By SHERRI KOLADE
Times-Herald Newspapers
DEARBORN — Omar Alghaiti has big dreams.

And now the 19-year-old Henry Ford Early College student can further his aspirations to study mechanical engineering after graduating May 10.

“It is unbelievable,” Alghaiti said of graduating. “I accomplished the academic challenge and that to me makes me feel good.”

Alghaiti and 21 other students have every reason to feel good. They were the first graduating class from Henry Ford Early College, a five-year “middle/early college” high school

The purpose of HFEC is to prepare high school students for employment opportunities in the healthcare field. Students can earn an associates degree or certificate. About 14 students received their associate degree in addition to a high school diploma. Ten other students completed more than 40 college credits.

HFEC opened in 2007 as a five-year curriculum with approximately 40 ninth-grade students. HFEC is a collaboration between Dearborn Public Schools, Henry Ford Community College and the Henry Ford Health System.

The 2012 graduating class was honored at Henry Ford Community College’s Forfa Auditorium May 10.

HFEC Principal Majed Fadlallah said it “indeed takes a village to raise a child” during opening remarks.

“This is a school that focuses on professional development and staff leadership,” Fadlallah said. “(HFEC) is a comprehensive, academic, social and emotional support network… and that vision has manifested with our graduates.”

Fadlallah said the graduates have completed college credits with an average grade point average of 3.51 and many of the graduates have earned associate of science degrees. Some have received job opportunities, he said.

“Their success and achievement could not have been possible without support from the education staff,” Fadlallah said.

Decked out in royal blue caps and gowns, complemented by white tassels, the first class came down the steps into the auditorium full of roughly 80 family members and friends.

HFEC Graduate Aimee Slaughter spoke to her peers and the crowd describing her journey at HFEC during a student speaker segment.

“Looking out at you all this moment so many thoughts are running through my head,” Slaughter said. “I think back to first day of the (first) year no one knew each other… during the third year it all seemed to come together, we all became close and we were a support system for each other.”

Slaughter called her fourth year at HFEC a “year of dreams,” saying career paths were decided, and in the fifth year, memories were made.

“It doesn’t seem that long ago when I was in middle school telling people about this program,” Slaughter said. “Many didn’t believe it existed others doubted our success.”

Many of the graduates were accepted into four-year colleges and universities including Wayne State University, Easter Michigan University, Central Michigan University and DePaul University in Chicago.

(Sherri Kolade can be reached at skolade@bewickpublications.com.)

It is unclear what the next step is for the nearly 40-year-old hotel, but published reports state the 14-story, 772-room hotel will be placed under new management.

A Hyatt Public Relations spokesperson did not return calls by press time. The Hyatt is expected to leave the hotel in Dearborn in about three months, according to published reports.

According to a statement released by the hotel owners on WDIV Channel 4:

“Hyatt has decided to exercise its termination rights and allow the ownership to pursue alternative options to operate the property. We are working to establish a date that ensures a smooth transition.”

Mayor John O’Reilly Jr. said during a Dearborn Exchange Club luncheon May 8 that the new owners were one of 22 bidders for the hotel when it went into bankruptcy in 2009 under previous owners. Royal Realities, a Michigan-based company with offices in Montreal, won the bid and purchased the hotel for $10 million in 2011 even though the original sale price was $20 million, O’Reilly said.

“They did all kinds of tricks and finally when the broker was going to terminate the purchase agreement they sued the broker,” O’Reilly said. “It was not really a case that had much merit but it was enough so the court would enjoin them from terminating the agreement.”

O’Reilly said he is disappointed that the Hyatt is leaving.

“It is really tragic,” O’Reilly said. “I am very disappointed with the outcome.”

O’Reilly said because the city does not have any power over a private enterprise, he can only state his opinion. By the time of publication O’Reilly has made contact with one of the original bidders for the hotel to see if they can buy back the hotel from the new owners, he said.

“If that doesn’t happen (I am) not very optimistic,” he said.

(Sherri Kolade can be reached at skolade@bewickpublications.com.)

