5/22/24 Woodward Talk

Ferndale puts millage questions on November ballot

BY MIKE KOURY mkoury@candgnews.com

FERNDALE — Approved at its May 13 meeting, the Ferndale City Council voted unanimously to approve a proposal for a Headlee override, as well as a charter amendment to establish a “special purpose millage to support police and fire facilities and recreation facilities and operations.”

The ballot language reads, “Shall the limitation on the amount of taxes which may be imposed on taxable property in the City of Ferndale, County of Oakland, State of Michigan be increased by 8.5856 mills ($8.5856 per thousand dollars of taxable value) indefinitely beginning in 2025, as new additional millage in excess of the limitation imposed by Michigan Compiled Laws section 211.34d, to restore City Charter operating millage authorization previously approved by the electors as reduced by operation of the Headlee amendment, to provide funds for general operating purposes? It is estimated that 8.5856 mills would raise approximately $8,181,810 when first levied in 2025.”

The move to add a question to the ballot is a recommendation from the city’s Resident Finance Committee. The committee was formed to study how a renewal or nonrenewal of the override, which is set to expire Dec. 31, 2025, might impact current staffing and service levels and impact progress toward the recommendations from the 2022 resident-led facilities task force.

The city charter operating millage for 2025, according to City Manager Joe Gacioch, will be 11.4144 mills. With the 2015 10-year Headlee override millage of 4.2808, the 2025 combined general operating millage

See MILLAGE on page 15A

BY MIKE KOURY mkoury@candgnews.com

FERNDALE — The city of Ferndale’s massive celebration of Pride and the LGBTQ+ community will make its colorful return next month.

The 14th annual Ferndale Pride festival will take place from 12:30 to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 1, in the downtown. The event’s footprint is located at West Nine Mile Road between Woodward and Livernois avenues and portions of Planavon and Al-

len streets near West Nine Mile.

The theme for this year’s Pride is “transcendence.” Event Director Julia Music said organizers are especially excited this year because of the number of transgender people representing the state of Michigan in the national pageant system, such as Michael Christian and Blanca Sapphire.

“We’re really excited to talk about the amazing gains in the transgender community over the last year and how Michigan really is able to foster the

PRIDE on page 8A

Event Director Julia Music said the theme of this year’s Ferndale Pride is “transcendence” and she’s excited to celebrate the gains of the transgender community over the last year.

File photo by Donna Dalziel

Berkley Schools purchases church building for district programs

BY MIKE KOURY mkoury@candgnews.com

BERKLEY — A church building in Berkley has been sold to the school district to help create a space for district programs.

The Berkley School District officially closed on the Cana Lutheran Church property, located at 2119 Catalpa Drive, next to Berkley High School, on April 30. The purchase price for the space was $950,000, and it was bought with sinking fund dollars.

Bike Day sees 100 young people get fitted for adaptive bicycles

BY MIKE KOURY mkoury@candgnews.com

OAKLAND COUNTY — Corewell Health Children’s held its big Bike Day on May 11, where 100 children were fitted for adaptive bicycles.

The kids and their families came to the Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital Care Center in Royal Oak for Bike Day, which celebrated its 20th year. The bicycles for the children are special in that they are not available in bike shops or stores.

Bike Day Coordinator Ryan Barto, who also is a senior pediatric occupational therapist for Corewell Heath Children’s Pediatric Rehabilitation, said the bikes grow with the children, and when they outgrow them, they can bring the bicycles back for the center to refurbish for another child.

“They get to get a new bike and kind of grow with them up through 18,” he said. “(May 11 was) our fitting day. So the kids come and get fitted. If they get a refurbished bike, they get to take it with them today. If they order one, they come in about eight weeks from now

See BIKE DAY on page 14A

The longtime church building will be renovated and used for the district’s Adult Transition Program and robotics team, Da Bears Team 247.

“We were looking for new spaces within the district boundaries for the Adult Transition Program and for robotics, and during that search it was brought to our attention that Cana’s congregation and leadership team were considering selling the building,” Superintendent Scott Francis said. “Through mutual connections, we were able to begin a conversation with Cana’s church council, and then through

Photo by Liz Carnegie

Cana Lutheran Church on Catalpa Drive was sold to the Berkley School District last month. It will be used to house the district’s Adult Transition Program and robotics team.

With his parents watching on, Max Decius tries out his new Trivel T-350 Adaptive Tricycle May 11 in Royal Oak.

Photo by Patricia O’Blenes

ABOVE: Nina Pilarski, 10; Nora Garska, 11; and Emma Pilarski, 10; all from Berkley, have fun on one of the rides at Berkley Days.

LEFT: Lindsay Bott, 5, of Berkley, rides a train.

BELOW: Miles Maguire, 4, plays ring toss with his mom, Jeanette, of Berkley.

Photos by Donna Dalziel

NEWS & NOTES

Thousands in scholarships awarded to Berkley students

BERKLEY — A dozen Berkley High School seniors were given scholarships totaling tens of thousands of dollars from Huntington Bank.

