7/10/24 C & G Special Edition — Oakland by C & G Newspapers

NEWSPAPERS Special Edition

LOCAL PRIEST WANTS TO MAKE ART, NOT GUNS

BY KATHRYN PENTIUK kpentiuk@candgnews.com

SOUTHFIELD/ROCHESTER HILLS —

Father Chris Yaw, the rector at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Southfield, said he wants to make art, not guns.

“It’s a lot easier to buy a gun in this country than it is to get rid of one, and that’s what we kind of battle, if you will, is that there’s no exit strategy for these things. So what we’re going to do is we’re going to destroy the firearms on-site with high-powered chop saws, and then we are going to use the gun parts to make objects of art with donors who will have an opportunity to get a gift card. They can get art objects made to those gun parts as a ‘thank you,’” Yaw said.

He added that attendees of the gun buybacks would be given gift cards of $200 in exchange for assault rifles, $100 for handguns, and $50 for shotguns and rifles. Attendees also have the opportunity to make artwork such as rosaries, crosses, jewelry and keychains themselves at the “Guns and Crafts” tent. Yaw described the gun demolition presentations as “events of unity, creativity and connection with our communities amidst this terrible plague of gun violence.” This event comes just a few months after the New York Times investigation featuring Yaw revealed that the guns collected at buybacks in Flint and Southfield were not destroyed but were instead recycled and resold.

The first of the gun destruction demonstrations took place June 18 at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Southfield, with a blessing of the chop saws, just days after two mass shootings in Oakland County — in Lathrup Village and Rochester Hills — and a shooting in Detroit.

The Lathrup Village Police Department responded to a call at approximately 12:20 a.m. June 15 for a shooting with six victims at a house party

See GUNS on page 9A

BIRMINGHAM STARS IN NEW UK TV SHOW

BY MARY GENSON mgenson@candgnews.com

BIRMINGHAM — Birmingham, Michigan, is home to unique art, culture and community.

One thing less unique about the city is its name, which is shared with a major city in England and 17 other North American locations.

A production team from the United Kingdom recently stopped in Birmingham, Michigan, to film part of a series, “Joe Lycett’s United States of Birmingham.” During their travels, they plan to roadtrip across North America to visit different Birminghams and ultimately sign “Friendship Agreements” to form an official partnership.

Photo provided by St. David’s Episcopal Church

Episcopal Bishop Bonnie A. Perry blesses one of the six chop saws at the June 18 demonstration.

Joe Lycett and Birmingham Mayor Elaine McLain meet for the “United States of Birmingham” downtown June 20.

Photo by Patricia O’Blenes

Street Art Fest to brighten Berkley roads once again

BY MIKE KOURY mkoury@candgnews.com

BERKLEY — The colorful nature of the Berkley Street Art Fest will make its return this month.

The Berkley Street Art Fest will take place 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 13, on Coolidge Highway between Catalpa Drive and Beverly Boulevard.

The highlight of the festival, as always, is its big chalk art contest on the streets of Berkley, where contestants are tasked to draw colorful art.

“It’s one of the best street art communities for both permanent and temporary art in the Detroit area, I would say,” said artist David Zinn, who will be helping judge the contest and making chalk art himself.

Zinn also will be taking time during the event to speak with attendees at 1 p.m. about the art he does and to encourage others to take part in making chalk art.

“One of the things we did early on, originally, when I was first coming to the Berkley Street Art festival, was to set up to do an actual sort of presentation that explains the very few techniques that there are worth knowing about making chalk art and also the philosophy behind it,” he said. “Why the fact that it washes away in the rain isn’t actually as sad as people think, and can actually be used as a lot of the inspiration for it, and the concepts of pareidolia and other interesting ways to make your art look like it’s part of the real environment. I’m looking forward to it.”

Berkley Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Darlene Rothman added that the Culinary Arts Corridor, which has

0307-2423

ABOVE: Cam Briones crafted a chalk art piece of dolphins at last year’s Berkley Street Art Fest.

