STUDENTS CREATE NEW FORD HOUSE EXHIBIT
Improvements such as planters, wider sidewalks coming for Park’s Charlevoix business district
BY K. MICHELLE MORAN kmoran@candgnews.com
PARK — Grosse Pointe Park’s business district on Charlevoix Avenue is expected to get a major makeover in the next couple of years.
The city’s Tax Increment Finance Authorityheld a Charlevoix streetscape kickoff meeting Jan. 8 at Park City Hall to discuss proposed improvements in the coming years. The district runs from Alter Road to Beaconsfield Avenue.
String lights have already been added to the district — they’re similar to the ones in the Park’s Kercheval Avenue business district. But there are other additions officials are also considering, including bike racks, rain gardens, accent brick pavement, artistic fences and planters.
Charlevoix streetscape Project Manager Alex Blehm, who works for OHM Advisors, the Park’s engineering firm, said the city was awarded a $1.8 million Transportation Alternatives Plan grant toward the project. Blehm said this is a federal grant that’s administered through the state.
OHM is recommending wider sidewalks, shorter crosswalks, sidewalk dining, decorative lighting, and the addition of trees and greenery. Another recommendation is making the district a curbless street, which Blehm explained would involve raising the road to the height of the curb. Areas with curbless streets include Bagley Street in Detroit, State Street in Ann Arbor and Main
See IMPROVEMENTS on page 5A
New school board officers elected
BY K. MICHELLE MORAN kmoran@candgnews.com
FARMS — A new calendar year and new Grosse Pointe Board of Education is bringing with it a new slate of board officers.
During its first meeting in 2025 on Jan. 7 at Brownell Middle School in Grosse Pointe Farms, the board elected its officers for the year. Board member Valarie St. John nominated Colleen Worden to serve as president.
“She has the most experience, by far, of anyone up here,” St. John said. Worden, a Grosse Pointe Woods resident and assistant prosecutor in Macomb County, has served on the board since 2020, making her the longest-serving current board member. She was elected board treasurer in 2021 and vice president in 2022.
Worden said she “fell in love” with the Grosse Pointe Public School System when her daughter started kindergarten there.
“I’m honored and excited to start this new chapter,” Worden said. “I
See SCHOOL BOARD on page 14A
The Charlevoix Avenue business district in Grosse Pointe Park will be getting a number of streetscape improvements next year.
Photo by K. Michelle Moran
‘Failure’ has winning combination of heartache and humor
BY K. MICHELLE MORAN kmoran@candgnews.com
FARMS — A play in which the three main characters die at a young age might sound like a downer, but the director and cast for a new production of “Failure: A Love Story” say the show is surprisingly uplifting and enchanting.
The show — being staged by the Purdon Studio Theatre, the black box theater arm of Grosse Pointe Theatre — is set in 1928 Chicago and revolves around the three Fail sisters — Nelly, Jenny June and Gerty — all of whom die suddenly over the course of a year. The sisters run their family’s clock business and embrace their family, friends and pets as they blossom in an enchanted setting in which
See FAILURE on page 11A
Lives of local domestic workers explored in ‘Invisible Labor’
BY K. MICHELLE MORAN kmoran@candgnews.com
SHORES — They were the people — mostly women — who spent their lives cooking, cleaning and caring for the children of the elite, but their stories have largely been forgotten. Until now, that is.
“Invisible Labor: The History and Impact of Domestic Workers in Grosse Pointe and Detroit,” on display through Feb. 25 in the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House Visitor Center in Grosse Pointe Shores, is an exhibition researched and prepared by University Liggett School students that documents
Grosse Pointe Theatre’s Purdon Studio Theatre production of “Failure: A Love Story” features, from left, Hayley Boggs, Grace Gillanders and Virginia Lee as the Fail sisters.
Photo provided by Grosse Pointe Theatre
Photo provided by University Liggett School
“Invisible Labor,” an exhibition about 20th century domestic workers in the Grosse Pointes and Detroit, is on display now at the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House Visitor Center.
Improvements
page 1A
Street in Brighton. Blehm said these streets provide improved accessibility for those who use wheelchairs and people pushing strollers, as well as allowing greater flexibility for festivals and pop-up store events.
Not everyone is convinced a curbless street is the way to go, however. Gallery Animato owner Bob Athey was worried about safety.
“This is a place where people drink a lot,” Athey said, noting the presence of multiple bars.
Athey said vehicles currently “hit the curbs all the time.” Besides pedestrians, he feared what might happen to businesses if an intoxicated motorist came barreling toward one of the buildings.
“I don’t want a car coming through my business,” Athey said.
Blehm said curbless streets are safer and “slow down cars.”
Wider sidewalks would mean a narrower roadway for motorists, which Blehm said would slow traffic. He said that they’re looking at putting up more stops signs, too.
The goals for the project include creating a street that’s inviting and safe, incorporating community spaces to encourage gathering and interaction, making changes that will bolster district businesses, and turning Charlevoix into a destination, Blehm said. Maintaining its distinct Grosse Pointe Park character is imperative as well, he said.
The project is likely to result in the loss of at least some on-street parking spaces, as Blehm said some of the spaces near intersections would be eliminated because they create blind spots for drivers and are therefore safety hazards.
Andrew Curcuru, owner of Ripe Records Detroit, voiced concern about parking.
“I’m a business owner and we have a parking problem,” Curcuru said. “Parking is a problem right now on Friday and Saturday nights.”
That’s due to the many bars and restaurants in the district. Several residents who live near the district confirmed that business patrons end up parking on adjacent residential streets when limited lot and on-street parking gets filled.
Kelly McPhee, a resident of the 1300 block of Beaconsfield, called it a “good plan,” but she did voice some concerns about parking, drainage, rats and whether the businesses would be able to remain open during the construction period.
“My biggest concern is the parking,” McPhee said. “If we have someone visiting, there’s no place (for them to park). We love Charlevoix. We go down there all the time.
How it affects us is parking.”
Blehm said excess stormwater would continue to collect in the street. He said there would be a slight slope going down from the business entrances toward the street to direct water there, and said this project “wouldn’t have any effect” on drainage in the neighborhood. Blehm said the possible addition of rain gardens where water tends to pond now would further slow stormwater from flowing into the sewers.
While nothing has been set in stone yet as far as plans for the district, Assistant City Manager and TIFA Director Warren Rothe acknowledged there’s a “strong likelihood” of the district becoming a curbless street. However, he said the plan would still need to be approved by the state and the Michigan Department of Transportation.
