2/14/24 C & G Special Edition — Oakland

NEWSPAPERS Special Edition

Birmingham resident advocates for organ donation after two heart transplants

BY MARY GENSON mgenson@candgnews.com

BIRMINGHAM — Shortly after graduating from the University of Michigan with his undergrad, Birmingham resident Erik Morganroth woke up and suddenly could not catch his breath. He decided to go to Beaumont Hospital for some tests.

Morganroth was declining and they decided to move him to the University of Michigan Hospital. Both sides of his heart were kept pumping through a machine. While he was on life support, he was put in an artificial coma and was woken up every few days to make sure he was not experiencing brain damage. He was on the machine for 34 days, which at the time, was the longest anyone had ever been on it.

“They didn’t really think I was going to make it based on how sick I was,” Morganroth said.

After over a month on life support, he was able to receive a heart transplant.

When he returned home, he met his wife, with whom he has two children. About 12 years after his transplant, abnormalities to the structure of the heart were found during an annual checkup. After more evaluation from doctors, he was listed for another heart transplant.

However, Morganroth shared how this time around was different. When he first got sick, his parents were the ones making most of the decisions for him. At the time of his second transplant, his parents were deceased and he had a wife and kids.

“I had to be positive for my wife and I had to be positive for my children, even though they were very young,” Morganroth said.

This time, especially, Morganroth was a very active participant in his own care.

“Everybody knew that I wanted more information than most, and I was Googling everything and asking questions and in a polite, respectful way, de-

MDOT continues I-696 Restore the Reuther project with westbound lanes

BY KATHRYN PENTIUK kpentiuk@candgnews.com

SOUTHFIELD — After being delayed multiple times due to winter weather conditions Jan. 12, 16, 22 and 23, the bridge work scheduled for east of Telegraph Road as part of the Restore the Reuther project was rescheduled again late last month. The Michigan Department of Transportation planned to reassess winter conditions and equipment to evaluate whether they could start construction.

MDOT announced several lane and ramp closures now through early May:

• Northbound M-10, from south of Lahser to

the westbound Interstate 696 entrance ramp.

• Westbound I-696, from Lahser to M-10, with two lanes open.

• Evergreen Road ramp to westbound I-696.

• Lahser Road ramp to westbound I-696.

• Northbound Telegraph Road ramp to northbound M-10.

Westbound I-696 traffic will be detoured to northbound M-10 and back to westbound I-696. MDOT informed residents that I-696 will have three lanes open in both directions between Interstate 275 and U.S. 24 until the spring. In the spring,

See REUTHER on page 6A

Erik Morganroth, from Birmingham, is a two-time heart transplant recipient.

Photo provided by Erik Morganroth

Photo by Patricia O’Blenes

The $275 million Restore the Reuther project covers $258 million of the project, along with $20.2 million in federal funding and a state funding match of $2.2 million.

AgeWays is Still Your First Stop for Resources for Seniors and Family Caregivers

The Area Agency on Aging 1-B is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a new name and a new logo.

The organization is now known as AgeWays Nonpro t Senior Services, or AgeWays for short.

The agency chose AgeWays because it better re ects its mission: Helping older adults age in the ways they choose and giving the tools to

family caregivers to support those choices. It is also easier to remember and to pronounce.

“I’m hoping our new name opens up a new level of awareness and we draw many more people to our agency looking for services and direction,” says Michael Karson, CEO and President of AgeWays. “We are looking forward to serving older adults and family caregivers with innovative programming and services for the next 50 years.”

AgeWays offers person-centered resources, services, and programs ranging from respite care to homebound meals to transportation and Medicare counseling for residents in Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair and Washtenaw counties. AgeWays’ free classes and seminars support the emotional, physical, and intellectual well-being of older adults and family caregivers where they are.

AgeWays is also a reliable ally on the local, state, and federal levels. Its advocacy team works closely with elected of cials and community foundations to bolster home-based services, to boost pay for home health aides, and to support family caregivers.

One of the more pressing national and local issues is the shortage of paid and unpaid caregivers. Using its expertise in helping the most vulnerable populations, AgeWays has added important new initiatives to support family caregivers: The Respite Services Voucher program provides up to $575 per year family to hire a temporary caregiver for their loved one. Trualta is an online educational platform with a treasure trove of content that covers almost every challenge that faces family caregivers.

