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Romulus police have arrested a 16-year
veteran of a downriver fire department on
charges of criminal sexual abuse of his
daughter.
The teen reported the abuse late in the
evening Dec. 21 at Romulus police head-
quarters. She told investigators that while
living with her father for the past few years,
she was forced into performing numerous
sex acts with him, including sexual inter-
course, starting when she was 13 years old.
The teen also reported that her father had
taken and stored numerous nude and
explicit photos of her.
Shortly after the report, Romulus police
located the suspect driving in his vehicle
near in the area of his residence and arrest-
ed him without incident. The suspect was
wearing his firefighter uniform when taken
into custody.
Romulus police obtained searchwarrants
for the suspect's residence and for his per-
sonal locker at the fire department where he
is employed. During the execution of the
search warrants, detectives seized evidence
supporting the allegations made by the vic-
tim. Detectives also received a video-taped
and written statement from the suspect
admitting to many of the sexual acts as
describedby the teen.
The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office is
in the process of reviewing the warrant
request. Multiple charges were expected to
be filed last Saturdaymorning at his arraign-
ment in the 34thDistrict Court.
In response to the incident and arrest,
Romulus Police Chief Robert Dickerson
noted that it was a sad situation.
“Although I'm pleased that this defendant
is in police custody and will no longer be
able to prey on any other innocent children,
as a parent I'm deeply saddened that this
teenager was violated for years and her
innocence forcibly taken from her by her
own father.”
Dickerson said he hopes that the courage
shown by the teen in coming forward and
reporting the sexual abuse in this case will
encourage other area victims of past or
ongoing sexual abuse to come forward as
well to seek the assistance of local police
agencies.
A
SSOCIATED
N
EWSPAPERS OF
M
ICHIGAN
P
AGE
2
December 29, 2011
ABSTRACT
WAYNE CITY COUNCIL MEETING NO. 2011-34
DECEMBER 20, 2011
Regular Meeting of the City Council held Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. at
Wayne City Hall, 3355 S. Wayne Rd. MEMBERS PRESENT: Haidous, Dobrowolski,
McEachern, Damitio, Monit, Rhaesa; MEMBERS ABSENT: Henley; APPROVED: min-
utes of Regular Meeting of December 6, 2011; Site Plans #2011-13 & #2011-14; appoint-
ment of Timothy McClure, 38716 Meadowlawn as 2nd alternate to the ZBA until Dec.
2014; reappointments of Bruce Foulk, Lawrence Chastang, Terry Shenk to the Board of
Review until Dec. 2012; Donna McEachern, Albert Damitio to the DDA until Dec. 2015;
calling a public hearing for Jan. 17, 2012 for the '12-'13 CDBG Program Funds; profes-
sional services agreement with Environmental Testing and Consulting (ETC); resolution
with Wayne County for r-o-w work; restoring Wayne Police K9 Program; consent calen-
dar. Received and filed Communications and Reports. Adjourned 8:40 p.m.
Publish: December 29, 2011
Matthew K. Miller
City Clerk
NOTICE
CITY OF ROMULUS
ACCEPTING LETTERS OF INTEREST
Notice is hereby given that letters of interest will be accepted from citizens who are inter-
ested in serving on the City of Romulus Charter Commission. Please send any letters of
interest to: City of Romulus Clerk's Office, 11111 Wayne Road, Romulus, MI 48174 by
January 31, 2012.
Ellen L. Craig-Bragg, City Clerk
Publish:
12- 29-11
01-12-12
CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF CANTON
ACCESS TO PUBLIC MEETINGS
The Charter Township of Canton will provide necessary reasonable auxiliary aids and services, such as signers for the hearing impaired
and audio tapes of printed materials being considered at the meeting, to individuals with disabilities at the meeting/hearing upon two
weeks notice to the Charter Township of Canton. Individuals with disabilities requiring auxiliary aids or services should contact the
Charter Township of Canton by writing or calling the following:
David Medley, ADA Coordinator
Charter Township of Canton, 1150 S. Canton Center Road
Canton, MI 48188
(734) 394-5260
Published: December 29, 2011
EC122911-0493 2.5 x 1.557
R
OMULUS
74 and counting
Club members plan fundraisers to repair roof, parking lot at hall
Area firefighter arrested on sexual abuse charges
The club started with a goal of assisting needy children
and families. To this day, the Progressive Hall at 11580 Ozga
near Romulus Lanes at Five Points serves as a place for com-
munity gatherings, fundraising and charitable activities, par-
ties and other functions.
