Kropp touts city accomplishments, announces City Hall move
BY DEAN VAGLIA dvaglia@candgnews.com
MOUNT CLEMENS — Two years ago, Mount Clemens Mayor Laura Kropp ended her State of the City address with a wary eye toward major projects within the county seat. In 2023 she announced that more than $39 million in grants and appropriations were allocated for the city.
For her 2024 address on Oct. 25, Kropp ran out of space to fit all the city’s news into.
“This is the first State of the City Address since 2020 that I’ve had to eliminate good news because we just had too many positive things to share with all of you today,” Kropp said in her closing remarks. “What a problem to have. If you close your eyes and think back to what Mount Clemens looked like five, seven, 10 years ago when 70% of our downtown was vacant buildings, when we believed that if we wished hard enough for things to get better maybe we would get lucky, and someone would come do something. Fast-forward five years of hard-working, planning, finding re-
Familiar faces win Clinton Township races
BY NICK POWERS AND DEAN VAGLIA npowers@candgnews.com, dvaglia@candgnews.com
CLINTON TOWNSHIP — The November election brought a sea change in Clinton Township politics, from the supervisor’s post to trustee positions.
The numbers used throughout this report are the unofficial results available at press time with 100% of precincts reporting according to the Macomb County clerk’s website.
Current Supervisor Bob Cannon said the changes to the township board are unusual and the largest he’s seen since he started in 1984.
“This board normally loses one or two at the most during an election time period,” Cannon said. “It’s been
See CLINTON TOWNSHIP on page 12A
Photo by Dean Vaglia
Mount Clemens Mayor Laura Kropp delivers the 2024 State of Mount Clemens Address at the Emerald Theater on Oct. 25.
See KROPP on page 8A
Photo by Nick Powers
Voters in Precinct 16 cast their votes at Huron Elementary School in Clinton Township on Nov. 5.
SECOND FRONT PAGE
BROWN ELECTED TO HARRISON TOWNSHIP BOARD
BY DEAN VAGLIA dvaglia@candgnews.com
HARRISON TOWNSHIP — A change of personnel changes very little with the Harrison Township Board of Trustees.
Republican candidate and six-year resident Liza Brown has replaced fellow Republican Paula Rose, keeping all of the township’s trustees and full-time elected officials squarely within the GOP camp.
“I am excited to represent the people of Harrison Township,” Brown said. “I am excited, as a mother of small children and a small business owner right here in Harrison Township. I feel that I will offer my fresh perspective to the board and I am eager to work with people who make our township go. I am fortunate to have married a Harrison Township native and I’ve built my life here, so I am excited to get started.”
Brown claimed the second-highest vote totals of the five trustee candidates at 8,789 votes (21.44%). Incumbent Brian Batkins claimed 8,927 votes (21.77%) with fellow incumbents David Bratto and Dean Olgiati respectively taking the third and fourth most votes in the race at 8,742 votes (21.32%) and 8,380 votes (20.44%). A sharp drop-off separated the lone Democratic challenger Craig William Bardill from the Republican candidates. Bardill garnered 5,889 votes (14.36%) to place fifth in the race.
“I’ve known Liza for a little while,” Township Clerk Adam Wit said. “I think she will be a great
addition to the board and bring a different perspective. I look forward to working with her.”
Wit, along with Township Supervisor Ken Verkest and Township Treasurer Larry Tomenello, were uncontested on the ballot.
Wit said the election ran smoothly throughout the township’s six precincts and saw a turnout of around 72%. No issues were reported on Election Day and poll workers were prepared to handle the township’s early and absentee votes.
“It was a matter of scale,” Wit said. “This is our fourth time running early voting this year and we were 200s for the highs of the total turnout for that and we were 3,800 for the presidential for early voting. People were taking the opportunity to vote when it was convenient for them and still having the advantage of tabulating their ballot.”
Rose, the township’s lone outgoing trustee, opted to run against Barbara Zinner in the Republican primary for the Macomb County Board of Commissioners 9th District. Rose lost to Zinner, who went on to defeat Democrat Donald Wheaton Jr. by a margin of 23,267 votes (58.32%) to 16,414 (41.15%).
Call Staff Writer Dean Vaglia at (586) 498-1043.
BY ERIC CZARNIK, ALYSSA OCHSS AND DEAN VAGLIA eczarnik@candgnews.com, aochss@candgnews.com, dvaglia@candgnews.com
MACOMB COUNTY — In an election year defined by a polarized electorate, Macomb County residents opted to stick with the government they have.
The county’s prosecutor, clerk, sheriff, treasurer and public works commissioner — all incumbent officeholders — were each elected to another term on Nov. 5, with statewide Election Day trends favoring Republican candidates in all but one of the races among Macomb County’s top administrative officials.
In the Macomb County clerk and register of deeds race, with all precincts reporting now, Republican Anthony G. Forlini led with about 57.8% of the vote. Democrat David Adams had about 41.7%.
In an email, Forlini credited his victory to Macomb County residents’ confidence in the job that he has already been doing as clerk. He also reflected on his campaign.
“From the very beginning when I ran and won for (Harrison Township) township supervisor through my current term as County Clerk I have always ran a positive campaign, respecting the people that I ran against,” Forlini said.
Anthony Wickersham retained the Macomb County Sheriff’s badge, the lone Democrat to win among the county’s five top seats. Vote counting in the race for sheriff ran well into election night and the morning after, and the race was not called in Wickersham’s favor until 10:53 a.m. on Nov. 6. At press time, Wickersham garnered 255,475 votes (52.02%) over Republican challenger Terence Mekoski’s 233,539 votes (47.55%).
“Each year it gets closer and closer, and I’m honored that the residents of Macomb County elected me to be their sheriff for the next four years,” Wickersham said.
The close nature of the race tracked with a state and county that furthered its reputation as a Republican stronghold, but Wickersham
Republican Macomb County Prosecuting Attorney Peter Lucido said he was honored and humbled that the election results showed a lot of good things had happened since he took office.
Photo by Alyssa Ochss
Voters mark their ballots at South River Elementary School in Harrison Township on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Photo by Dean Vaglia
Liza Brown
Confidence, comradery showcase bright future for MAC hockey
RECAP OF MAC HOCKEY MEDIA DAY
BY JONATHAN SZCZEPANIAK jszczepaniak@candgnews.com
MACOMB COUNTY — As L’Anse Creuse Unified head coach Jon Nader said before the night began, the Macomb Area Conference was “flying by the seat of our pants” as nine teams gathered for the inaugural media day event.
