Photo by Andrea Poteet

By ANDREA POTEET
Sunday Times Newspapers
With the death of Michigan film incentives and once-promising ventures like Unity Studios pulling out of the area, Downriver’s dream of becoming a movie-making mecca seems to have dwindled.

But a group of local filmmakers are out to prove local film talent is not just present, it practically grows on trees.

Film production company Poison Apple Entertainment hosted their second annual film festival Jan. 28 showcasing independent films from Downriver, Detroit and all over the state.

The company, begun in 2010 by graduates of the now-defunct Lifton Institute for Media Skills, have released five short films since then. Poison Apple comprises film producers, directors, editors and writers from all over Southeastern Michigan including sound editors Adam Lang and Robert Langley, both of Allen Park, cinematographer Eric Dodson, of Lincoln Park, makeup artists Donna Terwilliger and Jeff Hornsby, of Dearborn, and assistant director Josh Brown, of Riverview.

Their latest, “Nutshell,” premiered at the festival, which they started as a way for local filmmakers to get a foot in the door, Daniel Smith, of Belleville, who co-owns the company with David Espie, of Westland, said.

“Not a lot of people have those chances,” Smith said. “This is my chance to help the little guy out.”

Clocking in at more than six hours, the festival, held at Spotlight Theatre in Taylor, also showcased films by other Downriver filmmakers, many of whom worked with Posion Apple crew members. Wyandotte-based Captive8 Productions, owned by Posion Apple’s Brion Dodson, showed “Malus Domestica,” a silent film about infidelity created for the 48 Hour Film Project, and a music video for “Little Electro Boy” by Wyandotte musician Steve Sholtes who performs under the name “Hottest Year on Record.” Gibraltar filmmaker Jacob Sullivan’s “They Call Me Sunshine” told the story of a young boy plagued by a mysterious man in his bedroom, while Detroit filmmaker Al Bradley’s “Saint Aubin,” explored the fictional tale of a mysterious woman named after a Detroit street that was home to two real-life murders. Wyandotte filmmaker Scott Galeski also showed two films, “Protangeline,” and “The Tank II.”

The festival has grown from about four films last year to 15 for its second outing. A variety of genres, from horror to sci-fi to comedy, were showcased in the festival.

Brion Dodson said he was most surprised to hear positive support for “Little Electro Boy,” a video he made as a “silly viral video.”

“It just showed me that you can never really know how people will respond to things you create,” he said, “even when you might not think them up to par.”

He said it was fun to see his “year on the screen,” as he played some part in eight of the 15 films shown at the festival.

“It’s fun to look back and realize how busy you have been,” he said. “It makes you feel kind of content…for a few minutes-then its on to the next project.”

Attendee Chichi Manor, of Fraser, said her favorite film was “Malus Domestica,” which used innovative sounds – such as a soda can opening when a character bit an apple– to get around the restrictions of silent film.

“I like how in such a short period of time they got in all the messages,” she said.

David Stringer, of Livonia, who did sound production on “St. Aubin,” said he came to the event to take in other local filmmakers’ projects.

“I love to see stuff going on in the local community,” he said. “They’ve got a lot to offer.”

And that’s the message Poison Apple hoped to put out with the event, Smith said.

“Regardless if the film incentives are here, if Lifton shut their doors, I’m not gonna stop,” he said. “You can still make film here, it’s just a lot harder. I haven’t given up on it, and I don’t think I ever will.”

MDOT crews are set to begin an $11 million overhaul of Interstate 94 bridges over Southfield Freeway in Allen Park this year and continue other ongoing projects in 2012 and 2013, according to their website.

Start dates for the projects have not yet been announced.

A $40 million overhaul of Fort Street between Pennsylvania and Goddard roads that began this fall is set to continue until winter 2013, and will include replacement of bridges north of Goddard as well as upgrades to drain age systems, street lighting and traffic signal upgrades.

During the project, two lanes will be opened in each direction except from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 7 p.m. to 9 a.m. Friday through Saturday, when traffic may be reduced to one lane in each direction. Eureka Road was set to close at Fort Street beginning Jan. 6 until April 2 for the construction project.

The interchange of Interstate 75 at Dix-Toledo in Brownstown Township is to be rebuilt and reconfigured for a cost of $16 million.

All businesses are to remain open during the construction season, for which MDOT plans to spend about $193 million in metropolitan Detroit, according to published reports. In 2011, it spent nearly $273 million, due largely to its reconstruction of Southfield Freeway.

Joseph Earl Jackson, 32, was arrested in Allen Park Dec. 25 after allegedly robbing Dairy Mart, 16825 Ecorse Road with a toy gun.

He also is charged in connection with robberies at two 7-Eleven stores in Lincoln Park, one at 1010 Southfield Road Nov. 28 and one at 1365 Dix-Toledo Road Nov. 29., as well as Sun Tan City, 1165 Dix-Toledo Rd. in Lincoln Park Dec. 23.

Jackson told police he didn’t aim the toy gun at anyone, but presented it and asked for the money, which he said he needed for bills.

