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No. 18
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
75¢
May 1 – 7, 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
Cuts in staffing, a hike in
the street lighting assessment
and a 2-mill tax levy for busi-
nesses will be discussed by
Wayne council members at
budget sessions.
See page 2.
Employees
in
the
Department of Public Service
received a special reward for
their voluntary work on
Pothole Friday and their work
salting andplowing city roads.
See page 3.
Veterans from the Vietnam
Warwill be participating in the
Fourth of July Parade in
Plymouth this year, after their
line-up position was moved by
organizers.
See page 5.
Artwork created by
Northville students in the 6th
through 12th grades will be on
display at the 15th Annual
Northville Student Art
Exhibition at the Northville
ArtHouse throughMay 17.
See page 5.
The passenger in a single-
car accident last Sunday on
Ecorse Road in Van Buren
Township was killed while the
driver remains in critical con-
dition.
See page 3.
Vol. 129, No. 18
Vol. 67, No. 18
Vol. 67, No. 18
Vol. 14, No. 18
Vol. 129, No. 18
Vol. 67, No. 18
Vol. 67, No. 18
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
The 77-year-old Westland
man who allegedly shot and
killed his 72-year-old wife has
been found incompetent to
stand trial bymedical experts.
See page 2.
About 3,000 Canton
Township residents will be
asked for their opinions
regarding a number of com-
munity services thismonth.
See page 5.
Vol. 14, No. 18
Voters will see several familiar
names on the ballot this election
season.
Candidates flocked to the
office of the Wayne County Clerk
to file their petitions or pay their
fees to have their names included
on the ballot for the office of
Wayne County Executive before
the deadlineApril 22.
Incumbent Bob Ficano will
face 14 candidates who want his
job. Included on the ballot will be
Westland Mayor William Wild,
who filed his petitions and
declared his candidacy months
ago, and former Wayne County
Commissioner Kevin McNamara,
the son of former Wayne County
ExecutiveEdMcNamara. Joining
them on the ballot will be Inkster
Police Chief Hilton Napoleon,
the brother of Wayne County
Sheriff Benny Napoleon, state
Rep. Phil Cavanagh, D-Redford
Township, former Wayne County
Sheriff Warren Evans, Detroit
Public Schools Board of
Education President LaMar
Lemmons, former state Rep.
Bettie Cook Scott and
Christopher Wojtowicz, the son of
Wayne County Treasurer
RaymondWojtowicz.
Also seeking the office of
Wayne County Executive will be
Fred Bolden of Detroit, Salem
High School graduate John
Dalton of Livonia, Daniel
Wenderlich of Livonia, Adam
Adamski of Wayne, Russell
Leviska ofWestland and, Sigmunt
JohnSzcaepkowski, Jr. of Detroit.
All these candidates will
appear on the Aug. 5 Primary
Electionballot.
As McNamara, D-Belleville,
vacates his Wayne County
Commission seat, Wayne Mayor
Abdul Haidous, William J. Collop
of Westland and Wayne County
Sheriff's Deputy Jeremy Cady of
New Boston have all filed to be
on the ballot to replace him. All
filed asDemocrats.
Laura Cox is also leaving the
Wayne County Commission to
seek election as the state repre-
sentative for the 19th District.
Filing to replace her, all from
Livonia, are Republicans Tom
Berry, Terry Marecki and Laura
Toy. Two Democrats are also
seeking Cox' seat, Timothy
An early-morning fire in a Plymouth town-
ship industrial complex last Saturday severe-
ly damaged an electric company and a large
sailboat being hand-built in another section of
the building.
According to fire department reports, the
fire was reported at about 2:48 a.m. by anoth-
er occupant of the industrial complex, located
off Beck Road near M-14, in Plymouth
Township. Firefighters responded to 15000
Cleat St., a building occupied by New
Electric, an Oakville, Ontario-based electrical
contractor that employs 35 people.
Firefighters said that upon arrival, the fire
was through the roof of the cement block
building and there was serious damage to the
interior and exterior of the structure.
Plymouth Township firefighters called for
Mutual Aid from Northville Township and
Canton Township as they had no ladder or
tower truck to use in fighting the blaze.
According to Northville Township Fire
Chief Rick Marinucci, his department
responded to a 2:56 a.m. call for help with the
township aerial ladder truck and five men.
Northville Township firefighters were at the
scene for almost four hours, Marinucci said.
He said that Northville Township also sent a
command officer to the scene and a fire
engine truck.
Mutual aid was also rendered by City of
Northville firefighters stationed in the City of
Plymouth. A tower truck from the City of
Northville Plymouth Station was also dis-
patched to the scene of the blaze. Currently,
the Plymouth Township engine and pumper
trucks are set up for residential fires, accord-
ing to firefighters.
Plymouth Township Fire Chief Mark
Wendel said there were 21 firefighters at the
scene and that six of them were on site for
more than seven hours. He said firefighters
returned to the building on Saturday after-
noon to clear “hot spots.”
“I'm thankful to Northville Township,
Canton and Plymouth City for their support.