Media days have been extinct for several years in the MAC across all sports, so it was a refreshing, exciting, and also anxious moment for MAC hockey as L’Anse Creuse Unified played host for the first-ever MAC hockey media day Nov. 4 at Macomb L’Anse Creuse North High School.
Coaches exchanged pleasantries and various team members from opposing schools conversed, ending in laughter and a sudden urge to step on the ice and show who the better team was this season.
But most importantly, it was a stepping stone in efforts for MAC hockey to grow its popularity and recognition in the path towards what other conferences have built on the hockey scene — such as the Oakland Activities Association and Kensington Lakes Activities Association.
Maybe it will set the tone for other MAC sports to bring back media days of their own, but for now, all the attention was set on the hockey scene and what each team is going to bring to the table this year.
Below is a summary of the local teams in the 2024-2025 MAC hockey field. For our full preview, go to candgnews.com.
Chippewa Valley United (Co-op of Chippewa Valley and Macomb Dakota) League: Macomb Area Conference Red
Last season’s record: 19-9
This senior group has really turned around the hockey program, posting 21 and 19 wins, respectively, the past two seasons while becoming regulars in the regional finals.
Now it’s about getting over the regional finals hump and making some noise in the tournament, and a playoff loss to league rival Romeo last season might be just exactly what the team needed.
“It’s honestly inspiration for us. I think we have the talent to come back and do it again,” junior forward Cameron Staskowski said. “We lost two years in a row, so we think this is our year.”
Posting 19 goals and 25 assists last season, Staskowski, who was voted team captain and second team all-state last year, leads an experienced group alongside senior forward and assistant captain Kevin Dolney (23 goals, 12 assists) and senior defenseman Andrew Johnston (4 goals, 16 assists).
Chippewa Valley United, comprised of Macomb Dakota and Chippewa Valley, formed a co-op for the first time last season as Chippewa Valley joined Dakota’s already established hockey program.
It took a moment for the team to gel and understand how each other plays, but by the end of the regular season Chippewa Valley United was on an 11-1 run, including nine-straight wins, and playing its best hockey yet.
The 2025 campaign will be all about building off the success and finally capturing a regional championship, and who knows where the journey goes from there.
Photo by Erin Sanchez
The L’Anse Creuse Unified squad stands together at the Macomb Area Conference hockey media night Nov. 4 at Macomb L’Anse Creuse North High School.
Bond approved for L’Anse Creuse
BY DEAN VAGLIA dvaglia@candgnews.com
CLINTON TOWNSHIP — Voters approved a $188.7 million bond for L’Anse Creuse Public Schools, granting it with 22,082 “yes” votes (59.45%) to 15,063 “no” (40.55%) votes.
“I know that we’ve worked very hard to educate our community and help them become more informed about what the bond proposal is going to go towards,” L’Anse Creuse Public Schools Superintendent Keith Howell said. “We’re excited that we’re going to be able to advance some of our safety and security measures, upgrade technology, enrich our arts and music program (and) update athletic spaces and fields. We have an aging bus fleet that we’ll be able to focus on and support, and then also some essential infrastructure improvements — our roof repairs, parking lots, walkways, masonry on buildings, heating and cooling systems. We’ll be able to create a safe and modern learning space for our kids.”
While movement on the bond will not happen overnight, Howell plans to meet with
the district’s Board of Education later this month to discuss the next steps. Work with architects should begin shortly and Howell gave a tentative rough starting window for the start of summer 2025 for when physical work funded by the bond may begin.
“I just want to thank the community,” Howell said. “I want to thank all of the staff that has supported the education of the bond to our community members. This is just another example of how we’re staying student-focused and community-minded. Those are two things that I am going to be saying very often. The reason we are here is for our students and our community and this is just going to be one more thing that is going to help us be as successful as we can be for our kids.”
The L’Anse Creuse Public Schools Board of Education was subject to an election as well. Andrew Parski and Sandra Hernden were the top two vote-getters among the seven candidates, winning 8,763 (18.27%) and 8,607 (17.94%) votes respectively.
Call Staff Writer Dean Vaglia at (586) 498-1043.
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POETRY A SLAM DUNK FOR ART CENTER
BY DEAN VAGLIA dvaglia@candgnews.com
MOUNT CLEMENS — It has featured sculptures, paintings, fiber and photographs and, as of late October, spoken word poetry has found a home at the Anton Art Center.
The art center hosted its first poetry slam on Oct. 30, filling the secondfloor gallery with over 30 interested members of the public and nine poets vying to be the sultan of the slam.
“Several were poets, several were community members who came to see the show,” Anton Art Center Executive Director Matt Matthews said. “There was some wider pull from outside (Mount Clemens.) There was an Oakland University student who came and competed in the slam. A young woman from Ray Township came and competed in the slam and finished in second place.”
Slam poetry combines a poetry reading with the thrill of competition, turning audience members into judges of a battle of both the strength of a poet’s work and their stage presence.
“The idea of a poetry slam is that it’s a way to make it into a very lighthearted competition to, I guess, tweak a people’s love of competition in general,” event organizer Harry Campion said. “The idea that you can put a numerical score on poetry in the first place is a little bit ridiculous. But on the other hand, it can also feel extremely validating when it goes your way.”
Campion had been a high school educator for 30 years, turning his experience teaching creative writing into a retirement career of running poetry workshops and organizing poetry slams. Campion’s classes and events lead to him being a founder of the poetry slam tournament at the Grand Hotel’s speech tournament. Matthews approached Campion at the Shelby Township Library in the spring of 2023 about running some workshops and hosting a slam at the Anton Art Center.
Both Matthews and Campion were happy with the turnout and have begun discussions about holding a second slam at the Anton Center around Valentine’s Day 2025. Details on the second date are to come.
Call Staff Writer Dean Vaglia at (586) 498-1043.
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ABOVE: Audience member judges hold up scores following a poetry reading at the Oct. 30 Anton Art Center poetry slam. Harry Campion tallies up the scores for each round.
LEFT: Harry Campion speaks with judges at the Oct. 30 Anton Art Center poetry slam. Judges were pulled from the audience and provided scores for each poet’s performance.
Photos by Patricia O’Blenes
CRIME WATCH
Neighbor trouble investigated
HARRISON TOWNSHIP — When a 51-year-old Harrison Township man returned to his home in the 38000 block of Willowmere Street in late October, his neighbor reportedly began yelling at him and threatened to shoot him for letting his dogs run around her yard.
Macomb Counties Sheriff’s Office deputies spoke with the 53-year-old woman, who said she saw her male neighbor kicking her fence and attempted to come over it after her dog was out. She said she would shoot him in the butt if he ever tried entering her yard to attack her dog.
