By Carolyn Marnon – Sixteen year-old Antoine Perry, Jr. was in 29th District Court on December 28 for allegedly murdering a 19-year old outside HYPE Recreation Center on November 26, 2018. Antoine faced four charges: homicide-felony murder, armed robbery, and two charges of felony firearm.
Three Michigan State Police cars and three City of Wayne police cars were seen outside the courthouse while police officers filled the halls outside the courtroom.
The Honorable Judge Laura Mack presided over the court proceedings. She instructed those present that no pictures were to be taken of the defendant’s face or of any minor testifying before the court. She also made it clear that anyone who was testifying that day or who would testify in downtown Detroit was not allowed to view the proceedings.
The first witness was a 16-year old girl who said Antoine had been her boyfriend for a few months before the incident occurred. She said he had told her via Facetime that he was going to “jug” something. According to UrbanDictionary.com, “jug” means to steal.
Later that day, she and Antoine were hanging out in a garage with other friends where “we play music and conversate.” While they smoked weed, Antoine pulled a gun out and started playing with it. The witness said she told him he was trigger happy and that he needed to chill out.
Plans were made to get more weed. She said he told her he was going to take the weed from the weed guy.
The group pulled up behind HYPE where Antoine and another friend got out of the car. Antoine took her phone with him to text the weed guy. A bit later, the friend is running back to the car, shaking, saying “Twoin really blew that nigger” because he didn’t give him the weed. Antoine then shows up at the car, and she sees the gun. She testified they were all scared. Her sister, who was driving the car, takes off and then stops in front of Franklin Middle School. She said Antoine had dropped her phone and she wanted it back.
The second witness was in the HYPE parking lot, getting ready to work out. He said he noticed two African-American men standing by the corner and didn’t think anything of it. He went about gathering his workout gear and water bottle when his attention was then diverted back to the men. A car had pulled up to them. One went up to the driver’s side door and then he said the car took off at a high rate of speed with the person holding onto the door while it was being driven. The person tumbled from the car while firing several times at the vehicle driving away before running toward the corner of the building.
The final witness was Officer Michael Bolton of the Wayne Police Department. He says he received a report of a shooting. The victim was in the main lobby of HYPE bleeding from his stomach. Outside, he found three bullet shell casings and a phone about 3 inches away from the casings. Officer Bolton said the defendant walked up saying he was looking for his girlfriend’s cell phone. The defendant was detained at that time.
During testimony, sobs could be heard in the courtroom.
Judge Laura Mack said testimony showed probable cause. The defendant was placed at the scene of the crime with a gun. The witnesses were credible. The case was bound over to Wayne County Circuit Court.
On January 4 at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice in downtown Detroit, Antoine Perry stood mute as a plea of not guilty was entered by the court. The court ordered a competency evaluation. The competency hearing is scheduled for March 1.

By Carolyn Marnon – In her free-time, she likes doing triathlons where she swims, bikes and runs!
She has lived in Michigan all her life, except for a short period of time spent in Wisconsin.
She loves reading Young Adult novels and social science non-fiction books.
She was recently certified as a scuba diver and prefers warm water on her vacations.
And she lives in Northville with her yellow lab, Einstein.
Who is this woman? She is Jody Wolak, the new Library Director at your Wayne Public Library.
After a 10-year career in marketing, Jody decided to switch careers. While working full-time in marketing, she worked on obtaining her Master in Library Science. She enjoyed problem solving and being creative, but she also always loved libraries and literature.
Her first library jobs were both part-time jobs as Children’s Librarian at the Rochester Hills library and at the Wayne library. She moved on to full-time employment at the William P. Faust Public Library of Westland as the Teen Librarian.
Before coming back to the Wayne library as its director, Jody spent less than two years as the Youth and Teen Director at the Chelsea library.
The job as Wayne Library Director has turned out to be more than she expected. “I knew I loved working with children and loved reading and books since I was a young child,” said Jody. “I enjoy doing library programs for children to adults and seniors. I think my marketing background has been very helpful in promoting the library and our services and making connections in the community. I’m looking forward to doing more of that here in Wayne.”
She goes on to say, “Libraries are so much more than books and reading. We’re a place for the community to gather, a place to see your friends, and a place to expand your horizons!” Jody and the approximately 16 employees of the library are here to serve the needs of the community. The library recently conducted a survey to learn what the community felt the priorities were for the library after a ballot measure was passed in August giving the library 1 mil in additional funding. The most urgent issue to address is the leaking roof. Although expanded library hours, more programming and additions to the collection (books/DVDs/magazines) are being considered, the library board wanted to know where to focus their efforts and where the biggest impact could be made using the feedback they receive from the surveys to inform their decisions.
The library board meets on the 2nd Wednesday of each month. Surveys were collected through January 3. The board will be able to look at the surveys at their January meeting. Jody expects the library board and staff will have their initial plans ready to share with the community in February or March. Until then, stop into the library and welcome Jody back to the Wayne library.
“We’re entering a period of growth where we’ll be able to expand our services,” said Jody. “Please come check us out if you haven’t been here in awhile.”

