2/6/25 Novi Note by C & G Newspapers

Volunteers help provide care, therapy10A

Novi Community School District using technology to keep students safe

BY CHARITY MEIER cmeier@candgnews.com

The Novi Community School District has implemented numerous safety measures to protect the children within the district, and the school board received a report on the district’s efforts during a Jan. 23 meeting.

Dennis Huisman, supervisor of safety and security for NCSD, presented the board with all the safety measures that have been implemented within the district since June of 2023.

According to Huisman, one of the biggest things the district has implemented is the Raptor Emergency Management app. The app is on all staff phones and acts as an emergency button that coincides with Alyssa’s law. This means that as soon as the button is clicked, it will automatically call for law enforcement assistance.

“It’s great in places that don’t have good PA service, maybe if a teacher is outside, this Raptor alert will go to their phone and alert them that there is an incident happening at the school,” Huisman said. “So you are not relying on a cellphone or a walkie-talkie. You are getting information right to your phone.”

The app also allows staff to do reunification. The NCSD administrative staff were able to go through a live reunification exercise in June 2024 with the “I Love U Guys” Foundation at the ROAR Center. The exercise went through the process of reunifying students with their loved ones after an incident such as a gas leak or even a violent incident. This process ensures that kids get connected back with the right people after something happens.

See TECHNOLOGY on page 12A

Retiring Novi police commander helped change department in many ways

BY CHARITY MEIER cmeier@candgnews.com

After more than 26 years as a Novi police officer, and with a tear in his eye, Novi Police Cmdr. Jason Meier left the precinct for the last time as an officer on Jan. 31. However, the imprint he left on

the department, his colleagues and others remains.

“Over the years his unwavering dedication, expertise and professionalism left a lasting impact on the department and the community,” Novi Police Chief Erick Zinser said during Meier’s retirement ceremony.

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See MEIER on

Photo by Patricia O’Blenes

Novi Police Cmdr. Jason Meier takes a picture in the Novi Police Training Center Jan. 28, three days before his retirement.

Fourth graders decorate coffee cup sleeves for library’s Read a Latte Cafe

BY CHARITY MEIER cmeier@candgnews.com

Those who “read a latte” will soon have another reason to do so.

Fourth graders throughout the Novi Community School District have decorated coffee cup sleeves to be handed out with hot drink purchases at the “Read a Latte Cafe”

located inside the Novi Public Library Feb. 10-14, or while supplies last.

“I really like (the drink sleeves project) because I like helping to spread community cheer and kindness and tell people about the cafe,” student Harper Barbey, 9, said.

This is not the first time fourth grade students at Deerfield Elementary have deco-

See SLEEVES on page 8A

Our next edition will come to homes Feb. 20. Stay current by visiting candgnews.com.

Legislators work to alter wage and sick leave changes

BY NICK POWERS npowers@candgnews.com

METRO DETROIT — Drastic changes to Michigan’s paid sick leave and minimum wage will go into effect Feb. 21. Both of Michigan’s major political parties are currently trying to rein in these efforts in the Legislature.

Republicans hold a majority in the state House of Representatives, and Democrats hold a majority in the state Senate. This month Republicans passed a pair of bills in the House, and Democrats in the Senate have an alternate plan in its early stages.

The whole issue began in 2018, when two petitions for increased wages and paid sick time received enough signatures to get on the ballot. To block this, the petitions were adopted and amended by Republicans in the state Legislature, dramatically changing what would’ve appeared on the ballot.

In the Michigan Court of Claims, it was determined on July 19, 2022, that the adopted and altered acts were unconstitutional. This was reversed by the Michigan Court of Appeals but was ultimately upheld by a 4-3 Michigan Supreme Court ruling July 31, 2024.

The current minimum wage is $10.33, or $3.93 for tipped workers.

If nothing happens

If the revisions by Republicans or Democrats are not made, the court’s ruling will go into effect as planned in February.

All workers will receive a pay bump

See WAGE on page 8A

Photo provided by Chelsea Reesbeck

ABOVE: The fourth grade art class poses for a picture at Deerfield Elementary School. BOTTOM RIGHT: Harper Barbey, 9, a fourth grader at Deerfield Elementary School in Novi, shows the drink sleeve she made to help promote the Read A Latte Cafe at the Novi Public Library.

BY CHARITY MEIER cmeier@candgnews.com

Sunlight brightens our day in more ways than one. It not only has the power to warm the air and melt the snow, but it also can warm your heart and melt the winter blues away.

Dr. Ibrahim Sablaban, a psychiatrist with Beaumont Behavioral Health in Dearborn, a part of Corewell Health, said that around 40% of people experience a mild but functional depression in the winter that is commonly called the “winter blues,” which does not require clinical treatment.

“It’s definitely a common phenomenon,” he said.

He said that with more daylight hours in the spring and summer, people can be more social and feel that their time after work is more productive.

“In the winter, it’s 20, 10 degrees and you’re limited on daylight hours. It’s just life really thrives on warmer days,” Sablaban said.

