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APRIL 2018
PLUS
OAKLAND CONFIDENTIAL POLITICAL NEWS AND GOSSIP
LOCAL SCHOOL SAFETY: HOW WELL PREPARED ARE WE? NEONICS: THREAT TO BEES BUT NOW WIDER CONCERN MAJOR ROAD PROJECT IN DOWNTOWN BIRMINGHAM ECRWSS Postal Customer EDDM
DOWNTOWNPUBLICATIONS.COM
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID ROYAL OAK, MI 48068 PERMIT #792
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SOLD
204 S. GLENGARRY | BLOOMFIELD TWP. $749,000
2560 DORCHESTER | BIRMINGHAM $489,000
1885 WASHINGTON | BIRMINGHAM $528,000
1515 LONE PINE | BLOOMFIELD HILLS $2,799,000
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1481 W. LINCOLN | BIRMINGHAM $499,000 OR $3,450/MO.
8521 MOUNT McSAUBA | CHARLEVOIX $699,900 NEW PRICE
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1224 HIDDEN LAKE DRIVE | BLOOMFIELD HILLS $2,199,000
1660 LINCOLNSHIRE | ROCHESTER HILLS $1,195,000 COMING SOON
710 KENNEBEC | BLOOMFIELD HILLS $1,000,000
955 S. BATES | BIRMINGHAM $1,649,000
654 SHEPARDBUSH | BIRMINGHAM $1,599,000
384 W. BROWN STREET | BIRMINGHAM $599,000
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SOLD
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SOLD
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CANDICERICH@SIGNATURESOTHEBYS.COM 248.724.6124 415 S. OLD WOODWARD BIRMINGHAM, MI 48009
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SHOP BIRMINGHAM. BE ELIGIBLE FOR SPECIAL DRAWING! That’s right. During the April – June portion of the Birmingham downtown paving project, continue to frequent retailers and businesses in downtown Birmingham and look for the Dig This City logo on entranceways to participating merchants. If you make a purchase at a participating merchant (nearly two dozen of them), you will be asked fill out an entry blank to be entered into a drawing at the end of June. Participating merchants appear on the next two pages and throughout this issue of the newsmagazine. We will be giving away four Delta airlines flight cards, two with a face value of $500 each and two with a face value of $250 each. Four shoppers will win one of four $100 gift cards to local restaurants. Plus there are special drawing items from some merchants, like Shades Optical ($500 certificate), Astein’s Creative Jewelers (three $100-certificates), Tender ($300 certificate) and Lucido Fine Jewelry (five $100-certificates). Downtown newsmagazine has partnered with merchants in downtown Birmingham to demonstrate to shoppers that – excuse the mess – downtown Birmingham is open for business during the road reconstruction project and it is an especially good time to visit the shops in downtown Birmingham. There are a number of activities planned and special shopping incentives are being offered by the downtown businesses, so watch for further updates as we move through the construction project this spring and into part of the summer.
Here’s the list of merchants participating in the Dig This City drawing at the end of June:
Adventures In Toys Astrein’s Creative Jewelers Back Country North Barbara Boz Boutique Be Well Lifestyle Center Birmingham Design Studio Carol Lewis Day Spa Caruso Caruso
Ceresnie & Offen Furs Cicchini’s Custom Clothiers Don Thomas Sporthaus Fleming’s Prime Steak House Found Objects Gazelle Sports Grinstein’s Jewelry & Design Harp’s Lingerie
Lucido Fine Jewelry Nina McLemore Rivage Day Spa Sara Campbell Ltd. Sundance Shoes Supernatural The Birmingham Tailor Try It Raw
CUSTOM SUIT, CUSTOM SHIRT, AND SILK TIE ONLY $995
SUNDANCE SHOES CONSTRUCTION //////////SALE//////////
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YOUR ENTIRE PURCHASE AT BOTH STORES WE WILL LET YOU IN OUR BACK DOOR, JUST RING THE BELL.
494 South Old Woodward Avenue Birmingham, Michigan 48009
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Winners will be selected for two Delta airline gift cards
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During the months of April, May and June, if you make a purchase at one of the two dozen participating merchants, your name is entered into a special drawing taking place at the end of the three-month period.
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valued at $500 each; two Delta airline gift cards each valued at $250; along with four $100 value gift cards to downtown Bimingham restaurants. Plus there will be gift certificates from some local merchants, including a $500 gift card from Shades Optical; Astrein’s, three $100-gift cards; Tender, $300 gift card; Lucido, five $100-gift cards.
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Downtown newsmagazine is partnering with merchants in downtown Birmingham during the Old Woodward road construction project that is now underway to help make the shopping experience in the city even more memorable than normal.
In addition to the Dig This City promotional contest, organized by Downtown newsmagazine, the downtown Birmingham Shopping District (BSD) will be hosting a number of activities during the construction period.
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New series of bee and honeycomb jewelry, with a share of the proceeds donated to support the Bees on Belle Isle Project.
VALET PARKING AVAILABLE
The Old Woodward Avenue construction projects will be taking place from Willits to Brown streets. Free valet parking will be available at strategic points in the downtown area, along with
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enhanced lighting in the shopping district.
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All stores will be open during the Old Woodward construction project as the city replaces underground infrastructure and above ground will create an enhanced streetscape with wider sidewalks and mid-block crosswalks that will add to the downtown area’s walkability.
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www.flemingssteakhouse.com
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162 South Old Woodward Ave. Birmingham MI. 248-647-4414 www.grinsteinjewelry.com
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The BSD is already organizing a gathering of artists who will use temporary sidewalk partitions as their canvas as part of the activity.
The BSD has also announced that they will be providing shoppers with added incentives such as its Birmingham Bucks program that provides credit toward future purchases for anyone spending $100 or more in a Birmingham store during the construction period.
248-792-6570 We accept insurance! www.BeWellLifeStyleCenters.com
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TRY IT RAW CAFE since 2012 690 S. Old Woodward, Birmingham, MI 48009
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248.593.6994 www.tircafe.com Hours: M-F 7am - 6pm, Sat 9am - 6pm, Sun 11am - 3pm.
Celebrating a woman's beauty for 70 years 265 S. Old Woodward, Birmingham, MI 48009
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www.harps-lingerie.com Monday thru Saturday: 9:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. (No appointment necessary)
DOWNTOWN04.18
33
Preparing for possible school attack Against the background of ongoing threats and shootings at schools nationwide, Downtown newsmagazine looks at whether local schools have prepared their properties and personnel for a worse case scenario.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
20
Activist movements have generally been the purview of students at the university level. High school students are now taking charge to challenge lack of gun control action. More power to them.
OAKLAND CONFIDENTIAL
24
Shifting congressional districts; campaign staff unionized; Knollenberg makes TSL; Kowall leading in GOP poll; timing is everything; Schuette lieutenant governor choice; plus more.
CRIME LOCATOR
27
A recap of select categories of crime occurring in the past month in Birmingham, Bloomfield Township and Bloomfield Hills, presented in map format.
MUNICIPAL
77
Cafe Via closes; municipal golf courses improving; Old Woodward construction starts; city museum landscape plan; liquor licenses renewed; May millage vote; plus more.
THE COVER The Craig log cabin, one of the oldest buildings in Bloomfield Township, was moved to the Bowers School Farm in recent years and is being restored by Preservation Bloomfield. Downtown photo: Jean Lannen.
GOLDEN GOOSE
SIMONE ROCHA
PETER PILOTTO
H E N RY B E G U E L I N
FASHION IS THE COURAGE TO MAKE YOUR OWN STATEMENT
271 West Maple • Birmingham • 248.258.0212 • tenderbirmingham.com
28
Leslie Masters
SOCIAL LIGHTS
115
Society reporter Sally Gerak provides the latest news from the society and non-profit circuit as she covers recent major events.
ENDNOTE
120
More work needed at local schools to increase safety and hopefully prevent a worse case scenario. Our take on the school sinking fund millage on the May ballot.
FACES
28 46 75 89 93 106
Leslie Masters Brittany Moss David Garcia Arianna Margulis Alexandros Sakarellos Jennifer Cooper
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PUBLISHER David Hohendorf NEWS EDITOR Lisa Brody NEWS STAFF/CONTRIBUTORS Hillary Brody Anchill | Dana Casadei | Kevin Elliott Sally Gerak | Austen Hohendorf | Bill Seklar Judith Harris Solomon | Joyce Wiswell | Julie Yolles PHOTOGRAPHY/CONTRIBUTORS Jean Lannen | Laurie Tennent | Chris Ward Laurie Tennent Studio VIDEO PRODUCTION/CONTRIBUTOR Garrett Hohendorf Giant Slayer ADVERTISING DIRECTOR David Hohendorf ADVERTISING SALES Mark Grablowski GRAPHICS/IT MANAGER Chris Grammer OFFICE 124 W. Maple Birmingham MI 48009 248.792.6464 DISTRIBUTION/SUBSCRIPTIONS Mailed monthly at no charge to most homes in Birmingham, Bloomfield Township and Bloomfield Hills. Additional free copies distributed at high foot-traffic locations in downtown Birmingham. For those not receiving a free mail copy, paid subscriptions are available for a $12 annual charge. To secure a paid subscription, go to our website (downtownpublications.com) and click on “subscriptions” in the top index and place your order online or scan the QR Code here.
INCOMING/READER FEEDBACK We welcome feedback on both our publication and general issues of concern in the Birmingham/Bloomfield community. The traditional “letters to the editor” in Downtown are published in our Incoming section and can include written letters or electronic communication. Opinions can be sent via e-mail to news@downtownpublications.com or mailed to Downtown Publications, 124 W. Maple Road, Birmingham MI 48009. If you are using the mail option, you must include a phone number for verification purposes. WEBSITE downtownpublications.com
FACEBOOK facebook.com/downtownpublications TWITTER twitter.com/downtownpubs OAKLAND CONFIDENTIAL oaklandconfidential.com Member of Downtown Publications DOWNTOWN BIRMINGHAM/BLOOMFIELD DOWNTOWN ROCHESTER/ROCHESTER HILLS
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FROM THE PUBLISHER lmost every generation has a cultural or political event that serves to energize and define some of its members. That’s the basis of student or youth activism which has been taking place since the 1920’s in the United States, usually at the university level.
A
For my generation, there were a couple of determining events. The civil rights movement that started in the South and eventually woke the conscience of a nation. And, of course, the Vietnam War. I grew up in middle school against the background of the evening news during which the fire hoses and police dogs were turned on civil rights protesters in the South as the country came to grips with the burgeoning civil rights movement. It was the first indication that not all was right with the world that existed outside of what some would paint as our neatly ordered suburban life. As I moved into high school, there was the Vietnam War that started to touch everyone in some fashion. For me, it began with the death of one of our school’s athletic stars who went off after graduation to become a Green Beret, only to return home a short time later as one of the casualties of the Southeast Asian conflict. The death of someone so young can help crystalize one’s thinking. Then came the college years where the growing weariness with the Vietnam War and questions about whether we were being told the truth by national leaders helped bring this issue to the forefront. A large portion of a generation of younger men and women took to the streets, marched, petitioned, went on national strikes at the universities, became involved. Then there was the shooting of protesting students by the National Guard at Kent State in 1970. That only helped raise the awareness of parents who prior to that had accepted the government’s version of why we needed to be in Vietnam. The national mood changed – members of the younger generation finally said ‘enough’ and were joined by their elders to become a political force that eventually led to the end of the Vietnam War. Now history repeats itself, once again. A generation, led by high school students nationwide, are saying enough, no more, calling BS when they hear it and demanding that elected leaders find a solution to end the shootings taking place in school buildings across the country. It is a generation forced to come of age because of inaction on the part of elected leaders at the state and national level. It took the loss of 17 lives in mid-February this year at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, to energize the Never Again movement. One would have thought that the death of 13 people at Columbine High School in 1999 would have been enough. Or that the massacre in 2012 at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown Connecticut would have been the deciding factor, but even the death of 28 people – including 20
children under the age of seven – could not move the nation to take action on insufficient gun controls. So as we were going to press with this issue, high school students and their supporters were expected to join the March For Our Lives on March 24 in Washington D.C. and 700 other locations in the country, including metro Detroit, to prevent this issue from fading into the background until the next time there’s a mass killing at a school – and we know it’s only a question of when. Based on the initial estimates, it would not surprise me if millions turn out to show their support for stronger gun control measures. But that may not be enough to finally move the needle on this issue. As the students will quickly learn, they are pitting themselves against some very potent forces when they cross paths with the National Rifle Association (NRA). It is not just the money, hundreds of millions of campaign dollars, that the NRA funnels into candidate coffers with each election. It’s bodies that the NRA can turn out when it comes time to decide on an officeholder at the ballot box or the fate of legislation at the state or national level if it involves regulating gun ownership and related issues. The high school students from Florida have already received a taste of what lies ahead when they tangled with this crowd as pro gun advocates began to troll them on social media sites within days of the killings at the high school. Then, within 24 hours after Florida lawmakers passed some important gun controls, the NRA went into federal court to overturn the new laws. The students were also given an important lesson on how the system works as President Trump, at a White House reality show gathering, made personal promises of what he would push for in terms of gun control, but within days started to walk back from those positions after the NRA came to the White House to lobby him and no doubt remind him that they kicked in nearly $34 million to his election effort. Hopefully the students will realize – and remember – that marches and media interviews are fine in terms of mobilizing supporters and sentiment. But voting at the ballot box is the ultimate test when rubber hits the road on any issue. This movement needs to harness the energy to increase voter registration among its supporters and then remain organized so their voting block shows at the polls. If no other lesson is learned by those from the Never Again movement, it’s that the right to replace elected officials at the ballot box is the true definition of power. David Hohendorf Publisher DavidHohendorf@DowntownPublications.com
A Touch of Lace 4036 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan 48302 (Located at the Southwest Corner of Long Lake Road & Telegraph Road) Phone: 248-645-5223 | Fax: 248-645-5227 Email: Sales@atouchoflace.net | www.atouchoflace.com Monday - Friday 10:00am to 5:00pm Evenings and Weekends available upon request
INCOMING Urban forestry article I really enjoyed Lisa Brody’s article "An Overarching Canopy" in the (February) Downtown magazine. I'm lucky to have lived most of my life in a settled neighborhood with tall, old trees that did form that canopy to which you refer. The amount of relaxation one can derive from just being among trees is great. Sounds like she really enjoyed researching the article. She pointed out a lot of things that people don't normally consider. Laura Oliveto Vice President, Programs, Association for Women in Communications
City yarn artists Birmingham has been named one of the most walkable cities in the United States, and I certainly take advantage of that walking and running over 40 miles each week on our streets and sidewalks. One of the things that has made my walks even more enjoyable are the surprise appearances of yarn art throughout the city. There are many different creative yarn projects on trees, benches and the stone barriers in the park in Birmingham. They always make me smile. I have posted these on Instagram and Facebook, and the response is always so positive, and my friends in other communities are jealous that we have such a dedicated group of artists who create such fun and inspiring pieces of art for the community to enjoy. I hope whoever the creative people are read this and know how much they are appreciated. Barb Ritsema Birmingham
New parking structure I don't understand the desire to take up precious land by adding new roads (Bates extension), especially to an already road-dense part of downtown Birmingham. True, the existing surface lot is ugly and inefficient. But why not instead of extending Bates as a road, make the extension a walkable veranda lined with retail/office space, including a walkable/bikeable bridge over the Rouge River and connecting to Booth park? It would form a much more friendly connection between the north shops and downtown vs. the way too tiny and carinfested sidewalks along Old Woodward. For a fun twist and convenience, connect the west frontage to the east frontage buildings on either side of the veranda with a second story pedestrian downtownpublications.com
SPEAK OUT We welcome your opinion on issues facing the Birmingham/Bloomfield communities. Although we do not have a fixed maximum length for letters sent to us, we recommend a maximum length of 175-200 words. We also reserve the right to edit letters for length if necessary. Opinions can be sent via e-mail to news@downtownpublications.com or mailed to Downtown Publications, 124 West Maple Road, Birmingham MI 48009.
bridge running through the east building for access to the new parking structure. The veranda could have trees through the center and benches and tables. Charlie Smith Birmingham (From Facebook)
Isabella Faces profile Thank you so much for including my young daughter, Sofia Isabella, in the Birmingham “Faces” feature in the March 2018 edition. Ms. Casadei conducted a wonderful interview with my daughter and I appreciate her interest while speaking with Sofia as well as her article. Thank you again for your inclusive of Sofia and telling her story. I look forward to receiving my magazine delivered to my home. I run to the mail waiting for it to arrive. Needless to say, once it arrives I know it will make me smile. Claudia Lutman Birmingham
No punishment concern Late in January I was driving through Pontiac when my car was struck by one of the residents. The attending deputy gave the driver of the other car a citation. The deputy was very helpful and professional. Now I find that the offending driver has no insurance and I have to pay a substantial deductible myself. It appears that the sheriff’s department will not pursue the offending driver for having no insurance and it seems to me that there is one law for us and another for Pontiac, thus leaving that driver to damage other people’s property with no concern for any punishment. Merton Wreford Rochester Hills DOWNTOWN
23
OAKLAND CONFIDENTIAL
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Oakland Confidential is a periodic column of political gossip/news, gathered both on and off-the-record by staff members at Downtown newsmagazine. We welcome possible items for this column which can be emailed to: OaklndConfidential@DowntownPublications.com. All sources are kept strictly confidential. The gossip column can be viewed at OaklandConfidential.com.
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RUNNING MATE: Word is that Republican gubernatorial front runner Bill Schuette has decided on his lieutenant governor, and it’s Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller. The former congresswoman (RHarrison Township), Michigan Secretary of State, Macomb County Treasurer and Harrison Township Supervisor would bring not only a wealth of experience, but she may well be one of the most popular Republicans in the state. The question is, would she do it? She retired from Congress after a 10-year stint, despite chairing the Committee on House Administration, to return home and help care for her ailing husband. While Miller MILLER was actively sought for the top of the ticket by state Republicans, she wouldn’t leave Macomb County. One politico said the second spot is a possibility because there’s less heavy lifting. Schuette’s other choice for lieutenant gov, Ronna Romney McDaniel, turned him down point blank. She’s not leaving Washington, where she chairs the Republican National Committee, to trudge around for second best.
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STRATEGIC EXIT: We heard this rumor right after the 2016 elections and it’s making the rounds once again in the Oakland County government complex on Telegraph Road: following the 2018 midterm elections, long-time Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson (1992-present; before that, county prosecutor for 16 years) is planning on resigning. Why, after all these years? Since being seriously injured in an auto accident in 2012, and still winning re-election by a landslide (while in a coma), Patterson’s been making fewer and fewer public appearances, and letting his deputies carry the majority of the work load around the office. As the theory goes, stepping down early would allow the Republican-controlled board of BOUCHARD commissioners to appoint a new executive, who would then be positioned to run as an incumbent in the 2020 election. Who are the leading names to hypothetically be appointed should Patterson actually step down? One is uber-popular Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard, the only one to consistently pull in more votes than Patterson. The other, four-term Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett. Good intel has it that Bouchard would consider it only if he felt the sheriff’s office were in a good place, with a strong person in place to be appointed – by Democrats Clerk Lisa Brown, Prosecutor Jessica Cooper and Hon. Kathleen Ryan, Chief Probate Judge. While Patterson and Bouchard meet regularly for lunch and are cordial, it’s believed Patterson would lobby hard for Barnett, although there is talk that the two may have had a falling out over some of Barnett’s legendary videos, where he has allegedly teased Patterson a bit too much for some in the executive’s circuit. But one county worker writes it all off as pure speculation. “I don’t believe Brooks would actually relinquish any power� before this term is up.
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UNION PLOY: What if you gave a party and no one came? Or, to put it another way, what if you joined a union and no one cared? That seems to be the reaction of folks to 11th Congressional District Democratic candidate Dan Haberman after he announced that his campaign was the first in Michigan to unionize with the Campaign Workers Guild. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Politicians should lead by example,â&#x20AC;? Haberman said in a release. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Some may say they support their workers, but the proof is in their actions.â&#x20AC;? Haberman, whose campaign is on life support after a dismal first quarter financial HABERMAN report, is running in the primary against fellow Dems Haley Stephens, Suneel Gupta and Rep. Tim Greimel (Auburn Hills) to fill retiring Congressman David Trottâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (R-Birmingham) seat. A friend of Habermanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, and a fellow Democrat, said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think if he has another bad financial report, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have to drop out.â&#x20AC;? As for the union announcement, he thought it might be symbolic. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about saying what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re about. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s good to say what your values are.â&#x20AC;? However, Haberman hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been racking up union endorsements, either. Those have been going to either Stephens â&#x20AC;&#x201C; or primarily Greimel, including a powerful one from the National Organization for Women. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It seems the momentum is really with Greimel,â&#x20AC;? the pol watcher said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He has a very seasoned resume in both the public and private sector.â&#x20AC;? KNOW MY NAME: Polling done on the Republicans running in the 11th
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Congressional race to replace David Trott (R-Birmingham) in Washington had some interesting results. With state Sen. Mike Kowall (R-White Lake) now officially in the race, his long record of hard work – and just being around – as White Lake supervisor, county commissioner, state representative and state senator – came in first in the name recognition poll, followed by perennial candidate Rocky Raczkowski (Troy), once a state representative (1997-2003) for Farmington and Farmington Hills and the “Accidental Congressman” for the district, Kerry Bentivolio (Milford). State KOWALL Rep. Klint Kesto (Commerce Township) followed, with oil heiress Lena Epstein of Bloomfield Hills, despite raising a ton of dough so far, coming in second from the bottom. Only daughter-of-famous-Bill Bonds Kristine Bonds, despite trying to capitalize on her famous name, came in lower. TAKING IT TO THE STREETS: Democrat Elissa Slotkin, who is running to challenge incumbent Rep. Mike Bishop (R-Rochester/Rochester Hills), is making gains in Michigan’s 8th Congressional District. On Thursday, March 8, Slotkin announced she would be hosting a “Snowboots on the Ground” event the following Saturday, at the Rochester Mills Beer, Co., in Rochester, in order to gain enough signatures to get her name on the ballot. The event was a show of Slotkin’s boldness to take her campaign to Bishop’s own backyard. Slotkin was bolstered the next day, March 9, when she sent out a link to a segment on the NBC Nightly News that featured firstSLOTKIN time women candidates – featuring her and Republican Lena Epstein from the neighboring district, MI-11. CNN is also pointing to a shift in the 8th district from Republican-leaning district to a “toss up” district, which is a big deal for this conservative area. In addition to CNN, MSNBC, The Detroit News and Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight have called Slotikin’s campaign a race to watch this year. Sabato’s Crystal Ball, an assessment of congressional districts from the University of Virginia Center for Politics, also named Michigan’s 8th Congressional District as one going from “Likely Republican” to “Leans Republicans” as incumbents seem likely to face credible challengers. FOOT IN MOUTH DISEASE: “Bring your own gun or rent something new,” read an invitation to a March 15 fundraiser for 39th District State Representative Republican candidate Ryan Berman at the Target Sports II shooting range in West Bloomfield. The email invitation was sent on Wednesday, February 21 – a scant one week after 17 people were slain at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Berman, a former special deputy with the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office and certified firearms instructor with the NRA, sent a second email two hours after the initial invitation, clarifying that the event and invitation was scheduled weeks prior to the massacre in Florida. “While the timing may seem unfortunate, the event is more important now than ever,” Berman said. “Cancelling (sic) this event would send the exact wrong message.” While Berman said the tone of the event would focus more on gun education, he said he would oppose ‘gun free zones’ as a measure of control. Photos posted to Berman’s candidate page post-event included frosted cookies shaped like guns and election signs. Berman, who is hoping to replace term-limited Rep. Klint Kesto (R-Commerce, West Bloomfield, Wixom, Wolverine Lake), on his candidate Facebook page said the event was a success that focused on shooting and safe gun ownership. TSL: Political pandering during an election year or sincere concern for constituents? That’s the question one Birmingham resident posed to Oakland Confidential after receiving a “Save the Date” reminder from state Sen. Marty Knollenberg (R-Birmingham, Bloomfield Township, Rochester, Rochester Hills). Knollenberg has spent tens of thousands of dollars on political mailings – also known as “franking” – during his first term. Postage and printing for the mailing comes out of each legislator’s office budget, and must meet requirements to avoid direct campaigning on the taxpayer’s dime, but the October 8 date for a “Tribute to Seniors” seems a tad premature. The “Breaking News” banner, on a vote to eliminate tax on senior pensions, wasn’t breaking. Yes, Knollenberg has held the tribute lunches each October since being elected, focusing on senior health, nutrition and finances. No results from Lansing on what this Knollenberg promotion piece cost. downtownpublications.com
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CRIME LOCATOR
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Map key
Sexual assault
Assault
Murder
Robbery
Breaking/entering
Larceny
Larceny from vehicle
Vehicle theft
Vandalism
Drug offenses
Arson
These are the crimes reported under select categories by police officials in Birmingham, Bloomfield Township and Bloomfield Hills through March 20, 2018. Placement of codes is approximate.
