3/6/24 Royal Oak Review

BY TAYLOR CHRISTENSEN tchristensen@candgnews.com

After a hiatus lasting four years due to COVID-19, the Royal Oak St. Patrick’s Day parade is back.

Royal Oak St. Patrick’s Day parade is back New generation helps preserve history at Clawson museum

The parade will begin at noon March 16 at Royal Oak Middle School, travel down Washington Avenue and then turn westbound onto West Seventh Street.

Al Carter, chairperson of the parade committee, will be running a parade for the first time.

Formerly the public informa-

BY TAYLOR CHRISTENSEN tchristensen@candgnews.com

CLAWSON — Two Clawson Middle School students helped to digitize old newspaper clippings Feb. 24 at the Clawson Historical Museum.

Clawson Middle School National Junior Honor Society members Owen Ball and Marlayna Reinhardt took on the job to bring these archives into the digital world.

Both students are in the seventh grade and they have been friends for five years. Ball and Reinhardt were both interested in Clawson history, and reading the various newspaper clippings.

“There is a lot of stuff in the paper that many people don’t really think matters,” Ball said. “But it was kind of interesting to learn

LEFT: Lailana Walker, 11, and Kaylee Colvard,11, both of Bloomfield Hills, enjoy the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Royal Oak in 2019.

ABOVE: Some longtime Royal Oak residents walk the parade route in 2019. File photos by Donna Agusti

ABOVE: Bekki Muglia, from Ferndale, passes out beads at the 2019 Royal Oak St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The parade will return for the first time since 2019 on March 16.

The Review is one of 21 bi-weekly publications produced by C & G Newspapers, a family-owned company serving residents in Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties since 1981. We deliver our papers to more than 571,000 homes in 45 communities via direct mail.

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3A/ ROYAL OAK REVIEW

Downtown pedestrian plaza design plans critiqued at City Commission meeting

BY TAYLOR CHRISTENSEN tchristensen@candgnews.com

ROYAL OAK — Conceptual designs for a pedestrian plaza on West Fifth Street between South Center Street and South Lafayette Street are still up for discussion as City Commission mem-

bers had a few suggestions last month on how to make it better for the downtown community.

The Downtown Development Authority has been working with civil engineering firm Fleis & Vandenbrink on this project since 2023.

Director of Community Development Timothy Thwing said the project has been budgeted

by the DDA at $1.5 million at this point in the process.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a portion of West Fifth between South Center Street and South Washington Street has been blocked off from vehicular traffic, and since then, closing the

Pocket park to be transformed into pollinator park

BY TAYLOR CHRISTENSEN tchristensen@candgnews.com

ROYAL OAK — Improvements to a pocket park located at the intersection of 13 Mile Road and Main Street were unanimously approved at the Feb. 12 City Commission meeting.

Royal Oak was awarded an $11,250 CN EcoConnexions From the Ground Up grant from America in Bloom. The grant will cover almost half of the project’s cost.

America in Bloom is in partnership with Canadian Railways, so the organization administers this grant where Canadian Railways operate, which includes Royal Oak.

America in Bloom is an independent nonprofit organization “promoting nationwide beautification through education and community involvement by encouraging the use of flowers, plants, and trees,” according to its website.

The overall cost of this project comes to $24,250. The elements provided by America in Bloom in the $11,250 grant include flowers, mulching, landscaping, and promotional educational materials.

Photo by Patricia O’Blenes

This pocket park on North Main Street is empty and filled with grass, but these squares will be filled with flowers after a plan for improvements proposed at the Royal Oak City Commission’s Feb. 12 meeting won approval. See PARK on page

Clawson Planning Commission addresses second part of survey results

BY TAYLOR CHRISTENSEN tchristensen@candgnews.com

CLAWSON — The Clawson Planning Commission heard the second part of a presentation on the city’s master plan survey that was conducted in the fall of 2023.

Results were read at the Feb. 27 Planning Commission meeting, addressing more thoughts and feelings about Clawson livability. The first part of the survey’s information was presented to the Planning Commission Jan. 23.

To begin the Feb. 27 presentation, Joe Tangari, principal planner of Giffels Webster Community Planning Co., showed the commission what types of public initiatives the people of Clawson would be willing to pay for, hypothetically.

Six hypothetical public initiatives were shown to the survey participants, and each person was given 1,000 points. With the 1,000 points, the participants were asked to distribute them into the initiatives they would be willing to pay for. In all, 403 votes were put into this question.

Stormwater management improvements were the highest-funded initiative of the six,

with 97.8% of the points going toward it. Road maintenance and repair had the secondhighest amount with 91.21% of points.

“On average people distributed money to 4.43 projects,” said Tangari. “Most people didn’t distribute money to all of them, but they had their favorites.”

Tangari said at the meeting that this ranking is “not necessarily surprising.”

“I think the flooding and the roads is something that everyone sees every day, or had a traumatic experience with,” he said. “I think it looms large in people’s minds, and it is something people want fixed, and that is the reason it is one of the modules for our master plan.”

Following that question, survey participants were asked on a map of Clawson to label poor road conditions, where people have experienced flooding, missing sidewalks, or places where the sidewalk needs repair.

Road conditions were the highest-reported problem on the map and spread over the whole city of Clawson.

The northern part of town had the highest concentration of poor road conditions, according to Tangari, particularly on School Street.

Biking and walking also were addressed. One of the survey questions asked participants to rank what they wish to see as types of barriers between moving vehicles and bicyclists.

“This talked about bike lanes and what would lead people to use them the most,” Tangari said. “The results that we got back showed that barrier-protected bike lanes are the things that people trust the most to keep them safe.”

Furthermore, a large number of people were open to a bit less protection, voting for lane striping and vertical posts that would have reflectors on them.

To pair with biking and walking, a Clawson map was presented where survey participants marked areas of safety concerns, bike parking, crosswalks and more.

“There is a concentration of safety concerns near where Washington (Avenue) comes into 14 Mile (Road), and there were comments associated with each of those basically saying, ‘People don’t know how to behave around the HAWK signal,’” Tangari said.

