11/15/23 C & G Special Edition - Oakland by C & G Newspapers

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NOVEMBER 15, 2023

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Oakland County papers

After long wait, Royal Oak graduate’s name added to veterans memorial BY MIKE KOURY

mkoury@candgnews.com

ROYAL OAK — It was a long time coming, but Marine Corps Cpl. Nick Manoukian was immortalized on Royal Oak’s Veterans War Memorial. Manoukian’s name was engraved on Oct. 24 on a bench in the war memorial plaza in Centennial Commons. The honor came just after the 17th anniversary of his death. Manoukian’s mom, Mary, was in attendance to see the beginning of the engraving on the bench. Mary Manoukian said she’s almost thankful that her son being memorialized was happening now, because maybe someone See MEMORIAL on page 14A

Photos by Patricia O’Blenes

ABOVE: Mary Manoukian was happy to see her son’s name honored at the war memorial. RIGHT: Manoukian looks over the stencil of what will be engraved before Brent Clover, of Clover Stones, sandblasts the name onto the memorial bench.

Salvation Army seeks bell-ringers for holidays BY BRENDAN LOSINSKI blosinski@candgnews.com

METRO DETROIT — The holiday season is upon us, and that means that the sound of Salvation Army bell-ringers won’t be far behind. The Salvation Army of Metro Detroit is seeking volunteer

bell-ringers for the 2023 Red Kettle Christmas Campaign. The nonprofit requests the community’s support to help meet its $7.9 million fundraising goal. Each year, thousands of collection buckets are positioned in and around businesses to raise funds for those in need — and each is accompanied by The Salvation Army’s signature bell-ringers. The See BELL-RINGERS on page 11A Photo provided by the Salvation Army of Metro Detroit

C & G NEWSPAPERS OAKLAND COUNTY SPECIAL EDITION • NOVEMBER 15, 2023

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3A/ C & G NEWSPAPERS OAKLAND COUNTY SPECIAL EDITION • NOVEMBER 15, 2023

Wild Lights will feature around 500 sculptures at the Detroit Zoo for attendees to take photos with. Photo provided by the Detroit Zoo

Photo by Patricia O’Blenes

Starting in November, I-75 between 12 Mile Road and South Boulevard will now have a high-occupancy lane during morning and evening rush hour on weekdays.

High-occupancy lanes to be implemented part-time on I-75 for first time in Michigan BY BRENDAN LOSINSKI blosinski@candgnews.com

tions, will begin Nov. 24 and run through Jan. 7 on select dates at the Detroit Zoo, 8450 W. 10 Mile Road. The zoo will feature millions of LED lights adorning its trees and buildings, along with about 500 sculptures. When people walk into the zoo, said Emily O’Hara, senior manager of guest experience design, people will see

OAKLAND COUNTY — Michigan is now seeing its first high-occupancy lanes implemented on Interstate 75 between 12 Mile Road and South Boulevard … at least some of the time. More commonly referred to as carpool lanes, high-occupancy lanes are only usable by vehicles with at least two human occupants. The lane was planned in tandem with the overhaul of I-75 that began taking place in 2016 by the Michigan Department of Transportation. “The lanes were built into the project over the last six years. … The idea to make a capacity improvement for that portion of I-75 was decided when we were working with federal partners and we conducted several public meetings with stakeholders,” explained MDOT spokesperson Rob Morosi. “The feds wanted us to do something different with regard

See ZOO on page 10A

See I-75 on page 7A

DETROIT ZOO’S WILD LIGHTS TO SHINE THROUGH EARLY JANUARY BY MIKE KOURY mkoury@candgnews.com

ROYAL OAK — The colorful decorations of Wild Lights will make their way back to the Detroit Zoo later this month. Wild Lights, presented by Strategic Staffing Solu-

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C & G NEWSPAPERS OAKLAND COUNTY SPECIAL EDITION • NOVEMBER 15, 2023

ABOVE: Ben Shinos created this basket sometime between 1975 and 1985. Photo provided by the Birmingham Museum

RIGHT: This market basket was made by Emma Manitowash in 1980. Photo provided by the Birmingham Museum

Birmingham celebrates Native American Heritage Month BY MARY GENSON mgenson@candgnews.com

BIRMINGHAM — November is Native American Heritage Month in the U.S., and the Birmingham Museum is acknowledging it by spotlighting traditional Great Lakes tribal basketry. The Birmingham Museum recently received a donation of traditional Great Lakes tribal basketry, and this month, people can learn about these historically important baskets through a virtual exhibit that can be accessed at bhamgov.org/indigenous. Background information, maps, images and two articles are included in the virtual exhibit. An article written by Caitlin Donnelly discusses the indigenous archeology of this area, and one written by Donna Casaceli talks about the traditional baskets. The museum plans on eventually displaying a physical exhibit of the baskets in

the future, but Leslie Pielack said that will likely not be until later next year. “The virtual exhibit is important because it helps keep these traditions available to people who want to understand them and, unfortunately, a lot of the residents of Oakland County and our patrons are not aware that these three tribal groups are very modern and current,” Pielack said. Before European settlement, the Anishnaabeg, including the culturally related Odawa, Ojibwe and Potawatomi tribes, occupied Oakland County and southeast Michigan. Pielack said that while these tribes may not be physically in Oakland County now, they are very much in existence in northern and western Michigan. “We are trying to bring a little bit of those traditions here to our museum in as accurate a way as we possibly can, which is why we seek to work with the tribes to See EXHIBIT on page 6A

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SPOTLIGHT ON WOMEN IN BUSINESS

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C & G NEWSPAPERS OAKLAND COUNTY SPECIAL EDITION

Number of women in business schools continues to climb BY CHARITY MEIER cmeier@candgnews.com

