4/18/24 Troy Times

Robert Bruner to take on Troy city manager position

The Troy City Council has chosen Deputy City Manager Robert Bruner to take over the city manager position following Mark Miller’s upcoming departure.

The unanimous decision came during a City Council meeting April 8. The council looked through several applications and was considering Bruner and Public Works Director Kurt Bovensiep as the two finalists for the position.

Miller will officially retire from the

position May 31. He was selected for the position in 2018, originally on a five-year contract. During his time as city manager, he had to work through some turmoil within city government in the wake of scandal surrounding his predecessor, former longtime City Manager Brian Kischnick, who was

convicted of bribery charges and was accused of improper behavior while in office, which led to his firing in March 2018.

Miller’s career in Troy started in 2000 as the principal planner, before becoming the planning director. Miller was later promoted

Pitching and defense could find Athens a way to OAA Blue title

BY JONATHAN SZCZEPANIAK jszczepaniak@candgnews.com

If you can count on anything from Troy Athens baseball, it’s that the rotation and the defensive unit will be at their best day in and day out.

Through their Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 1 state tournament run last year, Athens allowed three runs or fewer in four of its five matchups while the bats caught fire throughout districts.

Behind returning senior captains Parker Ciurla and Brody Fahnestock, Athens will lean on its arms once more as a slew of underclassmen will look to help fill the void of the eight graduated seniors.

“We’ve always been blessed with pitching since I’ve been here in 2005,” Athens head coach Mike Morris said. “You always say, at least I do as a baseball

See BASEBALL on page 12A

RIGHT: Troy Athens senior Parker Ciurla pitches during a matchup against Southfield A&T April 9 at Athens High School.

ABOVE: Troy Athens sophomore Andrew Cermak stands at the plate, ready to hit.

Photos by Donna Dalziel

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The frequency in severe weather has led to an increase in power outages. More than ever, you need to be prepared. Without power, your everyday modern essentials are rendered useless. Think about it, you’ll have no lights, heating or cooling, or refrigeration. You can’t even charge your cell phone. But when you have a Generac home standby generator, you will have power when you need it the most. It’s time to get serious about preparing your home.

Trusted Protection During Unpredictable Weather

The frequency in severe weather has led to an increase in power outages. More than ever, you need to be prepared. Without power, your everyday modern essentials are rendered useless. Think about it, you’ll have no lights, heating or cooling, or refrigeration. You can’t even charge your cell phone. But when you have a Generac home standby generator, you will have power when you need it the most. It’s time to get serious about preparing your home.

The frequency in severe weather has led to an increase in power outages. More than ever, you need to be prepared. Without power, your everyday modern essentials are rendered useless.

Call or go online today for more information

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State of the County address focuses on affordable housing, transit, business

‘Proving once again that in Oakland County, working across the aisle is how we do business’

BY MARK VEST mvest@candgnews.com

FARMINGTON HILLS — At his State of the County address at The Hawk Community Center in Farmington Hills April 4, Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter painted an optimistic picture of where things stand in the county.

Coulter took the stage following remarks by Farmington Hills Mayor Theresa Rich.

During his speech, Coulter highlighted what he considers some of the county’s successes, including affordable housing, transit, small business coaching and mental health care.

He said that one of the county’s greatest strengths is fiscal responsibility, as, from his perspective, taxpayer dollars have been handled responsibly.

“Every year I’ve presented three-year balanced budgets with healthy reserves that help provide essential services that reflect our shared priorities and values,” Coulter said to those in at-

See ADDRESS on page 20A

CRICKET TOURNAMENT TO RETURN TO TROY

BY BRENDAN LOSINSKI blosinski@candgnews.com

On Sunday, April 28, the Troy Community Center will play host to the second-annual Michigan High School Cricket Tournament.

The tournament was begun last year by Washtenaw International High School student Sarthak Subud-

hi. An advocate for increasing access to cricket resources in the community, he organized several local teams, including his own, to participate in the event.

“High school cricket is still new for most people. Since I am a senior going off to the University of Michigan, I want to leave a legacy

See CRICKET on page 17A

Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter highlighted what he considers some of the county’s successes at a State of the County address April 4 at The Hawk Community Center in Farmington Hills.

Photo by Patricia O’Blenes

CRIME WATCH

Woman arrested after church member allegedly assaulted, purse stolen

Police were sent to St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church, 3603 Livernois Road, at 2:03 p.m. April 1 for reports of an assault.

Officers spoke with a woman who said that the church had been providing money to the woman to help get her affairs in order under the agreement that she repay the funds.

The suspect went to the church and asked to have coffee with the victim. While the victim was making coffee, the suspect allegedly grabbed the victim’s purse and ran out of the church. The victim followed her outside in an attempt to get her purse back, but the suspect pushed her to the ground, police said. The suspect then entered a cab and attempted to leave the scene but was stopped by multiple people and was kept at the location until police arrived.

The suspect, a 39-year-old woman from Royal Oak, was arrested and transported to the Troy Police lock-up facility, where she was charged with unarmed robbery.

Drunken driver arrested after crash

Officers were dispatched to Long Lake and Crooks roads at 1:31 a.m. April 3 for a report of a traffic crash.

While speaking with the at-fault driver, a 31-year-old man, officers noted his eyes were bloodshot and glassy and that there was a strong odor of intoxicants coming from his breath. The driver performed poorly on sobriety evaluations, and a preliminary breath test showed a 0.167% blood alcohol content.

