No. 39
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
75¢
Sept. 29 – Oct. 5, 2016
w w w . a s s o c i a t e d n e w s p a p e r s . n e t
The Wayne-Westland Fire
Associationwill host the 19th
Annual Breakfast With Your
Firefighters from 9 a.m. until
noon this Saturday, Oct. 1.
See page 5.
Northville Parent Teacher
Association (PTA) Legislative
Action Network representa-
tives will host a Board of
Education
Candidates
Forum from 7:30-9 p.m.,
Tuesday, Oct. 4.
See page 3.
Vol. 131, No. 39
Vol. 69, No. 39
Vol. 69, No. 39
Vol. 16, No. 39
Michigan Senate Majority
Floor Leader Mike Kowall
and Sen. Hoon-Yung
Hopgood are sponsoring a
Vietnam veteran ceremony
Oct. 8 marking the 50th
anniversary of thewar.
See page 4.
Vol. 131, No. 39
Vol. 69, No. 39
Vol. 69, No. 39
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
Mayor William Wild has
proposed some new hires
and staffing changes at
Westland City Hall including
a parks and recreation
director and assistant to the
mayor.
See page 5.
Canton Leisure Services
will bring back two programs
that promote leadership and
civic responsibility while
building a strong foundation
for teens at theB.L.O.C.K.
See page 2.
Vol. 16, No. 39
An assault on an Inkster
woman has been added to
the offenses of a man police
and prosecutors have
charged as a serial rapist in
the area.
See page 5.
Restoration
Station
owner Pat Gallagher is fight-
ing eviction proceedings
filed by Plymouth Township
at his home and business on
AnnArbor Trail.
See page 3.
The Belleville Central
Business Community is part-
nering with Friends of
Michigan Animals Rescue to
host a costumed Monster
Mutt Walk from 1-3 p.m. Oct.
15.
See page 4.
In an effort to “avoid poten-
tial litigation,” Wayne County
officials have agreed to allow
Plymouth Township to recoup
taxes erroneously paid on 190-
acres of land when and if the
township is able to sell an adja-
cent 133-acre parcel.
The agreement to allow the
township to keep about
$606,000 and up to $135,000 in
legal fees from any sale or
transfer of the landwas drafted
by the office of Wayne County
Treasurer Eric Sabree and
unanimously approved by
members of the township
board of trustees last week. The
county will receive the remain-
der of any purchase price from
the property, estimated at $3 to
$5millionby township officials.
The two parcels, totaling 323
acres, were part of the Detroit
House of Corrections land near
FiveMile andRidge roads. The
190-acre parcel was the proper-
ty of the City of Detroit while
the 133 acres was purchased by
a local developer, Demco 54,
which defaulted on the proper-
ty taxes. At the time of the
Demco purchase, the land was
erroneously recorded as one
parcel, rather than two in the
township assessor's office.
When the taxes on the land
were not paid, township offi-
cials notified the county of the
arrearage, as prescribed by law.
The county then included the
entire 323 acres in a tax sale,
based on the information pro-
videdby the township.
Plymouth Township, having
the right of first refusal, then
purchased the land, on the tax
rolls at one time for $15million,
for about $636,000 in 2011 at a
county tax foreclosure sale.
See
Tax,
page 3
Don Howard
Staff Writer
Behind the
brushstrokes
Plymouth artist exhibits at
Westland City Hall gallery
Van Buren Public Schools
Board of Education Vice
President Martha Toth has
announced her immediate res-
ignation fromthe board.
Toth, a 25-year veteran of the
school board, opted not to seek
re-election in November and
has now announced her deci-
sion to leave the area for a new
home inSeattle evenbefore her
term expires. Toth told the
board members that she and
her sister, both widows, would
be moving to a condominium
they purchased together “very
soon.”
The meeting last Monday,
Toth said, would be her last.
The board will ask for a volun-
teer to fill the remainder of her
termwhichexpiresDec. 16.
School Board President
Brent Mikulski thanked Toth
for her 25 years of service to the
district.
As the meeting drew to a
close Toth said that the schools
had been a huge part of her life.
