PLACES TO EAT: 200 RESTAURANTS • GERAK: SOCIAL LIGHTS 98
AUGUST 2017
PLUS
OAKLAND CONFIDENTIAL POLITICAL NEWS AND GOSSIP
RETAINING POWER: GERRYMANDERING THE DISTRICTS THE DARK WEB: WELCOME TO THE HIDDEN INTERNET LAKES PATROLS: KEEPING OAKLAND WATERS SAFE ECRWSS Postal Customer EDDM
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PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID ROYAL OAK, MI 48068 PERMIT #792
Erin Whitley OTF COACH
K A T H Y B R O O C K B A L L A R D
#1 Lakefront Specialist #1 in Oakland County
Michigan’s #1 Realtor:
2010| 2012| 2013| 2014| 2015| 2016
#1 in Michigan
275 S. Old Woodward Ave. | 248.318.4504 Kathy@maxbroockhomes.com | www.Kathybrook.com 7 Acre Lakefront Estate
Pine Lake Lakefront
Bloomfield Twp $9,900,000
West Bloomfield Twp $4,990,000
Holy Name Neighborhood
Indoor Basketball Court
Birmingham $2,299,000
Rochester Hills $1,795,000
Heron Bay Residence
Bloomfield Twp $1,399,000 Lake Oakland Lakefront
Independence Twp $1,049,000
Orange Lake Lakefront
Bloomfield Twp $1,395,000 Over Half An Acre
Bloomfield Twp $649,000
Quarton Lake estates
Birmingham $3,290,000 Renovation Opportunity
Bloomfield Hills $1,599,000 Entry Level Master Suite
Bloomfield Twp $1,149,000 Long Lake Estates
West Bloomfield Twp $489,000
DOWNTOWN08.17
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Gerrymandering: drawing political districts to retain control There’s a court challenge and petition drive underway to force a new way for political districts to be determined after the next federal census in an effort to end the practice of gerrymandering at the state and national level.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
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Legislation to provide more transparency when it comes to state lawmakers, as well as the governor’s office, is stalled once again in the Michigan Senate by just one man. Here’s how you can help move the bills to a vote.
OAKLAND CONFIDENTIAL
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Ranking the congressional districts for David Trott and Mike Bishop; no excitement over Kumar possible run again; rundown of campaign contributions; U.S. Senate field grows; plus more.
CRIME LOCATOR
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A recap of select categories of crime occurring in the past month in Birmingham, Bloomfield Township and Bloomfield Hills, presented in map format.
THE COVER
MUNICIPAL
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Old Woodward road work specs redone for bidding; church could become office site; township liquor license review; planners wade into retail rental debate; hazard mitigation plan okayed; city bistro regulations discussed; plus more.
Scene from a past Woodward Dream Cruise, which each year runs the length of Woodward from Ferndale to Pontiac, drawing some 40,000 cars and 1.2 million people. The Dream Cruise for this year is scheduled for August 19. Photo: Steve Lagreca | Dreamstime
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Cindy Obron Kahn An Extraordinary Agent Providing Extraordinary Results BLOOMFIELD 3950 Franklin Road $6,975,000 This magnificent stone French manor sits beautifully on 2.5 acres with immaculate gardens & grounds as well as spectacular views of Lower Long Lake. Designed by celebrated architect Wallace Frost, the exquisite craftsmanship and intricate details can be seen throughout; from the floating curved limestone staircase to the walls of French doors, high ceilings and beautiful fireplaces to the stunning floorings, you will see a truly special estate. Other features include 5 bedrooms – all with lake views– and a master suite with dual bathrooms and a cathedral beamed ceiling study. The 1st floor library with lacquered paneled walls. Enjoy the serenity of the lake from two screened lakeside pavilions.
CITY OF BLOOMFIELD HILLS 860 Vaughan Road $5,999,000 Exquisite 11,000 sq. ft. Mediterranean 2+ acre estate on a hilltop in the heart of Bloomfield Hills. Quality finishes including natural stone, Jerusalem stone, white oak hardwoods, flamed granite, imported marble & extensive millwork. Outstanding chef’s kitchen opens to gorgeous family room with floor-to-ceiling windows. Stunning glass surrounded rotunda, 9’ mahogany doors, radiant heated floors throughout, Lutron system, 2nd prep kitchen, 36 imported European marble columns, guest suites with sitting area, 4-car heated garage and magnificent grounds with rolling hills and beautiful gardens. Designed by awardwinning architect Don Paul Young of Young & Young.
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BLOOMFIELD 3327 Dogwood Court $1,285,000 Frank Lloyd Wright inspired architecture on picturesque half acre lot completely renovated in 2016 combining modern building trends with brick, glass and wood. With easy and natural flow between living areas, the 3800+ SF residence offers abundance of natural light and high-end finishes. Beautiful kitchen with custom Scavolini cabinetry, premium appliances, honed granite island and quartz counter tops. Gracious master with luxurious spa bath and fabulous screened balcony. Imported porcelain graces the lower level with gas fireplace and custom lighting. Fenced patio off living room/dining room provides a serene wooded setting.
442 S. Old Woodward Avenue | Birmingham, MI 48009
Cindy Obron Kahn HALL & HUNTER REALTORS’ TOP PRODUCER FOR 2016
248.568.7309 | Cindy@CindyKahn.com
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CITY OF BLOOMFIELD HILLS 4219 Lahser Road $6,800,000
ING T LIS
Ideally situated on 4 acres, this magnificent 14,600 + SF home is inspired by traditional forms & old world artisans coupled with modern state-of-the-art technologies. The dramatic 2-story entry leads to a floating walnut circular staircase with custom stainless handrails and an impressive commissioned Murano chandelier Quality materials were selected for their durability and timelessness & include hand-tooled limestone block, bronze clad windows and a slate roof. 6 bedrooms, 6 full baths and 3 half baths. Interior spaces seamlessly flow to exterior terraces and form courtyards overlooking exceptional gardenscapes and a grand 4-season room with Hope bronze windows and heated bluestone floors.
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BIRMINGHAM 445 Arlington Street $2,295,000
ICE R P
Situated on a beautiful private 1+ acre lot on one of Birmingham’s most desirable streets, this extraordinary 5 bedroom, 4 full and 2 half bath residence provides 4,900 sq. ft. of superior living and entertaining space. Exquisite kitchen featuring custom cabinetry and premium appliances. Expansive great room with stone fireplace, built-ins and floorto-ceiling windows. The master suite is a true oasis with an oversized walk-in closet, dual sinks and bath with soaking tub and glass shower. Spectacular foyer, circular staircase, Art Deco den and fabulous sunroom. A bluestone patio with stone fireplace and expansive grounds are perfect for outdoor entertaining or enjoying the tranquility of the home.
W NE
CITY OF BLOOMFIELD HILLS 37 Scenic Oaks Drive South $1,195,000
ING T LIS
Luxurious contemporary condominium with beautifully designed interior and exquisite landscaping with private wooded setting surrounded by towering pine trees. Floorto-ceiling windows provide a lovely backdrop while 18’ ceilings showcase stunning architectural details. Living room with fireplace and dining room flow together and are perfect for entertaining. Modern well-appointed kitchen with breakfast nook opens to terrace. Spacious light-filled master suite has sleek marble master bath. An expansive lower level offers family room, 2 bedrooms, full bath, builtin desk area, tons of storage and walks out to secluded patio. Superior quality and design in a wonderful location!
TOP AGENT 2012-2016
AREA TOP PRODUCER 2008-2016
TOP 1% OF REALTORS® NATIONALLY
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Welcome to the ‘dark web’ Here’s an introduction to the dark web, the often mysterious part of the internet with anonymity helping cloak commerce for drugs, weapons, human trafficking.
46 Patrolling Oakland lakes Our county has been blessed with several hundred lakes and local/county law enforcement take on the responsibility of keeping them safer.
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Ali McManus
FACES SOCIAL LIGHTS
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Society reporter Sally Gerak provides the latest news from the society and non-profit circuit as she covers recent major events.
ENDNOTE
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A couple of questions and/or suggestions about how the city has been handling the parking situation in downtown Birmingham; and our thoughts on the need to address the problem of gerrymandering before the next federal census gets conducted.
24 45 52 63 83
Susanna Nichols Steve Forbes Ali McManus Cort Johns Richard Bernstein
B NE O N AR U S CO RO M O PL M ET & IO LL N!
Lower Long Lake Architect DesRosier 1645 Lochridge, Bloomfield $3,199,000 2014 - 2016 Construction - Bosco Built. Direct access to all-sports Lower Long Lake, 5,532/SF plus 1,473/SF lower level and 514/SF bonus room being completed now. 5 beds, 5.2 baths, 1.3 acres, 171 ft of waterfront, 3 car garage. No expense spared in this beautiful home, breathtaking, private setting. Economical geo-thermal heating. Bloomfield Hills schools.
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A LITTLE SLICE OF PARADISE Lakefront Ranch with walkout on 1 acre. Approximately 1,942 SF on the main level and 850 SF finished on the lower level. 3 Bedrooms, 2.1 Baths, In-ground pool. Bloomfield Hills schools. Gorgeous views from the home, large yard and pool! Renovate or build your dream home on this acre lot with 180' of sandy lake frontage. Not only can you enjoy the peaceful lake (with access to 3 lakes, including all-sports Upper Long Lake) the home is set off the circular drive from a cul-de-sac for ultimate privacy!
5987 & 6001 Venice, Commerce $795,000 3 ACRE ISLAND – 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 w/ breathtaking views and water wrapping all around this beautiful home w/ idyllic, private setting, sandy beach. Vaulted ceilings, large deck and screened gazebo. Walled Lake Schools. Entry level 5th bedroom with full bath. PARADISE FOUND!
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1311 Porters Lane, Bloomfield $1,799,000
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Lower Long Lake
Clark / Carroll Lakes
Quarton Lake Estates 1219 Quarton Rd., Birmingham $1,649,000 2 HOMES FOR THE PRICE OF 1! Charming with every modern convenience in this tastefully updated Country French Colonial & Carriage House on almost 1 acre! 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 . B'ham schools.
Rolling Oaks Colonial 35091 Quaker Way, Farmington Hills $329,000 Updated Rolling Oaks Colonial, contemporary flair. 2,651 SF + 700 LL Fin SF, 4 Beds, 2.1 Baths, .3 acres. Hardwood on angle in lrg great room w/fireplace & chrome glass doors. Recent updated custom kitchen w/ granite, imported tile, premium appliances & eat in breakfast area. Updated baths. Lrg fin LL multi-use room. Storage. Large deck. Warner Middle & North Farmington High. Walk to Forest Elementary.
Offering More Than Traditional Market Analysis:
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Guidance on Preparing Your Home For Sale Staging Consultation Options for Your Next Home Professional Photography, Aerials and Videos Aggressive Marketing
PUBLISHER David Hohendorf NEWS EDITOR Lisa Brody NEWS STAFF/CONTRIBUTORS Rachel Bechard | Hillary Brody | Kevin Elliott Sally Gerak | Austen Hohendorf | Lisa Rose Hook | Kathleen Meisner Bill Seklar | Joyce Wiswell | Dawn Wolfe Wierauch | Julie Yolles PHOTOGRAPHY/CONTRIBUTORS Jean Lannen | Laurie Tennent Laurie Tennent Studio VIDEO PRODUCTION/CONTRIBUTOR Garrett Hohendorf Giant Slayer ADVERTISING DIRECTOR David Hohendorf ADVERTISING SALES Mark Grablowski Carol Barr 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
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FROM THE PUBLISHER uring the course of last year I devoted one of my monthly columns on the effort in Lansing to begin applying the Michigan Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to both chambers of the state legislature and the office of governor, asking readers to contact both their state representatives and senators to help push the bill through the Michigan House.
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In the weeks following that column, I received emails from a number of residents in both the BirminghamBloomfield and Rochester-Rochester Hills areas informing me that they actually took my suggestion and emailed their Lansing lawmakers. To a person, there appeared to be solid support of increased public access to what many of us have always considered to be public documents that have been shielded from Michigan residents thanks to an exemption lawmakers wrote for themselves and the governor when the FOIA was first adopted in 1976. This month I am asking once again for everyone’s help in bringing that same legislation providing more transparency in the state capitol building to a vote in the Michigan Senate, where the multiple-bill package of legislation is stalled once again by Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof (R-West Olive). Here’s the back story on Meekhof and his continuing effort to block increased citizen access to public records in the legislature and governor’s office. Meekhoff has served two terms in the state House and will be wrapping up his second – and last – term in the Senate next year. He is currently Senate Majority Leader. His district includes all of Ottawa County in the western portion of Michigan – the part of the state that wields an unusual influence (think big political money) on what has happened in Lansing in recent years. As for Meekhof, his tenure as a lawmaker is best described as a never-ending appeasement for the far-right when it comes to the litmus test issues that political crowd supports. And this is not the first time Meekhof has shown his true colors when it comes issues of transparency, which is why Michigan still remains mired in 50th place when the Center for Public Integrity ranked the 50 states in terms of public accountability and transparency. We are one of two states that do not apply the FOIA to the governor’s office and we are one of a small number of states that still exempt their legislators. The Michigan House of Representatives, on a near unanimous basis, passed this legislation in 2016 and sent it to the Senate where Meekhof refused to bring it to a vote before the session ended. So this spring the House, on a unanimous vote, passed the package of bills again and shipped it off to the Senate. Meekhof sent the bills to the Committee on Government Operations, which he conveniently chairs.
to the Senate are principally the same as the ones adopted by the House last year. The legislation would still exempt investigation records, human resource files and commercial/trade secrets that might be part of correspondence with state lawmakers. Also exempted would be correspondence from constituents (non-lobbyist), meaning letters and emails sent to/from state lawmakers and records of the political caucuses. But all other records of state lawmakers and the governor would now be accessible via an FOIA request. And in cases where disputes arise, there would be an appointed legislative council administrator empowered to make a ruling. Lastly, the legislation prohibits a public body from suing people who make FOIA requests. This time around, I am suggesting that all senators from Oakland County be sent an email or letter, along with Meekhof. Of particular concern beyond your own state senator should be Mike Kowall from Oakland County who is the Majority Floor Leader in the Senate – basically a traffic cop who helps bills move through the floor of that chamber. Of further interest is the fact that Kowall is hoping to run in the fall of 2018 for Secretary of State so I am assuming that he is counting votes this far in advance. In the coming weeks, please join in the push the package of bills that brings more transparency to the state legislature and the office of governor, either through an email sent as a group to those below or take the time to place a phone call to their Lansing offices in support of increasing access to records of lawmakers and the governor. Those wishing to send a traditional letter can send them to the specific senator at P.O. Box 30036, Lansing MI 48909-7536. Your contact with state lawmakers will be much more effective if you make your case in a respectful, rather than confrontational, manner and simply ask that the senate force Meekhof to let the committee he controls and the complete Senate decide the fate of the transparency legislation. Arlan Meekhof Email: senameekhof@senate.michigan.gov Phone: 517.373.6920 Mike Kowall Email: senmkowall@senate.michigan.gov Phone: 517.373.1758 Toll free: 866.301-6515 Marty Knollenberg Email: senmknollenberg@senate.michigan.gov Phone: 517.373.2523
At first, Meekhof said that he wanted to focus his efforts on finalizing work on teacher retirement package legislation, which has now left the Senate. More recently he has announced that he sees no need for any changes to the FOIA – current laws are sufficient. The Senate Majority Leader said citizens have no interest in more laws assuring transparency. So without some serious pressure, these bills are likely to sit without movement, hearings or a committee/full Senate vote in the next 18 months, thanks to Meekhof.
Jim Marleau Email: jimmarleau@senate.michigan.gov Phone: 517.373.2417
This is the same Meekhof who in 2013 gave the proverbial finger to Oakland County-native and Secretary of State Ruth Johnson who announced she was going to issue a ruling that would start to address the issue of “dark money” in campaigns here by requiring groups running issue ads to release the names of donors behind the political groups. The day after her announcement, Meekhof attached an amendment to a bill doubling the individual political contribution limit – an amendment that blocks anyone from requiring the sources of “dark money” to be made public. The same Meekhof who has been fined more than once ($5,000 alone after his 2010 election) for failing to file the campaign documents showing his donors as required by state campaign finance regulations.
David Robertson Email: sendrobertson@senate.michigan.gov Phone: 517.373.1636 Toll free: 866.305.2126
For those willing to get involved one more time on a concerted effort to open up most records of state lawmakers and the governor, rest assured that the bills sent
Vincent Gregory Email: senvgregory@senate.michigan.gov Phone: 517.373.7888 Toll free: 866.626.0814
David Hohendorf Publisher DavidHohendorf@DowntownPublications.com August Footnote: Our Oakland Confidential political news/gossip column has proven very popular with our followers so we have created a website – oaklandconfidential.com – just for that item. The new website will allow in the future for more frequent updates, possible expansion of our efforts in the political gossip area and a wider distribution to political junkies.
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442 South Old Woodward Avenue in Birmingham
INCOMING
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New hotel ramifications As long as I have lived in Birmingham, which is 28 years, the city has thrived by adhering to a delicate balance between its residents and the merchants that make the city more viable and desirable. The city acknowledges this on its website because it states that the downtown area is supposed to be "pedestrian friendly." Even more important, from a safety standpoint, the website also states one-third of the households in Birmingham have children! This delicate balance is about to become upended. Brown St. has been known as "Ring Road" for a good reason – it is a road that is used by many residents and non-residents to enter the downtown area without endangering or interfering in the lives of residents (including children) who live in the numerous adjacent streets south and west of downtown Birmingham and to avoid being caught up in the Maple Road traffic. Similarly, Old Woodward, south of Maple, has been a relatively wide thoroughfare without undue traffic jams. Today, both are threatened and access to the downtown area will change permanently for the worse. Contrary to the residential nature of the city, all of us are going to be confronted with a massive, five-story, 140-room hotel, with inadequate parking for its guests and visitors, much less its over 100 employees, that will result in traffic back-ups on two single-lane roads, because it is going to be built on the corner of Brown St. and South Old Woodward. The result is obvious. Residents and others will become so frustrated entering and leaving the downtown area via "Ring Road" that they will instead use adjacent roads, increasing the danger to children and others who live there. That dangerous situation will be exacerbated beyond belief. When the new hotel's restaurants and banquet facilities are open, the sudden influx of 150-200 people showing up for an event – events that are scheduled throughout the day and evening – will cause traffic to clog up S. Old Woodward and Brown St., leading to lines of cars in multiple directions, including past Merrill on S. Old Woodward or on Merrill. As for the cars themselves, where will valets park these cars once the inadequate downtownpublications.com
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66-car hotel parking garage is full? As for the residents and others who want to find a place to park, eat, shop or simply go to the parks with their family, good luck finding a place to park. Building a huge hotel on the corner that is the gateway to the downtown is a bad idea and will have long lasting ramifications for years to come without any benefit to the residents of the city. If no one else will give this a hard and objective look, the residents and press better wake up to the changes occurring. David M. Foster Birmingham
Patterson’s operation (From Facebook and our website) I think it's just wonderful that one guy can travel to a hospital for specialized surgery at the same time his political party thinks it's just fine for American families to go without any health insurance at all. Cindi Brody Beverly Hills Universal Medicare for all. Nicole Schaller Wolf Rochester Hills
Eileen Kowall How can you be a county commissioner and a paid Lansing lobbyist (at the same time)? Allison Friedman
The Tradition Continues.… Celebrating 70 years in business
2018 candidates I think that it needs to be mentioned that there are two very bright and dedicated Democratic women that are viable candidates. Vicki Barnett would be a big improvement over Patterson and Gretchen Whitmer is a superstar favorite for governor. Both candidates will represent ‘we the people.’ Mary Ward Rochester Hills
For every $50 spent receive a $10.00 gift card (for the month of August)
Pesticide ban nixed We all have most likely consumed this pesticide if you bought produce from Michigan. Feel for the farmers but what about a more natural approach that doesn't harm the people? Organic costs more but health is more important. Nancy Young Rochester Hills DOWNTOWN
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OAKLAND CONFIDENTIAL 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 online at DowntownPublications.com or at OaklandConfidential.com. HORSE RACES: Democratic aspirations of taking a majority hold on Congress after the 2018 General Election will hinge on the party’s ability to take two dozen congressional seats, which may include upsets in Michigan’s 8th and 11th Districts, according to recent rankings of 82 districts by The New York Times. The piece split the districts into eight groups to watch, based on competitiveness of the district and candidate vulnerability. The Times put Republican sophomore David Trott’s 11th District in the “Suburban Stragglers� group, which was the third most likely to see Republican losses in GOP-favored districts. The incumbents in the group may be vulnerable TROTT because of their short time in office and/or win margins in recent elections. (Trott won about 53 percent of the vote in his district in 2016, down from about 56 percent in 2014.) For the 8th District, The Times placed Congressman Mike Bishop (R-Rochester Hills) in the “Gerrymander Breakdown� category, which they predict is the second to last likely to see upsets. The group, while still favoring Republicans, in part due to gerrymandering, includes districts that have gained Democratic voters. An upset in the 8th District, as posited by The Times piece, includes “the possibility of a midterm turnout mismatch between the high-turnout, well-educated, now highly energized and increasingly Democratic-leaning parts of these districts (like Lansing, Michigan) and the lower-turnout, perhaps deflated Republican countryside that’s supposed to overwhelm it.� GOP losses in each of the groups depend on a wave of Democratic wins in 2018. However, those predicting a similar wave in 2016 ended up being all wet. “The Trump factor has discombobulated everyone,� said political analyst Bill Ballenger. “On paper, you would think these two districts are beyond the Democrat’s reach... but Democrats are hungry.� READY, AIM, FIRE: The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has Rep. Mike Bishop of Rochester and Rochester Hills in their crosshairs for 2018, formally listing the MI-8 seat as one they want to flip, and think they have hit the bullseye with former Bloomfield Hills resident Elissa Slotkin, who recently moved back into Michigan to her family’s farm in Holly, after a stellar career in the CIA and Defense Department. A 1994 Cranbrook grad, she stated that 9/11 occurred during her first week at Columbia University for graduate school, setting her on her life’s trajectory. “I decided I would join the intelligence community and work to prevent future terrorist attacks against SLOTKIN the United States,� Slotkin said. Besides being a Middle East analyst for the CIA, she was deployed to Baghdad, serving three tours of duty, and meeting her husband, Dave Moore, a retired Army colonel. She worked in W.’s White House in various defense and intelligence roles, in the Defense Department under Obama, and until January 2017, was the Acting Secretary of Defense for Russia, Middle East, Europe and Africa. Lest folks think she’s a carpetbagger coming home to run for office, her great-grandfather started Hygrade Foods, of Ballpark Franks fame, and she has family here. While Bishop beat his Democratic opponent Suzanna Shkreli, 56 to 39 percent, in 2016, he may now have a true challenge. She’s actively raising money, and we assume there’s family money she can turn to. NO ROUND THREE: Democrats believe Dr. Anil Kumar fought the good fight – twice – trying to beat Congressman David Trott (R) for Michigan’s 11th Congressional District, which winds its way from the southern tip of Rochester Hills and Auburn Hills, down to Troy, Bloomfield Hills and Birmingham, before heading west to Farmington Hills, West Bloomfield, Commerce Township, Livonia and Canton. Kumar lost to fellow Democrat Bobby McKenzie in the 2014 primary; McKenzie succumbed to Trott in his first win. Kumar regrouped, spent approximately $750,000 of his own money in 2016, and lost again, KUMAR with Trott prevailing by a 13-point margin, 53 percent to 40 percent. Kumar was seen at this year’s Mackinac Policy Conference in June working Democrats for support for another stab at Trott, who is heavily targeted by the party for a takedown. Word is their unanimous advice was: stick closer to home, perhaps a seat on the Rochester Hills City Council.