Voters rejected a 4 mill, two-year millage to fund the studio property, which would have saved the city the $2.2 million a year it pays to subsidize the building.

The measure failed with 3,355 votes against and 2,313 for it.

The measure’s acceptance is written into the first draft of the city’s proposed $19.2 million budget, which has yet to be finalized.

“We are going to have to reduce our proposed budget by about $3 million to accommodate that fact,” City Administrator John Zech said. “We are working on that now.”

Reportedly, a meeting is scheduled for Wednesday between Mayor Bill Matakas and the state treasury to discuss why the city does not need an emergency financial manager. Without the funding, the city likely will not find the funds to overcome its $4 million deficit.

Zech said he plans to discuss possible cuts with the city council at its Tuesday special meeting.

“With the millage failing, it puts a great deal of strain on trying to operate the city,” Zech said. “Without that millage passing, we have to cut more money out of the budget, more services, more staff.”

The city council voted for the second time May 8 to fill a council seat vacated by Margaret Van Houten, who stepped down from her position to become a Third Circuit Court judge in March.

Three councilors — Chairman Kenneth Barron and Councilors Margaret Horvath and Ned Apigian — voted for candidate Joseph Kosinski.

Councilwomen Lisa Hicks-Clayton and Janet Badalow voted for candidate Lisa Farrins.

Councilman Tom Berry voted for candidate Brian Pelts.

During the first council vacancy vote April 24, there were not enough councilors present to sway the vote.

Councilors also approved a street lighting proposal from DTE Energy for street lights to be installed in a poorly-lit area where several homes were recently broken into. The installation is scheduled for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1.

“For a while we were having no lights (in that area) and we were having homes getting broken into,” Mayor Daniel Paletko said. “The solution was to bring more lights.”

After further discussion the council approved the proposal with DTE and authorized Paletko to sign the agreement.

Councilors also approved permanent traffic control devices including a “no left turn” sign on 7205 S. Telegraph, and a “no left turn” sign at 25700 Ford Road.

Another segment of the meeting honored longtime former Dearborn Heights Parks and Recreation Director Richard Buckles. Current Dearborn Heights Parks and Recreation Department Director Ken Grybel awarded Buckles with a plaque honoring his three decades of service to the community.

The award was from the Parks and Recreation Commission.

Grybel said he is proud because Buckles is still involved in the Recreation Department.

“He was the first full-time recreation director of Dearborn Heights,” Grybel said. “And here he is all these years later.”

(Sherri Kolade can be reached at skolade@bewickpublications.com.)

John K. Maranian was arraigned Thursday before 25th District Court Judge David Zelenak, and faces up to four years in prison if convicted of felonious assault.

Police were called to the 1700 block of Morris shortly after 9 p.m. Tuesday, and were told by a crowd that had gathered at a street corner that Maranian stabbed a teenage neighbor with a sword estimated at three feet in length, and then ran into a house. Two women were believed to be in the house, and police set up a perimeter and spoke to witnesses.

A 17-year-old told police that earlier that day Maranian yelled at and tried to hit his sister with a sword; the teen confronted Maranian, and he and a friend were chased by the sword-swinging suspect. Police noted a 3-to 4-inch gash near the 17-year-old’s shoulder that was bleeding.

Two other witnesses told police they had witnessed Maranian chasing the teens, yelling “come back here” and swinging the sword.

After Maranian was back inside, a crowd gathered on the sidewalk, and Maranian opened the door at least once to yell at the gathered group. Not long after, two women who were inside the house walked outside and began yelling at the witnesses. Police spoke with them, at least one of whom did not cooperate with investigators and said she was asleep when everything happened.

One of the women told police that two children ages 5 and 8 were inside, as well as her boyfriend.

Maranian’s parents arrived at the house, and with the cooperation of Lincoln Park police called Maranian on the phone. After a brief conversation, Maranian exited and surrendered without incident. Police removed three swords from the house.

The children were placed in custody of their grandparents by Child Protective Services.

