A caller said a boy about 2 years old had been running around outside for nearly four hours with no supervision. Police found him in a hallway and he was able to show them where he lived.

Inside the apartment, officers announced their presence, but heard only a baby crying from a back bedroom. In that room they found a crib containing the baby next to a 26-year-old man and a woman who were passed out. About six feet away was a walk-in closet containing a 6-foot boa constrictor inside an aquarium.

After verbal attempts to wake the two failed, officers shook the woman’s leg and woke her up. They said she was highly impaired by what they believed were narcotics. She could not answer their questions after stumbling into the living room and had trouble comprehending why they were there.

She told officers she had been taking painkillers and showed them several bottles, some dated July 12. Police said she had taken at least three times the recommended dosage.

The man also was impaired by narcotics, they said, but after being awakened was more attentive than the woman. After trying to give them a false name, a records check of his real name showed he was a parole absconder with four arrest warrants outstanding, three from Brownstown Township and one from Lansing. He then was arrested.

The woman was taken to Oakwood Southshore Medical Center for mental evaluation. The children were taken to the woman’s mother’s house in Westland for the night until child protection authorities could be contacted about their situation.

Police said the baby, a 1-year-old boy, was hungry and given a bottle of formula by officers. Animal control was contacted to remove the snake.

— Tom Tigani

TRENTON — The process of putting together this year’s live entertainment lineup for the PNC Roar on the River actually began back in March, when several area bands entered into a spirited competition to be part of the new Rock the River concert set for Saturday at Elizabeth Park.

When the three-part Battle of the Bands concluded in early June, a Detroit-area group called Hidden Agenda Band proved to be the winner, earning the right lead off an evening that will see Category 5, a favorite from last year’s Saturday concert at the Roar, serve as the headline act.

All this follows a Friday evening concert that again will feature popular cover band Fifty Amp Fuse.

The battle was an idea originated by Linda Francetich, who serves as the volunteer entertainment coordinator for the Roar on the River on behalf of Trenton Rotary Club, the event organizer. She said the effort, which began as a nine-band competition at Southgate’s Crystal Gardens in March, was conceived as a fundraiser to help offset some of the costs associated with staging high-quality entertainment for the Roar. By the time Hidden Agenda was named the winner of the finals, held at Riverview’s Rack & Roll in early June, the effort had raised nearly $5,000.

“The Battle of the Bands was not only a way to raise funds, but also provided an interesting way to seek out new entertainment,” Francetich said. “We were so impressed with the amazing talent that graced our stages, and we appreciate every band for their participation.”

Returning for the third straight year, Fifty Amp Fuse has proved to be a Friday-night crowd pleaser, capping off the Roar’s traditional kickoff party, A Taste of the Races, which this year will feature a record 42 restaurants and caterers.

A Taste of the Races is a ticketed event, but the performance by Fifty Amp Fuse is free and open to the public. The band is expected to take to the stage around 8 p.m. and play until about midnight.

“Since we are a cover band, our style is anything and everything that the crowd wants to hear,” singer Remy Lambert said. “We do just that — we play everything from Sinatra to Queen and AC/DC to ABBA. Just come to one of our shows and you won’t believe the diversity.”

Saturday evening’s concert is expected to get under way as soon as the day’s power boat racing schedule is concluded, typically about 6 p.m. Battle of the Bands winner Hidden Agenda Band will open the evening and last year’s Saturday favorite, Category 5, is the evening’s headline act. The Saturday show will run until midnight.

Francetich said both bands are “exceptionally professional” and will bring high-quality rock, dance and R&B music to the riverfront.

“The crowds can expect high-energy rock and dance from Category 5,” she said. “Hidden Agenda Band brings its ‘dance on’ with powerful R&B and tunes of today. Both bands will leave the crowds wanting more.”

Hidden Agenda is a Motown- and R&B-influenced group hailing from the Detroit area that features a strong rhythm section, horns and male and female vocals. Additionally, organizers say, members’ strong stage presence combines with other virtues to make it one of the most entertaining live bands in the area.

