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No. 22
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
75¢
May 30 – June 5, 2013
w w w . a s s o c i a t e d n e w s p a p e r s . n e t
Two candidates have filed
nominating petitions for the
office of mayor in the city of
Wayne and six residents for
the city council so no primary
election is needed.
See page 4.
A busy election season got
officially under way last week
when Leroy Burcroff, one of
four candidates for mayor of
Romulus, opened his cam-
paignheadquarters.
See page 5.
Raffle tickets at $50 each
are now on sale to win a
Mediterranean cruise for two
with friends of the Michigan
Philharmonic Sept. 20-30.
See page 2.
There is a lot of traffic
expected around Moraine
Elementary School tomorrow
night when Dick Scott
Chrysler Jeep Ram will host
the Drive for the Kids
fundraiser.
See page 2.
For 68 years, the Belleville
Rotary Club has presented
scholarships to deserving area
students asmembers did again
this year.
See page 3.
Vol. 128, No. 22
Vol. 66, No. 22
Vol. 66, No. 22
Vol. 13, No. 22
Vol. 128, No. 22
Vol. 66, No. 22
Vol. 66, No. 22
Middlebelt Baptist Church
members will host another in
a series of clothing giveaways
from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Saturday, June 8.
See page 4.
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
Some sections of Westland
will be in the dark for awhile
as DTE Energy works on
upgrades to 150 older street
lights energized by “series cir-
cuits.”
See page 4.
Where will you find nearly
700 people dressed like the
Statue of Liberty and running
like their lives depended on it?
Probably be at the June 15
CantonLibertyRun.
See page 3
.
Vol. 13, No. 22
More than 20,000 people assem-
bled for a candlelight vigil at the
National Police Officers Memorial
inWashington, D.C. last week.
The solemn occasion began
with the Van Buren Township
Police Honor Guard presenting
the colors at the commemoration
honoring law enforcement officers
killed in the line of duty in 2012.
The event took place May 13
during National Police Week and
this was the second year the Van
Buren officers were invited to per-
formthe ceremony.
Captain Greg Laurain, Lt. Mark
Buckberry, Ofc. Chris Valinski, Ofc.
ChrisHayes andOfc. RyanBidwell
honored the fallen officers with
the presentation at the beginning
of the ceremony dedicated to
remembering the fallen men and
women.
Secretary of Homeland
Security Janet Napolitano, United
States Attorney General Eric
Holder, and National President of
the Concerns of Police Survivors
Madeline Neumann were the
keynote speakers at the event.
“This was the second time our
team was invited to Washington to
take part in the activities during
National PoliceWeek. We present-
ed the colors on Monday at the
entrance as family members of
officers killed in the line of duty
along with dignitaries entered
Judiciary Square to the candle-
light vigil.
“It was an honor for Van Buren
Township to be invited to handle
this prestigious detail,” Laurain
said.
The National Law Enforcement
Officers Memorial Fund maintains
the memorial, which now has
19,981 names on the walls. During
the ceremony, each name is read
in a final roll call of honor as a spe-
cial tribute during the vigil.
How smart exactly are the new
“smart meters” DTE is proposing
to install in Plymouth community
homes?
That question has multiple
answers depending on the source.
DTE Energy says the meters
are cost efficient and “increase the
customer's energy efficiency.” The
meters provide an automatic real-
time reading of the amount of
energy used in the home or busi-
ness utilizing a wireless radio fre-
quency transmission.
Many residents claim the
meters invade their privacy, pro-
vide too much information to the
energy company and potentially
other entities and could be a
health hazard due to the electro-
magnetic field used in the trans-
missions from homes to the DTE
billing offices. Critics also suggest
that the ability of DTE to turn the
power off or on remotely through
the meter could prove problemat-
ic and that the meters can be
“hacked” and controlled by an
entity other than DTE. Critics also
suggest that DTE could arbitrarily
limit the amount of power to users
and implement power blackouts.
The meters also allow for a
time-of-use price scale allowing
DTE to charge a higher rate for
service during high-demand peri-
od.
Until this month, residents had
no option but to accept the instal-
lation of the newmeters. In April,
however, Michigan Attorney
General Bill Schuette issued a
statement saying that residents
should be allowed to keep their
older, analog meters. He also said
that the amount DTE proposed as
the “opt out” fee was not appropri-
ate and suggested a lower rate.
The Michigan Public Service
Commission ruled that DTE can
charge customers who want to
keep their analog units a one-time
fee of $67 and a monthly cost of
$9.80.
The new “smart meters” will
still be installed in all homes
served by DTE, however, but those
who opt-out of the Smart Currents
programwill have the radio-trans-
mission capability of the new
meter disabled, according toDTE.
The fees were determined as
the charges manual meter reading
that would otherwise be avoided
by use of the smartmeter.
Critics have claimed that DTE
is not licensed to install a “broad-
casting” device in homes and sug-
Volunteers will pull shopping carts, plas-
tic bags, bottles and huge tree limbs out of
the Rouge River Saturday, in an effort to
rescue the water way and improve the qual-
ity of life for everyone in the area.
Last year, the all-volunteer crew of work-
ers removed 85 cubic yards of trash includ-
ing nine shopping carts and two vehicles,
along with 198 cubic yards of invasive
plants. They also planted 3,960 native flow-
ers and grasses and 60 trees and shrubs.
“Without the help of volunteers, we
would never be able to accomplish the great
workwe do every year,” saidCyndi Ross, the
River Restoration Programmanager for the
Friends of the Rouge. Through the effort of
volunteers, the Rouge River has experi-
enced successes such as increases in the
numbers and species of fish as well as the
development of a canoe route, she said.
Friends of the Rouge along with several
community partners, are looking for volun-
teers to join them in the effort on Saturday,
June 1. Volunteers may choose from several
local sites throughout the area.
The annual river clean up event, Rouge
Rescue, began in 1986 in an effort to restore
the most urbanized watershed in the state.
When it rains in southeast Michigan, a
majority of the water that falls is not
absorbed but runs directly into the Rouge
River, carrying pollutants with it. Rouge
Rescue helps to alleviate the effects of
runoff by stabilizing stream banks and
installing native plants whose deep root sys-
tems help to trap and clarify the water
before it enters the river, Ross explained.
Residents can assist the river's natural
processes year round by disconnecting
downspouts and directing them to rain bar-
rels or rain gardens, minimizing paved sur-
faces and replacing lawn grass with plants
withdeep root systems, she said.
Volunteers should wear long sleeves and
pants to protect themselves from poison ivy.
Helpful items to bring include: water,
See
Meters,
page 2
Van Buren Color Guard opens national ceremony
The new “smart meters”
will still be installed in all
homes served by DTE...
”
River Day
Annual volunteer clean-up
of Rouge will be Saturday
Controversial ‘smart’ meters prompt questions
See
River,
page 3
Officer Chris Valinski,left, Ofc. Ryan Bidwell, Lt. Mark Buckberry, Ofc. Chris Hayes and Cpt. Greg Laurain pres-
ent the colors at a memorial to fallen officers in Washington, D.C. last week.
Nobody ever said it would be easy but vol-
unteers were all smiles last year as they
pulled bicycles, tires and even vehicles from
the river during the annual Rouge Rescue
Day planned for Saturday this year.