COMMUNITY CELEBRATES REC CENTER’S
20 YEARS
BY DEAN VAGLIA dvaglia@candgnews.com
MACOMB TOWNSHIP — A birthday party for a building? It is more likely than you may think.
On the evening of July 19, families and community members converged on the Macomb Township Recreation Center to celebrate its 20th birthday. Games, activities, refreshments and more were all there to provide a good time for guests young and old.
“It was a perfect evening for us,” Macomb Township Parks and Recreation Director Sal DiCaro said. “It was beautiful weather. We had a nice crowd. About 1,200 people showed up. A lot of activities. A lot of people we haven’t seen in a long time, old members and stuff like that. It was just a really nice event, and everyone there had a great time.”
While some attendees of the celebration could not think of a day where the center was not there at the corner of Macomb Street and Broughton Road in the township center, others could remember a time when the land it stands on was not too different from the forests and farm fields that still surround it. After all, the recreation center has only been there for 20 years.
Games
Township sewer mains to be lined
BY DEAN VAGLIA dvaglia@candgnews.com
MACOMB TOWNSHIP — Travelers along Romeo Plank Road may encounter some delays in the near future. Those with light stomachs may not be so interested in the reason why.
For those who can handle the dirty truth, the sanitary sewer that runs along Romeo Plank Road is in need of a new lining. Workers from pipe lining company Insituform Technologies will handle that work, accessing the damaged pipes near where Romeo Plank meets 21 Mile Road.
The pipes in question connect the township’s sewer system with the county system.
“As sewage travels down over time, sewage builds up hydrogen sulfide gas,” Macomb Township Department of Public Works Director Kevin Johnson said. “That gas eats the pipe, especially concrete pipe, and so this pipe is eaten quite a bit to the point where you can see some metal wire mesh showing, which lets us know it is in a critical moment of needing to get repaired. To prevent the hydrogen
See SEWER on page 18A
Photos by Liz Carnegie
were part of the activities at the Macomb Township Recreation Center’s 20th birthday celebration on July 19.
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, second homes, commercial properties and businesses.
✓ Support career-technical instructors, teachers and support staf to help prepare students for in-demand, good-paying jobs, including in the skilled trades.
✓ Support school safety ofcers, school counselors, social workers, health services staf and food service workers essential to student success.
Tis millage renewal would NOT cost homeowners one penny in taxes.
CVS has a proven track record of fscal 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.
The Chronicle is one of 21 bi-weekly publications produced by C & G Newspapers, a family-owned company serving residents in Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties since 1981. We deliver our papers to more than 571,000 homes in 45 communities via direct mail.
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SECOND FRONT PAGE
3A/MACOMB TOWNSHIP CHRONICLE • AUGUST 1, 2024
Trustees thank state legislator for roadwork earmark
BY DEAN VAGLIA dvaglia@candgnews.com
MACOMB TOWNSHIP — When state Sen. Veronica Klinefelt brought her first big piece of road funding to Macomb Township, she left with a new nickname — “The Road Warrior” — and a gift befitting the title: a copy of the “Mad Max 2” movie poster with her face imposed over actor Mel Gibson’s. On July 24, Klinefelt was awarded flowers in a traffic cone
Photo by Dean Vaglia
Macomb Township Treasurer Leon Drolet, obscured in center, presents state Sen. Veronica Klinefelt, D-Eastpointe, with gifts of flowers and a basket of caffeinated drinks at the July 24 township board meeting. Trustees thanked Klinefelt for securing $3 million for reworking an intersection, which made it into the state’s 2024-25 education budget signed earlier that day.
Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel, left, and Macomb County Sheriff Anthony Wickersham drive sledgehammers into the Jail Annex building on July 19. The ceremonial demolition, followed by the start of the actual demolition on July 22, is the latest step in the construction of the new central intake and assessment center.
Demolition of old county jail buildings underway
Wing focused on mental health to be built
BY DEAN VAGLIA dvaglia@candgnews.com
MOUNT CLEMENS — For about a year, Macomb County’s top elected officials have dreamed and debated about tearing down old buildings at the Macomb County Jail. On a hot morning July 19 while wearing 10-gallon hardhats, the county’s executive and sheriff finally got their wish.
