LOCAL FOOTBALL TEAMS PREPARE TO KICK OFF THE SEASON 22A
WARREN CITY COUNCIL REJECTS
MAYOR’S DDA BOARD APPOINTMENTS
BY GENA JOHNSON gjohnson@candgnews.com
WARREN — The Warren City Council voted July 9 to table its vote on the reappointment of four current members of the Downtown Development Authority board and give Mayor Lori Stone time to find new members while maintaining a quorum.
DDA board members are appointed to a four-year-term. According to Warren City Council Secretary Mindy Moore, the reasons given for not approving the reappointments of Nick Lavdas, Gregory Jackson, Joe Vicari and Mike Wiegand were the board’s misappropriation of nearly $500,000, attendance, rarely asking questions and always voting “yes” to what the mayor wanted.
“I have to say that I’m a little more than disappointed that the mayor has simply reappointed people that have been on the DDA,” Moore said. “We were looking for change. This is not change, and this has been one of the most controversial boards, certainly in the last four years.”
The controversy included a Michigan Supreme Court ruling that former Warren Mayor James Fouts misappropriated nearly $500,000 through the DDA by spending it without the City Council’s approval. The court ruled it is the council’s budget.
When Fouts was previously interviewed about the case, he
See APPOINTMENTS on page 14A
Katerina Spiewak celebrated her 100th birthday Aug. 16 at the Ukrainian Village Apartments. With help from her niece Diane Kurylo, left, she blew out her birthday candles.
Photo by Maria Allard
BY MARIA ALLARD allard@candgnews.com
WARREN — Katerina “Katherine”
Spiewak is known as a hardworking woman who makes friends easily and makes it a point not to argue with others.
She also spends a lot of time volunteer-
ing at bingo in the Ukrainian Village Apartments where she resides.
Those attributes just might be the reasons for her longevity.
On Aug. 16, about 60 family members and friends gathered at the complex to celebrate Spiewak’s 100th birthday. Her son, Bo
See SPIEWAK on page 26A
SECOND FRONT PAGE
Court’s ruling on wages, sick time reverberates across region
WORKERS, BUSINESSES AND ASSOCIATIONS REACT TO DIVIDED MICHIGAN SUPREME COURT DECISION
BY NICK POWERS AND GENA JOHNSON npowers@candgnews.com, gjohnson@candgnews.com
METRO DETROIT — A recent 4-3 ruling by the Michigan Supreme Court affecting the state’s laws governing minimum wage and sick time is sending shockwaves through many businesses, including the restaurant industry.
All workers will receive a pay bump to more than
$12 an hour in 2025 with tipped workers gradually reaching $12 in 2029. The final amounts will be determined by the state’s treasurer. The current minimum wage is $10.33 and $3.93 for tipped workers.
All employees, including part-time and temporary workers, are entitled to paid sick leave. Every 30 hours an employee works generates one hour of paid sick leave. Employees get 72 hours paid sick time a year at large
“For us directly, it won’t be an immediate effect because we already pay above the minimum wage,” Dragonmead
owner
Channell said about changes in the state’s minimum wage law. “We already pay tipped employees more than what it will be raised to.”
Retired Warren police K-9 needs help fighting cancer
BY GENA JOHNSON gjohnson@candgnews.com
WARREN — Police are seeking donations to save their K-9 comrade officer Kantor who needs costly chemotherapy treatments.
Kantor, an 8-year-old German shepherd, has been with the Warren Police Department for more than five years, working hundreds of deployments, identifying and locating deadly narcotics and locating nearly 100 people in his action-packed career.
Kantor retired in June. Less than one month into retirement, he was diagnosed with lymphoma in his neck after his longtime partner officer Nicholas Hofer noticed a lump in that area. Accord-
ing to police, the lymphoma has started to spread to several lymph nodes.
“For the last 5 years, Kantor has been the best partner I could have asked for. He has done everything that I’ve asked of him and more. This is not the retirement we had in mind for him. He deserves a long, happy, and healthy retirement,” Hofer said in a written statement. “Unfortunately, with this cancer diagnosis, we know that it will not be as long as we would have hoped but I want to make the most of the time we have and pay him back for all that he has given me.”
Kantor lives with Hofer and his family.
Photo by Patricia O’Blenes
Brewery
Spencer
Officer Kantor relaxes after a busy day.
Photo provided by the Warren Police Department
Backpack project ‘supplies’ school necessities to students
BY MARIA ALLARD allard@candgnews.com
WARREN — More than 4,000 school children will have the classroom supplies they need this school year, courtesy of the Back-to-School campaign through United Way for Southeastern Michigan.
Volunteers from United Way and several local businesses gathered Aug. 1214 in the Lincoln High School gymnasium to pack approximately 4,300 backpacks to be distributed to 13 schools in Macomb, Oakland, Wayne and Washtenaw counties.
On the first day, volunteers set up tables and organized the school supplies. On Aug. 13, three shifts with about 60 volunteers formed assembly lines as they packed supplies into the backpacks of various colors. As they worked, the crew had conversations with each other as music from ABBA, Journey and other artists played through speakers.
On Aug. 14, the Penske company donated three trucks and drivers to deliver the supplies to participating schools. Lincoln High School, part of the Van Dyke Public Schools district, received 470 backpacks.
Each of the K-5 students who received a backpack will start off the school year with construction paper, pencils, crayons, notebooks, folders, scissors, glue sticks, markers and more. The middle school and high school supplies included notebooks, binders, mechanical pencils, highlighters, pens and sticky notes.
The United Way focuses on different areas in the community, providing basic needs, shelter and utilities. Kristen Cibulski, United Way director of engagement, said the cost of the backpack supplies totaled $100,000, and this is the fourth year for the program.
ABOVE: Volunteers from United Way for Southeastern Michigan and several local businesses pack backpacks with school supplies for local elementary, middle and high school students on Aug. 13. LEFT: The 4,300 backpacks will be distributed to 13 schools in Macomb, Oakland, Wayne and Washtenaw counties.
Photos by Erin Sanchez
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Ruling
companies. However, employers with fewer than 10 employees need to only pay for 40 hours of sick leave a year.
These sweeping changes will go into effect Feb. 21, 2025. For some, it’s a step toward a living wage for workers. For others, it’s a hit to businesses across the state and possibly tipped workers.
How this happened
This ruling was years in the making. It’s the result of wrangling to keep the issue off the ballot in Michigan by legislators against the changes.
It started with two petitions in 2018 that received the required number of signatures to potentially appear on the ballot.
One petition would have given workers gradual wage increases until the minimum wage became $12 in 2022. After 2022, the wage would be increased each year, as determined by the state, according to inflation. The minimum-wage gap between tipped workers and all other workers, 38% in 2018, would be eventually closed by 2024.
The other petition required employers to give employees one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked per week.
The Legislature adopted the unaltered initiatives in September 2018. This kept them off the ballot and allowed lawmakers to alter them.
They did this in two bills. One caused the minimum wage increases to not exceed $12 until 2030 and removed the increases for tipped workers. It also removed increases to the wage based on inflation. The second made changes to sick time. It exempted employers with under 50 employees from providing paid sick time. It reduced the amount of paid sick time hours for larger businesses from 72 hours to 40.
The changes, led by Republicans, were approved along party lines by margins of 6048 in the Michigan House of Representatives and 26-12 in the state Senate in a lame duck session in December 2018. They were signed by then-Gov. Rick Snyder and went into effect March 29, 2019.
In the Michigan Court of Claims, it was determined that the Amended Wage Act and the Amended Earned Sick Time Act were unconstitutional on July 19, 2022. This was reversed by the Michigan Court of Appeals, but was ultimately upheld by Michigan Supreme Court’s July 31, 2024, ruling.
