Chippewa Valley puts non-homestead millage up for renewal
BY DEAN VAGLIA dvaglia@candgnews.com
CLINTON TOWNSHIP —
Voters in the Chippewa Valley school district will soon be tasked with determining whether a key revenue source will be allowed to continue.
Chippewa Valley Schools has placed a proposal on the Aug. 6 primary election ballot asking voters to allow the district to renew its nonhomestead millage. The text of the proposal reads as follows:
This proposal would renew and
restore the authority of the School District to continue to levy the statutory limit of 18 mills on all property, except principal residences (owner occupied homes) and other property exempt by law, for general operating purposes, which currently expires with the School District’s 2024 tax levy and allow the School District to continue to levy the statutory limit of 18 mills in the event of future Headlee rollbacks of up to 1 mill. This authorization will allow the School District to continue to receive revenues at the full
BACK TO ‘BATH CITY’
BY DEAN VAGLIA dvaglia@candgnews.com
MOUNT CLEMENS — It is Friday, May 17, and Lois Lombardo is in the fight of her life.
The owner of Olympia Salon & Spa on Cass Avenue is trying to work her new water pump in a shed on the other side of the city, but nothing is going right. She flips switches, turns valves and repositions a hose in hope of getting the pump to send its water to the surface.
Suddenly, a breakthrough: The pump roars to life and bathes Lombardo and the rest of the shed with dirt-brown water stinking of rotten eggs, a scent that hangs in the air for the next hour. From the senses alone, it is hard to believe
anyone could find value in extracting such a liquid, but Lombardo knows what she has. It is the reason she came to Mount Clemens, and it is the key to how she plans to revive the century-old industry that put Mount Clemens on the map.
Welcome to Bath City
Mount Clemens is known as Bath City, or at least it is to its residents. Anyone trying to hunt down the signs of a citywide bathing industry have to look hard to find anything beyond baked-in echoes to verify this odd claim to fame, and even then, all they have to work with is a preserved pump in Clemens Park and a historical marker on the east side of Select Specialty Hos-
Image provided by the Crocker House Museum and Gardens
The Park Hotel as depicted on a postcard from the early 20th century. Its location is currently home to the Park Place Towers and a garage housing the old hotel’s well.
Photo by Dean Vaglia
A sign outside of the Chippewa Valley Schools administration building advertises school of choice programs. Voters in the Chippewa Valley district will determine on Aug. 6 whether the district’s non-homestead millage can continue to be levied.
SECOND FRONT PAGE
EXPLORE Feature Series
THE FOLLOWING IS PART OF C & G NEWSPAPERS’ FEATURE SERIES ABOUT NORTHERN MICHIGAN DESTINATIONS TO EXPLORE.
often called the “Star Attraction of Mackinac Island State Park.”
MACKINAC ISLAND: a summer destination
BY GREG TASKER
For a destination seemingly frozen somewhere in time, Mackinac Island always boasts something new each summer.
And this summer is no different.
This season much of the buzz centers around the reopening of the Inn at Stonecliffe after a $40 million renovation. Built in 1904 as a lakeside estate for a Chicago family, the refurbished inn includes new common spaces, renovated guest rooms, new bathrooms and up-to-date comforts. Among the new additions is a 26,000-squarefoot Summer House building, with 32 king and queen guest rooms with spacious layouts. Each is equipped with a kitchenette, small dining table and lake or garden views.
The two-year renovation restored many parts of the 18,500-square-foot mansion and property, staying true to its historic charm but adding modern elegance and ameni-
ties. For overnight guests, that means an elevated experience with personalized concierge service.
But you don’t have to be an overnight guest to enjoy some of the new amenities; three new dining concepts have been created and are open to the public. They feature products from Michigan and the Great Lakes and from the resort’s orchard and gardens. Dinner at The Straits, a fine dining option, is well worth the trek to the Inn at Stonecliffe, but for a casual option, consider its outdoor eatery, The Backyard, where you can eat and drink while stunning views of the Mackinac Bridge. The menu highlights include brick oven pizzas and a daily special called The Daily Flame. On Mondays, for example, the specials are beef kebab and smoked yogurt or cucumber and tomato salad — dubbed the Mediterranean Mingle.
The inn is home to a chef with Michelin-star credentials — believed to be a first for the island. Executive Chef
Mackinac Island employees have ‘life-changing’ experiences
BY ALYSSA OCHSS aochss@candgnews.com
METRO DETROIT — Mackinac Island is a popular Michigan tourist destination, but it’s also home to hundreds of island employees who work hard and enjoy what the island has to offer.
Paul Caron, who previously lived in St. Clair Shores, worked on Mackinac Island during the 1980s. He said it was his first time living away from home and his first time working in the restaurant business. The experience helped him land other jobs when he was going to school at Macomb Community College and Central Michigan University.
“I had visited but never experienced it like that, because you take time to learn different parts of the island,” Caron said. During his time working there, he learned about different aspects of the island including the word “fudgie.” He also grew
See EMPLOYEES on page 8A
Arch Rock is
Photo provided by the Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau See MACKINAC on page 12A
Photo provided by Cassondra Scott
During her time working on Mackinac Island, Cassondra Scott enjoyed everything it had to offer, from paddle boarding to visiting the Round Island Lighthouse.
hold memories and generations of recipes for families and friends to enjoy.
Old cookbooks hold recipes, memories
I’ve been interested in the old, interesting and historical all my life. I’ve been to Greenfield Village more times than I can count. I’m always stopping by the plaques around historical sites and my clothing style is much more vintage than the things my sisters or friends wear.
I’ve joked around by lovingly calling myself the young grandma: an old soul, if you will.
My love for cooking and baking goes back as far as my love of history. I remember Saturday mornings spent rolling out biscuit dough on a wooden board called a Nudelbrett, and cold winter days spent inside baking cookies and breads.
Days before Easter, I spent time making Chrusciki, Angel Wings, with my grandparents, with us kids taking on the task of rolling out the dough and my grandpa handling the hot oil. My grandma taught us the cor-
ALYSSA OCHSS
aochss@candgnews.com
rect way to slice the fine dough and if we were using too much or too little powdered sugar. The more powdered sugar, the better. It should have come as no surprise to anyone in my family when I started frequenting estate sales, I started collecting recipe boxes and vintage cookbooks. What started as four or five recipe boxes from an estate sale near Alpena turned into a hobby of collecting the old spiral-bound cookbooks from churches, cultural centers and other clubs.
I love seeing the recipes made with love See COOKBOOKS on page 18A
C & G Newspapers publishes 21 papers in Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties:
Editor: Brian Louwers | (586) 498-1089 | brianlouwers@candgnews.com
Reporter: Dean Vaglia | (586) 498-1043 | dvaglia@candgnews.com
Sports: Jonathan Szczepaniak | (586) 498-1090 | sports@candgnews.com
Artroom: (586) 498-1036 | ads@candgnews.com
retail ad rates: Paula Stelzer | (586) 498-1076 | pstelzer@candgnews.com Karen Bozimowski | (586) 498-1032 | kboz@candgnews.com
Classifieds: For ad rates (586) 498-8100 Legals and Obits: (586) 498-1099
Automotive Advertising: Louise Millar | (586) 498-1054 | lmillar@candgnews.com Real Estate Advertising: Paula Kaspor | (586) 498-1055 | pkaspor@candgnews.com
8/31/24
Photo by Alyssa Ochss
Cookbooks
Class is back in session for nontraditional students
BY ALYSSA OCHSS aochss@candgnews.com
METRO DETROIT — Nontraditional students, broadly classified as undergraduates 25 and older, may find going back to school daunting. But with the right help, learning can be an enjoyable and enriching experience.
Joshua McCoury, a nontraditional student at Oakland Community College, said his experience was tough at first.
“I hadn’t been in school in many, many years,” McCoury said. “I’d never taken any online classes so getting into the swing of that was pretty, you know, there was a huge learning curve there. But I overcame that, and it became a lot easier as I went.”
He said that taking the classes online was the hardest aspect of going back to school.
“Before that I had never taken an online class in my life,” McCoury said. “I’d never even heard of Zoom.”
While he wouldn’t say he was nervous, he was unsure about online learning and
other aspects of the classes. McCoury went back to school in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. He said at that time, the OCC campus was closed, and everything was remote.
He finished his business administration degree at the college. McCoury said he didn’t have any issues interacting with the other students.
“I’m a pretty outgoing person,” McCoury said.
McCoury also said there were a lot more nontraditional students in his classes than he expected.
“I expected to go back and be in classes full of 18-, 19-, 20-year-old kids. For the most part it was like that, but, I mean, every class that I took had students over 25, for sure,” McCoury said.
According to statistics sent in an email by Kim Madeleine, a marketing and communications representative at Oakland Community College, for the 2023-2024 school year, the college had 7,537 nontraditional students. That represents 40.5% of
See STUDENTS on page 20A
Feeding Made Easy
• Ph.D. in Information Systems Management
• Masters Degree in Finance
• Vice Chair of Macomb Township Board of Ethics
• U.S. Army and Michigan National GuardVeteran of the Gulf War
• Adjunct Professor at Oakland University
• Technical Product Manager at Stellantis
• President & Founder of Gadgets-for-Good.org local charity
• 25+ years of IT systems, project, and risk management
• 25+ year resident of Macomb Township
• Restoring integrity, ethics, and transparency to the Board
• Lobbying for and improving our roads, sidewalks, parks, and other amenities
• Promoting responsible development
• Maintaining fiscal responsibility
• Actively listening to the concerns of the residents of our township
BY ALYSSA OCHSS aochss@candgnews.com
METRO DETROIT — Cosplay is a chance for people to dress up as their favorite character as well as to meet countless friends along the way.
It is the art of dressing up in a costume of a character from a video game, comic book, anime and many other forms of media. Those who participate sometimes spend hours perfecting their costumes from the initial design stages to the finished product.
Iyla O’Connor, a cosplayer from Harrison Township, got involved in the hobby around 10 years ago. She said she’s always had a love for fashion and designing.
“I found that cosplay was a really good outlet because I’ve always been into costumes, especially like Disney characters,”
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Photo provided by Iyla O’Connor Cosplay is a hobby that takes many skills including wig styling and sewing. See COSPLAY on page 14A
Township receives road funding from state
MACOMB TOWNSHIP — After working with state Sen. Veronica Klinefelt, Macomb Township is receiving about $3 million in state funding for work on the 21 Mile and Heydenreich roads intersection.
The intersection sits within half a mile of two elementary schools, Seneca Middle School and Dakota High School, contributing to a daily traffic count of 15,300 to 16,800 for 21 Mile and 9,200-9,900 for Heydenreich, according to the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments.
“We recognized how important this intersection is and met with Senator Klinefelt and her staff to highlight exactly why we thought we needed her help to address it,” Macomb Township Treasurer Leon Drolet said in a press release. “We’ve established a collaborative relationship with the Senator that has paid huge dividends for Macomb Township.”
Official work on the intersection will begin once the funds are distributed to the township, which says it has already reached out to the Macomb County Department of Roads to begin the initial steps.
Adopt-A-Highway cleanup happening this week
LANSING — The Michigan Department of Transportation is urging drivers to remain alert this week as the second Adopt-A-Highway cleanup of 2024 is underway. Over 2,900 volunteering organizations will be found alongside the state’s over 6,000 miles of highways picking up litter July 13-21. The state provides volunteers with high-visibility vests and trash bags, as well as arranging trash pickup. More information about the Adopt-A-Highway program and how to participate can be found at michigan.gov/mdot. The next statewide cleanup will take place Sept. 21-29.
Security camera footage from the
purchase of 27 TVs to replace ones damaged by the
at the
Board of Trustees updates millage rates, buys TVs
MACOMB TOWNSHIP — The Macomb Township Board of Trustees met on the evening of July 10 for its first meeting of the month. Changes were made to lower the general operating and parks and recreation millage rates after an error incorrectly increased the rates by one-thousandth. The general operating millage was lowered to 0.6231 from 0.6232 and the parks and recreation millage was lowered to 0.7468 from 0.7469. The 2024-25 budget was also updated to reflect the corrected rates.
Trustees approved the emergency purchase of 27 television monitors for the Macomb Township Recreation Center after lightning struck the building on June 19. According to Parks and Recreation Director Salvatore DiCaro, each of the TVs were damaged by the strike, which also impacted some other electronics and the building’s HVAC system. Township Supervisor Frank Viviano justified the emergency nature of the roughly $10,880 purchase, as the lack of TVs lowered the quality of the recreation center’s services. A confirmation of process memo was included in the meeting packet for the purchase, showing the township’s purchasing policy was followed.
Trustees also approved a roughly $217,610 contract to PIBC, LLC of Grosse Ile to paint and repair the wooden bridges in Waldenburg Park. PIBC’s bid was the second lowest of the four bids for the work but had the highest evaluation score of 95.33%, while Macomb Township based Quadrate Construction submitted the lowest bid at $193,045 but also received the lowest evaluation score at 66.5%. Viviano provided the lone vote against the contract.
