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RELIGION IN MICHIGAN’S PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEMS
An ongoing topic of debate in Michigan and other states, the role of religion in the public and charter schools is regulated by state guidelines and court decisions but that is not stopping a new effort targeting the introduction of Bible study in schools, including in Oakland County.
VOTER GUIDE
Voters looking for information on general election candidates and their positions on issues can find Downtown Newsmagazine’s Voter Guide at our website: DowntownPublications.com.
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CRIME MAP
A recap of select categories of crime occurring in the past month in Birmingham, Bloomfield Township and Bloomfield Hills, presented in map format, plus a reminder about an online interactive map with story details on public safety incidents.
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OAKLAND CONFIDENTIAL
Trustee’s antisemitic postings; John James ethics complaint; Walsh late filing letter; Slotkin-Rogers dueling dollars; purging local voter rolls; HV4H PAC turns up the heat; David Thomas write-in effort; plus more.
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Next Executive Director Cris
BIRMINGHAM | BLOOMFIELD
PUBLISHER
David Hohendorf
NEWS EDITOR
Lisa Brody
NEWS STAFF/CONTRIBUTORS
Hillary Brody Anchill | Cris Braun | Dana Casadei | Tracy Donohue | Stacy Gittleman | Austen Hohendorf Grace Lovins | Jeanine Matlow | Gigi Nichols | Susan Peck | Carla Schwartz | Mark H. Stowers
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Laurie Tennent | TJ Michael | Mackenzie O'Brien | Chris Ward
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The personnel at Downtown Newsmagazine bring a special commitment to the publishing effort, reinvesting in the local communities and working to make sure the Birmingham/Bloomfield area reaches its highest potential. Our mission dictates that we strive each month to provide a solid news and advertising product that local residents look forward to reading. Our goal is to build a community of informed citizens through the efforts of our passionate team. We are innovators producing products that go well beyond what others offer.
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We welcome feedback on both our publication and general issues of concern in the Birmingham/Bloomfield community. Opinions can be sent via e-mail to news@downtownpublications.com or mailed to Downtown Publications, PO Box 1630 Birmingham MI 48012-1630. If you are using the mail option, you must include a phone number for verification purposes.
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CRIME MAP
2024 GENERAL ELECTION VOTER GUIDE
Downtown Newsmagazine’s Voter Guide for the November general election is posted to our website, along with endorsements of candidates and ballot issues.
View the Voter Guide at DowntownPublications.com.
INCOMING
Sustainability plan questions
I read Stacy Gittleman’s excellent essay on Sustainability in your recent (October) issue with great interest, though it raised some questions that I wonder if somebody could answer.
Given that sustainability plans must balance “population and economic growth with green space preservation,” and understanding that tearing down small houses to build bigger ones is economically advantageous, when I see lovely, mature trees being chopped down to accommodate large footprints that also eradicate lawns and gardens, I wonder if a sustainability plan should limit the amount of green space these houses consume?
As Gittleman defines sustainability, it calls for “increasing native plantings” as well as “increasing the diversity of housing options to a range of income levels.”
My second question has to do with better information and opportunities to change out lawns to native planting. I live in a small house with big front and backyard lawns and a copse of trees, ferns, and bushes at the back of my property. A few years ago, I decided to grow in a quarter of my back lawn, but a city of Birmingham official spotted it and told me that I had to cut it back because it was over eight inches tall, and an unsightly jungle of curlyleaved dock and other “weeds” that were not in any way native plantings.
Being elderly, I couldn’t do it myself, and I didn’t know what kind of company could undertake it. I wonder if that is why we see so few native plantings replacing Birmingham’s lawns? Might our sustainability plan include guidelines for creating such lovely green spaces?
Dr. Annis Pratt Birmingham MI
Money found at the Speedway located at 34750 Woodward Avenue – Birmingham on July 13th. If you believe this is yours please call the Birmingham police department with specifics of amount and location of the money being found.
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: OaklandConfidential@DowntownPublications.com. All sources are kept strictly confidential. The gossip column can be viewed at OaklandConfidential.com where you can sign up to receive updates via email.
NO SPACE FOR HATE: Over 200 people spoke out during public comment at Bloomfield Township’s October 14 board of trustees meeting after Bloomfield Township Trustee Stephanie Fakih, who is Lebanese American, posted on social media, “Israeli zionists are the scum of the earth and the only people on par are American zionists,” as well as referring to 95%+ of Jews globally as “scum.” Rather than reaching out and apologizing, Fakih doubled down and posted again on October 7, urging a call to action for her supporters to come to the township board meeting to speak during public comment to “say that you stand with me.” A few did show up. The group StopAntisemitism posted back in response, “Bloomfield is home to one of Michigan’s largest Jewish populations. This vile hate must not be tolerated –Stephanie Fakih must step down.” An elected official cannot be recalled in their last year of office and only the governor can order removal of an official.
A primarily Jewish, pro-Israel crowd spoke directly to Fakih at the board of trustees meeting, explaining their hurt and anger for 3.5 hours of public comment, while Fakih smirked from the trustees table. Fakih, completing her first four-year term as a Bloomfield Township trustee, is not running for reelection on November 5, so her time at the trustees table is very limited, with new trustees taking their place on November 20. Fakih unsuccessfully ran for state representative in 2022, and has spoken of her desire for higher political office. That aspiration may last as long as a social media post. Trustees eventually censured her, 6-1.
INVESTMENT LAPSE: It’s nice to have investment portfolios. However, when you’re an elected official, there are federal rules mandating the disclosure of stock trades – a 45-day required window, and there is no flexibility, regardless of who you are, or who you think you are. End Citizens United, a left-leaning advocacy group, has let Congressman John James (R-Shelby Township, Rochester, Rochester Hills, Macomb County) know that he is not above the law when it filed an ethics complaint against him in late September, alleging he violated the STOCK Act for not disclosing 145 stock trades and failing to file his annual financial disclosure on time. It seems James failed to file his annual financial disclosure for 2023 until September 2, 2024 – including transactions which occurred as far back as November 10, 2023. “Whether this decision was intentional or not, Rep. James again left the public in the dark about his finances for weeks beyond the statutory deadline,” the complaint read. James’ office told The Detroit News he was unaware of any impropriety because “trades took place under a financial trust that function as a blind trust.”
WRONG STORY: Speaking of records lapses, Bloomfield Township Supervisor Dani Walsh (D), who is running for re-election, received a Campaign Finance Letter of Late Filing on September 24, after failing to file her post-primary election filing for the August 6 election by the due date of September 5. Walsh, who cites herself as her campaign’s treasurer, paid the late filing fee of $325 on September 25, after filing her candidate filing on September 24 with Michigan Department of State Bureau of Elections. She noted absolutely zero – none – contributions during the filing quarter, with $3,974.67 cash on hand. Looking into previous election filings reveal Walsh has a history of late filings going back to 2020, including one referred to the Michigan Attorney General’s office in 2023.
FATE OF THE HOUSE: As we are finally just days away from the 2024 election, it is obvious from anyone watching TV, receiving text ads and mailers that this has been one expensive election cycle. According to the Cook Political Report, the balance of power in the U.S. House of Representatives –where there are 435 seats – will be decided by just 42 of the most competitive races, among them Michigan’s 3rd District, currently held by Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-Grand Rapids), which she is likely to keep; Michigan’s 7th
FAKIH
WALSH
District, currently held by Democrat Rep. Elissa Slotkin, currently running for Michigan’s open Senate seat, is being fought over by Democrat Curtis Hertel and Republican Tom Barrett, and the 8th District, where Democrat Rep. Dan Kildee is stepping down and Democrat Kristen McDonald Rivet is facing off against Republican Paul Junge. According to the Cook Political Report, both of those races are considered toss-ups. Michigan’s 10th District, where a rematch of 2022 is taking place between incumbent Republican John James and Democrat Carl Malinga, is considered a “lean Republican” district. None of these races are considered the most expensive this go-round, with the California Senate race, where over $98 million has already been spent, is the top race. As for U.S. House races, New York’s 8th District race, between incumbent Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D) and his Republican challenger John Delaney, is the priciest to date, with almost $18 million spent. As for Michigan’s most expensive race, look the 7th District, between Hertel and Barrett. In 2022, that seat, between Slotkin and Barrett, was the most expensive race in the entire country, with approximately $27 million spent, by both their campaigns and outside groups.
individuals from other states, bolstered by reported funding from a Democrat legislative election committee. Steele had just over $96,000 in the bank, the majority of it from Oakland GOP loyalists whose names have a familiar ring, and some from Republican party royalty on the west side of the state, like members of the VanAndel (Amway) family, and Grand Rapids area developer Dan Hibma who gave birth ($300,000) to the far-right TGIF Victory Fund, along with the likes of Terry Lynn Land ($50,000), former Michigan SOS. This fund is the main underwriter of the political mess in Ottawa County. This is the race to watch.
MONEY-A-GO-GO: The big Kahuna in the Michigan money competition is in the race for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat, between Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly) and former Congressman Mike Rogers (R-White Lake, we think). Slotkin announced in early October that she had raised $18 million in the third quarter, for a total of over $40 million this election cycle, an unbelievable haul. “With five weeks until Election Day, our campaign has dominated in grassroots fundraising, bringing in the largest Senate haul in Michigan’s history,” her campaign’s communications director, Austin Cook, said. “Mike Rogers continues to depend on billionaires and super PACs to prop up his entire campaign.” While we dismiss most campaign press releases for the spin they are, this one contains more than a kernel of truth. As of the end of September, Slotkin had outraised Rogers four-toone. According to the FEC, at that point he had raised $5.3 million total and had $2.5 million in his coffers. He had not yet released his third quarter fundraising efforts. However, the race is still considered close – Slotkin is up between 3.5 and 5 percentage points, depending on the polling data. To keep it competitive, the Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC affiliated with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) is pouring in $22.5 million. Great Lakes Conservative Fund, a pro-Rogers super PAC, has already spent a bunch and has added another $4 million buy, while the Senate Majority PAC, with ties to Senate Democratic Leadership, is spending $14.5 million to maintain Slotkin’s lead. No doubt the biggest winners in this race are the TV station executives.
PURGING ROLLS: Starting with the Trump loss in the 2020 election, the former prez and a number of Republicans took up the cry that the results were rigged, spurring a movement to challenge at the offices of local clerks the rolls of those registered to vote. An organized effort, aptly named Soles to the Polls, was created to challenge voter rolls across the country, including in Michigan. Not much has been heard locally about this effort in the last year except in some isolated incidents in Oakland County in places like Waterford Township and a couple of other communities. We reached out to a number clerks since the August primary to see if challenges were still taking place. Bloomfield Township Clerk Martin Brook said that he has occasionally gotten phone calls on the topic but nothing in terms of voter challenges for the most part since 2022. Bloomfield Hills Clerk Amy Burton said there had been some challenges so we filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request and learned that local resident William Cabrera filed formal challenges to 48 registered voters. We were not able to learn much about Cabrera either through online research or conversations with regulars in both parties. Over in Birmingham, we also filed an FOIA request with city clerk Alexandria Bingham for the name of anyone who had challenged registered voters and how many challenges they filed. The city’s response? Resident Dulce Fuller filed a challenge of 81 persons on the voting rolls. Dulce Fuller has been active with the conservative (but generally respected) Mackinac Center and has been a member of the Southeast Michigan Committee of The Heritage Foundation, the hard-right conservative national group and think tank that has had considerable influence in the White House beginning with the administration of President Ronald Reagan. Of late the group has been at the center of the controversy over the development of the Project 2025 900-page document supposedly designed as a battle strategy for Donald Trump should he win in November. As for any voter roll challenge, local clerks are following state and federal laws and procedures so it’s not like names are removed from the rolls instantly.
HOUSE RACE ODDS: With the November election literally just days away, one of the state House races in Oakland County drawing special attention is the rematch between Democrat Shadia Martini from Bloomfield Township and incumbent Republican state Rep. Donni Steele who won the 2022 contest by 1,004 votes for the 54th House District that includes Bloomfield Township and Bloomfield Hills, along with Orion and Oakland townships and the city of Auburn Hills. While local Democrat club members talk about how the Bloomfield’s have gone Blue, the numbers say otherwise. Martini in 2020 took those two communities by only 64 votes, and that was in an election cycle with three state ballot issues that would draw more from the liberal ranks (think abortion, voting rights, lawmaker financial transparency/term limits), plus local tax questions in three of the communities, not to mention a recreational cannabis question in Auburn Hills. The reality on the ground is that two-thirds of the 54th’s population lives in the northern part of the district where one GOP operative noted, “Donni is VERY strong up here, as is Trump.” Martini in the final weeks this time around seems to be relying on TV ads critiquing Steele by cherry-picking some of the 740 votes she has cast in office and for being in the anti-abortion camp, although most consider that a settled issue in Michigan. Balance that against what one Republican noted is “signs all up and down M-24 (Lapeer Road)” in the northern environs for Steele, a recognized hometown figure after serving on the Orion Township board and as township treasurer since 2012. On the campaign finance front, at the end of August, Martini had nearly $223,000 on hand, most from
WRITE-IN EFFORT: After we encountered a cluster of political signs at an intersection in Bloomfield Township, we had to reach out to township activist David Thomas who confirmed that, yes, he is running a write-in campaign as a Republican for the office of township clerk in the upcoming general election. Thomas has been involved on a number of efforts in the township, and ran for the supervisor spot in 2016 and then for clerk in 2020 but was eliminated in the Republican primary. Thomas tells us he’s running on the issues of transparency and accountability. He wants the township checkbook to be posted online so everyone can see where every tax dollar is spent. The only other name on the ballot for clerk will be Democrat Martin Brook, the incumbent. Thomas, whose name will not be printed on the ballots, says this will be a low cost affair. Although the current mayor of Detroit did it once, and the mayor of Rochester Hills has won three times as a write-in, those were big dollar efforts.
NO STONE UNTURNED: Heading into the final three weeks of the presidential race the Haley Voters For Harris (HV4H) PAC is turning up the heat in a few of the critical states like Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Robert Schwartz, the Michigan Director for HV4H, tells Oakland Confidential that his group got a seven-figure donation the first full week of October to up the game by reaching out to 600,000 Michigan voters to capture the backing for Vice President Kamala Harris from disenchanted Republican voters (296,200) who still cast primary election votes for Nikki Haley even though she had formally withdrawn from the race and threw her support to ex-prez Trump. Schwartz said digital ads were launched immediately, focused on center right or moderate members of the GOP. Some national polling suggests that 36 percent of those voting for Haley can be counted on as votes for Harris come November 5. Such an effort could be a determining factor in a state like Michigan which Biden won by about 154,000 votes in 2020.
JAMES
SLOTKIN
THOMAS
ROGERS
MALINGA
FACES
Marc Stewart
I
nternational correspondent Marc Stewart reports on the dynamic Asia-Pacific region for CNN’s television and digital platforms. While his home base is now Beijing, his roots are in Michigan, which helped set the stage for his future career.
Stewart grew up in Bloomfield Hills and attended Cranbrook Schools where he was drawn to travel and valued being surrounded by the diversity of people and cultures in Southeast Michigan.
“One of the greatest strengths of the metro Detroit area is that you encounter people from all over the world. The global community feel is all around you,” he said.
He graduated from Michigan State University’s James Madison College in 1995 with a bachelor's degree in international relations. While in college, he had internships at several local media outlets including WDIV, WWJ and WDET.
His rich journalism career has spanned more than 25 years with much of it spent as a reporter and news anchor. He “hopscotched all over the U.S.” working for local news stations in Lansing, Knoxville, Nashville and Denver and was able to travel internationally through journalism-related fellowships.
In June 2018, while working in Denver, Stewart attended a conference in Singapore and learned of a master’s program at New York University which combines business and journalism – two of his main interests. “On the 16-hour flight from Singapore to Denver I applied to the program and ended up getting accepted. I quit a great job in Denver mid-career and started grad school at NYU that fall.”
Stewart earned a master's degree in business and economic journalism from NYU in December 2019. He landed a job with the Wall Street Journal and moved to London in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic to host its morning business and economy podcast which he credits with deepening his understanding of global markets.
The journalist returned to New York at the end of 2021 and began appearing frequently on CNN as a guest commentator during the time when the stock market and economy were in flux. He was hired by CNN in the fall of 2022 and moved to Asia to work in his current role. He also co-hosts CNN’s Marketplace Asia.
While living in Toyko, he reconnected with a childhood friend from Michigan who had moved back to Japan. He fondly recalls many years earlier having Little Caesar’s pizza and Japanese food at his friend’s birthday party in Michigan. “It’s interesting how childhood experiences can help set your course for life. The global exposure heightened my sense for the journalistic bug.”
Of his current job, Stewart explained, “There is no typical workday. A lot of my schedule is dictated by what’s happening in the world.”
He added, “With CNN, I get to work with smart people all over the world and have access to incredible resources...It’s never lost on me that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I never take it for granted.”
Along with his busy work schedule, Stewart frequently returns to Michigan to visit family and enjoys stopping by a Coney Island restaurant for one of his favorite Michigan comfort foods – a Greek salad.
To keep mentally and physically fit, he participates in weightlifting and CrossFit-style classes and has competed in an Ironman triathlon, a marathon and about 40 half marathons.
