6/19/24 Sterling Heights Sentry

CITY MILLAGE REFERENDUM TO APPEAR ON NOVEMBER BALLOT

PLAN INTENDS TO FUND VISIONING 2040 GOALS

BY ERIC CZARNIK eczarnik@candgnews.com

Besides the fate of the presidency, Congress, and some state and local offices, another big decision will be on the Nov. 5 ballot in Sterling Heights – whether to approve a 15-year, 0.95-mill tax for recreation, sustainability and more.

Late into the night of its June 4 meeting, the Sterling Heights City Council approved putting the millage referendum on the ballot. The vote was 6-1, with Councilman Henry Yanez voting no.

During the plan’s presentation, some officials compared this millage referendum to the Recreating Recreation referendum that narrowly passed in 2016, which funded the construction of the Dodge Park pavilion and ice rink, the Community Center, the Bocce Barn, a dog park, other park improvements, and more.

The city unveiled its Visioning 2040 mission statement, guiding principles and values at its January strategic planning meeting, and the City Council formally approved the plan in the spring.

The visioning plan calls for “an inclusive, vibrant community that is safe, active, and sustainable,” and its principles call for things like recreational opportunities, green spaces, distinctive areas, and accessible paths and trails.

During the meeting, City Manager Mark Vanderpool said success-

See MILLAGE on page 16A

that would be funded if Sterling Heights voters approve a 0.95-mill referendum this November.

BY JONATHAN SZCZEPANIAK jszczepaniak@candgnews.com

There’s a point in time where every athlete has to come to certain crossroads, but the road doesn’t just close after high school or college. There’s the decision to be made towards the tail end of high school of whether or not sports is in your future at the college level, and if you’re lucky enough to play at the college level, there’s another choice of calling it quits or pursuing other avenues on a smaller scale than the professional level.

For Lauren Scribner, a 2015 Warren Regina graduate, the crossroads for continuing her softball career came after graduating from Oakland University in 2019 and playing club softball for the school. Scribner was also a Michigan High School Athletic Association Divi-

The Clinton River flows past its bank in Rotary Park. An expansion of Rotary Park’s amenities is on a list of proposed projects

Photo by Patricia O’Blenes

Fresh from the farm

Sterling Heights resident brings country to Dodge Park stage

BY ERIC CZARNIK eczarnik@candgnews.com

A local performer is returning to the Dodge Park stage at the end of this month to put her unique Michigan spin on country music.

Bernadette Kathryn and the Lonely Days Band will perform at 7 p.m. June 27 as part of Sterling Heights’ Music in the Park summer concert series during Dodge Park Thursdays.

Kathryn, 24, from Sterling Heights, said she is looking forward to performing again in the city where she grew up.

From the time she was 5, she was singing onstage at the multiple dinner theaters in metro Detroit that her father owned. She also attended the Warren Consolidated School of Performing Arts in Sterling Heights and learned about stage presence and more there.

She described what it was like to attend the school.

THURSDAY 6/20 FRIDAY 6/21

BELOW: Batches of jumbo radishes dominate the fruit and vegetables section of Fusilier Family Farms stand inside the Dodge Park Farmers Market. Farm owner Kathy Fusilier, left, and sales assistant Emily Laurence stand in the background greeting customers. The Fusilier Farm is located in Manchester, Michigan.

SATURDAY 6/22

THURSDAY 6/27

FRIDAY 6/28

SATURDAY 6/29

Sterling Heights resident Bernadette Kathryn and the Lonely Days Band are scheduled to perform June 27 at Dodge Park.

Photo provided by The Factory Photography by Goldy, Nashville, Tennessee

LEFT: Tom Jackson, from Jackson Farms Flowers, brought potted plants from his farm in Richmond to the June 6 opening of the Dodge Park Farmers Market.

Photos by Liz Carnegie

CITY RAISES PRIDE FLAG

Sterling Heights city officials and community members raised the Pride flag June 6 outside Sterling Heights City Hall.

“This meaningful event, hosted by the Sterling Heights CommUNITY Alliance, showcased acceptance, equality, and pride,” a city statement said.

Multiple municipal buildings in the city of Sterling Heights will shut down July 4 for Independence Day, including City Hall, the library, the 41-A District Court, the Department of Public Works building, the Parks and Recreation Department, the Bocce Barn, and the community, nature and senior centers. The usual trash pickup schedule for Thursday and Friday will also be delayed by a day. Learn more about the city’s calendar by visiting sterlingheights.gov or by calling (586) 446-2489. OUR

SHFD SURVIVAL COIN AWARDED

The Sterling Heights Fire Department awarded Cole Renee with its 22nd Survival Coin during the June 4 Sterling Heights City Council meeting.

According to the city, Renee experienced cardiac arrest after he was reportedly shocked while doing work on a light fixture April 24. A witness dialed 911, and a nearby worker, Darla Marie, did CPR until fire personnel came to the scene and treated him until he was hospitalized, officials said.

“The Survival Coin program is a way to celebrate survivors of cardiac events, but also bring them together with the first responders and/or civilians who worked to save their lives,” Sterling Heights Fire Chief Kevin Edmond said in a statement.

“This story highlights how the chain of survival works. … Early recognition of a cardiac incident, calling 911, citizen CPR and arrival of Advanced Cardiac Life Support EMS providers are all critical components to saving lives. We’re proud of our rapid response times and the 22 lives we’ve saved as a result.”

Sterling Heights Fire Chief Kevin Edmond, left, thanks Darla Marie, center, for her role in conducting CPR on Survival Coin recipient Cole Renee, right, prior to EMS’s arrival.

City offices to close for Independence Day

FLOYD TO PERFORM DODGE PARK CONCERT

SAWYERS PARK TO HOST RECREATION EVENT

The Sterling Heights Parks and Recreation Department will hold a Recreation on the Run event 3-5 p.m. June 24 at Mark Sawyers Family Park, 14655 Carmel Drive. The free, all-ages event will include games and crafts.

Learn more by visiting sterlingheights.gov and typing “Recreation on the Run” in the search bar or by calling (586) 446-2700.

Steve Floyd will perform at 10:30 a.m. July 10 during the 50+ Summer Concert Series, sponsored by Oakmont Sterling Senior Community, at the Dodge Park farmers market pavilion, 40620 Utica Road. All ages are welcome to attend, and no registration is necessary. Spectators are encouraged to bring their own chairs.

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Photo by Liz Carnegie

Photo provided by the city of Sterling Heights

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POLISH FESTIVAL TO PLEASE APPETITES FOR FOOD AND FUN

BY ERIC CZARNI eczarnik@candgnews.com

Pierogi fans and people hankering for kielbasa will be most welcome at the 2024 American Polish Festival and Craft Show June 21-23.

As always, the event will take place on the campus of the American Polish Century Club, located at 33204 Maple Lane Drive in Sterling Heights.

According to organizers, the menu promises a mix of Polish and American meals. Kielbasa sandwiches, pierogi dumplings, Polish egg rolls, Polish nachos, Polish sliders, stuffed cabbage and “city chicken” meat skewers are several notable offerings. Attendees of legal age may also wash it all down with Polish or American beer.

Leonard Palermino, the general manager of the American Polish Century Club’s Century Banquet Center, said this year’s event is also delving into other alcoholic beverages.

“We are doing a vodka tasting,” he said. “We are doing that with one of our major sponsors, Zubrowka Vodka.”

Palermino also mentioned the meal he is most looking forward to: city chicken. “It’s something my mother always made,” he said. “Ever since I was a child, she made city chicken.”

In a statement, festival chair Arnie Beller said the event is now drawing second and third generations of families.

“Our members work long hours each year preparing over 5,000 Golabki, over a ton of city chicken, 750 pounds of potato pancakes, and over 20,000 Pierogi for the Polish dinners,” Beller said. “For those that like American foods, we have an American Kitchen, as well.”

In an email, Beller added that the festival’s Polish dishes are award winning and made from scratch.

For music and entertainment, the event will feature folk dancers, and a dance floor will invite people to dance while polka bands play. An estimated 50 vendors will offer their creations for sale at the craft show.

On June 23, the hungriest contenders will chow down on dozens of potato and cheese pierogi while competing in “Srodek’s Pierogi Eating Challenge.” Other Sunday events include a noon polka Mass.

General festival hours are 4-11 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday.

Adult admission costs $5; minors (ages 17 and younger) may enter for free. Attendees may park for free at Sterling Heights High School or the Career Prep Center and take a shuttle.

Learn more about the event by visiting american polishfestival.com.

ABOVE: Attendees dance to music during a previous American Polish Festival and Craft Show in Sterling Heights.

LEFT: Adrienne Hazey, of Rochester Hills, makes potato pancakes during the festival.

File photos by Erin Sanchez

Carmella

who spent decades serving the public as the Macomb County clerk/ register of deeds, died June 8 at the age of 85.

‘PUBLIC SERVICE WAS HER TRUE CALLING’ COMMUNITY REMEMBERS CARMELLA SABAUGH

BY MARIA ALLARD allard@candgnews.com

MACOMB COUNTY — When Matthew Sabaugh was first appointed to the 37th Judicial District Court in Warren in 2008, his mom, Carmella Sabaugh, offered him some sound advice.

“The office is not yours. It belongs to the people,” she told him. “You are only a caretaker. Try your best to leave it better than you found it.”

Matthew Sabaugh, who is currently a Macomb County Circuit Court judge, is remembering his mother for her love, encouragement, enthusiasm, spirited conversations, tireless work ethic and public service.

