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February 9 – 15, 2023 NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST 75¢

No. 06 www .associatednewspapers.net

Plymouth Canton students exceed national goals

Students at Plymouth-Canton ment goals, which help inform
Vol. 138, No. 06 Community Schools are meeting ” comprehensive needs assess-
A public hearing regard- or exceeding student perform- All stakeholders in P-CCS collaborate to meet ment and teaching and learning
ing the proposed Parks and ance rates in Michigan and the needs of our students, despite programs. Using data from a
Recreation Master Plan in nationwide in several subjects, great challenges like a global pandemic. national evaluation as well as the
Sumpter Township Jan. 10 including reading, math, science Michigan Student Test of
obviously apparently con- and social studies, according to Educational Progress (M-STEP),
fused some of those in atten- an analysis by district adminis- studies. Schools Superintendent Monica the analysis showed that each
dance. trators. “At Plymouth-Canton Merritt said. “P-CCS teachers, Plymouth Canton grade level, in
See page 6. School officials said the Community Schools, we work staff, administrators, students aggregate, is performing at or
exceptional achievement by tirelessly to help ensure our stu- and families put learning first above the national average range
Plymouth Canton students defies dents can continue to learn and and found solutions to help all in achievement as measured by
both national and statewide achieve and that means innovat- students reach their fullest the Fall 2022 national Northwest
trends three years into the ing and stepping up to deliver a potential.” Evaluation Association (NWEA).
Vol. 76, No. 06
COVID-19 pandemic, which has world-class education that can District administrators All district student demo-
Canton Township Police resulted in lost learning for stu- help our students succeed even released a detailed analysis of graphic groups are meeting or
Director Chad Baugh recent- dents in Michigan and across the during a global pandemic,” student performance as part of
ly issued a statement reas- country, according to national Plymouth-Canton Community the district benchmark assess- See Students, page 3
suring the community of the
dedication to service demon-
strated by Canton police offi- Back
cers.
See page 3. in class

Last month, Westland
police officers and supervi-
sors completed in-person
Vol. 76, No. 06 training. Classes included
sessions on Fair and
Inkster officials last week Impartial Policing and Traffic
helped celebrate the opening Stop Safety along with a
of a new apartment complex review of previous training.
at the site of a former build- The subject matter focused
ing which was condemned by on implicit biases, acknowl-
the city. edging them and managing
See page 2. them. Officers attended
afternoon classes reviewing
basic safety practices while
conducting traffic stops. In a
prepared statement supervi-
sors noted that the
Vol. 23, No. 06 Westland Police
Department constant edu-
Northville Township Fire cation of officers and super-
Marshal Tom Hughes recent- visors while following guide-
ly reminded businesses and lines set forth by the
residents of the impact cold Commission on
weather and snow could Accreditation for Law
have on emergency response Enforcement Agencies, Inc.
services. (CALEA). Monthly depart-
See page 5. ment training will continue
through 2023.

Vol. 23, No. 06
The community is mourn-
ing the death of Plymouth
Township Fire Department
Battalion Chief Christopher
Mack who died Jan. 31 of
heart disease.
See page 3.

Vol. 138, No. 06
Former Romulus Mayor
LeRoy Burcroff is expected
to be sentenced to prison by
Federal District Judge
Denise Page Hood in a hear-
ing set this week.
Vision specialist accused of sex assaults of children
See page 2.

A former vision specialist Elementary School in Garden dren have filed civil lawsuits
working in area school districts City. The assaults took place dur- against Baird, claiming that he
Vol. 76, No. 06 is facing charges of criminal sex- ing a vision examination per- was a vision mobility specialist
ual conduct in assaults on sever- formed by Baird, prosecutors who worked with children who
Fifth-grade students from al children. said. had vision impairments. During
the Wayne Westland James Adam Baird, 43, of Baird is charged with a sec- the school day, he is accused of
Community Schools district Plymouth, has been charged ond assault of a Westland stu- putting goggles on the victims'
are over the moon after with two counts of first-degree dent at Marshall Upper heads that block light, called
learning a recent school criminal sexual conduct and Elementary School on March 1, occluders, before assaulting the
project will be on the three counts of second-degree 2018. Prosecutors claim that young girls. The lawsuits claim
International Space Station. criminal sexual conduct in the Baird blindfolded the then 13- officials from the respective
See page 6. alleged molestation of four girls year-old victim before sexually school districts authorized an
between the ages of 10 and 15. assaulting her during a vision investigation into the alleged
The children were blindfolded test. assaults but did not notify them
and assaulted during eye exami- The former teacher is also that their daughters had been
nations performed at area accused of assaulting an 11-year- victimized.
Vol. 76, No. 06 schools between 2018 and 2020, old girl during an eye examina- Baird was arraigned on all James Adam Baird
Recently appointed according to charges filed by tion performed at Douglas four cases two in 18th District
Westland Mayor Michael P. Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Elementary School in May of Court in Westland and two in from jail. In Garden City he was
Londeau has announced Worthy. 2019. He is also alleged to have 21st District Court in Garden given a $15,000 personal bond
new initiatives aimed at Prosecutors allege that Baird sexually assaulted a 15-year-old City. Baird was given a $100,000 and must wear a GPS tether, if
enhancing the quality of life sexually assaulted a 10-year-old student at Stevenson Middle personal bond by Judge Sandra released from jail.
in the community. victim multiple times at about School in Westland. Cicirelli in Westland and must His next court dates are
See page 4. noon Jan. 4, 2018 at Douglas Parents of four of the chil- wear a GPS tether, if released scheduled for Feb. 9 and Feb. 27.

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