2024 BROCHURE
The Helm at the Boll Life Center in Grosse Pointe Farms, a nonprofit that offers programs and resources for seniors in the Grosse Pointes and Harper Woods, is seeking a voter-approved millage this fall to expand its offerings and prepare for increased demand due to an aging population.
Voters to decide on senior services millage question
BY K. MICHELLE MORAN kmoran@candgnews.com
GROSSE POINTES/HARPER WOODS — Officials for The Helm at the Boll Life Center hope voters in the five Grosse Pointes and Harper Woods will say yes to a millage on the November ballot that would provide funding for what they say are vital senior programs and services.
See MILLAGE on page 4A
It will be ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ for audiences during Shakespeare Stroll at Ford House
BY K. MICHELLE MORAN kmoran@candgnews.com
SHORES — Outdoor productions of Shakespeare are a popular summer experience, and now that experience is getting a special twist at an east side location.
Grosse Pointe Theatre and the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe Shores are teaming up to offer a Shakespeare Stroll on the Ford House grounds, with the grounds opening at 6 p.m. Aug. 8. GPT actors will perform scenes from Shakespearian plays while audiences enjoy hors d’oeuvres and beverages, with audience members moving from each scene site.
“It’s little vignettes,” GPT Executive Director Linda Zublick said. “It’s going to give people a chance to see a little bit of Shakespeare while they stroll the grounds. We thought it was a nice way to collaborate and offer something new for the community.”
Zublick said audiences will see snippets from “The Taming of the Shrew,” “The Tempest,” “Romeo
Photo by K. Michelle Moran
Rehearsing a scene from “Romeo and Juliet” are Jake Zablocki as Romeo and Natalie Boehmer as Juliet.
Photo provided by Grosse Pointe Theatre
SECOND FRONT PAGE
Youths arrested for string of recent Lululemon thefts
BY K. MICHELLE MORAN kmoran@candgnews.com
CITY — Multiple arrests have been made lately, but several suspects remained at large at press time in a series of recent thefts of thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise from the Lululemon store in The Village.
On July 15, police said three male juvenile suspects turned themselves in at the City Public Safety Department in conjunction with the Lululemon thefts in Grosse Pointe City June 24 and 29. The same day, another male juvenile suspect was arrested after he is said by police to have been fleeing from the Lululemon store at around 1:45 p.m. carrying three pairs of pants he didn’t pay for. Police said another male juvenile suspect was arrested July 18. Police said he’s also a suspect in the Lululemon thefts June 24 and 29.
However, male and female suspects wanted for Lululemon thefts July 8, 12 and 14 were still at large.
“We didn’t get all of them,” City Detective Michael Narduzzi said. “There’s multiple crews working right now.”
He said charges have been submitted to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office for the suspects who’ve been arrested thus far.
Narduzzi said these suspects aren’t connected to the suspects arrested last year in connection with a rash of thefts at Lululemon and Ulta Beauty locations throughout metro Detroit from December 2022 to November 2023. Narduzzi played a pivotal role in those arrests, which involved a Michigan Department of Attorney General task force and multiple state and local police agencies.
Narduzzi said the crew arrested last year used a fence — a person who buys stolen goods to sell — and the merchandise
See THEFTS on page 17A
HOOKED ON SCIENCE
BELOW: During the second annual Lake Fest July 27 at the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe Shores, Griffin Rucinski, 6, of Clinton Township, compares his length with that of a grown sturgeon. The sturgeon cutout was part of a display from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Adventure Center.
RIGHT: An adolescent sturgeon was displayed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Adventure Center. Sturgeon can live 150 years and reach 250 pounds.
LEFT: Ford House Tour Associate Emily Beeman interacts with kids around a faux fishing pond featuring replicas of fish found in Lake St. Clair. Multiple stations were set up at Lake Fest with information and activities to learn about wildlife on and in the water.
Photos by Patricia O’Blenes
As of a July 8 vote by the Harper Woods City Council, all six cities had approved a proposal to put a 0.35 mill levy on the Nov. 5 ballot. For someone who owns a home with a market value of $200,000 and a taxable value of $100,000, the millage would amount to $35 annually; for someone whose home is worth $500,000 and has a taxable value of $250,000, it would be $87.50. If approved, the millage would be levied for six years.
Helm officials said they had originally planned on asking for 0.5 mills but were able to reduce their request after further study of their needs with officials from the six cities. State law allows up to 1 mill to be levied for senior programs through a ballot initiative.
“The Helm is spearheading this because we are really the only comprehensive and primary provider of senior services” for the six cities, Dr. Cheryl Wesen, of Grosse Pointe Farms, board president for The Helm, told the Farms City Council at a meeting June 10.
Farms City Manager Shane Reeside said that if the millage is approved, it would be operated under the terms of an interlocal agreement among the cities that pass the
millage. He said a senior citizen board would be created with one representative from each community, along with one at-large member.
“The interlocal agreement is the mechanism for how (tax) funds would be received … and how those funds could then be transferred over to The Helm,” Reeside said. “Really, The Helm would be reporting to this (senior citizen) commission.”
At a June 17 Grosse Pointe City Council meeting, The Helm Executive Director Krista Siddall said at least four of the six cities would need to pass the millage for it to take effect. Any cities that didn’t approve the millage would likely face higher charges for their residents to access Helm programs and services, such as a higher annual membership fee. Siddall said the members of the interlocal government board that would oversee the tax money would determine what was appropriate as far as fees in cities where the millage isn’t approved.
As Grosse Pointe City Mayor Sheila Tomkowiak noted, in any cities where the millage didn’t pass, it would be individual residents of those cities who use The Helm who would end up paying more; the city itself wouldn’t be on the hook financially.
“With the agreement now … I feel comfortable that if it does pass, it will be administered responsibly,” Tomkowiak said.
Wesen said The Helm has an operating budget of approximately $1.3 million. If the millage is approved by all six cities, it would generate another $1.1 million.
“So, you’re going to be doubling your operating budget?” Farms City Councilman Lev Wood asked.
Wesen said adult day care — for seniors who can’t be left alone and are cared for by loved ones who need to go to their jobs — is one of the services they’d like to offer, and that alone is expected to cost about $500,000 to get started.
“Nothing like that is available in the Pointes right now,” Wesen said.
Farms resident Dr. Donna Hoban, whose private practice is primarily geriatrics, said dementia is on the rise and people can’t find safe care for their loved ones that’s affordable, which she said this millage would provide.
“I have been shocked by … how many of our elderly are marginalized,” Hoban said. “They really, truly need more services.”
In addition, Wesen said they’d like to expand evening and weekend programs for seniors who are still working and can’t attend the normal schedule of Helm activities, which are primarily offered during weekday business hours. Home visits for seniors who can’t get to The Helm are another service
A Country Camp for Pets!
they’d like to offer.