“We hold that this decision to adopt the
initiatives and then later amend them in the same legislative session (what has been referred to as ‘adopt-and-amend’) violated the people’s constitutionally guaranteed right to propose and enact laws through the initiative process,” the majority opinion states.
Business owners, associations react
Many business owners and associations have decried the decision.
The Michigan Retailers Association released a statement in the wake of the news.
“Bedrock principles of capitalism and a competitive labor market are thwarted by extending the paid leave law to employers with only one employee, dramatically altering the paid leave requirements for those with 50 or more employees, and mandating substantial changes to the minimum wage,” the association stated in a press release.
Other organizations including the Michigan Chamber of Commerce and the Small Business Association of Michigan struck a similar tone in press releases.
Joe Vicari, founder and CEO of the Joe Vicari Restaurant Group, spoke out against the changes. The Vicari Group, which includes mostly Michigan businesses under the Andiamo brand, has over 20 restaurants.
“This ruling will devastate the restaurant industry,” Vicari said in an emailed statement. “Many hard-working people will lose their jobs. Eighty-three percent of the restaurant industry did not want this law to pass!”
Beverly Suida, the owner of the Victory Inn, a family-owned restaurant in Warren for nearly 80 years, said, “I know it’s coming in February, and I know it’s going to hurt.”
The “hurt” she was referring to is the continually increasing prices of food added to the higher wages that employers will be required to pay their employees.
“We’re going to have to pay more money to our servers,” she said. “I pay all my girls (servers) more than minimum wage that is for a server and always have. So if it changes to $12 that’s over double for what they are going to get paid an hour plus their tips are going to be calculated in their paychecks, so we get stuck with that tax.”
Because of the increase in wages for servers, waiters and bartenders, Suida thinks it may result in an end to tipping.
“Because it’s not right for them to get paid $12 an hour, plus tips,” she said. “That’s a lot of money. My dishwasher makes $12 an hour, and he doesn’t get tips.”
With the wages of her waitstaff more than doubling, Suida will have to make some adjustments to make up the difference.
Photo by Patricia O’Blenes
Ruling
“Where are we supposed to get all that extra income from, other than to pass it on to the consumer?” she said.
“I don’t raise my prices to make my pockets full. It’s to keep my doors open,” said Suida. “Because all I’m trying to do is to stay alive right now and to see what happens.”
“How high can we go? (Charging) $20 a burger to cover payroll and the cost of inflation,” Suida said.
In addition to the higher prices passed on to the customer, Suida suggested that the effects of this change in minimum wage for servers will include people dining out less frequently, waitstaff leaving the industry for other jobs and some restaurants not surviving the change.
Spencer Channell, the owner of Dragonmead Brewery in Warren, which only sells beer, wine, distilled vodka and gin that they make, had a different take on the looming minimum wage changes.
“For us directly, it won’t be an immediate effect because we already pay above the minimum wage,” Channell said. “We already pay tipped employees more than what it will be raised to.”
Channell describes his business model at Dragonmead as unique and unlike the industry norm. However, he still has concerns for the industry at large if nontipped wages become the standard throughout the industry.
“It may remove tipping from the culture and tipping is where most servers get their money,” he said. “You can make a lot of good money on tips, but if everyone knows the wage is higher, tips start to go down and everyone starts to lose a little bit.”
Channell further elaborated.
“You rarely work 40 hours a week in the front of the house. You can make a lot of money in a short period, when you’re being tipped out,” Channell said. “When you’re not, it’s the same as working in any other job.”
One challenge he faces is the bartenders at his brewery wear many hats.
“There are some odd rules with tipped employees. There are certain jobs you have to clock out and clock into a different pay category,” Channell said. “So if someone was to clean a bathroom, your time spent cleaning the bathroom, you can’t be a tipped employee at that time doing it. You have to clock out and clock in at a different rate for non-front-of-house work. That’s a real has-
sle for us because we have bartenders that do multiple jobs.”
The increase in wages may have an effect on prices.
“Overhead is high and that’s going to probably affect how many people stay on the payroll for some places. It’s not affecting us. But it will definitely affect, if you get yourself a cheap beer at some other bar, that beer probably won’t be as cheap the next time you get it,” Channell said.
A ‘landmark victory’
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel praised the ruling.
“This is a landmark victory for Michigan voters and a resounding affirmation of the power of direct democracy,” Nessel is quoted as saying in a press release. “The Legislature cannot manipulate its power to undermine the will of the people. This ruling sends a clear message that elected officials cannot disregard the voices of their constituents. I am glad to see the Court recognize and respect that the people reserved for themselves the power of initiative, a crucial tool meant to shape the laws that govern them.”
The Restaurant Opportunities Center called the day of the ruling “an important day to remember,” calling the decision a win for working families and democracy.
“This ruling is the answer to economic opportunities and job protections that every worker, every voter and every person — Black, white, Latino, Asian, gay and straight, binary and non-binary, Democrat and Republican, immigrants and Native Americans, young and senior—deserves,” Chris White, director, ROC Michigan, is quoted as saying in a statement.
“Together with our coalition partners and allies, I am proud of what we have accomplished!”
The Michigan AFL-CIO also commended the ruling.
“We commend the Court for ruling what we all clearly witnessed back in 2018,” Michigan AFL-CIO President Ron Bieber said in a press release. “The Republican-controlled legislature’s flagrant disregard for the citizen initiative process has robbed Michigan workers of wages and sick leave for the past five years. Republicans in the legislature quite literally stole out of the pockets of Michigan workers and today’s ruling by the Supreme Court is the first step in righting this wrong and making workers whole.”
Call Staff Writer Nick Powers at (586) 498-1059. Call Staff Writer Gena Johnson at (586) 498-1069.
Trusted Plumbing Experts
Warren’s property footprint expands
BY GENA JOHNSON gjohnson@candgnews.com
WARREN — The Warren City Council recently approved a request from the Downtown Development Authority board to purchase two buildings in Warren.
A request to purchase the building located at 8777 Common Road for $1.4 million was approved. The council also approved a request to amend the DDA’s budget in the amount of $700,000 to facilitate the purchase of the Warren Racquet and Fitness Center at 29901 S. Civic Center Blvd.
The planned use for the Common Road Building is still very early in the planning stage, according to Warren Mayor Lori Stone.
“This property was identified as a key location in the Downtown Development area because of the proximity to city court, City Hall, and having this parcel is part of that development plan (and) is key to a comprehensive use of the area,” Stone said. “There have been several things discussed including potential housing, senior housing.”
There are many ideas for the building, but nothing has been finalized yet, according to the mayor.
“What kind of free amenities would they like to see here? What kind of things would they like to come and spend money on? Is it restaurants? Is it entertainment? That will be part of that reimagining piece,” Stone said.
The Warren Racquet and Fitness Center will serve as additional parking for the court and Police Department as the courthouse is under construction.
“That is a stopgap measure for the purpose of using that parking lot in order to accommodate police parking. Once that construction is completed that parcel will be part of that reimagining of what happens next. Is it residential? Is it commercial? Those are some of the things considered in the use of this development,” said Stone.
Call Staff Writer Gena Johnson at (586) 498-1069.
St. Martin Neighborhood Reunion VIII
Saturday, September 7, 2024, Noon - 6 p.m. St. Clair Shores Memorial Park, 32400 Jeferson at Masonic
Check-in begins at 11 a.m. Lunch and Beverages served 2-4 p.m.