Area Agencies on Aging were established in the federal Older Americans Act (OAA) of 1973 to help older Americans and their caregivers live quality lives with independence and dignity. AgeWays was formed a year later—in 1974—as the Area Agency on Aging 1-B. Although it now has a new name, AgeWays remains an Area Agency on Aging, drawing its funding from a combination of federal OAA and state Health and Human Services dollars. It is one of 16 in the state and 622 nationwide. It remains the largest such Area Agency on Aging in Michigan.

The organization’s website address is now AgeWays.org. You can learn more about the organization’s new name at AgeWays.org/NewName.

To learn more about AgeWays’ programs, call 800-852-7795, a number that remains as a trusted source of information for older adults and caregivers.

The Area Agency on Aging 1-B is now AgeWays Nonprofit Senior Services!

New Name. Same great people. Same great programs.

Legendary Marian coach honored for record-setting achievement

Legendary Bloomfield Hills Marian girls basketball coach Mary Cicerone, who retired after the 2021-2022 season with a 707-233 record, will be honored this year as the 37th recipient of the MHSAA’s Women In Sports Leadership Award, which will take place Feb. 4-5 at the WISL Conference at the Crowne Plaza Lansing West in Lansing.

Planning commission OKs site plan for new animal shelter

BY TAYLOR CHRISTENSEN tchristensen@candgnews.com

ROYAL OAK — The Royal Oak Planning Commission Jan. 9 unanimously approved a special land use and site plan that will allow the city’s animal shelter to relocate from its current location at 1515 North Edgeworth Ave. to 2005 Bellaire Ave., near East 12 Mile Road.

The relocation is due “for so many reasons,” according to Jodie Ellison, shelter manager of the Royal Oak Animal Shelter. Ellison said that the current shelter building is over 70 years

BY JONATHAN SZCZEPANIAK jszczepaniak@candgnews.com

BLOOMFIELD HILLS — With over 700 wins, six state championships, and the title of being the winningest female coach in Michigan High School Athletic Association girls basketball, Bloomfield Hills Marian legendary coach Mary Cicerone is adding another achievement to her resume.

Cicerone will be honored this year as the 37th recipient of the MHSAA’s Women In Sports Leadership Award, which will take place Feb. 4-5 at the WISL Conference at the Crowne Plaza Lansing West in Lansing.

“Mary Cicerone is a legend because she’s won hundreds of games and many championships, and those measurables of her success speak for themselves,” MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl said in a press release. “But her commitment to her teams, her sport, and leadership in women’s athletics as a whole contributed just as significantly to her tremendous legacy.”

Currently fourth all-time in wins with 707 and holding the most wins for a female coach in girls basketball, Cicerone retired after the 2021-2022 season with a 707-233 record since taking over the program in 1983.

Cicerone led the Mustangs to six state championships, most recently in 2014 and 2015, and 20 Catholic High School League titles.

She was inducted into University of Detroit Mercy Hall of Fame as a player in 2007, where she eclipsed the 1,000 career points mark, and was inducted as a coach to the CHSL (1998), Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan (2017), and Marian (2022) halls of fame as well.

Cicerone earned CHSL’s Ed Lauer Person of the Year Award in 2009 and has served as an officer for the Catholic League Women’s Coaches Association.

“Being a young girl wanting to play all kinds of activities, we never had much opportunity, and I participated in whatever I was able and just felt like that was something that was important to me, my friends, and everybody I was associated with was always part of the same group,” Cicerone said. “I felt like (advocating for women’s sports) was something I should do because it was so important for me, and I appreciated everything everybody did for me and my friends to be able to play,” Cicerone said in a press release. “It’s not something I needed to do — just something I wanted to do. I stepped into that role, cherished it, worked really hard at it, and hopefully made great memories — for me, for sure — and for others.”

Photos provided by Leon Halip/Marian Athletics

Photo provided by Royal Oak

This rendering by Krieger Klattt Architects shows the proposed front entrance of the new Royal Oak Animal Shelter when it relocates to Bellaire Avenue.

Foodie February gives downtown diners a chance to win prizes

BY MARY BETH ALMOND malmond@candgnews.com

ROCHESTER — Those desperate to escape the grind of meal prepping this month can head to downtown Rochester for Foodie February.

