Press Release | Office of the Mayor | This Week in Westland :March 26, 2016

For Immediate Release | Official Press Release

PRESS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE MAYOR

36300 Warren Road | Westland, Michigan | 48185

Office 734.467.3200 | Fax 724.721.2310

WWW.CITYOFWESTLAND.COM

This Week in Westland

March 26, 2016 - April 3, 2016

City Offices Closed in Observance of Good Friday - Friday, March 25

is Good Friday. In observance of the federal holiday, all City Offices, the 18th District Court and the Westland Library will be closed. They will all re-open at their regular time on Monday morning, March 28th. Trash and Recycling pickup will not be affected by the holiday.

Marshmallow Drop - Its that time of the year again for the annual Marshmallow Drop at Nankin Mills Park. On Friday, March 25, starting at 11:00 a.m., thousands of children will gather at the park and wait for the Easter Bunny to fly over in a helicopter and drop over twenty thousand marshmallows from the sky. Then the kids will run to gather up the sweet treats and exchange them for a goodie bag. There are three different age groups for kids up to age 12.

Community Easter Egg Hunt - On Saturday, March 26 the Gateway Family Worship Center will be hosting a Community Easter Egg Hunt. Starting at 10:00 a.m. on their campus at 34645 Cowan, kids through sixth grade can join in the search for the hidden treasures. They can also enjoy free food, prizes, balloon animals and so much more. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

Compost Season Begins - Spring is just around the corner which means compost season is almost here. Compost collection will begin on Monday, April 4 this year. Compost is garden waste, grass clippings, hay/straw, leaves, pruning debris, bushes/shrubs and tree branches. Branches are to be cut into small bundles and ties with rope or twine. You may put out up to ten bundles per week. You may also use compost bags or garbage cans for compost disposal. The limit for compost collection is ten compost bags or five garbage cans weighing less than 50 lbs. Compost is picked up the same day as regular trash by a separate truck. Your compost should be separated from your regular household trash by 4 ft. Mixed compost and trash will not be picked up.

For more information, contact Aubrey Berman, Administrative Secretary, at (734) 467-3200.

Westland, Michigan is the state's 10th largest municipality, with a population of over 84,000 people who exhibit a great deal of pride in their All-American City. Westland has a thriving business community along with beautiful residential areas. The citizens enjoy a wide array of amenities and a quality of life that is second to none.

In 2014, Westland was rated as one of 24/7 Wall Street's America's Best 50 Cities to Live, offering residents and visitors an ideal blend of single-family affordable homes, apartments and condominiums, great schools, and access to numerous outdoor activities. Public safety is delivered by full-service, professional law enforcement and firefighting personnel. Westland Police Department, whose motto is protect and serve, provides emergency dispatch services to four cities and over 100,000 residents; the Western Wayne Fire Association firefighters collaboratively serving the Cities of Wayne and Westland are licensed paramedics who responded to over 13,000 calls for service last year, about 85% being medical based. They never forget their mission of preserving life and property.

Westland is well-known as the premier destination for shopping and dining in Wayne County with hundreds if shops and restaurants anchored by the Westland Shopping Center, on of the country's original four regional malls.

Infinite opportunities are available in Westland for the recreation aficionado including, more that 40 parks and 1,500 acres of trails, a 9-hole golf course, hockey arena, athletic fields, playscapes, a Farmers and Artisans Market and more. One of Michigan's most environmentally friendly cities, Westland has a progressive curbside recycling program with one of the highest participation rates in the nation and the City is raising the bar for cultural experiences with the placement of public art throughout the City.

The City is served by two public school districts; Wayne-Westland Community Schools serving 12,000 youth was recently named one of the Best School in Michigan by WXYZ-TV and is the proud recipient of 14 Golden Apple and two Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Awards. Livonia Public Schools, educating nearly 15,000 students, is proud of their MEAP/MME scores that exceed state averages and the District has also earned Golden Apple and Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Awards.

Westland's philosophy is that government should embrace good business principles. Providing oversight over the City's operating budget of $60 million dollars, Westland is the only community in Wayne County with a 3-year balanced budget and an approximately 10 percent budget surplus.

The City provides competitive incentives for those who are interested in investing in Westland, making it one of the hottest investment markets in the region. Our Fast-Track to Business Team, which consists of key decision makers who work diligently on a development plan will "cut the red tape" and expedite the approval process for new business development.