However, a small percentage of people, around 5%, develop a form of clinical depression called seasonal affective disorder. This is where someone may experience a persistent “grumpy” mood and a constant state of depression. He said those with seasonal affective disorder may get more irritable with family, friends and loved ones, or have suicidal thoughts. Sablaban said that anyone who experiences those kinds of things should seek help from a mental health professional. Seasonal affective disorder is treated via therapy and, if need be, anti-depressant medication.

“Seasonal affective disorder happens when we don’t expose ourselves to the sunlight and daylight,” said Dr. Jill Skurnowicz, a licensed naturopathic doctor and a certified registered nurse anesthetist, of the Natural Care Institute in Birmingham.

According to Sablaban, many Michiganders have a vitamin D deficiency and a lack of vitamin D is associated with feelings of depression. He said that it is something people can be screened for. and possibly treated with supplements. Although many are available over the counter, he said people should consult their doctors first.

Sunlight provides vitamin D naturally. So, in order to combat the winter blues, he recommends taking in as much sunlight as possible during the day.

“We might not have as many hours as we do during the summertime, but we do have sunlight, so try to get out there into the sun on lunchbreaks and stuff,” Sablaban said. “Bundle up and try to stand in the sun for just a little bit. Especially on the weekend, there’s a tendency to try to sleep in and not really partake in a whole lot, especially if the weather is not fairing too well, but try to take advantage of daylight hours. It’s super important.”

Skurnowicz said that people should strive to maintain a proper circadian rhythm and get sunlight within one hour of waking up.

Those who are unable to take advantage of the sunlight can purchase what is known as “happy lights.” Happy lights come in many different forms and are available all over.

Sablaban said it is also important to maintain a healthy, active lifestyle. He said lack of exercise, sleep and poor diet also contribute to the winter blues.

“Regular physical activity, whether that’s exercise at a gym or going for a walk can really reduce the stress and anxiety that can build up with the limited socialization that happens in winter months,” he said.

“Exercise is one of the best ways to help with mental health as well as physical health,” Skurnowicz said.

See WINTER on page 9A

Waltonwood

MENTORS NEEDED FOR LOCAL YOUTH

Novi Youth Assistance is seeking volunteers to mentor local young people in the school setting. The Silver Lining Volunteer Mentor Program pairs adult mentors with at-risk youth in elementary schools. Volunteers work one day a week with a student doing various things such as puzzles and possibly sports or other things the student and mentor might enjoy.

The program runs from September through June. Mentors are asked to commit to volunteering for the entire school year. To volunteer, one must be at least 18 years old and be available during school hours to meet with the student on a consistent basis. Volunteers must undergo a background check and will be provided training. For more information or to apply, go to noviya.org or call (248) 675-3089.

DOG SHOW

The Motor City Winter Dog Classic will be held Feb. 13-16 at the Suburban Collection Showplace, 46100 Grand River Ave. The show will feature more than 200 American Kennel Club dog breeds competing each day. Visitors are welcome, but no unregistered dogs. The show will begin at 8 a.m. each day. Admission costs $10 for adults and $8 for seniors and those in the military. Children 12 and younger will be admitted for free. Parking costs $10 per car.

OAKLAND COUNTY — Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard was named “National Sheriff of the Year” during the Major County Sheriffs of America annual policy conference last week in Washington, D.C.

This is the third year that Bouchard has been awarded this title. In 2024, Bouchard was honored with the Sandra S. Hutchens “Sheriff of the Year” award. In 2022, Bouchard was awarded the “Sheriff of the Year” by the Michigan Sheriffs’ Association, and in 2016 he was the recipient of the Ferris E. Lucas Sheriff of the Year award from the National Sheriffs’ Association. He is the only sheriff in Michigan to receive both awards, according to a press release from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.

“The Major County Sheriffs of America represent the largest sheriff’s offices in the country being led by the most proactive future-driven law enforcement leaders in the world,” Bouchard said in the press release. “To be named by them as their national Sheriff of the Year is a huge honor. I am very appreciative and humbled.”

Bouchard is a past president of and currently serves as vice president of government affairs for the Major County Sheriffs of America, where he has served in leadership positions for 25 consecutive years.

In his seventh term, Bouchard is now the longest-serving sheriff in Oakland County history.

According to the press release, Bouchard was appointed on Jan. 11, 1999, to succeed the late Sheriff John F. Nicols. Bouchard now oversees more than 1,400 employees and an annual budget of more than $210 million.

Under Bouchard the Sheriff’s Office has grown, providing law enforcement for 15 communities and more than 350,000 of Oakland County’s 1.2 million residents, according to the release.

STUDENT ARTWORK SOUGHT

LANSING — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is holding an art contest for the 2025 State of the State program cover. Michigan’s K-12 students are encouraged to come up with a creative design for the program cover following the theme, “Think Michigan.”

Students are welcome to use crayons, markers, paints or any other materials. For design submissions, visit www.michigan.gov/artcontest and follow the instructions on the webpage. Submissions will be accepted exclusively through the online system and must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. Feb. 14. The 2025 State of the State address is scheduled for Feb. 26.

