Downtown Newsmagazine | Birmingham/Bloomfield

DOWNTOWN10.23

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PFAS THREATS IN ALL ASPECTS OF LIFE

Ninety nine percent of organisms on earth, from those of us humans living in metro Detroit to polar bears living in the Arctic Circle, have PFAS – forever chemicals – within us. And unlike other toxins that enter the body, they do not get excreted and tend to stick around and accumulate over a lifetime. 16

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The theft on three occasions in June (Pride Month) of a Pride flag at a Birmingham business owned by two members of the LGBT+ community reminds us that there is no clearly safe space when it comes to minorities with marginalized identities.

21

CRIME LOCATOR

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

22

OAKLAND CONFIDENTIAL

GOP Mackinac conference a bust; Kevin Rinke and Tucker Carlson; Carl Marlinga-John James redo?; Rogers jumps into Senate contest; battle for Slotkin's House seat; UAW impact on 2024; plus more.

49 MUNICIPAL

Final okay for Big Rock Italian Chophouse; Cultural Council honorees; Oakland Hills rebuild clears board; phasing out gas leaf blowers; city park improvements; plus more.

DOWNTOWN10.23

Our thoughts on the candidates seeking library board positions in Birmingham and the ballot issues for city voters and those living in the Bloomfield Hills school district.

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Photo by Chris Ward

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When in late June of this year Downtown Newsmagazine reported the theft of a Pride flag from the front of Shain Park Realtors on Martin Street in downtown Birmingham, I didn't give it much thought. My view of that, however, has changed in the weeks following.

In the early morning hours on Friday, June 29, as I was editing the story that would appear later that day in our Update Newsletter we email each week to several thousand followers, my first thought was that what police officials classify as a larceny was probably the work of local youths.

But this was not the first time that the real estate firm had a Pride flag taken from its front window. It was the third time in the course of June, a month marked in many communities as Pride Month, a time of the year that members of the LGBTQ+ community and their allies celebrate progress that has been made on behalf of this minority group in overcoming prejudice.

As a bit of history, Pride Month originally started as a commemorative event celebrating the Stonewall Riots or Stonewall Uprising dating to June 28, 1969 in New York City's Greenwich Village, a culmination of decades of harassment directed at members of the gay community who were often refused service at most bars and clubs in the city until the New York City Commission on Human Rights ruled in 1966 that gay patrons could be served. The Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street in the Village, owned and operated by the Mafia at the time, was the one place members of the LGBTQ+ community could gather without disdainful treatment, although police still conducted frequent raids on the inn because it technically did not have a liquor license. The leaders of the organized crime community would often be alerted by cops on their payroll of when raids would take place. And when raids did happen, history teaches us that patrons were still subjected to humiliating treatment.

On that June day in 1969, no advance warning of a raid was given and the police raid caused a riot that lasted for a week in the surrounding neighborhood. The Stonewall Uprising eventually gave birth to a number of LGBTQ+ political activism groups, many still operating today.

Nowadays, a number of communities host Gay Pride events each year, mainly in the month of June. By some accounts, the LGBTQ+ community in the city of Detroit hosted one of the earliest Pride parades in 1986. Closer to home, Ferndale serves as the epicenter for events observing Pride month and other activities during the year leading up to the annual celebration of diversity in general. The city is often called the metro Detroit “gayborhood,” like you would find in NYC, Philadelphia, or the West Hollywood area in California.

So the theft on three occasions in June of a Pride flag from a Birmingham building housing the business of gay owners is bothersome.

Shane Park Realtors is owned by James and Kevin Cristbrook. Like many married couples, they raised a son who attended school in the local area. They are involved and contribute to the local community.

In the case of James Cristbrook, he is a noted mentor and speaker who travels the country lecturing on the topic of diversity. Aside from his 20 years in the real estate business, his curriculum vitae includes time in 2022 as the National Association of Realtors (NAR) Diversity Equity & Inclusion Committee Chair; a Realtor Code of Ethics instructor; and a NAR certified At Home With Diversity course instructor, coach and mentor. You get the picture.

The Pride flag thefts are a reminder for all that there is no clearly safe space when it comes to minorities of any persuasion, as evidenced by the August

killing of a southern California store owner because she displayed a Pride flag on the front of her business.

Many would like to think that those living in the Birmingham bubble are tolerant of others and inclusive in general, and for the most part that may be accurate. After all, the city as early as 1992 adopted an ordinance outlawing discrimination, including sexual orientation, when it came to housing. The ordinance does not protect employment rights or the rights to public services, but those concerns are now addressed in the Michigan Elliott-Larson Act of 1976 that was expanded in March of this year to protect the LGBTQ+ community.

We are given the occasional reminder that our world here is not perfect.

Take for instance the rumor we were handed late last year that newly elected Birmingham school board member Colleen Zammit – backed by a couple of fringe-right groups, and though not endorsed specifically by the Moms for Liberty far-right group, certainly cut from a similar mold – had met just days after her November election victory with Seaholm High School officials, including the principal and the Seaholm/Groves media specialist (librarian), to discuss what we were told were her concerns about both books in the library and what 2023 Pride Month events were going to be promoted in the school. When we met a wall of silence from the administration, we filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the district for copies of any correspondence involving this newly elected board member.

What we received told us that, yes, a meeting had been held and the newly-minted school board member and some other parents raised concerns about certain books in the Seaholm library and the curriculum. The email correspondence suggests that some objections were made about what is “morally acceptable.” We can only assume that some of the discussion touched on LGBTQ+ concerns because the email exchanges had the group objecting to references that their view was a “conservative perspective” and an insistence that there was no anti-LGBTQ+ agenda in their effort. Right. Color me suspicious on those two points.

To this day, we are not sure what the upshot of the get-together was but it does suggest that below the surface there are undercurrents here that threaten the rights of the majority population by those who would would restrict what is read or taught to fit with their “moral” view of the world. Whether intended or not, allowed to flourish unchecked, it sends a message that not all are welcome here. As I have written in the past, misguided attitudes and values on crucial issues are often passed along in the home, from one generation to the next. Until this cycle is broken, Michigan will remain an unwelcoming place for a part of the population that has been marginalized for far too long.

STOLEN FLAGS UPDATE: Kudos to U.S. Congresswoman Haley Stevens (D-District 11), who represents Birmingham, Bloomfield Township, Bloomfield Hills and a large swath of Oakland County. She took it upon herself to replace the Pride flag at Shain Park Realtors. A Seaholm graduate who was an early member of the diversity club there, she did her stint in the D.C. political world, returned and remains a resident of Birmingham. Stevens made her bones in the Obama administration which helped the auto industry survive and is a force in efforts to grow manufacturing concerns here. She also continues to push for adoption of the Equality Act, adopted first in the last Congress but which remains stalled in the current House session. Class act.

David Hohendorf Publisher DavidHohendorf@DowntownPublications.com

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MACKINAC CONFERENCE BUST: No matter how members of the “new” (as they bill themselves) Republican party try to promote it, the September 22-24 Republican Leadership Conference on Mackinac Island was expected to fall far short of the mark when compared to past similar biennial events. Missing this time around will be the major contenders in the presidential primary race, and the list of speakers read more like a list of secondstring (if not lower) figures from the far right. Think Kari Lake, Trump acolyte and failed 2022 Arizona gubernatorial candidate who is still insisting that she really won. That’s if she shows. Word is, Lake was supposed to attend the last biennial Mackinac Conference, but bailed when she wasn’t paid. Heading into the conference weekend, the only presidential hopeful who had agreed to appear is upstart Vivek Ramaswamy, whose wife is from Michigan. Also expected to be in short supply were the traditional Republicans of the party as opposed to the MAGA wing which has become the dominant force since Kristina Karamo was elected as state party chairperson. Already feeling like they are not welcome at party gatherings, we encountered a number of traditional Republicans who are simply skipping the event, although there was speculation that former House member and now U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers may attend the island event. And a few days ahead of the conference it was announced that northern Michigan house member Neil Friske would be speaking at the event. We asked a number of Republicans if they planned to attend. As one former legislator said to us, “Are you seriously asking me that?” At a fundraiser for the Republican Senate caucus last week in Birmingham, one participant told us that of the six GOP senators at the event, not one planned on heading to the island.

CARLSON KERFUFFLE: Not much has been heard from Bloomfield Hills Republican Kevin Rinke since he came in a distant second to Tudor Dixon in the 2020 party gubernatorial primary election. But his name popped up in early September as the cochair of an event to celebrate first responders, the fourth annual American Safety First event which was sponsored by the conservative Brighter Michigan PAC. The event drew media attention because of former Fox News personality Tucker Carlson, now hosting his own show on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), who was booked as the key speaker at the event which was originally scheduled to be at Freedom Hill, owned by business mogul Tom Celani of Bloomfield Hills. Conflicting reports have it that event promoter Live Nation or Celani decided at the last moment that the Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill had changed its policy and did not want to host a political event. Last minute efforts allowed the event to be held at Jimmy John’s Field in Utica, at which 2,000 tickets were reportedly sold, besting last year’s total ticket sales of 400.

MARLINGA-JAMES REMATCH?: It’s anybody’s guess this far in advance of the 2024 elections but there now is a chance that the U.S. House 10th District contest could shape up to be a rematch between Democrat Carl Marlinga from Sterling Heights and incumbent Republican John James, who now lives in Shelby Township since his victory for this seat in 2022. The district includes Rochester and Rochester Hills, along with the south part of Macomb County. Marlinga – former probate and circuit court judge and county prosecutor – lost to James by one of the

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narrowest margins nationally, 0.5 percent or 1,600 votes, without any help from national Democratic organizations. This time around, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has included the 10th District in a list of over 30 House districts it plans to target in 2024. In 2022 Marlinga raised just under $1 million for the contest while James spent about $6 million. As of the latest filing, Marlinga has raised $14,000 and has $3,000 on hand, while James now has $1.69 million on hand. If Marlinga wants to be the November election party standard bearer, he will have to eliminate a field of candidates already announced for the primary. The field of hopefuls include Emily Busch, a gun safety advocate from Oxford, who has raised $80,000 and has $61,000 on hand, along with Warren financial advisory Diane Young who has raised just over $106,000, with $58,000 on hand. Young also has the endorsement of Democratic state Senator Mallory McMorrow. Also in the mix is Brian Jaye from Macomb County, who has raised $6,000. Standing in the shadows with an exploratory committee is Democrat Anil Kumar, a physician who is on the Wayne State Board of Governors and had run against Republican David Trott for Congress in 2016.

WHO’S UP NEXT: As Democratic Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin continues to campaign to be her party’s candidate to replace Senator Debbie Stabenow, what’s to become of Slotkin’s congressional seat, which she won in a hard-knuckled brawl in 2022 with Republican former state Senator Tom Barrett, in what was then considered one of the most expensive congressional races in the country, with over $36 million spent by the two campaigns. Barrett, a twotime Army veteran, announced in January he was launching another go for the seat, which national Republicans really want to flip. In his announcement, he said he’s focused on foreign policy issues, saying the Afghanistan withdrawal under President Joe Biden “lit a fire in me” and compelled him to run. But Democrats have no intention of letting what they consider as Slotkin’s seat go. It’s anticipated Michigan’s 7th District race will be just as competitive in 2024. In that vein, the New Democrat Coalition Action Fund has already endorsed former State Sen. Curtis Hertel Jr. (D-Lansing, East Lansing) to replace Slotkin in the House. “Curtis understands that in order to get things done, you must work with people on all ends of the political spectrum,” said New Democratic Coalition Chair Annie Kuster. “I always believed that the only way to accomplish our shared goals is to take the time to listen and work with others to find solutions that help everyone,” Hertel said.

BATTER UP: Speaking of Senator Debbie Stabenow and her open Senate seat following her retirement in 2024, the Republican primary may have found their man. Former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers of Howell, who left the House eight years ago after rising to become chair of the Intelligence Committee, is an Army veteran and former FBI agent. And he has a track record of filling Stabenow’s shoes – when she first ran (successfully) for the Senate in 2001, Rogers ran for her congressional seat, having been a state senator. He then served as a congressman for seven terms before stepping down to become a radio host. Rogers and his wife had retired to Florida, but recently returned in order to begin a run for the Senate seat, and mainstream Republicans are practically giddy. “I think he’s an excellent candidate – he’ll be pretty formidable,” said one highly-placed Republican politico. Upon his entrance in the campaign, he gained the implicit backing of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), according to Punchbowl. “Mike is the type of candidate who can perform well with suburban Michiganders and be a strong part of the eventual ticket in Michigan,” NRSC chair Steve

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Daines said. Also eyeing the race is former U.S. Rep. Peter Meijer (RGrand Rapids), who lost his seat after one term because of voting for the impeachment of former President Donald Trump. Meijer is also a vet, but has been a target of MAGA ire. “I hope Meijer doesn’t jump into the race,” said a former party leader. “He’s young (35), and he can wait. And they –the MAGA, pro-Trump crowd will go after Meijer first because he voted for impeachment.” As for word that Meijer, whose family owns that grocery chain, will be able to raise loads of dough, word is that Rogers will have all the money necessary to win, especially to face likely Democratic candidate Elissa Slotkin, a powerhouse fundraiser, in the general.

LOOK FOR THE UNION LABEL: Word is that the UAW strike against all three Detroit automakers – General Motors, Ford and Stellantis – is worrying more than just auto suppliers and others in the auto industry. It seems the Democratic caucus in Lansing is getting cold feet on some of their progressive agenda – notably over costs of compliance to carbonneutral energy compliance, with a recent pushback to meet the timeline to 2040 from 2035. Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D), in her second and final term as governor, is urging her caucus to “stay the course” on “The Clean Energy Future Plan,” which many state Republicans call a “California-style New Deal.” A key issue autoworkers are striking against is the overhaul of the industry to EV – electronic vehicles, which former President Trump has warned UAW members are “coming to take your jobs.” “It’s not a lock for (President Joe) Biden in Michigan anymore,” said one Republican honcho. “When we thought Michigan was a gimme for Democrats – now we’re not so sure.”

FIFTH TIME’S THE CHARM: A write-in campaign for office is notoriously difficult. Unless your name is Bryan Barnett, four-term mayor of Rochester Hills. The Oakland County burb has a charter amendment which stipulates that mayors and city council members are term-limited after two terms but that does not prevent anyone from seeking added terms as a write-in candidate. Barnett was on the ballot in 2007 and 2011 and then ran write-in campaigns in 2015 and 2019, plus again this year. His challenger is Rochester Hills political science graduate Ariane Paviani, who is concerned about the amount of development in the city. Barnett has advocated for commercial and residential development in his 17 years at the helm of the city, helping to transform the community from a sleepy area to a tech hub, along with parks, trails and infrastructure. During Barnett’s term, Rochester Hills has been named one of the top 10 places in the U.S. to live.

SEE YOU IN COURT: Bloomfield Hills businessman and failed 2022 Republican gubernatorial candidate Perry Johnson, now a current presidential candidate, is allegedly getting ready to sue the Republican National Committee (RNC) because he failed to meet their qualifications to be on the stage during the August 23 presidential debate in Wisconsin. The RNC set a baseline of 40,000 individual campaign donors and at least one percent support in polls that met the RNC’s standards. And therein lies the hitch. Johnson, who has loaned his presidential campaign $8.4 million, is furious that the RNC didn’t recognize the poll which had him at one percent as meeting their criteria. In a statement, Johnson said, “It is clear that from the beginning, the RNC knew who they wanted on the stage and who they wanted to ban from the stage. Simply put, this is a flawed decision of a poorly run process of a corrupt organization.” “He’s not going to win. The rules are the rules,” said a high-ranking Republican. “I think he just wants the attention. He can’t possibly think he’ll be president.” Fox News watchers have seen ads Johnson has been running proudly proclaiming “he’s the only candidate to donate $10,000” to a legal fund for false electors. A real claim to fame.

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Bloomfield Robotics Team

Ten students from East Hills Middle School in Bloomfield Hills on the GEKOT (Great Engineering Kids of Tomorrow) FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition in Science and Technology) LEGO Robotics Team would create a collision alerting technology system for scooters that lets riders know about potential hazards, such as pedestrians, cars and bicycles. In addition to the impressive invention from this project that took place in 2019, their efforts would stretch even further when they earned a U.S. patent earlier this year.

Their coach, Dan Champoux, who has headed up the GEKOT robotics program for nine years, led the students through the patent process, prototyping and competition. Two students share some background information about the experience.

Elias Cengeri, now a freshman at Oakland Christian School in Auburn Hills, was a fifth-grader when he was on the team. For this particular project, he explained that the challenge was how to make cities better, and the e-scooters often found in urban environments seemed like a good fit.

As Cengeri explained, their coach reached out to e-scooter manufacturers, including Razor. “We were super excited when they sent some e-scooters to us so we could modify the design,” Cengeri said.

Their invention has the potential to make e-scooters safer.

“The collision alerting technology system for electric scooters features a box with sensors to tell the rider there’s an object in proximity. We would mount it right onto the scooter,” he explained.

There were bound to be challenges along the way. “The biggest challenge was to figure out how all the sensors would connect together,” Cengeri said. “We’re just a bunch of kids. We didn’t know everything about scooters.”

The national patent would make their perseverance pay off. “We didn’t expect it to get as big as it did,” he said. The free scooters from Razor were among the other perks.

So, what’s next for this bright high school student? He has yet to pick his career path, but Cengeri is currently looking into cybersecurity.

