No. 15
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
75¢
April 12 – 18, 2018
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 Third Annual Wayne
Main Street Chocolate Walk
will take place in downtown
Wayne from 10 a.m. until 4
p.m. Saturday, May 12.
See page 4.
Northville Township
Treasurer Marjorie Banner
was recently honored with
the fifth consecutive
Government
Finance
Officers Association Budget
PresentationAward.
See page 3.
Vol. 133, No. 15
Vol. 71, No. 15
Vol. 71, No. 15
Vol. 18, No. 15
The City of Romulus
fourth annual free "Eco-Fair"
is set for Saturday, April 14,
at the Romulus Athletic
Center, 35765 Northline
Road.
See page 2.
Vol. 133, No. 15
Vol. 71, No. 15
Vol. 71, No. 15
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
The Westland Police
Department has upheld the
standards of its Commission
on Accreditation for Law
Enforcement Agencies, Inc.
(CALEA) certification.
See page 4.
The Canton Leisure
Services annual Mom to
Mom Sale is set for Saturday,
April 21 at the Summit on
the Park, located at 46000
Summit Parkway,
See page 3.
Vol. 18, No. 15
More than 500 people
came out to enjoy the Easter
Egg Hunt sponsored by the
Unity in the Community
Campaign of the Inkster
TaskForce recently.
See page 4.
The return of the Kellogg
Park fountain, a Plymouth
landmark, has been delayed
as officials determine a way
to fund the $1.5 million
replacement bid.
See page 5.
The Belleville Commun-
ity Chorus will present the
12th Annual Spring Concert,
What a Wonderful World at 7
p.m. Saturday, April 28.
See page 5.
The lone suspect in a violent
overnight crime spree last week
is deceased and has been identi-
fied as Allan Farris, 56, of
Detroit.
According to a report from the
Michigan State Police, the rough-
ly 10-hour ordeal began in
Canton Township and spanned
nearly 20 miles of the metro
Detroit area and included two
carjackings, two shootings that
injured two women, two attempt-
ed carjackings, one of which
involved an undercover
Michigan State Police Trooper,
and shots fired at police.
Farris was found deceased
following an exchange of gunfire
with members of the Michigan
State Police Emergency Support
Team in Detroit. The state police
is the lead investigating agency
with detectives from the Secure
Cities Partnership Major Case
Unit and First District
Investigative Response Team
assigned to the investigation.
Based on the preliminary
investigation, the following is a
general timeline of events pre-
pared from police reports and
complied by Michigan State
Police:
• 9 p.m., Tuesday, April 3 - Report
of attempted carjacking and
shooting near Joy and Morton
Taylor roads in Canton near the
Salvation Army thrift store. The
female victim is in good condi-
tion.
• 9:05 p.m. - Report of attempted
home invasion and shots fired in
Canton. No injuries were report-
ed.
• 9:15 p.m. - Report of home inva-
sion, shooting and carjacking in
Canton. The female victim in
good condition.
• Police track Farris to the
See
Hijacker,
page 6
Farris was found deceased
following an exchange of gunfire ...
”
Members of the Westland
City Council received a $67 mil-
lion budget for approval from
Mayor William R. Wild last
week.
The balanced budget
includes no increases inmillage
rates in the city and adds
$731,000 to the general fund bal-
ance, maintaining a rainy day
fund ofmore than $7million.
The proposed budget
includes funding for four police
officers and three firefighters
which are currently funded by
federal grants, as well as four
additional dispatchers for the
911 center in the city. The budg-
et also sets aside an additional
$300,000 contribution into the
MERS pension plan for general
employees to address the
unfundedpension liability
The budget also includes
capital investments for parking
lot improvements and building
renovations at the Jefferson
Barns Community Vitality
Center, a new roof for Fire
Station 4, lobby improvements
to the Mike Modano Ice Arena
and various improvements at
theFriendshipSenior Center.
In terms of equipment, the
budget includes provisions for
new vehicles for the Cable
Television Department and
Department of Public Service, a
new EMS Unit, a new refuge
truck and three new police
vehicles, body cameras, radios,
vests and computers for the
Police Department, mainte-
nance equipment and ameni-
ties for the Parks and
Recreation Department and
upgraded security cameras at
the 18thDistrict Court.
