12/4/24 C & G Special Edition — Oakland by C & G Newspapers

NEWSPAPERS Special Edition

Heritage Rooms showcase exhibit on legendary wrestler

BY ANDY KOZLOWSKI akozlowski@candgnews.com

MADISON HEIGHTS — Stepping into the elevator at Madison Heights City Hall is like traveling back in time. Visitors are instantly taken to a museum with exhib its like a re-creation of the one-room Kendall School, which stood in the early 1900s when Madison Heights was still Royal Oak Township.

But before one enters the museum, called the Heritage Rooms and maintained by the city’s Historical Commission, there is a super-sized photo on the wall of the late Jim Myers (1937-2017) — a hometown hero and namesake of the stadium at Madison High School where he once taught and coached football, wrestling and track.

Myers is an inductee in both the Michigan High School Coaches Hall of Fame and the Michigan Football Coaches Hall of Fame. Growing up, he was quite the ath

See EXHIBIT on page 8A

In this file photo from 2013, Jim Myers, center, hugs brothers Mark and John Davis during a book signing for his autobiography “Animal” at the Royal Oak Barnes and Noble. Myers was a coach for the Madison Schools who moonlit as pro wrestler George “The Animal” Steele. Exhibits about his life and career are featured at the Heritage Rooms, the

TROY MALLS FIND WAYS TO KEEP COMMUNITY INTEREST

BY SARAH WRIGHT swright@candgnews.com

TROY — Though some malls appear to be struggling in the metro Detroit area, shopping centers in Troy, like Somerset Collection and the Oakland Mall, appear to be adapting or looking for different ways to continue to bring in more foot traffic.

“I am in frequent contact with the ownership and management of both the Somerset Collection and The Oakland Mall,” Troy Mayor Ethan Baker said in an email.

“While two very different properties and experiences, both seem to be the anomalies in the overall trend

of mall suffering and closures throughout Metro Detroit and the nation. Having good relationships with the decision-makers for both, it seems both continue to evolve and work hard to provide unique retail stores and overall ambiance.

“Somerset is the premier shopping destination in the Midwest, and the Oakland Mall is reinventing itself as both a shopping mall, and also a place for family entertainment. I look forward to watching their continued success and growth, and am thankful for their partnerships and commitment to Troy.”

See MALLS on page 7A

historical museum at Madison Heights City Hall. File photo by Deb Jacques

Santa Claus’ crystal holiday castle is available to guests for the holiday season at Somerset Collection, located at 2800 W. Big Beaver Road.

Photo provided by Somerset Collection

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Sensors monitor Birmingham’s 15-minute parking spots

BY MARY GENSON mgenson@candgnews.com

BIRMINGHAM — Ever since the Birmingham City Commission approved the expansion of the 15 Minute Short-Term Parking Pilot in downtown Birmingham, visitors have had designated places to park for when they just need to run a quick errand.

Up until now, parking enforcement had to use their own sight to monitor when a vehicle has been parked too long. In order to make the process of enforcing the 15-minute time limit more efficient, the city is installing sensors. The goal is to ensure a high turnover rate so that the spots are available for those who need it.

At eight parking spots throughout the downtown area, there will be visible parking meters, serviced by CivicSmart, a software company that specializes in parking products and services.

Balu Subramanya, founder and CEO of CivicSmart, said these meters will alert parking enforcement when a vehicle has spent more than 15 minutes in a designated parking spot. A photo of the car and time of arrival will be disclosed to parking enforcement.

The city plans to have these parking meters up and running by Thanksgiving; however, the official timeline is currently unclear. If the sensors’ monitoring of these spots proves to be effective, the city plans to expand the 15 Minute Short-Term Parking program to more areas of downtown.

Birmingham Parking Systems Manager Aaron Ford said, “We are trying to solve a problem that we feel like everyone knows exists.”