It's goodwe canwork together,”Wendel said.
A firefighter from Plymouth Township suf-
fered an injured knee at the scene but was
treated and released and is not expected to
lose any work time due to the injury, accord-
ing to reports of the blaze.
A large wooden sailboat, being built by
hand in the sub-leased rear section of the
building was completely destroyed, firefight-
ers said. The boat is so large at 43 feet, plans
were to remove the back wall of the building
tomove it out when it was complete. The boat
had been under construction for about five
years, according to neighbors in the complex.
Scott Clode, the general manager of New
Electric said he received a call from the fire
department at about 4:30 a.m. Saturday noti-
fying him of the fire. He said he still had no
idea as to the cause of the blaze.
“We plan to rebuild as soon as possible.
We're getting with the insurance company
nowandwill reopen,” Clode said.
The building section occupied by New
Electric contained six company vehicles and
electrical equipment and supplies, according
to Clode.
See
Ballot,
page 6
Local mayors, police chief join county race
The Court of Appeals has
denied the request from
Inkster for a stay of the Jan. 23,
2014 order requiring the city to
roll back water rates and cred-
it residents' accounts.
See page 2.
James Merucci has been hired
as the newWayneCityManager by
a 5-2 vote of the members of the
city council.
Last minute changes to the
three-year employment contract
presented to members of the
council prompted questions and
no votes from Councilmembers
James Henley and Susan Rowe.
Among those changes, requested
by Merucci after the contract had
been presented to council for con-
sideration, were a contribution of
10 percent of his new $99,200
annual salary to a retirement
account on his behalf by the city.
The previously submitted agree-
ment had included a 7 percent
contribution. Merucci also asked
for immediate vesting in the
retirement pension system, anoth-
er change to the agreement pre-
sented to council members earli-
er. Merucci also requested that he
be paid six months salary within
30 days should he be terminated
without cause, a change from the
usual procedures in the city. The
city would also pay half the cost of
medical insurance for Merucci,
should he be terminated without
cause.
Merucci also requested seven
sick days and two weeks vacation
be available to him when he is
hired, expected within 30 days.
He would also have 14 vacation
days in 2015 and then in 2016 fol-
low the vacation and sick day
schedule currently in place for
some city employees.
Henley questioned the changes
during the special meeting last
week, saying that the contract had
been negotiated and approved.
He said he was under the impres-
sion the contract had been verbal-
ly approved by Merucci and felt
that making last minute changes
set a poor precedent.
Rowe said that issues like
retirement and accrued sick leave
were not addressed in the
employment agreement. She was
outspoken in her criticism of the
extra $9,200 the city would pay
into a retirement account for
Merucci noting that he "is not con-
tributing a dime." Rowe said she
felt some changes were needed in
the contract.
Council members spent some
time at the meeting discussing the
contract and whether it had been
agreed to or was subject to further
negotiation.
Merucci, currently the city
manager in Lincoln Park, said he
is required to give that community
30 days notice. A state-appointed
financial manager is expected to
be appointed in that community
soon, according to published
reports. Merucci worked in
Garden City as an assistant city
manager and served as the city
manager in Pleasant Ridge,
Clawson and Fowlerville. He has
been inLincolnPark since 2013.
As two Canton Township teens
hid in an upstairs closet of their
home, police converged on the resi-
dence, apprehending a stranger
carrying burglary tools in the down-
stairs area.
The man, Michael Steven Toth,
28, of Garden City, is suspected in
several other home break-ins in
Canton Township, according to
police reports.
Toth was arraigned in 35th
District Court April 24 on one count
of Home Invasion I, a 20-year
felony, two counts of Home Invasion
II, a 15-year-felony, three counts of
Possession of Burglary Tools, a 10-
year felony and three counts of
Larceny in a Building, a 4-year
felony.
Toth was arrested the morning
of April 21 after Canton police
responded to a 9-1-1 call from a 17-
year-oldmale reporting an intruder
had broken into his house on
Emerald Pines Drive. The caller
and his16-year-old sister stayed on
the line with dispatch as they hid in
an upstairs closet. Within minutes
of their call, several Canton police
officers arrived at the location and
apprehended the suspect while he
was still inside the residence,
according to police reports.
Toth was arrested without inci-
dent and the teenswere unharmed.
Toth is being charged with the
break-in that occurred last Monday,
as well as two additional home
invasions that recently occurred in
Canton. Several other jurisdictions
are also investigating Toth as a sus-
pect in simi-
lar occur-
rences in
their com-
muni t ies ,
police said.
J u d g e
Michael J.
Gerou set Toth's bond at $1.5 mil-
lion, or 10 percent.
Toth is scheduled for a prelimi-
nary court examination on the
charges tomorrow morning at the
35thDistrict Court.
Early morning fire destroys Plymouth business
Burglary suspect arrested as teens hide in closet
William Wild
Abdul Haidous Kevin McNamara
Hilton Napoleon
Henley questioned the changes during the special
meeting last week, saying that the contract had
been negotiated and approved.
”
Wayne City Manager hired by split vote of council
Michael Steven Toth