No. 48
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
75¢
November 25 – December 2, 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
The City ofWaynewill use
a tower located in Westland
to read newmunicipal water
meters, part of a new $2.5
million system being
installed in the city.
See page 4.
A subsidiary of mega-
giant Chinesemanufacturing
firm Cixing Group Corp.
LTD, will invest more
than$25million in a new cor-
porate headquarters in
NorthvilleTownship.
See page 3.
Teachers in the Van
Buren Public Schools
District will receive an early
Christmas gift next week in
the formof a 2-percent bonus
plus ahalf-steppay raise.
See page 2.
Vol. 130, No. 48
Vol. 68, No. 48
Vol. 68, No. 48
Vol. 15, No. 48
When parents of children
with Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder, or
ADHD look for help for their
children, Shannon Litogot of
Romulus understands only
toowell.
See page 4.
Vol. 130, No. 48
Vol. 68, No. 48
Vol. 68, No. 48
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
Two long-time Westland
Department of Public
Service (DPS) employees
will be honored for their
efforts in designing, building
and restoring the holiday
decorations.
See page 4.
Canton Public Safety
Director Todd L. Mutchler
was sworn-in as the new
president of the Wayne
County Chiefs of Police
Association last week.
See page 5.
Vol. 15, No. 24
A 31-year-old Inkster
woman has been criminally
charged in the deaths of two
motorcyclists she struck with
her car on I-94Nov. 7.
See page 4.
“We've been caught in the
political crossfirewithPlymouth
Township,” said Dan Dalton, a
land use attorney representing a
Plymouth Township manufac-
turing company, following the
regular meeting of the board of
trustees last week.
Dalton and attorney Matthew
Froberger were in attendance at
the meeting representing
VersaTrans, a manufacturer of
screen printed transfers, when
Plymouth Township Director of
Public Services Patrick Felrath
read a long list of allegations
claiming violations of water pol-
lution, meter rigging and plug-
ging up the Western Township
Utility Authority (WTUA) sewer
system outside the VersaTrans
facility.
VersaTrans, however, was
given a clear report from the
Michigan Department of
Environmental Quality stating
that the company has officially
been in compliance with state
regulations since last January.
The state required only that
VersaTrans apply for a dis-
charge permit, which Dalton
said the company has complet-
ed.
Dalton said he's perturbed
after hearing the allegations
from Felrath, but not surprised
at the behavior of township offi-
cials.
“It was an odd situation, I
don't know why it was on the
agenda…I don't knowwhy it was
being discussed.” Dalton said
later. “Nothing related to
Plymouth Township came out of
it.”
Trustee Bob Doroshewitz
suggested during the discussion
that township officials could be
attempting to mitigate previous
actions regardingVersaTrans.
In early August, VersaTrans
officials publicly complained
that Plymouth Township
Treasurer Ron Edwards arbi-
trarily withheld a tax rebate
check due the company.
VersaTrans invested more than
$150,000 to bring the Keel Street
building up to building and safe-
ty codes and meet requirements
Former Inkster Police Ofc.
William Melendez was found
guilty of two felonies and
remanded to jail last Wednesday
inWayneCounty Circuit Court.
A jury of eight women and
four men found Melendez guilty
of misconduct in office, a five-
year felony and assault with
intent to do great bodily harm
less than murder, a 10-year
felony. The charges stemmed
from a traffic stop Jan. 28 in
Inkster when patrol car video
showed Melendez, 47, pulling
Floyd Dent, 58, from his car,
wrestling him to the ground and
then striking himwith his closed
fist 16 times while restraining
him in what appears to be a
chokehold. Other Inkster officers
are seen on the tape kicking
Dent viciously and using a taser
onhim.
The video was released to the
public by Dent's attorney
Gregory Rohl and immediately
gained national attention due to
the ferocity and extent of the
beating. Melendez was immedi-
ately fired by then Inkster City
Manager RichardMarsh and the
city subsequently reached an
out-of-court settlement with
Dent for $1,377,500.
