A recap of select categories of crime occurring in the past month in Birmingham, Bloomfield Township and Bloomfield Hills, presented in map format.
We all keep waiting for the pandemic to appear in the rear view of life, but no such luck. The change in work habits – remote work – reminds us of what we all went through. Busses are less full, car ride services are used less, retailers are altering their hours and ramping up their websites and social media presence, and many restaurants are still closed for lunch.
In 1994, Michigan passed its own Endangered Species Act, which went into effect in 1995 – otherwise known as a part of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act –establishing another endangered species list specific to plants and wildlife species in the state. State workers are now updating the Michigan list.
Clown car heads to GOP convention; DePerno's push for ballot harvesting; Maddock son-in-law enters the party frey; changing roster at Oakland County party headquarters; replacing Debbie Stabenow; Justice Bernstein blowback; plus more.
More falsehoods from city commissioner Host; BSD looks at new path on filling vacancies; an interactive tour of Birmingham; possible new take on court costs; update on city manager search; master plan hearing stalled, plus more.
Here's the latest from both Birmingham Next executive director Cris Braun and Bloomfield Township director of senior services Christine Tvaroha as they reach out to their communities.
The Community House CEO and President William Seklar shares with readers some early history on The House as part of the iconic local institution’s 100th anniversary. 74
Gigi Nichols provides readers with quick takes on what is happening in the world of food and drink in the metro area. 78
Our thoughts on the need for transparency in local police departments and our take on the move by city commissioners to address a downtown development opportunity.
Design by Chris Grammer from Downtown Newsmagazine photo.
February 11, 2023 | 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm
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On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we woke to the news that Ms. Monica Cannady and two of her three children died from hypothermia in Pontiac.
How much more tragedy will it take for Oakland County to invest in its necessary services and valued citizens?
Per Sheriff Bouchard’s statement, Ms. Cannady and her family weren’t able to access adequate mental health services. We have neglected to adequately fund those services.
According to news reports, overgrown parks and empty lots became hiding spaces during her crisis. We have neglected to maintain these spaces.
Had initial reports that Ms. Cannady was unhoused been accurate, shelter space would not have been available for her. We have neglected to fund and subsequently hold accountable our social service agencies in Oakland County.
During the past several months, I’ve seen firsthand how hard it is to get housing services here in Oakland County. Community Housing Network states on their website that call volume is so large that one can’t expect to receive a call back about help with housing for five to eight business days. Lighthouse of Oakland County did not return calls to a unhoused family I worked with for over a week. There was no one to help this family, and nowhere for them to go but a hotel paid for by people like you and me who are just trying to keep families safe and warm this winter.
Please join me in asking for more and better from our Oakland County government. We need to use our resources to invest in our citizensespecially those in crisis. We must end the perception that small donations to social service organizations can solve the crisis of homelessness in Oakland County and think bigger.
We must begin to reimagine what it would look like if we invested enough resources that we could offer assistance to a neighbor like Ms. Cannady in her time of need. Our elected officials have the power to do more. It’s time to demand it of them.
Contact your county commissioner today and request investment and accountability in order to solve the crisis of homelessness in Oakland County.
Julie Gibbs Birmingham
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Your Jan. 6 online story (BSD may take new approach to fill retail vacancies) left this retail observer in the dark. Believing I missed important content, notably comments from Cindy Ciura, I read the story several times; I did, in fact, read correctly the first time. That Ms. Ciura was not given an opportunity to explain her working relationship with the Birmingham Shopping District (BSD), as well as the reason for a breakdown in that relationship, leads me to believe the story was intended to sully her work. And what work...what fine work … it is.
As a Birmingham resident for 27 years, and a retail trend watcher for two and a half decades, I offer that Ms. Ciura’s efforts at bringing firstclass, best-in-class retail offerings to town should be celebrated. Indeed, even in the district’s prime, those salad days when shoppers fought for parking spaces, and shopping bags from Crowley’s and Jacobson’s were familiar sights, the variety and quality of retail offerings then does not compare to what awaits shoppers today. The BSD pulsates with a dynamism few cities its size, anywhere in the country, can replicate.
Rather than embark on what will most certainly be an exercise in wheel spinning (and see vacant storefronts languish), the proposed “recruitment team approach” must be reconsidered in favor of mending fences with CC Consulting or leaving no stone unturned to find a comparable replacement, a professional with a sophisticated vision who not only understands today’s retail landscape and has an eye trained to the new, but also an eye trained to what’s next.
Edward Nakfoor Birmingham
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Oakland Confidential is a periodic column of political gossip/news, gathered both on and off-the-record by staff members at Downtown Newsmagazine. We welcome possible items for this column which can be emailed to: OaklandConfidential@DowntownPublications.com. All sources are kept strictly confidential. The gossip column can be viewed at OaklandConfidential.com where you can sign up to receive updates via email.
BEEP BEEP BEEP: The clown car of Republican jesters blowing the horn to round up support for Michigan Republican chair continues to crowd out any serious candidates eager to rebuild the state’s conservative party. January 5 was the last day to file and get signatures to appear on the state convention February 17-18 to determine who will lead the party into the next election cycle. Typically, the role is to raise money, first, and to bolster candidates who can win. Considering that the state party is so broke that they’re planning to charge delegates $50 to attend, raising money is not currently their strong suit, especially as cochair Ron Weiser, who put in millions of his own moolah last cycle, is saying adios. His co-chair, Meshawn Maddock, wife of state Rep. Matt (Mad Dog) Maddock (R-Milford), was best buds with former President Donald Trump and encouraged loads of MAGA-leaning candidates last goround to run while failing to raise the goods, is also waving bye-bye. In her wake are her spoils – Kristina Karamo, who despite losing to Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, is – we are told – currently leading amongst delegates; former attorney general candidate Matt DePerno; Lena Epstein, who lost to be a U-M regent; and Michael Farage, William Putnam II from Tuscola County and JD Glaser from Kalamazoo. What do they all have in common? None have ever won an election they have run for. “Every one of them are losers,” said one former high ranking Republican, who said his money would be on Scott Greenlee of Advantage Management Consulting, who he said has run campaigns and can raise money. However, some say he may be too vanilla for the folk currently dominating the party. As for those who say the party might have to hit bottom in order to rebuild, the former GOP pooh-bah commented, “How much lower do we have to go – we already lost everything in 2022.”
REAPING WHAT YOU SOW: Speaking of Republican Matt DePerno, despite losing to become state attorney general, remaining under criminal investigation by a special prosecutor in a possible vote tampering scheme and under examination by the Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission over possible padding of billings, he has a new questionable idea he has proposed to Republican delegates as he seeks their votes for post of GOP chair: ballot harvesting. As in, pay people to collect absentee ballots. Which is absolutely illegal. In fact, as Bridge Michigan notes, “using political operatives to collect and return ballots from multiple voters –remains illegal in Michigan. Existing law generally makes it a felony crime punishable by up to five years in prison.” Michigan voters, in both 2018 and 2022, have overwhelmingly said they want to have the right to vote absentee, and to have the ability to easily return their ballots in their community. Per the 2022 ballot proposal, in future elections, local governments will have to maintain at least one absentee ballot drop box for every 15,000 voters. It does not allow people to run around the state “picking up” absentee ballots from voters – which could be seen as coercion. “It goes along with every other way DePerno’s crossed the line throughout his career,” said one Republican politico.
MADDOCK UPDATE: For those in the party who are toasting the exit of Meshawn Maddock, better put your glasses down. Her son-in-law, Parker Shonts, is seeking the vice-chair position with the state party
youth faction at the convention next month. While some are writing the spot off as a mere ceremonial position, one Republican consultant says not so fast. Says he: there are two ways to reach a position of power in the state party – you are either an elected Republican officeholder at some point in time or you work hard on behalf of the party, sort of like tending to the roasting chickens at a party barbecue, to build your bonafides. So along comes Shonts, who seems cut from the same mold as Meshawn. Abrasive, outspoken, MAGA DNA – all the makings of a culture warrior. For what it’s worth, he has the endorsement of My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell and a couple of noted Trump acolytes. His opponent in this contest is Rylee Linting, also an election denier, who has been trading barbs on social media with Shonts.
KARMA’S A BITCH: In what we hope will be one of our last items about the Maddock family, Milford-based state Republican Representative Matt (Mad Dog) Maddock appears to have finally set himself on fire. Last term he was bounced from the Republican caucus for reportedly leaking party secrets to others outside the caucus, breaking a cardinal rule. The caucus ban left him further isolated as he was plotting to be some big-cheese in the House if the GOP retained control – which they failed to do. So now as the Democrats are in control, Maddock was one of three votes against House Speaker Joe Tate (D-Detroit), a vote that generally is unanimous. So when it came time to dole out committee assignments, Tate created a new panel –Housing – and stuck Maddock there only as a member. Ouch!
LINE ‘EM UP: The announcement in early January by Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) that “Inspired by a new generation of leaders, I have decided to pass the torch in the U.S. Senate,” and not run for reelection in 2024 set off a cavalcade of potential names rushing to the doors to replace her. Stabenow, of Lansing, is the number three Democrat in Senate leadership – so those shoes will be large ones to fill. She has quietly gone about her role in the last five decades (she was first elected in 1974 to the Ingham County Commission, before running for the state legislature), one step at a time, while also raising a mountain of money. While no one, on either side of the aisle, has announced they were throwing their hat in the ring quite yet, this seat is the Democrats to lose –and the Republicans will be going after it fast and furiously, looking to flip a Senatorial seat. The National Republican Senate Committee’s Deputy Communications Director Mike Berg told Punchbowl, “We are going to aggressively target this seat in 2024. This could be the first of many Senate Democrats who decide to retire rather than lose.” Word is that Rep. Elissa Slotkin (DLansing) is taking a serious look at running in this race, as is Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township, most of Oakland County). They both know how to raise money nationwide – Slotkin raised $9 million in her 2022 House bid, and is sitting on $181,000; Stevens raised $5.5 million, and has $21,000 cashon-hand. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Ann Arbor) is another name that has been tossed around, and is said to be seriously considering it. As wife of the late Rep. John Dingell and former president of General Motors Foundation and head of government relations at GM, she is the definition of clout. Hot-hot-hot state rising star Mallory McMorrow, state Senator for Birmingham, Royal Oak and Detroit, who raised over $2 million this cycle to help other Democrats and worked to flip the state Senate blue, will likely get a look-see, as could Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who not only gained national attention in her role administering Michigan’s 2020 election, but recently was awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal for that work by President Joe Biden Benson raised $5.3 million for her 2022 re-election and has just under $600,000 cash-on-hand. Governor Gretchen Whitmer and U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, newly of Traverse City, stated
they weren’t interested in the position – but in politics, nothing in certain ‘til they determine the final results.
REPUBLICAN POSSIBILITIES: The speculation heats up more each day with a growing list of possible Republican contenders for Stabenow’s Senate seat. Among them, Congressman Bill Huizenga; former Congresswoman Candace Miller, now the public works commissioner in neighboring Macomb County, and a former Michigan Secretary of State; state Sen. RuthJohnson (R-Lake Orion), also a former Michigan Secretary of State; former congressmen Fred Upton and Peter Meijer; former Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette; Tudor Dixon, failed gubernatorial 2022 candidate; and John James, who just narrowly won a seat in the U.S. House last November after losing two prior runs for the U.S. Senate. The latest to express interest, multimillionaire Perry Johnson of Bloomfield, who was disqualified in last year’s race for governor for lack of legit signatures on his nominating petitions. The 75-year-old Johnson has been quoted as saying if not that, then he might run for president next year. Right. Watch for his promised 2023 Super Bowl commercial when he could give us his decision for 2024.
CHANGING OF THE GUARD: The Oakland County Republican Party has a new command roster, beginning with R. (Robert) Vance Patrick as chair, replacing Rocky Raczkowski, who retired from the command post. Vance was an unsuccessful candidate for Congress in 2020 against Brenda Lawrence (D-Southfield) who took 79.3 percent of the vote. Patrick also attempted in 2022 another run for Congress but was disqualified from appearing on the ballot for the August primary. As chair of the county party, Vance Patrick is joined by TerriNallamothu as vice-chair, along with Linda Halloway as treasurer, Jacob Dimick as deputy treasurer, and Jacob Newby as county party secretary, with Erin Pruitt as deputy secretary. Although some insiders credit Patrick for his high energy level, others say he doesn’t necessarily realize the amount of work that some of his new ideas will entail. Still others express concern that the new county party chair is more aligned with the fringe element of the GOP. Party stalwarts would have preferred Anthony Paesano of Bloomfield Township who challenged Democrat Samantha Steckloff for the new 19th District State Representative spot, with the latter taking 67 percent of the 2022 general election vote. One of his supporters described Paesano as a “better fit for the county” party but admits the effort to grab the county chair spot simply started too late before the Oakland GOP Executive Committee made its decision.
ORDER IN THE COURT: Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein, a downtown Birmingham resident, complained about a hiring decision made by fellow Justice Kyra BoldenHarris who put on the payroll as her clerk Pete Martel, who had done 14 years in prison for a 1994 convenience store robbery and for shooting at police. Although Bernstein said he supported rehabilitation of those who were incarcerated, his honor objected to anyone who had shot at police from being part of the Supreme Court organization, despite Martel having gotten a law degree, was working on his Ph.D. and time spent working in the State Appellate Defender Office. When Bernstein’s complaint went public, Martel quit his court job. Both supporters of Bernstein and activists in support of prisoner rehab took his honor to task, forcing Bernstein to rethink his position and apologize to both Justice and Martel. But that has not satisfied critics of Bernstein, who had just been reelected to a new eight-year term on the state highest court. No word from Justice Harris of Southfield, who was appointed to the court to fill a vacancy after coming in third in the November election during which she and Bernstein had appeared in campaign commercials together.
Originally from Belarus, Bloomfield Hills-based Mila Pershyna, has many talents and titles – from businesswoman, fashion designer, educator and philanthropist to Mrs. USA 2022 – but there is a common thread among them.
“Being an educator relates to everything I do,” said Pershyna, founder and CEO of MP Fashion Apparel Brand and MP Fashion School, as well as president of MP Global Foundation, her non-profit. “I expanded my fashion design and sewing program to the Bloomfield Hills Schools district and I also teach in Birmingham. For my after-school programs, I teach basic life skills to kids and adults, including refugees.”
Pershyna, who is married with two sons, ages 5 and 11, and two grown stepsons, has lived in Michigan for more than 20 years. “I enjoy the four seasons and I live in a great community with great people and great food,” she said.
When her stepsons were younger, she taught them how to cook and do their own laundry. Now, when they come to visit, they want to cook certain dishes. “They have the skills they need to get through life,” she said. “I taught them how to sew their own buttons and repair a rip that is an easy fix, so they don’t throw away clothes. There is a need for these life skills.
“I consider learning how to sew and cook very important. Back when I was in school, we had those classes. Now they have all been taken away from schools. I see our children are not equipped for everyday life, so I don’t see them being independent when they exit school.”
The life skills program is offered at no cost through her non-profit, where students might also learn additional skills like yoga to help them deal with stress and other emotions.
“Not everybody can afford to take life skills classes,” said Pershyna. “Not all parents have the patience or the time, or their kids don’t listen to them. It’s easier to send our kids to someone else to teach them.”
On May 6, she will offer an all-day fashion camp for children called SEW WHAT: Kids Fashion Summit, at the Bloomfield Township Public Library. The event is free, but registration is required.
Pershyna also teaches fashion design and sewing through her MP Fashion School for a fee, and she has had her own women’s wear fashion brand for years. When earning her master’s degree in Fashion Design and Merchandising at Wayne State University, she did an internship with Diane Von Furstenberg in New York. Now Pershyna offers an internship to local students at her fashion studio in Waterford. “For the past few years, I have been focusing on education again,” she said.
While pageants were not part of her original plan, a friend suggested she enter one and her husband told her to go for it.
“I took it very seriously. I found a trainer and materials on pageants,” said Pershyna. “I had learned so much, like how to walk. I used to model, but you walk differently in a pageant.”
Her first pageant was in 2020. “I didn’t win, but it was an amazing and fun experience,” she said.
When a friend recently encouraged her again, she became Mrs. USA 2022 and she will be competing for the Mrs. Worldwide title this summer.
“My goal was to have the experience to show my platform and my passion to educate people to have life skills,” said Pershyna. “It’s important for our children. I want them to be independent and sufficient. I am all about education.”