Image provided by Macomb Township
Macomb Township Hall shows lightning striking the recreation center on June 19. Trustees approved the
strike
July 10 meeting.
Millage
from page 1A
per pupil foundation allowance permitted by the State.
Shall the limitation on the total amount of taxes which may be assessed against all property, except principal residences and other property exempted by law, situated within the Chippewa Valley Schools, County of Macomb, Michigan, be increased in the amount of 19 mills with 18 mills being the maximum allowable annual levy ($18.00 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation), for a period of ten (10) years, 2025 to 2034, inclusive? This operating millage if approved and levied, would provide estimated revenues to the School District of $16,500,000 during the 2025 calendar year, to be used for general operating purposes.
“(The millage rate) will stay exactly as it is now,” Chippewa Valley Schools Superintendent Ronald Roberts said. “So, with nonhomestead properties currently, these 18 mills they pay, and they’ve paid since 1994. A positive vote keeps it in place. It does not raise the taxes of those non-homestead properties. It does not raise taxes on people’s homes. It just remains the way it’s been.”
The millage will only apply to select properties in Clinton and Macomb townships. By definition, the millage will not be levied against owner-occupied homes but commercial properties such as business properties, rental properties and vacant land. Second homes are affected by the millage, too. Whether residents of rental properties will have to pay the millage is up to individual landlords, though whether such renters are currently paying the existing millage is the best indicator of future costs.
“In general, I would say this allows the community to maintain a level of funding for the schools without impacting most owner-occupied residential properties,” Clinton Township Treasurer Paul Gieleghem said.
School districts are required to levy nonhomestead millages as a consequence of Proposal A of 1994. The proposal exempted real
and personal property taxes for school use and tasked the legislature to come up with a new funding method. The legislature’s new funding sources were a 2% increase to sales tax for the School Aid Fund, a 6-mill tax applied to all properties, a 0.75% real estate transfer tax, increasing the cigarette tax and the ability to levy up to 18 mills on non-homestead properties.
“To receive full funding for your district, you have to have this non-homestead millage election every so often,” Roberts said. “You can go to this millage for 20 years. We’ve always, in this district, gone for it every 10 years. When you look at how districts do this across the state, they’re kind of different on when they have it, but you always need to have this nonhomestead millage in place in order to receive full funding for your students.
Roberts says the funds received through the millage are used throughout the district and that a rejection of the renewal would lead to serious cuts to programs across the district.
“If we were forced to reduce by almost $18 million, you just start cutting a lot of programs,” Roberts said. “That’s athletics, that’s CTE (career technical education), that’s any kind of health service we have in our schools, our school resource officers … Cuts to custodial services. All those things that surround a classroom are things that surround a classroom are things that you would have to consider cutting.”
Residents across the district have voted to uphold the non-homestead property millage in the past. In 2014, over 68% of voters (21,369) voted to maintain the operating millage versus 31.7% (9,939) who voted against it.
If the proposal were to fail, Roberts says the district would try again in November.
“This is something that you need to keep putting before the voters and you put it out there until you can pass it, just because of the devastation it would cause to the school district,” Roberts said.
Residents with questions about the millage proposal can call (586) 723-2000.
Call Staff Writer Dean Vaglia at (586) 498-1043.
Employees
from page 3A
acclimated to the smells of the island’s equine inhabitants.
“You build up to the July Fourth holiday and then (you’re) really into the summer season,” Caron said. “And you start picking up the words of, ‘What’s a fudgie?’ Well, obviously it’s a tourist.”
Caron’s only form of transportation on the island was a bicycle. He said most people who worked on the island didn’t have cars and most stayed on the island year-round. He was also a part of a softball league. He explained the field was located near the old Mackinac Hotel.
“It was really just a field that was made into a softball field, and it had a league there for years,” Caron said. “So that was an interesting, fun thing to kind of do as well.”
The year before Caron went to the island, they filmed the movie “Somewhere in Time” there. The movie featured Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour and Christopher Plummer. Places featured in the movie include the Grand Hotel and the shoreline of the island. The gazebo that was used for filming is still on the island and can be visited by tourists. Plaques are stationed at some of the filming sites as well as historical sites around the island.
“The restaurant that I worked into had some pictures of the filming of that,” Caron said. “And we had kids that worked in our restaurant that were yearround island residents.”
Popular spots for workers included bars and various shorelines around the island, including British Landing.
“There was a high point off of British Landing where you’d go watch the sunset, so that was kind of cool, too,” Caron said.
Cassondra Scott, a resident of Alma, worked on the island for nine summers starting when she was 18. She described the experience as “life-changing.” She said she went from a small town to the island which has thousands of people visiting over the course of the summer.
“They hired people from all over the world,” Scott said. “And I made friends. To this day I have friends in (the) Philippines, California, Florida — like, all over all because of working on the island.”
She went on to say it was unique.
“It has connected me in ways that I never would have imagined,” Scott said.
Scott said she started in retail and moved on to working in hotels for the last four to five summers. She also said she worked at the Grand Hotel during her time there.
“Some days it was like I would just stand on the big front porch and think, ‘How is this really my life?’” Scott said.
The people she met, including both tourists and coworkers, shaped her into who she is, Scott said.
“Working at a really high-end resort hotel, you learn how to really be more proper and more graceful and things like that,” she said.
Scott got more free time as the season settled down. She said she took that time to celebrate the end of the summer with friends by going parasailing and going on “Sip n’ Sail” cruises. She also said they enjoyed bike riding around the island during the summer.
“In the heat of the summer, in the busy period, you work a lot, especially if you work at the Grand Hotel. It’s like 10-hour days,” Scott said. “But towards the end, you got more free time, so those were the things that we’d squeeze in.”
Like Caron, she worked during the summer and went to college during the winter months, though some island workers will work on the island during the sum-
C & G Newspapers staffers win 23 journalism awards
METRO DETROIT — The 12 C & G Newspapers staffers who were recognized in the Michigan Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest and the Society of Professional Journalists-Detroit Chapter’s Excellence in Journalism awards walked away with a total of 23 honors.
Both awards are held annually, and the winners were recently acknowledged for their work in 2023.
Maria Allard, a staff writer for the Warren Weekly and the Eastsider, won first place in the news enterprise reporting category of the Better Newspaper Contest for “Warren resident, World War II vet becomes centenarian.” Allard took third place and honorable mention, respectively, in the feature story category for “Warren couple embodies everlasting love” and “Student acts after bus incident, brings classmates to safety.”
“I love being a writer, and it’s nice to be included alongside my colleagues,” Allard said.
Mary Beth Almond, staff writer for the Rochester Post, was recognized in the breaking/spot news category in both the Better Newspaper Contest and the Excellence in Journalism awards, taking second and third place, respectively, for “Oakland Township woman arraigned on charges in fatal hitand-run crash.” She also took third place in government/news reporting of the Better Newspaper Contest for “Rochester skates forward with plans for outdoor skate park.”
“The journalists at C & G Newspapers work tirelessly to provide essential coverage of important community news and I’m extremely proud to be a part of that,” Almond said.
Page designer Jason Clancy was award-
ed first and second place by the SPJ for his page one designs. First place went to the July 26 edition of St. Clair Shores Sentinel, while second place went to the Feb. 22 edition of the Royal Oak Review.
“I enjoy coming up with creative designs that help entice readers to pick up our papers,” Clancy said.
Gena Johnson, a staff writer for the Warren Weekly, took first place in the MPA’s government/education news category for “Michigan Supreme Court won’t hear term limits case involving Warren mayor.”
“Working as a reporter at C & G Newspapers has been a joy having my fingers on the pulse of community journalism,” Johnson said.
Andy Kozlowski, staff writer for the Madison-Park News, won two Excellence in Journalism awards. The first award was first
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place in the consumer/watchdog category for “Ex-contractor sentenced in Madison schools bribery case,” and the other award was first place in the explanatory story category for “Wild Wings continues mission to rescue birds in need.” The judges said, “Love this story. It gives good and vital information on how to handle baby birds that have fallen from their nest.”
“The stories couldn’t be more different: One was a public corruption case I investigated, and the other was about helping baby birds,” Kozlowski said. “But I believe each has See AWARDS on page 10A
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0322-2429
For a version of this article containing links to the winning entries, use the QR code or visit candgnews.com.
Almond Clancy Johnson Kozlowski Meier Moran Ochss Pentiuk Sanchez Szczepaniak Allard
Stahls holds Autos for Autism fundraiser July 20
BY MARIA ALLARD allard@candgnews.com
CHESTERFIELD TOWNSHIP — Stahls Automotive Collection will hold its sixth annual Autos for Autism charity fundraiser on July 20.
Proceeds from the event will benefit the Ted Lindsay Foundation, whose mission is to support research and educational programs focusing on the cause and management of autism spectrum disorder.
From its inception in 2001, the foundation has raised more than $5 million to support autism research and educational programs. Lindsay, who died in 2019, was a hockey legend who played in the National Hockey League for 17 years with the Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Black Hawks.
“Autos for Autism celebrates the legacy of automobiles while raising awareness and funds for the Ted Lindsay Foundation,” Terri Coppens, general manager of Stahls Automotive Collection, said in a prepared statement. “We are driving towards a future where every individual on the autism spectrum has the support they need to thrive.”
The fundraiser will have two different ticket options.
There is a $40 VIP admission that allows early entry into the museum at 10:30 a.m. and provides access to a special meet-and-greet and interview sessions with “Chasing Classic Cars” host Wayne Carini, dragstrip racer Al Bergler and car show legend Bob Larivee Sr.
See AUTOS on page 28A
Employees
mer and find different seasonal employment during the winter, perhaps at a ski resort.
Both Caron and Scott said the busiest times of the season were the yacht races. Two yacht races occur during the summer: the Bayview Mackinac Race and the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac. In the Bayview race, sailors start in Port Huron. In the Chicago race, they start in Chicago. Both races end at Mackinac Island, where sailors will stay and celebrate.
“It’s kind of a different atmosphere during those yacht races,” Scott said.
Caron said that the season didn’t really pick up until Memorial Day, but the boat races were definitely the busiest.
“Definitely the boat races though,” Caron said. “You’re in the restaurant business. You double stocked your stuff. You had long lines of people waiting to get in businesses then.”
Scott said that the island is a close-knit community. She said in the mainland world, cars keep people separated but on an island with no cars, everyone sees what’s going on.
“You’re out on the street, if you’re doing something you don’t want people to see,
Awards
from page 9A
an impact. That’s the best part of journalism.”
Charity Meier, staff writer for the Novi Note, earned honorable mention in the feature story category for “An extraordinary ‘ordinary’ life” in the Better Newspaper Contest.
“I am pleased to have been able to share the knowledge, insight and humor of Wilbur Bigelow,” Meier said. “He turned 101 recently and is someone we can all learn from.”
K. Michelle Moran, staff writer for the Grosse Pointe Times, walked away with six awards between the two organizations. She won two first-place awards in the Better Newspaper Contest: one for her spot news story, “Friends, family remember Arielle Anderson and Brian Fraser,” and a public service award for “Kroger agrees to new fence, window displays for Village store.” Moran also received second place in both the Better Newspaper Contest and Excellence in Journalism awards for the local and community news story, “Grosse Pointe Shores considering breed ban after violent dog attack.” She took third- and fourth-place honors, respectively, in the Better Newspaper Contest and the Excellence in Journalism awards for “Fire guts nearly 100-year-old home in Grosse Pointe City.”
“It’s always a tremendous honor to be recognized by your colleagues,” Moran said.
Alyssa Ochss, staff writer for the St. Clair Shores
well, they’re going to see,” Scott said.
Caron said people could tell if someone had fake IDs and that the island is small.
“When you’re on the island, people get to know who you are very quick because you’re there all year-round,” Caron said.
Scott added that the closeness made it more social and that riding around the island was spontaneous.
“But you live in this beautiful tourist destination that everybody else would love to be at, and you live there,” Scott said. “So you just get all of that at your fingertips. And sometimes I think you kind of take it for granted almost because it’s there.”
Scott said she would move back in a heartbeat and raise her children on the island. One of the appealing things about the school is that it has small class sizes.
“There’s just so many advantages to that small close-knit community that they have,” Scott said.
Caron called his experience unusual and different. He also said it helped him mature.
“In some ways it was like college without the studying, because you worked hard and you played hard, to be honest. And you certainly got to see the excitement of the island, people coming to the island,” Caron said.
Sentinel, took home second place in the feature reporting category of the Excellence in Journalism awards for the story “Making the paranormal more normal.”
Kathryn Pentiuk, staff writer for the Southfield Sun, won second-place honors in the Excellence in Journalism awards for environmental reporting in her story, “‘Forever chemicals’ found in Rouge, Huron River fish.”
Staff Writer Jonathan Szczepaniak won first- and third- place honors, respectively, in the sports reporting category of the Excellence in Journalism awards for “Girls flag football league introduced in Michigan” and “Fernsler’s ‘poised’ performance leads Novi to first state title.”
Excellence in Journalism first-place awards were shared by Clancy and photographers Patricia O’Blenes and Erin Sanchez for a feature page design about local graduates in the June 21 edition of the Eastsider.
