No. 24
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
75¢
June 11 – 17, 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
In a move that apparently
surprised some members of
the city council, city consult-
ant Lisa Nocerini of the
Nocerini Strategy Group was
named interimcitymanager.
See page 5.
Romulus Night at
Comerica Park is planned
for Aug. 4 and tickets include
a round-trip bus ride to and
from the park, food and a
seat for the Minnesota Twins
game.
See page 4.
The 20th annual "Flowers
Are Forever" garden walk in
Plymouth will take place
from noon until 8 p.m.
Tuesday, June 30.
See page 3.
Fisherman of all ages will
be reeling in more than 800
rainbow trout at Waterford
Bend Park in Northville
beginning at 8 a.m. on
Saturday, June 13.
See page 3.
Despite questions and two
no votes, a hastily-presented
$2,082,691 budget was
approved by the Belleville
City Council Belleville June
1.
See page 4.
Vol. 130, No. 24
Vol. 68, No. 24
Vol. 68, No. 24
Vol. 15, No. 24
Vol. 130, No. 24
Vol. 68, No. 24
Vol. 68, No. 24
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
Westland has adopted a
balanced 2015-16 fiscal year
budget of $60,306,109 with no
increase inmillage rates and
a projected surplus of more
than $5million.
See page 5.
The Canton Public Safety
Department recently filled
two new positions designat-
ed to enhance services pro-
vided to the community.
See page 3.
Vol. 15, No. 24
Volunteers gathered at St.
Clements in Inkster last
month to pack boxes of dona-
tions for servicemen and
women deployed overseas as
part of the Troops Need
LoveToo effort.
See page 4.
Northville Township has
received a tremendous return
on the $1 the community invest-
ed in the purchase of the for-
mer Robert Scott Correctional
Facility land at Five Mile and
BeckRoad.
While no purchase price has
been announced, the township
has signed a purchase agree-
ment with Redico, LLC, a
Southfield-based company, for
the 57-acre site. The land
where the women's prison
stood for decades, housing
some of the most notorious
women prisoners in the state,
may soon be the site of a $150
million development including
a hotel, retail shops andhomes.
The state closed the prison
in 2009 and the township was
able to secure the property
fromthe state for $1 in 2012 and
subsequently struck a deal with
a salvage company to demolish
the buildings on the property.
Redico President Dale
Watchowski said preliminary
plans for the new development
will include about 200,000
square feet of retail space, a
120-room hotel and about 150
residences developed by
Farmington
Hills-based
Pinnacle Homes. He said a
conceptual plan for the project
will be presented to township
officials this year and a request
for site plan approval submit-
ted in time for approval by
June of next year as provisions
of the sales agreement. Closing
of the sale is required by
August of 2016. “There is a
tremendous amount of interest
based on the location,”
Watchowski said. “We intend to
fill a retail void in that specific
location as well as a housing
void. There is a tremendous
demand for housing in that
location.”
He added that he expects
the retail portion of the devel-
opment to include a major
Local Boy Scouts William
Cothron and Kevin Kapanowski
know a good thing when they
taste it…or sell it to earn money
for their troop,
So when the opportunity to
sell brownies at Canton Charter
Academy where the 12-year-
olds are 6th-grade students was
limited by federal legislation,
the two had some questions
about the equity of the new
rules.
Kapanowski took the oppor-
tunity to ask State Sen. Patrick
Colbeck, R-Canton, when he
came to the school to speak to
the scouts working on their
civics merit badges. During the
question and answer session,
the scout asked the senator why
their troop could no longer have
school bake sales, amoney-mak-
ing event for their group.
Colbeck said it was one of the
last questions he was asked dur-
ing the event and that at that
time, he simply didn't have an
answer.
“I told him that I would go
check on it,” Colbeck said.
When he followed through
on his promise and investigated
the matter, Colbeck said he dis-
covered that a federal regula-
tion that went into effect this
past fall as part of Michelle
Obama's plan to make school
food healthier allowed the
Michigan Department of
Education to dictate the num-
ber of “non-compliant”
fundraisers schools may host
during school hours on school
property. Most of the foods tra-
ditionally sold to raise money
for school activities, such as
baked goods, are not on the
approved list.
“The Michigan Department
See
Development,
page 3
$150 million project planned in Northville
Legislation victory is ‘sweet’ for Canton Scouts
Service
Above Self
Rotary Clubs install
Little Free Libraries
Members of the Rotary Clubs in both
Belleville andRomulus have found a project they
feel embodies the spirit of their organization.
They have embraced the Little Free Library
concept that is growing globally and across the
country. The clubs celebrated the first installa-
tions of the library boxes last month at Victory
Park in Belleville and the re-named and re-dedi-
catedSt. Johns LodgePark inRomulus
The new Victory Park Little Free Library is
located next to the gazebo and provides the
opportunity for residents to take a book, read it,
and return it at their leisure. Those who have
books they would like to share with others can
place themin theLittleFreeLibrary, too.
This is the first of several installations that the
Rotary Club members have planned for both the
Belleville and Romulus areas, a spokesperson
said. Little Free Libraries are being set up
throughout the country by service groups, corpo-
rations and individuals. The concept is simply to
provide reading material that individuals of all
ages can borrow, read and return as they wish.
Borrowers are encouraged to donate a book that
they enjoy andwould like to sharewith others.
Visitors can simply open the front door of the
library, find a book that interests them, take it,
read it and return it when finished or pass it
around to others. Those who wish to donate a
book or two to the library need only place it on
the shelf. If there isn't room for the book, return
at a later time when there is room or contact the
Belleville Rotary Club at (734) 697-3731. Jerry
Richardson is the steward of the Victory Park
LittleFreeLibrary.
According to Richardson, this Little Free
Library movement embodies the ideas of the
RotaryClub.
“It reaches out to people, builds them up and
helps make them better without regard to who
they are or where they come from. It is Rotary's
hope that this dedication to the citizens of
Belleville will help strengthen the community
and advance literacy for all who use it,”
Richardson said.
Rotary Club of Romulus members installed a
LittleFree Library they are calling aReadBox in
the newly reopenedSt. John's LodgePark.
The Romulus Rotary Club funded the installa-
tion of the Read Box in the park which now con-
tains books from the Romulus Public Library.
According to Romulus Librarian Patti Braden,
the box is stocked with books for all ages and will
be kept supplied throughout the summer.
Residents of all ages can select a book, read and
enjoy it and then return it to the box for others to
enjoy.
Dave Matheny and staff members from the
There is a tremendous amount
of interest based on the location.
Redico President Dale Watchowski
”
Belleville Rotary Club members, including Junior Rotarians celebrate the installa-
tion of the Little Free Library Victory Park in the park gazebo.
Belleville Rotary President
Jeremy
Richardson
announces the unveiling of
the Little Free Library with
Rotary District 6400 President
Liz Smith providing shelter.
See
Rotary,
page 4
See
Scouts,
page 3
Local Boy Scouts William Cothron and Kevin Kapanowski testified
before the state senate and the House Education Policy Committee
in an effort to return bake sales to their school.
