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No. 42
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
75¢
October 24 – 30, 2013
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
Wayne seniors brought
home 26 medals from the
Western Wayne County Senior
Olympics lastmonth.
See page 5.
Three amendments to the
Romulus City charter deserve
approval by voters Nov. 5.
Each will streamline purchas-
ing efficiency and save the city
money.
See page 4.
The township board's pub-
lic abuse and display of arro-
gance clearly violate accepted
rules of professional conduct
and legal protections afforded
employees.
See page 4.
The 12-acre corn maze at
Maybury Farm is open and
accessed only by a wagon ride.
After completing the maze,
cider, donuts and a fire await
at theWelcomeCenter.
See page 3.
Officers fromtheVanBuren
Township Police Department
are continuing their investiga-
tion of a collision that left a
Canton Township man in criti-
cal condition.
See page 3.
Vol. 128, No. 42
Vol. 66, No. 42
Vol. 66, No. 42
Vol. 13, No. 42
Vol. 128, No. 42
Vol. 66, No. 42
Vol. 66, No. 42
Inkster residents and city
officials will be gathering at 11
a.m. next Tuesday, Oct. 29, to
mark the official ribbon cut-
ting at the Greenway Trail
project.
See page 5.
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
Members of the Westland
City Council approved a 10-
year tax abatement for US
Farathane Corp. at the Oct. 7
regularmeeting.
See page 5.
Several of the athletic fields
at Griffin Park in Canton have
undergone a notable transfor-
mation this fall.
See page 3.
Vol. 13, No. 42
Fire Chief Mark Wendel sur-
prised some members of the
Plymouth Township Board of
Trustees during a special meeting
last Tuesday.
During a 90-minute report on
the current conditions of the town-
ship fire department, Wendel sug-
gested the township either fund
the department with a dedicated
millage or pursue a joint agree-
ment with Northville Township in
an effort to provide what he
described as “adequate fire pro-
tection” for residents and accept-
ed safety standards for fire fight-
ers.
Wendel's report was not on the
agenda for the special meeting
and only four people were in the
audience to hear the presentation.
Wendel used slides and presented
large binders of reference materi-
als to each board member, corrob-
orating his conclusions. Wendel
reiterated his grave concerns
about fire safety, staffing, equip-
ment and lack of support first sent
to Township Supervisor Richard
Reaume in a July 19 letter. Wendel
outlined serious manpower
issues; emergency response times
and outdated equipment and said
the state of the fire department
was cause for grave concern in
that communication.
Tuesday, he recommended that
the current staff of 12 be increased
to no fewer than 25 to handle the
current workload and number of
calls. He reminded the board
members that there have been no
capital purchases of any sort for
the fire department inmore than 5
years. He noted that the current
fire trucks are from 1989 and 1992
and are no longer cost effective to
operate and have failed on several
occasions when responding to
emergencies. The trucks, Wendel
With seven seats on the city coun-
cil and a new mayor to elect, voters
in Romulus will have their work cut
out for theminNovember.
Fourteen candidates are vying
for the seven city council spots and
at least three of them will be filled
with new, although possibly familiar,
faces. Long-time Councilman
WilliamCrova is not seeking re-elec-
tion to his seat, while Council
President Leroy Burcroff and
Councilwoman Eva Webb are vying
to replaceMayor AlanLambert, who
is not running for re-election.
The 14 city council candidates
are: incumbents John Barden,
Linda Choate, Celeste Roscoe and
William Wadsworth, along with can-
didates Kathy Abdo, Bronson Bell,
Harry Crout, Jacqueline Kaifesh,
Robert McLachlan, Virginia
Williams, Dean Gilbert, Sylvia
Makowski, James Napiorkowski and
DanielWood.
Most of the candidates took part
in ameet-and-greet event and forum
last week. Crout, Bell, McLachlan,
Gilbert and Kaifesh were not in
attendance.
Abdo is a teacher with 35 years
experience with a master's degree
in administrative leadership. She
said she wants to make sure citizens
complaints and concerns are
addressed, and she will work to
reopen the city parks.
“I hope to expand my involve-
ment in the community and I think I
have the right background for that,”
she said.
Makowski touts more than 20
years of professional and communi-
ty service, including her current role
as the president of the Romulus
Library Board. She helped keep the
library open and put together a plan
to expand hours and maintain serv-
ices. Makowski has a bachelor's
degree in human resourcesmanage-
ment and a MBA in Global
Management. She said she wants to
build a strong community.
