Birmingham/Bloomfield

PLACES TO EAT: 200 RESTAURANTS • GERAK: SOCIAL LIGHTS 81

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B L O O M F I E L D

JANUARY 2018

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OAKLAND CONFIDENTIAL POLITICAL NEWS AND GOSSIP

ASBESTOS: YET TO BE BANNED; STILL A THREAT BAD COPS: HOW DEPARTMENTS KEEP THEM OUT ECRWSS Postal Customer EDDM

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DOWNTOWN01.18

41

Weeding out the bad cops Like in any profession, there are “bad apples” among the law enforcement community and here’s a look at how local police departments and the county sheriff work to prevent problem cops from even entering the workplace.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

18

Publisher David Hohendorf reviews the mission statement for the newsmagazine, set up when the publication was first launched, to make sure the publishing group was following its mandate.

OAKLAND CONFIDENTIAL

22

Former local school board president Martin Brook looks to Washington D.C.; the Lena Epstein-Klint Kesto contest on who is most conservative; Kowall ready to announce; plus more.

CRIME LOCATOR

25

A recap of select categories of crime occurring in the past month in Birmingham, Bloomfield Township and Bloomfield Hills, presented in map format.

MUNICIPAL

59

Birmingham entertainment rules could change; retired firefighters sue township; museum looking for stories; Eton Road redesign; expanded area for economic development liquor permit; plus more.

THE COVER Part of Birmingham reflected in the windows of Fred Lavery’s Audi Birmingham dealership at 34602 Woodward Avenue.

Downtown photo: Jean Lannen.

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Marvin Towns Jr.

SOCIAL LIGHTS

81

Society reporter Sally Gerak provides the latest news from the society and non-profit circuit as she covers recent major events.

ENDNOTE

86

Federal and state officials should be moving to ban any products that contain asbestos regardless of where they were produced, and our thoughts on why it takes so long to choose a new Birmingham logo.

FACES

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Sue Fuller Marvin Towns Jr. Shari Barnett

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PUBLISHER David Hohendorf NEWS EDITOR Lisa Brody NEWS STAFF/CONTRIBUTORS Hillary Brody | Dana Casadei | Kevin Elliott | Sally Gerak Austen Hohendorf | Lisa Rose Hook | Bill Seklar Judith Harris Solomon | Joyce Wiswell | Julie Yolles PHOTOGRAPHY/CONTRIBUTORS Jean Lannen | Laurie Tennent Laurie Tennent Studio VIDEO PRODUCTION/CONTRIBUTOR Garrett Hohendorf Giant Slayer ADVERTISING DIRECTOR David Hohendorf ADVERTISING SALES Mark Grablowski GRAPHICS/IT MANAGER Chris Grammer OFFICE 124 W. Maple Birmingham MI 48009 248.792.6464 DISTRIBUTION/SUBSCRIPTIONS Mailed monthly at no charge to most homes in Birmingham, Bloomfield Township and Bloomfield Hills. Additional free copies distributed at high foot-traffic locations in downtown Birmingham.

For those not receiving a free mail copy, paid subscriptions are available for a $12 annual charge. To secure a paid subscription, go to our website (downtownpublications.com) and click on “subscriptions” in the top index and place your order online or scan the QR Code here.

INCOMING/READER FEEDBACK We welcome feedback on both our publication and general issues of concern in the Birmingham/Bloomfield community. The traditional “letters to the editor” in Downtown are published in our Incoming section and can include written letters or electronic communication.

Opinions can be sent via e-mail to news@downtownpublications.com or mailed to Downtown Publications, 124 W. Maple Road, Birmingham MI 48009.

If you are using the mail option, you must include a phone number for verification purposes.

WEBSITE downtownpublications.com

FACEBOOK facebook.com/downtownpublications TWITTER twitter.com/downtownpubs OAKLAND CONFIDENTIAL oaklandconfidential.com Member of Downtown Publications DOWNTOWN BIRMINGHAM/BLOOMFIELD DOWNTOWN ROCHESTER/ROCHESTER HILLS

Cindy Obron Kahn An Extraordinary Agent Providing Extraordinary Results

248.568.7309 | Cindy@CindyKahn.com OVER $57 MILLION PENDING/SOLD IN 2017 Selected 2017 Sold/Pending Properties Include:

4219 Lahser | Bloomfield Hills | $5,990,000

1390 Kirkway | Bloomfield | $3,865,000

175 Aspen | Birmingham | $1,999,000

547 Southfield | Birmingham | $1,875,000

1045 Westchester | Birmingham | $1,499,000

6140 Westmoor | Bloomfield | $1,475,000

1065 Chesterfield | Birmingham | $1,399,000

455 Aspen | Birmingham | $1,349,000

995 Timberlake | Bloomfield | $1,249,000

37 Scenic Oaks S. | Bloomfield Hills | $1,195,000

1335 Puritan | Birmingham | $1,195,000

572 Watkins | Birmingham | $1,125,000

90 N. Berkshire | Bloomfield | $999,000

31098 Oakleaf | Franklin | $999,000

1569 Pleasant | Birmingham | $895,000

25801 Franklin Park | Franklin | $849,000

315 Fairfax | Birmingham | $799,900

4912 Champlain | W. Bloomfield | $799,000

1911 Hillwood | Bloomfield | $749,900

655 S. Glenhurst | Birmingham | $749,000

442 S. Old Woodward Avenue | Birmingham, MI 48009

Cindy Obron Kahn An Extraordinary Agent Providing Extraordinary Results

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Thank you for a successful year.

I appreciate your business!

Selected 2017 Sold/Pending Properties Include:

316 S. Glenhurst | Birmingham | $729,000

1015-1017 Henrietta | Birmingham | $699,000

5052 Christy Ct. | Troy | $649,000

4050 Overlea | Bloomfield | $554,000

5118 Woodlands | Bloomfield | $498,000

995-997 Henrietta | Birmingham | $699,000

1400 Ardmoor | Bloomfield | $699,000

4733 S. Valleyview | W. Bloomfield | $529,000

502 Chase | Bloomfield Hills | $525,000

7345 Crackling Creek | W. Bloomfield | $399,000 37161 Deer Run | Farmington Hills | $159,000

Additional Sales (as Buyer’s Agent) 4969 Elmgate | Bloomfield Hills | $4,799,000 2192 Yarmouth | Bloomfield Village | $3,490,000 400 S. Old Woodward | Birmingham | $3,200,000 1484 Inwoods Circle | Bloomfield | $2,599,000 501 Larchlea | Birmingham | $1,600,000 559 W. Brown | Birmingham | $1,595,000 6140 Westmoor | Bloomfield | $1,475,000

TOP AGENT 2012-2017

AREA TOP PRODUCER 2008-2017

822 Shirley | Birmingham | $1,295,000 5675 Forman | Bloomfield | $1,275,000 1335 Puritan | Birmingham | $1,195,000 1192 Smith | Birmingham | $699,900 1222 Davis | Birmingham | $675,000 4044 Willoway Place | Bloomfield | $399,500 6978 Cedarbrook | Bloomfield | $379,900

TOP 1% OF REALTORS® NATIONALLY

FROM THE PUBLISHER his January issue of Downtown marks the start of the ninth year of publication of the news magazine – quite a milestone in an industry that has, at best, been challenged for the last two decades.

T

I would like to think that our success to date has a great deal to do with the effort we invest in trying to bring readers of Birmingham, Bloomfield Township and Bloomfield Hills a quality editorial product each month.

Creating such a product was one of our major goals when we first launched in 2010 – to fill a void I felt existed at the time, in terms of a print product that could capture the interest of local residents by providing solid editorial content. Several hundred businesses from the local communities recognized our efforts and rewarded us with their support by periodically using our newsmagazine to get their message out to the local communities, which has allowed us to become the dominant advertising outlet and news source for this area.

I recognize that there were a few publications in the market, both then and now, but I submit none offered the commitment to editorial quality that we have made to these special communities, nor the strong local focus of our content.

Certainly the fact that some of us have lived here and have extensive knowledge of the communities helps with the high standard we have set for the content of Downtown, which is what matters most in our book.

When Downtown first arrived in residents’ homes, we outlined a simple editorial mission for the newsmagazine: provide a solid editorial product each month that both captures life in the Birmingham and Bloomfield communities while at the same time offer up insight about developing trends or important issues through longform journalism features, an art form of sorts that most other publications here and across the nation have abandoned because of the time and expense involved in exploring in more detail critical issues facing local residents.

For those of us at Downtown newsmagazine, the longform approach to important issues has taken us – and our readers – on quite a journey, allowing us to explore topics off the beaten path, many times critical concerns that have not been addressed by other media outlets.

In terms of capturing life in the local area, for those new to the newsmagazine or not a regular reader of this column, we accomplish this through our coverage each month of important decisions by the government bodies you elect to conduct your public business, be they municipalities or school districts. We

also provide capsulized notes each month on what is happening in the local business community. Along with that, we offer personality profile features of those either living in this area or who have hailed from Birmingham/Bloomfield and have accomplished something of note or made a special contribution to the community at-large. We also offer the most detailed chronicle of what is happening in the non-profit social scene in the region because of the heavy involvement of local residents either through their donations of time and/or money.

We also believe that any legitimate publication has an obligation to use its editorial muscle, if you will, to help lobby and set the public agenda through editorial opinion and commentary. So we attempt each month to reflect on key local issues and offer our opinions in the Endnote page at the back of each issue.

We think that we are particularly qualified to offer our commentary because we are dealing with these issues on a daily basis and, in come cases, have been for decades, which gives us a basis from which to make recommendations.

This column, most months, offers up my personal editorial viewpoint on a wide range of issues, based on over four decades of study and observation of government and politics in Oakland County and the state of Michigan.

Not everyone agrees with us, of course, be it the opinions we put forth in the Endnote section or in this opinion column space. But we think that also fits with the mission we established years ago – fostering public debate on issues. We encourage residents to write us and disagree, if that is the case, and we willingly publish those viewpoints in our Incoming section, which is the traditional “letters to the editor” section.

Aside from the monthly print product, we reach out to the community through Facebook (facebook.com/downtownpublications) and Twitter (twitter.com/downtownpubs), and through our website – downtownpublications.com – which is updated a couple of times – and sometimes more often – each week. We generally average 80,000 monthly visitors to our site.

So looking back on the past years, we think we have held true to our mission and look forward to bringing our readers future issues of Downtown newsmagazine.

As always, feel free to email with any suggestions as we go through the new year.

David Hohendorf Publisher DavidHohendorf@DowntownPublications.com

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INCOMING Moonlighting firefighters I can speak only to my situation as a retired firefighter and I was indeed a "moonlighter" (November/Downtown).

When I hired on as a firefighter in the mid 1960s after my three years in the army, the salary was adequate for a single man, which I was. I was married two years later and started down that path, a home, children, etc. My wife was a "stay at home mom" raising our children. It was pretty imperative that I bring in extra income to provide for my family.

At the fire department I worked 56 hours a week (state law), 24 hours on duty, 48 hours off duty. I worked at anything I could get – construction, gas station, you name it. I put in 28 years of service to my city.

I should mention that Social Security was not deducted from my fire department wages. I did, however, contribute part of my salary to a city pension plan. All of my moonlighting jobs and my army pay were, however, subject to Social Security deduction.

As you can see, If I had relied strictly on my fire department wages, my only income at retirement would be my city pension. Here is the rub – after many years of working those odd jobs, I began to receive notices from Social Security that I had reached enough deductions to qualify for a small amount from them. Great, as my city pension was a fixed amount, no COLA, and after several years of retirement was being eaten at.

At age 62 I went to my local Social Security office to apply for my small benefit, only to be told "You were a firefighter, therefore your benefits will be reduced by 55 percent!” Why? Because there is a little known law, The Windfall Elimination Act, that the federal government passed many years ago to prevent any government employee that doesn't participate in Social Security in their primary job from receiving their fully earned Social Security benefits from any other employment. Gotta love those guys. downtownpublications.com

SPEAK OUT We welcome your opinion on issues facing the Birmingham/Bloomfield communities.

Although we do not have a fixed maximum length for letters sent to us, we recommend a maximum length of 175-200 words. We also reserve the right to edit letters for length if necessary.

Opinions can be sent via e-mail to news@downtownpublications.com or mailed to Downtown Publications, 124 West Maple Road, Birmingham MI 48009.

I'm writing this because I think “moonlighters” get a bad rap sometimes. I can't really tell you how many hours and days I and the men I worked with at the fire department worked on our own time volunteering at city functions, teaching CPR classes, etc. We were fortunate to be able to do both, work for ourselves and make our city a better place to live in.

Michael Corless Rochester Hills FROM OUR WEBSITE/FACEBOOK:

December Downtown Kudos to Lisa Brody for a wellresearched article on issues involving the millions of gallons of water pumped from wells in Michigan by Nestle and Absopure (December/Downtown) and to David Hohendorf for his excellent discussion of parental, student and Cranbrook responses to the alleged sexual assault of two Cranbrook student at a party at a private residence in Oakland Township (December/ Downtown).

Ralph Deeds Bloomfield Hills

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OAKLAND CONFIDENTIAL Oakland Confidential is a periodic column of political gossip/news, gathered both on and off-the-record by staff members at Downtown newsmagazine.

We welcome possible items for this column which can be emailed to: OaklndConfidential@DowntownPublications.com. All sources are kept strictly confidential. The gossip column can be viewed at OaklandConfidential.com.

CHANGING PLACES: With the announcement by Sen. Sander Levin (D-Royal Oak, Bloomfield Township, Warren) that he is retiring in 2018 after 35 years in Congress, there is an all-out scrum to replace him. The open 9th Congressional seat – which encompasses Bloomfield Township, Royal Oak, Huntington Woods, Warren, Sterling Heights, Mt. Clemens, Roseville, and Clinton Township in Oakland and Macomb counties, has Democrats lining up, as well as at least one Republican so far. First in line is Levin’s son Andy Levin of Bloomfield Township, who earlier this fall debated throwing his hat in for governor. Now we know why he didn’t. Andy announced his candidacy hours after his dad said he was retiring. Currently running a private sector energy marketplace, Andy worked as a deputy in the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth and was a director of worker training for the state under former Gov. Jennifer Granholm. “I feel mixed about Andy,” said one Democratic bigwig.

“He’s incredibly well pedigreed, but he’s not a slam dunk. He lost a winnable state Senate seat in a Democratic year (2006) with a lot of money and a lot of push from longtime Democrats.” But a few pundits believe some voters will just see the name Levin, and not even realize that Sander retired and Andy’s name is the replacement on the ballot.

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BIG BUFFET: Democratic primary voters will have a large buffet of choices besides Andy Levin to choose from in August. Former Bloomfield Hills School Board President Martin Brook of Bloomfield Township, a labor and employment attorney, announced his run for the 9th congressional seat, as has state Sen. Steve Bieda (D-Warren).

Bieda, who also spent time as a state representative, said, “I’m a pro-choice Democrat, with pro-LGBT roots in Macomb County.

I’ve always been the guy who fights for the underdog, who looks for issues that impact real people.” A recent legislative win that BROOK has taken all 12 years in the state legislature, he said, has been to get compensation for those wrongly-accused and imprisoned. “As a minority leader, I’m proud it was signed by the governor a year ago,” Bieda said. Noting the current caustic nature of Washington, he said he stands for a very positive agenda, “for politicians putting themselves out there. You have to have good people.” While some other Dems note he’s a “creature of Lansing,” and has been politicking a long time, with women representing an important part of the district, he could be a very viable candidate. Kevin Howley of Huntington Woods, who unsuccessfully ran against Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson in 2012 (when Brooks was in a coma following a car crash), said he is exploring a run. “I’m a problem solver. I’m looking to see if Washington can use a problem solver, and if I can have an impact,” Howley said.

“Washington is a mess, and I’m seeing if someone with my skill set can get things done.” He said he wants to get a lay of the HOWLEY land of who else is running. Oakland Country Treasurer Andy Meisner, of Huntington Woods, who began his career as a policy aide in Levin’s DC office, once dreamed of having his mentor’s seat. “It’s really happening,” he said of Levin’s retirement. “I’m exploring whether it’s a place I can make a difference in peoples’ lives and the best possible results for my constituents.” But with two toddlers at home, some see Meisner as a more likely candidate for the expected open seat for Oakland County Executive – a powerful position closer to home. On the Republican side, Candius Stearns of Sterling Heights, who works in the health insurance industry, has announced her candidacy.

CONSERVATIVE ONE-UPMANSHIP: It appears that a pair of Republican candidates running for Michigan’s 11th Congressional seat being vacated by David Trott (R-Birmingham, Bloomfield, Bloomfield Hills, Rochester Hills) are competing to appeal to President Donald Trump’s base and whatever far-right conservatives are in the district. Oil heiress Lena Epstein of Bloomfield Hills, former co-chair of Trump’s Michigan campaign, branded her image this summer in the minds of voters this summer with a campaign photo of herself looking very pregnant (she’s since given birth, we understand), standing in the back of a pickup while holding a billowing American flag, flanked by a prominent NRA window sticker, with a Trump campaign pin affixed to her denim jacket. In a donor appeal letter of late, an “unapologetic conservative” Epstein promises to DOWNTOWN

01.18

“shake things up in Washington.” Not to be outdone, state Rep. Klint Kesto (Commerce Township, West Bloomfield), has launched his own “Conservative Change” campaign. “That means repealing Obamacare, defunding Planned Parenthood, securing the border while ending sanctuary cities, protecting the Second Amendment and all other constitutional rights from unelected bureaucrats,” Kesto said in a campaign email solicitation. While Kesto has a conservative track record at the state level, the image makeover seems a bit out of character. “It’s a different race and a different set of politics. It’s national interests versus state interests, and the issues are a little different,” Kesto said.

Still, he says he remains his own person. “I’m not framing myself for any other candidate. I’m not a sheep by any means at all. I have my own principles and philosophy. Some align with the president’s, like putting Michigan and the United States first.”

IN THE CARDS: For fortune tellers and others who like to read tea leaves, it looks solid that state Senator Mike Kowall (R-White Lake) will announce that he is running for the open 11th district congressional seat in January. He’s spent the fall putting all of his ducks in a row in order to announce for the seat he’s wanted since 2012, when he fell on his sword for the Republican Party, which asked him not to challenge then-Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-Livonia) in the primary. Lo and behold, a week after Kowall KOWALL withdrew, McCotter was forced to resign when petition signatures were discovered to be fraudulent, leaving only part-time Santa Clause impersonator and reindeer farmer Kerry Bentivolio (R-Milford) in place, and he was elected, only to be plowed under two years later by current Congressman David Trott (R-Birmingham). Other Republicans who have announced for the congressional seat are Klint Kesto of Commerce Township, Lena Epstein of Bloomfield Hills, Kurt Heise of Plymouth, and Rocky Raczkowski (Troy).

IT’S A WOMAN’S WORLD: Candidates love to tout political endorsements, and Holly Democrat Elissa Slotkin is no different. “Folks – this is a big deal,” Slotkin’s campaign for Michigan’s 8th congressional seat, held by Mike Bishop (R-Rochester, Rochester Hills), said in announcing an endorsement from EMILY’s List. “EMILY’s List is throwing their support behind Elissa because they know she has what it takes to unseat an entrenched career politician like Mike Bishop.” EMILY’s List is a SLOTKIN national political action committee that aims to elect pro-choice, Democratic, female candidates to office. Whether the Year of the Woman will extend into the 2018 election remains to be seen, but the endorsement will surely be a boost amongst pro-choice voters.

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TIETZ UP: Republican Oakland County Commissioner Doug Tietz of Troy has announced his candidacy for the 41st District Michigan House of Representatives seat currently held by term-limited Martin Howrylak (R-Troy).

Tietz, who previously served on Troy City Council and as district director for Congressman Dave Trott, is running for the house seat after witnessing what he calls a total inability to support usual performance in government. “I’ve seen bureaucracy first hand both in Lansing and Washington D.C., and it’s scary,” Tietz said in his announcement. “The solution to our country’s problem is to empower individuals...” The state house seat appears as the next step in a natural progression up the political ladder from local to state politics.

A WOMAN’S PLACE: As the #metoo hashtag has taken over social media, and in the wake of Alabama Republican Roy Moore’s loss, word is Republican leadership in Michigan wants a woman as the Secretary of State candidate, regardless of qualifications. That’s apparently why Mary Treder Lang of Grosse Pointe Farms – “a complete neophyte who leadership wants for the seat,” according to a top Michigan Republican.

LANG Treder Lang is a CPA and an Eastern Michigan University regent – obviously enough for Republicans to feel confident she can take on former Wayne State Law School Dean Jocelyn Benson, who announced her candidacy for the Democratic nomination. But don’t count out Stan Grot, Shelby Township Clerk, on the Republican side.

“There’s nothing good to say about him,” says one observer, “but he has a lot of precinct votes, and that’s what it takes to win.