METRO DETROIT — Women are having an increased presence in the business world, according to recent statistics. Troy’s Walsh College calculates that women are more prevalent than men this semester, with over 53% of the student body being women. “We are seeing an increase of women in technology, and we want to encourage that,” said Suzy Siegle, the president of Walsh College. According to Siegle, the majority of female students are going into the fields of accounting, marketing and management. Oakland University said they are seeing an increase in women enrolling in the areas of accounting, human resource management and operations management. “I would say in the areas of marketing, definitely in management, in the MBA (Master of Business Administration) we are seeing a lot of women business folks who are interested in that,” Siegle said, “We have a great doctoral program in business administration program, and I’ve been impressed when we’ve had the doctoral residencies on our campus. … I’ve been impressed with the strong women leaders who have been enrolling in that program to take their careers to their next level. And a lot of them see opportunities in business coaching and consulting, really taking their careers advancing through that.” “When I was in business school back in the 1990s pursuing an MBA, fewer than 10% of my class were women,” said Toni M. Somers, the associate dean and a professor of management and information systems at the Wayne State University Mike Ilitch School of Business. “Today, in our business school, at least 50% are women. This parallels nationally the rise of women in executive positions and on boards of directors of both Michigan and U.S. corporations. While traditionally there have been fewer women than men in analytics, finance and technology studies, presence is growing in these fields as well.” Jacqueline M. Stavros, a professor of the College of Business and IT at Lawrence Technological University, said the school can prepare women to pursue a wide range of career paths, such as accounting, finance, marketing, analytics, project management, general manager-types of positions, human resource positions, operations management, supply chain management, information technology, and even start a business. “I think we need to do more to recruit women into our programs,” said Stavros. Siegle said Walsh College does have a variety of ways in which it encourages women to go into the business industry. She said they have scholarship opportunities for women going into an emerging field, as well as opportunities through the school’s career services, such as “Lunch and Learn,” where female executives come and present to the students. “There’s been a lot of great examples in our career fairs where we’ve seen amazing female leaders present,” Siegle said. “So they’re seeing great women in leadership.” The school also offers flexible programs. Siegle said this enables women, as well as men, to balance school, work, family and other obligations. She said that studies have shown that, especially for women in the workforce who do balance many different obligations, that flexible scheduling is very important

ABOVE: Tiffany LeDonneSmith, a business program advisor at Oakland University, speaks at a Women’s Leadership and Mentoring Program event May 2. Photo provided by Oakland University

LEFT: An enrollment specialist engages with a student at Walsh College. Photo provided by Walsh College

to them. She said that the school offers instruction in a variety of ways, including in person, online and a hybrid format. “That flexibility has been very important for our students so that they don’t have to compromise the quality they deserve for the flexibility they need,” said Siegle. Tiffany LeDonne-Smith, a graduate of Oakland University and an advisor for the OU business program, founded a mentoring program for women in business. She said she noticed when she started working at the university in 2017 that there were many female students in the business program, but no support services for them specifically. After getting some feedback, LeDonne-Smith was able to determine that the students “overwhelmingly” wanted and needed both a student organization for women in business and a mentoring program. In fall 2018, some students founded the student or-

ganization Women in Business, which is now one of the largest and most active student organizations in business on the campus today, according to LeDonne-Smith. It offers programming on topics such as women in leadership, women in various business fields, sexual harassment in the work place, etc., and brings in guest speakers and alumni. In January 2019 LeDonne-Smith launched the Women’s Leadership and Mentor Program, which pairs female undergraduate students with an alumna businesswoman to mentor them for a year. “That program has really been phenomenal, because each student who is in the program is connected with someone who obviously works in the profession. … That’s been really great for our students,” said LeDonne-Smith. “The program has just been great for students to have a professional connection, because they might not have someone in See WOMEN on page 13A

C & G NEWSPAPERS OAKLAND COUNTY SPECIAL EDITION • NOVEMBER 15, 2023

Jingle & Mingle comes back for year 2 with holiday market BY MIKE KOURY mkoury@candgnews.com

Roxann Kesterson will be at Jingle & Mingle to sell “love tokens,” seen here, which she carves.

FERNDALE — Ferndale’s holiday shopping event, Jingle & Mingle, will be returning this month for its second annual event. Jingle & Mingle will take place Nov. 18-19 at 211 W. Troy St., near Allen Road, and in The dot parking structure. It will feature a holiday market, live entertainment and a nonperishable food drive. The event was held for the first time last year. With eyes on expanding Jingle & Mingle, the Ferndale Underground Holiday Market was introduced for year two, said the city’s director of special events, Michael Lary. “The idea was always to eventually grow into having a market, but I’m a believer that you first test the wheels before you buy them and just to see what kind of response you get,” he said. Lary said the holiday market will be located on the lower level of The dot to help keep patrons out of the weather if it gets harsh like last year. “Whether it turns out to be a nice day or a crappy day, it won’t matter because we’ll still have nothing to worry about when it comes to the weather, so you can still come out and browse and shop not only at the market, but also in downtown Ferndale,” he said. The food drive will benefit the Renaissance Vineyard Food Pantry. Even with the bad weather last year, Lary highlighted how people still came to support and donate almost four pallets of food. “That was the first and primary motivation to even begin this event, is how to help those in need during the holiday season,” he said. “It serves more than one purpose, and that is that you create an event because this is the time of year where things kind of slow down because we don’t have any more festivals, summer festivals. So how do you still try to draw business to downtown to support downtown businesses, the restaurants and into bars and retailers and service providers? So this is our way of trying to do that to remind people that downtown Ferndale is still here.” More than 65 vendors will attend Jingle & Mingle to sell clothing, jewelry and other holiday gifts. Roxann Kesterson, with Carved Coins LLC, will be selling her custom coin art at the market. According to Kesterson, her work is based on a tradition that dates back to the Civil War where “soldiers would spend months making one coin for one person” called “love tokens.” “I use the same tools and techniques the soldiers did, but with just new and fun and different designs,” she said. “If they can make something for someone they love in the worst situations ever using just what was left in their pockets and the tools that they had in their hands, then I think that’s a tradition we’re celebrating and saving and bringing back to life.”

