BAA Auxiliary celebrates 50 years in St. Clair Shores

On March 21, members of the Belgian American Association Auxiliary celebrated 50 years of gatherings in St. Clair Shores, most recently at the Assumption Cultural Center, 21800 Marter Road.

Since the first official meeting in March 1973, the group has held meetings at locations including the Blossom Heath Inn and the St. Clair Shores Banquet Club, now known as Barrister Gardens. Since 2015, the group has held its meetings at 7:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at the Assumption Cultural Center.

The BAA Auxiliary is open to women of Belgian descent or the spouses of Belgian American Association members. Its mission is to preserve Belgian heritage in metro Detroit and promote social activities within the membership. For more information call (586) 899-9111.

Storytime sessions planned

ST. CLAIR

SHORES — The Youth Services Department at the St. Clair Shores Library has announced new storytime sessions starting the week of April 24 and running until the week of May 22.

Morning Storytime available for children of all ages will take place on Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. and Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m.

Evening Storytime available for children of all ages will take place on Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. and Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m.

Baby Storytime available for children ages 0-18 months will only take place on Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m.

Toddler Storytime available for children 18-30 months will take place on Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m.

Registration is required to attend and will begin on Monday, April 10. Registration can be done in person, by phone at (586) 771-9020 or by email at SCSYouth@libcoop. net.

Adults must stay with children during all storytime sessions and space is limited.

Water tower demolition postponed

ST. CLAIR SHORES — Due to the presence of a great horned owl, the water tower demolition at the St. Clair Shores Golf Club has been postponed until the bird and its young are out of the nest.

During the March 6 City Council Meeting, City Manager Dustin Lent said the presence of the bird and its federal protection was confirmed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“Currently, it is the owl’s nesting season,” Lent said. “Generally, babies are born in March and learn to fly in approximately 10 weeks. After the babies have left the nest, the adults will then find another location to nest.”

Lent said the company that was awarded the bid to demolish the tower has agreed to hold their prices until after the birds have left the nest.

Don’t be dismayed. Comerica Bank is launching their fifth annual Prom Dress Drive around metro Detroit. Individuals and local businesses — including bridal shops, dress stores and shoe salons — are able to donate dresses and accessories to the effort at various locations around metro Detroit, including spots in Bloomfield Hills, Grosse Pointe and Novi.

Donation collections will begin Monday, April 3, and run through Friday, April 21. Once all the donations are collected and sorted, dates will be determined for teens to select items. Visit comerica.com/community/2023-promdressdrive-MI.html for donation locations.

This is the first year Comerica will supply the donated dresses and accessories to Jackets for Jobs, a Detroit-based nonprofit that focuses on career development and removes barriers by providing high-quality clothing that makes clients look and feel professional to support workplace success.

“For the past several years, our colleagues, customers and communities have come together with tremendous generosity during our previous prom dress drives to support local teens,” said Linda Nosegbe, Comerica Bank’s national community impact manager. “As the interest in contributing to this great cause remains strong, our new partnership with Jackets for Jobs allows us to continue connecting to the community through an outstanding community organization driven to help others to thrive and succeed.”

SEMCOG Regional Showcase Award nominations sought

SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN — The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments is accepting nominations for its Regional Showcase Award.

He also said they will test and remove “any soil that could potentially be found that could contain lead.”

SAILOR CELEBRATES WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH

ST. CLAIR SHORES — Petty Officer 2nd Class John Sullivan, a St. Clair Shores native, remembered and reflected on what women have contributed to the military during Women’s History Month.

Women’s History Month is celebrated from March 1 to March 31 and the celebration began in 1987 in the United States.

“Women’s History Month is important to me because the most important people in my life are women,” Sullivan said in a media release from the U.S. Navy.

According to the release, Sullivan serves as an aviation electronics technician aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, an aircraft carrier operating out of Norfolk, Virginia.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of women’s Naval aviation. Women started flying in 1973 when the first eight women began flight school in Pensacola, Florida. A year later, six of those aviators, known as “The First Six,” earned their “Wings of Gold,” according to the press release.

Eligible applicants include SEMCOG member counties, cities, villages, townships, intermediate school districts and community colleges in the sevencounty southeast Michigan region: Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw and Wayne.

The Regional Showcase Award highlights a project or initiative that has made a significant contribution to the vision of a connected, thriving region of small towns; dynamic urban centers; active waterfronts; diverse neighborhoods; agricultural land; and parks, trails and natural areas.

Apply at www.semcog.org before May 1. The award conferral is scheduled for the June 22 SEMCOG general assembly meeting.

PanCAN PurpleStride scheduled for April 29

DETROIT — The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute and the Michigan affiliate of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network — known as PanCAN — have partnered together to host the PanCAN Purple Stride fundraiser/awareness walk to be held April 29 at Milliken State Park.

PanCAN Purple Stride is a national movement that funds programs and services for pancreatic cancer patients and their families. PanCAN Purple Stride is one of 60 events that will be held nationwide April 29.

According to a PanCAN Purple Stride press release, the five-year survival rate of pancreatic cancer is 12%, and it is the third-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S. At Karmanos, pancreatic cancer patients receive treatment from fellowship-trained oncologists who are part of the gastrointestinal and neuroendocrine oncology multidisciplinary team.

To register or learn more about PanCAN Purple Stride, visit www.purplestride.org/Michigan. For more information on the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, visit www.karmanos.org. Milliken State Park is located at 1900 Atwater St., along the Detroit River.