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.”

The City of Wayne administrative team: Finance Director – Katie Sample, City Clerk – Tina Parnell – Community Development Director – Lori Gouin, DPS Director – Mike Szuch, Fire Chief – Mike Stradtner, City Manager – Diane Webb, Police Chief – Ryan Strong, IT Director – Dennis Carino, Asst. DPW Director – Dave Schmidt, Personnel Director – Alyse Leslie, and Confidential Assistant to City Manager – Rebecca Ferris. Photo by Stan Shelton

By Sarah Shurge – On Tuesday, December 19, 2023, the city council selected Diane Webb as the new city manager.
Since then, her focus has been improving the city of Wayne.
“As long as I can be an asset to the city and continue to drive improvements and increase quality of life here, I’m happy going to work every day,” said Webb.
“My administrative team is outstanding. They are all experienced, knowledgeable, and dedicated. They work well together and well with me. We are all focused on moving the city forward,” said Webb. “It’s exciting and refreshing and one of the highlights working in Wayne is working with the level of professionals on my team.”
Szuch, Carino, and Ferris are all new to the team.
“The fresh eyes are exactly what the city was missing,” said Webb.
Webb has a long and diverse career that has centered around the city of Wayne. For the first 18 years of her career, Webb worked in the private sector. She was a technician in Wayne, she did customer service management, project management, and community relations.
Webb served four years as a city councilwoman in Garden City, 11 years on Wayne County Commission, and did government relations with Wayne representatives.
“My first job was in Wayne and my last job will be in Wayne,” said Webb.
Webb has been city manager for 14 months now, so it’s important to highlight the City of Wayne 2024 end of year report.
“The first year was an assessment of where we were at, what’s working, what’s not working, what challenges there are, removing obstacles so we can move forward. Laying the plans,” said Webb.
So, with the start of a new year, comes the start of a new plan.
“2025 is the implementation year. The vision coming to life. The old go away and the new being built. We should see it happen over the next two years,” said Webb.

Here are some accomplishments that have happened over the past year:
-Saved the city $1.6M by bidding out the project to decommission the water reservoir in Goudy Park. Saved the city $43K by negotiating release of former contract and rebid design work.
-Worked with the City Administration, City Council, and DDA formed a Community Engagement Team to design and plan for the revitalization of Goudy Park that will be funded through $2.27M in Grants from MEDC, HUD, Wayne County ARPA, and the DDA RAP Grant.
-Worked with DPW to remove dead trees and the growth of invasive species that closed off the riverfront in Goudy Park from public view. These efforts made the area safer while beautifying the park.
-Restored youth baseball in the city of Wayne by negotiating with leaders from both Wayne Baseball and the Westland Youth Athletic Association (WYAA) to create the Wayne-Westland Youth Athletic Association (WWCYA).
-Utilized Wayne County Park Millage Dollars to renovate the concession/restroom building at Forest Park to enable WWCYA teams to play in the city of Wayne.

Decommissioning the water reservoir in Goudy Park.

Financial overview
of the past year:
-Began the 2024 FY with a $1.2M Budget Deficit and completed the FY with a $746K General Fund Surplus. Increased fund balance in the City’s General Fund from $8,768,153.00 to $9,514,516.00.
-Long Term Debt is listed as a challenge because the city must currently allocate $1,125,000 annually. The city has continued to pay them down and has not issued any additional debt since 2021. Two of the city’s three bonds will be paid off by 2028. Reducing expenditures by $200,000.
“Wayne has been struggling financially for at least a decade, it probably started 15 years ago. We’re not out of the woods yet – it’s a process and it takes time, but we are moving aggressively into the future in a positive way,” said Webb.
-City’s Bond Rating is still below investment grade and has been since 2016. That it is slowly and steadily improving.
-Grant Dollars Received: $9,915,884.39.
“Grants have been absolutely essential to accomplish the things we’re doing,” said Webb. “We don’t miss a grant opportunity.”
-The City received $1,766,961.72 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds which could be used for governmental services. The ARPA funding needed to be spent or obligated in full by 12/31/2024, the city did meet this requirement. The obligated funds must be spent by 12/31/2026 and they are in the process of completing the final project.
-The vast majority of the city’s ARPA funding was allocated to gearing up the Police and Fire Departments and replacing HVAC systems in all four main Civic Buildings: Police, Fire, DPW, and City Hall. The remaining dollars are being used to renovate City Hall.
-The city of Wayne secured $4.9M in State EGLE grants and $960K in Federal EPA dollars to replace lead lines throughout the city. To date, they have replaced approximately 400 lead water services.
“We’ve got the vision and we’re bringing it to fruition. Being lead-free by the end of 2025,” said Webb.
-The Community Development department secured a $50,000 Safe Streets Grant and a $17,926 MSHDA Housing Readiness Grant for facade improvements for businesses in the DDA.
-State paramedic grant has saved the city $96,217 in paramedic costs, another grant has been awarded for 2025-$53,025. (This will cover the last two firefighters to be enrolled in a qualified paramedic program).

