12/11/24 Woodward Talk by C & G Newspapers

MOONBEAMS

FOR SWEET DREAMS IS BACK/8A

Ferndale assistant city manager moves into interim role

BY MIKE KOURY mkoury@candgnews.com

FERNDALE — The city of Ferndale has appointed an interim city manager while it continues its search for a permanent replacement.

Ferndale has chosen Assistant City Manager James Krizan as its interim manager after the departure of Joe Gacioch, who has left for the city manager position in Royal Oak.

Krizan began his tenure in Ferndale earlier this year after arriving from Lincoln Park, where he had served as its city manager for four years.

“The responsibilities, of course, are broader and more organization-wide,” he said. “As assistant city manager, in the dayto-day I was directly responsible for overseeing the City Clerk’s Office, our zero waste systems manager and our special events director, and then filling in whenever Joe

See KRIZAN on page 10A

Local filmmakers make ‘MAD’ passion project into a reality

BY SARAH WRIGHT swright@candgnews.com

TROY/PLEASANT RIDGE — A documentary film made by some Michigan locals promises to give viewers insight into Mad Magazine’s history and its impact on the culture through its satirical influences.

The idea for this “When We Went MAD!” documentary came from its Director Alan Bernstein from Pleasant Ridge, who has been a fan of Mad Magazine since he was 7 years old. Bernstein said he was waiting for someone to make this film but decided to take on this challenge himself when no one else did.

“I’ve been interested in this since I was a kid and I’d have loved to write for MAD or make movies and I chose film making,” Bernstein said.

Mad Magazine is an American humor magazine that was started by Harvey Kurtzman and William Gaines in 1952. Much of its comedic content comes from poking fun at different aspects of pop culture and politics, and it would reach 2.5 million issue sales in the 1970s.

“For generations, MAD Magazine shaped and warped its readers’ senses of hu-

See MAD on page 7A

Alan Bernstein is the director of the “When We Went MAD!” documentary film.

Photo provided by Alan Bernstein

to downtown Ferndale Dec.

Santa heard from 4-year-old Jolene on what she wants for Christmas. With Jolene is her mom, Samantha; her father, Eric; and 18-month-old sibling Lenorah.

Santa visits Ferndale

RIGHT: Santa Claus welcomes the Turk family to Schiffer Park during a visit

LEFT: Members of the Ferndale Arts and Beautification Commission form an improvised choir of Christmas carolers. RIGHT: Noah Schusterbauer roasts a marshmallow with his 7-year-old daughter, Francie.

Photos by Liz Carnegie

Berkley foundation hands out thousands in grants to teachers

BY MIKE KOURY mkoury@candgnews.com

BERKLEY — Thousands of dollars were handed out to teachers and staff members of the Berkley School District in the form of grants this fall.

The grants given to the educators were innovation grants from the Berkley Education Foundation. The BEF annually hands out $15,000 for its grants, which go toward “project requests, special materials to enhance lessons and educational technology,” the district’s website states.

The Berkley Education Foundation recently handed out thousands of dollars in grants to teachers in the district to fund projects or enhance class lessons.

Photo provided by Berkley School District

LEFT: Olivia Parke and Josie Galster ride in the Berkley Community Church float.

BOTTOM RIGHT: A trumpet player marches down the street in the Berkley Holiday Lights Parade Dec. 7.

Photos by Donna Dalziel

ABOVE: A float by the Angell Dads Club in the Berkley Holiday Lights Parade carries a massive present.

RIGHT: Dancers with the Southfield A&T High School marching band perform a number in the Holiday Lights Parade.

Police make arrest in package-theft cases

BY MIKE KOURY mkoury@candgnews.com

BERKLEY — The Berkley Public Safety Department has arrested a 23-year-old Oak Park man who investigators believe has committed multiple thefts from porches.

Police arrested Dominic Johnson Dec. 4 after officers identified him as a potential suspect.

According to Detective Lt. Andrew Hadfield, a theft occurred on Nov. 27 in the 3800 block of Cummings Avenue, near Greenfield and West 12 Mile roads, where a man was seen on camera stealing a package containing a watch off a porch. A specific vehicle, a Dodge Charger, was seen leaving the area.

A week later, on Dec. 4, an off-duty detective from another police agency saw Johnson’s vehicle and thought it might match the same one from the Nov. 27 theft and made a call to Berkley to report it.