Leadership doesn’t want him, but he’s stubborn. But Jocelyn Benson will mop the floor with him. She is very smart and BENSON polished.” Stayed tuned. downtownpublications.com

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ATES BARDEN BAYOU BERWYN BIRD BLUE HERO N BAYOU BERWYN BIRD ULDER BROWN CATALPA CHEWTON CROSS CLUB ROWN CATALPA CHEWTON CROSS CLUB B ST VALLEY FAIRFAX C GLENGARRY GLENHURST GUILFORD EY FAIRFAX GLENGARRY GLENH TA HERONWOOD HIDDEN LAKE HUMPHREY HERON ERONWOOD HIDDEN LAKE HUMP KINGSLEY MANOR LAKE PARK LAKESIDE L NGSLEY MANOR LAKE PARK LAKESIDE LARCHLEA ILL LMITCHELL MORNINGVIEW NG MARTELL M TCHELL MORNINGVIEW AND OVERBROON RMINISTER END OAKLAND OVERBROOK PIERCE PINE SMITH R E SHERWOOD GLENN NAM RAVEN R WOOD GLENN SMITH NINGDALE SUTT S STUYVESSANT SUNNINGDALE SUTTERS TOWNSEND LITS WING LAKE W WESTWOOD AKE WOODCREEK WA ES BALDWIN BAT W ABBEY AP BATES BARDEN BAYOU D KNOLL BOULDER BROWNRO CATALPA B ON BLOOMFIE ER BROWN C ENBAR EAST VALLEY FAIRFAX GLENGARRY AST VALLEY FA L HENRIETTA HERONWOOD UB CRANBRO GUILFORD MOUND KINGSLEY MANOR LAKE PARK HARMON HAZEL HENRIETTA HERONWOOD HERON RIDGE INDIAN MOUND KINGSLEY L CHRIDGE LONG L LEA LINCOLN E LONG POINTE MARTELL CE NANTUCKET M L MORNINGVIEW TERRACE NANTUCKET PUTNAM RAVEN END OAKLAND OVERBROOK PIERCE PINE RIDGE RIVER STUYVESSANT SUNNINGDALE SUTTERS P W DGATE SHERWOOD GLENN SMITH E WATER CLIFF ANDS WILLITS S P INGDALE TOWNSEND WA ONELEIGH STONY RIVER STUYVESSANT AKE WOODCREEK WAY WOODLANDS

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CRIME LOCATOR

NORTH

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Sexual assault

Assault

Murder

Robbery

Breaking/entering

Larceny

Larceny from vehicle

Vehicle theft

Vandalism

Drug offenses

Arson

These are the crimes reported under select categories by police officials in Birmingham, Bloomfield Township and Bloomfield Hills through December 15, 2017.

Placement of codes is approximate.

Sue Fuller ith a company mantra like “Open-mindedness is the new black,” you might expect something a little extraordinary.

Energy and enthusiasm exude from Birmingham entrepreneur Sue Fuller when she shares about her casual, yet stylish brand of functional handbags and accessories named after her beloved shitzu, Oliver Thomas.

The bags were designed with today’s modern, hard working, multitasking woman in mind. While they are not meant to be a status symbol, they could become one in spite of their best marketing efforts.

The Oliver Thomas line became virtually viral a day prior to its official launch, with Fuller blown away by the insta-fame. Yet with closer inspection, the secret to her success is hardly a whim – she is a retail veteran with 25 years of merchandising and management experience under her belt.

Her experience at Vera Bradley, Carhartt, Ralph Lauren and other top retailers prepared Fuller for her future.

“People live today in a much more casual way, and I saw the fashion industry starting to take itself a little too seriously,” she shared.

Another company slogan, “Our bags carry stuff. Not self worth.”

Good stuff.

“Women are walking around with multiple bags, all really heavy …

I wanted to build a bag with multifunctional qualities,” shares Fuller.

And that she did.

Fuller’s crossbody bags, backpacks, totes showcase craftsmanship and attention to detail, with beautifully hand-stitched quilting and sturdy, yet stylish hardware that will withstand the wash.

Taking note of the travel trend, Fuller says she wanted to create something both modern and functional for the on-the-go lifestyle.

“If I can be a small part of making their lives a little more organized, that’s great,” she says.

With names like the “Wanderlust Weekender Duffle” and “Wingwoman Tote,” it’s clear these casual, yet trend-conscious pieces were designed for adventure.

Each duffle, crossbody and tote is water resistant and machine washable. An added bonus for those who travel frequently, anything with a pocket, including totes and small cross body bags, are equipped with RFID blocking technology, which helps to protect your identity from airport scanner scams.

So why all the buzz? Nylon is nothing new; the unique aspect lies within the design. From classic black or navy with 18 kt gold crown and hardware, accents to blue or green cami prints, Oliver Thomas products aren’t your mama’s frumpy Le Sport Sac. You can even customize your bag with badges that add whimsy to the mix.

There’s a limited edition graffiti line, too.

“We think it’s a fun vibe, and we offer 20 different personalized badges – you just adhere them with a hair dryer – it’s something simple to make it your own,” explains Fuller.

What’s in store for Sue Fuller and her “co-founder,” Oliver Thomas (who even has his own business card and LinkedIn account)?

Fuller envisions a pet product line down the road to pay homage to Oliver Thomas.

Currently, the company is shipping to boutiques in 14 different states in close to 100 different boutiques. Locally, you can find them at Lori Karbal in Birmingham and Scarborough Square in Rochester, with more locations being added daily as she canvasses local boutiques.

“That’s what I love about the brand … we made it for independent business owners and boutiques and a lot of them are female owners too, which is very important to me,” shares Fuller.

W

Story: Lisa Rose Hook

Photo: Laurie Tennent

FACES

ASBESTOS

RESTRICTIONS, REGULATIONS FAIL AS EXPOSURE ABOUNDS

BY KEVIN ELLIOTT

Dr. Raja Flores, head of thoracic surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, is recognized for pioneering efforts in the treatment of mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer caused primarily by asbestos exposure. But it's what he didn't know about the cause of the disease that recently astonished him.

"I've been doing asbestos-related cancer surgery for most of my career," Flores said, who established the VATS lobectomy procedure, considered the gold standard in the surgical treatment of lung cancer. "It wasn't until recently that I realized that asbestos isn't banned. I was shocked â&#x20AC;&#x201C; this is my area of expertise.â&#x20AC;?

In addition to advancements in surgical procedure, Flores' research into mesothelioma has led him to investigate the consequences of asbestos exposure, including work on a $4.8 million study funded by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Yet for years, Flores was unaware that hundreds of tons of asbestos continue to be imported annually into the United States. The toxic substance can be found in items ranging from automotive parts to some children's crayons.

"Many people think there is a ban," he said. "Almost everyone in the United States know asbestos is bad and causes cancer, and they know to avoid it. They assume it's banned, but it's not."

Asbestos has been banned in 55 countries, including the UK, Australia, German, France, Israel, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, but not China, Russia or the United States. While the first federal restrictions placed on asbestos were approved in the 1970s, many asbestos-containing products are still manufactured and sold today.

Found in various floor and ceiling tiles, roofing materials, older fiberboard and insulations, and dozens of other home products, asbestos is commonly found in buildings and homes constructed prior to 1990. However, there is little risk of exposure to asbestos fibers if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s left alone. It's when those products are disturbed or broken that tiny asbestos fibers are released into the air.

Efforts by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1989 to ban most asbestos products were thwarted by a federal court of appeals ruling stemming from a lawsuit filed by manufacturers. The agency is now preparing to conduct a risk evaluation to determine whether asbestos presents an unreasonable risk of injury to public health or the environment, an undertaking called for under the Obama administration that some say is being watered down by the current EPA director, Scott Pruitt.

"It's outrageous that in the year 2017, asbestos is still allowed in the United States," said Sen. Jeff Merkley (DOregon), who introduced the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act of 2017 in November. "It's time for us to catch up to the rest of the developed world, and ban this dangerous public health threat once and for all."

The bill aims to require the EPA to identify and assess known uses of and exposure to all forms of asbestos, and to impose restrictions on the use of asbestos within 18 months of enactment. The bill also bans manufacturing, processing or distribution of asbestos other than prescribed by the EPA's rule.

In Michigan, monitoring and enforcement of federal asbestos regulations are conducted by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), which handles outdoor air issues, and the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA), which handles indoor air and workers' health issues. Under the regulations, property owners and contractors conducting renovations or demolitions of asbestos-containing materials must file notices with the agencies.

Discovered in ancient times as a magical mineral capable of being woven into fireproof fabrics, asbestos applications developed during the Industrial Revolution transformed the material from a novelty item into a valuable commodity responsible for spawning a multibillion dollar industry.

Asbestos refers to a group of six naturally occurring silicate minerals that grow as thin, microscopic crystals, which combine to form bundles. When handled or crushed, asbestos bundles separate into individual mineral fibers. While soft and flexible to the touch, asbestos fibers are resistant to heat, electricity and chemical corrosion, making it an effective insulator and strengthener when mixed with cloth, paper, cement or other materials.

The most common form of asbestos is chrysotile, or white asbestos, found in roofs, ceilings, walls and floors, as well as automotive brake linings, gaskets, boiler seals, insulation for pipes, ducts and appliances. Chrysotile has accounted for more than 90 percent of the world's asbestos production, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Amosite, or brown asbestos, was used most frequently in cement sheets and pipe insulation. It can also be found in insulating board, ceiling tiles and thermal insulation products.

Crocidolite, or blue asbestos, was used to insulate steam engines, as well as some spray-on coatings, pipe insulation, plastics and cement products.

The first restrictions on asbestos came in 1973, when the EPA banned spray-applied asbestos-containing material for fireproofing and insulation purposes. Two years later, the EPA banned asbestos pipe and block insulation, with some minor exceptions. The Consumer Product Safety Commission in 1977 banned the use of asbestos in artificial fireplace embers and wall patching compounds. In 1978, the EPA banned all other sprayapplied materials for purposes not already banned in 1973.

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In 1989, the EPA set out to ban the majority of remaining asbestoscontaining products through the Toxic Substance Control Act's final rule. However, a lawsuit filed by manufacturers upended the rule in 1991.

The EPA had proposed phasing out products over seven years, eliminating about 84 percent of asbestos-containing materials in domestic products. A federal appeals court struck down the ban, ruling that the agency didn't consider alternative regulations other than banning. The ruling upheld some restrictions that went into place in 1989, but struck down those that would have been phased in 1993 and 1996.

T

oday, the manufacture, importation, processing and distribution of certain asbestos-containing products is banned. Those products include items such as corrugated paper, rollboard, commercial paper, specialty paper and flooring felt. "New uses" of asbestos, or its use in products that haven't historically contained asbestos, are also banned.

The federal Clean Air Act also bans the manufacture or sale of asbestos pipe insulation that is either pre-formed or friable. Spray-applied asbestos-containing materials with content of more than one percent of asbestos for buildings, structures, pipes, and conduits are also banned, unless certain conditions are met. Still, there are hundreds of asbestoscontaining products that aren't banned, including cement corrugated sheet, some clothing, pipeline wrap, roofing felt, vinyl floor tile, cement shingles, millboard, automatic transmission components, clutch facings, disk brake pads, gaskets and some coatings.

The vast majority of raw asbestos imported to the United States today is used by the chlor-alkali industry to make semipermeable asbestos diaphragms.

Overall, asbestos use in the United States has decreased since 1973, when the domestic manufacturers used 803,000 tons of asbestos. The last U.S. producer of asbestos ceased operations in 2002, making the country wholly dependent on imported asbestos to meet manufacturing needs.

Today, global production of asbestos is about two million metric tons per year, with Brazil currently supplying more than 90 percent of asbestos imported to the United States. Russia produces about 1.1 million metric tons of asbestos annually, while China produces about 400,000; followed by Kazakhstan (200,000 metric tons), and India (200 metric tons).

In 2016, U.S. consumption of asbestos was estimated to be about 340 tons, down about three tons from the previous year, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. However, some environmental groups claim the amount of imported asbestos in 2016 was more than double that amount.

A study by the Environmental Working Group and the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization that analyzed data from the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission estimates about 705 metric tons of raw asbestos were imported in 2016.

Most of the surge, the groups said, came in the fourth quarter of the year following the passage of the revamped Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), which was amended the same year to give the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) broader authority to ban toxic chemicals. Asbestos is one of 10 such substances being evaluated for regulation.

However, the DEQ's Air Quality Division is struggling with financial restrictions limiting its effectiveness, according to a recent Michigan Auditor General's report.

The program is responsible for reviewing notifications of intent to demolish or renovate a building containing asbestos or asbestoscontaining materials, as well as inspecting demolitions and asbestos removals. With more than 17,000 such notices filed in 2016, the program was unable to inspect even 15 percent of notices and complaints it received, according to a recent audit.

"The DEQ should work with the legislature to establish a fee structure to assist in funding the asbestos program," the Michigan Auditor General's office said in the audit, which found the DEQ spent $635,000 on the program in 2016, employing four full-time and one part-time employee dedicated to performing inspections across the state. "Increased funding could be used to hire additional staff to assist the DEQ in meeting its scorecard goal of inspecting 15 percent of notifications received."

Meanwhile, the number of asbestos-related diseases being diagnosed each year isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t expected to drop off anytime soon.

"I think a big spike is coming down the line," said Dr. Flores, who was a principal investigator of asbestos exposure following the 9/11 terrorist attacks that brought down untold amounts of asbestos on the city. "I think we will see a general spike in New York City as time goes by."

While exposure can be deadly, it usually takes years for symptoms to appear.

"Asbestos-related diseases, which include mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis are rare, they are deadly. When you have it, it's hard to take care of, and it's hard for doctors to diagnose, even when it's staring them in the face. It takes someone with a high degree of suspicion of asbestos-related diseases, and persistence," Flores said.

"There are things that can set off a red flag, like if someone has a history of asbestos exposure in a job, like construction, or now a lot of firefighters."

Three major diseases are caused by inhalation of asbestos fibers: mesothelioma, which is a rare and always fatal cancer that attacks the thin membrane lining of the lungs, heart, chest cavity, gastrointestinal system and reproductive organs that is primarily caused by exposure to asbestos; asbestosis, which is caused by inhaled asbestos fibers that lodge deep in the lungs, scarring the organs or triggering a growth of excess tissue, a condition known as fibrosis; and lung cancer, which can be caused by inhaling asbestos fibers. Researchers also believe some cancers of the larynx, ovaries, stomach and colorectal area are triggered by asbestos exposure.

N

ationally, asbestos-related diseases kill between 12,000 and 15,000 people each year, according to a study conducted by the Environmental Working Group's (EWG) Action Fund, which estimates there have been between 189,000 and 221,000 deaths between 1999 and 2013 caused by asbestos exposure. The study based those estimates on a review of federal records kept by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The study found annual deaths from mesothelioma remained between 2,481 and 2,832 between 1999 and 2013, while deaths from asbestosis remained between 1,208 and 1,486 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; evidence that death rates from asbestos-related diseases aren't dropping, despite existing federal restrictions on some products.

Overall, the study found the death rate from asbestos-related diseases in Michigan to be 5.2 per 100,000 people. The national average was calculated at 4.9 deaths per 100,000 people.

The EWG said about 7,878 Michigan residents died from asbestosrelated diseases between 1999 and 2013. That includes 517 deaths from asbestosis; 1,479 from mesothelioma; and 5,916 to non-mesothelioma lung cancer. Locally, Oakland County saw the third highest number of asbestos-related deaths in the state, with approximately 688 deaths between 1999 and 2013; while Wayne County had about 1,061 deaths and Macomb County had approximately 688 deaths.

Because asbestos-related deaths aren't precisely recorded or reported by public health authorities, EWG researchers said an exact number of deaths can't be pinned down.

"Our estimates are still conservative because some unknown number of deaths may have been attributed to pneumonia, other

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respiratory disease or lung fibrosis of unknown origin," the researchers said in the study. "If doctors failed to ask patients about asbestos exposure, or if patients were unaware they had been exposed to asbestos, the death certificate would not mention asbestos as a cause."

Dr. Michael Harbut, founder of the Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine at Providence/St. John's Hospital and former director of the Environmental Cancer Program at the Karmanos Cancer Institute, said asbestos-related diseases are often misdiagnosed because the illnesses may not show themselves for decades.

"Asbestos causes scarring of the lungs, which can be fatal, and thickening of the covering of the lungs, which can become mesothelioma, which is quite horrible and deadly in months," he said.

"It causes lung cancer and the same kind of tumors you see in smokers, but most people don't think of (asbestos) right away. People with asbestos-related diseases die of pneumonia more often, and often they aren't diagnosed because of the latency period, which can be 15 to 45 years. It doesn't have to be continuous exposure.â&#x20AC;?

He said even low-level exposure to asbestos can cause problems and take years to develop. Some patients may be told initially that they have bronchitis or COPD, while mesothelioma may first present itself as back pain.

Harbut, who co-authored the American Thoracic Society's criteria for diagnosis and treatment of asbestos-related diseases, said Providence/St. John's medical program is the only one in the metro area that requires a specific number of hours for medical residents to learn about asbestos. He said projections in the 1990s showed asbestosrelated diseases would spike about 2017 or 2018.

"What we are seeing now is a lot of homeowner exposure who did remodeling and tore out walls or insulation," he said. "In the early 1990s and late 1980s, we used to say asbestos would take care of itself and go away, but it looks like there is a second spike or wave of asbestos diseases.

"There's still a lot of asbestos out there, and it doesn't stop killing."

Even if all current uses of asbestos were banned in the United States, there are still enough asbestos-related products in use to continue to pose significant harm to the public.

A review of the Michigan DEQ's asbestos program revealed the department received 17,188 notifications of intent to demolish or remove asbestos-containing materials, and conducted 1,404 inspections, with the majority of notices (10,565) coming from Wayne County and the city of Detroit's blight removal project. Genessee County had the second highest number of notices, with 1,531, while Oakland County had the third most notifications, with 554, in 2016.

U

nder the federal Clean Air Act's National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP), the DEQ is required to review notifications from property owners and contractors who will be demolishing or renovating a location with asbestos-containing materials. Those notifications are intended to minimize the release of asbestos fibers into the air. Such projects ensure that asbestos is wet and contained to reduce the release of fibers, and that waste is transported correctly to an authorized landfill. The DEQ is also responsible for inspecting Type II landfills that are permitted to receive asbestos.

A state audit of the DEQ's asbestos program released in August 2017 found the department's Air Quality Division didn't ensure timely and complete input of all required inspections, complaints and violations into the state's database, or Michigan Air Compliance Enforcement System.

In total, the program received 17,188 notifications in 2016 and completed 1,404 inspections. The audit found the Air Quality Division acted upon 98 percent of complaints within seven days of receiving them. The majority of issues listed related to the timeliness and

completeness of input into the state's database, and timely responses to violation notices by liable parties.

T

he audit also found the DEQ couldn't demonstrate it inspected 87 percent of Type II landfills to ensure proper disposal of asbestoscontaining materials. The audit listed two landfills in Oakland County qualified to receive asbestos â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Oakland Heights Development in Auburn Hills and Eagle Valley Recycle and Disposal Facility in Lake Orion.

Oakland Heights Development was last inspected in February 2017, according to DEQ records. The inspection report stated the landfill doesn't currently accept asbestos waste, and hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t since 1998.

Eagle Valley Recycle and Disposal Facility is licensed to accept asbestos materials, but doesn't currently do so; however, it may have in the past, according to a June 2016 inspection report by the DEQ. In total, Michigan landfills received 10,655 notifications in 2016 of intent to demolish or renovate from contractors or property owners.

Contractors and property owners may also be required to file notifications with MIOSHA, which is responsible for enforcing federal labor laws regarding asbestos.

"If they are doing the work themselves, they don't have to notify us," DEQ Asbestos Program Supervisor Karen Kajija-Mills said. "On a singlefamily home, if they have a contractor, they are required to notify MIOSHA. They handle a smaller amount than we do. It's a complex program."

While Kajija-Mills said the two programs worked together in the past, they are now separate. Overall, the DEQ's program has four fulltime and one part-time staff, while MIOSHA has six full-time employees for its asbestos program.

The DEQ places complaints at the top of the list.

"Complaints range from a neighbor that might tell on someone to a contractor tattling on another contractor. We get lot of good cases that way," Kajija-Mills said. "A demolition may not be listed on our website.

Non-notifiers are typical because they don't know about the program.

We do a lot of outreach. Most demolitions usually get a permit from a local entity, and they aren't the greatest at dispensing information."

Oakland County Environmental Health Director Anthony Drautz said the department doesn't have an asbestos program, instead referring to the state programs, with MIOSHA handling workplace and indoor air issues, and the DEQ, outdoor air issues.

In terms of staffing, Kajija-Mills said the state's audit of the DEQ's program confirmed what the department already knows.

"It's a well-known fact that we aren't staffed properly to do the program justice," she said.

Among the most common places for asbestos to be found are schools, universities and hospitals. To protect students, staff and visitors, all school districts are required to conduct a full asbestos survey and maintain an updated log of where asbestos-containing materials are located.

Locally, there have been 1,188 project since 2014 involving asbestos removal that have filed notices with MIOSHA. That includes 61 projects in Birmingham; five in Bloomfield Township; 61 in Bloomfield Hills; 14 in Rochester Hills; and 47 in Rochester.

