No. 43
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
75¢
November 2 – 8, 2017
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
The State Wayne Phoenix
Theater will show the free
documentary- Delay, Deny,
Hope You Die -free for all
area veterans and their fami-
lies.
See page 7.
Three members of the
Northville
Township
Department of Public Safety
recently graduated from
Staff andCommandSchool.
See page 2.
Vol. 132, No. 43
Vol. 70, No. 43
Vol. 70, No. 43
Vol. 17, No. 43
The Romulus Animal
Shelter was honored by the
Michigan Pet Fund Alliance
recently as the top shelter in
themediumsize category.
See page 3.
Vol. 132, No. 43
Vol. 70, No. 43
Vol. 70, No. 43
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
Wayne-Westland school
administrators are inviting
area residents to participate
in a process that will provide
input on how to best invest
in the district.
See page 7.
The Canton Goodfellows
are bringing magician and
comedian Keith Fields' "A
Brit of Magic" to The Village
Theater at Cherry Hill at 8
p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4.
See page 5.
Vol. 17, No. 43
Inkster city officials gath-
ered last week for a formal
farewell to Jean Searcy and
her family. Searcy served on
the Commission on Aging for
more than 30 years.
See page 6.
Plymouth
Township
Trustee Jack Dempsey has
been appointed to the World
War
I
Centennial
Commission by Gov. Rick
Snyder.
See page 2.
The lawsuit filed against
the Van Buren Public
Schools and members of the
board of education by four
teachers has been settled at
undisclosed terms.
See page 3.
A major management shake-
up at CSX last week has been
rumored as the cause of
increasing incidents of wide-
spread delays, long trains and
traffic tie-ups that have plagued
Plymouth for months, as rail-
road employees push back
against changes.
According to The New York
Times, CSX is again reorganiz-
ing management ranks
announcing last week that three
top executives have been
replaced. Executive Vice
President and Chief Operating
Officer Cindy Sanborn, Vice
President and Chief Sales and
Marketing Officer Fredrik
Eliasson andEllenFitzsimmons
executive vice president of law,
public affairs, general counsel
and corporate secretary will all
leave the company effective
nextmonth.
That announcement and
plan was rumored to be an
effort to correct service issues
after CSXPresident andCEOE.
HunterHarrison took overman-
agement of the company last
year implementing radical and
sweeping changes. His 4-year
management contract reported-
ly paid him $84 million upfront
and was worth $300 million.
Last March, under his direction,
2,300 employees were laid-off
and 1,000 managers, 20 percent
of the management staff, were
offered enhanced buyouts.
Harrison, 72, is in failing health
and reliant on oxygen. He often
works out of his 9,200 square
foot Florida home in Palm
Beach Polo & Country Club.
Changes implemented since his
takeover have been labeled
“drastic,” by individuals close to
the situation.
“The resignations prompted
concerns over the health of 72-
year-old Chief Executive
Hunter Harrison and fears of
deeper turmoil as CSX under-
goes a major overhaul,” the
Times reported.
Repeated requests to CSX
officials for the cause of the
recent 9-hour train delay that
played havoc on motorists
See
Trains,
page 2
Don Howard
Staff Writer
Forum on
race is
tomorrow
A screening of the documen-
tary film, “AContinuing Series of
Small Indignities: A Personal
Conversation About Race,” will
be the impetus for a community
discussion on race and building
a more inclusive, accepting and
safe community.
The CantonResponse toHate
Crime Coalition will host the
screening at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov.
3, at the Village Theater at
Cherry Hill. It will be followed
by a moderated community con-
versation and panel discussion
featuring filmmaker Michael
Pfaendtner, and other represen-
tatives from the Canton commu-
nity.
The documentary, produced
and directed by Pfaendtner, fol-
lows the personal experience of
59-year-old Rodney Harris as he
recounts a lifetime of subtle and
not-so-subtle racism.
The event is coordinated by
the Canton Response to Hate
Crime Coalition, an award-win-
ning coalition of local law
enforcement, leaders, and rep-
resentatives of community
organizations, faith-based organ-
izations, public schools, and the
community at-large, who are
committed to raising awareness
of hate crimes, bias incidents,
and bullying. The coalition
offers support to victims of
hate/bias/bullying and helps to
restore a sense of community
when these incidents occur.
“This event continues our
efforts to bring our community
together to listen to and learn
from each other's experiences,”
said Eva Davis, director of the
Canton Public Library, and co-
chair, along with Sgt. Dale Waltz
of Canton Public Safety, of the
commission.