COST: BEFORE 8-12-24 ~ $ 45 per person AFTER 8-12-24 ~ $ 55 per person
For more information, go to www.stmartinreunion.com Or call Pat Preston, 1-586-939-4118
ORDINANCE NO. 80-820
AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND CHAPTER 22, OFFENSES, ARTICLE IV, OFFENSES AGAINST PROPERTY, DIVISION 2, TRESPASS, SECTION 72, UNAUTHORIZED ENTRANCE UPON PRIVATE PARKING AREA.
THE CITY OF WARREN ORDAINS:
SECTION 1. That Chapter 22, Article 4, Division 2, Section 72 of the City of Warren Code of Ordinances entitled Unauthorized entrance upon private parking area, which presently reads:
Sec. 22-72. Unauthorized entrance upon private parking area.
(a) Any person who enters upon any private parking area, either in a vehicle or on foot, without the express or implied permission of the owner, lessee, occupant or agent, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
(b) Before this section shall be effective in any parking area, suitable signs must be frst posted which would apprise the ordinarily observant person of the restricted use of the parking area. For the purpose of this section, implied permission shall be deemed granted to any person for the use designated by such signs.
(c) Complaint for violation of this section may be made by the owner, lessee or occupant of the parking area, or the agent thereof, and the police department shall enforce this section.
(Code 1967, § 8-252)
IS HEREBY AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS:
Sec. 22-72. Unauthorized entrance upon private parking area and abandoned vehicles
(a) Any person who enters upon any private parking area, in a vehicle without the express or implied permission of the owner, lessee, occupant or agent, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
(b) Any self propelled vehicle capable of transporting a person or persons or any material or goods or any permanently or temporarily affxed apparatus shall be deemed a vehicle for purposes of this section.
(c) For purposes of this section, private property is any property owned by an individual, group, business or other entity and not owned by any branch of local, county, state or federal government. Private Parking Area means an area to which the public has access, whether on payment of a fee or gratuitously, for the purposes of parking motor vehicles;
(d) A vehicle, whether occupied or unoccupied, that remains on private property without the consent of the owner is an abandoned vehicle.
(e) Before this section shall be effective in any parking area, suitable signs must be frst posted which would apprise the ordinarily observant person of the restricted use of the parking area. For the purpose of this section, implied permission shall be deemed granted to any person for the use designated by such signs.
(f) If a vehicle has remained on private property without the consent of the property owner, the owner of the private property may have the vehicle taken into custody as an abandoned vehicle by contacting a local towing agency or the Warren Police Department. A local towing agency is considered a towing agency whose storage lot is located within 15 miles from the border of the City of Warren.
(g) Private property owners, lessees or occupants may obtain signs from the City that are intended to inform the City and its’ offcials that the owner forbids any parking after normal business hours. These signs are available at Warren City Hall Public Service Department. Owners of the property must sign an authorization/ consent/release form in order to obtain a sign from the City. Placement of this sign on the property constitutes a complaint by the owner, lessee or occupant and implicitly authorizes the police department to tow any vehicle parked there after normal business hours.
(h) Display of the sign referenced in subsection (e) above, shall inform the public that the owner does not give consent to anyone to use the parking area and authorizes the Warren Police Department to have the vehicle towed to a local towing agency.
(i) Complaint for violation of this section may be made by the owner, lessee or occupant of the parking area, or the agent thereof, and the police department shall enforce this section.
(j) If a vehicle is removed the provisions of MCL 257.252a sections 12 through 21 shall apply.
(Code 1967, § 8-252) See also MCL 257.252a
SECTION 2. This Ordinance shall take effect on September 2, 2024.
I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Ordinance No. 80-820 was adopted by the Council of the City of Warren at its meeting held on August 13, 2024.
SONJA BUFFA CITY CLERK
MACOMB WILL HOST STUDENT ESPORTS TOURNAMENT
MACOMB COUNTY — Macomb Community College will host a free esports tournament Sept. 20 for juniors and seniors from Macomb County high schools and MCC students. Students will represent their schools competing either solo on Super Smash Bros. or as a team of three on Rocket League.
Those wishing to compete in Rocket League must recruit two other players from their school to form a three-person team. There are 32 spots available for solo players on Super Smash Bros. and 16 spots for Rocket League teams. There is also room for 100 spectators at the event.
Block House, a Michigan-based restaurant and game lounge, will set up the brackets and administer the launch of each game played. There will be raffle prizes during the event and trophies for the winners.
The tournament will start at 6 p.m. on the South Campus of Macomb Community College, K Building, Room 301. South Campus is located at 14500 12 Mile Road. Players must complete check-in, which opens at 5 p.m., before the tournament start time to compete. Light refreshments will be served during the tournament.
To register, visit events.macomb.edu/event/esports-tournament-4371. That is for all participants in the esports competition, whether a spectator, solo player or team. Players younger than 18 years old must be accompanied by a parent, teacher or coach during the tournament.
For more information, email businessoffice@macomb.edu or call (586) 349-8733.
WARREN GARDEN CLUB
WARREN — For all those with a green thumb or who just like to putter around in the garden, the Warren Garden Club will meet at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 11, in the cafeteria of the Warren Community Center located at 5460 Arden in Warren. The speaker will be Carrie Spencer, a naturalist from Seven Ponds Nature Center in Dryden. Her topic will be managing nonnative plants. A short business meeting and refreshments will follow. For questions, call Connie at (586) 574-0078.
Cousino High School Class of 1969 to host 55th reunion
WARREN — Join in the fun at the Cousino High School Class of 1969 Reunion at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 6, at Roger’s Roost, 33262 Schoenherr Road in Sterling Heights.
Admission is free, but individuals will be charged for their food and drinks in a private dining room. Cousino classes of 1967 through 1971 are also welcome to attend.
Attendees are asked to RSVP by contacting Larry Wilk at lwilk@comcast.net.
For more information, contact planning committee members Fran (Mancuso) Ortman at (586) 504-0442 or Tortoise5@aol.com, Carol (Abrahamsson) Shepherd at (248) 535-3079 or Carolashepherd@me.com, or Sue (Ruthenberg) Wilk at (586) 420-6611 or suewlk@comcast.net.
Warren Community Center pool is closed and will open in mid-September
WARREN — At a special meeting on Aug. 8, the Warren City Council approved nearly $800,000 for equipment, labor and installation to replace equipment damaged during the flood on Aug. 1-2, which caused the pool at the Warren Community Center to close.
“We plan to open the pool in mid-September,” said Anthony Casasanta, acting director of Parks and Recreation.
The old equipment needs to be demolished, and a host of new infrastructure will replace it. This includes three high-efficiency main heating boilers, two high-efficiency domestic hot water heaters, one 415-gallon storage tank, floor-mounted hot water circulating pumps, a digital control panel in addition to a lap filter, a lap speed slide pump and Flooding has been an issue in Warren for quite some time for residential and commercial properties. According to Mayor Lori Stone, it is because the equipment is old. As a result, she has allocated 7% of the budget as investment in underground infrastructure.
“As we go through and replace roads, we are replacing the underground infrastructure that goes underneath it,” Stone said.
Let food be your medicine — control blood sugar with type 2 diabetes diet basics
WARREN — Learn the basics of managing Type 2 diabetes and blood glucose with food from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 12, at the Maybelle Burnette Branch Library in the community meeting room.
A health instructor from the Michigan State University Extension will talk about how to identify different approaches to monitoring carbohydrate intake as well as discuss different food groups and serving sizes. Some frequently asked questions will also be addressed.
Registration is requested either online at warrenlibrary.net or by calling (586) 353-0579. The Warren Burnette Branch Library is located at 23345 Van Dyke Ave. between Nine Mile and Stephens roads. For more information, call (586) 353-0579.