LEFT: The Berkley Street Art Fest will take place July 13 in the downtown. File photos by Patricia O’Blenes

‘We wanted it bad’

SHAMROCKS RECLAIM TOP SPOT IN D1 GOLF

BY JONATHAN SZCZEPANIAK jszczepaniak@candgnews.com

NOVI — There was no way of downplaying it: Detroit Catholic Central knew it didn’t put its best foot forward at last year’s Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 1 state finals.

Winning the state title in 2022 with seniors Neil Zhu, Liam Casey and Peter Stassinopoulos leading the charge, the Shamrocks were motivated to show everyone that they could continue what their senior class started.

With five state championships and two state runner-ups to its name since 2010, DCC is known to operate like a well-oiled machine anytime a senior class graduates, but the 2023 state finals showed some vulnerability.

The Shamrocks finished fourth, which is a great finish for the majority of schools competing, but it wasn’t for the golfers in royal blue.

“It hurt us all — even the guys that didn’t play,” sophomore David Krusinski said. “It sucked. We thought we should’ve, or had a pretty good chance, at winning it. There wasn’t one of us that played a good round at states last year. We were angry with that, and we wanted it bad this year.”

On June 8 at Bedford Valley in the 2024 MHSAA Division 1 state finals, DCC reclaimed the top spot in Division 1 golf with an 8-stroke win over second place Ann Arbor Skyline as senior Julian Menser captured the Division 1 individual state championship, beating out a field of 108 golfers.

Weather conditions on day one restricted just about every team from shooting its best, but DCC still took a 2-stroke lead into the final round.

“The first day was, I think, the most difficult conditions in all the years that I’ve coached,” DCC coach Mike Anderson said. “The wind blew steady at 25 miles per hour and gusted up to 40. The ball was doing things that were just crazy. It was extremely difficult. The next day was supposed to be around the same, but it was pretty normal.”

Menser didn’t seem to be phased by the conditions, as he shot a 70 to take the lead in the first round, and he repeated his score in the final round to finish with 140, narrowly defeating Ann Arbor Skyline senior Vibhav Alokam by 2 strokes.

It’s the perfect ending to an incredible high school golf career for Menser,

See GOLF on page 7A

Detroit Catholic Central sophomores David Krusinski, left, and Jack Whitmore hold the MHSAA Division 1 state title trophy.

Photo provided by David Krusinski

TV show

from page 1A

Lycett, a popular comedian in the UK, will approach his travels through a warm and humorous tone.

“Joe Lycett’s United States of Birmingham” will be a three-part series that sets out to not only celebrate Lycett’s home of Birmingham across the pond, but also to recognize the different cultures in the Birminghams of the United States.

“This is a sort of love letter to everywhere named Birmingham,” producer Jake Clifford said.

The people of Birmingham, England, are often known as “Brummies,” which is derived from the word Brummagem, a local name for the city. In each North American Birmingham, Lycett will talk to locals to get to know what life is like for Brummies throughout the country.

Not all of the Birminghams in North America are defined as a town or city. Some are “unincorporated communities” or villages. The series will show Lycett visiting 11 North American Birminghams in person and seven locations remotely by Facetiming locals.

“It is really a good chance for us to explore parts of the U.S. that don’t normally get much press attention for one reason or another, and the reason they get attention this time around is be-

cause they are called Birmingham,” Clifford said. “It is great because we’ve got history, we’ve got arts, we’ve got food — all those kinds of classic travelogue things — but the anchor of it is Birmingham.

In each Birmingham, the series will focus on something special about each area. For instance, the focus of the Birmingham, Michigan, portion of the show is about art, among other interesting aspects of the city.

“We certainly are not only interested but passionate about art and expression,” Mayor Elaine McLain said.

McLain will be featured in the series as she gives Lycett and the crew a tour through her city. While they are there, Lycett plans to visit the Daxton Hotel and the Baldwin Public Library, among other significant spots that McLain will show them on their tour.