The HAWK signal takes its name from letters in the words “high-intensity activated crosswalk” and is used to help pedestrians

safely cross busy streets, such as 14 Mile Road in Clawson.

Tangari said this lack of knowledge about the HAWK signal worries people about potential problems, according to the survey.

Tangari suggested to add signage to the areas of the HAWK signals to explain how they work.

“A lot of people aren’t familiar with that kind of signal,” he said.

There have not been any accidents since one person hit the pole of a HAWK signal, according to Tangari.

The next topic of discussion related to multifamily housing. Survey participants were asked to choose where in Clawson they believe would be most appropriate to build multifamily housing.

At the top of the list with 55.16% of the votes was “along major roads (Crooks, Maple, Rochester).”

Survey participants were then asked what amenities they would like to see provided in a multifamily unit, if they were to rent one.

The top-rated choice was a balcony or private patio space with 78.34% of votes; sec-

Clawson resident

recognized for selflessness

CLAWSON — Huffmaster Vice President of Operations Ryan B. Okerstrom, a resident of Clawson, was recognized for his donation of a $20,000 security system to Sacred Heart Byzantine Catholic Church in Livonia.

Following a story of deceit, Okerstrom and his team donated the security system to help protect the church.

Father Joseph Marquis has been the pastor at Sacred Heart for 18 years, and keeping the church open for open prayer was something he wanted to continue to do, but this proved to be difficult as he had to worry about threats of theft and vandalism.

According to a press release, a local contractor was suggested to Marquis to carry out the CCTV project. The contractor requested a $2,500 deposit to begin the project, and to everyone’s disbelief, the contractor dropped all contact.

In hopes of exposing this story, Marquis got in contact with local news station FOX 2 Detroit. Veteran investigative reporter Rob Wolchek took the story and featured it in his Hall of Shame segment.

Wolchek also featured Okerstrom for his act of kindness.

For their actions Marquis recognized Wolcheck and Okerstrom with the Saint Nicholas Institute Medal of Honor. Marquis founded the Saint Nicholas Institute, which promotes the modern interpretation of St. Nicholas and teaches Santas and Mrs. Clauses how to have the spirit of St. Nicholas.

Compiled by Taylor Christensen

‘I love Royal Oak’ winners announced, artwork displayed downtown

ROYAL OAK — A drawing contest for Royal Oak youth to showcase their love and appreciation for their city has come to a close, and all the artwork is on display in storefront windows throughout Downtown Royal Oak.

The Royal Oak Downtown Development Authority had its first “I Love Royal Oak” drawing contest last month. More than 190 drawings were submitted throughout the contest’s three levels of elementary school, middle school and high school.

The artwork was then judged by the DDA as well as by the Royal Oak Commission for the Arts. Three winners were chosen within each age group and received monetary prizes ranging between $100 and $750.

In the high school division, first place went to Anna Young, second place went to Addison Reisdorf, and third place went to Shaelyn Simms.

‘A MUSICAL POT O’ GOLD’

ROYAL OAK — The Royal Oak Concert Band is planning to take its audience on a journey through music inspired by Ireland.

The performance, called “A Musical Pot O’Gold,” will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 17, at the Royal Oak Middle School auditorium.

The Royal Oak Concert Band is known for its dedicated musicians who play “for the love of music.” The nonprofit organization has more than 80 members and has been playing concerts for southeast Michigan since 1963, according to a press release.

“This celebratory performance features an eclectic mix of old and new works for wind bands that all have an Irish twist,” Royal Oak Concert Band Director Kevin Czarnik said in a press release. “There will be something for everyone.”

According to a press release, the band is planning to play songs from Percy Grainger, as well as songs from the movie “Titanic” and a “medley of U2 songs.”

Traditional Irish songs will also be featured, “blending the old with the new and paying homage to the enduring spirit of Ireland.”

The Woodward Avenue Jazz Orchestra will also perform at the concert.

Tickets cost $12 for adults and $10 for seniors and students; children 12 and younger are admitted for free. Tickets are available at royaloakconcertband. org.

In the middle school division, first place went to Sophia Scott, second place went to Grayson Wilson, and third place was awarded to Eileen Dyer.

Finally, in the elementary school division, Maya Omowale received first place, second place went to Kate Jackson, and third place went to Isabella Stadler.

“The ‘I Love Royal Oak Contest’ created an exciting opportunity for both my students and for downtown businesses,” Alesha Beistline, art teacher for Northwood and Oakland elementary schools, said in a press release. “I had more than 100 of my students participate and I was blown away by the thought and time many put into their entries.”

A map of where the artwork is displayed can be viewed at romi.gov/1827/I-Love-Royal-Oak-DrawingContest.

Casting call for Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’

ROYAL OAK — Shakespeare Royal Oak, Michigan’s largest outdoor professional theater, is holding auditions for its July 25-Aug. 4 show, “Twelfth Night,” by William Shakespeare.

In-person and online auditions are being held March 11-12. Callbacks will be for a later date.

Actors who are interested in auditioning should visit shakespeareroyaloak.com, according to a press release. Once actors visit this website, they will be directed to complete an online request for an audition time slot.

In-person auditions will take place at St John’s Episcopal Church at 26998 Woodward Ave, Royal Oak. Video auditions will be accepted through 5:00 p.m. on March 11.

According to the press release, the cast size is limited, and all actors will receive compensation.

This year’s Shakespeare story of love and deception will be directed by D.B. Schroeder, who along with directing, is a teacher, producer and designer.

“Shakespeare Royal Oak is committed to diversity and equality in all casting and hiring. The company invites and encourages artists of all races, backgrounds, and cultures to audition and apply; it supports non-traditional casting; and is committed to consider all roles for all artists,” the press release states.

SBut what many may not realize is the old dresser or couch they no longer want could make life substantially better

The

“Donations are down,” said Furniture Bank Board President Wanda Van Haitsma,

Oakland County happy with how early voting worked during presidential primary

BY MIKE KOURY mkoury@candgnews.com

OAKLAND COUNTY — For the Feb. 27 presidential primary election, Oakland County had its first real test with its early voting sites.