No-contact conflict
HARRISON TOWNSHIP — On Oct. 27 at around 5:30 p.m., a 60-year-old woman living in the 38000 block of Circolo Road called the Macomb Counties Sheriff’s Office to report an issue with her 49-yearold male neighbor. The woman is a protected person in a no-contact order against him.
The woman installed a camera on a pole facing her neighbor’s yard due to ongoing issues. Earlier in the day, she noticed a broom handle poking the pole through the fence line. After calling 911, she noticed the camera was knocked off of the pole.
Scam caller
HARRISON TOWNSHIP — On Oct. 25, an 87-year-old Harrison Township
Thanks for your service, veterans!
man received a call claiming to be from Blue Cross Blue Shield, stating a representative would visit his home in the 25000 block of Carno Circle on an upcoming Monday.
After speaking with his wife about the call, they contacted the company for more information. Blue Cross Blue Shield representatives informed them the representative was a scammer.
Disorderly conduct investigated
MOUNT CLEMENS — On the afternoon of Oct. 27, Macomb Counties Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to the 200 block of Shadyside Drive to speak with a 39-year-old Roseville woman that was trying to enter a home that was not hers and was refusing to leave.
Deputies found the woman sitting on a
curb. She identified herself and deputies noted she had slurred speech, bloodshot eyes, and the odor of liquor. She was described in the report as “unintelligible.” A breath test came back with a 0.264 blood alcohol content.
Check fraud reported
MOUNT CLEMENS — On Oct. 24, a 41-year-old Clinton Township man called Macomb Counties Sheriff’s Office deputies to the 90 block of Mulligan Drive to report 10 bad checks that were deposited into his bank account.
The checks totaled $9,000 and were traced back to Detroit, Hamtramck, Eastpointe and Highland Park.
The man’s account was closed and replaced with a new one.
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sources, collaborating and just doing something to make things different. The road hasn’t been easy, but boy, have we come a long way. I believe that even though Mount Clemens is 200 years old — 206 years old — her story isn’t over. This is just the season of change and growth and prosperity.”
Taking the Emerald Theater stage for the second year in a row, Kropp’s 2024 State of Mount Clemens Address was a roughly hourlong affair highlighting the city’s developments over the course of the year. From staff and policy changes within City Hall to the city government’s potential relocation, almost no stone was left unturned in the address.
Beginning with City Commissioner Theresa McGarity leading the North Broadway Church of Christ choir in a performance of “Seasons of Love” from the 1996 musical “Rent,” numerous ongoing developments were touched on in Kropp’s speech. In 2022, the address was hosted at the then-recently acquired Cairns Community Center. In 2024, Kropp’s recreation remarks came days after the unveiling of a new playground at the center.
“Recreation in Mount Clemens began this spring with an informational meeting and community listening session at Cairns Community Center,” Kropp said. “We listened to residents’ ideas and came away with some policy changes. The meeting results were the hiring of Karl Haye (as) a new parttime recreation employee working at Cairns Community Center for planning and implementing programs.”
Another development from the meeting was a city-wide recreation building rental policy, with details about that and the city’s recreation programs available at mountclemensrecreation.org.
Kropp hinted at major developments involving water infrastructure in 2022, and she had plenty of news to share about the projects in 2024. Work is underway to improve old and broken machinery at the city’s wastewater treatment plant and sewers are being replaced around the city. A $37 million contract for the design and construction of the city’s connection to the Great Lakes Water Authority, a 2 million gallon water storage tank and the replacement of water mains was awarded to Dan’s Excavating earlier in 2024 with plans to break ground in summer 2025.
“That was not an easy decision; $37 million to Mount Clemens’ annual $14 million budget is a really difficult decision for our commission to make,” Kropp said. “Giv-
ing up our independence of our own water facility and changing to Great Lakes Water was something that was not popular, but it was really necessary, and it was the right thing to do. I thank my colleagues at the commission table for not turning that into something that divided us, but turning it into something that united us.”
More developments unfolded above ground. The downtown revitalization project, which would see an overhaul to the Cherry Street Mall and Macomb Place, was announced in late 2023 and delayed due to federal funding requirements. The delays gave the city a chance to revisit the plan and modify it a bit by changing some of the aesthetics, adding greenery and shade for the Macomb Place fountain. Updated renderings can be seen at the Downtown Development Authority’s office at 48 Cherry Street. The city plans to award a contract in December and have work begin by April 2025.
A stone’s throw away from the mall is the former site of the Victory Inn motel, which has since been knocked down to make way for the new market-rate Manchester Mount Clemens apartment complex.
“This important development of over 100 apartment units has the potential to more than double the current population of our downtown,” Kropp said. “Right now, living within our Downtown Development Authority footprint is less than 100 people, so this 100-unit development will significantly change that landscape.”
The Manchester Mount Clemens apartment complex is a project of Clinton Township-based developer Jim George, who is also behind a new Alro Steel plant being built at the former Gibraltar Trade Center site.
When city officials honored the fall of the Victory Inn, some information was shared about a project to redevelop the Clinton River waterfront. Kropp revealed at her address that the project would involve moving City Hall to the downtown — talks are currently being held about a building on South Main Street — in order to free up space along the riverbank. A $2 million appropriation to aid the project was acquired from the state.
“We will take City Hall off of the riverfront and put it in the heart of our downtown,” Kropp said. “This will allow us to develop the east side of the river with public space and a possible multiuse development. Stay tuned for exciting announcements as this project develops.”
Between recollections and announcements, Kropp was joined on stage by state Rep. Denise Mentzer, a former city commissioner, to discuss developments in Lansing,
“We just have a really good bond on our team and we all get along,” Johnston said. “I think that will help us make a run this year because we have something to prove.”
L’Anse Creuse Unified (Co-op of LCN and LC) League: Macomb Area Conference White Last season’s record: 12-14
The father-son trip with the whole team has been a tradition under head coach Jon Nader, which will feature three days and three cities this year with Tawas, Traverse City and Gaylord.
“It’s a lot of bonding time,” junior goaltender Perez Silva said. “Once we’re done with the bus trip we usually stay in rooms with our teammates. It’s just a great bonding experience where we can all get together and just really get close with each other before the season.”
Since L’Anse Creuse Unified was unable to make the trip last season, maybe that’s why a team that had sustained success in both the regular season and playoffs was eliminated in the first round.