“Birmingham is my hometown. I have lived here 65 years, and I am extremely proud of our hometown,” McLain said.

The series ends in the same place that it began: Birmingham, England. It will conclude with the “International Day of Birmingham,” which celebrates all of the friendships made with the Birminghams of North America.

Each hour-long episode of “Joe Lycett’s United States of Birmingham” will air on Sky, a British streaming service.

For a segment of Joe Lycett’s United States of Birmingham, Birmingham Mayor McLain takes Lycett on a tour of the city.

Photo by Patricia O’Blenes

TROY WELCOMES NEW PAVILION, RINK AMENITIES AT JEANNE M. STINE COMMUNITY PARK

BY SARAH WRIGHT swright@candgnews.com

TROY — Community members celebrated the grand opening of the new skating rink and pavilion at Jeanne M. Stine Community Park, on the southeast corner of Town Center Drive and Civic Center Drive June 13.

The project has been in the works for around five years, after residents in a survey expressed an interest in the city providing a space for public gatherings and amenities for more winter recreation opportunities.

The 8,500-square-foot rink provides room for roller skating and ice skating, and the pavilion provides outdoor space and amenities for public gatherings.

“The plan for this has always been a four-season space,” Troy Public Works Director Kurt Bovensiep said. “We don’t have a traditional downtown, and the survey results showed that the community also wanted winter recreation.”

The total for the project is estimated around $10 million, with assistance coming from the city’s capital fund, the American Rescue Plan Act, and the Troy Community Foundation.

C.E. Gleeson Constructors of Troy was contracted for the construction of the pavilion, and Serv-Ice Refrigeration of Northville was contracted to make the ice-skating ribbon. Construction began in 2023.

Attendees at the grand opening could try out the new rink with their own skates

and enjoy live music, local food trucks and free ice cream.

The event started with a speech from Troy Mayor Ethan Baker, who acknowledged the hard work that the city put in to make the park space possible.

“It goes back many, many years of people who have had ideas for this project,” Baker said. “Of course, the Troy Community Foundation played an integral role of making this happen, and I’m really honored that we have many of them here tonight. I know they are equally excited about this as we are at the city.”

Baker reiterated how the space is meant to serve the community.

“This is a community gathering place,” Baker said. “We got you here gathered tonight. We’re really excited that you’re here. This park functions just like any of one of our other parks. It’s open. You can see there’s no gates to get in. This is your place to use. This is your community place.”

Stine was also recognized for her work with the community. She served as mayor for Troy for many years on top of working with multiple other community organizations. The Jeanne M. Stine Community Park, where the pavilion and rink are located, was established in 2022 and currently provides space for a farmers market and other spring/summer activities.

“I have never been so honored in my life, and I’ve been on City Council since 1975 and became the mayor in 1992, and

all the time that I did this, it was a great learning experience,” Stine said. “I learned so much about so many. The people of Troy have been so warm to me, and it’s just been great friendship for all the people of Troy for me, and I’m honored and I’m humbled. … I hope that I have served the residents of Troy well enough to be deserving of this, because it’s so very special.”

Those working within the Parks and Recreation Department said they are excited for and are already letting the public

know about some of their upcoming events, including Family Roller Nights, which are planned for 5-7 p.m. July 10 and 24, and Aug. 7 and 21, and the Troy Midsummer Bash July 13.

“We’re so excited that this is finally open in time for July, because it’s Parks and Recreation Month,” Troy Recreation Supervisor Allyson Leach said.

For more information, visit rec.troymi. gov.

Photo by Sarah Wright

Troy Mayor Ethan Baker and former Mayor Jeanne M. Stine, along with members of Troy’s city government and the community, cut the ribbon for the new rink and pavilion June 13.

Golf

who finished eighth overall in 2022 when DCC captured its first state title since 2017. Menser plans to continue his golf career at Michigan State University.

