No. 22
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
75¢
May 31 – June 6, 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
A Wolverine Lake man
will stand trial in the fatal
vehicle crash that resulted in
the death of an engaged
Wayne
couple
last
December.
See page 5.
Farm Fest at Maybury
Farm will take place this
weekend featuring games
and activities for children
along with activities and
farming demonstrations and
attractions.
See page 3.
Vol. 133, No. 22
Vol. 71, No. 22
Vol. 71, No. 22
Vol. 18, No. 22
More than 20 individuals
were recognized as Romulus
Hometown Heroes during
the 2018 ceremony at the
Romulus AthleticCenter.
See page 4.
Vol. 133, No. 22
Vol. 71, No. 22
Vol. 71, No. 22
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
Inspire Theatre in
Westland will present
Yankee Doodle Dandy Song
and Dance Man. In the play,
the spirit of song-and-dance
man George M. Cohan reap-
pears onEarth.
See page 5.
Canton Township officials
have inked a pact with
Nankin Transit which will
allow those age 55 and up
along with disabled people
better access to local trans-
portation. The previous plan
required senior riders to be
at least 62 years old.
See page 3.
Vol. 18, No. 16
Inkster residents 60 and
older have been invited to
dinner by Wayne County
Commissioner
Glenn
Anderson.
See page 5.
Sprucing up downtown
Plymouth recently has
included some 15 round
planters in Kellogg Park and
pink begonias in the down-
townMainStreetmedian.
See page 3.
Members of the Belleville
City Council are considering
asking residents to approve a
Headlee override in an effort
to increase revenue to meet
city expenses.
See page 4.
The Romulus Community
School District has filed a law-
suit against the City of Inkster
and Inkster Treasurer Darrin
Carrington seeking payment of a
tax millage and subsequent
legal fees.
According to the court docu-
ments, voters in the Romulus
school district, which includes a
section of Inkster, approved a
supplemental school millage on
the Nov. 7, 2017 ballot. The tax,
known as a Hold Harmless mill-
age was levied at a maximum of
2.5 mills for a period of 10 years.
The new levy was for 1.3137
mills of the authorized levy.
Court documents claim that
the schools filed the appropriate
forms with the Michigan
Department of Treasury with
each tax collecting unit, which
includes the City of Romulus,
City of Inkster and City of
Westland. According to the law-
suit, filed by attorneys from the
Thrun Law Firm, P.C. based in
East Lansing, Carrington was
notified on Nov. 16 of approval
of the new rate and asked
specifically “whether the hold
harmless mill will be (or not be)
or your December tax bill to
Inkster residents.
Carrington replied the same
date stating, “Emailing to con-
firm receipt. We are finalizing
the winter tax bill and will
include this accordingly.”
The tax, however, was not col-
lected from Inkster residents.
According to the court filings,
“Defendants (City of Inkster and
Carrington) made the affirma-
tive decision not to levy and col-
lect thismillage onDec. 1, 2017,”
and “Defendants have declined
requested to make Plaintiff
whole and to assure that it will
levy the hold-harmless millage
in the future.”
The millage affects an esti-
mated 20 percent of Inkster resi-
dents.
Romulus Board of Education
President Robert McLachlan
said that he did not want to com-
ment on the situation as the case
was ongoing.
We are finalizing the
winter tax bill and will
include this accordingly.
”
Romulus district sues City of Inkster
Canton and Plymouth offi-
cials are becoming somewhat
“alarmed” at the misuse of
security system alerts in the
township.
Officials agree that false
alarms at businesses and
homes tie up valuable first
responder time and resources
although the severity of the
problemvaries.
“You sometimes have bad
actors who are aware their
alarm system has faults. It cre-
ates a nuisance for public safe-
ty departments,” noted Canton
Township Supervisor Pat
Williams during a recent meet-
ing of the board of trustees.
He joined other board
members May 22 in voting
unanimously to revise the
township ordinances to com-
plywith current state law.
“It's mostly businesses,”
Williams said of Canton false
alarms. “Nobody will ever be
negatively impacted by this
ordinance by surprise. It's real-
ly getting the bad actors. Our
ordinance officers will follow
through.”
Canton, like other munici-
palities, begins with issuing a
warning regarding any false
alarm which draws first
responders to the scene.
In Plymouth Township offi-
cials are aware that outside
factors can be the cause of
some false reports. alarms,
“Sometimes a lot of this is
w e a t h e r - d e p e n d e n t , ”
explained Plymouth Township
Clerk JerryVorva.
In Plymouth Township, the
first two false alarms prompt a
warning while the third false
alarm could result in a mone-
tary fine. “Apparently there's a
problem here. You need to
address it,” said Vorva, adding,
“Subsequent ones can goup.”
Sometimes, Vorva noted, a
building owner gets a new ten-
See
Lawsuit
page 5
See
Alarms,
page 2
You sometimes have
bad actors who are aware
their alarm system has faults.
”
Five years ago on rainy October day, at
a 1.5-acre grassy knoll on Hines Drive just
a half-mile from Plymouth Township Hall,
civic leaders, county executives, media
representatives, police officers, firefight-
ers and other guests gathered to dedicate
a new Wayne County First Responders
Memorial. Recently, on a rainy Tuesday,
another meaningful and solemn ceremony
took place at the site with local and county
dignitaries, police officers, firefighters and
invited guests. This time the audience
included the widows and family members
of 10 fallen heroes whose names were
added and chiseled into the seven-panel
granite edifice as an eternal tribute to
their selfless contribution to the communi-
ty.
A presentation of colors and an invoca-
tion led by Taylor Police Chaplain Dave
Edwards and Pastor Rennie Kaufmann of
Risen Christ Lutheran Church in
Plymouth gave way to comments by
Detroit Police Chief James Craig, Detroit
Fire Commissioner Eric Jones, Wayne
State Police Capt. Patrick Saunders and
family members honoring six Detroit
police officers, three Detroit firefighters
and one Wayne State University police
officerwho died in line of duty.
Following the presentation of the final
colors and rifle volley-by the Brownstown
Police Department and the Firefighters
Bell Service by the Livonia Fire
Department, the sobering ceremony con-
cluded with the playing of the traditional
“taps.” Bagpiper Kim Johnson played
Amazing Grace while Wayne County
Executive Warren Evans placed the cere-
monial wreath.
From ages 25 to 71, the 10 men who
were posthumously honored represent the
first responders, the people who will come
into a smoke-filled dangerous building to
find those who may be trapped inside, or
the policeman who never knows the perils
when approaching any situation.
Honoredwere:
Detroit PoliceDepartment:
KevinD. Miller, 49
KennethM. Steil, 46
MyronA. Jarrett, 40
DonaldO. Kimbrough, 71
GlennA. Doss, Jr., 25
DarrenM. Weathers, 25
Detroit FireDepartment:
Vincent H. Smith, 49
Walter R. Szelag, 65
Kevin V. Ramsey, 50
Wayne State PoliceDepartment:
Collin J. Rose, 29
Communities ‘respond’ to area false alarms
Solemn tribute
Fallen officers remembered
A presentation of colors by an honor guard begins ceremonies honoring fallen first
responders recently at the Wayne County memorial in Hines Park.
Plymouth Township Supervisor Kurt
Heise, left, the Rev. Rennie Kaufmann and
Westland Mayor William R. Wild listen to a
memorial speaker.
Detroit Police Chief James Craig pays
tribute to the fallen first responders during
the recent memorial.
Don Howard
Staff Writer
Julie Brown
Special Writer
