Penn theater wins tax exemption battle

    It took nearly 3 years, but The Penn Theatre in downtown Plymouth has prevailed in a long battle for a property tax exemption.
    The financial burden of the tax could have become a factor in sustaining operations at the theater, according to Friends of the Penn Executive Director Ellen Elliott who spoke to an assembled crowd of concerned citizens during an informational meeting in August of 2023.
    Friends of the Penn used private donations to save the theater from demolition and returned it to operation in 2006. The non-profit group took full ownership of the theater in December of 2021 after leasing the building for many years, paying about $25,000 annually in property taxes. With full ownership of the theatre by a non-profit, the theater should have been granted a property tax exemption, Elliott said. She said 16 other non-profit theatres in the state currently enjoy the property tax exemption.
    The city of Plymouth denied the exemption, claiming the theater had not met the qualifications required of a non-profit group for tax-exempt status. Subsequently, Friends of the Penn appealed the decision to the Michigan Tax Tribunal prompting months of hearings and deliberation. The tax tribunal judge ruled last week that the Friends of the Penn does, in fact, qualify as a charitable institution and that the Penn qualifies as a non-profit theater.
    Friends of the Penn purchased the building in 2021 for $1.2 million and put another million dollars into the renovations, according to Elliott.
    Penn Theatre is open Thursday-Sunday. For showtimes, visit Penn Theatre’s website.

Road warrior

Romulus mayor accepts gruelling Hoka Key Motorcycle Challenge

    Romulus Mayor Robert McCraight has proven he is a man who enjoys a challenge.

    For the next week or so, he will have a chance to demonstrate those skills as one of a selected group participating in the Hoka Hey, an event designed to test the limits of physical and mental endurance while traveling across the country on a motorcycle. The 100 riders, selected from hundreds of applicants, are prohibited from using electronic navigation devices, highways or hotels or motels.
    The Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge, considered the toughest motorcycle endurance race in the country takes place every two years and features travel on terrains designed to push riders and machines to the limits of their mental, physical and mechanical abilities. The event is steeped in Native American traditions and is similar to the ancient challenge faced by young Native American men to prove their worthiness and earn their designation as a warrior.
    Riders in the Hoka Hey select a charity and accept pledges and donations as support for their participation in the challenge. McCraight, an avid motorcycle enthusiast and ardent supporter of veterans’ causes, selected Foundation 14 as the charity he will ride for contributions.
    Foundation 14 is a nonprofit organization dedicated to keeping veterans riding motorcycles. Founded eight years ago, Foundation 14 has helped 26 veterans by either providing them with specialized motorcycles that fit their specific disabilities or by assisting with a costly repair on an existing motorcycle. The goal is to get the veteran riding again and into positive social contact.
    McCraight and the other riders began their challenge at the southernmost point on Aug 4 and are not told of their designated route to the northernmost point of the country. Some directions are provided at the starting point and further routes provided at specific checkpoints as the ride continues until Aug. 14.
    “Simply put, I will be sleeping outside next to my bike for the duration of the event, using a compass and old school maps to find my way on the back roads,” McCraight said. His goal, he said, is to generate $14,000 in contributions for Foundation 14. McCraight explained that Foundation 14 is a healthy alternative to some of the negative attitudes that sometimes come with serving in a forward armed forces combat unit. These negative behaviors can range from depression, seclusion, alcohol or drug abuse.
    “During my years at Foundation 14, I have witnessed firsthand the efforts of Foundation 14 and how their work can change lives,” McCraight said.
    Donations to support McCraight’s efforts can be made at shorturl.at/XlgYx.