“Officers got in the area, saw him kind of sitting without a direct reason and ended up making a traffic stop on him for a traffic violation,” Hadfield said. “After that, they found he did not have a valid driver’s license. He was also in possession of a counterfeit license. So he was arrested, and during the impound of the vehicle, they found some of the stolen merchandise from the original Nov. 27 report.”

Police also discovered that Johnson allegedly stole a package that contained a knife set off a porch on the same day as his arrest, Dec. 4, in the 2100 block of Robina Avenue, north of 11 Mile Road.

“His vehicle matched the description from an incident the week prior,” Hadfield said. “And then, when we obtained (the)

CRIME WATCH

Man allegedly attempts bank fraud

BERKLEY — A 44-year-old Oak Park man was arrested for identity theft, fraud and possession of cocaine at 4:50 p.m. Nov. 27 in the 28000 block of Woodward Avenue.

According to the report, police were called to Credit Union One for a potential fraud. Authorities were told the suspect was attempting to withdraw money from a member’s account. Bank personnel were able to coerce the suspect into the bank to com-

other Ring video, he was wearing the same outfit driving the same car, and then later admitted to committing those thefts.”

Johnson has been charged with two counts of larceny stemming from his alleged Berkley thefts, though police said he is being interviewed for his possible involvement in similar crimes in the metro area. He also was charged with driving on a suspended license and possession of fraudulent identification.

The 44th District Court did not list an attorney for Johnson at press time. Johnson requested a court-appointed attorney.

The Berkley Public Safety Department also advised residents to take precautions to keep packages safe from thefts, such as having them shipped to a workplace or to a trusted family member or friend, to opt for delivery options that require a signature, to schedule a delivery for a time when someone is home or to choose an in-store pickup to ensure the items are secure.

“We’re up to about 10 (package thefts) in the last week that we’ve had reported to us,” Hadfield said. “Obviously, (we’re) just trying to curb that a little bit with some proactive measures and trying to get the word out to residents about careful shipping practices.”

Police stated that if people notice suspicious activity such as vehicles following delivery trucks, they should report it to the department at (248) 658-3380.

Call Staff Writer Mike Koury at (586) 498-1077.

plete the transaction.

Officers entered the bank and asked the man for an identification, to which he presented a fraudulent Michigan driver’s license. When the man was told that the bank had informed the officers that he was attempting to take money out of an account that wasn’t his, he offered to surrender to police. Another bank in Detroit informed police that the suspect had attempted the same fraudulent activity there as well, trying to withdraw $8,000.

The suspect’s vehicle was impounded and, during a search, police reportedly found a dollar bill that had a white powdery substance believed to be cocaine on it.

— Mike Koury

Johnson

NEWS & NOTES

ROBOTICS TEAM TAKES HOME AWARDS

FERNDALE — Ferndale Middle School’s robotics team picked up a win at the Royal Oak FIRST Tech Challenge qualifier.

The competition was held Nov. 9. The squad, named the Giggle Pickles, competed against 36 teams from southeast Michigan, according to a news release. The team is composed of sixth to eighth graders who design, program and drive their robot in the timed head-to-head competitions.

With the win, the team competed in the Michigan FTC State Championship-SE at Macomb Community College Dec. 7-8, where it took home a number of awards including Winning Alliance, Marie Curie Division Winning Alliance and the Compass Award for Nick Kokotovich.

STUDENTS HONORED

BERKLEY — Three Berkley High School students were honored by the Royal Oak Optimist Club.

The three students, Hannah Collins, Hannah Fairman and Lucia TesolinPietraszewski, were recognized at the annual Optimist Club Youth Appreciation Breakfast Nov. 20.

According to a news release, the students were nominated by their counselors for their “innate positivity and kindness.”

For more information about the Optimist Club, visit royaloakoptimists.org.

CHRISTMAS CONCERT

FERNDALE — The Ferndale Community Concert Band will be hosting a free show at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15, at Ferndale High School, 881 Pinecrest Drive.

The band’s show, titled “Hometown Holiday Concert” will feature musical pieces such as “Prelude and Fugue in D Minor” by J.S. Bach and “Adoration” by Florence B. Price. The program also will have “A Hanukkah Festival,” an arrangement of traditional Hanukkah music; and the “Christmas March,” a band arrangement of Christmas songs by Edwin Franko Goldman.

The M-1 Jazz Collective will start the concert at 3 p.m., and the show will have baked goods available for purchase. For more information, visit fcconcertband.org.