As to the increased cost to raise the road, Rothe said that would be negligible because the city was already planning to tear up Charlevoix for the purpose of installing a water main and making sewer improvements underneath the road, which would have necessitated road reconstruction anyway.
“If we’re going to rip the road up, we want to make sure everything else is done, too,” Rothe said.
But as to rats displaced by construction, there’s not much officials said they could do.
Bidding for contractors is expected to take place in early 2026, with construction to start that summer. Rothe said the work is likely to take several months to finish but won’t involve the complete closure of Charlevoix.
“One side of the road is always going to be open,” Rothe said.
Residents, business owners and others will have additional opportunities to weigh in on what they’d like to see in the district. Although dates and times hadn’t been set at press time, future public meetings to discuss the project were slated for March and June, Park officials said.
“We want more of your input,” Blehm said.
The full price tag for the project won’t be known until all details are hammered out and bids are received. Besides the TAP grant, TIFA funds are likely to be applied toward the work.
As outlined in a 2023 document prepared by the Michigan House of Representatives, TIFAs are “entities that ‘capture’ increases in property tax revenue in designated tax increment finance (TIF) districts. Because the increase in property values in a TIF district is expected to be attributable to the TIFA’s development of that area, any tax revenue increases beyond what the property originally yielded go to the TIFA. The base value therefore does not experience any growth over the course of the capture period.”
SpecializingInCarryOut
Home Care One Cares For Those In Need
Home Care One Owner Perry Calisi believes in honesty, integrity, and compassion -- and has offered such quality care through his home care business for the past ffteen years in Grosse Pointe, St. Clair Shores, and Macomb Township in southeastern Michigan.
Home Care One provides assistance for seniors and patients in their homes, and helps with alzheimer’s, dementia, Parkinson’s Disease, hospital and nursing home sitting, interim care during hospice, physical and mental disability assistance for children and adults, and people recovering from surgery. Services also include full or part-time and 24hour care services, and daily living activities such as meal preparation, running errands, assistance with bathing, house cleaning, doctor visits and more.
as everything becomes more expensive,” he said. “In my experience, more people have done better living in their home rather than facilities; just by familiarity and independence.”
Perry said he entered the business by hearing that someone needed help.
“I just set up my own business model for what I would want for my own mother,” he said. “I would want someone honest and compassionate in the house.” Perry said he tries to match his roughly 18 employees’ personality types with patients. “It assures that there is going to be an assimilation of getting along,” he said.
Betty, a client, said she is “really lucky” to have caregivers take really good care of her. “I get all that pampering,” she said smiling. “They’ve been with me ever since. I haven’t been let down for anything.”
Perry wants to increase community awareness about how his company offers these personalized services to keep your loved ones living independently at home. Perry added that he and his staff go further than the next by helping clients stay as independent as possible.
“The public should look at home care as a way of staying independent, and in one’s own home --
Betty’s caregiver, Theresa, said Perry cares about his clients and he cares about his employees as well. “He is good about matching an employee with a client, which is nice,” she said. “We all work together. He cares all the way around... that is him in general.”
For more information call 313-409-0120 or go to http://www.homecareone.net/.
Owner, Perry Calisi with Caregiver Teresa
NEWS & NOTES
6A/ GROSSE POINTE TIMES • JANUARY 23, 2025
Grosse Pointe City to host Winterfest
Grosse Pointe City invites residents and their guests to enjoy the community’s 20th annual Winterfest, slated for 1 to 5 p.m. Jan. 25 at Neff Park.
Because of the recent closure of the ice rink, Parks and Recreation Coordinator Rebecca Jenzen said during a Jan. 13 Grosse Pointe City Council meeting that there would be expanded games, as well as arts and crafts in a classroom.
Other events will include broomball, a scavenger hunt, ice sculpting and disc golf. Warming fires will be available, as well as free s’mores and hot chocolate.
A catering company will be serving up barbecued pulled pork and hot dogs, at a cost of $5 per person.
Jenzen said there will be a superhero theme this year.
“We encourage you all to put on your capes and join us,” Jenzen said.
Organizers are promising that some “famous guest stars” will make an appearance at the pavilion from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., during which attendees will be able to get photos with them. Winterfest is $10 per person, with free admission for those ages 4 and under. Preregistration can be done online by clicking on the Winterfest tab on the city’s website, which includes a link to register, or attendees can pay admission by cash on the day of the event. For more information or to preregister, visit grossepointecity.org.
Budget discussions to begin
The Grosse Pointe City Council will hold a special study session to talk about budget priorities for the upcoming fiscal year at 8:30 a.m. Jan. 27 in council chambers, inside the City Municipal Court building at 17145 Maumee Ave. The meeting is open to the public. For an agenda or more information, visit grossepointecity.org.
Public invited to Park’s Chilly Fest
Grosse Pointe Park’s annual Chilly Fest will take place in the city’s business districts along Charlevoix, Kercheval and Mack avenues from 2 to 6 p.m. Feb. 1.
The event will include retail raffles, a chili cookoff at Cabbage Patch Saloon on Mack, s’mores stations, carriage rides, a frozen fish fling, Mount Everest climbing wall and the second annual bed races. Chili cookoff tasting bowls will be sold for $10 at the door to sample all the chilis, with all proceeds going to aid California wildfire victims.
Park businesses interested in sponsoring this event, or anyone interested in volunteering, can contact Chad Craig at craigc@grossepointepark.org. For more information, visit grossepointepark.org.
Learn about artistic influences
In a new session of the Grosse Pointe Artists Association’s lecture series, “Your Old Mansion,” artist, art historian and tour guide Donald Cronkhite discusses the influence that the old masters of art have had on artists today. This program will take place at 2 p.m. Feb. 16 at The War Memorial, 32 Lake Shore Road in Grosse Pointe Farms. To register or for more information, visit grossepointeartcenter.org.
STUDENTS TO SHOWCASE LOCAL HISTORY
The Edsel and Eleanor Ford House, 1100 Lake Shore Road in Grosse Pointe Shores, will host Grosse Pointe History Day from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Feb. 4. This event includes projects by students from across the Grosse Pointes about history in the community. Visitors can expect to find documentaries, papers, exhibits, websites and more. Admission is free. To register or for more information, visit gplearns.uls.org/historyday.
CONFERENCE ON SUICIDE SCHEDULED
The nonprofit Kevin’s Song will present its ninth annual conference on suicide Jan. 23-25 at St. John’s Resort in Plymouth. The conference brings together experts in the field to teach educators, mental health professionals, students, business leaders, survivors, loved ones of those lost to suicide and more about suicide prevention and risk, as well as the impact suicide has. To register or for more information, visit KevinsSong.org.