According to a news release, the scholarships were given to students who “exemplified leadership, were involved in their school community and were planning on attending a college, university or trade school upon graduation.”

The scholarships, totaling $60,000, were presented to the students on May 7 by Huntington Bank Chairman of the Board of Directors Gary Torgow, who previously went to Norup International School in the district.

Scholarships of $2,500 were given to Ian Burmeister, Austin Daugherty, Sophia MauadLima, Anniya Mcwhorter, Michael Onuoha and Jayla Pantoja. Two $5,000 scholarships were given to Ava Long and Maya Sermo; two $7,500 scholarships were given to Jordan Rowan and Shamis Salih; and two $10,000 scholarships were awarded to Mariah Jones and Courtney Walker.

MEMORIAL DAY EVENTS

Music teacher recognized

FERNDALE — A teacher in Ferndale Public Schools was honored with special recognition from the Country Music Awards Foundation.

Charissa Duncanson, a music educator in the district, was named a 2024 Music Teacher of Excellence by the foundation. A news release from the district stated that the award “recognizes teachers who are truly making a difference in their classrooms and communities.”

Duncanson will be recognized during a formal ceremony in Nashville on Sept. 17.

Gallery spotlights ‘Pottery and Prints’

FERNDALE — The Lawrence Street Gallery will be hosting a showcase for pottery and prints June 5-28 at the gallery, 22620 Woodward Ave., Suite A.

The “Pottery and Prints” exhibit will feature more than 40 metro Detroit artists. The show will be judged by artist Tracey Priska.

An opening reception will be held from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, June 9, and a mid-month reception will be at the same time on Sunday, June 23. The gallery is open Noon to 5 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays; noon to 9 p.m. Fridays; and 1-5 p.m. Sundays. For more information, visit lawrencestreetgallery.com.

Road construction update

HUNTINGTON WOODS — The city of Huntington Woods gave an update on construction that will take place on Ludlow Road. The city stated in a news release that Ludlow Road from Scotia Road to Meadowcrest Boulevard, weather permitting, would undergo total reconstruction beginning May 20, which occurred after the Woodward Talk went to press.

“This will include new water main, storm drains, curbs, driveway approaches, and road surfaces, followed by the restoration of right-of-way areas. Ludlow will be closed to traffic during the project, which could last up to five months,” the release states.

Residents with questions on the construction can call the Department of Public Works at (248) 547-1888 or email hwdpw@hwmi.org.

FERNDALE/BERKLEY — The cities of Ferndale and Berkley will be hosting Memorial Day events May 27. Ferndale’s Memorial Day Parade will begin at 10 a.m. at the corner of Livernois Street and West Maplehurst Street. The parade route will head along Livernois to Oakridge Street, then to Pinecrest Drive to Nine Mile Road and then Livernois, where it will end at Memorial Mall near Fire Station No. 1. A ceremony will take place at Memorial Mall after the parade and feature a reading of the names of local veterans who have died in the last year.

Berkley’s Memorial Day event, hosted by American Legion Post 374, will start at 11 a.m. at the city’s Veterans Memorial, located at the gazebo by City Hall at 3338 Coolidge Highway. There also will be an event at noon at Post 374, located at 2079 W. 12 Mile Road.

Photo provided by Lawrence Street Gallery

Photo provided by Ferndale Public Schools

Photo provided by Berkley School District

Berkley Days festival hit with fights for second year

BY MIKE KOURY mkoury@candgnews.com

BERKLEY — The annual Berkley Days festival was marred for the second year in a row due to fights by attendees.

On the third day of the festival, May 11, Berkley Days was shut down early when fights broke out on the event’s grounds.

“Unfortunately, yet again the annual tradition of Berkley Days has been disrupted by fights breaking out amongst participating youth,” a statement from the Berkley Public Safety Department reads.

According to a news release from the city of Berkley, a fight occurred at the festival at around 6:50 p.m. involving several unaccompanied minors. The Public Safety Department, event staff and carnival personnel responded by shutting down games and rides to “manage the situation and ensure the safety of all participants.” One juvenile reportedly was transported to the hospital for minor injuries from the incident.

Large groups of attendees began to exit the festival into the streets, which led to a

response from public safety departments in Huntington Woods, Royal Oak, Oak Park, Lathrup Village, Pleasant Ridge, Southfield, Bloomfield Hills and Bloomfield Township to assist in directing them to control points at 11 Mile Road and Coolidge Highway to await transportation and avoid disturbances to surrounding neighborhoods.

During this time, there were two additional juvenile altercations, which were “quickly contained by officers,” according to the city’s news release. In all, three unaccompanied minors from outside Berkley were arrested on charges related to assault and battery.

“We’re very appreciative to our mutual aid partners who came out on Saturday to support us in keeping everyone safe and handling the situation quickly,” Berkley Public Safety Director Matt Koehn said in a prepared statement. “In addition to onsite support from eight of our neighboring police and public safety departments, officers from Beverly Hills were on standby to support our city in the event of police and fire calls. We’re fortunate to have such a strong support sys-

tem throughout our surrounding communities.”

