Page 1 - eagle011019
P. 1

January 10 – 16, 2019                                   NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST                                                  75¢



























         No. 02                                                                                    www .associatednewspapers.net


          ENTERPRISE Plymouth Ice Festival begins tomorrow
               THE BELLEVILLE
          ENTERPRISE


               Vol. 134, No. 02
            The Belleville Commun-        The sounds of chain saws   Dueling     Chain      Saws
          ity Chorus will begin        and snow-making machines      Competition will all return.
          rehearsals for the 13th sea-  will start filling downtown  This year, a partnership with
          son at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 14  Plymouth today as prepara-  Michigan First Credit Union
          at First United Methodist    tions are well under way for the  will bring a huge, 20-block
          Church.                      37th Annual Plymouth Ice      sculpture to the event along
                          See page 4.   Festival which begins tomor-  with a petting farm and pony
                                       row and continues through     rides and DTE has sponsored
                                       Sunday.                       the unique, 100-foot snow slide,
                  THE CANTON              James Geitzen of JAG enter-  which is always a huge crowd
             EAGLE                     tainment which produces the   pleaser, Geitzen said..
             EAGLE
                                                                       “I enjoy the whole thing, I
                                       event said that the only real
               Vol. 72, No. 02         concern is the weather, but   really do,” Geitzen said. “I'm
            Evalino Productions has    some exhibitors and attractions  really pleased it is so successful
          formally launched a new the-  have taken extreme measures  and keeps just getting bigger
          ater company to present      to ensure that even Mother    and better and attracting larger
          classic adult and young/adult  Nature can't interfere with the  crowds.”
          productions at The Village   fun.                            Last year the event drew
          Theater at Cherry Hill.         Sun and Snow will be mak-  nearly 100,000 visitors during
                          See page 5.  ing snow using machines round  the three-day weekend he
                                       the clock if necessary for the  noted and this year, he expects
                                       cross country ski trail they  between 100-150 sculptures
                THE INKSTER            install in Kellogg Park and the  throughout    downtown
          LEDGER STAR                  snow slide will use a synthetic  Plymouth to bring in an equally
          LEDGER STAR
               Vol. 72, No. 02         product to make sure everyone  large crowd.
                                       has a good time.
                                                                       The annual Collegiate Ice
            Michigan State Police are     This is Geitzen's fifth year at  Carving Competition, present-
          investigating a shooting that  the helm of the event and the  ed by Genisys Credit Union,
          left two Inkster men in criti-  seventh year he has been   will host two carving competi-
          cal condition following a    involved in organizing and pre-  tions, which will include partic-
          shooting that took place     senting the festival.         ipants from several Michigan
          Christmas night.                This year, he doesn't plan to  colleges and universities. The                                      Photo by Robert Lovelace
                          See page 3.  make many changes in the Ice  individual competition will   at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 13.  One of the most popular fam-
                                       Festival, which continues to  start at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan.  Teams of two carvers will work  ily attractions of the festival,
                  THE NORTHVILLE       grow in both popularity and   12. Competitors will have three  together to build and sculpt  Geitzen said, is the Blue Care
             EAGLE                     scope. The fan favorite attrac-  hours to carve before their cre-  their ice carvings.    Network Cross-Country Skiing
             EAGLE
                                                                     ations are judged by a team of
                                                                                                     The winners of each contest
                                                                                                                                 Zone presented by Sun and
                                       tions such as the Ice
               Vol. 19, No. 02         Playground, the DTE Energy    expert ice carvers.           will be announced and receive  Snow. Seasoned professionals
            Those with substance       Foundation Tubing Run, Fire     The ice-carving team compe-  trophies each day around 3
          abuse issues can get help    and Ice Towers, and the       titions will take place beginning  p.m.                              See Festival, page 2
          Recovery program 24/7 for Commission ‘updates’ Northville Downs plan
          from Growth Works Inc.,
          which offers a Rescue
          residents of Canton and         A developer's plan for neigh-                                                          Northville School District.
          Northville townships.        borhood housing bordered by                              ”                                Residents also commented that
                          See page 5.                                                Other concerns expressed
                                       commercial buildings at the cur-                                                          the developer's current commer-
                                       rent Northville Downs horse                   included traffic congestion                 cial space doesn't meet master
                                       racing track property remains                   and pedestrian safety.                    plan requirements and daylight-
                  THE PLYMOUTH         under consideration by mem-                                                               ing the river needs to ensure
             EAGLE                     bers of the Northville Planning  including business owners, and  tioning the houses so they don't  that the entire Rouge watershed
             EAGLE
                                       Commission members.
                                                                                                                                 is protected.
               Vol. 19, No. 02            Commissioners voted 6-3 at  others interested in the pro-  obscure the park fronting River  City contracted engineers,
            First Presbyterian Church  the Dec. 18 meeting to refer the  posed development. It was the  Street and providing an expand-  OHM, presented an analysis of
          in Plymouth has been sued    preliminary Planned Unit      second meeting about the PUD;  ed area for the Farmers Market.    options for improved traffic flow
          by the family of a 5-year-old  Development (PUD) back to the  the first took place Oct. 2, 2018,  Wertheimer is now request-  and determined that installing a
          girl, claiming the church was  applicant, Randy Wertheimer of  when the initial plan was pre-  ing a tax abatement of $9.5 mil-  roundabout at Seven Mile and
          negligent in protecting the  Hunter Pasteur Homes, for “fur-  sented.                    lion to cover the cost of environ-  Sheldon Road would be the best
          child from a sexual assault.  ther information”. The commis-  Wertheimer, CEO of Hunter  mental factors that need to be  way to alleviate traffic conges-
                          See page 2.  sioners are asking for more   Pasteur Homes, made several   remedied at an estimated cost of  tion and improve safety for both
                                       financial information and want  changes to the original plans fol-  $4.5 million as well as building  drivers and pedestrians.
                                       the developer to adjust aspects  lowing the October meeting in  160 additional parking spaces  Other concerns expressed
                   THE ROMULUS         that would bring the PUD closer  response to feedback from com-  that were not part of his original  included traffic congestion and
             ROMAN                     to the city master plan in terms  munity members who attended  plan, estimated to cost another  pedestrian safety; the opinion
             ROMAN
                                                                                                   $5 million.
                                                                     that meeting. Wertheimer
                                       of commercial space, parking
                                                                                                                                 that townhouses would not be
               Vol. 134, No. 02        and site density, they said during  termed these changes  “commu-  Community representatives  suitable for older residents, and
            A community celebration    the meeting.                  nity benefits,” which include  offered several comments dur-  the need for more or less com-
          titled Standing Up For          About 150 residents attended  day lighting the Middle Rouge  ing the meeting noting that there  mercial space in the develop-
          Democracy will begin at 7:30  the meeting at Hillside School  River on the property; reposi-  is room for new students in the  ment.
          a.m. Jan. 21 in honor of
          Martin Luther King Jr. Day   Grant from foundation funds purchase of PARC site
          in Romulus.
                          See page 3.     The failure of a ballot millage                       ”                                donated $3.5 million to purchase
                                       question may have temporarily                The Jack Wilcox Theater will                 the school and property from
                                       discouraged supporters of the                                                             the    Plymouth      Canton
                                       Plymouth Arts and Recreation              be a legacy to Jack's commitment                Community School District, said
                  THE WAYNE            Complex (PARC), but they are                                                              they were pleased with the
             EAGLE                     far from defeated.                           to the Plymouth community.                   transfer of ownership.
             EAGLE
                                                                                                                                   “With the loss of the millage
                                          A grant from the Community
               Vol. 72, No. 02         Foundation for Southeast                                                                  making the viability and sur-
            Memorial services for      Michigan has facilitated the pur-  “The breadth of organiza-  Family Foundation. The Jack  vival of PARC so uncertain, we
          Karen Ann Norton are         chase of the Plymouth Arts and  tions at PARC provide a valued  Wilcox Theater will be a legacy  are delighted and grateful to
          planned for Saturday, Jan. 12  Recreation Complex by PARC, a  service to many in the communi-  to Jack's commitment to the  have found a way forward that
          at the Harry J. Will Funeral  501c3 non-profit corporation.    ty,” said Mariam Noland, presi-  Plymouth community,” Soenen  will keep the historic building
          Home in Wayne.                  The transfer of ownership  dent of the Community         said.                         alive with such great organiza-
                          See page 4.  was finalized Jan. 2, according to  Foundation.               A millage question on the   tions and activities for the bene-
                                       PARC President Don Soenen.      In addition to the grant from  November ballot, seeking 0.75-  fit of the community,” the couple
                                          The 16.6-acre site near down-  the Community Foundation, the  mill tax hike for 20 years was  said in a prepared statement.
                  THE WESTLAND         town Plymouth has been home   Wilcox Family Foundation pro-  approved by 2,765 to 2,544 in the  Details about the changes in
             EAGLE
             EAGLE                     to the PARC since Central     vided a contribution of $200,000  City of Plymouth, but was defeat-  plans at PARC necessitated by

