Private opinions?

Organizer refuses to reveal harness track petition signers

Members of the Plymouth Township Board of Trustees appear to be as divided in their opinions about petition signatures opposing a proposed township racetrack as they are about the issue.

Township Supervisor Kurt Heise insists that he and the members of the board of trustees should be able to see petitions being circulated opposing the Northville Downs at Plymouth harness raceway proposed for a site at Five Mile and Ridge Road. The track, reportedly a move from the current location at Seven Mile and Sheldon in Northville, would include a half-mile oval harness racetrack, a two-story grandstand, racing building, horse barn and maintenance building on the 128-acre site.

Hit and run driver still sought

Plymouth Township Police have re-issued a request for help from the public in identifying a hit and run driver involved in a fatal accident last fall.

Police said the vehicle involved in the death of 78-year-old Warren Flagg, never stopped after striking him as he was raking leaves in front of his Beck Road home. The car is believed to be a 2007 to 2010 Pontiac Solstice which would have sustained damage to the front passenger side of the vehicle.

Kellogg Park concerts continue

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.

Granted

Plymouth library is awarded Bosch Community Fund grant

The Friends of the Plymouth District Library have been awarded a technology funding grant from the Bosch Community Fund. The grant will support exciting STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) learning tools, and hands-on STEAM experiences for the Plymouth community.

The first category of funding covers three online resources including: Continued funding for LinkedIn Learning, an online learning tool that supports high school students and adults in expanding their technology skills.  Courses cover Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Creative Suite, operating systems, coding languages, business skills, data analysis, cloud computing, server management and much more; the Creativebug database,

Police body cameras OK’d

The Plymouth Police Department will soon outfit all officers with body-worn cameras, according to a statement from city officials.

While the police department has had in-car video/audio systems for nearly 19 years, the new Bodyworn by Utility platform will link both the in-car and body camera video and audio, officials said. The department reviewed equipment from many manufacturers before choosing Bodyworn by Utility based on several factors, the said.

Composting service under way

Compost/yard waste collection began Monday, April 4 in the City of Plymouth.

Officials reminded residents that all compost must be placed in a brown Kraft lawn refuse bag or a can marked for compost.  Compost can may be marked with an “X” or identified with a “compost” sticker available at the Plymouth Municipal Services office, located at 1231 Goldsmith. Compost includes grass clippings, leaves, branches, and yard debris.  Compost does not include sod, dirt, rocks, dog excrement, or potted plants. 

Proposed development prompts neighbors’ concerns

Several Plymouth Township residents do not want new neighbors in their Ann Arbor Road enclave.

A proposal for a 373-unit development at the site of the former Elks Lodge was presented to the Plymouth Township Planning Commission members earlier this month by representatives of Toll Brothers Development and Pomeroy Living. The proposal included 270 rental apartment units and 103 owner occupied townhomes on the site. In addition, the development would include a multi-purpose clubhouse. The property is off Ann Arbor Road just west of Haggerty and near the Waverly Village subdivision.

Rental units would be priced at $1,400 to $2,200 a month, developers estimated.

Several residents spoke to the commissioners during the public hearing on the plan, criticizing the potential density of the plan and the loss of 34-acres of green space. Nearby residents questioned the potential disruption of the peaceful environment now enjoyed and the impact on the wildlife prevalent in the area. A neighbor said that deer, foxes, owls and other wildlife would be displaced by the development.

Firemen selling pumpkins

Plymouth Township firefighters from Local 1496 are selling pumpkins to generate funds for their local charity. Each year the firefighters work with charities like the Salvation Army and local schools to pinpoint area families in need. One hundred percent of the proceeds are used for charity donations.

The pumpkin sale will continue through Halloween. Pumpkin Patches are located at Fire Station 1, located at 9911 N. Haggerty Road and Fire Station 3 at 13600 Beck Road in Plymouth. Firefighters ask visitors to park in the rear of Station 3 and in Township Hall lot behind Fire Station 1.

Rain gardens at Plymouth complex will help area environment 

Plymouth Morning Rotary Club member Beth Stewart, 

center, receives a bit of help planting in the club rain garden

from her grandchildren, Jack Tuscan, 3, and Ava Tuscan, 6,

 under the watchful eye of Rain Garden Coordinator

 Matt Bertrand, left, and Morning Rotary Club 

President-elect Chris Kelly, far right. Photo by David Willett

Mother Nature was the guest of honor last week when state and local officials along with area volunteers and members of Friends of the Rouge welcomed the new rain gardens at the Plymouth Arts and Recreation Complex (PARC) in downtown Plymouth.

The former parking lot at the facility has been transformed into 20,000 square feet of individual rain gardens expected to absorb as much as 5,000 gallons of water each rainstorm helping to reduce flooding for neighbors and ease the load on storm sewers, officials said.  The garden plantings will also provide native habitats for birds, bees, butterflies and other pollinators. 

Local BP Gas station is accused of price gouging

Owners of a Plymouth Township gas station have until next Monday to explain the high cost of fuel during the recent gas shortage.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Plymouth Township resident, said that her office received reports that the BP Gas station at 38600 Ann Arbor Road, just east of Interstate 275, was charging prices nearly $1 more per gallon of fuel than other stations in the area.

Nessel said that an investigator from her office went to the station which was selling unleaded gas for $3.899 and premium for $4.899 per gallon, prices that were, in fact, about $1 more than other local stations. Nessel said that representatives at the gas station refused to offer any explanation for the prices to the investigator, prompting her office to issue a cease and desist order against the station  on May 27. 