Opportunities to learn, exercise abound in new year
The Helm at the Boll Life Center, 158 Ridge Road in Grosse Pointe Farms, is again offering classes from Wayne County Community College District. A couple of popular returning classes include Awesome Abs, which will run on Mondays from Jan. 27 to May 5 from 2:30 to 4 p.m., and Body Alignment, also on Mondays from Jan. 27 to May 5 from 1 to 2 p.m.
A new class, Upscale Jewelry Design for Beginners, will take place on Mondays from Jan. 27 to March 3 from 10 a.m. to noon.
All these classes are free but require registration and are only open to Wayne County residents ages 60 and over. To register or for more information, visit helmlife.org or call (313) 882-9600.
Prepare for Medicare
For those who will be turning 65 soon, a free workshop about Medicare will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. Feb. 18 at The Helm at the Boll Life Center, 158 Ridge Road in Grosse Pointe Farms. Attendees will learn about the steps they need to take, as well as the pros and cons of drug and supplemental plans, costs and coverage. Organizers say the best time to take this class is three to six months before they will turn 65.
Space is limited and this class is only offered about three times per year. To register or for more information, email taltovilla@helmlife.org or call (313) 649-2110. Free individual sessions with Medicare counselors are offered throughout the year at The Helm and reservations for those can be made the same way.
File photo by Patricia O’Blenes
Exhibition
the lives and contributions of these workers in the 20th century. Under the direction of ULS librarian and teacher Karen Villegas, director of information services and global online learning, and Ford House Director of Material Culture Lisa Worley, students spent a year researching, collecting materials and preparing the exhibition.
“The stories of these women have remained largely untold,” Worley said in a press release. “This project not only brings their contributions to light but also empowers students to engage deeply with history.”
Because almost all these workers lived before the advent of social media — and, in many cases, before the internet — students didn’t have the benefit of a digital footprint to follow as they would with modern figures.
“These people were essentially invisible, and finding information on them was kind of an impossible task,” Villegas said. “These kids followed the path wherever it led.”
Still, there were ways they could find information, even if it meant more extensive digging than a Google search.
Students did some of their research using the online tool Ancestry Classroom. Senior Elizabeth Dickey, of Grosse Pointe Woods, looked into the life of Ada Alice Hill and discovered Hill’s immigration papers, marriage license and declaration of intent that she wanted to become a United States citizen.
“What definitely surprised me was how much I could find on my person,” Dickey said.
Thanks to grants from the Edward E. Ford Foundation, Americana Foundation and the Michigan Humanities Council, Villegas said the students were able to expand their research to include not only staff who had worked at the Ford House, but also other workers in the area, most notably Mary Upshaw McClendon, a trailblazer in the fight for the rights of domestic workers. McClendon, who began cleaning homes at age 9 in her native Alabama alongside her mother, moved with her family to Detroit in 1955. Despite having limited resources, she formed the Household Workers Organization in 1969 to get better pay and conditions for domestic workers. At 54, she attended community college to become a certified home care aid. She was born in 1922 and died in 2015. Her papers are among the archives at the Walter P. Reuther Library on the Wayne State University campus in Detroit.
A single mother, McClendon ran HWO out of her home. She wrote numerous letters to politicians to advocate for laws
to better the lives of domestic workers.
Some of the students, including senior Da’Mya Johnson, of Detroit, spent time combing through McClendon’s papers and other archives at the Reuther.
“At Liggett, we’ve done a lot of placebased research from primary sources,” Villegas said.
Conditions were often harder for domestic workers than they were for other worker groups, because most of those employed in this field were from marginalized groups.
“One of the reasons they didn’t have these rights was because they were immigrants or Black people,” Johnson said.
Villegas said one of the subjects of the project was a woman from France who served as a governess to the Ford children. While she had a relatively good salary for the time, she never married or had children of her own because her work caring for another family’s children was so demanding. Villegas said the governess would save her money to visit her sister in France every couple of years.
“A lot of these women were divorced or never married. … (They had) limited options” as far as employment to support themselves, Villegas said.
Their jobs also typically entailed difficult manual labor with no health benefits or sick time.
“You are doing really hard work for really low wages,” Villegas said.
That was the case for McClendon, who worked tirelessly for years.
“One of the things I found shocking was even though she fought for so many rights … she died without any benefits at all,” Johnson said of McClendon, who suffered from debilitating chronic back pain in her later years.
Many of the University Liggett School students who worked on “Invisible Labor” gather for a group photo. Photo provided by University Liggett School
The project is generating some recognition for McClendon, a historical figure whose legacy has been largely overlooked. Johnson said the Louisa St. Clair Chapter National Society Daughters of the American Revolution plans to give an award to McClendon’s surviving family members. Although the date for that event hadn’t been set at press time, Johnson is expected to be there and is looking forward to meeting McClendon’s granddaughter.
“For the most part, she lived a really powerful life,” Johnson said.
McClendon was someone who encouraged people to get a good education, as Johnson said McClendon believed it would give them greater opportunities to better themselves. As Villegas pointed out, most of the workers never owned their own homes, whether because they were living in the homes of the people for whom they worked or because they couldn’t afford one.
Besides learning how to use online and archival research to find information about ordinary people, students were introduced to the process of creating panels for a museum exhibition, where they had to consider everything from font size to photo placement to the amount of text a visitor would read.
The exhibition comes at a time when Ford House officials have been re-creating the historical home’s domestic quarters to give visitors a glimpse into the lives of the staff who worked there.
“They didn’t have a lot of information
on the (staff),” Villegas said. “We thought that it would be a cool way to engage the kids in history and the research process.”
Senior Isabel Jenkins, of Harper Woods, said she appreciated that this was a local history project, which she said made it easier to connect with on a personal level. She also found the research eye-opening.
“It definitely did change my perspective on a lot of things,” Jenkins said.
This project was voluntary and students gave up their summer last year to work on it.
“It was worth it,” Johnson said. “I would definitely do it again. Learning about (McClendon) was invaluable.”
Other students who worked on the project include Alexander Gould, Jillian Whitton, Nadia Le, Alexander Macek, Ari Medvinsky, Mya Shah-Littles, Elizabeth Dickey, Kiki Donaldson and Donald Rowlands. All will be graduating this spring.
Medvinsky and Whitton even had a chance to present their research during the American Association for State and Local History national conference in Mobile, Alabama.
“People were clamoring to talk to the kids,” Villegas said of the professional historians in attendance. “They were really interested in their experience.”
