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September 28 – October 5, 2023 NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST 75¢

No. 39 www .associatednewspapers.net

Construction at Northville Legacy Park under way

Vol. 138, No. 39 Construction of amenities and buildings at
A 1978 error in the place- Legacy Park in Northville Township continue
ment of a 1,000-foot water with some expected openings as early as
line in a ditch along November.
Rawsonville Road in Unity Skatepark is well under way as
Sumpter Township must be Spohn Ranch Inc. staff members oversee the
corrected and the lines relo- 10,000 square-foot community amenity. Plans
cated. for the next weeks include the creation of a
See page 3. pump track, rails, a bowl, ledges, pads and
embankments being installed for those who
enjoy wheeled sports. The projected cost is
$655,500, with the bulk of the funding coming
from individual contributions, various sup-
porters and fundraisers.
The anticipated opening is planned for
Vol. 76, No. 39 November, officials said. enced trail builder to begin Phase 1 of the 17.5 which will house a second fire station, a new
ARTober is being cele- In one year, all but one remaining build- miles of non-motorized trail to be established public safety headquarters, a new public
brated at the Village Arts ings on the property which formerly housed at the park. Rock Solid Trail Contracting, works headquarters and some Northville
Factory and the Village parts of the Northville Psychiatric Hospital, LLC, the largest trail building company in the Parks & Recreation storage, is in the final
Theater at Cherry Hill in have been demolished. Building 14, the for- country, which has a presence in both design phase, according to officials.
Canton Township Sept. 30. mer laundry facility, will be repurposed, offi- Bentonville, Ark., and Copper Harbor, was These new facilities are expected to be
See page 5. cials said. Contractors are currently demol- one of four companies bidding on the project. located at the northeast corner of Legacy
ishing building foundations and tunnels on The Rock Solid bid is not to exceed Park, near the intersection of Traditions
Buildings D, F, G, crushing the concrete and $432,967for the installation and construction Drive and Seven Mile Road.
hauling the debris away. of the trails. Pre-work design is set to being Groundbreaking is expected later this fall,
New trails will soon be accessible after this fall and construction is expected to begin officials said and construction will continue
members of the Northville Township Board of next spring. The target completion is fall 2024. through 2024 with an anticipated opening in
Trustees approved the hiring of an experi- The new Essential Services Complex, early 2025.
Vol. 76, No. 39
Katherine Anderson
Schaffner of Inkster, a Private opinions?
founder of the Motown
Marvelettes, died Sept. 19.
See page 3. Organizer refuses to reveal harness track petition signers

Members of the Plymouth members of the board of Seven Mile and Sheldon in unidentified area in the
Township Board of Trustees trustees should be able to see Northville, would include a plans presented to the town-
appear to be as divided in petitions being circulated half-mile oval harness race- ship. Rumors have circulated
their opinions about petition opposing the Northville track, a two-story grandstand, that the goal is to establish
Vol. 23, No. 39 signatures opposing a pro- Downs at Plymouth harness racing building, horse barn first slot machines and then
Members of the posed township racetrack as raceway proposed for a site and maintenance building on gambling in this area of the
Northville City Council voted they are about the issue. at Five Mile and Ridge Road. the 128-acre site. building.
4-1 to approve the $300 mil- Township Supervisor Kurt The track, reportedly a move Several officials have Heise said he wants to
lion Downs Development Heise insists that he and the from the current location at questioned the use of a large know who opposes the plan,
Agreement with Hunter which he has favored since
Pasteur of Northville. negotiating the preliminary
See page 6. move of the track to the town-
ship. Online petitions oppos-
ing the racetrack have been
circulating since last spring
posted by Stop the Racetrack,
a grassroots organization
intent on preventing the con-
Vol. 23, No. 39 struction of the harness rac-
Crews were scheduled to ing facility. Dale Bernhardt,
begin lighting upgrades in who has been circulating the
the Central Parking Deck in petitions, has refused to
downtown Plymouth last allow Heise to view the 1,500
Monday. signatures he says he has
See page 6. already collected opposing
the track. Bernhardt, who
lives near the proposed site
for the track, appears at near-
ly every township board
meeting opposing the project.
Vol. 138, No. 39 He claims the signatures
were not intended to be pre-
Sidewalk repairs through- sented to township officials
out the City of Romulus are and refuses to provide them
currently under way, at no to Heise. He says the peti-
cost to homeowners. tions were an effort only to
See page 2. gauge the degree of opposi-

See Track, page 6

Canton Gallimore Elementary named as Blue Ribbon School

Vol. 76, No. 39
Wayne County Gallimore Elementary ” value and support teachers and
Commissioner Al Haidous School in Canton Township National Blue Ribbon Schools serve staff through meaningful pro-
was recently recognized as a
fessional learning.
(D-Wayne) was recently rec- National Blue Ribbon School Data from many sources are
ognized by Michigan by the U.S. Department of as models of effective and innovative used to drive instruction and
WORKS! with the presti- Education. school practices for state and district educators. every student strives for suc-
gious Volunteer of the Year The Sheldon Road school cess, officials said.
honor for 2023. was among 11 in Michigan National Blue Ribbon
See page 5.
receiving the recognition which staff at our National Blue try, we take tremendous pride Schools serve as models of
is based on overall academic Ribbon Schools continually in the achievements of these effective and innovative school
performance or progress in inspire me with their dedica- schools and their commitment practices for state and district
closing achievement gaps tion to fostering academic to empowering educators, serv- educators and other schools
among student subgroups on excellence and building posi- ing students, and engaging fam- throughout the nation, the
assessments. tive school cultures that sup- ilies.” statement claims.
Vol. 76, No. 39 “The honorees for our 2023 port students of all back- According to a statement A National Blue Ribbon
Westland Mayor Michael National Blue Ribbon Schools grounds to thrive academically, from Cardona’s office, National School flag gracing a school
P. Londeau will deliver his Award have set a national socially, and emotionally. As the Blue Ribbon School leaders entryway or on a flagpole is a
first State of the City address example for what it means to Biden-Harris Administration articulate a vision of excellence widely recognized symbol of
beginning at noon, raise the bar in education,” partners with states and and hold everyone to high stan- exemplary teaching and learn-
Wednesday, Oct. 4 at The said U.S. Secretary of schools to accelerate academic dards. They demonstrate effec- ing, according to a prepared
Friendship Center. Education Miguel Cardona. success and transform educa- tive and innovative teaching release from the federal
See page 6. “The leaders, educators, and tional opportunity in this coun- and learning, and the schools department of education.

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