No. 43
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
75¢
October 22 – 28, 2015
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
Wayne has a new city
manager after a one-year
contract was approved by
members of the Wayne City
Council with Lisa Nocerini,
of Nocerini Strategy Group,
earlier thismonth.
See page 3.
Visitors didn't let the
chilly temperatures stop
them from the annual
Northville Historical Society
Cemetery Walk this year
which concentrated on
Cabbagetownhistory.
See page 5.
The Belleville Area
Chamber of Commerce is
beginning to work on Winter
Fest, scheduled this year for
Dec. 4 and 5, throughout
downtown.
See page 2.
Vol. 130, No. 43
Vol. 68, No. 43
Vol. 68, No. 43
Vol. 15, No. 43
A 17-year-old man will be
sentenced on second-degree
murder charges in the stab-
bing death last spring of
Romulus resident Matthew
Green.
See page 2.
Vol. 130, No. 43
Vol. 68, No. 43
Vol. 68, No. 43
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
Drivers traveling down
Cherry Hill Road in
Westland and Garden City
will soon see $2.5 million in
improvements to the section
between Merriman and
Wayne roads.
See page 4.
The Canton Police
Department welcomed new
police officers, Anthony
Johnson and Andrew
Schlegel, to the department
earlier thismonth.
See page 4.
Vol. 15, No. 24
A $10 investment can
mean the difference in a
Christmas dinner or holiday
gifts for 100 Inkster families
and offers ticket holders a
chance at great prizes.
See page 3.
Misdemeanor domestic
abuse cases which occur in
Canton Township will now be
prosecuted in the 35th District
Court rather than by Wayne
County.
The second reading of a
local ordinance changing the
jurisdiction for some cases was
approved by a vote of the
Canton Township Board of
Trustees last week, over the
objections of Wayne County
Prosecutor KymWorthy. Worthy,
who attended the board meet-
ing, told the trustees that the
claim by local law enforcement
that her office had lost or failed
to respond to 40 warrant
requests in domestic abuse
caseswas “wholly incorrect.”
“We have documentation for
each and every warrant that
was ever sent to us by the
Canton
Public
Safety
Department,” she said.
“We stand by our statistics,”
Canton Public Safety Director
ToddMutchler said.
The vote of the board of
trustees to assign some domes-
tic abuse cases to local prosecu-
tor Greg Demopoulos was
unanimous after a motion by
Tom Yack to table the question
for more discussion was with-
drawn.
Worthy insisted her office
has never lost or ignored war-
rant requests from the town-
ship. She said that some infor-
mation sent to her office from
Canton police was being faxed
to an incorrect domestic vio-
lence unit. She added that her
office has accounted for every
case Canton investigators claim
was missing and recited a
detailed report of those cases
during the meeting, saying that
each case was prosecuted, dis-
missed or is still pending.
She said her office has had
difficulty in obtaining informa-
tion on the cases Canton police
said were missing. Mutchler
responded that his department
has experienced similar diffi-
culties in obtaining information
fromWorthy's office.
The newly-adopted ordi-
nance is an effort to bring
swifter justice for victims
according to township officials.
Discussion of the new ordi-
nance began more than a year
ago when 35th District Court
Chief Judge James Plakas
expressed his concerns about
the number of domestic vio-
lence cases being dismissed at
the pretrial stage, according to
Kristin Kolb, corporation coun-
sel for the township.
Kolb told the board mem-
bers that the new ordinance
had been “in the works” for
more than a year.
“And never a phone call to
me,” Worthy responded. She
went on to note that the prose-
cution of such cases is difficult,
at best, because victims are
often reluctant to cooperate
and that the attorneys in her
office have special training in
the handling of these cases. She
also said that Canton was
exposing the municipality to
risks of lawsuits in the handling
of these cases.
She said her office would be
watching the prosecution of
these cases at the local level.
“We have our radar on
Cantonnow,” she said.