Ringwald performs Christmas show

FERNDALE — The next production of The Ringwald Theatre kicked off last week and will run up to a few days before Christmas. The theater’s production of “The E(X-Mas)ist” began Dec. 6 and will run until Dec. 22. The show is a holiday retelling and parody of “The Exorcist.” Tickets to the show cost $25 for Friday to Sunday performances and $15 for Monday performances. Friday, Saturday and Monday shows begin at 8 p.m. and Sunday shows begin at 3 p.m. The Ringwald Theatre is located inside the Affirmations Community Center, 290 W. Nine Mile Road. For tickets and more information, visit theringwald.com.

SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN

NORTH POLE

— The North American Aerospace Defense Command will again track Santa Claus on Christmas Eve Dec. 24. The program, based in Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado, is in its 69th year. NORAD monitors and defends North American airspace 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. On Dec. 24, NORAD takes on an additional mission of tracking Santa Claus as he makes his way across the globe. The NORAD Tracks Santa website, noradsanta. org, launched on Dec. 1. It features Santa’s North Pole Village, a holiday countdown, games, a movie theater, holiday music, web store and more. The website is available in nine languages: English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Chinese and Korean. Children awaiting Santa can count the days on mobile devices with the official NORAD Tracks Santa app, via social media and on Amazon Alexa, SiriusXM, and OnStar.

Photo provided by the Ringwald Theatre

HOMES

6A/DECEMBER 11,

WOODWARD TALK

WHEN SHOPPING AT HOME, BE ALERT FOR GRINCHES TRYING TO STEAL GIFTS AND INFO

BY MIKE KOURY mkoury@candgnews.com

METRO DETROIT — The holiday season, while very much a joyous time of year, also is a time when criminals try to take advantage of others.

As many people will look to be charitable or purchase Christmas gifts for loved ones, a local bank and local police departments are offering advice to avoid package thefts and fraud.

Brian Dowgiallo, vice president of risk management at Genisys Credit Union, said the holidays tend to be their busiest time, as reports of fraud usually ramp up.

According to the banking institution, financial fraud can come in a variety of forms including identity theft, phone call and text scams, phishing scams, and fraudulent investment schemes.

People should be wary of unsolicited emails, phone calls or text messages requesting personal or financial information. They should also verify the legitimacy of any organization or person before making financial transactions.

Dowgiallo has been aware of scammers who use Facebook groups or community pages to take advantage of others looking for deals.

Detective Lt. James Breuckman, of the St. Clair Shores Police Department, has seen this too, specifically with people trying to buy Detroit Lions tickets.

“People trying to buy tickets and it’s somebody’s Facebook account that’s been hacked, and then the hacked Facebook account is saying they got four tickets for sale or six tickets for $1,000 or $1,200,” he said. “They don’t find out until after they’ve already paid.”

Breuckman said common scams his office has been seeing target older people by stating that they owe money to the Internal Revenue Service. The scam artists convince their victims to pay through bitcoin or financial cards so they can’t be traced.

Breuckman also said there have been issues with people stealing delivery packages.

iPhone products and different stuff like that, and people are pretty soon

“People somehow or some way, they’re finding out deliveries of iPhone products and different stuff like that, and people are pretty much waiting to come steal them off the porch as soon as they get delivered,” he said. “They know where they’re going somehow or another. That’s been a scam in the last, like, two weeks that’s been going on.”

On the subject of package delivery, Ferndale Police Chief Dennis Emmi said people should take measures to make sure that porch pirates don’t have easy access to the delivered goods. He suggested networking with neighbors or installing doorbell cameras and other security cameras to help, or having packages delivered to one’s place of work.

pirates don’t have easy access to the delivered goods. He suggested one’s yourself

“There’s a lot of things you can do as we enter the holiday season, but if you do find yourself a victim of package theft or the victim of a porch pirate, make sure you report it to the police department so we can follow up on it,” he said. “There may be an opportunity for us to actually catch the offenders, because they’re not just doing it to one person, they’re doing it to several. So it’ll help us track these incidents and maybe help us build a case and hopefully lead to an arrest.”

person, they’re doing it to several. So it’ll help us track these incidents

Emmi said fraudulent charities can pop up during the holiday truly

Emmi said fraudulent charities can pop up during the holiday to take advantage of people in the giving spirit.

