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No. 17
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
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April 25 – May 1, 2013
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
Wayne CityManager Robert
English has been assigned the
task of organizing a committee
to develop a business overlay
district for the city.
See page 5.
Interviews for the new
superintendent of the
Romulus Community Schools
have been scheduled with the
top four candidates for the job.
See page 5.
Firefighters had to break
open the door to a padlocked
equipment room at the CSX
Corp railroad yard off
Junction Street in Plymouth
last week.
See page 5.
Letters sent this week to
parents of students at Ridge
Wood Elementary School indi-
cated that the new boundaries
would go into effect before the
end of the school year.
See page 5.
The Belleville High School
Distinguished Graduates Hall
of Fame will have four new
members following cere-
monies planned for 2 p.m. May
4.
See page 3.
Vol. 128, No. 17
Vol. 66, No. 17
Vol. 66, No. 17
Vol. 13, No. 17
Vol. 128, No. 17
Vol. 66, No. 17
Vol. 66, No. 17
First-term Wayne County
Commissioner,
Richard
LeBlanc (D-District 12) will
host monthly coffee hours in
Inkster to meet with con-
stituents. The next meeting is
May 6.
See page 4.
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
Whitney White, of the
Westland Post Office, was busy
at the 44th Plymouth Stamp
Show last weekend, selling col-
lectible stamps and other
postal items.
See page 5.
Christmas in Action will be
here this month and the
Canton Township group is still
seeking volunteers to provide
repairs to homes of needy sen-
iors.
See page 3.
Vol. 13, No. 17
This Saturday, police depart-
ments throughout the area are
joining a collaborative effort with
the Drug Enforcement Agency to
remove potentially dangerous
prescription drugs from homes in
the community.
This is the 6thAnnual National
Give-Back Initiative which pro-
vides a unified opportunity for
the public to turn in expired,
unused and unwanted prescrip-
tion medications to law enforce-
ment for proper disposal or
destruction.
Unused prescription drugs
may be placed in a drop box locat-
ed in the lobby of the Canton
Police Department, 1150 S.
Canton Center Road, between the
hours of 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. on
Saturday, April 27. The drop off
site for pharmaceuticals in
Plymouth Township is the police
department located at 9955 N.
Haggerty Road during the same
hours that day.
The
Romulus
Police
Department and the Rotary Club
have joined forces to sponsor the
day in their community in cooper-
ation with the DEA. Residents
can bringmedications (no liquids)
for disposal to the Romulus
Police Department at 11165 Olive
St. The service is free and anony-
mous, no questions asked, he
added.
In Northville and Westland
unused, unwanted or expired
medications can be disposed of
safety at a new 24-hour drop box
inside the Northville Township
PoliceDepartment.
The drop box is in the lobby of
the police department headquar-
ters at 41600 Six Mile Road. In
Westland, the drop box is at the
police station at 36601FordRoad.
Northville Township Director
of Public Safety JohnWerth noted
that the proper disposal of med-
ication has been a difficult prob-
lem for some time. Flushing them
pollutes the water supply and
throwing them in the trash makes
an easy target for thieves, pets
andwildlife.
Rather than wait for the
national Drug Enforcement
Administration National Take
Back Day, township residents can
nowdrop themedicine off at their
convenience.
There is no paperwork
required. Residents can simply
place the medicine in the drop
box and leave,Werth said.
The Michigan State Police will
also participate in National
PrescriptionDrug Take-BackDay.
All 29 Michigan State Police posts
will serve as drop-off points
between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. for cit-
izens to discard expired, unused
and unwanted medications for
destruction. No liquids, inhalers,
patches or syringeswill be accept-
ed at the state posts.
“It is important for Michigan
residents to have a safe and confi-
dential way to dispose of unwant-
ed or unused prescription drugs,”
said Col. Kriste Kibbey Etue,
director of theMSP.