He was arraigned Dec. 27 in Allen Park and Dec. 28 in Lincoln Park and will appear in 24th District Court at 9 a.m. Jan. 9 and 25th District Court at 9 a.m. Tuesday.

Photo by James Mitchell

By ANDREA POTEET and JAMES MITCHELL
Sunday Times Newspapers
July
A request for a four-day extension for Allen Park’s budget was denied by the state. State law required the budget be complete by July 1, but the deadline did not leave the city with 10 days to post the budget prior to its adoption, as required by its charter.

Wyandotte’s mayor-launched Citizens Advisory Committee proposed a levy of 3 mills to counter an estimated $1.85 million budget shortfall for the 2011-12 fiscal year.

In Allen Park, seven police employees were among 22 planned layoffs in the city’s $21 million budget, while Wyandotte contemplated laying off three police employees and two firefighters.

A Lincoln Park woman and her boyfriend were charged with involuntary manslaughter for the July 2010 death of the woman’s 5-year-old son. Debralynn C. Holland and Earl Dwayne Adkins were arraigned in Lincoln Park’s 25th District Court on charges related to the mauling death of Kyle Holland, who was killed by Adkins’ dog, believed to be a wolf-dog hybrid. Two days of preliminary examinations were scheduled for September to hear testimony.

Seven candidates applied for the position of Treasurer in the city of Taylor following the June resignation of Wayne Avery. Among the candidates seeking the appointment was Councilwoman Jacklyn Molner, raising questions regarding retirement and pension benefits for elected officials.

The Taylor Fire Department welcomed back to duty six firefighters who were among 48 city workers laid off in June. The City Council approved a budget amendment restoring the positions.

Joseph Alan Bigelow was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the February murder of 17-year-old Brittany Burrell in a Lincoln Park parking lot. Bigelow faced additional charges for a second homicide committed one week before Burrell’s murder.

An October jury trial was scheduled for Tyress Thearndos Mathews, accused of murdering Taylor Police Cpl. Matthew Edwards in July 2010. Edwards was the first Taylor officer to have been killed in the line of duty.

An agreement between the city and the Taylor Police Officers Labor Association was approved by the City Council which confirmed the recall of nine laid-off officers, and allowed police staff with 15 or more years to retire and collect pensions. The agreement was said to allow the city to retain as many of the department’s nearly 70 officers as possible.

Former Southgate police officer Emmanuel Paravas was bound over to Wayne County Circuit Court after a lengthy preliminary examination. Paravas was charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct for allegedly raping a woman he met while responding to a domestic disturbance call. The woman, a 41-year-old entertainer, testified that she’d spent much of the day drinking and arguing with her husband.

A September trial date was set for the April murder of Adrian Dsehaun Bell in a Lincoln Park parking lot. Shannon Maurice Henderson stood accused of first-degree murder and other felonies.

August
Voters struck down a proposed Headlee override in Allen Park’s primary election, the $1.8 million proceeds of which were included in the city’s budget.

Wyandotte City Council revoted on a millage – 1.75 mills instead of the original 3 mills – after the Attorney General denied the original vote, as it did not meet their definition of a three-fifths majority vote.

In Allen Park, shakeups continued with the retirement of Police Chief Dean Tamsen and the resignation of his brother, City Administrator David Tamsen.

Wyandotte filmmaker Scott Galeski started production on his first feature-length film, “Pookerland” starring Detroit rock icon Mitch Ryder.

Wyandotte Municipal Services announced plans to join 12 other communities in buying natural gas from a nonprofit energy distribution project in Fremont, Ohio.

An audit of Allen Park’s finances by Plante & Moran found the city was on track to lose $350,000 a month unless action was taken immediately.

About 150 Lincoln Park homes sustained damage caused by sewage flooding into basements, and homeowners filed claims with the city seeking reimbursement. Late July featured intense rains over several days and the city’s water pumping station at Emmons Street was found to have a faulty sensor trigger.

More than 5,300 petition signatures seeking to recall Taylor Mayor Jeffrey Lamarand were submitted to the Wayne County Clerk’s director of election. Confirmed signatures of at least 4,800 qualified residents required approval for the question to be on the Nov. 8 general election ballot. Petition organizers cited the April layoffs of Taylor police officers as the principal reason for the recall, although eight of the nine officers returned to duty.

A second round of summer rains left some Lincoln Park residents wrestling with basements flooded with sewage. Problems from a backed-up system were not as widespread as the previous round of flooding, and 20 additional claims were filed with the city.

The Trenton Public Schools Board of Education voted to restore general education bus service for the 2011-12 school year. Superintendent Larry Leapley said that news of delinquent taxes owed the district from the Wayne County Tax Assessor allowed the reinstatement of school bus service for the year.

The shooting of a stray dog in Taylor by a 70-year-old man in a wheelchair was determined to be an act of self defense by police. Police were called to Leroy Street after neighbors reported the shooting of what was believed to be a pit bull terrier. Witnesses told varying stories, some of which included the dog lunging at the wheelchair-bound man’s leg and the man shoot the animal to protect children who were playing in the street. Others said the shooting was unnecessary and put others at risk.

