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No. 48
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
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December 4 –10, 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
Visitors to the State
Wayne Theatre couldn't help
but notice some brand new
features in the four-screen
movie house last weekend,
including new reclining
leather seats.
See page 3.
Two long-abandoned gas
stations top the list of struc-
tures approved by members
of the Romulus City Council
for demolition in the coming
months.
See page 5.
Compuware Arena in
Plymouth Township may be
owned by the USA Hockey
Foundation by June of next
year as a preliminary sales
agreement has been
reached.
See page 4.
While the abandoned
Northville State Psychiatric
Hospital appears to be
deserted, there is action
behind the scenes to fund
the demolition and remedia-
tion of the site.
See page 2.
Visitors fromWayne to the
Van Buren Township Police
Department may see a famil-
iar face in the administration
office since former Wayne
Police Chief Jason Wright
became deputy director of
public safety in the township.
See page 3.
Vol. 129, No. 48
Vol. 67, No. 48
Vol. 67, No. 48
Vol. 14, No. 48
Vol. 129, No. 48
Vol. 67, No. 48
Vol. 67, No. 48
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
Despite the continued
objections of Westland City
Council President James
Godbout, the new6-year con-
tract with Westland firefight-
erswas approved last week.
See page 4.
Canton police are contin-
uing to investigate a home
invasion and robbery report-
ed Thanksgiving Eve, one of
four similar crimes reported.
See page 2.
Vol. 14, No. 48
Spare the Rod, a play
written by retired Inkster
Police Officer Stacey
Johnson, will be presented at
7 p.m. Dec. 5-7 at St.
Clement'sEpiscopal Church.
See page 5.
Two days following a massive
fire at the Woodcrest
Apartments in Westland, the
Wayne-Westland
Fire
Department set up operations
to accept donations of needed
items for the displaced resi-
dents.
Clothing and non-perishable
food donations are now being
accepted at theWayneWestland
Fire Administration Building
located at 37201 Marquette,
Westland. Monetary donations
are also being accepted and can
be made out to “Westland
Firefighters Public Awareness
Committee.”
The Wayne-Westland Fire
Department responded to the
raging blaze at Woodcrest
Apartments in Westland last
Monday that ultimately affected
17 families and scorched 20
units at the complex, located on
Wayne Road, north of Cowan.
The fire was first reported at
about 4:15 that day, shortly after
a maintenance employee was
working in one of the units.
Due to extreme winds that
day, the fire was difficult to con-
tain and the responders from
Wayne-Westland, Livonia, and
Inkster battled the flames for
nearly 10 hours, according to
fire department reports.
“The fire was already
through the roof when we
arrived. The 40-mile per hour
winds pushed the fire through
the attic,” said Wayne-Westland
Fire Chief Michael Reddy. “The
wind had a significant impact
on the fire. It was pushing the
hose (water) stream from the
fire. We had to move the trucks
downwind.”
The apartment management
company and fire department
personnel worked together to
provide placements in other
apartments for the affected fam-
ilies and individuals. In addi-
tion, the Red Cross and
Salvation Army have provided
basic essentials to the victims,
according to Westland Mayor
WilliamWild.
“The complex has a commu-
nity center and people shel-
tered there. No one was
injured,” Reddy said. “We evac-
uated all the residents and res-
cued one dog.”
Reddy said the cause of the
fire remains under investiga-
tion but no foul play or arson is
suspected. Damage to the build-
ings was estimated at $2.5 mil-
lion.
Reddy said that none of the
two-story buildings affected by
the blaze couldbe saved.
“They won't be able to sal-
vage any of it,”Reddy added/
“Our thoughts and prayers go
out to those affected by this trag-
ic fire, and we are so thankful
that no lives were lost,” said
Wild. “I want to thank our brave
fire fighters from Westland and
other communities who
responded and fought the
flames for nearly 10 hours.”
Wild said he has been
encouraged by the response
fromthe community at-large.
“This is an unfortunate
tragedy, especially as we head
into the holiday season. But I
amproud of the compassion our
residents have shown to those
affected, and I thank everyone
who has donated and supported
the displaced families.”
A 126-acre piece of property
which included 15 buildings of
some historic interest will
apparently soon be for sale in
PlymouthTownship.
The buyer, however, will
needdeeppockets.
