3/20/24 Fraser-Clinton Chronicle

Investigation underway at site of massive fire

Photo by Patricia O’Blenes

Rubble excavation expected early April

BY DEAN VAGLIA dvaglia@candgnews.com

CLINTON TOWNSHIP —

The on-site investigation into the March 4 fire at a Clinton Township business has begun, according to township officials.

awareness for Turning Point

While the rubble at the site of what was Select Distributors and the Goo Smoke Shop will not be cleared until early April, experts are being brought in to assess the scene on behalf of government agencies, the building’s owners and surrounding businesses, according to Clinton Township Fire Chief Tim Duncan. Investigators still do not have a clear understanding of what caused the fire.

See FIRE on page 8A

TRUSTEES SHARE THOUGHTS ON NEW MEMBER KRESS

BY DEAN VAGLIA dvaglia@candgnews.com

CLINTON TOWNSHIP — Republican Dan Kress won the Feb. 27 election for the open Clinton Township Board of Trustees seat for a partial term which will be up for election again this August.

Kress won with a 51.9% majority and 9,906 votes, best-

ing Democratic candidate Iona Means’ 8,267 votes and Libertarian candidate Mike Saliba’s 913 votes. Kress’ term lasts until Nov. 20, meaning he will have to run again in order to serve a full term on the board.

The trustee seat Kress won was originally held by Democrat Joie West, whose resignation in August 2023 kicked off a six-month political battle. Board Democrats were able to pass a rules amendment outlining the process to appoint a

See TURNING on page 18A

replacement board member, but a failure to reach a quorum among the remaining trustees before the appointment deadline left it to be decided by special election. Candidates in the election were selected by local political parties.

The election of Kress now leaves the board with three Republicans and four Democrats, though Democratic trustee Tammy Patton has voted along with board Repub-

See TRUSTEES on page 14A

Jessica T. Phan, D.D.S.

Mark D. Berman, D.D.S.

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Drowning death suspect sentenced to 90 months to 30 years

Man convicted on manslaughter, child abuse charges

BY BRENDAN LOSINSKI blosinski@candgnews.com

MOUNT CLEMENS — On March 13, Fraser resident Hunter Locke-Hughes was ordered to serve 90 months to 30 years in prison on first-degree child abuse and involuntary manslaughter charges in the drowning death of Terry Adams, a 6-year-old special needs child.

He was convicted on Feb. 5 by a Macomb County jury. The verdict came after a nine-day trial.

Prosecutors claimed that LockeHughes, the boyfriend of Adams’ mother, Ashlynn Bethell, was left in charge of the child, as well as the child’s 2-year-old sister, on Dec. 28, 2021, at Bethell’s Clinton Township home. While left in his care, Adams died from drowning in a bathtub. Prosecutors claim the evidence showed that Locke-Hughes held the boy underwater.

He was initially charged with one count of first-degree child abuse and one count of felony murder, punishable by up to life in prison. The jury found that the facts only supported a charge of involuntary manslaughter

Fraser families clash over cap and gown colors

BY BRENDAN LOSINSKI blosinski@candgnews.com

FRASER — Several families in the Fraser Public Schools district are taking issue with a decision to change the colors of the caps and gowns used by graduating high school seniors.

The decision was made by district administrators to break from the tradition of female students wearing white gowns and male students wearing blue gowns. Instead, the entire student body will wear a blue and yellow gown.

“Sometime around 5-6 weeks ago, my daughter and the rest of the graduating class of 2024 were told that they were all going to be wearing blue gowns,” Mark Hamlin, the parent of a graduating senior, said in an email. “No white for girls, blue for boys, just all blue. I assure you … 99.9% of the female gradu-

ates and their parents were shocked and disappointed. It has been the tradition throughout Fraser High School, and most high schools over the decades that girls would wear white gowns.”

Fraser Superintendent Carrie Wozniak defended the decision saying that they are becoming more in line with the norm of other high schools and colleges.

“It’s important to remember that graduation is about unity and in most instances, most graduating classes wear the same color gown,” she said. “I can’t think of one college that has two colors for boys and girls for the gowns. The cap and gown is about class unity, not about it being white so it looks good (over) their dress. It was a decision to go back to our school colors that are blue and yellow. … (Graduation) isn’t about the fashion of the

Locke-Hughes

Photo by Brendan Losinski

Several families at Fraser High School have objected to the decision by the district to change the former graduation gown colors from white for girls and blue for boys to a uniform blue and yellow design.

NEWS & NOTES

Schools set funding election for May

CLINTON TOWNSHIP — Clintondale Community Schools and L’Anse Creuse Public Schools are holding funding elections on May 7.

Clintondale is seeking a sinking fund millage proposal “to levy not to exceed 3 mills ($3.00 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation) for a period of 10 years, 2024 to 2033, inclusive” for capital purchases.

L’Anse Creuse is seeking to issue $330 million in bonds to cover capital purchases.

Full text of the bond proposals can be found under the “May 7 Elections” tab on the Macomb County Clerk’s page at macombgov.org.

Board of Commissioners seeking volunteer nominations

MACOMB COUNTY — In honor of “National Volunteer Recognition Month” in April, the Macomb County Board of Commissioners is accepting nominations of volunteers that make valuable contributions to the community.

Volunteer nominations can be submitted online macombgov.az1.qualtrics.com. Two volunteers will be chosen per district, as well as a “Senior Volunteer of the Year.” Nominations are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, April 5.

Mother-son dance in Chesterfield Township

CHESTERFIELD TOWNSHIP — The L’Anse Creuse Foundation is hosting the Denim and Diamonds Mother-Son Dance on Sunday, April 21, at Zuccaro’s Banquets and Catering in Chesterfield Township.

Running from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., the event will feature a dinner, a DJ, desserts and more. Tickets are $35 at lanse-creuse-foundation.ticketleap.com.

WHAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAIN AT AREA THRIFT STORES

METRO DETROIT — The new trend in thrift store finds are vintage and retro items, according to Erik Overpeck, director of thrift store operation at Grace Centers of Hope, a nonprofit that operates four thrift stores in Macomb and Oakland counties.

There is a demand for shoppers seeking retro concert T-shirts and timeless denim pieces. Designer handbags continue to draw the interest of thrift store shoppers. High-end brands like Coach, Prada, and Michael Kors are among the sought-after labels available at discounted prices, according to Overpeck.

Home furnishings from mid-century modern to Danish modern furnishings attract customers drawn to clean lines and minimalist designs. Solid wood furniture

is also popular for its sturdy and timeless appeal. Refurbishing the wood breathes new life into the furniture and attracts many “DIY” enthusiasts, said Overpeck. Vintage glassware from the mid-century era is also in high demand at thrift stores this year. Colorful Pyrex dishes and unique Uranium glass pieces attract collectors and home decorators alike.

All the proceeds from the Grace Centers of Hope Thrift Stores benefit their recovery programs to help people overcome homelessness and addiction.

The Warren thrift store is located at 26740 Dequindre Road. Other Grace Centers of Hope Thrift stores are located in Sterling Heights, Oak Park and Waterford.

TOUGH AS NAILS

Snyder solidifies high school wrestling career with state placing

BY JONATHAN SZCZEPANIAK jszczepaniak@candgnews.com

CLINTON TOWNSHIP — Don’t let the smell of perfume or the bright smiles fool you when you step into the gymnasium.

Girls across the state of Michigan have displayed fierceness and competitiveness in wrestling, whether it’s facing the boys in a co-ed match or going head-to-head with another girl.

Since the Michigan High School Athletic Association added a girls only wrestling division for the 2021-2022 season, numbers have grown exponentially for numerous high schools across the state.

Girls have been wrestling for decades at the high school level, in small numbers, but this was the first opportunity where girls were prioritized in the sport of wrestling.

In its first year, nearly 400 girls wrestled in the regional meet, which was split up into just two regions prior to the state meet.

Now holding four regions consisting of nearly 800 wrestlers, and over 1,000 who competed this year in meets across the state, there’s hopes of potentially holding district meets, — like the boys side does — next year because of the increasing numbers.

“It’s (numbers) almost tripled since last year,” Birmingham Groves wrestling coach Joseph Jones said. “It’s growing really, really fast.”

Jones and Groves were the host of the first tri-county all-girls wrestling meet as schools from Wayne, Macomb and Oakland counties went head-to-head. Local all-girls tournaments are becoming more and more popular in the surrounding counties, whereas past years saw teams traveling two or three hours in order to compete.

The majority are learning the sport in high school, and some have seen siblings compete, but the one thing they all share is the love and passion for it.

As all-girls tournaments become more common, longtime coaches such as Warren Mott’s Paul Salyers, an assistant coach on the boys side and Motts’ girls head coach this past year, are still getting used to the environment.

“You go into a wrestling gym where a boys tournament is being held, and oh, my God does it stink,” Salyers said. “There’s BO (body odor) everywhere. You go into a girls tournament and it’s a cacophony of perfume. It’s hilarious to me. The girls will get down after beating the crap out of another girl,

and with boys, they’ll get done and they’re strutting around like they’re the king, but the girls will get done, get their hand raised and go over and hug the girl they just beat up on and go, ‘Honey, this is what you need to do next time, because I was able to do this because you were doing this wrong.’ It’s just funny. You don’t see that with the boys.”

As more girls continue to join, local teams are wishing upon a star that the popularity of wrestling and the success of their current girl wrestlers are signs of more wrestlers to come.

Clinton Township Chippewa Valley

After compiling an impressive list of accomplishments throughout her high school wrestling career for the Big Reds, senior Julia Snyder capped off her season the only way she knew how — at the Michigan High School Athletic Association state finals.

On March 2 at Ford Field, Snyder, who tallied 18 wins this year, went 3-2 during the state finals to place seventh in the 100-pound weight class, becoming the third

See WRESTLING on page 7A

Photo provided by Nick Bowers Clinton Township Chippewa Valley senior Julia Snyder earns seventh at the MHSAA individual wrestling state finals.

Local clerks reflect on first early voting primary

BY DEAN VAGLIA dvaglia@candgnews.com

MACOMB COUNTY — It was an election two years in the making.

After Michigan voters passed Proposition 2 in 2022 with a 60% majority, the first statewide election with nine days of early voting arrived in February.

With the election now weeks behind them, several Macomb County clerks took time to reflect on their experiences with new laws and how things could be different going forward.

The buildup

Going into the election, clerks had differing expectations as to what implementing early voting would be like. For Harrison Township Clerk Adam Wit, there were no expectations for the new system.

“I really didn’t have a lot of expectations because with so much change for us, it was all a learning experience,” Wit said. “I’ve done a lot of elections at this point and this

one was different from anything else we’ve ever run before.”

Delayed software and word from the state were a common gripe from the clerks, as Mount Clemens Clerk Cathleen Martin attests to.

“It was a lot of ‘fear of the unknown’ with the nine days of early voting, and given the fact the state was very late on developing software and providing information to us so that we could train our workers,” Martin said. “We were trained pretty late in the game, so that was kind of a stress; not knowing what it would look like, not knowing what the software would look like, but we managed, and our workers really came through for us.”

Putting the election together also involved a lot of work on the part of clerks and their staff.

“We expected that it would be both mentally and physically exhausting, and that was in fact the case,” Macomb Township Clerk Kristi Pozzi said. “Our office worked

See VOTING on page 16A

Safety protection key to viewing solar eclipse

BY ALYSSA OCHSS aochss@candgnews.com

METRO DETROIT — A near total solar eclipse doesn’t occur often, but when it does happen there are safety precautions people must take to prevent eye damage and behold its true beauty.

