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No. 5
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
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January 30 – February 5, 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
Local officials expect the
new McDonald's restaurant at
the corner of South Wayne
Road and Michigan Avenue
West to be open and operating
byMemorial Day.
See page 5.
A full range of programs
will be offered in February
and March at the Romulus
Public Library, 11121 Wayne
Road.
See page 3.
An $18.5 million loft apart-
ment development got the
final nod frommembers of the
Plymouth City Commission
last week, clearing the way for
construction to begin in late
spring or early summer.
See page 2.
The Michigan Gaming
Control Board approved the
application of Northville
Downs last Tuesday to add
Thoroughbred racing to the
schedule at the track.
See page 3.
Members of the Belleville
City
Council
recently
approved a request fromBrian
Copsey to present Cruzin' on
the Bayou car shows down-
town this summer.
See page 2
.
Vol. 128, No. 5
Vol. 66, No. 5
Vol. 66, No. 5
Vol. 13, No. 5
Vol. 128, No. 5
Vol. 66, No. 5
Vol. 66, No. 5
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
Westland Mayor William R.
Wild attended the 82nd Winter
Meeting of the U.S.
Conference of Mayors in
Washington, D.C. last week.
See page 5.
Three young local artists
were awarded cash prizes
recently for their winning
entries in the Lions Club
International Peace Poster
Contest.
See page 2.
Vol. 13, No. 5
Supporters of the proposed
Plymouth Arts and Recreation
Complex (PARC) to be located at
the site of Central Middle School
in downtown Plymouth attended a
second meeting Monday evening
to regroup after a recent setback
inPlymouthTownship.
Two weeks ago the Plymouth
Township Board of Trustees, led
by Treasurer Ron Edwards, not
only rejected a request to join a
feasibility study for the community
center plan, but voted to abstain
from any joint agreements with
the City of Plymouth on any proj-
ect for three years.
During the meeting Monday at
the Penn Theater, supporters of
the plan, led by 44-year township
resident Don Soenen, called the
plan a once-in-a lifetime opportu-
nity and strongly supported a bal-
lot issue allowing citizens to
decide on the construction of the
new community arts and athletic
center.
Addressing an audience of sev-
eral hundred city and township
residents who braved bitter cold
weather to attend, Soenen set the
tone for themeeting theme.
“We do know how to put up a
good fight.” Soenen said in his
opening remarks.
A brief slide show of PARC
goals and objectives to re-purpose
the Central Middle School and
sustain the cultural and recre-
ational opportunities that have
been part of the community for
decades was presented by commu-
nity
leaders,
including
Superintendent of the Plymouth-
CantonSchoolsMichaelMeissen.
Referring to the rejection by
the Plymouth Township Board of
Trustees, Soenen said, “The
Plymouth community can't sup-
port two facilities. We are assess-
ing our options “…with and with-
out the township.”
Soenen described the township
$13,000 study to determine the
need for a recreational fitness cen-
ter, akin to Lifetime Fitness, as
“non-sustainable.”
“A Lifetime Fitness Center
would cost about $25 million.”
Soenen said. The township has
reportedly already sold nearly $1.9
million in bonds to construct a
new amphitheater, a year-round
park pavilion and other recre-
ational amenities, a separate proj-
ect from the proposed township
fitness center.
“The arts facilities are a key
component of the (PARC) project,
generating about 40 percent of the
revenue,” Soenen said.
Meissen said the school district
The Plymouth community
can't support two facilities.
We are assessing our options.
”
See
Meeting,
page 6
PARC supporters want vote on project
Extra credit
Students earn college
degrees in high school
Canton library to close 2 days for renovations
Wayne County Commissioner
Kevin M. McNamara (D-Belleville)
officially announced his candidacy
for Wayne County Executive ending
months of speculation about his pos-
sible candidacy. His announcement
took place in front of an audience of
elected officials, members of labor,
business leaders, community lead-
ers and residents at the Wayne
County Community College District
campus inTaylor last week.
"The possibilities for our county
are greater than our challenges,"
said McNamara. "Wayne County res-
idents are seeking real, sustainable
change. As commissioner, I have
been courageous enough to take a
hit when I stood up for what I
believed was best for our county.
However, I cannot instill real change
as a commissioner and that is why I
seek to become the county execu-
tive."
McNamara's announcement fol-
lowed that of Westland Mayor
William Wild who announced his
candidacy for the county executive
post last week. There has been no
announcement from Robert Ficano,
the incumbent Wayne County
Executive, who has been plagued
with scandals during the past years
of his administration.
