A
SSOCIATED
N
EWSPAPERS OF
M
ICHIGAN
P
AGE
5
June 4, 2015
R
OMULUS
- W
AYNE
- W
ESTLAND
Park name honors lodge
Council OKs new water billing system in city
Westland teen faces murder charges in stabbing death
Sometimes, good deeds do bring
rewards.
When the newest park in the City of
Romulus was about to reopen, city officials
opted to recognize the work of St. John's
Lodge No.44 Free and Accepted Masons
who had joinedwith the Teamsters to clean
and revitalize the park.
Earlier this month, the city officially re-
opened the parkwith a ribbon cutting, nam-
ing it St. John's Lodge No. 44 Community
Park in honor of the active fraternal organi-
zation.
St. John's Lodge No. 44 Free and
Accepted Masons, Price Hall Affiliation
received their charter in 1948 and has a
long-standing history of service in the com-
munity, according to a city spokeswoman.
Some of their largest events include an
annual Youth Day where children of the
community are provided with backpacks
full of school supplies prior to the new
school year, she said. The group also organ-
izes a parade in June to honor St. John the
Baptist and St. John the Evangelist, she
added.
“Over the years, the St. John's Lodge has
always been a group the community can
count on for support. This year they part-
neredwith our local Teamsters to clean and
revitalize this park. Naming it in their
honor is the least we can do to show our
appreciation,” said Mayor LeRoy D.
Burcroff.
There were approximately 200 people in
attendance at the park opening enjoying
the refurbished basketball court, children's
games, a bounce house, playground equip-
ment and free hot dogs and chips. Starting a
new tradition, city employees played a soft-
ball game on the newly-reconditioned field
against themembers of St. John's LodgeNo.
44.
“We look forward to this softball game
being an annual event. Having the park
named in honor of our Lodge was such a
surprise. Most of our lodge brothers are life-
long residents of Romulus, some for multi-
ple generations,” said St. John's Lodge No.
44WorshipfulMaster EzellWooden.
Wayne residents will see some
changes on their upcoming water
bills following a new billing sys-
tem adopted by members of the
city council lastmonth.
After a review of the current
system, Brian Camiller of Plante
Moran, the city auditors,
explained that there was an
inequity in the way residents and
businesses were being charged
forwater in the city.
The city has been charging the
same fixed fee to every water cus-
tomer, whether they were resi-
dential or business users. That is
somewhat unfair, Camiller
explained, because most resi-
dents have 1-inch meters and
most businesses have meters that
are 2-5 inches.
“Part of the rate calculation
was a reorganization in how the
fixed charge is assessed. Now it
will be by meter size,” said
Camiller. “There will be a 26-per-
cent reduction for residents in the
fixed charge. More will be paid by
commercial and industrial cus-
tomers,” he told the city council
members last week. This is the
same billing plan used in
Westland, Livonia, Garden City
and Canton Township and would
put Wayne right in the middle of
the rates charged by area commu-
nities.
Camiller said the city had not
increased the water rates during
the past years enough to keep up
with the increases passed on by
the Detroit Water and Sewerage
Department. The new plan would
mean that a family of four in
Wayne would see an increase on
each water bill of about $6. Some
may see more of an increase and
Camiller said that it was possible
single residents or a couple with
no children could see a reduction
in their bills.
City council members have
already approved a $2.8 million
expense to replace all the water
meters in the city. Part of that
expense will be funded by $1.7
million in bond sales. At the time
the expense was approved, coun-
cil members were told that the
replacement of the older water
meters would provide more accu-
rate readings and reduce the
amount of water that went
unbilled to users but is paid for by
the city onbillings fromDetroit.
The 17-year-oldWestlandman
accused of fatally stabbing a
Belleville man will face a pre-
liminary hearing on murder
charges before Judge Mark
McConnell June 18.
Dion Patterson appeared last
week in the 18th District Court
for a probable cause hearing and
a preliminary hearing on the
charges of homicide-felony mur-
der, homicide-second degree
murder, first degree home inva-
sion and assault with a danger-
ous weapon. A not-guilty plea
was entered on his behalf. He
remains in custody at the Wayne
County Jail while he awaits his
court hearings.
Police investigators allege
that Patterson stabbed Matthew
Green, 33, of Belleville in the
early morning hours of May 16
after breaking into a home on
the 35000 block of Thames.
Allegedly, Green and his girl-
friend, along with two other peo-
ple, returned to the home at
about 2:15 a.m. The home is
apparently next door to
Patterson's mother's house and
she was disturbed by the noise
the returning couples were mak-
ing. Police said that she opened
her window and words were
exchanged between one of the
four and Patterson's mother. The
noise reportedly awoke
Patterson who took a kitchen
knife and went to an unlocked
side door of the home and forced
his way in when he was encoun-
tered by Green. In the ensuing
struggle, investigators said,
Green was stabbed three times
anddied fromthosewounds.
According to police reports,
Patterson returned to his moth-
er's home and was arrested the
same daywithout incident.
Durice Green from St. John's Lodge No. 44, left, Ezell Wooden, Worshipful Master of
St. John's Lodge No. 44, front, Mayor LeRoy Burcroff and Mayor Pro Tem John Barden
along with Councilman William Wadsworth, in back were among the more than 200
folks who attended the dedication of the new park and inaugural baseball game.