Bob Trembley, president of the Warren Astronomical Society, said a solar eclipse happens when the moon passes in front of the sun.

“There can be a partial eclipse. You’ll just see a bite taken out of it and it’ll look like a crescent, a crescent moon almost, but crescent sun,” Trembley said. “But if you’re in the right spot at the right time, the moon can cover the entire face of the sun.”

A solar eclipse will occur in parts of the continental United States on April 8. According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s website, a partial eclipse will start in Cleveland, Ohio at around 1:59 p.m. EDT. Totality will begin

at around 3:13 p.m. and totality will end at around 3:16 p.m.

What does that mean for Michigan?

Micheal Narlock, head of astronomy at Cranbrook Institute of Science in Bloomfield Hills, said that people here in the metro area of Michigan will experience a 98% solar eclipse.

“If you stay in the metro area, you’re going to be in for quite a treat,” Narlock said. “Because the sun is going to be covered by the moon, not totally, but about as close to total you can get without it actually being total.”

The last total solar eclipse in Michigan was in 1954 and there won’t be another total eclipse in the area until 2099. The last total solar eclipse in the continental U.S. was in 2017.

Jon Blum, a member of the Warren Astronomical Society, said if a person would like to see a full eclipse, they would have to travel to a place along the eclipse path.

See ECLIPSE on page 18A

Wrestling

from page 5A

female wrestler in school history to place at states.

“Her placing was her mental toughness, and I think that’s where she separated herself from the other girls where it was like, ‘I can do anything and there’s nothing I can’t overcome,’” Chippewa Valley head coach Nick Bowers said. “That was infectious with the rest of the team.”

A team captain for the Big Reds, Snyder

has been one of the pioneers of female wrestling in Macomb County as a three-time state qualifier and the first Macomb County champion in the 100-pound weight class last year.

As a sport that’s been dominated by male wrestlers, the girls side continues to grow in numbers and is likely to continue seeing an upward trend with the help of wrestlers like Snyder, who leave an impact in their school for wrestlers to follow.

Sophomore Bridget Maas will be the lone female wrestler returning for Chippewa Valley next year after earning 10 wins this season.

Photo provided by Ken Bertin

Ken Bertin poses with his telescope he uses to view solar eclipses. He is 77 years old and has loved astronomy since he was 6.

from page 1A

At a press conference on March 8, township officials outlined their approach to investigating the blaze.

“There’s a process and a scientific procedure that we follow in fire investigation, and this team that’s being assembled will focus on getting that right,” said Fire Marshal Chuck Champagne of the Clinton Township Fire Department.

Lingering fires and the dangers presented by unexploded nitrous oxide tanks in the rubble delayed the physical investigation for over a week while interviews and other aspects of the investigation began on the night of the inferno. The investigative team will include the Clinton Township fire and police departments, the Michigan State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Private investigators are involved as well. Clinton Township Supervisor Bob Cannon said the Major Crimes Unit of the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office is on standby for this case.

“It’s not time yet, it’s not time, but (Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido) stands ready,” Cannon said. “At the top of his list are three people who are going to help Clinton Township PD.”

Even with the investigation far from finished, it is not hard to see charges and court proceedings looming. The fire that broke out after 9 p.m. on March 4 turned explosive, likely due to the butane and nitrous oxide tanks that were reportedly in a building ill-suited for hazardous storage. Previous inspections of the site showed no presence of hazardous materials.

“The zoning is irrelevant to the storage of items in a building,” said Barry Miller, Clinton Township building department superintendent. “There’s three levels of storage you can have in buildings. It’s S1, S2 and then hazard. … At the time of inspection,

See FIRE on page 12A

A map of the Environmental Protection Agency’s shows the cleanup area and buffer zone surrounding the site of the March 4 fire.

Sentencing

and first-degree child abuse.

“We do not know the motive,” Dawn Fraylick, the communications director for the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office, said in an email. “The jury could convict on first degree murder, second degree murder or involuntary manslaughter. The jury convicted on involuntary manslaughter.”

Adams had CHARGE Syndrome. According to the National Institute of Health, symptoms include “coloboma, heart disease, atresia of the choanae, retarded growth and mental development, genital anomalies, and ear malformations and hearing loss.” This left him particularly vulnerable.

At his sentencing, Locke-Hughes maintained that he did nothing to intentionally harm the child, although he accepted the involuntary manslaughter charge by admitting negligence while Adams was in his care.

“I accept and take responsibility for the involuntary manslaughter charge because Terry was in my care and I could have prevented this by closing the bathroom door and draining the bathtub,” he said to the court. “I do not accept the first-degree child abuse charge, your honor. I didn’t intention-

ally or knowingly cause any harm to Terry, on that night or any other night. I am not a monster nor am I an abuser nor will I ever be. I believe the court should void the first-degree child abuse charge and sentence me only to involuntary manslaughter, your honor. If that is not the case, I will continue fighting at a higher court.”

Macomb County Circuit Court Judge Kathryn Viviano sentenced Locke-Hughes to 90 months to 30 years for the first-degree child abuse charge and 43 months to 15 years on the involuntary manslaughter charge. The sentences will run concurrently.

The Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office is appealing the sentence.

“When a sentencing fails to reflect the gravity of the offense, we must appeal it on behalf of the victim, victim’s family, and the community,” Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido said in a press release.

Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Elizabeth Abbo said in court that medical findings indicated abuse toward the child.

“We had evidence presented from a medical examiner that this child had injuries that were serious, which is all that that (charge of) child abuse requires,” she said. “He had bleeding on the brain, he had bruising down the back, he had bruising on his

See SENTENCING on page 13A

SPOTLIGHT

JUST KEEP SWIMMING: A SPORT FOR ALL AGES

BY MARY BETH ALMOND malmond@candgnews.com

METRO DETROIT — Jumping into a pool or lake for a swim isn’t only fun, it offers many health benefits and is great for people of all ages.

With so many opportunities for water recreation in Michigan, the most important step is learning how to swim.