Department accomplishments:
-The Wayne Police Department responded to 22,937 calls for service and took 2,565 reports.
-In 2024, the Fire Department responded to 4,606 calls. Of those calls 3,561 were for EMS and 1,045 were fire calls.
-The Fire Department’s new fire truck is now in service. This truck was ordered three years ago.
-The Building and Engineering department issued 410 certificates of compliance, 30 certificates of occupancy, 581 building permits, 237 plumbing permits, 243 mechanical permits, and 295 electrical permits.
-The Department of Public Works (DPW) cleaned and televised 29,303.1 linear feet of sanitary sewers. These sewers range from 6″ to 18″ in size.
“Every department is critical. Some of their work is felt more externally while others’ impact is more internally,” said Webb. “Good government is transparent. When everything is working, you don’t think about it. When your water isn’t working, then you think about it. If your garbage wasn’t picked up, then you think about it. You don’t really realize how great they are until they aren’t there.”

The parking structure will be demolished later this year.

New plans:
-The city’s Administrative Team and Wayne County Commissioner Al Haidous worked with the Wayne County Commission to write and secure a $700K Community Development Block Grant from the county to demolish the under-utilized, dysfunctional, and blighted parking structure and build a new parking lot for the library and make room for new development. (The city will relocate the Peace Memorial near Veteran’s Park at City Hall.)
“People have wanted to see parking structures go for 20 years. I’m excited for grant funding for that,” said Webb.
-The Abbey Loft development is scheduled to begin construction this Spring. Plans include six beautiful housing units with garages attached.
Webb mentioned that in the future she’d like to focus on filling vacant buildings in the DDA, as well as do more with the Rouge River like an ADA kayak ramp from Goudy and trail connectivity.
“I would love for people to launch a kayak at Goudy,” said Webb. “The city has great potential, great bones. It just needed life to be breathed back into it.”
Webb and the administrative team are working on maximizing the city’s potential.
“As great as my team is, we couldn’t do anything without the blessing from the council. The council and the mayor have been very supportive of our ideas. They help us move forward,” said Webb.
Thank you to the city’s administrative team, the support from the city council, the DDA Board, and our community stakeholders for all they do for the city of Wayne!
“I’m really looking forward to the future and seeing our visions becoming a reality,” said Webb. “It doesn’t feel like a job when you love what you do and that’s how I feel, I love what I’m doing.”

Division 1 MHSAA Individual Bowling Champion Lyman Derrick III.

By Sarah Shurge – Congratulations to Lyman Derrick III on being crowned champion at the Division 1 MHSAA individuals bowling tournament on Saturday, March 1st, at Thunderbowl Lanes.
Derrick is a Wayne Memorial sophomore and one of only three underclassmen to make the top 16 for match play, and the only one to make it to the Final Four.
Derrick finished 4th at Regionals the weekend before qualifying for States.
On Saturday, Derrick shot 227, 227, 225, 183, 247, 230, averaging 223 for the six-game qualifying block. He qualified 5th in the top 16 to make it to match play.
“He was absolutely locked-in,” said Christine Day, Wayne Memorial Bowling Coach.
Derrick beat the reigning 2024 State Champ twice, shooting 257 and 233 to beat him both games by a total of 46 pins.
“Lyman was so focused on his bowling and making good shots that he didn’t even know that he had won the final match,” said Day. “When he finished his last frame (not realizing he had beat him by 45 pins the first game), he thought it was close and came up to me and asked ‘so, did I win? Or did I lose?’ I had to quietly tell him the good news as his opponent threw his last shots.”
When the game was over, Derrick was finally able to celebrate and his teammates (who had come out to watch him) all lifted him up and cheered for him.
“The team was skilled and supportive of each other this season, but they really grew together in the last couple months,” said Day. “They won the Conference tournament the week before and never gave up when they qualified at Regionals. We fell short in the semi-finals but not for a lack of team effort. They absolutely belonged amongst the best in the State.”
This is Day’s 10th year coaching Wayne Memorial bowling. Her first four years were with just the girls, and the last six years have been both boys and girls Varsity and JV programs.
“I’ve had a great group of kids who represent the school well on and off the lanes, and many who continue to do so years later,” said Day. “I have kept in contact with the 2023 State Champs team, and they were happy to come out and visit with this year’s team when I asked them to. Those same champions came out to support this year’s team over the weekend.”
Congratulations again to Derrick on his victory!

