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No. 46
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
75¢
November 20 – 25, 2014
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
Members of the Wayne-
Westland
Community
Schools Board of Education
have agreed to a $5,000 fee
for the development of a new
set of policies for the district.
See page 4.
Two charitable causes in
Romulus received some
assistance last week, while
another is gearing up for the
Thanksgiving holiday.
See page 5.
Members
of
the
P l y m o u t h - C a n t o n
Community Schools Board of
Education voted 5-2 last
week to close both Allen
Elementary School and the
Tanger Center.
See page 4.
The Annual Northville
Holiday Lighted Parade and
Tree Lighting Ceremony will
take place at 6:30 p.m. tomor-
rowat TownSquare.
See page 5.
Voters in the Van Buren
Schools district will face a
millage question asking for a
renewal of the sinking fund
levy in the electionnextMay.
See page 2.
Vol. 129, No. 46
Vol. 67, No. 46
Vol. 67, No. 46
Vol. 14, No. 46
Vol. 129, No. 46
Vol. 67, No. 46
Vol. 67, No. 46
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
The Sixth Annual Shop
and Dine Holiday Campaign
is now under way in
Westland, a six-week multi-
faceted effort to promote the
shopping district.
See page 3.
The Canton community
will begin the holiday season
with the 36th Annual Tree
Lighting event Dec. 3 at the
Summit on thePark.
See page 2.
Vol. 14, No. 46
Spare the Rod, a play
written by retired police offi-
cer Stacey Johnson, will be
presented at 7 p.m. Dec. 5-7
at St. Clement's Episcopal
Church.
See page 3.
A Westland man and a
Wayne woman will face trial in
the execution-style murder of a
PlymouthTownshipman found
dead inhis home lastmonth.
Judge James Plakas of the
35th District Court in Plymouth
ordered Timothy S. Nutt, 22, of
Westland and his girlfriend,
Miriah Pisarski, 20, of Wayne
bound over for trial in the
death of Kenneth LaBita, 76, of
PlymouthTownship.
The pair had allegedly gone
to the victim's home to buy a
firearm when the situation
“went bad” according the
Timothy S. Nutt, the father of
one of the accused. Nutt told
the court, “He (Andrew Nutt)
went over to Kenny's
(Pisarski's) and he was sup-
posed to buy a gun or some-
thing from him and it went bad
and he shot him.” Nutt was
among 11 witnesses who testi-
fied during the five-hour pre-
liminary hearing last Friday.
Andrew Nutt will face
charges of premeditated mur-
der, felony murder, larceny and
using a gunduring a felony.
Pisarski, will face charges of
felony murder and larceny
after Plakas dismissed charges
of premeditated murder and
using a gun during a felony
against her.
LaBita was found dead in
his home on Gilbert Street Oct.
27 when neighbors reported to
police that his dog had been
left outside for two days and
his garage door remained
open. Responding officers
found himdead froman appar-
ent gunshot wound to the back
of the head which an autopsy
by the Wayne County Medical
Examiner ruled was the cause
of death and a homicide.
LaBita was a widower in the
process of selling his posses-
sions, including handguns and
long guns in preparation for a
move out of state, according to
witnesses. Several police offi-
cers told the court that both
Andrew Nutt and Pisarski
admitted being at LaBita's
home before he was found
dead. Officers who questioned
Pisarski said she told them that
she became bored with the gun
talk going on betweenNutt and
LaBita and left the room to use
the restroom. She said she
heard a bang and that Nutt
came to the bathroomdoor and
escortedher out of the house.
Nutt also admitted being in
the house but did not confess to
the killing. His brother,
Timothy Nutt, told the court
that Andrew Nutt told him that
he shot LaBita in the back of
the head and took guns out of
the homewrapped inblankets.
Prosecutors allege that Nutt
and Pisarski took guns and
cash from LaBita's home and
one officer testified that about
$4,000 was found in Nutt's
home. None of the firearms
have been located, police said.
During their initial arraign-
ment on the charges in 35th
District Court, Judge Michael
Geroudenied bond for both the
defendants
who
have
remained incarcerated since
their arrest.
The pair will be arraigned
in Wayne County Circuit Court
on the murder charges tomor-
row.
WestlandMayorWilliamWild
said that the city bargaining
team will review the pension
multiplier section of the pro-
posed new union contract with
the
Wayne-Westland
Professional FirefightersUnion.
Union members and officials
had already ratified the negoti-
ated agreement waiting for
approval of the members of the
Westland City Council. While
the Wayne and Westland fire
departments have merged, each
is regulated by union contracts
with the individual cities.
