2· september 2020 - wayne

2 · September 2020 · The Wayne Dispatch

By Carolyn Marnon

Prior to the 20th century,cannabis was found in pharmaciesto relieve migraines and various painconditions. Many online resourcesstate that problems with cannabisstarted in the early 1900s when theUS had an influx of Mexican immi-grants. These immigrants broughtwith them their culture and customs,one of which was smoking mari-huana. Law enforcement officials inTexas thought marihuana incited vi-olent crime in users and that the im-migrants were distributing it toAmerican schoolchildren. By 1931,at least 29 states had outlawed theJekyll and Hyde drug. The AmericanMedical Association is said to haveobjected to the illegalization becauseof the plant’s medicinal benefits.

Michigan’s Finest, located at39112 Van Born Rd in Wayne, is thefirst cannabis company I have everbeen to. I was to meet the owner,Scott Gocaj, a longtime Wayne busi-nessman whose family has overseenthe US 12 Bar and Grill for decades,to tour his brand-new business. Lo-cated off a gravel road alongside VanBorn, there were plenty of signsalong the road to guide me in.

As I pulled into the parking lot, Iwas greeted by Rico, a uniformed se-curity professional. He asked the rea-son for my visit and then directedme to a designated parking spot.There is one area for medical mari-huana customers and one for recre-ational customers. The one-storygrey building is well-maintainedamidst the undeveloped land thatsurrounds the business. Scott’s ar-rival was delayed, but Doug Rose, Di-rector of Operations, and HannaGocaj, Vice President, came out towelcome me and invited me inside.

As I stepped inside the door, Iwas immediately drawn to the largeTV and the fireplace in the lobby.Employees dressed in matching MFt-shirts and black pants were en-gaged in various activities-folding t-shirts, filling orders, handlingpayments and staying busy. All werewearing masks to protect each otherfrom COVID-19.

Doug showed me the office whereAshley was waiting for orders tocome up on an iPad nearby. Once anorder comes in, she will make surea Cannabis Consultant gets the

order and fills it for pick-up. Be-cause of COVID-19, all business isconducted online or with a consult-ant armed with an iPad at the cus-tomer’s car window. The CannabisConsultants are all “tried and trueexperts” in cannabis products andcan help customers make selectionsto fit their needs.

There are several monitorsthroughout the building that displaywhat is going on in various areas ofthe business, one of the safety fea-tures throughout the facility. Everytime the front door opens, there’s aloud bell that keeps everyone awareof comings and goings.

When we walked into the retailsales room, my first thought was“This is an adult candy store!” Pack-ages were neatly hung on the wallswith space between each item so youcould easily make out what you werelooking at. Doug explained that onewall and glass cabinet held all themedical cannabis products while theother wall, not nearly as large, heldthe recreational products.

I wondered out loud why the med-ical and the recreational had to beseparated. If both were now legal inMichigan, what difference did thatmake? Apparently, it makes a lot ofdifference. Customers who use mar-ihuana medically can save money,but there is also more state regula-tion over it. Doug says the businesshas to obtain more information fromthese customers than they do fromthe recreational users. Because ofstate regulation, medical productscannot be bagged with recreational;they have to be kept separated.

I asked what an average buywould be. I was told it really de-pended on the type of customer.There are those who purchase fordaily use. There are those who pur-chase based on a certain budgetedamount. There are senior citizenssuffering from chronic pain who mayplace an order once a week forenough to get them through theweek. There is more consistency topurchasing on the medical side.

I was amazed at the variety of

products available. As I browsedover the recreational side of theroom, I was seeing products likecrispy rice squares, brownies, choco-late chip cookies, caramels, mints,gummies. All items were in sealedpackages. There were several rowsof clear jars containing what lookedto the untrained eye like dried upclover flowers. These were referredto as flowers, or buds. My eyeslanded on a jar marked StuffedFrench Toast. The flowers are the #1seller.

Did you know you can buypeanut butter and butter infusedwith cannabis? A small jar of eitherretails for $16.

Like alcohol consumption, thetolerance level for each individual isdifferent. For a first timer, it is rec-ommended that one start with a lightpotency flower or perhaps a gummy.Cut the gummy into quarters andstart with just one quarter. You canthen add another quarter as your tol-erance level builds up.

Evelyn, one of the Cannabis Con-sultants, informed me that edibleswere dangerous for a first timer. Itcan take 45 minutes or longer for thecannabis to activate in one’s systemand if you’re not feeling anything, youmight consume more. She likened itto pharmaceutical drugs that havetime-lapse properties. The worsethat would happen in the case of in-gesting too much marihuana, shelaughed, was that you would becomea couch potato and get lots of rest.The flower, on the other hand, tendsto provide a psychoactive reaction in10-15 minutes.