In addition to curiosity of the world as well as strong writing and analytical skills, Stewart offered this advice to aspiring journalists: “You should always be learning something new and be aware of what’s happening in the world...The way news is gathered is changing. It gives you an edge if your bosses know you can cover a wide range of topics.
“None of this happens without hard work – I didn’t get here overnight. I was persistent. Keep pushing forward and it will bring dividends,” he said, adding, “Be well informed. Preparation prevents poor performance. Bring your A-game and you’ll have no regrets.”
Story: Tracy Donohue
BIRMINGHAM FOR THE HOLIDAYS
FOR THE HOLIDAYS
BIRMINGHAM
BIRMINGHAM
FOR THE HOLIDAYS
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
HOW DOES RELIGION FIT IN MICHIGAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
BY MARK H. STOWERS
The debate over maintaining a secular environment in public schools as opposed to allowing the teaching of religious doctrine has taken on a life of its own over the years, with the courts often having the final say on the issue. Yet even today there are efforts to bring religious education – specifically teaching of Christianity through study of the Bible – into the public schools of Michigan, including in Oakland County.
The United States Constitution, in the First Amendment, states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”
Legal minds have further expounded on the statement to explain, the First Amendment to the United States Constitution establishes the principle of separation of church and state that includes two key clauses. The first is the Establishment Clause. This clause prohibits the government from establishing an official religion or disproportionately favoring one religion over another. Essentially, the government cannot promote or endorse any specific religious beliefs or practices. The second clause is the Free Exercise Clause. This clause protects individuals' rights to practice their religion freely, as long as it
does not infringe on the rights of others or violates public order.
Together, these clauses ensures the government remains neutral in matters of religion, allowing for religious freedom while preventing any state-sponsored religious activities in a variety of situations. This separation is a foundational aspect of American democracy and has been upheld through numerous court cases and legal interpretations over the years. One, Engel v. Vitale, is the 1962 Supreme Court ruling on state-sponsored classroom prayer. In this landmark case, the court addressed the constitutionality of a New York State law that encouraged public schools to recite a short, voluntary prayer at the start of each school day. The prayer, known as the “Regent’s Prayer,” was written with the intention of being voluntary and nondenominational. A group of parents, led by Steven Engel, challenged and argued the prayer violated the Establishment Clause. The Supreme Court ruled 6-1 that the voluntary, nondenominational prayer was state-sponsored and was an unconstitutional endorsement of religion. Justice Hugo Black, writing for the majority, emphasized that the government should not be involved in the practice of religion.
The impact of the case’s ruling set a precedent for interpreting the Establishment Clause, reinforcing the principle that as a government entity, public schools cannot sponsor religious activities or even promote religious practices. The case continues to reverberate with lasting implications for how religion is addressed in public schools. This case has been the backbone of the argument regarding the role of religion in public schools and the importance of maintaining a secular environment.
Today there are more than 10,000 established and recognized religions in the world. One of the largest religious groups in the world is Christianity, with an estimated 2.3 to 2.6 billion followers in 2020. The other largest religions include Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. Islam makes up nearly 25 percent of the world's population. Hinduism encompasses 15 percent of the world’s population while Buddhism has almost seven percent. Irreligion – defined as the absence or rejection of religious beliefs or practices –includes almost 16 percent of the world's population. With 10,000 different religions, any one of them has the right to create a religious educational course within certain legal parameters.
In Michigan, public schools are allowed to teach about religion as part of a broader educational framework, provided they maintain a neutral and objective stance. This
TODAY THERE ARE MORE THAN 10,000 ESTABLISHED AND RECOGNIZED RELIGIONS IN THE WORLD. ONE OF THE LARGEST RELIGIOUS GROUPS IN THE WORLD IS CHRISTIANITY, WITH AN ESTIMATED 2.3 TO 2.6 BILLION FOLLOWERS IN 2020. THE OTHER LARGEST RELIGIONS INCLUDE ISLAM, HINDUISM AND BUDDHISM. ISLAM MAKES UP NEARLY 25 PERCENT OF THE WORLD'S POPULATION. HINDUISM ENCOMPASSES 15 PERCENT WHILE BUDDHISM HAS ALMOST SEVEN PERCENT.
means that classes can cover the historical, cultural and social aspects of various religions, including their beliefs and practices, but they cannot promote or endorse any specific religion.
To ensure compliance with constitutional guidelines, religious classes may only focus on understanding religion's role in history, literature and society but cannot teach religious doctrine. This approach helps foster respect and awareness among students about different beliefs while adhering to the principle of separation of church and state. These types of classes have often been folded into history or social studies curriculums.
Professor Mark Navin, chair of the Department of Philosophy at Oakland University and clinical ethicist at Corewell East William Beaumont Royal Oak, asked a basic question.
“I'm a philosopher, let’s start with the most basic ideas. One question is ‘what's religion?’ The Supreme Court of the United States – but even state Supreme Courts – have actually been very reluctant to even define that term because notably defining it would put them in the business of establishment. It would sort of say these are the things we recognize as religions and these things we don't know. There are exceptions to that, but I think that what we're saying in big parts of the law, and in particular, when it comes to religious exemptions and religious liberty, we
recognize in this country wide scope for things that can count as religion and religious. And the upshot for education just is that if you think of religion as a sort of organized system of moral beliefs that bind a community together, that give it some sense of purpose, or narrative for themselves, schools can't help the future religion. The question is just going to be which one or which kind.”
He explained that religious history is part of every country’s story.
“Many people say schools should teach a civic religion. A sort of story about America's origin and patriotism and the sort of virtues of citizenship and membership. And maybe that's a very positive story that I think until recently had a lot of bipartisan consensuses. This is the story of increasing liberty and opportunity. And I think it's plausible on some levels. Many people have called it ‘civic religion.’ And some people argue that's the purpose of school – to raise our children in that religion is to form the basis of our ongoing stability in our community.”
Finding a common ground is difficult with so many different religions.
“Religion is when you're talking about God and the Bible and that's a story that maybe I'm not convinced by that narrow conception of religion,” Navin continued. “Even if that were true, it's still going to be the case that schools can't help but sometimes teach things that are either in agreement with or contrary to other religious beliefs and commitments. Ideas about the origin of life or the creation or beginning of the universe or ideas about gender or about sexuality or about interpersonal morality or about social justice. These are things religions take stands on. And if the schools are going to take a stand on those things, there's going to be either agreement or conflict with religion. In that way, they're either teaching some part of religion or they're teaching against some part of religion. I don't think schools can avoid this problem. Schools are either in the business of teaching religion or teaching things that either support or conflict with some religions.”
He further explained that even with the constitutional guidelines, it all comes down to who’s responsible.
“Framing the question as one about religion in schools is maybe not helpful. One reason we have to frame it that way is because the Constitution calls out special attention to religious liberty in the First Amendment. And if you want to make a liberty-based argument either about free exercise or establishment, talking about religions is the right way to go, given our constitutional framework. But I think the real questions are about the division of responsibility between parents and society for raising and protecting children and socializing them into both individual identities and their role in the broader sort of civic fabric. And I think that's something that reasonable people disagree about,” Navin said.
With schools “being in the business of teaching facts,” Navin explained those facts are needed to develop as an individual and be able to thrive in “various cooperative activities in the labor force, have friendships that work. But we as human beings have a tendency to only trust people with whom we identify on some level and to not sort of be willing or as willing to trust people who we think have sort of moral beliefs or social identities that are contrary or in conflict with our own. And you might think that in the name of actually better educating children, allowing children or parents to select charter schools or private schools or even homeschooling in which schooling opportunities take place against the background of a set of shared values might actually be a better way to educate. Because I think our big
problem right now is distrust in broader institutions and that's a real problem for our schools. Especially if you think that the schools are sort of at war with your religious identities, your moral beliefs, your sort of way you'd like to raise your kid.”
He further explained he believes that much of what is being taught actually has a religious foundation.
“I think there ought to be a lot more religion in the curriculum. I think students ought to be reading the Bible in their literature classes and maybe integrate into social studies as well. I don't think you can read Shakespeare unless you know Bible stories. I think you can't make sense of the Protestant Reformation unless you've got a sense of what's going on in Paul's letters (New Testament of the Christian Bible) about how I want to achieve salvation. If you understand the Protestant Reformation and you can't understand anything about the history of America or the wars in Europe that preceded that, I think we ought to be teaching a lot more religion. Not to necessarily trying to indoctrinate children to particular religious beliefs, but we ought to be talking about it a lot more. How you could be studying a culture or history without thinking about the religion? And not just studying the religion but taking it very seriously and trying to take it seriously from the inside. For example, if you read about the history of the Crusades, and
MANY PEOPLE SAY SCHOOLS SHOULD TEACH A CIVIC RELIGION. A SORT OF STORY ABOUT AMERICA'S ORIGIN AND PATRIOTISM AND THE SORT OF VIRTUES OF CITIZENSHIP AND MEMBERSHIP. AND MAYBE THAT'S A VERY POSITIVE STORY THAT I THINK UNTIL RECENTLY HAD A LOT OF BIPARTISAN CONSENSUSES. THIS IS THE STORY OF INCREASING LIBERTY AND OPPORTUNITY. AND I THINK IT'S PLAUSIBLE ON SOME LEVELS. MANY PEOPLE HAVE CALLED IT ‘CIVIC RELIGION.’
you think about these petty nobles from France or Italy that went off to the Holy Land to fight. It's very hard to explain what their motivations were unless you take their religious beliefs seriously and try and get inside their heads and understand they actually took the prospect of hell really seriously and they took very seriously the prospect of the papal indulgence and the forgiveness associated with their participation in the crusades. If you don't take seriously that someone could believe such a thing and I’m worried that many teachers and young people today don't take seriously these kinds of motivations, you can't understand some of the fundamental forces that drove human history. It goes back to actual facts. You need to look at the whole story and able in order to understand and tell the whole story.”
In considering the political spectrum, Navin noted that neither side is right and neither side is wrong.
“I worry that increasingly leftists think of religion as something cute or sweet or is anachronistic but not something we'll have to take seriously as a source of motivation and purpose for people's lives. And that's a real problem if we're if we're trying to teach children in that way. I think people on the right sometimes advocate for more religion in schools and I think sometimes do mean a kind of indoctrination. The idea of school should be raising kids at least in a kind of Judeo-Christian framework. They actually often understate the real differences between religions.
Having Christianity be something taught at school doesn't actually resolve these problems of pluralism and diversity. It's just going to refocus them.”
In looking at the foundation of the United States, Navin explained, “America's not a secular country. I think some people on the left think it is, and what I mean by that is France is explicitly, and has been for nearly 200 years, a secular country with some intermissions there and it has been its policy to drive religion out of public life, there is no religion, but America's not and has never been a secular country. We have had a strong role for recognition of God and respect for religious language and values and displays in our public life since the very beginning. And religion has played a prominent and public role in everything from the abolition of slavery to the civil rights movement. And even abolishing alcohol in the early 20th century. Like every major American social movement until very recently has been led by religious figures. Everything from 'In God We Trust' to 'Under God' and the 'Pledge of Allegiance' shows and prayers on the floor of the Congress show that we are not attempting to somehow drive religion out of public life. I worry that some people on the left think we ought to be more like France and have an intolerance for religion in public and in our politics. And as much as they're committed to that, I think they're committed to something un-American. I say that as a member of their tribe, as someone who is of the left. It's like I preach to my kids. You need to listen to other folks. You need to try to find ways to get along and figure it out. Just because one side thinks they're right, if they incorporate everything, then a lot of people aren't going to be represented in that type of government. I understand why in the broken situation people choose private schools and choose homeschooling, but boy, I would love an America where all sorts of kids were going to school together and learning to see each other as fellow citizens.”
April Empario, assistant superintendent of Student Learning & Inclusion for Birmingham Public Schools, explained how the potentially controversial subject is handled:
“In Birmingham Public Schools, religion is not taught as a standalone subject. However, as part of the Michigan state social studies standards, we educate students about world religions in a historical and cultural context. For example, the 7th grade curriculum includes a standard where students explore ancient civilizations and their belief systems, including the religions of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, India and China, to understand global history and cultures better. This approach is educational, not devotional, and aligns with state guidelines.”
It was pointed out that students from Berkshire and Derby middle schools did previously participate voluntarily in a Religious Diversity Journeys program prior to the pandemic. This was discontinued due to COVID-19 restrictions. However, the district is looking to bring that option back very soon. The program is nine-weeks long and students are taught ancient civilizations and as part of that unit, students learn different religions and other state standards, but religion is not the primary focus, according to Cortez Strickland, marketing & communications manager for Birmingham Public Schools.
The detroitinterfaithcouncil.com website explains, “Religious Diversity Journeys allows students to experience visits to five different houses of worship and one cultural journey for first-person learning about the Christian, Hindu, Islam, Jewish, and Sikh faith traditions.” It further states, “The Religious Diversity program aligns with the Michigan
Department of Education (MDE) Grade Level Content Expectations for the Study of World Religions and the National Council for the Social Studies: College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework.”
When the MDE was emailed and asked questions about religion in public schools, Bob Wheaton, director, Office of Public and Governmental Affairs responded, “Michigan public schools are required to follow all applicable federal and state laws.” He also provided several websites with information, including a memorandum from Delsa D. Chapman, Ed.D., deputy superintendent, Division of Assessment, School Improvement and Systems Support, dated August 29, 2024, explaining, “The U.S. Department of Education requires that intermediate school districts and local education agencies, both traditional public school districts and public school academies, as a condition of receiving funds under any portion of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965 as amended, annually certify to the state education agency that it has no policy that prevents, or otherwise denies participation in, constitutionally protected prayer in public schools. A district’s failure to submit the required certification may result in the district’s loss of funding under ESEA.”
Michigan law allows for a moment of silence at the beginning of the school day. This moment can be used for
IN BIRMINGHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS, RELIGION IS NOT TAUGHT AS A STANDALONE SUBJECT...WE EDUCATE STUDENTS ABOUT WORLD RELIGIONS IN A HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXT. FOR EXAMPLE, THE 7TH GRADE CURRICULUM INCLUDES A STANDARD WHERE STUDENTS EXPLORE ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS AND THEIR BELIEF SYSTEMS, INCLUDING THE RELIGIONS OF MESOPOTAMIA, EGYPT, GREECE, ROME, INDIA AND CHINA, TO UNDERSTAND GLOBAL HISTORY AND CULTURES BETTER.
personal reflection, prayer or meditation, but it must be voluntary and cannot be structured to promote any specific religious practice.
The federal government protects school prayer in “Section 8524(a) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act and codified at 20 U.S.C. § 7904(a), which requires the Secretary of Education to issue guidance to state educational agencies, local educational agencies and the public on constitutionally protected prayer in public elementary and secondary schools. In addition, it requires that, as a condition of receiving ESEA funds, local educational agencies must annually certify in writing to its Secretary of Education that it has no policy that prevents, or otherwise denies participation in, constitutionally protected prayer in public elementary and secondary schools.”
At the same time, students have the right to express their religious beliefs, such as through student-led prayer or religious clubs, as long as it does not disrupt the school environment. The Equal Access Act mandates that schools must provide equal access for student-led groups, including those with a religious focus. Students can express their religious beliefs while teachers and school officials must maintain a neutral stance and avoid promoting or denigrating any religious views.
Karen Huyghe, director of communications for Bloomfield
Hills Schools, noted that as a public school district they “respect the individual religious beliefs of students and staff.”
There is a movement afoot around the country to bring outside religious education to public and charter school students during “non-core” subjects – such as band, gym, recess and art, rather than math, reading, history or social studies, in an effort to provide faith-based knowledge to students without crossing the hypothetical line with the First Amendment. One such institution, LifeWise Academy, is attempting to gain footholds in Michigan and Oakland County.
LifeWise Academy was founded in 2018 as a division of Stand For Truth, an event-based non-profit ministry with a mission to reach public school students. The organization is headed by former Ohio State University football player Joel Penton. The group’s website explains their goal and mission, “The creation of LifeWise was inspired by a released time program in Van Wert, Ohio, which boasts a 95 percent participation rate among public elementary school students. Stand For Truth and the Van Wert released time program teamed up to create LifeWise Academy, launching the first two LifeWise programs in the fall of 2019. LifeWise Academy now serves more than 150 school districts nationwide.”
Penton offered a deeper background of the organization and what they do across the country in 31 states. He said there has been interest in Michigan but no program has been officially started.
“The Supreme Court had ruled that public school students could be released from public school during school hours to receive religious instruction. It just had to be off of school property, privately-funded and parent-permitted,” Penton said. “A program like this had been started in my hometown (Penton wasn’t living there at the time) and 95 percent of the whole school was involved in this thing. And it was having a big impact. I was doing a lot of speaking in schools. The leaders thought I might be able to help them answer the question, ‘Why doesn't every community have a program like this?’ It’s beneficial and it's legal.”
After conducting his own research, Penton said he discovered that starting a larger scale program was nearly impossible to do.
“You’re basically starting a private school,” he said. “You have to find the facility and curriculum and transportation. I said, ‘I think what you need to do is you need to put it all in a box and make it repeatable, make it scalable.’”
Penton was encouraged to do just that and set out to start a “plug and play” program that any community could implement. LifeWise launched its first two programs in 2019 and set a goal of 25 schools to serve by 2025.
