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SSOCIATED
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EWSPAPERS OF
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ICHIGAN
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AGE
5
September 15, 2011
I
NKSTER
- W
AYNE
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ESTLAND
Literacy Day is Saturday
The Josie Odum Morris Literacy Project
will host the 2nd Annual Literacy Day
Extravaganza from noon until 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 17, at the Booker T. Dozier
RecreationComplex, 2025Middlebelt Road.
The event is free and open to the public.
Co-sponsored by Target, Comerica Bank,
Detroit DTE Energy, Panera Bread, and the
Telegram Newspaper, the 2nd Annual
Literacy Day Extravaganza will include pep
rallies, guest speakers; book readings, free
new books, poetry and backpack giveaways
to the first 200 school-aged children to attend
the event, on-site registration for literacy
tutoring services, and other activities that
celebrate literacy.
A special performance by Learning
Express will begin the day that features
keynote speakers including Rebecca M.
Thompson, director of national young adult
leadership development organization,
Young People For (YP4); City of Inkster
Mayor Hilliard L. Hampton III;
Superintendent of Inkster Public Schools Dr.
Paula Daniels; and Lorenzo George Odum,
brother of literacy project inspiration, Josie
OdumMorris.
The 2011 Literacy Advocate Awards
which recognize greater Detroit organiza-
tions that have promoted literacy and con-
tributed to community improvement over
the past year, will be presented, hosted by
Mix 92.3 FM radio personality Tracy
McCaskill, and co-hosted by Terohn Mathis,
a Taylor Public Schools 5th grader who
wrote the prize-winning entry for the
“ReadingRocks!” contest.
Community partners of the literacy proj-
ect include InsideOut Literary Arts Project,
Wayne County Health and Family Services
Head Start, StarfishFamily Services, Inkster
Red Hatters, Inkster Parks and Recreation
Commission, Telegram Newspaper, As the
Page Turns Book Store, Pearson Scott
Foresman Southeastern Michigan, Sam's
Club of Canton, Greater Quinn AME Church
of Detroit, Middlebelt Baptist Church, DTE
Energy, Target, Comerica Bank, Mix 92.3FM,
andGrossePointeRotaryClub.
For more information contact Robin
Morris, founder and president at (734)
620.1335.
Recycling of electronics
now available in Westland
Westland residents will now be able to
dispose of outdated and unwanted elec-
tronic equipment without threatening the
environment.
City council members recently
approved a two-year contract with
Vintage Tech of Romeoville, IL for elec-
tronic equipment recycling services.
Residents can now take unwanted elec-
tronics to the drop site at the Westland
Recycling Center on Marquette and
Vintage Tech will pick them up and prop-
erly recycle or dispose of the components.
Vintage Tech will then pay the city
based on type and weight of the items col-
lected and recycled, according to
WestlandMayorWilliamR.Wild.
Items to be accepted at the electronic
recycling drop off site include Covered
Electronic Devices (CEDs), including
computers, computer monitors, televi-
sions and printers, Eligible Electronic
Devices (EEDs), including mobile tele-
phones, computer cable, mouse or key-
boards, facsimile machines, MP3 players,
portable digital assistants, video game
consoles, video cassette recorders/play-
ers, digital video disk players, or similar
devices; zip drives and scanners. Other
electronic devices include microwave
ovens, telephones, stereos, radios and
small household appliances. Vintage Tech
cannot accept large appliances such as air
conditioners, stoves, refrigerators and
freezers or hazardous waste including
paint, cleaners and any items containing
mercury.
The drop off site is at 37137 Marquette,
Wild said. He added that the contract
includes an option for a third year and
that either party can cancel the agree-
ment witha 30-daywrittennotice.
Council agrees to televise candidates’ forum
A candidate forum in the City of Wayne will
be televised, after all.
City council members voted 5-0 last week to
approve the cablecast of the forum, which will
take place on Sept. 21 at the Wayne Public
Library and be conducted by the League of
WomenVoters and theWayneP3 group.
“It is what the past practice is and the poli-
cy has not been changed,” said City Manager
Robert English. “If the tape is presented to us,
the city staff can put it on the channel we can
air it a couple times a day. We need to be con-
sistent with a policy that has not been
changed.”
English said he has been looking into the
issue since the last council meeting in August,
when he was directed to clarify the city policy
and past practice of the city for political mes-
sages on the public access and government
access channels.
Ron Roberts, a Wayne resident and the
head of the Wayne P3 organization, had asked
for the forum to be televised, citing the show-
ing of the informational videos about the two
tax increases as a precedent.
English said he had talked with the cable
providers in the city and, with help from
mayor pro tem Donna McEachern, found
videotapes of candidate videos that aired in
1995. He said, based on that, he recommended
the city council either change the city policy or
allow the forumto be aired.
Mayor Al Haidous, who initially saidhe did-
n't want to air the forum, agreed.
“We can't change the policy in themiddle of
the game,” he said. “If the precedent has been
set, I think it's the wrong time to change the
policy; it'll create too much hardship in the
community.”
The approval also allows candidates who
don't take part in the forum to air their own
video, which did not sit well with city council-
woman andmayoral candidate SusanRowe.
“If somebody can't attend, I think they
should ask the same questions,” she said.
The council will most likely form a commit-
tee to look at the policy after the November
election.
English said he isn't sure exactly when the
forumwould air.
“Typically, we can air it a couple times a
day for a coupleweeks,” he said.
Roberts said the forum takes place from
6:30-8 p.m. onSept 21 and the public is invited.
“It looks like we might fill the room,” he
said.
Haidous is defending his seat against
Rowe, who decided to vie for mayor instead of
her council seat. Incumbent Al Damitio is
seeking re-election to the council, and is
opposed by Lorne ‘Skip' Monit, a former mem-
ber of the Wayne-Westland Community School
Board, William Long, Chris Sanders, and John
Rhaesa.