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No. 32
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
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August 8 – 17, 2013
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
The Kelly Miller Circus will
be at Attwood Park for shows
at 2 and 5:50 p.m. Aug. 10 and
the public is invited to watch
the circus elephants erect the
tents at about 9 a.m.
See page 2.
Romulus Police are seeking
assistance in their investiga-
tion of the rape of a 15-year-old
girl
near
Halecreek
Elementary School last week.
See page 4.
Water bills approved by
members of the Plymouth
Township Board of Trustees
will take the rates to the level
approved in July of 2011, an
increase of about 5 percent.
See page 3.
Northville Township fire-
fighters collected $2,905 dur-
ing their recent Fill The Boot
campaign to help the
Muscular
Dystrophy
Association.
See page 5.
Six new Van Buren
Township
Paid-On-Call
Firefighters were introduced
to the township board mem-
bers at the July 16 regular
meeting.
See page 4.
Vol. 128, No. 32
Vol. 66, No. 32
Vol. 66, No. 32
Vol. 13, No. 32
Vol. 128, No. 32
Vol. 66, No. 32
Vol. 66, No. 32
Selenia Robinson of Inkster
has taken advantage of local
programs offered to help in
her fight against type 2 dia-
betes, a common illness among
AfricanAmericanwomen.
See page 5.
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
Members of the Westland
City Council have approved
the spending of about $990,000
in Community Development
Block Grant program funding
for the 2013-1014 year.
See page 2.
Visitors can take a step back
in time during the Village
Faire at Preservation Park in
CantonAug. 25.
See page 3.
Vol. 13, No. 32
Northville
Township
Supervisor Robert Nix, Township
Manager Chip Snider and State
Rep. Kurt Heise were all smiles
Monday as they as they talked
about the recently completed
demolition of the Robert Scott
Correctional Facility on Five Mile
Road, while pushing brooms,
shaking hands and posing for pic-
tures at the site of the old women's
prison.
The Michigan Department of
Corrections closed Scott prison in
May 2009 and transferred the all-
female prisoner population to the
Women's
Huron
Valley
Correctional Facility in Ypsilanti,
citing a potential $36 million per
year savings. At one time the
sprawling 56-acre site, open since
1991 at Five Mile and Beck roads,
was home to 880 inmates. Annual
maintenance and security were
said to cost the state $100,000.
For many years residents and
business owners looked at the
abandoned property as an eyesore
and negative aspect of the commu-
nity. High weeds, ugly barb wire
fencing and a vacant guard tower
stood as daily reminders of the
structure that was formerly at the
site.
Then in 2012, Northville
Township officials worked out a
transaction in cooperation with
the state and with help from
Heise, were able to acquire the
property for a final cost of $1.
“With all the prisons, we've
been an institutional dumping
ground for years,” Snider said.
After the acquisition, Snider
and Nix conducted a competitive
bid inquiry into the cost of demoli-
tion and eventually negotiated an
innovative contract for thework.
Township Engineer TomCasari
along with Adamo Group, Inc., a
Detroit company and long-time
industry leader in demolition,
negotiated a plan that allowed the
township to pay Adamo $1 in
exchange for the salvage value
fromthe demolition.
Demolition at the site was a
complex plan which included
engineering concerns, hazardous
waste removal, asbestos abate-
ment and utility removal along
with excavation and grading, offi-
See
LAND,
page 6
A tip from the Westland Police
Department led to felony charges
against a local couple allegedly
involved in a multi-county sports
gambling operation.
According to a prepared release
from the office of Michigan
Attorney General Bill Schuette,
John Zunich, 70, and his wife,
Ellen Jane Zunich, 68, both of
Westland, have been charged as a
result of the joint investigation by
the Criminal Division of his office
and the Westland Police
Department.
The pair was arraigned by 18th
District Court Judge Sandra
Cicirelli last Monday after turning
themselves into police. Not guilty
pleas were entered for each of
them. Cicirelli set bond at $20,000,
which the couple posted.
Investigators allege John
Zunich, the owner and operator of
ArtCraft Printing in Detroit, took
straight bets as a bookie between
Dec. 2, 2002 and May 1, 2012 and
also printed football betting cards
which he distributed throughout
Wayne, Oakland and Macomb
counties. While he allegedly han-
dled professional and college foot-
ball betting, investigators claim he
coordinated bets on college basket-
ball aswell.
