The newly-designed golf courses and hotel are a tribute to the memory of the late William Pulte, founder of The Pulte Group, Inc. a real estate and home construction company. Mr. Pulte, who died in 2018, worked with Cardinal Adam Maida during the original conversion of the former Catholic seminary into the hotel and conference center during the 1990s. Mr. Pulte also helped finance the original remodeling of the property, owned by the Archdiocese of Detroit.
Country Fair will mark anniversary
The event, planned for 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Aug. 13 will feature games, activities, music, face painting, a magician, wagon rides and visits with the farm animals, all in celebration of the foundation which operates the working farm.
When a fire gutted the farm, then owned by the state, 25 years ago, the entire community mourned the loss of the 75-year-old facility and the farm animals destroyed.
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Mayor Robert McCraight presents a resolution declaring Library Day in Romulus to Library Director Patty Braden during the reopening event. |
Several city officials including Mayor Robert McCraight and members of the city council attended the official ribbon cutting welcoming the completion of multiple upgrades at the library. Members of the Friends of the Library and Romulus Chamber of Commerce board members were also on hand for the reopening celebration.
The renovations included improvements to both the aesthetics and functionality of the building.
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| The Accidentals along with the student orchestra, The Kaboom Collective, will perform in Canton Aug. 12. |
Featured performers will be multi-instrumentalists Sav Buist, Katie Larson, and Michael Dause, a Nashville-based, critically-acclaimed trio currently touring with The Kaboom Collective, a 40-piece student orchestra. They are performing in concert throughout the U.S. to promote their collaborative album called "Reimagined," which was released earlier this year.
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| Jacor Burch |
Jacor Burch, 21, of Ann Arbor, is facing charges of first-degree homicide and felony firearm possession in the shooting which police described as a road rage incident. Police investigators believe that he fatally shot Michael Paul, 37, of Belleville, numerous times at around 5:18 in the afternoon of June 10, as a result of a traffic incident which took place on Haggerty Road between Palmer and Michigan Avenue.
The victim suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was transported from the scene by emergency personnel. He died at a local hospital as a result of the wounds, police said.
Canton Township continues to host free concerts in Heritage Park from 7-8:30 p.m. each Thursday. Audiences are encouraged to bring blankets or folding chairs for seating on the Amphitheater lawn.
Organizers said at least three food options will be on site weekly starting at 6:30 p.m. and there will be a Beer and Wine Tent sponsored by Maraschinos Pub of Canton. All of the proceeds from the beverage sales will benefit Second Chance At Life, a non-profit organization. Wine will be priced a $6 while beer is priced at $5.
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| Debra Bilbrey-Honsowetz |
Bilbrey-Honsowetz has more than 33 years of experience in the parks and recreation field. Most recently, she led the Canton Township Leisure Services Department for five years before retiring in 2016.
She is known as a leader whose strengths include fostering development of innovative recreation programs, while managing a $10 million operating budget and capital improvement projects, along with 56 full-time and 300 part-time employees, officials said.
“I used to work with Deb,” said Northville Township Manager Todd L. Mutchler. “Her expertise in the parks and recreation arena will impact the future of our program. She is approachable, solutions oriented and has a deep network.”
Applications from qualified volunteers interested in serving on the Citizen's District Council (CDC) are being accepted by the Northville City Council. A CDC is required when a community plans to modify the boundaries of the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and there are 100 or residents within the district.
A proposal for the redevelopment of the Northville Downs site is being reviewed by the Northville Planning Commission members and will then go to the city council members for review. The project may or may not require changes to the DDA boundaries or a text amendment to the DDA development plan, officials said.
Romulus city officials will be hosting “One Romulus” community meetings, a listening tour that provides residents the opportunity to speak with Mayor Robert McCraight, elected officials, public safety leaders and neighbors.
Launched as part of a continuing effort to foster collaboration among residents and city leaders, the “One Romulus” community meetings will occur throughout the summer at 6 p.m. in selected locations including Wednesday, Aug.17 at Romulus City Hall, 11111 Wayne Road
“When I was campaigning across Romulus, I repeatedly heard community members express a desire to meet face-to-face with their elected officials,” McCraight said.
Sumpter Township trustees took no action on a demand to resign their positions immediately during the July 26 meeting by an “elected precinct delegate.”
Ronald Barrington told the board members that during the meeting July 12, they had violated his rights guaranteed under the First Amendment to the constitution by refusing to allow him to make comments during the proceedings.
“Consequently, I am demanding this whole board resign, including the township attorney and the township police chief immediately,” Barrington said.
Members of the Sumpter Township Board of Trustees took time to acknowledge the performance of Township Treasurer Vincent Warren during their meeting July 26.