Vehicle stolen from driveway

A resident in the 2600 block of Cedar Ridge Drive told police someone stole his 2023 Ford Explorer from his driveway between 9:30 p.m. April 1 and 6:45 a.m. April 2.

Gun stolen from vehicle

A resident in the 2700 block of Athena Drive told police that between 12:36 and 8 a.m. April 4 an unknown suspect entered his unlocked vehicle and stole his handgun.

Jewelry missing after woman’s death in hospital

According to a police report, a man whose wife was being treated at Troy Beaumont Hospital on Dequindre Road discovered that some of her belongings were missing after she passed away March 17.

The man said his wife was in the ICU, and after she passed away, the hospital returned her belongings, but jewelry valued at $11,600 was missing.

Resident loses $800 in Facebook ticket scam

A resident came across a subject selling concert tickets in a Facebook group for $400 each at noon March 29. The resident purchased two tickets and sent the payment of $800 via Zelle. When he did not receive the tickets, the resident contacted the seller and was told he needed to pay an additional $100 per ticket to have the names changed. The man told the seller he no longer wanted the tickets and requested his money back. The resident later discovered that the supposed seller’s Facebook account had been hacked and that the ticket sale had been a scam.

Woman loses over $6K in Amazon scam

A woman told police she received a call April 3 from someone claiming to be with Amazon. The subject asked her if she had used her Amazon account to purchase a computer, and when she stated she had not, the subject told her that her identity may have been stolen. The victim was transferred to a second subject, supposedly from the Federal Trade Commission. She was then convinced that in order to secure her money, she needed to purchase Visa cash cards and transfer her money to the cards. The victim was scammed out of $6,526 before telling a friend, who recognized the situation as fraudulent.

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Walsh earns high rankings for business and technology programs

Walsh College took Forbes’ No. 1 spot for the Best Online Doctor of Business Administration Degrees of 2024 and a top 10 ranking for the Best Online Master’s in Information Technology Programs of 2024.

Dave Schippers, Walsh’s chief academic officer, said their DBA program aims to bring “the power of problem solving and research to professionals in an applied format while embracing generative AI in learning and business productivity.”

Walsh has around 30 students in its DBA program in an online/hybrid learning system.

“Many of our students are working professionals, and some of them are coming right out of grad school programs,” President and CEO Suzanne Siegle said. “Our students are tailoring their degree to what interests them, and many of them are pursuing their DBAs for different areas like management, marketing and finance.”

Schippers said the ranking “is a testament to our persistent commitment to delivering excellence in applied learning.”

Walsh plans to add more opportunities to learn about AI and how it can be implemented in students’ coursework and professional fields.

“On the AI front, we have integrated AI into the learning process in an ethical format,” Schippers said. “In doctoral classes, we work with AI to speed up the research gap identification and summarization process, just to name a couple. We are also releasing modules for doctoral students to learn how to use AI to be more productive in the workplace.”

For more information, visit www.walshcollege.edu.

Heads up!

BELOW: Shrine Catholic Grade School physical education teacher Gabe Flores holds protective glasses for student Kate Bates, 11, in Royal Oak during the solar eclipse April 8. RIGHT: Principal Scott Wisniewski took a sunny approach to the rare event.

File photo by Patricia O’Blenes

Photos by Lindsey Larivee

Troy area events to raise funds to fight pancreatic cancer

BY BRENDAN LOSINSKI blosinski@candgnews.com

Those helping combat pancreatic cancer will convene April 27 in Troy for the Purplestride Walk to End Pancreatic Cancer.

The event is hosted annually across the country by the Pancreatic Action Network, also known as “PanCan.”

The walk in southeast Michigan usually takes place in Detroit, but the event was moved to Troy this year because of the NFL Draft in Detroit.

“We’ve been doing the Walk in Michigan for some time, but it’s been taking place downtown on the RiverWalk, and we had to switch things up because it’s the same weekend as the draft this year,” said Lindsay Szela, the media chair of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. “We chose Troy because of their connection to the Friends of Ken Woods organization, their community center was very accessible and close to I-75, and the fact that we got a lot of support from the community center.”

Michigan’s PurpleStride walk will take place at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 27. The Troy Community Center is located at 3179 Livernois Road. Online signup is available at www.purplestride. org/michigan. It is free to sign up, and those who raise $50 get a shirt. There’s no deadline to sign up, and those interested can also sign up at the event.

Walk organizers are coordinating with the Friends of Ken Woods, a local organization that hosts a golf outing each year to raise money for pancreatic cancer research in memory of Ken

Photo provided by Monica-Amit Mishra Crowds will gather in Troy Saturday, April 27, for the Purplestride Walk to End Pancreatic Cancer. See CANCER on page 24A

City manager

from page 1A

to the city manager’s office in 2009, where he held the positions of acting assistant city manager – economic development services, and later the director of economic and community development.

Bruner earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science, economics and management from Albion College and a master’s degree in public administration from Wayne State University. He has served as deputy city manager since 2019 and has held the city manager position in other communities, including Mount Clemens, Birmingham and Ferndale. He has held the assistant city manager position in Oak Park and Ypsilanti, and has served as the CEO of the Michigan Municipal Services Authority.

“Troy city government is much different today than when I joined in 2019,” Bruner said in a letter to Jaymes Vettraino, GovHR USA vice president, for the city manager position. “I am excited to work with the Mayor and City Council members to continue the progress without losing momentum.”