Crowds, officials welcome first Michigan Sheetz

    Romulus Mayor Robert McCraight declared Tuesday, Aug. 27 as “Sheetz Day” in the city during the grand opening celebration of the new facility last week.
    Hundreds of area residents joined McCraight and several other elected Romulus officials in welcoming the new store to the community. Travis Sheetz, CEO of the Altoona, Pennsylvania-based gas station and convenience store chain, presented $5,000 checks to Special Olympics Michigan, Forgotten Harvest and Romulus Parks and Recreation during the opening ceremony. This is the first Sheetz location in Michigan.
    Sheetz said the company is planning more Michigan locations, expanding the 752 stores the company now operates across the country.
    Crowds packed the location during the opening and filled the Wick Road parking lot with several people arriving as early as 5:30 a.m. hours before the scheduled 8 a.m. event.
    "We felt like there was a void in the market for our type of offer, because it is unique with gas and food and everything else," Sheetz said during the grand opening. "And we like that it’s a community-based area, because that’s how we are. We’re very attached to our community — we’ve been since the beginning — and we want to go to an area that resonates in that way.”
    Officials said the popularity of the well-known convenience store should help spur development in the new Romulus Trade Center nearby.
    The store will be open 24/7 every day of the year, officials said. In addition to both indoor and outdoor dining the Romulus locations will feature a drive-through window. Grocery items will be available as will a menu of made-to-order foods and beverages, from breakfast to subs, pizza, and specialty drinks. The location, near Detroit Metro Airport, also features one of the largest EV (electronic vehicle) charging networks in the country.
    The Romulus store is on a former vacant lot at 33380 Wick Road, off Interstate 94 and next to the Romulus Trade Center.

Family time

Children join 15-year barbeque volunteer

    The Rotary Chicken Barbeque this Sunday during the Plymouth Fall Festival is a real family affair for Ron Schmyr and his entire family.

    Schmyr, 65, his wife, seven children and his sons-in-law have been volunteering at the charity event for more than 15 years and they will be there again Sunday, manning the barbeque grills as more than 8,500 chickens are cooked to perfection.
    “It’s amazing to me that decades ago some engineer figured out how hot the grills had to be, how far from the coals the chickens should be and exactly how long it would take to get them to the perfect temperature,” Schmyr said. He said he and his family had been fascinated by the barbeque for decades as they live close to downtown Plymouth and the enticing aroma on Fall Festival Sunday would fill the air. “The kids grew up smelling the chicken,” said.
    When he moved his financial services business to downtown Plymouth, he joined the Rotary Club. That led to his first volunteer effort behind one of the enormous charcoal pits used to grill the chickens. He has eagerly maintained that position for more than 15 years and has been joined by two of his sons-in-law, his daughters and soon, he expects, three of his 11-year-old grandchildren. A sense of being able to give something back to the community is ingrained in his family, Schmyr said.
    He explained that when his family moved to Plymouth from downtown Detroit decades ago, he was amazed that a place like Plymouth even existed. He was used to the rigors of Detroit which at the time was experiencing serious unrest. “I saw tanks in the street when I was 8 years old” he recalled, “so coming to Plymouth was an explosion of senses.”
    He subsequently met his wife Julie when she was in the 5th grade and he in 7th and after their graduations they married and made their home in Plymouth where they raised their family.
    “There is no other way to say it, this is just a very special community and I am very proud to be a part of it. I simply can’t phrase it any other way, this is just a love affair with Plymouth,” he said.
    After 15 years, Schmyr has earned his spot near the head of the pit where he will man the grill from about 8 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon this Sunday, Sept. 8.

Canton Center Road closed for ‘essential’ repair work

    The Wayne County Department of Public Services has temporarily closed Canton Center Road over Willow Creek, south of Joy Road in Canton Township to perform emergency repairs. The closure is necessary, according to officials, to address critical issues with the culvert and ensure the safety and functionality of the road.
    Motorists are advised to use detour routes to navigate around the closure. Northbound traffic on Canton Center Road can proceed straight through the intersection of Canton Center Road and Sheldon Center Road, turn right onto Sheldon Center Road, then onto Sheldon rod. Continue north of Sheldon Road to Joy Road and then turn left onto Joy Road and continue west to Canton Center Road.
    Southbound traffic on Canton Center Road should turn left onto Joy Road and travel east to Sheldon Road. Turn right onto Sheldon Road and proceed south to Sheldon Center Road and turn right onto Sheldon Center Road and continue to Canton Center Road.
    Officials said the essential repairs would be completed as quickly as possible. For more information, contact the 24-hour customer service center at 888-762-3273.

Honored

    Last week, the City of Westland honored former Community Media Director Craig Welkenbach who

passed away earlier this year. Mr. Welkenbach served the community for more than 25 years earning many awards and the love and respect of everyone he came in contact with, officials said during the dedication of the plaque marking the renaming of the building. “In recognition of all that he did for the city and for the friend he was to so many people, the WLND Studios have been dedicated in his honor and are now officially called The Welkenbach Studios,” noted officials before a large crowd who attended the ceremony in memory of Mr. Welkenbach.