Carmella Sabaugh, who spent 24 years as the Macomb County clerk/register of deeds from 1992 to 2016, died on June 8 at the age of 85. She is survived by her former spouse, Richard Sabaugh, and their five children: Richard, Michael, Renee, Jeanine and Matthew. Sabaugh also is survived by 13 grandchildren, two great grandchildren, her sister Pauline Peterson, and many loving nieces and nephews.

“The outpouring of support and condolences over these past few days has shown us how

See SABAUGH on page 18A

Sabaugh,

Photo provided

“It was probably one of the best career decisions that I made when I was in school, because it taught me so much about being onstage performing and capturing people’s attention and keeping it,” she said.

“I learned how to be a better dancer. It helped me with my voice. It taught me how to be a better actor. Basically, it shaped me into what you see onstage now.”

Kathryn’s passion for country music grew when she was invited as a 13-yearold to sing at the Nashville Palace. She said that after she came back from Nashville, she formed a band around 2013 or 2014 and named it Bernadette Kathryn and the Lonely Days Band, which was named after the Patsy Cline song “Seven Lonely Days.”

Kathryn said the band started playing locally in bars. She also said she performed at the Sterling Heights Music in the Park summer concert series for the first time when she was 15.

The band also branched out to touring Nashville multiple times per year. When Kathryn was 17, she performed at the Grand Ole Opry. She said her group has also opened for The Band Perry, Chayce Beckham, and a couple of other national acts.

She called The Band Perry’s members “some of the nicest people I ever met.”

“They are so down to earth,” she said. “When we opened for The Band Perry, we were doing sound check. They actually came out and said ... ‘We wish you all the luck. Go have fun.’”

Today, Kathryn and her band continue to play at park concerts, festivals and more. The group’s current “core four” are herself, lead guitarist and founding member Erik Blundell, bassist Brendan Derey and drummer Jim Thiede.

The group performs “Rock’N Country,” which Kathryn describes as “playing

new and old country, a little bit of classic rock, and a few pop songs that are all encompassed with ‘Detroit beats’ and a ‘Motor City sound.’”

“When you think of country and you think of Detroit, sometimes it’s hard to picture the two together,” she explained. “There’s also a little bit of soul in my voice, and I take inspiration from where I grew up. I add a little bit of classic rock. It’s a combination. I think it’s a really cool combination.”

Kathryn said that Michigan audiences tend to be more open to hearing everything the band has to offer. She added that a Michigan fan was the first to call her “Detroit’s Country Rebel” due to Kathryn’s musical style and her penchant for wearing Western boots.

Sterling Heights Parks and Recreation Director Kyle Langlois said the city is excited to have Kathryn and her band back onstage.

“Last year was rainy and our residents did not get a chance to fully experience the talented hometown singer and group, so we are looking forward to better weather and rocking crowd,” Langlois said in a text.

“Sterling Heights is home to so many talented musicians and we are proud to have Bernadette Kathryn as a resident and ambassador for our city as she continues to rise on the national scene.”

With her return to the Sterling Heights stage, Kathryn reflected on how she and her hometown have evolved over the years, especially as she has grown more successful.

“I feel like I’ve more changed than the city itself, and it’s all thanks to Sterling Heights, and it’s all thanks to the people who have surrounded and supported me,” she said.

Learn more about Bernadette Kathryn and the Lonely Days Band by visiting bernadettekathrynmusic.com. Learn more about Dodge Park, 40620 Utica Road, and Dodge Park Thursdays by visiting sterlingheights. gov/1236/Dodge-Park-Thursdays.

SPOTLIGHT ON SENIOR LIVING

FAR RIGHT: Ron Teasley suited up for the Carman Cardinals from 1949 to 1950, hitting around .300 and making the All-Star team, but the league never received the proper recognition of MLB scouts.

NEAR RIGHT: The Tigers have called upon Teasley several times to throw out the ceremonial first pitch during the times the former Negro Leagues were celebrated.

RON TEASLEY:

SOME CALLED HIM ‘SCHOOLBOY,’ MOST CALL HIM MR. TEASLEY, EVERYONE KNOWS HIM AS AN ICON

BY JONATHAN SZCZEPANIAK jszczepaniak@candgnews.com

METRO DETROIT — Growing up, Lydia Teasley couldn’t comprehend the importance of her last name, and who could blame her?

To Lydia Teasley, her father, Ron Teasley, was a renowned basketball and baseball coach at his high school alma mater, Detroit Northwestern High School, compiling numerous Detroit Public School League and district championships across both sports.

Ron Teasley was also the first African American student to play basketball, the first African American team captain, and the second African American to play baseball for the high school.

It wasn’t until elementary school when she first reaped the rewards of the Teasley name by being able to have complete freedom in gym class.

“I got to do anything I wanted to do,” Lydia Teasley said. “I thought, ‘Oh wait, this is pretty cool.’ I still didn’t really understand it, but as I got older, that would happen a lot. I would go somewhere and people would say, ‘Teasley? Like Ron Teasley?’ Then the person is going crazy telling me how he was my coach or my teacher. He was this or he was that. I thought, ‘Oh, this is pretty cool.’”

Ron Teasley, 97, is much more than a former coach in the dugout or faculty member in the school, and one quick internet search could speak a thousand words about

his achievements.

One of three surviving members to compete in the original 1948-era Negro Leagues alongside Willie Mays and Bill Greason, Teasley accomplished just about every feat a baseball player could imagine.

Teasley’s life contains memories with some of the most prolific people across sports, including racing Jesse Owens, hitting a triple off Satchel Paige, signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers, and conversing with the likes of Norman “Turkey” Stearnes, Jackie Robinson, Buck Leonard and other Negro League legends.

Growing up around the game

Like most young ballplayers growing up, Ron Teasley had a player he idolized. The only issue was being able to see him play live.

“When I was young, my father wouldn’t take me to a Tigers game because of segregation,” Teasley said. “I didn’t go to any Tigers games when I was young, but I used to listen to the Tigers games on the radio. My favorite player was a player by the name of Charlie Gehringer, who was a second baseman. He was an outstanding player. He was my hero.”

Baseball was the epicenter of the Teasley household, with six children all invested in the sport, and even his older sister sported the nickname “Babe Ruth” because of her baseball prowess growing up.

“They talked a lot about baseball, and

Photos provided by the Teasley family

Senior Companion Program celebrates 50 years

Volunteers are the heart that drives any outreach program. ere’s no better example of this than the volunteers of the Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan AmeriCorps Seniors Senior Companion Program.

On Aug. 1, the program will celebrate 50 years of making a di erence in the lives of the homebound, isolated, or lonely seniors living among us.

Maridenise West represents the ideal of volunteering in the program and how serving others benets her life as well.

“Volunteering gives me a sense of purpose. It has restored a sense of con dence and a sense of well-being,” said Maridenise West, 65, a volunteer with the program for eight years. “It helps me age gracefully with dignity and pride.”

West said volunteering at the Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan Adult Day Center has allowed her to enrich her life and the lives of others, sharing her “time and talents.”

“I am able to give back to the world what it has given to me. It is satisfying, ful lling and rewarding to know I can make a di erence,” West said.

Carmela LaCommare, the program manager, said the program is funded by AmeriCorps Seniors and the state of Michigan.

“Our volunteers, who are 55 or older, they go out and they visit isolated, homebound adults in the community and try to keep them socialized and engaged. ey also o er respite care for family members and caregivers,” LaCommare said.

ose interested in volunteering can contact Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan by phone or email. ere is an enrollment process.

For those seeking to arrange companion visits, there is a simple intake procedure and a process for matching area volunteers with local seniors.

“My volunteers are amazing,” LaCommare said. “We service both Oakland and Macomb counties. Many of our volunteers serve anywhere between 20 and 30 hours a week.

“ ey found purpose with this program,” LaCommare added. “ at’s the number one thing they tell me.”

For more information about the Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan AmeriCorps Seniors Senior Companion Program, go to ccsem.org or call (248) 537-3300 #3937.

by AmeriCorps, Michigan’s Behavioral and Physical Health and Aging Services Administration, and support from the community.

Maridenise West: Volunteer

Teasley

sometimes my father would go to Chicago to watch what they called the Negro League AllStar Game,” Teasley said. “There was a lot of talk about it (baseball), and my father and I would play catch. My brothers and sisters all played baseball. After that, I joined the junior baseball program in Detroit. I became very successful.”

The earliest memories for Teasley began at Hamtramck Stadium, where his father would take him to watch the Detroit Stars play, but Teasley said he was also more focused on playing with rocks under the stands.

That was until he grew into the sport through the junior baseball program. A walk outside the local recreation center one day would be life changing.

“One day I came out of the recreation center and I looked across the field and saw some men playing baseball,” Teasley said. “I said, ‘I think I’ll just go over there and join them.’ So I went over there and started chasing foul balls. I was 13 or 14 years old, and they were nice to me and told me, ‘Why don’t you come around and practice with us?’ So I started practicing with them.”

The men playing baseball weren’t just

average joes taking in a game of pickup, but rather experienced ballplayers, some former Negro League players, who were double the age of Teasley, taking him under their wing and showing him the beauties of the game.

If someone wasn’t able to make it to the game, Teasley would be thrown into right field as a boy surrounded by grown men, earning the nickname “Schoolboy” from his older teammates.

“They usually put me in right field hoping nothing would be hit my way,” Teasley said. “I really think about those fellas, because they taught me a lot of life lessons. They meant a lot to me.”