Macomb County Executive Mark
Hackel and Macomb County Sheriff Anthony Wickersham bashed the first hole into the wall of the Macomb County Jail Annex, ceremonially beginning demolition and paving the way for a new jail building to be built. Hackel and Wickersham were joined by Macomb County Board of Commissioners Chair Don Brown and contractors to mark the occasion.
“Demolition is starting today,” Hackel said. “This is the groundbreaking — this is actually going to be a wall breaking.”
Demolition commenced in earnest on July 22, beginning with the annex build-
Photo by Dean Vaglia
BY JONATHAN SZCZEPANIAK jszczepaniak@candgnews.com
MACOMB COUNTY— A recent two-week wrestling camp between the Vasteras Wrestling Club of Sweden and the Viking Roughneck Wrestling Club, which is made up of wrestlers across Oakland and
Macomb counties, ended with tearful eyes and the exchange of social media information.
The clubs are all too familiar with each other as Roughnecks leader John Jeffire, a teacher at Chippewa Valley High School, and Vasteras leader, Christer Persson, have built a bond over the course of four decades.
“It goes back 45 years to 1979,” Jeffire said. “I was on a U.S. team that toured Denmark and Sweden, and that’s when I went to the city of Vasteras. We competed there and I met this guy, Christer Persson, who was the head of the Vasteras Club. In 1980-1981, I went over there for a year and trained with the Vasteras club, and Christer was my
U.S., Swedish high school wrestlers find common bonds
coach. Fast forward to now, I’ve brought four teams over to him and he’s brought four teams over to me over the decades. We’re still keeping this tradition alive.”
The tradition was alive and well from June 23 to July 7 as the Swedish wrestlers stayed with local host families and took
The Vasteras Wrestling Club of Sweden and the Viking Roughneck Wrestling Club pose for a group photo. Photo provided by John Jeffire
See WRESTLING on page 16A
NEWS & NOTES
ANTON CENTER CALLS FOR ‘ARTIST’S CHOICE’ ENTRIES
MOUNT CLEMENS — The Anton Art Center is calling upon artists in five local arts organizations to submit their entries for its annual Artist’s Choice Show.
Open to members of the Lakeside Palette Club of St. Clair Shores, Mount Clemens Art Association, Romeo Guild of Art, Shelby Township Fine Art Society and Warren TriCounty Fine Arts, Inc., artists can submit up to two works in any media at a cost of $15 per submission. The completed entry form, fee and labels are due no later than 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 14. Visit theartcenter.org or call (586) 469-8666 for more details.
CMPL hosting events for teen, kids
CLINTON TOWNSHIP — As the Summer Olympics kick off in France, the Clinton-Macomb Public Library is putting on its own summer games for elementary school students at the North Branch this August.
At 3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 3, kids in grades K-5 are invited to take part in a variety of summer games. At 10 a.m. on Thursday Aug. 8, kids ages 2-5 are invited to run an obstacle course.
Teens in grades 6-12 are invited to the North Branch at 3 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 12, to take part in a creative painting challenge. Participants will be given prompts at random and given the tools to turn their concept into a masterpiece. Other creative opportunities are available at the South Branch where at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 8, tweens ages 8-12 are invited to make pet toys out of T-shirts. The South Branch is also hosting an anime ice cream social at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 10. Visit cmpl.libnet.info/events for a full list of events or to register.
As you prepare to cast your ballot next week, check out our Voter Guide with profiles on the candidates running for local and federal offices at candgnews.com/news/elections, or scan the QR code.
Credit union makes over $30K in donations to local charities
CLINTON TOWNSHIP — The Michigan Schools and Government Credit Union recently made over $30,000 in donations to three community organizations.
The American Lung Association in Michigan, Blessings in a Backpack and Michigan Concerns of Police Survivors all received $10,266.67 apiece.
MBC to hold auditions, open house
CLINTON TOWNSHIP — The Macomb Ballet Company will hold 2024-2025 open auditions Aug. 22 and Aug. 29. Dancers must be between the ages of 8 and 19. The nonprofit organization welcomes dancers from all backgrounds and training levels to audition. For more information about how to audition, visit macombballet.org. The cast will perform two shows: “The Nutcracker” Dec. 7-9, 2024, and “Wizard of Oz” April 25-27, 2025. The Macomb Ballet Company also invites the public to its open house from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Aug 14. The MBC is located at 51504 Danview Technology Court in Shelby Township. For more information call (586) 843-3374.
