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December 5 – 11, 2019 NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST 75¢

No. 48 www .associatednewspapers.net

THE BELLEVILLE County commission to vote on sale of mills
ENTERPRISE
ENTERPRISE
Vol. 134, No. 48 Tony Roko and Richard Cox funds to maintain or renovate
each had something special to the abandoned properties.
Van Buren Township be thankful for last week. Roko, 49, is a Plymouth resi-
Public Safety Director During an overflowing public dent and a graduate of the
Gregory M. Laurain will meeting of the Wayne County Plymouth-Canton schools. He
serve as the new president of Commission Committee on has a national reputation for his
the Wayne County Public Services Nov. 26, commit- innovative art and has done
Association of Chiefs of tee members voted unanimously commissions for several serious
Police. to send both Roko and Cox' pro- collectors across the country
See page 2. posals to purchase the Wilcox and his art is owned by several
Mill and Newburgh Mill, respec- celebrities. He began his career
tively, to the full commission for on the line at Ford Motor Co.
THE CANTON a vote. Roko's plan for the his- after graduating from Canton
EAGLE toric Wilcox mill, built by Henry High School. His artistic talent
EAGLE
Ford and designed by famed
was soon discovered by supervi-
Vol. 72, No. 48 architect Albert Kahn, restores sors and nurtured by corporate
Canton Public Library the abandoned building to pub- management, who assigned him The current Wilcox Mill has not been used for decades.
will host the annual Winter lic use as an art education facili- numerous art projects through-
Snow Spree from 7-8:30 p.m. ty and studio. out the plants. He has also com-
Tuesday, Dec. 17, with rides Cox, of Northville, plans to pleted several art commissions
on the Canton Express train transform the Newburgh Mill for the auto manufacturer and
and pictures with a reindeer. property in Livonia into a distill- was recently awarded a commis-
See page 4. ery and a coffee shop. Currently, sion as part of the restoration of
the Newburgh Mill houses the the former Michigan Central
Wayne County Sheriff Mounted Train Station in Detroit.
THE INKSTER Division which would be relo- He said he was both relieved
LEDGER STAR cated to land being purchased and happy after the committee
LEDGER STAR
by the county on Farmington
members agreed to send the
Vol. 72, No. 48 Road in Westland, according to a plan for his Art Foundation cen-
spokesman. That sale, he added, ter to the full commission for
Gift of Life Michigan has
a new campaign designed to is still under negotiation and has consideration. He said he has
not been finalized.
been interested in the 5,500
increase awareness of the County officials publicly square-foot building for nearly
need for more donors in announced the plan to sell the two decades as a perfect site for
multicultural communities mills last year, noting the prop- an art studio. Currently, Roko's Artist's rendering of plan for Wilcox Mill renovation.
and dispel misconceptions. erties had been abandoned for Art Foundation provides art lic and has served as a dumping During the meeting, mem-
See page 4.
decades and were falling into education to disadvantaged ground for 70 years. bers of the Save Hines Park
serious disrepair. The mills youth in a studio in the “A historic site is important, group expressed their objec-
THE NORTHVILLE were built in 1922 by Henry Plymouth Arts and Recreation but it can't be our financial pri- tions to the potential sale of the
EAGLE Ford as part of his “village Complex (PARC). He said that ority,” Evans said earlier this properties. Nancy Darga, a for-
EAGLE
year about the plan to sell sever-
he and his partner in the foun-
industries” program. Ford
mer member of the Northville
Vol. 19, No. 48 Motor Co. donated all three of dation, Greg Hoffman, have a al unused county properties. City Council and retired chief of
the mills to Wayne County in the vision for the abandoned and “Those mills either die a slow design for the Wayne County
The historic home of the
late Don Massey has been late 1940s but for decades both derelict mill. death or become a part of a turn- parks, said the vote by the com-
“I'm relieved,” he said after
missioners was a betrayal of vot-
around, which is a public-pri-
the Wilcox Mill and Phoenix
sold to the Living and Mill were used only for storage the committee meeting last vate partnership.” Roko has ers who continue to approve
Learning Enrichment and eventually fenced off and week. “I think the commission- reportedly offered a bid in the taxes to support the parks.
Center to be used as a new abandoned, prior to the sale of ers voted in the way that their mid-$300,000 range for the build- “We've been betrayed by the
campus for services. the Phoenix property last year. constituents expected them to.” ing and the 3.4-acres of property. commissioners who we have
See page 3.
In announcing the plan for Roko and supporters of the The bid for Newburgh Mill is given $250 million to take care of
the sale of the sites, Wayne Art Foundation sale noted that in the $400,000 range, but no the parks,” Darga said. She and
