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No. 14
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
75¢
April 3 – 9, 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
Friends and family gath-
ered last Saturday to pause,
remember and reflect on the
life and times of Arthur
William Elander who died
March 19.
See page 5.
The Department of Public
Works and the Department of
Public Service in Romulus
will be combined in an effort
to improve service and stream-
line costs in the city.
See page 3.
The Michigan Association
of Broadcasters Foundation
named the student-operated
radio station of the Plymouth
Canton Community Schools,
High School Station of the
Year.
See page 4
.
Maybury Farm is offering
sweet weekend outings for
families with the Maple Syrup
Tours every Saturday and
Sunday throughApril 13.
See page 4
.
The Belleville Area
Museum is looking for histori-
cal information on tri-commu-
nity clubs and organizations
for anupcomingMay exhibit.
See page 2.
Vol. 129, No. 14
Vol. 67, No. 14
Vol. 67, No. 14
Vol. 14, No. 14
Vol. 129, No. 14
Vol. 67, No. 14
Vol. 67, No. 14
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
The City of Westland swore
in three new police officers
and promoted four veteran
officers at the regular city
councilmeetingMarch 17.
See page 5.
The Canton Lions Club will
mark White Cane Week prowl-
ing around local intersections
and businesses wearing bright
yellow vests and carrying
white canes.
See page 2
.
Vol. 14, No. 14
More than 100 players and parents crowded
the Plymouth Canton Board of Education
meeting last week to protest the replacement
of Salem High School girls soccer coach Scott
Duhl.
Duhl's replacement was not a decision or
action of the administration or board mem-
bers, however, but was managed “at the
(school) building level.” The actual change
wasmade by CoachEasy, a third-party contrac-
tor used by the district. Coach Easy supplies
non-faculty coaches to several districts. Duhl is
also assigned, through Coach Easy, as the
coach of the boys' soccer teamat Salem.
Superintendent of Plymouth Canton
Schools Dr. Michael Meissen sent a response
to to families who contacted him about the
issue and noted that Duhl's status with the
boys' teamwas not impactedby the decision.
The decision to remove Duhl as the girls'
coach was rumored to have been made after
he used an inappropriate slang termin ameet-
ing with female players. There has been no
official reason for his removal provided by the
district or CoachEasy.
Meissen informed families in his letter that
the district administration did not make the
decision to remove Duhl and that the assign-
ment of coaches is delegated to leadership in
the individual schools with oversight by build-
ing principals.
“In this case, the process was managed
appropriately at the building level, the third-
party employer was contacted and the district
will work with the third-party employer if
there are any additional questions it has
regarding what took place,” Meissen said in
the letter.
“Parent and student concerns have been
heard and we also care deeply about the
Plymouth-Canton Community Schools inter-
scholastic athletic programs,” Meissen said in
the statement. “We, too, are disappointed in a
toughbut necessary decision.”
Duhl will be replaced by George Kithas for
the 2014 season. Kithas coaches boys soccer at
Churchill High School in Livonia and in the
statement, Meissen said Kithas was “highly
recommended and enthusiastic about this
opportunity.”
Meissen said the district will post the coach-
ing position before next season and Duhl
wouldhave the opportunity to apply for the job
at that time.
Parents protest firing of girls’ soccer coach
Starfish Family Services
(Starfish) has become a com-
munity partner of the
Southeast Michigan program
of LEAVEALEGACY®.
See page 4.
An assistant principal in the
Dearborn School System has been
suspended fromhis job after being
chargedwith twohome invasions.
Fady Anis Soueidan, 42, of
Dearborn has been charged with
home invasions that took place in
Westland and Dearborn. As a
result of the pending charges
Soueidan has been suspended
from his job as an assistant princi-
pal at McCollough-Unis School in
Dearborn, according to the office
of theWayneCountyProsecutor.
The Westland incident took
place at about 8:15 p.m. March 14
when prosecutors allege that
Soueidanwent to the apartment of
a woman with whom he was
acquainted located in the 36000
block ofMcKinley.
While at the apartment, it is
alleged that he kicked in the front
door and stole the woman's cell
phone. Soueidan was arrested by
Westlandpolice at the scene.
On March 17, Soueidan was
charged with Home invasion First
Degree which carries a maximum
20 year imprisonment penalty and
The Canton Township Police
Department has once again been
named among the gold-standard
of police agencies in the state.