The database provides the location, amount of asbestos material being removed, who is conducting the work and when it is to be done and completed. Locations include residential, commercial and public buildings. For instance, of the 14 projects listed in Rochester Hills, multiple notices were listed for Munson Elementary School, Hamlin Elementary School, Baldwin Elementary School and Meadow Brook Amphitheater. In Rochester, multiple notices were listed for Oakland University facilities. Likewise, multiple projects in Bloomfield Hills were undertaken at schools, including Cranbrook Education Community, Fox Hills, Hickory Grove, Andover, Lahser, Marian and other schools.

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Bloomfield Hills School Districtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bruce Coltman said all buildings in the district have their own asbestos inventory.

"When work is done at each site, we will hire a company to remove any and all substances that are asbestos containing before any renovation is done," he said. "Another contractor will also monitor air and clear the area for renovation to be completed.

"The district's updated manuals are now on three discs and are updated every six months. I am working on getting these on our web page for easy access by all."

Lori Grein, director of community relations for Rochester Community Schools, said while districts are required to maintain an asbestos inventory, they aren't required to be posted online. This, she said, is likely because the law was promulgated in 1987, prior to widespread internet use.

Rochester Community Schools first conducted extensive asbestos inspections in 1988, leading to a comprehensive asbestos management plan. That plan is evaluated and updated regularly and is available at request to the public.

Birmingham Public Schools spokeswoman Marcia Wilkinson said the district is required by law to maintain an asbestos inventory, and does so. The documents are available to the public upon request.

Despite the risk of asbestos exposure in schools, the majority of states do not conduct regular inspections of school buildings, with the total hazard in schools widespread but difficult to ascertain, according to a 2015 report, Asbestos in America's Schools, written by the staff of Senator Edward Markey (D-MA) using responses to an investigation launched by him and Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA).

The two senators sent letters to governors of all 50 states to inquire about the implementation and enforcement of the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA), which was passed in 1986 and requires schools to keep an inventory of asbestos in their buildings. Of the 50 requests, just 20 responded. Michigan did not respond to the request.

Markey's report included mention of student and staff exposures to asbestos at the Dearborn Heights Schools District. That case resulted in a federal suit filed against the district by Theresa Ely, a custodian working at the district, involved the sanding of asbestos-containing floor tiles.

A

ccording to court records, Ely filed suit against the district after they disciplined her for speaking out about the possibility of asbestos contamination at the school. An investigation by MIOSHA later revealed that the tiles did contain some asbestos, despite claims from the district that dust had been tested and came back negative for asbestos contamination.

Attorney Robert Fetter, who represented Ely in a whistleblower case and a First Amendment case from the incidents, said the cases are troublesome not only because of the exposure to asbestos, but because it appears the district tried to cover up its mistakes. Specifically, he said the district appeared to have filed a fraudulent report regarding the testing of the asbestos dust generated by the sanding of floor tiles.

"We thought there were suspicious things," he said. "There was asbestos found on the sanding pads, but they issued a statement to the parents and school community that the report didn't find any asbestos, so we thought in regard to those concerns, the district was lying."

He said the First Amendment case has been settled, while the whistleblower case is being conducted through the MIOSHA administrative process. Still, he said such problems aren't uncommon.

"I have handled some of these cases across the country, and it's a big problem that a lot of school districts aren't training staff on how to handle asbestos," he said. "There should be reports that are regularly updated, so anyone working in a school knows where it is. Those are routinely ignored, if they have them at all. It's a big problem. The

agencies that are tasked to enforce the law to handle asbestos in schools are way understaffed. The chance of you having an inspection is nil to none.â&#x20AC;?

A review of violation notices and inspection reports found no violations regarding asbestos at any of the public school districts in the Birmingham/Bloomfield or Rochester/Rochester Hills area. Oakland University did enter a consent order with the DEQ in 1991 involving a $19,000 settlement for violating work-practice and notification standards of federal air quality laws. Cranbrook Academy of Art had three consent orders relating to asbestos removal in the late 1990s.

V

iolations regarding asbestos removal typically involve residential properties, including one in Rochester Hills. That violation, issued to MJC Woodland Crossings on October 6, 2017, involved the removal of asbestos at a property at 1171 E. Auburn Road, without notifying the DEQ within 10 days of the work.

"According to our investigation, MJC Woodland Crossing, LLC owns the facility and Quality Environment Demolition LLC performed the renovation activities at the facility," the DEQ said in an inspection report.

"During the inspection, staff observed ongoing asbestos abatement activities at 1171 E. Auburn. 1171 and 1183 E. Auburn will be demolished as part of a project to build a subdivision in the area; as such, renovation and demolition activities at these properties are subject to the Asbestos NESHAP." An EPA spokesman told Downtown that risk evaluation for asbestos "must include hazards, exposures, conditions of use, and potentially exposed or susceptible subpopulations the administrator expects to consider."

As the EPA considers further asbestos bans, some environmental and health organizations believe any evaluations will be watered down by excluding major points of exposure risk. That includes excluding exposure from legacy uses, or uses no longer permitted but still posing a risk of exposure to asbestos, said Linda Reinstein, co-founder of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization.

Rather than relying on the EPA to restrict asbestos, Reinstein and some other groups are pushing for a full-out ban on asbestos, as outlined in the federal legislation named for her late husband, Alan Reinstein, who died in 2006 from mesothelioma.

"Like most Americans, my husband and I thought our air, soil and water were free from contaminants. Alan was diagnosed in 2003, and I had never heard of mesothelioma before that," Reinstein said. "One day it appears your life is fine, and the next you're thrown into a sea of chaos."

Alan had worked in naval shipyards in the past â&#x20AC;&#x201C; now considered a high-risk occupation for asbestos exposure.

She said the EPA's evaluation could exclude past uses of asbestos, while legislation would not. "The bill takes the evaluation out of the equation," she said.

Such a ban is opposed by the American Chemistry Council, which represents chlorine manufacturers in the chlor-alkali industry, which uses asbestos to construct filters used in the production of chlorine. The council is also pushing for an exemption to the EPA's upcoming risk evaluation. The industry produces about $129 billion in economic output in the United States each year.

Pressure from the industry, as well as other manufacturers of asbestos-containing products, could make further restrictions on asbestos difficult for those seeking to ban it or restrict its use further.

"I think the biggest hinderance to banning asbestos in the United States is that there are a lot of people that have other financial interests," said Dr. Flores. "When you have millions of dollars that are going to be lost, some people aren't going to want to see asbestos completely banned.

"It's like Upton Sinclair said, 'It's difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on his not understanding it."

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My experience in selling my home with Renee and her team was incredible. They handled every step of the way flawlessly and made me feel very comfortable with every move they made. My house sold quickly and it's because of the attention Renee and her team put forth in selling my home. I can’t thank them enough.

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FACES

Marvin Towns Jr. nce poised to become a stockbroker in the Windy City, Marvin Towns Jr.’s path took a very radical turn. Muhammad Ali, a client at the firm where Towns then worked, was shooting the television mini series “Freedom Road” with Kris Kristofferson. Towns says he was invited to the set, where he and Ali just kind of clicked.

“I never went back to my job,” Towns recalls with his signature, hearty, infectious laugh.

When he was 22 years old, Towns says someone introduced him to director Leonard Garner, Jr., who hired him to work on the set of “The Blues Brothers.” He says this life-changing experience, in which he became one of the head production managers, solidified his relationship with the movie industry.

Within a few years, he became a director, and 50-something movies later, his star is shining brighter than ever – even if it’s behind the scenes.

Some of those movies led him to work with Robert Downey, Jr. in his break-out movie, “Weird Science.” He also worked with Tom Cruise in his break-out blockbuster, “Risky Business.” Add to his credits Woody Harrelson, Wesley Snipes and Sean Penn, and you get the picture.

“In all of the movies, I was not just an assistant director, I also appeared in them,” he says of “Bad Boys,” “Wild Cats” and a list of films that would make anyone in the business, let alone in Michigan, salivate with IMBD envy.

“I’ve been really fortunate that I’ve met a lot of great people and they kept my career going,” he shares. “I’ve always been in the right place at the right time with the person who has acknowledge my skills.

“I still take chances and change direction,” says Towns, whose

O

daughter and fledgling director Arielle now works with him.

One direction that he hasn’t changed is the commitment to his family.

He says that his wife of 28 years is his “biggest booster.”

“She’s my sanity check,” he says. “And because she’s not in the industry that’s even better.” The couple lives in Bloomfield Hills, along with a little pack of peacocks.

Eccentric? Maybe a touch; but when you’re in the film industry, why not?

He also has a thing for cars. He has forged a life-long friendship with former auto executive Bob Lutz, and they have worked on many projects together, including Ford commercials for GTB (Global Team Blue).

His first love, film, is still rolling strong. Towns took a chance on friend and writer Phil Elam’s independent period piece, set in the 1870s “Swing Low,” about an extraordinary slave living in the 1800s. That risk was well worth it.

“Swing Low” took Best Short Film at the Buffalo Niagara Film Festival 2017. Elam won Best Actor while Towns won three awards for Best Direction in a Short, including the Grand Jury Prize.

On the home front, Emagine Entertainment CEO Paul Glantz played the award-winning horror short “Swing Low” in front of “It,” prior to “Happy Death Day,” and again before “Boo 2! A Madea Halloween.”

Towns shares they’ve received a few offers to make it into a full length feature film.

“I love what I do so much I feel guilty I'm being paid to do it,” confides Towns.

Story: Lisa Rose Hook

Photo: Laurie Tennent

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OUT WITH THE TRASH ENDING THE CYCLE OF HIRING BAD PERFORMERS

BY LISA BRODY

T

hey’re the people at the front lines of safety, the ones we in the public put our trust and faith in to both protect and serve.

Police officers – presumed to be above reproach as paragons of society’s expectations. Yet, like communities at large, there can be bad apples in a police force. The key is, how do local police agencies weed them out or, better yet, how do they prevent them from ever getting on the force. It’s an effort that has involved the state legislature helping to indemnify employers against liability while simultaneously forcing prospective hires to have to do more thorough background checks to stop the dangerous spread.

While most police officers show up every day, work hard, safeguarding their communities, there are tales of those who lie, cheat, misuse their authority, sexually harass, or abuse the public.

By now, it’s a well-known, if tragic tale of an out-of-control, rogue cop with a history of poor behavior who jumped from agency to agency until both his, and an unfortunate victim’s, luck ran out. On the evening of January 28, 2015, Floyd Dent of Detroit had been to visit a friend in Inkster and was pulled over by an Inkster police cruiser. According to a police report of the incident, Dent had failed to use a traffic signal and hadn’t stopped at a stop sign – hardly major crimes.

Inkster police could see that Dent, 57 at the time, was driving with a suspended license, allegedly from an unpaid driving ticket from several years previously. According to Dent – and police dashcam video – Dent opened his car door and put his hands out the window, to let officers know he was unarmed. However, officer William Melendez, who said he believed Dent was reaching for a gun, approached Dent’s car with his gun drawn.

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Dent opened his door and was dragged out

by Melendez, who put him in a chokehold on the ground, and then delivered 16 blows to Dent’s head. Another officer arrived, and for some reason used a Taser to stun Dent three times. At no time, in the video at least, did Dent appear to resist either Melendez or the other officer.

Melendez wrote in his police report that as he approached Dent’s open car door, Dent, who had no previous criminal history and had been a Ford employee for 37 years, looked at him “with a blank stare as if on a form of narcotic,” and stated, “I’ll kill you.” He also claimed that Dent had drugs in the car, which it turned out Melendez had planted.

Dent ended up in the hospital with a fractured left orbital, blood on the brain and four broken ribs.

E

ventually, Dent was exonerated. Melendez’s records showed that he had faced allegations of police brutality before – at one point, he had more citizen complaints than any other officer in Detroit, where he had served on the force from 1993 until his resignation in 2009.

Melendez had even earned the moniker “RoboCop” as a Detroit cop, and was named a defendant in at least a dozen federal lawsuits, where he was accused of planting evidence, wrongfully killing unarmed civilians, falsifying police reports and conducting illegal arrests.

Some of the suits were settled while others were dismissed.

In the Dent case, Melendez went to jail for 14 months after being found guilty of assault and misconduct. The city of Inkster, whose police department hired him in 2010, agreed to pay Dent $1.4 million.

A significant question is – how did Melendez even get hired by Inkster police after his record in Detroit as a “rogue” cop?

Inkster Police Chief William T. Riley, III, was not in charge of the department at the time Melendez was hired, when Chief Vicki Yost was at the top. At the time he was the chief of police for Selma, Alabama, where he had been called in to rehabilitate their department after rising through the ranks of the Newport Beach, Virginia department.

He was subsequently hired in Inkster to revamp the department.

“I vet very heavily. I look at their history – how they live, invest, even interview in the military if they’ve been in,” Riley said. “I’ll get waivers and see all of their records from Germany, Interpol, because you can have issues in the military. In the south, we did polygraphs

– here we can’t use polygraphs. But it’s a tool we use, because if someone waivers on something, you can ask why, or look at the inconsistencies. If you can explain it, and we can reasonably understand, fine. If you’re not telling the truth – sorry, we cannot hire you.

“If for someone who’s already in law enforcement, we’re going to have you sign the waiver, and we’re going to dig. And if it’s something that’s not in our policy – sorry, you do not belong here. You’re hiring this person to represent your city, and if there’s something behind that would jeopardize your city, why don’t we have access to that information?”

Riley, who arrived in Inkster in late 2015, is proud to report that in his first full year, 2016, he reduced crime 12 percent, and in 2017, another 3 percent. The department is operating on better cylinders, as well. “I brought in a guy who did diversity training, and bought body mics,” Riley said.

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard believes he knows how officers like Melendez get hired at small agencies after leaving larger forces, often after agreeing to resign instead of being fired. He said the key to preventing the jumping from agency to agency of “dirty” cops is simple – good hiring practices. “It’s absolutely incumbent (upon every agency) to do a full and complete background check on hiring, and it’s critical to require an agency to do that check,” Bouchard said. “If, after that, then they’re responsible.”

He said in the Inkster case, it really wasn’t a surprise, when he looked at the case after the fact. “It’s not uncommon. If you have a problem in one agency – no surprise he’d have a problem with another one,” Bouchard noted.

He said for years there has been a toxic problem of agencies sweeping things under the rug to avoid having to confront firing officers that are really a problem. “Some of the smaller agencies would say, ‘If you would just resign, we will just say nothing happened,’” he said.

But he said that just created a ripple effect of more and more problems.

“I know for a fact we’ve terminated deputies that have been hired by other agencies without checks on references,” Bouchard alleged.

Not all small agencies fail to do reference checks, Walled Lake Police Chief Paul Shakinas said. With only six full-time officers and a dozen part timers, he said he has hired about 40 officers in the eight years he has been chief. But he is careful in his background checks.

“William Melendez – he applied here and I never even interviewed him,” Shakinas noted.

He said instead, as an agency struggling with a small budget, he has had success with younger officers who are sometimes cut from larger departments “that have training programs designed to wash them out. It’s constant training. Most of the 40 I’ve hired who have left went to full-time positions with other departments, from Taylor to Rochester.”

Bouchard said agencies that fail to check references are not only creating danger for the public, but also possible added expense for residents. “Royal Oak Township, they have hired bad apples from other agencies, and they’ve had to pass two 10-year millages to pay for settlements prior to disbanding (Michigan

State Police currently provides their police services). It’s terrible for residents,” Bouchard said, noting that leaves residents on the hook with larger tax bills, paying off the settlements long after the “bad apple” has left the force.

The city of Inkster was left on the hook, with residents paying Dent for Melendez’s misdeeds.

It’s not just small agencies that can encounter a rogue cop. West Bloomfield Police Chief Michael Patton, with 80 sworn officers on his force, noted that in 2010, shortly after he became chief after coming up through the ranks, he had to kick off a criminal investigation of one of his own officers, former officer Jeffrey Pinzia, who had been accused of fixing tickets.

“We began the investigation internally, but when we determined there was enough we turned it over to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department, and they investigated it, and there was enough for him to be charged and eventually, he plead guilty,” Patton said of the incident, where Pinzia worked with an individual named Rudi Gammo, who had a history of drug charge convictions.

Gammo would offer people who got traffic tickets a $2,000 fee to have Pinzia, a veteran of 15 years on the force at the time, get them out of the tickets.

Other West Bloomfield officers got wind of the scam, leading to the investigation. Pinzia was charged with misconduct and conspiracy to misconduct, and was sentenced to 60 days in jail and two years probation; Gammo was sentenced to one year in jail and five years of probation.

“He resigned,” Patton said. “Ultimately, we just want the truth if there’s issues.”

O

ften officers who get in trouble resign before they are charged with a crime, and then go and get hired by another agency. “They can get fired by another agency prior to it becoming public,” said Hermina Kramp, acting executive director of Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES), because their misdeeds haven’t become known, and if the hiring agency doesn’t do a thorough investigation, the cop could get picked up by another agency, either in Michigan or another state.

Officers who are charged with a crime lose their law enforcement license, Kramp said, because MCOLES has the authority to revoke their license.

“No one can operate as a law enforcement officer (in Michigan) without a license from MCOLES. We get involved by way of our

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statute,” she said. “There are some things that are revocable incidents, such as when they are acquitted or there are no charges. We have to wait until there is a conviction. Then we revoke it and it’s permanent. That prevents the jumping because we can prevent the hiring.”

But not every substandard officer is in actuality a criminal or in danger of losing their law enforcement license. Some people just shouldn’t be police officers, and wash out of training, and jump around and around.

In October 2017, state Senator Rick Jones (R-Grand Ledge) introduced Senate Bill 223, the Law Enforcement Officer Separation of Service Record Act, “to require the creation and maintenance of certain law enforcement officer personnel records; to prescribe the information that may be contained in the personnel records; to permit law enforcement officers to review the personnel records; and to provide for immunity from civil liability to law enforcement agencies in certain circumstances.”

B

oth Bouchard and Kramp said they asked Jones, a former Eaton County sheriff, for the legislation, which has had wide support among local police agencies.

“The national media has labeled it the ‘gypsy cop problem,’” Jones said. “A cop gets in trouble in one department, and in some departments – not all – the chief calls in the cop, and says, instead of firing you, how about you just resign. It saves on the cost of firing.

Then the cop goes and gets hired by another agency. When the new agency calls about hiring the cop, the old agency just gives the dates of employment. It makes it very difficult to do a proper background check.”

“A lot of agencies would not disclose information even when we called them because they could have gotten sued if they disclosed the truth,” Bouchard said. “We needed something that let agencies disclose and get them off the hook.”

“We’re working to get the officers that jump from agency to agency,” Kramp said. “In the past, the standard response was HR (human resources) would get a request from another agency, and they would send it to their HR department. They could only respond – either the officer left in good standing or the officer worked for X date to X date, with no other information provided. Senator Jones was concerned about other information in an officer’s file that couldn’t be revealed that filled in the background.”

Kramp explained a key point of SB 223 – which was signed into law by Governor Rick

Snyder, becoming Public Act 128 of 2017, effective January 15, 2018, is “requiring former employers to provide a personnel background to a prospective employer so they can make a more thorough hiring decision. And there are safeguards provided on both sides. There is an immunity clause built on it, so the former agency is immune from liability from disclosure.

The officer is allowed to review his own file, and if he disagrees with the agency, and if he doesn’t get to a formal resolution with his former employer, they both can write letters that can go forward to the new employer.”

The act does not require or permit MCOLES to do the sharing of the information between law enforcement agencies, as Kramp said they are not a law enforcement agency.

An analysis of the act stated, “It is possible for an officer with a poor employment record to resign from one agency and be hired by another that has no knowledge of the officer’s history.

In some cases, an officer might repeatedly engage in misconduct, resign, and find employment with a different police department.

While this pattern is not common, it is known to occur in Michigan, as well as across the country. In order to address this phenomenon, it was suggested that law enforcement agencies should be required to maintain and share officers’ employment records, and be prohibited from hiring an officer without that information.”

“They always had the requirement to disclose, but sometimes an officer didn’t or an agency wouldn’t discover (the issues) until an incident took place,” Kramp said. “On the other side, not everything that is disclosed or in a file is negative. It could be something as minor as a violation of policy, uniforms, coat and tie, or it could be something major, some kind of accusation of fraud, or something that isn’t proven, like excessive force, but there’s no criminal charges. There could be substance abuse issues, alcohol problems, where there aren’t charges, and the person could have gotten help, but a prospective agency should be made aware. But when it’s not disclosed, because it can’t be asked about, it’s a problem.”

“The law makes it a requirement for an agency to retain all records,” said Jones. “The former department must provide them, and they have immunity. The former officer can’t sue the former department for releasing the information.

“I tried to be fair,” Jones said. “I’m a former union officer (when he was a sheriff’s deputy) and as a sheriff, in management. Most officers are just trying to do their best. Ninety-nine percent of officers are good. But you get the bad apple who bounces around, and you certainly don’t want to ship the bad off. If they’re assaulting citizens or other criminal behavior like theft, they don’t belong in the police department.”

“It will help agencies when an officer separates. This lets agencies better vet their future candidates because it requires an agency to document why an officer was separating,” said Michigan State Police legislative liaison Sgt. Tim Fitzgerald. “It pushes the handshake agreements out the door.”