Former Helm Board President Prudence Cole, a Grosse Pointe Shores resident, said they also hope to shore up Pointe Area Assisted Transportation, or PAATS, with millage funds. The popular, low-cost door-to-door transportation service is struggling to stay afloat as demand for rides rises but revenues remain stagnant.
Helm officials expect their needs to grow as the population ages, and they’re worried they won’t be able to meet those needs without additional funding. Currently, about 18% of residents in the Pointes and Harper Woods are age 65 or older. By 2035, that number is expected to reach nearly 26%. Wesen said by 2030, the number of people ages 60 and older in the Pointes and Harper Woods will exceed the number of people ages 17 and younger. The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments predicts that the senior population in the Pointes and Harper Woods will double from present numbers over the next 20 years.
Of Michigan’s 83 counties, Helm officials say 72 have countywide senior millages or individual municipality senior millages. Wayne County doesn’t have a senior millage. Helm officials are concerned for the
See MILLAGE on page 6A
future because 62% of their revenue comes from donations and fundraising, including their annual gala auction and golf outing. Another 26% comes from local, state and federal programs, such as Community Development Block Grants and the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation, or SMART, bus system, which provides the buses used by PAATS. Helm officials said these government funds can be cut or eliminated at any time. While the cities funnel CDBG grants from Wayne County to The Helm, the Grosse Pointes and Harper Woods typically haven’t provided other tax dollars.
Only about 12% of The Helm’s revenue comes from program fees.
Even if the millage passes in all six cities, Helm officials say their fundraising efforts are still needed and will continue.
“Our plan is absolutely to continue the fundraising that we’ve done,” Wesen said.
Cole said communities that lack funding for senior services pay in other ways, such as increased ambulance runs. She said The Helm gives people a place to exercise, socialize, learn and remain vibrant, which
contributes to overall health.
Farms resident Dr. David Balle expressed his support for the millage, calling senior services “a growing need.”
“The Helm is always a great resource,” Balle said. “I think allowing voters to decide is the best solution.”
Shores resident Fred Minturn, a former council member, said The Helm provides important services and is responsible with the funds it has now. He serves on The Helm Board.
“It’s a very well-run organization,” Minturn said.
Wesen said The Helm has an audit each year, and multiple signatures are required for large expenditures.
“We try to be good stewards (of our funds),” Wesen said.
“I think The Helm does an excellent job on really a shoestring,” Farms City Councilman Joe Ricci said.
Shores resident, John DeWald — a former Shores city clerk — said the Shores is seeing its senior population grow.
“We need to offer this for our seniors,” DeWald said.
But not all residents or officials are in favor of the proposal.
Although the millage request was approved for the ballot by the Grosse Pointe
Shores City Council during a meeting June 18, Shores City Councilwoman Danielle Gehlert voted against it. For a Shores resident who owns a home with a taxable value of roughly $350,000, she said this would equate to another $120 per year in taxes, or double the cost of an annual Helm membership of $60.
“I just don’t think it was fair to residents to be taxed for something they’re not using,” Gehlert said.
Helm officials said that communities with senior millages are generally looked upon more favorably by potential homeowners, which improves property values, and residents already pay for services they might not use. For example, seniors with adult children who have no need for their local school system might still support school millages because of the positive impact good schools have on property values and perception of the community in general.
Shores Mayor Ted Kedzierski also voted against putting the millage in front of voters.
“This was a very tough one,” Kedzierski said of his vote. “We’re fiduciaries. It’s easy to spend someone else’s money.”
With the highest average home values among the six cities, “We’re the most greatly affected per capita” if the millage passes, Kedzierski said.
Farms resident Catherine Saurbier said that, like the Grosse Pointe Public Library Board — whose municipal representatives are appointed by their respective city councils — the senior board would consist of members who weren’t voted in by the general electorate.
“This is taxation without representation,” Saurbier said.
She said she also “objected to” what she said would be “a guaranteed revenue stream” for The Helm.
Helm officials said a professional poll they commissioned showed strong voter support for a senior millage, but much will depend on factors such as voter turnout and potential millage fatigue this fall. The Grosse Pointe Public School System is seeking voter approval in November to triple its sinking fund request, while some cities — including Grosse Pointe City and Grosse Pointe Farms — will have new millage requests or millage renewals on the ballot. Ultimately, the choice will be in the hands of the electorate. Given that 2024 is a presidential election year, turnout is expected to be high.
“I’m definitely in favor of letting the voters decide,” Farms City Councilman John Gillooly said.
Call Staff Writer K. Michelle Moran at (586) 498-1047.
NEWS & NOTES
7A/ GROSSE POINTE TIMES • AUGUST 1, 2024
Learn about drug overdoses and find support
Ford ambulance used to carry rations to dressing station of Field Hospital 307 at Blanzy, France. Photo provided The fourth annual International Overdose Awareness Day event, organized by The Family Center and several other entities, will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 27 at the Wayne County Community College District’s Mary Ellen Stempfle University Center, 19305 Vernier Road in Harper Woods. The event will include overdose rescue training at 11 a.m. and memorial tributes to people lost to addiction, as well as an acknowledgement of the grieving loved ones left behind. For more information, visit familycenterhelps.org.
ROLE OF FORD AND DETROIT IN WWI EXPLORED
Ford Piquette Avenue Plant Museum Board Trustee Mike Skinner, of St. Clair Shores, will use photos and other historical materials to present “Ford at War: World War I” at 10 a.m. Aug. 11 at the museum, 461 Piquette St. in Detroit. The program will include coffee, juice and breakfast items, and will cost $20 per person; it’s free for museum members and those who purchase a membership that day. Attendees can also take a guided tour of the museum at noon or 2 p.m. that day at the discounted price of $10; tours are free for museum members. Event proceeds benefit the museum. Piquette was Ford’s first facility and the birthplace of the Model T. For tickets or more information, visit fordpiquetteplant.org or call (313) 872-8759.
NORTH STUDENTS EARN SCHOLARSHIPS
Grosse Pointe North High School students Alexandra McIntyre, Morgan McIntyre and Andrew Schaden were recently awarded Bathanti-D’Agostino Memorial Scholarships from Christian Financial Credit Union. According to a press release, the scholarships are designed “to assist recipients in furthering their education with the long-term outcome of a more vibrant, healthy, and inclusive society and community.” The North students were among 15 metro Detroit high schoolers who received these scholarships this year.