But what each player agreed upon was that they’re coming into the season with a “chip on their shoulder,” and the weight of the success will be laid on its senior core consisting of senior forward Aiden Suchocki (14 goals, 13 assists), senior forward Justin Brooks (12 goals, 15 assists), senior forward Vince Pica (16 goals, 10 assists), and senior forward Drew Halaas (12 goals, 10 assists).
Expect junior forward Logan Jarvey (8 goals, 17 assists) and junior goaltender Perez Silva, who was 3-6 with a .913 save percentage, to also be standout players for L’Anse Creuse Unified as well.
L’Anse Creuse Unified’s season took a massive hit at the end of the year when it faced a 2-8 stretch, including seven-straight losses.
Kropp from page 8A
while Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel introduced the choir and praised the partnerships between the city and county government located within its borders.
City Commissioner Erik Rick agreed with the bulk of the mayor’s address, particularly enjoying the problem of having too much news to include.
“It’s great having the city have so many wins that they had to cut some out of what
“We kind of switched up the lines a little bit and tried new things, and it just didn’t work out,” Jarvey said. “We were somewhat of a younger team. This year will be much better.”
With a motivated, veteran group, expect L’Anse Creuse Unified to significantly improve this year and return to its winning ways.
Utica-Fraser Unified (Co-op of Utica, Utica Ford, Sterling Heights Stevenson and Fraser) League: Macomb Area Conference Red Last season’s record: 11-14
What a year this could be for Utica-Fraser Unified.
Holding only 16 players on the roster last season, and at some points just 10 skaters during games, Utica-Fraser Unified’s roster has retooled from 16 to 28 after Fraser and Sterling Heights Stevenson joined.
More players means more line changes and cool down periods for the team’s skaters, which bodes well for a team that won 11 games last season on the backs of a limited roster.
“I feel like we’re going to be one of the better teams this year with the amount of players we have and the bodies keeping us fresh and energized,” junior goaltender Eli Chodun said.
Chodun is one of the primary returners this year alongside senior forward Niko Lajb (28 goals, 10 assists), sophomore forward Nate Sheridan (14 goals, 14 assists), and senior defenseman Ashtin Fertik (8 goals, 19 assists).
With more firepower and depth, expect Utica-Fraser Unified to showcase improvement, and potentially build towards something special in the coming years.
“Our offense has been really strong for us, and our goaltending has been really good too,” Lajb said. “I think we can beat a lot of people with our offense and goaltending.”
For a complete summary of the local teams in the 2024-2025 MAC hockey field, visit can dgnews.com/sports.
they’re addressing just to keep it under the time limit,” Rick said. “There’s still lots of challenges in the city, but the fact they’ve been able to work through so many of them over this last year has been really amazing.”
Known at City Hall for encouraging people to join the city’s boards and commissions, Rick was happy to see a number of those boards and commissions highlighted in the address.
The 2024 State of Mount Clemens Address is expected to be uploaded to the @ CityofMountClemens YouTube account for online viewing.
was quick to downplay the idea of his approach to the office as partisan.
“For the last four years it’s been this way, starting in 2016, and to be honest with you I try to stay out of the political arena,” Wickersham said. “I’m a law enforcement (and) corrections professional and that’s the job I want to do. Obviously, I know the sheriff’s position is political and partisan, so you’ve got to pick a side. I just want the people of Macomb County to know that as Sheriff, I put the roles and responsibilities first before the politics.”
Wickersham plans to continue the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office’s focus on completing the central intake and assessment center at the Macomb County Jail, hiring deputies for contracted policing areas, the office’s focus on proactive policing and, ultimately, reducing crime.
“I’ve been the sheriff for 14 years and now I have another four to complete my projects, my missions and to do the job that I love.”
In the prosecutor race, Republican Peter Lucido received 279,131 votes (56.91%) at press time, besting Democrat Christina Hines, who received 209,233 votes (42.66%).
Lucido said he was honored and humbled that the election results showed a lot of good things had happened since he took office that allowed him to clean the office up.
“And to move forward now and show the people with hard work, determination you can succeed at anything you do,” Lucido said. “And that’s what we’ve done. We’ve done a great job. The entire office is now motivated to do the things that needed to be done.”
Hines said in a text she thanks those who supported her and that the experience was incredible.
“The people I met, the conversations
we had, the organizing we did — this is the actual work of democracy, and I am so grateful for this experience and for the remarkable work that so many people did every day for this campaign,” Hines said in the text. “It is not the outcome we hoped for, but I believe that we made a difference in our community, and I am looking forward to doing absolutely everything I can to continue to strengthen our community and fight for what is right.”
In the treasurer race, Republican Larry Rocca received 277,780 votes (57.97%) and Democrat Matthew Churchwell received 198,930 votes (41.52%).
Rocca said he is humbled to have the support of Macomb County residents.
“I continue to do a good job for the citizens of Macomb County and make this county the greatest county in Michigan,” Rocca said.
Churchwell said he thinks his campaign ran a great race.
“We have, just the rest of the party, a whole lot to learn,” Churchwell said. “I give my best to Larry. I think he’ll serve faithfully and serve the constituents in Macomb County and we’ll look to the next one.”
In the public works commissioner race, Republican Candice Miller received 301,853 votes (51.06%), Democrat Kevin Higgins received 170,011 votes (44.29%) and Libertarian Jim Fulner received 12,274 votes (3.81%).
Miller said she is honored the people of Macomb County gave her another four years to continue as public works commissioner.
“I ran this race basically on my record over the last eight years, previous eight years,” Miller said. “And really that focus has been and will continue to be how we can improve on water quality because water quality equals quality of life. And then also how our department can be a critical component of economic prosperity for the county.”
Higgins had no comment on the race.
SATURDAY 11/16 SUNDAY 11/17 10AM4PM &
Authenticity key to Pankow Center’s ‘Mean Girls’
BY DEAN VAGLIA dvaglia@candgnews.com
CLINTON TOWNSHIP — There is always a challenge to be had between balancing authenticity and heightened reality when approaching musical theater. In the Frederick V. Pankow Center’s upcoming production of “Mean Girls: High School Version,” cast and crew alike aim to strike that balance in flying color — the color, of course, being pink.
One of the most iconic media properties of the 21st century, “Mean Girls” claimed its spot in the zeitgeist as a 2004 Lindsay Lohan movie directed by Mark Waters and written by Tina Fey. After 20 years, “Mean Girls” and its story of Cady Heron running up against the notorious Regina George and the Plastics clique has yet to exit cultural discussions. It returned to movie theaters this year as a musical based on a 2017 stage adaption that ran for over 800 performances on Broadway.
