No. 8
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
75¢
February 19 - 25, 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
Residents looking for
services at Wayne City Hall
at the end of March will find
the current building empty
of staff and undergoing some
serious construction.
See page 7.
A meeting regarding the
new program offering a col-
lege degree while earning a
high school diploma at
Romulus High School is
planned forFeb. 26.
See page 6.
The purchase of a cold
weather amenity led to some
hot tempers during themeet-
ing of the Plymouth
Township Board of Trustees
last week.
See page 5.
Vivian
Zhong
of
Northville has been chosen
as the winner of the 57th
Annual Distinguished Young
Women
of
Michigan
ScholarshipProgram.
See page 4.
A Van Buren Township
man will serve five years on
probation for his part in the
robbery of a Canton man's
home and the theft of his car.
See page 3.
Vol. 130, No. 8
Vol. 68, No. 8
Vol. 68, No. 8
Vol. 15, No. 8
Vol. 130, No. 8
Vol. 68, No. 8
Vol. 68, No. 8
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
Last week, officials from
Wayne and Westland gath-
ered for the official dedica-
tion of the new $3.1 million
fire station located on
Central CityParkway.
See page 7.
Applications to become a
book giver are now being
accepted from readers of all
ages for a new program at
theCantonPublicLibrary.
See page 3.
Vol. 15, No. 8
The Inkster Public
Library will be going
"Straight Ahead" this month
with a celebration honoring
Black History Month by the
renowned jazz ensemble.
See page 6.
Members of the Plymouth Canton
Community Schools Board of Education
voted unanimously last week to sell the
Central Middle School building and sur-
rounding property to representatives of the
Plymouth Arts and Recreation Complex
(PARC) for an estimated $3.3million.
The sale includes the football field and
the special needs baseball fields constructed
and used by the Miracle League of
Plymouth.
Sole financing for the purchase is being
provided by Mark and Patty Malcolm of
Plymouth and their corporation, Malcolm
Central LLC.
The PARC project, described as a future
venue for athletic events, concerts, classes
and community events, will also house sever-
al community groups in the Central Middle
School building, if plans continue on track.
Lease funds from those community groups,
including the Michigan Philharmonic and
the Miracle League would help the PARC
group to operate the school building. The
PARC group, represented by Plymouth
Township resident Don Soenen, has suggest-
ed that an inter-governmental agreement
and tax between Plymouth Township and
the City of Plymouth would be needed to
renovate the building and property into the
type of facility envisioned.
Plymouth Township officials, however,
ledby TownshipTreasurerRonEdwards not
only soundly rejected the concept of the joint
arts and recreation complex, but went fur-
ther and voted to enter into no inter-govern-
mental agreements with the city for the next
two years. During that time, the controver-
sial township $1.9 million recreation con-
struction of an all-weather pavilion in the
township park, an amphitheater with granite
benches in the park and several other
amenitieswill be nearly complete.
Edwards, the leading proponent of the
township plan, said at the meeting several
months ago that he was dismayed to see his
plans cast aside for a proposal from the
group.
Soenen, whose approach to township offi-
cials was soundly rebuked, said that PARC
representatives would approach the town-
ship again. He also said that the issue is one
that should be decided by a vote of the com-
munity. Any tax to support a joint recreation
and arts complexwould have to be approved
by voters.
The next step for PARC, according to
Soenen, is more community input on the
needs and best uses of the property, the
development of a business plan and an eco-
nomic impact study. Then the group can
move to the design phase for the building
andproperty, he said.
Construction is not expected to begin
until 2017.
Celebrating a 4,000-year-old tradition, the
Chinese New Year, which begins today, will
bewelcomed at a special event hosted by the
Canton Commission for Culture Arts and
Heritage Multicultural Committee next
month.
The Year of the Goat celebration will
begin at 7 p.m. March 7 at The Village
Theater at Cherry Hill and will include a
Peking Opera performance by Fang Shubo,
the Canton Philharmonic Choir, the March
WindChoir, and theMichiganChineseChoir.
Also performing will be members of the
Yangtzee Melody Group and the Spring
Group, along with the Desert Island Band.