Story: Jeanine Matlow Photo: Christine Ward
BY LISA BRODY
umans are social animals. We enjoy congregating for meals, social events, work and notably, to watch athletic contests. Yet, surprisingly, since March of 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world with an unprecedented force, millions of workers around the world and the United States packed up their briefcases and work bags and headed home from work, initially thinking they'd work from home if they could for a couple of weeks. They set up laptops on dining room tables, took walks in their neighborhoods, figured out how to make lunches and had time for elaborate home-cooked dinners with bottles of wine, and began binging from streaming services. Lost in the shuttle home were local stores, restaurants, coffee shops and transit services. But in a world of temporary shutdowns, everyone was in the same boat.
Now, almost three years into the pandemic, many people are still set up in their work-from-home offices, working either completely remotely or in a combination of a couple days in their office and the rest from their abode. As Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) noted in a demographic paper identifying and studying the shift of remote work before and after the pandemic, “by summer 2021, many people were vaccinated, states and municipalities lifted many pandemicrelated restrictions, and businesses began resuming normal business hours. However...many employees continue to work from home at much higher rates than pre-pandemic levels.” Busses are less full, car ride services are used less, retailers are altering their hours and ramping up their websites and social media presence, and many restaurants are still closed for lunch.
forecast. The number of white collar jobs stayed remote longer.”
Birmingham, downtown Detroit, other downtowns, and suburban office parks are all experiencing the residual effects of employees who make their coffee in their kitchen in the morning and head to a desk or table in another room rather than heading out on their commute. Some places have more vacant office space than previously, or commercial space is being reconfigured for different ways or working – or completely new uses. But there are also additional casualties as people stay home – streets are quieter, lunch business slacks off, retailers see less foot traffic. It's the inadvertent casualty to WFH (work from home), and it's full impact is still being determined.
Three years ago, baristas at the Starbucks at Maple and Old Woodward could predict just when they would be slammed – the waves from when office workers began arriving in the morning, their mid-morning and mid-afternoon breaks, and just after lunch. While it is still one of the busiest spots in downtown Birmingham, the rushes are a little less predictable, with many offices hosting hybrid employees, including the large advertising firm McCann.
ccording to the SEMCOG report, titled, “Remote Workers in Southeast Michigan: Demographic Trends Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” only 4.5 percent of southeast Michigan workers worked from home in 2019, before the world shut down, although 31 percent of those who did were 60 or older, primarily in legal and administration support occupations and business and financial occupations, compared to 21 percent of those aged 25-59. They were also more likely to have at least a bachelor's degree than a lower level of education, and be White or Asian by race or ethnicity.
“Some jobs by their very nature are difficult or impossible to do from home, and workers in these jobs cannot do their jobs from anywhere but their worksite,” the report points out. “These include restaurant servers, hair stylists, production and maintenance workers, and construction workers...Telework is more common among 'knowledge workers,' those working in science and technology sectors and people who do most of their work on computers…These occupations are also the ones that have relatively higher salaries.”
In a quick blink of the eye, however, the region and the world was turned upside down with the emergence and rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus.
Telework, or remote work, suddenly became a necessity for those who could in March 2020, in order for businesses to continue operating. According to SEMCOG, in August 2020, 54 percent of workers in southeast Michigan were working from home – a twelve-fold increase in just one year. In July 2021, after many people had access to vaccines and many offices had reopened, 28 percent were still working fully remotely. Of that, more than half – 57 percent – had a bachelor's degree or higher, while only 11 percent of those with a high school degree or less had the option to work from home. The outlier is the medical profession, especially those who are hospital-based and must be in-person.
“For long-term trends for working from home, the data is still really noisy,” said Trevor Layton, communications manager for SEMCOG, meaning it's still in flux and being ascertained. “The question is still how many people will return to work, how many will remain remote, and how many will go hybrid long-term. Some people stayed remote longer than anyone expected or
“I think it's too soon to call it if offices are coming back. I don't think it's decided yet, and I think people are making policy decisions too soon,” said Birmingham City Manager Tom Markus. “The real takeaway for me is that COVID created what we see now, and we have to let it play out.”
He noted there is the possibility the in-office labor situation could get worse this winter if the new variant breaks through, and some commercial landlords could choose to convert some vacant office space to residential, “but it's all too premature.”
Christina Sheppard-Decius, who was appointed executive director of the Birmingham Shopping District in September but began her term at the end of 2022, was previously executive director of Downtown Development Authorities (DDAs) at downtown Dearborn and downtown Ferndale, noted that Birmingham “seems to be faring better than some other downtowns. What we're seeing is stores and restaurants are changing their hours and the days they're open, but that is consistent across the region, the state and the country,” due to the changing nature of employment.
“Retailers have to get their online businesses going. That's a very important factor,” Sheppard-Decius noted, as shoppers of all stripes have become more accustomed to shopping online.
owever, as she is getting to know merchants in downtown Birmingham, she said she has met with so many retailers “who say their customers are so excited to come in now (that the pandemic is easing), to speak to them in person, and touch their items again. We just have to be flexible and open to new ideas. We have to change with the market, otherwise the market will leave us behind.”
“I believe a hybrid workforce is in our future where employees will work a mix of in-office and remote hours. I believe employers discovered that many of their employees could be just as effective working remotely, while employees got used to working at home and adjusted their lifestyles to accommodate remote
work and enjoyed the savings that came along with it,” said Joe Bauman, president, Birmingham Bloomfield Chamber (BBCC). “There already have been a number of companies that have swapped office space for a variety of reasons and have downsized their physical footprint and that likely will continue to accelerate as more and more leases come due.
“Many retailers have reduced their store hours, and many restaurants that used to be open for breakfast and lunch now are dinner only. Well-managed, quality companies always survive a downturn, and I believe the same will happen in this new environment,” Bauman said.
Richard Astrein, co-owner of Astrein's Creative Jewelry on W. Maple Road for the last 50 years along with his brother Gary, said they have seen a significant difference in the walkability of the downtown since the onset of the pandemic. While their store continues to be busy, they are being visited primarily by people who are destination shopping.
“I used to sit in the window and see 20, 30 people walk by during a lunch hour. You don't see any of that anymore,” Astrein said. “The big one is McCann – they said they were bringing people back full time, but they're not. They're staying hybrid or virtual.”
He said that has had a huge impact on business.
“They'd walk by, and the kids would come in and buy engagement rings,” Astrein said. “It affects everything else in the city, from restaurants not opening up for lunch, the banks aren't as busy, the casual shops don't have office workers stopping in. They need to have people coming in for more than just destination shopping.
“There's a huge ripple effect. And talk about the vibrancy of the city – now it doesn't have the same vibe. On a nice day in the summer, people would be in the park, and now there aren't very many people in the park, even on a beautiful day,” he said.
positive flip is the Daxton Hotel has added people to the streets of Birmingham. The high end hotels have driven a lot of business. Between Christmas and New Year's, we saw so many people from all over.”
Another critical issue which Daskas pointed out is, “The parking structures are quieter. You see the available number of spots are much bigger.”
Daskas' perception is spot on, and city manager Tom Markus said, “That's the most object way you can tell. The parking count is down. Even the parking passes aren't being used. I don't think the on-street traffic is as reliable because we're weather-oriented, and mid-winter, we're always down.”
“There is no question fewer office workers has had a negative impact on retails and restaurants in many downtowns including Birmingham. Birmingham no longer has a 'parking problem,' and that is a huge problem in and of itself,” Bauman said.
While some may revel in the ability to find that parking spot right near their favorite store, it actually is hurting the city's coffers.
aren Daskas, co-owner of Tender with her sister Cheryl, agreed. “Town is flat,” she said. While her high-end women's fashion store may not be one many office workers stop in, as an active participant of the city, she noted, “There is a lack of foot traffic. The streets are quieter. You don't see individuals running out to get lunch.”
Lennon Caruso, who has been in town at Caruso Caruso on W. Maple since 2005, with his father, Frank, running the store for years before him, noted he has seen many changes over the years, but he has not seen an increase nor a decrease in sales relative to employees working from home.
“When Universal McCann moved in, there was this promise that 300 workers would need lunch and would flood the streets of Birmingham,” Lennon said. “But people are going to work and thinking about spending money on coffee and as little as possible on food. I think they're trying to max their time on work. There are those lawyers or ad execs, but they're not a critical mass. I open the doors of the shop, and some days there are not a lot of people, and some days there are.”
From his perspective, “Town is as good as I've ever seen it, but not because of Universal McCann, because that's empty. The
esides available on-street parking, there are 3,579 parking spaces at the five city-owned municipal parking structures. For the past decade, during the work week, monthly parking permits issued by companies to office workers took up a majority – if not all – of the available spaces in the Pierce, Peabody, N. Old Woodward, Park and Chester structures. While many companies are still holding onto those coveted monthly parking passes, as of November 2022, 342 passes were available at the Chester structure and 152 passes were available at the N. Old Woodward structure, with 77 permits having been canceled in the month prior at Chester, 14 canceled at N. Old Woodward, and two at the Peabody structure, as employees continued to stay home. There are a total of 880 spots in the Chester structure; 745 in the N. Old Woodward structure; 437 in the Peabody garage; 811 in Park; and 706 in the Pierce Street structure.
The other use for the structures is by short-term parkers, or “transient” users, in the city's parlance, those who come for an hour, or two or three. As of October 2022, 74 percent of parking spaces were in use on a given day, compared to 68 percent in October 2021, providing $146,793 in revenue in October 2022 compared to $182,457 in October 2021. Peak time for transient parkers is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and a microcosm shows that on October 11, 2022, ending at 2 p.m., there were 224 hourly parkers at the Pierce structure; 141 at Park; 147 at Peabody; 67 at N. Old Woodward; and 82 at the Chester garage.
Sheppard-Decius said there can be hidden pluses as employees reshape work landscape. While downtown Birmingham maintained a retail occupancy of 96 percent, according to the BSD, as of November 2022, with 12 new retailers opening in 2022 and six more planned so far for the upcoming year, there can be opportunities for others as spaces become available, especially in second floor locations where offices were previously.
“Those office uses where there are vacancies, how do we work with them to fill them, or reuse or repurpose them? Some may
consider residential, or service-oriented businesses that don't need to be on the first floor,” she said. “That opens up the possibility that they may be able to afford second floor rent when they couldn't afford a first floor rent. With challenges there are also opportunities.
“We just have to mine the field,” Sheppard-Decius pointed out, “to focus on the little changes to accommodate situations, to work with the economic factors of today.”
“It is difficult to re-imagine office space for other uses, but some property owners might not have a choice. Residential is one possibility but retrofitting the plumbing for individual units is very expensive. Retail is another alternative but mall-like space is struggling to remain relevant in today’s marketplace,” Bauman pointed out. “Companies always will be interested in top-quality, Class A office space to showcase their business, or want to locate in a downtown area that offers its workforce additional amenities. I feel downtown office space has a better chance of maintaining its tenants than some of the high-rise office buildings in neighboring communities.”
Ned Staebler, vice president for economic development at Wayne State University and president and CEO of Techtown, said research is still being done as to what the long-term versus short-term effect of working hybrid and virtually.
“Currently, there's an effect on Main Streets,” he said, pointing out that main street in Ann Arbor, which would rarely have more than one or two vacancies, “there are currently a dozen empty storefronts. That's unusual. In Birmingham, there are some. In Detroit, it's completely impacting the downtown.
“The office workers are the lifeblood for these businesses. How long does this work? Not forever. People are coming back to the businesses more and more,” Staebler said. The reason, he said, “most CEOs, presidents of companies, managers, are coming back to the office three, four, five days a week. What we'll see is people who want to be in those positions will follow suit. Either they want to be around people in those positions, and they'll follow suit. Or they'll realize Zoom meetings can't do everything. They're not good for creativity. Creativity, serendipity, teamwork, all happen in person.”
Those who return to the office may not find their work space will look the same, Staebler said, whether employees are working full time or hybrid. “In many offices, lots of spaces are changing from cubicles to open, more collaborative spaces for collaboration and team meeting.”
now working together in business. “It's a great synergy.”
Staebler, who runs the co-working space Techtown on Burroughs in the New Center area of Detroit, said, “There is a demand for shared working spaces, for shared amenities, shared, communal work spaces, even if people are from different companies. It's cheaper for companies. It creates energy and synergy, which is why co-working took off in the first place.”
While he thinks in a post-COVID/flu/RSV-spike world, many people will want to get back to normal work habits, Staebler believes co-working spaces will last because, “It's a low premium way to get people back to working together.”
elli DeLarosa, co-founder of PARTNR HAUS on Cole Street in Birmingham, concurred. Her original business is a design business which renovates offices and designs and creates furnishings, with an offshoot a co-working space.
“We preach collaboration and open spaces. When we design corporate offices, we're now designing them like co-working spaces. People don't need space today for 500 individuals, but for 100 people to drop in, as well as added meeting spaces. That's what's really growing, because if you're going into the office, generally it's purposeful, it's for a reason. You're doing your work at home and your team work at the office,” she said.
DeLarosa said a delightful side note to the co-working space is that many people who use their open co-working space are
rooke Wagner, co-working manager and events coordinator at Work Co. on N. Old Woodward in downtown Birmingham, said while she can't predict the future, “One thing COVID taught us is the way people work is changing, and employees want flexibility and want to choose how they work. And COVID showed they can be flexible, and the work will get done. The traditional Monday-Friday, 9-5, model is no longer needed.”
Wagner said studies show that employees now value flexibility in their work day as much as having a 401K, and it's one of the things they've seen in their spaces.
“We opened two years ago, as people were getting back out into the world and it worked to our benefit. People wanted to get out of their homes,” she said. “Some people wanted the flexibility of work from home, but also wanted the flexibility of coming into a space and that's what we are there for.”
Wagner said Work Co. offers four membership options, of which their private office membership is their most in-demand, with a wait list. DeLarosa said they have seen their membership pick up, also, with conference rooms and meeting spaces rentals increasing too.
“People are having meetings and events, and also renting spaces for interviews,” she said. “We make sure we have the right amenities, and can hook into TV and media. Just bring the people.”
DeLarosa is not sure if co-working spaces are here for the duration, but “as of right now I see it staying until employers mandate people to return to the office.”
On the other hand, “employers are spending a lot of money redoing their spaces and reducing their footprints. Their spaces need to be something the employees desire to come back to work for, rather than a simple cubicle.”
A significant segment of the marketplace that is still struggling to come back from the COVID-19 pandemic and the evolution of the workforce is the restaurant world. The pandemic itself was cataclysmic for the industry – the National Restaurant Association (NRA), the trade group that advocates for the industry, estimates that approximately there are about 90,000 closed diners, cafes, chain outlets, taverns, bars and neighborhood restaurants as a result. In just 2020, it is estimated that about 72,700 more restaurants and bars closed than normal, all due to the pandemic – a 95 percent increase over the average annual closure rate. The NRA believes more didn't close in 2021 because of federal funding from the Restaurant Revitalization Fund.
“The best way to look at it is to look at (the restaurant
business) in 2019 and look at it today,” said Jeremy Sasson, founder/CEO, Heirloom Hospitality, which owns Townhouse Birmingham and Detroit, Prime + Proper, Cash Only Supper Club, and the upcoming Mad Nice in Detroit. “It's light years better than 2020, 2021 and most of 2022. Every week over the last three to six months, it's looking more like Detroit from before the pandemic than since the pandemic.”
A significant challenge for him – and all restaurateurs – who offer more than a “quick bite” for lunch is, “when workers are not required to be in the office on the same day, we have no idea how many we'll have day-to-day,” Sasson said, noting that prepandemic, Fridays were the strongest day for lunch business. Now, if hybrid workers have the option of which days to work in office or stay home, they'll work from home on a Friday. “We have no compass. Lunch diners typically don't make reservations.”
Pre-COVID, Townhouse Detroit was “a convenient, accessible dining venue in a crowded city center,” he said, acknowledging “in this business you're either hot or you're not.” While for a period of time he said it would have been “foolish to be open for lunch in Detroit,” the transformed Townhouse, which has elevated its décor and cuisine to be a destination dining experience, is once again open for lunch.
“It was the right move for us,” he said. “We're seeing growth every week.”
than office workers. He said Streetside Seafood reopened for lunch on Thursdays and Fridays during this past holiday season, “and we're going to give that a try, and Bill's is open on Thursdays and Fridays for lunch and Saturday brunch.”