Prior to being hired in
Inkster, Melendez was accused
more than 12 times of using
excessive force during his 20-
year lawenforcement career.
Judge Vonda Evans revoked
Melendez' bail and remanded
him to the custody of the Wayne
County Jail despite arguments
from his attorney, James
Thomas, that he was not a flight
risk.
According to Rohl, Dent has
not yet returned to his job at
Ford Motor Co. due to residual
effects of the beating. While he is
doing well physically, Rohl said,
he suffers from Post Traumatic
Stress, something Dent
described on the stand. He was
hospitalized for the injuries suf-
fered in the beating, including a
broken eye socket. He told jurors
that he still suffers memory and
hearing problems.
Wayne County Prosecutor
Kym Worthy issued a statement
following the verdict noting,
“The jury's verdict in this case is
important because it shows that
police brutality cannot and will
not be tolerated.”
Worthy's office dropped all
charges, including cocaine pos-
session, against Dent when her
office was provided a copy of the
patrol car videotape, something
officers did not send with the
original warrant request. Earlier,
22nd District Court Judge
Sabrina Johnson dropped
attempted escape charges
against Dent when she viewed
the tape. While Melendez and
other officers claimed Dent was
using cocaine and had the drug
in his possession when he was
arrested, no evidence of any
drug use was found by the office
Distinguished
Teens to vie for
title, scholarships
Members of the Plymouth
City Commission unani-
mously voted to appoint 32-
year city resident Joseph
Valenti to a vacant seat on
the commission.
See page 3.
See
Trial,
page 4
See
Sewer,
page 3
The life of one young area woman will
change next week when she is named the
Distinguished Young Woman of the Wayne
Westland area in the annual pageant
planned forDec. 4.
Distinguished Young Women is a
national scholarship program designed to
help high school girls develop their full,
individual potential through a fun, trans-
formative experience, according to the
organizationwebsite.
Formerly known as the Junior Miss
event, this is the 49th event in Wayne
Westland, the largest in the state with 11
young women participating this year, all
vying to :”be their best self” the motto of
the program.
Co-directors of the local program this
year are Lauren Perry, who was the
Wayne/Westland Junior Miss in 2005 and
Jodi Berry.
“The Distinguished Young Women
organization is one that continually
inspires young women while providing
them with opportunities to learn more
about themselves and their local commu-
nities. This program is one that I am
incredibly proud to be a part of, and I find
it to have a positive impact on young
ladies. One of our main goals is to provide
an avenue for our participants to supple-
ment their college experience via scholar-
ship opportunities and to recognize their
individual strengths and capabilities,”
Perry said.
The girls are judged in five categories:
talent, poise, scholastic, interview and fit-
ness and scholarships will be awarded to
the top two scorers in each category.
Participants in the event this year
include juniors: Elaena Wojtowicz, Nicole
Duque, Kaitlyn Balko, Emma Diamond,
Hannah Gottman and Antrunika Alonzo
and seniors: Kelsie Wysong, Riana
Hardyniec, Emily Dietz, Brooke Arcuragi,
Crystal Pinard, Tirzah Ault and Alyssa
Brown.
The event will take place at 7 p.m. Dec.
4 at Wayne Memorial High School, in the
auditorium. Tickets are $12 at the door or
$8 for students.
The local winner will go on to the state
competition inSaline.
It's not contaminating the environment.
It's not dangerous.
It's basically orange peel.
”
Township accuses business of blocking sewer
The jury's verdict in this
case is important because
it shows that police brutality
cannot and will not be tolerated.
”
Jury finds former Inkster officer guilty in beating
Participants in the Distinguished Young Woman of Wayne Westland pageant this
include, top photo, seniors Kelsie Wysong, Riana Hardyniec, Emily Dietz, Brooke
Arcuragi, Crystal Pinard, Tirzah Ault and Alyssa Brown and, lower photo, juniors Elaena
Wojtowicz, Nicole Duque, Kaitlyn Balko, Emma Diamond, Hannah Gottman and
Antrunika Alonzo.
Photos by Marvin Soleau
Don Howard
Staff Writer
