No. 29
NEWS YOUCANUSE,NEWS YOUCAN TRUST
75¢
July 21 – 27, 2016
The Wayne Senior
Services is offering several
servicesduring themonthof
July including classes and
trips.
Seepage7.
NorthvilleCityHallwill be
open from9a.m.until2p.m.
on Saturday, July 30, to
processabsenteevoterballot
requests.
Seepage9.
Vol. 131,No. 29
Vol. 69,No. 29
Vol. 69,No. 29
Vol. 16,No. 29
St.PaulUnitedChurchof
ChristonGoddardRoad,just
west of Telegraph,where
manyRomulus residents
worship,willbededicatinga
newadditionJuly31.
Seepage3.
Vol. 131,No. 29
Vol. 69,No. 29
Vol. 69,No. 29
ForhomedeliveryofTheEaglecall734-467-1900.
Professional barbeque
specialists, amateur grillers
andAmerican Idol contest-
antJoshGracinwill join the
6thAnnualWestlandBlues,
BrewsandBBQthisyear.
Seepage8.
CantonTownshipDeputy
Police
Chief
Debra
NewsomeandBattalionFire
ChiefWendy Stevens have
bothannounced their retire-
ments from their depart-
ments.
Seepage5.
Vol. 16,No. 29
New InksterFireChief
ChuckHubbardhas been a
busymansince takingonhis
newjobJune22.
Seepage2.
The
award-winning
Michigan Philharmonic,
under thedirection ofNan
Washburn, hasplanned the
71stseason fullofepicmusi-
caldrama,amazingpopsand
aukuleleconcerto.
Seepage6.
The annual community
Back to SchoolBlitzNine
supplydrivewillbeginAug.
1 inBelleville and continue
throughAug.29.
Seepage4.
Residents inbothNorthville
andRomuluswill join other
area communities in seeing a
waterrateincreasethisyear.
Romulus residentswill see
the increase in theirwaterand
sewerratesontheirnextbill.
Residents will see an
increase of about 6.45percent
overall,basedoncost increases
thatwerepassedontothecity.
SuzanneMoreno,directorof
financial services for the city,
said thewholesalewater rate
from the City of Detroit
increasedbyabout7.26percent,
while sewer rates from the
Downriver Sewerage System
(DUWA) increasedbyabout4.07
percent and the flat charge
from Rouge Valley Sewage
Systemwentup4.9percent.
“Wehave topass thosealong
toour residents,” she said. “We
also have our local costs-our
employees, equipment,water
repairs,meters-all those costs,
the entirewater budget has
beenbuiltintotherates.”
Water consumption has
dropped throughout the city
which, ironically, also con-
tributes to the increased rates.
A reduction in water sales
results in a reduction of rev-
enue for theDetroitWater and
SewerageDepartment. The
majority of their budget-about
60percent-comesfromthefixed
rate they charge the communi-
tiesthatusethesystem.
“They'regoing tocharge that
nomatterhowmuchwaterwe
use,”Moreno said. “That'sabig
component of ourwater bills
now,thefixedrate.”
Thenewratesallalsoneces-
sary tokeepahealthy fundbal-
ance in thewater/sewerbudget
topay forunexpected repairs
likewatermainbreaks.
“Wedoourbest to keepour
rates as low aswe can,butwe
havetopassthosecostsalong.”
Romulus Mayor Leroy
Burcroff said the 13downriver
communities who use the
DUWAplant are stillnegotiat-
ingwithWayneCounty topur-
chase it,buthavenotyetsettled
on a final number.He said if
successful, thepurchasemight
give the communities addition-
al control over their sewage
costs.
InNorthville, thewater and
sewer rateswill also increase
thismonthdue to ratehikesby
the Great Lakes Water
Authority (GLWA) andWayne
County, aswell as an increase
bytheCityofNorthvilletocover
capital improvementsandhigh-
eroperatingcosts.
A report on the proposed
rate increaseswaspresentedby
JimGallogly,director ofPublic
Works andSandiWiktorowski,
finance director/treasurer, at
the Northville City Council
meeting lastmonth.The new
ratestookeffectJuly1.
The averagewater billwith
usageoffiveunits(5,000gallons)
permonthwillincreaseby$6.70
monthlyor10.5percent.Of this,
$4.13 isadirectpass-throughof
increases by theGreatLakes
Water Authority andWayne
County,with the city retaining
$2.57of the increase,according
toNorthvillecityofficials.
Wedoourbest tokeepour rates
as lowaswecan,butwe
have topass thosecostsalong.