Back in November 2022, Michigan voters approved a constitutional amendment that allowed them to vote early and in-person. Some municipalities took part in a pilot program last November on early voting, but last week’s election was the first time every city took part.

“Early voting is different than election day voting,” Oakland County Clerk and Register of Deeds Lisa Brown said. “This isn’t at your precinct down the street. This is something different and for a minimum of nine days.”

Early voting began on Feb. 17 and ended on Feb. 25. Oakland County had 18 regional voting sites and one central site in Waterford.

Berkley, Huntington Woods and Pleasant Ridge shared an early voting site with Oak Park at the Oak Park Community Center, while Ferndale shared one with Royal Oak Township and Hazel Park at the Hazel Park Community Center.

“We had early voting sites where we partnered communities together,” Brown said. “If you think about Huntington Woods, Huntington Woods doesn’t have a place that could have been used for nine days straight up of early voting that would have ample parking and everything else … so we put communities together. We actually did do site visits when communities that we partnered together thought that there was more than one possibility for a site, and the Oak Park space just is a great space. It works for everybody.”

See VOTING on page 17A

CRIME WATCH

Car theft at Meijer

ROYAL OAK — A complainant reported that at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 10, an unknown person stole the complainant’s 2022 Ford Explorer from the parking lot of the Meijer on Coolidge Highway.

Tires slashed

ROYAL OAK — A complainant reported that between 6 p.m. Feb. 9 and 9:30 p.m. Feb. 10, an unknown person slashed two tires on the complainant’s vehicle at South Campbell Road and East Third Street.

Vehicle keyed at Meijer

ROYAL OAK — A complainant reported that between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Feb. 10, an unknown person keyed the complainant’s vehicle in the parking lot of the Meijer on Coolidge Highway.

Break-in attempt

ROYAL OAK — A complainant reported that between 7:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Feb. 20, an unknown person attempted to pry the complainant’s apartment door open, damaging the door frame in the 4200 block of Rochester Road.

Wallet containing identification and credit cards stolen

ROYAL OAK — A complainant reported that between 7:30 p.m. Feb. 17 and 9:30 a.m. Feb. 19, an unknown person stole a wallet containing the complainant’s identification and credit cards from an unlocked vehicle in the 400 block of Amelia Street, near 13 Mile and Rochester roads.

Liquor stolen

ROYAL OAK — A complainant reported that at 8:30 a.m. Feb. 19, an unknown person stole $23.48 worth of liquor from the Holiday Market on South Main Street.

— Taylor Christensen

with this grant and looking forward to the changes at the space.

from page 3A

The grant will pay for the planting of various types of native flowers, including hydrangeas, lavender, black-eyed Susan, bee balm and others. There will also be a natural screening wall with wintergreen arborvitae and Karl Foerster grasses. These improvements will cost $6,400 of the grant funding.

Topsoil, mulch and landscaping comes out to $3,350, and the promotion and education materials will cost $1,500 of the grant money.

Royal Oak will be providing $13,000 to the project.

To comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the project will include pathway access and maintenance costing $5,000.

Bike racks will be installed, which will cost $2,200. And finally, $2,000 will be allocated for design and construction management.

The city will be providing $1,500 for educational and promotional materials, and paying a one-time America in Bloom level three program participation fee of $2,300.

The park will also feature bumblebee spring riders for children that previously were located at the butterfly garden at the Royal Oak Public Library. These spring riders will be taken out of storage and restored for the park, according to the proposal.

Commissioners said they were pleased

“I am excited about putting this effort into this little piece to make it look great,” Commissioner Melanie Macey said.

Commissioner Sharlan Douglas was interested to hear if seating was going to be included in the park, and she insisted that it be comfortable for the patrons. Superintendent of Recreation John Fedele answered the question.

“There are currently two recycled composite benches that were installed by Eagle Scouts as well as (the possibility of) putting two more in there,” Fedele said.

The one-time America in Bloom level three program participation fee is required of Royal Oak to participate in the grant, and it is a one-year membership.

Royal Oak grant coordinator and management analyst Jill Martin said the level three membership will result in “two professionals to come in and not only give an evaluation of the part of the design that we are proposing, but they will also look at the whole community.”

The two America in Bloom advisers will take a look at 80% of Royal Oak and the plans that are currently in place, such as the sustainability plan and recreation master plan, according to Martin.

Following this, the advisers will provide a 10-page report in consideration of Royal Oak’s plans and what they see to be beneficial changes to the community, and what

History

from page 1A

about all of the things that happened before.”

Leah Davis, curator at the Clawson Historical Museum, said that it was a great thing to see the younger generation experience history.

“I think them coming in and getting to do it hands-on is really great. Being able to do things and experience it rather than just sitting there and being talked to, and really be a part of it, I think, helps them get interested in it,” she said.

Davis said that Ball and Reinhardt reached out to fulfill volunteer hours needed as National Junior Honor Society students.

Ball and his family are active museum attendees and inquired about doing volunteer hours at the museum.

His mother, Lisa Ball, is an active member of the Clawson community, working as the recreation supervisor for the city, and knows Davis well as her co-worker.

“The one family has come in here multiple times as they live locally,” Davis said, “and so they just happened to pop in and ask if Owen could do his volunteer hours here.”

The process of digitizing newspaper clippings is not as simple as scanning them into the system, according to Davis.

The historical museum uses software called

PastPerfect, which is a computer program to catalog collections. It is used by more than 11,000 museums, historical societies, archives, libraries and other collecting institutions worldwide, according to the PastPerfect website.

Following a training session on how to use the program, Ball and Reinhardt got to work reading the news clippings, pulling out important information, and logging it into the computer system to make it searchable, according to Davis.

“They have to do a bit of a summary without typing the entire article in there,” she said. “It does take some skills to pull out what is going to make it searchable, because that is the whole point of digitizing them.”

Ball said the process was tedious, but it ended up becoming second nature toward the end.

“There were a lot of little details that if you forget, you mess up the whole process. But it wasn’t too hard,” he said.

