No. 23
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
75¢
June 4 – 10, 2015
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 residents will see
some changes on their
upcoming water bills follow-
ing a new billing system
adopted by members of the
city council lastmonth.
See page 5.
The newest park in
Romulus has been reopened
and renamed to recognize
the work of St. John's Lodge
No.44 Free and Accepted
Masons who helped revital-
ize the park.
See page 5.
Members of the Plymouth
Canton Community School
District Board of Education
and the administrators cur-
rently face a $6 million budg-
et deficit.
See page 4.
The Northville Art House
will present the 7th annual
West of Center contemporary
arts, all media show begin-
ning with a reception tomor-
row.
See page 4.
It's been a long wait but
the kayak launch and other
improvements planned for
Horizon Park in Belleville
shouldbegin this summer.
See page 3.
Vol. 130, No. 23
Vol. 68, No. 23
Vol. 68, No. 23
Vol. 15, No. 23
Vol. 130, No. 23
Vol. 68, No. 23
Vol. 68, No. 23
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
The 17-year-old Westland
man accused of fatally stab-
bing a Belleville man will
face a preliminary hearing
on murder charges before
Judge Mark McConnell June
18.
See page 5.
Patriot Park, a 134-acre
site near Ford and Ridge
roads, will see $112,000 of
improvements, thanks to
funding fromWayneCounty.
See page 3.
Vol. 15, No. 23
A familiar name in
Inkster marked a special
occasion last month when
Leanna Hicks marked her
95thbirthday onMay 14.
See page 3.
A settlement of $1,377,500will
be paid to Floyd Dent, the vic-
tim of a police beating, by a one-
time 6.45 mill tax against each
property owner in the City of
Inkster.
A consent judgment to a $10
million suit was approved in
Wayne County Circuit Court last
week agreeing to pay Dent the
settlement amount with a lump
sumof $75,000 by July 10 and the
balance paid in increments as
accrued from the collection of
taxes by the city, according to the
settlement documents.
According to Inkster City
Treasurer Mark Stuhldreher,
this is the highest millage levied
in the city. He said that about 70
percent of the judgment amount
will be collected by the end of
next February and the settle-
ment amount should be paid in
total by the middle of 2016. He
said that the city can levy the tax
against property owners if it
cannot pay the judgment and
that the new millage will be col-
lected in the same manner as
any other property tax accord-
ing to the rules of the General
PropertyTaxAct.
The tax will first appear on
the summer tax bills in Inkster
and will cost property owners of
a home with a market value of
$55,400 about $178.67.
The settlement agreement
and the levy of the millage were
approvedby a vote of the Inkster
City Council members during a
regularmeetingMonday.
The former Inkster officer
who was criminally charged in
the beating, William Melendez,
now faces a third felony charge
in the incident which began as a
traffic stop last January.
Melendez, 46, appeared with
attorneys James Thomas and
DavidLee in 22ndDistrict Court
last week before Judge Sabrina
Johnson in a preliminary exam-
ination on felony charges of mis-
conduct in office and assault
with intent to do great bodily
harm less thanmurder. An addi-
tional felony charge of assault by
strangulation was requested by
Assistant Wayne County
The upcoming Liberty Fest
inCantonTownship offersmore
than a good time for everyone.
The event also provides an
opportunity for local civic
groups to host events to help
fund their charitable work in
the community.
Canton Leisure Services,
which organizes the Liberty
Fest, has partneredwith several
non-profit community groups
during the annual celebration,
including:
America's Most Wanted Car Club:
This Canton-based club has
been conducting car shows to
benefit local charities for more
than 20 years and has partici-
pated in each of the Canton
Liberty Fest celebrations. Stroll
along the ponds of Liberty Fest
on Saturday, June 20 to enjoy
some of the finest automobiles
created from classic restora-
tions to race cars. More than
225 vehicles are expected to be
exhibited. Proceeds will benefit
Open Door Ministries - an area
food bank, andBlum's Landing -
a retreat for veterans located in
northern Michigan. For more
information about America's
Most Wanted Car Club, contact
President Bob Hayes at (734)
421-8308 or Vice-President Jim
Tilley at (734) 459-8308.