The budget proposal is avail-
able at
under theOpenGov section.
"The administration has
worked very hard on this year's
budget proposal," commented
Wild. "We are proud to present
the city council with a proposal
that reflects a continued rein-
vestment in our seniors, public
safety, city assets and parks and
recreation."
Person of the Year
Romulus to honor Rev. William Kren
For more than two decades,
the Rev. William Kren has
been active in the City of
Romulus and a top supporter
of community projects, pro-
grams and activities.
This year, Kren has been
named the 33rd Romulus
Person of the Year by the
Greater Romulus Chamber of
Commerce.
Kren will be honored dur-
ing the annual Person of the
Year Banquet on Friday, April
27, at the Radisson Detroit
Metro Airport, 31500 Wick
Road, Romulus. The event will
begin at 6 p.m. For ticket infor-
mation, call the chamber office
at (734) 893-0694 or send an
email to Executive Director
Betsey
Krampitz
at
“His dedication, devotion
and love for Romulus and its
residents has always been a
priority in Bill's life,” said a
group of individuals who nomi-
nated Kren for the honor. “He
has been involved in our com-
munity for approximately 20
years and always steps up to
the plate, when asked and not
asked. He has always been a
willing volunteer striving to
help make Romulus a better
place to be.”
Kren is an ordained minis-
ter in the Evangelical Church.
He is currently the pastor of
Dearborn Congregational
Church in Dearborn. He has
been in the ministry since
1982, serving churches in
Michigan, Ohio and Indiana.
Kren and his wife, Sue,
moved to Romulus in the sum-
mer of 1998 after accepting an
assignment with Community
United Methodist Church.
Pastoring at Community
United Methodist Church
allowed him to serve outside
the “four walls of the church”
and in the community, he said.
He would often tell others that
“Romulus is my parish” and
would volunteer whenever
there was an opportunity to
make a difference in the city
he loves.
He also founded, served as
the first president and remains
an officer of, the Romulus
Ministerial Alliance and
helped organize Community
Good Friday Services and the
yearly Romulus National Day
of Prayer ceremony. He organ-
ized special memorial services
each year and monthly Sunday
services for seniors at the
Senior Towers Apartments.
In 2006, after eight years
with Community United
Methodist Church, the Krens
moved on to other adventures.
They remain property owners
in the city and Kren remains
active in Romulus and contin-
ues to serve as secretary of the
Romulus
Downtown
Development Authority.
He also remains an active
member of the Rotary Club of
The Rev. William Kren (front row, left); Oscar “Jr. Rhoton (front
row, right), selection committee member and chamber board
member; Betsey Krampitz (back row, left), Patty Braden, cham-
ber president and Mark Lewkowicz, committee member and
chamber board member.
Photos courtesy of Dave Grogon
The Rev. William Kren
See
Kren,
page 6
Suspect in hijackings, shootings killed
No millage increase in new Westland budget
Canton plans ‘Community Connection’
Canton Township Police Lt.
Pat Sullivan understands the fear
disabled individuals can have for
police and firefighters. He said
he was pleased that the Canton
Public Safety Department is part-
nering for an event to help fami-
lies meet first responders, set for
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April
14.
“It's to dispel fears,” he said,
noting disabled people such as
those on the autism spectrum
can fear flashing lights and
authority figures. The event will
take place at the Summit on the
Park, 46000 Summit Parkway,
south of Cherry Hill Road west of
South Canton Center Road adja-
cent toHeritagePark.
“The bright lights can scare
them. It's getting them to know it's
not necessarily a bad thing,” the
lieutenant said. “It's kind of like a
meet and greet kind of thing.”
Of those with autism, he said,
“If they go missing, it makes it a
challenge when we try to find
them. Hopefully, they won't hide
fromus.”
The Community Connection
Day is in partnership with
Canton Public Safety, Plymouth-
Canton Community Schools as
well as Canton Therapeutic
Recreation. For more, call (734)
394-5367
or
visit
.
“Usually there's a good
turnout. They get to meet officers
and firefighters,” he said, adding
attendees also get to see police
cars and trucks. “It's just another
outreach for the community to
get to knowus and us to know the
community better.”
Firefighters also attend the
event, Sullivan added.
The day will include: a
See
Canton,
page 3
Julie Brown
Special Writer
Lt. Pat Sullivan
