3/20/24 Macomb Township Chronicle

Investigation underway at site of massive fire

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.

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.

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

Trustees recognize firefighter, approve water main plan

DEAN VAGLIA dvaglia@candgnews.com

MACOMB TOWNSHIP — The Macomb Township Board of Trustees began its March 13 meeting honoring the work of a firefighter. Sgt. James Peterson, of the Macomb Township Fire Department, was recognized for being the first member of the department to complete the National Fire Academy’s Managing Officer Program. The two-year program aims to

Debris litters the area near 15 Mile Road and Groesbeck Highway in Clinton Township on March 5, the morning after an explosive fire at Select Distributors.

Photo by Patricia O’Blenes

See FIRE on page 5A

See TRUSTEES on page 6A

Photo by Dean Vaglia Macomb Township Trustee Peter Lucido III, left, shakes hands with Sgt. James Peterson, of the Macomb Township Fire Department. Peterson is the first Macomb Township firefighter to complete the National Fire Academy’s Managing Officer Program.

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

County leaders win Department of Justice award

Macomb County Sheriff Anthony Wickersham, left, and county executive Mark Hackel, right, accept the 2023 L. Anthony Sutin Award at the Macomb County COMTEC center on March 12. The award was presented by Robert Chapman, deputy director of the Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

BY DEAN VAGLIA dvaglia@candgnews.com

MACOMB COUNTY — Two Macomb County leaders have been recognized by the federal government for their community policing efforts.

Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel and Macomb County Sheriff Anthony Wickersham were honored by the Department of Justice on March 12 as the recipients of the 2023 L. Anthony Sutin Award. Given by the DOJ’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, the award recognizes efforts by both officials to further the COPS Office’s goals of community-focused law enforcement.

“The Sutin Award is given to a team each year whose innovative civic interactions have transformed public safety in their community,” said Robert Chapman, deputy director of the COPS Office. “Nominees are individuals who have actively engaged with the community in a way that has been sustained over time, and certainly this might be the best example we’ve had of in the history of the Sutin Award of ‘sustained.’ It can’t be a one-and-done approach and the partnerships have to have

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

Photo by Dean Vaglia

See AWARD on page 15A

Jessica T. Phan, D.D.S.

Mark D. Berman, D.D.S.

Fire

from page 1A

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, 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.

Trustees

from page 1A

be effective leaders, promote safety within the community and fire departments and gain a better understanding of incident management. A peer-reviewed capstone project demonstrating a student’s understanding of the program and its benefits for their fire department is required for graduation.

“Sgt. Peterson’s capstone project consisted of developing and implementing a comprehensive firefighter mental health program for our department,” said Macomb Township Fire Chief Robert Phillips. “The program consists of mental health focused training delivered on a quarterly basis to all fire department personnel and the entire month of September dedicated to the prevention of firefighter suicide.”

Peterson received praise for his work from each trustee during the board comments session of the meeting.

Water main master plan

On March 13, trustees approved $89,900 to undertake an update to its township’s water main master plan. Work for the plan will involve examining how proposed developments in the northern end of the township will affect system pressure, examine the need for additional emergency connections and determine if the system has the capacity to support large-scale industrial users.

“The hydraulic model was updated last

year. … So yes, we do need to go back and look at the water usage,” said Jim Van Tiflin, the township’s land development director.

“When we change the density in the use on any particular piece of land, that may affect not only the water system but the sewer system. We’re just finishing up the master plan on the sewer side, that should be coming up probably mid this year, because if you add more flow, it affects not only the water lines and what they have to provide, but the sewer lines as well. They go hand in hand.”

The water study will take place over the year and recommendations on capital improvements will likely be made in February 2025.

Senior center renovation

Trustees also approved the second phase of the Marvin Blank Senior Center renovations, awarding Meridian Contracting Group a $187,091 contract for the work. The work will involve replacing three exterior doors at the back of the building and renovating the bathrooms at the southern end of the building. Most of the funding came from Community Development Block Grants with $145,141 being covered by the program, reducing the township’s direct costs to $41,950.

Township Supervisor Frank Viviano said the contractor is ready to start by the end of March and expects the work to be completed within four weeks.