This is the second consecutive year that fights at Berkley Days led to the event’s early closure. Unlike last year, the city decided to

reopen the event for its last day, May 12.

“The safety measures put in place following last year’s event allowed us to manage Saturday’s incident to the best of our abilSee FIGHTS on page 9A

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Despite the fights, Berkley Days reopened for its last day May 12 with new rules set in place, such as all minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian age 21 or older, and that the festival would close at 4 p.m. instead of 6 p.m.

Pride

from page 1A

growth of the trans community and the support of the trans community,” she said.

The festival will feature more than 200 vendors, live entertainment, a street fair, a children’s play area, a baby feeding area, and Reading with Royalty, a story time where drag performers read books.

There also will be a hydration station on-site for attendees that will allow eventgoers to fill their water bottles for free with filtered water.

“We try to always look for a way to bring equality to the event,” Music said. “Free water is a way to provide an equal event for folks who want to come out and have a good time who may not be able to afford water or afford the amount of time it might take to stand in a line to get a water.”

One interesting aspect of Pride each year is the number of volunteers who take time offering hugs to attendees at the festival.

Liz Pfleger, a hug coordinator with Pride since 2019, first got involved as a way to give back to the community, as a way of saying thanks because of how her daughter

was treated after she came out.

“My oldest came out in high school,” Pfleger said. “She said growing up in the Ferndale/Pleasant Ridge area made her comfortable coming out at an early age. And so I approached Julia because I wanted to give back to the community that made my kid feel comfortable in our own skin.”

Pfleger, a Pleasant Ridge resident, is one of many who offers up hugs to people at Pride. The interactions with people can be very emotional, she said, as she recounted several times where people who were hugged broke down crying because they hadn’t been hugged in years.

“It sounds like a very simple thing. It’s amazing the reception that we get. I think it sounds like a really simple thing, but there’s a lot of people that don’t understand the power of a hug and just feeling like you’re enough,” said Pfleger.

“I’ve had older women break down crying,” she continued. “It is great for me to be able to do that and to find people that are wanting to do it, and then the reception we get from the people that want hugs, sometimes they just want to talk, sometimes they want to do fist bumps, elbow bumps. Not everybody wants to hug, but they want the physical touch.”

For more information on Ferndale Pride, visit ferndalepride.com. Pfleger also noted that organizers still are looking for more hug volunteers in the later hours of the event, from 5 to 9 p.m. People interested can visit ferndalepride.com/get-involved. Call Staff Writer Mike Koury at (586) 498-1077.

Fights

from page 6A

ity,” Detective Lt. Andrew Hadfield said in a prepared statement. “Our action plan was informed by a year’s worth of research and planning, following best practices set by surrounding communities. Our officers really stepped up, volunteering for unscheduled overtime this weekend as support was needed to follow our plans and keep the event safe for all to enjoy.”

The festival ran on Sunday with updated rules. The rules stated that participants ages 5-20 had to purchase a wristband in addition to the $3 entry fee and that all minors had to be accompanied by a parent or guardian age 21 or older. In addition, a form of identification was required at the entrance gate, and the festival closed at 4 p.m. instead of 6 p.m. May 12.

The city stated in a news release that at this time no decision has been made about next year’s event.

“On behalf of the City of Berkley, I’d like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to our community for your cooperation, support, and understanding as we do our due diligence to evaluate the appropriate way to move forward next year,” Mayor Bridget Dean said in

a prepared statement. “The vast majority of attendees came out to celebrate the start of summer with this time-honored Berkley tradition, and I’m thankful to our public safety officers from within and outside of Berkley and the Berkley Days volunteer committee for acting quickly to keep everyone safe so the event could continue on Sunday.”

BEHIND THE WHEEL

10A/ WOODWARD TALK • MAY 22, 2024

Do you own a vehicle with an interesting history?

Contact Staff Writer Maria Allard at allard@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1045, and you could be featured in an upcoming Behind the Wheel. For more stories, visit candgnews.com/news/auto or use the QR code.

Dodge Super Bee 1970 creates a buzZ

BY MARIA ALLARD allard@candgnews.com

METRO DETROIT — If you were to dig into Mike Mazelis’ vehicle history, you’d find someone who, at one time, had an interest in off-road trucks.

“I was always going out into the mud and mud-bogging and things like that,” he said. “I was always breaking the truck. Every time I’d come back, I’d have to fix something new.”

Eventually, the Warren resident switched gears and found a new pastime: muscle cars. In 2008, while perusing Craigslist, Mazelis found out about a 1970 Dodge Super Bee for sale in Hazel Park. He decided to check out the car, but when he did, it didn’t look like much.

“It was just a shell. There’s nothing on it but wheels. There’s no interior, there’s no engine,” he said. “The engine, transmission and all these boxes were just next to the car.”

Even though he “didn’t have any tools or knowledge” of restoring the car, he purchased the vehicle anyway.

“Everybody’s like, ‘How are you going to do this?” Mazelis, 51, said. “‘How are you even going to put this car together?’”