“Swim and water safety are really important topics because we all live in Michigan, so we all live really close to water recreation opportunities — whether that be pools or lakes or rivers. There’s lots of opportunities for residents to get in the water and recreate, but for a lot of people, if they don’t know how to swim, that can be a dangerous situation,” said Danielle Mauter, the chief of marketing and communications for the Huron-Clinton Metroparks.

Although formal swim lessons may reduce the likelihood of drowning by 88%, studies show one of the biggest barriers to more people in the region learning to swim is the fees.

The Huron-Clinton Metroparks is working

with partners to save lives by increasing access to free swim lessons and lifesaving water skills in underserved communities through the expansion of its Everyone in the Pool swim initiative. Through this five-year plan, the metroparks have committed to providing 6,000 free swim lessons each year for adults and children with support from existing and future partners and expand opportunities for lifeguard certification and staffing infrastructure. A fundraising goal of $1.5 million has been set to make this expansion possible.

Over the past three years, the metroparks have partnered with public and nonprofit organizations in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw and Livingston counties to collaborate on free water safety and swim lessons for more than 4,600 students at various recreation centers and facilities. Most lessons start in early June, and registration is already open for some, with additional registration opportunities continuing to open over the next few weeks on the metroparks website, www.metroparks.com.

After learning how to swim, it’s important to keep practicing your skills in the water as you grow.

Huron-Clinton Metroparks is working with multiple partners throughout the year to offer free swim lessons at locations throughout southeast Michigan.

Photo provided by the Huron-Clinton Metroparks

ANSWER THE CALL OF THE CANAL

Traveling through the engineering feat of the Panama Canal is an experience unlike anything else. And your clients can learn all about this man-made marvel and other wonders that dot this unique region- exploring the lively streets of the coastal Cartagena, Colombia. Trekking lush rainforests. And discovering natural splendors in Puntarenas, Costa Rica. They’re sure to fall in love with the rich tapestry of cultures and ecological rarities on a voyage to remember or years to come. Come Seek the Royal Caribbean®.

Anyone can go online and book a vacation, but is that really the best way to do it? Are you getting the best deal? Booking the best experiences? Protecting yourself in case unforeseen problems arise?

Je rey Leonardi is a travel sales professional and the owner of Travel Time Vacations & Cruises. He’s been booking annual adventures and trips of a lifetime for his clients for 28 years.

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“I was No. 1 at AAA at one time, and then I was in the Top 10 in the world in what they call the ‘Best of the Best for American Express,’” Leonardi said. “I do everything from escorted tours to independent tours, air travel to the Caribbean and Europe. I have dual citizenship, in Italy as well as the United States. I specialize in Europe, the Mediterranean, as well as London, England.

“I’m very tenacious. Any challenge that is given to me, I’m up to the challenge,” Leonardi said. “I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure that clients know I am their advocate for their travel needs, and I will be there for them.”

Leonardi has booked more than 20,000 trips in his career and has traveled extensively himself.

“I’ve been on over 40 cruises. I’ve been to Europe more times than I can count. I’ve been to Hawaii 57 times, and I’ve traveled the world,” Leonardi said. “I work like an old-fashioned travel agent. I work from the day you book with me to the day you get home. I take care of everything.”

Leonardi said he knows how to make sure everything goes smoothly, and also how important it is to prepare in case things don’t. He knows when and how to use travel insurance, and how to make sure the ne details are taken care of to protect his clients.

“I’ve seen it all. Once in a while, I get a surprise. I’ll deal with it, but I don’t stress about it, and I make sure my clients don’t stress at all,” Leonardi said. “I’m there for them. at’s my job, and I enjoy my job.”

Proof of his skill and the level of satisfaction enjoyed by his clients can be found in his 95% repeat client and referral rate.

“It’s the longevity I have in this. I have a master’s degree in travel and tourism,” Leonardi said. “If you’re going through the internet, you have nobody to talk to and to cover you. I am your rst and last contact, and I take care of it all.”

To inquire about booking your next trip through Travel Time Vacations & Cruises, call (586) 323-6100. For more information, visit 586travel.com.

Brilliance

Fire

from page 8A

they only had things that would have qualified well under the S1 category. Once they started bringing in materials that we’re seeing laying around, they would have clearly went into the (hazard) category. The building would have had to be built completely differently.”

The explosive materials damaged surrounding businesses and emergency vehicles, injured one Clinton Township Firefighter and killed 19-year-old Clinton Township resident Turner Salter, who was witnessing the fire from about half a mile away.

Debris from the fire was sent all over the surrounding area. Teams from the Environmental Protection Agency have been sent in to clean up a target area covering a 2-mile radius around the building. The work of EPA personnel has since tightened to the immediate surroundings of the building, including the railways to the west. Initial concerns of air and water contamination were ruled out by the Macomb County Emergency Management hazardous materials team.

“There was a determination made early on that there was no concern as far as anything toxic in the air, so that was eliminated as a problem for residents in the surrounding area,” Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel said on March 5. “People were wondering if there was anything leaking into the water systems or anything; that (kind of contamination is) just not feasible, so that was not a concern, either.”

Township officials have stressed that debris and souvenirs around the site should not be picked up. Unexploded canisters could explode if heated and debris can be sharp. Any debris found can be reported to the Macomb County dispatch center at (586) 469-5502.

Photo by Patricia O’Blenes

The debris field included whole metal canisters and chunks of shrapnel from those that exploded. Investigators said 19-year-old Turner Salter, of Clinton Township, died after he was hit by debris.

Sentencing

from page 9A

head which is consistent with the concerns made that he allegedly held that child underneath the water. … I think the jury did a good job with the fact in finding that a serious injury did occur to this child as the medical examiner testified and that he is guilty of that first-degree child abuse charge as well as the death, which leads to the manslaughter charge. I don’t know why the court would go below maximum guidelines and sentence the defendant to 135 months.”