Ford said it is common to see cars and trucks parked illegally when driving around downtown. This behavior is often justified by the drivers because they believe they just need to do something really quickly and do not want to have

COREWELL HEALTH RECEIVES $15 MILLION GIFT FOR LEUKEMIA RESEARCH

BY TAYLOR CHRISTENSEN Tchristensen@candgnews.com

ROYAL OAK — A $15 million bequest from the estate of Harry Kirk Denler will make a transformative difference in the leukemia research done at Corewell Health.

Denler passed away in 2002 from leukemia at the hospital that is known today as Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital in Royal Oak.

Ben Robinson, cousin of Denler, remembered him as a “great connector.” Robinson said that Denler was an only child but came from a large extended family and worked hard to keep them close, according to the press release.

“Kirk wanted to make this gift because of the care he received. He didn’t have children, and he wanted his wife cared for,” Robinson said in a press release. “But after that, he wanted the rest of his estate to go to the William Beaumont University Hospital. It was an aspirational gift. He wanted to help find a cure for leukemia so that others would not have to suffer from what he went through.”

Denler was a graduate of the University of Michigan law school, although he never practiced law. Instead, he managed real estate in southeast Michigan and northern Ohio.

Living in his childhood home in Palmer Park in Detroit, Denler was an active member of the Detroit Golf Club and the Detroit Athletic Club.

The Denler estate provided support for his late wife, Barbara Miriani Denler, who passed away in 2023. After her passing, the remainder of the estate went to Corewell Health in southeast Michigan.

“We are deeply grateful to the late Harry Kirk Denler for his remarkable generosity and compassionate commitment to helping others,” Ryan Daly, president of the Corewell Health Foundation Southeast Michigan, said in a prepared statement. “This gift will transform leukemia research and will improve the lives of patients at Corewell Health and beyond who have battled this devastating disease.”

The money will be going toward supporting investigations into enhanced diagnosis, treatments and cures for pediatric and

Photo by Patricia O’Blenes

The city of Birmingham’s 15-minute parking spaces will have sensors on them to assist parking enforcement.

Harry Kirk Denler, pictured, gifted Corewell Health $15 million to enhance leukemia research. Photo provided by Corewell Health See LEUKEMIA on page 10A

Nonprofit inner-city baseball league gives kids an opportunity to build life skills

BY KATHRYN PENTIUK AND JONATHAN SZCZEPANIAK kpentiuk@candgnews.com, jszczepaniak@candgnews.com

SOUTHFIELD — Marlin “Coach Gil” Gilliam has dedicated the last 30 years to giving back to Southfield and surrounding communities through baseball.

In fact, he’s even coaching the children of the now-grown kids that he coached, thus creating a second generation of baseball lovers in the case of Alex Credit, whose 10-year-old son Avery currently plays under Gilliam on the 10U team.

Credit played under Gilliam in the Southfield youth basketball program when he was in elementary school, and said it’s special seeing the same coach reflect the teachings he received onto his son.

“He’s like the uncle or father that you just have to have in your life,” Credit said. “You need people that come with structure and discipline, and they’re just not going to sugarcoat things and keep it honest with you. Yes, he wants the best baseball players and the best team, but he also wants people outside of his world thriving and succeeding.”

Though Gilliam played and coached all three major sports – baseball, basketball, and football – baseball has been a lifelong fixture in his life, particularly since he saw the great need for baseball in the inner-city suburbs of Detroit.

“What happened was I was just going to coach my kids

Photo provided

The mission of the Southfield A’s is to prepare students to play baseball in high school while keeping costs affordable to their parents.

and do my thing, and my youngest is 30, so I’ve been doing this out of a need in our community,” he said. “There’s not a lot of baseball for kids in the inner city.”

Gilliam explained that baseball dried up in Southfield and has become scarce in inner-city communities, which is what led to the founding of the Southfield Athletics in 2004 after the Southfield Little League disbanded. He emphasized that you’d have to go to the suburbs to find the level that the Southfield A’s play.