But a big challenge is there are less people working, and therefor less people coming in for lunch.
“It makes for an easy long weekend if you're working from home and you head up north on a Friday,” Roberts said. “It's a different world out there. It's all affecting commerce. We used to be open for breakfast at Bill's everyday. I don't see that happening. I don't want people standing around.”
amy Eid, owner of Phoenicia and Forest in Birmingham and Leila in Detroit, said that while “we built Leila to offer lunch service, the pandemic killed it. I don't see us opening for lunch at Leila ever. The cost of opening for lunch is significant. People don't drink at lunch, which is where we make a lot of our money, there's the cost of labor, and the cost of food and products. By not opening for lunch, the stress on the restaurant is less, the stress on the staff is less, the stress on the property is less.”
He said the workforce in Detroit is not ripe for the opening of a restaurant of Leila, or others of that caliber.
“In a city where Quicken Loans (now Rocket) has thousands of employees, it impacts everything and everyone,” he said. “The appetite for lunch is non-existent, and people don't have time for it either. Nice linen tablecloths restaurants cannot make it in Detroit. It's hard to justify opening. Food trucks, fast casual –they're the ones cleaning up.
“Maybe as things settle, some restaurateurs will attempt it again. But in the end, we're businessmen,” Eid emphasized. “People think we're in show biz – but we're in business, and we have to keep sharpening our pencils. It's hard to make money in the restaurant business, and this has made it harder.”
Forest has never been open for lunch, and he doesn't see a change in that strategy. At Phoenicia, however, which is undergoing an expansion and renovation with a planned reopening in the late spring, he expects to offer lunch.
“Phoenicia will always be open for lunch because it's part of our DNA, and it's not dependent on office workers. It has such a loyal, loving clientele that it's part of our existence,” Eid said.
Bill Roberts, owner of Bill's, Roadside R&G, and ML in Bloomfield Hills, and Streetside Seafood in Birmingham, closed all of his establishments for breakfast and lunch during the pandemic, although he said it is more because of staffing issues
ed Staebler of WSU said it's a little bit of a “chicken and egg question. If you go into the office and no one's there, do you go in again. Or if you go downtown and there's no restaurant open, you don't want to go. But, if more and more start going in, it will be more worth it for businesses. Slowly, that will adjust and it will be more rewarding to come in.”
A further question mark in this uncertain era in transit. While parking in Birmingham is more available, other aspects of transportation are also potentially in flux. In November, tricounty voters approved a transit millage, but it's implementation is yet to be determined. Brandon Adolph, acting AVP of Marketing and Communications at SMART, said, “The way the public moves about the region to work, school, shopping and other appointments has shifted. SMART is working to adapt to the changes and by doing so, we anticipate ridership will increase based on meeting the public’s need. Thus, transportation is important to the region and the future success in southeast Michigan by supporting economic development to get people to jobs.”
He acknowledged that with many working from home or hybrid, “the way people travel on a daily basis has changed. SMART is working to evaluate all of our services, with public input to create and expand mobility options for the region, working together with communities, residents, and businesses to develop a plan that is sustainable and accommodates the change in travel patterns.”
On a positive note, regardless of the style of work, ridership has increased over the last year, with SMART experiencing great success with the introduction of its pilot Flex, microtransit service, in five zones throughout the region and offering new opportunities for transit.
Joe Bauman of the Birmingham Chamber sees only positives from the improvements and the transit millage.
“I feel the newly adopted county transit millage will benefit our communities in the short run by making reliable transportation available to a workforce that has been shut out of the job market due to a lack of reliable transportation. And eventually, the millage will bring mass transit to some communities in the county that for whatever reason had opted out of the current system. There certainly are a variety of factors that need to be worked out, but an improved public transit system should be a benefit to both the business community and our residents.”
While working in the cyber security industry, Ryan Angott would join forces with his father Paul, a successful inventor with more than 40 patents, to form Birmingham-based TechLok Solutions. “We created this company because of a need for security solutions in the market,” said Ryan, who serves as president. Their first product, LapLok, is a pocket-sized security guard designed to keep devices like laptops and tablets secure in public places.
According to a recent study, every 53 seconds a laptop is lost or stolen in the U.S. “With such a hybrid workforce, you can physically attach it to the bottom of your laptop. When you want to use it, the arm swings out to lock to any desk or table,” he explained.
LapLok features a user-friendly keypad. “The beauty of the design is that it’s nearly impossible for the thief to get it off, but for a user, it’s a practical, portable and convenient solution that is low-cost and really easy to use,” said Ryan. It can be custom branded for corporations and makes a great product for students.
Ryan, who works for a major cyber security company, understands the value firsthand. “I’ve often found myself in between appointments or traveling and using my laptop in a shared workspace,” he said.
While he knows not to leave his laptop unattended, others sometimes learn the hard way. “I’ve talked to people who say it’s a hassle when it gets stolen, not just for the cost, but the emotional part,” said Ryan. In many professions, sensitive information can be another concern.
His father, Paul, who lives in Bloomfield Hills, makes a great business partner. “We always noodle around new ideas,” said Ryan, who grew up in Rochester and Bloomfield Hills and now lives in Royal Oak. “When COVID hit, it was a blessing in disguise. The fully remote and hybrid workforce is here to stay and shared workspaces are really common. It’s a work-from-anywhere world and if you do not have an office with a lock and key, you might be on a beach or at a hotel where you need a way to protect this asset and data.”
While consumers can find LapLok on indiegogo.com, it should be readily available through major retailers in February. This may be an impressive flagship product, but the father and son team also has a future portfolio in store that includes porch package protection and more.
Both share a security background. “My dad had a home security line of products for consumers,” said Ryan, who began working in cyber security around seven years ago when a friend suggested it might be a good fit. He currently sells software to major health care and manufacturing companies. “It’s a great endeavor,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot and it’s a helpful complement to what I am doing now.”
For their company, father and son are equal partners who balance each other out. “We’re old-school-meets-new-school,” said Ryan. “My dad is a seasoned entrepreneur and a brilliant inventor. We are that yin-and-yang. He is the engineering and manufacturing and inventing type and I’m the visionary and sales and marketing and strategy person. That’s how we work together through all the blood, sweat and tears.”
Their journey has not been easy. “It’s been extremely hard to do something new during a pandemic, and supply chain issues in an unprecedented time for manufacturing,” said Ryan. “On the rewarding side, the wheels of the plane are just ready to take off after being on the runway for five years.
“This experience has taught me things you can’t read about in a book. It’s the universe of hard knocks and I’ve learned an incredible amount.”
Story: Jeanine Matlow Photo: Mackenzie O'Brien
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Species extinction has been a natural part of the evolutionary cycle: whether it's been the dinosaurs, woolly mammoths or numerous different kinds of plant species. It’s believed that roughly 90 percent of all organisms that have ever lived on Earth are now extinct, according to the Young People’s Trust for the Environment. But the decline of various populations of species continue to increase far beyond the scope of natural extinction.
It’s no secret that human activity and growth has had a negative impact on the natural world, especially when it comes to the total loss of wildlife species. One of the best, and extreme, examples of this is the story of the passenger pigeon – a long tailed pigeon previously found in North America.
Early reports claimed a flying flock of passenger pigeons would take nearly a day to pass over a given area, and nested trees were so packed with the birds that branches would snap off. According to Smithsonian, once the most prolific bird species in North America, estimated to have a population between three and five billion, the passenger pigeon came to the brink of extinction by the late 1800's due to a combination of commercial exploitation and habitat loss.
Kirtland's warbler, also known in Michigan by the common name jack pine bird, or the jack pine warbler, is a small songbird of the New World warbler family, named after Jared Potter Kirtland, an Ohio doctor and amateur naturalist.
When early settlers cleared forests for farmland, the enormous pigeon population was pushed closer together in the forested areas that were left, the Smithsonian said. Eventually, the food supply in the forests began to shrink and the passenger pigeons were forced to eat from farmers’ grain fields. Damage to the crops caused farmers to retaliate by shooting the birds for meat, which opened the door to the eventual overconsumption of the species, according to the Audubon Center.
Subsequently, professional hunters began netting birds to sell in markets, and the commercial demand grew throughout the 19th century, hitting its peak in 1850. The passenger pigeon population declined severely, but people only began to notice in 1860. Even with the excessive hunting, the pigeons might have been able to recover, or at least avoid extinction, but hunters also attacked and destroyed nesting sites.
The passenger pigeon's population decline and subsequent extinction was a wake-up call to conservationists, and before the bird was officially declared extinct, Congress passed the country’s first wildlife law in 1900. Named the Lacey Act, the legislation targeted the trafficking of illegally taken wildlife, fish or plants. Unfortunately, the new protections weren’t enough for the passenger pigeon’s population to recover, and the last passenger pigeon believed to exist died in captivity in 1914.
THE PASSENGER PIGEON'S POPULATION DECLINE AND SUBSEQUENT EXTINCTION WAS A WAKE-UP CALL TO CONSERVATIONISTS, AND BEFORE THE BIRD WAS OFFICIALLY DECLARED EXTINCT, CONGRESS PASSED THE COUNTRY’S FIRST WILDLIFE LAW IN 1900. NAMED THE LACEY ACT, THE LEGISLATION TARGETED THE TRAFFICKING OF ILLEGALLY TAKEN WILDLIFE, FISH OR PLANTS.
It wasn’t until over 60 years later that Congress passed a second wildlife bill, the Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966. The publication of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring in 1962 – a book documenting environmental harm caused by the significant overuse of pesticides – formed the roots of the environmental movement as the country knows it. Activists pushed Congress to act against environmental harm, leading to the 1966 legislation, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Passage of the act allowed for the creation of a list of endangered native animal species, providing them with limited protection. It also allowed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to acquire land for the conservation of endangered species. The act was amended three years later to include endangered species around the globe; however, some species that were only considered endangered in the United States were removed from the list. Coined the Endangered Species Conservation Act of 1969, this legislation created two lists: the first containing species native to the U.S., and the second containing species native to other countries, according to U.S. Legal.
Government agencies were able to focus on the list containing endangered species specifically in the U.S. and offered protections for globally listed endangered species from being brought into the country. Additionally, the trade or killing of endangered animals in the U.S. was made
punishable by fines or jail time. The two acts served as legal precedents for passing the Endangered Species Act of 1973, further extending the protections granted in 1966 and 1969.
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 established a program for the conservation of endangered animals and the habitats in which they are found. It also extended protections to flora, such as trees and grasses, and included them on the endangered species list. In 1994, Michigan passed its own Endangered Species Act, which went into effect in 1995 – otherwise known as a part of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act –establishing another endangered species list specific to plants and wildlife species in the state. Species listed on the federal endangered species list are also automatically included on the state list.
Under Michigan law, “endangered” indicates that a species is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of the state, whereas “threatened” indicates a particular species is likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future if conservation efforts aren’t taken. The law also states that it is illegal to take, possess, transport, import, export, process, sell, or buy any fish, plants or wildlife included on the list – violation is punishable by either a fine or jail time.
Endangered and threatened species have been monitored and protected nationally and globally since the 1970s, but even so, the endangered species lists continues to grow. This past fall, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) released the proposed updates to the state’s endangered and threatened species list showing an increase in listed species from 399 in 2009 to 407 at the end of 2022. At face value, this may not seem all that drastic, but in total there are 141 proposed changes that include species being recategorized from threatened to endangered, or being delisted because the population has disappeared from Michigan.
The Michigan DNR is responsible for updating the list every 10 years, which is in the process of being finalized. This year’s proposed updates include listing 58 new species as threatened or endangered, delisting 36 species whose populations have recovered, reclassifying 26 threatened species as extinct, and reclassifying eight extinct species as threatened, rather than extinct. There are also reports that 13 species are proposed to be delisted because their populations have completely vanished from the state. The big question is: what is causing the increase in some species to be threatened and endangered?
“Species listed as threatened or endangered are often dependent on high-quality natural systems that benefit all of us in Michigan by providing clean water and other ecosystem functions,” said Jennifer Kleitch, endangered species specialist with the Michigan DNR.
“A decline in the species found in those systems can indicate declines in the functioning of those systems. Habitat fragmentation from roads, habitat removal from development, and degraded habitat conditions from invasive species can threaten the functioning of these natural systems,” she continued. “Also, many species are listed as threatened or endangered because they face serious threats that can affect their populations such as disease, climate change, and direct losses of individuals through predation or human impacts.”
Overall, there are several factors that can contribute to the decline of species populations, and as Kleitch notes, a decline in the species can be an indicator that something may also be wrong with the functioning of an ecosystem. When that functioning begins to decline observations can be made of a decline in an ecosystem’s productivity or a
reduction in an ecosystem’s complexity due to loss of biodiversity, according to Britannica, making the species' that belong to these ecosystems vulnerable to population decline or possible extinction.
Human activity and hunting, disease and climate change are all significant factors negatively impacting wildlife and their habitats. However, the biggest factor contributing to the decline in wildlife populations and biodiversity is the loss of land.
“If you look, historically the single biggest factor in the decline of biodiversity and species resulting in threatened and endangered species is habitat and land conversion,” said Brian Klatt, director of the Michigan Natural Features Inventory (MNFI).
Land conversion resulting in habitat loss is not an issue specific to Michigan. Increasing populations call for increase agricultural uses of land for food on top of growing urbanization to accommodate increasing human populations. Southeast Michigan primarily sees urban growth while more northern parts of the state sees land conversion for agricultural uses.
On top of land conversion and habitat loss, invasive species pose a threat to the health of ecosystems and biodiversity, especially in aquatic ecosystems. The Great Lakes Aquatic Non-indigenous Species Information System (GLANSIS) reported that as of 2018, there were an
IN SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN, THERE ARE THREE INVASIVE SPECIES IDENTIFIED AS PRIORITY SPECIES BY THE JOHNSON NATURE CENTER IN BLOOMFIELD HILLS: COMMON REED, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS PHRAGMITES; EUROPEAN FROG-BIT; AND JAPANESE KNOTWEED. PHRAGMITES ARE FOUND IN WETLANDS AND REPLACE NATIVE PHRAGMITES, TAKING UP SPACE MEANT FOR ANIMALS AND OTHER WETLAND PLANTS.
estimated 187 non-native species established in the Great Lakes. Aquatic invasive species like zebra mussels, sea lamprey, and Asian carps have long wreaked havoc on the Great Lakes ecosystems, competing with native species for limited resources, changing habitats and reducing biodiversity, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In southeast Michigan, there are three invasive species identified as priority species by the Johnson Nature Center in Bloomfield Hills: Common reed, otherwise known as Phragmites; European Frog-bit; and Japanese Knotweed. Phragmites are found in wetlands and replace native phragmites, taking up space meant for animals and other wetland plants, said Zachary Mork, a naturalist with the Johnson Nature Center.
Japanese Knotweed and European Frog-bit, along with other invasive species, are problematic for several different reasons, Mork said. Some, like Japanese Knotweed, prevent other native species from being able to grow and present a problem for infrastructure since they are able to grow right up through cracks in concrete. Others, like European Frog-bit, can cause animals to change their diets and it reduces oxygen levels in the water.
Other species of note throughout Michigan include the Emerald Ash Boer, an insect that infests and destroys ash trees, and Eurasian water milfoil, which shades out native
aquatic plants. Michigan keeps an invasive species watch list of species that have been identified as immediate or potential threats to “Michigan's economy, environment or human health,” the watch list notes.
Invasive species have a clear negative impact on the ecosystems they invade, but another piece of the puzzle is the economic and social impacts that come along with invasive species.
“The economic and social impacts of invasive species range anywhere from lowering property values, limiting recreational opportunities, a decrease in tourism, poorer water quality, a decrease in agricultural and fisheries productivity, damage infrastructure, as well as costs associated with invasive species control efforts,” said Cathy Wesley, a naturalist with the Johnson Nature Center.
Once an invasive species inserts itself into an ecosystem, it is a huge challenge to try and get rid of it –from both a environmental and financial standpoint. The longer an invasive species resides in an ecosystem before it is detected, long-term management may be avoidable and expensive.
With some of the biggest threats to endangered species being the loss of habitats and ecosystems, how can we tell when an ecosystem is on the decline before it’s too late?
Scott Tiegs, professor in the department of biological sciences at Oakland University and a member of the Campus Alliance for Sustainability and the Environment, explained that we can observe how the loss of biodiversity shows up to ecosystems by examining structure and function.