Canton has retained the covet-
ed international accreditation sta-
tus from the Commission on
Accreditation
for
Law
Enforcement Agencies, Inc.
(CALEA), noted Director of Public
SafetyToddMutchler.
“I'm very proud of how the
department has made CALEA a
solid part of our culture over the
past six years,” said Mutchler. “It
was rewarding to hear that mem-
bers of the on-site assessment
team were impressed with how
deeply embedded CALEA has
become within the Canton Police
Department,” he added.
The department received the
original three-year accreditation
status in 2007. To retain this status
the department is required to sub-
mit for re-accreditation every
three years, demonstrating that
the agency has continued to com-
ply with the standards set forth by
CALEA. Along with the submis-
sion of annual reports, the depart-
ment must successfully submit to
an on-site assessment and hearing
before the commissionmembers.
Last November, representa-
tives from CALEA conducted a
comprehensive on-site assess-
ment of the Canton department,
reviewing polices and proofs to
demonstrate continued compli-
ance. Last week, Mutchler
appeared before the commission
and was awarded successful re-
accreditation status.
CALEA accreditation is touted
as “the gold standard in public
safety” and is considered a highly-
prized recognition of law enforce-
ment excellence. The Canton
Police Department continues to
be the largest municipal law
enforcement agency in Michigan
to be accredited, Mutchler noted.
Law enforcement accreditation
provides numerous benefits to the
community ranging from the
potential control of liability costs,
to a stronger defense against liti-
gation. It also provides an in-depth
evaluation of department opera-
tions, ensuring top efficiency.
The Canton re-accreditation
was granted for three years, dur-
ing which time the department
will continue to uphold the high
standards on which the presti-
gious award was based, Mutchler
said.
While at the apartment, it is alleged that he kicked
in the front door and stole the woman's cell phone.
”
Assistant principal charged in 2 home invasions
See
Arrest,
page 5
Ten Hut
Local honor guard chosen to
appear at special Tiger’s game
Former economic director
returns to City of Romulus
Canton police retain ‘gold star’ accreditation
They temper grief with awe.
Not an easy task, but then, nei-
ther are their day jobs.
The nine members of the Van
Buren Township Public Safety
Honor Guard have been appear-
ing at funerals of fellow law
enforcement men and women, at
ceremonial events and official
memorials for about 9 years.
Van Buren Township Director
of Public Safety Gregory Laurain
was assigned the task of resur-
recting the honor guard by his
boss back in 2005. The unit had
disbanded in the 80s, Laurain
said, due to a lack of funding and
equipment.
He's done a remarkable job
considering that these days, the
Van Buren Honor Guard is well
known across the country and
has been selected from the 400
local, county, state and federal
law enforcement agencies in
Michigan to present the colors at
the pre-game and opening cere-
monies at the Detroit Tigers' 3rd
Annual Law Enforcement
Appreciation Night April 21 at
ComericaPark.
This isn't the first honor for the
The most successful economic
development director in Romulus
history is returning to the position
hehelduntil last year.
Timothy Keyes - who helped
attract business and industry to
Romulus and oversaw major proj-
ects in the city for nearly 12 years
became director of economic
development again onApril 1.
Mayor LeRoy D. Burcroff said
Keyes is by far the most qualified
person for the job and having the
ability to bring him back is a real
coup for theCity of Romulus.
Keyes has 29 years of economic
development experience, both in
government and in private indus-
try. He was director of economic
development in Romulus until a
year ago, when he stepped down
from the position. Since last July,
he has served as the first CEO of
VantagePort, the former Detroit
Regional
Aerotropolis
Development Corp.
“Our city has missed Tim's
expertise and experience since he
left and then went to work for
VantagePort,” Burcroff said. “He
and his team did so much good for
our community for more than a
decade. When we reached out to
him about our open economic
development position, we were
thrilled when he said he would
return. Tim is such a pro and has a
tremendous resume. The City of
Romulus is blessed to have him
back at city hall.”
Since Keyes' departure, the
position of economic development
director has remained vacant.
Keyes said he was honored that
the Burcroff administration asked
him to return. He said he would
help VantagePort transition to a
new CEO even as he returns to
lead the Romulus Economic
Development Department.
Keyes has had a successful nine
See
Police,
page 2
See
Keyes,
page 3
Timothy Keyes
The Van Buren Township Honor Guard presenting the colors at the
opening ceremony at the National Law Enforcement Memorial during
Police Week last year in Washington, D.C.