“So we try to provide that service because it’s all volunteer. Nobody’s getting paid. We love doing what we do,” he said.

The team is a nonprofit, volunteerled organization that plays at the higher levels of travel baseball as part of the North Oakland Baseball Federation, with a total of 12 coaches leading 50 kids as young as 6 years old and as old as 15 years old.

“That doesn’t mean we go a lot of places,” Gilliam said. “That just means that that’s the level above. It’s the top level of baseball out there for our baseball players.

“And there’s a need. The inner city is very unrepresented because they don’t have any teams to play for.”

The team’s field is located at Springhill Baptist Church, 21900 Middlebelt Road. The mission of the Southfield A’s is to prepare students to play baseball in high school while keeping costs affordable to their parents.

Gilliam explained the main difference between the level at which Southfield A’s play and the levels underneath is “repetition, repetition, repetition, and muscle memory.” Even though the season wrapped up at the end of October, Gilliam said the older kids will begin their conditioning this month, and the younger kids will start back up in January, with their first game taking place at the end of March.

“It’s a commitment from the parents. It’s a major commitment as a member and from the coaches,” Gilliam said. “The kids in our 14-and-under division will have played 60, almost 65 games between the spring and the fall.”

Gilliam emphasized that being a team member of the Southfield A’s involves more than merely playing baseball. He and the other coaches ingrain integrity, discipline and the ability to face challenges head-on.

“Baseball is a sport of failure,” Gilliam said. “The guy that makes the Hall of Fame, their average hitting the ball is 30% of the time, .300 average. So, 60% of the time, they’re not getting on base.

“But you have to have the wherewithal to get past what didn’t work for you the last time you had that. And you still have to have that perseverance to say, ‘I’m gonna get you this time.’”

He often expressed to the older boys that baseball is a tool. He tells them: “Use this to get into school, help your parents pay for school, and let this open doors. ... And then the other thing is, if you really, really say that this is what you want to do, you got to put time, effort and work into it.”

For the intermediate-aged kids, he instills the importance of working as a team and doing their part to put in the work and come to practice.

He says to the younger kids on the team: “The only person in this world I am scared of is your mom. So if you don’t have your homework done, you don’t have your room clean like they asked you to, I’m not going to ask them again to have you at a game. You didn’t do what you’re supposed to do, so you don’t get to do something extra.”

When you look at the Southfield A’s website, you can see that former players have continued their baseball careers at the collegiate level.

It’s only a small testament to the immeasurable job Gilliam has done with the program, and Credit said he expects it to continue flourishing,

“How they’re building it, how they’re structuring it, and the direction they’re going, you just want to see it grow,” Credit said. “Having my son on the team, you just sit there and watch it grow. Coach Marlin, he was my coach. To see what he’s poured into this organization, I just believe in him because I know somebody in this organization is running it from a genuine point of view.”

For more information, visit southfielda thletics.com.

CANDGNEWS.COM

NEWS & NOTES

Southfield Public Arts Commission features 11 artists in ‘Indulgence: Inspired Images’ art exhibition

SOUTHFIELD — On Nov. 15, the Southfield Public Arts Commission unveiled “Indulgence: Inspired Images” with an opening reception and public art exhibition held at the Southfield City Hall Main Lobby, 26000 Evergreen Road.

Photo by Liz Carnegie

ROYAL OAK — Farmington Hills Mayor Theresa Rich and Fox 2’s Robin Murdoch joined The Solomon Organization to celebrate work done by 20 Detroit area charities at the second annual Give a Chance charitable lottery event on Nov. 14.

The lottery event included a developer spinning a giant wheel to determine which organizations would win one of the top five prizes. The sizes of these pie pieces on the wheel was determined by a Facebook poll in which each vote counted as an entry in the lottery; the more votes the charity received, the bigger their piece on the wheel.

Animal House of Southeast Michigan, a rescue organization located on Woodward Avenue in Royal Oak, won the top $10,000 prize donation.