The six-year Westland pact
calls for a 3-percent pay raise in
2015, a 1-percent raise in 2016
and the option for the reopening
of wage negotiations in 2017. At
the regular city council meeting
earlier this month, a motion to
approve the agreement was
derailed by Council President
James Godbout. Godbout relin-
quished the chairmanship of the
meeting to President Pro Tem
Adam Hammons enabling him
to offer a motion to table
approval of the contract.
Godbout said that he was
concerned about the effects of
the pension multiplier amounts
detailed in the contract. Those
amounts, 2.5 percent for current
employees of the fire depart-
ment and at 2.25 percent for
those hired after the date of the
contract. Godbout said his con-
cern was changing the multipli-
er from other union contracts in
the city. He said he had no issue
with the rest of the contract pro-
visions, but wanted the multipli-
er issue made consistent with
other union agreements. That
multiplier is used as a factor in
the determination of employees'
pension amounts.
Wayne Westland Professional
Firefighters Union President
Mitch Tokarski was less than
pleased with Godbout's motion.
He said that Godbout was
attempting to negotiate the con-
tract in the public eye and from
the chair at the city council.
Therewas no proposed dead-
line for the review by the bar-
gaining team, City Attorney
James Fausone, Personnel
Director Cindy King and Deputy
Mayor ThelmaKubitskey.
”
The pair had allegedly gone
to the victim's home to buy
a firearm when the situation “went bad”...
Pair to face murder charges in shooting
Council ‘tables’ Westland firefighters’ pact
A local Canton Township
girl will be honored during one
of the nation's “Most Incredible
Themed Races,” next month
when the Jingle Bell Run/Walk
for Arthritis takes place begin-
ning at 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 6,
at the Compuware World
Headquarters, 1 Campus
Martius, Detroit. More than
3,000 participants are expect-
ed.
Among them will be family
members and supporters of
Emi Werschky of Canton who
was diagnosed at 2 with juve-
nile idiopathic arthritis and is
the 2014 Detroit Jingle Bell
Run/Walk for Arthritis
Honoree. After three years of
treatment, Werschky experi-
enced a pain free life and
thought her arthritis was
cured. Unfortunately, arthritis
came back and treatments
resumed.
“I can't wait until I am just
Emi. Not a kid with arthritis,”
saidWerschky.
“Physically, Emi is hurting,
but emotionally, she's hurting
just as much. She struggles
and asks, 'Why me?'” said Lisa
Werschky, Emi'smom.
“Emi was just 2 years old
when she was officially diag-
nosed with Juvenile Arthritis.
While other 2-year-old chil-
dren were busy running,
climbing, playing and learning
to jump, skip, and pedal a bike,
our daughter was quickly with-
drawing from physical activi-
ties,” Werschky said. “It was
October of 2009 when we
noticed Emi was limping and
her knee was swollen. Within
weeks she could no longer get
out of bed, walk up or down
stairs, or even stand on her
own. The arthritis was spread-
ing and taking away Emi's
chances to be a normal and
active child.
“Emi has been battling this
disease for over five years.
Today, thanks to a great team
of doctors, medical proce-
dures, and numerous trials of
medications to find the right
combination, Emi is returning
to normal 7-year-old activity.
We have experienced what its
like to be in remission andhow
quickly that can end. Emi
receives weekly injections in
her stomach and takes daily
pills to keep her arthritis
under control. For a child in
the 2nd grade, the side effects
to these medications can make
it very difficult to keep up in
school. We know she still has a
fight ahead of her, and Emi
does occasionally experience a
flare of her symptoms, but she
has shown more strength and
courage than we could have
ever imagined,” Werschky
said.
Jingle Bell Run/Walk for
Arthritis raises funds to fight
and cure arthritis, the nation's
leading cause of disability.
Participants dress in holiday-
themed costumes and tie jin-
gle bells to their shoes creating
a festive atmosphere. This
family-friendly event includes
a competitively timed 5K or
10K run, 5K walk, 1K kids'
Snowman Shuffle, prizes for
best costume and top fundrais-
ers, and medals for the best
run times in 13 age categories.
Participants will also enjoy a
post-race party sponsored by
Hard Rock Cafe and New
Belgium Brewery. Entry fees
are $30 for the 5K run/walk,
$35 for the 10K run and $12 for
the Snowman Shuffle. All pro-
ceeds support Arthritis
Foundation programs, services
and research.
Register by going to
www.Arthritis.org/Michigan or
calling (855) 529-2728.
Arthritis is a serious disease
that causes slow and painful
deterioration of the body's
joints. Often mischaracterized
as an “old person's” disease,
arthritis affects more than 50
million Americans, including
300,000 children. In Michigan,
more than 2.3 million adults
and 10,300 children have
arthritis - 31 percent of the
population.
Emi Werschky
Jingle girl
Annual charity run will
honor Canton resident