No. 10
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
75¢
March 5 – 11, 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
A mistrial was declared
last Wednesday in the trial of
Christopher
Sanders
accused of identity theft in
circumstances surrounding
theHalloWayne event.
See page 4
.
The 11thAnnual Romulus
Animal Shelter Bowling
Fundraiser is planned for
7:30 p.m. Friday, May 8 at
Romulus Lanes. Registration
will begin at 6:30 p.m.
See page 5.
While voters in the city
turned down the request for
a public safety millage town-
ship voters approved both
requests for public safety
funding by a landslide last
week.
See page 2
.
Northville Township was
recently notified that the
financial reporting in their
community has been award-
ed the Distinguished Budget
PresentationAward.
See page 3.
Current Library Director
Debra Green submitted her
letter of resignation to the
Belleville Area District
Library Board last month.
She will officially retire May
15.
See page 4.
Vol. 130, No. 10
Vol. 68, No. 10
Vol. 68, No. 10
Vol. 15, No. 10
Vol. 130, No. 10
Vol. 68, No. 10
Vol. 68, No. 10
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
Mayor William R. Wild,
along with hisWestlandWild
Wings, is once again getting
ready for the Annual Red
Wing Alumni Charity
Hockey game.
See page 5
.
The Canton Township
Police Department will offer
some very special training
April 23 through May 28 dur-
ing the new Citizens Police
Academy.
See page 3.
Vol. 15, No. 10
Wayne
County
Commissioner Richard
LeBlanc, State Rep. Julie
Plawecki, and State Sen.
DavidKnezekwill be hosting
monthly coffee hour events
in Inkster.
See page 5.
Plymouth Township has been ordered by
Wayne County Court Chief Judge Robert J.
Colombo to return a 190-acre parcel of farm-
land purchased from Wayne County to the
City of Detroit, the rightful owners of the
property.
The parcel of land, located at Five Mile
and Ridge roads is the site of the former
Detroit House of Correction, also known as
DeHoCo, which closed in 1986. Plymouth
Township obtained the land, which includes
an uncontested portion, in September 2011
for $606,150, according to Wayne County
Chief Deputy Treasurer David Szymanski.
The land, along with the uncontested por-
tion, had been on the tax assessment rolls at
$15 million at one time. The county sold the
land to the township at a tax foreclosure
sale after township officials reported
unpaid taxes on the parcel. In fact, accord-
ing to court records, ownership of the land
had been erroneously recorded in the town-
ship assessor's office and Detroit, the legal
owner of the land, was never notified of
taxes due.
Township resident Richard Sharland,
who owns land near the contested property,
became curious about the actual ownership
of the land when a friend told him it had
been sold. Sharland's research proved that
Detroit was actually the legal owner of the
land and he subsequently called the erro-
neous transaction to the attention of Detroit
City Council members with the help of
Beverly Kindle-Walker a legislative assistant
to Wayne County Commissioner Tim
Killeen.
Sharland said his impression at that time
was that Detroit representatives would
attempt to “work things out” with Plymouth
Township rather than have to pursue legal
redress.
Detroit attorneys initially filed a lawsuit
April 2013 after attempted negotiations with
A 15-year-old Northville High School stu-
dent has been permanently expelled from
the district for his part in a threat of violence
at thehigh school inDecember.
Members of the Northville Board of
Education voted unanimously to expel the
student during aFeb. 10meeting.
The threat took place Dec. 18 following a
call to the State of Michigan “Ok2Say” tip
line about a threat at the high school.
Northville Township Police said at the time
the, “threat was deemed credible; due to
naming specific students, weapons, explo-
sives and a specific time frame. A lock down
of the 2,500 students and staff was initiated to
ensure their safety.”
The school liaison officer was notified and
followed up on leads at the school, interview-
ing two students at the time. Township
police, Michigan State Police and the FBI
participated in a more detailed investigation
which led to the arrest of the 15-year-old on
Jan. 6. Hewas chargedwithmaking false ter-
roristic threats, and a false report or threat of
bomb or harmful device by theWayneCounty
Prosecutor's Office on Jan. 7. If convicted of
those criminal charges, the student could
face 20 years in prison on the threat charge
and four years in prison on the false report
charges. He faced a judge during a prelimi-
nary hearing on the charges on Jan. 7.
The student had an attorney present dur-
ing the board hearing regarding his expul-
sion and an appeal to the decision was filed
and considered by themembers of the school
board.
