No. 08
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
75¢
February 22 – 28, 2018
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
After nearly a century of
dedication to Catholic edu-
cation in the City of Wayne,
St. Mary School will close at
the end of this school year in
September.
See page 2.
The Northville Chamber
of Commerce is now accept-
ing registrations for the
annual
Northville
Marketplace event set for
Saturday, March 17.
See page 6.
Vol. 133, No. 08
Vol. 71, No. 08
Vol. 71, No. 08
Vol. 18, No. 08
Two Romulus High
School Eagle football players
signed collegiate scholarship
offers on National Signing
Day last week.
See page 3.
Vol. 133, No. 08
Vol. 71, No. 08
Vol. 71, No. 08
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
The Distinguished Young
Women of Wayne-Westland
Scholarship Program will
take place March 9 at Wayne
Memorial HighSchool.
See page 2.
Canton Public Safety
Director Joshua Meier is
proud of the way his team
responded to a Jan. 25 bank
robbery during which
hostages were released safe-
ly.
See page 7.
Vol. 18, No. 08
Detectives from the
Inkster Police Department
are attempting to identify
several individuals responsi-
ble for a recent breaking and
entering.
See page 6.
Plans for the Plymouth
Arts & Recreation Complex
(PARC) are advancing, with
$5-6 million of the $30 mil-
lion fundraising goal
reachedbyFeb. 16.
See page 5.
Quilts will accepted this
weekend for the 22nd annual
Quilt Exhibit at the
Belleville Area Museum
which will take place in
March.
See page 4.
A special election in the City
of Wayne seeking the recall of
Councilman
Christopher
Sanders will take place May 8
following the decision of the
Michigan Court of Appeals
upholding the ruling of Circuit
Court Judge Robert Columbo
validating citizens' petitions.
The three-member Court of
Appeals has rejected the argu-
ments of both Wayne County
Clerk Cathy Garrett and
Sanders claiming that the judge
erred in his decision to allow
the petitions to stand despite
the use of an outdated form by
those circulating the forms.
In the briefly worded
response to the lengthy appeals
briefs filed on behalf of Sanders
and Garrett, the court respond-
ed, “The Court orders that the
motion for immediate consider-
ation isGRANTED.
“The motion for peremptory
reversal pursuant to MCR 7.21
l(C)(4) is DENIED for failure to
persuade the Court of the exis-
tence of manifest error requir-
ing reversal and warranting
peremptory relief without argu-
ment or formal submission.”
“Obviously, I am disappoint-
ed,” Sanders said, “but since
the beginning of this situation, I
have said that I will stand by
the final decision of the court.
“This is the way democracy
works. The people have exer-
cised their rights under the law
and I have exercisedmine.”
Sanders also said that he still
feels that under the technical
interpretation of the law, the
petitions should have been
invalidatedby the court.
“Obviously, the judges didn't
agree with me, my attorneys,
Cathy Garrett or the Wayne
County attorneys, so now we
move forward,” he said.
Sanders' name, along with
that of Jeremiah R. Webster,
will appear on the May ballot
and voters will choose which
candidate will continue to rep-
resent Ward 1 in the City of
Wayne. Webster, who was
appointed to fill a vacant term
on the city council, was the only
candidate to file against
Sanders for the special elec-
tion.
Sanders' attorneys had
argued that the recall petitions
submitted to Wayne County
Clerk Cathy Garrett did not
comply with MCL 168 544c (1)
requiring language indicating
whether the circulator was a
State of Michigan resident and
agreeing to adhere to Michigan
law if they were not. Garrett
had initially disallowed the
petitions based on the failure of
the registered circulator,
Robert Boertje of Wayne, to
respond to the issues raised in
the challenge.
In a correspondence to
Boertje, Garrett stated, “I am
without authority to issue a Call
For Election due to the petition
not complying with MCL
168.544 c (1).”