Volunteer manager of the Open Closet, Lynn Boertje, and Malynda Garcia, Director of the Outreach Center in the food pantry.

By Sarah Shurge – “Our first priority is the people that are coming through the door and helping them,” said Lynn Boertje.
Boertje is life-long Wayne resident, has attended St. Mary Parish, Wayne her entire life, and volunteers at St. Mary Community Outreach Center.
St. Mary Parish, Wayne is the oldest Catholic parish in western Wayne County, founded in 1862. The St. Mary Community Outreach Center opened on September 3, 2003.
The Outreach Center hosts the Food Depot and the Open Closet Clothing Bank.
“The center services people in Wayne, Westland, and Canton areas. It helps with food and clothing. It helps those that are in dire need,” said Malynda Garcia, St. Mary Community Outreach Center director.
The Food Depot is open 9 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. Monday – Friday, where people can receive a basket of food.
Those in need can call to make an appointment, or brand-new families/individuals can just show up so they can get put into the system.
Clients will need to bring their ID and two pieces of mail to verify their address (if they are new), including every member of the household, and minor children need a birth certificate to prove they are in the home.
“I know a couple of clients that are getting cut from food stamps, so we’re there to help,” said Garcia.
The Open Closet Clothing Bank is open 10 a.m. – noon Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. There is a $1 entrance fee to get in and then you can pick clothing/items you want.
Clients have 20 minutes to shop the racks. They have options from clothing, shoes, bedding, small household items, kitchen appliances, kids’ toys, car seats, luggage, etc. It all depends on what items people have donated.
Clients are allowed two visits per month to shop at the Clothing Bank. They can come anytime they are available.
“$1 for like 10 bags of clothes is better than the Salvo where you have to pay for individual items,” said Garcia.
Garcia has been attending St. Mary Parish for 13 years, volunteering with Community Outreach Center since September 2023, and has been the director since November 2023.
“My favorite part is seeing people that are truly in need – the happiness they get from the help they need,” said Garcia.
St. Mary Community Outreach Center is completely volunteer based. Boertje has been volunteering there since last fall.
St Mary is the only church Boertje has gone to. She went to school there. She raised her children there. Her husband and she were married there. She is the president of the parish council, she handles the linens, and is on the team that counts the money.

Volunteer manager of the Open Closet, Lynn Boertje (right) and one of her hardest working volunteers Lisa Uhlian.