Following the top prize was A Rejoyceful Animal Rescue, winning the first $5,000 donation. Almost Home Animal Rescue won the second $5,000 donation.

The Color of Autism won the first $2,500 donation and Leader Dogs for the Blind won the second $2,500. All participating charities that did not win one of the top prizes received a $200 donation.

The new exhibition is a first for Southfield, featuring 11 Michiganbased artists. “Indulgence” will be on display until Jan. 31 with the artwork of M. Gasby Brown, Donald Calloway, Marta Carvajal, Henry Heading, Michael Horner, Doug Jones, Feroz Khan, Amanda Nordin, Senghor Reid, Yvonne Simmons and Oshun Williams free to the public for viewing.

WREATH-LAYING CEREMONY AT OAKVIEW CEMETERY

ROYAL OAK — Oakview Cemetery will be hosting a ceremony on National Wreaths Across America Day at noon Dec. 14 at 1032 N. Main St. Wreaths Across America Day is a yearly event that honors veterans and military members. Volunteers place wreaths on the headstones of these veterans. The national day is held on the second or third Saturday of December every year and has been observed since 1992, according to wreathsacrossamerica.org. Through local volunteers and sponsorship groups, funds have been raised throughout the year to sponsor the placement of up to 800 wreaths. The event and mission of the Wreaths Across America nonprofit is to “Remember, Honor, and Teach,” according to a press release. The ceremony will begin at noon in the cemetery mausoleum. Wreath laying will begin immediately after the ceremony.

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Malls

from page 1A

Somerset Collection, located at 2800 W. Big Beaver Road, originally opened in the 1960s, and currently The Forbes Company LLC handles operations for the shopping center.

“Somerset Collection is dedicated to bringing best-inclass retail to the Michigan market, and is often the first and exclusive location in the state for global brands such as Buck Mason, Reformation, Gorjana, and Travis Matthew,” Kate Millea, general manager at Somerset Collection, said in an email.

“This approach to retail, along with offering exceptional dining options and one-of-a-kind experiences, has allowed Somerset Collection to continue to attract and engage guests throughout its history.”

For the holiday season, guests may visit the crystal holiday castle to meet Santa Claus. Shoppers may meet and get their pictures with Santa through Dec. 23, Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-7:55 p.m., and Sunday, noon5:55 p.m.

Guests can also reserve a photo session with Santa up to 14 days in advance by visiting somersetevents.as.me/ SantaPhotos. Traditional photos with Santa are $35 for six poses, and selfie photos are $10. Nonphoto visits with Santa are available on a walk-up, as-available basis.

Somerset Collection has also welcomed multiple new brands to their market including Alo Yoga, Buck Mason,

Holiday hours for Somerset Collection include:

Dec. 15, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Dec. 16-21, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Dec. 22, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Dec. 23, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Dec. 24 (Christmas Eve), 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Dec. 25 (Christmas Day), closed

Dec. 26-30, Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday, noon to 6 p.m.

Dec. 31-Jan. 1 (New Year’s Eve to New Year’s Day), 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

These hours may vary for different departments, and normal business hours will resume on Jan. 2 from Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 6 p.m.

Gorjana, Monica Rich Kosann, Prada, Reformation and Rolex as well as a pop-up store for Amiri in the South Rotunda area for the holiday season. Additionally, the mall has seen major expansions for the stores Arhaus, Tapper’s Jewelry and Madewell.

Oakland Mall, located at 412 W. 14 Mile Road, was also opened in the 1960s and was recently taken over by MKiezi Investments LLC in 2022. They implemented rotating exhibits/experiences such as Chocotown, FunBox, and Slime Studio to enhance shopper experiences.

“While we see many retailers struggle throughout the country, both of our Troy Shopping Centers continue to

thrive,” Troy Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Tara Tomcsik-Husak said in an email.

Some once-vibrant metro Detroit shopping centers have gone beyond struggling — they have closed.