Lock-Hughes’ defense attorney, Daniel Garon, said determining proper culpability in a case like this can be difficult. He told the court that complex determination should be reflected in his client’s sentence.

“(There is a) somewhat inconsistent nature in the jury’s verdict in terms of a guilty finding on child abuse in the first degree yet a finding by the jury of involuntary manslaughter on count two. Because of that inconsistency in this case, we should recognize the efforts of the jury in terms of the verdict that they had by making a finding that the actual culpability of the defendant is somewhere in between child abuse in the first degree and murder versus involuntary murder,” said Garon.

Viviano said that while the case is tragic, she did not believe the maximum sentence was appropriate.

“In terms of being at the high end of the guidelines, I simply do not understand the arguments as related to the facts of this particular case,” she said. “That does not mean

I minimize the suffering and the pain experienced by the family who lost their loved one. … While the jury heard the prosecution’s theory, they did not accept the theory of the prosecution because they came in with an involuntary manslaughter (verdict). In terms of this court accepting that (the jury) believed something happened, they didn’t believe it rose to the level of something intentional.”

A statement written by Terry’s mother, Ashlynn Bethell, was read in court by Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Stephanie Stager, stating that Bethell asked her to read it not believing she could maintain her composure while speaking to the court.

“Terry was everything, and he was taken from us just as he was growing into his quirky, goofy and innocent self,” she said. “The opportunity for what Terry’s future held and his God given potential was taken from him. We will all miss that crooked smile and silly laugh. Terry was such a funny and affectionate boy. Before the age of 2, (my daughter) Emma lost her brother. She was robbed of a childhood with Terry, she was robbed of the memory of his smile and his laugh. She was robbed of his love. I put my entire world in the hands of someone I thought I could trust. It will forever be my greatest regret. How do I ever trust myself and my own judgment ever again? This will always be a struggle moving forward with my and Emma’s life and one I should never have had to bear. A maximum sentence won’t bring my baby back, but if it is all I can ask for, your honor, then please grant us this final justice. What was taken from me and my entire family can never ever be replaced.”

Call Staff Writer Brendan Losinski at (586) 498-1068.

Photo by Brendan Losinski Hunter Locke-Hughes stands beside his attorney, Daniel Garon, during LockeHughes’ sentencing on March 13 in which he was found guilty of first-degree child abuse and involuntary manslaughter.

Trustees

from page 1A

licans on items that were otherwise partyline votes. Assuming this trend holds, board Republicans will be the controlling faction through the summer of 2024.

In the weeks following Feb. 27, trustees have shared their thoughts about the election, their prior knowledge of Kress and how they imagine the board will look with him on it. Kress and Democratic trustee Mike Keys were unable to be reached prior to press time.

Kress was unknown to just about every member of the board — including to fellow Republicans.

“I never met him or seen (him) until such time as the local Republican Party made him our candidate,” said Bob Cannon, township supervisor. “We had no choice in the matter.”

Not only did the board’s two Republicans not have a choice in who the party selected, Kress was not their first choice among the original applicants.

“There were 16 applicants prior, and one of those applicants was Vicki Wolber, who was a really good candidate we were looking at,” said Kim Meltzer, township clerk. “We really were hopeful she would run for that position. She was willing to go to it but the GOP did not pick her. … We were not necessarily looking for anyone that had a political persuasion; we were looking for somebody that had a proven record of service, and Vicki Wolber was emergency manager at COMTEC and developed that whole program at the county level. We saw her as a huge value to the township and we were hopeful that the Republican Party would bring her forward.”

“Quite frankly, it’s up to the voters,” Gieleghem said. “They determine who they’re going to send here, so it depends on which ones show up and it appears that their supporters showed up in much greater numbers than the other side.”

For Patton, the end of election season meant a new page for the board.

“My initial reaction to him winning was, I’m glad the elections are over, that we can move on as a board, that our trustees can be cohesive and we can move on as a board,” Patton said.

Trustees are hopeful Kress will be a beneficial addition to the board that puts the needs of the public ahead of partisan aims.

natural than it seems. Julie Matuzak, a Democratic trustee, believes squabbles between the board’s factions reflect the priorities of local media rather than trustees.

“I think you all in the media make far more of a Republican-Democratic split,” Matuzak said. “We split sometimes on a worldview, but at the local level, I really don’t think party plays much of a factor in what we do. I really don’t. I always hear about the split and we’re doing this and we’re doing that. I don’t get it. I don’t think it’s true.”

Trustees became more familiar with Kress as the campaign season went on.

“He was pretty good once he filed to run for the seat,” said Paul Gieleghem, a Democrat and the Clinton Township treasurer. “He showed up to a lot of different events and was good to see.”

Initial reactions to Kress’ win were similar among the trustees — everyone accepted the win. Gieleghem and Meltzer noted the margin of victory over Means and Saliba, Meltzer musing about how it could reflect turnout in the November general election. Gieleghem was not surprised with the Republican win given the party’s voters had a contested primary.

“I hope our priorities, everybody’s priorities, is the community,” Patton said. “I am not a party person, I am a people person, and that’s what you have to do first. Clinton Township is a very diverse township — especially in terms of Republicans, Democrats, things like that — and on that board if someone calls me or needs me, I don’t stop and go, ‘Hey, what’s your party first?’ I just do my job. It’s people over politics … It should benefit the people of the community.”

Meltzer believes Kress has a shot at reelection this fall, though serving in a nonpartisan manner will greatly increase those chances.

“I think he gets reelected if he does the will of the people and not the will of the party,” Meltzer said. “If he’s not political, I think if he wants to run again — which I believe he does — for the position in August, I think he will come out a winner.”

According to Meltzer, Kress had not filed for the election as of March 18. The filing deadline for the August election is April 23.

A nonpartisan approach may be more

However Kress’ partial term plays out, Clinton Township residents should get their first look at him as a trustee by press time. His first meeting was expected to take place on Monday, March 18, after the paper went to press.