AI Turf is Scott and Courtney Conover’s collaborative literary debut.

By Courtney Conover – Whew.
I’m going to be honest: I feel like I’ve just given birth.
But, this time, instead of reveling in that new baby smell, the pride and joy I’m holding has 22 chapters, a glossy cover, and an electronic sibling.
It’s entitled AI Turf: Playing Against All Algorithms, and it’s a novel which centers around shrewd NFL owners, unyielding football players, and a reimagined NFL. The book tells the story of what happens when humanoid football players take to the field after collective bargaining agreement negotiations between NFL owners and their human players go awry.
And this book was a long time coming.
I humbly ask you, my dear Dispatch reader, to travel back in time a bit…
Before the Detroit Lions turned things around.
Before the price of eggs skyrocketed to an amount that rivaled some folk’s car notes.
Before the pandemic, even.
I’m talking more than five years ago.
That’s when my husband of 17 years, former Detroit Lions offensive lineman Scott Conover, corners me in our kitchen one morning and takes me completely by surprise.
“So, I’ve got this idea,” he begins. “Imagine if humanoids could actually play football—NFL-caliber football.”
I don’t remember how I responded to him back then.
Our son and daughter were in elementary school at the time, so it’s likely that my mind was preoccupied with buying more Goldfish crackers, ordering our daughter’s new cheer uniform, and brewing my coffee in time for school drop-off.
I thought that would be the end of Scott’s fanciful thinking.
It wasn’t.
A week or so later, Scott brings up the tech-meets-turf concept again. This time, we’re removing leaves from our yard in an effort to spruce it up for spring.
“I’m serious,” he maintains.
I lower our wheelbarrow that’s overflowing with damp, heavy leaves and push a pesty lock of hair behind my ear. I’m flummoxed. I have a hunch about how he wants me to respond, but I’m not certain.
Some background:
As many of you may well know, I’ve been writing professionally for over 25 years. My work has appeared in the Observer & Eccentric newspapers, The Ann Arbor Observer, and Metro Parent. I’ve written a variety of cover stories for The Wayne Dispatch throughout the years, and the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series will publish my nineteenth story in 2025.
In other words, nonfiction is my jam, and I’ve generally avoided the fiction sector. I write about adulting humans—not football-playing robots.
“Let’s co-write a novel about this,” Scott turns to me and says in earnest.
“Oh,” I reply. “You’re serious.”
By the time the pandemic hits, Scott is all but consumed by all things humanoid.
Anytime a humanoid movie is released on a streaming platform, he’s all-in. Scott also becomes a voracious consumer of technology-based news, which, in retrospect, is compatible with his personality. (He studied technology at Purdue University before being drafted by the Detroit Lions in 1991.) Scott’s information gathering continues for the next year or two.
Fast-forward to a cold, blustery morning in late 2022.
With a piping hot Americano in hand, I sit down at my computer, which is located in a corner of our kitchen nook that I’ve carved out as my home office. It’s nothing fancy—and it’s cluttered as all get-out, but it passes muster.
I’m about to write an article for a client, but Scott has other plans.
He pulls up a chair and gives me The Look. I raise my eyebrows.
“So, I guess this is happening,” I say.
Scott produces a piece of paper bearing a prospective plot, and I’m immediately intrigued.
What ensues is a blur of commonplace activities: Seasons change; holidays come and go; and our children graduate to new schools.
And all the while, Scott and I stick to the plan and write when we can, wherever we can—even while making the four-hour drive Up North to Mackinaw City last summer.
You hear these beguiling stories—that sometimes border on whimsical—about how writers close up shop, head into the mountains, and retreat from public life in order to write and polish their novel.
Scott and I, on the other hand, bantered about deadlines, character development, and historical accuracy between loads of laundry, parent-teacher conferences, and grocery store runs. But, somehow, we got the book published.
In the end, the process was time consuming, unorthodox, and exhilarating.
One of the highlights was sharing our manuscript with old friends and industry folk alike who provided feedback.
A former offensive lineman, Scott played his entire NFL career with the Detroit Lions (from 1991 until 1996) and blocked for famed former running back and Pro Football Hall of Famer Barry Sanders during that time.
He was the first of Scott’s teammates to read our book.
“When my old teammate Scott told me about his idea for this story, I thought it sounded pretty cool,” says Sanders. “The idea of players that could be replaced by robots is mind blowing.”
Next, I’m grateful for the input of my boss and mentor, author Amy Newmark, who is the Editor-in-Chief of the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series.
“Could ultra-sophisticated AI robots really replace flesh-and-blood players?” she asks. “This delightful collaboration is filled with football action, an insider look at the life of an NFL player, and a bit of suspense too. Do the good guys win? The readers certainly will. I couldn’t put it down.”
Finally, columnist Neal Rubin of the Detroit Free Press weighed in.
“The football is as authentic as humanly possible in AI Turf,” he says. “As for using robots as players to save a few dollars? Just give the NFL’s cheapskate owners time—or peek into the future, courtesy of ex-pro Scott Conover and his wife and co-author, Courtney.”
I’ll stop there and refrain from spilling any more details. But I will say that AI Turf would make an excellent gift for the man or woman in your life who enjoys NFL football.
I know, I know: That was a shameless plug. Forgive me.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got two loads of laundry to fold.
AI Turf: Playing Against All Algorithms is available now on Amazon in both paperback and e-book versions.

