Happy holidays from C & G Newspapers
MADISON
Madison Heights seeks police reaccreditation
BY ANDY KOZLOWSKI akozlowski@candgnews.com
— Three years ago, the Madison Heights Police Department applied for accreditation through the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police. It’s an elite status based on how well an agency meets more than 100 nationally recognized standards and best practices, as set forth by the Michigan Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission.
The department, under the direction of its previous chief, Corey Haines, was ultimately successful in that endeavor. Now, under Haines’ successor Brent LeMerise, the Madison Heights Police Department is working to reaffirm the coveted status.
“Accreditation could certainly help with things like grant applications for the police department,” said Madison Heights City Councilman David Soltis. “I think all of the officers at the MHPD do a fantastic job and work very hard. They’re dedicated to improving our community, so whatever we can do to help them, including the accreditation process, we’ll do on City Council.”
The police chief said the application process is very involved.
“Unlike the initial accreditation process, reaccreditation is proving (Madison Heights police) follow the best practices for an entire three-year cycle,” LeMerise said via email. “It’s more difficult to gather and maintain three years’ worth of proofs
See POLICE on page 6A
Laura Shultz, a teacher at Wilkinson Middle School, shows off “Spike,” the lake sturgeon she and her students are raising for release into the wild.
The effort is part of a program through the state that aims to restore the endangered species.
Photo by Patricia O’Blenes
Wilkinson students raise endangered fish, learn conservation
BY ANDY KOZLOWSKI akozlowski@candgnews.com
MADISON HEIGHTS — The lake sturgeon is among the oldest and largest native species of fish in the Great Lakes — living up to 150 years, reaching lengths of more than 6 feet, and weighing more than
200 pounds when fully grown. They’re also nearly extinct, leading to efforts to raise them in captivity so they can once again thrive in Michigan’s waters.
A juvenile specimen is currently being raised in the classroom of Laura Shultz, a teacher at Wilkinson Middle School in the
See STURGEON on page 4A
HEIGHTS
Moonbeams for Sweet Dreams back for 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
Children’s book pays tribute to Madison Heights author’s late niece
BY ANDY KOZLOWSKI akozlowski@candgnews.com
MADISON HEIGHTS — A former elementary school teacher, Darlene Grablowski has long been fascinated by children’s books and their ability to captivate young minds.
Now, the Madison Heights resident has written one herself — a tale inspired by the life of her niece who died young
but left an impression on all who met her.
“Molly Visits Grandma,” authored by Grablowski and illustrated by Pennsylvania-based artist Leslie Jones, follows the eponymous 5-year-old as she visits her grandmother’s farm. The book was released earlier this fall through KWE Publishing.
“My own great-grandmother lived in the village of Ubly,
of
up a
Darlene Grablowski,
Madison Heights, holds
copy of her new book “Molly Visits Grandma” during the Authors Fair at the Troy Community Center Nov. 16. The book is inspired both by her own experiences visiting family on a farm, as well as the life of her late niece.
Photo provided by arlene Grablowski
Moonbeams for Sweet Dreams is a nightly event from Dec. 9 to Dec. 23 at Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital at 3601 W. 13 Mile Road in Royal Oak. Thousands of people participate in the event each year. File photo by Patricia O’Blenes
from page 1A
Madison District Public Schools.
“The sturgeon has been around since the time of the dinosaurs. It pretty much is a dinosaur,” Shultz said. “And my students can see it up close and personal.”
Shultz has partnered with a nonprofit called St. Clair Detroit River Sturgeon for Tomorrow, which aims to protect the species within the Huron-Erie Corridor.
The nonprofit, in turn, administers a program called “Sturgeon in the Classroom” through the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, which supplies the fish and a permit to handle them.
Shultz received hers earlier in the fall. She feeds it, cleans its tank, and measures its growth on a regular basis. Sometimes she is helped by her students. As part of the arrangement, she also keeps the DNR updated with coordinates of the fish’s location.
