Photo by James Mitchell
Debi Kamin (left) tearfully describes her daughter, Chelsea Ann Small, as “a phenomenal person” during a press conference Nov. 15 following Small’s murder Nov. 12 at Advance America. Taylor Police Chief Mary Sclabassi (right) and Advance America announced a $25,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of Small’s killer.
By JAMES MITCHELL and GABRIEL GOODWIN
Sunday Times Newspapers
Last week we reviewed the most important local stories of the first half of 2013, here’s a look back at the second half.
July
The Riverview Community School District Board of Education imposed a new contract on its teachers that included wage cuts up to 5.5 percent. The new contract affected the wages of all 136 teachers in the district for the 2013-14 school year. Teachers with 11 to 20 years of experience will see the biggest cut with a 5.5 percent reduction in pay, while teachers with less than 10 years of experience will receive a 2.5 percent cut in wages and a 4.5 percent cut to the wages for teachers with more than 20 of experience. Teachers will now be required to contribute 20 percent of their health benefits. The imposed contract will expire Aug. 31, 2014.
Allen Park and its fire department finalized contract negotiations and the tentative agreement was finalized. The agreement went into effect July 1 and reduced wages, pension contributions and holiday pay, but not staffing levels. The police department saw similar reductions July 1, due to an implementation order because the police union had not reached any agreement with the city.
As part of the fire agreement, Emergency Manager Joyce Parker said, the city can use volunteer and part-time firefighters, which will reduce overtime costs that previously cost the city $500,000 a year. The changes made will save the city a combined $1.8 million in operational costs for both departments. Parker said some firefighters will see a pay reduction of about 18 percent due to the immediate 10 percent pay cut and the elimination of the 7 percent premium for paramedic pay.
To become eligible for retiree healthcare, current firefighters must have 15 years of service, an increase over the previous requirement of 10 years, and the new minimum retirement age is 52.
Carol Emans, 54, of Redford Township, parked her vehicle in Bishop Park, then sped up and drove into the Detroit River to commit suicide July 15.
Wyandotte Police Chief Dan Grant Grant said witnesses observed the windows down on the vehicle and the pickup stayed afloat for about a minute. Grant said that was more than enough time to attempt an escape from the vehicle.
“There was no accident about it,” Grant said. “She was intending on killing herself.”
Grant said Emans was the only occupant of the vehicle and there were no other injuries or fatalities suffered that night.
The vehicle was located about 11 p.m. the same night, using sonar equipment, while Emans’ body was found about 2 a.m. July 16 because of low visibility and intermittent heavy rain. The vehicle was pulled out of the water about an hour later about 3:15 a.m.
Hometown memories framed a collection of Lincoln Park stories as told by Don Wallace, whose book “Growing Up in Simpler Times” was celebrated at Fort Street Brewery. Wallce and his son edited tales dating back to the 1930s.
Taylor police worked with nearby agencies to apprehend a suspect in a series of armed and bank robberies that included Meijer on Pardee Road. James Clayton Davis, 32, was charged in 23rd District Court on multiple felony counts that included a bank robbery in Novi.
Trenton officials enjoyed the sight of cleanup work beginning at the former Riverside Hospital complex. The long-delayed project to transform the grounds began in July with plans for medical offices at the site. Demolition work included tearing down the complex’s boiler room and church house. A medical mall plan was later approved by city council.
A former Taylor police officer was sentenced to two years in prison for having stolen a department shotgun. The weapon was discovered at Andrew Voelkner’s Farmiongton Hills residence when police there responded to a domestic disturbance complaint.
Taylor police took into custody a 31-year-old parolee charged with the stabbing murder of a former girlfriend. Eric John Frederickson had previously been convicted of stalking a woman, and was arraigned on first-degree murder charges in 23rd District Court. Frederickson was sentenced in October to 35 to 70 years in prison.
The Taylor School District enrollment increased by an estimated 1,000 students after it learned in late July it would be one of four to absorb students from Inkster Public Schools, which was dissolved by state education officials.
August
Voters in the August primary election narrowed a field of candidates believed to be a record for Taylor. Each of the city’s elected offices was contested, and primary election results guaranteed at least five new members would join city council in November.
Taylor’s city council rejected an offer of $5.4 million from Taylor Sports, Events and Community Center LLC to purchase the Sportsplex facility. Management of the recreation arena had fallen to city officials after JRV Consulting fell behind in rent and lease payments in February.
Southgate Mayor Joseph Kuspa said discussions had begun to explore possible shared services between Southgate and Wyandotte. Kuspa said no specific plans were on the table, although public safety and fire department consolidations could offer mutual benefits.
Chrysler’s Trenton North factory added nearly 300 new workers in August, a start-date that had long been anticipated. City Administrator Jim Wagner said the job creation had been in the works since earlier in the year. All told, Chrysler added more than 1,250 jobs at plants in Trenton, Detroit and Warren.