OAKLAND COUNTY VETERANS RESOURCE FAIR

The annual Oakland County Veterans Resource Fair will be held at the Novi Civic Center from 9 a.m. to noon Feb. 27. Representatives will be available to provide all veterans, active duty military, and their families with information on health care, employment, transportation, housing, food and other resources.

Photo provided by Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard was named National Sheriff of the Year during the Major County Sheriffs of America annual policy conference last week in Washington, D.C.

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Lt. Kevin Gilmore said Meier taught him to be patient when learning new things, that mistakes happen, but the key is to not repeat them.

“He was a great boss, a great supervisor,” Gilmore said. “He provided very good guidance. He provided freedom to learn, but when you needed help, he was always there to guide you. He was not just a boss, but a friend. Any type of assignment he gave, he gave clear direction and was always open to new ideas.”

Meier, 50, began his career in November 1998 as a patrol officer partnered with Zinser.

Zinser said that Meier predicted early on that Zinser would be chief one day, and that he was honored to have been the one to promote Meier to commander.

“From his early years in uniform operations, he quickly set himself apart as an officer of exceptional skill and integrity,” Zinser said.

Meier worked his way up the ranks and served as a patrol officer, an undercover detective, with the crisis intervention team, as a hostage negotiator with the Special Response

Team, and as a field training officer. He continued to train officers through Jan. 30. The chief said he was surprised to find Meier training so close to his retirement. However, Meier said he was bound to uphold his commitment.

One of the things Meier said he is most proud of in his career is that he was able to work alongside Drug Enforcement Administration agents in Operation Falling Star approximately 20 years ago. This was the first time Novi was a part of a DEA task force, after Novi police officers had found a large sum of cash in a hotel room.

“It ended up that we took down the largest marijuana-trafficking operation in the history of Michigan,” Meier said.

The case took more than three years to solve but resulted in more than 40 indictments and the seizure of almost $20 million and 400,000 pounds of marijuana with ties to a cartel in Mexico.

“We won the DEA Administrator’s Award, which is the highest award the DEA can administer to people,” said Meier.

“It was a big case, probably the best thing I did in my career,” he said, “at least on the law enforcement side.”

His tenure on the task force underscored his ability to think decisively under See MEIER on page 16A

to $12.48 an hour this year, with tipped workers gradually reaching $12 in 2029. The final amounts will be determined by the state’s treasurer.

All employees, including part-time and temporary workers, are entitled to paid sick leave. Every 30 hours an employee works generates one hour of paid sick leave. Employees get 72 hours paid sick time per year at larger companies. However, employers with fewer than 10 employees need to only pay for 40 hours of sick leave a year.

Proposed Republican changes

Two Republican-led bills have passed through the Michigan House of Representatives that would augment the court’s ruling.

“These bills are now bound for the Senate where they will face another vote,” Rep. Ron Robinson, R-Utica, said in a press release. “I urge each senator to consider the needs of the small business in their communities and vote yes. It would be a massive win for Michigan if the Senate followed the example of the House and sent these bills to (the) governor’s desk.”

House Bill 4001, introduced by Rep. John Roth, R-Interlochen, would tweak the minimum wage changes. It was passed Jan. 23 with a 63-41 vote. Six House members sat out for the vote.

The bill would set the new minimum wage to $12, which is 48 cents less than what would go into effect automatically Feb. 21. The wage would increase by 50 cents in 2026, and then increase by $1 each Jan. 1 until 2029. Starting in 2030, the state treasurer would calculate the annual increase.

Tipped workers would receive 38% of whatever the minimum wage is for all other workers.

House Bill 4002, introduced by Rep. Jay DeBoyer, R-Clay Township, would alter the paid sick time changes. It passed the same day as HB 4001 with a 67-38 vote. Five members abstained from the vote.

The bill excises the earned sick time for businesses with fewer than 50 employees. Workers at

Charity Meier | (586) 498-1092 | cmeier@candgnews.com

Artroom: (586) 498-1036 | ads@candgnews.com Classifieds:

498-8100

larger companies would earn one hour of sick time for every 30 hours worked, not including hours used as paid leave. Sick leave accrued can carry over from year to year, or an employer can pay the employee the value of the time. Employers do not have to allow more than 72 hours of accrued sick time in a year. They also don’t have to carry over more than 72 hours from one year to the next.

“We have heard again and again from thousands and thousands of restaurant workers whose jobs are at risk,” Sen. Michael Webber, R-Rochester Hills, said in a press release. “The Legislature has both the duty and ability to protect this vital industry and its employees. But the clock is ticking; we need Senate Democrats to do the right thing and join us in the fight to save Michigan’s threatened hospitality industry.”

The Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association supported the changes in HB 4001.

“The House has acted to protect 1,000 independent restaurants from closing permanently,” Justin Winslow, president and CEO of the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association, said in a press release. “Now it’s critical for the Senate to follow suit and pass House Bill 4001 immediately. Every day of inaction puts more Michigan restaurant jobs and businesses at risk.”

While some Democrats joined GOP members in approving the votes, some cast a vote against them. Rep. Joe Tate, D-Detroit, said in a release following the vote that the bills could have been better.