“I've alwayswanted tomake a dif-
City officials, department heads
and Westland City Council mem-
bers joined business leaders and
residents for the groundbreaking
ceremony of the $3.5 million
Downtown Park Improvement
Project yesterday. The event took
place at ThomasH. BrownCentral
City Park to celebrate the much-
anticipated reinvestment in the
Central City Park site.
“We have come so far with this
site,” said Mayor William Wild,
who made Central City Park,
closed for environmental remedia-
tion in 2007, a top priority for his
terms as mayor. “And we intend to
keep that momentum going,” he
continued.
Central City Park reopened
earlier this year accompanied by
the arrival of five new soccer fields
and new state-of-the-art soccer
equipment.
The groundbreaking ceremony
marked the commencement of
construction on a state-of-the-art
facility that will host numerous
activities, incorporating concerts
in the park and the All American
Farmers' Market. Future plans for
the facility will include the instal-
lation of seven pavilions, a conces-
sion area with family-style rest-
rooms and walking paths. The
paths will connect the new ameni-
ties as well as Play Planet and H²O
Zone at TattanPark.
“Ensuring that those who live,
work and play in our All American
City have amenities to enhance
their quality of life is a key objec-
tive of my administration,” said
Wild. “This reinvestment into our
park system will improve the liv-
ability of our city and give resi-
dents and future residents a wel-
coming place to call home.”
See
Chief,
page 2
During his report, Wendel
was subjected to nearly constant
interruptions and questions from trustees.
”
Township board disputes fire chief’s report
See
Council,
page 2
14 candidates vie for 7 Romulus City Council terms
Westland commences $3.5 million park improvement plan
Line of Duty
First Responders
Memorial dedicated
Heavy rain added to the solemn atmos-
phere of loss and sacrifice that pervaded the
dedication last Thursday of the First
Responders Memorial on Edwards Hines
Parkway.
Elected officials, police and firefighters
from throughout the area gathered at the six,
20-foot-long polished granite walls where the
names of 401 of those who have lost their
lives protecting the safety of others are
inscribed.
Father John Belczak of St. Kenneth
Catholic Church inPlymouthTownshipdeliv-
ered the solemn invocation after a stately
presentation of colors by the Livonia Police
Department and Farmington Hills Fire
Department ColorGuard.
The ceremony beganwith a welcome from
Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano who
proposed the First Responders Memorial
after seeing the actions of police, firefighters
andEMTs during the 9-11 attack inNewYork.
“As a former sheriff, I appreciate the risks
first responders face on a daily basis,” said
Ficano. “The First Responders Memorial
pays tribute to those who made the ultimate
sacrifice to help others,” he added. Ficano
recalled William Dickerson, a Wayne County
Sheriff sergeant who was killed in the line of
dutywhileFicanowas sheriff.
Bob Woehlke, the brother of Westland
Firefighter Brian Woehlke who was killed
battling a restaurant fire in Westland in May,
spoke to the crowd about his family's loss.
Woehlke's voice broke with emotion as he
described his love for his brother and the loss
suffered by his brother's widow, Jennifer and
their daughter, Ava.
Diane Philpot of Romulus whose late hus-
band, Detroit Police officer Jerry Philpot, was
shot and killed in May of 1995 also spoke to
the gathered crowd.
“You think of that person every day… the
journey never ends. My hope would be to
never have to add one more name to that
wall,” she said.
The Van Buren Township Police Honor
Guard provided a 21-gun salute to the fallen
and in the ensuing silence Sgt. KeithWaller, a
retired Roseville Police officer, played TAPS.
The Detroit Fire Fighters Honor Guard pre-
sented a bell service to honor the fallen
heroes.
A lone bagpiper played Amazing Grace,
and as the Livonia Franklin High School
Choir sang both theNational Anthemand the
Song for Unsung Heroes, family members
and Ficano placed three wreaths the foot of
themonument.
The completed $400,000 First Responders
Memorial includes the monuments set in a
semicircle, seat walls, concrete walkways, a
paver plaza, site furnishings and plantings as
well as parking and lighting.
The memorial is located at the corner of
Hines Drive and Haggerty Road in Plymouth
Township.
Livonia Police Department Color Guard
Bob Woehlke
Diane Philpot