FACES
Leslie Masters ntering Leslie Masters’ retrospective art exhibit, “Fifty Years Of A Color Painter” at the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center (BBAC) is like walking into a breathtaking sunset. Masters defines herself first and foremost as “a color painter. A lot of painters are subject-oriented, but for me it’s all about the color first,” she says. “It’s how one color looks next to another and I like bright colors.” Now 83 years old, Masters was born in West Lafayette, Indiana, where she says she started doing art when she was very young. “My mother said I never asked ‘what can I do’? Instead it was always ‘what can I make’?” she says. Masters received a B.A. in Fine Arts from the University of Indiana, an M.A. in art from the University of Michigan. She moved to Birmingham with her family in 1963. After living in Birmingham for 20 years, she relocated to Ypsilanti, all while continuing to teach advanced painting and color theory classes at the BBAC two days a week. “Some of my students have been with me for quite a while,” she says. And over the years she has also taught at several local colleges and art schools, including the College for Creative Studies, University of Michigan Dearborn and Mercy College (now University of Detroit Mercy). Leslie loves color. Her goal as an artist is to capture the feeling of light as it surrounds us. The impressionist painter Monet is her source. Her vehicle is acrylic paint and she likes to add light…neon or incandescent…for more glow. Her current paintings beautifully explore the abstract color glow found in the landscape around her in her studio as well as in the mountains and canyons of the American west. “I get inspired by nature and the colors I see in the places I go,” Masters says. “A lot of my work is based on the abstract color sketches that I made on those trips. For example, when I was 75, I went on a Grand Canyon painting and rafting trip. We floated down the Colorado River and every once in a while stopped to paint. It was the most amazing trip I’ve ever been on. I so love the desert colors of Arizona and Utah, and I have painted lots of hot pink and orange abstracts from my trips there.” She adds, “While out west, I painted six small pictures on site and then, back in my studio, did some big ones. They were all based on the feeling I got there when sitting on the sand near the river. And now several of those paintings are in my current show. “I have had a rich and satisfying career and teaching is my joy and passion,” the artist says. “It works together with my painting and color exploration to keep me a happy artist. My goal is to treasure every day and to always be in the moment.” Masters’ delightful – and colorful – art exhibit will be at the BBAC through April 19th.
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Story: Judith Harris Solomon
Photo: Chris Ward
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SCHOOL SECURITY AS THREATS MULTIPLY, HOW WELL PREPARED ARE LOCAL DISTRICTS? BY LISA BRODY
When Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold planned and implemented the complex attack on Columbine High School on April 20, 1999, in Littleton, Colorado, by first setting off a fire bomb in a small field about three miles from the high school in an effort to divert fire and rescue personnel to that site, before they went on a shooting spree at their school that left 12 students and one teacher dead and another 24 injured before committing suicide, many of us were shocked at the idea of a school massacre. Schools were believed to be safe zones for children – and the biggest threat was thought to be talking to strangers. But in actuality, that is not true. Since 1990, there have been over 32 school shootings at schools where at least three people have been killed or injured. Rather than being an anomaly, the shootings have escalated since Columbine. There have been thousands of school shootings, and thousands of students killed and injured. In 2000, a six-year-old shot another six-year-old in Flint. A 13-yearold honor student who had been sent home from school in Lake Worth, Florida – for throwing water balloons – returned to the school with the family's pistol, and shot his teacher dead. One after another, shootings accumulated all over the country through the decade, until April 16, 2007, when 33 were murdered and another 34 injured at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, commonly known as Virginia Tech, by a student before committing suicide. The nation gasped, proclaimed itself horrified, that it needed new gun control and mental health measures – and lives resumed as before. Dozens more killings occurred at schools across the country, until December 14, 2012, when 20-year-old Adam Lanza first shot his mother with firearms she had legally purchased, and then drove to Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, and shot through the safety glass entrance installed, killing the school principal, psychologist, four teachers, and 20 first grade children before turning the gun on himself.
shootings since, including at Central Michigan University on March 2, 2018, in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, when a student killed both his parents with a gun he had hidden in his dorm room, when they came to take him home for spring break. Many do believe the conversation is finally changing following Parkland, largely due to activism on the part of students who survived the massacre. A nationwide student protest on March 14, when students across the country, including locally, walked out of school for 17 minutes to both honor the 17 lives lost at Stoneman Douglas and as a response to stop the continued school shootings. Locally, many schools supported the right of students at the high school and middle school level to peacefully walk out on school grounds if they chose. On Saturday, March 24, March for Our Lives, a nationwide protest in both Washington DC and across the country, has been planned as both a memorial and protest, by student organizers along with the non-profit organization Everytown for Gun Safety, demanding action from Congress to ban assault weapons, require universal background checks before gun sales, and pass a gun violence restraining order law that would allow courts to disarm people who display warning signs of violent behavior. “We applaud peaceful student activism and are proud that the conversation about school safety is being led by the students themselves. We encourage students to be civic leaders and participants and respect their right to free speech,” Bloomfield Hills Schools' superintendent Rob Glass wrote in a memo regarding the March 14 walkout. “Bloomfield Hills Schools respects students' First Amendment right to peacefully assemble, and we will not discipline students for the act of protesting as long as the protest remains peaceful and does not present a material or substantial disruption to the learning environment...Bloomfield Hills Schools is a public entity, and as such,
Schools around the country, including in Oakland County, began installing surveillance cameras in and around their schools, consistently locking all of their exit doors, and demanding that all visitors enter through one door and sign in. Conversations regarding gun control and school security initiatives escalated in the aftermath of the country seeing six- and seven-year-old children slaughtered in their elementary school in a matter of minutes. Schools around the country, including in Oakland County, began installing surveillance cameras in and around their schools, consistently locking all of their exit doors, and demanding that all visitors, including parents, enter through one door and sign in at the office. Yet those moves have still not been enough. Since the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, there have been dozens more school shootings around the United States. Some have been confrontations between students, or students and teachers. Some of the shooters have been students, or former students; some have been disaffected adults. Some have suffered from mental illness; others have been incidents of domestic violence with others caught in the cross hairs. Many more attacks have been thwarted by tips or reports before a shooting could take place, law enforcement confirm. And then, on February 14, 2018, came what is now known as the Valentine's Day Massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. A 19-year-old former student, Nikolas Cruz, who had been expelled due to disciplinary issues, shot and killed 17 people and injured 14 others at the school using a semi-automatic weapon purchased legally, after activating a fire alarm. Cruz blended in with students when fleeing the building, although he was captured by law enforcement officers in an adjacent residential neighborhood after first stopping at a McDonald's. Just as Columbine was not the first school shooting – the first is believed to have been the Enoch Brown School Massacre in Greencastle, Pennsylvania, on July 26, 1764, with nine students and one teacher shot – Marjory Stoneman Douglas will sadly not be the last in the United States. In fact, there already have been other school
we do not engage in these in protests. The role of our staff during these events is to keep students safe.” Dr. Daniel Nerad, superintendent of Birmingham Public Schools, advised parents that the district supported students’ right to walk out, and for any students who chose to, staff would direct them to a designated area to gather safely. “Our Birmingham police will be present on campus at this time for the sole purpose of ensuring student safety,” Nerad wrote parents. “Administration and counselors will be present for the duration of the walkout for supervision and safety purposes. Teachers will remain in their classrooms, and classes will continue as scheduled.” Beyond activism, some state legislators are working to bring change. State Rep. Robert Wittenberg (D-Huntington Woods), who is also the chair of the Gun Violence Prevention Caucus, introduced a “Red Flag Law” in June 2017, which would permit a court to temporarily prohibit someone from buying or possessing a firearm if he or she has been determined to be a threat to themselves or others, has been stalled in the House's Judiciary committee. “We call it the Extreme Risk Protection Order,” Wittenberg said. “We introduced the bill (House Bill 4707) and sent it to Judiciary, and the chair, Rep. Jim Runestad (R-White Lake), said he'd hear it, but never did.” Wittenberg said that after the Parkland shooting, he called Runestad, who said he'd look into it again, and Wittenberg said he's cautiously optimistic – especially since Gov. Rick Snyder said his administration is studying “best practices” to combat gun violence, and is supportive of red flag legislative, as long as it's done with due process. Rep. Runestad did not return calls for comment, but has still not scheduled a hearing. Instead, on February 26, Runestad introduced legislation that would train school employees, including teachers, to
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use firearms for emergency purposes. On his Michigan House' website, Runestad stated that the bills would allow secured locations of locked firearms in undisclosed locations in school buildings, and that the program would be optional. It is expected to be taken up in the Judiciary committee during the month of March. In an email to constituents, Runestad wrote, “My plan would allow for the establishment of school marshals who would perform a function similar to the air marshals that protect flights.They would only use frangible ammunition that breaks apart upon impact, helping prevent bullets from traveling through walls and into other classrooms.” Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard is a big supporter of Red Flag laws – and less so on arming teachers. “Red Flag Laws allows for the intervention with due process for law enforcement, to intervene before it moves from discussion and posts to action,” he said. He noted that would incorporate improving the mental health system. “Many (shooters) have been off the rails, and the cuts to the system are short-sighted. If the individual is off the rails, the repercussions to society are low, but to individuals it can be high. Like at Sandy Hook, the Colorado theater shooting (in Aurora, Colorado), Virginia Tech – most of those cases never got to law enforcement before they flipped,” he noted. Dr. Michelle Riba, associate director of the University of Michigan Depression Center, agrees with Bouchard. “There is not enough funding – but there is good screening. We do know many kids are expelled – but then what? Many are left unsupervised. He's still a human being. What about follow ups? Doctor appointments? We see children whose parents are there, and you have to drill down, and see there are families where guns are there. There's great impulsivity. We in the mental health industry, just as we ask new parents about car safety, or biking, roller skating and lacrosse helmets, we need to be able to ask about guns and
“In the past three weeks, there have been 20 reports of students using social media to make threats against schools, and 17 students were charged,” Macomb County prosecutor Eric J. Smith wrote on Facebook on March 13. “Many of these threats turned out to be made by students who claim they were just joking or making a prank. I want to be very clear: these threats are not a joke, and this behavior will not be tolerated.” Oakland County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Paul Walton said their office has had 19 to 20 reports as well since Parkland, although not all of those have resulted in charges. “We have been going out to schools to talk about the danger of making threats,” Walton said. “I personally have gone to S. Lyon schools four times. Before, we were talking about bullying and making threats. Now, we've flipped that, and say, if you want to say something and get attention, you can't. You could be facing a 20-year felony as an adult, or as a juvenile, you could be adjudicated until you're 19. It could affect the rest of your life.” Smith said each of the 17 defendants have been charged with false threat of terrorism or threat of terrorism, both of which are felonies, and if convicted, can carry a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Further, students may lose scholarships and financial aid; be denied college admission; and be required to disclose pending cases or criminal convictions on job applications. “We explain to kids the crime happens when you hit send,” Walton said. “It's false threat of terrorism. Police agencies immediately go to the home to check and see if there are weapons. Before, many schools would deal with threats or issues internally. Now, schools are reporting everything to the authorities.” Many, although not all, local schools, have experienced threats. Bloomfield Hills Schools' spokesperson Shira Good said they received a
Having the ability to ask and have follow up – which Red Flag Laws could accomplish – would potentially remove an individual or guns from a home “where it could be potentially lethal in the wrong hands.” gun safety. We know there are accidents, especially in homes where they are unsupervised.” Having the ability to ask and have follow up – which Red Flag Laws could accomplish – would potentially remove an individual or guns from a home “where it could be potentially lethal in the wrong hands,” she emphasized. As for arming teachers, as a law enforcement officer, Bouchard said, “There will be ideas on both sides that will not get done,” he noted. “Instead, focus on the middle, on the things that can get done. There used to be Secure Our Schools, which allowed for grants to harden our schools. Proven best practices have fallen by the wayside. We talk about increasing school liaison officers – but we lost a ton in 2008-2009 – reinstate those people. Sheriffs and liaisons in schools, who are fullyarmed and fully-trained, yes. And the biggest is the canary in the cave: those relationships you build are invaluable.” Certainly, educators and administrators are concerned and are continually working to update their school safety and security plans in light of school shootings and threats, of which there have been more than 700 copycat threats just in the two weeks after the Parkland shooting. In the metropolitan Detroit area, there have been numerous school threats, including a Canton teen who is facing two charges of terrorism threats and two counts of bomb threats, after students at Canton and Salem high schools found threats written on bathroom walls. He is being held on $250,000, no 10 percent bond. A Clinton Township teen was given a $150,000 bond for posing a threat to Chippewa Valley High School. A Green Oak Township teenager is being held on a $10 million bond after he threatened to shoot up S. Lyon High School. Guns and ammunition were found in the home of a Utica High School senior who made a social media threat, and he has been charged with making a terrorist threat or false report of terrorism, and given a $75,000 bond.
false threat since the Florida shooting, although she declined to elaborate on specifics other than it was found to not be credible. “We treat everything seriously. It doesn't matter if it's big or small. We go through the Bloomfield Township or West Bloomfield police departments to investigate – and people would be surprised to learn how thoroughly we investigate,” Good said. Corey Donberger, the one full-time Bloomfield Township police liaison officer to Bloomfield Hills Schools, said that if they receive a tip, regardless of how minor or severe it may appear, “we are going to follow up on it. In today's day and time, we are going to investigate. It may start at the school level, but it may become law enforcement.” Donberger splits his time between all of the Bloomfield Hills schools, and as a full township police officer, is fully armed in case a situation warrants it. On February 28, an online math forum used by students at Birmingham's Derby Middle School received a threat that someone had a gun and was going to shoot people. It was determined that a student's account had been hacked and there was not a threat to students or administrators, Derby principal Celeste Nowicki informed parents in an email. Then on Friday, March 9, a student at Berkshire Middle School made threatening comments to another student that alluded to shooting another student with a gun. School personnel, along with Beverly Hills Department of Public Safety, searched the student, his locker and personal belongings, and reported that no weapons or item of concern was found at school, and the student was suspended. “At this time working with police, we do not believe that there is any credible threat to our Berkshire students and staff and this matter will continue to be investigated,” principal Jason Clinkscale wrote parents. “With the Derby cyber threat, we ultimately have not been able to determine who sent it,” Birmingham superintendent Nerad said. “While
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we believe it was sent in school through a district computer, we're still determining who sent it.” The district is continuing to investigate the Berkshire threat, and the student remains suspended. Nerad emphasized that “school security really depends upon a strong partnership with local law enforcement – and we have that with all of our local municipalities (Birmingham, Beverly Hills and West Bloomfield). It's beyond relying – they're side-by-side partners. “How frightening for everyone, from me to teachers to parents,” he observed of the threats. “In the time we're in, any message that is threatening must be investigated, and it does tug on people's worst fears. And messages using technology complicates things. I was upset, and I could see how upset parents were. In our world, there is plenty of room for differing opinions – but there are more productive ways to air and discuss those differences, and that is what we want to communicate with students. If we are going to be on the front of prevention – working with parents, learning how to deal with differences, character development – we also have to be on the forefront of prevention. So if they have differences, we have to help young people work out those differences in good and just ways.” Rochester Community Schools had a false alarm threat at Stony Creek High School on March 8, leading to the school being placed on lockdown after a student accidentally initiated a lockdown procedure through the school's public address system, the district said. While they have not shared any other threats, superintendent Dr. Robert Shaner noted that the district “does not tolerate school violence, or threats of school violence, of any kind. In these instances, our schools will take strict and immediate action. Please take this opportunity to treat this event (Stoneman Douglas High School) as a teachable moment with your child. Talk to your son or daughter. They need to understand the
have occurred in Birmingham's schools since the tragedy at Sandy Hook in 2012. “We have a better idea of who is in the building at all times. We have cameras at the high schools (Seaholm and Groves), and at Lincoln Street Alternative Program. We're in the process of reviewing their sufficiency. “Every time we have an incident (locally, or a nationwide incident), we review our safety plans,” Nerad continued. “These are living, breathing documents. Sadly, you cannot be stuck at where you were when you wrote them. You have to continually revise.” In addition to school resource officer from Birmingham police and Beverly Hills public safety in the high schools, both Seaholm and Groves have hired unarmed private security guards, as well as staff acting as hall monitors. The officers also cycle through to the middle and elementary schools. “In addition, we have unannounced perimeter checks six times a year, where we're checking on unlocked doors. The goal is to keep (outside) doors locked,” he said. Rochester Schools anticipates expending $6 million through a recent bond efforts to enhance student safety and school security. Schools spokesperson Lori Grein said that efforts include redesigning the main building entrances with two sets of vestibule doors, along with a door to the office, and providing staff with a better visitor verification system and building lockdown capabilities. “Locks that latch from the interior side of the classroom door are being added, and video surveillance cameras are being installed in the schools and on buses. An updated districtwide telephone system and public address (PA) system will also ensure proper notification and warning during an emergency.” Since bond efforts are scheduled to take place over a five-year time period, until 2020, not all main offices in all schools have been
In school districts that choose to participate, teachers and other school employees who volunteer would be put through a rigorous training and vetting process before being given special permission to keep locked firearms in secured locations. consequences that come with making threats of school violence, but they also need to know that they are loved.” Cranbrook Schools, situated on over 319 acres in Bloomfield Hills, said they have not received any recent threats. “We're an open campus to the public,” acknowledged Cranbrook spokesperson Clay Matthews. “We have a great working relationship with Bloomfield Hills Public Safety Department and with Oakland County Homeland Security, and we developed a map and layout of every building on campus that's a digital tool now, too.” Calvin Vincent, director of security and safety at Cranbrook, said the open campus is one of the things Cranbrook prides itself on. “There are certain areas that are protected, that the public cannot access, and the schools are at the top of the list. We have video cameras across the entire campus, which give us eyes all over. We make sure our perimeters are secure. And we have security staff,” although he declined to answer if security personel are fully armed. Detroit Country Day School and The Roeper School declined to participate in this article, and Academy of the Sacred Heart, Brother Rice High School and Orchard Lake St. Mary's did not return repeated calls. Working with fully armed, full-time police liaison officers from local departments is one aspect of providing security to schools, but hardly the only one. Bouchard said county sheriffs are now in many school districts providing support. Local districts across Oakland County have dug into their general funds or floated bond millages for improvements to safety and security, as Bloomfield Hills Schools is doing at an election in May. “Through our current bond work, all of our schools have secure front entryways. You must be buzzed into the building, state your purpose, and be routed into the office,” Nerad said of security upgrades that
redesigned, but she said that each school has a visitor verification system and staff has been instructed to utilize the updated safety procedures, which include requiring guests to show picture identification and sign in, documenting their name, time in and out, as well as the purpose of their visit. All exterior doors are to be locked throughout the school day, as should interior classroom doors. “All exits and hallways should be clear of desks, materials and debris so as to allow for a quick exit in the case of an emergency,” Grein said. “We are fortunate to have a close working relationship with our local law enforcement, security consultants, liaison officers and Oakland County Homeland Security specialists who provide us with the necessary guidance and training in order to prepare for the unthinkable,” she said. “As we review our procedures to determine the best solutions for our district, we rely on this team of experts to share best practices and make recommendations for continuous improvement. For safety reasons, we cannot publicly share specific information about our security tactics.” Oakland County Sheriffs are school liaisons to the district. “We also utilize the services of security consultants at our high schools,” Grein said, who are contracted through Safe-Ed, and are not armed. “Safety is a community responsibility, and we have to work together to keep our kids safe,” noted Bloomfield Hills' Good, pointing out they believe the biggest factor in keeping students and staff safe is staying aware of what is going on around them. “In 80 percent of the incidents (in previous shootings), 80 percent of the cases nationwide – no one said anything. “This is their school, their community. We want students to think about others,” she said, pointing out it's about empathy and taking responsible action.
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Royal Oak Superintendent Mary Beth Fitzpatrick agreed. “Students have found trusted adults to be very important,” she said. “That to me, as an educator, goes back to the daily work of relationships, not just in times of crises.” The new Bloomfield Hills High School was built with new security and technology innovations, and the Bloomfield Township Police Department and Fire Department now utilize it during summers for training. “It allows them to learn the layouts, and we provide them access to maps. So when we say to go to room 204, everyone knows where that is,” Good said. “We looked at the number of ways to get access, and looked at various ways to increase awareness.” The district is currently requesting a sinking fund millage on Tuesday, May 8, to replace their current one, at the same rate, .7165 mills, in order to incorporate its use for safety, security and technology upgrades after state legislation was recently passed to permit sinking funds to expand their uses in order to have the benefits available from 2018 summer taxes. This will be a six-year sinking fund replacement that would generate $2.5 million each year. Recent state legislation now allows for sinking fund dollars to be utilized for safety, security and technology upgrades, including security cameras, acquisition or upgrades in technology, including wireless technology, Good said. “We have done all of our security and safety upgrades with general fund dollars or cash-on-hand,” she said. All of the districts, as required by state law, hold lockdown/shelter in place drills twice a year. According to Michigan State Police, the legislation, Public Acts 187 and 337, requires a minimum of two drills a year for each school year, “in which occupants are restricted to the interior of the building and the building is secured. This must be conducted at all schools that operate any of the grades kindergarten to 12, with security measures that are appropriate to an emergency, such
previously chief informations cyber officer for Oakland County, warned that not all threats are external and visible – but can be just as dangerous. “Thirty-eight percent of children encounter someone pretending to be a kid on gaming platforms, and 23 percent asked for personal information on chats,” he said. “They impersonate someone and ask to meet in person, and it's very dangerous. “When we were kids, we were told not to talk to strangers,” Burrows pointed out. “But you can be on an app and be anonymous, talking about very personal topics – and people believe you because it's anonymous.” He emphasized that cyberbullying can cause disaffection and some believe lead to aberrant behavior seen in some of the school shooters. “Twenty years ago, you'd have to be in the same room. Now, it's in front of everyone, and people believe it,” Burrows noted. “Cyberbullying hurts more than a punch in the nose, which goes away in 20 minutes. Cyberbullying lasts all year and goes on and on.” Whether from cyberattacks, social media, or overheard conversations, Homeland Security, along with Michigan State Police, have instituted a campaign, “If you see something, say something,” for individuals to report to local law enforcement. It is based on community involvement – that each of us interact with friends, colleagues, neighbors, everyday and are in the best position to notice something small that may be out of the ordinary, or behavior that doesn't seem to sync. “Informed, alert communities play a critical role in keeping our nation safe,” the Department of Homeland Security states on its web page. “Because only you know what’s supposed to be in your everyday.” Michigan.gov is using the OK2SAY app, which allows anyone to confidentially report tips on criminal activity or potential harm directed at Michigan students, school employees or schools. Rochester Schools encourages students to submit tips by text, phone or email 24/7.