Commissioner Al Haidous is presented with a City of Wayne flag by Wayne Council persons Kathy Lawrence, Rabih Darwiche, Deb Wass, Mayor Pro Tem Alfred Brock, Council persons Don Quarles, Kevin Dowd and Mayor John Rhaesa. Photo by Ali Said

By Sarah Shurge – If you voted last month, you might have noticed a familiar name missing from the ballot.
After 40 plus years of work and dedication to the city of Wayne, former Mayor Abdul “Al” Haidous, decided to no longer seek another term as Wayne County Commissioner.
“I write to inform you that in the upcoming election, I will not seek another term. I will complete my term ending December 31st, 2024, and will be stepping down as your Wayne County Commissioner at that time,” said Haidous, Wayne County Commissioner, in a press release.
Haidous attended the Wayne city council meeting on Tuesday, November 19th, to address the city of Wayne personally.
“I felt I should come here tonight to let the citizens of Wayne know about my decision and thank you, thank the mayor, and the city council, the city manager, and all the department heads, all the city employees for making the city of Wayne a special city and community to me,” said Haidous.
Hadious even turned away from the podium and thanked the citizens attending the meeting.
“I will keep saying thank you because my American dream story is a story that the community in the city of Wayne should have the credit for,” said Haidous. “I’m here to thank the citizens of Wayne for a great American story where it began almost with nothing but hope.”
Haidous was first elected in November 2014 to represent the Wayne County Commission’s 11th District, which covers the cities of Belleville, Romulus and Wayne; Huron, Sumpter and Van Buren townships; and part of the city of Westland.
There are seven communities in District-11, but Wayne has always felt like “home” to Haidous.
Haidous had served as the city of Wayne’s mayor from 2001-2014.
“My story begins in this city. The support, the love, and the respect the citizens of Wayne gave me in 1974 when I moved to Wayne got me to where I’m at today. I wouldn’t be able to do what I did without their support, respect, and love to me, my wife, and my family,” said Haidous.
After many years of service, Haidous decided to retire from his position as Wayne County Commissioner.
“I decided to hang my hat and try to have time to volunteer, listen to my wife, and try to see what it looks like to get up in the morning and you don’t have to look at a calendar,” said Haidous.
Tuesday, December 31st, will be his last day.
“I’ll be available for volunteerism if you ever need me,” said Haidous.
Haidous received a standing ovation from those attending the meeting. Wayne Mayor John Rhaesa presented Haidous with a plaque of gratitude and a giant City of Wayne flag. “It’s great to live in the city of Wayne,” said Hadious.
We thank Haidous for all the work he’s done for the city of Wayne and wish him the best with his upcoming retirement!

Come check out the high-tech drive-thru lights show “MI Bright Lights” at Eloise.