Mazelis learned from friends, watched YouTube videos and did plenty of reading to learn how to build the Super Bee.

“I spent almost every day of two years to get the car on the road, learning as I went, buying tools as I went,” Mazelis said. “A lot of trial and error.”

He made the car his own, including the sublime green paint job and addition of comfortable seats.

“It’s got a five-speed manual transmission in there. It had an automatic before. I

When Warren resident Mike Mazelis found his 1970 Dodge Super Bee in 2008, “It was just a shell.” Mazelis created the Detroit Area Only Twisted Axle Car Club on social media. The club meets at 7 p.m. every Friday at Gratiot Coney Island, 28560 Gratiot Ave. in Roseville.

Photos by Maria Allard

Super Bee

added the wheels that I wanted. I added some suspension upgrades. That’s a custom hood that’s on there. It’s a steel hood with a fiberglass scoop,” he said. “I’m still modifying, adding parts, doing things to the car. People that have classic cars, they always say they’re never done because they’re always fixing things.”

One change Mazelis recently made was the engine.

“The car had a 440 six pack in it. That was getting pretty tiring,” Mazelis said. “I recently put a 512 cubic inch stroker engine in there, so it makes 650 horse (power). At least 600.”

Mazelis’ main goal was to drive the car as much as possible. During the summer, most Sundays are spent cruising Lake Shore Drive with his wife, Stacy; daughter Alaina, 15; and son Evan, 11. They’ll stop for lunch somewhere or grab an ice cream.

“It’s a special thing. It’s just quality time,” Mazelis said. “I like being able to share it with my family, driving around and going places.”

The eye-catching vehicle has been fea-

tured in many shows, including Detroit Autorama. The farthest trip he’s taken in the Super Bee was an 11-hour drive to Wisconsin for a car show.

Looking to connect with other car buffs, Mazelis created the Twisted Axle Car Club on Facebook and Instagram in 2013. At first, 30 people joined the group, and then 70 car enthusiasts came aboard. After a while, the pages went global as they reached car owners in Germany, Australia and Canada.

“Now it’s 50,000 people,” Mazelis said.

From that, Mazelis started the Detroit Area Only Twisted Axle Car Club on social media. He also has a presence on social media with Dynamic Detroit Mopars on Facebook.

“A lot of these people became my best friends. The car community’s just great, always trying to help each other out,” Mazelis said. “Metro Detroit is very diverse. You have all different kinds of cars, all cars that span decades. It’s just a very rich culture that we have here.”

The Detroit Area Only Twisted Axle Car Club meets at 7 p.m. every Friday at Gratiot Coney Island, 28560 Gratiot Ave. in Roseville. All are welcome. Car enthusiasts are also encouraged to check out the website twistedaxlemotorsports.com.

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TOP: Ferndale artist Suzanne Allen, center, shows her collage pieces to Sara Scott, of Birmingham, and Emily Wade, of Clawson. Allen also offered her home as one of the participating locations for the Backyard Art Fair in Ferndale, Oak Park and Pleasant Ridge May 18.

ABOVE: Ypsilanti artist Amanda May brought her illustrations to sell at the Backyard Art Fair.

LEFT: More than 120 artists participated in this year’s Backyard Art Fair.

Photos by Liz Carnegie

Bike Day

from page 3A

… and we will have the bikes delivered at that point.”

The bikes this year were provided at a cost of $250,000 by Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and the Corewell Health Foundation. Barto said the average price for a bike is around $3,500 and can cost between $550 and $9,000, depending on the bike and the child’s needs.

Cristina Sheppard-Decius and Scott Decius, of Ferndale, brought their son, Max, 17, to get fitted for his bike.

“For us and other families, it’s providing a resource that is definitely helping financially, because we already have a lot of expenses because of all the other medical expenses,” Cristina Sheppard-Decius said. “I think for the family unit as a whole, as well as for Max, it’s giving him a reason to be able to do something, to get around.”

Max Decius was born with cerebral palsy and spastic diplegia, which makes it harder for him to keep propelling a bike at a pace to stay balanced

“This is my second bike. My first bike, it was, like, when I was really young,” Max Decius said. “I feel that the big bike days like this not only help people like me, but they help other people as well … other families. I’m glad to be a part of it.”

“They first got him a bike when he was a lot younger and one that was, you know, where he could push it, but then also something that we could actually push when he would get tired or needed assistance,” Cristina Sheppard-Decius said. “This would be the second bike that he’s getting, so we’ve been a part of this group for a long time. We’re kind of part of the family here.”

Jessica Lopez, of Huntington Woods, brought her daughter, Julianna Filak, 5, and said the cost to get anything adaptive is expensive, so she’s thankful that a program like this exists for her family and daughter.

“Another thing that’s really cool about this is how many bikes they have here to try,” Lopez said. “We’ve actually gotten Julianna an adaptive bike once, and it just really didn’t work that well for her. … You can’t go to Target and test these bikes. Like most kids, you can take them to a bike store or something and test bikes. These bikes aren’t at bike stores, so it’s really cool that they make it like a whole bike store.”