National Prescription Drug
Take-Back Day addresses a vital
public safety and public health
issue. According to the Centers
for Disease Control and
Prevention, enough prescription
painkillers were prescribed in
2010 to medicate every American
adult around-the-clock for one
month. Often, some of thesemedi-
cines languish in the home and
are highly susceptible to diver-
sion, misuse and abuse. Rates of
prescription drug abuse in the
U.S. are alarmingly high-more
Americans currently abuse pre-
scription drugs than the number
of those using cocaine, hallucino-
gens, heroin and inhalants com-
bined, according to the 2010
National Survey onDrug Use and
Health. Studies show that the
majority of teens who abuse pre-
scription drugs obtain them from
family and friends for free,
including from the home medi-
cine cabinet.
Along with a new city hall, Westland resi-
dents will also see a new $3 million fire station
in their city.
Each of the new facilities also eliminates a
large empty retail store in the city. While the
city hall will be in the renovated and remod-
eled Circuit City property at Warren Road and
Central City Parkway, the new fire station will
be at the Service Merchandise site on Nankin
Boulevard.
Members of the Westland City Council
agreed to the $275,000 purchase of the 10-acre
site last week over the objections of some resi-
dents.
One resident insisted that the council and
administration should provide a detailed
accounting of the problems and necessary
repairs at the current fire station number one
which is now located on Ford Road next to the
existing city hall. He also suggested that the
current city hall could be repaired with the
installation of a sumppump.
Another resident asked the council about a
rumor that condominiums would be built at
the current city hall site when the move is
made to the new facility. Council members
said that no discussion of any sale of the Ford
Road site to a private developer had occurred
orwas being considered.
The Service Merchandise store has been
vacant for about 20 years. There was no public
discussion from the council regarding the use
of the excess property.
Costs for the new fire station include about
$150,000 for the demolition of the old Service
Merchandise building at the site. The new sta-
tions would replace station number one and
could be operational by late next year, officials
said, shortly after the projected move of the
newcity hall.
Current plans include the demolition of fire
station number one, the current city hall and
the Bailey Center, a building formerly used as
a community center.
Financing for the projects is expected to be
through bond sales by the city and the use of a
Local Tax Increment Financing Authority, a
mechanism that allows municipalities to use
taxes on buildings within specified boundaries
for improvements or reinvestment in the same
area.
Westland is not among the local communi-
ties who have continued to recapture the dedi-
cated millages intended for the Detroit Zoo
and the Detroit Institute of Arts, which were
designated by voters for those specific entities,
inTIFAdistricts.
This is the 6th
Annual National
Give-Back Initiative...
”
Westland buys land for new fire station
Local police participate in Drug Take Back Day
Romulus athletes are honored at State Capitol
Last Thursday, State Rep.
Douglas A. Geiss (D-Taylor) and
State Senator Hoon-Yung
Hopgood (D-Taylor) welcomed
members of the Romulus High
School Boys Basketball Team and
the Romulus Community High
School Basketball Team as they
visited the Capitol to be recog-
nized by theMichigan Legislature
for their recent state champi-
onship victories.
“Congratulations to the
Romulus High School Eagles and
the Romulus Community High
School Lions for their outstanding
accomplishments, which culmi-
nated with state championship
titles this basketball season,” said
Hopgood. “The hard work, dedi-
cation and continued success of
these student athletes and their
coaches are certainly deserving of
the recognition and honor they
received in the Michigan
Legislature today.”
The Romulus Eagles defeated
Detroit Southeastern with a score
of 61-49 on March 23 in the Class
A state boys basketball final. In
the 2012 semifinals, Romulus nar-
rowly lost toRockford, 62-61. After
last year's loss, and three other
disappointing trips to the Breslin
Center, this 2013 victory has given
Romulus its first state title since
1986. The Romulus Community
High School Lions brought a sec-
ond title home to Romulus by
winning the 2013 Michigan
Alternative Athletic Association
ClassBStateChampionship.
After arriving in Lansing,
members of both teams toured
the historic Michigan State
Capitol Building, received recog-
nition from the Michigan Senate
and Michigan House of
Representatives, and were treat-
ed to a lunch arranged by Geiss
andHopgood.
“What you've all achieved is
simply tremendous,” Geiss told
the team members. “You have
made your community, your
schools, your coaches and indeed
all of us very proud, and you will
carry this achievement with you
throughout your lives as a source
of pride.”