1/17/24 C & G Special Edition — Macomb/Grosse Pointes by C & G Newspapers

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‘TEDDY’S LAW’ PASSED AS STATE LAW BY ALYSSA OCHSS

aochss@candgnews.com

ST. CLAIR SHORES — “Teddy’s Law” was recently passed as state law in Michigan, and those who worked on the bill package are excited for what it means for animals throughout the state. State Sen. Kevin Hertel, D-St. Clair Shores, said the package of bills was signed into state law on Dec. 13, 2023, and went into effect immediately. Hertel said he’s thankful his colleagues allowed that to happen. According to the state documents, the bills were sponsored by both Hertel and state Sen. Dayna Polehanki, D-Livonia. “Taken together, the bills would require a research facility to first offer a dog or cat that would otherwise be euthanized to an animal shelter for adoption and prescribe administrative fines for failing to do so,” a Senate Fiscal Agency summary from June stated. “They would provide research facilities and shelters with civil liability immunity in the transfer of the animals.” Hertel said his bill, Senate Bill 149, sets up the requirements for the adoption while Polehanki’s bill, Senate Bill 148, sets up reporting mechanisms and penalties “for those that do not obey by the law.” Hertel said he started working on the bill around 2017 or 2018 when he was still in the Michigan House of Representatives. He met with St. Clair Shores City Council-

Photo provided by Nathan Benton

AoE Esports will host a program showcasing potential scholarship opportunities for college esports teams on Friday, Jan. 19.

Esports Q&A tointroduce students to potential gaming scholarships BY BRENDAN LOSINSKI blosinski@candgnews.com

Photo by Patricia O’Blenes

Teddy the beagle, the namesake of the recently passed law, stares up at the camera. man Dave Rubello as well as the Humane Society of the United States. He said there wasn’t much movement in the state House at the time. He also said they did get a committee hearing once but it was not taken up for a vote. “But it was always a priority for us and so we continued to work on it and thankfully as I moved over to the Senate and this legislative session we were able to get the support of both the committee chairs in the Senate and the House and move the bills forward,” Hertel said. See TEDDY’S LAW on page 4A

METRO DETROIT — Students looking to break into the world of esports are invited to attend a meeting with esports coaches and players at an upcoming program known as The Esports Scholarship Initiative. The event is hosted by AoE Esports and is designed to share opportunities regarding numerous college esports teams, most notably in regard to potential scholarships. “This kind of makes it more of a tangible experience for the parents and kids pursuing scholarships,” said Harry Greenspan, the co-founder of AoE Esports. “Some parents don’t even realize this is a real sport in college or how much they can get in scholarships. This will not only talk about the basics, but go into the specifics about what is out there and how much people can get.” The event will take place 5-7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 19, at Troy College and Career High School, 1522 E. Big Beaver Road, in See ESPORTS on page 11A

C & G NEWSPAPERS MACOMB COUNTY/GROSSE POINTE SPECIAL EDITION • JANUARY 17, 2024

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3A/ C & G NEWSPAPER MACOMB COUNTY/GROSSE POINTE SPECIAL EDITION • JANUARY 17, 2024

SPORTS

Lawrence Technological University named Clinton Township Chippewa Valley’s Scott Merchant the head coach of its football program on Dec. 19.

LAWRENCE TECH HIRES CHIPPEWA VALLEY’S SCOTT MERCHANT AS HEAD FOOTBALL COACH

Photo by Patricia O’Blenes

BY JONATHAN SZCZEPANIAK jszczepaniak@candgnews.com

SOUTHFIELD/CLINTON TOWNSHIP — Lawrence Technological University football has been on the upswing since its revival in 2017 after a 60-year absence, and the program just made a major splash by hiring a Hall of Fame coach. Scott Merchant, a staple of Clinton Township Chippewa Valley football during his coaching tenure from 2009 to 2023, was named the head football coach at Lawrence Tech on Dec. 19. “We believe Scott (Merchant) will be a fine leader for the young men in our football program,” Lawrence Technological University Director of Football Operations Lou Bitonti said in a press release. “The coaching staff he is putting together are people who have coached at a high level and are educators in their own right, who will teach our players what it takes to be See MERCHANT on page 10A

‘I’M OVERWHELMED’

Rick Bye speaks during a ceremony in his honor and naming of the “Rick Bye Fieldhouse.”