The funds were raised through a program in which the credit union donated $50 for every new checking account by members. The organizations were selected because of their dedication to education and first responders, according to a press release from the credit union.
“MSGCU is grateful our members helped us give back and make a positive impact in our communities. These donations are a result of their support, and we appreciate how they took action to make a difference,” Steve Brewer, MSGCU President/CEO, is quoted as saying in a press release. “MSGCU follows the credit union philosophy of people helping people, and we are dedicated to serving others through special programs like this one as part of our ongoing community giving efforts.”
‘Tlatecayotl Caucualtzin’ showcases Mexican artists
CLINTON TOWNSHIP — The public is invited to view the “Tlatecayotl Caucualtzin” (Art is Beautiful) Mexican art exhibit through Sept. 14 at the Lorenzo Cultural Center.
The showcase — presented in partnership with the Mexican Consulate — is a collection of 16 unique works of art created by five Mexican-born artists demonstrating a variety of styles and techniques. One piece includes “Abuelita Otomi,” pictured, by artist Arturo Morales Morano.
“We’re excited about this show because it’s so different from what we’ve done in the past,” William Wood, director, Cultural Affairs and Community Engagement, Macomb Community College, said in a prepared statement. “Some of the art will be on display for the first time anywhere.”
The artwork demonstrates styles and artistic methods inspired by modern art in Mexico as well as Mesoamerican art created by indigenous cultures in Mexico and South America. A variety of techniques are employed in creating the artwork including the use of spray paint and black lights.
The Art is Beautiful exhibit is complementary and open to the public Tuesday through Friday through Sept. 14, as well as on Saturdays Aug. 7 and Aug. 14. It is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Lorenzo Cultural Center is located on Macomb Community College’s Center Campus. The address is 44575 Garfield Road. For more information, visit lorenzoculturalcenter.com.
Photo provided by Brian Weitzel Photography
IT’S ALL ABOUT BEING A TEAM AT BUDDY SOCCER
BY JONATHAN SZCZEPANIAK jszczepaniak@candgnews.com
MACOMB TOWNSHIP — A little Red Light, Green Light has all the makings of a fun-filled day at Buddy Soccer.
For years, founder Shannon Pelfrey was hoping to find an activity that her now-10year-old son Sylas, who is autistic, could take part in.
A conversation with the Macomb Township Parks and Recreation staff not only shifted her attention to a particular sport, but birthed the creation of what is now Buddy Soccer.
“It’s a league that I came up with a few years back because of my own son, who’s autistic, and wanting to get him out to exercise and do something other than being on electronics,” Pelfrey said. “There was nothing for him because all of the regular sports leagues of soccer and baseball required coordination that my son didn’t have, but there’s competitiveness that goes along with that. I didn’t want to bombard the parents or the coach with special treatment, so I created this league.”
Now every spring and fall, Buddy Soccer, which typically has 15-18 players, takes
over the field for an hour near the Macomb Township Recreation Center as children ages 6-15, who either have cognitive or physical disabilities, learn the game of soccer alongside their buddies, who are predominantly Macomb Lutheran North High School students or other local volunteers.
“The buddies are unbelievable,” Pelfrey said. “Most of them come from Lutheran North High School, and they are amazing and super helpful. Most of them are high school age and above, and they’re so good with the kids.”
Mario Iulianelli was one of those many volunteers alongside his two sons, who both went to Lutheran North, and the Iulianelli family was the first set of volunteers in Buddy Soccer’s inaugural season.
Fast forward to 2024, and Iulianelli is still the frontman for Buddy Soccer as its head coach, leading kids through stretching routines, running, doing passing drills with their buddies, and doing scrimmages against each other toward the end of the session. To make it fun and add structure, the coaches incorporate games such as Red Light, Green Light, where players compete in a start-andstop race from a starting point to a goal.
Iulianelli said he’s always had a passion for coaching but said Buddy Soccer has given him a different perspective on different styles of coaching.