Michigan law requires a minimum of two drills a year for each school year, in which occupants are restricted to the interior of the building and the building is secured. This must be conducted at all schools that operate any of the grades K-12. as the release of a hazardous material or the presence of an armed individual on or near the premises. “This policy is not all-inclusive. We encourage every school administrator to work in coordination with emergency management and emergency responder representatives to build upon these guidelines to strengthen their ability to protect against any threat encountered, whether natural or manmade.” “We are examining a different model for school lockdown drills with law enforcement,” Nerad said. “They are in the process of determining their recommendations. To us, a new model examines multiple options and allows for evacuations, which is more flexible. “This whole field is evolving, and we need to evolve with it,” he acknowledged. “We're also going to get input from parents, students and staff.” Clay Matthews at Cranbrook agreed. “We follow the law for drills here. But we're always evaluating, how do we keep ourselves safe? The thought is not to be afraid, but to be prepared.” Cranbrook has been rolling out a different program, called the ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) protocol, for the last two years, for an active shooter or terrorist event, which moves away from a lockdown and towards evacuation if possible, or barricading, if necessary, which is in line with some more progressive thinking on active shooting situations in schools. Calvin Vincent, Cranbrook's security director, acknowledging exterior threats as well as the potential for a cyber threat, echoed others when he said, “A threat is a threat, whether it's internal or external. We're going to check into any threat with as much preparation as any other. The saying, 'See something, say something,' extends to cyber and social media as well.” Chris Burrows, a cyber expert with Cyber Security Solutions and
Each school official supported students and staff “saying something” when they see something amiss. What school officials unanimously were opposed to were metal detectors in local schools, which are often used in inner city or poorer schools. “Not on our campus,” said Vincent. Nerad noted that metal detectors had been suggested by parents and others since the Parkland massacre, “but our approach has always been to look at the next idea to implement by looking to law enforcement for their recommendations. We do not want to do something that gives a false sense of security, though, either.” Bloomfield Hills' liaison officer Corey Donberger said no to metal detectors, as well. “Before getting in to a school, you can still do a lot of damage. I am already in your building, and they can give a false sense of security. Studies show that metal detectors don't keep kids safe – and they're a logistical nightmare.” “It's not something we're doing right now. We have other protocols we're doing that we feel are better,” said Royal Oak's Fitzpatrick. “We're using existing surveillance cameras, key fobs to get in and we have to swipe our badges, data is tracked. Metal detectors would have to be really vetted as the best use of our time for us to use them.” The idea of arming teachers, advocated by President Trump, is not one that appears to have a lot of local support, despite the proposed legislation by Michigan state Rep. Jim Runestad (R-White Lake). “That is not something we would support in the district,” Fitzpatrick said. “The board has made it clear that our schools are a weapons-free zone.” “The district standpoint is that schools should be weapons-free zones,” said Bloomfield Hills' Good. “Our board passed a resolution on
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February 15, 2018, opposing the proposed concealed carry legislation. They maintain that schools should be a weapons-free zone.” “I know there are differing opinions. My personal opinion is the only individuals who should have possession of weapons on school grounds is law enforcement,” Birmingham superintendent Nerad said. “You have to look at the risk of having them schools, and having them properly trained. The good news is we are having the conversation. “From my informal discussions, most do not want to have them.” However, the change in gun laws, especially on a federal level, does concern Nerad. “There is the temptation to just react. The best laws are done by local units of government,” he said. “This should play out with local discussions with local legislators, that they can take back to the state legislature,” he continued. “I want them to consider our local needs.” An Ohio foundation, Faster Saves Lives, has had success training and arming educators who have concealed weapons licenses. “Statistically, schools, churches – mass casualty events, which are no gun zones – the perpetrator knows they're going to go there, people are packed in and nothing is going to stop them. Every few seconds someone is dying. They're done in five minutes or so. If the response time for police is three to four minutes – which isn't bad – a lot of people are dead by then,” said Faster Saves Lives executive director Dean Rieck. He said they started the program in 2012 after Sandy Hook. “We knew some guy who trains SWAT and police who could put 24 teachers through that kind of training for $800 to $1,000 per person. We paid for it from our foundation,” he said, which is the Buckeye Firearms Foundation. While there was outcry from gun control advocates, “within days, we had 1,000 teachers and staff from all over Ohio sign up. We tried it, and it was successful. We continued and improved for five years. To date, we
with a gun, over 25 percent in testing will leave their students and go 75 yards away and go attack him. Someone taking hostages with a gun, they'll attack at a much higher rate,” he said. “The data says for every active shooter, you're dealing with a drunk mother in the office with a screwdriver.” He noted the probability of a suicide is a much higher likelihood than an active shooter situation – eight times more likely. “There's so much fear out there. Research shows that the ‘Terror Management Theory,' or the greater the catastrophe, the more bizarre an event, the more likely people think it will happen to them,” he said. “An example was the Aurora theater shooting, when this crazy guy dressed up in tactical clothing like a villain in the Batman movie. There have been gang and domestic shootings at theaters – but only after Aurora did we get police in theaters. “We ignore the more common shootings to focus on the anomaly,” he pointed out. “We are ignoring the proven strategies and techniques that have helped prevent attacks, and focusing on throwing books at a guy shooting, rather than prevention methods. There is lots of made up data out there.” Dr. Amy Klinger, founder and director of programs for Educators School Safety Network, said they advocate to have all educators in a school be trained for all kinds of hazards, not just for a school shooting. “We're looking at all hazards, not just for active shooters to the exclusion of all others. Teachers need to be prepared to deal with the death of a student or teacher, a non-custodial parent situation, a medical emergency, accident, a tornado,” she said. “We look comprehensively at all hazards, and not just from the law enforcement point of view. We also are taking an emphasis on violence prevention,
Michigan.gov is using the OK2SAY app, which allows anyone to report tips on criminal activity or potential harm directed at students, school employees or schools. Rochester Schools encourages students to submit tips by text, phone or email 24/7. trained 1,300 teachers and staff from 225 districts across 12 states, all paid for by our foundation,” Rieck said. Following the Parkland shooting, he said they have had at least 10 people a day signing up for training. “We're not trying to turn teachers into cops,” he said. “We're teaching two things – one, how to stop the killing; and two, how to stop the bleeding. This is not ordinary shooting training like at a gun range. Anyone applying must already have a concealed handgun license and be approved for background checks.” He said the main class is three grueling days. “Then you have to go through a shoot that is higher than the police academy.” Next, they offer medical training – tactical combat casualty care – not to learn to be a doctor, but to staunch the bleeding with tourniquets, bandages and chest seals. “We teach them emergency trauma care because people can bleed out and die quickly,” Rieck said. “School districts tend to keep security measures secret. But, they keep it so secret no one knows anything, giving any advantage to anyone who comes in the building. Now school districts are coming to us because this can happen anywhere – rich districts, poor districts. You want to have as much security as possible. It's based on the concept of concealed carry, which is proven to work in all 50 states. It's an option for school districts who want it.” Mike Dorn, executive director of Safe Havens, the largest school safety consultants, headquartered in Macon, Georgia, is on his 13th active shooter caseload, is the former police chief of Macon County, and has keynoted with Michigan State Police six times, disagrees with Rieck. “In testing, what we found is teachers will leave their students and they'll attack anyone with a gun. If we depict a drunk across the street
not just on response. It's not inevitable that all events will happen. We teach threat assessment management, which is a school-based team investigative approach, which looks at how to identify who educators should be concerned about, how to manage that individual, how can we support an intervention. Sometimes it's in the justice system, but not always. Often it's with mental health care. It's looking at risk assessment – who may be at risk to themselves and others – the next suicide, murder, drug overdose. It's not political, and it's very effective and very cost effective. “No one wants kids dying in school.” Dorn agrees, advocating a multidisciplinary effort involving law enforcement, mental health workers and educators acting as a team evaluating someone if they may have made a threat, addressing whether or not they actually pose a threat to others or to themselves. “And how do we best manage that threat,” he said. He said in the 13 cases he has worked on, there were missed opportunities to prevent the attacks. As police chief, he noted, “We stopped 13 planned attacks, a planned bombing, five attempts with loaded guns at elementary schools, and stopped a series of attacks at the high school and middle schools, and at basketball games. “When people are saying there's nothing we can do to stop this, that's a dangerous mindset. Let's not spend 90 percent of the energy on reacting to an attack – because a majority of them can be stopped.” He advises school districts to look at things more holistically. “Before I'd put more law enforcement in, I'd add a school nurse. There's more medical emergencies.” That coincides with Klinger's thinking. “If a kid is killed by a bus accident in a parking lot or anaphylactic shock, isn't it as tragic as being shot?” she asked.
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FACES Brittany Moss rittany Moss no longer sees colors as simply one on the Roy G. Biv scale. “The best way to describe it is there’s no longer red – there are about 60 different shades of red,” Moss said. “There’s yellow red, pink red, as well as just looking at leather. I can go into a car now and know what’s leather, what’s vinyl, what’s plastic. I see everything now.” So did Moss develop a very specific ability that helps her immediately spot the difference between burgundy and oxblood? Sort of. It comes as a side effect of being a color and materials designer, which Moss has done at Ford Motor Company for the last two-and-a-half years. As part of the color and materials group Moss – who grew up in Bloomfield Hills and now lives in West Bloomfield – is part of a team that, depending on the vehicle line they are working on, takes the interior and exterior architecture they are given and delivers a specific experience for their customer. Moss said there’s usually one designer and one manager on each vehicle, but they also work with a full studio – engineers, program management, marketing. Her job can mean picking everything from the perfect hue of wood to working on a specific stitch pattern. Moss said they are given a customer from marketing, who they then do research on and what they need. From there it’s all about looking at trends in product design and fashion and determining what’s applicable to the customer. “You create this interior and exterior world for which our customers live in on the daily,” she said. One of the most important parts of Moss’s job is having a design intuition where you can forecast trends ahead of time. Right now, Moss said she’s seeing a lot of space-age and futuristic trends on the horizon, and technology in general. “We’re like the fashion designers of the automotive world,” Moss said. “It’s really interesting. Once I heard about it I was definitely much more interested in it, so I wanted to pursue it.” Moss originally thought about pursuing a career in interior design when she began at Center for Creative Studies (CCS), but when she found herself in her first class, which happened to be a color and materials class, she knew she wanted to become a color and materials designer. Even though Moss thinks many people probably don’t know exactly what she does on the daily, she knows her role is still an important one in the auto industry. “Your car interiors are something that you are in for a very long period of time on a daily basis,” she said. “It’s almost like your home-away-from-home when you’re driving back and forth.” While she can only say that her most current project is working on a future vehicle – she couldn’t delve into any more detail – she did discuss her work on the Lincoln Nautilus, which was released at this year’s North American International Auto Show. “It was a cool experience to work on something and then see it released and go to the auto show and see it in person,” Moss said. “To really be able to interact with something you’ve created and to know people will be experiencing their lives in something you were able to work on was really exciting.”
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Story: Dana Casadei
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BIRDS, BEES AND NEONICOTINOIDS CONCERN OVER LOSS OF POLLINATORS TAKES ON WIDER ENVIRONMENTAL SIGNIFICANCE BY KEVIN ELLIOTT s economic analysts around the world debate whether new tariffs on steel and aluminum will spark a global trade war with the United States, few readers are probably aware that a Michigan honey processor in 2013 was the subject of one of the biggest foodrelated anti-dumping scandals in the nation. Dubbed "Project Honeygate" by investigators at the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Groeb Farms, in Onsted, Michigan, and a Texas-based honey processor, were charged in federal court with skirting more than $180 million in antidumping duties related to the illegal import of honey. In 2008, the United States had placed antidumping duties on Chinese honey as a result of exporters selling honey at artificially low prices, some of which was adulterated with unauthorized antibiotics, artificial sweeteners and other contaminants.
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Groeb Farms, one of the largest honey processors in the United States at the time, was charged with buying loads of Chinese-origin honey that was either mislabeled as other products, such as sugars or syrups, or shipped through third-party countries, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand. Prosecutors said the actions helped Groeb Farms avoid paying more than $78.8 million in anti-dumping duties. To avoid trial, the Michigan honey processor agreed to pay a $2 million fine, and subsequently filed for bankruptcy in October of 2013. Despite the scandal, the flow of honey actually produced by bees in Michigan is among the highest in the country, ranking it as the eighth largest honey-producing state in 2016, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Yet, a continuing decline in honeybee populations in Michigan and across the country means continued reliance on imported honey remains necessary to meet consumer demand for the sticky, sweet stuff. "They need 150 pounds of honey in their hives to survive, and even then they barely make it through the winter. They are supplementing with sugar blocks in the top of the hive," said master honey producer and apiculturist Dennis Holly, who retired from the honey business after nearly four decades in it. Today, Holly heads up the Oakland Beekeepers' Club, which meets each month at the E.L. Johnson Nature Center in Bloomfield Township, where he is one of the last beekeepers in a long line of honey producers in Oakland County and southeast Michigan. "A good honey producer gets about 400 pounds out of a hive. The old ones could get 800 pounds," Holly said, "but we can still show people how to get 200 pounds of honey out of amateur hives." The declines in honey production is one of the effects of declining bee health and population. However, the loss of honeybee population is just one symptom of a much larger issue that results from a specific class of pesticides named neonicotinoids. Across the food chain, scientists are seeing devastating results in other pollinators, bird populations, and everything from earthworms, aquatic invertebrates to birds' eggs. eekeepers across the country began reporting widespread losses of honey bees in 2006, according to the Bee Informed Partnership group, which began monitoring bee colony losses that year. Since then, colony losses have been higher than 20 percent each winter, with anything below that mark considered to be "acceptable losses." In Michigan, it is estimated some 177 commercial beekeepers lost 20.5 percent of their bees in the 2016-17 winter season, and 32.6 percent for the entire year. The state's beekeepers lost 58 percent in 2015-16; 54 percent for 2014-15, and 72 percent the previous year. The annual loss estimates represent only a portion of managed bees. The actual number of managed bee colonies in the state isn't known, as Michigan ended its bee registration program in 1993. In 1992, there were about 2,500 apiaries and more than 100,000 colonies registered in the state, with the majority of those registered being commercial beekeepers. Nor does the inventory account for wild pollinator species in the wild. Based on the structure of nicotine, neonicotinoids literally means "new nicotine-like insecticides." Often shortened to "neonics," this class of insecticides has come under scrutiny across the globe, with some critics comparing their unintended consequences to that of of the deadly pesticide DDT. Developed in the 1990s as a less toxic alternative to organophosphate and carbamate insecticides, which pose risks to humans and many animals, neonics are more toxic to invertebrates, like insects. Today, neonics are the most widely used insecticides in the world. In the United States, virtually all corn, a third of soybeans and dozens of other fruits, vegetables and specialty crops utilize neonics.
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The most widely used neonic and the first to be approved for use in the United State is imidacloprid, commonly found in Bayer Advance Garden insecticides. Other neonics include acetamiprid, clothiandin, dinotefuran, nitenpyram, thiocloprid and thiamethoxam. Most are effective against sap-feeding pests, as well as grubs, fleas, termites, roaches and other pests. ore than a decade of research indicates neonics have contributed to the demise of honeybees, as well as many other wild bee and pollinator species. The most recent research has found neonicotinoids are present in rivers, lakes and streams throughout the country, and are affecting larger ecosystems, including birds, mammals, fish and other aquatic life. Water sampling in 2015-2016 of 10 major tributaries to the Great Lakes found neonicotinoids in 74 percent of monthly samples over the course of a year, with River Rouge in Detroit accounting for the highest maximum concentrations of all locations tested, according to a report published in October of 2017 by researchers with the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The most frequently detected insecticide was imidacloprid, which was found in 53 percent of samples, including 92 percent of samples taken from the Rouge River. Concentrations of imidacloprid in Rouge River were found throughout the year, but were highest in August. Detections of clothianidin was found in 44 percent of tributaries, including in Rouge River during some spring months. "We were most surprised that at some sites we were finding these insecticides throughout the year. Not at all the sites, but at some," said Michelle Hladik, a research chemist with the USGS at the California Water Science Center in Sacramento, who co-authored the study. "People tend to think of insecticide use in the summer, so it's not surprising you would find those more frequently. But we were more surprised that we were finding them at some sites in the winter, which gives the potential for more of a chronic (longterm) exposure scenario." The study was the first of its kind to look specifically for neonics in Michigan, and the latest of several conducted by the USGS on the issue. The study confirms the widespread use of neonicotinoids beyond agriculture, and illustrates the nation's dependency on chemicals for maintaining rural farmlands, suburban lawns and gardens, and urban landscapes. Scientists are now trying to determine the ramifications of that dependency and how it may be impacting food production, ecological systems, animal health and human well-being. Sally Petrella with Friends of the Rouge said the group was already aware that other insecticides have been found in surface waters in southeast Michigan, but the new study results weren't expected. "We were surprised by the findings," she said. "A surprising amount of pyrethroids have been found previously, which is a concern because we have multiple stressors." Stressors are contaminants or pathogens that can negatively impact the ecology of natural habitats. As the volunteer monitoring program manager for Friends of the Rouge, Petrella is involved first hand in looking for sensitive aquatic macroinvertebrates that are sensitive to stressors, such as mayflies, stoneflies and caddisflies. A loss of such species is an indicator that there is a problem with water quality. "The Rouge has vastly improved from what it once was. We are seeing dissolved oxygen improve and more fish, but overall they are in the fair range for macro invertebrates, and some are poor. They are still pretty impacted," she said. While neonics are particularly harmful to mayflies and some other macroinvertebrates, Petrella said it's hard to connect the low levels of them with a specific insecticide because there are multiple stressors at play.
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Spring Market Has Arrived! As we enter one of the busiest times of the year in real estate, I welcome the opportunity to represent you as a buyer or a seller at any price point. As a successful agent in the area's top boutique real estate firm, I am committed to personalized attention and the highest level of customer service for each and every client. Call me to see how I can put my expertise to work for you!
Susan Hill Associate Broker ABR, CNE
248.225.1399 SHill@HallandHunter.com
Hall & Hunter Realtors 442 S. Old Woodward Birmingham, MI 48009 HallandHunter.com
Sal Impastato
Mark Bess
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REALTOR®
248.763.2223
248.425.3778
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Birmingham | 644 Kennesaw Street | $699,000 Updated New England shingle style charmer with exceptional floor plan located on one of Poppleton Park’s premier streets just steps from the park. Spacious dining room complete with built-in buffet. New island kitchen with breakfast area opens to fabulous family room. Spectacular master suite boasts door wall to outside sitting area, 14’ x 12’ dressing room & new limestone bath. Quaint patio with pergola and flagstone walkways to gardens. 3-car garage 2,900 Square Feet | 3 BR | 2 Full, 1 Half Baths | MLS# 218004740
Bloomfield | 4246 Sandy Lane | $675,000 Stunning ravine setting for this exquisite renovated home offering a 1st floor master suite and high-end finishes throughout. Sought-after open kitchen features white cabinetry, huge center island, granite counters and premium appliances. Bright living room captures views of beautiful yard. Master suite overlooking ravine. Amazing walkout lower level provides 1000 additional SF as well as access to private paver patio and gardens. Extensive landscaping & outdoor fire pit.
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3,601 Total Square Feet | 4 BR | 2 Full, 2 Half Baths | MLS# 218013972
BLOOMFIELD 1152 Hillpointe Circle | $239,000
BIRMINGHAM 861 Henrietta Street | $1,850/month
BIRMINGHAM 951 N. Adams Road | $1,600/month
Great value in center of Adams Woods! Large kitchen with breakfast room. Living room leads to private deck.
Spacious in-town upper flat features bright living room, glass enclosed sunroom and all-new kitchen.
Updated townhouse in prime location! Stainless kitchen with quartz countertops. Open layout. Large bedrooms.
1,854 SF | 3 BR | 2.1 Baths | MLS# 218022551
1,107 SF | 2 BR | 1 Bath | MLS# 218014634
992 SF | 2 BR | 1 Bath | MLS# 218015650
For more information, visit HallandHunter.com
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Hall & Hunter Realtors | 442 S. Old Woodward Ave. | Birmingham, MI 48009
Lynn Baker
Deby Gannes
ASSOCIATE BROKER
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248.379.3000
248.379.3003
NO HOME TOO LARGE, NO HOME TOO SMALL
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OAKLAND TOWNSHIP 5381 Orion Road | $1,240,000
ROCHESTER HILLS 1540 Mill Race | $1,490,000
Spectacular custom French Country home on 1.87 acres of hilly terrain and towering trees overlooking the scenic Paint Creek Valley. 1st floor master suite.
Magnificent estate on 3.56 acres backing to Stony Creek. Renovated to perfection in 2016-17 with reclaimed fragments of historical estates. Unbelievable details!
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Pristine executive retreat in private, gated enclave on ravine setting with serene views. Finished walkout lower level with possible 5th bedroom. 4-car garage.
Exceptional new construction in enclave of 17 homes boasts upgrades usually found in $800k+ homes. Vacant lot in sub also available for $159,900.
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OAKLAND TOWNSHIP 1450 Silverbell Road | $674,900
AUBURN HILLS 3996 Forester Boulevard | $199,900
One of the last parcels (10.61 acres) on the Billion Dollar Mile! Enjoy stocked springfed pond (1.7 acres), naturally flowing artesian well, walking trails & rolling terrain.
Beautiful end unit 2 bedroom, 2½ bath townhouse in Forester Square. Freshly painted throughout and ready for immediate occupancy. Spacious master suite.
Bloomfield Hills | 4950 Stoneleigh Road | $1,699,000 Elegant and spacious estate sitting high on 1.29 acres offers manicured gardens, lovely secluded outdoor entertaining area, lavish in-ground pool, stone patio, gazebo and in-house spa and sauna. Open plan updated gourmet kitchen and family room overlooking pool area. First floor wing well suited for in-law suite or au pair. Additional 1st floor suite features private entrance. Magnificent master suite with luxurious bath. Lower level with full bar. 6,215 Square Feet | 6 Bedrooms | 6 Full, 3 Half Baths | MLS# 218023344
CHRISTINE LYNN Real Estate Professional SRES, PPS ] Christine puts her 20+ years of business experience to work for you, marketing and negotiating real estate transactions
Metamora | 4565 Diehl Road | $745,000 Stunning custom-built Barna cedar log home on a 21-acre estate complete with private pond, shade garden, stone pathways, privacy berm with boulders, winding asphalt driveway, perennial gardens and magnificent forest area. Rough hewn beams throughout and new fireplace with remarkable stone hearth. Gourmet kitchen of your dreams, including sprawling counters of distinctive Marinace Brazilian granite. Truly a natural paradise! 2,909 Square Feet | 3 Bedrooms | 3 Full, 1 Half Baths | MLS# 218022066
] She employs sound business strategies with strong ethics to help clients through the process of buying and selling homes
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Birmingham | 549 Lakeview Avenue | $650,000
442 S. Old Woodward Avenue Birmingham, MI 48009
Turn-key charmer in highly sought-after Greenwood sub on a quiet street. Stunning grand master bedroom with vaulted ceilings. Open floor plan kitchen with great natural lighting and gourmet features.Two updated full bathrooms. Architectural details throughout the home, as well as botanical gardens on the large lot. Charming cedar shake exterior. Sprinkler system, and newer mechanicals. Full semi-finished basement. Luxury living at a great price! 2,036 Square Feet | 5 Bedrooms | 2 Full Baths | MLS# 218012838
442 South Old Woodward Avenue Birmingham, Michigan 48009
248.644.3500
Kevin Conway ®
REALTOR
Amy Zimmer, Associate Broker Tiffany Glime, REALTOR ®
248.469.6430
248.330.3324
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248.930.5656 tglime@hallandhunter.com
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BINGHAM FARMS VILLAGE 31010 Bingham Road | $1,950,000 Custom home set on almost two picturesque acres with rear home views overlooking the Franklin River. Amazing features using quality materials and attention to detail. Chef’s island kitchen with warm hand-finished mahogany floors opens to expansive great room. Extraordinary walkout lower level! 5,522 SF | 4 Bedrooms | 4 Full, 2 Half Baths | MLS# 218011140
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BIRMINGHAM | 1119 Southfield Road | $775,000 www.1119southfield.epropertysites.com
Grand custom-built residence offers expansive 1st floor master suite with fireplace, doorwalls to deck, dual walk-in closets, bath with secluded courtyard, and private staircase to finished LL with exercise room, sauna, full bath and cedar closet. Additional 4400 SF finished LL. Oversized heated 4-car garage.
One-of-a-kind gem featuring the hallmark of farmhouse homes: a wide covered wrap-around porch. Beautifully renovated and filled with charm! No detail was overlooked in the updating and restoration of this historic 19th century home. Redesign by Jeffrey King Interiors. In the heart of Birmingham and close to amenities of town, on a beautiful corner lot. Finished lower level is a true retreat. Professionally landscaped yard with expansive deck, stone paths and perennials. Two car detached garage with large walk-up attic. Paver driveway with electronic gate. Generator.