Creating a baseball legacy

On the collegiate circuit at Wayne State University, Teasley, a Southfield resident, became the first player to ever hit above .400, still holding the single season record with a .500 batting average.

Teasley was a standout basketball and baseball player for the Tartars (now Warriors) before joining the U.S. Navy in 1945 with tours in Saipan and far Pacific areas from 1945 to 1946.

Once he returned home, he picked up right where he left off, dominating his opponents on the baseball field, so much so that the Brooklyn Dodgers caught wind of it and

offered a tryout in Vero Beach, Florida, to Teasley and Detroit native Sammy Gee from Miller High School.

Upon his arrival to Vero Beach, Teasley exchanged pleasantries with Dodgers infielder Jackie Robinson, widely known for breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball.

Teasley spent two weeks before being assigned to the Dodgers minor league affiliate, the Olean Oilers of the Pennsylvania-Ontario-New York League, but was promptly cut despite impressive numbers early on.

“When I was in the Dodgers organization batting .270, that wasn’t good enough,” Teasley said. “They released me. I never could understand that. I was actually leading the league in home runs when they released me. It’s something you always think about, no matter how old you are. You think about that, you know? What did they expect of you?”

Instead of being discouraged, Teasley continued his professional baseball career in the Negro Leagues as a member of the New York Cubans, but the league would soon become a picking ground for the MLB following the signing of Robinson, who played in the Negro Leagues in 1945 with the Kansas City Monarchs, in April 1947.

With Robinson’s performance came plenty of eyes looking for the next talent in the league, and the inevitable downfall of the

Negro League began as teams were gutted, their best players departing for MLB clubs.

Robinson was the face of the broken color barrier, and with the title came plenty of scrutiny and racial discrimination towards him, but Teasley said the opinion of Negro League players towards Robinson’s signing began to split down the middle.

“We had a couple thousand players playing in the league, and then they were taking our best players,” Teasley said. “Then the owners were backing out. Some of the players were suggesting, and even the owners as well, that we have an all-Star team of Negro League players and put them in the league, but that was turned down. They didn’t want to do that. The players were coming and going quite a bit.”

Many players like Teasley, moved north to the Mandak League in Manitoba and North Dakota.

Teasley suited up for the Carman Cardinals from 1949 to 1950 in the league, hitting around .300 and making the All-Star team, but the league never received the proper recognition of MLB scouts.

The league had a solid fanbase, but Teasley said the fans provided a different game day environment than what he was accustomed to.

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Enjoy an evening of dinner and dancing CLASSIC CAR SHOW

Sat, July 20th, 12:00pm at Oakmont Parkway

Classic cars and fun for the whole family

Book your ‘bucket list’ trip with confdence through Travel Time Vacations & Cruises

Life moves pretty fast, and everyone is keenly aware of that. It’s never too late to plan your trip of a lifetime, until things change, and it becomes too late.

Travel expert Jefrey Leonardi of Travel Time Vacations & Cruises says the best thing you can do is book your bucket list trip or tour now, and do it with confdence through a professional who knows what it takes to get you there and back safely with minimal risk of hassle abroad or loss before you depart due to unforeseen circumstances.

Trough Travel Time Vacations & Cruises, Leonardi is now booking all tours and cruises including but not limited to “Cuba Discovery” starting in February 2025,

“A Culinary Journey Trough Tuscany & Florence” in April 2025, the “Iceland Explorer” in May/June 2025, and the “Burgundy & Provence France River Cruise” in October 2025 on a chartered boat. Tose are all air-inclusive vacations.

Leonardi brings 28 years of travel booking experience to the table for his clients. As a former talent agent for a roster of stars from classic Hollywood in his life before travel, he’s programmed to mind every detail to ensure his clients are well taken care of.

“We are booking groups next year, and we are looking for anyone who has a group that we can get a discounted rate for,” Leonardi said. “If someone has a group and they can

get me a minimum of 32 people, one couple would go for free.”

Concierge services included cancelation for medical emergencies or pre-existing conditions through insurance at the time of deposit. Clients also get the beneft of Leonardi’s expertise at planning trips and tours.

“I don’t charge a fee for my services, with the exception of domestic air travel,” Leonardi said. “Tere’s never a service charge. I ofer all of it at no charge.”

To inquire about booking your bucket list trip or tour through Travel Time Vacations & Cruises, call (586) 323-6100 or visit www.586travel.com.

WUJEK-CALCATERRA & SONS: Round-the-Clock Compassion since 1913

With 15 licensed funeral directors, totaling 350 years of combined experience, Wujek-Calcaterra & Sons is uniquely qualifed to bring peace and comfort to grieving families in their time of need. And these aren’t ordinary funeral directors. Each one was specifcally sought out by the Wujek and Calcaterra families based on their individual talents and expertise.

Licensed funeral director Dominick Astorino, managing director at Wujek-Calcaterra & Sons, is honored to be a part of this exceptional team. “My colleagues and I are career professionals,” stated Astorino. “Most of us have been with Wujek-Calcaterra for over 20 years. We are dedicated to our career in a long-standing way.

“We also have an excellent collection of younger funeral directors. As the embalming professor at Wayne State University School of Mortuary Science, I have taught many of them. I see their potential from the frst day I meet them and watch them develop.”

Tese devoted individuals represent a variety of religious and cultural backgrounds. Tey have formed enduring relationships with local families and the community. Tey are familiar with the neighborhood churches and have worked alongside their pastors. Tis allows them to connect with all types of families, putting them at

ease at a most difcult and overwhelming time.

Furthermore, their compassion isn’t strictly confned to business hours. Wujek-Calcaterra & Sons is one of the few funeral homes in the area where there is someone present 24/7.

According to Astorino, “We have never taken a day of since opening our original location in Detroit back in 1913. Christmas, holidays, brownouts, the worst snow storms – there has always been someone here to pick up the phone. We treat our families the way we would like to be treated. Tey never have to talk to an answering machine, and they know their loved one is never lef unattended.”

In addition to the 15 funeral directors, there is a support staf of 35 capable and compassionate individuals to complete the team at Wujek-Cacaterra & Sons. “We can serve all of our families, giving them everything they need – much like a personalized concierge.”

From preplanning to afercare services, Wujek-Calcaterra & Sons is available seven days a week, 365 days a year. Tey ofer two welcoming locations: 36900 Schoenherr Road in Sterling Heights, phone (586) 588-9117; and 54880 Van Dyke Avenue in Shelby Township, phone (586) 217-3316. For more information, visit wujekcalcaterra.com or follow Wujek-Calcaterra & Sons on Facebook.

Teasley

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"I can recall one game where I was playing third base and I made a double play where there was one player running to third base and another returning to third base, and I tagged each one of them out, and the fans were just quiet," Teasley said. "There wasn't that much of a reaction. I thought, 'Wow.' They enjoyed the game, and it turned out quite well."

Lifeoutsidethedugout

Teasley would turn to factory work after the 1951 season and head back to Wayne State, earning a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1955 and joining the Detroit school system soon after. He earned his master's of administration degree in 1963.

Life postbaseball was everything Teasley could've dreamed of, spending time with his wife of 71 years and high school sweetheart, Marie Teasley, who passed away in 2020, and raising their three children: Lydia, Ronald and Tim.

Marie Teasley was a writer and editor for the Michigan Chronicle newspaper for 25 years, taking after her father, who was the first African American to own and publish a newspaper in Hannibal, Missouri.

"She was an outstanding journalist," Ron Teasley said. "She started out when she was 7 years old because her father owned a newspaper in Missouri, the home of Mark Twain."

In true love story fashion, Ron Teasley was his wife's photographer when they would go to events, which included the controversial 1986 Goodwill Games in Russia.

The Goodwill Games were brought to the forefront after the United States boycotted the 1980 Olympic Games in Russia and Russia boycotted the 1984 Summer Olympics in California.

An array of political issues surrounded the games itself, with certain countries being banned from competing.

"The first thing that struck you when you landed (in Russia) was there were no people at the airport," Teasley said. "There's nobody but guards. In this country, airports are jammed. There, there was nobody. The guards searched you, and we were detained for about a half an hour or so before we were even allowed to come into the country."

TheTeasleystoday

Lydia Teasley knows the prominence of her last name, and her kindergarten students at Dorothy Montessori School in Oak Park also get to share in the knowledge.

Each February, Teasley instructs her students on the Negro Leagues, reading books, playing baseball outside or playing hot potato

around the classroom.

She'll show the children a video of her father talking about his playing days, but at such a young age, Lydia Teasley said, it's difficult for the children to comprehend the importance of the Negro Leagues and how long ago it was.

She especially found this to be true when her classroom watched the Detroit Tigers opening day game, and students asked her if her dad was playing or not.

It's innocently hilarious, and Lydia Tealsey said it means a lot to her to pass the meaning of the game and her father's impact on to her students.

"It's super important, and it also turns out to be fun, because the questions they ask me are just hilarious, but they're interested," Lydia Teasley said. ''They'll say, 'Oh, your dad played baseball?' I'll tell them all the history of what happened, and I think they get it a little bit. I think they're more interested in how to play, so I'll take them outside and teach them some skills myself It means so much to me to be able to talk about my dad and for them to see him on the video. It just brings it to life, and they can appreciate the history."

Even at 97 years old, Ron Teasley is a busy man, but he prefers it that way. Whether it's taking walks to the park, watching any baseball he can, or playing Wii bowling, Teasley stays active.