Another team member, Avani Nandalur, now a ninth-grader at the International Academy Okma in Bloomfield Hills, was also in fifth grade when she began working on the project.

Nandalur feels grateful for the experience. “It was really rewarding to get somewhere with the robotics competition. It was a lot of work, but it was great to see the patent actually come to life,” she said. “Within the team we would sometimes disagree, but, in the end, we were able to work it out.”

She was set on being an engineer for a while now, but she is currently in a floating zone. Whatever profession Nandalur pursues, this experience taught her important skills that will serve her well.

“I am now able to work on a project for a longer period of time and I have a better ability to problem solve,” she said.

She also thinks their invention could have a future. “We have a patent, so I think this type of product could be manufactured,” Nandalur noted.

For now, she would like to encourage other students to consider these opportunities.

“We would build a scooter and take it apart and I got to use saws,” she said. “It was a really great experience for me. I recommend robotics for kids. You learn a lot, not just about building, but teamwork and getting through hard times.”

Story: Jeanine Matlow

Photo: Chris Ward

PFAS

THE STUFF IN YOUR LIFE THAT MIGHT CONTAIN FOREVER CHEMICALS

BY STACY GITTLEMAN

Michigan began testing levels of forever chemicals and found levels that measured in the thousands or hundreds of thousands of parts per trillion. In 2016, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a health advisory – not a regulation – of a maximum contaminant level threshold at 70 parts per trillion (ppt).

Kathy Wusterbath remembers the summers of her childhood and teen years swimming and working as a lifeguard on the shores of Van Etten Lake in Oscoda Township in Iosco County.

Wusterbath’s parents, both teachers, moved to Oscoda Township in the 1960’s to raise a family and teach the local schoolchildren who were mainly from military families stationed at the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base.

For decades, the U.S. Air Force would hold training and firefighting operations at the base, including those that would require fire to be doused by using aqueous film forming foams (AFFF). AFFF is just one kind of PFAS, PFOS, and PFOA (per- and polyfluoroalkyl) substances, a class of over 15,000 long-stranded fluorinated bonded chemicals. They have garnered the name “forever chemicals” because their molecular bonds are the strongest manmade on earth and they do not degrade or break down in the environment.

The most pervasive and harmful of these compounds include perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), the kinds used in AFFF. They were eventually linked to kidney, liver, and thyroid cancers, as well as many other ailments. PFOS was phased out of production in 2002, and U.S. manufacturers eliminated PFOA emissions and product content by 2015. Although banned in 12 states, including Michigan, some firefighting operations in the country still have not replaced FFF with fluorine-free foam solutions.

Today, there exists a toxic plume of AFFF on the military base which seeped contaminants into Van Etten Lake and surrounding areas. You can no longer eat fish from the lake or the Au Sable River. Eating hunted game like deer is also prohibited. Though swimming is still permitted in the lake, people are warned to stay away from any floating PFAS foam.

“I spent most of the summers of my teen years in that water,” said Wusterbath, 54, a breast cancer survivor who was diagnosed at age 28. “They cannot say for sure that my cancer was directly caused by exposure to PFAS, but they say that for you to get cancer from that PFAS foam, a person would have to spend many hours in or near the water, like five days a week and three to four hours a day. That’s about the same amount as a beach lifeguard shift – so you do the math.”

In its heyday, the population of Oscoda was 12,000. Now, Wusterbath, a retired nutritionist turned environmental activist, said that number’s been slashed in half. Though most residents receive municipal water drawn from Lake Huron, about 250 homes with wells found themselves with an undrinkable water source.

“Around 2016, we began going to town hall meetings facilitated by the state, our local health department, and the military,” Wusterbath said. “We had no idea what PFAS was. It was a oneway conversation. They just provided basic information, but they couldn’t give us any guidance on how to advocate for ourselves.”

In 2018, the state began testing levels of forever chemicals and found levels that measured in the thousands or hundreds of thousands of parts per trillion. In 2016, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a health advisory – not a regulation – of a maximum contaminant level threshold at 70 parts per trillion (ppt). (Scientists measure PFAS exposure in water in nanograms per liter. One nanogram equals one ppt. In layman’s terms, that one part per trillion can be visualized as one drop of water in 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools.)

Wusterbath and Tony Spaniola, a retired Department of Environment Quality employee, mobilized and created two grassroots organizations to tackle the problem. First, Need Our

Water (NOW) was established to legally advocate for the compensation of the residents in Iosco County impacted by PFAS and make the military pay for the cleanup. That included stopping the PFAS plume coming from underneath the grounds of the closed Air Force base from continually seeping into the waterways.

The two also work with the Great Lakes PFAS Action Network, a group of activists and experts whose communities have been severely impacted by PFAS pollution who work to educate policymakers at the state and federal levels and seek resources to secure funding for large-scale PFAS cleanup for people across the Great Lakes region.

Thanks to the efforts of these two organizations, in August 2023, the U.S. Defense Department announced plans to expand PFAS groundwater cleanup at the former base.

Though this is a start, Wusterbath said Oscoda is still burdened with over $1 million in loans it spent providing water hookups to residents with tainted well water, paid off in part through some grants secured by NOW.

The next step involves monitoring the health of residents. Wusterbath said the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) in October 2022 began testing the blood of residents of Oscoda and other nearby townships for nearly 50 different kinds of forever chemicals. The testing was made available to anyone in these townships aged 12 and up. So far, Wusterbath said that about 511 people from 370 households have enrolled in confidential testing. The results of the testing have not been released.

“This is going to be a long process,” Wusterbath, cautioned. “And tying a specific disease directly to anyone given PFAS chemicals is complicated and yet to be proven. But anecdotally, I have seen a high rate of high cholesterol diagnoses in town. And cancer is where people are really struggling. We have had physicians and veterinarians reporting high rates of cancer in people and animals. We know we have been exposed.”

Though not everyone’s situation is as acute as it is for the residents of Iosco County, we have all been exposed to forever chemicals. According to researchers, 99 percent of organisms on earth, from those of us humans living in metro Detroit to polar bears living in the Arctic Circle have these forever chemicals within us. And unlike other toxins that enter the body, they do not get excreted and tend to stick around and accumulate over a lifetime.

Brought to the commercial market by 3M and DuPont, and best known for their use in nonstick Teflon pots and pans, PFAS chemicals also make shoes waterproof and carpet and furniture upholstery stain-proof. These “forever chemicals” represent the strongest carbon-fluorine bonds on the planet.

Consumers can thank PFAS chemicals for long-wearing mascara, lipstick, and sunscreen, as well as the leak-proof wrappers and cardboard boxes that keep fast food grease from leaking onto their laps. The heat-resistant qualities of PFAS have been deployed in the military, airlines, and firefighting applications, most notoriously through foam.

The cases of PFAS contamination in Michigan are persistent and growing. On September 11, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel filed a lawsuit in the Kent County 17th Judicial Circuit Court against the Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority following repeated warnings and demands for action from the state to clean up a plume of AFFF that is releasing into the groundwater supply. Nessel is suing the airport authority for PFAS

releases into the below-ground water supply which has also been discovered in residential wells in nearby Cascade Charter Township.

Forever chemicals are also lurking in stain-proof or waterproof fabrics or carpeting thanks to Scotchgard coating. Omelets and cookies for decades have slid right off pans and cookie sheets made with Teflon. In the bathroom, any personal care product or cosmetics marketed as long wearing or waterproof, and even some brands of dental floss contain PFAS.

The ubiquity of PFAS may seem overwhelming. But there are actions you can take as a consumer to begin to minimize your risk of exposure.

Jamie DeWitt, a former professor of pharmacology and toxicology at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University spoke with DowntownNewsmagazine during her move to continue her research on PFAS at Oregon State University. She is best known for her award-winning work studying the health and environmental impacts of PFAS in North Carolina, particularly the Cape Fear River Basin. The river supplies water to one-fifth of North Carolinians but is also the location of PFAS manufacturer DuPont.

“There have been numerous epidemiological and toxicological studies looking at PFOA and PFOS,” explained DeWitt, who grew up close to Battle Creek, Michigan. “We are now confident that PFAS exposure is linked to many different types of chronic diseases – a leading cause of death in the world today – including a strong link between forever chemical exposures and kidney and testicular cancer. Toxicology studies in my lab indicated that exposure to PFAS also causes reduced vaccine response, and accompanying this response is reduced resistance to a variety of other diseases. Exposure to these chemicals is also related to low birth weight in babies, elevated levels of cholesterol, thyroid disease, liver disease and ulcerative colitis.”

In DeWitt’s East Carolina University laboratory, toxicologists discovered that a certain PFAS called perfluoro ether acid, which has become commonplace in the Cape Fear River, contains more oxygen atoms in its molecular structures and tends to be more toxic to the immune system and the liver. The findings of this study are being prepared to submit to a journal called Toxicology Letters

She explained: “Fortunately, these are more easily filtered out than some of the compounds with fewer oxygens, but they also may hang around inside of people’s bodies for a longer time than the smaller compounds and therefore have time to interact.”

DeWitt added that researchers are finding a common thread among less studied and more commonly studied forever chemicals: they both suppress vaccine responses.

“We also are trying to understand why this happens at the molecular level. We have evidence to suggest that PFAS affects how efficiently the cells in our body use energy.”

As far as what people can do in their everyday lives to minimize PFAS exposure, DeWitt advised first looking in their kitchen and getting rid of any cookware made with Teflon. Look for cookware that has a PFAS/PFOA-free label. For indoor and outdoor furnishings, DeWitt advises to avoid those with PFAS waterrepellant coatings.

“Also, try to reduce packaged foods that may contain PFAS in the packaging,” she said. “The largest culprits in this area are fast food burgers and fries wrapped in grease-proof paper and pizza boxes. It’s almost impossible to avoid PFAS, but with some effort, exposures can be reduced through certain controls.”

Most importantly, DeWitt said the most widespread way forever

chemicals enter our bodies is through our drinking water supplies, so it is best to pay attention to the source of the drinking water. Public utilities in Michigan regularly test their waters for PFAS, and those reports are available to the public. However, these reports and monitoring do not include private wells.

One of DeWitt’s colleagues is Scott Belcher, another native Michigander living and working in North Carolina as associate professor of biology at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, N.C.

Belcher is a toxicology researcher for the Center for Environmental and Health Effects of PFAS. His research focuses on learning how PFAS/PFOS/PFOA accumulates in wildlife and aquatic food chains in the Cape Fear River.

Belcher’s family roots are in the Grand Rapids area, home of the Wolverine Worldwide tannery.

In 2020, Wolverine, known for producing shoe brands like Hush Puppy, Saucony, Keds and Stride Rite, was sued for $115 million to be provided over a multi-year period to extend municipal water to more than 1,000 properties with private wells in Algoma and Plainfield townships where Wolverine for decades dumped the PFAS waste it used to waterproof its shoes.

When the Wolverine story broke, Belcher said his family took the approach of just not wanting to know about it. And though no members of his family or people he knows from back home have any outstanding health problems, not seeing a lot of people walking around obviously and immediately sickened can be a challenge to bring more awareness to the myriad of long-term diseases and conditions associated with PFAS.

“It was an eye-opener for me, the way we grew up,” admitted Belcher. “Our way of thinking is that if we don’t know about something, it is not going to hurt us. But the ubiquity of PFAS in our environment means this is a very different kind of creature of contamination.”

He continued: “It’s hard to see these specific effects because that would equate to human experimentation. We can observe associations between PFAS exposure and things like higher cancer rates or higher cholesterol levels associated with exposure, but seeing those direct links is beyond what science is capable of at this time.”

Belcher’s studies examine PFAS levels in the apex predator of the Cape Fear Food chain – the alligator. Belcher said the alligator’s robust immune system makes them an ideal species to study for vulnerabilities to contaminants. Last October, Belcher’s study revealed that these reptiles had elevated levels of 14 PFAS chemicals in their blood.

“What we found is consistent with our other wildlife findings. The part of the immune system that normally reacts to bacteria and viruses is not as robust if the animal is exposed to levels of PFAS. The symptoms the animals were showing mimicked human autoimmune diseases such as lupus.”

In a forthcoming September 2023 study still awaiting peer review, Belcher examined PFAS levels in fish fillets from five locations in North Carolina and compared it with PFAS levels in fish from previously published studies. The result was the discovery of 22 different PFAS in the fillets, including only four of the PFAS reported in water. PFAS types and higher concentrations were observed in fish caught near a known PFAS point source compared to those from a reservoir used for drinking water and recreation. Median fillet PFOS levels were 54 parts per billion (ppb) in fish closest to the point source and 14-20 ppb in fish from the reservoir.

Though not everyone’s situation is as acute as it is for the residents of Iosco County, we have all been exposed to forever chemicals. According to researchers, 99 percent of organisms on earth, from those of us humans living in metro Detroit to polar bears living in the Arctic Circle, have these forever chemicals within us.

There are no federal standards for forever chemical thresholds in food such as fish. In July of 2023, North Carolina enacted its first fish consumption advisories for several species of freshwater fish due to high levels of PFOS. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services recommends that no more than one meal per year include fish caught from the Cape Fear River Basin.

Belcher’s water was tested by the EPA and was found to contain high levels of PFAS. For the safest water possible, Belcher has invested in a $2,000 reverse osmosis filtration system for his home, which is the most effective method of PFAS remediation on the market today to filter out PFAS. There are less expensive filters that can remove up to 60 percent of PFAS, but these also run into hundreds of dollars. For any of these systems to work effectively, Belcher stressed that filters must be regularly replaced, consumers should not ignore that red “replace filter” warning in their refrigerator, and filters can be expensive.

And here, Belcher said, lies the problem. He said the burden of the cost of cleaning up PFAS should lie with the polluter and not the consumer. More rigorous testing and scrutiny should be placed on the chemical manufacturing industry to prevent harmful chemicals from being used and released into the environment in the first place.

“I use the genie out of the bottle analogy,” said Belcher. “We make things out of chemicals which we don’t test, and then we ask questions later. This is one of the unfortunate aspects of how chemical regulation is performed in the United States.”

In recent years, though, developments happening at the federal level during the Biden administration may slowly move the country in the right direction.

In March 2023, standing on the campus of the University of North Carolina in Wilmington – his home state where he headed the Department of Environment Quality –EPA Director Michael Regan ushered in the most sweeping law proposal against PFAS contamination in drinking water.

Set to be implemented by the end of the year, The National Primary Drinking Water Regulation covers six PFAS including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA, commonly known as GenX Chemicals), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), and perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS).

When the law goes into effect, it will set a maximum contaminant level threshold for all above chemicals at 4 ppt; the highest level of a contaminant allowed in drinking water. For the other four PFAS, the agency is proposing using a “hazard index” which is a tool used to address cumulative risks from mixtures of chemicals.

According to the National Resource Defense Council, once finalized, this would mark the first time in 26 years that the EPA has regulated a new drinking water contaminant on its own initiative. All other EPA standards were issued after Congress ordered the agency to act. Weighing in with thousands of public comments, the law has been met with both praise and scrutiny from researchers, environmentalists and public water utility officials.

After reviewing the proposed law, the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) in May issued a public comment, stating that while the utility is encouraged by the proposal, it is concerned about who will be footing the bill for PFAS remediation for its 3.8 million Michigan residents who already are challenged with paying for their current water and sewerage charges. GLWA has

been testing for PFAS since 2009, and has not detected forever chemicals, according to current state and federal standards.

GLWA Chief Executive Officer Suzanne Coffey stated that the proposed rule would impact many of GLWA’s operations including water sampling, treatment and disposal. The potential costs and liabilities associated with the proposed rule are a significant concern to GLWA and the members and users of its water system. Like other water authorities around the country, no one is certain just how much PFAS cleanup and remediation will cost, or who will cover the bill.

Coffey wrote: “Based on our historical sampling results, GLWA is not expected to require capital improvements for additional water treatment processes to meet the proposed regulation. However, if PFAS concentrations emerge as a problem for us, the cost of treatment would not be confined to a single capital improvement investment. The legacy costs required by disposal or regeneration of the treatment waste streams would be systemic and are currently unknown due to other pending PFAS regulations regarding solids disposal. Public water utilities did not produce, regulate or discharge PFAS, but will be asked to continually contend with the cost of their disposal. GLWA strongly supports a “polluter pays” model where those who produced PFAS pollution bear the liability and costs of its remediation – not the public.”

In order to reduce point source reduction of PFAS, such as capturing and treating runoff of these chemicals at industrial sites where they are used and leachate from landfills, GLWA in 2020 launched its Industrial Pretreatment Program team on the water reclamation side and also instituted a Pollutant Minimization and Source Evaluation Program for PFOS and PFOA.

However, GLWA expressed to the EPA that the implementation of these initiatives has put a financial and workforce strain on its agency and would not know how it could further absorb more stringent federal mandates without support.

“It is our strong belief that those who manufacture and profit from these chemicals should be responsible for any needed remediation and the ultimate costs to eliminate PFAS concentrations that pose a threat to our health and the environment,” Coffey again stressed.

The Great Lakes PFAS Action Network also submitted comments commending the EPA for the proposed ruling in a letter submitted with 213 signatures.

“The EPA’s proposed drinking water standards are an important milestone in the fight to protect public health and will save lives in impacted communities on the front lines of the PFAS crisis,” said Tony Spaniola, the organization’s co-chair in a press release at the time of the announcement. “This is an A+ decision by the Biden Administration for front-line communities. We urge that the proposed drinking water standards be adopted and implemented with all deliberate speed.”

A ruling – and financial backing at the federal level – cannot come soon enough for a crisis to the drinking water that has been stewing for decades.