DOWNTOWN
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FIGURATIVELY SPEAKING: Congressional candidate Haley Stevens, running for Michigan’s 11th District (Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills), is raising money as fast as she talks. The Democratic hopeful has taken in more than $320,000 since she announced her bid in April for the seat currently held by Republican David Trott. About $210,000 of her contributions have come in through ActBlue, a PAC that uses an online fundraising platform to help Democratic candidates. Trott, no slouch himself, added more than $334,000 to his campaign between January and June 30, including about $154,000 in the last quarter, according to reports filed with the Federal Elections Commission. With more than a year to go until the 2018 General Election, it’s U.S. Senate candidates, EPSTEIN however, who have the largest war chests. Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow, who has more than $5.8 million cash on hand, raised about $2.1 million in the last quarter, with her GOP challenger Lena Epstein, of Bloomfield Hills, raising more than $460,000; and potential Senate candidate Rep. Fred Upton of St. Joseph raising about $356,000. Meanwhile, Congressman Mike Bishop (R-Rochester Hills) raised nearly $275,000 in the last quarter, bringing his cash on hand to almost $394,000. Democrat Darlene Domanik of Brighton, who is also running for the 8th District seat, took in about $13,500. ROLLING THE DICE: While Haley Stevens has gotten the early worm, having filed to run as the Democratic Congressional candidate for the 11th District against Republican David Trott, she may have some competition. We flagged Oakland Confidential readers months ago that Birmingham’s Daniel Haberman might throw his hat into the proverbial ring. Now we are raising that to “ more than likely.” He’s currently getting his ducks lined up, and looking to siphon some of the dollars being thrown Stevens’ way. While STEVENS Haberman, a businessman, has never run for public office before, he has some legislative experience. He and his late brother Jeremy, who owned the Magic Bag Theater in Ferndale, worked successfully with the Michigan legislature to ban smoking in restaurants in 2010. LINING THE PLATES UP: The chicken and pea circuit is ready to kick off. One of the firsts to officially hold a campaign announcement event was state Rep. Jim Tedder (R-Clarkston), who has filed to run for the 12th state Senate seat currently held by Jim Marleau (R-Lake Orion), who is term-limited. Marleau has endorsed Tedder, acting as one of the hosts, along with several township supervisors and mayors of municipalities in the north part of the district, which runs from Addison Township to Oakland Township, Orion Township, Clarkston, Pontiac, and Bloomfield Township since 2013. Current word on the street as we were going to press: Birmingham/Bloomfield Hills/Bloomfield Township state TEDDER Rep. Mike McCready (R), term-limited in the state House, has also been eyeing the seat, and will likely announce this fall. Former Rep. Brad Jacobsen (R-Oxford) had been interested in the seat, but may be content right now with his political appointment to the Michigan Liquor Control Commission, a four-year term that expires June 12, 2020.
• Free covered parking THE BERNSTEIN ADVANTAGE: With more than a year to go before the 2018 primary elections for Michigan governor, Michigan Democrats appear to be rallying behind Lansing native Gretchen Whitmer as the party’s candidate of choice. Whitmer, who declared her candidacy in January, got an early boost in May when Congressman Dan Kildee of Flint said he wouldn’t be running for governor. The same month, party speculation focused on Farmington Hills attorney Mark Bernstein (of TV commercial fame), who said he too was considering a run for office. But the well-known attorney and former White House press official during the Clinton years has since declined, offering the Bernstein name advantage instead to Whitmer in July and urging the party to unite behind her. While the endorsement may help improve WHITMER Gretchen’s name recognition in southeast Michigan, the former state legislator and Ingham County prosecutor doesn’t yet have a lock on the nomination, as many voters in Oakland County are starting to wonder “who the hell is Gretchen Whitmer,” as one political wonk said. Also to consider is the filing deadline for the gubernatorial primary in April, which comes well after this year’s general election for the Detroit mayoral race. While Mayor Mike Duggan has consistently refuted questions about a possible run for governor, a loss in his own city could open up new opportunities for the one of the state’s most popular Democrats. downtownpublications.com
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These are the crimes reported under select categories by police officials in Birmingham, Bloomfield Township and Bloomfield Hills through July 15, 2017. Placement of codes is approximate.
FACES Susannah Nichols hat is Dartmouth?" That's the answer (in the form of a question) high school teacher Susannah Nichols correctly gave in May during the final round of Jeopardy! to earn a semifinals spot in the show's Tournament of Teachers, winning a cool $10,000 for herself and another $2,500 for a project of her choosing at The Roeper School in Birmingham. A teacher for 15 years, Nichols has taught English at Roeper for the past dozen. It was about a decade ago when she first took an online test to qualify as a contestant for the popular show. "I'm not sure when I took the online test – maybe about 10 years ago. They offer it about once a year. Mostly, I just did it for fun. I never expected it to go anywhere,� Nichols said of the contestant process. It was 2014 when Jeopardy! first contacted Nichols, offering an invitation for an audition. Eventually, an audition in 2016 at the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel, in Detroit, led to a spot in the show's Teachers Tournament. Filmed over two days in March in Culver City, California, Nichols was required to keep the results of the show under wraps until after the airing was completed in May. "My classes knew, but they didn't know the results until it aired," she said. "The first night it aired was the night of the Spring Formal, and the students crammed into the bar area to watch it. You would have thought it was the Superbowl. They were just going crazy." When the Final Jeopardy! category stated: "A town named for its location where a river in Devon meets the English Channel, it's also the name of a college in New Hampshire," Nichols finished with the most money and advanced to the semifinals. While she didn't make it to the next round after her second show, Nichols came home to support from her students, and with a $2,500 prize from Farmers Insurance for a special project at The Roeper School. "All of us as teachers were honored to compete," she said. "It's a great honor to do it, and not only represent yourself and state, but to go and represent my school and the teaching profession." The $2,500 prize, she said, is being used to purchase books by and about under-represented minorities for the libraries at the high school and the grade school, which is located in Bloomfield Hills. Originally from Baltimore, Nichols attended the University of Michigan, staying here to teach for about three years before coming to The Roeper School. "High school is such an amazing time of development for people, it's nice to see them at different times in their student career," she said. "I try to bring a lot of elements of social justice into my literature classes to use literature to help us to be better citizens and how we approach the world." As far as her experience on Jeopardy!, Nichols said her studies and career in English was useful at times. "I like a lot of biblical writing, and the bible comes up frequently on the show. There was a tricky one that dealt with a quote from the King James Bible, and one of my Daily Doubles was on Shakespeare," she said. "I probably wouldn't use those (questions) on a test, but I'm not ruling anything out."
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Story: Kevin Elliott
Photo: Jean Lannen
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he 2016 general election marked the second time this century that a presidential candidate went on to win the White House after losing the popular vote, leading some people to question the purpose of the Electoral College, of which most citizens have only a fleeting understanding. But while post-election focus has zeroed in on perceived shortcomings in the presidential election system, far less attention has been paid to inequalities built into many congressional and state governing body races through the ageold practice of partisan redistricting, also known as gerrymandering. Redistricting refers to the drawing of electoral geographic boundaries for each representative in Congress and each state's governing body. Districts also exist for county commission seats and in some municipal board elections. In Michigan, state and congressional representatives are from districts and elected by the people residing in those districts, although technically a U.S. House member does not have to live in the district they are seeking in an election. As a general rule, for example, voters in Birmingham and Bloomfield Hills and an southern portion of Rochester Hills reside in the 11th Congressional District, voters in Bloomfield Township are in the 9th Congressional District, while Rochester and the majority of Rochester Hills are in the 8th Congressional District. However, the boundaries of those districts tend to change every 10 years, meaning it is likely the district you reside in will change each decade. Likewise, state legislative districts are subject to change every 10 years. Those changes are supposed to be based on U.S. Census results and reflect shifts in the population. However, the process of redistricting, which in Michigan and most other states is controlled by the state's legislature and approved by the governor, often results in districts that give an advantage to one political party over another. When this occurs, the process is referred to as gerrymandering, so named back in 1812 when Massachusetts Governor Elridge Gerry allowed for an oddly shaped political district formation that looked like a salamander.
POLITICAL DISTRICT GERRYMANDERING HOW ELECTORAL BOUNDARIES HELP KEEP THE DOMINANT PARTIES IN CONTROL
BY KEVIN ELLIOTT
Gerrymandering is mainly done in two ways – called "cracking," which divides a political party's supporters among multiple districts so that they fall short of a majority in each one; and "packing," which concentrates one party's backers in a few districts so they win by overwhelming margins. Because the political party in power at the time of redistricting is ultimately responsible for the process, it is in the interest of that party to draw districts that help them retain their positions in future elections. Put another way, gerrymandering can result in a process that allows candidates to select who is voting for them, rather than voters selecting their candidates. The actual process of rigging the system and the effects of gerrymandering aren't well understood by the vast majority of the general public, nor have they believed it to be cause for concern. Just 10 percent of American voters surveyed in 2006 by the Pew Research Center said they have heard a lot about the issue of gerrymandering, with 89 percent saying they have heard little or nothing. Of those polled, about 55 percent believed they lived in districts that were competitive, but were actually skewed toward one party. In terms of understanding the process, the survey found 44 percent were aware that elected officials were responsible for redistricting where they lived, while 47 percent said they didn't know who was responsible. Nine percent incorrectly stated that redistricting where they live was done by a nonpartisan panel. Oakland County political consultant Dennis Darnoi, founder of Densar Consulting in Farmington Hills, said both Democrats and Republicans have used gerrymandering to benefit their party in Michigan. Ultimately, whatever party dominates the legislature will use redistricting to their advantage. "Politics is sort of a contact sport, and to the victors go the spoils," he said. "In recent years, Republicans have been successful, but there are times when the Democrats were in charge and they held the redistricting pen. That's sort of the nature of politics." A good illustration of raw politics when it comes to redistricting is how Oakland County commission districts were redrawn the last time.
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ommission seats there are divided by districts, and up until 2012 were drawn by a bipartisan committee that included the county chair of the Democrat and Republican parties, as well as the county treasurer, prosecutor and clerk, offices that in past years were held by Republicans. However, when Democrats won control of that committee through the electoral process, Republicans (who have the majority on the county commission), challenged their district maps, and pushed the legislature to pass a law that would allow the county commission to draw their own maps, while removing two seats on the board, thereby eliminating the prior committee system when it came to drawing new districts. The law was passed and upheld by the Michigan Supreme Court, with Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson claiming victory for county taxpayers, who he said would save about $2.5 million over 10 years by eliminating the two districts. "We were a separate body that was drawing the lines, and this bill basically allowed the fox to guard the chicken house," said Oakland County Treasurer Andy Meisner, a Democrat. "The commissioners were empowered to draw their own districts under a very implausible attempt to lower costs. They reduced the number of seats, but that was really smoke and mirrors to what they were really doing, which was forcing a very imbalanced map on Oakland County and guaranteeing Republican control of the Oakland County commission for the foreseeable future." Darnoi cautions that there are definite drawbacks to the public from excessive gerrymandering.
"On the practical side," he said, "you do run the risk of drawing districts that are so partisan you don’t get the viewpoint of the minority party." While creating districts that have an even 50/50 split of the number of Democrat and Republican voters isn't likely in any area, aiming for an even split means elections will be more competitive, with fewer lopsided victories by either party. While some federal requirements protecting minority voting rights make such a split difficult, districts closer to an even split force those running for office to consider the views of more people in that district. "You can draw districts that have 51 percent Democrat or Republican, and make them far more competitive. Even dropping down from 54 percent to 52 percent makes the winner have to take into account the views of the other side," Darnoi said. "If your concern is winning the primary, you tend to run to the extreme of the base, which makes governing difficult to do. Anything that makes the general election better makes governing better because you are speaking more to the middle of your district than the extremes of your district."
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till, only 22 percent of voters surveyed in the Pew Research Center's 2006 survey said they felt that when politicians face tough competition for reelection that it makes them work harder to represent their district better, with 62 percent of respondents saying tough elections make politicians focus too much on fundraising and campaigning instead of being a good representative. How much those views have changed today is uncertain, but the general public's lack of knowledge about their elected officials was illustrated in the Center's 2014 survey, which found about 53 percent of voters were able to correctly identify the party of their congressional representative – keep in mind, the choices give even those guessing a 50 percent chance of being correct. An Annenberg survey by the University of Pennsylvania in 2014 found just 36 percent of those surveyed could name all branches of government, with 35 percent unable to name even one. However, there are more recent signs that the public, as well as the court system, is interested in addressing the issue of gerrymandering. In 2015, the United States Supreme Court upheld the right of voters in Arizona to remove the authority of that state's legislature to draw election districts and allow for an independent redistricting commission. In June of this year, the Supreme Court agreed to take up the issue of unconstitutional partisan gerrymandering in 2017 when it hears an appeal over electoral districts in Wisconsin after a lower court ordered that state's Republican legislature to redraw district maps it deemed to be unconstitutional. The case marks the first time in more than a decade that the U.S. Supreme Court will take up partisan gerrymandering, giving it the potential to impact the issue in all states. Challenges to partisan gerrymandering are also pending in Maryland, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. In Michigan, former Michigan Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer has vowed to file a federal court case similar to that filed by Democrats in Wisconsin. "We haven't filed yet. We are making progress and will file as soon as it's ready," said Brewer, who currently works as an attorney and political consultant with Goodman Acker P.C., in Southfield. "It will be very similar to the Wisconsin case, which was filed by a group of Democratic voters who have been harmed by gerrymandering." While Brewer wouldn't give a date as to when he expects to file the Michigan case, he said he expects it to move forward while the Supreme Court is still hearing the Wisconsin case. Should the court rule in favor of Democrats in Wisconsin and order new district maps
be drawn there, a similar cases filed by Michigan voters could result in a similar ruling here. "The court can only order the drawing of new maps," Brewer said, who added that states would need to file their own cases. "We think we have good evidence. I also think Michigan needs a new way to do this, and the way other states have done this is through a nonpartisan, independent commission. In Michigan, that would be done through a ballot initiative."
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uch a ballot initiative is exactly what is being sought by Katie Fahey, president and treasurer of Voters Not Politicians, a group in the state that is pursuing a Michigan ballot proposal for the 2018 general election to create a nonpartisan redistricting commission for the state. The group says politicians are manipulating voting maps to keep themselves in power. "We are looking for an independent citizen commission, meaning it's removed from the legislature," Fahey said. "It all started with a Facebook post saying 'who wants to end gerrymandering in Michigan,' and that turned into a network of people across the state. "The movement started nonpartisan from the beginning, from people who wanted to see what a fair system would look like." The proposal seeks to create a 13-member independent citizens commission made up of five independent voters and four partisan voters from each of the two major parties. "It is removed from the legislature, so there wouldn't be political insiders or lobbyists. We are looking for diversity," Fahey said. "They would draw the lines so there can't be a political advantage, and they would be drawing lines for congressional seats, and state Senate and House of Representatives, so three sets of lines. All of their meetings would be held in public, so it's a transparent process." The process, she said, would include a public hearing on proposed district maps. The commission would have to maintain constitutional requirements, which include creating districts that are equal in population size and don't dilute minority voting power, under the Voting Rights Act. Further, districts must be contiguous, with each being a single, unbroken shape. The proposal would also place greater emphasis on districts that focus on "communities of interest," even if those communities cross or split county, city or township lines. Communities of interest refer to communities that are likely to have similar legislative concern, and who might benefit from cohesive representation in the legislature. Nationally, there are 24 states that includes the communities of interest consideration in drawing district lines. Under the proposal, communities of interest would take priority over existing city, township and county boundaries. Any attempt by lawmakers in the state to remove the partisanship from the redistricting process hasn't been successful, Fahey said, leading the group to pursue a ballot proposal that would allow voters to force the issue. "We found the only ones that have supported solutions – mostly being left in the hands of elected officials – wasn't resonating with us, as they are the ones who draw the lines and run for reelection," she said. “We decided at the end of February to do a ballot initiative." Since then, the group has held a series of about 40 town hall meetings across the state. The purpose of the meetings, Fahey said, has been to both educate residents about the issue, as well as get feedback on what people think would be a fair solution to gerrymandering. "Since then, we have been hitting the pavement to create a policy," she said. "We took feedback from the town halls and formed a policy team, and we talked to other states and stakeholders." Fahey said the group recently finalized proposed language for the ballot proposal, which was being reviewed by state officials in July. The group is expected to make a formal announcement on the
language in late July. The group will then be required to gather signatures to petition the state to place the issue on the ballot in 2018. "Even if the Supreme Court rules and says you can't provide partisan advantage to one party, it still doesn't change the fact that our legislators are currently drawing the lines," Fahey said. "We still feel strongly that if we in Michigan don't change this, there will still be an inherent conflict of interest." The ballot initiative, combined with a potential landmark decision from the U.S. Supreme Court, is one template for reform, albeit one that depends on several unknown and challenging circumstances. Darnoi said while there have been rumblings in the past about forming an independent redistricting commission in Michigan, this is the first time a group has worked for a ballot proposal. "It will be interesting to see if it’s successful, as changing the (requirements) to 180 straight days will make it very difficult to get on the ballot," he said. Michigan law allows citizens to initiate legislation as either an indirectly initiated statute or a directly initiated constitutional amendment. Petitioners for ballot initiatives have 180 days to collect the required amount of signatures. Those older than 180 days at the time of filing are considered invalid. Prior to 2016, signatures could go through a process to prove they were still valid. However, state legislators in 2016 – in an effort to kill ballot proposals for the legalization of marijuana in the state – removed the possibility of providing older signatures. The shortened time frame means petitioners must spend more money to collect signatures. The number of signatures required is tied to a percentage of how many people voted in the most recent gubernatorial race. In 2018, the required amount of signatures would be about 253,000 signatures. Darnoi said he believes the most likely chance for a ballot initiative would be an effort in the 2020 election, just ahead of when the next U.S. Census would be released. "Previously, you needed about 253,000 signatures, but we will see what turnout will be in 2018, and that will determine what you'll need in 2020 and 2022," he said. "It will be interesting to see what the threshold will be to get an initiative. "You really have to have all your ducks in a row and money in the bank before you go out in the field. Now, with the change to the (deadline) rule, you need $1.3 million or $1.4 million in the bank before you even start the process. Then you need to be in the field in April before you can count on going into October or November the year before the election. Getting on the ballot has changed since the 180-day rule change. "I think the Democrats might see this as an issue if they aren't successful in 2018. If there is going to be something done with redistricting, and done on the ballot, it's more likely in 2020."
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t the federal level, the Supreme Court has remained relatively quiet on the issue of partisan redistricting, in part because it has yet to agree on a usable standard in measuring whether a district is gerrymandered. However, the Wisconsin case (Whitford v. Gill), claims Wisconsin districts were gerrymandered by the state's Republican-controlled legislature, which the plaintiffs said can be demonstrated by 2012 and 2014 election results, among other evidence. An additional charge was that the intended effect was to impede Democratic voters' ability to translate their votes into legislative seats. The suit claims Republicans used "packing" and "cracking" to gain a majority of congressional seats in the state. "This cracking and packing resulted in wasted votes: votes cast either for a losing candidate (in the case of cracking) or for a winning candidate but in excess of what he or she needs to prevail (in the case of packing)," according to the case.
2001 Apportionment Plan
2011 Apportionment Plan
LOCAL CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS
Target Insyght Projected New Districts After 2020 Census
Looking at the number of "wasted votes" in an election, the case proposes a way to measure gerrymandering by measuring an efficiency gap. An efficiency gap is the difference between the parties' respective wasted votes in an election, divided by the total number of votes cast. When two parties waste at an identical rate, a redistricting plan's Efficiency Gap, or EG, is equal to zero. An EG in favor of one party over the other means the party wasted votes at a lower rate than the opposing party. The case argues that the EG, therefore, is a way to measure efficiency. The plaintiffs in the Wisconsin case incorporate the efficiency gap into a proposed three-party test for partisan gerrymandering. "Suppose," the plaintiffs assert in the court case, "that there are five districts in a plan with 100 voters each. Suppose also that Party A wins three of the districts by a margin of 60 votes to 40, and that Party B wins two of them by a margin of 80 votes to 20 votes, then Party A wastes 10 votes for each of the three districts it loses, adding up to 70 wasted votes. Likewise, Party B wastes 30 votes in each of the three districts it loses, adding up to 180 wasted votes. "The difference between the parties' respective wasted votes is 100, which then is divided by 500 total votes, yields an efficiency gap of 22 percent in favor of Party A." In the case of congressional elections in Wisconsin, the plaintiffs found a pro-Republican efficiency gap of 12 percent in 2012, and 10 percent in 2014. The gap, they claim, isn't necessary, as those crafting the maps had also made maps with just a two-percent efficiency gap, which met all state and federal requirements. Efficiency gaps in Michigan, as found by a recent study commissioned by the Associated Press, found the state had some of the most gerrymandered districts in the country. The study, as reported by the Associated Press and The Detroit News, found the state's House of Representatives has the second largest efficiency gap in the country. The state's congressional district efficiency gap was found to be the ninth largest. Statewide election results in Michigan show Democrats tallied either more or split the vote in state House races in 2014 and 2016, but that Republicans have a 16-seat majority. Senate Republicans in Michigan have held a majority in the state Senate since 1984. Historically, Democrats have controlled the state House from 1969 until 1992, when the parties split the state's 110 seats 55/55, with Democrats holding the majority in the state House three times since then.
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he Republican hold on the Senate came shortly after major changes in the state's reapportionment process, which prior to 1982 was done by a bipartisan state Apportionment Commission – a process created by the 1963 ratification of the state's constitution. The constitution set up a bipartisan commission, but allowed any member of the commission to submit his or her own plan to the state Supreme Court if a commission couldn't reach agreement on a plan. In 1964, the first commission failed to agree on a plan, leaving a final plan up to the court. The commission, following the 1970 census, again failed to agree on a plan, leaving the court to decide what plan to use for redistricting. After the 1980 census, the reapportionment commission failed a third time to agree on a plan. However, the court refused to decide on a plan, ruling instead that reapportionment provisions of the 1963 constitution were invalid and dissolved the commission, sending the issue back to the legislature. The court then hired political consultant Bernie Apol, formerly head of the state's election bureau, to draw a reapportionment plan following county and municipal boundaries. Under the guidelines set out by the court, the new districts had to break the fewest county lines while staying within a 16.4 percent population variation between districts.
