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No. 12
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
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March 22 - 28, 2012
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
City of Wayne officials have
managed to leverage more
than $28 million across 24 dif-
ferent projects with creative
use of a millage approved by
voters in 2007.
See page 4.
The last six months have
seen an increase in users in
almost all phases of services
and programs offered at the
Romulus Public Library-as
many as 11,000 since
September.
Se page 5.
The Plymouth Community
Arts Council is accepting
works fromartists 18 and older
who have created two-dimen-
sional artwork that focuses on
thehuman face.
See page 3.
The fifth-grade student who
took a weapon to Ridge Wood
Elementary School in
Northville has been suspend-
edpending an investigation.
See page 3.
The new athletic field at
Belleville High School will
remain unused until it meets
both state and national stan-
dards, currently violated by a
large orange pawprint.
See page 5.
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Vol. 65, No. 12
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Vol. 127, No. 12
Vol. 65, No. 12
Vol. 65, No. 12
Inkster-based Starfish
Family Services, a nonprofit
organization dedicated to cre-
ating brighter futures for chil-
dren, has named six new
members to the board of direc-
tors.
See page 4.
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
Members of the Westland
City Council appointed three
new members to the Zoning
Board of Appeals (ZBA) at the
Feb. 6, city councilmeeting.
See page 4.
Northville Township Supervi-
sor Mark Abbo made it official last
Thursday.
Abbo, who has served on the
board of trustees for 20 years, will
not seek re-election this year.
“It's time for a new chapter in
my life,” Abbo said at the regular
board of trustees meeting last
week.
“I think we've had a lot of suc-
cesses,” he added. “There have
been some failures, but I've always
had my heart in Northville
Township.”
Abbo was first elected in 1992,
at a time when the entire board of
trustees changed. Clerk Sue
Hillebrand was also first elected
that year. At the time, the township
was in dire financial straights, hav-
ing only about $100,000 in undesig-
nated reserve funds.
Now, the township has a sub-
stantial fund balance, has moved
all departments into new facilities
and dramatically increased the
amount of parkland in the commu-
nity-all while keeping the general
costs of doing business low.
“I'm proud to have served with
him,” said Hillebrand. “Supervi-
sor Abbo was always concerned
about the fiscal health of this com-
munity and I do give him almost
all of the credit for keeping this
community in the fiscal shape it is
today-amongmany other things.
“He's always been a consensus
builder,” she added. “I have a great
deal of respect for him.”
In the past 20 years, Northville
has developed and expanded sev-
eral parks, including Community
Park at Five Mile and Beck;
Milennium Park along Six Mile
Road, the Cold Water Springs
Nature Preserve, and Thayer's
Corner, all of which provide a vari-
ety of recreational features, from
the rustic to the organized. Board
members recently approved a
master plan for the former
Northville Psychiatric Hospital
property-which will become a 380
acre mixed use park. The ribbon
was recently cut on a new trail that
connects township pathways to the
City of Northville along Sheldon
Road, too.
The Easter Bunny is com-
ing to town, and he's bringing
lots of family fun at the Canton
Easter Bunny Breakfast and
Eggsstravaganza.
See page 3.
See
Supervisor,
page 2
Canton Township attorney Ronald Ruark has
received documents he requested from the City
of Wayne under the Freedom of Information Act
detailing the amount of business the city has
transactedwith an elected official.
Ruark requested copies of any and all checks
written from the city to City Councilman John
Rhaesa; his publication, The Dispatch; his wife,
Natalie Rhaesa and any other companies in
which Rhaesa is a principal. Ruark said he is
convinced that these transactions are a violation
of the Wayne City Charter. Copies of checks pro-
vided to the city indicate that Wayne paid
Rhaesa's publication $144.80 for the printing of a
dog and cat license ordinance, JoNa Graphics,
another company owned by Rhaesa $1,095 for
work on signs for the Wayne Parks and
Recreation Department, $1,615 for a library
newsletter, and another $64.10 for publication of
a city advertisement.
The Wayne City Charter specifically prohibits
the city from doing any business with an elected
official without a special resolution allowing a
variance from those clearly defined rules:
Section 5.11 of the document which can be found
online at theCity ofWaynewebsite.
According to the charter, a council member in
violation of the regulation would be guilty of
“misconduct in office” and under Section 2.8
could face a $500 fine and/or 90 days in jail, along
with responsibility for court costs in regard to
thematter.
According to City Manager Bob English, the
city is basing their actions in regard to doing
business with Rhaesa on a state law which, he
said, takes precedence over the local charter.
English said the opinion the city requested from
the city attorney validated their actions and that
the state law would take precedence over the
local charter regulations.