               Vol. 72, No. 02         Middle School was closed by the  as part of a $1 million multi-year  ed 7,106-4,762 by voters in  the millage failure will be com-
                                                                                                   Plymouth Township. The ballot
                                                                     pledge, concurrent with PARC
                                                                                                                                 municated in a public meeting
                                       Plymouth-Canton school district
            Newly-elected State Rep.   in 2015.  More than 25 arts,  becoming the owner of the prop-  proposal would have provided  at the Penn Theatre beginning
          Kevin Coleman (D-Westland)   recreation, and education     erty.  A portion of the pledge is  necessary maintenance at the  at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 16.
          was named an assistant dem-  organizations are presently   designated to provide a 150-200  100-year-old school building and  The Penn Theatre is located
          ocratic whip for the 100th   based at PARC, including the  seat theater in the existing  funded the construction of an  across from Kellogg Park in
          Michigan Legislature.        Michigan Philharmonic, theater  building, Soenen explained.  800-seat theater on the adjacent  downtown Plymouth. For more
                          See page 4.  groups and artists in various dis-  “We are honored by the sup-  property.                information, contact Soenen at
                                       ciplines.                     port of the prestigious Wilcox  Mark and Patty Malcolm, who  (734) 927-4090.

                                                             For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
   1   2   3   4   5   6