“It (the legislation) is a start. It spells out that if they apply to your agency, the applicant

has to sign a waiver and an agency has to ask for employee records,” Bouchard explained.

“There won’t be any more excuses. There won’t be any reason that an agency doesn’t get somebody’s records. It’s absurd – and that’s a problem. If you don’t do a full a complete background check, you don’t know what you’re hiring, and that’s your problem and you’re liable. We need to keep updating and upgrading based on today’s world.”

The Police Officers Association of Michigan, the union representing officers, did not support the legislation, and president Jim Tignanelli did not return several calls for comment.

“Most departments are unionized. We had very little pushback from unions, and I did put in if an officer feels terminated unfairly, they can write up their side and put it in their file with all their records,” Jones added.

“As much as police unions object to SB 223, because there’s still not enough transparency about separation, ultimately we just want the truth, and if there’s issues, we have questions,” pointed out West Bloomfield’s Chief Patton. “It’s beneficial to get the scoop on why someone’s separating. Sometimes they’re just a bad fit, or got off to a bad start, and maybe with maturity or more time, they can be be a good officer.”

P

atton said the best time to separate from an officer is during their probationary period, which is a minimum of one year. “After that time, they become full members of unions,” he said, noting that there is plenty of time for officers to be observed on ride alongs as well on solo patrol.

“Usually there are enough tea leaves,” Patton said, “of off-duty behavior, car crashes, drinking and driving, substance abuse situations – that there are early signs” if there are going to be significant later problems.

“When we have men and women of character, you will have better outcomes in police agencies,” Bouchard stated.

“You’re always going to find out if there’s someone who was let go from another department for poor performance or discipline reasons. Or some people were just not cut out to be police officers and don’t have what it takes,” said Bloomfield Hills Public Safety Chief Noel Clason. “All police chiefs and police agencies in metro Detroit have great relationships and share information.”

He said he and other chiefs in the area have shared their concern about information, or lack thereof, with MCOLES. “We want some kind of flag in the system. If Bloomfield Hills were to fire an officer for some reason, that information should be accessible through MCOLES. Because someone could be fired by us, and then go apply up in the Upper Peninsula, and they might not

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OVeR $45 milliON SOlD iN 2017 liSTiNg AgeNT 1433 Ravineview 2482 Thomas 3641 Winding Brook 245 Chestnut 3395 Ashley 3715 Shallow Brook 1632 graefield 1844 Stanford 1662 melton 1418 Washington 30159 Alger 503 merrill 3010 Crooks 218 Dourdan 2865 Steeple Hill 3800 elmhurst 398 Paragon 2651 Kopson Court 40 Wellesley 75 manor 31830 Sheridan

1105 Smith 463 Bryn mawr 7069 Ward eagle 616 e Kalama 4961 Rands 600 Brown #303 723 Ann 2127 mcDonald 355 S Williamsbury 60 Quarton lane 1000 Bauman 216 Chewton 3089 Heron Pointe 13334 Talbot 927 Worthington 4156 Orchard Hill 1040 Woodlea 10015 Talbot 32273 Auburn 201 Dourdan 1789 Southfield 235 Barden 731 Coolidge

648 Dewey 2956 Turtle Pond 2391 Cambridge 36218 Abbey 120 Canterbury 2700 Warwick 3205 Newbury 1653 Taunton (pending)

220 N Cranbrook Cross

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586 merrill 3801 Oakland 640 e Wattles 54646 Waubay 781 Satterlee 142 e Hickory grove 1189 Foxwood 583 N Cranbrook 1759 Henrietta 1311 Bennaville 5 manorwood 1655 Christian Hills 4701 Ardmore 3644 Oakleaf 30354 lincolnshire 32825 Faircrest 530 Haverhill (pending) 00 Oak (pending) 6553 Crabapple (pending)

be as thorough, and they’d get hired.”

He said Bloomfield Hills does “very, very indepth background investigations on all applicants. Before I was chief, I did many of them.”

Clason and many other chiefs say a good background investigation may take a month to do a thorough job.

Social media, and an applicant’s use, is a tool that departments use to the extent they are permitted. “If they (an applicant) has privacy settings, we can’t access them without a search warrant,” Clason explained. “But we always ask for consent. If they don’t give it, it sends up a red flag. It’s a way to reach people.”

“We ask, and they can refuse that, but we’ve not had anyone refuse,” said Bloomfield Township Police Chief Scott McCanham. “If you’ve got nothing to hide, why refuse to show them?”

“When you decide you want to be a cop, it didn’t start at 18. You have to live and act like it going back. There’s nothing against drinking, it just has to be in good taste. We’re very critical of police officers because it’s a 25- to 30-year commitment,” Clason said. “We’ve already passed on multiple candidates because of any kinds of social media posts that were not in ethical taste for a Bloomfield Hills public safety officer.”

Y

et, Clason has a soft spot for officers already on his force, noting, “Cops are human, too – they make mistakes, and if we can help them through a rehab or another situation, we do.”

He was referring to Officer Richard Matott Jr., son of a former chief in Bloomfield Hills, who was suspended for 144 hours (3.5 weeks) without pay for conduct unbecoming an officer and excessive use of alcohol following an off-duty arrest in October 2012 in Shelby Township, where he was found passed out in an intersection with a loaded gun in his lap. Matott remains on the force.

“Cops are held to a higher standard and they’re never off-duty,” Clason acknowledged.

“We’re definitely one of the departments that invests in doing thorough background checks,” said Troy Public Information Officer Megan Lehman. She said the packet that has to be filled out is at least 25 pages long, with all previous employers, social contacts and credit history.

“We’re out talking to your neighbors, not just at your current resident, but at all your former residences, including in the towns you went to college,” she said. “We go to towns out of state.

For people who apply from departments out of state, we use multiple sources and talk to numerous people, and even fly to the cities to check them out.”

“The key to prevent this is on the hiring department. We ask not just the command structure, but we try to talk to the rank and file

to get a full picture (of the applicant’s previous job experience),” said Rochester Police Chief Steve Schettenhelm. “If I get a two-word response – if I get, ‘so and so worked from July to June, and that’s all I can say,’ then I need to look forward. Canned answers are a red flag to look further.

“Applicants who can’t explain, can usually explain why they are no longer working at department XYZ,” Schettenhelm said. “It takes us a while to go through the hiring process. It’s an important decision to put someone on the streets of Rochester, so we need to fully vet them.”

In his department, which currently has 22 sworn officers, they have hired both directly from the police academy and experienced officers, looking for the best qualified individuals and mix for the positions. “We recently hired one newbie from the academy, and another from Chicago, who had left law enforcement and wanted to get back in,” Schettenhelm said. “Our background investigator drove to Chicago and talked to people from his last job, other people he knew.

We feel it’s that important to make the effort to drive there and speak to people there, and find out about the person, why the person left, and not just pick up the phone.”

On the other end, he said he has had to let people go, although not for excessive force nor for sexual harassment.

“It can be work performance issues, off-duty activities that reflect poorly on them,” he explained. “We’re looking for behavioral issues that discredit the agencies, with friends and family, perhaps with alcohol and substances that reflect poorly on the agency.”

Schettenhelm said they typically find out, and depending on the situation, attempt to handle it internally.

“We investigate it like any other situation, and try to rectify it like any other. If it doesn’t, and we need to terminate (the individual), or if someone feels they need to resign, that being a police officer isn’t the right place for them,” then that takes place.

“The guys who go from place to place to place – we don’t even look at them further,” said Birmingham Police Chief Mark Clemence. He said Birmingham police use EMPCO, a Troybased company that specializes in testing services for public safety and municipal government services, to do preliminary background checks, and “then we hire their list.

We do a thorough investigation of anyone who we’re considering hiring. If there’s any history that would make us question them, we do an even more thorough investigation.

“If we hire someone and they go through the field training officer program, we would not keep someone who doesn’t meet our standards of what a Birmingham officer is, and we let them go,” Clemence continued. He said he has not had to let someone go for excessive force issues or disciplinary actions, although he has had people leave the department.

“As long as they bring a legal, written brief, I let them see their entire employee file, which may include disciplinary actions,” he said.

“We’re a transparent, government agency.”

Bloomfield Township’s Chief McCanham said, “If we get somebody in our hiring process and there’s any indication of a red flag, they’ll go through the ringer even more closely. If they lie on our applications, it’s immediate grounds for dismissal. It’s best to be more straight up and tell us, ‘I was dismissed for X,’ – ‘I didn’t

understand this procedure and was dismissed,’ – ‘I couldn’t get along with XXX,’ or ‘My philosophy didn’t vibe with their philosophy.’ In this administration, we’re very knowledgeable, and we’ve seen everything.”

M

cCanham said they hire applicants with both prior law enforcement experience and people with no prior experience.

“We’re very confident in our training program.

We’re confident we can train them,” he said.

“We have let some people go, because our training process is very rigorous, with a very demanding orientation. And we’ve let some people go that haven’t been able to make it and they’ve gone on to have successful careers at other agencies. Sometimes it’s a maturation process, a learning curve. We tell others, ‘they’re a good kid, but the pace here was too much.’ It can be a multitude of things.

“Conversely, if we get an applicant who says, ‘I didn’t make it through their training program,’ we’ll ask, where do you see yourself now? What have you learned from your termination?’ And they may be ready for it now, and they may work out. But the headliner officers are not even going to get a seat at the table with us.”

When Bloomfield Township has had to dismiss officers, “it’s been for attitude, violation of policies, use of force, and emergency vehicle operations,” McCanham revealed. “We’ve had those situations. We’re forthright when they go on to another job.”

Bouchard is a little less sanguine.

“There have been a couple of situations where we felt deputies used excessive force, and we terminated them,” he said. “An arbitrator said, ‘Well, they’ve had such stellar careers, they didn’t really use that much excessive force,’ and we’ve had to take them back. But I won’t redeputize them – put them back on the streets.

I put them on desk jobs. It’s a no-brainer to me.

If they’ve used excessive force, why would you ever want to hire that person?

“I know for a fact we’ve terminated deputies that have been hired by other agencies without checking on references,” Bouchard continued, including one was for sexual harassment. “We terminated one deputy for sexual harassment, and he was hired by a smaller agency, and I know for a fact that they didn’t contact us for a reference.

“Drugs, alcohol abuse, excessive force – whatever the reason someone has been terminated – their work history should be checked, or the new agency is the one responsible,” Bouchard emphasized.

“I think it’s getting better,” he said cautiously.

“People are a little more aware of things going on in the world. But the ways to improve your agency is through hiring and doing the right thing.”

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Shari Barnett or most people auto show season is about the cars. Not for Shari Barnett though.

Barnett – the Director of Creative Services at Productions Plus – The Talent Shop – is much more focused on the clothes she helps select for the product specialists than anything with four-wheels.

Each auto show season, Barnett and her team work with 19 original equipment manufacturers to wardrobe about 700 people. Yes, 700, keeping Barnett much busier than she thought she would be when she accepted the job.

“I thought, ‘Oh, this is easy. You do the wardrobe to get them started for the season and you kind of go from there,’” she said. “I was planning on getting my masters at the same time while I was working and 13 years later, here I am and much too busy to be getting a masters and work.”

Her team starts each auto show season well in advance, researching the brands they are working with, the fashion trends coming out, and putting together lots of presentations. Barnett said they do everything from costume wardrobe to pulling off the rack to made-to-measure for their clients. She loves being able to source locally whenever she can, and watching Detroit’s fashion scene grow, making mention of Detroit Denim.

She’s also a fan of designers who are closer to her Bloomfield Township home, like Birmingham jewelry designer Beth North.

“She’s local and she’s creative and she’s different,” Barnett said.

“She’s kind of like a go-to person, she does great stuff.”

While Barnett works often with Michigan designers now she hasn’t always been local.

Prior to working for Productions Plus, the Michigan native was in New York, where she attended the Parsons School of Design – which has

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alumni like Marc Jacobs, Donna Karen, and Isaac Mizrahi.

“It was the best school around so there was no question that that’s where I really wanted to be,” she said, referring to it as the ‘Harvard of fashion schools.’

After graduating from Parsons, Barnett went on to work designing women’s wear for Donna Karen – who Barnett gushed about – and sportswear for a few different companies. But Barnett said the job she misses the most was designing childrens wear for Kmart, which was simply super fun.

Living in New York not only influenced Barnett’s career but her own wardrobe, which she described as “classic with a twist” and has a lot of black. And yes, she knows how cliche that sounds.

“I really like classic, really well-made clothes,” said Barnett, who has been interested in fashion since childhood. “And then I get really interested in just one really spectacular detail. Or amazing fabric with great texture.”

Barnett wishes more American women would invest in a few welltailored garments where the inside of the garment is almost as impressive as the outside. She also thinks everyone needs an amazingly, well-constructed jacket – which all starts in a really good fit in the shoulder, draping nicely from there – and one great-fitting pant that can go with everything. She suggested a slim-fit pant.

Current fashion trends she could do without? The new athleisure with brightly-colored or printed body-skimming knits and color-blocked body suits worn for everyday or worse yet, casual office attire.

“I love the comfort of knits, but leave the printed leggings for the gym,” Barnett said.

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Photo: Laurie Tennent

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MUNICIPAL City entertainment rules reconsidered

By Lisa Brody

Several years after live entertainment and DJs at some Birmingham establishments led to fights, brawls, and even stabbings and shootings, Birmingham city commissioners are working on how to permit low key entertainment at restaurants while maintaining safety and control.

At their commission meeting on Monday, December 11, two local restaurants, The Bird and The Bread and 220, came before commissioners for special land use permit amendments and final site plan approvals, both of which included allowing DJs and live music in their restaurants. Currently, a city ordinance prohibits disc jockeys after 7 p.m. when an applicant comes for a special land use permit amendment.

It does not apply to establishments that currently have a special land use permit.

The Bird and The Bread came before commission to request a name and concept change, to Vinotecca, which would be a wine bar serving sophisticated European foods, in the form of small plates and tapas, similar to the owner’s restaurant in Ann Arbor, Vinology, and their former establishment Vinotecca in Royal Oak. The Elm Room, a banquet facility in the rear, would remain the same.

Owner Kristen Jonna had also requested, from the planning board, to enclose their outdoor dining patio in Eisenglass, a plastic that some restaurants have used to extend their outdoor seasons year round, but Birmingham Planning Director Jana Ecker said the planning board did not approve it, even for a request when a hotel will be built next to the restaurant.

“The planning board suggested something more permanent, like Nano-Walls, but they didn’t want it,” Ecker said. “They said something about costs.”

A concern arose because Jonna would like to offer low-key entertainment, in the form of blues and jazz, with DJs and trios, on some nights, as well as having entertainment in the private banquet room.

“I don’t think it (the ordinance) should apply to us because we have downtownpublications.com

Museum seeking personal stories he Birmingham Museum is looking to help celebrate Birmingham’s 200th anniversary with an exhibition that features stories crowdsourced about the people of Birmingham, past and present.

In 2018, Birmingham will celebrate the 200th anniversary of its founding, when settler Elijah Willits first claimed his land parcel in what is now downtown Birmingham. The city has grown over the years, in a variety of unique and different ways, creating a dynamic, neighborhoodoriented city.

“This will be an exhibition ‘of the people by the people,’ said Birmingham museum director Leslie Pielack. “We want everyone, from students to seniors, to get in on this opportunity and share a story about someone from Birmingham who has made a lasting impression on them.”

Submissions can be about anyone from the present or the past.

Perhaps there is a friend or family member, an ancestor, a neighbor, a famous person or someone less well known that would be wonderful to have shared with the community. Pielack said the material gathered will be used to create a panel display that will be placed in the museum and online.

Similar to archival initiatives such as National Public Radio’s Storycorps, the museum is primarily interested in the story and why the person is memorable, not exact facts. The museum will use the submitter’s own words when possible. And, says Pielack, “We will be able to add the material to our permanent archives, which will help us preserve this important information about Birmingham and its people.”

The museum has created an online form as well as hard copy for public submissions of approximately 200 words, including options for uploading digital photos. Deadlines of December 31, 2017, and March 31, 2018 are available for submissions for the exhibit, which will run throughout 2018. Photos or artifacts contributed by the public are especially welcome and will be displayed with the story panels.

T

an event room,” Jonna said to commissioners. “It would be crippling, severely impacting business. It’s also pretty limiting on the front of the house. Not all DJ music is bad – not all brings the wrong crowd. We want to be safe – and it’s also not current. It also puts me at a disadvantage versus those who have entertainment.”

Ecker said that Zaid Elia, owner of 220 on E. Merrill Street, was looking to add a lower level as an extension to their restaurant, in the former location of Edison, with food and beverage service with the same menu as the main restaurant, low key entertainment, and a separate entrance. “Sometimes it will be open to the public, and sometimes it will be open for private events,” Ecker said, noting the main space has 170 seats, the lower level would offer 86 seats, although primarily loungestyle, with couches and just three tables. Access to the lower level would be through a separate side door entrance.

Elia said he would be bringing back what had existed previously, only better, with full food service.

He said entertainment, whether with a DJ or live entertainment, was crucial to compete with downtown Detroit establishments, Royal Oak, Ferndale, Rochester and other destination restaurants.

“When you build an establishment, what is your DNA? You create a concept, you get a demographic and create an entertainment zone, not to be the same as every other but to create an atmosphere. It’s our job to create the experience,” Zaid said. “There’s a lot of things to do to stop the problem if we do our job. We have enforcement, undercover people. We’re proactive in diffusing a situation. That’s why we’ve had zero incidents at 220. We own Parc downtown, we’re building the Kingsley (hotel in Bloomfield Hills). It’s all how we build the atmosphere. We have a major multimillion dollar investment.”

Commissioners recognized that a 7

DOWNTOWN

p.m. stop time for entertainment would essentially mean no evening entertainment, and debated the difference between public and private functions, and if there should be different ending times after city manager Joe Valentine pointed out that they could allow later ending times and if there were violations, then a public hearing could be held, as well as the ability to not approve renewing their liquor license.

“We have to decide if we want to have a division of time,” mayor pro tem Patty Bordman said.

“Most of our problems were postmidnight, the shootings, the stabbings,” commissioner Mark Nickita said. “I think we carefully consider the SLUP and put in all the details so we can monitor it.”

Several commissioners were comfortable with a midnight stop for entertainment, with a later time, possibly such as 1 a.m for private events.

Both public hearings, with unanimous support, were tabled until January to allow for attorney Kelly Allen, representing Elia, as well as many other restaurants, to work with city attorney Tim Currier, to craft ordinance language modifying ending times for entertainment for special land use permit amendments, and for penalties.

Retired firefighters sue over benefits

By Lisa Brody

A group of Bloomfield Township retirees, upset about a change to their health care benefits, sued Bloomfield Township on the basis that it violated their collective bargaining agreement promising lifetime benefits at a certain level.

Attorney Heather Cummings, of Cummings & Cummings Law Group PLLC in Royal Oak, represented retired township firefighters Steve Kuzmanovich, Jeffrey Callahan, Gary Treuter, Rick Foreman, James Raetzke, Robert Bartley and Karen Koval, in Oakland County Circuit Court in front of Judge Daniel O’Brien against Bloomfield Township, on Wednesday, November 29, for oral arguments. John Clark of Giarmarco, Mullins & Horton PC of Troy represented the township.

In March 2017, long-term retirees in Bloomfield Township were notified of changes to their health care 59

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benefits to match the health care policy current employees and retirees since 2011 receive. At a board of trustees meeting, township supervisor Leo Savoie explained that the township held an open meeting for all retirees and their families, that it is part of a health savings account, a tax-advantaged medical savings account that may have a higher deductible. He said the township promised them health care benefits, but that to be fiscally responsible to all taxpayers, some changes had to be made.

Savoie said that as more employees retiree, “there is a tsunami of health care changes coming,” including at the state level, with the governor creating a tax force to look into it. “There’s a good chance legislation is coming back, where both employees and retirees will have to pay 20 percent of their health care.”

In Bloomfield Township, the changes made have allowed them to put aside millions of dollars into the Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association (VEBA) account. “We will continue to be a pay as you go account, and continue to put aside funds, so 30 to 40 years from now, we’ll have $30 to $40 million in VEBA. At no time will retiree health care be less than (what it is) for active employees,” Savoie said. “At the end of the day, HRA health care is a good plan.”

“The change to that retiree health care plan is just that – a change,” noted clerk Jan Roncelli at the March meeting. “You need to give it a chance to see how it works. It allows us to sustain the legacy for lifetime to retirees. The cost for a family is almost double what the cost was – and that’s $160,000 a year to the township.”

“Our relationship with employees and retirees is sacrosanct,” treasurer Brian Kepes said at the time. “But $160,000 a year for six or seven years – that’s $1 million that’s being put into a savings account for retirees. It will only grow to make sure commitment will be honored. I think it’s the right thing to do, and it’s something we have to do. We’re taking the savings and putting it right back into the VEBA plan.”

However, some retirees were angry at the changes, feeling they were being short-changed from their promised benefits.

“They forced these guys into an downtownpublications.com

HRA plan in violation of their collective bargaining agreement,” Cummings said.

