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No. 19
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
75¢
May 9 – 15, 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
A consolidated public safety
dispatch operation for Garden
City, Inkster, Wayne and
Westland was approved by a
vote of the Wayne City Council
members last week.
See page 5.
A third generation 2002
Romulus High School gradu-
ate is in need of some help
from her home town with
mounting medical bills after
suffering amassive stroke.
See page 3.
Spotlight on Youth Theatre
will present The Velveteen
Rabbit in the Biltmore Studio
at the Village Theater at
CherryHill thisweekend.
See page 2.
Contract agreements with
four of the employee unions in
the school district have been
approved by members of the
NorthvilleBoard of Education.
See page 2.
For the ninth year, Thunder
Rolls, the motorcycle ride and
Memorial Day service to honor
veterans is planned in
Belleville onMay 27.
See page 3.
Vol. 128, No. 19
Vol. 66, No. 19
Vol. 66, No. 19
Vol. 13, No. 19
Vol. 128, No. 19
Vol. 66, No. 19
Vol. 66, No. 19
Inkster police responded to
the scenes of five shootings
during the weekend during
which four people were
injured and one man killed in
apparent drug -related shoot-
ings.
See page 5.
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
Wayne County Parks will
close Hines Drive to all motor
traffic from 9 a.m. until 3:30
p.m. every Saturday through
Sept. 8 for the Saturday in the
Park program.
See page 5.
Canton
Township
Supervisor Phil LaJoy will
accept
the
$10,000
LibraryAware Community
Award from Library Journal
and EBSCO NoveList tomor-
rowevening.
See page 2.
Vol. 13, No. 19
Wayne voters will likely be
asked to approve a tax levy of up
to 7 mills for 10 years on the
upcoming November ballot, if
approved by members of the city
council.
During a planning session last
week, council members discussed
the need for the millage to fund
public safety pensions for retired
fire fighters and police officers.
The council members were all in
agreement with the proposal
which will require an amend-
ment to the city charter or be on
the ballot as a dedicated millage.
City attorney Paul Bohn was
instructed by council members to
research the question to deter-
mine the options in placing the
question on the ballot.
City Manager Bob English told
the council members that the city
is collecting less in tax revenue,
even though the millage and tax
rate has remained the same, due
to declining home values in the
city. As property values plummet,
so does the assessed tax value.
English said that in 2009, 1 mill
levied in Wayne generated
$630,000. In the current economic
environment, 1 mill will generate
only $380,000, officials said. The
city is nowcollecting about $6mil-
lion less in tax revenue than in
2009. Projections for the next fis-
cal year indicate the city will col-
lect $16.2million.
According to Mayor Al
Haidous, the city has lost 30 per-
cent of the annual revenue. “It
will take 20 years to get it back,”
he said. He said the proposed
millage was an effort to protect
“what we have in the city. It's
worth it to support the city.”
Haidous also argued for a
lower millage levy of only up to 5
mills. “The general fund could
afford some money,” Haidous
said.
Council members disagreed
with Haidous noting that the city
This Saturday, local letter carri-
ers will be picking up as well as
delivering.
The National Association of
Letter Carriers will mark the 21st
Stamp Out Hunger food drive May
11 and collect non-perishable food
and toiletry items. All food collect-
ed stays within the community
where it is donated, according to
Laurie Aren of the Plymouth
Salvation Army, and will be donat-
ed to those in need in that specific
community.
The items should be non-
expired and items of particular
need are canned meats, tuna and
chicken, canned fruit, Spaghetti-
O's and other canned meals, cere-
al, peanut butter, jelly and juice
are in high demand as well as all
toiletries.
The letter carriers will be
joined and supported in the effort
by the AARP and AARP
Foundation which have donated
235,200 food collection bags for
distribution inMichigan.
“Nearly 9 million adults age 50
and older are uncertain where
their next meal may be coming
from. Working together, we can put
an end to this problem,” said
AARP Foundation President Jo
Ann Jenkins. “We encourage
everyone who can to join us in this
effort and fill a bag with food,
leave it by your mailbox, and help
your community members in
need.”