Bovensiep has a Bachelor of Science in business from the University of Phoenix and an associate of science degree in criminal

justice/law from Oakland Community College. Within the city of Troy, he has served as public works director and manager, the parks and recreation department supervisor, and as a general laborer and arborist.

“I am writing to express my strong interest in the City Manager position within the City of Troy - a city I have proudly served with dedication for the past 24 years,” Bovensiep said in a letter to the Troy mayor and City Council members. “Not only was I raised in Troy. I am a second generation employee with deep roots in the community. I bring a wealth of experience and strong connections with residents who know me and recognize my unwavering commitment.”

During the City Council meeting, all the members of the council acknowledged the strengths of both candidates.

“One of the candidates that I hoped would apply and said I thought he should was Kurt Bovensiep,” Troy Mayor Pro Tem Ellen Hodorek said. “I worked in the city many, many years ago and first saw him as a young employee and watched him work up through the ranks. I consider him a colleague and one of the most qualified people to be stepping forward. … He is so customer-oriented with great public servanthood,” she said.

“The other candidate came into the

fray after a very, very difficult time. … It was Bob that brought experiences from previous posts he had, lessons he had learned, ways we could improve. … Bob has a way of looking at things in a pretty black-and-white way. He’s analytical.”

Council member Rebecca Chamberlain Creanga noted that she has had good personal and professional experiences with both Bovensiep and Bruner.

“Kurt has left an impact with my family,” Chamberlain Creanga said. “We saw him during Troy Daze, out there picking up garbage and being a servant leader. I’ve also had great conversations with Bob that show how much he knows Troy and how he approaches problem-solving.”

Though both candidates received positive feedback from all the council members, they unanimously selected Bruner to take on the city manager position due to his lengthy experience as well as his current work with the city.

“Kurt is a phenomenal DPW director, and his path in the city government can go as far as he wants it to,” Troy City Mayor Ethan Baker said. “We need a city manager that’s going to keep things working so well and also allow the council to push the city manager where we know the trouble spots

See CITY MANAGER on page 10A

Photo provided by Troy Community Affairs Director Cindy Stewart Robert Bruner has been named Troy's new city manager.

LTU professors awarded grant from NIH to find safer plastics

BY KATHRYN PENTIUK kpentiuk@candgnews.com

SOUTHFIELD — On Feb. 23, Lawrence Technological University received a $446,867 grant from the National Institutes of Health to create close chemical cousins of bisphenol A (BPA). Shannon Timmons, the chair of the department of natural sciences and an associate professor of chemistry, and Aleksandra Kuzmanov, an assistant professor of biology, will lead the study.

BPA has been used to produce sturdy plastics since the 1950s. It is commonly found in everything from eyewear to food packaging to household products.

“This is a collaborative toxicology project where we’re investigating this Bisphenol-A. As I’m sure you may have heard of BPA-free products before, a lot of the public has heard of this. We were interested in BPA. It’s a known endocrine disruptor that has effects on human health and probably more effects than just endocrine disruption, but it has negative health effects on humans and the environment, so we are interested in finding a safer alternative.” Timmons said.

Kuzmanov explained that BPA messes up human hormones.

“Usually, it’s estrogen and testosterone reproductive hormones, so we know that it could affect our reproductive health,” she said. “Recent research shows that it not only messes up our hormones but also affects the quality of our reproductive cells, which means it could contribute to infertility. Many people are having trouble conceiving and keeping pregnancy. So one of the reasons could potentially be — and there is some evidence for it — BPA and similar cousins.”

Timmons’ undergraduate students will be working in the lab to create new bisphenol analogues, which are similar in structure to BPA. She explained that the BPA molecule is constructed of two six-membered rings of carbon atoms with various hydrogen and oxygen atoms attached. The students will work to change the atoms attached to the rings, using atoms such as bromine and fluorine to create novel bisphenol structures.

“A lot of times, with the BPA-free products, as a chemist, I wonder what is in them

See PLASTICS on page 13A

City manager

from page 9A

are. I look forward to working with Bob in that capacity as his consistency is going to help us. We have high expectations, and we hope you’re up to the challenge.”

Council member David Hamilton said of Bruner that “some of the big issues we need to tackle is the need for library and infrastructure improvements, and I think you’re the person to do it. We support you and look forward to working with you.”

After the decision, Bovensiep said that his “commitment is to the city of Troy and will continue to be. I’m happy the council was able to come to a decision, and Bob was a wonderful candidate who will do a great job.”

Bruner said he is excited to take on this position and that he’s “glad the outcome turned out the way it did, and I’m looking forward to working together as a team. It was a unique and unusual process, and I’m glad the council made the decision they made.”

He plans to make efforts to get out and meet the community and continue to work

with the council and the community, he said.

Following the decision, Miller addressed the Rotary Club of Troy’s lunch meeting at the former Bank of America building at 2600 W. Big Beaver on Wednesday, April 10.

“The city manager’s vision doesn’t matter,” Miller said. “The purpose of the position is to work with the council and go where the council wants you to go. I’ve committed the last five years to stabilizing the city and creating a good place to work. Troy’s reputation is the Somerset Collection, being an employment center and having great schools, and the financial health of the city is currently great with a good AAA bond rating.”

He also conveyed his plans to retire to Marquette and potentially offer consulting services for professional planning, zoning and economic programs in the future, though he will be focusing his upcoming summer on fishing on Lake Superior and spending time with his family.

