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No. 2
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
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January 9 – 15, 2014
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 Chamber of
Commerce will host a work-
shop on the Affordable Care
Act beginning with registration
at 12:30 p.m. Jan. 29.
See page 2.
The Romulus Animal
Shelter is now bringing in
more revenue to the city fol-
lowing approval of an agree-
ment to provide shelter servic-
es toVanBurenTownship.
See page 3.
Plymouth authors Joseph
Markusic and Scott J. Karr cel-
ebrated the nationwide
release of their new novel, "In
the Company of Perfection,"
lastmonth.
See page 5.
Members of the Northville
Historical Society are sponsor-
ing a Handwriting Analysis
Tea at Mill Race Village begin-
ning at 1 p.m. Feb. 8.
See page 5.
Members of the Belleville
City
Council
recently
approved the adoption of the
2014 Strawberry Festival
AdministrativePolicy.
See page 3.
Vol. 128, No. 2
Vol. 66, No. 2
Vol. 66, No. 2
Vol. 13, No. 2
Vol. 128, No. 2
Vol. 66, No. 2
Vol. 66, No. 2
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
The Wayne-Westland Fire
Department has taken another
step into the future as the
EMTs begin testing an auto-
mated device designed to pro-
vide cardiopulmonary resusci-
tation.
See page 2.
More than $75,000 in dam-
age is estimated to a garage
and home in the 44000 block of
Fair Oaks where Canton fire-
fighterswere called Jan. 2.
See page 5.
Vol. 13, No. 2
The 32nd Annual Plymouth Ice
Festival will arrive throughout the
downtown area tomorrow, just in
time to see temperatures rise to a
balmy 30 or so degrees, according
to the national weather service.
“I think the weather forecast is
just perfect for getting out of the
house and perfect for keeping the
ice in the best viewing condition,”
explained festival organizer James
Geitzen. “This just couldn't be any
better for us.”
Geitzen noted that a few attrac-
tions have just been added to the
schedule of the festival to provide
evenmore activities for visitors.
“We just added the dueling
chainsaws, which is always a good
time,” Geitzen said. “Basically, the
professional carvers come to the
stage, each take a block of ice and
take their chainsaws to it to create
something terrific. Then the crowd
gets to vote by applause and noise
for the winner,” he said. While
there is no official prize, the win-
ning carver does get bragging
rights, Geitzen said.
Another new addition is an art
exhibit, sponsored by the
Plymouth Arts Council which will
take place at the Westchester
Square Mall on Forest Street from
1-4 p.m. onSaturday.
“It's an exhibit of some out-
standing local artists,” Geitzen
said, “so people can go inside, get
warmand take a look at the art.”
Another addition to the wel-
come break in the inclement
weather that has plagued the area,
the festival will also offer a peek at
the future in the presence of the
2015model Mustang, whichwill be
parked onForest Street for festival
goers to admire. The 50th anniver-
sary of theMustangwill be official-
ly celebrated April 17 this year
and the Flat Rock Assembly Plant
is expected to send one of the
brand-new anniversary models as
part of an exhibit which will
include a mustang ice sculpture.
The exhibit will also include a
new model Lincoln, along with an
ice carving of Abraham Lincoln
and a new Cadillac, with a carving
of the founder of Detroit, Antoine
Cadillac, rendered in ice.
The vehicle exhibit will be
located near E.G. Nick's at 500
Forest St. and according to Frank
Agostini and Tony Belli, owners of
the popular restaurant, there will
be a great deal to see.
“This will be the most ice ever
seen on Forest Street,” Agostini
See
Festival,
page 5
Mayoral appointees in
Westlandwill see some changes in
2014.
Mayor William Wild said that
benefits and wages for new may-
oral appointees will be sharply
reduced beginning this year in an
effort to start eliminating the $236
million in unfunded future legacy
costs.
“In order to be fiscally respon-
sible, we have to continuously
evaluate the status of our finances
and make necessary adjust-
ments,” saidWild. “As an adminis-
tration, we are dedicated to
addressing, limiting and ultimate-
ly reducing the city's $236 million
in unfunded legacy costs. In an
effort to lead by example, these
dramatic reforms will start at the
top with a new appointee package
that will save the city millions of
dollars per employee.”
In 2008 the city required
appointees to contribute 5 percent
toward their pensions which
resulted contributions of approxi-
mately $100,000 per year to the
pension system. In 2012, the city
also implemented health care cost
sharing mandated by Public Act
152 for all public employees in
Michigan, according to Wild. In
2014 the city is creating a new
appointee wage tier that reduces
wages by 10 percent with employ-
ees paying approximately 20 per-
cent of insurance premiums.
