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No. 34
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
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August 21 – 27, 2014
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
Judge Laura Mack at the
29th District recused herself
from the case against Wayne
activist Chris Sanders during
proceedings last week.
See page 5.
Romulus City Council
members hosted a grand re-
opening last week of
Fernandez Park, also known
as the Big Park by those who
live near it.
See page 3.
Kimberly Villarosa, who
has spent her entire career
at the Plymouth-Canton
Educational Park, has been
named principal of Salem
HighSchool.
See page 5.
Northville Public Schools
students earned high marks
in all categories on the most
recent state-mandated com-
petency tests.
See page 4.
Area artist Elizabeth Jane
Kovach, 92, who died at her
Belleville home Aug. 8, will
be remembered by many as
a great artist of theMidwest.
See page 2.
Vol. 129, No. 34
Vol. 67, No. 34
Vol. 67, No. 34
Vol. 14, No. 34
Vol. 129, No. 34
Vol. 67, No. 34
Vol. 67, No. 34
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
City dignitaries joined
business leaders and resi-
dents to celebrate the grand
opening of the farmers and
artisan market at Central
CityPark last Thursday.
See page 4.
The 3-mile trail connect-
ing the Lower Rouge Trail to
both Flodin and Griffin
parks in Canton Township is
nowopen to the public.
See page 3.
Vol. 14, No. 34
The Leanna Hicks Inkster
Public Library is organizing
a Friends of the Library vol-
unteer group to help with
fundraisers for library pro-
grams and the facility.
See page 2.
Agents from the Drug
Enforcement Agency of the
Department of Justice arrived
at the Plymouth Township
Police Department Monday
afternoon to perform a forensic
audit of township records,
including the accounting for
drug forfeiture funds.
Township officials were
reportedly notified Aug. 1 that
the federal agents would be
arriving from the Chicago office
to examine the records. One
township official who requested
anonymity said the audit is
expected to take up to two
weeks. Municipalities are
required to file detailed
accountings of drug forfeiture
activity with the Department of
Justice on an annual basis.
The Department of Justice
has not responded to aFreedom
of Information Act request sub-
mitted in June by The Eagle
seeking information about the
rumored withholding of funds
due to inaccurate or incomplete
reporting by the township. The
Department of Justice would
only comment that, “There may
be a report next week,” regard-
ing thematter.
The three DEA agents
declined comment upon arrival
Monday andwent directly to the
township police department
where they were immediately
escorted to the back offices.
This audit of financial report-
ing follows a ruling by the
Michigan State Treasury in 2012
denying Plymouth Township
permission to sell or issue
municipal bonds, “…the munic-
ipality ended its last fiscal year
with a deficit in one or more
funds and an acceptable deficit
elimination plan has not been
certified,” according to state
records. The state treasury
office did grant required per-
mission for the bond sale on
Oct. 30, 2012 after the township
sent in a reconsideration
request andmade corrections to
the municipal accounting
records.
Last
year
Plymouth
Township officials were cited by
A 50-year-old Inkster man
drowned in Belleville Lake last
weekend in an attempt to
retrieve a boat motor cover from
thewater.
According to reports from the
VanBurenDepartment of Public
Safety, a 911 call was received
from the owner of a home on
Belleville Lake at about 5:54
p.m. last Saturday, Aug. 16. The
caller told police that a man had
fallen into the lake while work-
ing on a board in the 43400 block
of South I-94 Service Drive. The
caller told the dispatcher that
the man had fallen into the
water while attempting to
retrieve the boat motor cover
and that rescue efforts failed.
His companions were unable to
locate in him the water of the
lake.
Police verified the location of
the incident and dispatched
police units, fire apparatus, the
Van Buren Township Marine
Division, the Wayne County
Sheriff Marine Division, the Van
Buren Township Dive Team and
Huron Valley Ambulance to the
location.
At the scene, officers were
able to establish the last point
the man was seen utilizing two
police boats. Dive operations
were initiated by the Van Buren
Dive Team at 6:36 p.m. and offi-
cers were able to locate the vic-
timwithin four minutes in about
15 feet of water approximately
20 feet from the closest dock. He
was about 40 feet from shore,
according to police reports of the
incident.