“We thought that was really ambitious, 25 by 25. Here we are in 2024, and we're confirmed to serve over 600 schools across 31 states. In Michigan in particular, we are confirmed to serve six schools but none of them are yet launched.”
One of those schools, Brandon Schools, a public school district in northern Oakland County, was contacted, but superintendent Carly Stone’s executive assistant, Alexis Wheat, noted she was not allowed to discuss LifeWise Academy.
Penton explained that first, each community has to have 50 signatures from community members in order to start the process of having LifeWise Academy begin the process.
“The other schools are still identifying their local teams and getting them trained. And even if you have questions, I don't even know if we'd have someone to answer your
questions. They probably wouldn't know anything about it because there's no program underway,” Penton said.
The 50 signatures “demonstrates to us there's people there that really want to do this. We just provide the resources and tools and things as local people. One person's not going to pull this off. If you want to do it, go find 49 friends, and then we form a steering committee,” Penton explained. “And that school district, they've just had four signatures. They've got 46 to go but I will tell you, we have received at least one signature from 237 Michigan school districts and we've received over 2,000 signatures in total throughout the state. More than a dozen have already eclipsed that 50-signature mark. You’ve got communities that are interested, that are beginning to move through that process, and then a small handful are kind of reaching that point of launching live classes.”
Bringing LifeWise Academy in for religious education begins with parents taking the initiative.
“Often when we go to a school, they're unfamiliar with the concept of it altogether,” he said. “They don't know there's a state law about it. Sometimes they even have policies on their books that maybe were adopted years before and these policy manuals are huge. It's not like everybody's staying up late reading them at night. That’s part of the process; there’s some education to do. But 90
THERE IS A MOVEMENT AFOOT AROUND THE COUNTRY TO BRING OUTSIDE RELIGIOUS EDUCATION TO PUBLIC AND CHARTER SCHOOL STUDENTS DURING “NON-CORE” SUBJECTS – SUCH AS BAND, GYM, RECESS AND ART...IN AN EFFORT TO PROVIDE FAITH-BASED KNOWLEDGE TO STUDENTS WITHOUT CROSSING THE HYPOTHETICAL LINE WITH THE FIRST AMENDMENT. ONE SUCH INSTITUTION, LIFEWISE ACADEMY, IS ATTEMPTING TO GAIN FOOTHOLDS IN MICHIGAN AND OAKLAND COUNTY.
percent of the time, at the end of that conversation, we're able to move forward and launch a program.”
The basics of LifeWise Academy is teaching the Bible to first through fifth grade students.
“It really is that simple. The shortest version of what we do is Bible education for public school students during school hours. The curriculum we use, we have a licensing agreement with the Gospel Project. We teach students through the entire Bible, Genesis through Revelation, usually over the course of five years. Our typical program will be grades one through five. When they start in first grade, they're reading about creation and Genesis and by the time they finish fifth grade, they've been through the book of Revelation,” Penton said.
He explained there is a three-fold philosophy.
“We keep it legal, meaning we know the rules. We make sure all the federal, state and local policies that we abide by and we make sure the school does. We want to make sure we keep it legal. Number two, we keep it simple. It is a Christian program. It is a religious program. But we're not delving into the finer details of religious doctrine with these elementary school kids. We're teaching them the main themes of scripture and with the gospel at the center. We are talking about Jesus, and we're talking about God's love. We keep it practical, meaning every lesson is tied to a character trait. How does God's love transform us? And one
week, it might be the word of the week. It might be honesty or it might be responsibility or it might be sacrifice. And we kind of do that through the whole of Scripture. Kids get it once a week.”
He noted that in surveying over 700 school administrators, “90 percent said they saw it as beneficial to their school and students.”
In working and teaching from a Christian viewpoint, Penton explained, “I would say that we unashamedly are sharing the love of God with students. And if someone's unfamiliar with the Bible message, then I would say all the more we want to share the love of God. We wouldn't ever want to say we only want to teach the Bible to those who already are familiar with it. We believe part of Christianity is that we want to spread the message. I don't think we would shy away from that, even if some people would want to paint that in some sort of negative light. We don't see it that way.”
LifeWise Academy’s program has teachers who go through a certification process and explained the content of the program.
“It's a Christian program and if children come, they're going to hear a Christian lesson,” Penton noted. “We recognize that other religions can do the same thing. There could be a Muslim release time program; a Jewish one. In fact, there are these programs in New York, in particular, there's quite a few Jewish release time programs. All religions are able to do this. It's one of the beautiful things about it is that it's entirely optional and open. We emphasize the optional nature. We recognize not every family is going to want to do it. It's entirely optional. The families that want to participate and find the value can, and those that aren't interested don't have to.”
He noted there are other big things to keep in mind with any type of public school religious classes.
“Keep it legal and constitutional, off school property, privately funded and parent permitted,” he said. “A question often comes up is ‘what about the separation of church and state?’ And we say, ‘that's the point.’ That's why the Supreme Court ruled the way they did because of those three things. It's separate from state property, it's separate from state funding and it's separate from state compulsion. And that matter genuinely is settled by the highest court.”
The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), based in Wisconsin, was founded in the late 1960s, according to Sammi Lawrence, staff attorney. The FFRF has two dual missions – to serve as an umbrella and voice for atheists and agnostics and free thinkers and to educate the public about what it means to be a free thinker and to be nonreligious. The second purpose is to help protect the wall of separation between state and church.
“The foundation has helped with a lot of different lawsuits since it started in the '70s, and our legal department receives many complaints each year from people who think they've experienced a constitutional violation related to the separation of state and church,” Lawrence said. “And for a lot of those complaints, we address them without going to court by just trying to write essentially cease and desist letters to whatever government organization is involved, like a school district, saying, ‘hey, we heard that this happened.’”
She noted the organization receives quite a few complaints regarding teachers in public schools leading students in prayer or trying to promote religion in a devotional way. She contacts those schools and lets them know of the report from a parent and works to get is
resolved with assurances it won’t happen again.
“But we do also file lawsuits on behalf of clients and sometimes the foundation itself has been a plaintiff in lawsuits. We also often work with coalitions to bring lawsuits. It's really a pretty wide variety. We do not have any lawsuits in Michigan right now. I want to say that we have had lawsuits in Michigan in the past prior to my working here. We've been involved in many lawsuits in some way or another over the past 40-plus years,” she said. “We do receive complaints from people in Michigan every year. We receive complaints from all 50 states every year.”
Lawrence focuses on the protections of the First Amendment.
“We're against indoctrination because that's what's illegal under the First Amendment. Of course, students can learn about religion in a fact-based, secular manner in schools, including in public schools. Plenty of social studies classes include completely acceptable, factual discussions about religions that exist in the world, etc. We're against people actually trying to indoctrinate students in the public schools.”
But the definition and practice of indoctrination varies from state to state.
“It can also vary depending on whether you are talking about the federal constitution or a state constitution. But
PUBLIC SCHOOLS SHOULD BE SCHEDULING AND HOSTING PRAYERS AND ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO PRAY. IF STUDENTS AS INDIVIDUALS FEEL THE DESIRE TO PRAY, OF COURSE, THEY CAN DO THAT. STUDENTS GENERALLY HAVE FREE SPEECH RIGHTS BUT THE SCHOOL ITSELF AND TEACHERS SHOULDN'T BE TRYING TO GET STUDENTS TO PRAY... IF IT'S COVERING A RELIGION IN A SECULAR AND SCHOLARLY MANNER, THAT WOULD THEORETICALLY BE FINE.
generally, we would say that any time the school, through an official policy or an individual teacher, is basically trying to promote or coerce or convince people to believe in a certain religion or pray or participate in any religious activity, that is crossing the line,” Lawrence said.
The FFRF currently has cases such as the Ten Commandments lawsuit in Louisiana where the governor proposed posting the Ten Commandments in all public school classrooms.
“We and several other groups are in a coalition effort to bring that lawsuit, and we filed that a few months ago and that's still ongoing but basically, we and our clients are opposing a Louisiana law requiring that the Ten Commandments be posted in all public school classrooms,” she said.
She explained that even if other religions such as Buddhism or Judaism tenets were posted, the same premise for a lawsuit would exist.
“If they had to post all of them in every classroom or if the law was somehow different and said that a whole bunch of different religions' scriptures have to be posted in every public classroom, I think we would still sue, because then that would still be the government very clearly promoting the idea that you have to be religious,” Lawrence said. “The government is, under the Constitution, supposed to essentially be neutral. It
shouldn't be telling people that they should be religious or not religious, or that they should believe in any particular religion. We believe that the government should really just stay out of religion because that's a private matter that people should just be deciding completely for themselves.”
The FFRF stance on the Pledge of Allegiance and In God We Trust on U.S. currency follows what the courts have already decided.
“Unfortunately, the courts have basically already decided that those things are fine. We still would prefer that they not exist. 'In God We Trust' wasn't added to the Pledge of Allegiance until the 1950s as a response to communism and McCarthyism. The national motto used to be, E Pluribus Unum. If we could change it back, we would, but the courts have decided that those mentions of God in those specific contexts are what the federal courts call 'ceremonial deism,' which is this kind of very vague idea that if you just sort of vaguely reference a God in the name of God, then it's not God. In sort of this ceremonial way, then it's fine, which we disagree with, but it's what the law is, so we have to respect that. Obviously, religion is a huge part of society and not just our society, many societies and cultures. So of course, school curriculums are going to acknowledge that religion exists and teach about it in a factual way. That's fine. That's a lot different than a Sunday school class,” Lawrence said.
She noted the FFRF does oppose school-sponsored prayer.
“We don't think that public schools should be scheduling and hosting prayers and encouraging people to pray. If students as individuals feel the desire to pray, of course, they can do that. Students generally have free speech rights but the school itself and teachers shouldn't be trying to get students to pray and in holding prayers as part of official activities. If it's covering a religion in a secular and scholarly manner, that would theoretically be fine. Some schools will have classes about the literary influence of the Bible, for example, and that's fine as long as it's not taught in a way that's trying to convince students that the religion is true or right or the one that they should believe in or that they should be worshiping any particular God, etc. If it's just being taught about in a neutral, factual way like any other topic typically in school then, yes, in theory, that should be fine.”
The FFRF works to strictly follow the First Amendment to the Constitution and has had cases where they represent someone representing a religion.
“My understanding of the Establishment Clause is that it codifies the idea of a separation between state and church. The state and the church should be separate. Government should not be involving itself in religion, the government should ideally, be neutral towards religion as much as possible, not preferring it, promoting it, favoring it in any way. Some people think that we are anti-religion or that we hate religion. And even though we do educate people about atheism and being non-religious, we do have religious members and we do represent religious clients sometimes. We get complaints from parents who tell us, ‘I'm Catholic, I'm Christian, I'm ‘insert other religion here.’ And my problem isn't with religion, it's with the fact that my student's public school teacher is trying to tell my kid what religion to believe in. And that's not their job, that's my job. as a parent.’
“The bottom line is that the government doesn't have any business trying to tell people what to believe or not to believe, what religion to practice or not practice, which religion is the best or which religion isn't the best. It should just stay out of it.”
FACES
Chris Whittey
Recently named the Maxine and Stuart Frankel interim director of Cranbrook Academy of Art, Chris Whittey has returned to his Michigan roots. “I am really looking forward to it,” he said about the new position. “Cranbrook is my sixth institution. I started my career on a really high note and I will likely be ending it on a really high note. Circling back and going home is pretty moving to me.”
His background provided a solid foundation. “I grew up in Armada, a tiny farm town in the thumb. When I graduated in 1976, I left ASAP and went to downtown Detroit and then the East Coast. Fourteen states later…I moved a lot for work and education. Growing up in a very small town on a five-acre piece of land, I was always outside and constantly creative. I had that liberty to explore. I grew up in simplicity with so much love and support from my parents and that Midwest work ethic.”
For the past 28 years, that creativity and work ethic have served Whittey well, including his most recent position at Oklahoma State University as Vaughn Vennerberg II Chair of Art, Professor of Art, and Head of the Department of Art, Graphic Design, and Art History. Whittey also served as the Alan F. Rothschild Distinguished Chair of Art at Columbus State University, Senior Vice President of Faculty Affairs and Chief Academic Officer at the Cleveland Institute of Art, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean at Maine College of Art, and Dean of Academic Services at Maryland Institute College of Art.
After attending the Center for Creative Studies and receiving his BFA from Wayne State University, Whittey worked as a master carpenter building stage sets and props in New York for venues like the Metropolitan Opera, Saturday Night Live and the Conan O'Brien Show. He then received his MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. The following year, Whittey was selected to attend the prestigious Whitney Museum Independent Study Program.
When he was building props for the Metropolitan Opera, Whittey was asked to teach a class in the Whitney Program, which he thoroughly enjoyed.
“I tried really hard to get a teaching job and then I went to the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) where they hired me full time,” he said.
Today, many small private institutions dedicated to education and art face challenges. “The whole model is changing. First and second degree artists have a lot of market forces that make students rethink their possibilities and options,” said Whittey. “Some bigger challenges are to build enrollment with not just the right number of students, but the right students. I always realized that I’m in the business of changing other people’s lives. We do nothing less than that.”
His students seem to confirm that perspective, like the one he taught at MICA who called him 15 years later because he and another former student wanted Whittey to officiate their wedding.
As an artist, his sculptural, installation and 2D studio projects have been showcased in numerous locations.
“When I was a full-time artist, I went to the studio seven days a week,” said Whittey. Now, as a faculty member, he helps to create the next generation of artists and designers.
That creative background makes him more relatable. “As an administrator, you have to cut back on making your own work. The institution has to take priority on a really big level,” he said. “I have a well-equipped studio where I do less work, but I’m still an artist and I think that’s important for students to know that the director also is an artist.
“We still have a lot in common that way.”
Story: Jeanine Matlow
Photo: Laurie Tennent
Censure for Fakih’s antisemitic posts
By Dana Casadei
After nearly three hours of public comment on Monday, October 14, the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees voted 6-1 in favor of issuing a censure to trustee Stephanie Fakih for her antisemitic posts in early October.
For some who spoke at the meeting, issuing a censure – a formal statement of disapproval –will be enough to get the board of trustees back in their good graces, but for many, it may not be given what she posted on X and Instragram on Friday, October 4. Many in the audience sought her removal or resignation.
Fakih cannot be recalled by citizen vote from office because she’s currently in her last year in the term and the time frame need for such an undertaking would prevent it regarldess. The only way she would be able to be removed would be done by the governor, something that a few people did think should happen.
While her social media accounts are now private, and her Facebook and Linked has been taken down, Fakih, who is Lebanese American and currently has family located in Lebanon, wrote that “Israeli zionists are the scum of the earth and the only people on par are American zionists,” as well as referring to 95%+ of Jews globally as “scum.” To follow up these antisemitic posts, Fakih asked her friends and followers on social media to come to her defense at the October 14 board meeting.
Needless to say, her comments did not go over well with her constituents, fellow trustees, and many residents of both Bloomfield Township and beyond.
Throughout the three hours, those who spoke – numbering over 200 –ranged from rabbis to local community members and teenagers home on fall break from college, to former board of trustees members, such as former supervisor Leo Savoie and former treasurer Brian Kepes. Each of her fellow trustees also spoke.
There were residents who spoke at the meeting who have lived in the township for barely a year to those who have been in Bloomfield Township for decades, all part of a community that is not only diverse but also home to one of Michigan’s
Talks continue on Next RFP, May bond vote
By Lisa Brody
Birmingham City Commissioners were presented with further options for new designs for a new Next and the YMCA building at their meeting on Monday, October 7, as well as a possible bond vote to pay for the new building that would go before Birmingham voters at a May 2025 special election.
Birmingham City Manager Jana Ecker noted that commissioners had been presented with two design options at a previous meeting, with commissioners reaching a consensus that neither represented where they wanted to go. She said staff had been asked to explore further options for a designs, especially with a change in leadership at the YMCA in the last year and further financial constraints.
“The commission discussed changing course and providing an integrated building, and coming back with two options – one for a building for Next and a pool, or building Next, a pool and the YMCA all together at once and making sure all of the needs are provided” to all resident groups, Ecker said. Ecker said they looked at all the programming at Next and the YMCA to see whether they were compatible, to make sure they could fit in a combined building of 53,300 square feet, where each would have their own space as well as there would be shared space and space for community groups of all ages to utilize.
She said two different options were developed, one with Next and a pool that would be 44,500 square feet, and a second, with all of the requested space, at 53,000 square feet with a pool, for Next and the YMCA, as well as a shared gym.
Assistant city manager Melissa Fairbanks said it would also leave room for growth.
Fairbanks provided a cost analysis of each plan. She said a 53,000 square foot building with a pool is estimated to cost $32 million; an estimated bond, which would go before Birmingham voters, is estimated not to exceed $32 million over 20 years, with an annual payment of $2.32 million. It would have an estimated millage of .6715 mills, meaning annual taxes for the average Birmingham homeowner of $211.70 a year for 20 years.
Fairbanks said a 44,500 square foot building with a pool is estimated to cost $27.5 million, with an estimated bond of $27.5 million payable over 20 years, with an annual payment of just under $2 million. It would have an estimated millage of .5771 mills, meaning annual taxes for the average Birmingham homeowner of $181.93 per year.