McNamara, 56, is the son of for-
mer longtime Wayne County
Executive Ed McNamara who is
credited with eliminating more than
$130 million in debt after he was
first elected to the post in 1986. The
senior McNamara was instrumental
in the renovation of Detroit Metro
Airport where the largest terminal is
named for him.
McNamara has been a Wayne
County Commissioner since 2006.
He is a board member of the Wayne
County Airport Authority and chairs
theWayneCountyHeadStart board.
McNamara currently serves the
communities of Belleville, Huron
Township, Romulus, Sumpter
Township, Van Buren Township,
Wayne and a southern portion of
Westland on the Wayne County
Board
of
Commissioners.
McNamara serves as chair of the
commission's Public Services
Committee, board chair of Wayne
County Head Start, a board member
of the Wayne County Airport
Authority and is finance chair of
Southeast Michigan Council of
Governments (SEMCOG).
McNamara joins race for Wayne County Executive
The City of Inkster will
appeal the judgment requiring
them to reduce water rates
and refund or credit amounts
charged to residents during
the past two years.
See page 5.
Open enrollment is currently under way for
the second year of the Romulus Early College
program for high school students in Wayne
County.
Interested students and parents or
guardians are invited to attend one of two
information sessions scheduled for 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 4, at Romulus High School, 9650
WayneRoad, and 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6, at the
Western Campus of Wayne County Community
CollegeDistrict (WCCCD) inBelleville.
The sessions will explain how students can
get an early start on college - at no charge -
while still attending high school. Students can
earn a high school diploma and an associate's
degree at the same time.
Thirty-eight students currently enrolled at
Romulus High School are participating in the
inaugural year of the Early College program.
Each semester of their junior year, the students
take three classes at the high school and two
classes atWCCCD.
As seniors, the students will take two classes
per semester in high school and three classes
at the community college.
In the “13th year,” the students will attend
one class at the high school while enrolling in
four classes atWCCCD.
Since the Early College program is tuition
free, students and their families will save an
estimated $10,000 while earning 60 to 62 trans-
ferrable credits and/or an associates degree.
The Romulus Community Schools are reim-
bursed by the State of Michigan for students
enrolled in the program.
“The program really helps economically
prepare students for college,” said Liza
Mockeridge, head of the guidance counseling
department at Romulus High School and the
program's point person for the school district.
“We provide wraparound support services
to students,” she said. “Students are able to
take college courses while still being able to
have the support that high school offers. It
savesmoney. The cost of your associates degree
is totally covered: tuition, books and fees. And
the students wind up ahead. They get their
high school diploma and associates degree in
five years.”
As high school juniors, students take the
same required college classes: political sci-
ence, speech, biology and sociology - all of
which will apply to an “associate of arts” or
“associate of science” degree. As seniors, they
pick their courses based onprovided options.
Romulus students in the program said they
feel challenged yet buoyed by the success they
have achieved.
“I think it's great,” saidAlexis Paige, whohas
a 3.9 grade point average in high school and
plans to become a dentist.
Paige said she feels good knowing that all of
the college credits will transfer to the four-year
Michigan university of her choice. She plans to
Professor Allen Foulkes leads a biology class for Romulus High School students at the Western
Campus of Wayne County Community College District in Belleville. Guidance counselor Liza
Mockeridge (standing, right) is an interested observer.
See
Program,
page 3
Visitors to the Canton Public
Library next Monday and Tuesday
may find the doors closed while
some demolition work is going on
inside.
The two-day closure is expected
to begin amajor renovation project
at the library, but is the only clo-
sure anticipated as the construc-
tion work continues during the
month. A library official said the
entire project, which includes 7,800
square feet of the 53,000 square
foot building, should be complete
by the end of February.
The areas where books and
other materials are kept should not
be impacted, according to a
spokesperson.
Included in the $361,733 remod-
eling is the installation of a circular
service desk near the front
entrance to provide check-out serv-
ice, reference help and assistance
with digital devices. There will be
new furniture in some areas and
additional seating and new carpet-
ing and flooring will be added in
the remodeled area. The business
center will be moved to the check
out area, making it more accessible
and more self check-out stations
will be added.
This is the largest project at the
library, which is the busiest single-
branch such facility in the state
with 90,000 library card holders,
since an addition was constructed
in 2001. The building originally
opened in 1988.