THE PLYMOUTH County Executive Warren Evans the mill building is boarded up, confirmation on the sales
EAGLE said the county did not have the fenced and off limits to the pub- amounts was forthcoming. See Mills, page 6
EAGLE
Demolition permits were School district to request $275 million bond issue
Vol. 19, No. 48
”
issued last week for the for-
mer Kmart site on Ann Arbor Members of the Plymouth- Superintendent of Schools Monica Merritt stressed In encouraging the board to
Road near Haggerty in Canton Community Schools approve the proposed millage,
Plymouth Township. Board of Education have that the bond, if approved by voters, would not Merritt stressed the need to
See page 3. approved a $275 million bond maintain the strong reputation
request for the March 10 ballot require any increase to the current district millage. of the Plymouth-Canton district.
next year. “When you think about the
THE ROMULUS Superintendent of Schools Student Services Kurt Merritt said the bond strengths of a community, we
ROMAN Monica Merritt stressed that the Tyszkiewicz said the proposed approval would allow the dis- always say the cornerstone is a
ROMAN
strong school system,” she said.
repairs and renovations would
bond, if approved by voters,
trict to fund enhancements to
Vol. 134, No. 48 would not require any increase ensure that students are “warm, each of the 24 district school “There are few opportunities we
Members of the Romulus to the current district millage dry and safe then they enter our buildings and bring equity to the have to finance these much
City Council approved a rate of 4.02 mills. buildings. facilities. She said the bond needed projects and this bond is
request last week to rezone a The bond proposal was Tyszkiewicz said the bond improvements would help make one opportunity to do so. It's a
10-acre site on Ecorse Road approved following 12 months of would help refresh the district the district competitive and responsible way for us to remain
to allow a new trucking facil- research and input from district technology by adding an innova- keep students from switching to competitive and to give our stu-
ity. officials, members of the com- tion hub that would cater to stu- charter or out-of-district schools. dents what they need and
See page 2. munity and professional con- dents interested in artificial Only board trustee John deserve in order to succeed.”
sultants and includes projects to intelligence, virtual reality and Lazarowicz voted against the The district last requested a
be completed in all school build- other classes that will be “essen- proposal which met with enthu- bond in 2013 which was
THE WAYNE ings during the next 10 years. tial during the next 10 years or siasm from the remainder of the approved by a wide margin of
EAGLE Executive Director of so.” board members. voters.
EAGLE
Vol. 72, No. 48 Northville upgrades police body, patrol car cameras
The faces of the Wayne
Police Department have Those interacting with ” a first-hand account of what
changed and will be chang- police officers in Northville The cameras make officers more accountable. happened.”
ing again this month as sev- should be on their best behav- Vehicle cameras take video
eral officers shave for the ior as they are now on camera. They realize their actions of the scene directly in front of
first time in a month. The Northville City Police and words are being recorded. the vehicle and simultaneous-
See page 5. Department has upgraded ly capture a panoramic view of
patrol car vehicle cameras and the front, without the need to
each officer on patrol now and 13 body-worn cameras, sessions for officers to show switch settings. Another view
THE WESTLAND wears a camera that records along with an internal on-site the do's and don'ts of handling is taken of the back seat. The
EAGLE
EAGLE both audio and video of every server for video storage and various encounters. previously used technology did
“The cameras make officers
Vol. 72, No. 48 encounter. While citizens are high-tech software. The new more accountable,” said not provide panoramic views,
which contain more detailed
equipment had been tested for
not expressly told they are
Mayor William R. Wild being recorded on video dur- several months prior to pur- Northville City Police information about the setting
presented checks for more ing the encounter with officers, chase and was initiated in Department Chief Alan and activity, officials noted.
than $20,000 to 16 local com- a red light goes on when the October. Maciag. “They realize their The vehicle and body-worn
munity organizations, fund- camera is active. The cameras provide actions and words are being cameras are synced - both in
ed by the Blues, Brews and Members of the Northville greater transparency of police recorded. It helps with citizen the vehicle and when viewing
Barbeque festival. City Council approved the pur- interactions, officials noted. complaints to have video and
See page 5. chase of six vehicle cameras They are also used in training audio of an incident. It gives us See Cameras, page 3

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