The Michigan Student Test of
Educational Progress (M-STEP) results in
the Van Buren Public Schools district
received scores below state averages for
students, prompting discussion at the
meeting of the board of education mem-
bers recently.
District Director of Instruction Jeff
Moore told the board members that the
results “shows you we still have some
work to do.” Moore presented the scores
and test results to the boardmembers.
Moore said that while district students
scored below the state averages, the test
results were “just a snapshot of informa-
tion.”
“We want to be honest about this infor-
mation and use the numbers for what they
are,”Moore said.
He compared the poverty levels with
the subject proficiency levels throughout
Wayne County schools but admitted that
even with the increased number of stu-
dents receiving free and reduced-cost
lunches in the district, students are still
underperforming when compared to oth-
erswith the same demographics.
Savage Elementary showed the highest
scores of the four elementary schools with
59.21 percent proficiency in third grade
math over a state average of 45.2 percent.
Moore explained that this did not sepa-
rate the gifted and talented students'
scores, which would impact the percent-
ages..
In third grade math, Edgemont stu-
dents achieved a 17.89 percent scorewhile
at Rawsonville students were 16.47 per-
cent proficient and at Tyler, student
scored 28.95 percent proficiency. Each of
the scores indicated a lower proficiency
level than scores last year at the same
schools.
Moore said that the poor English
Language Arts proficiency in the third
grade had implications with the new read-
ing bill approved in the state Legislature.
Effective with the 2019-20 school year,
third grade students who do not meet
reading standards will be retained in third
gradeunder the newstate rules.
Moore said educational and sociologi-
cal studies show that students who cannot
read by the third grade are most likely not
to graduate from high school and have a
stronger chance of incarceration in the
prison system.
Trustee Sherry Frazier clasped her
hands in frustration, saying, “We won't get
over this hump!”
Moore told the board trustees that
school officials were adopting several cur-
riculum improvements and researching
teaching methods from other school dis-
tricts in an effort to improve efficacy in
VanBuren schools.
A
SSOCIATED
N
EWSPAPERS OF
M
ICHIGAN
P
AGE
3
December 15, 2016
B
ELLEVILLE
- C
ANTON
- P
LYMOUTH
Grieving mother praises efforts of police
School officials discuss poor test scores
CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF CANTON
ACCESS TO PUBLIC MEETINGS
The Charter Township of Canton will provide necessary, reasonable auxiliary aids and services to individuals with disabilities at
the meeting/hearing upon notice to the Charter Township of Canton.
In accordance with the requirements of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ("ADA"), the Charter Township
of Canton will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability in its services, programs,
or activities.
Employment:
The Charter Township of Canton does not discriminate on the basis of disability in its hiring or employment prac-
tices and complies with all regulations promulgated by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under Title II of
the ADA.
Effective Communication:
The Charter Township of Canton will generally, upon request, provide appropriate aids and services
leading to effective communication for qualified persons with disabilities so they can participate equally in the Charter Township
of Canton's programs, services, and activities, including qualified sign language interpreters, documents in Braille, and other
ways of making information and communications accessible to people who have speech, hearing, or vision impairments.
Modifications to Policies and Procedures:
The Charter Township of Canton will make all reasonable modifications to policies
and programs to ensure that people with disabilities have an equal opportunity to enjoy all of its programs, services, and activi-
ties. For example, individuals with service animals are welcomed in the Charter Township of Canton's offices, even where pets
are generally prohibited.
Anyone who requires an auxiliary aid or service for effective communication, or a modification of policies or procedures to par-
ticipate in a program, service, or activity of the Charter Township of Canton should contact the office of Kerreen Conley, Human
Resources Manager, Charter Township of Canton, 1150 S. Canton Center Road, Canton, MI 48188, (734) 394-5260 as soon as
possible but no later than 48 hours before the scheduled event.
The ADA does not require the Charter Township of Canton to take any action that would fundamentally alter the nature of its
programs or services, or impose an undue financial or administrative burden.
Complaints that a program, service, or activity of the Charter Township of Canton is not accessible to persons with disabilities
should be directed to Kerreen Conley, Human Resources Manager, Charter Township of Canton, 1150 S. Canton Center Road,
Canton, MI 48188, (734) 394-5260.
The Charter Township of Canton will not place a surcharge on a particular individual with a disability or any group of individu-
als with disabilities to cover the cost of providing auxiliary aids/services or reasonable modifications of policy, such as retriev-
ing items from locations that are open to the public but are not accessible to persons who use wheelchairs.
