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No. 50
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
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December 18–25, 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
Alan Maciag has been
confirmed as the new City of
Wayne Chief of Police by
members of the city council
during their regular meeting
earlier thismonth.
See page 2.
Romulus Goodfellows
have sponsored several
fundraisers to ensure there
is No Child Without A
Christmas and had several
groups step forward to help
their cause.
See page 3.
Questions remain unan-
swered
while
the
Department of Justice con-
tinues a forensic audit and
investigation
in
the
Plymouth Township Police
Department.
See page 5.
New Year's Eve at the
Tipping Point Theatre will
celebrate family with an
original holiday variety show.
See page 3.
The cause of a fire at the
Water's Edge Apartments in
Belleville last week remains
under investigation by the
Van Buren Township Public
SafetyDepartment.
See page 5.
Vol. 129, No. 50
Vol. 67, No. 50
Vol. 67, No. 50
Vol. 14, No. 50
Vol. 129, No. 50
Vol. 67, No. 50
Vol. 67, No. 50
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
Two men have been
charged in the shooting
death of a 79-year-old
Westland man in Detroit
Dec. 6.
See page 2.
Recently
promoted
Canton Police Department
command officers received
their new badges from
Supervisor Phil LaJoy, and
took their oaths of office last
week.
See page 3.
Vol. 14, No. 50
The Leanna Hicks Inkster
Public Library has changed
to time for LEGO night at the
library and has several pro-
grams
planned
for
December and January.
See page 2.
The City of Wayne will pay
community activist Christopher
Sanders an undisclosed finan-
cial amount as part of a confi-
dential settlement reached in
the lawsuit filed against the city
and Councilman Skip Monit by
Sanders last year.
The settlement includes a
financial award to Sanders, 45,
who filed the suit in October of
2013 in response to comments
Monit made during a regular
meeting of the city council in
October of 2012. Monit's remarks
included innuendoes of allega-
tions that Sanders had made
improper physical contact with
children during a HalloWayne
event celebrated in the city,
according to court filings.
Sanders approached the city
council and Monit at a subse-
quent 2012 meeting and
demanded a public apology for
the remarks, but his request
received no response from the
officials. He subsequently filed
the lawsuit, represented by
Canton Township attorney Ron
Ruark, in October of 2013.
Following formal legal deposi-
tions of Monit, Sanders and sev-
eral others, the matter was
referred for a formal “case eval-
uation.” Ruark said this is a step
required of all civil cases in
Wayne County. The evaluation is
performed by a group of lawyers
who determine whether or not
to take the case to trial based on
the merits of the legal filings.
The evaluation in this case rec-
ommended the financial settle-
The audit of Plymouth
Township finances, due in the
state treasurer's office no later
than June 30, was finally filed
last week.
Plante Moran auditors Mark
Olejnik and Melanie Crowther
reported on the financial condi-
tion of the township at the regu-
lar meeting of the trustees last
week. Despite the five month
delay, the auditors said that the
report included an "unqualified
opinion" from the financial pro-
fessionals, meaning that they
determined the records accu-
rately reflected the financial
activity and condition of the
township.
Township officials said that
the five-month delay in the
required financial audit was
caused by a lack of documenta-
tion from the City of Plymouth
regarding amounts owed to the
township for legacy costs in the
Plymouth Community Fire
Department. The two communi-
ties ended a joint operating
agreement at the beginning of
2012 and township officials
claim that the city owes about
$1.3 million in pension costs for
retired firefighters and another
$2.5 million in health care costs
for retirees. City officials have
questioned the accuracy of the
amounts claimed by the town-
ship.
Auditors said that the town-
ship ended 2013 with a fund bal-
ance of $3.661 million, and had
expenditures of $850,000 less
than revenue collected.
Reported revenues were $12,
126 million while expenditures
were $11,716, according to the
auditors.
Olejnik told the trustees that
a healthy fund balance was nec-
essary to provide for cash-flow
needs and the economic uncer-
tainty. He urged fiscal restraint
going forward.
Township
Supervisor
Richard Reaume said that the
township
revenue
has
decreasedby about $6million in
revenue sharing from the state
during the past seven years.
The auditors noted that 55
percent of the township rev-
enue came from property taxes
while administrative charges,
cable revenue and other fees
accounted for about 21 percent,
or a little more than $2.5 mil-
lion.
