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EWSPAPERS OF
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November 26, 2014
B
ELLEVILLE
- R
OMULUS
- I
NKSTER
Romulus wins honors for economic development
Library offers indoor programs
CITY OF ROMULUS
PLANNING COMMISSION
NOTICE OF A PUBLIC HEARING
ON A PROPOSED SPECIAL LAND USE
TIRE RETREADING FACILITY
GREAT LAKES TIRE LLC ~ 30003 VANBORN
Notice is hereby given that the City of Romulus will hold a public hearing at
7:00 p.m. on
Monday, December 15, 2014
for the purpose of considering a Special Land Use proposal.
The public hearing will be held at the Romulus City Hall Council Chambers, 11111 Wayne
Road, Romulus MI 48174-1485.
The Planning Commission has set the public hearing to consider a request from Great Lakes
Tire LLC for a proposed tire retreading facility greater than 80,000 square feet located on a
10.02+-acre parcel on VanBorn Road. Parcel# 82-80-005-01-1007-002. Zoning: M-1 Light
Industrial District. Manufacturing facilities greater than 80,000 square feet are permitted in the
M-1 Light Industrial District, subject to Special Land Use Approval. Copies of the application
are available for review at City Hall during regular business hours.
All interested parties are encouraged to attend and will be given an opportunity to comment on
said request. Written comments may be submitted until 12:00 noon, Monday, December 15,
2014 and should be addressed to Carol Maise, City Planner, 11111 Wayne Road, Romulus, MI
48174-1485.
Ellen Craig-Bragg, City Clerk
City of Romulus, Michigan
Publish: November 26, 2014
CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF CANTON
ACCESS TO PUBLIC MEETINGS
The Charter Township of Canton will provide necessary, reasonable auxiliary aids and services to individuals with disabilities at
the meeting/hearing upon a two week notice to the Charter Township of Canton. These services include signers for the hearing
impaired and audio tapes of printed materials being considered at the meeting. Individuals with disabilities requiring auxiliary
aids or services should contact the Charter Township of Canton by writing or calling the following:
Gwyn Belcher, ADA Coordinator
Charter Township of Canton, 1150 S. Canton Center Road
Canton, MI 48188
(734) 394-5260
Published: November 26, 2014
EC112614-1034 2.5 x 1.557
Romulus has been recognized
for its work to foster entrepre-
neurial growth and economic
development in the annual
eCities study conducted by
researchers at iLabs, University
of Michigan-Dearborn Center for
Innovation Research. Romulus
was honored as a four-star com-
munity along with 32 other
municipalities across the state.
“We value the importance of
completing a project on time and
on budget,” said Mayor LeRoy D.
Burcroff. “To that end, the city
has pledged to work with busi-
ness to bring certainty to the
development process.”
The eCities research sur-
veyed 83 communities from 30
counties in Michigan that are
home to 26 percent of Michigan
residents and 33 percent of state
college graduates. These commu-
nities count for nearly one quar-
ter of the state entrepreneurs
with over $2.6 billion in self-
employed income as residents.
These communities also had
more than $12.3 billion in 2013
commercial construction and
account for more than 31 percent
of Michigan commercial proper-
ty, according to statistics provid-
edby the city.
“We are seeing the nature of
economic development evolving,
and eCities is a tool to help local
governments demonstrate their
role in the changing economy.
These governments are support-
ing unique and innovative efforts
locally, while collaborating
regionally to help Michigan busi-
ness compete in an ever-chang-
ing business climate,” said Tim
Davis, director at iLabs.
The communities were hon-
ored Thursday, Nov. 13, at UM-
Dearborn. Support for eCities is
provided in part by the DTE
Energy Foundation, Miller
Canfield, Oakland County
Economic Development and
Community Affairs and UM-
DearbornCollege of Business.
The annual eCities research
project, which began in 2007,
uses data supplied by the partici-
pants, as well as other public
records to assemble a six-factor,
32-item index of entrepreneurial
activity, looking at such factors as
clustering, incentives, growth,
policies, community and educa-
tion. The study focuses on entre-
preneurship because of its
importance to expansion and
diversification of Michigan's
regional economies and the
impact small businesses have on
job creation, according to a
spokesman. To date, 197 commu-
nities across Michigan have par-
ticipated in the study.
An early morning fire at the Van Buren
Public Schools bus yard in Belleville last
Thursday remains under investigation
and an accounting of the financial loss
remains incomplete due to the severity of
the damage, according to district officials.
Belleville Police were alerted by a
motion detector at the bus yard mainte-
nance garage at about 3:30 a.m. Nov. 20
and responding officers immediately noti-
fied the fire department. Responding fire-
fighters reported seeing flames shooting
from the building when they arrived at
the scene. Witnesses in the area of Henry
and Davis streets in Belleville reported
hearing several small explosions, which
firefighters later confirmed. Belleville
Fire Chief Brian Loranger said the explo-
sions forced firefighters to battle the blaze
fromoutside the building.
