OVER THE ABRUPT SUSPENSION OF A BELOVED HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL IS NOW TURNED INTO THE SCHOOL
BOARD, TAKING A HARD LOOK AT THE
FUTURE OF THE DEARBORN HEIGHTS,
SUPERINTENDENT. THANKS FOR
JOINING US HERE FOR THE NEWS AT
SIX, I’M KIMBERLY GILL. GOOD
EVENING. I’M KAREN DREW IN FOR
DEVIN SCILLIAN TONIGHT. A
SPECIAL SCHOOL BOARD MEETING IS
JUST GETTING UNDERWAY OVER IN
DEARBORN HEIGHTS. MARA MACDONALD
IS LIVE AT ANNAPOLIS HIGH
SCHOOL. AND MARA, THE TEACHERS
THERE HAVE DELIVERED A SCATHING
INDICTMENT OF THE
SUPERINTENDENT’S PERFORMANCE
HERE. KAREN IT IS BRUTAL. WE
WERE TOLD A FEW WEEKS AGO IT WAS
COMING AND IT HAS ACTUALLY COME
TO FRUITION.
>> THE TEACHERS UNION HERE HAS
TAKEN A VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE IN
SUPERINTENDENT TYRONE WEEKS AND
THE RESULTS ARE 99.5% OF THE
TEACHERS SAY THEY HAVE NO FAITH
IN HIS SKILLS OR HIS ABILITY TO
LEAD THIS FORCE, AS THE SCHOOL
BOARD HAS CALLED AN EMERGENCY
BOARD MEETING HERE AT ANNAPOLIS
HIGH SCHOOL TO GO OVER WHAT THEY
ARE CALLING SIMPLY A LEGAL
OPINION. HEY. HEY GO HOME.
>> DR. WEEKS HAS GOT TO GO.
>> TEACHERS CAME OUT IN FORCE
EARLIER THIS MONTH VOICING THEIR
DISPLEASURE WITH THE WAY THE
DEARBORN HEIGHTS DISTRICT IS
BEING RUN BY SUPERINTENDENT
TYRONE WEEKS.
>> WE HAVE A SUPERINTENDENT THAT
REFUSES TO NEGOTIATE. HE IMPOSES
THINGS AFTER THROWING A TEMPER
TANTRUM. HE IS A BULLY. HE
THREATENS, INTIMIDATES AND
HARASSES THE TEACHERS.
>> DISCONTENT HAD BEEN BREWING
FOR MONTHS. WHAT SENT IT OVER
THE TOP WAS WEEKS DECISION TO
ABRUPTLY SUSPEND ANNAPOLIS HIGH
SCHOOL PRINCIPAL AARON MILLETTE.
PARENTS WERE OUTRAGED. THE KIDS
STAGED A WALKOUT. WE WANT. WHY
DO WE WANT HIM?
>> HOWELL.
>> THE SCHOOL BOARD GOT AN
EARFUL FROM FURIOUS TEACHERS AND
PARENTS. THE END RESULT?
MILLETTE WAS REINSTATED IN
WEEKS. WHO HAD RECENTLY BEEN
INTERVIEWING TO BECOME THE
SUPERINTENDENT IN KALAMAZOO. A
JOB HE DID NOT GET WAS PUT ON
SUSPENSION. ACCORDING TO THE
TEACHERS UNION. WEEKS IS THE
SUBJECT OF THREE FEDERAL TITLE
NINE COMPLAINTS AND A CIVIL
RIGHTS COMPLAINT. BACK HERE
LIVE, THE UNION IS ASKING FOR
HIM TO RESIGN IMMEDIATELY.
MEANWHILE HE REMAINS ON
SUSPENSION, BUT A PAID
SUSPENSION NOW THE SCHOOL BOARD
IS GOING TO GO INTO SOME SORT OF
CLOSED SESSION TONIGHT TO
DISCUSS THIS LEGAL OPINION. IT’S
UNCLEAR WHETHER THIS IS STRICTLY
ABOUT WEEKS. AND HIS EMPLOYMENT
IN THIS DISTRICT OR WHETHER THIS
HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH OTHER
ISSUES LIKE THOSE TITLE NINE
COMPLAINTS. WE’RE LIVE IN
DEARBORN HEIGHTS TONIGHT. I’M
MARA MACDONALD, LOCAL 4.
