6/26/24 C & G Special Edition — Macomb/Grosse Pointes by C & G Newspapers

NEWSPAPERS Special Edition

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 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 See SABAUGH on page 8A

JUNE 26, 2024

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Macomb County and Grosse Pointe papers

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 continue 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 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.

Carmella Sabaugh, who spent decades serving the public as the Macomb County clerk/ register of deeds, died June 8 at

Photo provided

SECOND FRONT PAGE

PITCHFORD PARK DEDICATED TO FAMILY

BY DEAN VAGLIA dvaglia@candgnews.com

MACOMB TOWNSHIP — At a small ceremony on the morning of June 9, the final piece of Pitchford Park was unveiled.

Macomb Township Supervisor Frank Viviano and Clerk Kristi Pozzi pulled the cover off Pitchford Park’s dedication plaque, which reads, “Pamela Pitchford and Joe Kay dedicate this lovely park to honor Joyce, Bill and Todd Pitchford for their love of nature, art and community.” The ceremony was almost seven months to the day after the park was opened.

The idea for Pitchford Park, located on Romeo Plank Road between 22 Mile and 23 Mile roads, began on a phone call between Pamela Pitchford and Salvatore DiCaro, Macomb Township’s parks and recreation director.

“She said that she and her husband, Joe Kay, wanted to donate a parcel of land X, this parcel of land X, for us to develop a park,” DiCaro said. “I could tell right away this call was going to be different. After further discussion it was clear Pam and Joe truly wanted to do something nice for the township, memorializing and honoring their family.”

The original land donation took place in 2021, and an adjoining property owned by the Fischer family was purchased in 2023 to bring the park’s size up to 14.1 acres.

“So often a park is named after somebody famous, but I wanted to bring light to regular families, which is my own family,” Pamela Pitchford said. “I think if you look at any family, you’ll find extraordinary stories and efforts made by people that make every family special.”

Joyce and Bill Pitchford moved to Macomb Township after their retirement and lived in the Maple Villas neighborhood for 22 years. Bill

served in the Army Air Corps during World War II, and Joyce was a teacher for Utica Community Schools with many of her students still living in the area. Both were active members of the Presbyterian Church of Utica. Bill died in September 2020, and Jill died in February 2021. Todd Pitchford, brother of Pamela, was a stained-glass artist. Todd’s work can be found in a variety of businesses, residences and churches. Todd died in 2002.

Macomb Township’s first park south of 23 Mile Road features a number of amenities including two playscapes, pickleball and tennis courts, a dog park with area for large and small dogs, a pollinator garden and a trail that rings the park. A bridge crossing

TOP: Pitchford Park’s dedication plaque reads, “Pamela Pitchford and Joe Kay dedicate this lovely park to honor Joyce, Bill and Todd Pitchford for their love of nature, art and community.” ABOVE: Parents watch as kids play on the Pitchford Park playground on June 9.

Photos by Dean Vaglia

a drain provides a direct connection to the park from the neighborhood to the south, while private bridges allow people to access the park from the west.

Within the park are various signs spotlighting the families that have contributed to the park. Inside the large doghouse that welcomes guests to the dog park, two dog bones reading the names Heidi and Buster are displayed. Heidi and Buster were the dogs owned by Joyce and Bill, Heidi being a dachshund and Buster being — as Pamela describes him — “a very homely” shih tzu. A garden located where the Fischer family’s house once stood bears the family’s name and recognizes the Fischer, Rewoldt and original homesteading Liebig families for their contributions to Macomb Township since 1855. A wooden frame surrounds a stone planter where the house was.

Township residents and visitors were positive about Pitchford Park.

“It’s great,” resident Paul Grewal said. “It’s great for the community and I’m thankful to the Pitchford family for donating and doing this great thing for the community … It’s nice to walk over here and play tennis and my kid can play in the park. These two things are great.”

Visitors to the township were also impressed by its offerings. Susan Palmer said there was nothing like Pitchford Park around the New Haven/Chesterfield area.