“As my sons grew older and grew out of what I was coaching, my potential to coach went away,” Iulianelli said. “This was an opSee SOCCER on page 17A
Qualifications
• 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
I’Il work towards
• 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
Photo provided by Mario Iulianelli
Buddy Soccer players and volunteers kick around the ball during a session.
Trustees
from page 3A
and the gratitude of the Macomb Township Board of Trustees for securing $3 million in Michigan’s fiscal year 2024-25 budget to overhaul the intersection at 21 Mile and Heydenreich roads.
According to a July 3 Facebook post from the township, planned changes to the intersection include extending the center left turn lanes along Heydenreich and 21 Mile, adding right turn lanes to all four ends of the intersection and installing modernized traffic and crossing signals at 21 Mile and Heydenreich, at 21 Mile and Dakota Drive and at Heydenreich and Cougar Drive. Plans are still being developed between the county and the township, the primary idea behind the project being to make the intersection safer for pedestrians — particularly the students attending the numerous Chippewa Valley Schools in the area — through better traffic control.
“I actually had to go up there for an event just as school was getting out … and it was just a nightmare for the kids that were trying to get across the street,” Klinefelt said. “I couldn’t believe the setup.”
Trustees thanked Klinefelt for working for them to include the $3 million earmark in the state budget, specifically in the $23 million education budget signed by the governor earlier that day. It was also not lost on trustees that Klinefelt, a Democrat, would be unlikely to see electoral gains for the $8 million in road projects she secured for the Republican-leaning-andled township over the past two years. Klinefelt secured $5 million in the state’s FY 2023-24 budget for the Broughton Road extension and boulevard project.
“I think what she has done for us is a great example of what elected officials, regardless of party, should do once they are serving,” Township Supervisor Frank Viviano said. “They have a job to do. Partisanship might be good for the campaign trail, but it is not the job that we do. It is not what we do here. Up here, we manage the business of the township, and Sen. Klinefelt recognizes that her constituency extends to Macomb Township, which maybe she’s not going to win in an election, but she recognizes our needs and has done her earnest best to deliver for
See TRUSTEES on page 14A
By the early 2000s, major parks and recreation programs were only beginning to build steam. The first millage for the Parks and Recreation Department was passed in 1996, beginning operation in 1998 and opening Waldenburg Park as its first park in 2001. Along with the millage was approval to build a recreation center in the proposed Macomb Township Center, a plan by thensupervisor John Brennan and Troy-based planner Robert Gibbs to build a traditional downtown in Macomb Township.
“There was nothing out here around 25 Mile Road back in those days,” DiCaro said. “They bought all this land, and it was really (Brennan’s) vision and the board’s vision at the time. I was fortunate enough to come on prior to it. I was a part of the design phase and all the needed things to do in preparation of it.”
While the millage passing in 1998 showed a willingness from the community to build and pay for a recreation center and programs, it was not always clear whether that was the case. Charlie Oliver, owner of Oliver Sod Farm and a member of the township board around the turn of the millennium, said he was not entirely on board at first until an encounter he had on a delivery run. Several kids were playing street hockey when Oliver came through with his truck, causing the kids to stop their game and move their net so Oliver could get through.
“They had nowhere to go and at the time, my wife and I were struggling with our own kids because they were entering tee ball and sports and we had nothing for them either,” Oliver said. “So, all those things combined for me and started making me realize there was a need for this.”
The recreation center was built in two phases, with phase one costing $14.2 million. Amenities planned for the original approximately 60,000-square-foot center included a workout area, track, aquatic center and a single basketball court. The development of the recreation center was done alongside the creation of the nearby Macomb Corners Park, with both opening on July 19, 2004.
Opening day of the recreation center was marked with a ceremony and tours. Oliver remembers his first impressions of the recreation center as awestruck pride.
“To walk into a brand-new facility like that and knowing that not a lot of communities could afford that, the board felt so proud of what they did for the residents,” Oliver said. “The new staff were so proud to show it off and let people use it. The swimming pool was beautiful and the walk around the top was fantastic. … Even the first time I walked there were two groups of kids playing ball and they were having the time of their life.”
For DiCaro, the first day of the recreation center was a chance to make the rest of the community feel the same way as Oliver, but with the goal of turning community members into recreation center subscribers.