By Sarah Shurge – A high-tech drive-thru lights show “MI Bright Lights” awaits you at Eloise.
“While Eloise is best known for bringing the scary during the Halloween season, we are excited to embrace the merry with our first-of-its-kind, for our venue, holiday light show,” said John Hambrick, Eloise Hospital owner and MI Bright Lights co-owner.
You can enjoy the 250,000-light show – which is synchronized to a special soundtrack filled with holiday favorites – from the comfort and warmth of your own vehicle.
The experience includes a ¾-mile drive-thru display with a high-tech pixel-based light show synchronized to seasonal music that is accessible by a radio station unique to MI Bright Lights guests.
Each section of the drive-thru captures the essence of the season, featuring a tunnel, a Christmas tree forest, “Candy Cane Lane” (with 14-foot-tall candy canes), and Santa’s Workshop.
In addition to the immersive drive-thru experience, guests can enjoy a skating rink (opened Friday, December 6th), s’mores, hot cocoa, and a 350-foot zip line for purchase. There will also be warming stations, a heated tent, an inflatable putt-putt golf, an interactive North Pole mailbox, complementary photo-op areas, and more. Families can also walk through the newly created Santa Land and meet Santa Claus (photos will be available for purchase).
The new holiday show is co-produced by the Bostick Family, who are nationally renowned for their annual “Bostick Family Light Show” display in Garden City, and have been featured in Good Morning America, The Tonight Show, and in People Magazine. “We have had a blast putting on our annual light show over the last four years at our home, and as it has continued to gain popularity, it became quite apparent that we needed a larger venue,” said Kyle Bostick, MI Bright Lights co-owner. “This new space is allowing us to elevate our show to new heights and bring our creative vision to life.”
MI Bright Lights is located at 30712 Michigan Ave, Westland. It opened on Wednesday, November 29th, and will operate daily from 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. through Sunday, January 5th, 2025. Santa Land opened on Friday, November 29th and will be open every Friday – Sunday.
Tickets can be purchased in advance for $20 per vehicle at mibrightlights.com. Be sure to experience this nationally acclaimed light-show while you can!

The following is a press release from the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office regarding the shooting and death of Wayne resident, John Zook, Jr.
The official statement was released on Wednesday, November 13th.
“Wayne Police Officers Acted in Lawful Self-Defense: On June 18, 2024, at approximately 2:35 p.m., Wayne Police Department officers responded to an apartment building in the 35000 block of West Michigan Avenue in Wayne, Michigan for a reported attempted suicide. A man at that location, John Zook, Jr., 40, of Wayne had called 911 and reported that he just tried to kill himself by cutting himself all over with a knife. He further reported that he had his four- year-old child in the apartment with him. He said that he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and was not on medication because he had stopped taking it some time ago.
The two first responding officers always had operable body cameras while responding to the scene. Officers A and B knocked at the apartment door. *Upon opening the door Mr. Zook was holding a knife in his right hand with the handle facing upward and the blade downward. Mr. Zook was shirtless and appeared to be standing approximately six to eight feet away from officers with numerous visible cut wounds on his torso. Officer A then pointed a Taser at Mr. Zook and Officer B had his service weapon.
Both officers repeatedly told Mr. Zook to drop his knife. During this time Mr. Zook walked back and forth between the area just inside the door close to the officers and deeper into the adjacent kitchen, while holding the knife in his right hand. After fifteen seconds of commands Officer A told Mr. Zook he would be tased. Mr. Zook did not drop the knife and instead walked toward the officers. Officer A attempted to use his Taser, but it did not take effect when Mr. Zook was standing a short distance away.
Within seconds, Officer B drew his Taser with his left hand while still pointing his service weapon at Mr. Zook. Simultaneously, Mr. Zook could be seen coming closer to both officers, who were standing just outside the doorway in the hall. Officer B then fired both his Taser and service weapon simultaneously as they quickly retreated deeper into the hallway. Mr. Zook was standing in the doorway just vacated by the officers less than one second earlier, still holding the knife in his right hand. Mr. Zook refused to relinquish his knife and was shot four times and fell into the hallway with the knife still in his right hand.
The officers immediately called for medical assistance. Mr. Zook died shortly thereafter. Mr. Zook was later found to have at least 54 stab wounds to his neck, chest, and abdomen. Mr. Zook’s child slept through the event and officers quickly removed the child from the apartment unharmed.
In Michigan, police officers have the same right to self-defense and defense of others as any other person. Michigan’s legal standard to use deadly force in self-defense or the defense of others is whether the person using force is reasonably in fear of imminent death or great bodily harm upon them or someone nearby.
At the time officers used force they objectively knew that Mr. Zook was armed with a knife, which would be legally considered a dangerous weapon. Mr. Zook was apparently actively suffering a mental health crisis, was not acting rationally, and just attempted to kill himself. He was not responding to commands while standing armed a very short distance from the officers. They also knew that Mr. Zook’s young child was present in the apartment with him.
The officers did not use deadly force until Mr. Zook objectively posed an imminent threat to their safety when he came toward them after unsuccessfully trying to use a Taser to disarm him. The facts and evidence in this case show that shooting was justified and the officers acted in lawful self-defense under Michigan law. As a result, the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office has determined that no charges will issue in this matter and the warrant request is denied.”

