A
SSOCIATED
N
EWSPAPERS OF
M
ICHIGAN
P
AGE
5
October 8, 2015
R
OMULUS
- W
AYNE
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The Senior Alliance to buy county-owned building
Rouge A Palooza is Saturday
Library upgrades planned
The
Wayne
County
Commission voted 15-0 Oct. 1 to
approve a three-part transaction
that will result in the sale of the
RESA Annex building in Wayne
to The Senior Alliance, with the
county leasing back about 5,000
square feet for $1 annually.
The building is at 5454 S.
Venoy Road, just north of Van
Born Road, and is just east of the
main building for the Wayne
Regional Educational Service
Agency, which is the intermediate
school district that serves 33 pub-
lic school districts and 108 char-
ter schools covering almost all of
Wayne County. The Wayne-based
Senior Alliance, Area Agency 1-C,
is a private, nonprofit agency that
coordinates a network of services
for qualifying senior and disabled
residents of 34 Wayne County
communities as part of the state's
MI ChoiceWaiver Program.
Wayne County is purchasing
RESA's interest in the building
and land for $285,000, then selling
it to The Senior Alliance for
$900,000, with the closing to hap-
pen by Nov. 1. The county will
lease 5,000 square feet for $1
annually for five years to house
the Head Start administrative
offices that will move out of the
county-owned Kay Beard
Building, 30712 Michigan Ave.,
Westland, where Head Start pro-
grammingwill remain.
The county also has the option
in 2020 to extend the RESA
Annex lease for $50,000 annually
for five years. RESA has the
option to lease space for its Early
Onprogram.
Wayne County Department of
Environmental Services employ-
ees currently housed in theRESA
Annex will move to the nearby
Department of Health, Veterans
& Community Wellness Building,
formerly the Department of
Public Health Building, at 33030
VanBornRoad,Wayne.
As part of the $900,000 pur-
chase, Wayne County is setting
aside up to $60,000 for The Senior
Alliance to use by May 1, 2016, for
asbestos abatement as a match to
the amount the agency will
spend.
Earlier this year, the
Commission
unanimously
approved a more-than $3 million,
one-year agreement with The
Senior Alliance in which the
agency will run the county's
Meals on Wheels program, which
had been based at the Kay Beard
Building but will move to the
RESAAnnex.
The employees will transfer
from the county to The Senior
Alliance, which also pay for the
drivers' mileage. The agreement
is expected to save the county
about $550,000 annually.
“Wayne County and The
Senior Alliance have had a close
relationship for many years,” said
Commissioner Tim Killeen, D-
Detroit, who chairs the
Commission Committee on
Health and Human Services.
“The county has helped The
Senior Alliance in the past, and
now The Senior Alliance is help-
ing the county during tough finan-
cial times. We really appreciate
The Senior Alliance running the
Meals on Wheels program. It's
nice that the county can sell them
the RESA Annex to help meet
their needs. This will benefit both
of us.”
Once again, there will be music, food,
beer, canoe races, a rubber duck race and
educational displays during Rouge-a-
Palooza this Saturday, Oct. 10 at Goudy
Park.
The event is an effort to promote recre-
ational activities on the Rouge River in
Wayne.
Rouge-A-Palooza will begin with a Log
JamClassic CanoeRace at 10 a.m. Racers,
who can use their own canoes or rent one,
should begin registration at 9 a.m. The
racewill end at GoudyPark.
The Friends of the Rouge will host a
group canoe ride at noon and there will
be a raffle for a kayak.
Three heats are planned in the popu-
lar rubber duck races and the Wayne
Rotary Club is again hosting a build-your-
ownboat activity - allmaterials provided.
A beer tent and livemusic will begin at
noon and continue through 9 p.m.
For more information, visit
The Romulus Library will see some
improvements during the next year,
according to Library Director Patty
Braden.
Planned for this fiscal year is the pur-
chase of a new public copier featuring
color and double-sided copying and faster
speed and the installation of electric
plugs and USB outlets in study tables for
wireless users.
The library is also planning the instal-
lation of an outdoor book return and the
reconfiguration of circulation desk for
faster service along with updated indoor
signage to help patrons locate their way to
specific areas.
Braden added that there will be an
updated literature rack and bulletin
board for library and public notices;
shades in library meeting room to cut
down on heat and sun allowing patrons to
see out but not in; an additional checkout
station for faster service and an addition-
al public computer.
Also planned is an under-the-counter
indoor book return and upgrades to the
children's area of the facilitywhichwill be
funded by contributions from the
Romulus Rotary Club and Friends of the
Library.
Braden added that the library is now
open two hours earlier on Fridays and
Saturdays, from10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
“With these new hours, the library will
be open 54 hours a week, more than ever
before in its entire history,” she said in a
preparednewsletter.
She added that the library is seeking
input from patrons and users to help plan
for future improvements.
“We need your help in planning for the
future. Tell us what we're doing well, what
we can improve on and services you
would like to see implemented. It'll take
less than 10 minutes to fill out the survey
which
can
be
found
at
” she added.
Survey is available throughOct. 17.
Helping hands
Members of the Romulus National Honor Society teamed up with the members of
the Community United Methodist Church in Romulus to help with the Gleaner's
food distribution Sept. 26 at Community United Methodist Church in Romulus.
National Honor Society students are required to maintain a minimum GPA (grade
point average) of 3.5 and are selected on the basis of character, community serv-
ice, and academics. Currently, Romulus High School has 27 active members.
National Honor Society advisors Kathy Abdo, Liza Mockeridge, and Kathy Rice
have challenged the honor society students to engage in more community serv-
ice to help bring the Romulus community closer together.