UCS, STEVENSON HONOR RICK BYE

BY JONATHAN SZCZEPANIAK jszczepaniak@candgnews.com

STERLING HEIGHTS — For a noon weekday ceremony honoring a high school football coach, it’s difficult to picture what type of audience will show up. Unless that ceremony is for Sterling Heights Stevenson’s Rick Bye, because his impact is immeasurable through not just Stevenson but

Photo by Patricia O’Blenes

Celebrating 46 Years!

Utica Schools Community. “When you really think about a sense of community, where can you see a noontime dedication with this type of turnout with people coming out to see coach (Rick) Bye,” Utica Community Schools Superintendent Robert Monroe said. “It’s simply a special day that I think all of us are going to cherish, and I know coach Bye will certainly cherish.” See RICK BYE on page 6A

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C & G NEWSPAPERS MACOMB COUNTY/GROSSE POINTE SPECIAL EDITION • JANUARY 17, 2024

Teddy’s Law

Dave Rubello, a St. Clair Shores city councilman and C & G Newspapers employee, and his wife, Greta Guest Rubello, hold Teddy. The couple adopted Teddy in 2019.

from page 1A

Rubello said the bill will save thousands of cats and dogs that go through laboratories from being destroyed. Teddy the beagle, the namesake of the law, was adopted by Rubello, who works at C & G Newspapers. “These bills introduced will now make it possible for them to live in regular homes and stuff,” Rubello said. “Be adopted out through special adoption agencies for dogs and cats. So, great feeling. It’s been a threeyear fight, and a lot of people worked hard.” He went on to say the Humane Society of the United States worked hard on the bill with him and he gave a special thanks to Hertel. The law started when a group of 36 beagles were released from a laboratory, with 32 of those beagles being adopted out. Rubello said an undercover investigator went into a laboratory, filmed what they were doing and revealed to the public what was going on in the lab. He said there were fights between a major company, who hired the laboratory, and the Humane Society of the United States to get the dogs released. He also said he located 27 of the 32

Photo by Patricia O’Blenes

beagles that were released, and he got the owners involved in the case as well. “First-time-ever case,” Rubello said. “But the nice thing about it is it’s great to be part of something that will change the lives of families, certainly save thousands and thousands of test animals, cats and dogs. And it’s great to make a difference.” Blake Goodman, the state director of the Humane Society of the United States, said the group conducted the undercover investigation in 2019. “That was released to the public with footage (from the) undercover investigator

of what those dogs went through,” Goodman said. Goodman said they’ve done a number of the investigations, with the largest being in Virginia, where around 4,000 beagles were rescued from a facility in 2022. The beagles were placed in shelters across the country and the Humane Society of the United States helped those beagles get adopted. Goodman said, so far, there have been 16 states with similar laws enacted, with Iowa being the most recent before Michigan. “We’re pretty proud of this work,” Goodman said. “It represents a good first

step in a lot of states to moving on from animal testing. We really think it’s the least that labs could do.” He said he’s excited Teddy’s Law was passed. “We’re thrilled,” Goodman said. “Teddy’s Law is the biggest, the most consequential animal protection legislation to be passed since 2019. With this new legislature in charge, animal issues are finally getting a look in.” He also said it gives people in his field hope that Michigan is turning in a positive direction. He said his gratitude goes to Hertel and Polehanki. Hertel is excited that the bills became state law. “This has been a priority for my office both in the house and now in the senate for a while to get this accomplished,” Hertel said. “And really because we know the impact it will have on animals across the state to make sure they’re going to loving homes.” He also said in recent history this is one of the most “monumental bills to pass for animal rights here in the state of Michigan.” “I think it’s important that folks know that these dogs will be available, dogs and cats will be available for adoption, and I look forward to so many (going) into loving homes across our state,” Hertel said.