There’s no admission charge or reservations needed to view “Invisible Labor.” A Ford House spokesperson said by email that the public can stop in the Visitor Center during operating hours to see it.
The Ford House is located at 1100 Lake Shore Road in Grosse Pointe Shores. For hours of operation and more information, visit fordhouse.org or call (313) 884-4222.
Board of Education meetings moved back to Monday evenings
BY K. MICHELLE MORAN kmoran@candgnews.com
FARMS — After switching to meeting on Tuesdays to avoid conflicts with city council meetings on Mondays in the Pointes, the Grosse Pointe Board of Education has decided to move its meetings back to Monday nights to avoid conflicts with school programs.
The board — which is required to approve its schedule of regular meetings for the calendar year at the start of each year — approved its 2025 meeting schedule during a Jan. 7 board meeting — a Tuesday — at Brownell Middle School in Grosse Pointe Farms. The board voted 5-2 in favor of the schedule, with Board members Virginia “Ginny” Jeup and Sean Cotton casting the dissenting votes.
Board of Education President Colleen Worden proposed returning to Mondays because she said Tuesdays “are the busiest days” for the district.
“I would like to go back to going on Mondays,” Worden said. “I think we have to look out for what’s best for our kids.”
However, four of the five city councils in the Grosse Pointes, as well as the Harper Woods City Council, hold their meetings on Mondays. The one exception is Grosse Pointe Shores, which has its council meetings on Tuesdays.
“I’m worried about the public that comes to these meetings,” Jeup said. “A lot
of them attend the council meetings (also).”
Cotton agreed.
“I have heard from many people that they appreciate being able to watch their city council and school board meeting live,” Cotton said.
Jeup also said that the Grosse Pointe Public School System’s “peer districts” meet on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Board Secretary Valarie St. John argued that last year about half of their Tuesday meetings got rescheduled or canceled.
“I think (moving to Mondays) will allow us to have more consistency,” St. John said.
Worden also suggested moving the meeting start time back to 7 p.m., from 6:30 p.m. — a change approved during the meeting scheduling vote. She said 7 p.m. was better for the district’s many working parents, saying that she saw a decline in resident participation when the meetings started earlier.
Jeup countered that their peer districts schedule school board meetings at 6 p.m. and the earlier start is better for parents who need to put their children to bed — especially when the meetings run late.
“My goal is hopefully we don’t have meetings (that run) as long,” Worden said
Not all the 2025 meetings are on Mondays. Some, like a meeting scheduled Jan. 21, take place on a Tuesday because of a scheduling conflict or because of a Monday holiday.
Call Staff Writer K. Michelle Moran at (586) 498-1047.
3A
animals and inanimate objects like clocks and a gramophone talk. It will be staged Jan. 24-26 at Grosse Pointe Congregational Church in Grosse Pointe Farms.
Making her GPT directing debut is Meg Berger, of Huntington Woods, who found herself smitten with “Failure: A Love Story” after seeing a production at Planet Ant Theatre in Hamtramck several years ago.
“It was so good that it immediately piqued my interest,” Berger said. “I wanted to either be in it or direct it.”
Josh Kozakowski, of Grosse Pointe Park, plays Mortimer Mortimer, who falls in
love with each of the sisters over the course of the show, only to lose them as they meet their untimely ends. He was initially only planning to accompany his friend, Stephanie Stoiko, of Detroit — a member of the chorus — to Stoiko’s audition, but after reading parts of the script the night before that audition, he said he decided to try out as well.
“I just fell in love with the show,” Kozakowski said. “It was just so funny and interesting.”
Mortimer Mortimer, who has lived something of a charmed life, is also imbued with surprising innocence, the actor said.
“It almost feels like with him, some presence is brought,” Kozakowski said. “The magic brings (the characters) together and helps them go through (hardship).”
While the specter of death looms over the story, the show’s focus is on life.
“This is more about a life well lived. … While it’s a little sad, it’s a healing sad,” Berger said.
Berger said the show is full of whimsy.
“It’s a fable,” Kozakowski said. “It’s not a musical, but there’s a lot of music in it.”
Audiences can expect to hear standards from the era, as well as see the actors dancing to those timeless tunes.
Anye Irving, of St. Clair Shores, a member of the chorus, is excited to be returning to the stage after not having performed since college and said the script was a big draw for the actors.
“The prose is really wonderful,” Irving said. “It’s like having gold on your lips.”
Others in the cast include Hayley
Boggs, Grace Gillanders and Virginia Lee as the Fail sisters, Michael Kieliszewski as John N. Fail and chorus members McKenna Foster, Lynnie Heinemann and Chris Martin. Berger said the show is designed so that the cast can be as large as 50, depending on the size of the chorus.
The humor in “Failure: A Love Story” tempers its heartache.
“Ultimately, it’s about the heart and the family and love,” Berger said. “And you don’t leave brokenhearted — you leave hopeful.”
Grosse Pointe Congregational Church is located at 240 Chalfonte Avenue in Grosse Pointe Farms. For tickets or more information, visit gpt.org or call the GPT box office at (313) 881-4004.
Call Staff Writer K. Michelle Moran at (586) 498-1047.
CRIME WATCH
Retail fraud suspects hit Lululemon again
CITY — Two unknown female suspects are said to have stolen an estimated $10,000 worth of merchandise from The Village Lululemon store at around 2:45 p.m. Jan. 18. Police said one of the suspects tried to distract store employees while the second suspect pulled out a trash bag and filled it with items. The suspects were last seen heading westbound on Kercheval Avenue. Police said the case was under investigation at press time. Anyone with more information can call (313) 886-3200.
Prowler arrested
CITY — A 28-year-old Toledo man was arrested after he was seen on surveillance cameras peering into vehicles and trying door handles in the area of University Place and Maumee Avenue at 9:35 a.m. Jan. 19. The suspect is facing a possible charge for prowling.
Thefts reported at senior facility
FARMS — An unknown suspect is said to be getting into American House apartments and stealing valuables from the senior residents there. In the most recent incident, a 90-year-old woman reported that between Jan. 8 and Jan. 10, someone had apparently entered her unit and stole $16 from her purse. Other residents on the same floor have reported similar thefts. In other recent incidents, $40 was taken from a resident’s purse between Jan. 8 and Jan. 10, and an iPad was stolen around Jan. 3 from someone else’s apartment.
The thefts are being classified as home invasions by police because they involve someone entering the apartments rented by the victims.
Anyone with more information about any of these incidents can call (313) 8852100.