The Michigan Press Association was founded in 1868 and promotes the power of print and the public’s right to know.
The Society of Professional Journalists is the nation’s oldest organization representing journalists in the United States. Established on April 17, 1909, at DePauw University, the organization was formerly known as Sigma Delta Chi before adopting its current name. The organization is dedicated to encouraging the free practice of journalism and promoting high standards of ethical behavior.
Providing the TOOLS to SUCCEED.
The Chippewa Valley Schools Operating Millage RENEWAL on the Tuesday, Aug. 6 ballot would:
✓ NOT cost homeowners one penny in taxes and ONLY be paid by owners of rental properties, secondhomes, commercial properties and businesses.
✓ Support career-technical instructors, teachers and support sta to help prepare students for in-demand, good-paying jobs, including in the skilled trades.
✓ Support school safety o cers, school counselors, social workers, health services sta and food service workers essential to student success.
is millage renewal would NOT cost homeowners one penny in taxes.
CVS has a proven track record of scal responsibility, transparency and accountability, regularly receiving clean annual audits by Plante Moran.
If passed, all funds from this millage renewal will be required to undergo an annual independent audit and be publicly disclosed on the district’s website.
LEARN MORE about the Chippewa Valley Schools Operating Millage RENEWAL at chippewavalleyschools.org.
Mackinac
Joseph Nardo most recently held the same title at the Camden Harbor Inn and Natalie’s Fine Dining in Maine. His Michelin background includes The French Laundry, Lazy Bear and The Dabney.
It’s a bit of an adventure to get to the Inn at Stonecliffe. It’s about two miles from downtown following Cadotte Avenue past the Grand Hotel and then taking Annex Road to the interior of the island. Expect some hills. You can get there by foot, bicycle or horse-drawn taxi.
Milliken Nature Center
If you’ve biked the island’s perimeter, you’ve passed or likely stopped by Arch Rock, perhaps Mackinac’s most notable among several natural landmarks. A newly opened nature center at Arch Rock shares its geological story as well as the island’s. It’s believed Arch Rock is about 4,000 years old, hollowed out by splashing waves when water levels were much higher.
With its stone facade and wood beams, the $7.5 million Milliken Nature Center accentuates the natural beauty of Arch Rock. The main exhibit, “Arch Rock: Unsurpassed
in Nature’s Beauty,” celebrates what is often called the “Star Attraction of Mackinac Island State Park.” There are dozens of historic images of Arch Rock on display and a timeline showing how the limestone arch was formed. Kids will enjoy an interactive 3D map of the island.
Arch Rock and the Milliken Nature Center are reachable by bike, foot or horsedrawn carriage. The new nature also features new public restrooms. And you can still climb the 207-step stairway to the Arch Rock viewing platform.
Closer to Mackinac’s downtown is the new Carousel Arcade, a great spot for families. The arcade offers state-of-the-art games and a selection of snacks and drinks — including adult drinks. The arcade is located on Market Street, which runs parallel to Main Street, and is part of the Bicycle Street Inn and Suites properties.
Resort additions
On the island’s east side, Mission Point Resort continues to focus on curated experiential offerings for guests and non-guests alike. The headliner this summer is The McCartney Years, a live concert celebrating the life of former Beatles Paul McCartney and his many hits. It’s the first time the resort’s Mission Point Theater has offered a show of
this nature. Shows are performed at 3 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays. Other offerings include bird watching, painting classes, culinary events and cooking workshops.
One of my favorite spots to chill is Mission Point’s Round Island Kitchen. The resort renovated its main lobby and the bar and restaurant last year, creating a more open space with a summer-cottage-like vibe. It’s a
relaxing spot to grab a bite to eat or drink and enjoy the panoramic views of the Straits. Another favorite hangout is the Cupola Bar at the top of the iconic Grand Hotel. The one-of-a-kind bar has been updated and redesigned for the season, paying homage to one of the hotel’s former owners, W. Stewart Woodfill. The redo includes a glass display
Photo provided by the Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau
A favorite hangout is the Cupola Bar located at the top of the Grand Hotel. The one-of-a-kind bar has been updated and redesigned for the season.
MACKINAC
Food prices are up 25.8% since 2020. New car prices are up 29%. Most people’s income hasn’t gone up as much as infaton.
Garfeld Rd. extended to 25 Mile; 23 Mile fnally widened; Romeo Plank scheduled for widening Added 4 more
on 23 Mile Rd.
54712 Congaree Dr., Macomb, MI 48042
Cosplay
O’Connor said. “So it really kind of helped me hone my skills and gave me opportunities to get out and meet new people as well.”
O’Connor’s first cosplay was the classic DC Comics antihero Harley Quinn. She cosplays with a group of friends, and they go to cosplay conventions such as Youmacon
in downtown Detroit and the Michigan Renaissance Festival.
O’Connor volunteers for a nonprofit called Crowns Against Cancer and she also runs her own nonprofit, the Fairy Godsister Project. Crowns Against Cancer provides magical princess entertainment to pediatric patients, cancer patients and those with special needs.
“Both of those groups are a really good
Ilya O’Connor cosplays a wide variety of characters including Barbie from “Barbie Swan Lake.”
Photo provided by Iyla O’Connor
TONS O’ TRUCKS
When you visit Dr. Je rey Teno, you’ll discover that his is not a typical dental practice. He believes patients deserve the best, and it’s precisely this dedication to the highest quality that sets him apart. Dr. Teno uses the latest dental techniques to ensure that his patients receive a brilliant smile and achieve excellent long-term dental health.
You can count on Dr. Teno and his sta to recognize your individual needs with thorough, unhurried appointments. They always take the time to listen, answer you questions and explain every procedure - because they are not only creating beautiful smiles, they are also building a trusting relationship. From the moment you enter Dr. Teno’s o ce to the moment you leave, he and his sta will make sure your visit is an exceptional experience. Everything they do is with your comfort and your smile in mind. PLEASE BRING THIS AD WITH YOU TO YOUR APPOINTMENT.
Photos by Patricia O’Blenes
Bath City
pital. For something that the city clings to as its identity, the lacking modern footprint of the bath industry almost seems inscrutable. But in some ways, it is fitting that an industry that began as a boom would leave so little behind.
In the 1870s, speculators came to Mount Clemens on the hunt for oil. Their drills found murky liquid beneath the city, but not the sweet crude they hoped for.
“We did not have oil, but we did have some amazing mineral water that had so many different minerals in it,” said Beverly Bishop, a Crocker House Museum docent.
The Original was opened in 1873 by physician Henry Taylor, who capitalized on the interest kicked off by local flour mill owner Dor Kellogg, who attributed his cured eczema to bathing in the water in 1870, and by physician Abner Hayward, who prescribed baths to patients with rheumatism. As word spread of the city’s healing waters, more bathhouses sprung up and more people came seeking treatment. With recommendations calling for people to regularly bathe in the waters, guests would book nearly monthlong stays in local hotels, prompting the creation of a hospitality industry featuring restaurants, big bands, symphonies, theaters and other things to keep the guests entertained throughout their stay.
And if the idea of a month-long hotel stay featuring daily spa visits and regular entertainment sounds expensive, that is because it was. Bishop says it cost 75 cents to take a bath in 1913, or about $24 when adjusted for inflation. Add in the costs of the hotel stays and nightly shows and the ideal Bath City visit begins to snowball into an expensive endeavor.
“It was kind of ritzy, and you had to have a whole 21 days of vacation time,” Bishop said. “So I would say it would have been a higher class (activity), but anybody could sign up for it.”
Key to the rise of the bath houses was the city’s rail connection and proximity to Detroit. That allowed Mount Clemens to capitalize on the resource and gain the clientele and popularity that eluded other communities with mineral water springs that were simply too remote.
“We were lucky because there were trains that came from New York City across to Detroit and then we had spurs that went straight up to Mount Clemens,” Bishop said. “Thomas Edison was really one of the first people working that spur in 1859 and it was like a hub just above Detroit, and much nicer than Detroit was at the time … Midland
Mineral composition of the water
The top eight most common minerals in Mount Clemens mineral bath water, measured by grains within one gallon:
• Sodium chloride, 5713.7
• Calcium chloride, 4678.8
• Magnesium chloridem 2406.8
• Potassium chloride, 468.9
• Calcium sulfate, 91.1
• Magnesium bromide, 71.1
• Sodium sulfate, 40.6
• Ammonium chloride, 10.3
— Source: Mount Clemens 175th anniversary pamphlet, published by the city in 1993 and provided by the Crocker House Museum & Gardens
tried to do that, but nobody could get there because there were no trains. They had to go overland by buggy and there were no roads for cars when they came in, so Midland went the pharmaceutical route and Dow Chemical ended up using the mineral water for their purposes.”
An exact count of how many bathhouses existed is hard to determine. The nature of the industry meant many of the houses would pop up and go out of business fairly quickly with the only solid evidence of a bath’s existence being advertisements and whichever ledgers and letters have been preserved from over 100 years ago. A 1993 pamphlet about the industry printed for the 175th Mount Clemens anniversary places 11 baths within the city’s limits, including the Saint Joseph Sanitarium, now known as Select Specialty Hospital.
Ownership of bath houses was fairly diverse, with Black resident George Hutchinson opening the Eureka on Welts Street near Clemens Park, a decision believed to be attributed to a 1905 news story about a Black university graduate being refused service by the city’s baths. Julia Miller Thome operated the Monroe Hotel and Plaza Bath House after her brother, Fred, died in 1923. Throughout the 1910s and 1920s, several Jewish New Yorkers made the trip to Mount Clemens, took ownership of bathhouses and built a Jewish community in the city. Mount Clemens was the Bath City, and everyone wanted their share as either a bather or an operator.
The tradition continues
Lombardo, who wanted to carry on the bathing tradition, was attracted to the mystique of the medicinal Mount Clemens waters in 1998.
“I had always wanted to own a salon and spa,” Lombardo said. “I had no expe-
Cookbooks
and hard work by grandparents, new moms, husbands of the ladies of the groups and even pastors printed in the books. Depending on what year they were made, the words were either typed by typewriter or on a computer.
It’s interesting to see how times have changed and how trends have come and gone, how society learned through the ages and the new knowledge found every decade was depicted in their recipes. The oldest cookbook I have is a University of Michigan alumni cookbook from 1938. The recipes called for lard and liver — items rarely used in my own kitchen.
But the reason I love collecting cookbooks are the memories attached to them.
I’ve been going to St. Blase Catholic Church ever since I was young. I started singing in the choir as a young tween and eventually graduated to the older choirs where I more often than not played my flute in the back with my fellow flutists or by myself.
At an estate sale I visited in the spring, I found a cookbook from the parish. I interviewed Mary Dumm, pastoral associate, about the cookbook from spring of 2000. She said that she and the Rev. Randall Philipps, known as Father Randy throughout the parish, were not yet at the church when the cookbook was created, but they were there for the second cookbook in 2006.
When she opened the cookbook, she immediately recognized many of the names including one parish member who she calls one the biggest bakers.
“She brings us stuff every weekend,” Dumm said.
Dumm said the cookbooks are printed as fundraisers and the parish doesn’t host a lot of fundraisers by itself.
“(The year) 2000 was a big year so they collected the people’s recipes. For 2006, we
were going to Rome,” Dumm said. “And so, to offset the cost for choirs to go sing for the Holy Father, one of the fundraisers they did was a cookbook.”
Dumm also said there were a lot of the same people who contributed to both cookbooks. She sees some of the same people who contributed around the parish.
“Obviously, they’ve aged 23 years since they did it,” Dumm said. “But a lot of them are still here and some have passed and some, I know, have moved on in life. You know, they’ve moved north, they moved away for work.”
Before my family came to St. Blase, when I was around 12 or 13 years old, my dad’s family went to the parish when he was a kid. My family’s name is on one of the windows enclosing a small courtyard saying that they contributed to the church.
Dumm said it’s been interesting to see families grow up over the 21 years she’s been there. She said that they started marrying those they’ve baptized.
“It’s kind of fun to watch it all transition from one piece of life to the other,” Dumm said.
Dumm said there are a few recipes that have carried over from the 2000 cookbook to the one printed in 2006.
“What’s interesting as I look through these recipes is how they present an era or a way of cooking,” Dumm said. “There are things in here that I would never think to make in a certain way.”
Dumm said they would absolutely put out another cookbook if the times called for it.
“I watched how they did in 2006, it’s a lot of work to put it together,” Dumm said. “It would have to be an event that would be worthy of it.”
Around the same time I joined the kid’s choir at St. Blase, I joined the Carpathia Club’s Kindergruppe, a German folk dance group for kids, celebrating the heritage of club’s members. Through this group I’ve
met many lifelong friends, and we grew up together.
I’ve known Monica Forest, a club member, and her daughters since I joined the group and Forest knew my dad long before that. My dad grew up dancing in the club’s groups for kids and teens, which was different from many of his peers growing up in the 80s.