In a unique move for high-school-focused productions, Pankow Center theater
teacher Greg Trzaskoma received an unedited version of the Broadway script alongside a slate of Fey-endorsed edits schools could use at will. Trzaskoma opted to use some of Fey’s suggestions and believes the changed script will not detract from a story that hits close to home for many high schoolers.
“It’s about one special junior year at a suburban high school, and the themes, the ideas that it is about — it’s about bullying, it’s about relational aggression, it’s about families and parenting and high school and teenage substance abuse — (are) a lot of things that kids in our program are dealing with in their lives,” Trzaskoma said. “The theater for much of its existence has been a place for us to publicly discuss difficult things in a safe way. This musical is no exception. It’s a lot of fun but there’s a lot of really serious, honest, truthful, real stuff being dealt with in the fantasy of a musical.”
Supported by students from the moment it was suggested, “Mean Girls” has seen stu-
See MEAN GIRLS’ on page 14A
and Saturday, Nov. 16 at 3
Junior Rowan Westermann, left, receives advice from senior August Rau and sophomore Sean Barkley about surviving high school as they rehearse a scene between the characters Cady Heron, Janis Sarkisian and Damian Hubbard from the musical “Mean Girls: High School Version” on Halloween in the Frederick V. Pankow Center backstage rehearsal room. “Mean Girls: High School Version” will play at the John R. Armstrong Performing Arts Center on Friday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m.
p.m.
Photo by Dean Vaglia
Clinton Township from
a very stable board for many, many years.”
The change in personnel is different for the township compared to others, according to Cannon. New members of the Board of Trustees will assume office Nov. 20 at noon. Cannon said the state has standardized the same date in January for officials to take office, so this will be the last group of township officials assuming office in November.
Cannon said between the election and Nov. 20, new Board of Trustees members will need to be sworn in, typically by a judge or clerk. This can be done in a group setting or individually.
“As long as you get sworn in legally and the papers are filed in the clerk’s office in Clinton Township, you’re in office,” Cannon said.
Supervisor
For the first time in 24 years, Clinton Township will have a new supervisor. Current Treasurer Paul Gieleghem, a Democrat, will take over for longtime Republican Supervisor Bob Cannon.
Gieleghem netted 27,912 votes, besting Republican candidate Vicki Wolber who received 25,789 votes.
“I’m sort of digesting, processing and anticipating what the challenges are ahead,” Gieleghem said in the wake of the win.
In August, Gieleghem won the Democratic primary against Ken Reiff. Wolber beat back a challenge from Republican Noah Cannon. Cannon’s candidacy was denounced by the former supervisor who, at the time, called the move “deceitful.”
“It’s clear why he’s doing it,” Cannon said in a previous interview. “I’ve been here so long people associate my name with being the supervisor.”
Gieleghem is in his second term as the township’s treasurer. He grew up in Clinton Township, graduating from Clintondale High School. He joined the Macomb County Board of Commissioners in 2004 and served as the board’s chairman until the county executive position was established. He also served as an administrator for the Macomb County treasurer.
Gieleghem said “expecting more” is an encapsulating goal when he takes over the position.
“I think it’s a matter of, as a board, we all need to expect more from each other,” he said. “As a community, we need to expect more from the people we elected to represent us.”
Wolber said she was “disappointed” with the result, but said she was proud of the
campaign she ran.
“I’m extremely thankful for all the supporters I had helping me along the way and for the votes I did get,” Wolber said. “It’s been quite a journey and an experience, all positive. I’m just very thankful and happy for that, too. I met a lot of new people and organizations and that’s a good thing.”
Cannon started on the Clinton Township Board of Trustees in 1984 as a Democrat. When he ran for supervisor in 2000, he ran as a Republican. Cannon said his first meeting with Gieleghem will be Nov. 8, saying the supervisor’s office has worked to ensure a smooth transition. This differs from when the former supervisor first took over with “not even a pencil” on his desk.
“The new supervisor coming in will have everything perfect in order to continue doing what I’ve been doing if he wishes or to change direction,” Cannon said. “He will have all that information.”
Treasurer
Mike Aiello will become Clinton Township’s next treasurer. He pulled out a win against Democrat Tammy Patton, who is currently on the Board of Trustees. Aiello received 27,993 votes to Patton’s 25,386.
Aiello will take over the treasurer post from Gieleghem. He’s served as Clinton Township’s Precinct 40 delegate since 2018. He ran unopposed in the Republican primary for the treasurer’s seat.
“I was ecstatic,” Aiello said about the election results. “Just coming out of the shock of it right now.”
The future treasurer said he wanted to lower property taxes on township residents and improve roads in the community. He said road improvements were an issue that came up constantly when knocking on doors in the community.
“We hit a lot of doors during this election,” Aiello said. “Obviously, their voices are very important. I wanted to hear what they wanted.”
Aiello said, as a business owner, he also wanted to create an environment that was more friendly to small businesses.
“One of the biggest complaints I found is new business owners said it was extremely difficult to open a business in Clinton Township and, if they were to do it over again, they would not choose Clinton Township,” he said.
Patton said she was “disappointed” in the outcome of the race and thanked her supporters for their hard work, but declined to comment further.
Clerk
votes, beating Democratic challenger Carol Shumard Diehl who had 23,532 votes.
Meltzer’s first brush with elected office was on the Clinton Township Board of Trustees where she served from 2000-04. She was a Michigan state representative for District 33 from 2007-2010. She returned to Clinton Township politics when she was elected as clerk, a position she’s held since 2012.
Meltzer did not respond for comment at press time.
Trustee
In the Board of Trustees race, two incumbents kept their seats and two newcomers were elected.
Voters picked Democrat Julie Matuzak and Republican Dan Kress to stay on the board. Matuzak won a special election in 2022 to serve as a trustee and previously served a term as a Macomb County commissioner for District 12. Kress is a relative newcomer to elected office, taking over a partial term Feb. 27 from Democrat Joie West.
“I am honored to be the top vote-getter in Clinton Township,” said Matuzak, who received 25,865 votes. “I believe we ran a very positive, forward-looking campaign. We worked hard and I think it paid off. I’m excited about the future of the township under new leadership.”
Matuzak said she aims to improve ethics issues in the township. She wants to focus on economic development and making code enforcement equal across all sectors.
“There’s a lot to be done,” Matuzak said. “I’m interested in rethinking how we do everything at the township to make sure we’re spending taxpayer dollars efficiently and effectively.”
Dan Kress did not respond for comment at press time.
Democrat Shannon King and Republican Bruce Wade are the fresh faces on the board.