“We need to support workers receiving wages and benefits they deserve — along with creating a positive climate for employers to thrive,” Tate said in a press release.

Senate Democrats weigh in

Michigan Democratic senators have their own proposed legislation to counter Republican efforts. Sens. Kevin Hertel, D-St. Clair Shores, and Sam Singh, D-East Lansing, have introduced bills that would adjust the changes set to take effect in February. The bills are currently being discussed in their respective committees.

Senate Bill 8, introduced by Hertel, changes the schedule of the wage increases. The initial

rated coffee sleeves. In December, they decorated sleeves for the local Starbucks to provide some holiday cheer.

After hearing about Deerfield’s collaboration with Starbucks, Kim Sinclair, Chartwells K12 director of food and nutrition services for the Novi Community School District, thought it would be the perfect way to market the Read A Latte Cafe and reached out to the Deerfield art teacher, Chelsea Reesbeck.

The cafe, run by Chartwells K12 and the district, offers the community a place to go for nourishment without having to leave the library. It also provides students with special needs in the Novi Adult Transition Center program a chance to learn and implement life skills. The cafe employs two people full time, one part-time, while helping to educate two NATC students.

However, many people don’t realize the cafe is there, according to Sinclair.

“It’s a great program, but it’s self-funded and they don’t get a lot of food traffic, just because it is hidden within the library,” Reesbeck said. “So when (Sinclair) asked if I would be interested in doing another collaborative project, I was all for it. I would much rather work with our district and do what I can to bring in money and revenue for this type of a program.”

She said the kids are decorating the sleeves to bring awareness of the cafe’s existence and some “Valentine’s Day cheer.”

According to Sinclair, the majority of the cafe’s business is done between 2:45 and 5 p.m. when the high school students get out of classes each day.

“It’s just not busy,” Sinclair said. “Here’s what I can tell you. The Novi High School students support the cafe. If it wasn’t for those high school students, we would not be in that program. They come over every day after school and they get themselves a latte or a cookie. … They really do keep us moving and shaking.”

Sinclair hopes that by utilizing the children’s art on the drink sleeves, more parents and community members will become aware of the cafe and patronize it more, so that it can remain open to help educate more individuals with special needs and benefit the community as a whole.

“My whole goal for this coffee sleeve (project) is just to bring awareness to this operation so that people know that this money all goes back to the Novi Community School District to help support some of these great programs that we run,” Sinclair said.

Reesbeck said this might become a more frequent project if it goes over well. She is considering talking to Sinclair about other holiday themes.

“It was really fun designing the coffee sleeves. I got to choose the materials and see what looks good,” Harper said. “My hope is that when they get my design, I want them to feel, like, happy and, like, loved.”

Read A Latte Cafe is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. They anticipate having about 500 coffee sleeves to pass out. Along with the sleeves, they will have holiday baked goods such as heart-shaped red velvet cake pops made by Susan Rudick, executive chef for Chartwells K12 at NCSD.

Call Staff Writer Charity Meier at (586) 498-1092.

Winter

Lissa Pietrykowski, a personal trainer and owner of Peak Physique and its offshoot, Peak Women, in Troy, said they see a lot of people in the winter months who are battling the winter blues or some form of depression. She said many say they didn’t want to come in but are glad they did, as they feel better after exercise.

“When I opened Peak Women, the main reason of doing so was to help people that suffer from anxiety and depression and to allow them to have the benefit of exercising and getting personal training, because exercising releases endorphins and it helps with depression, but so often people aren’t going to just come to a gym because they are intimidated,” Pietrykowski said. “So in a roundabout way, that was the purpose of why we opened it, was so that everybody could benefit from exercise.”

Pietrykowski said she is partial to strength training, especially for women, as it is good for not just mood but bone strength, especially as you get older. However, she said it is important to just get your body moving, even for a short period of time. She recommends exercising three days a week for at least a half hour.

“Small goals. Make sure you do 10 minutes a day at first and then do 15 minutes a day,” she said. “If you can do that three days a week, it’s a great start.”

weight exercises at home such as push-ups or squats, or possibly take a yoga class on YouTube. She recommends Tabata as a great way to get one’s heart rate up and bring it back down, which can be done at home. She said it is a type of exercise routine where a person does an exercise for 30 seconds, breaks for 15 seconds, and then repeats with different 30-second exercises, followed by a 15-second break. She said that there are several free apps for Tabata.

“It’s a very fast way to get your body moving and it’s very effective,” Piertrykowski said.

According to Skurnowicz, people should also optimize blood sugar levels as they have a lot to do with cognitive function and maintain proper gut health. She said that if your gut isn’t healthy, your brain isn’t healthy. In order to do that, she said people need to monitor their diet and eat healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables.

“Eat organic, whole foods and a wellrounded diet,” she said.