Public safety expenses
accounted for 63 percent of
expenditures in the township,
totaling about $7.09 million for
police, fire and emergency dis-
patch services. General govern-
ment expenses were reported at
$2.86million, about 24 percent.
The township currently has
an unfunded liability of more
than $20 million for retiree
health care.
A jury has found the two men
accused of murdering Westland
teens Jacob Kudla and Jourdan
Bobbish guilty on all charges.
The jury trial, ongoing for
more than a week, came to an
end last Thursday morning as
the jury announced the guilty
verdict to a packed Wayne
County Circuit Court. The two,
Felando Hunter, 24 and
Fredrick Young, 25, were each
convicted of two counts of first-
degree murder which carries a
mandatory life sentence without
the possibility of parole. The two
were also convicted of felony
murder-committing a homicide
while committing a felony-as
well as charges of torture,
armed robbery, unlawful impris-
onment and felony firearm.
Young was also convicted of
being a felon in possession of a
firearm.
Witnesses in the trial told the
jury that Kudla, 18, andBobbish,
17, had visited Kudla's uncle in
Detroit on the night of July 22,
2012. The pair then drove to a
home on Algonac in an attempt
to buy drugs from Hunter and
Young. The men robbed the
teens of $110, forced them to
See
Guilty,
page 2
”
It was not our intent to drain anybody financially.
We wanted to make a
statement and that's what we did.
See
Settlement,
page 2
Detroit men found guilty of murdering teens
Township audit finally filed 5 months late
Grrrateful...
Lion’s Club thanks donors
Members of the Canton
Lions Club paid tribute to two
business establishments that
have provided help to the club
fundraising efforts for several
years.
Holiday Market and L.
George's Coney Island were
honored for their continued
help by members of the Lions
Club and owners accepted
engraved plaques acknowledg-
ing the gratitude of the club.
“These businesses under-
stand the needs in the commu-
nity and assist the Lions Club
in any way they can. Assisting
the blind and hearing
impaired are the Lions Club
primary goals, however you'll
find them working with kids
who have multiple handicaps,
giving scholarships to handi-
capped youth to attend college
or checking the sight of chil-
dren through a program called
Kid Sight,” noted former Lions
Club President Bill Van
Winkle.
He added that these are just
a few of the programs the
Lions Club funds including
providing low-vision aids for
those who need the help at the
CantonPublicLibrary.
Holiday Market owners
John and Lisa Pardington
accepted an award from the
club citing the number of years
the South Lilley Road estab-
lishment has allowed Lions
Club members to seek contri-
butions fromcustomers as they
come and gowhile shopping.
Van Winkle said the Canton
Lions Club counts on the
Pardingtons who allow them to
collect contributions from
their customers.
“The Lions members hear
many times from people who
will say, 'My father or mother
received help when they were
kids from the Lions Club and
now it's our turn to give back,'”
VanWinkle said.
Jay and Dila Lucaj and the
staff at L George's Coney
Island on Michigan Avenue
are also strong supporters of
the Lions Club and the work
they perform in the communi-
ty. Van Winkle said that in the
coldest days of working by the
entrance door of the restau-
rant, staff members will bring
hot coffee out to the Canton
Lions collecting donations.
“The Lucajs are always
willing to assist the Lions in
their work,” Van Winkel said.
“They understand that the
community needs help and are
willing to let the Lions solicit
contributions from their cus-
tomers.”
The membership of the
Canton Lions Club is diverse
but their goal is constant: Help
those less fortunate, Van
Winkle said.
“These two businesses go
out of their way in help those
in need and for that we salute
them. The plaques can be
viewed in the businesses,” he
added.
For additional information
about the Lions Club, contact
Van Winkle at (734) 254-9404
govbill1@wowway.com or
Cantonlions.org
Lions Club Director John Anthony, President Bob Boyer, Holiday
Market owner Lisa Pardington and Past District Governor Bill Van
Winkle were all smiles at the award presentation to Holiday
Market from the Lions Club earlier this month.
Lions Club Director John Anthony, Lion Past District Governor Bill
Van Winkle, L George's Coney Island owner Dila Lucaj, a staff
member and Lions President Bob Boyer celebrated the award to
L. George’s presented by the Lions Club.
Defamation lawsuit settled in Wayne