“It’s so cool to let her get out into the neighborhood and be doing the things that other kids are doing,” she continued. “So it’s huge for us. Otherwise, she’s in our stroller when we’re out in the neighborhood. So this will be, like, another way to get out and about with integration into the community.”

Barto has been participating in Bike Day for 14 years. He said therapy for kids a lot of times involves very incremental little steps, but when they get a bike, it’s a big leap forward.

“They get a lot more interaction with peers, their family, it’s … (something) that they get to do that is meaningful, purposeful and just a lot of fun,” he said. “For us, it’s a blast because we get to do a big tangible thing, where a lot of the time we take a lot of little steps during therapy rather than with this.”

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

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LEFT: Max Decius was one of 100 young people who will be getting adaptive bikes this year through Corewell Health Children’s Bike Day.

BELOW: Jessica Lopez helps her daughter, Julianna, try out her new Trivel T-250 Adaptive Tricycle.

Photos by Patricia O’Blenes

Millage

from page 1A

would be 15.6952 mills.

If the override is approved, the Headlee would be reset back to 20 mills. The city has not been able to levy 4.3 mills due to Headlee rollbacks. Under the Headlee Amendment, if the assessed value of a local taxing jurisdiction increases by more than the inflation rate, the maximum property tax millage must be reduced so that the local jurisdiction’s total taxable property brings in the same gross revenue as adjusted for inflation.

“The city is not allowed to levy that unless the voters choose to levy that to support city services,” Gacioch said. (The proposal) would restore the authority of the city to levy the full authorized amount. …

Building

from page 3A

months of discussion and planning, we were able to come to an agreement for the purchase of the property that we’re excited about because it meets the needs of the Adult Transition Program and the robotics program.”

Francis said the district has been looking to find a space for its Adult Transition Program, which gives special instruction to adult learners with disabilities, ages 18 to 26. It previously used the CASA building in Oak Park.

The high school’s robotics club originally was going to have a room built for it in the fieldhouse that’s going to be constructed. The club currently uses the maintenance building as its space, which will be torn down as part of a future bond project.

“We’ve already started the process of working with our professional teams, the construction and architect teams and our robotics coach and our adult transition program leadership team,” Francis said of the programs’ move to the Cana church. “We’ve already started that process with all those groups with a goal of having the building ready for both those programs in August of 2025.”

Chris Golembiewski, a longtime member of the church and president of the Cana Council, said the sale came organically through mutual connections, as it was something they weren’t planning on doing.

“The vast majority of our congregation, through numerous, countless meetings over the last several months since this first was

Doing so would cancel the remainder of the (2015) Headlee override millage … and because of this, the total Headlee override request would be 8.5856 mills. The net increase from the property taxes that are being paid right now would be 4.3048 mills.”

The net increase would be $4.3048 per thousand dollars of taxable value.

For the charter amendment, Gacioch said if voters were to increase the authorization to 20 mills, then four of those mills will be earmarked to be spent on public safety and recreation purposes in perpetuity. The money would be used for construction and maintenance of facilities.

Council member Greg Pawlica said that, though Ferndale has lost 4.3 mills over the last decade, the city has still been able to balance the budget. He credited the override that was passed in 2015 for that reason.

“We’ve made a lot of cuts, we’ve

discussed last fall, have come to the realization that this was a good partnership to sell to Berkley Schools,” he said. “It was good for Cana Lutheran, it was good for Berkley Schools and the greater Berkley community as well.”

Cana still has a lease on its building until December 2025. It will be able to use a portion of the space during this time. A press release from the school district stated the church’s offices and common space will be separate from school programming, there will be a separate entrance and the inside of the building will be separated through wall placement.

Golembiewski said the church’s current focus is finding a home for its pipe organs, stained glass and pews. Starting in the summer, the council will begin talking about what the church’s next steps will be and either finding a space in the area for itself or one to share with another congregation.

“Our hope is that we would be looking at a church, a place, a space to either join or nest within the Berkley community. Berkley, Royal Oak, you know, somewhere in our community that we’ve been in since 1945 to continue,” he said.

Francis said the sale was the perfect fit at the perfect time for the district.

“It allows us to extend our campus and provide their own space for these two programs, which will be updated for them,” he said. “They’re thrilled, we’re thrilled, it’s a win-win for the teams, for the campus and we believe for the congregation, the church, as well.”

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

trimmed a lot of fat over the last 10 years, and that’s evident through the fact that we’ve been able to balance the budget and still lose 4.3 mills in the last 10 years,” he said. “What we’re really asking is for what you’re paying today, plus 4 mills to dedicate to police, fire and recreation facilities, and we’d still be able to offer all the services that we offer, we provide you today, going further down the road.”

Pawlica stated he supported the millage because it was presented by the residents

through the Resident Finance Committee.

“It’s a group of residents that came from many different walks of life, all parts of the city, new residents, residents have been here for decades,” he said. “They sat down, they respected one another’s opinions, but ultimately they all came to the same conclusion that if we want to continue with the great services and the great community that we have, we’re going to have to support this.”