The Carpathia Club also published cookbooks: one in 2001 that’s been on a shelf in my basement for a very long time, and one in the 1980s that Forest let me borrow. They were both created and published by the club’s Frauengruppe headed by Ierene Dietz, the current group leader.
Forest is a new member of the group, and she said the club relied on the ladies.
“They did all of the Kipful baking for festivals and all the strudel baking for events,” Forest said. “If we had a banquet, the ladies were the ones that baked the torten that were served.”
Forest said she guesses that the cookbooks were printed because they got so many requests for the recipes served at events. She recalled a walnut torte served that had a walnut sponge cake and chocolate mocha buttercream.
“It’s famous, right? So tell me how many thousands of times they got requested for that recipe?” Forest said. “So it’s in here.”
The recipes are passed down through generations of families.
“People who don’t even know their history of that region say, ‘Oh, my gosh. My grandmother made that cookie. We called it a Kipful,’” Forest said.
She went on to explain that when she heard the word Kipful she pictured a savory bread roll shaped like a crescent, but the person was talking about a nut cookie. She said a friend of the family said that her grandmother used to make the cookies.
“It was from her oma, right, and they didn’t even realize it’s such a cultural, regional recipe,” Forest said.
Sometimes, grandparents cook with measurements that aren’t precise. A lot of times it’s “a little bit of this and a little bit of that.” Forest said there is a little bit of that shown in the cookbook.
“Because they’re trying their best, they’ll say, ‘OK, a half a cup plus two tablespoons and a teaspoon,’” Forest said. “Because they’re trying to get it (right).”
She added that the recipes could differ due to humidity and that there are descriptions such as “until it looks like oatmeal” or “until it looks right.” Forest found that they were right as she was making the recipes.
For some people, the recipes are one of the memories they have of their grandparents.
The future generations are carrying on the recipes in the club, Forest said. She also said it’s one of the things that’s hard to do digitally.
“I can look something up on Pinterest and it looks beautiful, and I can try,” Forest said. “But it’s different, then, when you go to an event and a lady brings these fabulous cookies and you talk about it. It’s like, it connects you so much more than a picture and a telephone.”
I think of collecting these recipe books as collecting pieces of the people who created them. I don’t know what their life was like, but I get to see a little slice of it through the recipes they create and the ones they shared so future generations can carry on their traditions.
Cooking is a way I show my love to my friends and family and to have the opportunity to share in their recipes is something I will cherish for the rest of my life.
After the second or third time making Chrusciki with my grandmother, she asked why we needed to cook with her if we already had the recipe. When I heard these words, I thought it wasn’t about the recipe itself, but the time spent with her that truly mattered.
Call Staff Writer Alyssa Ochss at (586) 498-1103.
Photo by: Lori Hannon
Students
from page 5A
the student population, compared to 11,061 traditional students, or 59.5% of the student population.
Jennifer Berne, provost at Oakland Community College, said she’s pleased that they have so many nontraditional students at OCC. She thinks those students find the college to be convenient and that they have a wide range of modalities.
“They can take classes face to face, they can take them online, they can take them hybrid,” Berne said. “And that seems to be consistent with the demands of nontraditional students who are often working, taking care of families and have a myriad of responsibilities beyond the classroom.”
Some nontraditional students as well as young students may be nervous to start classes, Berne said.
“College is a big commitment and a big responsibility.” Berne said. “But our nontraditional students tend to do quite well.”
She thinks the way younger students and older students interact with each other is really enriching.
“Nontraditional students often have life experience,” Berne said. “Experience in the
workplace, experience from being parents that they bring to the classroom, and it really adds a texture and, I don’t know, a nuance
that is very fortifying for everybody.”
A large portion of nontraditional students are in the Associate of Arts program at
OCC, Berne
and that is designed to be a transfer program.
John Andree, 58, edits a picture
digital photography class at Oakland Community College. The engineer of over 30 years is
Photo by Dean Vaglia
said,
Mackinac
from page 12A
of Woodfill’s walking stick collection. If you’re a fan of the hotel’s colorful, bright decor, you’ll be pleased to know the Grand has renewed its partnership with the acclaimed design firm Dorothy Draper & Co. and there is now a retail shop on the property — Dorothy Draper Home at Grand Hotel.
Lastly, on the mainland, the first new building constructed at Colonial Michilimackinac — part of Mackinac State Historic Parks — since 2013 will open in early July and tells the seldom-told story of enslaved people at the settlement. Located at the east end of the Southwest Rowhouse, the building hosts the Slavery in the Straits exhibit.
Combining archaeological and archival research, the exhibit shows how slavery was an integral part of the fort community — as well as the rest of Michigan — throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. Enslaved Black and Native American men and women worked in all levels of society, doing everything from domestic work to skilled labor.
The role slavery played at Colonial Michilimackinac has been explored in recent years. State park officials introduced a walking tour of the fort describing slavery in 2020 and have kept the tour on the schedule since then.
“Once we knew that we would have a new gallery space at the fort the decision was made to expand on this subject and dedicate an exhibit to the topic,” says Dominick Miller, chief of marketing for the Mackinac parks. “Slavery was an integral part of the community at Michilimackinac, and this allows us to highlight some of these people who were enslaved at the fort.”
Already a hub of the Great Lakes fur trade, Michilimackinac also served as the center of the regional trade in enslaved workers as French and British colonists exploited pre existing systems of Native American enslavement to feed a growing demand for enslaved labor.
For information on the Mackinac State Historic Parks, visit mackinacparks.com. For information on Mackinac Island, visit mackinacisland.org.
Greg Tasker is a Traverse City-based freelance writer.
VOTERS TO CONSIDER PRIMARY CANDIDATES, BALLOT PROPOSALS
In the Macomb Township Chronicle’s coverage area, voters will select candidates for various offices in federal, county and state primary elections on Aug. 6. Macomb Township residents are being asked to consider a millage to fund the township’s Fire Department, and a proposed operating millage renewal is on the ballot for voters in the Chippewa Valley Schools district.
Candidates were asked, in 75 words or fewer, to state their top goal(s) if elected. If a candidate went over the word limit, (…) replaces the rest of the answer. (I) indicates the
U.S. Senate
Two candidates are running for the Democratic nomination and four candidates are running for the Republican nomination to compete for one six-year term in November.
Democrat
Hill Harper Age: 58
Occupation: Actor, Author, Activist Municipality of residence: Detroit
For how long: 8 Years
Online campaign information: www.hillharper.com/
Education: Harvard Law School J.D. Cum Laude, 1992
• John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University M.A. with Honors, Public Administration,1992
• Brown University B.A. Magna Cum Laude, Economics/Sociology (Valedictorian) 1988
• US Marine Corps OCS, Platoon Leaders Class 1, Honors Graduate, Quantico, VA 1986
Previously and currently held elected offices: None
Top goals: As your U.S. Senator, my top goals would be ensuring universal healthcare for every American, safeguarding reproductive rights for all, enacting common sense gun reform to enhance public safety, reducing car insurance rates to ease financial burdens, increasing funding for education to improve our schools, and passing the PRO Act to protect workers’ rights and strengthen unions. These priorities reflect my commitment to creating a fairer, healthier, and safer society for everyone in our state.
Democrat
Elissa Slotkin
Age: 47
Occupation: U.S. Representative (MI-07) Municipality of residence: Holly
For how long: Grew up in Michigan; I now live on my family farm Online campaign information: elissaslotkin.org
Education: Cornell University - College of Agriculture and Life Science, Bachelor’s Degree and Columbia University - School of International and Public Affairs, Master of International Affairs
Previously and currently held elected offices: U.S. Representative (Formerly MI-08, now MI-07 due to redistricting): Top goals: My number one priority is to make it easier for Michiganders to get into the middle class. Michigan invented the middle class by maintaining a strong union presence and making investments in small businesses. We can keep people there by reducing healthcare costs, putting Americans on the path to homeownership and making more critical items in America. I am committed to restoring the national standard set by Roe, and ensuring voting rights for every American.
Republican Justin Amash
Age: 44
Occupation: Lawyer and small business
owner
Municipality of residence: Cascade Charter Township
For how long: 20+ years in Cascade. I’ve lived my whole life in Michigan. Online campaign information: www.justinamash.com
Education: A.B., Economics, University of Michigan; J.D., University of Michigan Law School
Previously and currently held elected offices: U.S. Representative, 2011-2021; Michigan State Representative, 2009- 2010 Top goals: My priorities are to follow the Constitution, protect everyone’s rights, uphold the Rule of Law, restore representative government, read the bills, stop governing by emergency, balance the budget, defend economic freedom, end the forever war, and oppose the surveillance state.
candidate is an incumbent. The answers are printed verbatim except where material is omitted due to personal attacks or items we know to be false or that are blatant misrepresentations.
Candidates running unopposed during the primary election appear listed by name and party only. Those candidates will be afforded an opportunity to submit a full candidate profile prior to the general election in November.
Ballot proposals listed below mirror the language on file with county elections officials.
Republican Sherry O’Donnell
Age: 62
Occupation: Physician/ Business owner private medical practice
Municipality of residence: Stevensville; Berrien County
For how long: 24 years
Online campaign information: Docsherry2024.com
Education: Bachelor Degrees in Biology and Chemistry/Minor in Psychology-Hastings College, NE
Doctor of Osteopathy: College of Osteopathic Medicine OK State University: Tulsa, OK
Ministerial Certificate: Biblical studies: Victory Bible Institute, Tulsa, OK
Previously and currently held elected offices: None
Top goals: Securing the Borders and Inflation
Failure to secure our borders has many consequences. It jeopardizes public safety and national security. It is worsening our inflation. It also diminishes the value of citizenship in our nation.
Dr. O’Donnell has been to the border and is endorsed by Tom Homan, former director of I.C.E under President Trump.
We must enact a balanced budget and stop reckless spending and entitlements. Dr. O’Donnell signed the “No New Tax” pledge
Republican Sandy Pensler
Age: 67
Occupation: Manufacturer and economist. Owner of Pensler Capital and Korex Companies
Municipality of residence: Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan
For how long: No answer given. Online campaign information: sandypensler.com
Education: Sandy worked his way through Yale University where in just four years he earned a B.A. in Chemical Engineering, a B.A. in Economics and an M.A. in
Economics – receiving high honors in all degrees. He received his law degree, with honors, from Harvard.
Previously held and currently held elected offices: No answer given.
Top goals: Restore moral direction to our decision making. Spend only on what we need not on what we want. This will reduce the deficit, inflation and interest rates. Rely on market mechanisms and competition to solve problems rather than government directives. Support decisions based on merit not skin color or creed. In foreign policy, weakness begets aggression. Stop funding terrorists if you do not want terrorism. Stop illegal immigration stone cold -no benefits except for legals.
Republican Mike Rogers
Age: 61
Occupation: Candidate for U.S. Senate, Army Veteran, Former Congressman, State Senator, and FBI Special Agent.
Municipality of residence: Brighton, MI
For how long: Nearly 50 years Online campaign information: rogersforsenate.com
Education: Adrian College and the University of Michigan
Previously and currently held elected offices: U.S. Representative (2001-2015), Michigan State Senator (1995-2000)
Top goals: Families are struggling under the current administration and are desperately in need of relief from the high costs of gas and groceries. As a Congressman, I earned a reputation as someone who got results for Michiganders by working across the aisle, and in the Senate, I’ll bring my experience to slash inflation, lower the cost of living for families, and secure our southern border to stop the flow of crime and deadly drugs.
Harper
Slotkin
Amash
O’Donnell
Pensler
Rogers
Election
U.S. House of Representatives
District 10
Five candidates, including one write-in candidate, are running for the Democratic nomination and one candidate is running for the Republican nomination to compete for one two-year term in November.
Democrat
Emily Busch
Age: 52
Occupation: Running for office full time after 30 years working in the business sector doing sales and leading professional development initiatives
Municipality of residence: Village of Oxford, Oakland County
For how long: I’ve lived in Oakland County for 30 years
Online campaign information: emilyformichigan.com
Education: B.A. in Biology, Indiana State University; M.S. in Management, Strategy & Leadership, Michigan State University
Previously and currently held elected offices: n/a
Top goals: My son ran for his life from a school shooter, so for me, keeping our families safe and standing up for our rights is personal. In Congress, I will fight for your kids just as hard as I do my own, fight for commonsense gun safety solutions, protect abortion rights, safeguard Social Security and Medicare, lower costs, and make our economy work better for Michigan families.
Democrat
Carl J. Marlinga Age: 77
Occupation: Attorney (retired Judge)
Municipality of residence: Sterling Heights
For how long: 44 years
Online campaign information: www.marlinga4congress.com
Education: Graduate University of Michigan Law School, 1971; Graduate University of Detroit, summa cum laude, 1968. Previously and currently held elected offices: Macomb County Prosecuting Attorney, 1985-2004; Macomb County Probate Judge, 2013-2017; Macomb County Circuit Court Judge, 2017-2022.