Reinhardt said she was interested in the obituaries and some old crime stories she saw in the clippings, but overall was mostly intrigued to dive deeper into the city of Clawson’s history.

“It is just because I live in Clawson that I want to learn more,” she said. “I originally just wanted some extra volunteer hours for NJHS, and I assumed that working with people at the museum would probably be very fun.”

Lisa Ball said that history is an important part

Photo provided by Lisa Ball

Owen Ball and Marlayna Reinhardt have fun digitizing newspaper clippings for the Clawson Historical Museum Feb. 24.

See HISTORY on page 14A

HOMES TIME TO GET OUTDOOR SPACES READY FOR SPRING AND SUMMER

BY GENA JOHNSON gjohnson@candgnews.com

Outside living spaces have grown in popularity over the years. As spring approaches, this is the time to start preparing lawns and gardens for “backyarding” fun.

“‘Backyarding,’ I think we came up with the term during COVID. It was the first time I heard it,” said Kris Kiser, president and CEO of the TurfMutt Foundation, which advocates for the care of outdoor spaces from yards to parks. “It’s a verb meaning to champion the outdoors and creating the spaces for your particular needs.”

According to Kiser, lawns and backyards are no longer meant just to look pretty and provide curb appeal.

“We’ve worked with Realtors who have said, ‘Young people want outdoor living spaces,’” Kiser said.

These spaces are determined with a purpose in mind and tailored to the owner’s needs and desires: a Zen space, a cooking space or outdoor fun. When planning these spaces, one must factor in kids, dogs, deer and flowering plants.

Matching the right plant to the right place is the mantra of many gardeners and growers. To find the right match, homeowners must know their climate zone, Kiser said.

“The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently updated their plant hardiness map,” said David Lowenstein, consumer horticulture supervising extension educator at the Michigan State University Macomb County Extension Office. “Now everyone is in zone 6 in the Detroit metro area.”

“What the zone information describes is the average minimum winter

Outdoor living spaces are growing in popularity. Spending time outdoors can decrease stress and anxiety.

Photo by Rebecca Finneran

Furniture Bank

from page 6A

of Redford. “We have about 180 families waiting for beds and other furniture, and that’s a big number.”

Furniture Bank of Southeastern Michigan Executive Director Robert Boyle, of Grosse Pointe Woods, said that’s three times the number of families waiting for furniture at this time in 2021. At the same time, furniture donations have dropped; Boyle said that in 2022, they went on 4,600 pickups, but in 2023, there were only 3,800 pickups.

“At a time of high inflation, it would

seem people would rather sit on their current couch than buy a new one,” Boyle said.

That same high inflation disproportionately hurts people on the lower end of the income spectrum. More than 80% of the people the Furniture Bank serves have incomes of $20,000 or less, and most are families with children.

“Now it’s even more difficult to cover basics like a bed for a child or a dining table to share a meal at,” Boyle said.

The Furniture Bank will collect essential items in good condition from homes across metro Detroit at no charge, if these items can be placed in a garage or on a porch, or they’ll charge a flat fee of $75 to

collect any number of essentials from inside the home. Essential items include mattresses, box springs, dressers, end tables, nightstands, coffee tables, sofas/loveseats (excluding reclining sofas and sofa beds), dining/ kitchen tables (excluding glass or heavy marble), dining/kitchen chairs (in sets of at least two) and living room chairs. The Furniture Bank will also collect as essentials up to five bags or boxes of smaller housewares, such as towels, pots, pans, silverware, lamps, bedding and other basics; they cannot accept clothing.

Because there’s such a serious need for mattresses and box springs in good condi-

tion, the Furniture Bank is currently offering to pick up these items for free, whether they’re inside or outside the house.

For essential items that are structurally damaged, stained, torn or badly worn, they will haul these items away for $100 per item, whether they’re inside or outside of the home.

For fees ranging from $100 to $125 per item, the Furniture Bank will also pick up nonessential items from inside or outside of homes, including desks, bookshelves, armoires, china cabinets, buffets, sofa beds, reclining sofas, entertainment centers and See FURNITURE BANK on page 18A

Applications Accepted for Royal Oak Schools Schools of Choice program March 1-29, 2024.

WHY ROYAL OAK?

• INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE

• PROGRAMMES (PYP, MYP, DP)

• FIRST CLASS ARTS & ACADEMICS

• TOP TECHNOLOGY IN CLASSROOMS

• ROBUST CLUBS & ACTIVITIES

• NEWLY RENOVATED LEARNING SPACES

• ACTIVE SCHOOL- COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

Photo provided by the Furniture Bank of Southeastern Michigan Janith Bryson — one of the 2,000 local individuals and families helped last year by the Furniture Bank — can now have visitors because she has furniture.

Plaza

from page 3A

street has proven to be a positive change for Downtown Royal Oak, according to Thwing and City Commissioner Brandon Kolo.

“We were just looking at ways to get people outside,” Kolo said regarding the 2020 shutdown. “This was a way to have people congregate in those areas and be safe while they do it.”

According to the proposal document, “The idea of a pedestrian plaza was initially explored due to business community feedback expressing a desire for improvements west of the railroad tracks downtown.”

The site was chosen due to the already existing pedestrian-only area established in 2020. It also serves as a central location close to restaurants, bars and shops.

Royal Oak Downtown Development Manager Daniel Solomon presented the proposed designs at the meeting and said that the DDA has been working with community stakeholders to figure out the best design.

“Basically what we heard is seating, lighting, green space, art, any number of things that are going to help us create a gathering space,” he said.

Beautification, increased accessibility

and climate resilience were also mentioned by Solomon.

The commissioners, excited about the pedestrian plaza, also seek some changes to the plan.

Artificial turf being the green space of choice was one of the first questions brought up by Commissioner Melanie Macey.

“It just seems like now we’ve replaced all of this space with turf, and I don’t personally

love that as much,” she said.

Solomon said that having turf instead of grass makes upkeep easier and more efficient, and allows for year-round usage of the green space.

“We want to make sure we are providing space for children to play without it getting to be a muddy mess in the middle during the spring,” he said. “We wanted to have a plaza that was usable in all four seasons by way of

programming.