“We see changes in what ecologists call the structure and function of ecosystems,” Teigs said. “The structure relates to things like the composition of the organisms that are present, the number of species, the diversity of the biotic communities that are present, but then we also see impairment to ecosystem processes – things that ecosystems do like sequester carbon, release greenhouse gases, nutrient transformations and the like, so we see impairments to both of those when we have land use conversion.”
Unfortunately, the chances of an ecosystem being able to completely return to its “natural” state after it has been damaged or harmed aren’t great.
“When I talk to my undergraduate students, I use the analogy of Humpty Dumpty. You can’t put that back together again. Ecosystems are much more complex than eggs; you can’t put them back together. It’s just really not possible so the best thing to do is not impact it to begin with,” Tiegs said.
Local groups and state organizations employ numerous strategies to protect Michigan’s unique ecosystems. The Nature Conservancy, a global environmental nonprofit with a focus on Michigan, is directly involved in the conservation of the state’s wetlands, fisheries, forests and the Great Lakes. They focus on conserving land and water in a variety of locations using strategies that help ensure the vitality of the people, places and wildlife well into the future, per their website.
Doug Pearsall, a senior conservation scientists at The Nature Conservancy, coordinates research and monitoring projects in Michigan and the Great Lakes. He was also involved in the development of conservation strategies for four of the Great Lakes, co-leading the effort for Lake Michigan and Lake Erie.
“Addressing threats is one of the critical components of any conservation plan,” Pearsall said. “and that’s the basis for identifying strategies because often many of our strategies are focused on minimizing or abating threats.
You can also think of another big bucket of strategies that is directly restoring an ecosystem or propping up a species through captive breeding – those are more restoration kinds of strategies.”
Conservation strategies are a set of actions intended to conserve and protect a specific natural area. Once priorities are established for the area the conservation strategies will target, a plan is made consisting of the strategies that should be used in order to meet those goals and monitoring that should be conducted after the strategies have been implemented.
These strategies are important for advancing sustainable development, but can be difficult to implement without teams to help monitor and record any changes in the system, said the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resource. Many environmental groups and organizations throughout the state partner with the public and with each other to address the various aspects of ecological conservation and restoration.
The Clinton River Watershed Council (CRWC) – a nonprofit organization in southeast Michigan dedicated to protecting and enhancing the Clinton River, its watershed and Lake St. Clair – collaborates with partners to complete projects aimed at restoring and enhancing the natural ecosystems of the watershed, as stated on their website.
THE MNFI MAINTAINS THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE DATABASE ON THE LOCATION AND CONDITION OF THREATENED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES AND OTHER RARE SPECIES AND HIGH-QUALITY HABITATS. THE PROCESS FOR DOING SO INCLUDES ANALYZING MUSEUM RECORDS TO SEE WHERE SPECIES HAVE BEEN LOCATED AND CONDUCTING FIELD SURVEYS TO DETERMINE LOCATION AND ABUNDANCE.
Recently, CRWC partnered with the DNR on a dam removal project with the intent to enhance ecological restoration in the area. Eric Diesling, chief watershed ecologist with CRWC, and Cleyo Harris, a fisheries biologist with the Michigan DNR, developed the project and acquired the funding to remove an old dam from Trout Creek – a tributary of Paint Creek in Oakland County.
Dam removal is a form of ecological restoration which has been growing in popularity over the last decade or so, Diesing said, since older dams which have come out of use no longer benefit the ecosystem they’re in. Removing a dam has the potential to improve water quality, reopen the waterways to their natural paths allowing fish and other wildlife to return, and sediment to to be released. Harris also noted that dam removal can be beneficial from an economic sense as well – getting rid of the maintenance and restoration costs for the concrete structures.
Jennifer Hill, executive director of CRWC, said that dams can be expensive to maintain, and sometimes to have the dam removed falls outside the abilities of the dam owners. That’s where partnerships come in. Working with state or local partners who have the ability to take advantage of funding in order to address projects like this is important, she said.
Environmental groups also partner for research and monitoring. For instance, part of the Michigan Natural Features Inventory’s (MNFI) work consists of field surveys ranging from targeting a group of animals to keep from extinction to a more comprehensive effort that encompasses plants, animals and natural communities.
Klatt, of MNFI, noted that MNFI conducts a lot of surveys on behalf of the DNR, which covers state game areas, state forests and state parks. Members from MNFI also sit on technical committees, separated by taxonomy, as well as the added benefit of belonging to the DNR, which provides the recommendations regarding updates to the DNR’s endangered and threatened species list.
The MNFI maintains the most comprehensive database on the location and condition of threatened and endangered species and other rare species and highquality habitats, said Klatt. The process for doing so includes analyzing museum records to see where species have been located and conducting field surveys to determine location and abundance. Filling in the gaps in records of species populations and locations lays the foundations for natural resource management, sound land use and conservation decisions.
While field work is an essential part of conservation efforts, the educational aspect of ecological preservation is an equally important step in the endeavor to protect our ecosystems and wildlife now and into the future. Organizations like The Nature Conservancy and CRWC offer various resources and programs to educate the public on how to take care of the natural world around us. The Johnson Nature Center, part of Bloomfield Hills Schools, provides educational resources and programs including community programs, like camps and workshops, and is a field trip destination for K-12 students attending BHS, in addition to its services and work with the natural world.
Johnson Nature Center also hosts community outreach events throughout the year that not only gets the public excited about connecting with our natural environment, but they also double as fundraisers to aid in some of the conservation work the center does. For example, it hosts an annual event called Forest to Table, where participants walk through the center’s trails to different food stations, offering “food intertwined with Michigan native and invasive species of flora and fauna as ingredients.” The funds raised through this event contribute to the, among other things, the restoration and upkeep of the center’s sugar bush, according to Cass Arsenault, lead interpretive naturalist.
With over 42,000 species from around the globe listed on The International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species – described as a critical indicator of the world’s biodiversity – the importance of conservation and restoration strategies only grows. The ecologists and researchers work tirelessly to implement effective conservation plans and strategies, research the effectiveness of strategies, and monitor the changes to ecosystems after conservation strategies have been implemented.
There’s no clear cut path or one specific solution that on its own will restore wildlife populations. But the best way to help is simple: avoid damaging ecosystems and habitats in the first place. Conservation and restoration strategies are a vital part of preserving the natural areas and wildlife have left, with the one way for everyone to contribute is by being aware of how our actions may negatively and continually impact the environment and wildlife species.
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Amberrose Hammond’s journey to becoming a published author began like so many things do: with a simple Google search.
It was the fall in the early 2000's, and she was sitting at work, thinking that Michigan was a state with nothing haunted, no ghost stories. Then she found a local branch of ghost hunters and discovered that there was a lot more to explore than she originally thought.
“I ended up falling in love with the reason why something becomes haunted, or why local legends and folklore persist, and where they came from,” Hammond said. “Then that kind of just triggered my whole love of local history and state history as a whole.”
Since then, Hammond has published multiple books focused on ghost stories in Michigan, where she does a deep dive into researching the often unknown tales.
Her most recent novel – Mysterious Michigan – is a culmination of miscellaneous stories and research from the piles she had had for years. It’s full of unfamiliar stories and some more familiar ones, but with an extra step of research.
“I got ghosts. I got true crime. I got folklore. It's kind of a little bit of everything that's weird in the state,” Hammond said. “I wanted to look at how the supernatural has played a role in our state history and how often its influenced certain events, and people. “
She loves being able to introduce people to stories they’ve never heard, in Michigan towns they may not have known of.
Those towns love when she tells their stories too.
Take for instance one of the stories on the cover of Mysterious Michigan,
with Farmer Riley, who was from Marcellus, Michigan, a town with less than 2,000 people living in it. Their library has already reached out to Hammond to come speak there about her book.
Given that she’s covering real people from real places in Michigan, Hammond has gotten to travel to libraries all over the state to talk about her books. It's right in her wheelhouse.
“I love speaking at libraries, because you always get a really curious crowd,” said Hammond, who has worked at libraries since she was 18, and has spent the last six years working at the Bloomfield Township Public Library. “It’s just fun to kind of experience that, and a nice way to drive around the state.”
Writing and researching these stories isn’t the only way Hammond spreads the word about the supernatural in Michigan. She also does true crime cemetery tours on the west side of the state, an idea that formed after her book, Wicked Ottawa County, was published.
She said often after doing a tour, people come up to her and tell her about their own family history.
Hammond’s history of being interested in things that were a little spooky and weird and strange goes all the way back to her childhood. But that original story doesn’t include something like a physic aunt or growing up in a haunted house.
“There’s nothing that every triggered it, there’s no cool story,” Hammond laughed. “I guess I was born interested.”
Story: Dana Casadei
Photo: Laurie Tennent
Birmingham City Manager Tom Markus gave another report on city commissioner Brad Host’s social media videos and letters to the public at the city commission meeting on Monday, January 9, further scolding the commissioner for spreading false information about the 2040 master plan and attending other city board and committee meetings.
Host previously posted two videos on social media perpetuating false information about part of Birmingham’s 2040 master plan, alleging the plan will be rezoning single-family homes to build multifamily homes and that the city is favoring profit over its people. Host also has spread written communications with the public providing the same information. However, the master plan does no such thing – it doesn’t rezone any properties but has the potential to influence zoning in the future by future commissions.The plan serves as a guide for future ordinances and developments over the next 20 or so years.
Markus noted that there have been numerous attempts to solicit public input on the master plan, which he says has gone on long enough, including 40 public meetings and several communications with the public encouraging comments. He reiterated comments made at previous meetings and at the beginning of the master plan process, noting commissioners should not ever engage in the process until it’s the commission’s turn to review and comment on the plan.
Even if the plan is adopted, that doesn’t mean it is set in stone. The Michigan Planning Enabling Act requires that a master plan be reviewed every five years to see if any amendments need to be made and to make sure the plan is still relevant, said Markus. Master plans are a road map that helps planners and city officials determine land use, development, reinvestment, transportation, housing, and infrastructure renovation for the next few decades – but they are not law.
Markus further clarified that only the commission could approve rezoning because it’s a deviance from the actual zoning ordinance. “The plan is not rezoning things, but it may inform future zoning … and every rezoning proposal that exists requires
Current Birmingham City Manager Tom Markus recently gave an update on the recruitment process for a new city manager, noting they currently have six strong candidates to interview, which will then be narrowed down to three or four.
“The city manager recruitment has closed, securing six candidates that meet the desired qualifications and will be provided to the commission in a separate confidential message. It is the recommendation of Human Resources that first-round interviews be conducted in-house, with a list of three to four candidates narrowed down for a public Meet & Greet with the city commission,” Markus wrote in his December city manager report.
At the December 19 city commission meeting, Markus said after speaking with city attorney Mary Kucharek, it is recommended that they interview those six candidates by Zoom, “because some candidates have to travel, and then we can reduce that number to three or four, and have a public forum for a meet and greet. We would send them to different parts of the room and let the public chat with them about their experiences and may ask questions of them. We'd solicit feedback from the public. The commission would then have the final interviews, and the commission would make an offer to a candidate that would enter into negotiations as to an agreement.”
While a time line was not specified, some time in January was referred to for the Zoom interviews.
Markus’ current stint with the city is expected to end in June of this year.
Mehalski said the township a decade ago repaired a portion of sanitary sewer adjacent to Forest Lake on the Forest Lake Country Club property, near the tennis courts. The inspection showed a pipe upstream from the original repair is now failing. The repair, which replaces a portion of sewer originally constructed in 1978, will cost about $1.2 million.
“This sewer is rated as highest priority for replacement due to the location adjacent to the lake and the impact to upstream properties should the sewer ultimately fail,” he said. “It is likely that the Forest Lake Country Club will request that the construction be performed during the off-season as the work is also adjacent to the tennis courts, pool and lake access.”
On Club Drive, the inspection showed a portion of sewer constructed in 1972 needs to be repaired and replaced. The work will cause Club Drive to be closed. The work is expected to cost about $1.5 million.
not only public notification but notification to persons within so many feet of the subject property, public hearings, in front of the planning board again, and public hearings at [the commission’s] table for rezoning. It’s an ordinance. Only the commission can pass the ordinances,” Markus said.
On top of Host spreading misinformation about the plan, he has attended the meetings of other boards and committees. On December 6, 2021, city attorney Mary Kucharek provided a report to commissioners that advised against any of them attending these meetings to avoid the appearance of potentially violating the Open Meetings Act (OMA).
While Markus had said at a previous meeting that he was considering which options to proceed with if Host continued to spread false information, it’s still unclear whether Host will receive any disciplinary action or if he will go before the Ethics Board.
The Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees on Monday, January 9, authorized design work to begin on
$3.5 million in sanitary sewer repairs needed in order to avoid costly overflows to the township and residents.
Bloomfield Township Public Works Director Noah Mehalski said the township was awarded a grant in 2019 to inspect some of the 225 miles of sanitary sewer lines in the township. The work revealed several defects in the system that could lead to backups near Forest Lake, Club Drive and Brafferton Road.
“When you start looking, you find things, and this is some of the stuff that we found,” Mehalski said.
Under state law (PA 222), once the township is aware of defects in the system, it may be held responsible for damages incurred by residents. Mehalski noted there are about $3.5 million in priority projects. The work is ultimately funded through sewer rates, but specific funding may come through bonding, general fund or reserves.
“Once we become aware of defects within our sewers, we become liable if there is some kind of back-up after we are aware of that,” he said. “Then it comes down to a question of whether we acted in a prudent nature to fix these or not. That would be a question that a judge would answer, not me. Obviously, on our timeline, we believe it’s prudent.”
The final project was identified along Brafferton Road, where a section of sewer runs in the rear yards along Timson Lane, between Bafferton and Coachmaker Drive. In addition to being located in rear yards, there is a natural pond that impacts the sewer, which was constructed in 1963. The cost of replacing the sewer is $771,000.
Mehalski noted the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will be reconstructing Square Lake Road from Woodward to I-75 in the summer of 2024. Sewers under Square Lake have an estimated $473,000 in repairs needed, and that it is recommended that work should be done at the same time as the MDOT work.
At the meeting on January 9, Mehahski requested authorization to begin design work with engineering consultants Hubbell, Roth & Clark. The final construction costs will be included in the 2023-24 water and sewer budget, which will be approved by April 1.
Bloomfield Township trustee Neal Barnett thanked Mehalski for bringing the projects to the board’s attention to begin the work needed.
“As you mentioned, once you discover it, you have to do something about it,” Barnett said. “Certainly for the residents and also getting into the liability, starting the engineering process is showing due diligence and that we are taking it seriously.”
Bloomfield Township Board of Trustee members met for a special study session on Thursday, December 15, to discuss how to use $4.4 million in federal funds granted to the township through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to offset losses from the pandemic.
The township will receive a one-time $4.4 million disbursement, which must be used by the end of 2024, in accordance with federal guidelines, said township supervisor Dani Walsh. The money can’t be used for debt service or pension liability.
“Initially, the money came with extreme limitations and was restricted to federal initiatives to expand broadband, and water and sewer to underserved communities,” she said.
Walsh said the township joined with other communities to lobby federal officials for more leniency. While a time limit remains on the use of the funds, the money can be used in one of four categories: replacing lost public sector revenue; supporting COVID-19 public health and economic responses; providing premium pay for eligible workers performing essential work; and investing in water, sewer and broadband.
In September, the board identified nearly $42 million in eligible projects the ARPA funds could be used for during the grant period. In November, trustees approved a preliminary budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which included some in ARPA-eligible purchases, including desktop scanners; a ladder truck for the fire department; public safety equipment; phone upgrades; holding cell updates; police dispatch updates; police locker room upgrades, and other items. However, no final decision has been made on what exactly the funds will be used to offset.
Walsh said some eligible items were removed from consideration, such as funding a strategic plan for the township, which she said would take longer than the eligible time requirement. Likewise, she said funding for the senior center is being sought through another grant. However, she said the township could use ARPA funds to complete architectural plans for projects to prepare them to be “shovel ready,” and qualify for other grant funding.
“Some of the grants that are out there, we could have applied for some of the police issues or fire had it been shovel ready, meaning you already have the architectural plans and own the property,” she said. “There are places like Livonia, which got a senior center that way because it was shovel ready. So, we could decide if we want to have an architect do a design. That is something we could start on.
“We have time to investigate these and do it right, but the question is, ‘what do we investigate?’” Walsh said.
