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4
July 3, 2013
Letters
It wasn't easy, but members of a
volunteer organization in Wayne
managed to secure some funding
that could ultimately help revital-
ize the downtown area.
Undeterred by a flat rejection at
a Downtown Development
Authority (DDA) budget hearing
earlier this month, members of the
Wayne Ripple Effect attended the
Wayne City Council meeting last
week in hopes of gaining some
additional traction in their goal to
revitalize downtownWayne.
The Ripple Effect grew out of
theMichiganMain Street program,
a grass roots effort createdwith the
goal of improving the economies in
downtown areas by sparking
investment in them. The Main
Street program is a national one,
with as many as 2,000 communities
participating from sea to shining
sea. It has spurred nearly $50 bil-
lion in reinvestments, combined, in
those communities. In Michigan
alone, the program has helped
communities generate more than
$100 million in private and public
investment from more than 650
new or expanded businesses that
brought nearly 1,000 jobs to down-
town areas.
The Ripple Effect has been par-
ticipating in the program at the
Associate Level, but in order to
move to the next level-and be eligi-
ble for up to $200,000 in funding
from the State of Michigan-they
have to show the state that there is
funding for the program for five
years.
So yes, they were asking for
funding and yes, we know that
funding is tight everywhere, but
one would think this would be a
relatively easy sell, given that the
purpose of theWayneDDA-accord-
ing to the cityweb site-is to develop
and propose to the City Council,
long range plans for the promotion
of economic growth in the down-
towndistrict.
The amount they were asking
for, about $18,000, is about 1 per-
cent of the total budget in the
Wayne DDA, and it is one-third of
what the city council recently
approved to pay for a grant writer
(on a no-bid contract). Members of
the Wayne Rotary, also at the DDA
hearing, pledged $10,000 in match-
ing funds should the request be
approved. Councilman John
Rheasa, who also sits on the DDA
board, even had a specific line
item that could be curtailed to find
the money: the acquisition/demoli-
tion fund, which was budgeted at
$98,000. He made the motion…and
it died for lack of support.
They were more successful at
the city council meeting, although
the approval they ultimately
received for $10,000 took two dif-
ferent motions and was not unani-
mous. (Mayor Al Haidous voted
against it.)
For now, congratulations are in
order for this group of dedicated
city supporters who would not take
no for an answer. We'll see if the
vote is upheld when it goes back to
Usually, when I get an irate com-
plaint call I make a serious effort to
find out where I went awry and try
to correctmymistakes.
Unlike many folks I know, I still,
despite long therapy sessions, am
immediately sure that whoever is
calling telling me I am in error is
right and my actions indefensible.
I always assume that I'm the one
who reallymessedup.
Well, until an extremely cranky
man called to tell me what a terri-
ble, horrible, awful job I had done
on the story about the fire at the
downtown Plymouth fire station.
Before I could even apologize, or
ask himany questions about specif-
ic errors, he went off on a rant the
likes of which I haven't heard since
I used a Brillo pad to wash my
mother's new Pontiac. I mean, he
got real ugly, real fast.
Now, I'm no slouch at interrupt-
ing people. It has actually become
a matter of survival and nearly sec-
ond nature with my family. But this
guy was beyond my skill level, he
just got on a roll and kept on going.
He built himself up such a head of
steam, I began to wonder if the
entire monologue was for an audi-
ence on his end of the line rather
thanme.
The longer he complained, the
more virulent and nasty his atti-
tude and his language became.
Seriously, the last time I heard
some of those words was well,
maybe last week when I locked
myself out of my car, but still, you
get the idea.
I mean, his language didn't
include anything I haven't said,
often with more emphasis than he
used, and certainly nothing I
haven't heard before. His profanity
wasn't very creative, but he made
up for it with volume and repeti-
tion.
He wouldn't slow down to give
me a chance to tell him where the
information in the story he was
complaining about came from and
that, in fact, I didn't even write it,
not that that makes much differ-
ence, I know.
