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. 21.2 Thursday, January 8, 2015 Kotlareks win $100 for first prize in Independent contest Jeff and Sue Kotlarek of Romulus are the winners of $100 in the Independent contest where readers were invited to write what they like about the paper or the story the paper missed covering. Here is their first-place prize winner: ‘You really feel you play a part of the paper’ The Belleville Independent is our local newspaper, even though we live in Romulus. We love to shop, dine and visit Belleville. With the help of the Independent, we can plan our days on what is happening in the community from local church dinners to grand events such as the Strawberry Festival. The Independent gives you all the info you need. Plus, the advertisers with coupons or menus direct our way to great eats and fantastic deals. One of the best things about the Independent is the letters to the editor. I have sent in one or two in my time and your views are there for all to see. I do sometimes get a chuckle when Rosemary corrects or explains the letter a bit better. But most of all, the Independent is “our” Kevin Walsh, Executive Director of Yankee Air Museum, holds an unmanned aircraft system of the type that kids will be able to operate paper, or should I say the “community” in Fly Zone after the Feb. 28 opening of the new Exploration Station. paper, and you truly feel that you play a part of the paper. Yankee Air Museum putting up Fly Zone Exploration Station Jeff & Sue Kotlarek Romulus The Yankee Air Museum is dismantling simulating the rigors of maneuvering on learning begins. He says kids like to be ----------- its Mars Rover Exploration Station and rugged Martian terrain and grasping objects immersed in technical subjects in ways Second-place prize winner, earning $50, making way for its next big attraction: Fly by remote control. they can understand. is Linda Burger of Florida: Zone. Coming Feb. 28, Fly Zone promises more “It’s absolutely essential for us to keep our The Exploration Station is the museum’s excitement than ever. interactive displays in sync with advances ‘I enjoy reading all your area for providing kids with interesting “It’s the Exploration Station transformation in aviation,” added Walsh. “Unmanned articles, seeing pictures’ and challenging “hands-on” educational and Fly Zone is the next dimension,” said aircraft systems are frequently in the news, activities. Kevin Walsh, Executive Director. and now we are applying our skills to Rosemary, Congratulations on 20 years In 2014, nearly 6,000 students visited the “We’re building an aerial challenge course give people practical understanding of the of publication. This why the Independent museum and had the opportunity to operate for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). technology.” (continued on page 12) small robotic rovers on artificial landscape Wait until the kids get a load of this. They Walsh said the museum invested in special thought our rover experience was exciting. padded flooring and netting to confine the Permit No. 26 No. Permit They’ll find this truly amazing.” aircraft within the safe Fly Zone. Up to This Space On The Front Page. Front The On Space This 48111 Walsh explained that the Exploration four aircraft will be able to operate in Fly Belleville, MI Belleville, Postal Regulations Require Regulations Postal Station is an important feature of the Zone and the occasional crash is expected, US Postage Paid Postage US STANDARD Yankee Air Museum because it’s where but the design of the airspace will keep PRESORTED young imaginations are captured and real (continued on page 7) Page 2 Belleville Area Independent/January 8, 2015January 8, 2015/Belleville Area Independent Page 3 Enroll in Our Fall Program All Insurances Welcome Ltd. Lifetime Guarantee Belleville Rental Car Assist Child Care For children ages 22 to 12 years. R.V. Repair We offer: • Pre-School Auto Glass • 2 Directors James Chudzinski Owner • We Accept DHS • No Registration Fee 21585 Sumpter Rd. Motorcycle 37 Years Experience & Qualified Teachers. Belleville, MI 48111 & Watercraft Open Mon.-Fri - 6am - 6pm 734-697-4523 734.699.7758 41505 S. 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The budget session started at 4 p.m. on Dec. 30 and ended more than four hours later at 8:06 p.m. It was the public comment that took most of the time. At one point, during a five- The Van Buren Township Board members, from left, are Trustees Reggie Miller and Phil Hart, Treasurer Sharry Budd, Supervisor minute break, Supervisor Linda Combs Linda Combs, Treasurer Leon Wright, and Trustees Jeff Jahr and Brenda McClanahan. called the police department to send over an officer or two to be on hand to restore Water and Sewer budgets were because, approve this budget and move on.” raises, following what the negotiated order in case speaker John Delaney got although VBT has to cover the raise in Clerk Leon Wright said board members AFSCME union contract brought to its farther out of hand. He had been speaking price from Detroit, she said she disagrees have agreed to disagree for a common members. In fact, all the employees, loudly and refused to stop talking. with the extra tacked on to that amount cause. including salaried personnel (other than Police assistance turned out not to be because, “It’s a hardship on our seniors.” “We need to work on this throughout those just hired), got the 1.5% raise. necessary, although several officers were She said she would vote no on the other the year … but nobody’s perfect,” Wright AFSCME on hand, on and off, for the rest of the budgets because she thought the board said. “We have a budget that I think is Brenda Kurtz, president of the American meeting. needed to look at the strategic plan it presentable here.” He said that night’s Federation of State, County, and Municipal Delaney was critical of a long line of worked out last February (in a 7.5-hour meeting was one of the best procedures on Employees (AFSCME) local, questioned issues, including the time of the meeting session). She said although the board is a budget he’s seen because the board “got why salaried personnel and elected officials (4 p.m. instead of 7 p.m., when working considering paying down the amount owed comments from everyone.” got the raise her union had negotiated. The people in the community could attend), not on the Visteon bonds, the board needs a After the motion was made to approve previous year salaried personnel got the getting the budget to study before the Dec. budget stabilization plan. the general fund budget, Trustee Phil Hart union’s signing bonus, too, although they 16 meeting (he said, not to worry, he stole Miller said there needs to be more said, “I don’t think everyone agrees on hadn’t signed any new contracts. one to study), ongoing complaints about communication with department heads and everything in this budget.