She said there is a 10 percent contingency built into the cost estimates.
Ecker said she is recommending a May election for the bond vote in order to make a construction completion deadline of September-December 2026. Commissioner Brad Host responded, “To have a special election is an absolute no-no.”
She said, “We weren't in a position to do it in November, so our only choices were May or August (2025). If you want to wait until November (when there is a city commission election), it's pushing the schedule back too far.” It was noted that in odd-years, only November is not a special election.
Commissioners felt the entire preliminary timeline was rushed, as well as requests for proposals (RFP) for architects for schematics, construction managers and construction companies.
Commissioners directed staff to update the RFP for architectural work in order to help determine the appropriate size of the building, and to invite neighboring communities which will benefit from Next to an upcoming city commission meeting.
largest Jewish populations.
“We need you to apologize… why don’t we make a good moment out of this instead of continuing to fight?” said one resident.
That statement of needing an
Supervisor Dani Walsh even spoke about how when she saw Fakih’s posts she genuinely thought that Fakih's accounts had been hacked, and that this had not been something she would have expected from the person she has sat on the board with for nearly four years.
Many board members agreed, emphasizing that this situation they had found themselves in was not one they had been in before, even for those like trustee Neal Barnett, who have been on the board of trustees for 21 years.
“This is the saddest day in my eight years on the board,” said treasurer Michael Schostak, who is the grandson of Holocaust survivors. “There’s no freedom of speech issue here. She has the right to say what she says, but it does not allow her to use hate speech without repercussions.”
Even though there was much diversity in what was said during the public comments, and remarks from her fellow trustees, it often boiled down to a few things, one being that people just wanted an apology from Fakih for what she had said, another being the hurt these people were feeling by her words, with a few just simply sounding disappointed by her actions more than anything else.
Others who spoke simply wanted to air their grievances with what Fakih had done, especially after her opening statement at the top of the meeting, during which time the words “I”m sorry” were never spoken, something that was brought up time and time again during public comment.
“I’ve been watching you all meeting, all I see on your face is a smirk, a smile, a sense of maybe entitlement. I would ask you resign about three minutes from now. You’re a disgrace,” said one man.
As people gave their comments, many stayed in the room with few leaving, and when one did another would enter. The room was at full capacity and had an additional 40 people waiting in the hall, waiting to state their piece to Fakih and see what the outcome of the meeting would be. There were also 20 local policy officers in the room, a metal detector for those wanting to get in, and a police of zero bag tolerance to enter the auditorium.
apology was echoed again and again, not only from those who spoke during the public comment but by Fakih’s fellow trustees, all who seemed shocked that something like this had happened at all in the first place.
The night continued mostly with people being respectful of each other, something that had been asked of them not only by Walsh but by Rev. Stancy F. Adams, Chair, InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan
Detroit, and a Bloomfield Township resident, who spoke before anyone else, and noted that the basic tenents of many religions is peace and love, and hoped that the community could come back together after this meeting.
“What happens here cannot affect what’s happening 6,000 miles away but we can love each other,” she said.
There were some moments when those in the audience did not follow the guidelines asked of them, especially to those who came to speak in defense of Fakih though, with Walsh having to emphasize continuously during the meeting there should be no booing of what others had to say.
“I’ve never seen anyone as brave as you… and I’m so sorry there’s no humanity in this room, just bullies,” said one woman who spoke in Fakih’s favor, who did receive backlash from those in the audience during her statement.
As much tension as there was during the meeting, there were moments – albeit few and far between – where people seemed hopeful that this could be turned around, that healing in Bloomfield Township could happen.
Many who work in prominent positions across the townships at local temples and other Jewishaffiliated organizations offered to meet with Fakih, talk with her, and educate her.
“Take up those offers from the rabbis, tour the Holocaust center; you have a lot of work to do and I think you’ll be rewarded for it if you do,” one woman said.
Following the over three hours of public comment, Fakih's fellow trustees voted to censure her, a statement of severe disapproval in a formal statement. The vote was 6-1, with only Fakih voting against the resolution.
Fakih is completing her first fouryear term as a Bloomfield Township trustee, and is not running for reelection on November 5. A Democrat, Fakih unsuccessfully ran in a three-way primary state representative in 2022. Her term ends Monday, November 20.
Antisemitic post by high school student
By Lisa Brody
A Seaholm High School student has been removed from school pending a district and law
City carbon neutrality by 2050 goal set
By Mark H. Stowers
The Birmingham City Commission adopted the Birmingham Green ordinance during its Monday, September 23 meeting, a sustainability and climate action plan that is designed to reduce carbon emissions and set up the city to be more adaptive and resilient in the face of the changing climate.
Along with the Birmingham Green ordinance, the commission decided to further edit the ordinance language to establish the Environmental Sustainability Committee. Once written and approved, the ordinance will establish the composition, terms/membership, organization and duties of the committee. The committee will have seven members and two alternates. The motion was tabled for two weeks to iron out the language.
Planning department director Nicholas Dupuis explained the goals of the action plan and its vision for Birmingham Green.
“The Birmingham community will be a regional leader in sustainability and climate action by instituting policies and practices that enhance the natural and built environment, improve quality of life and foster equity and resiliency towards a vibrant future,” he said.
The two main goals of Birmingham Green are to reduce carbon emissions 25 percent by 2035 and to be carbon neutral by 2050. Other 2035 goals include increasing capacity for the infiltration or capture by 500,000 gallons of stormwater per rain event; increasing native and naturalized areas in the city by as much as 470 acres; publish comprehensive citywide and community-level quality-of-life metrics on equity and sustainability; reduce greenhouse gas emissions from buildings and facilities by 57,500 metric tons (50 percent); reduce total landfill solid waste by 2,390 tons (25 percent); and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from passenger vehicles by 10,000 metric tons (15 percent). The goals will be funded through various sources such as the city’s general fund, a dedicated millage, user fees, revenue bonds, donations and grants.
“Grant money has never been more lucrative for sustainability projects,” Dupuis said. “We are looking to supplement every proposal with a grant.”
Dupuis further explained, “Birmingham is less vulnerable to the effects of climate hazards than other areas in southeast Michigan but the climate hazards that are experienced by Birmingham will continue to increase in frequency and intensity. Birmingham will need to target actions toward increasing the adaptive capacities of vulnerable populations in the city. Buildings will have a large role to play in adaptive capacity in Birmingham.”
enforcement investigation following a group Snapchat post where she appeared to write, “Bro send the Jews back to the gas chambers I want hoco,” after a group of Seaholm parents made the administration aware that the school's Homecoming game had been scheduled for Rosh Hashana, one of the Jewish faith's holiest day, which falls this year on Wednesday evening, October 2, and concludes on Friday, October 4.
On Friday, September 20, after discovering the situation, Seaholm's administrators changed the school's Homecoming game date to Friday, October 18, with the dance remaining on Saturday, October 5.
adjust the schedule is consistent with our core values and mission at Seaholm to honor and respect cherished religious holidays and observances. In this regard, we fell short with our initial scheduling choices, and I pledge to use this experience as a learning moment and do better in the future,” Wicker wrote to the Seaholm community.
As for the student Snapchat, it is emphasized by the district that the language is completely unacceptable, and both district administration leadership and local law enforcement are currently performing investigations. While those are occurring, the student has been removed from the school.
According to Strickland, it is believed it is just the one student who made the antisemitic statement and not all of the students on the Snapchat, some of whom disagreed with the statement. One responded, “**** that's mean.”
“At Seaholm we do not tolerate intimidation, harassment or bullying and any reports of such behavior whether on school property, on social media or in text messages are investigated thoroughly in partnership with local law enforcement and consistent with our school policies and procedures,” Wicker said. “Unfortunately, we have been made aware of blame, anger, and even hateful speech directed at members of the Jewish community. This is not acceptable, and we have launched an investigation into this matter. We will also be reinforcing with our students and school community that certain actions and hateful speech can carry a range of serious disciplinary consequences, including suspension or expulsion.”
According to Birmingham Public Schools' Manager of Marketing and Communications Cortez Strickland, individual school administrators set homecoming dates, not the district, and it was an oversight on the part of Seaholm's administrators. He noted Seaholm principal this year, Michael Wicker understands the scheduling error.
“At Seaholm High School, we celebrate our diversity and encourage a culture of respect, compassion and civility. We sincerely apologize for the recent Homecoming schedule changes which have understandably caused concern, frustration and inconvenience. Our decision to
District Superintendent Dr. Embekka Roberson reiterated Wicker's statements to the district on Wednesday, September 25, adding, “Recently we were made aware of a text message which included hateful speech directed at members of the Jewish community following changes to our Homecoming schedule at Seaholm High School. As we are investigating this matter with local law enforcement, this student has been removed from school. Under our code of conduct, students engaging in threats or hateful speech face serious consequences including expulsion… A few weeks ago, we started our first districtwide staff meeting with the theme of unity. We chose this theme
because we know that unity is crucial in upholding our core values of community and inclusion.
“Our strategic plan explicitly states that we welcome and celebrate diversity by honoring the dignity of every human being. We strive for this daily, and it is important to acknowledge when we fall short as in the case of the Homecoming schedule. We can, we must, and we will do better.”
Tee Times set to open at Maple & Telegraph
By Lisa Brody
Tee Times, a new space that will be home to 13 golf simulators and other state-of-the-art golf technology as well as a full-scale restaurant, received unanimous approvals for special land use proposal, liquor license and an amendment to a zoning ordinance by Bloomfield Township Trustees on Monday, October 14.
Tee Times, which will be located in the former home to Rebel Boxing,
located within Maple Telegraph Shopping Center on Telegraph Road at Maple Road, will offer golf simulators and other state-of-the-art golf technology, and was what got the ball rolling on changes to the ordinance to permit unique uses for non-traditional liquor licenses, making it the first of its kind in the township.
Tee Times would not only be home to 13 golf simulators but a fullservice restaurant and bar, too.
Owner Brandon Shaya, who has a Tee Times in Rochester Hills, emphasized that the food they serve is not quick bowling alley food, but will be handcrafted by a chef and their team.
At their Rochester Hills location, the menu ranges from wings and salads to wraps and sliders. There are also about a dozen different appetizers.
“I really believe this is something the township will be proud of,” Shaya said. “We thought Bloomfield Township would be the place to put it.”
The ordinance change allows
indoor recreational restaurants to obtain a liquor license. Previously, Class C and tavern licenses are only permitted as special land uses in the B-2 Community Business District and the B-3 General Business District as part of a full service restaurant or a cinema use. Cinemas with a Class C or tavern license may be permitted as part of a mixed-use development with a development agreement – which was originally intended for the theater proposal for the original Bloomfield Park project –and as an integral use within a planned shopping center, such as the former Maple Theater’s location within the Bloomfield Plaza Shopping Center.
The amendment changes to the zoning ordinance are very similar in language to the one that allows alcohol in cinemas, and would incorporate the Class C standards for restaurants and cinema uses to also include indoor recreational uses.
An application request for a liquor license was unanimously approved for the new establishment.
Currently, the township has
issued 25 on-premises Class C and/or tavern licenses, leaving them with five available to issue within the township, according to the the Michigan Liquor Control Commission (MLCC).
Tee Times’s proposed hours of 9 a.m. to midnight, Monday through Saturday; and 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Sundays. These proposed hours will be compatible with those nearby. Trustees approved, by a vote of 7-0, a special land use proposal to permit the hours.
“It's a great addition to the community,” said trustee Neal Barnett. “They're excited to be part of Bloomfield Township, and they really give back to the community.”
Shaya said they hope to start construction immediately.
Work continues on
Baldwin agreements
By Mark H. Stowers
The Birmingham City Commission took up the amendment to the special land use permit (SLUP)
Battle with DNR over lakes continues
By Dana Casadei
Bloomfield Township’s battle with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will continue after the board of trustees on Monday, September 23, voted in favor of drafting language that would support an amendment to the DNR’s environmental protection act and provide for significant local control concerning watercraft on private lakes, as well as authorize elected officials to advocate for said lakes on their behalf, while also seeking support from other local municipalities.
“I’d like to thank clerk [Martin] Brook for all his work on this; he knows the lakes are a passion of mine,” said trustee Valerie Murray, who made the motion in support.
The board of trustees, along with residents, has been working on this since this past April, when the DNR gave the township their local watercraft control findings and resolutions surrounding 10 lakes within Bloomfield Township.
The township board did appeal the original DNR decision, which was denied, ultimately putting the statute authorizing local watercraft control fully in the hands of the DNR, not the residents and local government.
At the trustees meeting on Wednesday, April 24, a unanimous decision was reached to appeal the DNR’s finding on local watercraft control, where it was determined that the township's 10 lakes can have slow no-wake lake ordinances, but not no motorboats, as has been followed by the lakes since 1970. Brook said it was determined they would not appeal to the DNR for Chalmers, Meadow, Orange, Sodon or Wabeek lakes, as they are all smaller than 40 acres in size with no launch or natural launch, meaning it was very unlikely a motorized boat could be launched on one of the lakes. The focus of the township's appeal will be on the five larger lakes in the township –Wing, Gilbert, Lower Long, Island and Forest lakes.
Even though some aspects of the spring ruling went the way the board wanted – having each lake be a slow no-wake waterway, for instance – others did not, including the omission of the agency implementing an ordinance that required no internal combustion engines and limited-sized electric boats on the lakes.
The ironic part about the DNR’s findings this spring was that there were already adopted ordinances in place within the township that had allowed waterways to be no motorboat environments since 1970, but it turns out that approval has never been obtained from the DNR, causing a variety of steps to be taken over the last few years.
The DNR provided an initial investigation in the spring of 2023, during which time the DNR implied that a local watercraft control was not warranted.
Those adopted ordinances from the 1970s have been diligently followed for decades, with Brook noting at the board of trustees meeting in early April that they have been adhered to because it’s the desire of the local residents, who have been very vocal about the DNR’s recent decision.
“Our local residents want us to continue to work on this,” Brook said.
Brook, supervisor Dani Walsh and treasurer Michael Schostak have continued work on the issue, contacting Bloomfield Township legislative representatives to advocate for an amendment to the DNR’s rules, which would allow for greater local control over watercraft rules and operations in essentially private lakes – lakes with no public access.
If this amendment were to go into effect it would have an outcome that could potentially affect those outside of Bloomfield Township as well.
During the week prior to their Monday night board meeting, Brook said he had recently spoken with two state representatives, who told him they’re eagerly looking forward to the language and want to move forward with it.
So, why put something like this to a vote before the board? To show that they are unified in this, that it isn’t just one person pushing this forward for the local lakes.
“The time might be right to make this effort,” Brook said.
request for the Baldwin House Senior Living, 200 Chester Street, along with its PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) agreement and parking agreement at their Monday, October 7, meeting where commissioners heard five different contracts and options to consider and decided to continue the public hearing at the Monday, October 28, meeting.
The Baldwin House history in the city dates back to the 1970s when the city was evaluating potentially affordable senior housing. A committee was created to study the issue for Birmingham and they concluded it was something for the city to pursue. The city purchased the property from Birmingham Public Schools and out of eight developers they chose Baldwin House and entered into a purchase agreement. When Baldwin House went to find a loan from the State of Michigan’s Housing Development Authority, certain affordability requirements were attached to the loan. When a number of the city’s residents did not agree with those requirements creating conflict with city officials, those officials amended the purchase contract with Baldwin House.
Six of the commissioners eventually lost their seats, three were not re-elected and three were recalled due to the issue with the purchase agreement, including former mayor Dorothy Conrad, and missed the terms of the loan which nullified the agreement. The U.S. Federal Court and Civil Rights Division took the city to court under a violation of the 1968 Civil Rights Fair Housing Act. The court filed an injunction, took jurisdiction against the city and then created the terms of the development for the Baldwin House in the form of a consent judgement. Those terms were for 30 years and many of them are expiring in 2024 as Baldwin House received it certificate of occupancy in 1994.
Baldwin House has two agreements with the state that guide its affordable housing. The first is a low-income housing tax agreement –LIHTC Agreement. Baldwin House was given a $124,000 tax credit that has been deducted from taxes over a ten-year period. This agreement is solely for the affordable low-income housing units. Low-income housing has to be provided per state and federal standards. This agreement is expiring at the end of 2024 and the city has been in talks to maintain
that affordable housing for the 53 units.
The second agreement is the mortgage agreement – a passthrough funding, MSHDA Mortgage Agreement. This is a lower interest loan amortized over 30 years with conditions from the state. These had the same requirements as the LIHTC agreements. The mortgage required that 60 percent of the units – a total of 78 – had to average 100 percent of the area's median income for rental rates in Oakland County. In 2024, that equates to $1,600 per month. Once the mortgage is paid off, that average would no longer required and those units are not capped.
With the original agreements expiring, the commissioners directed staff to draft a SLUP amendment, SLUP contract, a PILOT agreement and parking agreement based upon the city commission’s preference for options three and four in the city planner Brooks Cowan's presentation.
Option three includes that of the 131 units, 13 would be at 30 percent of AMI (area median income – a metric to determine eligibility,) 40 units at 50 percent AMI, 25 units at 100 percent AMI and 53 units would be market rate units. The PILOT fee would be $190,051 and the property value would be $17,115,656.