The Tigers have called upon him several times to throw out the ceremonial first pitch during the times the former Negro Leagues were celebrated, trading in their traditional home uniforms for the Detroit Stars uniforms.

He's also made a trip with his family to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas Ciry, Missouri, to speak and sign autographs, and is involved in the Negro Leagues Family Alliance, which was founded by families of former players.

Lydia Teasley said her father is a popular man at the meetings because he's able to tell stories to the families of Norman "Turkey" Stearnes, Josh Gibson, Walter "Buck" Leonard, and many other players about their loved ones.

Ron Teasley's passion for baseball is immeasurable, but it doesn't compare to the impact he's made on others around him as a player, a coach and teacher.

Lydia Teasley continues the impact with the Ron and Marie Teasley Foundation, which aims to assist students in metro Detroit through scholarships, mentorships and training. A person like Ron Teasley should always be reminded of what he brought to the game, and Lydia Teasley said she and her siblings always try to do just that.

"I just want to have him keep talking about all the great things he's done," Lydia Teasley said. "I never want him to stop talking about that."

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ful cities “are in perpetual motion” and are constantly seeking to raise the bar.

“Now we have to activate it,” Vanderpool said, referring to the visioning plan. “It’s meaningless to develop a plan, approve it and then put it on the shelf.”

Here’s what the millage proposal would do, according to the city.

• Trails and paths: Officials said they would spend millage money on a natural pathway that goes into the Sterling Heights Nature Preserve in the northwest part of the city.

Vanderpool also said the initiative would build more sidewalks and make how they’re funded more equitable, replacing the current special assessment system that can bill property owners hundreds or thousands of dollars at a time.

• Land preservation: Officials say the millage would fund a land bank initiative that could publicly acquire land parcels to preserve as open space to use for sustainable green spaces or for recreational purposes.

• Reforestation: Spending would also go toward reforestation initiatives to plant around 15,000 street trees and increase the city’s tree canopy beyond its 19% coverage estimate. Vanderpool said the “best practice” is 40%, and this proposal would bring the city closer to that.

• Park enhancement: In addition, the plan would further expand and develop Rotary Park, near the corner of Utica and Hayes roads, in the wake of the city recently acquiring nearby land parcels and expecting to acquire the Clinton River Canoe and Kayak property, Parks and Recreation Director Kyle Langlois said.

“Once all of the acquisitions are in place, the collective 23-plus acres of land will become an exceptional blank slate for a transformative park development project for area residents to enjoy,” he said.

City officials say Rotary Park is currently underdeveloped. Langlois said that under the new plan, the hope is to have a canoe and kayak facility that would be “much more structured than the one that is currently there right now.”

Langlois also said the Rotary Park plan would include two soccer fields, a basketball court, a pathway and boardwalk, and a historical exhibit paying tribute to the former Sterling Township’s Belvedere Park. Belvedere was a privately owned venue that opened during the 1920s and had a casino, a dance hall, a swimming area and more before it was taken down in 1941, officials said.

Langlois said the parks plank of the

millage initiative would also help fund the construction of a new Red Run Park near Moravian Drive and Schoenherr Road. The park could include, among other things: a dog park; six pickleball courts; a pedestrian bridge over the Red Run Drain that gives access to L.W. Baumgartner Park; and a 24hour, ATM-like satellite branch of the Sterling Heights Public Library with a mix of digital and limited physical materials.

“This amenity will provide residents with many of the library services at a minimal cost compared to constructing a physical library building,” Library Director Tammy Turgeon said.

Lastly, the millage proposal would also establish an indoor paddle sport complex in a yet-to-be-determined location with eight pickleball courts and six table tennis tables.

Making sense of expenses

According to the city, a 0.95-mill tax increase would mean that homeowners would pay an additional 95 cents per $1,000 of their home’s taxable value. So on a home with a taxable value of $100,000, that would be an additional $95 for the year.

The 15-year millage would collect about $92 million over its lifespan, according to Finance and Budget Director Jennifer Varney. She said that, if passed, the millage is expected to raise the city’s millage to 17.53 mills, above New Baltimore and Richmond, but below cities like Utica, Fraser and Warren.

Resident Ken Nelson addressed the millage proposal and the council with, “Are you guys nuts?” He said he is in favor of putting the proposal on the ballot, but he warned the council that “you’re going to have a big fight on your hands,” adding that he’d lead the fight against the tax increase.

“Out of an hour and 15 minutes, I not one time heard the word ‘cut,’” Nelson said. “Every year, we hear, ‘We’re going to spend this money and spend that money.’ … The people are not made out of money that live in Sterling Heights.”

Councilman Michael Radtke supported the proposal and asked residents to “trust us one more time and support this proposal to make Sterling Heights even better.”

Councilwoman Deanna Koski said she really liked some parts of the proposal, but warned of the potential of a “forever tax” due to required maintenance on things like trees beyond the 15 years. She said she supported a referendum, but would campaign for a no vote.

Councilman Henry Yanez listed things that he likes in the millage initiative, such as reforestation and sidewalks, but said the city should’ve done more earlier to set its budgetary spending priorities.

“We should have squeezed every bit

that we could have out of the budget, the taxes we already collect,” he said. “So why 0.95? Why not 0.9, 0.85 or 0.75 or 0.65? But we didn’t do that work. We didn’t set our priorities.”

Mayor Michael Taylor described his recent visit to Doha, Qatar, and explained how the public spaces over there were “immaculate.”

“We don’t always expect the best here in the United States. We can do better,” he said. “We can have higher standards for our public areas. We don’t have to be dirty, and we

don’t have to have parks that are uninviting.

“We don’t have to have public places that are just a bare minimum. We really don’t, and there’s nowhere more important to do this than at your home, I think, in your community. And to me, what this proposal does is it takes us a step up.”

Learn more about Sterling Heights by visiting sterlingheights.gov and typing “Visioning 2040 Ballot Proposal” in the search bar or by calling (586) 446-2489.

Call Staff Writer Eric Czarnik at (586) 498-1058.

ABOVE: City officials said Rotary Park is currently underdeveloped. The referendum plans would also build a brand-new Red Run Park along the Red Run Drain.

LEFT: Officials say pathways, sidewalks and tree reforestation along city streets are other parts of the referendum plan.

Photos by Patricia O’Blenes

Sabaugh

from page 7A

much Carmella was loved and supported by her community,” Matthew Sabaugh said via email. “We are forever grateful for that.”

A trailblazer in Macomb politics

Sabaugh was a presence in local politics for decades. After marrying Richard Sabaugh in 1960 and starting a family, she became a trailblazer for women in the workplace. The Democrat was first elected to the Warren City Council in 1975, serving one fouryear term. She was then elected as Warren’s city clerk in 1979 and as Macomb County’s clerk/register of deeds in 1992.

With a genuine desire to help others, she is credited with using technology to modernize the Macomb County Clerk’s Office to make it more efficient. She also spearheaded registration efforts to encourage people to vote, regardless of party affiliation.

“Her motto was, ‘Your vote is your voice!’ She believed the best democracy was through maximum participation. Carmella was a bright woman who wanted to help her community with the challenging issues of the time,” Matthew Sabaugh said. “Public service was her true calling. As Warren City Clerk and later Macomb County Clerk, her name is on countless birth certificates, marriage licenses and death certificates. Through all the significant milestones of our lives, Carmella was right there.”

She even once opened the clerk’s office on the weekend to help a constituent get married.

“She built the Sabaugh name and made us all proud. To this day, whenever I meet people, it is still most often Carmella they remember when they hear my last name,” Matthew Sabaugh said. “She was on a firstname basis with countless friends and neighbors. Carmella made friends everywhere she

went. I remember her as a loving mother who would do anything for us and always challenged us to be our best.”

Growing up on Sutherland Avenue in Warren, Matthew Sabaugh remembers the family home “often filled with the hallmarks of grassroots campaigning: stuffing literature, canvassing, sign building and spirited discussions and debate.” He said it was his dad who encouraged Carmella to run for public office.

“She was charismatic, hard-working and kind of a pioneer in the idea of woman having the right to run for office,” former Warren Mayor James Fouts said. “I think she made a great impact upon the population, particularly when it comes to voting for a woman in a major office.”

Fouts attributes getting elected to the Warren City Council in 1981 to Sabaugh.

“I was an unknown candidate when I ran. No one hardly knew me, and she endorsed me and I think that played a very significant role in my election back in the early 1980s,” Fouts said.

‘She certainly had an impactful life’

Although they belonged to different political parties, Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Candice S. Miller, a Republican, and Sabaugh became good friends when, in 1992, Sabaugh ran for county clerk, Miller ran for Macomb County treasurer and Mary Chrzanowski ran for a seat on the bench in Macomb County Circuit Court. All three were elected and would occasionally meet for breakfast or lunch.

“We just hit it off and got along very well. She was a remarkable woman. She had high energy and was very organized,” Miller said. “She was very creative and innovative. She certainly had an impactful life. She was an excellent public servant. She certainly will be missed.”

See SABAUGH on page 19A

Sabaugh

Something state Sen. Paul Wojno, DWarren, noticed about Sabaugh when they both worked at Warren City Hall during the Mayor Ronald Bonkowski administration in the 1980s was how friendly she was with all the employees.

“She really liked to communicate with people. She really got to know everyone in City Hall from the department heads to the office clerks,” Wojno said. “She wanted to know what was going on in everyone’s personal lives. She was so down to earth. She really loved people. We always had a friendship and working relationship.”

Wojno and Sabaugh connected again when he became the Warren city clerk during Sabaugh’s tenure as the Macomb County clerk.

