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No. 5
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
75¢
January 31 - February 6, 2013
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
Community
Living
Services, based in Wayne, pro-
duced a TV program Support
At Home which was telecast
last Saturday.
See page 2.
City Clerk Ellen L. Craig-
Bragg has earned the designa-
tion of Certified Municipal
Clerk, which is awarded by the
International Institute of
Municipal Clerks Inc.
See page 3.
Entries are now being
accepted for the $1,000
Damaris Fine Art Scholarship,
established by the Schulte
family to honor Dee (Damaris)
Shulte through the Plymouth
Arts Council.
See page 4
The Northville Chamber of
Commerce is now accepting
registrations for the annual
Taste of Northville Business
Showcase Event, scheduled
for noon until 3 p.m. March 9
atNorthvilleHighSchool.
See page 5.
City officials scheduled a
recent public hearing as a
requirement of the grant appli-
cation the city has submitted to
the Michigan Department of
Natural Resources (DNR).
See page 3.
Vol. 128, No. 5
Vol. 66, No. 5
Vol. 66, No. 5
Vol. 13, No. 5
Vol. 13, No. 5
Vol. 128, No. 5
Vol. 66, No. 5
Vol. 66, No. 5
A deficit reduction plan for
Inkster Public Schools sent to
the state includes a provision
to allow a private charter
school to operate Inkster High
School.
See page 4.
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
A Westland Marine corps
veteran received a surprising
and welcome phone call
recently when he was one of
three winners in the state
“hunt of a lifetime” contest.
See page 2.
After 17 years of constant use,
several upgrades are planned at
the Summit on the Park in Canton
Townshipnextmonth.
According
to
Canton
Maintenance Manager Brad
Sharp, the renovation will utilize
energy efficiently and water con-
servation technologies that will
improve building operations.
Upgrades and improvements
are planned to the heating, venti-
lation and air conditioning sys-
tems which Sharp said, will
reduce energy costs and limit
energy consumption at the build-
ing.
Some of work will require the
closing of several areas in the
building, including the Aquatic
Center pools, sauna and steam
room and the women's, men's, and
special accommodation/family
locker rooms fromFeb. 11 through
Feb. 20. The fitness center, gym,
indoor track, aerobics studio and
dance studios will remain open
during most of the construction
phase, closing only briefly for safe-
ty reasons from 9 a.m. until 3:30
p.m. Feb. 11 and 12. The same
areas will close from 10:30 a.m.
until 4:40 p.m. Feb. 13. During
these closures, some fitness
equipment will be moved into the
banquet area so members can
enjoy limitedworkouts. Therewill
be no access to locker rooms and
shower facilities during closure
hours.
“This short-term inconven-
ience will definitely bring long-
term gains,” said Sharp. “At some
point in time, repairs to these
Dads and daughters will
have three chances this year to
attend the annual Butterfly
Ball inCantonTownship.
See page 5.
The one sure factor in the
choosing of a new member of the
Plymouth Canton Community
Schools Board of Education is that
candidate interviews are going to
take some time. Lots of time, since
there are 25 local residents who
have sent letters of interest in the
position to the board offices.
Among them are former candi-
dates, a former district education
director, members of an ad-hoc
group supporting the use of
Beloved and Waterland in English
classes, a former CantonTownship
trustee, the director of the Miracle
League of Plymouth and a former
candidate for Plymouth Township
Treasurer.
The seat became vacant with
the resignation three weeks ago of
Barry Simescu, a long-time board
member who cited added respon-
sibilities at his job as the reason
for his departure.
The boardwill begin interviews
of the candidatesFeb. 4.