Option four would include the 13 units at 30 percent, 40 at 50 percent and 25 at 100 percent, but 53 units would be 150 percent of AMI. There would be no market rate units and the PILOT fee would be $103,542 and the building value would be $15,580,835.
The ownership is seeking to extend their Low Income Housing Tax Credit agreement for 53 of the 131 units. Those contracts will once again last for 30 years. The extension does not give the owners' income tax credits that were in the original agreement. They are eligible for a PILOT agreement. The ownership group is proposing to lower the age cohort from 62 to 55, and to increase rental rates which have been regulated for the past 30 years. These adjustments are a substantial change to the operation and use regulated by their current SLUP, so the owners have to obtain approval from the city commission for these requests.
The Baldwin House Senior Living property, now rebranded as The Baldwin on Chester, has been appraised by Oakland County Assessor at $25 million dollars,
DOLLARS– LET US HELP YOU SLEEP BETTER AT NIGHT.
Owed $207,000.00 –Settled for $7,352.00
Owed $374,416.00 –Settled for $19,181.00
Owed $1,039,938.00 –Settled for $85,824.00
according to city manager Jana Ecker and city planner Brooks Cowan. Prior to Covid, when there was a two-year waiting list for potential residents waiting to move in, now there are 45 units not occupied. During the pandemic and now after, there is a hesitancy for potential residents to move in. according to Baldwin House coowner Joe Schwartz and his lawyer John Hinkey.
“The 53 low-income units have been full since 1999, but the 78 market rates units are less than half (occupied,)” Schwartz said.
Gas station liquor licenses delayed
By Dana Casadei
Bloomfield Township trustees decided at their meeting on Monday, September 23, that it would be preferable to postpone the public hearing until November 11, after the general election, to determine if proposed zoning ordinance changes to permit gas stations in the township
to obtain a liquor license should be permitted.
Patti Voelker, director of planning, building and ordinance, originally asked the board of trustees to vote on a public hearing to be held in October, but after her presentation, there were a lot of questions from trustees about the changes – ranging from if there would be certain hours gas stations would be allowed to sell alcohol to how decisions were being made about the change – with about half of the board very supportive of the proposed amendments from the get-go, while others clearly hesitant about moving forward.
Clerk Martin Brook suggested they table the public hearing and instead do a study session, which was supported by trustees Neal Barnett and Valerie Murray, the latter who had a plethora of questions for Voelker about the amendments, including why this was being rushed, to which Voelker replied that they’ve received requests on this from local businesses.
“I just don’t see a rush for this,” Brook said. “All of these gas stations
have been aware of these rules.”
After more discussion, trustee Chris Kolinski suggested the later date in November for the public hearing, to which everyone agreed. He also suggested that instead of just regular notices that are sent out to residents for proposed changes, they try to get in front of more eyeballs by utilizing the township’s social media channels, sending out more email blasts, and obtaining sponsored ads in local publications.
“I think the residents need more than a standard public hearing to have a chance and give us feedback,” Barnett said. “Our responsibility is to our residents.”
Not wanting to surprise Bloomfield Township residents came up again and again during the board of trustees meeting, with some, such as Barnett, saying he has heard from residents that they are against these changes.
Other trustees said they have heard the opposite, having spoken with residents who are very much for them.
“I think people will be surprised if
we don’t go forward on this,” said treasurer Michael Schostak. “I think we are overthinking and overregulating an industry that’s already over regulated, and we’re way behind the times on this subject.”
Bloomfield Township has never had a gas station successfully earn a liquor license with current ordinances. This, in part, is why the planning commission was asked back in April by the board of trustees and an applicant, the Barbat Organization, which owns several gas stations in metro Detroit including in Bloomfield Township, to take a look at the current ordinances and consider amending the zoning ordinance in hopes that this would allow a gas station to be able to submit a successful site plan application.
Over the course of two meetings, and their own public hearing, the planning commission voted in favor of the proposed amendments presented by the planning, building, and ordinances department.
In the end, they moved forward with the following proposed changes
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Overview of township draft strategic plan
By Dana Casadei
During the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees meeting on Monday, October14, the consulting firm BerryDunn returned to present their draft of the township’s next five-year strategic plan.
For those who followed the workshop-like meeting on Monday, August 12 –where trustees worked with prompts from BerryDunn to come up with everything from potential mission statements for the township to strategic goals and priorities – much of the ideas BerryDunn presented were similar to their initial discussion, with zero glaring changes.
Jen Ferguson, senior consultant for BerryDunn, went over draft mission and vision statements, values and five strategic priorities; the latter each came with their own goal statements, objectives, outcomes, and performance measures.
The objectives were determined by Bloomfield Township department heads and two deputies who represented the board of trustees on the leadership board.
“The leadership team worked really hard and rolled up their shelves to figure out what these objectives would be,” Ferguson said. “The outcomes are what they were looking to achieve.”
“The department heads had the hardest job,” said supervisor Dani Walsh.
The five strategic priorities the leadership board came up with were vibrant quality of life, welcoming community, preserve community character, reliable infrastructure and best-in-class government.
“The board did a lot of good work in your plan development session… the priorities became quite clear,” said Ferguson.
There weren’t many changes asked from the board regarding the items that went with each strategic priority. The only two items that brought up discussion were the strategic priorities themselves – vibrant quality of life and preserving community character in particular.
Clerk Martin Brook stated that he felt that vibrant quality of life is more something one would see in a place, such as his example of a retirement home, instead of a township. After some discussion it was decided they would switch the wording slightly, changing it to vibrant lifestyle instead of vibrant quality of life.
Preserving community character was another strategic priority that brought up comments, this time from Brook and trustee Chris Kolinski.
“It seems like we’re trying to show all the rules instead of embracing a community feel,” Kolinski said. “It feels like a lot of 'don’t do’s' instead of 'do’s.'”
Fellow board members disagreed slightly, saying that a set of guidelines would be beneficial to those who are new to the community so they know how things – such as the process for adding a fence or addition to their home –would work when they move to Bloomfield Township.
There was no direct resolution about how the trustees wanted this strategic priority to be worded, with multiple members noting it was far too late to do any wordsmithing, as the agenda item occurred after over three hours of public comment.
No objectives were made to the other strategic priorities suggested by BerryDunn, with many excited about the idea of bringing back the ambassador program to welcome new residents, creating a stronger brand identity for Bloomfield Township and producing a calendar of events to be distributed throughout the township, all of which were listed under the objectives for the strategic priority of welcoming community.
As far as the suggested mission and vision statements from BerryDunn, all on the board seemed content with the mission, with many having feedback for the vision statement though.
“I think the mission statement is realistic and captures what we talked about last time,” said trustee Neal Barnett.
The mission statement draft read, “Bloomfield Township delivers best-inclass services, fostering a premier community, where all can thrive while protecting our natural resources, in a fiscally responsible manner.”
Many on the board did suggest that the proposed vision statement: “Bloomfield Township is a safe, inviting and vibrant community where people feel a sense of connection and residents’ quality of life is enhanced with outdoor recreation opportunities, well-maintained infrastructure and natural spaces, leading-edge technology, and an exemplary Township workforce,” was far too long though.
Kolinski also brought up the point that it’s hard to be exemplary in just one of those areas written in the vision statement let alone all of them without setting them up for failure and being fiscally irresponsible.
The board asked BerryDunn to work on revising the vision statement.
BerryDunn will return to the board at their meeting on Monday, October 28, with the changes suggested, and then begin the next steps to start the implementation plan which will allow the township to achieve the set goals.
to the current standards, including revising the distance from the point of sale and fuel dispenser from 50 feet to five feet, therefore aligning with the requirements from the state; changing the minimum building size requirement from 4,000 square feet to half that at 2,000-square-feet; adjusting the parking standard from one space for every 200 square feet to one space every 300; completely eliminating the minimum lot size of one acre and maintain the current land area of 0.51 acres, which is required for all gas stations; prohibit the sale of mini alcohol bottles; adding the minimum of 750 feet distance to any school to stay consistent with the retail package outlets requirements; and lastly, eliminating the provision for Specially Designated Distributor (SDD) licenses to not exceed one for every 3,000 people. This last point is a criteria regulated by the Michigan Liquor Control Commission (MLCC), and the current state SDD provisions now allow for licenses to be transferred from another municipality.
One of these changes in particular – that there be a minimum size requirement of 2,000 square feet for gas stations that do want to sell liquor, wine and beer – was a direct result of the planning commission meeting on August 5, during which planning commission members Barnett and Richard Atto spoke strongly about the need for a size requirement.
Within the packet was also a police report from police Chief James Gallagher, who contacted police departments in West Bloomfield, Birmingham, Royal Oak and Shelby Township. All have gas stations that sell liquor, and he found that there were no negative reports on the impact to public safety or an increase in crimes or calls for service after they allowed for liquor, wine and beer to be sold at gas stations.
Out of the 12 gas stations currently in Bloomfield Township, with the proposed changes, Voelker said only two seem to have a real chance of meeting the criteria, even with the proposed changes to the ordinances, with a third being a possibility.
That’s still better than the zero gas stations that would be successful with the current standards if they applied.
Currently, the standards that need to be met come with a lengthy list of requirements that include a minimum of 50 feet between the cash
register and fuel pumps; no drivethrough within the same building; a minimum building space of 4,000 square feet with one parking space every 200-square-feet; frontage on a major thoroughfare; no service or repair operations within the gas station; they cannot be adjacent to a residential zoned property; and a minimum lot size of one acre for a single user.
Their location must either be located in a neighborhood shopping center that’s composed of one or more commercial establishments, and/or have a minimum inventory of $250,000 on the premise, which does not include alcoholic beverages or motor vehicle fuel.
They also need a license issued by the Michigan Liquor Control Commission (MLCC).
For those looking to speak to the board of trustees about the amendments, a public hearing will be held after the election on Monday, November 11.
City leaf blower rules undergoing revision
By Mark H. Stowers
Birmingham city commissioners decided at their meeting on Monday, September 23, to delay creating an ordinance to ban two-stroke, gas powered leaf blowers in favor of electric battery-operated leaf blowers until more of the specifics and language can be ironed out.
The original motion wasn’t brought up for a vote. It included phasing out the two-stroke, gas powered leaf blowers for Birmingham by July of 2026.
The intention has been to lessen noise and air pollution in the city, but commissioner Andrew Haig said he had tested an electric batteryoperated leaf blower on his own property with results being the electric battery-operated leaf blowers are not at a high enough level to fully replace gas powered ones.
Commissioners requested that more research be done by planning director Nicolas Dupuis and the ordinance will be brought back to city commission at a later date.
FACES
Liza
Pluto
Liza Pluto was born in Miami, Florida, but spent her formative years in Bloomfield Hills.
While attending Andover High School, she was drawn to English courses, with one of her favorite classes being AP English. “My English teacher, Mr. Art Heymoss, taught me the best way of working and writing. He was very empowering and inspired me to pursue communications in college.”
Pluto attended the University of Arizona in Tucson, where her love for the communications field grew. To “set herself apart” after earning her bachelor’s degree in communication she decided to pursue a master’s degree and applied to George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
“At the time, I didn’t have the money for the application, so I traded in my designer jeans at a resale shop to pay the fee. I didn’t want to tell my friends or my mom because I wanted to do this on my own,” she revealed.
Pluto’s acceptance into George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management was full of surprises since no one else knew she was applying for graduate school – and when she moved to Washington, D.C. to attend GWU, it was her first time in the nation’s capital.
She earned a master’s degree in professional studies in Strategic Public Relations in 2015, which turned out to be “a game changer” for her career.
“Classes were held at night to help students hold day jobs,” she explained. “It opened doors and gave me more credibility. The professors also worked day jobs and were very connected and helpful with internships.”
She was able to work as an unpaid intern on Capitol Hill for a member of Congress, which led to a full-time job that helped shape her professional communication skills.
While Pluto has worked in corporate communications post-graduation, most of her professional experience has been in communications-related positions for leading news organizations including CNN, PBS, MSNBC and, most recently, The Washington Post, where she began a new position in September as director of communications.
“After working in corporate communications, I realized that my true passion is news. I love journalism – trying to make sense of the world and the relentless pursuit of the truth,” she said. “I feel like I have a front row seat to history. No two days are the same.”
She added, “My new job is my dream job and very empowering. I’m so grateful. I love working along world class journalists and understanding the national conversation.”
While Pluto was building her career in Washington D.C., she met her husband, Evan Lukaske, who is from New York and attended the University of Michigan.
“All roads lead to Michigan,” she laughingly said.
During the pandemic, the pair spent nearly two years living and working in New York and married in the Walnut Lake backyard of her mom, Robin Welford, and stepfather, Jay.
After New York, the couple returned to Washington D.C. and bought a home in the Petworth neighborhood. They now share a two-year-old daughter named Mila.
“Mila is the light of my life. I’m so honored to be her mom and watch her grow. My most important job is being her mom and protecting her innocence and curiosity as long as possible.”
The young family visits their extended blended family in Michigan as often as possible. Pluto credits her Michigan roots with her keen sense of community.
“While I am still trying to write my story, I've learned to take risks, be adaptable, embrace change and lean into uncertainty,” she said.
Story: Tracy Donohue
NEXT NOTEBOOK
As Next adapts to meet the growing needs of an expanding senior demographic, we plan to relocate to a facility better equipped with the necessary space, amenities and resources. We may be changing our address, but the foundation and mission of Next will never change.
Our first guiding principle is to be a welcoming place that enriches the lives of the community, accessible to all who wish to participate. This commitment ensures that every senior feels invited and valued, encouraging them to stay connected and engaged within their community.
Next knows that first and foremost, social connections are vital for a healthy life.
This is crucial for seniors. To understand why, think of the ways people of all ages benefit from being with others who understand the same life experiences and shared common challenges. These mutual experiences cultivate deeper connections and foster empathy. Consider environments such as college campuses, professional organizations, places of worship, or even a new moms' group –these settings encourage individuals to gravitate toward those who offer support, validation, and understanding. Such social groups are essential for building community and a sense of belonging, enhancing the overall quality of life.
For seniors, the need for connections becomes even more pronounced as they navigate the complexities of aging. This stage of life can bring about significant challenges, including emotions associated with retirement, health issues, the loss of a spouse, or feelings of isolation as social circles shrink. This transition can be overwhelming, presenting some of the most profound obstacles we all may encounter.
At its core, Next offers a welcoming environment for seniors to gather and provides a social network to support one another, fostering a sense of community through shared activities. When individuals come together regularly, meaningful friendships often develop. These connections provide social opportunities where seniors can relate to one another through common beliefs and behaviors unique to their generation. These friendships can significantly enhance their quality of life.
Within our community, few places cater specifically to the unique needs of seniors like Next does. While other venues may offer art or fitness classes, or resources such as libraries, they often fail to address the fundamental social and emotional needs of older adults. Next serves as a gathering space first and foremost, providing an environment where seniors can establish a sense of belonging before engaging in classes or programs.
Harvard has conducted the Happiness Study for over 85 years, providing valuable insights into what contributes to human happiness. The findings suggest that relationships –more than wealth or professional accomplishments –are the most significant factors determining a person's overall happiness, health and longevity. This highlights the crucial role that social interactions play in our lives, particularly as we age.
By fostering these essential social connections, Next aims to improve the quality of life for seniors, helping them navigate the complexities of aging with dignity, support, and companionship. Ultimately, it is through these interactions that we can promote not just longevity, but a fulfilling, meaningful life for all seniors in our community.
Whether you’re looking for a construction mortgage or a vacant lot loan, you can count on us for competitive products and experienced, trusted support. Choose from fixed- or adjustable-rate construction loans. Plus, get financing that includes your construction and permanent loans all in one closing — with one set of fees. Call today to learn more.
is
Cris Braun is Executive Director of Birmingham Next
Cris Braun
PLACES TO EAT
The Places To Eat for Downtown is a quick reference source to establishments offering a place for dining, either breakfast, lunch or dinner. The listings include nearly all dining establishments with seating in the Birmingham/Bloomfield area, and then some select restaurants outside the immediate area served by Downtown.