Photo provided by Roxann Kesterson

See MARKET on page 13A

Exhibit from page 4A

properly curate the items that we received,” Pielack said. The donor of the baskets provided the museum with information about each one, including who they purchased it from, when and where. This provided the museum with some of the information needed to effectively conduct research on the makers. Traditionally, these baskets have several functional and ceremonial purposes. They are typically made of natural materials, such as birch bark, spruce root, sweetgrass and hand-split black ash. “The baskets that we’re showing are

definitely a wonderful representation of the tradition of basket making within the nation,” Casaceli said. Casaceli goes more in depth about the origins of these baskets in her article within the virtual exhibit. She provides a link to a YouTube video that covers the topics of basket weaving, the emerald ash borer threat and more. “Don’t take my words. Take their words,” Casaceli said. Casaceli encourages everyone to watch the video to learn about these traditions and stories from the perspective of Indigenous peoples. To learn more, visit the virtual exhibit at bhamgov.org/indigenous.

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C & G NEWSPAPERS OAKLAND COUNTY SPECIAL EDITION • NOVEMBER 15, 2023

I-75

from page 3A

to capacity improvement to improve safety and travel time reliability. This was decided before construction to make that fourth lane on that stretch a high-occupancy lane.” However, the lane on that portion of the expressway will only function as a highoccupancy lane during rush hour. “They are implementing it right now,” said Morosi. “The signs have been fabricated and are being put up. Of the 18 miles we’ve rebuilt since 2016, the additional lane between Eight Mile Road and 12 Mile Road is a general use lane, which has no restrictions on number of occupants or time, so a solo driver can use it 24/7. The left lane between 12 Mile and South Boulevard will be a highoccupancy lane between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m., and 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.” Morosi added that research indicates the lane should reduce traffic and accident rates. “It also should improve capacity, which will reduce traffic and travel times,” said Morosi. “During the study phase, we did extensive crash history studies, and the majority of the incidents on this stretch in terms of crashes occurred during dry conditions, and the majority were rear-end collisions, which indicated a capacity problem. In other words, we had too much traffic for only three lanes in each direction. When we looked at other ways to improve safety, the HOV lane we saw in other states, an HOV lane encouraged carpooling during high travel times, which improves capacity issues and cars driving too close to each other.”

Photo by Patricia O’Blenes

To help encourage use of the new high-occupancy lane on I-75, carpool lots were added near 12 Mile and Adams roads. Motorcycles, transit buses, first responders and emergency vehicles are exempt from occupant requirements. Lt. Mike Shaw, the public information officer for the Michigan State Police, wants drivers to know that this shouldn’t adversely affect anyone’s commute, and he thinks drivers simply need to be aware of the new rules. “People can be stopped as of this week,” he said Oct. 27. “We will be patrolling as we always do. … We’ve never had a highoccupancy lane, so if we have one, it’s obviously going to mean at least somewhat of an uptick in violations. … Just pay attention and mind the signs and other notifications.” That portion of I-75 is patrolled both by the Michigan State Police and some of the municipalities it runs through. Sgt. Ben Hancock of the Troy Police Department said in an email that “during

peak hours of 6-9 a.m. and 3-6 p.m., only vehicles with two or more occupants can use the lane. In addition, motorcycles, buses and emergency response vehicles can use the lane at any time. During off-peak hours the high occupancy lane is treated as any other lane on the freeway. … A high-occupancy-lane violation is a civil infraction with a fine of $135 (2 points) and $195 (2 points) for a commercial motor vehicle.” The implementation of the high-occupancy-lane was always intended to begin following the completion of the I-75 rehabilitation project. “The whole I-75 reconstruction project was about $1 billion, and these (high-occupancy lane) costs were part of that project,” said Morosi. “It rebuilt over 18 miles of freeway, replaced 47 bridges, modernized interchanges at Big Beaver, 14 Mile Road,

12 Mile Road, and constructed a new braid ramp with I-696, and built a 4-mile-long drainage tunnel.” He added that some other portions of the refurbishment project were put in place to complement the high-occupancy lanes. “We rehabilitated a carpool lot at the Adams Road exit route near the top of the changed portion of I-75. There are two new lots at 12 Mile Road, near the I-75 interchange there,” said Morosi. Morosi said drivers simply need to become acquainted with the new rules and that the rules are clearly marked for people to see prior to entering each end of the designated area. “Some people are confused because of the high-occupancy lanes having designated times,” he said. “The two or more occupants have to be human occupants, so no pets or cardboard cutouts. Besides the designated hours around rush hours during the week, that lane can be used by solo drivers without the risk of citation. Close to 70% of the time it is still usable as a solo-use lane. … They will be marked with diamonds on the lanes and some signage on the side of the road. That’s the national signage to mark such lanes.” Morosi admitted that there has been some skepticism about the high-occupancy lanes being used in Michigan, but he believes that drivers will come to appreciate them after they see the benefits. “Anything that’s new will come with some trepidation and skepticism,” he said. “We acknowledge that. That was the case when we built the flex route on M-23, near Ann Arbor, and complaints there have faded. Given time, these new methods generally work very, very well and improve safety.”

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR

File photo by Patricia O’Blenes

8A/ C & G NEWSPAPERS OAKLAND COUNTY SPECIAL EDITION • NOVEMBER 15, 2023

NOV. 16

Trade Secrets fundraiser: Benefit for Gesher Human Services’ workforce initiatives for women, 6 p.m., Detroit Marriott Troy, 200 W. Big Beaver Road, geshermi.org Thanksgiving luncheon: Noon-2 p.m., Meadowbrook Activity Center, 25075 Meadowbrook Road in Novi, register until Nov. 10, (248) 347-0414 NOV. 16-17 Royal Oak Market: Art Fair Edition: Juried show featuring about 60 artists, also art-making experiences, live entertainment and adult beverages, 11 a.m.-9 p.m., 11 Mile Road and Troy Street in downtown Royal Oak, royaloakartfair.com

artsboard@madison-heights.org, also search Madison Heights Arts Gala 2023 on Eventbrite.com Starlab: Explore night sky at inflatable indoor planetarium, 5:30-6:30 p.m. and 6:30-7:30 p.m., Southfield Parks & Recreation building, 26000 Evergreen Road, RSVP to (248) 796-4620