Trustee Don La Porte told the board that he felt that recent board meetings had failed to acknowledge many of the positive things taking place in the township rather than many things “not relevant to the business that needs to take place when we come in here each week.” LaPorte said he wanted to take the opportunity to focus on the accomplishments of Warren who was appointed to the treasurer's position in 2021.
Metro Airport in Romulus has been awarded $6,578,145 in federal grant funding for improvements at the facility. The funds are from the Federal Aviation Administration grant program, explained Sen. Debbie Stabenow and Sen. Gary Peters.
Metro airport will receive $5,405,409 to purchase 40 pre-conditioned air units and $1,172,736 to repair taxiways.
“Having reliable and safe air service is crucial for economic development, commerce, and tourism,” said Stabenow.
The popular Music in the Air free weekly concert series will continue at 7 p.m. tomorrow, Aug. 12, and continue through Sept. 2 at the Kellogg Park stage in downtown Plymouth, officials from the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) office said.
The concerts are sponsored by the DDA; the Bank of Ann Arbor; the Plymouth Noon Rotary Club and Hines Park Lincoln.
The winner of the Michigan Philharmonic raffle of a cruise of the Pacific Northwest for two will be announced during a concert this Saturday, Aug. 13.
The trip raffle is the largest fundraiser for the Michigan Philharmonic, officials said, and the winner will receive a wine cruise along the Columbia and Snake rivers from Oct. 30 through Nov. 7. The prize includes the nine-day cruise aboard the American Empress and roundtrip airfare for two.
Patrol Ofc. Clay Hoover, Sgt. Ira Parker, and Ofc. Daniel Dubiel were shot and killed while attempting to serve a warrant for a bad check from a rental car agency on a 68-year-old woman and her three sons at a motel at 28525 Michigan Ave. on July 10, 1994.
Voters throughout the area made their choices at the polls on Tuesday during the Primary Election.
In addition to limiting the candidates to move on to the Nov. 8 General Election, voters were asked to approved public safety and library millages in several communities.
BELLEVILLE, VAN BUREN, SUMPTER:
Voters in these three communities approved the levy of 0.6864 on taxable property in geographic boundaries of the Belleville Area District Library. The millage request is for 15 years, 2022 until 2036 and will provide funds for library operating purposes. In Sumpter, 991 voters said NO while 864 said YES. In Belleville, 4,846 voters cast YES votes while 3,385 said NO. This millage restores the levy that expired in 2021.
NORTHVILLE CITY AND TOWNSHIP:
In both the City and Township of Northville, voters approved a renewal of a 0.18955 against taxable property to fund the library. The renewal is for 10 years, 2023 until 2032 and will be used for general library operating purposes. The millage will generate an estimated $524,519 in 2023. Northville Township voters approved the millage by 6,526 YES votes opposed to 1,450 NO votes. In the City of Northville, voters cast 535 YES votes and 78 NO votes. An estimated $11,195 will be disbursed to the Northville Township Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, which is revenue from properties located with the district of that authority.
ROMULUS:
The levy not to exceed 4 mills for 5 years to fund public safety services including police and fire protection in the community was approved by voters who cast 2989 YES votes. There were 1,069 NO votes. The continued levy will be effective from 2024 through 2028.
SUMPTER TOWNSHIP:
Voters were asked to approve a 2-mill levy to fund the township police department and renew an expired 1 mill public safety millage. The 2-mill levy will continue for 4 years, starting this year and in effect through 2025. Voters approved the millage by a total of 1,274 YES votes and 695 NO votes.The 2-mill tax will generate an estimated $765,000 the first year.
The 1-mill renewal of an expired millage also dedicated to funding the Sumpter Township Police Department was also approved by a total of 1,132 YES votes opposed to 831 NO votes. The millage had been reduced to .98044 mills.
Voters also chose Sheena Barnes as the Democratic candidate for township treasurer with 446 votes. Opponent Vincent Warren received 376 votes. Barnes will face Republican candidate Bart Patterson in November.
WAYNE COUNTY:
The Wayne County request to continue a 2021 millage, first authorized by voters in 2012 of .9358 mill, or about 94 cents per thousand dollars of taxable valuation for another 10 years was approved by voters. YES votes were reported as 116,528 while NO votes were 77,487. The revenue from the renewal of the millage will be used to operate the Wayne County juvenile jail or detention facilities and adult penalty options. At least one tenth of the revenue from the millage must be used to acquire, build and operated a juvenile offender work/training institution.
Annual Whipple award presented to Malcolms
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| Mark and Patty Malcolm were honored with the prestigious Ruth Huston-Whipple Award by Mayor Nick Marosz, right, Monday. |
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| Celebrating the award of $750,000 to close sidewalk gaps in the township are, from left, Supervisor Anne Marie Graham-Hudak, Treasurer Dian Slavens, State Sen. Dayna Polhanki, Trustee Tania Ganguly, Clerk Michael Siegrist, Trustee Sommer Foster, Trustee Steve Sneideman, Trustee Kate Borninski and State Rep. Ranjeev Puri. |
Members of the Sumpter Township Board of Trustees are expected to hear a preliminary plan for improvements at Banotai Park at their next meeting.