Package thief steals resident’s identity
PARK — A resident in the 700 block of Westchester Road learned that an unknown suspect was using her credit card to rack up unauthorized purchases and collect those purchases from her front porch. The victim, who filed a report with police Jan. 14, discovered the criminal activity by watching her Ring doorbell camera footage, which showed the suspect — described as a tall, thin person wearing a face mask, all black clothing and white tennis shoes — going up to her porch
and taking the packages at around 4:16 p.m. Jan. 14. The victim then found unauthorized charges on her credit card. The suspect is said to have driven away from the scene in a gray Ford Escape. The case was under investigation at press time. Anyone with more information can call (313) 822-7400.
Larceny suspects arrested
PARK — Two 22-year-old Detroit men were arrested after they were reportedly seen on the surveillance cameras of several Grosse Pointe Park homes entering vehicles and removing valuables at around 5 a.m. Jan. 12. The suspects are said to have targeted vehicles on Pemberton, Berkshire and Balfour roads and Beaconsfield Avenue. According to a police report, after they were arrested, the suspects confessed to the larcenies. Police said they recovered stolen property from the suspects.
Porch pirate caught on camera
FARMS — An unknown suspect was captured on a Ring camera stealing a Federal Express package from the front porch of a home in the 200 block of Ridge Road at 2:09 p.m. Jan. 16. The victim told police she was notified by her Ring camera that the package had been delivered at 1:59 p.m. At 2:09 p.m., she got a second Ring notification that someone was near her front door. When the victim checked the porch shortly thereafter, the package — which contained two phone cases — was gone. According to a police report, the suspect caught on camera was wearing dark clothing and an N95 face mask and carrying an open book. The suspect got into a blue BMW and fled the scene heading eastbound on Ridge. Anyone with more information can call (313) 885-2100.
Suspect accused of stealing liquor
FARMS — A 34-year-old Grosse Pointe Farms man is facing possible thirddegree retail fraud charges after he allegedly stole a bottle of Platinum 7X extra smooth vodka valued at $8.99 from a store in the 18300 block of Mack Avenue at around 8:21 a.m. Jan. 11. Because the suspect is said to be a customer at the store and has used a credit card to make other purchases there — including bacon on Jan. 11 during the same shopping trip — police were able to identify him and find his home.
Police asked the suspect about his visit to the store, and he said he only purchased bacon there. When pressed about what he placed in his pocket, police said the suspect admitted he had slipped the bottle of vodka in there and didn’t pay for it. The suspect was given a citation for third-degree retail fraud and was warned not to return to the store or he would face trespassing charges. A
store employee told police she believed the suspect had stolen liquor from the store on previous visits.
Suspect sought after going through vehicles
FARMS — Residents on Edgemere Road are on edge after an unknown suspect is said to have approached vehicles parked there at around 4 a.m. Jan. 9 and checked vehicle doors. One of the victims filed a report with police after seeing the suspect on his home security camera. The suspect is said to have tried the doors on the victim’s vehicle but, finding them locked, he left the victim’s property. A neighbor told police her unlocked vehicle was rifled through, but nothing appeared to be missing. The suspect — described as a white male in a dark jacket with the hood up and his face partially obscured by a scarf — is said to have ridden to the scene on a mountain bike with a bright headlight and a red rear light. He was last seen heading north on Edgemere. Anyone with more information can call (313) 8852100.
Change taken
FARMS — Sometime between the evening of Jan. 7 and 12:41 p.m. Jan. 9, an unknown suspect is said to have entered a gold 2002 Toyota Sequoia and stolen change while the vehicle was parked in a driveway in the 400 block of Chalfonte Avenue. The victim wasn’t certain if the vehicle had been locked at the time. She said coins appeared to be the only thing missing. Anyone with more information can call (313) 885-2100.
Wallet stolen
PARK — An unknown suspect is said by police to have stolen a wallet containing credit cards and $150 from an unlocked vehicle while it was parked on the street in the 900 block of Nottingham Road between the hours of 5 p.m. Jan. 8 and 1:30 p.m. Jan. 10. Anyone with more information can call (313) 822-7400.
Larceny from vehicle under investigation
FARMS — Sometime between the hours of 8 p.m. Jan. 8 and 9 a.m. Jan. 9, an unknown suspect is said to have entered a silver Volvo while it was parked on Beverly Road and stolen an estimated $2 to $3 in change, a BJ’s Wholesale Club membership card and a pair of Ray-Ban Wayfarer sunglasses worth $500. The victim said he accidentally left the vehicle unlocked overnight. The next morning, he discovered a vehicle door ajar, the vehicle’s contents askew and one of his gloves on the ground. Anyone
with more information can call (313) 8852100. At press time, it wasn’t known if this incident was related to two similar larceny from automobile cases that took place on Edgemere, just three blocks away.
Medication taken
PARK — An unknown suspect or suspects are said to have stolen prescription medication from the bedroom of a home in the 1000 block of Grayton Road, according to a police report filed Jan. 6. The resident told police several people were in the home at the time the medication went missing. Police said the case was under investigation at press time.
Suspects threaten delivery person
FARMS — Two unknown male suspects are facing possible strong-armed robbery charges after stealing a package from a Federal Express delivery person when the victim was trying to deliver said package to a home in the 200 block of McKinley Road at around 12:12 p.m. Jan. 7.
The victim told police that one of the suspects claimed to be the homeowner as he stepped out of the passenger side of a vehicle. When the delivery person asked the suspect for identification before handing him the package, he said the suspect wouldn’t provide any. The victim said the suspect tried to rip the package out of his hands.
The driver of the suspect then yelled, “Just give us the package and walk away.” When the victim didn’t comply, he said both suspects became enraged. The suspect who had emerged from the passenger side of the vehicle is said by the victim to have gone back to his vehicle and started rummaging through the back seat, asking the victim, “Is that package worth your life?”
The victim, fearing that the passenger was looking for a gun, finally left the package on the porch so that the suspect could take it.
The passenger suspect is described as an 18- to 25-year-old Black man with a dark complexion wearing dark clothing who stood about 6 feet tall, weighed roughly 140 to 160 pounds, and had brown eyes, black hair and little or no facial hair. The driver suspect is described as a 5-feet, 9-inch tall Black man weighing about 150 to 190 pounds, with brown eyes, black hair in dreadlocks and a small goatee, and wearing dark clothing and a light blue vest similar to the ones worn by Amazon employees. The suspects left the scene in a silver Nissan Rogue.
Anyone with more information can call (313) 885-2100.