The Lincoln Park City Council began issuing checks to cover damage from flooded basements, although Mayor Frank Vaslo maintained that the city was not at fault during a second round of flooding. More than 150 homeowners filed claims and compensation checks averaging $4,000 were issued.

For the second time of the summer, six Taylor firefighters were laid off as the city struggled with a deficit budget. The reduction left the department with 36 firefighter/paramedics, a roster that fire officials said was incapable of meeting contractual staffing requirements.

The Taylor City Council voted to appoint Councilwoman Jacklyn Molner as the new treasurer, a decision vetoed less than a week later by Mayor Jeffrey Lamarand. The position of treasurer is an elected office, and the city charter prohibits an official from holding two elected positions. Molner’s acceptance, Lamarand said, was premature as she had not resigned from City Council.

September
Allen Park city councilors announced two millages for the November general election. A 3.5 mill proposal was to benefit the Police and Fire departments while a second, set to fluctuate but to bring in about $1.5 million per year to offset the city’s subsidy to its former studio property. The same month, it extended its contract with financial management firm Plante & Moran from three to five days a week to complete outstanding portions of its 2011-12 budget, adopted July 1.

Taylor Mayor Jeffrey Lamarand officially challenged a recall petition as approved by Wayne County Elections officials. Lamarand said he believed that 700 of the 4,352 submitted names were ineligible.

Preliminary examinations began in Lincoln Park’s 25th District Court for charges in the July 2010 dog-mauling death of a 5-year-old boy. Forensic and police experts testified that the boy suffered more than 80 puncture wounds and more than 250 abrasions during the attack from an animal believed to be a wolf-dog hybrid. The boy’s mother, Debralynn Holland, and her boyfriend, Earl Dwayne Adkins, faced charges including manslaughter.

Joseph Alan Bigelow was found guilty of a second Lincoln Park murder, the Feb. 4 shooting of Dwight Osborn. A week later, Bigelow killed 17-year-old Brittany Burrell, for which he was sentenced in July to life in prison.

October
Allen Park City Administrator John Zech and Plante & Moran representative Carl Johnson laid out the “Plan B” for the cash-strapped city, if two proposed milages did not pass.

The plan included cutting 10 firefighters, 18 police department positions, ambulance services, the city’s community center and its recreation department to counter the $4.7 million budget deficit for the 2011 to 2012 fiscal year.

The amended budget, which was to be revised if either of the millages passed, was adopted later that month.

A 2.75-acre portion of the city’s failed studio property was sold to Birmingham-based Elia Group LLC for development of a retail complex.

Wyandotte Board of Education trustees voted to extend kindergarten from full to half days. The move came after the state legislature voted to stop giving full-day status to half-day programs, which could mean a loss of more than $3,000 per pupil in funding for schools that did not comply.

The struggling Taylor Fire Department announced that two of the city’s three fire stations would close due to budget restrictions. The department closed its north and south stations and moved all operations to the central station on Goddard Road.

Lincoln Park officials debated whether or not to replace City Manager Steve Duchane, who resigned to take a job in another city. Some, including Mayor Frank Vaslo, said that the city needed a full-time administrator, while others said that the position should be reconsidered.

After a hung jury failed to reach a verdict, a mistrial was declared in the Lincoln Park shooting death of Adrian Deshaun Bell. Wayne County Third Judicial Circuit Court Judge James Callahan ordered a new hearing and trial for Shannon Maurice Henderson, charged in Bell’s April 24 death.

One of three defendants accused of abducting a 90-year-old man from a Taylor nursing home pleaded guilty to unlawful imprisonment. Darrell Howard acknowledged his role in removing Floyd Pickrell from the Regency Health Care, 12575 Telegraph, and keeping him in Ypsilanti before police located the man.

Opening arguments in the trial of a man charged with murdering a Taylor police officer began with assistant prosecutor Robert Stevens stating, “It ain’t a whodunnit.” Defense attorney Todd Perkins countered, “The testimony doesn’t make sense” regarding the July 2010 shooting death of Cpl. Matthew Edwards. The first week of the trial included forensic investigators and residents of the Coppertree Apartment complex who witnessed the shooting.

The long-running tensions on Detroit Street in Trenton continued as Jennifer Petkov faced court hearings to determine if a personal protection order was violated. Patkov denied authorship of Facebook postings which taunted a dying 8-year-old neighbor, Kathleen Edward. Petkov caught international attention two years earlier when it was revealed she posted altered images of Kathleen and her mother, Laura Edward, who died at age 24.

A hung jury resulted in a scheduled January 2012 retrial for two men accused of abducting 90-year-old Floyd Pickrell from a Taylor nursing home. Alfred Khattar and his son, Ted Tomes, faced charges of unlawful imprisonment and vulnerable adult abuse for allegedly kindapping Pickrell in July.

November
In Allen Park, voters were split on two millages. A 3.5 mill proposal for the Police and Fire departments passed but one for the studio property failed.

In the election, William Matakas was elected mayor and Bob Keenan, Angelo DeGiulio, Dennis Hayes and Harry Sisko won council seats along with incumbents Larry Templin and Tina Gaworecki.