Boertje, represented by
attorney Scott Ruark, appealed
Garrett's decision and Columbo
ruled in favor of the petitioners
earlier this month, prompting
the latest appeal. During the
hearing, Columbo said that the
1,390 people who had signed
See
Recall,
page 2
This is the way democracy works.
The people have exercised
their rights under the
law and I have exercised mine.
”
Plymouth Township officials
are concerned about the impact
of a $10 million Michigan
Economic
Development
Corporation (MEDC) grant
awarded western neighbor
Salem Township, which is about
to explode with new develop-
ment.
Plymouth officials are ques-
tioning the possible impact on
the infrastructure, schools and
public safety in the and the basis
for the state funding of “urban
sprawl.”
Last
week
Plymouth
Township Supervisor Kurt Heise
cautioned members of the Board
of Trustees that they need to con-
duct due diligence now that plans
for expansion in Salem are com-
ing to fruition.
Livonia builder, Schostak
Brothers, is set to begin construc-
tion of Salem Springs South, a
retail and residential develop-
ment in a 200-acre triangle of
mostly vacant land bordered by
M-14, Gotfredson, North
Territorial and Napier roads on
the northeast edge of Washtenaw
County. The Schostak 588-unit
high-density development will
include townhouses, detached
condominiums and single-family
homes. To the south of M-14 will
be SalemSpringsNorth, amixed-
use development that will
include retail, residential and
possible big box stores. Part of
the plan, according the Heise, is
for the development of a so-
called mini-downtown, similar to
Cherry Hill Village in Canton
Township.
The grant is part of an ear-
marked project approved by the
state Legislature under HB 4323
fostered in part by Rep. Laura
Cox, R-Livonia, according to
Heise, who said the bill was
approved last July, 19. The funds
were awarded to MEDC by the
Appeal in recall election denied
City hall employees haven't actually
seen him doing wind sprints or
endurance exercises in the hallway, but
many suspect that Westland Mayor
William R. Wild is doing whatever neces-
sary to get in shape to face former Red
Wing players in the annual charity hockey
game.
This year the game is planned for
Friday, March 16 at the Mike Modano Ice
Arena and Wild and his team of Wild
Wings will for the ninth year face off
against the Detroit Red Wings Alumni
Associationplayers.
In the past, Wild's team has been
soundly defeated by the likes of Darren
McCarty, Dino Cicirelli, Mickey Redmond,
Larry Murphy, Peter Klima, John
Ogrondnick andmany other hockey greats
who have played for theRedWings. Wild's
team has evolved during the past years to
include city officials, employees, residents
and members of the business community,
who have all laced up their skates to face
the former professionals on the ice.
Wild and his various teammates have
generated more than $150,000 to help
fund improvements at the municipal ice
rink. The 'wildly' popular event always
takes place before a sell-out crowd of
about 800 spectators, who come to root for
the home team.
This year, the doors to the arena will
open at 5:30 p.m. and at 6:15 p.m. the
Westland Hockey Association Mini-Mites
and Mites will take to the ice to show off
their skills, hopefully not embarrassing
Wild's team.
TheRedWings Alumni players and the
Wild Wings will drop the puck to begin
their game at 7:30, following the pre-game
fun.
This event is one the most anticipated
events in the community and tickets sell
very quickly. Adult admission is $10 and
$5 for children ages 6 through 12. Those 5
and younger are admitted at no cost with
an adult. Tickets can be purchased at
Wild's office in city hall, 36300 Warren
Road, or the Mike Modano Ice Arena,
6210 North Wildwood St., or online
eynightwestland/details.
The Wild side
Annual charity hockey
game set for March
Mayor William Wild shows off some of the skating skills he will use in the charity hockey
game against the Red Wings Alumni Association team March 16.
See
Salem,
page 5
There are many uncertainties,
like the potential impact to our water system
capacity, and what happens to our police
and fire departments and Powell Road traffic.
”
Salem project concerns Plymouth officials
Don Howard
Staff Writer