“With the local clerks, she was very supportive of what we did,” Wojno said. “She was probably the most well-respected county clerk in the state of Michigan. Carmella was great to work with. She was always accessible and had a great staff.”

Each time she ran for office, Sabaugh would be out on the campaign trail talking to people and listening to their concerns.

“On Election Day, she was always out at the polls,” Wojno said. “She really enjoyed interfacing with the constituents in Warren. She cared about seeing individuals in her role as in the City Council and county clerk.”

Warren City Treasurer Lorie Barnwell crossed paths with Sabaugh many times over the years.

“For me, watching her innovations in the County Clerk’s Office was very sig-

“She was very creative and innovative. She certainly had an impactful life. She was an excellent public servant. She certainly will be missed.”

— Candice S. Miller, Macomb County Public Works Commissioner

nificant. She was such an important figure,” Barnwell said. “She blazed the way for a lot of women not just in Warren but in the county.”

Barnwell said Sabaugh worked to make the community feel more connected to the Macomb County Clerk’s Office.

“She had a drive to offer the best customer service,” Barnwell said. “Sometimes, there’s a fear in government of technology and moving things forward. She thought outside of the box. She won all kinds of awards for what she was able to accomplish. Her reputation in the community was bar none.”

Aside from politics, Barnwell saw Sabaugh as a woman who was “an outstanding parent.” She never missed an opportunity to talk about her family.

“Her kids and grandkids were her everything,” Barnwell said. “She was so devoted to those kids and grandkids.”

Miller echoed that.

“She was very family-oriented,” Miller said. “For her, it was family first.”

The Sabaugh family will receive friends from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. June 23 at the WujekCalcaterra funeral home, 36900 Schoenherr Road, in Sterling Heights.

Call Staff Writer Maria Allard at (586) 498-1045.

CRIME WATCH

Drunken driver takes SHAP truck for unauthorized ride

Police on the lookout for drunken driving reportedly found a man driving a white Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck May 29. Officers said they pulled over the truck and arrested the driver for operating the vehicle while intoxicated. A second man was in the vehicle too, police said.

Police later learned that the vehicle allegedly had been taken from the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant and was driven in an unauthorized manner. The vehicle was only supposed to be driven from 17 Mile Road and Van Dyke Avenue to a business by Metropolitan Parkway and Van Dyke, but nowhere else, police said.

Rental car company reports stolen Subaru

Police investigated a report from a rental car company in the 34000 block of Van Dyke Avenue that a Subaru rented in March had not been returned by its April 15 due date.

The business reportedly contacted the renter April 19, who allegedly voiced plans to extend the rental, but subsequent attempts to reach the renter between April 22 and May 6 were unreturned, police said. So the business reported the Subaru as stolen.

The Macomb County Sheriff’s Office reportedly reclaimed the vehicle in Mount Clemens and arrested a suspect for unlawfully possessing the vehicle. The business wasn’t interested in going ahead with charges, police said.

Man who allegedly refused to leave hotel hospitalized

Early in the morning of May 29, police were alerted that a man who allegedly was under the possible influence of narcotics was reportedly refusing to leave the lobby of a hotel in the 34000 block of Van Dyke Avenue.

The man reportedly told authorities he had been walking for miles, that his feet hurt and that he wanted to go to the hospital. Police said the Fire Department took him to a nearby hospital.

Breaking and entering reported along Van Dyke

A breaking and entering report was re-

portedly made on or around May 29 along Van Dyke Avenue, near Brougham Drive. Police did not give any further details about what reportedly transpired.

‘Problem party’ leaves restaurant after argument

Police heard a report the night of May 29 about 15-20 people arguing with one another at a pizza restaurant in the 13000 block of Lakeside Circle. A worker reported that the situation escalated to an alleged

threat to “beat up staff,” though no weapons were spotted.

Police said the “problem party” was gone by the time they got there, and officers concluded that no crime happened and took no further action.

Anyone who has more information about these events or general suspicious happenings is encouraged to call the Sterling Heights Police Department at (586) 446-2800.

Softball

from page 1A

sion 1 state champion at Regina as the starting third baseman in 2015.

“Once we graduated, there was nothing else out there for fastpitch, because once you’re over 18 you can’t play fastpitch in any leagues,” Scribner said. “We joined slowpitch for a couple years, and it was fun to just be out with our friends and stuff, but it wasn’t really competitive, and the rules were a little different. It was a lot slower paced and stuff.”

When you spend your entire life playing a sport at a competitive level and constantly carrying that spirit and intensity, it’s difficult to keep the competitive fire inside tamed in a game of slowpitch softball.

So instead of pretending to be something they’re not, Scribner, best friend Alissa DiLodovico and a few of her former Oakland club softball teammates, such as Alexandra Jodzis, Brianna Jodzis and Kirstyn Maluchnik, took it upon themselves to create an environment where post-high school softball players could continue their love for fastpitch softball.

“We talked about starting a league, and at first we just talked about it, but then I emailed every city in Macomb and Oakland County, but nobody responded,” Scribner said. “This is 2020, so maybe COVID had something to do with it. The next year, I emailed all the cities again and emailed Sterling Heights a couple of times, and someone named Troy Nowotny got back to me.”

Nowotny, the recreation supervisor for the city of Sterling Heights, gave Scribner

and company the task of assembling enough players for four teams.

When Scribner came back with nearly four teams ready to go, Nowotny knew the ladies were serious about the league and began making field reservations and setting up meetings with the founding members of the league to get the ball rolling.

Scribner said there wasn’t anything around to really model their league after or take notes on how to put it together, so everything was from scratch, which made it all the more exciting.

From handling umpires to collecting jerseys, courtesy of GearLine in Fraser, and setting up the league from the ground up, the Sterling Heights Women’s 18+ Fastpitch League, currently in its second season, takes the field at Baumgartner Park in Sterling Heights every Tuesday night from the end of May until the middle of August. The teams play 10 regular season games and a single elimination tournament to crown a championship at the end of the year.

“I can’t give enough credit to these ladies that come together,” Nowotny said. “They really put something together, followed through with it, and had the initiative to keep it going. They’re just very dedicated in what they do and how much effort they put into it.”

The league currently features four teams, with Pitches Be Crazy, One Hit Wonders, Scared Hitless, and the inaugural champions, The Rusty’s.

Gina Stennett, a member of The Rusty’s, played softball collegiately at Central Michigan University after winning a state championship at Regina alongside Scribner. Stennett is a graphic designer by

LEFT: Kellie Abeska, who plays for The Rusty’s in the Sterling Heights Women’s 18+ Fastpitch League, takes a swing during a game June 11 at Baumgartner Park in Sterling Heights. Abeska played collegiate softball at Kent State University.

BELOW: A player from The Rusty’s looks to apply the tag on a One Hit Wonders player in a matchup.

trade, and while playing stellar softball on the field, she also designs the team shirts and championship shirts logos.

Like Scribner, Stennett, 26, gave slowpitch a try before reminding herself that she still had great years of competitive softball left in the tank.

“I think it’s the perfect combination of still playing fastpitch but having fun and being laid back,” Stennett said. “For me at least, slowpitch was too laid back. It was hard when you’ve played and you love it and you’re competitive. It can be hard to go into slowpitch when you’re still fairly young and have a good time. This is such a good situation. We’ve all played at some point, so we all have an understanding, and it’s still fastpitch even if it’s not how it was when we were all fresh. It’s that perfect combination.”

Stennett also gets to share the field again with her college teammate Rachel Vieira, who played high school softball at Clarkston.

It’s hard to have a team named The Rusty’s after winning the league championship last year, but Vieira said it was an adjustment getting back out there again.

“Hitting is still hard,” Vieira said. “There’s definitely some sore muscles that I wasn’t used to using in the first game. I haven’t sprinted in a while.”

One thing the players are used to is their family and friends cheering them on, and they pull quite the crowd each night.

If you closed your eyes and simply listened to the fans and the sound of the game, you would think you’re back at a high school varsity softball or a travel ball game with the amount of cheering from the fans and from teammates in the dugout.

It gives parents another chance of seeing their children continue their passion, and it gives significant others and friends a chance to see a side of someone maybe they’ve never seen.

“Just seeing parents say, ‘It’s so nice to watch my kid play again,’ that’s nice to see,” Brianna Jodzis said. “It’s a really good feeling.”

Jodzis and her twin sister, Alexandra, lost their father to brain cancer in September 2022, and the league named its championship tournament after him, with the James Jodzis Legacy Tournament crowning the league champion for the year. Winners receive championship T-shirts and a gift card.

The league grew in numbers this season with four teams fully solidified, and will only continue to grow as the word gets out.

“It’s something that we look forward to like crazy,” Scribner said. “Just yesterday when we were walking up to the field, there were some girls in the parking lot, and I asked her how she’s been and stuff. She said she could hardly sleep last night because she was so excited. Then I got to the field and was talking to another girl and she was telling me how she was so excited that she couldn’t sleep last night. Everyone is just so excited for it, because it’s something where once you play your last game, whether it be high school or college, you kind of know that was your nail in the coffin and that’s probably going to be your last game ever. This is a unique opportunity for people in the league that thought they’d never have a chance again.”

For more information on the league, email Scribner at laurenmariescribner@ gmail.com.

One Hit Wonders’ Eryn VanderVlucht pitches during a matchup June 11 at Baumgartner Park in Sterling Heights. VanderVlucht played collegiate softball at Albion College.