Call Staff Writer Dean Vaglia at (586) 498-1043.

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Photo by Dean Vaglia

Dan Kress, a newly elected Clinton Township trustee, watches the March 4 Board of Trustees meeting at the Clinton Township Civic Center. Kress was elected on Feb. 27, but county officials had not finished certifying the election.

Colors

from page 3A

gown, it’s about the effort to get the diploma and the academics.”

Several parents also complained that they had already ordered the previous style of gown and must now reorder the new gown.

“Last fall, Fraser Schools informed us it was time to order the cap and gowns for our 2024 graduates. We did so,” wrote Hamlin. “We have a soon to be 18 year old daughter who is graduating with honors, in June. Between the time we ordered a white gown for our daughter last September up until around the end of January 2024, we assumed that girls would be wearing the white gowns and boys would be wearing the blue gowns.”

Wozniak said that the order forms were still out of date earlier in the school year, but that no one was improperly charged since the orders were corrected and that the students will be getting the uniform blue and gold gowns regardless.

“I was surprised at how many people objected. At the beginning of the school year when the students ordered their gowns, the old order form was still up there. Many thought they were still ordering the white in August of 2023. It doesn’t impact the order, we only needed their size. Some found out

that it was the blue and yellow gowns only after the order was corrected.”

Some parents said that the anger over the issue stems from the decision being made without community input and that it wasn’t revealed until it was well into its implementation.

“We were never ever told of this change from September until mid or late January,” wrote Hamlin. “We get emails about everything, but this was kept under the rug. We were never notified of this change and from what I can tell and know, no one wants this change. … For some reason, this was kept from us and the excuses from the Fraser School district are unacceptable.”

“We made the decision in June of 2023. Of the graduating class of 350, it’s only a small group that’s complaining. … I don’t think the decision was rushed. We’ve been talking about this since November and graduation is in June. I think they don’t like the decision,” said Wozniak. “This isn’t something we let students vote on. We don’t let students decorate their hats for graduation, only for the senior walk. We don’t let them add embellishments to their gowns. ... It isn’t like voting on senior favorites and senior flowers and I think some students and parents are upset that this isn’t something they get to vote on. … This isn’t the first time the district has changed the caps and gowns.”

Wozniak said that there are many

As

among the Fraser Schools community who like the new gowns and that it is just a vocal minority who do not like the changes.

“Our student council talked about it,” she said. “To be honest, there’s a lot of different feelings behind this decision. It’s interesting the things you hear from students. Some don’t like it to be different, some don’t like the yellow, some like the change. … This isn’t something we vote on and we decided it was time to make a decision about that class unity. We thought this was more in line with what you would see at the university level. … I feel like we’re catching up to where others are.”

Hamlin disagreed, saying it is not just a minority of families objecting to the change.

“My daughter protested this decision,” he wrote. “My daughter is a smart kid. She wrote the principal to voice her displeasure, and she told me that she has yet to hear of any female graduate that wants to wear the blue gown. None of her friends want to wear a blue gown. None of her friends know any female graduate who wants to wear a blue gown. … A petition was floated amongst the girls with about 3040 names on it thus far. Maybe more.”

Call Staff Writer Brendan Losinski at (586) 498-1068.

Photo by Brendan Losinski

of this year, graduating seniors at Fraser High School will no longer wear the traditional blue and white gowns.

Voting

from page 6A

27 of the 29 days in February, so it is taxing for any individual to put on that type of manpower.”

The execution

When the polls opened on the first day of early voting, election workers and voters got their first taste of what this new procedure would look like. One of the main differences between regular voting and early voting is the consolidated precincts, leading to the deployment of a ballot-on-demand system.

“We have this new piece of equipment where it prints the ballot out right then and there,” Martin said. “The workers really seem to like it. That way I don’t have to have all these ballots from all six precincts and there was less of a chance of a mistake or confusion. It was easy to just hit ‘Republican ballot for Precinct One” and it would print out the ballot.”

Once voters received their ballots and cast them, the unique software came into play.

“The biggest change for early voting is that we’re using a secured connection direct-

ly to our qualified voter file,” Wit said. “We have live data that we will record for voters so that would prevent anyone from, even if they went and early voted and ran as fast as they could across the parking lot and tried to request an absentee ballot from my office, they couldn’t do it. The computer would already say, ‘Nope, you’ve actually voted already in early voting.’”

Wit said the security procedures operated without issue, which he attributed to feedback from pilot early voting held in November 2023.

Every night, the polls would be put into a suspension mode and locked up. While tampering was not a concern expressed by the clerks, Martin was weary about muscle memory causing an issue.

“I was deathly afraid that they would accidentally hit ‘close polls’ and then the result would tabulate,” Martin said. “They’re used to hitting at the end of the day the ‘close polls’ button and that generates the results for the early voting. They did great. They really helped alleviate any fears I had.”

Votes were not tallied until Feb. 27.

Turnout varied from community to community, but each saw members of their community show up to the polls. Meltzer saw Clinton Township residents make great use of early voting over the weekends, while

Pozzi saw nearly 1,000 Macomb Township residents take part in the election.

The special election

What set Clinton Township’s election apart from others was the presence of a special election on the ballot. A normal ballot features the special election alongside the partisan primary elections, but new deadlines for mailing and sending back ballot selection forms created situations where voters could have received separate local-only ballots. While the additional ballots would later be spoiled to prevent double voting, Kim Meltzer, Clinton Township clerk, said they presented an inconvenience for election workers and mail-in voters.

“What some thought is that when they got the second ballot that had only the local race on it, they would vote it, put it in the drop boxes and then think they had the ability to still go on election day and vote there for a presidential race,” Meltzer said. “There was so much confusion. It was incredible, in my opinion.”

Meltzer says she spoke with someone from the Michigan Department of State regarding the issue, claiming the official agreed changes should be made regarding this aspect of post-Proposal 2 elections.