“Just make sure that you vet the source,” he said. “If someone is reaching out to you, this could be a flag. I would be the one to initiate it if you do truly want to donate to a worthy cause. As a donor, I would initiate that contact and not go with a blind text or blind email. A lot of these emails, they look very similar to the official email of a charity, and they can be just a little bit off and you’re donating to a scam or a criminal.”

of a charity, and they can be just a little bit off and you’re donating to

Dowgiallo also has seen scams where people have received calls

Dowgiallo also has seen scams where people have received calls from a number that showed it was a bank or credit union calling, but then the callers use scare tactics to get personal information.

“The member thinks that they’re talking to the credit union, and they think it’s a trusted source, and they start giving away all the information, and then just giving it to the scammer,” he said. “That turns into the scammer going in and taking over an account through

“The member thinks that they’re talking to the credit union,

Local shops evaluate success during holiday season

BY MIKE KOURY mkoury@candgnews.com

FERNDALE/BERKLEY — The holiday season is in full gear and local businesses continue to supply shoppers with gifts for their loved ones.

The success of the holiday shopping season can vary with each business, but local shops are finding for themselves that a good deal of customers are visiting their locations.

Gianna Gaizi runs her shop, Little Red Knits, out of The Rust Belt Market in Ferndale. She’s been operating her business, which sells crocheted and knitted items, for several years, but quit her other job to go full time with Little Red Knits.

So far, Gaizi believes her business has been doing well this shopping season.

“I feel like the last couple years have been a little bit slower than previous years, but there’s always an ebb and flow when you’re talking about retail,” she said. “We’re definitely starting to pick up because the holidays are getting closer.”

April McCrumb, of Catching Fireflies in Berkley, concurs, saying that business has been a little “softer” this year, but she believes that’s due to a late Thanksgiving date.

MAD

from page 1A

mor and their very outlook on the world around them. From the McCarthy hearings and the Cold War to Taylor Swift and social media, MAD Magazine was there to poke fun at all of it,” said a press release from the “When We Went MAD!” team.

In 2019, the magazine would cease to publish new content, though previous editions can be mailed to subscribers or found at comic book shops.

For this film, Bernstein, documentary editor Erich Wiemer and cinematographer Scott West have been working with former magazine staff members and celebrity guests for around 16 years to tell a compelling story about Mad Magazine’s history and impact. Through a Kickstarter, the filmmakers were able to raise $40,000-$50,000 for the project.

“We’re not trying to make a History channel piece,” said Wiemer, who is from Troy. “We want to look at Mad from a satirical standpoint of how the culture feels about presidents and hippies, and make sure people know about the cultural impact that led to its demise by making (‘Saturday Night

“You always use Thanksgiving as a marker that’s thinking about, ‘OK, I got to get stuff done.’ So I have a feeling it’s going to be, like, a higher surge as we get closer to Christmas too, because people are almost like, ‘Oh my gosh, I have two weeks left to do that,’” she said. “Still, business has been good. I have no complaints, but a little softer than last year.”

How to rate one’s success can be difficult to measure. McCrumb said you always can refer back to the previous year’s numbers, but ultimately you’re riding the wave of the current economy.

“You can do all the marketing and collect the most clever products and have the most festive events, but you’re still ultimately surfing the wave of what people’s mindsets are and how much money they want to spend,” she said.

As this is her first year operating a fulltime business, Gaizi said things are a little different in terms of how she evaluates sales and success this season.

“Things look a little bit different as far as just being a holiday seasonal person. So that just kind of comes with different numbers for me,” she said. “I don’t really have anything else. I don’t have, like, a prior year,

Live’) or ‘The Simpsons.’”

The film initially started with interviews from the Mad staff. Through the connections of production company Chassy Media, the film was able to include interviews with well-known names like Quentin Tarantino, Judd Apatow, Bryan Cranston, Gilbert Gottfried, Howie Mandel, and Weird Al Yankovic.

“We interviewed Weird Al at the Cherry Festival in Traverse City before his performance,” Wiemer said. “We were brought into the makeup trailer and hung out for 45 minutes to an hour. We’re all Weird Al fans.”

The film had its world premiere in New York in October and recently held a Midwest premiere at the Redford Theatre in Detroit in November. “When We Went MAD” will likely have another premiere in Los Angeles in the near future, and the filmmakers are currently exploring streaming service options with Amazon Prime and Apple.

“We hope to expand to other screenings,” Bernstein said. “We’re looking at film festivals and figuring out what our distributor will let us do.”

