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No. 41
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
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October 11 - 17, 2012
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
Bridget Kelly will receive
the Diamond of the
Community Award this year in
Wayne. Former councilmem-
ber Donna McEachern will
also behonored.
Page 3.
The remarkable efforts of
local volunteers working with
the city administration have
resurrected the Romulus
PublicLibrary.
See page 6.
Plymouth Community
United Way is looking for vol-
unteers to clean yards and do
light chores in Plymouth and
Canton onSaturday, Nov. 3.
See page 2.
Northville Public Schools
will save taxpayers $2.2 mil-
lion and make lower debt pay-
ments over the next 12 years
after the successful sale of its
2012 refunding bonds.
See page 2.
Lloyd Carr, former head
football coach at the
University of Michigan, will be
the speaker at theYankeeGala
at the Yankee Air Museum in
Belleville.
See page 4.
Vol. 127, No. 41
Vol. 65, No. 41
Vol. 65, No. 41
Vol. 12, No. 41
Vol. 12, No. 41
Vol. 127, No. 41
Vol. 65, No. 41
Vol. 65, No. 41
The Josie Odum Morris
Literacy Project and the
National Kidney Foundation
of Michigan have introduced a
new diabetes literacy program
available to Inkster residents.
See page 3
.
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
Rickey White, 46, of
Westland, pleaded guilty and
was sentenced last Wednesday
to 23 to 40 years in prison on
multiple charges including
racketeering and false pre-
tenses.
See page 3.
Canton police are continuing to investigate
reports of a suspicious person who approached
a student at DiscoveryMiddleSchool.
Police reports indicate that at approximately
3:12 p.m. last Wednesday, a suspicious person
driving a dark grey or black four-door car with
dark tinted windows approached a student in
the area of Discovery Middle School, located at
45083 Hanford Road. The suspect, described as
a white male with light colored hair, motioned
the child to his car from the driver's window
which was lowered a few inches to reveal only
the top of his face. There were no words spoken
by the man to indicate his intentions, according
to police reports of the incident. Otherwitnesses
reported seeing a black, four-door car with tint-
ed windows, playing loud music, in the same
area the day before.
It is unknown if this incident is connected
with an incident reported to the Plymouth
Police Department on Tuesday, Oct. 2, in the
area of Central Middle School. In that incident a
four-door silver vehicle followed and then
pulled in front of a student. The windows in the
vehicle were down and the driver exposed him-
self. The student pulled out a cell phone and the
suspect immediately left the area. The suspect-
ed was described as a white male approximate-
ly 40-50 years old, with a scruffy beard and
sandy brown hair. In that incident, too, the driv-
er never spoke.
Plymouth-Canton Community Schools noti-
fied parents/guardians of the above two inci-
dents through the emergency phone contact sys-
tem.
Similarly, at about 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept.
11, Canton Police took a report of a white male
in his 50s, exposing himself while crossing the
street in front of a school bus in the area of
Seabrook and Kensington. The male was
described as having a stocky build, wearing
khaki pants and awhite shirt.
“We are unsure which, if any, of the three
incidents are related but regardless, we are ask-
ing the community to be on alert, and report any
suspicious activity they may observe to the
police department,” said Canton Police Special
Service Sgt. Patrick Sullivan. “This could also be
a good time for parents to remind their children
about stranger danger, walking in groups, and
how to react if they are approached by a
stranger.”
To report suspicious activity, contact the
CantonPoliceDepartment at (734) 394-5400.
There will be the smell of chili
spices and hot peppers in the air,
along with exhaust from about 300
motorcycles during the 17th
Annual Great Lakes Chili Cook-off
and Motorcycle Show in down-
town Plymouth this Sunday, Oct.
14.
Mix that with the sounds of live
music, including Steve King and
the Dittilies, the sights of the cre-
atively decorated chili cooks'
booths and the crowds that wait all
year for the event, and there is
something to delight all the senses.
Winners in the chili cook off
will take homemore than $2,000 in
prize money, and the chance to
compete in the $25,000 World
Championship Chili Cook-off
sponsored by the International
Chili Society. Cooks wanting to
compete need to register at
GreatLakesChili.com
Along with the traditional Red
Chili competition there is a Chili
Verde contest (green chili) and a
Salsa contest. A Best Booth con-
test and People's Choice winners
will also be awarded prizes,
according to organizer Annette
Horn.
For those who just want to
come and sample chili, there will
be more than 60 different chilies
will be available beginning at noon
for a donation of $1 per sample.
Visitors can vote for their favorite
concoction and proceeds this year
go to benefit Penrickton Center for
Blind Children and Western
WayneHabitat forHumanity.
Area restaurants will get in on
the excitement at the Restaurant
Chili Challenge. Theywill be serv-
ing up their best chili and compete
to be the named by judges as best
restaurant chili in the area.
