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No. 51
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
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December 20 - 26, 2012
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There are 100 new "college"
students in the Wayne-
Westland schools, thanks to an
agreement negotiated with
Wayne County Community
CollegeDistrict.
See page 4.
Romulus Helping Hands is
in need of donations in order
to provide food for needy fami-
lies for the Christmas holiday,
according to Romulus Mayor
AlanLambert.
See page 6.
The Village Potters Guild
and the Over the Grill Gang
Chefs' Club have joined forces
with the Plymouth Canton
Educational Park Culinary
Team to help The Salvation
Army.
See page 5.
Northville Township Police
have warned area residents of
a pair of suspects who have
visited at least one area home
in an attempt to steal cash,
valuables and jewelry.
See page 3.
An apparent “failure to
communicate” which prompt-
ed the demotion of Belleville
Police Chief Gene Taylor has
been overturned by the Civil
ServiceCommission.
See page 7.
Vol. 127, No. 51
Vol. 65, No. 51
Vol. 65, No. 51
Vol. 12, No. 51
Vol. 12, No. 51
Vol. 127, No. 51
Vol. 65, No. 51
Vol. 65, No. 51
Former 22nd District Court
Judge Sylvia James has been
ordered to pay an additional
$16,500 to the Judicial Tenure
Commission which brought
charges against her.
See page 4.
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
Friends of Westland resi-
dent Chassy Horton are organ-
izing an internet effort to help
the 27-year-old single mother
whohasHodgkin'sDisease.
See page 7.
Three Michigan Court of
Appeals judges have ruled in favor
of Plymouth Township, determin-
ing that the township had the
authority to set the millage rate on
a ballot proposal last February.
The question, requesting 10
mills for funding the fire depart-
ment, was placed on the ballot only
after the township and attorneys
from the Citizens Action Group
attended four court hearings.
Judge Wendy Baxter sided with
the Citizens Action Group and
ordered the township to allow citi-
zens to vote on the issue and
acknowledge the more than 4.000
signatures on petitions the group
had collected.
Township officials then
increased the amount requested to
10-mills with the authority to levy
the amount annually. Judge
Gershwin Drain of the Wayne
County Circuit Court upheld the
legality of the township action ear-
lier this year and the decision of
the appeals court last Friday con-
firmed his decision in the matter.
The judges also said that the circu-
lators of the petition, the Citizens
Action Group, did not prove a vio-
lation of the constitutional right to
petition the government for
redress of grievances and to
instruct representatives, as they
claimed in their legal filings.
The Court of Appeals is an
intermediate appellate court
between the state trial court and
the Michigan Supreme Court.
Judges from three of the four sepa-
rate geographical districts,
Kathleen Jansen, Karen Fort
Hood, and David Sawyer, who
rotate among panels, ruled on the
Plymouth Township case less than
one week after hearing arguments
fromattorneys for both sides..
The dispute began almost two
years ago when the City of
Plymouth notified the township
that it would be withdrawing from
the joint fire services agreement
that had been in place for many
years. The city move left a
Las Vegas magician and
Michigan native Aaron Radatz
will be returning to The
Village Theater at Cherry Hill
for one showonly onDec. 29.
See page 3.
Canton Township is currently
moving forward with a letter of
intent to sell the property located
at 44237W. Michigan Ave. the cur-
rent home of The B.L.O.C.K.
Youth and Teen Center. At their
regular meeting Dec. 12, mem-
bers of the Canton Board of
Trustees voted to approve a letter
of intent for the sale of the prop-
erty to Gerdom Realty and
Investment ofNovi.
The B.L.O.C.K. Youth and Teen
Center (Building Leaders Out of
Canton Kids) will continue to
offer all programming to area
children ages 11 -17 at the current
location through June 30. A por-
tion of the money from the sale of
this property will go directly
toward future youth program-
ming, according to trustees.
Established in 2005, The
B.L.O.C.K. provides a place for
teens to spend time with their
peers, participate in supervised
activities, and to be part of a wel-
coming environment, explained
Canton Leisure Services Director
Debbie Bilbrey-Honsowetz. This
drop-in center offers a variety of
activities and support for area
children during non-school
hours. Approximately 3,400 teens
each year participate in super-
vised activities at the facility, she
said.
The potential sale of the parcel
on Michigan Avenue has long
been under consideration since
the site was secured by Canton
Township in the early 1980s, with
the understanding that the prop-
erty could be highly desirable
commercially, she added.