In June 2023, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) released a study that revealed that up to 45 percent of all public water utilities – that’s water for over 200 million Americans – have some PFAS contamination in them, meaning that the levels of PFAS exceed 70 ppt. To understand potential exposures to PFAS at the point of use, the USGS sampled 716 locations (269 private wells, 447 public supply) across the United States between 2016 and 2021.

The EPA proposed rule – and any remediation that will come

As far as what people can do in their everyday lives to minimize PFAS exposure, DeWitt advised first looking in their kitchen and getting rid of any cookware made with Teflon. Look for cookware that has a PFAS/PFOA-free label. For indoor and outdoor furnishings, DeWitt advises to avoid those with PFAS water-repellant coatings.

because of it – only applies to public water supplies and not private wells. In 2022, the USGS reported that PFAS was detected in public and private drinking water wells in 16 eastern states. PFAS was in 60 percent of wells serving public water systems and 20 percent of wells serving individual households.

Toxicologist Linda Birnbaum is a retired scientist and former director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the National Toxicology Program. She began studying the impact of forever chemicals in the 1980s. A resident of North Carolina, she also participated in studies with the EPA which detected unacceptably high levels of PFAS in her water supply. Birnbaum said residents were informed by the water authorities, who she believes are proactive enough to enhance its utility with the proper filtration systems.

Once again, to best protect ourselves from PFAS, Birnbaum advised starting with the water we drink. A few easy guides and interactive maps searchable by zip code are available at the Environmental Working Group’s website.

“I urge people to find out what the PFAS levels in your drinking water levels are,” she said. Birnbaum has participated in many tests on her water supplies. “And if they exceed what those maximum contaminant levels which the EPA will hopefully put into place by the end of this year, consider putting a charcoalactivated filter into your sink or your refrigerator specially designed to filter out PFAS/PFOS.”

Filters are readily available on the market. Some higher-end models will custom formulate orders according to a customer’s zip code and latest water utility records. There are also higher-end water pitcher filters and whole-home reverse osmosis systems. However, these remedies run from the hundreds to thousands of dollars.

Birnbaum said she expects the EPA to finalize its ruling by year’s end for six chemicals and, she predicts that it will add four others to the regulation. The next steps, she predicts, will involve testing our blood for PFAS levels just as we now get tested for high cholesterol and diabetes.

Birnbaum pointed to the 2022 Guidelines on Clinical Testing for PFAS Exposure from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, which is geared for the use of healthcare professionals and clinicians. The report said that those living close to areas suspected of elevated PFAS levels, such as wastewater treatment plants, airports, or military bases should be clinically tested for PFAS exposure.

“I think we are all going to find out that we may have elevated levels of forever chemicals in our blood,” she warned, adding that it is difficult to pinpoint a direct line from the presence of a certain forever chemical in the body to a specific disease.

Birnbaum said the report shows how science is just beginning to pinpoint these connections between varying levels of PFAS in one’s blood to specific conditions such as high cholesterol, hormone disruptions and certain cancers. Such blood readings could help doctors better evaluate and monitor a patient’s vulnerability to diseases and conditions over time.

Birnbaum said the report contains excellent clinical advice, as long as it would be adapted by the Centers for Disease Control. Another barrier to such comprehensive detection of PFAS levels in the blood is the fact that most people do not have insurance that would pay for such testing. “Unless the CDC comes out with a recommendation, most health insurance companies are not going to pay for these tests. And blood testing for PFAS levels can cost $500. That price may come down as more people request to get

the test, but most people do not have that kind of money to pay for a test out of pocket. For one, I’d love to have my blood tested.”

In June, 3M announced that not only will it begin paying out billions of dollars to the most severely impacted municipalities, but it will also phase out all its PFAS production by 2025. 3M has been involved in a multi-district litigation settlement which will make $10.3 billion available over more than 13 years for public water supplies which are going to need money to deal with PFAS cleanup. Birnbaum said money from this lawsuit will go towards remediating the 400 most polluted drinking water municipalities in the nation, but hundreds of others have been impacted and remain in litigation.

“It’s still not enough, but this number is a good start,” Birnbaum said. “And that dollar amount will grow. While 3M still admits no wrongdoing with PFAS, they announced they would no longer use forever chemicals after 2025. That’s probably because they know their litigation costs will only increase, so that is a move in the right direction on their part.”

Although Birnbaum is encouraged by the new forever chemical limit rulings from the EPA, she admitted this has been a long time coming, in part due to powerful chemical and manufacturing lobbyists who push back on regulations. While Birnbaum said that no exposure to forever chemicals would be the ideal exposure, she remains a pragmatist, knowing zero right now is an unachievable number for a variety of reasons.

“I remember when the head of the Office of Water (for the EPA) called me in 2016 as they announced the health advisory of 70 ppt, he said he knew I was not going to think it would be strict enough,” said Birnbaum. “But that advisory ruling, and now the new EPA laws which will probably go into effect by the end of the year, are steps in the right direction. The problem with all our laws and regulatory agencies is that we have the best government that money can buy. A tremendous amount of money is being spent on lobbying to block environmental regulations.”

Birnbaum said in the decades since products containing forever chemicals have hit the market, there has been an increase in different types of cancers, autoimmune diseases, neurological and developmental disorders and falling fertility rates. Though no direct conclusive evidence can be drawn between any one forever chemical and one disease, Birnbaum said just as we now have evidence that bad air quality days can be connected to an increase in trips to the emergency room for asthma attacks, the science is moving closer to understanding links between PFAS and a myriad of ailments.

“At this point, everyone has been exposed, but we do not yet know to what severity of degree of exposure is causing which illness or effect, and we have yet to understand what other variables in their lives are coming into play. But toxicologists and pharmacologists are beginning to realize that these chemicals cause multiple detrimental health effects.”

Michigan has pioneered the states in taking the EPA’s 70 ppt health advisory and making it an enforceable law in 2018, as well as being one of the states with one of the most cohesive, multiagency approaches to confronting the PFAS problem.

“It is because we approach PFAS from seven departments of our state government, each taking a different angle yet staying in their own lane, that Michigan is recognized as a national leader,” said MPART Executive Director Abigail Hendershott.

Prompted by its own widespread PFAS contamination, Michigan under the Snyder administration in 2017, and signed into law in 2018 by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, the state created the

Since products with forever chemicals have hit the market, there's been an increase in types of cancers, autoimmune diseases, neurological and developmental disorders and falling fertility rates. Though no direct evidence can be drawn, science is moving closer to understanding links between PFAS and a myriad of ailments.

Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART) – a task force that spans across environment, health, military and agricultural agencies. MPART puts the state in leader status to stop PFAS contamination at the main sources – industrial, landfill, military, and airport sites.

To further fund PFAS remediation efforts in the state, Lansing allocated $25 million for PFAS and Emerging Contaminants –Contamination and Consolidation Grants as part of the $500 million MI Clean Water Plan to upgrade water infrastructure for the fiscal year 2024 budget.

Presently, MPART has fully documented activity and progress on over 262 sites where PFAS contamination has been detected, including 21 sites in Oakland County. All the sites with PFAS activity, as well as detailed data reporting and interactive maps showing where the state has detected, tested and in the process of remediating PFAS are found on MPART’s searchable website and interactive maps.

MPART sends out weekly communications available to the public reporting on new sites where PFAS has been detected, ongoing activities at existing PFAS sites, announcements to upcoming public meetings, and calls for the public to participate in citizen involvement.

Beginning in 2017, the state examined every single municipal water supply and learned that at the time only two exceeded 70 ppt.

Among the most severe examples of PFAS contamination, in addition to Wurtsmith, was the 2018 Tribar manufacturing case polluting the Huron River watershed and impacting Ann Arbor’s drinking water. The contamination led to the implementation of “do not eat” advisories for fish. Water in Ann Arbor required advisories and new filtration systems. In Parchment, PFAS levels 25 times above the 70 ppt threshold were detected in drinking water and traced to an old paper mill that used PFAS to coat grease-proof food wrapping paper.

Hendershott explained that another proactive measure Michigan is taking to deal with PFAS is to head it off at the source at industrial and manufacturing sites. Hendershott said while wastewater treatment plants are not equipped to filter out PFAS, industries that use forever chemicals must filter water waste through granular activated carbon filters onsite before this effluent reaches the wastewater stream.

“We believe that the best solution to (minimizing PFAS in the environment) is to make sure that we cut off the flow at the source. MPART has created an industrial pretreatment initiative, working with all the state’s wastewater treatment plants which take in industrial effluent into their treatment plant. At this stage, wastewater treatment plants have the opportunity to ask those industries to sample for PFAS to pinpoint the source of these chemicals which may be headed to the treatment plants, because these facilities are not designed to remediate and filter out PFAS,” she said.

With this method, Hendershott maintains that it is the polluter and not the water ratepayer that is paying to remove PFAS from the water cycle.

“We want to make sure that it is the industries that use these chemicals in their manufacturing process that are the ones paying to handle PFAS, not the wastewater treatment plants. And this program has been so successful that the EPA is looking to model at a national level.”

Hendershott said that in 2020, Michigan worked to surpass the 70 ppt standard by making it the law that the state’s water

supplies needed to meet lower lifetime limits for seven additional forever chemical compounds. They include: PFNA (6 ppt); PFOA (8 ppt); PFOS (16 ppt); PFHxS (51 ppt); GenX (370 ppt); PFBS (420 ppt) and PFHxA (400,000 ppt).

But 3M is suing the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) over these tighter regulations, claiming that EGLE is in violation of the state’s Administrative Procedures Act in failing to estimate the costs of complying with the new state groundwater clean-up standards that would automatically flow from the new PFAS in drinking water limits. As the lawsuit between EGLE and 3M is still in litigation, Hendershott was unable to comment on the issue. However, EGLE maintains that for now, its standards are still law and are being enforced.

In a statement released to Downtown Newsmagazine, EGLE Spokesperson Scott Dean said: “It is disappointing that 3M, one of the major chemical manufacturing companies responsible for bringing PFAS to market, continues to push back on efforts that protect residents from toxic products. While EGLE respectfully disagrees with the court’s decision, we appreciate that it has allowed the health standards to remain in effect while we appeal because the safety of our citizens should not be compromised while the legal process moves forward. Michigan will continue to aggressively work to protect the water we all rely on. The MCLs are still in effect and enforceable. EGLE is prepared to act to ensure that the public and the environment remain protected.”

Michigan Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin (D-Lansing) since 2019 has co-sponsored dozens of bills calling for PFAS and remediation cleanup through her work on the Armed Services Committee. This year, Slotkin said the committee is trying to move four pieces of bipartisan-supported PFAS legislation through Congress to be included in the House version of the National Defense Authorization Act, which is the Pentagon budget, and will see if they are kept in as her committee negotiates a final bill with the Senate.

The bills call for more transparency on the part of the military in the case of their cleanup at the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base in hopes of raising cleanup standards and speeding timelines on other military bases around the country contaminated with PFAS. Slotkin said in the 13 years since PFAS was discovered there, it is difficult for the public to understand what steps the military has taken to remediate the site.

Other pieces of legislation Slotkin hopes will get in the budget are line items that will cover medical expenses for veterans and families who worked and lived on the bases to pay for blood tests to detect PFAS, health care and further restrictions for using PFAS in products purchased by the military. Another piece of legislation calls on the military to adhere to the most stringent drinking water levels to drinking water supplies for the military.

“The military should not be buying products containing PFAS when we know it is unhealthful,” Slotkin said. “Our soldiers have already been exposed. All these pieces of legislation made it into the House bill, and now we will have to wait until the end of the year to see if they make it into the Senate’s version.”

Outside of PFAS’s impact on the military, Slotkin believes the entire nation should have in place a single PFAS drinking water standard that is based on science. Slotkin said it is “ironic” that 3M is coming after Michigan’s drinking water stringencies with a lawsuit while at the same time announcing they will phase out all PFAS manufacturing by 2025.

“3M, after using and producing PFAS for many years, is acknowledging that these chemicals are damaging,” Slotkin said.

Another proactive measure Michigan is taking to deal with PFAS is to head it off at the source at industrial and manufacturing sites. While wastewater treatment plants are not equipped to filter out PFAS, industries that use forever chemicals must filter water waste through granular activated carbon filters onsite.

“Yet they are going after the state of Michigan due to procedural reasons, not because of the science behind Michigan’s decision (to lower PFAS thresholds in drinking water.) So it’s important to note that 3M is not balking at the science. We will see this lawsuit through, and 3M will have to go home and actually compensate the places where they’ve left a complete mess.”

As the country waits for the EPA to review the public comments and finalize the National Primary Drinking Water Regulation, Slotkin said she hoped that the federal government will look to Michigan as a model.

“Michigan’s (PFAS) water standard is based in science,” Slotkin said. “Michigan is at the forefront of identifying PFAS in our water and then doing something about it. My hope is that the federal government will take Michigan’s lead and update its drinking water standards to ones similar to ours. I expect that the EPA will come out with a PFAS response to drinking water at levels that are similar to Michigan’s. This will affect every American if they lower the acceptable PFAS threshold in our drinking water.”

In our homes, a big part of the PFAS puzzle is deciphering where forever chemicals are lurking in the products with which we come into contact every day including new products that come onto the market. Fortunately, there are resources to help you better understand where forever chemicals can be found around the house, and how to best minimize your exposure.

The Environmental Working Group has free downloadable guides on how to avoid PFAS in both consumer products and one’s drinking water and can be found at www.ewg.org/guides.

For a comprehensive understanding of just how PFAS is deployed in consumer goods, head to mamavation.com. The website and blog are the creation of journalist-turned-grassroots consumer watchdog Leah Segedie.

Backed by a scientific advisory council that includes Linda Birnbaum, Scott Belcher and other PFAS researchers, this Californian social media influencer and investigator writes about how to avoid PFAS in everything from backpacks to drinking straws to parchment paper. At the request of her thousands of followers she sends products to an EPA-certified lab to see where PFAS or any other harmful toxins may be hiding that are not reported on consumer labels. To finance her work, she approves and recommends products on her website, and then gets a portion of sales profits and receives funding from the nonprofit Environmental Health News.

Ever since her college days, Segedie has had an obsession with hidden toxic chemicals in the environment and things that are encountered in day-to-day life. As her house was built on a former walnut orchard, she realized that there were traces of the nowbanned pesticide DDT in her backyard soil. After participating in a study, it was discovered that traces of DDT were found in strands of her hair. Her father died of asbestos-related mesothelioma and other relatives have died of cancer.

Outside of knowing about PFAS levels in your drinking water, Segedie advises the most effective way to minimize one’s exposure to forever chemicals is avoiding certain food packaging and cutting down on eating fast food.

“For the average person, there’s a couple of places that you can really make an impact,” Segedie said. “One of the most obvious places is your eating habits. In the testing I am doing right now, there is a lot of PFAS in fast food and heat-and-eat packaging. There is PFAS in your fast-food hamburger wrapper that prevents the grease from getting all over. Changes in California are happening lightning fast in this area, which is banning fast food

wrappers that contain PFAS. But if your state has no such ban, I advise to cut out fast food and processed food. The more your food is processed by others, the bigger chance there may be traces of PFAS in your food.”

For example, Segedie said in comparing canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, and jars of pasta sauces, there was more likelihood that items labeled “pasta sauce” would have traces of PFAS in the jar.

The Food and Drug Administration has yet to regulate the presence of PFAS in processed food.

According to the watchdog website SaferStates.org, 12 states have banned food packaging containing PFAS, but Michigan is not one of them.

When that tube of mascara runs dry, after you’ve popped that bag of microwave popcorn, the old carpeting gets replaced, or the waterproof raincoat eventually frays, ultimately, these and other PFAS-laden consumer products head to the landfill. There, the products will degrade slowly and will release PFAS into landfill leachate, the liquid runoff that will eventually make its way to our water system.

Matt Reeves is a researcher at Western Michigan University who studies the movement and transport of PFAS in manmade engineered environments, particularly in landfills. His findings, most recently published in the November 2022 issue of the Journal of Current Opinion of Environmental Science and Health, show that once forever chemicals arrive in the landfill, they can transform into even more persistent chemical compounds that are hard to treat in wastewater that eventually makes it to our waterways.

“Once consumer products reach a landfill, they are exposed to precipitation which forms leachate, which must be treated before it heads to a wastewater treatment plant,” Reeves said. “Our research has shown that these substances morph into other even more persistent, stable substances and wastewater treatment plants are not equipped to treat them.”

Reeves said landfill operators are getting pickier about what can be dumped in their facilities, especially if the waste has high amounts of forever chemicals.

He said while some forever chemicals have been phased out, new ones, like Gen X, mainly used in fast food wrappers, may be just as harmful and not thoroughly researched.

On the horizon, the EPA is planning to segment these thousands of chemicals and look at regulating them on a case-by-case basis. This would please manufacturers and industry but is receiving rebuke from top toxicologists such as Birnbaum, the former director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the National Toxicology Program and researchers like Reeves.

“We have gone down this whole process of replacing some forever chemicals with others,” explained Reeves. “While some chemicals may have shorter strands of carbons which have replaced longer-stranded ones, they’ve still proven to be toxic. For example, the chemical called Gen X, a replacement chemical that is mainly used in fast food wrappers, is toxic.”

Though Reeves is not a toxicologist, he trusts the peer-reviewed research from his colleagues, who say there’s no point in regulating thousands of these PFAS chemicals one chemical at a time.