NOV. 17-18

‘The Play that Goes Wrong: High School Edition’: Presented by Rochester Adams High School Theatre, 7 p.m., Rochester Adams Performing Arts Center, 3200 W. Tienken Road in Rochester Hills, adamstheatre. ludus.com

NOV. 17-19

‘Neil Simon’s Barefoot in the Park’: Performed by Ridgedale Players, 8 p.m. Nov. 17-18 and 2 p.m. Nov. 19, 205 W. Long Lake Road in Troy, ridgedaleplayers. com, (248) 988-7049

NOV. 16-19

Photo by Rachel Corp

‘A Family Vacation Ain’t No Vacation’: Adaptation of “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” presented by Fine Arts Society of Detroit, bring own food and drinks, 8 p.m. Nov. 17-18 and 2 p.m. Nov. 19, Players Theater, 3321 E. Jefferson Ave. in Detroit, reservations required, (313) 969-1189, gregowens@aol.com

‘James and the Giant Peach’: Presented by Rochester University Theatre & Music, 7:30-9:30 p.m. Nov. 16-18 and 2:30-4:30 p.m. Nov. 19, 800 W. Avon Road in Rochester Hills, rochesteru.edu/ru-theatre-music

‘Mean Girls: High School Version’: Presented by Rochester High School, 7 p.m. Nov. 16-17, 2 and 7 p.m. Nov. 18, and 4 p.m. Nov. 19, 1361 Walton Blvd. in Rochester, (248) 726-5400

NOV. 17

Light the Village: Kickoff to holidays includes music, Santa visit, fireworks and more, 6-9 p.m., The Village of Rochester Hills, 104 N. Adams Road in Rochester Hills, thevorh.com Harvest Day Lunch: Noon-1:15 p.m., Connect Senior Center, 33230 W. 14 Mile Road in West Bloomfield, register at wbparks.org Arts gala: Inaugural event to raise funds for Madison Heights Arts Board initiatives, includes five-course meal and drinks, live music and dancing, charity auction, and meet-and-greet with local artists, 6 p.m., Club Venetian Banquet Center, 29310 John R Road,

Light the Lights!: Fireworks and tree lighting, Santa visit, live music, character meet and greets, and holiday market, 6-9 p.m., Twelve Mile Crossing at Fountain Walk, 44175 12 Mile Road in Novi, cityofnovi. org/lightthelights

NOV. 23

Mighty Gobbler 5K: Also 1 mile-walk, fundraiser for various charities, 8-11 a.m., register/check in at Lutheran Church of the Master, 3333 Coolidge Highway in Troy, mightygobbler.com

NOV. 25

Birmingham Santa Walk: 9:30-10:30 a.m., starts at parking lot of Surnow building, 320 Martin St., and ends at Shain Park, register at allinbirmingham.com Craft show: More than 200 booths expected, 9 a.m.4 p.m., Troy High School, 4777 Northfield Parkway, troywomensassociation.org/elf-shelf.html

‘The Great American Trailer Park Musical’: Performed by Stagecrafters, 8 p.m. Nov. 16-18 and 2 p.m. Nov. 19, Baldwin Theatre, 415 S. Lafayette in Royal Oak, stagecrafters.org ‘Finding Nemo Jr.’: Performances by Novi Youth Theatre and In The Mitten Productions, 7 p.m. Nov. 16-17 and 1 and 5 p.m. Nov. 18-19, Novi Civic Center, 45175 W. 10 Mile Road, cityofnovi.org/news/comesee-finding-nemo-jr

NOV. 17

NOV. 27 Festival of Trees: Viewing of locally made trees, wreaths and centerpieces, cocktail preview with refreshments, silent auction and cash bar 7 p.m. Nov. 17, open to public 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Nov. 18 and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Nov. 19, Rochester Community House, 816 Ludlow Ave. in Rochester, downtownrochestermi. com/festival-of-trees

Tree lighting: Also photos with Santa, holiday music and free cookies and cocoa, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Civic Center Plaza, 300 W. 13 Mile Road in Madison Heights, madison-heights.org

ONGOING

Big, Bright Light Show: See downtown Rochester buildings illuminated, 5 p.m.-midnight Nov. 20-Jan. 21, downtownrochestermi.com

NOV. 18

Arts & Crafts Market: 140-plus vendors expected, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Royal Oak High School, 1500 Lexington Blvd., rohscraft.com Jingle & Mingle: Holiday market, live entertainment and nonperishable food drive, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Nov. 18 and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Nov. 19, 211 W. Troy St. near Allen Road in Ferndale, undergroundferndale.com ‘Joy to the World’: Christmas concert by a cappella choral group Twelfth Night Singers, 3 p.m., Zion Lutheran Church, 143 Albany St. in Ferndale, (248) 544-4631, twelfthnightsingers.com

‘A Christmas Carol’: Select dates Nov. 17-Dec. 24, Meadow Brook Theatre on campus of Oakland University, 378 Meadow Brook Road in Rochester, mbtheatre.com Santa House: Free visits with Kris Kringle and horse-drawn carriage rides, select times and dates Nov. 25-Dec. 24, Shain Park in Birmingham, RSVP at allinbirmingham.com Holidays at Meadow Brook: Holiday Walk select dates Nov. 24-Dec. 23, Winter Wonder Lights select dates Nov. 24-Dec. 30, Starlight Stroll Dec. 6, Holiday Tea select Tuesdays and Thursdays, Santa visits select Saturdays, and more, Meadow Brook Hall, 350 Estate Drive in Rochester, meadowbrookhall.org/holidays Visit Santa and reindeer: Select dates Nov. 17 until just before Christmas, Festival Park and Fountain Park in The Village of Rochester Hills, 104 N. Adams Road, https://www.thevorh.com/events All Aboard! Model Railroad Exhibit: Presented by Stoney Creek Model Railroad Club, also scavenger hunt, noon-3 p.m. Nov. 24-26 and Dec. 9-10, 17, 23 and 27-30, Calf Barn at Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm, 1005 Van Hoosen Road, www. rochesterhills.org/musprograms