6,677 SF | 6 Bedrooms | 6 Full, 3 Half Baths | MLS# 218021088
2,735 SF | 4 Bedrooms | 3 Full, 1 Half Baths | MLS# 218011210
CITY OF BLOOMFIELD HILLS 257 Pine Ridge Drive | $1,495,000
For more information, visit HallandHunter.com Hall & Hunter Realtors | 442 S. Old Woodward Ave. | Birmingham, MI 48009
Still, one may safely assume that suburban landscape practices are impacting indicator species based on monitoring locations and known sources of other contaminants, such as sewage overflows. "We have seen increases (in indicator species) in the middle branch and Johnson Creek, and declines in the upper branch, which starts in West Bloomfield and goes through Farmington. That one we have seen declines, as well as the upper branch part of the main, which starts in Rochester Hills and includes Bloomfield and Birmingham," Petrella said. "Our industrial pollution isn't increasing, and most of that is much further downstream. The majority of our pollution is actually stormwater pollution, not industrial. Farther downstream there are about 40 uncontrolled combined sewer overflows in the lower. There aren't that many overflows in the main. Most of those have been controlled." A 2013 report published in the Journal of Applied Ecology by Biological Environmental Scientist Dave Goulson, with the University of Sussex and University of Stirling in the United Kingdom, gave a summary overview of the environmental risks posed by neonicotinoid insecticides. The report highlighted studies that showed neonics persist and accumulate in soils. And, because they are water soluble, they are prone to leaching into waterways. Being systemic, they are found in nectar and pollen of all treated crops. "Reported levels in soils, waterways, field margin plants and floral resources overlap substantially with concentrations that are sufficient to control pests in crops, and commonly exceed (the concentration which kills 50 percent) for beneficial organisms," the report summarized. "Concentrations in nectar and pollen in crops are sufficient to impact substantially on colony reproduction of bumblebees." The report also highlighted how certain applications of neonics may be lethal for some birds and mammals. While more recent research has confirmed and expanded on neonicotinoids' impact on birds, mammals, fish and other species, information in 2013 was still sufficient to lead the European Union's governing body to restrict neonic use. In 2013, the European Commission placed a moratorium on some uses of three neonicotinoid insecticides, which by no coincidence is now undergoing new risk assessments by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the United States. The European Union's restrictions were based on risk assessments conducted by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in 2012 that found the compounds threaten bee species vital for pollinating crops. The EFSA in February of 2018 released another assessment of the three insecticides, which concluded they pose a high risk to wild bees and honeybees. The EU may now move to ban all uses of the insecticides. he EPA, which registers and reassesses pesticides available for use in the United States, requires pesticides to be reregistered on a 15-year cycle. However, the EPA in 2009 opened registration review dockets on five neonic insecticides, including imidacloprid, clothianidin, thiamethoxam, dinotefuran, and acetamiprid. Preliminary assessments on risks to pollinators and humans have been completed for all of the insecticides, with preliminary aquatic ecological assessments and non-pollinator ecological assessments completed for imidacloprid. Full reviews for all are planned for sometime in 2018, according to the EPA. Meanwhile, federal legislation in the United States has been introduced in Congress several times in the past five years, with Democratic attempts to restrict the use of the insecticides dying in a House subcommittee each time. "This bill would protect the health of honeybees and other critical pollinators and suspend the use of bee-toxic neonics. It also requires the Environmental Protection Agency to complete a thorough assessment and ensure that any use of these insecticides does not
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cause unreasonable and adverse effects on pollinators," Congressman Earl Blumeanauer (D-OR), said in February when introducing the latest version of the bill that was originally introduced by former Michigan Congressman John Conyers (D-Detroit). "The health of our food system depends on the health of our pollinators, and the EPA has the responsibility to get to the bottom of this issue. I urge my colleagues to join me and pass this legislation so that we can save our pollinators. The future of our food depends on it." lobally, commercial pollinator services are valued at over $125 billion, accounting for about $24 billion in the United States, with honeybees specifically providing at least $15 billion to the nation's economy. Native pollinators, such as bumblebees, squash bees and mason bees, contribute more than $3 billion to the US economy. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has said losses in honeybee colonies, which provide the majority of commercial pollinator services, are too high to confidently ensure the United States will be able to meet the pollination demands for agricultural crops. With commercial honeybee pollination services needed for at least a third of all crops grown in Michigan, honeybees amount to about $1 billion in value in the state. In addition to fruits, vegetables, corn and other crops, pollinators support the beef and dairy industry in Michigan and other states through the pollination of alfalfa and clover. Managed pollinators in Michigan typically ship their bees out of state during the winter months to other states, including California where up to 70 percent of the nation's managed honeybees are shipped each winter to pollinate almond trees. Outside of managed pollinators, more than 40 wild pollinator species are federally listed as threatened or endangered species. In July 2014, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services announced plans to phase out neonicotinoid insecticides at all national wildlife refuges. Oakland Beekeepers' Club's Holly, who previously served as vice president for the Southeastern Michigan Beekeepers' Association and district representative for the Michigan Beekeepers' Association, said most honey producers don't ship their bees out of state during the winter for commercial pollination services. Instead, he said, some will move them to warmer climates, with many smaller operations and amateur keepers keeping their hives in state throughout the year. Still, some provide pollinator services on a more local level. "In my opinion, there aren't really any natural pollinators left in Oakland County. There are some, but not enough," Holly said. "Farmers here are begging for bees. When you lose them, you have to replace them." Beekeepers who keep their hives in Michigan may be especially hard hit this year, as Holly said many have reported losing up to 80 percent or more of their colonies. The losses, he said, are due to a combination of issues, including the presence of neonicotinoids. "There was a phenomenon this year that happens every seven or eight years," Holly said. "This year, we had temperatures at 28 below zero for 10 days â&#x20AC;&#x201C; that's not common. We haven't exposed bees for 10 days like that for quite a while. If you do that, the hive has to be perfect or they won't make it. It killed most of the bees from here to the UP." In addition to cold temperatures, Holly said many beekeepers had problems with mites infesting their colonies this winter. If infestations aren't treated properly by mid-August, he said the mites will burrow into the bees, causing them to stress and die. Exposure to neonicotinoids, Holly said, is another added stress, which he believes has led to decreases in population. "Neonicotinoids are a real problem. That affects the bees' memory and the queen and everything, but it's not the only pesticide. Even Roundup effects bees. All these pesticides effect bees, which are already in trouble because of the mites," Holly said. "But I think
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something new has popped up, and we have an issue in Michigan that is going to come up soon. They are killing the bees, and they need to remove (neonicotinoids) from the food chain, in my opinion." Because neonics are highly water soluble, they can be applied to the soil and taken up by plants, a process known as soil drenching. They can also be injected into plants and trees, and sprayed on foliage. In farming, neonics are commonly used as a seed coating applied before crops are planted and ensures that all parts of the plant are treated. They are also used in granular formulations. One of the most common applications of neonics is in seed treatment, a process in which seeds are coated with neonicotinoids prior to planting. The result is a plant that contains neonics, from its roots to its pollen, during its entire life cycle. Whatever the method of application, neonics act as a systemic insecticide, meaning once taken up by the roots or other part of the plant, it becomes present in all parts, from the roots and stem to the leaves, flowers, nectar and pollen, meaning multiple routes of exposure are ever-present. Thomas Wood, a postdoctoral research associate with the Department of Entomology at Michigan State University, said the potential for pollinators to be exposed to harmful effects doesn't depend only on the toxicity of the pesticide. "If you were to treat canola for flea beetles by spraying a pyrethroid on its surface, it is more directly toxic the bee, but if you sprayed outside of foraging hours, it is less likely to come into contact with the bee, because it's not systemic and has a low solubility," he said. Wood said the use of neonicotinoids in seed dressings is commonplace in some crop production, including corn and specialty crops, such as garlic, as well as all pickling cucumbers in Michigan. "It's a standard, and it's now difficult to get untreated seeds for some crops," he said. "The increase in seed dressing usage exploded from about the mid 2000's to 2005 and onward." While neonics are systemic, studies show that only about five percent of the insecticide's active ingredient is taken up by the plant, with most being dispersed to the wider environment. Neonics used as seed dressings provide more additional routes of exposure to pollinators, as well as other non-target species Birds that graze in farm fields may eat seeds coated with neonics, which depending on the species, size of the bird and amount of seeds they consume, can be harmful to animals. ne study found that a grey partridge weighing 390 grams would need to eat about five treated corn seeds, six sugar beet seeds or about 32 canola seeds to receive a lethal dose. The EPA's own assessments have confirmed similar findings in other bird species, and estimates about one percent of planted seeds are accessible to foraging species. As grey partridges typically consume about 25 grams of seeds per day, the study found "there is a clear potential for ingestion of neonicotinoids by granivorous animals, specifically birds and mammals." In February of 2017, Wood and Goulson compiled an updated report of Goulson's summarized findings from 2013. The report, "The Environmental Risks of neonicotinoids pesticides: a review of the evidence post 2013," compiled new findings that included the most recent understanding of the pesticides' impact on mammals, birds and aquatic species. The report noted that in addition to systemic exposures from plant, nectar and pollen, seed coatings may result in two additional exposures. During the planting season, neonicotinoids present on treated seeds may rub off and turn into dust, which is then emitted into the air. As a result, Neonics released in dust abraded by seed drilling machines were implicated in mass poisoning of honeybees in some locations. Researchers found that honeybee queens exposed to small doses of
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the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid through shared food had reduced egg laying and locomotor activity, and worker bees had modified foraging and hygienic behaviors, according to the Michigan Department of Agriculture. While the effects may not immediately kill the bees, it may cause the colony to dwindle over time. Sublethal exposures may also make the colony more susceptible to other threats, like pathogens and pests. The sublethal effects from dust generated during harvesting is one possible factor in decreased honeybee populations in Michigan, according to Holly. "We have a problem with soybeans that I think may have killed some bees when they harvest the crop," Holly said. "It's a systemic pesticide, so it stays in the plant until they grind up the beans. This season, they were late in doing that. We are still trying to see if they were allowed to spray when bees were foraging, or if there was something else." dditional studies have found that molluscan herbivores, such as slugs, may be effected or die from exposure to feeding on neonic-treated plants. Further, one study showed that 61.5 percent of ground beetles, an important predator of slugs, showed signs of neonicotinoid impairment, with seven out of 16 having died after feeding on the slugs. Earthworms, which have similar neural pathways to insects, are highly likely to be exposed to neonics from direct contact with soil, according to recent studies. Those studies found presence of neonics in earthworms from soil ingestion in fields that hadn't been treated for over a year. Studies have also found neonics threaten blue crabs and other aquatic invertebrates, such as freshwater snails and water fleas. Increased deaths of blue crab is a large concern in the Chesapeake Bay region where they support commercial and recreational fishing, as well as the region's ecosystem. In terms of human health, preliminary risk assessments released by the EPA on imidacloprid determined exposure from treated plants and drinking water isn't a cause for concern. Additionally, the EPA's assessment found that exposure through medicated pet treatments of imidacloprid is not harmful to adults, but is a cause for concern among children younger than two-years-old, which may be exposed through the skin by petting treated animals, and by oral exposure, by putting their hands in their mouths after petting treated animals. Still, the greatest concern to date regarding neonics has continued to focus on their impact on managed pollinator species. In Michigan, where honeybee populations are a major concern, a precise impact is difficult to ascertain. "Michigan used to have an apiary registration and got rid of it. We haven't gone back, but there has been talk that this is something we might want to do," said Kevin Robson, an industry relations specialist with the Michigan Farm Bureau who serves on the state's Managed Pollinator Protection Plan Steering Committee. The state's pollinator protection program is intended to protect pollinators, while simultaneously protecting crops, property and human health. The plan, which falls under the guidance of Michigan's Department of Agriculture, is a non-regulatory plan that aims to provide guidance for best practices in the state. The plan is an offshoot of the EPA's efforts to protect pollinators, which calls for each state to develop a plan tailored to its needs. Robson said some commercial pollinators maintain between 3,000 and 4,000 bee colonies. When neonicotinoids are brought back to a hive by worker bees, it can mean problems, he said. "There has been a lot of pressure from out-of-state beekeepers that move their bees into the state. We don't know where their hives are at, and the Department of Agriculture is struggling because there are keepers that have had longstanding relationships with the farmers
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here," Robson said. "Farmers are very dependent on pollinators and want to make sure they are here and around. Beekeepers make their living not so much on honey production, but in all reality, the money they make is on their pollinator services." A core component of the state's pollinator protection plan involves communication between beekeepers, pesticide applicators, farms and land owners. The idea is that through coordination, applicators will know where managed pollinators are located and work together to keep colonies out of harm's way. However, the lack of a state registration program makes such coordination difficult. Further, many beekeepers don't want the location of their hives known. "What I found out during the process is that growers want to know where hives are and visit with beekeepers, but the beekeepers don't want you to know where their hives are at," Robson said. "They want their bees to have the best shot they can at foraging. They don't want pressure from out-of-state beekeepers who want to establish their colonies here. "If one beekeeper has a 50-acre blueberry field and they have plenty of acreage to forage, another colony coming in will split that in half if they get pressure from other beekeepers. So, we don't even know the amount of beekeepers in the state right now." It's believed this goes beyond competition for quality foraging acres. Beekeepers with a healthy colony of bees don't want their workers mixing with other colonies that may have been exposed to neonics or other stressors which could spread to their own colonies and threaten the health of their bees. In other words, hive locations are kept secret because they are minding their own "beeswax." Michael Hansen, state apiarist for the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), is the state's honeybee inspector. That means if bees are traveling to another state for pollination services, Hansen inspects the colonies to ensure they are meeting that state's requirements. He said competition among beekeepers has led to more nefarious actions. "When you start saying, 'this is where my bees are,' most beekeepers don't stand by their colonies and watch them all the time. It's pretty easy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and they have had this problem in California where half of the nation's bees go every year â&#x20AC;&#x201C; if you're not watching them for someone to use a forklift and load 100 or 200 colonies into the back of a truck and drive away," Hansen said. "We have had that problem. There have been cases in Michigan where 50 to 100 colonies at a time have been taken out of bee yards. So, if you're advertising that you're a good beekeeper, they could go missing. We have had some beekeepers that didn't notice their hives were gone, and others that have switched hives." While much of the buzz about neonicotinoids is centered around honeybees, the impacts go far beyond the hive. No doubt, initial concern over the insecticides centered on managed pollinators due to the financial ramifications of declining honeybee populations. However, honeybees serve as an essential indicator of larger problems to come. "We see bees as 'the canaries in the cornfield,'" said Kendra Klein, staff scientist with Friends of the Earth, a political activist organization focused on environmental issues. "We are talking about bees as an indicator that chemical-intensive agriculture is on a fatal track." riends of the Earth in March co-authored a report with Klein rating 25 of the nation's food retailers on efforts to protect pollinators. The report found that 20 of the top 25 grocers fail to protect bees and other pollinators. The report looked at organic offerings from the food retailers, policies and practices to reduce pesticides and transparency. Overall, the report gave Whole Foods the highest grade (A), followed by Costco (A-), with Amazon ranked the lowest (F). Some other retailers included Target, Trader Joe's, Walgreen (C+); ALDI, Kroger, Walmart (C); and Meijer and Publix (C-).
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The report is flanked by a petition drive by SumOfUs, which in June delivered 400,000 signatures to Kroger demanding the corporation stop selling food grown with neonics. he Friends of the Earth report also acted as a follow-up to its 2014 and 2016 reports, "Gardeners Beware," which tested plants and flowers from 65 garden retailers, nurseries and landscaping companies for neonics. The report found 23 percent of plants in 2016 rested positive for neonics. The results also included plants tested in Michigan, both in Detroit and Ann Arbor, in which three out of four purchased tested positive for neonics. The results led to several stores revamping their policies to stop the sale of plants treated with the insecticides, including Home Depot, Lowe's and Walmart. Klein said the efforts of her group and others is intended to encourage retailers to push for a greater reliance on organic farming practices and a move away from the nation's chemical dependency on pesticides. While the agricultural industry has said the demand for organically grown products is increasing, most industry representatives have said that organic farming practices alone can't sustain the world's food demand. The answer, they say, is less reliance on pesticides by using integrated pest management practices, which rely on a mix of pesticide and organic practices in conjunction with detailed monitoring of pests. Goulson's 2013 study found that despite such claims, the prophylactic use of seed coatings goes against principles of integrated pest management, leading to the current environmental concerns. Further, the EPA's own benefit analysis of neonics found seed treatments provide "negligible" benefits on average to soybean producers in most situations. Jay Feldman, executive director for Washington D.C.-based Beyond Pesticides, said recent studies, such as the USGS sampling of Great Lakes tributaries illustrate the far-reaching use of pesticides in farming and gardening. "It takes that kind of study to alert people to the fact that the pesticides we are using are harmful, and that isn't immediately obvious," he said. "You don't get that through advertising. The relation between MDARD and the EPA relies on regulation, as the EPA registers the chemicals and the state enforces the law. The assumption is that pesticides are approved on acceptable levels of harm, but the evaluations haven't taken the whole impact of these chemicals into account. There are deficiencies in the way we approve pesticides that don't take into account sublethal impacts and the cumulative effects. "People assume that if a product is on the market, it is safe, and the market depends on that." The criticism is one that has led to comparisons between neonics and DDT, as both were introduced as safe alternatives to more toxic chemicals, but were approved without all non-target impacts taken into account. While the EPA has since increased label requirements on neonics to include warnings about their potential harm to pollinators, Feldman said more recent research shows the need for the public to take a broader view of pesticides in general. "When you begin managing with chemicals, you become increasingly reliant on those chemicals without recognizing the local ecology," he said. "The bottom line is, if you take a killing approach or mentality that is focused on killing unwanted plants or species, then you end up creating a niche in the landscape that becomes more attractive to unwanted insects and vegetation. "For instance, if you use glyphosate to kill an unwanted weed, then you're killing the ecosystem around that plant and the organisms that other plants rely on, then you become more reliant on synthetic inputs. You're creating a greater problem, and certainly creating an ongoing dependency to manage the system and inadvertently killing off the natural biology."
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TOTAL SALES VOLUME ALL RESIDENTIAL AND CONDO SALES
PRICE: $2,000,000+ 150
140
130
120
38.4% 110
100
$ in Millions
90
80
70
60
50 Mkt 13.5%
40 Mkt 10.6%
30
20
Mkt 5.8%
10
Mkt 3.1% Mkt 2.3%
Mkt 2.2%
Mkt 1.8%
Mkt 1.7%
Mkt 1.5%
RE/MAX New Trend
Bailey Schmidt Inc
Berkshire Hathaway Homeservices Hwwb
0 Signature Sotheby’s International Realty
Max Broock Realtors® Birmingham
Keller Williams Domain Birmingham
Hall & Hunter Birmingham
Max Broock Realtors® Bloomfield Hills
Shain Park Realtors®
Coldwell Banker Weir Manuel Birmingham
This statistical information has been obtained from Realcomp II Ltd and actual sales. These statistics are derived from data believed to be reliable. This information is not to be reproduced, redistributed, or combined with data from other sources without expressed permission from Realcomp. Date: 1/17/18
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FACES
David Garcia loomfield Hills native David Garcia may be considered a "stair master" to the average person. "I've done 54 stair races in 19 cities and in every time zone," said the 1997 Groves alum who moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in television. "I did the Renaissance Center a few years ago. I've done the Space Needle in Seattle, the Stratosphere in Las Vegas, One World Trade Center and others. I run about a dozen each year." On March 15, Garcia was one of just 129 people to be selected to participate in La Verticale de la Tour Eiffel, an exclusive tower run up the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The race challenges participants to climb 1,665 steps up the 108 stories of the tower. "There's no way I'm going to get the fastest time," he said before heading to Paris. "I'm embracing instead that this race is a really fantastic opportunity to show what I've done in my life over the past eight years, and celebrate changes I've made." Garcia recalls the time in his life when he avoided stairs at all costs due to severe obesity he struggled with since childhood. In 2010, he weighed over 400 pounds. That's when he happened to meet fitness guru Richard Simmons while working as a producer on "Ellen." During the course of conversation, Simmons said he wanted to "help" Garcia. "He didn't specifically say weight, but I knew that's what he meant because that's what he does," Garcia said. Remembering the list of failed diets since middle school, Garcia dodged the question. Eventually, Simmons convinced Garcia to take a fitness class he was teaching, and the two worked out a plan that resulted in Garcia losing 160 pounds in a little over a year.
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"I was working hard to keep off the weight, and I noticed everyone at the gym using the StairMaster is soaked in sweat," Garcia said. "I knew it burned a lot of calories, but it intimidated me. I gave it the side-eye for months, until I finally did five minutes on it. The next week I did 6 minutes, then eight." Because the machine keeps track of how many stories you climb, Garcia began equating his workouts to landmarks he knew. After months of virtual tower running, Garcia entered his first run in April of 2012: a 63-story building in Los Angeles. He has been hooked since. "It's so intense and so grueling, and I'm so hooked on it," he said. "It's miserable in a way that I really enjoy. It's so brutal, but with every step I take, I'm proving that I'm capable of doing these extraordinary things in my life." To put the challenge into perspective, Garcia said the tallest point of the Detroit Renaissance Center is about 70 stories, a building he climbed in 11 minutes and 28 seconds. Consider also that 600 stories equates to about one vertical mile, another challenge he met that took him less than 150 minutes. On March 15, Garcia finished his climb up the Eiffel Tower in 16 minutes and 17 seconds. While the time is several minutes behind that of the top power runners, it's a solid victory for him "It has nothing to do with how I place," he said. "It's about keeping your mind open to the idea that really incredible things are out there waiting for you, and keeping your mind open to embracing them." Story: Kevin Elliott
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76
DOWNTOWN
04.18
MUNICIPAL
Birmingham golf courses continue upswing By Lisa Brody
Building on Peabody site gets approval By Lisa Brody
A proposed five-story mixed use development for the former Peabody Restaurant site on Woodward received final site plan and design review approvals from the Birmingham Planning Board at their meeting on Wednesday, February 28. The building, at 34965 Woodward Avenue, will be developed by Matt Shiffman of Alden Development, also includes the site of the former Art & Frame Shop on Peabody Street. The site is a total of .597 acres, and the building will be 161,910 square feet. “The applicant wants to construct a five-story mixed use building with two levels of underground parking,” Birmingham Planner Matt Baka said. He said the first floor would be retail, second and third floors office, fourth floor a mixture of commercial and residential, and the fifth floor, residential. Architect Chris Longe of Birmingham presented designs for the exterior of the building which would utilize a variety of materials for construction, including granite for the base of the building in charcoal gray; tan stone panels for the façade of the first floor; a light salmon colored masonry veneer for the second, third and fourth floors; and metal composite panels that would clad the fifth floor and sections of the rooftop screenings. He said there would be steel window and door systems on all elevations, and decorative stainless steel metal grates for rooftop mechanical screening. On both the Peabody and Woodward elevations, there would be metal pedestrian scale canopies on the building as well as a cantilevered structural glass section on the third floor. “An important factor in the design of this building is the completion of the Maple Gateway project outlined in the Downtown Birmingham 2016 Master Plan. The Maple Gateway was envisioned to provide a 'main entrance' to Birmingham’s Central Business District. The plan recommends that the buildings should be designed with reference to the other, sharing a similar height, massing and as much architectural syntax as possible. The building will match the height of the Greenleaf Trust building to the north, and the Balmoral building to the south as well as provide identical massing.
The proposed building also has a modern architectural design which is featured in the abutting buildings. The proposed building will uphold the vision of the Maple Gateway and Downtown Birmingham 2016 Master Plan,” the building proposal stated. At preliminary site plan presentations for the building, representatives for the neighboring Greenleaf Trust and Balmoral buildings voiced complaints about close proximity of the proposed project and the impact it could pose to their buildings. However, in a planning department memo, it stated that, “A thorough review of the minutes and staff report revealed no encouragement or requirements by the Planning Board or by staff to require the installation of windows on the property lines abutting the 34965 Woodward site,” meaning there was no problem with the new building developing and building to the property line, as it proposed. The final site plan and design review were approved by the planning board, and do not need to go to the city commission for further approvals.
Cafe Via closes; reopening planned Long time Birmingham restaurant Cafe Via has closed, but there are plans for it to reopen sometime this summer under new management. Ted Fuller, president of Birminghambased Central Park Properties and owner of Cafe Via, said he has a deal with another local operator to take over the operations and management of the restaurant. He declined to name the operator, as he said he is “sworn to secrecy.” A local architect has been hired, he said, to perform an extensive remodel, and the reborn Cafe Via is expected to reopen in June or July. “They'll do a nice job,” Fuller said. “It'll be Italian. It'll be great, and it'll be very nice for town.” The restaurant will maintain its original name, as it has a Birmingham bistro liquor license. In order to keep the license, an establishment must keep its name and a similar style of cuisine. The original restaurant described itself as “a unique American bistro inspired by the elegant cafes of Europe.” An extensive renovation or menu change would need to be approved by the Birmingham City Commission with a special land use permit.
ith a combined number of 52,591 rounds of golf at Birmingham's two municipal golf courses, junior golf a success, revenues up slightly in food and beverage consumption, and the courses showing an overall net profit, pro Jackie Brito presented a golf report on the 2017 season to Birmingham city commissioners at their meeting on Monday, February 26, with plans for more updates for this golf season. The city of Birmingham owns and operates two municipal nine-hole golf courses. Lincoln Hills is located at 2666 W. 14 Mile Road at Cranbrook, and Springdale is located at 316 Strathmore Road. “We had another successful year with overall great golfing conditions. We continue to create a quality service culture that promotes a friendly and enjoyable experience for members, guests and the community,” Brito wrote in the 2017 Annual Golf Report. “We believe our clubs have become an integral part of many of our members’ lives and as a result, the vast majority of our members retain their memberships each year. Keeping our members satisfied with their club experience, they will remain loyal and frequent users of the courses.” Last year, Lincoln Hills open for golfers on April 1, and Springdale followed on April 15, although that course was more saturated. Lincoln Hills stayed open until December 8, while Springdale closed to duffers October 22. Lincoln Hills saw 29,513 rounds of golf in 2017, up from 29,029 in 2016, but off the high of 31,741 rounds in 2015, likely due to cold and wet weather early in the season, and a cold November. Springdale had 23,078 rounds of golf in 2017, down from 24,811 in 2016. Brito stated the combined courses had a net operating profit of $106,580 for the season on revenues of $1.14 million, down slightly from the 2016 season, when revenues were $1.16 million. They had expenditures of $881,489, up from 2016, when expenditures were $845,103. Revenues at Lincoln Hills for 2017 were up slightly from 2016, taking in $698,328 rather than $694,533 in 2016. However, Springdale lost about five percent of revenue, taking in only $447,647 in 2017, after booking $471,310 in 2016. The goal for the 2018 season is “to continue to maintain our vision to maintain a level of fiscal management that promotes the highest level of service, presentation and playing conditions to our members and guests while providing the city with positive net income and our employees with a positive work environment ,” she said, as well as hoping for weather that is conducive to playing golf. Brito said the courses have been maintaining a healthy capacity of members, with 1,898 resident members in 2017 out of a total of 2,797 memberships. Nonresidents and business members pay a higher membership and tee price. “We introduced a new promotion in April called 'Just a Drive Away,'” Brito said. “The tool we utilized was a direct mailer to our surrounding communities outside of Birmingham. Households were invited to play and have lunch during this month for a special price and if they wanted to join they would receive a $25 discount off their respective non-resident membership. There was one stipulation and that they were 'First Time' members to be eligible for this program. There were 78 participants and we are excited to report that we added 23 new members from this promotion, a return of 29 percent. We look forward to implementing this again.” She said that food and beverage operations were up slightly – four percent – from the previous season. Revenues for 2016 were $82,650; in 2017, food and beverage revenues $85,971. In 2011, when the program began, revenues were just $24,652. Brito said it was a great year for junior golf. Some new programs were added and others tweaked, as there was increased participation in some categories. “Junior golfers are such an essential part of the golf industry. They are important for the future of the game and they also represent the future of our club,” she said. There were 484 junior golf participants in 2017, with revenues of $87,357, producing a net profit of $51,201. A PGA Junior League consisted of 24 players from Birmingham, fielding two teams, which competed against other local clubs. “The strong financial position that we have been building up on from the past years has enabled the courses to move forward with a number of projects,” Brito told commissioners. Improvements include renovated practice areas at both courses; ADA-adaptive golf cart for handicapped golfers; renovated bunkers and new tee signs at Lincoln Hills; plans for adding a cart path at Lincoln Hills; bridge renovations at Springdale; a golf cart fleet update; and new membership cards for 2018. Commissioners were very pleased with the improvements and increased finances at the golf program, and unanimously approved the 2017 annual golf report, 6-0, with commissioner Stuart Sherman not in attendance.