In her filing, Cummings said that “CBAs...guarantee a vested right to lifetime healthcare benefits to all union members who are eligible for a pension and their surviving spouses.

Specifically, retirees are entitled to the same healthcare benefits in force at their retirement. In other words, when a firefighter retires, she continues receiving the healthcare benefits she was receiving while an active employee in the township.”

Clark is seeking summary disposition of the suit, stating in his defense motion that the plaintiffs’ position is “contrary to the language of CBAs and state law.

The hearing on the motion to dismiss will be held sometime in late January or early February.

Township approves water asset plan Bloomfield Township trustees unanimously approved a new water asset management plan that outlines the inventory, level of services and revenue structure, at their meeting on Monday, November 27.

Township engineering and environmental services director Olivia Olsztyn-Budry explained that the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) now requires an asset management plan (AMP) to be completed by every municipality with public water supply systems serving more than 1,000 by January 1, 2018, as part of the Safe Drinking Water Act. “The MDEQ's intent of requiring the asset management plan is to ensure the long-term sustainability of the public water supply systems by mandating a long-term capital improvement plan and funding strategy. The township, being proactive, has had this plan in place since 2005. However, Bloomfield Township, including other communities, is now being required to provide an asset management to the MDEQ and meeting their components within the plan,” Olsztyn-Budry said in a memo.

Water asset management plans are required to include five components: asset inventory; level of service; critical assets; revenue structure; and capital improvement project plan, which the township created in 2005. She said that various

township departments have worked with Hubbell, Roth & Clark over the last year to complete all aspects of the plan, and the recommendation is that no action is needed at this time.

The major assets included in the plan include one booster pumping station; a one-million gallon ground storage reservoir; 11 pressure reducing valve pits; a supervisory control acquisition system; 328 miles of six to 24-inch water mains; 2,985 hydrants; and 3,356 valves. The capital improvement plan detailed five and 20-year replacement plans.

Hubbell, Roth & Clark, which helped the township prepare their report, wrote, “Bloomfield Township works to ensure that all compliance and water quality issues are met.

This includes meeting all state and federal regulations for drinking water quality, assuring that there is adequately trained staff to operate the system. The annual drinking water quality report outlines the results of the water system testing.

“Bloomfield Township has developed a comprehensive emergency response plan in order to assure that customer service disruptions on the water system are minimized. DPW and township staff will continue to work with residents when water service interruptions are necessary. Bloomfield Township will continue to update and improve notification processes to residents as communication techniques evolve.

The township strives to minimize interruptions in service to the maximum extent possible.”

Trustees unanimously approved the water asset management plan.

Manager now owner of Rojo, Sidecar Stephan Simon, the general manager of the Birmingham location of Rojo Mexican Bistro and adjacent restaurant Sidecar, was unanimously approved for an ownership change at the Birmingham city commission meeting on Monday, December 4.

Commissioners approved a resolution approving the special land use permit amendment and final site plan to allow for the sale of Rojo and Sidecar, which offers gourmet sliders, located at 250 and 280 E. Merrill in Birmingham, from Rojo Five, LLC to Sidecar Birmingham LLC, by a vote of 6-0, with commissioner Stuart Sherman recusing himself.

Planning director Jana Ecker

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explained there were no planned changes to the name, site or design of the two restaurants, and that it was simply an ownership change, which by Birmingham ordinance, must come before the commission for approval.

Rojo, which once had four locations in metro Detroit, has been in bankruptcy proceedings. The Rochester and Sterling Heights locations have closed; with the sale of Birmingham, only Novi will remain with the former ownership group.

Simon told commissioners he has been with Rojo since its inception about 10 years ago, and general manager in Birmingham for the last four years; he has been with Sidecar for two years, since its inception, he said.

“The Birmingham location has been doing good, not great,” Simon said.

“Sidecar has helped, making it profitable. I’m not looking to make changes, just some menu additions.”

Preliminary budget for 2018-19 introduced Bloomfield Township Supervisor Leo Savoie introduced a preliminary fiscal year 2018-2019 budget for trustees to begin reviewing at the board of trustees meeting on Monday, November 27.

The fiscal year begins April 1, 2018, and ends March 31, 2019.

The proposed budget is $45.2 million, up from $43.6 million for fiscal year 2017-2018. The general fund expenditures are preliminarily at $10.7 million, up from $10.2 million; public safety, at $28 million, up from $27.4 million; the road fund, $4.5 million, up from $4.4 million; and capital expenditures, $2 million, up from $1.2 million.

Anticipated revenues are $33.3 million from property taxes, an increase from $32.4 million in fiscal year 2017-2018; state revenue sharing, at $3.5 million, up from $3.2 million; investment income, $400,000, up from $300,000; and other sources of revenue, expected to be about $7.4 million, about the same as the current year.

Savoie said that water and sewer costs and revenue were not included in this draft of the budget because the Oakland County Water Resources Commission and Southeast Oakland County Water Authority (SOCWA) would not have their numbers until February.

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FRANKLIN VILLAGE 32860 Whatley Road | $999,000

BIRMINGHAM 679 Shepardbush | $999,000

FRANKLIN VILLAGE 26380 Willowgreen Drive | $995,000

Nanci J. Rands and Meredith Colburn

SOLD BLOOMFIELD TWP Island Lane | $2,800,000 BLOOMFIELD HILLS 3645 Lahser Road | $1,999,000

BINGHAM FARMS 32135 Bingham Road | $849,000 FARMINGTON HILLS 28119 Danvers Drive | $799,900

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP 4376 Barchester Drive | $699,000 WEST BLOOMFIELD TWP 4260 Southmoor Lane | $499,999 BIRMINGHAM 411 S. Old Woodward Ave. | $359,000

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FRANKLIN VILLAGE 32965 Franklin Court | $599,000 LD

WEST BLOOMFIELD 4275 Wendell Road | $350,000

SOLD

BIRMINGHAM 558 W. Lincoln Street | $885,000

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CITY OF BLOOMFIELD HILLS 612 Bennington Drive | $675,000

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BLOOMFIELD HILLS 632 Yarboro Drive | $750,000

CITY OF BLOOMFIELD HILLS BLOOMFIELD TWP 4044 Willoway Place Drive | $399,500 5131 Woodlands Drive | $399,000

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BLOOMFIELD VILLAGE 760 N. Glengarry Road | $844,000

WEST BLOOMFIELD 5720 Eastman Boulevard | $899,000 LD

BIRMINGHAM 341 W. Brown Street | $975,000

METAMORA 3211 Wilder Road | $995,000

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a few of our 2017sales

BIRMINGHAM 600 W. Brown Street | $273,900

SOLD

BINGHAM FARMS 30405 Oakview Way | $349,000 BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP 4104 Golf Ridge Drive | $315,000 BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP 5572 N. Adams Way | $299,900 BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP 1938 Bradford Road | $285,000

FRANKLIN BLOOMFIELD VILLAGE 32487 Scottsdale Road | $849,000 3380 Morningview Terrace | $1,165,000 Timeless estate with premier location on Coventry Lake.

Classic Colonial with updated façade & superb “down to the Artisan carpentry, quality craftsmanship & panoramic views. studs” 2005 renovation & additions. Spacious L-shaped family Grand 2-story entry. Stunning great room with 16.5’ ceiling & room overlooking lawn & gardens. Well-appointed island entertainer’s bar. 1st floor master wing. Finished walkout LL. kitchen. Luxurious master suite. Finished egress LL.

SYLVAN LAKE 2714 Island Court | $1,425,000 Exquisite lakefront contemporary. Highly sought-after site with 209’ of both lake and canal frontage. Expansive open floor plan. Panoramic water views through walls of glass.

Owner’s suite has 2 full baths. Sleek entertainer’s kitchen.

A Luxury Experience at all prices

Happy New Year!

If you are considering the sale or purchase of a home or property in 2018, let’s discuss how our highly attentive and successful approach will exceed your expectations.

Nanci J. Rands

Meredith Colburn

Associate Broker

Associate Broker

248.701.9000

248.762.5319

BLOOMFIELD | 520 Tall Tree Lane | $839,000 Quality built and designed with sophistication & functionality. Private setting on 3/4 acre site. Fabulous formal & informal spaces with detailed moldings and trim work. Expansive lower level. Bluestone terrace. 3-car garage.

CITY OF BLOOMFIELD HILLS 151 Manorwood Drive | $899,000 Outstanding California contemporary on private, landscaped acre site. An entertainer’s dream! 1st floor master with Travertine bath. Fully finished walkout lower level with theater, bar & rec area. Tons of storage. 3-car garage.

BLOOMFIELD | 4625 Stoneleigh Road | $799,000 Beautifully updated classic home on picturesque site in highly desirable neighborhood.

Fabulous John Morgan kitchen opens to casual dining area with fireplace. Incredible sun porch. Finished lower level. 3-car garage.

BLOOMFIELD FRANKLIN 5330 Woodlands Estates Drive S | $1,698,000 26710 Irving Road | $925,000 Tobocman gem in park-like setting! Travertine floors & Stunning 2016 renovation blends the charm of the original st skylights. Fabulous living room & dining room. 1 floor with phenomenal new design. Private .83 acre site with pond & fountain. New, white kitchen. Expansive master suite with master suite. Walkout LL with theatre, family room, marble bath. Finished LL. 3.5-car garage. fitness, bedroom & 2 baths. Gilbert Lake privileges.

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248-421-2670 nancykarasrealty@gmail.com 4130 Telegraph Road / Bloomfield Hills / MI 48302 / www.nancykaras.maxbroock.com

May the peace and joy of the holiday season be with you throughout the New Year!

Results with First Class Service s iew V t se

"Having Nancy list your home is like having a best friend who's an expert in real estate."

– Past Client

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Presented by Nancy Karas and Rebecca Gulyas Pine Lakefront West Bloomfield w/ Bloomfield Hills Schools | $2,795,000

2010 REBUILD & RENOVATION! Panoramic sunset views, 100’ of sandy waterfront on ALL-SPORTS Lake with crystal clear water! Quiet, private cul-de-sac setting. 4-5 Bedrms. 5.1 Baths. 4,986 SF plus 1,746 in finished walkout, perfect for in-law suite with kitchenette. Architect Willoughby & Templeton Built with dramatic vaulted ceilings, stone and exotic hardwood floors, 3 terraces, Chef’s Kitchen, ADT Smart Home, custom features throughout. High-end everything. Extra tall and deep garage could accommodate a tandem-placed vehicle or hydraulic lifts. Bloomfield Hills schools.

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Offering More Than Traditional Market Analysis: • Staging Consultation • Do's & Don'ts Before Selling • Vetted List of Contractors, Handymen, Painters, etc.

• Options for Your Next Home with Comps & Counsel • Professional Photography & Marketing

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Lower Long Lakefront

Quarton Lake Estates

Bloomfield | $1,395,000

Birmingham | $1,399,000

Magnificent lake views and access to Forest Lake and All-Sports Upper Long Lake.

4 bedrooms including a huge master suite with exercise room. Built in 1953 and expanded and remodeled in 1991. Hardwood floors in great Room with vaulted ceiling and fireplace. Drive-under 2 car garage, plus tandem space for 3rd vehicle, boat or storage. Massive deck across the back and large dock. Cul-de-sac location for quiet and privacy. Bloomfield Hills Schools.

2 HOMES FOR PRICE OF 1 ON .8 ACRE! Charming with every modern convenience in this tastefully updated French Colonial & Carriage House, to enjoy income of $16,000+ and tax write offs from rental or use for in-laws. Privacy, lush landscaping, terraces, circular drives. High-end kitchen reno w/ 2 refrigerators, open to family room. Hardwood floors, French doors, Ann Sacks tile. Spacious master en suite + 4 more beds & updated baths. 4,134/SF + 1,175/SF carriage house with 2 beds, 1 bath, living rm, laundry (Total 5,309SF) + 162/SF 3 season rm. Birmingham schools.

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Forest Lakefront Bloomfield | $1,299,000 LAKEFRONT, gOLF FRONT, 2012 construction, Das designed, built by Livewell Custom Homes. Tranquil setting, wildlife, great boating, swimming & fishing! 3,135/SF Colonial with 1,000/SF finished in lower level. Open floor plan, quarried stone, 4 bed, 3.5 baths, 1.12 acres, 3 car garage. Economical geo-thermal heating system. Lower Long Lake and AllSports Upper Long Lake access too! Bloomfield Hills Schools!

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Clark / Carroll Island Lakefront

Commerce $529,900 for for 1.67 acre half island with home $239,000 for 1.25 acre vacant, buildable half island 3 ACRE ISLAND – SUNSET VIEWS 2 parcels, one with home, other buildable on ALL SPORTS LAKE! Over the bridge & down the winding road to your island lakefront! Does not get any better than this with breathtaking views and water wrapping all around this beautiful home with idyllic, private setting, sandy beach. Vaulted ceilings, large deck, screened gazebo. Walled Lake Schools. Entry level 5th bedroom.

Spectacular Tobocman Masterpiece in Prestigious Gated Community

Bloomfield | 4823 W. Wickford | $2,999,999

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n architecturally exquisite Tobocman-designed residence in gated Hills of Lone Pine magnificently redesigned in 2017 for today’s living. Open, sophisticated, comfortable and perfect for entertaining. Abundant natural light from new floor-to-ceiling windows and architectural skylight. Serene views of Minnow Lake. Expansive wall space to showcase art. Welcoming grand foyer with center fireplace and seating leading to living room with with fireplace, bar with built-ins and high ceilings. Dining room with surprising walk-in pantry for entertaining accessories. Spacious family/flex room. New Millenium designed kitchen, luxurious 1st floor master suite with large glass shower and bath. Enormous closets with center island and built-in dressers. Travertine floors and 7” European white oak. New stone terraces. Walkout lower level with family room, a new full kitchen, salt water pool, separate changing room, exercise/gym and spa/steam room. New mechanicals, Oversized 3-car heated garage with 15’ x 10’ storage or workshop.

11,151 Total Square Feet | 5 Bedrooms | 5 Full, 3 Half Baths | MLS# 217100939

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Offering the highest

level of customer service and exceptional results for more than 20 years

442 S. Old Woodward Avenue | Birmingham, MI 48009

MUNICIPAL City expands area for development licenses Birmingham city commissioners on Monday, November 20, unanimously approved expanding the use of the economic development liquor license to several more areas in the city, specifically in the city’s Triangle District and Cole Street corridor in the Rail District, to invigorate large-scale development.

The city’s economic development liquor license was created, along with the bistro liquor license, as an economic revitalization tool. While the bistro liquor license is for small establishments of 65 seats or less, the economic development license was created for areas in the city where the level of investment needed is at least $10 million and/or a 500 percent increase in the original property value, whichever the commission views to be more relevant, city attorney Tim Currier explained.

Birmingham Planner Jana Ecker explained to commissioners that expanding the areas where an economic development license could be utilized was originally discussed at the city commission/planning board joint workshop in June, and “the planning board reviewed this on a couple of occasions. It (the license) initially was on big Woodward because we were not seeing investments, and that was deemed necessary,” she explained.

The building at the corner of Maple and Woodward, Greenleaf Trust, was the first to receive an economic development license for what is now The Stand restaurant. Triple Nickel restaurant at the 555 building also received one. Both are on, or back up to, Woodward Avenue.

Later, commissions expanded the area to encompass All Seasons Independent Living on E. Maple Road.

Whole Foods requested an economic development liquor license, but commissioners did not want to consider that area, and they received a 2017 bistro license.

Ecker said that the planning board reviewed several specific properties to assess whether it was an appropriate location for an economic development license, which could help spur development. “It’s for significant development,” she noted. They did not want to consider locations next to or adjacent to residential neighborhoods.

“We went a little further into the downtownpublications.com

Residents to give opinions on city logo

By Lisa Brody

citywide survey in January 2018 to determine what elements of a city logo residents and business people like or don’t like was approved by the Birmingham City Commission Monday, November 20, after city commissioners took no action last July on five logo designs presented by Birmingham ad agency McCann Detroit.

Joellen Haines, assistant to city manager Joe Valentine, explained to commissioners at their July 24 meeting that the goal of a rebranding initiative, which McCann Detroit and the ad hoc brand development committee (BBDC) started, was to establish a new brand through a new logo that communicated the city’s image in a positive, evolving and refreshing way. She said McCann was chosen to create a logo to represent Birmingham “today, and where it is going.”

However, commissioners felt the logos presented were a “work in progress,” which needed to be refined. One design element, an icon of the Marshall Fredericks sculpture located in Shain Park, with Birmingham: A Walkable City, in classic typeface, was preferred by the agency and the ad hoc committee, but the commission felt no one could identify it. Others were deemed too generic.

The current city logo features a tree.

On November 20, Haines said the idea was to move the city logo initiative forward by having a citywide survey done to include the five previous logos “as well as a two new ones with a tree logo and one including our existing logo, but not identifying it as such.”

She said the survey is designed to gather feedback as well as design elements. “It could be designs, but it could be fonts,” she said. “We asked very definitive questions, and we left areas for comments. We’re looking for cold hard facts.”

She said they will reach people through their monthly online newsletter, Facebook page, Around Town email blast, through neighborhood associations, and after mayor Andy Harris suggested it, at Baldwin Library.

It will be done during a three-week period, which people can respond to via their computers or mobile devices.

After the survey is completed, Haines said the committee will gather the data, summarize it, and present it to the commission who can then determine if there is enough to go on for a preferred logo, or to make minor alterations.

It was determined that the survey will be run roughly January 1 – 21, 2018.

Commissioners agreed, voting 6-0, with commissioner Mark Nickita not in attendance, to approve the survey.

A

Triangle District, but we didn’t include the (former) Bakers Square site, because it abuts residential,” she said.

“We looked at the Rail District, and focused on the Cole Street corridor, including the north side of Lincoln, that doesn’t abut residential, and we added the site at the southwest corner of Quarton and Woodward, which has been sitting vacant for years and years.

There was not consensus among the planning board members on this property – some felt it was a little too isolated.”

“I do think the economic development license is a good tool and a good incentive, but I have concerns about it being used so close to residential,” said commissioner

Rackeline Hoff. “It was designed for the downtown area, wasn’t it Jana?”

“No, it was meant as a development tool,” Ecker responded.

“The commission has the final say.

Just because it can be done doesn’t mean we have to use it,” commissioner Stuart Sherman pointed out.

Commissioners approved the expansion of the economic development license by a vote of 6-0, with Mark Nickita not in attendance.

Tide Dry Cleaners proposal approved A final site plan proposal and special land use permit to allow

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patrons to be serviced in their vehicles at Tide Dry Cleaners on Woodward at a new strip center currently under construction was unanimously approved by Birmingham city commissioners at their meeting on Monday, December 4.

Birmingham Planning Director Jana Ecker said the site of the new dry cleaners is on the site of the former Tuffy garage, and the zoning ordinance does allow for a dry cleaner. She said the building under construction, located at 33353 Woodward Avenue, is owned by Barbat Holdings, and will be a mixed use building. Tide Dry Cleaners will be at the northern most location of the building with four dedicated parking spaces.

“They are asking to provide a service to patrons in their vehicles called ‘valet service’ – it’s where a customer service representative comes out to the car,” Ecker said, and picks up and drops off the patrons’ cleaning.

A canopy shelter attached to the building, a requirement from the city’s planning board, was designed to go over two of the four parking spaces.

Ecker said the planning board considered it a drive thru because a representative would come out to cars.

“This is not a drive-thru, this is a drive-in,” noted commissioner Pierre Boutros.

Shannon Marklin, a real estate representative from Tide, said other stores are in both urban and suburban areas, with 60 locations across the country. This would be the first location in Michigan, she said, although they have a signed lease in Shelby Township.

“We have done studies, and our transaction time is between 30 seconds and 2 minutes. We typically service two cars at a time,” Marklin said, to questions from commissioners concerned about the effect on the adjacent neighborhood.

“The concern I have is the canopy design is inadequate...there’s no documentation here...in a word, it is incomplete,” said commissioner Mark Nickita.

“If the canopy is approved, we would provide sealed drawings from an architect. We think it’s a huge improvement over what was there in the past, the automotive use,” said owner Duane Barbat. “It’s not really a drive-thru. It’s just covered parking spots where attendants will come out and service them.”

Marklin said that Tide Dry Cleaners smells like Tide detergent. “It’s 67

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environmentally safe. It’s completely green. We don’t perk like the older dry cleaners,” she said.

“This sounds like a great plan, but I’m still concerned. I read it’s a 24/7 operation,” said mayor pro tem Patty Bordman.

“The 24/7 access is at the front of the building at a kiosk, after hours or before hours,” explained Marklin. “If your credit card is on file, you can swipe your card and retrieve your clothes. In the back, there is a drop box, as well as on Woodward.”

“This is my neighborhood. We don’t have a record of there being a problem of people cutting through the neighborhood,” Nickita said, noting higher volume tenants on Woodward, such as the Original House of Pancakes. “If it does, we could address it then. I don’t really see the precedent.”

Commissioners voted 7-0 to approve.