Apol released his plan in April of 1982, with Democrats objecting to the plan, claiming it would give an advantage to Republicans in the state Senate. Democrats, however, weren't able to meet the court's deadline for enacting an alternative plan, and the Apol plan went into effect. While Democrats won the majority of Senate seats in the first election under the plan, the GOP in 1986 won the majority (20-18), while Democrats won the majority of the votes cast for all Senate candidates. As feared by the Democrats, many of the votes they received were in districts where Democrats were concentrated, and their candidates won by large margins, thus diluting the effect of their majority. Political consultant Steve Mitchell, founder of Mitchell Research in West Bloomfield, said the Supreme Court's case in Wisconsin could have dramatic changes on what happens in Michigan, which still operates under the Apol plan. "Redistricting is just a real issue every 10 years, but it's really too early to say what will happen, given the court cases out there and that we haven't had an election (to determine who will control the process)," he said. "What happens next year depends on who we elect as governor and in the legislature. Assuming there are no changes in the criteria, if Republicans continue as they did in the 1990s and the 2000s, they will draw the lines, and they will draw them so they are favorable to them."
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urrently, Michigan has 14 congressional districts, which includes nine held by Republicans and five held by Democrats. Population losses over each decade has caused the state to lose five congressional districts since 1973. As districts are eliminated, the party in power tends to focus on eliminating seats that are held by the opposing party. When a district is eliminated, the legislature must therefore redraw and often rename the remaining district boundaries. When done in a way to give a political party an advantage, the districts not only pack and stack the opposition party's voters, they often pit strong candidates of the same party against each other. For instance, Michigan's Congressional Redistricting plan, which went into effect in 2013, called for the elimination of the former 11th District, held by former Democratic Congressman Gary Peters. Under the redistricting plan, Peters was expected to run against longtime Democratic Congressman Sander Levin for the newly drawn 9th District seat. While Peters instead ran in 2014 and won the newly drawn 14th District seat (and was later elected to the U.S. Senate), Democrats ultimately lost two congressional seats in the 2014 and 2016 elections, with Republicans holding nine of the state's 14 congressional districts and Democrats nine. Historically, Democrats held the majority of congressional seats from 1975 to 2003, while Republicans have held the majority each election since, with the exception of the span from 2009 to 2011. Population losses noted in the 2010 U.S. Census resulted in Michigan losing one of its congressional seats in 2013. The state's redistricting plan in 2011 called for taking the number of congressional districts down from 15 to 14. While the plan technically eliminated the 15th Congressional District – which included a large population of Democratic voters in Dearborn and Ann Arbor and held by then-Dearborn Democratic Congressman John Dingell Jr. – the elimination was in name only. In order to eliminate the 15th District, the district was renamed as the 12th District in 2013. From the previous redistricting in 2003 until 2013, the 12th District's boundaries ran primarily along the I-696 corridor in Macomb and Oakland Counties, and was held by Democrat Sander Levin, of Royal Oak, from 1993 to 2013. Today, the 12th District includes the former 15th District's area. Dingell, who had the 15th District seat, then ran in the same area under the 12th
2001 Apportionment Plan
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LOCAL STATE SENATE DISTRICTS
2001 Apportionment Plan
2011 Apportionment Plan
LOCAL STATE HOUSE DISTRICTS
District name. Today, the 12th District is held by John Dingell Jr.'s wife, Debbie Dingell. Voters in Levin's old 12th District were reassigned in 2013 to the 9th District, which from 2003 until 2013 took in portions of Oakland County along the 696 corridor, including Royal Oak, Southfield and Ferndale, and north to Mount Clemens in Macomb County. In 2013, when the 12th was reassigned to the 9th District's area, the district was expanded north in Oakland County to Keego Harbor to include Bloomfield Township, Southfield and Franklin, but circling around Birmingham and Bloomfield Hills, which weren't included in the new district. The new 9th District now includes much of the former 12th District and a significant portion of the former 11th District. Congressman Levin, who had held his former 12th District seat from 1993 to 2013, had previously held the state's 17th District seat from 1983 to 1993, which was eliminated in 1993 and renamed to the 12th, which as noted, was renamed the 9th in 2013. Prior to 1993, Levin held the state's 17th Congressional District for 10 years, until it was eliminated in 1993. Peters, in choosing not to run against Levin in the new 9th District, opted instead to run in the newly drawn 14th District, which after the new boundaries went into effect in 2013 included potions of Wayne and Oakland County, including West Bloomfield, Farmington Hills, Orchard Lake, and east into Hamtramck, Grosse Pointe and Detroit. The 14th District is currently held by Democrat Brenda Lawrence, who was elected after Peters was elected to the U.S. Senate. From 2003 to 2013, the 14th District included parts of Detroit and Dearborn, Democratic Congressman John Conyers had held the 14th District from 1993 until it was redistricted in 2013. The district was formerly the 1st District, which Conyers held from 1965 to 1993. In 2013, the district was renamed the 13th, which Conyers continues to hold. The area of northern Michigan now considered the 1st Congressional District had been named the 11th District prior to 1993, when in the same year the 11th was moved and formed out of four other districts, the majority which included the former 18th District, which included Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Rochester, Rochester Hills and a large portion of Oakland County. Today, the 11th District, currently held by Republican David Trott, is one of the most oddly shaped district spanning from Canton to the south, Waterford to the north and then snakes around Pontiac and southern Oakland County to include Auburn Hills, Troy and Birmingham, with it's tail ending in Bloomfield Hills.
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eanwhile, the 8th Congressional District, held by Republican Mike Bishop of Rochester Hills, was expanded in the 2013 redistricting to northern Oakland County, where it includes Rochester, Clarkston and Lake Orion, adding to its western portion that spans Ingham County and Lansing. Trying to follow the history of congressional redistricting in Michigan can be dizzying, but analyst and pollster Ed Sarpolus, founder of Target-Insyght in Lansing, has already crafted his own predictions of what he believes the state's next congressional districts will look like under the current criteria. "Apol was chosen to keep it less partisan, but the problem is that Democrats tend to live in concentrated areas, and that does't help Democrats," Sarpolus said about the current system. Regardless of the system in place, Sarpolus said Michigan will almost certainly lose another congressional seat in the next decade after census figures are done. All things remaining the same, he said Democrats will have their last chance in 2018 to gain control or share in the next redistricting process. However, Sarpolus' projected plan for 2022 districts assumes Republicans will retain control of the process and will proceed as in the past. "The easiest way (for Republicans) to draw them and keep all
Republican districts safe was the removal of Sandy Levin's (9th) district," he said. "You could move others, but the key thing is that Democrats will lose a district, and that's the most likely." Federal law requires all congressional districts to be as close to equal in general population as possible, and because minority districts can't be broken up or split, Levin's 9th District is a likely target for Republicans. In removing the district, the biggest impact to the GOP would be the 11th and 8th Districts, held by Trott and Bishop, and voters within Downtown newsmagazine's readership. "When you do that, what do you do with Bishop and Trott? They can’t share a seat then have to battle it out in a primary," Sarpolus said. "By removing (Brenda) Lawrence (14th District) from Pontiac, that allows Trott to go through West Bloomfield and for Bishop to pick up Pontiac. "Essentially, Trott would stay the same and maintain what he had, and Bishop would need additional geography. Each district would grow by about 54,000 votes." The plan would extend Bishop's district south to 8 Mile Road in Oakland County to pick up some of the current 9th District communities.
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nder the projection, the 9th District would be renumbered as the 11th, and about 46 percent of voters in the district would be Democrats, compared to about 45 percent in 2012. Bishop's district would maintain the same 46 percent Democrat population it has currently. "The Democrats can have 48 percent of a district's population and win Republican seats," Sarpolus said. "In the 1990s, they could win seats that were 46 percent, but now they are only winning with 48 percent Democrats. The districts are drawn in such a way that they don't have flexibility for independent voters. "So, why 48 percent and not 46, and why did they win when they weren't majority? You have to take into account independent voters." While concentrated populations and constitutional requirements may make drawing competitive districts challenging, it's far from impossible. In 2011, the Michigan Center for Election Law and Administration, in partnership with Michigan Redistricting Collaborative, held the Michigan Citizens' Redistricting Competition. The competition provided citizens with software to craft their own maps for Michigan's 14 Congressional seats, or Michigan's State Senate or legislative seats. Former Wayne State University Law School Dean Jocelyn Benson, who founded the Center for Election Law, said nearly all the maps received complied with state and federal law, and were more competitive than those drawn by the state legislature. "We had nine-year-old kids that had maps that were better than the legislature, particularly in the 13th and 11th Districts," she said. "We found that the winning maps created a majority of districts that were competitive – about 50/50 (Democrat v. Republican) and complied with the Voting Rights Act and other laws." While Benson said she believes Michigan is likely to lose a congressional seat in the next decade, leading to a game of "musical chairs" in the districts, she said her hope is that the state implements a citizen's redistricting process introduced through a state ballot initiative. "Throughout the redistricting process there's a lot of attention paid to it," Benson said of gerrymandering. "Now more than ever, people are getting a sense that the system is rigged, and they are wondering what they can do about it. "Even before a major crisis that preceeds democratic reform, like Watergate, even absent that, there are many ways that people are expressing they are fed up and looking for ways to change it. Once you go down that road, it's hard not to see redistricting as part of that reform."
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CITY OF BLOOMFIELD HILLS 612 Bennington Drive | $699,000
Tobocman gem in park-like setting! Travertine floors & sky lights. Fabulous LR & DR. 1st floor master suite. Walkout LL with theatre room. Gilbert Lake privileges.
Designer’s flair in dramatic condo. Open dining room & private library. Island kitchen with deck access. Large master suite with 2 walk-in closets. First-floor laundry.
Timeless Rudgate ranch a block from Cranbrook campus. Beamed living room; dining room & library access brick-walled terrace. Large master suite.
8,338 Total SF | 5 Bedrooms | 4 Full, 2 Half Baths
2,600 SF | 3 Bedrooms | 2 Full, 1 Half Baths
4,081 SF | 4 Bedrooms | 3 Full Baths
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Quality built and designed with sophistication and functionality. Private setting on 3/4 acre site. Fabulous formal & informal spaces with detailed moldings and trim work. Expansive lower level. Bluestone terrace. 3-car garage.
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urking in the shadows of the internet, peeking out in popular films, television shows and novels, the dark web has become a villainous plot device that infers illegal drugs, guns, pornography, hired killers, and conspiracies. On the popular TV show “Scandal,” the team bids on the dark web to get Olivia Pope back; on “House of Cards,” a character uses the dark web to unearth a hacker; Sherlock accesses information via the dark web on several occasions on the show “Elementary”; and the dark web is a key plot element in novels such as Lee Child’s “Make Me.” Yet, for a majority of us, what the dark web actually is remains an enigma, a mysterious element floating out there somewhere on the internet. For most people who use computers, forays into searches are by using Google, Yahoo or some other search engine, which allows them to find information about just about anything. In actuality, what we think of the internet is only a small portion of the world wide web – the ‘www’ before many web addresses. The first workable prototype of what we now view as the internet was created in the 1960s, with the creation of ARPANET, which stands for Advanced Research Projects Agency Network. It was funded by the U.S. Department of Defense to allow multiple computers to communicate on a single network. Networks continued to grow through the 1970s, and Internet Protocol (IP) addresses were developed. In 1983, ARPANET adopted IP, with researchers assembling more and more networks, which became the modern internet. In 1990, a computer scientist created the world wide web. Researchers say that only four percent of the internet is visible to the general public, which means that possibly 96 percent is the dark or deep web, which experts call the “second layer” of the internet. The dark web is a part of the world wide web that exists outside of the traditional internet, in a part often referred to as the darknet, which requires a user to download a specific software or put in specific configurations to access. It is a collection of websites that are publicly visible, but hide the IP addresses of the servers that run the sites, so it’s next to impossible to determine where the sites are hosted, and by whom. To get there takes encryption tools and special software, and is an ideal place for those seeking anonymity, both for privacy sake, as well as illegal activities. However, experts believe the total population of dark net websites number only in the hundreds of thousands, rather than the millions, like on the “clear” net, which is the internet we all utilize. Security experts estimate that at any given time there are between 10,000 and 100,000 active sites on the darknet, with sites regularly disappearing or being yanked from servers by law enforcement or those who work
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to destabilize hackers and other illegitimate sites. Many dark web users utilize a free software called Tor for enabling anonymous communication. The whole goal of using Tor is to protect the privacy and anonymity of whoever uses it, as well as their freedom and ability to conduct confidential communication by keeping their internet activities from being monitored. Tor stands for “The Onion Router,” a reference to all of the layers of encryption that are layered one on top of another, like peeling through an onion. Instead of dot-com, to access encrypted dark websites the domains utilize dot-onion. Tor directs internet traffic through a free network that consists of more than 7,000 relays in order to conceal a user’s location and usage from anyone conducting network analysis or traffic analysis. To put it simply, instead of a direct connection from A to B, via Tor, the connection can bounce around the world, from network to network and computer to computer, going from A to D to Z to L to E to M to P and then to B, making it very difficult, if not impossible, to track the connection. “The dark web is a term that refers specifically to a collection of websites that exist on an encrypted network and cannot be found by using traditional search engines or visited by using traditional browsers,” explained Matt Egan in TechAdvisor. “In a very broad sense, the dark web is the part of the web that is not indexed, that is not on Google. You have to know about it before you can go there,” said Kevin Hayes, director of information security for Wayne State University. “We go to pages like Google, Microsoft and others, but that’s to the regular internet. When indexing can get more tricky, you need to type in numbers, otherwise known as an IP address, or use a special software, to access the dark web.” Ryan Wilk, vice president of NuData Security in Vancouver, which assists customers with data breaches, further explains, “The dark web is just another level of the internet. It’s a marketplace to buy things – illicit things. You can buy data, human trafficking, drugs, among other things. It’s a bazaar of the illicit. The problem really comes in when the bad actors come in. It’s where they go to buy lists of (stolen) names and account numbers.” “Almost all sites on the so-called dark web hide their identity using the Tor encryption tool. To visit a site on the dark web that is using Tor encryption, the web user needs to be using Tor,” Egan said. “Just as the end user’s IP address is bounced through several layers of encryption to appear to be another IP address on the Tor network, so is that website. Sites on the dark web can be visited by anyone, but it is very difficult to work out who is behind the sites.” Tor was initially developed by United States Naval Research Laboratory employees
in the mid-1990s, with the purpose of protecting the U.S. intelligence community online. The first iteration was launched in 2002, and became available to the public in 2003. In December 2006, a group founded The Tor Project as a 501(c)(3) research-education non-profit organization responsible for maintaining Tor. The majority of its funding sources came from the U.S. government. The Swedish government also participated in its development. “We wanted to help journalists in totalitarian states, those who didn’t want to get caught and wanted anonymity,” said Steffan Truvé, founder and chief technology officer of Recorded Future, located in Boston and Gothenburg, Sweden. According to Wired magazine, in Tor’s early days, “Tor enabled its users to surf the internet, chat and send instant messages anonymously, and it is used by a wide variety of people for both licit and illicit purposes. Tor has, for example, been used by criminal enterprises, hacktivism groups, and law enforcement agencies at cross purposes, sometimes simultaneously.” According to Tor, their network consists of a group of volunteer-operated servers that allows people to improve their privacy and security on the internet by connecting through a series of virtual tunnels rather than making a direct connection, “thus allowing both organizations and individuals to share information over public networks without compromising their privacy.” Tor also promotes that it is an effective censorship circumvention tool, “allowing its users to reach otherwise blocked destinations or content. Individuals use Tor to keep websites from tracking them and their family members, or to connect to news sites, instant messaging services...when these are blocked by their local internet providers. Journalists use Tor to communicate more safely with whistleblowers and dissidents. Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) use Tor to allow their workers to connect to their home website while they’re in a foreign country, without notifying everybody nearby that they’re working with that organization...A branch of the U.S. Navy uses Tor for open source intelligence gathering.” issidents around the globe find a safe harbor in the dark web by using Tor because they can communicate without being traced. So too, do networks of transgender individuals seeking out a community where they can speak freely, safely, and anonymously, as well as others seeking like-minded communities to express themselves privately. Journalists in areas of conflict can talk with sources as well their their editors. Several news organizations, including The New York Times, Washington Post, The Guardian, Wired, and ProPublica, have set up drop boxes on the dark web to protect sources and whistleblowers who want
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to provide the news organizations with information and documents safely and securely. “ProPublica uses the dark web to protect sources – as do other news organizations like The Guardian and The Intercept, which played a major role in breaking news about the Edward Snowden leaks,” John Zorabedian wrote in NakedSecurity.com. “ProPublica uses a hidden service on Tor called SecureDrop that allows sources to submit tips, data and files secretly and securely.” He wrote that dark web versions of the ProPublica website has allowed Chinese citizens to read about censorship in their own country anonymously. The New York Times states on its home page it takes tips through SecureDrop, Signal, WhatsApp, along with regular email and postal mail. “Everyone should have the ability to read ProPublica’s content without being tracked,” Mike Tigas, the developer who built ProPublica’s website on the Tor network, said. “We don’t want anyone to know that you came to us, or what you read.” “It started with noble purposes, but because of anonymity, (the dark web) has turned criminal,” Recorded Future’s Truvé asserted. “Tor is not generally traceable, so it’s the place for peddling guns, drugs, human trafficking, data. Cyber criminals use it in two ways – to access tools, like malware and ransomware; and when they need help to disseminate their goods, like forums to access for those who use the goods and sell their wares – fresh credit cards, passports, drugs, guns. As a consumer, you only need to download Tor to access into this. But the risk is really infecting your computer, and you could be granting access to the bad guys. The good thing, though, is the anonymity.” He said journalists and forums for transsexuals and others seeking privacy harken back to the origins of the dark web, “for people who want to talk to like-minded people, whether you want to talk about government problems or you have sexual preferences and don’t want people to know, it’s what the dark web was designed for. But if someone infiltrates it, it’s where there are problems. “It’s like that scary, unsafe street everyone knows not to drive down,” is how Wayne State’s Hayes describes the dark. “As long as you’re keeping your computer up-to-date and not actively seeking the dark web, you’re going to be completely safe. Should someone download Tor? You can if you know what you’re doing and can use it responsibly. There’s a lot of power and potential to get into a lot trouble – by attackers and hackers, because they’re feasting on people that aren’t taking proper precautions like keeping their computers up-to-date and changing their passwords frequently. “The dark web is where illegal transactions take place, whether you’re talking about
drugs, human trafficking, hackers exchanging personal data – because in a macro sense, people have always done bad things, and this is just a new way,” Hayes continued. “This now can happen in a global way. You’re really going into the lion’s den, and if you’re not properly prepared, you may leave with more than you bargained for, such as a hacked computer or a stolen identity.” uData’s Wilk said that ironically, one of the first purveyors they saw early on of data breaches and other illegal activity was with gangs. “It was with the Bloods and the Crips (in Los Angeles),” he said. “’Why would we want to risk getting shot when we could stay home, make money and do this?’ It’s not just the sophisticated criminals, but the low level criminals, the kids sitting in their bedroom. If they’re able to figure it out, we’re only going to see it get worse.” Transactions, or purchases, on the dark web, whether lawful or illegal, are not done in dollars or euros, but in other currency, typically in bitcoin, and more recently, ether. Bitcoin and ether are digital currencies that are not based in a country, or tied to a gold standard, but are a unit of an account transacted between users on the web. They are private and anonymous, as bitcoin is not tied to any real world entities, but to bitcoin addresses. In some ways, bitcoins are a virtual cash. “Bitcoins, the payment of the dark web, is hard to trace,” noted Truvé. The cloak of anonymity provided by the dark web also makes it the launching pad for hacking websites or corporate data, such as credit card information or log in information. And it comes at a huge cost, both for individuals and companies. TechRepublic noted that the dark web affects every internet user. “If your data was leaked as part of a government or corporate hack, it’s for sale on the dark web.” “There’s a lot of personal data – credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, bank account numbers and passwords, even Netflix and Hulu passwords and other accounts to common entertainment services out there,” Hayes said. “People go, ‘I want to watch Netflix, but I don’t want to pay them $14 a month.’ So instead, it’s like $3 for a bunch of accounts. When one account stops working, they just move on to the next one. “You have people who aren’t subscribing and it’s costing companies revenue, and it can lead to much greater data losses through further searches of people’s passwords,” Hayes continued. According to Hayes, it’s called social engineering – a hacker sees you’re in the Detroit area, so they check to see if this password also works for your DTE account, Consumer’s Energy account, your Chase Bank account. They can figure these out because
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they have your data, with your birth date, Social Security number, possibly your physical address, and guess at the rest. Many people will use their children or dog’s name for passwords, so they start there. Once they hit on a successful password, they try it over and over again. “While someone thinks someone using their movie password isn’t doing them harm, if they have used their password for other accounts – which most people do – attackers can pivot over to those more sensitive accounts,” Hayes said. “The rest of their financial lives could be in jeopardy. “It’s one of the biggest problems out there, because we reuse our passwords. It’s a financial drain on everybody. That’s really what cyberattacks are about – they’re financial attacks.” Hacks and cyberattacks are a huge financial burden, and they are expected to continue to grow, with tremendous consequences. According to Juniper Research in June 2017, merchants are projected to lose up to $71 billion in card-not-present fraud over the next five years, with 80 percent of that fraud occurring in North America, the Far East and China. By any estimation, that’s a serious financial cost that everyone will end up bearing the burden for. “With all these breaches, there is so much data floating out there, and all these companies – banks, e-commerce sites – have to determine if it’s really you or someone else logging in,” said NuData Security’s Wilk. “We see so much data out there, it’s hard to trust it.” He noted that most of us use numerous devices, or change devices frequently. “Most people have three devices at any one time to log into an account,” he said. o combat fraud, they look at a person’s various devices, how they interact with those devices and how they connect with the internet. “They’re all unique aspects of who you are. By pulling all these different features, we’re able to build together a unique profile around how the user uses the device, and build a profile to determine you’re the one actually logging in versus someone else. It’s understanding the human user to help banks combat illicit use of stolen data.” He explained that often once a hacker has breached a site, data is sold, and then hackers test the use of the data against banks, stores and e-commerce sites to see how many times they can succeed with certain data. “These account takeover attempts are usually done first by non-human automation, testing this user name and password. If they can log into one site, maybe it’s worth $5; if they can log onto 10 sites, maybe (the data) is worth $25. These people are refining these breaches to your addresses, Social Security numbers, date of birth.” Law enforcement is generally aware of the
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dark web and the damages it is causing to the economy, but is usually playing catch up. “When it comes to the dark web, it is hot topic right now for anyone dealing with it. We’re in the early stages of (dealing) with it – as is everyone else,” acknowledged Michigan State Police D/F/Lt. James Ellis. “Law enforcement is often reactive instead of proactive.” ayne State University’s Hayes’ noted that law enforcement is getting a little bit past the tip, “but it’s an uphill battle. Every time they get close, they discover the ultimate culprit is overseas, even if the work is done here. They might have 99 percent of the information here, but if one percent of the key data is overseas...technology is so complex. If the server where the data is stored is overseas, it can takes months to get access.” Ellis said Michigan State Police is seeing trafficking of guns, drugs, credit cards, “you can get just about anything you want right now, because it’s the dark web, and not a lot of people know about it or use it. It’s mostly criminals using it. No one really knows how to track it or where to go, so you have that criminal element. When we do find cases, they’re international, not local, and that’s what makes it even harder. They’re cyber cases, ransomware, and in most cases they’re overseas, that’s what we run into and they know it. “They’ll often have valid names and sell blocks of credit cards,” Ellis continued. “Financial institutions use one kind of company that scours the dark web for information related to financial information and impropriety, employees’ names, their email addresses, and other information, because if they’re hacked, they’ll have key words identified to see how they got it, to track back to a particular data breach that occurred. But sometimes the information may be very old – (the hackers) are not always selling the data right away. They know that people are looking for it right away, so they might hold it for two or three years. If someone gets credit protection, it’s often for a year or two, and then they let it lapse. It’s like laying low, and waiting to move later.” Police chiefs in Birmingham, Bloomfield Township and Rochester all said they are seeing significantly more computer-related crime, notably fraud and identity theft, but they are not dealing with other aspects of the dark web directly, such as pornography, hacking, malware, drug and human trafficking. “We would refer it out if we saw it,” said Rochester Police Chief Steve Schettenhelm. So too, in Birmingham, although Chief Mark Clemence said that Cmdr. Chris Busen has received some specialized computer training, and they have a Birmingham police officer assigned to the FBI. “Anything
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computer-related, we send it to him and the FBI takes over and investigates. Our job is getting so technical and so many things have an internet component, and the dark web is a fast moving, growing component in criminal enterprise,” Clemence said. “We’re seeing more training in our computer division. From an investigative standpoint, investigating (computer) fraud, more than anything else, is the fastest growing crime, whether it’s on the local, state or federal level.” “I’m not aware of it impacting our police department at all, and I don’t know that much about it at all,” Bloomfield Township Police Chief Scott McCanham acknowledged. “I don’t have my head in the sand, but it hasn’t reached the level where Bloomfield Township has had to train for it.” He did say that the township police representative on the Oakland County Narcotics Task Force has been involved with drug trafficking. Timothy Plancon, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) for Michigan, Ohio and Kentucky, said they work drug cases on the dark web when they’re alerted to the activity, which could be through illicit activity, unexplained income, tips coming in, and through partnerships with fellow federal and local law enforcement. “People get on the dark web and order (drugs) and get it shipped wherever,” Plancon said. “No matter what country they’re in, they almost all originate outside of the country. We’re not talking kilogram quantities, although we have dealt with that, too. We work with shippers, postal carriers, delivery service workers – that’s how we sometimes get tips. “These are extremely dangerous drugs that can kill just by touching,” he said of what he referred to as narcoterrorism. “We’re talking fentanyl, carfentanyl, and other synthetic opioids, like U-47700 – some people call it Pink. They’re modifications of fentanyl and carfentanyl, which is an elephant tranquilizer. These are very potent opioids that translate to the equivalent of a few grains of salt, if you ingest or even just touch it, it can kill you. Sometimes just a speck of dust inhaled or touched, you can die. If it’s not packaged properly, so the dust or powder doesn’t get out, it can injure someone handling it. It’s dangerous for any mail carrier, UPS or FedEx worker. It’s dangerous for any law enforcement officer.” lancon stated he believes that a great deal of the country’s and notably Michigan, Ohio and Kentucy’s opioid crisis is being fueled by the dark web. “It hits every socioeconomic group, every cultural and religious group,” he said. “Because sitting at a computer, the dark web really fuels this opioid epidemic. I think the dark web really is the right name for it. It seems demonic almost.” Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard
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concurs, noting that in Oakland County they are seeing both drug trafficking and human trafficking, which their Special Investigations Unit (SIU) handles. “We know that a great deal of drug activity is coming via parcels, especially synthetics are coming from China,” Bouchard said. “They try to make the transactional activity anonymous through bitcoins. When they’re doing this heinous activity in the dark, which runs counter to what we want to do – we want to expose them to the sunlight.” Bouchard said he is seeing dark web activity growing and becoming a bigger threat in all aspects, including terrorist activity. “Folks there are not the most savory type,” he said wryly. “It’s like walking into the worst, worst part of town and being a tourist – like getting off at the wrong stop. We’re seeing everything and anything criminal, murder for hire, pornography. We saw the migration of pedophiles, and their techniques to avoid being caught, to trafficking, to actively exploiting without being caught. They can get into multiple states and multiple countries. The dark web has become a bartering tool for molestation.” “There’s a lot of crossover. Take human smuggling. Drugs are involved. Drugs and guns go together, and many terrorist groups are partially funded through drug trafficking,” Plancon said, who said the DEA collaborates with federal agencies such as the FBI, ATF, Homeland Security, U.S. Postal Service, U.S. Marshalls, and Secret Service, as well and Michigan State Police and Oakland County Sheriff’s Office. “There are some very bright people out there doing some very bad things.” Cmdr. Busen of the Birmingham Police Department said that their liaison with the FBI has dealt with child pornography issues through the dark web. “Most are coming from other countries,” he said, making it difficult to trace and to prosecute. “Fraud, meaning identity theft and credit card fraud, now go hand-in-hand. Right now it’s the greatest transfer of wealth from the west to the east in the history of the world, because of all the fraud going on in. It’s going back to the old country, with all this money going back to Russia.” Bouchard, who sits on national law enforcement and sheriff agencies, said that another where law enforcement sees abuses of the dark web is as a private and anonymous communications avenue for criminals and terrorists. “Isis has the ability to exchange encrypted information,” via What’sApp on the dark web, he said. “Terrorists and criminals are communicating in real time, in encryption that we cannot break, and law enforcement is falling behind the eight-ball.”