Birmingham/Bloomfield
220: American. Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 220 E. Merrill Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.646.2220. 220restaurant.com
5th Tavern: American. Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2262 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48302. 248.481.9607. 5thtavern.com
Adachi: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner daily. Liquor. Reservations. 325 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham 48009. 248.540.5900. adachirestaurant.com
Andiamo: Italian. Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 6676 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48301. 248.865.9300. andiamoitalia.com
Beau’s: American. Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 4108 W. Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.626.2630. beausbloomfield.com
Bella Piatti: Italian. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 167 Townsend Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.494.7110. bellapiattirestaurant.com
Beverly Hills Grill: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 3147 Southfield Road, Beverly Hills, 48205. 248.642.2355. beverlyhillsgrill.com
Beyond Juicery + Eatery: Contemporary. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 270 W. Maple Road, Birmingham, 48009; 221 Cole Street, Birmingham, 48009; 3645 W. Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301; 4065 W. Maple Road, Bloomfield Township, 48301; 1987 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. beyondjuiceryeatery.com
Bill’s: American. Breakfast, weekends, Lunch, Wednesday-Sunday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 39556 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.646.9000. billsbloomfieldhills.com
Birmingham Pub: American. Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 555 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.885.8108. thebirminghampub.com
Birmingham Sushi Cafe: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 377 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009. 248.593.8880. birminghamsushi.com
Bistro Joe’s Kitchen: Global. Brunch, weekends, Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 34244 Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.594.0984. bistrojoeskitchen.com
Bloomfield Deli: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, Monday-Friday. No reservations. 71 W. Long Lake Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.645.6879. bloomfielddeli.com
Brooklyn Pizza: Pizza. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Liquor. No reservations. 111 Henrietta Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.258.6690. thebrooklynpizza.com
Café Dax: American. Breakfast, daily, Lunch, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 298 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.283.4200. daxtonhotel.com
Café ML: New American. Tuesday-Saturday. Liquor. Reservations. 3607 W. Maple Road, Bloomfield Township. 248.642.4000. cafeml.com
Casa Pernoi: Italian. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 310 E. Maple Road, Birmingham, 48009. 248.940.0000. casapernoi.com
Churchill’s Bistro & Cigar Bar: Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 116 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.647.4555. churchillscigarbar.com
Cityscape Deli: Deli. Lunch & Dinner, MondaySaturday. No reservations. Beer. 877 W. Long Lake Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.540.7220. cityscapedeli.com
Commonwealth: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 300 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.9766. gocommonwealth.com
Dick O’Dow’s: Irish. Lunch & Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 160 West Maple Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.642.1135. dickodowspub.com
Eddie Merlot’s: Steak & seafood. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 37000 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.712.4095. eddiemerlots.com
Einstein Bros. Bagels: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 4089 West Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.258.9939. einsteinbros.com
Elie’s Mediterranean Grill/Bar: Mediterranean. Lunch, Thursday-Saturday, Dinner, MondaySaturday. No reservations. Liquor. 263 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.647.2420. eliesgrill.com
EM: Mexican. Lunch, Friday-Sunday, Dinner, Wednesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 470 N. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 947.234.0819.
Embers Deli & Restaurant: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, Tuesday-Sunday. Dinner, TuesdayFriday. No reservations. 3598 West Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.645.1033. embersdeli1.com
Flemings Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar: American. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 323 N. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.723.0134. flemingssteakhouse.com
Forest: European. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 735 Forest Avenue, Birmingham 48009. 248.258.9400. forestbirmingham.com
Greek Islands Coney Restaurant: Greek. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 221 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009. 248.646.1222. greekislandsconey.com
Griffin Claw Brewing Company: American. Lunch, Thursday-Sunday, Dinner, TuesdaySunday. No Reservations. Liquor. 575 S. Eton Street, Birmingham. 248.712.4050. griffinclawbrewingcompany.com
Hazel’s: Seafood. Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 1 Peabody Street, Birmingham. 248.671.1714. eatathazels.com
Honey Tree Grille: Greek/American. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, daily. No reservations. 3633 W. Maple Rd, Bloomfield, MI 48301. 248.203.9111. honeytreegrille.com
Hudson’s Place: Pizza/Coffee/Takeout. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. 1087 W. Long Lake Road, Bloomfield Township, 48302. 248.540.2266. hudsonsplacepizzeria.com.
Hunter House Hamburgers: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 35075 Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.646.7121. hunterhousehamburgers.com
Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse: American. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 201 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.594.4369. hydeparkrestaurants.com
IHOP: American. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 2187 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301. 248.333.7522. Ihop.com
Joe Muer Seafood: Seafood. Dinner daily. Reservations. Liquor. 39475 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.792.9609. joemuer.com
Kaku Sushi and Poke’: Asian. Lunch, MondayFriday & Dinner daily. No reservations. 869 W. Long Lake Road, Bloomfield Township, 48302. 248.480.4785, and 126 S. Old Woodward, Birmingham, 48009. 248.885.8631. kakusushipoke.com
Kerby’s Koney Island: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 2160 N. Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.333.1166. kerbyskoneyisland.com
La Marsa: Mediterranean. Lunch & Dinner daily. Reservations. 43259 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.858.5800. lamarsacuisine.com
La Strada Italian Kitchen & Bar: Italian. Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 243 E. Merrill Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.480.0492. lastradaitaliankitchen.com
Leo’s Coney Island: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 154 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.593.9707. Also 6527 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.646.8568. leosconeyisland.com
Lincoln Yard and Little Yard: American. Little Yard take-out hours: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Lincoln Yard hours: Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2159 E. Lincoln Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.653.5353. eatlincolnyard.com
Little Daddy’s: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 39500 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.647.3400. littledaddys.com
Luxe Bar & Grill: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 525 N. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.6051. luxebarandgrill.com
Madam: American. Brunch, weekends. Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner daily. Reservations. Liquor. 298 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.283.4200. daxtonhotel.com
Mare Mediterranean: Seafood. Brunch, weekends. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 115 Willits Street, Birmingham 48009. 248.940.5525. maremediterranean.com
Market North End: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 474 N. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.712.4953. marketnorthend.com
MEX Mexican Bistro & Tequila Bar: Mexican. Brunch, weekends. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 6675 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48301. 248.723.0800. mexbloomfield.com
Middle Eats: Mediterranean. Lunch and Dinner, daily. No reservations. 42967 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield, 48093. 248.274.328. middleeats.com
Nippon Sushi Bar: Japanese. Lunch, MondayFriday, Dinner daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2079 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48302. 248.481.9581. nipponsushibar.com
Olga’s Kitchen: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 2075 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.451.0500. olgas.com
Original Pancake House: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 33703 South Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.642.5775. oph-mi.com
Phoenicia: Lebanese. Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 588 S. Old Woodward Birmingham, 48009. phoeniciabirmingham.com
Planthropie: Vegan. Dessert and Cheese. Tuesday-Sunday. 135 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.839.5640. planthropie.com
Roadside B & G: American. Brunch, weekends, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1727 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield, 48302. 248.858.7270. roadsidebandg.com
Salvatore Scallopini: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & Wine. 505 North Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.644.8977. salsbirmingham.com
Shift Kitchen & Cocktails: Small plates. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 117 Willits Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.2380. shiftbirmingham.com
Sidecar: American. Lunch and Dinner, daily. Liquor. 117 Willits Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.2380. sidecarsliderbar.com
Slice Pizza Kitchen: Pizza. Lunch and Dinner, daily. Liquor. 117 Willits Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.3475. slicepizzakitchen.com
Social Kitchen & Bar: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Brunch, Saturday & Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 225 E. Maple Road, Birmingham, 48009. 248.594.4200. socialkitchenandbar.com
Steve’s Deli: Deli. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Breakfast and Lunch, Sunday. No reservations. 6646 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield, 48301. 248.932.0800. stevesdeli.com
Streetside Seafood: Seafood. Lunch, Thursday & Friday, Dinner, daily. Liquor. 273 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.645.9123. streetsideseafood.com
Sushi Hana: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 42656 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.333.3887. sushihanabloomfield.com
Sy Thai Cafe: Thai. Lunch, Monday-Saturday, Dinner, daily. No reservations. 315 Hamilton
Row, Birmingham, 48009. 248.258.9830. sythaibirmingham.com
Sylvan Table: American. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1819 Inverness Street, Sylvan Lake, 48320. 248.369.3360. sylvantable.com
Tallulah Wine Bar and Bistro: American. Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 55 S. Bates Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.731.7066. tallulahwine.com
Thai Street Kitchen: Thai. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. 42805 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Township, 48304. 248.499.6867. thaistreetkitchen.com
The French Lady: French. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. 768 N. Old Woodward, Birmingham, 48009. 248.480.0571. zefrenchlady.com
The Gallery Restaurant: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & wine. 6683 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.851.0313. galleryrestaurant2.com
The Moose Preserve Bar & Grill: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2395 S. Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.858.7688. moosepreserve.com
The Rugby Grille: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 100 Townsend Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.642.5999. rugbygrille.com
Toast: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily; Reservations. Liquor. 203 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.258.6278. eatattoast.com
Tomatoes Apizza: Pizza. Lunch & Dinner daily. Carryout. 34200 Woodward Avenue, Birmingham 48009. 248.258.0500. tomatoesapizza.com
Touch of India: Lunch, Tuesday-Thursday, Saturday & Sunday. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. 297 E. Maple Road, Birmingham, 48009. 248.593.7881. thetouchofindia.com
Townhouse: American. Brunch, weekends. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 180 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.5241. eatattownhouse.com
Whistle Stop Diner: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily; Liquor. No reservations. 501 S. Eton Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.566.3566. whistlestopdiners.com
ZANA: Modern American. Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 210 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.800.6568. zanabham.com
Zao Jun: Asian. Lunch, Tuesday-Sunday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 6608 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.949.9999. zaojunnewasian.com
Royal Oak/Ferndale
Ale Mary’s: American. Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 316 South Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.268.1917. alemarysbeer.com
Anita’s Kitchen: Middle Eastern. Lunch, Monday-Saturday, Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. Liquor. 22651 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale, 48220. 248.548.0680. anitaskitchen.com
Bandit Tavern & Hideaway: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 419 S. Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.544.6250. bandittavern.com
Beppé: New American. Lunch, Saturday and Sunday, Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 703 N. Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.607.7030. eatbeppe.com
Bigalora: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 711 S. Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.544.2442 bigalora.com
Café de Olla: Mexican. Breakfast, Tuesday, Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 418 S. Washington Avenue, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.633.5311. cafedeollami.com
Cafe Muse: French. Breakfast & Lunch, Wednesday-Monday. Reservations. Liquor. 418 S. Washington Avenue, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.544.4749. cafemuseroyaloak.com
Coeur: New American Small Plates. Brunch, weekends, Dinner, Wednesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 330 W. Nine Mile Road,
Ferndale, 48220. 248.466.3010. coeurferndale.com
Como’s: Pizza. Brunch, weekends. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 22812 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale, 48220. 248.677.4439. comosrestaurant.com
Crispelli’s Bakery and Pizzeria: Italian. Lunch and Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 28939 Woodward Avenue, Berkley, 48072. 248.591.3300. crispellis.com
The Fly Trap: Diner. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. Dinner, Thursday-Sunday. No reservations. 22950 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale 48220. 248.399.5150. theflytrapferndale.com
Grand River Brewery: American. Brunch, Saturday & Sunday. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 1 E. 14 Mile Road, Clawson, 48017. 248.607-3631. grandriverbrewer
Gus’ Snug: Irish. Lunch and Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 38 S. Main Street, Clawson, 48017. 248.607.3631. gussnug.com
HopCat: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 430 S. Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.744.2544. HopCat.com
Howe’s Bayou: Cajun. Lunch & Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. No reservations. Liquor. 22949 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale, 48220. 248.691.7145. howesbayouferndale.net
Imperial: Mexican. Lunch and Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 22848 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale, 48220. 248.691.7145. imperialferndale.com
Inyo Restaurant Lounge: Asian Fusion. Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 22871 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale, 48220. 248.543.9500. inyorestaurant.com
Kacha Thai Market: Thai. Lunch and Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. 205 S Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.942-4246.
KouZina: Greek. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 121 N. Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.629.6500. gokouzina.com
Kruse & Muer on Woodward: American. Lunch, Monday-Saturday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 28028 Woodward Avenue, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.965.2101. kruseandmuerrestaurants.com
Lily’s Seafood: Seafood. Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 410 S. Washington Avenue, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.591.5459. lilysseafood.com
Lockhart’s BBQ: Barbeque. Brunch, Sunday. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 202 E. Third Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.584.422. lockhartsbbq.com
Masala: Indian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. 106 S. Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.850.8284. food.orders.co/royaloakmasala
Mezcal: Mexican. Bruch, Sunday. Lunch and Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 201 E. Nine Mile Road, Ferndale, 248.268.3915. mezcalferndale.com
Pastaio: Italian. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 208 W 5th Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.565.8722. eatpastaio.com/royal-oak
Oak City Grille: American. Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 212 W. 6th Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.556.0947. oakcitygrille.com
Oak Parker: American. Lunch and Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 13621 W Eleven Mile Road, Oak Park, 48327 oakparkerbar.com. One-Eyed Betty’s: American. Breakfast, weekends, Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 175 W. Troy Street, Ferndale, 48220. 248.808.6633. oneeyedbettys.com
Pop’s for Italian: Italian. Brunch and Lunch, weekends, Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. 280 W. 9 Mile Road, Ferndale,48220. 248.268.4806. popsforitalian.com
Public House: American. Dinner, TuesdaySunday. No reservations. Liquor. 241 W. Nine Mile Road, Ferndale, 48220. 248.850.7420. publichouseferndale.com
Redcoat Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 31542 Woodward Avenue, Royal Oak, 48073. 248.549.0300. redcoat-tavern.com
Ronin: Japanese. Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 326 W. 4th Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.546.0888. roninsushi.com
Royal Oak Brewery: American. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations.
Liquor. 215 E. 4th Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.544.1141. royaloakbrewery.com
Sozai: Japanese. Dinner, WednesdaySaturday. Reservations. 449 West 14 Mile Road, Clawson,48017. 248.677-3232. sozairestaurant.com
Stumblebum Beer Co.: American. Lunch and Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. Beer. 1965 West Maple Road, Troy 48084 248.307.7204. stumblebumbeer.com
The Modern Vegan: Vegan. Brunch, Saturday and Sunday. Dinner, daily. No reservations. 304 N. Main Street, Royal Oak, MI 48067 248.206.7041. tmvrestaurants.com
Three Cats Café: American. Brunch, weekends, Lunch, Tuesday-Sunday, Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 116 W. 14 Mile Road, Clawson. threecatscafe.com
Tigerlily: Japanese. Lunch, Saturday & Sunday, Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 231 W. Nine Mile Road, Ferndale, 48220. 248.733-4905. tigerlilyferndale.com
Toast, A Breakfast and Lunch Joint: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 23144 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale, 48220. 248.398.0444. eatattoast.com
Tom’s Oyster Bar: Seafood. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 318 S. Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.541.1186. tomsoysterbar.com
Trattoria Da Luigi: Italian. Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 415 S, Washington Avenue, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.542.4444. trattoriadaluigi.business.site.com
Vinsetta Garage: American. Lunch and Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 7799 Woodward Avenue, Berkley, 48072. 248.548.7711. vinsettagarage.com
Voyager: Seafood. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 600 Vester Street, Ferndale, 48220. 248.658.4999. voyagerferndale.com
Troy/Rochester
Cafe Sushi: Pan-Asian. Lunch, Tuesday-Friday, Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 1933 W. Maple Road, Troy, 48084. 248.280.1831. cafesushimi.com
Capital Grill: Steak & Seafood. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2800 W. Big Beaver Road, Somerset Collection, Troy, 48084. 248.649.5300.
CK Diggs: American & Italian. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 2010 W. Auburn Road, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.853.6600. ckdiggs.com
The Dime Store: American. Breakfast and Lunch, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 6920 N Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, 48306.248.963.0941. eatdimestore.com
Firebird Tavern: American. Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 4845 Rochester Road, Troy, 48085. 248.289.9650. firebirdtaverntroy.com
Grand Castor: Latin American. Lunch, Thursday-Sunday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2950 Rochester Road, Troy, 48083. 248.278.7777. grancastor.com
Kona Grille: American. Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 30 E. Big Beaver Road, Troy, 48083. 248.619.9060. konagrill.com
Kruse & Muer on Main: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 327 S. Main Street, Rochester, 48307. 248.652.9400. kruseandmuerrestaurants.com
Loccino Italian Grill and Bar: Italian. Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner, daily. Liquor. Reservations. 5600 Crooks Road, Troy, 48098. 248.813.0700. loccino.com
The Meeting House: American. Brunch, weekends, Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 301 S. Main Street, Rochester, 48307. 248.759.4825. themeetinghouserochester.com
Mon Jin Lau: Nu Asian. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1515 E. Maple Road, Troy, 48083. 248.689.2332. monjinlau.com
Morton’s, The Steakhouse: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 888 W. Big Beaver Road, Troy, 48084. 248.404.9845. mortons.com
NM Café: American. Lunch, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 2705 W. Big Beaver
METRO INTELLIGENCER
Metro Intelligencer is a monthly column devoted to news stories, tidbits and gossip items about what's happening on the restaurant scene in the metro Detroit area. Metro Intelligencer is reported/created each month by Gigi Nichols who can be reached at GigiNichols@DowntownPublications.com with news items or tips, on or off the record.