English also said that the current city charter
contains many other stipulations and rules
which may be outdated and need revision to be
appropriate for the way the city is operated
today.
Ruark's opinion about the legality of the city
publishing with a sitting council member differs,
however, and he sought copies of the checks to
prove that business transactions with the council
member occurred.
Ruark represents Chris Sanders who was
recently found not guilty of charges filed by the
city regarding petitions he had circulated
requesting mandatory staffing in the fire depart-
ment. Ruark said the prosecution of Sanders
was a deliberate effort by the city administration
to “shut Chris up” and an “attempt to keep him
off the ballot.” Ruark was adamant that the city
filed the charges in an attempt to halt Sanders'
outspoken comments about city actions.
Ruark said the documents prove that there is
a violation of the city charter, despite the legal
opinion the city has cited. He also said he had
some difficulty in obtaining the check copies, as
the city exceeded the deadline prescribed by
state law. In a communication to Paul F. Bohn of
Fausone Bohn, LLP, the current city attorneys,
Ruark reminded Bohn that he had agreed to his
request to extend the deadline to respond to the
original Feb. 13 by 10 days but that he had not
received any response by last Thursday.
The documents were received by Ruark
State Rep. Douglas Geiss (D-
Taylor) successfully concluded a
small claims court lawsuit against
retail giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc.,
resolving a case inwhich the store
overchargedGeiss for a bag of pis-
tachios. The pricing confusion
came about because a recently
enacted Michigan law no longer
requires Wal-Mart and other
Michigan retailers to put a price
tag on each item.
"What happened to me has
doubtlessly happened to thou-
sands of other Michigan residents
and many of them probably never
realized it,” Geiss said. “Michigan
legislators made a mistake when
they got rid of price tags on indi-
vidual items. It hurts consumers,
and that'swhy I fought against it.”
Geiss realized he had been
overcharged for a 1.5-pound bag
of pistachio nuts when he took the
item to the register of a Taylor
Wal-Mart on Oct. 26, 2011. The
item had no shelf tag, but similar
items nearby cost between $4 and
$5. At the cash register, it rang up
as $10.58. A store manager who
said the price should have been
$3.98 refunded the difference and
gaveGeiss a $5 bounty.
That didn't make up for the
nearly half hour it took to correct
the problem, Geiss said, so he
took advantage of a consumer's
right to recover the actual dam-
ages stemming from a mispriced
item or $250, whichever is greater.
Geiss filed a small claims lawsuit
against Wal-Mart in the 23rd
District Court, and the suit was
mediated last week. Wal-Mart
agreed to pay Geiss $250 plus his
court costs. The $250 settlement
will be donated to the Taylor
ReadingCorps.
“I want every Michigan con-
sumer and every Michigan retail-
When Van Buren Township
Supervisor Paul White presented
his 20112 State of the Township
address early this month, he
included the hint that Menards
Co. might locate a new home
improvement store in the town-
ship.
Evidently, hewas correct.
White said that he has been
notified that officials with
Menards Home Improvement
have signed a purchase agree-
ment for a 31-acre site owned by
Richard Sloan on the north I-94
Service Drive. The new store
would bring about 150 jobs to the
area, some of whichwould be part
time,White said.
The property is currently the
site of the building that formerly
housed a Farmer Jack's store
which White said will be torn
down. The other buildings in the
shopping centerwill stay, he said.
A site plan for the project must
now be approved by the township
board.
Menards had been considering
in Canton Township at the corner
of Michigan Avenue and Morton
TaylorRoad.
White said he was optimistic
the Downtown Development
Authority could be helpful in pro-
moting and ensuring the new
store is located inVanBuren.
He said Sloan is attempting to
buy a section of property from the
Wayne Country Fair Association
necessary for the required set-
back distance for the proposed
new Menards. Sloan, according to
White, has owned the property
Menard's intends to buy, for 50
years.
The project is expected to take
ninemonths fromgroundbreaking
to grand opening and will be
about 200,000 square feet. The
new store would face Belleville
Road.
White cautioned that the deci-
sion on the store location is not yet
final, but that he expects official
confirmation fromMenards soon.
Menards chooses Van Buren for new store
See
Suit,
page 2
See
Geiss,
page 2
I think we've
had a lot
of successes.
There have been some
failures, but
I've always had
my heart in
Northville Township.
”
Supervisor will not seek re-election
Mark Abbo
Ruark said the documents
prove that there is
a violation of the city charter...
”
Michigan legislators made a mistake when
they got rid of price tags on individual items.
”
Activist contemplates civil rights suit
Legislator wins damage suit against Wal-Mart