She said that she began volun-
teering in the classrooms of her
daughters when they were
small and remembered lobby-
ing the board to begin the gifted
and talented program in the
district. She then became a vol-
unteer in that classroom, she
said.
“It was my privilege, my
honor, my joy to be part of the
school district,” Toth said.
Former board vice president
Keith Johnston, speaking dur-
ing the public comment portion
of the meeting, praised Toth's
tenure and work with the dis-
trict, and thanked her for her
dedicated service.
Area residents are mourning
the loss of one of themost recog-
nized and beloved philanthro-
pists in the community.
Florence K. (Lambert) Klein,
a life-long volunteer and the
director and founder of the
Helping Hands Thrift Shop in
Romulus, died Sept. 23 at the
age of 95. Mrs. Klein was named
the Person of the Year in
Romulus in 1994 for her out-
standing volunteer service and
dedication to those in need.
Along with that award came for-
mal recognition of her work
from the Michigan State Senate.
Mrs. Klein also worked with the
local senior citizens group and
was a former member of the
Altar Society. She was the
Romulus representative at the
Equal Employment Opportunity
CommissionBoard of Directors.
Mrs. Klein was born Aug. 11,
1921 in Detroit, the daughter of
the late Lewis Ernest Lambert
andEthel Nettie (Green) Klein.
Mrs. Klein enjoyed taking
pictures, dancing, and research-
ing her family history through-
out the generations. She loved
spending time with her family
and friends at gatherings, and
she lived for the laughter of chil-
dren, her family said.
Among her survivors are her
four sons; Anthony D. Klein of
Clinton Township, Charles R.
Klein of Milford, Patrick L.
Klein of Fowlerville and
Michael W. Klein of Lake City;
two brothers, Frank Lambert of
Brighton and Syd Lambert of
Texas; 13 grandchildren; 16
great-grandchildren, and seven
great-great-grandchildren.
Mrs. Klein was preceded in
death by her parents; her hus-
band of 55 years, Anthony Blaze
Klein; one son, Thomas M.
Klein; four brothers, Floyd
Lambert, Cy Lambert, Baby Lou
Lambert and Lewis Lambert,
and four sisters, Sarah (Sally)
Lambert, Ethel (Tete) Klein,
Lois Sweet andNettieLambert.
A funeral mass took place at
St. Aloysius Catholic Church on
Monday with Father Jack Baker
of St. Perpetuas in Waterford
and Father Joe Fix of Sacred
Heart in Evart, officiating.
Interment was at St. Mary's
Cemetery.
Funeral arrangements were
entrusted to the Crane Funeral
Home inRomulus.
Those who wish may con-
tribute to Compassus Hospice.
Online guests may leave condo-
lences, share a photo, or light a
memorial candle by visiting
School board vice president resigns
The walls of the Gallery at
Westland City Hall, currently
sparkling with themaster pho-
tography of Allen Brooks, will
change Oct. 3 when more than
60 paintings by Kay Masini, a
well-known Plymouth artist
will be hung on the walls.
Masini will host a reception
and present a gallery tour for
the public entitled Behind the
Brushstrokes from 4-7 p.m.
Oct. 7.
Her paintings include oils,
acrylics, watercolor, drymedia
and collage and her styles
vary, as does subject matter-
realism to abstract. She will
talk of various techniques,
concepts, and the stories
behind someworks of her art.
Masini, a lifetime painter,
has lived in Plymouthwith her
family for 14 years. She has
been active on boards in local
art groups, and has been a
member of national and inter-
national organizations. A
member of the Internationale
Vriendenkring, she had a solo
exhibition in Belgium and her
work is represented in private
collections. She holds numer-
ous international and national
awards. Two of her paintings
were selected for inclusion in
the first “Acrylic Works-the
Best of Acrylic Painting” by
North Light Books; one of only
five Michigan artists to be so
included.
She grew up on Beaver
The painting entitled “Ancestors” an acrylic on canvas is includ-
ed in the exhibition of Kay Masini's art in the Gallery at Westland
City Hall, October and November.
Nothing contained herein shall be
construed as an admission of liability
or wrongdoing on the part of any party.
”
Township, county reach tax agreement
Death of charity founder is mourned
Florence K. (Lambert) Klein
See
Exhibit,
page 6
