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No. 4
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
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January 22 – 28, 2015
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
Members of the Wayne
City Council, still facing a
$500,000 budget deficit, have
agreed to spend $73,350 for
some professional help in
untangling the city finances.
See page 2.
Jadie Settles was named
Romulus Public Safety
Director by Mayor LeRoy
Burcroff at a meeting of the
Romulus City Council mem-
bers earlier thismonth.
See page 4.
Plymouth
Township
Board of Trustees agreed to
spend up to $6,000 to return
the name on fire vehicles to
the Plymouth Township Fire
Department.
See page 5
.
The Northville High
School Drama Club will
present Almost, Maine, a
play by John Cariani at 7
p.m. Jan. 30 and 31 and at 1
p.m. Feb. 1.
See page 6.
Senator
Hoon-Yung
Hopgood (D-Taylor) was for-
mally sworn in to serve a sec-
ond term in the Michigan
Senate lastWednesday.
See page 3.
Vol. 130, No. 4
Vol. 68, No. 4
Vol. 68, No. 4
Vol. 15, No. 4
Vol. 130, No. 4
Vol. 68, No. 4
Vol. 68, No. 4
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
Aman accused of assault-
ing two Macy's employees
Dec. 19 has been arrested by
WestlandPolice.
See page 4.
Residents of subdivisions
in Canton Township are
being warned by police to
close their garage doors in
light of several recent rob-
beries.
See page 3.
Vol. 15, No. 4
Demolition of the closed
Blanchette Middle School in
Inkster will remain on
schedule despite a $1 offer to
purchase the building and
property.
See page 2.
Several Plymouth Township
residents have expressed skepti-
cism regarding the involvement
of officials in a $25 million bond
sale to finance the purchase of
CompuwareArena.
Township officials scheduled a
public hearing during the regular
board of trustees meeting Jan.13
to accommodate a finance plan
by Colorado Educational and
Cultural Facilities Authority to
issue $25 million in tax exempt
revenue bonds for the purchase
and renovation of Compuware
Arena, recently sold by owner
Peter Karmanos, Jr. Karmanos
announced last week that he had
also sold the Whalers hockey
team toRolf Nilson, an industrial-
ist from Flint who will move the
teamto that city.
The proceeds of the bonds will
be loaned by the authority to
Plymouth AC, LLC, of Colorado
Springs and used to finance the
acquisition and improvements at
the arena and facilitate a lease
with USA Hockey, Inc., the gov-
erning body for amateur ice hock-
ey in conjunction with the U.S.
Olympic Committee. USAHockey
acknowledged the acquisition
would be funded by tax-exempt
bonds based on their status as a
non-profit 501(c)3 District of
Columbia corporation.
USA Hockey, now based in
Ann Arbor, presented plans for
taking over the Plymouth
Township arena and moving
youth hockey teams into the facil-
ity at a recent boardmeeting.
According to Plymouth
Township attorney Kevin Bennett
and information detailed in the
board meeting packet, the
issuance of the bonds must be
approved by the local governmen-
tal unit on behalf of which the
bonds are issued as part of the
Internal Revenue Code. In a pub-
lished Notice of Public Hearing,
the township claims the arrange-
ment will not constitute indebted-
ness or create a liability for the
township.
Several residents expressed
speculation as to the township
involvement and proper investi-
gation into the sale of the bonds,
The Canton Partnership for
the Arts and Humanities was
the recent recipient of a $21,000
Heartland Fund grant from the
Jeffris Family Foundation, an
organization dedicated to
Midwestern historic preserva-
tion in Wisconsin, Illinois,
Indiana, Iowa, Michigan,
Minnesota, Missouri, andOhio.
The grant from the Jeffris
Heartland Fund will fund 50
percent of the cost of a Historic
StructureReport for The Village
Arts Factory, a 14-acre site cur-
rently being developed by the
Partnership for the Arts and
Humanities. The Historic
Structure Report will provide
written documentation about
current structural conditions of
the building, which will be an
effective tool in preservation
planning and will also address
goals for the future use of the
building. In addition, the report
will provide insights into the
people and historic context with
which the site is associated.
Located on the corner of
Cherry Hill and Ridge Roads in
Canton, The Village Arts Factory
site was acquired in 2012 by the
Partnership for the Arts and
Humanities. Current site plans
include the development of a
future regional arts and culture
destination that will support and
Northville
Township
Supervisor Robert Nix and
PlymouthTownship Supervisor
Richard Reaume last week
announced an economic devel-
opment initiative branded as
the Michigan International
Technology Center (MITC).