Members of the Canton
Township Board of Trustees
voted unanimously last week to
spend $11.6 million to build a
water storage tank and pump
station to help curb rising water
rates in the community.
Officials said that the new
plan is an effort to mitigate
future increases in escalating
water rates which currently
cost average homeowners more
than $350 every three months.
Officials estimate that the new
facility could save the township
as much as $3.4 million annual-
ly inwater costs.
OHM Advisors, the firm
hired to perform an engineer-
ing study for the proposed
ground-level facility, said there
is a possibility the tank and sta-
tion could be operational in
2017.
The new facility will be
located southeast of Joy and
Morton Taylor roads and access
an adjacent Detroit Water and
Sewerage reservoir. The stor-
age tank will fill with water
from the Detroit system during
low-usage time periods, store
the water and then release it to
Canton customers on demand.
The ability to avoid the use of
Detroit water during peak
hours results in lower rates to
the township, officials said.
The project will be funded
using $8 million of unspent
bond money the board
approved in 2007 for water and
sewer improvements and the
remaining $3.6 million will be
paid fromthe $19millionwater-
sewer fund in the township,
according to Finance and
Budget Director Wendy
Trumbull. There will be no
increase in taxes in the town-
ship to fund the project, offi-
cials stressed.
The operation of the new
facility will cost an anticipated
$131,000 annually, including
somemaintenance.
Officials estimate that the new
facility could save the township
as much as $3.4 million annually in water costs.
”
Worth his weight
in gold —medals
Local lifter brings home medals
from World Special Olympic games
Ben Bednarz, a local power
lifting athlete who recently
competed in the 2015 Special
Olympics World Games, was
honored by the Canton Board
of Trustees at their October 13,
board meeting. Canton cele-
brated the accomplishments of
Bednarz, a Canton resident,
with an official Canton
Township Resolution acknowl-
edging his participation and
achievements in the 2015
Special OlympicsWorldGames
and 2014 USA Special
OlympicsGames.
Most recently, Bednarz won
one gold and three silver
medals at the Special Olympics
World Games California in
July, which was the first time
Bednarz competed in the
Special Olympics World
Games. In the USA Games,
Bednarz was awarded the gold
medal in the bench press, and
silver medals in both the squat
and deadlift. His combined
weight lifted in all three events
also earned him an overall sil-
vermedal at theWorldGames.
As a member of Team
Michigan, he previously won
four gold medals in power-lift-
ing during the 2014 USA
Games in New Jersey.
Bednarz has been amember of
Michigan Area 23's Power
Lifting Team for more than 10
years. He has also participated
in softball and cycling events
for almost as long, which keeps
himvery busy all year round.
“We are pleased to honor
this local athlete for his out-
standing Special Olympics
achievements and dedication
to his sport,” said Phil LaJoy,
Canton Township supervisor.
“To be a hard-working athlete
who qualifies for and competes
in an arena with over 6,500
international champions from
165 countries is quite an
accomplishment and truly
inspirational. We, as a commu-
nity, could not be more proud
tohavehimcall Cantonhome.”
Bednarz, who has been
working at a Canton grocery
store since January as a
Courtesy Clerk, is a long-time
Detroit sports fan who makes
fast friends wherever he goes.
Bednarz enjoys being a mem-
ber of Michigan Area 23's
Power Lifting Team, where he
is able to obtain year-round
sports training while meeting
new people, making friends,
traveling and participating in
social events with other
Special Olympics athletes and
volunteers, he said.
Following the presentation
of the official board resolution,
a special reception was spon-
sored by the Canton Leisure
Services
Therapeutic
Recreation (TR) Program.
Canton to spend $11.6 million for water tower
Members of the Plymouth
Township Fire Department
will be sporting bright pink
shirts during Breast Cancer
Awareness Month in support
of breast cancer research.
See page 5.
Ben Bednarz
The newly-adopted ordinance
is an effort to bring swifter justice
for victims according to township officials.
”
Domestic abuse ordinance OK’d in Canton