Families invited to movie night
The Family Center of Grosse Pointe and Harper Woods, Grosse Pointe Farms and Grosse Pointe Woods are sponsoring a free family movie night with a showing of “Trolls Band Together” Aug. 16 at Ghesquiere Park, behind the Woods City Hall complex at 20025 Mack Plaza. Families should bring their own chairs or blankets to sit on. Food will be available for purchase from the food truck Cult of the Joe Burger. The movie will begin at 7:30 p.m.
WARRIORS SWIM THEIR WAY TO VICTORY
The Grosse Pointe Woods Warriors swim team won the 2024 Lakefront Swimming Association Championship for the second straight year. The finals, hosted by the Grosse Pointe Farms Barracudas, took place July 24 at Windmill Pointe Park in Grosse Pointe Park.
CHANGING OF COMMAND
Maj. Gen. Mark Quander, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Great Lakes and Ohio River Division, passes the USACE Detroit District colors to new commander, Lt. Col. Wallace Bandeff, during a change of command ceremony July 16 at The War Memorial in Grosse Pointe Farms. Bandeff, a Michigan native, is serving in his fourth USACE tour of duty after previously serving as the Walla Walla District deputy commander. He addressed more than 100 attendees during this event.
VOTE AUG. 6
As you prepare to cast your ballot next week, check out our election guide and profiles on the candidates running for local and national office at www.candgnews.com, “Elections.”
Early voting underway
From now through Aug. 4, voters can cast their ballots for the Aug. 6 primary at early voting sites in their city of residence. Early voting locally is taking place daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Grosse Pointe Park City Hall, Grosse Pointe City Municipal Court/ Council chambers next to City Hall, Grosse Pointe Woods Community Center next to City Hall, Grosse Pointe Farms City Hall and Harper Woods City Hall. Early voting is taking place in Grosse Pointe Shores from now until Aug. 4 daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Shores City Hall. Those with questions about early voting can check with their local city clerk’s office or the League of Women Voters of Grosse Pointe, lwvgrossepointe@gmail.com.
New officers chosen
During a meeting July 25, the Grosse Pointe Public Library Board of Trustees elected its officers: President Bob Allen, Vice President Susan Higman Larsen, Treasurer Sandra Ambrozy and Secretary Megan Conrad Sczygielski.
The board also welcomed new member Paul Rentenbach, of Grosse Pointe Shores, who replaces Prudence Cole. Rentenbach, who served on the board previously when he lived in Grosse Pointe Park, is a retired partner from the law firm Dykema Gossett. He has a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Michigan and got his law degree from Harvard Law School.
“I’m looking forward to working with this year’s officers,” Library Director Jessica Keyser said in a press release. “We’re pleased to have Paul serving on the board again too.”
Board officers are elected each July for a one-year term. Board trustees serve four-year terms and are appointed by their respective city councils in the Grosse Pointes and Harper Woods. There’s also one at-large board member; the atlarge trustee rotates among the six communities.
With the recent move of longtime Harper Woods Trustee George Lapastora out of Harper Woods, the board is seeking a new member. To be eligible, a person must live in the portion of Harper Woods served by the GPPL; the library district boundaries are the same as those of the Grosse Pointe Public School System. The trustee application can be found on the GPPL website at grossepointelibrary.org.
Photo by Brandon Hubbard, provided by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District
Bob Allen Paul Rentenbach
Alexandra McIntyre Morgan McIntyre Andrew Schaden
New McKinley exit, restaurant under consideration for Village Market
BY K. MICHELLE MORAN kmoran@candgnews.com
FARMS — Should Grosse Pointe Farms officials give Village Market permission to redirect traffic on McKinley Road near Mack Avenue to make way for reconfigured parking and a restaurant on the store’s second floor?
Those are the questions the Grosse Pointe Farms City Council is mulling after a presentation June 10 during a council work session by representatives of the longtime grocery store at 18330 Mack Ave.
McKinley, which runs along the side of Village Market’s parking lot, currently spills into Mack at an angle. The Village Market proposal would block off traffic at the end of McKinley and extend the existing parking lot into that space, while also creating a new extension of McKinley that would be perpendicular to Mack and would enable McKinley motorists to continue entering and exiting onto Mack.
“It’s going to create a safe parking zone,” said Patrick Howe, an attorney representing Village Market.
Village Market officials said the current intersection of McKinley and Mack creates a safety hazard.
City Councilwoman Beth Konrad Wilberding agreed.
“I think this is really necessary,” Konrad Wilberding said. “I really do believe there is a safety (issue).”
It would also create some additional parking, albeit not a lot.
Store owner Jacob Garmo said they have 26 parking spaces now and the reconfigured parking would give them 32 spaces.
“It does add some additional parking, but only marginally,” City Manager Shane Reeside said. “It’s really a land swap.”
Reeside said the city would acquire part of Village Market’s existing parking area in the deal. The city would engage a contractor to do the work and reserve underground utility rights.
“The actual costs of that construction would be borne by Village Market,” Reeside said.
He said the city would bill Village Market in installments, with interest.
As part of the new parking area, Village
Market representatives said they would add brick columns, flowers and other plantings. Garmo said they intend on “beautifying this area with bushes and shrubbage.”
Garmo said they’d also like to turn the second floor into a “New American-style restaurant” with seating for up to 84 guests. He said they would be open from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. to not interfere with neighboring businesses.
“We plan to elevate the dining experience in Grosse Pointe Farms,” Garmo said.
Garmo said they had already hired the James Beard Award-winning chef Jimmy Schmidt, who founded Detroit’s famed Rattlesnake Club restaurant. He said Schmidt would like to bring better nutrition to local schools and possibly start a culinary program.
“The restaurant is really a component of the modern grocery store,” Howe said. “It’s very popular. I think it would be a great amenity for the community.”
Reeside said the second floor is used by employees as a lounge area. He said Village Market would need a parking variance for restaurant use because it would necessitate
additional parking; that variance might include restricting hours of restaurant operation so that Village Market could use shared parking with other nearby businesses, some of which are only open during standard weekday business hours.
City Councilman John Gillooly said Village Market “is a great store,” but he took the owners to task for already planning events in the second floor space, before they’d gotten approval from the council to do anything there.
“I firmly believe we all (must) abide by the ordinances,” Gillooly said.
He said when Village Market officials appeared before the council a few years ago, they insisted the second floor was only planned to be used for storage. Gillooly said he’s seen recent improvements to the second floor — where owners reportedly spent a substantial amount of money to prepare it for restaurant use.
“It’s gorgeous … (but) we haven’t approved anything,” Gillooly said.
He said the city was upset when they learned Village Market planned recently to
OLYMPICS RAMP UP THE EXCITEMENT AMONG ATHLETES
BY ALYSSA OCHSS aochss@candgnews.com
METRO DETROIT — The Olympics are fun to watch, but for the athletes it’s an exciting, nerve-wracking and stressful time competing against the world’s greatest athletes.
