No. 51
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
75¢
December 17 – 23, 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 two newest members
of the Wayne City Council
have some things in com-
mon: neither has reached
their 30th birthday and both
want to help revitalize the
city.
See page 4.
Santa andhis elveswill be
welcoming visitors to
Maybury Farm on his
antique sleigh in the
Maybury Farm Welcome
Center Saturdays and
Sundays.
See page 5.
The appointment of John
Delaney to the Local
Development
Finance
Authority in Van Buren
Township met with some
controversy from the town-
shipboardmembers.
See page 3.
Vol. 130, No. 51
Vol. 68, No. 51
Vol. 68, No. 51
Vol. 15, No. 51
A 17-year-old Romulus
man was identified as the
suspect in a murder investi-
gation by members of his
family and the Romulus
HighSchool PoliceResource
officer.
See page 5.
Vol. 130, No. 51
Vol. 68, No. 51
Vol. 68, No. 51
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
The Goodfellows and
Toys For Tots donation boxes
are back at Independent
Carpet One awaiting contri-
butions to help children dur-
ing theholiday season.
See page 4.
An experimental theater
production is planned at the
Village Theater at Cherry
Hill whichwill include every
aspect of a play production,
all within all in 24-hours.
See page 3.
Vol. 15, No. 24
An Inkster man remains
in police custody after crash-
ing his vehicle into a state
police patrol car in the early
morning
hours
last
Wednesday.
See page 4.
Firefighters and rescue
workers from four area depart-
ments responded to an early
morning house fire last Sunday
which took the life of 14-year-
old Savion Robinson and
injured five others.
According to reports from
the Van Buren Township Fire
Department, emergency crews
responded to the home at
47499 Denton Road at about
3:50 a.m. Dec. 13 and found the
home completely engulfed in
flames.
Fire Chief Dan Besson said
that his crews were told seven
occupants were in the home at
the time of the blaze. Five peo-
ple escaped the house but sus-
tained serious injuries. A sixth
occupant, an 18-month-old girl,
was rescued by Van Buren fire-
fighters who entered the home
rapidly under extreme heat
and fire conditions, Besson
said, and pulled the child to
safety.
Huron Valley Ambulance
reported sending five ambu-
lances and a paramedic super-
visor to the scene and four chil-
drenwere rushed toUniversity
of Michigan Mott Children's
Hospital in Ann Arbor. Three
of the children were reported
in critical condition and one
child was reported to be in sta-
ble condition. Ambulances also
transported one adult to the
University of Michigan
Hospital who was also report-
ed in stable condition.
A seventh occupant of the
home, believed to be a teen
family member, Besson said,
perished in the blaze.
In addition to firefighters
and police fromVanBuren, the
City of Belleville sent police
and fire personnel and equip-
ment to the scene. Fire depart-
ment personnel from Sumpter
Township and the Fire
Marshal Unit from the
Michigan State Police also
responded to the blaze.
The body of the deceased
teen was placed in the custody
of the Wayne County Medical
Examiner's Office for further
investigation.
Besson said that the cause
of the fire had not been deter-
mined at press time and that
the incident will remain under
investigation.
Reports indicated that the
home was foreclosed on by
Bank of America four years ago
and that the two women and
five children, were living in the
house without permission,
using illegal utility hookups.
The man accused of murder-
ing his step-grandfather in his
Wayne back yard has been found
not competent to stand trial on
charges of first-degreemurder.
Jesse Wayne Gunderson, 26, is
accused of bludgeoning Danny
Dart, 58, with an ax on Sept. 28.
The incident took place at Dart's
home on the 4500 block of
Chamberlain in Wayne. Dart was
killed instantly, according to
police reports.
Gunderson was remanded
without bail to the Wayne County
Jail uponhis arrest at the scene of
the crime. He appeared Dec. 8 by
video for his competency hearing
at 29thDistrict Court inWayne.
Judge Laura Mack accepted a
report from The Center for
Forensic Psychiatry which deter-
mined that Gunderson is not
competent to stand trial and is not
able to understand the proceed-
ings or assist with his defense.
The report stated, however, that
Gundersonmight be competent at
a future date and suggested treat-
ment at the center for his mental
condition.
Mack assigned Gunderson to
the custody of the Michigan
Department of Community
Health for treatment at the
Center forForensicPsychiatry.
The first-degree murder
charge carried a mandatory sen-
tence of life in prison without
paroleupon conviction.
Gunderson was living with
Dart and his wife in Wayne for
several weeks prior to the attack.
He reportedly showed up at their
home unexpectedly from
California where he worked in a
medical facility. Dart's wife is
Gunderson's grandmother.
Gunderson allegedly told
police investigators that he was
unable to recall the attack on
Dart.
Two township trustees
last week said they were
aghast to discover that holi-
day lights installed at Fire
Station No. 3. cost more than
$16,000, plus the cost of
installation.
See page 2.
A seventh occupant of the home,
believed to be Belleville High School freshman
Savion Robinson, perished in the blaze.
”
House fire claims teen, injures 6
Murder suspect found incompetent for trial
Plans to sell water and sewer
services to SalemTownshipwent
down the drain in Plymouth
Township last week and the
board of trustees voted unani-
mously to reverse their approval
of a feasibility study for the proj-
ect.
After heated discussion at the
regular meeting Nov. 17, the
board members had approved a
feasibility study to determine
whether Plymouth Township
had enough water and sewer
capacity to sell those services to
a mixed use development called
Salem Springs to be located in
the area of M-14 between Napier
and Gotfredson roads in Salem
Township. The developer,
Schostak Bros., would have fund-
ed the proposed feasibility study
for the project which includes up
to 558 housing units on 356 acres.
Public reaction to the propos-
al had been negative with resi-
dents claiming the development
would devalue their property,
increase traffic in the area and
even reduce water pressure in
the township. At the meeting last
week, residents brandished signs
that read, "Stop the Salem Twp
Water&Sewer Scam".
Township
Supervisor
Shannon Price said that Salem
Township Supervisor Gary
Whittaker indicated that he was
not amenable or interested in a
425 Agreement. That legal docu-
ment would allow Plymouth to
share tax revenue with Salem
resulting from any new develop-
ment.
Township Clerk Nancy
Conzelman said that without that
agreement Plymouth would not
have any leverage and would
have no input into the size or
type of development for which
the community would be supply-
ingwater and sewer services.
The board members voted 6-0
to rescind approval of the feasi-
bility study with Trustee Steve
Mann absent. Mann had
abstained from the original vote
on the study as the law firm
where he is employed also repre-
sents SalemTownship.
Proposed water sale goes down township drain
Sounds
of the season
Continuing an annual tradition, more
than 115 students who participate in
the various music programs at the
Plymouth Canton Educational Park
presented a holiday concert at the
meeting of the noon Rotary Club in
Plymouth last week. The students
from the Symphony Strings group
under the direction of Catherine K.
DePentu performed along with the
Festival Singers directed by Jennifer
Neumann. Carole DeHart provided
accompaniment for the concert of
traditional Christmas music.
Photos by Dave Willett