“I’m incredibly grateful for all the support and effort and active participation that everybody had in my campaign,” King said. “I’m just really thankful. Whether they’re Republican, Democrat or anywhere in between, I definitely felt like individuals want to see a change. They want real, lasting, effective change.”
King said the real work begins now for those elected. He said his biggest goal is understanding residents’ needs based on their feedback, utilizing canvassing and surveying for the township to act on.
“I want to make sure we’re putting mechanisms out there that allow us to receive that feedback faster, deeply,” King said.
Wade said he was honored that people had confidence in him.
“I’ve served the community for many years,” said Wade, a former Clinton Township police chief. “I’m just honored to continue on with that commitment to the community. Looking forward to doing great things.”
Wade said his first commitment is to community services like police, fire and EMS. He also aims to improve trash collection following Priority Waste’s acquisition of Green for Life’s contract in July.
“See a lot of times that the trash removal has not been done in a clean way,” he said. “There’s been a lot of waste that’s been left in the street. People have mentioned that, and I want to follow up on that and make sure that is corrected. We love having a clean neighborhood.”
Clintondale School Board
Lisa and Kurt Wilson, who are brother and sister, were both elected to the Clintondale Board of Education for two six-year terms. Wilbur Jones, who was appointed to fill a vacancy left by Beverly Lewis-Moss in February, did not receive enough votes to stay on the board.
Lisa said she’s excited to get more entrenched in the community and help the school.
“I’m overly thrilled and excited,” Lisa said.
Lisa said she hopes to be an advocate for more engagement with the parents and students. She hopes to improve efficiency scores with students.
“I think that’s an area we’ve been lagging, especially when it comes to math and English,” she said. “We just need to do a better job for our kids who we’re putting out here into the world.”
“I’m so proud of my sister,” said Kurt, who watched the election returns on Nov. 5 with his sister. “She did a great job. She is truly the best of us.”
Kurt said he’s “excited to get started,” thanking everyone who voted and emphasized the hard work his wife Teresa did for his campaign.
“One thing that the military taught me was when you go in, keep your mouth closed and pay attention to how they do business,” Kurt said. “When the time comes for adjustments or the time comes for changes, let’s sit down and talk about it with some sensibility and then go from there.”
Lisa Valerio-Nowc secured a four-year term to the Clintondale School Board, besting Michael Brooks and Stephen Sevonty.
“It’s humbling, to be honest,” ValerioNowc said about the win. “I’ve been on the board for two years and it’s a nice affirma-
Clinton Township Clerk Kim Meltzer held on to her seat. Meltzer secured 30,197
Clinton Township
from page 12A
tion that I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing.”
Valerio-Nowc said her main focus is seeing reading scores go up.
Felicia Kaminski and Michael Manning both ran unopposed. The pair were reelected to the board for a two-year term.
Perna holds onto county commissioner’s seat for District 7
James Perna held onto his seat on the Macomb County Board of Commissioners for District 7. He has served on the board since 1996. Perna defeated newcomer Democrat Edlira Sako. He received 23,237 votes to Sako’s 14,174 votes.
“I’m pleasantly surprised, I really am,” Perna said following the win. “It was time for the change, and we had this red wave in Macomb County. I think we have the right person to be in the White House in January.”
Perna said he’s glad commissioners serve
Mean Girls’
from page 11A
dents putting in the work both on stage and behind the scenes to bring North Shore High School to L’Anse Ceruse. Projections of hallways from the district’s North and Harrison Township high schools will serve as backdrops for a number of scenes while cafeteria tables from the district’s storage have been drafted to serve as set pieces.
“There’s a level of authenticity throughout the thing,” Trzaskoma said. “The original film was mostly folks somewhere north of age 18. We’re telling a story about younger people and kids that are living it every day are telling their story. Almost every rehearsal there’s some comment, some reflection, somebody opens up and says, ‘That happened to me,’ or, ‘I know somebody who went through that,’ or, ‘I understand that because of my sister, my brother, my best friend, etc.’”
Student actors’ experiences with bullying and navigating the cutthroat world of school-age social scenes inform their approach to the material. August Rau, a 17-year-old L’Anse Creuse High School North senior playing George’s ex-friend Janis Sarkisian, faced bullying after having a tooth shaved down. London Baffield, a 17-yearold L’Anse Creuse High School North senior playing the Plastic clique’s second in command Gretchen Wieners, had dealt with bullies throughout middle school before
a four-year term now.
“I think this really gives commissioners an opportunity to really concentrate on what’s best for the county, which is what’s best for our voters. We can do some long-term planning now. We’ve got some consistency on the board and, even though we cross the aisle on both sides, that’s what makes Democracy the way it should be.”
Perna said it was a “clean race.”
“Some of the races in the past have been very ugly. Slashing somebody does not help,” Perna said. “It was a very clean race, and I’m pleased my opponent cooperated.”
Sako said she was thankful for everyone who voted for her.
“I appreciate their support,” she said. “At the same time, I want to wish well to my opponent and hopefully he will do a great job for Clinton Township and District 7 in general.”
State representatives
Incumbents for Clinton Township districts in the Michigan House of Representatives took wins as Republicans Joseph Aragona and Alicia St. Germaine won the 60th
transferring into the L’Anse Creuse district.
“When I was in middle school, I actually got bullied a lot for just being weird, for not having friends, for having acne, just little things like that,” said Payton Houle, a 17-year-old L’Anse Ceruse High School North senior playing George. “Middle school kids at that time, I guess, couldn’t fathom that it’s actually mean. You’re going to be with these people for a few more years of your life and then you’ll not be around them, and you might regret not the things that you’ve said. That bothered me coming into high school. That made me not want to be on stage and not even think about doing a show. And then I joined theater, and I met so many nice people … I really appreciate the community that we have in this theater program with Pankow performing arts theater class and with this cast as a whole. I wouldn’t have met London. I wouldn’t have met so many people that aren’t in the program. I wouldn’t have met Autumn Santos because I wouldn’t have done ‘Footloose.’ Bullying can lead to horrible things, but it can also really change your life for the best.”
Bonding between cast members over their shared negative experiences, as well as their time in the theater, has been essential to the production process. The “Mean Girls” cast and crew is larger than prior Pankow Center productions — Rau says around 45 students are involved on either side of the curtain while prior productions had casts of around 10 students — and Trzaskoma is get-
and 62nd districts by 24.24% and 11.92% margins over their respective Democratic opponents Shelly Fraley and Michelle Levine-Woodman.
Aragona secured 33,944 votes to Fraley’s 20,645. This will be Aragona’s second term at the post.
