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No. 48
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST 75¢ November 23 - 30, 2011
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 City Council mem-
bers approved a resolution
that will help the Wayne
Ripple Effect group apply for
associate level status with the
MainStreet Program.
See page 3.
A long-time community tra-
dition will continue Friday,
Dec. 2, when Romulus resi-
dents come together to light
the official Christmas tree and
welcome Santa Claus to the
city.
See page 5.
For the 12th year, the
Plymouth Noon Rotary Club
honored the fire and police
officers of the year, chosen for
their heroism and public serv-
ice.
See page 5.
Two Northville teams
brought home trophies from
the 7th annual Michigan Flag
Football State Tournament at
Walled Lake Northern High
School Nov.12 and 13.
See page 4.
Michael Van Tassel, the
principal at Belleville High
School, has been selected as
the new superintendent of the
Van Buren Public School
District.
See page 4.
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Sylvia James, the chief
judge at the 22nd District
Court, has soundly denied
accusations in a complaint
filed against her by the
Michigan Judicial Tenure
Commission.
See page 3.
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
The City of Westland will
bring in the holidays with the
annual Holiday Tree Lighting
Ceremony at 6:15 p.m. Monday,
Dec. 5, in front of City Hall
located at 36601FordRoad.
See page 3.
The Citizens Action Group of
Plymouth Township has filed a suit
in Wayne County Circuit Court
against PlymouthTownship.
The suit, filed by Plymouth attor-
ney Lisa Stempien, alleges the
township officials have violated
“The rights of the Elecorate of
Plymouth Township” for failure to
honor petitions submitted by citi-
zens seeking a vote on a dedicated
1-mill assessment to fund the fire
department.
An initial hearingwas scheduled
for yesterday, Nov. 22, in the court-
room of Judge Wendy M. Baxter.
The outcome was not known at
press time. Township Clerk Joe
Bridgeman was served with a sub-
poena in the matter at township
hall on Friday, according to a
source close to the situation.
The legal documents seek an
order from the court requiring the
township to show cause for not
allowing the issue to be placed on
the ballot and for the court to issue
a Writ of Mandamus, requiring the
township officials to place the ques-
tion on the Feb. 28, 2012 ballot. The
court documents cite MCL 41.801
and include affidavits, maps and
claims that the board members and
officials have unlawfully denied the
public their right to vote on the
issue. The documents also cite the
“personal animus on the part of
some of the members of the
Township Board toward” the fire-
fighters union.
In addition, the documents seek
litigation costs and reasonable
attorney fees “because of the recal-
citrance of the Township Board of
the Defendant township in its fail-
ure to perform its clear legal duty
underMCL41.801.”
The Citizens Action Group is an
Willie Johnson made the pages of the
Florence Morning News in 1941 when he par-
ticipated in an annual bicycle race and fin-
ished first inhis division riding backward.
The event occurred on Armistice Day.
Johnson was so far ahead that he switched
around and rode the last of the race back-
ward.
“I remember that race like it just happed,”
Johnson, 86, said during a recent interview. “I
turned around and got on the handlebar of the
bicycle and pedaled backward. The people
were all yelling, 'Come on Willie, come on
Willie.' They really liked that trick I pulled.”
The people also liked what they saw when
Johnson participated in the annual Wilson
High School Homecoming Parade this fall.
Johnson sings in the parade every year.
“The people clapped and cheered for me
throughout the parade,” Johnson said. “I came
close to crying.”
Johnson was going to Wilson when he
joined the Navy in 1943. He was a small guy
who grew up in a tough neighborhood. Bullies
picked on him so he decided to learn how to
box.
He learnedwell enough to deck awhite guy
who kept harassing him in the Navy. The guy
would intentionally step on his heels during
marches.
“I told the head of the unit about it but he
could never catch the guy in action,” Johnson
said. “So I took matters into my own hands
and turned around and decked the guy when
he did it again.”
That prompted a boxingmatch between the
guy and Johnson. The guy bragged that he was
lightweight boxing champion inNewJersey.
The two got in the boxing ring at the Navy
base. A large crowd gathered. The first round
was a draw, but came close to wearing the guy
out.
“I did him in during the second round,”
Johnson said. “Everybody cheeredme. I never
had a problemfromthat guy again.”
Johnson moved back to Florence in 1945
after being honorably discharged from the
Navy. Among his prized possessions is a com-
mendation letter from Secretary of the Navy
JamesForrestal.