I was told about a gentleman inhis late 70s who stopped eating dueto kidney failure. He was given edi-bles which activated his appetite toeat again. “It helps different peoplewith different ailments in this world,”said Scott.

The process Scott and Doug haveset up at MF is very simple. Doug isproud they were able to copy othersmart businesspeople and makethose ideas work for Michigan’sFinest. Doug likened it to theprocesses that Amazon uses to moveits products. MF has been opensince July 10 selling medical mari-huana only. It is the first licensed

The Wayne Dispatch · September 2020 · 3

See Family, page 12

Local family plants another business in Wayne

Scott Gocaj, with his daughter Hanna and wife Rachel are proud to receive the first

Recreational marihuana license in the City of Wayne.


By Carolyn Marnon

The majority of motor vehiclecrashes involve human inattentionor error according to the NHTSA(National Highway Traffic Safety Ad-ministration.) The road of the futurecould change those statistics.

On August 13, Trevor Pawl, ChiefMobility Officer of the State of Michi-gan’s new Office of Future Mobilityand Electrification, announced alongwith other federal, state and localpartners, that SE Michigan regionaltransportation is going to be trans-formed. Michigan is doing somethingthat has never been done that willchange the world-creating the roadof the future. “Today,” he said, “webegin building the road of the future:a self-driving vehicle corridor be-tween Detroit and Ann Arbor.”

The proposed corridor will im-prove access to transportation forthose who have had trouble access-ing it in the past. Pawl proclaimedthat Michigan will be an early leaderin a new way of transport, one thathas a smarter and safer infrastruc-ture for the next generation.

Michigan Governor GretchenWhitmer said that in 2019, Michiganhad record-breaking investments innext generation automotive, ad-vanced manufacturing and cutting-edge technology. Michigan will closetransportation gaps with the ambi-tious project of building the “world’smost sophisticated roadway.”

“With opportunity also comes re-sponsibility to advance our State’stechnology and automotive land-scape in a way that also has the po-tential to improve the quality of lifefor countless individuals in our Statethat includes our workforce, smallbusiness owners and residents incommunities all along the corridor,”said Gov. Whitmer.

Two years ago, Ford Motor Com-pany Chairman Bill Ford stood out-side Michigan Central Station andannounced its purchase with the in-tention of restoring it and making ita hub of mobility for Corktown andDetroit. He wanted to make trans-portation more convenient and helprestore a Detroit icon to beyond itsformer glory.

“When I announced the purchaseof Michigan Central Station, I laidout a vision for a mobility corridorthat would span from Detroit to AnnArbor,” Ford said. “And my vision

was that this corridor could serve asa proving ground where Ford andpartners could design, test and inno-vate on services and solutions thatwould connect communities and pro-vide affordable and equitable trans-portation.” The vision is to build forthe world we are moving into.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan com-mented, “Today is a day that I thinknobody would have predicted fiveyears ago.” People thought the expert-ise was in Silicon Valley and North-ern California. He said that Waymois installing self-driving systems invehicles at a Detroit plant nearby. Ac-cording to Duggan, Michigan Avenuehas the width needed to provide thisfuturistic transportation corridor.

Ford is investing $750 millionand 5000 people into Michigan Cen-tral Station to design and engineerthe vehicles of the future. Now, thereis a need for a place to test those ve-hicles.

No longer will the road of the fu-ture be considered science fiction. Itwill be coming said Jonathan Winer,co-founder and co-CEO of SIP (Side-walks Infrastructure Partners.) Heand his partners have formedCavnue, the company that will workwith MDOT and other stakeholdersto implement this project. The inter-state system, launched in 1956,changed how people across the USconnected with each other through ahigh-speed, high-capacity systemwithout stoplights and with exitsspaced at least a mile apart. TheCAV-C (Connected and AutonomousVehicle Corridor) is the next majortransportation infrastructure moveto the future.

The project is expected to beginwith connected buses and sharedmobility vehicles such as vans andshuttles, later expanding to addi-tional types of CAVs like freight and

personal vehicles. Connecting De-troit to Ann Arbor with communitiesalong Michigan Avenue and Inter-state 94 that link to destinations likeUniversity of Michigan, Detroit Met-ropolitan Airport and Michigan Cen-tral Station is the vision.

