No. 10
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
75¢
March 10 – 16, 2016
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
The City of Wayne may no
longer have a Parks and
Recreation Department, but
the 19 parks in the city still
need attention if they are to
remain open and usable for
residents.
See page 4.
Hamin Park, a student at
Meads Mill Middle School in
Northville, has been named
a merit award winner in the
28th annual Lions Club
National Peace Poster
Contest.
See page 5.
Vol. 131, No. 10
Vol. 69, No. 10
Vol. 69, No. 10
Vol. 16, No. 10
Black History Month was
officially celebrated in
Romulus with events includ-
ing an appreciation break-
fast and an Underground
Railroad and history bus
tour.
See page 3.
Vol. 131, No. 10
Vol. 69, No. 10
Vol. 69, No. 10
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
Mayor William R. Wild
and his WestlandWildWings
will take on the Detroit Red
Wing Alumni in the 7th
Annual Hockey Night in
Westland charity event.
See page 4.
Retiring
Canton
Township Supervisor Phil
LaJoy presented his final
State of the Township
address to a packed crowd at
the Village Theater last
week.
See page 2.
Vol. 16, No. 24
Wayne
County
Commissioner Glenn S.
Anderson, State Rep. Julie
Plawecki, and State Sen.
David Knezek will host a cof-
feehour in InksterMarch 14.
See page 3.
The Plymouth District
Library joined thousands of
educators, librarians and
digital learning advocates
around the country on
Digital Learning Day last
month.
See page 4.
The game is the same but
the rules have changed for
management at Hilltop Golf
Course inPlymouthTownship.
Last week, members of the
board of trustees agreed to a
new, three-year management
contract with Billy Casper Golf,
the organization that has man-
aged the facility for the past
five years. The new contract
will not provide a flat manage-
ment fee to Billy Casper Golf,
but will pay the management
company a percentage of gross
revenue at the golf course. Billy
Casper was paid a fee of about
$87,000 for 2015, when gross
revenue at the 18-hole course
was $600,000, a break even with
costs, according to figures from
the township. The course oper-
ated at a loss for the past four
years with a deficit of $408,000
in 2013, according to a town-
ship audit.
During previous contract
discussions, representatives of
Billy Casper said that the oper-
ating deficit was due to falling
revenue during the recession,
but is nowregaining ground.
Plymouth
Township
Treasurer Ron Edwards said
that revenue has increased sig-
nificantly and that golf is “com-
ing back.”
Rather than the flat manage-
ment fee, Billy Casper will now
receive 11 percent of the annu-
al gross revenue up to $600,000,
13 percent if gross revenue at
the golf course is between
$600,001 and $700,000, 14 per-
cent if gross revenue is
between $700,001 and $800,000
and 15 percent if gross revenue
exceeds $800,001 ormore
The company will receive a
bonus of $5,000 if food and bev-
erage sales total a minimum of
$225,000 annually.
Trustee Bob Doroshewitz,
who cast the lone no vote on
the contract, suggested a 1-year
contract but found no support
for his suggestion. The contract
was approved 5-1, as Trustee
Chuck Curmi was not present
at the time of the vote.
Voters in the City of Wayne
will be asked to approve a 14-
mill property tax on the August
primary ballot.
The question on the tax will
include asking voters to allow
the city to join a public safety
authority, which would include
Hazel Park andEast Pointe, part
of the South Oakland Regional
Services Authority, which would
act as a fundingmethod. The tax
funds collected are sent back to
the communities by the authori-
ty to fund public safety opera-
tions. If approved by voters on
the August primary ballot, the
tax would appear on the winter
tax bills of residents.
Currently, the City of Wayne
still faces a $2 to $2.5 million
deficit budget for the current
operating year. Auditors have
cautioned officials that the city
will be out of money bymid-2017
at the current level of spending.
If voters approve the 14 mills
and the participation in the tax-
ing authority, state law requires
that each of the member com-
munities levy the same tax mill-
age. Wayne officials claim that
the 14 mills is more than is
needed, despite the current
deficit, and have proposed
reducing the millage levied for
general fund operations to offset
the difference.
