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No. 50
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
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December 15 - 21, 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 have adopted new proce-
dures for site plans on con-
struction projects, easing the
way for renovations.
See page 5.
PoliceChief BobDickerson
namedhis first two officers of
themonthand announced
some promotions inhis ongo-
ing reorganization of the
department in the city.
See page 3.
Students at Plymouth High
School were awarded a peer
education grant to fund a pro-
gram to teach teen drivers
safety practices while behind
thewheel.
See page 4.
Ross Matthews, who is Ross
the Intern on the NBC Tonight
Show, met withNorthville resi-
dents at the Parade Company's
HobNobbleGobble recently.
See page 4.
Students at Keystone
Academy recently showed off
their scientific knowledge and
the top winners took home
some impressive prizes for
theirwork.
See page 3.
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Vol. 11, No. 50
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Vol. 64, No. 50
Vol. 64, No. 50
Once again, scientists and
engineers from NASA visited
three Inkster schools to inspire
students to seek careers and
education in scientific fields.
See page 5.
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
Once again this year, the
city will provide a special area
at the DPW yard for the recy-
cling of Christmas trees which
will be mulched and used in
landscaping.
See page 5.
Northville Police are seeking information
in the hit-and-run death of a 25-year-old West
Bloomfieldman twoweeks ago.
Police are searching for the driver of a
dark-colored, possibly black, 2007-2009Honda
CRV EX-L, described by witnesses as the
model that struck their companion as they
walked along Griswold, north of Main Street
directly across from Planet Fitness. The man
was struck from behind by the vehicle at
about 1:15 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 3. Witnesses
told police that they chased the vehicle as it
sped from the scene and said the driver
turned right onto Main Street and then onto
Hutton, heading north.
Police said the vehicle has damage to the
front passenger side headlight assembly.
Video from area cameras indicates that the
headlight assembly was broken, but the light
bulb was still functioning after striking the
pedestrian.
The victim was transported to Botsford
Hospital from the scene and died later
Saturday, according to police reports.
Anyone with any information about the
fatal accident, or who may know of a suspect
vehicle, should contact Northville Community
Dispatch at (248) 349-1234, police said.
Two residence fires, one in
a garage and one at a senior
apartment complex, have
prompted cautions about safe-
ty from Canton Public Safety
Department officials.
See page 4.
Driver in fatal hit-and-run sought
Judge Cynthia Gray Hathaway
has quashed all charges against
former 22nd District Court Officer
Michael Greene.
Hathaway said that the prose-
cution had “insufficient evidence
to sustain any of the charges” in
her ruling and granted attorney
Susan Reed's motion to quash all
allegations of wrongdoing against
Greene last Friday.
Greene said he was relieved
and grateful, but that it had been
10 months of “hell” for him and
his family. The charges were filed
after it was alleged that work
product of attorney Milton
Spokojny, representing the city in
a lawsuit, were leaked to the
plaintiff in the case, Kevin Smith.
Another court officer, Ronald
Wade, is facing obstruction of jus-
tice charges in that case. Greene
had previously demonstrated to
then Chief Judge Sylvia James
and the court administrator that
he was not in the building at the
time of the incident which result-
ed in access to the confidential
documents, but was first suspend-
ed and then fired while his case
proceeded through the courts.
“I just want my job back and
my life back,” Greene said. “I want
to look forward.”
Greene said his understanding
of the situation was that attorney
Milton Spokojny used Greene's
court computer to access his
email account. When finished, the
attorney did not close the files, but
left the account open on Greene's
computer. When Greene returned
to his desk, he saw the files open
andnoticedhis name. He read the
document, he said, because he
sawhis ownname in it.
“It was an account of what kind
of witness would I be if called for
the defense,” he said. “I was on
the city council when the lawsuit
was filed, so this was an assess-
ment of each of the council mem-
bers.”
He did not access, copy or dis-
tribute the document, he said, but
had to leave the courthouse for a
meeting in Garden City. It is
alleged that Wade then accessed
Greene's computer and found
other work product germane to
the lawsuit and gave the informa-
tion to the plaintiff, Smith.
“I didn't know anything about
it,” Greene said. A deputy from
the cyber crimes unit examined
Greene's computer and, according
to Greene, found that the user,
Spokojny, had left the account
open “for days”.
“We don't have offices, the com-
puters are in the open, accessible
to everyone,”Greene said.
Greene said he was disappoint-
ed that James fired himbefore the
case was resolved, but that she
told him it was a “budget issue.”
James has been removed from the
bench awaiting resolution of com-
plaints filed against her by the
Michigan Judicial Tenure
Commission.
Greene said he has sent a letter
to the 22nd District Court, where
he had served for 12 years, offi-
cially requesting reinstatement
now that all charges against him
have beenquashed.
I just want my job back and my life back.
I want to look forward.
Michael Greene
”
Charges against court clerk quashed by judge
See
Greene,
page 2
Not many people can say they
were witness to the Japanese
bombing of Pearl Harbor or the
invasion at D-Day, but Nathan
Weiser, an 95-year-old Dearborn
resident, can lay claimto both.
Weiser, a former Wayne resi-
dent and business owner, was
prominently featured on TV and
radio channels last week during
the 70th anniversary of the attack
on Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941. He
was also honored during a trib-
ute dinner organized by the
Wayne Rotary Club, where he is
themost seniormember.
During the event, Weiser
shared many of his memories of
his time in the service and the
attack he witnessed before a
large audience of friends, local
dignitaries and veterans.
It was 1939 that Weiser first
signed up to serve in the armed
services. He had graduated from
college, and spent time coaching
football and as a physical educa-
tion director. A lack of job oppor-
tunities directed him toward the
army services, he said, and an
advertisement in a newspaper
caught his eye.
The ad said that 800 people
were wanted and that half would
go to the Philippines, and the
other half would go to Hawaii,
Weiser said.
“I talked to some of my bud-
dies, and they said. 'Hey, let's pick
Hawaii,'”Weiser said.
He soon learned it didn't quite
work out that way, whenhe found
that the volunteers were chosen
alphabetically. It turned out all
right in the end, however. The
first half of the alphabet was sent
to Hawaii, while Weiser and his
three friends were to be sta-
tioned at the Philippines, but
made the cut and were sent to
Hawaii for training.
“It's the only time my name
did something for me,” Weiser
said.
While there, Weiser continued
his education, and went through
radio communications school.
He was stationed at Wheeler
Field, and worked on the radio
and communication equipment
of the airplanes there, which
were everything from P-26 'Pea-
shooters' to the larger, B-12
bombers.
Before long, Weiser, through
his diligence, found himself
supervising the radio operators
andnavigators.
As he continued his educa-
tion, Weiser also kept up on the
war effort, retiring to his cham-
bers every night to listen to the
radio news and type up a diary of
events inwar-tornEurope.
“I was pretty well-acquainted
with the events of the European
War,” Weiser said. “I remember
thinking, 'I hope we don't get into
it.'
That hope was dashed soon
afterward, however.
Weiser said he remembers the
fateful day of the bombing very
clearly.
War story
Wayne Rotary Club pays
tribute to Pearl Harbor vet
See
Hero,
page 2
Nate and Norma Weiser are all smiles during the tribute dinner for the
former Wayne business owner and survivor of Pearl Harbor and D-
Day hosted by the Wayne Rotary Club last week.
Nate Weiser, left, and one of his best friends, in a 1941 photo.