Phase One of the CAV-C projectwill focus on testing technology androadway design and exploring differ-ent viable financing models to deter-mine the feasibility of the project.This phase is expected to last 24months, with construction and im-plementation part of future phases.

During the feasibility analysis inPhase One, work will focus on tech-nology testing and roadway design,and exploring different financingmodels with an aim toward deter-mining project viability from both atechnology and business perspective.Subsequent construction and imple-mentation would be part of futurephases of the project, to be deter-mined following the initial 24-monthperiod.

According to a Fact Sheet pro-duced by Cavnue, “While billionshave been invested into developingon-vehicle technologies - includingadvanced driver assistance systems(“ADAS”) and fully autonomous driv-ing solutions - a small fraction hasbeen spent on developing infrastruc-ture to support and enhance ad-vanced roads. Cavnue is developingand integrating technologies that willpower the world’s most technologi-cally connected roads. Cavnue’s ap-proach is centered around creating adigital model of a roadway that ana-lyzes and optimizes road conditionsin real-time, shares information, andprovides proactive guidance to vehi-cles and drivers. This supports en-hanced safety, efficiency, and roadoperating environments.”

Moving forward, Cavnue will

work with MDOT to establish fiveWorking Groups to strategically ad-dress key dimensions of the project.Once established, those groups areexpected to deliver a set of goalswithin six months.

The City of Wayne and its resi-dents would most likely be inter-ested in the Routes, CommunityEngagement, and Economic Develop-ment Working Groups since Waynewill be along the futuristic corridor.The six-month deliverables of thisgroup include:

• Finalize a set of key points of in-terest and route options.

• Develop a process for commu-nity engagement with residents alongand affected by the Project, includingevaluating the need to engage an ad-visor or firm with a track record ofsuccess in Michigan community en-gagement.

• Provide an initial analysis ofcritical factors on potential routes,including traffic patterns, demo-graphics, physical characteristics,utility and contamination surveys,redevelopment, and land assemblageactivities.

• Identify key economic develop-ment objectives and opportunities.

12-Month deliverables include:• Begin an ongoing community

and public engagement process togarner feedback and align on sup-port by stakeholders.

• Based on engagement withstakeholders, identify key opportuni-ties for encouraging economic devel-opment.

24-Month deliverables:• Complete Phase 1 community

engagement, supporting alignmentwith residents along and affected bythe Project.

• Complete analysis of economicdevelopment opportunities.

• Finalize a route and phasingproposal for the Project, drawing oncivil engineering, environmental, andother key analyses.

Intelligent vehicles are here. Au-tonomous vehicles are coming.Michigan is getting ready.

“This is great news to have FordMotor Company and Google workingtogether to create the road of the fu-ture and to have Wayne be in themiddle of it all,” said Wayne MayorJohn Rhaesa.

The “road of the future” coming to Wayne

A Cavnue concept rendering of the new Michigan Connected Corridor vehicles. Photo

Courtesy of Cavnue

By Carolyn Marnon

No one knew as we rang in thenew decade at midnight on January1 the incredible upheaval that wouldenter our lives just three monthslater. COVID-19 changed the way ourstudents would study and learn dur-ing a crazy and unknown time.

Now it is 6 months after schoolsclosed their doors. The 2020/21school year is upon us. How can wehelp our students strive and succeedin this new world of on-line learningand remote school?

The Wayne Public Library re-cently announced that it is offeringTutor.com, a program that provideshomework help, test preparationand writing assistance. Best of all, itis free to access for anyone with aWayne library card!

According to the Tutor.com web-site, “Our mission is to help everylearner first realize and then reachtheir full potential.” The one-on-onelearning solutions come viaTutor.com professionals who havebeen rigorously tested and vetted.Each tutor has a demonstrated ex-

pertise in their respective subjectmatter and has passed a third-partybackground check. With more than100,000 prospective tutor appli-cants each year, an average of only1.5% of those applicants even qualifyas tutors.

Tutor.com provides 24-hour serv-ice, 7 days a week. The exceptionsare New Years Day, Fourth of July,Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.

Per the website, “Tutor.com offersexpert, on-demand tutoring in morethan 200 subjects including core ac-ademic areas of math, science, com-puter literacy, computer science,nursing & allied health, English,writing, social sciences & studies,foreign languages, business, andACT®, AP®, PSAT®, SAT®, GED ®,HiSET®, TASC®, and U.S. citizen-ship test preparation areas.”