Miller expressed that the City Council’s decision on Bruner as city manager will work well for the city and that Bruner will do a fine job.

For more information, visit troymi.gov.

Baseball

from page 1A

coach, that pitching and defense can win games, and you’ll find ways to scratch runs across. I think pitching will be our strength.”

Fahnestock is a flame-throwing right-hander who can touch the 90 mark when he needs to but possesses an efficient curveball to keep hitters honest.

Consider Fahnestock the “1A” in the rotation to Ciurla, who sits around mid-80 and has the off-speeds to utilize in pitcher-friendly counts.

“Those guys (Fahnestock and Ciurla) are two No. 1 guys,” Morris said. “Either one of those guys could be our ace. I won’t hesitate to throw either one of them out there.”

Juniors Nick Rossi and Joe Morelli will also contribute innings for a Red Hawks team that can call upon just about anybody on the roster to take the mound, if needed.

The real fun for Athens begins in the infield, where the freshman and the sophomore class are looking to make their mark on the varsity squad.

Sophomores Derek Smith (3B) and Andrew Cermak (1B) are expected to see some time at the corner spots, while Parker Ciurla’s younger brother, freshmen Macklin Ciurla (INF/P); and Cole Cosgrove (INF/P) will aid the Red Hawks middle infield.

The bats will come with time and innings at the varsity level, but Athens expects its underclassmen to provide on the defensive side, and they have not disappointed.

Going from a senior-heavy squad last season, Morris said it was a surprise early on in the season when he looked at his infield.

“We played one game, and at that point we had a sophomore at third, freshman at short, freshman at second base and a sophomore at first,” Morris said. “You look out there and the future is now.”

See BASEBALL on page 23A

Troy Athens senior Marc Litt stands on second base.

Photo by Donna Dalziel

Plastics

from page 10A

instead, because you can’t just take out a molecule from plastic and have it have the same physical properties, the same malleability, the same durability. All those kinds of physical properties that make plastic what they are, are based on the kind of chemicals used to make them,” Timmons explained.

“We did some investigations and found some journal articles that were published that showed that a lot of times, instead of BPA, manufacturers are replacing BPA with another bisphenol, a close chemical cousin, often BPS or BPF. These are just different bisphenols within this class of molecules. To the public, this seems good because they heard BPA is bad. So you hear BPA-free and think, great, but it’s actually not so great.”

According to Timmons, some alternatives used to replace BPA in consumer products are just as harmful or even more dangerous to human health because they have yet to be as rigorously tested. She explained that in this study, they will be taking a unique approach. Instead of changing the part of the molecule that most scientists have focused on altering and have not seen successful results with, her students will change a

different part of the molecule to create new analogues that have never been made before. Timmons reported that studies have suggested that this might create a safer alternative.

The two professors have been collaborating on safer alternatives to BPA since 2018. Timmons altered molecules in a similar way to what other scientists were doing and found that it did not yield a safer alternative, which led to this new approach of creating brand-new analogues.

After Timmons’ students have created the new analogues, Kuzmanov’s students will test them on C. elegans worms.

“She’ll make a set of five or six different BPA cousins. And then I’ll be testing them with my students, also undergrad students, with worms, because worms make reproductive cells the same way we do. Basically, we’ll expose them to these chemicals. Then, we’ll look at the quality of these reproductive cells. Once we compare all these derivatives of BPA, if we see that something is safer, that it looks like it’s not affecting reproductive cells, we’ll test them in human cells that produce hormones, estrogen and testosterone in a petri dish,” Kuzmanov said.

The grant funds the project until January 2027. Timmons explained that there is a possibility that the two will continue to

See PLASTICS on page 25A

FLOWER SEASON APPROACHES AS WEATHER IMPROVES

BY MIKE KOURY mkoury@candgnews.com

The weather has been slowly getting warmer in Michigan, which means homeowners can start planning their flower beds for their properties. The first thing people should think about when getting their flower beds ready, said Brad Wethy, manager for the Oakland County Farmers Market, is how to prepare the beds, what needs to be removed, what needs to be deadheaded and cut down, and what can last through the wintertime.

“It’s gonna be cleaning up that flower bed, making sure that when things do want to actually sprout through the ground, that they’re not having any extra obstacles such as branches, piles of leaves from the previous fall, things of that nature,” he said.

Wethy also recommended adding things to the soil that will help with plant growth, such as compost.

Matt Colonius, co-owner of Piechnik’s Greenhouse & Garden Gate in Oakland Township, said that people moving into newly built homes have to mend the soil.

“You buy a new house and it’s just an empty lot. The foundation that they dig, they bring up the old soil from the job,” he said. “They usually don’t replenish the topsoil. So you’re stuck with this topsoil. It’s just not got any nutrients or anything in it. So it takes time the first year to establish your plants when you’re buying a new house. You have to add topsoil and nutrients.”

The best way to clean the flower beds, Wethy said, is to use simple gardening tools.

Customers show interest in buying pansies April 6 at the Oakland County Farmers Market.

Photos by Erin Sanchez

Paul Viaene helps out at the flower stands and gives advice to Marsha Milton, of Lathrup Village.

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.

make a big difference in terms of curb

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.

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.

work spread from house to house in a neighborhood as the properties are siding repairs and much-needed in to get.”

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.

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

“Compared to other home improvements,

“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

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.