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

Photo by Dean Vaglia Work will soon begin on the second phase of the Marvin Blank Senior Center renovations.

MOTHER-SON DANCE IN CHESTERFIELD

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.

Schools set funding election for May

MACOMB COUNTY — New Haven Community Schools and L’Anse Creuse Public Schools are holding funding elections on May 7.

New Haven is seeking to borrow up to $43.7 billion and issue bonds to cover “remodeling, furnishing and refurnishing, and equipping and reequipping school buildings; acquiring, installing and equipping and re-equipping school buildings for instructional technology; erecting and equipping an athletic concession building at the middle school and a bus garage; purchasing school buses; and preparing, developing, improving and equipping playgrounds, athletic fields and facilities, and sites(.)”

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.

Dr. Bergeron

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.

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.

comprehensive education, training, and experience in hospital and clinic-based patient care. She excels in all areas of foot and ankle care with specific training and interest in wound care and foot and ankle surgery (including cutting-edge minimally invasive techniques designed to minimize surgical trauma and help patients recover faster).

Voting

from page 3A

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 directly 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 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 relevant 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.

Road salt use dips 37% in Michigan warm winter, saving millions, easing pollution

BY KELLY HOUSE Bridge Michigan

METRO DETROIT — Michigan’s lost winter has been measured in innumerable ways: Nationwide, it’s the hottest winter on record. The Great Lakes had historically low ice cover. Detroit had the second-least amount of snow in December, with 0.1 inch.

Now, there’s one more superlative: Road salt usage is down 37% this winter among Michigan’s 9,700 miles of trunkline highways. Barring a late season snowstorm, the state expects to use 175,000 tons less salt than usual (heavier than an average blue whale), which would save the state about $10 million.

“Purchasing salt is probably our most expensive singleitem purchase,” said Tim Croze, MDOT’s statewide maintenance and operations manager.

County road agencies, responsible for 90,500 miles of roads throughout the state, report similar declines.

In Marquette County, salt use is down about 25%, said Ross Olsen, operations director for the local road commission. Usage is 66% of normal in Oakland County, which

maintains Michigan’s largest county road system.

“We’re not counting our chickens just yet,” said Craig Bryson, spokesperson for the Road Commission for Oakland County, but the near-term forecast doesn’t look snowy.

The decline bucks long-term trends: U.S. road salt usage has tripled since the 1970s.

Applying salt dramatically reduces the risk of winter col-

The Road Commission for Oakland County uses tens of thousands of tons of road salt every winter, but salt use could be down as much as 34% this year.

lisions, but safety comes at a cost.

The briny runoff seeps into the soil and harms plants, or trickles into underground aquifers, rivers and lakes, polluting the water.

Lake Michigan’s chloride concentrations have increased dramatically since the 1800s and continue to rise by a mil-

Photo provided by the Road Commission for Oakland County

Road salt

ligram every couple of years. Some rivers absorb so much salt during the spring melt, they briefly have the chemistry of ocean water. That harms fish and wildlife, and can free heavy metals from the riverbed.

Salt pollution has fundamentally altered some inland lakes, creating deepwater dead zones that are toxic to fish.

In recognition of those harms, “we’ve been trying to make a conscious effort to reduce our salt use,” said MDOT’s Croze.

Road officials said they don’t anticipate making any big changes to next year’s salt budget as a result of this year. Salt purchases are based on five-year averages, and Michigan’s recent history has included some highsalt years.

But long-term, climate experts say, the average winter will become too warm to warrant much salt spreading in many parts of the state.

“Winter is becoming compressed into a few weeks in January,” said Richard Rood, a professor emeritus of climate and space sciences and engineering at the University of Michigan.

His message to city planners: Don’t

eliminate salting and plowing from the budget just yet, but “it’s reasonable to start planning for winters with less.”

In addition to reducing pollution, that would save taxpayers money.

This year, Bryson said, Oakland County will save more than a million dollars on salt, plus additional savings from reduced overtime costs and wear-and-tear on vehicles.

Olsen, of Marquette County, said his agency so far saved $80,000 on fuel, because less snow has meant fewer trips for plow trucks.

“Twenty-six years I’ve been here, and I don’t remember a winter anything like this,” Olsen said.