Huron Valley Ambulance and
the Van Buren Township Fire
Department immediately initiat-
ed life saving efforts and the
man was transported by Huron
It has been nearly four years
since Constantino DelSignore
was killed in a tragic accident on
his South Lyon farm, but his
friends and family are keeping
his memory and his spirit of giv-
ing alive.
Mr. DelSignore dedicated his
life to serving his community
through many philanthropic
efforts. He was the founder of
CDS Foundation, co-founder of
the Fallen and Wounded Soldiers
Foundation and was an advocate
for many other local, national and
international non-profit organiza-
tions.
He also committed consider-
able effort to Angela Hospice, the
Aliaga Foundation, Barbara Ann
Karmanos Cancer Institute, St.
Mary's Mercy Hospital Our Lady
of Hope Cancer Center, Botsford
Hospital Foundation, McCarty
Foundation, Madonna University,
Hunters Feeding the Homeless,
Livonia Italian American Club,
Hockey Has Hearts, several other
veterans' organizations and his
local Rotary Club, prior to his
death in October of 2010 at the
age of 47.
“Constantino DelSignore gave
with an open heart and, like the
entire DelSignore family, was
always willing to help promote a
worthy cause,” said Richard
Asztalos, a family friend and com-
mittee chairman of the annual
family picnic at Mr. DelSignore's
funeral.
The third annual family picnic
to help fund the foundation Mr.
Del Signore founded prior to his
death is planned from noon until
7 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 24 at Sweet
Acres Farm, 55880 Eight Mile
Road inSouthLyon.
Proceeds from the event will
be used to build and staff a transi-
tion facility on the farm property
to help thosewho have completed
rehabilitation programs for sub-
stance abuse by providing coun-
seling and employment, a cause
Mr. DelSignore supported with
his foundation.
The estimated cost to build the
transition facility is $500,000 and
the foundation has edged about
Mr. DelSignore dedicated
his life to serving his community
through many philanthropic efforts.
”
Federal agents audit Plymouth Township
See
Picnic,
page 6
See
Death,
page 2
There will be classic cars,
face painting, balloon artists,
wood carvers, a bounce house,
a petting farm and a live band,
but the real attraction will be
the corn.
Roasted to perfection, the
all-you-can-eat corn roast is one
of the major events of the
Canton Lions Club each year.
The civic group will also be
serving hot dogs, baked beans,
watermelon, ice cream, cotton
candy, sno-cones and bever-
ages, all served for a free-will
donation to theLions Club.
All funds raised through the
donations will be used to assist
and support the charities fund-
ed by the Lions Club who serve
theBelleville andCanton areas.
The event is planned for 11 a.m.
until 5 p.m. Aug. 23 at the
Cady/Boyer Barn located in
Preservation Park on Ridge
Road just north of Cherry Hill
Road .
Events for the day include:
• Americas Most Wanted Car
Club with classic cars from
the past
• Ascent Audiology and
Hearing in Canton will
check hearing of those in
attendance
• CantonConcert Band, official
band of the Village Theater,
will entertain
• Canton Historical Society
will show life as it was in the
past
• Face Painting and a balloon
twister
• Friends of the Bartlett/Travis
House will provide a view of
thehistoric name.
• Greater Detroit Agency for
the Blind will advise about
barrier free living for the
blind
•Kids bouncing house
• Leader Dog School will have
puppies, raisers and dogs for
the blind
• Michigan Eye Bank who pro-
vide sight to four people per
day
•PettingFarmfor the kids
• Project Kids Sight will identi-
fy sight impairments of chil-
dren
• Sisters of the Union will be
wearing attire from the
Victorian era
• Village Wellness Center will
providemassages
• Wood Carvers will sculpt var-
iouswoods
The Canton Lions are a
diverse group that meets once a
month at Rose's Restaurant, 201
N. Canton Center Road in
Canton. For more information
call Lion Bill Van Winkle, (734)
254-9404 or govbill1@wowway.
comor Cantonlions.org .
‘Earrie’ fun
Annual Lions Corn Roast will
benefit visually impaired aid
See
Audit,
page 5
Don Howard
Staff Writer
Inkster man drowns in Belleville Lake Saturday
Family picnic honors memory of charity founder
Agents from the Drug Enforcement Agency arrive at the Plymouth
Township Police Department Monday afternoon.