According to Bilbrey-
State Police detectives have
concluded their investigation into
the fatal shooting of a 26-year-old
Plymouth Township man by a city
police officer Oct. 14. The final
report, sent to the office of Wayne
County Prosecutor Kym Worthy,
will result in no charges against
the officer involved in the inci-
dent, according to Maria Miller, an
assistant prosecutor with the
office.
According to reports filed late
last week by State Police Det. Sgt.
Joseph White, the dead man, ten-
tatively identified by reliable
sources as David Alanis III,
rushed at the officer brandishing a
tire iron after ignoring repeated
orders to drop the weapon. The
man was closing a 15-foot distance
between himself and the officer
when the officer drew his weapon
and fired, striking the man in the
chest.
The incident took place near
Joy Road and Lilley at about 11
p.m. Police dispatchers received a
call about a man breaking win-
dows at a home near Sparr's
Flowers. The city officer was the
first to arrive on the scenewhich is
located in Plymouth Township.
Reportedly, it is not unusual for
city officers to respond to town-
ship calls through the shared dis-
patch services in the two commu-
nities.
White's findings indicated that
the officer arrived on the scene
and confronted the man, who was
brandishing the tire iron. The offi-
cer ordered the man to drop the
tire iron several times, White said,
and instead rushed at the officer
at a "dead run." The officer was
When Peter E. Kosciolek and
Kerri Ann McCarthy of Taylor
were planning their wedding,
theywanted it to bememorable.
“We wanted to go out with a
bang,”Kosciolek said.
The couple was married at 12
noon on Dec. 12, 2012 - 12-12-12-
12 - in the City Council chambers
of Romulus City Hall withMayor
Alan R. Lambert presiding. For
the record, the ceremony was
complete by 12:12 p.m.
Family and friends were in
attendance, including his par-
ents, Peter John and Norma
Jean Kosciolek of Romulus, and
her mom, Betty McCarthy of
Windsor.
The groom's son, Ian Michael,
served as best man. The bride's
best friend, Lavonne Dalton of
Detroit, served as matron of
honor.
The groom's brother, John,
walked the bride down the aisle.
Five of the groom's young rela-
tives were part of the bridal
party, including nephew Kevin
Kosciolek and twin granddaugh-
ters Emma and Jenna Barter.
Niece Ariana Kosciolek was the
flower girl. Grandson Brayden
Kosciolekwas ring bearer.
The groom, who is a Romulus
native, met his future bride, who
grew up in Milford, when they
were both working at the
Magnuson Hotel in Romulus.
She was head housekeeper and
he, a lifelong self-employed con-
tractor, was the head of mainte-
nance.
They remembered meeting
while trying to slow down
Brayden, whowas running in the
quarter-mile-long hallway in the
hotel - reported to be the longest
hallway inMichigan.
The groom said the idea for a
Dec. 12, 2012, wedding came
from a friend, but the noon start-
ing timewas his. He said 12-12-12
would be the last repetitive date
in their lifetime.
Kosciolek said he knew 12-12-
12 would be a popular day. When
he called to order rose pedals for
the ceremony, he learned the
florist was “real busy - that other
people were getting married on
12-12.”
He figures the noon starting
timemade it unique.
The couple said they were
pleased Lambert was available
to perform the wedding. The
mayor also presided over the
marriage of Kosciolek's brother,
John andwife, Mary, in 2005. The
same year, Lambert performed
the re-marriage of Kosciolek's
parents, who had married,
divorced and married again.
Norma Jean Kosciolek said she
has knownLambert since 1984.
There is history of memorable
wedding dates in the family.
Kosciolek's cousin, Meloney
Giampapa, said she married her
husband, Thomas, on Feb. 2,
2002 (02-02-02) in Roseville. They
picked the date because it was
their second marriage, they had
two children and they had two
granddaughters at the time.
“They didn't have 2 o'clock
open that day,” Meloney
recalled. “We went with 3:30.
Thomas' buddies joked that we
got married that day because it
wasGroundHog'sDay.”
The new Mr. and Mrs.
Kosciolek hosted friends and
familymembers at a reception in
a suite at the Magnuson Hotel.
They continue to work for the
hotel's parent company.
See
Appeal,
page 2
See
Ruling,
page 2
See
Sale,
page 2
Township officials then increased
the amount requested to 10-mills
with the authority to levy the amount annually.
”
Appeals court ruling favors township
Unforgettable
12-12-12 wedding performed
in Romulus by mayor
Canton Township to sell BLOCK building
Police shooting ruled ‘justifiable’ by prosecutor
Mayor Alan Lambert, left, listens to the vows of Peter E. Kocsiolek
and Kerri An McCarthy who were married at noon Dec. 12, 2012 at
Romulus City Hall.