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July 23 – 29, 2020 NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST 75¢

No. 30 www .associatednewspapers.net

THE BELLEVILLE Plymouth Fall Festival 2020 is cancelled
ENTERPRISE
ENTERPRISE
One of the oldest and most
Vol. 135, No. 30 revered traditions in the area
The upcoming Aug. 4 pri- has been cancelled due to the
mary election in Sumpter COVID19 pandemic.
Township includes a raft of The Plymouth Fall Festival,
17 candidates seeking voters' the 64-year-old event that filled
favor for various offices. the entire Plymouth downtown
See page 3. for three days each year, will not
take place in 2020, in an effort to
THE CANTON protect the public from the
EAGLE threat of the corona virus epi-
EAGLE
demic.
Vol. 73, No. 30 The cancellation was “obvi-
ously for safety reasons. We
Captain Kevin have to keep the public safe,”
Henderson, who started his noted James Gietzen of JAG
career as a firefighter in Entertainment, the company
Canton Township in 1992 that produces the event and
will retire from the depart- books the live bands that attract Photo by Helen Yancy
ment at the end of this huge crowds to Kellogg Park President John Buzuvis said Rotary Club in 1956 in an effort breakfast, the Optimist Club Pet
month. during the weekend. that the Chicken Barbeque at to generate funding for play- Show, the Spaghetti Dinner
See page 2. As it has for 64 years, the the Fall Festival is the largest ground equipment at a park at hosted by the Morning Rotary
event this year was set for the fundraiser for the club which the end of Wing Street. While Club of Plymouth and the
weekend following Labor Day usually generates from $40,000 about 500 people attended the Civitans Taste Fest, along with
and would have taken place to $50,000 annually, funding that first event which was scheduled many others. The events have
THE INKSTER Sept. 11 through 13. is then directly invested back in May of that year, the crowd become an annual tradition
LEDGER STAR “With great sadness, we have into the community. last year was estimated to have with Plymouth residents and
LEDGER STAR
Vol. 73, No. 30 made the difficult decision to “We award a lot of scholar- exceeded 20,000 visitors, and attract visitors from throughout
cancel the 2020 Plymouth Fall ships to area students,” Buzuvis 10,500 of them enjoyed the the area each year.
Inkster city officials Festival. The health and safety said, in addition to contribu- famous Rotary Chicken Eric Joy, president of the Fall
offered a warning to resi- of our vendors, volunteers, and tions to United Way, First Step, Barbeque dinners. The event Festival, said the uncertainty of
dents last week regarding guests who attend the event are Kids Against Hunger, literacy has grown to include a midway state mandates and safety pro-
the use of certain hand sani- our priority. We are looking for- programs and a host of other which attracts hundreds of peo- cedures were the determining
tizers which contain ward to the 2021 Plymouth Fall community services. ple, along with amusement factor in the decision.
methanol, a toxic substance. Festival and continuing to sup- “We partner with other clubs rides and vendors lining Main “We just don’t know what the
See page 8. port our local community to fulfill our driving goal, to Street with booths. It has also situation will be,” Joy, also a
groups,” Geitzen posted on the serve the community,” Buzuvis become one of the main events Rotary Club member and past
official Fall Festival Facebook said. for several other service clubs president, said. “We all have to
THE NORTHVILLE page. The festival was founded by including the Kiwanis Club
EAGLE
EAGLE Plymouth Noon Rotary Club members of the Plymouth which hosts an annual pancake See Festival, page 7