Pietrykowski said people could do body

Sablaban also emphasized the importance of socialization. He said many people don’t see friends and family as often during the cold winter months. He suggests making a “purposeful effort” to socialize and see friends and family members.

page 4A See WINTER on page 12A

“A lot of times we don’t realize how much the minimization of daylight does,” Sablaban said. “So you know you haven’t seen a buddy or you haven’t seen a friend or colleague outside of the work environment for two months, I mean,

SPOTLIGHT ON SENIOR LIVING

VOLUNTEERS PROVIDE CARE AND THERAPY FOR HOSPICE PATIENTS

BY ALYSSA OCHSS aochss@candgnews.com

Aloved one’s decision to enter hospice care can begin a daunting and scary time for families, but volunteers providing supporting care for their loved ones can make it a little bit easier.

Ruth Moore-Lilly, Hospice of Michigan’s volunteer program coordinator, said volunteers give additional support to patients and families during hospice care.

“Providing companionship, caregiver relief — just a more personal side where the patient doesn’t really feel like a patient,” Moore-Lilly said.

Hospice is end-of-life care, or palliative care. The volunteers provide a wide range of services, including caregiver relief, pet therapy, music therapy and much more.

“It’s really just providing that extra special support at a very sacred time,” Moore-Lilly said.

Hospice patients range in age from infants to the elderly. Their diagnoses range as well, but all are terminal.

Families can request hospice through referrals by the patient or through a doctor.

“Once a patient’s on our service, the clinical team — the nurses, the social workers, the spiritual care advisors — they’re always assessing patients to see if they would desire something from

a volunteer,” Moore-Lilly said. “And they make those referrals to the volunteer coordinator, who then starts the process to match a volunteer with a patient.”

Volunteers can meet a patient at their care facility or at their home. Usually, only one volunteer visits at a time, but Moore-Lilly said they may have more than one volunteer visit each week.

Crystal Hickerson, the volunteer coordinator at Brighton Hospice, said it’s the job of the volunteer to provide companionship for the patient.

bit of relief,” Hickerson said. “Just knowing someone

“It’s a nonclinical way to bring support to the hospice patient and to provide for the caregiver a little bit of relief,” Hickerson said. “Just knowing someone else is visiting with their loved one without it not necessarily being just someone coming to do a test or something like that.”

Hickerson said that hospice started as a volunteer service. Around the 1980s, regulations were put in place in the United States to require hospice organizations to provide volunteer support and services.

She said Medicare makes sure volunteers are utilized

See HOSPICE on page 14A

Cheers to Your New Chapter!

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22ND

Brunch: 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. | Tours: 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Rose Senior Living Providence Park | 47400 Heritage Dr., Novi, MI 48374

Celebrate a worry-free lifestyle at Rose Senior Living Providence Park!

Join us for a champagne brunch and open house to enjoy:

Celebrate a worry-free lifestyle at Rose Senior Living Providence Park! Join us for a champagne brunch and open house to enjoy:

• A chef-prepared brunch in our elegant dining room.

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RSVPBY FEBRUARY 12TH!

Scan the QR code, call 248-859-0458, or email us at RSLProvidenceParkConcierge@roseseniorliving.com

Tom Kallas and his dog, Kevin, provide

pice patients through Hospice of Michigan. Hospice of Michigan

Practitioner helps patients go Beyond Low Vision

For those sufering the efects of macular degeneration, eye disease, glaucoma, stroke, or other conditions afecting the retina, the days of living with poor eyesight are over.

The technology now exists to take patients “Beyond Low Vision,” and Dr. John Jacobi, OD, FCOVD, FIALVS, is the

to function at work or in their everyday lives due to the damage done to their eyes.

“Most of these patients will be told by their medical

John P. Jacobi, OD, FCOVD, FIALVS

practitioner doing just that every day by matching clients with a specialized optical product that mounts on their glasses.

“The mission of my new practice is to make sure that low vision care becomes widely available to those in need,” Jacobi said. “Far too long, patients have not been directed to the proper services.”

Jacobi said it’s one thing to medically treat a condition. However, he said most of the patients are still left unable

already using hand-held magnifcation equipment with much frustration,” Jacobi said. “Usually, they are elderly and can’t steady the magnifer, so the print goes in and out of focus. These handhelds are cumbersome and block patients from writing or engaging in hobbies, such as painting.”

The specialized devices

practitioners that, ‘Nothing more can be done.’ How does the treatment stop here? The patient asks, ‘Is there anything else you can do?’ What they are asking is, ‘How do I get along in life?’ But what the medical doctor hears is, ‘Do you have a miracle for me?’”

Jacobi’s low-vision treatments involve the use of specialized hands-free, eyeglass mounted vision devices that eliminate the stress of hand-held magnifcation equipment.

“Most of the patients are

potentializing each patient’s remaining eyesight at Beyond Low Vision is based on prescribing with confdence and achieving positive results that improve quality of life.

“Everyone leaves better than when they came in,” Jacobi said. “Devices are put in place and ongoing training visits happen. We ofer hope and consolation along with pragmatic care.”

prescribed at Beyond Low Vision allow patients to read, write, work on computers, see faces and even drive. But the benefts go even further than that.

“I ofer them independence and confdence which thwarts isolation and therefore progressive depression,” Jacobi said.