Not all the members of the
new Financial Task Force agree
with the proposal. Member Jill
Lezotte-Kates said that this plan
is “the best way to avoid an
emergency financial manager”
and said the majority of the
committee members favored
this plan. Bob Boertje, another
task force member, said that he
did not support the measure but
felt that it should be voted on by
residents. He suggested he
would rather see the issue on
theNovember ballot whenmore
voters usually go to the polls.
Placing the question of join-
ing the authority and increasing
the millage for public safety on
the ballot was approved by a
unanimous vote of the members
of the city council.
The question on the tax will
include asking voters to allow the city
to join a public safety authority...
”
...representatives of Billy Casper said
that the operating deficit was due
to falling revenue during the recession,
but is now regaining ground.
”
Wayne to ask for 14-mill safety tax
Township renews golf management contract
Belleville City Council
members have agreed to
schedule both an informa-
tional and town hall meeting
regarding the $10 million
cost of street repairs in the
city.
See page 3.
Lost and found
Retirement badge returned
to officer after 26 years
Andy Spisakwrote the very first police
report issued by the fledgling Westland
Police Department nearly half a century
ago.
Spisak was also the detective who
helped solve the first murder case
assigned to theWestland department and
has continued his career with the city to
this day, now working as a court officer.
But for the past 26 years or so, Spisak,
now 81, has worked without the official
police retirement badge he was issued
back onOct. 24, 1966.
Until last Friday that is whenWestland
City Clerk Richard LeBlanc, a former
police officer and inveterate collector of
police memorabilia, presented Spisak's
lost badge to him before a crowd of city
officials, friends and familymembers.
The lost badge, which was originally
presented to Spisak on his retirement
from the force, was engraved with his
name and rank and date of his retire-
ment. It has apparently been as active as
the guy who owned it, ending up in the
hands of a California collector who
obtained it from another collector in
Arizona.
Called a presentation badge, it is a
duplicate of the officer's original badge
awarded as part of the retirement cere-
mony. LeBlanc, always on the lookout for
additions to the large collection he dis-
plays on his office wall in Westland City
Hall, was notified about a month ago that
there was a Westland badge available by
fellow collector Thomas Herring, a
Livonia photographer who works in
Westland.
“Collectors know each other and Tom
knew I would be interested in aWestland
badge,” LeBlanc explained. “I called the
guy in California, and when he read me
the name and date on the back of the
badge, I said, 'Hey, I know that guy.'”
“The guy was a littlemore than skepti-
cal,” LeBlanc said, “and started out ask-
ing $300.”
Negotiations ensued and LeBlanc
received photos of the badge and saw
Spisak's name. “When I sawAndy I asked
him about his badge and he told me he
lost it. I mentioned that the California
collector had one from Westland that
might be his.
“We took a photo with me and Andy
and his retired officer's identification
that I sent to the guy in California prov-
ing that it was Andy's badge. He didn't get
back tome for awhile. Then about aweek
or so ago, he responded, asked for my
address and shipped the badge at no
cost,” LeBlanc said.
“We still don't knowhow it ended up in
California.”
LeBlanc then began making phone
calls to Spisak's wife, Lee, who knew how
much the badge meant. The family chose
the date and time for the surprise presen-
tation, and LeBlanc crowded judges, for-
mer mayors, police officers and city offi-
cials with whom Spisak has worked dur-
ing the past 50 years into his office, await-
ing Spisak's arrival last Friday.
Spisak said that he was “nearly
speechless” with surprise when he saw
the badge, which LeBlanc had mounted
in the center of his wall display, waiting
for Spisak to take notice.
When he did, he was noticeably
See
Badge,
page 6
Andy Spisak, holding badge, was taken by surprise when Westland City Clerk Richard
LeBlanc, far right, located his long lost retirement badge. Spisak's wife, Lee, and his
family were on hand for the surprise return last Friday.
Richard LeBlanc, left, returns Andy Spisak's badge, above, missing for 26 years during
the surprise presentation last week witnessed by friends, family and city officials.
Photos by Sean Rhaesa