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Prestigious Pine Lake! 100’ of sandy lake front with scenic western views! Home is located on a secluded cul-de-sac in West Bloomfield with Bloomfield Hills schools. This 4,986 sf Upper Level with 1746 Lower Level living space, 4 Bedroom/6 Bath Luxury custom-built home has top of the line everything! This low maintenance home is an entertainer’s paradise. Enjoy incredible sunsets and make lasting memories with those you love. This exclusive home features an expansive great room, three terraces, two story windows, Chef’s Kitchen with top of the line appliances (3 dishwashers!), custom built-in cabinetry, custom built-in bar and wine storage pantry. This home is equipped with ADT Smart Home Security System with timers and programmable cameras as well as high energy efficiency with Rene Aire. You can live on the most extraordinary lake front property on Pine Lake! It was designed by renowned Architect Michael Willoughby and built by Templeton Building Company whose attention to detail was extraordinary. The Impressive Walnut entry door and exotic Canary wood flooring really make a statement. The stone entry opens up to breathtaking panoramic lake views from the expansive great room with two story windows and a contemporary gas/wood burning fireplace! The custom staircase leading to the upper level is a concept that was designed specifically to maintain the integrity of the homes design. It is absolutely gorgeous! The lower level is a recreational room with walkouts to 1 of 3 gorgeous Terraces which leads to the Lake! It is conveniently equipped with a full-size refrigerator, dishwasher and sink! You must see it! Enjoy the high quality aluminum dock for your boat or pontoon (or both!) or swim in the sandy lake frontage. The concrete seawall will assure low to no maintenance for years to come, the property and landscaping are very well maintained and manicured. This is the best on Pine Lake so be prepared to be impressed! This home is a must see and will not last!
FACES
Steve Forbes roves High School grad Steve Forbes is an aspiring funnyman who has been making people laugh since grade school, albeit not always on purpose. "I was always a goofy kid to start with, making light of dark situations in my family," Forbes said. "I liked stand-up and sketch comedy... I started in elementary school by doing shows and musicals. I got the starring role of P.T. Barnum in the fifth grade. It was also the hugest bomb – I forgot all my lines. Everyone laughed, and I started crying and ran off stage. A teacher cleaned me up and said, 'The show must go on.' After that I just kept going." Schticking with his passion, Forbes later got involved as a performer with the Michigan Renaissance Festival, street theater and children's theater, leading to work with Imagination Theater, a children’s theater in Troy, theater work at Oakland University, and Go Comedy! Theater in Ferndale. Forbes is also a trained puppeteer, having worked with Fantasy E-Fex puppets in Clarkston for nearly two decades. He paid bills doing voice and photo work for print, online and film, and bartending at Streetside Seafood in Birmingham. "I would get really nervous before a show, to the point where I would completely blow it. To take a stressful situation and use that to shine, and to dance for my food – it's hard," he said. "It's a gradual progression, and eventually you get over it." Today, Forbes is living in Los Angeles, where he's been working with a commercial agent while doing some stage shows and brushing up with classes at The Groundlings, the former home to generations of comedians, such as Will Ferrell, Kristen Wiig, Phil Hartman and others. In June, Forbes
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was a performing guest at Second City Hollywood, and he recently finished his first commercial spot with Panera Bread – although he was edited out before the commercial ran. "There are a million people out here that look exactly like me, trying to do the exact same thing. The only thing that really sets you apart from people is work ethic," he said. "That includes being an enjoyable person to be around for hours at a time. There's no place else like Michigan, and the midwest is where people learn that. Everyone here in L.A., be it in retail or whatever, everyone is looking to hire people from Detroit or the midwest. They know you'll work hard." Hard work and determination are what Forbes said helped to shape his performance experience in the Detroit area, which made it possible for him to move to Hollywood. From teaching inner-city school students about healthy eating and exercise through a traveling puppet show to playing the Easter Bunny at the local mall for a holiday show, Forbes' early work helped him thicken his skin. "I forged my suit of armor in Detroit," he said. "Nothing will train you like putting on a bunny suit and running around Somerset (Collection) with eight-year-olds shining laser pointers at you and chucking cookies and shit at you. Now it's just casting agents. "Now the stuff I did in Detroit doesn't count for anything. The casting agents didn't see me crash any shows at Go Comedy! I have to recreate those successes out here. But it prepares you for what you need to do. “Detroit is like boot camp, and boot camp isn't easy." Story: Kevin Elliott
PATROLLING KEEPING OAKLAND COUNTY
BY DAWN WOLFE WEIRAUCH AND KEVIN ELLIOTT
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ith about 400 lakes in Oakland County, it's not far down to paradise for Oakland County residents who love the water, but competing interests and tight budgets make balancing the needs of those waterways with the wants of the people that use them a challenging act. Rules and regulations tend to vary for each and every lake in the county, from who may access the water to what types of activities are permitted on each waterbody. Such rules are typically determined by local municipalities and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), based on a range of concerns that may include the size of the lake, the availability of public access to a lake, as well as concerns from property owners surrounding a lake, which could include privacy and nuisance issues or the health of a waterbody.
LOCAL LAKES RESIDENTS SAFE ON WATERWAYS
When it comes to keeping people safe on the lakes, that responsibility lies in the hands of the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, a handful of local law enforcement agencies, and three officers from Michigan's DNR who are primarily charged with looking out for fisheries violations but who are also fully-certified police officers with the power to write citations and carry out arrests. The sheriff's marine division maintains a fleet of 23 patrol boats, two rapid response jump-boats, a hovercraft, six all-terrain vehicles and four snowmobiles. The office also employes a dozen highlytrained dive and rescue team members who are equipped with the advanced technology dive gear, including Side-Scan Sonar and underwater remote operated drones. The marine division in 2013 devoted over 593 hours of search and rescue operations, 1,560 hours of contracted lake patrol operations and 2,713 hours of jump boat patrols.
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Lakes where activities such as waterskiing, jet skiing, motor boating, sailing, fishing, paddling and swimming are all allowed are considered "all-sports lakes," meaning there is virtually no limit on what can be done on the lake with a boat. Such lakes are typically several hundred acres or more, such as Cass Lake, which is 1,280 acres; Orchard Lake, 788 acres; Pontiac Lake, 640 acres; and Lake Orion, 506 acres. Smaller lakes may also allow for some recreational boat uses, but restrict motors to electric or paddle-powered vessels. Of the 55 lakes in Oakland County that are greater than 100 acres in size, 18 have public access sites that are owned or managed by the DNR, with 17 lakes less than 100 acres in size that have public access points. Nearly 40 of the DNR public access sites in Oakland County include access for boats, with seven of the sites limited to carry-down access for canoes, kayaks and carry-down vessels that don't require a ramp. Carry-down access is available at Pontiac Lake at Tackles Drive, which is about three miles north of Union Lake; Shoe Lake at the Bald Mountain Recreation Area in Lake Orion; Holdredge Lake at Holly Recreation Area; Alderman Lake and Moore Lake at Highland Recreation Area; and Chamberlain Lake and Hart Lake at Bald Mountain Recreation Area in Oakland Township.
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ome of the most trafficked public access sites maintained by the DNR in Oakland County include those on Orchard Lake; Union Lake; Oakland Lake in Waterford Township; Pontiac Lake; Middle Straights Lake; Wolverine Lake; White Lake; Lake Orion; Big Lake; Long Lake Crescent Lake; Maceday Lake and Loon Lake in Waterford Township; and Dodge Brothers State Park No. 4 at Cass Lake in Union Lake. The sheriff's office in 2016 issued 93 citations and 1,860 warnings while completing 1,316 safety inspections. The most common tickets are issued for no life vests on board (or not having enough life vests), no voter safety certificate, and violating slow/no wake zones, Oakland County Undersheriff Mike McCabe said. “We don't write a lot of tickets – our primary focus is just to ensure that everyone stays safe,” said Oakland County Undersheriff Mike McCabe. In other words, the sheriff's office isn't looking for opportunities to bust people who are enjoying a drink or two while they're on board. “Unlike motor vehicles, you're allowed to have and consume alcohol on a boat,” McCabe said, “but if you're going to drink to excess or intoxication, you better not be
driving or operating that boat.” Boat operators do need to be on notice, though, that the blood alcohol limit for driving a boat is the same for driving a car on land. “The standard used to be higher, but it was lowered three – four years ago,” McCabe explained. In 2016, there were a total of nine boat crashes, with only three crashes involving injuries, and six crashes leading only to damage to the boats involved. A total of six people sustained injuries. Sadly, five people drowned in county lakes, but no drownings were impact-crash related. “Residents and visitors can rest assured that they are safe on lakes in Oakland County,” McCabe said. Despite the assurance from the sheriff's office, McCabe recognized the marine division is limited by the amount of funding available to conduct lake patrols and related enforcement. Lake patrols conducted by the sheriff's office are funded by about $400,000 from the department's own budget, with about another $200,000 coming from state funding provided by the DNR. Communities that wish increased patrols outside of the department's budget may contract with the sheriff's office to pay for such patrols, or may choose to operate their own marine divisions through local police departments. "Prior to the 2008-2009 financial crisis, we spent roughly $1.2 million on marine patrols. But when the state budget cuts happened, one of the things we cut was marine patrols," said McCabe. "The sheriff looked at the priorities of the office in terms of the entire population, and a small percentage of people live on or use the lakes. "The bottom line is that we do the best we can with what we have," McCabe said. Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said any unfunded lake patrols would need to be subsidized by the department. "If we were to add hours to the marine division, we would have to take it from something else," he said. The problem isn't limited to the marine division. “We also don't have funding for general patrols [on land], Bouchard added. “The deputies you see on patrol in cars from Rochester Hills, for example, one hundred percent of that is paid for by Rochester Hills.” When it comes to the marine division, he said a large part of the budget crunch comes from the way the state distributes boating registration fees. “For every boat that's registered, we send 100 percent of the registration fee to Lansing – and the state decides in their infinite wisdom what to send back to us,” Bouchard said, adding his office receives 23 cents for each dollar in fees sent to Lansing, with the remainder distributed to other counties or to the DNR.
“The state argues that a lot of our residents take their boats Up North, so fine – give us 50 cents back for every dollar. That would double our grant from $200,000 to $400,000, and we could vastly increase the number of patrols we get on the lake," he said. "We have 450 lakes, and given that we get less than a quarter back of what we send to Lansing, it's impossible to have the presence on the lakes that we would like to have.” State Senator Mike Kowall, of White Lake, agreed, adding he is working with his colleagues to introduce a different formula for distributing boat registration fees that he hopes to introduce in the fall. “We're trying to get boat registration fees allocated according to where the most boats are registered – Oakland and Macomb counties – but right now those fees are spread equally throughout the state. It's not exactly fair,” Kowall said.
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welve municipal governments have contracts for patrols on lakes in their jurisdictions. Local governments pay the sheriff's office $33.63 per hour for a deputy with a boat, and an additional $22.14 per hour for a second deputy in the same boat and for special events, parties, fireworks, and after-sunset patrols. The sheriff's office currently holds contracts for patrols at: Cedar Island, in White Lake Township; Commerce Lake, in Commerce Township; Deer Lake, in Independence Township; Elizabeth Lake, in Waterford Township; Lakeville Lake, in Addison Township; Lower Straits Lake, in Commerce Township; Orchard Lake, in the City of Orchard Lake Village; Orion Lake, in Orion Township; Lake Sherwood, in Commerce Township; Sylvan Lake, in the City of Sylvan Lake; Upper Long Lake, in Bloomfield Township; Voorheis Lake, in Orion Township; Walled Lake, in Novi; Walnut Lake, in West Bloomfield; White Lake, in Highland Township; and Williams Lake, in Waterford Township. The contracts call for a set number of hours of patrols to take place over the entire course of the summer. The number of patrol hours vary, ranging from just 40 to 89 hours of patrols. McCabe said most contracted patrols take place on weekends and holidays – though most municipalities also request sporadic patrols on weekdays to surprise boaters who are used to weekend patrols. “Fifty percent of the [lake contracts] provide an exact schedule that we try to follow. Some do not provide a schedule because they don't want anyone knowing when the patrols will happen,” McCabe said. Local funding for contracted lake patrol
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activities often comes from the property owners surrounding the lake, such as the members of local lake improvement boards, which are typically formed to maintain the heath and quality of a lake. However, not all property owners are quick to fund public services on lakes they consider their own private waterbodies. Ronald Cousineau, with the Upper Long Lake Improvement Board in Bloomfield Township, said the township contracts with the sheriff's office with funding provided by lakefront property owners. However, he said only one of the 10 subdivisions with property along the lake were willing to pay for such services. Cousineau said that the issue comes down to a misunderstanding. “People say 'we don't want the sheriff, because he'll just issue tickets,'” Cousineau said. “But last year there were just four tickets and 350 warnings, and the warnings are educational – they are for things like not having enough life jackets, proper boat registrations, and keeping the boaters' paperwork up to date. “The sheriff's office goes around, points out things that aren't safe, and gives warnings. They're very friendly, cooperative and neighborly.” While some local governments contract with the sheriff's office, others patrol their own lakes. Police departments in Keego Harbor, the Village of Lake Orion, Walled Lake, Wolverine Lake, and Lake Angelus all have their own patrol boats. Wolverine Lake Village Police Chief John Ellsworth said while having their own marine unit doesn't preclude the sheriff's office from responding to a call on the lake, it does allow the village to maintain certain rules and ordinances that are specific to Wolverine Lake. "We like local control of our waterways, and we also have special rules for the lake that aren't normal for all lakes," he said. "For example, we don't allow high speed boating before 11 a.m. and after 7:30 p.m. There's also special nuances that we have on our lake that we want to keep local control of, such as no wake zones in some places and things of that nature."
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ime restrictions and special nowake zones, such as those at Wolverine Lake, are typical of rules and regulations that have been put into place through local ordinances. Such rules typically stem from residents' concern about noisy nuisance boaters or maintaining delicate aquatic habitats in a lake, and go beyond broader rules set by the Michigan DNR. The DNR doesn't usually work alone in making such decisions, particularly on lakes where it doesn't own much of the
surrounding land, said the DNR's Parks and Recreation Chief Ron Olson. Swimming, he said, isn't allowed at DNR public boat access sites, unless such point includes an adjacent public beach. As the main entity in the state responsible for providing public access to lakes, the DNR may also determine the amount of public boating access at a lake based on the size of the body of water, how many parking spots the DNR has been able to make available, and how many boats are ideal for that size of water, and the likely demand for boat access. “A lot of time the local township or county can promulgate ordinances to preclude the use of motors on a lake or river segment,” Olson said. “We don't regulate that completely, but we do have the ability to collaborate with local government to regulate the types of boats – a lot of that depends on the environment, too. When we don't own a lot of land on a lake, we can't control a lot of that.” While the day-to-day management of a lake's environmental issues are a matter for state regulators, municipalities, homeowners associations and lake boards, public access to Oakland County's lakes is another matter. Trying to arrange access to those public waters is part of responsibilities of the Michigan DNR, which sets aside about $300,000 annually to purchase land to set up public access sites for boating across the state. “We've bought a variety of land over the years on the lakes at different costs," Olson said. Olson said that his office has not used eminent domain to force the sale of land for public access to a lake. “It is possible, but we have a policy not to do that,” he said. “We have gone to court over things like zoning issues, but as far as eminent domain we have not used that that I'm aware of, certainly not in recent history.” Olson said the department usually targets new locations when they find locations where private owners decide to sell land with access to a lake. However, acquiring such land can be a challenge. “Mostly it's lake owner groups, which are pervasive around the state, who would prefer not to have a public access onto a lake if there's not one already,” he said. “They have a variety of concerns, most of which are unfounded, but it's something people react to very aggressively in a lot of cases. "It is a challenge to acquire and set up boating access on a public lake that does not have one. But again, it's public waters and one of our missions is to create access.” The intersection of public and private property rights meet at the shoreline, according to Sara Creque Thomas, a manager with the DNR's Fisheries Division stationed in Waterford. “There are very few lakes in Michigan that
are actually entirely private,” said Sara Thomas, a manager with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Fisheries Division, stationed in Waterford. “It's the access to land around that lake that may be private. For instance, many of the lakes in Oakland County are called 'private' because they are surrounded by private land ownership; however, if that body of water is connected to any other water body in the state, the water itself is actually considered part of the state's common resources, and the water is public. If you were to legally access that lake by water, you can be there and any legal activity on that lake must be permitted." Public boat launches and road endings that retain public property ownership all the way to a lake are two ways boaters can gain access to state waterbodies. "Boaters can use those areas to get their boats into and out of the water, but they can't leave their boats there," Olson said.
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ccessing a lake via a public access point, however, doesn't give boaters the right to, “just get out (of the boat) at someone's private property,” he added. Instead, boaters need to go back to the lake where they entered the water and get out at a public access point there. Lake access is also an issue that state Senator Kowall has attempted to tackle in the past. Kowall was key to the passage of Public Act 56 of 2012, which regulates the use of road ends that are used as public access points. Included in the law is a provision making it a misdemeanor to use road ends for placing boat hoists or docking systems. Kowall said he spearheaded PA 56 because “A lot of times, when roads deadended into a lake, people were putting their own docks in. … A lot of these access sites were turning into party areas where they would picnic and camp out and it got out of control. There wasn't a lot of that in Oakland County [but] we did have it in White Lake where there were road end access points that people were turning into parks – people were swimming and parking their boats there, and that's not what those access points were for.” Public access isn't just a struggle between people who live on a lake and the wider public from other areas. "A lot of turmoil between the front-lotters versus the back-lotters,” or people living directly on a lake and their neighbors whose property is nearby but doesn't adjoin the water," Kowall said. "People get very possessive about their land. I've seen situations where even kids cutting through an access point and swimming there, some neighbors will call the police or chase them out of there."