“I have read and listened to toxicologists present their findings, and I have yet to see a single PFAS or PFOS chemical that does not cause adverse human health impacts at some concentration. So, I am in favor of regulating them in a single class.”

Michigan Congresswoman Elissa

Slotkin

(D-Lansing)

since 2019 has co-sponsored dozens of bills calling for PFAS and remediation cleanup through her work on the Armed Services Committee. This year, the committee is trying to move four pieces of PFAS legislation to be included in the House version of the Pentagon budget.

Courtney Monigold

FACES

Cody Williams

By all accounts, Cody Williams isn’t afraid of taking a risk, considering his life up until now.The Birmingham resident started his career as a police officer on the Livonia police force after college, and continued to work for a decade in the Special Operations Unit, and as a sniper on the S.W.A.T. Team for a decade.

“During my time with S.W.A.T. I had the opportunity to work in conjunction with the Secret Service guarding then Vice-President Dan Quayle, who was speaking at an outdoor event in the Detroit area,” said Williams, who comes from a long line of family working in criminal justice.

Looking for another challenge, during his time as a police officer, Williams, already a pilot, trained and became a flight instructor.

”After that, I had the opportunity to leave my police work and fly full time for Zantop International Airlines and Reliant Airlines all over North America and Europe, and did that until William Clay Ford Sr., (the late owner of the Detroit Lions) sought me out as their private pilot,” said the father of three.

In 2000, Williams began his position as captain for the William Clay Ford Aircraft Corporation, flying the 19-passenger Falcon 900EX, because he said “Mr. Ford was very interested in my police background for security reasons, along with my aviation credentials.”

While continuing to respect the Ford family’s privacy, Williams doesn’t share the many personal stories, but says he was the “family’s truckster for 20 years,” taking them to Lion’s games, family homes, vacations and anywhere a member of the family needed to go – including ocean-crossing flights to the iconic Wembley Stadium in London .

What’s the foundation for all of William’s love of a great adventure? “Probably two thing – I am wired with an entrepreneur’s mindset to create, and then everything I do is based on my strong faith,” said Williams. ”I’m never fearful in any kind of new adventure I’m taking because I believe God is supporting me always.”

His latest creation came about while using his training in electrical and pneumatic engineering as a jet pilot. “I was in my yard raking leaves for hours and thought there had to be a better way,” said Williams. “So I went to my garage and made a rough prototype by attaching the vacuum and mulcher to my leaf rake and it worked.”

With more time to devote and patents pending, he’s launching the “VentoRake” an all-in-one leaf management tool that allows for raking, vacuuming, mulching, and bagging from a 17-pound, battery powered backpack.

“The entire product has come a long way since my garage,” said Williams. “We’ve recently been nominated for a 2024 Thomas Edison Award for Innovation and will be premiering the VentoRake at the Equip Exposition in Louisville, Kentucky this October 17-20 – the Super Bowl of outdoor power equipment. “

The Williams family has made Birmingham their home for the last two-and-a-half years, and Cody and his wife Robin love taking their two grandchildren to the many parks in town. The legacy he’d like to leave his family to carry on his love of adventure would simply be to always “work to make your faith stronger than your fears, because it’s the best recipe for success in your life.”

For more information on the VentoRake visit http://www.williamsandcary.com

Story: Susan Peck

Photo: Chris Ward

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Oakland Hills gets approval to rebuild

By Lisa Brody

A year-and-a-half after the catastrophic fire which destroyed the Oakland Hills Country Club clubhouse, the club received unanimous approvals for the reconstruction of the clubhouse, the recreation and expansion of its first tee building into a lifestyle building, replacement of various maintenance buildings into one new greens and grounds building, redesigned interior traffic plans and enhanced landscaping at the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees meeting on Monday, September 11.

Patti Voelker, director of planning, building and ordinances, explained Oakland Hills Country Club proposed several site improvements to its south golf course to include the reconstruction of a new clubhouse, at 110,236 square feet; the repurposing and expansion of its first tee building, to be known as a Lifestyle building, with a fitness center and men and women's locker rooms, at 16,853 square feet; the replacement of the various maintenance buildings and structures into a new greens & grounds building, with room for four staff members, repair facilities, cold storage for all vehicles, and an environmental center for fertilizer and other chemicals. She said the site plan and special land use request also included related parking and site improvements and enhanced landscaping and lighting. The site is located at 3951 W. Maple Road, on the south side of W. Maple Road between Telegraph and Lahser roads.

“A country club is considered a special land use. It is zoned R2 residential,” Voelker said.

Prior to the clubhouse fire in 2022, there were a lot of intersecting traffic flow issues between pedestrians going to the pool or clubhouse, the complex route to the valet parking, and numerous deliveries and trash pickups that came to the site. This new plan will make this less convoluted, with the addition of an underground tunnel that will connect the clubhouse to the lifestyle building, and be used for deliveries and trash pickups, separating the modes of traffic. “The new internal drive will be used primarily for valet and internal access,” she said.

Voelker said parking is not an

City looks to phase out gas leaf blowers

By Grace Lovins

Birmingham has taken the first step in a move to ban two-stroke gas leaf blowers.

At the city commission meeting on Monday, September 11, commissioners approved a statement of intent that indicates over the next three years the city will be phasing out leaf blowers with two-stroke engines. The move comes after discussing the option during two meetings between last October and this August.

When the commission first showed interest in pursuing a plan to potentially ban the leaf blowers, city staff brought research that showed the impacts two-stroke engines have on the environment. Emissions, noise and the “greater environment” were all reviewed by commissioners, leading them to direct staff to come up with a phased approach.

According to the meeting packet, the phase-out of two-stroke engine blowers also advances the city’s sustainability goals. By removing twostroke engine leaf blowers and encouraging the transition to electric or manual, the goal is to significantly reduce the effect on public health and the environment.

The commission’s move does not yet ban or restrict two-stroke engine leaf blowers. Rather, the city will look to phase out these leaf blowers over the course of the next few years and are giving the rest of Birmingham notice that they are moving in the direction of phasing out two-stroke engine leaf blowers completely.

A drafted timeline included in the meeting packet shows the city is looking to begin drafting an ordinance in 2024. A total phase-out of twostroke leaf blowers is anticipated by 2026. According to Nick Dupuis, the city’s planning director, the drafted three-year timeline lines up with the city’s budget cycle.

Commissioners voted unanimously, 7-0, to adopt the resolution expressing their intent to phase out the leaf blowers.

issue, with the new parking lot to have 253 spot, along with 72 valet spots and 26 parking spots by the greens building, for a total of 351 paved parking spots.

The new clubhouse, while increasing in size by 18,345 square feet, will look almost exactly like the previous iconic clubhouse. Materials will have a more non-flammable component.

“We wanted to replicate, almost to a T, what was lost one-and-a-half years ago, including that long veranda,” said Jim Stock, design director at Neumann/Smith Architecture.

In order to improve the appearance of the club and the course in the community, a chain link fence with barbed wire atop along W. Maple Road and adjacent neighborhood roads will be removed by the club, to be replaced on W. Maple by 10-14-foot evergreens, including arborvitae and Norfolk pines, to provide screening. More decorative fencing is proposed for other roads, and a row of burning bush plants are proposed along Lahser Road. Voelker noted the landscaping

complies with the township's tree replacement ordinance, with other landscaping being done to enhance the existing greenery.

Oakland Hills representative Leo Savoie, former township supervisor, told trustees and the public, “We're excited at where we're at because it's a process. We're hoping to get a shovel in the ground by mid-November. We'll be very, very fortunate to have it completed fourth quarter 2025 – more likely April 2026.”

“I'm glad you designed the plans on the previous building, but I'm also glad you've made some innovations,” said township treasurer Michael Schostak.

“It's an homage to what you had but it has some really cool new features,” said supervisor Dani Walsh. Trustees unanimously approved both the site plan and special land use request.

Big Rock plan clears

city commission

By Grace Lovins

The historic Birmingham Grand

Trunk Western Railroad Depot, located at 245 S. Eton, will once again be home to a restaurant after city commissioners voted to approve the business’s special land use permit at the Monday, August 28, meeting.

Formerly home to Big Rock Chophouse, the new restaurant, to be called Big Rock Italian Chophouse, will be one of 46 other restaurants across the country owned by Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, LLC. Ocean Prime in Troy is part of CMR’s line of restaurants as was Cameron’s Steakhouse in Birmingham before its closure in 2019.

The plans and design were first reviewed by the city’s historic district commission and planning board. According to planning director Nick Dupuis, the historic district commission offered several suggestions to improve the image of the building without compromising the historic landmark. Awnings at the front of the building will be removed while the awnings at the back of the building will be taken down, restored and placed back.

Planning board members voted unanimously in July to approve the final site plan and design with a few conditions. Polycarbonate roofing and retractable screens were proposed for the outdoor dining area, which the planning board had an issue with. Board members agreed that they would have to be removed to get approval from them, which was shown during the city commission meeting.

Dupuis also said that the restaurant will continue to work with the city on a five-foot easement of the property due to the S. Eton Road reconstruction project.

“Thank you for the flexibility on both sides because this is how to negotiate between the city and businesses and developers to generate a win-win in my opinion. I truly think this is exemplary,” said commissioner Andrew Haig, referencing the easement.

Commissioners voted 5-0 to approve the special land use permit for Big Rock Italian Chophouse. Pierre Boutros and Clinton Baller were both absent from the meeting.

2023 Cultural Council honorees announced

The Cultural Council of Birmingham Bloomfield has announced the honorees for its 2023 Birmingham Bloomfield Cultural Arts Awards, which will be presented at an awards ceremony on Friday, October 13, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Birmingham Bloomfield Arts Center.

This is the 28th year the cultural arts awards have been presented. The honorees are selected based on their impact on the cultural life of the community and/or beyond by a diverse jury of arts enthusiasts in the community.

The 2023 Cultural Arts Award will be presented to Stephanie Pizzo, who is a dancer, collaborator and educator. Pizzo has been with Eisenhower Dance Detroit since its founding in 1991, as dancer, associate artistic director, resident choreographer and finally as artistic director of the company for the last six years. The company, now in its 33rd year, is one of the premier contemporary repertory dance companies in the country, performing not only locally and nationally, but also internationally.

Under Pizzo’s leadership, education plays a major role in the company. A new state of the art dance complex, funded by the Strum Allesse Foundation, opened this past January, bringing world-class dance and fitness opportunities to the community, and her educational collaborations with schools as diverse as the Detroit Public School Community District to Detroit Country Day have expanded the company’s educational reach to impact children across all socioeconomic borders.

The 2023 Special Lifetime Achievement Award, given in recognition of Artistic Expression of Humanity, is being given to Kegham Tazian. Tazian's award honors the ‘artistic expression of humanity’ seen in his tremendous body of work, and his impact on thousands of aspiring art students who, one of his nominators stated, “either sought to understand visual art more deeply, or pursued his guidance to bring their own potential for artistic expression to life” during his 40-year tenure at Oakland Community College.

The “Best in Show” prize at OCC’s annual student art show is otherwise known as the Kegham Tazian Art Prize and is funded by the Tazian Art Foundation.

Tazian’s works are renowned, and

his public commissions can be found worldwide. The city of Birmingham, where Tazian resides, is fortunate to have been gifted one of his sculptures, Pyramid Earth, which is installed in Linden Park as part of the city’s Art in Public Spaces program.

The 2023 Partners with the Arts Award is being presented to The Community House In recognition of their centennial year and their longstanding role supporting the arts in the Birmingham Bloomfield community.

Commissioners adopt principles of conduct

By Grace Lovins

Birmingham city commissioners resolved the long-standing consideration about developing a Commissioner Code of Conduct at their meeting on Monday, August 28, by adopting a shorter Principles of Conduct.

Commissioners have discussed a code of conduct seven times during past meetings, never coming to an agreement about whether a code was needed and if so, what it should include. In honor of August being civility month, the commission was presented with a set of principles to guide their conduct, according to Melissa Fairburn, assistant city manager.

Fairburn consolidated the comments and suggestions from the commission's past discussions –between February of 2022 and June of 2023 – into a single-page document. The list contained five principles with short descriptions: Collaboration, Respectful Communication, Integrity, Professionalism and Ethical Conduct.

“This is indeed the short, succinct one-pager that I believe everyone requested,” said mayor Therese Longe.

Minor changes were made to the language of the draft at the request of commissioner Andrew Haig. After it was brought up in public comment, an additional line was added to guide present and future commissioners away from spreading misinformation.

With the minor changes and little discussion, the commission voted 5-0 to approve the new Principles of Conduct. Commissioners Peirre Boutros and Clinton Baller were absent from the meeting.

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Local officials say farewell to treasurer

By Dana Casadei

For over 30 years, Bloomfield Township Treasurer Brian Kepes has been an important asset to Bloomfield Township, and Monday, August 28, marked his last board of trustees meeting, with his retirement going into effect at 5:31 p.m. on Thursday, August 31.

Two well-deserved proclamations were read to honor Kepes at the meeting, one by Marcia Gershenson, vice chair of the board of commissioners for Oakland County, who played a large role in Kepes running for the first time in 1994; and the other by Bloomfield Township Clerk Martin Brook.

“This is one of my favorite things to do, to honor great people that have contributed so much to our community,” Oakland County Commissioner Gershenson said, also noting this one was a little sad too. “We’re definitely going to miss you.”

Gershenson’s sentiments were echoed multiple times throughout

the evening, including by both Brook and trustee Neal Barnett.

“I’ve known Brian a long time…it certainly saddens me that you’re leaving the board. You bring so much to the board and to the township,” Barnett said. “I can say, because of all your contributions, Bloomfield Township is certainly a much better place to live.”

Kepes then spoke, thanking every person who has been with him during his time working for the township, his family, and joked that he would do his best to get through his speech without using his tissues.

“I am deeply and humbly filled with gratitude and emotions… know that I am honored and privileged to have been of service,” Kepes said. “It’s been a wonderful journey and adventure.”

And what an adventure it has been over the last 30 years of public service.

Kepes' commitment to the township started after he was appointed to the board of review in 1994, a role he was reappointed to year after year through 2009, and a committee he then chaired. He was also appointed to the

zoning board of appeals in 1994, a board he continued to participate in until 2008.

Kepes was first unanimously appointed to the board of trustees in March 2009. He was then elected to the board of trustees in November 2010, and then in November 2012. He is CPA by training, and runs a real estate and management company. Most recently, Kepes is well-known for his work as treasurer on the Bloomfield Township’s Board of Trustees, a role he’s held since 2016, and was reelected to in 2020.

Kepes came into office as treasurer during a period of financial turmoil in Bloomfield Township, following the Great Recession and investment concerns and questions about fees in 2014 following a $80 million bond issuance, and whether the township treasurer at the time and the then-investment advisory firm took the time to make sure township board members understood the nuances of the fees for the recommended investments.

Kepes was instrumental in the creation of an advisory township financial sustainability committee to

work with investment firms.

Throughout it all Kepes kept the Kepes Commitment, part of his campaign when he ran in 2016, and a theme he kept throughout his years of public service, a card he’s kept on his desk during his tenure as treasurer.

“I can assure you I worked hard, and I hope you’re proud,” Kepes said. Given the room’s standing ovation when he was done with his speech, it seemed everyone would agree that he had.

As the meeting was about to close, Kepes’ successor as treasurer, trustee Michael Schostak, spoke about how much of a mentor Kepes had been to him over the last seven years and how he hopes he’ll be able to keep the Kepes Commitment during his time as treasurer.

“I’ve learned whether it’s township stuff or other activities you’ve been involved in, when you get into something you come in with your full heart,” Schostak said.

Kepes later asked to adjourn the evening’s meeting, a fitting moment to end his 30 years of public service.

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Walsh updates on ARPA spending

By Dana Casadei Bloomfield Township Supervisor

Dani Walsh updated the board of trustees meeting on Monday, August 28, with details about what the township is proposing to do with the nearly $4.5 million it was awarded through the American Rescue Plan Act.

In total, the township was awarded $4,407,946, with $1,783,487 already allocated for platform ladder apparatus for the fire department. The platform ladder project will take three years to make, and will arrive in 2026.

Currently, the township is looking to use the remaining $2,624,459 for multiple projects, ranging from building development to technology and security updates.

Walsh said that request for proposals (RFP) will be going out sporadically, taking away the need to wait for everything and do them all at once.

RFPs have already been sent out

for some projects, including a new fire station and reimagining of the police station. That RFP went out in June and received six responses. Both the police and fire chiefs have interviewed the prospective candidates and will be coming before the board with their recommendation soon.

The combined cost for both the fire and police station is approximately $90,000, coming in on the lower side for the proposed projects.

A RFP has also been sent out for a records management structure project, being led by township clerk Martin Brook, who received three responses and is expected to give his recommendation and request for approval by the board of trustees in September.

This particular project would include creating a framework for how and where almost 200 years of documents, both paper and digital in various storage areas, could be combined and made easily accessible in one place, improving speed and accuracy of responding to Freedom of Information Act requests.

Estimated cost for this project is $400,000 and does not include its second stage, which would entail scanning and storing documents.

Other projects with building modifications include updates to the township hall auditorium, both technology updates and general updates like replacing the lights, wall color and the chairs, totaling $250,000.

“We do get a lot of comments about the chairs,” Walsh laughed. “I’m sure you sitting out there right now may notice they aren’t the most comfortable if you’re sitting through a long meeting.”

