A
SSOCIATED
N
EWSPAPERS OF
M
ICHIGAN
P
AGE
5
April 23, 2015
B
ELLEVILLE
- P
LYMOUTH
Builder to replace faulty concrete at pavilion
Play baseball with former Tigers...at a price
New Plymouth Township
Supervisor Shannon Price has
responded quickly to the con-
cerns of some residents with
property bordering McClumpha
Park.
The neighboring property own-
ers, many with several years con-
struction experience, expressed
concern regarding the quality of
material and workmanship at the
all-weather pavilion currently
being constructed in the park.
The residents questioned the
concrete foundation installed by
the second-lowest bidder on the
project, Acme Enterprises of
Roseville. The pavilion project
was a hotly-contested issue
prompting severe criticism and
unfavorable citizen comment dur-
ing meetings of the board of
trustees prior to approval by the
trustees. Citizens questioned and
protested the expense of the
pavilion which is part of a $1.5
million recreation plan approved
by the townshipboard.
Last week, observers discov-
ered that the interior floor of the
main plaza of the pavilion had
been demolished and large bro-
ken concrete slabs stacked at the
edge of the structure. They say a
glycol generator system with
strips of tubing that has been cov-
ered with tarpaulins has been
placed inside to heat the exposed
soil. Residents surmised that the
cement was poured this winter
when frost covered the ground.
The cold temperature created an
adverse factor, they said, requir-
ing the breaking up and re-pour-
ing of the concrete. Neighbors
speculated that the reason for the
inadvisable installation during
cold weather may have been an
effort to expedite the completion
of the structure in time for the
July 4TownshipPicnic.
Price said in a telephone inter-
view last week, that there was a
serious problem with the floor in
the $750,000 plus structure.
Price said he appreciated the
citizens' concern and blamed the
failure on the general contractor
who he claimed, “cut corners.”
Price claimed the floor was
poured last fall rather than in the
winter and the builder changed
the specifications of the concrete
thickness from 4 inches to 2 inch-
es and immediately covered it
with plastic wrap. He said the
contractor is re-pouring the floor
to meet the original specifications
at no additional cost to the town-
ship.
“Little League is starting soon
and we have to make the area
safe,” said Price. “We don't always
do a good job of informing peo-
ple.” Price said he expects the
pavilion construction will be com-
plete bymidMay.
Architect-designer firm D.S.
Wright and Associates of
Plymouth requested bids for con-
struction in July 2014. The
planned structure grew from a
basic picnic pavilion to a sprawl-
ing facility, increasing costs by 750
percent since the project was
originally approved by members
of the Plymouth Township Board
of Trustees. When complete, it
will be a 4,500 square foot, one-
story structure with a walk-out
basement. It will include rest-
rooms, a warming center and a
kitchen area with a sink and
refrigerator. The $21,820 snow
making cannon that is to be
installed near the structure
arrived in the township last week.
Industrial electric and plumbing
capacity installations are
required to operate the snow
machines.
Township Treasurer Ron
Edwards is acting as construction
manager andwas the originator of
the project.
Play ball…if you can afford it.
Members of the public can
take their chances against for-
mer members of the Detroit
Tigers baseball team beginning
at noonMay 16 at Belleville High
School, for a price.
The charity softball game is a
benefit for the Van Buren Civic
Fund and Van Buren Public
Schools Education Foundation.
Pre-game activities will begin at
11 a.m. and the game is slated to
start at noon. Former Detroit
Tigers already confirmed to play
are Rick Leach (1981-83), Dave
Rozema (1977-84), Gary Ignasiak
(1973), Scott Lusader (1987-90),
andTomMatchick (1967-69).
The home team will be made
up of players who make a tax-
deductible donation of $250 to
the Van Buren Civic Fund. For
more information, call (734) 751-
2046 or email vanburencivic-
.
The purpose of the Civic Fund
is to assist in reducing the bur-
den upon the Van Buren
Township government through
financial support for services
and capital improvements which
benefit the citizens of the town-
ship, according to a prepared
release.
said. “I would also like to thank
Commission Chairman Gary Woronchak
and all of the commissioners for the con-
fidence they have placed in me to serve
the citizens of Canton, Plymouth and
Wayne County as a whole. I look forward
to working with each of my new col-
leagues in the days ahead to serve each
of our Wayne County communities to the
very best of our abilities.”
Barone, the father of daughters Olivia,
12, and Isabelle, 9, earned a bachelor's
degree in materials and logistics man-
agement from Michigan State University
in 1993, a juris doctor from the Thomas
M. Cooley Law School in 1996 and amas-
ter of laws in taxation from the Wayne
StateUniversityLawSchool in 2004.
He is a board member for the Wayne
11th Congressional District Republican
Committee and was a board member for
the Plymouth Township Downtown
Development
and
Brownfield
Redevelopment authorities. He served
on the Canton Chamber of Commerce
Board of Directors and was its 2013
Business Person of the Year, and also is
active in the Plymouth and Northville
chambers of commerce.
Young Belleville-area women interested
in vying for the title of Belleville Strawberry
Queen have until April 30 to enter the pag-
eant.
Organizers of the event are seeking 12
young women to vie for the title, a $1,000
scholarship, a trophy and gifts. Second and
third runners-up will each receive a $500
scholarship and gifts.
Contestants must be residents of the
Belleville area, single and between the ages
of 16 and 20. As part of the pageant, each
entrant will perform in a dance production
that includes the entire roster of hopefuls,
perform their individual talent, model
evening wear and answer questions posed
to them onstage by the emcee for the
evening.
The pageant is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
June 19 in theBellevilleHighSchool audito-
rium.
Organizers said the first 12 qualified
applicantswill be accepted.
Applications should be mailed to Joyce
Rochowiak, 43250 Tyler Road in Belleville,
48111. Entrantsmust include a recent photo.
‘Queen’ candidates sought
Barone
FROM PAGE 1
Making
it official
New township firefight-
ers Doug Pickert, Ean
Culver and Chris Smith
are sworn-in by
Plymouth Township
Clerk
Nancy
Conzelman at a recent
township board meet-
ing while Fire Chief Dan Phillips looks on. The three full-time firefighters graduat-
ed after completing departmental training and serving for the required one-year
probationary period.
Photo by Don Howard