FACES
Ali McManus hen Ali McManus got her pink body cast off on her ninth birthday, after spending 67 days at Beaumont Hospital following hip surgery, her grandmother asked her, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” “A famous singer,” replied the now-20-year-old, who sang her first choir solo at Detroit Country Day School in third grade. McManus is well on her way, having signed a recording contract with Jack Douglas, who’s produced countless albums with such heavy hitters as John Lennon, The Who and Aerosmith. She just returned from her second trip in Los Angeles where Douglas’ studio is on the grounds of actor Johnny Depp’s estate in West Hollywood. An optimistic outlook, coming from a woman who was born three months premature at two pounds and seven ounces and had to undergo 11 surgeries for a rare bone disorder, scoliosis and osteoporosis. “I’ve experienced four near-death experiences. I am in constant pain, but I love everything about music, and my three minutes of no pain is when I perform or sing a song,” said McManus, who grew up in Bloomfield Hills. She was hospitalized at 13 for nine months in halo traction at Shriners Hospital for Children in St. Louis following spinal surgery. “I feel like there’s a reason that I’m still living. I believe that I need to share my music with people.” Not only did that surgery save her life, but it increased her lung capacity from below 19 percent to 30 percent, which is quite miraculous, given her singer/songwriter career path. Though McManus is still confined to a wheelchair, awaiting bone stability for another hip surgery, that hasn’t stopped the talented musician who learned to play the piano five years ago and the electric acoustic guitar two years ago. McManus credits John Antone and Joshua Bartolomeo from Axis Music Academy in Birmingham for her twicea-week combo lessons at her home. “Josh has really helped me a lot to improve my guitar skills and advance my chord structure. The crazy thing is, I can’t read music. I just do it by ear. And it’s been harder to learn guitar because I can’t look at the strings because my neck is fused, so I just use my sense of touch,” she said. In addition to her two L.A. recording trips, McManus recently returned from New York City for her album cover photo shoot and has recorded a music video in Detroit. She’s named her EP/CD and title song “Unbreakable,” which is due out in September. “I wrote ‘Unbreakable,’ because that’s how I live my life. Even though my bones are always breaking, that doesn’t mean that I’m broken. There will be hard times along the road, but nothing will stop me – even if someone tells me that I can’t do something.” McManus regularly plays concerts for the kids at Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit and is an Ambassador for the Children’s Miracle Network, Axis Music Foundation and Shriners Hospital for Children, along with others around the metro area. “I had to make a decision when I was at Shriners Hospital for nine months. I’d either be miserable and have an even worse time or make the best of it by being positive. That’s my mindset, and I always suggest people do the same.”
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Story: Julie Yolles
Photo: Laurie Tennent
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FACES Cort Johns ost filmmakers might consider earning a law degree to help further their artistic careers, but Birmingham Seaholm graduate Cort Johns takes a pragmatic approach to his craft. "I went to law school with hopes of being a better producer, in order to understand contracts, labor relations, copyright and trademark law. There are a lot of technical skills I needed to improve upon to navigate the world of art," said Johns, who partnered in founding Eden Road Pictures in Michigan after earning an entertainment law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy. "A movie product is like a sandcastle; it's very fragile, especially when it's just an idea. You have to apply the right care to manage the risk and finances of it to make sure the creative vision and artistic vision are maintained. You have to use all kinds of different gloves, from kid gloves to boxing gloves, to no gloves at all, sometimes." Prior to founding Eden Road in Michigan, Johns was a managing member of Galaxy Film Studios in Novi; and a founding member of Digitelio Film Development, which focuses on film and music production, and produced several short and feature-length movies. In 2015, Johns collaborated with his partners, Luke Jaden and Phil Wurtzel, at Eden Road to release "World Who Cried Boy," a short film starring Oscar-nominated Barkhad Abdi, of “Captain Phillips.” The short film was made, in part, to tour the film festival circuit and produce a possible feature film. The filmmakers also optioned FOX 2 News anchor/reporter Lee Thomas' 2007 book, "Turning White," for a movie, which is based on Thomas' condition that causes his skin to lose color. Johns' credits in the independent film projects typically focused on production and pre-production work, including writing – an area he got interested in while still in high school. While his undergraduate studies focused on anthropology and international business, he said he continued to study creative writing. Outside of his studies, Johns' interest included lacrosse and playing music in a couple of bands. The latter, he said, eventually helped to lead to his interest in film. "Having a background in music and playing in a rock band was a big part of it. There are so many analogous elements with filmmaking," he said. "Filmmaking is really a sound recording studio that happens to have cameras in it. Ears are really more of a primal sense. Sense of smell would be more primal than hearing, and the closest filmmakers can touch to that is nostalgia, and olfactory memory." Johns, who has lived in Los Angeles for the past three years, continues to work on independent projects outside his position as a studio liaison with Studio 71 in Beverly Hills. The company represents over 1,200 channels on YouTube, Facebook, Netflix, Seeso and other platforms, receiving more than 6 billion views per month. "Studio liaison is a vague term, but it's basically assisting producers for whatever needs coordinating. There are a lot of logistics behind the scenes," he said. "My group just wrapped a cool sci-fi video on YouTube Red with Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson as executive producer. "I'm always writing on my own and working on creative projects," he said, talking about some of the contrasts of his studio work and independent film projects. "It's interesting, going from a development role with just a handful of people, or even further back to just a blinking curser on a laptop."
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MUNICIPAL Old Woodward bid specifications revised By Lisa Brody
After bids to reconstruct Old Woodward in downtown Birmingham came in considerably higher than originally anticipated, city commissioners revised bidding documents at their meeting on Monday, July 10, in order for the city to prepare them for bids for the 2018 construction season. The planned road project will shut down the center of downtown Birmingham along Old Woodward from Willits to Brown, and Maple to Pierce 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 1890s. Birmingham Engineer Paul O’Meara previously told commissioners the project was necessary, “to address the old streetscape and to bring it into compliance; to address ADA issues; to remove existing brick sidewalk liabilities; remove double curbs; and to replace the old underlying infrastructure.” Besides improvements, a center median will be added to Old Woodward, but commissioners said it will be smaller than the medians on N. Old Woodward between Oak and Willits in order to allow larger trucks better access in the downtown area. The road project had been planned for this construction season, but Birmingham had budgeted $3.3 million for this phase of reconstruction of Old Woodward, with Maple planned for 2019, and S. Old Woodward from Brown to Elm in 2021. The bids received in spring 2017 were for $6.8 million on the low side, and $10 million on the higher side, so commissioners postponed the project until spring 2018. On July 10, O’Meara said they were looking for clear direction from the commission in the hopes of getting more bidders. Commissioners streamlined the choices for contractors, choosing the city’s standard streetscape design and concrete street design they have downtownpublications.com
Township tax bill updates save money loomfield Township Treasurer Brian Kepes introduced updates to the township’s summer tax bills that he noted will save money while reaffirming the three percent penalty for late payment of taxes, at the board of trustees meeting on Monday, June 26. Kepes, who was elected to the treasurer’s job in November 2016, began his treasurer’s update at the meeting by saying that, “As a CPA, and curious by nature, I’ve asked lots of questions.” He introduced members of the treasurer’s office, and said he has spent months learning the department, with some changes and updates on the summer’s tax bills, mailed July 1, reflecting those changes. He noted that some are in small details. “In the past we had threecolor bills. We changed it to two-color,” he said, showing the change on a screen. By using the supplier’s number-10 envelope, instead of an envelope printed with the township’s return address, the township will save $500. With all of the small changes, he told trustees, savings came to about $3,000 a year. “In the past, we sent out paid receipts to everyone who paid by mail. In reality, your cashed checks are receipts. Now, we’re asking people to check a box if they even want a receipt, and we’ll send one, or they can go on our website and can click if they want one,” Kepes explained, noting that will come to approximately $7,000 a year in savings. He said they will also begin charging $30 for checks returned for insufficient funds. For taxpayers who pay by credit card, he said they are decreasing the credit card fee from three percent to 2.75 percent. Kepes did reaffirm the three percent penalty on late payment of property taxes, for those paid after February 14 but before March 1 each year, when the township turns delinquent taxes over to Oakland County. Winter taxes are billed on December 1 annually. He said, however, there is a category of residents who can request a deferment of their summer taxes until February, with township approval. He said those are for households earning less than $45,000 a year; those 65 years of age or older; an eligible service member, widower, or veteran; or a hemophiliac, paraplegic or quadriplegic. Trustees voted 7-0 to accept Kepes’ treasurer’s report and changes.
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installed on Hamilton, Pierce and Merrill streets, for an estimated cost of $4.4 million, versus $6.5 million for a version that included buff washed sidewalks, concrete streets with brick pavers and turn lanes, and granite tree wells. They also chose, for a considerable savings, to go with the same Hadco standard Birmingham street lights versus the installation of a Selux brand, a more modern version. Commissioners did support a separate electrical system from the plans, per the request of the Birmingham Shopping District, which would allow for electrical and promotional options in the future during daylight hours. Currently, lights and electricity turn off during daylight hours. Cost was estimated at approximately $232,500. There would also be the addition of eight charging stations for electric vehicles, benches and other amenities.
In discussing the choices and costs, mayor Mark Nickita said, “Conceptually, the 2016 Plan did not look at Old Woodward as a place – there was no distinction that wanted to pull it out as a Main Street. Downtown was a place with four corners. It’s the collection of streets that make the grid. The 2016 Plan calls for it to be a unified place. That helps us decide how we choose materials, streetscapes, lights, decisions. I think pulling Old Woodward out would be a deviation. I think we keep the same light posts, everything.” Commissioners agreed, voting 7-0.
Parking included in master plan work The Birmingham Planning Board has agreed that various aspects of parking should be examined for the
DOWNTOWN
request for qualifications (RFQ) as the city moves forward with a new master plan process. At their meeting on Wednesday, July 12, the planning board looked at whether to include parking issues in the upcoming master plan during a study session, and concluded that it is a significant issue both now and looking forward. “To me, the biggest issue is the perceived problem with parking in downtown (Birmingham),” said planning board chairman Scott Clein. “We currently allow anything besides parking in the neighborhoods...I thought the 2016 (Master Plan) wanted to increase residential in downtown, which hasn’t happened, other than multi-million dollar apartments and condos.” Birmingham Planner Matt Baka told planning board members he anticipates this would deal with all aspects of parking in the city, from encroachment into the neighborhoods, shared parking, standards for parking, parking needs, demand pricing, valets and other issues. “If you want to continue with the parking assessment district, you have to provide more free parking,” said board member Bryan Williams. “The parking assessment district unfavorably favors commercial development,” as there are no parking requirements for building constructed in the district for retail or commercial space, only for residential units. “We should also review the parking standards outside the parking assessment district because those questions come up relative to the costs of development,” said board member Robin Boyle. “Should we talk about how inexpensive our parking rates are?” asked board member Janelle Boyce. “We should focus on the need for other structures and ideas for how to pay for them,” Clein said. “We’ve never spent a penny of public money on parking,” Williams asserted. “I cannot think of a project that we (planning board) have turned down because of a lack of parking,” noted board member Gillian Lazar, pointing out there are three large upcoming new buildings on the horizon in the downtown area. “We have to have a vision.” Board members agreed that parking needs a full assessment. 65
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Plans to repurpose church as office By Lisa Brody
Birmingham developer Sam Surnow, along with Birmingham architect Victor Saroki, had a preliminary application discussion with the Birmingham Planning Board on Wednesday, June 28, regarding plans to repurpose the former First Church of Christ, Scientist into office space, rather than demolishing it and building residential so it would conform to current zoning. The First Church of Christ, Scientist, sold the building to The Surnow Company in mid-2015, and moved out in November 2016, after 90 years at 191 N. Chester in Birmingham. The site is zoned TZ-1, for residential only. However, Birmingham attorney Rick Rattner, representing Surnow, told the planning board, “We’re very excited to present this because we’re not going to rip down something and build something new,” noting the classic Greek Revival-style architecture church is very cut up inside, with several levels, allowing the developer to, “meld it with creative design and repurpose it as an office building.” The Surnow Company has a tradition of repurposing classic buildings, Rattner said, noting the former Birmingham Post Office on Martin Street, which through renovation and creative design is now a multi-use office building. “It fulfills all of the goals of a downtown area – it’s a landmark,” he said. Surnow told the planning board that after acquiring the property in mid-2015, they looked at different possibilities for the site, including residential. “This was unfeasible to turn it into a home for somebody, or apartments,” he said. “This building had the longest tenancy in Birmingham, for 90 years. We want to preserve and keep the building,” noting their company’s track record. While they could tear the building down and put in four to five units in a new residential building, he said, “The feedback we got (from neighbors), while it’s not on the historic registry, it’s historically significant. We think this is the best and most creative use for the property.” “There are six levels inside with minimal windows, so it really doesn’t work for residential,” Saroki said. “We could knock it down and build five units, but that’s not our goal. It’s downtownpublications.com
preservation,” he said, noting the church was built in 1927, with two small additions, one in 1960, the other in 1972, with about 17,000 square feet. “The building is extremely wellmaintained,” Saroki said, “which is another reason to preserve it.” Saroki presented preliminary plans that included a drive along Willits Street leading to an enclosed parking lot with 12 spaces for office users. A new wall would be built at the property line, but the sidewalk would be constructed lower to connect with the city’s sidewalk. Inside, Saroki said he has identified an area to add an elevator and other modifications for ADA-compliance. “There’s a flat roof in back, which would be a nice area for an outdoor roof patio,” he said. He assured the planning board the exterior architecture would remain the same. “It has an office building next to it, an office building across from it, and it’s in the parking assessment district,” said planning member Bert Koscek. “It’s a beautiful building I’d like to see preserved. I’d be in favor of it. “Whatever we do, let’s have Mr. Currier (city attorney Tim Currier) sign off (on the zoning change) before we get started,” noted planning member Bryan Williams.
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Raises approved for Birmingham workers In an annual review, at their meeting on Monday, July 10, Birmingham city commissioners unanimously approved a twopercent raise for all full- and parttime employees in the city, effective July 1, 2017. The annual review came as a recommendation from the city’s Human Resources department, which requested approval of a two percent salary table adjustment and in-range adjustment, based upon performance, for all full-time and part-time employees in the department head and administrative/management classifications. The raise, which was approved by a vote of 7-0, is retroactive to July 1. Commissioners also unanimously approved a resolution approving a two-percent performance increment through June 30, 2018, with individual eligibility to be considered in accordance with merit increase guidelines. DOWNTOWN
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5 Bedrooms | 4.2 Bathrooms | 5,266 Sq. Ft. | $1, 249,000
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Exquisite residence situated on a picturesque cul-de-sac in Troy\s upscale Bailey\s Vineyard Sub. Bloomfield Hills Schools. First floor master retreat, 4 fireplaces, magnificent walk-out lower level, gorgeous pool & with every possible amenity!
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625 WIMBLETON | BIRMINGHAM
391 N. CRANBROOK | BLOOMFIELD HILLS
4 Bedrooms | 2.1 Bathrooms | 2,587 Sq. Ft. | $759,999
4 Bedrooms | 3.1 Bathrooms | 3,322 Sq. Ft. | $749,900
Curb appeal galore and lush grounds invite you into this designer decorated center entrance colonial in Poppleton Park, a highly desirable family neighborhood just a 5 minute walk to downtown Birmingham.
This stately tudor was the original home of Village developer Judson Bradway. Proudly situated at N. Cranbrook,Covington and Bradway this residence welcomes all to prestigious Bloomfield Village.
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210 S. Old Woodward | Suite 200 | Birmingham, MI | 48009 | 248.590.0800
Bloomfield Hills
Masterpiece 604 Barrington Park | Bloomfield Hills Situated within one of the most prestigious gated communities in Bloomfield Hills, La Marco Homes has designed and built a showcase home with innovative and stylish interiors, luxurious amenities and a floor plan perfectly suited for modern living. The property lies on 1.5 secluded acres and features a Downsview kitchen, dramatic two-story light filled great room, 1000 sq.ft. master suite, 12 seater dining room, homework/office center,living room,flex room,4 further en suite bedrooms and a 4 car garage. Amenities include a stunning fireplace, DuChateau oak flooring, Wolf and Sub Zero appliances and Urban Electric lighting. La Marco has gained a reputation for building homes that have stunning architecture and interior designs and that are constructed using the very best material and trades available. The builder and architect recently won both Detroit Home and NABA Best of American Living Awards for properties completed last year.
5 Bedrooms | 4.2 Bathrooms | 5,616 Sq. Ft.
ERIN KEATING DEWALD 248.259.3544 mobile 248.590.0800 office erin@erinkdewald.com erinkdewald.com
210 S. Old Woodward | Suite 200 Birmingham, MI | 48009
TREAT YOURSELF TO THE BEST.
LOGAN WERT REALTOR 248.320.1142 LOGAN@LOGANSELLS.COM LOGANSELLS.COM
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4 Bedrooms | 4.2 Bathrooms | 4,580 Sq. Ft. | Sale Pending!
4 Bedrooms | 4.1 Bathrooms | 4,180 Sq. Ft. | $1,345,000
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2179 COACH WAY | %/220),(/' +,//6
363 CATALPA | %,50,1*+$0
5 Bedrooms | 4.1 Bathrooms | 4,235 Sq. Ft. | $1,150,000
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LOGAN WERT, realtor 248.320.1142 | Logan@logansells.com | LoganSells.com 210 S. Old Woodward | Suite 200 | Birmingham, MI | 48009 | 248.590.0800
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1748 PIERCE STREET | BIRMINGHAM
1563 LAKESIDE | BIRMINGHAM
4 Bedrooms | 4.1 Bathrooms | 2,787 Sq. Ft. | $725,000
Vacant Land | 0.31 Acres | Apprx. 125 x 85 | $400,000
Seller says â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bring an Offer!â&#x20AC;? Get settled before school starts in the Fall in this beautiful, bright Colonial on one of Birmingham\s most sought-after streets! Freshly painted and ready for new owners!
Huge Price Reduction! Seller is motivated. Build your dream home on this .31 acre lot in Quarton Lakes Estates walking distance to schools, parks, restaurants, and just minutes from Somerset, expressways, and all that Downtown Birmingham has to offer!
LUCINE TARMAN 248.275.8944 mobile 248.282.0965 eFax lucine@lucinetarman.com lucinetarman.com
210 S. Old Woodward | Suite 200 | Birmingham, MI | 48009 | 248.590.0800
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Emagine owners can change name By Lisa Brody
fter months of discussions and delays due to the applicants not complying with Birmingham ordinance regulations, Birmingham city commissioners approved a special land use permit and final site plan for Emagine Palladium Theatre and Four Story Burger at their meeting on Monday, June 26. The Emagine Palladium Theatre and restaurant are owned by Paul Glantz and Jonathon Goldstein. The owners had changed the restaurant menu and name, from Ironwood Grill to Four Story Burger, in December 2016, without applying for a special land use (SLUP) amendment or final site plan review, as is required by ordinance. Planning director Jana Ecker had informed commissioners at previous meetings that the owners and management were informed as far back as September that they would need to submit plans and SLUP amendment changes in order to be able to proceed. At a commission meeting in March, Goldstein claimed to not be familiar with Birmingham, or Birmingham ordinance requirements. Glantz had come before the commission in 2015 when the theater and restaurant received its original approvals. The issue regarding non-compliance with the city’s SLUP ordinance came to commissioner’s attention at their meeting on February 27, when commissioners renewed all of the Birmingham Class B, Class C, and microbrewery liquor licenses for 2017, other than for Four Story Burger in the Palladium Emagine Theatre, at 250 N. Old Woodward, for failing to file for a special land use permit for changing the establishment's name and menu, and set up a public hearing to consider its renewal for March 13. However, after a lengthy discussion with Jonathon Goldstein, who was combative with the commission regarding the city’s ordinances and the process, during the March 13 public hearing, commissioners requested that the city’s planning board review a completed site plan packet and special land use permit change request, which was held on March 22, before commissioners renewed the liquor license. Commissioners renewed the establishment’s liquor license on March 27. The public hearing to consider an amendment to the original special land use permit and final site plan to permit the establishment to change the name of the restaurant was still necessary, and scheduled for April 13, along with a public hearing to consider terminating the special land use permit for noncompliance on May 8. Commissioners had been repeatedly perturbed that owners Paul Glantz and Jonathon Goldstein did not made themselves available to the commission, sending substitutes in their stead. On May 8, Goldstein said he could make any and all decisions for the duo, but commissioners did not feel comfortable with only one of the partners in attendance. On June 26, Glantz told commissioners, “I want to profusely apologize to this commission. It was not my intention to disrespect this community or commission for the missteps. I am responsible. I have a majority interest,” noting he has 65 percent interest in the ownership, with Goldstein owning 35 percent. “This is a dialogue we’ve been having for many months. We are a busy city; we have a lot of activity, building, development and approvals in the city of Birmingham,” said mayor Mark Nickita. “With that comes the adherence to order and process. If that doesn’t happen, it’s a problem. We’ve had a concern with that, and we’ve wanted to talk with the owners, the leadership. Everyone is treated equally. It has to be adhered to, or we have real issues.” “I surely recognize that at this point in time,” Glantz said. “There was no effort to flaunt this. You have my 100 percent promise to adhere to the promise going forward.” He said the crux of the problem was the previous restaurant, Ironwood Grill, wasn’t working, with the wrong food mix and too large a venue, and they relied on design professionals Ron & Roman, rather than legal professionals or themselves, to take care of permits or amending of the SLUP. Goldstein acknowledged that in March he had gotten involved, coming to commission and planning meetings. “We thought it was on track, and it wasn’t. I thought the meetings went smoothly.” “I beg to differ – none of the meetings have gone smoothly,” noted commissioner Stuart Sherman, explaining they have been looking for an amendment to the SLUP, a necessity for all liquor licenses when there is any kind of a change in the establishment. “It’s a contract between the owners and all our residents, and we expect it to be upheld. “We want you to be successful,” Sherman continued. “If there is a problem, we want to be able to go in before there is a problem at any other establishment.”
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Site visit needed to review DTE request A request by DTE Energy to relocate overhead electrical wires and electrical poles for a proposed fourstory mixed-use building on N. Old Woodward in Birmingham left city commissioners on Monday, July 10, confused by DTE’s plans, where the poles would be moved to, which and how many trees would need to be removed, with the commissioners determining a site visit was a necessity before making any decision on the easement request. DTE Energy had requested the easement for overhead energy lines which would necessitate moving an energy pole from one side of the Rouge River to the other behind the proposed site at 856 N. Old Woodward, south of Oak, known as the “hole in the ground,” where the former Carrie Lee Chinese restaurant once stood. Developer Frank Simon received final site plan approval from the city’s planning board for a fourstory mixed-use building with two levels of underground parking, which will consist of first floor retail and three stories of high-end apartments. City engineer Paul O’Meara told commissioners that the “Property’s had its difficulties. It’s had flood plains, and it does have electrical wires through it that need to be moved. We’ve been working with DTE and the developer.” An electrical pole currently sits in a flood plain on the property, in the construction zone. DTE sought to move it to an adjacent property on Woodward. Joe Jacunski, a manager with DTE, said, “The pole cannot remain, even though it is not in direct conflict with the building, it would not be in code compliance.” Planner Jana Ecker explained, “You can’t build the building as it’s designed because the pole supports the north/south electrical line heading into downtown. Many different options were explored. We have looked at every possible option for months. Ultimately, this pole has to be moved, and (other) poles have to be relocated across the river, to the back (of the new Art Van building) at 35975 Woodward in what will be their parking area. There will need to be some loss of trees.” Jacunski said, “If you take out the pole, or if a tree falls, you take out
power for a day or so to this whole north area of Birmingham. She said there had been discussion about burying the lines, which would alleviate lines running over Douglas Cleaners at the corner, but there would be a greater loss of trees. Commissioners did not have a clear picture of how many trees would be lost to the easement, and commissioner Patty Bordman recommended that they tour the property and “have someone knowledgeable show us every tree that will be removed. The map and the whole proposal is very confusing.” Mayor Mark Nickita concurred. “It’s the city’s land, and we need to do our due diligence. I’m an architect, and I draw plans every day, and I can barely understand what’s going on with these plans. That’s why we need a site visit. This drawing is completely inadequate for what we need to do.” He noted the tour would be open to the public, and would be noticed as a regular commission meeting. Commissioners took no action pending information from the site visit.