“Ultimately, we were worried a little about the foot traffic aspect ripping up some of that grass,” Solomon said.

Materials are still up for debate, according to Solomon, and turf does not need to be the final decision for the green spaces.

Kolo said a thorough discussion and a walk-through of the area to visualize the po-

Tuesday

Thursday

Photo provided by city of Royal Oak

This rendering by Fleis & Vandenbrink shows the Fifth Avenue pedestrian plaza plan prior to the changes requested by the City Commission at the Feb. 12 meeting.

Parade

from page 1A

tion officer for the Royal Oak Police Department, Carter has always been an involved member of the Royal Oak community and participated in St. Patrick’s Day parades in the past with his fellow police officers.

“I have marched for multiple years with the Royal (Oak) Honor Guard — they lead the parade with the flag — and my wife would bring the kids, and it has always been a tradition,” he said.

Carter got the position of chairperson when he ran into previous committee member Carol Hennessey.

“She was a really big part of the parade in the past and I asked her when we were going to bring the parade back,” he said.

Hennessey ended up asking Carter to be the Chairperson, and to spearhead the parade for the 2024 year.

Running a parade has not been a walk in the park, according to Carter, and the process has been much more than he anticipated.

“We were actually looking at a budget of $11,000, and started with zero,” he said. “There are many different businesses that stepped forward and helped us out with getting our budget off the ground so that we could actually put on the parade.”

This year the parade has a sponsorship with the Royal Oak Leprechauns, and team Vice President Rocky Shattuck is excited to be involved not only as a sponsor, but as secretary of the parade’s committee.

Shattuck got involved in the parade when Steven Zanetti, the previous parade chairman, approached him at Berkley’s Irish Fest, asking him to become a part of the committee for the Royal Oak St. Patrick’s Day parade.

Being the vice president of the Royal Oak Leprechauns, it only made sense that the team joined in to sponsor the parade.

“Obviously, with the Royal Oak Leprechauns, a St. Patrick’s Day parade is a no-brainer to cross pro-

mote,” he said. “So, we had the opportunity to sponsor the parade, to have those naming rights. It was a great opportunity for our program, and we are super thankful for that.”

The team will be participating in the parade, riding the team bus that has the Leprechauns logo on its side.

Being a part of bringing back this “iconic” parade is something Shattuck said everyone is looking forward to.

“It’s so cool to bring this opportunity back to the community and enjoy it every year,” he said. “We are prideful in the fact that this is a family event, and it is an opportunity for family and friends to get together and really enjoy themselves.”

Carter is grateful for the Leprechauns sponsorship and said it was one of the main reasons that bringing back the parade was possible.

This year the parade is going to be showcasing veterans and other community-driven entities in the city of Royal Oak.

“We are going to have the (Veterans of Foreign Wars) group marching along with several other veteran groups,” Carter said.

Royal Oak Schools also is going to be featured in the parade, Carter said, and the committee has been in touch with Royal Oak Schools Superintendent Mary Beth Fitzpatrick to set it up.

“She is going to lead the parade with us, along with principals from other elementary schools,” he said. “Four of them have already committed, and we are going to have the principals and teachers featured that are going to be marching in the parade.”

Carter said that when creating this parade, he and the committee put an emphasis on businesses and community-based organizations.

“We want the community involved. Everybody’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day in my mind, and we’re not only going to highlight heritage and pride with that, but our community that we all live in,” he said.

Call Staff Writer Taylor Christensen at (586) 4981081.

Survey

from page 4A

ond was open or recreational outdoor space, with 53.46% of the votes. Storage unit space was ranked as the third highest, with 42.86% of votes.

Following the reading of the last few survey results, Tangari and the Planning Commission will be having a public forum to view the recommendations of the master plan and respond to them.

There was no date set as of Feb. 29, but Tangari said that a date will be decided and told to the commission a month before the planned date.

Prior to picking a date, Tangari said the Planning Commission needs to be comfortable with the draft before presenting it to the public for extra comment.

Tangari said that he would like to meet first with the Planning Commission in April, and then have the public meeting in the second half of May.

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

History

from page 9A

of learning for younger kids like Ball and Reinhardt, and it can be a fun experience. She also put an emphasis on volunteering.

“They really enjoy it. They may not totally understand why, but it’s something new and different and hopefully they continue to volunteer at organizations like this,” she said. “That’s my own intention — to expose the kids to volunteer groups within the city.”

Davis said that more and more kids are coming forward with requests to volunteer, and she plans to put more information about it out to the schools.

“I do plan to reach out to the schools to let them know that if students need volunteer hours, or they just want to come in and experience some of the things that go on at the museum, they can,” she said.

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

Plaza

from page 12A

tential changes could benefit both the DDA and City Commission to help finalize a plan.

Commissioner Amanda Herzog expressed the same concerns.

“That will be a no-go from me on anything with synthetic turf. It’s the microplastics by stormwater drains, and entering our waterways is a huge concern public healthwise and environment-wise,” she said.

According to the design plans provided by Fleis & Vandenbrink, the plaza will have added trees, tables and chairs, shade structures, bike loops, and lights going across the walkway.

Chair comfortability was one of the concerns brought up by Commissioner Sharlan Douglas.

“I look at the seating suggestions here and none of them are comfortable,” Douglas said. “I would definitely lean into Commissioner Kolo’s suggestion that we need to open this process up and take a little more time with it.”

Douglas is hoping that with extra time and consideration, seniors and people with varying disabilities or other needs can enjoy the seating provided at the future plaza.

“I picture a nursing mother looking for a comfortable place to sit and rest, and all of those needs are just not met with the seating options offered here,” she said.

Thwing assured that there would still be vehicle access within the plaza, in case of emergency.

“The final design right now calls for the north side of it to have an area that’s drivable for emergency vehicles,” he said. “It’s not fully fleshed out and engineered yet, but fire and police have been involved in the design process.”