CORRECTION:
An article in the Aug. 8 Warren Weekly should have stated that incumbent District 13 Democratic state Rep. Mai Xiong led the Democrats with 5,992 votes in the primary election. Xiong will appear on the November ballot opposite Republican Ronald Singer, who received 1,848 votes in the primary.
Photo provided by Macomb Community College
Backpacks
And while the backpack campaign has provided for thousands of children over the years, “it’s never enough,” Cibulski said. “The amount of requests we get from community organizations, churches and recreation centers is more than we can provide.”
Preparation for this year’s campaign began in February. Volunteers from United Way, Penske, American Axle & Manufacturing, Bosch and Rocket Mortgage all did their part to make the project a success this month.
“We could not do this without our corporate partners, donors and volunteers,” Cibulski said.
Rocket Mortgage employees Jennifer Sommerfield, Kimm Schultz and Amy Burch volunteered by packing backpacks Aug. 13. The trio volunteer quite often for different causes on behalf of Rocket Mortgage.
CALENDAR COMMUNITY
AUG. 28
SLEEP basics: Sleep Education for Everyone Program presented by Michigan State University Extension, 6-7 p.m., Warren Public Library - Busch Branch, 23333 Ryan Road, registration preferred, (586) 353-0580, warrenlibrary.net
AUG. 29
Fiber arts meetup: For knitters, crocheters, felters and more ages 16 and older, 6 p.m., Warren Public Library - Burnette Branch, 23345 Van Dyke Ave., registration preferred, (586) 353-0579, warrenlibrary.net
SEPT. 1
Warren Tri-County Fine Arts: First meeting of new season, 5:30 p.m., Warren Community Center, 5460 Arden Ave., future meetings held every first Tuesday of month until June, warrenfinearts.net
SEPT. 6
Cousino High School Class of 1969: 55-year reunion, classes of 1967-1971 also welcome, 7 p.m., Roger’s Roost, 33262 Schoenherr Road in Sterling Heights, RSVP to Larry Wilk at lwilk@comcast.net
Paper People: First of six programs teaching early childhood skills to ages 3-8, 5:30-6 p.m., Center Line
“We are glad to be here,” Sommerfield said. “What a great way to come together for the kids.”
Packing the supplies brought back memories for Schultz and her school days.
“School supplies were the best part of the year,” she said. “All the little kids are going to be so happy.”
Packing day fell on Burch’s birthday. Instead of making the day about her, she volunteered for the United Way project. Later in the day, she was off to Michigan Veterans Foundation on Grand River in Detroit to serve dinner, something she does once a week.
“Any reason to give back,” Burch said.
At another table, American Axle & Manufacturing employee Ken Richter spent part of Aug. 13 volunteering for the cause.
“We give back to our community. It’s part of our company’s culture,” Richter said. “It’s a small investment of my time for the benefit of a couple hundred kids.”
Public Library, 7345 Weingartz St., other sessions include Sept. 12, 17, 19, 24 and 26, register at (586) 758-8274, facebook.com/CenterLineLibrary
SEPT. 15
Police/fire open house: Displays, demonstrations, K-9 Unit, dunk tank, smoke house, building tours, bounce house and more, also free lunch, gun safety locks, child safety ID kits, bike helmets and bike raffle, noon-3 p.m., Warren Police Department, 29900 Civic Center Blvd., cityofwarren.org/events
SEPT. 18
Senior health care seminar: Free events featuring vendors, lunch, speaker (topic: natural supplements) and door prizes, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m., Warren City Hall, 1 City Square, cityofwarren.org/events
SEPT. 20-21
Rummage sale: 9 a.m.-2 p.m. (early bird 8 a.m.)
Sept. 20 and 8 a.m.-1 p.m. (fill-a-bag noon-1 p.m.) Sept. 21, St. Paul United Church of Christ, 31654 Mound Road in Warren, (586) 264-4777
SEPT. 21
Vaccination clinic: Also microchips for dogs and cats, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Warren Department of Public Works, 12801 Stephens Road, (586) 275-5181, warrenanimalwelfare@gmail.com, cityofwarren.org/awc
SEPT. 26
Shells, Scales, and Pollywog Tails: Games, activities, artifacts and live animals, 6-7 p.m., Warren Public Library - Miller Branch inside Warren Community Center, 5460 Arden Ave., (586) 751-5377, warrenlibrary.net
To view more Community Calendar and to submit your own, visit candgnews.com/calendar.
Appointments
asserted that he believed it was the mayor’s budget.
Councilman Jonathan Lafferty said, “I am actually shocked that the new mayor sent these individuals to us knowing the malfeasance that occurred in this department.”
According to the mayor, she met with each of the members up for reappointment and talked to them as to their why and purpose for serving on the DDA board, their interest in serving under the new administration and her expectations.
“Indeed, that’s why I appointed them,” she said when asked about the reappointments, and their abilities to meet her expectations and attend meetings.
Misappropriation
City Council members addressed the misappropriation of funds through the DDA. They said the funds were misappropriated because the DDA did not get the council’s permission to spend the money.
“There was a serious issue where the DDA misappropriated almost a half million dollars and the (Michigan) Supreme Court has ruled that that was in fact a misappropriation of funds,” Moore said at a recent City Council meeting. “I’m concerned that as many times as this council brought it up, lawyers brought the problem up, that no one on the DDA, none of the members questioned why those monies were spent without authority from this City Council. And I’m disturbed by that.”
“They absolutely attacked our character,” Lavdas said of the council’s claims. “If
you were naive, you would think we embezzled $500,000 the way they made it look.”
The night council made the decision to table the vote, Lavdas was with a group of about 50 individuals that included businesspeople, judges and prosecutors at a barbeque where they were watching the City Council meeting.
“My phone started humming with attorneys that want to file suit,” Lavdas said. “Now do I want to do this? The jury’s out.”
Lavdas said he has known Moore “forever” and Lafferty for a few years.
“We’ve been friends. We’ve done business together. They could have come to me and talked to me,” Lavdas said. “Instead, they had to do this showboating.”
A member of Vicari’s public relation’s team stated on his behalf, “We’re planning to seek legal options regarding this situation.”
Vicari is the owner of Andiamo’s restaurant in Warren.
Mike Wiegand, owner of The Gazebo Banquet Center in Warren, was contacted about this story and later left a voicemail message stating he was returning the call. However, when subsequent efforts were made to contact him, he could not be reached.
A city attorney was present at every DDA meeting, according to Lavdas. If something was illegal, the lawyer should have made the DDA board members aware of it.
According to Jackson, owner of Prestige Cadillac in Warren, it is within the DDA’s purview to vote to approve or disapprove the spending of various amounts of money. However, if it is then required by the city charter to have that amount approved by City Council, he was unaware of it and contends that is not within the DDA’s purview.
The line items included in the misap-
propriation were landscape services, advertising promoting the city of Warren and, according to the council, advertising promoting the former mayor. It also included engineering services, DTE upgrades, and purchases from Lowe’s.
“I always thought that was within the DDA purview, to promote a healthy city environment,” Jackson said. “And part of the healthy city environment was beautification of its avenues, its parks and its public structures.”
Moore contends that the DDA board members knew that they were expected to follow the council’s budget. It is the law and within the DDA guidelines.
“It wasn’t a mistake. They consciously did not follow the council’s budget. They did this with other items as well. We had a problem with them not following the council’s budget for the general fund,” Moore said. “Not only did they violate state law, they violated their own rules. The city has to follow the council’s budget.”
Attendance
After researching the DDA board’s meeting minutes from January 2019 to July 2024, Moore compiled the following attendance records:
Lavdas attended 14.3% of meetings; Jackson, 33.3%; Vicari, 35%; and Wiegand, 88.1%.