I really tried to get himto tellme
what the error he was so upset
about was so I could check into the
situation and try and correct it. No
way. He didn't want anything cor-
rected, he just wanted to yell about
this being the
“worst rag ever
printed” and
lots and lots of
other stuff, most of which I've man-
aged towipe frommymind. (Just as
an aside, that wiping is getting easi-
er and easier the older I get and
isn't exactly always voluntary.)
Anyhow, what it seems he was
upset about was that the story
reported that the Plymouth
Township firefighters put the fire
in the fire truck engine out. Yeah, I
know, who cares, but it obviously
was a big deal tohim.
The volunteers from the City of
Plymouth had been at the fire for
about 25 minutes when the four
Plymouth Township professionals
got there. The on-call guys from
Northville had been at the scene
for various amounts of time, too,
trying to move vehicles out of the
way, get stuff out of the building
We predicted that there would be an incident that would
bring some attention to the current state of fire safety
staffing inPlymouth.
We weren't exactly wrong, but we never could have imag-
ined the situation as it occurred recently when the down-
town City of Plymouth fire station was the site of a fire that
resulted in more than a half million dollars in damage.
According to Plymouth City Manager Paul Sincock, the fire
actually started in the engine of one of the newest fire
trucks, valued at about $300,000 before the added extra
equipment. It spread, Sincock said, into the cab of the vehi-
cle. Eventually, according to witnesses, the entire truck was
engulfed in flames. The heat fromthe fire severely damaged
the building, which was remodeled recently to accommo-
date the fire equipment. The $500,000 or so in damages will
be paid, Sincock said, by the city insurance company after a
$500 deductible.
There were no firemen on duty at the station, or in fact,
anywhere in theCity of Plymouthwhichno longer has a full-
time fire department. Instead, the city relies on an on-call
fire department sharedwith theCity ofNorthville
Two police officers smelled the smoke when the “special
fire garage gas detectors inside the facility” began to oper-
ate and the “high-tech system” began to ventilate the smoke
outside.
The City of Plymouth firefighters are a group of about 10
volunteers who meet every Thursday for two hours to train.
These are the folks who were apparently first on the scene
or who arrived in 5 minutes. They are also the guys who
rushed into the station, without fire gear or masks, to try
and get the other vehicles out of the conflagration. They
were joined by the on-call firefighters from the City of
Northville, and the 28 or so of these volunteers and on-call
guys worked to save equipment and try to get the fire out.
After about 20 minutes, according to reports, they also
called the four professional firefighters on duty in Plymouth
Township and the fire was extinguished five minutes after
their arrival.
Thirty minutes to put out a fire in the fire station. Thirty
There were no firemen on duty at the station, or
in fact, anywhere in the City of Plymouth which
no longer has a full-time fire department.
”
Blaze at fire station should be wake-up call
Waiting
game is
too risky
His profanity wasn't very creative,
but he made up for it
with volume and repetition.
”
Anonymous caller’s insults don’t hold water
Park concerts under way
To the editor;
What better way to bid farewell
to spring and welcome the sum-
mer season than by relaxing lake-
sidewith a couple hundred of your
closest friends while enjoying an
amazing free concert.
Last Thursday saw the kickoff
of the 2013 Music Lakeside series
with beautiful weather, a great
crowd and the terrific talents of
Paul Keller and his Mini Big Band
who thrilled the crowd for nearly
two hours with their renditions of
jazz and familiar standards. For
those of you who have enjoyed
Music Lakeside in past years, you
were sure to recognize Keller and
his friends as they have joined us
in many different variations in
recent years, always putting a new,
unique spin on their performances
so you never know quite what to
expect.
These free concerts continue to
be brought to you by the Belleville
AreaCouncil for theArts aswell as
sponsors the Belleville Downtown
Development Authority and
Atchinson Ford. New for 2013,
organizers are trying their hand at
selling 50/50 raffle tickets to help
offset some of the costs of the con-
certs so you'll want to remember to
pack your pocketbook so you don't
miss the chance towin!
All concerts begin at 7 p.m. and
See
Letters,
page 5
See
Caller,
page 5
See
Wait,
page 5
See
Fire,
page 5