Crime stable in Bloomfield Township The crime rate remained fairly stable in 2016 in Bloomfield Township, and for the second year in a row, the township was rated as one of the safest communities in Michigan, trustees were informed at their meeting on Monday, July 10, when the Police Department annual report was presented. Prepared by former chief Geof Gaudard, it was presented by officer Kelly Marthen, who said that, with 42,112 residents, the departments 66 sworn officers handled 22,575 calls in 2016. He said the township is divided into three patrol districts to provide quickest response times. Traffic violations were the largest area officers dealt with. “We are noticing a little bit of increase in crimes against persons, which are showing up as larceny from automobiles,” Marthen said, particularly in thefts from unlocked vehicles. The investigations division, which is tasked with identifying, targeting, arresting and successfully prosecuting
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criminal activity in the township was assigned 1,454 cases, and closed 1,324 of those cases. There were no murders or carjackings in 2016, and there was one kidnapping. There were seven criminal sexual conduct incidents, up from five the previous year. There were 135 assaults, compared to 101 in 2015. In both 2015 and 2016, there were three robberies and 62 home invasions. There were 13 stolen vehicles, versus 14 in 2015. In 2016, there were 344 incidents of larceny or retail fraud, against 311 in 2015, and 402 incidents of fraud and identity theft, up from 336 in 2015. Drug violations decreased, from 150 in 2015 to 137 in 2017, while weapons charges increased from 11 to 18.
Planners wade into issue of retail mix By Lisa Brody
The Birmingham Planning Board was tasked by the city commission to come up with a definition of personal
downtownpublications.com
services as it relates to first floor retail space in the redline retail area in downtown Birmingham, and they held a study session on Wednesday, July 12, to refine the definition. The definition of retail in first floor space has been deemed a high priority item by the city commission after several locations have been leased as “quasi-commercial,” referring to ad agencies, marketing firms, real estate companies and web design firms, among others, that say they “could” do work for individuals, but are really commercial companies. In a memo, city manager Joe Valentine noted that the current ordinance permits commercial uses as a category of personal services. “Over the past 10 years, roughly 46 businesses have occupied first floor spaces in the redline retail area under the undefined category of personal services. To assist city staff in the administration of the zoning ordinance and to clarify the intent of the personal services category, a policy directive was given to the planning board to promptly address this issue,” Valentine
wrote in his memo. “This directive was intended to establish a temporary relief measure while the planning board continues to study the definition of retail as part of its action list that was adopted in July of 2016.” Many planning board members were concerned that any recommendation they made would not be temporary, but permanent, with board chair Scott Clein acknowledging that could be. “This is a solution until the (new) master plan is done, and I thought the master plan was going to be done two years ago,” he said. While no vote was taken as it was a study session, board member Bryan Williams said he did not like the revised list, which spelled out that personal services would be for providing services involving the care of a person or apparel, but would not include business services, medical, dental, or mental health services. “I don’t like the list, and I don’t support the list,” Williams said. “I’d like a broader suggestion that would activate the streets. I think it’s a useless list even though it provides
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clarification. Personal services by definition doesn’t allow some of the uses that have been permitted.” “The question is do we agree with the care of the person. I think it’s services for a person,” board member Stuart Jeffares said. “We need a broader list. I guarantee it will be outdated by Day 2.” “The building official would make the determination,” Clein said. Richard Huddleston, representative for Birmingham Place, told board members, “I think you’re going to go down a very spaghetti-filled path.” “I don’t care what a city official wants,” said building owner Richard Sharer. “I want money. It will be extremely damaging to landlords.” “I walk by first floor offices, and you see papers and lunches – is that what you want to see in your town?” asked Cheryl Daskas, owner of Birmingham store Tender. “What offices do in the first floor is stop walkability. There are retailers, and there are good retailers (out there).” Planning director Jana Ecker read their compromised definition as:
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“Personal Services: An establishment that is open to the public engaged primarily in providing services involving the care of a person or apparel, including but not limited to: beauty and barber shops, nail care or skin salon services, other personal grooming services, laundry services, dry cleaning, shoe or clothing repair; but does not include business-tobusiness services, medical, dental and/or mental health services.” Board members were comfortable with that definition, and set a public hearing for their meeting on Wednesday, August 9.
Planning board to review bistro rules By Lisa Brody
Birmingham’s planning board on Wednesday, July 12, determined it is time to review the city’s bistro ordinance, which was enacted in 2007 as a tool to revitalize the downtown area, and will look at everything from outdoor dining expansion, utilizing parking spaces, rooftop dining, enclosures of outdoor spaces, as well as possibly changing building code requirements and having a different set of requirements for proposed bistros in the city’s Rail District. At a study session at their meeting on July 12, city planner Matt Baka said city commissioners were talking about having the planning board take a fresh look at the city’s bistro ordinance and what are the problems with it, from bistros that are enclosing outdoor patios with Eisenglass, demands upon the city’s street parking and parking
structures, the expansion of outdoor dining into areas normally used for parking, and the great number of outside dining capacity, which has caused new concerns, including greater demands on things like restrooms. The bistro ordinance was developed as an economic development tool in 2007 to invigorate the downtown streets, create walkability and vitality, and to enhance the retail component of the city at a time when the downtown area was suffering from vacancies, the city sought to create greater vibrancy and an option to The Somerset Collection. At the time there was a shortage of Class C liquor licenses, which were selling for $750,000 upwards. Per the ordinance, a bistro can have no more than 65 seats, with up to 10 at the bar; outdoor seating in front to enliven the walkability of the streetscape; window glazing of at least 70 percent, with windows that open up to the outdoors, to bring the outdoors in; a full kitchen; and more food than bar business, among other requirements. “Fifteen years ago, we were begging people to put out two tables,” noted planning director Jana Ecker. “I don’t think we had any idea 15 years ago that a lot of these sites would be so disproportionately large, based on outdoor dining,” said board member Bryan Williams. “We have 65 inside and 100 outside. I’m focused on the 65. It’s not what we contemplated. We did not envision how they would compete (with Class C licenses) with outdoor dining.” “But according to recently published
Bloomfield Hills fills school board position ollowing an opening after Bloomfield Hills Board of Education President Ingrid Day resigned from the board at its June 16 meeting, the board has appointed Jason Paulateer. following an open call in the community for applications. District spokesperson Shira Good said Paulateer was involved in the district's Master Property Planning process and has been involved in the community through Cub Scouts, Volleyball Boosters, Leadership Oakland, and many others activities.“ He has also participated in the Institute for Healing Racism, which is part of the Bloomfield Hills Schools mission to create a more equitable
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data, they’ve held their value despite the bistros,” board member Robin Boyle pointed out. Board member Janelle Boyce said that the board should discuss how a bistro may be different in the city’s Rail District, and may have different requirements, and board members concurred. Board members also said they should confront the issue of Eisenglass, the plastic wrap which encloses many patios for year-round dining. They also said they would look at the pros and cons of rooftop dining. The planning board will hold more discussions at future meetings.
FEMA hazard plan approved by township First approved in 2011, Bloomfield Township trustees approved the final draft of an updated Hazard Mitigation Plan for Bloomfield Township at their meeting on Monday, July 10. Engineering and environmental services director Olivia Olsztyn-Budry presented the township’s plan, which she said is an updated version of the 2011 Bloomfield Township FEMAapproved Hazard Mitigation Plan. The 2011 plan was prepared using the guidelines outlined in the FEMA Multi-Hazard Mitigation Planning Guidance. Surveys had been distributed among staff who deal with planning and hazard response, and a meeting held, to determine major hazards that could impact the township. “Information from the Oakland County Hazard Mitigation Plan, which
and inclusive learning environment for all students and their families,” Good said. Paulateer was sworn in as a board member on Friday, July 14. "I am pleased to work with Mr. Paulateer in this capacity," said Dr. Robert Glass, superintendent for Bloomfield Hills Schools. "I have had the pleasure of working with him on other occasions and know he will be an excellent representative for our school community. He is passionate about education and has excellent experience serving on boards. He is a current board member of Communities First Inc. of Flint, Develop Detroit, Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion, and Gleaners Community Food Bank, to name just a few." Paulateer said a board member’s
the township was involved in the preparation of, members of township staff, members of the public, and other interested parties, was used for preparation of this plan. Bloomfield Township was active in the preparation of the Oakland County Hazard Mitigation Plan and much of the information related to Oakland County as a whole also pertains to Bloomfield Township. However, Bloomfield Township has specific concerns related to flooding which are incorporated into this plan,” Hubbell Roth & Clark wrote in the plan. Olsztyn-Budry said the township had received grant funding in 2010 for the original plan, and it has to be updated every five years. They received additional grant funding in 2016 from Michigan State Police to update it, with Michigan State Police approving the new plan in May, and FEMA approving it on June 15. “The FEMA project plan is the starting point,” she said. She said the entire plan will be posted on the township website for 30 days, and after that, trustees will look at it during their August 14 meeting, when she hopes they will adopt it. The plan evaluates 29 different hazards, including flooding, fire hazards, hazmat incidents, infrastructure failures, petroleum and gas pipeline accidents, severe weather incidents, transportation accidents, among other hazards, and looks to how the community can provide focus for its mitigation activities and resources. “We’ll consider it and look at what kind of comments we get, and look at it again on August 14,” said supervisor Leo Savoie.
responsibility includes “hiring and managing the performance of a high performing superintendent to carry out the vision as adopted by the board and informed by the community that placed them there. The board should provide financial oversight and approve budgets that enhance educational outcomes while maintaining sustainability. Both the board and superintendent are responsible for bringing along other stakeholders to the table in support of the school district." Day had been a member of the board for 10 years. “My reason for stepping away from the board is fairly straightforward,” Day said. “My husband retired at the beginning of the year, and after some discussion – and knowing how much we love our place up north – we decided to make a permanent move.”
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275 S. Old Woodward Downtown Birmingham
455 Aspen Birmingham $1,399,900
Wonderful newer build home designed by Ron Rea, with a spacious open floor plan and soaring two story living room with fireplace. Gorgeous eat-in kitchen includes large island, premium appls, and custom cabinetry. Spectacular master suite. Finished basement. 4 car garage.
495 Stoneridge Bloomfield Hills $1,199,900
Updated Chestnut Run Colonial at the end of the cul-de-sac on a beautiful .77 acre lot. Gorgeous newer kitchen. Master suite with remodeled bath and a large WIC. Finished walk out lower level. Pool. 4 car garage.
4307 Creedmore Commerce Twp $797,000
Gorgeous lakefront home on all sports Commerce Lake. Three bedroom, three full bath colonial built in 2006. Lake views throughout the home. First floor laundry. 3 car side entry garage. Trex deck and paver patio. Western exposure with sunset views.
3045 S. Westview Ct Bloomfield Hills $450,000
Spacious home on a beautiful cul-de-sac lot of almost one acre in Bloomfield. Remodeled kitchen with granite counters, hardwood floors and SS appls. Heated Florida room overlooking backyard. Four bedrooms upstairs. Lower level includes laundry, office or 5th bedroom, huge family room and a patio right outside. 2 car attached side entrance garage. New driveway 2016.
590 Riverside Birmingham $449,900
Unique opportunity for land purchase in a secluded detached condo development. Tucked away site yet just blocks away from town. Lot price only.
6865 Halyard Bloomfield Hills $379,900
Wonderfully remodeled ranch on over a 1/2 acre lot with Birmingham Schools. White kitchen with granite counters. 3 spacious bedrooms, 2 full baths - both remodeled. New carpet, freshly painted. Dimensional shingle roof. Central air. First floor laundry. 2 car side entry garage w/ direct access. Association playground, pavilion, and sandy beach on Meadow Lake.
731 Coolidge Birmingham $254,999
Updated brick bungalow in the Pembrook Manor sub. Beautiful updates including a gorgeous new kitchen and two new full baths including a master bath up. Two car detached garage. Living room with fireplace.
235 Barden Bloomfield Hills $235,000
3 bedroom condo located in a great neighborhood in the city of Bloomfield Hills. Spacious second floor unit. Newer kitchen with granite counters. 2 car garage. Laundry in unit. Updated baths.
FACES
Richard Bernstein or Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein, "working from home" typically means walking around Birmingham while he talks on the phone and memorizes case files for the week's schedule. "The great thing about my job is that I take the same route, the same footsteps and path, so I try to do as much work as I can by phone, and I walk at the same time," Bernstein said during a Tuesday afternoon phone interview. "When you have a lot of severe pain, when you walk, it helps to mitigate it â&#x20AC;&#x201C; I'm actually out walking right now. I walk for eight or nine hours while I get my work done. It might be a little bit dangerous, but I feel I've memorized all the footsteps. I know every crevice." Bernstein, a longtime Birmingham resident, has suffered from chronic pain since 2012, when the left side of his body was essentially shattered when a cyclist crashed into him in New York City's Central Park. The injuries left him hospitalized for 10 weeks, and with intense pain to this day. In response, Bernstein filed suit against the city in an effort to force officials to address the dangers cyclists and traffic have on pedestrians in the park. "I didn't settle the case, but I think it ended perfect," he said. "They are doing more aggressive enforcement of the speed limit, they have resurfaced the road that encompasses the park and segregated bicyclists from pedestrians, and they have removed the traffic. You still have accidents and issues that will happen, but it's better than it was." Changes in Central Park, Bernstein said, have helped him find meaning to the accident. "If I can find some sense of purpose in circumstances that happen throughout life, I think it allows you to work through it and navigate a little better," he said.
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Just as his walks help to ease the pain from the accident, Bernstein uses the time to navigate his own court cases. Blind since birth, more than two dozen cases are read to him, word by word, allowing him to memorize each in their entirety. "As a blind person, you have to work differently," he said. "Imagine you have 26 cases every Wednesday, and you have to review the records of the trial court. You can't use Braille because Braille isn't effective... I memorize all of it. Twenty six cases. I know those cases start to finish and front to back." The process is the same method Bernstein said he used to work his way through law school. The process was so difficult, Bernstein said he would pray for strength each day to get through the next day, vowing to his creator he would represent disabled persons without access to the legal system should he finish school and pass the bar. Despite the psychological struggle and physical pain, Bernstein continues to push himself both as a member of the highest court, and in his personal running activities, which include completing an Ironman competition, a halfIronman, and running 20 full marathons, including three since the accident. This November, Bernstein plans on running in his 12th New York City Marathon. "For me, it's critical that I work through the pain because it gives me power and keeps the momentum going so I can keep doing other things I need to do," Bernstein said of his reason for running. "I refuse to give up." Story: Kevin Elliott
SATURDAY 7 1 0 2 , 2 1 T S U AUG . M . P 0 0 : 5 12:00 Michigan-Based Food & Drink Tastings Light Entertainment & Music Family-Friendly Children’s Activities • Family friendly event in the streets surrounding The Community House • Food tastings from area restaurants, local vendors and producers • Drink tastings from local breweries, wineries and distilleries • Light entertainment and children’s activities • For more information or to purchase wristbands, call 248.644.5832 or visit communityhouse.com • Wristband cost: Adult presale $25, Adult at door $30, Child (3-12) $5
Sponsors:
JU ST LIS TE D
248.763.2223 | simpastato@hallandhunter.com 248.425.3778 | mbess@hallandhunter.com
JU ST LIS TE D
Sal Impastato & Mark L. Bess
Birmingham | 1116 Washington Boulevard | $725,000
Birmingham | 1155 Wakefield Street | $569,000
Perfect condo alternative only 5 blocks from downtown! This “Green Home” was completely remodeled in 2015 with quality features and finishes throughout. New family room and white cook’s kitchen. Master with Carrera marble bath. 2.5-car garage.
Renovated and remodeled colonial sitting on generous, professionally landscaped lot in desirable neighborhood. Granite/stainless kitchen opens to generous family room. Updates include finished basement, newer roof and windows. 4-season sun room.
1,782 SF | 3 BR | 2 Full Baths | MLS# 217060711
2,355 SF | 3 BR | 2 Full, 1 Half Baths | MLS# 217057945
GREAT PRICE REDUCTION!
4,832 Total SF | 4 BR | 3 Full, 2 Half Baths | MLS# 217052542
UNDER CONTRACT
BIRMINGHAM 271-273 Euclid Avenue | $799,500
442 S. Old Woodward | Birmingham, MI 48009
Fabulous opportunity to purchase one of the finest remaining undeveloped lots in Quarton Lake Estates. A rare, oversized lot – approximately 0.39 acres – located on an elevated section. The ideal build site for a true multimillion dollar showpiece!
Bloomfield | 7201 Bingham Road | $699,000 Spectacular mid-century modern walkout ranch renovated to perfection. Spacious rooms, walls of glass and vaulted ceilings. Great room opens to all-new kitchen with access to new 1300 SF deck. Incredible walkout LL with 4th bedroom & much more!
BUILD SITE Birmingham 1465 Fairfax Street $799,500
TROY 6643 Forest Park | $449,000
Profit from Our Experience
Lot Dimensions: 124’ x 140’ x 124’ x 140’
Ginny Fisher REALTORÂŽ 248.593.0518 gfisher@hallandhunter.com
Impeccable Home in the Heart of Town
Birmingham | 682 Wallace Street | $1,250,000 esigned for gracious family living and elegant entertaining, this gorgeous Tringali-designed/Derocher-built home is situated in the heart of Birmingham. Showcasing great style and impeccable attention to detail, the home boasts 9â&#x20AC;&#x2122; ceilings, hardwood through main floor, beautiful extensive crown and base moldings and a dramatic staircase. The elegant island kitchen/gathering room has custom Downsview cabinets, spacious walk-in pantry and premium appliaces. Convenient 1st floor laundry and home office, as well as an oversized closet. The beautiful spacious master suite is highlighted by an expansive tray ceiling, wonderful window detailing, spa-like bath with jetted tub and oversized shower, and an amazing walk-in closet! The lower level is finished to the quality of upper floors and features a full bath and great storage. Attached garage and lovely rear garden area plus much more. True move-in perfection!
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3,457 SF | 3 BR | 3 Full, 2 Half Baths | MLS# 217025988
For more information, visit GinnyFisherHomes.com Hall & Hunter Realtors | 442 S. Old Woodward Ave. | Birmingham, MI 48009
Frank Flynn, Associate Broker Julie Flynn, REALTOR® 248.835.4150 fflynn@hallandhunter.com 248.835.4222 jflynn@HallandHunter.com
CITY OF BLOOMFIELD HILLS
BIRMINGHAM
1780 Hammond Court | $5,500,000
820 Puritan Avenue, | $1,795,000
Modern masterpiece with 1500 SF guest house graciously set on 2+ private acres on the shores of beautiful Vhay Lake.
Exceptional curved English colonial restored and expanded in 2016. Set on premier half-acre parcel in Quarton Lake Estates.
12,953 Total SF | 5 BR | 6.3 Baths | MLS# 216097494
6,042 Total SF | 4 BR | 4.1 Baths | MLS# 217037871
CITY OF BLOOMFIELD HILLS
BLOOMFIELD
292 Chestnut Circle | $899,900
2774 Eastways Road | $450,000
Gracious Chestnut Hills colonial on 3/4-acre setting offers beautiful nature views. Walkout lower level. 3-car garage.
Classic 3000 SF Colonial with outstanding great room addition overlooking wooded, lush landscape & peaceful nature views.
5,624 Total SF | 4 BR | 3.2 Baths | MLS# 217045738
3,037 SF | 4 BR | 2.1 Baths | MLS# 217045910
For more information, visit HallandHunter.com Hall & Hunter Realtors | 442 S. Old Woodward Ave. | Birmingham, MI 48009
Lynn Baker, Associate Broker Deby Gannes, REALTOR® 248.379.3000 LBaker@HallandHunter.com 248.379.3003 DGannes@HallandHunter.com NEW PRICE
OAKLAND TOWNSHIP 3185 Saint James Court | $1,199,999 Superbly appointed Moceri-built & Tringali-designed home on premium wooded, .64 acre cul-de-sac lot backing to conservation area. Finished LL. Impeccable! 5,486 SF | 4 BR | 4.2 Baths | MLS# 217031065
OAKLAND TOWNSHIP 2820 Plum Creek Drive | $739,900
NEW LISTING
OAKLAND TOWNSHIP 5142 Stonehenge Drive | $544,900
OAKLAND TOWNSHIP 3638 Nesting Ridge Drive | $699,900
A true oasis backing to woods, the Clinton River & Spectacular updated home on private ½ acre wooded conservation area. Every upgrade imaginable! 1700 SF lot backing to conservation area. Finished walkout th walkout LL. Glass walled deck jettisons out into woods. lower level with family room & 4 BR. Move right in! 5,188 Total SF | 4 BR | 3.1 Baths | MLS# 217035441
5,801 Total SF | 6 BR | 4.1 Baths | MLS# 217059657
NEW PRICE
NEW LISTING
BEVERLY HILLS VILLAGE 32635 Old Post Road | $375,900
OAKLAND TOWNSHIP 5490 Great Fosters Drive | $809,900
Custom-built home maintained to perfection with the Lovely colonial on larger treed lot in beautiful, mature Exceptional home on spectacular nearly 3-acre wooded finest custom details & craftsmanship. Finished daylight neighborhood within walking distance to Lincoln Hills. lot at end of cul-de-sac Numerous updates! Finished LL LL. Fabulous yard with small pond & built-in gas grill. Incredible “bones” ready for updates. Birmingham schools. with theater. Incredible grounds with pool/pool house. 3,923 SF | 5 BR | 4.2 Baths | MLS# 217037726
NEW LISTING
2,341 SF | 4 BR | 2.1 Baths | MLS# 217061840
3,758 SF | 4 BR | 2.2 Baths | MLS# 217062282
NEW PRICE
NEW PRICE
BLOOMFIELD 937 Mitchell Court | $1,399,900
OAKLAND TOWNSHIP 5760 Murfield | $699,900
OAKLAND TOWNSHIP 3461 Moceri Court | $849,900
Gorgeous Nantucket-style colonial set at end of a culde-sac for utmost privacy. Great room with floor-toceiling windows overlooking lovely yard. 3-car garage.
Impeccably maintained Moceri-built Hills of Oakland former Homerama show house backing to common area. Every upgrade imaginable! Finished walkout LL.
Private cul-de-sac setting with incredible treed yard & perennial gardens, featured on Rochester Garden Walk. Oversized kitchen. Beautifully finished walkout LL.
