No. 28
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
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July 13 – 19, 2017
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 City Councilman
Richard T. (Terry) Sutton IV
resigned his position last
week in a letter saying that
his resignation was made
“after a great deal of contem-
plation”.
See page 4.
Amy Prevo has been
named as the interim Youth
Assistance Director for
Northville Township. Her
new title became effective
July 10.
See page 5.
Vol. 132, No. 28
Vol. 70, No. 28
Vol. 70, No. 28
Vol. 17, No. 28
The Romulus Arts
Council is seeking student
art entries for the cover of
the annual Romulus
Pumpkin Festival guide
book. Cash prizes will be
awarded thewinners.
See page 2.
Vol. 132, No. 28
Vol. 70, No. 28
Vol. 70, No. 28
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
The largest Belgian Beer
Fest in North America will
take place for the 7th con-
secutive year in Westland
thisFriday andSaturday.
See page 4.
Canton Township will use
a $40,000 grant from the
Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Fund for
Design and Access to fund
the design of additional
Lower Rouge Trail pathways
andpedestrianbridges.
See page 3.
Vol. 17, No. 28
Inkster residents facing
legal action or criminal com-
plaints received a visit from
various law enforcement
officials last week resulting
in 17 arrests.
See page 5.
Plymouth Township offi-
cials recently approved the
hiring of three new firefight-
ers and the process to find
qualified individuals contin-
ues.
See page 3.
Dozens of concerned citi-
zens attended the recent
Environmental Town Hall at
Belleville High School host-
ed by State Sen. Hoon-Yung
Hopgood (D-Taylor).
See page 2.
Mary Kay Gallagher's most
recent report card was 18 pages
long and she achieved a Grade
Point Average close to 4.0.
Gallagher, the superinten-
dent of the Northville Public
Schools, received her annual
evaluation from the members of
the board of education last
month. The board members
rated her performance at 92 per-
cent and increased her salary
for next year to $193,405, an
increase of $3,792.
Gallagher and the board
members have agreed to a one-
year employment contract
extension, keeping her at her
job through June or 2020. She
has been superintendent in the
district for six years and a dis-
trict employee for 31 years.
During her tenure at the helmof
the Northville schools, the dis-
trict fund balance has increased
from 2.5 percent of the budget to
21 percent, or about $16 million
of the $78 million annual school
budget.
During the regularmeeting of
the board members when the
report was made public June 27,
Gallagher said “it is an honor to
serve this community.” She
credited the district administra-
tors and employees for the suc-
cess of theNorthville district.
Gallagher's employment con-
tract is also subject to off sched-
ule-bonus payments reconciled
with the amount of the fund bal-
ance. She could earn a bonus of
up to $2,500 if the fund balance
is maintained at 18 percent or
more. Those bonus provisions
are also in place for other
administrators in the district.
Gallagher was rated by the
board members on her gover-
nance and board relations, com-
munity relations, instructional
leadership; staff relations and
business and finance manage-
ment. Student growth and
progress toward district goals
were also considered in her
evaluation.
Plymouth
birthday
celebration
is planned
School leader earns high marks
The City of Wayne has filed
an appeal of the restraining
order and preliminary injunc-
tion issued by Wayne County
Circuit Court Judge John A.
Murphy last week.
The two orders effectively
prohibit the city from cancelling
the health insurance of about
156 retirees and then imple-
menting a “stipend” payment
system in lieu of the provisions
in the union contracts under
which the former municipal
employees worked. City offi-
cials have proposed paying the
retirees who are single and
younger than 65 a stipend of
$241.50 monthly to purchase
health insurance in the open
market. A stipend of $508 is pro-
posed for a couple and $695.50 is
the amount being offered
monthly to a family for insur-
ance premiums. Those now
older than 65 would receive
$128.50 toward health insurance
premiums. City employees do
not receive Social Security ben-
efits but are paid a city pension
and the health care premiums
upon retirement.
Retiree
Association
President Tim Reynolds said
last week following the court
decision that he thought it was
fair and that the judge listened
to both side of the issue.
“The judge did say that he
would not have issued the
injunction or the restraining
order if he did not feel wewould
succeed on the merits of our
case,”Reynolds commented.