Publish: 12/15/2016
EC121516-1409 2.5 x 4.72
CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF PLYMOUTH
LEGAL NOTICE
2016 WINTER TAXES
Winter Taxes are due December 1, 2016 and payable through February 14, 2017 without penalty. Additional information appears
on the reverse side of your tax statement. MAKE ALL CHECKS PAYABLE TO: CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF PLYMOUTH.
Payments may be made at the Township Hall during regular working hours Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. at the
Treasurer's Office. Township offices will be closed on Friday, December 23, and Monday, December 26. The Treasurer's Office
ONLY will remain open on Friday, December 30 from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. for year end tax payments. After hours payments
can be placed in the 24 hour WHITE DROP BOX located along the circular drive.
Mark Clinton
Treasurer
Charter Township of Plymouth
9955 Haggerty Road
Plymouth MI 48170
Publish Thursday, December 15, 2016
PT121516-0098 2.5 x 2.195
CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF CANTON
INVITATION TO BID
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Charter Township of Canton, 1150 Canton Center S, Canton, Michigan will accept sealed
bids at the Office of the Clerk up to 3:00 p.m. Thursday, January 5, 2017 for the following:
PRINTING OF THE FOCUS NEWSLETTER
Bids may be picked up at the Finance and Budget Department, on our website at
, or you may contact Mike
Sheppard at: 734/394-5225. All bids must be submitted in a sealed envelope clearly marked with the proposal name, company
name, address and telephone number and date and time of bid opening. The Township reserves the right to accept or reject any
or all proposals. The Township does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age or disability
in employment or the provision of services.
MICHAEL SIEGRIST, CLERK
Publish 12/15/2016
EC121516-1410 2.5 x 2.051
SUMMARY OF AMENDMENTS TO
PURCHASING ORDINANCE: CHAPTER 39
On November 28, 2016, the City Council of the City of Romulus, approved amendments to the City
Purchasing Ordinance, which in summary provides as follows:
• Provision for local preferences to vendors who have a facility located in the City of Romulus were
added to the Ordinance;
• Provisions to establish minimum insurance requirements for City vendors were added to the
Ordinance;
• The threshold requirements for purchase of various amounts were clarified and some of the pro-
cedures for reviewing bids and for emergency purchases were clarified;
• The entire Ordinance is in file with the City Clerk, which can be reviewed or obtained by mak-
ing a request to the City Clerk's office.
ADOPTED, APPROVEDAND PASSED by the City Council of the City of Romulus this
28th day of November, 2016.
I hereby certify that the foregoing is a true copy of the Ordinance as passed by the City
Council of the City of Romulus at a regular Council Meeting held in the City Council Room in said
City on the 28th day of November, 2016.
I further certify that the foregoing was published in The Eagle (Associated Newspapers), a
newspaper of general circulation in the City of Romulus, on the 15th day of December, 2016.
ELLEN L. CRAIG-BRAGG, CMC, City Clerk
Within forty-five (45) days after publication of any ordinance duly passed by the Council, a petition
may be presented to the Council protesting against such ordinance continuing in effect. Said peti-
tion shall contain the text of such ordinance and shall be signed by not less than six percent (6%) of
the registered electors registered at the last preceding election at which a Mayor of the City was
elected. Said ordinance shall thereupon and thereby be suspended from operation and the Council
shall immediately reconsider such ordinance.
Introduction:
11-14-16
Second Reading:
11-28-16
Publication:
12-15-16
RM121516-0120 2.5 x 4.289
Members of the Plymouth
Township Board of Trustees
were expected to approve the
finalized audit due June 30 at
the regularmeetingTuesday.
According to Treasurer Mark
Clinton, auditors from Plante-
Moran have now completed the
audit after receiving the final
piece of information regarding
the whereabouts of $1.1 million.
That money is now in the correct
account and the financial
accounts are balanced, Clinton
said.
“I don't anticipate any prob-
lems,” Clinton said of the expect-
ed vote on the audit. “I think it is
well finalized.” Clinton said, too,
that there had been a great deal
of discussion about the audit at a
work session two weeks ago and
that the newly-elected boardhad
opted to continue scheduling
these work sessions where
issues could be openly discussed
at length and questions resolved
prior to the official meetings
where votes are taken.
He stressed that these ses-
sions are open to the public to
ensure transparency.