New appointees hired after
Jan. 1, 2014 will receive a health
care savings program in lieu of
traditional health care in retire-
ment. By implementing the health
savings account the dollar savings
will be in excess of $600,000 per
employee during retirement by
eliminating any health care cost
for retirees,Wild said.
Under this plan, in addition,
new appointees will be enrolled
in a defined contribution plan
Kristy Ryan McDermed will be
sentenced in 35th District Court
next week on a charge of domestic
violence following her guilty plea
to accusations she put bleach in
her husband's eye drops.
McDermed, 35, of Canton
Township, was also accused of
placing an ad on awebsite offering
to pay someone to assault her hus-
band in retaliation for marital
problems. She will be sentenced
by 35th District Judge James
Plakas and could face up to 93
days in jail and a $500 fine.
According to police reports,
McDermed's husband went to
Canton police in mid-October
after feeling a burning sensation
and smelling bleachwhen he used
the eyedrops immediately after a
shower. Police said the husband
realized immediately there was a
problem, prompting his visit. He
apparently suffered no permanent
damage from the tainted eye-
drops, police said.
The domestic violence charge
is a misdemeanor. According to
police, McDermed admitted her
role in trying to harm her hus-
band.
I think the weather forecast is just perfect
for getting out of the house and perfect for
keeping the ice in the best viewing condition.
”
In order to be fiscally responsible, we have
to continuously evaluate the status of our
finances and make necessary adjustments.
”
See
Salaries,
page 2
Ideal conditions welcome Plymouth Ice Festival
Mayor vows to cut appointee’s salaries, benefits
Wife faces prison in poisoning of husband’s eye drops
Life savers
Scouts awarded honors
for heroic rescue efforts
Six members of two Scouting Units char-
tered by Our Lady of Good Counsel (OLGC)
Catholic Church in Plymouthwere awarded
the Honor Medal for Saving Life by the
National Court of Honor, Boy Scouts of
America.
The National Court of Honor ceremony
took place Dec. 29, immediately following
the noonmass at the church and recognized
the five youths and one adult for their
extraordinary acts of heroism in the rescue
of three young adults stranded on a
windswept raft in open water in the Bruce
Peninsula of Ontario, Canada.
The rescue occurred in July 2012, when
members of Boy Scout Troop 781 and
Venture Crew 781, on the first day of their
high adventure activities exploring lime-
stone caves near the Barrow Bay area of
Ontario, Canada. During their lunch break,
at a shoreline cabin, the adult host noticed
an inflatable raft in impending danger.
Three rafters were being swept by high pre-
vailing west winds toward the Georgian Bay.
The scouts and venturers and an adult
leader took to the whitecaps in two canoes
and a kayak to aid the rafters. The group
attempted to tow the raft back to shore but
the strong winds prevented their efforts.
The three occupants of the raft were trans-
ferred into the canoes and taken to shore.
As they left the raft, the wind picked it up
“like a kite” witnesses said, and swamped
one of the canoeswhichwas still attached in
the effort to offload the rafters.
While the raft and one of the canoes
were lost in the rescue attempt, the rescue
was successful, inevitably involving assis-
tance from the Ontario Provincial Police.
The Troop 781 and Venture Crew 781 mem-
bers involved in the Barrow Bay rescue
received the prestigious Boy Scouts of
America Honor Medal. This is a medal
awarded to youth members or adult leaders
who have demonstrated unusual heroism
and skill in saving or attempting to save a
life at considerable risk to self. Lifesaving
awards from the Boy Scouts of America
started in 1911 and a rigorous recommenda-
tion and evaluationprocess is followed.
Nicholas R. Armstrong, Scott M. Davison,
Erica C. Bingham, Jacqueline S.
McCormick, Michael D. Fluegemann, and
Alan H. Deal all from the Plymouth-Canton
area, were recognized during the ceremony
officiated by John Reeser, CEO of the
Michigan Crossroads Council, BSA and Fr.
John Riccardo, pastor of Our Lady of Good
Counsel CatholicChurch..
The Scouting Units chartered by Our
Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church have
now been awarded a total of eight
Lifesaving Awards which may be a prece-
dent for a single chartering organization.
Angela Scott, the Youth
Services Librarian at the
Leanna Hicks Inkster Public
Library hopes families will
come out to enjoy the new pro-
grams offered at the facility.
See page 2.
Honored for their heroic actions were scouts Nicholas R. Armstrong, left, Scott M. Davison,
Erica C. Bingham, Jacqueline S. McCormick, Michael D. Fluegemann and Alan H. Deal.