For more information, visit the “When We Went MAD” Facebook page or www. whenwewentmad.com.

full year to compare it to. So this year, I’m comparing month-to-month now that we’re in the holidays, but because I am a full-time vendor, people know that they can find me there all the time. So the pressure to buy now because I’m temporary isn’t there. So it’s kind of just different.”

Both businesses also operate online as well. McCrumb noted that while she had high sales during the COVID-19 pandemic, they went back down to a base level in the years since.

McCrumb believes that online shopping is useful to help find products a cus-

tomer is interested in, but a lot of customers still come into the store to ask questions in person and make purchases.

“Downtown shopping is not dead yet,” she said. “People still want to come to stores and have that experience and have the back and forth and talk to our sales gals to get more suggestions. … So that’s a huge bonus for a lot of people that come in our shop as well, especially those guys that come in at the 12th hour the day before Christmas Eve.”

Call Staff Writer Mike Koury at (586) 498-1077.

Moonbeams for Sweet Dreams back for its sixth season

BY TAYLOR CHRISTENSEN tchristensen@candgnews.com

ROYAL OAK — It’s that time of year again to light up the windows of the young patients of Corewell Health and spread the love as the holiday tradition Moonbeams for Sweet Dreams begins for its sixth year.

Moonbeams for Sweet Dreams is an event dedicated to the children in the hospital during the holiday season and lights up their nights Dec. 9-23. The event is located at Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital at 3601 W. 13 Mile Road in Royal Oak.

For 10 minutes each night, starting at 8 p.m., people of all ages use flashlights to beam up light to the windows of the pediatric unit. Patients inside the hospital return the glow with flashlights of their own.

Lighting up the windows of the most vulnerable patients in the hospital gives them the joy and excitement of connecting with the community, which is a normal part of the holiday season for most.

“It’s such a simple thing that’s happening, but you can kind of see the impact it has on our patients and families just in that they’re stuck in a hospital or stuck in the building during what is kind of the busiest hustle and bustle time of the year,” Amanda Lefkof, one of the leaders of the Moonbeams initiative, said.

Lefkof participates in the event almost every night. She said that when the patients look outside to see the people there to support them and be there for them, the reactions are “incredible.”

“It really, really makes a huge impact on them just to feel like you’re still connected and still considered,” Lefkof said. “It means a lot for them to feel like they are still thought about in a time when it can feel really isolating and lonely to be stuck in the hospital.”

Moonbeams for Sweet Dreams has been a tradition since 2017 and was started by nurses and child life specialists at Corewell Health Children’s in Southeast Michigan.

ABOVE: For 10 minutes each night starting at 8 p.m Dec. 9-23, people of all ages can use flashlights to beam up light to the windows of the pediatric unit at Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital. Patients inside the hospital return the glow with flashlights of their own.

LEFT: Participants shine flashlights into the windows of the pediatric unit as part of Moonbeams for Sweet Dreams.

Lefkof said that the goal was to create a simple gesture that is accessible and meaningful to everyone involved.

“We’re asking people to travel and to come and stand outside at night in Michigan in December, you know,” she said. “It’s really about just something powerful and for our families that are in the hospital.”

On Dec. 8, Corwell held a sensory friendly night dedicated to families who have loved ones with special needs.

The sensory friendly night on Dec. 8 provided a support table with stress balls, fidget toys, ear plugs and colored paper to cover flashlights with.

“Moonbeams aren’t just about flashing lights and booming sounds. It’s about creating connections,” said Kathleen Grobbel, Moonbeams co-leader and manager of the Child Life program at Corewell Health Children’s. “If we can make small changes to accommodate members of our community who might not otherwise be able to participate, as caregivers, it just makes sense for us to do so. This part of our community has so much to offer.”

The program also welcomes donations of new, specified toys from the Beaumont Child Life Wish List at amazon.com. Items can be delivered via Amazon or in person at the event. There is a drop box located inside the Medical Office Building.

Attendees are asked to arrive by 7:45 p.m. to leave time for parking. Participants gather on the sidewalk near the Medical Office Building located across from the East entrance; wayfinding signs are posted around campus.

Parking is available in the small parking lot across from the North parking deck, and just east of the Medical Office Building campus. Additional parking is also available near the Coolidge Highway entrance and at the Neuroscience Center.

