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No. 36
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
75¢
September 11 – 17, 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
Stephanie Strasser, a 17-
year veteran of the depart-
ment, has been named as the
2014 Wayne Police Officer of
theYear.
See page 4.
Mayor Leroy Burcroff
said the Books in the Park
program which provides a
box for books in two recently
reopened city parks would
continue, despite a minor
“hiccup.”
See page 3
.
The City of Plymouth
recently received an
improved rating from the
Insurance Service Office,
Inc. following an evaluation
of the city fire services.
See page 5.
The homecoming parade
and high school football
game in Northville has been
rescheduled for Friday, Oct.
10 followed by the homecom-
ing football game.
See page 6.
A 43-year-old Van Buren
Township resident was
arraigned on second-degree
murder and felony firearm
charges Monday in 34th
District Court following a
shooting Sept. 5.
See page 2.
Vol. 129, No. 36
Vol. 67, No. 36
Vol. 67, No. 36
Vol. 14, No. 36
Vol. 129, No. 36
Vol. 67, No. 36
Vol. 67, No. 36
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
The Soul Men, a Blues
Brothers tribute band, and
several other popular local
bands will put the "blues"
into the All-American Blues,
Brews, and Barbecue event
inWestland thisweekend.
See page 5.
Registration is under way
for Bark for Life of Canton, a
noncompetitive
walk
designed to take a bite out of
cancer by funding the
AmericanCancer Society.
See page 7
.
Vol. 14, No. 36
Two women charged with
threatening an Inkster co-
worker in a restaurant park-
ing lot Aug. 14will face a pre-
liminary hearing at the 35th
District Court tomorrow.
See page 6.
While Van Buren Township
residents protested the dumping
of radioactive fracking waste in
their community during a meet-
ing last week, officials from the
Department of Environmental
Quality (DEQ) are considering a
request to increase the allowable
radiation levels of waste accept-
ed at the facility.
An application from the own-
ers of theWayne Disposal landfill
in Van Buren Township to
increase the level of radiation in
waste received at the site was
submitted to the DEQ last
October, prior to widespread
reports of the radioactive materi-
al being shipped to the Wayne
Disposal site from out-of-state
fracking operations. The level for
radiation in Michigan is set at 50
picocuries, which is 100 times
greater than naturally occurring
levels, according to State Rep.
Douglas Geiss (D-Taylor). Geiss
and State Rep. Dian Slavens (D-
Canton) have introduced a bill
which would ban the practice of
other states’ dumping fracking
byproduct inMichigan.
According to state records,
MichiganDisposal has been cited
for multiple safety violations dur-
ing the past nine years. Violations
included a leak in the hazardous
waste landfill protective liner;
toxic leacheate spills into surface
water; improper venting and
monitoring of stored under-
ground hazardous waste; dispos-
ing of hazardous waste in non-
hazardous landfill locations and
failing to control chemical reac-
tions during processing causing
at least nine fires in the past nine
years. The site was, however,
granted permission to nearly
double the size of the landfill in
2012.
In Pennsylvania and Ohio, the
limit on radiation inwastematter
is 5 picocuries which prompted
the shipping of 36 tons of radioac-
tive waste to the landfill in Van
Buren. Those states cannot
obtain federal permits for the
dumping of the radioactive mate-
rial as it exceeds the state pic-
ocuries limit.
Concern over the hazards of
hauling dangerous, flammable
and toxic rail cargo through the
surrounding
Plymouth,
Northville and Canton communi-
ties remains a topic of discussion,
now compounded by the poten-
tial railroad transport of radioac-
tive waste. Plymouth, a major
railroad intersection, is the daily
route of trains regularly trans-
porting hazardous materials
Petition language has been
submitted toWayne County elec-
tion officials for approval of bal-
lot language to recall four
Plymouth Township officials. A
hearing before a three-judge
panel was scheduled this week
to review the proposed ballot
language prepared by residents
for clarity and factuality.
If approved by the three-
judge panel, residents led by for-
mer PlymouthTownshipDeputy
Clerk Sandra Groth, will circu-
late the petitions to recall
Plymouth Township Supervisor
Richard Reaume, Treasurer
Ron Edwards, Clerk Nancy
Conzelman and Trustee Kay
Arnold.
Residents would be required
to collect a minimum of 3,190
township voters' signatures, or
25 percent of the voter turnout
in the 2010 election, on the
recall petitions for each of the
four board members, if the lan-
guage is approved. Last week,
Groth and township resident
Ken Garner filed the recall peti-
tions and issued individual
notices to the four township offi-
cials.