The recall attempt of Taylor Mayor Jeffrey Lamarand was soundly defeated, with 59 percent of the voters saying “no” to the attempted removal of him from office. It was the second attempt to recall Lamarand after a 2010 campaign failed to gather enough signatures for ballot placement.

Lincoln Park swore in the first woman to hold the city’s top elected seat after Patricia Diaz Krause defeated incumbent Mayor Frank Vaslo in the general election. City Clerk Donna Breeding and Treasurer Patricia Lulko continued their service, and newcomer Tracy Bush joined incumbent City Council members Thomas Murphy, Mariano DiSanto, Mark Kandes, Suzanne Moreno and Joseph Kaiser from a crowded field of a dozen candidates.

Former City Clerk Kyle Stack unseated Trenton Mayor Gerald Brown in general election balloting, topping the former police chief 2,801-1,701. Challenger Robert Howey was elected to one of three City Council seats, along with incumbents Dan Gillespie and Bill LeFevre.

Former Southgate police officer Mitchell Heaney was arraigned in Wayne County Circuit Court on felony and misdemeanor charges for allegedly hitting a motorcycle rider while driving and leaving the scene of the accident in Brownstown Township in August.

Proposed ballot language was submitted to the Wayne County Elections office on Nov. 8 — election day — seeking to recall Taylor City Council Chair Cheryl Burke. The proposed recall was organized by former city worker Charley Johnson under the name Take Back Taylor, the same group which attempted to recall Mayor Jeffrey Lamarand.

Tyress Mathews was sentenced to life in prison without parole after a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder in the July 2010 shooting death of Taylor Police Cpl. Matthew Edwards.

“He can stay behind bars with people he belongs with,” assistant prosecutor Robert Stevens said, “with cop killers and child rapists.” A nearly three-week trial was held in a courtroom populated by Taylor police officers and friends, during which dozens of witnesses testified.

December
A $334,000 donation from the Allen Park’s Downtown Development Authority prevented the closing of the city’s community center through the end of the fiscal year.

Councilors also rescinded layoffs to 18 police and 10 fire department employees, citing funds from a police and fire millage that voters passed the month prior.

The Archdiocese of Detroit announced plans to close or consolidate several Downriver churches. Affected churches included St. Elizabeth Catholic Church which would merge with St. Joseph Catholic Church, both in Wyandotte. St. Stanislaus Kostka also would merge with Our Lady of Mount Carmel, both of Wyandotte. Other merged churches would include St. Mary Magdeline in Melvindale and SS. Andrew and Benedict in Detroit; St. Aldred and St. Constance in Taylor; Our Lady of the Angels in Taylor and St. Frances Cabrini in Allen Park; and St. Joseph and St. Timony, both in Trenton.

The proposed closure of Wyandotte’s post office sparked a call to action from the city’s mayor.

Mayor Joseph Peterson called for a letter writing campaign to oppose the closure, which he called “devastating.”

Three students of West Middle School in Taylor were suspended while police and school officials investigated a cell phone video featuring explicit sexual activity involving the students. Taylor School District Superintendent Bethany Iverson said the video featured “inappropriate” footage filmed at a house party involving two 13-year-old girls and a 13-year-old boy.

A fifth day of pre-trial examinations was held in the July 2010 dog-mauling death of 5-year-old Kyle Holland. Court officials anticipated one final session in January 2012 in Lincoln Park’s 25th District Court before determining if the boy’s mother, Debralynn Holland, and her boyfriend, Earl Dwayne Adkins, will be bound over to circuit court on manslaughter and other felony charges.

The man charged with the murder of a man in a Lincoln Park parking lot in April will have another day in court. Shannon Maurice Henderson will appear in Wayne County Circuit Court beginning March 13, charged with the murder of Adrian Deshaun Bell. In October a hung jury failed to reach a verdict after three days of testimony. Following the October mistrial, a new jury was seated in November.

Photo by Andrea Poteet

By ANDREA POTEET and JAMES MITCHELL
Sunday Times Newspapers
January
Allen Park fell $1.3 million behind in collecting revenue to make payments on bonds for the Allen Park Studio Center.

The $25 million studio project, built in 2008, drew controversy after two of its biggest tenants, Unity Studios and the Lifton Institute for Media Skills, left in the fall of 2010.

Melvindale High School student Trevon Hampton, 17, was sentenced to 90 days in jail and two years of probation after pleading guilty to third degree criminal sexual conduct in the rape of a 14-year-old Melvindale girl after a post-Homecoming party in October of 2010.

The Allen Park Studio property on Southfield road was found in an audit to be overvalued by more than $4 million.

Former Riverivew Community High School varsity football booster club treasurer Shelie Anne Gendron was charged with embezzling $10,000 to $20,000 from the club between April and November 2010.

A Taylor police officer was cleared for return to duty pending a report from the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office on a fatal Dec. 23, 2010 shooting of an Eastpointe man. The Taylor officer shot and killed the 56-year-old man while investigating thefts, and the shooting at the scene was declared to be self-defense.

Officials in Lincoln Park and Wyandotte reached an agreement to share costs for the design, construction and repairs to the Harrison Street bridge over the south branch of the Ecorse Creek. The bridge was closed in January 2010 due to structural deterioration. Originally scheduled for 2013, the project was rescheduled for 2012 completion.