A union of fine art and fine food
The Jackson is a new restaurant located in Rochester Hills, inspired by the avant-garde artistry of Jackson Pollock. Co-owned by acclaimed chef Justin Vaiciunas and hospitality expert Michael Mauro, the team promises a visit to The Jackson to be “a sensory journey through art, food, and design.” The menu, developed by Chef Justin Vaiciunas, is focused on artistic presentation, seasonality and local sourcing, and includes a combination of small and large plate dishes such as: banana leaf mahi-mahi with cilantro lime coconut broth, snap pea & rice salad; pork tenderloin with five herb pesto, goat cheese and chocolate mushroom sauce; spiced short rib dumplings with duxelles cream and truffle oil; and chorizo stuffed dates with spicy pepper roullie and bacon vinaigrette. Michael Mauro leads the wine and beverage program and provides guests with a curated selection of new and old-world wines as well as a host of elevated cocktails. The Jackson’s interior, designed by Jennifer Gilbert’s Detroit-based firm, PopHouse, creates a modern, inviting space where guests can unwind and socialize. Fun fact: both Vaiciunas and Mauro created their own Pollock-inspired splatter paintings which are hung throughout the restaurant. 184 N Adams Road, Rochester Hills thejacksonrestaurant.com
A perfect pair
Wine aficionados love a good wine and cheese pairing. So, what do beer aficionados enjoy? The answer from the owner of the new Stumblebum Brew Co in Troy is – a good beer and cheese pairing, of course! Troy native and owner of Stumblebum Beer Co, Eli Green says he “stumbled” upon this concept while living in New York when he a attended a lecture on beer and cheese hosted by Garrett Oliver of Brooklyn Brewery in collaboration with a cheesemonger and a Master Sommelier. What he learned was that the protein content, hop acidity, and carbonation of the beer come together to blend with the textures and flavors of cheese in ways that wine does not. At Stumblebum, guests will find a cheese-centric menu that includes a variety of innovative celebrity-named paninis made with American, Provolone, Swiss and Havarti cheeses. Charcuterie boards with a rotating selection of cheeses and meats are also offered along with an array of fry flights accompanied by cheesy dipping sauces. Chris Coburn, formerly of Batch Brewing Company in Detroit, serves as the brewmaster. The 16 beer taps will rotate with two of the most popular current brews being the West Coast IPA (using Columbus and Strata hops, with pine, citrus and resinous aromas) and the Kolsch (a light body crips beer with Noble hops and aromas). 1965 West Maple Road, Troy stumblebumbeer.com
Special Friendsgiving wine event
The Statler’s Passport to Wine Series allows attendees to experience some of the world’s most iconic winemaking regions via glass and plate. The series concludes in November with a special Friendsgiving Dinner on November 20. The organizers of this event say that, “Friendsgiving at The Statler is all about connecting with old friends and making new ones as you enjoy warm ambiance and engaging conversations.” Diners will enjoy three festive dishes and wine pairings from American wineries selected by Joe Vicari Restaurant Group sommelier, Lisa Ribaudo. The Friendsgiving Dinner menu includes butternut squash bisque with Oishii shrimp; turkey blanquette, French white stew with truffle stuffed Berkshire loin, haricots verts gratin and cranberry reduction. The dinner concludes with a pumpkin bread pudding. Tickets are $99 per person, tax and gratuity not included. To learn more, visit statlerdetroit.com. Wines and menu items are subject to change. 313 Park Avenue, Detroit statlerdetroit.com
First food tenant at Michigan Central Station
Since reopening in June, Michigan Central Station has welcomed 167,000 visitors through its doors, exceeding expectations and solidifying Michigan Central as a cultural destination in Detroit. It will soon be home to many food and retail tenants with the first one being Yellow Light Coffee & Donuts – a beloved, locally-owned favorite on Detroit’s east side, which will open later
Road, Troy, 48084. 248.816.3424. neimanmarcus.com/restaurants
Oceania Inn: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. The Village of Rochester Hills, 3176 Walton Boulevard, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.375.9200. oceaniainnrochesterhills.com
Ocean Prime: Steak & Seafood. Lunch, MondayFriday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2915 Coolidge Highway, Troy, 48084. 248.458.0500. ocean-prime.com
O’Connor’s Irish Public House: Irish. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 324 S. Main Street, Rochester, 48307. 248.608.2537. oconnorsrochester.com
Orchid Café: Thai. Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. 3303 Rochester Road., Troy, 48085. 248.524.1944. orchid-cafe.com
P.F. Chang’s China Bistro: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. Somerset Collection, 2801 W. Big Beaver Rd., Troy, 48084. 248.816.8000. pfchangs.com
Recipes: American/Brunch. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 134 W. University Drive, Rochester, 48037. 248.659.8267. Also 2919 Crooks Road, Troy, 48084. 248.614.5390. recipesinc.com
RH House: American. Brunch, weekends, Lunch and Dinner, daily. 2630 Crooks Road, Rochester Hills, 48309. No reservations. Liquor. 2630 Crooks Road, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.586.1000. rh.house.com
RH Social: Pizza/Sports Bar. Brunch, Lunch, Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 6870 N. Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, 48306.248.759.4858. rochesterhillssocial.com
Rochester Chop House: Steak & Seafood. Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 306 S. Main St., Rochester, 48307. 248.651.2266. kruseandmuerrestaurants.com
Ruth’s Chris Steak House: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 755 W. Big Beaver Road, Troy, 48084. 248.269.8424. ruthschris.com
Saltwater Eatery: Seafood. Brunch, Sunday, Lunch, daily, Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. 3672 Rochester Road, Troy, 48083. 248.422.6151. saltwatereatery.info
Sedona Taphouse: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 198 Big Beaver Road, Troy, 48083. 248.422.6167. sedonataphouse.co
Silver Spoon: Italian. Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 6830 N. Rochester Road, Rochester, 48306. 248.652.4500. silverspoonristorante.com
Too Ra Loo: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 139 S. Main Street, Rochester, 48307. 248.453.5291. tooraloorochester.com
West Bloomfield/Southfield
Aurora Italiana: Italian. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 6199 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Twp., 48322. 248.782.3000. auroraitaliana.com
Cornbread Restaurant & Bar: Southern. Lunch & Dinner, Thursday-Tuesday. Reservations. Liquor. 29508 Northwestern Highway, Southfield, 48034. 248.208.1680. cornbreadsoulfood.com
Bigalora: Italian. Lunch, Monday-Saturday, Dinner, daily. No Reservations. Liquor. 29110 Franklin Road, Southfield, 48034. 248.544.2442. bigalora.com
The Fiddler: Russian. Brunch, Sunday, Dinner, Thursday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 6676 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.851.8782. fiddlerrestaurant.com
Mene Sushi: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, TuesdaySunday. No reservations. Beer & Wine. 6239 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.538.7081. menesususi.com
Nonna Maria’s: Italian. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 2080 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield, 48323. 248.851.2500. nonamariasbistro.com
Pickles & Rye: Deli. Lunch, & Dinner, TuesdaySunday. No reservations. 6724 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.737.3890. picklesandryedeli.com
Prime29 Steakhouse: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 6545 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield, 48322.
248.737.7463. prime29steakhouse.com
Redcoat Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. Liquor. 6745 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.865.0500. redcoattavern.com
Shangri-La: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, Wednesday-Monday. Reservations. Liquor. Orchard Mall Shopping Center, 6407 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.626.8585. dineshangrila.com
Stage Deli: Deli. Lunch, & Dinner, TuesdaySunday. No reservations. Liquor. 6873 Orchard Lake Rd., West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.855.6622. stagedeli.com
Yotsuba: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 7365 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield, 48322. 248.737.8282. yotsuba-restaurant.com
West Oakland
Volare Ristorante: Italian. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 48992 Pontiac Trail, Wixom, 48393. 248.960.7771. ristorantevolare.com
North Oakland
Clarkston Union: American. Breakfast, Sunday, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 54 S. Main Street, Clarkston, 48346 248.620.6100. clarkstonunion.com
Kruse's Deer Lake Inn: Seafood. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 7504 Dixie Highway, Clarkston, 48346. 248.795.2077. kruseandmuerrestaurants.com
The Fed: American. Brunch, Saturday & Sunday. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 15 S. Main Street, Clarkston, 48346. 248.297.5833. thefedcommunity.com Via Bologna: Italian. Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. Liquor. 7071 Dixie Highway, Clarkston, 48346. 248.620.8500. joebologna.com
Union Woodshop: BBQ. Lunch, Saturday & Sunday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 18 S. Main Street, Clarkston, 48346. 248.625.5660. unionwoodshop.com
Detroit
Adelina: Italian. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 1040 Woodward Ave, Detroit,48226. 313.246.8811. adelinadetroit.com
Alpino: Alpine cuisine. Brunch, Sunday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1426 Bagley Street, Detroit, 48216. 313.524.0888 alpinodetroit.com
Ash-Bar: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1509 Broadway Street, Detroit, 48226. 313.277.4736. ash.world/hotels/the-siren.com
Bar Pigalle: French. Brunch, weekends, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2915 John R Street, Detroit, 48201. 313.497.9200. barpigalle.com
Barda: Argentinian. Dinner, Thursday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 4842 Grand River Avenue, Detroit, 48208. 313.952.5182. bardadetroit.com
Basan: Asian. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2703 Park Avenue, Detroit, 48201. 313.481.2703. basandetroit.com
Black Ginger: Asian Fusion. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 1331 Trumbull Street, Detroit, 48216. 313.887.9477. blackgingerdetroit.com
Bucharest Grill: Middle Eastern. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2684 E. Jefferson Avenue, Detroit, 48207. 313.965.3111. bucharestgrill.com
Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails: Seasonal American. Lunch, Thursday & Friday. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 5 E. Kirby Street, Detroit, 48202. 313.818.3915. chartreusekc.com
Cliff Bell’s: American. Dinner, WednesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 2030 Park Avenue, Detroit, 48226. 313.961.2543. cliffbells.com
Coriander Kitchen and Farm: Farm to table. Lunch & Dinner, Thursday-Monday. Reservations. Liquor. 14601 Riverside Boulevard, Detroit, 48215. 313.338.9466. corianderkitchenandfarm.com
Corktown Taphouse: American and Mexican. No reservations. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Liquor. 1611 Michigan Avenue, Detroit, 48216. 313.362.8184. corktowntaphouse.com
Cuisine: French. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 670 Lothrop Road, Detroit, 48202. 313.872.5110. cuisinerestaurantdetroit.com
The Eagle: The Eagle: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 3461 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, 48201. 313.334.4530. eaglerestaurant.com
El Barzon: Mexican. Lunch, Tuesday-Friday. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 3710 Junction Street, Detroit, 48210. 313.894.2070. elbarzonrestaurant.com
Fishbone’s Rhythm Kitchen Café: Cajun. Lunch and Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 400 Monroe Street, Detroit, 48226. 313.965.4600. fishbonesusa.com
Freya: Price fixed. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations, Liquor. 2929 E. Grand Boulevard, Detroit, 48202. 313.351.5544. freyadetroit.com
Giovanni’s Ristorante: Italian. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 330 S. Oakwood Boulevard, Detroit, 48217. 313.841.0122. giovannisrestaurante.com
Green Dot Stables: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2200 W. Lafayette, Detroit, 48216. 313.962.5588. greendotstables.com
HIROKI-SAN: Japanese. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 1265 Washington Boulevard, Detroit, 48226. 313.597.8344. hirokisandetroit.com
Joe Muer Seafood: Seafood. Lunch, MondayFriday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 400 Renaissance Center, Detroit, 48243. 313.567.6837. joemuer.com
Johnny Noodle King: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2601 W. Fort Street, Detroit, 48216. 313.309.7946. johnnynoodleking.com
Leila: Lebanese. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1245 Griswold Street, Detroit, 48226. 313. 816.8100. leiladetroit.com
Lena: Spanish. Dinner, Wednesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 2720 Brush Street, Detroit, 48201.313.262.6082. lenadetroit.com
Le Supreme: French. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1265 Washington Boulevard, Detroit, 48226. 313.597.7734. lesupremedetroit.com
Lone Goat: British Pub. Lunch, MondaySaturday, Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 33 John R Street, Detroit, 48226. thelonegoat.com
Mad Nice: Coastal Italian/American. Lunch, Wednesday-Sunday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 4120 2nd Avenue, Detroit, 48201.313.558.8000. madnicedetroit.com
Mario’s: Italian. Lunch, Saturday & Sunday, Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 4222 2nd Avenue, Detroit, 48201. 313.832.1616. mariosdetroit.com
Mezcal: Mexican. Brunch, Weekends, Lunch and Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 51 W Forest Avenue, Detroit, 48202. 313.974.7441. mezcaldetroit.com
Midtown Shangri-la: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 4710 Cass Avenue, Detroit, 48201. 313.974.7669. midtownshangril-la.com
Motor City Brewing Works: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & Wine. 470 W. Canfield Street, Detroit, 48201. 313.832.2700. motorcitybeer.com
Oak & Reel: Italian Seafood. Dinner, Wednesday-Monday. Reservations. Liquor. 2921 E. Grand Boulevard, Detroit, 48202. 313.270.9600. oakandreel.com
PAO Detroit: Asian Fusion/Pan Asian. Dinner, Wednesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 114 W Adams Avenue, Suite 200, Detroit, 48226. 313.816.0000. paodetroit.com
Parc: New American. Brunch, Saturday & Sunday. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 800 Woodward Ave, Detroit, 48226. 313.922.7272. parcdetroit.com
Prime + Proper: Steak House. Brunch, Weekends. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1145 Griswold St, Detroit, 48226.
313.636.3100. primeandproperdetroit.com
Prism: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, WednesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 555 E. Lafayette Street, Detroit, 48226. 313.309.2499. hollywoodgreektown.com
Red Smoke Barbeque: Barbeque. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. Trappers Alley Shopping Center, 573 Monroe Ave., Detroit, 48226. 313.962.2100. Selden Standard: American. Dinner, Wednesday-Monday. Reservations. Liquor. 3921 2nd Avenue, Detroit, 48201. 313.438.5055. seldenstandard.com
Sexy Steak: Steakhouse. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1942 Grand River Avenue, Detroit,48226. 313.403.1000. sexysteakdetroit.com
SheWolf Pastifico & Bar: Italian. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 438 Selden Street, Detroit 48201. 313.315.3992. shewolfdetroit.com
Sinbad’s: Seafood. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 100 St. Clair Street, Detroit, 48214. 313.822.8000. sindbads.com
Slows Bar BQ: Barbeque. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2138 Michigan Avenue, Detroit, 48216. 313.962.9828. slowsbarbq.com/locations/corktown
Sullivan’s Steakhouse: Steakhouse. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1128 Washington Boulevard, Detroit, MI 48226. 313.591.2495. sullivanssteakhouse.com
Supergeil: Berlin Doner. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 2442 Michigan Avenue, Detroit, 48216. 313.462.4133. supergeildetroit.com
Symposia: Mediterranean. Dinner, WednesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor.1000 Brush Street, Detroit, 48226. 313.962.9366. atheneumsuites.com/symposia
Tap at MGM Grand: American. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 1777 Third Street, Detroit, 48226. 313.465.1234. mgmgranddetroit.com
The Apparatus Room: New American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 250 W. Larned Street, Detroit, 48226. 313.800.5600 detroitfoundationhotel.com
The Block: American. Brunch, Weekends, Lunch & Dinner, Wednesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 3919 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, 48201. 313.832.0892. theblockdet.com
The Dime Store: American. Breakfast & Lunch, Thursday-Tuesday. No reservations. Liquor. 719 Griswold Street #180, Detroit, 48226.313. 962.9106. eatdimestore.com
The Peterboro: Chinese American. Dinner, Thursday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 420 Peterboro Street, Detroit, 48201. 313.462.8106. thepeterboro.com
The Statler: French. Brunch, Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 313 Park Avenue, Detroit, 48226. 313.463.7111. statlerdetroit.com
Townhouse Detroit: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 500 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, 48201. 48226. 313.723.1000. townhousedetroit.com
Vecino: Mexican. Dinner, Wednesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 4100 3rd Ave, Detroit, 48201. 313.500.1615. vecinodetroit.com
Vertical Detroit: Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 1538 Center Street, Detroit, 48226. 313.732.WINE. verticaldetroit.com
Vivio’s Food & Spirits: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2460 Market Street, Detroit, 48207. 313.393.1711. viviosdetroit.net
The Whitney: American. Brunch, Sunday. Lunch, Wednesday-Friday, Tea Service, Friday & Saturday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 4421 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, 48201. 313.832.5700. thewhitney.com
Wright & Co.: American. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. No reservations. Liquor. 1500 Woodward Avenue, Second Floor, Detroit, 48226. 313.962.7711. wrightdetroit.com
Zuzu: Asian Fusion. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 511 Woodward Ave suite 100, Detroit, 48226. 313.464.7777. experiencezuzu.com
this fall in The Station’s historic retail arcade. Yellow Light is the first foodand-beverage tenant in The Station since the building’s closure in 1988. It is set to be located immediately off The Station’s east entrance, and offer takeout and dine-in options daily, with more information on hours to come. Yellow Light opened as a drive-thru in 2020 in Detroit’s Jefferson Chalmers neighborhood and quickly became a morning staple for east-siders. It was cofounded by In-Laws Hospitality owners Christine and Jacques Driscoll, and outside partner Niko Dimitrijevic, and is the sister restaurant of the Driscolls’ other city dining institutions, Green Dot Stables and Johnny Noodle King. “Offering our in-house roasted coffee, scratch-made doughnuts and biscuit sandwiches to Corktown and Southwest is beyond exciting for our growth in Detroit,” said Christine Driscoll. “We’re also humbled that we will be part of this newest chapter in The Station’s history starting this fall.” 2001 15th Street, Detroityellowlightdetroit.com
Corktown Taphouse opens
A family-owned and operated restaurant has officially opened its doors in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood. Corktown Taphouse delivers a unique combination of beverages, locally sourced cuisine, and entertainment options. Established by the family team of Ron and Michelle Moore and their son Mitchell, it serves as a gathering place for both locals and visitors. “Our vision is to create a welcoming environment where people can enjoy food, drink and entertainment together,” said Ron Moore, owner of Corktown Taphouse. The Taphouse boasts an impressive self-pour tap wall, offering over 70 craft beers, wines, sangrias, and a full bar with craft cocktails. The tap wall allows patrons to sample beverages at their own pace while enjoying entertainment options such as augmented reality dart lanes, live performances, trivia nights and duckpin bowling (a variation of ten-pin bowling that uses smaller balls and pins, and shorter lanes). There’s also a small play area for children, however after 8 p.m., the venue will be reserved for guests aged 21 and over. The interior, designed and constructed by Premier Construction & Design of Farmington Hills, blends modern elements with references to Detroit’s industrial past and features a large mural by Michigan artist, Austin Fabinski. Foodwise, Corktown Taphouse delivers two distinct options. Popular Detroit food truck “Agave and Lime” has a permanent space within the Taphouse featuring their famous fresh tacos, handcrafted rice bowls and build-your-own burritos. The 1834 Kitchen is the run by the Taphouse and offers up comfort pub food such as smashburgers, mac and cheese, chicken tenders and more. The Taphouse is committed to supporting local causes, including initiatives benefiting military veterans, youth programs, and sustainability efforts and plans to collaborate with local businesses and organizations to give back to the community. 1611 Michigan Avene, Detroit corktowntaphouse.com
Dirty Shake coming to Midtown
Sandy Levine and Doug Hewitt, the award-winning team behind Detroit restaurants Freya & Dragonfly,Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails and The Oakland in Ferndale, have announced plans for a new casual neighborhood bar called “Dirty Shake,” in the heart of Midtown. Co-owner Sandy Levine describes Dirty Shake as a no-frills neighborhood bar, which is a bit of a departure from the group’s existing concepts. “Dirty Shake is just a fun place to be that has affordable drinks and affordable food,” Levine said. “We want to pay homage to that old-school Detroit bar where people could go three or more times a week – a place between work and home - where you get to know the people sitting at the bar with you.” Curated by Kamalani Overall from The Oakland, Dirty Shake’s beverage program promises to offer fun, nostalgic drinks, including slushies and variations on Detroit classics like the Hummer, as well as beer and plenty of nonalcoholic options. On the culinary front, Dirty Shake will feature a small all-day menu with six to eight items overseen by chef-partner Doug Hewitt, and will include bar favorites like burgers and wings. “We want to create a base menu that’s sturdy, affordable, and will also hold up really well for delivery and carryout,” Hewitt said. The space features a large garage door window with counter seating both inside and outside on the sprawling wraparound patio overlooking Forest and Second Avenue. In addition to a long central bar and two-top tables, the red-brick interior also includes a small lounge area with sofas and soft seating surrounding an old fireplace. Dirty Shake takes its name from a cocktail technique where the ice isn’t strained out but poured directly into the glass – a nod to the style of drinks the team at The Oakland would make for themselves at the end of a long shift in the trailblazing bar’s early days. 4642 Second Avenue, Detroit
Our recommendations for November ballot
Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills and Bloomfield Township voters will be deciding in the November 5 general election a variety of congressional, state, county and local political offices, along with local school boards, plus determining the fate of a county proposal for a tax increase for parks. Downtown Newsmagazine sent questionnaires to candidates in all of the races, the answers to which can be found in the Voter Guide which we have posted at downtownpublications.com Most but not all candidates responded, a requirement to get an endorsement.