NOV. 18-19

NOV. 19

‘Miracle on 34th Street’: Presented by Avon Players, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays Nov. 24-26 and Dec 1-3 and 8-9, plus 3 p.m. Dec. 2 and 9, 1185 Washington Road in Rochester, avonplayers.org

Photo provided by the Detroit Zoo

Wild Lights: Featuring millions of LED lights and about 500 sculptures, select nights Nov. 24-Jan. 7, Detroit Zoo, 8450 W. 10 Mile Road in Royal Oak, wildlights.detroitzoo.org

Holidays at the Farmhouse: See 1840s building decorated with boughs of holly, old Christmas cards, family gifts, community cookbooks and 10-foot Christmas tree, noon-3 p.m. on select dates starting Nov. 24, also holiday tea 10-11 a.m. Nov. 28, Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm, 1005 Van Hoosen Road, (248) 656-4663

C & G NEWSPAPERS OAKLAND COUNTY SPECIAL EDITION • NOVEMBER 15, 2023

Whitmer’s population group eyes tax hikes for residents BY JONATHAN OOSTING Bridge Michigan

LANSING — Members of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s population growth council may recommend plans that include tax increases to fund schools, roads and local governments, according to newly public reports. The reports were shielded from public view earlier this month when work groups reported vague recommendations to the Growing Michigan Together Council, a bipartisan panel appointed by Whitmer in a bid to find ways to boost the state’s stagnant population. The council published the work group reports online after Bridge Michigan filed a Freedom of Information Act request for the documents. One report shows a PreK-12 Policy work group is recommending the council study how much funding schools need, “including potential revenue generation realized by modifying current taxation and budgeting practices.” Another work group is recommending

GOVERNOR’S APPOINTED POPULATION GROWTH COUNCIL CONSIDERSTAX INCREASE PLANS FOR SCHOOLS, ROADS, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS a change in property tax law that would allow local governments to raise rates more quickly as property values increase, while others raise the possibility of “broaden(ed) funding sources” for roads. The report does not mention any specific tax increases, but proposals are causing dissent among some members of Whitmer’s group, which is charged with providing her with recommendations by Dec. 1. Republican education work group member Patrick Anderson objected to the recommendation on school taxes, suggesting it could require a major overhaul of the state’s funding formula that relies on constitutionally dedicated sales and property taxes. “These would be radical changes involving the income tax, sales tax, property tax, local school operating and debt millages

as well as the per-pupil guarantee and the dedication of the School Aid fund in the Constitution to both secondary and higher education,” Anderson told colleagues in an Oct. 7 email dissent shared with Bridge. “There is indeed a need to improve school governance and finance. However, I and multiple other members of the group feel that changes in revenue must follow, not precede, improvements in accountability and performance,” he added. Anderson had asked work group chairs Karen McPhee and Chandra Madafferi, who is president of the Michigan Education Association union, to include his written dissent in the PreK-12 recommendation report. They declined to do so, telling him that “would have required us to offer an opportunity for every work group member to write dissenting viewpoints, and that was

not in our charge.” McPhee, in an email provided by Anderson, said the work group is not specifically recommending policymakers propose changes to the Michigan Constitution to fund schools, which would be required to raise or otherwise change the state’s 6% sales tax. But the work group recommendations, “leave the possibility” of a constitutional amendment “on the table and suggest teams of experts be charged with considering everything necessary to build, govern and fund a newly designed high-performing system of public schools,” McPhee wrote. The work group reports are not final recommendations but will inform further work by the full council. The group is charged with providing “short-term, medium-term, and long-term policies” proposals to Whitmer, who would then have to work with the Legislature to enact any recommendations. Other potential tax changes eyed by the group include: See TAX HIKES on page 11A

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C & G NEWSPAPERS OAKLAND COUNTY SPECIAL EDITION • NOVEMBER 15, 2023

10A

Zoo

from page 3A

the return of the Field of Light at the front, which consists of lighted tubes that appear to dance and play along to music. “We are once again having our trail, which we just started activating last year, where guests can go through the forest, and this year it’s all underwaterthemed, so they’re going to walk through a light tunnel and then by a sea of kelp and you’ll turn the corner and see a breaching whale. And that will end at a new interactive underwater wall, where when you walk by it, you kind of trigger phytoplankton and fish swim by and that kind of thing.” O’Hara also highlighted the return of Toy Land that patrons can take photos with and the Wildlife Lodge, where people can warm themselves up and listen to live music. But she noted that what separates Wild Lights from other winter events is the abundance of lights that will shine throughout the zoo. “We have lit animal sculptures throughout the footprint of the trail, and that’s really kind of the key feature that makes it the zoo experience,” she said. Mayor Michael Fournier has spent many years at Wild Lights with his family, as they are members of the zoo. Fournier said the zoo is like an additional park in Royal Oak where people can go to check out the lights or enjoy normal zoo activities. “We’ve enjoyed over the years attending the event with our kids, and anytime that we can bring people in, especially in the colder months to Royal Oak, a great number of those folks decide that they want to come and patronize nearby businesses, which is always good for keeping the things we love, the businesses we love, vibrant and successful,” he said. This will be the 11th year of Wild Lights, and the best thing about hosting the event, O’Hara said, is that every year is a new experience.

Photo provided by the Detroit Zoo

Millions of LED lights will decorate the Detroit Zoo for Wild Lights, which will run on select days from Nov. 24 through Jan. 7. “We have some sculptures that folks see and love and you’ll still see them year after year, but we change the footprint and the layout every single year, and we always have new things that we enhance the trail with,” she said. “There’s a lot of nostalgia and kind of those key pieces, and yet you can come every single year and you’re going to experience something completely different at the same time.” There are different ticketing packages for Wild Lights, which can be found at wildlights.detroitzoo.org, along with information on the event. Call Staff Writer Mike Koury at (586) 498-1077.

