Basic HTML Version
No. 41
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
75¢
October 17 – 23, 2013
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
Budget and finances were
among the main topics at a
Wayne City Council candidate
forum hosted by the League of
WomenVoters last week.
See page 2.
Several Romulus residents
are still celebrating their
recent wins in various cate-
gories during the Pumpkin
Festival lastmonth.
See page 4.
The rain did nothing to cool
off the heat at the18th Annual
Great Lakes Regional Chili
Cook-off in downtown
Plymouth Oct. 6 and winners
have
been
officially
announced.
See page 4.
Northville Township Fire
Department members had
almost as much fun as did the
several hundred visitors to the
annual open house last
Saturday.
See page 5
.
Deputy
Van
Buren
Township Supervisor Karin
LaMothe submitted her resig-
nation Sept. 25, following some
controversy regarding her
actual job title.
See page 3.
Vol. 128, No. 41
Vol. 66, No. 41
Vol. 66, No. 41
Vol. 13, No. 41
Vol. 128, No. 41
Vol. 66, No. 41
Vol. 66, No. 41
State Rep. David Knezek
formally requested an attorney
general's opinion concerning
the recent dissolution of
Inkster Public Schools.
See page 5.
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
The Three Cities Art Club
and the Westland Rotary Club
are bringing the Festival of the
Arts back to Westland for the
third year.
See page 2.
Canton seniors gathered
recently to celebrate medals
earned while competing in the
Ninth Annual Western Wayne
County SeniorOlympics.
See page 3.
Vol. 13, No. 41
Westland officials are all look-
ing forward to next June.
That's the target date
announced for the move from the
cramped, damp, moldy, hot and
uncomfortable City Hall on Ford
Road to a new, retrofitted facility
on Warren Road, just east of
Central City Parkway.
The new building will have
enough space to house all the city
departments, according to Mayor
WilliamWild, rather than have the
various departments in surround-
ing buildings in the city as is cur-
rently the situation. The new facili-
ty will be retrofitted from the for-
mer big box Circuit City store and
estimated costs for the project,
including the purchase of the cur-
rent site and the retrofitting, are
about $10 million. Wild said that
cost is about $5 million less than a
new building or construction
wouldhave cost the city.
The new City Hall will have
64,000 square feet all on one level
and will include public meeting
rooms. Departments such as the
city cable station, WLND, the
Department of Public Works, the
Economic
Development
Department and Youth Assistance
are all expected to move into the
new facility next year.
Westland is also building a new
fire station at the former Service
Merchandise property on Nankin
Boulevard and has plans for
improvements to Central City
Parkway. Wild said the city is
investing $16.5million in the area.
During the dedication ceremo-
ny last week, Wild said he is fre-
quently asked how the city can
move forward with projects like
these when so many communities
are in financial straits and facing
cutbacks.
“We faced the financial crisis
head on,” Wild said. “Now we are
in a position to start reinvesting in
our community.” Wild commended
the efforts of City Council
President James Godbout, the
members of the city council, the
city staff and the members of the
Tax Increment Finance Authority
in facilitating the project.
Architect Gary Sebach of OHM
designed the retrofitting of the
building and McCarthy Smith, the
firm that handled several school
improvement projects for the
Wayne Westland schools will be
the general contractor on the proj-
ect.
“We're pretty excited to be
here,” Bill McCarthy of McCarthy
Smith, said.”What a great opportu-
nity to repurpose this property.
We're ready to go,” he added, not-
ing that a company trailer was
already on site.
City officials have not
announced any plans to date for
the Ford Road property where the
current City Hall, Fire Station No.
1 and Bailey Recreation Center
buildings are located. Plans are to
demolish the buildings following
the move to the new facility next
spring.
Costs ranging from $812,000 to
$2,750,000 are under consideration
for the new Belleville Area District
Library.
Members of the library board
recently announced four possible
sites for the new facility.
The first is at the current loca-
tion of the library, along with a
municipal parking lot behind the
museum 144 and 164 Third Street
and 330 and 360 Charles Street.
Costs for this sitewould $1,446,250.
To retain an option on this prop-
erty until the end of 2013 would
cost $14,408.
The second site is also at the
current library location but would
include the parking lot as well as
369, 381, 397 and 397A Main Street.
This plan would cost $1421,800
with the cost for options$18,607.