— K. Michelle Moran
City closes ice rink due to weather, costs, declining usage
BY K. MICHELLE MORAN kmoran@candgnews.com
CITY — This winter, Grosse Pointe City ice skaters and hockey players will need to find a new rink.
Because of the cost of maintenance and manpower, combined with the fact that it hasn’t been usable much in recent years due to warmer winters, City officials decided it was time to close the Neff Park ice rink.
Parks and Recreation Coordinator Rebecca Jenzen told the Grosse Pointe City Council that residents in the summer of 2024 voiced concerns about the viability of the rink and the costs to operate it and fix it.
Mayor Sheila Tomkowiak concurred, saying that the number of residents who thought the rink should be closed was “fairly significant.”
“We were getting to the point where the maintenance costs were getting very high because we have to replace many (parts),” Jenzen said during a Dec. 16 council meeting.
Jenzen said a single warm, rainy day
— even in the middle of a cold snap — is enough to render the rink unusable.
“We don’t just lose one day when it’s warm and rainy — we lose multiple days,” Jenzen said.
Between 2016 and 2024, the rink has only been open from a high of 55 days — during the 2018 to 2019 season — to a low of eight days in 2023, when the rink was only open in February due to weather conditions.
“We discussed the limited time the rink is open,” said City Councilman Dave Fries, the council liaison to the Parks and Harbor Commission.
Because of warmer winters, the city hasn’t been able to open the rink as early as it once could. Since 2016, the rink was only open in December in 2017 — when it opened Dec. 28 — and 2018 — when it opened Dec. 26.
“It’s staggering how much (rink usage) has dropped off in the last couple of years,” City Councilman Christopher Moyer said.
Although Neff Park had a refrigerated
ice rink, outdoor temperatures still need to be low to keep the ice solid. Jenzen said park staffers needed to do “extensive maintenance” to keep the rink running, including adding layers of water and packing the rink’s corners and edges with ice and snow to stop leakage and enable new ice formation. Workers also had to shave the ice when air bubbles or pitting happened.
City officials said not opening the rink would save the community $16,000 in repairs to the ice rink chiller and another $3,700 in salaries for the seasonal workers who take care of the rink.
“The (Parks and Harbor) Commission felt $16,000 to bring it up to (operational condition) was exorbitant,” Tomkowiak said.
In addition, there are separate costs associated with having an electrical team properly connect and disconnect the rink each season, as well as an inspection to make sure everything is working correctly.
The council voted unanimously in favor of the Parks and Harbor Commission’s recommendation to close the rink. Jenzen
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said city employees could look at possibly selling equipment related to the ice rink. That’s not to say the City can’t decide to put in a new ice rink in the future, should residents want one.
“Certainly you could revisit this in the future,” City Manager Joseph Valentine said. Some residents have expressed an interest in having sand volleyball at Neff Park. Tomkowiak said they couldn’t set up a volleyball court where the rink is located because the rink couldn’t be placed atop sand, but with closure of the rink, the city could possibly create a sand volleyball court in that location.
Call Staff Writer K. Michelle Moran at (586) 498-1047.
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love this district. … My goal in leading this district is putting the kids first.”
She also vowed to be transparent and abide by the state Open Meetings Act.
“I’m committed to leading with civility,” Worden said. “We need to return to good governance.”
Worden became president by a vote of 6-1, with Board member Virginia “Ginny” Jeup — who had been the board secretary last year — casting the dissenting vote.
“You’ve been very combative over the past two years,” Jeup told Worden. “I run my life on love, peace and joy.”
Worden replaces Board member Sean Cotton, who served as president last year.
Worden nominated board newcomer Laura Hull, of Grosse Pointe City, a high school math and chemistry teacher, for vice president.
“I love that she’s a teacher,” Worden said. “She’s incredibly organized. She is smart. She is measured. I think she’d be a terrific vice president for the board.”
Hull’s nomination was unanimously approved. Hull said she felt everyone on the board brings “different strengths” to their role.
New Board member Clint Derringer nominated fellow board newcomer Timothy Klepp for the role of treasurer.
“Tim asks the right questions at the right time with the right demeanor,” Derringer said.
Klepp, of Grosse Pointe Park, a partner for IBM Consulting, holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting as well as an MBA. Wor-
den pointed out that Klepp is also a certified public accountant.
“He knows finances better than anyone I know,” Worden said. “He knows how to take a deep dive on this budget. I’m confident, with his knowledge and his experience, he’ll be a great treasurer.”
Klepp’s nomination was approved by a unanimous vote.
Derringer recognized that the new board would need to approve a budget in the coming months for the next fiscal year — a decision that’s expected to be a challenge.
“Budget decisions are priority decisions,” Derringer said. “We have to be able to constantly move forward to the best of our ability.”
Worden nominated St. John for secretary, saying her colleague takes “copious notes” at meetings, routinely finds and corrects mistakes in the minutes and is very organized. Derringer agreed.
“I also think that she is a great fit,” Derringer said.
St. John’s nomination was approved by a vote of 6-1. Cotton cast the dissenting vote but didn’t elaborate why.
Prior to the election of officers, those elected or reelected in November were sworn into office by Grosse Pointe Farms Municipal Court Judge Chip Berschback. They included Worden, Hull, Klepp and Derringer.
Derringer thanked the community for their support and the outgoing board members for their service.
“What we’re doing here is not win or lose,” Derringer said. “It requires that we work together … not necessarily in (constant) agreement, but that we’re pushing in the same direction.”
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Photos by K. Michelle Moran
TOP LEFT: Colleen Worden is sworn in for another term on the Grosse Pointe Board of Education by Grosse Pointe Farms Municipal Court Judge Chip Berschback at a Jan. 7 board meeting at Brownell Middle School in Grosse Pointe Farms. She was later elected president of the board for 2025. TOP RIGHT: Timothy Klepp, who was elected in November for a term on the Grosse Pointe Board of Education, receives the oath of office.
BOTTOM LEFT: Laura Hull, a teacher, is sworn in for her first term on the Grosse Pointe Board of Education. BOTTOM RIGHT: Clint Derringer is sworn in as a new member of the Grosse Pointe Board of Education.
