No. 41
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
75¢
October 6 -12, 2011
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
To help celebrate the 100th
year of the Wayne Fire
Department, firefighters will
serve up pancakes this
Saturday at the station.
See page 5.
The arrest of the former
police chief, hiswife, and five
detectiveswill not affect city
programs or services in
Romulus according toMayor
AlanLambert.
See page 4.
The Plymouth Historical
Museum is now accepting
applications for the Annual
Juried Craft Bazaar scheduled
for 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Dec. 10 at
themuseum.
See page 2.
Girl Scout troops in
Northville plan to complete
the "100 Acts of Community
Service Challenge" each
month leading up to the Girl
Scout's 100th birthday in
March.
See page 2.
The Belleville Area
Museum and Historical
Society will sponsor the annu-
al Cemetery History Tour fea-
turing Denton Cemetery from
1-4 p.m. Oct. 22.
See page 3.
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Vol. 11, No. 41
Vol. 126, No. 41
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Vol. 64, No. 41
A local family marked a
69th wedding anniversary and
a wedding recently and will
entertain guests at a local
reception this Saturday.
See page 5.
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
To help make room and
adapt to some new storage
requirements Westland is
planning an obsolete inventory
sale from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Oct. 15.
See page 5.
The Michigan House of
Representatives recently
approved selling the Scott
Correctional Facility inNorthville
Township so the property can
become part of a new advanced
energy technology park. The park
is an effort to help create jobs and
promote long-term economic
growth in the area, according to
StateRep. KurtHeise.
The property is located at the
center of a 5-mile corridor mar-
keted last week to major players
in the battery and advanced ener-
gy industries in Japan, South
Korea and China by Gov. Rick
Snyder and Wayne County
Executive Robert Ficano during
their Asian trademission.
“This location is vital to attract-
ing companies to the new Wayne
County Advanced Energy
Technology Park which Wayne
CountyExecutiveFicano andGov.
Snyder are promoting in Asia
right now,” Heise said last week..
“Because the property is at a
major intersection, it is a highly
desirable parcel and will serve as
the centerpiece for the redevelop-
ment project that will bring need-
ed jobs and economic develop-
ment to southeastMichigan.”
Heise has been working with
State Sen. Patrick Colbeck and
leaders from Wayne County,
Northville and Plymouth town-
ships on the corridor project.
“This is a great example of
regional, bipartisan cooperation
to create jobs,”Heise said.
According to Ficano, the num-
ber of Asian companies investing
dollars and jobs in southeast
Michigan has jumped from single
digits to nearly 500 companies
over the last decade.
See
Park,
page 4
An unattended stove
caused smoke and water dam-
age to a Canton apartment
building Sunday. Firefighters
evacuated residents and there
were no injuries reported.
See page 3.
This is a great example of regional,
bipartisan cooperation to create jobs.
Rep. Kurt Heise
”
Energy park proposed at prison site
Plymouth Chili Cook-off, cycle show is Sunday
New Romulus chief supports department
It isn't often the Van Buren
Township Fire Department is
called out to ensure the safety of
a Byzantine flamethrower, first
used in 647A.D.
But that's exactly what they
did recently when The WEC
Institute reconstructed such a
weapon of mass destruction for a
new science and technology
cable television series. The Van
Buren based institute was asked
to provide technical advice for
three segments of the show and
two days of shooting took place
recently, one in Birmingham and
the other inVanBuren.
The segments included the
development of: the Torricelli
Barometer, the first modern
barometer invented in 1643, the
Magdeburg hemispheres, used to
demonstrate the discovery of
vacuum in 1654 and the ancient
Byzantine flamethrower.
“The WEC Institute was con-
tacted because of their knowl-
edge and research of ancient
weaponry and technology” said
Helen Williamson, director of
this shoot and many Discovery
Channel and TLC series. “They
were uniquely suited to recreat-
ing the experiments of Torricelli
in the development of the barom-
eter and to recreate an ancient
weapon ofmass destruction.”
The second day of shooting
recreated the experiments that
led to the development of the
barometer. The principle of the
barometer was discovered by the
Italian physicist Evangelista
Torricelli in 1643. A barometer is
an instrument used to measure
atmospheric pressure, which can
be an indicator of weather pat-
terns, storms, tornadoes, hurri-
canes, snow, rain, and other
events.
The second day of the shoot
was also the demonstration of
the ancient Byzantine
flamethrower.