The Canton Firefighters #2289
Charity Foundation:
This non-
profit group was established in
1995 by Canton Firefighters to
support Canton community
charities, assist in emergency
relief efforts and other worth-
while causes that surface in the
community. Each year the
Canton Firefighters #2289
Charity Foundation hosts a pop-
ular Spaghetti Dinner at
Liberty Fest, thanks to the gen-
erous donations from Rose's
Restaurant of Canton. The
event will take place from 5-9
p.m. Friday, June 19 this year.
Proceeds this year will support
Canton community charities,
assist in emergency relief
efforts and other worthwhile
causes. This year, the dinner is
sponsored in part by Sysco
Detroit, Rose's Restaurant,
Mama Mucci's Pasta, Gordon
Food Service, and Absoupure.
The Bob Skon Trio will also be
performing a mix of folk-rock
and a touch of jazz. For more
information about the Canton
Firefighters #2298 Charity
Foundation, visit
-
firefighters.org
The Canton Lions Club:
Celebrating 20 years of hosting
the Liberty Fest Pancake
Breakfast and more than 40
years of dedicated service in
the community, the Canton
Lions Club is a group that
comes together and shares a
common interest in community
service, supporting the Lions
motto “We Serve.” The clubs
exist so that members may pool
their skills, talents and
resources for the betterment of
the community. Since establish-
ing its charter in 1968, club
members have raised and dis-
tributed more than $200,000 in
charitable grants to nonprofit
service agencies. This year, the
Canton Lions Club's 20th
Annual Pancake Breakfast will
take place from 7-11 a.m. on
Saturday, June 20 in the
Heritage Park North Pavilions.
The menu includes a stack of
golden pancakes and waffles
hot off the griddle along with
sausages, juice or coffee all for
just a donation.
All proceeds will benefit
local Lions Club charities. For
more information about the
Canton Lions Club, visit
.
The Rotary Club of Canton:
The
Rotary Club of Canton was
chartered on May 16, 1977 and
supports many ongoing projects
including the contribution of
backpacks to the Plymouth
Canton Clothing Bank at the
Elected officials from the City
of Northville, Northville
Township and Plymouth
Township are working toward a
newcooperative recreation area
to serve the three communities.
Northville Township Manger
Chip Snider said last week that
Plymouth Township Supervisor
Shannon Price had expressed
his desire to be involved in the
development of recreation
opportunities that could be
shared by the three communi-
ties. At a recent meeting of the
Northville/Northville Township
Recreation Committee, Price
requested that Plymouth
Township join the effort to offer
a community recreation center
that would serve the needs of
families and seniors alike. The
committee is currently in talks
to develop a soccer park and
other amenities at the former
Robert Scott Prison property,
closedby the state in 2012.
The former prison site on
Five Mile Road is being consid-
ered by members of the joint
Northville city and township
recreation committee which
includes members of the
Northville Community Schools
Board of Education. Price
appeared at the recent meeting
asking to have Plymouth
Township included in the recre-
ational park development. The
property includes the area north
of Five Mile from Beck to
Napier roads. Northville
Township officials were able to
acquire the property with help
from State Rep. Kurt Heise at a
final cost of $1.
Snider said that national sur-
veys have indicated that people
will travel up to 4 miles to seek
recreation. “With our largest
field being at Five Mile and
Beck, a Plymouth resident
would not have far to travel,” he
said. Snider said that all current
programming would be under
evaluation for improvement.
“For example, soccerwould be a
high priority, we have several
well-groomed fields that would
serve Lacrosse as well. Baseball
could be combined and I believe
there would be some economy
in terms of field maintenance
and resources.”
Snider added that a consoli-
dation of park administrative
costs would be a financial and
organizational benefit for all
three communities.
“The legal definition of con-
solidation might not cause each
community to gain or lose assets
just simply a shared service
agreement much like we have
with the City of Northville,”
Snider said. He added that
recent discussions on the soccer
contract stimulated dialogue
regarding the proposed collabo-
ration. He said that Price's
request is a reflection of the
cooperation between the town-
ships of Northville and
Plymouth.
“The Five Mile Road corri-
dor has been evidence of the
collaboration resulting in devel-
opment throughout our border,”
Snider said.
See
Court,
page 3
William Melendez
Inkster to levy 6.45 mills to pay victim
Civic groups prepare for Liberty Fest
See
Festival,
page 3
Don Howard
Staff Writer
Joint Northville/Plymouth recreation area proposed