The fish is currently about 7 months old — still too young to know its gender. A schoolwide survey led to it being named “Spike,” although Shultz quietly prefers the name “Bubbles.”
“Sturgeon are weird-looking fish, so my students were like, ‘Ew, what is that thing?’ And I said, ‘Hey, don’t talk about my baby like that!’ They felt bad when I teased them,” Shultz said. “But it’s really cute how they’ve come around. Now they ask to see the fish and ask how it’s doing.”
In the spring, Spike will be ready for release into the wild on a field trip to Belle Isle. It will be tagged with a chip that will help identify it if it’s recaptured.
The waters of Michigan were once teeming with lake sturgeon, which contrary to its name also appear in rivers. Prior to the 1800s, they were so common that they were a nuisance to fishermen, causing damage to fishing nets. But then they became valued for their flesh, eggs and organs, leading to
While the fish is small now, a fully grown lake sturgeon can exceed 6 feet in length and weigh more than 200 pounds, and some have been known to live up to 150 years. The fish, once common in the Great Lakes, is all but extinct due to overfishing and habitat degradation.
Photo by Patricia O’Blenes
overharvesting that decimated stocks by the early 1900s.
Their numbers continue to dwindle due to habitat degradation caused by logging and other forms of industry. Dam construction hindered access to spawning sites, putting the sturgeon on the path to extinction. But in recent decades, rehabilitation has become a priority, and efforts have been made to rebuild the sturgeon population.
Shultz first learned of the concept through a similar effort aimed at the arctic grayling — another species native to Michigan that has disappeared from the Great Lakes.
When her son was in elementary school several years ago, he raised money for an effort to reintroduce arctic graylings to Michigan. Through this, Shultz formed
connections that fast tracked the approval of her application for the sturgeon program.
Now, her class at Wilkinson is one of a dozen in Southeast Michigan to be raising a specimen. Shultz has made presentations about it for each of the science classes at Wilkinson. It also led to the formation of the Environmental Club, where students from all grades meet up during lunch to discuss the impact of human activity on the Earth and what they can do to help. The sturgeon has already served as a catalyst for talks about watershed health, ethical fishing and more.
Recently, Shultz challenged her club members to think of their own “passion projects” related to the environment. Maybe a student is concerned about pollution in the ocean, for example, or the survival of monarch butterflies. Shultz will then work with them on action plans such as fundraisers and public awareness campaigns.
“I want them to feel inspired, and to know that they can make a difference,” Shultz said.
Asenath Jones-Richmond, the principal at Wilkinson Middle School, said she is astonished by how Shultz’s sturgeon project has grown into something so much more.
“When she first got approved for the
fish, she came to me and said this was something we could do, and I told her she had our full support. Everyone was on board,” JonesRichmond said. “We’re just flabbergasted with the knowledge we’re gaining. And the children simply love it. It’s just been a very impactful thing for our students, caring for the fish and checking in on it. It builds up their socio-emotional learning. And living in Michigan surrounded by all this water, it’s the best place, geographically, to learn about something like this, and to understand the natural habitat of the fish.”
She said the projects being discussed in the Environmental Club could also spark an interest in the students that will lead to lifelong pursuits — even careers.
“Through this conservation effort in the club, they’re talking about things like recycling the paper they use every day, or the dangers of global warming and what they can do to save the world. And we really hope that we’re growing careers through this effort,” Jones-Richmond said. “These kids could become future scientists who discover ways to preserve the environment. They could become biologists and zoologists protecting species. All these things make for such a wonderful opportunity, and it all stemmed from this one fish.”
Police
from page 1A
versus one year. Accreditation is a perpetual process that truly never ends. It’s an ongoing audit of our department to ensure our compliance with state standards.”
Madison Heights Police Lt. Jordan Rieck has been named the accreditation manager.