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C & G NEWSPAPERS OAKLAND COUNTY SPECIAL EDITION • NOVEMBER 15, 2023

HILTON ROAD CAFE CLOSES AFTER 15 YEARS

Tax hike

FERNDALE — The Hilton Road Cafe, located at 3150 Hilton Road in Ferndale, has closed its doors after 15 years. According to a Facebook post, the decision was made to shut down the cafe due to the rising costs of food and amid the declining health of its owners. The cafe’s last day was Oct. 23. “We tried the best we could to give you all our love for this community through our food. We wanted HRC to be your local diner and for everyone to feel at home with that home cooking feeling. We believe we accomplished that,” stated a letter from owners Steve and Effie Lambros. “We couldn’t have gone this long serving the wonderful community of Fabulous Ferndale. Without our loyal employees, and our loyal customers who also became part of our family. WE THANK ALL OF YOU from the bottom of our hearts. Without you, there was no Hilton Road Cafe,” the letter continued.

from page 9A

• A potential change in property taxes for local governments, which have long complained their financial recovery from the Great Recession was slowed by the voter-approved Headlee Amendment of 1978, which caps annual growth in taxable value at the rate of inflation of 5%. • Another work group is recommending the council figure out a way to “raise ad-

— MIKE KOURY

Bell-ringers from page 1A

organization hopes to fill more than 50,000 hours of bell-ringing shifts across hundreds of kettle locations throughout Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. Individuals and families can sign up as volunteer bell-ringers by visiting www.registertoring.com, where they have an option to choose a traditional, two-hour session at a physical red kettle site or participate in a virtual bell-ringing shift where they can raise funds in the comfort of their own home. Virtual bell-ringers can sign up and begin raising funds at any time, whereas traditional bell-ringing begins on Friday, Nov. 10, and runs through Christmas Eve, excluding Thanksgiving and Sundays. “Our volunteer bell-ringers are the unsung heroes of the holiday season, making the season brighter for those in need across metro Detroit,” Maj. Toni Dorrell, general secretary and metro Detroit area commander, said in a press release. “Our volunteers

transform an unmanned kettle into one that raises the funds needed to meet the goal of the Christmas campaign.” The Salvation Army is committed to providing after-school programs, emergency disaster services, substance abuse treatment and free legal aid for families and individuals throughout metro Detroit, including more than 2.4 million meals and more than 530,000 nights of shelter each year. The iconic red kettles also will have a new look this year that makes it even easier to give with the addition of Tiptap, a touchless giving platform. Donors can give a set amount of $5, $10 or $20 with just a tap of their mobile phone, smartwatch, or any credit card set up for contactless payments. To help raise awareness and encourage the community to donate, the nonprofit is once again partnering with Scott Wolffis, the president and CEO of Commercial Alliance, as the 2023 Red Kettle Christmas chairman. Wolffis, who has served on The Salvation Army’s Metro Detroit Advisory Board for more than 15 years, will serve as the public face of the fundraising campaign for the sec-

ond consecutive year to help the nonprofit meet its $7.9 million fundraising goal. “After the Christmas lights come down and the ornaments are packed away, the need in our community persists. Donations made during the Red Kettle Christmas Campaign help support The Salvation Army’s critical social and community programs that many families and individuals rely on all year long,” Wolffis said in a press release. “It is my pleasure to partner with The Salvation Army again this year and do my part in helping my neighbors in need. I look forward to the continued partnership between Commercial Alliance and The Salvation Army and the positive impact this relationship will have on our community.” Dorrell said that such funds are more important than ever. “With the rising cost of living, economic insecurity and inflation, families in metro Detroit are facing financial uncertainty. Some may lack proper shelter, a warm meal or may even be choosing between paying rent and buying presents this Christmas,” Dorrell wrote. “We owe it to our neighbors

ditional annual funding to maintain our current system of roads” and decrease the state’s reliance on fuel taxes, which are projected to decline as consumers purchase more electric vehicles. It suggests a phased-in plan. • A Jobs, Talent and People work group is suggesting a series of targeted tax credits to address workforce shortages and attract new hires to the state. • Increasing the state’s child tax credit to better support low-income families and suggests a new credit for small businesses that offer paid parental leave. in need to come together and lend a helping hand when times get tough. When you give to The Salvation Army, your donation makes it possible for us to help our community’s most vulnerable 24 hours a day and 365 days a year.”

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C & G NEWSPAPERS OAKLAND COUNTY SPECIAL EDITION

Lighting is essential for the ambiance of a home BY CHARITY MEIER

cmeier@candgnews.com

ighting not only affects the ambiance of a home; it also affects the people inside. “It is incredible how that can affect your mood, you can create a mood, and really, really good lighting can actually make people feel more attractive,” said Caroline Kerfoot, art director and creative team manager at Regina Andrew Design in Wyandotte. According to Kerfoot, lighting with warmer tones, which appear more yellow, can make people feel much happier than early morning light, which can appear more blue, and overhead tube lighting in an office, which can appear more green and blue. “It’s pretty cool. I’ve learned so much from working at Regina Andrew about lighting and it’s just like sort of subconscious effects, and I think that it’s really important going into winter where we’re inside so much and you don’t get as much daylight. So you want to make your space as comfortable as possible as well as your guests coming over on the holidays,” said Kerfoot. “I can even tell you firsthand that incorporating cool lighting that you love, that gives off the right amount of light and creates that ambiance that makes your (day-to-day) living comfortable — it just makes such a big difference.” Michelle Pergeau-Dudgeon, program coordinator for the associate in applied science in interior design at Oakland Community College, has over a decade of experience in the field of lighting, including working in multiple lighting showrooms, and is certified with the American Lighting Association as a lighting specialist. “I began in (lighting) because I have a bachelor’s in interior design and I found that lighting was so powerful of an impact that I started pursuing the showrooms to work in residential lighting,” said Pergeau-Dudgeon. “If