”
Northville, Romulus water rates increased
Warrior
TVwrestler brings
charity effort to
Canton Library
The
Canton
Police
Departmenthasbeenhonored
with the 2016ModelAgency
Award from the National
AssociationofSchoolResource
Officers (NASRO).Thepresti-
gious awardwas accepted by
CantonPoliceOfc.DavidEylat
the 26thAnnualSchoolSafety
Conference.
Eyl just completedhis four-
year assignment as a School
Resource Officer at the
Plymouth-CantonEducational
Park, where 6,200 students
attend threehigh schools on a
300-acrecampus.
MoCanady,executivedirec-
tor of NASRO, notified the
policedepartment lastmonth
that Cantonwas one of five
police agencies in the country
chosen for the award-noting
theyhadreceivedmanyworthy
nominations, but that the
tremendous accomplishments
oftheCantondepartmentstood
out to the committeemembers
choosingtheawardwinner.
ModelAgencyaward recipi-
ents are selected based on
exemplary training, policies
and standards of theNASRO
triad concept,whichdescribes
the three main duties of a
SchoolResourceOfficer as
beingmentor, guest lecturer
and law enforcement officer.
Recipients of the Model
Agency award must also
demonstratecreativeand inno-
vative approaches to school-
basedpolicing.
“It isanhonor forCanton to
receive the Model Agency
award from the highly-
acclaimedNASRO organiza-
tion,” said Public Safety
DirectorJoshuaMeier.
“Our SROs are to be com-
mended for their hard-work,
ingenuity and dedication in
creating a safe, educational
high school environmentwor-
thy of this impressive recogni-
tion.”
The
Canton
Police
Department and thePlymouth
Canton Educational Park
began the SchoolResource
Officerprogram in 1997,with
one officer assigned topolice
theentire campus.Since then,
the program has grown to
includethreeofficerswhohave
developed and incorporated a
multitude of safety programs
and educational opportunities
for the students,parents, staff
andfacultyatthecampus.
Current Canton School
Resource Officers are Ofc.
Andrew Curry,Ofc.Edward
Jagst, and Ofc. Andrew
Colthurstwho replacedEyl at
theschools.
ZachGowen lost his leg to
cancer at 8 years old; became
the firstone-leggedprofessional
wrestler in history; signed a
three-year contractwith the
WWE and then appeared on
AmericanNinjaWarrior. This
Saturday, July23,area residents
willbeofferedtheuniqueoppor-
tunity to learn firsthand about
his experiences and do yoga
alongside him at the Canton
PublicLibrary.
Gowen's story doesn't stop
withhisprofessional and enter-
tainment career--he supports
TheRange ofMotionProject
(ROMP)which is a nonprofit
whosemission is toprovidehigh
quality prosthetic carewhile
unlocking human potential in
underservedpopulations across
theworld.
“The cause is important to
mebecause Ipossess the giftof
beingmobileandIwanttoshare
that giftwith asmanypeople I
can,”Gowen said. “Eightyper-
centof theworld'samputees live
indeveloping countries and of
those,only2percenthaveaccess
toappropriateprostheticcare.”
OnJuly23,whileGowenvisits
theCanton library, amputees
will climbmountains in 10dif-
ferent countries in support of
ROMP and theAmericanswith
DisabilitiesAct. Inhonorof that
climb,GowenwillhostaROMP
documentary at the library and
showhis skillswithaDDPYoga
movementdemowithpatrons.
“To show solidarity for the
group of amputees climbingMt.
Cayambe in Ecuador at the
exact same time,we'll bepush-
ingourbodies to the limitwitha
yogasession that I'llbe leading,”
Gowensaid.
Patrons can bring their own
yogamat orblanket,wear com-
fortable clothing and practice
the yoga that keeps Gowen
strong.Gowenwillalsoshow“In
Extremity,” a documentary
about the group of amputees
who attempted to summitMt.
Cayambe last year, andpatrons
can enjoy a snack during the
documentary.A question and
answerportionwithGowenwill
followthefestivities.
“If I can be in a position to
help raise that 2percent, then I
feelobligated todoall Ican,”he
said. “Withoutmy team and the
gift of beingmobile, Iwouldn't
haveaccesstothequalityoflifeI
do now. Iwant to provide that
access forasmanypeoplepossi-
ble.”
Gowenwill be at the library
from 2until 4p.m. and thepro-
gram isopen toallages.Nopre-
vious yoga experience isneces-
sary to attend.Formore infor-
mation onGowen andhis jour-
ney, visitwww.zachgowen.com.
Formore information on the
libraryprogram, visitwww.can-
tonpl.org or call the library at
(734)397-0999.
ZachGowencompetesonAmericanNinjaWarrior.
School resource officers win national honors
AndrewCurry
DavidEyl
EdwardJagst