Previously, the Northland Center closed in 2015, though there are plans from the Contour Development Group to redevelop this area into the Northland City Center, which would include residential units as well as space for retailers, dining spots and entertainment.

This development could take roughly five years to complete, and around $403 million is planned for the first phase, but the numbers could change due to inflation.

Southfield Mayor Ken Siver previously said the funding for the 100-acre property comes from $60 million in tax incentives offered by the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, the Michigan Economic Development Corp. and investors that Contour Development Group has lined up. Around $20 million has been contributed to this by the city of Southfield, which will be returned to the city through brownfield tax credits in the coming years.

Lakeside Mall in Sterling Heights is another example of a shopping center closing, which occurred recently in July 2024. However, that area may also see changes coming soon as there are plans to redevelop that area into Lakeside City Center. This is a billion-dollar project that would include an estimated 110 acres of mixed-use neighborhoods, apartments, retail shops, office space, green space, a hotel, and a community center among other amenities.

For more information, visit thesomersetcollection.com or oaklandmall.com.

lete himself, with varsity letters in four sports during each of his four years at Madison High School.

But outside of town, Myers was better known as pro wrestling star George “The Animal” Steele — a villain in the fantasy narrative of the WWE, then the WWF.

An eloquent man, Myers ironically fashioned a beast of a character — a ball of muscle and body hair that ripped open turnbuckles with his teeth before chewing up the stuffing and sticking out a tongue stained green from breath mints.

“I had the best breath in all of wrestling,” Myers told C & G Newspapers in 2012.

By the time he retired from wrestling in the late ’80s, Myers had starred in soldout main events at Madison Square Garden, Boston Garden, Philadelphia Spectrum, the New Jersey Meadowlands and more. He even starred on the silver screen alongside Johnny Depp in the 1994 Tim Burton film “Ed Wood,” where he played Swedish wrestler/actor Tor Johnson.

Several display cases — one in the hall outside the Heritage Rooms, and others deeper inside — feature mementos from his time as a pro wrestler, including an action figure of George Steele.

“I had two positions in life: One as a wrestler, and one as a teacher and coach. And the one most important to me was being a teacher and a coach,” Myers said previously. “It wasn’t the glow and glitter of Madison Square Garden or anywhere else. I loved football fields and wrestling mats and gym class, talking to kids.”

His time in the ring was only several months each year, with Myers returning to

Madison High School to teach and coach for the other nine and half months. As an educator, Myers had a knack for connecting with struggling students, because he himself struggled in the classroom growing up. Myers was born with dyslexia, which made reading very difficult. He considered it a blessing, however, one that taught him rigor and discipline, and that gave him a unique perspective on life.

“Because of my learning disabilities and problems I had, a lot of kids would come to my office, not athletes but kids looking for counseling, to talk about their problems,” Myers said previously.

Among his coaching claims to fame were state title-winning athletes such as Berney Gonzales, who wrestled under Myers in the 1970s and placed gold for Greco-Roman wrestling at the 1971 Junior World Olympics in Tokyo, Japan — the first American to do so.

“Jim was such an incredible person, as a human being, a teacher, a mentor, a coach. To have trained under him for four years as a wrestler, you learn the mental aspect of the sport, which is 99.9% believing in yourself,” said Gonzales, who now coaches wrestling at Bishop Foley Catholic High School. “He was tough but had the heart of a gentle giant. He

Margene Scott, right, chair of the Madison Heights Historical Commission, takes the teacher role inside a replica of a one-room schoolhouse at the Heritage Rooms at Madison Heights City Hall. Joining her are cochair Jennifer Ballantine, in the background, and Debbie Boucher.

was also one of the most humble people I’ve met in my life. When you become a champion, you should never be cocky or arrogant — you should always be kind and remember your roots. You’d learn those things from Jim and remember them, and I try to teach my kids those same things.”