“He kept the bar high all four years he was here,” Anderson said. “He reminded me a lot of (professional golfer and DCC alumnus) James Piot in that sense, in that they’re just always working. They’re good students and they’re students of the game, but they always were pushing their teammates to be better.”

Menser was one of three DCC seniors to close their high school golf chapters with a title. Senior Carson Lloyd shot a 152 (79 and 73) to finish 13th overall.

Lloyd, who will be golfing at Saginaw Valley State University, emerged this year as one of DCC’s top golfers in its five-man rotation, and he shined in his first state finals.

“The first couple days, it didn’t really set in,” Lloyd said. “From my perspective of it, sophomore year was when I was at states and we won. Seeing the guys from the outside looking in, it’s just a lot different when you actually do it. It doesn’t feel real. It’s so amped up because ever since summer season

ended, you just work towards this. This is all we really play for.”

Alongside Lloyd, sophomore Jack Whitmore (23rd) and Krusinski (26th) both turned in impressive rounds while senior Charlie Teed shot an 87 and junior Dillon Che a 73 as the two veterans split rounds.

Anderson was impressed with Krusinski and Whitmore’s play, who will be key returners for the Shamrocks in 2025.

“They’re both incredible talents that will very likely play golf in college,” Anderson said. “They work really hard. You don’t have to ask them to play or practice, because they’re always working on their game.”

Krusinski, Whitmore and Che will be tasked with defending the three majors the Shamrocks focus on each year, which is the Division 1 crown, the Catholic High School League, and regionals.

All three have the experience and talent needed for the job, and Anderson said he has full confidence in his returning trio.

“They’ve had great leadership since they’ve been at DCC, and I have no doubt that they have the skill set to be able to step in,” Anderson said. “They have the respect of their peers, they have a great work ethic, and they’re good young men. I don’t see anything slowing down. They’re going to be difficult to beat.”

NEWS & NOTES

Armenia Fest 2024 coming to Royal Oak

ROYAL OAK — Armenia Fest will be coming back to Royal Oak from 5 to 10 p.m. July 20 at the Royal Oak Farmers Market.

The festival is being put on by the metro Detroit Armenia Fest Committee, which is in collaboration with the Detroit Knights of Vartan.

It has been announced that this year the festival will honor Manoogian Manor, a nonprofit “home for the Armenian Aged,” and a member of the Livonia Business Hall of Fame that is celebrating its 75th anniversary.

Admission to the event is free, and attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs to experience Armenian culture throughout the night. The event will include a ribboncutting ceremony and introduction of special guests at 6 p.m.

The Royal Oak Farmers Market will be transformed into a traditional Middle Eastern bazaar with booths that will have no Armenian crafts, artwork, souvenirs, music, cookbooks and jewelry.

Attendees can expect to hear traditional Armenian music, taste Armenian food, and experience a beer and wine garden featuring American and Armenian selections.

Silent auction items will be on display, and the winning bidders will be announced during the evening of the festival.

In addition, the 2024 Great Choreg (Armenian bread) Bake Off contest will take place at the festival, where the best choreg will be determined by a panel of judges.

The Hamazkayin Arax Dance Ensemble will be performing at the event. The group is composed of local Armenian youth trained in the art of Armenian folk dance.

Each year, organizers said, proceeds from Armenia Fest are donated to humanitarian Armenian causes. For more information, contact armeniafestmi@gmail.com.

MDOT survey seeks vulnerable road user feedback

METRO DETROIT — The Michigan Department of Transportation is conducting a vulnerable road user safety assessment using a 15-question survey. The purpose of the survey, according to MDOT, is to “improve understanding of the conditions and behaviors present in fatal and serious injury crashes.”

MDOT stated that vulnerable road users include anyone walking, biking or rolling by nonmotorized forms of transportation on public roads or on foot in work zones. The survey can be found on MDOT’s website, michigan.gov/mdot, and will be available to fill out until 11:59 p.m. Aug. 18.