As for early in-person voting, Meltzer

was pleased with how it went but hoped for a larger turnout.

The recap

Looking back, Pozzi believes the primary was a learning experience for clerks.

“Being on the Michigan Association of Municipal Clerks, if you follow the Facebook page you would see that a lot of clerks were in distress getting to this Feb. 27 election, and that’s because we had so many nuances we were trying to figure out,” Pozzi said. “I think now that we have that one under our belt, we are better prepared and ready for the ability to administer these

Photo by Dean Vaglia A ballot drop-off box stationed outside of Mount Clemens City Hall was among those used for early voting.

Swimming

from page 10A

Michigan is known for its Great Lakes, but our state is also home to over 11,000 small inland lakes — and a host of private and public pools.

The Troy Community Center provides many opportunities for people of all ages to enjoy the water year round — with both indoor and seasonal outdoor pools — including parent and tot classes, kiddie swim, swim lessons, open swim for all ages, water slides, lap swimming, water aerobics, a therapy pool and more.

From boosted heart health to muscle toning, experts say swimming and other water workouts offer many health benefits for children and adults.

“Research shows that swimming is good

for your lungs,” said Troy Community Center Recreation Supervisor Morgan Thrasher. “You can swim, you can walk, you can move — there’s a bunch of different things that the water provides that you wouldn’t necessarily get on land.”

Swimming requires you to control your breathing, so it can strengthen your respiratory muscles, improve lung capacity and help build breath endurance. In fact, it’s often recommended that people with asthma pursue swimming to build their lung strength.

Swimming can also alleviate stress, boost your mood, improve flexibility, and even improve coordination, balance and posture.

The low-impact exercise offers resistance, providing muscle strengthening and toning to keep you strong and fit as you age.

The OPC Social and Activity Center in Rochester allows its members, ages 50 and older, to use a therapy pool for water exercise classes, relaxing and massaging achy muscles

and joints, and a lap pool for water exercise and lap swimming.

Mandy Mullins, the fitness and aquatics manager at the OPC Social and Activity Center, said a wide range of seniors use the aquatic facility, including the center’s oldest active swimmer, age 92.

“Some are just coming out of a therapy or a surgery and they are using the therapy pool to continue their rehab, all the way up to our folks who are still practicing for swim competitions,” she said.

Competitive senior swimmers — including one who is 79 year old — use the OPC’s lap pool to train for Michigan Senior Olympics and U.S. Masters swim meets.

“Some have been swimming all their lives and have continued on with all their competitions, and some of them are just getting into it now as seniors — they found swimming and found a group of people who were athletes in some capacity before, and this has been a way

for them to compete that’s not as hard on their bodies,” said Mullins.

“For the competitive swimmers, it’s kind of like having a club,” added Delaney Zaloga, a fitness and aquatics supervisor. “They all like swimming, and they all like pushing each other at their swim practice and getting better and better at all the meets.”

But not everybody has to swim to get the benefits of the water, Mullins explained.

“There are some doctors that will recommend the therapy and warm water pool type of class to just get started, especially if there are any balance issues involved. It’s a lot harder to fall over in the pool, so it’s a really great starting point,” she said. “We also have Aqua Zumba or other types of cardio classes that are in the pool where they aren’t necessarily swimming, but they are using that water resistance and the buoyancy and really getting their heart rate going in there without really having to do traditional swimming.”

Eclipse

from page 7A

“There’s a line that goes across the country from Texas through a couple of other states and goes through Indiana and Ohio out to Maine,” Blum said. “If you Google eclipse path online, you’ll see what the line is.”

Blum said a total eclipse hits the continental U.S. every 10 or 20 years. Blum said there is no set number of years, however, and that when a solar eclipse occurs varies from time to time.

A NASA frequently asked questions post from 2017 states that solar eclipses of all kinds occur two to three times a year with two total eclipses occurring every three years.

During a total solar eclipse, Trembley said people can experience a temperature drop, the sounds of a few night time animals as well as the Belt of Venus, an atmospheric phenomenon visible shortly before sunrise or sunset.

“You’ll see that 360 degrees around you, not just in the direction of the sun,” Trembley said. “It’s very strange.”

Narlock said if you look at the sun unprotected, permanent eye damage can occur. People should use filtered glasses that cut down the intensity of the sun’s rays.

“You’ll still be able to see the sun, it will look like a yellow white disk through your glasses, but you won’t be able to see much of anything else. That’s how much we have to cut down the light,” Narlock said.

He also said there are special filters for telescopes that can see only one wavelength of light.

During an eclipse people are more likely to stare at the sun, Blum said. It’s also easier

Voting

from page 16A

elections in August and November and going forward.”

Her sentiments were shared with Martin.

“I think this was a really good trial run,” Martin said. “It was a perfect election to practice on. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be after we finally got the information we needed from the state.”

Most clerks plan on maintaining one site for November, but Meltzer says Clinton Township plans to have three at-large early voting sites for the general election. She’s in talks with several locations for securing those sites but has found the process of finding the additional sites that are rel-

to stare at the sun because the moon covers it, making it dimmer.

“On a normal day, on a sunny day, if you try to stare at the sun you’d say, ‘Oh, that’s awful bright,’ and you’d look away,” Blum said. “But on an eclipse the sun is partly covered by the moon so it’s not so bright. So it doesn’t bother you to look at the sun if you think, ‘Well, OK, I can just stare at the sun.’”

Holding a colander up to the sun to see the shadow of the eclipse is a way to indirectly view it, Narlock said.

“The little holes in the colander will create essentially a little projection of the eclipse as it happens,” Narlock said. “People have also gone under a big tree and looked at the sunlight that comes through the leaves.”

Eye damage can still occur even when the sun is 98% covered like it will be in the metro area.

“Even if there is 1% of the sun showing, it’s still as bright as the entire sun, so you can blind yourself, so you have to have either solar glasses or telescopes or binoculars, or whatever, with appropriate solar filtering,” Trembley said.