Rood noted that any potential reduction in salt pollution will pale in comparison to the “huge changes” climate change will bring for Michigan’s environment and culture.

And even for road agencies, there are downsides to milder winters.

Rainfall on frozen ground increases flood risks, while shoreline erosion is worse when the Great Lakes fail to freeze over. Meanwhile, repeated midwinter thaws are hard on roads.

That means road crews may spend less time operating salt trucks and snow plows, but more time filling potholes and rebuilding roads washed out by storms.

SPOTLIGHT ON HEALTH

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

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

The Exterior Painters Celebrate 20 Years of Transforming Properties, Neighborhoods

Nothing transforms a property and makes it shine brighter than a fresh coat of paint. It’s simply the best and most cost-effective investment you can make for your home draped in the colors of yesterday.

The Exterior Painters have been revitalizing properties for 20 years.

“We specialize in just exterior painting, and the reason why we do that is we believe that repetition is the mother of all skill,” said owner Brian Scott. “For 20 years, that’s all we’ve been doing is outside work. When it comes to that, we do wood replacement and siding replacement. It makes us the perfect fit for homeowners who don’t want to re-side their whole house.”

The Exterior Painters replace damaged siding and boards as needed, but they’re not looking to push for a full siding replacement.

“It gets people by another 10 years and transforms the look of the house, bringing it to the next color trends of today,” Scott said.

“Another thing we do that makes us unique, we have a full-time color consultant,” Scott added. “For most people, that’s the hardest, most stressful part, choosing what color they want. Our consultant comes out and

meets with the homeowners and gives them an idea of what the new color trends are so they can make a good color choice that complements their landscaping, brickwork and architectural features.”

The Exterior Painters also specialize in brick staining.

“A lot of younger people are buying houses. We’re taking it from grandma’s house of the ’50s, ’60s or ’70s and bringing it to that HGTV look,” Scott said.

Power washing the siding — and for an additional charge, soft washing the roof if needed — can also make a big difference in terms of curb appeal.

charge, soft washing the roof if needed — can also transformed through fresh paint,

Scott said his crews often see their work spread from house to house in a neighborhood as the properties are transformed through fresh paint, siding repairs and much-needed washing.

you’re getting a bigger bang for your buck.”

It’s a win for everyone, from the crews The Exterior Painters employ and pay well to the homeowners who see their neighborhoods transformed. The company paints 30 houses a week on average in Macomb, Oakland, Wayne and Livingston counties, and boasts a five-star Google review average.

“With us you’re buying certainty. We don’t ask for a large deposit, and you don’t have to worry about anyone running off with your deposit,” Scott said. “We stand by our work. We provide a warranty and proven results by taking care of everybody in the community. We’re Nextdoor’s No. 1 preferred contractor in Rochester two years in a row. It’s that certainty factor. You know what you’re going

“It’s the cheapest home improvement you can do without breaking the bank,” Scott said. “Compared to other home improvements,

“It’s the cheapest home

to get.”

The Exterior Painters are located at 2365 Avon Industrial Drive in Rochester Hills. To request a quote or for more information, call (248) 844-8888.

Safety protection key to viewing solar eclipse

BY ALYSSA OCHSS aochss@candgnews.com

— 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.

“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.

This image of a solar eclipse was taken by Ken Bertin.

Photo provided by Ken Bertin

Award

from page 3A

resulted in positive, observable public safety improvements.”

Wickersham and Hackel were recognized for their work expanding partnerships between the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office and various communities in the county by contracting policing services in municipalities. Their work supporting community groups and law enforcement agencies during COVID-19 was also recognized.

“They forged partnerships with nonprofit organizations, businesses, educational institutions, community leaders and health care providers to successfully meet what were the unprecedented challenges and needs that came to us all,” Chapman said. “They made sure that they had access to all funds that were available and maintained services to make sure nobody went without food, went without housing and they received other services.”

The COPS Office also recognized the potential of the ongoing jail central intake and assessment center project, which will increase jail capacity while improving the ability to address the mental health needs of inmates.

Wickersham stressed the importance of collaboration in his acceptance comments.