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CINDY OBRON KAHN An Extraordinary Agent Providing Extraordinary Results 2017 TOP PRODUCER at Hall & Hunter Realtors 248.568.7309 | Cindy@CindyKahn.com | CindyKahn.com 442 S. Old Woodward Ave. Birmingham, MI 48009
completion as well as substantial penalties if the work is not done on time. Other conditions in the approved contract include a six-day a week work schedule, with extended hours encouraged. During the Old Woodward reconstruction, most alleys will remain open to through traffic, other than the Maple entrance to the Willits Alley. E. Merrill Street and Hamilton will both be dead end streets for the duration of the construction period.
Old Woodward work started March 26 By Lisa Brody
It's been a few years in the making, and now it's here – the first phase of the reconstruction of Old Woodward Avenue, between Willits and Brown streets in downtown Birmingham, which officially began with the assembly of a safety barrier on Wednesday, March 21, and then closure of the road on Monday, March 26, as the project began. The reconstruction of Old Woodward will transform the city’s downtown core with improvements to its aging underground infrastructure and significant enhancements to the above ground streetscape. The planned road project will shut down the center of downtown Birmingham along Old Woodward from Willits to Brown, and W. Maple Road from just past the store Suhm-Thing and part of E. Maple. The road requires a complete reconstruction, similar to Pierce Street and Hamilton in previous years, in that these areas have some of the oldest water and sewer lines in Birmingham, as well as a streetscape that is on a different grade than the road. Much of this current infrastructure was installed in the 1940s and has exceeded its useful life – with some sewers dating to the late 1800s. The underground improvements include installation of a new water main, replacing the still functioning system that dates back to 1889. In addition, new sewer lines will be installed, as several are near the end of their service life. Other underground infrastructure improvements include installation of a city-owned electrical system that will allow for greater lighting options
downtown as well as providing charging stations for mobile devices. The above ground improvements will provide for an enhanced streetscape with wider sidewalks and handicap accessible curbs along with mid-block crosswalks, adding to the walkability of the downtown core. “We believe the necessary improvements to the underground infrastructure and above ground streetscape will create a new, up-todate shopping and business environment that our residents, merchants and stakeholders will enjoy for years to come,” said Joe Valentine, Birmingham City Manager. The city is working to get everything ready for a smooth construction period for all involved. City engineer Paul O’Meara said preconstruction activities, such as the assembly of the safety barrier and the lining of sewers in the project area, are being done before the start of construction in order to help complete the project as fast possible. “By taking these steps prior to the projected road closure on March 26, we are anticipating there will be less digging needed, which will help us stay on our timeline and complete the project as
fast as possible,” said O’Meara. The city and Birmingham Shopping District (BSD) are working to alleviate the impact the construction project will have on merchants and restaurants, holding monthly meetings with merchants to inform them on the latest developments and timeline for the project. The city, through its BSD promotional arm, will enact a “Pave the Way” marketing initiative, to keep downtown accessible for shoppers during construction. “Our Pave the Way initiative includes free valet parking stations at strategic locations around the city as well as enhanced lighting, signage, activities and incentives – such as our Birmingham Bonus Bucks program – to help the public stay engaged during the construction,” said Ingrid Tighe, executive director of the BSD. “Downtown will be open for business and we encourage the public to support our merchants.” Angelo Iafrate Construction Co. received the approved $7 million contract for 125 days of work with a targeted substantial completion date of July 27, 2018. The agreement includes significant financial incentives to Iafrate for early
Drybar coming to W. Maple location Drybar, which offers “No cuts. No color. Just blowouts,” will open its first Michigan location in downtown Birmingham in the former Lucy location this summer. Drybar, which began in Los Angeles, is now in 22 states, offering different styles for blowing out women's hair, wash included. Now with over 70 locations around the United States and Canada, Alli Webb recalls she began the company as a side business when she worked as a full time hairdresser with the late John Sahag, first in 2008 as a home business called Straight-At-Home, providing in-home blowouts on a referral basis in LA. When her business and popularity outgrew her one-woman show, she decided to expand and start Drybar. The Birmingham location, at 137 W. Maple Road, will be Drybar's first Michigan location offering a variety of styles, from straight, old Hollywood, loose curls, messy beachstyle hair, tousled, or up dos. They even do wedding parties and children's hair. Drybar also offers a line of their own products for purchase.
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Baldwin Library keeps millage rate same At a presentation of the fiscal year 2018-2019 budget for Birmingham's Baldwin Public Library on Monday, March 19, the library board unanimously approved continuing a 1.1 mills millage, the same as the current budget year, to cover its operating expenses, and as well as .2983 mills for its Youth Room expansion and renovation, for a total of 1.3983 mills. The library millage for Birmingham residents for the current fiscal year of 2017-2018 is 1.41 mills, consisting of 1.1 mills for operating expenses and .31 mills for paying off the Adult Services renovation. Library director Doug Koschik explained that for the upcoming fiscal year, the Headlee tax limitation in the state constitution has reduced the maximum millage rate to 1.3983 mills. “As part of its long-range plan for building improvements, the library renovated its Adult Services area in
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fiscal year 2016-17,” Koschik said. “The project was accomplished on time and $150,000 under budget, and created a functional and attractive space for study and collaboration. The library hopes to move forward with Phase Two of its long-range building vision – the expansion and renovation of the Youth Room, which the library would like to begin in summer 2019. That project is currently estimated to cost $2.3 million in 2019 dollars. The library would like to start pre-funding that project in fiscal year 2018-19.” By bringing in additional millage revenue a year earlier, the library would raise $691,417 in 2018-19, and another $684,766 in fiscal year 20192020, based on a presumed millage rate of .2819 mills, Koschik explained, based on information he received from the city of Birmingham. Baldwin Library first levied its own millage in 1998, at 1.75 mills. “In the past 18 years, the Headlee cap has reduced Baldwin’s maximum millage rate to an estimated 1.3983 mills in FY 2018-19,” Koschik explained to the board, with the library maintaining a
millage rate of 1.1 mills since fiscal year 2012-2013 for basic operating expenses. In addition, he said, the library wishes to maintain an adequate fund balance in order to cover its $125,000 insurance deductible, allow a major equipment expenditure in case of an emergency, and permit the library to weather a financial emergency, such as would occur if one of the library’s contract communities (Beverly Hills, Bloomfield Hills and Bingham Farms) gave notice to withdraw from its agreement with Baldwin. “In addition, the library wishes to keep a small amount of extra money on hand in case it is needed for extraordinary or unforeseen expenditures,” he said.
The Morrie proposed for vacant eateries By Lisa Brody
The Morrie, a casual restaurant offering live music which is being proposed for 250 and 260 N. Old Woodward in Birmingham, in the
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former Arther Ave. and Au Cochon locations, was expected to come before the Birmingham Planning Board for a special land use permit and final site plan and design review on Wednesday, March 28. The Morrie, which is a successful operation in Royal Oak at 511 S. Main Street for comfort food, drinks and entertainment in a family-friendly atmosphere, is owned by Bloomfield Hills restaurateur Aaron Belen, who also owns the fine dining establishment Bistro 82 in Royal Oak. Having brought unique dining options to Royal Oak, Belen said, “I want to give Birmingham something they don't have at approachable price points.” Belen said The Morrie Birmingham will feature a similar menu for dinner and weekend brunch, where dinner favorites are the Morrie Burger, Nashville Hot Chicken and Kung Pao Cauliflower. Other popular items include brisket mac & cheese, loaded waffle fries, steak bites, tater tots, salads, fish, ribs and matzoh ball soup. He said he anticipates offering lunch service for business and office
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workers in Birmingham with a buildyour-own salad option. “The Morrie is a Michigan-made, Michigan-run restaurant. The quality of our food is top-notch. We make our buns in-house,” Belen said. The Morrie is known for its live entertainment in Royal Oak, which Belen is proposing for Birmingham, as well. He has been in discussion with other tenants of The Palladium Building, such as Paul Glantz, owner of Emagine Palladium theaters, who he said is very positive about the restaurant. “We are looking to add a complementary use to the current tenants of the building,” Belen said.
Liquor permits renewed in city The Birmingham City Commission conducted their annual review of all Class B, Class C and microbrewery liquor licenses for establishments in the city at their meeting on Monday, February 26, and all were renewed for operation for 2018 except the Mad Hatter Bistro, due to an outstanding tax bill. A public hearing was set for the commission meeting on Monday, March 12, to determine if the city will file an objection with the Michigan Liquor Control Commission to the renewal of its license. The issue with Mad Hatter was an outstanding tax bill of $6,670, which management said was in the mail, in which case the public hearing would be canceled. The Mad Hatter cleared the tax delinquency and the commission renewed the license in March. At the beginning of the license renewal, 220 and Rojo also had outstanding tax bills, but city manager Joe Valentine said they both had just been paid. 220 had an outstanding tax bill for 2017 of over $55,000; Rojo, which is in the midst of being purchased out of bankruptcy, had a $6,100 delinquent water bill and an almost $20,000 overdue tax bill. The new owner paid the delinquent bills. There are currently 38 liquor license establishments, including two municipal golf courses, The Townsend Hotel, Emagine and Birmingham theaters, All Seasons Senior Living, The Community House and the now-closed Mitchell's Fish Market. The police department reported downtownpublications.com
Condo project approved for school site By Lisa Brody
he final site plan for Villas at Bloomfield Grove, a new planned unit development (PUD) to be developed into a single family residential development, on the site of the former Hickory Grove Elementary School, to be developed and built by Robertson Brothers Homes of Bloomfield Hills, was approved by Bloomfield Township trustees on Monday, February 26. Patti Voelker, planning, building and ordinance director, presented the final site plan, explaining that the land is under contract to be purchased from the Bloomfield Hills School district. The planned unit development (PUD) project, to consist of 40 clustered homes plus one separate residential unit, are clustered to balance and preserve the wetlands on the 27.46-acre parcel. All of the homes would be accessible by one drive, which would be a reuse of the existing drive on the site. Voelker explained to trustees that because of the placement and orientation of some of the sites on the private drive, some variances were needed from the wetlands board. The site plan is proposed to provide 35.34 percent open space, well in excess of the 10 percent required in the PUD. There will also be a common space area, “and they are dedicating nine-and-a-half acres as a pedestrian park with a natural open play area that ties into the township safety path and the wood chip path off Devon.” The site is being developed under the township's open space preservation ordinance, which seeks to preserve open spaces, trees and wetlands. Voelker said the township's zoning board of appeals granted all prospective variances, as did the wetlands board. Jim Clark of Robertson Brothers, developers of the project, said they had begun the process in February 2016, when Bloomfield Hills Schools first put the school up for sale. “We like the physical aspect of the site,” he said. “In the last 12 to 16 months, we have had a lot of meetings with neighbors and the school board. We could have done just a traditional subdivision, but we wanted to do a lifestyle community. We call this 'lock, load and leave.' This could be a second home or a primary residence. Many are snowbirds – someone with another home now down south or up north.” “Will this be a community that has an age requirement (of 55-plus), or will it just be marketed that way?” asked trustee Michael Schostak. “It will not be age-required, but it self-selects,” Clark said. “There are first floor masters. We don't allow pools in the back yards or basketball hoops. If a family wants to live there, they're welcome.” A resident complained that the township should have maintained the site as a park for residents. “We did not have the necessary money to buy it, we don't have the necessary money to maintain it, and we don't have the necessary money to preserve it,” responded supervisor Leo Savoie. “No one stepped up to the plate to instigate an SAD (special assessment district). The school board had an obligation to maximize their resources. We are a separate entity from the school board.” Trustees voted to approve the final site plan for the PUD.
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that they conducted liquor decoy operations in all Class B (hotel) and Class C licensed establishments/brew pubs in 2017. “While conducting our decoy operations, The Bird and the Bread, Birmingham Teatro (Birmingham 8 Theater) and Rojo Mexican Bistro were all issued a MLCC violation for serving a minor and the individual server was also issued a violation for
selling to a minor by Birmingham Police Detectives in December 2017,” the department reported in a memo. There were also numerous reports recounted in their report of inebriated or disorderly conducts at Birmingham restaurants, with several occurring in the last year at Market, and numerous noise complaints coming from Townhouse.
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Retirement health waiver approved A change in the state law to protect local government retirement and health benefits systems necessitated a waiver acknowledging there is enough money in the system to cover benefits by the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees, which they did unanimously at their meeting on Monday, March 12. Public Act 202 of 2017, Protecting Local Government Retirement and Benefits Act, requires a local municipality, beginning July 1, 2018, to pay normal costs (the cost of retirement health benefits as they are earned) for new employees and to pay retiree premiums due in its retirement system, if the local government offers or provides an employee, or a former employee hired before the act's effective date, with a retirement health benefit. The act also requires the state treasurer to determine the underfunded status of every local unit of government each year, and to provide for oversight of an underfunded local unit. If a local government is less than 40 percent funded, then its retirement health systems cannot be more than 12 percent of its general fund operating revenue. Supervisor Leo Savoie said at the board meeting that Bloomfield Township has always been a pay-asyou go community, and the Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association (VEBA) – a health reimbursement arrangement that allows an employer to contribute on behalf of an employee – has a current balance of $11 million, as of the July 1, 2015 actuarial reporting date required. “It's more like $13 to 14 million currently, but the state mandates we report it as of a certain date,” he said. “Our intent is to build the VEBA account to a certain amount so that in 20 years, the people on the board will have upwards of $50 million to work with, and the board can decide what to do with it. “We feel we are in compliance with the state, because we can make payments, we can make payments to a lockbox type savings, which was established in the 1960s.” Savoie said the township has more than enough resources to meet all of their obligations. Trustees approved the waiver 7-0. 83
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Landscape plan for museum approved By Lisa Brody
A new conceptual landscape plan for the Birmingham Museum was approved by the city commission on Monday, March 12, following a presentation by Leslie Pielack, director of the museum. Pielack explained that the site of the Birmingham Museum, which includes the Allen House, is one of the most historically and topographically complex in the city, with natural landscape features on a steeply sloping lot with a rich history dating back to pioneer times. “Its location makes it accessible to people as well as a haven for a wide range of wildlife, yet it is centrally located in downtown Birmingham,” she said. She said the museum board worked on the 2018 museum master landscape plan as part of their review of the 20172020 Birmingham Museum Strategic Plan, which “involves evaluating and developing a strategy to preserve and protect the historic features of the museum site while enhancing public access through physical and virtual means.” The board hired Brian Devlin, a historic landscape architect with Nagy Devlin Land Designs, to make recommendations for redesigning the four-acre site. Devlin told commissioners that some of the biggest issues facing the site is that while the house sits on Maple Road, it has a steep slope down on its north and west sides. He divided the landscape into four zones: the heritage zone, which includes the house; transition zone, behind the house; riverine/woodland zone, to the west of the house; and pond zone, along Willits Street. He noted that the heritage zone had been redesigned in the mid-2000s, with a new layout for cars and pedestrians, handicap access, and auto access via a cut in off Maple Road. He suggested what remained to be done was removal of undesirable species, and to replant a hybrid elm tree which would mirror the original elm trees of the site. In the transition zone, behind the house, he said is a historic fieldstone wall between the two houses with a variety of trees growing. “What we're trying to do with the historic plan is expand the steps for potential gatherings, but transition it from the top of the steps to the bottom of the steps,” Devlin said. downtownpublications.com
To the immediate west of the house, in the riverine/woodlands zone, he said are steep paths with bark. “Some of the steps are rotting away. The wall we believe may have been part of the barn, and it's starting to roll down the hillside,” he said. He noted the current composition of the plantings are weedy, and trees have invasive species. “We will have to plant some desirable trees, and we'll have to try to eradicate others, over a long period of time,” he said. Devlin showed a pathway in the zone which could connect into the Rouge River corridor to Maple Road. “The museum board wants to keep the existing path and work it into the Rouge River pathway,” he said. “The master plan is calling for an overlook with the trail entry at the lower northern portion with the path connecting to Maple Road and a path to the river with an overlook and plantings. It would create a woodlands that is native to the area. We would use boulders that would be artistic, and create a boulder retaining wall to ease the steep fall off the paths.” He said it could then be ADAcompliant. In the far rear of the property, reaching back to Willits Street, is a pond, which Devlin said has a very unique feature in that a pool was built inside the pond by the Allen family for a disabled child. “We really want to use that as an interpretive tool,” he said. “We're trying to add second handicapped access from the house, around the pool. It would be a staging area – similar to when the Allens' used it for their son's therapy. There's a wetland, and we would create a water garden. We'll have to create retaining walls to prevent people falling in. The path will be crushed limestone so it will be wheelchair accessible.” “We think the pond will be the biggest draw,” Pielack said. We think people will want to engage with the Rouge overlook.” Commissioner Rackeline Hoff asked why this plan wasn't integrated into the city's parks and recreation plan. Pielack said because they took it to the Historic Design Commission. “It's different. We're in a unique position,” she said. Hoff countered that as she saw the plan, “It's a half-million dollars, and there are so many things that need to be done. That's a lot of money for an area that doesn't get a lot of use. How much input did the public get to have?” Pielack said she spoke to two
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neighbors, and 15 people showed up to a January presentation. “That's a small amount of Birmingham people. There are so many other Birmingham parks and issues,” Hoff said. “It provides the framework that allows us to talk to funders,” Pielack countered. Commissioner Stuart Sherman pointed out that commissioners were not asked to approve the plan, just to accept it as a conceptual plan so they can go forward for funding. City manager Joe Valentine explained that commissioners would see specific details and approve exact plans when sources of funding were identified. “It's a conceptual design. The individual elements would all need to be developed,” he said. Commissioners approved the conceptual plan, 5-2, with commissioners Hoff and Patty Bordman voting against.
Township approves plat ordinance intro Bloomfield Township Attorney Bill Hampton introduced an ordinance amendment to add neighborhood compatibility as a requirement to new platted property, and trustees approved the introduction at their meeting on Monday, February 26, and formally approved it on Monday, March 12. Hampton said Ordinance 650, amendment to land divisions, subdivisions, engineering design and standards, would be for situations when trustees are presented with cases of newly platted land only, where they would be allowed to consider whether platting the property would offer an incompatibility to neighborhood properties. “Patti (Voelker, planning, building and ordinance director) and I have collaborated on this. When there was litigation on the Nosan property on Franklin Road (adjacent to the Johnson Nature Preserve) none of the ordinances had incompatibles with neighboring properties,” Hampton said. “I think now is the time to address this. We don't see plats too often. But we'd like to be able to use incompatibility and consistency with neighborhoods for approval. It is something both Patti and I would recommend for the ordinance.” “I thought it was state guidelines,” asked treasurer Brian Kepes. “No, it's strictly our ordinances. And it's not an amendment to our zoning downtownpublications.com
ordinances,” Hampton said. “So it wouldn't apply to Manor Road?” clerk Jan Roncelli asked, regarding a lot split lawsuit in the township which the township recently won. “No, because it's already platted,” Hampton said. “It's only for new platted properties.”
Bloomfield Township approves budget Bloomfield Township trustees unanimously approved a $45.4 million budget for fiscal year 2018-2019 at their meeting on Monday, March 12. Jason Theis, township finance director, told trustees in presenting the budget, that it assumes an increase of four percent in taxable land value. However, Headlee rollbacks are expected to push the taxable value back below four percent. The millage rate for 2018-2019 will remain approximately the same at 9.75 mills, including general fund millage of 2.229 mills. The maximum millage for a charter township is 10 mills, said supervisor Leo Savoie. Revenues are expected to increase from $32.1 million for property taxes in fiscal year 2017-2018 to $33.4 million for the upcoming year, which begins April 1 and goes through March 31, 2019. Theis said state revenue sharing would remain about the same, at $3.5 million. In addition to property taxes and state revenue sharing, the township will receive $1.8 million from the 48th District Court and $950,000 in franchise fees. Primary expenditures include $28.2 million to public safety, funded by four public service millages, expiring at different times. Currently, these millages total 6.0517 mills. General fund expenditures, at $10.7 million, include salaries, benefits and debt obligations. The road fund, $4.6 million of expenditures, pays for road repairs and maintenance. The township maintains 213 subdivision roads for snow removal. Theis said the millage for the road fund is .6963 mills, expiring in 2026. Theis also noted the budget includes three elections to be held in the township in 2018. Wages are expected to increase by two percent for all full-time township employees, he said, for an added cost of $375,000. Trustees voted 7-0 to approve the 2018-2019 budget. DOWNTOWN
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FACES Arianna Margulis loomfield Hills native Arianna Margulis recalls that her high school years at Cranbrook Kingswood are an inspiration for her recent successes in New York City â&#x20AC;&#x201C; even if she did spend part of her time doodling in class. "I feel Cranbrook prepared me more than anything. It's a crazy unique place. We were sitting in Saarinen rooms with Eames chairs. I didn't realize how cool it was. Now my apartment has an Ikea coffee table and mice. "It was a really awesome place to feel like you were learning, but also inspired at the same time, even though I was partially doodling during class. Maybe it was an environment that smiled on me that more than others that were more rigid." Margulis still spends a good part of her day doodling, posting her sketches online to her Instagram account, webpage and comic books under the name "But Like Maybe?" She also signed with a top talent agency based in Los Angeles with the goal of turning the comics into a television series. Based on "real-life experiences and questions about life, boys and stuff," But Like Maybe features Margulis's imaginary best friend. Taking on the struggles of the millennial woman, But Like Maybe addresses issues like constant overanalyzing, love and rejection, selfies and hangovers. Or, as described by The New Yorker, "a 'Cathy' for our device driven times.â&#x20AC;? "It's past me, it's present me, it's future me. It's all these issues," Margulis said. "There are girls who are 13 who write me, and some who are 65. But it's not just women. Everyone has insecurities, and pain and emotion. It's all over the board. It's refreshing to almost overshare in a way. I've enjoyed doing it and I think it's cool to relate on all sorts of levels.â&#x20AC;? Margulis credits her inspiration for But Like Maybe stemming from a bad breakup with a boyfriend. At the time, both she and her former beau were working for Ralph Lauren. "I thought we would be this amazing couple. One day we went for a walk in Central Park, and I thought he was going to tell me he loved me or proclaim something," she said. "He sat me down on a park bench and said, 'you're an amazing girl, but...'" The main reason for the break-up that Margulis remembers: "He was telling me I was getting in the way of his meditation schedule." From there, she began doodling and making jokes about getting dumped, transferring the doodles to her Instagram account. Soon, she started gaining a following. When a friend of a friend who worked at Cosmopolitan wrote a short on But Like Maybe on Snapchat, she gained 20,000 new followers overnight. Today, she has more than 160,000 followers to her Instagram account. Margulis also teamed up with her West Coast friend Dru Radovich who collaborated on two comic books under the But Like Maybe name, with Margulis doing the art and Radovich the words. The two are now working together with Creative Artists Agency for a possible television show. While the comics are opening new paths for Margulis, she continues to balance it with her freelance work in design and social media. The balance provides more time for her own work than working in corporate New York. "I was still drawing them every day when I got home from work, and I still do," she said. "I don't like the excuse that 'I don't have enough time.' If you want something, you'll figure out a way to do it."