Because of the pandemic, morepeople are using e-resourcesthrough the library. The library hasbeen allocating more of its budgetthis year to digital content. “I thinkTutor.com will be a valuable re-source,” says Wayne Library DirectorJody Wolak, “because of the one-on-one interaction that learners havewith tutors. Having real-time, two-way communication can be such abenefit when trying to understandnew concepts. I also really like thevariety of subjects that Tutor.com of-fers help with. They have tutors forthe traditional subjects that you'd ex-pect in primary and secondaryschool (Math, Science, English, etc.)

but they also offer a lot of resourcesfor adults, like help with resumewriting and interview preparation.”

Tutor.com was started back in1998 when a small group of educa-tion and tech professionals had theidea to use the internet to connectstudents with tutors who were avail-able anytime, anywhere. They cre-ated one of the first online,interactive classrooms.

To sign up, students can visit theWayne Public Library website atwayne.lib.mi.us. Students will needa Wayne Public Library card numberand PIN. Jody says “Normally chil-dren would have to come to the li-brary with their parents to get alibrary card, but during the pan-demic we have started offering tem-porary digital cards so Wayneresidents can access our digital re-sources from home. To apply for adigital card, you can go through thelink on our website or go directly tohttps://melstage.tln.lib.mi.us/Regis-tration/wayn/pReg.html. If peoplehave any trouble signing up, they cancontact the library via email([email protected]) or phone(734-721-7832) and we'll be happyto help them get started!”

“You do need to reside in the Cityof Wayne and have a Wayne Public Li-brary card in order to accessTutor.com through the Wayne PublicLibrary,” Jody continues. “For thosepeople who are interested inTutor.com but who don't live in theCity of Wayne, I'd encourage them tocheck with their home library to seewhat resources that library offers.”Because Tutor.com charges librariesbased on their legal service area, theWayne library can only offer the pro-gram to residents of the City ofWayne.


New library program provides homework help

The Wayne Public Library is offering offering Tutor.com, a program that provides

homework help, test preparation and writing assistance.


The former BJ’s Kitchen onWayne Rd has a new owner and isundergoing renovations. We willkeep you updated as more informa-tion becomes available.

The Westland Planning Com-mission recently approved theplan to split the 16-acre Eloiseproperty into five separate parcels.The redeveloped property could in-clude a hotel and event space.

Congratulations to Lt. AndrewMcKay who retired from the WaynePolice Department after 23 yearsof service. Lt. McKay has servedWayne as Police Lieutenant,Firearms Instructor, Taser Instruc-tor, Evidence Technician, Accredita-tion Manager, and many other duties.Lt. McKay is well known for his com-mitment to service, his family, andhis fellow officers. Prior to serving atthe Wayne Police Department, Lt.McKay worked at the Wayne CountySheriff ’s Department, and served inthe United States Marine Corps.

Grewal Trucking was given ap-proval by the Wayne City Councilto utilize vacant land along An-napolis as a truck terminal. Thecompany is planning to pave the va-cant land to use for truck parking.They also plan to build a 400 sq. ft.building on the site. Some time inthe future, a 6400 sq. ft building willalso be constructed.

Gleaners Community FoodBank is holding free food distribu-tions at Maplewood CommunityCenter, 31735 Maplewood St, Gar-den City. The next date is September16 from 2:30-4:30 p.m. Families andindividuals in need of food are en-couraged to attend this drive-up dis-tribution which includes 30 poundsof groceries. Items could includemilk, fresh fruits, vegetables, leanprotein and other shelf-stable items.You will stay in your vehicle; gro-ceries will be placed in your trunk.No appointment is needed. You donot need proof of eligibility or identi-fication to receive food.

Congratulations to Tyler Xuereb, winner of the 2020 Wayne Police Department Schol-

arship. Tyler recently graduated from Wayne Memorial High School and will be pur-

suing a degree in Criminal Justice from Michigan State University. The Wayne Police

Department Scholarship was started by Carolyn Strutz, widow of beloved police de-

partment maintenance man, Sam Strutz. The scholarship is designated for Wayne

Memorial High School students pursuing higher education in the criminal justice field.

The scholarship is entirely funded by donations. Tyler received $1,000 toward his

studies at Michigan State University. See Briefs, page 12


By Carolyn Marnon

Keeping his community and fel-low officers safe is the goal OfficerMichael Bolton has when he arrivesto work at the Wayne Police Depart-ment for his shifts. Hired in Novem-ber 2016, Officer Bolton has recentlyreceived the distinguished title of2019 Police Officer of the Year. He ex-emplifies the core values of the po-lice department and has a dedicatedwork ethic.

