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No. 37
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
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September 13 – 19, 2012
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
Senior Olympians were
honored by City of Wayne offi-
cials recently for their partici-
pation and success in bringing
home medals during the
recent games.
See page 5.
TheFriends of theRomulus
Library have planned a used
book sale from 10 a.m. until 8
p.m. Sept. 17, 18 and 19. books,
videos and tapes will be for
sale at bargainprices.
See page 3.
TheWayne County Board of
Canvassers has decided to
grant the request of two candi-
dates and recount the votes in
the Aug. 7 primary election in
PlymouthTownship.
See page 3.
A Stroll Down Dunlap
Street will take place from 3-6
p.m. this Sunday when cos-
tumed citizens of the past will
appear in Oakwood Cemetery
and share their lives and
times.
See page 3.
High school students in
Belleville have a unique
opportunity to study in
Europe, thanks to the local
Rotary Club Youth Exchange
Program for the 2013-14 school
year.
See page 4.
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Vol. 65, No. 37
Vol. 12, No. 37
Vol. 12, No. 37
Vol. 127, No. 37
Vol. 65, No. 37
Vol. 65, No. 37
The Mighty Voices of
Thunder will appear in con-
cert at 4 p.m. Sept. 30 at St.
Clements Episcopal Church in
Inkster in a benefit for Adopt-
A-Child-SizeCommittee.
See page 5.
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
Hometown American Idol
and country music star Josh
Gracin will appear in concert
on Saturday at the Blues,
Brews and Barbeque festival
onWestlandCityHall grounds.
See page 5.
Sabrina Johnson was named as
the new judge at the 22nd District
Court byGov. RickSnyder Sept. 5.
Johnson will fill the unexpired
term of Judge Sylvia James until
Jan. 1, 2013. James was removed
from the bench for the remainder
of her term by the Michigan
Supreme Court on July 31.
Johnson and James were the top
candidates in the August primary
election and will now be on the
Nov. 6 ballot. James received a
total of 814 votes while Johnson
had the second highest total with
615.
The pairwill vie for the six-year
termwhichpays $138,272 a year.
James had been on a paid
administrative leave since April of
2011 when an audit of court
finances ordered by the Michigan
Judicial Tenure Commission
found irregularities in financial
reporting. After a hearing before a
special master, James was found
guilty of misuse of the court com-
munity fund, violating court nepo-
tism rules and hiring a magistrate
who was unqualified for the posi-
tion. She was also ordered by the
Supreme Court to repay more
than $80,000 in costs, fees and
reimbursements.
Johnson, 45, is a 1985 graduate
of Cherry Hill High School in
Inkster. She earned her bachelors
degree at Michigan State
University and graduated from
Wayne State University School of
Law. She is a former Wayne
County assistant prosecutor and
public defender who has worked
in the 22ndDistrict Court.
James will be vying for her fifth
term on the bench. She was first
elected in 1988 and continued to
serve in one of the busiest district
courts in the state until the com-
plaint was filed against her with
the Judicial Tenure commission
last year.
When the Flying Pilgrims
Radio Control Club members
send their aircraft into the sky
this weekend, there will be a
large crowd watching the 29th
annualmodel plane event.
See page 4.
Residents and activists accused the
Romulus City Council of trying to suppress vot-
ing rights, after they decided to move two
precincts to an adjacent piece of property.
The vote came at the Aug. 27 city council
meeting, when council members unanimously
decided to move precincts 1 and 14 from Wick
Elementary School-located at 36900 Wick
Road-to Romulus Middle School, which is
located at 37300WickRoad.
The decision was a cooperative one
between the city and the school district, accord-
ing to Council President Leroy Burcroff, who
votes in precinct 1. The middle school is larger,
with more parking and better traffic flow, he
said.
“The feedback we got was that it was much
more conducive to voting,” he said. “It's bigger
withmore parking.”
“We're just trying to make it convenient for
the voters,” addedCouncilwomanEvaWebb.
Some voters, along with members of the
Detroit-based chapter of the National Action
Network (NAN), took exception to the change,
however. Members of theNANaccused the city
of trying to tamper with the election and sup-
press the voting rights of citizens and to reverse
the decision.