Many of the other potential projects revolved around technology updates, such as a proposed phone system replacement for both the hosted and on-premise solution; disaster recovery and continuity, which among other aspects, would include cloud server access, virtual servers, and iPad software for assessing to work in the field after storms. Paper and pen is currently being utilized.

There was also discussion about security updates for cyber security

for those who work for the township by doing things like investing in multi-factor authentication for all 225 users. This project would also include updated security to the campus to improve surveillance cameras, building security access and locks, and auto/video in the police interview room. The police department still use key locks for the prison cells.

While some updates were short, the township drainage study/chapter 20 discussion took up a large portion of Walsh’s presentation.

This project originally started with the concept of chapter 20 drains. One had come before the board of trustees that would help two homes, but would have taken up most of the drainage funding. They also knew of five other homes who were having issues so the township moved forward with a study, one that has caused the project to grow considerably from where it originally started.

“That study has grown into the fact that it is going to need some different phases and some structure,” Walsh said.

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The project is now broken down into three possible stages. First, the study would attempt to identify the ownership of existing storm drain systems located within the township, including both county owned drains in the right of way, and privately owned drains within the subdivisions. Then owners would be educated of their drainage systems and advised on the best management practice for maintaining their systems. The third, and final, phase would include investigating if there are any drainage areas that potentially meet the chapter 20 drain criteria and if they could become a chapter 20 drain.

Walsh made the remark that there are a lot of residents and homeowner associations which don’t realize they own and are responsible for their drainage system, often calling the township when their subdivision is flooding, expecting the township to fix it, then being informed it’s actually their responsibility to do so.

“I don’t feel people would avoid maintaining if they knew it,” Walsh said. “I honestly think most people

just assume the township owns it.”

It is looking like a project this large would take them outside the scope of 2026 and the project's duration and cost will likely exceed ARPA parameters. It will also take more engineers than those the township has in house, with the township's engineer, HRC, spearheading the project due to its massive size.

After she was finished, Walsh asked what her fellow trustees thought of the plan, or whether they should focus on those five homes first instead.

Those who spoke all agreed that they should focus on more of a holistic approach to the project, focusing on the overall needs of the community instead of just five homes.

“We’d hate to have problems down the road because we really weren’t stewards of taking care of this,” said trustee Neal Barnett.

“This is an opportunity to educate folks about what impact they might experience and let them know what they can do sooner rather than later,” Brook said, one of many board

members who agreed that this would be an excellent educational opportunity for everyone.

While a large portion of the ARPA funds have been assigned, there is still approximately $1.4 million that is unassigned, with possible projects for the remaining balance being the unknown cost of both the first phrase of the storm drain system and second phase of record management structure. There’s also a backlog of vehicles and equipment to be purchased, as well as other capital costs, where ARPA funds could be used towards if no new projects are added.

Retiree healthcare benefits outlined

By Lisa Brody

In a presentation to Bloomfield Township trustees on Monday, August 28, finance director Jason Theis explained the township's legacy costs of defined benefit and defined contribution retiree health care costs are proceeding well towards their funding mandates and

are being overseen by an outside actuarial firm, Milliman.

Theis explained that there are two forms of legacy costs, pension and health care, in the form of defined benefit, which is a fixed, preestablished benefit for employees at retirement. It has been closed to new hires in the township since 2005, other than for fire, which has been closed to new hires since 2007. As of January 1, 2023, it is 89 percent funded.

Theis said for the defined benefit pension fund, as of Milliman's latest actuarial report, there are 99 active retirees that are still eligible to receive that benefit, and 15 inactive, who are no longer working for us but worked long enough to vest some sort of benefit. Overall, there are 309 retirees and beneficiaries that are already benefitting from the fund.

In order for the township to determine how much it will have to contribute for the upcoming fiscal years, Theis said the most recent pension actuarial uses January 1, 2023 census information for fiscal year March 31, 2025, which is the end of the township's next fiscal year.

“2022 ended with a decline in the market value of invested pension assets of 6.2 percent – the largest decline in the past five years,” Theis said. “The actuary's assumption is to earn 6 percent a year. I would equate that to a market loss of almost $29 million at the time this report had to be done.”

Theis said it affected the longterm forecast, as it was projected that the defined benefit payment was to have been $4.7 million; the actual payment because of the market loss in 2022 will be $5.57 million.

The other legacy plan is the defined contribution retiree health care plan, which is also referred to as OPEB – other post-employment benefits plan. Like the pension fund, it was closed to new hires in 2011. Now, all new hires since have been enrolled in health savings accounts.

Currently, there are 123 active retirees using the defined contribution retiree health care plan; two inactive; and 380 retirees and beneficiaries. As of March 31, 2023, it was 22.6 percent funded. Until 2012, the township approached it as

a “pay-as-you-go” plan with a minimal balance. Treasurer Brian Kepes noted that between 2012 and 2022, the township has contributed $17.7 million, with the assets held in five separate investment portfolios.

Public Act of 2017 requires more reporting and funding of OPEB accounts by municipalities, and determined that Bloomfield Township was underfunded because it was less than 40 percent funded –“it was only 3.4 percent funded at that point,” Theis said. “It must be at least 40 percent funded by 2047, 30 years after the enactment of the law.”

As of April 1, 2022, the value of the OPEB accounts was $22.6 million, 22.8 percent funded.

“Our most recent corrective action plan filed with the state illustrated we could be 40 percent funded by 2032, and 100 percent funded by 2042 – before the end date,” Theis reported.

After the presentation, supervisor Dani Walsh asked the actuary if the township was on the right track moving forward. He responded that continuing to fund a percentage

above what is required by the state is great, and “currently, the approach is really solid.”

Redstone to redesign police, fire stations

By Lisa Brody

Six architectural firms submitted request for proposals (RFPs) for redesigns of the Bloomfield Township police station and fire station number three, and chiefs James Gallagher and John LeRoy informed trustees at their meeting on Monday, September 11, that Redstone, a Bloomfield Township firm which is a specialist in municipal, law enforcement, justice and public safety architecture, was their choice to move forward.

Gallagher, the township's police chief, said they had first come before the board and spoken about the needs of each of their departments. “We've both outgrown our spaces. We've outgrown our dispatch center. There are limits on technology...our locker rooms are more than 30 years old, there are no more lockers for women officers; we're at capacity. We have one shower and

one bathroom stall for 10 women. However, a remodeling will affect the rest of the department.”

The police station shares a building with Township Hall.

Fire Chief LeRoy said fire station number three was built in 1960, with an apparatus bay added in 1978 – 45 years ago. “The building does not meet current safety and design standards. It needs to be retrofitted for female firefighters. We cannot fit aerial apparatus. There just is not enough space. We are out of storage space.”

Gallagher said an RFP was posted to the MITN website on June 12, with a deadline of June 27. They received six proposals, although he said three firms did not submit complete proposals. He said proposals were evaluated based on qualifications and experience of the firm; qualifications and experience of key personnel; past experience and references, including with municipal work; and project approach and understanding, including a cost proposal.

Bid proposal prices ranged from $10,000 to $123,991.

“We recommend using Redstone Architects, located in Bloomfield

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Township, a Michigan firm,” Gallagher said. “They were very responsive. They've been around since 1937, and are highly experienced with municipal projects.”

In their proposal, Redstone noted a first priority would be to develop a special needs assessment (SNA) to identify each department's current and future needs. They also noted that any substantial renovation, which they defined as 50 percent or more, requires bringing an existing building up to code.

Redstone's bid was for $91,665. An additional $10,000 was estimated for costs to designs if necessary for the township's offices, $10,000 to $15,000 for site evaluation for a possible new police building or partial relocation of some township offices if the existing building is not able to accommodate the new redesigned spaces. They also estimated $25,000 for structural, mechanical, electrical and plumbing designs.

“I'm not surprised you chose Redstone because they are so experienced with municipal buildings. They are just outstanding,” said trustee Neal Barnett.

Supervisor Dani Walsh noted the current state of police and fire facilities are affecting recruiting. “It's not just frills, it's the safety,” she said. “The men and women who work here deserve better.”

Trustees unanimously approved the $91,665 bid from Redstone, along with the extra $10,000 if needed to design for township offices, as well as the $10,000 to $15,000 for site evaluation for a possible new police building or partial relocation.

Senior Center earns $150,000 ARPA grant

By Lisa Brody

Bloomfield Township trustees unanimously approved a senior services American Rescue Plan Act grant contract from the Oakland County Board of Commissioners for $150,000 at their meeting on Monday, September 11.

Christine Tvaroha, director of senior services for Bloomfield Township, reported to trustees that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners approved $5 million of American Rescue Plan Act, known as ARPA, funds for senior centers across the county. Bloomfield Township applied for a grant, and received $150,000.

“There is a distinct priority to replace the parking lot, and we have matching funds available,” Tvaroha said.

She said if approved, the work on the parking lot could be done in the next

fiscal year, which begins April 1, 2024.

Trustees voted 6-0 to approve the receipt of the grant contract.

Birmingham city park improvements okayed

By Grace Lovins

Birmingham city commissioners voted to accept the Trail Improvement Concept Plan at their meeting on Monday, September 11, directing staff to move forward with drafting a request for Booth Park construction drawing proposals as part of the improvement plan.

Improving the city’s trail system is a priority project of the parks and recreation bond. Towards the beginning of 2022, the city had MCSA Group, Inc. prepare a concept for the improvement plan which was presented to the public for input. Feedback from several city boards as well as the public was incorporated into a revised concept plan completed at the end of June of this year.

Residents had the opportunity to share their feedback regarding the concept plan which Birmingham Parks and Recreation Manager Carrie Laird summarized during the meeting. According to Laird, most Birmingham residents are hoping to see more accessibility, sustainability, visibility and connections, and more of a natural feel.

Included in the concept plan are a number of entry, connectivity and accessibility improvements. Booth Park will have new seating, landscaping, entry improvements and a number of additional accessible restrooms. Confidence markers, wayfinding signs and trail entry identifiers are going to be added, as well as new accessible boardwalks and viewing areas.

By the end of the three-phased improvement process, new pedestrian bridges will also be placed between Willits and Baldwin, and south of Maple into Linden Park. The first phase of the plan includes the improvements to Booth Park. The second phase covers the Museum Trail area and the third covers Linden Trail.

The plan will continue to be reviewed and changed, but the commission was in favor of allowing city staff to move forward with getting construction drawings for the first phase of the improvement plan focusing on Booth Park.

“I’m very impressed to get to this point now,” said commissioner Pierre Boutros before motioning for approval. Commissioners voted 7-0 to direct staff to continue with an RFP for construction drawing proposals.

A Classical Treat for Your Ears and Palette...

The Classical Brunch Series at The Community House is not to be missed. An exquisite meal will be accompanied by beautiful live performances from accomplished Detroit Symphony Orchestra musicians in an intimate, acoustically perfect setting. To further enrich the experience, the musicians will invite audience discussion following each event. The remaining two events in the series will feature a string quartet and a harp and cello duo.

10/15: Mozart and More

Hai-Xin Wu

(DSO Assistant Concertmaster)

Una O’Riordan

Caroline Coade

Individual Tickets: $55 | Two-Part Series:

Doors Open 11:30 am

Reserve your place for this unforgettable music and food experience today!

Scan the QR Code or call 248.644.5832

Alex Volkov .

380 South Bates Street, Birmingham, Michigan 48009

For more information, visit

WENDY FRIEDMAN

november 7 general election voter guide

BIRMINGHAM LIBRARY BOARD

Four-year terms terms, Non-partisan, Vote for three

shown in the past.

Library of the future

The role of public libraries has changed dramatically over the years. What role do you think a library should play in supporting the community? Moving through the coming years, are there services that the Baldwin Library could be providing in the future that are not offered now? Please be specific.

read, nor do I want to tell parents what their children can read. We should engage with those community members in a reasoned exchange of ideas based on mutual respect. It would be the board's job to bolster the library director and staff to hold fast to the library's beliefs through our outspoken support.

Role of a library board member

in attendance. Further, the city attorney advised that board members who are not members of a library board advisory committee should not be attending such meetings. Do you understand the Open Meetings Act and the nuances of the act that must not be violated by those on the six-member library board?

Wendy Friedman of Birmingham is self-employed as an independent college counselor. She received her bachelor's of fine arts in journalism from New York University and her master's degree from New York Institute of Technology. Friedman is active with the Society of Professional Journalism, Mi Reads, American Library Association and International Rhett Syndrome Foundation.

Library construction project

The third phase of the library construction process is now underway. Are you generally satisfied with the work that has been done to the Baldwin Library? Any suggestions you have that have not been addressed or will be addressed in this last phase of construction?

I’m at the library two-three times a week working on a project in the IDEA lab, meeting students I counsel, or doing the scavenger hunt alongside my granddaughters before they hang out exploring the books and toys. My visits continue with no barriers to my purpose. Just as BPL pivoted smoothly during the first two construction phases and COVID, it has adapted seamlessly again. From relocating the library’s entrance to helping patrons find their destination, the staff provides excellent signage for visitors outside and inside. When guests enter the library, they’re met by a welcoming group of individuals ready to help them navigate whatever they want. If elected, I’m confident I will join the other board members in deciding the few remaining decisions, such as the best solution for the birds hitting the glass, with the same thoughtfulness and fiscal prudence for the community's best interest

If we want our library to flourish in the future, we must continue to ensure it's a well-resourced, safe, inclusive public space that's accessible to all. This could mean expanding our outreach efforts to under-resourced communities. We could provide electronic devices for library checkout, such as laptops, USB digital storage, drawing pads, and cameras. We could also offer more expensive items for in-library use, like music recording systems. We could deliver more materials to those in need. We could provide more in-library services, such as a notary, to our local patrons. We could offer devices for visually or hearing-impaired individuals. I'm confident that if we continue to expand our offerings from programming to devices to services, the Baldwin Public Library will remain the community place to learn, discover, and connect in the future.

Censorship of books in the library

Libraries are often referred to as “the last bastions of free speech” in terms of offering a diverse collection of works to the public. Do you think local residents should be allowed to attempt to censure books available in a library? What is the role of a library board member in advocating for intellectual freedom?

All libraries find themselves in difficult waters with book bans. Library board members should act as staunch library advocates to ensure its intellectual freedom. This approach means BPL offers a diverse, relevant collection for all, where everyone can see themselves reflected in literature. As a college counselor, two students recently told me the library provided a safe space for them to learn about gender identity issues without checking books out. Since free speech belongs to all, residents who feel differently have a right to advocate their perspectives. I don't want anyone telling me what I can

Earlier this year the city attorney had to remind board members that it was not appropriate for board members to reach out directly to contractors providing services on the library construction process rather than taking up any concerns or issues with the library director. In other words, working through paid staff that answers to the board. How would you define your role as a member of the library board?

The library board represents the community's best interests in assuring the library meets its needs and wants. All public libraries welcome visitors from near and far and typically aim to offer the best, most up-todate, inclusive services for all. The board is instrumental in setting the library rules and policies, creating its strategic plan, acting fiscally responsible to our taxpayers and donors, and hiring the library director. However, the execution of the day-today work of the library is the responsibility of the director and staff. Baldwin Public Library's Rebekah Craft has shown she's a leader with a vision and has assembled an incredible team to manage the library's day-to-day operations. A board member's role is to support the work of the director and staff – rather than usurp it. While board members don't always agree, engaging in a respectful discussion is essential.

Respecting the Open Meetings Act

This past spring the city attorney had to issue an opinion of sorts to the library and its board that the Michigan Open Meetings Act (OMA) may not have always been followed by members of the board, especially when it comes to committees of the board. Prompting this opinion was the fact that a library construction-related committee (Owners/Architects/ Contractor Committee) was holding meetings described as more like private “workshops” that were not always open to the public, even though members of the board were

I do understand the Opening Meetings Act and its nuances. Not only have I read the Act, but also its history and evolution. It’s very detailed and precise in its restrictions. I admire the work that went into its creation, including its definitions of standard terms used, such as “meetings,” leaving little room for interpretation. For example, the nuanced rules pertain even to a casual “library business” discussion among board members. The OMA states that “all “meetings/discussions,” including those informal meetings, emails, or texts between library board members must occur in a public forum. If I found myself conversing with a board member where I felt unsure about our discussion or the OMA, I would table our conversation rather than unintentionally breach a rule. OMA is very restrictive so that no violation of public trust or the tenets of government transparency occurs.

Validity of election results

Do you believe the results of the 2020 Presidential Election were valid?

Yes, absolutely.

Your qualifications

Why should voters select you for a position on the library board? What qualifications do you offer for this position? What are you most excited about to offer to the board?

I've always had an innate curiosity about the world around me. During my weekly library visits, I'd always find the answers. My early searches honed my resourcefulness – which was essential for my journalism career. The demands of a severely disabled daughter led to my pivot to teaching journalism. I also began fundraising and advocating for research for my daughter's disorder. I launched an annual fundraiser raising millions of dollars. My connections led to a successful million-dollar ask of a donor to create a medical

research foundation for Rett Syndrome. Presently, I run a college counseling practice. Working with teens gives me an intuitive understanding of the next generation. Lastly, my service on two non-profit boards gives me an intimate knowledge of fiduciary responsibility, cash-flow cycles, strategic planning, and policy development for an organization serving its members. I'm most excited to bring my passion and skills to the board.

KAREN ROCK

everything thoroughly with an eye on the budget and fiscal responsibility. I look forward to the new entrance, Friends of the Library space, and to using the new, light-filled community cafe area and the outdoor terrace. They will be welcome additions to the library and community.