Johnson moved to Inkster in 1946 Johnson
made a name for himself in Inkster. He served
on city council for 16 years and was inducted
into the InksterHall of Fame.
Johnson worked for Ford Motor Co. until
the early 1950s. He then went to work for the
WayneCountyGeneral Hospital.
“I was the first black ambulance driver in
Michigan,” Johnson said. “I could flat drive an
ambulance.”
But he also ran into racial problems once
or twice. In one case, a white man refused to
have Johnson drive his wife to the hospital
becausehewas black.
“There was a white sheriff's deputy there
when I came to pick her up,” Johnson said.
“Thewhitemanwas callingme every name in
the book. The deputy took up for me and told
me to leave the man and his wife. He said the
man could call a cab if he wanted to get her to
thehospital.”
Johnson's service at the hospital didn't go
unnoticed. He received many commendation
letters for the job hewas performing, especial-
ly hownicely hehandledpeople.
Johnson went on and entered law enforce-
ment. He retired as a deputy sheriff in 1987.
Hewas invited by Jimmy Carter to his inau-
guration ball when Carter was elected presi-
dent. He wrote a song titled “Bless Jimmy
Carter.”
Johnson cut a country CD titled “When
Willie Was Country” and another CD titled
“TheGospelMusic ofWillie Johnson.”
“I love to sing,” Johnson said. “I've always
had a song inmy heart.”
Johnson would also like to know if there
are any others still kicking from that 1941 bicy-
cle race. Henry Privette won first place in the
15-year-old division; Bobby Baer in the 13- to
14-year-old division; and James Touchberry in
See Suit, page 2
Ring in the holiday season
at the 33rd Annual Canton
Tree Lighting from 6-8:30 p.m.
Nov. 30 at the Summit on the
Park.
See page 4.
See Johnson, page 2
The lawsuit further cites the refusal
of the township to accept an
$880,000 federal grant for public safety services.
”
On a roll
Former councilman
rides in South
Carolina parade
The City of Romulus has been
recognized for its work to foster
entrepreneurial growth and eco-
nomic development in a study by
researchers at iLabs, the
University of Michigan-Dearborn
Center for InnovationResearch.
Romulus was the only downriv-
er area municipality honored as a
four-star community. In all, 44
communities across the state were
recognized as top performers. This
was the second time Romulus has
received high marks from the
organization.
“The City of Romulus provides
a great deal of focus on economic
development, business attraction
and retention, and bringing jobs to
the community,” said Timothy
Keyes, Romulus economic devel-
opment director. “We believe that
this is one of the most important
functions of municipal govern-
ment as economic development
helps a city grow. We don't do it for
awards, but we appreciate the
recognition by such a prestigious
organization as UM-Dearborn's
Center for Innovative Research
eCities.”
The eCities research surveyed
more than 100Michigan communi-
ties that are home to 36 percent of
state residents and 44 percent of
its college graduates. These com-
munities also had more than $1
billion in commercial construction
last year and more than half of
them share services with other
communities.
“We are pleased to have partici-
pation from so many communities
throughout the state in eCities
2011,” said iLabs Director Tim
Davis. “The focus of this project is
assisting local communities by
identifying best practices and
methods that they can implement
which will aid with job growth
strategies, economic diversifica-
tion, anddevelopment of entrepre-
neurs.”
The communities were hon-
ored at a ceremony at UM-
Dearborn yesterday. Martin Dober,
senior vice president of entrepre-
neurship and innovation for the
Michigan Economic Development
Corporation provided the keynote
address at the event.
The annual eCities research
project, which began in 2007, uses
data supplied by the participants
as well as other public records to
assemble a six-factor, 32-item
index of entrepreneurial activity,
looking at such factors as cluster-
ing, incentives, growth, policies,
community and education. The
study focuses on entrepreneurship
because of its importance to
expansion and diversification of
Michigan's regional economies
and the impact small businesses
have on job creation. To date, 138
communities have been recog-
nized as topperformers.
Citizens group sues Plymouth Township
Former Inkster City Councilman Willie Johnson was welcomed at the Wilson High School
Homecoming Parade in South Carolina again this year. Johnson, 86, is well known for his back-
ward bicycle riding in a race in 1941 in Florence, SC and sings in the parade there every year.
We don't do it for awards, but we appreciate the
recognition by such a prestigious organization as
UM-Dearborn's Center for Innovative Research eCities.
”
Romulus honored for economic development