Oh, ‘Deer’

Fishermen rescue doe stranded in freezing river

Don Howard, Staff Writer

Plymouth Township resident Mike Kafila with the
doe he and Steve Rauser saved from drowning.

Plymouth Township resident Mike Kafila and his long-time friend and fishing buddy Steve Rauser experienced a real spiritual uplifting Easter weekend. 

While Walleye fishing in the Detroit River they encountered what they at first thought was a log. As Kafila motored their boat closer it became apparent that the “log with two eyes” was a yearling doe struggling for her life in the frigid 39-degree waters off  Horse Island.

Horse Island is a small peninsular island in the downriver area of the Detroit River, south of Gibraltar, a mile west of the southern tip of Grosse Ile.

After starting their day at sun-up, Kalila and Rauser, who love to fish for Walleye at what they claim is one of the best spots for miles around, had finished lunch and were ready to turn back in their 17-foot rig at about noon when they spotted the deer.

Police seeking suspects in Lake Pointe car burglaries

Plymouth Township Police say video doorbells and outside security cameras may be the key to identifying auto theft suspects caught on camera last week in Lake Pointe. 

Police detectives reported four vehicles were ransacked between 3 and 4 a.m. March 10. The vehicles were parked in front of homes on both Farmbrook Drive and Crabtree Lane in the subdivision.

Police Sgt. Mark Hoffman said the investigation continues as officers review security camera footage supplied by homeowners to identify the suspects. According to Hoffman, the suspects went about prowling and searching for valuables in the early morning hours - finding unlocked and unattended vehicles in the subdivision driveways.

Plymouth reminds residents clearing roads is county job

Plymouth Township officials recently issued a reminder to residents regarding snow emergencies in the township.

Officials noted that the township can probably expect several heavy snow days this winter like those earlier this week which can make both driving and walking a challenge. Plymouth Township is not responsible for the plowing or clearing of streets, officials said, that work is the responsibility of Wayne County Roads or the local homeowner's association usually through a private contractor. 

Amazon to refurbish former Spartan warehouse

The long-vacant Spartan warehouse and distribution center in Plymouth Township will soon become an Amazon facility.

The on-line retailer will convert the former grocery facility, located on Haggerty Road, across from the former Kmart center, into a sorting center. Amazon officials said there are plans to open five new such facilities in metro Detroit this year. The Plymouth Township center will sort and categorize smaller packages and is expected to begin operations this summer.

Recycling bins now available

All single-family and multiple-family residences that utilize solid waste services in Plymouth Township should have a  65 gallon recycling cart. 

Any resident who does not have a cart should call the Solid Waste Department at (734) 414-1452, to enable them to participate in the year-round recycling program offered by the township.

To locate a list of acceptable items, access to www.plymouthtwp.org and search the word "recycling".

Oath of office

Plymouth Township Supervisor Kurt Heise was officially sworn into office for his second term earlier this month. Heise said that it was "my distinct honor" to be officially sworn in by. Circuit Court Judge Annette Berry, sister of our newest Trustee Audrey Monaghan. Berry administered the oath of office to each member of the board of trustees just before the official meeting.  "In the years ahead we will need your support, advice and prayers as we move our community forward," Heise said.

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Double trouble

Fire victims’ GoFundMe money is missing

When an electrical fire destroyed the home of the Micol family just before Thanksgiving Day, they were grateful to have saved their lives.

Damien Micol, his wife, Allison, and two sons, Noah, 6, and Ryder, 5, were awakened in the early morning by the fire which left their mobile home in Plymouth uninhabitable and destroyed all their possessions and even legal documents. The devastation prompted a neighbor to start a GoFundMe account for the family which raised more than $6,000 to help them. The Micols received about $1,000 of those donations and the rest apparently remains in the possession of the person who created the account.

Voters favor incumbents in township vote

In Plymouth Township balloting Nov. 3, voters returned incumbent Kurt Heise to the office of supervisor.

Heise, completing his first term as supervisor after winning a grassroots write-in campaign four years ago, received a total of 10,911 votes or 58.26 percent of the total cast. Of those, 7,207 were by absentee ballot for the republican candidate. His opponent, Democrat Mary Starr received 7,809 votes, and 6,429 of her votes were cast by absentee ballot. She received 41.68 percent of the vote totals.

Former Township Clerk Nancy Conzelman, a democrat, was defeated by incumbent Jerry Vorva, a Republican. Conzelman received 7,687 votes in her bid to return to the office Vorva captured from her four years ago.

Sign of the times

Plymouth Township Supervisor Kurt Heise was among the local officials and residents who unveiled the first State of Michigan Historic Marker in front of township hall earlier this month. The installation was made possible in part by a donation from the Michael Cameron Dempsey Fund through Township Trustee Jack Dempsey and the research and advocacy of members of the Historic District Commission.

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Guiding hand

League of Women Voters Election

Guides delivered to local libraries

Julie Brown, Special Writer

Paula Bowman displays the voter guides of the League 

of Women Voters of Northwest Wayne County now available 

in local libraries.

Gathering as volunteers isn't new for the League of Women Voters (LWV) of Northwest Wayne County, but last Friday was especially busy. Members gathered in a garage of one volunteer to assemble Voter Guides.

“It's been a lot of work but it's satisfying to know people use them. There's no spin on them,” noted Paula Bowman, a Plymouth Township resident and LWV of Northwest Wayne County president.

She and other League volunteers delivered print Voter Guides through Monday to area libraries for distribution.