Santa and Ms. Claus arrive at Holiday Night at the Museum. Photo by Craig Hebert

Welcome back to another Spotlight Series with Sarah!
The series where the writer gets to know the city more personally, while the readers get to know the writer better in the process.
It’s funny how taking a certain class or playing a certain instrument can lead you to meeting your best friend. Sometimes it can happen because you decide to work at a certain place.
In 2016, I started working at a restaurant in Plymouth, which is where I met one of my best friends, Emmah.
I started off as a hostess. Emmah was a server and had been working there long before I was hired.
During my college semesters, I was working Friday mornings with Emmah’s older brother (who also worked there as a server). Eventually I switched to serving as well and slowly started getting to know Emmah better.
We were work-friends but in May 2018, we hung out outside of work for the first time and went to the movies with another coworker. Then in July 2018, we randomly decided to take a trip to Cedar Point together.
There’s something about long car rides, waiting in lines for hours, and riding roller coasters together that truly bonds you to a person.
After that, Emmah and I hung out on the regular: getting tattoos, dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings, movie nights, and birthday parties for each other.
In July 2020, when I wanted to work on socializing my dog, Ezekiel (Zeke), with other dogs, Emmah began regularly walking her two dogs, Bear and Lola, with my dog. Once Zeke became comfortable with them, I would frequently bring him over to her house so our dogs could have playdates together in the backyard.
In March 2021, Emmah had her son, Theodore (Theo).

New toys were provided to all the children who visited Santa by Hill Crest Bible Church. Photo by Craig Hebert

I don’t have any children (only pets), Emmah is the first of my friends to have children, and as a first-time parent herself, there was a learning curve on how our friendship needed to adjust once kids came into the picture.
People say you find out who your true friends are when you have a wedding or have children, and we were determined to make our friendship work. So with a few uncomfortable conversations, we figured it out.
Then in December 2022, Emmah had her daughter, Morgan.
I’m proud to say that I have been present for Emmah’s kids as much as I possibly can, between: movie nights, birthday parties, babysitting, and school activities, to swimming, random trips to Target, or the Hands-On Museum.
I teared up the first time Theo and Morgan called me “Aunt Sarah.”
At some point, Emmah’s children are going to realize I’m not actually their aunt by blood — I’m just their mom’s best friend that became family, but I’ll always be Aunt Sarah.
As part of my auntie duties, I always try to mention family-friendly events to Emmah that she might want to bring the kids to.
Last month, I mentioned Wayne’s annual Holiday Night at the Museum to Emmah, and she thought her kids would love it. The day before the event, she started feeling under the weather, so her mom (Theo and Morgan’s grandma), Patti, offered to come with me and the kids instead.
So on Friday, December 6th, we took the kids to Holiday Night at the Museum.
Since I’ve been writing for The Wayne Dispatch for over three years now, I’ve written about this event before, but never attended it personally. So I was excited to finally experience it for myself.
We arrived in time to see the ending of the parade that kicked off the event. There was a firetruck, and Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus made their grand entrance.
The Mayor introduced Santa, and said a few words before the tree lighting ceremony outside the museum. Immediately following that was a fireworks display.
After the fireworks, Patti, the kids, and I made our way over to the DJ booth to grab gift bags for the kids and then headed inside Hill Crest Bible Church to get warm.
Inside Hill Crest, free cookies and hot chocolate were waiting for everyone to enjoy. I must add that the cookies were so warm and soft that the kids’ faces were covered in melted chocolate afterwards.