Trenton Public Schools Supt. Rodney Wakeham announced a new athletic director for the year after Assistant Principal Bret Woodley was charged with embezzlement, allegedly committed as a seasonal employee at Trenton Parks and Recreation’s Kennedy Aquatic Center. Woodley pleaded no contest in September and was dismissed from his school employment.
Taylor firefighters staffed in August the re-opened north and south stations that had been closed since November 2011. Mayor Jeffrey Lamarand said the department’s certification as Advanced Life Support capable allowed for the stations to get back in business.
The Allen Park Board of Ethics Aug. 7 ruled City Councilman Angelo DeGiulio made “disparaging and discouraging remarks” toward two police officers and concluded he was in violation of the city charter. The board said DeGiulio violated two ethical principles held for government officials — the principle of respectability and fitness for public office and the principle of congeniality and productivity — with his actions and words after an Aug. 21, 2012, council meeting, toward Police Officer Wayne Albright and retired Officer Russell Pillar and said they were inappropriate for any city official.
Originally, four complaints were made regarding DeGiulio’s actions and comments following the incident, but two of those complaints were dismissed. The board ruled DeGiulio’s consequences should be decided on by the council.
Despite the public outcry over safety concerns, the Melvindale City Council unanimously approved GLE Scrap Metal’s proposal to install an auto shredder unit in its scrap yard. The addition could add up to 20 jobs in the city and about 50 jobs to the surrounding area. The 20-acre scrap yard, at 25434 Outer Drive, is about 1,000 feet from four neighborhoods in three cities — Melvindale, Lincoln Park, and Detroit. Since GLE Scrap Metal owner Nathan Zack began operations in the Melvindale, he said he has not had any complaints of noise or excess dust and wanted to continue to be a good neighbor to the surrounding communities.
The zoning board unanimously approved the special usage request and the rezoning of GLE’s property for the use of the shredder Aug. 14 and recommended the council follow suit. The board amended the initial proposals to include the company proceed under the guidelines of the Environmental Protection Agency and other governmental entities. They required GLE to apply for an air monitoring permit, so the EPA can monitor the air emissions of the new machine and check air quality at least monthly.
There is a certain amount of risk with pollution with this business, the board agreed, but the same risk is prevalent with many businesses within the city limits. They said businesses, like gas stations, pollute the environment and it’s a necessary risk when a city allows any type of industrial business to operate.
The city was built to support the industrial area, Zoning Board member Ed Lain said, so the board did not want to stop these kind of businesses from expanding.
“We would be telling most of our tax base to go,” Lain said. “Melvindale was built because of industrial companies, like Ford Motor Company, and it would not be in the best interest of the city to say ‘no.’ If we tell them, ‘You cannot do business here,’ we might as well tell the oil refineries, railroads and Ford to go too.”
The votes, by the zoning board and city council, were the first steps in the completion of the property upgrades, Project Manager Brian Moench said, but he and Zack still have a long process ahead of them. He said the votes were still not a guarantee the machine could be built because they still need to file applications with Wayne County, the EPA, and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.
The body recovered from a vehicle submerged in the Detroit River Aug. 15 was identified as a missing Lincoln Park man.
The Wayne County Medical Examiner confirmed the remains were of Thomas D. Lange, who was reported missing Dec. 30, 2003. The body was initially found without a head, Wyandotte police said, but it was found in a subsequent search of the area Aug. 16 and sent to the medical examiner for a check of dental records. Police Chief Daniel Grant said the body was identified by the dental records, but a cause of death could not be found.
A recreational diver discovered the vehicle, a 1999 Mercury Sable registered to Lange, submerged in the Detroit River close to the Wyandotte Boat Club, 1 Pine St. The Downriver Underwater Search and Rescue Team began its search about 1 p.m. and had the vehicle pulled out of the river near BASF Waterfront Park about 4 p.m.
Fire Chief Jeffrey Carley said the vehicle was resting upside down in 25 feet of water and most likely went into the river about 100 yards from where it was found.
Allen Park residents approved the special police and fire millage increase in the Aug. 6 primary election. The final count was 5,114 votes for the 3.25-mill increase, while 2,164 voted against it.
The additional 3.25 mills will add an estimated $2 million in funding for the operation of the Police and Fire departments. The amendment extends the previous millage from five years and 3.5 mills to 10 years and 6.75 mills. It is estimated to bring in $4.6 million, an increase of about $2 million over the previous millage.
Emergency Manager Joyce Parker said the vote was a mandate for Allen Park to move forward and gives the city an opportunity to look for other ways to increase the other services provided by the city. The additional funding allows consistent staffing within the Police and Fire departments, she said and allows the city to explore opportunities to provide better services to residents.