FERNDALE RESIDENT HONORED BY GIRL SCOUTS

FERNDALE — The Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan recently recognized a Ferndale resident at a special banquet during National Volunteer Month.

The GSSEM recognized Lauren Ciucci, of Ferndale, with its Volunteer of Excellence Award. According to the organization, the award is given to “volunteers who have contributed outstanding service while partnering directly with girls in any pathway to implement the Girl Scout Leadership Experience through use of the National Program Portfolio or who have contributed outstanding service in support of the Council’s mission delivery to girl and adult members.”

“Whatever each of you have given to our Girl Scouts, it is truly our privilege to honor so many of you who believe in the power of the Girl Scouts Movement and continue to make a huge impact … with our girls and in our community,” Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan CEO Monica Woodson said in a prepared statement.

VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT FOR YOUTH ‘SCAMP CAMP’ FLOTILLA

WEST BLOOMFIELD — According to a press release, Walnut Lake boat owners will be treating nearly 100 children living with special challenges to boat rides in support of the Bloomfield Scamp Camp at Lone Pine Elementary School in West Bloomfield July 23.

“To help delight these deserving youngsters, captains, volunteers and supporters may enlist in Scamp Flotilla-2024,” the release states.

For more information, call Admiral Al Linden at (248) 626-2255.

Once I get the right diagnosis for the cause of your heel pain, I will provide you with a tailored treatment plan, which outlines exactly how we can ﬁx your heel pain and keep you free from future foot pain. If you are ready, call me for an appointment to start your journey back to normal life, free from heel pain.

Lauren Ciucci

Guns

in the 17000 block of Margate Avenue. The suspect has not been arrested yet. Later that same day, in Rochester Hills, 42-year-old Michael William Nash opened fire at the splash pad at 5 p.m., firing 36 rounds and injuring nine people from the ages of 4 to 78 before fleeing the scene and shortly after was found dead in his Shelby Township mobile home from a reported self-inflicted gunshot wound. A motive has yet to be identified by police.

On the same day in Detroit, one woman was killed and four people were injured from an act of gun violence, and the suspect has not been arrested yet.

Three days later, the gun destruction event drew in a crowd of 20-30 local clergy in orange for Gun Violence Awareness Month. Bishop Bonnie Perry from the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan did a blessing of the six chop saws at the event, which will be used at six more gun buyback destruction demonstration events across metro Detroit this year in partnership with the Oakland County Board of Commissioners and other local churches:

• July 13, St. David’s, 16200 W. 12 Mile Road in Southfield, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

• Aug. 3, Nativity church, 21220 W. 14 Mile Road in Bloomfield Hills, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

• Aug. 24, Church of the Messiah, 231 E. Grand Blvd. in Detroit, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

• Sept. 28, All Saints, 71 W. Pike St. in Pontiac, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

• Oct. 5, St. Andrew’s, 5301 Hatchery Road in Waterford, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

• Nov. 9, St. Aidan’s, 1679 Broadway in Ann Arbor, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Yaw did a demonstration at the event using one of the chop saws.

“They’re really high-powered for this purpose. They cut rebar, they cut high density pipe, and as a result, they really don’t shed a lot of sparks. You can actually handle the metal right afterward; the metal doesn’t really get hot, so you can take them into the guns and crafts place immediately and make artwork out of them.”

Yaw added that destroying the guns onsite is possible because they do not technically take charge of the weapon. The owner of the gun is present throughout the entirety of the destruction of the weapon.

“These events will not only meet important social needs like safety and community building,” Marcia Gershenson, Oakland County commissioner, stated in a press release, “but the act of transforming weapons

used for harm into something beautiful testifies to our ability to change and transform our societies.”