“I’m really involved there. It is my home. I can’t imagine going to mass at a different parish,” Boertje.
Boertje had been with her husband since 1980, and they always volunteered and gave back. After her husband’s passing in June 2023, Boertje decided to volunteer all of her free time to volunteer work, which includes the clothing bank at the Outreach Center.
“There are days that I walk out with happy tears that I’ve been able to help somebody. That’s what it’s all about,” said Boertje.
In order for St. Mary Community Outreach Center to be able to continue helping the community, it needs your help through donations: clothing, food, or monetary.
If you’d like to donate clothing items, there is an extreme need for the following items: plus size men’s clothing, larger men’s shoes, and kids’ clothing (6 month – 2 years). However, all clothing items are welcome.
If you’d like to donate food items, there is a need for non-perishable foods.
You can drop off clothing donations in the parking lot off Sims St. during the clothing bank hours, and you can drop off food donations to the parking lot off 2nd St.
“We appreciate everything the city has done for us in the past and hope they continue to help us out in the future,” said Garcia.
Flowers in the Mitten has partnered with St. Mary Community Outreach Center.
If you are unable to drop off donations during the Outreach Center’s hours, you can bring food donations to Flowers in the Mitten’s shop and they will deliver it to the Outreach Center during their open hours.
Every donation enters you to win a bouquet of the month certificate good for 12 months.
Flowers in the Mitten is located at 34852 W. Michigan Ave, and is open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesday – Friday and 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Saturday.
St. Mary Parish is located at 34530 W Michigan Ave. The St. Mary Community Outreach Center is located at 34646 Sims St.
Hymns and readings are: Sunday 8:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. (English), 2 p.m. (Spanish), Saturday 4 p.m. (English), and Monday and Friday 9 a.m. (English).
Parish office hours are 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday (other times by appointment). Confessions are Saturday 3 – 3:30 p.m. (or can be scheduled).
For more information about St. Mary Parish, call (734)721-8745 (press 2), visit their website at stmarywayne.org, or e-mail parishoffice@stmarywayne.org. You can find them on Facebook by searching “St. Mary Catholic Church Wayne, MI”
“There are a great number of people that are in need. For us to have a facility like this where we can help people, that’s our mission. We’re unique. We’re truly a service center,” said Boertje.
Thank you to Garcia, Boertje, and all the other volunteers that keep St. Mary Community Outreach Center running!

Wayne resident, Eula Underwood celebrates her 104th birthday with her granddaughter and Mayor John Rhaesa.

By Sarah Shurge – Wayne resident, Eula Underwood just celebrated her 104th birthday!
Underwood was born March 7, 1921 in Clairton, Pennsylvania.
In her younger years, Underwood lived in Warren, Ohio where she graduated from high school and met her first husband. Shortly after graduating high school, Underwood married and gave birth to three sons before becoming a widow.
Eventually, Underwood remarried and gave birth to her youngest son, Filippo, in June 1945. Filippo is her only living child and who she lived with in the city of Westland and then the city of Wayne.
Underwood now lives at Pine Creek Manor, a long-term care facility in Wayne where she is enjoying life. Underwood has six grandchildren, twelve great-grandchildren, and five great-great grandchildren.
We wish Underwood a very happy 104th birthday!

Did you know that Wayne used to be one of the largest Carriage and Sleigh makers in the US?
It all began in 1882 when local businessman John Steers wrote in his newspaper “The village presents a rather dull appearance, as farmers are engaged in haying and harvesting”. He pointed out that Wayne at the time was a small farming village, and there was no draw to “Bring people to town”. Around that time many people began to complain that there were no jobs outside of farming, and some were afraid that jobless youths would end up in saloons. In 1887 a citizens improvement committee of 10 people was set up to convince a company to move to Wayne and build a factory. The Prouty and Glass Carriage Company had been established in Detroit in 1881 and occupied a whole block on Randolph Street. It was a private company owned by Fayette Prouty and John Glass. While initially successful the factory on Randolph was far away from rail lines that were necessary to ship the carriages all over, hurting productivity.
The company was approached by the committee from Wayne in 1887, and were successfully swayed with the large amounts of open land and easy rail

Factory of Prouty & Glass Carriage Company at Wayne. Photo courtesy of The Wayne Historical Museum

access to ship their products. In 1888 they bought 3 acres along the railroad tracks just west of Elizabeth Street for $8,000 and built a new factory. The factory would initially employ about 50 men, ranging from woodworkers to painters to blacksmiths. In 1889 the move and new building had put the company in a lot of debt, so it had to go public and offer stock to survive.
Many local Wayne families and business owners bought the stock to keep the business going. After a few years the company had flourished and was employing over 150 men. It is noted that P&G buys and cuts their own lumber, bends and finishes its own wood, makes its own forgings and metal parts, and paints and upholsters its own carriages all in house. Work was 7 a.m. – 6 p.m. six days a week, and men would drop a token with a number on it into a box to record when they came to work. A few women did work on site in the bookkeeping, payroll and upholstery areas. Workers went on numerous trips to Boblo Island and Sugar Island, and the annual Carriage Makers Ball was the highlight of the winter season in town. There was also an employee brass band that played at town events and parades, and many P&G workers made up the volunteer fire department.
A large addition was built in 1895 increasing production, and their carriages were sold nationwide in the Sears Roebuck catalog. Over 60 different types of carriages and sleighs could be ordered, with custom colors and upholstery. Around 1910 the company experimented with the fad of bicycles, but never made many.
Competition from automobiles began to spell doom for Prouty and Glass. Allegedly Henry Ford approached P&G about buying the factory to make cars in, and the ownership gave him a rude and harsh NO. In 1915 all operations at the factory stopped due to low sales of carriages. In 1916 the land, buildings and equipment were sold for $40,000 to Harroun Motors, a car company.
Much of the original Prouty and Glass plant was incorporated into the new Harroun Plant, but a fire in the late 1920s burned down many of the original buildings. Part of the original brick 1888 2-story building survived however on Elizabeth Street into the 1990s, before it was torn down for a parking lot for trucks.