While the band cites Motown and R&B as its main influences, individually, the members are influenced by everyone from Marvin Gaye to Chaka Khan, organizers say, and any listener can clearly hear the large variety in influences in the band’s sound and performances.

“We were very surprised that we won (the Battle of the Bands), given the fact that all the competing bands were very good, pro bands that had more of a local Downriver following than we did,” band member Larry Pinho said. “Everyone was welcoming and friendly, including the headlining band, Category 5. We were also the only R&B band competing, so we understood sometimes that could work against us if the crowd was strictly into classic rock and not open to a little something different.

“Lucky for us, we connected and the crowd was into it. It was a morale booster for everyone in Hidden Agenda Band to gain fans in a newer area, which coincides with our other performances at Downriver nightclubs for the past two years.”

Category 5, one of five bands to play the Saturday concert last year, is a Detroit cover band that either can rock the arena or make listeners dance their hearts out, organizers say, with musical offerings include something for every age group, covering acts like Led Zeppelin, the Eagles and Van Halen — and everything in between.

While the Friday and Saturday night concerts are free, a $5 donation is requested for parking inside the park.

Now in its seventh year, the Roar in the Park classic car show has been forming a tradition of its own, drawing some of the region’s best antiques and classics to Elizabeth Park one day each summer as part of an event first devised to round out the activities during an annual weekend of power boat racing.

According to one of the key organizers, the event has turned into a perfect fit for the PNC Roar on the River weekend, scheduled for July 23 through 25.

“You can’t beat the location of the car show,” said Bruce Diven, who coordinates the show on the behalf of the Trenton Rotary Club. “You can come display your car, go to the boat races and see the fireworks. You can sit right next to the Detroit River, and just enjoy a relaxing day at Elizabeth Park.”

When the car show first joined the Roar in 2004, it originally was a Saturday event. When the Roar on the River’s evening entertainment format was expanded in 2008, the car show was moved to Sunday in order to free up more parking space on Saturday. The switch also ensured that the car show had all the space it needed in the main field area directly across the street from the spectator entrance to the Roar.

The move turned out to be good for the car show as well, since its winners now are announced at 4 p.m. Sunday, just prior to the riverfront ceremony where the winning boat racers receive their trophies.

The award ceremonies will mark the culmination of a weekend that could see upward of 30,000 people visit Elizabeth Park for power boat racing, outdoor concerts, fireworks, a children’s fun fair, Jet Ski stunt shows and a taste-fest-style kickoff party that will feature the food of 42 restaurants and caterers.

Roar in the Park runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Car owners can begin registering for the event beginning at 8 a.m. The cost is $20.

For additional information on the Roar in the Park or any of the other PNC Roar on the River activities, go to www.trentonroarontheriver.com.

Photo by Trenton Rotary

TRENTON — Along with celebrating the 60th anniversary of the PNC Roar on the River this year, organizers also are looking forward to showcasing a record number of vendors for the annual kickoff bash known as A Taste of the Races.

Forty-two area restaurants and caterers already have confirmed their participation, with a few more expected to sign on between now and the event, scheduled for July 23, at Elizabeth Park in Trenton.

“The response and the support this year has just been amazing,” said Ronnie Jacek, who is coordinating the event on behalf of Trenton Rotary, which organizes the PNC Roar on the River. “Our restaurant owners in this area are incredible. They are really committed to being part of this and showcasing the best of what our region has to offer.”

The three-hour food extravaganza will be capped off by a performance by Fifty Amp Fuse, which is returning for the third consecutive year to rev up the crowd for the two days of power boat racing, Jet Ski stunt shows and other activities to follow at Elizabeth Park July 24 and 25.

A Taste of the Races runs from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Fifty Amp Fuse is expected to take the stage about 8 p.m. Taste is a ticketed event, but the concert is free and open to the public. Tickets to the Taste are $35 a person in advance, or $30 in blocks of 10 or more. Tickets will cost $40 at the door, if available, so advance purchase is recommended.