Maranian is scheduled for a preliminary exam May 22. Bond was set at $100,000 cash; if secured, Maranian is to have no contact with the complainant, is prohibited from consuming alcohol and may not possess a weapon of any kind.

(James Mitchell can be reached at jmitchell@bewickpublications.com.)

By SHERRI KOLADE
Times-Herald Newspapers
DEARBORN – Cassandra Edmondson was outraged after watching a news story in late April about a dog abandoned in Dearborn. But instead of flipping the channel, the Southfield resident got off the couch and did something about her rage.

Edmondson adopted the little poodle she saw on the news named Angel, a white dog with big eyes and cuddly personality — the kind that melts your heart, Edmondson said.

Angel was found inside a box in her own fecal matter, with matted hair in poor condition.

“I was very angry and sad to hear her story,” Edmondson said. “My heart tore out to animals like that.”

Angel is one of eight dogs abandoned in Dearborn since September 2011 along Schaefer Road between Michigan Avenue and Ford Road.

The dogs — all similar in breed and size and in poor condition — have been dropped either in pairs or individually around the same area in Dearborn every month except for January and March, Elaine Greene, executive director for the Dearborn Animal Shelter, said. In mid-April, Angel was picked up.

“The first dogs came in about eight months ago,” Greene said. “At that point we didn’t think anything of it but it seemed like every month or every couple months later we would get a dog that looked similar to the other dogs we were finding in the same area … then we kept our eye on it.”

All of the dogs have since been adopted.

Police reported the a many of the dogs were found with skin problems, matted hair, and some hair loss. A few had long nails. Greene added that none of the dogs had collars, tags or microchips.

Typically the animals were picked up by Animal Control after someone spotted them and called the police. The animals were then taken to the Dearborn Animal Shelter where they were vaccinated and some were treated for skin conditions, Greene said.

“They were brought up to health and we found homes for them,” she said.

Green said the police speculate the dog-dumper could be a person who had a litter of puppies and couldn’t take care of the animals anymore.

“It is just unusual that dogs so similar in appearance are found in the same area in such a short period of time,” she said. “If there is someone that is breeding dogs … we are not aware of it and we have not gotten any reports of the situation.”

Police have no suspects as of press time. Greene encourages people who might have animal troubles to look into better alternatives.

Greene suggested if animals have behavioral issues, the pet owners should contact an animal shelter or location that offers training for the animals.

“The Dearborn Animal Shelter is always here to help people with their animals,” Greene said. “So if they are having animal issues don’t hesitate to call us and we have people that can help with behavioral issues and other types of support issues.”

If individuals want to give their animals away and the shelter may be closed, they can call the police department, Greene said.

Greene is also calling for citizens to keep their eyes peeled for any suspicious behavior regarding the dog dumping because the act puts animals and people in danger.

“For whatever reason people can’t care for their animals they should contact their local animal shelter and have (the shelter) help them place the animals humanely, not put them out on the street,” Greene said.

“What we are hoping for is getting the story out there and someone may know something and let us either help the person or put a stop to what is going on.”

When Edmondson saw the news story on Angel in late April, the only thing she could think about was adopting Angel. It was a nagging from deep within that she couldn’t ignore, she said.

“Something said ‘track her down,’” Edmondson said. “I said ‘Aww I want her’ and I tracked down the animal shelter.”

The animal shelter was closed that day so Edmondson went the next day and filled out and application to adopt Angel, and she was not deterred even though one person already had an application on file.

Edmondson adopted Angel on May 3. Edmondson said Angel was shy at first around the house, but now her family is tripping over Angel because she wants to be in the middle of everything.

To report suspicious activity of animal abandonment in the area call the Dearborn Animal Shelter at 313-943-2697 or email the Shelter at friends@dearbornanimals.org with information.

By JAMES MITCHELL
Sunday Times Newspapers
TRENTON — The story of Downriver, its evolution from agricultural origins through the industrial boom, is kept alive by a variety of community-based groups with a shared passion and common interests.

With slight variations, many of these local historians face the same challenges, and recently formed the Downriver Historical Organizations, an informal panel of representatives from Allen Park, Flat Rock, Grosse Ile, Lincoln Park, Southgate and Trenton, with others expected to soon join the monthly chats.

