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February 28, 2013
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C
ANTON
- P
LYMOUTH
Foundation president announces resignation
After 19 years, JoanNoricks, the
president and CEO of the Canton
Community Foundation, has
announced her retirement from
the organization.
Noricks said in a letter of resig-
nation that she will leave in March
to spend more time enjoying her
family andpersonal pursuits.
"Among my achievements dur-
ing this time, I am most proud of
growing the endowment fund from
nothing, building the organization
structures, meeting national stan-
dards for community foundations,
and above all, working with
thoughtful, generous donors who
care more for the impact of the
work than the recognition,"
Noricks said inher letter.
She recalled that when she was
selected to lead the foundation in
1994, it had a negative fund bal-
ance, a fractured board, and only a
vision of a vital organization to
serve Canton residents and their
charitable desires.
“Undermy leadership, the foun-
dation collected $5.2 million, and
earned an additional $550K from
investment return. As a result, the
foundation returned $3.2 million to
the community via grants, commu-
nity projects, and college scholar-
ships. And finally, my best legacy is
the $1.7 million in the endowment
fund to meet future needs,” she
added.
“The projects that I am most
proud of include: Giving Hope,
Women's Giving Circle, the feasibil-
ity study funding that launched the
Village Theater at Cherry Hill, the
Plymouth Community Veterans'
Memorial Park, the original
Canton Public Art Fund which
commissioned the “Rising” mural
in the Canton Human Services
Center and the “Community”
sculpture in front of the Summit at
the Park, the Cady-Boyer Barn
restoration, Heritage Hideout
Playscape, the Canton Mobility
Transport van, and the 500+ schol-
arships awarded under my watch,”
she said.
Despite continuing economic
challenges, the foundation remains
solvent, Noricks added. She said
that through the commitment of
the board to strategic planning, “I
know I am leaving at a time when
the vision to achieve our identified
goals requires only a new set of
hands to guide the foundation to
that end.”
Noricks noted in her letter that
the executive committee is work-
ing on the transition plan to find
her replacement. Board Chairman
Jerry Grady is leading the work to
assure donors and stakeholders of
a smooth transition, she said.
“I genuinely enjoyed the work
of building an institution that con-
tinues the charitable intent of car-
ing donors to accomplish things
that government and individuals
cannot,” her letter stated.
“The foundation's path forward
as an institution is clear. I look for-
ward to watching its continued
progress and success,” Noricks
concluded.
I know I am leaving at a time when the vision
to achieve our identified goals requires only a
new set of hands to guide the foundation to that end.
”
A pair of suspects in thefts from several
CVS locations, including one in Plymouth
Township and another in Northville, have
been arrested in Saline. The pair is also sus-
pected in the theft of a car fromWayne.
Stephen Michael Foreman, 26, and
Sharon Marie Velasquez, 37, both of Wayne,
were arraigned on charges last week,
according to reports of the incident. The pair,
lodged in Washtenaw County Jail, also is
expected to face charges from other munici-
palities.
According to the report, both Foreman
and Velasquez could face up to five years in
prison and a $10,000 fine on felony charges of
receiving and concealing stolenproperty.
Amanager at CVS, 413E. MichiganAve. in
Saline, called police after seeing a woman
carrying two black bags full of bottles of alco-
hol trying to leave the store, according to the
Saline Reporter. A woman matching the
same description was wanted by Plymouth
Township Police after a Feb. 15 incident in
which about 10 bottles of high-end vodka
were reported stolen from CVS, 1400 S.
Sheldon Road in Plymouth Township,
according to a Plymouth Township Police
report.
The manager of the Plymouth Township
store told police after the Feb. 15 incident
that awomanmatching the same description
was suspected of stealing liquor from the
CVS at Five Mile and Sheldon roads in
Northville onFeb. 11.
State Rep. Kurt Heise, R-Plymouth
Township and state Sen. Pat Colbeck, R-
Canton Township, will be the featured
speakers at a business roundtable discussion
from3-4 p.m. tomorrow.
The discussion is sponsored by the
Plymouth Community Chamber of
Commerce and will take place at the cham-
ber offices, 850 W. Ann Arbor Trail in down-
townPlymouth. Topics planned for themeet-
ing include public policy issues facing the
state including road repair funding through
increased gas taxes and other fees, educa-
tion funding and reform of the no-fault auto
insurance system in the state. The legislators
will be available for questions, according to a
chamber spokesman.
There is no cost to attend the discussion.
Parking is available at the back of the build-
ing and enter through the back door.
For more information, call the chamber
office (734) 453-1540.
Zero tolerancemeans zero tolerance.
For the past several years, the Canton
Township Police Special Enforcement Unit
has operated with a zero tolerance enforce-
ment strategy regarding the sale of tobacco
or alcohol tominors.
On a regular basis, the police unit has
used minors in sting operations to ensure
that businesses in the township adhere
strictly to the law.
During a recent check of local alcohol and
tobacco vendors in the township, decoys
entered 25 businesses and attempted to
make an illegal purchase.
Seventeen of the merchants refused to
sell to the minors while the remaining eight
sold theminor decoy either alcohol or tobac-
co.
According to a news release issued by
Special Service Lt. DebNewsome, the estab-
lishments that sold tobacco to a minor were
issued misdemeanor citations. Those that
sold alcohol were also issued violation cita-
tions and were reported to the State of
MichiganLiquor Control Commission.
Violators who sold tobacco to minors
included the Sunoco Gas at 42495 Joy Road,
Valero Gas at 41350 Ford Road, Shell Gas at
5640 Haggerty Road and Maria's Bakery at
115HaggertyRoad.
All were issuedmisdemeanor tickets.
The four businesses that sold alcohol to
the minors were Smokers Express at 45156
Ford Road, Crown Liquor at 42432 Ford
Road, Mobil Gas at 7230 N. Sheldon Road
and the Rite Aid store at 2249 North Canton
CenterRoad.
These businesses were issued tickets and
reported to the state liquor control commis-
sion.
Vodka theft suspects nabbed
Legislators to attend meeting
8 cited in ‘sting’ operation
Chess champs
The South Canton Scholars Charter
Academy chess team came in eighth
place during a state-wide tournament
on Feb. 2. The school sent a team
from third grade and a team from
sixth grade to compete in the
Elementary Chess Tournament. The
third-grade team placed eighth of 18
teams, and the sixth-grade team
placed eighth of 20 teams. Sixth-
grade student Surya Parasuraman
won a gold medal for his individual
performance and his teammate
Gurekmann Gill won silver. Third-
grade student Varun Nalla also won
an individual silver medal.