The food event has been part of the Roar since 2001, when the very first one featured 14 vendors. In recent years it has flirted with the 40 mark, but this is the first time it will actually surpass it.

“A Taste of the Races has become an integral part of the Roar on the River tradition,” said Lynn Nolan, president of Trenton Rotary. “One of the things that make it so special is that it’s such a great deal.”

Advance tickets are available at Trenton City Hall and area PNC branch offices, as well as the offices of Jocks and Associates and Rehab Connection, both on West Road in Trenton. Tickets also can be reserved by calling (734) 675-8600.

The City Council voted late last month to agree to enter into a letter of understanding with the Trenton Police Sergeants, Corporals and Patrol Officer’s Association / Michigan Association of Police, that will set aside holiday pay from July 1 of this year through June 29, 2011, for union members. The group also agreed to forgo a 1 percent wage increase that would have been effective July 1.

The Trenton Inspectors and Lieutenants Association agreed to similar concessions.

In return, the city will rescind layoff notices to bargaining unit members and has agreed to incorporate language saying that any additional budget savings from negotiated concessions or retirements will stay within the Police Department budget. Those savings will not be transferred or used to offset any other departmental budgets or employee groups. The savings also will not be used to offset or reduce any negotiated economic concessions.

A budget presented by Mayor Gerald Brown to the council last month proposed eliminating 15 full-time positions. He cited a looming $2.2 million 2010-11 deficit as the reason for his initial proposal, citing higher costs for police and firefighter pensions, a “downswing” in the city’s investment portfolios and declining tax revenues because of lower property values. The budget also included three fewer nonunion jobs.

Brown said that after making the budget proposal, he went to city employee groups and gave them the numbers he needed in order to avert layoffs in each group. For police, that number was $285,000; for firefighters, $182,000.

As a former police chief and officer in the city, Brown said it was difficult to ask for the concessions.

“And it will be difficult in the future as long as I have this job,” he said. “I’ll have to separate myself. As mayor I‘m in charge of other services, too.

“I felt it was right thing to do. In the economy we’re in we have to make tough decisions.”

Human Resources Director Scott Church said the two police unions’ set-aside consists of a one-time lump sum holiday payment for 13 days that is equivalent to 5 percent of their annual salaries.

Included in the concessions negotiations with police, Brown said, was an incentive for certain people to retire. City officials figured that three command officers might retire, but didn’t count on the potential for five leaving.

Church said Thursday that all five now have filed letters announcing their intent to retire and have seven days to change their minds, per state law.

In addition to the two police groups, International Association of Firefighters Local 2701 also agreed to concessions that Church said were more complicated.

No retirements were part of the firefighters’ agreement. Concessions from the three who had received layoff notices were “not all exactly revenue out of their pockets,” Church said. Some involved budgetary savings to the city, foregoing of benefits. Another was a cap on overtime and an agreement to take compensatory time in lieu of overtime, including some for training.

In the Department of Public Services, proposed cuts included two clerical positions, two laborers and a mechanic, all of whom are still in place. Church said the city has not reached a settlement with American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 292, which represents those employees.

He said he is “cautiously optimistic and hopeful.”

“We sure don’t want to lay off anybody,” Church said, emphasizing that he didn’t mean it as a threat.

“It’s just the unfortunate reality of where we are,” he said. “Unless we reach similar concessions with that group of employees, I think layoffs would become a reality.

“The tone has been set.”

The homeowner told police his nephew had taken the table for a birthday party in August from the Lincoln Park Community Center, 3525 Dix, and never returned it.

The homeowner was cited for receiving and concealing stolen property. City workers returned the table, valued at $500, to the community center.

Tools, GPS removed from SUV
Tools and a Global Positioning System unit were taken last week from a 2003 Dodge Durango parked in the driveway of a house in the 1400 block of Wilson.

The owner last saw the property inside the vehicle at 7 p.m. last Sunday and discovered it missing about 5:30 p.m. Monday. The tools were valued at $600 and included a power saw; the GPS unit was valued at $500.

