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May 19 – 25, 2022 NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST 75¢

No. 20 www .associatednewspapers.net

THE BELLEVILLE Former mayor is charged with wire fraud
ENTERPRISE
ENTERPRISE
Former Romulus Mayor
Burcroff reportedly repaid at
Vol. 137, No. 20 LeRoy Burcroff is expected to personal benefit instead of to least part of the misused cam-
benefit the campaign,” the crim-
The list of Sumpter plead guilty to charges of wire inal case reads. paign funding, according to his
Township owned properties fraud filed against him by feder- In addition to the $2,400 pay- former attorney Daniel J.
going up for auction will get al prosecutors last week. The ment, prosecutors claim that Wholihan, who is no longer rep-
another close look before charges follow a 10-month inves- Burcroff made payments to his resenting him.
being sold to the highest bid- tigation into Burcroff's use of children, his brother and his Romulus City Council
der at auction. campaign funds and were filed son-in-law from the campaign President John Barden said he
See page 2. in a criminal information, which account. None of those pay- was surprised by the allegations.
indicates he will plead guilty, ments, however, appear in the “I've known him for years and
legal experts said. charges filed Friday. he is a good person. He was an
THE CANTON Burcroff, 58, is accused of William Wadsworth, the honest mayor. I believe if he
EAGLE using campaign donations to longest serving member of the knew something was wrong, he
EAGLE
fund his daughter's wedding.
wouldn't have participated. I
Romulus City Council, said he
Vol. 75, No. 20 Prosecutors allege that he wired was saddened and disappointed knew him to always try to follow
a payment of $2,400 to the by the charges. the law and I have never known
The Michigan
“When he (Burcroff) took
Shakespeare Festival will Belleville Yacht Club in over the city in 2013, we were at him to be a person to attempt
anything dishonest,” Barden
November of 2017 from a check-
return to The Village ing account owned by the a near all-time low. He did a lot said.
Theater at Cherry Hill in “Committee to Elect LeRoy D. of positive things here. He Burcroff's criminal attorney LeRoy Burcroff
Canton for the 2022 Burcroff.” Deposits into the opened the parks back up, Wally Piszczatowski released the
Renaissance Season. account were contributions straightened out the city pen- following statement: even giving money back to the
See page 4.
from individuals toward the sions, lowered health care “If you talk to people that city when it was experiencing
effort to have Burcroff reelected, costs,” Wadsworth said. “I've know LeRoy and those folks that tough financial times. LeRoy has
THE INKSTER prosecutors alleged in the for- known him a long time, more actually worked with him at the great love for his hometown and
LEDGER STAR mal court filings. than 50 years. I knew his family,” city, (as opposed to some of his helped turn the city around,
LEDGER STAR
political enemies), they will tell
Wadsworth said. “He's my friend
“In truth and in fact, however,
which before his tenure, was
Vol. 75, No. 20 Burcroff used more than $15,000 and this is a sad day for our city. you that LeRoy always gave experiencing layoffs, furloughed
of the money contributed to his I hope it all works out in the best 100% of his best efforts to his
Smoke testing of the
Inkster sewer system is campaign account for his own way possible.” hometown, the city of Romulus, See Burcroff , page 2
expected to continue
through Friday, May 27,
according to officials from Farm Fest
the Department of Public
Works.
See page 6. Popular event returns to
Maybury Farm this year
THE NORTHVILLE
EAGLE music and farm animals are but a few of
EAGLE
Blacksmithing, wool spinning, games,
Vol. 22, No. 20 the attractions at Farm Fest returning to
Five suspects attempting Maybury Farm this year.
to flee the area were arrest- The event, postponed for two years due
ed by Northville Township to the pandemic, will return to the working
Police following a fire at Northville farm from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Legacy Park May 11. Saturday, June 4. The rain date is Sunday,
See page 6. June 5.
Farm Fest has historically been the
largest summer event at Maybury Farm.
THE PLYMOUTH There will be children's games and activi-
EAGLE ties, live music by Bridge County Bluegrass
EAGLE
Band from noon until 3 p.m., farm-life
Vol. 22, No. 20 demonstrations, food trucks and barbeque,
Plymouth District Library wagon rides, farm animals, and more,
and the Penn Theatre will organizers said.
welcome Edward Sarkis Farm Fest at Maybury Farm has been
Balian, author of Turn the growing in popularity each year, organizers
Page - The Bob Seger Story - added, due primarily to the unique presen-
at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 5. tations and activities. Among the demon-
See page 4. strations set for this year are wool spinning
by Michigan Hand Spinners Guild and
Tom McClure will be educating visitors
THE ROMULUS about blacksmithing.
ROMAN
ROMAN Northville Art House volunteers and
Vol. 137, No. 20 members of the Maybury Farm Garden
Team will teach visitors how to make a
Romulus resident Rita plant container garden. Farm Fest games
Hampton took her concerns include milking a cow, farm animal ring
about the Romulus toss, steer roping, and farm animal corn- chickens, and welcome new lambs, piglets younger than 2 are admitted at no cost.
Community School District hole, among others. and calves. The farm ponies will show Activity tickets are available by cash only.
to the members of the city There will be special activities that their skill at lunging exercises in the farm Farm Fest takes place at Maybury
council this month. require the purchase of activity tickets arena. Farm, located at W. Eight Mile Road in
See page 3. including face painting, slime making, and The presenting sponsor for the event is Northville.Parking is free at Maybury
beeswax candle making. Community Financial Credit Union and Farm. The farm is operated by the
On the second stage, children can learn the band sponsor is First Merchants Bank. Northville Community Foundation.
THE WAYNE about some of the special farm animals Admission is $10 for Farm Fest and $13 To learn more, visit www.maybury-
EAGLE through demonstrations with rabbits and per person with a wagon ride. Children farm.org or call (248) 704-9211.
EAGLE

Vol. 75, No. 20
recently Witnesses refuse prosecution in racist video post
City of Wayne Police Chief
Ryan Strong
announced the promotion of The student who posted a and prosecution of the student
Ofc. Matthew Whalen to the racially derogatory video on ” was denied.
rank of sergeant, effective May social media will not face crimi- If the witnesses decide to change their minds, Worthy said the participation
11. nal prosecution. of the witnesses was necessary
See page 6. According to a statement we certainly encourage them to present evidence to prosecute
from the office of Wayne County to contact the police. in the case in court.
Prosecutor Kym Worthy, witness- “It is an understatement to
THE WESTLAND es who received the threats say that the alleged statements
EAGLE
EAGLE which included “hanging, which he used derogatory terms investigation into the situation. made by the suspect are hateful
Investigators submitted a
Vol. 75, No. 20 stomping and shooting Blacks,” for Black people and stated that warrant package to Worthy's and disturbing. In this case the
he “hated Blacks” and threat-
witnesses refused to cooperate
refused to cooperate with the
A master social worker prosecution of the charges. ened to kill them. Parents of the office on March 11 and contact with the prosecution.
from Hegira Health will be School administrators were suspect were called to Plymouth was made with witnesses, Unfortunately, we could not go
on staff at Westland Police alerted to the video posted on Canton High School by adminis- according to a statement from forward, and the case was
headquarters to help with social media on March 4. The 18- trators and he was expelled that the prosecutor's office. The wit- denied. If the witnesses decide
calls with a mental-health year-old Canton Township resi- day. School officials notified the nesses refused to cooperate in to change their minds, we cer-
component. dent allegedly used his phone to Canton Police Department the prosecution of the case. As a tainly encourage them to contact
See page 6. record and post the video in which began an immediate result, the warrant for the arrest the police,” Worthy said.

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