The promotion, which began Feb. 1 and runs through the end of the month, encourages patrons to dine in or carry out from any downtown Rochester restaurant, saving their receipts for a chance to win weekly prizes and a grand prize of a $100, $250 or $500 downtown Rochester dining package.

Foodie February allows the community to support the downtown eateries — whether a restaurant, bar, cafe or bakery — and get rewarded in the process, according to Rochester Downtown Development Authority Events Coordinator Jenna O’Dell.

“It originated after COVID in February, when we were finally able to open restaurants, so we were really pushing people to dine in,” she said. “It makes sense to support local and have a great meal and maybe have an opportunity to win a big prize.”

Throughout the month of February, patrons can purchase an item, a meal or carryout order from any of the participating restaurants for a chance to win a number of prizes.

“I believe it was last year, or the year before, and we had someone who made a little less than a $5 purchase at Dessert Oasis and won a $500 dining package to use downtown. So you could definitely get lucky and just grab a cookie to win the grand prize,” said O’Dell.

Cafe 3:16 of Rochester is one of many downtown eateries participating in the promotion.

Named after the Bible verse John 3:16, the cafe opened in November and offers coffee, pastries and other baked goods.

Owner Sam Yokhana, who is a Rochester resident, said some of the cafe’s most popular items include its lattes, croissants and heart-shaped macarons, and every purchase is eligible for a contest entry.

He encourages everyone to dine in or carry out at the downtown eateries this month.

“Come out for Foodie February to have a good time,” Yokhana said.

Receipts from any of the participating restaurants can be brought to the Downtown Collaboration Studio, 431 S. Main St., through Feb. 29. Diners can also text

DOWNTOWN EATERIES PARTICIPATING IN FOODIE FEBRUARY INCLUDE:

423 Bar Grill & Rooftop

The Backdoor Taco & Tequila

BakeHouse 46

Bangkok Cuisine

BAUS Bar

Bean and Leaf Café

Bitter Tom’s Tasting Room

Bologna Via Cucina

Café 3:16 of Rochester

The Cheese Lady

Chicken Shack

Chomp Deli

Dessert Oasis

Dino’s Cookie Dough Bar

D’Marco’s Italian Restaurant

Domino’s Pizza

Downtown Café

The Flavor Lab Catering Co.

Georgio’s Pizza & Pasta

Give Thanks Bakery

Grant’s Pizza House

The Hemmingway Room

Hibachi House Bar & Grill

Holy Cannoli’s

The Home Bakery

Hungry Howie’s

Knapp’s Donut Shop

Kruse & Muer on Main

Kruse’s Paint Creek Tavern

Lettuce

Lipuma’s Coney Island

Main Street Billiards

Main Street Deli

The Meeting House

O’Connor’s Public House

Park 600

Paul’s on Main

Penn Station East Coast Subs

Pure Green

Recipes

Red Knapp’s Dairy Bar

Rochester Bistro

Rochester Brunch House

Rochester Chop House & Kabin Krusers

Rochester Corner Bar

Sanders

Saint 1881

Side Dish

Silver Spoon Ristorante

The Spice & Tea Exchange

Sumo Sushi

Tonia’s Victorian Rose

Too Ra Loo

“FOODIE” to (866) 603-4005 and be prompted to send in a picture of their receipt.

Each receipt will receive one entry, eligible for both the weekly and grand prize drawings. Three grand prize winners will be announced and contacted Friday, March 1.

Foodie February, O’Dell said, is also a great way to try out some of Rochester’s newest eateries, including Cafe 3:16, Bitter Tom’s Tasting Room, Saint 1881 and 423 Bar Grill & Rooftop, which is under new ownership.

Foodie February is presented by Love Local Rochester and the Rochester DDA. For more information, contact the Rochester DDA at (248) 656-0060 or downtownroch estermi.com.

Stage and voice actor Dante Basco to attend MC3

NOVI — Dante Basco, who portrayed Rufio in “Hook,” and voiced Jake Long in “American Dragon: Jake Long” and Zuko in “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” is slated to attend the 2024 Motor City Comic Con at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi May 17-19. Also coming to the event are comic book artist Marco Rudy and Michigan native writers K. Lynn Smith and Johnathan Rand.

Tickets to MC3 are now on sale at MotorCityComicCon.com. Tickets range in price from $30 to $50 for an adult day pass, depending on the day and whether the tickets are purchased online or in person. Tickets for children ages 6-12 cost $10-$20 for Friday and Saturday, depending on how the tickets are purchased. Weekend and VIP passes are also available.