“He has handled the project with great enthusiasm,” LeMerise said. “It takes a person with high energy and an eye for detail to run a project of this magnitude. Lt. Rieck is the right person.”
The process is exhaustively thorough, involving assessors who inspect the department and interview employees and community members, and seek public commentary,
Moonbeams
from page 3A
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.
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.
to gather feedback.
Every aspect of police work is considered: fiscal control, recordkeeping, public transparency, media relations, field training, weapons handling, criminal investigations, crime scene processing, search and seizure, arrests and use of force, traffic safety and enforcement, avoiding bias and more.
“There have been standards that have evolved or changed since our initial accreditation,” LeMerise said. “For instance, special event planning. The new standard provides clear safety and security guidelines for police operations during special events.”
As part of the accreditation process, Madison Heights Mayor Roslyn Grafstein was interviewed by assessors earlier this month. She said in an email that she highlighted the department’s efforts in recent
“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 beaumont.org/moonbeams.
Call Staff Writer Taylor Christensen at (586) 498-1081.
years to significantly expand its community outreach.
“In the summer, (the Madison Heights police) again collaborated with neighboring cities to showcase the K-9 units, and in the fall, they hosted their second annual police versus fire department baseball game. The department has also partnered with the Lamphere Schools to share the cost of a resource officer’s salary and has budgeted for a second officer we’re hoping to share with the Madison Schools,” Grafstein said.
“The benefits of accreditation are farreaching,” she added. “It enhances accountability within the department, reduces liability exposure, and fosters community confidence in law enforcement. The process also ensures that our Police Department operates efficiently and remains responsive to
our community’s needs.”
Mark Bliss, the mayor pro tem, said the process is also a learning experience for the police, possibly introducing them to new practices that ultimately benefit residents.
“The focus is ensuring that our Police Department is operating at the highest standard possible. There’s no reason to hide when the job is being done right. It’s the same concept with accreditation. Our officers hold themselves to the highest standard, and this accreditation will be proof of that,” Bliss said. “It’s a breath of fresh air for our residents to know our police department is not only doing the right thing, but they’re willing to prove it by wearing body cameras and seeking accreditation.”
Call Staff Writer Andy Kozlowski at (586) 498-1046.
CRIME WATCH
Retail fraud
HAZEL PARK — According to a police report, at around 2:15 a.m. Dec. 10, Hazel Park police officers were dispatched to the CVS store at 33 W. Nine Mile Road on a report of retail fraud.
Upon arrival, the store manager stated he recognized a male subject who previously had tried to access nonpublic areas of the store. The suspect had been seen again Dec. 10, this time taking several food items off a
shelf and locking himself in the employee’s bathroom.
Officers located the suspect in the bathroom with some of the food items opened and in the trash can. The stolen items were valued at about $33.
The subject was arrested for retail fraud, booked and lodged. The suspect was also wanted on a Hazel Park warrant for failure to appear in court for a prior retail fraud charge.
If you know more about this crime or others, call Hazel Park Police at (248) 542-6161.
Fraud by conversion
MADISON HEIGHTS — According
to a police report, an unknown suspect asked for change and provided the victim with counterfeit money between 6:55 p.m. and 7 p.m. Dec. 8, at a business in the 1000 block of West 11 Mile Road.
Police were investigating.
Yard equipment stolen
MADISON HEIGHTS — According to a police report, an unknown suspect broke into a shed in the 1000 block of Ann Terrace and stole a lawnmower, snowblower and lights belonging to a Madison Heights resident, age 48, between 8 p.m. Dec. 7 and 12:41 p.m. Dec. 8.
An investigation was ongoing.
Skid steer recovered
MADISON HEIGHTS — According to a police report, an unknown suspect stole a skid-steer loader from a business in the 1000 block of West 12 Mile Road between 4 p.m. Dec. 4 and 2:18 p.m. Dec. 5.
The skid-steer was then recovered by Michigan State Police in Detroit later on Dec. 5.