Although there is no attendance requirement for the DDA board, according to Moore, it shows the level of engagement.
“My attendance, I have no argument there,” Lavdas said. “Everybody on the board knows I said, ‘Hey, I’m doing an injustice, I’m not here. I can’t make the meetings because of the type of business (I have).’”
Lavdas has more than 40 businesses including Lavdas Jewelers, in Warren, which he describes as one of his main businesses.
“So, if I’m in the middle of selling an engagement ring, I can’t say, ‘Hey, sorry, got to leave right now to go to a DDA meeting,’” Lavdas said.
“Doing the job is not the issue but time is a major issue for me,” Lavdas said.
Jackson noted that many of the meetings were held through Zoom calls and that they may not have been included in Moore’s attendance calculations.
“I think my attendance rate has been significantly higher than that over my tenure. But I don’t have all the attendance records,” Jackson said. “But I guess at this point, it’s neither here nor there.”
Jackson was not aware that his reappointment had been tabled until he was contacted for this story.
“So this comes as new news to me,” he said.
Not asking questions
DDA members asserted they asked questions when questions were warranted.
“The mayor’s office has always done a very good job in having pre-information sent to all of the board members for our review,” Jackson said. “We reviewed those, and if we had any questions, a lot of times those questions were answered before we actually got to the meeting, which is what a quality board does in terms of saving time.
“So I think I asked an adequate amount of questions. And sometimes, I asked questions which were not for my benefit, but I thought would be a benefit for the rest of the group,” Jackson said.
See APPOINTMENTS on page 20A
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Officer Kantor
from page 3A
“He served us (the department and the community); let’s serve him,” the Warren Police Department said in the release.
Kantor’s first chemotherapy treatment is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 16. According to police, the treatments can be expensive, and they need the public’s help financially.
Donations can be made via GoFundMe at gofund.me/d539542a.
Checks can be written to the Warren Police & Fire Benevolent Association and mailed to the Warren Police Department, 29900 S. Civic Center Blvd., Warren, MI 48098, Attention: Police Administration.
“Let’s give Kantor the backup he needs,” police said.
For more information call (586) 5744803 or (586) 823-9845.
Call Staff Writer Gena Johnson at (586) 498-1069.
Officers Nicholas Hofer and Kantor at the counter ready for their next assignment. “Kantor is the best partner I could have asked for,” Hofer said.
Photo provided by the Warren Police Department
ORDINANCE NO. 30-1082
Appointments
Lavdas contends the matters that came before him on the DDA were not complicated but rather “basic 101 business.”
He told of an instance when a developer who was doing nonrecourse loans wanted to do business with the city, and he asked the questions that needed to be asked and the deal was not approved.
Voting with the mayor
At the July 9 meeting, Moore also expressed concern about the members up for reappointment voting consistently with the mayor and never voting “no.”
“The DDA does things for redevelopment. The things that came to me are not complicated,” Lavdas said. “So there’s not a lot of things I found that needed to be challenged.”
Lavdas said he and the other DDA members made their decisions based on business.
“It had nothing to do with the mayor. I definitely voiced my opinion several times. So that’s not true at all,” Lavdas said. “But there again, without sounding arrogant, these decisions that we’re making are 101 basic business. This is not a big multimillion-dollar business (deal) that we’re doing. It’s common sense.”
He said how interest rates go, so goes business.
“When interest rates were 2%, and Mayor Fouts, love him, hate him, it doesn’t matter, this is once again, it’s a business decision. You’ll have developers, which we did, stand-
ing in line to do development,” Lavdas said. “But because they (the City Council) did not want to give in to Mayor Fouts, all they did was kill (business) and hurt the people of the city.”
With today’s increased interest rates near 8%, developers aren’t as interested in doing deals, according to Lavdas.
October
The mayor was asked to find new members to appoint, and a new vote will be taken in October. This is to maintain a quorum, which is a minimum number of members for a vote to be taken and approved. It is necessary to continue the business of the DDA, which includes buying buildings and advancing the business development of the city.
How will the board’s current members serve until then when they know they will not be reappointed?
“I won’t be attending any of the meetings,” Lavdas said. “I’ll most likely step down.”
According to Jackson, he will work diligently to continue to serve the DDA, but there is a lot of work to be done to continue the progress in Warren.
“It is my intention, yes,” Jackson said when asked if he will attend all the meetings.
“Warren is one of America’s great cities. I wish the existing, and the ongoing, and the new board that’s seated great success,” Jackson said.
The mayor has about six weeks left of the three months she was given to find replacements for these DDA board members.
“I will do my best,” said Stone, when asked if she will be able to find replacements in time.
CITY OF WARREN NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
The Council of the City of Warren has adopted resolutions declaring that a nuisance existed upon the following described property:
PARCEL NO. 13-34-207-003, also known as 11220 Dodge (Garage Only), Lot 49- LAETHEM’S NEAR VAN DYKE SUBDIVISION, Warren Township, Macomb County, Michigan, according to the plat thereof as recorded in Liber 8, Page 11 of Plats, Macomb County Records.
NUISANCE: Demolition of a fre damaged garage with foundation and concrete slab and fre damaged accessory structures.
The City Clerk has notifed the owners of the previously mentioned property that said nuisance shall be removed; and whereas the nuisance was removed in accordance with notifcation.
The Director of Public Service has fled his report of the work done and the expenses incurred in the abatement of the nuisance. The City Council has determined that expenses and administrative costs incurred in the abatement shall be levied as a Special Assessment against the property.
Be it further resolved that the City Clerk gave notice by FIRST CLASS MAIL to the owners of the property upon which the aforesaid charges are levied. They are given until the hearing date to make payment.
This hearing will be held as follows:
Time and Date: 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, September 10, 2024.
City Council Chambers 5460 Arden Warren, Michigan 48092
If payment is not made before aforesaid date, the public hearing will be held for the purpose of considering any objections to the special assessment as prepared.
SONJA BUFFA
CLERK
AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND APPENDIX A, CHAPTER ARTICLE II – DEFINITIONS AND ARTICLE IV –
GENERAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO BASEMENTS
THE CITY OF WARREN ORDAINS:
SECTION 1. That Appendix A, Section 2.02 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Warren, Michigan, WHICH PRESENTLY READS AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 2.02 – Basement.
That portion of a building which is wholly or partly below the average grade of the ground level adjoining the building when the height from the grade up to the frst foor tier of foor beams or joists is less than the height from the grade level down to the foor, provided, however, that if the height from the grade level to the frst tier of foor beams or joists is fve (5) feet or more, such basement shall be considered a story.
IS HEREBY AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 2.02 – Basement.
That portion of a building that is partly or completely below grade.
SECTION 2. That Appendix A, Section 4.26 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Warren, Michigan, WHICH PRESENTLY READS, IN RELEVANT PART, AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 4.26 – Size of residential dwellings.
Every principal building within a multiple-family development shall be provided with a full basement as defned in Section 2.02 of this ordinance, except high rise apartment residential buildings.
IS HEREBY AMENDED TO READ, IN RELEVANT PART, AS FOLLOWS:
The remainder of Section 4.26 is unchanged.
SECTION 3. This Ordinance shall take effect on September 4, 2024.
I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Ordinance No. 30-1082 was adopted by the Council of the City of Warren at its meeting held on August 13, 2024.
Published in Warren Weekly 08/28/2024
CITY OF WARREN
NOTICE OF PUBLIC APPEAL HEARING
0373-2435
Notifcation is hereby being provided that the Hearing Offcer for the City of Warren has determined that a dangerous condition exists in violation of the Code of Ordinances and has ordered abatement of such condition on the described property. A formal notice has been posted on the property itself.