a room isn’t properly lit, all the other (design) decisions that you made won’t come into fruition.” She said that if you spend a lot of time selecting the colors for your rooms and then don’t have good bright lighting at night, the color is going to appear darker than what you had anticipated. She said this can cause a room to feel dark and gloomy, especially if the color is originally part of a darker palette. Lighting can also help to make a space feel larger. To make a space feel larger, you can illuminate a surface, such as a wall or ceiling. According to Pergeau-Dudgeon, homeowners should have a series of plans for their home lighting, including room measurements and ceiling heights. She said to also notate architectural features such as windows and cabinetry, which can impact not only what you want to light, but also how you have to light the space. Kerfoot said the best way to provide effective lighting in a home is with layered lighting. “Layered lighting uses multiple light sources to create the look and light quality you want in a room,” said Kerfoot. This includes general or ambient, task, and accent lighting, as well as natural light. Ambient lighting is the primary lighting source, which is spread evenly throughout each room and often creates the mood. Task lighting provides focused light for specific activities in each room, such as a study lamp, vanity light or a light over the kitchen stove. Accent lighting draws attention to a particular object, such as a painting, sculpture, plant or bookcase. “I’m sure you’ve walked into a room and the light just, like, blasts and it’s really bright and it’s kind of uncomfortable-feeling. That’s not what you want in your home. So, by layering soft lighting and by being very strategic, that’s how you can create, like, a whole mood

TOP: A chandelier brings artistic charm, as well as lighting, into a home. ABOVE: Layered lighting is incorporated into this bathroom design. Natural, ambient and accent lighting are offered in the room. Photos provided by Regina Andrew Design

See LIGHTING on page 15A

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C & G NEWSPAPERS OAKLAND COUNTY SPECIAL EDITION • NOVEMBER 15, 2023

Women from page 5A

their personal life who works in that industry and I also think it’s just beneficial to have … women helping women through navigating that college to career transition.” Siegle said Walsh College has a proud history of educating women and in shaping the college in the institution it is today. She boasted that the school’s faculty and administrative staff is at least 50% women. “I look at business as a way to have contribution and impact in the world, and I think that as business has grown and become more global and more technologically savvy it’s more accessible and inclusive,” said Siegle. “I’ve always seen women be very successful in business … but there’s such an incredible power that we have to make an impact in the world and to change and to be in contribution for that, and I think there’s a heart and soul for that. So, I think it’s a beautiful thing when you see a woman saying, ‘Well, I stepped in to fill a need in business.’ … So I think there’s problems that we see in the world that we want to help solve that

maybe our unique and inclusive perspective can bring.” She said women can add a “rich” dimension to leadership roles. Women can make contributions, lead teams and making an impact in a way that brings great empathy, generosity and understanding, Siegle said. According to Siegle, companies that have more diversity in their staffing compete better in the global business place. Siegle said they are striving to get more women to take positions in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields, and Walsh is seeing an uptick in the number of women in STEM as they are growing their programs in cybersecurity and machine learning. Siegle said they are also looking to increase the number of women in entrepreneurship. Women contribute substantially to entrepreneurship in the United States, according to the National Women’s Business Council. According to the council’s 2022 annual report, the number of women-owned businesses increased significantly in recent years. In 2019 there were 5.7 million employer businesses where women accounted for 1.2 million or 20.9% of those businesses,

according to the NWBC report. “You pick up Entrepreneur Magazine and you see Sarah Blakely, and you see other celebrities who have started companies, and you think, ‘Wow, that’s so cool to see that they saw a need in the world that wasn’t being field and they brought a unique perspective,’” said Siegle. Walsh College is also looking at partnering with companies that have grant opportunities for minority- or women-owned businesses. Siegle said that she recently gave a presentation to the society of human resources professionals and noted that there were more

women than men there. She said it was probably about 70% women. “There’s a creativity and an innovation that women have because of the experiences they’ve had that anybody from a different population would bring. So it’s really nice to see women saying, ‘Hey, maybe there’s a better way to try this,’ or ‘Have you thought about it from this angle?’ and that brings such rich diversity of creativity, and I also think with jobs being so accessible to commuting and to hybrid work it’s probably opened up a lot of things that may have been limitations before,” said Siegle.

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Photo provided by Roxann Kesterson

Market from page 6A

Kesterson said she can carve anything in a coin, from the shape of Michigan to a replica of someone’s great grandmother’s handwriting from her old recipe notes to a portrait of your dog “Once they’re carved, I’ll make them into whatever you want, whether it’s a belt

buckle, money clip, bookmarks, keychains or just jewelry, which is the most popular way to do it,” she said. “They’re all done with just pocket change and a 6-inch hand saw. So I don’t use any lasers, no dyes, no stamps. It’s like painting, but with a hand saw on a penny.” The hours for Jingle & Mingle will be 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 18, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 19. For more information, visit undergroundferndale.com.

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The second annual Jingle & Mingle will be held Nov. 18-19 and feature the Ferndale Underground Holiday Market, located on the lower level of The dot parking structure, where vendors will sell a variety of items including Roxann Kesterson’s “love tokens.” Kesterson can carve a requested image, such as a pet’s picture, into a coin.

C & G NEWSPAPERS OAKLAND COUNTY SPECIAL EDITION • NOVEMBER 15, 2023

14A

Memorial

Mary Manoukian poses with her son’s friend, LaKeesha Morrison, who is credited with helping bring Nick Manoukian’s name to the city’s attention.

from page 1A

can learn about her son and his story. “It brings his name up again after 17 years and maybe people will read ‘Nicholas Manoukian,’” she said. When her son died, Mary Manoukian said, the feeling she felt was that she died as well but kept breathing. “At this stage in life, I thought I would be seeing him father his own children, teach them to play drums and draw and snowboard and be babysitting his kids and just watch him experience all the things he never had a chance to do,” she said. “So you grieve for them, but then you grieve for all the things they never had a chance to do, too, and Nick was 12 when his dad died. He went through a lot as a kid, but I’m sure they’re both up there smiling down saying, ‘It’s happening!’” On Oct. 21, 2006, Manoukian died in Ramadi, Iraq, along with two other men when the Humvee he was in was hit with an improvised explosive device. He was 22. For a name to be engraved on the Veterans War Memorial, the individual had to have either lived in Royal Oak or gone to school in the city for at least three years. Manuokian was from Lathrup Village.