Carly Ryan, a Grosse Pointe native known as Carly Piper during her Olympic run, said being in the Olympics was a dream come true. The swimmer competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.
“Kind of very surreal,” Ryan said. “Just being around teammates and everyone from different countries, and just seeing how things happen at the Olympics. It was a really surreal, dream-come-true experience.”
Ryan has been swimming competitively since she was 8 years old, and she swam in college at the University of Wisconsin. She said she was also a part of the Pan American Games before her Olympic run in 2004.
She made the cut for a couple of her events at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in 2000, but she said she placed low.
“I think I got second to last in one of my events,” Ryan said. “And so just work-
ing towards getting better every single year, every single race. Obviously, being in college and then just kind of working towards staying up at the top.”
Her mother and her older sister were also involved in swimming when she was a kid. Ryan said they were always at the pool during the summer. As she got older, she saw the opportunities swimming could lend her.
For the 2004 Olympics, the trials pool was built in a parking lot in Los Angeles. Ryan said they held a practice meet a month before the trials. Though not everyone who was going to be at trials was there, she placed relatively high. Her coaches didn’t outright say she would make it to the Olympics, but they did say she had a chance.
“Just kind of saying, you know, ‘If you stay on the same path, if you keep doing what you’re doing, if you race like you did during this race, you could have a shot,’” Ryan said. “So, I just kind of kept that in the back of my mind, and tried to race as fast as I could.”
Competing at the Olympics was different than anything she’s ever done in the past. She saw athletes from different sports and different countries.
See ATHLETES on page 14A
RIGHT: Rachel Baugh, known as Rachel Komisarz during her 2004 Olympic run, poses for a photo with her Olympic medals.
Photo provided by Rachel Baugh
ABOVE: The banner displaying Rachel Baugh’s name hangs in the Warren Mott High School swimming pool.
Photo provided by Katie Braschayko
Market
hold an event in that space, which he said ran “completely contrary to our ordinance.”
“That doesn’t pass muster with me,” Gillooly said. “I think the residents behind me (in the audience) deserve better, deserve notice.”
Garmo said Village Market had fire safety, agricultural and health department approvals for the upstairs and downstairs areas, but Gillooly responded that they don’t have all the necessary certifications.
“You’re not even close,” Gillooly said.
He said they need the city’s approval first before they can begin.
A second issue Gillooly said he had with Village Market was their failure to comply with other city rules, including ingress and egress, and maintaining the public right of way.
“Every day, you’re blocking ingress and egress,” said Gillooly, who said that shopping carts and planters are routinely in the easement. He said this runs counter not only to the city’s ordinance, but also to Wayne County regulations.
“Cities get sued” if sidewalks are blocked or the size for pedestrians is inadequate, said Gillooly, who by day is an attorney who has represented many municipalities and governmental entities.
Garmo said “this is the first time” Village Market officials were made aware of these issues, but Gillooly said it wasn’t, and Mayor Louis Theros echoed that.
“I really don’t think that it was intentional. … I think there was some confusion,” Howe responded.
Residents who live near the store expressed their own worries.
“Right now we have 15 to 20 trucks per week that are coming through McKinley,” said Ken Michaux, who lives in the 400 block of McKinley.
He said that includes a large commercial trash truck, which comes for pickups about three times per week — sometimes showing up at 6 a.m. on Saturdays. Michaux said a restaurant would likely mean “more traffic” on his street.
“That concerns me as well,” Michaux said.
Another resident of the 400 block of McKinley, Maureen Finnegan, also cited traffic and safety concerns.
“I love Village Market,” Finnegan said. “But we have a lot of young children on McKinley. … The traffic is outrageous.”
While Finnegan said she loved the idea of landscaping in the parking lot, she suggested making traffic one-way after the alley behind the store. She also felt Village Market would need additional trash collections with a restaurant.
“We do get critters on McKinley,” Finnegan said. “Everyone has seen them.”
City officials hope to meet with neighbors and adjacent businesses to get additional feedback on the Village Market proposals. At press time, it wasn’t known yet when the City Council might take up this issue again, but officials said it’s likely to happen before the end of the year. It wasn’t known at press time whether the restaurant and parking lot matters would be voted on simultaneously or at separate meetings.
Theros encouraged residents and business owners to email comments about the proposal to City Clerk Derrick Kozicki, at dkozicki@grossepointefarms.org.
“The input is always helpful to us,” Theros said. “We look forward to more of the input.”
City Attorney William Burgess said this project would have to go through multiple phases, including conceptual planning and government approval on the part of the city and county. The store, which has expanded over the years, dates to 1938.
Call Staff Writer K. Michelle Moran at (586) 498-1047.
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VERONICA PAIZ
Athletes
from page 11A
“When you’re sitting kind of in the cafeteria getting lunch and everything you can just look (and) everybody’s wearing different flags on their shirts and it’s a whole different thing,” Ryan said. “The best in the world coming together to compete. It’s awesome.”
Ryan described herself as a lucky distance swimmer that could compete in the shorter events. In 2004, the 4x200-meter freestyle women’s relay team won a gold medal. She said receiving the medal felt like a dream. She was nervous, but she allowed that to fuel her during the race.
“The race was just under two minutes but it literally felt like seconds, just cause stuff goes by so fast,” Ryan said. “So I was just trying to take it all in.
Rachel Baugh, a Warren native known as Rachel Komisarz during her 2004 Olympic run, didn’t first start off in swimming. Before a back injury, Baugh was in gymnastics.
“Basically the only sport I was going to be allowed to do at the time was swimming,” Baugh said.
She went on to say that she wasn’t thrilled about this fact. Baugh said she didn’t like the water and was even a little afraid of it.
“But (I was a) very competitive person and just really wanted to be able to do something, so swimming it was,” Baugh said.
Baugh started swimming when she was around 15 years old, and she said she made the conscious decision to go for the Olympics around 1996.
“The training was probably very rigorous starting in ’96 ‘til the Olympics, and really just focused on getting ready for that,” Baugh said.
She called the Olympics one of the most stressful and exciting times of someone’s life.
“There’s so much that goes into it, and you work basically your whole life for this one moment,” Baugh said. “And then it’s time to step up and perform. And the world is watching you.”
She went on to say it’s an adrenaline rush.
“I don’t know if people sometimes realize how much stress the athletes are under, but it’s pretty significant,” Baugh said.
In college she mostly competed in distance events, Baugh said, but she focused on
the 200-meter freestyle and the 100-meter butterfly for the games.
“I really focused on the 200 (meter) freestyle the most, just knowing they would pick four to six swimmers for the relay, so I thought that was going (to) probably be my best chance,” Baugh said.