Low-power magnifcation glasses, high-power reading glasses and eyeglass mounted telescopes are among the options available.

Jacobi’s approach to

He added, “I have been practicing for 37 years. I have always incorporated low vision into my practice. As practitioners retired and the interest in practicing low vision waned, I felt that the community needed this necessary service. I also believed patients required a warm, personal, non-institutionalized touch during their most difcult times.”

Beyond Low Vision is located at 26850 Providence Parkway, Suite 150, in Novi. To schedule a consultation or for more information, call (248) 731-9393. 0389-2506

Technology

“What’s nice about the app is that it really streamlines the system rather than going through papers and clipboards and binders,” Huisman said.

Huisman said he has been working with Rosalee Johnson, director of mental health at NCSD, on the comprehensive school threat assessment guidelines.

“We started working on it last winter. We realized we were doing a good job already, but we really needed to amp up our training for all our staff, ancillary staff, counselors, social workers, and school psychologists. We are all going through this together and then our administrators got this training as well,” Huisman said. “So we are trained up.”

He said this year they are hoping to do the same thing with suicide assessments. The school will be taking suicide risk assesment training in March through the Columbia University Lighthouse Project. Staff will be trained on what to look for as signs of suicide and how to complete a risk assesment regarding suicidal statements.

“I just wanted to thank you and Ms. Johnson for working together on this issue. This is something I care a lot about,” said

Winter

from page 9A

that’s going to have an impact, especially if you are regularly used to getting together.”

Pietrykowski said that it is always beneficial to exercise with someone else. She said that it goes quicker because you are talking to someone and it is more fun. She said it also provides accountability and motivation and something for someone to look forward to seeing. For those who aren’t able to get out of the house, she suggests working out with a friend on the phone or via Zoom.

Betsy Beaudoin, board member. “Obviously, I know we all care a lot about school safety and mental health, but I think it’s really elevated our response and the service the kids and the staff are getting when you start working together.”

The school is using AI technology

“Having that other person doing something with you could be motivating,” she said. “Even for me as a trainer, it is so much easier doing the workout to have someone there with me.”

She said that having another person there allows her to focus on her workout rather than taking time to check emails or text messages.

“Drink lots of water and set realistic goals,” Pietrykowski said. “With exercise, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Little bits add up. Just make the goal of getting yourself to move.”

Pietrykowski said she sees people’s moods improve the same day they begin to exercise and it heightens over time.

known as “Zero Eyes” to pick up on any weapon that is brandished. He said this means they are aware when a gun comes onto any of the school grounds, and this includes guns carried by law enforcement officials, as well as anything that might pose a threat to the school community.

“The minute it is brandished, meaning in the hand, it will pick up on that and a message is sent directly to our law enforcement and our administration that there is a gun on-site,” Huisman said.

According to Huisman, 625 of the

Photo by Charity Meier

Dennis Huisman, supervisor of safety and security for the Novi Community School District, speaks to the Board of Education Jan. 23 about the district’s safety and security upgrades during the last two years.

Hospice

from page 10A

and requires that 5% of the organization’s staff hours are volunteered across its teams, including administration.

Some volunteers are students in pre-med or other medical-related fields of study. Hickerson said these students get firsthand experience in the end-of-life process.

“We want them as they go in their role as a physician to know about what the end-of-life services are and that hospice is available and what it’s really about,” Hickerson said.

She said that even though they might not go into a field dealing with the end of life, it gives them knowledge about the process and when to refer someone to hospice.

“And that’s crucial, because again, like I said, in America, it’s only been here since the ‘80s, so it takes a while for some physicians to understand, even though they’re in the medical field,” Hickerson said.

She said she always asks any volunteer why they chose hospice, because it is so specific.

“There’s so many regulations around it; it’s almost like a job,” Hickerson said.

She said volunteers stay because they learn a lot from their patients.

“Just being there for someone and the humanity of it all,” Hickerson said. “It’s really great when we have younger volunteers who go out and see our patients.”

Tom Kallas and his dog, a Newfoundland named Kevin, provide pet therapy to the patients they visit.

He started volunteering two years ago, after his wife found an article about pet volunteering.

“And she showed it to me. I was recently retired, and I contacted them, and I’ve been involved with them now for the last couple years,” Kallas said.

Kallas volunteers at other places with Kevin in addition to Hospice of Michigan. He said that after 40 years of working, he was in a place mentally to want to give back.

“I spent 40 years trying to accumulate enough wealth to be able to retire, and after I retired, I just had an inner urge to do some volunteering, to do some giveback,” Kallas said.

Kallas’ training prepared him for patient deaths. He said that over long periods of time, he’s created relationships with them and their families.

“When you lose that person that you’ve seen every single week for a year, you know, it’s tough. It’s really, really tough,” Kallas said. “At the same time, you have to have in your mind the fact that you know what you were doing is doing good for that patient, and you knew going into it what the outcome was most likely going to be.”

Kallas said visits are memorable when families get together with the patient and take part in the services. He said families are very appreciative of his company.

“You’ve never seen anybody appreciate something like the families that have hospice involved,” Kallas said.