Investigators charge that his
wife handled the bookkeeping for
the printing business and the ille-
gal gambling operation and had
knowledge of her husband's illegal
activities. She is accused of being
instrumental in making gambling
proceeds appear as legitimate
income.
She is charged with one count
of failure to file or filing false
income tax returns, which carries
a penalty of up to 5 years imprison-
ment and or a $5,000 fine. Her hus-
band faces one count of conducting
a criminal enterprise and one
count of failure to file or filing false
income taxes. He is facing a 20-
year prison term and or a $100,000
fine on the first count and a 5-year
prison term and or a $5,000 fine on
the income tax charges, according
to the prepared release from the
attorney general's office.
Assets of $733,162 believed to be
proceeds from the illegal gambling
operationwere frozen by investiga-
tors.
“Profits from illegal gambling
can spur related crimes that
undermine public safety,” said
Schuette. “We will continue to
work with local and state law
enforcement to shut down any ille-
gal gambling operations we may
find.
“I would like to thank the
Westland Police Department for
their efforts in this important
investigation,” Schuette said in the
statement.
A preliminary hearing on the
charges is scheduled for each of
the defendants Aug. 26 at the 18th
District Court.
Westland couple charged in sports betting operation
It only took a few hours for
Plymouth Township Police to track
down and arrest the man who
robbed the Bank of America at Five
Mile andBeck roads on July 26.
Michael James Stachowski, 33,
of Canton Township, was arrested
at his home following several tips to
police, tying him to the bank rob-
bery which took place at about 1:20
p.m.
According to witness accounts, a
man entered the bank, waited in
line and then presented a note to
the teller stating that he wanted
money and not to put any dye packs
in the bag.
Wearing a navy blue t-shirt with
the flag of England on it, the robber
left the bank on foot with an unde-
termined amount of cash.
Witnesses at the scene did not
report seeing him get into any vehi-
cle, according to police.
Police used the bank surveil-
lance camera photos of the man to
ask for help from the public inmak-
ing an identification. Police said
that tips from the public were
instrumental in locating the sus-
pect. Police also said that a search
of a home in Northville Township
resulted in evidence in the case,
but didnot provide any details.
Based on evidence provided by
police investigators, a warrant for
Stachowski was issued by the
Wayne County Prosecutors Office
on July 28.
Stachowski was arraigned at the
34th District Court in Romulus dur-
ing theweekend and entered a plea
of not guilty to the charge of bank
robbery. He faces up to life in
prison, if convicted of the charges.
Bond was set by the court at
$100,000 for Stachowski who
remained in the Wayne County Jail
at press time.
A preliminary court hearing is
set for him tomorrow in 35th
District Court.
Jake and Marlena Kardys are animal
lovers. Besides owning two dogs, they have a
special place in their hearts for the Romulus
Animal Shelter and the animals that stay
there.
So it was no surprise when the owners of
Jake’s Auto & Truck Repair decided to raffle
off a 2013 Del Ray Scooter to raise money for
their hometown shelter.
Raffle tickets are on sale now for $5 each
or three tickets for $10 at Jake's two locations
at 36755 Goddard Road and 12003 South
Huron River Dr. Tickets also can be pur-
chased at the Animal Shelter, 12300 Wayne
Road, and from shelter supporter and
Councilman William Wadsworth by calling
(734) 941-0616.
The drawing will take place during the
annual Romulus Downtown Development
Authority (DDA) Pumpkin Festival at 5 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 22, on the entertainment stage
of the Wabash Freight House in Romulus
Historical Park.
The Kardys, who have owned businesses
in Romulus for more than four years, have
supported the shelter since its inception after
they were approached by Wadsworth about
the shelter and its needs.
They donate gift cards for the annual
bowling outing that raisesmoney for the shel-
ter and they contribute refreshments for the
See
Raffle,
page 4
On a roll
Scooter raffle to
benefit animal shelter
Tips from public led to fast arrest of bank robbery suspect
Animal Control Officer Kim Ratcliff (left), Councilman William Wadsworth, Jake Kardys, owner
of Jake's Auto & Truck Repair and Romulus resident Frances Wanamaker admire the scooter
to be raffled off to benefit the Romulus Animal Shelter.
Members of the Northville Township Board of Trustees and State Rep.
Kurt Heise, were on hand for a ceremonial final clean up of the former
prison site Monday morning.
Northville celebrates prison demolition