Photos by Erin Sanchez

Priority Waste to take over residential contracts from GFL

BY NICK POWERS npowers@candgnews.com

METRO DETROIT — The lime green trucks picking up refuse in your neighborhood will soon be yellow.

Green For Life Environmental, the waste management company that has contracts with many municipalities in metro Detroit, recently sold the residential trash collecting assets to Priority Waste. News of the sale hit social media before GFL was able to put out its official statement.

“Social media got ahead of the process,” said Matt Allen, Priority Waste’s director of public relations and government affairs.

Metro Detroit communities will change over on July 1. Residents of these communities will still be able to use their GFL bins. Garbage collection dates will remain the same. The July 4 holiday will still cause a one-day delay of service. Allen said those who are having issues with GFL should con-

Discover

tinue to contact them until July 1. GFL will retain its commercial contracts.

“This sale encompasses assets and collection operations within Oakland, Washtenaw, Livingston, Macomb, Genesee, and Wayne Counties,” John Addison, GFL General Manager for Wayne, stated in a letter to employees. “It includes the transfer of contracts with 75 municipal customers as well as 70,000 homeowner’s associations and subscription residential customers.”

Allen said talks for the acquisition began earlier in 2024. The Detroit transition to Priority Waste from GFL happened earlier in June. In Sterling Heights, the company is about a month into its changeover. According to Allen, the transition in both communities has gone well so far.

Hundreds of GFL employees impacted by the switch will be terminated, though they will be able to reapply for their jobs with Priority Waste.

“Our understanding is that Priority

the Benefits of CBD for Your Dog

intends to extend offers to the majority of employees, as it will be imperative to maintain continuity of service,” Addison stated in the letter.

Allen said the company is working to make the transition a seamless process so there are no interruptions in service. He said the company has bought approximately 500 pieces of equipment from GFL. This equipment will be assessed by Priority Waste in

the coming months.

“We’re going to do an overhaul of their fleet,” Allen said. “It’s a very deliberative process. We’re going to overhaul, rebuild, evaluate each one based on age and hours of running time.”

GFL did not respond to requests for comment at press time.

Call Staff Writer Nick Powers at (586) 498-1059.

STERLING HEIGHTS PLANNING COMMISSION

AGENDA FOR WEDNESDAY, JULY 10, 2024

MEETING TO BE HELD AT STERLING HEIGHTS CITY HALL 40555 UTICA ROAD 7:00 P.M.

AGENDA ITEMS:

1. CALL TO ORDER

2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

3. ROLL CALL

4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA

5. CONSIDERATIONS

A. PPCM-1319 – Horstman, Inc.

Requesting special approval land use which would allow four storage containers as an accessory use for storage incidental to the primary use in an M-1 Light Industrial District.

Property Address: 44075 Phoenix Drive

Location: West side of Phoenix Drive, north of 19 ½ Mile Road

Current Zoning: M-1 Light Industrial District

B. PPCM-1320 – G and J Distribution

Requesting special approval land use which would allow storage containers as an accessory use for storage incidental to the primary use in an M-1 Light Industrial District.

Property Address: 43750 Merrill Road

Location: East side of Merrill Road, south of 19 ½ Mile Road

Current Zoning: M-1 Light Industrial District

C. PSP24-0011 – Offce/Retail Building

Request for preliminary site plan approval for the construction of an approximately 3,885 square foot offce/retail building in the C-1 Local Convenience Business District.

Property Address: 44616 Mound Road

Location: East side of Mound Road, south of Dobry Drive

Current Zoning: C-1 Local Convenience Business District

D. PZ24-0002 – J & M Plaza

Request to amend an existing conditional rezoning agreement to remove the section prohibiting the opening of a restaurant, fruit market, meat market, or other use selling prepared food or beverages of any kind.

Property Address: 36833 Ryan Road

Location: West side of Ryan, south of Metropolitan Parkway

Current Zoning: C-1 Local Convenience Business District

E. PPCM-1299 – Tractor Supply Company

Request to amend special approval land use which was previously granted to permit an open-air use for the display and retail sale of plant materials not grown on site and additional lawn and garden equipment due to a relocation of the boundary of the open air use in the C-2 Planned Comparison District.

Property Address: 12020 Hall Road

Location: South of Hall Road, west of Delco Blvd.

Current Zoning: C-2 Planned Comparison District

F. PSP24-0020 – Synergy Health

Request for site plan approval which if granted would permit an MRI trailer to be located in the C-3 General

Business District and Mound Road Innovation Support District.

Property Address: 35735 Mound Road

Location: West side of Mound Road, north of Fifteen Mile Road

Current Zoning: C-3 General Business District and Mound Road Innovation Support District.

0280-2419

BEHIND THE WHEEL

26A/ STERLING HEIGHTS SENTRY • JUNE 19, 2024

‘I

love each of them for different reasons’

BY MARIA ALLARD allard@candgnews.com

SHELBY TOWNSHIP — Kevin Dombrowski always knows which classic car shows to attend with his wife, Karen.

He keeps track of them on an Excel spreadsheet, and many of the couple’s summer weekends are spent at car events at their favorite Michigan sites.

From metro Detroit to the western side of the state — and everywhere in between — the Dombrowskis can be spotted mingling with the other car buffs during cruising season.

The only challenge is deciding which car to take: the 1960 Chrysler Imperial, the 1965 Buick Riviera or the 1947 Ford Coupe. When Kevin purchased each vehicle, he didn’t want the cars to sit in the garage. The idea was to get out and drive them as much as possible.

“It’s about the cars, but it’s really about the people,” Kevin said. “You meet all sorts of interesting people.”

“It’s a really good group of people,” Karen agreed.

Cruisin’ Hines in Westland, the Mount Clemens Cruise and Greenfield Village’s Motor Muster in Dearborn are among the many car shows for the Shelby Township residents. Vicksburg and St. Ignace also are regular haunts. Many times, Kevin and Karen take leisurely drives along scenic back roads instead of main highways to get to or from their destinations.

“We take the country roads. With the sun going down, it’s so nice and relaxing,” Karen said. “It takes the hectic out of the city. You’re floating down the country roads.”

Each car is special in its own way. For starters, the Ford Coupe is just like the one Kevin’s dad had when he was a child.

“He passed away in 1981 when I was 7,” Kevin said.

ABOVE: Every summer Kevin and Karen Dombrowski, of Shelby Township, attend car shows in metro Detroit and across the state with their 1960 Chrysler Imperial, left; 1965 Buick Riviera, center; and 1947 Ford Coupe.

FAR LEFT: Kevin Dombrowski has always been a fan of classic cars with fins, including his 1960 Chrysler Imperial

NEAR LEFT: One feature of the 1965 Buick Riviera are the hidden headlights. Photos by Erin Sanchez

CLASS F 2024

BASEMENT FLOODING:

HOW TO COUNTER MOTHER NATURE AND PREPARE YOURSELF FOR DISASTER

BY JONATHAN SZCZEPANIAK jszczepaniak@candgnews.com

METRO DETROIT — For some homeowners, the sight of a rain-filled forecast is enough to fill them with dread because of a potential disaster.

Residents’ pages on Facebook are filled with people going back and forth to see who else had their basements flooded by a storm and to assist each other with names of companies who could help ease an awful situation.

It’s a fight against Mother Nature, who will come out on top in most of the bouts, but it’s important to understand your area, what might make your area susceptible to basement flooding, and how you can defend yourself against a potential flood.

“Most of the homes in Grosse Pointe, St. Clair Shores, and other older cities, their sewers are made out of a different material,” Mike Kish, owner of Motor City Plumbing and Drain in Roseville, said.

“It’s ‘crock pipe’ we call it. It’s a clay ceramic kind of pipe,” Kish said. “The thing is when they built these houses in the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s, they really just butted these pieces up every 2 or 3 feet, they threw some tar around it or maybe a little rubber seal, and they laid it that way. The problem is the tree roots grew right through that little section. Every 2 to 3 feet, you have a joint that the tree roots can go through in this old crock pipe. Up in Macomb and in newer houses, we use a different material such as PVC, and PVC is basically 10-foot length, and with the

glue and primer that we do use, it melts the pipe together.”

On the east side, specifically for St. Clair Shores and the Grosse Pointes, Kish said the city infrastructure is aged and hasn’t been repaired, but multiple factors also add themselves into the mix.

Kish, who’s been a plumber for 30 years and services Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties, said newer houses have an advantage in another area when compared to older homes.

“A lot of the new houses have sump pumps,” Kish said. “They have their sewer that goes out and a sump pump, so they have two different lines. The sewers in Grosse Pointe, St. Clair Shores and other older homes, we call it a combined system, so your sewage and your rainwater both go out in the same pipe. When it storms and you’re using stuff, you’re overloading that pipe sometimes if you got a small blockage in there.”

When it’s not Mother Nature wreaking havoc, it’s nature in general that could be the key cause of basement flooding.

“The big thing really is tree roots,” Kish said. “There’s these trees, and every house has it. People don’t maintain it. Nobody calls and says, ‘Hey, I think I want to maintain my drain and get it snaked out,’you know? People are starting to do that, and that’s what people really need to start doing. They need to start having their drain looked at with a camera and having it snaked out before the big rain or the big storm. We can stick a camera in there and see the condition of the pipe. You have to be proactive.”

Kish said various signs of potential backups can be slow draining, gurgling sounds or water residing by your floor drain in the basement.