Eton Road redesign okayed to go forward As part of the multi-modal transportation process of evaluating and redesigning streets in the city of Birmingham for all kinds of users, at their meeting on Monday, December 4, city commissioners approved the recommendations of the Birmingham multi-modal transportation board for S. Eton Road from Maple to Fourteen Mile roads for pedestrian, bicycle and parking improvements, as well as to seek federal government funding to implement it.

Birmingham City Engineer Paul O’Meara presented commissioners with a plan for the complete mile, which would begin with the intersection of Maple and Yosemite Boulevard. O’Meara said it was recommended to relocate the west curb for the entire block three feet closer to the center of the road, which would allow the west side of the sidewalk to be eight-feet-wide. An enhanced, larger sidewalk ramp would be installed at the southeast corner of Maple; and arrows in both directions of the existing travel lanes would be painted to direct traffic and cyclists.

At Yosemite and Villa, he said the board recommended relocating the curbs on both sides of the street to create a two-lane street for Eton with 15-foot travel lanes, a four-foot parkway between new eight-foot sidewalks and a new curb, and new trees. Parking would be removed from downtownpublications.com

both sides of the street in that area.

Between Villa and Lincoln, parking would remain just on the east side of the street, with an eight-and-a-half foot wide bidirectional lane and buffer with raised and painted marker added to the east side of the street. He said curbed bump-outs at marked crosswalks on the east side of the streets would be added at the intersections of Eton and Villa, Hazel, Palmer Court, Bowers, Holland, Webster, Cole and Lincoln.

Green marked bicycle crossings would be installed on the western side on the intersections of Eton and Villa, Hazel, Bowers, Haynes, Holland, Webster, Cole and Lincoln.

South of Lincoln to Fourteen Mile Road, where it is primarily residential, eight-foot bidirectional bike lanes would be added on the west side of Eton, as well as an eight-foot wide onstreet parking lane on the west side of the street to permit 24-hour parking. To slow traffic, a double yellow centerline would create two 10-foot wide travel lines for cars. Curb bump-outs and crosswalks would be installed at the intersections of Melton, Humphrey, Sheffied and Bradford, and green marked bicycle crossings would be installed at the intersections of Lincoln, Melton, Humphrey, Sheffield and Bradford.

“Not only do bump-outs narrow the streets, it slows the traffic down,” explained city planning director Jana Ecker.

“I know it’s a large undertaking. It’s about $1.6 million worth of work if all of it is undertaken,” O’Meara said.

He informed commissioners that a TAP (transportation alternatives program) grant, from the state and federal government, could be applied for in March. “We have been successful in applying for it at Oak and Woodward,” he said.

Overall, commissioners were supportive of the proposal, especially with the bike lanes.

“There have been a lot of questions about the crosswalks, slowing the traffic as the Rail District has grown,” said commissioner Mark Nickita.

“While there are different ways to approach it, this does address a lot of the ones brought up in the last couple of years. Here, with bike lanes, I believe if if you build them, they will come. I’ve seen it in every city I’ve studied. I’m in favor of the general concept.”

Commissioners approved the plan in concept, 6-1, with commissioner Rackeline Hoff voting against.

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Investment policy changes approved

By Lisa Brody

Birmingham city commissioners approved a recommendation at their meeting on Monday, December 4, from the city’s finance director, Mark Gerber, to have the city’s investment advisor, Insight Investment, recommend and sign off on the city’s short-term investments.

Gerber explained that the last time the city’s investment policy had been reviewed was October 2011. “It’s always a good thing to review how we’re investing,” he said, as he introduced an investment advisor from Insight Investment, a privatelyowned international asset management holding company that provides services to private investors, pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, insurance groups, local government, charities, and other financial institutions.

“More and more we’re finding dealers are hesitant to sign off on our

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investments. We’d like to have Insight sign off for us instead of the dealers, to allow the city to use more investors and dealers, and to look at much larger investments and different types of investments than the city has been investing in and provide better yields to the city,” Gerber told commissioners.

“What we’re dealing with are investments of shorter duration, those that are three to five years,” he explained.

“It says here that the investment committee is not longer in existence,” commissioner Rackeline Hoff said.

“We found the committee was a duplicate of the work Insight was doing here,” Gerber responded.

“How long ago was the committee disbanded?” Hoff asked.

“About seven or eight years ago,” city manager Joe Valentine said.

The representative from Insight said that they are not broker/dealers, but have a special list of broker/dealers inside Insight that they recommend to their clients.

Mayor Andy Harris asked if those

broker/dealers are employed by Insight, and she said, “Oh no. They’re completely separate from us. We don’t benefit from them.”

Gerber said the city pays Insight a fee based on the size of the portfolio.

Commissioners voted 7-0 to approve the investment changes.

Principles of master plan reaffirmed Bloomfield Township trustees unanimously reaffirmed the township’s 2007 master plan during a five-year update presented by planning, building and ordinance director Patti Voelker at their meeting on Monday, December 11.

Voelker informed trustees at the meeting that in 2005, the master plan as an 80-page document was prepared, including maps and illustrations and recommendations for implementation.

“The purpose of the five-year update is to show it’s not forgotten, that references to the master plan are often referred to, and that we’re

DOWNTOWN

staying the course,” Voelker said, noting that the township’s planning commission frequently uses it as a guide. “Since 2007, there have been 10 rezoning requests that have all been done in accordance with the masterplan.”

She noted that various commercial development in the township, which has significantly increased in recent years with the improvement in the economy, have all sustained master plan recommendations.

“For example, in 2007, we had a development we referred to as ‘Bloomfield Park.’ Now, it’s been acquired and renamed as the Village of Bloomfield by Redico, and it’s 25 percent of the former Bloomfield Park.

Redico is following the master plan along with the Joint Development Council,” Voelker pointed out. “The planning commission refers to the master plan whenever there is a plan or developer before them. We go back to the recommendations in the master plan.”

Trustees voted 7-0 in agreement to reaffirm the 2007 master plan.

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BUSINESS MATTERS Custom tailor expansion Ali Cheaib – otherwise known as The Birmingham Tailor, 139 W. Maple Road in Birmingham, is expanding into a new venture, one that is close to his heart.

Cheaib, who is a master tailor and designer by training, is taking over the space across the hall to offer custom men’s tailoring for suits, shirts and coats. “It’s my passion – what I truly do,” Cheaib said. “It’s what I learned in French schools in Lebanon” as a youth, before emigrating to the United States.

He said he and his staff of tailors decided to expand into custom men’s clothing after repeated requests from long-time customers, many of whom are high-profile people. “We were recommending our customers to other people and companies, and they were being taken advantage of. The prices they were being charged were astronomical – really being ripped off.

We will be doing comparative pricing with superior styling, similar in quality to Brioni, Ermenegildo Zenga, Tom Ford and Loro Piana. We will be using only high-end fabrics, all from Italy.” He anticipates strong support from the community he has made his business and home for the last 18 years. “I’m a tailor, and I know how to make it perfect,” Cheaib said. Construction begins in January, with orders beginning soon.

Bloomfield Art Van The former Hillside Furniture store, 2300 S. Telegraph in Bloomfield Township, is now an Art Van Furniture store, offering home furnishing shoppers everything they need to make their house a home.

Like many of their 176 other locations, the new Bloomfield store is home Art Van Pure Sleep, Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines, La-Z-Boy, Art Van Outlet, and numerous other departments Art Van shoppers love. “We are so excited to be serving guests at our stunning new 45,000 square foot Bloomfield Hills showroom,” said Diane Charles, vice president of corporate communications for Art Van Furniture. “The store is situated right on Telegraph Road, one of the busiest corridors in Oakland County.

Shoppers are really enjoying the convenient location as well as our spectacular selection of trend-setting home furnishings.”

Deli delish Bloomfield Commons, the home of Plum Market and Cafe ML, is getting a new addition with Jersey Bagel & Deli Grill, 3621 W. Maple, in the former Subway location. This will be Jersey Bagel & Deli Grill’s second location, in addition to it’s West Bloomfield spot, although the business originated out of Appleton, Wisconsin. “We offer a variety downtownpublications.com

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of foods that cater to anyone from the sugar lovers to the health conscious,” their website states. “At our deli you can sit and relax with a specialty cup of coffee and freshly baked bagel.”

Offering free WiFi, they are open for breakfast and lunch daily with a wide assortment of bagels, sandwiches, deli meats and breakfast sandwiches.

New barber in town If you like cool haircuts with a vintage vibe, Union Barber, 185 W. Maple Road in Birmingham, is the place to head. Owner Matthew Abraham said their specialty is “haircuts, hot shaves and dirty jokes.

We don’t do color or wax.” This is the second outpost of Union Barber, which opened on December 8, having established themselves in Ferndale in May 2016. “We are an updated, modern barbershop,” Abraham said.

“We want to be a comfortable and friendly place for all ages.” The Birmingham location, formerly La Belle Provence, has been completely renovated and outfitted with 100year-old, vintage barber chairs which Abraham had retrofitted. “They’re all redone, reworked and reupholstered,” he said. The prices have stayed moderate, at the same price point as their shop at 212 W. Nine Mile Road in Ferndale. “We want men to come here, get out in a half-hour, and buy all their grooming products at the same price as the drug store,” said barber Sergio Snyder. Abraham, who also owns Royal Oak’s Rail & Anchor, said, “We try to stick to all U.S., small batch products,” for their line of products, including pomade, mustache wax and beard wash.

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Restaurant closed Mountain King Restaurant, a Birmingham staple at 469 S. Old Woodward, for decades, has closed.

Language office moves Executive Language Services, Inc., a leader in southeastern Michigan in innovative language services and translation services, has moved from 4050 W. Maple Road near Lahser in Bloomfield Township to 1717 S. Telegraph Road between Square Lake and Orchard Lake roads in Bloomfield Township. The business offers document translation services, interpreters and other executive language services.

Business Matters for the Birmingham Bloomfield area are reported by Lisa Brody. Send items for consideration to LisaBrody@downtownpublications.com.

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PLACES TO EAT The Places To Eat for Downtown is a quick reference source to establishments offering a place for dining, either breakfast, lunch or dinner. The listings include nearly all dining establishments with seating in the Birmingham/Bloomfield area, and then some select restaurants outside the immediate area served by Downtown. The complete Places To Eat is available at downtownpublications.com and in an optimized format for your smart phone (downtownpublications.com/mobile), where you can actually map out locations and automatically dial a restaurant from our Places To Eat.

Birmingham/Bloomfield 220: American. Lunch & Dinner, MondaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 220 E. Merrill Street, Birmingham, 48009.

248.646.2220.

5th Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner daily.

No reservations. Liquor. 2262 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48302.

248.481.9607.

Andiamo: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 6676 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48301.

248.865.9300.

Bagger Dave's Legendary Burger Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 6608 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48301.

248.792.3579.

Bangkok Thai Bistro: Thai. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 42805 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Township, 48304.

248.499.6867.

Beau's: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No

reservations. Liquor. 4108 W. Maple, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.626.2630.

Bella Piatti: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor.

167 Townsend Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.494.7110.

Beverly Hills Grill: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Liquor. No reservations. 31471 Southfield Road, Beverly Hills, 48025. 248.642.2355.

Beyond Juice: Contemporary. Breakfast & Lunch daily; Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. 270 West Maple Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.594.7078.

Big Rock Chophouse: American. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations.

Liquor. 245 South Eton Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.647.7774.

Bill's: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, Daily. Reservations, lunch only. Liquor.

39556 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.646.9000.

Birmingham Sushi Cafe: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 377 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009.

248.593.8880.

Bistro Joe’s Kitchen: Global. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Sunday brunch. Liquor.

Reservations. 34244 Woodward Ave., Birmingham, 48009. 248.594.0984.

Bloomfield Deli: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, Monday-Friday. No reservations. 71 W. Long Lake Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48304.

248.645.6879.

Brooklyn Pizza: Pizza. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

No reservations. 111 Henrietta Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.258.6690.

Café ML: New American. Dinner, daily.

Liquor. Call ahead. 3607 W. Maple Road, Bloomfield Township. 248.642.4000.

Cafe Via: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 310 East Maple Avenue, Birmingham, 48009.

248.644.8800.

Cameron’s Steakhouse: American. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 115 Willits Street, Birmingham, 48009.

248.723.1700.

China Village: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. 1655 Opdyke, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.758.1221.

Churchill's Bistro & Cigar Bar: Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 116 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.647.4555.

Cityscape Deli: Deli. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. Beer.

877 W. Long Lake Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.540.7220.

Commonwealth: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 300 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009.

248.792.9766.

Dick O’Dow’s: Irish. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 160 West Maple Avenue, Birmingham, 48009.

248.642.1135.

Eddie Merlot's: Steak & seafood. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 37000 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.712.4095.

Einstein Bros. Bagels: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 4089 West Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301.

248.258.9939.

Elie’s Mediterranean Cuisine: Mediterranean. Lunch & Dinner, MondaySaturday. No reservations. Liquor. 263 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009.

248.647.2420.

Embers Deli & Restaurant: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. Dinner, Monday-Friday. No reservations. 3598 West Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.645.1033.

Flemings Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar: American. Dinner, daily. Reservations.

Liquor. 323 N. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.723.0134.

Forest: European. Dinner, Monday-Saturday.

Reservations. Liquor. 735 Forest Avenue, Birmingham 48009. 248.258.9400.

Four Story Burger: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 290 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009.

248.385.0506.

Greek Island Coney Restaurant: Greek.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 221 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009. 248.646.1222.

Griffin Claw Brewing Company: American.

Dinner, Tuesday-Friday, Lunch & Dinner, Saturday and Sunday. No Reservations.

Liquor. 575 S. Eton Street, Birmingham.

248.712.4050.

Honey Tree Grille: Greek/American.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, daily. No reservations. 3633 W. Maple Rd, Bloomfield, MI 48301. 248.203.9111.

Hunter House Hamburgers: American.

Breakfast, Monday-Saturday; Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 35075 Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009.

248.646.7121.

Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse: American.

Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 201 S. Old Woodward, Birmingham, 48009.

248.594.4369.

IHOP: American. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 2187 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301.

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248.333.7522.

Joe Muer Seafood: Seafood. Lunch & Dinner daily; Sunday brunch. Reservations.

Liquor. 39475 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.792.9609.

Kaku Sushi and Poke': Asian. Lunch & Dinner. Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations.

No Liquor. 869 W. Long Lake Road, Bloomfield Township, 48302.

248.480.4785.

Kerby’s Koney Island: American. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations.

2160 N. Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.333.1166.

Khao San: Thai. Lunch & Dinner, MondayFriday. Carry out only. 355 W. Maple, Birmingham, 48009. 248.480.3525.

La Marsa: Mediterranean. Lunch & Dinner daily. Reservations. 43259 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills, 48302.

248.858.5800.

La Strada Dolci e Caffe: Italian. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 243 E. Merrill Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.480.0492.

Leo’s Coney Island: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations.

154 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.593.9707. Also 6527 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.646.8568.

Little Daddy’s Parthenon: American.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 39500 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.647.3400.

Luxe Bar & Grill: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily; Late Night, 9 p.m.-closing. No reservations. Liquor. 525 N. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham, 48009.

248.792.6051.

Mad Hatter Cafe: Tea Room. Brunch, Lunch & Dinner. No reservations. Liquor. 185 N. Old Woodward, Birmingham, 48009.

248.540.0000 Mandaloun Bistro: Lebanese. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, Daily. Reservations.

Liquor. 30100 Telegraph Rd., Suite 130, Bingham Farms, 48025. 248.723.7960.

Market North End: Mediterranean. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations.

Liquor. 474 N. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.712.4953.

MEX Mexican Bistro & Tequila Bar: Mexican. Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner, daily. Liquor. 6675 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48301.

248.723.0800.

Mitchell’s Fish Market: Seafood. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 117 Willits Street, Birmingham, 48009.

248.646.3663.

Mountain King: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 469 South Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009.

248.644.2913.

Nippon Sushi Bar: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner daily. No reservations. Liquor.

2079 S. Telegraph, Bloomfield Township, 48302. 248.481.9581.º Olga’s Kitchen: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 2075 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302.

248.451.0500.

Original Pancake House: American.

Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 33703 South Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009.

248.642.5775.

Panera Bread: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 100 North Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.203.7966. Also 2125 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302.

248.253.9877.

Phoenicia: Middle Eastern. Lunch, MondayFriday; Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor.

588 South Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.644.3122.

Pita Cafe: Middle Eastern. Lunch & Dinner,

76

daily. No reservations. 239 North Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009.

248.645.6999.

Polpetta Meatball Cafe: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 126 S. Old Woodward, Birmingham, 48009.

248.792.9007.

Qdoba: Mexican. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 795 East Maple Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.988.8941. Also 42967 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Township, 48304. 248.874.1876 Roadside B & G: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 1727 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302.

248.858.7270.

Rojo Mexican Bistro: Mexican. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 250 Merrill Street, Birmingham, 48009.

248.792.6200.

Salvatore Scallopini: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & Wine. 505 North Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.644.8977.

Sidecar Slider Bar: Burgers. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 280 E. Merrill Street, Birmingham 48009.

248.220.4167.

Social Kitchen & Bar: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations, parties of 5 or more. Liquor. 225 E. Maple Road, Birmingham, 48009. 248.594.4200.

Stacked Deli: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, Monday-Saturday. Delivery available. No reservations. 233 North Old Woodward, Birmingham, 48009. 248.593.5300.

Steve’s Deli: Deli. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 6646 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield, 48301.

248.932.0800.

Streetside Seafood: Seafood. Lunch, Monday-Friday; Dinner, daily.

Reservations, Lunch only. Liquor. 273 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009.

248.645.9123.

Sushi Hana: Japanese. Lunch, MondayFriday; Dinner, Monday-Saturday.

Reservations. 42656 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.333.3887.

Sweet Tree Family Restaurant: Middle Eastern/American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 42757 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Township, 48302. 248.481.7767.

Sy Thai Cafe: Thai. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

No reservations. 315 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009. 248.258.9830.

Tallulah Wine Bar and Bistro: American.

Dinner. Monday-Saturday. Sunday brunch.

Reservations. Liquor. 55 S. Bates Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.731.7066.

The Bird & The Bread: Brasserie. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 210 S. Old Woodard, Birmingham, 48009.

248.203.6600.

The Franklin Grill: American. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations.

Liquor. 32760 Franklin Rd, Franklin, 48025. 248.865.6600.

The Gallery Restaurant: American.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & wine. 6683 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301.

248.851.0313.

The Moose Preserve Bar & Grill: American.

Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations.

Liquor. 2395 S. Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.858.7688.

The Rugby Grille: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor.

100 Townsend Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.642.5999.

The Stand: Euro-American. Dinner, MondaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 34977 Woodward, Birmingham, 48009.

248.220.4237.

Toast: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily; Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations.

Liquor. 203 Pierce Street, Birmingham,

48009. 248.258.6278.

Touch of India: Indian. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

No reservations. 297 E. Maple Road, Birmingham, 48009. 248.593.7881.

Townhouse: American. Brunch, Saturday, Sunday. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 180 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.5241.

Triple Nickel Restaurant and Bar: American.

Lunch & Dinner, daily. Liquor. Reservations.

555 S. Old Woodward, Birmingham 48009. 248.480.4951.

Village Coney Island: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations.

653 S. Adams. Birmingham, 48009.

248.593.7964.

Whistle Stop Diner: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily; No reservations. 501 S. Eton Street, Birmingham, 48009.

248.566.3566.

Royal Oak/Ferndale Ale Mary's: American. Weekend Brunch.

Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations.

Liquor. 316 South Main St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.268.1917.

Anita’s Kitchen: Middle Eastern. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & Wine. 22651 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, 48220. 248.548.0680.

Andiamo Restaurants: Italian. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. Reservations.

Liquor. 129 S. Main St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.582.0999.

Assaggi Bistro: Italian. Lunch, TuesdayFriday. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday.

Reservations. Liquor. 330 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale, 48220. 248.584.3499.

Bigalora: Italian. Weekend Brunch. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. No Reservations. Liquor. 711 S. Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067.

Bistro 82: French. Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 401 S. Lafayette Ave., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.542.0082.

The Blue Nile: Ethiopian. Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 545 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale, 48220.

248.547.6699.

Bspot Burgers: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 310 S. Main St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.268.1621.

Cafe Muse: French. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday.

Reservations. Liquor. 418 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.544.4749.

Cork Wine Pub: American. Sunday Brunch.

Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations.

Liquor. 23810 Woodward Ave., Pleasant Ridge, 48069. 248.544.2675.

D’Amato’s: Italian. Sunday Brunch. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor.

222 Sherman Dr., Royal Oak, 48067.

248.584.7400.

Due Venti: Italian. Sunday Brunch. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor.

220 S. Main St., Clawson, 48017.

248.288.0220.

The Fly Trap: Diner. Breakfast & Lunch, daily.

Dinner, Monday-Friday. No reservations. 22950 Woodward Ave., 48220. 248.399.5150.

GreenSpace Cafe: Vegan. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. No reservations. Liquor. 215. W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale, 48220.

248.206.7510.

Howe’s Bayou: Cajun. Lunch, MondaySaturday. Dinner, daily. No reservations.

Liquor. 22949 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, 48220. 248.691.7145.

Inn Season Cafe: Vegetarian. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday.

