No. 01
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
75¢
Jan. 7 – 13, 2016
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 Rotary Club
was honored as the Service
Organization of the Year by
the Wayne Chamber of
Commerce at an awards
presentation earlier this
month.
See page 5.
Northville Township
Public Safety Director John
Werthwas honored for his 30
years of service to the com-
munity during a meeting of
the members of the board of
trustees.
See page 4.
Actions of Belleville
Public Safety Department in
a fire that claimed the life of
a teen were commended by
Van Buren Township Public
Safety Director Greg
Laurain.
See page 3.
Vol. 131, No. 01
Vol. 69, No. 01
Vol. 69, No. 01
Vol. 16, No. 01
Students in the Romulus
schools demonstrated the
spirit of giving last month
during the Annual Holiday
Food Drive in the district
when they collected 2,000
items.
See page 3.
Vol. 131, No. 01
Vol. 69, No. 01
Vol. 69, No. 01
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
John Glenn High School
senior Brandon Allen has
become a familiar face to
thousands of viewers of the
popular TEDTalks.
See page 5.
Canton Police are contin-
uing to investigate the traffic
accident that took the life of
a 78-year-old bicyclist on
Canton Center Road
Mondaymorning.
See page 5.
Vol. 16, No. 24
The Michigan State
Police, Special Investigation
Section (SIS) have arrested
one suspect in the death of
an Inkster man shot while
sitting inhis home last week.
See page 4.
The use of coal tar sealants
has been officially banned inVan
BurenTownship.
The township is the only
municipality in the country to
have officially restricted the use
of products which contain the
carcinogen, used primarily in
sealants on driveways, play-
grounds and other surfaces.
The new resolution, limiting
the use of coal tar products, was
unanimously approved by mem-
bers of the Van Buren Township
Board of Trustees at their Dec.
15 meeting. The new regulation
became effective Dec. 24. The
use of sealants must now be
included on any site plans sub-
mitted to the township and no
plans using coal tar materials
will be approved. Officials said
the plans of Atchinson Ford for a
new project will be the first to
include details of the sealants
proposed for use.
Township representatives will
meet this spring with companies
that use or apply sealcoatings in
the municipality to explain the
new regulations, officials said.
The ban on coal tar sealants
included voluntary compliance.
Dr. DavidWilson andRebecca
Esselman, of the Huron River
WatershedCouncil, were cited as
the main proponents of the new
ordinance and their efforts were
recognized by members of the
board of trustees. Wilson, amem-
ber
of
the
township
Environmental Commission,
worked to prepare the ordinance
banning the carcinogen PAH,
(polycyclic aromatic hydrocar-
bons) present in coal tar
sealants.
Esselman told the members
of the board that the watershed
council hopes to “get your neigh-
bors on board.” Both she and
Wilson said their hope is to have
the coal tar sealants banned
throughout the country, although
Wilson said that his efforts to
convince Belleville officials met
with no response. He compared
his efforts to throwing a stone in
a deep well and never hearing it
hit thewater.
Students in the tech program
at Belleville High School will
produce a commercial video
regarding the dangers of coal tar
sealants that will be shown on
the township cable channel,
according to Planning and
Economic Director Mathew
Best.
Chairman
of
the
Environmental Commission
David Brownlee said it was cru-
cial that the information about
carcinogens in coal tar sealants
reach the public. To that end, the
watershed council will be pro-
ducing new brochures which
contain the information and the
limit of PAH considered safe and
the names of products which
contain coal tar.
“Eventually, coal tar sealant
won't be used anywhere in the
country - and that starts with
municipalities like us,”
Brownlee said.
Bob Doroshewitz will
remain on the Plymouth
Township Zoning Board of
Appeals despite a letter of
resignation he submitted
Nov. 13.
See page 2.
Eventually, coal tar sealant won't
be used anywhere in the country
- and that starts with municipalities like us
”
Van Buren bans coal tar sealants
Cool city
Ice Festival promotes
spirit of community
There are men and women, bundled up
in cold weather gear, wielding chain saws,
special chisels and a variety of kitchen
implements throughout downtown
Plymouth and in Kellogg Park today, prepar-
ing for the 34th Annual Plymouth Ice
Festival.
The events and attractions that have
brought crowds to the City of Plymouth for
the past three decadeswill be part of the cel-
ebration again this year noted James
Geitzen, the director of the Ice Festival,
along with enhanced exhibits and sculp-
tures, thanks to new premier sponsor Ford
Motor Co.
“Ford will not only have the largest
exhibit where you will be able to interact
with staff and new Ford vehicles, they will
also have the largest ice carving in the park,
featuring the new Ford GT,” he added, “but
they have also brought something new to the
event that we have been trying to accom-
plish for a fewyears.”
Geitzen said that the festival had been
looking for an opportunity to provide com-
munity service in addition to the ice attrac-
tions and this year, with the participation of
Ford and Gleaners, along with two other
major charity events, United Way and
Habitat for Humanity, the Ice Festival will
present a real spirit of community involve-
ment alongwith the expected attractions.
Marisa Bradley, Ford Motor Co. con-
sumer and broadcast media communica-
tions manager, said that the Plymouth Ice
Festival seemed a perfect fit for the
automaker, a major supporter of the
GleanersFoodBank.
During the event, festival visitors can text
Northville Township voters
will notice minor precinct
changes when they go to the
polls in 2016.
Members of the township
Election Commission submitted
and received approval to perma-
nently consolidate precincts,
eliminating four divisions. Now,
therewill be 12 rather than 16 in
the township.
Each consolidated precinct
remains well under the maxi-
mum number of voters, per
precinct, permitted under state
law, according to a statement
from the township on the web-
site. "The consolidation will
result in savings at each election
and substantially reduce the
township's financial obligation
to replace the election equip-
ment, which will be required in
2017," the statement reads.
Only the number of the
precinct in which they vote will
change for the majority of voters
affected by the consolidation
and most voters will continue to
vote at the same location where
they previously voted," accord-
ing to the statement.
The Kings Mill voting loca-
tion has been eliminated, how-
ever, and residents of KingsMill
are now assigned to vote at
Northville Township Hall. The
Kings Mill area is still designat-
ed as Precinct number five.
Township
Clerk
Sue
Hillebrand, urged voters to
watch for important election
information which will be
mailed to voters early this
month. The mailing will contain
the new voter's identification
cards and a letter explaining the
changes whichwill take effect in
2016. Hillebrand reminded vot-
ers, too, of the availability of the
township Permanent Absentee
List (PAL) whichwill allow them
to receive an application for an
absentee ballot prior to every
election in the township.
Anyone can sign up for the PAL,
See
Precincts,
page 4
See
Festival,
page 2
Only the number of the precinct in which they vote
will change for the majority of voters affected by the
consolidation and most voters will continue to vote at
the same location where they previously voted.
”
Voting precincts are consolidated in Northville