The property is described as:
Legal Description: 32431 Halmich (13-04-103-051) – LOT 3, ST. ANNE’S ARDEN PARK, as recorded in Liber 30, Page 23 of Plats, Macomb County Records
Condition: Vacant, dilapidated one story house brick 1,100 sq. ft. with basement, with a detached garage 440 sq. ft. and any debris.
In order to provide an appeal from the decision and order of the Hearing Offcer, the City Council has scheduled a public appeal hearing.
This hearing will be held as follows:
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Date: 09/10/2024
Place: Warren Community Center Auditorium Council Chambers 5460 Arden Warren, Michigan 48092
The City Council has the authority pursuant to the Code of Ordinances Section 9-171 thru 9-174 and 9-182 to approve/ disapprove/modify the decision of the hearing offcer.
Any person with a disability who needs accommodations for participation in this meeting should contact the Warren City Council Offce at 586-258-2060 at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting to request assistance.
SONJA BUFFA CITY CLERK
Published in Warren Weekly 08/28/2024
0169-2435
SONJA BUFFA CITY CLERK
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SPORTS
22A/ WARREN WEEKLY • AUGUST 28, 2024
South Macomb County Football Preview:
BY JONATHAN SZCZEPANIAK jszczepaniak@candgnews.com
We’re back in full swing with gridiron action at the high school level. Here are previews for all teams in the C & G Newspapers coverage area in southern Macomb County.
Center Line
Last season’s record: 3-6.
League: Macomb Area Conference Silver Division.
First game: at Detroit Henry Ford, 7 p.m. Aug. 29.
Center Line tested itself last year with a nonconference schedule consisting of Madison Heights Lamphere, River Rouge and Marine City, and the young Panthers were hungry for the challenge.
Returning with a core of all-league players in junior Avery Taylor (LB), senior Elijah Williford (WR/DB) and sophomore Darius Wallace (WR/DB), Center Line’s jump to the MAC Silver should be a smooth transition given the talent it possesses.
Senior quarterback Ethan Goralski will command the huddle with sophomore running back Masai Ali handling the bulk of the carries.
Eastpointe
Last season’s record: 1-8.
League: Macomb Area Conference Silver Division.
First game: at Dearborn Heights Crestwood, 7 p.m. Aug. 29.
It’s been a rough couple of years for the Shamrocks, but we’re only three years removed from a team who had back-to-back winning seasons in ’19 and ’20.
Dropping down from the MAC Gold to the MAC Silver could be a nice move to clear the team’s heads and regroup, and also bringing in an entirely new staff could give a different perspective.
When you have only three returning starters on offense, sometimes you have to get a little creative about how you’re going to run your offense.
When head coach Joe Drouin found an old playbook of longtime head football coach Frank Sumbera, it created a new outlook for his offense.
“We’re going to run a little bit of the two-back set and go under center,” Drouin said. “We’re going to take it back to 1968 and run some I-formation with the guys.”
The Norsemen have the talent to do so with junior King Jackson and junior Caleb Butler handling the bulk of the carries, while senior Caleb Rivera serves as the fullback and sophomore Jason Hubbell and senior Je’Sean Woods anchor the offensive line as returning starters.
North also plans to move senior Daylon Doe to the tight end spot, creating a favorable matchup for the 6-foot-3 receiver who can move quicker than most linebackers.
Defensively, North returns a core of veterans behind senior Jack Kezhaya (LB), senior James Shefferly (LB), senior Evan Bainbridge (DL), senior Terry Smith (DL) and Jackson (LB).
Grosse Pointe South
Last season’s record: 9-2. League: Macomb Area Conference White Division.
First game: at Port Huron Northern, 7 p.m. Aug. 29.
The Blue Devils continue to show that the MAC White belongs to them, posting back-to-back league titles and an unbeaten 10-0 record the past two seasons.
Returning a corps of veterans and fresh off its ninth straight playoff appearance, South should be at the top of the league until proven otherwise.
Senior quarterback Jack Lupo will com-
mand the offense again with senior wideout Vince Vachon, an all-region selection returning on the outside.
The South defense, who tallied three shutouts and allowed more than seven points only once last season, returns all-region talents in senior linebacker Lex Willson and senior defensive back Wyatt Hepner.
Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett
Last season’s record: 7-3.
League: Catholic High School League Intersectional #1.
First game: vs. Detroit Denby, 4 p.m. Aug. 29.
Under the direction of first-year coach Andre Rison, a former NFL player and Michigan State University wide receiver, Liggett’s move up from CHSL Intersectional #2 to Intersectional #1 was properly timed for an emerging Knights team.
Posting back-to-back seasons with seven wins, senior running back Gary Stacy will headline the returning group on the offensive side alongside junior quarterback Nikkos Davis. Senior defensive lineman Andrew Johnson will anchor the defense.
Liggett’s back-to-back playoff appearances the past two seasons happened for the first time since 2015-2016.
Harper Woods
Last season’s record: 11-3.
League: Oakland Activities Association White Division.
First game: vs. Redford Union, 7 p.m. Aug. 30.
Not much more needs to be said for Harper Woods last season other than the fact that they’re the defending state champions in Division 4.
Harper Woods returns only four starters on each side of the ball, but it’s still going to be a dangerous team on the field each week.
“The 2025 version of the Pioneers will be fast, physical and athletic,” head coach Rod Oden said. “We return about 50 percent of our roster from last year, and most of that is in the trenches.”
Junior quarterback Nate Rocheleau will command the huddle with seniors Colby Bailey and Donald Adams handling the bulk of the carries. Sophomore wideout Dakota Guerrant, who will also serve as the team’s kicker, will be one to watch this season on the outside.
Defensively, it’s a veteran-heavy defensive line led by senior and University of Toledo commit Bryant Weatherspoon, senior defensive lineman Jevon Jones, and senior defensive end Vory Peacock. Ferris State University commit Matt McCraw and senior Johnny Nelson headline the linebacking corps.
Roseville
Last season’s record: 8-4. League: Macomb Area Conference White Division.
First game: at Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice (at Lawrence Technological University), 7 p.m. Aug. 29.
Roseville’s consistency over the past few years under head coach Vernard Snowden
See FOOTBALL on page 23A
Warren De La Salle prepares to take the field at the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 2 state championship game on Nov. 26 at Ford Field.
Photo by Erin Sanchez
Football
has rewarded it with four straight playoff appearances and three straight seasons of seven or more wins.
Unfortunately for the Panthers, they’ve run into Warren De La Salle Collegiate the last four years in the playoffs, but Roseville isn’t backing down with the talent it’s returning.
Senior quarterback Jordan Simes, a three-year starter and Ferris State University commit, will command the huddle with three-star recruit and Howard University commit Eric Slater, a senior wideout, on the outside along with senior Herman Searcy.
Roseville’s offense also has the benefit of having one of the top players in the state of Michigan, senior running back Desmond Straughton, who has committed to play college football at the University of Illinois.
But with all this firepower on the offensive side, it’s the defensive line that Snowden said is poised for a big season.
“I honestly think our defensive line and the depth of our defensive line is really solid this year, and it’s going to be needed in the league,” Snowden said. “We graduated four linebackers, who were all Division I or high Division II guys, so our D-line has really stepped up to the challenge.”
Senior Mike Chude, a Grand Valley State University commit, headlines the defensive front alongside senior Jacob Blair, junior Miles Sharp and senior Elizah Jolly, who is also a Grand Valley State University commit.
Senior D’ondre Fordham and sophomore Armani Hegmon will lead the linebacking corps while junior Bryant Snowden, senior Hanklin Elston and Straughton will lead the secondary.