February
A City-sponsored town hall meeting was held in Allen Park to address residents’ concerns about the troubled Studio Center property.

Many who attended the meeting took issue with the delay in answering many pre-submitted resident questions. Financial Director Timothy McCurley was out of town and did not attend the meeting.

Wyandotte approved a 15-year land lease for a gasification plant with Environmental Generation Technology Advisor LLC.

Residents raised concerns at a public hearing Feb. 13 that the plant, which was to use refuse-derived fuel, could cause harm to the environment.

Two 16-year-old Detroit boys pleaded guilty to one count each of gross indecency for their part in the rape of a 14-year-old Melvindale High School freshman at a post-Homecoming party in October of 2010.

In Wyandotte, Carla Harting was named the new superintendent of Wayndotte Public Schools after the retirement of Patricia Cole. The same week, two Catholic schools – Our Lady of Mount Carmel Elementary School and Wyandotte Catholic Consolidated Schools announced plans to consolidate with Lincoln Park’s Good Shepherd School due to declining enrollment.

Allen Park issued layoff notices to its entire fire department as a way to address its nearly $7 million budget deficit. The same week, it announced a five-year deficit elimination plan, consisting of a $3 million annual contribution from its Downtown Development Authority, to counter the $1.2 million it owes to the studio property each year.

A 20-year-old Lincoln Park man faced two counts of felony murder in the Feb. 10 killing of 17-year-old Brittany Burrell and Dwight Osborn, 55, who was shot three days earlier. Joseph Alan Bigelow was charged with both murders and held in custody pending a trial.

During a Feb. 7 State of the City address, Trenton Mayor Gerald Brown said the city was “ahead of the curve” when facing the growing number of fiscal challenges to Downriver communities. Brown said that union concessions during recent contract negotiations allowed the city to address an expected $1 million budget shortfall without staff reductions.

First-term Southgate Mayor Joseph Kuspa announced his intention to seek another two years in office, in spite of having faced some of the most serious financial issues in city history.

The man who struck and killed Taylor Auxiliary Police Lt. Daniel Kromer in September 2010 was sentenced by Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Linda Parker to up to 67 and a half years in prison. Nino Delpiano, 40, was found guilty of second-degree murder for the hit-and-run accident that took Kromer’s life while he was assisting a lost couple on the side of I-94.

Allen Park received a letter from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission with questions regarding the failed deal between the city and Unity Studios owner Jimmy Lifton. Questions in the letter included whether the city gave money to Lifton to influence the deal, whether it overpaid for the property, and whether it misled investors in a bond measure to pay for it. The same week. City Administrator Eric Waidelich announced plans to step down, amid controversy stemming from the failed studio property. Waidelich cited his desire to not “inhibit the undivided attention” the city’s challenges required.

At a special meeting March 15, Allen Park Councilman Kyle Tertzag and Finance Director Timothy McCurley announced their resignations. Tertzag cited a hectic schedule and the desire to spend more time with his 14-year-old son and McCurley did not respond to requests for comment.

It was a big season for Wyandotte’s Theodore Roosevelt High School Bears, who won the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 2 state hockey championship, the first such title in any sport in the school’s history.

As the month neared its end, Allen Park rescinded layoff notices given to its entire Fire Department and former City Attorney David Tamsen was sworn in as City Administrator.

In spite of uncertain economic times and outlook, Lincoln Park Mayor Frank Vaslo delivered an optimistic report to 120 business people and officials. Citing past planning decisions for creating problems for Lincoln Park and its neighboring communities, Vaslo said that an unfavorable audit in 2003 boosted city efforts to right its financial ship. After bringing in city and financial management, Vaslo reported a fund balance of $4.1 million at the end of Fiscal Year 2009-10.

Downriver communities confirmed a declining population with the release of the 2010 U.S. Census report. “It was expected,” Trenton Mayor Gerald Brown said of the city’s decline from 19,584 in 2000 to 18,853. “It’s just the way things are happening in Michigan right now.” Southgate remained nearly stable with a decline of 0.3 percent (from 30,136 to 30,047); Taylor lost 4.2 percent (65,868 to 63,131); and Lincoln Park posted a similar decline of 4.7 percent (40,008 to 38,144).

April
Wyandotte announced a possible $1.8 million budget deficit, found in a Plante & Moran audit, which Mayor Joseph Peterson attributed to declining property values and revenue sharing cuts.

After years of unofficially handling the duties, Wyandotte City officials made Finance and Administration Director Todd Drysdale the city’s highest ranking appointee when they created the City Administrator position for him.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit has ruled that a group of four Southgate police officers are ineligible for immunity for their 2003 arrest of a man, his wife and a woman who was a guest at the couple’s house.

The denial opens the door for a possible trial for the officers. On Sept. 2 of that year Kendra Huckaby, who had been staying with the Rev. Joseph Barton and his wife, Faith Piece, was packing up her Ford Taurus in front of the couple’s house. A neighbor called police to report what she believed was a home invasion.

