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ASSOCIATED NEWSPAPERS OF MICHIGAN PAGE 4 March 14, 2013
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I NKSTER - NORTHVILLE
Inkster resident Paul Mechlin
submitted recall petition language
against Inkster Mayor Hilliard
Hampton, II and all seven mem-
bers of the current city council to
the Wayne County Board of
ElectionsMarch 4.
Mechlin is nowawaiting a “clar-
ity hearing” requestedby the elect-
ed officials which is scheduled for
2 p.m. March 25 in downtown
Detroit.
In his petition language,
Mechlin states, “The City of
Inkster is recalling Mayor Hilliard
Hampton II for failing to put for-
ward a levy/millage on the Nov. 6,
2012 ballot to retain 34 police offi-
cers and four firefighters. This has
resulted in the violent crime rise
of 311.8 percent per thousand citi-
zens of Inkster. This is putting citi-
zens and first responders in dan-
ger for their safety.”
Mechlin claims that the petition
language cannot be faulted for
accuracy as he took the statistics
directly from the Inkster “dash-
board” of information available
online.
“I'm the only one doing this,”
Mechlin said. “Only 9 percent of
the citizens of Inkster vote and
they are all being taken advantage
of. Nobody will step in and put a
stop to this. We can't get answers
from these people, they tell you to
shut up atmeetings.
“I'vehad enough.”
Mechlin, 50, is a graduate of
Cherry Hill High School and said
he was raised in Inkster. He
moved to Dearborn Heights for
some time, but returned to Inkster
about four years ago.
If his language is approved by
the election commission, Mechlin
will have to gather 1,701 signatures
on petitions within the prescribed
time in order to get the recall issue
on a ballot for voters to decide.
“That's 25 percent of the num-
ber of people who voted in the
gubernatorial election,” Mechlin
said. “Obviously, I am going to try
and get more signatures. I'm the
only one driving this train.”
Mechlin said that he will go to
the hearing on his own and will
not be represented by an attorney,
although he expects the city attor-
neys to protest the petition lan-
guage before the commission.
“The city attorneys are a lot
smarter than I am,” he said, “but I
just don't know how the language
could be questioned. These are
the facts.” Mechlin said anyone
interested in helping with the peti-
tions or seeking more information
can contact him at (734) 248) 460-
3603.
In addition to the mayor, the
exact petition language is being
considered against council mem-
bers, Timothy Williams, Marcus
Hendricks, Lorenzo Moner, Jr.,
Michael Canty, Kim Howard and
DennardShaw.
Northville and America lost a
true patriot and genuine war hero
last week.
Fred Millard, 88, died March 6,
with his wife of 59 years, Shirley,
and family at his side after a brief
illness.
Mr. Millard, a Northville resi-
dent, was a member of the most
decorated infantry division of the
U.S. Army, the 1st InfantryDivision,
known as the "BigRedOne."
As part of Gen. Dwight
Eisenhower's "go-to" 16th regiment,
Mr. Millard landed with the First
Wave on Normandy's Omaha
Beach along with the 29th Infantry
Division and nine companies of
U.S. Army Rangers. As the boats
approached within a few hundred
yards of the shore, they came under
increasingly heavy fire from auto-
maticweapons and artillery.
When telling the story of the
nightmarishOmahaBeach landing,
Mr. Millard would say, “When the
bow ramp dropped in the Higgins
boat, we were trained to move and
move fast. Didn't matter if the guy
in front of you got shot, we were
instructed to keep going.
Unfortunately, I stepped out into 7
feet of water. I can tell you some-
thing, too. I'm not 7 feet tall. Why
did I survive when so many of my
regiment brothers didn't?”
Mr. Millard went on to fight in
four other major battles, including
Troina an Aachen. On his first day
in Sicily he stepped on an anti-per-
sonnel mine and spent six months
in a hospital after suffering severe
wounds tohis back and left arm.
Mr. Millard was awarded two
Purple Hearts and the French
Legion of HonourMedal, one of the
highest medals the country of
France bestows. He received one of
his Purple Hearts from
Eisenhower himself.
Mr. Millard said, Eisenhower
was shaking the hands of men in
line and apparently, he'd heard of
me, because he calledme by name.
He asked me about my history, my
wounds, said he'd heard I'd had a
pretty rough road. We spoke for a
long time, and afterward, he told
me that he enjoyed speaking to me
that afternoonmore than any other
man in line, and gave me the
Purple Heart on the spot. Now,
that's an honor. To this day, I consid-
er himmy personal hero, the great-
est commander of thewar.”
Military services took place
Monday from Vermeulen Funeral
Home and Riverside Cemetery in
Plymouth
where Mr.
Millard was
interred.
In addi-
tion to his
wife and
c h i l d r e n
S t e v e n
(Suzet te) ,
Shelley (Steven) Misenheimer,
Scott (Lisa) and the late Stanley
(Irene), Mr. Millard is survived by
11 grandchildren; three great-
grandchildren; many nieces and
nephews, and a sister Margaret
“Peg” Patterson.
Nobody will step in and put a stop to this.
We can't get answers from these people,
they tell you to shut up at meetings.
”
Resident files to recall Inkster mayor, council
American hero, patriot Fred Millard dies at 88
Fred Millard
that of others,” and other charges.
Napoleon has denied all the
charges and claims that the officers
lied about him and committed per-
jury.
No reason for the lack of an
independent investigation of the
charges was ever offered by the city
administration orWolkowicz.
One officer said that the general
feeling in the department is that the
firing of Wolkowicz now provided
the city council members with an
excuse for not investigation the
charges independently.
“The feeling is that now they can
use the excuse that they have
nobody to do the investigation,” the
officer said, “which is patently
untrue. Under the city charter, they
have the right to call for an investi-
gation of their own. They just won't
do it.”
Another officer commented,
“Smith is supposed to be unfit to be
a cop, according to Napoleon, but
he can leave him in charge of the
entire department for two weeks.
You tell me what's wrong with this
picture.”
Inkster
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