Cricket

from page 3A

for cricket at my school, Washtenaw, and the other schools,” said Subudhi. “There’s no fee to get in, everyone is invited to attend. It will take place beginning at 9:30 a.m. The final will begin at 7:45 p.m. on Sunday, April 28. It takes place at the Troy Community Center.”

The Troy Community Center is located at 3179 Livernois Road. The five teams competing this year include Washtenaw International High School, International Academy East in Troy, Troy High School, Plymouth Canton Educational Park, and Northville High School.

Nikhil Mudaliar is the captain of the Troy High School Cricket Club. He said he was pleased to see more cricket resources and opportunities in the community.

“The future for cricket is looking good,” said Mudaliar. “There is a cricket pitch going in at Boulan Park. It’s growing, and we want it to be a possible lifestyle for more people. Even though America has a huge population, cricket isn’t the way of life here it is elsewhere. It’s the second most viewed sport in the world. We’d like to have teams here to

See CRICKET on page 24A

Photo provided by Sarthak Subudhi

The second annual Michigan High School Cricket Tournament will begin at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, April 28, at the Troy Community Center.

Flowers

from page 14A

“You don’t need to go too in depth with it,” he said. “You don’t need power tools, nothing of that nature. A simple trowel, a simple … rake and just knowing what to remove and what not to remove can do leaps and bounds for your garden.”

Colonius said that if homeowners are cleaning up the yard, they should do a walkthrough to see if anything was damaged over the winter.

Items for homeowners to search for include broken branches caused by the weather and rodent damage.

“Be careful, if you have any perennials, not to disturb the perennials. Leave the mulch around them until the danger of frost is over, which is usually the beginning of May, but it can be as late as Memorial Day,” he said.

As for what to plant right now, Colo-

nius said flowers including pansies, daffodils and tulips would grow well.

“You might want to consider whether you have deer in your yard or not,” he said. “When you make the choices, you want some deer-tolerant, cold-tolerant plants. So you know pansies are wonderful. They can take the cold but … there’s a lot of problems with the way the deer have cohabitated with us and it’s causing a lot of issues with landscapes in the area.”

Besides sun and water, Wethy said the best way to keep the flowers healthy is to keep an eye out for pest and fungi issues, and issues with overcrowding.

“I even had issues with overcrowding. … As I removed certain things from the garden or gave them more space, they were actually able to flourish better,” he said.

He said it’s important to know the space and light requirements for plants — what needs more space, what grows in shade and what grows in direct sunlight.

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

CITY OF TROY NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED CITY BUDGET

In accordance with Section 8.3 of the Charter of the City of Troy, notice is hereby given that the City Council will conduct a Public Hearing on the three-year budgets for fscal years 2024/2025, 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 on Monday, May 13, 2024 at 7:30 PM, or as soon thereafter as the agenda will permit.

The property tax millage rate proposed to be levied to support the proposed budget will be a subject of this hearing. The proposed budget is available on the City of Troy website at www.troymi.gov/budget.

A copy of the proposed budget will be on fle in the City Clerk’s offce and the City Public Library for inspection by the public during regular offce hours for one week prior to the public hearing.

M. Aileen Dickson, MMC, MiPMC II City Clerk

DETROIT ZOO TO HOST GREENFEST

ROYAL OAK — An event about sustainability and environmental care will take place at the Detroit Zoo April 20-21.

GreenFest, presented by Consumers Energy, will have live music, green food trucks, a sustainable marketplace shopping experience, hands-on activities and more.

The event is to celebrate eco-friendly habits.

GreenFest is included with purchase of admission to the Detroit Zoo April 2021. The event will run from 9 a.m to 3 p.m. GreenFest is free for members.

According to detroitzoo.org, the event

will be promoting sustainability practices through “fun activities and educational displays, encouraging guests to make the world a greener place.”

Guests will be able to explore the zoo grounds while interacting with the animals and learning about these eco-friendly practices.

The first 250 guests to enter the event on either day will get a surprise. According to the website, they will receive a 2-gallon bucket of “Zoo Poo,” which is compost created from waste collected at the zoo.

PARALYSIS OF LEADERSHIP

Te critical issue of our time is the paralysis in leadership that can be seen at all levels of government. Perhaps on account of proximity to the voters, nowhere is this paralysis more evident than in local government. In our city, one of the ways it reveals itself is in hiring and retention practices. Ever since the abuses in decision making that permitted the excesses and turmoil of the former City Manager, the Troy City Council has operated in fear. Tis fear manifests itself in the simplistic belief that all that is required to avoid ignominious outcomes is for council members to get along. Predictably this has turned our council into a body that recoils from making any perceivably difcult decisions seeking comfort in the consistency of apathy.

Recently I wrote about the City Attorney’s ofce and noted the absurd fact that for the beneft of four attorneys we pay $1.4 million per year whereas cities who outsource legal services pay a fraction of our costs. Additionally, neighboring communities receive better outcomes when they retain frms specializing in municipal law.

On April 08, Council voted to give a raise to our Attorney. Now, her total compensation is approximately $250k per year, making her, I believe, the highest paid municipal attorney in Michigan. Public records reveal the following regarding the compensation of other public servants: judges of our District/Circuit Court earn approximately $160k per year; the Oakland County Prosecutor earns $180k per year; our Oakland County Executive earns $222k per year.