“Partnerships are really the key to success in the criminal justice system,” Wickersham said. “Whether it’s law enforcement, corrections or courts, we can’t do it alone. We have to partner up with our community members. We have to collaborate with our other criminal justice stakeholders. Prosecutor, public defender’s office, the courts, probation, parole, you name it. Health care, community mental health; all have a part in the criminal justice system.”

The sheriff also spoke about the work he and Hackel have put into making the jail project happen over the past 20 years.

“We started the fight back in 2005 and I carried it on into 2012 when I became sheriff, and we have worked hard to get things changed,” Wickersham said. “We did studies that were conducted back in 2005 and 2016 as it relates to the criminal justice system here in Macomb County on what we could do to be better. This project will produce better outcomes for individuals that are remanded to the county jail and also provide a safer environment for the men and women of the Sheriff’s Office that work in the correctional facility every day.”

Hackel stressed the importance of the work he and Wickersham have done toward community policing, tying their focus back to Peelian principles taught during law enforcement education. Hackel was particu-

See AWARD on page 17A

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.

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.”

C & G Newspapers publishes 21 papers in Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties:

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larly drawn to the seventh principle, which states “the police are the public and that the public are the police, the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen in the interests of community welfare and existence.”

“It’s not just about going out there and arresting a bad guy,” Hackel said. “It’s understanding constitutional rights and how you protect

those rights, and understanding that we’re here because the public allows us to be here.”

The Sutin Award is named after Tony Sutin, who was the founder and deputy director of the COPS Office from 1994 to 1996. Sutin then became the principal deputy to the associate attorney general of the United States and later the acting assistant attorney general for legislative affairs before becoming a faculty member of the Appalachian School of Law in 1999. Sutin died on Jan. 16, 2002.

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

Photos by Dean Vaglia

LEFT: Macomb County Sheriff Anthony Wickersham speaks after receiving the 2023 L. Anthony Sutin Award.

RIGHT: Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel speaks after receiving the 2023 L. Anthony Sutin Award.

Eclipse

from page 14A

“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 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 view-

ing 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.

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.

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.

OBIT BANDIT ARRESTED AFTER MULTI-DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATION

BY K. MICHELLE MORAN kmoran@candgnews.com

GROSSE POINTES — A suspect who has reportedly confessed to 12 home invasions throughout metro Detroit in recent weeks — including several in the Grosse Pointes — has been arrested.

Jerry Ashley, 44, was apprehended at his Detroit home Feb. 27 by the Eastern Wayne County Special Response Team, or SRT, which is similar to a SWAT team and consists of officers from the five Grosse Pointes and Harper Woods. Police said Ashley was finding homes to break into by reading death notices.

“It looks like he was targeting obituaries and estate sales,” Grosse Pointe City Public Safety Director John Alcorn said.

Ashley was arraigned on three counts of breaking and entering into a building March 1 in Grosse Pointe Woods Municipal Court, where he was given a cash or surety

bond of $700,000. He was slated, at press time, to be arraigned on additional charges March 7 in Grosse Pointe City Municipal Court, and he is expected to face charges in other cities as well, including Grosse Pointe Farms. Ashley remained in custody at press time at the Andrew C. Baird Detention Facility in Detroit.

“So far, we have connected him to incidents in Grosse Pointe Farms, Grosse Pointe Park, Grosse Pointe City, Grosse Pointe Woods, Novi, Farmington Hills, Ann Arbor, Shelby Township and possibly Canton,” Alcorn said. “The investigation is ongoing.”

Ashley’s defense attorney, Mark Magidson, had only been appointed to the case about an hour before he was reached for comment the afternoon of March 4. Magidson was unable to offer any remarks on the case because he hadn’t yet seen any of the police reports or met with Ashley.

See ARREST on page 22A

HOMES

Personalize your outdoor space in a creative way

BY TAYLOR CHRISTENSEN tchristensen@candgnews.com

METRO DETROIT — As winter comes to a close, outdoor spaces are open, and people are starting to enjoy the warmer weather.

Decorating a home to fit the personality of the occupant is a common practice, and outdoor spaces are just as important.

Backyard decorating began after World War II, according to the Smithsonian website, si.edu. Following World War II, people began to move to suburban developments that had their own private backyards.