“We aren’t making any decisions here tonight,” said clerk Martin Brook. “We are talking about it and ultimately come back in a board meeting and there would be a resolution with sufficient detail to allow us to make a decision. Some of this does have a lot more legwork to do.”
Proposed projects range from multi-million dollar projects, such as the renovation of Fire Station 3 and water and sewer upgrades. Other items include capital needs, such as scanners, police and fire equipment; cyber security upgrades; and information technology upgrades. Walsh said funding the police dispatch and locker room upgrades, a new ladder apparatus for the fire department and phone system upgrades would cost about $3.2 million, leaving another $1.2 million for smaller projects.
Board members said they considered updating the township’s police dispatch and public safety facilities a priority. Trustee Michael Schostak also said cyber security upgrades are necessary to avoid problems in the future.
“I would move up in my priority list the dispatch renovation and locker room,” said Schostak. “We have seen how important dispatch is to our overall operations and we need to give them the best facility.”
Walsh said the session gives staff some guidance on what priorities the board will want to take, and what avenues to explore. No formal action was taken at the study session. A formal budget meeting will be scheduled in February.
The governing board of the Birmingham Business District (BSD) on January 5, voted to reject the latest applicants for the now open contract position of retail recruitment and move forward on a possible new path to finding a way to tap the expertise of the real estate community for filling vacant commercial space in the city's downtown area.
The BSD has been attempting to find a new retail recruitment firm to replace the most recent firm, CC Consulting, that had the contract until earlier this year when the tense relationship between the firm's principal, Cindy Ciura, and the city ended with the BSD withdrawing a one-year contract extension offer.
CC Consulting since 2019 had been acting on the city's behalf to help fill vacant retail spaces in the downtown of Birmingham.
The BSD Business Development Committee had suggested in April of this year that the contract with CC Consulting be extended one year but questions were raised about longstanding terms of the contract and the BSD board agreed to tighten up some portions of the contract, including codified terms of who the company would report to in the BSD structure as well as setting forth more specific goals of the types of businesses the city would prefer to see in the commercial mix of the downtown.
Past contracts with retail recruitment firms generally paid about $75,000 annually, including a monthly amount and performance commissions.
Although the BSD had offered a one-year extension of the contract with CC Consulting, principal Ciura objected to some of the new terms and questioned whether the city had paid her all funds due under a prior contract. The interim director of the BSD at that time, assistant city manager Jana Ecker, said that the city reviewed past payments to the firm and the city actually paid more than the annual cap of the contract allowed and no further payments would be made.
The BSD board ultimately decided to withdraw the earlier contract extension offer. At the same time, the BSD voted in August to promote the open position and received only two applications by the September deadline.
At the meeting Thursday, January 4, Business Development Committee co-
chairperson Mike McKenzie told BSD board members that the committee was recommending that those responding to the latest RFP effort be rejected because they were “suboptimal.” McKenzie also said the panel was looking into creating an “incentive-based program” for local brokers in an effort to build a recruitment team approach to fill retail vacancies. The new possible approach will be reviewed by the city attorney and a new “scaled-down RFP” would be issued in the future.
McKenzie also said the committee was almost done with an analysis of the existing mix of retail in the downtown area which would be part of future efforts to bring businesses to the downtown area.
The BSD board approved on a unanimous voice vote the committee's recommendation to reject proposals received by the September 28 deadline.
To the despair of drivers in Bloomfield Township, the Long Lake Road sanitary sewer replacement, which began September 9, is taking longer than expected, with Long Lake Road not projected to be reopened until the end of January.
It was scheduled to be reopened in late November.
The roadway is fully closed for a stretch just east and west of Groton Road, Pine Tree Trail and the western jog of Franklin Road.
According to communications from Bloomfield Township, as the project progressed, it changed to also include replacing the water main within the project area. Originally, it included replacing the failing sanitary sewer. Current projections are that the sanitary sewer work was completed by the end of December, and the water main should be completed and put back into service. Next, Long Lake Road will be patched and reopened to regular traffic prior to the end of January.
According to the township's engineering and environmental services department, restoration work, such as the paving of Pine Tree Trail and Groton Road, as well as the replacement of the safety path along the south side of Long Lake Road and replacement of trees and grass will not be completed until spring 2023.
Ever wonder what Birmingham looks like from the sky? The city of Birmingham is offering a birds-eye view with the launch of a new 3D virtual tour.
Through the use of stunning 360degree aerial and ground-level imagery, this fully immersive experience virtually transports viewers from anywhere in the world to Birmingham. It can be used as an interactive tour to serve as a residential and commercial attraction tool and resource to travelers, visitors and those interested in hosting a special event in the city. New residents, as well as those already familiar with the city may discover something new as they explore the detailed tour featuring the city's golf courses, parks, and facilities including The Birmingham Museum, Birmingham Fire
Department, Birmingham Ice Sports Arena and lots more.
The city of Birmingham is one of the first local communities to offer this virtual tour. It is easily accessible and can be shared via website, social media and email. The tour will be expanded in the future and can be continuously updated with new images, video clips, documentation, featured locations and more.
Birmingham partnered with Skyway Interactive to create the tour, which includes nearly 200 aerial drone photographs, 360-degree images and graphics. Skyway Interactive has an impressive list of clients including universities and professional sports venues, among others.
"This virtual tour really showcases our beautiful and vibrant city," said Birmingham Communications Director Marianne Gamboa. "This resource is part of ongoing efforts to offer a variety of accessible, user-
friendly communication tools across a wide range of channels that promote city of Birmingham services and features to residents and the greater community.”
The interactive virtual tour can be accessed on the city of Birmingham’s website at bhamgov.org/residents.
The Birmingham Planning Board stalled on scheduling the required public hearing for the 2040 Master Plan at their meeting on Wednesday, January 11, after multiple board members agreed the master plan could use more editing and an additional review of some topics.
Birmingham’s 2040 master plan –formally titled The Birmingham Plan 2040 – has been a work in progress for about four years and has cycled through three drafts. A master plan
is a guide to help communities create a vision of what they wan t to be in the future, as explained by planning director Nick Dupuis in the meeting’s packet. Master plans are not ordinances but help to guide a community’s future decisions.
The mandatory 63-day public distribution period for the third draft concluded on December 30, and then headed back to the planning board to determine if the plan is ready for a public hearing. Several residents shared their concerns over the modification of zoning, particularly on the corner of E. Lincoln Street and S. Eton Street. Following an hour of public comments, board members Daniel Share and Janelle Boyce both agreed that it would be beneficial to explain what a master plan is and what it does before beginning discussions to clear up confusion since the plan does not rezone any areas.
Board member Bryan Williams shared he was concerned about the
time frame after a public hearing was to take place, saying the board will need more time after the public hearing to make changes to the draft before it heads to the city commission. Although chairperson Scott Clein disagreed, noting that the board wouldn’t be able to make any significant changes to the draft after a public hearing, Williams remained adamant about that.
Share suggested, considering the edits that some believed should be made, that board members should form a list with different topics that the board would want to go over – a brief list of topics to get opinions on whether parts of the plan that are either already done or the commission has decided against, like social districts, should be kept. Williams, Stuart Jeffares and Bert Koseck concurred, adding another meeting isn’t a big deal given the draft process has already been going on for four years.
The board eventually came to the consensus they would hold off on scheduling a public hearing for the plan until their meeting on Wednesday, February 8, after they have a chance to review Share’s list of topics and any others brought up. No formal action was taken.
While the Birmingham City Commission approved the 2023 budget for the 48th District Court in December, assistant city manager Jana Ecker presented new details regarding a promising potential amendment to the current court funding agreement on Monday, January 9, during the commission meeting.
Under the current court funding agreement, there are three funding units – Birmingham, Bloomfield Township and West Bloomfield – and four political subdivisions –Bloomfield Hills, Orchard Lake, Keego Harbor and Sylvan Lake – that are responsible for funding the court. The funding units carry the bulk of the responsibility for funding the court, and after Bloomfield Hills withdrew as a funding unit last year,
the costs became greater for the remaining three units.
Personnel from the three funding units and four political subdivisions met with court staff, the court administrator as well as Judges Marc Barron and Diane D’Agostini on November 30, 2022, to discuss the court’s 2023 budget. During that meeting, according to Ecker, the political subdivisions conceptually agreed to enter into a new agreement that would state in the years when the court’s expenses exceed its revenue from all the jurisdictions, the political subdivisions would help cover the losses of the court by returning some of the revenues that would normally flow to the communities from court cases.
Once the new agreement, which will also contain a termination provision, is signed by the political subdivisions, it would then be added to the current funding agreement, signed by the funding units.
“I shared [at the meeting] that this would go a long way towards at least agreeing to work out something where we’re all contributing in a tough year and it’s not just left on the three funding units, and it’s potentially avoiding costly litigation … and it stops us from wanting to opt out of the funding agreement by the end of January,” Ecker said.
Ecker also noted that Birmingham, along with a few other communities, agreed to change their legal counsel since a few municipalities had the same representation. Birmingham verbally agreed to put together the agreement, outlining what was talked about at the meeting, which was sent out in December.
The full draft of the agreement was sent out on Monday, January 9, and a few jurisdictions had already stated it will distributed to be reviewed and approved. Ecker’s report served as an update to the city commission on what took place during the meeting with the other communities and court staff. No formal action was needed, but the commission will circle back to the discussion in the near future.
From an early age, Paul Gross knew he wanted to be a meteorologist. Gross recalls that his second-grade teacher noticed he was fearful during a thundershower. She took him to the school library’s weather section “to help make weather less scary.” His interest in the science of weather was ignited and a short while later, when his uncle asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, Gross replied enthusiastically, “A Channel 4 weatherman!”
Gross was born in Detroit and moved from Oak Park to Bloomfield Township in fifth grade, graduating from the former Andover High School. He attended the University of Michigan, where he earned a degree in meteorology from the Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences department. During college, he became the first weather intern at Channel 4 (WDIV) and later balanced his class schedule with a part-time, off-camera position writing weather reports for the noon news.
Before appearing in front of the camera at WDIV, Gross worked on-air in Lansing and then at WKBD-TV when it launched its Ten O'clock News. By 1986, he was working concurrently at all three stations. Eventually, he found a permanent meteorology role and home at WDIV.
“I love the people I work with at Channel 4. They are not just like family – they are family. Over the past 40 years, we’ve grown up together – married, had kids, mourned the loss of parents. These are some of my closest friends.”
From his early years, Gross took a keen interest in not only the weather, but also science and environmental reporting. He interviewed his first climate scientist over 30 years ago and follows the science and truth of global warming and Earth’s changing climate.
“I don’t use any information from advocacy groups. I only follow science and seek the truth without politics.”
Gross has earned many awards and accolades during his career, including nine Emmy awards from the Michigan Chapter of the National Association of Television Arts and Sciences. He was also named a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) in 2017, an extremely high honor in professional scientific societies. He is now one of only four remaining meteorologists in the world ever to be named an AMS Fellow, Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM), and Certified Consulting Meteorologist (CCM). As a CCM, Gross is considered the most qualified expert witness in the state when it comes to the potential impact of weather on litigation.
The busy meteorologist also provides weather guidance for the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Lions, and University of Michigan’s football team – which adds to the many interesting stories and experiences he’s collected over the years. Through it all, Gross has never lost sight of his main mission. “As a meteorologist, my number one job is public safety. When there is the potential for dangerous weather, being able to communicate and convey what people need to know is the most important thing I do.”
The Oakland County resident and his wife have two grown sons. When he’s not working, he spends time golfing, kayaking, bowling, and tending his garden and yard. He also enjoys his home Up North on Lake Michigan where he collects and polishes Petoskey stones for display and gifts. Soon, he will have more time for these passions as he retires from WDIV after 40 years, becoming the station's first “Meteorologist Emeritus.”
“I never left home – this is very important to me. I have institutional memory of all major weather events,” Gross says. “There is not one day that I haven't been grateful to work in my hometown for my entire career. I’ve had opportunities in other cities...but I have never wanted to leave the city and state I love. This is home and always will be home.”
Donohue
Story: Tracy
Photo: Laurie Tennent
Sugaring NYC has opened at 34110 Woodward Avenue in Birmingham, offering organic hair removal and innovative services such as brow lamination and Keratin lash lift, by licensed estheticians for all hair removal needs. Sugaring NYC has over 40 locations nationwide, and says, “once you try sugaring, you will never go back to waxing.” What is sugaring? “Sugaring is a relatively painless, affordable, and longlasting Brazilian hair removal method. Forget about shaving or regular waxing that causes irritation, ingrown hairs, and razor bumps. Waxing removes live skin cells alongside dead skin cells and unwanted hair, causing unnecessary pain and irritation. Sugaring uses only natural ingredients. The preparation is 100 percent natural, containing only water and sugar, with no chemicals, fragrances or coloring. It is hypoallergenic, causing no skin irritation. And it is so natural
that a sweet-toothed person can even eat it! Waxing is made of resins and often toxic chemicals, as well.” The sugar paste is applied at room temperature so it will not burn even the most sensitive skin, and cleans easily with water, allowing for easy exfoliation. Sugaring is ideal, they say, for men and women.
Longtime Birmingham florist Blossoms will have a new home in Royal Oak come February 1. According to customer service manager Christina Naifeh, the full service florist is packing up its flowers and vases at 33866 Woodward at Adams and is moving one mile south, to 32480 Woodward. “We will be offering all of the same services,” Naifeh said. Those services are impressive –Blossoms specializes in a large inventory of fresh flowers in modern, classic, high-style and organic-styled flower arrangements for birthdays, get
well wishes, anniversaries, sympathy and funeral flowers. They have a reputation for creative wedding and mitzvah flowers, as well. The store offers plants and a premium line of gift items and home fragrances, all of which will follow them to their new location.
A new fitness studio is opening in Bloomfield Township, at 2527 S. Telegraph Road. Body Burn Studios, which also has a studio on Mack in Grosse Pointe, says it offers an “Intense full-body megaformer workout that combines traditional Pilates, cardio and strength training.” Workouts are on the Megaformer(TM), which they said was developed by Sebastian Lagree. It is a zero-impact machine “that allows you to work your body in a unique and intense way. A system of springs and pulleys, combined with block training routines, allows you to work your upper and lower body to
the point of fatigue,” in a 50minute workout with quick transitions. They encourage exercisers to “take one workout at a time,” and offer packages of five or 10 Body Burn classes.
Pet lovers looking for a close and convenient pet groomer will be happy to hear that MVP Grooming has opened at 4078 W. Maple Road, just east of Telegraph, near DePorre Veterinary Services, but is not affiliated. The new groomer offers baths, coat conditioning, body trimming, deshedding, blow drying, anal gland expression and flea baths. They are open six days a week.
Business Matters for the BirminghamBloomfield area are reported by Lisa Brody. Send items for consideration to LisaBrody@downtownpublications.com.
Items should be received three weeks prior to publication.
As I was beginning to write this article for February’s issue, I stopped to listen to a piece on CBS Sunday Morning. The story was called, “Friendships, the Key to Happiness.” The program began by asking, “What does happiness look like?” Is it the accumulation of wealth, fame, good looks or something altogether different?
According to Harvard researcher, Dr. Robert Waldinger, leader of the longest ongoing study for adult development –happiness comes from meaningful human connections. For over 80 years, with thousands of participants and file cabinets full of research, the evidence is pretty overwhelming. Simply defined, relationships matter.
Dr. Waldinger highlighted the results of this comprehensive study. People who are more socially connected to friends, family and community, are happier, healthier and live longer. And interestingly, meaningful relationships don’t just protect our bodies by nourishing our emotional well-being, but they also protect our brains. People who are more isolated than they want to be, are at risk of experiencing more cognitive decline than others.
As we grow older, it may seem harder to make those connections but Next is the ideal place to find that sense of community. We pride ourselves on our expansive life-long learning opportunities, but we offer many ways to meet new friends, gather and socialize. With over 250 activities offered each month, there are plenty of ways to get involved and become engaged. Weekly men’s and women’s coffee groups, the Friday Current Events Roundtable, book clubs, entertainment, card games, chess, and Mah Jongg - along with day trips, celebrations and meals to share, there are ample opportunities to develop new friendships. Meaningful relationships happen when there is a sense of belonging and shared experiences – just what Next is all about.
Along with the many ways to socialize, February brings with it a lot of exciting programs.