Police were investigating. If you know more about these crimes or others, call Madison Heights police at (248) 585-2100.
— Andy Kozlowski
Up North. She had a farm with all kinds of animals running around — chickens, geese, ducks, cats, dogs. I grew up in Detroit and was very young back then, so it was a whole different world for me,” Grablowski said. “We’re Polish, and the women in our culture are very strong. My grandmother was so sturdy and strong-willed.”
The memory of that farm inspired the setting and scenario of the book. The heroine, however, was based not on Grablowski but on her niece, Melissa Lynn Kobe, who died at age 41 in 2021 while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in California. The cause of death: heatstroke from 115-degree weather.
While tragic, Grablowski said Kobe lived her life doing what she loved, right up to the end.
“To Melissa, life was an adventure. She loved people, and lived her life the way she wanted,” Grablowski said of her niece. “She was a great photographer, too. She loved taking pictures, and she saw everything around her as an adventure. That’s how I want Molly to live her life. And I hope it will inspire the reader, too.”
Kobe’s passing, and a desire to pay tribute to her, was the catalyst for Grablowski picking up the pen and writing “Molly Visits Grandma.” The story celebrates the strength of family bonds and evokes the sense of wonder experienced by kids.
She said a good children’s book has timeless appeal, resonating with both the young and young at heart. It should be an easy read, too, but that doesn’t mean writing it will be simple.
“When you’re working with children, you have to be precise. Every word counts. It has to be precise, fun, colorful. So, you just
write out your ideas at first — doesn’t matter what it sounds like — and then you edit it, continually, so you get it right where you want it,” Grablowski said. “It’s ultimately about structure. It’s certainly a process.”
That process began in 2021 not long after Kobe’s passing and began to pick up speed once Grablowski met Jones, the illustrator who lends the book its cozy, dreamlike aesthetic. Jones is best friends with the wife of Grablowski’s nephew, which is how Grablowski met her.
“It’s like it was meant to be,” Grablowski said. “Leslie calls me Aunt Dar — she’s just wonderful. She’s like a bright light — kind of like Melissa! And she got it right away what I wanted to do with this. She chose soft-colored pencils, because we wanted it to be soft and warm. It has a tactile quality.”
Jones, for her part, said she was quickly on board with the project. It called to mind her own childhood memories raking leaves with her grandfather, or her grandmother baking cookies and teaching her piano lessons.
“Aunt Dar has such a radiant, kind, sweet energy, and I thought that really shined through in her words,” Jones said. “I thought, ‘This is the sweetest children’s book I’ve ever heard!’ I really loved the book because it made me think of lovely, beautiful moments I had with my own grandmother.”
With her art, she strove to capture the comfy quality of being surrounded by loved ones.
“I just love when Molly meets the chickens, or when she and her grandmother are making cookies together and she says, ‘I’m a baker,’ and the grandma replies, ‘You are a baker!’ Just being someone who supports her dreams and loves her as a person,” Jones said. “I was just really excited to work on this project. It took time and love, but it was worth every second.”
Grablowski said that she’s already planning future installments. Possible ideas include Molly visiting a zoo and a museum — maybe even going camping.
“There are endless possibilities,” Grablowski said, before adding she hopes to work with Jones again on the next book. “It’s a solid partnership, for sure.”
The best part, she said, has been seeing the book in the hands of children, and their reaction to the story.
“I have a friend at work, and her great-
grandniece loves the book, and her greatgrandchildren love it, too. Even my greatniece, who’s 2 years old, loves it,” Grablowski said. “It just feels amazing. I’m just so happy that people are relating to it.”
“Molly Visits Grandma” is out now, available online just about everywhere that books are sold, including amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, walmart.com and more.
Call Staff Writer Andy Kozlowski at (586) 498-1046.