A third option is the most
expensive at $2,750,000 and would
also be the current library site, the
parking lot, the current Grace
Baptist Church property and 227
and 189 High Street. An option
would cost the library board $1,000,
according to the information pro-
vided.
The fourth option, also the least
expensive, is the property owned
by the Michigan Department of
Natural Resources as well as the
residence at 11933 Spencer Road.
That site would cost the library
board $812,000. An option on that
property would cost $7,362. That
property comes with a stipulation
from the DNR requiring that a
third of the shoreline be improved
by the library so it would be acces-
sible for fishing.
Funds paid as options would be
deducted from the final purchase
amounts at all four sites.
Following the final site selection
and payment of the option funds,
the library board members will
authorize a public millage for the
2014 ballot to fund the new library.
Wayne mayoral candidate
Donald Flynn, 80, was convicted of
aggravated indecent exposure in
2010, according to court records.
Flynn appealed that conviction,
according to court documents, and
acted as his own attorney. His
defense was that he had declared
his independence from the state in
1986 and was, therefore, immune
to prosecution without his consent.
That appeal was rejected by the
Michigan Court of Appeals as with-
out merit and his conviction
upheld, including a sentence of
one year in jail, which Flynn has
already served. Court files indicate
that Flynn currently still owes $770
in court costs related to the case.
Flynn was convicted during a
bench trial before Wayne County
Circuit Court Judge Daniel
Hathaway. During that trial, he was
acquitted of a second charge of dis-
tributing obscene material to chil-
dren. According to court docu-
ments, the complainant testified
that he was riding a bicycle in front
of Flynn's home on Hayes Street in
Wayne. He told the court that
Flynn was standing in the doorway
of his home where he had lowered
his underwear to expose himself
andwasmasturbating.
Flynn did not challenge the
complainant's testimony during the
trial but argued it should have
been rejected by the judge as
"incredible."
In his failed appeal, Flynn fur-
ther argued that the state authority
was limited to regulating com-
merce.
(See related story, page 2.)
We faced the financial crisis head on.
Now we are in a position
to start reinvesting in our community.
”
$10 million city hall project dedicated
Possible sites for new Belleville library chosen
Mayoral candidate convicted of indecent exposure
Westland Mayor William Wild was all smiles looking at the plans for the
retrofitting of the old Circuit City building into the new Westland City
Hall.
Mayor William Wild
A request for hearing to re-
open a City of Detroit lawsuit,
closed in August after the city
bankruptcy, was filed this week in
WayneCountyCircuit Court.
The City of Detroit has request-
ed a hearing to open the now
closed case that sought to reclaim
property in Plymouth Township
that was once home to the Detroit
House of Corrections. The request
for a motion hearing occurred
after a local resident contacted
Detroit Emergency Manager
Kevyn Orr in September request-
ing a personalmeeting.
Richard Sharland, a long-time
township resident and farmer, said
he was originally prompted to find
the true owner of the property
when a friend of his was leasing
the land, adjacent to his property,
to raise crops. Sharland was curi-
ous about his friend's requirement
to pay Demco 54 a rental fee for
part of the land and another fee to
Detroit for the other section.
The Detroit suit was filed April
5 and amended April 18. Detroit
contends that following the 2006
sale of 133 acres on the eastern-
most part of the 323-acre site, to
Demco 54 LLC, a property transfer
affidavit was filed and a property
split approved that should have
indicated Detroit had kept the
remaining 190 acres. It states that
state law, and specifically the State
Tax Commission, forbid the fore-
closure of property owned by a
city.
A status conference took place
July 5 before Circuit Court Judge
Maria Oxholm regarding the suit
brought by attorneys for the plain-
tiff, the City of Detroit. Attorneys
for the co-defendants, Plymouth
Township and Wayne County
Treasurer Raymond Wojtowicz,
attended the court procedure.
In August following the status
conference, when the City of
Detroit filed a judicial order and
administrative closing due to the
bankruptcy filing, Sharland con-
tactedOrr.
A recording discrepancy by
Plymouth Township failed to iden-
tify the property as two separate
parcels, one of 190 acres and the
other of 133 acres. The 190-acre
parcel was owned by the City of
Detroit and the 133-acre plot was
owned by Demco 54. Property tax
assessments and notifications
went to Demco 54 on the entire
It states that state law, and specifically
the State Tax Commission,
forbid the foreclosure of property owned by a city.
”
Detroit files to reopen suit to reclaim DeHoCo land
See
Land,
page 4