Photo by Patricia O’Blenes

However, it was unknown to the city that he was a graduate of Kimball High School in 2003, one of the high schools that existed in the city before they were consolidated to become Royal Oak High School. “I think his name was just overlooked because he lived in Lathrup Village,” Community Engagement Specialist Judy Davids said. Manoukian’s name was rediscovered

thanks to his friend, LaKeesha Morrison. She had posted about him on Facebook two years ago on Memorial Day. The post was later found by the city. “There was a series of messages on one of the Royal Oak residents pages and I realized that not a lot of people knew Nick Manoukian’s story,” she said. “I posted his face — a picture of it — on the page along with, like, a short description of where he resided

and what school he went to and how he was a big impact in my life … and it just kind of snowballed from there where the city had reached out and was like, ‘We didn’t know of Nick. Now that we know, we would love to have him be a part of this memorial.’” Morrison had met Manoukian her freshman year at Kimball and they became good friends. Seeing her friend memorialized was a bittersweet feeling, as it was a long time coming, but Morrison said to see him be acknowledged was exciting. Morrison remembered her friend as someone who was super funny and who was able to make friends with everyone. “One thing that has impacted all of his friends and family is the hugs that he would give,” she said. “It would be bear-like hugs where he lifts you up off the ground and just squeezes on you. He’s a good friend.” It was during Manoukian’s time in high school that the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks occurred. Mary Manoukian said this made a big impact on her son and led to him enlisting in the Marines. “He really wanted to serve his country,” she said. “As his mom, I would rather he just pursued a different interest, but he said, ‘Someday I want to tell my children and grandchildren that I went to war to help protect them so the war didn’t come here.’”

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C & G NEWSPAPERS OAKLAND COUNTY SPECIAL EDITION • NOVEMBER 15, 2023

Lights from page 12A

when people come over or just for yourself throughout the winter and spring (when there is less daylight),” Kerfoot said. Pergeau-Dudgeon said it is important to know what temperature on the Kelvin scale you want your lightbulbs. The Kelvin scale measures how warm or cold the bulb appears. An orange color is generally around 2,500-2,700 on the Kelvin scale. A light source that is whiter is around a 3,000 to 3,500 Kelvin temperature. Sometimes people want to simulate true daylight, which a bulb that is 5,000 Kelvin is supposed to do, but the color temperature when you look at it is really blueish and not usually favored in the residential setting, she said. “You want to pay attention to creating a well-balanced lighting plan and noticing the color temperature of the lights that you would prefer and keeping it consistent throughout the house,” said Pergeau-Dudgeon. “You don’t want one lamp on one side of the room to be this 2,700 Kelvin and then you go over to the other side and it’s 5,000 Kelvin, so one looks blue and one

looks orange.” Well-designed lighting blends in naturally with the room design. “In my opinion, the best lighting plans are the ones where you never even think about the lighting. It’s just there,” said Pergeau-Dudgeon. Pergeau-Dudgeon said research shows that having a well-lit home is beneficial in preventing or coping with seasonal affective disorder. She said that many light fixtures now have settings to change the color of the LED bulbs according to the time of day. This is called tunable lighting, and PergeauDudgeon said it was a big deal at the ALA conference this year. She said that warm lighting helps to stimulate happier moods and conversations. She said another thing to consider is circadian rhythm. She said that, after 10 p.m., she has it on her phone that the light goes down to around 1,800 Kelvin, because you don’t want to be exposed to blue light sources, which are 3,000 and upward on the Kelvin scale, after around that time. People working at night would want to make sure they stay on an internal human clock and are only exposed to red light at night. “I think that having a softer light source in your home and creating a more

comfortable space is immediately going to put you at ease, and so when you’re comfortable, you’re going to be a lot less stressed out,” said Kerfoot. “I think that stress is a pretty big factor in mental health. I’m not a psychologist or a psychiatrist, but your general comfort level in your living space is super important to your overall stress level and general happiness.” “If you have really bright light sources, pretty much anything can be put on a dimmer, and that can help you with the various occupants, because some people might like it really bright in the room, others may not,” said Pergeau-Dudgeon. She said one of the biggest mistakes people make when lighting a room is to not use under-cabinet lighting. She said that it might save money to avoid the undercabinet lighting, but by failing to use it, an expensive backsplash will look dark and unattractive. Pergeau-Dudgeon said good task lighting in the bathroom is “critical.” “You want to make sure that when you have a full bath where you’re doing shaving, makeup, those kinds of hygienic activities, you want to make sure that you light your face or the occupant’s face from the side. You don’t want to do just a recessed light

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from above,” said Pergeau-Dudgeon. Pergeau-Dudgeon stressed the importance of picking out a fixture that is large enough for the space. She said it is common for people to pick something that is too small. Some lighting showrooms will allow you to bring a fixture home to make sure it fits the space properly, she said. Many fixtures are the focal points of rooms with dramatic and beautiful designs that almost feel “sculptural,” which is what Regina Andrew is known for, Kerfoot said. “It’s like you get two things for one purchase. It’s something beautiful that you can enjoy when the lights are off during the daytime and you can enjoy the daylight, but then once you turn it on in the evening, it just completely changes your space,” Kerfoot said. Pergeau-Dudgeon urges people to go to ALA-certified lighting showrooms. She said that by purchasing products from a lighting showroom, you will get betterquality lighting and have someone to help guide you through the process. Call Staff Writer Charity Meier at (586) 498-1092.

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C & G NEWSPAPERS OAKLAND COUNTY SPECIAL EDITION • NOVEMBER 15, 2023

16A

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