“There is great concern about this change of
polling (locations) because, all across the coun-
try, this has is a tactic that is being used by vari-
ous individuals to, in some way-not necessarily
intimidate-but to make it difficult (to vote),”
said Jim Reed of the NAN. “These activities
affect the poor and the down-trodden and we
simply do not want to see anything-in this case,
voting booths moved. We have a lot of seniors
who get confused easily. We want to them to be
able to go to the location their familiar with,
especially at this latehour of the day.”
City Clerk Ellen Craig-Bragg said the paper-
work had already been submitted to the state,
so the decision could not be changed. She said
she and her office would inform voters impact-
ed by the move. Already, postcards have been
mailed out and a notice put up on the munici-
pal web site. She said shewould alsoworkwith
Department of Public Works employees to cre-
ate and place signs on Election Day. There
would be flyers in school to remind parents,
messages on the cable channel and there may
even be people out directing traffic on Election
Day.
“We're working very hard that the concerns
are not falling on deaf ears. We are addressing
them,” she said. “This is in no way an attempt
to disenfranchise our voters or for voter sup-
pression. We're working hard to make sure it is
a voter-friendly environment for everyone.”
Residents questioned the timing of the
We're working very hard
that the concerns are not falling on
deaf ears. We are addressing them.
”
Voting precinct move prompts protests
See
Vote,
page 2
Interim judge is named by governor
Pumpkin time
15th festival begins
throughout Romulus
The largest family celebration in
Romulus, the Downtown Development
Authority Pumpkin Festival, will begin
tomorrow and continue through Sunday in
Romulus.
The 15th annual festival is expected to
draw thousands of participants from
Romulus and southeast Michigan, organiz-
ers said.
Municipal staff members and dozens of
volunteers are making final preparations
for the festival which will feature the
Parade of Lights on Friday night, a car
show on Saturday, a tractor and lawn trac-
tor show on Sunday, food, children's games
and ahost of contests.
There will be pumpkin-themed events
and live musical entertainment all week-
end long. Many of the activities are provid-
ed at no cost.
The festival places emphasis on history
of the city, organizers said. Many of the
events will take place in and around
Romulus Historical Park and the new
Downtown Pavilion on Hunt Street. There
will be a number of old-fashioned events
for family and the city museum and other
historical structureswill be open for tours.
On Saturday and Sunday, Goddard
Road will be closed at Moore Street to the
railroad tracks west of Hunt and Hunt
closed from Goddard to Bibbins over the
three-dayweekend.
The Downtown Development Authority
began funding and organizing the festival
last year. This Pumpkin Festival is dedicat-
ed to the countless volunteers who have
made the festival a success over the years.
DDA Director Maria Lambert said that
since the festival has something for every-
one, it will bring the community together in
celebration.
SomePumpkinFestival highlights:
See
Festival,
page 2
After 34 years of teaching Sunday School
and Children's Church, Trudy D. Vaughn
thought she knew how to get her message to
children.
The life-long Romulus resident decided to
see if she was right back in the early 90s when
she self published her first book “God
Answers Children's Prayers, Too.” That book
sold well, she said, although she didn't have a
website for it or the other selling tools major
publishing houses offer.
That success prompted her second book,
“Warning: Bugs Beware----My Mom Doesn't
Care!” which was published by West Bow
Press in April. The story is a simple one about
a young girl who learns in Sunday School that
all creatures are created by God and are spe-
cial. Her mother, however, still doesn't want
the bugs and insects in her house, creating a
small conflict of ideas.
The rhyming book, illustrated by Romulus
High School art teacher Shanda Theis, is sell-
ing well, Vaughn said, although the reports
from the publisher only come out quarterly.
The books she is selling personally are doing
very well and she said she gets compliments
on the illustrations.
“The book is fairly new, so I don't have real
sales numbers yet,” she said.
The mother of three grown children,
Vaughn said that writing was always some-
thing she was good at. In her high school
classes she always received As and “It was
easy for me,” she said. When her children
were grown she took a two-year children's
writing course by correspondence and then
tookwriting classes atWashtenawCommunity
College.
She has another book that has not yet been
edited and a screenplay that she has not yet
submitted, she said, and she plans to keep on
writing.
Vaughn will be signing copies of her book
during the Pumpkin Festival in downtown
Romulus near the Historical Museum from 6-
8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14, from11 a.m. until 8 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 15 and from noon until 6 p.m.
onSunday, Sept. 16.
Local author to sign children’s book