Top goals: I have four goals: (1) Protecting our Great Lakes. I oppose drilling for oil in Lake St. Clair and I want to increase
the budget for the EPA. (2) Easing the cost of living. Big Oil and the OPEC countries cannot get away with gouging us at the gas pump. (3) Defending women’s rights, including reproductive health care. (4) Saving Democracy. Every vote should count, and the electoral college should be abolished.
Write-in Democrat
Rhonda Powell
Age: 54 years old
Occupation: Nonprofit Director
Municipality of residence: Mount Clemens
For how long: 23 years
Online campaign information: www.Write-inRhondaPowell.com
Education: BA Community Service, Siena Heights University, MS Human Service, Capella University
Previously and currently held elected offices: N/A
Top goals: Rhonda Powell is a native of Macomb County, a proven leader and advocate for people of the 10th Congressional District, that Washington continues to leave behind. She will fight to ensure pre-K for all children, affordable housing, broad investment in small business development and will help working families not just get by but get ahead. Use the power of the Pen for Change in District 10 and write RHONDA POWELL in!
Democrat
Tiffany Tilley
Age: 47
Occupation: Realtor
Municipality of residence: West Bloomfield
For how long: Two years.
Online campaign information: www.tiffanytilleyforcongress.com
Education: Rochester College (Rochester University), I received a B.S. in Organizational Leadership and Communications; University of Detroit Mercy I received an MBA geared towards finance and international business. Previously and currently held elected offices: I am currently a statewide elected official representing Michigan. I ran in 2018 on the democratic ticket for the State Board of Education receiving almost 1.8M votes. I serve as the Co-Vice President on the Board.
Top goals: Our top priorities are WEE:
Women’s Rights, Education, and the Economy.
Women’s Rights: Ensuring equal pay, reproductive rights, and protections against gender-based violence.
Education: Investing in quality and affordable education for all, reducing class sizes, equitable funding, increasing access to early childhood programs, and increasing support for teachers as well as support staff.
Economy: Promoting job creation, ensuring fair wages for all workers, supporting small businesses with grants, loans, capital funds, and earned tax incentives.
Democrat
Diane Young Age: 59
Occupation: Fiduciary Financial Planner and small business owner Municipality of residence: Warren For how long: 7 years Online campaign information: www.dianeyoungforcongress.com
Education: Stony Brook University - B.A. Previously and currently held elected offices: None
Top goals: My top goals for congress are protecting Social Security and Medicare by fully funding both programs, fighting rising costs and inflation, defending reproductive freedom by enshrining Roe v. Wade into law, combating climate change by creating more investment opportunities in clean energy; and streamlining our tax code to give middle class families a break and make big corporations pay their fair share.
Republican John James (I)
Running unopposed.
State House of Representatives District 59
One candidate is running unopposed for the Democratic nomination and two candidates are running for the Republican nomination to compete for one two-year term in November.
Democrat Jason Pulaski
Running unopposed.
Republican Douglas C. Wozniak (I) Age: 77
Occupation: Elder Law Attorney
Municipality of residence: Shelby Township
For how long: 30 years
Online campaign information: dougwozniak.com
Education: Bachelor of Mathmatics from U of M and Juris Doctorate/Law Degree from MSU
Previously and currently held elected offices: State Representative (current); State Senator (previous); Shelby Twp Board of Trustees (previous)
Top goals: My top goal, now and in each of my previous elected and appointed positions, has always been to support public policy that allows residents to live, thrive and prosper in an environment that protects personal freedoms, while providing for public safety, essential services, and fiscally responsible investment in community amenities. It is every elected official’s responsibility to be a good steward of public trust and resources, and to fulfill the expressed interests of the electorate.
Republican
Jean Zott Age: 60
Occupation: Retired Controller, CPA & Small Business Owner
Municipality of residence: Shelby Township
For how long: 2000
Online campaign information: jeanzottformichigan.com
Education: Central Michigan University, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a Major in Accounting (1985) Previously and currently held elected offices: None
Top goals: Jean Zott’s mission is to bring her financial expertise to Michigan’s legislative landscape. Her professional career includes work as a CPA, corporate controller for Michigan’s largest retail produce company and a small business owner. Her commitment extends to ongoing education in tax law and regulatory compliance, aiming to bring her extensive tax and budgeting knowledge to Michigan’s governance. The current legislature lacks any CPAs in the House and Senate. Jean seeks to fill this void.
Busch
Marlinga
Powell
Young
Tilley
Wozniak
Zott
Election
State House of Representatives District 60
One candidate is running unopposed as a Democrat and one candidate is running unopposed as a Republican to compete for one two-year term in November.
Democrat Shelly Fraley
Running unopposed.
Republican Joseph Aragona (I)
Running unopposed.
Macomb County Prosecuting Attorney
One candidate is running unopposed as a Democrat and one candidate is running unopposed as a Republican to compete for one four-year term in November.
Democrat Christina Hines
Running unopposed.
Republican Peter J. Lucido (I)
Running unopposed.
Macomb County Sheriff
One candidate is running unopposed as a Democrat and three candidates are running for the Republican nomination to compete for one four-year term in November.
Democrat Anthony Wickersham (I)
Running unopposed.
Republican
Terence Mekoski
Age: 59
Occupation: Retired
Municipality of residence: Shelby Township
For how long: 3 years
Online campaign information: mekoski.com
Previously and currently held elected offices: Fmr. MI State Representative 36th District
Top goals: To serve as a Constitutional Sheriff to assign more patrol deputies to protect Macomb County’s borders, attack human sex trafficking organizations, expand the Narcotic En-
forcement Task Force to address the opioid/ fentanyl epidemic. Implement a school liaison officer in all Macomb County schools to protect our children and implement a Sheriff’s Posse with retired law enforcement, former military, additional reserve deputies and trained citizens to protect Macomb County in the case of a critical incident.
Republican Eddie Kabacinski
Age: 50
Occupation: RETIRED / DISABLED MILITARY COMBAT VETERAN
Municipality of residence: CITY OF WARREN
For how long: 20 YEARS SINCE 2003
Online campaign information: www. ekabacinskicommittee.wixsite.com/eddie
Education: CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION DIVISION COURSE, MILITARY POLICE INVESTIGATOR COURSE, PRIMARY LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT COURSE, MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY ENFORCEMENT, UNITED STATES ARMY MILITARY POLICE ACADEMY, CITY OF INKSTER POLICE ACADEMY, PHYSICAL SECURITY AND CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION TACTICS - LAWTON SCHOOL.
Previously and currently held elected offices: FORMER CITY OF WARREN 5TH DISTRICT COUNCILMAN
Top goals: IT IS MY INTENTION TO SERVE AS CONSERVATIVE SHERIFF UNDER YOUR CONSTITUTIONAL LIMITED REPUBLIC. I WILL APPOINT TERENCE MEKOSKI AND SCOTT BUDNICK AS SHERIFFS. WE WILL SERVE UNITED TOGETHER. I WILL ADHERE TO THE PRINCIPLES OF OUR INALIENABLE GOD GIVEN RIGHTS TO UPHOLD, SUPPORT, AND DEFEND YOUR FREEDOM AND LIBERTY UNDER YOUR FEDERAL AND MICHIGAN CONSTITUTIONS.
I WILL NOT INFRINGE ON YOUR RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS. I WILL HONOR OUR SANCTUARY COUNTY STATUS.
Republican Scott Budnick
Age: 53 years old
Occupation: Police Officer
Municipality of residence: Macomb County Resident, Macomb Township
For how long: Homeowner built my house 8 years ago, and I have lived all my adult life in Macomb County Online campaign information: Scottbudnickforsheriff.com
Education: 2014 Union Institute and University, Bachelor of Science (Law Enforcement Management)
2000 Macomb Community College, Associate Degree (Law Enforcement)
2012 Macomb Community College, Associate Degree (General Studies) 2018 Macomb Community College, Certificate (Law Enforcement with Police Academy)
2019 Macomb Community College, Certificate (Homeland Security)
Previously and currently held elected offices: I have never run nor held any elected office in the past, I am not nor have I ever been a politician.
Top goals: My top priority is putting an armed officer in every Macomb County school, both private schools and public schools. This is nonnegotiable, our children will be protected.
Second is our border. I will cooperate with Border Patrol, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to assist with the capture and removal of criminal illegal aliens, human smuggling, and drug enforcement.
Third is protecting our senior population against those who attempt to commit criminal acts against them.
Macomb County Clerk and Register of Deeds
Two candidates are running for the Democratic nomination and three candidates are running for the Republican nomination to compete for one four-year term in November.
Democrat
David Adams
Age: 55
Occupation: Public School Teacher
Municipality of residence: Bruce Twp. For how long: 10 years Online campaign information: No answer given.
religion, ethnic background, socioeconomic status or political ideology. I will always thoroughly vet all potential applicants to the clerk’s office for their integrity and commitment to service for the people of Macomb County.
Democrat
Steve Fleck Age: 44
Occupation: Artist / Rideshare / Small Business Owner
Municipality of residence: Eastpointe
For how long: over 12 years
Online campaign information: sjfleck.com
Education: College Degree / Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan & Oakland University
Previously and currently held elected offices: None
Top goals: Securing the Election, Extending election times and availability, & a Timely Election. Hiring more staff and having more volunteers. Working to get laws passed that will make it easier to vote and creating campaigns to get more people to vote. Working for the people.
Republican Kristi Dean Age: 59
Occupation: UWM in Pontiac (United Wholesale Mortgage)
Municipality of residence: Shelby Township For how long: 20 years Online campaign information: No answer given. Education: PhD Previously and currently held elected offices: Macomb Community College Trustee
Top goals: Holistically observing the current business processes and identify any bottlenecks create/develop work arounds to streamline and look for cost savings for the office and taxpayers of Macomb County.
Education: M.A. Linguistics, Oakland University, B.A. Secondary Education, Wayne State University, Previously and currently held elected offices: I have never run for or held an elected office before Top goals: As a candidate for Macomb County Clerk I can promise the citizens of Macomb County that I will work tirelessly to provide efficient service to all citizens regardless of gender, race,
Republican
Anthony G. Forlini (I)
Age: 62
Occupation: Macomb County Clerk, Register of Deeds
Municipality of residence: Harrison Township
For how long: 37 years
Online campaign information: http://www.anthonyforlini.com/
Education: Bachelor of Business Administration, Western Michigan University
Fleck
Dean
Kabacinski
Budnick
Election
Previously and currently held elected offices:
• 2004-2010 Harrison Township Supervisor
• 2011-2016 Michigan State Representative for St. Clair Shores, Harrison Township, Clinton Township, Macomb Township
• 2020-Present Macomb County Clerk/Register of Deeds
Top goals: Four years ago my goal was to provide great customer service. Today you get a real person that is knowledgeable that picks up the phone-no voicemail. Long customer wait times have all been eliminated, most services take just minutes. Future goals 1) Perform the greatest upgrade in our history to the Register of Deeds search capabilities. 2) Upgrade election night reporting. 3) Complete the process of properly storing county records.
Republican
Jackie Ryan
Age: 62
Occupation: Self Employed
Municipality of residence: Sterling Heights
For how long: 26 years
Online campaign information: Ryan For Macomb (Facebook)
Education: Accounting and Business Degrees
Previously and currently held elected offices: Precinct Delegate
Top goals: As Macomb County Clerk, my Top Goals are to Serve the Families of Macomb County (not be a county store) “The People’s Clerk” keeping their records lowcost, accurate and secured; provide election integrity for the Voters in Macomb County by using “We The People’s” system of hand counting, proof of citizenship and one day voting; provide a website for all Candidates/Proposals before the election to increase voter participation and “People’s Audit” every election.
Macomb County Treasurer
One candidate is running unopposed as a Democrat and one candidate is running unopposed as a Republican to compete for one four-year term in November.
Democrat
Matthew T. Churchwell
Running unopposed.
Republican
Larry Rocca (I)
Running unopposed.
Macomb County Public Works Commissioner
One candidate is running unopposed as a Democrat and one candidate is running unopposed as a Republican to compete for one four-year term in November.
Democrat
Kevin Higgins
Running unopposed.
Republican
Candice S. Miller (I)
Running unopposed.
Macomb County Board of Commissioners District 4
One candidate is running unopposed as a Democrat and one candidate is running unopposed as a Republican to compete for one four-year term in November.
Democrat
Deneen Brewer
Running unopposed.
Republican Joe Sabatini (I)
Running unopposed.
Macomb County Board of Commissioners District 7
Two candidates are running for the Democratic nomination and one candidate is running unopposed as a Republican to compete for one four-year term in November.
Democrat
Frank Borsellino
Age: 52
Occupation: Security protection and business owner
Municipality of residence: Years 8
For how long: Clinton Township Education: high school diploma
Online campaign information: bankonfrank2024.com coming soon
Previously and currently held elected offices: I have not held any previously elected offices.
Top goals: My goal is to make sure all citizens are treated and represented fairly.
Democrat Edlira Sako
Age: 44
Occupation: Teacher
Municipality of residence: Clinton Township
For how long: 12 Years Online campaign information: www.facebook.com/VoteSako
Education: Attending: Wayne State University Masters (MA) Counseling Psychology
Wayne State University, Bachelor of Arts (BA) — Dual Majors in Psychology and Political Science, with Honors. University of Tirana, Albania, Bachelor of Arts (BA) — Political Science and Government.