Library of the future

Karen Rock of Birmingham is a retired community school organizer at Quarton Elementary School. She has a bachelor's degree in economics and English from University of Michigan and an MBA from University of Detroit. She is currently a board member of Baldwin Public Library and the board's vice president, where she has worked on the Books 'n Bites fundraiser. Rock is also on the board of the Quarton Lakes Neighborhood Association board and is its Quacker newsletter editor; is an Oakland Literacy Council tutor; and is involved with The Birmingham Musicale.

Library construction project

As a current member of the Baldwin Public Library Board, I am very pleased with BPL’s construction process and the way board members have worked together step by step to discuss and decide on various details, including the selection of the architect and the construction manager. The Building Committee that includes two board members and the Owner/Architect/Contractor Committee, attended by the library director, have frequent meetings and report to the board where decisions are made at monthly board meetings. We have examined and reviewed

Baldwin Public Library exemplifies creative and responsive approaches to the communities it serves. BPL offers curbside services, mailings of materials, use of its computers, online and in-person classes and programs, musical and other programs, book clubs, outreach to senior communities, rental of meeting rooms, and outdoor programs and activities. During the 2023 winter storms, BPL was a refuge for those without electricity to stay warm, use the library, and mingle with neighbors. BPL’s Idea Lab is another feature that has developed and expanded. Libraries of the future are becoming increasingly community-oriented and technologically-based in providing services and materials that fit the various interests of their communities. Additional partnering and outreach involving local businesses and organizations will likely occur in the future. A “library of things,” where a variety of items requested by the community and available for loan could be a new, desirable service.

Censorship of books in the library

As a member of BPL Board’s Policy Committee, I understand that some library patrons may want to limit particular choices in the library. Policies at BPL have been established that provide guidance for the development of the library’s collections. There is also a formal process for the library director and board to evaluate a patron’s request to limit particular materials. The policy confirms that parents have responsibility for the materials their own children and adolescents read or view. I uphold the ALA Freedom to Read Statement and the rights of other library users to not have their access to materials limited due to an individual’s or group’s desire to restrict access to particular materials.

representing users of the library; respecting and working well together with other board members as a team; being well prepared for board and committee meetings; supporting board decisions; establishing, reviewing and updating library policies and bylaws; supporting and evaluating the library director’s management of the library and its grounds; approving an annual library budget and expenditures; outreach and communication within the library’s communities; developing strategic plans; and acting as a library advocate. In addition, board members must be financially responsible in the use and raising of funds. The library director is responsible for the management of the library, with direction and review by board members.

Respecting the Open Meetings Act

I am familiar with the Open Meetings Act, and understand that it applies to BPL board activities, monthly, committee and/or special meetings, communications between board members on topics pertaining to the board, and social gatherings where two or more board members are present. Committees may make recommendations, but not decisions. The OMA is designed to promote openness and transparency, such that the public may know how our decisions are made, and discussions, opinions, and votes by board members are not secret or hidden from the public. The BPL board is a non-partisan group of elected or appointed Birmingham residents who are advised of OMA guidelines by the city’s attorney. All meetings are publicly noticed, as required. Information about the OMA is additionally available online, and from the American Library Association, and Michigan Library Association.

Validity of election results

Yes, I believe the results of the 2020 Presidential Election were valid.

Your qualifications

Public Schools, I’ve witnessed the library and Birmingham experience growth and many positive changes. After earning a B.A. in economics from the University of Michigan and an MBA from the University of Detroit, I held financial positions at two large Detroit companies. Later, I held a community education position at Quarton Elementary School, edited two community newsletters, and was a member of an ad hoc Birmingham committee, tutor for Oakland Literacy Council, and be a board member of the Quarton Lake Neighborhood Association. I look forward to helping BPL further its community-centered role.

CURTIS TRIMBLE

Role of a library board member

I believe responsibilities of BPL board members include the following:

My work on Policy, Personnel, and Strategic Planning Committees for the BPL board has been challenging and exciting, as BPL and libraries continue along a digitally progressive path. Prior to board membership, I helped plan several Books n’ Bites fundraisers for BPL. As a Birmingham area resident for 50-plus years who had children attend Birmingham

Curtis Trimble of Birmingham is president of Solyco Wealth. He has a bachelor's degree in economics from Swarthmore College and an MBA from Rice University. He is a volunteer wrestling coach at Seaholm High School.

Library construction project

I’m a fan of the third and final phase of Baldwin’s renovations. The addition of the cafe to encourage community members enjoying Shain Park to visit the library is a great idea. I believe the final product will present a great melding of the old and the new, maintaining the history of the library while providing the necessary accessible infrastructure to ensure Baldwin can serve our community for many years to come. Utilizing lessons learned from past projects, I anticipate heightened attention being paid to potential water drainage and leakage issues after completing the renovations. Revisiting planned maintenance and inspection protocols should heighten confidence in avoiding such issues in the future.

Library of the future

In the eyes of each of my three daughters, I’m almost always behind the times nowadays. I think I’m pretty up to speed, however, on Baldwin’s efforts to integrate with the Birmingham community. From Jeff’s (Jimison, Idea Lab supervisor) desire in the Idea Lab to help people solve practical household problems or create beautiful works of art to Rebecca (Craft, library director) and the staff’s outreach efforts to get books and media in front of the eyes of community members by shipping books through the mail and expanding digital access to literary and information resources outside the physical facility, Baldwin more than meets the community halfway. I’d love to help Baldwin gain more direct interactions with the community, possibly hosting more authors for readings and Q&As at the Birmingham Theater and in the high schools’ auditoriums or new theaters.

I’m also interested in identifying and implementing new ways for our oldest and youngest populations to interact more at Baldwin.

Censorship of books in the library

I encourage residents to share thoughts and views on library materials. This being said, as Baldwin provides a public service, these materials should serve the interests of the entire community. Limiting access and restricting the intellectual curiosity of our community to appease fears and concerns of a small faction of the public would be antithetical to Baldwin’s mission to provide opportunities for everyone to learn and grow. Baldwin retains a superb library staff with excellent judgement that deserves the respect of the people it serves. As a library board member, I believe it important to preserve these relationships by assuring that sound judgement continues to serve the needs of everyone in Birmingham.

Role of a library board member

Baldwin Library board members serve two primary functions. First, aiding the director and staff to do their jobs to the best of their abilities on a dayto-day basis. Second, ensuring that sufficient financial resources remain present for the director and staff to do so now and in the future. Sound operating and fiscal policies define the tools with which the board should fulfill these two functions. Paramount

to the board and director each fulfilling their respective duties: transparent, respectful communications. I’m a fan of the “yes, and” approach to addressing concerns and solving problems rather than the “no, but” path to animosity and excuses.

Respecting the Open Meetings Act

Yes.

Validity of election results

Yes.

Your qualifications

My family and I actively use Baldwin. I access its digital services on a daily basis, reading The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times on a daily basis. I visit the library at least a time or two a week to read Barron’s, pick up books for me, my wife, or daughters, and check the new movie selections. I value these services and want to extend them and more to my fellow Birmingham community members. The Idea Lab fascinates me: I wish others in Birmingham would come and check out how cool it is. I’m excited to see what else Rebecca and the staff will do in the future to incorporate the new spaces into their offerings for the community. As a successful finance professional, I’m certain that my accounting, budgeting, and investing skillsets will enable her and her staff to do so, with all of us serving Baldwin and its patrons very well.

JENNIFER WHEELER

comfortable making that suggestion to the director.

Censorship of books in the library

I believe in intellectual freedom. I think different families and individuals may have comfort levels that vary, but that should not impact each other and what they may want to read and have access to.

Role of a library board member

Jennifer Wheeler of Birmingham is currently the Baldwin Public Library's board president. She has a degree from Western Michigan University in economics, and is active in her PTA.

Library construction project

Yes, I am very satisfied. I feel the current board has done a great job of debating and talking through ideas at our meetings. Baldwin board and Director (Rebecca) Craft have also offered several opportunities for public feedback during phase three. We are all trying to provide a great end project to the public, while also being cost conscious with public dollars. For phase three, some of our goals were accessibility by providing a ramp that is not so steep and exposed to the elements and an elevator, a café area for collaboration and study, a dedicated Friends (of the Library) book sale space and a better flow for patrons to easily see where to go when needing assistance.

Library of the future

I feel that libraries are becoming centers for the community to gather. People are no longer using libraries just to check out materials, but also for a myriad of other uses. As a new mom, I attended story times, not only connecting and laughing with my new baby, but also making some of my best friends. I was able to learn parenting tips from a counselor Baldwin had come in to provide helpful seminars. As my kids have grown, we enjoy making projects in the Idea Lab and yes, also checking out materials, including hot spots for when we travel! I do not feel Baldwin is lacking any programming or offerings, or I would feel very

I am currently serving as president at Baldwin Public Library. I feel my job is to support the director to help uphold Baldwin’s mission statement and serve the community. I also love working on policies to help Baldwin be a place for everyone and that all feel welcome.

Respecting the Open Meetings Act Yes

Validity of election results

Yes

Your qualifications

I am currently serving as president of the Board at Baldwin Public Library. I have served as a board member and trustee for almost four years. Prior to that, I was a chair of the Books and Bites fundraiser to help raise money for the youth room renovation and expansion. My children and I also have been attending programing for years. I am involved in the school PTAs, having served in many roles including PTA President at Pembroke Elementary and currently as President Elect at Birmingham Covington School. I am a working mother, but have always found joy in volunteering, I love Baldwin and only want the best for the library, the staff and the community. What am I most excited for? The opportunity to serve and volunteer for the amazing Birmingham community and our valued contract communities.

FROM THE BSD

Ever curious about what businesses are coming to town? How about an opinion on what businesses are needed? It is human nature to be curious and to form an opinion based upon what you observe, your needs and patterns. The Birmingham Shopping District (BSD) is your source for what’s happening in Downtown Birmingham, and also the organization that helps to analyze and guide market demand and changes necessary to grow the economy.

First, let’s talk about the fun stuff. Who’s recently come to town and who’s still coming? Birmingham is very lucky to have a strong downtown with an amazing mix of businesses and a 99 percent occupancy rate for its main floor storefronts. Space is limited, but we’ve had over 30 new businesses this past year and a half, ranging from local to national retailers and services. Local boutiques and restaurants such as Zahra, Rotate Boutique, The Good Day, Steps MI, Via Manzoni, The Taco Stand Taquerie and EM are a few to mention, as well as national retailers Serena & Lily, CB2, RH, Faherty, Brilliant Earth and sweetgreen are all ones you should discover and explore.

The BSD is thoughtfully curating a business mix and consumer experience by researching, planning and implementing programs to achieve our goals, vision and consumer demand. While the BSD does not manage nor control properties and their recruitment and retention efforts, it does provide property owners and brokers with retail market data and resources to help suggest and guide the placement of ideal tenants for Downtown Birmingham. This past spring, the BSD released its findings on the business mix and initial recommendations for business recruitment in order to increase local frequency and regional attraction. These findings and recommendations are now being compared against the recent public survey conducted this past month on the community’s desires for downtown. It’s important to look at both what the community desires and what the market can support. Sometimes these are not in unison, and most often than not there are challenges to achieve the preferences. This is what shapes the recommendations.

Overall, the BSD is made up of 75 percent local businesses which is above par compared to other benchmark communities across the U.S. After reviewing the business mix data, the BSD concluded that recruiting businesses that will appeal to office workers and residents to drive daily foot traffic, such as healthy fast casual restaurants, is a high priority. Also, the BSD will begin to identify and support recruitment efforts of regional small businesses with incentives that will help fill gaps in product segments, such as women’s apparel, books and entertainment, children’s toys and hobbies. National retailers, especially in apparel, who have a significant pull-factor with a nod towards the higher-end and sophisticated audience will continue to trend well here, as well as those that provide an experience. The retail industry is experiencing a bifurcation with consumer spending increasingly polarized between high-end and value-oriented retailers. Retailers in the middle market are struggling, which is why the BSD is not currently putting forth effort in this market segment until there is a higher demand and success rate nationally. For more details on the market analysis and recommendations, go to https://www.allinbirmingham.com/businesses/information.

Creating community experiences that draw residents and visitors in to shop, dine and recreate is an important part of downtown economic development. This month, the BSD is hosting its 2nd Annual Art Walk on October 12 from 5-8 p.m. Come explore and suppor t local artists, shops, restaurants and destinations that make Downtown Birmingham such a walkable and desirable community. Visit https://www.allinbirmingham.com/things-to-do to find more events and programs happening in Downtown Birmingham.

Cristina

Sheppard-Decius, CMSM, is the BSD Executive Director.

Cristina Sheppard-Decius

THE COMMUNITY HOUSE

Sights and Sounds of the Season

October means something very important to the arts world and to communities throughout the United States - National Arts and Humanities Month. Cultural institutions and citizens around Michigan celebrate National Arts and Humanities Month via scores of events that proudly showcase our state as an eclectic and dynamic artistic community, rich in cultural heritage. As a cherished, 100-year-old cultural gem, The Community House keenly understands that arts and culture has a wider, more measurable impact on our economy, health and wellbeing, education, and society. As such, The Community House salutes and proudly celebrates National Arts and Humanities Month during the months of October through December including: The Cultural Council of Birmingham Bloomfield, in conjunction with community partners, The Community House, Downtown Newsmagazine, the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center, and Bloomfield Cablevision, recently announced the 28th annual Birmingham Bloomfield Cultural Arts Awards, honoring people who have had an extraordinary impact on the cultural life of our community. The public is invited to celebrate the honorees at the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center, 1516 S Cranbrook Rd, Birmingham, MI 48009 on Friday, October 13, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. The ceremony will be broadcast on local cable and be available on our website following the event: culturalcouncilbirminghambloomfield.org/ This year’s three honorees are:

Stephanie Pizzo, 2023 Birmingham Bloomfield Cultural Arts Award

Stephanie Pizzo joined the Eisenhower Dance Company (EDD) as a founding member in 1991. At various points in her dance career, she served as Resident Choreographer, Associate Artistic Director, and Co-Artistic Director. Ms. Pizzo now leads the company into her seventh season as Artistic Director. She focuses on collaborating with the highest quality national and international artists and creating strong ties within the metro Detroit community through the art of dance, using the art of contemporary dance both as a means to present beautiful, athletic, and engaging repertory but also as a vehicle to reflect on and explore issues of social significance. Under Pizzo’s leadership, education plays a major role in the company: a new state of the art dance complex, funded by the Strum Allesee Foundation, opened this past January in Bloomfield Hills, allowing for world-class dance education and fitness opportunities. Jurors were particularly impressed by Pizzo’s educational outreach and work with schools of all socio-economic groups. Contact: pizzo@eisenhowerdance.org

(248) 379-2032

Kegham Tazian, 2023 Special Lifetime Achievement Award

Kegham Tazian will receive a Special Lifetime Achievement Award, honoring both his tremendous body of artwork, and his impact on thousands of art students during his 47year tenure as Professor of Fine Arts at Oakland Community College. (OCC) As educator and artist, he has continually pushed the conventional boundaries of creative expression. The “Best in Show” prize at OCC’s annual student art show is otherwise known as the Kegham Tazian Art Prize and is funded, in part, by the Tazian family. In 2011, Mr. Tazian and his family established the Kegham Tazian Endowed Scholarship to further promote the pursuit of fine arts at OCC. Tazian’s sculptures and paintings are globally renowned, and his works can be found in public and private collections worldwide, including various corporations, municipalities, churches, embassies, and museums. The City of Birmingham, where Tazian resides, is fortunate to have been gifted one of his bronze sculptures, Pyramid Earth, which is installed in Linden Park.

The Community House, 2023 Partners with the Arts Award

The Community House in Birmingham which is celebrating its centennial in Birmingham this year will receive the Partners with the Arts Award recognizing ‘100 years of service’ supporting the arts, and their role helping to make BirminghamBloomfield and the surrounding region a unique cultural hub. The award is given directly by the Cultural Council to honor a business, non-profit or organization in our community that supports the arts in a distinguished manner. Contact: communityhouse.com/ or William D Seklar at (248) 644-5832.

TCH FALL & HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES 2023

Birmingham - a city renowned for its sophistication and charm, and the cherished Community House - are set to host a series of exceptional 2023 Fall & Holiday Events. From refined bourbon soirées, enchanting holiday classical concerts, Gluhwein Tent at Winter Markt and Storytime with Santa, to name a few. There is something for

everyone. For more information or to purchase tickets, please contact Christopher Smude at (248) 554-6597 or go to communityhouse.com/.

Bourbon and the Beast: Mark your calendars for October 12th and 26th – these two evenings are reserved for an extraordinary culinary adventure, an exclusive, intimate dinner featuring wild game expertly paired with rare varieties of bourbon. This event transcends traditional dining, offering a spectacular fusion of rich flavors and exquisite spirits. Presented by our award-winning culinary team, the true star of the evening is the meticulously crafted wild game menu. Whether you’re a bourbon enthusiast or a lover of fine dining, Bourbon and the Beast is not to be missed. Limited spaces are available. Reservations may be made at communityhouse.com/event/bourbon-and-thebeast/ or by calling 248-644-5832.

2023 Classical Brunch Series: Join us on October 15th and November 19th for the remaining concerts in the Classical Brunch Series, where extraordinary music and delectable cuisine converge to create an unforgettable experience. Featuring mesmerizing performances by Detroit Symphony Orchestra musicians, this series brings together exquisite classical melodies and gourmet brunch offerings. The upcoming October concert features Hai-Xin Wu on violin, the Assistant Concertmaster, Caroline Coade, viola, our Classical Brunch Artistic Director, cellist Una O’Riordan, and violinist Alex Volkov. We extend heartfelt gratitude to our sponsors, Gwen and Richard Bowlby, Hagopian, and WRCJ. Reservations can be made at communityhouse.com/event/classical-brunch/ or by calling 248-644-5832.