Both Van Buren Township and
Belleville fire departments responded to
the scene, as did Sumpter Township fire
personnel.
A new dump truck, a lawn mower, and
other several other vehicles were
destroyed inside the building although
Superintendent of Schools Michael Van
Tassel said that no school buses were lost
to the blaze. Van Tassel canceled classes
throughout the district on Thursday as a
safety precaution, he said. “In the interest
of safety, I did not want our employees in
the area.”
“While we sustained a great deal of
damage to the building and several main-
tenance vehicles, no buses were lost. The
damage is substantial, but we will move
forward with continuing to provide a
quality educational experience for the
over 5,000 students and families we
serve,” VanTassel told reporters.
Classes resumed in the district on
Friday, although firefighters were called
back to the maintenance yard when
smokewas reported coming fromthe roof.
The “smoke” was determined to be steam
from the roof by responding firefighters
on Friday. A minor injury to one firefight-
er was reported but she is back on the job,
Loranger said.
The StateFireMarshal began an inves-
tigation into the cause of the blaze
Thursday afternoon. He will coordinate
the losses with the school district insur-
ance carrier regarding the amount of
damage to the building and equipment.
“There was a lot of loss,” Chief
Loranger said, adding he pried open a
tool box that had been melted shut and
sawa lot of damaged tools.
According to a media report, a
mechanic who was not scheduled to work
the day of the blaze called someone at the
scene of the fire, asking him to find his
tool box and open it to see if his Christmas
money was still inside. The melted box
was pried open and the money found
intact, according to reports.
Garage fire cancels
classes in school district
While we sustained
a great deal of
damage to the
building and several
maintenance
vehicles, no buses
were lost.
”
The Leanna Hicks Inkster
Public library has planned sev-
eral indoor events and activities
for children and teens as the
cold rolls in and winter weather
approaches, according Youth
Services LibrarianAngelaScott.
The library is hosting a new
book club called The Pizza
Reading Robots for those 8-12-
years-old. The club members
will meet at 6 p.m. every third
Wednesday of the month and
include book talks, snacks and
games.
The regular library programs
for children will also continue
including a Starfish-run play-
group for those ages 5 and
younger from 10:30 a.m. until
noon every Monday, LEGO
Nights from 4-5 p.m. on
Tuesdays and from 5-6 p.m. on
Thursdays. Storytimes take
place from 5-6 p.m. every
Tuesday and from 6-7 p.m. every
Thursday for children 10 and
younger.
There will also be a Baby
Rhyme Time for babies and
their parents ages birth to walk-
ing at 10:30 a.m. every fourth
Saturday of themonth.
“This is a language develop-
ment where the focus is on
rhymes, repetition and learning
early literacy skills,” Scott said.
The library will be closed
Nov. 27-30 for the Thanksgiving
Holiday.
Fall hours are: 10 a.m. until 8
p.m. Mondays; noon until 8 p.m.
Tuesdays, Wednesdays and
Thursdays; closed on Fridays
and from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on
Saturdays. The library is also
closed onSundays.
“Like us on Facebook to see
photos or stay up to date on
library programs and events or
check out our website at
http://www.inkster.lib.mi.us/even
ts.html” Scott said.
The library is located at 2005
Inkster Road in Inkster. For
more information, call (313) 563-
2822.
Energy
education
Wick Elementary fourth
grade students recent-
ly enjoyed being a part
of the "Think! Energy"
program sponsored by
the National Energy
Foundation and DTE
Energy. The interactive,
hands-on, 60-minute
presentation helped
teach students the
importance of energy,
natural and environ-
mental resources,
whi le giving them
many ideas on how to conserve energy around their homes. Each fourth grader was also presented
with a package of energy-efficient technologies that may be installed at home. Fourth grade teach-
ers received instructional materials and lessons that they may use in the classroom. Enjoying the
presentation are, left, back row, Fran Smith (National Energy Foundation), Wick Principal ShaVonna
Johnson, Cheryl Klee (National Energy Foundation). In the front row are Wick students Laron Booth,
Johanna Todos, Leah Burks and Isaiah Ransom.
mile-deep disposal wells in 2006,
but was shut down by the
Michigan Department of
Environmental Quality (DEQ)
within the first year of operation
due to above-ground leaks. The
pension board of the Detroit
Police and Fire Retirement
System invested in the project by
issuingmulti-million dollar loans
to the operator of the facility, but
the loans were eventually
defaulted on, resulting in
approximately $40 million in
losses. In recent years,
Environmental
Geo-
Technologies, which is owned by
Greektown businessman Jim
Papas, has received permits to
resume operations at the facility.
Senate Bill 1105 would seek to
stop future investments in the
failed project and protect pen-
sioners from further harm. The
bill would provide that an invest-
ment fiduciary of a large spon-
sored system that has invested in
a hazardous waste disposal well
facilitywouldbe prohibited.
Well
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