The Michigan State House of
Representatives Appropriat-
ions Committee members
recently voted to place the
property, located along Five
Mile Road, into the Fast Track
land Bank Authority, which is
expected to move for a quick
sale of the land.
The property is the former
site of the Detroit House of
Corrections and the move into
the land bank is expected to
move quickly through the full
House of Representatives.
“We want to use the land
bank's legal tools to market the
site,” said state Rep. Kurt
Heise, R-Plymouth, of the bill
he sponsored to transfer the site
to the land bank. “There are
many options along Five Mile
Road. We can make it an eco-
nomic asset instead of an eye-
sore.”
Abandoned since 2005, the
land was appraised at $2.1 mil-
lion in 2008, despite estimates
that remediation of the site,
once used as a dump for the
City of Detroit, could cost new
owners between $4 and $20 mil-
lion. Additionally, the cost to
demolish the buildings at the
site is estimated at an addition-
al $10million.
The prison, built in 1930, was
owned by the City of Detroit
until 1986 when it was sold to
the state and became awomen's
prison. It was closed in 2004.
The state corrections depart-
ment is spending about $20,000
annually to maintain the prop-
erty, according to a state report.
The newest 11th District
Wayne County Commissioner
got a few words of advice from
his predecessor recently as the
City of Wayne said goodbye to
long-time Mayor Al Haidous,
recently elected to the county
position.
Among those congratulating
Haidous and celebrating his
many years of political service
in Wayne was departing
Commissioner
Kevin
McNamara, D-Belleville, who
presented Haidous with a res-
olution from the county honor-
ing his years of service to his
city. McNamara admitted that
he had urged Haidous to seek
his position when he opted not
to run for reelection.
McNamara noted that
Haidous has become the first
Arab-American elected to the
Wayne County Commission,
just as he was the first Arab-
American elected to theWayne
City Council and the first
mayor of Arab descent in the
community. Haidous is also the
first voter-elected mayor in the
city.
“This resolution will hang
next to one I received from his
dad (late Wayne County
Executive
Edward
McNamara) 21 years ago,” said
Haidous. “It is a great honor. I
have big shoes to fill.”
Haidous was honored at a
crowded reception just prior
to the regular city council
meeting in the Wayne
Activities and Banquet Center,
where the meetings have been
moved due to structural dam-
age at city hall. The building
was packed with friends, fami-
ly and supporters of Haidous
who has been in elected office
in the city for more than 21
years.
Haidous, a native of
Lebanon, immigrated to
Wayne more than 40 years ago.
He was the owner and opera-
tor of a small market at
Annapolis and Howe roads for
many years before making his
first venture into local politics
with his successful campaign
for city council in 1993.
Haidous was also presented
with proclamations from State
Rep. Robert Kosowski, D-
The large place of worship on
Canton Center north of Geddes
is about to get even larger.
Canton Township Trustees
approved a special land use per-
mit for a two-story, 7,000 square
foot addition to the gurdwara or
Sikh place of worship, last week.
The planning commission had
already approved the project
and recommended approval by
the townshipboard.
The addition will house class-
rooms for children's religious
studies on weekends and confer-
ence rooms, according to project
engineer Hakin Shakir. He said
construction is expected to begin
in spring and hopefully be com-
pleted by next fall. It marks the
first major addition to the gurd-
wara since it opened in April
2008. The addition, planned for
the south side of the gurdwara, is
expected to include six class-
rooms, four conference rooms
and some offices. The class-
rooms will be used for religious
classes and the teaching of the
Punjabi language, according to
township officials.
“It's a good thing (the expan-
sion) because it brings more
diversity and inclusion into the
Canton community and it
attracts a high caliber of people
to our community. They want to
live closer to their schools and
places of worship. The Sikh com-
munity is a great benefit to the
community,” said Anne Marie
Graham-Hudak, coordinator for
the Plymouth-Canton Interfaith
CommunityOutreach.
See
Haidous,
page 3
”
This resolution will hang next to one
I received from his dad
(late Wayne County Executive Edward McNamara)
21 years ago.
Addition to gurdwara approved by Canton trustees
Former DeHoCo prison site may be on market
Wayne Mayor resigns after 21 years of service
Fire fighters aid families displaced by blaze
Seventeen families were displaced when 20 units at Woodcrest
Apartments were engulfed in fire last weekend. Firefighters have set
up a charity fund to help victims of the blaze.
Photos by Sean Rhaesa
Mayor Al Haidous