“We in the 21st century don't
give ancient civilizations enough
credit,” said Andre Renier, chair
of the Department of Historical
Technology. “They may not have
had surface to air missiles or
If it's October, things are heat-
ing up inPlymouth.
The 16th Annual Great Lakes
Regional Chili Cook-off and
Motorcycle Show will take place
beginning at 11 a.m. throughout
downtownPlymouth this Sunday.
This year, the Chili Cook-off
will feature a traditional Red
Chili, a Green Chili and a Salsa
competition, according to organiz-
er Annette Horn. This portion of
the cook-off is recognized by the
International Chili Society and
will follow all the society rules,
she said.
The winners in each of these
categories will advance to the
2012 World Championship Chili
cook-off next fall. The top winners
receive both trophies and cash
prizes and samples will be avail-
able to visitors for a $1 donation
beginning at noon. Competition
samples will be available at 1:30
and 3 p.m., she added.
This year, in addition to the
People Choice Chili competition,
there will be a Battle of
Businesses contest which will
allow local businesses to submit
their very best chili in hope of tak-
ing home the first prize trophy,
Horn said.
TheGreat LakesRegional Chili
Bike Show is a ride-in show with
17 bike categories, including
Harley and non-Harley classes,
she said. There is a fee to enter a
bike and all first place winners
will receive a trophy while one
luck rider will be name the best of
show.
The bike show will take place
on Main Street at Kellogg Park
from11 a.m. until 4 p.m.
The two official charity Chili
Rides include the Motor City
Harley Davidson ride which
begins in Farmington Hills and
Dick Scott's Classic Motorcycle
ride that begins in Livonia on
Plymouth Road just west of
Levan.
The restaurant Chili Challenge
will take place from11 a.m. until 5
p.m. in Kellogg Park. More than a
dozen restaurants will be vying for
the title of Best Chili in Plymouth.
Visitors can be the judge of the
best chili served by voting. Bowls
of chili are $4 and 2-ounce sam-
ples are a $1 donation, Horn said.
She said there will be live
entertainment throughout down-
town Plymouth from noon until 5
p.m. including dance teams, and a
children's activity area.
"And the Hottest Dog in the
Coolest City dog costume contest
will be judged at 2 p.m. in Kellogg
Park," she added.
All activities and proceeds ben-
efit local charities. This year, the
recipients will be the Western
Wayne Habitat for Humanity and
the Penrickton Center for Blind
Children.
For more information, contact
Horn at (734) 776-9669.
Lights, camera, fire
Cable technology show
visits Van Buren institute
See
Show,
page 3
Six days into his job as the new
police chief in the City of
Romulus, Robert Dickerson
learned that five of his officers-
along with former Police Chief
Michael St. Andre-were arrested
and chargedwith felonies.
Along with St. Andre, and his
wife, Sandra St. Andre, Det. Sgt.
Richard Balzer, Det. Richard
Landry and Det. Donald Hopkins
face felony racketeering charges
that carry a maximum penalty of
up to 20 years inprison.
Detective Jeremy Channells
andDet. Larry Droege face felony
charges that carry a maximum
sentence of five years in prison if
convicted.,
“This is not a projection of
your police department,”
Dickerson told the city council
members and the audience at the
regularmeeting last week. “Those
are six individual acts, allegedly
committed by those five officers
and the former chief.”
The 22 counts including con-
ducting a criminal enterprise and
embezzlement were made public
at the arraignment of the officers
last week at the 34th District
Court. The charges were brought
by the office of Wayne County
Prosecutor Kym Worthy after a
three year investigation by the
Michigan State Police and the
FBI.
Last April, records were seized
from the Romulus Police station,
St. Andre's home and Sandra St.
Andre's tanning salon in
Westland.
Prosecutors claim that St.
Andre used $75,000 in drug forfei-
ture money to buy the Westland
tanning salon in his wife's name.
Sandra St. Andre is charged with
receiving and concealing stolen
property.
Prosecutors also have charged
the five detectives, who were
directly supervised by St. Andre,
with soliciting prostitutes, embez-
zling $40,000 of drug forfeiture
money they used in one year to
buy marijuana and alcohol and
filing false police reports.
Prosecutors also allege that the
five were directly supervised by
St. Andre who knew of their illicit
behavior.
St. Andre resigned as chief
Sept. 13 and was immediately
replaced by Dickerson who
retired from the Wayne County
See
Chief,
page 4
The WEC Institute, (above), demonstrates the devastation that the
ancient Byzantine flamethrower could deliver during a naval battle
when mounted on a ship.