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No. 10
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
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March 6 – 12, 2014
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
Oakwood
Annapolis
Hospital, part of the Oakwood
Health System will be
renamed Oakwood Hospital-
Wayne later this year.
See page 3.
The Ypsilanti man who
threatened a Romulus officer
with a gun and was subse-
quently wounded will be
bound over for trial on multi-
ple charges.
See page 3.
Bank account reconcilia-
tions in Plymouth Township
do not meet the standards
required by Plante Moran,
according to some township
trustees.
See page 5.
Robert
Schefman,
Foundations Department
Chair and Associate Professor
at the College for Creative
Studies, will judge the West of
Center show.
See page 4.
The Belleville Downtown
Development Authority is ask-
ing the community to help
decide: What's next for
Belleville Downtown on the
Lake?
See page 4.
Vol. 129, No. 10
Vol. 67, No. 10
Vol. 67, No. 10
Vol. 14, No. 10
Vol. 129, No. 10
Vol. 67, No. 10
Vol. 67, No. 10
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
18th District Court Judge
Sandra Cicirelli ordered a
man who threatened a
Romulus officer with a gun to
stand trial on multiple charges
last week.
See page 3.
Canton Township trustees
have agreed to spend $155,894
for seven new vehicles to be
used in the police department.
See page 4.
Vol. 14, No. 10
Members of the Liquor License Review
Committee heard reports of violent fights, deaths
in car crashes, drug possession, assaults on police
officers, unpaid taxes and general mayhemat sev-
eral of the 24 establishments with liquor licenses
in theCity of Plymouth.
Despite those reports, all but one of the licens-
es was recommended to the state for approval fol-
lowing themeetingMonday night.
According to Plymouth Police Chief Al Cox,
there were 60 arrests for drunk driving in the city
last year and 24 of those were classified as “super
drunk.”
Cox said this was one of the worst years for
these incidents inhis tenurewith the city.
City Manager Paul Sincock said the city is
sometimes referred to as the “West Side Royal
Oak Party Town.” He said this is especially true
on days such as St. Patrick's Day, the day before
Thanksgiving andNewYear'sEve.
In a letter to the Liquor License Review
Committee, Sincock said, “The question becomes,
can available city services and infrastructure
handle more liquor serving establishments.
Alcohol incidents take a significant amount of
administration time andpolice followup.”
Citing high costs and the limited ability of the
city to respond to and act in a preventive mode,
Sincock said, “City Administration does not rec-
ommend anymore liquor licenses.”
The owners of the Greek Islands Coney Island
applied to the commission for approval of a new
liquor license. Mayor Dan Dwyer told them that
would not happen this year after hearing
accounts of fights and violent incidents at several
other city establishments.
Dwyer listed problems at the bars and restau-
rants and Cox narrated security camera videos of
some of the violence. Many of the incidents, Cox
said, remain under investigation by the Michigan
StatePolice.
336 Main was the scene of a violent fight
among patrons and some staff members became
involved.
Dwyer recommended the license of 336 Main
be renewedwith continued “quarterly reviews.”
Cox told the commissioners that two patrons
perished in a single-car accident after leaving the
Penn Grill. Autopsy reports, he said, showed the
victims had high alcohol blood levels and left the
establishment after several hours of heavy drink-
ing. He said there are several investigations still
ongoing related to the incident.
Cox also said that a patron of the Penn Grill
was arrestedwith 16 grams of cocaine and consid-
erable drug paraphernalia. He was arrested for
drug trafficking, Cox said.
The Penn Grill license was also renewed and
placed onquarterly reviewstatus.
Others incidents discussed occurred at
Fiamma, Hermann's Old Towne Grill and
IronwoodGrill..
Tax delinquency at one establishment was
reported by Sincock who said that Plymouth
Crossing was currently $57,000 in arrears on city
taxes.
All 24 current licenses were recommended for
approval to the members of the city commission
who approved all but Plymouth Crossing, based
on the unpaid tax obligation.
The recommendations will now go to the State
Liquor Commission for consideration.
...the city is sometimes referred to as
the “West Side Royal Oak Party Town.”
”
Commission OK’s 23 of 24 liquor licenses
Middlebelt Baptist Church
in Inkster will once again be
the site of a clothing give away,
proving free clothes for those
inneed this Saturday.
See page 4.
Northville Public Schools stu-
dents turned in a strong overall
performance on the 2013Michigan
Educational Assessment Program
(MEAP) test, according to results
released by the Michigan
Department of Education.