4,345 SF | 4 BR | 4.2 Baths | MLS# 217061835
6,347 SF | 4 BR | 4.2 Baths | MLS# 217061135
6,595 Total SF | 4 BR | 3.3 Baths | MLS# 217047797
LynnAndDeby.com |
Lynn and Deby - Hall & Hunter Realtors
Hall & Hunter Realtors | 442 S. Old Woodward Ave. | Birmingham, MI 48009
442 South Old Woodward Avenue Birmingham, Michigan 48009
248.644.3500 Amy Zimmer, Associate Broker Tiffany Glime, REALTOR
Lynda Schrenk
®
REALTOR®
248.469.6430 azimmer@hallandhunter.com
248.760.6026
248.930.5656
lschrenk@hallandhunter.com
Birmingham | 264 George Street | $1,100,000
tglime@hallandhunter.com
Bloomfield Village | 2707 Endsleigh Drive | $1,375,000 2707endsleigh.epropertysites.com
Sophisticated townhouse on Barnum Park within walking distance to town. Interiors by Jeffrey King. Gourmet center island kitchen opens to family room. Baths with custom tile work, cabinetry & sinks. Open floor plan, crown moldings, custom designed iron hand railings throughout. Custom designed patio with pergola. Belgium block driveway. Turn key!
Sophisticated, chic and renovated to perfection! This stately residence blending stylish beauty and comfort is truly not your typical Village home. Gourmet kitchen, filled with specialty features, is an entertainer’s delight! Extensive molding and architectural detailing. Wonderful corner lot.
2,416 SF | 4 Bedrooms | 4 Full, 1 Half Baths | MLS# 217022446
4,329 SF | 5 Bedrooms | 4 Full, 1 Half Baths | | MLS# 217037778
Bloomfield Hills 21 Kingsley Manor | $519,000 21kingsley.epropertysites.com Serene end-unit ranch with courtyard entry and first-floor master suite. Expansive rear deck (2012) with views of tree-lined berm. Flowing floor plan with numerous updates. 2,677 SF | 2 Bedrooms | 2 Full, 1 Half Baths MLS# 217038846
NEW TO MARKET
Birmingham | 366 W. Brown Street, Unit #2 | $799,000 Completely renovated downtown condo boasts an open floor plan filled with sophisticated urban flair and attention to detail. Gourmet kitchen with Thermador stainless appliances. New library with wood cabinetry. Espresso wood floors & recessed lighting. Master bath with Carrera marble. Finished basement with wine room. New courtyard patio. 2-car garage. 2,033 SF | 3 Bedrooms | 2 Full, 1 Half Baths | MLS# 217018762
Royal Oak 1203 Cloverdale Dr. | $220,000 1203cloverdale.epropertysites.com Delightful updated Vinsetta Park bungalow. Expansive deck in fenced yard with flowering trees. Hardwood floors. Spacious upper level master. Space to build garage. 1,116 SF | 3 Bedrooms | 1 Bath MLS# 217054515
For more information, visit HallandHunter.com Hall & Hunter Realtors | 442 S. Old Woodward Ave. | Birmingham, MI 48009
BUSINESS MATTERS 70 years for Harp’s This August marks 70 years for Birmingham’s Harp’s Lingerie, 265 S. Old Woodward, which was first opened by Betty and Elouis Harp on Chene Street in Detroit. The store relocated over the years, first to Hamtramck, then to Ferndale, Warren and finally to Birmingham, always fitting women of all sizes with the finest lingerie. Betty – fondly known as “Mrs. Harp” to generations of shoppers – worked until two days before she passed away in 2010 at 94 years of age, and the shop remains “in the family,” owned by her three sons, Tom and Doug Hardy and Dr. Lewis Harp, and continues to be run by her granddaughters, Lisa Hardy Hamill and Kimberly Hardy Hickson, and former daughter-in-law Jan Karcho, who adhere to Mrs. Harp’s mantra, “Make a woman feel good about herself.” Harp’s is known for its excellent service, and specializes in fitting bras, carrying a wide range of sizes, from 30A to 54N, girdles and beautiful lingerie.
New sushi joint Experienced sushi chef Lee Yang has opened his first Michigan sushi restaurant in Birmingham, Ly Sushi at 768 N. Old Woodward, next to Carl Sterr By Design. The small location, which is open Monday through Saturday for lunch and dinner, has a few tables for seating and is available for carry out, offers sushi, Thai, and Vietnamese pho food. Yang said he will be offering teriyaki dishes soon, as well. This is not his first foray in owning a sushi restaurant. “I used to have a restaurant in California, seven or eight years ago,” he said. He came to Michigan a year ago, and worked at Tomo Korean & Japanese Cuisine on Big Beaver in Troy until opening Ly Sushi. Besides sushi, Yang said specialties include Asian fries, Asian chicken wings, and taco sushi.
Under new management BABS Salon & Wellness Spa, 1077 S. Worth Street, Birmingham, was recently renovated after close friends Vivian Pickard and Bernadette Blanchard, an experienced stylist, purchased the salon, hiring and adding stylist Bashar Kallabat, formerly of Bashar Salon in Birmingham, and Natalya Ostapenko, who recently closed Renaissance Spa in Bloomfield Township, as on-site partners. BABS offers hair, makeup, nails, skin care and massage in an elegant and relaxing environment, downtownpublications.com
anticipating that BABS will become an oasis for guests by creating beautifully appointed private suites for each guest service. “Our aestheticians and massage therapists are well known in the community,” said Pickard, who retired as president of the GM Foundation. “They are experts in their craft and have established a loyal following as a result. We’re so blessed to have them here at BABS.”
New bridal offerings Custom dressmaker Theresa Charow has moved her store Shapes from Royal Oak to downtown Birmingham, opening at 223 S. Old Woodward, for brides looking for a custom wedding gown, as well as evening gowns, prom dresses, and other special occasion designer original clothing. Charow said that Shapes has been in business for 20 years, winning awards for her original and unique designs. She earned a degree from Wayne State University in fashion design and fashion merchandising, and has put both to good use as a dressmaker. As a fashion designer, Charnow has the ability to create a design from concept, through pattern making, to its material sourcing, and then sewing the execution of the finished garment. She is perceptive about design elements and balance, and on top of all of fashion’s latest trends. Experienced as a fashion designer, her expertise really shines as a custom bridal dressmaker, and with her new Birmingham boutique, she said she is excited to design for the local market.
Financial office opens Private wealth advisor Chris Balcerowiak of Ameriprise Financial Services recently moved his office to a new location, to 39533 Woodward Avenue, Suite 150, in Bloomfield Hills. As a private wealth advisor, Balcerowiak provides financial advice that is anchored in a solid understanding of client needs and expectations, and provided in one-onone relationships with his clients. Ameriprise Financial Services has a network of 10,000 financial advisors and outstanding asset management, advisory and insurance capabilities around the country.
ReMax Eclipse expands Levan Wood has opened his third ReMax Eclipse real estate office at 4190 Telegraph Road, just south of Long Lake, in Bloomfield Township. Wood said he has two other ReMax Eclipse offices, one in Madison Heights and one in Waterford, with
the Bloomfield Township one in partnership with Motto Mortgage First to assist buyers in financing their home. “I’ve been in the real estate business since 2006, and I’ve been a broker since 2010,” Wood said. The new office has four sales associates and three loan officers, and he said they are looking to grow, to add more associates and loan officers. But the best part of opening the new office for Wood is, “I’m a 10-year resident of Bloomfield Township, so I’m glad to have an office where I live. That’s been the goal all along.” ReMax Eclipse is part of ReMax of Southeastern Michigan, with 50 offices in Oakland, Macomb, Wayne and Monroe counties.
Esquire moves out The two Birmingham locations of Esquire Cleaners in Birmingham, at 794 N. Old Woodward and 608 S. Old Woodward, were both closed as of June 1, after having been acquired in the not to distant past. The two cleaner locations were closed because the rent was too high for the area, manager Rema Kurin said. She is also the manager of Fresh & Clean Dry Cleaners at 17620 W. Thirteen Mile Road in Beverly Hills.
Second women’s shop Jill Oleski started selling fashionable women’s clothing 15 years ago by doing boutiques at charity shows. She developed such a following, six years ago she opened Just Girls on The Boardwalk in West Bloomfield. But her “ladies” begged for more, and this summer she opened her second Just Girls, next to Bill’s Restaurant at Bloomfield Crossings at 39558 Woodward at Long Lake in Bloomfield Hills. “A lot of my clientele doesn’t want to go to West Bloomfield,” Oleski said. “Bloomfield Hills is also an easier access point for many of our clientele who are in Rochester, Clarkston and Grosse Pointe. It’s a great location. It just seems right for us.” Their unique contemporary apparel, which runs the gamut from casual to business casual to dressy lines, are a fit for all ages of today’s active women. Oleski said their largest line is Sympli out of British Columbia, of which they’re the fifth largest retailer. “It’s great travel wear. It’s a wardrobe builder – the colors match from year-to-year, so you can update your wardrobe pretty inexpensively. People come from all over for this line.” She notes they’re also referred to as “leggings central,” with all sorts of seamless wear that will pair great this fall with sweaters.
DOWNTOWN
“We’re getting lots of easy looks for fall,” she said. “Lots of merchandise is coming in now.” Oleski said she continues to do charity show boutiques. “It’s my way of giving back.”
Thai carry out For those looking for a convenient place to bring in dinner, Delicious Thai opened May 29 at 3615 W. Maple Road in Bloomfield Township, in the same plaza as Plum Market. Cher Lor said it is a family-run endeavor, with everyone from his parents, himself, and his two brothers working to make the carryout location a success. “It’s our first restaurant,” he said. His parents emigrated from Thailand, so all the recipes are authentic. Lor said the menu is pretty comprehensive, with everything from noodle dishes, rice dishes and curry items. “Our entree dishes include curry with bamboo, gangai, and pad pak with brown sauce,” he said. Open daily for lunch and dinner, they also offer the unique flavors of Thai Ice Tea and Thai Ice Coffee.
Moving on Despite a huge “Going Out of Business Sale” sign in their front window, the owners of Fratelli Leather, 303 E. Maple, Birmingham, insist they’re not closing, but just moving the location of their store. Fratelli, owned by Kasha and Richard Kowal, has carried leather apparel, shoes, purses, briefcases, luggage, fur and accessories for men and women, from labels that have included Valentino, Carbotti, Franko Armondi and Laura Biagotti, as well as its own in-house label, Fratelli. The Birmingham storefront, which opened in October 2015, was one of 30 Fratelli locations in Europe. Kasha Kowall said, “We’re not closing. We’re moving the location. I don’t know where yet, and I don’t know when the Birmingham store will close.”
Furniture store closes Ligne Roset, a collection of contemporary, high-end furniture and complementary home and decorative accessories, has closed its store at 255 S. Old Woodward in downtown Birmingham. Business Matters for the Birmingham Bloomfield area are reported by Kevin Elliott. Send items for consideration to KevinElliott@downtownpublications.com. Items should be received three weeks prior to publication.
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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. The complete Places To Eat is available at downtownpublications.com and in an optimized format for your smart phone (downtownpublications.com/mobile), where you can actually map out locations and automatically dial a restaurant from our Places To Eat.
BIG ROCK CHOPHOUSE CELEBRATES 20 YEARS! Big Rock Chophouse will be turning 20 in August and we’re celebrating all month long. Stop by to enjoy weekly dinner and happy hour specials. We’ll also be featuring the following anniversary promotion: Receive a complimentary $20 gift card for every $100 spent in August.*
Birmingham/Bloomfield
*Some restrictions apply. Only one card can be used at a time.
20TH ANNIVERSARY TASTING TOUR FEATURING KLINKER BRICK WINERY Tuesday, August 8, 2017 | 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Special $20 ticket cost in honor of our anniversary. Tickets are inclusive of tax and tip. Attendees will receive a 20% discount bonus to dine at Big Rock following the tasting. Some restrictions apply. Reservations required as space is limited. Call 248.647.7774 or visit bigrockchophouse.com for more details. Executive Chef Gabby Milton • Executive Pastry Chef Eric Voigt 245 S. Eton St., Birmingham • 248.647.7774 • bigrockchophouse.com
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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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. Cafe Via: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 310 East Maple Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.644.8800. 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.
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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, 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, MondaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 735 Forest Avenue, Birmingham 48009. 248.258.9400. Four Story Burger: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 290 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009. 248.385.0506. 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. 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.
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154 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.593.9707. Also 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. Mitchell’s Fish Market: Seafood. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 117 Willits Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.646.3663. Mountain King: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 469 South Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.644.2913. Nippon Sushi Bar: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2079 S. Telegraph, Bloomfield Township, 48302. 248.481.9581. Nosh & Rye: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 39495 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.646.7923. 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. Polpetta Meatball Cafe: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 126 S. Old Woodward, Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.9007. 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 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 &
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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 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. Sweet Tree Family Restaurant: Middle Eastern/American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 42757 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Township, 48302. 248.481.7767. 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 Bird & The Bread: Brasserie. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 210 S. Old Woodard, Birmingham, 48009. 248.203.6600. 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, Monday-Saturday. 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. 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, TuesdaySaturday. 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. 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.
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608 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.544.7900. 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. Ganbei Chinese Restaurant and Bar: Chinese. Lunch, Monday-Saturday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 227 S. Main St, Rochester, 48307. 248.266.6687. 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.
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Liquor. Somerset Collection, 2850 Coolidge Hwy, Troy, 48084. 248.637.6400. The Meeting House: American. Weekend Brunch. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 301 S. Main St, Rochester, 48307. 248.759.4825. Miguelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cantina: Mexican. Lunch, Monday-Friday. 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. Mortonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, The Steakhouse: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 888 W. Big Beaver Rd, Troy, 48084. 248.404.9845. NM CafĂŠ: 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 CafĂŠ: Thai. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. 3303 Rochester Rd., Troy, 48085. 248.524.1944. P.F. Changâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s China Bistro: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. Somerset Collection, 2801 W. Big Beaver Rd., Troy, 48084. 248.816.8000. Rochester Chop House: Steak & Seafood. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 306 S. Main St., Rochester, 48307. 248.651.2266. Ruthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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. Tre Monti Ristorante: Italian. Lunch, Thursdays. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 1695 E. Big Beaver Road, Troy, 48083. 248.680.1100.
Sundays thru October 29th 9 a.m. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2 p.m.
Located on N. Old Woodward across from Booth Park Ea[`a_Yf%?jgof Hjg\m[] ;]jlaĂ&#x161;]\ Gj_Yfa[ Hjg\m[] Fresh Prepared Foods â&#x20AC;˘ Garden Plants & Flowers Live Entertainment â&#x20AC;˘ Kids Zone
West Bloomfield/Southfield
CORN FESTIVAL - August 13 9/17 Harvest Festival
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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. Mariaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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. The Lark: American. Dinner, Tuesday-
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Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 6430 Farmington Rd, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.661.4466. Mene Sushi: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & Wine. 6239 Orchard Lake Rd, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.538.7081. Meriwetherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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. Spositaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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. Sweet Lorraineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CafĂŠ & Bar: American. Weekend Breakfast. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 29101 Greenfield Rd., Southfield, 48076. 248.559.5985. Yotsuba: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 7365 Orchard Lake Rd, West Bloomfield, 48322. 248.737.8282.
West Oakland Gravity Bar & Grill: Mediterranean. Monday â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 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 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 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 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Friday, Lunch & Dinner, Saturday â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 18 S. Main St., Clarkston, 48346. 248.625.5660
Detroit Angelina Italian Bistro: Italian. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor.
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B 1565 Broadway St., Detroit, 48226. 313.962.1355. Antietam: French. Sunday Brunch. Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 1428 Gratiot Ave., Detroit, 48207. 313.782.4378. 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, TuesdaySaturday. 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, MondaySaturday. 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. Roma Café: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 3401 Riopelle St., Detroit, 48207.
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313.831.5940. Russell Street Deli: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. 2465 Russell St, Detroit, 48207. 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, Monday-Friday. Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 519 East Jefferson Ave., Detroit, 48226. 313.964.4010. Top of the Pontch: American. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservation. Liquor. 2 Washington Blvd, Detroit, 48226. 313.782.4313. 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 (TCH) is pleased to bring back our fifth annual Bates Street Block Party (formerly known as Farm to Table) on Saturday, August 12th (12-5 p.m.). The Community House will block off the streets surrounding TCH so that attendees can stroll around the event enjoying local chefs’ delicious tastings, food vendors, and wine, beer and spirits, many of whose ingredients are locally grown and made in Michigan. Our younger attendees will also have the opportunity to participate in family-friendly, fun activities as well. Join us to celebrate summer and enjoy a taste of the town. Great Chefs & Vendors at Bates Street Block Party: Attendees will savor fabulous chefs’ delights from great area restaurants such as Birmingham’s own The Bird & The Bread. This year’s event will also feature quite a few new restaurants and vendors – adding new interest for patrons who’ve enjoyed the event in the past. Don’t go away hungry, taste samples and help support local Michigan businesses by purchasing delicious Michigan-made treats from vendors such as Whole Foods Market, The Italian Cooks, Gus & Grey, Sweet G’s Cookies, Motor City Pops and many more. Attendees can also sample Michigan-made brews, Zim’s Vodka cocktails and other specially Bill Seklar created libations. Join in the Fun/Meet Your Neighbors: Bring your family to our Bates Street Block Party and be part of celebrating our community. Tickets are $25 in advance for adults and $5 for children 12 & under. At the door, tickets are $30 for adults and $5 for children 12 & under. Children 3 & under are free. Tickets include unlimited delicious tastings and three beverage sample tickets. Register at: communityhouse.com or call 248.644.5832. Get your tickets early. Bates Street Block Party takes place rain or shine!
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Thank you to our contributing sponsors: Special thanks to the Birmingham Shopping District, our exclusive 2017 Community Sponsor; along with our Gold Sponsor Bank of Ann Arbor – Birmingham Branch; and Media Sponsors Downtown Publications and Hour Detroit. Other TCH Happenings: Save the Date for other exciting special events this fall, including the 30th anniversary of the Birmingham House Tour on Thursday, September 14, from 9:30am-3:30pm. Be sure to also come view outstanding Michigan artists as they show and sell their works of art at the OUR TOWN Art Show & Sale – October 20 through 22, with our Opening Night Party on Thursday, October 19. A portion of all art sales benefit The Community House.
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Calling all actors! Another fantastic Sara Smith Youth Theatre production – “Legally Blonde, Jr.,” will be presented on Saturday, November 11 and Sunday, November 12. Auditions are Saturday, September 9, 10am or noon. RSVP is requested at 248.644.5832. 21st Century Leaders Program is back. The popular 21st Century Leaders Program returns in October with approximately 50 seventh and eighth graders nominated from 20 different schools in and around Birmingham. The focus of the unique program is to foster 21st century leadership at a young age. With an updated curriculum and new director, Natalie Frakes, the program is offered at no cost to the students regardless of their ability to pay. Special thanks to our 2017 sponsors, especially our Presenting Sponsor the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan and its Youth Advisory Council.
Lynn Wiand Senior Residential Loan Officer P: 248.918.5964 | C: 248.228.4805 F: 248.918.5792 | NMLS ID: 394920 lwiand@ibcp.com
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For more information about The Community House, please contact us at communityhouse.com or at 248.644.5832. William D. Seklar is President & CEO of The Community House in Birmingham. downtownpublications.com
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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.
Suite Dreams Project Hats Off Luncheon
Sally Gerak
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1. Kimberly Adamski (left) of Troy and Dr. Madeline Turner of Rochester. 2. David King (center) of Birmingham, Kay Ponicall (left) and Kris Appleby of Bloomfield. 3. Patty Ghesquiere (left) and Bonnie Foley of Bloomfield. 4. Diana Johnson (left) of Hilton Head, SC, Bonnie Foley of Bloomfield. 5. Judie Sherman (center) with Ali (left) and Julie McManus of Bloomfield. 6. Paula Carson (left) of Rochester, Renee Godin of Farmington Hills, Rhonda Walker. 7. Theresa Putsch (left) of Bloomfield and Marilyn Stroh (left) of Plymouth and Barb Lerner of Clarkston and Denise Bianchini of Birmingham. 8. Dr. Janet Koprince (left) of Bloomfield, David C. McKnight of Northville, Kathleen Reid of Rochester. 9. Sandy Braun, Jennifer Braun-Lanhoff and Eva Olagul of Rochester. 10. Lynn Sikorski (left) of Rochester, Susan Forbes-Dicker of Troy.
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1. Deb Rosenthal of Franklin, Marlo Scott of Birmingham, Jessica Kwartowitz of Huntington Woods. 2. Larry & Andi Wolfe of Bloomfield. 3. Carole (left) & Larry Miller of Bloomfield, Nicole Miller of W. Bloomfield. 4. Alison Oleshanski (left) of Birmingham, Kristen Gross of Franklin. 5. Brooklyn Nicole (left) of Royal Oak, Tony Roko of Plymouth, Erik & Andrea Morganroth of Birmingham. 6. Francee Ford (left) and Shelby Taub of Bloomfield. 7. Diana Robinson (left) and Jeff Roth of Bloomfield, Mitchell Rosen and Lisa Zeskind of W. Bloomfield.
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Suite Dreams Project Hats Off Luncheon From the first sip of pink bubbly (in a split with a pink straw) to the Hat Crawl guests’ exit with huge, hot pink balloons, the 16th annual Hats Off Luncheon was a dreamy, Sweet/Suite Sixteen production at the Townsend. During the reception the sold-out crowd (400 @ $150, $200-patron) oohed and aahed each others’ hats and bought all of the 1,000 chance auction raffle tickets. The luncheon program emceed by Rhonda Walker had highlights. Ali MacManus, a songwriter/singer who was born prematurely with multiple birth defects and has survived 11 major surgeries, got a standing ovation when she sang her composition “Breaking Free.” David King evoked emotions when he spoke about the rewards of doing a room for Ella, a sage, 11year-old cancer surgery patient. Decoration chair David C. McKnight got attention for the raffle prize drawing by saying, “When a guy in a pink sequined jacket wants to talk, shut up.” Best Hat title went to Reneé Godin. Most Creative title went to Karen Rutkowski. Some 100 guests prolonged the festivities by bar hopping to the Triple Nickel, The Bird and the Bread and Bella Piatti for special drinks and a raffle prize. The balloons they toted turned heads. Generous sponsors enabled the annual happening to raise more than $100,000 to create special environments for seriously ill children.