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.
This month marks one entire year since I started my column, and next month will be four years since I started writing for The Wayne Dispatch.
Because of this column, I have experienced so many things in the city of Wayne over the last year that I probably wouldn’t have otherwise.
I’ve tasted yummy food and sweet treats, designed the best T-shirts for my best friend’s bachelorette party, got a new tattoo and piercing, experienced Holiday Night in Wayne for the first time with my best friend’s kids, thrifted some workout clothes, got manicures with my mom, my mom’s car got fixed, and I did volunteer work with my brother, Solomon.
If you’ve been keeping up with my column over the last year then you’ve hopefully learned a lot about me and my life, but there are obviously other people that make The Wayne Dispatch happen.
This month I thought it would be fun to shine a spotlight on the other people behind the paper, so you can get to know them better too.
I write my column and many of the other articles you read in the paper, however, the paper wouldn’t be complete without Memory Lane by Tyler Moll.
Memory Lane was originally started by Darlene Hawley, a member of the Historical commission, to educate the community on the history of our city.
Moll took over the Memory Lane column about two years ago, but had submitted some articles once in a while to The Wayne Dispatch a few years before that. “My favorite part is that I get freedom to choose what topic I want to write about. It could be something I’ve been researching that month or something I find interesting,” said Moll. “The freedom to choose is nice.”
In February, Moll just completed an eight-part series on the history of the Wayne County Poorhouse and Asylum, later known as Eloise. “There was a lot of history to cover. It’s a subject people go nuts for around this area,” said Moll. “I’ve received a lot of feedback and people are interested.”
Moll does special lectures on Eloise (in Wayne and surrounding cities) to a packed house.
“For the series, I had to stretch it out and give people the history who have not attended the lectures,” said Moll. If you missed Moll’s Eloise series, you can visit thewaynedispatch.com and search “Eloise” to read them all.

Memory Lane writer Tyler Moll, Publisher John Rhaesa, Graphic Designer Natalie Rhaesa and staff writer Sarah Shurge. Photo by John Mills