She qualified for the Olympic team in the 100-meter butterfly and a relay with the 200-meter freestyle.
Baugh was also on the 4x200-meter freestyle relay team with Ryan. The other members of the team were Lindsay Benko, Kaitlin Sandeno, Dana Vollmer, Natalie Coughlin and Rhi Jeffery. Their time was 7:53.420. The People’s Republic of China won silver and Germany won bronze.
Baugh said the Olympic trials is one of the most competitive swim meets a swimmer will experience.
“The depth of the United States and the quality of swimming in the United States is unreal,” Baugh said. “I would say that the Olympic trials are almost as stressful if not even more stressful than the Olympics.”
She said this is due to swimming against others who are extremely close to her time and have also trained hard.
Ryan said the Olympics have grown
since she competed, especially the trials.
“More publicity, more of a following, and it’s amazing to see just the excitement around swimming,” Ryan said. “It’s just gotten bigger and bigger.”
Baugh said there’s a lot more glam to the Olympics and social media has had an influence.
“The publicity that the athletes have,” Baugh said. “Which can be good but it also can be bad, because I think there’s also a lot of criticism that the athletes face, and a lot of critique that they face from just the general public that have no idea what they are going through or the pressure that is on them.”
She said a lot of the fans are encouraging and supportive.
“I do think that the media and social media has opened the ability to connect with the athletes a little bit more,” Baugh said.
Baugh said they were trained to block out negative comments from the public, but that athletes are human. She recalled a gymnast from the Olympic trials this year who said they thought the world was going to hate them because they fell.
“Nobody is going to hate you just be-
See ATHLETES on page 15A
Athletes
cause you fell,” Baugh said. “But that’s a lot of the pressures and we want to compete, we want to do well, we want to represent our country and we don’t want to let anybody down. And when it’s so in your face all the time, you know, the press and the media, it’s really hard to block it out.”
Baugh said seeing the up-and-coming swimmers excel has been amazing and that the swimmers’ times have gotten faster.
“The sport has really advanced over the last few years,” Baugh said. “I mean, we saw some world records being broken at the Olympic trials this year so it’s really kind of setting the United States up for a great performance at the Olympics in Paris.”
Baugh also said she is thankful for her upbringing in Warren, at her high school Warren Mott and the support she received from the community.
“I’m very appreciative that people do still remember me and the support that I’ve received throughout the years has been pretty tremendous, and I just want to thank everybody for that,” Baugh said.
Baugh said that though most swimmers now were born after her Olympic run, she does do some motivational speaking. She hopes she can motivate the people she meets not just as swimmers, but as people.
“My message to the students that I work with now is just dream big, go for it,” Baugh said. “See what you can achieve. And, you know, if you can believe in yourself you can do remarkable things.”
Ryan said swimming is hard work, but if someone is enjoying the sport then they should pursue it.
“Anything is possible if you do the work, if you’re listening to your coaches, if you’re enjoying yourself. If it’s something you see yourself doing in the future, you know, reach for the stars,” Ryan said. “Go for your dreams.”
CANDGNEWS.COM
City hopes to find areas of savings during utility review
BY K. MICHELLE MORAN kmoran@candgnews.com
CITY — Grosse Pointe City officials are hoping a free utility review will result in long-term savings for the municipality.
The Grosse Pointe City Council voted unanimously June 17 in favor of a consulting services agreement with Petoskey-based firm Tenurgy, whereby Tenurgy will study all the City’s utility expenses and look for possible savings. City Manager Joseph Valentine said the utility review program was offered for free to all Michigan Chamber of Commerce members.
Besides other cities, Valentine said nonprofits including The War Memorial and the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House have used Tenurgy.
“There’s no cost to us,” Valentine said of entering into the agreement.
If Tenurgy finds any areas where the community can reduce its utility costs, the agreement calls for the City and Tenurgy to split the amount of those savings by 50% over a three-year period.
However, as Valentine noted, the City is “not obligated to do anything.”
He said Tenurgy considers a wide array of utilities, from telecommunications to gas and electric services.
In response to a question from Mayor Sheila Tomkowiak, Valentine said there’s also zero cost to the City if Tenurgy doesn’t identify any areas of potential savings.
“That sounds pretty safe,” Tomkowiak said.
Tenurgy’s clients across Michigan have
included Alpena, Bloomfield Township, Mount Pleasant, Petoskey, Martha T. Berry Medical Care Facility, Huron County Medical Care Facility, Saginaw County, Sanilac County and many more. In a testimonial, one medical care facility official said Tenurgy found a water/sewer billing error that resulted in the facility receiving a refund of more than $100,000 and a monthly savings of more than $7,000.
“It looks like they have a pretty good track record,” City Councilman Dave Fries said.
Other officials concurred that it would be a good idea for the City to enter into the agreement with Tenurgy.
“It seems like a no-brainer,” City Councilman Christopher Walsh said.
Call Staff Writer K. Michelle Moran at (586) 498-1047.
Thefts
from page 3A
was sold online. With the latest thefts, he said some of the stolen items were given away by the suspects, some kept for personal use and some sold, so police were only able to recover certain items.
“They’re not as sophisticated at selling it and turning a profit,” Narduzzi said of the crew members arrested in July.
Making things more complicated for police is what Narduzzi said is an apparent corporate policy that bars Lululemon employees from calling 911 to report a theft in progress. He said employees told police that security cameras at the stores are monitored at a remote location, and the people watching those cameras are supposed to call police. Unfortunately, by the time they do call, Narduzzi said, the suspects are long gone.
“If (the employees at the store) called us, we’d catch them,” Narduzzi said of the suspects. “It’s a terrible policy. They’re cre-
ating anxiety, resentment and anger on the part of the employees.”
At press time, no one from Lululemon could be reached for comment.
Passersby aren’t restricted by store policy, and that’s how police did identify some suspects after they fled the scene in one recent incident. Narduzzi said a witness saw a group of young people race out of the store with their hands full of clothes as they jumped into an awaiting vehicle.
“This very astute, very sharp pedestrian took pictures of the car and the license plate on her phone, so we’re very grateful to her,” Narduzzi said. He said the witness then called 911.
Narduzzi urged members of the public to watch for any suspicious behavior and report it immediately. Witnesses can remain anonymous. Narduzzi said the suspects in these cases, at least so far, haven’t been armed, and they’ve all gotten into vehicles that were waiting for them. He said officers in the City are working with their counterparts in Detroit and other communities as
they try to bring a halt to these crimes.