Previously and currently held elected offices: I am a first time running candidate for County Commission District 7
Top goals: People’s daily lives are impacted by county level decisions. Satisfying citizens needs, facilitating effective governance, emphasis on open communication, mutual respect, and responsible spending is essential. My top three priorities are: road repairs through the County Department of Roads, investment in water and sewage infrastructure - including recreation and safe drinking water, and mental health support — as a student working on a Masters degree in counseling — I see the value in greater understanding of one another.
Republican
James M. Perna (I)
Running unopposed.
Macomb Township Supervisor
Two candidates are running for the Republican nomination to appear on the ballot for this four-year term in November. No Democrats filed to run for this office.
Republican Frank J Viviano (I)
Age: 53
Occupation: Macomb Township Supervisor
Municipality of residence: Macomb Township
For how long: 25 Years
Online campaign information: vivianoformacomb.com
Education: DeLaSalle Collegiate Highschool, Hillsdale College (BA Accounting), University of Detroit-Mercy School of Law (JD)
Previously and currently held elected offices: Macomb Township Supervisor
Top goals: I want to continue making the
improvements that were long neglected by the township. I’ve already added two new parks and completed miles of new roads. I am planning improvements to every park so that our public spaces are inviting to every resident. We have multiple road project we are coordinating with the county that will bring much needed relief to residents. And I will always fight to keep our taxes low without sacrificing service.
Republican Mark H. Grabow
Age: Currently 56 years of Age
Occupation: CEO of Brentwood’s DET Municipality of residence: Macomb Twp Resident
For how long: 56 Proud Years
Online campaign information: markgrabow.com
Education: Graduated Anchor Bay High School, Attended New Haven Community Schools & Macomb Community College
Previously and currently held elected offices: Deputy Supervisor of Lenox Twp, Former Supervisor of Macomb Twp, Former Macomb Twp Firefighter 18 years, Retired Dupont Corporation 23 years
Top goals: Most Important issues..The Slowing of the Urban Sprawl and unnecessary builds of items to clog the beauty and tranquility of Macomb Twp. Our residents need easy access with COMPLETE and FULL service infrastructure. I have a full plan for the mass improvement. Working with the residents FOR the Residents are Key Components!
Macomb Township Clerk
One candidate is running unopposed as a Republican to appear on the ballot for this four-year term in November. No Democrats filed to run for this office.
Republican
Kristi L. Pozzi (I) Running unopposed.
Borsellino
Sako
Viviano
Grabow
Forlini
Ryan
Election
Macomb Township Treasurer
One candidate is running unopposed as a Republican to appear on the ballot for this four-year term in November. No Democrats filed to run for this office.
Republican Leon Drolet (I)
Running unopposed.
Macomb Township Board of Trustees
Seven candidates are running for four Republican nominations to appear on the ballot for four four-year terms in November. No Democrats filed to run in this race.
Republican Frank Cusumano (I)
Age: 61
Occupation: ATTORNEY AT LAW
Municipality of residence: MACOMB TOWNSHIP
For how long: 23 YEARS
Online campaign information: www.frankcusumano.com
Education: University of Michigan, AB/ Phb - 1985; and UDM, Juris Doctorate1989
Previously and currently held elected offices: Trustee Macomb Community College 2012-present; and Trustee Macomb Township, 2020 – Present. GOP Macomb Township Precinct Delegate 2008 - Present Top goals: Respect. Integrity. Professionalism. Fiscal Discipline.
I am a fiscal conservative. “Politics” is the power to tax/set fees (or reduce them), to allocate resource/burdens, and regulate behavior by constitutional ordinance. It is NOT “gotcha” political theater. If re-elected, I aim to stay the course set by the current Board and be professional and respectful to those that disagree and vote to reduce taxes through more efficient government.
Thank you for allowing me to serve.
Republican Daniel J Hickson
Age: 55
Occupation: Director of Human Resources at KNA Solutions.
Municipality of residence: Macomb Township
For how long: 8 Years
Online campaign information: www.danieljhickson.com
Education: BS Political Science from University of Michigan - Dearborn
Previously and currently held elected offices: N/A
Top goals: My objective for running is to ensure that Macomb will attract & retain couples and their children. To increase the value of their homes. To sustain a safe community where God and family will flourish together. I want to make sure that the roads in our community continue to provide safe and adequate room that is commensurate with the new housing developments throughout our community.
Republican Terri Kowal
Age: 74
Occupation: Temp/Part Time Election
Assistant
Municipality of residence: Macomb Township
For how long: 5+ years
Online campaign information: Facebook Page: CTE Terri Kowal
Education: Registered Nurse, Certified Municipal Clerk (CMC), Master Municipal Clerk (MMC)
Previously and currently held elected offices: Elected Township Trustee in Shelby, 1990 - 1996. Elected Shelby Township Clerk 1996 - 2012; Appointed City Clerk Auburn Hills, 2012 - 2018; Appointed Deputy by Supervisor Janet Dunn, 5-2020; Appointed Deputy by Supervisor Frank Viviano 11-2020 -until 9-2022; when I left to have mandatory surgery.
Top goals: My top goal is to keep the property tax rate as low as possible while still improving roads, recreation facilities, and generally maintaining the quality of life which we all enjoy in our township. There is a reason that we need new and improved roads; it’s because we keep growing. Macomb Township is becoming a destination for young families, empty nesters, and senior citizens. I love this township and if you vote me into office I will do my best to make it an even better place to live and work.
Republican Peter J. Lucido III (I)
Age: 42
Occupation: Insurance Agent
Municipality of residence: Macomb Township
For how long: 20 years
Online campaign information: www.electpeterlucido3.com
Education: Degree (Major in Communication Minor in Political Science) From Oakland University 2004, Graduate De La Salle High School 2000
Previously and currently held elected offices: Current Macomb Township Trustee
Top goals: I want to continue the great work that the current board of trustees has done over the last 4 years, I pledge common sense leadership where political party and special interest are not the driving force, but rather the best interests of the people of township as a whole are at the forefront.
As a fiscal conservative I will continue to deliver the best value for your tax dollars.
Republican Charlie Oliver (I)
Age: 69
Occupation: Farming
Municipality of residence: Macomb Township
For how long: 55 years
Online campaign information: www.charlieoliver4macomb.com
Education: Courses at Macomb Community College, MSU Extension-Citizen Planner Certificate and various farming seminars. Previously and currently held offices: 1988-2004 and 2020 to current Trustee Macomb Township.
Top goals: Continue to support the Fire Department with equipment, promotions, and staff training needs. Keep contracting with the County Sheriff for a dedicated number of officers in Macomb Township at a large savings to residents. Support the Park and Recreation programs for All ages and improvements as needed. Continue giving our share of the money to upgrade our roads and add more sidewalks. Keep applying and receiving as many grants as possible to keep taxes lower.
Republican Ronald P. Papa Jr.
Age: 56
Occupation: Technical Product Manager at Stellantis and Adjunct Professor at Oakland University
Municipality of residence: Macomb Township
For how long: 25 years Online campaign information: www.RonaldPapa.com
Education: Ph.D. in Management Information Systems, Master’s Degree in Finance, and Bachelor’s Degree in Communications
Previously and current held elected offices: Republican Precinct Delegate
Top goals: Having served as the Vice Chair of the Macomb Township Board of Ethics for the past four years, I would like to see a newly updated and comprehensive ethics ordinance passed. While this might not seem like an urgent issue to some, we must remember that we are only one election cycle removed from a board that had faced multiple legal and ethical charges that resulted in the removal of board members.
Republican
John Parkinson Age: 51
Occupation: Business Owner
Municipality of residence: Macomb Township
For how long: 22 years
Online campaign information: Parkinson for Macomb Township Trustee (facebook) Education: Alumnus of L’Anse Creuse North High School, MCC
Previously and currently held elected offices: No previous office held Top goals: Infrastructure, to support our growing township, Water storage to reduce water rates, I believe it’s time for a complete full time Fire Department. I feel we need to watch our master plan closely and not change it to fit the needs of special interests groups.
Judge of Probate CourtNew Judgeship Position
Three candidates are running for one six-year term.
Jevona C. Fudge
Age: 47
Occupation: Deputy Chief/Assistant Prosecutor in the Family Division
Municipality of residence: St Clair Shores
For how long: 2 Years Online campaign information:
www.jfudgeforjudge.com
Education: Juris Doctor
Previously and currently held elected offices: None
Top goals: I am running
Cusumano
Hickson
Kowal
Lucido
Oliver Papa
Parkinson
Fudge
for Probate Judge to continue my work as a public servant for all communities. My top goals as a newly elected Probate Judge would be to assist in addressing the high volume of cases in a timely manner, promote equal access to justice, attentively and compassionately listen to the facts of each case and apply the law fairly, work with mental health professionals to assist families care for their loved ones.
Aaron J. Hall
Age: 35
Occupation: Chief of the Probate Unit at the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office Municipality of residence: Clinton Township
For how long: 5 years in Clinton Township, 34 years in Macomb County. Online campaign information: HallForProbateJudge.com
Education: University of Detroit Mercy School of Law (J.D.), Oakland University (B.A.) with Honors.
Previously and currently held elected offices: N/A
Top goals: As a cancer survivor, I understand firsthand the importance of peace of mind to families navigating the challenges of caring for their loved ones. As Judge, I will modernize the technological infrastructure of the Macomb County Probate Court. This will provide a better experience for the public and faster results. Mental illness petitions, protecting the disabled and seniors, and safeguarding family assets while upholding estate wishes are issues too important for needless delays.
Benjamin A. Schock
Age: 48
Occupation: Probate and Elder Law Attorney
Municipality of residence: Macomb Township
For how long: 10 years (lifetime Macomb County Resident)
Online campaign information: www.schockforprobate.com
Education: Macomb Lanse Creuse High School North, Michigan State University, B.A in
Political Science Pre Law, Michigan State University College of Law
Previously and currently held elected offices: None
Top goals: As a Judge, I would continue protecting seniors and vulnerable individu-
als from abuse. I will look to use the role of judge to further protect susceptible individuals. I have over 18 years of probate court experience, under both the Estates and Protected Individuals and Mental Health Codes. I am deeply committed to serve Macomb County as a fair, honest, dedicated and impartial probate court judge; ethically upholding the principles of justice, integrity, and compassion.
Chippewa Valley Schools
Operating Millage Renewal Proposal
This proposal would renew and restore the authority of the School District to continue to levy the statutory limit of 18 mills on all property, except principal residences (owner occupied homes) and other property exempt by law, for general operating purposes, which currently expires with the School District’s 2024 tax levy and allow the School District to continue to levy the statutory limit of 18 mills in the event of future Headlee rollbacks of up to 1 mill. This authorization will allow the School District to continue to receive revenues at the full per pupil foundation allowance permitted by the State.
Shall the limitation on the total amount of taxes which may be assessed against all property, except principal residences and other property exempted by law, situated within the Chippewa Valley Schools, County of Macomb, Michigan, be increased in the amount of 19 mills with 18 mills being the maximum allowable annual levy ($18.00 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation), for a period of ten (10) years, 2025 to 2034, inclusive? This operating millage if approved and levied, would provide estimated revenues to the School District of $16,500,000 during the 2025 calendar year, to be used for general operating purposes.
Macomb Township Fire Millage
Proposal to continue funding operations, facilities, equipment, and employment costs for the Macomb Township Fire Department with a millage rate of 2.0 mills which will replace a special assessment of 2.0 mills
Shall the Township of Macomb, County of Macomb, Michigan replace the expiring 2.0 mill special assessment that funds fire department operations with a millage authorizing not more than 2.0 mills to fund operations, facilities, equipment, and employment costs for the Macomb Township Fire Department for a period of eight (8) years?
The estimated revenue to be collected in the first year that the millage is levied is $10,041,641.00.
The millage authorizes not more than Two and 00/100 ($2.00) Dollars per One Thousand and 00/100 ($1,000.00) Dollars (2.0 mills), of which no more than One and
90/100 ($1.90) Dollars per One Thousand and 00/100 ($1,000.00) Dollars (1.9 mills) of taxable value shall be levied for a period of eight (8) years. The remaining (.10/100 ($.10) Dollars (.1 mills) shall only be levied to restore revenues lost due to rate reductions required by the Headlee amendment.
Hall
Schock
Students
“Students who complete their Associate’s of Arts, sometimes take that Associate’s of Arts and go to work or get a promotion in their job,” Berne said. “But also, often they transfer to a four-year (college).”
She recommends nontraditional students take as many classes as possible that fit into their schedules.
“What we find for our nontraditional students is if they can go just a little bit more quickly through their studies, they tend to be more successful,” Berne said.
Shane Lewis, director of undergraduate admissions at Oakland University, said last fall they had almost 13,000 undergraduate students and around 2,000 nontraditional students, or about 15% of the total. There were only around 10 first-year nontraditional students or adult learners. Transfers took up about 30% of the population.