During the July 26 meeting, Township Manager Anthony Burdick told the trustees that he had expected a guest to discuss a proposed plan to revamp the township parks. He said that conceptual ideas for improvements to Sherwood Park included a suggested 5-acre expansion of the facility.
Burdick stressed that any plans or proposals for the park were in the planning stages and that no cost consideration or estimate was ready to present to the board. He did add that the plan would include the filling and resloping of the pond at the park as well as a restructuring of the roads and access points around the park.
“Reclamation is my input,” Burdick said. He added that the park was one of townships greatest assets. “I don't know of another park that brings in people from surrounding area,” he said.
Burdick said that he expected a presentation from the scheduled speaker at the next board meeting, but did not announce the name of the individual. “This person worked on a number of projects and can present a plan,” Burdick added.
The popular Music in the Air free weekly concert series will continue at 7 p.m. tomorrow, Aug. 5, and continue through Sept. 2 at the Kellogg Park stage in downtown Plymouth, officials from the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) office said.
The concerts are sponsored by the DDA; the Bank of Ann Arbor; the Plymouth Noon Rotary Club and Hines Park Lincoln.
Romulus Mayor Robert McCraight expressed his sympathy and explained the limits of city authority as two residents of the Creekside neighborhood of homes detailed continued problems with the builder of the project.
Resident Lolita Wills told the council during their regular meeting that her front yard “looks like a jungle” because the site hasn't been properly graded. She said she has lived in the home for more than six months and is still waiting for the builder to take action and correct a number of incomplete items. She said the builder did finally install the concrete driveway into her garage, but she still has no walkway to her front door and no front porch.
Members of the Romulus City Council approved the purchase of a KNOX Rapid Access System during their regular meeting July 25.
The KNOX rapid entry system is a secure emergency access program developed for property owners and fire departments to allow immediate access without forced entry, damage or delay. Property owners store entrance keys and cards in special devices which are used exclusively by the fire department during emergencies, officials explained.
The price for the new system is $14,502.96 according to Mayor Robert McCraight who presented the purchase to the council members for approval.
Romulus Pumpkin Festival organizers are searching for the largest sunflower in the city.
To enter the annual festival Sunflower Contest, residents can take a clear video of the sunflower in its entirety in the frame of the picture as someone is holding a measuring tape from the bottom of the stem to the center of the flower face. One the flower is within the frame, step closer to the measuring tape which should reveal the height of the plant in inches. This should be done in one video, organizers said.
To enter a photo, take a picture of the plant with the entirety in the frames as someone is holding a measuring tape from the bottom of the stem to the center of the flower face. Entrants should take a second photo stepping closer to the measuring tape which should reveal the height of the plant in inches.
Members of the Romulus Arts Council are looking for art for the annual Romulus Pumpkin Festival digital guide. Each year, the first-place student art entry is chosen for the cover of the guide and the second and third place winners and two honorable mentions included in the publication. The first-place winner also receives $200, the second-place winner is awarded $150 and the third place winner will receive $100. The two honorable mention entries each receive $50, officials said.
All students who are Romulus residents are eligible to enter including those from pre-school through grade 12 for the 24th anniversary pumpkin festival guide.
A new suite of security equipment is preventing trespassers from being exposed to asbestos and other hazardous materials from the building demolition project at Legacy Park, the former state psychiatric hospital property on Seven Mile Road in Northville Township.
Motion-detecting video cameras, sirens, strobe lights, signs, a public address system and a person monitoring the site 24 hours a day are there to ensure that uninvited guests do not violate the law by entering the demolition zone. Trespassers may trigger a phone call to the Northville Township Police Department and officers respond to the property to apprehend any violators.
Three suspects have been arrested and are facing criminal charges in May 11 fires at the former state psychiatric hospital site in Northville Township.
Roland Green, 20, of Riley, was charged with two counts of arson in the third-degree and two counts of preparation to burn real property while Cameron Purcell, 19, from Marine City, and Jakob Aquilina, 20, from Saginaw were each charged with two counts of third-degree arson, according to reports from the Northville Township police.
Each charge carries a maximum 10-year prison term or a fine of up $20,000 according to the Wayne County prosecutor's office.
The 12th Buy Michigan Now Festival is planned for downtown Northville this weekend.
The event presents an opportunity to support small businesses from around the area and the state, organizers said. Every participating business will be Michigan-based and many will be selling products made locally, they added.
Blues, Brews & Barbecue begins tomorrow
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| Queen of The Blues Thornetta Davis |
An Inkster man is facing drug and weapons charges following a routine traffic stop by Dearborn Heights police.