Options to combat drain issues are periodic snaking of the drain; hydro jetting the drain, which is basically a snake on steroids that offers more of a five- to seven-year solu-

tion; or digging up the sewers to install polyvinyl chloride pipe for a more permanent fix. If an issue does arise, the restoration process begins to combat any bacteria, extract the water and develop a game plan for the future.

“What we do is we send out a technician — once the call comes in — to go out and meet with the customer to assess the situation and figure out exactly where the water is coming from,” Bryan Graham, project manager for Advance Restoration in Clinton Township, said. “We work in collaboration with a plumber to figure out how to get the water out. … Once we remove the water, any drywall or carpet padding that the water touched, because it’s contaminated water, we have to remove all that stuff. Once we remove everything down to the bare shell, anything that the water has touched we give what’s called a ‘biowash.’ We use an anti-microbial spray in an extraction process where we apply the anti-microbial with hot steam and extract the water back up. That helps kill any bacteria that may be present from the water. Once we do a biowash, then we can set our equipment. We do a calculation based on the cubic footage of the affected areas and the ratings on our dehumidifiers will determine how many fans and dehumidifiers need to be set. It’s usually a three-day drying process.”

Advance Restoration has been in business for 14 years and services Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, St. Clair and other surrounding counties to help homeowners identify the issue causing the basement flooding; help restore contents in the basement such as furniture, clothing, documents and more; and assist with a complete reconstruction of structural damage, water damage and other issues.

Through his experience with customers and being in the business for 18 years, Graham said there’s one piece of advice he gives to all his clients.

“The worst part about it is most homeowners don’t understand when they pay for their (insurance) policy that they may not even have the coverage for those sump pump failures, and those who do typically have a very low capped coverage between $5,000 and $10,000,” Graham said. “You look at somebody who may have renovated their basement and put $40,000 into it in building materials and their contents, and then they have a $5,000 cap and find out they don’t have that coverage until that happens. It’s a very disappointing situation to have to explain to the customer that they’re not covered. Paying out of pocket, especially postCOVID, for services is expensive.”

Cars

Kevin holds on to plenty of underthe-hood memories, including the times he played junior mechanic helping his dad, Tony Dombrowski, doing upkeep on the Coupe.

“I would work on the car with him. Then we would go to car shows,” Kevin said. “As a kid, I remember bouncing around in the back seat. The suspensions back then didn’t have shocks.”

Kevin had his dad’s car for many years and was in the process of having it restored. However, too many obstacles got in the way, so Kevin bought a Coupe that looked just like his dad’s. He even kept some of the original parts as a momento.

“The intent of the car is still there,” Kevin said. “When I see it, my dad is still there.”

Because his father spent so much time tinkering with the Ford, it was jokingly named “The Mistress.” Keeping with tradition, Kevin’s orangish-red Ford Coupe also has taken on the same moniker.

“I love each of them for different reasons. The Ford reminds me of my dad,” Kevin said. “In the sun, you see the orange. In the evening, it looks more red.”

“It’s a hot rod,” Karen said. “You feel every little bump.”

“The Riviera is such a pleasure to drive. You just get in the car and go. The other thing that I like about the Riviera, it’s everyone’s second-favorite car,” said Kevin, describing how car enthusiasts who grew up with either Chrysler, Ford or GM often stick with those models when they become adults. “The Riviera welcomes everyone. It’s like the girl next door. You don’t see them as often. That, to me, was one of the things that was sort of special.”

For Kevin, the Imperial — with its Alaskan white exterior — is a throwback to his “favorite era of cars of the late ’50s and early ’60s.”

“The big fins and the chrome, I’ve always been in love with that style of car,” he said.

Kevin first spotted the Imperial a couple of years ago at the Packard Proving Grounds Historic Site in Shelby Township. He knew the gentleman, Bill, who owned it and said, “If you ever think about selling that car, just remember me.” About a year later, Bill sold it to Kevin.

“He’s always buying and selling,” Kevin said.

Kevin brought the Imperial home Dec. 22, 2022, right before a snowstorm. There was just enough time for him and Karen to

rearrange the garage to fit in their new 18 1/2-foot automobile that is 6 inches wider than most cars.

Kevin said the original owner of the Chrysler Imperial is a woman who lives in New Jersey. He’s tried to get in touch with her, but hasn’t been successful yet.

“She owned the car until 1979 and then she sold it to a dealership,” he said.

For Karen, the Riviera is her favorite of the three.

“It rides like a dream,” she said. After being at a car show all day, she likes to fall asleep in the passenger seat on the way home. “It floats down the road at 55 (mph).”

Each car attracts a different crowd.

“The ’47, it’s the older, gray guys. The Riviera draws a very different niche of people. Many people don’t know the Riviera. It’s a rather uncommon car. It’s the perfect balance between muscle and luxury,” Kevin said. “The Imperial draws women. It oozes luxury and extravagance. It is a challenge to drive because it is so large.”

Kevin is a member of the Detroit Area Only Twisted Axle Car Club, which meets at 7 p.m. every Friday at Gratiot Coney Island, 28560 Gratiot Ave. in Roseville. All are welcome.

“It’s a growing club,” Kevin said. “We’re always talking about getting out and driving.”

The Detroit Area Only Twisted Axle Car Club is accepting registration for the second annual Track Day from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 28 at the Ubly Dragway. For registration details, text or call Kevin at (586) 822-7968.

Call Staff Writer Maria Allard at (586) 498-1045.

Centerline Family Dental: Providing a patient-centered approach to dentistry

Dr. Saher Soliman and his team at Centerline Family Dental are dedicated to creating a familyoriented, low-anxiety atmosphere, catering especially to those with dental apprehensions.

ey pride themselves on personalized patient care, ensuring each individual receives their undivided attention during their visit. Specializing in root canals, cosmetic dentistry, periodontal care, Invisalign and smile makeovers, they o er comprehensive services to enhance both dental health and aesthetics.

“We took over Dr. Mark Smith’s established practice, which had been serving the community for 40 years,” said Dr. Soliman. “We are continuing the quality care that he provided for this community while integrating modern advancements to enhance our services.”

e practice also prioritizes same-day emergency services and strives to accommodate patients within the same week for follow-up visits.

“What sets us apart is that we have a welcoming atmosphere while providing high-quality, high-end dental care that surpasses what other dental practices o er,” said Dr. Soliman. “We take pride in our work and are very meticulous about what we do.”

He also places a high priority on building personal connections with his patients, going beyond their dental needs.

“It’s not only about the dental work,” he explained. “I genuinely enjoy learning about my patients’ lives. ere is immense grati cation in providing immediate dental solutions and seeing their smiles afterwards.”

“Denna, the o ce manager, goes above and beyond to ensure our patients feel cared for. She is known for her friendly demeanor, and she enjoys personally interacting with each patient to enhance their experience at our clinic,” he added.

Patients consistently praise the quality of care, as one noted: “I recommend this place as it has a

very good home atmosphere, very kind and friendly employees. Even if you came from another country and your English is far from perfect, the employees of this dentistry will understand you, take care of you and do everything necessary.”

Another said, “Dr. Soliman did a great job deep cleaning the back side of my teeth—rare and appreciated! e friendly, lighthearted sta made the visit pleasurable.”

A third patient added, “What a wonderful experience! Amazing sta , quick service, and a great environment. Loved the personality of the doctor, assistant and receptionist.”

Mention this article and get a new patient exam for $99 with a complimentary dental cleaning.

Free second opinions are also available, as well as a rewarding patient referral program. When a patient refers someone, both they and the individual they referred each receive a $25 discount on their treatment.

Centerline Family Dental is located at 24650 Van Dyke Ave. in Center Line. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call (586) 757-2136 or visit centerlinefamilydental.com.

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR

JUNE 21-23 American Polish Festival & Craft Show: Also live music, dance performances, food, cocktails and beer tent all weekend, plus Kids’ Paczki Jam (June 22) and polka Mass and Srodek’s Pierogi Eating Challenge (June 23), American Polish Century Club, 33204 Maple Lane in Sterling Heights, see full schedule and times at www. americanpolishfestival.com

JUNE 28-29 Shelby Township Summerfest: Inaugural event featuring touch a truck, face painting, petting zoo, live taping of Shelby TV’s “The Treehouse,” princess singalong and outdoor movie, 4-10 p.m. June 28, then patriotic performance by Macomb Symphony Orchestra and drone show, 6-10 p.m. June 29, also food truck and craft beer tent both days, Municipal Campus, 52700 Van Dyke Ave., shelbytwp.org/our-township/summer

ONGOING

Farmers markets: 3-8 p.m. Thursdays until Sept. 26 (except July 4 and 25), also food trucks, vendors and special events including Park It Family Fun and Movie in the Park (“Trolls Band Together”) June 27, Cool Car Rally July 11, Park It Family Fun and Movie in the Park (“Super Mario Bros. Movie”) Aug. 8, Pet Parade Sept. 5, Market Fit Sept. 12, Oktoberfest Sept. 19, and Touch A Truck Sept. 26, Dodge Park, 40620 Utica Road in Sterling Heights, sterling-heights.net/ 1236/Dodge-Park-Thursdays

Music in the Park: 7 p.m. June 20 (My Best Friend’s Girl, The Cars tribute), June 27 (Bernadette Kathryn and the Lonely Days Band, country rock), July 11 (Magic Bus, Woodstock-era), July 18 (Nameless, classic rock), Aug. 1 (Rockstar, ’80s rock), Aug. 8 (Planet of Fun, rock/dance), Aug. 15 (Your Generation, party band), Aug. 22 (Family Tradition Band, country rock) and Aug. 29 (Square Pegz, ’80s), Dodge Park, 40620 Utica Road in Sterling Heights, facebook.com/dodgeparkthursdays, (586) 446-2700