St. Clair Shores Lakeview
Last season’s record: 7-3. League: Macomb Area Conference White Division.
First game: at Lapeer, 7 p.m. Aug. 29.
When you make six consecutive playoff appearances, especially in the MAC White, you’re doing something right.
After graduating a slew of talent last season, Lakeview enters the season with a lot of question marks, but head coach Patrick Threet said it’s nothing he and his team aren’t accustomed to.
“That’s kind of been the norm the last four years,” Threet said. “We lose this great player, and then the next year somebody becomes that great player. We talked to our
guys about how they may have this aunt where they go to her house and she makes this special pie and she doesn’t share the recipe with anyone, but you always know it’s good. I told them to trust the process and understand that we have a recipe for success at Lakeview.”
Junior quarterback Gavin McKee will command the huddle again with senior Eric Simmons emerging as the primary running back, but Lakeview has had a knack for developing running backs in the past, so don’t be surprised if two or three more players enter the committee.
It also helps the running game when you have a veteran-heavy offensive line consisting of senior Bobby Clark, a three-year starter, junior Vincenzo Pizzo, senior Connor Kubiak, senior Jacob Smigielski, and senior Matthew Demski.
Defensively, the Huskies are led by senior Terrell McCurdy (DB), a three-year starter, and junior Brennen Johnson (DB) with junior John Kline and senior Jacob Snell on the defensive line.
St. Clair Shores Lake Shore
Last season’s record: 3-6.
League: Macomb Area Conference Gold Division.
First game: vs. Sault Ste. Marie, 7 p.m. Aug. 30.
Lake Shore is still searching for its first winning season since 2018, but it will have to fight for it this season without its starting quarterback and receiver, who both transferred this year.
Seniors James Taylor (TE/DE) and Ja’Sean Dean (WR/DB) headline the returning group for the Shorians.
St. Clair Shores South Lake
Last season’s record: 3-6.
League: Macomb Area Conference Silver Division.
First game: vs. Warren Woods Tower, 7 p.m. Aug. 29.
South Lake snapped its three consecutive playoff appearances streak but still was able to turn in a respectable season.
The Cavaliers will rely on senior Rafeal Payne (RB/LB) and junior Emarian Jackson (WR/DB) to lead the team this season.
Warren Cousino
Last season’s record: 6-4.
League: Macomb Area Conference Blue Division.
First game: vs. Rochester Hills Stoney Creek, 7 p.m. Aug. 29.
The tide is turning in the right direction for Warren Cousino, who’s posted backto-back winning seasons and playoff appearances.
Prior to 2022, Cousino had tallied six total wins from 2017 to 2021, but the Patriots have turned things around.
Cousino will take on a new league this year, but will ride the momentum of last year and rely on its veteran leaders consisting of seniors Jake Rudd (OL/DL) and Owen Banaszak (RB/LB) and juniors Brick Sandridge (QB), Michael Kozel (WR/DB) and Kam Hayward (WR) to lead the team.
Cousino last made its third straight playoff appearance in 2006.
Warren De La Salle
Last season’s record: 11-3. League: Catholic High School League Central.
First game: at Davison (at Wayne State University), 7 p.m. Aug. 29.
With four straight state championship appearances and two state titles in the process, De La Salle is a well-oiled machine.
If De La Salle needed any extra motivation to storm out the gate this year, a loaded senior group fresh off a state finals loss should just about do it.
Senior quarterback Sante Gasperoni, an all-region selection, returns under center with junior wideout Damion King, an all-region selection, headlining the wide receiver room.
Defensively, it’s two all-state players leading the way with senior Jacob Tur (DL) and Dalton Drogosh (LB) commanding the defensive unit, but the Pilots also have allregion talents on the defensive side in Anthony Presnell (DL) and Isaiah Jones (DB).
Warren Fitzgerald
Last season’s record: 4-6. League: Macomb Area Conference Gold Division.
First game: at Warren Mott, 7 p.m. Aug. 29.
Things weren’t looking great for Fitzgerald out the gate as it lost its first three games, but a four-game win streak put the season back on track and was just enough to qualify for a playoff spot.
Fitzgerald’s win over Grosse Pointe North also earned the team a share of the MAC Gold title, and that goes a long way in terms of momentum.
Now back with returning veterans and all-league players such as junior Myron Hardy (DB), junior Martez Kelley (DT) and senior Demontae Edwards (WR/DB),
Fitzgerald should challenge for the MAC Gold again this season.
Warren Lincoln
Last season’s record: 5-4.
League: Macomb Area Conference Bronze Division.
First game: vs. Romulus Summit Academy North, 7 p.m. Aug. 29.
Warren Lincoln’s 4-2 run to end the season, which clinched its first winning season since 2015, has to have the team feeling good heading into 2024.
With returning all-league players such as senior Aaron Logan (WR/DB), senior Jeremiah Hutson (WR/DB) and senior Keyonta Pettis (OL/DL), Lincoln should be a key player in the race for the MAC Bronze title.
It’s likely going to be a four-team race between Lincoln, Clawson, Clinton Township Clintondale and Hazel Park for the MAC Bronze title.
Warren Mott
Last season’s record: 6-4. League: Macomb Area Conference Blue Division.
First game: vs. Warren Fitzgerald, 7 p.m. Aug. 29.
Warren Mott stormed out the gate last season to the tune of an impressive 6-3 regular season record, suffering a one-point loss to league rival Port Huron, a seven-point loss to Port Huron Northern, and a loss to Clinton Township Chippewa Valley, a MAC Red team.
With senior quarterback Mike Kronner commanding the huddle and senior Wes Gilmore (WR/DB) — both all-league selections — returning on both sides of the ball, Mott should be a threat again in the MAC Blue.
Warren Woods Tower
Last season’s record: 2-7. League: Macomb Area Conference Gold Division.
First game: at St. Clair Shores South Lake, 7 p.m. Aug. 29.
Still in search of its first winning season since 2018, Warren Woods Tower showed signs of fight last season, but it didn’t translate to its record.
Returning all-league talents in seniors Arnell Logan (TE/DE) and Amari Richardson (TE/DT), also an all-region selection, Tower hopes to improve this year, but the MAC Gold only gets tougher.
CAMPING TRAILS FROM THE DUSTY ROADS OF THE SOUTHWEST TO THE ATLANTIC CITY BOARDWALK
BY MARIA ALLARD allard@candgnews.com
METRO DETROIT — It was my first road trip, but I was a baby and don’t remember it.
At 6:15 a.m. on July 26, 1970, my family left our Warren home for a camping trip. The odometer read 40,313 miles and my parents had $497 in cash, plus a credit card. Destination: the California coast.
Every summer my parents, two older brothers and I camped. We’d load up, pile into our Plymouth station wagon and head for the open road with an atlas and state maps guiding us. This was before GPS. Altogether, we camped in 48 states — never made it to Alaska or Hawaii — and parts of Canada.
My dad would have lived in a campground all year if he could. Me, ugh, I hated camping. It was torture: the bugs, no room for my bike, and I missed my friends back home. But the worst part was no TV. That would be equivalent to being without an iPad or cellphone in today’s world.
TOP: One of our stops on our way to California. ABOVE LEFT: The 1972 Apache pop-up trailer was how we saw the country many times.
ABOVE RIGHT: I believe this is Newport Beach, California. I loved the beach and still do.
LEFT: My family spent a day in Tijuana, Mexico. We drove from our camping site in southern California. Photos
provided by Maria Allard
Camping
Each vacation was planned out. We’d go out West, down South or just eastbound and down. We’d drive everywhere: big cities, the country, back roads, major highways. To pass the time, I read Mad Magazine and stayed on the lookout for Volkswagen Beetles.