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5A/ C & G NEWSPAPER MACOMB COUNTY/GROSSE POINTE SPECIAL EDITION • JANUARY 17, 2024

MSGCU ACCEPTING SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS

METRO DETROIT — Michigan Schools and Government Credit Union is accepting applications for its annual scholarship program now through Tuesday, Feb 27. The credit union plans to award 47 scholarships this year with 33 $2,500 scholarships going to college, trade school and continuing education students and 14 $2,000 scholarships for first responder academy students. “MSGCU was founded by teachers and we’re proud to honor our heritage by advancing educational journeys through our scholarship program,” MSGCU President and CEO Steve Brewer said in a statement from the credit union. “We’ve provided over $1.1 million in scholarships since the inception of our program 20 years ago, helping 575 recipients in the communities we serve further their educational dreams.” Scholarship applications are accepted from nonmembers, but all winners must become members of MSGCU. More information can be found at msgcu.org/ scholarships.

SALUTING A CENTENARIAN On Dec. 13, Sterling Heights Mayor Michael Taylor held a proclamation ceremony honoring 103-year-old John “Jack” Alfred Jones at Oakmont Manor Senior Community in Sterling Heights. According to Oakmont, Jones was born in Detroit on Oct. 16, 1920. RIGHT: Jones enjoys the ceremony. Photos by Patricia O’Blenes

Macomb County giving out radon test kits

MOUNT CLEMENS — The Macomb County Health Department is giving residents free radon testing kits at its Central Health Center at 43525 Elizabeth Road in Mount Clemens. According to a press release from the department, radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and is responsible for 21,000 deaths nationwide annually. Radon is colorless, odorless and tasteless, requiring special testing kits to detect. Radon occurs naturally in soil and rock, drifting up through the ground and entering buildings through foundation and wall cracks. Kits are available while supplies last. To request a testing kit, call the Macomb County Health Department at (586) 469-5236.

ABOVE: Jones looks at the proclamation with his daughter, Rosemarie Williams. According to Oakmont, Jones raised three children, and has six grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. LEFT: Members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6250 perform a flag-folding ceremony during the event. According to Oakmont staff, Jones served in the Navy during World War II and served aboard the USS Meriwether.

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C & G NEWSPAPERS MACOMB COUNTY/GROSSE POINTE SPECIAL EDITION • JANUARY 17, 2024

Rick Bye from page 3A

Faculty members, former players and coaches, and family all gathered at the newly named Rick Bye Fieldhouse Dec. 19 at Stevenson High School as UCS and Stevenson honored Bye. Former players played catchup as they reminisced about their seasons as teammates and talked about their current life, and only Bye could bring everyone together in one room. As Bye took the stage after receiving a plaque in his honor, his opening statement wasn’t a surprise to anyone who knows him well. “I’m overwhelmed, and I can tell you why there’s so many people here: because most of my friends don’t work,” Bye said to the audience. “They’re up by 10 and got their pajamas on by 6.” Bye made sure to give thanks to every faculty member, superintendent, teacher and principal who helped him throughout his decades at Stevenson, and he shared a special thanks to his longtime assistant coaches — Jerry Lajeunesse, Ken Fiott, Joe Emanuele and Ron Kerr. Lajeunesse, Fiott and Kerr were part of