Participants are not allowed to bring laser pointers or drones to the event and are instructed to only use the restrooms located in the Medical Office Building, according to the press release. It also says do not attend if experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, cold or flu. For more information, visit beau mont.org/moonbeams.

Photo provided by Corewell Health

File photo by Patricia O’Blenes

Shopping

from page 6A

an online account takeover, or they’ll just end up giving their debit card information and then they just start making a fake debit card or they potentially could try to use an Apple wallet or Android wallet to create a card on their phone. And then they start using their card and money without their knowledge.”

Dowgiallo’s biggest recommendation is that people set up alerts with their financial institution to notify them if someone is logging into their account or if there is a transaction with their card.

“If you have those alerts, and you’re a little bit more on top of your account, you’re going to quickly know when something’s not right,” he said. “Have those alerts in place so that when you feel confident or you think that maybe you clicked on something that you weren’t sure of, that you’re at least in the know on your accounts at all times.”

“No financial institution, including Genisys, will ever ask for your personal information,” he added. “They have that information, but we try to educate our members all the time. You know, you send these one-time codes, and it’ll say do not give this out, and Genisys would never ask for this information,

but even if you think it’s a trusted source, just know that they shouldn’t be asking for that. They should have that information and to never give it out to anybody.”

Breuckman stated people need to be diligent and double check what they think they know.

“Don’t just immediately trust everybody,” he said. “You have to actually do your own diligence and figure out if you feel like something isn’t right, it probably isn’t. Never be ashamed to actually ask another person if they think it’s OK or not before you buy something.”

Emmi stated that many of these crimes go unreported, and that’s the message he wants to send people: They need to report to police when these thefts or frauds occur. Many of the culprits reside outside the United States.

“So they originate from outside the country or from another side of the country, and really it’s near impossible to track down the suspects in a lot of these cases, but if you report it, at least we can share the means in which they are committing their crimes, and maybe we could … through (public service announcements), we can inform the residents to what to look for going forward,” he said.

Krizan

would be out for an extended time. But now as the interim, I’m directly responsible for overseeing all the department heads, coordinating with the council to help implement their goals at a time when we’ve got a lot going on.”

Though he’s been in the city less than a year, Krizan feels he’s acclimated to Ferndale pretty well and has had many opportunities to engage with the community on a number of initiatives.

“Over the last year, I have had an amazing opportunity to work with some of the best department heads around and to engage with residents throughout the Headlee campaign, when we did a lot of community events to try and engage with residents and talk about what Headlee is and why we need to do this, as we went through the Martin Road (Park) facility community engagement, we had an excellent opportunity there to engage with residents. … So I feel really good about the fit here, and I really love working for this community and I’m totally committed to it.”

Mayor Raylon Leaks-May stated she was able to have a one-on-one conversation with Krizan before the City Council decided to select him, as she wanted to find out exactly if Krizan felt he was capable of doing this role in addition to everything that he’d already been taking on.

“I know that the council was concerned that even if he perhaps wanted to even go up for the actual city manager position, we didn’t want to set him up for any type of failure being overwhelmed with all of the work that we had coming forward for the city, like our Headlee didn’t pass,” she said. “So we’re thinking about putting together a new initiative ballot proposal on the ballot for May. We have our budget season coming up

in March, April-ish, and we also have the union negotiations coming up. So there’s a lot that’s coming to the forefront for James. And talking with him, he assured me that he was up for the task (and) staff assured me that they were up to assisting him in this role.”

With issues like the Headlee and union negotiations coming up next year, Krizan said his No. 1 priority is helping the City Council on coming up with a proposal for a Headlee override vote in May. He also is prioritizing the upcoming budget season and collective bargaining.

“We’re going to be doing some more community engagement (on the Headlee), some public education, another town hall coming up here in a few weeks, and so I’ll be supporting a lot on that,” he said. “Collective bargaining, I wasn’t involved here until now, but I do have a history. I was the city manager in Lincoln Park for almost four years, and one of my major responsibilities was collective bargaining there.”

Leaks-May said Krizan already has stepped up in his new role as interim city manager

“He’s already set up one-on-ones with council (members),” she said. “I was concerned about that, because we have our monthly one-on-ones, me probably more so than just a one-on-one to get updates, and he’s already stepping into that role. We’re already planning another town hall to meet with residents to discuss what they’d like to see for a new Headlee proposal. He’s already setting those things up with me. So I’m seeing positive things moving forward. He’s already jumping into the role.”