No reservations. 500 E. Fourth St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.547.7916.

Inyo Restaurant Lounge: Asian Fusion.

Weekend Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

No reservations. Liquor. 22871 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, 48220. 248.543.9500.

KouZina: Greek. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No

DOWNTOWN

reservations. 121 N. Main St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.629.6500.

Lily’s Seafood: Seafood. Weekend Brunch.

Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations.

Liquor. 410 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.591.5459.

Local Kitchen and Bar: American. Weekend Brunch. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 344 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale, 48220.

248.291.5650.

Lockhart’s BBQ: Barbeque. Sunday Brunch.

Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. Liquor. 202 E. Third St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.584.4227.

Oak City Grille: American. Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 212 W. 6th St, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.556.0947.

One-Eyed Betty: American. Weekend Breakfast. Dinner, daily. No reservations.

Liquor. 175 W. Troy St., Ferndale, 48220.

248.808.6633.

Pronto!: American. Weekend Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor.

608 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.544.7900.

Public House: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 241 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale, 48220.

248.850.7420.

Redcoat Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 31542 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak, 48073.

248.549.0300.

Ronin: Japanese. Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 326 W. 4th St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.546.0888.

Royal Oak Brewery: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 215 E. 4th St., Royal Oak, 48067.

248.544.1141.

Strada: Italian. Dinner, Wednesday - Sunday.

Liquor. No reservations. 376 N. Main Street. Royal Oak, 48067.

248.607.3127.

Toast, A Breakfast and Lunch Joint: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 23144 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, 48220. 248.398.0444.

Tom’s Oyster Bar: Seafood. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 318 S. Main St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.541.1186.

Town Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 116 W. Fourth St., Royal Oak, 48067.

248.544.7300.

The Morrie: American. Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 511 S. Main St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.216.1112.

Trattoria Da Luigi: Italian. Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 415 S, Washington Ave., Royal Oak, 48067.

248.542.4444.

Twisted Tavern: American. Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 22901 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, 48220. 248.545,6750.

Vinsetta Garage: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 27799 Woodward Ave., Berkley, 48072.

248.548.7711.

Troy/Rochester Bspot Burgers: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 176 N. Adams Rd, Rochester Hills, 48309.

248.218.6001.

Capital Grille: Steak & Seafood. Lunch, Monday-Saturday. Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 2800 West Big Beaver Rd., Somerset Collection, Troy, 48084. 248.649.5300.

Cafe Sushi: Pan-Asian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1933 W. Maple Rd, Troy, 48084. 248.280.1831.

Chapman House: French-American. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations recommended. Liquor. 311 Walnut Blvd., Rochester. 48307. 248.759.4406.

01.18

CK Diggs: American & Italian. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations.

Liquor. 2010 W. Auburn Road, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.853.6600.

O’Connor’s Irish Public House: Irish. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 324 S. Main St., Rochester, 48307.

248.608.2537.

Kona Grille: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 30 E. Big Beaver Rd., Troy, 48083. 248.619.9060.

Kruse & Muer on Main: American. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 327 S. Main St., Rochester, 48307. 248.652.9400.

Lakes: Seafood. Lunch, Monday-Friday.

Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 5500 Crooks Rd., Troy, 48098. 248.646.7900.

McCormick & Schmick’s: Steak & Seafood.

Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor.

Somerset Collection, 2850 Coolidge Hwy, Troy, 48084. 248.637.6400.

The Meeting House: American. Weekend Brunch. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 301 S. Main St, Rochester, 48307. 248.759.4825.

Miguel’s Cantina: Mexican. Lunch, MondayFriday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor.

870 S. Rochester Rd, Rochester Hills, 48307. 248.453.5371.

Mon Jin Lau: Asian. Lunch, Monday-Friday.

Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1515 E. Maple Rd, Troy, 48083. 248.689.2332.

Morton’s, The Steakhouse: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, daily. Reservations.

Liquor. 888 W. Big Beaver Rd, Troy, 48084. 248.404.9845.

NM Café: American. Lunch, MondaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 2705 W. Big Beaver Rd, Troy, 48084.

248.816.3424.

Oceania Inn: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. The Village of Rochester Hills, 3176 Walton Blvd, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.375.9200.

Ocean Prime: Steak & Seafood. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. Reservations.

Liquor. 2915 Coolidge Hwy., Troy, 48084.

248.458.0500.

Orchid Café: Thai. Lunch, Monday-Friday.

Dinner, daily. Reservations. 3303 Rochester Rd., Troy, 48085.

248.524.1944.

P.F. Chang’s China Bistro: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor.

Somerset Collection, 2801 W. Big Beaver Rd., Troy, 48084. 248.816.8000.

Rochester Chop House: Steak & Seafood.

Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 306 S. Main St., Rochester, 48307. 248.651.2266.

Ruth’s Chris Steak House: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, daily. Reservations.

Liquor. 755 W. Big Beaver Rd., Troy, 48084. 248.269.8424.

Silver Spoon: Italian. Dinner, MondaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 6830 N. Rochester Rd., Rochester, 48306.

248.652.4500.

Steelhouse Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1129 E. Long Lake Rd., Troy, 48085.

248.817.2980.

Too Ra Loo: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

No reservations. Liquor. 139 S. Main St., Rochester, 48307. 248.453.5291.

West Bloomfield/Southfield Bacco: Italian. Lunch, Monday-Friday.

Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations.

Liquor. 29410 Northwestern Highway, Southfield, 48034. 248.356.6600.

Beans and Cornbread: Southern. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 29508 Northwestern Highway, Southfield, 48034.

248.208.1680.

Bigalora: Italian. Weekend Brunch. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. No Reservations. Liquor. 29110 Franklin Road, Southfield, 48034.

downtownpublications.com

Maria’s Restaurant: Italian. Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 2080 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield, 48323.

248.851.2500.

The Bombay Grille: Indian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. 29200 Orchard Lake Rd, Farmington Hills, 48334.

248.626.2982.

The Fiddler: Russian. Sunday Brunch.

Dinner, Thursday-Sunday. Reservations.

Liquor. 6676 Orchard Lake Rd, West Bloomfield Township, 48322.

248.851.8782.

Mene Sushi: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & Wine. 6239 Orchard Lake Rd, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.538.7081.

Meriwether’s: Seafood. Lunch, MondaySaturday. Dinner, daily. Reservations.

Liquor. 25485 Telegraph Rd, Southfield, 48034. 248.358.1310.

Pickles & Rye: Deli. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 6724 Orchard Lake Rd, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.737.3890.

Prime29 Steakhouse: Steak & Seafood.

Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 6545 Orchard Lake Rd., West Bloomfield, 48322. 248.737.7463.

Redcoat Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. Liquor.

6745 Orchard Lake Rd., West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.865.0500.

Shangri-La: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. Orchard Mall Shopping Center, 6407 Orchard Lake Rd, West Bloomfield Township, 48322.

248.626.8585.

Sposita’s Ristorante: Italian. Friday Lunch.

Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 33210 W. Fourteen Mile Rd., West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248. 538.8954.

Stage Deli: Deli. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 6873 Orchard Lake Rd., West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.855.6622.

Sweet Lorraine’s Café & Bar: American.

Weekend Breakfast. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 29101 Greenfield Rd., Southfield, 48076. 248.559.5985.

Yotsuba: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 7365 Orchard Lake Rd, West Bloomfield, 48322.

248.737.8282.

West Oakland Gravity Bar & Grill: Mediterranean. Monday – Friday, Lunch & Dinner, Saturday, Dinner.

Reservations. Liquor. 340 N. Main Street, Milford, 48381. 248.684.4223.

It's A Matter of Taste: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2323 Union Lake Road, Commerce, 48390.

248.360.4150.

The Root Restaurant & Bar: American.

Lunch & Dinner, Monday - Saturday.

Reservations. Liquor. 340 Town Center Blvd., White Lake, 48390. 248.698.2400.

Volare Ristorante: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 48992 Pontiac Trail, Wixom, 48393. 248.960.7771.

North Oakland Clarkston Union: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 54 S. Main St., Clarkston, 48346. 248.620.6100.

Holly Hotel: American. Afternoon Tea, Monday – Saturday, Brunch, Sunday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 110 Battle Alley, Holly, 48442. 248.634.5208.

Kruse's Deer Lake Inn: Seafood. Lunch & dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 7504 Dixie Highway, Clarkston, 48346.

248.795.2077.

Via Bologna: Italian. Dinner daily. No reservations. Liquor. 7071 Dixie Highway, Clarkston. 48346. 248.620.8500.

Union Woodshop: BBQ. Dinner, Monday – Friday, Lunch & Dinner, Saturday – Sunday.

No reservations. Liquor. 18 S. Main St., Clarkston, 48346. 248.625.5660

Detroit Angelina Italian Bistro: Italian. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor.

1565 Broadway St., Detroit, 48226.

313.962.1355.

Antietam: French. Sunday Brunch. Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor.

1428 Gratiot Ave., Detroit, 48207.

313.782.4378.

Bucharest Grill: Middle Eastern. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor.

2684 E. Jefferson, Detroit, 48207.

313.965.3111.

Cliff Bell’s: American. Sunday Brunch.

Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations.

Liquor. 2030 Park Ave., Detroit, 48226.

313.961.2543.

Coach Insignia: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor.

100 Renaissance Center, Detroit, 48243.

313.567.2622.

Craft Work: American. Sunday Brunch.

Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations.

Liquor. 8047 Agnes St., Detroit, 48214.

313.469.0976.

Cuisine: French. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday.

Reservations. Liquor. 670 Lothrop Rd., Detroit, 48202. 313.872.5110.

The Detroit Seafood Market: Seafood.

Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor.

1435 Randolph St., Detroit, 48226.

313.962.4180.

El Barzon: Mexican. Lunch, Tuesday-Friday.

Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations.

Liquor. 3710 Junction St., Detroit, 48210.

313.894.2070.

Fishbone’s Rhythm Kitchen Café: Cajun.

Breakfast, daily. Sunday Brunch. Lunch, Monday-Saturday. Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 400 Monroe Street, Detroit, 48226. 313.965.4600.

Giovanni’s Ristorante: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations.

Liquor. 330 S. Oakwood Blvd., Detroit, 48217. 313.841.0122.

Green Dot Stables: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor.

2200 W. Lafayette, Detroit, 48216.

313.962.5588.

Jefferson House: American. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. Reservations.

Liquor. 2 Washington Blvd., Detroit, 48226. 313.782.4318.

Joe Muer Seafood: Seafood. Lunch, Monday- Friday, Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 400 Renaissance Center, Detroit, 48243. 313.567.6837.

Johnny Noodle King: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor.

2601 W. Fort St., Detroit, 48216.

313.309.7946.

Maccabees at Midtown: Eurasian. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday.

Reservations. Liquor. 5057 Woodward Ave., Detroit, 48202. 313.831.9311.

Mario’s: Italian. Dinner, daily. Reservations.

Liquor. 4222 2nd Ave., Detroit, 48201.

313.832.1616.

Midtown Shangri-la: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations.

Liquor. 4710 Cass Ave., Detroit, 48201.

313.974.7669.

Motor City Brewing Works: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & Wine. 470 W. Canfield St., Detroit, 48201. 313.832.2700.

1917 American Bistro: American. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday.

Reservations. Liquor. 19416 Livernois Ave., Detroit, 48221. 313.863.1917.

Prism: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 555 E. Lafayette St, Detroit, 48226.

313.309.2499.

Red Smoke Barbeque: Barbeque. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor.

Trappers Alley Shopping Center, 573

DOWNTOWN

Monroe Ave., Detroit, 48226.

313.962.2100.

Russell Street Deli: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. 2465 Russell St, Detroit, 48207.

313.567.2900.

Santorini Estiatorio: Greek. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 501 Monroe Ave, Detroit, 48226.

313.962.9366.

Selden Standard: American. Weekend Brunch. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. Liquor. Reservations. 3921 Second Ave., Detroit, 48201. 313.438.5055.

Sinbad’s: Seafood. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 100 St Clair St., Detroit, 48214. 313.822.8000.

Slows Bar BQ: Barbeque. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2138 Michigan Ave, Detroit, 48216.

313.962.9828.

Small Plates Detroit: American. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations.

Liquor. 1521 Broadway St., Detroit, 48226. 313.963.0702.

St. CeCe’s Pub: American. Sunday Brunch.

Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. Liquor. 1426 Bagley Ave., Detroit, 48216. 313.962.2121.

Tap at MGM Grand: American. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations.

Liquor. 1777 Third Street, Detroit, 48226.

313.465.1234.

Taqueria Nuestra Familia: Mexican.

Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 7620 Vernor Hwy., Detroit, 48209. 313.842.5668.

The Block: American. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor.

3919 Woodward Ave, Detroit, 48201.

313.832.0892.

Tom’s Oyster Bar: Seafood. Lunch, MondayFriday. Dinner, Monday-Saturday.

Reservations. Liquor. 519 East Jefferson Ave., Detroit, 48226. 313.964.4010.

Top of the Pontch: American. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservation. Liquor. 2 Washington Blvd, Detroit, 48226.

313.782.4313.

Traffic Jam & Snug: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 511 W. Canfield, Detroit, 48201.

313.831.9470.

24grille: American. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. The Westin Book Cadillac Detroit, 1114 Washington Blvd, Detroit, 48226.

313.964.3821.

Union Street: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 4145 Woodward Ave, Detroit, 48201.

313.831.3965.

Vince’s: Italian. Lunch, Tuesday-Friday.

Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations.

Liquor. 1341 Springwells St., Detroit, 48209. 313.842.4857.

Vivio’s Food & Spirits: American. Saturday Breakfast. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2460 Market St., Detroit, 48207. 313.393.1711.

The Whitney: American. Breakfast, Lunch, & High Tea, Monday-Friday. Sunday Brunch.

Dinner, daily. Liquor. Reservations. 4421 Woodward Ave, Detroit, 48201.

313.832.5700.

Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria and Cucina: Italian.

Dinner, Wednesday-Sunday. Reservations.

Liquor. 1777 Third St, Detroit, 48226.

313.465.1646.

Wolfgang Puck Steak: Steak & Seafood.

Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1777 Third St, Detroit, 48226. 313.465.1411.

Wright & Co.: American. Dinner, MondaySaturday. No reservations. Liquor. 1500 Woodward Ave Second Floor, Detroit, 48226. 313.962.7711.

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THE COMMUNITY HOUSE “It is every man's obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he takes out of it” – Albert Einstein As we begin this – our milestone 95th anniversary year – full of hope and optimism, all of us at The Community House have taken pause to reflect back on all of the people; individuals, corporations, foundations – kindnesses large and small – which have made a true and lasting difference at The Community House over these last 94 years.

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization, it is our duty and our obligation to remain ever mindful that good stewardship is an essential part of the fundraising cycle. It covers the entire relationship between donor and organization. Likewise, we must continually celebrate and honor the importance of selfless service and volunteerism. For without either, the work and missions of noble organizations such as The Community House would not be possible.

I read recently that “Selfless service is absolutely fundamental, both from an individual perspective and from the perspective of the entire human race, without which there can be no true progression. Selfless service should be offered and provided out of a genuine and deep desire to help and be of service to others.”

Over the last several years, The Community House has created four Pillars of Vibrancy: Philanthropy, Education, Wellness and Culture. The purpose was to publicly recognize extraordinary individuals in one or more of these categories who have demonstrated selfless service and philanthropy toward others while helping to “Create More Vibrant Lives” in the community – selfless service offered and provided out of a genuine and deep desire to help and be of service to others.

Let the

Gentlem

Take Ca en Movers re of Yo ur Move !

248-674-3937

www.changingplacesmovers.com

Bill Seklar

Since its inception, 41 pillars in our community have been recognized and inducted into The Community House’s Pillars of Vibrancy. In 2018, seven new pillars will join this impressive body. Recently, The Community House announced its 2018 Pillars of Vibrancy – what an extraordinary and selfless group. Our inductees include:

Lic #: L-21897

Pillars of Culture: Dr. David DiChiera, Judge Gerald E. Rosen, Paul W. Smith.

Pillars of Philanthropy: Geoffrey Hockman, Julie Rodecker, Katie Valenti.

Pillar of Wellness: Dr. Robert Folberg.

In an effort to also recognize individuals, corporations and foundations that have given extraordinary treasure; $25,000 or more cumulatively, or THE donors who make an irrevocable legacy gift of $25,000 or more to The Community House, TCH leadership decided to gather and recognize all of these key stakeholders, Pillars of Vibrancy and Major Donors, together, under one DINNER philanthropic umbrella, the Bates Street Society.

Bates Street Society was established in 2015, to publicly recognize and induct members who have made significant charitable contributions to support the work and mission of The Community House in Birmingham. Members will be acknowledged annually at its Bates Street Society Dinner, a semi-formal event hosted by The Community House's Officers and Board of Directors.

The third annual Bates Street Society Dinner, a three-course sit-down dinner is scheduled for Saturday, February 3, 2018 in the Wallace Ballroom of The Community House. To coincide with our 95th anniversary year, guests in attendance will also hear from our special keynote speaker, musical artist, businessman and treasurer of the William Davidson Foundation, Ethan D. Davidson.

Members of the community are not only welcome, but encouraged to attend. This important dinner will offer guests a wonderful opportunity to publicly show enthusiastic support for the 2018 TCH Pillars of Vibrancy inductees, and to the scores of individuals, foundations and corporations whose contributions and kindness makes The Community House’s work and mission possible. General Admission Tickets are $200/person; Benefactor Tickets $300/person and are now on sale by going online at communityhouse.com or by calling The Community House at 248.644.5832.

Special thanks to our founding third-year presenting sponsor PNC Wealth Management – PNC Bank. Our thanks as well to The Bates Street Society’s other corporate sponsors; DeRoy & Devereaux Private Investment Council, Inc., Dickinson Wright, PLLC, dbusiness, and Parsonage Florist.

OTHER HAPPENINGS: Tickets on sale now. 26th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Breakfast, 8:30 a.m., Monday, January 15, 2018 at The Community House. Keynote speaker; Stephen Henderson, Editorial Page Editor, Detroit Free Press, Radio Host, WDET. Sponsored by Mercedes-Benz Financial Services. Hosted by The Community House – Race Relations & Diversity Task Force.

Tickets $40 (includes breakfast). Register communityhouse.com.

To find out more about The Community House, go to communityhouse.com or call 248.644.5832.

William D. Seklar is President & CEO of The Community House in Birmingham. downtownpublications.com

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Join the local business leaders, almost 400 of whom use Downtown on a regular basis, in our February issue.

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LOCAL 79

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SOCIAL LIGHTS/SALLY GERAK Here is the update on the recent social scene. Many more photos from each event appear online each week at downtownpublications.com where readers can sign up for an e-mail notice when the latest social scene column is posted. Past columns and photos are also archived at the website for Downtown.

Sally Gerak Rose Hill Center 25th Anniversay “I’m blown away by Rose Hill...I’ve never seen any other place that puts it all together like Rose Hill does,” opined Mariel Hemingway. The granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway was speaking at the dinner celebrating the comprehensive mental illness treatment center in Holly. It was the vision of Dan and Rosemary Kelly, whose son John was ill. Since no facility to treat him existed 25 years ago in the midwest, the couple determined to make one a reality. It has subsequently changed the lives of more than 1,600 individuals and their families. Many of the 300 celebration guests are long-time Kelly family friends.

They know firsthand the tenacity and faith Rose Hill’s establishment required. So does the honorary event chair, Wally Prechter, who called the couple “kindred spirits.’ (She has been toiling in the research arena of mental illness since her muchcelebrated husband Heinz succumbed to it in 2001.)

Hemingway’s story blew me away, filled as it is with eight family suicides, addictions, depression and domestic mayhem. Her determination for a different life led her to an obsession with health, a profound meeting with the Dalai Lama and determination to eradicate the stigma of mental illness. “We’re all okay....and your support of Rose Hills is profound,” Hemingway concluded. Thanks to many generous sponsors, the celebration of hope and healing raised $227,000 for the outstanding facility.

OUR TOWN Art Show & Sale Over 350 people ($75 - $1,000 tickets) attended the Opening Night Party of the 32nd annual Community House-sponsored art show for Michigan artists. On exhibit were 356 works by 142 artists selected by jurors Barbara Heller and Weatherly Stroh.

The jurors both said they thought the show was especially strong. They seemed as excited as the artists were about the choices to receive the $10,000 prize money during the evening’s program. Unlike the early years of the event, when guests had an after work cocktail, bought some art and took home a box supper, The Community House’ culinary team prepared savories like mini potato pancakes, beef tenderloin crostinis, mini crab cakes and coconut shrimp for supping on the stroll. Before the show ended on Sunday, 1,000 people had viewed it, 50 pieces of art had new homes and artists had 65 percent of the $20,000 sales total.