Perhaps because of the policy about calling police, Lululemon stores have become popular targets for criminals. Nationwide media reports show that similar crimes are widespread across metro Detroit and the country. In recent months alone, incidents have been reported at locations in Los Angeles; Tacoma, Washington; the Philadelphia area; Washington, D.C.; and Chicago, just to name a few. These reports show that crooks are making off with thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise. Lululemon
makes high-end athletic and leisure apparel and accessories for men and women.
Because this is an ongoing investigation, Narduzzi said he couldn’t reveal whether the current spate of Lululemon suspects was also targeting other specific retailers.
To report a crime in progress, call 911. Anyone with more information or tips about these incidents can also call the City Public Safety Department at (313) 886-3200.
Call Staff Writer K. Michelle Moran at (586) 498-1047.
and Juliet,” “Macbeth,” “Twelfth Night” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Those who purchase tickets for an exclusive afterglow will also get to see a scene from “Julius Caesar.” Regular tickets cost $50 per person and include one drink ticket. Tickets with the afterglow are $75 per person and include two drink tickets as well as the “Julius Caesar” scene, which will be performed in the Lake Shore Room and accompanied by desserts.
“We are excited to partner with Grosse Pointe Theatre to offer this one-of-a-kind event,” Ford House Director of Communications & Engagement Tommy Karr said in a press release. “The Shakespeare Stroll will allow guests to experience the beauty of the estate in a new and engaging way while enjoying the timeless works of Shakespeare.”
Audiences need to arrive before 6:30 p.m., when performances start, in order to see all the vignettes. Zublick said each scene will last about seven to eight minutes, with roughly 20 minutes between scenes to allow everyone time to get to the next location. To provide for an intimate performance, ticketholders will be divided into
six groups, with each group starting at a different scene. Zublick said each scene will be performed six times so that all ticketholders can see each one as they move from location to location. She said the event is expected to last roughly two hours.
“It’s designed to be a nice way to spend the evening,” Zublick said.
This event is slated to be held rain or shine, unless severe weather strikes.
For GPT actors and directors, who have been rehearsing this summer, Zublick said this is an opportunity to delve into Shakespearian classics, something they don’t get to do with regular GPT productions, which lean toward musicals and more contemporary theatrical productions.
Zublick noted how the natural beauty of the Ford House grounds — with their gardens, lakefront views and mature trees — make for a lovely setting for this event.
“We’re just excited to work with the Ford House on this,” Zublick said. “I think it’ll be a great evening.”
Ford House is located at 1100 Lake Shore Road. For tickets or more information, visit fordhouse.org or call (313) 8844222.
Call Staff Writer K. Michelle Moran at (586) 498-1047. Shakespeare from page 1A
CRIME WATCH
Breaking and entering suspects sought
WOODS — Police said that for the second time in two weeks, several unknown young male suspects allegedly broke into a business in the 20000 block of Mack Avenue and stole multiple liquor products. The most recent incident took place at around 5 a.m. July 22. Anyone with more information can call (313) 343-2400.
Vehicle stolen
FARMS — An unknown person is said to have stolen a white Jeep Grand Cherokee from a parking lot in the 200 block of Country Club Drive between the hours of 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. July 21. The victim told police he left the vehicle unlocked and with the keys inside.
Surveillance footage shows the suspect walk slowly past vehicles, checking on them. The video then shows the missing Jeep speeding out of the lot. Anyone with more information can call (313) 885-2100.
Vehicle taken without keys
FARMS — An unknown person is said to have stolen a black Dodge Durango from the 200 block of Merriweather Road sometime between the hours of 10 p.m. July 16 and 12:40 p.m. July 17. The victim said the vehicle was locked and she had the keys at the time. Anyone with more information can call (313) 885-2100.
Police aid stranded boater
FARMS — Officers rescued a 45-yearold Sterling Heights man who called them at around 6:49 p.m. July 19 after the man’s boat lost power in the middle of Lake St. Clair and his vessel started taking on water as his bilge pumps weren’t working. Farms officers got permission from the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office to take their police boat — which was moored at Pier Park —out on the water to rescue the man.
Man seeks advice on assembling crossbow
FARMS — A 59-year-old Shelby Township man who was reportedly known to police is said to have pulled next to an officer who was parked and monitoring for speeders on Moross Road at around 8:42 p.m. July 24 and asked the officer if he knew how to assemble a crossbow.
The Shelby Township man, who police said was driving on a suspended license, then drove away from the officer and went to the Public Safety Department with the crossbow, seeking the same help putting it together. Police told the suspect that he wasn’t free to leave when he entered the lobby and asked him for his vehicle keys, which he initially denied having with him. A police report states that the keys were in the suspect’s pocket.
Police impounded his vehicle and issued the suspect a ticket for driving with license suspended. During an inventory search of the vehicle before it was impounded, police said they found a box containing a new, unassembled crossbow on the front passenger seat. The weapon was placed into the property room for safekeeping.
Earlier in the day, police said, the suspect presented them with a note telling them some people were looking for him and were going to shoot him in the face. An officer asked him if he intended to use the crossbow to protect himself, and he responded, “Possibly.” Police pointed out that the suspect would be no match for someone with a gun, to which the suspect answered, “You know what? If I leave my car somewhere and they come up to it, who knows, you know what I mean?” Police warned the suspect that lying in wait for someone with the intention of shooting them with a crossbow would constitute first-degree murder.
Unlocked vehicles targeted
CITY — Between the late evening hours of July 21 and the early morning hours of July 22, multiple unlocked vehicles were rummaged through by an unknown person or persons while the vehicles were parked in the 800 and 900 blocks of Fisher Road. Nothing appeared to have been stolen in any of these incidents.
In a separate but possibly related incident, an unknown person is said to have gone through the interior of an unlocked Ford F-150 while it was parked in the 700 block of Fisher Road between the hours of 10 p.m. July 23 and 11 a.m. July 24. Police remind residents to always lock their vehicles and not leave valuables inside them. Anyone who might have seen suspicious activity in the area during these time periods can call (313) 886-3200.
Porch pirate reported
WOODS — An unknown suspect is said to have stolen a package from Amazon off the front porch of a home in the 1000 block of Vernier Road July 24. Anyone with more information can call (313) 343-2400.
Retail fraud suspect sought
CITY — An unknown suspect is said to have pushed a cart containing approximately $200 worth of groceries out of The Village Kroger store without paying for these items at around 6:26 p.m. July 24. An investigation was ongoing at press time, police said. Anyone with more information can call (313) 886-3200.
Vehicle vandal strikes
WOODS — An unknown person is said to have been caught on a surveillance camera purposely using her Mercedes Benz SUV to strike a vehicle next to her five times in the parking lot at Ascension St. John Hospital at around 5:40 p.m. July 25. The victim’s vehicle sustained paint transfer and a damaged passenger-side mirror as a result. Police said the suspect is seen on the video getting out of her vehicle and inspecting the damage before driving away. Anyone with more information can call (313) 343-2400.