Citing blatant disrespect and
failure to respond to residents'
repeated requests and concerns,
the group wants to remove the
officials from office as soon as
possible. At issue is what the
recall group describes as the
lack of transparency and poor
leadership. In August the board
attempted to change the meet-
ing rules to disallow public com-
ments from being posted to the
minutes, but could not come to
agreement.
Christopher Hunter, a town-
ship resident who has recently
challenged board members'
decisions regarding the new
amphitheater, said the proposed
meeting rules regarding min-
utes are not needed.
“It seems to fly in the face of
every basic principle of democ-
racy we have,” Hunter said. “If
you want things to be civil and
professional then you have open
dialogue and invite everyone to
the table.”
Hunter said the recall was
not only about the amphitheater
which has prompted numerous
citizen protests and criticism of
officials. “This isn't just about
the amphitheater,”Hunter said.
Township residents have
filled township hall board meet-
ings in recent months, written to
newspapers and used to social
media to express their dislike
for a $850,000 pavilion and
$350,000 amphitheater set to be
built in the 80-acre McClumpha
Park which backs up to a quiet
neighborhood with upscale
homes.
In April, the board voted 4-3
to hire an architecture-engi-
neering firm to commence the
work on the amphitheater dur-
ing a confrontational exchange
of views where residents claim
their objections and concerns
were again ignored and dis-
missedby the officials.
Residents claim there was no
feasibility study or business
plan, no revenue or expense
projections and that they were
denied their right to vote on the
issue. They say township offi-
cials promised a survey to deter-
mine recreational interest but
that has not happened.
“These are the same people
who refused to allow residents
to vote on a millage question to
fund a fire department. This is
the township, under their lead-
ership, that now depends on a
skeleton crew of firefighters,
and an Ann Arbor-based ambu-
lance company. Our rights are
being violated,” said Susan
Bondie, chairperson of
PlymouthConcernedCitizens.
“This is going to require a lot
of work and a lot of people will-
ing to work.” Said Groth who is
now conducting training classes
for the petition circulators.
“We're going to get this done,
and we're going to do it the right
way.”
City streets will come alive with cos-
tumed characters and merchants will
greet their customers in styles popular
during the 1800s during the 27th Annual
Victorian Festival in downtown Northville
thisweekend
Hosted by the Northville Chamber of
Commerce, the annual event is a commu-
nity celebration of the erawhenNorthville
was founded as a village and features
events, entertainment and fun for the
whole family.
The 2014 Festival theme is The
Lumbering Industry, a significant feature
of the Victorian Era that largely con-
tributed to the expansion and growth of
the country, state and community, accord-
ing to the chamber website. The theme
will be evident during the lumberjack
show, featuring chainsaw carving and the
Great Lakes Timber Show with demon-
strations and exhibits.
AMill Race vendor will be at Northville
Square shopping center from noon until 5
p.m. today, tomorrow and Saturday to sell
Victorian clothing.
Festival highlights include the Festival
Parade at 6:30 Friday, Sept. 12 sponsored
by St. John Providence Hospital; non-prof-
it booths selling food and drink all week-
end; Ryde Park Carnival at Northville
Downs sponsored by Community
Financial Credit Union; an art fair man-
aged by Handcrafters Unlimited; a
Victorian saloon with musical entertain-
ment; strolling entertainers; Eclipse
Vintage Baseball at 11 a.m. Saturday at
Ford Field; stiltwalkers; exhibits and
activities at Mill Race Historic Village; the
Barnyard Express Animal Show and
Petting Farm and several other activities
and events. The presenting sponsor of the
festival isDickScott AutomotiveGroup.
Information about the festival is avail-
able from the Northville Chamber of
Commerce at (248) 349-7640.
ART FAIR - W. Main andN. Center Street
PresentedbyHandcraftersUnlimited
Friday, Sept. 12, 4 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 13, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 14, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Crafters will be on site selling a variety
of items, including: pottery, soaps, jewelry,
textiles, candles, fall produce andmore.
ECLIPSEVINTAGEBASEBALL - Ford Field
Saturday, Sept. 13 at 1 p.m. vs. Black
SwampFrogs at FordField
The Eclipse Base Ball Club of
Northville is a group of baseball and histo-
ry enthusiasts who play other "vintage"
teams using the rules and gentlemanly
conduct of the 1860’s. Their matches are
family-friendly and often coincide with
historic re-enactments and festivals.
BARNYARDEXPRESSANIMAL
SHOWS/PETTINGFARM
Main andCenter Streets
Saturday, Sept. 13 noon - 5 p.m.
Time travel
Victorian Festival
honors history
of community
Township residents file recall petitions against 4
”
CSX, according to the Federal Railway Administration,
had more than 200 derailments and accidents in 2012.
Does radioactive waste pose local threat?
See
Victorian,
page 6
See
Waste,
page 2