Bye’s staff through the entirety of his tenure and remain close friends today. Current Stevenson coach Justin Newcomb took the podium and spoke on how instrumental Bye has been for the football program even years after retiring, especially when it comes to the players. “I can remember a few years back (2019) when we had just beaten Cass Tech in a playoff game (regional finals), and he came back to practice the next day with football beanie caps for each player,” Newcomb said. “Giving back his own time and his own money to get that done is just credible to the man that he is.” Bye always put his players first, and the crowd of former players in attendance told the story of a coach who impacted numerous lives, including 2010 graduate Jason Fracassa. Bye gave a shoutout to Fracassa, his starting quarterback who led Stevenson to a state finals runner-up spot in 2009, during his speech, and Fracassa had plenty to say about his former coach. “He was unbelievable,” Fracassa said. “He was about as close to a father as you could be, and not just to me but all my teammates. He was unbelievable. He definitely had the most impact on my life out of anybody I can remember.” The ceremony also showcased Stevenson’s future plans for the fieldhouse as the

Current and former players, teachers and faculty members, and friends and families all were in attendance to witness Utica Community Schools and Sterling Heights Stevenson honor Rick Bye. Photo by Patricia O’Blenes

school plans to implement state-of-the-art equipment for its athletic programs and a full revamp of the floor space. It will be a new-look fieldhouse, and being named after a legendary coach is a great

start to the fieldhouse’s legacy. “Here we are almost 50 years later in this beautiful facility, and I’m so proud to have my name attached to it,” Bye said.

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C & G NEWSPAPERS MACOMB COUNTY/GROSSE POINTE SPECIAL EDITION • JANUARY 17, 2024

Local leaders celebrate Innovate Mound milestone NEW ROAD TO COLLECT DATA FROM VEHICLES, MOBILE DEVICES, FOR ENHANCED DRIVING BY ERIC CZARNIK eczarnik@candgnews.com

MACOMB COUNTY — Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel updated the public on the yearslong Innovate Mound project — which just wrapped up its core roadwork along an estimated 9-mile stretch of Mound Road, from Interstate 696 to M-59 — at a Dec. 20 press conference outside Srodek’s Quality Polish Food in Sterling Heights. Hackel credited Macomb County Department of Roads Director Bryan Santo — who donned a Santa hat for the occasion — as well as many other officials, work crews and more for their roles in getting the roadwork done before Christmas. The press conference included a symbolic moving of orange barrels to celebrate. “We have a roadway here that’s going to last a lifetime — at least, I know, my lifetime,” Hackel said. “This is an exciting day

for Macomb County, in particular, our Department of Roads for the work they did.” Officials say Innovate Mound has taken several years and around $220 million to come to fruition. Much of that funding came from the federal Infrastructure for Rebuilding America, or INFRA, grant, as well as contributions from Sterling Heights, Warren, the county and the state, Hackel explained. Sterling Heights contributed approximately $41 million toward the roadwork and around $11 million toward water and sewer improvements, according to Sterling Heights Community Relations Director Melanie Davis. According to Macomb County, the campaign started in 2016 as a gathering of community and business stakeholders. Officials said they applied for the INFRA grant in 2017, and the U.S. Department of Transportation picked the Mound project for funding in 2018, awarding it $98 million. A 2021 groundbreaking started making the

Photo by Eric Czarnik

Surrounded by local officials and stakeholders, Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel speaks at a Dec. 20 press conference in Sterling Heights, which celebrated the completion of roadwork along Mound Road. vision a reality, officials added. According to the Innovate Mound website, the project focused on roadwork

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C & G NEWSPAPERS MACOMB COUNTY/GROSSE POINTE SPECIAL EDITION • JANUARY 17, 2024

Mound from page 8A

Mile and I-696 in 2023. Santo said the project was a “true team effort” and thanked his staff, contractor Dan’s Excavating Inc., engineering firm HNTB, and others. He said the community and the various levels of government involved have much to be proud of. “This is a new roadway. It’s smoother. It’s safer. It’s more efficient,” Santo said. “And people should know that traveling this road is going to be advanced into the future, as far as the durability and the lifespan of this product that we have introduced here.” Besides fixing the once-crumbling surface, the project also made ambitious plans for improvements such as landscaping, drainage, lighting, traffic signals and technology that could monitor traffic conditions, ease traffic jams and more, officials said. A portion of Mound north of 17 Mile Road was also widened. Officials said the new road has incorporated intelligent transportation systems, which according to the Innovate Mound website, “collect data from connected vehicles, mobile devices, and infrastructure to provide travelers with real-time information such as the status of traffic levels, parking availability, transit schedules, traffic signals, and road weather conditions.” A project representative could not be reached for comment on how drivers’ data will be collected, used, stored and secured. Macomb County Commissioner Joseph Romano, R-Sterling Heights, said he wasn’t fully sure how the intelligent trans-