Autographs and photos with celebrity guests are individually priced. See the website for details.

Novi novice ice dance team claims second national title

NOVI — Novice ice dancers Cooper Cornwell, 16, and Jasmine Robertson, 15, claimed their second national title Jan. 24 when they competed in the 2024 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Columbus, Ohio. Cornwell and Robertson qualified for the event by winning the 2024 U.S. Ice Dance finals in November. The two have been skating together since May and are undefeated this season.

“I’m proud of our team and all that we’ve achieved so far. Jasmine and I couldn’t have asked for a better season,” Cornwall said.

“I am incredibly happy with the outcome and the things we have accomplished this season,” Robertson concurred.

After winning the competition, the pair was given their first sponsorship with Graf, a skate boot manufacturer.

BALDWIN STUDENT TO COMPETE IN STATE FREE-THROW CONTEST

ROCHESTER — Matthew Sera, a 10-year-old from Baldwin Elementary School, recently won the “Hoop Shoot Contest” at his school. Sera then advanced to the local competition, winning that by making 22 out of 25 free throws, and won districts with 21 out of 25 free throws made.

Sera is headed to the state finals Feb. 10 in Big Rapids. If he wins, he will head to the national competition to compete for a chance to win a $50,000 scholarship and be named in the Elks Hoop Shoot Hall of Fame in Chicago. When asked how he was able to make so many, he said in a statement, “You can just feel it” when you shoot. Sera said he is thankful to God, his local school, and Basketball America in Lake Orion for allowing him to practice.

ATHENS STUDENT BOWLS PERFECT GAME

TROY — A Troy Athens High School junior is being lauded for bowling a perfect game and scoring 300.

Noah Rourk, of the Athens bowling team, rolled 12 consecutive strikes in a match Jan. 25 against West Bloomfield High School. The match was played at Wonderland Lanes in Commerce Township.

“With each shot I told myself to stay relaxed and knew I had to be consistent with each ball I threw,” Rourk said in an email. “It felt amazing. It took a few minutes to sink in, I was so excited and couldn’t believe it happened.”

Rand Smith

Rudy

Basco

Novice ice dancers Jasmine Robertson,15, and Cooper Cornwell, 16, of Novi, smile as they hold up their gold medals last month after winning the 2024 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Columbus, Ohio.

Photo by Heather Norton

Reuther

from page 1A

work will begin again in this area, and traffic will go down to two lanes.

“We’ll start as soon as we can in the spring, and it will be done by the end of the year. And then, in the future, we’re going to be working further east on 696, going from roughly the Lahser/Evergreen area out towards (Interstate) 75. That project will start up in the next year or two. So we’re taking care of the west end of it. And then we’ll move and do the east end of it in Oakland County,” said Diane Cross, MDOT’s metro region media representative.

Cross explained that this work is part of the $275 million Restore the Reuther project, made possible through the Rebuild-

Morganroth

from page 1A

manding to know my options and make sure that the options they were choosing were the options that made the most sense for me and my family so I could get home to them,” Morganroth said.

Before he went into the hospital this time, he was asked to speak at the opening of the University of Michigan cardiovascular center, which is now called the Frankel Cardiovascular Center. He was able to get his second heart transplant and leave the hospital about a week before speaking at the opening — but he had to rewrite some of his speech, because it was now about receiving two heart transplants.

Morganroth stated that his first transplant was due to a virus from a recent flu that attacked his heart, with the second one attributed to a complication associated with transplants.

Linda Larin, the chief operating officer for University of Michigan Adult Hospitals, has worked with Morganroth for the last few decades.

“I live my life vicariously through him, because he makes the most of every day in his life. And he has done so many things in his life that he’s always wanted to do, and he’s just so impressive, so thoughtful, and just such a great human being,” Larin said.

ing Michigan program, which covers $258 million of the project, with $20.2 million in federal funding and a state funding match of $2.2 million.

“We are always pleased to see MDOT’s reinvestment in one of the major arteries through our city,” Southfield Mayor Ken Siver stated. “I-696 is a very important and heavily traveled freeway in Southfield. It serves our businesses and residents daily.”