Wayne is currently facing a
$1.2 million budget deficit for
this fiscal year and officials esti-
mated that the stipend proposal
could cut more than $300,000
from city expenses. Estimates
are that should the city lose the
case at trial, the deficit could
rise to $1.5million.
The city had already reduced
the amount paid to retirees for
health care from the amounts
dictated by seniority at the time
of retirement, either 100, 75 or
50 percent of premiums, to a 60-
30 percent split with the
retirees. That measure prompt-
ed multiple protests and ques-
tions at publicmeetings.
Mayor Susan Rowe told
retirees at one meeting that she
was confident they could find
comparable health care insur-
ance at the stipend amount the
city was offering. Retirees
repeatedly questioned the valid-
ity or worth of the insurance
available at the amount pro-
posedby the city.
Reynolds said that the
retirees had attempted to nego-
tiate with the city and had
offered a proposal which would
have cut the city cost by 50 per-
cent. He said the city refused
that offer, preferring to go to the
stipendplan.
The retirees' case, asking for
enforcement of the payment of
health insurance premiums at
the previously-agreed rates in
union contracts by the court, is
now scheduled for a discovery
hearing at the end of September
and a evidentiary hearing in
October.
Estimates are that should the city
lose the case at trial, the deficit
could rise to $1.5 million.
”
Celebrations of the 150th
anniversary of the City of
Plymouth this year have
already included various fes-
tivities throughout the com-
munity but the biggest city
birthday party will take place
July 26 at the Plymouth
HistoricalMuseum.
Tickets to the event,
planned for 6-8 p.m. are
priced at $25 per person and
include food, wine, a city
exhibit and a raffle for a dia-
mond necklace valued at
$10,000.
Elizabeth Kerstens, execu-
tive director of the Plymouth
Historical Museum, said Teri
Allen, owner of Dearborn
Jewelers, proposed the neck-
lace raffle idea back in
February.
“I was astounded that they
would create something this
special,” Kerstens said. “The
value is priceless. The work-
manship is beautiful.”
The party, where the neck-
lace will be raffled, will
include visits from re-enac-
tors posing as past residents
of Plymouth, like the first
woman mayor, RuthWhipple,
and George Starkweather of
OldVillage.
Kerstens said she is often
surprised to hear people say
that they have lived in
Plymouth for years and have
never visited the museum.
“This is the perfect opportu-
nity for them,” Kerstens said.
“This may be our most impor-
tant exhibit to date, highlight-
ing the people and stories of
Plymouth.
“It will be a fabulous party
as well as a major fundraiser
for the museum,” she said.
“We're hoping to raise $25,000
through the sale of raffle tick-
ets for the diamond necklace.
Most importantly, we're cele-
brating 150 years of being a
vibrant hometown communi-
tywhere people love to live.”
Allen said that she sees
this as an opportunity to cele-
brate.
See
Birthday,
page 3
While many senior citizens
have a strong desire to continue
their educations and pursue
subjects that have long interest-
ed them, it isn't always easy for
themto travel to classes at a col-
lege campus.
To overcome this challenge,
Barb Marcum, director of sen-
ior resources in the City of
Westland, connected with
Wayne County Community
College District (WCCCD),
which supplied professors to
teach classes at the Westland
FriendshipCenter.
“Many of these seniors and
baby boomers spent their
whole lives working and raising
their children and may not
have had time for themselves,”
said Marcum. “They may not
have grown up on computers
but they need to know it today.
They need to know how to use
their Smartphones and tablets.”
The Westland Friendship
Center received a $13,000 gift
from a former resident who
willed it to the Center for
Education.
“There is such great value in
learning,” said Marcum. “We
were curious children and we
grow up but we never stop hav-
ing interest in exploring and
knowing. We all still have that
child-like curiosity inside of
us.”
She works directly with the
Ted Scott Campus of the college
to set up classes.
“The programs with senior
citizens are something we have
been doing for decades,” said
Michael Dotson, president of
the Ted Scott Campus. “We
actually started these programs
some 20 years ago but they have
See
Classes,
page 4
Senior year
College offers classes for senior citizens in Westland
Wayne to appeal restraining order
LaDonna Toney of Westland hones her computer skills at Westland Friendship Center classes
taught by professors from Wayne County Community College District.