Detroit International Wine Auction The amazing transformation of the Downtown Boxing Gym into a glamorous lounge and nightclub (a la Las Vegas in the heyday of prizefighting) was the vision of “...my creative wife and better half (Danialle),” said Peter Karmanos, Jr. The event co-chair was speaking to 480 College for Creative Studies supporters ($2,500, $1,500 tickets). They were at the former bookbinding factory in which, 10 years ago, Khali Sweeney opened a non-profit, after-school, academic and athletic refuge for boys and girls from Detroit’s toughest neighborhoods. Before guests adjourned for dinner and the live auction they had bid $68,500 in the silent auction of CCS alums’ art and wine during the Vintner’s Private Reception. Maestro Fritz Hatton masterfully conducted an extraordinary live auction. The top bid was $100,000 for a dinner for six with GM CEO Mary and Tony Barra at Fleming’s in Livonia. This brought the live auction total to $750,000. Combined with pledges ($88,500) and generous sponsors, the 36th annual Art of Wine DIWA raised $2.4 million downtownpublications.com

Rose Hill Center 25th Anniversay

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1. Mariel Hemingway (center) of Los Angeles & Idaho with Rosemary Kelly (left) of Bloomfield and Wally Prechter of Grosse Isle. 2. Jack Reinhard (left), Dan Kelly and Sandy Duncan of Bloomfield. 3. Judith Darin of Bloomfield.

4. Dick Brodie (left) of Bloomfield and Bill Whelan of Grosse Pointe. 5. Patrick Jakeway of Bloomfield, Ben Robinson of Rochester Hills.

OUR TOWN Art Show & Sale

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1. Robert Dempster and Carolyn Rooney-Dempster of Bloomfield.

2. Barbara Heller and Weatherly Stroh of Birmingham. 3. Carla Grava (left) and Pam Rossiter and Sara Rossiter of Birmingham. 4. John & Carol Aubrey of Birmingham. 5. Anita Damiani (left) of Bloomfield with Deborah Hecht of Huntington Woods. 6. Armina Kasprowicz of Rochester Hills.

7. Paul & Laurie Mueller of Rochester Hills.

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SOCIAL LIGHTS/SALLY GERAK for CCS scholarships and community art programs plus $1 million from Danialle and Pete to support CCS’s Fashion Accessories Design program.

Next year’s featured vintner will be former Bloomfielders Craig and Kathryn Hall, now Napa Valley winemakers.

Detroit International Wine Auction

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1. Danialle & Peter Karmanos. Jr. of Orchard Lake. 2. Wally Prechter (left) of Grosse Isle, Al Lucarelli of Grosse Pointe and Elizabeth & Syd Ross of Bloomfield. 3. Patti and Kevin Klobucar of Rochester. 4. Vivian Pickard (left) of Bloomfield and Don Manvel with Jim & Kim Palmer of Birmingham. 5. Joy & Michael Sneyd of Bloomfield.

John W. Hunter Questers Horse Race

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1. Tim Travis (center) of Keego Harbor, Julie Matthews and Gennie Hunter of Bloomfield. 2. Lavon Cook (left) and Rita Kerr of Bloomfield, Shari Garber of White Lake. 3. Barbara Hailey (center) of Franklin, Judy (left) and Rita Lindstrom of Bloomfield. 4. Pat & Doug Hamburg of Bloomfield.

5. Peggy Kerr (left) of Bloomfield, Glen Ronopaskie and Robert Karazim of Pontiac, Amy Parker of Waterford. 6. Vic Moigis (left), Chris Muir and Brian Wood of Bloomfield.

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John W. Hunter Questers Horse Race Questers, a non-profit organization dedicated to the study, conservation and preservation of historical objects for the benefit of today and tomorrow, has 65 chapters in Michigan. One of several local chapters has committed to restore a vandalized mausoleum in Pontiac’s historic Oak Hill Cemetery.

To that end, 80 people ($45-ticket) – that would be most of the 25 John W. Hunter chapter members, some friends and Pontiac boosters – gathered in the party room at Tim Travis’ Goldner Walsh Garden & Home in Pontiac for a fundraiser chaired by Rita Kerr and Gennie Hunter. It featured fellowship, a buffet dinner and gaming via a horse race in which the riders advanced by a throw of the dice. The evening’s proceeds and a grant from Quester International are expected to jumpstart the restoration of the Resurgam mausoleum.

Sweet Dreamzzz A Night to R.E.M.ember Sweet Dreamzzz is a non-profit organization that provides at-risk school children sleep education and bedtime essentials because they “...can get A’s and B’s by getting more ZZZ’s.” It attracted 200 supporters ($125-tickets) to a nighttime fundraiser on the Detroit Historical Museum’s Streets of Old Detroit. They toured the museum, cocktailed, supped on the stroll, bid in silent and live auctions, played Heads & Tails and made pledges to the cause, raising $65,000. They also applauded volunteer honoree Mary Pat O’Malley, a Divine Child High School teacher. Under her leadership more than 1,000 Divine Child students have volunteered for Sweet Dreamzzz and made fleece blankets for kindergarten students. Executive Director Nancy Maxwell noted a special side benefit of the program. “...Families are bonding (by)...making reading part of their evening routine.”

Camp Mak-a-Dream Cookies N’ Dreams The annual cookie contest that raises money to send, cost free, children and young adults affected by cancer to a camp in Montana brought a crowd of nearly 500 supporters of all ages to the Grand Court at Somerset 01.18

Collection North. (Tickets were $60 for adults and kids paid their age.) How guests, regardless of age, could sample all the creations from 20 generous bakeries eludes this reporter, but those who did and voted named the 2017 Camp Mak-A-Dream Cookie from Crispelli’s. Guests also filled boxes with cookies to take home, snacked on other savory fare, danced to Star Trax music, played with Legos and paused to hear “testimonies” from campers like Kali and Zach Orlandoni of Bloomfield Hills. Thanks to generous sponsors, the fun-filled event raised more than $140,000 for the camp founded by the late Sylvia and Harry Granader.

Showhouse for Variety You’ve heard of showhouses that feature the work of different designers in rooms throughout a single home.

Well, Michigan Design Center’s newest showroom – Theodore Alexander – is a showhouse of vignettes within a showroom.

Featured designers include Jimmy Angell, Donna Connelly, Dayna Flory, Charles Dunlap, Joe Keenan, Michelle Mio, Jill Schumacher, Rita O’Brien, Richard Ross, Amanda Sinistaj, Jane Spencer, Anne Strickland, Lauren Tolles and owner operator Michael Coyne, whose own showroom is across the hall from the 4,200 sq. ft.

Theodore Alexander space. WDIV fashion editor Jon Jordan hosted the Grand Opening event with honorary chairs Tim and Judy Hildebrand.

Some 300 design enthusiasts and supporters of Variety, the Children’s Charity gathered there to sip, sup and examine the finely-crafted TA furniture, lighting, upholstery and accessories displayed in unique settings. The event netted $22,000 for Variety’s programs for special needs kids.

Chocolate Jubilee According to AA President/CEO Jennifer Lepard, the 33rd annual fundraiser was bittersweet for the organization...”(because it’s) our last Chocolate Jubilee with Gayle Burstein at the helm.” The petite, soft-spoken dynamo, who is passionate about the AA mission, is retiring after 25 years as fundraiser par excellente and the crowd of 550 ($200 & up tickets) in the MGM Grand ballroom gave her a standing ovation.

They also applauded “Aliceheimer’s” author Dana Walrath following her description of Alzheimer’s whimsical nature. She said the guidance she downtownpublications.com

Camp Mak-a-Dream Cookies N’ Dreams

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3 1. Cathy & Nate Forbes of Franklin. 2. Connie Jacob (left), David Jacob and Cathy Jacob Forbes of Franklin, Jennifer Hermelin of Bingham Farms.

3. Nadia (left) and Monet Simon of Bloomfield.

4. Kasey Chinonis (left) and Lindsey Bakken of Bloomfield, Dylan and Jordan Schoenberg of Birmingham. 5. Paws with Garrison (left), Colton and Brooklyn Ruks of Birmingham.

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Showhouse for Variety

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3 1. Deb Thomas (left) of Troy, Michael Coyne of Bloomfield, Kate Cahill of Birmingham. 2. Tim (left) & Judy Hildebrand and Elise & Steve Guidos of Bloomfield. 3. Mazy Hommel Gillis (left) of Bloomfield, Linda Hommel of Birmingham, Sally Stevens of Troy, Charles Dunlap and Jimmy Angell of Pleasant Ridge. 4. Pamela Stephanoff (left) of Beverly Hills, Jane Synnestvedt of Birmingham, Chris Decker and Susan Parroly of Bloomfield.

5. Mark Decker (left), Jane Baer and Matt Paroly of Bloomfield.

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Chocolate Jubilee

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1. Mary Wilson (left) of Grosse Pointe, Gayle Burstein and Mari Barnett of Bloomfield. 2. Mary Owen of Birmingham, Bit Berg of Bloomfield. 3. Bill, Sean, Nicole, & Marlene Emerson of Bloomfield. 4. Michele & Nathan Mersereau of Birmingham. 5. Arnold & Nancy Shapero of Bloomfield. Photos: Christine Hathaway

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SOCIAL LIGHTS/SALLY GERAK received through the AA 24/7 Helpline when her mother Alice and dementia moved into her home was invaluable. Images of Parisian icons decorated the Evening in Paristhemed party where guests also bought 200 Sweet Chance bags for $50 each. After dinner and speeches, they danced and filled take home bags with yummy creations from talented confectioners. Thanks to generous sponsors, the event raised nearly $1.2 million.

Detroit Institute of Arts Gala

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4 1. Frances Eisenberg (left) and Nicole Eisenberg of Bloomfield, Barbara Fisher of Grosse Pointe, Juliette Okotie-Eboh of Detroit, Brooke Fisher of Birmingham. 2. Mort Harris and Sandy Morrison of Bloomfield. 3. Danialle Karmanos (left) of Orchard Lake, Jennifer Fischer of Bloomfield. 4. Raj (left) & Padma Vattikuti of Bloomfield, Salvador Salort-Pons & Alex May of Detroit. 5. Anna & Chris Rea of Birmingham. 6. Dr. Gail Parker (left) of Detroit, Maureen & Roy Roberts of Bloomfield. 7. Ed Levy (left), Elyse Foltyn, Gretchen Davidson and David Foltyn of Birmingham.

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Habitat for Humanity Extravaganza

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1. Kari & Grahame Burrow of Rochester. 2. Cheryl & Bruce Trevarrow of Oakland.

3. Tim Ruggles (left) of Highland, Mike Baldridge of Bloomfield. 4. Mike McKenna (left) of W. Bloomfield, Mary Marble of Birmingham, Mashell Carissimi of St. Clair Shores.

5. Rita Brown (left) of Birmingham, John Samborski of Leonard, Frank Piro of Rochester Hills.

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Detroit Institute of Arts Gala More than 600 DIA supporters wined and dined at the museum’s annual gala benefit. It was chaired by Frances Eisenberg, Nicole Eisenberg, Juliette Okotie-Eboh, Brooke Fisher and Barbara Fisher with design inspiration from NYCbased event planner/artist/author David Monn. Guests savored Forte Belanger prepared charcuterie, cheeses and seafood in handsome, lounge-style settings before dining in the galleries on fare such as smoked scallops and grits, beef (filet or braised) and truffle risotto. In keeping with the event theme of the museum as a town square for community gatherings, dessert was served in the Great Hall and Woodward lobby.

Event tickets - $5,000, $2,500, $750 – sold out. Thanks also to many sponsors, the elegant soiree raised $2 million.

Habitat for Humanity Extravaganza “This mission is all about love,” CEO/Executive Director Tim Ruggles told the 275 Habitat for Humanity supporters ($185, $265 tickets) gathered in the Townsend Hotel ballroom. “And each of you is changing our world,” he concluded before presenting honors to Volunteer of the Year Mike Baldridge and Community Builder Awardee Bruce Trevarrow. All earned standing ovations, as did Mercedes Shamburger following the video that chronicled her quest for education and a Habitat home. Ruggles was preceded at the podium by Cheryl Henderson, who joined the Habitat staff after embracing the organization’s mission as the volunteer event chair for two years.

Dan Stall then conducted a live auction and pledging that brought the event total to $160,239 for building and renovation projects to improve lives and communities.

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House of Providence Wishes Gala The Wishes Gala benefiting J and Maggie Dunn’s home for foster system girls attracted 600 people ($125 ticket) to the Royal Park Hotel for a joyful night. The dinner program emceed by Chuck Gaidica began with a Mt. Zion School of Performing Arts dance group and concluded with a beautiful vocal by Quela Harris. In between it contained many highlights: the earnest dedication to kids that was evident in their remarks when Warrior Honorees Michigan Assistant Attorney General Elizabeth Barash and judge Karen Braxton accepted their awards; the joy when Survivor Honoree Tiffany Sinawi learned she, her mom and two sisters were going on a Disney cruise; country singer, writer Jimmy Wayne’s music and his moving saga of growing up homeless; the news that House of Providence has acquired 118 acres in Oxford for a homes to serve boys and children with disabilities as well as girls. The fourth annual gala raised $175,000 for House of Providence.

St. Hugo Razzle Dazzle Club The fifth annual Razzle Dazzle fundraiser attracted 160 ($70 & $170 tickets) to Oakland Hills Country Club for ladies night out supping, socializing, shopping (16 vendors offered giftables) and raffles. Lorraine Carlin won the grand raffle prize – a $1,000 Somerset Collection gift card.

Karen Seitz chaired the evening event which replaced the Altar Guild’s traditional fundraising luncheon.

Proceeds support scholarships and local charities through outreach programs.

Homes for Autism Benefit State Senator Jim Marleau, a supporter of services for people with autism, was honored at the 21st annual Ring of Hope dinner. It attracted 100 ($150 & up tickets) to the Village Club for cocktails, silent auction, dinner, entertainment and dancing. Prominently displayed was the quote: “A house is made of walls and beams, A home is built with love and dreams.” The event raised about $35,000 to help HfA maintain and pay mortgage debt on its seven homes for adults with autism.

Send ideas for this column to Sally Gerak, 28 Barbour Lane, Bloomfield Hills, 48304; email samgerak@aol.com or call 248.646.6390. downtownpublications.com

House of Providence Wishes Gala

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1. J & Maggie Dunn of Oxford. 2. Patrick (left) & Bud Liebler and Rick Rassel of Bloomfield. 3. Patty Boyle Rassel (left) and Ann Boyle Liebler of Bloomfield. 4. Melissa Parks of Bloomfield. 5. Brian Jennings (left) of Bloomfield, David Barash of W. Bloomfield. 6. Walter (left) & Rayneld Johnson of Rochester, Bill Vogel of Grosse Pointe.

St. Hugo Razzle Dazzle Club

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1. Joanne Gordon (left) and Diane Roelant, Karen Seitz and Kim McInerney of Bloomfield. 2. Betty Desmond (left) and Laura Kerby of Bloomfield.

3. Mary DeBasio (left), Judy Juneau, Sandie Knollenberg and Gladys Kowalski of Bloomfield. 4. Martha Torre (left), Carolyn DeMattia and Marianne McBrearty of Bloomfield. 5. Germaine Mack (left), Ann Pohl, Sheila Konwalsky, Bonnie Gentilla of Rochester, Evelyn Bartoloni of Bloomfield. Photos: Joan Page

DOWNTOWN

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ENDNOTE

Address ongoing asbestos danger now he fact that asbestos is still used to manufacture hundreds of consumer products in the United States today will likely come as a shocking revelation to readers who have known about the dangers of the cancer-causing mineral for decades. However, the lack of funding to adequately staff state programs responsible for enforcing asbestos restrictions is alarming, and should be seen as a call to action at the local, state and federal levels.

The health risks associated with asbestos have been known since at least the early 1970s, when the first restrictions in the United States were put into place. More than 40 years later, more than 50 countries have banned asbestos use. Efforts to phase out the mineral in this country were put in motion in 1989, but halted two years later as part of a federal court ruling that partially struck down the rules due to a lawsuit filed by asbestos manufacturers. More than 25 years later, tons of deadly asbestos continue to be imported into the United States, killing as many as 15,000 people each year.

While the 1991 court ruling extended the use of asbestos, we believe the industry has had ample time to develop safer alternatives to asbestos. The time to implement a new phase out or an all-out ban on asbestos use at the federal level is now.

Ending the use of asbestos, however, will do nothing to address the tons of asbestoscontaining materials already in existence. From home products to automotive parts and construction materials, the widespread use of

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asbestos has made it ubiquitous in our everyday life. As such, federal laws regarding indoor and outdoor air quality were designed to protect citizens from asbestos exposure. An additional law was created in the 1980s to require schools to keep an inventory of where asbestos is located in their facilities. However, enforcement of those laws is woefully inadequate.

With more than 17,000 notices regarding the removal of asbestos from homes, private and public buildings filed with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) in 2016, the department faces a monumental task in trying to investigate and monitor all such activities. As such, the department has a selfimposed goal of inspecting just 15 percent of those notices. With just four full-time inspectors and one part-time inspector, the department is unable to meet even that goal. The lack of staff, as one DEQ official stated, "is a well-known fact."

Providing adequate funding to the DEQ and the Michigan Department of Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which conducts workplace and indoor air issues, should be a priority for all lawmakers, regardless of party affiliation, in Lansing.

Lastly, we believe the public, particularly parents of school-aged children, should be provided with easy-to-access data on where exactly asbestos is located in each school district building. While such records are already required under federal law to be maintained, available access to those records is relatively unknown.

One local school district has already said it

will be undertaking efforts to provide asbestos information and abatement plans on the district's website. Such actions aren't currently required under the federal law, as it was enacted prior to widespread use of the internet.

But that seems a lame excuse in today’s day and age. We believe school districts should take it upon themselves to provide that information online as a public service.

Providing access to asbestos abatement plans not only provides valuable information to parents, it would also give staff and visitors an official record of potential risks. Doing that not only helps to ensure the health and safety of children and adults in school buildings, but would ensure a more accurate record of those risks, reducing the chance for exposure and future litigation, saving districts money and embarrassment.

No doubt, part of the lax regulations and lack of urgency regarding asbestos goes back to the latency period for symptoms from exposure to present themselves. As the leading cause of mesothelioma, asbestos exposure may take decades to become apparent. Even then, symptoms from asbestos-related diseases may go undiagnosed unless doctors are trained to specifically look for them. Sadly, the results of exposure are often fatal and always devastating. We can't help but think that if impacts of asbestos were more immediate – as with other contaminants such as lead – the threat from asbestos would have been dealt with long ago.

There’s no excuse to delay action any further.

City commission must become decisive rankly, it is hard to believe. The Birmingham Ad Hoc Brand Development Committee (BBDC) was created in July 2016, to work with a design firm to create a new city logo as part of an effort to rebrand the city.

Twenty one months after beginning work with local ad agency McCann Detroit, part of McCann Worldgroup, which offered to do it pro bono, the effort seems stalled in a haze of indecision.

Birmingham city commissioners have squabbled over the designs created by the internationally-renown agency, even though three of the seven commissioners had sat on the ad hoc committee. One of those commissioners even asked at a commission meeting what the purpose was of branding and a logo.

Now the city is asking residents and business people to respond to a citywide survey in January 2018 to move the city logo initiative

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forward by having a survey done to include the five previous logos, as well as two new ones, and the current one, just for good measure.

Eight logos for people to choose from. All because city commissioners couldn’t – or wouldn’t – do their job.

Sadly, this tiny incident is in microcosm a snapshot of the current Birmingham city commission, and their lack of decision-making on issues large and small. We watch and study all of the commission meetings, and have been astonished at the time it takes this commission to get through not only their consent agendas, which often takes an hour, as well as agenda items – noting that some commissioners come unprepared, either not having thoroughly read all of their packets, or else not completely understanding them, or else feeling it is their individual role to micromanage every single line . Neither is leadership.

Leadership is having the knowledge and understanding to inspire movement forward, both collectively and individually.

The lack of decision-making on a logo is indicative of a group of people who won’t – or can’t – make a decision. And the city commission just plain looks foolish asking the public to make the decision for them.

The public has already made the decision.

They have elected seven commissioners as their representatives to make these, and so many other, decisions, for them. Prior to Monday nights at 7:30 p.m., on commission meeting nights, if commissioners are uncertain about what is on the agenda and in their packets, it is incumbent upon each of them to do the research necessary, to speak to staff on the applicable items.

The indecision on the city logo is symptomatic of a weak city commission.

B L O O M F I E L D H U N T C L U B E S T A T E S . C O M

It’s time to seize the best in life by embracing a home, a declaration that you have arrived. Before it’s too late – make the move, take the jump and surprise yourself – don’t accept compromise.

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23 1.09 Acres $995,000

✓ 26 1.05 Acres $895,000

✓

CHASE LANE

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5 1.09 Acres $995,000 4 1.09 Acres $795,000

✓ ✓ 1 1.22 Acres $695,000

✓ Lot Sold • • • •

FEATURES AND AMENITIES Only 7 lots remain Gated community Bloomfield Hills schools Customize a plan and start today

For a personal tour of available property or for more information regarding Bloomfield Hunt Club Estates, contact us at 248.644.7600 or visit our website www.bloomfieldhuntclubestates.com.

• •

Work directly with your own architect, designer or builder Included: Bloomfield Open Hunt Club membership

248.318.4504 | KATHY@MAXBROOCKHOMES.COM

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Visit The Kathy Broock Ballard Collection at www.KATHYBROOCK.com for property details.

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