“People could go in and sign up for memberships and tours,” DiCaro said. “Obviously, that was at the very beginning stages where we didn’t have members or anything yet, so that was kind of an introduction to the community of the rec center. … I thought it was very well received because within the next two years we had to get started on a whole another phase. There was some question on what type of reception it was going to get from the residents, but it’s just become such a staple of the community.”
Over the following two decades, the recreation center and department have grown. The department now has eight different facilities including the Marvin Blank Senior Center, 26 Mile Road Nature Preserve and its newest additions of Lucido River Park and Pitchford Park. The recreation center itself had its second phase completed in 2007, expanding it to 92,000 square feet and becoming a cornerstone of community events all along the way.
“One of the things I’m most proud of is the positive impact the rec center has had on the community,” DiCaro said. “It really is the hub of activity for our township. Obviously, people go there to work out and swim and dance, play pickleball and basketball and attend classes, but it’s really been so much more than that. Since we’ve opened, 28,000 swim lessons have been given. We average 450 birthday parties. Between 500700 people come through our door every day. All of our indoor special events like Halloween Hoopla, Easter ‘Egg’travaganza and our tree lighting afterglow are all here at the rec center. It truly has been everything that we hoped it would be and more. I consider it the crown jewel for our residents, and I really think it’s what separates us from surrounding communities.”
For now, plans to expand the recreation department are limited to finding new park lands to work with — DiCaro always has an ear open for proposals and donations — while managing the existing ones. But the ultimate decision about the future of Macomb Township Parks and Recreation comes down to what its residents and community members want to see in their township.
“We’ll adapt to the changes of what the people want,” DiCaro said. “Five or six years ago nobody was talking about pickleball. Pickleball is a huge thing now. We just have to evolve with what the interests of the people are and try to reach the demands that they’re asking for.”
Call Staff Writer Dean Vaglia at (586) 498-1043.
Someone, somewhere, reading this right now is thinking you wrote this for me. And you’re right, we did. You’re the one who just can’t bring yourself to pick up the phone. It doesn’t matter if you’re a woman, a man, a black belt in karate, or 90 lbs. soaking wet. You’re scared, embarrassed and just overwhelmed. We can help, we’re positive we can. We know the pain you experienced wasn’t just “in your head.” We will not lecture you and most certainly won’t make you feel “bad” about whatever is going on. No blame, no lectures, just the rst step on getting back your smile and health.
us. That is what every elected official should always strive to do, deliver for their constituency regardless of their politics. I think that is a fine example of what she’s done for us.”
Township funds were already set aside to support the project at the local level, but the state budget earmark has allowed the township to reallocate $250,000 for the purchase of accessible playground equipment for Waldenburg Park.
“Our request to Sen. Klinefelt and her very hard work securing that $3 million is a double win for the township,” Viviano said. “We get to improve a very difficult area of our township, and we also get to nearly double the capacity of what we originally allocated to do for Waldenburg Park. That’s the kind of thing when one of our senators or congressional representatives goes to bat for us, that’s what it allows us to do.”
Township officials are pursuing federal Transportation Improvement Program funding for the 21 Mile and Heydenreich intersection project. If successful, the township hopes to expand its budget for the project from $3 million to $7.5 million.
Collection bin ordinance update, amendments
Earlier in 2024, the board passed an ordinance requiring clothes collection bins to be registered with the township. After the implementation of the ordinance, 47 of the 48 bins identified in the township have since been removed, with two of the removed bins having pending applications for approval.
On July 24, trustees approved amendments to the ordinance in order to clarify details about the approval process and where approved bins can be placed.
Firefighter hired
Trustees also approved the hiring of Ron Tremonti as the township’s newest full-time firefighter.
Tremonti has worked with the Macomb Township Fire Department for 15 years as a paid-on-call firefighter.
Peek Inside Your Health: Full Body MRI Screenings Unveil Silent Issues Before Symptoms Arise
(Limited Time Ofer: Continue Celebrating Independence Day Savings with $450 Of a Full Body MRI Screening!)
(Southfeld, MI) Full body MRI clinics have gained national attention lately, as TV personalities publicly share their personal full body scan experiences. One actress credits the scan for saving her life after doctors dismissed her unexplained pain for months. After various tests, including a CT scan, had “unremarkable” results, the pregnant actress became her own advocate, searched out a full body MRI clinic and discovered she had pancreatic cancer. Tanks to early detection the tumor was removed successfully.