“So it’s a little bit larger percentage of the students who are coming with credits from another university or the community colleges,” Lewis said.
He said he would say the top major for undergraduate nontraditional students is the second-degree Bachelor of Science in nursing.
“It’s for students who have already earned a bachelor’s degree and they want to come back, and they want a second bachelor’s in nursing,” Lewis said.
This degree has an accelerated program, Lewis said, and it is for those who are looking for a career change. Their nursing completion program is also an accelerated program, and it allows students to continue their careers in nursing while taking online classes.
“A lot of our adult learner students find that very convenient for their lives,” Lewis said about the degree. “Many adult learners have jobs; they have children or families that they’re caring for and so convenience is always a big factor for those students in terms of course modality.”
He also said that some students are nervous when coming back to school. They have a program called Golden Grizzlies Graduate that started in 2019 and they welcome back students who previously started at the university. It is designed to help a smooth transition back into learning and make it less daunting.
“So much has changed already, just in the buildings,” Lewis said. “So I think for a student who’s been, let’s say, away from Oakland for five, 10, 15, 20 years, they might be a little intimidated to come back and to navigate their way through campus.”
Lewis said that the traditional students welcome the nontraditional students.
“More and more people, I think, are recognizing that what we would call the nontraditional student, which is really the adult learner audience, that group. That population of individuals is actually the new majority of those who are in higher education today across the country,” Lewis said.
Patrick Evans-Mach, associate dean of culinary and IT at Macomb Community College, said his students range in age from 17 to people in their 60s. He said the primary group of students fall in the ages of 18 to 24. He usually gets one or two nontraditional students who join classes out of interest.
“We haven’t seen a big increase since like 2010,” Evans-Mach said. “(That) was when we had our Michigan grant, our Michigan Works! grant that paid for people that were in industry to go back and get retrained. That was when we were at our highest.”
He added when the grant ran out, they saw the number of nontraditional students trail off.
While the traditional students welcome and enjoy having the nontraditional students there, the more “seasoned” students feel a bit awkward at first.
“They will feel very conscious about coming back to class and seeing a bunch of the peers being a lot younger,” Evans-Mach said.
The biggest difficulty nontraditional students have is getting over the fear of coming back to school and indoctrinating themselves with the other students, EvansMach said. He said they have a fear of not belonging due to their age and have the fear of standing out.
“I think they quickly learn that that’s not true and usually they meet someone within the first two classes or first class and make a good connection,” Evans-Mach said.
He also said that some of the older students sometimes have issues with the newer technologies such as videoconferencing platforms.
“For those that maybe have come back to school after retirement or after they have already completed a career, they’re not used to the conferencing tools and the learning management systems like Canvas that we use
here at the college,” Evans-Mach said.
He also said the nontraditional students have a little more resilience and fortitude to apply themselves to their studies.
“And that just comes naturally with being as you mature,” Evans-Mach said. “You tend to be able to be a little bit more, have more foresight or a little bit more earnest in your time management.”
They all have a lot of fun in their classes, Evans-Mach said.
“There’s also opportunities that they will seek me out as far as ways they can better engage the class,” Evans-Mach said. “The biggest part is that they seem to truly enjoy activities.”
He recommends those looking to go back to school take one or two classes to begin with and to engage the instructor.
“Letting them know what they would like to get out of the class,” Evans-Mach said.
McCoury said he recommends others go back to school and work closely with the college guidance counselors. He took classes to allow him to transfer him to a university as well as working toward an associate degree.
“If I would have tried to do it on my own, I would have ended up taking a bunch of stuff that I didn’t need and, yeah, they helped me out a lot,” McCoury said.
Those with $40 VIP tickets also can meet Detroit Red Wings’ organist Lance Luce, and Red Wings alumni Nick Libett, Kevin Miller and John Blum, and will receive a photo standing next to a faux Stanley Cup. There will be a chance for pictures taken inside the Flintstone car and a single-seat Dallara racing car. VIP ticket holders will also be able to watch a live podcast interview hosted by Carini with Bergler, Larivee and two local sprint car racers.
The $25 general admission ticket will provide access to the museum and photo opportunities with the Dallara car and faux Stanley Cup. General entry will begin at 12:30 p.m.
And there are other events planned. Classic car owners are invited to participate in a car show from noon to 4 p.m. in the parking lot adjacent to the museum. Food and drinks will be available for purchase, and attendees will have the opportunity to explore Stahls. The museum is a nonprofit organization that preserves, restores and exhibits vintage vehicles, music machines and memorabilia of the 20th century.
For tickets to the fundraiser, visit stahlsauto.com. Stahls Automotive Collection is located at 56516 N. Bay Drive.
Call Staff Writer Maria Allard at (586) 498-1045.
Cosplay
opportunity for me to get out in a princess costume,” O’Connor said.
She makes most of her own costumes and she loves the design aspect of cosplay.
“Being able to sit down and kind of design my own take on a character and then bring that to life is just so cool,” O’Connor said.
O’Connor said that it does take a lot of time and money but watching the process is fun. Her favorite garments to make are gowns.
“And to see that go from a piece of paper to a real-life 3D gown is just so cool,” O’Connor said.
Her favorite cosplay is her Anastasia gown. Anastasia is the title character from the 1997 film. The entire project took around six months to complete.
At conventions, congoers will sometimes stop cosplayers to take a picture of their cosplay and O’Connor said this is another of her favorite parts of the activity.
“I love being able to meet people,” O’Connor said. “And I love when people appreciate my work. It’s really cool to have that positive feedback.”
At conventions, the market area is usually split into two sides: the dealers hall and the artists alley. O’Connor said she loves to support artists and to interact with others.
Erin McBain is a cosplayer based out of St. Clair Shores. She said she went to her first convention with her comic book club in college.
“I saw everyone dressed up and I was like immediately, ‘Yes, I want to do that,’” McBain said.
She cosplays comic book characters, Disney princesses, characters from the CW show “Supernatural” and many others. She said the hardest part of the hobby is social media and the intensive work put into it.
“I think the biggest problem was probably sometimes getting comments and stuff but overall, the experience is pretty fun,” McBain said.
The work, McBain said, is really fulfilling.
McBain cosplays with friends, by herself and with her husband. Her favorite part of it is the attention she gets from the costumes.
“I know that sounds selfish, but people give you attention for how you look and the way that you made it and it’s very, you feel very accomplished,” McBain said. “And just having it (the costume) on in general by yourself or getting pictures done. It’s just a feeling of accomplishment that you made something from nothing.”
Through cosplay she’s met many different people from around the country. She’s met some of her friends at conventions and outside of conventions. She said she has a lot of fun at the meetups.
Her favorite characters to cosplay are Dean Winchester from “Supernatural” and Supergirl from the DC Universe. Cosplaying a man has a different skill set including makeup, poses and more.
“You’re not just dressing up like a character, you’re putting a character on and then trying to interact like that,” McBain said.
Both McBain and O’Connor said there is con etiquette
See COSPLAY on page 31A
Photo provided by Iyla O’Connor Cosplayers can choose from a lot of characters from popular media including video games and anime.
rience in owning a business, but this was my dream, and I was very drawn to Mount Clemens. I grew up in St. Clair Shores, but I had always heard about Mount Clemens’ history with the baths and the hotels, and I thought Mount Clemens was where I was supposed to be. I just knew it.”
Lombardo opened up the Olympia Salon & Spa — a name derived from one of the major baths of the peak era — originally on Main Street, keeping mineral baths as part of her offerings from day one. Being the only bath house in town was novel for Lombardo’s Olympia as the industry was well dead by the turn of the millennium. While the rise of pain medication is attributed as one of the reasons for the industry’s decline, Bishop knows the exact day the fate of the baths was sealed: Tuesday, Oct. 29, 1929.
“When the stock market crashed in 1929 and we went into a severe depression, they started closing down baths and hotel rooms because they couldn’t rent them,” Bishop said. “People weren’t coming up. They didn’t have disposable income. Everybody was looking for different ways at that time, and that was the big demise. Oct. 29, 1929, was the death knell for Mount Clemens.”
World War II necessitated a shift to manufacturing in Mount Clemens, with industry quickly overtaking hospitality, all while bath houses were left with dwindling patronage. Owners would leave their failing houses to rot, letting fires consume buildings and run off with the insurance payout. Fewer and fewer bath houses and wells remained in operation. Some wells were filled and capped with concrete. Others were built over and rendered inaccessible. Virtually all of them were made inactive by the 1970s.
“When the smell evaporated from Mount Clemens, you knew it was gone,” Bishop said. “Up until then you knew it was there and that bath continued, so it definitely continued though the 1960s — and
then it was done … It went from 1930-1960 limping along, and then it ended; the smell went away.”
One well, however, survived the decline. The Park Hotel’s well, once controlled by businesswoman Julia Miller Thome, changed hands over the years before landing in the control of Susan Gans. Born in Detroit and a retail broker in the BirminghamBloomfield area, Gans acquired the Park well in the 1990s and used it to build the Vitl Waters skincare products company.
Gans held her cosmetic products to a high standard, requiring the significant use of the mineral water as an ingredient in her products due to the medicinal legacy of the water. Lisa Saylor, former Vitl Waters director of sales, says a major cosmetics company tried to buy out Vitl from Gans, but the sale was called off at the last minute when the contents of the products were in question.
“It was a pretty significant deal, and when it got right down to a couple days before they were closing on a deal, the one question she had been asking them was how much of the water they were going to be putting into each product,” Saylor said. “They had delayed an answer and eventually came down to the end, and they answered they were going to put a drop from a dropper (into each product) and put Vitl Waters on the label, and she turned down a deal that could’ve changed the business. She said no because she understood the value and the impact of what this product had done for people, and she wasn’t willing to tarnish the name because someone else thought it would be a good idea to put our name on something nobody was going to feel a difference in.”
Gans and Lombardo were close colleagues. Olympia Salon & Spa — which moved in 2007 to a building at 117 Cass Avenue that is from the city’s bath era and resembles the original Olympia — bought water from Vitl for use in its mineral baths, which consist of a 50-50 mineral-to-tap water combination. When Gans died in 2022, Lombardo was the most obvious choice to take over the company and the deed to the
Park Hotel well.
“It’s been very exciting for Lois to take over, especially because she had a longstanding relationship with Sue and with Vitl Water,” Saylor said. “She understood the benefits, which I think is why there is so much value in the fact that she is picking up the torch and keeping it going, because they really are great products, and the history of the well is so amazing. It’s like nothing else in the world.”
Standing in the Park well’s modest and sulfuric-scented shed on a May afternoon, Lombardo goes over the situation she’s in. Just across Park Street looms the Victory Inn Motel, which will be demolished soon for a new 101-unit apartment complex. It is in the ruins and soon-to-be rubble of the Victory Inn that Lombardo sees an opportunity.
“What my vision is at this point is I’m going to be looking to expand and create an actual soaking experience here on this lot, where they can go back to soaking in the black, murky water right from the well like they did back in the late 1800s and early 1900s,” Lombardo said. “What I’m planning is a smaller type setup. A little bit more rustic, not huge and elaborate. It would be more back to the rustic experience of soaking in the water. It’s me having a larger addition built on this garage and making it into a place that people could come soak in.”
Her plan to effectively revive a longdead industry is nothing short of idealistic and will certainly take a great effort, but may not entirely be a moonshot. After all, the land is already zoned for commercial use.
Time will tell whether Lombardo is successful at establishing a dedicated bath house in the 2020s, but Saylor believes it is possible.
“I think that people are always in a hurry to do the next big thing, and then lose sight of what was working before,” Saylor said. “I think that there is a large group of people now that are wanting to get back to what is natural, and I think this will be something that is very exciting. I think it will be an exciting thing for the city of Mount Clemens and for the people that will benefit from the water.”
Photo by Dean Vaglia
Lois Lombardo, owner of the Olympia Salon & Spa and the Park Well, discusses the well’s operation over the phone with Lisa Saylor, who worked with the well’s prior owner.
Cosplay
from page 29A
people should follow when attending conventions. They both emphasized consent when interacting with a cosplayer.
“If a cosplayer is eating, do not disturb them,” McBain said. “And then always ask before you touch them, even if you ask for a picture.”
“It’s so important to make sure that the person you’re approaching is comfortable with the situation,” O’Connor said.
O’Connor added she’s had instances where congoers have run up to her and given her hugs. While she’s an extrovert and carries herself in a more comfortable way, O’Connor said that’s not the same for everyone.
They also both have seen a shift in cosplay and conventions since the COVID-19 pandemic. McBain has personally experienced a slowdown in cosplaying and conventions. She said the conventions can be a bit overwhelming now. She said “con crud” and germ spreading were concerns at the conventions.
“I feel like people are practicing better hygiene, I hope, at cons,” McBain said. “I see cosplayers with matching masks and stuff like that and I’d like to see more of that.”
McBain also said she sees that people have become more aware of their surroundings and the space they’re in.