>> ALL RIGHT, SO MUCH TO UNPACK.
WE KNOW YOU’LL STAY ON TOP OF
IT. THANK YOU, MARA. WELL, SOME
PEOPLE IN GROSSE POINTE PARK ARE
VERY EXCITED OVER THE STATE’S
DECISION TO APPROVE PLANS FOR A
NEW SEWAGE PIPE. IT’S CALLED A
RELIEF SEWER, AND IT WOULD EMPTY
INTO LAKE SAINT CLAIR NOT FAR
FROM THE MOUTH OF THE DETROIT
RIVER. AND AS YOU CAN IMAGINE,
NOT EVERYBODY LIKES THAT IDEA.
PAMELA OSBORNE LIVE WITH HOW
THIS ALL CAME ABOUT AND WHAT IT
COULD MEAN FOR THE WATER IN THE
LAKE. AND RIVER. PAM? WELL
KIMBERLY, I REACHED OUT TO
OFFICIALS IN GROSSE POINTE PARK
EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON FOR SOME
SORT OF COMMENT OR TO GET THEM
ON THE RECORD WITHIN THE PAST
COUPLE OF SECONDS. REALLY, I
JUST GOT A STATEMENT FROM THEM
WHICH READS IN PART ABOUT THIS
SPECIFIC PROJECT THAT THE VALVE
WILL ALLOW GROSSE POINTE PARK TO
COMBINE ITS SANITARY FLOW INTO
ITS STORMWATER FLOW AT THE
PATTERSON PARK STORM STATION.
THAT’S A PLAN THAT SOME PEOPLE
HERE IN THE JEFFERSON CHALMERS
COMMUNITY HAVE AN ISSUE WITH.
>> YOU KNOW, WE WERE SHELL
SHOCKED DOWN HERE WHENEVER WE
HAVE A RAIN FORECAST.
>> JOHN MYERS IS CONCERNED.
THERE’S EVEN MORE TROUBLE TO
COME TO THE JEFFERSON CHALMERS
COMMUNITY. HE’S CALLED HOME
SINCE 1994 AND FEBRUARY. GROSSE
POINTE PARK WAS ISSUED A PERMIT
BY EGLE, WHICH WOULD ALLOW THEM
TO CONSTRUCT AN EXTREME
EMERGENCY RELIEF VALVE. THAT
VALVE, WHENEVER USED, WOULD
REPORTEDLY DUMP SEWAGE UPSTREAM
FROM THE DETROIT RIVER. WE KNEW
OF THE EXTREME EMERGENCY RELEASE
VALVE THAT GROSSE POINTE PARK
WAS ATTEMPTING TO PERMIT, AND
YET THERE WAS NO PUBLIC COMMENT
ON OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT THE
DRAFT PERMIT.
>> THERE WAS NO PUBLIC HEARING
AND THERE WAS NO OPPORTUNITY FOR
US TO REVIEW.
>> A J. JURGENSON IS THE LEAD
ORGANIZER OF THE JEFFERSON
CHALMERS WATER PROJECT THAT THE
GROUP HAS BEEN WORKING WITH CITY
AND STATE LEADERS TO PROTECT THE
NEIGHBORHOOD CANALS, WHICH HAVE
SEEN ITS SHARE OF FILTH OVER THE
YEARS.
>> SO IT’S LITERALLY DUMPING
SEWAGE ON ITS DOWNSTREAM
NEIGHBORS.
>> IT’S HIS UNDERSTANDING THE
VALVE WOULD ONLY BE USED IN
EXTREME SITUATIONS, BUT THAT’S
LITTLE REASSURANCE, EVEN THOUGH
THAT EXTREME EMERGENCY RELEASE
VALVE IS ONLY SUPPOSED TO
OPERATE UNDER CERTAIN INSTANCES
TWICE THIS SUMMER, NO LESS THAN
THAT.
>> OVER THE LAST DECADE, WE’VE
SEEN DISCHARGE FROM A SIMILAR
OUTFALL. AND I DID REACH OUT TO
EGLE TO SEE IF THEY HAD ANYBODY
AVAILABLE TO SPEAK TO THESE
SPECIFIC SITUATIONS IN WHICH
THAT VALVE WOULD BE ABLE TO BE
USED AND TO TALK ABOUT THE
IMPACT TO OTHER COMMUNITIES SUCH
AS JEFFERSON.