Cash, checkbook taken
FARMS — Sometime between the hours of 9 p.m. July 21 and 7 a.m. July 22, an unknown person is said to have entered an unlocked vehicle parked in the 300 block
of Fisher Road and stolen a plastic zipper bag, taking an estimated $10 in change and a checkbook from the center console. The victim told police she accidentally forgot to lock her vehicle doors. Anyone with more information can call (313) 885-2100.
Suspects arrested
CITY/PARK — At around 3:45 a.m. July 25 in the area of Kercheval Avenue and Nottingham Road, Grosse Pointe City officers apprehended one of two suspects sought in connection with a larceny from auto while assisting their colleagues in Grosse Pointe Park; this suspect is said in a police report to have been an 18-year-old Detroit man who fled on a stolen bike. A report states that a second suspect was arrested as well. The second suspect, a 20-year-old Detroit man, is said to have fled on foot. Grosse Pointe Park Public Safety reported that both suspects admitted to have been breaking into vehicles in the 1100 block of Nottingham and stealing items.
Larceny suspect sought
FARMS — A Ring security camera is said to have captured the moment an un-
Continued on page 20A
Drunk Driving • Divorce, Custody Support & Parenting Time • Bankruptcy • Drivers License Restoration
• Personal Injury • Criminal
• Wills, Estates, Trusts & Lady Bird Deeds
CRIME WATCH
known person entered a Jeep Compass while it was parked in the 400 block of Madison Road at 4:55 a.m. July 23. The thief is said to have stolen a black leather case that contained pepper spray and a multi-tool device. The missing case was found in the area of Kerby Road and Charlevoix Avenue, police said. It had been removed from the victim’s glove compartment. It wasn’t known at press time if anything else was removed from the vehicle. Anyone with more information can call (313) 885-2100.
Credit cards stolen
FARMS — Five credit cards for various gas stations were said to have been stolen from an unlocked vehicle while it was parked in the 300 block of Mount Vernon Avenue between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m. July 23. Anyone with more information can call (313) 885-2100.
Stolen vehicle found
PARK — A 2022 Ford Escape that had been stolen from the 700 block of Harcourt Road in Grosse Pointe Park between 2 a.m. July 18 and 9:21 p.m. July 26 was recovered — then impounded for a parking complaint — in Grosse Pointe Farms. The victim said he didn’t report the theft at first because he thought the vehicle had been repossessed.
Police said the unknown person or persons who took the Escape abandoned it in the Farms. Anyone with more information can call (313) 822-7400.
Assault suspect arrested
PARK — A 46-year-old Grosse Pointe Park man was arrested after he reportedly attacked someone after an argument in the area of Beaconsfield and Charlevoix avenues at around 8:24 p.m. July 27. Police were investigating a report of a large group of people gathered in the street when they learned about the alleged assault. The suspect, who is said to have driven away from the scene, was allegedly intoxicated at the time. Police said no injuries were reported.
Trespasser receives warning
FARMS — Police were called to a gas station in the 19000 block of Mack Avenue at around 4:44 p.m. July 24 about an unidentified male suspect who was allegedly asking customers for money. Police found the suspect — a 51-year-old Pontiac man — in the parking lot of a bank adjacent to the gas station, where police said the suspect was sitting on the ground, drinking a can of Mike’s Hard Lemonade. Police said the suspect appeared to be intoxicated, and when he took a preliminary breath test, he had a blood alcohol level of 0.235% — almost three times the legal limit for a driver. Police gave the suspect a trespassing warning and asked him not to return to the gas station or bank parking lot and drove him to a fastfood restaurant nearby in Detroit.
— K. Michelle Moran
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Major water main replacement planned for section of Muir Road
BY K. MICHELLE MORAN kmoran@candgnews.com
FARMS — An aging water main is getting replaced in advance of roadwork this fall.
The Grosse Pointe Farms City Council voted unanimously in favor of a project to replace a water main on Muir Road, between McMillan Road and Kercheval Avenue. The main, which City Manager Shane Reeside said dates back to the 1940s, ranges from 4 inches in diameter to 6 inches in diameter. It will be replaced by an 8-inch main, which officials said will be better suited for customer demand and firefighting.
“We thought it was prudent … to replace that section of main,” Reeside said. “It supports the hospital. It supports some of our local businesses.”
The water main services the Hill business district, which includes Henry Ford Medical Center — Grosse Pointe. Henry Ford Medical Center — Grosse Pointe is the name for the medical facility that includes the former Cottage Hospital, at 159 Kercheval Ave., and the former Pierson Clinic, at 131 Kercheval Ave.
The project, including engineering and a 10% contingency, is slated to cost an amount not to exceed $637,802.90.
City Councilman Lev Wood asked if this was the only water main work the Farms was doing this year. Reeside said it was.
“It’s pretty sizeable,” Wood acknowledged.
The work was recommended by the city’s engineers with Hubbell, Roth & Clark Inc. In an April 1 memo from HRC Project Manager Eddie Zmich to Reeside and Farms Water Superintendent Scott Homminga, Zmich said that Plymouth-based Bidigare Contractors Inc., the contractor for the work, has maintained almost all its unit prices from 2023, “with only small increases for a couple of items in response to the industry-wide higher material costs.” Given current market conditions, Zmich wrote that they believed it was “reasonable to extend Bidigare’s contract” into 2024.
Homminga explained that this project is a continuation of the water main replacement program that Bidigare Contractors undertook for the Farms from 2020 to 2023.
“Because the water main lies next to the curb on Muir Road, we will be completing the project before the street is repaved in the fall,” Homminga wrote in a memo to the council.
Call Staff Writer K. Michelle Moran at (586) 498-1047.
Assumption Cultural Center’s GreekFest is the perfect annual summertime four-day, fun-filled event for the entire family. With authentic Greek food, entertainment and culture, GreekFest is an annual event that typically draws more than 10,000 people from throughout the metro Detroit area over the four-day weekend. This year’s GreekFest kicks off on Thursday, Aug. 15, at 4 pm and runs through Sunday, Aug. 18. Festival-goers will enjoy live entertainment, Greek dancing, exciting marketplace shopping, Church tours, a special exhibit in the Hellenic Room, kids’ tent and games, rides, inflatables, magicians, jugglers and more, delicious Greek pastries, Taverna and much more!