People began working 40-hour work weeks and secured an increase of disposable income. The average family now had the ability to start creating their own doit-yourself creations, resulting in personalized backyard spaces, according to the Smithsonian.

In the years following, people were looking to be different from their neighbors, and in an effort to bring more personality and comfortability to the space, many homeowners started to change up their outdoor decorating.

English Gardens Vice President of Store Operations and Merchandising Manager Dean Darin said that in the recent past, outdoor decorating included a table, chairs and an umbrella.

“Twenty years ago, a popular set was a wrought-iron metal set that wasn’t very comfortable,” he said. “Yeah, it was OK to dine on, but if you wanted to sit there for three or four hours to relax, it was not very comfortable.”

“Around 10 years ago, people started to transform their patio into more of an outdoor room rather than just a patio with a table on it,” he said.

Darin said that with new technology and furniture innovation, what once would be seen as indoor seating can now be put outside and survive the elements. Allweather wicker is a very popular look, he said, and ensures the longevity of outdoor furniture.

Around 12 years ago, Darin said, fairy gardens or miniature gardens started to become a trend to bring more whimsy to outdoor spaces.

The first fairy garden or miniature garden was created by famous British engineer, author and gardener Annette Ashberry.

Ashberry began designing “out of the ordinary” window boxes, according to the Loughborough History and Heritage Network website, lboro-history-heritage.org.uk. Soon finding out that these tiny landscapes were a hot commodity, she began her own commercial venture in 1938.

People have been creating their own take on miniature gardens ever since.

See OUTDOOR on page 21A

Outdoor

from page 20A

Waterford resident Pam McCoy found that creating a fairy garden not only brought whimsy into her backyard space, but also provided a sense of peace to her as well.

“I wanted to get out of my own little head, so I slowly started purchasing a couple of items and creating my fairy garden,” she said.

Retrieving most of her items from Dollar Tree, and some from Telly’s Greenhouse in Troy, McCoy was able to escape into her own ideally created town of fairies.

“It allowed me to create and design something that was cute and whimsical,” she said. “Like I said, I have always wanted a fairy garden, and it allowed me to get into my creative side.”

English Gardens has miniature garden supplies, according to Darin, but he has noticed a downward trend in popularity over the past few years.

“Most of the miniature gardening we do today and the supplies we have is for doing it indoors,” he said.

Fairy gardens are just one way to bring creativity to the outdoor space, according to Darin. There are plenty of other types of outdoor decor that bring just as much personality.

Pottery seems to be the most popular

choice Darin has seen.

“People plant annuals, or sometimes even colorful plants, palm plants, in with annuals for color,” he said. “There are also different kinds of garden stakes, accents, wind chimes and wind spinners that come in a lot of different styles.”

Incorporating fountains into a backyard space for the sound of running water, or wind chimes for that soft tinkling sound, is also popular and promotes a calm environment.

“It’s all about sight, sound and feel,” he said.

Statues are another well-liked decorative choice for homeowners. According to Darin, utilizing statues in the garden and around the patio can help accomplish a specific theme or look.

English Gardens has year-round DIY outdoor decorating programs to assist people in creating their outdoor spaces. Darin also said that the business has a landscape company that can do all the work for you.

“Many people are investing in their backyards and landscape in their front yards because it adds value to the home,” he said. “We will do a design pretty much any time of the year. We have various different levels of a do-it-yourself program to get people started on their landscaping.”

Call Staff Writer Taylor Christensen at (586) 498-1081.

“He’s presumed not guilty until proven guilty without a reasonable doubt,” Magidson said.

The case aroused suspicion immediately in the City when the home of retired Wayne County 3rd Circuit Court Judge James Callahan was struck just before his funeral in mid-January.

“(In) Grosse Pointe City, if we have a B&E, it’s unusual,” Alcorn said. “That drew attention right away — and the fact that it was right after Judge Callahan died.”

Also unusual was the fact that Grosse Pointe Woods had three breaking and entering cases in a two-week span in February, Woods Public Safety Director John Kosanke said. Alcorn and Kosanke began comparing notes and recognized there were striking similarities between their cases.