Of course, the Myers exhibit is just one of many in the Heritage Rooms on the lower level of Madison Heights City Hall. Margene Scott, chair of the Historical Commission, explained during a visit Nov. 13 how much work goes into the museum, which is meticulously arranged in space on loan from the city.

Alongside the authentic re-creation of the one-room Kendall School — complete with chalk slates at each desk and a 48-star American flag in the corner — there is a research library packed with yearbooks, scrapbooks and other memorabilia from the three school districts. A desk with a notepad and magnifying glass invites visitors to comb through the materials and make connections.

Across the hall, a sprawling room features all manner of relics, like a wood-burning stove from the late 1800s, a treadle sewing machine from the early 1900s, kitchen appliances from the ’20s through the ’40s, radios and TVs and typewriters from the ’50s and

’60s, aerial photos of the city from its earlier years, election yard signs spanning decades, and more.

“You could be overwhelmed walking in here,” Scott said. “And really, ‘tactile’ is exactly what we want this museum to be. I used to take my grandkids to another museum and the curator would say, ‘Oh, you’ve got to keep your hands in your pockets — you can’t touch anything.’ And I thought, ‘That’s not what I want for my museum.’ I want kids to be able to pick up things, try them out, and play with them. That was very important to me.

“And some of the older visitors we have here, they’ll come look through our yearbooks and all the memories will come flooding back to them,” she said. “They’ll begin describing the stories behind the photos. That’s something we always love to hear.”

The Historical Commission also continues to seek materials for a digital archive that it plans to make available someday on the city’s website, madison-heights.org. Anyone with video recordings or photos of past events in the city, such as festivals and sports competitions, are invited to share them with the commission, which will make digital copies for future inclusion in a searchable database. Commission members are also interested in meeting with long-time residents or people who worked in the city for years, and recording their stories about the city’s past in videotaped interviews that will be made available in the database as well.

“We want to modernize these materials, and make them available to more people,” Scott said. “We want to sit down with those who remember the city’s past, hear their memories and capture it all.”

To submit materials for the digital archives, or to arrange an appointment touring the museum, call the Madison Heights Public Library at (248) 588-7763.

Photo by Liz Carnegie

Planning ahead can help lessen the stress of family holiday celebrations

BY TAYLOR CHRISTENSEN tchristensen@candgnews.com

METRO DETROIT — During family holidays or gatherings, there is often something sparking the flame for a heated conversation.

Whether the cause is a family member, a situation or a political conversation, it seems that conflict between family members is inevitable.

“It can be a time of year that is especially challenging for people,” said Valerie Whitaker, licensed professional counselor at Oakland Family Services. “In particular, families tend to find that maybe that is an opportunity to discuss all different types of topics, because they don’t get to see everyone all the time, and they are not always thinking that might be a source for conflict.”

Whitaker has been a practicing licensed professional counselor and registered art therapist for many years. Throughout her career she has spent time working with families and youth.

Establishing clear boundaries and expectations is one of the starting points that

Whitaker suggests to help prevent family conflict.

“Knowing what topics might become triggering for yourself is important,” she said. “You can ask ahead of time, if there is a topic that you know might be challenging for you, if that topic can be off limits and not discussed during the event.”

Madeleine Reardon, doctoral student at Wayne State University and intern psychologist for Sparks & Associates, presented about family conflict during the holidays at a virtual conference Nov. 15.

Reardon presented alongside guest speakers Dr. Natasha Kendal and Fejiro Evwaraye from the Kendal Clinic in Oakland County.

Reardon said that the first step to a calm family gathering is to prepare ahead of time and actively check in with yourself before, during and after the event.

“Find a way to let those emotions have a life before these really big events,” she said. “Things like journaling or talking to a trusted friend can help. I am a really big proponent of just having a good cry. It helps you feel more grounded and ready to handle

CERTIFICATE OF DEPOSIT

whatever the holidays or family throws at you.”