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

Family Pride at the Royal Oak Farmer’s Market June 12!

Royal Oak Family Pride, a family-centered pride event will be held on Wednesday, June 12 at the Royal Oak Farmer’s Market from 4-9pm. Tis annual event will be a celebration of the diverse LGBTQIA+ community, focusing on our city’s many queer families and their children. Featuring family-friendly activities like musical performers, crafts, food trucks, entertainment for kids from local community members, and a Drag Queen Story Time. Tis event is the perfect way to celebrate June’s Pride Month. For 2024, Royal Oak Family Pride will be hosting stilt walkers and jugglers, Captain Fantastic Detroit, an Elton John tribute band that will take the stage at 7:00 PM. Tis event is a themed version of Royal Oak Farmer’s Market monthly Food Truck Rally.

Te Royal Oak Farmer’s Market is located at 316 E 11 Mile Rd, Royal Oak, MI 48067. Te event will be held rain or shine.  Come join the fun!

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entrance into the Program after testing and interview will be required to submit to a drug test, which will include testing for marijuana. ThePipefittingIndustryTrainingCenterislocatedat636ExecutiveDriveinTroy,MIbetween JohnR.andDequindre north of E. 14 mile Road. PH: 248-585-0636 Noresumesplease. For more information please contact our web site at: www.pipefitters636tc.org.

This is a drug free Program. An individual tentatively selected for entrance into the Program after testing and interview will be required to submit to a drug test, which will include testing for marijuana. ThePipefittingIndustryTrainingCenterislocatedat636ExecutiveDriveinTroy,MIbetween JohnR.andDequindre north of E. 14 mile Road. PH: 248-585-0636 Noresumesplease. For more information please contact our web site at: www.pipefitters636tc.org. DF-GCI1062707-01

of focus 40. Making the way, in a way 42. “I Like ___,” 1952 campaign slogan 43. Of somber color 45. *Like bride’s accessories (2 words) 47. 60 mins., pl. 48. Indiana ball player 50. One of Three

Electrical BEST-Price-Period Licensed/Insured. Additions,Remodels, Basements,Kitchens, 30-yrs.-experience. Callforfree-estimates. Open7-daysaweek 24/hrs-day. HotchkissElectric 586-291-3143 Lic.#6211028

586-755-3636 Father&Son MasterElectricians Dr.Electric Same-Day-Service! All-Residential-Wiring, ChangeFuseBoxto CircuitBreakerPanel, Troubleshooting, ElectricVehicleChargers, BackupGenerator TransferSwitch, License#6109094 Senior/Discounts! Visa/MC/Lic./Insured

CASTLEELECTRIC 586-634-1152 (directcellphone#) Panelupgrades, generators,hottubs, 220lines.ALLSERVICE Licensed&Insured Dependable,quality work! License#-6111359

PREPARE forpower outagestodaywithaGeneracHomeStandbyGenerator.Actnowtoreceive aFREE7-Yearwarranty withqualifyingpurchase. Call1-855-773-8191 todaytoscheduleafree quote.It snotjustagenerator.It sapowermove. Fence Service

COPPER COUNTRYFENCING SpecializingInAll FencingNeeds. CustomWood/Gates, Chain-link,Vinyl,Aluminum,SteelandComposite AllRepairs.Insured. CallForFreeEstimate 313-828-4062

Gutters

A.M.G. Gutters&Downspouts.Owneroperated. Seamlessgutter installationandrepair specialist.Builders License#2101202369 www.amgapplied services.com FullyInsured 248-828-7998

*”STEVE'S SEAMLESSGUTTERS” Made&installedonthe spot.5”&6”Gutter Cleaning.Treetrimming, exteriorpainting, powerwashing. 586-778-3393 586-531-2111

ELIMINATE gutter cleaningforever!LeafFilter,themostadvanced debris-blockinggutter protection.Schedulea FREELeafFilterestimate today.20%offEntire Purchase.Plus10%Senior&MilitaryDiscounts. Call1-866-495-1709

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Handyman Services

AA4DABLE HANDYMAN HomeImprovement, Tile,Hardwood-Floors, Kitchen/Bath-Remodeling Plumbing,Electrical, Painting,Hauling,Cleanouts,AnyHomeRepairs, FreeEst.30%Disc. AllMajorCredit CardsAccepted 586-822-5100

Handyman Services

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47 yrs. Experience

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Hauling & Waste

HAULING*** JUNKREMOVAL Wehaulitall! DemolitionBig&Small Residential/Commercial RubberWheelDumpsters-10,15,20-Yards, Clean-outs,Construction Material,Small-Moving, Appliances,Furniture& More!LowestRates!!! Free-Estimates Senior/MilitaryDiscounts 586-360-0681 ucallwehauljunk.com

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Heating & Cooling

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Weekly Lawn Care Spring Clean-up Aeration & Dethatching Mulch Shrub Trimming & Removal Overseeding & Sod Installation Landscape Projects

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MAY 23

Safety Town Bike Rodeo: Free event featuring bike licensing, safety demonstrations, first aid training, decorating, giveaways and snacks, 6-7 p.m., Garbutt Park, 200 Gardendale St. in Ferndale, ferndalemi. gov/events