As a general rule, when symptoms occur related to cancer, it usually has progressed to stage three or four. Even with annual physicals, there are limitations. Most screenings only cover about 29% of cancers with 71%
occurring outside of where doctors are able to screen. However, full body MRI scans can detect cancer in every organ from the top of the head through the pelvis and can detect it very early.
For a long time, full body MRI scans were available only in select areas outside of Michigan, requiring expensive fights like in Vancouver or California. However, this changed when a facility opened in Southfeld, making these screenings available to Metro Detroit residents.
“Our advanced MRI screening can detect cancers very early when they are as small as a pencil eraser and are more easily treatable. If cancer goes undetected, however, it can grow into stage three or stage four with difcult treatments. We can also identify hundreds of conditions
such as brain, abdominal, chest, and groin aneurysms,” stated the founder of the Southfeld clinic called Bionicc Body Screening.
MRI full body screenings are safe, non-invasive and emit zero radiation. Book in August to save $450.
Te primary focus of Bionicc Body Screening is to deliver peace of mind, ofering a comprehensive and detailed imaging of the body’s internal structures. Te ultimate hope is for excellent health. However, in the event that something is detected, the advanced screening aims to catch any potential issues at their earliest stages. Tis approach ofers the best opportunity for successful treatment outcomes, should the need arise.
Robert B., age 50, opted for a full body scan from Bionicc Body Screening
and a very small tumor was detected. He said, “It saved my life. Teir MRI found a kidney tumor that had been missed by a recent CT scan. I cannot recommend this service more.”
Save $450 this Independence Day when you book a full body MRI appointment for the month of August. Learn more now by visiting www. BioniccBodyScreening.com (Tis is a limited time ofer.) Schedule today at 1-833-BIONICC.
Advertorial
from page 3A
ing. The old maximum security, D Block and rehab buildings are slated for demolition at a later time to make way for the new central intake and assessment center. The goal is to better address inmates with mental health and substance abuse issues.
“Today does begin the next journey that will improve our operations here at the sheriff’s office and the county jail,” Wickersham said. “It will make a better environment for my staff and for the inmates. We will focus on a direct supervision model. We will focus on a very hybrid medical and mental health facility dealing with individuals that have those issues and are remanded here by the bench.”
The central intake and assessment center is planned to be over 159,000 square feet with a capacity for 278 beds, setting the total jail capacity at 1,178 beds. Prior plans called for the building to be 177,000 square feet, housing up to 303 inmates. Design renderings call for a bow tie shaped building that is four levels tall and has an extensive use of windows to let in as much natural light as possible.
“Granger Construction has an extensive resume of correction projects that have been completed over the years, but the central intake and assessment center is truly unique,” said Jeff Havranek, Metro Detroit regional director for Granger Construction. “With an ever-increasing need to address medical, mental health, substance abuse and behavioral disorders that are present in our community, it takes an alternate approach to treatment and therefore an alternate approach to the design and construction of a facility seeking to address those needs.”
Design features will be paired with changes to processing, with correctional deputies screening new inmates for mental health or substance abuse issues upon intake. From there, inmates in need of assistance will be diverted to programs on the top, second and ground floors. Other features planned for the central intake and assessment center include improved video trial capabilities, community corrections facilities, a “full service” court, offices for the county prosecutor and public defenders, and a passageway between the jail and the intake center.
“We know that this county jail is the responsibility of the county to provide a county jail for
See JAIL on page 16A
part in various American cultural activities courtesy of the Viking Roughneck club. Of course, the wrestlers — the clubs had wrestlers from 9 to 22 years old — took their cultural differences to the mat. They last met in 2022 when the Roughnecks went to Sweden.
The first week of training took place at Chippewa Valley, with a competition taking place on June 28. Practices then shifted to Revolution Wrestling in Highland Township and Revolution Combat in Allen Park.
Throughout the two weeks, differences became similarities between the two clubs, but overcoming the obstacle of adjusting to each other’s wrestling styles was still difficult at times for both sides.
