No. 38
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
75¢
Sept. 22 – 28, 2016
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
The Wayne Historical
Society will host the third
annual Cemetery Walk from
1-3 p.m. Oct. 2 at Westlawn
(formerly
Glenview)
Cemetery.
See page 7.
Some of the unsung heroes
from the history of
Northville will tell their own
stories near their gravesites
during the annual Oakwood
CemeteryWalk Oct. 9.
See page 6.
Vol. 131, No. 38
Vol. 69, No. 38
Vol. 69, No. 38
Vol. 16, No. 38
Hundreds of area resi-
dents participated in the
recent free Health and
Wellness Fair at the
Romulus Senior Center last
week.
See page 5.
Vol. 131, No. 38
Vol. 69, No. 38
Vol. 69, No. 38
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
AT&T has donated $5,000
to the city of Westland in
support of the Jefferson
Barnes Community Vitality
Center located in historic
Norwayne.
See page 7.
A new mural on the exte-
rior wall of The Village Arts
Factory in Canton has been
completed by volunteers
fromFordMotor Co.
See page 3.
Vol. 16, No. 38
A Veterans Resource Fair
will be presented in Inkster
organized by the Inkster
Citizen Action Network from
1-4 p.m. Sept. 29 at 2500
HamlinDr.
See page 2.
Barefoot Productions
Theatre will present The
25th Annual Putnam County
Spelling Bee through Sept.
25, marking the 11th season
of the group.
See page 4.
The "biggest two-piece
band in America" will
appear in concert at United
Methodist Church when
Cring and Clazzy perform
Sept. 25.
See page 2.
Frustrated
Northville
Township residents packed
Township Hall during the regu-
lar board of trustees meeting
last week expressing multiple
concerns regarding a proposed
development at the 53-acre for-
mer Scott Prison site at Five
Mile and Beck roads. In 2012,
township officials worked out a
transaction in cooperation with
the state and help from State
Rep. Kurt Heise to acquire the
property for a final cost of $1.
The mixed-use development,
proposed by Redico, including a
170,000 square-foot Meijer store
with a gas station and garden
center, condominiums, town
homes, a theater, hotel and
other retail stores, was the main
item on the meeting agenda
before the standing-room-only
crowd. Despite the vocal con-
cerns of residents, township offi-
cials approved the PlannedUnit
Development (PUD) of the site
by a 4 to 3 vote. Trustees
Samantha Heath and Mindy
Hermann, along with Township
Clerk Sue Hillebrand cast the
dissenting votes on the plan
while Supervisor Bob Nix,
Treasurer Marjorie Banner and
trustees Marv Gans and Fred
Shadko were in favor of the
development.
A letter of intent to develop
the property was accepted by
township officials last year and
members of the township plan-
ning commission approved the
plan by a 5 to 1 vote last week
after a 5½-hour contentious
meeting.
During the board meeting
last Thursday, residents
expressed concerns regarding
the traffic congestion already
experienced at the site, the
threat of increased crime and
the burden on the township
infrastructure and public safety
inherent with a 24-hour grocery
store, a theater, 200 mid-rise
condominiums and 78 town
homes in the area that is the
main traffic artery to the Salem
Township landfill.
The development, dubbed
The Village at Northville, was
characterized as “upscale with
contemporary architecture” by
Redico architect Sue Neumann.
That architecture was criticized
by residents who told officials,
“It is not the stylewe are looking
for.”
Irate residents accused the
members of the board and offi-
cials of failing to perform “due
diligence” in approving the proj-
ect and said, “We're going to
make Haggerty and Eight Mile
come to our doorstep.” One resi-
See
Meijer,
page 6
Development plan prompts protests
Don Howard
Staff Writer
Developer's plans include a hotel, theater, condominiums and a
new Meijer at the corner of Five Mile and Beck Road in Northville.
Hometown hero
Romulus honors Sports Hall
of Fame inductee John Long
In what several critics are
calling an effort at political pay-
back, four defeated members of
the Plymouth Township Board
of Trustees have voted to dis-
band the local officials compen-
sation commission. If approved
on a second reading, the meas-
urewould allow the boardmem-
bers to determine the rate of pay
for their replacements in town-
shiphall.
Trustee Mike Kelly proposed
the move and Supervisor
Shannon Price, Treasurer Ron
Edwards and Clerk Nancy
Conzelman, all of whom lost
their re-election bids in the
August primary, voted in favor of
disbanding the commission.
Kelly, who said he felt that
the board members should be
responsible for setting their own
rate of pay, first broached the
topic earlier this year, prior to
the Aug. 2 primary election. He
based his suggestion at that
time, he said, on the failure of
the commission members to
meet in 2015. No action was
taken on his suggestion earlier
this year. The commission mem-
bers are required, by state law,
to meet in odd-numbered years
to make salary recommenda-
tions for elected officials in the
township. Those recommenda-
tions automatically become
effective the next year unless
the suggested amounts are
rejected by a two-thirds vote of
the board of trustees. Should the
board fail to act, the salaries are
set at the levels recommended
by the commission. Currently,
the supervisor is paid $111,384
and the clerk and treasurer are
each paid $104,959. Trustees are
paid $11,921 annually.
In Plymouth Township,
No action was taken on his
suggestion earlier this year.
”
Plan to dissolve pay board proposed
See
Pay,
page 4
A Romulus native now has something in common with Chris
Osgood, MikeModano, BrendanShanahan andDerek Jeter.
John Long, who graduated fromRomulus High School in 1974
andwent on to play professional basketball, was inducted into the
MichiganSportsHall of Fame last week.
“It's a great honor for me,” said Long, who played in the NBA
for more than 10 years. “You never think, when you're playing
sports coming up, that you're going to achieve so much,” he said.
“But the stuff you achieve along the way is very special because
everything I did was family-oriented. My family supported every-
thing I did. Theywere always there.”
After high school, Long played basketball at the University of
Detroit, under legendary coach and current basketball announc-
er Dick Vitale. When Vitale went on to coach the Detroit Pistons,
he selectedLong in the second round of the 1978NBAdraft. Long
played for the Pistons from 1978-1986, then returned for the
championship run in 1989 under coach Chuck Daly. He also
played for the Indiana Pacers, Atlanta Hawks and the Toronto
Raptors. He scored 12,131 points throughout his 14-year NBA
career and currently works in the Pistons' front office, in the bas-
ketball operations department.
Romulus City Council members presented him with a special
proclamation last week, commemorating everything he did as a
professional-and since, within the community.
“This is very special,” Long said of the recognition. “This is
where is all started forme, right here inRomulus.”
Councilman William Wadsworth said he remembered watch-
ing Long as a high school star, back whenWadsworth worked as a
Wayne County Sheriff's deputy. He also remembered watching
Long on his seemingly tireless jogging routine around the com-
munity after hehadmade it to the pros.
Long said it was because of the work ethic instilled in him by
his family and that achieving your goals isn't necessarily the end
of your journey.
“Once you get on top, every-
one wants to knock you off. In
order to stay on top you have to
keep working as hard as you did
to get there,” he said. “I always
remembered that. It's what it's all
about.”
He said he enjoys giving back
to the community and working
with young people and said he
hopes he can inspire youth to
strive for their dreams-no matter
what theymay be.
Anything you try to do in life,
give it your all. Nothing is impos-
sible,” he said. “You've got to
believe, and then you've got to follow up by working hard and
achieving the goals you set.”
John Long
John Long, a Romulus native, was inducted into the Michigan
Sports Hall of Fame last week.