Currently assigned to Road Pa-trol, Officer Bolton is also a FieldTraining Officer. During 2019, hemade numerous arrests for seriouscrimes, including weapons offenses

and home invasions. He is a positiverole model with his passion for lawenforcement and keeping the com-munity safe.

“I felt it was an honor and a privi-lege to be voted Officer of the Year bymy peers. I couldn’t have done itwithout my co-workers and com-mand staff,” said Officer Bolton.

“We’re definitely lucky to have Of-ficer Bolton in our department,” saidWayne Police Chief Ryan Strong. “Heepitomizes a hardworking officerwho cares about keeping the commu-nity safe. He’s just a really good,hardworking officer, and we’re luckyto have him,” praised Chief Strong.

2019 Wayne Police Officer of the Year

Officer of the Year Michael Bolton with his girl friend Delani Derr and their son Owen.


By Carolyn Marnon

As the first day of school loomedlarge, parents were busy establishing“classrooms” in their homes for theirchildren. No one could have imag-ined at the start of 2020 that aftertaking memorable pictures of theirchildren posing with signs, boughtand handmade, declaring age andgrade of each child, that the childwould then step back inside thehouse and start school. No walkingto school. No running up to friendsunseen all summer (or shall we saysince schools shut down in March?)No hugging their new teachers.

Wayne resident Alexandria Offerset up desks in her dining room, onefor each of her four children. Heryoungest school-aged child, Steven,who started Kindergarten, had someproblems staying interested after abit each day on the first few days ofschool, but Alexandria says that’sdue to his intellectual disabilities.Otherwise, everyone did really well.The kids love their specials. “They’rea little bummed about not havingface to face interactions with theirclassmates and teachers,” she said,

“but overall they are enjoying theirset-ups. I feel like Wayne-Westland re-ally put some time into figuring outthese classes. They have all beenvery easy to navigate and my olderones remember using all of this fromlast year, so they’re pretty self-suffi-

cient.”There have been some issues

with getting Chromebooks to stu-dents who need them. With the highdemand for mobile technologyacross the nation, the supply chainis strained. The school district hasnot received their latest shipmentwhich has delayed some studentsfrom getting started. The school dis-trict has assured parents in a letterthat went out that assignment duedates will be extended.

Shery McIntyre commented, “Iam looking forward to at least someform of school to begin. We pur-chased a cheap desk and chair soshe (her daughter) could at leasthave a place to study, and she is soexcited to be doing some form ofschool. Her teacher, the school prin-cipal, and the school district havekept us informed during this difficulttime. This is a new norm for all of usand hopefully we can return to learn-ing the way we are used to.”

“For my high school senior,” saidJason Powers, “he got a gaming com-puter last Christmas, so he will beusing that for his schooling this year.

We had to buy a web camera to hookup to it for class sessions, an addi-tional monitor so that he can use onemonitor for the class and the otherto type or look up assignments on,and a recording microphone. He isgoing to be doing a class second se-mester that he will need this so thathe can talk in class sessions.”

Wayne-Westland teacher and par-ent Michelle Tackett-Braden says,“My daughter gets to spend her timeout of her room at a desk in themain hall while her mom (Michelle)has taken over the dining room/of-fice/classroom. It’s going to take a lotof patience in the beginning fromeveryone while the kinks get workedout.” She went on, “I think oncethings get rolling and routines are es-tablished, we’ll be fine. I know stu-dents and parents will feel inundatedwith tons of emails and posts inGoogle Classroom. We all need to beas positive in our attitudes as we ap-proach this school year. The kids em-ulate what we do first.”

Distance Learning throughout thedistrict will last at least through theend of the first quarter October 23.

Setting students up for success on first day of school

Sophia Wittenmyer (3rd grade) and

Steven Offer (Kindergarten) work in their

dining room classroom. Photo by Alexandria

Offer


By Carolyn Marnon

Are you looking for a more con-venient way to pay your bills? Theanswer could be the DivDat kiosk,described by Bob Walter of the Div-Dat Kiosk Network, as a “reverseATM.” Many Wayne residents havealready been using a kiosk located atthe Dollar Castle on Ford Rd. Nowthose residents and others who arebeing introduced to this bill-payingsystem will find a more convenientlocation right here in Wayne.

Installed in the lobby of theWayne Police Department, you areable to pay any bill that you could doat the City Hall payment window. Ac-cording to Walters, DTE bills are themost popular to pay at the kiosk.

Paying bills at your conveniencein a safe environment is key to Div-Dat. DivDat kiosks accept cash,credit card or personal check. Thispayment center is fee free and youwill get a “real time” receipt to avoidany shut-off notices. For your secu-rity, your payment information is notstored in the kiosk.