MAY 27

Memorial Day parade: Also community bike parade, starts at 10 a.m. at Livernois Avenue and Oakridge Street in Ferndale, ends at Memorial Mall with ceremony to follow, facebook.com/Ferndale.Michigan

Royal Oak Leprechauns: Member of Northwoods League (largest organized summer collegiate baseball league in world), home opener at 6:35 p.m., plays games almost daily until Aug. 10, Memorial Park, 3530 Coolidge Highway, royaloakleprechauns.com

JUNE 1

Ferndale Pride: Free LGBTQAI+ festival featuring live entertainment, DJ, kids zone, food, vendors and more, 12:30-10 p.m., downtown Ferndale, ferndalepride.com

JUNE 2

Community cleanup: Hosted by The Cleanup Club and Walking Lightly, 9:45-11:45 a.m., 1031 Hilton Road in Ferndale, meditation with Birdie and java (bring a cup) by Dessert Oasis Coffee Roasters to follow at nearby park, thecleanupclub.org/events

JUNE 8

Berkley Art Bash: Featuring “hip handmade wares” from 150-plus artists and makers, also live music, food and kids activities, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., 12 Mile Road, berkleyartbash.com

Summer Reading Kickoff: Sign up for program, also games, face painting, balloon twisting, ice cream from Treat Dreams and coffee/ chai tea from Meillie, noon-4 p.m., Ferndale Area District

ONGOING

Sundays, June 7-July 1 (except June 15), Ringwald Theatre at Affirmations LGBTQIA+ Community Center, 290 W. Nine Mile Road in Ferndale, theringwald.com

‘Sunset Boulevard’: Performance by Stagecrafters, select dates May 31-June 23, Baldwin Theatre, 415 S. Lafayette in Royal Oak, stagecrafters.org

‘Spring!’ group art show: On display through May 25, Ferndale Area District Library, 222 E. Nine Mile Road, fadl.org/art Monthly book clubs: Find meetups for kids, science fiction, graphic novels and more, virtual and in person, Ferndale Area District Library,

222 E. Nine Mile Road, also groups which meet off site, see full list at fadl.org/upcoming-events

• Meets 3 p.m. every second Saturday, Roseland Cemetery, 29001 N. Woodward Ave. in Berkley, roselandparkmi.com, (248) 541-1154 (ext. 2520)

‘Vines / Between the Vines: Nature’s Ephemera: Paintings by Lynn

503), ferndalemi.gov/resources/ senior-programs

Play ‘Pokémon Go’: 6:30 p.m. May 23 (Red Oaks Nature Center, 30300 Hales St. in Madison Heights), June 6 (Harding Park, 989 Mapledale St. in Ferndale), June 20 (Rosie’s Park, 1111 E. Farnum Ave. in Madison Heights), July 11 (Madison Heights Civic Center Park, 360 W. 13 Mile Road) and July 25 (Red Oaks Nature Center), facebook. com/hpdlibrary

Oakland

Waterford man points toy gun at people

BIRMINGHAM — On May 5 at approximately 3 p.m., officers were dispatched to North Old Woodward and Harmon for an individual in the street waving a fake gun at people.

They found the suspect, a 58-year-old man from Waterford, standing near a restaurant in the 500 block of North Old Woodward.

Police recovered a green-and-red toy gun in a search of the man, and they noticed signs that he was intoxicated. Multiple witnesses at the scene reported seeing the suspect point the toy gun and a phone at passing people and vehicles and pretend to shoot. The suspect was arrested and issued a citation for disorderly conduct.

Novi man causes disturbance

BIRMINGHAM — On April 29 at approximately 1 p.m., officers were dispatched to a business in the 300 block of Hamilton Row, where an individual was causing a disturbance.

The suspect, a 38-year-old Novi man, had previously been escorted out of the business on multiple occasions for disruptive behavior and was no longer allowed there.

A check of records confirmed that Birmingham officers had been called to the business three prior times for similar issues with this suspect. When officers began to question him outside the shop, he caused a disturbance and was arrested and issued a citation for trespassing.

Speeding vehicles flee police

BIRMINGHAM — At approximately 8 p.m. April 25, officers on patrol identified two vehicles going approximately 72 mph in a 45 mph zone.

Officers initiated their overhead emergency lights in an attempt to pull over one of the vehicles, which continued to drive beyond the speed limit. The driver was driving recklessly, weaving in and out of traffic, and did not stop for the police officers. An investigation was ongoing.

Bowling bag stolen from unlocked car

ROYAL OAK — A complainant reported that between midnight and 6 a.m. on April 22, an unknown person stole a bowling bag containing the complainant’s shoes and multiple bowling balls from the complainant’s unlocked car in the 200 block of South Wilson Avenue, near East 11 Mile and South Campbell roads.

Man reportedly stops traffic, arrested

HAZEL PARK — According to a police report, officers were called to the area of Eight Mile Road and

gate a report of an aggressive man who was stopping traffic while drinking beer. He was stopped by police and found to have warrants.