2023 Holiday Concert Series: We invite you to take a seat at our holiday-themed concerts on December 6th, 13th, and 20th and immerse yourself in a world of music. Experience a rareopportunity to listen to internationally renowned musicians and artists in an intimate setting. To complement the performance, there will be a variety of delicious desserts to tempt the taste buds. After the performance, the musicians will become part of the audience, conversing with guests, and sharing in the appreciation of the art they’ve created. A cash bar will be available throughout the evening. Reservations may be made at communityhouse.com/event/holiday-concert-series/ or by calling 248-644-5832.

2023 Storytime with Santa: There’s no better way to capture the magic of the holidays than at Storytime with Santa. Gather your loved ones on December 9th and spend an afternoon surrounded by holiday cheer that will leave your hearts aglow. Santa takes center stage as he reads a captivating tale, weaving a spellbinding narrative that will captivate young and old alike. But the magic doesn’t stop with the story. Little hands can express their creativity at craft stations, creating holiday memories that will be cherished for years. All guests will share extravagant cookies and steaming cups of hot chocolate – and the adults can add a little more cheer to their cups with holiday spirits from the bar. Book now because this sells out quickly. Reservations made be made at communityhouse.com/event/storytime-with-santa/

Winter Markt 2023: Experience the magic of the holidays at the annual Birmingham Winter Markt taking place December 1-3. The Community House’s tent is the place to be as our extraordinary culinary team will impress guests with authentic German-styled food and beverages including German-inspired Glühwein (mulled, spiced wine!), warm cider and donuts for the kids, authentic German pretzels, brats, and more!

HOLIDAY PARTIES

The newly updated Hoglund Room - is now open for your holiday business. The Community House is delighted to announce the renovation of this exquisitely designed, state-of-the-art gathering space to our customizable collection. When it comes to private meetings for business, community engagements, or just about any other occasion, the Hoglund Room will far exceed your expectations. When you add up amenities such as carefully restored trim work, new coffered ceiling and lighting, stateof-the-art technology, a charming refreshment area, concierge service, and many more contemporary offerings, you’ll see why our Hoglund Room is the perfect setting for your big (and not so big) ideas to flourish. For more information or to reserve the Hoglund Room or an array of beautifully appointed holiday entertainment space (large & small!) customized for your special occasion, please contact Tim Hunt, COO at 248.594.6402.

SCHOOL ENROLLMENT STILL UNDERWAY

We are still enrolling for open spots in our Preschool, Pre-K, and Junior-Kindergarten rooms, ages ranging from 3-5 years. Our teachers are dedicated to helping children grow and committed to preparing your child for kindergarten and beyond. Children who attend school by preschool age, 3 years, are better able to handle change, create social connections with others, and foster a love of learning. If you would like to come in for a tour, please contact sschuster@communityhouse.com today.

William D. Seklar is President & CEO of the Community House Association and Board Chair, President & CEO of the Community House Foundation in Birmingham.

Bill Seklar

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. Lunch, WednesdaySunday, Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Liquor. No reservations. 31471 Southfield Road, Beverly Hills, 48025. 248.642.2355. beverlyhillsgrill.com

Beyond Juicery + Eatery: Contemporary.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 270 W. Maple Road, Birmingham, 48009; 221 Cole Street, Birmingham, 48009; 3645 W. Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301; 4065 W. Maple Road, Bloomfield Township, 48301; 1987 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. beyondjuiceryeatery.com

Bill’s: American. Breakfast, weekends, Lunch, Thursday & Friday, Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 39556 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.646.9000. billsbloomfieldhills.com

Birmingham Pub: American. Brunch, Sunday, Lunch, Tuesday-Friday, Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 555 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham. thebirminghampub.com

Birmingham Sushi Cafe: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 377 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009. 248.593.8880. birminghamsushi.com

Bistro Joe’s Kitchen: Global. Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Liquor. Reservations. 34244 Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.594.0984. bistrojoeskitchen.com

Bloomfield Deli: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, Monday-Friday. No reservations. 71 W. Long Lake Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.645.6879. bloomfielddeli.com

Brooklyn Pizza: Pizza. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Liquor. No reservations. 111 Henrietta Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.258.6690. thebrooklynpizza.com

Café 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. Dinner, daily. Liquor. Reservations. 3607 W. Maple Road, Bloomfield Township. 248.642.4000. cafeml.com

Casa Pernoi: Italian. Lunch, Wednesday-Friday, Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 310 E. Maple Road, Birmingham, 48009. 248.940.0000. casapernoi.com

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

Cityscape Deli: Deli. Lunch & Dinner, MondaySaturday. No reservations. Beer. 877 W. Long Lake Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.540.7220. cityscapedeli.com

Commonwealth: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 300 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.9766. gocommonwealth.com

Dick O’Dow’s: Irish. Lunch & Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 160 West Maple Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.642.1135. dickodowspub.com

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

Einstein Bros. Bagels: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 4089 West Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.258.9939. einsteinbros.com

Elie’s Mediterranean Grill/Bar: Mediterranean. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. Liquor. 263 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.647.2420. eliesgrill.com

EM: Mexican.Brunch, weekends, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 470 N. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 947.234.0819. embirmingham.com

Embers Deli & Restaurant: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, Tuesday-Sunday. Dinner, TuesdayFriday. No reservations. 3598 West Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.645.1033. embersdeli1.com

Flemings Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar: American. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 323 N. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.723.0134. flemingssteakhouse.com

Forest: European. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 735 Forest Avenue, Birmingham 48009. 248.258.9400. forestbirmingham.com

Greek Islands Coney Restaurant: Greek. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 221 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009. 248.646.1222. greekislandsconey.com

Griffin Claw Brewing Company: American. Lunch, Friday-Sunday, Dinner, TuesdaySunday. No Reservations. Liquor. 575 S. Eton Street, Birmingham. 248.712.4050. griffinclawbrewingcompany.com

Hazel’s: Seafood. Brunch, weekends, Lunch, Tuesday- Sunday, Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 1 Peabody Street, Birmingham. 248.671.1714. eatathazels.com

Honey Tree Grille: Greek/American. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, daily. No reservations. 3633 W. Maple Rd, Bloomfield, MI 48301. 248.203.9111. honeytreegrille.com

Hunter House Hamburgers: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 35075 Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.646.7121. hunterhousehamburgers.com

Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse: American. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 201 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.594.4369. hydeparkrestaurants.com

IHOP: American. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 2187 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301. 248.333.7522. Ihop.com

Joe Muer Seafood: Seafood. Dinner daily. Reservations. Liquor. 39475 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.792.9609. joemuer.com

Kaku Sushi and Poke’: Asian. Lunch, MondayFriday & Dinner daily. No reservations. 869 W. Long Lake Road, Bloomfield Township, 48302. 248.480.4785, and 126 S. Old Woodward, Birmingham, 48009. 248.885.8631. kakusushipoke.com

Kerby’s Koney Island: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 2160 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

The Birmingham/Bloomfield area is filled with discriminating diners and an array of dining establishments. Make sure the message for

reaches

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.

Firebird Tavern expands

Firebird Tavern, the popular American tavern in Detroit’s Greektown, has opened a second location in Troy. “After nearly seven years of searching for the perfect second location, we are beyond excited to open our doors in Troy and become a part of this active, family-oriented community,” said Tony Piraino, co-owner of Firebird Tavern and a Troy resident. “We have put immense thought and effort into creating a space that reflects the spirit of Firebird while adding our unique touch to the local dining scene. We can’t wait to welcome loyal fans and newcomers to experience what Firebird offers.” The menu will continue to focus on its signature blend of elevated comfort food and inspired dishes made with ingredients sourced from local purveyors. From its award-winning diner burger and the Fire ‘Bird’ sandwich to the customer favorite Bánh Mì bowl and a shareable soft pretzel with house-made beer cheese, there is something to satisfy nearly every palate. The Troy location will also offer hand-crafted personal-sized pizzas. The new Troy location, featuring a modern and airy interior, was thoughtfully designed to provide an inviting and comfortable atmosphere reminiscent of the downtown location. With seating for around 130 guests, the approximately 5,000 square-foot Firebird Tavern Troy location will offer patrons a locallyowned spot to gather with friends and family for a relaxed dining experience. Guests can kick back at the bar, or enjoy the Michigan seasons in the expansive pavilion patio and outdoor space. 4845 Rochester Road, Troy firebirdtavern.com

RH Social opens in Rochester Hills

The team behind G&B Hospitality are excited to announce the opening of their reimagined sports bar experience, Rochester Hills Social. Chef Goran Dimic and Brandon Gorgies are the owners of RH Social, previously Naked Burger, which was also under their ownership. The two also own and operate Naked Burger Clinton Township and Berkley Common. Rochester Hills Social is now open seven days a week serving brunch daily as well as dinner and cocktails. The showpiece of the restaurant’s menu is “pizza for the table,” where up to an eight-foot pizza can line a table for guests to share together. The restaurant has over a dozen flat screen televisions and airs every local and national sports game. Additionally, RH Social is hosting a Wednesday night soirée with a DJ, bottle service, food specials and more until 2 a.m. The restaurant has a rotating list of 15 beers on draft as well as craft cocktails, margaritas and an expansive wine and bubbly list. “We’ve had this elevated sports bar concept on our minds for some time now. We were scouting different locations then realized the perfect spot was right under our nose. While our Rochester Hills Naked Burger had some great success, we realized this concept better suited the area while the building itself lends well with our expansive bar, upstairs lounge space, plentiful parking and more.” says Chef Goran Dimic. 6870 N. Rochester Road, Rochester Hills rochesterhillssocial.com

Fall menu at Wright & Company

Opened in 2014, Detroit’s Wright & Company’s large, open windows offer panoramic views of Woodward, while the interior provides a sleek, trendy space for guests to enjoy a select food menu that rotates with the seasons. Executive Chef Kyle Shutte takes pride in creating seasonal menus around a composed shared plates concept. His unique culinary point of view stresses that great food should be fun, yet sophisticated, innovative yet familiar, and humane yet accessible. The fall menu kicks off in October and includes: tuna crudo with burnt orange, candied carrots, pickled ramps and toasted oats; tartare of preserved summer peaches with garlic-whipped tofu, white soy, yuzu, nori and grilled sourdough; salad of seckel pear with pumpkin leaf butter, pumpkin vine, pumpkin seed toffee and pumpkin vinegar; Michigan pork belly with burnt apple, black walnut, oak butter and sage; fairytale pumpkin featuring tom kha-roasted, broken rice porridge, toasted coconut, yuzu, and white soy; and wild line caught walu with sunflower risotto, essence of summer corn and salted cherry. To accompany the menu, Wright & Company features a progressive lineup of craft cocktails, along with wine, beer and spirits. 1500 Woodward Avenue, Floor 2, Detroit wrightdetroit.com

La Strada Italian Kitchen & Bar: Italian. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 243 E. Merrill Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.480.0492. lastradaitaliankitchen.com

Leo’s Coney Island: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 154 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.593.9707. Also 6527 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.646.8568. leosconeyisland.com

Little Daddy’s: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 39500 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.647.3400. littledaddys.com

Luxe Bar & Grill: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 525 N. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.6051. luxebarandgrill.com

Madam: American. 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, Lunch, Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. 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. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 6675 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.723.0800. mexbloomfield.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. Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 1727 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.858.7270. roadsidebandg.com

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

Shift Kitchen & Cocktails: Small plates. Dinner, 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 & Dinner, Monday and Wednesday-Sunday. No reservations. 315 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009. 248.258.9830. sythaibirmingham.com

Sylvan Table: American. Brunch, weekends, Dinner daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1819 Inverness Street, Sylvan Lake, 48320. 248.369.3360. sylvantable.com

Tallulah Wine Bar and Bistro: American. Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 55 S. Bates Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.731.7066. tallulahwine.com

Thai Street Kitchen: Thai. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. 42805 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Township, 48304. 248.499.6867 thaistreetkitchen.com

The Franklin Grill: American. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 32760 Franklin Road, Franklin, 48025. 248.865.6600. thefranklingrill.com

The French Lady: French. Lunch, TuesdaySunday. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. 768 N. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.480. 0571. zefrenchlady.com

The Gallery Restaurant: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & wine. 6683 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.851.0313. galleryrestaurant2.com

The Moose Preserve Bar & Grill: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2395 S. Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.858.7688. moosepreserve.com

The Morrie: American. Dinner, ThursdaySaturday. No reservations. Liquor. 260 N. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham 48009. 248.940.3260. themorrie.com

The Rugby Grille: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 100 Townsend Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.642.5999. rugbygrille.com

Toast: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily; Reservations. Liquor. 203 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.258.6278. eatattoast.com

Tomatoes Apizza: Pizza. Lunch & Dinner daily. Carryout. 34200 Woodward Avenue, Birmingham 48009. 248.258.0500. tomatoesapizza.com

Touch of India: Indian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 297 E. Maple Road, Birmingham, 48009. 248.593.7881. thetouchofindia.com

Townhouse: American. Brunch, weekends. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 180 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.5241. eatattownhouse.com

Whistle Stop Diner: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily; Liquor. No reservations. 501 S. Eton Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.566.3566. whistlestopdiners.com

ZANA: Modern American. Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 210 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.800.6568. zanabham.com

Zao Jun: Asian. Dinner and Lunch, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 6608 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48301. 248.949.9999. zaojunnewasian.com

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

Beppé: New American. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 703 N. S. Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 224.607.7030. eatbeppe.com

Bigalora: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 711 S. Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.544.2442 bigalora.com

Bohemia: Mediterranean. Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 100 S. Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.268.2883. eatatbohemia.com

Cafe Muse: French. Breakfast & Lunch, Wednesday-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

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

KouZina: Greek. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 121 N. Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.629.6500. gokouzina.com

Kruse & Muer on Woodward: American. Lunch, Monday-Saturday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 28028 Woodward Avenue, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.965.2101. kruseandmuerrestaurants.com

Lily’s Seafood: Seafood. Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 410 S. Washington Avenue, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.591.5459. lilysseafood.com

Lockhart’s BBQ: Barbeque. Brunch, Sunday, Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 202 E. Third Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.584.4227. lockhartsbbq.com

Masala: Indian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. 106 S. Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.850.8284. food.orders.co/royaloakmasala

Mezcal: Brunch, Sunday. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. Liquor. 201 East 9 Mile Road Ferndale, 48220. 248.268.3915. mezcalferndale.com

Pastaio: Italian. Dinner, Wednesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 208 W. 5th Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.565.8722. eatpastaio.com

Pearl’s Deep Dive: Seafood. Dinner, Wednesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 100 S. Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067, 248.268.2875.pearlsdeepdive.com

Oak City Grille: American. Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 212 W. 6th Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.556.0947. oakcitygrille.com

One-Eyed Betty’s: American. Breakfast, weekends, Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 175 W. Troy Street, Ferndale, 48220. 248.808.6633. oneeyedbettys.com

Pop’s for Italian: Italian. Brunch and Lunch, weekends, Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. 280 W. 9 Mile Road, Ferndale,48220. 248.268.4806. popsforitalian.com

Public House: American. Lunch & Brunch, weekends, Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 241 W. Nine Mile Road, Ferndale, 48220. 248.850.7420. publichouseferndale.com

Redcoat Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 31542 Woodward Avenue, Royal Oak, 48073. 248.549.0300. redcoat-tavern.com

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

Royal Oak Brewery: American. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 215 E. 4th Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.544.1141. royaloakbrewery.com

Sozai: Japanese.Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. 449 West 14 Mile Road, Clawson,48017. 248.677-3232. sozairestaurant.com

The Morrie: American. Brunch, weekends, Dinner, Thursday-Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 511 S. Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.216.1112. themorrie.com

Three Cats Cafe: American. Brunch, weekends, Lunch, Tuesday-Sunday. Dinner, Wednesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 116 W 14 Mile Road, Clawson, 48017. 248.900.2287. threecatscafe.com

Tigerlily: Japanese. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 231 W. Nine Mile Road, Ferndale, 48220. 248.733.4905. tigerlilyferndale.com

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

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

Trattoria Da Luigi: Italian. Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 415 S, Washington Avenue, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.542.4444. trattoriadaluigi.business.site.com

Vinsetta Garage: American. Lunch, TuesdaySaturday, Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 27799 Woodward Avenue, Berkley, 48072. 248.548.7711. vinsettagarage.com

Voyager: Seafood. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 600 Vester Street, Ferndale, 48220. 248.658.4999. voyagerferndale.com

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

Firebird Tavern: American. 4845 Rochester Rd, Troy, MI 48085. firebirdtavern.com

Grand Castor: Latin American. 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,

Book Tower welcomes restaurants

Detroit’s Book Tower is set to welcome a series of new food and beverage concepts to the growing dining scene in downtown Detroit. Located within the historic landmark, the new-to-market and culinary-diverse offerings will be operated by Method Co., in partnership with Bedrock. First to launch are Le Suprême and Bar Rotunda, which bring the taste and style of early twentieth-century Paris back to Detroit. Le Suprême offers all-day French fare in the brasserie’s elegant dining room, alfresco, in the restaurant’s bar or within its 12-seat private dining room. The menu is comprised of Parisian specialties as well as fresh pastries, breads and desserts from the adjoining patisserie and boulangerie. Le Suprême’s full-service bar also offers a curated cocktail program and a selection of over 300 world-class wines and champagne. Bar Rotunda serves as an all-day cafe and wine bar, with coffees, pastries, small plates, wine and cocktails offered at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Canopied by The Rotunda, Book Tower’s marble arched atrium and 100-year-old Kamper-glass skylight, the design and service are inspired by the grand cafés and venerable hotel bars of early twentieth-century Paris. “Dating back to the 18th century, Detroit’s rich French history and its unparalleled contributions to the American manufacturing and music industries were attributes that we wanted to celebrate with the conception of Le Supreme and Bar Rotunda. The revitalization efforts that have gone into Detroit’s downtown core are remarkable, resulting in a renaissance that we are excited to be a part of,” said Randall Cook, CEO and co-founder of Method Co. “Our goal is that Le Supreme, Bar Rotunda, and our subsequent openings within Book Tower will offer guests a new opportunity to discover the beauty and spirit of this legendary city.” BookTowerDetroit.com

Presley’s Kitchen + Bar to open

Detroit-based Roxbury Group, through its Treefort Hospitality Group, has announced that a new restaurant, Presley’s Kitchen + Bar, will open in the Historic David Whitney building later this year. Open seven days a week, Presley’s will occupy the first-floor space at the corner of Woodward and Park avenues directly across from Grand Circus Park in downtown Detroit. Presley’s will offer progressive American cuisine with a focus on fresh, local ingredients, and will feature a wood-fired grill, with breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. Presley’s upscale casual atmosphere, designed by restaurant and hospitality designer, Mark Knauer, will feature warm wood tones and Art Deco green accents. Seating for 150 diners will be on the perimeter of the space, with commanding views of both downtown and the David Whitney’s atrium. A 30-seat bar will be featured as a central element, and a sidewalk patio is planned for Woodward Avenue. “We looked for a long time to find the right partner for this space at the David Whitney,” said Stacy Fox, principal of the Roxbury Group. “This building is special to Detroiters, and we wanted to be sure that the concept was something that would enhance the experience of guests, residents and visitors to the David Whitney.”