“Conversations like this one
make it clear to all who live,
work, or go to school in Canton
that when it comes to hate, bias,
and bullying, we say, 'Not in our
town, '” saidWaltz.
Davis expressed her hope
that Canton residents demon-
strate their willingness to have
the conversations necessary to
develop respect and under-
standing across racial, religious
and ethnic groups. “As a pilot
city for Not In Our Town's Gold
Star Cities initiative, an event
like this, alongwith ourNational
One source in city hall
said that CSX had initially
blamed the 9-hour blocked crossings
in Plymouth on the train crew.
”
Train delays continue in Plymouth
Tuesday is Election Day
See
Forum,
page 5
Next Tuesday, voters throughout the area will be selecting representatives to their city and township gov-
ernments and decide on financial requests fromschool districts.
Whilemany of the races have been quiet, some uncontested, others have been the subject of avid and vigor-
ous campaigns. The final decision as to who will best represent the interest of local residents and provide the
most effective stewardship of taxmoneywill rest with voters.
These are important decisions andwill set the course of the futures ofmany school districts and communi-
ties. Polls will be open throughout the areas from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. and those in line when the polls close
will be allowed to vote. Questions about local polling places should be directed to the municipal clerk in the
respective community.
InBelleville:
Voters in Belleville will
choose two representatives
from a field of five candidates
for city council during the Nov.
7 election.
Candidates seeking to serve
include
Kelly Bates
, incumbent
Tom Fielder
,
Gwen Hooks
,
Jesse
Marcotte
and
Jeff Vernon
.
Bates is a three year
Belleville resident. She is
employed as an occupation
supervisor at the University of
Michigan Health Center and is
married toThomasBates.
Fielder, 72, is a lifelong resi-
dent of the city and retired from
a teaching position at Belleville
High School. He earned his
bachelor of arts degree at the
University of Michigan. He
served as mayor of the city
beginning in 1999 and returned
to serve on the city council in
2013.
Gwen Hooks
has lived in
Belleville for five years. She
and her husband, Mark, are the
parents of a daughter, Jocelyn.
Hooks, 36, is a Health
Research Science Specialist,
with a master of arts of in
Counseling Psychology and a
bachelor of arts inpsychology.
This is her first bid for public
office and she said her candida-
cy was prompted by her belief
in the untapped potential of the
city
Jesse Marcotte
, 34, was
appointed to fill a vacancy on
the council last November and
is a first-time ballot candidate
for the office.
He was appointed to and
served on the planning commis-
sion 2007-2014 and 2015-
2016.He is a 12-year city resi-
dent and is employed as a
Battalion Chief of Training with
the Northville Township fire
Department where he has
worked for 15 years.
Jeff Vernon
, 48, is also a first-
time candidate. He has lived in
Belleville for two years, is a
high school graduate, and is
occupied in general labor..
He currently serves on the
Belleville Parks andRecreation
Commission.
InNorthville:
Northville voters will be
asked to vote for three unop-
posed candidates and approve
a millage request from the
Northville Public Schools dur-
ing theNov. 7General Election.
Unopposed incumbent
Mayor Ken Roth
is seeking re-
election. Candidates
Sam
Ekong
, an incumbent, and
Patrick Giesa
are unopposed in
their respective bids for two
open seats on the city council.
The Northville Public
Schools is asking voters to
approve the borrowing of not
more than $104,850,000 to be
used for erecting, furnishing
and equipping school facilities,
purchasing and installing
instructional technology and
purchasing school buses. The
funding would also be used to
pay for improvements and
equipment at playgrounds, sites
and athletic fields and facilities.
The district would issue gen-
eral obligation unlimited tax
bonds to fund the loan, if
approvedby voters.
Voters will be asked to vote
yes or no on the proposal. Polls
will be open from 7 a.m. until 8
p.m.
Absent voter ballots can be
returned by mail or hand deliv-
ered to city hall by 8 p.m. on
Nov. 7.
In Plymouth:
Voters will be asked to
choose from five candidates
seeking the four open seats on
the Plymouth City Commission
next Tuesday.
Dave Latawiec
has declared
himself as a write-in candidate
for one of the expiring terms on
the commission. He will face
incumbent commissioners
Dan
Dalton
and
Oliver Wolcott
along
with candidates
Ed Krol
and
Nicholas Moroz
. Those four
would have assumed the avail-
able terms prior to Latwiec's
entry into the race.
The top three candidates
based on vote totals next
Tuesday will serve four-year
commission terms and the next
See
Election,
page 6