portation systems are going to be implemented since “it’s so much in its infancy.” When asked about the potential privacy concerns over motorists and driving data, he compared the situation to reading a license plate. “That makes me a little nervous,” he said, “but if you have nothing to hide, what are your concerns?” At the press conference, Sterling Heights Mayor Michael Taylor credited Sterling Heights City Manager Mark Vanderpool for his role in working with project partners. Taylor called Mound “one of the most important commercial and industrial corridors in the state of Michigan and in the Midwest and beyond.” He added that he was angry several years ago to see Mound’s condition deteriorate to the point where there were thoughts about shutting down portions due to it being untraversable. But Taylor said, “We’re all smiling today.” “The results are phenomenal,” he said. “It is a road that’s going to stand the test of time.” County officials said the Innovate Mound project is over 85% done and that it’s going according to schedule and budget. But they say there is still some more to do in 2024, such as landscaping work. Hackel added that the county and other stakeholders also want to get federal funding to fix Mound Road from I-696 to Eight Mile Road. According to the county, stakeholders submitted an application for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant in August. Learn more about Innovate Mound by visiting innovatemound.org.

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C & G NEWSPAPERS MACOMB COUNTY/GROSSE POINTE SPECIAL EDITION • JANUARY 17, 2024

Merchant

into and you’re very happy. It makes it very difficult to leave.” Merchant and the Big Reds also made a significant impact in the community as well, earning academic all-state accolades, the Steve Spicer Award for community service and raisfrom page 3A ing thousands of dollars for the Van Andel Institute for cancer research and the Wounded Warrior Project. great students, great athletes, and great representatives of Lawrence Tech, both on and It will be a difficult task for Chippewa Valley to replace Merchant and what off the field.” he’s been able to accomplish during his tenure, but Merchant’s focus will Merchant was inducted into Michigan High School Football now be on turning a Lawrence Tech team that has suffered back-to-back Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2022 after coaching 30 years at losing seasons into a consistent winner. The Blue Devils finished 3-7 the high school and college level. Getting his coaching career started in 2023. at Albion College as an assistant, Merchant’s tenure from 1993 to “ The type of player I’m looking “One thing about my job as the head football coach is to at1997 included a Division III national championship for Albion in for is obviously someone who has tract the right student athletes,” Merchant said. “It has to be the 1994. ability not only on the field but in the right fit. It has to be the right fit for them, and they need to be After Albion, Merchant was the head football coach at Uniclassroom. Lawrence Tech is a strong the right fit for us. The type of player I’m looking for is obviously versity of Detroit Jesuit from 1998 to 2006 and an assistant at academic institution, so if you don’t someone who has ability not only on the field but in the classroom. Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice in 2007 and 2008 before landing like school or you struggle in school, Lawrence Tech is a strong academic institution, so if you don’t like at Chippewa Valley. that’s not going to be a good fit for us.” school or you struggle in school, that’s not going to be a good fit for Merchant’s impact on the Chippewa Valley football program us. We want student-athletes who love to play football, enjoy school was immeasurable during his time with the Big Reds, compiling — Scott Merchant, Lawrence Tech head and are good students, and want to get a quality degree and graduate a 104-53 record and earning a Division 1 state championship in football coach and go on to do great things with their degree when they graduate.” 2018. He was named a Regional Coach of the Year six times and Merchant said he is currently filling out his coaching staff while Coach of the Year in 2018. He led the team to three Macomb also preparing for national signing day on Feb. 7, when football recruits Area Conference Red Division championships and four district across the country will announce their collegiate commitment. championships. Chippewa Valley has made 12 consecutive playoff While the final chapter at Chippewa Valley has closed for Merchant, he said the appearances under Merchant. “The Chippewa community is special,” Merchant said. “They love their school whether Chippewa Valley community will always have a special place in his heart. “I’m extremely grateful to the entire community — they were amazing,” Merchant they’re in it, parents or alumni. They have a lot of pride. They took a lot of pride in all their programs. Mike Carr, Bob Schroeder, and those guys really started the foundation of Chip- said. “It was a wonderful experience and opportunity, and I feel humbled and honored to pewa football back in the late ’80s with coach Schroeder and then coach Carr. I was fortunate have been able to serve them and lead that program. I’d like to think that, hopefully, I had a to kind of take over a good program and kind of put my own spin on it. It was great to be a positive impact on it and left it in a good place. I wish them all the success in the world. I’ll part of the community. That’s one of the difficult things is when you leave a place you love, always be a Big Red.” Call Sports Writer Jonathan Szczepaniak at (586) 498-1090. there’s people that you care about and a program you put 15 years of blood, sweat and tears