According to DivDat.com, Wayneresidents will benefit in many ways:

• If English is a second language,the kiosks are multi-lingual:

• Fee "free" - customers prefer-ring cash can pay multiple times ina month without any fees:

• No need to travel to a paymentcenter with limited hours:

• Account look-up capabilitybased on service address or accountnumber:

• Immediate account posting - al-ternative payment agent paymentsdo not post for 48 hours:

• Immediate receipt - on paper ortext or email:

• Shut-off prevention - when ashut-off notice is given, paymenttime becomes critical. The kiosk,with real-time posting, allows theutility additional flexibility to receivepayments:

• Extended hours to making pay-ments:

• More local languages:• Privacy, dignity:• Easy to use:• Placed in safe locations instill-

ing confidence:• Convenience - kiosks are strate-

gically located in community centers,retail stores, government office serv-ice centers:

• Operate kiosk at your own pace:• Transactions are conducted in

private - a "judgment free zone" withkiosks.

Bill paying may have just become more convenient

You can now pay your City of Wayne and

other popular bills at the Wayne Police

Department.


By Carolyn Marnon

Scarecrows are serious businessin downtown Wayne during themonth of October. Families, organi-zations and businesses gather theirsupplies and imaginations and cre-ate a gallery of characters to paradeup and down Wayne Rd. and Michi-gan Ave. in the downtown core.

Wayne Main Street sponsors thisannual event. There is a voting con-test on Facebook,an in-person vot-ing contest and aJudges’ ChoiceAward.

You can regis-ter from nowuntil September21. Call WayneMain Street at734-629-6822 tosign up. The costis $20 if you needa frame to buildyour scarecrowon. You will beable to pick upthe frame by call-ing or emailing

ahead of time. If you already have aframe from a past year, the cost tosign up is only $15.

On September 26, you will dropoff your finished scarecrow at theWayne Historical Museum. If youneed to drop off early, please callduring office hours to make an ap-pointment.

Facebook voting will take placeSeptember 28 through October 17.

Wayne Main Street will host theirAnnual Scarecrow Reception fromNoon-3:00 p.m. in Derby’s Alley. Par-ticipants will be able to cast theirvote for the in-person contest. Win-ners will be announced at 7:00 p.m.Cider and donuts will be served.

Once the Scarecrow Show hasended, you will be able to take downyour scarecrow if you would like tokeep it and/or the frame. The lastday to take down your scarecrow willbe November 6. If you don’t retrieveyour scarecrow, Wayne Main Streetvolunteers will take it down and dis-assemble it.

Scarecrows are serious business in Wayne


marihuana business in Wayne tostart selling recreational marihuanaAugust 16, and according to Scott,the only one actively selling. It is alsothe closest cannabis business to theairport.

The consultants are impressivewith their knowledge. I was evenmore impressed by their educations.Liam is finishing his Masters degreein Accounting at Michigan State.Hanna just graduated with a Bache-lors degree in Communications fromMSU. Doug is also finishing a Mas-ters degree in Business. “We’re not abunch of potheads,” he asserts.There are weekly business meetingsin finance and marketing. The num-ber one focus is on customer experi-ence.

Safety and security are also topconcerns. The building is reinforced.There is 24-hour armed security li-censed, bonded and insured by theState of Michigan.

Scott said the City of Wayne deter-mines the hours MF can be open.Currently, it’s open Monday throughSaturday 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. andSundays Noon to 8:00 p.m. With fast,efficient and friendly service, you canhave the products that will meetyour needs quickly. As the businessgrows, Scott assures me “I’m goingto spoil my team.” Mention is play-fully made of Italy where employeeshave 2-hour lunches and paid vaca-tions.

The State tracks everything, soScott says the business has to be ac-countable for all their product. TheState can do unannounced visitstwice a year. They can look at any-thing, he says “because we have noth-ing to hide!” He doesn’t have as manyoptions available of recreational mar-ihuana as he does medical, but he

says they are building the inventory.Hanna, Scott’s daughter, worked

at a cannabis dispensary in Lansing.She’s an advocate for the medicalmarihuana community as she sawhow it helped people with cancers orwho suffered from pain-related in-juries. She feels blessed that she isable to work with her father in thefamily business. “The cannabis in-dustry has evolved a lot,” she said.

Scott has stepped away from US12 Bar and Grill in Wayne, the busi-ness his parents started decades agoand which is now being run by hisbrother, John Goci, who also main-tains a real estate business. Scott ismaking MF his main focus and work-ing hard to grow his own family busi-ness.