He said some of the work his fellow volunteers do is incredible.

“It’s selfless,” Kallas said.

Moore-Lilly said she thinks volunteers provide their time and companionship unconditionally.

“Volunteers aren’t expecting anything in return. They just have a heart to be with somebody,” Moore-Lilly said.

While she has worked in health care all her life, Moore-Lilly said it was not always with hospice. She started volunteering before she was employed by the organization. Hospice of Michigan and Brighton Hospice are just two of many hospice care providers in the state offering an array of services.

She reiterated that at the end of a person’s life, everything revolves around a patient’s diagnosis, and the volunteers allow them to be a regular person outside of their diagnosis.

“Volunteers always say that they take a piece of every person that they have visited with them in their own life,” Moore-Lilly said. “And it really, you know, for me, and I do speak for other staff members and volunteers, it changes our lives.”

She said it gives her a new appreciation for what she has.

Moore-Lilly said the whole experience has been rewarding.

“I can’t imagine doing anything else,” Moore-Lilly said. “This is where I’ll stay for the rest of my career.”

Volunteers must be 18 to participate, and training is provided. Future volunteers also must go through a background check, fingerprinting and a tuberculosis test. They can visit the Hospice of Michigan website at hom.org or Brighton Hospice at brightonhospice.com.

“If you have a heart for other people, then you can be a hospice volunteer,” Moore-Lilly said. “You don’t have to have any special talents.”

Call Staff Writer Alyssa Ochss at (586) 498-1103.

CRIME WATCH

Resident discovers stolen electricity

A Howell woman allegedly opened an account with an electric company in the name of a Novi resident. That resident found out about it and contacted police on Jan. 23. The Howell woman allegedly had racked up a bill of about $300 before the Novi resident noticed. Charges had yet to be filed against the Howell woman at press time.

Woman arrested for shoplifting

The loss prevention department at Walmart in Novi apprehended a woman after she allegedly tried to walk out without paying for toilet paper and paper plates Jan. 24. The items totaled $22.96. The woman was arrested and charged with shoplifting.

— Charity Meier

Technology

from page 12A

school’s 827 camera streams have the Zero Eyes technology. He said it is not on all of them because some of the cameras are focused on places where the system is not needed. He said the system is nice because it runs in the background and is on every day. He said when they do have a hit, the company has 24/7 dispatch to review each hit, as it isn’t always a weapon that the system picks up on. Huisman said that in the springtime the system has been tripped when a child carries a Super Soaker water gun to recess and when the color guard carries its batons.

Huisman is currently working on updating the schools’ emergency operations plan and hopes to present it to the board this spring. The plan details pretty much everything that could happen and goes through the different steps the school will use to handle each situation.

All cameras throughout the district have now been updated. Every camera is now 4K HD and efficient, according to Huisman. Huisman said that the district gets four different streams or views from each camera and records digitally.

Last fall the board approved the purchase of more than 500 lockdown buckets. The buckets provide some materials that the students and staff can use to get by during a lockdown situation. Most notably, the bucket itself doubles as a bathroom.

“One of the biggest complaints when a student or a teacher is in a room for a long time is that they want to know when they can use the bathroom, so this bucket actually provides a restroom, it has water, it has food, it has anything that you might need for an extended lockdown period,” Huisman said.

The buckets have now been distributed to all the different school buildings within the district.

Huisman said one of his “favorite”

things that they now have is Bloxi. Bloxi is a program that allows teachers to observe what students are doing on their chromebooks or tablets. Parents also have access to the program when the students are at home as well. The program also has a student safety feature that looks for key words, and when they pop up, an alert gets sent.

“We have flagged 380 students in the last year and a half with over 1,019 incidents. So, the system is working,” Huisman said. “So, I send a message to the principal and say, ‘Hey, can you check on this student,’ and that’s really what we’re checking in on, students, to make sure they are OK.”

According to Huisman, 85.7% of the system’s hits are mental-health related. Only 14.3% are for threatening behavior.

“I didn’t quite realize that our numbers were going to be like this, but it’s definitely eye-opening to what our students are going through,” Huisman said.

The district now has mapping to provide first responders to help them know exactly where to go. The maps are being updated again this year.

The school doors have now been switched from keys to HS4 scan door systems. The process took two years to complete.

Each school in the district now has medical emergency response teams on-site. The teams consist of staff members who volunteer to undergo CPR and automated external defibrillator training to be able to help with a medical emergency within the school.

Student assessments have now been digitized through Raptor, allowing staff to see if there is a pattern with a certain student and incorporate that into their risk assessment.

“It’s clear to me that we are getting a lot of value through this role (supervisor of safety and security),” said Willy Mena, NCSD Board of Education member.

Call Staff Writer Charity Meier at (586) 498-1092.

pressure, according to Zinser.

Meier is also credited with establishing a transparent working relationship with the media. The Novi Police Department does not have a public information officer and Zinser said Meier just stepped into that role. Zinser said that Meier gave him a few tips on dealing with the media when he promoted Meier to commander, and that he just ran with it from there.