>> CHALMERS I HAVE NOT HEARD
BACK FROM THEM YET, BUT I DO
WANT TO MENTION THE JEFFERSON
CHALMERS WATER PROJECT BELIEVES
THAT THERE IS A SOLUTION OUT
THERE THAT COULD FIT EVERYONE IF
THEY WORK TOGETHER AS A REGION
AND NOT BY MUNICIPALITIES. WE’RE
GOING TO POST THAT ENTIRE
STATEMENT FROM GROSSE POINTE
PARK ON OUR WEBSITE. YOU CAN
READ IT THERE AT
CLICKONDETROIT.COM. COM FOR NOW,
REPORTING LIVE, I’M PAMELA
OSBORNE, LOCAL 4.
>> OKAY. THANKS FOR THE UPDATE,
PAM. MEANTIME, WE DO HAVE AN
UPDATE THIS EVENING ON THE STORY
OF SIBLINGS INVOLVED IN A
SHOOTOUT OVER IN STERLING
HEIGHTS, MACOMB COUNTY
PROSECUTOR HAS CHARGED 50 YEAR
OLD ZACHARY HOLSTON, THE THIRD
IN HIS HALF SISTER’S DEATH.
INVESTIGATORS SAY HOLSTON WAS
LEAVING THEIR FAMILY BUSINESS
WHEN HE WAS APPROACHED BY HIS
HALF SISTER AND OTHER FAMILY
MEMBERS. THERE WAS AN
ALTERCATION THEN OVER SOME
PAPERWORK IN HIS CAR. THINGS GOT
PHYSICAL AND THEN TURNED INTO A
SHOOTOUT. HOLSTON IS NOW CHARGED
WITH SECOND DEGREE MURDER. HE’S
BEING HELD ON $500,000 CASH BOND
. WE’VE ALL WATCHED AND HOPED
FOR PAUL WHELAN’S RELEASE FROM A
RUSSIAN PRISON. HE’S BEEN IN
RUSSIAN CUSTODY FOR FOUR AND A
HALF YEARS NOW. HIS HOMETOWN IS
PULLING FOR HIM AND SHOWING
SUPPORT IN A WAY THAT HAS PAUL’S
FAMILY DEEPLY TOUCHED. LOCAL
FOUR’S ROD MELONI VENTURED TO
MANCHESTER, MICHIGAN, FOR THIS
STORY. IT WAS 50 YEARS AGO THAT
TONY ORLANDO AND DAWN HAD THEIR
HIT SONG TIE A YELLOW RIBBON
ROUND THE OLD OAK TREE.
>> AND HERE IN DOWNTOWN
MANCHESTER, AS PAUL WHELAN, THEY
THOUGHT MIGHT COME HOME EARLIER
IN THE YEAR, DECIDED THAT THEY
WOULD GO WITH THEIR OWN YELLOW
RIBBONS TO SHOW SUPPORT AND EVEN
THOUGH PAUL HASN’T MADE IT YET,
THEY’RE STILL HOLDING OUT A LOT
OF HOPE. PAUL WHELAN’S BROTHER,
DAVID, TOLD US FROM CALIFORNIA
THIS PAST WEEKEND, I WOULD LIKE
TO MENTION OUR GRATITUDE FOR THE
PEOPLE OF MANCHESTER, MICHIGAN,
AND THE SUPPORTERS FOR PAUL.
>> THERE’S BEEN A CAMPAIGN TO
PUT UP YELLOW RIBBONS AROUND THE
VILLAGE, SO WE VENTURED TO
MANCHESTER TO SEE AND FOUND THE
DOWNTOWN FESTOONED WITH TINY
BOWS EVERYWHERE, EVEN ON SIDE
STREETS.
>> THEY’RE SHOWING THEIR SUPPORT
FOR PAUL AND HIS PARENTS, ED AND
ROSEMARY WHELAN, THE QUAINT
BASKETS FULL OF SUNSHINE ARE
CHARLOTTE MAJOR’S IDEA, AND
SHE’S PROUD.