“They are predominantly Greco-Roman wrestlers, which holds from the waist up,” Jeffire said. “There’s no grabbing the legs or attacking the legs or tripping the legs. It’s significantly different. Freestyle is like our high school and collegiate ranks where you can attack the legs, but Greco is a whole other animal. They love Greco. They don’t care for freestyle, and they don’t wrestle folkstyle, which is what we do in high school here. When they come over here and we go over there, we not only have our cultural differences but our athletic differences. They kick our butts in Greco, and we have the upper hand in freestyle.”
Outside of wrestling, the Swedes were given a full tour of everything you’d hope to see in a two-week span in metro Detroit.
The Viking Roughneck Club treated their visitors to a Detroit Tigers game at Comerica Park and a United Shore Professional Baseball League game at Jimmy John’s Field, with classic hot dogs and hamburgers. They hosted a Fourth of July party, went to Mavrix in Shelby Township for chicken wings, went to downtown Detroit for the Peddle Bar, and many other activities.
“Wrestling is what ties us all together, but during the past two weeks we have also experienced true American hospitality,” said Karl Holmqvist, who took the trip to the U.S. alongside his daughter Astrid. “American families opened their homes to us and showed their culture. I’m returning back to Sweden with a lot of memories as well as friends that I hope to see again on our side of the pond.”
The similarity is wrestling — that’s what brings the two
groups from across the globe together, but the importance stretches far beyond the sport.
Sure, the significance of having local wrestlers work the mat with wrestlers of different cultures is immeasurable, but the friendships and bonds are what make this tradition all the more special.
Jeffire said the impact showed itself when the groups took part in the Peddle Bar downtown on July 5.
“The driver allowed one of the Swedish girls to be the DJ, and I don’t know how you do it, but she had her iPhone with her, and she had a playlist with a combination of Swedish and American music,” Jeffire said. “It was just watching everyone enjoy the other culture’s music. From the laughter and the smiles you saw, you really had a good feeling about what this was accomplishing culturally for everyone involved.”
Aside from assimilating the American wrestler to Swedish music, the female wrestlers from the Vasteras club did much more than add a couple of songs to the Roughnecks’ playlist.
Girls wrestling finally seems to be taking off in Michigan, but its prominence in Sweden is far beyond what the local female wrestlers could imagine.
For local high schoolers, it can be difficult to train properly when you’re constantly going up against guys, but the Vasteras Wrestling Club brought four girls of their own over.
“As a girl wrestler, it’s often hard to find your place in a team, but with these kids I never had to do that,” Chippewa Valley sophomore Bridget Maas said. “It was such a great experience, learning so much about wrestling, culture, and friendship. I will never forget these past two weeks, and these friendships are forever.”
The Macomb/Oakland County wrestlers are already hoping that a trip to Sweden is in the cards for them, but Jeffire said his sole focus is keeping the tradition alive.
“I think of Vasteras as my second home and I think of the Vasteras Club as my club and something that I’ve been invested in from 1979 to now,” Jeffire said. “I feel a part of what they do. The great thing about social media today is I can find out what the wrestlers in Vasteras are doing, and they’re following us and our wrestlers here. It’s really cool. This week was the national championships in North Dakota, and we’ve been following the results for our kids that are out there, but the Swedes are following it, too, and the Swedes have been cheering our guys on and our guys are cheering them on at their meets halfway around the world. It’s amazing how small the world becomes when you get involved in something like this.”
Call Staff Writer Jonathan Szczepaniak at (586) 498-1090.
from page 15A
those that are arrested and detained, and they are now becoming the responsibility of the sheriff,” Hackel said. “We have this responsibility to make sure that we have the right type of facility to manage the people coming in there, but also making a determination as to what are those issues these people may have.”
Plans for the project were announced in May 2023, with the aim of addressing three main improvements for the county jail recognized in a 2016 Macomb County Sheriff’s Office survey: intake and assessment, pretrial services and new medical/mental health environments and services. The $228 million price tag for the project has been consistent since its announcement with funds coming from the county’s general fund, state funding and federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars.
“Macomb County is managed financially conservatively and as a result, our balance sheet is strong and enables us to pay cash for this project,” Brown said in a press release. “The collaborative effort between the Sheriff, County Executive and the Board of Commissioners has led us to this point. When completed, those who come in contact with law enforcement and have drug or mental health issues receive a chance to turn their lives around. This not only benefits them and their families, but the taxpayers and society at large.”