Vol. 20, No. 30 Wayne hopes to merge 29th District Court
An environmental group
is attempting to prevent the
disposal of waste water from Facing a looming $3.8 million ” mayor of Inkster about merging
Salem Hills landfill into a dollar deficit budget for 2020- The city has a severe structural deficit. the courts.
tributary of Johnson Creek. 2021, City of Wayne officials are “He said they had an empty
See page 7. again considering the possible The expenses exceed the ability of the city to generate courtroom,” Rhaesa said, “I
merger of their court into that of went over and looked at it. I did
a neighboring community. revenue and this is before the expenses of COVID. talk to him but did not pursue
This issue, which has been negotiations.”
THE PLYMOUTH discussed by various city offi- Members of the Wayne City
EAGLE cials for more than a decade, the city to generate revenue and the members of the council per- Council approved a resolution
EAGLE
Vol. 20, No. 30 was once again the agenda topic this is before the expenses of ceive the court as a revenue gen- in February to explore a possi-
at a special study session in COVID. It could be even worse,” erator, “the role of the court is to ble court merger. Rhasea said it
Plymouth Noon Rotary Wayne last week. Newly- he said. He said that while the administer justice, not to gener- was his understanding that
Club members are exploring appointed 29th District Court court is a source of revenue, that ate money for the city.” Westland was not interested as it
ways to replace funding for Judge Breeda O'Leary joined is in decline. “Costs keep going Mayor John Rhaesa “was not financially sound” and
local charities and scholar- the members of the city council up,” he said. explained that while he under- that Romulus had also rejected
ships lost with the cancella- and financial consultant Brian He said that financial situa- stood O'Leary's comments, “We the suggestion as not financially
tion of the Fall Festival. Camiller during the meeting. tion prompted the city to can't afford the court. We are try- beneficial. Romulus officials,
See page 7. Camiller explained to the offi- explore the possibility of merg- ing to make everything work. We Rhaesa said, had provided a
cials in attendance that the cur- ing the court with another com- don't have the money.” Rhaesa copy of the host agreement the
THE ROMULUS rent city finances will no longer munity. He said the city needed said that when Judge Laura city has with Belleville, Sumpter
ROMAN support the costs at the court. to determine if such an action Mack announced she would and Van Buren for considera-
ROMAN
Vol. 135, No. 30 “The city has a severe struc- might be a burden or a savings. retire from the Wayne Court, he tion. Rhaesa and O'Leary agreed
tural deficit,” he said. “The O'Leary responded immedi- had some preliminary, casual
Romulus Mayor LeRoy expenses exceed the ability of ately that while she realized that conversation with the then See Court, page 6
Burcroff has been appointed
(SEMCOG) Legislative Policy Communities seek state legal action at landfill
to the Southeast Michigan
Council of Governments

Platform Task Force. multiple air quality, solid waste
See page 8 Don Howard
Staff Writer and nuisance odor violations
issued by the Michigan
Years of complaints from Department of Environmental
THE WAYNE Northville Township residents Quality - now known as
EAGLE
EAGLE about odors and rancid smells Department of Environment,
Vol. 73, No. 30 emanating from the 337-acre Great Lakes and Energy
neighboring Arbor Hills landfill
(EGLE).
Facing a looming $3.8 mil- owned by Advance Disposal “We believe that our resi-
lion dollar deficit budget, Services (ADS) have reached dents have suffered long enough
Wayne officials are again the top state legal authority. from the noxious odors and
considering the possible In a joint letter addressed to health hazards generated by the
merger of the 29th District Michigan State Attorney both the landfill composting
Court. General Dana Nessel signed by operations at this facility.
See page 6. Northville Township Supervisor “Relief for our residents is
Robert Nix, Plymouth Township urgently needed,” Nix stated in
Supervisor Kurt Heise, and the letter copied to State Sen. miles from the landfill, adding the state has had many years to
Northville Mayor Brian Dayna Polehanki, Rep. Matt his feeling that ADS is intention- address the ADS problem. He
THE WESTLAND Turnbull, the three area munici- Koleszar and EGLE District ally delaying any effort to supports a unified action.
EAGLE pal executives implored the Supervisor Scott Miller, among resolve the violations. “I think this has been drag-
EAGLE
“We believe that the immedi-
Vol. 73, No. 30 chief legal officer to immediate- others. ate commencement of legal pro- ging on for too long--over five
years now. The state has had
Nix said the residents of the
ly file suit against ADS.
A Detroit man is facing 15 The landfill, operating since three communities have filed in ceedings against ADS is neces- many opportunities and two
criminal charges in connec- 1970, processes solid waste from excess of 5,000 odor complaints sary to obtain enforcement of administrations to remedy this. I
tion with a non-fatal shooting Washtenaw and Wayne counties from December 2015 to date. He the existing violations…” think it's appropriate for the
reported at Westland Mall into one of the largest and tallest also expressed his concerns Heise said the complaints are attorney general to take action
July 9. dump sites in the state. The about the impact on Ridge Wood not as numerous from Plymouth as well as EGLE.”
See page 6. facility has been the subject of Elementary school, located 2 Township residents, but feels

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