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No. 46
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
75¢
November 21 – 26, 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
The Wayne Westland Parks
and Recreation Department is
sponsoring the Holiday Weight
Maintenance challenge.
See page 4.
Officials in Romulus said
goodbye last week to dedicat-
ed leaders who served the
public for nearly a combined
50 years as the newly elected
council andmayor took office.
See page 3.
The Salvation Army brass
band entertained the crowds
during the official lighting of
the boulevard trees in down-
townPlymouth last week.
See page 5.
The Northville Art House
will present two exhibits dur-
ing the months of November
andDecember.
See page 5.
The Belleville High School
Drama Department will pres-
ent Noises Off beginning at 7
tonight, Nov. 21, 22 and 23 at
the Belleville High School
auditorium.
See page 4.
Vol. 128, No. 46
Vol. 66, No. 46
Vol. 66, No. 46
Vol. 13, No. 46
Vol. 128, No. 46
Vol. 66, No. 46
Vol. 66, No. 46
The National Kidney
Foundation of Michigan
Inkster Partnership for a
Healthier Communitywill host
the monthly coalition meeting
from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m.
and again from5-6:30 p.m. Nov.
26.
See page 4.
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
That ugly sweater Great
Aunt Zelda gave you in 1999
could be worth $100 if you
have the nerve towear it to the
2013 Holiday Taste Fest in
Westland.
See page 4.
The Canton Farmers
Market will host a special
Harvest Market from 9 a.m.
until 1 p.m. this Sunday, Nov.24
for freshThanksgiving foods.
See page 5.
Vol. 13, No. 46
The hazardous waste injection
wells in Romulus, closed by the
state due to safety infractions in
2006, have been given permits to
reopen and resume operations by
both federal and state regulators.
The wells, located on 15 acres
of land at CitrinDrive near Inkster
Road, I-94 and Metro Airport,
were originally constructed after a
lengthy legal battle with the City of
Romulus which has been oppos-
ing the operation for nearly two
decades. The wells dispose of haz-
ardous chemical waste including
neurotoxins and carcinogens by
pumping the waste about 3,937 to
4,550 feet underground into rock
formations. The injection process
was deemed safe by both the
Michigan
Department
of
Environmental Quality and the
U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency which granted current
owner HeliconHoldings, a compa-
ny owned by Detroit businessman
Jim Papas, a permit to reopen last
week.
Romulus Mayor LeRoy
Burcroff and Taylor Mayor Rick
Wollars issued an immediate
press release criticizing the deci-
sion to reopen the facility.
“We are extremely disappoint-
ed and angry that regulatory agen-
cies would give their approval to a
facility with such a history of prob-
lems,” Burcroff said. “There are
countless public-safety concerns,
from the toxic material hazard to
the health and safety of our resi-
dents and people who work here.
We will do everything we can to
close it down.”
Now called Environmental
Geotechnologies (EGT), the deci-
sion to reopen the operation also
drew the ire of state Sen. Hoon-
Wayne City Councilman Loren
“Skip” Monit has been sued for
defamation of character and mak-
ing false statements by community
activist Christopher Sanders.
Sanders claims in a lawsuit, filed
Nov. 8, that Monit defamed him
with untrue statements made dur-
ing a regular city council meeting in
November of 2012. Monit made
statements on the record at the
meeting claiming that “he heard”
Sanders had inappropriately
touched two children during the
HalloWayne event that year.
There were no such reports,
according to Sanders, who demand-
ed an apology and a retraction from
Monit at a public meeting in
December of last year, citing the
damage that had been done to him
and his reputation. Sanders spoke
during the public comments por-
tion of a regular city council meet-
ing.
“Any reasonable person would
find these remarks an outrage, no
matter what their opinion might be
of the issues under discussion at the
time. I am disappointed, and
frankly, disgusted, with the efforts of
this council, with the apparent
cooperation of members of the city
administration, to publicly demo-
nize and slander a private citizen,
particularly during a public meet-
ing of the official governing body of
our community,” he said during his
demand for a public apology.
No such apology was ever forth-
coming.
“I filed the suit to protect my
rights,” Sanders said last week. “I
want people to understand, I am
fighting for my reputation. This is
not about the money. This is about
these patently false statements.”