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
Notice is hereby given that the Planning Commission for the City of Madison Heights will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, January 21st, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers, 300 West Thirteen Mile Road, Madison Heights, Michigan 48071, to consider the following rezoning requests: Rezoning Request No. PRZN 24-02 by Jim Tottingham, 7 W. Square Lake Road on behalf of property owner Mridha Interfaith Center, to rezone one (1) parcel of land located at 1357 W. 14 Mile Road (TM# 44-25-02-101-056) from R-2, One-Family Residential, to B-3, Regional Business district.
The application and any supporting documents can be viewed during regular business hours at the Community and Economic Development Department. In addition, the agenda item can be viewed online after 4:00 p.m. on the Friday prior to the meeting at www.madison-heights.org in the Agenda Center.
For further information, please contact the Community and Economic Development Department at (248) 583-0831.
Cheryl Rottmann, CMC City Clerk (248) 583-0826
Published: Madison-Park News 12/18/2024
CITY OF MADISON HEIGHTS, OAKLAND COUNTY, MICHIGAN AMENDMENT TO THE CODE OF ORDINANCES
NOTICE OF ADOPTION:
0204-2451
Ordinance No. 2201 was adopted by City Council after the second reading at the City Council meeting of December 9th, 2024. Synopsis of said Ordinance is as follows: CITY OF MADISON HEIGHTS ORDINANCE NO. 2201
An Ordinance to amend Ordinance Number 2198, being an ordinance codifying and adopting a new Zoning Ordinance for the City of Madison Heights, by amending the Zoning Map contained within Appendix A. The Zoning Map shall be amended so that the zoning on the parcel at 32275 Stephenson Highway (PIN # 44-25-02-101-036) shall be changed from M-1, Light Industrial, to MUI-1, Mixed-Use Innovation 1.
Ordinance No. 2201 shall take effect seven (7) days after this notice of ordinance adoption is published. Effective date, December 25th, 2024. A full copy of the Ordinance is available on the City’s website at www.madison-heights.org.
Cheryl E. Rottmann,
MMC City Clerk (248) 583-0826
Published: Madison-Park News 12/18/2024
MADISON HEIGHTS READY FOR WINTER’S WORST
BY ANDY KOZLOWSKI akozlowski@candgnews.com
MADISON HEIGHTS — Officials with the Madison Heights Department of Public Services are forecasting colder, wetter weather this winter. They’re preparing accordingly.
“Our city prides itself on exceptional snow removal services,” said Mark Bliss, mayor pro tem of Madison Heights. “There’s often a tangible difference when you’re driving into Madison Heights from other communities. That’s because of the hard work of our DPS, and how they prioritize and plan to respond to these snow events.”
The winter of 2023-24 was relatively mild, with only 19 documented snow events and slightly more than 1,500 tons of salt used to keep the roads drivable. This was well below the five-year average of 2,400 tons, but it’s expected this season could see an uptick in ice and snow.
Heading into winter, the department has 4,170 tons of salt ready in the dome at 801 Ajax Drive. The city’s salt trucks are equipped with brine systems that wet the salt as it spreads, creating a stronger solution for deicing the roads. The city is currently looking into utilizing a service through the Oakland County Road Commission to purchase additional brine while researching the scheduled replacement of its own brine-making apparatus.
This year’s snow control fleet includes one 4-yard loader for loading salt, two 3-yard loaders and one 1-yard loader, which can be used for heavy snow cleanup. Five tandemaxle dump trucks serve as the front line for major road salting and plowing. A sixth tandem-axle truck is fitted for a plow, if extra help is needed.
There are also four single-axle dump trucks that can salt and plow as a backup for the others. Ten pickup trucks with plows,
three 1-ton dump trucks, and a couple smaller utility vehicles for sidewalk management round out the fleet.
No snow operations are contracted. Madison Heights handles it all in-house, with 18 full-time equipment operators, and two year-round part-time laborers.
“Winter road maintenance is a hard job, consisting of long hours in the cold, very often in the middle of the night, or on holidays,” Madison Heights DPS Director Sean Ballantine said in an email interview. “Madison Heights has a reputation for its high standard of snow removal, and our staff never fails to rise to the occasion. I’m privileged to have such a dedicated, highly qualified crew.”