Ms. Claus, Morgan, Theo and Santa. Photo by Bill Hanenburg

There also was a craft area inside for the kids, which Theo and Morgan participated in.
Holiday Night had an ugly sweater theme this year, so Emmah bought Theo and Morgan some Grinch sweaters, while I happened to already have a Grinch sweater myself that I wore to match.
While Theo and Morgan were working on their crafts, the Grinch walked into Hill Crest and was taking photos with the event attendees. Of course, Theo, Morgan, and I had to snap a picture with the Grinch, and then we all bundled up to head back out into the cold.
We decided to get in line for the kids to meet Santa inside the museum. While we waited, we got to watch live ice carving happening right in front of us.
Everywhere you looked, something was happening. Aside from the Grinch, other costume characters attended the event as well, like Olaf and a giant nutcracker. There was a juggler riding a unicycle and outdoor games like connect four, cornhole, jenga, and putt putt.
If we got cold while waiting in line, we could walk over to the warming areas with fire pits. My hair smelled like a bonfire for the rest of the night.
It was a rather long wait for the kids to get their photo with Santa, so I would recommend getting some food beforehand. Several food trucks were at the event, including: Fun Food Express, G. Faz Pizza, and Fudgey Grandma’s Coffee.
After Theo and Morgan got their photo taken with Santa and Mrs. Claus, both of them were given toys, courtesy of Hill Crest Bible Church.
This is the eighth year in a row the Wayne Historical Society has planned Holiday Night. Hill Crest Bible Church has helped with the event for seven of those years and provides the toys given to the children.
This is the fourth year that Lisa Kubany, Wayne Downtown Development Authority (DDA) Marketing and Events Director has been involved.
“From my first year, it definitely has grown with what we have brought to the event,” said Kubany. “The museum and Hill Crest go above and beyond every year.”
The event was sponsored by the DDA, Hill Crest Bible Church, Wayne Historical Society, and Ford Motor Company. Kurt Jarman, Kurt’s Caps owner, provided the fire pits for the warming areas.
“Special thanks to our Wayne Police and Fire for participating,” said Kubany.
The Wayne Memorial High School Marching Band, Allstar Patriots Dance & Gym, and The Dance Academy performed in the parade, along with the Wayne Council and DDA Board.
The event also had hayrides and choirs and carolers including children from St. Joseph’s Catholic School. DJ Lutalo from The Dance Academy attended the event and held a dance contest with prizes.
“On behalf of the DDA, we would like to thank all of our sponsors and everyone that attends this event,” said Kubany. “Christmas in Wayne has become a highlighted event. We couldn’t wait to invite family, friends, and neighbors back to our festivities this year.”
The Wayne Historical Society is located at 1 Towne Square St. and is open Wednesday 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. and Thursday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
If you want to learn about events, fundraisers, or more information about the museum, you can visit the website at facebook.com/waynehistoricalsociety. Or call (734)722-0113.
Be sure to attend Holiday Night at the Museum next year and be on the lookout for the next Spotlight Series with Sarah!

Andy Barylski, ENVOY, Wayne Westland Salvation Army administrator and Santa looking at the of items to be purchased on the Giving Tree.

By Sarah Shurge – Most of us think about what a magical time Christmas is for our children, but we may not think about how Christmas can be difficult for those struggling financially. Parents that want to make the holidays special for their children but financially can’t afford to.
The good news is, there’s a way you can get involved and help make a difference for those families!
“You can help through the Giving Tree,” said Andy Barylski, ENVOY, Wayne Westland Salvation Army administrator. “You take a tag off the tree and purchase items that are needed/wanted.”
The Giving Tree is an annual project the Salvation Army hosts around the Christmas season to assist families in need within the community or surrounding communities.
The tree has a bunch of tags available for the community to grab. Each tag has an age, gender, and suggested (by the family) items for the child. Families sign up for assistance in November and all families have been determined “in need” by the Salvation Army.
Items can include: toys, coats, hats, gloves, and more.
Once you have purchased your items listed on the tag, you can drop them off at an Angel Tree location or to the Salvation Army. It’s that simple.
“All donations received go back to support the local community,” said Barylski. “There are struggling people in our neighborhood, and this is a way to make a difference right here. It makes a direct impact in our community.”
Barylski has been with the Salvation Army for almost 20 years, serving under his current title for five years, and been a Wayne resident for five years as well.
“My favorite part is seeing how the work we do makes a direct impact with people that benefit from our services,” said Barylski.
Item distribution begins Monday, December 16th, and ends on Friday, December 20th. The Salvation Army is still in need of adopters/people to participate in the Giving Tree.
“It’s a great opportunity to make a difference in our community for those in need during the holiday season,” said Barylski.
If you have any questions regarding how to get involved with the Giving Tree, call (734)722-3660, or visit centralusa.salvationarmy.org/wayne-westland
The Salvation Army Wayne Westland Corps Community Center is located at 2300 S Venoy Rd, Westland, and is open Monday – Saturday 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. and 24 hours on Sunday.
Be sure to pick up a tag, purchase those items, bring them to a location, and make a difference this holiday season!

Ribbon cutting for Amo Sami’s Shawarma at Michigan Avenue and John Hix.

By Sarah Shurge – The City of Wayne is always excited to celebrate and recognize businesses within our community. We’d like to shout out some celebrations recently.
Our first celebration goes to Amo Sami’s Shawarma, which had its ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday, November 13th.
“It was a nice day. Family, friends, and the community all came together,” said Ali Faraj, Amo Sami’s Shawarma owner. “It was great, around 200 people showed up. We handed out chicken shawarma samplers, salads, and hummus.”
Amo Sami’s Shawarma originally started out in a food truck, moved locations, and then returned to Wayne.
“We’re back and better than ever with the same ole’ taste — the best chicken shawarma you’ll ever taste,” said Faraj.
Some of Amo Sami’s Shawarma’s best selling items are the chicken shawarma and the Amo Sami (chicken, fries, pickles, and coleslaw.)
“We’re born and raised in Wayne, work in Wayne, and there to serve Wayne residents. We’d love for them [the community] to give us a chance. They won’t be disappointed,” said Faraj.
Amo Sami’s Shawarma is located at 38800 Michigan Ave. and is open Monday – Friday 11 a.m. – 7 p.m., and Saturday – Sunday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m..
For more information about Amo Sami’s Shawarma, visit amosamis.com/wayne/ or call (734)329-2392. To order online, visit: amo-samis-wayne.square.site
You can find them on Facebook and Instagram by searching “Amo Sami’s Shawarma.”
Our other celebration goes to Above & Beyond Urgent Care, which celebrated its one-year anniversary in Wayne on Wednesday, November 20th.