“The Republicans had a good night,” Aragona said. “I think we had a lot of people who were working hard on the Michigan House race. The candidates were pretty stellar on our side and I think that kind of showed through.”
Aragona said inflation and taxes played a role in the win.
“Michigan families and families around the nation are getting a little tired of higher taxes and higher inflation,” Aragona said. “I think they’re looking for a change.”
He said these issues are what he wants to focus on in the future.
“The state budget is over $80 billion and just about ten years ago it was a little over $50 billion,” he said. “That’s a lot more spending that we see. I think Michigan families want to see us curb that quite a bit.
ting to grips in his second year as a Pankow Center teacher.
“The first year’s goals were to survive,” Trzaskoma said. “The second year’s teaching goals are to thrive.”
Baffield gave Trzaskoma a ringing endorsement.
“I have never worked with a director that was not for the LCHS choir, so this is my first production ever outside of my high school and I just have to congratulate Trzaskoma,” Baffield said. “Trzaskoma is one of the best directors I’ve ever had. He gives so many good ideas and I feel better about my acting any time I work with him.”
As students and staff prepare to tell a story that rings close to home, their goal is to leave audiences with a simple message: It
Fraley declined to comment at press time about the race.
Democrat and 61st District incumbent Denise Mentzer took an initial win over Republican challenger Robert Wojtowicz, but a margin of less than 2,000 votes between them — 25,436 for Mentzer and 24,721 for Wojtowicz — place the race well within the margin of an automatic recount.
Mentzer is confident her win will stand if recounted.
“I believe that hard work, compromise and cooperation is what helped propel me over the top,” Mentzer said. “That’s my reputation. Democrats aren’t always right, Republicans aren’t always wrong. We’ve got to work together to make things better for Michigan.”
Mentzer believes compromise and cooperation will be key to navigating the state house however it shakes out.
As of the morning on Nov. 6, Republicans were expected to flip control of the Michigan House of Representatives. Call Staff Writer Nick Powers at (586) 498-1059.
is easy to be nice.
“I really think that this will teach the audience that it doesn’t take a lot to be nice to someone, but also it’s really easy to be mean to someone,” Houle said. “There’s a big difference between the two but sometimes they come so close that it’s hard to tell the difference.”
“Mean Girls: High School Version” will play at the John R. Armstrong Performing Arts Center on Friday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 16 at 3 p.m. General admission is $14 and $10 for seniors, students, and L’Anse Creuse Public Schools faculty and staff. A talkback with the cast will be held after both performances.
Call Staff Writer Dean Vaglia at (586) 498-1043.
NOTICE
To the residents of the Charter Township of Harrison, County of Macomb, Michigan.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Clerk’s Offce for the Charter Township of Harrison will post, for public inspection, the Agenda for Township Board Meetings and a Synopsis of the approved Meeting Minutes at the Clerk’s Offce located at 38151 L’Anse Creuse Road, and to the Rosso Hall bulletin board located at 38255 L’Anse Creuse Rd. The Agenda and a full text of the Minutes will be available on the Township Website, www.harrisontownshipmi.gov and, upon request from the Clerk’s Offce.
Adam Wit, MMC, MiPMC, Clerk
Charter Township of Harrison
Published: Journal 11/13/2024
0006-2446
Mount Clemens commission approves court allocations
BY DEAN VAGLIA dvaglia@candgnews.com
MOUNT CLEMENS — City commissioners approved the city’s allocations to the 41B District Court’s 2025 budget at their Nov. 4 meeting. Amendments to the 2024 budget were approved as well.
Judge Sebastian Lucido was tapped by the court to speak on its behalf to Mount Clemens’ commissioners, going over the court’s ability to cover the cost of its construction bonds. Declining court revenues from a decrease in cases — 16,934 from 27,007 in 2019 — has led to a budget shortfall of $805,000 in 2025. Mount Clemens will cover $104,650 of the shortfall.
“Our funding is dependent on the police departments,” Lucido said. “The more the tickets they write, the more misdemeanors they arrest people for, the higher (our caseload is) and we can’t control that. That’s beyond our control.”
Mayor Laura Kropp discussed the possibility of increasing traffic enforcement based on information from the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments.
“A lot of the SEMCOG data is showing an increase of traffic fatalities and accidents that are more violent in nature, and so that’s a situation we’re actually looking at and going, ‘OK, is enforcement down and is it related,’” Kropp said.
City Commissioner Spencer Calhoun asked Lucido about a possible higher authority stepping in.
“Last year, the former administrator (James) McGrail came and he told us that there was a chance the Legislature and Supreme Court would take action to make sure the courts weren’t funded by fines,” Calhoun said. “Has there been any movement on that?”
Lucido believed the move away from fines would be approved at the state level, though cautioned the situation could change due to the then-impending Michigan Legislature and Supreme Court justice elections.
“They just recently said, the state court administrator’s office, that they were going to be sending somebody from Lansing to all of our courts to review our books and look over our finances,” Lucido said. “They’re at least taking some steps towards (state funding).”
Disorderly persons ordinance delayed
A planned second reading of the city’s amended disorderly persons ordinance was removed from the agenda ahead of the meeting.
Kropp said the decision to delay the vote was to give more time for commissioners to review the ordinance. It is expected to be addressed again in the next few meetings.
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GROSSE POINTE FARMS — A couple in the first block of Christ Church Lane contacted police at 8:38 p.m. Oct. 13 after seeing an unknown man prowling around their home and trying to open the front door.
One of the homeowners told police the suspect came to the front door and knocked, and when the homeowner answered, the suspect said there were two men hiding in the couple’s bushes. The homeowner allowed the suspect to enter his home.
Police said the suspect — a 59-year-old Shelby Township man — told officers several times he was running away from two men who had been shooting at him and there were bullet holes in his vehicle, which he claimed to have parked on the next block. Police said the suspect, for whom the department already had a warrant, has been arrested before for breaking and entering homes. He was also wanted on two felony warrants out of Macomb County for shoplifting.
The suspect, who was arrested for prowling and on the warrants, reportedly refused to cooperate for booking photos or fingerprinting, telling police he knew he could be charged for refusing and police could just add his refusal to the list of charges against him. Police said the suspect told them he intended to return to the Farms, slash the tires of every vehicle in the City Hall parking lot, break whatever he could and break into homes and steal items from residents of the city.
Police said there were no reports of anyone firing weapons in the city, contrary to the suspect’s allegation that he was being shot at by a pair of men in a white vehicle. Police told the couple that the suspect was someone known to them and they needed to be more careful about letting strangers into their home.
