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No. 51
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
75¢
December 22 - 28, 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
Long time Wayne resident
and noted attorney Murray
James Millar, 83, died Dec. 13.
Mr. Millar was also a well
known and active member of
theWayneRotaryClub.
See page 5.
Officials in the City of
Romulus and the Romulus
Community Schools have
agreed to expand shared serv-
ices as away of attacking budg-
et challenges facing both enti-
ties.
See page 3.
The Plymouth Uptown
Players presented a check for
more than $2,000 to the Grand
Traverse Pie Company for the
more than 200 pie certificates
sold as a fundraiser.
See page 6.
The Northville Mustang
Boosters Club recently donat-
ed $60,000 to the newly formed
TURF CLUB to help fund $1.2
million in improvements to the
Northville Public Schools
EightMileStadium.
See page 7.
The Van Buren Public
School District is accepting
nominations of Belleville High
School graduates for induction
into the Distinguished
GraduatesHall of Fame
See page 6.
Vol. 126, No. 51
Vol. 64, No. 51
Vol. 64, No. 51
Vol. 11, No. 51
Vol. 11, No. 51
Vol. 126, No. 51
Vol. 64, No. 51
Vol. 64, No. 51
The
Metro
Health
Foundation recently awarded
a $3,600 grant to Oakwood's
Inkster Teen Health Center to
assist in providing preventa-
tivehealth care to local teens.
See page 7.
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
Mayor William R. Wild
issued an official resolution
making Dec. 16, 2011, "Jim
Harper Day" and presented
the radio personality a key to
the city.
See page 5.
Plymouth Township residents will have the
opportunity in February to vote on the question
of paying a special millage to fund the fire
department, although the ballot language is far
fromthat sought by theCitizens ActionGroup.
The board vote to approve the contested lan-
guage came at a packed town hall meeting
Monday night, scheduled by order of Circuit
Court Judge Wendy Baxter, who ruled that the
boardmust accept and honor the petition signa-
tures of more than 4,000 residents who asked
for a vote on the question.
Earlier Monday, Township Supervisor
Richard Reaume and township attorney
Timothy Cronin failed to appear at a hearing in
the courtroom of Circuit Court Judge Gershwin
Drain to answer and show cause for their
assumed authority to control the ballot lan-
guage. The court waited for more than an hour
after the court clerk summoned the pair to
immediately appear. When Cronin addressed
the court he apologized for being “late”.
Citizens Action Group of Plymouth, a grass
roots assembly of firefighters and citizens, were
represented by Marvin Stempien, a retired
Circuit Court judge and 27 year township resi-
dent.
Stempien argued before Drain in seeking
injunctive relief, “Where is the authority to
change the (ballot) wording? It's a question of
Celebrate the past and toast
to the future at The Village
Theater at Cherry Hill where
veteran rockers, Time
Machine, will ring in 2012.
See page 6.
Board hikes ballot question to 10 mills
Long-time Northville board of
education member Joan
Wadsworth will step down from
the post she has held for more
than 18 years at the end of
January. She will be relocating to
Dublin, Ireland, with her hus-
band, Stephen Calkins, who has
accepted a two-and-half-year
appointment with the Irish
CompetitionAuthority.
Wadsworth made the official
announcement of her intention to
resign at the Dec. 13 board meet-
ing. Elected to her fifth term in
2008, Wadsworth's current term
expires at the end of 2012.
“While I am excited by this
new opportunity for my family, I
am saddened that I will not be
able to complete my current term
on the board of education,”
Wadsworth said.
“However, as I leave, I am
heartened that despite these chal-
lenging economic times,
Northville Public Schools is on a
positive path focused on provid-
ing the best educationpossible for
Northville's school children. Over
the years, I have had the honor of
working with my friends and col-
leagues in the Northville school
community to create and support
one of the finest systems of public
education in the state.”
Wadsworth will remain on the
board until a replacement is
named, to ensure a smooth transi-
tion. In the case of such resigna-
tions, the district by-laws require
the remaining board members to
appoint a legally qualified indi-
vidual to fill the vacancy. The
appointee will serve on the board
through Dec. 31, 2012, and may
choose to run for election to the
open four-year term in the next
regular school election in
November 2012.
Northville school district com-
munity members interested in
serving the 11-month term are
asked to complete the board of
education appointment applica-
tion, which can be found on the
district
website
www.northville.k12.mi.us. The
deadline for applications is Jan. 6.
Board members will interview
candidates at a public meeting to
be scheduled between Jan. 10 and
Jan.19, with final approval by the
board anticipated at the regular
meeting Jan. 24. The specific date,
time and location for candidate
interviews will be announced as
soon as the information is avail-
able.
“Amember of the board of edu-
cation for nearly two decades,
Joan has been a tireless and
thoughtful advocate forNorthville
school children and families,”
said Northville Superintendent
Mary Kay Gallagher. “We have all
While I am excited by this new opportunity for my family,
I am saddened that I will not be able to complete my
current term on the board of education.
”
Where is the authority
to change the (ballot) wording?
It's a question of law.
”
School board president announces resignation
See
Schools,
page 2
A Belleville woman will get by with a lit-
tle help from friends she's never even met-
thanks to the efforts of a Northville business
owner and the kindness of students in the
Northville andNovi school districts.
Nadine and Thomas Girvan, owners of
the Thomas James Salon in Northville, pre-
sented a check for more than $1,000 to
Tammy Townsend of Belleville-the proceeds
of a fundraiser the Girvans sponsored in
October for Breast Cancer Awareness
month.
“It's such a blessing,” said Townsend, who
was diagnosed with cancer in July. “I wasn't
expecting this.”
Nadine Girvan, who is herself a breast
cancer survivor, said she's put on fundrais-
ers since she was diagnosed about six years
ago. At first she and her staff donatedmoney
to organizations like the American Cancer
Society, but eventually decided to give the
donations to an individual, instead. In
October, she organized the donation drive in
the Northville and Novi school districts,
offering to dye students' hair pink or put
pink beaded extensions in their hair for a
donation. She has made it an informal com-
petition between the schools; the last year,
theNovi students earnedmore in donations.
This year, Northville did.
She said the month-long fundraiser was
so popular, she didn't even know how many
students took part.
“I lost track,” she saidwith a laugh, “but it
was a lot.”
A bit of serendipity connected the
Girvans with Townsend, whom they had
never met. Jan Fitzgerald, a regular client at
the salon, overheard Girvan talking about
the fundraiser. The wife of former Gerald
Fitzgerald, the former chief executive officer
Helping hand
Fundraisers benefit
fight against cancer
See
Benefit ,
page 2
See
Vote,
page 2
Tammy Townsend of Belleville (right) hugs Nadine Girvan, owner of the Thomas James Salon
in Northville, after receiving a donation from a fundraiser she organized in October.
Nadine and Thomas Girvan present a donation to cancer patient Tammy Townsend (center)
of Belleville with a check for more than $1,000 on Friday. Girvan, a cancer survivor, organized
a fundraiser in the Northville and Novi school districts in October. Jan Fitzgerald (right), wife
of former Oakwood Healthcare CEO Gerald Fitzgerald, brought them together.