Cabinet can’t hold cash
A resident in the 1700 block of Warwick flagged down a patrolling officer early last Sunday evening to report that some cash was taken from his garage.

Between 4:30 p.m. April 30 and 3 a.m. May 1, the lock was broken off the garage’s side door and about $240 cash was taken from a locked plastic cabinet.

Southgate
Taylor
Theft ruins trip plans
The journey of a Dearborn Heights man to South Carolina was cut short May 1 at Leo’s Coney Island, 9845 N. Telegraph.

He told police he parked his Ford F-150 about 11:30 p.m. in the lot east of the building, along with an assembled motorcycle he was carrying in the bed.

When he exited the restaurant just before midnight, the truck and its contents were gone.

In addition to the motorcycle, which he said was essentially a 2010 Harley-Davidson, those contents included clothing and golf clubs.

No values were listed for the missing items.

Thieves exchange bike for power toys
A resident in the 26300 block of Beverly awoke last weekend to find that his go-cart and four-wheeler were missing from his back yard.

He told police the vehicles were parked near the back door of his house when he went to bed at 11:30 p.m. April 30 and were gone when he looked outside at 7:30 a.m. May 1.

A minibike that was in his garage was found in the spot where the other vehicles had been. A green bicycle that doesn’t belong to anyone in his family was found in the driveway.

Police were unable to check it for fingerprints because of the rain that fell that night.

Trenton
Man shot at gas station stops at mom’s
Police received an emergency call early Monday that a 34-year-old Lincoln Park man who had been shot in the foot was at his mother’s apartment in the 3300 block of Van Horn Road.

The man said he had been in the area of Fort Street north of Visger Road in Detroit about 1 a.m. when he was robbed at gunpoint by two men, who took his wallet and cell phone before shooting him in the foot. A taxicab took him to Trenton, he told police.

The man’s foot was bleeding when police arrived and he was taken to Oakwood Southshore Medical Center for treatment.

The man described the robbers as black men who got out of a white Chevrolet Cavalier at a Detroit gas station
and asked him if he wanted to buy drugs. When he declined, one then pulled out a large-looking black handgun, shot him in the foot and fired another shot at his legs that missed.

The cab driver said he picked the man up about 12:30 a.m. from C-Dogz Bar & Grill, 2441 Van Horn Road, after being told the man’s car had broken down, and that he collected the $40 fare before driving him to the gas station on the way to his Lincoln Park residence. The man then asked to dropped off, the driver said.

As the driver was writing out paperwork he heard a “pop” sound and saw the man running back to the cab and bleeding. The driver then let the man use his cell phone to call his mother to let her know he was coming to her apartment.

A license plate number given by the man did not match the alleged robbers’ vehicle, police said.

Scammers victimize elderly resident
Police were dispatched just before noon April 28 to Metro Shores Credit Union on report of a customer trying to withdraw money from his account to receive lottery winnings.

An 86-year-old resident told them he had been contacted in January by someone who said he was from California and was holding checks for about $8 million, and that after the resident began sending money orders to the caller, the winnings eventually would be deposited in the resident’s account.

On that day, the resident said, a Romulus man was supposed to come to his house in the 2900 block of Parkwood with an Internal Revenue Service agent to deliver his checks.

The resident was told that the money orders to be given to the courier were to be made out to a Chicago woman, and police were at the resident’s house when the woman called. The resident told her he didn’t have $10,000 to send her. She then asked for two money orders for $200 each, and again he refused.

Credit union records show the resident took out more than $103,000 since January. His son and daughter told police they are aware of the situation, and that they took some of the money out of his account. They told police the total sent to the Romulus man is about $66,000.

Video cams taken from school
Two handheld video cameras were discovered missing April 29 from Arthurs Middle School, 4000 Marian Drive.

A teacher said they last were used March 26, and that she could not find them that morning during an inventory.

The cameras, which are valued at $175 each, were inside black cases valued at $50 each with blue lanyards bearing the words “Trenton Schools.”