Sanders said that the suit against
The plan to convert the current
Central Middle School property in
downtown Plymouth to an enter-
tainment and recreation complex
met with strong resistance at the
Plymouth Township Board of
Trusteesmeeting last week.
Don Soenen, a member of the
Plymouth Arts and Recreation
Complex committee (PARC), went
to the township meeting to ask for
the “support” of the township for
the project. Soenen provided each
of the Plymouth Township board
members an elementary site plan
of the proposed project. He asked
the board members, “What would
the township like to see in this
project. We all need to have some
input.”
Soenen reiterated plans first
announced at a public meeting
hosted by PARC two weeks ago.
He said that the plan met with
considerable public support and
estimated the price at about $25
million, including $2.5 million for
the purchase of the land from the
Plymouth-Canton Community
School District.
Soenen told the board mem-
bers that the project would entail
24 months of planning, possibly
leading to a 2015 ballot proposal
for a property tax to support the
facility.
Township Clerk Nancy
Conzelman was the first to criti-
cize the concept Soenen present-
ed.
“If this site was not available
(Central Middle School) would you
still pursue this project?” she
asked. She demanded to know
why a location in the townshiphad
not been considered. Soenen
responded that the group could
“look at any alternative proposal.”
That alternative came almost
immediately from Township
Treasurer Ron Edwards who
announced, to the apparent sur-
prise of the other officials, that a
feasibility study regarding a new
See
School,
page 3
The health and safety of our neighborhoods, schools,
businesses and people who travel through out city will
be at risk every day the well is allowed to operate.
”
This is not about the money.
This is about these
patently false statements.
”
Hazardous waste well permits granted
Wayne city councilman sued for defamation, false statements
Helping the Goodfellows is a family tradi-
tion for theBrady family of Plymouth.
It was their great uncle, James J. Brady,
who started the volunteer effort to ensure
there would be "No Child Without A
Christmas" almost 100 years ago in Detroit.
The late Mr. Brady organized veteran news-
boys and girls from theDetroit area in 1914 to
sell newspapers and solicit donations for the
non-profit all-volunteer group and history
was made. A statue in memory of Mr. Brady's
altruistic work was erected on Belle Isle
many years ago.
Organizers expect that more than 35,000
holiday packages will be distributed through-
out the area this year as part of the effort
begunnearly a century ago.
The Brady family remains front and cen-
ter of the charity operation. F. J. Brady, the
finance director for Duffy & Petrosky, is a
past president of the Goodfellows and his
cousin, also named Frank, is president of the
metropolitan group this year, keeping up
their family legacy of service.
Goodfellows, with their distinctive news-
paper bags, will take to the streets of Detroit
Dec. 2. looking for donations in exchange for
a Goodfellows newspaper. Former Detroit
News columnist Pete Waldmeir is the editor
of theholiday edition.
Iconic Michigan State Football Coach
George Perles has invited the Goodfellows to
participate at the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl
Dec. 26, at Ford Field. Perles received a
Goodfellows package as a youth and later
sold newspapers for the charity while a
Detroit area coach. He is now a trustee at
Michigan State University and Chairman-
Emeritus of theLittleCaesars PizzaBowl.
Another storied football coach, Lloyd Carr,
of University of Michigan fame, who started
his career as an assistant coach at Belleville
High School, will make an appearance at the
Goodfellows table during the game. "High
school football and the Goodfellows have
great nostalgia appeal. It reminds everyone
of celebrating past excellence," saidCarr.
In addition to the holiday packages, the
charity also buys hundreds of pairs of new
shoes for needy children, subsidizes summer
camp tuitions and arranges emergency den-
tal work for youngsters.
The college teams participating in the
2013 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl will be
announcedDec. 8.
Family tradition
Goodfellows founder’s
family continues legacy
The Brady Family of Plymouth will be maintaining a family legacy when they help sell
Goodfellows newspapers Dec. 2 Patrick Brady, left, Audrey Brady, Amelia Brady,in mom's
arms, James Brady, Pam Brady, F. J. Brady, Cindy Brady and Goodfellows President Frank
Brady are descendants of the founder of the Goodfellows organization.
Photo courtesy of Mark
Einhaus
Jacek Adamski
Special Writer
See
Park,
page 5
See
Suit,
page 4
Central Middle School complex plan rejected by township officials