I might have liked camping if we traveled in a cozy motorhome or shiny Airstream trailer. The first family trailer was basically a box on wheels. By the mid-1970s, my parents purchased a 1972 Apache pop-up trailer. It wasn’t one of those easy ones you crank and all the work is done. This trailer required all five of us to put it up and take it down. We’d all hold different poles and pieces of canvas until it was up. It always took forever.
My least favorite campgrounds were the primitive ones. But there were plenty of campgrounds we stayed at that had it all: a pool, game room, movie night, snack bar, laundromat, and gift shop. The KOA’s were always nice. Sometimes we’d end up at a state park.
With each camping trip — from the mid-1960s through the late 1980s — my parents kept a journal, which I still have. They jotted down the date, mileage, which city and state we were in, the weather, what time we awoke, and people we met. My parents also wrote brief paragraphs about the places we visited. For instance, during our 1974 trip to Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Canyon, we ran into boxing legend Joe Louis at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas.
“He said ‘I want to shake hands with these little ones,’” Mom wrote. “When we told him we were from Detroit, he said, ‘Say hello to Detroit for me.’ He looks good.”
Even though camping wasn’t my thing, I loved traveling. The trips that really came alive for me were California in ’77 and ’79, Virginia Beach in ’78, and our 1980 journey through Toronto, Montreal, upstate New York, New York City and Atlantic City.
On off-road days we’d go somewhere: a museum, a tour, a hall of fame, a historic site, a landmark, a cathedral or a ballpark. My parents made sure to have one amusement park on the itinerary.
Another great thing was meeting kids from all over. We’d visit each other’s camp-
sites, swim or play pool in the game room. If I had to pick a favorite spot or two, it would be the eastern and western shorelines. There was nothing like being on a Pacific Ocean or Atlantic Ocean beach. I still long for swimming with the waves while smelling saltwater in the air.
The Virginia Beach, Virginia, campground stands out. It was huge with so much activity. Every morning a man drove through yelling “Doughnuts, fresh doughnuts!” from a truck, and every time I went into the game room, Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler would belt out “It’s a Heartache” on the jukebox.
When we experienced car trouble in a small West Virginia town, the only mechanic was out for the day. Stuck, we set up camp somewhere. As dusk fell, the mechanic found out about us and invited my brothers and me back to his house to stay overnight with his wife and kids. His large family reminded me of “The Waltons.” They were so kind. We sat around the kitchen table, had snacks and talked. It was the first time I ever had Country Time lemonade.
I always remember where I was Aug. 16, 1977, when news broke that Elvis Presley died at his Graceland mansion in Memphis. We were getting ready to go to the San
Diego Zoo while Dad sat at the picnic table listening to his handheld Panasonic radio. “Elvis died,” he said, looking up at us. On our way home, we stopped in Memphis. Fans mourning the singer’s death gathered on Elvis Presley Boulevard. Dad picked me up so I could see Graceland. This was before it was open to the public. The house looked big and so far away in the distance. My parents are no longer living. I am so glad they took us on all those trips. We saw so much: the Liberty Bell, Mount Rushmore, Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, Redwood National Parks, Dealey Plaza in Dallas where President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, the prairie dogs in Montana, Fisherman’s Wharf, Dollywood, Bob Evans’ original farm in Ohio and more.
A neighbor with two kids bought the trailer at my parents’ estate sale. I hope they got out of it as much as I did. I would not trade the experience for anything. I wish I could do it all over again.
Call Staff Writer Maria Allard at (586) 498-1045.
13650 E. Eleven Mile Rd. Warren, MI 48089
Spiewak
from page 1A
Spiewak, and Ukrainian Village staff members hosted the surprise birthday party.
When the birthday girl arrived in the complex multipurpose room, the crowd sang “Happy Birthday.” Emotions took over as Spiewak was greeted with hugs, cards, gifts and flowers. Friend and fellow resident Rosemary Dyell put a sash that read “100 and fabulous” around Spiewak and a princess crown on her head.
“She is the best lady I’ve ever met. She tries to be friends with everybody,” Dyell said. “She’s like my mother that passed away. My mother would be proud of her for taking care of her.”
Also in attendance were Spiewak’s daughter-in-law, Elaine, and niece, Diane Kurylo. Some of Spiewak’s three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren made the celebration as well. The lunch included pizza, salad, cake and lemonade. As the party continued, a resident recited a reading to Spiewak in the Ukrainian language, which Kurylo translated for the Warren Weekly.
“May you have good health. May you have another 50 years. Be happy and be lucky around your friends,” Kurylo said. “In
this house we’re all family.”
Spiewak — wearing a hand-embroidered Ukrainian blouse — was completely surprised by the birthday party.
“I didn’t expect it,” the centenarian said, tearing up.
“This is all for you,” Kurylo said. “It honors you.”
Spiewak’s story begins in 1924. She was born Katerina Polenyk in Ukraine and is 100% Ukrainian. When World War II broke out, Spiewak, then 17, moved to Germany and found a job “working for a lady.”
“She had a restaurant and was very good to me,” Spiewak said. “Some people had it tough in Germany, but I had a good life.”
According to the family’s history, Spiewak’s hometown was occupied during the war. When Germany invaded, the Ukrainians and the Poles were separated.
“The house that my aunt lived in was given to Poles. My aunt was further separated from her parents,” Kurylo said. “They were taken to Ternopil, Ukraine, while Katerina was taken by train to Berlin to work.”
Spiewak remembers the “destruction” of the war.
“People were all over,” she said. “War don’t bring nothing but tragedy.”
See SPIEWAK on page 27A
Katerina Spiewak, left, tears up when she arrives for her surprise birthday party Aug. 16. Next to her, friend and fellow resident Rosemary Dyell put a sash that read “100 and fabulous.” About 60 family members and friends attended the surprise birthday party for centenarian Spiewak.
Photo by Maria Allard
Spiewak
The young woman met her husband Mykola, also Ukrainian, in Berlin. They were married and had a son, Bo. When the conflict ended, the family relocated to an internment camp. Eventually, a sponsor picked them to bring them to America in 1950. She remembers crowds of people going through Ellis Island.
“When I came to Detroit we had no job, no nothing,” Spiewak said.
Mykola died 31 years ago. For many years, Spiewak worked on her family’s farm in Yale.
“She lived there most of her life,” Kurylo said. “She’s the most hardworking person and it’s wonderful to see the payoff. She’s always been kind and has a lot of friends no matter where she goes.”
Christine Burns, Lori Burns and Mackenzie Burns drove from Yale for the birthday party. Christine is Lori’s sister-in-law and Mackenzie is Lori’s daughter. Christine’s mother, Joann, was very good friends with Spiewak. The pair often went to church together and out to eat. A running joke was the
times Spiewak took off to eat at the bar with Christine’s parents while her son would be looking for her.
“It’s awesome,” Christine said of her turning 100. “She has so many stories to tell. She’s had so many different experiences in her life.”
Lori values the wisdom Spiewak has shared over the years. Another aspect that always stood out for Lori was Spiewak’s deep faith in the Lord and the Blessed Virgin Mary. The families were so close that Spiewak often attended birthday parties for the Burns kids.
“It was great,” Mackenzie said. “We loved her. We’d call her Grandma.”
Ukrainian Village Apartments Community Manager Juanita Daniels thanked all the guests for attending the party.
“That is truly appreciated that you came to honor Katherine,” she said. “Katherine is 100 years old. When they first told me that, I didn’t believe it. Her mind is as sharp as a tack.”
As the birthday cake was cut, Daniels finished her speech reminding Spiewak, “We love you and appreciate you.”
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