenda issued by the City will be posted on the MITN system.
         1.  BZA-2019-002/BZA-2019-003; GFL Romulus Recycling Center requesting the following in  All interested parties are instructed to view the MITN website regularly for any issued adden-
            accordance with Sections 20.04(a), 20.07(e), and 22.03 of the Zoning Ordinance: 1) a variance  da.  It is the responsibility of the bidder to obtain all issued addenda and acknowledge receipt
            to expand a nonconforming building and use of property; and 2) a use variance to permit the recy-  of said addenda by including a printed copy of each addendum as part of the required docu-
            cling of plastics in addition to the currently permitted paper recycling operation. The subject  ments for this solicitation and to list the addendum and sign and date the "Acknowledgment
            property is located at 30880 Wayne Road (Parcel ID #80-042-99-0068-000, #80-042-99-0069-  of Receipt Addenda Form: supplied in the RFP documents.
            001, #80-042-99-0066-703).                                                 (4) The City reserves the right to postpone the opening without notification and also reserves the
                                                                                           right to reject all proposals and to waive any minor informality or irregularity in proposals
         2.   BZA-2019-004; Robert Sims requesting a variance from Section 3.07(b)(3) of the Zoning  received.
            Ordinance for lot depth to width ratio. All lots created shall have a lot depth not more than 4 times  (5) A total of six (6) copies (One original and five marked "Copy") and 1 electronic copy in
            its width. The proposed lot reconfiguration results in the lot depth being 4.5 times the width. The  "PDF" form of the documents of the proposal must be submitted together in a sealed enve-
            property is located at 10381 Ozga and 37241 Herman St. (Parcel ID #80-067-01-0010-301 and  lope or package and returned to the City Clerk's Office no later than 2:30 P.M., Tuesday, April
            #80-067-01-0009-302).                                                          2, 2019.  The original proposal may be clipped but should not be stapled or bound. Copies
                                                                                           may be stapled or bound. The original and copies should be identical, excluding the obvious
         3.  BZA-2019-005; Charger Logistics requesting a variance from Section 8.04(a) of the Zoning  difference in labeling.
            Ordinance for total lot coverage to exceed the 75% allowed; 90% impervious lot coverage is pro-  (6) At approximately 2:45 p.m. local time following the deadline for submitting bids, receipt of
            posed.  The property is located at 28800 Highland (Parcel ID #80-050-99-0001-006).  all timely received proposals shall be acknowledged publically and a cursory review of sub-
                                                                                           mittals shall be made for form and content.
         4.   BZA-2019-006;  Penske Logistics requesting a variance from Section 48-7 of the Sign  (7) The City and the DDA reserve the right to reject as non-responsive any proposals which are
            Ordinance to allow a 386-sq. ft. wall sign on the north elevation where up to 140 sq. ft. is  not organized and formatted as described in this RFP.
            allowed.  The subject property is located at 15520 Wayne Road (Parcel ID #80-130-99-0003-  (8) The DDA, during the course of the evaluation process, may request additional written infor-
            701).                                                                          mation to supplement and clarify the information provided in this response.
                                                                                       (9) The DDA, at the discretion of the proposal Evaluation Committee, may conduct interviews
         5.   BZA-2019-007; Merriman Investments - Gateway III requesting variances from Section  with some or all of the Developer's that submitted proposals for consideration.
            7.04(a) of the Zoning Ordinance for the following: 1) a rear yard setback variance (35 feet  (10) Contracts may ultimately be awarded to the most responsive and responsible company, as
            required where 10.5 feet is proposed), and 2) a variance to allow total lot coverage to exceed  determined in the sole discretion of the City of Romulus DDA or otherwise in a manner
            75%; impervious lot coverage of 83% is proposed.  The property is located at 8300 Merriman  deemed by the DDA to be in its own best interest.
            (Parcel ID #80-040-99-0003-722).                                           (11) The City reserves the right to postpone the opening without notification and also reserves the
                                                                                           right to reject all proposals and to waive any minor informality or irregularity in proposals
         Copies of the applications are available for review at City Hall during regular business hours which  received. Ultimately, a contract may be awarded to the most responsive and responsible com-
         are 8:00 am - 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday. All interested parties are encouraged to attend and  pany, as determined in the sole discretion of the City of Romulus Downtown Development
         will be given an opportunity to comment on said requests.  Written comments may be submitted and  Authority or otherwise in a manner deemed by the DDA to be in its own best interest.
         should be addressed to Carol Maise, City Planner, Planning Department,  11111 Wayne Road,  (12) For additional information contact Lynn A, Conway, City of Romulus, Purchasing Director,
         Romulus, MI  48174-1485.                                                          by calling (734) 955-4568 or by emailing purchasing@romulusgov.com.
                                                                                       (13) The City of Romulus strictly prohibits the reproduction or publishing of any published docu-
         Ellen Craig-Bragg, City Clerk                                                     ment or solicitation without the express written consent of the City of Romulus.
         City of Romulus, Michigan                                                         Unauthorized posting of any notice of these documents or reference to said documents or
         Publish:  March 14, 2019                                      RM0379 - 031419  2.5 x 6.582  solicitations is strictly prohibited.          RM0380 - 031419  2.5 x 7.98
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