COMMUNITY
CALENDAR
JAN. 24
Chamber Music Detroit: Hear violinist Melissa White and pianist Pallavi Mahidhara, 7:30 p.m., Grosse Pointe South High School, 11 Grosse Pointe Blvd. in Grosse Pointe Farms, (313) 335-3300, cmdetroit.org
JAN. 24-26
‘Failure: A Love Story’: Musical about sisters who meet untimely ends while living above family clock repair shop in 1928, presented by Grosse Pointe Theatre’s Purdon Studio Theatre, 8 p.m. Jan. 24-25 and 2 p.m. Jan. 26, Grosse Pointe Congregational Church, 240 Chalfonte Ave. in Grosse Pointe Farms, gpt.org/pst
JAN. 25
Winter Fest: Includes dance party in heated tent, pony rides, petting zoo, outdoor games, photo booth, local pro sports team mascots, disc golf demonstrations and food trucks, noon-3 p.m., Ghesquiere Park, behind Grosse Pointe Woods City Hall, 20025 Mack Plaza, gpwmi.us
Bach’s Coffeehouse: Concert series featuring Detroit Symphony Orchestra musicians, 8 p.m., Our Lady Star
of the Sea, 467 Fairford Road in Grosse Pointe Woods, (313) 576-5111, dso.org
Heroes’ Movement Inaugural Gala: Open bar, appetizers, live music and live auction, proceeds support nonprofit’s mission to strengthen veterans’ physical and mental well-being through workouts and athletics, 7-10 p.m., The War Memorial, 32 Lake Shore Drive in Grosse Pointe Farms, warmemorial.org/eventcalendar
FEB. 10
Communities United in Diversity: Monthly meetings from 6-8 p.m., Grosse Pointe North High School, 707 Vernier Road in Grosse Pointe Woods, future events change locations within Grosse Pointe Public School System, see more at gpschools.org
FEB. 14
Valentine’s dinner and concert: Music by jazz vocalist Ramona Collins and accompanied by Cliff Monear Trio, 6:30-9:30 p.m., The War Memorial, 32 Lake Shore Drive in Grosse Pointe Farms, warmemorial.org/ eventcalendar
FEB. 16
Your Old Mansion lecture series: Learn how “old masters” like Rembrandt and Monet still influence artists today, 2-4 p.m., The War Memorial, 32 Lake Shore Drive in Grosse Pointe Farms, register and see topics for other talks at grossepointeartcenter.org
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THE WEEK • CRIME OF THE WEEK • CRIME OF THE WEEK
Jeeps stolen, recovered
GROSSE POINTE WOODS — A resident in the 2100 block of Hawthorne Road reported to police that his unlocked Jeep Wagoneer was stolen from his driveway before 9:20 a.m. Jan. 2. The resident told police that the key fob had likely been left inside the vehicle. Police said they recovered the vehicle later in Harper Woods, but items that had been inside — including checks, camera equipment, a stroller, an iPad, a North Face jacket and a bracelet — were missing. In a separate incident, a resident in the 2000 block of Lennon Street contacted police at 6 a.m. Jan. 6 after finding that one of the two Jeeps that had been parked in his driveway had been stolen. The other Jeep had been broken into and the victim told police that Jeep had contained keys to the Jeep that was stolen. Police said they recovered the missing Jeep later in Harper Woods.
Vehicle break-in attempt reported
GROSSE POINTE PARK — Two unknown suspects — possibly juveniles — are being sought by police after they reportedly tried to break the driver’s side window on a Chrysler Pacifica while the vehicle was warming up in the 1400 block of Lakepointe Street at 6:45 p.m. Jan. 2. Police said surveillance footage shows the suspects walk up to the vehicle and try to break in.
Vehicle theft under investigation
GROSSE POINTE FARMS — According to an online Nixle report, a vehicle was stolen from the Country Club of Detroit at around 1 p.m. Jan. 3. Police said three unknown people in a red Honda Civic — believed to be a 2006 to 2011 model — arrived at the club and allegedly entered three vehicles in the main parking lot and attempted to enter three other vehicles. The vehicle that was stolen was recovered a few hours later, abandoned on the east side around the Warren/ Detroit border.
The case was under investigation.
Threatening suspect sought
GROSSE POINTE CITY — An unknown woman in her mid-40s is facing possible charges for issuing threats and causing a disturbance after the suspect is said to have menaced an employee at The Village Lululemon store at around 4:15 p.m. Dec. 27. According to a police report, the suspect threatened the employee after the employee asked the suspect and the group that the suspect was with about a missing skirt that was in the group’s shopping bag, but which hadn’t been paid for. The group said they had bought the skirt.
Broken window emergency MOUNT CLEMENS — At around 11:15 p.m. on
Dec. 19, Macomb County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to the corner of Dickinson and Avery streets to speak with a 34-year-old woman about damage to her car.
The woman said her boyfriend, 36, broke the front passenger window of her Subaru Legacy after she refused to drive him home. The boyfriend walked home.
Lots of tires flattened
SHELBY TOWNSHIP — Officers from Shelby Township were dispatched to the 40000 block of Van Dyke Avenue for a malicious destruction of property complaint at 12:11 a.m. Dec. 8. Upon officers’ arrival to the parking lot, they met with the caller. The caller advised that she noticed her vehicle had two flat tires. The caller looked around the parking lot and noticed several other vehicles that also had flat tires.
The officers walked through the entire parking lot and found eight vehicles with flat tires. The department had no suspects and the case was turned over to the detective bureau.
Minivan stolen
STERLING HEIGHTS — Police said they investigated the theft of a Dodge Caravan from the 43000 block of Schoenherr Road Dec. 26.
According to police, the vehicle owner said the Caravan was stolen after it had been left running by itself for approximately 25-30 minutes. The owner reportedly said the minivan was in bad shape and was essentially junk, though it reportedly contained tools that were more valuable than the vehicle.
Police said they were seeking surveillance footage that might have captured the minivan’s theft.
Expired tags trouble
HARRISON TOWNSHIP — While patrolling around Shook and Union Lake roads at around 5:40 p.m. on Dec. 18, Macomb County Sheriff’s Office deputies pulled over a Ford Fusion with an expired license plate tag. The driver, a 24-year-old Detroit woman, told deputies she had an appointment the next day to get new tags and a new license.
The woman was released on scene after a licensed driver came by to drive her home.
Abandoned trailer
MACOMB TOWNSHIP — At around 9:30 p.m. on Dec. 17, Macomb County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to the 54000 block of Chickasaw Drive to handle a 20- to 25-foot trailer left in the middle of the road.
The owner of the trailer, a 42-year-old Macomb Township woman, was identified by the license plate but unable to be contacted. The trailer was impounded, and an ordinance citation was issued for the owner.
AND NOTES NEWS
NEWS BRIEFS TAKEN FROM AROUND OUR COVERAGE AREAS
Time to check hemlock trees for invasive species
METRO DETROIT — The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development are asking for help protecting eastern hemlock trees from an invasive species.