Photo by Gabriel Goodwin
State Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit, third from left) and Sierra Club member Ed McCardle (right) protest the GLE Scrap Metal’s proposal for the installation of an auto shredder unit Sept. 4 outside Melvindale City Hall. City council members approved the installation of the shredder on the property, 25434 Outer Drive, Aug. 21, but nullified that vote to consider the new information presented to them after the council meeting.
September
A Lincoln Park woman was suspended from her position as a state probation officer after being charged with criminal sexual conduct. Nicole Lyn Kruse, 35, was charged with having an inappropriate relationship with a minor. Kruse was sentenced in November to three years in prison.
A 25-year-old Lincoln Park man was sentenced to nine to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to having robbed the same Taco Bell restaurant three times within a few weeks. Thomas Maurice Davis was sentenced in September for the series of robberies — committed in late 2012 — at a fast-food restaurant less than a mile from his home.
Trenton Police Chief James Nardone announced that the city’s force had merged dispatch operations with Riverview. Nardone said the partnership was the first step in a series of cost-saving measures that would likely include shared jail services.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection service held a launch ceremony in Trenton of its latest vessel, named after Brian A. Terry, a former Lincoln Park police officer and border patrol agent.
Taylor police and SWAT officers raided a home in the 24000 block of Eureka that resulted in drug charges against five people.
Taylor School District rehired 15 teachers who had been let go earlier in the year due to the district’s budget deficit. The additional students the district absorbed from the dissolved Inkster district resulted in larger-than-acceptable class sizes.
Nearly two years after being charged in the beating death of his sister, a Lincoln Park man was declared competent to stand trial. Gerald Eugene Dennis, 45, had been charged with first-degree murder in the February 2012 death of his sister, Deborah Seifert. A February 2014 jury trial has been scheduled.
A 39-year-old Wyandotte woman was arrested Sept. 21 after police received a complaint from Child Protective Services about her allegedly growing marijuana illegally. Officers conducted a followed up interview with the woman Sept. 21 because the complaint said one of the woman’s two children was 12 years old. Police said they approached the house in the 1700 block of 6th Street and could smell a strong odor of unburnt marijuana coming from inside the house. The smell of marijuana was enough probable cause to question the woman.
The woman admitted she was growing marijuana and took police into the basement, where police said there were two marijuana plants in plain view. Police found an additional 41 plants in an enclosed wooden case, along with 23 other cloned plants. The woman unlocked another part of her basement containing another eight plants.
Police said both areas had special grow lights, heaters, fans and other growing paraphernalia. The woman also had another room used for drying the marijuana, police said, where another 10 large bud branches were found drying. In another room in the basement, officers observed a large table contained a digital scale, two packs of sandwich bags, a sandwich bag containing marijuana, a pack of rolling papers and a joint. Another marijuana plant was found in the southwest corner of the basement.
Photo by Gabriel Goodwin
The Wayne County Sheriff’s Marine Division searches for the vehicle and the body of Carol Emans July 15 after the Redford Township woman committed suicide by driving into the Detroit River.
October
The Allen Park City Council had to cancel its Oct. 8 disciplinary hearing for Councilman Angelo DeGiulio after he filed an injunction with the Wayne County Circuit Court. DeGuilio filed a temporary restraining order against the city and questioned the legality of the disciplinary hearing. Those questions were presented to Judge Annette Berry in an Oct. 25 Circuit Court hearing. The case between DeGiulio and the city was later adjourned until Nov. 4, so Berry could review the information presented to her.
The Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge closed temporarily in October due to the shutdown of U.S. government agencies. The federal stalemate had limited impact on local governments, but a planned ground-breaking for the Refuge’s anticipated Visitor’s Center was delayed until November.
At least one new family was set to call Southgate “home” after Mayor Joseph Kuspa, Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano and other officials launched the Green Anchors Program. The Rosedale Street house was to be rehabilitated courtesy of county funding, including energy upgrades.
No layoffs were needed for the Lincoln Park Fire Department after Mayor Patricia Diaz Krause and city officials approved a new contract. The agreement had been delayed for months, during which time it was believed that at least three department positions were to be eliminated.
November
Clerk Cynthia Bower was the only elected official spared from a voter mandate of change at Taylor City Hall. The November general election ended with a new mayor, Rick Sollars; treasurer, Edward Bourassa; and seven newcomers on city council.
Former Lincoln Park Police Chief Thomas Karnes easily outpaced Mayor Patricia Diaz Krause in general election balloting. Along with Karnes, newcomers to the city council were Elliott Zelenak, Deborah Henderson and Larry Kelsey.
One incumbent lost his seat on the Riverview City council in the general election, while two others will continue their tenure for another four years. Dean Workman, Councilman Andrew Swift and Councilman Jim Trombley received the top votes in the election with 1,067, 1,040, and 896 votes, respectively. Incumbent David Ryan received 618 votes, which put him fourth, but would allow him to return to the council if another member vacates his or her seat.