AARP Michigan State Director
Jacqueline Morrison said food
banks across the state need help to
provide relief to Michiganders
who go to bedhungry.
Residents throughout the area
The City of Detroit has filed a
lawsuit in Wayne County Circuit
Court seeking the return of 190-
acres of property from Plymouth
Township.
The suit, filed on April 5 and
amendedApril 18, also asks for all
costs accrued by Detroit, interest
the city lost, legal fees, court costs
and “such other relief to which
the plaintiff may be entitled.”
That other relief, as outlined by
state law, includes up to double
the full market value of the prop-
erty. The land in question was last
assessed at $8 million, or a true
cash value of $16million.
The property is part of a 323-
acre plot bordered by Napier,
Five Mile, Beck and Ridge roads
that the township purchased for
about $606,150 from Wayne
County in September of 2011. The
property, formerly the site of
Detroit House of Corrections or
Dehoco, was erroneously sold by
the county under provisions of a
county tax sale. A recording dis-
crepancy failed to identify the
property as two separate parcels,
one of 190 acres and the other of
133 acres. The 190-acre parcel
was owned by the City of Detroit
and the 133-acre plot was owned
by Demco 54. Property tax assess-
ments and notifications went to
Demco 54 on the entire 323 acres
but were never paid. Notices of
taxes due or delinquency on the
190 acres never went to the City of
Detroit, the true owner, due to the
incorrect recording in the town-
ship assessor's office. Supervisor
Richard Reaume, by township
charter, is the chief assessing offi-
cer for the township, although the
actual assessing is done by an out-
side provider, Wayne County
Appraisals, based inWestland.
The township borrowed the
purchase price from Ann Arbor
Bank and continues to make pay-
ments on the loan. Of the 133-
acres, nearly 77 are in a flood
plain or are wetlands and unsuit-
able for construction, according to
property records.
City of Detroit attorney
Timothy Beckett has been
researching the issue since
Plymouth Township resident
Richard Sharland questioned the
ownership of the land last
September. Sharland, whose fam-
ily has owned property in the
area of the disputed land since
1854, found the discrepancies
when searching for the correct
owner of the land near his prop-
erty. In January, Beckett filed an
Affidavit Affecting Real Property
with the Wayne County Registrar
of Deeds. In that document, the
city claims, “The purported fore-
closure and conveyance of the
publicly-owned property by the
WayneCountyTreasurer is void.”
Property records show that the
”
As property values plummet,
so does the assessed tax value.
”
Detroit files suit to reclaim land
City of Wayne may ask voters for 7 mill tax
Time Warp
Rocky Horror show
features shadow cast
An icon of the past will step into the future
this weekend at the State Wayne Phoenix
Theatre inWayne.
The first all digital showing of the iconic
The Rocky Horror Picture Show in the state
is planned for 11:30 p.m. tomorrow and again
Saturday night.
According to Tom Lang of Phoenix
Theatres, internet sales of tickets were
already taking place early last week. The
Rocky Horror Picture Show is the longest
running film, and the number one cult movie,
of all-time.
Costumed members of the Michigan
Rocky Horror Preservation Society will lead
the audience in pre-show festivities, and
there will of course be a “Virgin Sacrifice”
(defined as those who have never had the full
Rocky Horror Picture Show experience).
The Preservation Society performers will
provide live action “shadow casting” of the
movie to accompany what is taking place on
the screen, and to help guide the audience
participationportions of the film.
Showings of the1975 film traditionally
include participation of audience members
who are encouraged to dance, sing, yell back
at the screen, throw items such as rice and
toast around the room, anddress up like their
favorite characters. Prop bags of items for use
during the movie will be available for pur-
chase, but no outside props are allowed.
Showings will continue throughout the
summer on the second Saturday of each
month.
Therewill also be a first prize giveaway on
See
Land,
page 2
See
Tax,
page 5
See
Movie,
page 5
See
Hunger,
page 6
Post office Stamp Out Hunger effort is Saturday
A shadow cast will lead audiences in pre-show festivities at the first-ever digital showing of
The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the historic State Wayne Theater this weekend.
A recording discrepancy failed to
identify the property as two separate parcels,
one of 190 acres and the other of 133 acres.