Club leaders believe that a majority of Romulus residents
have been insideProgressiveHall at one time or another.
The next opportunity to visit the hall is scheduled for New
Year's Eve as the club brings in 2012 with a party that is open
to the entire community.
Doors open at 7 p.m. Dinner will be served at 7:30 p.m.
Dance music will be provided by DJ Tony Martinez. There
will be 50/50 drawings, raffles anddoor prizes.
Tickets are $20 for most adults, $15 for seniors 62 and
older and $10 for children 6 to 17.
The party will be the start of fundraising andmembership
drives intended to beef up club membership and refurbish
thehall's roof andparking lot.
“This is the place for city events,” said Jim Poet, whose
family operates the hall with fellow club member Jim
Vanmeer and his family. “We rent it for everything: birthday
parties, graduation parties, wedding showers and receptions,
funeralmemorials - whatever youneed.”
Because the Progressive Club is a nonprofit organization,
because the hall's rental rate is considered inexpensive -
funeral rentals are only $150, for example - and because the
hall needs expensive repairs, the club is turning to the com-
munity it has helped for nearly three-quarters of a century.
In the earliest days of the Progressive Club, members pro-
vided hearing aids, wheelchairs and glasses to needy resi-
dents. At Christmas time, members would put together good-
ie bags for any child that would come to visit Santa Claus.
When the school system grew too large to host such an event,
the clubdonatedmoney to the schools for Christmas parties.
Throughout club history, members worked with
Goodfellows to make sure children had gifts at Christmas
time and families had enough groceries.
During World War II, the club sent contributions to the
Percy Jones Hospital in Battle Creek to help entertain
wounded veterans that were confined there.
According to a 1958 club report, members donated to the
March of Dimes, the National Foundation for Infantile
Paralysis, the Crippled Children Lilly Fund, the Jaycees and
other groups. Members purchased high school band uni-
forms, playground equipment, sent boys to the University of
Michigan Fresh Air Camp and met many other needs at the
time.
In the 1950s, donations were made possible by the
Progressive Club's Friday night benefit parties at the hall. Six
years of hall rentals allowedmembers to build a parking lot.
It was the giving spirit that drew Poet and Vanmeer to the
club decades later. When they joined, they were the club's
youngest members. Since that time, the senior clubmembers
retired or passed away “after giving their hearts and souls to
the club,” Vanmeer said.
“It's for the community - that's why we're doing it,” Poet
said. “We like to help out people. We've done things for the
high school volleyball team. We did a spaghetti dinner for the
robotics team. Jim's daughter raised money for the three-day
Walk for the Cure on behalf of her aunt, who had cancer. We
try tohelp everyone out.”
The Poets and Vanmeers give whenever they see a need.
Diane Poet serves on the Recreation Commission. Gail
Vanmeer provides Meals on Wheels on Wednesdays at the
Romulus Senior Center.
Most recently, Progressive Hall hosted the annual Santa
Claus visit, which drew hundreds of family members from
Romulus and surrounding communities.
“We bleedRomulus,” Vanmeer said. “The city's been great
to us. If it wasn't for the city, we wouldn't have made it this
far... But nowwe need somehelp.”
Roof repairs and a newparking lot have been estimated at
tens of thousands of dollars. In addition to making money
through hall rentals, the clubwill accept donations and spon-
sorships fromindividuals and organizations.
Poet and Vanmeer are seeking additional members who
feel as they do: peoplewhowant tohelp the community.
“We're staying. We're going to keep going,” Vanmeer said.
“I like the tradition and I like helping the city, the Romulus
Flyers, the Huron youth wrestling team and all the other
organizations that have asked for help.”
For tickets to the New Year's Party or Progressive Hall
rental information, call Jim Vanmeer at (248) 640-4567 or the
hall at (734) 941-3044.
Jim Poet and Jim Vanmeer, who operate the Progressive
Hall in Romulus with their families, are planning several
fundraisers to help with repairs at the 74-year-old hall.