Officers responded, and conflicting stories were told regarding the subsequent arrest. Lawsuits were filed in 2005 and 2006 against the Southgate Police Department and officers; a ruling granted in favor of the defendant officers was appealed.

May
Allen Park resident Steven Lyn Nicholson, 27, was found guilty of one count first degree murder and one count second degree murder in the drowning deaths of his two children, 15-month-old Ella Stafford and 13-month-old Jonathan Sanderlin. Later that month, Nicholson was sentenced to life for the deaths.

An Allen Park resident sent a letter to the Michigan Department of Treasury calling for a financial review – the first step in appointing an emergency financial manager.

Allen Park mayor Gary Burtka resigned citing battles with an unspecified cancer, while an ethics complaint was launched by a resident against Councilwoman Beverly Kelley, after vulgar comments she made about a resident at a council meeting were broadcast on the city’s cable access channel.

Wyandotte and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reached a settlement stemming from the city’s power plant’s violations of the Clean Air Act.

The decree called for a fine of $112,000 and the installation of a fabric filter for one of the plant’s boilers for about $10 million.

Allen Park Councilman Felice Lalli, who served as Mayor Pro Tem, was sworn in as mayor in the wake of Gary Burtka’s resignation. A resident-requested financial review of the city, the first step in the appointment of an emergency financial manager, was denied by the state.

June
Taylor city officials announced an expected layoff of 48 city employees, including 19 firefighters and paramedics, due to a budget that shrank from $54 million in 2010 to $42 million for the 2011-12 fiscal year.

Fire officials said that emergency medical services were hit hardest; the current 59-member dire department will be reduced to 40 if the layoffs hold.

Allegations of sexual misconduct by a Southgate Police officer were heard during a June 1 arraignment in 27th District Court.

Emmauel Paravas, 42, was charged with sexually assaulting a woman he was charged with protecting from alleged domestic abuse.

A competency hearing declared a man fit to stand trial for the shooting and killing of Taylor Police Cpl. Matthew Edwards. Tyress Thearndos Mathews, 36, stood accused of killing Edwards on July 23, 2010 when police responded to a domestic call from the Coppertree Apartments in the 1200 block of Pine.

A multi-agency investigation resulted in the June 7 arrest of John Robert Kennedy on weapons and explosives charges related to a pair of devices left in Trenton and a bomb threat made to Trenton High School. Kennedy was arraigned in U.S. District Court after an arrest made in Flat Rock by agents from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Marshals, Michigan State and Trenton Police.

Budget battles and the threat of state takeover resulted in Southgate Community Schools recommending the elimination of general education bus service, closing the Anderson High School swimming pool and outsourcing custodial services. School board members voted to make more than $5 million worth of reductions for the 2011-12 school year.

Bus service was suspended for 2011-12 by Trenton Public School’s Board of Education, a decision met with opposition due to the district’s decision to approve the demolition of William C. Taylor Elementary School at a cost of $250,000. Board members cited safety concerns for the demolition, and made additional cuts
to provide a balanced budget by July 1.

First-degree murder charges continued for 34-year-old Shannon Maurice Henderson, accused in the April shooting of another man in a Fort Street parking lot in Lincoln Park. Henderson was arraigned on multiple charges after a lengthy district court hearing.

Bob Tompos was sworn in as Taylor Fire Chief, replacing Steven Portis who was fired by Mayor Jeffrey Lamarand on June 17. Portis disagreed with Lamarand and City Council decisions that included extensive layoffs, and 19 firefighters were among 48 laid-off city employees whose last day was June 30.

The Taylor City Council accepted the resignation of Treasurer Wayne Avery, 71, who spent more than 16 years on the job. Council invited interested residents to submit applications for the position, which the city charter mandates be replaced by appointment or special election.

Lincoln Park
The Lincoln Park Goodfellows will be shopping at Meijer Tuesday as part of the club’s “No Child Without a Christmas” program, and officers from the Lincoln Park Police Department will work the counter from 3 to 8 p.m. at McDonald’s, 1469 Fort Street, to help raise funds for the cause. A wrapping party is scheduled for 4 to 9 p.m. at the Lincoln Park Skating Center, 1419 Southfield Road.

Donations are accepted at collection boxes located at Lincoln Park City Hall, 1355 Southfield, Fire Station 1, 1355 Cleophus, Police Station, 1427 Cleophus or Library, 1381 Southfield. Donations may be mailed to: Lincoln Park Goodfellows, P.O. Box 43, Lincoln Park, MI, 48146. To offer or apply for assistance call 313-381-3216.

Riverview
The Riverview Goodfellows netted about $8,000 during their Dec. 2 and 3 sales of the satirical newspaper “The Riverview Razzberry,” short of the $10,000 they brought in last year, Secretary Lou Ann Durand said.

The deadline for families in need to request aid was Dec. 2.

Donations can be mailed to Riverview Goodfellows, P.O. Box 2245, Riverview, MI, 48193.

Southgate
Around 70 children from more than 30 families will have a much merrier Christmas thanks to the Southgate Goodfellows. Club Vice President Marc Hatfield — a lieutenant with the Southgate Goodfellows — said that more than 60 families qualified for assistance, and volunteers spent Friday packing up gift and food baskets.