Twenty restaurants will be com-
peting for the award this year. Past
winning restaurants include: Penn
Grill, Picnic Basket Market,
Boulders Restaurant, Doyle's
Tavern and Fox Hills Golf and
Banquet Center. Bowls of chili
will be available for a donation of
$4 per bowl or $1 per sample from
11 a.m. until 5 p.m.
A motorcycle show and two
charity chili rides are planned by
Motor City Harley Davidson and
Dick Scott's Classic Motorcycles.
The Chili Bike Show will take
place from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. It is
a ride-in show with categories
including Harley and non-Harley
classes. There is a fee to enter a
bike and all first place winners
will receive a trophy with one
lucky riderwinning aBest of Show
award. The Chili Bike Show is
sponsored by Motor City Harley
Davidson and takes place on Ann
Arbor Trail at Kellogg Park. The
two chili rides begin at each deal-
ership.
The Great Lakes Regional Chili
Cook-off has raised more than
$270,000 for local charities.
Sponsors of the event include:
MGM Grand Detroit, Motor City
Harley Davidson, Dick Scott's
Classic Motorcycles, Allstate
Insurance Cheryl Bowker Agency,
Community Financial, DTE
Energy, Fox 2News, GordonFoods
Marketplace, Greko Printing and
Imaging, Majic Windows, 101.1
WRIF, Monroe Bank & Trust, The
Observer
&
Eccentric
Newspapers, 94.7 WCSX, Hansons
Windows, PODS, E.G. Nick's
Restaurant & Bar, Sportswear
Specialties, The Concept Factory,
PNCBank, CavistonAgency
To register or for more informa-
tion,
access
www.GreatLakesChili.com
Bike show and chili ride infor-
mation is available at (248) 473-
7433 or www.motorcityharley.com
and Dick Scott's Classic
Motorcycles (734) 398-5454 or
www.dickscott.com.
As
hunting
season
approaches, Canton Township
police have issued a reminder
to both local hunters and resi-
dents regarding the regula-
tions in the township.
See page 2.
Hours of service and program-
ming continue to expand at the
Romulus Public Library, 11121
WayneRoad.
Library Director Patty Braden
told members of the Romulus City
Council last week during a regular
meeting that the library is now
open six days a week for the first
time in history, the free computer
classes are so successful that there
is a waiting list to join some of
them and more programs are
offered for readers of all ages.
The library is now open from
10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through
Thursday and from noon to 5 p.m.
on Friday and Saturday for
patrons from Romulus and Huron
Township. Sunday is the only day
the facility is closed.
Braden said the expanded
hours of operation tied in with the
hiring of new staff. Expanding to
50 hours a week meets the mini-
mum qualification set by the State
ofMichigan for Class V libraries.
Braden, who became a full-
time director on July 1, said three
part-time library assistants and
two part-time pages have been
hired along with a part-time youth
librarian Julie Sebest. The library
also had a summer intern fromthe
University ofMichigan on board at
no cost fromApril throughAugust.
Braden credited support from
the community and the city's elect-
ed officials for the expansion of
hours and services. She also
thanked the library's many sup-
porters, staff and volunteers,
including members of the
Romulus Library Board and
Friends of theLibrary.
As for the programs:
• Preschool Story Time for chil-
dren ages 3½ to 5 is scheduled for
6:30 p.m. Oct. 16 and Nov. 6
through Dec. 11. Sessions feature
stories, songs and crafts.
Registration is suggested by call-
ing the library at (734) 942-7589 as
there is a limit of 20 children per
session.
• Toddler Story Time for chil-
dren 2 to 3½ is set for 10:15 a.m.
Thursdays, Oct. 18, Nov. 1, 8, 15
and 29 and Dec. 6 and 13. The
morning includes stories, rhymes,
songs and play time. Registration
is not required.
• Halloween Family Fun is
scheduled to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday,
Oct. 23, and 10:15 a.m. Thursday,
Oct. 25. There will be Halloween
stories, pumpkin decorating, craft
making, games, juice and a treat.
Costumes are encouraged, but are
optional. Register by calling (734)
942-7589.
• A new youth program, “Build
a Gingerbread House,” has just
been added to the schedule for 6
p.m. Dec. 18. Registration is
required. The session will be lim-
ited to 20 children.
• The Fall Authors Series -
sponsored by the Friends of the
Library - continues in October and
November.
J. Ryan Fenzel, a Michigan
author whose mysteries and
thrillers employ the rich land-
scape and character of America's
Midwest, will visit the library at
6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19, to dis-
cuss and sign copies of his latest
book, Allied in Iron.
Local author Elaine Pereira
will visit the library at 6:30 p.m.
See
Library,
page 4
Students report suspicious motorist in area
Hot time
Chili cook off returns to
downtown Plymouth Sunday
Braden credited
support from
the community
and the city's
elected officials
for the expansion
of hours and services.
”
Romulus library thriving after threatened closure
Patty Braden