Romulus council OK's $56 million project

Members of the Romulus City Council approved four motions to clear the way for a $56 million redevelopment on Ecorse Road.
The development, to be called Ecorse Commons, will be located at 37530 Ecorse Road on property now owned by North Point Romulus Industrial, LLC.  The site includes more than 70 acres of land formerly owned by General Motors and includes two industrial condominium buildings totaling about 655,000 square feet, according to plans presented to the council members.
To accommodate the redevelopment plans, Romulus council members approved the termination and reliance of conditional zoning agreement which expired in 2019; an ordinance map amendment, the approval of an industrial condominium plan for the site and the request for concurrence of the Brownfield plan the developers submitted to Wayne County.

Road improvements continue throughout Plymouth

City of Plymouth officials are celebrating nearly 30 years of continuous street and infrastructure improvements marked most recently by the Main Street project through downtown.
The latest improvements were funded by the 2019 Street Improvement Bond approved by voters last November. Officials said that infrastructure improvements to Dewey Street that included the replacement of the water main, a sanitary sewer repair and a complete rebuild of the road surface were completed in June.
This project was the final phase of a multiyear program of rebuilding the infrastructure in the southeast portion of Plymouth, officials said.
The latest downtown project included the repaving of Main Street from Church to Wing streets. The roadway surface was milled and repaved and curbs were repaired in this phase of the 2020 improvements.

Romulus chamber planning annual golf fundraiser

The annual Romulus Chamber of Commerce Golf outing will take place Aug. 27 at Links at Gateway Golf Course.
Registrations are now being accepted for the popular event which is a fundraiser for the chamber. Fees for the event are $110 for each golfer or $440 for a foursome.
Organizers are also looking for sponsors for the event willing to donate items for the golfer goodie bags presented at the event. Those interested in having merchandise placed in the bags can email the chamber office at admin@romuluschamber.org to make arrangements to have the donation picked up.

City police are seeking accreditation from state law commission

The Romulus Police Department may soon join the elite ranks of those accredited by the Michigan Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission (MLEAC).
The department is currently in the process of attaining the accreditation, according to police officials, “as a commitment to continued improvement and to further protect and serve the residents of Romulus.”
The accreditation process, facilitated by the Michigan Association Chiefs of Police (MACP) and the Michigan Sheriffs' Association (MSA), is a voluntary accreditation program which requires the adoption of rigorous professional standards and a thorough review of all policies, procedures and practices to ensure compliance.

Romulus Public Library continues curbside service

The Romulus Public Library remains in phase two of reopening to the public and is continuing curbside pickup for patrons.
The library will remain in the curbside pickup phase of the reopening plan while the building is being prepared for reopening to the public, a spokesman said.
“We are applying for grants to help us with social distancing signage, deep cleaning, and other supplies to make the library as safe as possible for you. Our first priority is the safety and well-being of our staff and patrons, so we are closely following protocols from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and MiOSHA,” he noted in a posting on the library website.

Police investigate drowning death at apartment complex pond

Van Buren Township Police are continuing to investigate the drowning of a 30-year-old man last week in an apartment pond.
The man was attempting to swim across a large pond at the Southport Apartments in Belleville last Thursday evening, according to police reports. The late-night swimming attempt was in response to a bet, according to the initial police investigation of the incident. Officers were called to the scene at about 9 p.m. when witnesses reported that Cedric Collins of Ypsilanti slipped under the water in the pond behind building 14 at the apartment complex and did not resurface.

City adopts new rules for ‘bigfoot’ homes

Don Howard, Staff Writer

After years of complaints and protests about the invasion of monstrous new houses and radical remodeling, a zoning ordinance amendment to limit the size of homes by a ratio of square footage to lot sizes has been approbed by members of the Northville City Council. 

The construction of giant-sized homes on small lots has become all too familiar in Northville and Plymouth in recent years, along with accusations that builders are over-building and over-selling to boost revenue, while Realtors cash-in on high-priced luxury homes on small, neighborhood lots.
Northville residents have complained to officials that the so-called big-foot homes are changing the complexion of the community, ruining the quaint tree-lined streets with well-manicured lawns that have made the city a serene picturesque community for more than a century.

