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August 27, 2020 ASSOCIATED NEWSPAPERS OF MICHIGAN PAGE 5

WAYNE - WESTLAND
WAYNE - WESTLAND

Westland rededicates park to honor civic leader

City of Westland officials working alongside eight
celebrated the official re- other commissioners to
dedication of the Virgil write the Westland City
Gagnon Jaycee Park last Charter.
week. Gagnon was elected to
Mr. Gagnon and his fam- the Westland City Council
ily are among the earliest in 1966 and served as the
civic leaders in Westland, first council president. He
officials said and he and was appointed as Westland
his wife, Harriet, were very City Clerk in 1970 and
active in the community where he served for four
with the PTA, Scouting, years.
and many other civic Prior to his retirement
organizations. In 1946, The in 1974, Mayor Eugene
Gagnons opened the McKinney and the
Hamburger House on Westland City Council pro-
Michigan Avenue and in claimed Dec. 17, 1973 as
the 1950s they opened the Virgil Gagnon Day.
Gagnon & Son's Gulf Gas “Virgil Gagnon worked
Station at the corner of tirelessly on behalf of the
Wayne and Warren roads. community and his work
In 1962, the couple organ- on the City of Westland city
ized the Nankin Township charter helped to make our
Chamber of Commerce. city what it is today,” stated
Mr. Gagnon was Mayor William R. Wild.
appointed as a Nankin “It is an honor to host
Township trustee in 1964 this re-dedication ceremo-
and served as secretary of ny for a true public servant
the Nankin Township of the origination of our
Charter Commission, beloved city.” Virgil Gagnon, bottom right, was a member of the original Nankin Township Charter.
Upgrades to Wayne Atwood Park playscape are delayed

”
Wayne officials are promising that the ported the Atwood Playscape when it was
upgrades to Atwood Park will be worth the We understand that the current playscape erected and those spindles are available at
long wait. the Department of Public Works. Anyone
Despite an official announcement earli- is unsightly and in deplorable shape. who wants to acquire a spindle(s), should
er this year that the park would see a new The city is doing its best to maintain it until contact the DPW and make the necessary
play structure in early spring or summer, arrangements.
no work has been done at the site, prompt- it is demolished and replaced. A contractor will be at the park site to
ing questions from several residents in the remove some trees which is necessary for
area. In a response on the city Facebook the installation of the new playscape.
page, officials said COVID-19 “created the project has been delayed until recent- pleted in 2020,” according to the state- Some other trees may also be removed if
some significant delays with this project.” ly, the statement continued. ment. they are or will be hanging over the play
The play structure removal and new Representatives from Wayne and Workers from the Wayne Department of structure area, officials said.
installation is being funding using a grant Wayne County will show the property to Public Works have removed all of the spin- “We understand that the current
from Wayne County which includes strict interested contractors who specialize in dles around the fence line in preparation playscape is unsightly and in deplorable
guidelines regarding the process, officials playscape buildouts this month, as a for the demolition of the current structure. shape. The city is doing its best to main-
said. mandatory walk-through is part of the bid- The upper and lower portions of the fence tain it until it is demolished and replaced.
“In order to follow the grant guidelines, ding process. Wayne County has issued bid will be removed in the very near future, Please be patient with us as we work hard
the city and the county have to go through requests for the project and those are due officials said. to get this project on track. The new
a formal bid process. Once a bid is accept- by the end of the month. When those bids The spindles have names of individu- playscape is going to be beautiful,” the
ed, the city and county will work with the are received, representatives from the city als, families and organizations who sup- statement concluded.
selected contractor to schedule the project will work with the county to select a con-
timeline,” officials said. tractor for the project.
Several projects were delayed this year A timeline and construction schedule
due to the social distancing requirements will be determined working with the con-
and many of the executive orders put in tractor and the city, representatives said.
place regarding construction. Therefore, “It is still the city's goal to have this com-
Photography exhibit continues

The Gallery at Westland City Hall in ago.
August is hosting an exhibit of the fine art His award-winning style of photogra-
photography of Allen Brooks. phy has been displayed throughout
Brooks, a former Westland portrait stu- Southeast Michigan. The exhibit is free
dio owner turned his talents to fine art and open during regular hours at
photography upon retiring several years Westland City Hall.