The pests are hemlock woolly adelgid and the best time to catch them feeding is in the winter months. Robert Miller, an MDARD invasive species prevention and response specialist, said this climate triggers feeding activity, making the adelgids easier to spot.
“As hemlock woolly adelgid feeds, it secretes a white, waxy material that creates ovisacs,” he is quoted as saying in a DNR press release. “The presence of these small, round, white masses makes it possible to identify infested trees.”
The insects, which aren’t native to Michigan, drain the nutrients out of the hemlocks. Infestations have been confirmed in Allegan, Antrim, Benzie, Leelanau, Mason, Muskegon, Oceana, Ottawa and Washtenaw counties. Hemlock trees have the following characteristics: Cone- or egg-shaped trees up to 75 feet tall; drooping or feathery branches; flat needles growing individually from the sides of twigs; needles that are dark green on top with two parallel, white stripes underneath; and papery cones about three-quarters of an inch long that hang downward from branches.
You can report an infestation to the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network, at MISIN.MSU.edu or available as a downloadable smartphone app. Reports can also be submitted by email to MDA-Info@ Michigan.gov or by phone to MDARD at (800) 292-3939.
ACROSS 1. 43,560 square feet 5. Undergarment 8. “She ____ a Yellow Ribbon” 12. Ocean Spray ____-Apple juice 13. #5 Across, pl. 14. Concentration of solution, in chemistry 15. CISC alternative 16. Swearing-in words 17. Goodwill branch 18. *Artist with most Grammy nominations 20. ALCS counterpart 21. Winter Olympics participant 22. IX minus II 23. Drum roll sound 26. Front of building, pl. 30. Get it wrong 31. Upholstery choice 34. Reflect deeply 35. Raccoon’s cousin 37. “____ the fields we go” 38. Binary digits code 39. Capital on a fjord 40. Isaac of science fiction fame 42. Consumed 43. Within shortest distance 45. *100-year-old Grammy Award nominee 47. Beer faucet 48. Corpulent 50. Self-satisfied 52. *2025 Grammy nominated former band, with The 55. Twist and distort 56. Bank’s provision 57. Flock’s
GET A SLICE OF THIS
METRO DETROIT — Michigan has good taste when it comes to pizza.
Recently, the McNair Center at Northwood University partnered with the Michigan Chamber of Commerce to conduct an analysis of who serves the best pizza. According to their report released Dec. 16, Michigan is the pizza capital of the United States and maybe even the world.
The study, “Michigan: The Unlikely Pizza Capital of the United States (and the World?),” analyzed the size and scope of the U.S. and global pizza industry and the economic role Michigan plays. The study also looked at the history and economic role in growing the U.S. and global pizza markets, and what role eight entrepreneurs from Michigan had in influencing the size, scope, and quality of the growth.
“We found that across the U.S. and around the world, millions of people speaking different languages were brought together by the common pleasure of consuming pizza, whose origins emanated from entrepreneurial activity within a 60mile radius of downtown Detroit, Michigan,” stated Dr. Timothy G. Nash, one of the study’s authors who led the McNair Center for Free Enterprise and Entrepreneurship at Northwood.
The study determined Michigan is home to four of the top 10 U.S. pizza chains by sales in 2023: Domino’s Pizza at No. 1; Little Caesars Pizza at No. 3; Hungry Howie’s Pizza at No. 8; and Jet’s Pizza at No. 9. Those four institutions accounted for 30.5% of the U.S. pizza sales in 2023, recording a combined $14.36 billion of the $46.98 billion industry total. According to the results, the four Michigan pizzerias recorded nearly 15% of global pizza sales with $23.6 billion of the $159 billion total. The headquarters for the “Michigan Four” are all located within less than 60 miles of each other in southeast Michigan in Madison Heights, Detroit, Sterling Heights and Ann Arbor.
SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE FOR FUTURE FIRST RESPONDERS AND THOSE SEEKING CAREERS IN SKILLED TRADES
METRO DETROIT — Now through Feb. 25, Michigan Schools and Government
Credit Union is inviting students
to apply for any of the 57 scholarships it’s offering. Scholarships include those designed to help students and educators achieve their career goals and scholarships for future first responders and those seeking careers in skilled trades. The credit union plans to award a total of $130,000 in scholarships this year. “Earning a degree or certification requires a great deal of determination and hard work, along with a significant financial investment,” MSGCU President/CEO Steve Brewer said in a press release. “MSGCU is increasing our scholarship awards this year to support more students in the communities we serve. We have provided over $1.25 million in scholarships since our program started 20 years ago, helping more than 600 recipients complete their education.”
For a scholarship application or more information, visit msgcu.org/scholarships.
Pups compete in annual dog show
BIRMINGHAM/BEVERLY HILLS — The Birmingham Youth Assistance’s 42nd Annual Kids’ Dog Show will take place from 1-3 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 2 in the Berkshire Middle School gymnasium, located at 21707 W. 14 Mile Road in Beverly Hills.
All participants are required to be checked into the show by 12:30 p.m.
Registration to participate has passed. Each year, kids ages 4-14 bring their dogs to compete in a fun competition for prizes. The categories are designed to be low stress and include, Best Costume for dog and child, Best Trick, Waggiest Tail, Best Looking, and Musical Sit, which is a game similar to musical chairs. Comfort dogs will be at the event, courtesy of the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department. Kids will also get a chance to learn an easy obedience command from an instructor from the Southern Michigan Obedience Training Club.
“We are thrilled that this fun event has become such a popular tradition in our community,” BYA Chair Ann Nazareth Manning stated in a press release. “The enthusiastic kids who participate each year and the generosity of our sponsors make this show possible and help further the work of Birmingham Youth Assistance.”
Visit birminghamyouthassistance.org/kids-dog-show, for more information.
COREWELL HEALTH CHILDREN’S RECEIVES $1.6 MILLION IN GRANTS
ROYAL OAK — Corewell Health Children’s has recently received $1.6 million in Children’s Miracle Network Grants.
The grants will be used to enhance pediatric programs at Corewell Health Children’s locations, and more than 60 programs received funding.
“The success of the Corewell Health’s Children’s/CMN partnership relies upon the generosity of the entire community,” Matthey Denenberg, M.D., chief of pediatrics for Corewell Health, said in a press release. “Individuals, corporate partners and hospital team members all contribute to provide our pediatric team the opportunity for ongoing advancement in medical care for our youngest patients. Together, we can give children exceptional care that positively impacts their lives.” The
Photo provided by Birmingham Youth Assistance