He explained that snow events are initiated when the Madison Heights Police Department’s road patrol determines the conditions of the road are deteriorating, and contact dispatch for salt. Dispatchers then contact the DPS supervisor on call, who begins bringing in staff.
“Any time, day or night, if we get a request for road maintenance, we get a crew assembled,” Ballantine said.
The current protocol for a normal snow event splits the city into four routes. In each route, major roads such as John R, 13 Mile Road and Stephenson Highway are cleared first, reducing any snow and ice down to water. Next up are the bus routes and major connector roads within the subdivisions, with a second crew usually working on municipal parking lots and driveways so that paths remain clear for police, firefighters and paramedics. They then move onto the parks and sidewalks.
The mayor pro tem said that the order in which certain roads are plowed changes each time.
“While priority streets are done as quickly as possible for public safety reasons, the standard neighborhood roads are plowed on a rotating basis, so no single neighbor-
hood road will always be plowed first, nor will it always be last,” Bliss said. “It’s the fairest way to do it. Our DPS has their response to these emergencies down to a science, and often they’re already hitting their second pass of major roads before other communities even get up to their first pass.”
He attributed this efficiency both to the DPS wanting to do a good job, but also to the fact that a number of staff, including the director himself, live in the community.
“I think there’s an element at play where DPS members who live here have the advantage of knowing the streets and understanding the community well,” Bliss said.
News of snow events are spread through various media outlets. Ballantine recommends that residents sign up for NotifyMe and Nixle for the most up-to-date notices. Once a snow emergency is declared by the city, residents have six hours to move their vehicles off the roads so that crews can plow the streets curb to curb.
“The department’s response to snow emergencies is extremely efficient, and has only gotten more so over the years,” Bliss said. “They do a great job.”
For more information on the NotifyMe and Nixle alert services, visit madisonheights.org/878/alert-center.
At the Madison Heights Department of Public Services at 801 Ajax Drive, salt for deicing roads is stockpiled inside a massive dome. DPS officials anticipate a colder, wetter winter than last year. Major roads take top priority for salting and plowing. The order for residential streets is done on a rotating basis.
Photos by Patricia O’Blenes
COMMUNITY BRIEFS
Fireside yoga
MADISON HEIGHTS — The Madison Heights Recreation Department is hosting yoga classes in a relaxing fireside setting every Thursday from now through Feb. 6, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Civic Center Shelter Building, 360 W. 13 Mile Road.
The cost is $65 for residents and $70 for nonresidents. Participants should bring their own yoga mat. For more information, and to register, email recreation@madisonheights.org.
Youth basketball
MADISON HEIGHTS — The last day to register for the co-ed Youth Basketball league through the city of Madison Heights is Dec. 27. The first week of practice begins Jan. 6, and games will take place Saturdays from Feb. 1 through March 22. Volunteer coaches are also needed, as are scorekeepers. The minimum age for volunteers is 16 and experience working with children is preferred, as well as knowledge of basketball rules. For more information about how to
register for the league or to volunteer as a coach or scorekeeper, email recreaiton@ madison-heights.org.
Free ballet classes
HAZEL PARK — The Hazel Park Recreation Center, 620 W. Woodward Heights Blvd., will host free ballet classes sponsored by Rosebud Ballet for children ages 4-10 on Saturday mornings starting Jan. 11. Leotards, tights and shoes are provided.
For more information, including program times, call Hazel Park Recreation at (248) 547-5535.
Walking indoors
HAZEL PARK — Those looking to get out of the cold but get their steps in can walk indoors at the Hazel Park Recreation Center, located at 620 W. Woodward Heights Blvd.
Open walking hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays.