Above & Beyond Urgent Care, celebrated its one year anniversary with Eyad Jadallah, Councilman Quarles, Mayor John Rhaesa and Councilman Rabih Darwiche.

“It was a tough process growing a new business from scratch. We’re still trying to build and have the community become more familiar with us,” said Eyad Jadallah, Above & Beyond Urgent Care family nurse practitioner. In honor of its anniversary, Above & Beyond Urgent Care hosted an open house event for people to come in and check out the clinic. The mayor, committee members, and community members showed up and asked questions.
“There’s a lot of options out there, even in just Wayne alone, and we want people to know we’re an option,” said Jadallah.
Above & Beyond Urgent Care offers services such as: drug screening, medication refill, laceration repair, STD testing, on-site x-ray and private lab with same-day x-ray reads, telemed visits, and more.
Above & Beyond Urgent Care’s most popular services are: vitamin D injections and its weight loss program with semaglutide injections.
For its anniversary, Above & Beyond Urgent Care is also offering a new deal on semaglutide injections (now – February), along with free sports physicals (first -12th grade).
“We’re giving people the care they need and deserve,” said Jadallah. “A lot of people are grateful for our care and services. We get you in and out quickly without rushing you.”
Above & Beyond Urgent Care is located at 32413 Michigan Ave, and is open seven days a week: Monday – Friday 9 a.m. – 9 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
For more information about Above & Beyond Urgent Care, visit abovebeyonduc.com or call (734) 331-9249.
You can find them on Facebook and Instagram by searching “Above & Beyond Urgent Care.”
“We’re still trying to grow, and do our best as part of the community and stay here as long as possible,” said Jadallah.
Be sure to check out and support these businesses in Wayne!

The corner of Michigan and Merriman, showing Buildings I,J,K,L,and M.

This is part 6 of a multi-part history of the Wayne County Poorhouse and Asylum, commonly known as Eloise. As we go into the 1920s Eloise experiences a population explosion, just like Detroit at the time. The auto industry was booming, people were moving to Wayne County for work from all over the US, and the population was growing 20% per year. The population of Wayne doubled, Dearborn quadrupled. With this also brought more poor folks, and more folks with mental illness.
To cope with this huge influx of new patients 5 new buildings were built on the corner of Michigan Avenue and Merriman, buildings I, J, K, L, and M. These were all mental patient wards, and were there until the facility closed, there is a Kroger there now. In the 20s we also had advancing treatments for mental illnesses, some of the first pharmaceuticals came online, and new therapies such as Insulin shock, Electric shock, hypnosis, and many others. Although considered outdated today, these techniques were the cutting edge of medical theory at the time.
In 1924 a new power plant was built, which still survives today in an abandoned state. Interestingly they had to build this building over top of the old power and steam plant without shutting down the old ones, quite a feat. The roaring 20s were going great until 1929, when the US stock market crashed. Tens of thousands lost their jobs, savings, and houses. Being the county poorhouse, thousands showed up at the doorstep of Eloise.
In an emergency move to house all these new people in the poorhouse, N Building was built. This building was a massive 382,000 square feet over 10 acres and could house 2,000 people. Remarkably the building used the entire US supply of marble and was built in just a few months. The building was novel for having a 200-gallon coffee urn and piping in the ceiling to distribute coffee across the building. In the poorhouse the sexes were segregated, and you would be in a long dorm room with 50-100 men or women. The facility had doctors and dentists you could see, they would give you clothes and shoes, and you got three meals a day.
As stated earlier in this series, if you were in the poorhouse and physically able, you worked 4-6 hours a day doing farm work, cleaning, maintenance or whatever needed done. In 1933 at the height of the depression there were 7,441 people in the poorhouse, around 2,600 in the mental wards, and a few hundred staff. So there were over 10,000 people living and working there, it truly was its own city.