MF has a program called Bud Ge-nius. You can book an appointmentonline with a Bud Genius and learnmore about marihuana and the vari-ous products. Scott and his team areeager to educate anyone who wantsto learn more. He wants to eradicatethe stigma that marihuana has andknowledge is key to that.

“Our mission is to ensure our pa-tients have the finest cannabis expe-rience by combining top gradeproducts with our friendly andknowledgeable team members.”

FAMILY, Continued from page 3

Hanna Gocaj, Vice President, waits on a

customer curside.

Winifred Nichols is still Wayne’soldest known resident. The residentof Maple Manor celebrated her110th birthday on August 18 tomuch less fanfare than she has beenused to.

COVID-19 has caused reducedaccess to nursing homes, soWinifred’s family has not been ableto visit her. Her granddaughter,Susan Patterson, said that this is thesecond pandemic Winifred has livedthrough. The Spanish Flu of 1918occurred when Winifred was just ayoung girl, 8 years old.

Winifred’s son, Emery Nichols,said that his mother had the flu “real

bad” back then and that she almostdied. He said she still has scars onher lungs from that time. “She wentthrough that when she was 8-yearsold on the farm.”

The family was able to seeWinifred on her birthday, but it wasfrom afar. They stood in the gazebowhile her doctor wheeled her outsideand stayed by her side. She was bun-dled up and had a mask on, but theycouldn’t come close.

Maria at Maple Manor callsEmery once a week and puts hismom on the phone. If she’s feelingwell, Emery says, she might say afew words.

You're invited to help clean andstraighten Shafer Park in Wayne,Michigan on Saturday, September12, 9:00 a.m. until noon. Therewill be light weed pulling, raking andpicking up of trash. It's a great wayto enjoy the outdoors here in Wayneand spend time with neighbors andfriends! Long-sleeved shirts, longpants and gloves are recommended.If you have rakes, brooms and otherlight gardening tools please bringthem along.

Peter Pumpkinhead’s Workshopis heading to Notre Dame Hall inWayne on October 3, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Free for kids of all ages,there will be fall and Halloweencrafts to make. There will also becandy. The Notre Dame Hall, 3144 S.Wayne Rd will also be offering $3Meal Deals!

The Wayne Historical Societyhas announced a number of pro-grams coming up later this year.Add these to your calendar now andwatch this column for further infor-mation.

Sept. 10, 7:00 p.m.

NorWayne-A Planned Community

Hank Johnson of the NorwayneCitizens Commission will be theguest speaker presenting the historyof Norwayne.

Oct. 4, 1:00-3:00 p.m. Annual Cemetery Walk

This year’s cemetery walk will beat Westlawn Cemetery and will high-light several local families and fig-

ures. The event is 1:00-3:00 p.m.This is an outdoor walking tour, soplease dress appropriately. Dona-tions will be gratefully accepted.

Oct. 8, 7:00 p.m. The History of Eloise

Tyler Moll will present the historyof this infamous hospital, poorhouseand asylum at 7:00 p.m. at theWayne Public Library.

Oct. 17, 4:00 p.m. Witches Brew Tea

A haunted tea party at the WayneHistorical Museum will feature sev-eral Wayne characters in a spookysetting. Event is at 4:00 p.m. Ticketsare $35 may be purchased ahead oftime.

Oct. 24, 8:00-11:34 p.m. Ghost Hunt at the Museum

Join the Great Lakes GhostHunters as they hunt for paranormalactivity in the 140-year-old WayneHistorical Museum. A one-hour spotis $25.

Nov. 12, 7:00 p.m. Blacksmithing: Bert Green Story

Learn about Bert Green and whatlife was like as one of Wayne’s lastblacksmiths. You will also learn howthe company continues today.

Dec. 5, 6:00-9:00 p.m. Holiday Night at the Museum

Come out and see Santa, getcookies and hot chocolate, and joinin the Christmas cheer as the townChristmas tree is lit.

Wayne’s oldest resident turns 110

By Carolyn Marnon

Giving back has always been highon their list of priorities, so whenMurray and Bernice Millar both died,several organizations in Wayne werethe recipients of the Millar’s trustfund.

Murray and Bernice (nee’Greenawalt) Millar were longtimeresidents of Wayne. They met whileattending Wayne High School, be-came high school sweethearts andgraduated in 1946. After marrying in1949, they became involved in vari-ous community organizations. Thecouple lived on Elm Street for over30 years.