Following the Feb. 12 City Commission meeting, the DDA was scheduled to meet with Kolo, Douglas and Macey on March 4, after press time, to discuss the plans for the plaza, and “make sure we are all on the same page and this new plaza is a great space for people to enjoy,” according to Kolo.

“After they make those revisions, we will proceed with an estimate and bring the estimates back (to the commissioners), and if it looks doable, they will proceed to construction documents,” Thwing said.

The project is slated to begin in the spring of 2025, according to Thwing, following the concept approval for the design.

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

Detect to Protect: Full-body MRI scans now available in South eld

Early detection is crucial when it comes to cancer because screening for early signs of disease not only creates opportunities for e ective treatment but also signi cantly improves survival odds. Yet many individuals only discover they have cancer after symptoms develop, and that often means it has already progressed to Stage 3 or 4, or possibly metastasized to other parts of the body.

at’s exactly what unfolded for the late Warren Ringold, M.D., founder of Bionicc Body Screening — and the reason why he became passionate about helping others avoid the su ering he faced due to his own late-stage cancer diagnosis.

“Full-body MRIs screen from the top of the head to about mid-thigh,” Ryan explained. “ e technology is capable of detecting tumors as small as a pea, or from 1 to 1.5 centimeters. It also detects early signs of multiple sclerosis, aneurysms, kidney stones, degenerative disc disease of the spine, liver disease — literally hundreds of di erent abnormalities. e hope is to detect early so that the prognosis is better.”

It is crucial, however, to understand that MRIs are

from page 8A

they thought of the current plans, according to Martin.

Commissioner Amanda Herzog asked how other Royal Oak boards and commissions will be notified of this and be able to engage as stakeholders in the process.

“We will be reaching out to the effective stakeholders and come up with … like a work-in-the-park day,” Fedele said.

“So that way, it’s a collaborative effort where everyone is on the same page and we can meet with the advisers so we can put this park together,” Fedele said.

Commissioner Brandon Kolo brought up the idea of a name competition for the park. No action was taken on the idea.

“I just want to have a resolution that we have a name competition. I don’t think ‘13 on Main Park’ is an attractive name for it,” he said, smiling, “so maybe we can launch a competition and have some kids and adults submit names and come up with something fun.”

The pollinator park is expected to be bid out in the next few weeks, according to Kolo, and work would begin in the spring or summer of this year.

Kolo said the city hopes that the project will be completed by this summer.

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

“My father was a family physician for over 40 years, and he started a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) clinic that focused on imaging for sports and auto accident injuries,” said Ryan Ringold, who joined the company as director last September with a mission to carry on his father’s legacy. “He became short of breath while he was at work one day in 2018, left for the hospital, and was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. It required aggressive treatment, which led to cruel side e ects but, thankfully, put the disease in remission for a year. en it resurfaced as a brain tumor, and he faced another brutal battle that resulted in a second remission. My father was a ghter, and we were blessed to have had a lot of extra moments to cherish with him, but he contracted pneumonia and passed away last summer.”

Back around the time of his cancer treatment, Dr. Ringold started hearing about companies in Canada that were performing full-body MRI screenings. Ryan recalled that this piqued his father’s interest, and he wondered what his outcome might have been had he gotten into his own MRI machine a year earlier and discovered his cancer in the early stages when it was much more treatable.

at realization compelled Dr. Ringold to convert his MRI clinic into a place where people could get preventive full-body MRI screenings.

an additional tool and not a replacement for routine screenings like colonoscopies and mammograms. Even with the advancements in full-body scans, the screenings ordered annually by a patient’s physician remain irreplaceable for comprehensive health monitoring.

“People tell us they’ve been waiting for something like this and cannot believe full-body MRIs are nally available right here in Michigan,” Ryan said. “My father was determined to make this service available to anyone who wants it. He was a very beloved man, and his spirit is de nitely still with us.”

Call before March 31 and get a $200 discount on a full-body MRI screening.

Bionicc Body Screening is located at 26550 Northwestern Hwy. in South eld. For more information or to schedule a consultation, call (833) 246-6422 or visit bioniccbodyscreening.com.

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MRI machines use magnets and emit no radiation.

Photo by Patricia O’Blenes

The pocket park is at the corner of North Main Street and 13 Mile Road.

Voting

from page 7A

Huntington Woods City Clerk Heidi Barckholtz said the early voting went well overall at the Oak Park site. According to the County Clerk’s Office, there were 9,981 voters who showed up to the early voting sites countywide over the nine days.

“It went very smoothly. People were able to get in and out, Barckholtz said. “Our site was not quite as busy as some of the other sites, but we didn’t have a local ballot, so turnout overall wasn’t great.”

Brown said the early voting went well overall and that the workers at the sites “loved it.” Her hope is that with each election, more and more people become familiar with and utilize early voting.

She added that absentee voters can take their ballots to their early voting sites and put them in the tabulators.

“For August, I think that is the most crucial election to do that for, because we see more spoiled ballots in an August primary than in any other election,” Brown said. “Because in an August primary, you have to, what we say, ‘Stay in your lane.’ You can only vote for one party’s candidate. And often when voters turn their ballot over, either

they forget or they think it doesn’t count anymore — I don’t know what — and they cross over, and when they do that, they have now spoiled the entire partisan section of their ballots. So none of the votes in the partisan section will count.

“When you put it in the tabulator, and you’ve crossed parties in the August primary, it’s going to spit the ballot back out at you and you’ll have the opportunity to remedy that,” she continued. “If you return your absentee ballot to your local clerk’s office and have it counted on election day or whatever in an absentee voting counting board, there is no way to remedy that. So your partisan votes won’t count.”

Brown was able to visit some of the early voting sites and took notes about anything that could be improved, such as whether they needed more signage or if there was enough equipment.

“For example, the Rochester Hills/ Oakland Township location is our busiest. … We’re gonna readjust the layout of everything there to make it a better flow,” she said. “But all the workers that I talked to loved it, they loved working it, they loved the process, and the voters have really enjoyed it as well.”

Call Staff Writer Mike Koury at (586) 498-1077.