This week is a busy one for the group and for officers from Southgate’s police and fire departments: Monday is “Shop With a Hero” day at Meijer, 16300 Fort St., where the retailer has donated $100 gift certificates for each child to buy holiday gifts for their siblings; Tuesday is “Voucher Day” at Meijer, during which families receiving assistance will visit the store to redeem coupons for winter coats and boots; Wednesday is another “Shop With a Hero” event at Wal-Mart, 14900 Dix-Toledo Highway, for older, single children to enjoy a Christmas shopping spree courtesy of the retailer.

Hatfield said the group, which this year registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, had a successful newspaper drive to support its holiday program.

“Fortunately, the Fire Department won again,” Hatfield laughed at the friendly competition with the Police Department. “Overall it was a huge success.”

Donations may be made payable to Southgate Goodfellows and can be sent or delivered to the Southgate Fire Department, 14730 Reaume Parkway Civic Circle, Southgate, MI, 48195.

Taylor
After the annual fund-raising newspaper sale last month, the Taylor Goodfellows hope to provide food baskets to 200 needy families beginning Dec. 15. Volunteer coordinator Patty Ebaugh said that sales of the annual fundraising newspaper were down a bit from previous years as the organization has struggled recently. The program was suspended in 2004, and reborn last year when the Goodfellows provided assistance to 60 families.

“We just like the idea of giving out food,” said Ebaugh, preferring the hands-on approach rather than offering gift certificates.

The baskets will be available to qualifying families on Dec. 15 to 17 at Papp Park, 9350 Westlake. Ebaugh said that Taylor residents in need have through this week to call for assistance at 313-295-6240.

Trenton
City Clerk Patricia Gearhart, secretary of the Trenton Goodfellows, said the recent paper sale went well, although the group remains short of its $22,000 goal needed to help families in need.

“We could still use some help,” Gearhart said. “We probably raised about half of what we need on the day of the drive.”

Gearhart said the delivery of holiday baskets is scheduled for Dec. 21, and that the group currently had 167 families signed up for assistance as of press time. Families in need have until Dec. 16 to request aid, which can be done by contacting the Trenton City Clerk’s office at (734) 675-8600.

Donations can me made at city hall or by mail to: Trenton Goodfellows, P.O. Box 370, Trenton, MI, 48183.

Wyandotte
The Wyandotte Goodfellows paper sale began at the city’s Thanksgiving parade and continues each weekend through Dec. 23.

They hope to net $10,000 from the sales, which, when coupled with Street Art Fair parking lot proceeds, should cover the $20,000 they anticipate spending this year, President Larry Stec said.

Donations can be mailed to Wyandotte Goodfellows, P.O. Box 392, Wyandotte, MI, 48192.

(Compiled by James Mitchell and Andrea Poteet.)

In Allen Park, a stretch of Southfield Freeway beginning at Outer Drive and running nearly to Southfield Road was closed Tuesday and Wednesday when rains flooded Ecorse Creek, resulting in five feet of water pooling into the sub ground-level roadway, according to published reports.

Michigan Department of Transportation crews finished removing mud and debris from the roadway about 11 p.m. Wednesday, when it was reopened to traffic.

In nearby Melvindale, Police Chief Rick Cadez reported no major issues.

“We had some street flooding,” Cadez said, “but nothing that would force us to close any roads.”

Melvindale Department of Public Works Director Joe Owens said the city had about 15 calls from residents with basements flooded with rainwater, a surge from average rainstorms.

“We usually only get one or two,” Owens said. “That was kind of out of the ordinary.”

Wyandotte Police Chief Daniel Grant reported no major issues, with only minor backups on side streets that did not require closings.

“We were lucky here,” Grant said. “Thankfully, it seemed like the next day when the rain stopped, it cleared up pretty quickly.”

Police in Trenton responded late Wednesday to complaints of flooding in the city’s south end. Officers were sent to a subdivision near Fort Street and Vreeland, where some streets were covered with a “high level” of water.

Responding officers assisted one resident sitting on the roof of his car after his vehicle became stuck in the water. Trenton police notified the Wayne County Road Commission, which sent crews to the scene.

Trenton Department of Public Works supervisor Steve Moceri sent crews to place barricades on the roads until the flooding subsided. Fort Street was temporarily closed before reopening Thursday morning.

Photo by James Mitchell

Shoppers at Southland Mall Friday morning faced fewer crowds than many in metropolitan Detroit. Bargain hunters seeking the traditional post-Thanksgiving deals were lined up Thursday afternoon for holiday gifts.