The primary investigators on the case were Grosse Pointe City’s Detective Michael Narduzzi and Detective Sgt. Joseph Adams, and Grosse Pointe Woods’ Detectives Miles Adams and Keith Waszak. But, Alcorn said, they soon realized they needed additional manpower and contacted the public safety departments in Grosse Pointe Farms and Grosse Pointe Shores, both of which lent personnel to the case.

“I feel really fortunate about working in the Grosse Pointes,” Alcorn said. “It was truly a team effort. Initially, it was just the City and the Woods, but when we needed more help, they jumped in right away.”

Kosanke agreed, saying the public safety departments “did an excellent job in the capture of this individual. There was a lot of teamwork.”

For six days, Alcorn said, multiple officers and detectives were investigating these crimes 24 hours a day.

“Stuff like this really bothers me because you have families dealing with a tragedy, and then a lowlife takes advantage of the situation,” Alcorn said. “We were all very motivated to put him in jail.”

Alcorn said it’s possible there could be additional victims who don’t realize it yet.

“If you’re not intimately familiar with what’s in a home, it could be months down the line (before you discover) something’s missing,” Alcorn said.

Jewelry, silverware and other valuables were reportedly stolen from homes allegedly by Ashley. Kosanke said at press time that investigators haven’t been able to determine — or even estimate — the total value of the items allegedly taken by Ashley because police were still trying to collect what they could from pawn shops around the area.

Alcorn said people who have a loved one who has died can contact their public safety or police department to let them know, so that officers can try to keep a closer eye on that address. In addition, he recommended that people use as many security measures as they can, including deadbolt locks, motion-detection lights and cameras.

“The bad guys are looking to get quick, easy entry, so anything that slows them down helps,” Alcorn said.

While not typical, Alcorn said other suspects have used death notices before to find potential homes to target.

Ashley, said Alcorn, is “not the original mastermind behind this.”

Call Staff Writer K. Michelle Moran at (586) 498-1047.

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.

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ALLTIMATE

Creuse High School - North, 23700 21 Mile Road in Macomb Township, lcnbands.com/craft-shows

APRIL 21

Michigan Psychic Fair: Readings and guidance by psychics and mediums, energy healing, crystals, handmade jewelry, and metaphysical and spiritual products, noon-6 p.m., Chesterfield Hampton Inn, 45725 Marketplace Blvd. in Chesterfield Township, mipsychicfair.com

DOLL'S

andRec

Mother-son dance: Dinner, DJ, ice cream and more, 4:30-8 p.m., Zuccaro’s Banquets & Catering, 46601 Gratiot Ave. in Chesterfield Township, lcpsfoundation. com

APRIL 12-13

Quilt show: Also door prizes, vendors, raffles and more, hosted by Macomb County Quilt Guild, 10 a.m.-

6 p.m. April 12 and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. April 13, Chesterfield Community Center, 48400 Sugarbush Road in Chesterfield Township, macombcountyquiltguild.org

APRIL 13 Toddler yoga: Performed songs, puppets and stories, 11 a.m., Clinton-Macomb Public Library - North Branch, 54100 Broughton Road in Macomb Township, (586) 226-5083, cmpl.org

APRIL 17

Blood pressure screening: 10-11 a.m., Macomb Township Senior Center, 51210 Alma Drive, (586) 9922900, facebook.com/MacombTwpParksandRec

Preplanning seminar with Resurrection Cemetery: 11:30 a.m., Aspen Restaurant, 20333 Hall Road in Macomb Township, mtelliott.com/res-seminar

APRIL 18

Senior expo: Meet experts about medicare, assisted and independent living, mobility solutions, veterans 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 20

Craft and vendor show: Also basket raffles, 50-50 and performance by LCN bands, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., L’Anse

ONGOING

Ostomy peer support group: 2-3 p.m. every third Sunday of month, Northside Church, 25600 23 Mile Road in Chesterfield Township, ostomysupport-macomb.org

Macomb Motivators Toastmasters Club: Meets 6:308 p.m. every second and fourth Thursday of month, St. Isidore Church, 18201 23 Mile Road in Macomb Township, www.6104644.toastmastersclubs.org

Men overcoming loss of partner/spouse: Meetings 6-7:30 p.m. every third Tuesday of month, virtual and in person, Hospice of Michigan, 39531 Garfield Road in Clinton