Southfield Detective Anthonie Korkis, who handles the traffic investigations for the city, emphasized the importance of patience for drivers commuting through the construction zones. “I think patience is a big word that people need to put into their repertoire, especially when operating on busy roadways, such as on the freeways during rush hour time. Southfield Road is another major one; 11 Mile Road actually … rose

Since his transplants, Morganroth has carried on with a happy life with his wife and kids. He said he is a big food and wine person and likes to try every restaurant in the city. He loves to travel with his family and has so far been to several amazing destinations, such as Spain, China and Italy.

“I think we live what I like to perceive as a normal life, trying to enjoy adventures and make every day worthwhile,” Morganroth said. “I can’t say that I wouldn’t be doing that whether I had been sick or not, because I don’t know what my life would’ve been if this had not happened. I just know that I want to maximize my life, enjoy everything that life has to offer and live every day to its fullest.”

Morganroth has dedicated a lot of his time to advocacy, specifically with the Frankel Cardiovascular Center and Gift of Life. He was on the advisory board for the Frankel Cardiovascular Center, and because of the active role he played in his own health, he was the co-chair of the start of their Patient Family Centered Care program.

This year is the 100th anniversary of the American Heart Association. On May 5, the 2024 Washtenaw County Heart and Stroke Walk & 5K will be held at Washtenaw Community College. They chose Morganroth to be the chair of this important event, because they wanted the involvement of a patient with an inspiring story.

More information on this walk can be found at www2.heart.org.

through the ranks and made the top 10 for crashes and injuries last year.”

Detective Korkis explained that one of Southfield’s busiest intersections, 12 Mile and Southfield roads, ranked No. 5 in 2022 as one of the most dangerous intersections in metro Detroit. “That intersection has a lot of retail there. We also have a lot of traffic lights there. Our officers patrol heavily on Telegraph, and we still seem to see an uptick in over 100 crashes at that specific intersection every single year,” he said. “I think people are just distracted and in a rush, and to be honest, with the technology nowadays that’s in cars and on phones, nobody is really paying attention.”

Korkis added that it’s no longer just texting that poses a threat to drivers. Checking Facebook Marketplace, changing a song on

Spotify or scrolling on social media are all common occurrences he encounters.

“I think it’s having the world in your hands,” he said. “It’s convenient for people to do that. They never think it’s going to happen to them until they get to a minor or major accident.”

He explained that Oakland County ranked second in the state with the most crashes in 2022, with 34,000 crashes in one year. “That’s just shy of 100 crashes per day throughout the entire county,” he said.

With the construction, Korkis encourages drivers to be patient and alert and follow the flow of traffic to ensure the safety of other drivers and construction workers at the site. For more information on the Restore the Reuther project, visit drivingoakland. com/i696-west.

Senior citizens can find long lost yearbooks online

BY MARY GENSON mgenson@candgnews.com

Cherished memories come from receiving a yearbook on the last day of school and having friends and teachers sign it with personalized messages. Not only are they personal keepsakes of time spent in school, but they can also act as historical records for decades to come.

Many local libraries and museums have taken the initiative to create online databases of their communities’ digital yearbooks.

Birmingham

Birmingham’s historical yearbook collection is now available online through the Birmingham Museum. Birmingham residents and history buffs can access the 19191929 issues for free.

“People have been waiting to get a peek at our oldest yearbooks. They shed a light on what it was like to live in Birmingham in the early 20th century, and the world of teenagers back then,” Birmingham Museum Director Leslie Pielack said in an email. “Flipping through our historic yearbook collection is a delightful glimpse of the young people, their educators, and their hopes and dreams. Especially at this time of year, many of us are reminded of the importance of family and our personal roots.”

The museum’s school yearbook collection has been acquired over the last 50 years, including the first yearbook printed by Birmingham High School, in 1919.

Through yearbooks, valuable information can be gathered by experts, including

genealogists and local historians, as well as families conducting research of their own.

“It gives a really good window into how life was back then,” Museum Assistant Justin Koch said. “One thing that I really find fascinating when I was flipping through these was 100 years ago, society was very different than it is today, but at the end of the day, teenagers are kind of the same as they were back then.”

To make it easier on people looking for specific family members, the yearbook collection is searchable. Someone could type in their families name and be brought to the page where that name is listed.