>> AND OF THE FOLKS WHO HAVE
JUST STEPPED FORWARD THAT THEY
DIDN’T KNOW AND HAVE SAID WE’RE
PRAYING FOR YOUR SON OR WE PUT A
RIBBON OUT OR THE BUSINESSES
THAT HAVE PUT UP THE RIBBONS,
WHETHER THE WHELAN’S DO BUSINESS
WITH THEM OR NOT, THEY’RE JUST
SUPPORTIVE OF THE WHELAN’S.
>> SHE, LIKE MOST HERE, KNOW THE
WHELAN FAMILY. MANY KNOW PAUL
HIMSELF, LIKE MARSHA CHARTRAND,
KNOWING THAT PEOPLE CARE ABOUT
THEM AND CARE ABOUT THE
SITUATION THEY’RE IN AND CARE
ABOUT THEIR SON, I THINK HAS TO
HELP A LITTLE BIT AT THE WORTH
REPEATING CHARITY SHOP DEDICATED
TO HELPING THE COMMUNITY. THEY
HAVE A GOFUNDME, JOE ALONG WITH
FREE RIBBONS. SUSAN FIELDER AND
PAT SAHAKIAN TELLING LOCAL 4
THEY’RE VALUED PEOPLE IN OUR
COMMUNITY AND WE WANT TO DO
EVERYTHING WE CAN TO SUPPORT
THEM AND THEIR EFFORTS TO GET
THEIR SON BACK HOME FROM FROM
RUSSIA.
>> IT’S BEEN A DIFFICULT TIME
FOR THEM AND WE WANTED TO DO
SOMETHING TO LET THEM KNOW THAT
THEY WEREN’T ALONE AND THAT WE
WERE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING TO
HELP THE MEMORY OF PAUL AND WHAT
HE’S GOING THROUGH. STAY OUT
THERE IN THE PUBLIC FOR PEOPLE
TO KNOW THE WORTH REPEATING.
>> VOLUNTEERS HAVE DECIDED THAT
THEY WANT TO SEND A PERSONAL
MESSAGE TO PAUL WHELAN. AND SO
WE DECIDED TO GIVE THEM THEIR
OPPORTUNITY HERE. COME ON IN
MANCHESTER, ROD MELONI LOCAL 4.
WELL, THE CLINTON RIVER
WATERSHED COUNCIL EXISTS FOR ONE
REASON KEEPING HARMFUL
POLLUTANTS OUT OF OUR LOCAL
WATERWAYS.
>> TODAY, THE COUNCIL PARTNERED
WITH THE CITY OF MACOMB COUNTY
FOR A UNIQUE PROJECT. WILL JONES
IS LIVE TONIGHT IN CENTER LINE
TO SHOW US EXACTLY WHAT THEY’RE
PLANTING AND HOW IT’S GOING TO
HELP WILL. WELL KAREN, THIS IS
SEVERAL HOURS WORTH OF WORK.
>> THESE GARDENS ARE NOT ONLY
PLEASING TO THE EYE, THEY’RE
ALSO VERY GOOD FOR THE
ENVIRONMENT. THEY’RE CALLED RAIN
GARDENS UNDER THE HARSH GLARE OF
THE SUN. VOLUNTEERS INCLUDING
THE MAYOR OF CENTERLINE ON THE
GROUND PLANTING A GARDEN. IT IS
DEFINITELY WARM.
>> IT’S DEFINITELY WARM. BUT,
YOU KNOW, THESE GUYS, THEY’VE
BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD TODAY.
I WON’T ASK ANYBODY TO DO
ANYTHING. I’M NOT GOING TO DO
MYSELF.
>> IT’S A RAIN GARDEN AIMED AT
PROTECTING THE CLINTON RIVER.
THEIR PLANTING NEARLY 1000
NATIVE PLANTS ON THE FOUR
CORNERS OF THIS RECENTLY REPAVED
CITY PARKING LOT. SO THIS ALLOWS
US TO CAPTURE THAT WATER FOR
THOSE POLLUTANTS TO BE FILTERED
OUT WITH THE PLANTS AND THE SOIL
BEFORE IT ACTUALLY GOES BACK
EVENTUALLY INTO THE RIVER LIKE
OIL FROM CARS, SALTS IN THE
WINTER. THE CLINTON RIVER
WATERSHED SPANS 760MI█ !S. IT’S
MOST POPULATED WATERSHED IN THE
STATE OF MICHIGAN, WITH OVER 1.5
MILLION PEOPLE, ACCORDING TO THE
CLINTON RIVER WATERSHED COUNCIL.