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ORT and the City Eastern Market’s Shed Five is a great choice for a casual party like ORT’s spring fundraiser, which traditionally offers silent auction items with an artsy twist. This year, the offerings were 19 identical chairs reinvented by artists. Lisa Spindler’s “Phoenix Rising” was the most dramatic version, a sculpture representing Detroit’s rebirth. The theme also saluted her sponsors, the Dan Gilberts. Andi and Larry Wolfe were bidding on it “..for our house in Phoenix,” they said. However, Nicole Eisenberg was the high bidder, so it’s now ensconced in Bloomfield Hills. Eventually the 400 guests bid more than $21,000 for the chairs. They also savored yummy Plum Market hors d’oeuvres and fare from four food trucks, which, of course, can drive right into the shed. Sarah Deson, Michelle Blau, and Helene and David Little were the lucky raffle winners, but the students supported by ORT’s education programs are the big winners. Thanks also to sponsors the event raised more than $100,000 for those lifechanging programs. Jason Brooks, Scott Marcus and Mark Tapper are chairing the next ORT event – the annual Rub-a-Dub – Tuesday, August 15, at Franklin Hills Country Club. Birmingham Senior Men’s Club “Legacy is not leaving something for people. It’s leaving something in people,” said Dick Bradley. The chair of the club’s 60th anniversary committee was quoting at the dedication of The Senior Men’s Club Room in The Community House, the site of the club’s founding in 1957 and of its weekly meetings every year since then. The ceremony capped off the SMC room endowment campaign, which exceeded its $250,000 goal by $30,000. Brady noted that the name plaque “...recognizes the bond between the Senior Men’s Club and The Community House and salutes members past, present and future.” The ceremony was attended by local dignitaries, including L. Brooks Patterson, Marty Knollenberg (State Senator -13th District), Mike McCready (state Rep. 40th District) and Mark Nickita 08.17
(Birmingham mayor). It followed by two days the club’s anniversary celebration. That gala event attracted 400 revelers to the San Marino Club in Troy for A Night to Remember. American House Celebration The American Center atrium was a perfect setting for the ninth annual American House Foundation benefit. The cocktail hour event attracted 275 supporters ($150, $175 tickets) to socialize, sip, snack and bid $22,000plus on items in a large silent auction. They paused briefly for foundation founder Rob Gillette to describe how 2016 foundation grants had provided rental assistance, wheelchairs repairs, home repairs and other individual gifts to needy seniors. Thanks also to sponsors like REDICO, Hospice of Michigan and Wells Fargo, the event raised $210,000 for vital financial assistance to low income seniors. A Night for Sight The A Night for Sight wine auction attracted 200 ($500 ticket) wine connoisseurs, many of them ophthalmologists, to The Townsend where the honorary vintner was M. Chapoutier. The champagne reception sparkled with conversation and silent auction bidding (30 lots that raised $26,000). Some guests also paused to marvel at the giant bottle of Testamatta Toscana wine, a Melchor, equal to 24 750 ml bottles, donated by Mark Hagmann and Dr. Kim Glenser. Each of the four dinner courses was paired with splendid wines. The live auction conducted by Gary Mark included everything from a week in a luxury Paris apartment and a tour/winemaker dinner/ overnight at Chateau Beychevelle ($12,000) to a Red Coat Tavern gourmet burger-fest for 10 paired with vintage Chateau Mouton Rothschild Bordeaux ($4,200). In all, the live auction of 21 lots garnered $90,000. Event co-founder and board chair Dr. Frank Nesi also generated pledges of $19,400 for ophthalmology resident training at the Kresge Eye Institute. Nichole Black won the raffle prize – a David Yurman Renaissance bracelet with diamonds. The 16th annual elegant charity wine auction raised roughly $230,000 for grants to vision research and organizations providing support services to the visually impaired. SKY Foundation One hundred women supporters of the SKY Foundation’s mission to fund research that will detect pancreatic cancer in the treatable, early stage downtownpublications.com
Birmingham Senior Men’s Club
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1. Dick Kamp (left) and Rob Farr of Beverly Hills. 2. Dick Bradley (left) of Bloomfield, Marty Knollenberg of Troy. 3. Brooks Patterson (left) of Clarkston, Tim McGee of Troy. 4. Mark Nickita and Chuck Moss of Birmingham. 5. Bill Seklar (left) of Bloomfield, Jerry Stibbell of Farmington Hills.
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1. Dr. Joe Skoney & Dr. Luisa DiLorenzo of Birmingham. 2. Ann Fecko (left) of Bloomfield and Dr. Frank & Karen Nesi of Grosse Pointe. 3. Dr. Paul Fecko (left) of Bloomfield, Dr. Alice Fecko, Rob Hawthorne of Marquette. 4. Dr. Bruce Garretson of Birmingham, Dr. Kim Drenser of Bloomfield. 5. Dr. Susan Malinowski & Gary Shapiro of Birmingham. 6. Dr. Mia Woodward & Dr. Jeremy Wolfe of Birmingham. 7. Dr. Joe Skoney (left) of Birmingham, Dr. Mark Sinkoff & Ruth Lerman of W. Bloomfield.
SKY Foundation
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1. Janice Steinhardt (center) of Birmingham, Karen Williams (left) and Wendy Powers of Bloomfield. 2. Char Terry (left) and Joan Stanton of Bloomfield, Sheila Kasselman of W. Bloomfield, Pat Sullivan of Pontiac. 3. Gail Van Cleave (left) of Troy, Katie Coleman and Wendy Silverman of Bloomfield. 4. Wendy Farner (left) and Julie Karmanos of Bloomfield. 5. Katrina Studvent (left) of Southfield, Lynn Fisher of Royal Oak, Debbie Knowles of Birmingham.
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SOCIAL LIGHTS/SALLY GERAK Frame Your Face Art of Giving
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flocked to Karen Williams’ Bloomfield Hills home for conversation, information and dinner. Janice Steinhardt, whose late husband succumbed to pancreatic cancer, chaired the annual event. Following cocktails and a Canape Cart buffet supper, foundation founder/ pancreatic cancer survivor Sheila Sky Kasselman introduced two speakers. U-M Cancer Center’s Dr. Elena M. Stoffel presented promising updates related to genetics, and Assistant Adjunct Professor Pamela ItkinAnsari brought news from her lab at the University of California-San Diego. They recently made the very welcome discovery that a single gene can halt pancreatic cancer tumor growth in animals and reprogram the cells back to their original identity. Donations for the evening totaled more than $18,000.
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1. Marissa Penrod (left) of Commerce, Tom Maniaci of Birmingham, Karen Newman of W. Bloomfield. 2. Darlene Douglas (center) of Troy, Dr. Bill & Patty Ward of Bloomfield. 3. Katia Henze (left) of Birmingham, Destiny Gin of Sterling Hgts., Kristi Raechess of New Hudson. 4. Charles Wickins of Birmingham, Katie Penrod of Commerce. 5. Scott Susalla (left) and Sheri Lussier of Grosse Pointe, Dr. Bob DiPilla of Troy, Alex Davis of Birmingham. 6. Deanne Sarvis of Birmingham, Jake Gerak of San Antonio, TX. 7. Sunny Connolly (left) of Orchard Lake, Link Wachler of Troy.
Loyola H.S. Tigers Fundraiser
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1. Cathy & Mike McNamara of Rochester Hills. 2. Brian (left), Kate and Beatrice Bongiorno of Birmingham. 3. Claudia Duerr (left) of Birmingham holding granddaughter Elaina Northrop, Lauren Duerr Northrop of Bloomfield holding daughter Ciara. 4. Jim (left), Bridget and Blaise Bongiorno of Birmingham, Will and Tom Northrop of Bloomfield. 5. Chip & Mary Jo Dawson of Bloomfield. 6. Sue (left) & LHS board chair Mike Madison of Grosse Pointe, Kate & Larry Gladchun of Bloomfield. 7. Tom & Sue O’Connor of Birmingham.
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Frame Your Face Art of Giving The highlight of Tom Maniaci’s 8th annual Art of Giving event was definitely Marissa Penrod’s address to the 150-plus guests ($75, $100) gathered at The Stand Gastro Bistro in Birmingham. Her description of her ferocious advocacy for her son Joseph when he was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy 11 years ago was gripping and humorous. Her determination led to the formation of Team Joseph to fund cutting edge research for a cure or treatment for the disease which is usually diagnosed before a boy is 6. Other noteworthy event details included: the silent auction ($7,000); great comestibles; Gypsy vodka cocktails and other spirits; very brief live auction conducted by Charles Wickins ($2,500); the models wearing Matt Richmond’s head-turning fashions made of recyclables; and the paint-by-number Lennon portrait that guests took turns painting. DJ Alex Maniaci’s music selections accented the upbeat scene. Loyola H.S. Tigers Fundraiser There have been 21 Tigers tailgate fundraisers but none have concluded as exuberantly as the 15-to-5 Tigers win over the White Sox did. However, the big winners of the night were the scholarship students at the Jesuit school celebrating its 25th anniversary next year. The event, chaired by Crystal Davidson and Matt Shell, raised more than $200,000 for scholarships. That’s because of the generous sponsors and the 800 school boosters ($150 ticket) assembled on the pavilion behind the Detroit Athletic Club for tailgate fare, a silent 08.17
SOCIAL LIGHTS/SALLY GERAK auction ($27,000) and a fun headsand-tails raffle ($20,000) for which 20 young men of Loyola were selling tickets. Three generations of some families socialized around tables centered by a picture of the 31 LHS seniors, all of whom have been accepted to colleges. This is the seventh consecutive year the school can brag thusly about the success of its urban students. Many of them are the first in their families to head to college.
Joe Muer Seafood CARE House Preview
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9 1. Kappy Trott (left) of Birmingham, Ro & Joe Vicari of Clinton Twp, Judge Cheryl Matthew of Sylvan Lake. 2. Blythe Spitsbergen (center) of Farmington, Denise Abrash and Jim Hayes of Bloomfield. 3. Carole Galloway (left) of Bloomfield, Kim Weiner of Birmingham. 4. Roz (left) & Scott Jacobson and Tom & Lauren Balames of Bloomfield. 5. Dick & Christine Heidrich of Birmingham. 6. Anna Rea (left), Denise Forester and Joann Gordon of Bloomfield. 7. Jerry & Pat Wagner of Bloomfield. 8. Brad (left) & Susan Draper of Bloomfield, Brad Conkey of Sylvan Lake. 9. Lisa Payne (left) of Bloomfield, Rachael and Beverly Hubers of Troy, Katie McBride of Royal Oak. 10. Ken (left) & Barbie Bomberski of Birmingham, Linda and Dan Bomberski of Troy.
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Women’s Division Project HOPE
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1. Bettina Gregg (left) of Bloomfield and Linda Juracek-Lipa of Birmingham. 2 Susan Willis-Reickert of Bloomfield, Diana Shoushanian of Farmington Hills. 3. Julie Oldani (left) of Birmingham, Contessa and Rosemary Bannon of Beverly Hills, Connie Hogan of Bloomfield. 4. Annette Kolon (left) of Bloomfield, Cheryl Hall-Lindsay of W. Bloomfield. 5. Valerie Strait (left), Judie Sherman and Maggie Allesee of Bloomfield.
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Belle Isle Conservancy PwC Grand Prixmiere Michele and GM’s Ken Morris chaired the 2017 PwC Grand Prixmiere presented by Chevrolet. For the fourth consecutive year, arriving guests (nearly 500 @ $600 ticket)) drove on the Belle Isle race track to the Art of Racing celebration in a huge tent overlooking the flowing James Scott Memorial Fountain. Following cocktails and the seated dinner, WJR’s Paul W. Smith emceed the program and auction of seven unique items, including art by GM designer Matt Burts. It raised more than $290,000. The generous guests also donated more than $29,000 to restoring the Belle Isle Aquarium tanks and reservoir system. This was doubled by Amy and conservancy board member Dan Loepp’s impromptu pledge to match all donations. Thanks also to generous sponsors, the annual gala raised more than $700,000 for projects and programs to protect, preserve, restore and enhance the structures and environment on Belle Isle. Joe Muer Seafood CARE House Preview The 1,000-gallon saltwater aquarium had not yet been installed when the new Bloomfield Hills Joe Muer Seafood hosted a charity preview for CARE House, but none of the 125 guests ($100, $150 ticket) seemed to mind. They were happily preoccupied chatting and devouring the Joe Muer classics being passed by solicitous wait staffers. Offerings included deviled crab balls, shrimp tartare, scallops and a variety of sushi, to name just a few. And the Vicari clan (of Andiamo restaurant legend) – Joe and Ro(salie), Dominic and John – deftly juggled all their duties without missing a beat. People did pause briefly to hear and applaud CARE House director Blythe Spitsbergen’s expression of gratitude to the Vicaris and awe at the amazing transformation of the 9,000 sq. ft restaurant. It was designed by Ron & Roman’s Ron Rea and includes 08.17
seating for 275 (30 at the bar), a full wine rack, grand piano and a window wall system that can open to the outdoor patio facing Woodward, sure to be a coveted spot during the Dream Cruise. Women’s Division Project HOPE Susan Willis-Reickert’s passion for Project HOPE’s humanitarian work which “....knows no boundaries... (and) is unique in the world,” was very evident in her remarks at the Woman’s Division annual luncheon meeting which she chaired. It attracted loyalists ($65, $100-patron, $150benefactor) to Orchard Lake Country Club and featured music by pianist Curtis Posuniak, salutes to past presidents in attendance (Maggie Allesee, Sue Nine, Irene Davis, Sherry Saginaw) and heartfelt expressions of gratitude for participation and friendship by the outgoing co-presidents Bettina Gregg and Linda Juracek-Lipa. This was followed by the election and installation of new officers. The post luncheon program of Broadway tunes by Michigan Opera Theatre singers made the event aptly named as “Broadway on the Lake.” ChildSafe Michigan Legends Gala Legends were the story at the ChildSafe gala. But not the celebrity type. Rather at-risk children and their dreams for becoming Legends of Tomorrow – a doctor, a ballerina, a teacher. To make those dreams come true, 310 supporters ($300) flocked to the Townsend Hotel for the annual benefit. Event co-chairs SuSu Sosnick and Christine & David Colman and board chair Keith Pomeroy greeted the 125 VIPs ($500) who arrived early for a reception in the Clancy Room before dinner, a salute to honoree Sandy Pierce and a live auction conducted by Christopher Aslanian. The auction concluded with a package Katie Valenti hustled during the reception by getting 11 good guys (Sam Valenti Sr, Sam Valenti, Jr., Keith Pomeroy, Joseph Saker, Bruce Kridler, Yousif Ghafari, David Colman, Tom Cunnington, Peter Ghafari, Tim Clarey and Tom Pierce) to combine their talents for a super duper dinner party. It sold for $27,000. Thanks also to generous sponsors, the evening raised a record $450,000 for ChildSafe’s foster care, adoption and mentoring programs. Beaumont Drive to Beat Breast Cancer What Susan Cooper and the late Dr. John Ingold founded 22 years ago as a golf and bridge tournament for downtownpublications.com
ChildSafe Michigan Legends Gala
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1. David (left) & Christine Tobias Colman and SuSu Sosnick with Bob Levenson of Birmingham. 2. Sonia (left) & Keith Pomeroy and Linda Dresner & Ed Levy of Birmingham. 3. Laurie (left), Emily and Tom Cunnington of Birmingham. 4. Jerry Timmis & Almaz Araya of Birmingham. 5. Joseph Saker (left), Erika Kites and Mickey Shapiro of Bloomfield. 6. Bob Pliska (left) of Bloomfield, Lenora Hardy-Foster & Duane Foster of Rochester Hills. 7. Bruce Kridler (left) of Bloomfield, Mark Smits of Clawson. 8. Emily Tobias and Yousif & Mara Ghafari of Bloomfield. 9. Katie (left), Sam, Jr. & Sam, Sr. Valenti and Lucia Zurkowski of Bloomfield. 10. Kathy Schweitzer (left) of Ipswich, MA and Elizabeth Brazilian with Brian Manoogian of Birmingham and Alice Manoogian of Bloomfield.
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SOCIAL LIGHTS/SALLY GERAK women has really grown. Big time. This year it required two venues – the Village Club for more than 250 bridge and canasta players and Bloomfield Hills Country Club for 153 men and women golfers. Martha Quay and Michelle Kleiman organized the card scene that rewarded two teams of players: Claudia Snyder and Valerie Strait for 1st place; Rachel Herbst and Marion Wyatt for 2nd place. Chris Emde and Ryan Marsh chaired the golf committee. They got golf instruction legend Rick Smith to hit tee shots with each foursome and presented several prizes. Rob Kowalski was Closest to the Pin. Jeff Blake and Martha Palmer were Longest Drive. Howard Wolpin and Karen Glorio Luther were Most Accurate. The top three teams were first - Seizert Capital Partners, second – Minute Man Services, Inc., third – Huron Capital. Prizes were presented at the dinner concluding the day’s activities when more than 200 gathered for cocktails on the front porch and the dinner in an adjacent tent. Because the event funds support Beaumont’s Walter and Marilyn Wolpin Comprehensive Breast Care Center, the dinner program featured an update by the center’s first breast surgery fellow Dr. Nayana Dekhne. There was also a raffle won by longtime committee member Jan Mann. With the support of many sponsors the day added $175,000 to the $3.4-million raised since the event was launched.
Beaumont Drive to Beat Breast Cancer
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1. Michelle Kleiman (left) of Bloomfield and Martha Quay of Birmingham. 2. Chris Emde (left) and Ryan Marsh of Bloomfield. 3. John Fox (left) of Bloomfield, Dr. Nayana Dekhne. of W. Bloomfield, Margaret Cooney Casey of Beverly Hills. 4. Susan Cooper (left) of Birmingham, Marina Emde of Bloomfield. 5. Ed (left) & Jan Mann of Birmingham and Ed and Sylvia Hagenlocker of Bloomfield. 6. Jeff Schostak (left) of Birmingham, Ryan Shickstein of W. Bloomfield, Ben Schrode of Grosse Pointe, Anthony Weiner of Bloomfield. 7. Gayla Emde (left) and Brenda Zemmin of Bloomfield, Mary Scharff of Beverly Hills.
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Boys & Girls Clubs Award Luncheon “I’d love to have Matilda’s money,” quipped Crain’s Detroit Business publisher Mary Kramer as she accepted the Matilda R. Wilson award for service at the Women’s Association Boys & Girls Clubs luncheon. She was introduced by Sue Nine, WA co-chair with Beth Moore, who compared Kramer’s instincts for good to Wilson’s. The luncheon at Pine Lake Country Club attracted 85 B&GCSM supporters, including Hiram Jackson, the first club alum to serve as board chair, the Youth of the Year honoree Markus Hufnagel, and Evan Zack, the club member who painted the floral art for the event. It was chaired by Linda Dekar to raise funds for scholarship assistance for the 15,000 members of 10 southeast Michigan clubs.
Boys & Girls Clubs Award Luncheon
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1. Mary Kramer (left) of Detroit, Linda Dekar, Sue Nine and Beth Moore of Bloomfield. 2. Brigette McLernon of Bloomfield, Hiram Jackson of Detroit. 3. Diane Roelant (left) and Lisa Wilson of Bloomfield and Chris Toski of Clarkston. 4. Lucia Zurkowski (left), Susanne Rea, Jan Forgione and Linda Thompson of Bloomfield. 5. Dawne Kuhne (left) and Jane Lowell of Bloomfield and Dawn Pfaff of Sylvan Lake.
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Send ideas for this column to Sally Gerak, 28 Barbour Lane, Bloomfield Hills, 48304; email samgerak@aol.com or call 248.646.6390. 08.17
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ENDNOTE
Revamp system to curtail gerrymandering fforts to end the politically-rigged process of redrawing electoral districts, known as gerrymandering, that may soon have a realistic chance of progressing at the state and national levels, are actions we believe are both appropriate and necessary. The belief that a citizen's right to vote is fundamental to a free and democratic society is enshrined in the Constitution’s 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause, and has been upheld by the Supreme Court, ensuring that each citizen has an "equally effective voice" in their state's elections. To that end, the Constitution requires voting districts be of near equal size in population, and prohibits tactics used to deny minorities the right to an effective vote through redistricting, under the Voting Rights Act of 1965. In the majority of states, congressional and legislative districts are drawn every 10 years by the state legislature. In Michigan, redistricting guidelines require districts to be compact and contiguous; have population variations of no more than 16.4 percent among districts, and avoid breaking county and municipal lines, unless not doing so would result in population variances of more than 16.4 percent. Despite state and federal requirements, legislators in Michigan and other states over the years have found countless ways to gain partisan advantage. It was 1812 when the word “gerrymandering” was coined in reference to state senate districts approved by then-Massachusetts
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Governor Elbridge Gerry. In that redistricting process, one particular district was drawn in such a convoluted way that it appeared to be in the form of a salamander. A newspaper picked up on the amphibian shape and combined it with the governor's last name, leading to the word "gerrymander." Today, congressional district maps drawn for Oakland County harken back to those gerrymandered maps of 1812, meandering in such ways to represent snakes, rats, salamanders and a variety of beastly forms. And, while the Republican hold on Michigan's redistricting process has most recently led their opposition to cry foul, Democrats who previously controlled the process defended their actions as part of the "winner take all" game of politics. Changes in 2012 to the way Oakland County Commission district seats were drawn are a prime example of types of political games those fighting for control will play. For more than a century, county commission districts were drawn by a bipartisan committee made up in-part by elected administrators. That was, until the county began skewing more Democratic, and L. Brooks Patterson successfully stepped in to push a bill through the legislature to give the Republican-majority on the commission the authority to draw their own districts because the process no longer favored them, done under the guise of saving money for taxpayers as the county reduced the number of board members.
Although we understand gerrymandering and related maneuvers are an inherent part of politics, it doesn't make it better. These games ultimately result in undermining the electoral process by allowing those in power to choose who will vote for them, thus taking the power to choose away from voters. Whether or not the electoral system has been so rigged by gerrymandering that it violates the constitutional rights of voters is a topic of debate, and one that will ultimately be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court later this year. We hope a conclusion sets a standard to limit the degree to which partisan advantage can be cooked into electoral district boundaries. Even if the nation's high court provides a means for assessing gerrymandering, changes to the redistricting process are still necessary to limit partisan games. Tasking an independent committee with the responsibility of redistricting is one possible solution, but has resulted in problems in the past and leaves unanswered questions about the appropriate method to use in drawing those boundaries. As to the current efforts to force a state constitutional amendment through a Michigan ballot initiative, we have yet to see a fully-baked proposal come forward that will rise properly. As such, we aren't yet convinced the current effort is the answer to Michigan's gerrymandering problem. Still, we encourage efforts to address the issue, which will ultimately be determined by a mix of court decisions and voter-initiated changes.
City parking crisis: less talk, more action hat would happen to Birmingham if they ran out of places for people to park their cars? It’s more than a rhetorical question, as on-street parking, term “transient” parking in planner parlance as it is designed for those coming into the city on a short-term basis, with one- or two-hour long meters, is always at a premium, and the city’s five parking structures are nearing capacity on a frequent basis. What was once joked as “What a good problem to have,” meaning people were coming into downtown Birmingham to shop, is no longer a joke, as restaurants, bistros, and primarily, office workers, fill the structures to their rooftops on a daily basis. Every single one of the parking structures have wait list for monthly passes, which are for those who work in the city, in retail or commercial jobs. As we all know, this is not a new problem. But it is at a crisis point, and we must point, and shake, our fingers at city staff and commissioners who have
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permitted it to reach this point through their inaction. There are committees and ad hoc study groups that have been looking at what to do for two or three years – perhaps even longer, and reporting back to the commission with a variety of recommendations. For some reason, the city’s engineering staff repeatedly reports there really isn’t a problem. This naval gazing must end. It is impacting everyone who works, lives and recreates in Birmingham. The city must pick up its pace, and work immediately to find a solution that is proactive as well as reactive. One reason the city is at such a maximum capacity is that there is a parking assessment district in the downtown area, meaning that landlords and businesses (but never residents) pay an assessment to have parking available. All well and good when it was established years ago, but as buildings have been demolished and built higher and higher, with officespace that adds more
workers per square foot, developers do not have to add any parking spaces to their new buildings – only for any residential space, two per unit. And that is definitely unfairly taxing the system as a whole. We suggest the city take a look at implementing an impact fee on developers who want to take down small buildings and create new, larger buildings with more floors. Impact fees are popular out west, but were actually begun in the late 1940s in Illinois. Their purpose is to assess a fee on new or proposed development to pay for all or a portion of the costs of providing public services to a new development, from parking to increased needs of public safety. Developers build in the fee to their costs of development, and it helps offset the economic burden to the municipality that comes with growth. It should at least be part of the discussion among city officials. But most importantly, the city needs to make some decisions and take action now to resolve this problem.
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