January 2019 News Briefs

Photo preservation lecture
Westland Historic Village Park will be hosting a Photo Preservation lecture on Tuesday, January 8, 2019 from 7:00-9:00 p.m. at their location at 857 N. Wayne Rd.
Do you have photo albums or shoe boxes full of negatives? Have you ever wondered how you can preserve them? Kenneth Hafeli, a local historian, will explain how you can preserve your photographs.

Historical fashion presented
The Wayne Historical Society will be hosting Beth Turza on Thursday, January 10, at 7:00 p.m. at the Wayne Historical Museum, 1 Towne Square. Beth will discuss women and children’s clothing from 1830-1860. She will show examples of this period clothing from her personal collection. All are invited to this free event. Light refreshments will be served.

High school juniors being sought
The Wayne-Westland Distinguished Young Woman Program will be having their Program Orientation for all interested Wayne or Westland high school juniors, Class of 2020, on Monday, January 28, at 7:00 p.m. The location is 37955 Glenwood, Wayne. The actual program will be March 8.
Applications are being sought at www.distinguishedyw.org. Click on “Apply Now.” Information will be forwarded to the Wayne-Westland organizers who will then contact you with Orientation details.
DYW is part of a national program which awards scholarships for young women’s achievement. This is a great way to earn scholarship money for college.

Michigan POW camps in WWII
During World War II, Michigan became a temporary home to six thousand German and Italian POWs. At a time of homefront labor shortages, they picked fruit in Berrien County, harvested sugar beets in the Thumb, cut pulpwood in the Upper Peninsula and maintained parks and other public spaces in Detroit. The work programs were not flawless and not all of the prisoners were cooperative, but many of the men established enduring friendships with their captors.
Author Gregory Sumner will be at the Wayne Public Library on Wednesday, February 13, to tell the story of these detainees and the ordinary Americans who embodied our highest ideals, even amid a global war. This free event will start at 7:00 p.m. and is co-hosted by the Friends of the Library with the Wayne Historical Society.

New law in effect
The Michigan Vehicle Code (MVC) was amended recently in regards to vehicles passing bicycles to require a motor vehicle overtaking a bicycle going in the same direction to pass at a safe distance of at least three feet to the left of the bicycle or, if that is impracticable, at a safe speed and distance to the left.
MCL 257.636(2) The driver of a motor vehicle overtaking a bicycle proceeding in the same direction shall pass at a safe distance of at least 3 feet to the left of that bicycle or, if it is impracticable to pass the bicycle at a distance of 3 feet to the left, at a safe distance to the left of that bicycle at a safe speed, and when safely clear of the overtaken bicycle shall take up a position as near the right-hand edge of the main traveled portion of the highway as is practicable.
MCL 257.637(3) The driver of a vehicle overtaking a bicycle proceeding in the same direction shall, when otherwise permitted by this section, pass at a distance of 3 feet to the right of that bicycle or, if it is impracticable to pass the bicycle at a distance of 3 feet to the right, at a safe distance to the right of that bicycle at a safe speed.
The new law also states that a vehicle may pass a bicycle in a no-passing zone if it is safe to do so.
There are some exceptions. MCL 257.660a. states that rule does not apply if the bicycle is turning left, continuing straight when in a lane of traffic turning right, passing another bicycle or vehicle going in the same direction, operating on the right-hand edge of the roadway is unsafe or reasonably unusable by bicycles, or operating as near as practicable to the lefthand curb or edge when on one-way highway or street with two or more marked lanes.
Depending on the position of the bicycle and motor vehicle, MCL 257.636 or MCL 257.637 will control how a motor vehicle may pass the bicycle.
Wayne has many bicycle riders, including members of the Wayne Bicycle Club, who take to the streets every day. Please be safe.

New medication disposal box at police department
The Wayne Police Department now has a medication disposal box in the lobby. Residents are encouraged to bring their unwanted/unused medications to the police department to properly dispose of them. Items accepted are pills, tablets, capsules, patches and pet medications. Items not accepted include liquids, EpiPens, creams or gels, needles, thermometers, sprays, vials and inhalers.
The Wayne Police Department would like to thank the Rite Aid Foundation and KidCents for donating the disposal box.