More looking back: 30 years ago, this is what was happening in the tri-community

We are celebrating completion of our 30th year of publication by printing stories from our earliest issues to show what was happening in Belleville, Van Buren, and Sumpter.
In our second issue of the Independent on Jan. 12, 1995, which had 12 pages, our front-page story was headlined: “Furor erupts over firing.”
This was the story about how Van Buren Township officials fired Jennifer Delano as senior center director.
The firing sent waves of anger through the senior citizen community and emotions boiled over at the monthly Birthday Monday celebration. Sixty-five seniors were seated and many more stood along the walls. They hurled questions and accusations at township officials.
Michael Long was named community services director the previous October to take the job of Phil Belcher, who also was fired. Long took the brunt of the senior anger. He spoke after acting director Linda Combs made some announcements.
In response to the seniors’ questions, Long said it was time to take the department in a new direction. When they pressed him on what that meant, he said it meant more attendance, saying more programs will be offered so more people will participate.
Township supervisor Dave Jacokes later said he wanted to apologize for the change and, “It’s hard.” He said he couldn’t get into great detail about the reasons for the firing because it’s a personnel issue and he wanted to avoid litigation.
“I thought going in we had some real good programs, but I interfaced with other senior directors and found our program on the low side of the scale,” supervisor Jacokes said.
He said he wanted the 800 seniors involved at the center to have something to do all day long.
Donna Collins, a volunteer, asked Jacokes if he talked to the senior directors or the supervisors and mayors of the communities and he replied he talked to them all.
Collins said she has been in the senior office and heard those same directors calling Delano for advice on how to run their programs because they admired Delano’s program.
“I think you should have let her go out with a little dignity,” Collins said. “She deserved that after three and a half years. She deserved that dignity.” The audience erupted in applause.
“She was worried about the seniors,” Collins said. “She asked me to call this one because she had a heart problem and to check on another one with high blood pressure. She was more concerned about the seniors than anyone at township hall.”
Delano, a registered nurse, was known to regularly take the blood pressure for her seniors.
At the fiery meeting, a woman called out, “There are a lot of seniors who can’t afford all these programs. Are you going to do new things we can’t afford?”
Another woman said, “She wanted to do things and said she had to ask the township and they wouldn’t let her do them.”
After the meeting, Delano said she was called to Long’s office at 2:30 p.m. the previous Friday and told to be at Long’s office on Monday and to bring Combs with her. She assumed it was to talk about the new method of handling money.
She said, “When I walked into the township hall, nobody would look at her so they all knew.”
She said she actually knew since October that it was coming, but hoped somehow it wouldn’t happen. After Belcher was fired, he called Delano on his car phone and told her he got fired for refusing to fire her. He told her to be careful, she said.
“Yes, I was hurt,” Delano said. “But I knew I could go back to nursing and get a job anywhere in the world.”
Delano said Belcher recommended she have a three-year contract and he was let go a week later.
“The seniors liked Mr. Belcher. He came to the senior center and got to know them. He came to all the meetings,” she said.
While some seniors tried to get Delano to sue the township, she said, “Would I sue? I don’t think so. I’m trying to have as much dignity as possible.”
Mike Foley, a senior center volunteer who owned the Frosty Boy shop in downtown Belleville, wrote an impassioned letter to the editor supporting Delano.
In the Jan. 12, 1995 issue, the Independent also published other stories.
• The Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education voted to spend $348,000 of At Risk funds being allocated to the district to purchase computers and software for the two middle schools and the high school. There will be 15 computer stations at each of the middle schools and 30 stations at Belleville High School. They should be ready to use for the 1995-96 school year. “One of our major goals is to improve the MEAP scores, and that’s sad but true,” said Doug Brown, director of instruction. “These will increase MEAP scores.”
• At its Jan. 9, 1995 meeting, the Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education discussed the Positive Peer Influence class and GRADS class for pregnant and parenting teens. But the board asked for more information before voting on the classes. Director of Instruction Doug Brown did not recommend the GRADS as a class, but as an after-school program. Trustee Sherry Frazier supported the Positive Peer Influence class, which she said was very successful in the Plymouth/Canton district where she works. But several board members had reservations. Trustee Susan Ward Callahan asked what the educational value is, adding, “It’s sounds like we’re socializing.” Trustee Martha Toth agreed with, “That’s not our job.” The Positive Peer Influence class would invite 12 leaders of the student body – whether National Honor Society or teen gang members – to influence other students positively. “They can take that in extra-curricular programs,” Callahan said. “I don’t think that’s the role of the school.”
• The plans for the upgrades to the former township hall were approved by the Van Buren Township DDA. The $5.3 million municipal building was downsized from the original $10 million plan. The present township hall will be renovated and new portions built on. A separate, metal sewer and water building will be put up first at the rear of the complex to clear the present DPW area for renovations. The complex will be ringed by 448 parking places and three retention ponds. The present building will be almost doubled in length. The township is adding $500,000 for the project. The DDA also approved providing $300,000 for the purchase of Quirk School.
• Sumpter Township Police Officer Charles A. Ball resigned from the department as of Jan. 1 to become a deputy with the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Department. He had been a full-time Sumpter officer for two and a half years. Township Trustee Arness Cox said the township is training officers for other departments and he wished there was a way for the township to be reimbursed for training. Supervisor Marvin Banotai said Sumpter stole Ball from Van Buren Township, where he was a part-time officer. Police Chief Clinton Brown said Ball started at $25,000 a year and was making about $30,000 when he signed on with Washtenaw for a salary of $30,000. In six months, Ball will get a $4,000 raise, Chief Brown said. He said Ball already had an application on file with Washtenaw when he accepted the job in Sumpter.
• Robert Boggs earned first place in the Sumpter Township Christmas House Decoration Contest. Bruce Macklin won second prize and Walter and Loretta Radisovich won third place.
• Ralph Nodwell, a member of the school board, was Santa at 23 events during November and December 1994. Ralph has created “magic sand” a gift only he and the children he carefully hands it to can see. As children tightly grip the magic sand from Santa, he tells them to sprinkle it on nearby friends to share with them the special love and joy of the holidays. “Be sure to save some of that magic sand to take home for your mom or dad and your brothers and sister. And, tell them you love them, and that’s the best Christmas present of all,” Santa said.
• At its Jan. 3 meeting, the Van Buren Township Board of Trustees unanimously approved an Industrial Development District designation for L&W Engineering, clearing the way for L&W to ask for tax relief for its new project. This would be the 15th tax rebate granted by the township. Supervisor Dave Jacokes noted thousands of people were affected by the closing of Willow Run. He said that L&W seriously considered moving its operations to Kentucky.
• An obituary about Ernie and Pearl Michling of Sumpter Township was published in the Jan. 12, 1995 issue. Ernie died Jan. 4 at the age of 83. Pearl had died the previous June after collapsing in the Meijer store in Van Buren Township. They lived across the street from Sumpter Township Hall in a 100-year-old farmhouse. The property used by the Sumpter Fest and the old Sumpter school were part of Pearl’s family heritage. The school property was sold to Van Buren Public Schools and when the school no longer needed the property it was sold to Sumpter Township for its present community center.
We will publish more history from 30 years ago as space allows.