”
I think the whole plan from
the beginning was to steal
the property from the city...
Judge returns township land to Detroit
Northville expels student for false threat
Members of the Canton Township Board
of Trustees approved the requests of two
expanding manufacturers for tax abate-
ments last week.
Greenfield Die & Manufacturing Corp., a
company that makes automotive doors for
General Motors and Chrysler, was granted a
50-percent, 4-year tax abatement on costs for
some of the construction at the Haggerty
and Warren factory. The company has plans
to invest $1.1 million in renovations at the
plant and will hire 35 new employees,
according to Canton Economic
Development Manager Kristen Thomas who
presented the requests to the members of
the board last week.
POOF-Slinky, a toy manufacturer, was
granted a 50-percent, 3-year tax abatement
on costs of a planned $1.4 million expansion
at the distribution center and offices near
Haggerty andMichigan Avenue. The compa-
ny plans to expand by 215,000 square feet
andwill hire six newemployees.
The company will double the office space
in Canton and will also add equipment
including storage racks and forklifts, accord-
ing to a company spokesman.
The industrial facilities exemption cer-
tificates require approval from the board
members for any tax abatement to be effec-
tive.
Thomas said the expansions and finan-
cial investments the companies were mak-
ing were compliant with the board efforts to
boost the economy in the township.
Township Treasurer Melissa McLaughlin
referred to the tax abatements as necessary
to promote economic growth but she and
other members of the board were mindful
that such tax breaks could impact local rev-
enue. Trustee TomYack, who joined the rest
of the board in the vote to approve the pro-
posed abatements, said a larger concern
was the number of businesses appealing
property assessments at the state level
which often cost local governments tax rev-
enue. He said the practice was unfair and
had cost localmunicipalities across the state
“millions if not billions” in tax revenue.
The board members voted unanimously
to approve the two abatement requests.
See
LAND,
page 2
Historic choice
Romulus names Pearl Varner
as Person of the Year 2015
Members of the Greater
Romulus
Chamber
of
Commerce person of the year
selection committee surprised
Pearl Varner Dec. 14 when they
announced that she had been
selected as the 30th Romulus
Person of the year.
Committee members who
made the selection on behalf of
the membership knew exactly
where they would find Varner
in order to let her know of her
selection for the honor. Shewas
at the Romulus Historical
Museum where she has served
as the museum director since
she was appointed to that posi-
tion in 1996 and where she
ensures that the museum is
open from 1-4 every Sunday.
Varner receives no financial
compensation for her work and
has often commented that her
family knows right where to
findher onMother'sDay.
Varner was selected for her
commitment to the growth and
preservation of the Romulus
Historical Society. The muse-
um artifacts occupy two build-
ings, an 1839 Romulus School
House (District #1) which was
moved to the park in 1986,
opening to the public in 1991,
and The Historic 1855 Kingsley
House. TheKingsleyHouse is a
unique duplex structure, which
was moved to the park in 1995,
and opened to the public in
2002. Varner's father, Frederick
W. Hay, and her late mother,
Helen, led the efforts to save
both the historic buildings.
Without their backing, neither
of these projects may have
come to fruition, according to
many members of the historic
society.
Varner utilizes an all-volun-
teer staff to man both of the
buildings for public visits. She
also supervises individuals
supplied by the 34th District
Court Work Program. Current
and former Romulus residents,
visitors, history buffs, and those
researching family history and
genealogy are able to access a
wealth of information that is
contained in the archives of the
two buildings. Varner estab-
lished the archives in 2001, and
they continue to grow as the
museum receives more materi-
al.
There are a total of five his-
toric structures on the property
that is known as Romulus
Historical Park, located in the
downtown area. Varner's father
was serving as the first chair-
man of the Romulus Historical
Commission when the park
was dedicated in the fall of
1992. The other three struc-
tures, considered by many as
vital to Romulus history, are a
circa 1900s Wabash Railroad
Freight House, which is the
only surviving railroad building
in the city along with a circa
1940s caboose, which traveled
the railroad tracks through
Romulus, and a windmill that
Pearl Varner
See
Varner,
page 5
Don Howard
Staff Writer
Mark Lewkowicz
Special Correspondent
”
The board members voted
unanimously to approve the
two abatement requests.
Canton OK’s tax abatement for 2 expansions