“My friends and I definitely interact at cons differ-
ently,” McBain said. “We always make sure to wash our hands or have gloves on or stuff like that.”
O’Connor said before the pandemic, conventions were bigger, and they’ve slowly started to rebuild in the last few years.
“It’s nice to kind of see the rebuild and the growth again of these conventions, but I feel there are some that have taken a toll from the pandemic and I hope they can stay afloat and keep going,” O’Connor said.
McBain said first time cosplayers should put the work in and they’ll enjoy it.
“Your first costume is not going to be your best, but the more you put into it and the work you got into it the more you can feel accomplished about it,” McBain said.
It’s hard to find things in a reasonable price range for first timers, O’Connor said. She said building savings is really important.
“And nobody is going to pick on you if you don’t have as big of a budget as maybe some of the top cosplayers do,” O’Connor said. “I know for me, some of my first wigs came from Amazon for $10. They were nothing fancy.”
She also said people are going to be supportive and to not compare oneself to veteran cosplayers who have been crafting for a long time.
“As long as you’re out there and having fun, that’s what everybody loves to see,” O’Connor said.
O’Connor also said important things to bring to a convention include a bag with any needed medication, snacks, water, extra shoes and a small sewing kit for any repairs.
Photo provided by Iyla O’Connor
Iyla O’Connor’s Anastasia cosplay took around six months to complete.
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COMMUNITY CALENDAR
JULY 23
SCAMS presentation: Stopping Crimes Against Michigan Seniors, 1:30 p.m., Village of East Harbor, 33875 Kiely Drive in Chesterfield Township, (586) 469-5642
JULY 24
Sleep hygiene: Learn about good sleep habits, 6:30 p.m., Clinton-Macomb Public Library - North Branch, 54100 Broughton Road in Macomb Township, (586) 226-5083, cmpl.org
JULY 26
Comedy and magic: Also juggling, music and audience participation with entertainer Cameron Zvara, 10 a.m., Clinton-Macomb Public Library - North Branch, 54100 Broughton Road in Macomb Township, (586) 226-5083, cmpl.org
JULY 29
History of Mackinac: Presentation at 6:30 p.m., Clinton-Macomb Public Library - North Branch, 54100 Broughton Road in Macomb Township, registration required, (586) 226-5083, cmpl.org
AUG. 24
Electronic & Shred Waste Drop-Off Day: For residents only, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Macomb Township Offices, 54111 Broughton Road, see acceptable items at macombtwp. org/trashservices
ONGOING
As The Pages Turn: Middle school book club, selections and dates include “Realm of the Blue Mist” by Amy Kim Kibuishi (July 23) and “Ahmed Aziz’s Epic Year” by Nina Hamza (Aug. 19), 3-4 p.m., meets at Pitchford Park, 49625 Romeo Plank Road in Macomb Township, facebook.com/MacombTwpParksandRec
Widowed Friends events: Breakfasts 10 a.m. every fourth
Monday of month, Amore’s Grill, 53100 Gratiot Ave. in Chesterfield Township, RSVP to Loree at (810) 335-2096
• Lunches 1:30 p.m. every second Tuesday of month, Moni’s Restaurant, 16600 24 Mile Road in Macomb Township, RSVP to Joanna at (586) 777-4651
Garden art sale: Open until Sept. 2, Schramm’s Farm, 21701 24 Mile Road in Macomb Township, all proceeds benefit Macomb Charitable Foundation
Macomb Motivators Toastmasters Club: Meets 6:30-8 p.m. every second and fourth Thursday of month, St. Isidore Church, 18201 23 Mile Road in Macomb Township, www.6104644.toastmastersclubs.org
Ostomy peer support group: Meets 2-3 p.m. every third Sunday of month, Northside Church, 25600 23 Mile Road in Chesterfield Township, (586) 765-8976, ostomyinfo@ yahoo.com, ostomysupport-macomb.org
Bereaved Parents of Macomb Support Group: Meets 7-9 p.m. every first Thursday of month, Washington Senior Center, 57880 Van Dyke Ave. in Washington Township, neilflyer@yahoo.com, (248) 425-2999
Washington Art Guild: Learn about art, listen to demonstrators and speakers, practice art in workshops, and exchange ideas, meets 6:30-9 p.m. every first Monday of month, Romeo Community Center, 361 Morton St. in Washington Township, washington-art-guild.homestead. com
Health workshops: For chronic pain, high blood pressure and more, hosted by Corewell Health, free and virtual, beaumonthealth.digitalsignup.com
Lupus support groups: 10 a.m. every second Tuesday of month and 7 p.m. every last Wednesday, Zoom, (248) 901-7299, milupus.org/support-groups
INCIDENTS REPORTED TO LOCAL POLICE, AS COMPILED BY C & G REPORTERS
Bicycle getaway fails
GROSSE POINTE CITY — A 34-year-old Detroit man was arrested after he reportedly stole multiple bottles of alcoholic beverages from The Village CVS store at 4:20 p.m. June 20 and fled the scene on a bike. Police arrested the suspect as he was making his getaway. They said he was facing possible charges including retail fraud and resisting and obstructing police.
Suspects sought in clothing theft
GROSSE POINTE CITY — Two unknown suspects reportedly stole $1,078 worth of clothing from The Village Lululemon store in the 17000 block of Kercheval Avenue at around 5:07 p.m. June 23.
Police said the suspects ran from the store with the stolen goods and were last seen heading westbound on Kercheval in a red Chevy Cruze.
Man arrested for disrobing
GROSSE POINTE CITY — Police took a 26-year-old Detroit man into custody after he was reportedly seen removing his clothing in the 600 block of Cadieux Road at around noon June 20. Police said the suspect — who’s expected to face charges including indecent exposure and disturbing the peace — was also found to be urinating in public. A 28-year-old Detroit man who was with the suspect at the time was arrested as well after police said they discovered that he was driving with a suspended license.
Stolen car tracked
GROSSE POINTE PARK — A 2017 Chevrolet Impala was stolen from a driveway in the 1200 block of Three Mile Road between the hours of 10 p.m. June 18 and 6 a.m. June 19. Police said the owner had the keys at the time. Police were able to use a tracking system on the vehicle to find its location on Haverhill Street in Detroit, where they recovered it. Police said it appears the Impala was stolen by being pushed by another vehicle.
Vehicle theft thwarted
GROSSE POINTE PARK — Two unknown male suspects are said by police to have been seen in the act of trying to steal a Kia Soul while it was parked on the street in the 1400 block of Wayburn Street at around 11:16 p.m. June 17. According to a police report, the victim saw the suspects break a window on the vehicle and get inside it. The victim told police that she yelled at the suspects, who she said fled on foot. The suspects are said to have damaged the steering column in an attempt to take the Kia.
Purse removed from vehicle
GROSSE POINTE PARK — An unknown person is said by police to have stolen a black purse containing personal items and an estimated $80 from an unlocked
block of Pemberton Road between the hours of 5 p.m. June 14 and 8 a.m. June 15. Police said they recovered the purse nearby, but the cash was missing.
Stolen vehicle recovered
GROSSE POINTE FARMS — A 39-year-old Highland Park woman learned from the Farms Public Safety Department that the 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer she had bought for $1,550 from a man through Facebook Marketplace was a vehicle that had been reported stolen. The woman who bought the vehicle came to the Farms because she had been unable to get the vehicle title from the seller; she said when she tried to register the vehicle with the Secretary of State’s Office, she was told she would need a vehicle information number inspection/verification to acquire the title, which is why she brought it to the Farms.
Police said the VIN plate was scratched and had the wrong type of rivets, and the federal label, tire label and service parts label were all missing. However, police could see a different VIN number underneath some adhesive. The hidden VIN number came back to a 2003 Trailblazer that had been stolen out of Waterford Township on June 4, 2024. Police said the suspect who sold the vehicle to the woman had been arrested multiple times before for motor vehicle theft. The suspect is a 33-year-old Detroit man.
Vehicle stolen
GROSSE POINTE FARMS — A black 2021 GMC Yukon was stolen from the parking lot of a private club in the 200 block of Country Club Drive between the hours of 7:30 p.m. and 8:20 p.m. June 15. The victim told police that he had parked toward the south end of the lot. He said he had left the Yukon unlocked with the keys inside. Police checked surveillance footage of the lot and saw a silver Chevrolet Camaro convertible with no license plate enter the parking lot after the victim. An unknown male suspect exited the Camaro and began checking vehicles in the lot. A second male suspect is said to have also gotten out of the Camaro. Police said that after this happens, the missing Yukon is seen leaving the lot, where it meets up with the Camaro and both vehicles exit together.
Trespasser warned GROSSE POINTE FARMS — Police were called to the Shell gas station at Mack Avenue and Moross Road at 6:08 p.m. June 17 about a man who had reportedly taken a pop and doughnut and only paid $1.97 in change for $3.97 worth of food. The worker said the business wasn’t seeking retail fraud charges against the suspect — they just wanted him to be told he was trespassing and shouldn’t return.
a 52-year-old Detroit man, eating a doughnut on the front porch of a home in the 400 block of Allard Road. Police said the suspect is homeless, has a mental order, was known to be violent and had 19 previous contacts with the Farms Public Safety Department for larceny, trespassing and breaking into a motor vehicle. In addition, police said he’s a suspect in a double homicide in Detroit. The suspect was given a trespassing warning and sent away from the area. The same suspect was found sitting inside a vehicle in an automotive service business in the 18000 block of Mack at 1:22 p.m. June 15. Because the suspect had been found sleeping inside an unlocked vehicle in that same parking lot June 12, police arrested the man for trespassing June 15.
Man charged with assault, resisting arrest
SHELBY TOWNSHIP — At 11:37 a.m. June 9, Shelby Township police officers responded to the area of 21 Mile and Schoenherr roads for a mental health call.
A dispatcher updated the responding officers that the mother of a 32-year-old man was the caller. The mother stated that her son was suffering from a mental health issue and was now carrying a handgun in a case inside his garage, according to police.
The mother reportedly was able to get out of the house. Police said that officers made contact with the man and were able to get him into custody before he was able to injure himself or others. The 32-year-old man was taken to the hospital for a mental health evaluation, according to police. The investigators ended up charging him with domestic assault and resisting arrest.
Police arrest man for outstanding warrant
SHELBY TOWNSHIP — At 8:11 p.m, June 19, an officer from the Shelby Township Police Department conducted a traffic stop in the area of Shelby and 21 Mile roads. Upon making contact with the occupants of the vehicle, the officer was able to obtain identification from all who were inside the vehicle. Police said that one passenger gave several incorrect names and information to the officer. The passenger later gave the correct information, which led police to find that he had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. The man was placed under arrest for the warrant and turned over to the correct jurisdiction for the warrant.
Fraud report made
ST. CLAIR SHORES — At 6:35 p.m. on June 18, a report was made about a case of fraud that occurred in the 20000 block of Beaconsfield Avenue.
A 68-year-old man came into the police station stating that he was a victim of fraud. He reached out to Amazon Prime Video to watch a soccer game. The repre-
amount of $250 each to verify he was a real person. The man bought the gift cards and sent pictures of them to the suspect.
Vehicle theft report made
ST. CLAIR SHORES — At 8:36 a.m. on June 18, a report was made about a vehicle theft that occurred the same day at 5:09 a.m. in the 19000 block of 10 Mile Road.
A 47-year-old woman stated she left the residence with her husband at around 3:40 a.m. to deliver Amazon packages. When she arrived back at around 8:40 a.m., she saw the passenger window to her vehicle broken out. The minimal video footage she had showed a vehicle at her residence at approximately 5:09 a.m. The officer was unable to figure out what kind of vehicle it was. When he arrived, the officer observed that the passenger window was broken and that the lower dashboard on the passenger side was removed with some electrical components hanging out.
Fleeing and eluding report made
ST. CLAIR SHORES — Police reported a case of fleeing and eluding at 2:12 a.m. on June 12 at Harper Avenue and Nine Mile Road.
An officer saw a vehicle at a gas station that was wanted for fleeing previously and also a felony assault of a police officer in Warren. When it left the station, it started at a high rate of speed and increased its speed when the officer put on the patrol vehicle’s emergency lights. A pursuit ensued and ended when the suspect, an 18-year-old man, stopped on Violet Street and fled on foot. The suspect reportedly ran through a couple of nearby properties and caused damage before he surrendered.
The man was handcuffed and patted down before being secured in a scout car without incident. The passenger, a 21-year-old man, stayed in the vehicle and was ordered out, patted down and taken into custody without incident. The driver admitted to stealing the vehicle out of Port Huron but did not say anything else. The passenger was released from custody at the St. Clair Shores Police Department pending investigation, and the driver was transported to the Macomb County Jail for lodging.
Macy’s shoplifter tries to steal jewelry STERLING HEIGHTS — Police investigated a June 13 shoplifting report at the Lakeside Mall Macy’s, in the 14000 block of Lakeside Circle. According to staff, a male suspect tried to leave with two women’s jewelry items collectively valued at $56, but he was apprehended. Police cited the suspect for third-degree retail fraud, and the suspect was banned from returning to the store.
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