“He did an excellent job and handled just about every case after that.” Zinser said. “That may sound simple, but it is not simple, because when the media starts calling on a big case, it’s not one phone call, it’s not two phone calls, it’s two days of phone calls and on top of that the big three, (Channel) 2, 4 and 7, they all want somebody on camera and it’s never at the same time, because it’s never at a press conference. Jason’s out there and he’s chasing his tail with the media. He did a fantastic job. If you ever see some of his news clips, he’s very professional, keeping the public informed and asking the public for help and all those kind of things. So, he did a phenomenal job with that.”

Meier said it was important to him to work to change the historically bad relationship the department had with the media for the benefit of all. He said wanted to make it more transparent and accommodating, because he believes that it goes a long way.

“It’s important to get your message out and you can’t do that if you have an adversarial relationship with the media,” Meier said.

Zinser said Meier’s personality made him such a good police officer and person.

“His legacy is defined by professional leadership and unwavering commitment to the values of law enforcement,” Zinser said. “Cmdr. Meier’s impact on the Novi Police Department is immeasurable.”

Meier tracked the department’s crime stats and told the officers when and where they were happening so that officers could be in the area to protect the safety of the community.

“From the police standpoint, I really liked doing detective work, building cases, doing investigations. I feel like you can make a huge impact doing work like that, but then I’ve also loved my time as a commander here, so I really enjoyed working with my staff to develop and put

together great teams. Plus, being part of the administrative team, being a commander, gives me a seat at the table to really make positive change in the organization. I’ve really enjoyed being able to develop that at an organizational level and really put my stamp on the organization as a whole.”

Meier said that the biggest change he has brought forth is the implementation of a lot of new technologies. He said they used to have a lot of file cabinets in the records department and now they have digitized the records.

“I’m always looking out for new investigative technologies that we can use. I was big in implementing our Flock license plate reader camera systems here in Novi. That’s played a huge part in increasing our case closure rate by almost 10%,” Meier said. “I try to keep on top of new technologies and ways to make the staff’s lives easier.”

He also said that he would describe himself as an officer as someone who always tried to see each call from the caller’s point of view and to treat every call, even if it seemed mundane, as important.

“There’s no doubt that I’ve made a difference in people’s lives,” Meier said.

He said he has done everything he wanted to do as an officer and now it’s time for other people to have an opportunity to move up as he takes on a new challenge.

Meier’s academic credentials include a law degree from Wayne State University. Meier said he looks forward to being able to utilize that law degree in his next career as a member of the Washtenaw County Public Defender’s investigations unit. Now, instead of trying to find evidence that incriminates people, he will be an investigator trying to find reasonable doubt in the prosecution’s case against the defendant.

“What I’m really looking forward to is the current public defender wants to really grow the department into a strong investigative team that becomes like a model for the state. So I’m excited about that challenge. One of my favorite things to do in the last couple years here was really turning over teams here and building successful teams. So I’m looking forward to that challenge over there, just building that department from the ground up and really making it a strong team and a successful team.”

He said he is also looking forward to having a short drive to work and being able to spend more time with his family, including his wife, Rachel, whom he met on the force, five children and one grandson.

Call Staff Writer Charity Meier at (586) 498-1092.

Wage

from page 8A

change in February would remain at $12.48. Each subsequent increase would happen Jan. 1. Next year it would be $13.73, and in 2027 it would rise to $15. After that, the treasurer would update the rate each year.

Unlike the Republican legislation, SB 8 would increase the wages of tipped workers. The first year tipped workers would receive 38% of the $12.48 minimum wage. The wage would rise in 2%-3% increments each Jan. 1 until hitting 60% in 2035.

SB 15, introduced by Singh, deals with paid sick time. This bill attempts to keep some of the court ruling’s original intent, while sanding down some of its edges.

Earned sick time would stay relatively the same as the Supreme Court ruling, though the threshold for a small business would change from fewer than 10 employees to fewer than 25.

Too much meddling?

The passage of the two Republican bills wasn’t met with enthusiasm everywhere.

“Today, in a bipartisan fashion, the Michigan House of Representatives caved to corporate lobbyists and betrayed Michigan workers by voting to gut the state’s minimum wage and paid sick leave laws,” Sam Inglot, the executive director of Progress Michigan, said in a press release.

He said that the majority of Michigan residents supported the original changes as laid out by the Michigan Supreme Court’s decision. He urged the Senate to not make the two pieces of legislation into law.

“HB 4001 and HB 4002 strips workers of a well-deserved and overdue raise and strips too many workers of paid sick leave they need to take care of themselves and their loved ones,” Inglot said.

Michigan AFL-CIO President Ron Bieber accused the GOP of “unconstitutional tricks” when adopting and amending the original petition. Bieber advocated for keeping the court’s decision in place.

“Now, less than a month before workers are about to finally get the pay and benefits they deserve, the new Republican majority is trying to pull the rug out from under working families,” he said in a press release. “Every legislator, regardless of their party, should be held accountable for their vote to cut the pay and benefits for workers most in need.”

Call Staff Writer Nick Powers at (586) 498-1059.

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