On Thursday, February 16 at 6 p.m. the one and only John U. Bacon will stop by. You may know him as a best-selling author or as a writer for the Wall Street Journal or as commentator for ESPN and the Big Ten Network. Nationally known, he’s coming to Next and we couldn’t be more excited.
On February 23 at 2 p.m. we reminisce about the radio station we all grew up with, CKLW. If you grew up in the Detroit area in the ‘50s and 60s, you’re going to love this stroll down THE BIG 8 memory lane.
And very timely, on February 23 at 6 p.m., Wayne State Associate Professor Aaron Retish, B.A., M.A., Ph.D., will present Russia’s War on Ukraine, One Year On. Professor Retish will share his expertise and perspectives on the war and talk about what has become the largest land war in Europe since WWII.
Next, your 50+ Community Center is just that, a community. Please stop in to Next and experience our warm and welcoming center – it’s very likely you will find that next new friend! We are located at 2121 Midvale, Birmingham. Our website, BirminghamNext.org has a full calendar of activities and the services we provide.
How is the new year going for you? Ours is off with a bang! Do you have a resolution for more social connections? Our spring catalog is filled with many opportunities to meet, travel, move, learn and connect. There are more trips, aquatic classes, and presentations which may just lead to more friendships as well.
Ayse Birsel, author of “Design the Long Life You Love, A Step-By-Step Guide to Love, Purpose, Well-Being, and Friendship,” discusses the importance of forming relationships and strengthening human connections for mental and physical health. I too, am a firm believer in the value of regularly adding to your social network for diversity, development, and of course, delight.
Birsel even advises us to “seek friendship factories.” I love this metaphor and am adopting it for BTSS –what a fun way to describe “building community,” one of the three pillars of our mission.
Camaraderie is an intangible benefit from involvement with the BTSS “friendship factory.” Or is it? Research continues to show that belonging is a basic human need that influences longevity and mental health. The center has a treasured reputation for being a welcoming environment, which starts with staff but builds with the variety of people engaged. Our customers represent three generations, from people in their 50s though those in their 90s, who have intriguing histories, friendly personalities and a shared goal for living their best life.
A dozen day trips with art, historical and musical venues as well as tours of area senior living communities. There are eight lunch and learn programs covering nutrition, safety, and health. New fitness classes include LaBlast Splash in the warm water pool and golf conditioning for your best season ever. Fitness schedules can be found here: https://bit.ly/FitnessSchedules.
Join us for a Spring Fling on Fat Tuesday with live jazz, and help cheer loudly during our watch party for Tigers Opening Day. Happily, we have a growing relationship with the very talented students at Bloomfield Hills High School, who will be popping over for live performances. Be sure to sign up for our weekly eNews for details to come. https://bit.ly/BTSSeNews. Suggestions for programs and presentations are always welcome! ctvaroha@bloomfieldtwp.org
Finally, our center transportation service is available Monday through Friday, which allows us to enhance your participation by bringing township residents to and from the center. Please help us share this very good news with your friends, family and neighbors.
Wishing you a year filled with purpose, joy and connection.
With deep gratitude and a very grateful heart, The Community House’s Boards of Directors, its staff, key stakeholders, donors, volunteers, and community supporters together - have launched a series of reflections and events to publicly celebrate The Community House’s 100 Years - its Centennial Celebration! We are humbled, energized and delighted by the kind wishes of so many – thanking us, remembering us, and congratulating us on our extraordinary milestone of a century of selfless service, unimaginable charity, concern for others and our countless support of other nonprofits, the City of Birmingham and the surrounding region. (Now serving 272 zip codes.)
Each column, I would be honored and delighted to share excerpts from the publication “The Heart of Birmingham” coauthored by Betty Angelo and Frank Angelo, published in 1993. Much happened before, much has happened since.
The Heart of Birmingham. The Community House Community House Story by Betty Angelo & Frank Angelo “There is a tendency, when one speaks or writes about The Community House Community House, to think of an architecturally beautiful building, of organizations, and dances, and meetings and dinners. And indeed, a history of The House focusing primarily on the bricks and mortar, on programs and fund drives, on the minutia of day-to-day operations, would be valid.
Our goal was to move beyond that, however, to seek answers to the who and why of the existence of an institution that truly earned the appellation “The Heart of Birmingham”. We found some. In the process we concluded that it is intangibles, the commitment of people to fulfilling “the felt needs” of the Greater Birmingham Community, that finally are the substance of what we know at The Community House.
We have attempted to capture the essence of who and why without overlooking what, when and where. In our endeavor, for those omissions and commissions we assume full responsibility, we have been helped by the good counsel and contributions of scores of people, many of whom are mentioned in the text. Special thanks, however, go to Max Horton, Barbara Underwood, Rachel and Jim Herbst, to the archival staff of St. James Church; to Gary Elliott for exemplary patience in working with nit-picking editor, and to the office staff of The Community House.
Picture a quiet Saturday night on a tree-lined Bates Street in Birmingham. It’s the early 1930s, and the sound of swing dance music can be heard coming from an impressive new building on the northwest corner of Townsend and Bates Streets.
The Community House has a strong heart. It was conceived in the transition period between world war and the start of Birmingham’s surge in population. It survived and even flourished during dramatically changing social and economic situations. With good reason.
Hundreds of volunteers and staff people have provided leadership and have rarely deviated from the vision of service propounded by those who, with some religious fervor and sensitivity to new trends, founded it.
According to a transcript of remarks by Henry S. Booth, made for a history of St. James, “Charles McCurdy was always opened-minded about ideas, and if he didn’t think of them himself, he kept seeking them. Because of this, St. James bought up the entire village block (bounded by Bates, Martin, Chester and Maple).”
McCurdy intended to build a retirement community for clergy, providing individual private homes… Booth added, however, that “not very long after (purchase of the land) Mr. McCurdy had Sunday dinner at Cranbrook House (the Booth residence). The conversation got on the subject of the property and other possible uses for it than retirement housing. Out of that came The Community House.
A series of five group meetings on consecutive days in different neighborhoods in early December 1920 explored The Community House idea. On December 28, a committee appointed by Rev. McCurdy adopted several recommendations.The most important were suggestions for reorganization of the St. James Women’s Guild” to guide the policy of such The Community House.” The committee recommended a new constitution of bylaws “comprehensive enough to include all the work associated with such efforts.”
Two other important stipulations were made, one to do with the type of building utilized, the other with financing. Enduring principles were established. The House and
its facilities would be sufficient to meet “the needs of the community.” The committee also said that the House would operate only through funding from the community, either in response to special events or annual drives. Support from government was unthinkable in the social and political climate of the ‘20s; was not an option even as attitudes about government assistance changed in later decades.
The committee report was presented to a Guild meeting on January 5, 1921. Its recommendations were adopted, and the committee discharged. Signing the final report as secretary was Mrs. Ruth Edgar Shain, who became an indefatigable worker in the building the solid foundation upon which The Community House Community House grew.
“People were not made to live alone. The nature of man demands social intercourse. We must meet others on a common footing. We must forever seek friendships to brighten the path that leads to the grave”.
It soon became obvious that the community was, indeed, accepting…. and using… The Community House. Meetings, Saturday dances, a billiard room for boys, and Sunday forums provided a steady flow of people during hours of operations, daily from 10 to 12, 2 to 5, 7 to 9 except on Saturdays when later hours prevailed to accommodate the dancers.
The arrival of Miss Martin and Miss Dickinson began a new phase. Instead of just waiting for people to come, Miss Martin, at the urging of the Board, began to organize House-sponsored groups. “The activities of The Community House are necessarily diversified in character owing to the number of people we are anxious to reach. We want The Community House to become a vital part of the life of Birmingham and to make every person feel that he or she has a part in its activities.” Her initial efforts ranged from childcare to job placement. The day nursery provided care for nine children that month, with a charge of 50 cents per family. The nursery operated only on Wednesdays...” Fascinating. Stay tuned for more excerpts over the next twelve months! Happy 100-Years Community House.
The Bates Street Society was created to help recognize donors who make significant charitable contributions to support the work and mission of The Community House Community House. New members are acknowledged annually at The Bates Street Society Dinner, an extraordinary evening hosted by The Community House Community House Association and Foundation Board of Directors. In 2023, the Bates Street Society and the Bates Street Society Dinner will be held on Saturday, February 11, 2023. To help lead this extraordinary gathering, Ms. Lila Lazarus, will assume the role of Master of Ceremonies. The Bates Street Society Dinner will also recognize TCH/TCHF’s annual Pillars of Vibrancy in Business, Education, Culture, Wellness and Philanthropy and brief remarks recognizing The Community House’s Centennial Year.
•Jim Berline — Business & Philanthropy
•Dr. Linda Gillum, Ph.D. — Health & Wellness and Education
•Nancy Susick, RN — Health & Wellness and Business
•Priscilla & Huel Perkins — Culture & Philanthropy
•Matthew Rizik — Business & Philanthropy
•Greg Schwartz — Business
•Nada & Sam Simon — Business & Philanthropy
•Gary Van Elslander — Business & Philanthropy
Save-the-Date: Saturday, February 11, 2023. Seating is limited. Tickets (reservations) on sale now.
Our gratitude and special thanks to founding sponsors PNC Bank and Corewell Health. Gratitude to BERLINE, Cranbrook Educational Community, Oakland University, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Oakland University-William Beaumont School of Medicine, Metalbuilt, Deroy & Devereaux, Clark Hill, Emerson - Prew and The Agency Hall & Hunter Realtors for their lead sponsorships of the 2023 Bates Street Society Dinner as well. Sponsorship opportunities are still available. For more information ,contact Christopher Smude, Senior Vice President, CMO, The Community House Community House Foundation at csmude@communityhousefoundation.org.
For reservations, sponsorships or more information about booking gathering and meeting space for Winter 2022 and beyond - please go to communityhouse.com or call 248.644.5832.
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.
220: American. Brunch, weekends, Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 220 E. Merrill Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.646.2220. 220restaurant.com
5th Tavern: American. Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2262 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48302. 248.481.9607. 5thtavern.com
Adachi: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner daily. Liquor. Reservations. 325 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham 48009. 248.540.5900. adachirestaurant.com
Andiamo: Italian. Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 6676 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48301. 248.865.9300. andiamoitalia.com
Beau’s: American. Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 4108 W. Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.626.2630. beausbloomfield.com
Bella Piatti: Italian. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 167 Townsend Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.494.7110. bellapiattirestaurant.com
Beverly Hills Grill: American. Dinner, MondaySaturday. Liquor. No reservations. 31471 Southfield Road, Beverly Hills, 48025. 248.642.2355. beverlyhillsgrill.com
Beyond Juicery + Eatery: Contemporary. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 270 W. Maple Road, Birmingham, 48009; 221 Cole Street, Birmingham, 48009; 3645 W. Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301; 4065 W. Maple Road, Bloomfield Township, 48301; 1987 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. beyondjuiceryeatery.com
Bill’s: American. Breakfast, weekends, Lunch, Thursday & Friday, Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 39556 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.646.9000. billsbloomfieldhills.com
Birmingham Pub: American. Lunch, TuesdayFriday, Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 555 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham. thebirminghampub.com
Birmingham Sushi Cafe: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 377 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009. 248.593.8880. birminghamsushi.com
Bistro Joe’s Kitchen: Global. Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Liquor. Reservations. 34244 Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.594.0984. bistrojoeskitchen.com
Bloomfield Deli: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, Monday-Friday. No reservations. 71 W. Long Lake Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.645.6879. bloomfielddeli.com
Brooklyn Pizza: Pizza. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Liquor. No reservations. 111 Henrietta Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.258.6690. thebrooklynpizza.com
Café ML: New American. Dinner, daily. Liquor. Reservations. 3607 W. Maple Road, Bloomfield Township. 248.642.4000. cafeml.com
Casa Pernoi: Italian. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 310 E. Maple Road, Birmingham, 48009. 248.940.0000. casapernoi.com
Churchill’s Bistro & Cigar Bar: Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 116 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.647.4555. churchillscigarbar.com
Cityscape Deli: Deli. Lunch & Dinner, MondaySaturday. No reservations. Beer. 877 W. Long Lake Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.540.7220. cityscapedeli.com
Commonwealth: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 300 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.9766. gocommonwealth.com
Dick O’Dow’s: Irish. Lunch & Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 160 West Maple Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.642.1135. dickodowspub.com
Eddie Merlot’s: Steak & seafood. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 37000 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.712.4095. eddiemerlots.com
Einstein Bros. Bagels: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 4089 West Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.258.9939. einsteinbros.com
Elie’s Mediterranean Grill/Bar: Mediterranean. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. Liquor. 263 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.647.2420. eliesgrill.com
EM: Mexican. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No Reservations. Liquor. 470 N. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 947.234.0819. embirmingham.com
Embers Deli & Restaurant: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, Tuesday-Sunday. Dinner, TuesdayFriday. No reservations. 3598 West Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.645.1033. embersdeli1.com
Flemings Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar: American. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 323 N. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.723.0134. flemingssteakhouse.com
Forest: European. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 735 Forest Avenue, Birmingham 48009. 248.258.9400. forestbirmingham.com
Greek Islands Coney Restaurant: Greek. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 221 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009. 248.646.1222. greekislandsconey.com
Griffin Claw Brewing Company: American. Lunch, Friday-Sunday, Dinner, TuesdaySunday. No Reservations. Liquor. 575 S. Eton Street, Birmingham. 248.712.4050. griffinclawbrewingcompany.com
Hazel’s: Seafood. Lunch, Saturday & Sunday, Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 1 Peabody Street, Birmingham. 248.671.1714. eatathazels.com
Honey Tree Grille: Greek/American. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, daily. No reservations. 3633 W. Maple Rd, Bloomfield, MI 48301. 248.203.9111. honeytreegrille.com
Hunter House Hamburgers: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 35075 Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.646.7121. hunterhousehamburgers.com
Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse: American. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 201 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.594.4369. hydeparkrestaurants.com
IHOP: American. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 2187 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301. 248.333.7522. Ihop.com
Joe Muer Seafood: Seafood. Dinner daily. Reservations. Liquor. 39475 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.792.9609. joemuer.com
Kaku Sushi and Poke’: Asian. Lunch, MondayFriday & Dinner daily. No reservations. 869 W. Long Lake Road, Bloomfield Township, 48302. 248.480.4785, and 126 S. Old Woodward, Birmingham, 48009. 248.885.8631. kakusushipoke.com
Kerby’s Koney Island: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 2160
Michael Symon’s Roast left a void at Detroit’s Westin Book Cadillac Hotel when it abruptly closed its doors in January of 2022 after 13 years of business. Recently, the hotel’s new owner, Oxford Capital Group, announced that national chain Sullivan’s Steakhouse has signed a lease as a first-floor tenant, with a projected opening in mid-2023. Sullivan’s Steakhouse is a classic American steakhouse brand rooted in rich tradition. Founded in 1996, the steakhouse has 13 locations across the United States and offers guests hand-cut steaks, fresh seafood and signature cocktails and a friendly, familiar atmosphere. The restaurant is famous for its monthly pairing dinners, live jazz music, wine locker and brass plaque programs. Sullivan’s menu of classic American cuisine includes appetizers such as Oysters Rockefeller topped with Nueske’s thick-cut bacon and creamed spinach; a mouthwatering array of bone-in cuts of steak are cooked to order –all of which pair perfectly with any of Sullivan’s signature cocktails such as the Knock Out Martini, inspired by the steakhouse’s namesake, boxer John Sullivan. In addition to renovating the 8,500 square foot interior space of the restaurant, a new outdoor patio space will offer a new amenity for guests to enjoy. “Along with the hotel’s comprehensive strategic renovation and repositioning, the addition of Sullivan’s Steakhouse to The Westin Book Cadillac will further improve the overall guest experience and provide an exciting new venue in the growing downtown neighborhood,” said John W. Rutledge, founder, chairman and CEO of Oxford Capital Group, LLC and Oxford Hotels & Resorts, LLC. “We’ve long had our sights set on expanding to Michigan, and when the opportunity to open in the historic Westin Book Cadillac Building presented itself, we knew we simply had to take advantage of this unique opportunity and moment in Sullivan’s evolution and growth,” said Nishant Machado, President and Chief Executive Officer of Dividend Restaurant Group. “We look forward to being part of the Detroit community and for residents and visitors alike to have the chance to try our signature American fare.” Oxford is also in conversations with several potential tenants to fill the remaining 5,000 square feet restaurant space, previously occupied by 24Grille. Stay tuned for developments. 1114 Washington Boulevard, Westin Book Cadillac Hotel, Detroit sullivanssteakhouse.com
The Culinary Collective, a chef series presented by Motor City Seafood at Oak and Reel, continues on February 23 and 24. The series offers a unique dining experience by Oak & Reel’s Chef Jared Gadbaw and his team, where they host and collaborate with celebrated chefs from around the country. Each dinner experience will vary from one another, from the chef to the cuisine, all benefiting a unique, local charity. The folks at Oak & Reel call it “a dinner of a lifetime for many foodies, who will be able to experience a world-class meal without leaving Detroit.” Each event includes a six to seven course dinner with beverage pairings (including a non-alcoholic beverage pairing option). On February 23 and 24, the Culinary Collective presents chefs Michael Gallina and AaronMartinez – the powerhouse duo behind Take Root Hospitality (Vicia, Winlsow’s Table, Bistro La Floraison, and Taqueria Morita) in St. Louis, Missouri. Tickets to the event are $400 per person and reservations can be made by visiting Oak & Reel’s website at oakandreel.com. 2921 East Grand Boulevard, Detroit oakandreel.com
Royal Oak’s Inn Season Kitchen, the quick-service casual offshoot of Royal Oak’s Inn Season Café, opened in the summer of 2021 and is now permanently closed. A Facebook post signed by owner Nick Raftis and others thanked their loyal customers and offered the following explanation for their closing: “There is no 10 percent inflation in the restaurant business. Since June, cauliflower, romaine lettuce, and oil (these are three just off the top of my head) have gone up between 80 and 200 percent, cauliflower went from $38 a case to $98 a case, romaine from $40 a case to $119 a case, and oil way, way up. Prices have increased but our ability for us to increase our prices to the customer is limited; can we charge $20 for a Greek salad in these recessionary times? No. This recession started in November 2021 as oil
N. Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.333.1166. kerbyskoneyisland.com
La Marsa: Mediterranean. Lunch & Dinner daily. Reservations. 43259 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.858.5800. lamarsacuisine.com
La Strada Italian Kitchen & Bar: Italian. Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 243 E. Merrill Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.480.0492. lastradaitaliankitchen.com
Leo’s Coney Island: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 154 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.593.9707. Also 6527 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.646.8568. leosconeyisland.com
Little Daddy’s: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 39500 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.647.3400. littledaddys.com
Luxe Bar & Grill: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 525 N. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.6051. luxebarandgrill.com
Madam: American. Breakfast, Monday-Friday, Brunch, weekends. Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner daily. Reservations. Liquor. 298 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.283.4200. daxtonhotel.com
Mare Mediterranean: Seafood. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 115 Willits Street, Birmingham 48009. 248.940.5525. maremediterranean.com
Market North End: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 474 N. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.712.4953. marketnorthend.com
MEX Mexican Bistro & Tequila Bar: Mexican. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Liquor. Reservations. 6675 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48301. 248.723.0800. mex-restaurants.com
Nippon Sushi Bar: Japanese. Lunch, MondayFriday, Dinner daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2079 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48302. 248.481.9581. nipponsushibar.com
Olga’s Kitchen: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 2075 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.451.0500. olgas.com
Original Pancake House: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 33703 South Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.642.5775. oph-mi.com
Phoenicia: Middle Eastern. Lunch, MondayFriday; Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 588 South Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.644.3122. phoeniciabirmingham.com
Planthropie: Vegan. Dessert and Cheese. Tuesday-Sunday. 135 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.839.5640. planthropie.com
Qdoba: Mexican. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Also 42967 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Township, 48304. 248.874.1876. qdoba.com
Roadside B & G: American. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1727 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.858.7270. roadsidebandg.com
Salvatore Scallopini: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & Wine. 505 North Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.644.8977. salsbirmingham.com
Shift Kitchen & Cocktails: Small plates. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 117 Willits Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.2380. shiftbirmingham.com
Sidecar: American. Lunch and Dinner, daily. Liquor. 117 Willits Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.2380. sidecarsliderbar.com
Slice Pizza Kitchen: Pizza. Lunch and Dinner, daily. Liquor. 117 Willits Street, Birmingham,
48009. 248.792.3475.