Longtime Southgate volunteer Dave Warren said the goal of the group is not to duplicate individual collections or efforts at the community level, but to share information, resources and suggestions as the different groups face similar-yet-specific challenges.

“We are meeting to form an alliance with other organizations,” Warren said. “It seems all the museums are in the same boat: Funding is down, memberships are down and visitor numbers are down.”

Caretakers of local history bring passion for their respective communities with the common knowledge that preserving local history depends on support from in dividual donors and contributors. Historical preservation was not high on budget priority lists in recent years as local governments throughout Downriver faced mounting budget deficits. Some have been supported by municipal government, others rely solely on donations. Most communities have two entities with an interest in local history, a government-appointed “commission” and an independent, nonprofit “society.”

In Southgate, Mayor Joseph Kuspa recently proposed that the two organizations merge into a Historical Foundation, sharing resources and know-how to showcase and maintain the collection and museum. In Trenton, often-shared membership in the commission and society work to preserve the Moore House and the artifacts within.

Local involvement spans a range from community to community. Tammy Travis-Taylor, chair of the Downriver Historical Oranizations and president of the Grosse Ile Historical Society, said Grosse Ile’s historical efforts include a pool of 100 volunteers for the city’s four museums, among which the North Channel Front Range lighthouse which recently received a federal grant for restoration work.

In Lincoln Park, Jeff Day said the government-appointed commission was established in the 1970s primarily to run the city’s museum building, itself a piece of local heritage from its days as a U.S. post office. Lincoln Park, he said, was among the rare communities where the annual budget includes allowances for a museum curator, albeit a part-time position.

Ironically, many said they are finding new success and friends online, and through high school students. Several high schools, including Trenton and Southgate, include a room dedicated to local school history, and libraries continue to witness a growing interest in genealogy. Historical society members often get requests for old newspapers and other community records.

Others struggle to maintain a museum building or to attract membership or interest.

“Some people don’t even know the town has a museum,” Warren said of Southgate, a comment that met understanding nods of agreement from others in the Organization.

Under any name, the mission to collect, record and preserve community history continues throughout Downriver. For more information on local activities and attractions, visit the respective community and historical group web sites.

(James Mitchell can be reached at jmitchell@bewickpublications.com.)

Taylor Police Cmdr. Mary Sclabassi said that an interracial couple on Bailey Street were targeted last week with threatening messages scrawled on a door and window, a pink noose left on the front door, and several threatening telephone calls the night before from a private number.

The couple, a 25-year-old black man and his fiancee, a 22-year-old white woman, told police that the telephone calls threatened that he would be killed.

The woman told police that she recently had a disagreement with a co-worker at a Detroit club, and that the woman made racist comments to her.

Police collected evidence and are investigating, and ask that anyone with information call 734-287-6611.

(James Mitchell can be reached at jmitchell@bewickpublications.com.)

Kelly Ragay, 20, of Dearborn Heights, allegedly attempted to rob a 7-Eleven at 4:40 a.m. May 8, on Greenfield Road near Hemlock.

When the police arrived, they saw Ragay inside the store attempting to open the cash drawer inside the cash register, according to the report. Officers waited for the woman to leave the store and arrested Ragay in the parking lot, according to the report.

Police Lt. Douglas Topolski said there is no reason to believe another suspect is involved.

“We are not looking for another person,” Topolski said. “She is the only one we have probable cause to believe (is) involved.”

Police Chief Ronald Haddad said it was fortunate that the officers acted quickly.

“(They) were able to take this suspect into custody without injuries to anyone,” Haddad said. “We rely on tips from the community to improve our quality of life.”

Police Sgt. Thomas Lance said Ragay was being held at the Dearborn Police Station and headed to the Wayne County Jail on a $30,000 bond at the time of publication. Lance said if Ragay’s bond is posted she is required to wear a tether.

The police did not give details about the weapon used during the alleged holdup.

At the time of publication there was no information on when the woman’s arraignment will be.