Margaret Agnes (Bozelak) Rosenberger, aged 90, of Wayne, Michigan, passed away on Tuesday, July 23rd, 2024. Margaret, known as Marge, was born on June 30th, 1934, in Detroit, to the late I. Agnes (New) and Joseph Bozelak. She was raised on her family’s farm in Romulus before she moved to Wayne in 1959.
Marge worked almost 30 years as an elementary school cook at Hoover Elementary in Wayne, and loved working with children. At home, she enjoyed cooking, bowling, gardening, preserving food, working on computers, and knitting and crocheting blankets and bags, many of which she donated.
Marge was preceded in death by her husband of 66 years, Joseph J. Rosenberger Jr., formerly of Fulton, Michigan, who passed away on June 24, 2022. She was also preceded in death by her brothers George (Darlene) Bozelak and John (Mary) Bozelak; brother-in-law Donald (Shirley) Rosenberger; and sister-in-law Sharon Harrell.
Marge is survived by her daughter, Diane (Rosenberger) Tomashik; grandchildren, Ian (Abbey) Tomashik and Aiden Tomashik; son-in-law Robert Tomashik; sister-in-law Sheila (Mick) Hoefferle; and sixteen nieces and nephews.
Her family would like to thank the staff at American House on Venoy Road in Westland and the Homestead medical and hospice teams who helped care for her over the past nine months.
Her ashes will be buried with her parents and family at Michigan Memorial Park next spring. A small family service will be held at that time.

Welcome back to another Spotlight Series with Sarah!
The series where the writer gets to know the city more personally, while the readers get to know the writer better in the process.
Some people are ‘car people,’ while other people are not. Unfortunately, I am the latter.
Whenever my older brother or my boyfriend try to explain anything car-related to me, I listen and try to understand. Genuinely, I do. But no matter how much I try, sometimes it just sounds like a foreign language to me.
My brother is the type of person that can look at a car, figure out what’s wrong with it, and fix it. My brother, my brother’s best friend, and my boyfriend all have that same gift. My mom has an older Buick model that needs some TLC and all three of them have worked on this car before, but every couple of months, something new needs fixing.
The latest issue occurred when my mom was driving my boyfriend and me to the airport and she noticed her brakes were barely working. By the time she returned home, she texted me that her brakes were completely useless.

F & R Automotive Car Care

This time when my brother inspected the car, he realized this repair was going to be a bigger job than he had the time for. He decided it would be worth paying for the job to get done by a professional, so he began calling around repair shops in Wayne.
Only one place he called did brake line repairs with a reasonable repair timeline that worked for him (from date he called, to drop-off date, to pick-up date). Certain places informed him that he couldn’t drop the car off for days to even a week.
F & R Automotive Car Care said he could drop it off the same day or the next.
On Friday, September 20th, my brother called a tow truck (since the brakes no longer worked) and had my mom’s car dropped off at F & R Automotive Car Care.
That same day, he received a phone call from F & R that the repairs were done. So I drove him there to pick up the car, but the F & R workers informed my brother that they noticed the car was not fully fixed and needed to keep the car over the weekend.
On Monday, September 23rd, my brother received another call from F & R that the repairs were completed. So again, I drove my brother there to pick up the car. He inspected the car with the worker and drove it home to check for himself.
“Everything that was wrong was fixed,” said my brother. “They were very communicative, I was well aware of how things were going or of any timeline changes, and they were reasonable with the price.”
The repairs my mom’s car received: full brake line replacement, full rotor replacement, transmission line leak repair, and window motor relay replacement.
“They also identified some repairs that I’ll probably need to take care of in the future,” said my brother. “I liked the transparency of them bringing something to my attention that could become a problem before it became a problem that was completely unrelated to anything I had done.”
So when that time comes, my brother said he could take my mom’s car back to F & R to get the remainder of those future repairs done.
F & R Automotive Car Care has been in Wayne for 25 years, two years under new ownership.
“We’re trusted, reliable, fast, and licensed mechanics,” said Adam Rammal, F & R Automotive Car Care Manager.
F & R Automotive provides popular services such as: suspensions, brake specials, muffler, tune ups, flushes, transmission, engine, and more.
“We do a lot of everything,” said Rammal.
F & R Automotive also offers free laser alignment, and free brake and muffler inspection, with discounts such as: senior, government, and first-time customer.
“You can trust your family’s business with us because we’re a family run business,” said Rammal.
Rammal’s father, Eddy, is the owner of F & R Automotive Car Care, while he also works with his cousin and his father’s friend that he’s known for years.
“I just enjoy cars in general, but my favorite part is always being around family,” said Rammal.
F & R Automotive is offering $50 oil change if you bring in a copy of this specific Spotlight Series with Sarah.
F & R Automotive Car Care is located at 34655 E Michigan Ave, and is open 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday – Friday, and 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Saturday.
For more information about F & R Automotive Car Care, call (734) 595-8071.
You can find them on Facebook by searching “F & R Auto Repair” and Instagram by searching “f_r_automotive”
Be sure to check out F & R Automotive Car Care, and be on the lookout for the next Spotlight Series with Sarah!