Call Staff Writer Mike Koury at (586) 498-1077.

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James Krizan

The grants were handed out in October

Jessica Stilger, the BEF’s executive director and the district’s director of communications, said any staff member is eligible to apply for these grants. The fall grants have a maximum amount of $750 and the spring grants have a maximum of $500.

“A committee from the foundation gets together, reviews the grants, along with … the district’s teaching, learning and technology department,” she said. “We either issue the grants in full or in partial every year. Sometimes we find wonderful ideas from staff that we realize are good for all schools, and sometimes the district will pick up the request.”

Four grants were handed out to teachers at Anderson Middle School, five to teachers at Angell Elementary School, two to teachers at Berkley Building Blocks, five to teachers at Berkley High School, one to teachers at Burton Elementary School and one to a teacher at Rogers Elementary School.

A full list of grant winners can be found at berkleyschools.org.

“It’s really a lovely process,” Stilger said. “It’s really exciting to do it twice a year and it really allows our staff members to shine with their creativity, their innovation and really their ability to enhance our students’ experiences in the classroom.”

Heather Roesner and Briana Black, teachers at Anderson Middle School, were awarded two grants for two separate proj-

ects, including a life skills cooking class.

Roesner said the life skills class helps students with cooking, work and social skills. Every Friday, the teachers take students to different places in the community as part of the class, such as Elaine’s Bagels or the Royal Oak Public Library.

For this particular grant, the money will be used for the students to go to Crispelli’s Bakery and Pizzeria to learn how to make pizza and dessert.

“It’s an exciting opportunity and we’re with an expert chef who from start to finish shows us how to make the pizza,” she said.

“Our students, a lot of times the basic life skills, cooking, work skills, being able to read a recipe, sometimes that doesn’t come naturally and it needs to be taught in a small setting with a specialized teacher, like a chef,” Roesner continued. “They’re going to get out of it not only how to make a pizza, but even how to order at a restaurant, how to pay for their items when we’re in the community … kind of those social norms that we all take for granted or just adapt that they don’t always know to do on their own.”

Though there might be ways to fund class trips like this without the grant, Roesner wouldn’t want to put that responsibility on the students’ parents.

“Our parents were wonderful and I don’t think they would have an issue paying for this,” she said. “I just don’t want to have to have parents pay every Friday for this expense. So we could still do it, but I would fundraise if we didn’t have this grant.”

Call Staff Writer Mike Koury at (586) 498-1077.

Photo

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

12A/ WOODWARD TALK • DECEMBER 11, 2024

DEC. 11 & 18

Powerful Tools for Caregivers: Virtual workshop hosted by AgeWays, learn to communicate with family and healthcare providers, reduce stress, guilt, anger and depression, and make difficult decisions, 6-7:30 p.m., free but donations accepted, (833) 262-2200, wellnessprograms@ageways.org, tinyurl.com/ageways workshops

DEC. 12-15

‘Disney’s Beauty and the Beast’: Performance by Stagecrafters Main Stage, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 12-14 and 2 p.m. Dec. 15, Baldwin Theatre, 415 S. Lafayette in Royal Oak, stagecrafters.org

‘Present Laughter’: Performance by Birmingham Village Players, 8 p.m. Dec. 12-14 and 2 p.m. Dec. 15, 34660 Woodward Ave., birminghamvillageplayers.com

DEC. 15

Holiday concert: Presented by Ferndale Community Concert Band and M-1 Jazz Collective, also baked goods and holiday treats for sale, 3 p.m., Ferndale High School, 881 Pinecrest Drive, fcconcertband.org

DEC. 21

Winter Solstice Celebration: Includes crafts and activities focusing on light and dark, hear medieval Christmas carols and wassails, gaze into night sky

with observatory telescope, try seasonal snacks and specialty drinks, and more, 1-7 p.m. at Cranbrook Institute of Science and 1-5 p.m. at Cranbrook Art Museum, 39221 Woodward Ave. in Bloomfield Hills, also create lantern for evening parade at 6 p.m., science.cranbrook.edu

ONGOING

‘Collective Calamity’: Oil paintings by Detroit artists Laura Reed and Lindy Marshew, on display select dates and times through Dec. 27, Woods Gallery at Huntington Woods Public Library, 26415 Scotia Road, woodsgallery.org

‘Contemporary Ceramic Show’: Works on display noon-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays until Dec. 29, also Precious Gifts Holiday Market open noon-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays until Dec. 29, Articipate, 3833 12 Mile Road in Berkley, articipate.us/exhibitions