If you’re interested in Moll’s monthly history lectures at the museum, be sure to check the Wayne Historical Society’s facebook page for updates at facebook.com/waynehistoricalsociety.
Moll’s other favorite column was on how the roads in Wayne got their name. “People thought that was interesting too,” said Moll. You can read that piece as well by visiting thewaynedispatch.com and searching “roads.”
Aside from writing for The Wayne Dispatch, Moll has worked for the Wayne Historical Society for about eight years. He holds the title of museum curator.
Moll received his Master’s in Historical Preservation at Eastern Michigan University. He worked restoring buildings when he discovered that he liked museums. Moll has worked at the Dearborn Historical Museum for six years and he continues his restoration work.
Moll has used his passion for buildings for the good of the city of Wayne. “I like finding out things that people haven’t found out before. We have thousands of pictures and many don’t have anything on the back – no information. I’m good at identifying houses and buildings,” said Moll. Moll has identified thousands of buildings.
If you’d like to see some of the history that Moll writes about, you can visit the Wayne Historical Society at 1 Towne Square St, from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday. Wayne has some interesting history, I really enjoy diving into it,” said Moll.
Continuing with history in Wayne, The Wayne Dispatch was printed until 1972. Then the first issue of The Wayne Dispatch that John and Natalie Rhaesa started was published in November 2008.
John and Natalie’s vision for The Wayne Dispatch was a monthly publication that will be your source for positive community news.
“We decided if we had our own newspaper, we would want it delivered to all houses in the city,” said Natalie. “Direct mail to make sure it gets into the hands of everyone in the city and the advertisers get the best bang for their bucks.”
Since 2008, John and Natalie have been able to provide The Wayne Dispatch at no cost to the residents, still on newsprint, and it is available online for our online readers. Their success comes from years of experience. And more importantly, experience together.
Natalie and John met when a mutual friend introduced them. That same friend knew Natalie had studied graphic design in college and was looking for an internship, and got her an interview at The Wayne Eagle, where John happened to work as Art Director.
Natalie started working at The Wayne Eagle in the fall of 1993. John and Natalie got married on Saturday, June 3, 1995, and moved into their current home in Wayne in the spring of 1996, one week before their first wedding anniversary.
They continued to work together and shared an office at The Wayne Eagle until the fall of 2002. So when they decided to start their own paper together, it wasn’t very difficult for them.
“We had newspaper experience from The Eagle together and John ran the production department so he knew the different elements,” said Natalie. “We’re both graphic designers, so that helps too because we can bounce ideas off each other.”
Every great idea needs a name, and when it came to their paper, John and Natalie wanted to pick the perfect name. “We were looking at a couple different names and they were doing the mural on the State Wayne at the time. We picked ‘Wayne Dispatch’ because of the paperboy on the mural. The paperboy is the reason for the name,” said John.
The first time the paper was seen was at the mural unveiling, and the cover story of the first issue featured Joshua Winer and David Fichter, the muralists who painted the mural on the side of the State Wayne Theater.
Now The Wayne Dispatch has published 197 issues. Their 200th issue will be in June which is also when John and Natalie’s 30th anniversary is.
“Time has flown by so fast,” said Natalie. “We were able to publish every month, even through the pandemic, even through my cancer treatments. It’s pretty cool that we’ve been able to keep up with the same quality of work and we haven’t missed a month.”
If you’re curious what happens each month, Moll and I write the stories, both John and Natalie do photography, Natalie builds the ads, and John does the editorial, layout, and sales. Then Natalie’s sister does the proof-reading (and has since the first issue).
After that, John uploads the issue to the press site, it gets printed, delivered to the post office, and then delivered to your home.
Then, we start all over again the next month.
“My favorite part is that we’re learning about our community with our feature stories,” said Natalie. “There’s a lot of things you learn about your community.”
If you want to learn about Natalie’s ovarian cancer journey, you can visit thewaynedispatch.com and search “difficult diagnosis.” September 8th this year will mark three years of remission for Natalie.
John started serving on the city council in November 2011, and became Wayne Mayor in 2018. He is in his 7th year as Mayor and when he finishes his term, he’ll be the third longest serving mayor in the history of Wayne.
John and Natalie’s main goal for The Wayne Dispatch is more stories, more pages, and to keep growing. They want larger issues. If you have a story idea, an advertisement you want to run, or any questions regarding The Wayne Dispatch, you can call (734)641-6550 or email john@thewaynedispatch.com.
Be sure to continue enjoying The Wayne Dispatch, and be on the lookout for the next Spotlight Series with Sarah!

