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SSOCIATED
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EWSPAPERS OF
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ICHIGAN
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August 16, 2018
I
NKSTER
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OMULUS
Free Health Fair is Sunday
Mother facing charges as toddler left in car
CITY OF ROMULUS
BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS NOTICE OF A PUBLIC HEARING
WEDNESDAY,
September 5, 2018
7:00 p.m.
Notice is hereby given that the City of Romulus Board of Zoning Appeals will hold a public hear-
ing at
7:00 p.m.
on
Wednesday, September 5, 2018
at the Romulus City Hall, 11111 Wayne Road
to consider the following petitions:
1. BZA-2018-013;
Adrian Blindu
requesting a variance from
Section 13.03(a)(2) Fences
of the
Zoning Ordinance to allow a fence in the front yard. Fences are not permitted in the front yard in
the R-1A/RCOD, residential zoning district. The subject property is located at 38989 Wabash
(Parcel ID #80-118-99-0009-000).
2. TEMP-2018-006;
Deranged Haunted Attraction
requesting temporary use approval for an out-
door haunted attraction with a walking trail and temporary structure from 9/21/18 through
10/28/18. The subject property is located at 35560 Goddard (Parcel ID #80-068-01-0027-002).
3. BZA-2018-014;
Paradise Construction Group
requesting a variance from
Section 8.04(a),
Schedule of Regulations, M-T Industrial Transportation District
of the Zoning Ordinance to
maintain the existing 0-foot side setback; a side setback of 10 feet is required. The applicant is
proposing a building addition and redevelopment of a gravel parking lot for a contractor's office.
The subject property is located at 27990 Wick (Parcel ID #80-048-99-0041-000).
Copies of the applications are available for review at City Hall during regular business hours which
are 8:00 am - 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday. All interested parties are encouraged to attend and
will be given an opportunity to comment on said requests. Written comments may be submitted and
should be addressed to Carol Maise, City Planner, Planning Department, 11111 Wayne Road,
Romulus, MI 48174-1485.
Ellen Craig-Bragg, City Clerk
City of Romulus, Michigan
Publish: August 16, 2018
RM0326 - 081618 2.5 x 5.043
MINUTES OF REGULAR ROMULUS CITY COUNCIL MEETING
July 23, 2018
Romulus City Hall Council Chambers, 11111 Wayne Rd. Romulus, MI 48174
The meeting was called to order at 7:30 p.m. by Mayor Pro-Tem John Barden.
Pledge of Allegiance
Roll Call:
John Barden, Celeste Roscoe, William Wadsworth, Eva Webb, Virginia Williams.
Excused:
Kathy Abdo, Tina Talley.
Administrative Officials in Attendance:
LeRoy D. Burcroff, Mayor
Barb Fitzgerald, Deputy Clerk
Excused:
Stacy Paige, Treasurer
1.
Moved by
Roscoe,
seconded by
Wadsworth
to accept the agenda as presented.
Motion Carried
Unanimously
.
18-243 2A.
Moved by
Wadsworth,
seconded by
Webb
to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of the
Romulus City Council held on July 9, 2018.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
18-244 2B.
Moved by
Wadsworth,
seconded by
Roscoe
to approve the minutes of the special meeting of the
Romulus City Council held on July 9, 2018 – Open Session, Saw Grant
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
3. Petitioner
18-245 3A.
Moved by
Wadsworth,
seconded by
Williams
to approve the request from Edward Evanoff, 37244
Wabash, for a block party to be held on Saturday, August 11, 2018 from 8:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m.
Motion
Carried Unanimously
.
4. Chairperson’s Report
18-246 4A.
Moved by
Webb,
seconded by
Roscoe
to recognize Mary Geneva Dendy on her 90 th birthday.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
4.
Moved by
Roscoe,
seconded by
Webb
to accept the Chairperson’s Report.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
5. Mayor’s Report
Mayor Burcroff presented a video of upcoming City events
18-247 5A.
Moved by
Wadsworth,
seconded by
Webb
to concur with the administration and adopt the Annual
Community Resolution Accepting Long-Term Maintenance of Storm Water Management System.
Motion
Carried Unanimously
.
18-248 5B.
Moved by
Roscoe,
seconded by
Wadsworth
to concur with the administration and extend Bid Award
17/18-23 for the purchase of two 2019 Ford Police Interceptor Utility AWD vehicles for the Romulus Police
Department with Signature Ford in the amount of $65,730.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
18-249 5C.
Moved by
Webb,
seconded by
Roscoe
to concur with the administration and extend Bid Award
17/18-24 for the up-fitting of two 2019 Ford Police Interceptor Utility AWD vehicles for the Romulus Police
Department with ABS Storage Products in the amount of $16,634.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
18-250 5D.
Moved by
Wadsworth,
seconded by
Webb
to concur with the administration and award the contract
for the replacement parts of the decorative street lights located in the DDA District for the City of Romulus
DDA, to the overall lowest bidder, Anixter, Inc., for the purchase of any of the items priced and at the bid price
on an as-needed basis for two years, ending May 23, 2020.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
18-251 5E.