Sweet so long

Veteran police officer retires

Cpt. Dustin Krueger holds a shadowbox of his police
badges and honors as he celebrates his retirement
 from the Northville Police Department. Photo by Liz Cezat

Northville Police Capt. Dustin Krueger worked his last day in nearly 27 years at the department on Friday, July 21. An informal party for staff members and friends helped him celebrate his retirement under the awning of the police department entrance. Krueger's wife, Claudia, who was on the Northville police force for 11 years, and former Police Chiefs Mike Carlson and Jim Petres were among the guests.
Police Chief Alan Maciag commended Krueger for his service, his contributions to the department, and for his work with the people of Northville. He thanked him for staying beyond his planned retirement in April due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Westland police save driver from burning car

Westland police officers are being credited with saving the life of a 43-year-old Livonia resident, believed to have been driving his vehicle while under the influence of a controlled substance.
Police were called to the intersection of Ford and Venoy roads at about 12:45 a.m.  June 21 following a report of a vehicle “doing donuts” in the roadway. When officers arrived on the scene, they reported observing a blue Chevrolet Traverse on Ford Road circling in reverse in the middle of the road.. Officers initially thought that the driver was unconscious, but after closer inspection were able to observe the subject was awake, holding the steering wheel, and smiling at them as the vehicle continued to circle, according to police reports of the incident.

Man is charged in shooting death of Wayne teen

Robert Shoats

Wayne police have arrested a suspect in connection with a
fatal shooting that took place in the city last Wednesday,
According to police, officers were called to the area of Richard and Fourth streets at about 6 p.m. July 29 following reports of a man suffering a gunshot wound. Upon arrival at the scene, officers discovered Kaleb Parish, 18, suffering from a gunshot wound to his face. He was immediately transported by Wayne paramedics to a local hospital for treatment but did not survive his injuries and died on Sunday, Aug. 2, according to official reports.
Police have arrested Robert Shoats, 19, of Wayne who was initially charged with discharge of a weapon in a building causing serious impairment and felony firearm.

Community mourns death of Sally Repeck

Sally Anne Repeck

Sally Anne Repeck, a well-known community activist in Plymouth, died July 19, 2020 following a four-year battle with cancer.
Ms. Repeck was the former chair of the Wayne County Department of Social Services and also chaired the Plymouth Downtown Development Authority during the streetscape revitalization in the city. She also served as the executive director of OASIS (a domestic violence agency for Cadillac, Wexford and Missaukee counties). Ms. Repeck was both a major community-supporter of the The Detroit Sunday Journal during the Detroit newspaper strike and a leading opponent of the Joint Operating Agreement (JOA) in front of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Ms. Repeck was born March 1, 1956 to a “large and fiercely loving Polish Catholic family” in Detroit.

Plymouth Public Library opens building to patrons

Area residents received some very good news with the reopening of the Plymouth District Library last week.
The building reopened to the public last Wednesday with limited capacity due to state restrictions, noted Library Director Carol Souchock. The library will be open from 1 until 9 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, from 9:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday and will remain closed for extra cleaning procedures on Sundays, Souchock said. Capacity will be limited to 25 percent in public areas, she said and the upper and lower levels will not be open at the time. Material requests from these areas will be located for patrons by library staff members, Souchock said.

Canton restructures public safety department

Chadwick           Christopher
Baugh               Stoecklein

Members of the Canton Township Board of Trustees have approved the restructuring of the township public safety department, naming two deputy directors following the retirement of the former public safety director earlier this year.
As part of the revamping of the department, trustees approved the appointment of Chadwick Baugh as the new director of police services - police chief and Christopher Stoecklein as the director of fire services - fire chief.
Baugh, who began his career with the township in 1996, will oversee all operations of the Canton Township Police Department. He has served in a leadership role with the department for the past 12 years.

Inkster resident wins $200,000 lottery drawing

Trying a new Michigan Lottery machine paid off for an Inkster woman.
Allison Quinland, of Inkster, matched four of the white balls and the Powerball - 02-08-18-21-23 PB: 16 - in the May 23 drawing to win a $50,000 prize. Thanks to the Powerplay, her prize was multiplied by four for a $200,000 prize. She bought her winning ticket at the CVS Pharmacy, located at 27365 Cherry Hill Road in Inkster.
“I stopped at the CVS and they had gotten a new Lottery machine,” said the 52-year-old Quinland. “Something in my gut told me to give it a try.”

Tuesday Primary election will determine Nov. 3 ballot

Those who plan to vote in November will have only the candidates chosen by those who vote next Tuesday from which to choose.
A very small percentage of voters throughout all the communities will make the crucial decisions next week and severely limit the choices of those who plan to vote in November. This election will also determine the fate of local millage and tax votes in some communities and a millage renewal for property owners throughout Wayne County.
The vote Tuesday is crucial to the democratic process and a vital step in the privilege and responsibility still endowed on citizens of this country.