So far, the project is ahead of its initial schedule, which planned for demolition to begin sometime in 2025. Currently in the third phase of the project timeline, construction is expected to be completed sometime by or within 2027.
Call Staff Writer Dean Vaglia at (586) 498-1043.
Soccer
from page 7A
portunity, and I played soccer my whole
and I love the sport and love coaching, so to me this was a really good opportunity to coach again. I hadn’t had any experience in this area, so it was a learning experience for me as well. I looked at it as taking my experience and knowledge from playing my whole life and applying that to the Buddy Soccer program.”
Over the course of the sessions, Pelfrey said she notices a difference in the young soccer players.
“It helps with their confidence, and it helps them be social,” Pelfrey said. “We’re giving them light directions, nothing real rigid, but it helps to give them some direction. Some of them have made friends, which is very hard to do with kids with special needs.”
Registration for the fall season (Sept. 16 to Oct. 2) will open up in early September with another month of fun-filled soccer ahead. Like every Buddy Soccer session, it will end with a “Go Team!”
“It makes me feel proud that there are families that are willing to do these things for their kids,” Pelfrey said. “It’s hard. Specialneeds parenting is not for the weak, and it is
Oakland University William Beaumont Medical School
very challenging. Daily tasks and day-to-day life can be challenging. For them to go out of their comfort zone and sign up their kids for a sport they don’t know if they even like, it makes me happy and gives me hope.”
For more information on registration or how to be a buddy, visit macomb-mi. gov/743/Adaptive-Recreation.
Call Staff Writer Jonathan Szczepaniak at (586) 498-1090.
Photo provided by Mario Iulianelli
Buddy Soccer players, volunteers, and head coach
Mario Iulianelli do the “Go Team” chant to end the session.
Sewer
from page 1A
sulfide from damaging any further, we line it and then that protects it.”
With a contract coming in at over $1.2 million, Insituform will apply a cured-in-place pipe resin lining along a 1,456-foot stretch of sanitary sewer ranging from 36 to 48 inches in diameter.
“In general, CIPP lining is a trenchless rehabilitation method to repair existing pipelines without digging and replacing the original pipe,” said Ken Quillen, vice president and area manager of the Midwest region for Insituform, via email. “The process involves inserting and running a felt lining into a preexisting pipe that is impregnated with a specially formulated resin. The resin is then cured with water or steam. Once cured, a new ‘pipe within a pipe’ is in place and operation can resume.”
According to Quillen, Insituform was a pioneer of the CIPP lining technique in the 1970s and has continued to utilize the method over the past half-century. Evidently, Insituform has provided their CIPP services to the township in that time.
“We used them a few years ago, back in 2021/2022, to do another lining project in the township,” Johnson said. “They did a great job for us, so we’re well aware of their expertise and their knowledge of what they can accomplish to make this an effective project without any hiccups.”
With the state of the sewer being so bad that a lining project is being performed, it stands to ask why the township would not opt to dig up the pipe and replace it with a new one. After all, what good will some resin and felt be against concrete-corroding swift sewage gases?
Aside from the cost of lining being cheaper than a full replacement, Johnson says the lining will make the sanitary sewers as good — and as resilient — as a brand-new pipe.
“The goal is for us to avoid a complete replacement,” Johnson said. “Essentially, the lining of this pipe, what this means is the lining segment that goes in is considered a new host pipe. So, if the outer side of the pipe were to fail, it doesn’t matter because this is basically a new pipe in itself. Basically, lining it is replacing it, so the goal is to line the pipe before you actually have to do physical replacement … On average based on our estimates, we usually assume 70-80 years for a lifespan (of a lining) from the township’s perspective.”
The CIPP method allows for lining to take place without workers directly entering the sewer and performing the work. Traffic will likely be impacted with intermittent lane closures in order for Insituform’s crew to access the pipe sections and get equipment into place.
Residents along the sewer will be contacted by Insituform prior to the work with information about what they can do to prevent sewage gases entering their homes during the work. For more information, call the Macomb Township DPW at (586) 589-0687 or email the department at waterandsewer@macomb-mi.gov.
Call Staff Writer Dean Vaglia at (586) 498-1043.
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