Daxton’s art installation

There are plenty of food and drink options to explore at Birmingham’s Daxton Hotel, from classic cocktails at the Geode Bar and Lounge to quick bites and coffees at Café Dax, as well as fine dining at the elegant Madam restaurant.Elevating that experience,The Daxton Hotel boasts a collection of 400 original pieces of art that have been curated from around the world by renowned Saatchi Art. Recently, the hotel unveiled its newest edition to its extensive art collection. Located in the VIA Walkway (between The Daxton and Zana), this 100-foot-long installation by Detroit artist James Kaye features mixed materials to create one incredible cohesive piece. The piece brings the curated art collection outside of the hotel to the street, furthering the Daxton’s vision of community connections in Birmingham. Kaye was on site for the installation’s dedication as well as Daxton Hotel owner Mark Mitchell. “It’s the kind of thing artists dream of,” said Kaye. “I was able to express myself…and respond with the materials…it’s a good fit because I grew up around here - I’m from Detroit and I’ve got a street art background and a hot rodding background and (the installation) is a connection between all the styles.” Mitchell said that although the collection represents 150 artists from 50 over countries, the Daxton also has a commitment to support local aspiring artists, such as Kaye. 298 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham daxtonhotel.com

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 Road, Troy, 48084. 248.816.3424. neimanmarcus.com/restaurants

Oceania Inn: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. The Village of Rochester Hills, 3176 Walton Boulevard, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.375.9200. oceaniainnrochesterhills.com

Ocean Prime: Steak & Seafood. Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2915 Coolidge Highway, Troy, 48084. 248.458.0500. ocean-prime.com

O’Connor’s Irish Public House: Irish. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 324 S. Main Street, Rochester, 48307. 248.608.2537. oconnorsrochester.com

Orchid Café: Thai. Lunch, MondayFriday, 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

Sedona Taphouse: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 198 Big Beaver Road, Troy, 48083. 248.422.6167. sedonataphouse.co

Silver Spoon: Italian. Dinner, MondaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 6830 N. Rochester Road, Rochester, 48306. 248.652.4500. silverspoonristorante.com

Too Ra Loo: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 139 S. Main Street, Rochester, 48307. 248.453.5291. tooraloorochester.com

West Bloomfield/Southfield

Bacco: Italian. Lunch, Tuesday-Friday, Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 29410 Northwestern Highway, Southfield, 48034. 248.356.6600. baccoristorante.com

Cornbread Restaurant & Bar: Southern. Lunch & Dinner, Thursday-Tuesday. Reservations. Liquor. 29508 Northwestern Highway, Southfield, 48034. 248.208.1680. cornbreadsoulfood.com

Bigalora: Italian. 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, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. Beer &

Wine. 6239 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.538.7081. menesususi.com

Nonna Maria’s: Italian. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 2080 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield, 48323. 248.851.2500. nonamariasbistro.com

Pickles & Rye: Deli. Lunch, & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. 6724 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.737.3890. picklesandryedeli.com

Prime29 Steakhouse: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 6545 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield, 48322. 248.737.7463. prime29steakhouse.com

Redcoat Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. Liquor. 6745 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.865.0500. redcoat-tavern.com

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

Gravity Bar & Grill: Mediterranean. Lunch, Monday – Friday, Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 340 N. Main Street, Milford, 48381. 248.684.4223. gravityrestaurant.com

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

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, Sunday, Lunch, Saturday, 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

Bar Pigalle: French. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2915 John R Street, Detroit, 48201 313.497.9200. barpigalle.com

Barda: Argentinian. Dinner, Thursday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 4842 Grand River Avenue, Detroit, 48208. 313.952.5182. bardadetroit.com

Basan: Asian. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2703 Park Avenue, Detroit, 48201. 313.481.2703. basandetroit.com

Bucharest Grill: Middle Eastern. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2684 E. Jefferson Avenue, Detroit, 48207. 313.965.3111. bucharestgrill.com

Cash Only Supper Club: American. Dinner,

Friday & Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 1145 Griswold Street, Detroit, 48226. 248.636.2300. cashonlydetroit.com

Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails: Seasonal American. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 15 E Kirby Street, Detroit, 48202. 313. 818-3915. chartreusekc.com

Cliff Bell’s: American. Dinner, WednesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 2030 Park Avenue, Detroit, 48226. 313.961.2543. cliffbells.com

Coriander Kitchen and Farm: Farm to table. Lunch, grab and go, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday with hot menu on Saturday and Sunday, Dinner, WednesdayMonday. Reservations. Liquor.14601 Riverside Boulevard, Detroit, 48215. 313.338.9466. corianderkitchenandfarm.com

Cuisine: French. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 670 Lothrop Road, Detroit, 48202. 313.872.5110. cuisinerestaurantdetroit.com

El Barzon: Mexican. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 3710 Junction Street, Detroit, 48210. 313.894.2070. elbarzonrestaurant.com

Fishbone’s Rhythm Kitchen Café: Cajun. Lunch and Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 400 Monroe Street, Detroit, 48226. 313.965.4600. fishbonesusa.com

Freya: Price fixed. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations, Liquor. 2929 E. Grand Boulevard, Detroit, 48202. 313.351.5544. freyadetroit.com

Giovanni’s Ristorante: Italian. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 330 S. Oakwood Boulevard, Detroit, 48217. 313.841.0122. giovannisrestaurante.com

Green Dot Stables: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2200 W. Lafayette, Detroit, 48216. 313.962.5588. greendotstables.com

Joe Muer Seafood: Seafood. Lunch, MondayFriday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 400 Renaissance Center, Detroit, 48243. 313.567.6837. joemuer.com

Johnny Noodle King: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2601 W. Fort Street, Detroit, 48216. 313.309.7946. johnnynoodleking.com

Leila: Lebanese. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 1245 Griswold Street Detroit, MI. 48226. 313.816.8100. leiladetroit.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

Midtown Shangri-la: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 4710 Cass Avenue, Detroit, 48201. 313.974.7669. midtownshangril-la.com

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

Oak & Reel: Italian Seafood. Dinner, ThursdayMonday. Reservations. Liquor. 2921 E. Grand Boulevard, Detroit, 48202. 313.270.9600. oakandreel.com

PAO Detroit: Asian Fusion/Pan Asian. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 114 W. Adams, 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, TuesdaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 555 E.

Lafayette Street, Detroit, 48226. 313.309.2499. greektowncasino.com

Red Smoke Barbeque: Barbeque. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. Trappers Alley Shopping Center, 573 Monroe Ave., Detroit, 48226. 313.962.2100.

Selden Standard: American. Dinner, Wednesday-Monday. Reservations. Liquor. 3921 2nd Avenue, Detroit, 48201. 313.438.5055. seldenstandard.com

SheWolf Pastifico & Bar: Italian. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 438 Selden Street, Detroit 48201. 313.315.3992. shewolfdetroit.com

Sinbad’s: Seafood. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 100 St. Clair Street, Detroit, 48214. 313.822.8000. sindbads.com

Slows Bar BQ: Barbeque. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2138 Michigan Avenue, Detroit, 48216. 313.962.9828. slowsbarbq.com/locations/corktown

Supergeil: Berlin Doner. Lunch, Friday-Sunday. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 2442 Michigan Avenue, Detroit, 48216. 313.462.4133. supergeildetroit.com

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, Wednesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 420 Peterboro Street, Detroit, 48201. 313.462.8106. thepeterboro.com

The Statler: French. Brunch, Sunday. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 313 Park Avenue, Detroit, 48226. 313.463.7111. statlerdetroit.com

Townhouse Detroit: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 500 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, 48201. 48226. 313.723.1000. townhousedetroit.com

Selden Standard: American. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 3921 Second Avenue, Detroit, 48201. 313.438.5055. seldenstandard.com

Supergeil: Berlin Doner. Lunch, Friday-Sunday. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 2442 Michigan Avenue, Detroit, 48216. 313.462.4133. supergeildetroit.com

Symposia: Mediterranean. Dinner, WednesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor.1000 Brush Street, Detroit, 48226. 313.962.9366. atheneumsuites.com/symposia

Vertical Detroit: Small Plates & Wine Bar. Dinner, Wednesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 1538 Centre Street, Detroit, 48226. 313.732.WINE. verticaldetroit.com

Vigilante Kitchen + Bar: American/Asian/ French. Dinner, Wednesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 644 Selden Street, Detroit, 48201. 313.638.1695. vigilantekitchen.com

Vivio’s Food & Spirits: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2460 Market Street, Detroit, 48207. 313.393.1711. viviosdetroit.net

The Whitney: American. Tea Service, Saturday & Sunday, Dinner, Wednesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor.4421 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, 48201. 313.832.5700. thewhitney.com

Wright & Co.: American. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. No reservations. Liquor. 1500 Woodward Avenue, Second Floor, Detroit, 48226. 313.962.7711. wrightdetroit.com

Our recommendations for November ballot

Residents in Birmingham and Bloomfield Hills are being asked to choose candidates to fill seats on their city commissions, as well as for the Baldwin Library board this election day, Tuesday, November 7. In Bloomfield Hills, there are five candidates to fill five open seats. In Birmingham, four candidates are seeking to fill four open seats. There are four candidates seeking three open seats on the Baldwin Library board.

Downtown Newsmagazine normally invites all candidates to answer questions we feel are important and relevant to the job of city commissioner to help voters and us to decide who to support. However, we do not do that for uncontested races.

In a first for us, recognizing the importance of library boards in maintaining access to communication materials, meeting places and many other services for the community, in this election we have sent out questionnaires to the four candidates seeking three seats on the Baldwin Library board. Their answers are available in this issue in our Voter Guide as well as on our website, downtownpublications.com.

In addition, we weigh in on two important issues facing Birmingham voters – the senior millage proposition and an ordinance amending the prohibition on marijuana sales. For those living in the Bloomfield Hills Schools district, voters are asked to renew a building and site sinking fund millage.

We offer our endorsements on this page, reached after thorough, thoughtful and careful deliberation with the acknowledgement that we are just one voice in the community, although one backed up by an inordinate amount of time covering local government issues.

BIRMINGHAM Baldwin Library Board

There are three open seats on the seven-member Baldwin Library board. Baldwin Public Library, while located in the heart of downtown Birmingham, adjacent to Shain Park, serves not only Birmingham but also Beverly Hills, Bingham Farms and Bloomfield Hills. This is a strong field seeking the board positions.

Two incumbents, board president JENNIFER WHEELER and board vice president KAREN ROCK are both running for re-election, and each warrant a return to the board. Each has been involved with the library's construction project, which has refashioned both the Youth Services and Adult Services to function in a 21st century world. Both Wheeler and Rock have been integral parts of the process as the library undergoes its third and final reconstruction, from planning and working with staff to financial management and community collaboration. They each have the skills, talent and perspective, including appreciating that a community's library should reflect the values and interests of everyone in the community and work to defeat public censorship of library materials. They also recognize that a board member's job is to support and not undercut the library director, and conduct all board decisions in compliance with the Open Meetings Act.

For the third open seat, we were most impressed

with WENDY FRIEDMAN, an active community volunteer who is also involved in several notable non-profits. Her understanding and appreciation for Baldwin Library, where she has long been an active visitor, the city of Birmingham, and her experience as a board member with other organizations should allow her to hit the ground running with a clear understanding of the board's role and the importance of adhering to the Open Meetings Act.

Next Senior Services Millage

Birmingham Next, a non-profit whose goal is enriching the lives of the 50-plus population of Birmingham, Bingham Farms, Beverly Hills and Franklin since it was created in 1978, has been sharing or renting limited space from Birmingham Public Schools, until earlier this year, when after eight years of searching for a home, the city of Birmingham coordinated the purchase of the Birmingham YMCA building on E. Lincoln Street in Birmingham as a combined future site for Next and the Y. This is a huge win for both Next and the Y. The Y has been looking to expand its operations into neighboring communities, and this will allow it to reduce its footprint while allowing Next to utilize 30,000 square feet of the current 40,000 square foot building – tripling its current space. Some of that square footage will also include shared spaces. However, there is a cost to both update the infrastructure and contemporize the space, as well to support the new senior center. It's an important cost to bear.

Recent census data reveal that about half of Birmingham's population – just as in neighboring Bloomfield Township – is over 50, and will continue to grow older as residents age in place. In reality, there are many more in this demographic than in our school age population.

Birmingham is requesting a new .33-mill levy, which will collect a little over $1 million a year for a three-year term. Birmingham voters should vote YES on the senior services millage, which is long overdue.

Cannabis Dispensary Sales

Years ago the city commission voted to opt out of allowing dispensaries in Birmingham, as did a majority of communities across the state, after recreational cannabis use and sale for those over 21 years of age was approved by state voters.

Back in February of this year, Birmingham officials began discussing how to approach the question of allowing a marijuana dispensary within the city limits as a proactive move to guard against a petition effort by citizens – but more likely from outside commercial marijuana entities – wanting to anchor in the local market.

A growing number of municipalities in Michigan and in Oakland County have been subject to socalled “citizen” petition drives to put the issue on the ballot to overturn the current ban on dispensaries. In a number of cases these petitions were driven by the same outside group. Equally disconcerting is the number of local governments that have become embroiled in lawsuits when simply trying to set the approach best suited for their local community.

Birmingham officials figured it was logical to

control the nature of an ordinance that would allow for a limited number (one each) of recreational and medical marijuana dispensaries and their location in the city to thwart such a petition drive where outside forces would dictate the number of sales outlets and their placement.

Made sense to us at the time. But over the past months we realize that the city could still – or more likely will – face a future petition drive that would overrule what the city had adopted. And now the city commission has decided to leave the decision up to residents with the ballot question in November.

Unfortunately, no matter what residents decide, the city could still face a petition drive, most likely from cannabis interests, who could get on some future ballot with a completely different direction for the city on this issue.

Yes, 62 percent of those voting in Birmingham favored legalizing recreational use of marijuana, which we supported on this editorial page. But that does not necessarily mean that the majority of residents want dispensaries in the community, especially when sales of cannabis are as near as 14 Mile on the city's border, a short drive to any number of neighboring communities where multiple dispensaries flourish, or you can order flower and other cannabis products online and have them delivered. Additionally, the amount of tax revenues from just two dispensaries will be negligible. Approving dispensaries holds the potential of a legal mess for the city in the years ahead, not to mention when other illegal street drugs, such as psychedelics, may be decriminalized like they have been already in Ann Arbor and Detroit, for example.

The solution? City voters need to send a strong message that there will be NO cannabis or other drug dispensaries in Birmingham by voting NO on the ballot question in this election. Present a united front to discourage anyone or any group that may want to force a future vote, no doubt funded by outside special interests. Voters need to send a clear message: Birmingham is our community, and we will determine its future.

BLOOMFIELD HILLS SCHOOLS Renewal of sinking fund millage

Voters living in the Bloomfield Hills School district are being asked to approve a three-year, $3.38 million a year sinking fund millage, to replace the expiring current tax, enacted in 2018, at a slight decrease, .6976 mills, down from .7165 mills, for the school years 2024 through 2026, inclusive. Sinking fund millage dollars are to be used for safety, security and technology upgrades, which the district is planning to continue to use for improvements, construction or repair of school buildings, school security improvements, the acquisition or upgrading of technology, the acquisition of student transportation vehicles and equipment, and other pertinent needs.

Sinking funds cannot be used for faculty, administrator or employee salaries, nor for other operating expenses, per Michigan law. We recommend Bloomfield Hills Schools district voters vote YES to continue supporting this millage renewal.