Troy is overpaying for legal services by $1million each year compared to neighboring cities. I call on Council to make the hard decisions necessitated by the absurd fnancial situation of the City Attorney’s Ofce. Tis community deserves better. REN

NUSHAJ, Attorney / Prosecutor Ren@MichiganTreeIntiative.org

Address

from page 3A

tendance, including residents, and city, county and state officials. “That careful and far-sighted fiscal planning has once again allowed us to earn our AAA bond rating. … It’s the foundation that allows us to execute our strategic plan – an intentional and thoughtful roadmap to deliver initiatives and services to improve the lives of our people.”

Coulter shared what he thinks has gone well for the county over the past 12 months or so.

“We’ve had remarkable success on a number of fronts this past year, from transit to mental health care, affordable housing to sustainability, small business coaching to education (and) training,” he said. “We were able to provide these innovative programs with the support of our Board of Commissioners. They passed a budget in a bi-partisan manner, proving once again that in Oakland County, working across the aisle is how we do business. These programs have touched hundreds of thousands of people.”

Coulter cited Oakland SAVES, which he said was opened on a Monday morning in January and is designed to provide grants to people with an interest in energy-efficient improvements in their homes.

“The interest and need were so high that by Friday of that same week, the entire $5 million in funding was spoken for,” Coulter said. “We’re helping to keep people safer and more comfortable in their homes, providing more energy efficiency and keeping more money in their pockets as they save on their monthly utility bills.”

Coulter said that affordable housing is important for attracting and retaining individuals to help grow the population.

“So, working with the Board of Commissioners and using federal American Rescue Plan (Act) dollars, we established a $20 million housing trust fund – this fund is working with developers to provide more affordable housing options in the county through incentives and gap finding,” he said. “Projects have already

City and county leaders were among those in attendance at Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter’s State of the County address April 4 at The Hawk Community Center in Farmington Hills.

been approved for these funds in Southfield, Royal Oak Township, Pontiac and Rochester Hills, filled with both market-rate and affordable homes that will create inclusive communities for the hard-working Michiganians who are looking for attractive and safe places to raise their families. And we just closed last month on a project in Rochester Hills to provide desperately needed housing for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It’s only the second such development in all of Michigan.”

With the help of multiple Oakland County Michigan Works offices, Coulter said that more than 8,500 people have entered the workplace over the last two years.

He said that due to services that have been offered, interns and apprentices have been matched with thousands of businesses.

Coulter touted the county’s Oakland 80 initiative, which aims to have 80% of the adult population attain a college degree or certified training by 2030.

He said the county is currently at 69%.

Coulter also highlighted Oakland Thrive, a nonprofit that was launched to provide coaching and consulting resources for small businesses in the county.

Oakland Thrive can assist entrepreneurs with things such as a business plan, social media, financial workshops, and assistance with applications for business grants and loans.

Coulter also cited efforts to help small and midsize manufacturers.

“Our economic development depart-

Photo by Patricia O’Blenes See

announcesSuperintendentretirement

OAKLAND COUNTY — According to a press release, Oakland Schools Intermediate School District Superintendent Wanda CookRobinson is set to retire, effective Aug. 30.

Cook-Robinson has served as the superintendent since 2015, the release states.

During the course of her career Cook-Robinson has received multiple accolades, including being named the State of Michigan Superintendent of the Year and receiving the Wayne State Univer-

sity College of Education Alumni Association’s Distinguished Educator Award.

In a separate press release, Kenneth Gutman was announced as Cook-Robinson’s successor.

According to the release, Gutman has 32 years of professional educational experience, including 14 as a superintendent. He served in leadership roles in three Oakland County school districts.

In 2016, he was named Region 9 Superintendent of the Year by the Michigan Association of School Administrators.

Gutman is set to begin his new role Aug. 31.

Cook-Robinson

Address from page 20A

ment has helped 20 companies either locate or expand in Oakland County during 2023,” he said. “Their presence represents $387 million in new investment, and more than 3,300 new and retained jobs.”

In 2022, voters approved the Oakland County Public Transportation Millage. With that approval, the county is now authorized to levy a millage for the purpose of funding transportation services throughout Oakland County. Prior to that, individual communities could opt out.

Residents in communities that opted in prior to the countywide millage paid 1 mill in taxes for public transportation services. Residents in all Oakland County communities will now pay 0.95 mill for 10 years, which is 95 cents for every $1,000 of taxable value of a home.

“We’re building on the strength of voters, who, like us, were committed to creating a countywide public transportation system,” Coulter said. “We’re expanding into the jobrich centers of Novi, Wixom, Bloomfield Hills and Rochester Hills, which is happening with the help of the SMART bus system. Transit is on the move for the folks who live in the outer reaches of Oakland County, who may not have

been sure they would ever benefit from a public transportation system.”

Opponents of the millage, however, said that residents in communities where there is not a high demand for public transportation should not have to pay taxes for it.

Mental health care has been a popular topic in the country, and it is one that Coulter touched on during his speech.

“Another significant initiative we’ve adopted … is our investment in expanding access to mental health care in Oakland County,” he said. “Through our partnership with the United Way of Southeastern Michigan we’ve provided millions in grants to dozens of nonprofits that have the expertise to positively impact, and in some cases save, the lives of tens of thousands of people across our country.”

Coulter’s speech also included a “sad note,” as he discussed the deaths of three individuals who helped serve Oakland County.