Moved by
Roscoe,
seconded by
Wadsworth
to concur with the administration and authorize the
mayor and clerk to enter into a Development Agreement with Realty Transitions, LLC for the redevelopment
and/or demolition of homes on properties that the City acquires from Wayne County from the 2018 tax foreclo-
sure First Right of Refusal sale. Discussion: A resident asked what compensation the City will receive through
the Rehab Program, Mayor Burcroff explained more rooftops. Councilman Wadsworth asked for confirmation
that this is no cost to the City, confirmed by the mayor. Councilwoman Williams commented that Realty
Transitions, LLC has been awarded the bid three years in a row.
Roll Call Vote: Ayes
– Barden, Roscoe,
Wadsworth, Webb.
Nays
– Williams.
Motion Carried
.
18-252 5F (1).
Moved by
Wadsworth,
seconded by
Webb
to concur with the administration and authorize a no-
fee permit for all Pumpkin Festival and Parade of Lights activities during the Pumpkin Festival Weekend,
September 21 through September 23, 2018.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
18-253 5F (2).
Moved by
Webb,
seconded by
Roscoe
to concur with the administration and authorize the clo-
sure of Hunt Street between Goddard Road and Bibbins Street beginning at 8:00 a.m., and the closure of Goddard
Road between Moore Street and the railroad tracks beginning at 12:00 p.m. on Friday, September 21, 2018 and
ending at 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 23, 2018.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
18-254 5F (3).
Moved by
Roscoe,
seconded by
Wadsworth
to concur with the administration and authorize the
closure of Goddard Road starting at Wayne Road and ending at Five Points to begin at 7:00 p.m. on Friday,
September 21, 2018 and re-opening at 10:00 p.m. Friday, September 21, 2018 for the Rotary Parade of Lights.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
18-255 5G.
Moved by
Webb,
seconded by
Roscoe
to concur with the administration and authorize the closure
of Goddard Road between Sterling Street and Shook Road beginning at 9:00 p.m. on Friday, July 27, 2018 and
ending at 12:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 28, 2018 as well as Friday, August 24, 2018 beginning at 9:00 p.m. until
12:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 29, 2018 for the Community Events following the Sounds in Downtown.
Motion
Carried Unanimously
.
6A. Clerk’s Report
18-256 6
A
1.
Moved by
Wadsworth
, seconded by
Webb
to concur with Building and Safety Director, Robert
McCraight, to approve the removal of the single-family residential structure and garagelocated at 35606 Bibbins
from Demolition List 18-01.
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
6B. Treasurer’s Report
7. Public Comment
A resident commented on the upcoming State Primary Election. Jan Lemmon, Chairperson, Cemetery Board of
Trustees, announced the Medal of Honor Ceremony which will take place on Thursday, Aug. 23, 2018 at 6:00
p.m. at the Romulus Memorial Cemetery.
8. Unfinished Business
9. New Business
Councilman Wadsworth informed that he has received calls regarding the tall weeds obstructing the view of traf-
fic on Pennsylvania Road between Inkster and Middlebelt Roads. Mayor Burcroff will look into that matter.
10. Communication
Councilwoman Williams informed that all refreshments will be free at the Friday movie night this week at the
APA/Coleman Center Festival; spectators just need to bring a chair.
18-257 11
. Moved by
Roscoe,
seconded by
Webb
to pay Warrant 18-14 in the amount of $1,656,296.09.
Motion
Carried Unanimously
.
12.
Moved by
Wadsworth,
seconded by
Roscoe
to adjourn the regular meeting of the Romulus City Council
Motion Carried Unanimously
.
I, Ellen L. Craig-Bragg, Clerk for the City of Romulus, Michigan do hereby certify the foregoing to be a true
copy of the minutes of the regular meeting of the Romulus City Council held on July 23, 2018.
RM0327 - 081618 2.5 x 10.983
A deceased Medal of Honor recipient
will finally get his deserved recognition at
a special ceremony at 6 p.m. Aug. 23 at the
RomulusMemorial Cemetery.
Organizers of the tribute to the late
Charles Cawetzka are planning an unveil-
ing of a new cemetery monument that
states the late Army hero was indeed a
Medal ofHonor recipient.
The medal was issued to Mr. Cawetzka
in 1902 by President Theodore Roosevelt
for his heroism during the Philippine-
American War on Aug. 23, 1900, in Sariaya
in the province of Quezon, Philippines.
However, Mr. Cawetzka's original gov-
ernment-issued headstone does not recog-
nize him as a Medal of Honor recipient.
Nor does it state he was recognized for his
service in thePhilippine-AmericanWar.
The current headstone shows his dates
of birth (March 1, 1877) and death (Oct. 23,
1951) and states he served as a corporal in
the Army in the 30th United States
Volunteer Infantry in the Spanish-
AmericanWar.