Outdoor

from page 10A

temperature. Zone 6A, the average temperature is minus 10 degrees Fahrenheit to minus 5 degrees Fahrenheit,” Lowenstein said. “That means the plants can survive if temperatures get to minus 10 degrees.”

Combining the right plant with the right soil can yield thriving results. Common types of soil are clay, sand and loam, according to Lowenstein.

“We do tend to have a lot of clay soil in our area,” Lowenstein said about the soil in Macomb and Oakland counties.

The soil types can vary in this area depending on how close you are to a body of water, according to Lowenstein.

“Streams have been channeled, and they’re now underground,” Lowenstein said. “Where your house is now could have once been a wetland or had a stream nearby, and that can impact the soil type.”

The right plant for the right place is as simple as a couple of clicks of the mouse, according to Kiser. Homeowners can do research on the internet into the kind of soil they have and what plants are optimal in that environment. The MSU Extension Office also has soil testers that give the nutrient composition of the soil. The testers are available in the office or online for purchase. For more information, see homesoiltest.msu. edu.

Kiser created an outdoor office during the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to enjoy it today as it draws colorful migrating birds, butterflies and a fox.

“The office has turned into a bit of an interaction with nature,” Kiser said. “It’s a disturbance I like.”

“Whatever you have, work with it.” Kiser said. That can include everything from a potted plant on a terrace to sprawling acres with plants, bushes, flowers, fruit trees and vegetables.

A beautiful outdoor garden can attract unwanted visitors. Deer love tender young plants and flowers. According to Lowenstein, it is difficult to keep the deer away completely unless there is a high fence or other barrier.

Deer typically avoid holly and ornamental grasses, according to Lowenstein. Catmint also deters deer with its fragrant scent and fuzzy leaves. Deer usually do not eat plants with hairy leaves like lamb’s ear.

Lowenstein suggests covering new plants and flowers with a cage to keep the deer away, at least until the new plants have been in the ground a month or two.

A lush green lawn can be a highlight of a beautiful outdoor space.

“Lawns look green when their fertility needs are met,” Lowenstein said. “What I mean by that is, when there is a sufficient amount of nitrogen available to them.”

Fertilizer can add nitrogen to the lawn, but err on the side of caution and do not over-fertilize, Lowenstein said. Slow-release fertilizer can be used less frequently than the fast-release variety, because slow-release continues to release nutrients.

Although metro Detroit had some unseasonably warm days in February, according to Lowenstein, the time to seed and plant will be in April.

“We could still have days that could bring us freezes, frosts or even snow,” Lowenstein said. “You don’t want to be fooled by Mother Nature and plant too early.”

Now the lawn can be mowed and any debris cleared. In a few weeks, the lawn will be ready to aerate, which involves punching holes into the ground, and to scarify, which creates grooves in the soil for grass seed to penetrate, protecting it from birds, according to Kiser. Kiser said to order plants, hardscapes and pools and arrange for labor now, because they may be more difficult to come by later in the season.

Call Staff Writer Gena Johnson at (586) 498-1069.

Furniture Bank

from page 11A

treadmills. Proceeds from fees support the work of the Furniture Bank and enable them to hire professional movers to safely remove furniture.

“It’s such a great nonprofit,” Van Haitsma said. “We’re providing furniture and beds for people who are trying to get back on their feet.”

In some cases, the people helped by the Furniture Bank are individuals who are moving from a homeless shelter into their own apartment or home. In other cases, they’re people starting over after escaping from an abusive relationship.

Boyle said their clients are excited to leave shelters for their own dwelling — until they realize they were more comfortable in the shelter because, at least there, they had a bed.

“It’s stressful,” Boyle said of sleeping on the floor. “It’s not comfortable. It’s not good for your mental or physical health.”

Boyle said they’re trying to provide people with a stable, dignified life. Studies show there are higher rates of attention deficit disorder and obesity in children who don’t get adequate sleep.

“It’s really important that families get what they need when they need it and they don’t go through any more distress,” Boyle said.

To donate or for more information, visit www.furniture-bank.org or call (248) 332-1300.

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

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COMMUNITY BRIEFS

Royal Oak City Hall looking for ‘crazy sock’ donations

ROYAL OAK — Royal Oak City Hall is asking everyone to find the craziest socks to donate for a tradition held on World Down Syndrome Day on March 21.

Royal Oak City Hall is working with Keller Elementary School to raise awareness for this day, and the socks collected will be mismatched and sold so people can wear crazy socks on March 21.

March 21 is significant because people with Down syndrome have three copies of their 21st chromosome, according to worlddownsyndromeday.org.

Wearing crazy mismatched socks is meant to represent the chromosomes. According to the Down Syndrome Association website, when looking at chromosomes under a microscope, they look like a pair of socks, and the dye used on them makes them look striped.

The other reason for wearing mismatched socks is to “promote the celebration of differences.”

All proceeds made from the donated

socks will go to GiGi’s Playhouse, a Down syndrome achievement center.

There is a donation box in the lobby of City Hall for all sock donations.

City Commission awards 3 contracts for improvements to roads and sidewalks

ROYAL OAK — Three different projects are slated to begin this year as the Royal Oak City Commission approved bids for the projects at the commission’s Feb. 12 meeting.

An award of contract for the 2024 sidewalk improvement plan was approved for L. Anthony Construction Inc.

This contractor will be replacing the sidewalk in the target area with boundaries of 12 Mile Road, North Main Street, 13 Mile Road, Greenfield Road, Webster Road, Trafford Road and Woodward Avenue.

The project will be funded by the local road fund, and by direct billing to property owners. The bid price was $596,110.

Sidewalk improvements are set to begin on May 6 and be completed by Aug. 30.

The second award of contract was for the 2024 concrete street repair improvements.

This project will result in concrete pav-

ing replacement, sections of curb and gutter replacement, ramp replacement, and drainage structure rehabilitation on concrete streets.

The City Commissioners approved to award Audia Concrete Construction Inc. with this project for the bid price of $1,299,398.

This project is slated to begin April 15 and be completed by Sept. 20.

Finally, the commissioners approved an award of contract for joint sealing improvements to be made to local and major streets.