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EDUCATION Two separate student threats at Berkshire Two Berkshire Middle School students remain suspended following two separate incidents of potential threats to students at the Birmingham school, as administrators continue to investigate one of the threats. The first incident occurred following a cyber safety program at the school on Monday, March 5, when students reported to a teacher that they overheard another student alluding to school violence. Berkshire principal Jason Clinkscale sent an email to parents later on Thursday, March 8, to inform them that while some students thought the statement might have been made in a joking manner, the student was identified and removed from school pending the completion of the investigation. “These are not comments that can be taken lightly, and the school and district are following through and working with the Berkshire police liaison to ensure student safety. The students that reported the incident did so after attending a cyber safety program at the school on Monday, March 5, during which the presenter discussed cyber bullying, cyber safety and talked about the recent events out of Parkland, Florida,” Clinkscale wrote to parents. On Friday, March 9, Clinkscale sent out another email to Berkshire families regarding a second threatening comment by another Berkshire student, who threatened to shoot another student with a gun. “We have once again had reports of a different Berkshire student making threatening comments to another Berkshire student during an art assembly that occurred yesterday (March 8). Specifically, the student in question made a threat that alluded to shooting another student with a gun,” Clinkscale informed families. “At this point, we are investigating this situation with the assistance of the Beverly Hills Department of Public Safety. As with any concern of this matter, we have thoroughly searched the student, their personal belongings and their locker. Thankfully, there has been no weapon or item of concern found at school. The student has been removed from school and is being supervised at home. At this time working with police, we do not believe that there is any credible threat to our Berkshire students and staff and this matter will continue to be investigated.” On Thursday, March 15, Birmingham Schools spokesperson Marcia Wilkinson said that both students remain downtownpublications.com
Bloomfield Hills Schools millage vote By Lisa Brody
oters living in the Bloomfield Hills School district are being asked on Tuesday, May 8, to approve a six-year, $2.5 million a year sinking fund millage, to replace their current one, which would remain at the same rate, .7165 mills, in order to incorporate its use for safety, security and technology after state legislation was recently passed to permit sinking funds to expand their uses. The current sinking fund millage, which is due to expire in December 2018, would be retired early. It was last collected in December 2017. District spokesperson Shira Good said they are requesting approval of a new sinking fund millage before the existing one expires so they can have the benefits available from 2018 summer taxes if it is approved. New legislation, passed in 2016 and approved in 2017, allows for sinking fund dollars to be used for safety, security and technology upgrades as well as traditional sinking fund uses, but these upgrades are not grandfathered in to existing approved sinking fund millages. Good said several Bloomfield Hills' schools continue to require safety, security and technology upgrades. Because these uses are not grandfathered in, the district is asking voters to replace the current sinking fund millage at the same rate “so that we can take advantage of the expanded uses of the sinking fund. We would forego the last bit of the current sinking fund so we can levy this in the summer taxes,” she said, explaining why they are asking voters to go to the polls in May. Bloomfield Hills Schools first levied a 10-year sinking fund in 2004 at 1.5 mills. A schools' sinking fund is a savings account into which a local district can deposit voter-approved local millage revenue in order to pay cash for urgent building projects or repairs as they arise. Residents are taxed equally in both July and December for the current schools' sinking fund millage, and if it passes, would continue to be for a newly approved one. In 2017, sinking fund expenses were used for district-wide roofing repairs ($75,000); almost $400,000 worth of heating and cooling repairs at Fox Hills, and approximately $150,000 for HVAC controls at International Academy; about $750,000 to upgrade lockers, an elevator, and other compliance improvements to East Hills Middle School for the fourth grade move; $200,000 at Bloomfield Hills Middle School for lockers, drainage, sidewalks and doors; $110,000 to repair water damage, doors and windows at the field house at West Hills Middle School; $40,000 for operable walls at Bowers Farm; and over $300,000 for emergencies and other unplanned necessities. While Good said they have not made specific plans for uses for next year if the sinking fund millage passes because they do not want to count on dollars they may not have, she said one area they are looking at is bus GPS and more security cameras, “so we're able to start purchasing and installing those items,” if the millage passes. If it doesn't pass, they will use general fund dollars to pay for those purchases. Good said the district does not plan their sinking fund multiple years out. “We're sometimes surprised when items decide to 'jump to the front' of the line – like a boiler that quits working before the roof starts leaking. If that happens, we tackle the boiler and we may choose to then repair the roof instead of replacing it,” she said. “Those are the decisions we make and we are constantly monitoring the buildings to get a sense of 'what's next' on the list.”
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suspended, with one of the situations still under investigation. “Without question, this pattern of students making disturbing threats at Berkshire and in schools across our nation is extremely concerning. Therefore, as we have in the past, we will continue to meet with our students in town hall meetings and assemblies to talk about this very important topic,” Clinkscale said. “It is also important
that we do everything possible to ensure that our students feel physically and emotionally safe in our school.”
Derby forum hacked with shooting threat An online math forum used by students at Birmingham's Derby Middle School received a threat that
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someone had a gun and was going to shoot people on Wednesday, February 28, but it was determined that a student's account had been hacked and there was not a threat to students or administrators, Derby principal Celeste Nowicki informed parents. “Last night, we received word that a post in a math forum contained a threat that someone had a gun and was going to shoot. Upon seeing the message, adults and students reported this to school administration and police authorities. The Birmingham Police Department is involved and will continue to investigate,” Nowicki wrote in a message to parents. “As a preventive measure, Birmingham Police will be present at school for the entire school day. We know that many of you are seeking more details. At this time, this is all the information we have. As additional details become available, more information will be shared. We are aware that there may be misinformation shared by students.” The incident occurred two weeks to the day after the Valentine's Day massacre at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where 14 students and three teachers were killed. There have been hundreds of purported threats and alleged incidents since the incident in Parkland, and Birmingham Public Schools said they remain vigilant, working with the three companion police departments, Birmingham, West Bloomfield and Beverly Hills, where schools are located, to protect students and staff. The district requests students, parents, teachers and staff to follow the “See something, say something,” protocol, which was followed in the Derby incident. Superintendent Daniel Nerad said that following investigations, they have determined that the cyberthreat did come from a district computer. “We are still determining who sent it,” Nerad said. Both the district and local police departments take all reports and threats seriously, he said. Police liaison officers are at both high schools, as well as middle and elementary schools. “They are exemplary partners. It's beyond relying on them – they're our side-by-side partners,” Nerad said. Both the district and Birmingham police are continuing to investigate the Derby cyberthreat. 91
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Alexandros Sakarellos s with many random events that transpire and shape our lives, becoming a professional musician was something that "just kind of happened" for Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) violinist Alexandros Sakarellos. "I started playing violin when I was young, or at least people think seven or eight years old is young â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but for violin they usually start even before that, like four or three years old," Sakarellos said. "I wasn't planning on being a professional musician. It kind of happened to me. After finishing high school, I saw a job and thought I could earn some pocket money if I won, then I did win and realized it was something I like doing. It wasn't really a personal ambition or quest." Born in Athens, Greece, into a musical household, the violin was thrust onto Sakarellos by his parents. His mother, who studied music at the university level, and father, an amateur guitarist, had already started his sister on piano. For Alexandros, they chose violin. "I didn't choose it," he said of the instrument. "My sister started playing piano before me, so they figured I would do something different. I'm really glad it happened. It's wonderful now. I couldn't think of a better scenario for my life's companion." In Greece, Sakarellos received his early training at the Athens Conservatoire, the oldest music school in modern Greece. His early performances as a soloist and recitalist earned Sakarellos a position as concertmaster of the city of Athens Symphony Orchestra, as well as a first violinist spot with the Athens State Orchestra. In 2005, Sakarellos moved to New York City where he studied at the Manhattan School of Music with former New York Philharmonic concertmaster and acclaimed soloist Glenn Dicterow.
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"When I studied in New York, I wasn't planning on staying there," Sakarellos said. "But, then again, it happened to me." While in New York, Sakarellos performed with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. He also had concertmaster, or leading first violin, appearances under renowned artists Kurt Masur and Pinchas Zuckerman. In addition, he has appeared at the Festivals of Ravello, in Italy; Miyazaki in Japan; and Bellerive in Switzerland and Santo Domingo. In 2009, he was invited by the Athens Epidaurus Festival to give the Greek premier of several works by awarded American-Greek composer George Tsontakis. In March, Sakarellos had the opportunity to tour in China with the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra. Prior to joining the DSO in 2014, Sakarellos played for two years in the first violin section of the San Francisco Opera. "I like it very much. It kind of happened," he said of how he came to live in Birmingham. "At the time, I was playing a violin that was loaned to me." As the owner of the violin was concerned for his instrument's safety, he suggested Sakarellos move to Birmingham. Outside of music, Sakarellos said he enjoys cooking and skiing, and travels to Athens about once year to visit family. Still much of his day â&#x20AC;&#x201C; between seven and eight hours â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is typically spent practicing, rehearsing or performing. "A rehearsal is about two-and-a-half hours, or a double is five hours. Then there are concerts," he said. "It sounds like we aren't working much, but musicians have to keep themselves in shape in the way that an athlete would. We always have to prepare for the next week." Story: Kevin Elliott
Photo: Detroit Symphony Orchestra
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ith over $50 million in sales in 2017, Tushar Vakhariya ranks in the top 1% in Nation. Vakhariya is a life long resident of Bloomfield Hills with over 23 years of experience in the Real Estate business. As a principal of KW Domain in Birmingham, Vakhariya specializes in luxury real estate in Michigan. Vakhariya understands that your home is likely your largest investment. With his ability to anticipate market trends, he wisely advises his Buyers and Sellers to make sound financial decisions. Vakhariya has made the transition to the area seamless for luxury buyers, high-net worth individuals, professional athletes, and for clients looking for a family home. His savvy and relentless style provide confidence for clients when they sign on the dotted line. Vakhariya's uncompromising professionalism and drive has led to his success in the industry as a top producer in the country.
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Spectacular newer construction just steps from downtown in Holy Name neighborhood. Functional floor plan includes 3rd floor bonus space and beautifully finished lower level with 5th bedroom, work out facility, full bath, & recreation area.
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210 S. Old Woodward | Suite 200 | Birmingham, MI | 48009 | 248.310.1414 Each office is independently owned & operated.
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Ronni Keating is happy to announce her affiliation with KW Domain Luxury Real Estate, Birmingham. Joining Erin Keating DeWald, her daughter.
210 S. Old Woodward Ave, #200 Birmingham, MI 48009
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1557 S Bates | Birmingham Sleek, Modern, newer built home in Downtown Birmingham! Open kitchen with elite appliances, marble island, walk in pantry with frosted glass door. Family room has wall to floor windows/ doors, unique custom wall with gas fireplace providing light/warmth-a zen living space! Doors lead to a back yard with brick paver patio. The study/library has french doors. Spacious mudroom off family room with custom cabinets.Master suite has walk in closet, luxurious master bathroom with jetted tub and oversized shower. Second floor laundry room. Third story bedroom suite with walk in closet. Custom Ciot tile work throughout the home. Finished basement with full bathroom and newly built in entertainment area accented with custom stone wall.The quality and finishes in this home are rarely seen. Sprinklers, manicured yard and close to town! Price Upon Request.
1570 Northlawn | Birmingham A beautiful cape cod situated on an estate sized lot overlooking Birmingham Country Club. An open layout with views of the course in every room. Beautiful refinished hardwood floors. Updated kitchen with granite counter tops, custom cabinets, and stainless steel appliances. Light and bright breakfast area with doorwall leading to brick paver patio and fenced yard. A first floor suite with full bathroom. Two spacious upper bedrooms with walk-in closet and a full bath. A loft area can be used a as office or reading nook. Attached two car garage. A unique opportunity to move right in, enjoy as is, expand or build your dream home overlooking Birmingham Country Club! Price Upon Request.
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BUSINESS MATTERS Kohler opens store A Kohler Signature Store, featuring various lines of high end and custom bath and kitchen products in a glamorous 5,000 square foot showroom, has opened at 724 N. Old Woodward in Birmingham. The store, by First Supply from LaCrosse, Wisconsin, is a distributorowned and operated store and services the needs of both trade professionals and consumers by providing inspirational design, quality products, resources and exceptional service. First Supply is a a family-owned provider of plumbing and building supplies, and the Birmingham store is the fourth Kohler Signature store they have opened, said Katie Poehling Seymour, fifth generation owner and CEO of First Supply. Lorraine Herr, director for sales and operations, said they chose Birmingham because, “We were looking for where do we want to be in the next 25 years? Detroit! The whole market is thriving. It’s a really neat place to be.”
Grills’ 30 years Thirty years in business for anyone is a gigantic achievement, but for a restaurant, it’s a particular milestone. On March 16, that’s just the anniversary that the iconic Beverly Hills Grill, 31471 Southfield Road, Beverly Hills, achieved. To celebrate, owner Bill Roberts of Roberts Restaurant Group was offering a $300 dining certificate to diners. “Each time a guest dines at The Grill during the month of March, they can fill out a card and be entered into a drawing that will be held in early April,” Roberts said, with the lucky certificate good at The Grill, Bill’s, ML Cafe’, Streetside Seafood, Roadside B&G or Town Tavern – the full coterie of Roberts’ empire. Roberts noted that while the menu at Beverly Hills is always evolving and updating, with daily chalkboard specials, there are several specials that have been on the menu since the restaurant opened in 1988. “New dishes keep it current and creative,” he said, of the menus that offer breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week.
Playing along Being an independent toy store has benefitted Toyology, manager Alex Strugach noted. So much so that downtownpublications.com
the innovative store, owned by Aric Klar, will be opening its fifth store in late April or early May, at 6558 Telegraph at the intersection of Maple in Bloomfield Township, right next to Trader Joe’s, in the former Starbuck’s location. “Our stores are great,” Strugach said. “We love to have kids play here. They play and learn.” The store highlights products from arts and crafts, cars and trains, animals, games, early learning and education, bath toys, baby products, dolls and dollhouses, magic, puzzles, science, puppets, and anything that is new and the latest and greatest. “We are always top of the trends,” Strugach said. Other Toyology locations are in West Bloomfield, Rochester Hills, Royal Oak and Howell.
Bejeweled in Birmingham For lovers of Barbara Boz’s jewelry, there’s nothing to worry about. Her boutique of custom and unique jewelry, where she intertwines the beauty of the past and the freshness of the present to create original and modern designs hasn’t closed – it just moved to a larger space – right across the street, into the former Woodward & Maple location at 266 E. Maple Road. Boz, who also has a shop in Harbor Springs, said she has a casual, modern and unconstructed sensibility to her design work. “I always want my jewelry to look and feel natural and be very wearable – not contrived, stiff or overdone,” she said.
chicken wings with everything bagel seasonings, crab cakes, and mac & cheese, salads, soups, entrees and snacks. “We’re really looking forward to the opening of Lumen Detroit and the restaurant aims to be a vibrant new space for the surrounding neighborhood and a gathering place for families enjoying all the events, activities and attractions the city offers,” said Norm LePage. “There are so many great things happening right now and we are so glad to be part of the Detroit restaurant scene. We’re really hoping to provide a dining experience unlike anything in the city.”
Wine accented Maison Birmingham, a Michiganbased custom design-build studio specializing in handcrafted cabinetry, as well as elegant and innovative kitchen and bathroom concepts, located at 1020 S. Old Woodward in Birmingham, has entered into a unique partnership, owner Lauren Tolles said, by joining forces with VintageView Wine Storage Systems out of Denver. VintageView builds wine racks that put wine on display, allowing the collection to interact with guests and serve as a stunning focal point in any room. The company places equal emphasis on form and function, with systems that are modular and allow for unique configurations to fill any space.
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Illuminating Detroit Birmingham restaurateurs Norm and Bonnie LePage and their son and daughter-in-law, Scott and Susanne LePage, of Big Rock Chophouse and Griffin Claw Brewing Company fame, have ventured south for their newest venture, Lumen Detroit, 1903 Grand River in Detroit, anchoring the new Beacon Park, the new public space developed by DTE. The 4,000 square foot restaurant, which will open the first week of April, offers 125 seats indoors, and another 150 on a flexible outdoor patio. A grand outdoor staircase leads to the sustainable green rooftop space with another 45 seats – and panoramic views of the park and city skyline. Lumen’s creative menu features eclectic American fare, with everything from classic steak and frites and mussels three ways to
A Verizon Wireless store will be opening in the former Starbucks store on Old Woodward in Birmingham in April, landlord Ted Fuller announced. The Verizon store is expected to sell cell phones, smartphones, prepaid devices, tablets, cell phone plans and accessories from Verizon, as well as providing service. The store is currently hiring.
Facial aesthetic A double board certified facial plastic surgeon, Dr. Giancarlo Zuliani has opened Zuliani Facial Aesthetics at 50 W. Big Beaver Road, Number 280 in Bloomfield Hills. Zuliani said he is a master at rejuvenating, restoring and reconstructing the face through both surgical and non-surgical procedures. He said the “cookie cutter” approach to facial surgery is
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not his style, and he assesses every face with his trained eye for detail. He studies photos before giving recommendations to patients. Zuliani is a native of metro Detroit and an alum of Detroit Country Day School, Cornell University, and Wayne State University Medical School.
Moving on After 25 years in downtown Birmingham, Quatrine Custom Luxury Furniture, 254 W. Maple, is closing its doors on March 31, showroom manager Carol Budziszewski confirmed. “We will not have any stores in Michigan – this was the only one,” she said. She said Gina Quatrine, the furniture store’s owner, is a Michigan native, but is now based in Long Beach, California – and that is where the company is based. Quatrine offers custom furniture based around custom slipcovers, with the idea that you choose the piece of furniture that excites you, have it custom made, and then have slipcovers made to allow you to live a flexible – and washable – life. “Customers will still be able order from us and get service through our Chicago rep, or from our corporate office,” Budziszewski said.
New mortgage office Ross Mortgage, a regional, fullservice residential mortgage lender and one of the top independent lenders in the midwest, has opened a new office location in Birmingham at 401 S. Old Woodward, Suite 455. The branch manager is Toni Thwaites, the company announced. Founded in 1949, Ross Mortgage operates 15 licensed offices in five states and across the state of Michigan.
Wrong White Birch In the March issue of Downtown, we erroneously identified White Birch Interiors and Home Accents that would be opening at in downtown Birmingham, in the former Sweet Earth location. Instead it is White Birch Apparel and Home Decor. Business Matters for the Birmingham Bloomfield area are reported by Lisa Brody. Send items for consideration to LisaBrody@downtownpublications.com. Items should be received three weeks prior to publication. 105
FACES Jennifer Cooper ight years ago Jennifer Cooper and Jared Acker got an idea. It was a little crazy, it would definitely change their lives, and it would mean moving to a country far away from their families. The idea lingered, it evolved, and then, they decided they had to do it. “We really loved our life…but at the same time we kept thinking about what we could do in Nicaragua, how we could live on the beach and be part of a community there and have a simpler life while providing services to empower tourism in the community that we wanted to be in,” Cooper said about the country they had fallen in love with while on vacation. After talking about it for years, the two Michigan natives – she grew up in Birmingham, he grew up in West Bloomfield and Huntington Woods – found themselves looking at real estate in Nicaragua. Then they found the town of El Tránsito in what Cooper described as one of those lightbulb moments. “Our realtor dropped us off. He just wanted to show us the beach, and while we were walking on the beach…We saw the fisherman coming in from being out all night fishing and it started to rain – it was just this magical moment where we knew,” she said. Enter Craft for Community, the lodge the married couple – both former public school teachers – run and have lived in since last November with their young son. Craft for Community – which has a staff that is all locals – is for groups who want a vacation that is much more than wandering around town and buying a few souvenirs. This is for people who want to do something and leave an impact on the town, all while staying in a modern 3,300-square-foot beach side lodge. “The big thing that we try to do is blend the desires of the people coming here with what the needs of the community are,” Cooper said. “We don’t want to force anything on them that wasn’t authentically needed.” Each trip is uniquely created thanks to the partnerships they’ve formed in the town. Craft for Community is described on their website as a project-based language school, arts exchange, and volunteer center. It’s a little bit of everything. One of their most recent groups redid the school garden. They painted the fence, re-did the dirt so it has more fertile soil, and planted some vegetables, which will be used in the school’s breakfasts and lunches. In April, they have their first large group coming, who are from from Temple Israel West Bloomfield. Next year, they have plans for a photographer retreat to take family portraits for locals, many who don’t have photographs of their family together. “We hope to really open people’s eyes to the beauty of Nicaragua, how friendly the people are,” Cooper said. Craft for Community isn’t the only non-profit in the area. There’s also the Nicaraguan Initiative for Community Advancement (NICA) and the El Tránsito Arts Center, which have both been in the community for over a decade. While they hope to be in El Tránsito for some time, Cooper said the plan right now is to see where they are at the five-year mark and play it by ear from there. “We know what our goals are for helping the community and for our family,” Cooper said. “As long as we’re meeting those things, then we’re going to keep working on this.”
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Story: Dana Casadei
248-421-2670 nancykarasrealty@gmail.com 4130 Telegraph Road / Bloomfield Hills / MI 48302 / www.nancykaras.maxbroock.com
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Magnificent lake views and access to Forest Lake and All-Sports Upper Long Lake. 4 bedrooms including a huge master suite with exercise room. Built in 1953 and expanded and remodeled in 1991. Hardwood floors in Great Room with vaulted ceiling and fireplace. Drive-under 2 car garage, plus tandem space for 3rd vehicle, boat or storage. Massive deck across the back and large dock. Cul-de-sac location for quiet and privacy. Bloomfield Hills Schools.
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2 HOMES FOR PRICE OF 1 ON .8 ACRE! Charming with every modern convenience in this tastefully updated French Colonial & Carriage House, to enjoy income of $16,000+ and tax write offs from rental or use for in-laws. Privacy, lush landscaping, terraces, circular drives. High-end kitchen reno w/ 2 refrigerators, open to family room. Hardwood floors, French doors, Ann Sacks tile. Spacious master en suite + 4 more beds & updated baths. 4,134/SF + 1,175/SF carriage house with 2 beds, 1 bath, living rm, laundry (Total 5,309SF) + 162/SF 3 season rm. Birmingham schools.
LAKEFRONT, GOLF FRONT, 2012 construction, Das designed, built by Livewell Custom Homes. Tranquil setting, wildlife, great boating, swimming & fishing! 3,135/SF Colonial with 1,000/SF finished in lower level. Open floor plan, quarried stone, 4 bed, 3.5 baths, 1.12 acres, 3 car garage. Economical geo-thermal heating system. Lower Long Lake and AllSports Upper Long Lake access too! Bloomfield Hills Schools!
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Clark / Carroll Island Lakefront Commerce
1.67 acre half island with home 1.25 acre vacant, buildable half island 3 ACRE ISLAND – SUNSET VIEWS 2 parcels, one with home, other buildable on ALL SPORTS LAKE! Over the bridge & down the winding road to your island lakefront! Does not get any better than this with breathtaking views and water wrapping all around this beautiful home with idyllic, private setting, sandy beach. Vaulted ceilings, large deck, screened gazebo. Walled Lake Schools. Entry level 5th bedroom.
Best value in Bloomfield in the award winning Bloomfield Hills school district. This brick home has .52 AC, 2,159SF with a small lower level, 4 beds, 2.1 baths. Needs updating but has curb appeal, good bones, vaulted great room with natural fireplace. Great opportunity to make this your dream home and finish to your liking in a great neigjborhood.
PLACES TO EAT The Places To Eat for Downtown is a quick reference source to establishments offering a place for dining, either breakfast, lunch or dinner. The listings include nearly all dining establishments with seating in the Birmingham/Bloomfield area, and then some select restaurants outside the immediate area served by Downtown.