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C & G NEWSPAPERS MACOMB COUNTY/GROSSE POINTE SPECIAL EDITION • JANUARY 17, 2024

Esports from page 1A

Troy. Registration is free and can be completed online at www.aoeesports.com under the “events” tab. There are 200 spots available. “This is for students who aren’t 7 feet tall or can’t run a fast 40-yard dash,” said Greenspan. “You just need good critical thinking and good dexterity. I used to be a noob and not be able to tell the difference between these games. People will get scholarships based on what games they play and what position they perform in each game. Someone who plays Overwatch may be a tank or may be a healer, and that is what they can get scholarships in if a team is looking for a particular role.” Nathan Benton will be among the coaches meeting prospective players at the event and is currently a coach at Cleary University. He also used to be employed with AoE Esports. “I’ve been working in esports in some capacity since 2019. Seeing how much it’s grown in the last few years is crazy. The biggest thing holding it back is that some people just don’t know about it. That’s why events like this are important, because they get these opportunities out there,” he said. “The big four games in competition right now are League of Legends, Overwatch 2, Super Smash Bros. and Rocket League. Basically, every school will have those games in competition. Other games, like Call of Duty, Valorant, and some sports titles, are also pretty common.” The event will feature coaches and representatives from local universities, including the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Oakland University, Lawrence Technological University, Central Michigan University, Cleary University and Rochester University. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with coaches and gain firsthand knowledge about the various types and

amounts of esports scholarships available, as well as the criteria for qualification. “It varies from school to school. Some schools will offer students who are appropriately talented a full ride,” said Benton. “The average school is probably offering $2,000 to $5,000 a year scholarships. At Cleary, for instance, we can offer up to 50% tuition, which is about $12,000 a year.” “High GPAs and whether they live in or out of the state are factors in how much can be offered,” added Greenspan. AoE Esports is the official provider of esports for the Troy School District and describes itself as being dedicated to fostering talent and creating opportunities for aspiring gamers. “This is the first time we’ve held an event like this,” said Greenspan. “We’ve had smaller events. … Many of our members have gone on to be coaches or players, and they have gone to specific schools, but this is the first time we’ve gathered everyone together.” Greenspan said that esports in general is still fairly new, so the industry and culture are still being established, describing it as “an exciting time.” “This is an emerging sport. More than 1,000 schools across the country offer scholarships, and that number is only growing as universities realize they want to get more of these students at their institutions,” he said. “We are an organization for individuals or teams to come and play esports in structured leagues or teams or run a club or clinic. We are similar to a tennis club. … Players work like players in every other sport. They meet up and practice and work on strategies, just like any other sport. We’ll have another event in the summer where coaches will come in and watch players play and see what they can do.” Benton hopes that any students who think that they can take their gaming to a competitive level will check out the event. “My parents always told me, ‘You’ll never make a living playing video games,’” said Benton. “Now you kind of can.”

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