The project will include preparing, cleaning, and sealing longitudinal and transverse joints and cracks on these roads.

Following this approval, Michigan Joint Sealing Inc. was to be awarded the bid price of $167,021.

This project is going to begin on May 3 and is expected to be completed by June 30.

Royal Oak Schools Foundation recognized for support of

district

ROYAL OAK — Royal Oak Schools recently recognized the Royal Oak Schools Foundation for its continued support and commitment to the district.

In 2023, the foundation received a

$36,000 grant from the city of Royal Oak community grants. This money will be used to “increase career-focused education and career readiness opportunities for all students in all grades,” according to a press release.

“This grant will allow us to expand opportunities for our students and prepare them for the future,” Maryanne VanHaitsma, president of the Royal Oak Schools Foundation, said in a press release.

The career-focused education will help students get exposed to career opportunities, focus on skill sets, passions and goals, and help them identify a career path for the future.

It will also be providing additional funding to K-12 teachers’ professional development.

In the 2022-2023 academic year, the foundation allocated $25,000 to a comprehensive literacy program, acquiring 1,320 books for students across multiple schools.

In 2021-2022, $25,000 was allocated to address social-emotional well-being and instructional support, according to the press release.

The Royal Oak Schools Foundation has been assisting with projects to improve education for Royal Oak students for three decades.

— Taylor Christensen

Help

Seasonal general laborer positions, $15.00 - $16.00 hourly, no benefits. Successful completion of Civil Service Examination is required, and applicants must meet all requirements set forth in the Employees Civil Service Ordinance. Pre-employment background investigation is required. Interested, applicants must submit application to the Clinton Township Employees Civil Service Commission, 40700 Romeo Plank Rd., Clinton Township, MI 48038 on or before the close of business, Friday, April 12, 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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Lawn Maintenance

Weekly

586.899.4443 Call Now

Painting

586-792-3117

MARCH

MARCH

MARCH 16

St. Patrick’s Day Parade: Returning after 3-year hiatus, noon, starts at Royal Oak Middle School and travels south on Washington Avenue then westbound on Seventh Street, www.royaloakst patricksdayparade.org

p.m. Saturdays, also antiques and collectibles 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Sundays, 316 E. 11 Mile Road in Royal Oak, Royal Oak Farmers Market on Facebook

Open rehearsals with Harmony United Chorus: Barbershop-style group for men, 7-9 p.m. every Tuesday, choir room at Royal Oak Middle School, 709 N. Washington Ave., greaterdetroit.org

Monthly book clubs: Find meetups for horror fans, kids, LGBTQIA+

centuries.”

Also coming to MC3 this spring is Efren Ramirez, who played Pedro in the popular movie “Napoleon Dynamite.”

Autograph and photo opportunities with celebrities have individual prices and can be purchased at the convention’s website.

The show will be hosting a live recording of Katee Sackhoff’s podcast, “Blah Blah Blah,” on May 18 and will feature a surprise guest. Sackhoff, who is known for her roles in “Battlestar Galactica” and “The Mandalorian,” as well as voicing characters in “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” and “Star Wars Rebels,” will also be a celebrity guest at the convention. Tickets to attend the podcast cost between $30 and $60, depending on the ticket level, and are in addition to the cost of general show admission.

Registration for the MC3 Adult Cosplay contest is now open. The contest is to be held at 6 p.m. May 18, and advance registration is required to participate. Prizes include MC3 fall show passes, autographed photos, cash prizes, and other exclusive MC3 merchandise. MC3 is seeking people interested in presenting a panel discussion focusing on interesting, creative topics in the world of pop culture. Those interested can apply online at motorcitycomiccon.com.

Tickets for the show are available for purchase online and range in price from $30 to $50 for an adult day pass, depending on which day and how the ticket is purchased. Tickets for children ages 6-12 and older cost $10 online or $20 at the door. Weekend and VIP ticket packages are also available for both age groups. Children 5 and under attend for free all weekend. Children ages 6-12 will be free on Sunday, May 19, for Kids Day. For more information or to purchase tickets, go to motorcitycomicon.com.

MARCH 17

St. Patrick’s Day concert: Traditional and contemporary music with an Irish twist performed by Royal Oak Concert Band, also set by Woodward Avenue Jazz Orchestra, 3 p.m., Royal Oak Middle School, 709 N. Washington Ave., royaloakconcertband.org

and more, Royal Oak Public Library, 222 E. 11 Mile Road, (248) 2463700, romi.gov/1532/library

• Wednesday Afternoon Book Club meets 1-2 p.m. every third Wednesday, Blair Memorial Library, 416 N. Main St. in Clawson, facebook. com/BlairMemorialLibrary, register at clawsonlibrary@gmail.com

Bingo: 12:30-1:30 p.m. every first Friday of month, Mahany/ Meininger Senior Community Center, 3500 Marais Ave. in Royal Oak, (248) 246-3900

Widowed Friends breakfasts: 9:30 a.m. every second and fourth Wednesday of month, The Avenue Family Restaurant, 31253 Woodward Ave. in Royal Oak, RSVP to Marilyn at (248) 543-1018

Health workshops: For chronic pain, high blood pressure and more, hosted by Corewell Health, free and virtual, beaumonthealth. digitalsignup.com

• For high blood pressure (6-7:30 p.m. Mondays until March 11), diabetes (6-8 p.m. Mondays until March 11) and kidney disease (1-3 p.m. Wednesdays until March 20), free and virtual, nkfm.org/PATH, mihealthyprograms.org

PAWS AND LAWS

St. Clair Shores City Councilman David Rubello, center, with his beagle, Teddy, joined Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in her Lansing office on Feb. 6 for a ceremonial bill signing for “Teddy’s Law.” The package of bills, sponsored by state

Sen. Kevin Hertel, second from left, D-St. Clair Shores, and state Sen. Dayna Polehanki, D-Livonia, to the right of the governor, requires research facilities to offerdogs or cats that would otherwise be euthanized to an animal shelter for adoption, and itestablishes penalties for failing to do that.

Photo provided by Executive Office of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer