No. 44
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
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October 29 – November 4, 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 voters will choose
a new mayor and four mem-
bers of the city council when
they go to the polls next
Tuesday, Nov. 3.
See page 3.
City of Northville voters
will choose two city council
members and a new mayor
when they go to the polls
next Tuesday, Nov. 3.
See page 5.
Voters in Van Buren
Township will be asked to
approve a tax dedicated to
funding public safety and
another for a sinking fund
for the school district.
See page 3.
Vol. 130, No. 44
Vol. 68, No. 44
Vol. 68, No. 44
Vol. 15, No. 44
Barth
Elementary
teacher Rochelle Lloyd was
recently awarded a grant
from
the
Meemic
Foundation to help purchase
supplies for her classroom.
See page 3.
Vol. 130, No. 44
Vol. 68, No. 44
Vol. 68, No. 44
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
Westland voters will
choose four council mem-
bers and a new city clerk
when they go to the polls
next Tuesday, Nov. 3.
See page 2.
Three Canton Police ser-
geants have recently com-
pleted Police and Command
Schools at Eastern Michigan
University and Michigan
StateUniversity.
See page 5.
Vol. 15, No. 24
Inkster voters will go to
the polls Nov. 3 to choose a
new mayor, council repre-
sentatives and decide on two
proposals on the ballot.
See page 4.
A 1-year-old child died and a
3-year-old remains in critical
condition after a Sunday after-
noon fire at a Romulus apart-
ment. The children were alone
in the apartment when the blaze
occurred, according to reports
from theRomulus fire and police
departments.
The fire, which apparently
started in the mother's bed, was
reported by a 911 call from
neighbors at the Gateway
Townhouse complex at Eureka
and Harrison at about 1:45 p.m.,
according to officials.
The mother of the children
was arrestedwhen she arrived at
the scene and charges from the
Wayne County Prosecutor's office
are pending the completion of an
investigation, according to
police.
According to Deputy Fire
Chief Kevin Krause, fire crews
arrived at the scene within two
minutes of the 911. Firefighters
had to force their way into the
home and cleared debris in the
blaze so they could search for
victims. The 3-year-old boy was
found on the floor, just inside the
door of a bedroom. The childwas
still breathing and was airlifted
to Beaumont Hospital in Taylor
but due to the seriousness of his
condition, is now in pediatric
intensive care unit at Beaumont
Hospital inRoyal Oak.
After rescuing the child, fire-
fighters rushed back into the
burning building and found the
baby girl. She was pronounced
dead at Heritage Hospital in
Taylor.
The children suffered severe
smoke inhalation, Krause said,
but did not appear to have seri-
ous burns.
Krause said the mother was
taken into custody by police at
the scene, partly for her own pro-
tection. “Neighbors knew she
had been leaving the children
alone and were angry and
upset,” he said.
Two paid invoices addressed
to the attention of Supervisor
ShannonPrice suggest the town-
ship has made a surprise
change in legal counsel on two
major issues.
The invoices, included on a
monthly expense report pre-
pared for the members of the
board of trustees, prompted a
tense exchange during the regu-
lar meeting of the board mem-
bers last week. Trustees Bob
Doroshewitz and Chuck Curmi
questioned Price, Treasurer
Ron Edwards and Clerk Nancy
Conzelman about the invoices to
the township from the law firm
of former Michigan State
Attorney General Mike Cox. The
invoices included fees of $2,810
for work regarding the
“Plymouth Township vs.
Plymouth Joint Fire Retirement
Retiree Issue.” A second
invoice for $2,560 was for legal
work on the matter of
“Plymouth Township vs. Detroit-
DeHoCo.” The total on one
invoice, indicating there was a
previous balance for legal work
on the fire department retire-
ment cost issue was for a total of
$6,035.
Doroshewitz and Curmi said
they questioned the charges
from the Cox law firm, because
the township has for decades
been represented by Hemming,
Polaczyk, Cronin, Witthoff and
Bennett. Kevin Bennett, the
attorney who has been handling
the DeHoCo lawsuit in which
Detroit is demanding return of a
$15 million parcel of land, also
acts as township magistrate in
the 35th District Court, is full-
time counsel for the township
and attends all monthly board
meetings. His law partner
Timothy Cronin, who is now
retired, unsuccessfully argued
against Detroit attorneys who
are demanding the return of the
land the township purchased at
an improper tax sale. The land
is the site of the former Detroit
House of Corrections and the
case is now in the Michigan
Court of Appeals. Bennett is the
attorney of record representing
the township.
Doroshewitz asked Price if
Smart money
New program rewards students with cash for grades
Two men have been
arrested for the theft of tires
and rims froma local vehicle
rental business in Plymouth
Township.
See page 4.
Untended baby dies in blaze, toddler critical
Don Howard
Staff Writer
See
Bills,
page 4
Students at John Glenn High
School are going to get a lesson
in basic economics with a new
academic program that pays
cash for contracted services.
It's as simple as ABC.
A: Sign a contract.
B: Perform as you have
promised
C: Get paid for your efforts.
Local businessman and for-
mer city councilman Glenn
Shaw and his family have
pledged $50,000 to fund the new
program.
“We just want these kids to
succeed. We want them to
understand that they are in
charge of their futures and that
if they work, do what they agree
to do, they will be rewarded,”
explained Shaw, who is also the
founder of The Westland
CommunityFoundation.
The new plan, Champions of
John Glenn, is similar to a suc-
cessful program in place at
Wayne Memorial High School,
also in the Wayne-Westland
Community Schools District.
The program offers high school
students the opportunity to
choose a “mentor” from the
teaching staff at the school, sign
a contract to improve their
grade-point average and work
toward that goal. The John
Glenn program differs in that
students who achieve their
goalswill receive a $200 check.
School Psychologist Louis
Przybylski said, more than 90
percent of the teachers at John
Glenn have volunteered to par-
ticipate in the program. He,
along with Assistant Principal
Kim Ciesynski will coordinate
the programat the school.
“This is a wonderful oppor-
tunity to help increase students'
academic
motivation,”
Przybylski said. “This is a great
opportunity for students towork
with a mentor. While the sub-
stantial external reward is what
captures students' initial inter-
est, this will get entry into better
academic performance.”
Przybylski and Ciesynski will
meet with the students to
ensure they have set adequate
goals, Przybylski said. He esti-
mated that there could be 450-
500 students who sign onto the
program.
“We want to reach all the
Supporters of the new Champions of John Glenn High School program gathered with students last week. Front row, from left, are
School Resource Officer Sgt. Joe Bobby, Doug Shaw, Lynette Hobyak and School Psychologist Lou Przybylski along with students
including Sarah Hayes, Ashlyn Nordquist, Sarah White, Shania Jones, Christina Lynch, Tanyah Whitt, Morgan Prater, Allora French,
Ford Powers, Brandon Washington, Isaac Young, Hazel Juzo, Brandon Allen and Chase Storm. In the photo below, Westland Mayor
William Wild, Przybylski and Shaw have some encouraging words for Champions students.
Photos by Sean Rhaesa
See
Champions,
page 2
Law firm billings prompt trustees’ questions