Steve Brooks, Wayne Memorial boy’s varsity basketball head coach

By Sarah Shurge – “We run our program to prepare them for the next level,” said Steve Brooks, Wayne Memorial boys varsity basketball head coach.
Brooks has a long history in coaching, but he cares more about the students than the record.
“Anything you want to achieve in life takes discipline. We’re big on doing the right things; following the rules. It’s about who you represent – you and family first, then Wayne Memorial. The name on your back is important,” said Brooks.
Boys basketball season starts in November and lasts until mid-March, however, Brooks explains during the off-season the students are encouraged to do individual training with conditioning, the weight room, games, etc.
At the beginning of the season, Brooks has all the student athletes write a paper on why they want to/are playing basketball. This helps the coaches understand where the students are coming from and what their goals are. At the end of season, Brooks has them write a reflection paper on how they think the season went, and all underclassmen have to write 10 things to work on/improve.
Practice during the season is every day on school days from 2:15 – 4:30 p.m. and then study table from 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. Study table is required for students to keep up with their academics and keeps everyone eligible to play.
Study table is not mandatory for students with a 3.2 accumulated GPA or higher, however, they are encouraged to stay and be tutors to the other students.
After a hard or difficult practice, Brooks hosts a “positive accountability circle” where each student gets to talk about what happened that day. This allows everyone a chance to clear the air so everyone goes home feeling good.
“The team is really a family. They’re brothers for real and have each other’s backs. They share the ball on the court, there’s no jealousy of someone else having success,” said Brooks.
Brooks makes sure to treat all of his players equally.
“I pride myself on being fair to them. All of my players are equal. If the star player breaks rules, he gets the same consequences as everyone else,” said Brooks.
The Wayne Memorial boys varsity basketball was ranked #5 with a 14-2 record (at the time of interview) and has the possibility of playing in the conference game, then the playoff championship, and then possibly the state tournament.
“That’s the goal. Our team is close in terms of bonding and that helps. We’ve got a pretty good chance but there’s some really good teams out there,” said Brooks.
The team travelled to Traverse City on the weekend of Saturday, February 8th, for a showcase game.
Showcase games allow the team to play against teams that aren’t in their conference. These games also bring college scouts, so the students have a chance to be seen.
Brooks has taken the team to five showcase games this season.
“On game day you should be prepared the whole day,” said Brooks.
Brooks believes social media has too many distractions, so students’ phones need to be off on the way to and from the game.
“You don’t have your mind on the game if you’re on social media. You should be talking to your teammates,” said Brooks.
Brooks has been coaching at Wayne Memorial since 2022, coaching varsity teams since 2001, and coaching sports teams for years before then.
“I wasn’t the best player, but I always knew what to do. All the guys told me I should get into coaching, so finally when I got in my 40’s I decided to do it,” said Brooks.
Brooks has coached girls teams, boys teams, middle school, high school, college, and even some pro players during summer. He’s coached basketball, football, baseball, and a soccer game once.
“It’s all the same, regardless of the sport,” said Brooks.
In high school, Brooks played all sports, but football and baseball were his passion back then. He didn’t want to stop playing until some knee surgeries slowed him down. He stumbled into coaching, starting at middle school and working his way up.
Brooks doesn’t have a favorite level of coaching, but he truly enjoys where he’s at now.

Coach Brooks with the Wayne Memorial Varsity Basketball team at the First Congregational Church of Wayne.

“I like this level because I like getting kids to college. You can make a bigger difference in the life of a kid while they’re still in high school than a college student when they are more of a finished product,” said Brooks.
Brooks’ favorite part about being a coach is just being around the kids.
“We develop kids and make them better. We watch them grow and achieve things they thought they couldn’t achieve prior,” said Brooks. “We teach them how to deal with adversity.”
Brooks wants the team to be known in the community in a positive way, so some of the students spoke at the First Congregational Church of Wayne and had a team meal prepared for them. He also had some team members speak at the Wayne Rotary Club.
“It’s bigger than basketball,” said Brooks.
Brooks thanks the City of Wayne for all of the support it has provided but also wanted to add that none of the success he’s had would have been possible without the help of his great staff.
Stefhan Allen has been with Brooks for 22 years, Ryan Brooks has been with him since 2010, and Todd Richardson since 2012. Tim Hollenbeck has been the freshman coach for the past two seasons.
Marhea Williams is the team mom that has prepared or helped to arrange the team meals for 12 years. She also reserves hotel rooms and restaurant reservations when the team is on the road.
Brooks had former players that came aboard last season, Avery Williams and Cortney Smith.
He also wanted to give a shout out to Bill Gray and Michael Bates of Michael Bates Chevrolet for their unyielding support for the program. Gray has been involved with the district for over 50 years and Bates is a Wayne Memorial graduate.
And of course, Brooks thanked his wife of 20 years, Valencia Brooks, who has allowed him to be shared by many people.
“A true coach’s wife,” said Brooks.
We wish the Wayne Memorial boys varsity basketball team well as they near the end of their season and we thank coach Brooks for all he has done for his student athletes!

Henry and Emma Timmermann

By Sarah Shurge – Many people celebrate love on February 14th, but Henry and Emma Timmermann celebrated something even more special this month.
On Sunday, February 9th, Henry and Emma celebrated their 79th wedding anniversary.
A celebratory brunch was held at US-12 Bar & Grill.
Last June, Henry turned 100 years old. The mayors of Wayne and Westland attended his celebration, and the family is hoping they will be able to celebrate Henry and Emma’s 80th anniversary next year with a larger celebration.
On a rainy afternoon in February 1946, Henry and Emma were pronounced man and wife at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Wayne.
Five children, 18 grandchildren, 25 great grandchildren, and 15 great-great grandchildren later, Henry and Emma are still as strong as they ever were.