The primary objective is to
repurpose the former Detroit
House of Corrections and the
Robert Scott Prison land for
private development, according
to a statement from the offi-
cials.
The statement did not
address the current lawsuit
against Plymouth Township by
the City of Detroit demanding
the return of 190 acres of land
included in the proposed devel-
opment. Lawyers for the City of
Detroit contend in court docu-
ments that the township mis-
recorded the ownership of the
property, west of Ridge Road
and south of Five Mile Road,
and then sent erroneous docu-
mentation to the Wayne County
Treasurer regarding that own-
ership and subsequent unpaid
taxes on the land. Township
officials then purchased the
land, legally the property of the
City of Detroit, at a 2011 Wayne
County tax sale foreclosure for
about $600,000, according to
court records. The land had
been on the township and
county tax rolls at one time val-
ued at more than $15 million.
City of Detroit attorneys have
claimed in legal filings that
state law is clear that munici-
See
Grant,
page 3
See
Land,
page 5
”
The substance of what's covered in the resolution
is that the authority needs local approval
in order to quality for a loan, and that's it!
”
Detroit attorneys have said they are more
than confident the land will be returned
to the city based on the clarity of state law.
See
Bonds,
page 5
Prison property is site of redevelopment plan
Art group receives $21,000 foundation grant
State Rep. Erika Geiss (D-
Taylor) was sworn into office on
Wednesday at the state Capitol
with other members of the 98th
Michigan Legislature. The first-
term representative will repre-
sent House District 12, which
comprises Romulus, Taylor and
part of VanBurenTownship.
"I'm thrilled to take the oath
of office and get started working
for residents of the 12th House
District," Geiss said. "Improving
the lives of the families, seniors
and students of my community
will be my first priority, and I
can't wait to get towork."
Geiss has been named as one
of five assistant whips in the
House Democratic Caucus for
the 2015-16 legislative term.
HouseDemocraticWhipRobert
Kosowski (D-Westland) declared
the positions last week. Geiss is
the only woman and one of
three first-term representatives
to be named to the post.
The appointment is just one
distinction Geiss carries as she
begins her first term. As the
daughter of Panamanian immi-
grants, she is the first black and
Latina individual to represent
all three communities that com-
prise her district. She is also the
first woman to represent
Romulus and Taylor in the state
House.
"It's an honor that the people
of the 12th District put their
trust in me, and it's a privilege I
won't forget," Geiss said. "Those
communities have asked me to
take their priorities to Lansing,
and it's those priorities I'll
always keep in mind as I intro-
duce and vote on legislation the
next two years."
In addition, the speaker of
the House announced commit-
tee assignments this week.
Geiss was named the
Democratic vice chairwoman of
the Joint Committee on
Administrative Rules, which
reviews rules put forward by
state departments and execu-
tive offices. She will also serve
as a member of the House
Committees on Commerce,
Health Policy, and Workforce
andTalent Development.
"I want to help create an
economy that works for every-
one, not just thewealthy and big
corporations, and I look for-
ward to doing so in my commit-
tee work," Geiss said. "These
assignments will allow me to
put forth common-sense regula-
tions that will grow our econo-
my, create jobs and make
Michigan a state where every-
one can succeed."
Geiss will be the guest speak-
er at the Greater Romulus
Chamber of Commerce lunch-
eon beginning at 11:30 a.m. Feb.
16 at The Clarion Hotel, 8600
MerrimanRoad inRomulus.
Seating is limited and tickets
are $20 for chamber members
and $25 for non-members.
Reservations should be made
no later thanFriday, Feb. 13.
For more information or tick-
ets, call (734) 893-0694.
Before
joining
the
Legislature, Geiss operated a
home-based editing business.
She is also an adjunct faculty
member at Wayne County
Community CollegeDistrict.
State Representative Erika Geiss (D-Taylor), second from right, takes the oath of office from Michigan
Supreme Court Justice Bridget Mary McCormack on Wednesday, Jan. 14. Joining Geiss were her hus-
band, Douglas, their two children, her mother, Germaine Swanson, and her sisters, Frances Swanson
and Chantal Murray.
Don Howard
Staff Writer
Arena bond sale prompts questions
Legislator pledges dedication to residents