Scam under investigation
GROSSE POINTE CITY — A Grosse Pointe City resident contacted police Oct. 24 after receiving a call from someone claiming to be a Wayne County Sheriff’s Office lieutenant. According to a police report, the suspect asked the resident to report to the Sheriff’s Office about a subpoena in a juvenile case. The incident was under investigation.
Young suspects arrested in larceny attempt
GROSSE POINTE PARK — Two young male suspects from Detroit — one of whom was 12 and one of whom was 13 — were arrested after police said they were seen entering an unlocked vehicle while it was parked in the area of Buckingham Road and Mack Avenue at around 1:27 a.m. Oct. 26. The juvenile suspects, who police said were accompanied
and for attempted larceny and were turned over to their parents.
Missing mower reported
MACOMB TOWNSHIP — At around 4 p.m. on Oct. 22, Macomb County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to the 19000 block of Lakeland Drive for a missing push lawn mower.
A 41-year-old male resident was reportedly mowing his front lawn when he decided to stop around 1:40 p.m. for a 15– to 20-minute break. Upon returning from his break, the mower was not on the driveway where he placed it.
Sweets reportedly stolen
MACOMB TOWNSHIP — At around 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 22, Macomb County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to Target, on Hall Road, after loss prevention caught an 18-year-old man and 17-year-old girl trying to leave with unpaid merchandise.
The two suspects, both from Macomb Township, were caught after failing to scan about $24 worth of candy, chips and drinks. The activity was reportedly caught on security cameras. The 18-year-old reportedly told deputies he was scanning too quickly, but then said he did not have the money for the merchandise after being told the video footage appeared to show him not scanning the items at all.
Deputies arrested the 18-year-old for third-degree retail fraud, while the 17-year-old was released at the scene after her mom was informed of the incident.
Copper wire theft reported
MACOMB TOWNSHIP — In the late morning of Oct. 21, Macomb County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to the Mistwood Estates housing development by an electrical contractor about a theft of electrical wire.
The contractor’s company installed 6-foot sections of copper wire in the newly built homes around the development on Oct. 18. When an electrician arrived for work on Oct. 21, they discovered copper wires were stolen in 17 of the development’s homes. The estimated value of the stolen wire sections is $340.
Road rage assault reported
MACOMB TOWNSHIP— At around 2:10 p.m. on Oct. 20, Macomb County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to the corner of Chateau Thierry and La Grande boulevards for a road rage incident.
According to witnesses, a 25-year-old Richmond woman was angry that another driver “would not let
and getting out to confront them. The other driver, a 38-year-old Macomb Township woman with her 13-year-old son, exited her car and began getting pushed by the Richmond woman. The 13-year-old then got out of the car to break up the fight, getting pushed and punched in the face by the Richmond woman. The 13-year-old, in turn, punched the Richmond woman, sending her to the ground; the woman initially claimed the Macomb Township residents assaulted her when deputies arrived.
Medical assistance was provided and neither party pursued charges.
Attempted break-in reported
MACOMB TOWNSHIP — At around 11:20 a.m. on Oct. 19, Macomb County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to the home of a 46-year-old man in the 17000 block of Kensington Drive after someone attempted to break in.
At around 9:10 p.m. the prior night, a doorbell camera caught footage of a man in dark clothes, gloves and a mask trying to pry and kick his front door open. The man gave up around 9:17 p.m., just before the resident arrived home from work. The damage was not discovered until the next morning.
Drunken driver blames police
MOUNT CLEMENS — At around 2 a.m. on Oct. 13, Macomb County Sheriff’s Office deputies performed a traffic stop just over the Harrison Township/ Mount Clemens border. An erratically driving Jeep Grand Cherokee was pulled over near the intersection of Rathbone Avenue and Avery Street.
The driver, a 23-year-old Harrison Township woman, was upset with the deputies and blamed them for driving too close, thus pressuring her into swerving. She told deputies she had two drinks before leaving the bar she worked at.
Deputies performed field sobriety tests, and a breath test registered a 0.11 blood alcohol content. The woman was arrested.
Drugs and gun found in vehicle
SHELBY TOWNSHIP — A Shelby Township police officer observed a vehicle parked and running at a gas station for a significant amount of time at 4:32 a.m. Oct. 8. The officer went to check on the driver and found him slumped over the wheel.
The officer made contact with him and asked for identification. The driver attempted to locate his ID and accidentally pulled out a bag containing unknown pills, according to the report. The driver exited the vehicle, and police conducted a search of his vehicle. The officer located a loaded gun tucked next
driver was arrested for carrying a concealed weapon and possession of dangerous drugs. Exhausts totaling $35,000 stolen from vehicles ST. CLAIR SHORES — At 3:19 p.m. on Oct.
STERLING HEIGHTS NAMED NO. 1 U.S. CITY FOR KEEPING SKIN YOUTHFUL
STERLING HEIGHTS — The online beauty shop LOOKFANTASTIC recently revealed a study that says Sterling Heights is the No. 1 U.S. city for slowing down skin aging. Sterling Heights’ overall rating was 81.15 out of 100, just 0.1 ahead of second-place Anchorage, Alaska.
“Sterling Heights has an extremely high quiet area score, which means residents can get lots of beauty sleep, helping to slow down signs of aging,” LOOKFANTASTIC said in a press release.
“The city has 1901 sunlight hours and a low average UV index of 2.92 throughout the year, which means residents can enjoy the sun without the harsh effects of UV radiation.”
Ann Arbor also made the study’s top 10 list, at ninth place. Learn more about the study by visiting lookfantastic.com/c/health-beauty/face/best-cities-to-keepskin-youthful.
Museum remembers U.S. Navy pilot on 100th birthday FERNDALE — On his 100th birthday, the Ferndale Historical Museum remembered the life of Ferndale resident Judson Neff Berger, a U.S. Navy pilot who died in an airplane crash. Berger, born Oct. 14, 1924, grew up in Ferndale, having lived on West Oakridge Street, and graduated from Ferndale Schools. He enlisted in the Navy in 1943.
On March 17, 1946, Berger and four other pilots were at Naval Air Station Grosse Ile to sign out three aircraft, SNJ5 advanced trainers. That afternoon, Berger’s aircraft spun out of control and crashed in what is known today as Geary Park, then known as Catalpa Park. According to the Historical Museum, the aircraft was traveling at an estimated speed of 100 miles per hour when it tore through power lines, bounced 150 feet and came to rest behind a home at 2024 Central
Industry Days, which features “exclusive industry access,” according to the release, is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 15 and Jan. 16. Tickets are $40. For more information, visit detroitautoshow.com.
by Ferndale Historical