GreekFest hours are Thursday, Aug. 15, 4-10 p.m.; Friday, Aug. 16, 4-11 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 17, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; and Sunday, Aug. 18, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
The Grand Opening ceremony takes place on Thursday, Aug. 15, at 5:00 p.m. Community leaders will be recognized. The Greek band, Enigma, will perform throughout the weekend. Highlights always are theAssumption dance groups providing colorful entertainment, including the Hellenic Society for the Performing Arts, with costumes and dances from the regions of Greece. Open dancing follows with Assumption Dancers teaching the easy steps of Greek dancing throughout the weekend - audience participation is welcomed!
The Grand Raffle will be held on Sunday, August 18 at 6:00 p.m. First Prize is $10,000, Second Prize is a Signature Ahee Diamond Pendant ($3,600 value), donated by Ahee Jewelers, Third Prize is $500 and Fourth Fifth and Sixth Prizes are $200. Tickets are $10 each. Purchase online at www.assumptionfestival.com or stop by Assumption’s office.
Free Parking and Shuttle Service is available.
Regular admission is $3 and children under 12 years of age are admitted free.
A portion of proceeds from the Festival will benefit community programs and charities. Assumption Greek Orthodox Church is located at 21800 Marter Rd., in the communities of St. Clair Shores and Grosse Pointe Woods.
For information, call (586) 779-6111 or visit www.assumptionfestival.com.
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COMMUNITY CALENDAR
23A/ GROSSE POINTE TIMES • AUG. 1, 2024
AUG. 3
Fishing Derby: For Grosse Pointe Woods residents 16 and younger, trophies for biggest fish and most fish caught, 8-9:30 a.m. or 10:30 a.m.-noon, Lake Front Park, 23000 Jefferson Ave. in St. Clair Shores, registration required, recweb.gpwmi.us
Grosse Pointe Art Festival: Also kids activities like princesses and arts/crafts, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., plus live entertainment by Hannah Francis (10 a.m.-noon), Grosse Pointe Theatre (noon-1 p.m.), The Reason You Came (1-4 p.m.) and Nolan Eszes (4-6 p.m.), The Hill on Kercheval in Grosse Pointe Farms, grossepointechamber.com
AUG. 11
Summer Beer and Wine Soirée on the Bay: Sip and stroll through lawn and gardens, explore Alger House, and hear yacht rock, 2-6 p.m., The War Memorial, 32 Lake Shore Drive in Grosse Pointe Farms, warmemorial.org/eventcalendar
AUG. 15-18
Assumption Greekfest: Food, music, dancing, taverna and kids activities, 4-10 p.m. Aug. 15, 4-11 p.m. Aug. 16, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Aug. 17 and 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Aug. 18, Assumption Cultural Center, 21800 Marter Road in St. Clair Shores/Grosse Pointe Woods, (586) 7796111, assumptionfestival.com
AUG. 16-17
To view more Community Calendar and to submit your own event, visit candgnews.com/calendar. To advertise an event, call (586) 498-8000.
Woodward Dream Cruise: Officially held 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Aug. 17, participating cities along 16-mile radius of M-1 include Ferndale, Pleasant Ridge, Huntington Woods, Berkley, Royal Oak, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township and Pontiac, more events for both days at woodwarddreamcruise.com
AUG. 28-29
Fever Candlelight Open Air Concerts: “From Bach to the Beatles” at 7 p.m. and “The Music of Hans Zimmer” at 9:15 p.m. Aug. 28, and “The Soul of Detroit featuring Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye and More” at 7 and 9:15 p.m. Aug. 29, doors and open bar 45 minutes before each show, The War Memorial, 32 Lake Shore Drive in Grosse Pointe Farms, warmemorial.org/ eventcalendar
ONGOING
Farmers market: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays until Sept. 14, parking lot on the southeast corner of Kercheval Avenue and Lakepointe Street in Grosse Pointe Park
Summer concerts at Ford House: 7 p.m. Aug. 9 (Dave Hamilton Band, Motown tribute) and 6:30 p.m. Aug. 23 (Michigan Philharmonic playing car-inspired songs from movies and TV), 1100 Lake Shore Road in Grosse Pointe Shores, (313) 884-4222, fordhouse.org
Summer concerts at War Memorial: 6:30-9 p.m. Aug. 7 (Thornetta Davis) and 7:30-9 p.m. Aug. 21 (Air Margaritaville, Jimmy Buffet tribute), 32 Lake Shore Drive in Grosse Pointe Farms, free but registration required, warmemorial.org/summerfest24
Teen Leadership Council: Meetings for grades 9-12 every first Wednesday of month, pizza and snacks provided, 6-7 p.m., Grosse Pointe Public LibraryWoods Branch, 20680 Mack Ave., grossepointelibrary. org, (313) 640-4775
Book clubs: Nearly a dozen hosted by Grosse Pointe Public Library at various branches, restaurants and on Zoom, more at grossepointelibrary.org/book-clubs
Art classes: 10:30 a.m.-noon every first and third Tuesday of month for seniors, 6-8 p.m. every second and fourth Tuesday of month for veterans, The War Memorial, 32 Lake Shore Drive in Grosse Pointe Farms, grossepointeartcenter.org, (313) 881-3454
Health workshops: For ovarian cancer support, diabetes prevention, nutrition education and more, hosted by Corewell Health, free and virtual, beaumonthealth. digitalsignup.com
Lupus support groups: 10 a.m. every second Tuesday
CLASS REUNIONS
Birmingham Groves High School Class of 1984: 40-year reunion events include brunch at Beverly Park, Tigers game, tour of school’s new outdoor athletic facilities, and stay and celebration at Somerset Inn, Aug. 1-3, myevent.com/ grovesclassof84
Cousino High School Class of 1969: 55-year reunion, classes of 1967-1971 also welcome, 7 p.m. Sept. 6, Roger’s Roost, 33262 Schoenherr Road in Sterling Heights, RSVP to Larry Wilk at lwilk@comcast.net
Mount Clemens High School - All Alumni Night: Cash food and refreshments, 5 p.m. Sept. 13, Rec Bowl, 40 Crocker Blvd. in Mount Clemens, contact Ron Hiestand at (586) 463-6386 or drron82@yahoo.com with questions
Osborn High School Class of 1974: 50-year reunion includes dinner and open bar, 6-11 p.m. Sept. 20, Blossom Heath Inn, 24800 Jefferson Ave. in St. Clair Shores, osborn1974.com
Grosse Pointe North High School Class of 1974: 50-year reunion includes cash bar, food stations, photo booth and GPN gift, 5:30 p.m. Sept. 21, Grosse Pointe Yacht Club, 788 Lake Shore Road in Grosse Pointe Shores, also casual gathering 7 p.m. Sept. 20, WaterMark Bar and Grille, 24420 Jefferson Ave. in St. Clair Shores, grossepointenorth1974.com
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PAINTING
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ANDERSON
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Plumbing MASTER PLUMBER
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Plumbing
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