Derun Edward Wright, 26, of Inkster was arraigned on narcotics and weapons offenses before Magistrate Lawrence Elassal of the 20th District Court following his arrest. Elassal set his bond at $15,000/ 10-percent cash or surety.
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| Kristine Donahue, RN |
Votes must be partisan and voters can only choose all Democrat or all Republican candidates to move on to the Nov. 8 ballot where many will face challengers from the opposing party. The Primary Election determines who will be on the ballot in November.
Voters cannot choose candidates from each party but must cast votes for candidates all from the same party. Any cross-party voting will spoil the ballot and the vote will not be counted, local election clerks cautioned. Voters should have a photo identification with them, if possible.
The City of Romulus has been awarded $456,300 in a state Drinking Water Asset Management grant.
The grant, according to Romulus Department of Public Works Director Roberto Scappaticci, will allow the city locate and investigate any homes in the city that have lead pipes or connections to the city water service. The grants were awarded to fund the updating of municipal water service plans or to create a process to identify and work toward the removal of hazardous materials that are part of the distribution system, such as lead service lines.
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| Al Haidous |
Haidous explained that the funding for a proposed recreational trail connecting the township to a statewide biking and walking path had been markedly reduced by federal officials and the $6.22 million planned for various projects like the proposed trailway had been reduced to $2.2 million. He said the county portion of the federal grant was reduced from $2 billion to $3 million and said the project would require more funding from the local community. He asked the Sumpter officials if they would be willing to approve $250,000 for the project.
The concerts are sponsored by the DDA; the Bank of Ann Arbor; the Plymouth Noon Rotary Club and Hines Park Lincoln.
The line-up this year again includes various area bands and tomorrow, Lady Sunshine & the X Band (Detroit's' own - Emotion, Fire, Pride, and Soul) will perform.
Born on a plantation near the Mississippi Delta in West Helena Arkansas, Lady Sunshine grew up singing gospel music as a little girl.
The project is a collaboration of the city, Wayne County Federal Aid Committee and Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and is expected to take four to six months to complete, officials said.
Beverly Road has been a point of complaint in the community for many years, they said.
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| Mayor Robert A. McCraight |
Launched as part of a continuing effort to foster collaboration among residents and city leaders, the “One Romulus” community meetings will occur throughout the summer at 6 p.m. in selected locations including Wednesday, Aug.17 at Romulus City Hall, 11111 Wayne Road
“When I was campaigning across Romulus, I repeatedly heard community members express a desire to meet face-to-face with their elected officials,” McCraight said. “The 'One Romulus' community meetings will provide this invaluable facetime while sparking partnerships and collaborations that will strengthen our city.”
City opens new pickleball courts
The dog days of summer are soon to be a reality in Westland as construction of the new off-leash dog park is set to begin.
The new facility will be constructed next to the city recycling center on Marquette and will have separate areas for large and smaller dogs. The park will include benches for dog parents along with a dog water station and an agility course in each area. The new facility will dedicate about a half- acre in size for smaller dogs and an acre of park for larger dogs.
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| Thornetta Davis |
Blues, Brews and Barbecue will return Aug. 5 and Aug. 6, officials said, with live music, fireworks and the drone light show. Top barbecue pitmasters have already signed on for the event, they said, and there will be several craft brews available at the popular festival.
The City of Northville Police Department was awarded accreditation from the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police (MACP) with a formal celebratory presentation at the meeting of the city council recently.
“This pursuit of excellence was a team effort that was led by Accreditation Manager Sgt. Ken DeLano and Ofc.Melissa Ambrosius,” officials said.
Buildings at the former site of the Northville Psychiatric Hospital are being sealed as abatement of hazardous material begins prior to demolition.
Northville Township contracted Asbestos Abatement Inc. for the work, including the clearing around all the building remaining on the property. Clearing has been completed and abatement will begin, officials said.
An Inkster man remains hospitalized after the Mercedes he was driving struck a Ford F-150 and left the vehicle cut in half.
Witnesses told responding Dearborn Heights Police officers that the Mercedes was being driven “recklessly” and was traveling at speeds more than 100 mph when the vehicle struck the pickup truck broadside. The truck was ripped in half due to the velocity of the impact.
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| Members of the Wayne Rotary Club and staff of the Family Resource Center of the Wayne Westland schools present bags with tools fornon-verbal communication to Police Chief Ryan Strong and Fire Chief Michael Stradtner. |
Core in the Community bags, a program to provide non-speaking individuals with the ability to express their needs and wants, were presented to Police Chief Ryan Strong and Fire Chief Mike Stradtner during the July 20 city council meeting.
The bags, presented and funded by members of the Wayne Rotary Club in cooperation with the Wayne-Westland Community School Family Resource Center, contain resources and tools to help first responders community with non-verbal individuals.