“I love that there’s two separate play zones for the big kids and the little kids,”

Editors: Brian Louwers | (586) 498-1089 | brianlouwers@candgnews.com

Annie Bates | (586) 498-1071 | abates@candgnews.com

David Wallace | (586) 498-1053 | dwallace@candgnews.com

Sports: Jonathan Szczepaniak | (586) 498-1090 | sports@candgnews.com

Artroom: (586) 498-1036 | ads@candgnews.com

Palmer said. “And they have all these swings, conveniences for all the kids who need assistance with swings, and all these things, so I think it’s a great park for kids.”

Palmer’s husband was one of Joyce Pitchford’s fourth grade students. Palmer has plans to return to Pitchford Park with her two kids in the future.

“I think more people need to realize how convenient the location is, and the opportunities that they have for kids,” Palmer said. “Not many parks have all these experiences, and a lot of parks don’t offer the amenities for parents with kids with special needs or impairments.”

With Pitchford Park open and active, Macomb Township Parks and Recreation is shifting its focus toward developing other parks in the community. Lucido River Park, located on North Avenue between 23 Mile and 24 Mile roads, is a particular focus.

“Right now, we’re renting it on the inside, but we’re looking to expand with a trail down (by) the river, and to expand some of the outdoor offerings there,” DiCaro said.

The former Lions Club meeting house at Lucido Park is available for rent through parks and recreation.

Outside of expanding Lucido Park, Macomb Township Parks and Recreation has its sights set on its slate of summer events and activities.

DiCaro said he always has an ear open for those looking to donate land for more township parks.

“We’re always looking for park land,” DiCaro said. “We’re always looking to grow, and things are going really good right now.”

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Selfridge Open House and Air Show soars to new heights

LEFT: An F-4U Corsair, piloted by Lou Herschel of Navy Legacy Flight, flies alongside the F/A-18 Super Hornet of the United States Navy West Coast “Rhino Demo Team” at the Selfridge Open House and Air Show on June 9.

RIGHT: The field at Selfridge offered attendees the best seat in the house no matter where they sat.

LEFT: A United States Customs and Border Protection team demonstrates an interception of an illegal border crossing using patrol cars, a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter and dog Yoda, dubbed the “fur missile,” at the Selfridge Open House and Air Show.

BELOW: A SPAD 5744, a World War I fighter plane, is on display for guests at the Selfridge Open House and Air Show. The SPAD was once the oldest plane in the Selfridge Military Air Museum’s collection before the acquisition of a Curtis JN-4 “Jenny.” The JN-4 is currently being restored after a rough landing ended the rare plane’s air show touring career.

Photos by Patricia O’Blenes

ABOVE: Pilot Lou Herschel sits in a parked F-4U Corsair on the Selfridge Air National Guard Base tarmac.

RIGHT: The United States Air Force Thunderbirds demonstration team performs in F-16 Fighting Falcons at the Selfridge Open House and Air Show at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township.

Sabaugh

from page 1A

elected to the Warren City Council in 1975, serving one four-year 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

— Judge Matthew Sabaugh, son of Carmella Sabaugh

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.”

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 significant. 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.”

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LOCAL MENTAL HEALTH AGENCIES AWARDED

MACOMB COUNTY — Last month, Macomb County Community Mental Health presented eight Macomb County-based mental health organizations with 2024 Mental Health Matters Awards. The awards are designed to acknowledge local organizations that are making a difference in mental health and substance use prevention through their selflessness, advocacy and commitment to delivering care. Honorees were presented with their awards at a ceremony May 23 at the Macomb Community College South Campus in Warren.

The 2024 honorees were:

Advocate Champion: Lisa Lepine, director of The Arc of Macomb Caregiver Champion: Elisha Oakes, parent and advocate

Provider Champion: Mary Lessard, Belle Meade Residential home manager

Community Partner Champion: Live Rite Structured Recovery Corp.

Self-Advocate Champion: Kelly Rebolledo, parent and advocate

Board of Directors Award: James Friedman, chaplain with Eastpointe Police Department

Drita Gjokaj Award: Bruce Dunton, program supervisor with Crossroads Clubhouse Reducing the Stigma Award: Kevin’s Song

Cars

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.

Photo by Erin Sanchez

The 1947 Ford Coupe looks just like the one that Kevin Dombrowski’s dad once owned.

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