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July 13 – 19, 2023 NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST 75¢

No. 28 www .associatednewspapers.net

Mutual Aid

Vol. 138, No. 28
Sumpter Township 10 community fire departments battle apartment blaze
Deputy Supervisor/Trustee
Tim Rush is among the Firefighters and equipment
members of the township from 10 neighboring communi-
parks and recreation board ties responded to a serious fire
hoping to revive several com- at the Waverly Apartment com-
munity events. plex in Van Buren Township
See page 5. last week.
Van Buren Township fire-
fighters were dispatched to the
48000 block of Denton Road at
about 8:30 p.m. July 5 in
response to a report of a possi-
Vol. 76, No. 28 ble structure fire. Responding
During a special ribbon- firefighters found heavy fire
cutting ceremony during the throughout the attic of the
Canton Liberty Fest, town- structure which had traveled
ship officials celebrated the through the roof of the build-
reopening of the renovated ing, according to official
Heritage Park Splash reports.
Playground. Van Buren fire officials
See page 2. immediately requested mutual
aid from Ypsilanti Township
and the cities of Belleville and
Ypsilanti in response to the
severity of the blaze.
Firefighters first verified that
Vol. 76, No. 28 everyone was out of the build-
The Inkster Police ing and then instituted exterior
Department is celebrating defensive operations, officials
National Night Out with a said.
special family festival at the In an effort to control the
police station on Michigan blaze, fire officials requested
Avenue. further mutual aid from
See page 6. Canton Township and the City
of Romulus. Fire crews estab-
lished ladders to accommodate
aerial operations and flow
water through the roof of the
building, according to reports.
Vol. 23, No. 28 As firefighters continued to
Northville Township battle the fire, mutual aid was
Firefighter/Paramedic also requested from Superior,
Michael Obermiller has Sumpter and Augusta town-
been promoted to the rank of ships along with the City of
lieutenant. Wayne and additional fire units
See page 4. from Romulus.
The firefighters remained
on the scene in attempts to
quell the fire for several hours,
officials said, finally bringing
the fire under control. Officers
Vol. 23, No. 28 from the Van Buren Police at the scene in a support role. the early morning hours the rekindle, officials said.
Renovations at Karl's Department along with staff After ensuring the blaze had next day as the fire had rekin- No injuries were reported
Cabin, a mainstay of the from HART Huron Valley, been extinguished, firefighters dled inside the building. Van in the incident and the cause of
Plymouth community, are Huron Valley Ambulance and left the scene but crews were Buren, Belleville and Sumpter the fire remained under inves-
progressing and the Poulos Belleville Fire Auxiliary were called back to the building in Township responded to the tigation at press time.
family hopes to reopen the
76-year-old building this fall. Plymouth Township denies Meijer special use land permit
See page 3.
Members of the Plymouth now prohibited from submitting increased crime and traffic in the increased traffic and that
Township Planning Commission another plan for the land for one the already heavily trafficked road improvements would be
denied a special land use year, according to township offi- area. Others noted the opening necessary before consideration
request from Meijer by a 5-1 vote cials. of a supercenter would negative- of the proposed project.
during a recent meeting. The vote followed a 3-hour ly impact the peaceful nature of Meijer representatives sug-
Vol. 138, No. 28 Representatives from Meijer meeting during which township the township. gested the commissioners table
It is now, officially, the submitted plans for a super- residents voiced their concerns The concerns regarding traf- the application and allow them
William "Bill" Wadsworth center on Five Mile Road, west about the proposed construc- fic were substantiated by two to resubmit it with changes to
Animal Shelter in the City of of Beck Road on former Detroit tion. Residents from both traffic studies, both concluding accommodate concerns voiced
Romulus. The new sign at House of Corrections property. Plymouth and Northville voiced that road improvements are nec- during the meeting.
the shelter was set to be Meijer proposed a 159,000 their objections to the proposed essary in the area prior to devel- Commissioners denied that
unveiled recently. square-foot store and gas station project. Residents told the com- opment. Commissioners said the request along with the special
See page 5. on the 21-acre parcel. Meijer is missioners they feared current roads would not sustain land use permit.

Northville officials agree to opt out of LED lighting program

A recent analysis shed some As part of the agreement in
unfavorable light on the LED ” 2021, the city had the option to
Vol. 76, No. 28 conversion program in the City The study also found end the contract after two years
The City of Wayne Police of Northville. by repaying the ERC investment
Department is sponsoring During a recent meeting of inaccurate invoicing by DTE in the installation of the neces-
volunteer training for Hope the members of the city council, before and after the conversion. sary infrastructure. As no signifi-
Not Handcuffs "angels" who DPW Director Mike Domine rec- cant savings have been realized,
are part of a Families ommended the city exercise the Domine recommended that the
Against Narcotics initiative. buy-out option included in the council members authorize the
See page 5. program agreement. An analysis installation and maintenance of A city study determined that buy-out provision of the contract
of the costs demonstrated that the infrastructure necessary for the project information used by which repays the ERC invest-
the program has not produced the conversion at no cost to the ERC, including meter location, ment in lighting infrastructure at
the level of energy savings pre- city, valued at $149,000, accord- number of lights and type of a depreciated rate.
dicted. Northville entered into ing to officials. The replacement lights prior to conversion, was Council members authorized
an agreement in January 2021 program, completed in March not accurately recorded. The Domine to start the buyout
Vol. 76, No. 28 with the Energy Reduction 2021, was expected to generate study also found inaccurate process with ERC at a cost of
Separate charges of sexu- Coalition (ERC), an Ann-Arbor enough funding in energy sav- invoicing by DTE before and $132,737. A budget amendment
al abuse of both a Wayne and based nonprofit, to convert city- ings to pay for the cost of the pro- after the conversion. While con- was approved to draw $29,636
Westland child by a school owned lighting at the water gram. Recent studies, however, version to LED lighting from the General Fund contin-
vision specialist have been tower, Northville Yards, and demonstrated a far lower cost decreased annual kilowatts per gency, $16,430 from the
dismissed by Wayne County parking lots and structures to savings on electric service than hour used in some areas, it Equipment Fund, $86,565 from
Prosecutor Kym Worthy. LED lighting. projected by ERC representa- increased costs in others, the Parking Fund and $107 from
See page 6. The agreement included the tives. according to the data provided. the Water and Sewer Fund.

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