When told to put his hands behind his back, the man allegedly pulled away from officers and began to flee on foot. An officer stumbled to the ground briefly, but the police were ultimately able to capture and arrest the man. The officer later went to the hospital, having suffered a broken finger.

The suspect, 32, of Detroit, faces a felony charge for allegedly resisting and obstructing a police officer. An investigation was ongoing.

Woman steals beer, baby wipes

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP — A woman stole beer and baby wipes from a drugstore in the 6500 block of Telegraph Road at 6:45 p.m. April 15. According to reports, a woman loaded two 12-pack cases of Stella Artois beer, two six-packs of Stella Artois beer, and one pack of Huggies baby wipes into a cart and left the store without paying. The suspect was seen loading the merchandise into a U-Haul box truck before leaving the parking lot. Police were investigating.

Man staggering in traffic found with meth

FARMINGTON — Officers were dispatched to a welfare check for a man seen staggering into traffic in the area of Grand River Avenue and Orchard Lake Road at 12:30 p.m. April 26.

Officers made contact with the man and conducted an investigation, leading to the discovery of methamphetamine. The case was to be forwarded on to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office for warrant consideration.

Woman calls 911 after truck begins repeatedly ramming her vehicle

ROCHESTER HILLS — Deputies were dispatched to Adams Road and Walton Boulevard for a white Tesla being rammed by a black truck at 5:11 p.m. April 16.

While on 911, a 43-year-old woman from Rochester Hills told police the truck was ramming her vehicle.

She stated that the truck behind her began flipping her off, then making gun gestures at her.

She had her daughter in the vehicle and called 911. The truck rammed the Tesla four or five times and drove onto the Oakland University campus. When deputies arrived on the scene they could not locate the vehicle, or the suspect.

Woman reports indecent exposure at gym

ROCHESTER HILLS — Deputies responded to a

report of indecent exposure at 7:38 p.m. March 30. The caller, a 21-year-old woman from Rochester Hills, told dispatchers that an unknown man who had been on the treadmill pleasuring himself in the presence of other gym members was attempting to leave the gym in a black Dodge Charger.

Deputies located the Dodge Charger in the parking lot, occupied by two males, who were detained and investigated.

The caller was located, interviewed, and provided video of the incident.

Gym managers said they would provide interior video of the incident at a later date.

Per video review, the driver of the Charger, a 23-year-old man from Clarkston, was identified as the suspect. He was transported to the Rochester Hills substation for processing and was released pending further investigation.

Shot fired at condo as man cleans rifle

ROCHESTER HILLS — Deputies responded to 1600 block of Oneil Circle on a report of a shot fired from a condo at 6:49 p.m. April 19.

The round went through the ceiling of another condo unit. Deputies contacted the occupants of both units. The upstairs resident, a 54-year-old man, said he had been cleaning his rifle and moving it from the kitchen to a bedroom when the rifle went off.

The round went through the floor and ceiling and then fragmented, causing no further damage. No injuries were reported at the time of the investigation. The man was interviewed and released pending further investigation. The rifle was recovered and transported to the police property room. The investigation was ongoing.

Teen throws plate at school security guard, resulting in concussion, stitches

ROCHESTER HILLS — School resource officers were dispatched to the 1400 block of Dequindre on a report of an assault at Ace High School at 11:42 a.m. April 15.

School administrators told police that an 18-yearold male student had become agitated in class. When the principal and security personnel arrived to deescalate the situation, the student threw a ceramic plate toward staff, hitting a 62-year-old male security guard in the forehead.

The Rochester Hills Fire Department arrived at the scene and rendered aid to the guard, who was transported to the hospital. He had a concussion and suffered a laceration to the head that required stitches.

The student was taken into custody for felonious assault and was transported to the Oakland County Jail.

Victim drives suspect’s vehicle to police station to file report

SOUTHFIELD — A man stated that he was approached by an unknown male in the 26000 block of Telegraph Road at 7:31 a.m. April 27. The victim perceived that he was being robbed and noticed that the suspect had left his vehicle running with the door open. The victim got into the vehicle and drove it to the police station to file a report.

Driver hits construction equipment

TROY — Officers responded to Coolidge Highway and Wattles Road for a vehicle crash at 2:48 p.m. April 26 in which a Buick SUV had struck a piece of construction equipment.

The driver of the 2017 Buick Encore, a 63-year-old man from Troy, could not explain how he had ended up crashing into the construction equipment in an active construction zone.

Police discovered the driver did not have a valid license, and they noted that his eyes were watery and bloodshot and that there was a strong odor of intoxicants coming from his vehicle.

The driver did poorly on field sobriety evaluations. He submitted to a preliminary breath test, with a result of a 0.193% blood alcohol content.

He was arrested, and the case was turned over to the Detective Bureau.

Fraudulent Best Buy email leads to $2,500 gift card scam

TROY — A victim from Alisop Place received a presumably scam email from what

Johannah Steinbrecher-Booker stars as Norma Desmond. Photo by Bureau Detroit