Among those seeking to com-
plete Simescu's term are Mark
Alsager, Jeff Ames, Mike Andro,
who sought a board seat in
November 2011, George Belvitch
the former director of elementary
education in the district, Kate
Borninski, a member of a group
who supported keeping criticized
books as part of the advanced
English classes, Rene Chen, Amy
(McCusker) Conway, Kim Crouch,
Matt Dame, who sought a board
seat in the November, 2011 elec-
tion and who criticized the use of
Waterland and Beloved, Donald
David, GregDemopoulos, a former
Canton Township Trustee,
Benjamin Edmondson, Michael
Fisher, Stephanie Goecki, who
also sought a term in the
November, 2011 election, Dave
Hermann, Brian Jansen, Ed Krol,
Deb Madonna, the director of
Miracle League of Plymouth, Patti
McCoin, John Nichols, who also
ran in November of 2011, Shakira
Robinson, Julie Rows, a district
graduate, who argued to keep the
controversial titles in the English
program, Kevin Shankie, Don
Turner and Rita White, who vied
for the office of Plymouth
Township Treasurer last
November.
The interviews are open to the
public.
In what the both union and the
township administration are
describing as “fair,” the
Northville Township firefighters
have a newunion contract.
In the new contract, described
as very similar to the pact that
expired in December of 2012, the
firefighters will receive 2 percent
pay increases for each of the
three years the contract is effec-
tive. Township officials and union
representatives agreed that with
the current state of the economy,
the 2-percent raise was appropri-
ate.
The contract provides that the
30 members of the Northville
Township Professional Fire
Fighters Association will receive
the 2 percent wage increases in
2013, 2014 and 2015, the final year
of the agreement. All the
Northville Township firefighters
are Advanced Life Support certi-
fied in addition to their firefight-
ing classifications of training.
The top salary in the contract
that expired in 2012 was $64,088
after the firefighter advanced
four pay scale tiers from the start-
ingwage of $44,862.
Union President Jessie
Marcotte praised the contract and
the professionalism of the negoti-
ations.
“We-both the firefighters and
township management-view
negotiations as a time to grow
together rather than a time to
grow apart.” He added that the
contract allows the department
and the township to provide the
highest level of service possible.
See
Summit,
page 5
This short-term inconvenience
will definitely bring long-term gains.
Brad Sharp
”
Construction set at Summit on the Park
Northville Township firefighters sign new contract
One of the loves of Ray Rolak's life led him direct-
ly to the other on a path thatmeandered fromDetroit
toHawaii.
Rolak, now a Canton Township resident, was the
associate producer on an independent movie, Get A
Job, a comedy filmed on Maui. He admits even he
may have been a bit star struck as the film included
cameo appearances by Mick Fleetwood, Willie
Nelson and Pat Simmons of theDoobie Brothers, but
otherwise, he enjoyed his second movie-making
experience. The film was in limited theatrical
release last month and is now available on several
other platforms, includingDVD, Rolak said. “The dis-
tribution paths change almost daily. The movie was
very heavy inHawaii and got a lot of play as an indie
giant. This is huge, only one in a thousand indies
make it toDVD.”
Movie making on an independent scale isn't an
easy prospect and requires hardwork anddiscipline,
something Rolak was familiar with from his first job
in films.
Rolak's first love, baseball, led him to the movies
when he was playing at Wayne State and was an
assistant baseball coach at the college. “We heard
they were making a movie about baseball, One in a
Million, in Detroit with LaVar Burton, so I took some
of the players from the Detroit Parks and Recreation
Baseball Team for a tryout and to offer some techni-
cal advice.
“That expanded to a speaking role in the movie
and we ended up shooting in Detroit, Chicago,
Milwaukee, Joliet and Toledo,” he said. His baseball
career led him to Hawaii, where he was playing in a
development league when he struck up a friendship
with the father of the writer/director of Get A Job,
BrianKohne. Hementored the futurewriter/director
in soccer and other sports. When it came time to put
the movie project together, the now adult Kohne
remembered his old friend and coach and knew of
hismovie experience, andRolak agreed to sign on as
associate producer.
“We filmed in 28 locations on Maui in 22 days,”
Rolak said. “But the finished project is more than
worth it. The music in the film is just taking off. One
of the musicians, Jake Shimabukuto gave George
See
Movie,
page 4
Get A Job
Movie producer
to speak at library
Willie K, left, Pat Simmons of the Doobie Brothers and
country star Willie Nelson were among the celebrities
appearing in Get A Job.
Ray Rolak
The seat became vacant with the resignation three
weeks ago of Barry Simescu...
”
25 apply to serve on Plymouth-Canton School Board