Birmingham/Bloomfield 220: American. Lunch & Dinner, MondaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 220 E. Merrill Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.646.2220. 5th Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2262 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48302. 248.481.9607. Andiamo: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 6676 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48301. 248.865.9300. Bagger Dave's Legendary Burger Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 6608 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48301. 248.792.3579. Bangkok Thai Bistro: Thai. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 42805 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Township, 48304. 248.499.6867. Beau's: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 4108 W. Maple, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.626.2630. Bella Piatti: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 167 Townsend Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.494.7110. Beverly Hills Grill: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Liquor. No reservations. 31471 Southfield Road, Beverly Hills, 48025. 248.642.2355. Beyond Juice: Contemporary. Breakfast & Lunch daily; Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. 270 West Maple Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.594.7078. Big Rock Chophouse: American. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 245 South Eton Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.647.7774. Bill's: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, Daily. Reservations, lunch only. Liquor. 39556 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.646.9000. Birmingham Sushi Cafe: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 377 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009. 248.593.8880. Bistro Joe’s Kitchen: Global. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Sunday brunch. Liquor. Reservations. 34244 Woodward Ave., Birmingham, 48009. 248.594.0984. Bloomfield Deli: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, Monday-Friday. No reservations. 71 W. Long Lake Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.645.6879. Brooklyn Pizza: Pizza. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 111 Henrietta Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.258.6690. Café ML: New American. Dinner, daily. Liquor. Call ahead. 3607 W. Maple Road, Bloomfield Township. 248.642.4000. Cameron’s Steakhouse: American. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 115 Willits Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.723.1700. China Village: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. 1655 Opdyke, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.758.1221. Churchill's Bistro & Cigar Bar: Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 116 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.647.4555. Cityscape Deli: Deli. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. Beer. 877 W. Long Lake Road, Bloomfield Hills,
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48302. 248.540.7220. Commonwealth: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 300 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.9766. Dick O’Dow’s: Irish. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 160 West Maple Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.642.1135. Eddie Merlot's: Steak & seafood. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 37000 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.712.4095. Einstein Bros. Bagels: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 4089 West Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.258.9939. Elie’s Mediterranean Cuisine: Mediterranean. Lunch & Dinner, MondaySaturday. No reservations. Liquor. 263 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.647.2420. Embers Deli & Restaurant: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. Dinner, Monday-Friday. No reservations. 3598 West Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.645.1033. Flemings Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar: American. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 323 N. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.723.0134. Forest: European. Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 735 Forest Avenue, Birmingham 48009. 248.258.9400. Greek Island Coney Restaurant: Greek. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 221 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009. 248.646.1222. Griffin Claw Brewing Company: American. Dinner, Tuesday-Friday, Lunch & Dinner, Saturday and Sunday. No Reservations. Liquor. 575 S. Eton Street, Birmingham. 248.712.4050. Honey Tree Grille: Greek/American. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, daily. No reservations. 3633 W. Maple Rd, Bloomfield, MI 48301. 248.203.9111. Hunter House Hamburgers: American. Breakfast, Monday-Saturday; Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 35075 Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.646.7121. Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse: American. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 201 S. Old Woodward, Birmingham, 48009. 248.594.4369. IHOP: American. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 2187 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301. 248.333.7522. Joe Muer Seafood: Seafood. Lunch & Dinner daily; Sunday brunch. Reservations. Liquor. 39475 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.792.9609. Kaku Sushi and Poke': Asian. Lunch & Dinner. Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. No Liquor. 869 W. Long Lake Road, Bloomfield Township, 48302. 248.480.4785. Kerby’s Koney Island: American. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 2160 N. Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.333.1166. Khao San: Thai. Lunch & Dinner, MondayFriday. Carry out only. 355 W. Maple, Birmingham, 48009. 248.480.3525. La Marsa: Mediterranean. Lunch & Dinner daily. Reservations. 43259 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.858.5800. La Strada Dolci e Caffe: Italian. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 243 E. Merrill Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.480.0492. Leo’s Coney Island: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 154 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.593.9707. Also
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The Birmingham/Bloomfield area is filled with discriminating diners and an array of dining establishments. Make sure the message for your restaurant reaches the right market in the right publication—Downtown.
Contact Mark Grablowski for advertising rate information. O: 248.792.6464 Ext. 601 MarkGrablowski@downtownpublications.com
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6527 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.646.8568. Little Daddy’s Parthenon: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 39500 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.647.3400. Luxe Bar & Grill: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily; Late Night, 9 p.m.-closing. No reservations. Liquor. 525 N. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.6051. Mad Hatter Cafe: Tea Room. Brunch, Lunch & Dinner. No reservations. Liquor. 185 N. Old Woodward, Birmingham, 48009. 248.540.0000 Mandaloun Bistro: Lebanese. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, Daily. Reservations. Liquor. 30100 Telegraph Rd., Suite 130, Bingham Farms, 48025. 248.723.7960. Market North End: Mediterranean. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 474 N. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.712.4953. MEX Mexican Bistro & Tequila Bar: Mexican. Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner, daily. Liquor. 6675 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48301. 248.723.0800. Nippon Sushi Bar: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2079 S. Telegraph, Bloomfield Township, 48302. 248.481.9581.º Olga’s Kitchen: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 2075 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.451.0500. Original Pancake House: American. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 33703 South Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.642.5775. Panera Bread: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 100 North Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.203.7966. Also 2125 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.253.9877. Phoenicia: Middle Eastern. Lunch, MondayFriday; Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 588 South Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.644.3122. Pita Cafe: Middle Eastern. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 239 North Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.645.6999. Qdoba: Mexican. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 795 East Maple Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.988.8941. Also 42967 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Township, 48304. 248.874.1876 Red Olive: Middle Eastern/American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 42757 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Township, 48302. 248.481.7767. Roadside B & G: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 1727 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.858.7270. Rojo Mexican Bistro: Mexican. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 250 Merrill Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.6200. Salvatore Scallopini: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & Wine. 505 North Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.644.8977. Sidecar Slider Bar: Burgers. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 280 E. Merrill Street, Birmingham 48009. 248.220.4167. Social Kitchen & Bar: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations, parties of 5 or more. Liquor. 225 E. Maple Road, Birmingham, 48009. 248.594.4200. Stacked Deli: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, Monday-Saturday. Delivery available. No
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reservations. 233 North Old Woodward, Birmingham, 48009. 248.593.5300. Steve’s Deli: Deli. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 6646 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield, 48301. 248.932.0800. Streetside Seafood: Seafood. Lunch, Monday-Friday; Dinner, daily. Reservations, Lunch only. Liquor. 273 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.645.9123. Sushi Hana: Japanese. Lunch, MondayFriday; Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. 42656 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.333.3887. Sy Thai Cafe: Thai. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 315 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009. 248.258.9830. Tallulah Wine Bar and Bistro: American. Dinner. Monday-Saturday. Sunday brunch. Reservations. Liquor. 55 S. Bates Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.731.7066. The Franklin Grill: American. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 32760 Franklin Rd, Franklin, 48025. 248.865.6600. The Gallery Restaurant: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & wine. 6683 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.851.0313. The Moose Preserve Bar & Grill: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2395 S. Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.858.7688. The Rugby Grille: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 100 Townsend Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.642.5999. The Stand: Euro-American. Dinner, FridaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 34977 Woodward, Birmingham, 48009. 248.220.4237. Toast: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily; Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 203 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.258.6278. Touch of India: Indian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 297 E. Maple Road, Birmingham, 48009. 248.593.7881. Townhouse: American. Brunch, Saturday, Sunday. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 180 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.5241. Triple Nickel Restaurant and Bar: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Liquor. Reservations. 555 S. Old Woodward, Birmingham 48009. 248.480.4951. Vinotecca: European. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 210 S. Old Woodard, Birmingham, 48009. 248.203.6600. Village Coney Island: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 653 S. Adams. Birmingham, 48009. 248.593.7964. Whistle Stop Diner: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily; No reservations. 501 S. Eton Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.566.3566.
Royal Oak/Ferndale Ale Mary's: American. Weekend Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 316 South Main St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.268.1917. Anita’s Kitchen: Middle Eastern. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & Wine. 22651 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, 48220. 248.548.0680. Andiamo Restaurants: Italian. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. Reservations.
Liquor. 129 S. Main St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.582.0999. Assaggi Bistro: Italian. Lunch, TuesdayFriday. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 330 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale, 48220. 248.584.3499. Bigalora: Italian. Weekend Brunch. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. No Reservations. Liquor. 711 S. Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. Bistro 82: French. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 401 S. Lafayette Ave., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.542.0082. The Blue Nile: Ethiopian. Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 545 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale, 48220. 248.547.6699. Bspot Burgers: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 310 S. Main St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.268.1621. Cafe Muse: French. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 418 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.544.4749. Cork Wine Pub: American. Sunday Brunch. Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 23810 Woodward Ave., Pleasant Ridge, 48069. 248.544.2675. D’Amato’s: Italian. Sunday Brunch. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 222 Sherman Dr., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.584.7400. Due Venti: Italian. Sunday Brunch. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 220 S. Main St., Clawson, 48017. 248.288.0220. The Fly Trap: Diner. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. Dinner, Monday-Friday. No reservations. 22950 Woodward Ave., 48220. 248.399.5150. GreenSpace Cafe: Vegan. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. No reservations. Liquor. 215. W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale, 48220. 248.206.7510. Howe’s Bayou: Cajun. Lunch, MondaySaturday. Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 22949 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, 48220. 248.691.7145. Inn Season Cafe: Vegetarian. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. No reservations. 500 E. Fourth St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.547.7916. Inyo Restaurant Lounge: Asian Fusion. Weekend Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 22871 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, 48220. 248.543.9500. KouZina: Greek. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 121 N. Main St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.629.6500. Kruse & Muer on Woodward: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 28028 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.965.2101. Lily’s Seafood: Seafood. Weekend Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 410 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.591.5459. Local Kitchen and Bar: American. Weekend Brunch. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 344 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale, 48220. 248.291.5650. Lockhart’s BBQ: Barbeque. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. Liquor. 202 E. Third St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.584.4227. Oak City Grille: American. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 212 W. 6th St, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.556.0947. One-Eyed Betty: American. Weekend Breakfast. Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 175 W. Troy St., Ferndale, 48220. 248.808.6633. Pronto!: American. Weekend Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 608 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.544.7900.
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Public House: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 241 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale, 48220. 248.850.7420. Redcoat Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 31542 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak, 48073. 248.549.0300. Ronin: Japanese. Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 326 W. 4th St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.546.0888. Royal Oak Brewery: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 215 E. 4th St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.544.1141. Strada: Italian. Dinner, Wednesday - Sunday. Liquor. No reservations. 376 N. Main Street. Royal Oak, 48067. 248.607.3127. Toast, A Breakfast and Lunch Joint: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 23144 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, 48220. 248.398.0444. Tom’s Oyster Bar: Seafood. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 318 S. Main St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.541.1186. Town Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 116 W. Fourth St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.544.7300. The Morrie: American. Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 511 S. Main St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.216.1112. Trattoria Da Luigi: Italian. Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 415 S, Washington Ave., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.542.4444. Twisted Tavern: American. Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 22901 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, 48220. 248.545,6750. Vinsetta Garage: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 27799 Woodward Ave., Berkley, 48072. 248.548.7711.
Troy/Rochester Bspot Burgers: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 176 N. Adams Rd, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.218.6001. Capital Grille: Steak & Seafood. Lunch, Monday-Saturday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2800 West Big Beaver Rd., Somerset Collection, Troy, 48084. 248.649.5300. Cafe Sushi: Pan-Asian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1933 W. Maple Rd, Troy, 48084. 248.280.1831. Chapman House: French-American. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations recommended. Liquor. 311 Walnut Blvd., Rochester. 48307. 248.759.4406. CK Diggs: American & Italian. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 2010 W. Auburn Road, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.853.6600. O’Connor’s Irish Public House: Irish. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 324 S. Main St., Rochester, 48307. 248.608.2537. Kona Grille: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 30 E. Big Beaver Rd., Troy, 48083. 248.619.9060. Kruse & Muer on Main: American. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 327 S. Main St., Rochester, 48307. 248.652.9400. Lakes: Seafood. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 5500 Crooks Rd., Troy, 48098. 248.646.7900. McCormick & Schmick’s: Steak & Seafood. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. Somerset Collection, 2850 Coolidge Hwy, Troy, 48084. 248.637.6400. The Meeting House: American. Weekend Brunch. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No
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reservations. Liquor. 301 S. Main St, Rochester, 48307. 248.759.4825. Miguel’s Cantina: Mexican. Lunch, MondayFriday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 870 S. Rochester Rd, Rochester Hills, 48307. 248.453.5371. Mon Jin Lau: Asian. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1515 E. Maple Rd, Troy, 48083. 248.689.2332. Morton’s, The Steakhouse: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 888 W. Big Beaver Rd, Troy, 48084. 248.404.9845. NM Café: American. Lunch, MondaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 2705 W. Big Beaver Rd, Troy, 48084. 248.816.3424. Oceania Inn: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. The Village of Rochester Hills, 3176 Walton Blvd, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.375.9200. Ocean Prime: Steak & Seafood. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2915 Coolidge Hwy., Troy, 48084. 248.458.0500. Orchid Café: Thai. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. 3303 Rochester Rd., Troy, 48085. 248.524.1944. P.F. Chang’s China Bistro: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. Somerset Collection, 2801 W. Big Beaver Rd., Troy, 48084. 248.816.8000. Recipes: American/Brunch. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 134 W. University Drive, Rochester, 48037. 248.659.8267. Also 2919 Crooks Road, Troy, 48084. 248.614.5390. Rochester Chop House: Steak & Seafood. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 306 S. Main St., Rochester, 48307. 248.651.2266. Ruth’s Chris Steak House: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 755 W. Big Beaver Rd., Troy, 48084. 248.269.8424. Silver Spoon: Italian. Dinner, MondaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 6830 N. Rochester Rd., Rochester, 48306. 248.652.4500. Steelhouse Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1129 E. Long Lake Rd., Troy, 48085. 248.817.2980. Too Ra Loo: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 139 S. Main St., Rochester, 48307. 248.453.5291.
West Bloomfield/Southfield Bacco: Italian. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 29410 Northwestern Highway, Southfield, 48034. 248.356.6600. Beans and Cornbread: Southern. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 29508 Northwestern Highway, Southfield, 48034. 248.208.1680. Bigalora: Italian. Weekend Brunch. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. No Reservations. Liquor. 29110 Franklin Road, Southfield, 48034. Maria’s Restaurant: Italian. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2080 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield, 48323. 248.851.2500. The Bombay Grille: Indian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. 29200 Orchard Lake Rd, Farmington Hills, 48334. 248.626.2982. The Fiddler: Russian. Sunday Brunch. Dinner, Thursday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 6676 Orchard Lake Rd, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.851.8782. Mene Sushi: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & Wine. 6239 Orchard Lake Rd, West Bloomfield
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Township, 48322. 248.538.7081. Meriwether’s: Seafood. Lunch, MondaySaturday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 25485 Telegraph Rd, Southfield, 48034. 248.358.1310. Pickles & Rye: Deli. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 6724 Orchard Lake Rd, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.737.3890. Prime29 Steakhouse: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 6545 Orchard Lake Rd., West Bloomfield, 48322. 248.737.7463. Redcoat Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. Liquor. 6745 Orchard Lake Rd., West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.865.0500. Shangri-La: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. Orchard Mall Shopping Center, 6407 Orchard Lake Rd, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.626.8585. Sposita’s Ristorante: Italian. Friday Lunch. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 33210 W. Fourteen Mile Rd., West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248. 538.8954. Stage Deli: Deli. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 6873 Orchard Lake Rd., West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.855.6622. Yotsuba: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 7365 Orchard Lake Rd, West Bloomfield, 48322. 248.737.8282.
West Oakland Gravity Bar & Grill: Mediterranean. Monday – Friday, Lunch & Dinner, Saturday, Dinner. Reservations. Liquor. 340 N. Main Street, Milford, 48381. 248.684.4223. It's A Matter of Taste: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2323 Union Lake Road, Commerce, 48390. 248.360.4150. The Root Restaurant & Bar: American. Lunch & Dinner, Monday - Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 340 Town Center Blvd., White Lake, 48390. 248.698.2400. Volare Ristorante: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 48992 Pontiac Trail, Wixom, 48393. 248.960.7771.
North Oakland Clarkston Union: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 54 S. Main St., Clarkston, 48346. 248.620.6100. Holly Hotel: American. Afternoon Tea, Monday – Saturday, Brunch, Sunday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 110 Battle Alley, Holly, 48442. 248.634.5208. Kruse's Deer Lake Inn: Seafood. Lunch & dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 7504 Dixie Highway, Clarkston, 48346. 248.795.2077. Via Bologna: Italian. Dinner daily. No reservations. Liquor. 7071 Dixie Highway, Clarkston. 48346. 248.620.8500. Union Woodshop: BBQ. Dinner, Monday – Friday, Lunch & Dinner, Saturday – Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 18 S. Main St., Clarkston, 48346. 248.625.5660
Detroit Angelina Italian Bistro: Italian. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 1565 Broadway St., Detroit, 48226. 313.962.1355. Bucharest Grill: Middle Eastern. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2684 E. Jefferson, Detroit, 48207. 313.965.3111.
Cliff Bell’s: American. Sunday Brunch. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 2030 Park Ave., Detroit, 48226. 313.961.2543. Coach Insignia: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 100 Renaissance Center, Detroit, 48243. 313.567.2622. Craft Work: American. Sunday Brunch. Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 8047 Agnes St., Detroit, 48214. 313.469.0976. Cuisine: French. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 670 Lothrop Rd., Detroit, 48202. 313.872.5110. The Detroit Seafood Market: Seafood. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1435 Randolph St., Detroit, 48226. 313.962.4180. El Barzon: Mexican. Lunch, Tuesday-Friday. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 3710 Junction St., Detroit, 48210. 313.894.2070. Fishbone’s Rhythm Kitchen Café: Cajun. Breakfast, daily. Sunday Brunch. Lunch, Monday-Saturday. Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 400 Monroe Street, Detroit, 48226. 313.965.4600. Giovanni’s Ristorante: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 330 S. Oakwood Blvd., Detroit, 48217. 313.841.0122. Green Dot Stables: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2200 W. Lafayette, Detroit, 48216. 313.962.5588. Jefferson House: American. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2 Washington Blvd., Detroit, 48226. 313.782.4318. Joe Muer Seafood: Seafood. Lunch, Monday- Friday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 400 Renaissance Center, Detroit, 48243. 313.567.6837. Johnny Noodle King: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2601 W. Fort St., Detroit, 48216. 313.309.7946. Maccabees at Midtown: Eurasian. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 5057 Woodward Ave., Detroit, 48202. 313.831.9311. Mario’s: Italian. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 4222 2nd Ave., Detroit, 48201. 313.832.1616. Midtown Shangri-la: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 4710 Cass Ave., Detroit, 48201. 313.974.7669. Motor City Brewing Works: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & Wine. 470 W. Canfield St., Detroit, 48201. 313.832.2700. 1917 American Bistro: American. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 19416 Livernois Ave., Detroit, 48221. 313.863.1917. Prism: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 555 E. Lafayette St, Detroit, 48226. 313.309.2499. Red Smoke Barbeque: Barbeque. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. Trappers Alley Shopping Center, 573 Monroe Ave., Detroit, 48226. 313.962.2100. Russell Street Deli: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. 2465 Russell St, Detroit, 48207.
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313.567.2900. Santorini Estiatorio: Greek. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 501 Monroe Ave, Detroit, 48226. 313.962.9366. Selden Standard: American. Weekend Brunch. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. Liquor. Reservations. 3921 Second Ave., Detroit, 48201. 313.438.5055. Sinbad’s: Seafood. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 100 St Clair St., Detroit, 48214. 313.822.8000. Slows Bar BQ: Barbeque. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2138 Michigan Ave, Detroit, 48216. 313.962.9828. Small Plates Detroit: American. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 1521 Broadway St., Detroit, 48226. 313.963.0702. St. CeCe’s Pub: American. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. Liquor. 1426 Bagley Ave., Detroit, 48216. 313.962.2121. Tap at MGM Grand: American. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 1777 Third Street, Detroit, 48226. 313.465.1234. Taqueria Nuestra Familia: Mexican. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 7620 Vernor Hwy., Detroit, 48209. 313.842.5668. The Block: American. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 3919 Woodward Ave, Detroit, 48201. 313.832.0892. Tom’s Oyster Bar: Seafood. Lunch, MondayFriday. Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 519 East Jefferson Ave., Detroit, 48226. 313.964.4010. Traffic Jam & Snug: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 511 W. Canfield, Detroit, 48201. 313.831.9470. 24grille: American. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. The Westin Book Cadillac Detroit, 1114 Washington Blvd, Detroit, 48226. 313.964.3821. Union Street: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 4145 Woodward Ave, Detroit, 48201. 313.831.3965. Vince’s: Italian. Lunch, Tuesday-Friday. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 1341 Springwells St., Detroit, 48209. 313.842.4857. Vivio’s Food & Spirits: American. Saturday Breakfast. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2460 Market St., Detroit, 48207. 313.393.1711. The Whitney: American. Breakfast, Lunch, & High Tea, Monday-Friday. Sunday Brunch. Dinner, daily. Liquor. Reservations. 4421 Woodward Ave, Detroit, 48201. 313.832.5700. Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria and Cucina: Italian. Dinner, Wednesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 1777 Third St, Detroit, 48226. 313.465.1646. Wolfgang Puck Steak: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1777 Third St, Detroit, 48226. 313.465.1411. Wright & Co.: American. Dinner, MondaySaturday. No reservations. Liquor. 1500 Woodward Ave Second Floor, Detroit, 48226. 313.962.7711.
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THE COMMUNITY HOUSE SHORT-TERM PAIN – LONG-TERM GAIN I read recently that “concrete, steel and fiber-optic cables are the essential building blocks of every community. Infrastructure enables trade, powers business, connects workers to their jobs, creates opportunities for struggling communities and public spending on transportation, water, buildings, and pedestrian routes.” It concluded that “infrastructure is the backbone of a healthy economy.” Construction has shut down Old Woodward Avenue through parts of downtown Birmingham; simultaneously work on parallel Woodward Avenue in the city is scheduled to start as soon as April 15. This is big. It will take a village. Small businesses along the affected construction routes will likely be impacted. How much is up to us; you, me, The Community House, all of us. During this time, most of the affected businesses will be open for business. We need to support them. They are our neighbors, our friends, our supporters. When we need a donation, an auction item, volunteers, a sponsor, advice or a listening ear – they are there for us. They surround us and serve us every day – it is humbling to think about the amount of time, commitment, investment and labor these hardworking individuals contribute to their businesses, to our community and to all of us. So during this time of short-term time of inconvenience – we need to be there for them. Please continue to shop, dine, patronize these affected businesses, large and small, retail and offices, soft lines, coffee shops, restaurants, real estate offices, merchants and others – over the next four months and longer. Sidewalks will be open, valet available, back doors may be used, online presence increased – and most businesses just a text or phone call away. Shop local, dine local, support local.
Bill Seklar
Please be reminded that the main four-block stretch through downtown, from Brown Street to Oakland Avenue, closed on March 26 for the $7 million infrastructure overhaul, and Maple Road will be restricted to one or two driving lanes, with no room available for stopping or parking. At the same time, be mindful that a $3.4 million road resurfacing project on Woodward Avenue from 14 Mile to Old Woodward is expected to reopen by the end of July, and work on Woodward should be complete in time for the Woodward Dream Cruise on Aug. 18, according to MDOT. We are grateful that the city proactively ramped up marketing and communications to ease the impact of the project to area businesses, especially those within the blocks closed to motor traffic. We are also grateful that the city has had the focus, vision and leadership to keep our cherished community vital, infrastructurally sound, competitive, motor and pedestrian-friendly and beautiful. To ease the pain, starting this month, the city is offering $20 rebates to shoppers who spend $100 in the downtown shopping district, with a rebate limit of $100 per month per shopper. It is also offering complimentary valet parking. Four parking stations at each side of downtown will operate 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. Monday-Saturday and the service will be free for the first two hours. Remember infrastructure is the backbone of a healthy economy…short-term pain, long-term gain. TICKETS ON SALE NOW BIRMINGHAM DOWNS KENTUCKY DERBY EVENT The President’s Advisory Council (PAC) of The Community House is thrilled to invite you to the second annual Birmingham Downs, Kentucky Derby Event on Saturday, May 5th from 5pm - 9pm. The fun and festive Kentucky Derby center event will take place in Wallace Ballroom at The Community House. The evening will include strolling food stations, cocktails, the running of the 144th Kentucky Derby featured on the big screen, derby-themed raffles and a charitable contribution to the mission of our 95-year-old nonprofit organization serving the community. Grab your biggest derby hat and join us for Birmingham Downs. Tickets are available online at communityhouse.com or by calling 248.594.6409. SELLS OUT FAST. MOTHER’S DAY BRUNCH – AT THE COMMUNITY HOUSE Mark your calendars – taking reservations now! Join us for Mother’s Day Brunch 2018 on Sunday, May 13 in the Wallace Ballroom of The Community House. Seatings at 10:30 a.m. and 1p.m. $40pp Adult - $15pp Children (ages 4-12 years) – Children 3 and under free. Reservations required. For more information or to reserve your seat, please go to communityhouse.com or call 248.644.5832.
CREATING CHEMISTRY ONE HOME AT A TIME. Whether you’re planning to buy or build a new home, or refinance your current mortgage, let experienced professional Lynn Wiand and Chemical Bank help you find the right loan option to meet your needs. Contact Lynn today to get started!
Lynn Wiand NMLS #394920 Lynn.Wiand@ChemicalBank.com 248.228.4805 Apply Online: ChemicalBank.com/LynnWiand
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN! SUMMER CAMPS 2018 - AT THE COMMUNITY HOUSE The Community House is proud to present over 40 summer camps – Summer 2018; half day, full day, morning, afternoon, lunch optional, with before and after-care opportunities. Make sure to visit communityhouse.com to see all of our camp offerings and to register. Hurry! There is limited enrollment! For more information about these and other Community House offerings, please contact us at communityhouse.com or call 248.644.5832.
William D. Seklar is President & CEO of The Community House in Birmingham. downtownpublications.com
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Extraordinary Estate on Premier Street 325 Dunston Road | City of Bloomfield Hills | $3,900,000
Situated on one of the most coveted streets in Bloomfield Hills, this spectacular residence combines modern amenities, enviable privacy and timeless elegance. Exquisite architectural details, including wet plaster walls & moldings, solid mahogany floors and fixtures, fireplaces and flooring imported from estates around the world. Features of this 2-story brick French chateau-style home include a lavish foyer with stunning staircase, expansive living room looking out onto grounds, stately dining room, spacious well-equipped kitchen with breakfast room, mahogany library and sunroom surrounded by windows. Opulent master suite with master bath and dressing closet/room that must be seen to be believed! Additional accommodations includes a guest ensuite and separate apartment above 4-car heated garage that offers another bedroom, full bath and kitchen. This incredible property boasts an acre of beautifully landscaped gardens with tranquil setting.