Reorganization in Trenton continued with the appointment of James Nardone as director of Police and Fire Services. Nardone, previously police chief, was appointed to supervise his successor, Steven Voss, and Fire Chief Jeffrey Evans.
Taylor police responded quickly to an alarm from a cash advance store on Telegraph, and upon arrival discovered Chelsea Ann Small, 30, who had died of gunshot wounds. Small, a clerk at Advance America, was alone in the store when a man entered, shot her and left with an undisclosed amount of cash. Advance America and CrimeStoppers have offered more than $35,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
Legislation signed Aug. 12 by Gov. Rick Snyder extended the state’s current homestead property tax exemption for disabled military veterans to a veteran’s spouse if the veteran passes away before the tax break is granted. Senate Bill 352 became Public Act 161 of 2013 after Snyder signed the legislation.
The current homestead property tax exemption prohibits the collection of property taxes on the primary residence owned by honorably discharged disabled veterans.
The veteran must provide proof of an honorable discharge from a branch of the United States armed forces and was determined by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to “be permanently and totally disabled as a result of military service and entitled to veterans benefits at the 100 percent rate.”
The documentation must be presented to their local treasurer’s office, Allen Park Treasurer Maureen Armstrong said, and the county treasurer will cancel the collection of taxes on the property. If the veteran dies, the spouse would continue to receive the tax exemption status until he or she remarries or passes away. The exemption cannot be transferred to any other family member or owner of the property, and cannot be applied to additional property or rental properties. The spouse has to provide proof they were married to the qualified veteran and they have not remarried.
A former Leo L. Paluch Senior Housing Complex employee accused of stealing residents’ rent checks received probation and was required to pay back the money she took from the Allen Park Housing Commission. Erica Pollack, who admitted to stealing the checks, was sentenced to five years probation and ordered to make restitution for the $4,855 she took. The commission sought $13,000 to cover its loss, legal expenses and accounting fees, but was not granted the money.
A resident approached Allen Park Housing Director Andrew Hill in January 2013 and asked about some irregularities involving several rent checks. Hill said he approached Pollack and terminated her after she told him about altering some rent checks. He said she modified the rent checks for her personal use.
“While this was an unbelievable and unfortunate situation, (the commission) has accepted her apology which is important,” Hill said. “Pollack admitted her crime, apologized, and was willing to make the situation right with us. She also apologized to me personally and I have accepted her apology. This is the best possible outcome to this situation and gives everyone the opportunity to move forward.”
December
Newly-elected Mayor Rick Sollars welcomed four new police officers to the Taylor department. Sollars said the staffing boost had been initiated by his predecessor, Jeffrey Lamarand, and that they were the first of an anticipated 15 new officers.
Southgate Mayor Joseph Kuspa said the December opening of Hampton Inn near I-75 and North Line Road joined a promising year of development for the city. Plans continued for a $3.5 million expansion of MJR Theatre and development of parcels at the Southgate Shopping Center.
Trenton Parks and Recreation Director Joann Donyea announced the city had been approved for a $45,000 grant for upgrades to Haas Park. The Department of Natural Resources grant will be added to $50,000 received in 2012 from Wayne County to install new facilities at the park.
A Southgate man was cleared for a jury trial to begin in January 2014 and faces first-degree murder charges in the stabbing death of his mother. James Alan Shields, 54, had ben declared competent to stand trial and participate in his defense. Shields faces life in prison without parole if convicted in the death of his mother, Irene Shields, who was found dead in her home in the 12300 block of Longtin in July 2012.
The Wyandotte City Council approved the wording of a five-year, 3-mill ballot proposal during its Dec. 9 meeting and tentatively set the election date in May. The general operating millage increase was proposed by City Administrator Todd Drysdale because he said the city could manage its projected financial shortfalls.
Residents will vote to renew the current 1.75 mills general operating millage rate, while voting to increase it to 3 mills. The current budget projects a $1.35 million deficit for the 2016-17 fiscal year. The revenue generated by the 1.75 mills is about $1.04 million but the 3 mills would generate $1.112 million, Drysdale said, because of the decrease in property taxes.
The Wyandotte Public Schools Board of Education voted to hold a Feb. 25 special election to renew the 18 mills levied to fund the school district. If the millage is renewed, Business Manager Kenneth Laub said there would not be a change in residents’ taxes because it is a non-homestead tax and does not apply to a residents’ primary place of residence. He said the income generated from an average non-homestead property — a business with a $200,000 taxable value — would be about $3,600.
“The 18 mills focuses on industrial and commercial property, second homes and rental properties, but not on the average residential taxpayer,” Laub said. “This proposal is critical for us and means the difference of about $3.1 million in revenue.”