“Oakland County Sheriff Deputy Nicholas Dotson from Holly died in December after a battle with cancer,” Coulter said. “Sheriff Mike Bouchard said Nick had a special spark that led him to his job with the county because he wanted to make a real difference, and he did during his 10 years of service with the Sheriff’s Office. At the young age of 32 he leaves behind his wife, Delaney, and son, Sullivan.

“County Commissioner Gary McGillivray lost his battle with cancer late last year,”

Coulter said. “He was a devoted public servant during his time as a councilman and mayor of Madison Heights, and during his 15 years on the Board of Commissioners. He was also a champion for the Oakland parks system and as chairman of the Parks and Rec Commission.”

Coulter also recalled someone who he said had a legacy of helping people.

“We tragically lost Dr. Calandra Green, our county health officer, almost a year ago,” he said. “Calandra was a passionate advocate for public health services … especially in communities of color.”

Green’s death last year was ruled a homicide. She was found near her husband in their home in Pontiac. His death was ruled as a suicide.

At the address, Coulter announced that working with Oakland University, a scholarship fund to help nursing students at the university was created.

Coulter also said that a $20 million investment will help create new public spaces and make improvements to dozens of parks across the county.

He referred to the county’s 14 parks as the “crown jewel of Oakland County.”

Coulter said the county is helping communities with $14 million in grants to upgrade water infrastructure, with a $5 million investment going toward 29 senior centers across the county.

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He also touted a multimillion-dollar upgrade to the county’s public radio safety program.

“That allows our police, firefighters and EMTs to seamlessly and in real time connect with hundreds of agencies across the region and the state so we can improve response times (and) better respond to a crisis,” Coulter said.

Oakland County Commissioner Bob Hoffman attended the event.

Although he said that he thinks the county is in good shape and he commended the employees who work for the county, he did share a concern.

“It just seems like we keep building staff and creating programs, and that’s always a concern to me. (It’s) somebody else’s money we’re spending,” Hoffman said.

He also questioned a decision to purchase two office buildings in Pontiac for $19.2 million.

“We have the true market value of those two office buildings,” Hoffman said. “It’s either $10 (million) or $12 million. So we’re going to pay $19.2? Then we’re going to get another $100 (million) or $150 million (invested) in it, and they talk about we’re getting money from the state, whatever. I don’t care where you get the money: It’s taxpayer money, and how are you creating economic development in Pontiac when you spend $19.2 million for a building and then take them off the tax rolls?”

Baseball

from page 12A

The veterans don’t want to hear about the future with only a season left under some of their belts, but they understand their roles in the leadership department.

Guys like Ciurla, Fahnestock, Rossi, Morelli, senior captain Joel Botardo (C), senior Marc Litt (INF/OF), senior Ryan Walsh and senior Rylan Tennies know what Athens baseball looks like, and Fahnestock said it’s their job to show the underclassmen the ropes.

“It’s important we lead and teach them how to play on the varsity level and just how we play baseball at Athens,” Fahnestock said. “There’s a lot of talented guys, and the fact is, everyone has been up and positive. I’m pretty excited to see what the season will bring.”

Fahnestock and Botardo control the heart of the Athens batting order, but just about everyone has contributed in the offensive efforts as Athens has scored 14 or more runs in four straight games.

Athens blanked Southfield A&T a combined 53-0 in their three-game series and followed up with a 14-0 win over Warren Mott April 10.

Athens, currently 5-2, opened up the season with a 5-4 loss to Madison Heights Lamphere, but came back days later with a 6-2 win as they battled back to score four runs in the sixth inning.

Fahnestock said the win against Lamphere was just a sample size of the resilience the Red Hawks possess.

“This isn’t a team that’s going to back down,” Fahnestock said. “We know there’s a lot of young guys, and people are trying to make their day on their varsity team and figure out how we play, so we know this isn’t a team that is going to roll over easily.”

The Athens offense will be without juniors Sam Link and Matthew Schriber for the start of the season as they battle back from injuries, but Athens, currently 3-0 in the OAA Blue, is already on a hot start towards earning back the league title and making another trip to the regional finals.

The pitching and defense will always be there for Athens, but they’ll be a tough matchup for anyone this season if the bats continue to produce and the young Red Hawks progress throughout the season.

“Staying consistent and doing the little things right is what our team is best at,” Fahnestock said.

Call Sports Writer Jonathan Szczepaniak at (586) 498-1090.

Cancer

from page 8A

Cricket

from page 17A Woods, a local man who died from the disease in 2007.

“My husband, Ken, was diagnosed at age 46, and he passed away at 48,” said Kandi Wood, the organization’s leader. “At that point, I had already found PanCan. He had reached out to them because they assist people who are diagnosed as far as where to go, who to speak to, what to eat, and so forth. I started volunteering with them two weeks after he died. … I have been volunteering for 16 years now. With the golf outing and the cancer walk we did our first year we have coordinated with the same two guys to put it all together. I sent out several fliers for the golf outing and was giving the money to a doctor at Karmanos because that was where my husband was treated. When he left Kar-

manos, I decided to donate the money to PanCan, since I volunteer with them.”

Szela said the funds raised help those with pancreatic cancer in two major ways.

“PanCan has a multifaceted purpose,” she said. “There are two big things: They have the patient services phone line that someone with pancreatic cancer or a family member of someone who has pancreatic cancer can call and get information and they can go over your treatment options. With pancreatic cancer, your best option isn’t necessarily chemo, so you want to look at all of your options. The other thing is PanCan funding programs and research, since there’s no cure at this point.”