Clinton said that finding the
$1.1 million required some seri-
ous effort on the part of the staff,
and he particularly singled out
Cindy Kushner whom, he said,
“did the heavy lifting” inpouring
through the numerous bank
accounts to reconcile the bal-
ances.
The 6-month delay in filing
the audit prompted the
Michigan Department of
Treasury to withhold $24,285 in
state shared revenue payments
to the township, a situation that
Clinton said should now be
reversed.
“We should be fine going for-
ward,” he said.
The problems were evident
in November when auditors
from Plante-Moran were still
attempting to reconcile a gener-
al checking account from 2015,
data necessary to complete the
audit.
Clinton said that he felt that
former Treasurer Ron Edwards
“simply ran out of time” in his
attempts to reconcile the
accounts and leave the records
“in good order.”
“This isn't a one-man job. The
office of the treasurer and the
clerk have to be in perfect sync
with these records and financial
balances,” Clinton said. “I think
we can achieve that going for-
ward.”
Martin Olejnik, a partner in
Plante Moran said preparation
of the state-mandated township
audit 6-months late presented
exceptional difficulties.
“It was a tough process,” he
said. “It was a lot tougher than
I'm used to, to be honest,”
Olejnik said.
Clinton said that he did not
expect to face these problems in
June, 2017 when the next state
audit is due.
“I think we are on the right
track now,” he said.
The sentencing of two Livonia
residents to prison for supplying
the drugs that killed a Canton
Township man have brought a
measure of peace to hismother.
Terri Young, the mother of 34-
year-old Andrew Kocoloski,
expressed her gratitude for the
efforts of the Canton Township
police responsible for the inves-
tigation and prosecution of the
individuals who provided the
Fentanyl that ultimately killed
her son.
Young praised the efforts of
the officers who tracked down
Eric Casey Rose and Megan
Elizabeth Hicks and charged
them with delivery of a con-
trolled substance causing death,
a felony punishable by up to life
imprisonment.
Young said her son had faced
a long battlewith drug addiction,
including heroin before his
death Dec. 13, 2015. Before suc-
cumbing to drugs, Kocoloski was
a commendable student andper-
son, his mother said. In 2000,
prior to his drug involvement, he
was captain of both the basket-
ball and football teams at
Plymouth Salem High School.
After graduation, he went on to
play four years of football at
Albion College where he was
also nominated as team captain
and was voted MVP (Most
Valuable Player) during his sen-
ior year. He maintained a 3.5
grade point average during his
college years, hismother said.
After college, he became
addicted to drugs and last year
battled that addiction to heroin
with stints in a re-hab facility.
While out of the support system,
he arranged to obtain heroin
froma source he had used sever-
al times in the past. He returned
to his Canton Township resi-
dence and overdosed on the
drug sometime during the night
Dec. 12, 2015.
His mother found him uncon-
scious the next morning and
immediately called 911. Canton
police and fire personnel
responded to the home but could
not revive Kocoloski who was
pronounceddead at the scene.
Police officers on site noted
evidence of drug use and an
autopsy by the officer of the
Wayne
County
Medical
Examiner confirmed that the
cause of Kocoloski's death was a
Fentanyl overdose.
Canton police officers began
an investigation into the incident
and were able to retrace his
steps to the deadly drug transac-
tion, identifying the two sus-
pects. Investigators submitted
the evidence to the office of the
Wayne County Prosecutor for a
warrant recommendation.
The warrant was approved
and Rose, 30 and
Hicks, 25, both of
Livonia were each
charged with one
felony count of
delivering the con-
trolled substance.
Rose and Hicks
each pleaded guilty
to the charges in
Wayne
County
ThirdCircuit Court.
Rose was sen-
tenced to a prison
term of 42 months minimum/15
years maximum, and Hicks was
sentenced to 18 months mini-
mum/15 yearsmaximum.
Kocoloski's mother praised
the Canton Police Department
and the Wayne County
Prosecutor's Office for their
efforts in taking these two sus-
pects off the street.
According to a prepared
statement from the police
department, Young acknowl-
edges her son's addiction, and its
all-consuming effects and wants
to pass along to the public that
this disease does not discrimi-
nate.
She said she cannot stress
enough her message of never
starting or experimenting with
opiates of any kind-as she
watched her son pay the ulti-
mate pricewithhis life.
This isn't a one-man job. The office of the treasurer
and the clerk have to be in perfect sync
with these records and financial balances.
”
$1.1 million located, delayed audit ready
Eric Rose
Megan Hicks