Determined to correct the oversight
when U.S. government officials said they
could not issue a new headstone, mem-
bers of the Romulus Cemetery Board
organized a successful grassroots
fundraiser - a spaghetti dinner - on April
20 at the Romulus Veterans of Foreign
Wars Post 9568.
At $10 per ticket, the dinner raised
enough funds to purchase a new cemetery
monument. About 200 people were in
attendance.
Mr. Cawetzka's family members will be
in attendance on Aug. 23, just as they sup-
ported the spaghetti dinner.
Janet Lemmon, chairwoman of the
Romulus Cemetery Board, said the cere-
mony Aug. 23 will include Romulus Mayor
LeRoy D. Burcroff; Director of Fire
Services and Emergency Management
Kevin Krause, who is also a retired U.S.
Army specialist; Chaplains Brian and
Michelle Major; the VFW color guard;
Donna Rekuta of the VFW; Boy Scouts
Troop 872; members of the Cemetery
Board, and Riverview resident Greg
Farino, a retired Army master sergeant
who discovered the Medal of Honor omis-
sion.
A living Medal of Honor recipient,
Charles Kettles of Ypsilanti, will unveil
themonument.
"This is history,” Lemmon said. “We are
encouraging the public to come out and
acknowledgewhat our veterans have done
for us. Without our veterans, where would
we be?”
Farino learned of the Medal of Honor
omission and researched Mr. Cawetzka's
military history, discovering that he “sin-
gle-handedly defended a disabled com-
rade against a greatly superior force of the
enemy.”
Farino said he loves military history,
studies military gravesites and corrects
mistakes and omissions. He was research-
ing another gravesite when he learned of
Mr. Cawetzka's grave. He noted the Medal
of Honor is the highest honor of the mili-
tary.
According to records discovered by
Farino, seven months before the incident
that led to the Medal of Honor, Mr.
Cawetzka was severely wounded in both
thighs during an engagement in the town
of Imus in the Philippine province of
Cavite.
On Aug. 23, 1900, he single-handedly
guarded a wounded comrade until rein-
forcements arrived during a battle in the
Philippines.
Farino contacted the office of City
Clerk Ellen Craig Bragg and then followed
up with an appearance at a Cemetery
Board meeting last October to make his
case. Lemmon met with Burcroff, who
gave his blessing on a campaign to fund a
newmonument.
Romulus Public Services Director
Robert McCraight contacted a representa-
tive of the Veterans Administration and
learned that since Mr. Cawetzka has a
“historic” headstone that is “still servicea-
ble,” the marker would not be replaced by
the government. And even if it were to
break and needed to be replaced, a
replacement would include the original
language, which did not include recogni-
tion of theMedal ofHonor.
The Cemetery Board purchased the
monument with the help of Crane Funeral
Home of Romulus and InchMonuments of
Northville.
“We are honored to have a 187-year-old
cemetery with a Medal of Honor recipient
in it,” Lemmon said. “We are paying trib-
ute to a man 116 years late. This day will
be for Charles Cawetzka andhis family.”
Honored
Ceremony planned for Medal of Honor winner
Members of Mr. Charles Cawetzka's family including three of his grandchildren, in the
front row, their spouses behind them along with great-grandchildren and even a great-
great-grandchild display the Medal of Honor certificate he was awarded, the highest
military award granted in the United States.
Photo by Dave Grogan
Mr. Charles Cawetzka
Adventist Community Services will
present a health fair from noon until 6
p.m. Sunday, Aug. 19.
The event will take place at American
International Academy, 27100 Avondale
St. in Inkster.
The health fair is free and will include
health screenings for blood pressure, cho-
lesterol and glucose and stroke risk
assessment, provided by professionals
fromBeaumontHospital.
There will be free school supplies,
prizes and refreshments at the event,
organizers said.
Also planned is a bounce house for
children and representatives from
Neighborhood Legal Services/Michigan
Elder Law, Oak Street Health, Senior
Alliance Service Network and Wayne
EmergencyCare.
The event is a presentation of the
Sharon Seventh-Day Adventist Church,
28537Cherry St. in Inkster.
For more information about the free
event, call (313) 293-9753.
An Inkster woman has been charged
with child abuse for leaving her 3-year-old
unattended in a vehicle for more than five
hours.
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy
has charged Talayia Lara ReneeWellams,
25, of Inkster, in connection with leaving
the child in a vehicle in the Motor City
Casino parking garage.
According to prosecutors, security offi-
cers from Motor City Casino discovered
the 3-year-old alone in a vehicle parked
on the third floor of the casino parking
garage at about 7:20 a.m. Aug. 3. The
defendant and her aunt were discovered
inside the casino approximately five
hours later, according to official reports.
Wellams has been charged with child
abuse - second degree and leaving a child
in a car unattended. She was arraigned
on Saturday, Aug. 4, in 34th District Court
when she received a $50,000 or 10 percent
bond.
A preliminary court examination is
scheduled for tomorrow before Judge
WilliamMcConico in 36thDistrict Court.
To subscribe to The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