slicepizzakitchen.com
Social Kitchen & Bar: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Brunch, Saturday & Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 225 E. Maple Road, Birmingham, 48009. 248.594.4200. socialkitchenandbar.com
Stateside Deli & Restaurant Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 653 S. Adams Road, Birmingham, 48009. 248.550.0455. statesidedeli.com
Steve’s Deli: Deli. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Breakfast and Lunch, Sunday. No reservations. 6646 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield, 48301. 248.932.0800. stevesdeli.com
Streetside Seafood: Seafood. Dinner, daily. Liquor. 273 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.645.9123.
streetsideseafood.com
Sushi Hana: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 42656 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.333.3887. sushihanabloomfield.com
Sy Thai Cafe: Thai. Lunch & Dinner, Monday and Wednesday-Sunday. No reservations. 315 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009. 248.258.9830. sythaibirmingham.com
Sylvan Table: American. Brunch, weekends, Dinner daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1819 Inverness Street, Sylvan Lake, 48320. 248.369.3360. sylvantable.com
Tallulah Wine Bar and Bistro: American. Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 55 S. Bates Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.731.7066. tallulahwine.com
Thai Street Kitchen: Thai. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. 42805 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Township, 48304. 248.499.6867 thaistreetkitchen.com
The Franklin Grill: American. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 32760 Franklin Road, Franklin, 48025. 248.865.6600. thefranklingrill.com
The French Lady: French. Lunch, TuesdaySunday. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. 768 N. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.480. 0571. zefrenchlady.com
The Gallery Restaurant: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & wine. 6683 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.851.0313. galleryrestaurant2.com
The Moose Preserve Bar & Grill: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2395 S. Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.858.7688. moosepreserve.com
The Morrie: American. Brunch, Sunday, Dinner, Thursday-Saturday. No reservations. Liquor. 260 N. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham 48009. 248.940.3260. themorrie.com
The Rugby Grille: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 100 Townsend Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.642.5999. rugbygrille.com
Toast: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily; Reservations. Liquor. 203 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.258.6278. eatattoast.com
Tomatoes Apizza: Pizza. Lunch & Dinner daily. Carryout. 34200 Woodward Avenue, Birmingham 48009. 248.258.0500. tomatoesapizza.com
Touch of India: Indian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 297 E. Maple Road, Birmingham, 48009. 248.593.7881. thetouchofindia.com
Townhouse: American. Brunch, weekends. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 180 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.5241. eatattownhouse.com
Whistle Stop Diner: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily; Liquor. No reservations. 501 S.
Eton Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.566.3566. whistlestopdiners.com
ZANA: Modern American. Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 210 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.800.6568. zanabham.com
Zao Jun: Asian. Dinner and Lunch, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 6608 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48301. 248.949.9999. zaojunnewasian.com
Ale Mary’s: American. Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 316 South Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.268.1917. alemarysbeer.com
Anita’s Kitchen: Middle Eastern. Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. Liquor. 22651 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale, 48220. 248.548.0680. anitaskitchen.com
Beppé: New American. Lunch, Saturday & Sunday. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 703 N. Main Street in Royal Oak, 48067. 248.607.7030. eatbeppe.com
Bigalora: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 711 S. Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.544.2442 bigalora.com
The Blue Nile: Ethiopian. Dinner, ThursdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 545 W. Nine Mile Road, Ferndale, 48220. 248.547.6699. bluenileferndale.com
Bohemia: Mediterranean. Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 100 S. Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.268.2883. eatatbohemia.com
Cafe Muse: French. Breakfast & Lunch, Wednesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 418 S. Washington Avenue, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.544.4749. cafemuseroyaloak.com
Como’s: Pizza. Brunch, weekends. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 22812 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale, 48220. 248.677.4439. comosrestaurant.com
Cork Wine Pub: American. Brunch, Sunday, Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 23810 Woodward Avenue, Pleasant Ridge, 48069. 248.544.2675. corkwinepub.org
Crispelli’s Bakery and Pizzeria: Italian. Lunch and Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 28939 Woodward Avenue, Berkley, 48072. 248.591.3300. crispellis.com
The Fly Trap: Diner. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. Dinner, Thursday-Sunday. No reservations. 22950 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale 48220. 248.399.5150. theflytrapferndale.com
Howe’s Bayou: Cajun. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. No reservations. Liquor. 22949 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale, 48220. 248.691.7145. howesbayouferndale.net
Imperial: Mexican. Lunch and Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 22848 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale, 48220. 248.691.7145. imperialferndale.com
Inyo Restaurant Lounge: Asian Fusion. Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 22871 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale, 48220. 248.543.9500. inyorestaurant.com
KouZina: Greek. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 121 N. Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.629.6500. gokouzina.com
Kruse & Muer on Woodward: American. Lunch, Monday-Saturday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 28028 Woodward Avenue, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.965.2101. kruseandmuerrestaurants.com
Lily’s Seafood: Seafood. Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 410 S. Washington Avenue, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.591.5459. lilysseafood.com
Lockhart’s BBQ: Barbeque. Brunch, Sunday, Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No
reservations. Liquor. 202 E. Third Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.584.4227. lockhartsbbq.com
Mezcal: Brunch, Sunday. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. Liquor. 201 East 9 Mile Road Ferndale, 48220. 248.268.3915. mezcalferndale.com
Pearl’s Deep Dive: Seafood. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor.100 S. Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.268.2875. pearlsdeepdive.com
Oak City Grille: American. Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 212 W. 6th Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.556.0947. oakcitygrille.com
One-Eyed Betty’s: American. Breakfast, weekends, Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 175 W. Troy Street, Ferndale, 48220. 248.808.6633. oneeyedbettys.com
Otus Supply: American. Brunch, Sunday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 345 E. 9 Mile Road, Ferndale, 48220. 248.291.6160. otussupply.com
Pop’s for Italian: Italian. Brunch and Lunch, weekends, Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. 280 W. 9 Mile Road, Ferndale,48220. 248.268.4806. popsforitalian.com
Public House: American. Lunch & Brunch, weekends, Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 241 W. Nine Mile Road, Ferndale, 48220. 248.850.7420. publichouseferndale.com
Redcoat Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 31542 Woodward Avenue, Royal Oak, 48073. 248.549.0300. redcoat-tavern.com
Ronin: Japanese. Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 326 W. 4th Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.546.0888. roninsushi.com
Royal Oak Brewery: American. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 215 E. 4th Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.544.1141. royaloakbrewery.com
Sozai: Japanese.Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. 449 West 14 Mile Road, Clawson,48017. 248.677-3232. sozairestaurant.com
The Morrie: American. Brunch, weekends, Dinner, Thursday-Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 511 S. Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.216.1112. themorrie.com
Three Cats Cafe: American. Brunch, weekends, Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 116 W 14 Mile Road, Clawson, 48017. 248.900.2287. threecatscafe.com
Tigerlily: Japanese. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 231 W. Nine Mile Road, Ferndale, 48220. 248.733.4905. tigerlilyferndale.com
Toast, A Breakfast and Lunch Joint: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 23144 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale, 48220. 248.398.0444. eatattoast.com
Tom’s Oyster Bar: Seafood. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 318 S. Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.541.1186. tomsoysterbar.com
Trattoria Da Luigi: Italian. Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 415 S, Washington Avenue, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.542.4444.
trattoriadaluigi.business.site.com
Vinsetta Garage: American. Dinner, TuesdaySunday. No reservations. Liquor. 27799 Woodward Avenue, Berkley, 48072. 248.548.7711. vinsettagarage.com
Voyager: Seafood. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 600 Vester Street, Ferndale, 48220. 248.658.4999. voyagerferndale.com
Capital Grille: Steak & Seafood. Lunch &
prices doubled (diesel fuels the shipping industry and its still over $5 a gallon) impacting consumer’s disposable income and attendance at this business. Thus, profit margins are nonexistent and we just cannot continue to go into debt with no possibility in the future to repay it.” The original Inn Season Café in downtown Royal Oak closed during the pandemic and has been undergoing renovations since that time. According to their Facebook page, Inn Season Café still hopes to reopen but there is no word on the timing.
Playa Bowls has opened on W. Maple Avenue, just east of Telegraph in Bloomfield Township. The franchise concept is the vision of founders Robert Giuliani and Abby Taylor – both Jersey Shore natives and long-time surfers. They were inspired by chasing summer on surf trips to Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, California and Hawaii. Almost every exotic surf town they visited offered their own unique version of an acai or pitaya bowl. They decided to recreate their favorite recipes with their own twist at home at the Jersey Shore. Their popular pop-up stand grew quickly and the couple decided to take their business to the next level. Fast forward eight years –and they now have over 150 stores nationwide. The Bloomfield Township location is the fourth franchise to open in Michigan. Playa Bowls serves up bowls made with a variety of ingredients including fruit and other healthy options. In addition to bowls made with fresh ingredients, the spot also serves smoothies, coffee and juices. Popular bowls include the 8th Avenue bowl featuring pure acai topped with granola, banana and honey, and the Dragonberry bowl, which is a pitaya blend topped with granola, strawberry, blueberry and honey. 4087 Maple Road, Bloomfield playabowls.com/location/bloomfield-hills/
Czech-born and bred Chef Petr Balcarovsky trained in the culinary arts in Europe. Balcarovsky’s love for the region’s cuisine runs deep, and he is bringing a wildly refined winter Viking tasting menu to Hazel Park’s Frame on February 10th and 11th. Guests are invited to quench their thirst by drinking mead and amphora-fermented wine while enjoying a dinner that focuses on Nordic ingredients, alongside warm and convivial traditional Finnish recipes. A few highlights of the multi-course Viking feast include: a sailor’s green gold soup with spinach, toasted cream, nutmeg, farina and spelt flat bread; a medieval “Postej” pie-beef terrine presented in a pie vessel, with zip sauce; cedar plank salmon featuringstout oats, capers, Skagen sauce and tomato confit; and a honey tasting dessert trio ofraw honey gelato, mead tickled forest berries, and pear coriander honey tart. There is one seating only at 7 p.m. on Friday, February 10th and Saturday, February 11th. Cost is $125 per person plus fees and tax. Guests can choose standard or vegetarian option at checkout. A hand-selected pairing by Frame’s beverage team including mead, ale, amphora fermented wine & Frame cocktails and spirit-less cocktails are available at an additional charge. To register, visit Frame’s website. 23839 John R Road, Hazel Park framehazelpark.com
Popular Cass Corridor restaurant, The Peterboro, is a Detroit neighborhood favorite that offers contemporary Chinese-American classics along with an extensive bar menu featuring original house and classic cocktails, beer, sake, wine, and spirits. The establishment opened its doors in 2016, and closed for renovations in July 2022. Initially formed as a partnership between managing partner Chuck Inchaustegui and the Detroit Optimist Society Restaurant Group (Sugar House, Wright & Co., Honest John’s and others), the restaurant has just recently reopened with Chuck Inchaustegui taking over as the sole owner. Inchaustegui is a resident of Birmingham and a graduate of Seaholm High School who worked his way through the restaurant industry beginning as a dishwasher at Ember’s Deli in Bloomfield. Now at the helm of The Peterboro, Inchaustegui has made some a few changes during the restaurant’s closure. The menu has become narrower, but as Inchaustegui points out, “we wanted to do fewer items and do them really well.” Popular dishes such as their almond boneless chicken and the famous cheeseburger spring rolls. Becca Henry (former executive chef of Cholon, Denver) has taken over as a head chef. As for cosmetic changes, new signage and graphic have been added along with some greenery to soften the interior. 420 Peterboro, Detroit thepeterboro.com
Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2800 West Big Beaver Road, Somerset Collection, Troy, 48084. 248.649.5300. thecapitalgrille.com
Cafe Sushi: Pan-Asian. Lunch, Tuesday-Friday, Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 1933 W. Maple Road, Troy, 48084. 248.280.1831. cafesushimi.com
CK Diggs: American & Italian. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 2010 W. Auburn Road, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.853.6600. ckdiggs.com
Grand Castor: Latin American. Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 2950 Rochester Road, Troy, 48083. 248.278.7777. grancastor.com
Kona Grille: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 30 E. Big Beaver Road, Troy, 48083. 248.619.9060. konagrill.com
Kruse & Muer on Main: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 327 S. Main Street, Rochester, 48307. 248.652.9400. kruseandmuerrestaurants.com
Loccino Italian Grill and Bar: Italian. Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner, daily. Liquor. Reservations. 5600 Crooks Road, Troy, 48098. 248.813.0700. loccino.com
The Meeting House: American. Brunch, weekends, Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. No reservations. Liquor. 301 S. Main Street, Rochester, 48307. 248.759.4825. themeetinghouserochester.com
Mon Jin Lau: Nu Asian. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1515 E. Maple Road, Troy, 48083. 248.689.2332. monjinlau.com
Morton’s, The Steakhouse: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 888 W. Big Beaver Road, Troy, 48084. 248.404.9845. mortons.com
Naked Burger: American. Lunch, TuesdaySunday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 6870 N Rochester Road, Rochester, 48306. 248.759.4858. nakedburgerdetroit.com
NM Café: American. Lunch, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 2705 W. Big Beaver Road, Troy, 48084. 248.816.3424. neimanmarcus.com/restaurants
Oceania Inn: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. The Village of Rochester Hills, 3176 Walton Boulevard, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.375.9200. oceaniainnrochesterhills.com
Ocean Prime: Steak & Seafood. Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2915 Coolidge Highway, Troy, 48084. 248.458.0500. ocean-prime.com
O’Connor’s Irish Public House: Irish. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 324 S. Main Street, Rochester, 48307. 248.608.2537. oconnorsrochester.com
Orchid Café: Thai. Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. 3303 Rochester Road., Troy, 48085. 248.524.1944. orchid-cafe.com
P.F. Chang’s China Bistro: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. Somerset Collection, 2801 W. Big Beaver Rd., Troy, 48084. 248.816.8000. pfchangs.com
Recipes: American/Brunch. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 134 W. University Drive, Rochester, 48037. 248.659.8267. Also 2919 Crooks Road, Troy, 48084. 248.614.5390. recipesinc.com
RH House: American. Brunch, weekends, Lunch and Dinner, daily. 2630 Crooks Road, Rochester Hills, 48309. No reservations. Liquor. 2630 Crooks Road, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.586.1000. rh.house.com
Rochester Chop House: Steak & Seafood. Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 306 S. Main St., Rochester, 48307. 248.651.2266. kruseandmuerrestaurants.com
Ruth’s Chris Steak House: Steak & Seafood.
Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 755 W. Big Beaver Road, Troy, 48084. 248.269.8424. ruthschris.com
Sedona Taphouse: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 198 Big Beaver Road, Troy, 48083. 248.422.6167. sedonataphouse.co
Silver Spoon: Italian. Dinner, MondaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 6830 N. Rochester Road, Rochester, 48306. 248.652.4500. silverspoonristorante.com
Too Ra Loo: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 139 S. Main Street, Rochester, 48307. 248.453.5291. tooraloorochester.com
Bacco: Italian. Lunch, Tuesday-Friday, Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 29410 Northwestern Highway, Southfield, 48034. 248.356.6600. baccoristorante.com
Cornbread Restaurant & Bar: Southern. Lunch & Dinner, Thursday-Tuesday. Reservations. Liquor. 29508 Northwestern Highway, Southfield, 48034. 248.208.1680. cornbreadsoulfood.com
Bigalora: Italian. Brunch, weekends, Lunch, Monday-Saturday, Dinner, daily. No Reservations. Liquor. 29110 Franklin Road, Southfield, 48034. 248.544.2442. bigalora.com
The Fiddler: Russian. Brunch, Sunday, Dinner, Thursday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 6676 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.851.8782. fiddlerrestaurant.com
Mene Sushi: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, Thursday-Sunday. No reservations. Beer & Wine. 6239 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.538.7081. menesususi.com
Nonna Maria’s: Italian. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 2080 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield, 48323. 248.851.2500. nonamariasbistro.com
Pickles & Rye: Deli. Lunch, & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. 6724 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.737.3890. picklesandryedeli.com
Prime29 Steakhouse: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 6545 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield, 48322. 248.737.7463. prime29steakhouse.com
Redcoat Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. Liquor. 6745 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.865.0500. redcoat-tavern.com
Shangri-La: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, Wednesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. Orchard Mall Shopping Center, 6407 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.626.8585. dineshangrila.com
Sposita’s Ristorante: Italian. Dinner, Wednesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 33210 W. Fourteen Mile Road, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.538.8954. spositas-restorante.com
Stage Deli: Deli. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 6873 Orchard Lake Rd., West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.855.6622. stagedeli.com
Yotsuba: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 7365 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield, 48322. 248.737.8282. yotsuba-restaurant.com
Gravity Bar & Grill: Mediterranean. Lunch, Monday – Friday, Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 340 N. Main Street, Milford, 48381. 248.684.4223. gravityrestaurant.com
Volare Ristorante: Italian. Dinner, daily.
Reservations. Liquor. 48992 Pontiac Trail, Wixom, 48393. 248.960.7771. ristorantevolare.com
Clarkston Union: American. Breakfast, Sunday, Lunch, Wednesday-Saturday, Dinner, MondaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 54 S. Main Street, Clarkston, 48346. 248.620.6100. clarkstonunion.com
Kruse's Deer Lake Inn: Seafood. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 7504 Dixie Highway, Clarkston, 48346. 248.795.2077. kruseandmuerrestaurants.com
The Fed: American. Brunch, Sunday, Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 15 S. Main Street, Clarkston, 48346. 248.297.5833. thefedcommunity.com
Via Bologna: Italian. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. No reservations. Liquor. 7071 Dixie Highway, Clarkston. 48346. 248.620.8500. joebologna.com
Union Woodshop: BBQ. Dinner, TuesdaySunday. No reservations. Liquor. 18 S. Main Street, Clarkston, 48346. 248.625.5660. unionwoodshop.com
Bar Pigalle: French. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2915 John R Street, Detroit, 48201 313.497.9200. barpigalle.com
Barda: Argentinian. Dinner, Thursday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 4842 Grand River Avenue, Detroit, 48208. 313.952.5182. bardadetroit.com
Basan: Asian. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2703 Park Avenue, Detroit, 48201. 313.481.2703. basandetroit.com
Bucharest Grill: Middle Eastern. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2684 E. Jefferson Avenue, Detroit, 48207. 313.965.3111. bucharestgrill.com
Cash Only Supper Club: American. Dinner, Friday & Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 1145 Griswold Street, Detroit, 48226. 248.636.2300. cashonlydetroit.com
Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails: Seasonal American. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 15 E Kirby Street, Detroit, 48202. 313. 818-3915. chartreusekc.com
Cliff Bell’s: American. Dinner, WednesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 2030 Park Avenue, Detroit, 48226. 313.961.2543. cliffbells.com
Cuisine: French. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 670 Lothrop Road, Detroit, 48202. 313.872.5110. cuisinerestaurantdetroit.com
El Barzon: Mexican. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 3710 Junction Street, Detroit, 48210. 313.894.2070. elbarzonrestaurant.com
Fishbone’s Rhythm Kitchen Café: Cajun. Lunch and Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 400 Monroe Street, Detroit, 48226. 313.965.4600. fishbonesusa.com
Freya: Price fixed. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations, Liquor. 2929 E. Grand Boulevard, Detroit, 48202. 313.351.5544. freyadetroit.com
Giovanni’s Ristorante: Italian. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 330 S. Oakwood Boulevard, Detroit, 48217. 313.841.0122. giovannisrestaurante.com
Green Dot Stables: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2200 W. Lafayette, Detroit, 48216. 313.962.5588. greendotstables.com
Joe Muer Seafood: Seafood. Lunch, MondayFriday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 400 Renaissance Center, Detroit, 48243. 313.567.6837. joemuer.com
Johnny Noodle King: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2601 W. Fort Street, Detroit, 48216. 313.309.7946. johnnynoodleking.com
Mario’s: Italian. Lunch, Saturday & Sunday, Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 4222 2nd Avenue, Detroit, 48201. 313.832.1616. mariosdetroit.com
Midtown Shangri-la: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 4710 Cass Avenue, Detroit, 48201.
313.974.7669. midtownshangril-la.com
Motor City Brewing Works: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & Wine. 470 W. Canfield Street, Detroit, 48201. 313.832.2700. motorcitybeer.com
Oak & Reel: Italian Seafood. Dinner, ThursdayMonday. Reservations. Liquor. 2921 E. Grand Boulevard, Detroit, 48202. 313.270.9600. oakandreel.com
Parc: New American. Brunch, Saturday & Sunday. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 800 Woodward Ave, Detroit, 48226. 313.922.7272. parcdetroit.com
Prime + Proper: Steak House. Brunch, Weekends. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1145 Griswold St, Detroit, 48226. 313.636.3100. primeandproperdetroit.com
Prism: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 555 E. Lafayette Street, Detroit, 48226. 313.309.2499. greektowncasino.com
Red Smoke Barbeque: Barbeque. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. Trappers Alley Shopping Center, 573 Monroe Ave., Detroit, 48226. 313.962.2100.
Selden Standard: American. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 3921 Second Avenue, Detroit, 48201. 313.438.5055. seldenstandard.com
SheWolf Pastifico & Bar: Italian. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 438 Selden Street, Detroit 48201. 313.315.3992. shewolfdetroit.com
Sinbad’s: Seafood. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 100 St. Clair Street, Detroit, 48214. 313.822.8000. sindbads.com
Slows Bar BQ: Barbeque. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2138 Michigan Avenue, Detroit, 48216. 313.962.9828. slowsbarbq.com/locations/corktown
Tap at MGM Grand: American. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 1777 Third Street, Detroit, 48226. 313.465.1234. mgmgranddetroit.com
The Block: American. Brunch, Weekends, Lunch & Dinner, Wednesday-Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 3919 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, 48201. 313.832.0892. theblockdet.com
The Peterboro: Chinese American. Dinner, Friday-Sunday. Take-out, Wednesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 420 Peterboro Street, Detroit, 48201. 313.462.8106. thepeterboro.com
The Statler: French. Brunch, Sunday. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 313 Park Avenue, Detroit, 48226. 313.463.7111. statlerdetroit.com
Townhouse Detroit: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 500 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, 48201. 48226. 313.723.1000. townhousedetroit.com
Smith & Co: American. Dinner, WednesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 644 Selden Street, Detroit, 313.638.1695. smithandcodetroit.com
Supergeil: Berlin Doner. Lunch, Friday-Sunday. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 2442 Michigan Avenue, Detroit, 48216. 313.462.4133. supergeildetroit.com
Symposia: Mediterranean. Dinner, WednesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor.1000 Brush Street, Detroit, 48226. 313.962.9366. atheneumsuites.com/symposia
Vertical Detroit: Small Plates & Wine Bar. Dinner, Wednesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 1538 Centre Street, Detroit, 48226. 313.732.WINE. verticaldetroit.com
Vivio’s Food & Spirits: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2460 Market Street, Detroit, 48207. 313.393.1711. viviosdetroit.net
The Whitney: American. Tea Service, Saturday & Sunday, Dinner, Wednesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor.4421 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, 48201. 313.832.5700. thewhitney.com
Wright & Co.: American. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. No reservations. Liquor. 1500 Woodward Avenue, Second Floor, Detroit, 48226. 313.962.7711. wrightdetroit.com
It's a difficult time to be a cop – recruitment for all police departments is tougher, including at our highly-rated local departments, in the wake of racial tensions, sky-high drug usage and abuse, pervasive mental health crises, overwhelming legal and illegal gun ownership – they rightly feel under attack. And yet, when we are concerned or feel unsafe, we want to know that our police are available to us, where we need them.
Which is why we, as a press organization which works as representatives of the public, are so concerned about the lack of communication and transparency from the Bloomfield Township, Bloomfield Hills, and at times Birmingham police departments. We depend on their open sharing of police reports to let readers know what is happening in their communities, whether a major issue, or minor inconvenience. We call it public safety reporting. It's an age-old part of the journalism product. Problem is, lately, we're not receiving the product.
Some cases in point.
The incident in early December when a Dearborn man verbally accosted parents and their toddler children, spewing antisemitic and racist slurs as they entered the preschool at Temple Beth El in Bloomfield Township, dominated press headlines for days. However,
first, the situation ruled social media, and it took calls, emails and texts to the police chief and communications manager before there were finally adequate responses which could be properly conveyed to the reading public.
There are several reasons why this is critical. One, it is important for law enforcement to be open and straightforward with the public. That does not mean they have to jeopardize an investigation – we absolutely recognize and respect the job they do, and the steps that are necessary to explore, scrutinize, analyze and complete an investigation. But a lack of information leads to conjecture and often the belief that the police are doing nothing – which we understand is not true. It also puts to rest the speculation that local municipalities are more concerned with sanitizing the public image of the community.
But there is a larger problem with our local police departments – and that is a lack of furnishing any information on crimes, big or small, in a timely fashion. For years, there has been nothing – nada, zilch, bupkes – coming from Bloomfield Hills, save an occasional drunk driving incident. Let's remember Woodward Avenue traverses the city, and there are other main roads. There may not be a lot of major crime in the city, thankfully, but when we hear, off the record, of drug stops or incidents on the
Cranbrook Schools campus, and contact the department and they tell us they've been told they can't speak about them, there is something wrong.
In the last year or so, other than the antisemitic incident and a few traffic fatalities, Bloomfield Township police have gone silent, as well. Where once we were able to communicate to readers about various larcenies at Costco, Target and other stores, larcenies from vehicles, as well as frauds and identity thefts, among other minor crimes, they remain mum, week after week. It's impossible to believe that a township with about 45,000 residents has nothing happening.
While we do receive some crime reports from the city of Birmingham, they are minimal – and often well after the fact. The January 4 downtown heinous and scary mugging and purse snatching involving a business owner was reported over a week after it happened –not because they had to keep it secret due to an investigation, either. For both other business owners and shoppers, that was news that should have been shared, pronto.
While there may be a fine balance in managing the art of enforcement, it is imperative to include transparency as part of the recipe.
Like many in Birmingham, over the last several years, we have been observing the requests, reviews, planning board and commission meetings for the former Mountain King and Talmer Bank sites on S. Old Woodward. The .423 acre site spans Hazel Street from S. Old Woodward to Woodward, and currently contains two vacant single-story commercial buildings.
Purchased over four years ago by developer Doraid Markus, he originally sought to build a nine-story hotel on the property, and then sought to rezone the property from D-4, which permits five-story mixed-use buildings in the city's downtown, to D-5, a new zoning district originally created to encompass higher and non-conforming buildings, such as 555 Building, Birmingham Place and Merrillwood Building.
When that rezoning attempt failed in 2020, Markus sought new avenues to make the site work. In 2022, he presented options to the planning board that would allow D4 zoned properties outside of the former parking assessment district to apply for a parking variance from the city commission.
See, Doraid Markus has a problem – the site, at 469 and 479 S. Old Woodward, is the only property in the only D4 zoned property not included in the former parking assessment
district. What does that mean? It means he, as the property owner, has to provide enough parking on the building's site, for all the various users that will come to the proposed building – estimated at 74 parking spots. In downtown Birmingham, that is a fairly Herculean task.
He has asked the city's planning board, board of zoning appeals, and now the city commission for a waiver of the commercial parking requirements, although not the residential parking requirements. City staff and the planning board recommended against the change, noting it would set a bad precedent for the future, and initially, we agreed. Spot zoning is never a good idea as it prioritizes one land owner over another. Several city commissioners are in favor of providing a waiver to the ordinance, citing a developmentchallenged property, despite recommendations to the contrary from city staff and legal counsel, a position we first supported. However, as we learned more about this property, and researched the situation, speaking to those more knowledgeable than ourselves, we have changed our mind.
The Birmingham parking district is closed, meaning a developer can no longer pay into it, as many other developers have done, which is something that the city must address so that
special development situations like this can be charged for a fee in lieu of what they would have paid as a past member of the parking district.
Birmingham is a desirable destination for commercial, retail and residential real estate and this property is sitting as blight on S. Old Woodward, a vital southern passageway in the city's downtown, near the new Daxton Hotel, the upcoming RH store, and next to Birmingham Place and the 555 Building. Yes, some smaller development could take place on the site but the location demands something more.
City commissioners concur with the planning board, which recommended creating a special land use permit, or SLUP, for the property, meaning the owner would have to come back to the commission in the future for any kind of changes. We think this is a “split the baby” solution, allowing the property owner to proceed while the city maintains control, including over the type of tenant that would occupy what's built.
As a commissioner noted, no one wants to go against staff recommendations, but it was clear there weren't a lot of good options in this situation. Better to direct and monitor the development of this property and achieve the best use of this land.
