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The Michigan Recreation and
Park Association (MRPA) has re-
elected JeanetteWilliams, business
operations coordinator for Canton
Leisure Services, to the 2013 execu-
tive board as secretary/treasurer
for a two-year term.
An active member of MRPA
since 2006, Williams has served on
various committees and was
named to the executive board in
2012.
"It is so very important that we
take pride in and work toward
maintaining a healthy environment
and healthy lifestyles," said
Williams. "By being involved in
MRPA and the National
Recreation and Park Association
(NRPA), I can help advocate for
parks and recreation for individu-
als of all economic backgrounds
here in Canton and throughout the
country."
Williams has shared her experi-
ences as a professional speaker at
the Michigan Recreation Annual
Conference and has been invited
by theFloridaRecreation andPark
Association to speak at their state
conference this month, where she
will share some of her Canton
experiences with outdoor fitness
programs, fundraising, and employ-
ee training.
In 2006, Williams joined Canton
Leisure Services as the aquatics
and health and wellness recreation
specialist and was promoted to
business operations coordinator in
2013. During her tenure, Williams
has helped develop the Summit
swimming program, expand the
health and wellness program,
structure staff training programs,
and most recently coordinate the
national re-accreditation by the
Commission for Accreditation of
Park and Recreation Agencies
(CAPRA)of Canton.
In addition to her involvement
in promoting local and state Parks
and Recreation, Williams is active-
ly involved in the National
Recreation andParkAssociation as
a member of their Certified Park
and Recreation Professional
Committee. She was also recog-
nized in November 2011 as being
one of the first NRPA members to
earn her Park and Recreation
ExecutiveCertification.
The Michigan Recreation and
Park Association serves communi-
ties throughout the State of
Michigan in providing services and
resources to their residents.
Founded in 1935, the Michigan
Recreation and Park Association
also provides advocacy, resources
and professional development
opportunities to a devoted and
diverse membership of park and
recreation agencies, professionals,
vendors and advocates.
Partnerships fostered and devel-
oped by MRPA have helped pave
the way for statewide programs
such as: Recreation 101, Trails and
Greenways initiatives, Municipal
Golf Trail, and the No Child Left
Inside Coalition. For more infor-
mation about the Michigan
Recreation and Park Association,
visit www.mrpaonline.org.
City Manager Paul Sincock reported at the
bi-monthly Northville-Plymouth Fire
Advisory Board meeting last Monday that
conditions were normalizing for the
Plymouth City-Northville Fire station after it
was nearly destroyed when a fire engine
caught fire in the garage area lastmonth.
Chairman Ed Hingelberg said he was very
pleased the fire station was back in service
less than twomonths after the fire.
Northville Fire Chief Jim Allen reported
that he was investigating and working on
finding a replacement mini pumper, similar
to the one destroyed. Themodel he is looking
at does not include some small modifications,
he said. Allen, who is involved in vendor dis-
cussions, estimateddelivery at sixmonths.
Allen also said he was in line for purchas-
ing new replacement fire hoses and the
board approved the purchase with a resolu-
tion.
Plymouth Police Chief Al Cox said bids for
replacement radios were approximately
$7,500. with a one-monthdelivery promise.
Other items discussedwere themutual aid
protocols with the City of Novi, and Plymouth
Township and further training for police offi-
cers regarding “sizing-up” a fire; knowing
when they should enter a building and when
they should wait for firefighters to arrive at
the scene.
Hingelberg suggested the communities
might want to consider training police offi-
cers to drive fire trucks. Apparently, the lost
mini-pumper could have been saved had one
of the policeman at the station known how to
drive it out the door, according to the discus-
sion.
Meetings, which take place on alternate
months, take place at either the Northville
and Plymouth city halls and are open to the
public.
The next board meeting is scheduled for
Oct. 7 inNorthville.
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August 15, 2013
C
ANTON
- N
ORTHVILLE
- P
LYMOUTH
Robbery suspect granted psychiatric exam
Canton woman re-elected to state board
City fire station repairs are ‘progressing well’
Rain gardens to be topic
Michael James Stachowski, 33,
the man accused of robbing the
Bank of America branch on Five
Mile and Beck roads July 26,
appeared in 35th District Court
before Judge Michael J. Gerou
last Friday for a preliminary
examination on the charges.
Stachowski has been in the
Wayne County Jail since his
arrest and subsequent arraign-
ment on July 27. Stachowski,
charged with one count of bank
robbery, was taken into custody
by police at his Canton Township
home the day following the rob-
bery.
At the hearing, Stachowski's
attorney, Todd Russell Perkins,
asked the judge to grant a psychi-
atric examination for his client to
determine his competency to
stand trial. Gerou granted the
request and ordered Stachowski
sent to the Michigan Department
of Community Health forensic
psychiatry facility in Ypsilanti.
He will be back in court in
approximately eight weeks.
Reports show the suspect
entered the bank and presented
the teller with a note asking for
money and her wallet. The teller
handed the robber more than
$2,000 in cash, but not herwallet.
After a photo taken from the
bank's surveillance video was
posted by the media, a family
member identified Stachowski
andnotifiedpolice.
Perkins acknowledged that
Stachowski, considered a habitu-
al offender, had two previous
felony charges, both for armed
robberies and had been sen-
tenced to 2-1/2 to 15 years for
armed robbery in Wayne County
Circuit Court in 2008.
The case has been assigned to
Wayne County Prosecutor Eric
Sterbis.
He will be back in court in
approximately eight weeks.
”
Jeanette Williams
Friends of the Rouge will sponsor a rain
garden workshop from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Aug. 20.
The free workshop will take place at the
Northville Township Hall, located at 44405 Six
MileRoad, Northville.
Rain gardens also improve habitat for birds,
butterflies and other important pollinators,
explained Cyndi Ross, the River Restoration
ProgramManager forFriends of theRouge
“I encourage everyone to install a rain gar-
den on their property,” said Ross “They are a
low cost, effective way to deal with one of the
leading problems in the Rouge River today -
the problem of too much rain water rushing
from parking lots, roads and subdivisions
through storm sewers directly to the river
every time it rains.”
There are 1.5 million people living on the
land drained by the Rouge River. If each
household installed a small rain garden
improvements to the river would be huge, she
added.
Visit the Friends of the Rouge website at
www.therouge.org for more information to reg-
ister to attend the rain garden workshop.
Funding for the workshop provided by the
Michigan Association of Environmental
Professionals.