Reardon said that the HALT method is a good way to check-in with oneself. HALT stands for ‘Are you hungry? Are you angry? Are you lonely? Are you tired?’ which are all basic human needs that can cause heightened emotions.

“Take time to check in with yourself and look at those physical and emotional needs and how you can better meet them,” she said. “Even if it’s taking a nap or having a snack on the way there, that can really set us up for success and navigate these possible family dynamics and conflicts coming up.”

Politics can be divisive. Reardon said that the most recent election results announced on Nov. 6 have “highlighted” that divide.

“When people’s beliefs feel like they directly challenge your values or seem to threaten your rights or interests, it’s hard not to take them personally,” she said. “There is a real fear that opposing views might undermine progress or lead to negative outcomes, and that fear can easily translate into frustration or conflict.”

Changing the subject, or completely stepping away from these kinds of conversations are the best way to deal with them, according to Whitaker.

“All we can do is control ourselves. We can’t always control every situation, so staying calm goes a long way,” Whitaker said. “You can try to change the topic; definitely use humor if it is appropriate. Ultimately, maybe just completely stop engaging in the conversation, if that’s what needs to take place — just no longer verbally be a part of the conversation.”

Reardon said that some of the topics that families should avoid are religion, politics, money, personal appearances, ongoing family feuds and controversial current events.

Even in the case of a family agreeing on these topics, it is important to just leave them out of the conversation.

“Even if you share those same perspectives, I always say try to tread lightly on these topics, which as we know can easily escalate or trigger emotional responses,” Reardon said.

See PLANNING on page 10A

Leukemia

from page 3A

adult leukemia, led by Corewell Health’s Research Institute.

Dr. Richard Kennedy, senior scientific director for the RI, said in a press release that the gift will be of huge significance in the future of Corewell Health’s cancer research.

“We will focus our efforts initially on pediatric leukemia because much of that framework is in place and then transition

Parking

from

to search for a different place to park.

“We are hoping that by giving people a place to go for short-term parking, they will utilize the spaces instead of parking illegally,” Ford said.

Subramanya said these sensors have been installed in communities nationally and internationally. Overall, he said the feedback has been positive from businesses.

“The business communities actually love it because their No. 1 priority is that those spaces are available for customers who come in,” Subramanya said.

Visitors will still have to pay the meter

Planning

from page 9A

Stepping away for periodic breaks and decompressing in another room is a suggestion from both Whitaker and Reardon.

All in all, it is important to remember that you do not always have to stay for the entire event. If you are completely uncomfortable with attending, both Reardon and Whitaker said it is OK to not go.

“Oftentimes we can feel really guilty

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into adult leukemia and eventually, the transitional phases between pediatric and adult leukemia,” Kennedy said.

Leukemia affects more than 500,000 Americans who are currently living with or are in remission from the condition, according to the press release. This gift of $15 million will cover the full spectrum of investigation into the disease.

“We are profoundly grateful for this support and will do our best to honor the hope and spirit in which Mr. Denler’s commitment was made,” Kennedy said in a prepared statement.

when they are parking in a 15-minute space. This was something the commission discussed, but they ultimately landed on keeping the required payment.

Ford said it is unclear whether or not this program will lead to a decrease in revenue from the meter because, in this case, they are not taking a meter out of their inventory.

“This is something we have identified has been a need in the city based on people parking illegally for short periods of times and we are hoping that it will be utilized properly, and hopefully will alleviate that,” Ford said. “We are excited to see if this is a program that works.”

More information on parking in Birmingham can be found at bhamgov.org/ parking.

for saying no, but I like to kind of reframe it where if you think that you’re going to be really stressed or anxious at an event, it not only saves you by saying no, but can save those around you by saying no,” Reardon said.

Planning ahead and steering clear of topics or scenarios that are uncomfortable are the quickest ways to have a conflict-free holiday season.

“You know you best, and you know what you can tolerate,” Whitaker said.

“When you have a plan you can follow, it does make it easier.”