This special celebration will also include a
Chinese Fashion Show, Tai Chi, and a tradi-
tional Chinese instrumental performance by
the Shangarila band.
The art of traditional Chinese folk and
classical dances will be shared by Ann-Hua
Chinese School, New Century Chinese
group, Hua-Chin Northville Dance Group
and Chinese Dance Star featuring a Tai
dance byUofMstudent ThomasDavis.
Event-goers can also enjoy a punch and
cookie reception starting at 6 p.m. In addi-
tion, a variety of cultural displays will be
available in The Village Theater lobby.
Tickets to this special ChineseNewYear cel-
ebration are just $2 per person at the door.
Lunar New Year celebrations this year
will say goodbye to theYear of theHorse and
usher in another animal in the 12-year cycle
of the Chinese zodiac - the Year of the Goat.
The Chinese New Year, also called Spring
Festival, hasmore than 4,000 years of history.
Being one of the traditional Chinese festi-
vals, it is the grandest and the most impor-
tant festival for Chinese people, organizers
said.
The Village Theater at Cherry Hill, locat-
ed at 50400 Cherry Hill Road, is a regional
center for the arts.
For more information on the 2015
Chinese New Year Celebration visit
or call (734)
394-5300.
The voters in Wayne may have spoken in
2013, but members of the city council are
going to ask them once again to approve a
millage to fundpolice and fire pensions.
Councilmembers approved two questions
for theMay 5 ballot. The first would establish
a 345 police and fire pension program, tak-
ing the financial obligation out of the general
fund. The second would approve the levy of
3mills, or about $3 for every $1,000 of taxable
value of property, to fund the program. The
millagewouldbe effective for five years.
If approved, officials said the 3 mills
would generate about $1 million a year
toward paying the looming unfunded pen-
sion liability.
The ballot questions were recommended
by Councilman Al Damitio who had been
assigned by Mayor James Hawley to work
with the city finances portion of the deficit
budget.
TimMcCurley, a former financial director
in both the cities of Wayne and Westland,
now a consultant with Plante Moran,
informed the council during the same meet-
ing that the estimated shortfall in the city
budget had grown by $150,000 despite spend-
ing cuts council members have beenmaking.
The current budget deficit is $656,000 for this
fiscal year and expected to be more than $1
million for 2015-2016. If that projection is
correct, the council will need to trim at least
another $1 million from the city budget, offi-
cials said.
Wayne voters soundly rejected the P.A. 345
proposal when it was placed on the ballot in
2013 and Councilman John Rhaesa ques-
tioned the timing of again asking voters to
approve the questions in May, especially in
light of a state road funding tax proposal on
the same ballot.
Damitio said the timing was necessary in
order to have the funds, if approved, avail-
able for the 2015-2016 budget. He said the
city council members had a responsibility to
prepare a “structurally balanced budget.”
Damitio said that the remaining deficit could
be made up by spending reductions if voters
approved the requests on theMay ballot.
Damitio added that if voters did not
approve the questions, “the money to sup-
port the pensionswon't be there.”
The current budget, with the $656,000
deficit was approved by the council mem-
bers who included funds from a millage
request rejectedby voters last year.
Community activist Ron Roberts spoke to
the council members during the citizen's
comments portion of the meeting suggesting
that it was time for the city to file bankruptcy.
“You've been just hanging on a little
longer for years. You're technically bankrupt
when you have people doing three or four
jobs,” saidRoberts.
“It won't pass I can tell you and the gover-
nor's proposal won't pass.”
”
Soenen said that PARC
representatives would approach
the township again.
District sells school to arts group
Celebration
Chinese New Year will
be marked in Canton
Wayne voters to decide on new millage
A traditional Chinese Fashion Show, featuring authentic Chinese clothing, will be a part of
the New Year celebration of the Year of the Goat set for March 7 at The Village Theater in
Canton Township.
The famous Michigan Chinese Choir is among the many entertainment groups that will
perform at the celebration of the Chinese New Year planned at The Village Theater in
Canton Township March 7.