Cities
Allen Park
Mayor
William Matakas ….. 5,052
David Babbage ….. 4,005

Treasurer
Mareen Armstrong ….. 4,094
Nancy Teets ….. 3,282

City Council
Bob Keenan ….. 4,351
Angelo DeGiulio …. 4,126
Dennis Hayes …. 4,030
Harry Sisko …. 3,771
Larry Templin …. 3,526
Tina Gaworecki ….. 3,430
Steve Gary …. 3,311
Robert Turner …. 3,214
Edward Klienow …. 3,179
Tony Lalli …. 2,767
Christopher Tuccini …. 2,671
Frank Tucci …. 2,235

Proposal 1
(Amend charter to increase tax limitation by 3.5 mills for 5 years for fire and police operations)
Yes ….. 5,815
No ….. 3,591

Proposal 2
(Add 3.3 mills for up to 28 years to make bond payments on the purchase of the Allen
Park Studio property)
No ….. 5,630
Yes ….. 3,655

Dearborn
Proposal 1
(Add 3.5 mills for 5 years to maintain core services)
Yes ….. 7,420
No ….. 4,860

Proposal 2
(Add 1 mill for 10 years for library operations)
Yes ….. 7,379
No …… 4,959

Proposal 3
(Amend charter to eliminate Civil Service System)
Yes ….. 6,158
No ….. 5,891

Dearborn Heights
City Clerk
Walter Prusiewicz ….. 4,674
Janet Badalow ….. 3,337

City Council
Kenneth Baron ….. 5,812
Lisa Hicks-Clayton ….. 4,244
Ned Apigian ….. 3,638
Scott Craig ….. 3,520
Kathleen Abdel-Hak ….. 2,810

Proposal
(Add up to 2.9 mills for general operations, sanitation, police and fire to restore previously
voter-authorized millage)
Yes ….. 4,953
No ….. 3,608

Lincoln Park
Mayor
Patricia Krause ….. 2,083
Frank Vaslo ….. 1,713

City Clerk
Donna Breeding ….. 2,768
Richard Kudrak ….. 878

City Council
Thomas Murphy ….. 2,189
Mariano DiSanto ….. 2,152
Mark Kandes ….. 2,133
Suzanne Moreno ….. 1,861
Tracy Bush …… 1,768
Joseph Kaiser Jr …… 1,663
Deborah Henderson …… 1,368
Paula Hall …… 1,354
Elizabeth Wright ….. 1,235
Larry Kelsey ….. 1,126
Donald Majors ….. 1,096
Thomas Parkinson ….. 1,040

Melvindale
Mayor
Stacy Striz ….. 760
Valerie Cadez …… 526

City Clerk
Diana Zarazua ….. 761
Norine Peeples ….. 452

Treasurer
Karen Lowe ….. 732
Sally Amadio ….. 486

City Council
Kalley Hess ….. 720
Larl Louvet ….. 677
Medina Balderas ….. 662
Wheeler Marsee ….. 661
Nicole Barnes ….. 651
David Cybulski ….. 649
Michael Haftel ….. 478
Jorge Martinez ….. 468
Jeannine Ansley ….. 441
Betty Lindlbauer ….. 428
Lisa Snipes ….. 425
Renee Buckberrough ….. 422

Riverview
Mayor
Tim Durand ….. 1,801
Billy Towle ….. 749

City Council
Elmer Trombley ….. 1,624
Lynn Blanchette ….. 1,606
Thomas Coffey ….. 1,529
David Ryan ….. 696
William Prucknic Sr….. 747

Southgate
City Council
Karen George ….. 2,121
Patricia Ganzberger ….. 2,086
Phillip Rauch ….. 2,037
Jan Ferencz ….. 1,981
Christopher Rollett ….. 1,898
Dale Zamecki ….. 1,863
Bill Colovos ….. 1,855
Edward Gawlik Jr ….. 1,572
Ernest Abercrombie ….. 1,372
Marcine Lemerend ….. 1,195

Taylor
Proposal
(Recall of Jeffrey Lamarand)
No ….. 5,759
Yes ….. 3,893

Trenton
Mayor
Kyle Stack ….. 2,801
Gerald Brown ….. 1,701
City Council
Dan Gillespie ….. 2,563
Robert Howey ….. 2,579
Bill LeFevre ….. 3,006
MaryEllen McLeod ….. 2,825

Proposal
(Charter amendment to permit alternate methods of publishing city legal notices)
Yes ….. 2,723
No ….. 1,452

Wyandotte
Proposal
(Amend charter to add 1.75 mills for three years for general operating funds)
Yes ….. 2,539
No ….. 1,469

Schools
Allen Park Public Schools
School Board
Julia Sheppard ….. 2,140
Kathleen Cicotte ….. 1,880
J. Michael Hill ….. 959

Dearborn Public Schools
School Board
Joseph A. Guido ….. 6,304
Roxanne McDonald ….. 6,136
Mary K. Petlichkoff ….. 4,958
Stephen S. Dobkowski Jr….. 2,711

Dearborn Heights District 7
School Board
Robert Brown ….. 907
Vickie Bracken ….. 806
Velma Truitt ….. 760
Catherine Bunker ….. 686

Riverview Community School District
School Board
Amy Laura-Frazier ….. 1,165
Gary O’Brien ….. 1,034
James Makowski ….. 811
Vernon Dunn Jr ….. 440

Taylor School District
School Board
Bobby Masters ….. 3,515
Ron Miller ….. 2,991
James C. Lakatos ….. 2,879
Lisa Norris ….. 2,857
Craig Raich ….. 2,046
Todd Tumas ….. 930