Concerts: Summer dates include June 26 (Bryson Tiller, DJ Nitrane and Slum Tiller), July 6 (Whiskey Myers, Whitey Morgan, the 78’s and Reid Haughton), July 12 (Mother Mother, Cavetown and Meet Me @ The Alter), July 18 (Jamey Johnson, Drake White and Kassi Ashton), July 27 (311, AWOLNATION and Neon Trees), July 28 (Tate McRae and Presley Regier), Aug. 10 (Lamb of God, Mastodon, Kerry King and Unearth), Aug. 11 (Tedeschi Trucks Band and Margo Price), Aug. 16 (Bush, Jerry Cantrell, Candlebox and Bones UK), Aug. 17 (Cody Jinks and Tanner Usrey), Aug. 20 (Lindsey Stirling, Walk Off The Earth and Nya), Aug. 21 (Omar Apollo and Malcom Todd), Aug. 22 (Deep Purple and YES), Aug. 24 (O.A.R., Fitz and The Tantrums), Aug. 25 (The Roots, Arrested Development and Digable Planets), Aug. 31 (Wallows and Benee), Sept. 13 (Jon Pardi, Priscilla Block and Meghan Patrick), Sept. 15 (Falling in Reverse, Dance Gavin Dance, Black Veil Brides, Tech N9Ne and Jeris Johnson), Sept. 17 (Judas Priest and Sabaton), Sept. 20 (Clutch, Rival Sons and Fu Manchu) and Sept. 21 (Conan Gray and Maisie Peters), Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill, 14900 Metropolitan Parkway in Sterling Heights, 313presents.com

Dodge Park Splash Pad: Noon-8 p.m. Mondays and 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays, 40620 Utica Road in Sterling Heights, (586) 446-2711, myshpr.net

Upton House Museum tours: Visit 1860s Michigan Historical Landmark 1-4 p.m. every Wednesday and second Sunday of month, 40433 Dodge Park Road in Sterling Heights, sterlingheights.gov/789/Upton-House-Museum, (586) 446-2495

Widowed Friends dancing: Every Tuesday, doors at 6 p.m. and music from 7-10:30 p.m., American Polish Century Club, 33204 Maple Lane in Sterling Heights, RSVP to Victoria at (586) 566-7936

Northern Toastmasters: Meets 6:30 p.m. every second and fourth Monday of month, Leo’s Coney Island, 33577 Van Dyke Ave. in Sterling Heights, (248) 828-7481

Ducklings saved

GROSSE POINTE CITY — Officers were called to the 300 block of St. Clair Avenue at around 7 a.m. June 1 after someone noticed that several ducklings had fallen into a storm drain and couldn’t get back out. Using a pike pole and a basket, officers were able to safely retrieve the ducklings and return them to the custody of their worried mother.

Fight broken up

GROSSE POINTE CITY — Officers who were transporting someone to Ascension St. John Hospital for a psychological evaluation at around 1:50 a.m. June 1 sprang into action when they encountered a crowd of approximately 15 to 20 people outside the emergency room who police said appeared to be fighting and threatening to shoot each other. Helping Detroit police, officers from the City worked to diffuse the tense situation.

Vehicle stolen, recovered

GROSSE POINTE WOODS — Sometime between the hours of 9 p.m. May 28 and 12:45 p.m. May 29, an unknown suspect is said to have stolen a 2024 Ford Escape from a driveway in the 600 block of Peach Tree Lane. The victim told police the vehicle was unlocked and the key fob was left inside it. Police said they recovered the missing vehicle in Detroit.

Stolen vehicle suspect sought

GROSSE POINTE WOODS — Police were looking for the person who stole a 2016 Chevrolet Equinox from a driveway in the 1900 block of Vernier Road sometime between the night of May 31 and 6:56 a.m. June 1.

Resident scares off larceny suspect

GROSSE POINTE PARK — A resident in the 600 block of Lakepointe Street is said to have startled a larceny suspect when the resident spotted the suspect going through the interior of the resident’s vehicle — which was unlocked and parked in the driveway — at around 4:31 a.m. May 30. The victim told police he called out to the suspect, who fled the scene. The victim said a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses worth $100 were missing from the vehicle when he checked to see if anything had been taken.

Bike missing

GROSSE POINTE PARK — An orange Giant Stance mountain bike was stolen from outside a garage in the 1100 block of Whittier Road at around 4:20 p.m. May 30. A

Retail fraud reported

ST. CLAIR SHORES — On May 24, a report was made about a case of retail fraud that occurred in the 23000 block of Harper Avenue.

An officer made contact with the manager of the establishment, a 40-year-old woman, who stated she had to make a police report about stolen merchandise for her corporate office. The theft occurred on April 28 between 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Two pairs of Beats headphones as well as two pairs of Bose headphones were stolen. The total value of the stolen merchandise was $1,200.

Investigators advised the manager that there was clear video evidence of the theft occurring. The manager was present during the theft. She told the officer the store’s loss prevention investigators could email the video to detectives.

Damage to property reported

ST. CLAIR SHORES — A property damage report was made after an incident on May 16 in the 19000 block of Ridgemont Street.

An officer spoke with the victim, a 51-year-old woman, who stated her tenant, a 59-year-old man, advised her that an air conditioning unit was not working. When the HVAC company checked it out, they told her it was damaged by potential thieves and the water and power lines to the unit were cut and irreparable.

The unit was not removed from the ground. The victim was unsure of when the damage occurred and stated this might be the first time the tenant tried using the air conditioner this year.

Furniture theft reported

ST. CLAIR SHORES — At 7:37 a.m. on May 28, a report was made about a larceny that occurred in the 22000 block of Lanse Street.

An officer spoke to the victim, a 53-year-old man, who stated that his patio furniture valued at $2,000, was stolen. He left the location from May 22 to May 27. The day of the report, he noticed his patio furniture, a table and four chairs, was missing. He has insurance and video but stated the video did not capture the suspects.

Larceny at English Gardens

EASTPOINTE — According to a police report, Eastpointe police officers were dispatched to English Gardens on Kelly Road at around 10:40 a.m. May 19 to investigate a larceny that occurred the night prior. Police were told that three men arrived in a black Ford F-150 pickup truck that night, loaded up the truck bed with numerous flower pots and left the scene. Later in the morning, they returned, jumped the fence and reportedly stole clay pots along with other gardening items.

Vehicle flees police

EASTPOINTE — According to a police report, Eastpointe police officers on May 17 attempted to stop a gray Dodge Challenger and a white Dodge Charger that were driving together, citing civil infractions. Police initiated contact with them in the area of Gratiot Avenue and Toepfer Drive.

The driver of the Charger reportedly cooperated and pulled over upon being signaled by police. The driver of the Challenger, however, allegedly decided to flee. The driver of the Charger was issued civil infractions and released, while the driver of the Challenger was located a short time later and taken into custody, and the vehicle was impounded.

The Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office was going to review the case and possibly issue charges against the driver of the Challenger, a 22-year-old man from Detroit.

Man attempts to break into home

SHELBY TOWNSHIP — At 1:25 p.m. May 7, Shelby Township police were dispatched to the 50000 block of Timbers Edge Drive, near 25 Mile Road and Van Dyke Avenue, for an attempted home invasion report. The caller stated she responded to her home for an alarm that was going off. At the time of the alarm, nothing suspicious was found.

Later that day, the caller stated that a neighbor had video surveillance of a male suspect attempting to enter her home. The video shows that the male was not able to gain entry into the home. The case was turned over to the Shelby Township Police Department detective bureau for follow up.

Altercation occurs

SHELBY TOWNSHIP — At 2:12 p.m. May 7, an officer responded to the area of Dequindre Road and Benedict Lane for a possible assault. A male caller had left the home and was in the area waiting for officers to meet with him. The man had visible marks on his face, police said.

The man stated that he had gotten into a verbal and physical altercation with his mother-in-law. The man reportedly had arrived at the mother-in-law’s home uninvited. The mother-in-law reportedly advised police that the man came to the home and caused issues. No parties wanted to press charges, and police said that all parties were separated.

Suspects reportedly steal woman’s wallet, spend $1,700

SHELBY TOWNSHIP — An officer from Shelby Township was dispatched to the 14000 block of Hall Road for a larceny complaint at 7:27 p.m May 7. The officer met with a woman who stated that while she was

shopper and a female shopper offering to help her. The victim stated that after a short conversation with the couple, she noticed that her wallet was missing from her purse.

The Shelby Township Police Department detective bureau heard the call and responded to the Mall at Partridge Creek, because in similar incidents that had taken place in Shelby Township, the suspects had gone to Partridge Creek with stolen credit cards. The detectives just missed the suspects, as they reportedly had used the credit cards at the mall to charge $1,700. The detective bureau was continuing to investigate this incident.

Kia stolen, recovered in Detroit STERLING HEIGHTS — Police investigated the theft of a white Kia Optima that reportedly happened May 10 in the 2000 block of 15 Mile Road. Police said they talked to the vehicle owner, who reportedly had parked the

Men seen fighting, ‘rolling around’ STERLING HEIGHTS — A witness reported two men fighting and “rolling around on the ground” on the northwest corner of Van Dyke Avenue and 14 Mile Road May 19, police said. Police said they checked the intersection’s vicinity around 10 minutes later and didn’t

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