WE HAVE A LOT OF IMPERVIOUS
SURFACES HERE IN THE CLINTON
RIVER WATERSHED BECAUSE IT’S A
HIGHLY POPULATED AREA WITH A LOT
OF DEVELOPMENT.
>> SO THAT MEANS A LOT OF PLACES
WHERE WATER CAN’T RUN INTO THE
GROUND. THESE GARDENS, DESPITE
THEIR SIZE, WILL MAKE A BIG
DIFFERENCE. THIS PARTICULAR
INSTALLATION CAN TRAP 36,000
GALLONS OF STORMWATER IN ONE
RAIN EVENT. SO A LOT OF WATER
CAN BE TRAPPED BY WHAT ARE
PRETTY SMALL GARDENS. JENNIFER
HILL WITH THE CLINTON RIVER
WATERSHED COUNCIL SAYS
HOMEOWNERS CAN SET UP RAIN
GARDENS IN THEIR OWN YARDS TO
PROTECT OUR WATERWAYS.
>> AND IT’S NOT THAT DIFFICULT
TO SET UP KAREN.
>> I’M JUST STUNNED AT HOW MUCH
IT’S GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
THE THOUSANDS OF GALLONS THAT IT
WILL IT WILL OBVIOUSLY HELP THE
SITUATION. SO FOLKS ARE
INTERESTED IN THIS. WHERE CAN
THEY GET INFORMATION IN TERMS OF
WHAT TO PLANT?
>> WELL, THERE ARE HUNDREDS AND
HUNDREDS OF NATIVE PLANTS HERE
IN MICHIGAN. THE CLINTON RIVER
WATERSHED COUNCIL DOES OFFER
TRAINING TO HELP OWNERS,
HOMEOWNERS LEARN WHAT TO PLANT
AND WHAT TIME OF YEAR THEY
SHOULD DO THAT, KAREN. ALL RIGHT
.
>> WE ALWAYS APPRECIATE THE
ADVICE. ALL RIGHT. THANKS, WILL.
LOOK AT ALL THAT BRIGHT SUNSHINE
OUT THERE. WELL, RIGHT. I KNOW.
AND TEMPERATURES AS WE NEARLY
MADE IT TO 90 IN SOME PLACES,
KIM SO CLOSE IN HOWELL AT 89
DEGREES STILL AT 89 DEGREES.
>> JUST COULDN’T QUITE REACH 90
TODAY. 87 IN DETROIT. ALSO IN
PONTIAC, 86 NOW IN ADRIAN, THERE
IS AN AIR QUALITY ALERT NOT ONLY
FOR TODAY, BUT IT NOW EXTENDS
INTO TOMORROW. SO IF YOU HAVE
SENIOR CITIZENS, YOU COULD CHECK
ON THEM. ALSO, PEOPLE WITH
ASTHMA WILL NEED TO STAY INSIDE
IN THE AIR CONDITIONING BECAUSE
YOU KNOW, IT CAN DEFINITELY
AFFECT PEOPLE TOMORROW. IF YOU
CAN CARPOOL OR BIKE TO WORK. I
KNOW THAT’S NOT ALWAYS POSSIBLE,
BUT ONE THING WE ALL CAN DO IS
TRY NOT TO REFUEL OUR CARS,
ESPECIALLY DURING THE DAYLIGHT
HOURS, TRY TO WAIT UNTIL AT
LEAST AFTER SUNSET, OR IF YOU
CAN POSTPONE IT, DO SO. AND ALSO
, GAS LAWN MOWERS ARE REALLY
JUST AWFUL WHEN YOU’RE IN AN AIR
QUALITY ALERT DAY. 82 DEGREES
RIGHT NOW IN MOUNT CLEMENS, 87
IN PONTIAC. IT’S STILL A VERY
WARM AFTERNOON THIS EVENING.
TEMPERATURES WILL DROP DOWN INTO
THE 70S BY 10:00 TONIGHT, 69 AT
MIDNIGHT. AND THEN TOMORROW, WE
ARE RIGHT BACK UP INTO THE UPPER
80S TO NEAR 90. NOT MUCH CHANCE
FOR RAIN THIS WEEK, BUT WE’LL