Official Newspaper of Record for the City of Belleville, Sumpter Township, & the Charter Township of Van Buren 152 Main St., Suite 9, Belleville, MI 48111 www.bellevilleareaindependent.com Vol. 21.21 Thursday, May 21, 2015 Library Board unanimously selects Suchy as new director By Rosemary K. Otzman Tanya Stoudemire, interim chairperson possibly hire a technology librarian. the other valuable staff members, as well. Independent Editor of the personnel committee, said the She said the director/assistant director has She said 61% of the Belleville Area District After conducting three interviews board found that move “very noble.” worked very well for the library, but when Library budget pays the staff. Statewide of finalists on Friday, May 15, the The board interviewed two other someone leaves it’s a chance to review and the figure is 64%. Belleville Area District candidates on Friday: Karen White-Owens, possibly reconfigure everything. She said In explaining her goals, Suchy said she has Library Board voted director of the Lenox Township Library, she would first talk to her staff. been at this library for 28 years and knows unanimously to offer and Denise Bearre, director of the Inkster Library board president Mary Jane every facet of the job. With Green, she said, the position of director Library. Dawson explained that the board hires only they kind of acted like co-directors. to Mary Jo Suchy, who Friday was retiring director Debra Green’s the director and the director hires the rest “I am strongly committed to this library has been the library’s last day on the job and she wiped tears of of the staff. and this community,” Suchy said, adding assistant director for happiness from her eyes after learning As her PowerPoint presentation at the she pays extreme attention to details and more than 20 years. her co-worker would be moving up to the beginning of her interview, Suchy gave a watches the budget. She said she helped to The position carried a director’s position. 10-minute report, “Bloom at Your Library,” birth the district library and then to put in base salary of $75,000 Mary Jo Suchy During her interview Suchy said, if which focused on five staff members: place things needed for the district library. to $80,000 and Suchy indicated she selected director, she would review the Michele Wloch, Jessamy Green-Husted, “My fingers are on every single policy would be glad to take the lower figure and staffing and instead of filling the position Tara McCann, Jackie Douglas, and Joe (continued on page 11) share the additional funds with her staff. of deputy director, which she had held, Lebron. She said she could go on with all Memorial Day: Time for 11th-annual Thunder Rolls in Belleville David C. Brown Funeral Home and the which all will go to help veterans and their flying, will go south on Haggerty Road When the motorcycle contingent gets to Brown Family Center are sponsoring the families. Each paying rider will receive a to Harris Road, west to Martinsville and the Veteran’s Memorial in Horizon Park, 11th-annual Motorcycle Ride and Memorial commemorative pin. then south to Willis Road. They will take at about 2-2:30 p.m., the Memorial Day Day Service to honor veterans. The motorcycle ride, with police Willis west to Sumpter Road and then service will begin. On Monday, motorcyclists will start assistance, begins at 1 p.m. Several hundred head south on Sumpter to Oakville Waltz Brown Funeral Home and Family Center registering at 11 a.m. for the 27.8-mile ride bikes are expected to take part. Road and head west on Oakville Waltz to is sponsoring the event. Kathie Steigerwald at Wayne County Community College, Throughout the years people have waited Rawsonville Road, which they will take of Brown’s is organizing the event. She said 9555 Haggerty Road in Van Buren along the route to applaud the bikers and north to West Huron River Drive and then it started 11 years ago when the World War Township, north of I-94. wave American flags at them. east into the City of Belleville and High II monument was dedicated in Washington, The riders will pay $10 per person, The motorcycles, with patriotic flags Street. D.C., with the Rolling Thunder motorcycle ride. Steigerwald said the National Funeral School District sets telephone survey on millage loss Directors Association raised over $4 million for the monument. She said she By Rosemary K. Otzman Tassel recommended a poll of people in the authority to spend up to $23,000 without couldn’t go to Washington, so she decided Independent Editor district to find out the reason the millage the board’s approval, so he could proceed to do it here in Belleville. Four hundred people in the Van Buren was rejected. with the project without an official vote. There will be speakers, prayers, music, Public Schools district will be getting Although the board cannot make decisions Van Tassel said he has talked to people in a 21-gun salute, and refreshments. The telephone calls soon from a professional during the work/study session, it gave Van the community and some thought the vote names of local veterans who have died polling company to ask them why the Tassel its unofficial blessing to call the was no because the state’s Proposal One since last year’s ceremony will be called millage failed. company in the morning to set up the poll was the only other thing on the ballot and The district’s 1.13-mill Sinking Fund as soon as possible. 80% of the people said no to that. renewal was turned down by voters on Van Tassel said the Epic MRA firm will do Other voters told him the last sentence May 5 on a 3,415 - 4,514 vote. 15-minute polls of 400 people with results in the ballot question, “A portion of the EARLY On Monday, at the beginning of the having a 5% or less margin of error. Cost is revenue may be captured by the Van work/study session of the Board of from $15,000 to $20,000, Van Tassel said. Buren Township Downtown Development DEADLINES Education, School Supt. Michael Van He reminded the board that he has Authority,” offended them because they Due to the upcoming didn’t want the township to get any of that Memorial Day money. Holiday, ALL ads must Permit No. 26 No. Permit This Space On The Front Page. Front The On Space This 48111 Van Tassel said the wording was drawn up be submitted by 4 p.m. Belleville, MI Belleville, Postal Regulations Require Regulations Postal by lawyers. He said he talked to VBT Clerk Friday, 5/22/15. The US Postage Paid Postage US Leon Wright about it and he said Wright STANDARD office will be closed PRESORTED (continued on page 10) Monday, 5/25/15. Page 2 Belleville Area Independent/May 21, 2015May 21, 2015/Belleville Area Independent Page 3 Enroll in Our Summer Program All Insurances Welcome Ltd. Lifetime Guarantee Belleville Child Care Rental Car Assist For children ages 22 to 12 years. We offer: R.V. 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