“PanCan is a great organization. They help the patient, they work with our government officials, they do so much,” added Wood. “It’s not just one thing. They fight pancreatic cancer from every direction.

compete with teams in places like England or India.”

Subudhi said that matches consist of 10 overs per side and 11 players per team, and that the tournament will showcase talent, skill and sportsmanship.

“Every run scored, wicket taken and catch made will contribute to the thrilling narrative of the competition,” he said. “Two groups placed, so group A will be International Academy East, Washtenaw International High School, Northville High School in a round robin format. Group B are last year’s finalists, and they will be Plymouth Canton Educational Park, who are our defending champions, and Troy High School.”

The five teams were invited from established teams in the area.

“It is an invitational tournament. We scouted which schools have clubs that are

active,” said Subudhi. “It’s more of an open invite, since there are no qualifications to participate.”

“I made my club my freshman year, in 2022, and the first tournament was last year,” added Mudaliar. “Sarthak reached out to us through Instagram. I told my friend Krish, who is at International Academy East. It grew by word of mouth. We made it into a tournament so people could experience cricket.”

Cricket, although deeply entrenched in countries like India, England, Australia and South Africa, is still in its nascent stages in the United States. Organizers and players like Subudhi and Mudaliar hope to showcase the excitement and potential of the game.

“This will be a perfect opportunity to experience what cricketers do and see how it feels to take in a match,” said Mudaliar. “It’s a whole new sport. It’s a different way of having fun, and it can improve fitness in other ways. It has less danger than a sport like football.”

Photo provided by Monica-Amit Mishra

The Purplestride Walk to End Pancreatic Cancer will take place in Troy this year. It will be supported by the Friends of Ken Woods, a local organization that also raises money to combat the disease.

See CANCER on page 26A

from page 13A

work on this study and similar studies beyond the three-year timeline.

Kuzmanov emphasized that the answer isn’t to rid the world of all plastic but rather to be more careful with plastic exposure.

“If you look at the medical equipment and everything they use in hospitals, it’s plastic. It made our lives easier. We need to be careful. We can’t really say, ‘Oh, we’re gonna eliminate plastics.’ You can’t. But you can minimize exposure,” she said.

Kuzmanov and Timmons recommend storing food in glass containers instead of plastic and avoiding heating plastic food containers or placing them in the dishwasher. Timmons warned against leaving plastic water bottles in the car on warm days. Kuzmanov suggested swapping out a plastic water bottle for steel or glass bottles.

For more information, visit LTU.edu.

Professor Shannon Timmons will work with undergraduate students to create brandnew analogues or chemical cousins of BPA to find a safer alternative.

Cancer

from page 24A

When I joined up with them, I told them I will volunteer so long as I don’t feel I am wasting my time, and I have never felt like I am wasting my time.”

“We have it at Lake Erie Metropark golf course because that was Ken’s favorite course,” said Wood. “We collected $16,000 from last year’s golf outing. … The PanCan team suggested the Ken Wood Memorial sponsor the walk. Since we were donating that money to them anyway, we qualified as the primary sponsor for their Detroit-area walk. … Our money will go toward them this year as well. It happens on June 8. People can sign up by emailing kwood@pancanvolunteer.org. It’s $100 per person for the outing, which includes our steak dinner and hot dog at the turn. We prefer people sign up ahead of time so we can get numbers and groups organized.”

Szela said the golf outing has done a great deal to help people.

“Kandi Wood is one of our local affiliate’s

co-chairs,” she said. “She has been active in our affiliate since 2007. She has been working hard on this fundraiser for the last 16 years. She was not allocating the funds from her golf outing. She was giving them directly to the doctor who served her husband and his team. After he moved hospitals, she has begun giving the funds to our organization.”

Szela stressed how important the fight against pancreatic cancer is.

“The five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer is 13%,” said Szela. “It’s been getting better recently, but that’s still very low. It’s the third deadliest cancer in the United States. In 2024, we’re projecting to have 1,900 people die of pancreatic cancer this year.”

“It is a moving experience,” added Wood. “ It’s a group of people who are fighting toward a goal of eradicating pancreatic cancer because the survivors generally don’t live long enough to waive their flags themselves. We have to have hope for these people, and we are trying to give that to them through our dollars and through the awareness we are raising.”

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

INDIVIDUAL GAME TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

Photo provided by Monica-Amit Mishra Those wishing to help families confronting pancreatic cancer can support them through the Purplestride Walk to End Pancreatic Cancer.

personnel; sustaining/improving product yield and quality; managing technical projects, under some guidance from more senior engineers or engineering manager; identifying and executing continuous improvement projects (yield improvements, cost savings initiatives, cycle time reductions, variability reduction, first time right initiatives etc.). Mail resume to: Oerlikon Metco US, Inc., Attn: Tracy Hopper, 1972 Meijer Drive, Troy, MI 48084. Reference job # VK377013. 0170-2414

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, Friday, April 26, 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.

root cause analysis plan w/fish bone diagram, 5whys tools in team for risk mitigation strategies. Travel reqd to various & unanticipated Schaeffler locs & client sites nationally, 20%. Telecommuting permitted 2 days/wk. To apply, please email resume to OR-IBC-hr-recruiting@schaeffler.com.  Must specify ad code AKSGUSA. 0371-2416

(586)795-8122