Murray began practicing law inthe late 1950s. He co-founded thefirm Millar, Weinberg, Necker andJohnson with Richard Weinberg.The firm anchored the legal commu-nity in the western Detroit suburbs.He retired from the law practice in1990.

Murray served for many years onthe Downtown Development Author-ity (DDA) and was a member of theWayne 100, a charitable organizationthat makes annual contributions toneedy individuals and groups. Ber-nice was active with the Wayne Plan-ning Commission and the Wayne

Garden Club. Both were part of theWayne Couples Club. Both loved tofly and were pilots. It is thought theytransferred bodies for Uht FuneralHome by air, when needed.

The Wayne Rotary has received

the most substantial donation fromthe Bernice and Murray Millar Trust.Murray had been a member of theWayne Rotary since 1960. He was apast-President and a Paul Harris Fel-low. He loved attending the Rotarylunches and cherished his relation-ships with other Rotarians. He wasalso active in the Wayne ChristmasParade and chicken barbeques spon-sored by the Rotary.

The Millars never had children oftheir own. They were, however,blessed with nieces and nephewswho were also beneficiaries of thetrust fund. Both left half their estatesto Wayne charities.

The Wayne Historical Society, theWayne Public Library and the Wayne

High Schools Alumni Associationhave also recently received generousdonations from the trust fund. Atthis time, only Murray Millar’s estatehas been finalized. Murray died in2011. Bernice died December 2019;her estate has not yet been com-pleted. More donations are expectedafter it has been settled.

Murray and Bernice “were veryprominent people around the com-munity and loved Wayne,” said attor-ney Ron Ruark, who is handlingtheir estate. “They were enthusiasticabout leaving a large part of their es-tate to Wayne…They will be thrilledto know how the city will use themoney and make the city even betterfor the citizens.”


High school sweethearts give back to community

High school sweethearts Murray and Bernice (nee’ Greenawalt) Millar were longtime residents of Wayne who met while attending

Wayne High School.


By Carolyn Marnon

“Shaping the community’s small-est hands to do great things” hasbeen the driving force for Wayne Me-morial High School senior BrookeJohnson. Brooke started Commu-nity Circle as a force for change aftershe attended the Civitan Youth Lead-ership and Diversity Conference inIndiana in the summer of 2019. Shecame home and began collecting forher first project-school supplies forthe upper and lower elementaryschool teachers in the Wayne West-land district.

Brooke was busy this summerrounding up donations for her latestback-to-school project. Supplies in-cluded pencils, crayons, markers,scissors, glue sticks, highlighters,rulers and pencil boxes. This year,she has donated the stuffed back-packs to the Family Resource Centerwhere the bags will then be distrib-uted to students in need. Because ofthe COVID-19 pandemic, it was un-known what the new school yearwould look like. If teachers were notat school directly interacting withtheir students, they might not be

aware of what supplies a student hasaccess to.

“My inspiration for doing thisproject again was so I could continuehelping the community as much as Ipossibly can. I love creating a changeand helping others. This is just oneway I can help,” wrote Brooke in anemail.

Brooke had the support of thecommunity. The Amazon wish listshe created brought a steady flow ofneeded supplies throughout hercampaign. “I think it was becausepeople felt safer shopping online,rather than going out to do theirshopping themselves,” said Brooke.“We were also blessed with donorswho sent money to sponsor a stu-dent. When they sponsored a stu-dent, I did the shopping for thesupplies for that student’s bag.”Brooke requested $15 donations tosponsor a filled backpack on a Go-FundMe page for Community Circle.

Brooke was able to deliver 210backpacks filled with school sup-plies to the Family Resource Center.In addition, Brooke says “We wereable to bring bags to students in

need within the community if theymessaged/commented to me on Face-book.”

“My biggest challenge this year,”she continues, “was the negativecomments that I received towardsthe beginning of the campaign. Itknocked my spirits down when ithappened, but I got back up andused it as a learning tool.”

Brooke is looking forward toSummer 2021 when she will do her3rd annual school supplies drive be-

fore heading off to college. She’d liketo attend Eastern Michigan Univer-sity. “My goal would be to study Busi-ness Management in hopes toexpand my knowledge in Non-Profitsso I can grow Community Circle tobe its own legal non-profit so we canreach more students and families inneed in the years to come. I am al-ways thinking of ways I can give backto the community, so if the needarises, I could be doing somethingbefore next year. Stay tuned.”

Student helping students

Wayne Memorial High School senior Brooke Johnson spent her summer rounding up

donations for her latest back-to-school project.

To Advertise in The Wayne Dispatch call 734-641-6550

2· september 2020 - wayne

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