CINDY OBRON KAHN An Extraordinary Agent Providing Extraordinary Results 2017 TOP PRODUCER at Hall & Hunter Realtors 248.568.7309 | Cindy@CindyKahn.com | CindyKahn.com 442 S. Old Woodward Ave. Birmingham, MI 48009
SOCIAL LIGHTS/SALLY GERAK Here is the update on the recent social scene. Many more photos from each event appear online each week at downtownpublications.com where readers can sign up for an e-mail notice when the latest social scene column is posted. Past columns and photos are also archived at the website for Downtown. Sally Gerak Dancing with the St. Regis Stars Gala St. Regis school gala co-chairs Patti Brozek and Bridget Sagmani and staff coordinator Christi Hanzel took the Dancing with the Stars concept to a new high for the annual school fundraiser. It brought a crowd of 350-plus school boosters ($100 & $150 tickets) to the Detroit Golf Club. Thanks to Lada and Evan Mountain and their Fred Astaire Dance Studio (where Brozek takes lessons), six St. Regis parents were able to show off the countless hours they spent practicing with studio pros. Each of the stars – Mike Kulka, Nick Gorga, Meghan Rivard, Roseann Donaldson, Kristin Impastato and Gabe Zawaideh – pitched themselves with candor and good humor via video before taking to the dance floor. And this reporter has never seen amateur dancers have such a good time and look so professional. The audience also whooped it up for their favorites. Emcees Taryn Asher and Jason Carr not only conducted revealing post dance interviews with the dancers, they were also dynamic auctioneers for the mini live auction ($70,000) that followed the dance contest. Votes were $10. Gabe Zawaideh won the prized crystal ball trophy and the dancing raised more than $75,000. Food stations for dining on the stroll fit right in with the exuberant spirit of the party. Some people wound down on the dance floor; others retreated to the upstairs cigar lounge. The Gala netted a best-ever $175,000 for the elementary school where academics and faith are top priorities.
Motor City Open For the 19th year, 12 of the world’s top-ranked pros came to the Birmingham Athletic Club for the Motor City Open squash tournament. Spectators came from all over and included many of the 350 active BAC members, about half of whom play squash on the club’s six courts. A qualifying round match between England’s Nathan Lake and 18-year-old Ned Mylod, the first BAC member to play in the MCO, was especially notable. Mylod, ranked 9 on the Under-19 national junior circuit, lost in three games but learned a lot. So did the kids who participated in the junior clinic with the pros. This included members of RacquetUp Detroit which combines squash with education, community service and travel for at-risk Detroit kids. The non-profit was the beneficiary of the BAC charity auction ($20,000) at the sponsors and members’ parties during the six days of the tournament presented by the Suburban Collection. Top ranked Marwan ElShorbagy of Egypt was the 2018 MCO winner, earning nearly $12,000 of the $70,000 prize purse and a Longines watch presented by Greenstone’s Fine Jewelers. The Community House Bates Street Society Dinner “I can’t say ‘no’ to Lois Shaevsky,” Ethan Davidson said by way of explaining his role as keynote speaker at The Community House Bates Street Society Dinner. The man who chairs the grants committee of his late father’s foundation (William Davidson) was a most appropriate choice because the annual event salutes those who have made $25,000 legacy gifts to the institution that was founded 95 years ago by some women who thought Birmingham needed a place for people to gather. The capacity crowd (225) included not only many of the society inductees, but also friends and fans of the seven 2018 Pillars of downtownpublications.com
Dancing with the St. Regis Stars Gala
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1. Christi Hanzel (left) and Patti Brozek of Bloomfield and Bridget Sagmani of W. Bloomfield. 2. Amy & Tom Head of Bloomfield. 3. Tom MacLean (left) of Bloomfield and Pat Kattoo of W. Bloomfield. 4. Penny Kennedy (left) and Mark and Amy Kennedy Carroll of Birmingham. 5. Jim & Cathy Gregory of Bloomfield. 6. Ryan Wolf and Rebecca Dean of Sylvan Lake.
Motor City Open
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4 1. Mike Beauregard (left), Peter Schmidt and Derrick Glencer of Bloomfield. 2. Jeff Gembis (left), Joe Carter and Nathan Marsden of Birmingham. 3. Rami (left) & Carmen Fakhoury of Bloomfield, Glenn Stevens of Birmingham, Magdt Talaat of Troy. 4. Peter Schmidt and Robert Greenstone of Bloomfield. 5. Joe O’Connor of Bloomfield, Heather Mylod of Birmingham.
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SOCIAL LIGHTS/SALLY GERAK Vibrancy recognized for their contributions to community vitality in the realms of Culture, (Dr. David DiChiera, Paul W. Smith, Robert Bury), Education & Wellness (Dr. Robert Folberg), and Philanthropy (Geoffrey Hockman, Julie Rodecker, Katie Valenti). Their impressive accomplishments generated standing ovations and confirmed presenting sponsor PNC Wealth Management’s Ric Devore’s observation that “...giving in (this region) excels every other PNC city.”
The Community House Bates Street Society Dinner
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Marian Mardi Gras Benefit Evening Sue Bentley Atwell, Cathy Brooks, and Joellen Shortley chaired the MHS Benefit Evening. It attracted 300 school loyalists (($100, $125, $300 tickets), some of whom began the evening at Mass in the school chapel before convening in the Marian Commons for silent auction bidding and socializing . The silent auction, which included original art by alums Kathy Mielock Carroll, Julie Stenger Ryckman and Janet Kempf raised more than $30,000. Raffles raised more than $41,000. En route to the auditorium for dinner many guests stopped at a photo booth for souvenir pictures with Mardi Gras props. A Creole dinner that concluded with beignets for dessert preceded the live auction. It was emceed by Marian dad Dan Sharkey and included highlights like a winsome cockapoo puppy and a gourmet dinner for 10 prepared by Marian Chef Jimmy Stepp. The live auction raised $24,000. When Marian Head of School Sr. Lenore Pochelski took the microphone, guests raised their paddles – and $29,250 – for Marian’s science program. Other event proceeds will fund tuition assistance at the college prep school for young women. Music by Good Gravy kept the good times rolling as guests danced into the night.
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3 1. Josee-Anne (left) & Mark Wakefield and Ethan & Gretchen Davidson of Birmingham. 2. Dr. Bob & Amy Folberg of Birmingham, Ora Pescovitz of Rochester Hills. 3. Sam & Katie Valenti of Bloomfield, Bob & Mary Ann Bury of Grosse Pointe. 4. Lois Shaevsky (left) of Bloomfield, David DiChiera of Detroit, Julie Rodecker of W. Bloomfield, Bill Seklar of Bloomfield. 5. Dana & Jim Lentine of Rochester Hills, Geoffrey Hockman of Birmingham.
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Marian Mardi Gras Benefit Evening
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1. Joellen Shortley (left) of W. Bloomfield, Sue Atwell and Cathy Brooks of Bloomfield. 2. Dominic & Eileen Sacca of Bloomfield. 3. David & Kathryn Petoskey of Bloomfield. 4. Michele & Rob Whitty of Bloomfield. 5. Sue DeckerKowalski (left) of Rochester, Patty Atisha of Lathrup Village.
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Good Samaritans’ Tea Named after Holy Cross Services’ one-stop community resource center in Detroit, the women’s support group hosted a membership tea ($35-ticket) chaired by Karen Brown and Carolyn Andrea at The Village Club in Bloomfield Hills. GS president Mariann Bolton told the 48 guests (including six new/potential members) about the group’s charitable works and invited them to join the effort.
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BEF Unabashed BASH All but one of the 18 annual Birmingham Education Foundation BASH fundraisers have been held at the Townsend but only one, this year’s, celebrated the 25th anniversary of the foundation. And speakers – foundation president Patrick Liebler, BPS superintendent Dan Nerad, Groves High School performing arts head John Rutherford, Seaholm seniors Ebony Johnson and Grant Davis – all paid tribute to the wide ranging enrichment activities funded by foundation grants. Two selections from Groves’ “Pirates of Penzance” also earned rousing ovations from the 230 guests ($150 ticket), many of whom played Heads & Tails ($5,205) to determine the winner of prizes worth $1,600. Energetic auctioneer Beth Rose wangled $15,700 for six live auction items and $11,350 in outright pledges. Thanks also to the wine pull ($1,050), bidding in the silent auction ($27,570) coordinated by Catherine Turnbull and generous sponsors, the festive evening grossed more than $140,000 for exceptional public school experiences.
BEF Unabashed BASH
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3 1. Ann & Patrick Leibler of Bloomfield. 2. Rosemary (left) & Steve Scheidt of Birmingham, Jill & Bill Klindt of Bloomfield. 3. Jean & Dan Nerad of Bloomfield. 4. Diana Patterson (left) and Catherine Turnbull of Birmingham, Adam Acey of Franklin. 5. Rosemary Hall (left) and Julie & Andy Sutherland of Birmingham.
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Academy of the Sacred Heart Gala Despite a big snowstorm, the Academy of the Sacred Heart’s 2018 Heart of Gold Gala attracted nearly 200 school loyalists to the Detroit Athletic Club. Tom and Karen Hartle chaired the annual fundraiser. It had a “Midnight in Paris” theme and honored Head of School Sr. Bridget Bearss. She will leave in June for Washington, D.C to lead the Stuart Center after 18 years at the Bloomfield Hills school. Current board chair Ryan Marsh and former chair Dan Carroll gave Sister the Heart of Gold award and students, via a video, wished her well. Auctioneer Steve Jasgur oversaw a spirited live auction. The paddle raise inspired nearly 40 pledges to the ASH mission and the silent auction continued through noon the following day. In all, the 2018 gala grossed $275,000 to help bridge the difference between tuition and the true cost of educating each student. Impact 100 Oakland County The non-profit that maximizes the impact of the 1,000 charity dollars (dues) each of its members (all women) donates annually is staging informal events to explain the concept to potential members. One such gathering recently commandeered downtownpublications.com
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1. Eric (left) & Patricia Kondratenko of Chicago, Sr. Bridget Bearss of Bloomfield, Patricia Kondratenko-Collins & Scott Collins of Rochester Hills. 2. Elizabeth Rivenburgh and Rob Rivenburgh of Bloomfield. 3. Stephanie Chaczyk of Sterling Heights and Bess Quick and Allisen Willhoft of Birmingham. 4. Kevin & Amy Nowlan of Bloomfield. 5. Karen Hartle (left) of Birmingham, Megan Martin of Bloomfield.
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SOCIAL LIGHTS/SALLY GERAK happy hour prime space at Birmingham’s Social Kitchen and Bar. Potential members learned that grant applicants are extensively vetted and finalists make their pitch to members who vote for the winner. One member, one vote. For its third year of making $100,000 grants to Oakland Countybased non-profits, Impact100 hopes to double last years’ membership (201) which doubled its first year. The 2018 membership deadline is March 31. Members can be as involved or uninvolved as each wishes.
Impact 100 Oakland County
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3 1. Colleen Miller (left) of Birmingham, Alicia Gasta of Bloomfield. 2. Deb Withrow (left) and Mary Pat Rosen of Bloomfield. 3. Stephanie Steigewald (left) and Katherine DiClaodio of Birmingham. 4. Heather Lorincz (left), Garland Waller and Charlotte Press of Bloomfield, Jessie Bell of Birmingham. 5. Lindsay VanSyckle of Birmingham.
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Fallen and Wounded Soldiers Fund Benefit
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1. Lynne Minish (left) and Carol Pearson of Bloomfield, LiLa Lazarus of Orchard Lake. 2. Trudy & Jim and Lucy Hoen of Bloomfield. 3. Congressman Mike Rogers (left) of Brighton, Chris Cornelius of Royal Oak. 4. John Lazarus of Bloomfield, Joanne Lazarus Grobe of Beverly Hills. 5. Cindy Lazarus (left) of Bloomfield, Dr. Lynn Phillips of Ann Arbor.
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Fallen and Wounded Soldiers Fund Benefit From the bagpiped opening to the presentation of Colors to the National Anthem sung with operatic gusto by Carl Nilson to the Taps that concluded the program, the 13th annual Fallen and Wounded Soldiers Fund dinner program emceed by Lila Lazarus was a patriotic tour de force. The 650 supporters ($150 ticket) at the MGM Grand gave standing ovations to the three Patriots of the Year, some clients’ moving expressions of gratitude and guest speaker, former Congressman Mike Rogers. They also bid $26,350 in a brief live auction. The dinner and auction will net more than $100,000, 97 percent of which directly assists warriors and their families with immediate financial needs. This exceptional payout is because everybody is a volunteer, even Executive Director Dr. Lynn Phillips. And those proceeds are but a fraction of the FWSF annual distribution, which last year totaled $715,514 and helped 476 Michigan vets. The 150 people who helped raise those funds at other events throughout the year were honored with a VIP reception preceding the dinner. As board president Rob Grimaldi said, “ We’re careful stewards of your dollars...to care for the vets who care for us.” JVS Trade Secrets More than 400 advocates of vocational education for women ($150 ticket) gathered at the Troy Marriott for the 10th annual Trade Secrets event. The signature chance raffle was a diversion during the wine reception preceding dinner. Cheryl Chodin emceed the program which had two stars. Women to Work program graduate Paula Perelman not only drove all the way from Marquette to be honored, but she also solicited a sponsor donation from her brother. “What a tremendous honor,” 04.18
she declared, adding, “(JVS’s) Judy Richmond’s love, wisdom, strength and grace...made me a victor, not a victim.” When 2010 honoree photographer Linda Solomon presented 2018 honoree Camille Walker Banks, she noted that 2016 honoree, SkinnyTees founder Linda Schlesinger-Wagner, is a graduate of Banks’ small business program (10KSB) at WSU. “It’s CEO school...her graduates outpace all the competition,” said Solomon. Walker Banks’ career path illustrated her admonition about the importance of learning from one’s mistakes. She also shared three secrets – don’t settle; think like an entrepreneur; own who you are – and suggested, to great applause, that entrepreneurs in the room should look to Women to Work graduates for employees. Thanks also to generous sponsors, the evening will add more than $220,000 to the $1.5 million past Trade Secrets have raised to assist more than 10,000 women job seekers. Strictly Business, the other big JVS annual fundraiser, is Tuesday, June 14, and will star GM’s Mark Reuss as luncheon speaker.
JVS Trade Secrets
Figo Salon ALS benefit Chef Anthony Lombardo wowed the 50 benevolent fun lovers who dined in Rino and Kristina Marra’s Figo Salon in Birmingham to donate to the ALS association ($150 each). Event planner Jon Gerych, whose wife has ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), transformed the upscale hair salon into an upscale dining room for the Saturday night dinner party. And yes, the menu did include a pasta dish similar to that which Lombard intends to feature at his soon-to-open SheWolf restaurant (Selden Building in midtown Detroit) where he will mill his own pasta flour.
Figo Salon ALS benefit
Birmingham Rotary Masters Madness Birmingham Rotary members and their friends (120 @ $125) convened at the Birmingham Athletic Club for one of their rare fundraising events. The excuse for the Friday night bash was the drawing for a VIP trip to the 2018 Masters golf tournament, but there was also good chow, spirits, a wine pull, auction action, very live music by Collision Six and fine fellowship. With great fanfare, raffle chair Bryan Frank pulled the winning ticket belonging to Peter Campbell, who was not in attendance. However, the next two names pulled – Vic Pooler and Dave Zimmer – were there to pick up their downtownpublications.com
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2 1. George Stern (center) of Birmingham, Camille Walker Banks (left) of Southfield and Paula Perlman of Marquette. 2. Kristen Gross (left) of Franklin and Linda SchlesingerWagner of W. Bloomfield. 3. Annette & Jack Aronson of Bloomfield. 4. Elaine Fieldman & John Knaffla of Birmingham, Bruce Kridler of Bloomfield. 5. Mynetta Christie (left) and Fran Stern of Birmingham.
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1. Athar Kakka (left) of W. Bloomfield, Renee Zawaideh of Bloomfield, Ashna Jeberaeel of W. Bloomfield, Gina Zawaideh of Birmingham. 2. Laura Soave (left) of Birmingham, Cindy Denha and Gabe Zawaideh of Bloomfield. 3. Chef Anthony Lombardo (second from left) of Detroit, Rino (left) & Kristina Marra of Bloomfield and Jon Gerych of Fenton.
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SOCIAL LIGHTS/SALLY GERAK not too shabby second and third place cash prizes. The spirited event raised more than $40,000. Proceeds are earmarked for Birmingham Rotary Endowment fund humanitarian grants. The deadline for grant applications is May 15.
Birmingham Rotary Masters Madness
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Variety SHINE Fashion Show The fifth annual fashion show spotlighting Variety and FAR member clients modeling apparel they chose at Somerset Collection shops attracted 200 ($35, $100, $200 tickets), not counting the throngs hanging over the atrium railing at Somerset Collection South. And, as commentator Vicki Howard noted, “It’s been fun watching the models grow up and reveal their personalities.” Event chairs Ruthie Seltzer and Brooke Kircher thanked guests, community mentors and sponsors and described the Variety and FAR-Therapeutic Arts & Recreation camping programs that will benefit from their support. Ella Grewette opened the program singing “True Colors”. It ended with a grand march of all the models and their mentors. In between was enthusiastic applause and lots of smiles.
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1. Charles Wickins (left) of Birmingham, Linda Hatfield of Farmington Hills, Vic Pooler of Berkley. 2. Dave (left) & Molly Smyk of Birmingham, Bryan Frank of Beverly Hills. 3. Deb & John Schrot of Birmingham. 4. Bob Kupfer (left) & Dave Weir of Bloomfield, Fran & George Stern of Birmingham. 5. Regan Gilshire (left) of Royal Oak, Carol Peterson of Birmingham.
Variety SHINE Fashion Show
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2 1. Michelle Murphy (left) of Sterling Hgts., Brooke Kircher of Clarkston and Ruthie Seltzer of Birmingham, Pamela Ayres of Bloomfield. 2. Christina Collins (left), Lois Shaevsky of Bloomfield. (Photo by Doug Ashley). 3. Sophia (left), Felicia Palazzolo-Shaw of Birmingham. (Photo by Doug Ashley). 4. Harry, Kim Smith of Bloomfield. (Photo by Doug Ashley). 5. Steven Kalczynski (left) of Birmingham, Sebastian. (Photo by Doug Ashley).
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DSO Classical Roots Celebration As it has every year, the 40th anniversary Classical Roots concert opened with the singing of “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Many of the 2,000 concertgoers at Orchestra Hall sang right along with the 140-person Anniversary Celebration Choir comprised of the Brazeal Dennard Chorale, the Detroit Choral Society and choirs from Wayne State University and the Detroit School of the Arts. Another program highlight was the award presentation to two African-American classical music trailblazers – tenor/educator George Shirley and visionary/academic Earl Lewis. Pre and post concert revelry included cocktails, a sold out dinner ($250, $500, $750) and desserts and dancing to the R&B band Notorious. Thanks also to presenters Stanley and Judy Frankel and sponsors JPMorgan Chase and the DTE Energy Foundation, the 40th anniversary celebration raised an all time high $330,00 for the DSO’s AfricanAmerican music and musician development programs. Send ideas for this column to Sally Gerak, 28 Barbour Lane, Bloomfield Hills, 48304; email samgerak@aol.com or call 248.646.6390. 04.18
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ENDNOTE
Schools get safer, but not safe enough ou are sadly mistaken, if you don’t think this can happen at your school - those are words spoken by J. Scott Mills, superintendent for St. Mary's County, Maryland, after another school shooting, this time on March 20, at Great Mills High. An armed sheriff's deputy stationed at the school shot and killed the 17-year-old student who shot two other students with a handgun. Schools around the country, including those locally, are playing catch up on school safety and security, as clearly demonstrated by the Valentine's Day Massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on February 14, In that incident, a former student walked in, tripped the fire alarm and killed 17 students and injured 14 others at the school using a semi-automatic weapon he had legally purchased. Local law enforcement and schools have received numerous threats since, and are prosecuting even false threats of terrorism. As Oakland County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Paul Walton said, the days of schools sitting down with students and their parents and working things out are over. “Now, schools are reporting everything to the authorities.” Who can blame them? Since 20 first graders were slaughtered in their school at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut in 2012, local districts have been investing in school safety and security upgrades, notably by adding school liaison officers and securing the front entryways of school buildings so that only one entrance is unlocked, everyone – including parents – has to be buzzed
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into the building and state their purpose and then be routed to the office. Many also have surveillance cameras. We were pleased to hear from Rochester Schools that their entry system also has lockdown capabilities. “Locks that latch from the interior side of the classroom door are being added, and video surveillance cameras are being installed in the schools and on buses. An updated districtwide telephone system and public address (PA) system will also ensure proper notification and warning during an emergency,” district spokesperson Lori Grein said. However, word that not all buildings have been upgraded, as their bond efforts go through 2020 is extremely concerning, because the reality is that there isn't time to take it slowly. This must be a priority – nationwide, there were over 700 copycat threats in just the first two weeks after Parkland. We also have to question the advantage to any district to having one school resource officer, or school liaison officer, from a police department or sheriff's department – who is spread out over numerous district schools, when unfortunately, schools are the targets they are today. We are definitely not proponents of arming teachers or staff in schools – but armed law enforcement officers stationed in schools offer a plethora of benefits. They not only are the boots on the ground in the event of a mass shooting event – if they happen to be at the targeted school, as in the case of Great Mills High in Maryland – but further, when trained personnel are in schools on a regular basis, they can build relationships with students. That
can allow them to catch problems, and potentially identify not just difficult, but spiraling students and work with other professionals to get them the help they need. They also are ears in the school, hearing what's going on, and allowing other students to feel comfortable to confide in them and share tips. What does seem ridiculous to us is Birmingham Schools' bringing in security guards to their high schools – and leaving them without the weapons to protect students and staff. There is no value in hiring bodies for show. We were impressed, however, with Birmingham Superintendent Daniel Nerad's emphasis on constant review, that their safety and security plans and programs are “living, breathing documents. Sadly, you cannot be stuck at where you were when you wrote them. You have to continually revise.” That is one reason we were frustrated and disappointed when Detroit Country Day School, The Roeper School, Academy of Sacred Heart and Brother Rice High School all declined to share or discuss their safety efforts. Shame on them. It's not a secret. They have an obligation to the community at large to let them know they are working on security efforts and protecting students and staff. We're all in this together. If the worst were to unfortunately happen, we would all come together, with law enforcement, the medical community and the public rushing to assist and prevent further damage. As these shooters, whatever their warped minds or motivations have shown, we're all in this together. And it's not going away anytime in the near future.
Bloomfield Hills sinking fund millage vote oters living in the Bloomfield Hills School district are being asked on Tuesday, May 8, to approve a six year, $2.5-million a year sinking fund millage, to replace their current one, at the same rate, .7165 mills, because of new state legislation passed in 2017 that permits new sinking fund millage dollars to be used for safety, security and technology upgrades, which Bloomfield Hills Schools need. They have been using general fund dollars to make safety and technology improvements in the district, and are eager to have another source to help fund those reforms, especially in light of recent school shootings and threats. The new state law only applies to new sinking fund millage proposals and cannot be retroactively applied to the current millage which could still be collected this summer and next winter if this issue does not pass. We don't have an issue with the district having a sinking fund millage – although not all districts do,
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including Birmingham, Troy, Rochester and Farmington, among others – which is designed to pay for school building improvements and real estate purchases, along with emergencies that can come up during the year, like a boiler blowing or an air conditioning unit not lasting as long as expected. In the 2016-2017 school year, for example, out of the $2 million raised in the current sinking fund millage, over a half million dollars was spent on HVAC repairs. But the $750,000 spent to upgrade lockers, an elevator, and other compliance improvements to make East Hills Middle School similar to West Hills Middle School and accessible and appropriate for fourth graders were planned improvements. We are disappointed that district officials could not tell us what planned building upgrades will be addressed in the next six years. Instead, when we asked, we were told a couple of items and that a list would be drawn up once the district knew that the millage was approved by voters.
Frankly, that is a bit ass backwards from how millages should be conducted. Voters should be able to see a specific list of planned improvements, with some allowance out of the annual $2 million for unexpected emergency needs. Years ago, districts could simply put out their hands and say, “Give us the money just in case we need it. ” But those days are over. Voters need more specific information in the future or such requests should be turned down. We will reluctantly support this millage, only because the district tells us that student safety issues will be addressed with sinking fund dollars, and we think safety is a key issue now at all schools. But this is the last time we will endorse a tax proposal without a specific game plan. In the future, we expect to see greater transparency and respect for voters. That trust will likely be returned.
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