The museum’s collection is only missing a few issues from the early 20th century to the 1980s. Koch said he hopes that at some point they will be able to acquire the editions they are missing from the collection.

Rochester Hills

The Rochester Hills Public Library has a digital collection of resources for the community to browse through.

“It gives us a snapshot of the history of our community,” said Hilary Maurin, the adult services librarian at Rochester Hills Public Library. “Our community, specifically, has always been very focused on education. So, especially those older yearbooks going back to the 1920s, it is so great to see the legacy of 100 years now that’s been going on with Rochester High School.”

Maurin added that the digital versions make it easier to keep copies safe. They have had some celebrities come through the school system, so digital copies keep these

photos preserved. For example, Madonna is featured in one of the yearbooks from her time in Rochester Hills, but it is no longer available because someone cut her photo out of the physical edition.

Royal Oak

The Royal Oak Public Library has a digital library of historical Kimball High School Lancer yearbooks from 1958-2006. With each vibrant cover on display, the books are easy to navigate and are full-text

searchable. Yearbooks can also be downloaded for offline access.

Susan Sheiner, the adult services librarian at the Royal Oak Public Library, said she has often found people looking for old classmates in these yearbooks, as well as relatives, to see what life was like when they graduated from high school.

“I think it’s a way for people to connect with parts of their family history and do research on various historical moments,” Sheiner said.

ABOVE: The Rochester High School 1922 yearbook.

LEFT: The 2006 edition of the Kimball High School Lancer yearbook.

ABOVE: A page from a Birmingham High School yearbook.

Shelter

from page 3A

old, resulting in many different issues that need to be addressed constantly.

“It was originally designed to be a pound, so it’s made out to be a holding facility,” she said. “In a situation like this, we would almost have to gut the entire building just to make it more user-friendly.”

Krieger Klatt Architects is the company working on this project. It is working to create a building shared between the animal shelter and an automobile dealership, which will use its portion of the building for a warehouse and vehicle storage.

The new building for the animal shelter will include kennels, quarantine areas, play spaces and viewing rooms inside the building, according to the special land use and site plan.

However, the new location will not have an outside play area for the dogs. This will not be a problem, according to Ellison, who said that in some ways it is even better for the shelter and animals.

“No. 1, we’re in an industrial complex right by the Kroger, so we get a lot of traffic,” she said. “Having them outside is a great

thing, but there is also the chance they can get away and cross a major road. That could be a really bad thing.”

To make up for the lack of an outdoor area, the new location will have indoor areas where animals can exercise, and the indoor areas are going to have special shutters to access fresh air.

“The east wall will have three openings that will have infilled screen systems and overhead shutters to allow for the indooroutdoor dog run on that side of the building,” Project Manager Jessica Gilbert, of Krieger Klatt Architects, said.

It is also a positive thing that the animals will not be tracking in outside parasites or dirt, Ellison said.

The indoor play area will provide playtime 365 days a year without having to worry about inclement weather conditions.

She said that the dogs will still get outside time, with volunteers taking them for walks periodically.

Modifications will still need to be made to the new building, as a division will be installed to separate the shelter from the warehouse that will be in the same location.

An interior wall will be installed to separate the two.

Ellison believes that the layout of the

building will prove better than the current one. In the current building, cats and dogs are separated between two rooms, and to get access outside, the dogs must go through the cat room.

This is a problem because if the dogs go through the cat room, the cats cannot roam freely.

“We don’t have a place where the cats can safely be sociable,” she said. “They have to stay in their kennel, which is fine, but it would be nice if they could interact with other cats.”

She said this is important because most people want to know if the cats they are potentially going to adopt are friendly to other cats.

Planning Commission member Jim Ellison, who is Jodie Ellison’s husband, brought up the concern of noise between the two facilities, asking if insulation will be

used in the wall separating the animal shelter from the warehouse.

Insulation will not be used, according to Gilbert.

“Is there any advantage to putting insulation in there, because you are going to have two competing noise-generating facilities, there are going to be a lot of barking dogs from the animal shelter and equipment running in and out of the storage area,” Jim Ellison said.

Kreiger Klatt Principal Jeff Klatt said that he and his team will be looking into that further.

Jim Ellison said during the discussion at the meeting that the attorney for the Planning Commission had reviewed whether there was any conflict of interest in his voting on the project, and because there was no financial advantage to him or his wife, the attorney did not see a conflict of interest.