Regular sunglasses will not do when viewing an eclipse and they will damage the eyes significantly, Narlock said.

Trembley said NASA’s “Solar System Ambassadors” have been shipping out solar glasses. Both Trembley and his wife are ambassadors. Libraries are also good places to check as well. Narlock said Cranbrook is selling the glasses and he also saw his optometrist selling them.

Both Trembley and Narlock warned people to be wary of solar glasses sold online. These glasses could not have the right lenses or the lenses could already have damage such as scratches.

evant to voters difficult. Meltzer expressed that for the ease of finding such sites, early voting could be moved to the county government’s responsibility.

“It seems like (Macomb Community College) would be a great opportunity, but not in Clinton Township or any other community that is run by local clerks, because if I want to host it at the college, I can’t serve all those other people who are coming from Macomb County,” Meltzer said. “I can only serve those students that are Clinton Township residents. I can’t really use the college as a location for an early voting site, even though it would be a great one if it were a county-run election.”

Meltzer believes a ballot proposal to make early voting county-run is imminent.

Call Staff Writer Dean Vaglia at (586) 498-1043.

Narlock said solar eclipses are not something to goof around with.

“If you have children that are going to be looking directly at it, make sure that they’re wearing approved solar eclipse glasses that aren’t scratched. Make sure they don’t take them off their face while they’re looking at the sun,” Narlock said. “Because it just takes a moment and they could really damage their eyes.”

Solar eclipse viewing events are occurring all over at local parks and other venues.

Cranbrook is also holding an eclipse viewing event from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Trembley said to find an event near you,

visit the NASA Night Sky Network at nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov.

“It’s a NASA program where they join up with astronomy clubs across the country and they post information on the clubs and events that the clubs are holding,” Trembley said.

He also said NASA Solar System Ambassadors will be hosting or attending events.

A full directory of ambassadors can be found online by searching NASA Solar System Ambassadors.

You can check your local library’s website as well as city websites for further events.

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

Help Wanted General CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF CLINTON DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SERVICES PARK MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL

Permanent part-time Park Maintenance Personnel position, $17.66 - $22.92 hourly (32 hours per week) includes benefit package. Successful completion of Civil Service Examination(s) is required, and applicants must meet all requirements set forth in the Employees Civil Service Ordinance, as well as possession of a valid Michigan driver’s license and a good driving record. Pre-employment background investigation and substance abuse testing is required. Interested, applicants must submit application to the Clinton Township Employees Civil Service Commission, 40700 Romeo Plank Rd., Clinton Twp., MI 48038 on or before the close of business, Monday, April 1, 2024. The Charter Township of Clinton is an Equal Opportunity Employer, applicants are considered for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, or disability. For further information pertaining to this position or to download employment application please refer to www.clintontownship.com, click on employment. 0295-2412

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MARCH

MARCH 29

Stations of the Cross processional: Led by Fr. Michael Quaine from St. Michael Catholic Community in Sterling Heights, 4 p.m., Section 21 at Resurrection Cemetery, 18201 Clinton River Road in Clinton Township, (586) 286-9020

APRIL 6

Those Amazing Plants: Presentation about Michigan greenery, for grades 2-5, 3 p.m., Clinton-Macomb Public Library - South Branch, 35679 S. Gratiot Ave. in Clinton Township, registration required, (586) 2265073, cmpl.org

APRIL 9

Make fairy garden and gnome houses: For grades 2-5, 6 p.m., Clinton-Macomb Public Library - Main Branch, 40700 Romeo Plank Road in Clinton Township, (586) 226-5030, cmpl.org

APRIL 13

After-hours escape room: Teens in grades 6-12 have 2 hours to solve puzzles, 6 p.m., Clinton-Macomb Public Library - Main Branch, 40700 Romeo Plank Road in Clinton Township, (586) 226-5030, cmpl.org

Card party: Pinochle, euchre, dominoes and other games, 1-3:30 p.m., St. Thecla Catholic Church, 20762 S. Nunneley Road in Clinton Township, (586) 7916177, (586) 791-9012

APRIL 18

Senior expo: Meet experts about medicare, assisted and independent living, mobility solutions, veterans

APRIL 26-28

SCAN FOR STORY

‘Peter Pan’: Presented by Macomb Ballet Company, 7 p.m. April 26, 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. April 27, and 2 p.m. April 28, meet-and-greet follows each performance, Macomb Center for the Perfoming Arts on Macomb Community College - Center Campus, 44575 Garfield Road in Clinton Township, macombcenter.com, (586) 286-2222

benefits, travel, financial planning and more, plus free admission, health screenings, refreshments, prizes and giveaways, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Century Banquet Center, 33204 Maple Lane in Sterling Heights, seniorexpousa. com

APRIL 21

Euchre tournament: Also dinner and desserts, 1 p.m. (doors 12:15 p.m.), Fraser Lions Club, 34540 Utica Road, call Randy at (586) 202-7858

APRIL 27

Claude Monet: Learn about Impressionist painter famous for water lilies, 10 a.m., Clinton-Macomb Public Library - South Branch, 35679 S. Gratiot Ave. in Clinton Township, registration required, (586) 2265073, cmpl.org

APRIL 29

Create Mad Lib poems: Part of National Poetry Month, for ages 7 and older, 4:30 p.m., Clinton-Macomb Public Library - South Branch, 35679 S. Gratiot Ave. in Clinton Township, registration required, (586) 2265073, cmpl.org

ONGOING

Meet Easter Bunny: Noon-6 p.m. Sundays and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays until March 30, The Mall at Partridge Creek, 17420 Hall Road in Clinton Township, reservations recommended, (586) 2260330, shoppartridgecreek.com

Green Macomb tree and plant sale: Order until April 5, pick up April 25-26 at Clinton Township Civic Center, 40700 Romeo Plank Road, bluewatercd.org