Karen Reynolds, a Moms Demand Action Leader, who has been a Rochester Hills resident since 1983, was also in attendance at the event. Moms Demand Action is a national organization that fights for public safety measures and policies to protect people from gun violence throughout the United States. Reynolds joined Moms Demand Action’s North Oakland group after a friend from church inspired her to get involved, but following the Oxford shooting in 2021, Reynolds upped her involvement. Now, she’s done everything from marching to appearing in articles and placing ribbons around downtown Rochester for gun violence awareness in June. As a longtime Rochester Hills resident, she said, “It’s heartbreaking, truly, truly heartbreaking. And every chance I’ve had to talk about this in the last week and a half since the shooting happened at the splash pad, I just go off on my soapbox, because the more people understand about this, the more upset they can be that they can work towards a solution reducing gun violence is the goal. We don’t have to use a gun to solve every problem in the world. It’s not appropriate. I have no problem with guns that are used for hunting. Responsible

gun use is what Moms is all about.”

Reynolds is also a member of End Gun Violence Michigan, an anti-gun violence group with the mission to “pass common sense gun violence prevention laws in Michigan that will save lives.’

Reynolds believes that a response to gun violence is necessary.

“Prayers help, but we just all have to get involved and do whatever each person can to reduce gun violence,” she said. “There’s so many marches going on around the state this month. Let people know that using guns for violence is not acceptable. It was kind of amazing to me that, yes, there were three events last weekend, including the one in Rochester, but the one in Rochester, because we are a fairly white community, was the only one that made the national news. Too often, the Black and brown community is just excluded from the news, and they are the ones that are suffering even worse than us, and I’m heartbroken. How much more heartbroken are the other communities?”

For more information on St. David’s gun buybacks, visit stdavidssf.org.

To learn more about Moms Demand Action, visit momsdemandaction.org.

To learn more about End Gun Violence Michigan, visit www.endgunviolen cemi.org.

NEW SMART Fixed Route serving Auburn Hills, Pontiac, Waterford, and White Lake.

Your daily commute just got simpler with our convenient NEW Route 759 Highland! With stops for work, school, shopping, and more, you can effortlessly make all of your everyday stops.

Hours of Operation:

Weekdays: 6 AM to 10 PM

Saturdays: 8 AM to 5 PM

Key Destinations:

Oakland University

Michigan Works! Waterford

Pontiac High School

McLaren Oakland Hospital

Meijer @ Pontiac Lake Rd

Waterford Plaza

Oakland County International Airport

Meridian Health Services

Village Lakes Retail Plaza

Cedarbrook Estates

Meijer @ Bogie Lake Rd

Art

from page 3A

vendors with prepackaged foods, will be back this year, as well as a kids zone and a tent with dogs up for adoption.

Rothman said this year they’re looking to encourage attendees to visit the event with their dogs.

“We’re always attracting people with families … and a lot of people do come with their dogs,” she said. “At (Berkley) Art Bash (in June), I’m just looking around, there’s so many more people that bring their dogs to street events like this. And this is kind of a strolling kind of situation, so it lends itself to that.”

The artist check-in for the chalk art contest will be between 8 and 10 a.m. The judging will take place from 3 to 4 p.m., and the awards for the contest will be presented at 4:45 p.m. The registration for a team up to four costs $30, and the cost is $25 for adults and $15 for youths ages 12-17.

“Chalk art is an art form,” Rothman said. “It’s not just a cute thing to do; it is an art form, but anything that is your expression of art is important to follow if you have that interest.”

Zinn said he’s seen some remarkable ideas brought to life in the street in past chalk art contests with the use of crosswalks and other public spaces. He’s also been impressed with how determined and versatile the artists can be when making their pieces.

“Last year we had quite the bout of rain, and it did not scare people away,” he said. “It was good to see people that understand that this isn’t just about being outside on a nice day. It’s about making a day nice.”

For more information, visit berkleystreetartfest.com.

CONSTRUCTION LOANS

Building a home? Streamline

• Construction-to-Permanent

• New home construction or renovation

• Borrow up to 90% of the home’s “tobe-completed” value

• Interest-only

during the construction phase

• Single, one-time closing

Delaney Reed creates art during last year’s event. File photo by Patricia O’Blenes

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