We considered a number of factors based on answers from candidates and our institutional knowledge of candidates and issues. In determining who we thought could best represent voters, we looked at both views of the candidates and how well they sync with the views of those they would represent. Lastly, we continue to ask all candidates whether or not they accepted the results of the 2020 presidential election – an ongoing litmus test for us.
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
11th District / Two-year term
(Birmingham, Bloomfield Township, Bloomfield Hills)
Since she first took office in 2018, we have been impressed with Congresswoman HALEY STEVENS, a Democrat who stakes out a more moderate stance on most issues which we think aligns best with residents of this sprawling district that takes in a large portion of the county. A big-government radical? Hardly. She has built a strong reputation as someone concerned about growing manufacturing in Michigan and has led efforts to engage younger women in technology and engineering. On critical issues like women’s healthcare and the LGBTQ+ community, she stands squarely on the side of those defending constituents’ rights. Stevens has proven capable of both working across the aisle but does not shrink when it’s necessary to do battle on behalf of her district. Her opponent in this contest seems like a classic isolationist which in the most extreme can lead to an abdication of leadership on the world stage, not what is needed nowadays. Voters’ best bet is to return Stevens for another two-year term.
MICHIGAN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
6th District / Two-year term
(Majority of Birmingham, part of Bloomfield Township)
We have been very impressed with the attention to detail and focus NATALIE PRICE has given to the issues presented during her first term, and recommend she be re-elected to this district which meanders into Royal Oak, Berkley and Huntington Woods. A diligent, nose-to-the-grindstone public servant, she has particularly been zeroed in on issues that affect her communities, no doubt the result of her time as a local municipal board member. We especially give her props for the noise ordinance legislation she introduced this session which would hopefully control the noise on Woodward Avenue.
19th District / Two-year term
(Part of Birmingham and Bloomfield Township)
We have been impressed with what we have seen from Democrat SAMANTHA STECKLOFF, now finishing her second term in the state House. A breast cancer survivor, she has harnessed that experience to become a warrior for women’s health care rights. Steckloff has also used one of her committee chair
positions to dig into the topic of education, to everyone’s benefit. And she has applied an equal effort on another committee to address transportation and road funding needs. We also get the sense that she has not forgotten her local Farmington Hills City Commission roots and works to keep in touch with local constituents both here and the other communities in this district. Voters should return her to Lansing where her work is not complete.
20th District / Two-year term (Bloomfield Township)
Two years ago we were excited to endorse Democrat Noah Arbit for this perennially swing district, noting his support for LGBTQ+ and reproductive rights, and he went on to win the seat. We were pleased with his advocacy in extending the state’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to add sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as his work on hate crime legislation. But we rue that Arbit frequently forgets that a portion of Bloomfield Township is included in this district which also contains West Bloomfield, Orchard Lake and a few other municipalities. We have raised this issue with him in the past so we view his failure to respond this cycle to our entreaties as a ghosting of us and the one precinct in the township. Immaturity or arrogance? You decide. Success is performative, and we remind Arbit, and all elected officials, that every vote is critical, no matter how small they believe a precinct, and we regret he did not respond so we could continue our conversation.
54th District – Two-year term
(Part of Bloomfield Township, Bloomfield Hills)
This race is a rerun of the 2022 battle in which the Republican prevailed. We found ourselves falling prey to wishful thinking that backing the Democrat in this race, who we endorsed in the last election, would help strengthen that party’s dominance in the House. However, we feel Republican incumbent DONNI STEELE of Lake Orion should be given a second term as the better informed candidate in this contest. While we don’t agree with her on some issues, we also support her take on others, like lack of budget transparency and the little time lawmakers are given to review the spending plans each year. We have been impressed by Steele in several instances, notably when she bucked the GOP party line on common sense votes for gun safety and abortion rights, noting they reflected the values of her constituents. We hope she does that more often.
56th District/ Two-year term
(Part of Birmingham and Bloomfield Township)
House Democrat SHARON MACDONELL of Troy got our endorsement in 2022 and we have never regretted our decision. A community activist, she ran on a platform of fighting for education funding, improved access to health care and voting rights. Fortunately for us all, she beat back a recall attempt last year because of her support for ‘red flag’ laws when it comes to gun control. Her Republican opponent seems to lack a basic understanding of the issues. No question that MacDonell belongs in Lansing.
OAKLAND COUNTY
County Executive / Four-year term
Like many, we watched carefully when incumbent
executive Dave Coulter was appointed to the position in August 2019, following the death of forever executive L. Brooks Patterson. We are very pleased to state that Coulter has acquitted himself more than admirably as he completes his first full elected term. He has imprinted his stamp on Oakland County while maintaining the important AAA rating, provided financial stability and definitely has the support of the business community – as well as many Republicans who comprise that community. We are especially pleased to see how Coulter has expanded the county’s portfolio through environmental sustainability and equal rights and access for all residents. As Oakland County ages – a fact many local municipalities are facing as well – he is tasking his deputies and others in county government with creative development to assist that demographic. We do have questions regarding the immense financial investment into the city of Pontiac, which his opponent raised, but we are trusting Coulter in this and many other matters. Voters should definitely give DAVE COULTER another four-year term.
County Prosecutor / Four-year term
When Democrat KAREN MCDONALD was first elected as Oakland County Prosecutor four years ago, some had a tendency to label her a ‘progressive’ candidate merely on the basis of her platform of making changes in that office if elected. Frankly, the changes were not part of a ‘progressive’ agenda, they were simply necessary. She has fulfilled many of the promises made on the campaign trail, getting involved with gun storage and ‘red flag’ laws, along with reviewing cash bail policies and creation of a Conviction Integrity Unit to review convictions in past cases and a Hate Crimes Unit. She has initiated a number of other changes in how her office operates that were long overdue. Most recently her office sparked a national conversation with its handling of the Oxford school shooting as prosecution took place for both the shooter and his parents. Her Republican opponent in this race has raised a number of issues and we would think that the valid ones will be addressed but we trust McDonald is the one to determine where improvement is still needed. Voters should give her another term.
County Sheriff / Four-year term
Republican MICHAEL BOUCHARD has served as Oakland County Sheriff for over 24 years, following time in the state legislature. Bouchard commands a workforce of over 1,400 employees and the department actually serves by contract as the policing force for many local communities. He still remains involved at the state level when it comes to necessary legislation while being recognized with his involvement in law enforcement professional groups at the national level, including work with the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force. We think Bouchard has been progressive when it comes to keeping Oakland County ahead of the curve in terms of new concepts in law enforcement and he currently is without peers. Vote for Bouchard.
County Clerk / Four-year term
With the exception of one election in the last decade, which we admitted at the time was a close call on our part, we have always found ourselves endorsing
Democrat LISABROWN for the office of Oakland County Clerk, and this year we are recommending her again for another four-year term. We were impressed with her performance when she was a member of the state legislature and she quickly mastered the rigors of being the county clerk and register of deeds. Brown responded well to the increased challenges posed by the 2020 and 2022 elections, and she continues to update her office and services, both as clerk and register of deeds. Brown brings a strong track record and tons of institutional knowledge which is why voters must turn to her first.
County Treasurer / Four-year term
Currently completing his first four-year term following successful stints in the state legislature, county treasurer ROBERT WITTENBERG is continuing the strong performance of his predecessor, and is working to further assistance and cooperation with local municipalities. Wittenberg has a solid grasp of both how the office operates and the importance of maintaining the AAA bond rating for Oakland County.
Water Resources Commissioner / Four-year term
Between his time as a county commissioner and as water resources commissioner, Democrat JIM NASH has served Oakland County for about 20 years. Long before he took on his latest role, Nash had earned a reputation as an environmentalist and that has only been firmed up since then. The challenges facing the office of water resources commissioner continue to grow and Nash has demonstrated that he is more than equipped to handle the changes in the modern era. He is adept at bringing together resource persons to address issues and has earned a place as an environmental leader when it comes to sewer and water, the county’s many lakes and the multitude of climate change challenges today and in the years ahead. Oakland County will be in good hands with Nash’s return to another four-year term.
Board of Commissioners
1st District / Two-year term
(Part of Birmingham)
The incumbent in this race, DAVE WOODWARD has spent a lot of years in the trenches, first representing his constituents as state representative in the House, and since 2005, as a county commissioner. When the county board switched to Democratic leadership, his fellow board members made him the board chair, and for good reason. Woodward understands the issues of Oakland County like few others – not only what needs to be done, but how to get things accomplished.
9th District / Two-year
term
(Part of Bloomfield Township)
The incumbent Democrat in this district, ANGELA POWELL, was first elected to the county board in 2018. She has a good grasp of the issues and understands the needs of Oakland County. She should be given another two-year term.
11th District / Two-year term
(Part of Bloomfield Township, Bloomfield Hills) First elected to the Oakland County board in 2004, Democrat MARCIA GERSHENSON of Bloomfield Township has built a reputation as a hard working, knowledgeable, devoted member of the commission. Currently the vice chairwoman of the board, she brings detailed comprehension of county
government along with her past involvement with the regional SEMCOG organization. Another twoyear term is in order.
18th District / Two-year term
(Part of Bloomfield Township)
Democrat LINNIE TAYLOR was appointed county commissioner for this district in December of 2023 and in her short tenure has shown her value representing residents. She brings past Southfield City Council experience and a masters degree in Human Resource Management to the position. Voters should grant her a two-year term.
19th District / Two-year term
(Most of Birmingham)
Democrat CHARLIE CAVELL, a social worker from Ferndale, has represented this district well for the last two years, helping to advance the objectives of the Democratic board of commissioners while advocating for both the children in Oakland County and its senior population. Cavell should be returned to the board for another term.
BLOOMFIELD
TOWNSHIP
Supervisor / Four-year term
Four years ago, we gave the benefit of the doubt to Dani Walsh, a Democrat who first ran as a Republican to win a trustee seat in 2016. She argued for a separate HR position for the 400-plus employees, and emphasized that a comprehensive master plan was long overdue. We won’t make that same mistake again, having witnessed chaotic management (or mismanagement) of the township for almost four years, a lack of respect towards colleagues and an inability to take the mantle of responsibility for critical leadership decisions. There is still no HR director, nor a new master plan, and the irresponsible haste and incompetence of a last minute strategic plan was the final straw for us. We strongly believe Republican MIKE MCCREADY can hit the ground running with little learning curve if elected supervisor. He is battletested – experience that will benefit Bloomfield Township residents. McCready is a former Bloomfield Hills City Commissioner and a three-term state Representative with financial acumen and knowledge writing legislation, which requires working with residents and local municipal leaders. After being term-limited, late Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson snagged him to be the county’s economic development director, a position he continued for the vibrant city of Novi. McCready’s wealth of experience and low-key, no-drama persona will allow Bloomfield Township to thrive as the top-notch community residents – and employees – expect it to be.
Trustee / Four-year term / Elect four A reminder to voters that Clerk Martin Brook and Treasurer Michael Schostak are running unopposed. There are seven candidates, however, running for four open board of trustee seats. While township candidates must designate a party affiliation, it is noteworthy that Bloomfield Township voters are not partisan, voting for the best candidates regardless of party label. The three incumbents, NEAL BARNETT, VALERIE SAYLES MURRAY and CHRISTOPHER KOLINSKI all deserve to be re-elected. Neal Barnett has over 20 years of excellent and devoted service to the township, and is the definition of institutional wisdom. No matter who he deals with, Barnett treats everyone with respect and shares the knowledge he has gained. In her first term, Val Murray comes
completely prepared for every meeting, having studied the issues at hand and has shown compassion and interest for all residents. Chris Kolinski was appointed last year to fill Michael Schostak’s seat when he was appointed treasurer, but he previously was chair of the township’s board of review and member of the financial sustainability committee. A fireman/paramedic with Northville Township, he provides a unique perspective on public safety and union needs, resources and bargaining for the board. ROMAN GRIGORIEV would nicely round out the board of trustees table, with thoughtful ideas of how to improve the community.
BIRMINGHAM SCHOOLS BOARD
Nonpartisan / Six-year term / Vote for three Four candidates are seeking three positions to be determined in this November election. Two of the group are current members of the board – AMY HOCHKAMMER, treasurer of the board, and JENNIFER RAAS, who nows serves as board president – and must be returned for new terms. Their skills, knowledge and understanding of school issues are needed on this board. For the third open seat, we recommend JASON TEJANI, an attorney and scientist. His passion for education and his views on what is needed in the district would be a good board addition.
BLOOMFIELD HILLS SCHOOLS BOARD
Non-partisan / Four-year term / Vote for three There are three open seats on the seven-member Bloomfield Hills Schools of Education. Incumbent Siva Kumar is no longer running due to a job opportunity, although his name still appears on the ballot. Fellow incumbents MICHELLE SOUTHWARD and JONATHAN VANGEMERT should be returned for a second term, along with JASON ABEL, who is a rock solid candidate and will help keep the board cohesive. Southward and VenGemert work well with the other board members and have helped provide leadership and guidance during a term which was marked by extraordinary challenges, including the resignation of the previous superintendent and a long process of finding and hiring the new superintendent. New superintendent Rick West deserves the continuity and stability these three candidates, along with the other four board members, will help provide.
OAKLAND COUNTY PARK TAX
We have long been a supporter of the Oakland County park system which is funded for the most part by annual taxes paid by county residents. But we are opposing what county commissioners have placed on the ballot for this election.
The county electorate was first asked for a fiveyear county parks tax – .25 mill – in 1966. It was renewed every five years until 1990 when voters agreed to renew the tax for 10 years. In 2020 the county asked for an increase to .35 mill for a 10-year period, and voters willingly obliged. Now the county is back just four years later for another increase. The county board of commissioners recently approved a ballot question, this time for .65-mill but for a 20-year period, an overall billion dollar tax haul.
At no point should a tax run 20 years in length. Taxpayers should at least have the ability to look once a decade to see if the government is performing as promised.
We may be willing to back a 10-year – not 20-year – tax increase. For now, we say vote NO on this 20year tax increase.