Henry and Emma Timmermann were married February 9, 1946.

Henry can still remember the first time he laid eyes on Emma at a Halloween party in the church basement, which was located in Wayne, just over a month after the end of WWII.
Emma, an original Rosie working for Stinson Aircraft in Wayne building the L-13 grasshopper reconnaissance aircraft, wasn’t interested in dating at that time.
Henry persisted and the couple went on their first date to a drive-in theater at Schaefer Road and 8 Mile. They continued to date, going to movies and seeing shows at the Fox theater in Detroit.
As a German national, Henry was barred from serving in the war and instead participated in the war efforts with his carpentry work.
The Timmermann’s both grew up on farms and were raised during the Great Depression, which instilled a strong work ethic in them.
Their effortless relationship was built out of mutual respect and centered on faith.
Both Henry and Emma are members of the Wayne Historical Society.
Emma claims the secret to a long-standing relationship is being stubborn.
“Always remember the good things and I think that has worked for us more than anything else. More than anything else you forget your arguments, you forget your bad times, and that is what has brought us here now. We’re happy together,” said Emma.
Congratulations to Henry and Emma on 79 years of love!

Helium Studio owners plan to close the downtown brick-and-mortar store next month.

By Sarah Shurge – After over nine years in Wayne, Helium Studio is making a pivot.
Dave and Kim Jenkins, Helium Studio owners, are planning for retirement within the next few years and in turn, plan to close the downtown brick-and-mortar store – Helium Studio, on Sunday, March 9th.
Eventually they will be selling the building, however, this isn’t the end of Helium Studio.
Helium Studio will continue to be Dave and Kim’s passion project as it switches to online/vintage booth/pop-ups.
Helium Studio features 40+ artists and makers’ local, indie and handmade goods, such as: jewelry, wearables, home decor, accessories and more, including a vintage collection in store and on eBay.
From now until March 9th, Helium Studio will be offering discounts and have a menu for the public. Some sales include: most vintage: 10% off, some clear glass; up to 40% off, and rest of shop: 15% off.
Check Helium Studio’s Facebook page at facebook.com/heliumstudioandpost for the latest information on sales and updates.
Helium Studio is located at 3127 S Wayne Rd, and is open 12 – 5 p.m. Wednesday – Saturday.
For more information about Helium Studio, call (734)725-3811, visit heliumstudio.square.site/ or email shopheliumstudio@gmail.com.

The City of Wayne is partnering with the Detroit Institute of Arts to create a public mural on the sign shop in Goudy Park.

By Sarah Shurge – Goudy Park has been undergoing many changes recently and the City of Wayne Downtown Development Authority (DDA) wants your opinion for one of the next decisions.
The City of Wayne is partnering with the Detroit Institute of Arts to create a public mural in the park that will reflect our community.
“The DDA is thrilled to have been chosen for this project. It is in line with our DDA Plan to incorporate public art into the Downtown,” said Lori Gouin, DDA Director.
The artwork will be painted during the 2025 calendar year on the exterior north/east facing walls of the city building located in the lower court parking lot. This location will be the new and highly visible entrance to Goudy Park.
“It will also serve as the new main parking lot for Goudy Park once the renovations are completed,” said Gouin. “We hope for the mural to be a destination for individuals to take photos and enjoy the amenities that Goudy Park will offer.”
The community’s input is important, needed, and will help inform the design.
To gather the public’s opinion, a survey will be going live on February 15th and close on February 28th.
The survey includes three questions:
1) What themes or ideas should be incorporated into the artwork that best represents the City of Wayne?
2) Please share any additional thoughts or comments regarding the theme for this project.
3) Are you a resident of the City of Wayne?
To access the survey while it is live, scan the QR code and submit your answers.
“I am most looking forward to what input the community has in regard to what they would like to see there. Will it be floral? Will it be a depiction of the City’s past? We look forward to hearing from everyone,” said Gouin.
Be sure to fill out the survey and share what you think reflects our community!