‘Tis the season to ‘smile’
CHESTERFIELD TOWNSHIP
— Anyone who would like to give a veteran a merrier Christmas is encouraged to participate in the Michigan Veteran Homes “Make a Veteran Smile Campaign.”
Record a video message of gratitude to
a veteran, write a personalized letter or make a monetary donation to the MVH Charitable Support Fund that funds quality-of-life programming and initiatives.
Please share holiday messages by Dec. 23. Video messages can be shared on social media by tagging Michigan Veteran Homes at Chesterfield Township with the hashtag #MakeaVeteranSmile.
Letters from a group, team or individuals are welcome. Please use large writing, dark ink and do not include envelopes. Large format cards or banners that can be displayed
work, too, as can standard food tray liners. Letters, banners and tray liners can be addressed to ATTN: Make a Veteran Smile and can be either hand delivered or mailed to: Michigan Veteran Homes at Chesterfield Township, 47901 Sugarbush Road, Chesterfield Township, Michigan, 48047.
For more information about making a monetary donation contact Ryan Engle, director of development and strategic engagement for MVH, at engler3@michigan.gov.
— Andy Kozlowski
AUCTION
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Property & Time
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Brick Work
AA4DABLEMASONRY
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AAABROOKSIDE
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Carpentry
GOTROT?
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Chimney Service
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Cleaning Service
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Electrical
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Electrical
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Gutters
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Gutters
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Heating & Cooling
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AT THE RESTAURANT
Roofng
ACROSS
1. Bet’s predecessor
6. Ogre-like creature
9. Attorney’s bargain
13. Old but in
14. *Restaurant waiting area?
15. Located near crannies?
16. List of Catholic saints
17. Down Under runner
18. White heron
19. *____ meal, or staff meal
21. *Meat and fsh, in Italian restaurant
Plumbing MASTER PLUMBER
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ANDY'SPLUMBING
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APEX
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Plumbing
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Roofng
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Tree Service
BERGBROS.LLC.
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ELITETREE SERVICE
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23. Singer/songwriter Yoko
24. *What appetizers do to appetite
25. *Deuce
28. Like a reliable move
30. Not a desktop
35. “My bad!”
37. Painter Chagall
39. Beyond suburban
40. Wisecrack
41. *Nigiri, e.g.
43. *Middle Eastern bread
44. Of an arm bone
46. That time
47. Let it stand, to proofreader
48. Swellings
50. Chancy
52. Between E and NE
53. Stomach refex
55. *Fish eggs
57. *Second C in CDC
61. *____ d’hotel
64. Not mainstream, as in art
65. “To His ____ Mistress”
67. Bracelet add-on
69. Covers with gold
70. Stiff grass bristle
71. Irving of Dallas Mavericks
72. Eyelid affiction
73. Fairytale princess test
74. Winter driving hazard
DOWN
1. Curved one
2. Table extender
3. Sicilian erupter
4. Movie trailer, e.g.
5. Perfecting, as in skill
6. Toe the line
7. Popular pickup
8. Puppy love
9. Jumping stick
10. Forsaken
11. Barely got by 12. Spumante-producing town
15. Greek god’s libation
20. Rumpelstiltskin’s machine, pl.
22. *Freshwater staple in sushi restaurant
24. Idolize
25. *Chef’s hat 26. Modifed “will”
27. Offer two cents
29. Drawn tight
31. Baby porcupines
32. Commonplace
33. Like Cheerios
34. *Blue-____ special
36. Unsubscriber’s focus
38. *____ de partie, or line cook
42. ____structure or ____red
45. Cujo’s disease
49. Ray shooter
51. Foxhunter’s call to hounds
54. Short version
56. C2H5
57. Marlboros or Camels, slangily
58. Army group
59. Lazily
60. *Complimentary dish
61. Asian starling
62. *Steak choice
63. Great Lake 66. Be in the red 68. Were introduced
EXTRA
EXTRA CHEESE EXTRA CHARGE • WITH COUPON • EXPIRES 1-22-25 • ZINO’S