‘The E(Xmas)ist’: 8 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays and 3 p.m. Sundays until Dec. 22, Ringwald Theatre at Affirmations LGBTQIA+ Community Center, 290 W. Nine Mile Road in Ferndale, theringwald.com

Encore Men’s Chorus: Meets 7-9 p.m. Wednesdays, Zion Lutheran Church, 143 Albany St. in Ferndale, holiday concert scheduled for Dec. 14, facebook.com/ encoremenschorus, info@encoremenschorus.org

To view more Community Calendar and to submit your own, use the QR code or visit candgnews.com/calendar. To advertise an event, call (586) 498-8000.

Birmingham & Ferndale Stamp Club: Meets 6-8 p.m. every first and third Tuesday of month, fellowship at 5:30 p.m., NEXT Senior Center, 2121 Midvale St. in Birmingham, birminghamstamp.club

Ferndale Senior Group: Meets 11 a.m. every second and fourth Wednesday of month, Hazel Park Community Center, 620 W. Woodward Heights, (248) 506-7389

Monthly book clubs: Find meetups for kids, science fiction, graphic novels and more, virtual and in person, Ferndale Area District Library, 222 E. Nine Mile Road, also groups which meet off site, see full list at fadl.org/upcoming-events

• Meets 3 p.m. every second Saturday, Roseland Cemetery, 29001 N. Woodward Ave. in Berkley, roselandparkmi.com, (248) 541-1154 (ext. 2520)

Farmers markets: 7 a.m.-1 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, also antiques and collectibles 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Sundays, 316 E. 11 Mile Road in Royal Oak, (248) 246-3276, more on Facebook

Wild Lights: Millions of lights,500-plus displays, interactive wishing tree, seasonal drinks, food and treats, warming stations with live entertainment, and more, select dates and times until Jan. 5, Detroit

Zoo, 8450 W. 10 Mile Road in Royal Oak, dzoo.org/ wildlights

Royal Oak Holidays Horse & Wagon Rides: 5-9 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays until Dec. 21, pick up/drop off on Third Street across from Lockharts BBQ, romi.gov

Ice skating: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sundays, noon-9 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, noon-11 p.m. Fridays and 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturdays until Dec. 31, then new hours in 2025, The Rink at Royal Oak in Centennial Commons, 221 E. Third St., therinkatroyaloak.com

Santa visits: 5-7 p.m. Fridays and noon-4 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays until Dec. 22, Centennial Commons, 221 E. Third St. in Royal Oak, romi.gov

Deck the Halls with Ologies!: Exhibits and interactive workshops focus on entomology, microbiology, paleontology, geology, anthropology, biology, cosmology, zoology and more, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. (noon-3 p.m. Sundays) Dec. 26-29 and Jan. 2-5, Cranbrook Institute of Science, 39221 Woodward Ave. in Bloomfield Hills, science.cranbrook.edu

Health workshops: For ovarian cancer support, diabetes prevention, nutrition education and more, hosted by Corewell Health, free and virtual, beaumonthealth. digitalsignup.com

December 11, 2024 Woodward Talk

Vacation Property & Time Shares

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Three great online auctions, bidding open. Firearms, ammo, coins, currency, tools, flatscreen TV, watches, knives, fishing gear, collectibles, furniture, much more! To bid, see entire catalogs visit Bid. SherwoodAuctionServiceLLC.com. Questions? Call 1-800-835-0495.

BUILDINGS

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American Log Homes DEVELOPER LIQUIDATION SALE! Log Home kits selling for Balance Owed. Up to 50% of. Design plans can be modified! No time limit on delivery. Call 1-877-411-0998, M-F 9am–5pm ET.

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Mortgage Loan Officer

Job Description: This is a full-time on-site role for a Mortgage Loan Officer at Lit Financial located in Troy, MI. The Mortgage Loan Officer will be responsible for day-to-day tasks including loan origination, mortgage underwriting, providing exceptional customer service, and ensuring compliance with industry regulations. Key Responsibilities: Client Consultation, Application Processing, Product Knowledge, Compliance, Relationship Building, and Pipeline Management. For more information go to linkedin. com/company/lit-financial/

Adjustable Bed Brand New with mattress. Made in U.S.A, in plastic, with warranty. Retail Cost 0156-2450

Published: December 11, 2024

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