In October 2013, third through
eighth grade students across the
State of Michigan were assessed
under the MEAP (Michigan
Educational Assessment Program)
in math and reading to comply
with federal mandates. In addi-
tion, fourth and seventh grade stu-
dents were assessed in writing;
fifth and eighth grade students
were assessed in science; and
sixth and ninth grade students
took theMEAP social studies test.
The percentage scores repre-
sent students who performed at
the proficient or advanced levels
on the fall 2013 tests.
In reading, Northville students
in grade three through eight
exceeded the state average by
about 20 points. In math, too,
Northville students exceeded the
state average by double digits in
grades three through six. In grade
seven, Northville students scored
69 percent while the state average
was 39 percent. In grade eight,
Northville students were 45 per-
centage points above the state
average, scoring 69 percent
against 35 percent.
“The performance of our stu-
dents on the MEAP and other
assessments is a direct outcome of
the strong partnership between
our students, teachers and parents
that focuses on success for all stu-
dents,”
said
Northville
Superintendent of Schools Mary
Kay Gallagher. “We are pleased to
see that significant numbers of our
fourth through eighth grade stu-
dents improved their level of pro-
ficiency in each of the core con-
tent areas, with our special needs
population demonstrating signifi-
cant gains at every grade level,
third through eighth grade. Strong
individualized interventions, the
use of research-based teaching
and learning strategies, and goal
planning with students con-
tributed to these gains.”
In writing, Northville fourth
grade students scored at 81 per-
cent while the state average was
50 percent. In grade seven writing,
The percentage scores represent students
who performed at the proficient
or advanced levels on the fall 2013 tests.
”
State test scores continue to climb in Northville
See
Scores,
page 2
A surprise reunion between
a long-retired Wayne County
Sheriff's Deputy and someone
he saved from drowning 61
years ago was the highlight of
the City of Romulus Black
History Month Celebration Feb.
28.
The gathering in Romulus
City Hall council chambers
brought together 88-year-old
Romulus resident Nathanial
Butler, the retired deputy, and
74-year-old Robert Berch, who
was flown from his home in
Homosassa, FL.
Butler and Berch embraced
as tears of joy filled the eyes of
nearly everyone attending the
celebration during a standing
ovation for the pair.
The two men first met on
Jan. 15, 1953, inBellevilleLake.
Berch, then a 13-year-old
eighth-grade student, was tak-
ing a shortcut across the ice-
covered lake on his way home
from Rawsonville School in
Belleville when the ice gave
way and he fell into the deep,
frigidwater.
Butler was on duty with the
Sheriff's Department 3 miles
from the lake when he and his
partner were summoned to
assist.
According to an account of
the incident in The Detroit
News, “Butler, in full uniform,
caught up with a wooden plank
and started hacking and swim-
ming toward the drowning boy,
as frantic neighbors and rela-
tiveswatched fromshore…
“As he neared the thrashing
boy, Butler yelled, 'Can you
swim?' Robert nodded and
Butler shouted, 'Hang on! Hang
on! I'm coming.' Thirty minutes
after a neighbor first heard
Robert's cries for help, the
numbed and exhausted deputy
towed the semi-conscious lad
onto shore.”
Berch remembers waking up
the next day in Beyer Memorial
Hospital in Ypsilanti, where he
was admitted for observation.
Doctors told him he would be
fine.
“Mr. Butler stopped by the
hospital to check on me and we
had our picture taken,” he said
in an email. The photo
appeared on the front page of
TheDetroitNews.
City of Romulus Chief of
Staff Robert Dickerson - him-
self, a retired Wayne County
Sheriff's Department officer -
discovered the connection
while researching the Black
History Month Celebration and
he located Berch in Florida.
Delta Airlines agreed to fly
Berch to Detroit Metropolitan
Airport. LaQuinta Inn on Flynn
Drive provided lodging for his
stay in the city.
Butler - the first African-
American sheriff's deputy in
Wayne County - was one of 47
honorees at the reception. But
he was unaware that his old
friend Berch had been flown in
Robert Berch (left) and Nathanial Butler enjoyed a surprise reunion at
the Black History Celebration in Romulus last week.
Photo by Roger Kadau
Cpl. Labrit Jackson
See
History,
page 3
Historic reunion
City celebration reunites former
sheriff ’s deputy with man he saved